#otp: heart of gold

[softtransbf]

started thinking about how i met garthy, this started writing itself. i might write us actually getting together as well at some point, but like. this is already 1200 words lol

-

"Get out. I don't care where you go, just leave, and don't come back. If you set foot in Solace again, I'll know, and nothing will be able to stop me or help you."

Those words, full of pure disgust and hatred, ran through Quint's head on repeat as he ran to the port and booked a ticket on whatever ship was leaving next. He didn't care where it was going; he'd figure it out when he got there.

He checked his ticket; he'd bought a one-way trip to Leviathan. Huh. Well, I did want to be a pirate as a kid, and no one there is gonna ask any questions. Anchors aweigh, I guess.

-

He was far from the only person on the ship, but he passed the three day voyage in complete silence. Instead of socializing, he was thinking about everything that had led him here, reading all the information on Leviathan he'd been able to download before losing signal to his crystal, and considering what his next steps might be.

The days passed fairly quickly, and soon it was time to disembark. Sticking with his plan, he kept his head down and headed towards the Gold Gardens.

He walked into the bar and took a seat at the empty counter. It was pretty busy, but a few moments later, the bartender, a friendly looking, stout, middle-aged woman, came up to him.

"Good afternoon, I'm Suzie McGraw. What can I getcha?"

"Hey, there. Can I get a mead, and, uh, who do I talk to about a room?"

"That'd be me as well. We've got three options- basic room for 2 gold a night, moderate accommodations are 10, and there's luxury suites for 50. All come with a free tattoo, which you can get at your leisure."

He took a deep drink and considered the options. "Mmm, this mead is delicious. Yeah, can I get a basic room?"

Suzie nodded. "'Course you can. May I ask how long you'll be stayin'?"

"You can ask," he sighed, "but I don't have an answer. Not yet, at least. Is that an issue?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. Everyone's welcome here as long as they'd like. Not like the books are in any sort of order even if that weren't the case. I'll be right back with that room key for ya." Before he could respond, she turned and walked away.

A couple minutes later, she came back, gave him the key and room number, and poured him another drink.

"Thanks, Suzie."

"My pleasure. Enjoy your stay here, yeah?" He nodded, and she moved on to the next patron.

He took his drink and found an empty table in a far corner of the room. He sat there for... he wasn't sure how long he sat there, nursing his drink. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the person walking up to him until they spoke with the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard.

"Well, well, well, I heard a little Solesian bird flew in today. Welcome to the Gold Gardens, the name's Garthy."

From his research, Quint knew who Garthy was, but nothing he'd read had prepared him for how beautiful they were. Tall and muscular, with delicate gold tattoos across their entire (shirtless) torso and down their arms. They had a mass of gold bracelets and rings that were just on the elegant side of gaudy.

They were clearly half-orc, but their eyes, entirely black except for gold irises, belied aasimar heritage as well. He noticed two scars on their chest, and he quickly pushed down the pang of envy in his gut and looked down at his drink.

"Garthy O'Brien, right? Impresariex of the Gold Garden, home to every kind of pleasure under the sun and stars. Purveyor of fine goods, especially magic items, and one of the best curse-breakers you can find." Great. Totally normal first thing to say to someone. Absolutely killing it socially, as always.

To his relief, they smiled and sat down across from him. "Seems you've got me at a disadvantage, darling- you know all that about me, and I don't have as much as your name."

He ran a hand through his hair and looked back up. "Sorry, I don't know why I said all that. I'm Quint. And, uh, yeah, I just got here this morning."

"Quite alright, lovey, I appreciate a man who does his research." They winked, and Quint felt his face flush. His prayers that that would go unnoticed were clearly ignored, as they chuckled. "Adorable. Now, I heard you seemed a bit distressed about not knowing how long you'd be here.

Obviously, everyone has their stories, and you don't have to answer if you don't want, but I do hate the thought of anyone here being distressed at all. What brings you through my doors, so far from home?"

He slammed back the rest of his drink. "Solace was never home. It just took me a while to figure that out, and the first ticket out was Leviathan-bound." As he talked, Garthy gestured to a waiter, who immediately appeared with two drinks. He took a sip; it was a hard liquor he didn't recognize. He downed that drink as well and kept talking. "And by all accounts, if you're looking to forget, there's no better place than the Gold Gardens."

A knowing look crossed their face. "Glad to hear the Gardens' reputation is still as it should be. If you don't mind my asking, had you left Solace before?" He laughed, a little too hard.

"Nope! 25 years old, and I'd never even left Bastion City. Didn't intend to, either. Was gonna get a nice little office job, keep my head down, live a quiet, human, non-magical life. But, hey, that's life, right? Nothing ever goes as planned."

"I'll drink to that, love." They finished their drink as well. "Well, if you decide you'd like to stick around for a bit, there aren't exactly offices on Leviathan, but our books are in dire need of keeping. Pay's fair and moderate lodging is free. Think about it and let me know, yeah?"

"You- you're offering me a job? We just met; you don't know me."

They scooted closer, put a hand on his, and looked deep into his eyes; he prayed no one had Detect Thoughts active. "Lovey, I run, amongst other things, a brothel on an island full of pirates. I'd be no good at my job if I wasn't an excellent judge of character. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some amount of protective responsibility towards you. Job's yours if you want it."

Quint took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll take the job. Thank you so much, Garthy." He lightly squeezed their hand, and they looked down at their joined hands. Admittedly, he was very tipsy, but Quint could have sworn they were smiling just a little bit before they looked back up at him.

"Wonderful to hear, darling. Now, since you're going to be sticking around, let's introduce you to some of my friends, yeah?" They stood up, still holding his hand, and took him over to their usual table, where they were both met with a loud cheer and hearty welcome.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna like it here.

