#mae overshares

[bakudanma]

My mum used they/them on me (•̀ᴗ•́ )و

[angsthology]

“and this is...?” — or an alt title: secret santa time (and maybe santa’s secret too?)

it’s that time of the year!

a/n hehe this was fun to write and i had more fun looking for gifts for her

THE KANGAROO VS. THE WORLD

“who is it?” the interviewer asked, trying to read the expression on the driver’s face as she reads the small piece of paper.

she nods with satisfaction, turning the paper around to face the camera. on it read: oscar piastri.

“i’m actually alright with this.”

“yeah?”

“yeah, i feel like i could do this. i’m happy with this.”

“would you consider yourself and oscar close?”

the driver made a face in thought before she spoke, “uh—not really. i mean, if i’m being honest, i haven’t really been that great of a person this entire year—like, i’m just going to say this, cause, y’know, it’s not really a secret, everyone’s noticed it: i’ve been pretty distant from everyone so really, i haven’t exactly took the time to get to know this year’s rookies, especially oscar.” she paused, mulling over everything she just said, “why did i feel like i just ended up oversharing?”

she chuckled awkwardly before (still very much awkwardly) leaving—she bowed her head slightly, for some reason.

“okay, i was definitely way ahead of myself.”

the younger girl looks up from her textbook to see her friend flopping down on the single couch on her front left, huffing then turn towards her.

“help me.” she said, then noticing the large textbook in her hand, giving her a judgy look, “what the hell are you doing? it’s winter break.”

daisy-mae rolled her eyes, “for you, yeah, me; i still gotta suffer for a couple more weeks.” then remembering something, “actually—no, you’re in this too!”

she shrugged meekly, eyes turning downward avoiding her friend’s slowly death-turning glare.

“no!” the brown-haired girl whined in disbelief.

“yeah—”

“dude!”

“sorry, chee.”

“you graduated early?!”

“i’m sorry, okay! they offered me and by proper calculations it was the better option! i was dying enough already this year i needed to at least let go of one weight!”

daisy-mae scoffed, “is there anything you can’t do?”

from across the room came a snort, “math.”

the racer pointed at her standing friend in agreement.

“whatever.” she huffed, going back into her book. “—congratulations. can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“i didn’t see the big deal.”

oh now she really brought her out.

at that, daisy-mae abandons her textbook and faced her friend, “are you kidding me?! you graduated university all-the-while being a very busy athlete? it’s more than important! we could’ve celebrated!”

roo couldn’t help but smile at her best friend. she truly didn’t deserve her.

nika, unbothered to the previous conversation, walked over with an open tub of ben and jerry’s and flopped down next to where daisy-mae sat on the large couch.

“we’re getting off topic here—”

“dude! that’s my last one!”

ignoring the flat-owner’s complaint, she continued after a spoonful of the ice cream, “—so, piastri?”

at that, roo covered her face and groaned loudly.

“so dramatic.” commented nika, grabbing another spoon, “he is australian, correct?” by now the racer had moved seats and snuggled herself next to the last spot on nika’s right on the couch—the three of them now smushed together on the same couch.

“yeah, so?” she replied, taking the spoon off of her friend’s hand and grabbing one bite of her own.

“get him a big jar of vegemite or something,” she says as she swallows her ice cream and snatching the spoon back from roo.

the latter blinked, the girl on the other side of the couch stopped in her tracks too, both of them then slowly turning their head to look at the girl in the middle happily scooping another spoonful.

roo then moved her eyes to look at daisy-mae instead, “is it bad that i’m considering that as an option?”

“a little.”

then, out of the blue, the racer’s eyes widened in revelation and without saving another word she bolted off the couch into the corridor into all the rooms. leaving nika and daisy-mae to stare at each other in confusion.

minutes later, she came back holding a basket of her (daisy-mae’s) crochet supplies.

the two girls paid her no mind as they all went back to their own things.

“tada!”

nika, unable to hold it in, accidentally let a squeak escape her.

roo’s shoulders slumped at that, her expression falling to an unamused one. “you’re the worst.”

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry! it’s cute! seriously,” then she burst out a little (big) laugh, “like a toddler had made that.”

“alright,” still very much unamused, she dropped the attempted kangaroo crochet in her hand to her side then moving to walk away.

atticus, ever the great friend he is, walked over to her front and grabbed both her shoulders affectionately, “it’s okay, it really is cute. it’s the thought that counts.”

“sunny, i assure you, no one wants my thought.” she countered, walking away towards the couch. “may as well order that vegemite now.” she grumbled, sitting next to the cat and dog happily snuggling on her couch. petting the cat, she complained once more, “i don’t get it, i can literally crochet anything else but a kangaroo? i’m the kangaroo.”

confused, nika furrowed her eyebrows—now sitting comfortably on the couch next to her friend, “the hell does that gotta do with anything?”

