#the answer you are looking for is yes

[olivieblake]

OLIVIE OH MY GOD I LOVE THE ANSWER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS YES SO MUCH LIKE SO SO SO MUCH. I loved each individual story and this book is tabbed an insane amount and sometimes there are 4 tabs per page- hold on I’ll include a picture at the end so you can see-lol I feel like normally I don’t show you because honestly no one should see evidence of my brain’s insanity but idk I feel like sharing this time? (Also please note I am Aries so just depending on my chaotic energy that day I will tab anything that I want. Sometimes it’s stuff that makes me laugh, things that I’m like oh maybe this is important, quotes I’m obsessed with, things that make me think, etc, I really just tab anything I want plus it helps me focus. I also just have some good old OCD that makes my brain decide that if I skip over tabbing something I even thought for one second should have a tab then the world is going to punish me somehow so then I must go back and tab it so that the obsession stops and the world (or at least the world in my brain) is at peace (love brains woo). This collection had me swooning at times, screaming at times (in both a OH MY GOD kind of way and an angsty my heart hurts kind of way), sad at times (I did tear up), laughing at times, and it just made me so happy. Anway, this book was truly the perfect way to end what I’m calling my Olivie year aka 2022 in general (I finished it on NYE it was perfect). I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it. Writing this is going to be so hard because I have to leave out so many things that I loved just for the sake of space and time and everything, but hopefully one day I’ll get to see you on one of your tours again and talk your head off about it. (P.S please come to Pittsburgh for your TAC tour and celebrate in Libby’s hometown please-I know,I know you go where your publishers send you but still please)

I will say I will always have a special connection to this book (and the audiobook of LPM which I also listened to in December which was amazing the narrator was so good with all the accents and everything-refueled my love of Elisabeth and I still want one of the romance books on her and Jack hahah) just because December was an awful month on the top of an awful year and this book was really here when I needed it most. 2022 for me was a year of grief (it’s true what they say it always comes in 3s), failure, and just Murphy's law. Not one of my favorite years (I survived though as always so we are good now haha),but reading your books/watching your success this year were some of my happiest parts. I know I haven’t been here since the beginning or anywhere close to it but still seeing all your success made me so proud and so happy for you, you deserve it <3. I think fate let me find your books in 2021 because it knew I would need them in 2022. Enough with the mush for now, also you told me not to apologize about my rambling and I am holding my tongue not to, but I think I might make this one two parts-well three because Saints and Liars is going to get its own so if you have only time to day to read one part I suggest that one-to make it not so overwhelming (because I am incapable of just liking something to a normal degree)-but I should have said it towards one of the first ones please never feel like you have to actually reply to these they have always just been to hopefully bring you some happiness and appreciation that I hope you can feel through the screen more than anything. Also spoilers of course for any other people in the universe that may read this.

Oh wait I didn’t share but one of my best friends and I have a tradition of sending each other one of our favorite books of the last year and this was actually the one I sent her! I needed someone to obsess over it with me. She loved it too btw she texted me how obsessed she is with margoalec and cecilyporter she loves them so much.

Stone’s Throw: I was automatically intrigued just based on “trips and falls into another realm”. This felt very atlas vibes with all the dimensions/portals/ley lines. I just loved Salim and Jenny together, their relationship felt very soulmates/invisible string/the universe just drawing them together and you know I love those. The theme of them being mirrors of each other in some ways and two threads through the eye of one needle ugh I just love stuff like that I ate it up. From the moment she got the fax from the other dimension I was trying to figure out who it was from. My first thought was “oh wouldn’t it be cool if it was from his brother” and then slowly in the story I convinced myself that was not  going to be it, so I was very proud of myself when it was finally revealed. This story just felt so unique and I love jumping portals and alternate universes and stuff so it was so fun! 

-Some moments I loved: Jenny putting an exclamation point in her email to prevent herself from sounding as irritated as she felt because I do that very frequently too haha. The way you wrote how it looked and felt going through the portal was so cool I could really see it in my head and was like “woah this is trippy”. HOW HE WAS HER ONLY TRACE OF FAMILIAR AND THAT SHE BELIEVED HIM WHEN NO ONE EVER DOES. And of course it was your signature horny characters hahah. The title of the book and the story appearing THE BEST. 

-Some quotes I enjoyed/reactions to them:

“Whatever it was, it was destructive and cruel even while it was handsome. It treated flattery like a noose and wielded poison like a blade.” I just really like that line. I don’t really know why but idk it resonated somehow with me. 