[raindropsandseahorses]

Remember that time Louis said he brought his washing machine for laundry on tour with him? Yeah what the fuck was that

[askrikkaiandhyotei]

This is just off the top of my head, with a bunch of Kamen Rider ships

[elvenbeard]

Just replayed "A Like Surpreme" the second time around and HHHHH my feels... first of all... the symbolism of Kerry gifting V his gun in the aftermath like, full on "I'm putting my life in your hands" vibes I'M NOT OKAY. ;____;

EDIT: ALSO! How fucking upset he looks when he's like "I almost shot Johnny with it, haha" and then V goes "yeah, and me" and Kerry is just HIT by that like by a train... like, OOOF.

Also him being so nervous about it all in the beginning, worried about having to "perform" his part (as he is the entire time ahead, playing it so cool while he's the only one shaking in fear). And then just letting go of all inhibitions on stage as the concert goes on, that made me so happy to just watch now with all my knowledge about him as a character and his story.

And then yeah, as mentioned in that other post I reblogged a couple days ago about his behavior with the sunglasses, having them on the entire time but then off for the convo afterwards. How he's so genuinely shocked when Johnny leaves him his guitar. And the gun thing and the sort of little repeat of his first proper encounter with V where he pats him on the shoulder as he leaves. But this time around it felt so much more genuine, no teasing, scheming behind the scenes, just "take care, I'll be in touch".

Like, is he cured of his depression? Hell no. And I think that's also obvious from what's gonna follow in his personal questline. But I feel like he's really genuinely happy and seeing a way forward again, even if it's just for that one evening.

Sorry I'm kinda rambling, it's late and I'm drowning in feels xD

And, random observation on the side re: I love the details in this game... It's Kerry's vocalist (Damien Ukeje) singing "A Like Surpreme" during the concert, isn't he? At least this song was a distinctly different one from the one I'm used to listening to on Spotify, the Refused version. And I mean, it makes sense, the Spotify version is the "original" recorded with Johnny as vocalist, but Johnny obviously can't be there to sing in 2077. They didn't have to go all the way out and make a separate version of the song just for the game but they did anyway... And I love that so much.

[pollyna]

When he's eight, Bradley starts to sign his school papers as B.P. Bradshaw-Kazansky-Mitchell, in his screwy writing that makes his teacher move the paper up and down, right and left, to be sure she's reading correctly. He takes his card home to let Mav sign the vote, and Bradley doesn't get why his dad is crying. You sure you want all this surnames Baby Goose? You won't get tired of writing them all the time?

But pops, I want dad's and your surname too! Just like any other kid!

And so yeah, maybe it's a little longer than normal, and his teacher calls him just Bradshaw when she checks to see if everybody is in class, but Bradley always, always, introduces himself with his full name.

(It makes Mav's and Ice's eyes wet every time.)

[untitled-byler-blog]

I wish I got a chance to join Byler week but my dumbass thought it was the week leading up to hallowewn and was too busy. Then found out yesterday that it was the week after halloween which makes way more sense.

Anyways, here's a prompt for after byler week <3: madwheeler talking about their crushes to each other and then Max deciding to try and help Mike get with Will (this can either go great or terribly wrong)

👀👀👀👀 (you can still join byler week they're accepting/promoing submissions all month... but also work on your fictober stuff, bestie)

[also, who is max's crush in this scenario, because you KNOW that without specification i will give you the most crack nonsense imaginable]

[fellstcr]

tag dump prt.3 or something

⚔️ otp . dimileth. / where we walk . we walk together .

⚔️ otp . convergence. / to have him is to have the stars .

⚔️ mischiefmodig. / swathed in calla lily spathe . heart of gold entangled by frost .

[hoffmans-hoffman]

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Christian Bale as Doctor Herbert Graves in The Poirot cinematic universe

"A lot of people don't believe in me, but that's okay...that's fine...„

Herbert tag dump

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[renewedmotionforjudgment]

Huan Zhu Ge Ge (还珠格格), explained

Vox, don’t sue me for using this title.

Background: the other night, I suddenly had the OST stuck in my head. And I amaze my self by able to somehow sing the entire soundtrack?

Anyways, for those who either grew up in mainland China in the 90s or part the Chinese diaspora, Huan Zhu Ge Ge, princess returning pearl, was probably the OG idol historical. It’s adapted from a Qiong Yao novel. Huge hit across Asia. Influenced a whole generation.

Background plot — Xiao Yan Zi is a street orphan who met a girl named Zi Wei. Zi Wei turned out to be the daughter of Qian Long. Xiao Yan Zi accidentally gets mistaken as Zi Wei, takes on the title of princess, and hijinks ensues.

Tagging @huanzhuyulu for additions.

Anyways, this is Xiao Yan Zi

Perky, spunky, not super smart academically, and with a heart of gold. You know that female lead in idol cdramas these days? Xiao Yan Zi was the prototype. But also, she’s hilarious about Chinese proverbs.

This is Zi Wei

The prototype Ruby Lin character. I found Zi Wei rather corny when I was 7, TBH. Angsty back story involving being the unknown illegitimate daughter of the emperor, and then later getting whumped/tortured repeatedly by the empress.

This is the 5th Prince, Yong Qi

The emperor’s favorite son. The guy you thought would be the next emperor until you read anything about history. Smart and earnest. Xiao Yan Zi’s love interest.

(My first ever OTP!)

This is Fu Er Kang

Qian Long’s bodyguard. Zi Wei’s love interest. Done with Xiao Yan Zi and Yong Qi’s nonsense since episode 3 of season 1. He and Zi Wei had a lot of angsty moments that 7 years old me definitely was not into.

This is Jin Suo (on the right)

Zi Wei’s maid and BFF. Doubter of Xiao Yan Zi’s antics. Honestly not sure what personality she has other than “Fan Bing Bing is really pretty!”

This is Qian Long

Huang Ah Ma! The drama is Qian Long’s best publicist. Somehow manage to perv on women and threaten to off his kids, and is jovial enough that you spend your childhood going “what a loving father!”

This is Ling Fei

Yes, the same Ling Fei as Wei Yingluo from Yanxi. Super nice and motherly. The reason why my brain could not compute Ruyi for the longest time.

