#windsor v us

[hauntedxwritings]

Chastity Windsor is a survivor shaped by the harsh realities of a post-apocalyptic landscape overrun by infected and desperate factions.

Chastity's journey mirrors the struggle for survival in this unforgiving universe. Born into a family of hunters and trackers, she learned early on how to navigate the ruins of civilization and evade the relentless infected hordes. Her expertise with weapons is unmatched, honed through years of experience in hunting both game and human threats.

One of her signature skills is her proficiency with a bow. Chastity's precision and stealth with this weapon make her a formidable force in the wilderness, where every noise could attract deadly attention. She's also adept at crafting improvised weapons and gadgets, utilizing scavenged materials to fashion tools that give her an edge in combat and survival.

In her quest for survival, Chastity has encountered various factions vying for control in the chaotic world left behind by the outbreak. From ruthless bandits to militaristic groups, she's learned to navigate the complex social dynamics of this new society, sometimes forming alliances of convenience but always prioritizing her own survival and that of her trusted allies.

Despite the grim circumstances, Chastity retains a sense of humanity and compassion, often finding herself caught between the harsh realities of survival and the desire to help those in need. Her journey through life in this world is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity, where every choice carries weight and consequences ripple through a world on the brink of collapse.

[vampacidic]

i read supreme court cases about gay people and i start crying my little eyes out

[janedrewfinally]

Only ten years since this decision.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional on June 26, 2013. 

In U.S. v Windsor, SCOTUS held that the federal government could not discriminate against same-sex couples. 

Record Group 267: Records of the Supreme Court of the United States Series: Appellate Jurisdiction Case Files

Transcription: 

[Stamped: " FILE COPY "]

(Bench Opinion)                 OCTOBER TERM, 2012            1  [Handwritten and circled " 1"  in upper right-hand corner]

Syllabus

NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is

being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued.

The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been

prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader.

See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U.S. 321, 337.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

Syllabus

UNITED STATES v. WINDSOR, EXECUTOR OF THE

ESTATE OF SPYER, ET AL.

CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR

THE SECOND CIRCUIT

No. 12-307.  Argued March 27, 2013---Decided June 26, 2013

The State of New York recognizes the marriage of New York residents

Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, who wed in Ontario, Canada, in

2007. When Spyer died in 2009, she left her entire estate to Windsor.

Windsor sought to claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviv-

ing spouses, but was barred from doing so by §3 of the federal Defense

of Marriage Act (DOMA), which amended the Dictionary Act---a

law providing rules of construction for over 1,000 federal laws and

the whole realm of federal regulations-to define "marriage" and

"spouse" as excluding same-sex partners. Windsor paid $363,053 in

estate taxes and sought a refund, which the Internal Revenue Service

denied. Windsor brought this refund suit, contending that DOMA vi-

olates the principles of equal protection incorporated in the Fifth

Amendment. While the suit was pending, the Attorney General notified

the Speaker of the House of Representatives that the Department

of Justice would no longer defend §3's constitutionality. In re-

sponse, the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) of the House of

Representatives voted to intervene in the litigation to defend §3's

constitutionality. The District Court permitted the intervention. On

the merits, the court ruled against the United States, finding §3 un-

constitutional and ordering the Treasury to refund Windsor's tax

with interest. The Second Circuit affirmed. The United States has

not complied with the judgment.

Held:

1. This Court has jurisdiction to consider the merits of the case.

This case clearly presented a concrete disagreement between oppos-

ing parties that was suitable for judicial resolution in the District

Court, but the Executive's decision not to defend §3's constitutionali-

[page 2]

2                  UNITED STATES v. WINDSOR

Syllabus

ty in court while continuing to deny refunds and assess deficiencies

introduces a complication. Given the Government's concession, ami-

cus contends, once the District Court ordered the refund, the case

should have ended and the appeal been dismissed. But this argu-

ment elides the distinction between Article Ill's jurisdictional re-

quirements and the prudential limits on its exercise, which are "es-

sentially matters of judicial self-governance." Warth v. Seldin, 422

U. S. 490, 500. Here, the United States retains a stake sufficient to

support Article III jurisdiction on appeal and in this Court. The re-

fund it was ordered to pay Windsor is "a real and immediate econom-

ic injury," Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., 551 U. S.

587, 599, even if the Executive disagrees with §3 of DOMA. Wind-

sor's ongoing claim for funds that the United States refuses to pay

thus establishes a controversy sufficient for Article III jurisdiction.

Cf. INS v. Chadha, 462 U. S. 919.

Prudential considerations, however, demand that there be "con-

crete adverseness which sharpens the presentation of issues upon

which the court so largely depends for illumination of difficult consti-

tutional questions." Baker v. Carr, 369 U. S. 186, 204. Unlike Article

III requirements---which must be satisfied by the parties before judi-

cial consideration is appropriate---prudential factors that counsel

against hearing this case are subject to "countervailing considera-

tions [that] may outweigh the concerns underlying the usual reluc-

tance to exert judicial power." Warth, supra, at 500-501. One such

consideration is the extent to which adversarial presentation of the

issues is ensured by the participation of amici curiae prepared to de-

fend with vigor the legislative act's constitutionality. See Chadha,

supra, at 940. Here, BLAG's substantial adversarial argument for

§3's constitutionality satisfies prudential concerns that otherwise

might counsel against hearing an appeal from a decision with which

the principal parties agree. This conclusion does not mean that it is

appropriate for the Executive as a routine exercise to challenge stat-

utes in court instead of making the case to Congress for amendment

or repeal. But this case is not routine, and BLAG's capable defense

ensures that the prudential issues do not cloud the merits question,

which is of immediate importance to the Federal Government and to

hundreds of thousands of persons. Pp. 5-13.

2. DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of

persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment. Pp. 13--26.

(a) By history and tradition the definition and regulation of mar-

riage has been treated as being within the authority and realm of the

separate States. Congress has enacted discrete statutes to regulate

the meaning of marriage in order to further federal policy, but

DOMA, with a directive applicable to over 1,000 federal statues and

[NEW PAGE]

Cite as: 570 U.S._ (2013)           3

Syllabus

the whole realm of federal regulations, has a far greater reach. Its

operation is also directed to a class of persons that the laws of New

York, and of 11 other States, have sought to protect. Assessing the

validity of that intervention requires discussing the historical and

traditional extent of state power and authority over marriage.

Subject to certain constitutional guarantees, see, e.g., Loving v.

Virginia, 388 U.S. 1, "regulation of domestic relations" is "an area

that has long been regarded as a virtually exclusive province of the

States," Sosna v. Iowa, 419 U. S. 393, 404. The significance of state

responsibilities for the definition and regulation of marriage dates to

the Nation's beginning; for "when the Constitution was adopted the

common understanding was that the domestic relations of husband

and wife and parent and child were matters reserved to the States,"

Ohio ex rel. Popovici v. Agler, 280 U. S. 379, 383-384. Marriage laws

may vary from State to State, but they are consistent within each

State.

DOMA rejects this long-established precept. The State's decision

to give this class of persons the right to marry conferred upon them a

dignity and status of immense import. But the Federal Government

uses the state-defined class for the opposite purpose---to impose re-

strictions and disabilities. The question is whether the resulting injury

and indignity is a deprivation of an essential part of the liberty

protected by the Fifth Amendment, since what New York treats as

alike the federal law deems unlike by a law designed to injure the

same class the State seeks to protect. New York's actions were a

proper exercise of its sovereign authority. They reflect both the

community's considered perspective on the historical roots of the in-

stitution of marriage and its evolving understanding of the meaning

of equality. Pp. 13--20.

(b) By seeking to injure the very class New York seeks to protect,

DOMA violates basic due process and equal protection principles ap-

plicable to the Federal Government. The Constitution's guarantee of

equality "must at the very least mean that a bare congressional de-

sire to harm a politically unpopular group cannot" justify disparate

treatment of that group. Department of Agriculture v. Moreno, 413

U. S. 528, 534-535. DOMA cannot survive under these principles.

Its unusual deviation from the tradition of recognizing and accepting

state definitions of marriage operates to deprive same-sex couples of

the benefits and responsibilities that come with federal recognition of

their marriages. This is strong evidence of a law having the purpose

and effect of disapproval of a class recognized and protected by state

law. DOMA's avowed purpose and practical effect are to impose a

disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma upon all who enter

into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority

[page 3]

4           UNITED STATES v. WINDSOR

Syllabus

of the States.

DOMA's history of enactment and its own text demonstrate that

interference with the equal dignity of same-sex marriages, conferred

by the States in the exercise of their sovereign power, was more than

an incidental effect of the federal statute. It was its essence. BLAG's

arguments are just as candid about the congressional purpose.

DOMA's operation in practice confirms this purpose. It frustrates

New York's objective of eliminating inequality by writing inequality

into the entire United States Code.

DOMA's principal effect is to identify and make unequal a subset of

state-sanctioned marriages. It contrives to deprive some couples

married under the laws of their State, but not others, of both rights

and responsibilities, creating two contradictory marriage regimes

within the same State. It also forces same-sex couples to live as mar-

ried for the purpose of state law but unmarried for the purpose of

federal law, thus diminishing the stability and predictability of basic

personal relations the State has found it proper to acknowledge and

protect. Pp. 20-26.

699 F. 3d 169, affirmed.

KENNEDY, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which GINSBURG,

BREYER, SOTOMAYOR, and KAGAN, JJ., joined. ROBERTS, C. J., filed a

dissenting opinion. SCALIA, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which

THOMAS, J., joined, and in which ROBERTS, C. J., joined as to Part I.

ALITO, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which THOMAS, J., joined as to

Parts II and III.

[NEW PAGE]

Cite as: 570 U. S. _ (2013)          1

Opinion of the Court

NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the

preliminary print of the United States Reports. Readers are requested to

notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington,

D. C. 20543, of any typographical or other formal errors, in order

that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

No. 12-307

UNITED STATES, PETITIONER v. EDITH SCHLAIN

WINDSOR, IN HER CAPACITY AS EXECUTOR OF THE

ESTATE OF THEA CLARA SPYER, ET AL.

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF

APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT

[June 26, 2013]

JUSTICE KENNEDY delivered the opinion of the Court.

Two women then resident in New York were married

in a lawful ceremony in Ontario, Canada, in 2007. Edith

Windsor and Thea Spyer returned to their home in New

York City. When Spyer died in 2009, she left her entire

estate to Windsor. Windsor sought to claim the estate tax

exemption for surviving spouses. She was barred from

doing so, however, by a federal law, the Defense of Mar-

riage Act, which excludes a same-sex partner from the

definition of "spouse" as that term is used in federal stat-

utes. Windsor paid the taxes but filed suit to challenge

the constitutionality of this provision. The United States

District Court and the Court of Appeals ruled that this

portion of the statute is unconstitutional and ordered the

United States to pay Windsor a refund. This Court granted

certiorari and now affirms the judgment in Windsor's

favor.

I

In 1996, as some States were beginning to consider the

concept of same-sex marriage, see, e.g., Baehr v. Lewin, 74

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1930 Ford Highboy Coupe

There’s always lots of detail work with any build and this ’30 Ford highboy coupe is no exception. Look closely and you will find Craftworks Fabrication handmade steel motor mounts. The license plate and valve covers were painted by Jeremy Seanor of Luckystrike Designs. He also painted all the accompanying engine and tranny parts. The powdercoat was handled by Pittsburgh Powder Coat while the chrome plating was conducted by Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating.

The chassis is comprised of a Roadster Shop custom frame that was stepped, stretched, and features contoured ’32 Ford-style framerails. It was also then boxed, capped, and has hole punch flared front framehorns. From here the frame is outfitted with a Super Bell 4-inch drop, drilled and plated I-beam axle, low-profile monoleaf spring with Ridetech tubular shocks paired to custom-made drilled billet radius rods from Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop. Steering falls to the Flaming River box and a LimeWorks Hot Rod column topped with a four-spoke Billet Specialties Sprint Car–style leather-wrapped wheel. In back there’s a Currie 9-inch rearend outfitted with 3.70 gears, 31-spline axles, QA1 coilovers, a Pete & Jakes Panhard bar, and a parallel four-link setup. Braking is a combination of disc/drum front to rear. The forward braking dark gray–painted Wilwood Dynalite calipers are neatly hidden behind the Pete & Jakes finned backing plates. While in back the 9-inch is outfitted with 11-inch brakes, this time hidden beneath the SO-CAL Speed Shop finned drums all the while the chassis rides on a full set of 16-inch Dayton wire wheels wrapped with Coker/Excelsior rubber measuring 5.50R16 in front and 7.00R18 in the back.

All hot rods have something fun settled between the ’rails and beneath the hood (well if they have a hood). In the case of our ’30 Ford highboy coupe it sure appears to be a vintage Ford Y-block but after more than a cursory look we begin to see the telltale signs that there’s something more. Indeed, while it may look like a Ford it truly is a 376-inch LSX iron block, with aluminum heads and ARP studs, plus adapter-equipped small-block Ford (Windsor) valve covers all from Don Hardy Race Cars and then assembled by Talik and Marc Mullin. The intake is an Edelbrock LS dual quad with a pair of Thunder AVS EnduraShine carbs dressed in OTB air cleaners. Delivering the gas from the Tanks stainless reservoir is an Earl’s Performance billet fuel pump. More engine accessories include an MSD 6AL box to go along with the MSD billet Ford small-block distributor that functions through a timing cover adapter from Chevrolet Performance all the while using an MSD coil and Lokar vintage plug wires. Powermaster also supplied the alternator and starter, the battery is an XS Power AGM, and a Wegner Motorsports water pump is used as well as a Wegner front accessory drive unit. This 500-plus hp V-8 utilizes custom headers made at Craftworks Fabrication based on Ultimate Headers LS header flanges. The pseudo-Ford small-block is backed up to a TCI StreetFighter 700-R4 with a 2,800-stall speed converter operated by a Lokar shifter. The trans cooler comes by way of Derale Performance and moves the power through a 3-inch-diameter custom-made driveshaft.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Book Report: Royal Audience

Welcome to another semi-recurring feature, where I read the royal books so you don’t have to.

A new royal book has recently been published. This one I found at my library in the “new books”/“this just in” section.

It’s about the Special Relationship between the US and the UK, focusing mainly on The Queen’s relationship with the POTUS.

There’s a lot of history and international politics discussed, but I found it an easy, enjoyable read. I do wish the photographs had been in color instead of black and white so it’d be easier to see the details, which are often discussed in the text. One thing that quickly became clear while reading is that of the men whom are considered The Queen’s favorites, the only thing they all have in common is that they gave attention to and supported the whole family at-large, like hosting Charles or Anne, being friendly with Margaret, giving opportunities for Philip to visit solo, etc. The POTUSes that just gave attention to The Queen and Philip weren’t as successful as nurturing the Special Relationship.

So without further ado, anecdotes about The Queen’s Presidents:

Hoover: The Queen never formally met him “in office,” but she sat next to him at dinner once in the ‘50s.

Wilson: The Queen never met him but he did visit George V at Windsor Castle (the first POTUS invited to Windsor) and that visit set the tone for many of the POTUSes’ visits to The Queen.

FDR: Another POTUS that The Queen never met, but her parents did. George VI and the Queen Mother were the first reigning monarchs to visit the US in 1939 and it was a smashing success. While the Americans have always had an affinity for the BRF, it was this tour (in which FDR and Eleanor served the royals their first hot dogs) that cemented how much Americans supported, or would show up for, the royals if/when they came to visit:

As the Washington Post once wrote, “She’s not our queen but before we’re through with her, she’ll probably think she is” and as Obama once quipped to Charles: “it’s fair to say that the American people are quite fond of the royal family…they like them much better than they like their own politicians.”

Truman was POTUS when Elizabeth and Philip had their first official tour of the US in October 1951 as Duchess and Duke of Edinburgh. The trip, conducted as part of a visit to Canada, was delayed due to King George’s lung surgery and resulted in Elizabeth and Philip taking the BRF’s first international flight. Apparently everyone was so nervous about the flight that the Royal Navy deployed battleships every 700 nautical miles across the Atlantic just in case. By taking the flight, the royals were only a week behind schedule and they sailed home with 97 pieces of luggage.

Eisenhower: the Eisenhower were considered family friends by the royals. He remains the only POTUS to be invited to Balmoral and Elizabeth sent him her personal recipe for drop scones which - yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus - is published in the book, for all you home bakers. The Queen made her first state visit to the US under Eisenhower coinciding with the 350th anniversary of the Jamestown Colony (a trip Her Majesty would repeat 50 years later for the 400th anniversary and made me late to school but that’s another story for later). This state visit is what finally knocked Sputnik off the American front pages.

Kennedy: If you watched the Kennedy episodes of The Crown’s Season 2, you can skip this chapter. Kennedy once met a young Princess Elizabeth though, when his father was the US ambassador.

Johnson: The Queen never met Johnson in person. LBJ didn’t like traveling and preferred to focus on domestic affairs and Vietnam. But Princess Margaret did meet LBJ while on a visit to the US, which is also chronicled on The Crown, which the author takes great pains to mention is fiction because Margaret and LBJ never actually did kiss 🙄. LBJ and The Queen were friendly in letters though.

Nixon: hosted The Queen’s very first Thanksgiving dinner when he visited London in November 1958 (while Eisenhower’s VP) to open the American Memorial Chapel at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Queen’s acceptance of the invitation to Thanksgiving dinner caused such a consternation because Nixon hadn’t lacked a tuxedo that all the men in the American delegation who had traveled with him and worked at the embassy were measured to find someone from whom Nixon could borrow a tuxedo. Nixon’s visit to Buckingham Palace in February 1969 was the first time that color film was used at the palace.

Ford: hosted The Queen and Philip during the US’s bicentennial celebrations. It is considered to be one of The Queen’s most successful visits/tours. The tour was in July 1976 and if you know East Coast summer weather, you have an idea already what the weather was like. First there were rough seas that made even Philip seasick (they flew from London to Bermuda, then sailed on Britannia from Bermuda to Philly). Then there was humid muggy heat in Philly that The Queen was fanning herself often. And then in DC, it was even swampier with daytime temps of 100F in the shade. The bicentennial visit later became the theme of The Queen’s 1976 Christmas message - reconciliation.

Carter: Carter was the POTUS most considered to be The Queen’s peer since they were closest in age, and that’s about the only thing they had in common. He horribly offended The Queen Mother by kissing her at the G7, hosted Princess Anne on her first solo trip to the US (wherein she shocked the press by being more like Philip in her temperament than The Queen), and personally lobbied Westminster Abbey to include his favorite poet - Dylan Thomas - in Poets Corner. His wife, Rosalyn, is the only FLOTUS The Queen didn’t meet.

Reagan: After Eisenhower, probably the POTUS The Queen was closest to, over their shared love of horses. Their relationship reminds me of the classic “introvert adopted by extroverts” trope (albeit in its own unique way). The Reagans’ first trip to the UK was chaotic in its planning with offenses left and right that made Margaret Thatcher reel. Charles and Nancy had a wonderful relationship and were close for the rest of her life.

Bush 41: Bush (another peer who of similar demographics to The Queen; they were just a few years apart in age, he served in WW2 with a career that reminded her of Philip’s, each had four surviving children, their eldest sons were relatively the same age) was favorite POTUS #3 after Eisenhower and Reagan. The relationship started off rocky, but it was Pickles - a puppy from the Bushes’ dog given to a friend whom The Queen had visited - that smoothed everything over and the two couples got along well. The Queen’s official visit under Bush 41 began with the infamous ‘talking hat’ speech and saw her take in her first baseball game. It was proposed that Philip should throw the first pitch out but The Queen nixed it, though she did join Bush for a little walkabout on the field before the game started. (Boo. I would’ve rather liked to see Philip throw the first pitch. I bet he’d have thrown a strike without any practice.)

Clinton: Clinton prioritized the relationship with Blair more than with The Queen, which ended up salvaging the Special Relationship after Blair’s predecessor (John Major) practically blew it up by getting involved in the 1992 POTUS election when he/his government campaigned for Bush. But Clinton came around to The Queen in the end. Clinton is notably the first president who was younger than The Queen and I suspect his presidency marked a change in how The Queen approached the special relationship.

And also, there’s a very good chance that this chapter illustrates Meghan’s obsession with Hillary Clinton - Diana and Hillary had a good enough friendship, even if only a working relationship, that Diana co-chaired a White House breakfast with Hillary. The book also points out that much of Diana’s post-BRF work in the US took place in the Clinton administration, so now I’m wondering if perhaps Meghan sees the Clintons as a partial extension of Diana’s network and that’s why she tries so hard with Hillary. (And also there’s the obvious that Hillary knew/met Diana so maybe Meghan has been trying to court Hillary to be part of the “Meghan is just like Diana” fan club.)

Bush 43: had the first official full state visit of The Queen’s reign, which was also only the second state visit by a US President (Wilson in 1918). There were significant security concerns due to the War on Terror and this is also when the Daily Mail’s reporter was a footman for 2 months; the reporter broke his own cover to report on the state visit. The Queen had her final state visit to the US in May 2007 as part of the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown. (Her visit was the unofficial kickoff to the official celebrations, which began the week after.)

I didn’t know this, but The Queen personally donated a significant sum to the 9/11 memorial funds. Also The Queen enjoys Mexican food. A lady after my own heart!

Obama: Obama’s relationship with Britain began cool, owing to family tragedy closely connected with British colonialism in Kenya. He and the PM at the time, Brown, didn’t seem to get on, but The Queen stepped in and it’s thought her gentleness with the Obamas is what softened Obama’s consideration of the British. I do believe that Obama was the first head of state to see The Queen as more a grandmotherly figure and that helped boost The Queen’s global reputation (Bush 43 and Clinton saw her as motherly, and everyone through Bush 41 saw her as a contemporary/peer).

In the epilogue, the author writes that he believes Obama was favorite POTUS #4. I think the Obamas had a special friendship with The Queen, but sometimes I feel like it was more of mentorship, with The Queen showing them a generous kindness they weren’t expecting that led to both of them learning from her what it means to be diplomatic without losing sense of themselves.

Trump: His working visit in 2018 and the state visit in 2019 both were preceded by chaos and politics. A lot of people looked to The Queen’s symbolism in her outfits for how she felt about him. Trump held The Queen in high esteem, which she seemed to reciprocate diplomatically, but he had waffling views on Britain itself and that seemed to affect how the Special Relationship was managed (ie one day they were allies, the next day, Trump was assailing the mayor of London on Twitter).

Biden: No one quite knew what to do with him. He had proud Irish heritage so everyone thought he wouldn’t regard Britain well, but at the same time, Biden was outspoken against Brexit and Boris Johnson, which aligned with mainstream feelings of the day, so they weren’t sure how the wind was going to blow. But the Special Relationship prevailed, with Biden in a unique position that saw him speaking more about the generosity and the humanity of The Queen given what was happening to her - first the COVID protocols, then Oprah interview, then Philip’s passing, then her own illness.

(Biden is in the “Queen as motherly” club with Clinton and Bush 43.)

[olderthannetfic]

Okay I NEED to know what the current most popular slash ships are, being on tumblr just feels like slash fandom is dying out, and I'd like to look up some ships because even if I don't like them, following other slash shippers feels so much nicer than seeing people bash them all the time.

--

On AO3, the m/m category is a tag like any other.

That means you can go directly to that tag and look at the sidebar, either in general or filtered for the past year. (No need to rely on those faulty ship stats.)

Broadly, the really massive juggernauts are still going, chugging along on fanon long after their canons have ended or gone to shit. A bunch of fandoms that younger people like are huge. And a lot of older people who used to only be into Western fandoms fell for The Untamed a few years ago and are now into lots of other danmei and BL fandoms. Thai dramas seem to be really heating up lately.

--

Here's the sidebar in general:

Castiel/Dean Winchester (108832)

Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (68896)

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (66461)

Sherlock Holmes/John Watson (66324)

James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers (60107)

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) (51611)

Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (44020)

Sirius Black/Remus Lupin (42921)

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson (42063)

filtering those out:

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (39754)

Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian (37086)

Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V (36739)

Keith/Lance (Voltron) (32031)

Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester (30843)

Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood (29711)

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) (29591)

Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter (28681)

Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin (28574)

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) (28260)

Or filtered for updating in the past year:

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) (14878)

Sirius Black/Remus Lupin (12640)

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (10617)

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) (10353)

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (8964)

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (8391)

Alhaitham/Kaveh (Genshin Impact) (8284)

Regulus Black/James Potter (7721)

filtering those out:

John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley (6879)

Castiel/Dean Winchester (6751)

Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet (6723)

Getou Suguru/Gojo Satoru (6253)

Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian (6245)

Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) (6228)

Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor (5725)

Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know (5632)

Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V (5201)

Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter (4199)

In general, I would look at things with canon gay and/or at big anime, c-drama, and kpop RPF fandoms.

And block dickheads liberally when you see them in the tags on tumblr.

If you want to hang out with oldschool people, you could always come to Escapade con. We should be having an online one some time in the summer. There's also a discord. We're currently doing a group watch of Mysterious Lotus Casebook among other things.

[mrsaltieri-real]

Love your Tumblr!

Could you please post reader hooking up with Mickey during that sorority party?

Thank you x

A Distraction (Mickey Altieri X Fem!AFAB!Reader)

The story of the first time you and Mickey Altieri hooked up, leading you to becoming friends with benefits.

Hi thank you so much!

I’m assuming you mean the sorority party from The Sound Room.

This is my first time writing smut so I’m really sorry if this is shit! I tried my best <3

Warning/s: language, smutty smut smut, p in v, clit play, degradation, orgasm denial, unprotected sex (use a condom), hair pulling, spanking, overstimulation, Mickey being a dick during sex but in a hot way, ect

18+ ONLY🔞

Read The Sound Room here

You sat on the couch, your fingers lightly tracing the ridges of the red solo cup in your hand as you listened to a drunken Randy babbling on about what movie to put into the VCR. The deja vu of the eerily similar conversation in Woodsbro a year ago made you feel a little uneasy and in all honesty, a bit sick. You sighed, taking a small sip of your drink, intending in that moment to get as drunk as possible.

Sidney and Randy were slowly moving on from what had happened last year. Sid was somewhat thriving, still a little on edge but happier which was largely due to her new boyfriend, Derek. He was sweet to her, no obvious homicidal tendencies and he made her happy which is all you could want for her after everything she went through with Billy Loomis.

Randy was doing even better. He went into college happier than anything that he was no longer a virgin thanks to you and the “favour” you’d given him the night before you’d left for Windsor. He loved college, his geekiness and love for films was a lot more tolerated and even admired here than it ever was in Woodsbro.

Then there was you. You didn’t know if you just weren’t as strong as them, but you were finding it a lot more difficult to move on. You felt homesick being so far from your family, but also felt physically sick at the idea of ever stepping foot in the town ever again.

Randy was still babbling on about what to watch when you decided you needed some air. You stood up, catching Sid’s eye as you walked toward the back door to find some place quiet. You felt her gentle hand touch your shoulder, making you jump a little as you turned to face her.

“Are you alright?“ she asked, her big brown eyes sympathetic. You felt pathetic whenever she asked this. You didn’t know why it was taking you so long to move on from Woodsbro. It had been Sidney that was by far the most impacted, so why were you acting like such a little fucking victim?

“Yeah,” you said as brightly as you could muster. “yeah, Sid I’m good. I’m just gonna get some air. The drinks are going straight to my head.” You forced a small laugh but it wasn’t exactly a lie. You were definitely already tipsy.

As soon as the cool night breeze hit you, you instantly felt better. You sucked in some air, relishing in the feeling of the cool summer air swirling down your throat and filling up your lungs and closed your eyes. It was quieter out here, almost everyone was inside enjoying the party. Almost.

“Oh, hey!”

Your eyes shot open and you jumped a little before your eyes focused on Mickey Altieri sat on one of the patio chairs by himself, his video camera clutched in his hand.

“Oh, hi Mickey.” You smiled a little, moving over to where he sat.

You knew Mickey, but not well. He was roommates with Sid’s boyfriend, in the same film class as Randy and shared a Statistics class with you so you were in the same circle of friends, but hardly ever really spoke to each other. But now, you found his presence oddly calming and felt yourself gravitating toward him to escape the hubbub of the loud sorority party.

“What’re you doin out here by yourself?” You asked, sitting down beside him but maintaining a safe distance. “Not your scene?”

“Oh, I love a party, but if I hear another sorority girl complain to me about how her boyfriend is ‘just the worst’ I’m gonna blow my fucking head off.”

A smile broke across your face and you let out a little laugh. Mickey grinned back at you, his face somewhat lighting up when he heard you laugh. “What about you?“ he asked, carefully placing his camera beside him on a cushion.

“Meh.” You sighed, leaning back against the soft material of the couch, taking another swig of your drink. It had started off as vodka cranberry but eventually had slowly just turned into vodka on every trip to the kitchen. You were a little drunk at this point, but still able to hold a conversation. “Last time I went to a party people died so I avoid going to them as much as possible.”

Mickey raised his eyebrows a little when he heard how blatantly you spoke about what had happened in California last year. Sidney hardly ever talked about it and if he was being honest, he avoided speaking to Randy about it as much as possible for obvious reasons. The kid thought of himself as a horror movie expert. The freaky film student asking him about a massacre with what was due in the coming months? Not the best idea.

“Ah.” He murmured, studying your face with his eyes before saying carefully, “you wanna talk about it?”

You glanced at Mickey and smiled a little. “Not that specifically. But everyone just seems to have moved on and I…”

“Find it harder?” Mickey finished.

“Mm.” You hummed. “Guess I’m not as strong as Sid and Randy.”

“Nah I don’t believe that.” Mickey announced, taking a sip of his own drink. “I think you probably haven’t had as many distractions as they have.”

“Distractions?” You repeated, eyeing him a little.

“Yeah. Sidney’s got Derek and I’m sure he keeps her very distracted,” Mickey’s tone was painfully suggestive and it made another smile break across your face. “…and Randy’s got his little films to keep him company. What have you got?”

You thought about that for a second. What HAD you got? It was then you realized Mickey was right. You didn’t really have anything to take your mind off of it, so every moment was just whirling through your head all day and all night. Maybe that’s exactly what you needed. A distraction.

You looked at Mickey again and this time really… saw him. His hair was a dark and little disheveled in a sexy kind of way, his brown eyes were deep and wild and looked like pools of honey framed by impossibly long and thick black lashes and as he smiled at you, his lightly flushed cheeks had small dimples set in them. He was tall, muscular and he clearly took care of himself and he smelled amazing. Like honeysuckle and fresh laundry.

In that moment, slightly tipsy and hating the feeling of loneliness and past trauma, you thought why the fuck not.

“Fuck!” You gasped a little as Mickey’s lips crashed against yours. It was messy, teeth clanking together and tongues swirling urgently but you didn’t care. This was exactly what you needed, a mindless carefree fuck in a sorority bathroom.

His large hands were rough as he palmed your breast through your thin dress as he kissed you, groaning a little when he felt your teeth lightly sink into his bottom lip and your hands tug his soft hair. His tongue tasted on alcohol and mint and it only added to how hot all of this was. You’d never randomly hooked up with anyone at a party and you couldn’t imagine anyone better to be doing it with.

You subconsciously patted yourself on the back for wearing a short summer dress to this party as you felt one of his hands move to circle your waist and the other slide between your legs.

“Jesus,” he whispered as he felt the damp patch staining your panties, “been a while, huh?”

You ignored him, too wrapped up in your own head as Mickey’s finger started gently circling your clothed clit and you let out a small whine, pushing yourself down on his hand. His eyes remained set on your face the whole time, your gorgeous expression only making him harder.

He didn’t waste any time removing your panties, rising back up to meet your lips again. You felt his fingers finally make direct contact with your throbbing clit and you gasped against his mouth as he applied the perfect pressure and started skillfully moving his fingers in small circles. You broke the kiss, head falling back against the door of the bathroom as your chest heaved. It clearly had been a while because you could feel the familiar build in your stomach start growing after only about a minute and a half as you moved your hips in sync with his hand when he suddenly pulled it away, making your eyes shoot open and send him a confused, slightly pissed off look.

“Why did you-“

“No. Don’t even think about cumming yet.” He said, his voice assertive and dripping with arousal. “Look at you..” his tone, despite himself was mocking. “I’ve hardly even touched you yet and you’re already about to cum on my fingers? So fucking needy.” He pulled back more, eyeing you up and down a little. “Take your fucking clothes o-“

Before he could even finish talking you were already sliding the straps of your dress down your shoulders and heard him let out a small groan as saw you weren’t wearing a bra. In any other situation, you’d feel uncomfortable with a guy you hardly knew looking at you the way Mickey was, but whether it was the alcohol, the stress or whatever else, you really didn’t give a shit.

“You going to keep staring or are you going to fuck me?” You asked him, trying to keep your voice light.

His eyes lifted to yours and he raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want me to eat your pussy first?”

You blushed a little at how casually he said it before shaking your head and stepping forward, pulling him closer to you by the loops of his jeans, sliding your hands a little over his clothed bulge and beginning to unbuckle his belt. “You already felt how wet I am. I need to do this now.” You insisted, not bothering to disguise the desperation in your voice.

It turned Mickey on to see you so desperate for him. As soon as his belt was undone and his jeans and boxers off, your eyes flickered down to see his thick cock resting on his lower stomach and you felt your breath hitch a little. It was by far the prettiest cock you’d ever seen. You wanted to suck it, feel it throbbing in your warm mouth, but that could wait for another time. You needed to feel him fill you up more than you needed air to breathe.

“You gonna keep staring or are you gonna-“

You cut Mickey off from his teasing tone repeating what you’d said a couple of seconds ago with a kiss that made him stumble back a little, hands gripping your waist, his fingers digging into your soft skin so hard it was bound to leave bruises. You felt his hands move to your ass as he lifted you, guiding your legs around his waist. You could feel your pussy rubbing along his shaft as he did so, cussing as you let out a soft whimper as the heat of his throbbing cock rubbed against your clit.

“Hold on.” He mumbled, still gently rolling his hips to rub his tip against your engorged clit. “Condom?”

“N-no.” You voice faltered a little at the pressure of his gentle teasing strokes. “I’m on the pill.”

An angelic smile spread across his face at that news. “Good.” He wanted to feel you. All of you. Feel how wet you were for him, feel your juices on his cock.

It all went very quickly after that.

Holding you against the door, he pulled his hips back a little before arching them upwards, slowly filling you up and watching your face as he did so. You let out a low hiss at the satisfying stretch and your head fell back against the door behind you.

“Fuck.” He groaned, hands still gripping your ass as he pushed himself further into you, relishing in the feeling of your pussy squeezing his cock so tight it was almost painful as he did so. “I wasn’t expecting you to be this fucking tight.”

Not giving you much time to adjust, he started thrusting upward into your pussy, bending his head down to start skillfully swirling his tongue around your stiff nipples, nipping at them gently.

“Mickey- fuck-“ your hands gripped his toned biceps and he smirked a little with your nipple still gently clasped between his teeth before he moved away, adjusting your weight so you were fully pressed up against the door by his body and his hand was still gripping your ass as he pounded up into you. You clit was gently rubbing against the area of skin above his cock, the slight stubble pricking it in a way that was slowly driving you crazy.

He suddenly pulled you away from the door and you felt his cock leave you as he unclamped your legs from around his waist. You wanted to shout at him, grip your legs so tightly around him he couldn’t stop. The sudden emptiness didn’t last long as he moved you in front of the huge mirror above the low sink and bent you over the cold porcelain.

“What are you-“

“Wanna fuck you in front of the mirror so you can see how good you look when you take it.” Mickey was already lining himself up at your entrance and wasn’t so gentle about it this time. You felt one hand rest on your hip, the other pulling your head up by your hair so you were forced to look at yourself in the mirror as he suddenly slammed into you, making your body jolt and you let out a load, unfiltered moan as he did.

“Jesus you’re such a needy slut, aren’t you?” Mickey scoffed at you as you moaned and gasped at this brutal thrusts. “Knew you wanted this from the moment I met you.”

You could only respond in a broken whimper. You wanted to push back on his dick, make him go even deeper but your back was arched from the way he pulled your hair back and is strong hands were absolutely no match for you.

“Open your fucking eyes.”

You obeyed, looking into the mirror not at yourself, but at Mickey. Seeing him fucking into you like this made the entire current situation ten times better. His eyes were flickering on your face in the mirror to looking down at his dick sliding in and out of your pussy, hitting that most sensitive spot with every thrust, and the sounds you were making only prompted him to go even harder.

“Mickey I’m gonna-“

“No.” His voice was dominating and you automatically knew better not to argue with him about wanting to cum despite yourself. You were a writhing mess, pussy convulsing around his pulsing cock. You could feel the beads of sweat dripping from his face onto your lower back as he quickly stopped, the head of his cock only just inside of you. “I couldn’t give a shit. You’re not cumming until I tell you that you can.” You whined a little, fighting the urge again to push back onto him, needing to feel him fill you up again. “Tell me you understand.”

You managed a weak nod and let out a yelp when you felt the sting of his hand on your ass. “Use your words.”

“I- I understand, Mickey. Please just fuck me.” You begged. He loved nothing more than to see you so needy, begging for him to sink himself back into you.

You didn’t need to tell him twice.

He released your hair, his hand sliding down your back to grip your waist and he thrusted again, the movement causing you to let out an satisfied groan as your head fell forward. His foot nudged yours, making you spread your legs even wider for him and one of his hands moved around your body and toward your clit as he fucked you, just teasing it.

This development mixed in with him already slamming into your pussy and pressing against your g-spot made you make sounds Mickey hadn’t ever heard before. Everything was getting far too sensitive and your body began to convulse, you a writhing mess under his hands.

“Fuck Mickey please- please don’t stop!” You managed to choke out. He let out a panting laugh, rubbing your clit even faster.

“Think I’m going to? Fuck no. Want to feel that pretty pussy fucking milk me.” He grunted, his words only making you grow closer and closer to the ending you craved more than anything.

“Please let me, please let me.” You began chanting them three words like a prayer and you felt his thrusts begin to stutter a little. You felt tears from the overstimulation begin to form in your eyes as you were all but sobbing and begging him to let you cum.

“Okay, cum for me baby. Let me feel that pretty pussy flutter.” He panted.

The words were hardly out of his mouth before you felt the tight coil explode as you let out a series of broken moans, your legs shaking and your body writhing as you came. He finished not much longer after you did and you relished in the feeling of his seed spreading inside your walls.

Everything was very still for a moment. You were both breathing deeply as Mickey slowly pulled himself out of you and you winced a little.

“Shit, you okay?” He breathed as he helped you stand back upright and saw your tear stained face,his hands shaking a little.

“Y-yeah I’m fine.” You breathed, quickly wiping your face with the back of your quivering hand.

“Here..” he quickly grabbed some toilet paper from the holder and handed it to you, looking somewhat sheepish.

“Thank you.” You said, giving him a small smile. “So, we just did that, huh?”

Mickey’s face broke out into a oddly relieved smile. “Yeah we did. That was fucking great.”

He handed you your clothes and as the two of you got dressed, you thought to yourself how weird it was that you didn’t feel.. weird about this. It was by far the best you’d ever had, absolutely no one had ever come close to that before.

“You wanna go get a drink?” Mickey suddenly asked, breaking your train of thought. You smiled up at him and nodded eagerly.

“I think I need one. My throats fucking killing me.” You laughed as you both walked toward the bathroom door.

“Not surprised. You fucking moaning like you wanted the whole party to hear you.” He teased you, playfully nudging your shoulder.

“Screw you, Mickey.” You scoffed, giving him a half hearted shove back. You still felt a little weak and you groaned a little when you caught yourself in the mirror. “Oh, fuck. Look at my face.” You sighed, trying to remove the smudged lipstick and mascara with your fingers.

“What? I think you look hot.” Mickey shrugged, a smile still painted on his face.

“Yeah, of course you do. Perv.” You muttered. “Next time I’m not wearing makeup.”

“There’s going to be a next time?” Mickey asked, unable to stop the already smug smile on his face from growing bigger. “Made you feel that good, huh?”

You rolled your eyes at him, turning on the faucet to try and remove as much of the smudged makeup as possible.

“You’re a cocky prick, but yeah. I’d like a next time.”

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

What the Duke of Windsor had to say about the relationship between his father, King George V, and his mother, Queen Mary:

"I met love too late. In the house where I was born and raised, my parents were like two enemies who hated each other but had to live together. When my mother got angry with my father, she used to talk about our late uncle Albert Victor, we learned why years later. My father talked about his cousin, Queen Marie of Romania, whom he fell in love with when he was a young boy. Not only bad moments, my father used to come home with jewels every night to make my mother smile. Although we lived in a constantly small and simple house, our mother was the one with luxury and comfort among us."

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Lady C Tea (mini nuggets paraphrased by me - the tendinitis edition) by u/daisybeach23

Lady C Tea (mini nuggets paraphrased by me - the tendinitis edition) The Duke of Westminster did not invite Harry to his wedding because he knew William would not have come if Harry was going. Lady C wants you to know that Hugh Grosvenor has a descendent who was an African Slave and another descendent who was Jewish. Take that Megsy Baby!Lady C hears Meghan and Harry are on the total outs! Meghan is blaming him for their failings in reaching billionaire status. Lady C thinks history will judge the H&M propaganda machine harshly. The truth has a way of coming out.Lady C doesn’t think Harry and Meghan have done anything bad enough to warrant removal of titles - yet. The last major change regarding usage of titles was 1917 King George V. He changed the family name to Windsor. He eliminated a large amount of existing titles. And, he eliminated all German titles that were in use. They were stripped. Catherine is simply too weak to do public events. Lady C will not comment on these horrible online rumblings about a woman undertaking chemotherapy. She is a beautiful woman whose appearance is part of her identity. She will return when she is ready. Toodles SinnersPS…thanks for all the kind comments yesterday. I went to the doctor and she says I absolutely have tendinitis. She prescribed me an anti-inflammatory and the proper hand brace so hopefully it will heal in 2-3 weeks. So for a little while, I have to dish up the mini-nuggets. post link: https://ift.tt/uUKLdN1 author: daisybeach23 submitted: May 22, 2024 at 02:11AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[firstprince-ao3feed]

feeling your heart beating wondering what you're dreaming

by firenati0n But Friday nights are just for them. People no longer make fun of Henry’s accent the way they used to in elementary school—they look at him now. It’s weird, and it makes something in Alex’s jaw hurt. “Oh shit, it’s late and I know we have Bea’s piano recital in the morning. Should probably go to bed, yeah?” Alex pulls his shirt off and slides under the covers before yanking it down on Henry’s side for him, an invitation. Henry doesn’t move, though—instead, he’s chewing his bottom lip and staring at the floor, pointedly not looking at Alex. Or, five times childhood best friends Alex and Henry share a bed platonically, and the one time (of many) they do as something more. Words: 5692, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Arthur Fox, Catherine Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Ellen Claremont, Oscar Diaz (Red White & Royal Blue) Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, POV Alex Claremont-Diaz, POV Ellen Claremont, Sleeping Together, LITERALLY, then it's SLEEPING together, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drunken Confessions, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Childhood Friends, Arthur Fox Lives, Good Parent Arthur Fox, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, 5+1 Things, Oblivious Alex Claremont-Diaz, he's also a wee bit jealous but doesn't really know why, because ofc he is, Flufftober, Flufftober 2024, Mutual Pining, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Elementary School, also arthur is an ex-soap opera star in this and i have a whole backstory about his tv character, and arthur/catherine are alive and happy in this but oscar/ellen do divorce, There Was Only One Bed, Sharing a Bed, Sexual Tension, Yearning, POV Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Pining, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, drunken is intense tbh it's more just tipsy or buzzed, everyone is sound of mind and v coherent via https://ift.tt/oqbduzk

[the-empress-7]

Edwards kids were the first to use Mountbatten-Windsor as surname. Harry never used it,nor Meghan, only the kids.

"Mountbatten-Windsor differs from the official name of the British royal family, which remains the House of Windsor. In accordance with law and custom in the English-speaking world, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor belongs to all male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and is used by them if and when a surname is needed. In contrast, male-line descendants of King George V, the first monarch of the House of Windsor, use Windsor as their surname if and when a surname is needed."

The Harkles in effect have broken away from the family by disowning the Mountbatten Windsor surname.

[philibetexcerpts]

King George V Grandpa England:

“The archbishop of Canterbury recounted that on one occasion, the monarch, who was playing a horse, allowed his granddaughter to pull him around by his gray beard as he shuffled on his knees along the floor. ‘He was fond of his two grandsons, Princess Mary’s sons,’ recalled the countess of Airlie, ‘but Lilibet always came first in his affections. He used to play with her—a thing I never saw him do with his own children—and loved to have her with him.’ He monitored her every small advance, sending a wireless message to his son and daughter-in-law, who were on board the Renown sailing to Australia, to inform them that his granddaughter had cut her first tooth. The king was enraptured by her. One Christmas at Sandringham, three-year-old Elizabeth was listening to the carol ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night’ when she noticed the lyric ‘to you and all mankind.’ She innocently announced: ‘I know that old man kind. That’s you grandpapa. You’re old and you are very, very kind.’”

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters by Andrew Morton

[olderthannetfic]

What are the current big m/m ships that the whole fandom flocks to, aside from the classics like destiel etc.? I have been hanging out mostly in f/f spaces for some time now and I kind fell out of touch with the m/m side of the fandom. Last I've checked there was the pirate show, but what about now? Are there any new juggernauts?

--

The newest hot ships aren't usually the massive, massive juggernauts. Those tend to be ones that have been around for a bit.

For my money, the most recent fandom-that-ate-fandom was The Untamed and the most recent juggernaut Wangxian

The way I usually get a read on what's up, at least for fanworks, is to go to the m/m tag on ao3 and then filter by date, exclude some things, etc. to see the top 10 or 20 or however many.

M/M sidebar right now:

Castiel/Dean Winchester (110014)

Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (69463)

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (68358)

Sherlock Holmes/John Watson (67024)

James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers (60706)

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) (54149)

Minor or Background Relationship(s) (52143)

Sirius Black/Remus Lupin (45769)

Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (44367)

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (42793)f

Excluding those:

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson (42475)

Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian (38426)

Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V (37563)

Keith/Lance (Voltron) (32379)

Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester (31256)

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) (30502)

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) (30237)

Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood (29824)

Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter (29752)

Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin (28995)

--

Filtered for the past year:

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) (16009)

Sirius Black/Remus Lupin (12242)

Minor or Background Relationship(s) (11413)

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) (9871)

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (8483)

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (8335)

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (8109)

Getou Suguru/Gojo Satoru (7878)

Regulus Black/James Potter (7768)

Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) (7407)

Excluding those:

Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor (7267)

Original Male Character/Original Male Character (7110)

Castiel/Dean Winchester (6331)

Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet (6178)

Alhaitham/Kaveh (Genshin Impact) (6057)

Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian (5765)

John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley (5517)

Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know (5477)

Neuvillette/Wriothesley (Genshin Impact) (4966)

Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V (4571)

So the most boring BTS ship is still going strong, I see.

Generally, AO3 is ever more anime- and kpop-heavy in recent years. A lot of the action is in fandoms outside of ye olde US live action SF shows. I guess 9-1-1 being an emergency services show is kind of in the ballpark of ye olde buddy cop shows, and Stranger Things has been active, but a lot of what's going on is for canonically queer ships, video games, Asian media, etc.

The kinds of fandoms AO3 was built on aren't where the action is at the moment for the most part. (Well, aside from HP.) Though, of course, there are bajillions of mid-size fic fandoms at all times.

[mrsaltieri-real]

Raw (Pre-Ghostface!Mickey Altieri x Fem!AFAB!Reader)

Word count: approx 1.5k

Warning/s: 18+ pure smut, p in v, brutal sex, rough sex, Mickey fucking when he’s in a bad mood, forced orgasm, ruined orgasm, language, DUB-CON, spanking, pussy slapping, choking, degradation, slight praise, Mickey being a fucking asshole, thoughts of murder, mention of murder, tiny minuscule mention of necrophilia, etc

This is before the events of Scream 2, before Mickey goes to Windsor. Reader is Mickey’s hometown girlfriend and the plan with Mrs Loomis has already been set and as stated in Scream 2, Mickey was already a serial killer before he was Ghostface. Hope you enjoy! <3

He constantly fucked you raw.

Mickey seemed to like inflicting as much pain on you as he could get away with, never hurting hurting you, but hurting you nonetheless.

He had you with his hand on the side of your face, forcing it into the mattress while your hole was being completely brutalised by him. Tears were staining the soft mattress, your thighs were almost sticky with your arousal leaking out of you with every harsh thrust he sent your way and your ass was red raw from the ruthless spanking, muttering to you to just “Stay there and fucking take it like the cum slut you are.”

He got into these moods every so often. Sometimes he had a bad day and he took it out on your pussy, utterly focused and angry with the way he’d slam into you the minute he walked through the door, not even bothering with foreplay. It wasn’t for you. It was for him and it would seem like he didn’t give a shit about you or your feelings.

He loved how your body reacted to him, you were a drooling mess under him, sobbing and begging him to slow down as he recklessly took whatever he pleased.

“M- Mickey.” You stuttered over his name, voice barely audible over the wet, sloshy sounds of your well fucked cunt and the sound of sweaty skin slapping together. “Pleaaase slow down.” You begged, thighs shaking as he fucked you through yet another forced orgasm, the usually satisfying feeling completely ruined by his refusal to let you actually feel it as he continued to repeatedly and ruthlessly slam into you.

He let out an almost sadistic laugh, his hand that was forcing your face down moved to your hair and he wrapped it around his fist, yanking you up with such force you let out a small cry of pain. Once you were sat up, he sat back on his heels, his cock still buried inside of you and his hand released your hair causing you to almost fall forward but his arm wrapped around your chest and held you to his. You could feel his heart thudding against your back, him hot and sweaty against you. Your head lolled back onto his shoulder, completely exhausted and trembling as he pressed his lips to your exposed neck.

“Don’t act like you don’t fucking enjoy it.” He whispered against your throat before shoving you back down face first into the mattress and continuing his abuse on your raw cunt.

The worst part was, he was right. You did enjoy being used by him as his own personal sex doll. Never in a million years did you imagine you’d enjoy being treated this way by someone you loved. But Mickey coaxed out parts of you that you didn’t know existed. He fucked you senseless, forced orgasm after forced orgasm, not even bothering to tease you or deny you in the way he usually found great amusement and pleasure in. But something about this felt… different. It was like a switch had been flipped in his brain and everything he was doing to you was strictly a primal instinct.

In his foul mood you were there for one reason and one reason only; to be used as an outlet for his repressed rage and bloodlust. He couldn’t just kill people all the time, he had to find… alternatives. And his favourite was fucking you stupid, not worrying or even caring if you hated him treating you this way.

He groaned from behind you, his pace not even stuttering as he spat obscenities down at you.

“Fucking cock hungry slut. Acting like she doesn’t want this.” He practically snarled to himself, slapping your ass once again and making you yelp at the sharp sting his hand left behind “Mickey, slow down.” He mocked you with a sneer and stopped for a moment, sliding his cock out of you. You clenched hopelessly around nothing only for him to grab your arm and harshly throw you on your back, knocking the air out of you and climbing on top of you, fingers sliding toward your red raw pussy. “You’re such a desperate whore, look at you.” He looked down at your flushed, tear stained face and laughed again, hand beginning to roughly move over your oversensitive clit.

The contact made you let out a soft sob, your hips involuntarily twitching away from his hand which made his sadistic smile fade a little, eyes still blazing into yours. “Is it too much?” He asked in mock concern. You nodded your head desperately. A sudden smack against your swollen cunt made you yell out in surprise and you felt him move back to line himself back up to your ruined pussy, his hand sliding up to your throat as he began his brutal thrusts once again.

“I- I can’t…” your voice was cut off with a bruising squeeze of your throat from his hand, making you let out a muffled, broken whimper. He gradually cut off your air and watched in sick and prideful glee as you tried to gasp helplessly, a sick smile on his face and his dark eyes suddenly bright and excited. He stared down at you for a while, his hand remaining wrapped tightly around your throat for about forty more seconds. Your hand automatically flew to his that was harshly grasping your throat as red spots began to cloud your vision, trying to pry his fingers from around your throat before you saw him flinch ever so slightly. He blinked a couple of times, a flash of horror appearing on his face and disappearing just as quickly as it came. He moved his hand from your neck and into your hair, his head dropping to rest on the mattress by your head as you spluttered and gasped desperately for air. He slowed down a little, whispering in your ear, “You can rub your clit,” before gradually picking up the pace again, but not being anywhere near as forceful as before.

You briefly wondered what caused him to slow down and stop choking you. It wasn’t like he’d never done that before but he never took it far enough to cause you irreparable damage, so what was the issue? The pleasure of his increasingly less violent thrusts began to take over your confused thoughts, the feeling of him sliding in and out of you with every roll of his hips making you shiver and moan. Your shaky hand moved between you and you began to slowly tease your clit, instantly needing more and switching up to rub the swollen nerves eagerly in case he changed his mind.

He let out a loud groan into your ear as he felt your cunt clench him at the stimulation. “Good girl, good fucking girl milking me.” He cooed in your ear, hips beginning to stutter as your moans filled his head. “Make such pretty fucking noises just for me. Go on then baby, let me feel that pretty pussy cum.” His words, although still having a strange hidden tone behind them, along with the repeated stroking of his cock inside of you and the stimulation from your fingers finally tipped you over the edge and you let out a loud, unfiltered cry of deeply satisfied ecstasy, him spilling into you with a satisfied groan shortly after.

He continued to rock inside of you for a couple of seconds after, his softening dick forcing his cum deep inside of you as you panted and twitched beneath him. He gently pulled out, making you wince in pain. Was it possible for a pussy to get bruised from the inside?

He collapsed next to you, chest heaving and his hands moved to his face, pressing his palms against his forehead. You glanced over to look at him but to your surprise, he didn’t look satisfied or blissful in any way. He looked completely lost.

“What’s wrong?“ You asked him quietly, voice hoarse and weak. You didn’t receive an answer.

When he was choking you and fucking you relentlessly, the twisted killer part of his mind had almost made him do something he never had even dreamed of doing to you. He hadn’t killed in a while and he was leaving for college in the next few months.

The plan was set, he knew what he had to do when he was in Windsor and carrying out his predecessor’s mothers revenge scheme in return for the fame and the cash and you simply couldn’t be a part of that. All of the pent up aggression he was feeling from not killing in order to stay under the radar was supposed to be diverted onto you, his girlfriend, by fucking you stupid, knowing how much you secretly enjoyed it when he used and brutalised you. But what if it wasn’t enough for him anymore?

Where he did love you and God, he fucking loved you, the killer part of him wanted to kill you while he was fucking you, watch the life drain out of your eyes whilst you tried to feebly and pointlessly fight against him and give him the best high of his fucking life when he would spill himself into your limp, lifeless body.

And knowing that that is what even the smallest part of him wanted to do? That scared the hell out of him. But what scared him even more is knowing full well he could do it so fucking easily and you’d die blissfully ignorant.

[lifblogs]

tell us about your Shakespeare club, that sounds like a whole lot of fun

So I am bad with words these days, so I should clarify and say it's a club I'm in, and not my own event I'm running.

One of my best friends decided to read all of Shakespeare's works this year, and he wanted to turn it into a book club over discord. We read one Shakespeare play a week, so one act per weekday.

Currently we're reading Henry V, which I'm very excited about. The reading order is a bit out of whack, but he has a lot of cons to attend as a panelist, and one of the authors in the merchant's/merch areas, selling his books.

And so far we've read:

Richard III

The Comedy of Errors

The Taming of the Shrew

Titus Andronicus

Romeo and Juliet

Julius Caesar

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

King John

Richard II

Hamlet

Venus and Adonis (poem)

The Rape of Lucrece (poem)

Othello

Antony and Cleopatra

Love's Labour's Lost

Pericles

Sonnets 1-154

Cymbeline

King Lear

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Merchant of Venice

Much Ado About Nothing

As You Like It

Troilus and Cressida

Coriolanus

All's Well That Ends Well

Measure for Measure

The Merry Wives of Windsor

King Henry IV, Part I

King Henry IV, Part II

(He's also running a Tolkien book club. So far we've read The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, and The Hobbit. He keeps my reading schedule super busy!)

[houseofbrat]

Meghan cited a "convention" that the grandchildren of the monarch are titled prince or princess. Under protocol set up by King George V in 1917, the children and grandchildren of a sovereign have the automatic right to the title HRH, or His or Her Royal Highness, and the title of prince or princess. That extension does not apply to the great-grandchildren of a monarch, although Queen Elizabeth made an exception giving the titles to William's children because they are directly in the line of succession.  When Archie was born, Harry and Meghan announced his name as Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the surname used by the royal family. But, as Meghan pointed out in the interview, Archie and the baby girl they're expecting this summer would be entitled to become prince and princess when Harry's father, Prince Charles, becomes king. "Even with that convention I'm talking about — while I was pregnant, they said they wanted to change the convention for Archie. Well why?" Meghan said. She said she was never given an answer. 

~ CBS News, Meghan says Archie's title was not royal family's "right to take away," 09 March 2021

Discussing the move on the latest episode of the Palace Confidential series, the Mail on Sunday's Assistant Editor Kate Mansey said the newly-appointed Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were surprised to learn that James would not inherit his father's new title. She explained: 'My sources say that they had assumed that they would get the Duke and Duchess title and it would go to James. Because why would you get a Dukedom and it not pass to your son?' However, Kate said this is an example of King Charles 'looking ahead' to the future of his 'slimmed down' monarchy.

She continued: 'As James gets older has his children, they have children, you're [left with] a Duke of Edinburgh title that is so far removed from the Crown. 'And it's a really important title. You can't have a situation where the Duke of Edinburgh is in several generations' time so far removed so as not to be considered royal.'

~ Kate Mansey, as quoted by Lydia Hawken, "Prince Edward and Duchess of Edinburgh 'always assumed' his new title would be passed down to their son James - but King Charles is 'looking ahead' to future of his 'slimmed down monarchy', Kate Mansey tells PALACE CONFIDENTIAL"

The Duke of Edinburgh’s comments at the garden party for the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, where he mentioned that everyone changing their title in a single year can get complicated, is now taking on a rather sinister tone in my mind.

~ @helenaaurellia, 10 June 2023