“it means that, if i’m the kangaroo and i can’t crochet a kangaroo what does that mean for myself—like, do i even know myself?”

the other three in the room blinked, looking at each other as if the other would have an answer.

alas, nika was the first to comment, giving the racer a judgy—and confused still—look, “you just gave me an aneurysm. look; it means nothing, okay? just because you have a psychology degree now does not mean you gotta overanalyze everything, seriously.”

taken aback, she looks at her friend, “have i really been doing that?”

“yes. now just wrap the damn gift.”

“wow.” the australian opened the paper bag and grabbed the first thing he saw. holding it up with his hands, he inspects it closely, “this is…” he trailed off, still looking at the item in his hands, “—what is this?” he chuckled awkwardly asking the person behind the camera.

they couldn’t help but laugh too, though much more genuine, less confused, “i think it’s a kangaroo.”

he paused. inspect it once more before looking back at the camera, “—you think?”

in response, they just shrugged.

oscar, still in doubt, stares at the deformed plush of sorts for another good minutes before moving on.

his face unchanged in its usual flat state, though his eyes gave away the slight shift in his mood when he pulled out the large yellow jar of vegemite out of the paper bag.

showing the logo to the camera, he says while dead-staring into the camera (again), “very nice. thank you to—whoever.”

“can you guess who it’s from?”

still inspecting it—though now trying to figure out who it’s from rather than trying to figure out what it is, he looks back into the camera and tried to guess her name first.

and to his surprise (but also not really), “it is!”

“ohh, alright. i mean, i always thought she was someone who crochets but i never thought…” he wanted to finish his thought, he did, until he remembered that his actions has consequences and he isn’t exactly fond of facing the consequences.

“there’s a note,” the person informs.

oscar then looked into the paper bag once more, finding the said note. when he pulled it out, the small card had two cartoon dogs with reindeer ears on and a cat with a santa hat in the middle, below it says ‘meowry christmas!’ he chuckled at the cover then continue to open it.

“merry christmas, oscar! (or is it ‘aurscar’?),” he read then looking towards the camera, “that’s a first,” then he goes back to reading the card, “i promise i’m not this bad. i am actually very good at crocheting other things but i hope you like your gifts! love, me!” he finished reading and put the card down on the table in front of him, grabbing hold of the two gifts back up, he smiles, “thank you, for the gifts. i appreciate them especially the vegemite, i think. from one kangaroo to another.”

“are you excited?”

“very.” she says with a smile, hands ripping open the wrapping heartlessly.

she had already tried to guess what was inside, feeling a soft plush-like feeling underneath the crispy deer-patterned wrapping paper.

“how thoughtful of you,” her publicist comments sarcastically at her unwrapping skills.

ignoring her tone, she continues to break apart the paper, “why thank you, did you know how hard it was making oscar’s gift?” she paused her abuse on the wrapping paper to look at the camera—seriously? jokingly? no one knew.

finally, she was met with the gift(s) in hand. the first thing she saw being the large kitten plush inside of a wicker basket and she instantly recognize it.

“it’s the rock-a-bye kitten jellycat!” she exclaimed with the biggest smile on her face, showing off to the camera her large kitten in wicker basket. when she picked it up, she could feel the heaviness the basket carried—heavier than what a plush would weigh. her first instinct was to take the cat out of the basket and when she did, she couldn’t hold in the laughter that made its way to her lips. her smile was wide enough already before, the sight she was met with somehow made her smile bigger. she pulled it out and faced it to the camera, “guess we know who this is from,” she smiled goofily holding up the calendar with the white man’s ass on it.

still laughing, she puts the calendar down white a head shake, “thank you, valtteri! now i don’t need to find one for next year.”

when she thought she was done, the woman behind the camera informs, “there’s another one.”

“huh?” she looks at her confusedly before shuffling around the torn up pieces of paper on her lap. when she saw what was left in it was, her jaw dropped.

pulling them out, she puts at the camera, “new drumsticks!” she inspects the two pieces on her hand with a small smile, “ah! and it has my nickname on them too!” still pouting in disbelief she smiles at the camera, “this is so good. thank you, again, val, such great gifts.” then she remembered, “oh, right! the card! hold on,”

she shuffled for the card once more and open it happily, “‘dear, kid, merry christmas, i hope you have a great one, here’s some things i know you’d like and a little something for next year. always a pleasure working with you.’” she smiles looking as if she was holding back a cry and hugged the card to her chest.

she waves with a smile at the camera, “kiitos valtteri! hyvää joulua!”

(“thank you, valtteri! merry christmas to you!”)

bonus, 2022:

“so, who did you get?”

she smiles, “lando!”

