#letting Agents UK

[top10estateagentsuk]

The Evolution of Property Hunting

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Hey uh, if ninth doctor wants to show up with the titanic, now would be a good time-

[empirechase1]

"Empire Chase is an established estate agent in Wembley, offering a wide range of services tailored to landlords. They specialise in providing expert advice and professional management, ensuring landlords maximise the potential of their properties. With an in-depth knowledge of the local market, Empire Chase is dedicated to delivering exceptional results for property owners."

[bluebison2]

Why are lettings agents so shit. Fire alarm intermittent beeping all night. Ring the agent first thing, says ‘she’ll contact someone’. Spend all morning off work waiting for a trades person or building handyman, clean a little. Lunch time ring again and she tells me she e-mailed the landlord. Like girl do more than one email the f*cking alarm is going. She didn’t seem bothered, was the laziest s.o.b. Absolute state of the Uk rental sector rn

[spliffymae]

rapper!onyankopon.

just some head canons i have.

in my head im imagining a blend of dave and fridayy, where he can sing as well (he got variety!). same universe as my musicproducer!connie fic but reader is not famous here, as opposed to w/ connie’s. (lol i gave her a last name too—davis.) in my mind, im picturing ony from the uk and connie from ny.

★　*　　°　　　　🛰 　°. 🌓　•　　.°•　　　🚀

rapper!ony who first pops up on the scene in a music video of his friend connie’s song. he wasn’t featured on the track, but rather just in the background getting hype with everyone else.

but y’all know how the girlies get when a fine black man/woman/person start trending.

rapper!ony who wasn’t shy about his craft, but just wasn’t big on social media. his agent hated it, he loved it. he simply released music, let people know, and then went about his business.

rapper!ony was trending and although he didn’t take this as an opportunity to get in his social media bag, his best friend, musicproducer!connie did!

rapper!ony who goes from a couple thousand people knowing what he does to over a million people screaming his lyrics at they’re phones on tiktok in ONE night.

“bro, you can’t even get mad at me gang!” connie yelled from his shower. ony was sitting outside, accosting his friend for what he did. “you said you didn’t care what happened to the project!”

“but tell me if you gon post it and make it a whole thing, nigga damn!” ony yelled back.

rapper!ony who now has to adjust to his quickly rising popularity. he has yet to know the number of artists looking for a feature; and he doesn’t know that he secretly has some of these industry boys shaking in their boots because where the hell he come from?

no, rapper!ony is too busy focusing on whyyy they’re a million fan edits of him across tiktok and instagram. clips of him from his streams, connie’s videos, and his other friend’s content.

ony groans as connie’s message banner pops up on his phone, the message being a link to a tiktok. when he clicked it, it was a fan edit of him using his song ‘when it comes to you’. “bro, who keeps sending these to you, man?!” ony exclaimed. connie heard it from his room and snickered.

rapper!ony who had to adjust to being the attention at these red carpet events. he usually just walked behind connie and his girl, along with the rest of the entourage but now he is getting stopped for photographs.

there’s nothing like listening to music live. so rapper!ony puts on a fake smile and pushes through the crowded carpet to get inside. he waves to people he’s worked with, artists, and fans who called out to him. all so he can hear some music.

he sees connie holding hands with his girlfriend, both of them making goofy faces at the cameras. he softly smiles at the couple, but before he could make way, connie somehow senses him and turns to him “ony! ven aquí!” damn!

rapper!ony who doesn’t expect much from the awards show. just to go, support connie, and go home. he was nominated,yeah, but he was also in the category with some of the most popular artists right now…so he wasn’t feeling all that confident.

rapper!ony who is shocked as shocked can be when his name is called from the podium for best new artist.

“F**CK YEAH!” connie yelled, jumping up from his seat along with his girl and the rest of the table—aran, zora, jean, armin, and mikasa.

rapper!ony who walks up on stage with connie who is still screaming from excitement.

“uhhh, i’m not gonna lie, mans weren’t expecting to win still.” ony laughed, running a hand over his fresh waves. the audience laughed with him.

“first i would like to thank God, the most high who has blessed me with this amazing opportunity. i want to thank my people for having my back; connie—this man,” ony pointed behind him to connie, who was full out filming the moment on his phone.

“who told me on a random day when we were cleaning out our college dorm room that if we made a project together we would be the new heartthrobs of the generation. connie i thank you for being you; having my back and working alongside me. my brother for life, that is.” connie screamed, and so did his girlfriend from the audience as the claps poured in.

“and finally, i want to thank my heart in human form. the woman who made all of this possible, y/n davis. she don’t like the attention so im gonna hear bout this name drop when i get home. but babes, i love you, and thank you for being my rib. i owe you the world and more. and to her parents, thank you for my better half. thank you lot again. love!” ony raised his hand with the award, smiling and waving to the crowd and cameras as he walked to the back.

meanwhile, across the country, cuddled up in her bed was y/n, who was watching the award show before going to sleep. she had expressed to ony she wasn’t too sure about going, not liking the cameras and attention. he reassured her it was okay because there wasn’t any way he would be winning with who else was in the category.

so…safe to say when you saw your boyfriend on the stage with the award in his hand, you could not contain your shock and excitement. you jumped out of bed screaming and quickly getting to your phone camera to record the tv. squeals and “yeah baby” was all you could say as he gave connie his thanks.

but then… when you heard him say your name, for everyone around the world to hear, everything just turned to shock as your phone fell from your frozen hands, still recording. you were stunned. he said your name. your government name. on national television.

“ONY!!!”

[sgiandubh]

And who would've thought... it figures

My attention has been very recently drawn to this very telling non-announcement:

[Source: https://hq.rostr.cc/insider/news/the-fratellis-sign-wtth-toura-toura; announcement published on February 24, 2025]

And surely enough, this was quietly confirmed by Toura Toura on the company's socials. It would also seem they have been collaborating for a while, now, even before the info was disclosed:

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/ltdtouratoura/]

[Source: https://www.facebook.com/touratourahq/]

It is even on the Booking Agent Info professional database:

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/celebrity/the-fratellis/]

To quote: 'The Fratellis' managers used to be Anthony McGill' (..)'. Operative concept - 'used to'. Past tense. The three of them managers seem to have vanished into thin air. Oh my, what on Earth could have happened?

According to Companies' House, UK Government company register, Kevin Fitzgerald is the sole owner of two companies. The first company is Toura Toura Ltd, which nature of business is  'sound recording and music publishing activities':

[Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11826082]

... and Toura Toura Festivals Ltd, which nature of business is 'performing arts' and which is doing just slightly better - its paperwork is ok, for the time being:

[Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12502492]

The accounts' analysis is interesting, in a way, for there seems to have been very little (if any) turnover/profit in both companies for the last three years, with very mediocre balance sheet reports to boot:

... and...

Anyways, I am rather tempted to follow-up and report if anything new pops in, which might happen rather shortly, with last year's report overdue for the first company and due in about two weeks for the second one.

You might be forgiven of superficially thinking this entrepreneurial profile looks like another person's (ahem). It doesn't: his net assets are positive, despite the reporting negligence as far as Toura Toura Ltd is concerned. And the COVID pandemic might explain those financials, at least partially. For instance, in May 2023, Toura Toura Festivals landed in hot water, when the Wolverhampton Council completely let them down, canceling for the third year in a row the city's Creation Day Festival:

[Source and more details, here: https://accessaa.co.uk/toura-toura-festivals-seeking-legal-advice-after-creation-day-postponed-for-third-year-running/]

The man seems to have a good reputation in the business. I found this pre-COVID interview (February 2020) for a specialized blog very honest and quite endearing - excerpts follow:

[Source: https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2020/02/12/indieterria-meets-kevin-fitzgerald-of-toura-toura/ ]

And then look who's on The Fratellis' following Instagram roster...?

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/thefratellis/following/]

Alan McGee, Fitzgerald's providential first client! Yes. Connections are always important, irrespective of the industry, but perhaps even more in that particular industry.

I strongly suggest you'd give five minutes to Mr. Fitzgerald's story of a single dad who has been through loss and found the power to reinvent himself. Clearly a very hands-on, proactive work ethic and perhaps the reason The Fratellis signed with him, after all?