“Is he yours?” AHHH

“Sleep was not an option. Jenny let her restless feet carry her elsewhere, to the only place she felt even remotely recognizable as herself” AND IT'S TO HIS ROOM AWWW

“His kiss, when it met hers, was fragrant with gratitude, lush with it. He opened for her as she had for him, and suddenly she thought she understood it. Portals and passage. She pulled him closer the way she would have sprinted towards something unmissable, a train leaving the station. She pried open the doors of his reservations and in response he was alight, whisking her off the platform. She felt the edges of herself blur with his, his sadness becoming hers, his loneliness cloaking her shoulders. She bled her hope into his mouth, her art, her practiced hand at beauty. She poured the meditation of her entire being into his soul.” THEM THIS AHHH LOVE

“Jenny looked up, catching his eye as Salim drank what remained of his wine, and the corners of her lips flicked upwards, helpless to a smile. He could feel himself smiling broadly at her in return, everything suddenly dulling to singular, undeniable clarity. I understand, he wanted to say, I understand now what it means to search, and he reached out, taking her hand and observing the way surprise registered on her face.” he understands what it means to search and it’s to her I’m emo 

“Jenny felt Salim's chest hitch at her touch, his sharp inhale errantly mislaid. "I didn't expect it," he said hoarsely, apologetically, and she knew he meant I didn't think we would be like this, two threads through the eye of one needle. She knew he meant: I would have liked to have offered you less, to have asked for nothing in return.” SCREAMING I LOVE THIS

“It was hard to explain what happened when she met Salim. She took one look at his face, far younger than she'd expected, and felt something she could only call a sensation; another sign. Some intangible sense of purpose, of destiny and satisfaction, absolution and relief. She looked at Salim Amrani and knew, somehow, that the answer to her question was yes. “ DESTINY AND HE WAS THE ANSWER UGH OBSESSED

"We are always only a stone's throw from collapsing into another form of ourselves, in versions of lives we cannot relinquish. Luckily, the world has a way of showing us where we belong." LOVE THIS LINE SO MUCH

The Immortality Project:

One of my insta friends that I actually made through our love of your books, Katie (gingko.reads), put in one of her posts about this story that “Vigilante Shit” is the perfect song for this story and I AGREE. Actually, I think Taylor wrote the song after reading this story tbh. We love reading about two women finally getting revenge on a world/on men that took advantage of them. This story was also so funny I laughed out loud several times. The legal document format was so fun and unique. I feel like you always throw in some unique formats in your anthologies and it always makes it so fun! Loved Saffron and Nikita’s friendship in this too, felt like it showed the power of female friendship very well. 

-Some moments I loved: LOL she is such a ranter but so funny (she’s me ❤️). I just have “YES GIRL GET YOUR REVENGE” in my notes 100 times hahaha. Her name on false papers to get out of the country is Cinnamon (omg just realized two spices Saffron and Cinnamon I love it!). The whole VIP thing with Dick being the VIP and the “naughty boy” things from Saffron LOL LOVE HER. And the employee telling Saffron her friend might have murdered someone and her just saying I’m not worried I’ve seen death and it’s not as cute as her haha so good. “We are advised not to die” hahaha. She thinks saffron drugged her but Saffron insists she didn’t hahahah. “Aggressively writing things down” LOL. HER WISH AWWW I LOVE IT SO MUCH WHAT A GOOD ONE, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TOO. Saffron coming to visit her at the rehabilitation center awww. Tbh I can’t tell if the story was really just a mental break for her or if the wish she did with the witch came true because Saffron has money now and is successful while the dick and all his friends are either dead or going to jail. I like to think it is the latter. The ending being that quote reemphasized ugh perfection. 

-Some quotes I enjoyed/reactions to them:

“Am once again sober although not for long, ha ha. Have rung Idiot 1’s private security (once lent her a tampon & now we are of course Best Friends) asking where he’ll be and she has informed me he will be in a meeting, which means he will be in a disgusting “ ”gentlemen” “ (double quotes for Extreme Skepticism)’s club.” “It has occurred to me since awakening to a vicious sight (i.e. my face) that perhaps seduction is a method better outsourced. Will find accomplice and report back soon.”  SHE IS LITERALLY SO FUNNY I LOVE HER SO MUCH

“Thus fair it is unclear where the project is based, though I assume it is a tax-sheltered island because billionaire fuckbois unimaginatively love island and boats.” LOL they do  

“Things don’t always get better, she says, sometimes they just stay the same and sometimes they get worse, and she didn’t really expect to do anything or see anything and now she has.” sad but so true 

“Therefore I will travel to what is inevitably an island and infiltrate it to discover the source of The Immortality Project. Once there, I will destroy it. I will destroy it with my bare hands, and then I will return to give Dick the following message: You are a small man and worse than that you are a mortal one. You will die someday though no fault of mine-I will of course outlive you because I am a woman and this is what we do-but when you do, I want you to know that I could have saved you. Instead I sat in the sun with a beer in my hand and I laughed.” YES