“any idea what you’re going to give him?”

she pauses with a hum in thought, then a smile cracked in her lips. looking into the camera mischievously, “his first win, maybe.”

(she did not, in fact, got him that. she crocheted him a frog hat and one of those singing fish wall decoration.)

te1enovia

liked by f1porsche, danielricciardo, and 5,735,635 others

tagged: daisymaerose, selvnika, and atticusingh

te1enovia merry christmas from ur resident racer girl, scholar girl, and jobless girl <3

(and my favorite boy 🤏)

see all 2,826 comments.

f1porsche merry christmas cuties 🎄☃️❄️✨️

liked by te1enovia

mickschumacher merry christmas!!

liked by te1enovia

atticusingh was the tag... to hurt my feelings?

selvnika atticusingh yes

te1enovia atticusingh nooo it just means u were there TO ME

schupastry te1enovia lovesick i tell you

backbiteroo schupastry DONT DO THAT. please. i need her to be single for ME

fiftyfivetexts sooooo.... are we gonna talk abot ur favorite boy??????

backbiteroo fiftyfivetexts its reggie please PLEASE

selvnika how DARE you

te1enovia selvnika yeah, i do

selvnika te1enovia i have power over ur sponsorship.

te1enovia selvnika ur father does. and he loves me more.

gaslytv te1enovia GET HER JADE

formulasos merry christmas to our favorite girlies!!!!!

f1porsche

liked by mickschumacher, te1enovia, and 5,069,726 others

tagged: te1enovia and mickschumacher

f1porsche merry christmas from our team!!! <33 🎄☃️❄️✨️

see all 726 comments.

te1enovia YOU GUYSSS 🥹🥹🥹

f1porsche te1enovia 😋❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

mickschumacher ☃️☃️

f1porsche mickschumacher ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

taglist; @treehouse-mouse @disneyprincemuke @yansbolobao @leilanixx @judespoision @vellicora @bborra

[damelucyjo]

Okay, here we go!

Episode 2 - (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea

Oh, I'm digging this remix!

Keeley's office is so cute

Keeley & Ted really are the same person, aren't they 🥰

I have a feeling I'm going to love Barbara

TED!!! That was very enthusiastic, even for this lot 😂

I'm glad we're gonna get more Trent this season

OMG, their collective 'no' for him to just agree. Hilarious

How can he honestly still be so clueless about the Football world? 🫣

"The fumes make me dizzy and I overshare. Please don't print that" Rebecca, you are so real 😂

Rebecca instantly changing her mind once West Ham is mentioned and Trent fully seeing it.... hmm... 👀

Zava dabba doo! OMG, control yourself, woman! 😂

The exact same thing switched between Ted & Rebecca? Brilliant move. And her admitting to it being because of Rupert? Yes!!

'Love that' spoken like a man who knows about shitty exes

Ted & Keeley bonding! I've missed it

Isaac scaring Keeley, amazing. Him wanting a shoe deal but just for shoes, amazing. He's moved on from his Rolos!!

Jamie stuttering around Keeley, boy's still got it bad, huh?

Of course Isaac is a body language boy!

CLENCHED ARSE!! OMG 😂

'I use body science' oh Jamie

That pitiful hum. I love you Jamie!

'It's called empathy, you dusty old fart' I think Roy & Jamie are my favourite pairing in this show, after Ted & Rebecca, of course

'I forget how skittish elderly people could be cause of the war' please never change!!

“And don’t you say a fucking word about it either, William” OMG poor Will! 😂

Oooo he's reading a book. Beard, I'm as shocked as you

Beard's screams!!

He's saying football without thinking... he's learning!!

This banter about wishes is just Brendan & Jason doing what they do best. I love to see it

'I just wished for that 30 seconds ago' Dani, please never change 🥰

This confusion about what is going on is my type of comedy

The boys being collectively upset about Roy & Keeley, so true.

And Beard's scream, Ted fainting... I love my boys

The collective 'aww' Poor Roy haha

'What's a CD?' HOW OLD ARE YOU, WILLIAM?! My god 🫠

Of course Beard has a set of keys to Ted's

How many times did they have to film Brendan running back in screaming before they could do it without laughing?? I can't not laugh watching it!

Roy boy is so angry, bless him

I see you Phil, trying your best not to completely crack up in the background 🤪

'Woo! I mean, fuck off, Trent Crimm' we must protect Dani at all costs

Is this us being shown that more people don't trust or believe in Keeley yet? 🤔

She's so precious, still not understanding why people would be proud of her 🥰

DEBORAH!!

Of course Deb doesn't camp. Who do you think she is?!

Ooo, Tish talk 👀

Nothing like being overly sarcastic with your mother. It's my favourite thing to do!