IN SUMMARY:

(Sorry, Er Tai — I don’t have enough GIF space to introduce you. Ditto, Qing Er. )

[softtransbf]

Drabblecember: After Work

@tedspankoffskiscanonbf here's "after work"!

tag list: @gothamcore @librarian-lover

Pairing: Quint/Garthy O'Brien

Warnings: alcohol

Word Count: 543

Quint trudged into the bar, one hand massaging his temple. He saw Garthy sitting at their normal table, surrounded by friends old and new alike. Even more than usual, it seemed, and they hadn’t noticed him yet, so he went and got a drink. He couldn’t handle that much socializing sober. Not after the day he had.

After so many months in Leviathan, working at the Gold Gardens no less, he didn’t have to tell the bartender what he wanted; the drink was in his hand the moment he placed the coins on the bar.

He took a seat at the bar, threw the drink back, ordered a double, tipping generously. He drank the second one more slowly, savoring the burn and praying the first drink would hit quickly.

He was about halfway through his drink when he felt familiar arms wrap around his waist from behind and very familiar lips against his ear.

“My, my, darling,” Garthy murmured in the way that never failed to send shivers down Quint’s spine, “you didn’t even stop to say hello? You wound me, my love.” 

Quint moved their arms and scooted over a seat, not looking back at them. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s just been a Day, and I wanted to be in a better mood before joining you.” They sat down next to him and gently took the drink out of his hands.

“I hate to imply you’d be anything less than honest with me; I think this is more an issue of you lying to yourself. Are you sure you thought sitting here alone with your thoughts would put you in a better mood?”

He turned to face them with a soft sigh. “Sometimes I hate how well you know me, you know that?”

They chuckled and started rubbing small circles on his back. “No, darling, you really don’t. Now, you know my philosophy; this is a place where people come to forget their troubles. Talk to me, love. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, really. Just spent the day trying to balance the books from the casino. The crew that came through last week was great for business, but crews that big always make a nightmare of the records, and I can’t figure out a good long-term solution.”

He tried to swallow the tears he could feel forming. “I can’t solve that problem, and studying magic isn’t going well, and it all just feels like I’m not smart enough for any of this and not strong enough to learn how to fight, so what good am I here?” He sobbed, and Garthy pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh, darling, why didn’t you tell me? Those are all problems we can solve, but right now, do you want to talk about solutions, or do you want to come with me upstairs, and we’ll get you a proper meal and maybe a massage?”

Now fully crying, he held them tighter and whispered into the crook of their neck, “Let’s go upstairs. Thank you, my love.”

They picked him up, pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and carried him up to their penthouse suite, determined to make every trace of self-doubt vanish by the end of the night. “Anything for you, my greatest treasure.”

[theladyheroine]

Unexpected OTP Pairings ✨

❥ Okay I know Valentine’s Day was last week! Almost two weeks ago! But recently I’ve been wanting to branch out a bit with my blog writing, & writing prompts are something I love a lot! So, I’m trying something new & came up with a few OTP ideas! I hope you enjoy, thank you & have fun!

❥ F x M writing prompts! I didn't specify who is who though so everyone can read!

Former! Villain x Superhero

Not even a real villain, just some dumb person who steals things or who makes evil schemes that always fail. Kind of like Dr. Doofenshmirtz, & they’re actually really nice in real life! But when a superhero comes to stop them, they instantly fall in love! Seriously has heart eyes & doesn't pay any attention to the hero’s grand pre-fight speech.

Or doesn’t put up a fight at all, just hands them the stolen goods & escapes. Leaving Hero completely confused as the Villain they were supposed to stop didn’t even bother fighting, which is still good but they’re still confused.

After this, the Villain now decides to become a Superhero!! To not only impress their new crush but also because they've always really wanted to be one anyways! It was just the push they needed.

Cue them now running the streets in a completely different outfit trying their best to stop the bad guys! Usually, it doesn’t end well though: they’ll trip over the air & let them escape, or maybe just show up late to the fight & it’s already over.

It’s even worse when their Hero crush joins the fray, and then they’re really clumsy or just start sputtering like an old car. Their former henchmen, now turned sidekicks, try to console them as they lay on the couch completely embarrassed by their feats.

Oooooor, they are super confident & much better at being a superhero than they ever were being a Villain. Maybe this confidence goes to their head a bit & will literally try flirting with Hero on the battlefield! Hero gets a bit embarrassed sometimes & their other super-friends tease them about it. If this does happen, Hero might end up trying to run away from the former Villain in an effort to focus on their job. But it just ends up being really funny to watch.

Bonus: They have opposite powers or maybe one has no powers at all.

Dashing Thief x Friendly! Detective

I'm sorry this one is a bit short!

A notorious thief with a heart of gold who only ever steals from bad guys & acts more as a Robin Hood character than any. Hardly ever keeps anything for themselves; just struts around after dark on the lookout for anything suspicious. Not one person has been able to catch them & their identity remains a mystery. Would be cool if they were a nobleman/woman or had some kind of big fancy hideout. 

The detective is actually their friend/partner (maybe)! The good egg who actually sees the thief’s true intentions instead of just mucking around in a Halloween costume. Although they're pretty ticked at the way Thief does things, they usually keep their coworkers & the boss off Thief's trail. Maybe a newbie or an intern at the detective agency, determined to prove themselves on the field. 

Maybe they met as civilians & the thief switched to a disguise to hide from authorities, but bumped into the detective who was out on a coffee break. It was love at first sight for both of them, so cute! 😆 They do a lot of coffee dates now, but sometimes Detective overdoes it.....

One is the brains, and the other is the brawn. Together they can get any job done! The Detective’s coworkers find it strange how the Thief shows up more often when they're specifically on the job. The Boss is suspicious but sometimes finds them cute.

Often swing by each other’s places to not only hangout but help each other with cases or special kinds of info. If the Thief has any sidekicks, no doubt they’ll spill funny stories of missions gone wrong or close calls. 