“It has occurred to me since awakening to a vicious sight (i.e. my face) that perhaps seduction is a method better outsourced. Will find accomplice and report back soon.” HAHAHA I love her

“I am taking a moment to myself to reflect on the fact that Dick has stolen my life from me. Worse is that I let him do it. Why have I always cared for other people over myself? Why have I nurtured a bunch of meaningless stocks instead of my own desires? It occurs to me that at least if Dick lives forever he will do something with his life, even if that something is just being egregiously bad in bed with women who don't deserve him. If I could live forever, what would I do with the rest of my life? I've lived more in the last three days than in the entirety of my prior lifetime. If I died tomorrow nobody would even remember me. The most important thing in my life is to destroy Dick for what he stole from me, which for the record wasn't my job. Dick stole my whole life right out from under me. And I didn't even notice until after he'd already fit the whole thing into a cardboard box for me to find outside my office.” ugh relatable 

“It infuriates me that Dick has wealth enough to ensure that a hundred million Saffrons never see another bad day and yet he clings to it like he deserves it more than anyone.” THIS!!!

“So I say the first thing that comes to my tongue, which is: I wish that things were different. As in, I wish this were a different world, one less dominated by dicks and idiots and shitbags and more rewarding of Saffrons instead. I wish girls who didn’t quite know their own power yet would not get swept away by boys who did. I wish a man could not claim all my success for his own, just as I wish he could not simply point at me and diminish me to nothing. I wish I had allowed myself to be a little more difficult a little bit sooner in my life, because it seems like only once I got angry did my life actually start to begin.” SUCH A GREAT WISH I LOVE THIS VERY MUCH

Here is the picture of my insanity as promised:

-Amanda ❤️

well obviously I love the insanity (I always love seeing tabs, it’s such a wonderful compliment, like people who close their eyes when they eat your cooking, so validating) and I love that tradition with your friend. and I also know it was a hard year for you, and I’m so honored I was able to give you something that brought you joy. it’s nice to feel together in the ether etc etc

and thank you so much for your love for the immortality project! people don’t usually mention that one to me but I really love it. I mean, it was obviously super fun for me to write, I’m sure you can tell just by the style, but it’s really nice to see it called out in any way. I appreciate how attentive you are to every line of all my stories. thank you so much for the way you love my work!

[night-orchids]

the fact that you can see the exact moment tears appear in his eyes

[gascreates]

a new star

[scribefindegil]

Still thinking about how the dominant conception of mushroom-hunting in my (USAmerican) culture is fear and revulsion and the idea that anyone who eats a mushroom they found in the woods is courting a terrible death. And I don't want to push back too aggressively; it's better that people think the hobby is too dangerous to bother with rather than having people who are so blasé about the dangers that they end up poisoning themselves. But it still gets a little annoying sometimes. So, for the record, some more nuanced information:

There are a small number of mushrooms that will kill you if you eat them. Most field guides make sure to describe these species carefully so you know what to avoid.

There are a rather larger number of mushrooms that will make you sick but not kill you. Many of these are also noted in field guides, especially if they look at all like any of the edible species.

Many choice edibles are very visually distinct and don't have any non-edible lookalikes. Many foragers stick with these safe choices permanently. (I do this!)

Some edible mushrooms *do* have poisonous lookalikes. Individual foragers can decide how confident they are in their identification skills and what level of risk they're comfortable with accepting.

You need to learn how to use a field guide if you want to gather mushrooms for the table. For most people, this is not a difficult skill to develop, although it takes practice.

You need to learn how to see what is actually in front of you instead of what you want to see. Many misidentifications come from people ignoring obvious field marks out of wishful thinking.

You need to learn about what grows in your region, and if you move, stop foraging until you've had a chance to research the new region. Sadly, many mushroom poisoning cases are recent immigrants who mistook a toxic mushroom for an edible variety from their home country.

It is extremely possible to forage safely. It is also very possible to forage recklessly. You need to be aware of your own skills and temperament to decide whether it's a hobby that will work for you.

If you want to learn more about mushrooms (both poisonous and edible varieties), I highly recommend the book Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares by Greg Marley.

[bunnieswithknives]

OK JUST A LITTLE THING BECAUSE IM INSANE @cubbihue

Song: Plastic by Cheekface

[forgettable-au]

I don't know if it was asked, but… Do the skelebros have a sort of photo album ?

And if yes, then, did the photos change ?

By that, I mean those of Winding Did he disappear on them ? Did the photos get burned ? Did Dings magically turned to Papyrus on them and then, Sans and Paps goes like 'looks like Papyrus, is Papyrus.' ?

It's a combination of some of these

They do have some photos, but probably most of them are from when they were small, they don't tell you a lot...

If there were any photos that were obviously from their days at the lab, those are probably gone... but it's, uh, because of something else...different reasons...