Her own mother telling her she should meet with her psychic because she's in desperate need of maternal guidance? Please never change, Deb! 🫡

This show is so good at the callbacks, Rebecca mentioning something about Rupert that she knows so well which we get to hear about later... more shows need to be like this!

Hannah & Jeremy together are just gorgeous! 'No, it's too late. Jinxed it' I could watch these two banter for hours

Everyone ignoring him, poor Trent 😕

Brett has been amazing in this episode, as with all the others, but a full scene where he doesn't say anything, but you understand everything... ALL THE AWARDS! The balloon popping is the icing on this scene

Babs is showing Keeley exactly what she thinks of her without saying it, that's cruel. Leave her alone!

I can see this relationship becoming something wonderful though

Believe, believe, believe. It's almost like that's what this show is about or something...

Mae & the bar boys are back! 🥳

Is that text foreshadowing that hiring her friend may not work out??? 🤔

I'm with Hannah, I could watch an entire show of just these three at games

'Jinxed it again' Hannah & Jeremy, again, marvellous!

The stadium being behind Roy may have made me tear up a little, not gonna lie 🥹

Rebecca grabbing Keeley's hand 🥹

Lip-reading massage therapists

SHE USED TO BE A BARTENDER! 👀

AND HE WAS MARRIED WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER!!! 👀👀

I love backstories!!

Ted telling Roy like it is and him not blowing up at him?? Love to see it

Also perfect explanation of what a Hallmark movie is 🫡

Roy still being angry because of something written when he was 17? So real.

The boys being relieved they can talk again 😂

Them also not needing Ted to give them their pep talks at games anymore cause they're working it out themselves...I see what's happening... 🤔

Go on Rebeca! Be a boss bitch!!

I will say this everytime we see Rupert, but I fucking love Anthony Head 😍

I can never take my eyes off the screen when Hannah & Tony are on it

HANNAH'S FACE!! Truly a masterclass in showing everything without words

YESS! CHEW HIM OUT, REBECCA!!! We love an angry woman!!

Off Dani's fucking face! 'My face scored a goal' 😂

A sour-yell. Perfect

Her popping back round the corner, Hannah you comedy queen

Twat - Ooo, I do love an angry Rupert 😏

'May I keep the pen' I think I'm gonna like this Zava

Another Beard yell, I'm in love 🥰

Zava and Jamie are gonna clash big time. I'm excited

Jane still finds them threatening 👀👀

Roy's whole speech being basically a parallel for what they're setting up to be Ted's journey this season... interesting 🤔

That's another one done! This was one of my favourites, I think. Got back to the humour of the show a bit more.

[intizzies]

lula & her parents time HAHAHAHAHA im fine

so i had to get mae's help with this bc I didn't want it to be too dramatic and over the top but we have canon confirmation that her mother stabbed her father right so I was like hm.

but I've come to the conclusion for my lula that their marriage was rocky for a long time but they stayed together for lula, who they both loved. lula's mother, georgia, has several undiagnosed mental health conditions, which I might go into another time, but it resulted with a lot of trauma for little lula involving calming her mother down and dealing with things she shouldn't have necessarily been exposed to.

georgia's ongoing psychosis got so bad that she was convinced that lula's father, adrien, was cheating on her. things escalated one night and lula, being the anxious attachment coded child she is, tried to intervene (more on why in another post). things escalated even more and georgia, in a state of disassociation, became violent and stabbed adrien in the neck with a butcher's knife. this did end up killing adrien, as georgia fled from the house and lula, being in shock, was frozen for a fair while before she managed to call the ambulance (she was 12).

her mother ended up being admitted to a high security care facility instead of a prison and lula went to live with her grandmother, where she started learning magic as a coping mechanism for the trauma her young brain had been through. she and her grandmother have a good relationship and she's still alive, so lula calls her every so often.

she goes to see her mother in hospital every year, on georgia's birthday.

ok I know that did end up being dramatic BUT all of the horsemen have trauma in their lives I mean there's a reason they ditched society to be delinquent magicians

while she is an oversharer, she usually overshares to alleviate tension and she copes with trauma through humour. I don't think she'd include any emotional depth in her retelling of the event or any of the fallout, and I don't think she tells anyone about visiting her mother in hospital. she IS open about talking about feelings, a lot, she encourages over communication, but when it comes to her own stuff, she doesn't like to show she's struggling. she wears her emotions on her sleeves, so it is a little obvious. she hates that she's so easy to read.