Stealing each other's hats and impersonating the other one for fun, then cue a playful chase scene around the room! So cute!

Dragon x Wizard

I know some people like fantasy stuff!

A dragon is resting in their cave until they hears footsteps at the entrance. But instead of finding a grumpy old knight, they find a wizard! Maybe the Wizard was exploring the caves nearby or on a journey to the next town, but instead of feeling scared or angry, they started fangirling/fanboying over the dragon instead! 😆

Likes to ask them all sorts of questions & sometimes can’t stop talking. Now Wizard can come whenever they like & the two become friends!

The Wizard visits whenever they can, showing off all sorts of new spells or potions they've created. Even though it might not be as impressive as their fire, the Dragon still finds it cool & applauds.

The Dragon will always try to impress their wizard friend with tall tales of each piece of treasure. How they got it, where they found it, if they fought anyone over it, etc. But sometimes those stories are exaggerated…

The Wizard will be in absolute awe at the Dragon’s stories & can’t help but be a complete chatterbox about it. Asking more questions about different things like how their magic works, how they can fly with all that extra weight, or if they can learn a fire-breathing spell from them instead—

If the Wizard lives in a tower then the Dragon will visit just as frequently! Usually it’s in the early morning or during sundown when there are fewer people around. But if the Wizard lives in a town or city, it might take some time for the Dragon to come around. It’s not that they don’t care, but dragons are more solitary creatures. Either way, they enjoy each other's company & the dragon likes to ask questions about different thingamabobs on the Wizard's shelves.

They can both be pretty clingy but that’s sometimes a bit tough to handle because the poor wizard has to be extra careful, especially with pouring bottles or waving their wand around if they’re not even two feet apart. Doesn’t mind but sometimes will complain a bit if their partner won’t stay cooperate.

Extra Duo!

Since I loved the superhero one a lot I thought of another one: what if a Hero’s Sidekick & a Villain’s Henchman fall in love!

The Henchman does end up giving Sidekick any tips about their next plan. Cue the Villain throwing a tantrum in their lair wondering why the Hero is always one step ahead of them. 😅

They like to hangout in civilian settings together! Bonus if they found out their secret identities on accident lol

Extra Bonus if the Henchman or both villains become heroes at the end!

[bloopitynoot]

13 WangXian Social Media Au's

This list was requested by @yiling-laozu-is-loml and is all about WangXian social media stories. NOTE: All of these fics are tried and true! They include fics I have read an enjoyed and wanted to share.

Request:

WangXian

Social media can include; group chats, online forums, blog, tweets, OF, youtube etc really the public eye (I included some actor/famous/reality tv with fans fics too) or chat based fics.

if applicable Bottomxian only

book canon only if applicable

If you want a specific rec list for WangXian dm me! I love putting these together :)

Enjoy the list!

1 Welcome to Pepper & Bun! (9560 words) by PaidSubscription

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating Advice Columnists, Relationship Advice, Demisexual Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Bisexual Disaster Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Mastermind Nie Huaisang, Inspired by Twitter, Autistic Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Has ADHD, Getting Together, Fluff and Humor, Those Who Can't Do Write Advice Columns, Idiots in Love, Mainly Wei Wuxian Because Canon, Podfic Available Summary: Wei Wuxian: Did you catch our first letter? Shall we meet up and discuss it? Lan Wangji: No need. Sent draft just now. Wei Wuxian's email pings with 'Column Copy- Final Draft.' It contains two words.   "Dump him." OR: Gossip Editor Nie Huaisang strikes gold when he picks Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to be co-writers of a new dating advice column. The only slight problem? Lan Wangji has never dated.

NOTES: Okay this fic was so damn sweet!!!! If this was a real advice column I would be invested in an unhealthy way- the two of them are adorable. It gives a little bit of frenemies to lovers and I am always here for this dynamic- the duo who seemingly has nothing in common falling for one another. My heart! Also Nie Huaisang is a marketing genius.

2 For a Good Time, Call (170842 words) by ScarlettStorm

Chapters: 21/21 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Modern AU, Getting Together, Pining, Porn, like in the writing and also as a plot point, onlyfans au, repressed lan zhan, sex worker wei ying, in this house we support sex work, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, hornt(tm), way too many details about onlyfans probably, they say write what you know, No beta we die like wei wuxian, mental health, therapy is good actually, in which I reveal my true otp and it's anyone in the untamed/therapy, okay so actually more angst than I was expecting, a surprising amount of genuine feelings, whoops?, Background Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing - Freeform, background lan xichen/nie mingjue, background Jiāng Yànlí/Jīn Zixuān, Nonbinary Nie Huaisang Series: Part 1 of See all this and more for just ten dollars a month! Summary: The picture is of Wei Ying, that much is clear. It’s of a lot more of Wei Ying than Lan Zhan is used to seeing. He supposes that, technically, Wei Ying is dressed. It’s a bare technicality, since one of Wei Ying’s hands has rucked up his black tank top practically to his collarbone, showing a long expanse of abdomen and one nipple. Sweat beads on his sternum, catching the light like jewels. His other hand is--Lan Zhan feels his eyes widen, as though unable to look away from a train wreck--on his hip, one thumb tugging down the waistband of a pair of red briefs. Wei Ying is biting his lower lip and looking directly into the camera, sultry, his eyes dark and inviting. His erection is obvious, outlined against the red of the briefs and framed carefully with the hand on his hip. Lan Zhan’s brain goes wildly, screamingly blank. Or: Lan Zhan accidentally finds his best friend's OnlyFans account and has an ongoing emotional crisis.

NOTES: I love an OF plotline and this one is exceptionally good. Poor Lan Zhan going THROUGH the moralities of not only finding your besties OF account but also subscribing and also finding it too hot to handle. The amount of tears and cash this poor boy spends. It has a happy ending so no stress with his moral angst! ALSO the sequel is so so good KILF (Knits I'd Like To Fuck in (pls note the sequel has them tagged as switches so full disclosure there if it is a deal breaker for you).

