#so this trend is like. crazy convenient for me to finally get a chance to express that bahaha

[tonariofjananda]

Quick tribute to my favorite but mostly forgotten form! All hail the small furry thing!

[the-irish-mayhem]

Fosterson Fic Rec Masterlist: Oneshots

The Main Reclist has been split to fix the links that tumblr decided to break if there were too many of them in a single post. I’ll be keeping the main reclist updated (even if the links appear broken) as well as maintaining this list and the list for multichapters.

I need help expanding this list! If you have any favorites or fics of your own of your own you don’t see included in this list and you’d like to submit for consideration, please drop me a line.

List updated April 2020. New additions marked with **

Updated during this wild quarantined time, which should serve as a reminder to everyone to APPRECIATE YOUR CONTENT CREATORS! Leave all the comments and kudos to show our love for everything they do. Big thanks to everyone who recommended and/or created content for this amazing ship.

Rated G/K-K+

**Promise by igi_pigi: Thor visits Jane to say goodbye before he leaves for Asgard. Rec: Bittersweet but lovely post-AOU, semi AU pre-Ragnarok. | 1.1k

**Spooky Nights by igi_pigi: "So what is it about?" Thor asks. "Or are we to go in uninformed?"Jane's eyes instinctively flick towards the blank tv screen. Darcy was insistent about it being a horror movie this time - as they serve as "perfect romance fodder", according to the maniac. Jane has decided to go with the recent one, 'The Conjuring'. [Set a few months after Thor2] Rec: Just sweet, dumb, wonderful fluff. Not an ounce of angst to be found. Also Thor learning about Earth is always sweeeeet. | 3.2k

**Stars and Solitude by igi_pigi: It's Jane's first night in Thor's home, however unusual the circumstances. He wishes to show her somewhere. She thinks it's his room. [Set during Thor2] Rec: A nice lil add on, Thor inviting Jane further into his life. | 3.3k

**Can’t Go Back the Same Way You Came by gumbridge: Loki lets go. This is what happens after. (post-film; basically a fixit fic.) Rec: This is pretty Loki-centric, but Jane is fabulously written, the family unit that Loki gets inducted into makes me very happy, and the fosterson is understated but so important and wonderful. | 20k

**spring will come by LadyCharity: As if grieving over the death of her husband wasn't hard enough, Jane has to deal with Thor's angry, bitter, emotionally shot little brother. Rec: This is literally all pain but god it is so good. You can feel the love binding Jane and Loki and Thor and it is so, so well written. Holy shit. | Content Warning: Major Character Death | 12k

the universe in your hand by amonkeysue: For the free day of Fosterson Week 2019, Thor's finally taking the right chance to propose to Jane. Rec: an adorable little bite-sized proposal fic. | <1k

Who Lives, Who Dies by MissChrisDaae: When the dust settles, who is left? Rec: Post-Infinity War, semi-kidfic. Pretty cute, and brings Jane into the story like she should’ve been. | 1.2k

Morning by MissChrisDaae: Thor and Jane's morning is interrupted by their kids. Rec: Fluffy fluffy FLUFFY Jane and Thor with a whole gaggle of children. | <1k

Trending by MissChrisDaae: Jane and Darcy's work session gets a little derailed. Rec: For the Social Media day of Fosterson Week, a fluffy and silly bit, and feeds into the 2012 Avengers Fic nostalgia. | <1k

ever on and on by often_adamanta: Darcy has to correct three separate people at the reception about their relationship, not younger cousin or sister, but college professor and boss and finally best friend. Jane thinks about their surprise, the second glances they give her, and wonders. Rec: Jane deals with the implications of immortality. Her friendship with Darcy is so potent and real in this. | 3k

Before the Thunder Shook Us by niobium: #6, “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” #14, “Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.” Rec: This is such a wonderful canon-insertion/canon divergence. Just enough fluff and bittersweetness to seem real. | 1k

Private Jokes by MissChrisDaae: Before his return to Asgard, Thor and Jane have a talk. Two years later, Thor misses a chance and Jane has to carry on. Rec: An AOU coda and a Ragnarok fix-it all in one. Feisty Jane and apologetic Thor. My bbs. | 1k

On the Physics of Magical Space Hammers by shinyopals: ‘So what does it mean to be “Worthy”?’ Jane asked. Jane doesn't mind sharing her life with Mjolnir. She just wishes she understood it a bit better. Rec: We’ve all wondered about Mjolnir and worthiness. Jane finally takes the initiative to find out with amazing results. | 4k

Fives Times Jane and Thor Broke Up and One Time They Didn’t by shinyopals: I didn’t know you were in the country, Jane,’ said Jane's grandmother. ‘Of course, nobody tells me anything.’ ‘It’s just a very last minute thing,’ said Jane, which Thor knew to be a lie. ‘I only arrived yesterday-’ another lie, ‘and I’m just on the way to work and thought I’d stop by and see Mom.’ This too was not true. ‘This is my friend Thor,’ she added, almost casually. ‘He’s been helping me with some work so we’re driving into the university together.’ This seemed the most flagrant of all the lies, but Thor decided not to let it show. It's not always convenient to be a relationship, so sometimes Jane and Thor have to make sacrifices. Rec: A giant SUCK ON THIS FEIGE that takes the “Jane and Thor break up” concept to the best possible places. | 12k

Hours Long and Short by shinyopals: The first night, Thor does not sleep. (Written for a post-TDW prompt for Fosterson Week 2017.) Rec: A really wonderful slice of life fic post-TDW. Deals with their trauma so wonderfully, and includes some lovely soft moments. | 4k

#7Days7Hobbies by shinyopals: Thor wants to try out some of Midgard's finest hobbies and turns to Twitter for suggestions. Jane isn't really sure how this is now her life. (Prompt for Day 4: Domestic, for Fosterson Week 2017.) Rec: One of my favorite things that’s ever been submitted for Fosterson Week. I love reading about Thor fully embracing Earth customs, particularly social media, which opal KNOWS is one of my weaknesses. | 5k

A Question of Honor by shinyopals: ‘Paintball?’ said Steve. ‘We could do… that…’ ‘What is that?’ asked Thor. He nuzzled into Jane’s hair. His mead-breath was giving her a headache. ‘It’s a thing- a game… thing. With paint.’ ‘Rogers, stop explaining stuff to Thor, you’re embarrassing me.’ Tony’s voice was remarkably coherent. Must have been drinking sensibly. Bastard. When it comes to deciding whether Earth or Asgard has better warriors, the stakes are high, and Jane is wishing she'd kept her big mouth shut. Rec: TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES FOR THE WIN. | 8k

The Gift Horse by fartherfaster: Sam and Darcy are formally introduced for the first time. Sam says “formally” with some flexibility. And a couch. A couch and a great deal of flexibility. Nevermind, he’s said enough. They met, is what he’s trying to say. Or, Sam's early days with the whole gang. Rec: Mostly a teamfic from Sam Wilson’s POV, which is awesome because how often do you see that. Fosterson is mostly background, but it made me smile so much. | 3k

on the verge of understanding something extraordinary by dirgewithoutmusic: “Jane, you’re an astrophysicist, not a storm chaser,” said Erik Selvig, and he was wrong. She was just an astrophysicist too. (A Jane Foster character study) Rec: I’m relatively certain I read this before and loved it, only it somehow didn’t make the reclist. An amazing, touching, wonderful, stunning portrait of Jane Foster. | 9k

starlight in her eyes by jdphoenix: “You,” she says, voice strong with accusation. “You’re the one who attacked me!” Thor really must laugh at that. “You are the one who attacked me. Or is it considered polite among stars to crash into one another?” Rec: A really awesome take on a Stardust fusion AU. Full of inquisitive Jane and cocky Thor. It gave me really hard vibes from the first Thor film. | 1.2k

a true lady of Asgard by jdphoenix: It's not uncommon for Jane to fall asleep working when she's chasing a new theory or hunting down evidence but the middle of a battle for the future of Asgard is not the time. Rec: Jane becoming a fixture of sorts in Asgard is one of my kinks. Also Jane being friends with Thor’s friends and the people of Asgard. Kink. | 3.5k

Afterwit by RC_McLachlan: Good with patients, bad with relationships. That's what she told Thor before she ripped the name tag from the shirt in his hands and crumbled it in her palm, relishing the way the sticky back clung to her skin before she threw it in the waste bin. She'd never been so right in her life up to that point—the rightest she's ever been was when she decided to offer the crazy blond guy a ride to his mysterious non-satellite in the desert. Or, the one in which Jane and Thor run into Donald Blake. Rec: I am such a sucker for the “running into the shitty ex with the New and Improved Partner” trope and this is that. All of that to such a wonderful degree. | 2.7k

drabbles by freshexes: Rec: Some really fantastic little bits of prose. Great voices of Thor and Jane. Some fluffies, some angst. | 1k

The Good Times are Killing Me by alwaysaprilia: Rec: Modern royals AU. Jane and Thor are perfect in this. The dialogue is sublime, and the interactions made me squee really hardcore. I only wish there was more. | 3.6k

College AU by anthropologicalhands: Rec: It’s kinda more meta/heacanon, but it’s really adorable. | 1k

all’s fair (in love and war) by sweetwatersong: This is what you fight for. This is what you yearn to feel: this moment, this passing of every second, this rush of life and the indomitable strength of the present. Thor is a warrior, born and bred, and he is glad of any battle - and yet, as with all things, even this can change. Rec: A Thor introspect and a really well done second person perspective. | 1k

Five Times Thor Gets His Shirt Off FOR GREAT JUSTICE And One Time He Doesn’t by shinyopals: Sometimes Thor’s armour is more useful when not being worn by him. He definitely doesn’t end up in these situations on purpose. Rec: Please bury me in every single five times fic shinyopals has written. This one might be my absolute favorite. So many fantastic interactions for Thor, not just with Fosterson (which is BEYOND perfect), but the whole team. Plus: naked Thor fighting bad guys in an apron. Also the SamSteve is so strong and I’m in love. | 9.8k

A Discussion of Hypotheticals by shinyopals: Jane and Thor talk about their future. Hypothetically. Rec: I am so glad we’ve made Fosterson Week a thing because this fic is WONDERFUL. Great communication makes me weak, and also so many squee-worthy moments. | 5k

Jane Foster Versus the Internet. Or: Five Times Jane Allegedly Dated An Avenger And One Time She Apparently Did Not by shinyopals: Jane discovers that the internet is The Worst. Rec: It’s the thing I loved so much I made graphics for it because it’s so good. Jane’s interactions with all the Avengers are delightful, not to mention her steady relationship with Thor that is so grounded and real. It’s also freaking hilarious. | 10.4k

Untitled by polyamoryavengers: Rec: Angst and fluff and Jane comforting Thor. *cartwheels into the sun* | 1k

Sexiest ‘Something’ Alive by Niobium: Tony is bound and determined to make sure a human is awarded the title of Sexiest Man Alive (he even has a solid candidate in mind); Jane just wants media outlets to get their science right. Rec: This is absolutely fantastic. Just the right kind of blend of humor, sweetness, and meta criticism ever. | 7.5k

The Hours Filled by websandwhiskers: Ritual and comradery are basic human needs. Rec: Focus on Jane, not a ton of Thor, but pregnant Jane is always a delight. | 1.7k

First Dates? by hariboo: Jane’s not really sure what her and Thor’s first date is? The party or the barbecue? In end does it matter? Rec: I am not a big fan of high school AUs, but if they float your boat, this is definitely worthwhile. | 1.4k | Part of Let’s Be Young Forever series

Of Car Crashes and Coffee by hariboo: “you bumped my car and I’m so piss- oh wow no you’re hot let’s go for a coffee” au prompt. Exactly what it says on the tin. Rec: This made me giggle. Super duper cute. | 1.3k

Tactile Perception by RC_McLachlan: “The day I met you, I knew you would see me.” Her hands find his face, sliding over his jaw, his cheeks, and she brings their foreheads together. “The day I met you, I hit you with my car. Twice.” Rec: *dies quietly* Teasing and cute story telling and just so many good things. | 2k

Clarke’s Third Law by shinyopals: “Of all the people to knock down the stairs, she would pick the practically-seven-foot-tall son of the Minister for Magic who just happens to be the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.” Jane’s just trying to read every single book in the Hogwarts library in between classes, and she’s not quite sure how Thor happened to her. Rec: I never read Harry Potter but damn it this makes me want to. I just love this. So much. I don’t know how but it happened. I actually really wish there was more? | 3.8k

The Most Daring Prophecies–Dr Jane Foster at TED Talk by Rozilla: A transcript of Jane giving a TED Talk on her experiences of crossing the cosmos, Asgard and her hopes for the future of interstellar travel - as reported on WHIH. Rec: I can’t tell you how badly I wanted this to be real. Fosterson is mentioned a bit, and it makes me smile a lot. | 5.1k

Paradigm Shift by jdphoenix: “Jane’s implementing a ‘new organizational paradigm.��� She does this like once a year, usually when she’s extra stressed. Like after that time your brother messed up NYC.” Rec: cute domestics plus Jane is worthy. | 1.5k

Raging Storm by jdphoenix: Thor knows the moment he touches the hammer that it is not Mjolnir. Rec: A brilliant continuation of Paradigm Shift (above, previously recced) wherein Jane bests Loki and is worthy, plus Jane talking down berserker!Thor. So many of my Fosterson hot buttons. | 4k

Overlap by littlestardust: A moment between Thor and Jane. Alternative summary: Thor is respectful of Jane’s life choices, and also there is cuddling. Rec: Teeny tiny fic, but super cute. | <1k

amazed & confused by tashlae: Dating an alien/god/man who fell from the sky isn’t something to take lightly. Rec: Jane/Darcy centric with lots of talk about fosterson and a kinda sweet moment at the end. | 1k

untitled by ifilovedyouless: jane/thor, modern royals. Rec: Oh my god, the sweetness overload was too much. Also YAS Thor in military uniform. | 1k

Fosterson - dancing by batsonthebrain: Rec: Introspective, sweet, and with a heavy dose of mutual respect. | <1k

Unplanned by hariboo: The first person to hear Jane is pregnant isn’t Thor. It should be, but extenuating circumstances. This happens a lot when it comes to living in Stark Tower. Rec: Very much toeing the crack line. Baby!fic, obviously, plus fabulous Clint, and a semi?redeemed Loki. | 1.2k

clash of the (scientific) titans by anthropologicalhands: Thor brings Tony to meet Jane. Thor admits he probably could have thought it through a little better. Rec: this fic always makes me giggle. Fosterson is mostly background, but the interactions between everyone makes this worth it. | 1k