The photos they DO have remained the same! Except for one detail:

It's just the eyes that changed btw, Papyrus and Wingdings have other physical differences but those didn't change in the photos, just the eyes.

Also there's a small bonus below the cut...

Baby bones!! Yay

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 95

Captain Marvel, new Den-Mother (despite the fact he himself is a child even if the league isn’t aware of that fact) for the Young Justice team blinks. Klarion, so-called chaos lord, blinks back in the middle of a spell. 

He tilts his head. The other baby realms-being mirrors him. His own magic-fueled core pulses, and a chaos-core vibrates back. Oh. Ah. So that’s what’s happening. 

“They can’t play right now,” he explains to the barely-younger ancient-in-training, ignoring the team’s incredulous looks at his words with the practice of someone who had to deal with the voices of gods all the time. And Batman’s narrowing eyes. Scary. 

The chaos-core thrums in a distinct pouting-sensation, alongside a whine unique to young ghostlings. A whine that he replied with, even if only they could hear. Come play later, busy now, he insisted again, even if Klarion’s pouting was turning visible before it shifted to a scowl. 

“Fiiine…” And then the chaosling was gone, his familiar with him. Billy really wished he could join in disappearing, seeing the info-hungry look in the others’ eyes.

[hai7ani]

also applies to Chifuyu & Shinichiro.......i think

It's late but I can't seem to think about anything other than the boyfriends who smell a lot like you. I think this applies very well to Rindou like. You're just together so often. His friends have already registered the smell as his own, and even though he sprays on his cologne before he leaves he still manages to smell like you for the rest of the day somehow.

A few have asked what his cologne or perfume is and he says the brand and then they go and compare it in-store but it legit smells nothing like him at all. Around his circle of friends he is notoriously known as the perfume gatekeeper and he doesn't understand it at all 一 has no clue what the big deal is around his perfume, because that's literally the brand he uses, what the hell more do you want from him? Not his fault the in-store oxidised-or-whatever samples don't smell like him. (He literally doesn't smell you on him because he's so used to it already. Like cat owners not knowing how their home smells like to a stranger. Yeah. You're the cat and he's the owner in this case.)

His friends can't quite place and recognise what exactly the smell is 一 especially the people he just met, and it always surprises them a little somehow during first impressions. It's just not very........common for a guy to smell like this. Especially not for a guy who looks like him 一 tall, tatted up, and eyes so fierce it could possibly kill 一 to smell a lot like flowers and bedsheets. The kinda scent that makes you feel at ease and you just want to fall asleep. A comforting one.

And I think that kind of explains why the elderly love speaking to him. Young kids like going up to him for help. The ladies holding their babies likes asking him to help with their stroller. All of that happens regularly despite the tattoos and chunky rings and dyed hair. He often wonders what the hell's so alluring about him that always attracts all these people in public especially when he's alone, but he does find himself doing kind, mundane things for them way too frequently. Not a single complaint on his mind, but just a thought. His girlfriend is usually the magnet attracting people all the time 一 he's more of the dog you'd walk when alone at night. But honestly it's just really his distinct smell from the rest that immediately makes him a safe zone to approach, but he doesn't know that of course.

Shion was over at his place one time to hide from the rain after dinner and he wasn't aware that anyone was home other than him and Rindou alone. The familiar scent of his friend suddenly lingers around in the air and he's quick to ask. "Yo, you got any beer in your fridge? I'm kinda thirsty." He doesn't look up from his phone the entire time 一 they're best buddies, he's been over a few times, and he just really wants something to drink.

A while later, a can of ice cold beer appears in his view next to his device and he grabs it swiftly. "Thanks."

And then he sees long nails and bracelets and fingers a lot more nimbler than his friend's一

Suddenly the smell of fresh flowers 一 something pretty famous from Armani, he recalls 一 floods his nostrils all at once and his brain short circuits. His friend fucking smells like you 一 your scent is just a lot more stronger and distinguishable.

"You're welcome." You have a nice smile on your face while he looks up in horror. "He's in the toilet by the way." You point to the door behind you.

"Oh. My bad."

[meridian-cities]

Drew a few things from the last post Glad you guys like my high quality au that I made in less than a minute lol

[bluerosefox]

Waiting... Waiting...

So... This was inspired by listening to EPIC (FREAKING LOVE ALL THE ALBUMS, SO GOOD) and by @noxcheshire post of Tim being Odysseus reincarnated and Danny (maybe also reincarnated) being his Penelope (Here) so I had to turn it into a Dead Tired idea.

The song The Challenge is the main one here. (Cause I LOVE that song... along with Would You Fall In Love With Me Again)

So WHAT IF Danny IS the reincarnated Penelope, after becoming the Ghost King Danny's memories of his past life as Penelope returns and remembers how before dying/ or being reincarnated both Penelope and Odysseus promised to find each other in their new lives, no matter who they are, what new form they take, they will find each other.

So Danny/Penelope, just like before waits for their Odysseus to return to them, but also tries to find him in their new life (CW is laughing whenever Danny asks for hints and gets a 'In due time, just wait' answer, ugh Danny wants to smack CW for that)

However just like in his previous life with being in a high position of power, Danny is being pressured to marry/take a spouse (now its not just men/males though so its a huge headache, I head canon Ghosts don't care much for gender preference) mostly by the dang eyeballs that Danny is still trying to find a way to get rid of without upsetting the Infinite Realms delicate (but slowly healing) balance even if Danny wanted nothing more than to punch all of the suitors out.

So Danny decides to play the long game again.

And waits for their Odysseus return.

Danny's wait is over when they suddenly feel the Realms shift one day, as if welcoming someone familiar home, and the same feeling Danny had when he had been Penelope and saw the storm that was sign of Odysseus coming home, Danny decides its time to bring out The Challenge once again. (CW gifted Danny a few things from his past as Penelope as a coronation gift, like Odysseus's bow (now enchanted to be unbreakable), a painting of when he was Penelope, with Telemchus, and Odysseus, and the Marriage Bed/Olive Tree, AND the Palace Odysseus made that Danny takes to being in over being at Pariah's Keep)

-x-x-

Meanwhile

Tim Drake, aka Red Robin, always had strange dreams as a child.

War, Death, Monsters, Gods, Goddesses.

His dreams were more like nightmares, haunting him and he sometimes woke up in cold sweat.

He hated storms. Hated being in the water for to long. Hated how he felt both tense but also at home when around Greek heroes, as if he was afraid to 'disrespect' them (Cassie was the only one he didn't feel that way around, mostly cause they had been somewhat friends before their heroing since their parents knew each other) but also knew how to appease them should he insult them. He also had a strange hatred for the CoO with a burning passion because he felt like they were mocking real Owls.

The worst part of nightmares that always pop up are of what feels like should be his home is being invaded by unwanted guests (they aren't guests), how they are angry over trying to string a bow and shot an arrow through axes, of the terrible terrible things he hear them saying they were going to do to his loved ones (two names that keep getting muted out).

How it ends in bloodshed with echoing of begging, pleading, mercy, and screams.

However in those nightmares at the end. He also finds himself looking for something in them.

Or rather he always found someone waiting for him at the end of the nightmares. Calling him by the wrong name but it sounds just right coming from them.

The dream always ends with the person asking 'How long has it been?' and before he can answer he wakes up.

So yeah Tim has horrifying nightmares/dreams he could never explain.

And the urge to find someone. To go home to them.

It isn't until he and his friends from Young Justice are hit by a spell from Klarion (who may or may not had a visit from a certain chaos encouraging Time Keeper) and sent to a place called the Infinite Realms in the middle of their fight, that Tim is hit hard with déjà vu when he spots a certain Palace in the distance and overhears some of the 'people?' (they glow and float and some don't even look human?! where are they?) talk about how the 'King' has issued a new 'Challenge' for his 'suitors'.

A Challenge involving a bow, and axes.

And Tim, feels like he knows this all too well and needs to do it.

[elissastillstands]

IN YOUR NAME // Minthara Baenre

Thinking about paladins and their gods. Reference image by @alphagravy found here; I saw it and was immediately enthralled by her eyes in it.

[olivieblake]

Okay part 2/3 of my love/praise of/for YES!

The Golden Age of Monsters: I love monsters and paranormal jazz so of course. I also loved how there were tiny connections between the monsters you used like rusalka (like what Sasha was called in OFME) and the finfolk of course from “Captain McIver’s Ship of Souls”. You were at your very best banter wise for this story. It was incredible and gave me so much joy. They really could never resist a jab at each other and were always bickering and I was living for it. The angst too in this one ugh my heart really hurt. It went through it (in all the best ways) hahaha. Also Margo being scattered brain, me too girl, loved it.

-Some moments I loved:

Margo staking her ex’s Venmo feed it so funny but also relatable I have done this once (not an ex I was just in a stage of absolute boredom and had nothing better to do so I just scrolled down venmo like it was twitter or something hahaha). Alec is such a grouchy men but I love grouchy men so love it. I absolutely loved how Alec knew Margo could be so powerful and wanted her to become that for herself that’s just so important. Her making him beg lol YES GIRL. SHE KNOWS HIS THREE PRIMARY FORMS OF AMUSEMENT FOR HIS MOUTH AND HAS A FAVORITE AHHH. Their little cute domestic routine they had going on for a bit was so cute. Her glaring and getting back her favorite form of amusement on him (aka my favorite thing ahhh). HER SEEING ALEC EVERYWHERE IN THE MANSIONS SHE IS RESEARCHING AWWW. Dan showing up and Alec being jealous and interrupting their meal and telling him Margo is not the same Margo he knew and wanting him gone ugh such good scenes (I love jealously scenes so much-that’s probably a problem but oh well). Dragon!Alec saving her ahhh. Alec is also hot af. AND HIM KNOWING MARGOT WOULD HURT HERMES FIRST AND THEN HE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM SECOND LOVE THAT LIKE EQUALS AHHH. Forehead kiss awww. The bottle opener as a tool for dulling out their miserable lives lol. Him hoping the rock hits Poseidon that he threw into the waves LOL Hermes is so funny. Her remembering all the requests he had that he wanted her to ask (from the first time they almost had sex to now) AHHH. THE LOVE CONFESSION IN THIS ONE (i have it in the quotes later but like you write the best ones oh my god). Take me. Have me. I’m yours. THEY STILL ARGUE ALL THE TIME BUT COME BACK AND SAY I LOVE YOU AND KISS. She feels like she belongs there 🥺🥺🥺. THE ANGST OF HER LEAVING AND WANTING TO STAY OR FOR HIM TO CAN’T BUT HE CAN’T AND SHE HAS TO LEAVE UGH SO GOOD. Her splashing him with water and telling him to “Say goodbye, asshole” and him lowering his sunglasses to look at her and mouthing back “impossible witch.” I DIED I LOVE THEM. She keeps looking for the Draco constellation awww. “Hey, asshole,” she said. “It’s about time you showed up.” a mood I love how the banter never stopped for one second truly. STOP THEM LOATHING AND LOVING EACH OTHER ALL AT ONCE. Her own personal golden age 🥺🥺🥺 (and how golden age is in the story title ugh love it)!

Also Henry and Hermes being a thing was so fun, from the moment they talked in like the grocery store I was like oh? Is something cooking here?

-Some quotes I enjoyed/reactions to them:

“Well, it’s either make jokes or worry about dying” LOL gotta love it me too girl making jokes that are bad is my coping mechanism

“He was by far the worst thing on the island” AHHH I LOVE IT

“Is it ever going to cool down?” Margo lamented, fanning herself and Alec gave her one of his warning glares, this one was warning her to silence, but it wasn't too severe, so she pressed on.” LOL LOVE IT

“…and I think I realized that I didn’t love him so much as just wanted to be loved by someone. Anyone." mood. Me too girl me too.

“You’re magic Margo West” 🥺🥺🥺

“I don't understand how this happened. He was so awful. I've never met anyone more irritating or more relentlessly, oppressively off-putting than Alec Del Mar. He constantly gets under my skin. He's vain, blunt, arrogant, manipulative, infuriating, selfish, maddening, clever, funny, and strangely kind..He's not what I would have chosen for myself, but that's the worst part, isn't it? He's nothing I ever knew I wanted, and somehow, he's everything I can't live without.” SCREAMING OH MY GOD

“Of all my lives, the one I had with you was the best one.” 🥺🥺🥺

“Men,” Saide scoffed, ruthlessly tearing off a piece of her croissant, and though Margo knew she probably shouldn’t agree (knowing, as she did, that the only distinction between Sadie’s damaged pastry and actual human disembowelment was a few degrees of moonlight), she still found it highly relatable.” MOOD

“Besides I think the term ‘monster’ might be relative. Aren’t we all a little monstrous in our own ways?” we are!!!

“I just meant that not all mysteries are a bad thing. It’s not so bad to face the unknown. Kind of beautiful, actually.” She took a deep breath, letting the salty sea air lick her cheeks. “I think I love the way the water stretches on forever. But, at the same time, I like the horizon, too. I like how it’s steadying, in a way. It’s like I can finally imagine a happy ending, because I know the water shines brightest right where it hits the sky.” THIS QUOTE IS MY FAVORITE I LOVE IT SO SO SO MUCH

“I don't want to take caution," she told him, already a little breathless at the thought. "I want to get dragged under the current, I want to be pulled down to the depths." She watched his breath halt, motion rescinded. "I want to get swept away, Alec," she told him softly, and he bent his head with a shiver, taking her chin gently and holding her still. "Margo," he said. "We've talked about these self-destructive impulses." She tugged him down to her, laughing into his mouth. "Believe me, I know," she murmured, and he kissed her anyway, molding himself to the shape of her as the ocean slid up to wash over their toes, the waves themselves sighing with satisfaction.” AWWW

“Then, gradually, he’d moved closer, fitting himself at her feet or, on one occasion, nudging her over in a state of drowsy half-sleep to serve as her very amenable pillow. The day before, she’d woken up to him sitting on the floor, and when she’d slid her leg out towards him-giving his shoulder a nudge to indicate her state of consciousness-he’d reached around and curled his fingers delicately across her calf, pressing a kiss lightly to her ankle.” DOMESTIC MARGOALEC AWWW

“I don't understand how this happened. He was so awful. I've never met anyone more irritating or more relentlessly, oppressively off-putting than Alec Del Mar. He constantly gets under my skin. He's vain, blunt, arrogant, manipulative, infuriating, selfish, maddening, clever, funny, and strangely kind..He's not what I would have chosen for myself, but that's the worst part, isn't it? He's nothing I ever knew I wanted, and somehow, he's everything I can't live without.” OBSESSED

“Margo West, impossible woman and disastrous witch, I’m inadvisable, inarticulately, implausibly in love with you. I love you , with every strand of this form and with all my others, and because of you-” He broke off, tightening his fingers in the mess that was her unwashed hair. “Because of you,” he murmured, “I no longer hate this island. I no longer hate this job. I don’t even hate the gods.” LIKE THE BEST LOVE CONFESSION EVER

“Either that or we’re just so good together it feels like instinct; like something brand new. He knows how to touch me in ways he can’t have gotten from anyone else, and I am more myself in his arms than I have ever been. I no longer worry about being something so paltry as normal.” She doesn't have to worry about being normal!!! Ugh love

“And with that, Margo West crashed into Alec Del Mar with the inevitability of the tide, breathing in the sea-salt taste of summer from his skin as she finally touched her fingers to him, to her own personal golden age, and to the undisputed glory of the horizon.” Happiness awww

Pars Fortuna: LilySam my second favorite binary stars (you probably were waiting for me to read this to tell you I screamed at the quote right?). They are just so cute! Me 🤝 Sam 🤝 having bad luck (literally though reading this I was like well maybe I too was just born under unlucky stars haha). They just had such good tension from the moment they met I was like okay KISS please (you should see how many times I have “their tension 🥵” in my notes lo)l. The banter was also excellent. This story was so funny but also emotional, it was the one story I cried at. The angst was so good too where she was trying to decide between her love for Sam and wanting success that she thought she needed her luck for ugh I loved it.

-Some moments I loved:

Their meet cute was so funny hahah. She likes Sam with his shirt off LOL my girl. She’s so clumsy around him he’s constantly having to catch her and I lowkey love it??? OOOH BOLD OF HER I LOVE IT to say “you can buy next time” (and his voice getting softer when he is teasing her). How he touches her waist while she is trying to get a different card AHHH SUCH GOOD CHEMISTRY/TENSION. Picking on her and the glare and the glare making him laugh ugh MY FAVORITE THING. Oh no he’s gotten stuck in a lot of elevators (I have been stuck in one with like 19 other people on a 90 degree day where there was no AC it was not a fun experience haha). Sam is also so hot, you just write hot people tbh. THE JOLT WHEN THEY TOUCHED AHHH. THE LIGHTS BUZZING AND FLICKERING WHEN THEY KISS AHHH. THE GHOST KISS ON HER NECK STOP I LOVE THOSE (as she fumbling with her key to unlock her door). Him reminding her to not text him back until the morning since she’s a busy woman and so he wouldn’t get the wrong impression that she might like him lol LOVE. HER LIPS STILL BUZZING WITH THE TASTE OF HIM! HER SMILING AND HER HEART FLUTTERING WHEN SHE GOT THE TEXT saying “that was fun” from him. Awww she wants to gossip to her grandmother about it and the whole scene where she admits she told her grandma about him was amazing. THE KISS ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER. I love how he tries to protect her from his bad luck it’s adorable. Him offering to fix it/find her another pair/cook her dinner because she looked sad about her canvassing shoes. HER THINKING ABOUT THEM COOKING TOGETHER AND BEING ALL DOMESTIC AND DANCING ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR AWWW. Her finally getting to wipe away the grease smear after she wanted to before ughhh loved the call back to that. STOP THE I WANTED TO BE A LIFEGUARD BUT I DROWNED LINE MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD. STOP ALL THE THINGS SHE MISSES ABOUT HIM AND HOW SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD BE NORMAL WITH HIM I’M CRYING IT HURT. His whole speech about missing her and what he wants ugh loved! HIM BEING SO NERVOUS AND HIS ARMS TIGHT AROUND HER BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT HER TO LEAVE HIM AND HER GIVING HIM A REASSURING KISS AHHH. Her getting to talk to her mom via the ouija board is what made me cry. Just seeing how happy her mom was for her and her mom telling her that she was her lucky star and that whatever she chose is the right voice. It was just adorable and so meaningful and beautiful tearing up just thinking about it again. AHHH SAM WENT TO A WALLACE HART RALLY TO DEFEND LILY. Stop the little montage into the future of him meeting her grandmother and mother and their wedding where the lights go out was so cute! The last thing with the “oh you don’t really believe in luck, do you?” that Lily said made me laugh hahahha. He registered to vote wooo important and she won yay!!!