3 兔's Clues | Tu's Clues (12296 words) by Anonymous

Chapters: 2/2 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Single Parent Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Minor Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Fluff and Humor, Misunderstandings, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Minor Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén/Niè Míngjué Series: Part 2 of AUs only a mother could love Summary: Most childrens’ show hosts are cheerful, energetic people who wear eye-catching clothing. The man on-screen is none of those things. This man (“that’s Lan-xiong!” A-Yuan says helpfully) is eye-catching for completely different reasons. When A-Yuan had started talking about 'Lan-xiong' and rabbits, Wei Wuxian had briefly recalled 18-year-old Lan Zhan sitting back on his heels with two baby rabbits in his lap, but the idea of his high school crush hosting a childrens' show had been so ludicrous that Wei Wuxian had chalked it up to coincidence. So either Wei Wuxian is hallucinating or that is indeed Lan Wangji on-screen, talking to two rabbits. As the host of a childrens' show. --- or: A-Yuan's new favourite thing is a show about solving clues left by rabbits… or something like that. Single dad Wei Wuxian is very much not prepared to see his high school crush hosting a childrens' show.

NOTES: So listen, this is tagged as Crack Treated Seriously and honestly the energy was not so Crackish. It was a surprisingly adorable and very cute fic. Lan Zhan WOULD be a stoic AF bunny handler as a children's tv host.

4 shoot your shot -- hot or knot (51435 words) by defractum

Chapters: 5/5 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Extremely Dubious Consent, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Additional Warnings In Author's Note Summary: "Hi, I'm Wei Wuxian. I'm a Career Omega and this is my fourth season on the show. I like spicy food, archery and alphas who are funny. Or maybe I don't, I haven't rolled over for one yet." On-screen, Wei Wuxian winks at the audience laughter. Hot or Knot is the world's most popular reality TV show. Part dating show, part survival show, Hot or Knot is everyone's guilty pleasure - and Wei Wuxian is a fan favourite. - The Love Island/Hunger Games reality dating tv show A/B/O au

NOTES: Okay, but here's the thing. This is S tier crack fic and no one can change my mind. Did I think I would be out here reading a Love Island/Hunger Games/ ABO reality show fic- absolutely not but let me tell you *slaps fic* this baby has so much good shit in it. Just pls trust me and go in with open energy LOL

5 episodes (34947 words) by kasunn

Chapters: 8/8 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Fluff, basically all fluff, Youtuber Wei Ying, Social Media, Actor Lan Xichen, Artist Jiang Cheng, Chef Jiang Yanli, Babysitting, lowkey kidfic, Surgeon Lan Zhan, Canon typical feels, Taiwanese Wei Ying, Copious amounts of Chinglish, pets!, Secret Relationship, Kind Of, bad pet names, Established Relationship, wen yuan is a wen Summary: “Lan Zhan-gege,” Wei Ying sighs when he reads the tweet and Lan Zhan pats his knee. “I said hello,” Lan Zhan says. That he did. The tweet simply reads ‘Hello’ with a waving hand emoji. Terrible. Wei Ying is ashamed of himself for not teaching him better. “Your brother is going to kill me,” Wei Ying says. (or just a lot of domesticity between Wei Ying the Youtuber and Lan Zhan (his husband) + a mild, mini mystery for Wei Ying's viewers)

NOTES: I love this fic so much. The wholesome domestic energy is everything. WY is a youtuber and quite popular online in this and his husband is a mysterious man no one sees or knows anything about- obviously fans get curious and oh, Lan Zhan gets twitter.

6 you are safe / loved / worthy / enough (150003 words) by everythingispoetry

Chapters: 28/28 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Social Media, Mental Health Issues, Healing, self-care, Anxiety, Hurt/Comfort, the mortifying ordeal of self-acceptance, Falling In Love, Depression, Slow Burn Summary: One of the more timid-looking posts, in pale greens and creams and yellows, says Hello, I'm managing to be fairly high functioning right now but I'm really not doing as well as it may appear, and Lan Zhan feels as if someone sneaked into his mind and read his most secret thoughts, the ones he's never even dared to admit to himself. (Lan Zhan falls apart and finds himself through the most unexpected means.)

NOTES: So a few things with this fic; first it takes the prompt social media a little lighter as in social media is used for healing and there are social media talks but it isn't the forefront of the fic, second CW if you struggle with depression this fts that heavily and in a descriptive way. So heads up there. This fic is stunning, it's about healing, recovery, autonomy and love. That being said, your boy Wangji really goes through it in this fic. The poor guy is Not Okay. It is a beautiful fic though and he does get better.

7 Badreads (37442 words) by arabii

Chapters: 8/8 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Bullying as a Flirting Technique, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian in Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian's Body Summary: Lan Zhan rated it ★☆☆☆☆ August 12, 2022 shelves: should-have-abandoned Picked up solely because I thought that a book release clouded with so much controversy would at least be entertaining to read. I was wrong. How does Wei Wuxian manage to make a book containing cannibalism, necromancy, and a sex cult boring? Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian are romance authors with large social media followings. Nie Huaisang sees an opportunity to get publicity by faking a relationship between them. This action will have consequences.

NOTES: I absolutely LOVE when Lan Wangji is a Bitch and this is peak Bitchiness. WY and LXC are romance writers and LWJ is a book reviewer with 0 fucks to give. The brutality in which he makes a point to read and review each of WWX's books brings me so much joy. and OFC they fall in love.

8 Falling to the Rhythm (128916 words) by Selenay

Chapters: 14/14 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Strictly Come Dancing Fusion, Ballroom Dancing, Dancer!Wèi Wúxiàn, Violinist Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Pining While Dancing, Oblivious Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Gratuitous Costume Descriptions, Gratuitous dancing descriptions, Slow Burn, Rating applies to later chapters, The unbearable romance of being cared for, Podfic Available Series: Part 1 of Wangxian Strictly AU Summary: "So it's a bet?" Jiang Cheng said. "Dance the showcase if you get him, fancy coffee machine if you don't?" Wei Wuxian considered the machine. "Fine. You're on. I want it in red." "Don't start planning your caffeine overdose yet." "It's in the bag," Wei Wuxian said cheerfully. "There's no way they'll match me with someone like Lan Wangji."   Teaching Lan Wangji to dance in front of the nation for twelve weeks, how hard can that be? Wei Wuxian is about to find out.

