#aka made this edit the first time back in late 2021 and
Text
tdp + enneagram series: callum as a two: the helper (remake)
It's okay if you can't catch your breath
You can take the oxygen straight out of my own chest
I know exactly how the rule goes
Put my mask on first
No, I don't want to talk about myself
Tell me where it hurts
I just want to build you up, build you up
Till you're good as new
And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too
#callumedit#the dragon prince#tdp callum#tdpedit#aka made this edit the first time back in late 2021 and#if only we knew how well the metaphors would pan out#enneagram#sleeping at last#i've been waiting to do claudia for years so. maybe sometime soon#my edits#graphics#callum#water motif#<3
73 notes
·
View notes
Text
queer signalling: louis and harry living their beautiful queer lives, collected by me
since we must take note of our fellow queers when they signal that they are very much one of us, despite being closeted. since i've had a very very queer few years thanks to them, thanks to their signalling, thanks to them being brave.
(!! this list isn't exhaustive, and if i've forgotten your favorite, by all means let me know. there's always room for another edition. it's been a while since i made a compilation and felt there was a need of a new one on my blog. this one goes a few years back, since my last one dates from 2021 :'o. so yeah. here we go.)
harry in my policeman, playing a closeted queer man, based on the book that's long been one of his favorites. lauded by the director and co-stars for how well he portrayed this character, how well he understood.
harry wearing a green flower on his chest for the mp premiere, placing himself (once again) in the same line of history as oscar wilde.
louis's green flowers on his initial 28clothing jersey at the first afhf, which includes bonus roses and 28s all around
the entire late night talking mv bc!!!!!
louis's rainbow stage lights during sibwawc. he really did that. every single night.
the entire dazed magazine happening. “I’ve always tried to compartmentalise my personal life and my working life,” he explains. / “I have unlocked an ability to be myself completely, unapologetically,” he says with conviction." / “I think through my own sense of self and personal journey, I am realising that happiness isn’t this kind of end state.”
louis's gay exit songs: most notably 'ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn't've)'
harry flirting with stanley tucci
louis and his gay ass tank tops !!! we must point it out !!!!!!
all along
harry kissing a pride flag during harry's house ono in nyc
rainbow flare during the btm mv
harry being gifted a mask of his own face at munich n2, which prompted him to say that he feels like he's wearing a mask sometimes
28 in a triangle for 28clothing!!!!!!!!
kit connor soft launching 28 clothing. a young actor starring in a queer coming-of-age series, who was forced to come out after being accused of queerbaiting. he was the first one, besides louis, to wear 28clothing
harry's grammy's speech "people like me" (which ppl sadly misunderstood), echoing what he's been saying on tour for years. this doesn't happen to people like him. if they only knew, right?
harry's freddie-inspired outfit for the grammy carpet (which also brought back his theme for clown/jester fits, like harryween 2021 n2. wonder why)
louis's merch graphic where a boy is trying to smash a glass ceiling
harry posing for david hockney, actual living legend, gay artist of the ages. "Styles seems to know how lucky he is, adding, with a tinge of disbelief: “I’m in awe of the man with enough one-liners for a lifetime.” As to what those one-liners might be? Styles and Hockney’s mutual silence on that question suggests that what happens in the studio, stays in the studio."
louis having suspicious visuals during back to you, the only visuals of that type on tour
harry's 2022 harryween outfit: dressed as danny (literally. he did that. he went grease on us.) but wearing sandy's jacket
louis at barricade aka held safely in the arms of strong security personnel
harry singing man, i feel like a woman and still the one with shania twain. while wearing a rainbow discoball jumpsuit (parallel with kacey musgraves wearing a rainbow dress to sing it with him years ago.)
louis's gay ass merch for the away from home festival
harry dressed in nina ricci by harris reed, an explicitly gender-fluid line. "At 18 I found myself living in london creating ruffle blouses, corsets, fabric flowers and flares from my kitchen floor (...). My creations at the time were met with nothing but criticism for being “too feminine” or “costume”, teachers said I should focus on “menswear” or “womenswear”. l remember it really wasn’t until I started dressing for myself and who I was that it all clicked. @harrystyles was my first ever client who embraced the fun, fluid and expressive clothing I was creating."
continuous bluegreening. to name a few: harry's werchter fit, all this time lights, satellite caps in two colors only, louis's smiley flickering bluegreen on tour in 2022, the james cordon shit, louis in uncasville. enjoy this post here
harry's snl shoot unseens: him as ariel
louis out in amsterdam at a gay bar
harry going to the women's only swimming pond (on a day it was open for men, but this is important to me okay)
harry's use of orchids in his visuals during 'she' during love on tour '23
the 'hairy mermaid' tour visuals
harry as a mermaid during the mfasr mv. as a supreme physical manifestation of harry as the mermaid he truly is inside. but in his true form he gets chopped up and consumed. literally
as it was mv and its parallels with the matrix, hints to harry as the woman with the red dress.
louis jumping up on barricade against the one spot where a pride flag was draped over it
oh yeah that exact same thing happened in 2022 too
harry forming a skirt with a pride flag in brasil after his pants ripped
that gay ass denim getup with the fur collar?? while wearing the fucking peace ring????
harry and phoebe breaking gender norms in the tpwk mv dance. no i'm not over it yet shut up
louis wearing a basquiat t-shirt, another famously queer artist joining the ranks
harry bought an actual genuine basquiat. flex
harry dressed in skirts for gucci
"happy pride! happy pride! 'tis the season! can you tell i'm relaxed?"
"isn't all of this sparkly bi music?"
satellite mv rainbow planet tshirt
louis's bigger than me promo where he's literally george michael like??? IM SORRY???????
harry kissing lewis capaldi at the brits
harry kissing nick kroll at the dwd premiere. lol
and... harry as friend of D O R O T H Y. sang over the rainbow. we all cried. especially me at this clip of harry glancing in relief at his band after over the rainbow.
#queer signalling#my posts#long post#anyways............. hmu if you have more bc i know there's more that i've forgotten but i didn't want to wait#but these were my personal highlights#this is for me more than anyone i know. i don't really know if anyone's really waiting on this#but i personally have been feeling like i gloss over a lot#and forget a lot#and minimise a lot for fear of making a big thing out of something small#but... then i make big things into something small.#which i hate#going through my archive just shows how fast an event passes by and i just stopped talking about it#ive complained about this many a time i know#anygays#for whoever wants to come scream with me <3#also i have left out some events that were too easily deniable and i didn't want to clutter the post#since what's actual tangibly real and straight from them is so insane already#also that gif is how i feel rn.#how i often feel tbh#i want to be braver again
112 notes
·
View notes
Text
GJ and ZZH Updates — June 11-17
<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>
This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.
This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)
[Glossary of names and terms]
[Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]
Late addition to last week: The Singaporean paper Shin Min Daily News (aka Zaobao) published an “email interview” article about “Zhang Zhehan” (ie. taking the Zhang Sanjian scam and concerts as legitimate) with the first line of the article saying that Zhang Zhehan visited Yasukuni Shrine. This article was celebrated by whalers, with some blatantly omitting this first line; when confronted about this, they claimed it was no big deal for the very smears at the centre of 813 to be repeated here. The article also went on to say that Zhang Sanjian was “grateful for the opportunity” that his cancellation gave him.
06-11
→ An article about Word of Honor was published by the Collider, an English language film news media company, promoting the drama as “one of the best queer historical dramas”.
06-12
→ #Chen Lu's suspected extortion case enters the review and prosecution stage# got on Weibo hotsearch, about a legal case involving Huo Zun (a singer who performed 锦书来 for Word of Honor) and his ex-girlfriend that started in summer 2021.* All the featured posts under the hotsearch were from marketing accounts affiliated with CAPA and presented Huo Zun in a more positive light than his ex, indicating that he likely reached some sort of agreement with CAPA for them to back him. At least one post was written in a way that can also be read to allude to Zhang Zhehan’s case, saying that “there's no benefit to making your enemy go to jail, seek a win-win result and don't insist on them going to jail.” (CAPA seems to be scared as of late, no?)
*I have not been following this case and have no opinion on it.
06-13
→ 361° posted nine photo ads featuring Gong Jun.
→ Gong Jun donated 230,000 RMB to the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, including the 30,000 RMB he received as compensation in one of his lawsuits against an anti.
06-14
→ On Aura Tout Vu (see 06-05 under last week) posted a blog article about Zhang Sanjian, in which they mentioned Yasukuni Shrine and the Nogi Shrine wedding photos without clarifications, and said Zhang Zhehan was banned by “authorities” who “also suspected him of homosexuality[.]” [screenshots] This was edited twenty minutes later to remove the specific mention of the shrine, referring to it as a defamation campaign, then was edited again several hours later to remove the mention of homosexuality. [records showing the editing history]
→ Xie Yihua made claims that she had won a defamation suit against an “anti” account. There is no record of any such suit existing [1] [2], the “apology letter” posted that was supposedly written by the person sued does not include a UID number, and the account mentioned only has five followers. The UID that was later found was discovered to belong to someone who had had a hand in 813. It was subsequently passed around whaler circles that Zhang Zhehan must not be pursuing his case because otherwise Xie Yihua’s wouldn’t have concluded first, as if the two could be compared even if Xie Yihua wasn’t a compulsive liar.
→ ELLE magazine posted a teaser video for their photoshoot with Gong Jun they would release later. Caption: “In the July issue of ELLE, we talked about music, movies, work, study plans, and even childhood memories with the cover character @ Gong Jun Simon. We have seen a Gong Jun who regards sincerity and frankness as the wall of his comfort zone, we have seen Gong Jun who likes strong-paced pop music and brain-burning suspense movies, we have seen Gong Jun an actor who treats each character with heart, and we have seen Gong Jun who is willing to learn more. Gong Jun who takes a little time, and Gong Jun who has too many ideals. Stay tuned!”
→ L’Oreal posted a photo ad of Gong Jun from Cannes.
→ ELLE posted the covers of their issue featuring Gong Jun. Caption: “For more than a year, @ Gong Jun Simon has been in a crew almost all the time, ‘Legend of AnLe’, ‘Rising with the Wind’, ‘Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Red Chapter’... Meeting ELLE on the long-lost holiday, it seems that everything can trigger his joy. At the shooting scene, Gong Jun lamented the good weather, beautiful scenery, and enjoying the beauty of nature. What's even more rare is that his happy personality doesn't have much purpose. In his opinion, the foundation of an actor's life is his work. He already has happiness, and now he wants to ‘walk more steadily step by step’.” This was reposted by Gong Jun’s studio with the added caption: “Perched on a canoe, leaning on the prow of a small boat, @ Gong Jun Simon listens to the gurgling water~”
Fan Observations: The covers use the famous first line from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, one of the poems written about the Fair Youth believed to have been his male lover.
→ ELLE posted eleven photos from their shoot with Gong Jun. Caption: “We are naturally happy to see the person opposite speak crisply; but for public figures who need to be cautious in their daily words and deeds, will this kind of directness cause trouble? @ Gong Jun Simon said that he is very satisfied with his personality and does not need to change: ‘If you want to express it, you can express it directly, and if you have a request, you can express it directly. The friends around me are also the same kind, and they are all straightforward people.’ When we discussed the topic of ‘most recently listened to music’, he directly opened the music app in his mobile phone, showed me the playback history and favorites, and even played the song he listened to the most recently to invite us together listen. Parson James' Sad Song sounded in the dressing room. It didn't sound so sad, but the rhythm made people feel the urge to dance.”
→ Gong Jun posted nine photos from the ELLE photoshoot. Caption: “Fresh summer! Thanks @ ELLE” He also posted nine to his Xiao Hong Shu, caption: “Vacation Just a joke 😱” and ten to his Instagram, caption: “Fresh summer😉”
Fan Observation: The Weibo post was at 11:06, which wouldn’t really be notable except the post from his studio an hour later was at 12:01. 🤔
→ Tangle Teezer posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)
→ ELLE posted a video of their photoshoot. Caption: “Everyone likes the contagious smile of @ Gong Jun Simon, the kind of smile that stretches the brows and eyes and is full of vitality, as if the surrounding is always sunny and the air is fresh; his personal temperament is also happy and bright, even as long as you mention this the name, the face that comes to mind is the smiling one. In an industry that is often overworked, it is not easy to stay energized and positive. It may take a little bit of luck, but also some determination to be yourself. The warm and loving family endows Gong Jun with a bright and optimistic personality background, while his straightforward social attitude guards a pure heart.” This was reposted by Fresh.
Fan Observation: The straw hat looks similar to that of Luffy from One Piece, the character Zhang Zhehan used as his Weibo pfp.
→ ELLE posted their interview with Gong Jun.
→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a video of behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot. Caption: “In the lush season of summer, record the cool moment of @ Gong Jun Simon” BGM is White Lies (Instrumental) by ODESZA.
→ Hogan posted four of the ELLE photos, highlighting their clothes. Caption includes “Go into the mountains and start an adventure.”
→ Gong Jun’s studio posted six behind the scenes photos from the shoot. Caption: “Watching nature quietly, @ Gong Jun Simon is at leisure, enjoying the peaceful world beyond the turmoil.”
→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a douyin of behind the scenes footage from the shoot. Caption: “@ Gong Jun Simon takes grass and trees as a seat and lies flat!” BGM is After Hours by The Weeknd.
→ 361° posted three photo ads featuring Gong Jun.
06-15
→ EHz.Z changed recipient companies again, this being the eleventh time since October 2022. (see 06-03)
→ Tangle Teezer posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.
→ The Instagram posted six photos of “Zhang Zhehan”.
→ Huang Xiaoming posted a photo to celebrate Go Fighting! season 9 wrapping, with the regular cast members who weren’t present for the photo poorly photoshopped in. Gong Jun commented, “Ge, why do I blend in more naturally than you in this picture?” to which Huang Xiaoming replied, “This is the extent of my photoshopping skills 😂”
06-16
→ STELLAR, the production company for Rising with the Wind and Fox Spirit Matchmaker, posted a video celebrating their 5th anniversary with brief messages from various actors. [subbed cut of Gong Jun]
→ Louis Vuitton posted a teaser video of Gong Jun from when he was in Seoul in April.
→ Gong Jun posted the full video for Louis Vuitton, showing him spending a day in Seoul with Jin Chen, who was also there in partnership with LV. [subbed video] Caption: “Set off with a comfortable mood and unlock an unforgettable adventure. Roam Seoul with @ Louis Vuitton and explore the infinite joy of travel.”
→ The 不想匿名 account was deactivated. It’s unknown if this was done by the account itself or the platform.
→ The Instagram posted a video of “Zhang Zhehan” playing a new song.
06-17
→ Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.
→ L’Oreal posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.
→ The Instagram posted a video of “Zhang Zhehan” having a photoshoot.
Additional Reading:
→ A Twitter event, #ShineWithTheMoon, is being organized for 08-03 for fans of Zhang Zhehan to share positive messages about the fandom. Update: This event has been postponed due to concern over recent bot activity.
<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>
This post was last updated 2023-06-20.
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
(tagged by the lovely @ailec-12 ✨)
I posted 1,471 times in 2022
48 posts created (3%)
1,423 posts reblogged (97%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@flitwickslittlebrotha
@charactershoesfic
@werewolffeelings
@bloody-wonder
@grrrrrr-argh
I tagged 884 of my posts in 2022
Only 40% of my posts had no tags
#trc - 243 posts
#tdt - 206 posts
#mdzs - 111 posts
#pynch - 79 posts
#d - 54 posts
#aftg - 32 posts
#greywaren spoilers - 32 posts
#fic - 17 posts
#greywaren - 15 posts
#ask - 13 posts
Longest Tag: 138 characters
#i also want to check the country of others by leïla slamani out from my library so whenever i do that i'm pushing it to the top of my list
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
Rules: List the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends.
i was tagged by both @flitwickslittlebrotha and @kelliealtogether thanks!!! 💕
the real hawk: Ronan knocked, and then knocked again with more force.
est quaedam flere voluptas: On some hidden level, Adam wanted to be the kind of person to effortlessly enjoy parties.
Yiling’s apples: There were plenty of homeless people in Yiling.
overflowing: Sirius regretted many things.
little dolls for sale: It wasn’t the first time Ronan had thought about it.
enormous are the groves: Adam poured himself out of his car, barely pausing to close the door after him.
into silence: It was Blue, Gansey and Henry’s fourth going-away party.
the plum tree flower: Adam inhaled deeply when he got the door open.
arm as a pillow: Declan didn’t technically live with Jordan.
stars parting: The nightmare wasn’t special.
all in all i'm pretty happy with these first lines! so much that some of them doubled as summaries 🙃 i'm not sure who's been tagged already so i'm just gonna tag @of-stars-and-moon @ailec-12 @parakeatswrites and you guys can ignore me if you've done it already 💛
10 notes - Posted February 21, 2022
#4
ages ago (i'm super late sorry 🙃) @andrea-lyn tagged me to do this! 💛 (thank you lovely!!)
Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2021. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!
when the world is one color (pynch, 2k). so this is the first of the many one shots i managed to write and post last year and i'm very happy with how it turned out! aka how to combat being cold with hugs (missing scene, post-trk, pre-epilogue)
but for their voices (pynch, 5k). this was very exciting to write bc it was fun to explore adam's thought process in this cdth-inspired au. aka adam is not unkowable if you stare at him long enough (different meeting au, college)
a persimmon (pynch, 1k). oh dear i struggled so hard to finish this little piece bc there were many different things i wanted to include, but i'm quite happy with the result! aka adam panics bc he's horny (missing scene during ch. 39 of trk)
the puppeteer (pynch, 3k). i made myself cry while writing this one. aka once upon a dream (sickfic, mi-adjacent)
yiling’s apples (mdzs, 2k). i've fallen hard for their story so i had to write something for it. aka why does everything important happen in yiling (pov outsider, gen)
tagging @ailec-12 @of-stars-and-moon @cheeeryos @behindtheatlantic @parrished @catboyadamparrish @flightspathfic @kelliealtogether @parakeatswrites 💛💛
12 notes - Posted January 11, 2022
#3
back in march (😅😅) the lovely @ailec-12 tagged me in this game! i'm super late but 🤷♀️
rules: tag 9 people you would like to know/catch up with
Last Song: can't remember as usual 🙃
Last TV Show: twenty-five twenty-one (yes it's destroyed me thanks! 🥺)
Currently Watching: crash landing on you (it's a rewatch!)
Currently Reading: you are not like other mothers by angelika schrobsdorff and i'm listening to beloved by toni morrison's audiobook
tagging @ive-garden @creativefiend19 @kelliealtogether @of-stars-and-moon @parrished @sleepy-skittles @purgatorybfs @catboynecromancy @cheeeryos 💛
12 notes - Posted August 3, 2022
#2
Describe yourself with ONLY pictures you have! You cannot download or search new pictures.
i was tagged by @parakeatswrites @kelliealtogether and @behindtheatlantic 💕💕💕
See the full post
13 notes - Posted August 22, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
writing prompts 💖
it's been a hot minute since i last opened prompts and i don't really have lots of time in my hands to write but i think having little things to serve as inspiration is exactly what i need to get back to my usual writing rythm! so. please send me a pairing and a prompt and i'll write a little one-shot 💕 (i'm mainly in the mood for writing pynch and wangxian but if you wished to see any other pairing just send it my way and i'll see if i can write something for it!)
thanks @ailec-12 for helping me compile this lovely list of prompts! 💛
50 Angsty Questions Prompt List
more questions
dialogue ideas
kiss prompts
more kisses
100 dialogue prompts
bad things happen bingo
minifics
anon asks are of course welcome as well! 🥰 thank you!
14 notes - Posted August 23, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Story Behind My Newest objkt.com Collection Entitled “A Penny”
https://objkt.com/collection/KT1K1Vr44uSbcP5h68xW7eQQMQQUPJTBuNU1
TLDR
The wonderful msbourland.tez/.eth aka @msbourland on Twitterz, asked me the following about my new "A Penny" NFT 1/1 collection on OBJKT.com
"So, this series is really weirdly cool - where did the idea come from? I'm a fan!!"
https://twitter.com/msbourland/status/1587017177919389696?s=20&t=qdMzfm4-5x_7CJnDV7q0_g
I decided to ramble as long as I could stand it on tumblr, because I rarely am asked about the background/inspirations/ideas behind of any of my works, so I thought it would be fun, and a shout out to my blogger/blogspot days (OMG, SMH). She is a famous writer you know . . .
Project Overview
I spray painted 200-300 US pennies during the summer of 2021 for one good reason - I ran out of 12” LPs and 45s to paint, and many bad reasons. In late September 2022, I scanned a handful and had a teledildoepiphany while looking at the scanned images. In March 2022, I went live with this teledildofonics NFT project. On Oct. 25th, 2022, I began minting the pennies, with only level/brightness/contrast-esc post scan editing. Pennies were scanned in at 600 DPI, come in either PNG or JPG files, and with two resolution used, 585x585px and 485x485px.
The too long potion of a TLDR Post
Note: Tumblr ate the edit to about 3 edits for some reason, likely an ID10T user error code, while doing this, so if you complain about my typos, I will block you just like i do on twitter. I am a typo machine, get over it.
I am writing this post because a couple of people have asked me about the origins of this “weirdly interesting” (thank you msbourland.tez/.eth for this particular label for my collection, I love it). I usually shit post on twitter all day, and I usually don't write many words on tumblr, I just post photos. I had been sitting on this project for about a year and a half before I did anything with it, and it was because I was thinking about what to do, so I have thoughts to share.
I have always enjoyed stamps and coins. I would not say that I collect them, but I do gather them. Specifically, I would say I gather those smashed penny machine pennies that cost 51 cents and you turn the handle to mush it, and I love wheat back pennies. I have a ton of those too, but no wheat backs were injured in the making of this NFT collection. Pennies are just cool.
I moved with my family from the southern US, 18 hours north to a little state called Maine during the summer of 2020. I will refer to Maine as "Almost Canada" from this point forward. I have always kept myself busy during various life transitional times with art, and that was the same during the summer of 2021, I did the same. I have always been into graffiti, not as a creator, but as a viewing consumer. I do, however, enjoy creating with spray paint and have for about 10 years now.
Once the snow melted and the tundra began to thaw in the spring up in Almost Canada, I tried to soak up as much sun as I could and started spray painting everything I could think of. Of the coolest things I had found to spray paint were vinyl records. I started doing this as a test for another artistic friend who was brainstorming for another project. I had all of the materials so I tried it out and sent him photos of it.
the first record test . . .
I saw something I could do with the records, and I had a shit ton of very nasty, not listenable, garbage records (and many good ones). So I started spray painting all of them I could justify destroying. I sprayed about like 40-50 12inches and too many 45s to count. I had no intent for a longer project at the start, I was just doing it, and seeing where that took my creative spirit, with one exception
I made this drum trigger out of a painted record
The real point of this long winded tumblr rant is to show off what I needed up doing with the records. I soon found that my heat gun would warp the hell out of the wax
I thought “Maybe I should mold them into a sculpture?” So I made a sculpture, one that is about .75 meters tall and wide and a few smaller pieces. This is hanging in my garage currently, my wife won’t let it in the house, and that is a wise move, iMO.
Up to this point, I used a whole hellava lot of words to lead up to the pennies getting painted. I am a walking train wreck, that is how I roll. Eventually I ran out of records that I could justify destroying, so I started spray painting anything I could find trying to brainstorm. I started experimenting with various paper types too. You know what happens outside though, it sure gets windy, and the wind loves to blow my bad pop art around my neighbors yards. Rocks do not work that great as outdoor paperweights for in process works, they sit to high and block the spray depending on your angle.
Do you know what works pretty well for holding down paper in normal breezy day inland with out standing is your line of fire while paining? Pennies, pennies work great. And you know what? It is just a penny, you can just throw it away after things dry and that is perfect because I have about 1/8 of a metric ton of pennies in my closet.
I don't even remember what I was working on and using pennies as paperweights on, because when I came back to check what ever it was, the pennies had dried, and now Lincoln was a Pink AF, or Green, or Sea Foam, and the 10 that had got hosed down looked pretty damn slick.
I had no idea of what to do with these pennies at first, I thought they were cool though. So did my kids. I live in Almost Canada, and I knew my outdoor oxygen friendly spray painting station would end at some point early fall, so I started painting a few pennies every day when I was working on papers or a canvas. At some point, I was just painting pennies till it got cold. I still have not counted how many pennies I painted, but I have minted 85 at the time this tumbler was tumbl'ed.
The Teledildoepiphany
The idea to mint just the scans of the pennies came from me doing what I usually do on twitter, I just post a bunch of random things I make or have made and shill a little and talk shit a little, so I posted these. I was still looking for something to do with them. Two people, Santiago @neymrqz and the marvelous ty/fu @tyfu67607885, also two of my favorite people in this whole damn wild world of anons, commented that they were really very good art'ing. The first couple of pennies I posted, Santiago DM'd me and said they were really good, and asked me when I was minting them. "just like the scan of them?" and he said "yes, my friend, yes.”
This made me think about a decorated $2 bill I had bought a few years back of Micheal Jordan by Rency. It is an amazing piece. I think I paid $20 or $30 for it late 2019-ish. $20 for a decorated $2 bill, and I laughed at myself for paying the 10x markup. When Santiago told me I should mint them, thought "should freaking mint these? LOL, what if I charge 1 tezos, cause that would be funny AF, charging 1 tezos for a jpeg/png of a penny. That would be really fu . . . oh. shit. yes. yes. mint them , yes . . . "
And here we are now, slightly after midnight on Nov 2, 2022! Once I started minting them, I began to get excited about it because I finally figured out what to do with a concept I sat on for many months. While this may not be the most entertaining story to other reading it, I wanted to write these thoughts down because given the amount of weed a I smoke and codeine dreaming I partake in, I may not remember the spark behind these. I may not remember my seed phrase, but whatever. So, if you made it to this point, thank you for reading my long winded, typo filled, anti climatic rundown on an NFT project that I feel is my most successful to this point.
I have been surprised at the interest this collection has gained and how many sales I have had thus far. 25, 1 tezos sales is pretty good volume for me and my work, so I am glad to see others into it and asking questions. Thanks to all of the party people who have bought one, and all of the party people who will buy one in the future. I also wish you all luck in the secondary markets!
To conclude, I will borrow a line from my favorite Empress and remind that this art I yapped about above, it is for sale, and you can buy it, with Tezos, and it can be yours! No one will stop you.
The collection “A Penny” can be found here -
https://objkt.com/collection/KT1K1Vr44uSbcP5h68xW7eQQMQQUPJTBuNU1
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
6 April 2023: Good Shave, Babybird. (self-released, 2023)
One of two albums I ordered back on Black Friday 2022 from Stephen Jones, aka Babybird, this arrived over four months late due to problems with the British post office. Unlike its fellow traveler Christmas album described in my previous post this one's content wasn't time-sensitive, but I was particularly eager to hear it during that long period of waiting.
Good Shave is the second in a series of albums begun in 2021 with I Was Born a Baby (purchased during one of this blog's many hiatuses and thus not pictured anywhere here). With these releases, of which there are ostensibly going to be several more, Jones is creating sort of mirror-image companion albums to his fabled '90s "low-fi" releases (during which, I should note, he went by Baby Bird and not Babybird. Jones's world is complicated). Good Shave mirrors his second album, 1995's Bad Shave; I Was Born a Baby echoed his 1995 debut I Was Born a Man. The idea here is these new releases are made up of songs from the same bedsit tape archives that the original albums came from. Jones has suggested in his many messages and posts to Bandcamp followers that the material on the old and new albums are equally good and valid, which I can understand in principle, but in practice it's just highly unlikely that these outtakes are going to best those classic '90s works. And having heard two of the new series thus far, I can say they just don't. There are good things on these new releases, of course, and I'm thrilled to have them.
The very first thing I saw when I discovered Jones's enormous Bandcamp world after not following his music for many years was the I Was Born a Baby release, which had just sold out. Later on during some correspondence with Jones I mentioned that I was sad to have missed out on the beginning of this "new lo-fi" project, and he found an extra copy of the album and sent it to me gratis, bless him. (I returned the favor by snapping up several of his other download-only items, to the tune of the price I would have paid for the CD). When Good Shave was announced I couldn't purchase it fast enough.
My ability to purchase every physical release of Jones's has waned, and he's done something nuts like three triple albums since I bought my last one, but should he do another in this new lo-fi series I will be there for it.
Above are the front and back covers of Good Shave. Unlike most of his releases, this one comes in a digipak.
Below is what you see when you open the digipak, with the disc removed. That design under the tray, with song titles in a circle of little bubbles, mimics the back covers of Jones's '90s lo-fi albums.
Next is the disc in its tray.
Last, here is a glimpse of the original Bad Shave album from 1995. My original jewel-case pressing is in storage—I've only got a slipcover repro edition on my shelf right now (from the 2002 box set Original Lo-Fi)—so you just get the front cover. Compare this to the cover of Good Shave and you can see how he's repeating design elements to match the originals.
0 notes
Text
Update on the status of The Fenrathae Saga! And Other Stuffses!
TL;DR: I'm putting The Fenrathae Saga on mostly-hiatus due to burnout relating to it, and am gonna start working full-blast on another project of mine that involves my former RWBY OCs. I'm also gonna make a poll to see if anyone within my tiny but sweet following wants to watch me fail miserably at playing survival mode in Minecraft with cheats and certain gamerules enabled!
To read the whole thing, click on the "Keep reading" thingy below!
Sooooooo, I've realized that I'm very burned out with writing for The Fenrathae Saga. As in, I've been finding significantly more enjoyment in writing in my other projects and playing Minecraft than working on anything relating to The Fenrathae Saga and Volume 1, lately. I've also been thinking about my other projects much more often than The Fenrathae Saga, itself.
So I've decided to put The Fenrathae Saga on the back burner for the time being, aka, put it on a mostly-hiatus! For the most part, I won't be working on it as often as I have for the past 2 years, but I'll probably still chip away at the comic script every now and then. So no, the webcomic is not cancelled at all! This just means that the webcomic will come out a lot later than I anticipated.
The reason I'm doing this is because I know that if I force myself to work on something that I don't want to work on at the moment, then that something won't be done very well. I don't want The Fenrathae Saga to not be done to the best of my abilities, and I especially don't want that for the webcomic. Plus, I've been working on this iteration of The Fenrathae Saga nonstop since March of 2021. I've discovered that my way of working is to work on something full-blast for a few years, then pick up something else that I'd like to work on, set the first thing on the back burner, and then work on that something else full-blast for a few years. I definitely don't plan on abandoning The Fenrathae Saga anytime soon, another project that I've been working on on-and-off has just caught the rest of my attention when I really needed to switch passion projects for a while.
And that something else involves my former RWBY OCs! Yes, former RWBY OCs. Back when I was still really into RWBY, I developed some fan characters for a bit. I never really wrote down the story, but by the time I thought to write it down, the trailer for RWBY Volume 7 had come out, and just watching it made me realize that I'd gotten wayyyyy too emotionally invested in it to continue watching it. And then that one Twitter/X teaser where Team RWBY and Them were suddenly wanted by the government for canonical reasons really turned me off. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good show! Maybe not the best of shows, but it's still decent! Buuuuuuut, I just decided from that point on that I would not watch RWBY anymore and not follow any of the RWBY Official social media accounts, for my own mental health.
So after that, I decided to take my RWBY OCs and make them actual original characters and make their story and actually original story. And that's what brings us to today, where I've decided to work on their story and worldbuilding full-blast! So far, I have a good portion of the lore worked out, and most of the basics of the magic system (where there's actual magic and lots of magically-inclined mortal races of people). The story itself is still a major WIP, and I'm not sure what I'll do with the story once I feels it's ready to be shared.
OH! Also, I'm considering recording videos of me playing Java Edition Minecraft, either in survival mode with cheats and Keep Inventory enabled and no Wardens/Phantoms/Pillager Raid Parties spawning and Mob Griefing disabled, or in creative mode with all of those gamerules inplaces and cheats enabled. I know, I know, that's "not what real gamers do!" But I'm a very casual gamer, and I think the world needs more casual Minecraft YouTubers. Plus, I'm not gonna be playing to fulfill every last whim of every last potential subscriber, I'm gonna be playing Minecraft to make myself happy and to show the world how I play Minecraft. Those gamerules and cheats exist for a good reason, and that's to make the game more accessible for casual players who don't like dealing with certain annoying/scary aspects of the game! If you don't like the fact that I'm playing the game with those gamerules enabled and/or disabled, then... don't play in your Minecraft singleplayer worlds like that?? I don't know what else to tell those who don't like games being accessible to anyone who doesn't want to play games in constant fear of dying and losing all your stuff.
But since this post is so long already, I'm gonna make a separate poll to gauge interest within my small but sweet following about watching my hypothetical Minecraft videos! They'd all be uploaded to my second YouTube channel, which is @/EsorOgramiraMisc on YouTube!
#long post by esor ogramira#updates by esor ogramira#The Fenrathae Saga#The Fenrathae Saga Status Updates
0 notes
Text
This Week in BL
April 2021 Part 1
Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.
Ongoing Series - Thai
Second Chance Ep 1 - living up to its name since it looks to be a series of redemption arcs. Launched with a college confession and a broken friendship, then a flash back to them as seniors in high school. Pairings include friends to lovers, nerd/jock, and maybe cafe boss/employee. There’s a lot going on, but it’s still... quiet and sweet. The script is pretty pat but it’s still WAY more watchable than Cupid Coach or Brothers and most of the acting is solid. Ep 1 tropes included: he’s in engineering, wound tending, fast & bicurious. This could turn into what I wanted My Gear & Your Gown to be. Fingers crossed.
Love Poison 2 Ep 1 & 2 turns out I did watch and report on season 1 (8 eps), season 2 seems equally unmemorable. Thai countryside setting, strong dialect, incomprehensible plot, camp side characters, and ghastly singing.
Y-Destiny Ep 1 (eng subs?) - opened with the sports romance enemies to lovers (they aren’t going in the teaser order). When the couple got over fighting, the flirting was v cute, but the flipping SPONGE BATH trope had to rear its ugly head. Still, this series is shaping up to be less coy and more frank than most BL, better than expected. It feels, I don’t know, gay-er or something?
*** Sources were correct that each couple is getting (at least) 2 eps, and MDL has been updated to say this is a 15 episode series (not 7).
Cupid Coach 12 fin - The new Nite was great and should have been a main all along. It felt like we got a tiny nugget of what could have been in about 10 minutes worth of this last ep. It was way too slow with terrible editing and a criminally bad script, but at least it ended happy. Mostly, like Friend Forever, I’m just disappointed that these two actors were done dirty by the series. Bad Cupid Coach, no screen caps for you.
Lovely Writer Ep 6 - breaking news, there’s a het couple I like: toppy bi femme + soft boi = such a good pairing! I know, but this NEVER happens. Meanwhile, Sib’s secret is out, Gene is a bit of a drama queen, and the plot thickens. We half way through.
Brothers Ep 9 - Kaow had a serious moment of advice giving that was truly lovely. Lots of family dama made this a superior episode to... well... any of the others in this series. Which isn’t saying much.
1000 Stars Ep 10 fin - at the start this series didn’t grab me the way GMMTV’s last BL, Tonhon Chonlatee, did. But boy did it end 1000x better. Might have given us 2021′s best forehead kiss. I enjoyed the ultra romantic cliff-top reunion kiss, and I LOVED the stinger flirting scene. That was an absolute gift we had no right to expect. This drama is a poster child for finishing on a high note (always focus on that dessert course).
Final thoughts? This was FAR more a classic romance than it was BL. There were some BL tropes used but not many and most of them originated in the romance genre not yaoi. A picture perfect ending bumped 1000 Stars much higher up my best-of list than expected. Not sure how often I’ll rewatch it as a whole, but this last episode? I’m probably rewatching it right now.
Ongoing Series - Not Thai
Dear Uranus (Taiwan GL) Ep 3 fin - I guess that’s it? Okaaaaay
HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 3 (AKA Ep 5-6) - we got actual legit gay culture not just BL (always appreciated) from XingSi. I’m starting to find LiCheng’s “show them we fucking” hijinks hilarious rather than annoying (not sure why, maybe I just love a rubber chicken, or maybe it was the STUFFED CORN WITH THE TASSEL that did it).
-- H4 Moment of RANT --
Tropes included beach trip, there’s only one bed, cook for him, baby is a floppy drunk, carry baby to bed, and.... drunk non-con. Whoopdedoo. Here we go again. Did TharnType teach us NOTHING? (Apparently it taught us if the chemistry is good enough, I have no morals at all.) At least H4 seems to be taking us out of cheese into serious when it comes to assault. Or is it?
I take back what I said last week about XingSi & YongJie being codependency + salvation trope, that only works if YongJie is the uke. He’s NOT. So we got us an obsessive predatory villain with a possible redemption arc. That’s more common in crime dramas, mafia romance, and epic fantasy than BL. It’s real hard to redeem a sexual predator in a reality-grounded universe like contemporary romance (See Kla in LBC1&2).
Next week is gonna be a test of the whole damn franchise. Imma remind both me a you that this was ep 3 of 10 so we got a ways to go yet... but ooof, what have we wrought, BL? (I ended up doing a whole post about the stepbrother trope because of this sub plot.) Taiwan is killing me.
-- RANT ended --
Word of Honor (China) Ep 19-21 - over half way point so we got ALL the back story (in a classic 4 act story structure midway reveal). Now we know who WKX really is and his lineage. We also got some cute hugs and hand holds. Moving along at a nice clip despite being 36 eps total. Still gayest thing to come out of we-not-gay China since Advance Bravely.
Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 2 - takes them a while to get eng subs together and ep 2 didn’t drop until late. So I’m putting this in a Thurs time slot going forward. Miscommunication already cleared up and a 2nd couple has been introduced. The pacing on these Vietnamese BLs is always a bit... off. But it’s still better than most of its ilk, enjoyable. I’m thinking it’s a 6 ep arc.
We Best Love 2 (Taiwan) Ep 5 - after the initial drama DRAMA of ep 2, the current external crisis at work is much quieter, giving this whole season a top heavy feel. Taken along side the first season, I think it’s fitting nicely into a 4 act structure, but that might be my bias. I hope I’m not wrong, we’ll find out next week. Shi De puttering about being domestic with Shu Yi on his back was the best execution of the piggyback trope EVER. Meanwhile, our little D/s side couple of codependency, salvation trope + mental illness is becoming weirdly appealing. I don’t know. H4 done mess with my head.
Stand Alones
Absolute BL AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko (Japan) Ep 1-4 mini series. Found subs under A Man Who Defies The World of BL. IT’S HILARIOUS. It’s Japan making fun of us, but also itself for having started this whole BL nonsense - from yaoi roots to present day. It’s parody goddamn gold. Utterly cheeky unto the very last line. We are not worthy.
Apparently the most powerful tropes of all time are: baby is a floppy drunk and the piggyback fo nobility. Oh and chocolate. {Full review here.}
Honestly, this show may have been made with only @heretherebedork and I in mind. I don’t know if you’d even understand half of it if you don’t have a history with the manga source genre and an obsessive interest in underlying narrative devices. I haven’t seen much chatter in the blog’o’sphere on this one because, in the end, it’s not a romance at all, it’s social commentary.
The ending line was a masterclass in lampooning a genre. I’m going to rewatch the whole thing just to catch all the digs I missed first time around. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
Thank you Japan. I forgive you all your hair-styling sins of the last decade.
Breaking News
Spring Line Up:
Scholar Ryu’s Wedding Ceremony AKA Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korean historical BL) April 15th
Close Friend the series (Thai trailer) April 22.
2gether the movie (Thai trailer) April 22 to Thai theaters.
Nitiman (Thai) May 7 on One31.
I Told Sunset About You 2 (Thai) May 27 on LineTV
Ossan’s Love (Hong Kong) June to Viu
Gossip
Bad Buddies released its first promo op via Arm Share, which means GMMTV is at least *thinking* about filming it.
Fun behind the scenes gossip sesh with eng subs for Tell the World I Love You (that Perth Bas movie we are maybe getting someday but will likely be sad).
New Thai BL Bite Me (adapted from novel Grab a Bite) dropped a teaser. It stars Mark Siwat (Kla in LBC) as uke character Ake, a delivery boy with special foodie powers, and chef Eua (seme played by Zung Kidakorn) who discovers him. It’s from the same author as Manner of Death so we might even get some actual plot. Since it’s an established BL actor who I happen LOVE, a known author, and a plot about FOOD, I could not me more excited for this one.
Next Week Looks Like This:
Some shows may be listed a day later than actual air date for accessibility reasons. Some are dropping multiples at a time but just started so I’m not sure on numbering.
Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.
Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.
#second chance the series#y-destiny#lovely writer#brothers the series#cupid coach the series#1000 stars#a tale of thousand stars#final episodes#episode recaps#thai bl#asian bl#thaibl#The Most Peaceful Place is My Place#NƠI BÌNH YÊN NHẤT LÀ VỀ BÊN EM#vietnamese bl#vietnam drama#Absolute BL#Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko#japanese bl#yaoi#yaoi manga#live action manga#live action yaoi#Word of Honor#chinese bl#asianbl#We Best Love#We Best Love: Fighting Mr.2nd#taiwanese bl#taiwan drama
201 notes
·
View notes
Text
Evak Fics - Pining
I’m posting half of this list first because I started it a long time ago and it’s taking me a while to go through all the fics. So I will update with more later.
*** Mutual Pining
*** Pining - I might put mutual pining under pining if we don't see much of the other person pining.
*** Bonus - The pining is not between Evak
For the anon from this ask.
I will try my best to separate out the mutual pining fics but I think it will be tricky if it's not tagged as that. So bear with me and let me know of any mistakes or fics I missed out on.
.
First Posting : 11 July 2021. Under 15k fics.
.
******* Mutual Pining *******
Even the Illustrator by eavk (SERIES, 3 fics) - An AU where Even’s an illustrator who draws what kids describe to him for YouTube, and Isak is the smitten father of a six year old with a wild imagination.
Postcards by HedwigsTalons (1k words) - Isak's wall is covered in postcards. Isak is supportive of Even's career and he cherishes every postcard but the long distance relationship hurts.
Feelings Come and Go, But Not With You by ultimatelawrence (1.9k words) - It was meant to just be a holiday romance. A fling. Nothing like love. But now it was six months later and Even was still pining over the angel he had met in Paris.
let's pretend into forever by Bellakitse (2.3k words) - “Let me get this straight,” Even starts. “You lied to your boss about having a boyfriend, told her it was me, and now you need me to go with you to your science nerd dinner?”
i will love you until the very, very end (and you were my best friend) by traumatic (2.4k words) - Isak and Even share something in the cool waters of a spring fed pool that no one, not even their fiancées, could ever understand.
Breathe Me by photographer_of_thoughts (4.5k words) - A high school reunion brings Isak and Even together after ten years, and neither of them can forget what happened when they were both seventeen.
Everything comes back to you by MermaidsandMermen (4.8k words) - Light pining. A dribble oneshot for Halloween, full of fluff and Even and Isak and a tiny pinch of angst. Because we need some Halloween fluff. That's all.
Fuck Tha Police by MacksDramaticShenanigans (5.2k words) - “This,” Eskild said, spinning the photograph around so everyone could see it, “is a picture of the latest piece of vandalism from our favorite little street punk.” he finished with a heavy sigh. They are both cops.
i tried to be strong but i lost it (i knew it was wrong, i’m beyond it) (6.3k words) - Even has a thing for his intern, Isak has a thing for his boss, they're both a bit clueless and their friends just want them to get their shit together.
all I see is you by littlemovie (Lejla) (7.4k words) - “Aren’t you gonna ask me why I’m a bad person?” Isak somehow whined and demanded at the same time. Jonas blew out a breath in amusement, which made the dark curls on his forehead move with his breath. “I’m guessing it has something to do with that guy, Even, from the coffeeshop?”
Addicted by endlessandinfinite (8k words) - They’re both completely, overwhelmingly, and incredibly...addicted. Best friends to lovers.
Calleth You, Cometh I by Kollakolan (8.4k words) - “Isak!” Mikaels pipes up. “Didn´t you two have a thing?” he turns to Even. A thing, Even thinks to himself. Yes, Isak and him definitely had a thing. They actually had a low-key thing going for years, but it never really turned into something more. The timing was never right.
In Vino Veritas by Sabeley (9.9k words) - After seven years apart, Isak wakes up to find Even in his bed and a wedding ring on his finger.
Let Me by GayaIsANerd (10.6k words) - Summer brings a lot of things. The smell of sunscreen. The sound of children playing in the shallow part of the lake. The taste of cold beer. The sweet tang of weed. But most importantly, summer brings Isak.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue by BluebeardsWife (10.8k words) - Fake dating AU, you know the drill. Even hires Isak to pretend to be his boyfriend at his ex's wedding.
This Means Nothing to Me by cuteandtwisted (10.8k words) - Isak and Even are friends and roommates who don't believe in love anymore (after they both get dumped by other people) until they do.
Aka the Friends/Roommates-To-Lovers
Don't you let me go by solarpower21 (12.2k words) - In this universe, Isak and Even are roomates and nothing more. Except that there is something more between them and they both know that but are too stubborn to admit it. Too bad it takes a very unfortunate event for them to face the truth.
Burn Down The Disco by TheGirlNoOneKnows5 (12.2k words) - A 'Black Mirror: Hang The DJ' AU in which Isak and Even decide to rebel against a futuristic dating system that pairs users up with various people in order to find their perfect match.
La Petite Mort by EvenbechNeiheim (13.4k words) - Even Bech Næsheim is one of those cool and very hot media students at Uni who might just got the task to make a film project. Eskild is the best wingman and things like accidently falling in love with an asshole media student happen. Based on the FIRST KISS YouTube video that gave the internet an entire meltdown.
when your heart is bleeding, i'm coming to get you by orphan_account (13.5k words) - Isak doesn't exactly expect his hookup from last week to be the love advice columnist at the school newspaper he's working at. He also doesn't expect to fall even harder for him than he already has, which is a shame, really, since Even's crushing on someone else.
Heal My Heart for Christmas by iwritetropesnottragedies (recklesslee) (13.5k words) - It’s been ten years since Isak left his small town for the big city of Oslo with his father. He hardly even thought of his time there anymore. Until he received a letter from his mother asking him to come home for Christmas for the first time since he had left.
Love in the Time of COVID: Battlestar Edition by sweetasmaple (14k words) - Isak and Even find each other again during the COVID-19 lockdown, one Battlestar Galactica episode at a time.
.
******* Pining *******
never seemed so alive by retts (1k words) - Nothing special, just four letters strung together to spell out E V E N but they made Isak's heart race and his face blush and his hands tremble.
Hopeless by waitineedaname (1k words) - Light pining. There was no way in hell Isak would be able to talk to Even. He was tall and cool and handsome, and Isak was pretty sure talking to him would make him spontaneously combust.
i could probably just curl up in you. by milominderbinder (1.3k words) - Isak is away at a cabin with the guys when he gets a text from Even. 'hey, babe, did you take my favourite hoodie?' He is, of course, outraged that Even would accuse him of such treachery. The fact that Isak is wearing the hoodie at that very moment has nothing to do with it.
stuck on you (what did i do?) by itjustkindahappened (1.8k words) - It’s not that Even doesn’t try to be friendly with him—Isak just makes it so hard. Whenever Even approaches, Isak either makes up a fumbling excuse to leave, or just becomes really stiff and refuses to acknowledge Even’s existence.
now and forever (i will be your man) by thekardemomme (2.2k words) -Warning for pain. 3 times isak kisses even +1
i be up in the gym just working on my fitness by orphan_account (2.3k words) - Even knows that he's quite literally going to die when he finds his crush sweating on an elliptical, reading a book with his glasses slipping down his nose.
You know where I stay by nofeartina (2.4k words) - Warning for pain. Isak is so beautiful first thing in the morning. When he still has creases in his face from the pillow, when his face is red and puffy from sleep, his hair all messed up and curly. Even prefers this Isak. This is his Isak, this is only for him.
won't you be my livewire by itjustkindahappened (3.2k words) - "i've been tryin to grab your attention in class for over half an hour by poking you and throwing things onto your desk and you're refusing to acknowledge me and gdi all i wanted to do was tell you that you look cute and now it's gone too far and i can't go back"
Cookies and Cream by GayaIsANerd (3.5k words) - Isak has a crush on the barista. He's too scared to do anything about it, but luckily there's a blizzard coming up.
i can feel the weather in my bones by EvenbechNeiheim (3.7k words) - Isak and Even are childhood friends. There’s a boyfriend sweater and Isak is just desperate to wear it.
On the silver screen by Lokkanel (4k words) - Isak was really not in the mood for this. He had a long week at work, and all he wanted was to relax with his friend, drink a few beers, maybe even smoke some weed and just chill. But no. When Jonas called him to say that he won tickets to the coolest indie film festival in Oslo, Isak knew he could forget his plans for a quiet and simple weekend.
I want to love you (in my own language) by fauu_stine (4k words) - “Okay. Maybe I’m not happy,” he admits in a resigned whisper. “Do you need a shrink discussion or a best friend discussion?” "I think- I think it’s more of a friend with benefits kind of talk."
Don't be an ass by Julieseven (4.1k words) - Even really tried to forget about him. It started out as a harmless little crush, really. He saw him at the karaoke bar SYNG one night, singing "I don't want to miss a thing" at the top of his lungs, clearly drunk out of his mind, but looking like an angel with his messy dark blond locks and crooked smile.
Little Black Book by Laika (4.3k words) - Isak Valtersen is studying his third year at the University of Oslo and having the time of his life. Enter Evy Bech Næsheim, straight out of Nissen, in his stockings, mini skirts and bubblegum scented lip gloss.
cracks in our foundation by towonderland72 (4.8k words) - “You know, like a thousand years ago, men used to wear makeup?” Even asks, as Isak
gapes at himself.
Safest With You (Green Curtains) by eavk (5.3k words) - Isak keeps staying up too late studying at the library, but luckily there's an escort service that gives students a buddy to walk with to keep safe at night.
the one with the prom video by thekardemomme (5.5k words) - Even has been in love with Isak since they were younger, but he never intended for Isak to find out this way.
Senses by Lokkanel (5.5k words) - Sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste… Or Even falling in love with Isak, one sense at a time.
you're the one i wanna grey with (5.6k words) - They've only been dating a month, so Isak shouldn't be pathetic enough to miss Even this much when he's only gone for a weekend.
Orion's Nebula by thekardemomme (5.6k words) - Light pining I think. Even Bech Næsheim was enrolled in an astronomy class for one reason and one reason only: the cute ass boy he saw standing in the registration line.
with the taste of a poison paradise by chasingflower (6k words) - It’s routine by now. Isak hangs out with his friends during the day and at night he kisses the Dream-Even that lives on the other side of the door in his living room, and basks in the warm fuzzy feelings he gets as a result of the attention. Coraline Au.
How to Get Your Man - A Plan By Even Bech Naesheim by Evakkk (6.1k words) - When Magnus drops a big secret in front of Even... Even comes up with a brilliant plan to get Isak to reveal his true feelings. All it takes is one little lie, and one crazy family reunion.
To Burn With Desire by photographer_of_thoughts (6.1k words) - AU in which Isak and Even are neighbours and Isak's father has a secret job that unintentionally helps Isak realize he's in love with his best friend.
Watermelon Sugar by MermaidsandMermen (6.6k words) - A little tribute to fruit and touching. To sex, and friendships and finding what you were looking for all along. And of course inspired by Harry Styles latest video offering, just because.
The Fake Boyfriend App by Crazyheart (7.2k words) - AU where Isak is desperately pining for his flatmate Even, and downloads a fake boyfriend app to get over him. When he discovers that the Fake boyfriend is a human, and not a bot, he is sceptical.
That look you give that guy by Lokkanel (7.4k words) - Isak and Even love each other in secret. It is almost thrilling at first, but when hiding and lying to their friends begin to take a toll on Even, Isak decides to end it all. He thinks he has taken the right decision, until Even eventually moves on with someone else.
my longing drives me crazy for you (7.7k words) - Isak's mum worries, Isak makes bad life decisions and Even loves Isak. It's a fake dating au.
I'm Always Here by nofeartina (9.3k words) - “Did you know that Even is working this summer? At that pool at the Plaza?” Jonas says. Isak actually sits up in excitement at this. “Fuck yeah!” Oh, a pool. Actual water they could go swimming in and cool down. And also, Even.
a garden for your love by eggsntoast (9.3k words) - He’s learning to breathe with them, even if he ends up with a floor full of violets by the end of it all. They remind Isak of him, and that’s all that matters. That’s what makes it worse. or: a Hanahaki au ft. Isak heavily pining after Even. Lots of angst.
I wrote an angry letter to the void, and the void responded (9.5k words) - Monday comes, and the book is still there. Isak looks around, content to find the floor practically empty, before giving the book the finger. Fuck that book. - a book finds it's way to Isak's sacred study spot. this proves to be a major distraction.
a constant state of closeness by chevythunder (9.7k words) - “What is it about this dude, anyway?” Elias asks. “You’ve barely even talked to him, right?” “I don’t know,” Even says. “I just got this feeling, you know? Just- I want to make sure he’s okay and safe and… stuff.” - It starts with a hug.
Is This Our Time? by Evakkk (9.9k words) - This is a world where everyone is born with an indistinguishable soulmate mark... it only changes into something recognizable, once you have physical contact with your soulmate, and it's always something meaningful to the relationship. Both partners will bear the same mark. Isak is about to turn 18... and he's the only one in his friend group who still hasn't found their soulmate. But what happens when he goes out one night, gets drunk... and wakes up with his soulmate mark?
Is This What You Wanted? by cuteandtwisted (9.9k words) - Isak is filthy rich and Even is a hardworking male model who just got signed to his father's agency. Even gets an awful offer from Isak: one night with him in exchange for money, and begins to despise him. Little does he know that everything he thinks he knows about Isak is wrong.
Just like in the movies by Lokkanel (10.5k words) - As he began taking in his surroundings, Isak realized he was in one of those small theaters that programmed independent and artsy movies, even old black and white films. He was ready to turn around and walk away when he heard a deep voice say, “Halla.”
my tiny heartbeat in his ear by riyku (11k words) - Now, about a week after the longest day of the year, the empty house across the street has stopped being empty.
most beautiful things by scarletbluebird (12.7k words) - This fic is a whole ass journey. Warning for pain.
This isn’t a fairytale, Isak tells himself. Even is standing at the bend in the road. He looks like a metaphor for immortal life: the youth a god would kill for. Ambrosia eyes, the universe trapped in the curve of his mouth. He looks like every warning from his mother about strangers you run into after dark.
One week by Lokkanel (12.8k words) - This thing going on between Isak and Even, whatever they called it - fuckbuddies, friends with benefits - was simple, fun, nothing more. They were friends, they were both free to do whatever they wanted with other people. They’d just meet and have sex whenever they felt like it. Simple. Until what was bound to happen eventually did and Even fell for Isak.
Plum by Jamz24 (13.2k words) - Femme!teacher!Even asks masculine! plumber!Isak to fix a broken shower on a scorching hot summer day...And if you think it sounds like the start of a porn film you're absolutely right! There's LOADS of smut but ... with LOTS of feelings
Never be the same by nofeartina (14.2k words) - It starts with a bet - one of those really stupid ones: can they last an entire month without any kind of sex?It’s been 22 days – and Even is dying.
Somewhere I’ve never been by MinilocIsland (14.6k words) - The first time Even meets Jonas' best friend, nothing goes according to plan.
If I Should Fall Behind by MinilocIsland (14.7k words) - The plan for tonight had been crystal clear. Stay close to his best friend, and steal her away if needed. Hold her hand through the ordeal of meeting Noora again for the first time in years. Then Even shows up – and suddenly, nothing goes the way it was supposed to.
All I Ever Wanted by MinilocIsland (14.8k words) - Isak is such a good friend. Probably the best there is. How else could he explain that he's agreed to join Magnus to this place deep in the woods for six full days of silence, meditation, and utter boredom? One thing, he knows. There's nothing exciting for him there. Right? Or: the silent retreat AU.
.
******* Bonus *******
Season 3: Jonas by Laika_the_husband (WIP, SBB 2021 fic) - There is a scene in the end of the script for season 1, where Jonas and Isak kiss each other on a dare. This story is a retelling of season 3 in a universe, where that kiss happened and completely changed the way Jonas sees Isak. Written in Jonas' POV, the story examines sexuality, love, friendship and coming to terms with never getting the boy you shouldn't have fallen for in the first place.
What the fuck is wrong with me? by notanugget (11.6k words) - The five times isak felt guilty for being in love and the one time he didn’t
thanks for the weed, thanks for everything by evak1isak (13.1k words) - Jokael. Jonas' dealer has moved to Denmark, and Even recommends his friend's weed. What Jonas didn't expect, though, was to develop a crush on a boy, on Mikael.
.
******* WIP *******
Baby, why do you have to shine so bright? by Lilacpotter - Even knew he was radiant, and he was used to people always wanting to be around him, enchanted by his captivating words and glowing smiles, as if he was the tantalising sun. But then one day, he comes across someone who shines much brighter than the sun itself in Even’s eyes.
Lonely Hearts Club by EndingsNotTheStory - The Hearts Club. A show run by Isak and his 3 friends. He's kind of had enough with hearing about people's relationship issues and giving advice. Until the guy from his theatre class and Isak's totally not crush Even calls, dealing with relationship issues. pining
68 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Hi KC Readers,
We have reached the end of the week which means we have new weekly releases for you! The stories below were updated during the week of May 1st - May 7th.
Happy Reading!
FFN
Gods on High
Author: slstmaraudersjple
Rating: K+
Length: 1,257
Summary: "In ancient times, they called her Hera. But when she was born, she was named Caroline." Greek mythology AU featuring Klaus and Caroline as Zeus and Hera.
Date of update: May 1 2021
Klaus POV - The Trouble with Spells (Chapter 23)
Author: ilovetf
Rating: M
Length: 91,722
Summary: The Trouble with Spells as seen through Klaus's eyes and his POV. Over the years, people kept liking this story and some even asked for Klaus POV, so I decided to give it a try.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Cinderella's Beast (Chapter 15)
Author: Sci-fi Christian
Rating: T
Length: 59,065
Summary: He was a beast. An arrogant beast who carried his comments a little too far one day. Now, he may just discover that she is not what she seems. She's a Cinderella in disguise and his heart is the glass slipper she may leave behind.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Fortitude (Chapter 8)
Author: G.M.Portraepic
Rating: M
Length: 15,256
Summary: Post TO 5x13: Even in his death, the key to Klaus Mikaelson having everything he has ever wanted, all at once, lies buried somewhere in the world. Can Caroline Forbes find it?
Date of update: May 5 2021
AO3
Without Pause Without Doubt
Author: ThrowMeAStory
Rating: M
Length: 3,679
Summary: 4x16, au. Part 9. Klaroline vs Damon.
Date of update: May 1 2021
Between Reality and Madness
Author: Eliliyah
Rating: G
Length: 8,395
Summary: When Caroline Forbes, Hogwart's resident Potions Mistress, is bitten by a werewolf, her father, the Minister of Magic, immediately orders she be taken away and imprisoned in a so-called "Rehabilitation Facility," mysterious camps from which no wolf has ever returned. Dodging curses, she runs for her life. Her only chance is to find the one person who seems to know a thing or two about wolves: Headmaster Klaus Mikaelson.
Date of update: May 1 2021
Our Time Now (Chapter 2)
Author: perfectpro
Rating: M
Length: 23,970
Summary: Caroline is going to spend her senior year getting into the law school of her choice, leading the cheerleading squad to a nationals title, and passing her sorority presidency to someone who will continue a legacy of excellence. She doesn't have time to take a bubble bath, much less to figure out what's happening with her relationship with Klaus. Not that it's much of a relationship to begin with.
Date of update: May 1 2021
no goodbyes (Chapter 11)
Author: deadofwrite (dead_of_write)
Rating: E
Length: 78,975
Summary: “Last night shouldn’t have happened,” Caroline whispered. Guilt. Shame. Regret. It was all the emotions he feared. And it was written all over her face. aka. a college/cheating au
Date of update: May 1 2021
All You Never Say (Chapter 6)
Author: misssophiachase
Rating: T
Length: 18,967
Summary: One wedding involving a best man and maid of honour who've grown up together but don't know quite how to reconcile their unresolved feelings.
Date of update: May 2 2021
A smutty anniversary (Chapter 8)
Author: kcatdino
Rating: E
Length: 5,414
Summary: Caroline and Klaus celebrate 3 months together with a day full of smut.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Darkness Becomes Thee (Chapter 3)
Author: BelleMorte180
Rating: E
Length: 12,317
Summary: Austria 1300s When Klaus met a young girl on a riverbank, he knew that he would one day come back for her. When he looked into her bright blue eyes, he could see a reflection of his own soul, a darkness that lingered inside both of them. When the young girl turned into a beautiful woman with a thirst for blood, his fascination with her turns into obsession. He wants not only her loyalty but her eternity, a possessiveness that is equally returned.
Date of update: May 2 2021
One of a Kind, Two of a Kind, or the Three Musketeers (Chapter 11)
Author: Phandancee74
Rating: T
Length: 24,114
Summary: Caroline recognizes how hard it is for Elena to be a doppelgänger, her fate predestined as well as her face. It's pretty tough being the last of your kind too though, and Caroline is determined to protect them both, with some very helpful Bennetts on their side.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Klaus’ Thousand Year Plan to be Her Last (Chapter 2)
Author: anncatherine
Rating: T
Length: 2,867
Summary: So these are some missing Klaroline scenes from my Elena/Elijah soulmate fic that I couldn’t include because they either didn’t fit or needed to be form Klaus or Caroline’s pov. I think it would be helpful to read at least the first couple chapters of that for background, but basically at twelve people’s soulmate’s birthday shows up on their wrist.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Cloud 9: A Collection of Klaroline Fusions and Crossovers (Chapter 11)
Author: klarolineagainnaturally
Rating: G
Length: 5,597
Summary: Various fusions and crossovers with Klaus and Caroline including Much Ado About Nothing, Ready or Not, and Tangled!
Date of update: May 2 2021
The Big Bad Wolf (Chapter 8)
Author: MorningStarGirl666
Rating: T
Length: 58,507
Summary: He was the Big, Bad Wolf of this story, there was no doubt about that. But Caroline? She was the light to his darkness, the moon that shone brighter than even the stars in a sky of endless void. Like every wolf, he fell in love with the moon, and every month, he was destined to cry for a love he would never touch.
Date of update: May 2 2021
Destination Wedding (Chapter 5)
Author: PumpkinDoodles
Rating: T
Length: 10,294
Summary: The first rule of going to your ex's wedding is 'make sure you look good,' but Caroline's seriously worried that this British Guy is going to make her late. And she cannot be late to Rebekah Mikaelson and Matt Donovan's wedding at a Virginia winery.
Date of update: May 3 2021
We are young (Chapter 14)
Author: kcatdino
Rating: T
Length: 16,153
Summary: Basically, Klaroline flirt in front of their kids who they are barely older than, and Landon is appropriately confused.
Date of update: May 3 2021
Road to Ruin
Author: Cupcakemolotov
Rating: ?
Length: 2,122
Summary: Caroline comes home for Elena's funeral two years after she made out of Mystic Falls to NYU, and meets Klaus Mikaelson, one of the enigmatic brother's who claimed Elena as their own.
Date of update: May 3 2021
Time Heals All Wounds (Chapter 2)
Author: khaleesiofthewolves
Rating: ?
Length: 4,393
Summary: Does time really heals all wounds? Deeply scarred by his past, he would beg to differ. Klaus never thought the midnight shift at the hospital would change his life and yet it did. When a certain blonde is brought in with severe injuries, Klaus will learn that sometimes doctors need healing as well. Will their inner wounds and scars help them grow together or just tear them apart?
Date of update: May 3 2021
Caroline in Wonderland
Author: BelleMorte180
Rating: E
Length: 25,491
Summary: London, 1903 On the day of her wedding, a young boy collides into Caroline's legs, all but knocking her to the ground. Seeing that she is dreading walking down the aisle, any moment stalling her from heading to the church is welcome. However, when she follows the young boy down a London street, something impossible happens and Caroline finds herself in a magical world that she had been told about as a young child- Wonderland. She embarks on a journey through Wonderland to find out who she really is, where she belongs and towards a man who she had thought was nothing more than an imaginary friend.
Date of update: May 4 2021
A Bee A Tulip and a Meddlesome Sister
Author: KatherineBee1814
Rating: M
Length: 15,107
Summary: Newly arrived in London from Kent Lady Rebekah Mikaelson quickly catches the eye of infamous Rake and rouge Lord Anthony Bridgerton but Andromeda will be damned before she lets him marry her favourite sibling.
Date of update: May 4 2021
Soulmate visions (Chapter 6)
Author: kcatdino
Rating: T
Length: 11,445
Summary: On your soulmate's eighteenth birthday, you see through their eyes for an hour, but they don’t know. And if your soulmate turns eighteen before you are even born, you never get a vision. Klaus gets his soulmate vision right after he orders Tyler to bite Caroline on her birthday….
Date of update: May 4 2021
White Winds Blow (Chapter 2)
Author: perfectpro
Rating: T
Length: 17,704
Summary: Caroline Forbes waits anxiously in the Riverlands to hear of the return of her betrothed, Elijah Mikaelson, from the uprising against the mad King Silas. Instead, a letter arrives from his younger brother, Lord Niklaus, telling her of Elijah's death and offering to uphold the joining of their houses himself. She will become the Lady of Winterfell, but Lord Niklaus, waiting at the heart tree, is a stranger.
Date of update: May 4 2021
later on, we'll conspire (Chapter 3)
Author: PumpkinDoodles
Rating: M
Length: 7,292
Summary: Caroline asks Klaus to choose her over revenge at the Winter Wonderland Party.
Date of update: May 5 2021
KC Drabbles 2021
Author: CandyCane1287
Rating: T
Length: 8,303
Summary: C1: Hybrid Klaus meets human Caroline earlier and they fall in love. But there’s more. Ps, Katherine didn’t turn Caroline and she’s still human. He used Elena for the sacrifice but Elijah revived her. He got Tyler to bite Caroline but Klaus healed her. Tyler and Caroline broke up cause he cheated on her and they weren’t that in love.
A bit of talk of Damon, but doesn’t go into too much detail. I suck at summaries btw.
Date of update: May 5 2021
Revenge of the Fifth - TVD Edition
Author: kcatdino
Rating: M
Length: 4,057
Summary: A star wars AU for vampire dairies for May the Fourth Be with You! Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena are padawan learners at Luke Skywalker’s new Jedi training academy, desperate to prove themselves by taking down some of the new Sith Lords that have popped up. The problem is, those Sith Lords are the Mikaelsons, and each girl has a Mikaelson brother obsessed with them, unwilling to let them come to harm. Will that make it harder or easier for them to triumph over the Dark Side?
Date of update: May 6 2021
The Beach House (Chapter 2)
Author: kcatdino
Rating: M
Length: 3,812
Summary: When Rebekah blackmails Klaus into pretending to be her friend Caroline’s boyfriend for the weekend, he expects sand, sun, and horrible people who never left high school. And while Caroline’s friends may ‘suck’ (her term, not his), he increasingly enjoys the time he spends with the bubbly blonde. But nothing can happen, even while sharing a bed. Caroline might feel bad for dragging Klaus away from his infant daughter for the weekend, but the little intimacies and kisses for their performance build up and start to feel very real. And now she wants him bad. If only Rebekah hadn’t warned him off.
Date of update: May 5 2021
Author: VintageLilac
Rating: T
Length: 156,908
Summary: New York was home to the richest families in the in world. They were the elite and spent their days traveling the world, making money, and earning power. Although Manhattan wasn't just their home, it was their kingdom. Left with little parental supervision, no rules, and copious amounts of money, the infamous teenagers ran the city and as people say, long may they reign.
Date of update: May 6 2021
That Kind Of Power
Author: ThrowMeAStory
Rating: M
Length: 3,375
Summary: 4x16 au, Part 10. Caroline vs Elena.
Date of update: May 6 2021
Reasons Not to Date a Mikaelson (Chapter 5)
Author: kcatdino
Rating: T
Length: 9,517
Summary: Bonnie and Caroline gain a new roommate for their freshman dorm when a vision leads them to tracking down a pregnant Hayley in the Rockies. Also, Bonnie may or may not have raised a certain dead Original instead of Jeremy and Klaus takes a job at Whitmore teaching, to be annoying. He’s very good at it.
Date of update: May 7 2021
LITTLE TENSE (Chapter 3)
Author: wincefish16
Rating: T
Length: 3,592
Summary: Klaroline's life together as they work in Mikaelson and co. Different snippets of their life.
Date of update: May 7 2021
FFN: The Exclusivity Clause (Chapter 3)
AO3: The Exclusivity Clause (Chapter 3)
Author: slstmaraudersjple
Rating: M
Length: 12,529
Summary: When Klaus receives a call that his soulmate has been found after searching for her for almost a century, he sets off to claim her before his enemies can harm her. But his soulmate is human this time around, innocent and irresistible, and his wolf wants nothing more than to mark her. Soulmates Reincarnation AU.
Date of update: May 1st
FFN: Louder Than Thunder (Chapter 39)
AO3: Louder Than Thunder (Chapter 17)
Author: khaleesiofthewolves
Rating: M
Length: 256,589
Summary: All Hell was about to break loose. After dying while protecting a grieving Klaus, Caroline finds herself sent back in time, and she's not who she once was. She's more. Back in Mystic Falls, something else is stirring. After the arrival of a mysterious figure from Klaus' past, it all comes to a head. It really is louder than thunder.
Date of update: May 3 2021
FFN: Caroline the Not So Teenage Witch
AO3: Caroline the Not So Teenage Witch (Chapter 15)
Author: klarolineagainnaturally
Rating: T
Length: 35,304
Summary: Continuing the drabble inspired by Sabrina the Teenage Witch, young witch Caroline Forbes must learn to live with her old flame turned cat. Antics ensue as they try to get along and fix what has been done.
Date of update: May 3 2021
FFN: A Beautiful Symmetry (Chapter 155)
AO3: A Beautiful Symmetry (Chapter 155)
Author: Uppity Bitch
Rating: M
Length: 419,840
Summary: A collection of random AU one-shots featuring Klaroline. Chapter 155: Part 2 — Fright Wedding. This is a sequel to Chapter 141: Fright Wedding. The alliance with the Mikaelson kingdom failed when they declared war, but Caroline was certain Klaus would be an excellent ally. Or hostage. Or possibly something more?
Date of update: May 3 2021
FFN: Royals of New York (Chapter 28)
AO3: Royals of New York (Chapter 27)
Author: VintageLilac
Rating: T
Length: 162,215
Summary: New York's royals spend their days traveling the world, making money, and earning power. With little parental supervision, no rules, and copious amounts of money, their children have New York as their own personal kingdom. May their reign be long and prosperous.
Date of update: May 6 2021
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
Favorite Reads of 2020
I take back everything I said last year about how 2019 was a comparatively bad reading year for me. 2020 was even worse. I only read 48 books, I could barely focus on reading even when I did find a book I liked, and, just like last year, I ended up with fewer favorites than usual. Starting in August I’ve been having trouble reading any written media that isn’t TOG fic. And some of my eagerly awaited releases by favorite authors ended up being disappointments (Deeplight by Frances Hardinge and Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee).
2020—the year that keeps on giving.
I sincerely hope 2021 will be a better year in all respects, including my reading habits, but, as with everything else, who knows.
Regardless, here’s my list of favorite reads of 2020, in chronological order of when I read them:
Network Effect by Martha Wells
I’d read the first four Murderbot Diaries novellas when they first came out and enjoyed them, but I didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with them. Maybe because they were novellas, and too short to get fully invested? Possibly. As it turns out, Network Effect is the novel-length fifth entry in the Murderbot Diaries that turned me into full-on squeeing fan—SecUnit, aka Murderbot, continues to be its delightfully acerbic, antisocial self, SPOILER makes another appearance and oh how I’d missed this character, the supporting cast is fun and endearing, and the novel-length story means there’s time and space for the brand-new corporate espionage/colonization/alien civilization murder mystery to unfold and spread its wings. (Sounds like a Sanctuary Moon plot tbh). SecUnit is possibly my favorite non-human fictional character atm, and I am now fully on-board for every and any new story in the series.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
When I first heard about this book and read the words “time travel romance”, I immediately went, “Nope, not gonna read.” I don’t like reading time travel stories, and honestly, I was imagining it to be something like The Time Traveler’s Wife, which granted I haven’t read but also sounds like it’d be the opposite of my cup of tea.
And then I went to a reading where Amal and Max took turns reading chapters – letters written by Red and Blue, enemy agents who repeatedly taunt and thwart the other’s plans to ensure their side is the one to win the time war and who can’t resist smugly outlining just how they’re staying one step ahead of the other – and the prose was witty and gorgeous and clever and intricate, and Red and Blue were snarky and arrogant and talented and fun. I had to read it. And I ended up loving it, this enemies-to-lovers story that is a meld of fantasy and science fiction such that they’re indistinguishable from the other, where the past is as equally fantastical and alien and imaginary as the future, where Red and Blue’s power play transforms into something different and scarier and more intimate than either of them imagined.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
Becky Chambers has done it again, writing a gentle, hopeful story about humans working together out of a share a love and fascination for scientific exploration and wonder for all the possibilities the entirety of space can hold. With the advent of both space travel and technology that alters human physiology to allow them to survive otherwise inhospitable environments, a team of four astronauts and scientists have embarked on a mission to ecologically survey four distant planets and the life forms that inhabit them, from the microscopic to the multicellular—not to conquer, but to record and to learn and to share the gathered knowledge with the rest of Earth. In the meantime, lightyears away, Earth is going through decades without them, and the four of them must also contend with a planet that may have forgotten their existence—or that’s abandoned the entire space and scientific exploration program.
Reading Becky Chambers is the literary equivalent of sitting down with a warm mug of my favorite tea on a bad day – I always feel better at the end and like I can imagine a future where humanity does all the wonderful things we’re capable of doing.
A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker
I started reading this book right as NYC was gearing up to go into lockdown, which should have made this a terrible choice to continue reading since part of the premise is that a combo of multiple stochastic terror attacks and a brand-new, deadly plague upend the world as everyone knows it by causing the U.S. to pass laws that keep people physically apart in public for their own safety and make concerts, theatre, and any other kind of artistic gathering obsolete.
But that’s largely just the set-up, and the real story is that of Luce Cannon, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who played the last major concert in the before times who twenty years later performs in illegal underground concerts, and Rosemary, a younger music-lover who’s only lived in the after-times, and who’s taken a new job scouting out talent to add to the premier virtual entertainment company’s roster of simulated concerts.
It’s a love letter to live music and what it feels like to connect and build community via music in unusual and strange and scary times, the energy involved in making music for yourself, for an audience, exploring the world around you, imagining and advocating for a better tomorrow, and embracing the fear, the possibility, and the power of change, both good and bad. This was the book I needed to read at the beginning of the pandemic, and I’m thankful I ended up doing so.
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019 edited by John Joseph Adams and Carmen Maria Machado
When I end up loving half of the stories in an anthology and greatly enjoying all but two of the rest, that’s the equivalent of a literary blue moon for me. My favorites included the following;
"Pitcher Plant" by Adam-Troy Castro
"Six Hangings in the Land of Unkillable Women" by Theodore McCombs
"Variations on a Theme from Turandot" by Ada Hoffmann
"Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Memphis Minnie Sing the Stumps Down Good" by LaShawn M. Wanak
"The Kite Maker" by Brenda Peynado
"The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" by P. Djèlí Clark
"Dead Air" by Nino Cipri
"Skinned" by Lesley Nneka Arimah
"Godmeat" by Martin Cahill
"On the Day You Spend Forever with Your Dog" by Adam R. Shannon
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
No one is more surprised than me that Harrow is on this list, given that I am one of approximately three people in the universe who did not unequivocally love Gideon the Ninth.
And yet the sequel worked for me.
Maybe because this time I already knew and was used to the way the world and the Houses worked, and I knew to not take anything I read for granted because I could be guaranteed to have the rug pulled out from under me without even realizing. Maybe Harrow’s countdown/amnesia mystery worked better for me than Gideon’s locked room mystery. Maybe the cast of characters was more manageable and fewer of them were getting murdered left and right before I got a chance to get used to them (and some of them even came back!) Maybe it’s that Harrow blew open the potential and possibilities Gideon hinted at and capitalized on just how fucking weird and mind-blowing the whole premise is in a way that felt incredibly and viscerally satisfying.
Also SPOILER happens three-quarters of the way through. That was pretty fucking awesome.
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djélí Clark is a master of melding history and fantasy in ways that are in turn imaginative and clever (his fantastical alternate-history, early 20th-century Egyptian novel A Master of Djinn is one of the books I’m most looking forward to in 2021), while also using fantasy to be frank and incisive about the history of American antiblack racism (as in the above linked story in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019). Ring Shout combines the late-nineteenth and early 20th-century history of the rise and normalization of the KKK with Lovecraftian supernatural horror, in which the release of The Birth of a Nation summoned literal monsters (called Ku Kluxes) that became part of the KKK’s ranks. Maryse Boudreaux is a Black woman who’s part of a grassroots organization hunting both the monsters and the human members in order to keep the Klan at bay. However, there’s soon to be another summoning ritual atop Stone Mountain that will unleash even more Ku Kluxes into the world, and Maryse and her friends are running out of time to prevent it from happening.
Maryse is a fantastic character, as are her two friends—brash, unapologetic Sadie and WWI veteran, weapons expert Chef—her mentor and leader of the Ring Shout group Nana Jean, and all the other members of the group who work and fight together as a team and a family. Maryse’s past and the journey she goes on in the book to uncover the truth and stop the summoning is harrowing and heart-stopping, the supernatural elements are both horrific in and of themselves while also undergirding the real-life horror of the KKK and the hatred they engender. It’s smart, it’s fun, it’s eye-opening, and it’s also being turned into a TV show starring KiKi Layne. It’s really, really good.
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
“Stick to the brief.” This is the maxim given to Dietz and all the other soldiers who join the war against Mars, where soldiers are broken down into light to travel to and from their assigned battlefields instantaneously. Only Dietz isn’t experiencing the jumps like everyone else – Dietz, like Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse-Five, has become unstuck in time and is experiencing all the battles in the mission briefs out of chronological order, to the point that Dietz starts to build a picture of a war and a reality that’s been sold to Dietz and everyone else on Earth as pure fiction.
I’ve always appreciated Kameron Hurley’s stories, but this is the first book where she fully succeeded at writing the book she set out to write—it’s fast-paced science fiction thriller in the form of a loaded gun that takes brutal aim at late-stage capitalism, modern military warfare and the dehumanization of everyone involved on all sides, the greed of ungovernable governing corporations, nationalistic and military propaganda, the mythology of citizenship and inalienable rights, and it’s viscerally bloody and violent without being grotesque in the way all of Kameron Hurley’s books are. Especially important for me, I loved that Dietz went through the entire book not being gendered in any way, shape, or form (those last five pages didn’t exist, what are you talking about), and I love in general that Kameron Hurley is committed to writing non-male characters who aren’t less violent or fucked-up or morally superior to men just because they’re not men.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Middle grade is a hard sell for me these days, as are books in verse, and I wouldn’t have known this book existed if it weren’t for the Ignyte Award nomination list earlier this year. As it turns out, this book, the story of Jude, a pre-teen girl who wants to be an actress who leaves Syria and the encroaching civil war with her mom to go live in the U.S. with her uncle and his white wife and their daughter while her dad and older brother stay behind, is full of beauty, curiosity, humor, confusion, grief, pain, and joy, and the poetic prose is both lyrical, nuanced, and perfectly fitted to Jude’s voice. I devoured this book in one day, which is the quickest amount of time it took me to read any book this year, including novellas.
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram
The first book Darius the Great Is Not Okay was one of my favorite books in 2018, and I’m ecstatic that the sequel is equally as amazing.
It’s been approximately half a year since Darius went to Iran, met his maternal grandparents in person for the first time, and found his best friend in Sohrab, and in that time he’s come out as gay, joined the soccer team, got an internship at his favorite tea shop, and started dating for the first time. Darius is also working through some things though—when and if he wants to have sex with his boyfriend, his grandfather’s worsening illness, his dad’s recent depressive episode, his emotionally distant paternal grandmothers on his coming for an extended stay, the fact that he’s getting to know and growing closer with one of his teammates who’s best friends with Darius’s years-long bully, and a bunch else.
Darius the Great Deserves Better has the same tender and vulnerable emotional intimacy as the first book, more conversations over tea, new instances involving the mortifying ordeal of being a cis guy with a penis, even more Star Trek metaphors, and so much growth for Darius as he works through a lot of hard situations and feelings, and strengthens his relationships with all of the people in his life he loves and cares about. I can’t think of any other book that’s like these two books, and I love and treasure them dearly.
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
I had zero awareness of this book until a bunch of SFF authors started praising it on Twitter a couple months before the release date, and I was intrigued enough to get a copy from the library. I loved this book. I happened to be reading it right at the time of the presidential election, and it phenomenally served the purpose of desperately-needed distraction from the agony of waiting out the ballot counts.
It’s book about the power behind borders, citizenship, exploitation, and imperialism, set in a late-late-stage capitalist future, in which a prodigy invented the means to access and travel to slightly divergent parallel universes to grab resources and data – but only if the other universe’s version of “you” isn’t there. It’s the story of a woman named Cara – poor, brown, born in the wastelands outside the shelter, security, and citizenship privileges of Wiley City – who’s comfortably employed to travel to all the parallel worlds no one else can visit, because all her counterparts in those worlds are dead from one of the myriad ways Cara herself could have died growing up. It’s the story of Cara traversing the muddied boundaries between her old life and her new one, the similarities and differences between her own life and that of her counterparts, as well as the figures of power who defined and shaped her and her counterparts’ existences, and solving a mystery involving the unexplained deaths of several of her counterparts and the man who invented multiverse technology.
It’s a story of the permeability of selfhood and self-determination, and complexity of power dynamics of all kinds – interpersonal, familial, collegial, intimate – and the interplay between violence and stability and identity, and how one can be both powerful and powerless in the same dynamic. It’s a story with literary sensibilities that is unequivocally science fiction, written with laser-precise prose that flays Cara open and puts her back together again.
I worry this description makes this book sound dry and removed when reading this book made me feel like I was coming alive every time I delved back into it. This is a book I cannot wait to reread again to experience the brilliance and skill and thoughtfulness and emotion of Micaiah Johnson’s writing. I have no clue what, if anything, she’s writing next, but I have a new favorite author.
Honorable Mentions
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Stormsong by C. L. Polk
The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (I feel bad putting it here and not in the first list – it is undeniably a modern classic and a brilliantly crafted book! But I had zero interest in any of the Italy chapters, and I found the way he finally figured out how to access fairy magic by essentially making himself mad to be both disappointing and narratively unsatisfying.)
War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
For my yearly stats on books written by POC authors, in 2020 I read a total of 24 books (one of which was co-authored by a white author), which is fewer than last year (30). However, because I also read fewer books this year overall, this is the first year ever that I achieved exactly 50-50 parity between books written by POC and white authors. I honestly wasn’t expecting this to happen, as I stopped paying deliberate attention somewhere around April or May. Looking over my Goodreads, the month of September ended up doing a lot of heavy lifting, since that’s when I read several books by POC authors in a row for the Ignyte Award nomination period. But also, it does look like the five or so years of purposefully aiming for 50-50 parity have materially affected my reading habits, by which I mean even when I’m not keeping my year’s count in mind, I’m still more likely to pick up a book by a POC author than I was five years ago when I had never kept track at all. My goal for next year is to once again achieve 50-50 parity and to not backslide.
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
New Year, New Resolutions!
Hopefully.
I was looking back through my archive the last few days so I could make that obligatory “end of the year 2020″ post that never actually happened. So... it’s a little late. Better than never, right??
It turns out that wrote a lot more in 2020 than I thought, though the majority of it came from fic updates vs individual prompts. “Fugitives” gained eleven new chapters. And In the the course of a week, “A Most Difficult Time of Year” (the Hansanna Holidays fic) cranked itself out. I’m still not sure how I managed to do that one. Christmas magic, I guess. Lets go with that.
Prompt-wise, there wasn’t a whole lot to pick from. Take away the individual holiday prompts and it only left three individual pieces. But they were immense fun to do! Hans reflected on life with his brothers during Hans Week 2020, Hans and Olaf got some long overdue bonding time, and Anna and Hans got incredibly nostalgic in a very emotional dance. Definitely a wide array of content!
Aside from all of that, “Love Will Thaw” began the tedious editing adventure as it made its debut on AO3 back in February. Over half the fic has been re-read and polished already. It’s almost hard to believe that sometime this coming June it will be finished.
I’m hoping to keep the good fanfic mojo going for 2021, and so I’m creating some goals for myself that will hopefully not all get tossed into the garbage.
First, I want to have a rough updating schedule for Fugitives. Last year I kept an average of one chapter a month. That’s not too bad of a rate considering the dumpster fire that was life last year. I think that’s a timetable that I’m comfortable with continuing, and if the chapters crank out in less time? Kudos to me!
Second, I want to get a little further in the “The Road Not Taken”, AKA the Fugitives side project. Usually I chug away at it bit by bit in-between updating the main fic and starting the next chapter. I don’t have the notebook in front of me, and in all honesty, I haven’t touched it in a while, but I know I have at least one part for it complete, I’m in the middle of another, and have a third (or fourth) mentally planned out. I don’t know for sure how long this project will get, or at what point I’ll start posting it on AO3, but we’ll see what happens!
Third, I want to get more romance practice in. As a writer, I want to be more comfortable creating more varying degrees of citrus-scale type stuff. it’s a long-term goal of mine, not necessarily just for 2021. By extension of this, I want to finish “Lost to Time” and be able to place it in its corresponding project so you all can read the rest of it.
Fourth, I want to continue the Queen Anna AU (from the Hansanna Holidays). I knew from the moment that fic ended that it was going to become the new AU obsession, just how Ulterior Motives was in 2019. I’ve already got a new fic for it planned out. Maybe some time this year I’ll actually write and post it.
Here’s to a hopeful new year full of Frozen/Hansanna goodness! Wish me luck, friends! :D
#author stuff#writing goals#New Years Resolutions#I'm feeling rather optimistic about most of these#I really hope I can accomplish these
3 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
ravage671
Ravage671
valentinag-portfolio
Valentina's Portfolio
soteirahere
Hekate's Daughter
gwynrielendgame
Gwynriel
