#this goes for max too my fave bestie

[salvatoraes-moved]

You’re so lovely ic and ooc!! Your Stefan is wonderful and I’m so grateful to have you grace my dash 💕💕 but seriously I think you’re phenomenal! So talented and sooo sweet!! I get excited whenever I see your icon pop up!

anon or not, tell me your honest opinion about me. i can't reply / comment. just publish, accepting !

[taasgirl]

blame - driver!reader x grid

summary: driver!reader goes to war protecting her teammate and best friend, max verstappen.

a/n: this is NOT a romance smau!!

liked by user76, user98, and 6, 872, 014 others f1 Following a breach of conditions set by the FIA, Max Verstappen will serve a mandatory community service period.

tagged: maxverstappen1

ynusername just say ya'll can't handle him and move on!!!

user27 be careful y/n, they'll send you too user46 HAHA SHE'S SO REAL

user51 this is so stupid

user90 who decided this???

user75 Okay I understand him getting community service for the Ocon incident, but for swearing?

user21 they're treating max like he's a child

liked by oscarpiastri, redbullracing, and 2, 379, 918 others ynusername unbothered, moisturised, and definitely plotting to overthrow the fia!

tagged: maxverstappen1

user59 My dreams 5 minutes before my alarm:

user61 y/n and max are never beating the platonic soulmates allegations

user87 Get yourself a teammate that fights the FIA on your behalf @/estebanocon

maxverstappen1 I was going to say something nice then I saw the last photo.

ynusername pls still compliment me x

oscarpiastri I agree with the caption

landonorris ur too ashy to be moisturised

view ynusername's story...

caption only the FIA could ruin a beautiful flight @/alex_albon

liked by carlossainz55, alex_albon, and 1, 256, 280 others ynusername me and bro suiting up to destroy the FIA

tagged: carlossainz55, landonorris

lewishamilton This is why you're my favourite on the grid

ynusername this is why you're the 🐐

oscarpiastri Hey I hope you were joking when you said you'd be turning into a grid terror haha (please be joking)

ynusername don't worry ur safe xx

landonorris WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS Y/N???

landonorris If me and my gang pull up ahh post

ynusername yup you're now my number one target for unironically using 'ahh'

maxverstappen1 I hope I am bro

ynusername there's no one i'd rather serve community service with

liked by fernandoalo_oficial, lewishamilton, and 3, 287, 3389 others ynusername don't worry I won't actually replicate crashgate. however, please know that I have free reign over my radio xx

landonorris Thank god u had me scared for a minute

user49 y/n is taking this too far 😭

ynusername oh i can go further if needed

lewishamilton HAHA this is gold y/n

ynusername when I have the praise of sir lewis hamilton then I know that I'm doing something right

user20 OMG Y/N GOING INSANE ON RADIO IS A NEEEED

user91 y/n is the only reason i'm tuning in this weekend

view ynusername's story...

caption: I have some business to attend to this sunday afternoon

liked by user62, user87, and 209, 557 others f1updates Not shy on the radio so far! Y/N on the formation lap, and she'd already quizzing her engineer.

user83 she's so unserious i love her

user90 This is my sign to strictly watch her onboard today

user41 y/n really is going to put on a show huh

liked by user 34, user75, and 1, 722, 981 others f1updates A few of the unhinged thing's Y/N was saying during today's race. Safe to say that she may be sporting a ban for the next race.

user38 her engineer replying with 'affirm' is so fucking funny to me

user92 And ya'll still wonder why she's my fave driver

user47 THE WAY THIS ISN'T EVEN EVERYTHING SHE SAID

user28 what else did she say??

user47 @/user28 she went on a whole tangent about how stroll is a prick that shouldn't be in f1 😭😭

liked by charlesleclerc, landonorris, and 3, 615, 248 others ynusername FIA knew I'd be too powerful for another race (hey at least bestie doesn't have to do community service).

maxverstappen1 You're insane I love you

ynusername dinner is still on you right?

landonorris NOOOOOO RIP Y/N

ynusername bitch i'm still alive

oscarpiastri Welcome back Kevin Magnussen liked by ynusername

redbullracing She might be crazy, but she's our kind of crazy!

ynusername pls keep me employed ya'll

view landonorris's story...

caption Yes, she still has the helmet on

view maxverstappen1's story...

caption Okay time for us to get to work

eeee i hope you guys liked this, please let me know if you did!

[themoodyestj]

If Jared had done to a woman, what he did to Misha ( pin her to the ground, pretend to have sex with her, and kiss her without her consent. Not to metion pinching her thighs, grab her ass or put his hands on her crotch) he would probably be facing charges for sexual harassment.

and yes there is footage for all of the above.

Misha has done a lot to make this a better world, he has helped lots of people, built schools, cleaned rivers, rised money to help several causes, he inspired people all arround the world to help others and to be kind to themselves as well.

Jared is just another entitled white guy who thinks he's entitled to stop a train because he's more important than the other 200 people in the same train as him, he literally thinks that avoiding his own discomfort is a priority over the lives of all those people! and also, he was arrested for beating up a person!

OK Anon, let me see if i can express my POV well here. I'm not shy on putting responsibility where it is due (not even my fave, if you know the post that got AAs wanting to torch my tushie). EVERYONE SUCKS. Jared sucks because sometimes he's a bit of a airhead and makes mistakes (like stopping a train), and too emotional that he beat up a guy and he sexually harrassed Misha (your words). Honestly, I have never seen footage of that, but sure, I'll take your word for it. Jensen sucks because he did a prequel without the person that helped him build what we know as Supernatural and his wife instead, who had no business trying to milk a cow she didnt raise or put any kind of input on something that wasnt hers. Misha sexually harrassed Jensen (I mean, if we can call it for Jared, it's only fair to call it for Misha), he made jokes about slavery, rape, mental health, dropped slurs, called Musk a snowflake, also pranked Jared, incited Destiel, a subject that makes Jensen extremely uncomfortable and sided with Jensen's vapid wife to make jokes about him. The list goes on and on, and I don't want to waste a lot of time throwing accusations. My point is: Jared apologized, owned his mistakes, did therapy. Improved himself as a person. He's doing a lot better now. Misha, on the other hand, apologizes for nothing. He drops bombs at cons and when people get offended he basically calls them idiots because they "didnt get the joke". He uses controversia to make himself relevant. I bet not even Misha believes in Destiel, but it serves him oh so well, that he will feed it to any idiot who will do anything for a morsel. He constantly makes himself the victim, builds a world where everyone is a villain but him, because he always means well, no matter how disgusting he is. He will always be "misunderstood".

GeeksforHarris was a joke, as someone living in another country who takes democracy seriously. I would have admired Misha if he spoke about laws, and rights, and his view of the world, not freaking Destiel! He made a post about something he saw in his rug, for God's sake! How can someone with the average IQ even respect this man? If I were Jared, I wouldnt have shown up either. I would paint my face black before going to a political campaign to talk about TV shows. You can say all you want about Jared. Making Jared a devil wont make Misha a saint. Like his bestie Dee, he's a parasite. He got this opportunity to work in a famous TV Show, he saw an opportunity to prolong his fame by queerbaiting, and he's milking it to the max, while being stupid not to see how it's harming his own career. At this moment, Misha is a musician, playing the world's smallest violin as he still hangs on to grudges from over 4 years ago, but chnging the tune everytime it's convenient to him. Because that's all he's got. I could go on and on, to be honest. The man is desperate for attention and there is no shortage of idiotic things he did to stay relevant. But I dont have that kind of time.

[stregoniconiconii]

for the character ask: el and robin

el <333

1: sexuality headcanon: hmm I feel like el isn't the type to label her sexuality, I do think she's some sort of sapphic tho <3 I do think her first idea of romance was informed by television tho so there's some unlearning to do. she's a huge romantic. I also really like the idea of her Choosing to be a girl/woman after being reduced to an experiment for so long, whether that be her being a trans woman or a cis woman On Purpose

2: otp: I very rarely think of romances for the younger generation but I actually do enjoy elmike sometimes. love a good elmax moment too or elumax as an ot3. won't lie also slightly intrigued by the idea of eldustin

3: brotp: god I can't pick! elmax first girl best friendship is so special and el's friendship with the og party is so good, the sibling relationship she has with will and Jonathan is also so good (in my heart Steve is also part of this little sibling love fest lol she's the baby sister of the family) god also her relationship with both joyce and hop...like those are her parents <3 I also really like her relationship with kali and im really hoping we get to see more of it

4: notp: ive seen some grossss ships for el...anything that's with adults is no bueno for me.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head: ive been talking about this recently actually but since millie is half deaf ive thought about el also being half deaf and how she can possibly use her powers as an aide

6: favorite line from this character: the delivery of "I dump your ass" is unparalleled imo love it when she screams too <3

7: one way in which I relate to this character: hmmm idk we dont have much in common . we both love max

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character: nothing she's perfect

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?: ignore all the ppl she's killed they deserved it. cinnamon roll

robin <333

1: sexuality headcanon: that's a genuine canonical lesbian!!! I do think she's a bit demisexual tho like she'll hang out with a girl for months maybe even years and then suddenly go oh. wait. this is a crush. and promptly freak out about it lol . I think robin is also a bit gender weird! definitely gets more gender nonconforming as time goes on, my baby butch <3

2: otp: robin and vickie <3 that's my endgame couple right there! ive seen a lot of fanon ships for her and some are more intriguing than others for me. buckingham is cute!

3: brotp: hmmm im not sure....lmao obviously stobin they're platonically married and share a mind . I know if nobody got me stobin do . I did really like that she got a friendship with Nancy started tho I dont think they'll ever be Super close. in the Lucas tie in novel she had some really nice interactions with Lucas that made me all <333 I also think she's close with erica!!!

4: notp: any romantic ship with a man. ronance..they just do not seem compatible to me <3

5: first headcanon that pops into my head: she's a vegetarian, her parents are too! she has eaten meat a few times, and her mom used to try and make it to fit in with small town America but it was never very good. the last time she ate something with meat in it was when Steve made them some pasta that had like anchovies in it and he nearly knocked her fork out of her hand (he cares more about her sticking to her vegetarian diet than her lmao)

6: favorite line from this character: ohhh her ears are little geniuses...my genius baby <3 also the whole bathroom coming out scene was perfect I literally would not change a single thing about it

7: one way in which I relate to this character: we are both soooo gay

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character: ahhhmm idk I think she's perfect <3 kinda cringe to encourage her bestie to get with a girl in a relationship tho :/

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?: cinnamon roll <33

[onceuponastory]

i only wanna talk to you - steve harrington x reader

The only thing I'm really sure of I'm unsure of almost everything But I know, I know, I only wanna talk to you - i only wanna talk to you by the maine

Plot: A month after Vecna has been defeated, and the world has been saved once more, Steve and Y/N find comfort in each other...and just maybe, they’ll finally tell each other the truth about what’s in their letters from Max. This is part two of my fic ‘Words Left Unsaid’, so please read that first here if you haven’t already! Pairing: Steve Harrington x Female!Reader Warnings: Mentions of death but no further character death than what’s canon in the show, because if any of my faves die I’m never watching this show again, and all the trauma, nightmares, injuries and scars Y/N, Steve and all the others have after the events of this season, and the show in general. As always, please let me know if I’ve missed any triggers. Notes: A few people requested a part two to Words Left Unsaid with a love confession, so here we go! Sorry it took me a while. Dividers made by my bestie @thesundrop. Not beta’d, so all mistakes are my own.​

One Month After Vecna’s Defeat

It took them longer than expected, but finally, the Hawkins Gang defeated Vecna with no further loss of life. And after a while, things in Hawkins went back to normal. Or at least, as close to ‘normal’ as possible. Actually, Hawkins hasn’t been normal for a while. But there aren’t any monsters trying to kill everyone anymore, so at least that’s something positive. Y/N sits on her family’s porch seat, watching as the world goes by. The world she helped save. Nervously, she fiddles with the hem of her cardigan as she looks around her. Even trying to relax is impossible now, because after surviving something like this, Y/N’s terrified it’ll happen again, so she wants to make sure she’s prepared for every possible outcome. After all, the Mind Flayer came back, so who’s to say Vecna won’t?

Even so though, Y/N just wants to be able to stop thinking about demons and monsters trying to kill her friends and family. At this rate, just one day free of worrying about The Upside Down and everything involved with it would be perfect. As she scans her surroundings once more, Y/N catches sight of the plate of cookies left on the table by her mom. She brought her them in the hopes they make her feel better. Y/N sighs. By this point, her parents have noticed something’s going on with her. Then again though, since Y/N spends most of her nights being wide awake and too afraid to sleep, or awoken by nightmares when she does manage to fall asleep, it’s pretty obvious something is wrong with her. They’ve tried their best to offer her their love and support as best they can, and she does appreciate it...but there’s no way she can tell them everything she’s seen and what she’s so afraid of. They’ll think she’s crazy.

Sighing, Y/N wraps her cardigan closer around herself, hoping that it shields her from the chilly Hawkins wind…or that it’ll somehow act like a safety blanket, protecting her from all the death and destruction she’s witnessed up until this point, and that still haunts her every waking moment. If only things were that easy, and stuff like that actually worked.

Thankfully, before Y/N can think much more about the things she’s seen, the sound of a car pulling up her drive fills the air. A car that she knows all too well, and the very sight of it makes her feel better already. Steve steps out, his trademark quiff the same as ever. Y/N’s heart starts to flutter as he walks up her drive, and Max’s words from her letter fill her mind again.

“So please Y/N, for me. Tell Steve that you love him.” Y/N frowns. She said that she didn’t want to tell him the truth whilst everything with Vecna was going on…so now that it’s over, is it finally time to admit it? Now, though, Y/N’s afraid that Steve won’t feel the same about her. 

Soon, Steve’s standing in front of her. At the sight of him, Y/N sighs. He might look the same as usual, but Y/N can tell that the past few weeks have been haunting him. Steve looks exhausted, and his usual cheerful demeanour is gone. The deep red scar from Vecna’s vines is still visible across his neck, despite Steve’s clear attempt to hide it with his sweater. Of course, Y/N knows that after being through the same thing, she doesn’t look that good either, and she definitely has scars of her own, but seeing Steve so different, so…empty, is quite unsettling. What they’ve been through with Vecna really has changed them all.

“Hey Steve.” 

“Hey. I just thought I’d visit everyone and see how they’re holding up. Saved you for last.” He chuckles, and Y/N even manages a small smile. Although everything about them both has changed, at his heart, Steve’s still the same protector he always was. He’s still the same Steve Harrington she fell in love with. “So, are you alright?” Steve asks. Y/N can tell that Steve knows it’s a dumb question. After going through what they did, it would be hard for anyone to be okay. But it’s a better question than “Hey, how are you feeling after a monster that preys on people’s guilt and insecurities almost killed us all?” And besides, Steve is trying, and she appreciates his concern and his need to check up on her.

“I don’t know.” She admits. “My scars haven’t faded yet. I’m still having nightmares, and every time I visit my grandma and her clock chimes, I jump about five feet in the air. I think my mom thinks I need an exorcism by this point.” Y/N and Steve laugh at her admission. It feels weird to be laughing at something like this, but Y/N is grateful for it. At least they both have something to laugh and smile about. “Enough about me. How are you doing, Steve?”

“I’m….” Steve trails off, and Y/N notices his smile faltering. It’s only then that she remembers that this isn’t Steve’s first experience with stuff like this. Despite how hard he tried to put on a brave face and act like he still has remnants of his King Steve persona, it’s clear that everything Steve has gone through still haunts him. “Okay? I think?” Steve answers. Y/N’s face softens.

“Steve, it’s okay not to be okay. I’m here if you need to talk to someone.” 

“I know. I’m just not ready yet.” He sighs. Y/N nods in understanding. “I’ll, uh, I’ll let you get back to whatever it is you’re doing. See you around, Y/N.” Steve waves, turning back towards his car. Quickly, she stands up, unwilling to let Steve leave just yet. Not only because she’s still head over heels in love with him, but because she doesn’t want to be alone right now. And she knows that deep down, Steve doesn’t want to be alone either. And thankfully, since she and Steve have both been through the same thing, it means they can actually talk about how they feel, and the other will understand them.

“Steve, wait!” She calls, and he turns around, frowning. “Would you like to sit with me for a while? We don’t have to talk or anything, it’s just nice to have company. My mom made cookies earlier, and you can have some if you want.” She offers. 

“Yeah. Yeah, that would be nice, thanks.” He smiles, walking back up the stairs to her porch and sitting beside her. “And I do love your mom’s cookies, so I’m mostly staying for those.” He jokes.

“Gee, thanks.” Y/N rolls her eyes jokingly, but still can’t stop herself from giggling. In all honesty, since everything happened, Y/N hasn’t been able to laugh as much as she used to, if ever. Now though, hearing the sound of her laughter filling the air makes her feel happy, and that things will be okay again. And it’s all thanks to Steve. 

Now if only she could tell him the truth about how she feels.

Y/N and Steve sit together for a while, watching as the residents of Hawkins get on with their lives. Although she is glad to see the world get back to semi-normality, Y/N’s jealous of those who have no idea of The Upside Down, or of anything else she and her friends have dealt with. Sometimes, Y/N wishes she could be like them: ignorant to what’s going on. To not have to go to bed every night wondering if she’ll wake up in the morning, or that she’ll be able to go anywhere alone without the threat of being attacked by a monster. There’s no way she can ever live a normal life after this. Her eyes look back over at Steve. 

Then again, if she hadn’t been dragged into this, then she would’ve never met Steve. And without Steve, she wouldn’t have so many good memories of them both, and they wouldn’t be sitting here on her porch together. Even though the pair have mostly been sitting in silence, it’s a comfortable silence, and they both feel safe in each other’s presence. Because maybe they don’t have to say anything to each other. All that matters is that they know the other understands what they’re going through, and that’s more than enough.

“Y/N?” Steve murmurs.

“Hmm?” 

“I um. I have something I need to tell you.” Immediately, that makes her heart start racing again. Vecna might be gone, but what if he’s back? Or what if there are more monsters? More unexplained things? Seeing the fear on her face, Steve’s eyes widen. “No! Shit, no, not like that. It’s not bad.” That makes her frown, because knowing Steve, it could be anything from Family Video still doesn’t have her favourite movie back in stock, or that he’s going away to college and leaving Hawkins and her for good. Hopefully, it’s not the last one. Because even after everything she’s been through, losing Steve Harrington in her life is something that Y/N knows she won’t ever be able to handle.

“Okay, what is it?” Steve’s cheeks flush a little, and he runs his hand through his hair.

“Well.” He takes a deep breath. However, before he can continue his explanation, the sound of a door opening interrupts them.

“Alright kids, just letting you know dinner is almost ready.” Y/N’s mom announces with a smile. Y/N sighs. Trust her mom to ruin the moment. “Do you want to call your parents and ask if you can stay for dinner, Steve?” 

“Well….” Steve trails off, and Y/N raises a brow. “My parents aren’t home right now. They’re on a trip.” Y/N’s heart breaks at that comment. Steve’s been through so much pain and trauma recently, including almost fucking dying at the hands of the demobats, and he has to deal with it alone because his parents care more about a trip than his wellbeing. Sure, Y/N can’t tell her parents about all the horrors she’s seen, but at least they’re there if she needs them, even if it’s just for a chat. Meanwhile, Steve’s been left in that big house to deal with this all on his own. He takes care of everyone else, but there’s nobody there to look out for him. “It’s okay though! I was just gonna order some pizza and chill.” Steve insists. Despite his insistence, Y/N swears she sees a look of sadness cross his face, one that breaks Y/N’s heart all over again. She stares into his brown eyes, hoping that Steve knows just how loved he is, and how she’ll take care of him. Immediately, Y/N’s mom’s smile drops. 

“Oh no, honey, absolutely not. I’m not letting you go home alone without some food in your stomach. You’re staying. It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.” She announces, disappearing back inside and closing the door before Steve can say anything. His cheeks flush pink again.

“Is it alright for me to stay? I don’t want to intrude on your dinner.” In response, Y/N gives him a look.

“Steve. Don’t be silly, you could never intrude. And besides, my mom loves you. You’re like her honorary son. If she could, she’d have you over all the time.” Of course, Y/N would love to have Steve over all the time too, but she decides not to tell him that just yet. 

If only she could know what he wanted to tell her.

After dinner, which Y/N spent most of trying to figure out what Steve wants to tell her, and how to admit her feelings for him, she and Steve are back on the porch. A blanket covers their legs, protecting them both from the chilly Hawkins evening air. “God, your mom is a fucking amazing cook. I couldn’t eat anything more.” Steve moans happily, and Y/N chuckles.

“Knowing her, she’s probably packing up leftovers for you to take home with you.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t say no!” Smiling, Y/N looks up at the sky. The sun is almost set, and it bathes the sky in pinks and oranges. Y/N sighs happily. With everything going on, she almost forgot how beautiful Hawkins nights can be. She glances back over at Steve, who’s also staring at the sky, a look of wonder on his face. He’s bathed in the sky’s glow, and Y/N feels her breath hitching in her throat. He looks gorgeous. A night like this is especially more beautiful when you’re sharing it with someone you love. Suddenly, something brushes her hand, and Y/N jumps slightly…until she realises that it’s Steve’s hand. “Oh shit, sorry.” Steve murmurs, hiding his face from her. Before Y/N can say anything, Steve removes his hand, and she sighs. She liked the sensation of his hand touching hers, his fingers gently tracing along her skin. It gave her shivers, but the good kind this time.

“It’s okay Steve.” She smiles, but he doesn’t put his hand back. 

“So please Y/N, for me. Tell Steve that you love him.” Max’s words echo in her mind once more, and Y/N takes a deep breath. Maybe it is time to tell him the truth, even though she’s still terrified about it. But first, she has ask him something.

“Steve? What was it you wanted to tell me?” His eyes widen a little.

“Oh, right. Remember that night when we read Max’s letters?” She nods. “Well, I wasn’t entirely honest about what was in mine. And now, I think it’s time I tell you the truth.” Steve takes a breath. “I like you Y/N.” Somehow, her heart almost stops and also starts pounding all at the same time. Steve keeps talking, and Y/N’s not even sure if she takes the words in, too shocked by his admission to even formulate any words yet. “I tried to hide my feelings from everyone, but Max found out and told me to tell you. That’s what was in my letter.” He chuckles. “I didn’t say anything because I was too worried you wouldn’t feel the same and that you’d be in danger, especially with Vecna on the loose. Now it’s all over though, and because you’ve always been so kind and supportive to me, I realised I didn’t want to go another day without telling you the truth. I know you might not feel the same, but I just had to tell you.” He whispers his next words: “I’m in love with you, Y/N Y/L/N.” Steve smiles, clearly thankful for finally getting that weight off of his chest.

Meanwhile, Y/N blinks in surprise. She tries desperately to put together a response in her head, yet comes up blank each time. It feels like her brain is screaming at her. Noticing her silence, Steve sighs sadly. “Look, it’s late. I better go. Tell your mom I said thanks for the food.” As Steve is about to get up and leave, Y/N reaches forward, grabbing his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

“No! Wait!” Her words stop Steve in his tracks. “I have something to tell you, too. Max wrote the same in my letter.” Steve frowns, and Y/N explains. “She told me to tell you the truth about how I feel, too. I’m in love with you Steve. I have been for the past year.” A huge grin takes over Steve’s face.

“You are? Oh, thank god.” He gasps. “Can I…kiss you?” Y/N giggles, and nods. Gently, Steve runs his finger down Y/N’s jawline, and he cups her jaw. Slowly, he leans in close, softly pressing his lips to hers. A soft moan escapes Y/N’s lips and she deepens the kiss as she wraps her arms around his waist. Once the kissing stops, Steve keeps holding her close. Y/N swears she could stay in Steve’s embrace forever. But life must go on, and unfortunately, it means Steve has to go home. 

“You know, you could stay over. I’m sure my mom would say yes if you asked.” 

“Nah, I have an early start tomorrow. Dustin and the others need a ride somewhere. And besides, I think if I stay over, I’d be too busy kissing you to get any sleep.” He admits, and the pair laugh. “I’ll come see you right after though, and then….” He cuts himself off with another kiss, which makes her sigh happily. “I’m going to take you out. And we can do whatever you want. Dinner, a movie, maybe both!”

“Mmm, that sounds good.” Y/N mumbles. “The thing is, I do want to do all of that and more with you…but I kinda just want you to keep kissing me.” She admits, and Steve smirks softly.

“Oh, you do? You see, that’s funny, cause I kinda want to keep kissing you too.” He replies, before kissing her again.

“What was that you were saying about an early start?” She asks when they pull apart again, and as the sky continues to darken.

“Eh, the kids can wait for a little bit I’m sure they’d understand. Especially Max. And besides, I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever to be able to kiss you, and now that I can, I’m not going to stop yet.” He grins, returning his lips to hers once more.

[aibidil]

Aib recs: published fiction I read this year

LGBTQ but not romance, i.e. don’t expect a romance story arc:

-Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor. It’s 1993. Paul is a queer college dropout SHAPESHIFTER who can change his body from male to female at will. This book is super well written, hilarious, outrageously insightful on gender.

-The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Achilles and Patrocles. My heart. MY HEART. STAY IN THE CAVE! So good. 

-Luck in the Shadows / Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling. This is an older fantasy series where the two main characters eventually get together but MOSTLY they just romp around being badasses and doing crime AND (I swear to god I would not lie to you) Seregil is Sirius Black to the point where I really wonder if JKR read these books before writing Sirius. At one point he’s described as “a sensualist and a fop.”

Literaryish but actually good:

-The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Four siblings find out as kids the supposed dates of their deaths. Do they believe the date or not? Does the date only have power because they think it does? Told in four parts, one each per sibling. My heart belongs to Simon, who runs away as a gay teen to SF in the 1980s, and Klara, who performs illusions, but in the end I became completely captivated by all four sibs. 

-Kindred by Octavia Butler. A black woman without warning starts getting transported back in time to a slave plantation. If her white husband is touching her when it happens, he goes too—and has to pretend to be her owner. THIS BOOK IS Sskldfjslkjfhslkfjhsfksjh so good.

-The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. A brilliant (bisexual) physicist from an anarchist-communist planet travels to a capitalist planet to work on his theory and pave the way for change. This is not fast reading, it is Big Ideas reading, but I loved how intensely human it is even as it shows the way these political systems affect people’s lives.

-Circe by Madeline Miller. THIS BOOK oh my goodness, I honestly didn’t know how she was going to manage to make this have an actual novel-like story arc but she did and it is a story of Circe learning how to be who she is and learning how to have an independent way and about relationships and what it means to be human and and and 

Fantasy/Sci-fi series: quirky crews and sassy knife girls:

-Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Obviously I was late on this one, but if you are also late please do not miss the gang of kids doing crime with heart FEATURING possibly my fave ship I read this year? Wylan/Jesper AND Nina Zenik, absolute bamf witch whom I love so dearly and knife girl Inej

-Shades of Magic by VE Schwab. There are parallel Londons existing side-by-side. Kell, orphan but adopted by the royal family, is one of the only magicians who can travel between them. He saves the world with a sassy knife girl, his gregarious brother the prince, and a bisexual pirate who wears a sapphire in his eyebrow, against a background of richly imagined magic.

-LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff. A post-apoc Mad-Max-esque dystopia that really took me by surprise how much I liked it. The crew in this one is a mix of humans, robot slaves, and androids: a bestie named Lemon Fresh (not a sassy knife girl exactly, but a sassy electric baseball bat girl), a cyborg dog that was definitely my favorite pet character of the year, an outlawed lifelike android named Ezekiel, and a mysterious yet loving grandpa. Outrageous plot twist. I really need to read the second in this series.