So you see, I think there is a difference between 'working in the shadows' and being non-existent/not giving a flying fuck. I even surprised myself feeling glad for a perfectly unknown person's apparent comeback.

You might also think McGill's got other clients?

Chances are he doesn't, plus his profile isn't even claimed - now, why would that be?

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/managers/anthony-mcgill/]

For comparison purposes: the profile is checked by Fitzgerald himself and the clients are there. I didn't bother to look further - it's crystal clear.

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/managers/kevin-fitzgerald/]

You knew this will immediately follow, right?

You're welcome.

PS: Thank you for the tip. As always, superb and easy to follow. You know who you are 😘😘😘😘.

[toriaaniin]

So do you think what we are seeing with L & A is a PR relationship? Perhaps it’s a way to take the pressure off of L & N so they can both show up at events for Bridgerton?

It's been a while since I had a question. I'm game for questions! I'm sure the quiet is because I have my anons turned off. The troll activity that we've all been experiencing - over the past few weeks especially - has been fucking DELULU inducing (no: believing in L & N's love isn't delusional, therefore I am not delulu). I used to laugh at how my Lukola bloggity friends have so cleverly responded to the trolls' ridiculousness, but lately it simply makes me want to throw up. Thank the Light that I haven't personally had to deal with that BS since turning off my anons. Now that I've written that statement, watch a troll who is willing to have their name plastered everywhere pop up in my messages. Especially after they read this post! Ha!

Okay... let's respond to the questions asked of me.

I'd like to quickly deal with the second part of this question: "... a way to take the pressure off of L & N so they can both show up at events for Bridgerton?" In a word, no. There should be no events for Bridgerton until they start promotion for season 4, and that likely won't be until 2026. At the earliest, late 2025. If you mean the upcoming BAFTAs on May 11th? A case could be made for BAFTAs (that I'll touch on below), but "pressure off" would not be that reason.

Your first question: "Do you think what we are seeing with L & A is a PR relationship?" I'll use another single word: Yes. The one word I'd change out in your question though is "relationship". I don't view Luke & Antonia as a relationship. THIS is a relationship.

I view the situation between Luke and Antonia as a working arrangement. Perhaps even a legal one (but I'm not going to get into the NDA stuff. @fiamat12 does that well with her Legal Anon, and she posted an update this morning). She's been hired to play a role, and she's paid for that work (how [not necessarily money] would be an agreement between her agent/legal team and Luke's).

So why? I have a theory around Luke's branding that I personally find compelling, but I'll leave that for now because it deserves its own post as well as a good deal of research to find PR evidence (it exists!!) to support it for my readers. Know though that my theory - while reluctantly agreed with (usually!) - has proven controversial amongst my private chat group friends!

I will however discuss two reasons for this PR relationship.

One is the BAFTAs as I mentioned above. The voting for this year's BAFTA TV nominations is conducted in 3 rounds and only eligible Members of BAFTA can vote. The second round of nominee voting ended on March 13th. The final nominees are announced next Thursday, March 27th (watch for it!) after which the BAFTA members enter into a third round of voting (officially April 7th, closing on the 14th), with the winners announced during the ceremony on May 11th. Phew!

Members of the Academy - their peers, creatives and professionals working in and making contributions to the television industry in the UK - have already voted on whether Luke, Nicola, cast, crew, designers, producers, directors, etc. will be the final nominees. Again, those final nominees will be announced next week... with the same Members responsible for voting the actual winners.

Why is this a big deal? Because Luke and Nicola don't want their performances to be undervalued by a belief that they didn't act their parts. That the love that we saw in Penelope and Colin was actually (and only!) the love of Nicola and Luke. More importantly (and I'm SURE this is more important to Luke & Nicola too) = if they are believed to not have been acting, it undervalues the contributions of the entire cast, crew, Shondland, Netflix... everyone!

So you see... it's not about "taking pressure off" because the pressure is ON until April 14th when voting ends. Maybe even until awards night, May 11th.

Deflecting eyes away from Luke and Nicola's real relationship will help with BAFTA votes... but the second reason I'm going to suggest takes us one step beyond that deflection. We're talking DON'T LOOK OVER HERE! strength diversion!! The reason they want that kind of deflection is because Luke and Nicola are, I firmly believe, new parents. In fact, the BOSS event was in part a ruse to shock the fandom and get them all up in arms about Luke and Antonia, all while Luke and Nicola had a baby. The result of 3 "let's get this done" hours of Luke's life? No media and stalker-fans sniffing around, looking for photo opportunities of the new family. Misdirection.

Then we come to the SAG awards where our couple tried sooooo hard to pretend they were "just friends". We saw the truth, didn't we? They've tried a few times since SAGs to misdirect us. Remember my friends, they don't want us to look too closely. One day they'll opt for private, not secret. After all you can't hide a baby forever. But not until they're ready. We're on their schedule. Thankfully we're familiar with their misdirection patterns. I'm sat firmly on this ship!

Aaniin Xxx

(In case you ever wondered: that third little x started appearing in the closing of my posts in late January/early February... and if you know where Xx comes from [which still lives on Luke's IG bio, BTW!], you now know why I've added it 💙)

[aziraphales-library]

I didn't know the fandom had librarians! This is amazing!

I read Factory Settings recently and I'd like to find more fanfics that deal in multiple realities, split realities or time travel / time loops etc. Do you know of any?

Hi! We actually have tags for these, so do check out the fics we've already recommended here: #multiverse, #alternate universe, #time travel, and #time loop. Here are more to add to the collections...

A Moment Suspended in Sea Spray by cassieoh (T)

Green filled his vision in the brief second before he instinctively tucked his head away in his coils. Crawly didn’t think there had ever been anything green and growing in Hell save perhaps a good mold behind Hastur’s knees. Cautiously, he inched the very tip of his nose out of his coils and flicked his tongue. Growing things. Soil. Apples. The oil left behind by human hands. Something strange and sharp smelling. Under it all, a smell he knew but couldn’t place. This wasn’t Hell.

Limitless by SmokingMirrorChaos, Yvesriba (T)

Crowley has never known a world with Aziraphale. Where he's from, his counterpart was the angel Anathema. 6000 years of friendship eventually lead to them traveling between worlds until they discover one where there has never been a Crowley. But, there is an Aziraphale. They met and fall in love and with Aziraphale, Crowley finds the happiness he's always sought. A tale told in Crowley's stories to Aziraphale and flashbacks.

creatures of circumstance by attheborder (M)

Anthony J. Crowley, Jr. is the prodigal son of CrowleyCorp, the UK’s most powerful, dangerous, and controversial technology company. A one-night stand with a mysterious man who calls himself Aziraphale tips his hopeless life upside-down into a dangerous obsession. And somewhere else entirely, a girl-shaped creature is presiding over the back room of a bookshop in Soho, where an angel and a demon lay unconscious on the floor…

Endless Night by AppleSeeds (T)

Spending Halloween in an old cottage with his housemates, university student Crowley finds himself trapped in a time loop that repeats every four hours, with only the spirit of Anathema's dead witchy ancestor to help guide him. Agnes believes the time loop has been triggered by Crowley's own thoughts, and that the only way to break it is to ensure that Aziraphale, who Crowley is completely infatuated with, actually enjoys himself. Despite how flustered he gets every time he even looks at Aziraphale, Crowley does everything he can to try to make that happen. But no matter what he tries, things keep going wrong.

World Enough And Time by Stephquiem (T)

For Aziraphale, there were always two Crowleys: the First Crowley, the one he met in the Garden, the one he's spent 6000 years meeting across human history. And there is the Second Crowley, the one who comes to him across time, again and again, propelled, it would seem, by some unknown tragedy. Both, his hereditary enemy. His dearest friend. For Crowley, there is a Before, and there is an After. Before, he spent 6000 years as Hell's agent on Earth, seeing Aziraphale occasionally, working together where they could get away with it. After... After, he's drawn back over and over, like he's attached by a tether that just won't let him go. Not that he wants it to let him go. The alternative...