-Some quotes I enjoyed/reactions to them:

“What’s good here?” “Democratic freedom,” she told him sternly. “Our fiduciary duty as citizens to vote.” “Mm,” he replied, not looking up. “And does that come with pork, or…?” She groaned, and he glanced up, half-smiling.” LOL

“He was at the door in a matter of moments, pulling it open and giving her a surprised half-smile. By then, she’d only known him three ways: one, scowling at her with annoyance; two, coaxing her with humor; three, kissing her to breathless insanity.” SUCH A GOOD QUOTE

“Things can go wrong, and they often do. It’s not really a question of luck so much as probability.” truth!

“Lily closed her eyes, saying nothing. There was nothing to say, really. The irony of her grandmother being right was that what it might take for Lily to regain her luck currently felt like the unluckiest thing of all.” 😭😭😭

“If she wanted to capitalize on her luck, that meant no Sam. And the idea of not seeing Sam again, even for the next few weeks, felt like an unbearable betrayal.” CRYING

“He took a step forward; pausing right in front of her, until the two of them were mirror images straddling the threshold.” MIRROR IMAGES MY FAVORITE

“She tried to shove it away, reaching for Sam, but he hesitated. "Let me do something," he said. "I can make you dinner?" “What, here?" she asked, gesturing around his apartment with a grimace. "Sorry, I don't think so." He rolled his eyes, kissing her forehead. "Tomorrow night, then," he said, "let's make dinner together, okay? Your apartment, if you want." God, and didn't that sound blissfully normal. Normal, and really kind of sweet. She had a brief image of them cooking together while Norah Jones played from her tinny iPhone speakers. She'd wear shoes she didn’t care about and a dress that didn’t matter if it got stained and maybe he’d dance with her on the kitchen floor and she’d tell Zaniah, See? It’s not about luck.” SO CUTE

“I worked too hard to put all my faith in luck,” she told him, and then corrected herself. “I work too hard to let the universe take credit for everything I’ve done.” YES GIRL

“All she wanted to do was fall back into bed with him; to lean into the palm of his hand and say hold me, Sam, until I forget; until today becomes tomorrow without me lifting a finger; until I no longer have to live in this place of uncertainty, because the stars already made up their minds for me. Unfortunately, that probably wasn’t the case.” 🥺🥺🥺

“He brought her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. “For what it's worth," he said. "You changed my life, Lily Nasser." She winced. "Did I, though?” "You made me believe in something," he told her, "even if that something happens to be a political campaign." In response, part of her wanted furiously to pry him open; to find their cosmic flaw and rearrange it. Stitch him back up and say I solved it, we're fine now. Now, for the first time, Lily truly believed her grandmother was right; she had spent most of her life being lucky. Certainly luckier than she'd realized, because she was fairly sure that pulling away from Sam was the toughest thing she'd ever had to do.” Fix their cosmic flaw ughhh love

“I’ll never win you the big stuffed bear, Lily, but I will believe in you, I promise.” Which is the best and most important thing

“Maybe Alya knew that Lily would be the start of a ripple effect, the first shatter in the glass soon to break; or maybe she’d seen only that her daughter, the bright spot in her short life, had fallen for someone who treated her like something precious, and Alya had found just the right time to tell Lily fuck the stars, live your life baby girl, and don’t let a single thing stop you.” my favorite quote from this story, I love it so much.

“Like my grandmother always says ‘giving up means you’re dead and not even that stops most people,’” LOL but also mood and true!

Also I am extremely excited to welcome my fellow Aries-OFME (olivie’s version)-to the family! I think she fits into the Aries energy well. Feeling very thankful it’s in April too because that’s the one month every year where I pretend I have money and buy myself gifts without guilt, so much love. (AND THAT FAIRYLOOT EDITION IS STUNNING OH MY GOD).

Will be back hopefully soon for some praise for Optimist! I’ve been really enjoying it so far (even though you have already given me an existential crisis) I’ve just been reading it slow because life is just extremely busy this year (not in a super bad way just as life gets sometimes). Also just thank you for dealing with me this year on all the platforms.

-Amanda ❤️

hahaha @ “dealing with you” like it’s such a trial to be told my work has meaning. LONG SUFFERING SIGH

just as a fun bts, the title of this collection comes from stone’s throw but it ALMOST came from the line you called out in pars fortuna—that part of the collection was so strong we almost named the anthology “fuck the stars”

[elderwisp]

r is for reckless

[rosetterer]

There is something about the thought of Buck taking Tommy's last name that just drives me insane

[transannabeth]

Are the buttons in ghost trick really ghost and trick /gen

i would never lie to you about the ghost and trick buttons. you ghost or you trick you trick or you ghost

[zu-is-here]

make teleshopping great again ♪