[based--ball]

⚾hello! here’s an intro post (oversharing on the internet)⚾

notable lesbian, scared physics major, suffering jays fan

she/they, nonbinary woman, 21, canadian

dms and asks are open! send me things! talk to me!

i rpf it up (you can investigate/ignore/block my rpf tag)

i do not know hockey but apparently i like the ottawa charge now

⚾find me elsewhere⚾

main blog: @intothetr33s (follows/likes/asks come from there)

joey votto facts blog (which i run with a delightful group of friends who know nothing about baseball but are enamored with a vague idea of joey votto): @joeyvottofacts

ao3 (at which i sometimes write jays things or post art): idlt

⚾notable opinions that i have include the following⚾

if anyone separates bo and vlad i will start screaming and probably have a temper tantrum in the middle of a grocery store

the concept of nepo baby baseball is so important and fascinating and we joke about it so much (good and correct) but also it's so compelling

the jays broadcast team is the best <3

i adore hazel mae so incredibly much <3<3<3<3<3

baseball should involve more trickery from the dugout

⚾Tags I use⚾

#my art = i probably made a collage or something

#my writing = sometimes i post random baseball poems here as well as ao3

#my web weave = i probably made a web weave

#my gif = i tried to make a (blue jays) gif and maybe it looks like it was filmed on a microwave but that's ok

#my vid = same as above except (you guessed it) it's a video and not a gif

#jays lb = liveblogging jays games with the jays lb squad! join us! it's fun and/or heartbreaking :)

#*eyes emoji* = my rpf tag, feel free to block or to investigate haha

i try to tag players by their full names and so on but sometimes i miss it or get lazy

a parting message from daulton varsho:

[emmily-xo]

Oh my if this isnt me

[maeples]

i will not hate my new coworkers i will not hate my new coworkers

[spicysoftsweet]

i need to stop answering these soon to call my uber fajkdf;ad but just so you know i’m also roasting myself

my faves are baji, ushijima and illumi and i’m pretty sure my problem is that i have extremely insecure attachment probably

[friendlylocalwhumper]

retirement

“Adrian, how smart phones were developed. Your expert is Mrs. Langley.”

The class murmurs with jealousy as Adrian is assigned a teacher - not only is she fun and friendly, but she works in this same building. An easy assignment. Someone mutters about how he got an easy one because he’s the teacher’s nephew.

“Kristen, the politics of the nineties. You have a retired senator to interview for this one, isn’t that fun?”

The goody-two-shoes students make impressed, interested sounds, while the rest shift in their seats waiting to hear who they’ll be assigned.

“Okay, this next one will be a group of three, because the source always talks too much for one student to catch all the details.” She opens her mouth to continue, but already, kids are groaning.

“Not the one from-”

“Not the old-”

“Come on, Mrs.-”

She speaks over them, used to the complaints by now. “Sheela, Maxim, and Zach, you three have Quinn Mae. You’ll be interviewing them about-”

“The history of the magic community,” Recite the three named students in unison, one rolling their eyes, one slouching in their seat, and one clenching their jaw.

“Yes. That one’s just down the street, so I don’t want any excuses. A late assignment isn’t acceptable at this level. I want an essay from each of you. Mx. Mae will give you plenty to work with, so no copying.”

~

The retirement home is nice enough, all neat and studded with simple, pleasantly neutral furniture. The generic art on the walls gives an aura of charming, if manufactured peace. The deep ticking of a grandfather clock warms the lobby. A smiling lady at the front desk offers caramel candies to all who drag their feet past her.

None of it quite makes up for the walkers left lying around, or the smell of old people, or the tired sass of the caretakers walking around briskly. To a couple of teenagers, it’s the worst place in the world to be. Boring beyond measure, and the old ladies will grab you by the wrist to say something about how your hair looks, or what you’re wearing, or whether they think you’re their grandkid.

The receptionist informs the kids that the senior citizen they’re looking for is on this floor, with all the residents who don’t need supervision. “Quinn Mae is a feisty one,” She says with a fond smile. “They’re all mild-mannered, know all the right things to say, until suddenly your name tag is missing, and they’ll only give it back if you catch them with it. Smug little smile. Watch your wallets and phones, kids.”

Maxim is the only one who doesn’t smile politely at the advice and very adult-like oversharing. The three proceed into the lobby, briefly arguing about which hallway the receptionist said to go down.

“You three lost?” Says some old bag of bones on the lobby couch, wrinkly fingers wrapped around the edges of a newspaper. Thin wire-framed glasses sit low on a flat nose, hanging on for dear life. Dull white hair lies in limp curls on slender shoulders, big faded freckles spread across cheeks that have seen more sun than any other retiree that ambles past.

“No, sir,” Sheela says with bare-minimum politeness.

“Not sir,” Sasses the old person gently, folding their newspaper.

“Uh. Sorry, ma’am.”

“Not that either. Were you asking about Quinn Mae at the front desk?”

“Yeah. You know ‘em? What room’re they in?” Asks Maxim, stepping forward. His bushy eyebrows are cocked with frustration and slight amusement, as if anything the retiree says will be made fun of later.

The senior citizen gives a bare smile, a hint of a quirk to thin lips. “Room one-seven-three, young man.”

The students talk amongst themselves, eager to agree that that was the number the receptionist gave them and get away from this old person who will surely trap them in boring conversation if they linger. Off they go, down a hallway they were gravitating toward anyway, searching for room 173.

Five minutes later, they’re back, looking disgruntled. “Unless Quinn Mae’s disguised as an old lesbian couple, wrong room, old guy,” Grumbles bushy-brows.

“Not a guy,” Reminds the lobby couch-warmer. “Forgive me, you said Quinn Mae? That’ll be room one-twenty-six.”

Off they go again, the grumpy boy nudging at the girl who glances back at the retiree paging through a newspaper and pointedly not watching them go down a different hallway this time.

It’s ten minutes later, this time, that the kids return. One of the boys goes over to the front desk while Maxim and Sheela return to the old person on the couch.

“Okay. Try again, grandpa. Not one-seventy-three, not one-twenty-six. Quinn Mae. Where is Quinn Mae? We’re here from the high school, doing a school project. Old geezer probably talked about us coming, all excited, since nothing else happens here. Where’s Quinn Mae?”

Sheela’s looking at this person with white curls, wise brown eyes, and a slowly spreading, sly smile. She doesn’t join in as Maxim grills them for answers. The retiree looks over the disgruntled boy, then finally meets the girl’s eyes.

“You’re Mae, aren’t you?” She accuses.

Finally, that newspaper is folded and lowered. Quinn nods.

Just in time for them all to hear from across the lobby as the receptionist sighs and nods to the couch, informing Zach, “That’s Quinn Mae right there. They gave you the runaround, didn’t they?”

Maxim looks flustered, but Sheela speaks first. “Mr. Mae-”

“Mx. Mae, if you please.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Mx. Mae, we’re supposed to ask you about the history of the magic community.”

Quinn gives a soft, wobbly hum. They flip over the paper in their hands and run an age-softened finger over a line of text. “Young Man Found Beaten, Rescued. That’s what this article is titled. That sound odd to you?”

Sheela shakes her head. Maxim frowns.

“The article goes on to mention that the young man has magic. Mentioned, not announced as the clear reason he deserved to be beaten. When I was forty, this headline would’ve been, Warlock Found Alive, Scaring Citizens.” Approaching to listen, the other boy, Zach, winces at the word warlock. That word hasn’t been okay to use for years. “When I was your age, there wouldn’t have been a story printed in the paper about it at all.”

“Yeah. They were killed in the streets back then. No statistics on it ‘cause no one cared. We know all this,” Complains Maxim. “Times changed.”

Brown eyes scan across the teens before settling on the one who spoke. “You remind me of someone I used to know,” Replies Mae, looking wistful for a moment before they add, “Someone unintelligent. Times haven’t changed much if a person with magic is still beaten for being warlock scum, have they?”

“Language, Quinn,” Reminds one of the caregivers, pushing a cart of sheets and towels over to the service elevator.

“Oh, heavens, did I do it again? I’m sorry, Julie!” They offer her a kind, harmless smile until she’s out of sight. The teenagers catch a glimpse of the retiree rolling their eyes. “The younger ones don’t understand. I’ll forgive them for it, it’s what I fought for. The luxury to be ignorant without it costing lives.”

None of this aged-revolutionary talk impresses the kids. One of them even looked incensed by it. Quinn’s eyes, having wandered off to ponder their memories, lock onto the one who stands out from the group.

“What’s your name?”

“Maxim,” Says the one who reminds them of Major. They miss him, the old idiot. He used to cause so much trouble.

“Maxim. Do you have something you’d like to say?”

Glancing at his classmates, the young man shrugs one shoulder. “Nah. Just keep talking, we’ll get something we can use.”

“I’d love to help you all with your assignment. Your teacher informed me that you’ll fail this class if you don’t hand in an acceptable essay, each of you.” The newspaper has one corner folded back neatly that they play with slowly as they watch the three kids before them. “But I know someone who hates magic when I see them. If you want me to help someone like that to pass an advanced class, you’ll all have to do better than this. I don’t want to teach you about the history I lived through. I want each of you to study it on your own, come present what you learned to me, and show me that you have the base understanding to even believe what I’ll tell you.”

Maxim turns to leave, uninterested, ready to pay someone to write his essay for him. Zach looks anxious, mouth opening to make excuses and beg for Quinn to just tell them what they need to know to get their project done.

Sheela watches Quinn. Just stands there and waits, judging whether they’re being honest. Quinn leans back in the lobby’s couch and beams.

“You. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. The others, they have to hear it from you. I want you to retell my stories before you write anything down on paper.”

“I’d type it on my phone, no one uses paper for notes anymore,” She argues mildly.

“Fine. You’ll relay it by word of mouth, then take the notes on your phone. Do we have a deal, Miss…”

“Sheela. Yeah, that’s - we can do that. Right?”

Maxim sighs and turns back around, glaring but grumbling his agreement. Zach nods to show he accepts the terms as well.

“Wonderful,” Says Quinn, standing with all the aches of a senior citizen, but the glowing energy of someone about to do their favorite thing. “Let’s go out for a walk. We’ll start with the war and go from there.”

[letsreadwomen]

books for baby gays

gather round queer kiddos, for this book rec of stories featuring wlw of all designations, where happy things happen and bad things do not (nearly as much). I’ve aimed for happy endings and not too much tragedy or pain over the course of these stories, but (unfortunately) haven’t read all of them so do let me know if any mistakes slipped through.

This list is heavy on the fiction because I’m mainly aiming to provide some solace and warmth. Where there is some overlap between categories (e.g. coming out after uni and the what comes next section, or if you’re looking for escapism then the background-to-no romance section might also be useful) I have only included a book under one or the other, not duplicated.

All links direct through to the Storygraph, which includes reader-sourced content warnings on all titles so do make sure to check those out as well (and if you want you can follow me here). Now, have at it!

Coming out and of age

At middle school / primary school / roughly under age 12

Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter To The World by Ashley Herring Blake

The House You Pass On The Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill (graphic novel)

At high school

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

The Gallery Of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

Georgia Peaches And Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

At uni

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Learning Curves by Ceillie Simkiss

Outside / after school

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

The Princess And The Fangirl by Ashey Poston

Ship It by Britta Lundin

Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera

Coming out after uni

The London Of Us by Clare Lydon

Breaking Character by Lee Winter

Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman

Out And Proud by Lisa Young (directs to Bella Books)

What comes after the big come out

Everything Leads To You by Nina LeCour

Double Exposure by Chelsea Cameron

A Hidden Hope by Laura Ambrose

Seriously... I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres (non fiction)

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch (non fiction)

Escapism (i.e. genre fiction where queerphobia isn’t a thing)

Of Fire And Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember

Belle Revolte by Linsey Miller

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker with Wendy Xu (graphic novel)

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta

Ash by Malinda Lo

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

An Accident Of Stars by Foz Meadows

The Art Of Saving The World by Corinne Duyvis

Water Witch: The Deceiver’s Grave by Nene Adams

Romance & identity take a back seat

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Lumberjanes by Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Walters with Brooklyn A. Allen (graphic novel)

Princeless: Raven The Pirate Princess by Rosy Higgins (graphic novel)

Classics

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu, edited by Carmen Maria Machado

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

The how tos and histories

How We Get Free: Black Feminism And The Combahee River Collective, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Sapphistries: A Global History Of Love Between Women by Leila J. Rupp

Overshare: Love, Laughs, Sexuality And Secrets by Rosie Spaughton and Rose Wllen Dix

Rewriting The Rules: An Anti-Self Help Guide To Love, Sex And Relationships by Meg-John Barker

Coming Out Stories: Personal Experiences Of Coming Out From Across The LGBTQ+ Spectrum, edited by Emma Goswell and Sam Walker

Further reading

Definitely make sure to check out @bellabooks​, publisher of wlw stories!

@bookriot​‘s Queer Women’s History Reads and Books About LGBT History, but make sure to poke around the whole website

Gay’s The Word bookshop: based in London but ships worldwide, I’m mainly including it here because it has an excellent filter system with settings for category and identity to help you find the books you want to read

All of @biandlesbianliterature really, but especially the Coming Out Later In Life book list

The books section over at Autostraddle is really everything I ever wanted

All of the LAMBDA nominees ever, and you can filter them by various aspects!

[retphienix]

Well holy shit.

That is maybe the worst prom experience possible.

I love how forthright Mae is about it though lol

There's no real reason for her to share it now, and according to Bea she's kept it more or less under wraps all this time, but she's just like "Yeah fuck it, oversharing time."

And right after saying her dream date is to wrestle the hell out of her date and then share secrets when they lay down tired from their bout, A+ conversation.

[elliemaemcrris]

E L L I E M A E M O R R I S [002/???] 

“that was her magic. she could still see the sunset even on those darkest days.”

ELLIE MAE’S PLAYLIST

01. overshare by kelsea ballerini

“but the silence makes me scared, so then i overshare...”

02. treat people with kindness by harry styles

“i gotta good feeling. i’m just taking it all in.”

03. girl almight by one direction 

“her light is as loud as many ambulances as it takes to save a savior.”