Smoke and Mirrors by cyankelpie (T)

“If we want the truth from him, he needs to feel safe enough to speak truthfully,” said Gabriel. “Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘The traitor couldn’t possibly feel safe while he’s in Heaven for interrogation!’ And you’d be right.” His grin widened. “But—this is where it gets really good—he won’t even know that’s where he is.” (Aziraphale is imprisoned in Heaven, but breaks free thanks to Crowley’s help. On Earth, Crowley wakes up from his pandemic nap to find Aziraphale missing. Meanwhile, two angels watch an imaginary life unfold, with all the time in the world to wait for the answers they need.) And the sequel, dealing with the aftermath: Reality Check

- Mod D

[tracksuitponytail]

As the year comes to a close, I want to thank all the writers in this fandom one more time—not only for providing me with a welcome escape but also for inspiring me to try my own hand at writing. Wishing all of you a smooth transition into what will, hopefully, be a more gentle 2025.

🌨 Until by @allwaswell16 [E, 38k, farm]

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

🌨 Tell Me Your Secrets, Teach Me Your Ways by @insightfulinsomniac [E, 23k, omegaverse]

A regency-ish royalty AU featuring overeager soulmates who maybe give into temptation a little too much on their secret journey of sexual discovery.

🌨 the school of extraordinary lovers by @stylinsoncity [E, 191k, enemies to lovers]

harry is a third-year witch and violinist at Laitswold, the only magical academy in the UK, with dreams of taking on the world, and hopefully breaking the centuries-old curse on his family while he's at it. he does not dream of facing off against his childhood rival and duet partner, but louis is back in town after six years abroad, so that's exactly what happens.

🌨 Curves of your lips rewrite history by @lunarheslwt [E, 8k, royalty]

Everyone bows to Prince Harry, but in the privacy of his four walls, the one he is bowing and kneeling for is his knight, Sir Louis.

🌨 Streetlights in the dark blue by @itsmotivatingcara [E, 120k, murder mystery]

Louis Tomlinson is an investigative journalist.

He's spent the better part of his life researching the psyches of serial killers, and publishing articles to provide a deeper understanding into their methodologies. His pen-name, Orion, is well known around the globe. An alter-ego that keeps his pockets lined, and his identity private.

That is, until a letter arrives at his home address. A letter containing a symbol. One dubbed by a serial killer who'd vanished three years prior. The postage stamp? Bainbridge Island.

He'd spent so long peering into the darkness, it should be no surprise to discover that something had been looking back.

The island presents a host of mysteries. It also houses a nosy witch, determined to break down his walls.

And an FBI agent hellbent on shattering his carefully constructed world.

🌨 Wanksgiving 2024 @wanksgivingfest [fic fest, masturbation]

Why celebrate Thanksgiving when you could celebrate Wanksgiving? And what better way to do that than to write a fic about wanking?

A collection of masturbatory delights and the first fic fest I ever participated in.

🌨 Too Hard to Describe by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright [E, 1.5k, threesome]

Harry's agreed to let someone else fuck Louis. As long as Louis describes it all to him as it's happening.

🌨 'tis the damn season by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf [E, 17k, girl direction]

Harry returns to her small hometown over the holiday season and starts to think about the road not taken.

🌨 To Fall For The Bumblebee by @jaywriteshome [T, 64k, fake relationship]

Their relationship may be fake, but their feelings are real.

After lying to his mom about having a boyfriend, Louis needs to find a fake one stat, so he has someone to bring to his family's annual Christmas party. But as he begins his search, things take a turn, and he attracts the attention of not one man but four.

🌨 Collision by itjustkindahappened / @tequiladimples [E, 226k, enemies to lovers]

Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other.

[top10estateagentsuk]

Today all you have to do to secure a home in a place, say like Edinburgh is to simply connect with the best estate agents in Edinburgh and everything else from there is smooth sailing.

[soelstress]

A Shot Of You

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x female!reader

Summary: Your new work uniform attracts unwanted attention from a stranger...

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI , nsfw , explicit sex/smut, p in v sex , unprotected sex , sex in an alley , some language , a little violence (not towards the reader)

A/N 1 - This is one of two submissions for @mercurial-chuckles Smutty September Fest. Thank you for doing this challenge, it's been fun playing around with the prompts.

A/N 2 - Prompts - Asked a friend to pick up to five prompts for me... of course I was given five so two stories it is 🙈 11) quickie where you don’t take any clothes off, just tug and pull and expose the essentials 15) jealous sex in the alleyway behind the bar 19) getting turned on by their partner’s new uniform for work and then roleplaying a bit

A/N 3 - the “Angel Shot” is a reference to a scheme in the UK known as Ask For Angela. Please check it out and remember to be safe out there lovelies!

A/N 4 - This is my first post on Tumblr. Please let me know if I've missed a warning, knowing me it's more than likely. Hope you all enjoy ☺️

“Hey, what’s taking so long?”

You smothered a laugh at your boyfriend’s petulant whine. “Be patient, Lloyd!” When he grumbled you couldn’t help giggling. Patience was not a word to describe Lloyd Hansen… except when it came to you. Hired by the CIA as an independent agent, Lloyd was previously a loose cannon with physical tendencies and a short temper. His former handler had once said they preferred him effective instead of stable… which spoke volumes considering they knew how effective he could be. Since becoming involved with you, he had become less impulsive and aggressive. But something that never changed was the fact that Lloyd was fiercely protective… and very egotistical.

Shaking your head, you checked your appearance one last time before leaving the bathroom leaning on the doorframe of your adjoining bedroom to see Lloyd flopped on the bed. He was wearing a black shirt with white pants. His boots rested on the bedsheets, a habit of his that annoyed you. Clearing your throat, you stepped further into the room.

Lloyd heaved a great sigh before starting to sit up. “Seriously, I don’t get what’s so special about - “ his jaw dropped, blue eyes raking hungrily over the new work uniform you were required to wear. The black bodice pushed your breasts a little bit higher than normal, and the short skirt rode half way up your thighs so Lloyd knew you’d be flashing more than a smile if you bent too far forward. He wasn’t thrilled about the modifications to your uniform knowing others would be able to look at you. But the bar you worked at had regular patrons who knew to behave under promise of being barred. Plus the men on security were effective at stopping any unwanted advances. Not as effective as he was though…

Lloyd was so deep in his musings that he didn’t see you tilt your head, puzzled at the lack of reaction. “Lloyd?” When he focused on you again, you smiled shyly. “What do you think?”

Lazily, Lloyd slowly sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. He carelessly twirled his finger and you span carefully in an effort not to trip. “Well barkeep, what do you got for a man to quench his thirst around here?”

“What are you in the mood for?” You batted back coyly. 

A smirk graced his lips, eyes twinkling in mischief. You moved forward between his legs and he caught you by the hips. “Hmm… You look fucking delicious… maybe a shot of you?” 

You watched wide eyed as his hands ghosted under your skirt, one holding the material up and the other moving close to your clothed centre. “And how do you want that?” Gasping, you gripped his forearms for balance.

“Straight up”. Licking his lips, Lloyd slipped off the edge of the bed and onto his knees.

Groaning, your hands fisted in his dark hair and tugged gently. “Lloyd… you can’t… I gotta get to work”. Your own words sounded empty to you, you loved the feeling of his mouth on you. 

Wet heat suddenly washed over the thin lace of your underwear. Lloyd hummed in approval at your taste, the feeling causing you to grind against his mouth. His hands dragged the scrap of material down enough so he could easily access your core. Teasing, he blew gently and licked through your wet folds. A loud moan escaped your mouth at the feel of his moustache brushing over your clit. “Just a little taste, my sweet Moonshine”. Hearing your nickname you melted in his touch and surrendered yourself to the pleasure.

A few hours later and you were almost done with your shift. Though part of your brain was focused on making drinks, the majority was focused on what awaited you at home. Lloyd tried to convince you with two orgasms using his mouth and tongue to stay home with him so he could enjoy your new uniform in private. Honestly you’d had to bite your lip when he pouted. Lloyd could be stubborn and childish, and very used to getting his way. Instead, you’d offered to change into your ‘fuck-me’ heels once home and let them work their magic. Though he still grumped, he surrendered on the condition he’d drive you to work and pick you up. 