NOTES: I love everything about this fic. It was so good and light (a tiny sip of angst because competition and some pining). The Strictly Come Dancing (basically Dancing with the Stars for North America) is *chefs kiss*. Also the fact that WY went in on it for a bet because he wanted a coffee machine I cant.

9 Gusu's Drag Race (55079 words) by DizziDreams

Chapters: 15/15 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: the gang's all here, Drag Queens, Drag Race AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Nonbinary Character, Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, whistleblower, There Was Only One Bed, Alcohol Abuse, ambiguous setting, American political system - Freeform, Big Bang Challenge, Background jyl/mianmian Summary: Meet the Queens of Gusu’s Drag Race Season 5! by QIN SU Oh my god, we’re back again. Hot on the heels of the shocking finale of season 4, Gusu’s Drag Race is back, with perennial judge Lan Qiren, Gusu’s grumpiest shufu, and featuring the return of the grandmother of drag Baoshan Sanren. And this season is already promising one. “We’ve never had such a strong cast of refined, professional queens. It has the makings to be the greatest season of Drag Race yet.” Big talk for the Emmy-award-winning show that has shot dozens of queens to fame, bringing drag to the mainstream. “The mainstream may be taking notice, but there’s nothing mainstream about drag done right,” says co-host Baoshan Sanren. “Drag is about disobedience. It’s rebellious and anti-mainstream by its very definition, and we’ve got some queens this season with the chops to prove it.” With all that to look forward to, let’s Meet the Queens who’ve already captivated our judges.

NOTES: I know I said that Hot or Knot was PEAK Crack, but this one is up there too! We have the MDZS ensemble, we have Drag, we have unionization and the fight for working conditions, OH AND INCLUDED ART. This was so fun to read.

10 Yesterday Once More (22725 words) by Sweetlittlevampire

Chapters: 7/7 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Long Lost Family AU, Adoption, Family Reunions, Reunions, Lost Love, Getting Back Together, Family Feels, Found Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mild Angst, Happy Ending, Podfic Welcome, Podfic Available Summary: „I remember him as…sunny,” Sizhui tells her. “His whole personality radiated sunshine and warmth. He was always smiling, always cracking a joke. He loved playing and rough-housing with us kids, but he could also be very gentle if he wanted to. Looking back, he couldn’t have been older than twenty-five; he was probably even younger than that, now that I think about it. But despite the short time we’ve spent together while he was looking after the kids at the orphanage, he always felt like a father to me.”   In which Lan Sizhui goes on a TV show, to find the man he saw as a father figure while he was in the orphanage, and who disappeared one day. …and who just so happens to be his adoptive father's long-lost love.

NOTES: Okay way less crack, this fic actually made me tear up. A wholesome journey Sizhui centric in which he goes on a reality TV show to find his Xian-ge. The "show" was so beautifully narrated and "produced" and the ending ultra sweet.

11 Love at Second Sight (49893 words) by flowerofgusu

Chapters: 17/17 Rating: Explicit Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Luo "Mian Mian" Qingyang, Wen Qing (Modao Zushi), Wen Ning | Wen Qionglin, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui Additional Tags: Background SongXiao, background mianqing, Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Reality TV, Musicians Wangxian, Comphet Wei Wuxian, Coming Out, Demisexual Wei Wuxian, Rated E for the Small Amounts of Smut, Eventual Smut, Romantic Comedy, Falling In Love, Misunderstandings, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage Summary: Popstar Wei Wuxian agrees to go on Nie Huaisang’s reality TV show, wherein celebrities play an arranged married couple for a month. His manager, Wen Qing, insists this will be good publicity—plus, the funds raised will go to a children’s music school. He’s excited—he’s never been in a relationship before, let alone a fake-arranged-marriage. But when he finds out that he’s been arranged to be married on the show to his rival Lan Wangji, he doesn’t know whether to grin and bear it, or run the other way. How much can he act smitten for the cameras?

NOTES: On a good day I am already too invested in real life trash reality tv so it's no surprise that I am here to include yet another reality tv dating show au. This one was so good. I love a good "fake it till you accidentally actually fall in love" trope and this one does that plus a solid slowburn to realization exquisitely. These poor babes so oblivious- such messes.

12 cookin' up a storm, piece of cake (9562 words) by livinginaworldofnoise

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Social Media, Baking, the dumbest comments u have ever seen, wei wuxian being a troll for nearly 10k words, lan wangji suffering the most that any recipe blogger has ever suffered, Baker Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian is a Little Shit, Crack, content warning for absolute unhinged nonsense, told in the form of recipe comments and emails, Epistolary Summary: yiling_patriarch: first time making a cake with alcohol! it’s still in the oven but it smells great so far ↳ Gusu Lan Kitchen: There is no alcohol listed in the ingredients for this recipe. yiling_patriarch: i didn’t have any oranges or orange juice so i replaced those with a can of orange sparkling margarita! tasted super weird [★★☆☆☆] ↳ Gusu Lan Kitchen: Are you being deliberately obtuse? OR: life is tough for baker!lwj when online troll!wwx won't stop commenting on his recipe blog

NOTES: I know @yiling-laozu-is-loml has already read this (and the next fic) but I legally (not actually) had to include this one on this list. This fic is so damn cute- flirting through bad baking, trolling, and blogs??? What is there not to love. It is extra sweet how they end up together in the end.