Through Doors by nayanroo: The Jedi Order knows a good team when they see it, but unfortunately even the best-planned missions always have something go hilariously wrong. That’s when the true strength of any bond is shown. Rec: A Star Wars fusion is always a good idea. The way Jane and Thor play off each other and their bond through the Force is lovely. | 4k

Straight On 'Til Morning by arsenicarcher: Thor and Jane are having a baby. Tony’s conflicted about the whole thing. Rec: Kinda Tony-centric, but I’m always up for a fosterson baby. | 4.4k

hard to keep the rainclouds out by veliseraptor: Rec: A unique view on Thor’s grief and Jane’s struggle to be there for him. Very lovely, very angsty. | 2.1k

Perils of an RPF Life by hariboo: Look, it isn’t that she isn’t excited for Jane, sure she is. But Darcy wonders if Jane ever thinks about that. The fact she’s dating the sexiest E.T. ever. Rec: Darcy’s voice in this is hilarious and touching all at once. Jane and Thor’s caring for each other is so clear and endearing I audibly squeed a few times. | 2k

amazed & confused by tashlae: Dating an alien/god/man who fell from the sky isn’t something to take lightly. Rec: Jane and Darcy friendship is a lot of fun. Jane’s pondering of their relationship seems very characteristic of her. | 1k

On The Unsubtle Nature of Fish Ties by Niobium: Fancy clothes shopping for your alien boyfriend should be easier than this. Or, how Thor got his red velvet jacket. Rec: Fosterson is mostly background, but cute Jane/Darcy/Pepper interaction. | 3.3k

Be Safe by MissChrisDaae: Thor and Jane have a contingency plan for emergencies. Rec: Speculation/AU for Age of Ultron. Baby!fic, and is just so damn cute. | <1k

It All Happens Here by MissChrisDaae: Her very first year of teaching, Jane Foster gets an unusual bonus in the form of one of her students’ extremely attractive father. Single dad and his daughter’s kindergarten teacher au. Rec: super fluffy and just adorable. | 7.5k

Remembrance by Are_you_ever_not_going_to_fall_for_that: Thor and Jane take a walk and come across something that sparks memories. Post The Dark World. Rec: Jane and Thor talk about Loki, and the lack of heavy angst is refreshing. | <1k

Traffic jam by kes: When you’ve been fighting omnicidal aliens and the bureaucracy, a getaway is in order. Unfortunately, flying from A to B isn’t always possible… Rec: domestics. cute domestics EVERYWHERE. | <1k

nothing is ever convenient (except to make things uncomfortable) by anthropologicalhands: After Thor returns, there is still the matter of responding to Richard. Rec: The awkwardness of dealing with Richard made me smile. A very smile inducing fic. | 1.3k

Jane on Top by Rozilla: Jane Foster is asked to lecture at the SHIELD Academy, but she feels her old anxieties and worries begin to creep in- but it’s okay. Darcy has her back, not to mention it appears she has a fan club at the Science and Tech Division of the SHIELD Academy! Rec: An unapologetic Jane-fest, which is my favorite kind of party. Fosterson is background, but very relevant. Darcy is a cool friend. | 4.1k

leave this star crossed world behind by anthropologicalhands: Sif visits Jane with an offering. Rec: Jane/ Sif friendship, and they talk about immortality. Great interactions and insights on fosterson. | 2k

Measured Uncertainties by plushbug: Gap-filler, applying to the 2011 Thor movie. A shot at what might have gone missing from the rooftop scene between Thor and Jane Foster, after his 'rescue’ from the SHIELD base. Fits between “…and Asgard. That’s where I come from.” and “Thank you, Jane." Rec: A good fill for the movies, explains some comic-verse continuties. Curious Jane is a lovely person, and Thor relishes in giving her knowledge. | 4k

halfway between the gutter and the stars by verity: Thor pulls his phone out of his pocket and lifts it above them to capture a picture of the moment, their hair lit by the sun, Jane’s soft smile next to his beaming grin. The Rise filter suits the image perfectly. “I shall title this 'THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE,’” Thor says, typing carefully on the touchscreen. “With the small image of your planet, flanked by sparkling stars." "Well, we abandoned a geocentric model of the galaxy hundreds of years ago,” says Jane. "'THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE,’“ Thor says. He amends his caption and selects the options to crosspost from Instagram to Twitter and Facebook. Rec: Okay I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this. So much. I love the world-building that Avengers + social media allows for. Also, cute Thor and Jane and team stuff plus Neil Degrasse Tyson and George Takei. So much good stuff. | 2.2k

Catalysts by Niobium: Meeting people winds up being a catalyzing event in Jane Foster’s life more often than not. Rec: Well-written Jane, and super supportive boyfriend Thor. I love it when he treats her like a genius. | 2.1k

The Reconstruction of the Mind by Niobium: Jane Foster’s introduction to astronomy doesn’t start with a backyard telescope or a shooting star or the arm of the Milky Way strewn across the nighttime sky, but with an Alexandrine woman named Hypatia. Rec: Jane-centric, and very well done, as per usual with this author. Fosterson is more background, but they have some lovely moments. | 4.6k

Asgardian Cautionary Tales for Young Maidens by Niobium: Jane discovers that Asgardian love stories aren’t exactly romcoms. Rec: Jane and Thor sharing love stories. I audibly squeaked at their cuteness. | 2.3k

the new millennia by hoosierbitch: Thor’s life was measured in centuries, not days. Rec: Post-Dark World, very Thor oriented and introspective. Jane helps him through his grief over Loki. Angst on angst. | 1.1k

the drumming inside her by hariboo: she can feel everyone looking at her, waiting for her to break or give up. they don’t understand. she made a promise too. Rec: oh my god Jane being determined, Thor pining a bit, Heimdall being awesome, and a super sweet reunion. | 1.3k

Starchild by empyrean: One night Jane teaches Thor the basics of Western astronomy, and Thor tries to describe Asgard. Then the Bifröst breaks, and Jane isn’t having that. Rec: Jane and Thor bond over the stars, and Jane doesn’t take it sitting down when the Bifrost breaks. Love the simplicity and the power in this. | 1k

There by Barkour: Jane has found Thor and in the finding, she has gone somewhere she’d never dreamed she’d see. Rec: Jane geeking out over Asgard, plus some really cute banter, and Thor being a gent as always. | 1.9k

Numbers and Lines by Sheeana: Jane Foster visits Avengers headquarters to help install a program she designed, and gets caught up in helping with their latest problem. Rec: Jane and Natasha get some great action together, and the Fosterson is handled well. | 4.9k

Important Meals of the Day by hariboo: or alternatively: Five Breakfasts With Jane and Thor and them feeding their family and friends. Which sometimes lately seem to be the same thing. Rec: domestics! Fluff that makes me want to stay there forever! I love this author’s way of writing fosterson. Also Darcy is so great in this. | 6.2k

Fire in the East by Maat: He finds that there are sweeter things than mead and glory and the fierce bright colors and rich textures of Asgard. Rec: Best Thor-being-on-Earth-longer fic that I’ve read. Short, poignant, sweet, and painful. This is beautifully written and left me wishing this was how the canon story could have gone down. | 1.1k

Few So Generous by galaxysoup: After Odin falls into the Odinsleep, Frigga takes up her husband’s spear and the rule of Asgard. Rec: Jane and Thor from an outside perspective, and a different version of events. Though the focus is not on fosterson outright, it is still a very good fic. | 2.7k

we fall like stars by jadeddiva: All that is left of him now is the extra chair pulled up to her makeshift fire pit, which she never sits in and hasn’t had the heart to move. Jane, and the search for Thor and a greater understanding of herself. Rec: A character study of Jane and how Thor affected her life. Lovely and poignant. Fluid writing style. | 3.1k

Not "Functional” or “Elegant” by Niobium: Jane Foster has worked some bad jobs in her career; working with Stark Industries’ R&D is a vast improvement. Rec: Jane-centric, and gives her a great backstory. She and Thor are adorable as always. The author clearly respects Jane as a scientist, so that shows through a lot, which is amazing. | 1.6k

Jane Foster’s High School Reunion by Niobium: Jane Foster has a high school reunion to go to. Rec: Jane and Thor are adorable. Thor is a gentleman, and Jane gets to laugh in the face of a jerk. Very satisfying. | 5k

Nature and Nurture by nayanroo: What’s better than solving a physics problem that may well get you another Nobel Prize nomination? Having a baby on the same day. Rec: Part of an amazing series (full rec with multichapter fics below) but can be read as a standalone. Featuring pregnant!Jane and adorable and far-too-accurate expectantfather!Thor. The fluff is lovely. Features all of the Avengers with some lovely domestics. | 7.4k | Part of in progress series, The Kingsverse

don’t we all want happy endings? by hariboo: Thor is thinking about Jane, Steve cares (because Steve has Feelings about Lost Lady Loves*), and in the end it’s a team effort. Rec: We get the closure on Thor contacting Jane after the events in New York. Sweet and painful and just lovely. | 3.4k

Legacy by me: A generation later, a budding social scientist tries to figure out Jane and Thor. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. Both Jane and Thor have passed away in this fic. | 2k

Rated T

**Heed the Signs by igi_pigi: Thor wakes up from a nightmare. Is it just a dream, or something more? [Post Thor2, Pre Thor3.] Rec: A heavy, meaningful setup to a Thor 3 that never was. | 4.8k

**Heartless by igi_pigi: Everything reminds her of him, it's funny. Wherever she looks, whatever she thinks of, usually and especially to get her mind off him, will eventually lead to him. [Set the night before Jane's date with Richard in Thor2.] For Day 6 of Fosterson Week - 'things that make you think of them' Rec: A really interesting and fabulous rumination from Jane about Thor’s impact on her life. | 1.4k

**Her Healing Touch by igi_pigi: Jane doesn't really realise that the Aesir are a bit relaxed when it comes to physical hurt. And freaks out over what Thor thinks are just petty bruises of battle. Ending with a little confession from Thor. [Set after Thor2] Rec: A neat take on Asgardian culture, love the way Jane’s care connected to Thor’s past. | 2.5k

**Qeryana by Domenika Marzione (domarzione): Thor and his efforts to live on Midgard, as opposed to just defending it. Rec: Thor’s visceral struggle of living in a culture not his own, but is ultimately still hopeful and positive. | 3k

**First and Foremost, Red by RC_McLachlan: There's a reason Jane and Thor break up. It's not a great one but it's the right one. In the year that follows, Jane carries on, doesn't win a Nobel Prize, defeats Thanos and saves the universe, and finally allows herself to be a little selfish. Rec: YAAAAAS I want ALL the Jane Saves Everything in Infinity War/Endgame fic. ALL OF IT. It’s so satisfying and good. | 9.7k

**Gangráðr, Faðmbyggvir Friggjar by tsukinofaerii: Less than a week before her wedding, Frigga warns Jane of ancient Asgardian rituals she and Thor must undergo before her marriage ceremony. Jane and Thor call on their friends for help as they face what might be the challenge of their lives. Rec: Just an absolute fucking delight from start to finish. Hilarious and amazing. Absolutely the best of the 2012-era Avengers fics. | 19.1k

The Courage of Stars by always_a_queen: Half the universe turns to dust. Thor goes to find the one person who is his whole universe. Thor/Jane Post-Infinity War and during/after Endgame. Spoilers for both movies and Ragnarok. Rec: god this is so heartbreakingly perfect. A wonderful fix it that gives a perfect little taste of what we might’ve had if Jane had been rightfully included in these movies. Jane does pass away at the end of the fic. | Content Warning: Major Character Death | 4.3k

Family Values by shinyopals: ‘It would have been kinder to leave me dead,’ Loki informs her one day. Jane Foster, who’s just revoltingly kissed Thor goodbye, told him she loves him, and called him a disturbing pet name, snorts derisively. ‘He brought you lunch; quit whining,’ she says. Loki isn't sure how he feels about his family, these days. Rec: The best take on Loki ever. His relationship with Jane is fabulous, and the interplay between him, Thor, and Jane is AMAZING. What a freakin treat this fic is. Post-Infinity War AU. | 3k

The Second Law of Thermodynamics by shinyopals: ‘What have you done?’ he asks. He still attempts to sound grave, but with Jane it is hard not to give into smiles.‘Done? I haven’t done, well. I mean. I have done some things. But it’s not bad. I was just curious! And nobody stopped me. I mean, they even welcomed me. So. I didn’t do-’‘Jane,’ he interrupts, laughing and leaning down to plant a kiss on her mouth. ‘You are absurd. I missed you. Tell me.’ Rec: Pardon me while I try to physically scream this fic into existence. It’s perfect. Jane loves science, and Thor loves Jane. Post-Thor 2. | 1.8k

Storm Warning by shinyopals: Then he strides to her and presses a kiss to her lips, taking her face in his hands as he does and holding her close. ‘You planned this?’ he asks. ‘Your morning’s work was not astrophysics, then?’She gives a guilty smile. ‘I wanted to, you know, surprise you.’ Thor gets ~romanced. He kinda likes it. Rec: GOD THE FLUFF. THE. FLUFF. PURE AND GOOD. | 3k

Sakaar by MissChrisDaae: Jane's been stuck on Sakaar for a year and a half. So Asgardians are a welcome sight. Rec: A really original way to get Jane involved in Ragnarok. Jane + science for the win. | 1.3k

Lab by MissChrisDaae: Thor likes spoiling Jane. Rec: For the Jane on Asgard day of Fosterson Week, a short and sweet lil tidbit! | <1k

Domesticity by MissChrisDaae: Little moments around Avengers Tower. Rec: I literally gasped in delight with how much this made me nostalgic for the fluffy Avengers Living in the Tower fics of 2012. | <1k

The Prince(ss) and Me by asoulofstars, MissChrisDaae: Prince Thor of Asgard just wants a little time to feel normal before he has to marry the mysterious Princess Jana of Ameos. So, he runs away from home and enrolls at Harvard University as Donald Blake, where he meets Jane Foster. Jane is clever, kind, and everything he wants, but can never have.Princess Jana of Ameos has spent her whole life studying incognito, getting the best global education possible under the alias of Jane Foster and trying not to think about romance, or the fiancé waiting for her back in Europe. Then Don Blake comes along and throws that plan out the window. Rec: A funky Modern Royals AU. Charming in some nice ways, and I like the slow-building tension. | 17k

Misunderstandings by writerblocked: She looks up at Thor, who grins warmly at her, and looks at their surroundings again. “This isn’t my apartment,” she says. Thor’s grin grows wider. “I know,” he says back. Rec: Newlywed!Fosterson fluff. | 1.8k

Turtures in Aeternum by shinyopals: ‘Legend tells that some unlikely souls are known to pause in their work for reasons of leisure,’ deadpans Thor. ‘History does not say what trials they faced.’ Asgardian science is giving Jane a headache. Thor persuades her to take a break to see some of the sights with him. Rec: Asgardian worldbuilding (literally) via Fosterson field trip. I love everything in this. | 5.5k

Five Times the Bad Guys Interrupted Thor and Jane's Date Night and One Time Tony Freaking Wishes They Had by shinyopals: ‘I have told Steve,’ Thor says to Tony as he’s leaving to go back to his rooms, ‘but I thought I should tell you also. Jane and I plan to institute the ritual of ‘Date Night’.’ As always, Thor sounds like someone’s severely uncool father trying to be hip when he uses any slang invented since the Civil War. Tony's been an Avenger long enough to avoid deliberately tempting fate, even if he doesn't actually believe in fate. The universe is just plain cruel. That's why he knows to be prepared for the worst Hydra can throw at them whenever Thor and Jane make evening plans. Rec: IT’S SO FUDGING CUTE. I CAN’T. IT’S CUTE AND HILARIOUS AND PERFECT AS ALWAYS. | 4.7k

Unexpected Arrival by shinyopals: ‘Jane-’ Thor cut himself off, opening and closing his mouth without managing words. Her name on his lips sounded so familiar; warm and deep and like nothing else mattered. An undercurrent of nerves there that she could still hear after all this time, that she didn’t think anyone else would be able to. She wanted to run to him, bury her face in his neck and jump back in time. Back before the break up - not enough time for each other with the universe in peril. Back before the baby. The baby she still sometimes wondered if she should have terminated to save them both this moment. Rec: The angsty and painfully yearning babyfic that you never knew you needed. | 2k

Steadfast as the Stars Above by jdphoenix: It was not meant to be like this. With him so small and weak, fighting every second to find purchase on a tiny world that spins faster than he can fathom. He wanted to be strong for her. Rec: A fabulous use of the Soulmate AU that completely slots itself perfectly into canon. | 8.3k

too poor for silver, i have a copper tongue by venndaai: “Maybe you don't have the perfect words all the time but, you always have something to say, right? You never have to, have to stop and think about it, and you never stumble over your words or anything.” He squinted at her. “I thought such things simply aspects of Midgardian speech, which you know I am not well versed in.” Jane sighed. “They're not supposed to be.” Rec: A story featuring an explicitly autistic Jane Foster. So wonderfully done. Full of empathy and love and kindness and warmth. | 1.3k

Gift by spikewriter: Jane looked at the brightly colored rug on the floor of the farmhouse in the Hudson Valley they were still moving into. “I like it,” she admitted with a bit more enthusiasm, picturing how her six-year-old self would have run screaming around the room in glee at such a gift. Rec: Some post-TDW fluff with bonus Darcy inclusion. | 1.5k

to candle incandescent as you pass by sweetwatersong: The legacy of King Tristan and the Star Queen Yvaine is not a mere tale in Stormhold, a fantastical portion of the kingdom's history. It lives and breathes in the blood of their descendants, in their long lives and graceful aging, in the ruling King Odin and his son, the Crown Prince Thor… Rec: A Stardust/Huntsman/Thor fusion that isn’t so much a full fic as it is, as the author describes, “a sketch.” Still a really lovely read, a great blend of the films. | 5k

Raiment of The Gods by randomcelt: They say the clothes make the man ... or the god. But sometimes, they do the most for his friends. (Or, a tale of all the times someone else wore Thor's clothes and the adventures necessitating such a development.) Rec: A great Thor character piece. A heavy emphasis on Thor + the team which I love. Runs you through the full gamut of emotions in the best way. | 10k

How to Quantify by Rozilla: It turns out Jane has a personal top ten list of favourite equations - and a nice expanse of hot Norse God to write them on. Rec: Super sweet and also contains the phrase ‘who said science never got you laid’ so. Yep. | 2k

this new bravery by hoosierbitch: For alfadorisawesome, who requested Thor/Jane “about to hook up with someone who doesn’t know.” This is my favorite piece so far. <3 Rec: Incredibly well done Trans Jane Foster. I am such a sucker for open lines of communication between partners, and that’s exactly what this is. Thor is incredibly sweet, and this story establishes his very nonbinary opinions on gender which I LOVE, but he still makes an effort to understand Jane’s experience. I love this fic so much. | 1k

The Hammer and the Ice by grav_ity: In the course of her short and mortal life, the heart of Jane Foster has been twice touched by the sons of Asgard. Rec: I adore AUs where Jane was in the Avengers. This is a short flashfic, but really lovely. | 1k

A Royal Wedding by MissChrisDaae and Science_Thunder_Lightning_Love: After three years, ten months, an alien invasion, a cosmic event, and a baby, Thor and Jane finally make it to the altar. Rec: Ridiculously cute fluffies. | 7.5k | Part of the Convergence series

The Thunder God Job by fuzzy_paint: Jane and Thor are thieves. Rec: Oh lawd, the AU I never knew I needed. Beautiful characterization with a rich world they’re placed in. I only wish it was 200 chapters. | 16.2k

there was a star danced by tosca1390: This is the familiar rhythm of her days; the coffee shop until one pm, five days a week, then class and the lab, then home or the library. Here, in her last year with a future dark ahead of her, she doesn’t see anything to change her ways. Jane and Thor, meeting at a coffee shop. Rec: College/Coffee Shop AU. Bless the AU gods. Sly little Shakespeare references. Thor and Jane being cute, sweet idiots. | 6.2k

Proximity Alarm by fayedartmouth: Thor comes back to Earth. Jane thinks it’s great. Except all the times it isn’t. Rec: It’s a great writing style. Jane and Thor are awkward, adorable, and passionate in a realistic way. Them navigating how to be together is a challenge that not all authors can rise to, so this is a great piece. So much yes. | 13.7

Never So Empty by iwillavengeyou: Thor has traveled the nine realms and seen many things in his centuries of godhood. What could possibly make everything seem so empty? Rec: Wow, just no. This hurts. This is not cool. Ow. Ow. Transcends angst and ends up somewhere much worse. Read if you’re into self-flagellation or are making a reclist. I literally yelled “Wow rude” at the conclusion of this fic. Major Character Death | 1.5k

An Ancient Gesture by Niobium: Jane and Thor come up with a tradition for dealing with situations where a social function gets to be a little too much for either of them. Rec: Super smiley, stomach flutter inducing fic. Fluff upon fluff, but also Asgard culture/worldbuilding! Yay! | 2.8k

Five Times Jane Kinda Sorta Accidentally Slept With An Avenger, The One Time She Didn’t, And the Many (Many) Times It Wasn’t Even a Little Accidental by shinyopals: Some people collect Avengers trading cards. Some collect action figures. Jane Foster, almost entirely without meaning to, has them all beat. Rec: If you’re not convinced by that title and summary, I’m not sure I can help you. Hilarious, in character, and kinda cute. | 9.3k

Well Remembered by Rozilla: Jane’s met Tony Stark before. Rec: Cracky and hilarious. | 1.1k

you may end up wanting more from this life by tosca1390: Everything is cold where it was once warm, and Jane is at a loss. Rec: Not sure why I haven’t put this beautiful thing on here yet. Deals with their separation, and a great character study of Jane. Angsty. | 1.6k

The Hearts of Stars and Thunder by MissChrisDaae, Science_Thunder_Lightning_Love: Rec: A Snow White and the Huntsman/Thor fusion. Really great use of characters, and all of the medieval battles and fosterson abound. | 7.7k

You Get One Phone Call by MissChrisDaae: Following the Battle of Manhattan, Jane gets a phone call. Rec: Post-battle strain, but then suddenly fosterson cuteness hits you like a wrecking ball. | <1k

Abs of Thunder by Unknownnobody32: During a flight on-board Stark’s jet, Jane learns how turbulence, pasta sauce, her Thunder god boyfriend, and his rock hard abs can soon become a recipe for embarrassment all thanks to bad timing. Rec: Takes washboard abs to another level. God, this is just too funny. | 2.1k

London, underground by Maybug: Clint Barton meets some familiar faces and has a very bad day hunting the jotunbeast left behind in London after the convergence. Rec: an awesome outside POV on fosterson, plus badass science Jane and her science assistant Thor, and awesome Clint. | 2.6k | Part of the Fosterson Files series

We have loved the stars to fondly by Maybug: Jane and Thor are up to something on the roof of the Tower. Tony thinks he knows what it is, but doesn’t see why he should be the one to tell them to stop. Rec: Outside POV of fosterson. Basically Thor does cute/dangerous things for Jane’s happiness. | 1.8k | Part of the Fosterson Files series

change places by coffeesuperhero: Jane and Thor get in the way of a Stark experiment. This goes about as well as you might expect. Rec: Body swap madness. So many cute moments though, plus some implied sexytimes with swapped bodies “for science.” So much yes. | 3.1k

Slowly, We Adjust by katsumi: Jane Foster leaves the lab on Friday exhausted, overworked, and petrified that she won’t get the grant proposal for her wormhole experiment finished in time to get funding. So, of course she gets rear-ended, because that’s just the kind of week she’s having. Rec: Protective/Worried Thor is best Thor. Reassuring Jane is best Jane. So much angst/cute. | 1.4k

Put a Ring on It by fuzzy_paint: Jane makes Thor a wedding ring. Rec: What it says on the tin. | 3.9k

The Pretty Birds Have Flown by beanarie: "Jane never pukes, not when she first wakes up, not at any other time of day. She has a cast-iron stomach and wicked stable inner ears, and morning sickness doesn’t stand a chance.“ The one where Thor knocked Jane up that night they chilled on the roof, and offscreen Frigga swore Heimdall to secrecy in the interest of protecting everyone involved. The All-Father’s house has a lot of enemies, okay. Rec: Heartbreaking, fluffy, and feelsy. Batten down the emotional hatches. | 2.2k

Jane Foster and the Impossible Library by Niobium: Jane, Darcy, and Thor find a peculiar library, and their afternoon takes a turn for the bizarre. Rec: This one’s wild from start to finish (I say that lovingly), but as always, Niobium delivers on fantastic characterizations. Not super-duper shippy, but so worth the read. | 12.4k | Part of the Jane Foster Works series

Northern Climes by Tyranusfan: Six months after the Avengers saved New York from the Chitauri invasion, Thor must convince Odin to return him to Earth. Rec: Jane and Thor doing cutesy couple-y things. The author captures well the eager awkwardness of a new couple while remaining true to their characters and story. | 4.3k

nowhere to go but up by anthropologicalhands: It is not uncomfortable, waking up with Thor’s arm draped over her waist, their legs entangled under the sheets. It is inconvenient when she wants to get out of bed or, at the very least, look over last night’s data. Rec: So very fluffy it makes me want to roll in it. Adorably domestic, too. Jane at her scienceing finest. | 2.3k

Late Night Waiting by hariboo: Jane didn’t often get home late. Rec: A very sweet and simple Jane/Thor that makes their relationship seem very grounded and real. Also, it is so sweet it makes my teeth hurt, and then I just want more. | 2.1k

Uru by sheffiesharpe: Thor cannot look after Jane, no matter how he wants to. Hogun offers a solution. Puente Antiguo receives another unexpected visitor. Rec: The author makes a really strange concept work brilliantly. Jane and Thor’s pining is frustrating and well-written, and the writing sizzles with unresolved sexual tension. | 6k

Star-Crossed by websandwhiskers: A vignette taking place during "Avengers”, after shawarma, before Thor returns to Asgard with Loki. Thor and Jane have their reunion, and discuss their future. Rec: Jane is an awesome person, and Thor respects the hell out of her. One of the best portrayals of Jane Foster that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. | 1.7k

The Morning After by fuzzy_paint: "I can’t believe we’re doing this,“ Jane says. "Can you believe we’re doing this?" Rec: Even without much in way of dialogue, Jane and Thor’s devotion is plain. We get a little view of domestics, too. | 1.7k

The Observable Universe by Sarea Okelani (sarea): As an astrophysicist, Jane studies the observable universe for work, but in her free time what she likes to study is a bit closer to home. (Or: Jane has a low tolerance for stupidity. Clint and Natasha take exception to being called stupid.) Rec: Not a ton of overt Jane/Thor, and is mostly an outsider POV on Clint/Natasha, but there is lots of team shenanigans and there is definitely a lot of affection for Thor from Jane’s POV. | 10k

Deal by GreenVelvetCurtains: Jane introduces Thor to the great Midgardian tradition of being made to remove your clothing when you lose a hand of poker. Everybody wins! Rec: I got a huge kick out of this one. Toeing the line of becoming crackfic. Oh, how I wish there was a smutty follow up. | 2k

Before the Fall by verily-thor: Jane helps Thor prepare for Ragnarök. Rec: Oh god, if you’re in the mood for some sadness, come on in here. Tragic without being grotesque, stripping it down to the bare emotions, and two people who love each other more than anything. | <1k

top gun is not a movie; it’s a lifestyle by hariboo: jane and thor got that loving feeling. Rec: an AU that is reminiscent of Top Gun, which is a fab movie. Awesome Jane, and adorable Thor. | 2k

A Brief Introduction to Asgardian Dinner Parties by jonesandashes and pentapus:  This is the first Earth-Asgard bonding opportunity since that time Loki punched interstellar relations in the face, twice, and the king and queen of Asgard are here, and they are her boyfriend’s parents. Jane is absolutely not going to get drunk at this party, is the point. Rec: This fic makes you smile, then laugh, then cringe, then do it all over again. | 4.5k

Destiny, Disrupted by me: Loki never sends the Destroyer to Midgard. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. | 3.5k

Rated M (these won’t contain the smuts unless otherwise noted)

**The Teardrop by igi_pigi: Post-Infinity War reunion of Thor and Jane. Forewarning - heavy angst. [Set right after the movie] Rec: Angst, melodrama, and desperation ahoy. Contains some smut | 4.2k

all the best distractions by fuzzypaint: They've found a rhythm when they share Jane's lab, Jane with her science and Thor with his own work, and though it is easy to be distracted by each other, usually they're both very capable of avoiding such things. Usually. Rec: Cunniligus in the lab ;) | Contains smut | 1.8k

Patience and Poker by Rozilla: Jane and Thor sneak off from one of Stark's parties for a quiet chat. Nope, just kidding, hot tub sex. Snarky hot tub sex. Best kind. Rec: What it says on the tin and it’s delightful. | Contains smut | 4k

A Deal with the Duke: An Epilogue by hariboo: Thursdays were busy days around the house, but today was the first day of winter much. Thankfully, the skies were clear, without a hint of storm, but the wind was sharp and bit into his cheeks. He was looking forward to a warm meal and seeing his wife, curling around her in bed for rest of the evening. Rec: Historical romance AU. A nice slice of life bit. Contains minor smut | 2.8k

Ray of Light by evieeden: To Thor, Jane shone brighter than any star in the sky. Advent fic for 18th December. Rec: A sweet, introspective fic from Thor’s POV. | 1.5k

just memories to hold by tosca1390: When the dust and light and smoke clears, the roof of Stark Tower is still intact. Jane can still feel the surge of power in her fingertips, thinks she could hear the songs of Asgard, feel the chill of Jotenheim, as the bridge built itself through Yggdrasil, Thor calling her name across realms. And then, a shadow falls over Jane. Rec: A really, really great post-Avengers reunion fic. Contains some smut | 3.6k

set with the stars by hariboo: jane tries to teach thor earth’s stars. tries, being the operative word. Rec: Jane and Thor getting distracted by each others’ sexy is my favorite thing. Contains some smut | 1.5k

It Could Be Sweet by hariboo: Jane and Thor traverse their last year of high-school. However, they didn’t expect it to be together. Rec: I am not a big fan of high school AUs, but if they float your boat, this is definitely worthwhile. Contains some smut | 7.8k | Part of Let’s Be Young Forever series

Thunder Whispered Low by Niobium: Rec: I love it when Thor talks about his magic, and the bridge that makes between him and Jane. Contains minor smut | 1.5k

Specularity by Niobium: Jane’s bad day improves significantly with a little reflection. Rec: A great slice of life fic, really, really nice interactions. Contains very minor smut | 3k | Part of the Jane Foster Works series

My Blood is Singing by Niobium: Sometimes Thor pushes a storm a little too far. And, sometimes, the storm pushes back. Rec: Jane and Thor at their domestic finest, with some internal angst and the simple comfort found with another person. Contains smut | 2.9k

All my faces are alibis by agirlnamedchuck: Thor is strong and stubborn and she thinks she could be a good king. Maybe even a great one. Besides she’d never seen herself as queen anyways. Rec: Genderswapped Thor. Fosterson is minimal, but amazing insights into Thor’s character. | 6.5k

Leaving On An Airship by Rozilla: To escape to a better life, Jane Foster, maid to a cruel villainous Baron, must leave her lover and disguise herself. But not before one last goodbye. Rec: *cartwheels into the sun* FOSTERSON STEAMPUNK WITH SMUT AND FEELINGS OH GOD SEND HELP. Contains some smut | 2.6k

Unrememberance by letthesongtakeflight: Before he became the Huntsman, he was a prince. Rec: Marvel/Snow White and the Huntsman fusion. Prequel of sorts to SWatH. Angst on angst. Major character death | 1.2k

steal my heart 'til kingdom come by tosca1390: Her eyes stray over reading upon reading; she thinks she can taste the tang of energy and ozone even now, and that strange sense of pine and smoke that she associates with Thor. Rec: AU post-Avengers where Thor goes to visit Jane who has remained in New Mexico. Yay for a great collision of two characters who absolutely did not prepare for any of this. Contains some smut | 2.1k

fingerprints that leave me covered for days by tosca1390: It is not all lost, to be stranded here. Perhaps, he could make something of it. Rec: Another AU in which Thor is on Earth longer in the first movie. Great development for Thor, and the relationship he has with Jane feels very real. | 5.5k

journeys end in lovers’ meeting by tosca1390: Solitary moments in snow; it sounds conducive to rest, to a time of rejuvenation before her research resumes. Rec: A really cute AU based on the movie The Holiday (which I’ve never seen before). Just adorable holiday fluff wherein Thor is human. Contains some smut | 19k

Bound by Medie: It was ironic that his and Loki’s greatest mistakes had led to her. Rec: Some tame bondage featuring dom!Jane. Contains smut | 1.1k

Rated E (these will contain the smuts unless otherwise noted)

**Ambush by orphan_account: Jane isn't into violence, but there's something about those SHIELD debriefings, something primal and raw about hearing how the bad guys got their asses handed to them by the good guys, something that inspires her to act on instinct alone. Rec: If you’ve got a thing for Thor’s armor.... mmmhmmm. | 1.1k

Is This More than You Bargained for Yet by Anshin Archives: Thor and Jane's first go at sex. Jane's expecting Thor to have a cock, and is surprised when he doesn't. It doesn't take her long to adjust. (Pure porn for the excuse of writing Thor with a vagina.) Rec: Genderfluidity and completely accepted queerness for the win. | 2.5k

When Jane Pegged Thor by waldorph: They raise them slutty in Asgard. Rec: What it says on the tin. Pretty damn hot if pegging is up your alley ;). | 1.4k

Practical Magic by Rozilla: Freya’s flowers can do funny things to you. Rec: Roz is the queen of smut so this is amazing. Kind of a play on sex pollen, but takes it in a totally new, refreshing direction. Asgardian sex magic for the win. | 2.8k

built on the old rivers by fartherfaster: You catch her wrist and delicately kiss the bone of it. “Nothing to be sorry for,” you tell her. She composes her reality in absolutes and theories and the true phenomenal names of things. Colloquial language is not her means of communication. You like her hard lines, her curiosity, her determination. Jane would never call Mjolnir just a hammer, and that puts a small, needy part of you to rest. There is a storm in the desert, and Thor comes to terms with all of his changes. The one where human-Thor has Lichtenberg figures. Rec: Incredibly poignant and the author makes a second-person POV work incredibly well. | 3.3k

Tell Me Something New by hariboo: "Compile the data of the reading we took during Convergence. The gravitational–“ She trails off, can’t finish the sentence out loud or in her mind, her voice catching on the words as Thor’s mouth latches onto her throat. Rec: Cute and hot and perfect because smart Jane is Thor’s biggest turn on. | 1.5k

On the Throne by murdur: His insistence that she should sit on the throne had been in jest and merriment, but the sight of her sitting upon the seat now makes his heart beat quick and steals his breath. Rec: Oh my god, Thor goes down on Jane while she sits on the throne of Asgard. I have nothing else to say. *dies* | <1k

Experience Counts for Something by Rozilla: Jane was surprised at Thor’s new female body- but pretty keen to explore it. Rec: Bisexual Jane and Genderfluid Thor are great. Some hot femslash fosterson. | 2.3k

Just Get In The Van by paxnirvana: Written for a prompt on Anenko’s Bad Sex & Awkward Romance: a comment-a-thon that got away from me. Rec: All first time sex is gonna be awkward, friends, even if you’re Jane and Thor. Might as well enjoy the ride. | 6.3k

close your eyes and count to ten by fuzzy_paint: Post battle, Jane and Thor make sure the other still lives. Rec: Reassurance of safety sex is hot. Sue me. Still manages to be angsty too. | 2.4k

We Woke Up In The Kitchen by hariboo: He didn’t think he could miss someone as he missed her, but there is something singular in Jane that pulls at him and threatens to overtake him. Rec: post-TDW sexies that are adorable and awkward and hot all at once, plus some really nice conversation at the end. This author just really gets Jane and Thor in a way that is always awesome to read. | 3.7k

A Helping Hand by fuzzy_paint: Jane can’t sleep. Thor has a solution. Rec: Some nice, cute sleepy!smut to help Jane to relax and stop thinking. | 1.5k

The Scientific Method by Serious Snugglebunnies: Thor is much too honourable to have meaningless sex with Jane - but will he do it for the sake of science? Rec: Cracky, hilarious, and hot. | 3.3k

A Thorny Situation by GreenVelvetCurtains: Jane has a problem and she’s not afraid to try and solve it. Rec: A hot fantasizing/masturbation piece starring the lovely Jane Foster. | 2.7k

Detours by ancarett: Life is a highway. Jane takes Thor on the detours. Missing moments from the movie. Rec: Some mildly awkward sex which is actually kind of adorable and works out for everyone in the end. Not my favorite smut ever, but worth a read. | 3.9k

Say It’s Okay by theleaveswant: Darcy gave her a sympathetic pout and walked around the table to put both hands on Jane’s upper arms. “Okay. Honey? I know this isn’t your preferred way of handling things, but it looks like you’re going to have to talk with him.” Rec: Big premium on 'consent is sexy.’ Jane teaches Thor how to pleasure her. Not my favorite smut, but worth a read. | 2.1k

Accretion by RC_McLachlan: "You are burning inside,” Thor whines, rolling his hips again, and she rides it out helplessly, eyes rolling back, lungs cramping with envy for air. “Like a star." Rec: A seriously hot look at the simple difference in size between Jane and Thor. | 1.6

Salt On Your Lips by Barkour: The strawberry daiquiri is indeed a drink worthy of adulation, but Thor prefers the taste of Jane Foster. Rec: For it’s sense of fun that comes with the sex, and the pure happiness of two people who simply enjoy being in each other’s company. | 2k

Good Morning by me: Jane wakes up with Thor between her legs.My addition to Fosterson Week’s smut day. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. | 2k

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by me: Jane and Thor do Christmas. (Finally.) Tis the season for holiday smut. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. | 5.4k

Your Highness by me: Jane wants something in bed and Thor is more than happy to oblige. For the first day of Fosterson Week, post-TDW. Rec: It’s not a true reclist without a self plug. | 6k

Not Your Average Star Trek Fanfiction by me: After several years of unresolved sexual tension, Jane and Thor are in quite a rush to rectify the situation. Takes place immediately following TDW. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. | 3.7k

[randomoranges]

i’ve had this idea for literal years but would keep forgetting about it, remember it, forget again, remember it etc

finally remembered it at an ish convenient time and sat down to do something about it.

it’s au - can be it’s own, can fit with a multitude of those that already exist.

Cirque du Soleil

 It was a known fact that between the two of them, Étienne was the one who absolutely thrived on spoiling Edward rotten. Étienne took immense pride and pleasure in going all out when it came to planning elaborate dates and finding the perfect gift for him. With time, Edward had come to understand that one of the ways Étienne showed affection was by showering him with attention and so, Edward had learned to deal with it. (Not that he minded.) However, even though Edward didn’t exactly know about all the latest trends and all the greatest places to go for the best unique experience (he had no idea how Étienne managed to stay on top of literally everything going on in the city or how it was he always managed to get a reservation for places that were booked solid), he did also care a whole lot for his boyfriend and he did enjoy making him happy. He took great satisfaction from getting Étienne gifts that he coveted and from seeing him enjoy whatever it was they did for their date.

 Therefore, it was safe to say that Edward had a few cards up his sleeves and this was one of those times when he would put down one of those said cards.

 He had a plan.

 A glorious plan.

 Étienne would never even know what hit him.

 In order for his plan to work, Edward made sure well in advance to let his boyfriend know that he was taking care of their next date. Étienne had been intrigued, but pleased and had thankfully left it at that.

 In essence, the plan was quite simple. He was taking Étienne out for dinner and then they were going to see a show. What Étienne didn’t know and Edward had kept as vague as possible was that Edward was taking him to see the new Cirque du Soleil show.

 Étienne loved Cirque du Soleil. He’d seen a few shows over the years, mostly with his parents, and had always been fascinated by the performances. He had a lot of the music from past shows, including some from shows he hadn’t seen and Edward had gotten to hear a fair amount of it, since he’d started dating him.

 However, tickets to see a show were not cheap and every time a new show came to town, Étienne either always lucked out, or something eventually came up that impeded him from splurging on a ticket. Therefore, when Edward had heard back in January that a new show was coming to the city, he’d quickly jumped on the occasion and gotten two tickets. The show was months away, right in the thick of summer, but – it would be worth it, he knew. And even though it wasn’t their anniversary nor Étienne’s birthday, he figured he was allowed to spoil his boyfriend just because he wanted to and that he didn’t need to justify it. After all, he had a steady job and was making good money. He was good for it.

 The next part of his master plan had been to keep this a secret from Étienne and to make sure that his boyfriend wouldn’t go on and purchase tickets for himself for the same day. He’d kept his ears pealed and had done some sleuthing (mostly asking Étienne’s sister and friends to let him know if Étienne mentioned anything about Cirque du Soleil) and luckily, Edward was able to put his plan in action.

 On the evening of the date, Étienne tried to get some extra information out of Edward, but he wouldn’t budge. He’d made it this far and he was not about to spoil the big reveal. Therefore, the only thing he shared with Étienne was to dress nicely and he left it at that.

 Dinner wasn’t at the latest new place that had just opened or one of the fanciest in town, but he knew that it was one of Étienne’s favourites and his boyfriend looked absolutely delighted that they were going there. Edward tried not to check his watch too many times, fearing that they wouldn’t make it in time, even though he had specifically chosen this particular place in the Old Port since it was close. Étienne didn’t seem to pick up on any of it, which was another blessing and Edward did his best to wine and dine his boyfriend, which really, wasn’t that hard.

 Étienne was always easy to engage in conversation and Edward couldn’t think to a time when he’d run out of things to say to him. They could spend hours talking about the most trivial of things and Edward had fond memories of many such evenings spent together. The only drawback was that he’d been so focused on his time with his boyfriend, stealing a bite from his dish, offering one in return, gently reaching over for his hand and casually bumping their knees together, that he nearly missed when Étienne excused himself to use the washroom and instead made a beeline to pay.

 The waitress was amused by their little squabble and Edward was just relieved that he’d managed to wrangle Étienne’s wallet out of his hands, before his boyfriend could tap his card to the machine.

 “I said tonight was my treat,” He scolded, later, once they were outside and heading towards le Grand Chapiteau. He wasn’t actually mad, but he’d worked too hard for Étienne to go ahead and pay for the meal. He’d fallen for that trap too many times and he couldn’t believe it had nearly happened again.

 “I know, but – you know I don’t mind,” He admitted sheepishly.

 Edward sighed, shook his head, and reached for one of his paint-speckled hands, linking it with his own. “I know, but this is my treat. I’m taking you out. You can dote on me later.”

 Étienne laughed and gave his hand a squeeze as they crossed the street. Normally, Edward didn’t really go for the whole – display of affection in public, but he knew Étienne thrived on that stuff and so he let him link their arms together as they reached the waterfront where the tent was. Edward pretended that it wasn’t their final destination, but he did notice how Étienne slowed down his gait a little and how he watched with masked envy the people who mingled about heading towards the entrance.

 “Can’t believe I missed my chance again,” Étienne said with a forlorn little smile.

 “D’you want to get closer?”

 Étienne hesitated, but Edward led him on saying they could grab a quick photo and then be on their way. Étienne was quick to follow and figured it was as good as it would get until the next show. He took out his phone to snap a photo and just as he was about to head back out, he noticed that Edward seemed to be waiting for him.

 “I don’t think we can exit through there,” Étienne genuinely told him.

 Edward grinned – this was his moment. The one he had been planning for since January. From the inside of the jacket he’d been wearing, he pulled out an envelope and from it, he retrieved the two tickets to the show.

 “What if we had tickets?” He asked innocently as he watched for Étienne’s reaction.

 His boyfriend delivered. Boy did he ever.

 Étienne blinked and slowly walked back towards him. “What do you mean?” He asked, quite serious. “There aren’t any left. I’ve been checking the site for the past month. It’s sold out all the way through.”

 Edward held a ticket in each hand and Étienne slowly, and very tentatively, reached out to touch one, as if to make sure it was real.

 “What if I told you I got these a while back?”He smiled innocently enough, but Étienne still looked far too shocked and surprised.

 “I don’t understand,” Étienne said as he kept stroking one of the tickets as if wanting to make sure it wouldn’t fade away and that he wasn’t dreaming.

 Edward chuckled and looped their arms together as he walked them towards the entrance of the tent. “I got these when they came out. I figured you would enjoy coming here,” He handed the tickets over to the ticket checker and continued walking Étienne towards their seats, while his boyfriend looked completely star-struck and amazed. It was honestly endearing to see the look on his face and Edward silently congratulated himself for being able to carry out his plan.

 “I cannot believe you pulled this off! Behind my back!” Étienne said as they gained their seats. “Édouard! This is too much!” There was no bite to it as Étienne took in the décor and the jumble of people straggling in. “It’s not even my birthday! Or a special occasion!” He went on and Edward laughed and clasped his boyfriend’s hand.

 “As if that’s ever stopped you from doing something for me. Can’t a guy want to take his boyfriend out on a date?” He teased and watched as Étienne huffed.

 “That’s different,” He explained.

 Edward quirked an eyebrow at that, “Do tell.”

 “Well – for starters, I don’t take you out to friggin Cirque du Soleil.”

 “No, but you do a whole lot other stuff for me. Maybe I’d like to splurge on you from time to time as well.”

 Étienne opened his mouth to retort to that, but then closed it. There was no use in arguing. Edward had a point, even if he always preferred showering his beau with gifts and attention.

 Edward grinned, self-amused and pleased that he’d manage to win this time around, and sat back in his seat. Luckily, Étienne didn’t stay annoyed long, not with the gorgeous decorations and sets that were a few feet away. Soon, he was jabbering on about how much he adored Cirque du Soleil and how it had a formative impact on him since the first time he’d seen a show with his parents. He recalled the tale of how he’d gone back home that night and had spent hours past his bedtime drawing all sorts of crazy-outrageous outfits and how he’d dreamt of one day designing a whole line of clothes with bold colours and materials of his own.

 Edward had heard the story countless times before, but it was always nice hearing it again and seeing the way Étienne became animated by it.

 When the first of the performers came out to entertain the crowd as they waited, Étienne fell into an excited chatter about that one time he’d come and how this one unsuspecting guest had fallen into the most ridiculous of pranks. Edward nodded in all the right places, genuinely interested in what his boyfriend had to tell him, and when the lights finally dimmed and the performers left, Étienne quieted down and settled in his seat, leaning into his side.

 Edward took Étienne’s eternally paint-speckled hand in his, feeling bold, and gave it a soft squeeze. His boyfriend turned to look at him and grinned, wide and bright and mouthed to him a soft “thank you” as the opening music started. Edward was just happy to see his boyfriend so pleased and glad that they could do this together – that there was an opportunity for them to do this.

 Throughout the show, there were times when Edward would look at Étienne to see the reactions off his face as he oohed and aahed at every daring acrobatic. He would grasp his hand tighter and gasp at the gravity defying stunts the performers would pull. It was a good show, of that Edward knew and he could tell that his boyfriend was enjoying it immensely, and what truly made it worth it was to see Étienne enjoy it. To see him so genuinely happy.

 When intermission came, Étienne was completely silent for the first few minutes, still trying to process all it was he had just seen. Edward quietly let him have his moment and excused himself to stretch his legs. When he returned, he handed his boyfriend a small bag and Étienne nearly lost it all over again when he found the CD from this show in it.

 “You need to stop doing this.” Étienne berated him, but grinned nonetheless.

 “It’s for your collection,” He simply told him.

 Étienne quickly read the tracks of the second part of the show, curious to see what the titles were, and then carefully put the CD away and looked back at his boyfriend. “I will have my revenge, you know that, right?”

 Edward laughed, not surprised he’d say such a thing. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t try something, to be honest.”

 Étienne rolled his eyes, before leaning close to peck his cheek, “But – everything else put aside, thank you – for absolutely everything.”

 Edward grinned, pleased, and they both settled for the second part of the show.

 And finally, when the show ended, they slowly made their way out, Étienne talking a mile a minute about everything he had liked about it. He went over every act he had loved and spared Edward no details. Edward guided him out of le Grand Chapiteau after one last stop at the gift shop and once they were outside he made it a point to stop again at the front of the giant yellow and blue tent.

 “Come on, we never got that photo earlier.” He said as he motioned to Étienne to step closer. His boyfriend laughed and leaned in close, as Edward took the photo, “It’ll look good in our photo album.”

  Fin

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Sex Contract  - Part 14

Genre: friends to lovers au / friends with benefits / mature content / romance / angst

Characters: Shim Changmin x Kaia Ashton (OC)

A/N: Due to the overwhelming request I have followed your encouragement to bring back one of my older stories. This was back in a time where OCs were everything and writing one chapter in each main’s point of view was the trend. I hope that even though I have edited this drastically, that you can appreciate this story comes from my older style of writing. I definitely still read this often and find it enjoyable so I hope you will too.

Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 - FINAL

Chapter 14 – Kaia’s POV.

 Two days passed by quickly. Kaia had never truly had access to Changmin’s entire schedule before and although she did nothing but take notes and a few photos here and there, she was exhausted with trying to keep up. She constantly felt like she needed more caffeine in her system, whilst Yunho and Changmin seemed to power on effortlessly. They had an uncanny way to make the most of every minute of the day in Japan, working from dawn to dusk, and last night they had even continued through to nearly five am. It literally felt like Kaia had only closed her eyes for ten minutes before she was violently shaken awake.

“Kai, wake up, we have to get to the studio for our interview this morning.”

“Sleeping,” she mumbled and rolled over, only to feel Changmin’s weight now over her body, his hands prying her away from the blankets. “No Minnie, I need sleep. I’m not a robot like you, I’m human. I can’t sleep on ten minutes.”

“You’ve had four hours, now come on get up.”

“Lies, I just closed my eyes.” Kaia relented and squinted through her tired eyes to find the alarm clock on the bedside table saying it was 9AM. She was sure it was tricking her but the sun shining through the blinds that Changmin had opened proved that she was wrong. Kaia let out a loud groan.

“Now would you get up and shower so I can?” he urged impatiently, hoisting her out of the spare room’s bed and carrying her into the bathroom. He dumped Kaia on the cold tile floors and she gasped at the sensation, glaring up at him. He pointed at the shower cubicle. “Shower. Now.”

“Mr Grumpy pants, why don’t you just shower instead first?” she told him from the floor and he gave her a look.

“Your hair is ridiculously out of control.”

“So?”

“So you’re meeting Kaori Kimura today. Aren’t you going to put any effort in for me?”

Kaia shook her sleepy head. “Why? It’s you dating her not me.”

“What rubbish backup you’re turning out to be,” he grunted and yanked down his pyjama pants, turning on the shower and hopping in. Kaia finally was awake enough to move and got up, glancing into the slowly steaming up mirror and gasped.

“My hair!”

“I told you it was like a bush,” he said matter-of-factly from within the shower cubicle. “And I gave you the opportunity to shower but now I’m just going to enjoy my time.”

“Ugh!” Kaia exclaimed, whipping off her own bedclothes and yanking back on the shower door. Changmin gaped at her, but Kaia didn’t care, pushing her way into the water too. “Share with me.”

“Uh, no I like hot water too much.”

“You also like sex too much and you won’t get any if you don’t share,” she bartered, the taller man groaning at her fact. He complied, stepping an inch to the left.

“Now my side is getting cold!” he complained, shoving her aside instantly and letting the hot water warm him back up. Glaring at his rudeness, Kaia moved in closer to Changmin and reached around to reposition the nozzle head.

“Better?”

He shot daggers at her. “Would be so much nicer if you weren’t in here, but yes I suppose it will do.”

“Sharing showers in movies always seems so easy.”

“Sharing showers with people only works if you’re about to do something in it. You’re not worrying about being out of the water droplets then.”

“Ahhh,” Kaia murmured with a nod, stepping closer to Changmin again. He eyed her appreciatively and she stretched up to his face. “Something like this?”

Kaia kissed his lips and he instantly responded, grabbing her body and pressing it against his. Taking advantage of his weakness, Kaia continued to kiss him and spun them around, pulling away from his lips to smile in triumph. He stared at her for a moment and then realised what she had done. By then, Kaia was happily rinsing the shampoo she had previously put into her hair.

“Goddammit woman,” he cursed and then grabbed for the soap, the pair of them fighting over the water until they were both done.

Kaia could tell that Changmin was on edge as he completed his morning and afternoon schedules. As the time ticked forward, he grew quieter and brooding. She didn’t like this side to him much, whenever he closed her out there was nothing she could do to help him. And since Kaia was there as a press member for SME and Korea Star, she was hardly allowed to overstep boundaries in front of all the professionals surrounding them. All the same, at every opportunity she tried to get his mind off his task ahead. It was fruitless on her behalf; Changmin had been trained too well to keep his mind on his job, even the dirty work.

“You reckon he will crack tonight?” Kaia asked Yunho worriedly as they stopped for a quick dinner and the older Korean shook his head. “But he seems so-”

“He’s psyching himself up to put on the best acting you’ll ever see live. Don’t worry, he’ll do us proud.”

“Right. What will he be like afterwards?” she wondered and Yunho gave her a weird look before smiling.

“You like him, don’t you?”

“W-what?!” Kaia cried and then shoved him playfully. “He’s your friend too, and he’s not happy, why wouldn’t you be concerned?”

“Changmin’s a big boy. He’s survived bigger deals than pretending to date some woman. But you however, how will you cope?”

Kaia frowned. “What do you mean? I don’t have a part in this.”

“Don’t you?” he asked, and leant down to her ear. “What about the agreement?”

“How does that have any implication here Yunho?” she asked weakly, feeling her heart beat slower. It was an awkward topic to be discussing, even though Kaia knew he was aware of it all.

“Emotions are tied into everything we do, Kaia.”

She nodded slowly. “I’m not really following.”

“You will in time.”

Although Kaia wasn’t allowed into the event being held that night, she got to see Kaori Kimura several times that evening. Kaia had been lucky enough to be a part of the staff admitted into the building though, the boys’ manager taking a bit of a shining to her with every cup of coffee she bought him without being asked to. Because of this, he seemed to like having Kaia wherever he was, and thus she was able to watch the monitor in the dressing room of what was happening at the event.

Her first encounter with the woman was on that screen, watching as she brightly smiled at the audience, her thin and elegant face making Kaia let out a sigh in awe. She was truly a classical beauty and for a moment Kaia wondered what exactly made Changmin despise the idea of being with the woman. She was truly envious of her carriage, and could understand why she was so many girls’ inspiration looks wise back in Korea. With this new judgement, Kaia was determined to tell Changmin he was being silly as soon as she saw him. She knew he was stubborn, but from what Kaia had seen, Kaori seemed so lovely.

This view soon changed when Kaia went to the bathroom and managed to see Kaori and an entourage of staff around her in person. She threw her fur shawl at a small Japanese woman beside her, whilst prattling off in the language. Although Kaia couldn’t understand much, the body language and vicious sounds that accompanied her words were enough for her to get the gist of the model’s true nature. Kaia stepped towards the door of the ladies room just as Kaori approached it and she gave Kaia a hard look, her dark eyes travelling up from her legs to her face, and finally settled with a smirk adorning her pouty lips. Kaia dove into the bathroom quickly then, feeling like Kaori’s eyes had attacked her. Taking a deep breath, she shakily went over to a cubicle and then washed her hands, looking into the mirror. A poster of Kaori Kimura was conveniently reflecting from the wall behind her and Kaia sighed, feeling a little inadequate still. She could now understand why Changmin found her so vulgar. She reminded Kaia of UEE’s character in the Korean drama You’re Beautiful with the many faces that she shared with the people around her. Making her way out of the room, Kaia hurried back to the TVXQ dressing room and waited for the pair to return.

The only way Kaia saw them for the following hour was on the monitor and she was unable to take much more of the acting between Changmin and Kaori. Yunho was right; his younger friend was very good at playing his part when requested. To the average viewer, they would be able to see some kind of romance was about to blossom between the pair. Kaia almost started to believe it herself as she watched the show, and the stylist whom Kaia had enjoyed the company of soon clasping her hands together.

“Aren’t they a dream worthy match?” Nayoung sighed happily and Kaia merely nodded in response. “Do you reckon Changmin will like her as much as she seems to like him?”

“Hard-” Kaia stopped her first thought and cleared her throat. “I’m not sure, but I wish them luck if they do end up together.”

“Fans will go crazy over it though.” She seemed to get serious over the matter. “Do you reckon they’d accept it? I mean Changmin is deemed a god in Cassiopeia’s eyes. And she’s truly a goddess. So perhaps fans will be happy that two people in the same league are together?”

“I’m not sure,” Kaia repeated though she felt sad at Nayoung’s statement. It made sense and that was probably what SME was counting on. Even though fans wished to be with Changmin, the likelihood of any idol dating a non-celebrity was as small a chance as winning the lottery twice in your lifetime. Kaia had been incredibly lucky to get as far as she had with Changmin, and they weren’t even dating.

Looking back at the screen, Kaia watched as the glamorous couple danced around under the romantic lighting and nodded to herself. It was a good thing she was not trying to date Shim Changmin after all.