You noticed a few regulars remained, nursing their drinks and talking quietly. They were on their best behaviour with you after having been taught a lesson by Lloyd. Most of your regulars had either seen his possessiveness firsthand while an unfortunate few experienced it firsthand. When an unfamiliar customer sat in front of you at the bar, you smiled in greeting and placed a napkin on the counter. “Evening, what’ll it be?”

“A Bud, a shot of you and your phone number”. The man grinned smugly, obviously pleased with himself and his delivery. It took all of your restraint to not roll your eyes, you just grabbed a bottle and placed it on the bar before requesting payment. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lloyd enter the bar. He winked at you and a big smile lit up your face, dimming slightly at a scoff from the new customer. He preened when your gaze returned to him. “Think you dropped something there gorgeous”. Glancing around in confusion, you cocked an eyebrow at him. “Your standards. Why don’t cha bend over and show me how low they go?”

God, did these lines actually work? Shaking your head, you signalled to another bartender that you were stepping away. You slipped out from behind the bar, only to find your personal space incredibly crowded by an entirely unwelcome presence. 

“If you want the best fuck of your life, come with me…” His dark gaze raked over your body, leaving your skin crawling.

“I already have plans for that”. Darting around him, you moved towards the staff room next to the rear exit and took a few moments to gather your thoughts. You didn’t have long left to work, but you’d definitely mention the pesky patron to security before leaving. As you inhaled to calm your racing heart, you failed to notice a set of footsteps that seemed to linger outside, followed by another set. Exhaling sharply, you stepped outside the staff room. Over the soft chatter of the patrons and the music from the overhead system, you could hear something else. You moved closer to the rear exit, ears straining. Cries of pain? Maybe another animal got caught in the vermin traps dotted around the property. 

You opened the door to the alley behind the bar and froze at the sight before you. Lloyd was standing with his back to you, the creepy customer pinned to the wall of the next building with one hand. Lloyd’s free hand held something silver. “Boring” Lloyd sighed, sounding almost disappointed. He slowly pressed the silver object into the man’s shoulder who cried out in pain. “One last time, Pumpkin. What were you doing near the staff room?” You gulped softly. Lloyd only use ‘cutesy’ nicknames on those that annoyed him. 

“Argh… looking f-for the…. Bathroom!” The last word was nearly squeaked in pain.

“Tsk. Even a blind man could see the neon sign for the can… which is near the entrance. That shit ain’t gonna fly”. Lloyd shook his head. “You were trying to score with the bartender”.

“That little slut inside? She was begging for it!” His words were cut off by his shout of pain. Silently, Lloyd pocketed his knife and now held the man’s family jewels in a vice grip. The menace made a noise that almost sounded like a high pitched squeak. Lloyd cocked his head before twisting his wrist. Cries of pain echoed in the night air, making your heart clench. Carefully you moved so you’d approach Lloyds side rather than his back. You were within an arms length and started to reach for his shoulder when a punishing grip caught your wrist. 

You looked up and Lloyds furious gaze captivated you, his blue eyes dark and burning with anger. A touch of apprehension sparked within you. The man before you with this look was not your crass and childish lover, this was the psychopathic weapon of destruction. You thought of Lloyds temper, having seen a few instances where he had lashed out at men who thought it ok to be bolder in their flirting or try to grab you as you served them. Lloyds self control then evaporated before an angry haze would envelope him, but he had never hurt you. 

“Lloyd? It’s me. Please look at me Lloyd”. There was no spark of recognition in his eyes, so deep in the depths of his haze he didn’t know who you were. Your mind raced, thinking of Lloyd’s reactions after dealing with other unwanted advances. “Hey… Hot Lips”. His brow furrowed slightly, just enough to indicate he heard you. “Come back to me. I need your kisses Hot Lips”. Any embarrassment you may have felt over your words vanished when his blue eyes began to soften, glacier becoming ocean. Whining, the goon slumped to the floor when released but you and Lloyd never stopped watching each other and still he held your wrist.

“What’s goin’ on out here?” Behind you came the voice of Tommy, head of security for the bar. There was a pause before footsteps slowly walked forward. “You ok sweet cheeks? Hansen oughta give the rest of us a chance to be the knights for a change, maybe get a kiss from a pretty gal”. Tommy was a shameless flirt with good intentions, only ever using his lines to make women laugh or feel good about themselves. He was also aware of the unwanted advances you’d received and Lloyd’s subsequent antics.

Swallowing, you stood still and kept your eyes on Lloyd. “Lloyd was just giving a lesson about understanding what the word ‘no’ means”.

“Seems the lesson sunk in. I’m sure I can give him a recap”. You felt Tommy stop a few feet away. “Maybe I can get you an Angel shot when you’re finished with your shift, sweet cheeks? I know I missed the chance before”. 

You knew Tommy was really asking if everything was under control with Lloyd by asking about the Angel shot while apologising that he had not been around the last time something had happened with another patron. Though you were more than grateful for Tommys offered assistance, Lloyd was no threat to you and him being arrested certainly wasn’t in your plans. “Not this time Tommy, I’m not in the mood tonight”.

“I appreciate your offer to help, Tommy”. Lloyds drawl had you sighing in relief. “But I’d never hurt my Moonshine. So why don’t you give Sunshine here the short version of what I said while we have a talk?” Lloyd’s grip never wavered as Tommy pulled the guy off the ground and led him away. 

“Why’d you stop me? He had it coming” Lloyd pouted.

“He wasn’t worth it - you getting in trouble or beating him to a pulp”.

“He was hassling you, Moonshine. And you’re worth any trouble”. Lloyd tugged on your wrist to bring you against him, the hand holding your wrist moving to your back while the other moved to brush your cheek. “I heard him say that shit about bending you over… and about giving you the best fuck of your life”. Lloyds drawl had changed to a quiet rasp… the same rasp he used when he wanted to fuck you senseless, show his possessive side. You knew that the violence displayed tonight was nothing compared to Lloyd’s prior tactics used during his CIA days but the severity had caught you off guard. But what surprised you more was the fact you were turned on. A part of you loved him coming to your defence, something chivalrous yet primal about it made you melt. Seeing his eyes burn with jealousy, hearing his commanding rasp… you were caught up in his haze.

 His hand slid down your back over the curve of your butt and squeezed. You gasped in surprise. “When he first said it, I wasn’t gonna let him see. I could’ve shot his dick off for saying that to you. But when I had him by the balls…” Lloyd chuckled darkly. “I wanted to show him who the best fuck of your life is. That nobody can do what I do”. Suddenly you found yourself pinned to the wall of the bar by six feet of pure male. “Lemme hear you say it”.

“You’re the best fuck of my life, Lloyd. Nobody can do what you can”. The brick was rough against your back but you ignored the feeling when consumed by Lloyd’s lips. You could taste the sweet candies he loved. It contrasted to the violence fuelling him. As he nipped at your neck, your hands reached into his hair and steered him back to your lips. He groaned and you sucked his tongue fiercely before biting his lip. 

Cursing, Lloyd pulled away and spun you to face the wall. “Put your hands on the wall and push away”. As you moved, you could hear the sound of his zipper opening and a sound of material moving before his body caged yours. One hand moved the soaked crotch of your underwear aside as the other guided his leaking tip to your entrance. With one swift thrust he filled you. His hand covered your mouth before you could cry out. “Much as I’d love to prove a point to that asshole, I don’t wanna have to teach a lesson to Tommy or any others tonight. Keep quiet for me now and you’ll be screaming later on”. He began to move at a rapid pace. From the feel of his pants against your ass, he’d only pushed them down far enough to free his cock. His impatience thrilled you, spurred you to meet his thrusts. He shifted his position slightly, his thick hard cock rubbing at that sweet spot deep inside you. “So hot and wet… nobody can fuck you like I can. Nobody knows you like me… and nobody ever will”. The snarl became a whimper as you clenched hard around him. 

“Fuck! Not gonna last much longer if you squeeze me like that, you’re gonna make me cum”. 