04. girl crush by little big town

“i got girl crush. hate to admit it but i got a heart rush.”

05. man! i feel like a woman by shania twain

“wanna make some noise, really raise my voice...”

06. i wanna dance (with somebody) by whitney houston

“oh, i wanna dance with somebody. i wanna feel the heat with somebody.”

[popofventi]

December Song 8: "Save The Day" by Niamh Regan

"Save The Day" by Niamh Regan

It’s rare but it happens. Occasionally, I’ll share more than one song by the same artist in a calendar year. I have such limited bandwidth here at Ventipop because I only share 20 songs per month, so I try not to overshare artists. But Niamh Regan is so good, I feel I have to share another song off her new record Hemet. I recently shared “How About That Coffee?” and now she’s back with “Save The Day” which is equally good. I can’t recommend the entire record enough.

Niamh Regan Short Bio

Galway artist Niamh Regan has long been lauded as one of Ireland's most promising folk talents. The Irish Times described her teenage demos as 'Bursting with potential'. After she completed a degree in music, she left the folk band Juhn Echo and released her debut solo EP in 2017. Since she has shared stages with artists such as John Smith, Sam Amidon, Mick Flannery, Mary Coughlan, The Maes, Oh Pep! and played the stages of many Irish music Festivals including Electric Picnic and Body & Soul. Niamh Regan released her debut Album 'Hemet in early September.

Ventipop December 2020 Playlist

[billyzigz-moved]

my comic ideas

cause they need to fucking go somewhere,,,

Anathema: A slice of life comic following Ruby Vazquez, a 3rd year college student and biology major. Ruby has spent the past few years raising her half sister, Ana, with her father after removing her from her abusive mother and gaining custody. The sisters are very close but Ruby moving from home to a campus apartment begins to strain their relationship.  Ruby tries not to overshare about Ana and attempts to keep her a secret from her new roommate, Mae Lewis, but she eventually finds out and pushes Ruby to reach out for help.

Unnamed Pirate Comic: A young, chaste princess is kidnapped from her castle by a brash, beautiful pirate. The pirate, Captain Maria, plans to hold Princess Noelle for ransom, but soon finds out the princess does not want to return, knowing she will only be met with suitors and dresses and her mother begging for an heir. Maria takes her in, helps her dress and present in a way she’s far more comfortable in and makes her apart of her rag tag crew. The longer Noelle stays, the closer the two become, eventually sparking a romance.

Unnamed Magical Girl Comic: I’m not super familiar with magical girls so I want to make a comic following a girl (maybe nb) who hates the idea of magical girls and sailor moon but is granted the powers of one. It would be more comedic and satirical with no true villain. It would just be super short for fun.

And Then There Were None: A comic based on the first Agatha Christie play I ever read! It would possibly be a modern interpretation, just for kicks. Basically the story (from what I can remember) is all these people come to this secluded mansion of sorts, and one by one each is killed off in a gruesome way reflecting the poem “10 little Indians” (name varies thats just how they put it in the play) until there are none. These are just the ones I have more fleshed out, there are also some inspired by old art and old characters, but they just need more work.

[elvesofnoldor]

when Armand showed up at the chapel where lestat laid in his comatose state, louis came to him with same "omg babe i didn't know you are still alive im so glad you are not hurt i was so worried" shit he pulled with lestat at the end of tvl. Armand sort of looked at him and was like "oh hi louis im actually here for lestat", then shortly after that armand actually got seriously hurt (weird jesus vision's fault, nothing to do with lestat as far as we are concerned), and guess what, where is louis then? nowhere to be seen!!! time and time again, louis is proven to be the funniest cunt in this house.

[stunudo]

idk if you could do this but jalex??? for the ship ask??

Yes, my Mae with the specialty (obscure) ship ask!

Their ringtones for each other: On JJ’s phone: Don’t Mind by Kent Jones

On Alex’s phone: Sister Golden Hair by America

Their FB relationship status: ‘It’s Complicated’, to keep nosy relatives and colleagues off their backs in equal measure.

Whether they are addicted to couples selfies: YES!!! Have you seen them, great angles all the time. Henry and Michael are there for the fun too.

Which of their friends is over-joyed shipper trash that they are together: Everyone would expect Spencer, but he had a really hard time adjusting. Lewis is their cheerleader!

Who overshares intimate relationship details: Alex, she doesn’t see what the big deal is about anyway.

Who steals the other’s clothes: JJ steals Alex’s jackets and wears them with jeans and heels for a night out.

Who’s the PDA fan: Neither, but they like to be sneaky in public, trying not to get caught.

Who proposes: Since they are both coming out of long term relationships, I would say they just move in together. No need for all the fuss!

This was really fun!!! xoxo