13 don’t threaten me with a good time (60023 words) by livinginaworldofnoise

Chapters: 11/11 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Reality TV, Alternate Universe - The Great British Bake Off Fusion, wwx is a chaos demon determined to make gbbo more exciting, lwj cares about the Integrity of Bake-Off, who will win????, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, gbbo au, content warning for absolute unhinged nonsense, Enemies to Lovers, by enemies i mean BAKING RIVALS of course, the last two chapters are the twitter reactions to the show so, Social Media AU, Podfic Available Summary: “I’m using orange liqueur to make my cake more interesting. Give it a bit of a kick, you know?” Lan Wangji’s expression has only changed minutely—not a lot of range there, it seems—but Wei Wuxian can tell he is perturbed by this information. “Alcohol? In cake?” “Honestly, I’m not sure any cake should even be made without alcohol,” Wei Wuxian says, offering another beatific smile that Lan Wangji does not return. OR: the great british bake-off au???

NOTES: Bake off AU! BAKE OFF AU! It's got cakes, scandal, disasters, enemies to lovers, and clothing so distracting WWX bluescreens. A very wholesome social media + reality TV competition. I highly recommend for good vibes. Bonus with the juniors idolizing Lan Zhan- such little cuties.

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

Happy New Year!

[All Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer Masterlists] [Red Carpet Diaries]

Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer (F!OC) Book: Red Carpet Diaries Word Count: ~450 Rating: General: no warnings, just fluff Prompts: New Year's Eve @choicesficwriterscreations & @choicesholidays ; first kiss in the new year @choicesjanuary2024

Synopsis: Alex and Thomas spend New Year's Eve at a Charity gala.

This incredibly gorgeous portrait of my OTP is by the amazing ArtbyAinna (Insta). I've been holding onto this art for almost 2 years. I can't even begin to express how much I love this piece. It is one of my favorites of them ever. It's so tender and soft and romantic and it's so very, very much them. I truly can't thank Ainna enough for bringing this vision to life.

The ballroom gleamed with soft hues of gold, set against brilliant black. Flickers of gold twinkled like stars in the night upon the ceiling. The shimmering decor exuded elegance, while the subdued lighting provided a warm, inviting ambiance for the luxurious New Year’s Eve charity gala. The event began with a cocktail reception, followed by a charity auction, and finally, a countdown to the New Year celebration.

While most of the guests let loose near the bar or on the dance floor, moving to the beats of a famed DJ he had never heard of, Thomas and Alex found themselves drawn to a quieter corner, avoiding the boisterous revelry. The strands of lights behind them warmed them with their golden glow, a serene environment for the pair to lose themselves together while the year ticked away.

Their movements were slow and graceful as the pair swayed to a melody of their own. Thomas held Alex close in his gentle embrace, his hands resting softly on the small of her back. Alex’s arms circled around his neck as she nestled her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed, relaxing in the comfort of his arms. She knew if it were up to him, he would have left the second the auction had ended, perhaps even before, had they accepted his offer to purchase a few pieces before the event. But still, he was here with her—because of her. A radiant smile spread across her lips; there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, but that feeling was mutual.

“I love you,” she whispered softly. She tipped her head slightly, her gaze meeting his.

His lips brushed gently against her forehead, placing a tender, lingering kiss. “I love you, too, my Alex.”

The cheers of celebration grew louder, the countdown to the New Year beginning.

“Would you like to join in?” He questioned, though his arms remained warmly around her.

“I have everything I need right here.”

“I could not agree more.”

They leaned in, their lips meeting in a tender kiss even before the countdown was completed.

As cheers of “Happy New Year” filled the space, the pair stayed together, locked in a loving embrace. No matter what the future held, as long as they were together, they would make it through.

“Ready to go?” Alex whispered when they parted. She held her hand toward him.

"Almost." He couldn't resist stealing one more kiss. It was the first of many kisses to follow, but it was enough for now “Happy New Year, my love”

"Happy New Year, Thomas!"

He laced his fingers with hers, guiding her out of the ballroom, without a glance back toward the party, still in full strength. All they needed was each other, their children safely asleep at home, and their beloved black lab.

As much as I'd love to hold onto it, I feel like it's time to share it with the world. I know Thomas and Alex aren't a popular pairing but I appreciate any and all support of them now and always.They will always be the couple that I hold closest to my heart.

[blenderenvy]

I think we can all agree Lucas has by far the most riz out of the party. Like this man could pull all the bitches. And every pairing that involves Lucas is just a absolutely iconic ship.

Lumax? Hell freaking yeah, gotta be one of the top mf ships of the decade! They are so absolutely precious!

El x Lucas? Give me more right now. The rival/enemy to friend to lovers autism girlfriend and ADHD boyfriend energy these two can have. I think that self acceptance is something the two of them need.

Elumax? Yes yes yes. My absolute favorite stranger things ship and definitely one of my top otps of all time. These bitches all deserve each other. Lucas and El find a shoulder in each other during max coma, help destroy vecna and save max, while falling inlove with each other in the process. The absolute bi4bi4bi energy that radiates from these beautiful people.

Wheelclair? Absolutely, are you telling me Michel 'boy lover' Wheeler didn't have an giant ass crush on Lucas in middle school? I think Mike was Lucas's first kiss.

Byclair? Yes! Only one of the og party continued to search for Will after meeting El, and not trying to piss of the bylers here, but it wasn't Michel Wheeler. This is an absolute soft cutesy boyfriends ship, the artist and the jock who are both nerds with a heart of gold.

Bywheelclair? yes definitely absolutely. Lucas deserves two boyfriends, this is a power throuple in the making, the chemistry and cutest nerdyness levels are off the charts

Dustin x Lucas? Qpr goals

Name a more rizzed up character? I'll wait

I just love this man with my whole chest and i need people to understand, because this fandom doesn't show enough love to my boy!

[wanderingaldecaldo]

*lightspeed powerwalk into your ask box for the soft OTP prompts* 3 or 10 with Val/Ros, if any of these two strike you fancy? 💕

Thank youuuu @blackrevell for the ask from the soft prompts!

I was sure that I was going to write 10 (getting ready in the morning) then I had an idea and it possessed me and I had to exorcise it. I reserve the right to also write 10 later. ☺️

3- Write about your ship holding hands in a tense moment.