“Please Lloyd. Fuck me. Cum for me” you begged, voice muffled by his hand.

Lloyds thrusts quickened as he brought you back against him, your head against his shoulder. The band in your belly tightened, tingles beginning to race through your body. You whimpered as you felt his cock jerk, filling you with his hot seed. Lloyd bit your neck to quiet his own release. The last bite of pain triggered your orgasm. Your legs wobbled as the pleasure crashed over you but Lloyd held you tight, groaning as your core trembled around him. He moved his hand from your mouth to your chin and turned your face before kissing you and carefully pulling out.

Panting, you watched as he tucked himself back into his pants looking far too pleased with himself. Cocky little shit. You shook your head in bemusement. “Guess I didn’t need my fuck-me heels after all” you teased.

“You never need those fuck-me heels” he smirked. “But I’d like you to wear them as I give you the fuck of your life. All night. Every night”. He steps close to you, eyes soft with love. “For the rest of your life”.

[empirechase1]

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[macgyvermedical]

Post-viral fatigue: When was it first officially recognized as A Thing? Was it unofficially observed much before then? What did the early documentation of it in medical literature/practice look like? How has our understanding of it evolved?

For this, since it is about history, I'm going to be talking mostly about our understanding of post-viral fatigue syndrome in a pre-covid context.

I have also decided to use sources describing what would later be termed ME/CFS. While viruses are only one trigger for ME/CFS, early reports tended to notice that ME/CFS clustered in outbreaks, which speaks to a viral, bacterial, or parasite trigger (for example, an outbreak of a viral illness happens, then just afterwards, an ME/CFS or post-viral syndrome outbreak does).

Finally, it is important to note that viruses are not the only infectious agent that can cause a fatigue syndrome. Bacteria (particularly strep) and even parasites (most notably giardia and malaria) have been known to cause it. As this is a history post, it generally will not be possible to differentiate the cause of any given outbreak, so I'm kind of lumping them in together.

------------------------

Let's begin:

Between 1860 and 1880, a new disease arrived on the scene. It was called neurasthenia, and it was described:

Neurasthenia is a condition of nervous exhaustion, characterised by undue fatigue on slightest exertion, both physical and mental, with which are associated symptoms of abnormal functioning, mainly referable to disorders of the vegetative nervous system. The chief symptoms are headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and subjective sensations of all kinds.

It probably wasn't actually new, but instead first recognized here due to the recent industrial revolution and change in work patterns. It was considered to strike upper-class men (as a consequence of their hard mental work) specifically, and thought not to strike the lower classes, women, or racial minorities (who surely never engaged in such work).

Between 1880 and 1900, in the UK, explanation after explanation was posited as the reason for the illness. It was due to overwork, or underwork. Due to a lack of electrical energy. Due to a physical insult like an infection or metabolic disturbance. Due to the law of thermodynamics playing out in the body. Basically, if the scientific community found a new cool theory, it was applied to explain neurasthenia. None of these, however, were able to be definitively proven with the technology of the time.

One thing, however, was consistent- the treatment. Like a number of other illnesses, it was sending someone to a retreat, rest home, or other place where they could experience physical and mental rest. This is also the first time "chronic fatigue" was used in the literature. Based on what we know today, this was probably a good option.

By the early 20th century, unable to find an explanation that stuck, however, physicians threw their hands up. It was all just a weird form of melancholia, they said. It is important to note here that psychiatry and neurology would not become distinct fields until after WWII. So it was mostly neurologists saying "hey, we can't figure out what causes this, so we're going to lump it in with another thing we can't figure out the cause of that also makes people stay in bed all the time."

This was followed very swiftly by other physicians, several of whom had neurasthenia themselves, advocating for it to continue to be considered it's own separate neurological condition. Unfortunately, the melancholia label stuck, and the view of it as an upper class disease that only affected men quickly flipped to one that was only experienced by the lower classes and women.

Whether understood as physical, mental, or a combination, however, the early 1900s brought with it another explanation for the problem- febrile illness. It was noted that chronic fatigue syndromes frequently followed malaria, flu, and other illnesses that caused fever. This was not the first time this had been postulated, but it was the first time it attained widespread acceptance. The lack of persistence of the culprit (at the time bacteria or parasite), however, only lent more credibility to the idea that it was mental in nature, and it was largely forgotten about.

In 1934, a series of outbreaks of what was thought to be an abnormal form of polio struck around the world. Once it was differentiated, it would be named epidemic neuromyasthenia. This was seen as a brand new illness, not connected to neurasthenia.

By the 1950s, the term had changed to "benign myalgic encephalomyelitis", which was chosen due to

the absent mortality, the severe muscular pains, the evidence of parenchymal damage to the nervous system, and the presumed inflammatory nature of the disorder,

as described in a 1959 paper on the subject. It was recognized that the disease came in both epidemic and sporadic cases, but the scientific community wasn't entirely sure what caused it. Still, the number of papers about it suggested they were looking (unfortunately, most of these papers are not available, even in abstract form).

The next problem happened in 1970. Two psychiatrists named McEvedy and Beard wrote a paper that analyzed an outbreak that occurred in 1955, proclaimed it a case of mass hysteria without talking to any of the patients, and retroactively concluded that all previous outbreaks dating back to 1934 had also been mass hysteria. Over the next 8 years, there were many papers vehemently refuting this claim, by at least 5 different authors that I could find.

Unfortunately, instead of the rebuttals cementing McEvedy and Beard as not knowing what they were talking about, it created a deep rift in the scientific community: did the disease belong to psychiatrists, neurologists, both, or someone else entirely?

People working on the physical end in the 1980s pointed to high rates of viral titers for specific viruses, circulating immune complexes, muscle biopsies showing necrosis, abnormal jitter potentials, and abnormally early acid production during exercise, among other things. Basically, there's something wrong with how the immune system is working, and also something very wrong with the physiology of the muscles.

People working on the mental end pointed to mass hysteria and high rates of anxiety, depression, and emotional liability in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, combined with a then relatively new understanding that mental illness sometimes does wonky things with the immune system.

Note that, for the mental end of things, some of the sources cited in these papers are exceptionally old for scientific papers, like, going back to neurasthenia days and the original 1900s explanations of neurasthenia as melancholia.

Because the two camps couldn't get along (I have no proof, but I know neurology and psychiatry fought like cats and dogs for long swaths of the 20th century, so it honestly might have been a professional scrap that made this illness so fraught), "post-viral syndrome", and later "post-infectious fatigue syndrome" were coined because they didn't specifically point to physical or mental being the primary reason for the syndrome.

And this argument continued into the 2020s, and in some cases until today. The COVID-19 pandemic did finally settle it largely into a physical illness with some psychological features (rather than a psychological illness with some physical features). But it can still be exceptionally difficult to get diagnosed and correctly treated depending on where a person is and what doctor they have.

In conclusion, the history of post-infectious fatigue syndrome has gone through many names and many phases, and there was a lot to the story I wish I could have covered in this post, but it was already really long. Hopefully this gives you some understanding of the social and scientific history of this syndrome.

[blouisparadise]

We recently received a request for a new non-Larry rec list. If you missed our first two, you can find them here and here. We hope you enjoy this list and show all of these fics some love. If you want us to continue making rec lists, please be sure to show support by liking and reblogging this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Far From Reality | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 1,138 words

Henry and Melissa looked like the perfect couple. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because the most famous relationship of the moment couldn't be more fake, a simple trick to pretend. A strategy to hide the fact that the great tycoon, Henry Cavill, was fucking the rock star of the moment, Louis Tomlinson.

2) On The Borderline Tonight | Louis/Ethan Hawke | Mature | 1,470 words

Louis is an artist in need of inspiration. He finds it one sunny afternoon in a Brooklyn coffee shop.

3) Partition | Louis/Liam Payne | Explicit | 1,553 words

Harry, Zayn, and Niall took one limo to the premier and Louis and Liam took the other. What Liam didn't know was that Louis had just been listening to Beyoncé...lets say, he was feeling inspired...

4) In Your Arms Tonight | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 1,692 words

Louis closed his eyes and let the music move him where it wanted him to go. He was feeling relaxed, almost peaceful when an arm snaked around his torso. He gasped as he was rocked back into a man’s larger body. “You’re gorgeous” the man’s voice whispered in his ear, gravelly and low.

5) Say Yes To Heaven | Louis/Ethan Hawke | Mature | 2,818 words

Later when he’s back at the apartment with Oli, as Louis is somewhat dreamily waxing poetic about Ethan, Oli interrupts.- “Does he quote Shakespeare when you fuck?” he asks, poking at the sizzling eggs on the stove. Louis’ cheeks turn suspiciously pink. Oli peers at his face. “Oh my god, he DOES. I KNEW IT.” He triumphantly brandishes his spatula in the air.

6) A Sudden Desire | Louis/Agent Whiskey Explicit | 2,558 words

Save a horse, ride a cowboy.

7) Sweeter By The Day | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 2,673 words

"Never felt this sensation, a kiss to every scar, eclipse my expectations, shock to my heart" - Hayley Williams A one shot about domesticity, coffee, and love.

8) I Miss You, I'm Sorry | Louis/Zayn Malik | Explicit | 2,871 words

Louis spends some time with Zayn in his hotel room after his LA show. they smoke. they fuck.

9) Bet On It | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 2,945 words

“We should make a bet,” Louis says out loud, waiting for Dante to look up from his tablet and see Louis’ pouty lips. “Not a fucking chance.”

10) Give Me Life, Give Me Pain, Give Me Myself Again | Louis/Joel Miller | Explicit | 2,951 words

Joel can’t give Louis everything he needs, but it’s enough for the night.

11) Heaven Beneath His Skin | Louis/Henry Cavill | Mature | 3,251 words

Louis is a petite farmboy who fell in love for the first time.

12) Yours Is The Only Ocean | Louis/Tom Hardy | Explicit | 3,390 words

In which Louis finds out the man he pulled at a club turns out to be famous UK wrestler and boxer, Tom Hardy.

13) Take Me Somewhere, With A World Less Silent | Louis/Dev Patel | Explicit | 3,429 words

Louis' boyfriend comes home earlier than expected from a trip. Domesticity and fluffiness ensue.

14) To Reach A Port We Must Set Sail | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 3,907 words

On holiday in Southern Italy, Louis and Henry go on a special outing.

15) Flame Colored Paradise | Louis/Mads Mikkelsen | Explicit | 3,282 words

A side smirk widened Mads’ lips. He looked like a sight straight from heaven in his dark three-piece suit, hair in perfect place, a relaxed look on his face, as if he hasn’t had a hard-on for the last half an hour. Louis loved how Mads was always perfectly composed, never a single strand of hair out of place. He could have his whole cock buried in Louis, with the boy falling to pieces in front of him, but not a single drop of sweat would dampen his face.

16) Sun And Summer Wind | Louis/Oscar Isaac | Explicit | 3,934 words

Louis and Oscar, Guatemala, archaeology, and (something like) dancing.

17) Softer Than Satin | Louis/Joel Miller | Explicit | 4,077 words

“Wanna go back to bed,” Louis whispered languidly, voice partly muffled by his boyfriend’s lips on his. “Mm, but we just got up, baby,” Joel murmured. Lips touching softly with each syllable. Hands groping the soft flesh around Louis’ hips, kneading at the skin there and feeling his curves.

18) Not To Be Disturbed | Louis/Zayn Malik | Mature | 4,078 words

Zayn Malik is on tour in Frankfurt in 2018 and by chance runs into Louis at a coffee shop. An innocent time of reconnecting and escaping the pressures of stardom finds both opening up to long held feelings the latter strongly harbors but is shy to submit to.

19) I Had No Doubt In My Mind | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 4,165 words

“She could’ve just talked to me, we could’ve found a way. I don’t understand why it has to be like this,” Oscar looked up at Louis, eyes shining with unshed tears. Louis felt for him, he didn’t know what he’d do with himself if Pedro just left one day. He couldn’t even imagine a life without him by his side after so many years together. “There’s nothing you can do right at this moment, love, so the best thing is to relax and rest, try to take your mind off of it for a little bit,” Louis said, hoping his tone and smile came off as sympathetic.

20) P Is For | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 4,394 words | Sequel

Louis and Pedro, winter in New York, a coffee machine, and bilingualism.

21) I Want Yesterdays Love | Louis/Dev Patel | Explicit | 4,789 words

“We’re going on holiday before the term starts again,” Oli announces in their kitchen the day after the art opening. Louis looks up from his cereal bowl. “Who is we?” “I’ve rented us a cottage near the beach. Me, you, Calvin, Rick, and Dev.” Louis makes a noncommittal noise but can’t deny his heartbeat racing at the mention of Dev.

22) Depth Of Oceanic Gunfire | Louis/Henry Cavill | Not Rated | 5,138 words

After she left, Henry finds Louis crumpled amongst the white linen sheet like a wilted lily, nose red and lips trembling as he reaches up to kiss Henry. In the corner of the room, he saw his father raise his hand at the cowering figure of a blue-eyed ten-year-old. He kisses Henry and as the field somewhere blooms in blood and smoke and gunpowder, he thinks this is how much I love you. They come to escort Henry a week later. The world lets out a pained scream somewhere.

23) Where Art Thou? Why Not Uponeth Me? | Louis/Jacob Elordi | Explicit | 5,408 words

"Did you need anything in particular?" Jacob asked again, eyes not quite meeting hers. Louis then decided to tease. "Particularly, yes. A question perhaps.” This is going to be fun. Louis thought. "So how did this," she rattled the handcuffs for emphasis, "get in the possession of your belongings, hm?" Louis asked sultrily.

24) Sweet Dreams Turn Into Coffee In The Morning | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 5,675 words

Louis has spent most of his early adult life taking care of his adopted niece, Avery. When she goes away to boarding school, he starts to realize what he's been missing has been right in front of him.

25) Down Comes The Night | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 5,974 words |

A love story set in the 18th century. Pedro is a painter, commissioned to create a wedding portrait of Louis, a young man who has just left the convent. Louis is a reluctant spouse to be and Pedro must paint him without his knowledge.

26) Wicked Games | Louis/Liam Payne | Explicit | 6,541 words

Liam is a very high end prostitute and Louis lives across the hall from him.

27) Take A Ride Into The Danger Zone | Louis/Jensen Ackles | Explicit | 7,561 words

“You’re so tiny and weak, you could never be anything other than the submissive little pillow princess you are.” Jensen teased, moving Louis’ wrists to hold them with one hand only as he used his now free hand to grab and knead at Louis’ meaty bum, he brought the boy closer so he was sat on top of his bulge. “I would never know if I’d be good at domming because you never let me try!” The boy whined, squirming in Jensen’s lap, trying to set himself free from his boyfriend’s large hands.

28) Cold Spring | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 8,260 words

Louis is a coffee shop owner and Pedro is his newest customer.

29) Maybe. | Louis/Zayn Malik | Mature | 8,963 words

“Here again to start fights with your petty insults, Tomlinson?” Zayn seethed and Louis raised his eyebrows. “Mate, chill,” he said, his insides charged up as he felt Luke’s arm wrap around his waist from behind, “Who said I was talking about you?”

30) Running Is Different Than Going | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 9,018 words

On the run, the last thing Michael expects from a stranger is help. Louis offers him everything he needs so he can keep running, but makes it harder than ever to continue doing so.

31) Let's Break The Internet | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 9,505 words

“I’ll tell you what,” Sam leans forward in his chair and steeples his fingers in front of his face, “If you actually make an account and sell nudie pics and porn for more than three months, I’ll believe you.” Louis purses his lips, ignoring the returning blush on his cheeks at the thought of having to film himself in compromising positions or taking photos of himself without any clothes on. Raising his chin defiantly, Louis accepts the challenge. “Fine,” he agrees, “But when I win, you have to make one too.” Lips quirked, Sam nods and holds out a hand, “Deal.”

32) The Devil's Backbone | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Mature | 9,735 words

1925. Louis has escaped an abusive relationship and seeks to lay low in Montana. When a hit is put out on him by his ex lover, he makes an unlikely alliance and finds more than he ever dared hope for.

33) Lights Go Down | Louis/Zayn Malik | Explicit | 10,449 words

Louis is in need of the perfect dom, and the best dom in the club has just parted ways with his regular sub. Can Louis be the sub Zayn wants?

34) Over My Shoulder | Louis/Sebastian Stan | Explicit | 10,960 words

The media thinks omega singer Louis Tomlinson is dating alpha actor Sebastian Stan because they bump into each other all the time. Everything changes when they accidentally bond.

35) My Home Is Your Body | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 15,341 words

He had seen who had made his senses go haywire. His ex was in the front row, five feet in front of him. He felt his eyes on him even as he mechanically made his way to the end of the runway, hoping to God he didn’t look like a maniac. Everything was a blur. He somehow managed to walk the rest of the way without falling or emoting anything. Why was he HERE? Of all places.

36) House Of Stone, Your Ivy Grows | Louis/Mads Mikkelsen | Explicit | 16,391 words

Louis is a lonely queen married to an odious and imopotent king. Everything changes when he meets the new royal physician.

37) After Hours | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 16,704 words

Louis Tomlinson is many things. A dancer, a barista, a one time con man. He's rarely experienced a good romantic relationship with a man but that's all about to change when he starts working at a nightclub in Texas.

38) At Some Distant Star | Louis/Pedro Pascal | Explicit | 17,999 words

Louis Tomlinson was hired to harvest gems on a planet he'd never been to. When his pod crashes and strands him on the planet, he meets a fellow explorer with an agenda of his own.

39) Let Me In | Louis/Zayn Malik | Explicit | 24,069 words

Louis and Zayn begin messing around on tour in 2014, but Zayn's getting ready to make a decision that he knows is going to change everything, possibly for good. They just have to believe that they can make it.

40) All Tumults And Feelings | Louis/Carlos Sainz J | Explicit | 24,458 words

The search for euphoria in a world that seems to be spinning out of control is perhaps what drove Louis to visit the heart of a city as vibrant as Barcelona. Everything is warm and bright on his holidays, even at night, where he finds solace in desperate lips and comfort in beautiful brown eyes that break his heart by making him realize that he has always been more fond of emerald tones covering the irises of his lovers.

41) Gave Me No Compasses, Gave Me No Signs | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 24,862 words

Beautiful, smart and wealthy, Louis Tomlinson navigates his way through misguided matches, romantic missteps and the challenges of inner truth -- all to finally realize the love that has been there all along.

42) By Such Slight Ligaments | Louis/Henry Cavill | Explicit | 26,764 words

A late night visit to a patient sets off a series of events that will turn Louis' world upside down.

43) Under Thorn And Bramble | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 31,931 words

Prompt 445: A historical AU where Louis is working as a servant on a farm. The family that owns the farm is exceedingly cruel to him and he is often exhausted and in pain from his work. A mysterious stranger boards at the farm and is very intrigued by Louis, but Louis doubts his interest in genuine. Any pairing fine.

44) Inside Your Bones | Louis/OMC | Explicit | 43,550 words

Louis keeps trying to make peace with his past, but it’s hard when the past is all too present.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[inchidentally]

went truly unhinged and wrote an entire fic summary of mafia!carcar @__@ special thanks to the good ppl over at the carcar discord <3

as usual I worked google's p*ssy tired to put together the details so pls ignore/handwave anything erroneous

Okay, so for regional specifications let’s say that Carlos has worked for years to be vouched for in the mafia. He’s actually a spy and in an extremely dangerous position - he was plucked from law school in Spain to be trained up in the intelligence agency and was assigned to Sicily due to his fluency in Italian. So even though he’s only 26, he’s already highly skilled and has been living and working full-time as a secret agent and translator - as well as liaison for the mafia - in Sicily for years already.

Oscar is fresh off his A-levels and touring Italy with lofty dreams of becoming a race engineer for Ferrari but assuming he’ll end up back in the UK in some bland office where he’ll hope to make enough money to go to F1 races - and maybe one day take his rightful place on that pit wall.

Palermo is at the very end of his trip before he flies back to London and he books a tour of the Norman Palace. He’s enjoying the fusion of cultures in the art and architecture, totally unaware that his name had been noticed by one of the palace’s administration when he’d bought the ticket a week before. An untraceable number of emails and messages had brought his existence to the attention of mafiosi who had until that moment assumed that particular royal line had died out. 

They immediately scour what little exists of Oscar in the public domain and the even less available through government authorities (the boy is barely out of childhood and has done nothing of note except leaving his homeland to attend school in the UK and hasn’t even gotten so much as a speeding ticket). His social media however reveals a hunch that young Oscar is not unaffected by handsome men, possibly with a penchant for Spanish men in particular, and that he is an ardent Ferrari fanboy. A hastily put-together plot to snare the boy into the mafia by establishing him in his rightful royal position has all the promise of strengthening the mafia control of the region. 

Meanwhile, many consiglieri have long been suspicious of Carlos and see this as an opportunity for him to commit his oath for good - or to see him and the Oscar boy easily disposed of if the Spaniard was discovered to be a rat. They will install Carlos as a translator for Ferrari and he will then claim that he is also on holiday in Palermo when he “bumps into” Oscar at the palace. As they are marveling at the Palatine Chapel’s interior and Carlos is using Ferrari and himself to work every charm at his disposal, a royal scholar with ties to the mafia will approach and inform them of his suspicion that Oscar is of royal descent. He will then ask them back to the University of Palermo to confirm his suspicions (which had of course already been confirmed). By that point, Oscar will have been successfully wooed by both Carlos and the promise of taking his rightful place as a prince, so that the mafia can insinuate themselves into his life and eventually his reign.

Only Carlos’ training can prevent his dismay from being revealed to his bosses as the plan is described to him, but he’s horrified at dragging some poor, unwitting kid into all the danger and ruthlessness of organized crime. He decides to defy his bosses back at the intelligence agency and play the long game of making Oscar his husband and strategizing at every turn to keep the boy alive and hopefully at some point extricate him back to his normal life - or at least into a witness protection program. Anything else would certainly risk Oscar’s life and even if Carlos hadn’t become fond of the kid from a distance, he still wouldn’t sacrifice him for a shorter route to cutting off an entire arm of organized crime.

The plan proceeds as expected, with Oscar dazzled and blushing over Carlos’ attentions and the royal scholar having approached them. It all suddenly goes awry when an overzealous nephew of a mafiosi - fresh off a 12-hour drug bender - infiltrates operations, taking Oscar hostage in the chapel and insisting that the government immediately recognize Oscar as royalty and that the church marry them there in the chapel. He then turns the gun to dispatch an unarmed Carlos, only to be knocked unconscious by Oscar wielding an antique censer. 

The royal scholar - Andrea Stella - is a good man who now speaks urgently to Carlos in a peculiar coded language (they both have on wires) informing him that he knows of the mafia’s plans and that he too wants to see Oscar kept safe. Oscar surprises them by not only understanding the code but speaking it back - albeit brokenly - to them. The code is known only within the Ferrari elite and sounds identical to everyday Italian but with a sequenced pattern that carries a second meaning to every other word, something that amateur cryptography genius Oscar picks up on remarkably quickly.

Which is how Oscar learns that his claim to royal status is fully valid, his entanglement with the mafia is very real, but worst of all is that Carlos’ romantic interest in him was all a lie (or so he assumes).

The police and media attention that the hostage situation attracts results in the mafia’s plans proceeding as expected, except for all three men pivotal to their machinations being in cahoots to foil them. Oscar is granted status as a prince but without anointing or coronation by the church due to him taking Carlos for a husband. They are installed in a part of the palace now closed off to the public and begin their work ingratiating Oscar with said public and even winning them over to the idea of him being married to another man (Carlos not being Italian ends up being the biggest hurdle for them to get over). Oscar’s youth, beauty, shyness and sweet giggle work unexpected wonders, as does the promise of a return to all the regal romance of a pre-unified Italy while not actually returning to those times politically. 

Carlos and Oscar have a tense private relationship because Oscar is nursing a wounded heart as well as a stubborn attraction and love for Carlos - while Carlos feels ashamed of having tried to seduce Oscar for duplicitous purposes and is also struggling with an intense attraction and growing affection for him. Andrea is the architect of their whole counter-strategy and is both the heart and the brains: the brains because he has lain in wait for decades for the right opportunity to destroy the mafia’s power, but also the heart because he sees Oscar as a son and can also see the misunderstandings going on between Oscar and Carlos.

Oscar is a complete surprise package in having an iron-clad poker face and an uncanny ability to remain calm even as his life is turned upside down that rivals seasoned operatives. He even manages to dupe his own family when they visit for the wedding. When Carlos asks how he can so easily lie to them about it all, Oscar levels him with “I could do anything just to keep them safe.” To which Carlos replies that he knows what Oscar means and raises Oscar’s hand to kiss over the ring he now wears as prince. Then he kisses Oscar at one of the highest points of the palace with Mount Etna visible in the distance.

They begin an all-consuming sexual affair that they both privately claim is beneficial to confirming their relationship to the mafia while conveniently remaining in denial of their real feelings. Carlos pours all of his into kissing every inch of Oscar’s pale skin until he’s pink all over, and Oscar puts all his aching heart into taking Carlos down his throat just out of view of the public or forcing Carlos to handle meetings while Oscar is crouched between his ankles. A few lowly messengers of the mafiosi bring back stories of hearing the prince’s cries punctuated with the banging of furniture against palace walls. Carlos can’t keep his hands off his pretty husband either in public or private conclave with “officials” who are really mafiosi under different titles. 

Meanwhile, Oscar is still presumed by the mafia to be none the wiser about the criminal element of his reign and does such sleek work with his angelic face and adorably unassuming attitude that any lingering discussion of dispatching him is immediately shut down.

Which makes it all the more shocking four years later when a sudden mass assassination frames half the criminal element for the death of the other half and throws the whole of the syndicate in chaos that dissolves their control entirely. The ensuing months see Oscar, Carlos and Andrea sequestered - along with their court - inside the palace which is shut to the public amid fears of another hostage situation, while arrests and investigations take place. 

Tensions across the city are high in the wake of the ensuing widely publicized trials and Oscar insists that a public appearance from him outside the palace would reassure and distract the public - and that it would solidify his position as more than seemingly ceremonial. The palace officials agree to the plan but as they are deciding on the security detail, Carlos realizes his presence alongside Oscar has not been mentioned. 

Later that night in their bedchamber, Carlos raises his concern and states that he will be accompanying his husband during his appearance. Oscar attempts to shut him down by stating that Carlos would only represent a greater threat by seeming to taunt the mafia and encourage retribution. 

They argue until Oscar calmly pulls rank, to which Carlos responds by kissing him fiercely and forcing him onto the bed. They desperately make love and fall asleep in each other’s arms. 

The next morning, Carlos awakens in their room alone and with the sun at a suspicious slant through the windows. He realizes Oscar has stolen Carlos’ phone from its usual place by the bed to ensure that he slept in - clearly hoping Carlos would sleep through Oscar’s public appearance entirely. He realizes the little beast had baited him into fucking him so thoroughly that Carlos was exhausted and woke late.

He pulls on clothes and tears down the stairs to the courtyard with just enough time to compose himself and stand beside one of the guards. Oscar is stood out in front with the selected media in a semi-circle and an enormous crowd at barriers set further out, many of whom were calling out affection and support for their prince. He does not see that Carlos has joined them and proceeds with his speech.

Carlos spots the gun at the same time as the guard next to him, but it is aimed at Oscar and not himself. 

As Etna smokes and rumbles in what will be called a mild yet deadly eruption in the distance, two shots are fired after Carlos and the guard wrap their bodies around Oscar and force him to safety. The remaining guards - and a few members of the public - detain the gunman (none too gently) and Carlos and Oscar are bundled back to their rooms and the guards take up position outside.

Inside their bedchamber, Oscar frantically paws at Carlos, wildly suspecting that he’s been shot and doesn’t realize it. He tugs Carlos’ jacket and shirt off and gives a heartbreaking cry of relief when he doesn’t see a single mark on his husband’s body.

Oscar breaks down at last, releasing four years of stress and anxiety in a gust of tears and collapsing in Carlos’ arms. He pours out how he had contrived the mass assassination plan mere months after his life was altered forever in the Palatine Chapel - how he brought Andrea into it to help him with things like the details and movements of mafia members, members who would be willing to work against the family and the risk to innocents, even down to developing a seemingly arbitrary fascination with volcanology so that he could be made aware of Etna’s activity far enough in advance to take the admittedly wild final gambit of disposing the remaining members by having them conveniently perish in Etna’s next eruption. He realized that while conspiring half the local mafia against the larger organization would result in a certain amount of mutually assured destruction, as well as concealing forever Oscar’s role in it, he would have some stragglers to deal with who could regroup in retribution. A suggestion was therefore sent down via Oscar’s court officials to the police loyal to the palace, and then to remaining criminals-at-large (also those with the bloodiest histories in the mafia) of escaping arrest by scaling the crater during a period of high activity and therefore remaining undetected by officials, guides and the public. Their treacherous expedition was promised to take them to the other side of the volcano and then to the coast where boats and new identities would take them from their troubles. 

Oscar had reasoned that if Etna hadn’t taken them then their desire for escaping arrest would scatter them and effectively extinguish their power hopefully forever. Andrea had marveled at Oscar’s command over strategizing the whole plan mostly by himself and said that Ferrari would mourn missing out on hiring him if they knew what he was capable of.

Carlos cradles Oscar on the carpet, kissing his sweat-cold brow and begging to know why Oscar didn’t include Carlos in the plan? Does he still not trust him after all this time? Because if so then he wishes the bullet had found him and put an end to playing husband to the man he loves but who will never love him in return.

Oscar looks up into his eyes with a face full of wonder and brings a hand up to lovingly stroke Carlos’ cheek. Because he kept Carlos out of it precisely so that he wouldn’t do anything stupid like sacrifice himself and ruin Oscar’s hopes that when his plan was finished, perhaps they could start over and he could make Carlos love him the way he loves Carlos.

For the first time, they kiss knowing their love is mutual. And while they realize their positions will always involve some element of danger and their lives will never be “normal”, they admit that they’d never choose any other life if it meant not being together.

ENDITO!

[oraeliaa]

Fallout and Food - research for all fics

I've been meaning to type this up for ages (I have it as written notes on my iPad), so I thought I'd post this first and if people are interested I can post more research that I've done, since a lot of you said yes to seeing my research!

So I talk about food a lot, in my fics. That's because I love cooking. So one of the first things I did was research food, because as much as I love spam (no joke I miss it most since going vegetarian) I wanted to try and have some diversity in what Cooper and Lucy ate, especially once we got to the ranch, where the residents are permanently settled and food is part of life, rather than a mere thing of sustenance.

There were a few things I focused on in my research, wanting to have meals that could be left whilst work was happening, so I pictured a lot of stews and cassoulets, corn-based porridge, hearty breads etc - but there's no flour. Instead, Mesquite beans can be subbed 1:1 for flour to make a flatbread, and there's a lot of recipes using beer etc, which we know they have, as a raising agent.

A lot of the animals they're eating aren't exactly to our tastes, but knowing that peppers and tomatoes are grown lets us know they can make paprika etc, and the jalapenos in game gave me hope haha! I wrote a smoker into the farm and cold storage so they could a) dry age the meat via hanging, and b) smoke extra flavour into some of the less...appetizing cuts

And for the meat-

Here are some of the meal ideas I noted down-

Meal ideas

Cassoulet of wild beans and meat

If we have agave and corn we can have cornbread

Corn based porridge

Pinon nuts - pine nuts + Jalapeno and coriander could marinade Iguana Nicely

Pickly Pear - can be made into fruit/jelly/fruit cheese (named after the historic moulds, no cheese involved) or sauce for meat

Tacos with black beans and brahmin cheese

Nopales are edible pads of the prickly pear cactus, which can be stir fried

Tepary beans and cholla bud stew

And finally, 10 of my references since you can only put 10 links in, apparently!