_________________

Part 15

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[gyeommine]

MONSTA X as Roommates

wow sorry this has been a LONG absence. i am swimming in school work and deadlines atm so bear w me. my final exams are this year so i am trying my best love u all <3

(all gif creds to the original owners)

Shownu:

( AN ACTUAL ANGEL )

okay so he’s a typical male but he tries really really hard okay?

he’ll say he will do his chores, make his bed or do his laundry

but he’s a busy sweetie

so he’ll fall asleep in a crumpled duvet

and it melts your heart so you have to do it

and he’ll always thank you super sincerely where his eyes disappear into his face and honestly ur roommate is the most adorable human alive.

u always catch him being an actual dad

he’ll be in his favourite sofa crevice, scratching his chin w his arm up in that position the bois make fun of him for.

and you have to try with all your might to not burst out laughing

instead you send a picture to the mx groupchat.

it’s called tender blackmail.

he also falls asleep on the sofa a lot but u can’t move him so

another dad thing he does is that he’s lowkey super protective

he’s not often an emotional person so it’s quite well hidden

but he does worry if you’re home later than him and will probably call u.

and will let out a prominent sigh of relief when you respond

lets you wear the baggy shirts he doesn’t wear anymore or so he claims

it just makes him chuckle when his shirts completely drown you

you also get to see a v sincere side to shownu

you can clearly see how his performing on top of variety shows exhausts him (esp when he claims variety is not his thing)

but he’ll never snap at you when he’s like that

because he’s so sincerely appreciative of having you around

but doesn’t disguise his dumbness

you guys can’t have many expensive ornaments

bc he’ll go to thoughtfully polish it to cheer you up

and end up breaking it

he’s a literal sweetheart that tries so hard, love him please

Wonho:

(wOW i would protecc this man w all my heart. purest)

he would be the sweetest roommate in th world

even tho he’s busy 24/7

he’ll sometimes randomly buy you your usual coffee

or he’ll see you’re almost out of milk or something

where he’ll promptly restock so you don’t have to

he’s incredibly thoughtful

it makes you a lil sad sometimes when he’s particularly busy

bc you miss him like crazy

but when he gets the chance, he makes sure he hangs out w you and dedicate some set time to his best friend

bc he really appreciates you

you’re both each other’s main support

he knows that when he walks in through the door after a shit day

you’ll be sat on the sofa ready to hear him out

it leads to way too many profound chats till like 3 in the morning

he’s a lil’ bit protective

on the rare occasion he’s not working and you’re not home

he’ll be snapchatting you, texting you

‘wonho i was just at the gym?’ ‘can i come too??!!”

and then suddenly you’re hanging out as per

living w wonho is the chillest thing

except when he neglects to wear a shirt when he’s having a lazy day

and you’re red in the face, throwing fabrics at him to cover him damn self.

friends or not it’s illegal for wonho to walk around like that

you both gel without arguments

you like the same films, music and even like to eat at similar places

never any arguments over takeout lol

you even end up giving each other skin care tips 

which makes for a pretty blissful living arrangement if you ask me.

Minhyuk:

(a visual??????)

okay you two are the ultimate best friends.

you have a long list of movies and tv series/anime that you two have to watch together

primarily because you know how whiny and salty he will be if u break it 

you’re both pretty relaxed roommates

like the dishes don’t need to be done right this second

magically chores still get done

thankfully, minhyuk isn’t the typical gross male

but he will probably shamelessly steal food that you have labelled

which is probably the only source of any conflict in your house.

when you’re both at home

you better believe this loud ass will wake you up super early to go do something together

“time to bond (y/n)!!!!” “what r u, 5?”

but you’re lowkey kinda grateful that he wants to do stuff with you

since you’re always afraid you’ll lose him to his schedule

you’re still super super close

you guys create your own dance routines and memorise current choreos that are trending 

you prank each other, which may involve you printing pre-debut pictures of minhyuk and plastering them everywhere

you have you’re own handshake that may or may not last for like 5 minutes

and if either of you forget it oH THE b e t r a y a l

did i mention that minhyuk is a massive drama queen?

but in a funny way (unlike a certain member who’s about to follow)

you will have named your shared apartment, no doubt

and will reference its name in the invites of the house parties you guys host

you basically act like siblings when their parents go out for the evening... 24/7...

Kihyun:

(his smile could sAVE lives. it’s so bright)

the ‘drama queen’ i previously mentioned

if u wanted a relaxed roommate, dude look elsewhere

i reckon yoo kihyun is a clean freak

he is mad about a rota of chores, to ensure it’s equal

but i can imagine him redoing them anyway if they weren’t done exactly how he normally does it.

this causes some some minor bickering

it’s always resolved when you ask what you’re doing for dinner that night

you guys have this insane ability to just drop arguments in a flash

which is why the intense cleaning regime never bothers you

plus, it contents your parents that you don’t live in a pig sty

(and silently wish that they could hire kihyun to clean on the side)

but beneath the bitterness, he can be super thoughtful

he’ll remember a food you were craving that one time

and suddenly you’ll find it in the cupboards

when you ask, he’ll shrug it off 

but he lowkey loves to cook for you.

you guys will love to buy furniture together

prepare yourself for many trips to look at random decorations or house plants to liven up your two dead souls

relishing the simple joys like buying new plates or cutlery like the secretly middle aged people you are.

surprisingly, yall have a v similar ideal

i can just picture this modern (not to mention spotless), monochromatic apartment in seoul

mx and your friends will be so jealous of how well you run your appartment together

although they quietly question your friendship, yall get it each other

your closeness is measured in bitterness and insults

and you don’t really need anyone to understand your friendship

bc it works

Hyungwon:

(ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING PPL IN KPOP HANDS DOWN hOLD me)

this living arrangement will be the exact opposite to living w kihyun

“organised mess”

it’s just you guys are always so busy with your careers and lives

so tidiness happens to be the bottom of the priority list

except when parents come over

then you’re doing hurdles over each other to tidy up

trying to find as many convenient dark spots in the place to hide unwashed laundry

when you are both at home

it’s a quiet contentedness in each other's company

you’ll most likely message each other instead of yell

but when you do call out to him, it usually takes 3-6 times before you receive at least a mumble in response

you’ll probably text each other when you’re right next to each other

well, if hyungwon’s even awake

you will definitely leave passive aggressive notes to each other

‘close the cupboard u moron - love (y/n) xoxo’

and hyungwon will reply on the same cupboard door

‘even ur writing is loud omg - hyungwon’

and the door will be wide ajar

and you’re genuinely not sure whether he hasn’t noticed the actual issue or is blatantly ignoring it

nevertheless, it’s your guys’ sense of humour

you guys probably stay up a lot together when you’re both free and not feeling up to doing much

a few beers while watching some b-rate movie to laugh at

but the film will soon be forgotten and you’ll be talking about anything from love to what vegetable you identify with

and end up falling asleep on the sofa next to each other at 6 am

and the cycle starts all over again

Jooheon:

(one of the sweetest dimpled people alive)

a golden, pure apartment

you guys are inseparable and the cutest friends alive

yall really take care of each other, even if its a little out yours’ way

you both can immediately sense when something is wrong

when you drag your feet into the flat, your face completely drained

jooheon is alert and ready to let you rant about your day

and he’ll offer to pay for food that night or cook something

likewise with him. you just sense when he needs a cry or a moan.

you guys are also super goofy

jumping around like 10 year olds to your favourite playlists

having your own lip sync battles and completely slaying the raps

i can also imagine you two having a redecorating day together

you playfully bickering over a shade of blue for the living room

idk it just seems like something you guys would do together

you also leave sweet notes for each other

especially if you don’t see each other at home for a while

you’ll wake up to a lil’ sticky note wishing you a pleasant day

it’s honestly sickly sweet

you’ll prank and tease the other members when they come over

because you guys are an unstoppable, mischievous duo

unfortunately shownu doesn’t really scare like jooheon does

so the tables over turn :/

jooheon has also put a ban on horror movies 

because he’s so jumpy and he knows he’ll never live it down

you guys will also share a bed in a completely platonic way

like you have just missed your best friend

so you have a sleepover... in the flat you share... as adults

everybody just assumes you’re dating and mx think you should

esp when jooheon gets lowkey jealous when you go on dates, since he’s so openly protective of you

but you guys know where you’re at

and you’re happy as best friends

I.M:

(i love this gif of changkyun. look at his cheeks ahhhh)

you guys are long-term childhood friends so the apartment vibe is chill

you have been friends so damn long, you know exactly how each other click so there are rarely any problems

if there is, you threaten to blackmail w the thousands of ugly photos you have of him.

then you remember he has an equal amount as you, and the actual issues is dropped within seconds

because you guys are still goofy through it al

like i said, it’s a v chill household

chores get magically done, eventually, but there’s no real rush

but you are both rarely there to have to thrive in it

it does make kihyun want to die a little when he visits

changkyun is often at his own studio

and you’ll receive calls asking you to listen to something he’s produced and see what you think of it

it means you guys end up spending more time at his studio than the apartment you both pay for lmao

but it doesn’t bother either of you

sometimes, it does take some prompting from you to stop him from overworking himself

what you guys love to do is go out on drives

just drive somewhere completely random, sit and watch the night creep in

you guys can pretty much talk for hours and hours

be it reminiscing, talking about the future or about the new music that you have been listening to

this does mean changkyun always has headphones in

so you’ll have to call his name repeatedly to get his attention 

your apartment will also always smell good

you both end up buying heaps and heaps of incense and candles

careful in not making the landlord believe you guys are doing drugs lmao

but it just creates such a relaxed atmosphere

and you don’t have to think too hard when buying each other presents

sorry if the lengths aren’t v well balanced. i had LOADS of ideas for some members and fewer for others. curse of writer’s brain grrrr. some of these were so cute, and i would so room w changkyun tbh

[rollflasher]

See, I half-agree with the take presented in this post because the first thing you just said is exactly what I would love to see on a Sonic game in the future.

See, while I love Eggman and gained a lot more respect for the character thanks to fans like Crusher, I would also like to see more villains...or more specifically, recurring villains around and I can see where some fans come from with their disillusionment. (Granted they seem to have tried this with the D6 but you know...they’re the D6) BUT, and this is important...I don’t agree with their exact take per se and let me explain why.

See, while I love the idea of new villains fighting Sonic and co. I really don’t want the trend of Eggman getting upstaged to come back and it surprises me how some fans seem to still like it despite being a very tired cli’che...then again, Flynn also thought that was a good idea so it’s no surprise there are fans who still hold this mindset.

The reason I want new villains that don’t rely on Eggman so bad is not only for the sake of respecting the main villain in the franchise, but also because it gives them precisely the spotlight and development they desperately need to stand out. Another thing some people don’t seem to understand is that, by having other villains upstaging Eggman their value is determined by how better they are compared to him...and plot twist, since Eggman is a villain that will never get retired, they’re always going to fall short in comparison, both in achievements and personality. Eggman at this point has already done insane feats like controlling a monster that can manipulate timelines, having other villains competing with him forces them to deal with an incredibly huge bar that they won’t live up to unless they do something incredibly crazy, and even if they do chances are they won’t have the actual character to back it up like the doc. For instance, Mephiles did something on Eggman’s tier when he killed Sonic and turned into Solaris...but Mephiles is already a bland and terrible villain anyway who only suceeded thanks to dumb luck and plot convenience, therefore he still falls very short.

In contrast, we have villains like Erazor Djinn and Merlina, the later who is very popular in the fandom, and that’s what SEGA should strive for.

Erazor and Merlina are the main villains of their respective games with no competition from Eggman whatsoever, and as a result had to rely on their own character to stand out and unlike the rest, it worked out well since they weren’t restricted by things like having to one-up Eggman.

On a side-note, I also disagree with fans wanting eldritch abominations to be final bosses again. While I love the idea of Sonic going Super and punching out a Cthulhu tier monster...I think the monster of the week formula had the side-effect of making most of the monsters not named Chaos lack character and depth.

On contrast, something I would really like to see is Sonic fighting villains on the same size as him...specifically anthro villains, because of how rare they are, this is one of the reasons I want Infinite to come back more often because almost every final battle in Sonic is against a giant foe or monster. I can understand that formula from a game design stand-point, but I would really to see a Sonic game where the main threat for once is someone who is on the same footing as you. (Games like DMC3 show why these kind of enemies are so compelling)

That being said, I still have no problem with Eggman being the recurring big bad considering he’s the main villain on the franchise and it’s good that SEGA keeps using him and exploiting his potential. But I would also like to see other villains other than a big monster of the week who don’t have to denigrate the series’ big bad to stand out.

UUUGGHHHH I'm really not happy to see this take again

they say this as if there isn't an annoyingly repetitive pattern of Eggman being sidelined, betrayed, and having the spotlight stolen from him by other villains throughout multiple forms of media, including the games!

I'm not saying we can't have more villains besides Eggman but what's annoying is the way that they almost always betray him or steal all the spotlight and screentime from him. I think what we really need is more Eggman as the real final boss, to make up for all the times he's sidelined/betrayed by other villains. THAT repetition is what's most annoying to me, not the fact that Eggman is the main villain of the series. he's a very important character, the most important antagonist that should be as consistent as the hero. this is like saying that Sonic shouldn't be the main hero because it's 'boring and repetitive'. :\

the replies and quote retweets are what actually bothered me more than anything because what they're saying really shows how much they hate Eggman. they act like he's boring and repetitive, as if he isn't the one with all kinds of wild and creative plans even outside of awakening the monster of the week, and how he's the reason for many of the best, most thrilling and entertaining moments in the series. he has so much more life, interesting character to him and one of the strongest motives, unlike almost all the other villains. Eggman shouldn't be tossed aside all the time and it's disappointing to see that people actually want even more of that.

I wish they gave him the chance to really shine, so people wouldn't say shit like this and actually recognize his brilliance as a villain and the things that he's capable of. guess what? you wouldn't even have your monster of the week if it wasn't for Eggman anyway. and there's a reason why he's is the main and best villain that will always outlast them all, regardless of how much you dislike him and are desperate to get rid of him. he's not going anywhere! :P he has so much potential that deserves to be explored. throwing him out isn't the answer and it's sad that so many people want this.

[abnahaya]

EDance

Once an EDancer, always an EDancer!

This is gonna be a long, heartfelt post with loads of pictures!

Okay, so this kinda happened at the same time with the previous post. Due to the merger, my old dance team had to merge with FBS’ dance team, too. It was actually more convenient since we shared the same coach, and FBS’ dance team was super famous at the time that you gotta go through auditions first! We were given the opportunity to join the team without audition since you know, everyone wished students from FBS would be friends with the ex-STiBA.

Long story short, my original team mates fell back one by one, I never knew the real reasons —I was the outcast, remember?- but they just gradually stopped showing up at the practice, leaving me and one other girl. Well, I have always had the personality when I’m kinda reserved and shy at first before opening up and be a total lunatic. But honestly, I stayed for the dance. I didn’t know any of these guys, we weren’t “friends” yet, the people I knew started disappearing, yet if I wanted to follow them (later, they revived the old dance team as an independent group), like, I didn’t get along with them anyway? So I had nothing to lose, and I just had fallen in love with streetdancing  —eventho my hip-hop sucks ass!

I think it started to come together when one of the senior on the team asked me to join them to enroll in a competition. I was very excited. Although, honestly speaking, I had lots of difficulties catching up. This team was the team, you know, the people that just blended so well with good chemistry and all? I was an outsider, both to the team habits and choreo. I remember we only had about a week to train for the competition, and I was working my ass off so hard that I didn’t have time to think about being an outcast again. I just wanted to give it my all and not making the team looked silly on stage!

That was my very first competition with EDance. I hated the picture back then (because I was still white-washed and despised my tan skin) but now when I’m looking at it, fuck, I look alright! I mean, there weren’t any high-quality phone camera back then so we couldn’t do the tone justice, but right now all I can think about is how proud I am of myself. I started gotten into make up (and because I didn’t have many friends, I had lots of time practicing make up in my room) and it helped me bonding with the other members. I’m very grateful for the people in the picture: Ninit & Tepi who gave me the chance, Ko Allen who kept dancing with me until he graduated, and even Hezky who became a really good friend and still danced with me until when we both lived in Bali. Oh, and we won the thing! Not bad for a first-timer, huh?

As the official dance team of the faculty, EDance also performed in every single faculty party (re: the opening/closing celebration), including LoVED and EDO. It was my first time performing with such a big crew —EDance had twice the numbers of my first dance team- and it was such a different experience! I wasn’t particularly a fan of a megacrew performance but holy cow, there are things that can only look good when performed with a big crew! I’m beyond blessed to learn it with EDance.

On my second year dancing —third year in Uni- it was time for my generation (re: batch) to take over the leadership in the organization. I wasn’t elected or something, but by that time, I have grown so close to Elevernes that we basically became a whole squad, and we kinda have big influence on each other, and to the team. That year, our coach stepped down because he wanted to pursue formal career, so we found a new one. It was my best friend's boyfriend —then, ex now- The new coach brought a whole new flavor to our dance team, we went from full-blown hip-hop to more of girl’s hip-hop and then, slutty (LOL!) depending on the personality of the team. 

I’d say it was the beginning our my golden era of dancing. I moved out to the same boarding house with my best friends, which were also my dance team mates, and we spent many hours practicing for fun, watching dance videos, and basically just being excited for performing and enrolling competitions. EDance was at the peak of its time, we had the best dancers in the University, having the same vision and mission, the crazy fearless attitude, and just the same level of passion for dancing. We basically invented the trend of sexy and fierce girls-style dance in the city (it was a small city, so it wasn’t that great, but also because it was such a small city and everyone knows everyone else, it was pretty cool) because the core team of the crew were the same students from our batch, Eleveners, who just had the same vibration for that particular dance style.

Sadly, all good things must come to and end. And I regret that my end at EDance wasn’t a pleasant one. I started dating this guy and he gradually become very toxic and abusive that I was utterly gas-lighted and was too scared to leave his side.He told me he didn’t like my friends from the dance team and wanted me to hang out with them less (I ended up spending 24/7 with him for more than a year!). There were some moments when I felt like I gotta choose between dancing and my boyfriend, and my insecure-stupid ass chose the latter. I grew distant from my friends, and eventually I neglected dancing.

The turning point was when I, as a member of the “core” team, was offered to join a competition, and I had no hesitation to refuse it. But along the way, my boyfriend was getting more and more intimidating that I was too scared to leave him alone (coz I felt like he’d cheat on me if I didn’t stick around), and I ghosted my friends. I kept justifying my action telling myself —and some other friends- that I couldn’t join the competition because I had a final exam. It wasn’t entirely a lie, because I did have final exam, but deep down I knew what pissed my friends off was my ghosting, the fact that I ignored them and let them freak out on the last minute. It was one of my life regrets. 

After that incident, I only showed up for one more project, a dance video produced by the faculty’s filmography club. My relationship with my friends was already bad, most of them stopped talked to me, and I even got unofficially “kicked out” from the core team. I was in a weak mental state — from both the dating abuse and the guilt- and I thought to myself that I couldn’t go on like this. So the next semester, on the last year of my university life, I stopped coming to the practice.

I truly wished things went differently from how it was. EDance was the first true dance family that I had, it will always be the highlight of my life, and sometimes I’m so angry at myself for being so unreasonably stupid at that time. But you know, we all struggle with different demons inside, and I’m just the kind of person who needed to be thrown down to thrive, so I guess I deserved that. I am now in good relationships with all my EDance friends, time indeed had healed us, however, I think I do owe them a huge apology for my actions. Although I was hurting, I had no right to ruin their joys either. 

So yeah, that’s how my EDanceperience went by, it’s been eight years since I first found by this family, but I will always be an EDancer at heart, forever. 

[frazzledsoul]

OG Gilmore Girls rant incoming. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Against my better judgment, I settled in a few days ago to watch the Thanksgiving episode of season 3 and ended up watching a lot of season 6 episodes I avoided watching on my last rewatch. I kind of wish I hadn’t. It’s still my original opinion that ASP did her best to destroy the show that year, and that David Rosenthal & co (who, contrary to their reputation, were mostly not new to the show or completely absent from fault for season 6) did a fairly decent job of fixing what she had broken. But on this latest rewatch, I became really angry at Lorelai and more sympathetic towards Luke for some of the messed-up stuff that he did. It doesn’t excuse any of it, but i definitely brought into perspective a lot of the damage that the original writers are capable of doing to their own work.

Look, I know the L/L breakup blame game is an ancient argument with plenty of culpability to go around for both the fictional characters and the writers who created them, but I’m still glad that I waited so long to see these later seasons because Lorelai is not terribly sympathetic to me going into season 7. There’s no way I could have watched the show week by week and still like her enough to keep going. And I blame that on Amy Sherman Palladino, who wrote most of the final episodes of season 6.

When Lorelai is the midst of breaking up with Christopher in season 7 and explains to Sookie that as wonderful as Luke could be, he just didn’t want to marry her and she did everything she could do to make it work, she is basically full of crap. She most certainly did not do everything she could (including ask him why he wasn’t ready). After she has the confrontation with April’s mother about her desire to keep Lorelai away from April for the time being, she basically avoids Luke completely and admits to her mother that she’s already decided it’s never going to happen.

Seriously?

I mean, come on. She actually has context now for why Luke has been acting so strange and secretive all these months. He was dealing with a woman who was such a control freak that she hid his daughter from him for twelve years and won’t even consider letting Lorelai spend any time with her until she’s officially married to him. I understand that to Lorelai it felt like the death knell to her because she realized that she didn’t have any way of being included in this part of Luke’s life, but at this point it’s actually out of his hands. Did she not stop to consider that maybe this is why Luke was so insistent that he get to know April on his own and have her accept him? Did it not occur to her that maybe he had a lot of reasons not to risk pissing off the one person who could curtail access to his kid? And would it have killed her to bring this up to Luke so that maybe they could hash this out together with the kid’s mother?

Luke was, of course, far from blameless in this whole situation. He keeps the kid’s existence a secret from Lorelai for two months while he hems and haws about how involved he should be (And frankly, I judge him more for this than keeping the secret. I mean, it’s your child, dude. Forget Lorelai. You know you’re better than this). Even after all of that, she is pretty quick to forgive him once she finds out and continues to hang on for months and months. She appears to be very supportive of the way he’s handling the situation. Luke abuses this trust and takes it way too far: he’s eager to have Jess meet his kid, but downplays his relationship with Rory in front of her: he’s willing to host field trips and birthday parties, but he won’t let Lorelai be a part of any of it. I don’t excuse this behavior. However, for the most part Lorelai doesn’t plead her case with him or even let on that she is not happy. So it seems extra absurd to me that when the situation is taken out of their hands, she refuses to discuss it or even be around him, but pre-emptively decides that the engagement is over.

She threw in the towel, just like she and Sookie had feared she would earlier in the season. She’s already decided that it’s over because Luke didn’t fit in with the plan she wanted for her life, and she was counting on him to not fight for her. So when he doesn’t go along with her crazy ultimatum, he’s just validating what she already decided. And then she goes and sleeps with Christopher, just to ensure that Luke will give up for good this time.

Ugh.

The thing I keep going back to is what occurred to me when I was first watching these episodes post-revival, which is that Luke and Lorelai were not ready to get married at the beginning of the season anyway, even before all of the secret kid nonsense started piling up. They hadn’t talked about their then-divergent perspectives regarding kids: they hadn’t dealt with the issues with her parents. They just dove right into remodeling the house and then making wedding plans after Rory returned to the fold. In my personal experience, this is the kind of thing that leads to disaster. It’s not lost on me that Luke finally decides to go and establish his relationship with April after Lorelai plans their entire wedding in the space of a day. He owed it to April to try to have an active role in her life, but it also gave him a convenient opportunity to stall at something he wasn’t ready for (which he does recognize much later on). So how was a sudden, rash elopement going to fix any of these problems, especially when Lorelai never let on how upset she was that everything was postponed? It wouldn’t have done either of them any good for Luke to indulge her demands.

I know by current standards we got off easy. It seems that the current method of killing off love triangles is to simply murder at least one of the participants and I’m glad all of this happened before that trend took effect. Still, Luke had to watch his relationship end because of Christopher. He had to watch Lorelai marry Christopher and move into the house that had been set up for his married life. If ASP had been writing any of this, I get the feeling that we would have gotten most of this except for the marriage, but it would have been a lot angstier. I do give the season 7 writers credit for giving Luke something else to focus on, for giving him the chance to redeem himself through April and Liz and Lane. I also give them credit for making it clear that despite Christopher and Lorelai are more or less being on the same page regarding her life plan, it wasn’t enough to replace Luke in her heart or make Christopher into the kind of person who would ever be good enough. I think that is why I’m relatively pleased with how Luke and Lorelai ended up at the end of the revival: they learned that being together was more important than following through on that set plan that Lorelai envisioned for the “next stage of her life”. They got married when they were ready and had a good life in the meantime.

Amy’s redeemed herself to me because of the revival, but I still resent the ways in which she tore her show down beyond recognition. I’d much rather watch the latter half of season 7 than most of season 6. There was nothing set in place during that last season that wasn’t caused by the damage that she inflicted a year earlier. 

I’ve probably rambled on far too long, but wanted to add one last thing. There are multiple episodes of season 7 that I really enjoyed from beginning to end. Lane’s baby shower, the haybale maze episode, the karaoke episode, the car-shopping episode, the series finale . . . all of these were as good as the best parts of the first five seasons. I even enjoyed some of the episodes that heavily featured Christopher, because it’s made apparent pretty early in that marriage that it’s a terrible idea and it’s not going to last long. I can’t say that about a single episode in season 6. The entire season is permeated in doom and gloom. When Luke and Lorelai are happy, Lorelai is upset because she and Rory are estranged and Rory is spinning her wheels. After Rory gets her crap together, we have to watch Lorelai grow increasingly unhappy at Luke being secretive and pushing her away. There isn’t a single episode that isn’t depressing in some sort of major way. This was fixed early on in season 7: maybe it took someone who was more distant from the material, but it was clearly figured that this was supposed to be a quirky dramedy/romantic comedy, not a dreary whirlpool of emotional upheaval. The changes were definitely for the better. It wasn’t just that things quickly went as terrible as possible for the couple I liked: the entire meaning and direction of the show was twisted into something that was too difficult to watch.

ETA: Well, this little rant got a lot more attention than I thought. Thanks, guys.

I sort of wanted to add just one more thing. I didn’t write about it anywhere eleven years ago because it disgusted me so much that it made me never want to see the show again. It brought up a lot of issues with me concerning my parents at the time (which is a vicious love triangle that’s way nastier than anything depicted amongst these fictional characters, but enough about that). I just want to rant in detail a bit more about what actually happened at the end of season 6.

It’s come up a couple of times today in the confessions blog and a lot of people are still rationalizing Lorelai’s behavior in terms of exactly how she broke up with Luke (and by that, I mean specifically the nailing Christopher part). This is something that not even Lorelai does. She immediately tells Luke to take his anger out on her, not on Christopher, and seems to want to stay out of his way. Having accomplished punching Christopher in the face, he tells her that they never belonged together and that he’s going to try to move on and keep things civil. I wouldn’t have taken this well in real time, knowing I had to deal with Christopher for the rest of the season, but I do think it’s what the show needed to become fun and lighthearted again.

However, I have to say that it’s probably less than what Lorelai deserved. Using Christopher to chase away Luke for good was undeniably the cruelest, most savage, selfish thing she ever did in the history of the show. I think it’s worse than her drunken meltdown at her dad’s funeral, worse than leaving in the middle of the night with Rory and keeping her parents at a distance for 15 years, worse than everything she said to Luke after Jess and Rory got into that car accident. All of those other things could be chalked up to confusion or grief or concern for her child.

This incident was different, because she did it specifically to hurt him. She knew that this was Luke’s worst nightmare, that it would destroy him, that it would be the one thing that would keep him away from her for good. As distant and neglectful as Luke had been during the past couple of months, I don’t think he deserved that. He’d loved her from afar and supported and encouraged her at every turn for the better part of a decade: he treated her daughter as his own and did everything he could to be there for her. When she was hurting over her estrangement with Rory just a few months earlier, he was there to support her. They’d been involved for the better part of two years: they were engaged to be married. He deserved better than this.

But that’s not even the worst of it. She didn’t seem to care that she was using Christopher so blatantly, someone she had been involved with for even longer and that she knew still had feelings for her. She didn’t care that it would upset Rory’s relationship with her dad, who was starting to be more involved with her life. All that mattered was her and her revenge. They didn’t deserve this, either.

Even as much as Season 7 repaired the damage from this incident, I still think we see the repercussions ten years later in the revival. It will likely never be okay for Luke and Christopher to be around each other ever again. It probably did permanently damage the relationship between Rory and her father: she’s spent so long being the mediator in this accursed love triangle that it’s hard to come back from that (and I intensely, intensely relate to this) and act as if it never happened. Christopher and Lorelai’s marriage may have ended without too much emotional damage to either of them, but there’s a reason why Lorelai refers to their relationship in the past tense and Christopher knows that it’s best to keep his distance from her. Rory’s primary loyalty is always to her mother, and if her mom can’t be around Christopher, she likely won’t be, either. There’s always going to be a part of Luke that is going to be a bit insecure from this point on: that fact that his previous marriage ended in much the same way doesn’t help. It’s not an insurmountable issue, but as with many long-term couples, this is one of the issues that comes up during bitter arguments. and we directly see that ten years later. It’s not just the characters: I don’t think many fans trust ASP on this issue after this, either. 

I do think season 7 does a good job of redeeming both Luke and Lorelai for their past behavior. We get to see Luke be the loyal, sweet, self-sacrificing guy he always was through his relationships with other characters.. I hated the Lorelai/Christopher relationship as much as everyone else, but Lorelai does really try with the guy, and manages to get out once she realizes that he’s never going to be right for her, no matter what. She shows up to support Luke on multiple occasions and he returns the favor for her. She eventually apologizes for treating him so badly and he apologizes for pushing her away. We see enough of this that we can accept the reconciliation that comes soon afterwards.

I don’t know that ASP would have let her apologize. She was too wedded to her craziness and her desire for neverending angst. The whole incident was just a crappy thing to do to her lead character, to her show, to dig this giant hole that was so hard to climb out of. I never really expressed how crappy it was a long time ago so I’m overdoing this rant today. The happy ending in the revival made up for all of it, but I doubt I’ll get attached to anything she ever does again.

Oh, well. Rant over, and I vow to make all future posts on the subject seem brief and optimistic in comparison.

ETA 2.0: I think my addendum here might have ruffled a few feathers. I just wanted to get it all out, for once. I doubt I’ll talk about it that much again. But I just needed to say what I thought about it.

[jessicakehoe]

Ex Nihilo’s Benoît Verdier is a Raptors Fan and Wants His Brand to be the Tesla of the Fragrance World

There’s a pep talk happening when I arrive at the Saks Fifth Avenue Toronto flagship on an early Saturday morning. Benoît Verdier, one of the three co-founders behind French perfume line Ex Nihilo, is here for a guest appearance, and the beauty hall sales associates are buzzing, excited to hear him speak before they open doors to customers. It does feel like there is a celebrity in the room, though no one is asking him to autograph their arms, something that routinely happens when he’s visiting Russia. “They are insane about fragrance,” says Verdier.

He orders a black Americano, presumably to counter his lack of sleep the night before; after flying in from Manhattan, Paris-based Verdier caught game 4 of the NBA finals, cheering for the Raptors, who he says are his favourite team in the league. (He became a fan after making several visits to Toronto for Saks, catching games and acquiring jerseys while he was in town.) He even sent a selection of fragrances to Drake and the OVO Crew. (FWIW the Raps’ global ambassador prefers Amber Sky).

Here, the practically Canadian Verdier talks about the brand’s perfume-mixing robot Osmologue, how to turn your favourite fall fragrance into a summer spritz, and why he wants Ex Nihilo to be the Tesla of the fragrance world.

Photography courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue

How did you meet your co-founders Sylvie Loday and Olivier Royère? “I met Olivier in school, where we were studying political science. We met Sylvie through friends. Olivier and I had this long-time plan to work together on a project. We discussed it with Sylvie one night, and she said she was interested. It took us a year to prepare everything, without being paid, working in a small shitty office. So it sounds romantic but it was really tough. We’re really like a start-up company, [launching the business] from our garage. And then we had the chance to have a beautiful space in Paris on rue Saint-Honoré. It was really crazy because it’s a lot of money to invest, especially on that street. We’re next to Dior, we’re next to all the big names. Everybody was wondering ‘who are these guys, and how can they spend so much money?’ Ex Nihilo means ‘created from scratch.’ We love the idea of being outsiders. And it’s true that when we started the company, nobody was expecting us. We just popped up one day, from nothing, from nowhere.”

I read that some old guard perfumers dropped by to check it out the store when it opened? “Francis Kurkdjian came in. He was taking pictures and smelling everything. He was not very friendly, unfortunately. And I said ‘Hey, Francis, why don’t we do a collaboration together. That would be so cool.’ He looked at me [as if to say] ‘certainly not.’ Since then we’ve met again and now it’s cool. And all the big companies came by. You can recognize them. The head of marketing for Europe, and the head of innovation, they came together, and they took pictures with their phones. It’s very funny, because with the amount of money and power they have, why do they come to the small brands to take inspiration? Now you see the trend that all the niche brands want to become luxury brands because they want to evolve. And all the mainstream brands, they want to be niche. So they are creating a lot of private collections.”

You work exclusively with perfumers from Givaudan like Olivier Pescheux, and Quentin Bisch, who created your best-selling scent Fleur Narcotique. How do you decide which perfumers you’re going to work with on each fragrance? Syvlie has a background in engineering and worked at Givaudan, so she made the connection with the noses. According to the olfactory category we want to create, we ask perfumers who specialize in that category. Other times it’s interesting to challenge them. For instance, Olivier Pescheux is very good with oud, and woody scents. So we might say, ‘Ok, Olivier, [this time] make us something super spicy.’ And sometimes they come with really fresh ideas. When perfumers work with us they don’t have any limits to costs for the materials, and we are very free in terms of the creative brief. They just have to respect the brand and what we want to do. Compared to a classic brief, it’s very funny. So they always accept because for them it’s a way just to do something different, with less pressure.”

Tell me about the Osmologue, the perfume mixing robot? “Fragrance companies like IFF and Givaudan already have this machine [in their labs]. But it’s much larger, and super expensive. At the beginning when we started to think about the brand, we knew that personalization was a mega trend in every market. You can personalize your coffee, you can personalize your sneakers, your car. It’s very, very mainstream. And one of the luxury categories that was really conservative about that was perfumery. So at the top of the pyramid you have Guerlain or Cartier. A custom fragrance from them is going to cost forty thousand dollars. It’s very complicated. But between that and the mainstream, there was nothing. So we said, we are quite influenced by technology and the French avant-garde, what could we do to propose this level of service to the customers? So we decided to downsize the machine, make it more it more efficient and more convenient. This [one at Saks’ Toronto location] is the only Osmologue in Canada. The others are in Paris, London, New York and Dubai.”

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Discover the finest perfumery raw materials part of the EX NIHILO personalization program at 352 rue Saint-Honoré. The exclusive technology of the Osmologue allows the most accurate weighing and blending of the different ingredients involved in your SIGNATURE fragrance. See you there to experience the full demi-bespoke ritual, also available in London, Dubai, New York and Toronto!

A post shared by EX NIHILO Paris Official (@exnihiloparis) on May 4, 2019 at 6:46am PDT

How does it work? “We start with the raw ingredients, the concentrates of fragrance and then we do all the steps exactly like in the laboratory. It was very difficult to do 100 per cent bespoke, so we’ve done demi-bespoke, which means we start with your favourite fragrance in the collection and then we can modify it according to what you like and according to your taste. Or according to the season. So if you like Fleur Narcotique, we can personalize it using the Osmologue with something that is going to be more fresh, or more woody or more floral. For instance if you want something for spring, we can play with orange blossom.”

Your packaging is art deco-inspired and has all these little details, like a tiny stamp of the Gallic Rooster, the unofficial national symbol of France. “Americans have the eagle, we have the rooster. [laughing] We love to bring this art of detail in everything. The next step is to change the way you do luxury packaging. Because [currently when you look at the industry], it’s not very sustainable. If [other luxury brands] are like Bentley or Rolls Royce, I would like to push our brand to be something more like Tesla, because the philosophy of our brand is to innovate.”

Can you tell me about the fragrance launching this fall that’s inspired by musicians, and is reminiscent of the scent of vintage guitars?

“Yes Atlas Fever. It’s a creamy, very addictive scent. On top it’s vanilla and tonka bean. The more you roast the tonka bean, the creamier it gets. And then when it dries down you smell sandalwood and cedarwood, so it’s a bit smokey.”

Anything else in store for the brand? “We’re launching hair mists [in Canada in July]. They don’t have too much alcohol, and they’re not too aggressive. And they aren’t flankers of an existing fragrance. It’s a new way to perfume your hair.”

The post Ex Nihilo’s Benoît Verdier is a Raptors Fan and Wants His Brand to be the Tesla of the Fragrance World appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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[thoughtsforleaders]

Over-Confident Men and Underestimating Women: Thoughts On Shame And Leadership

by SARAH CONDON

Back in May I read an article in the Atlantic Monthly that rocked me. “The Confidence Gap”addressed the gaping hole of women in top leadership positions. I read it expecting the usual issues: poor math scores, smaller salaries, always feeling behind everyone else. And certainly, this article provided plenty of those sad and disappointing assessments.

As a woman, some of the information was also incredibly helpful. We do not take chances the way men do. We underestimate ourselves. Culture’s need to shape us into “good girls” does permanent damage when it comes to necessary risk taking. But the thing that bothered me about this article was not the information about women. None of that really came as a surprise. What I was unprepared for was how the article described accomplished men. Basically, they sound like sociopaths.

Men, according to the article, have tremendous amounts of confidence. They think they are smarter than they actually are. Men will apply for jobs when they meet only 60% of the qualifications. And they are four times (!) as likely to ask for raises as women.  But where the article kept seeing confidence, I kept seeing crazy. Am I surrounded by a gender who is clueless to their actual levels of intelligence? Do most men I know really think they are smarter than they are? And further, why in the world is this something to aspire to? Don’t hear me wrong. I am a woman of my own ambition. But if successfully leading means walking around thinking you are somehow George Clooney when you are really Barney Fife, then thanks, but I’ll keep my own neurosis.

Of course, this article hit hard on a personal level. I am married to a guy who is a professional leader. He puts in long days, runs big meetings, and attempts to do his very best. And yet, this article made him, and those of his ilk, sound bananas. To be honest, I could not make it all square up. So I have carried this article around, hoping something would help me make sense of it. And finally Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly made its way onto my nightstand. In one anecdote, she explained everything to me. Brown describes signing books after a lecture she gave on shame. She was approached by a husband and wife, only when the wife walked away, the husband lingered to chat:

“It started innocently enough. ‘I like what you have to say about shame,’ he told me. ‘Its interesting.’

I thanked him and waited—I could tell there was more coming.

He leaned in closer and asked, ‘I’m curious. What about men and shame? What have you learned about us?’

I felt instant relief. This wasn’t going to take long because I didn’t know much. I explained, ‘I haven’t done many interviews with men. I just study women.’

He nodded and said, ‘Well. That’s convenient.’

I felt the hair on the back on my neck stand up in defense. I forced a smile and asked, ‘Why convenient?’ in the very high voice that I use when I’m uncomfortable. He replied by asking me if I really wanted to know. I told him yes, which was a half-truth. I was on my guard.

Then his eyes welled up with tears. He said, ‘We have shame. Deep shame. But when we reach out and share our stories, we get the emotional shit beat out of us.’ I struggled to maintain eye contact with him. His raw pain had touched me, but I was still trying to protect myself. Just as I was about to make a comment about how hard men are on each other, he said, ‘Before you say anything about those mean coaches, bosses, brothers, and fathers being the only ones…’ He pointed towards the back of the room where his wife was standing and said, ‘My wife and daughters—the ones you signed all of those books for—they’d rather see my die on top of my white horse than watch me fall off. You say you want us to be vulnerable and real, but c’mon. You can’t stand it. It makes you sick to see us like that.”

Brown goes on to describe the research on shame she began to do with men. It is staggering. When she asked men to talk about what shame means in their lives, words like defective, weakness, and soft came up. Notably, men see shame itself as failure. Meaning that a cycle of “failure to shame to failure to shame,” must be a very common experience for many men, particularly those in leadership positions.

Immediately, I knew what bothered me about the Atlantic Monthly article. Where they had delved deeply into what makes women feel less sure of themselves, they failed to ask why men are “confident.” And perhaps the even more difficult question, are men really that enthusiastically sure of themselves? Do they actually think that their shortcomings do not matter? I have spent enough time reading male voices on Mockingbird to know that men face the same moments of self-doubt that I experience. Men are not immune to feeling like achievement imposters. But, as Brene points out, we are culturally not okay with men being so honest.

The interesting thing about the Atlantic Monthly article was that it did not offer an answer to the problem. It posited that women are less confident than men. Statistics were offered. Experts consulted. And in the end, the “fix” that was suggested involved teaching women to believe they were doing better than they had actually done. Basically, we should put up our own walls against vulnerability and hide our own self-doubt. We should become men. It is not really an answer. It’s a prescription for us to be troubled in a whole new way.

The fact that women find their identity in underestimating themselves is not news. Several months ago, I tried to handle this very topic here at Mbird in relation to the creeping trend of mothers parading their failures in public. Where we once were expected to be Donna Reed, women are now expected to be fans of our shortcomings and full of insecurities, sometimes even justified by our confessions (rather than forgiven of them). I theorized that we (often) willingly embrace this dynamic, ironically enough, to feel better about ourselves. So neither sex is somehow innocent of shame-related legalism. I wonder what the other side of that behavior is for the men in our lives. They have their own Y chromosomal legal code. They are expected to be the bread winners, nay the world winners, with not a crack in their human exterior. As Brene Brown so eloquently puts it:

“I was not prepared to hear over and over from men how the women—the mother, sisters, girlfriends, wives—in their lives are constantly criticizing them for not being open and vulnerable and intimate, all the while they are standing in front of that cramped wizard closet where their men are huddled inside, adjusting the curtain and making sure no one sees in and no one gets out. There was a moment when I was driving home from an interview with a small group of men and thought, Holy shit. I am the patriarchy.”

Her words have shaken my foundation. I look at men differently. I look at my husband, son, father, and brother differently. I think the mistake Atlantic Monthly made was an honest one. I think it is easy to assume that women are alone in their suffering. But it is not so simple. Life and identity are infinitely more complicated than we want them to be. Men were not made to hold the world up by themselves. Our fathers were not made to be hardened statues of strength. Our husbands are not able to walk this world in denial of their vulnerability; allowing us to fall apart while they must always keep themselves together. Like all of us, the men in our lives need saving. They need a Savior.

The Prince of Peace, who meets us in our self-doubt. Our Good Shepherd, who sees our hidden pain. The Lamb of God, who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders and exchanges it all for his uncompromising Grace.

Full Article:

http://www.mbird.com/2014/09/over-confident-men-and-underestimating-women-some-thoughts-on-shame-and-leadership/