Outside the unbreakable window panes, heavy shadows dance and loom as the wind whips the trees back and forth along the South Lawn. There are at least a dozen Federal Secret Service agents outside blending into the shadows. Inside, the flashing red, white, and blue of the screens reflect off the windows and obscure the darkness, the cascade of colors on the glass mirroring the cacophony behind her. The flashing colors coalesce into her own face, then melt into that of her challenger.

President Rosalind Myers stares out the window, seeing nothing as her thumb presses into the metacarpals of her left hand, digging into the tender muscles. The hand has twinged more often recently. She should talk to her surgeon about it, but a lifetime of repressing weakness makes her reticent. Val wouldn’t approve.

Behind her the door sighs open and a glance over her shoulder confirms the entrant as the only person who would dare interrupt tonight’s vigil, then she returns her attention to the window. A click, and the room darkens and falls silent as Val turns off the screens.

“No reason to listen to that scop,” she says quietly, a gentle hand resting between her shoulder blades.

Rosalind leans back into her touch, and strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her tight. Val leans down, rests her head on Rosalind’s shoulder, and she covers Val’s hands with her own.

“You’re probably right.”

“Probably?” Val laughs and presses a kiss to her temple. “Know I am. Shit’ll rot your brain.”

She hums a laugh and turns to look at her most ardent supporter. Dogtown feels like yesterday, but then she sees the fine spiderwebs gathered in the corners of Val’s eyes, the worry lines that have begun to etch themselves on her forehead, the grey hairs that have started to grow into her always sharp fade haircut. Rosalind doesn’t feel old until she sees the last decade reflected on her lover’s face.

She raises her hand, fingertips trailing along the buzzed hair above Val’s ear to the cold metal netrunner port at the back of her head, then twists and pulls her down for a kiss. When they part, Val turns Ros to face her and links their hands, twining their fingers together.

“Whatever happens, ’m with you. Know that, right?” 

Rosalind nods. Ever her loyal merc.

“After the results...” Rosalind trails off. “If they send someone—”

Val interrupts before she can even finish the thought. “Have to deal with me first. Saved you once before. Save you as many times as it takes.”

Her chest tightens and her eyebrows draw together as she gazes up at Val, at the woman who pledged her heart and life to her. She hopes it doesn’t come to that; she knows they won’t stop coming for her, but as long as they are together....

Chest tightening again, she blinks as she feels the sting behind her eyes. She frees one hand and traces the gold cyberware along Val’s cheek then cups it and pulls her down for a soft kiss.

“You’ve already saved me more than you know.”

[princesssarisa]

Characters ask: 12 dancing princesses

Favorite thing about them: The beautiful, romantic imagery of all the princesses venturing into a magical subterranean land where the trees are made of silver, gold, and diamonds, and then dancing through the night with mysterious handsome princes. I like the imagery better than the story itself.

Least favorite thing about them: That they let all the princes who try to discover their secret be beheaded. It's no wonder that retellings tend to omit this part and just have the failed princes either sent away in disgrace or imprisoned instead.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like parties and music.

*I tend to be a freedom-seeker.

*I'm in no hurry to marry.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a very good dancer.

*I would never let even one man be beheaded just so I could attend secret parties, let alone many men.

*I don't have any sisters, let alone eleven.

Favorite line:

From the Faerie Tale Theatre version, these quotes from the eldest princess Jeanetta:

"I have no patience for hearts and flowers and young men who brag about this victory and that. There's more to life than romance."

“The man of my dreams is a prince among men.”

brOTP: Each other.

OTP: Well, I hope the eldest sister will be happy in her marriage to the soldier, and I hope the others eventually find the right princes.

nOTP: Their father.

Random headcanon: For the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where all the characters are more sympathetic than in the Grimms' tale, I like @ariel-seagull-wings' headcanon that the princesses' parents were Cinderella and her Prince, now King. The eldest princess looks especially like their mother – since in this version she's played by Lesley Ann Warren, the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella – and they've all inherited her love of ballroom dancing. But since Cinderella died, her grieving husband has become overprotective of his daughters, leading to the plot.

Unpopular opinion: I don't mind the fact that this tale is so rarely adapted, because it's not a particular favorite of mine, mainly because the ending falls flat. We never learn who the mysterious dancing princes were; there's just a vague statement at the end implying that they're under a curse, and that it's extended as their punishment for having danced with the princesses, but with no explanation of who cursed them or how they suffer from it. The princesses never redeem themselves for having caused so many men's deaths – at least in other stories with similar plot points, like Turandot, the princess has a transformative "learning to love" moment which is missing here. The eldest princess is married to the soldier as his reward, with no choice for her and no sense of romance, and this is portrayed as a happy ending, even though she and her sisters were willing to kill him rather than be forced to marry him.

So far, every adaptation I've seen has been an improvement, IMHO. First and foremost by removing the "every man who fails to learn the princesses' secret is beheaded" plot point, secondly by giving the soldier an actual romance arc with the eldest princess, and thirdly by changing the ending or at least giving it more depth. My introduction to the story was the anime Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, where the princes turn out to be disguised demons luring the princesses to their doom, and the soldier fights them off and helps the princesses escape, earning the eldest princess's love by doing so. That twist might be melodramatic, but at least it gives the story a proper climax and emotional payoff. Then there's the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where the princes are dream figures created by the princesses in a magic ritual, and where the princesses' nightly outings are sympathetic, because their overprotective father needs to learn to let them grow up, go dancing, and meet young men in their own world. That's a good alternative too. (I don't have anything to say about the Barbie version because I've never seen it.) Basically, I think it's a story with great potential, but which needs adaptation expansion.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

This illustration by Elenore Abbott:

This illustration by Kay Nielsen:

These illustrations by Erroll Le Cain:

This illustration by P.J. Lynch:

These illustrations by Ruth Sanderson:

These illustrations by Kinuko Craft: