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woso-dreamzzz · 2 months

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Mimic

McFoord x Baby!Reader

Summary: You're definitely Katie's child

Hiding the pregnancy had been difficult.

Caitlin had picked up an ankle injury around the same time as she started to show so it was easy to write it off as long-term, hunkering down in the house like some kind of hermit.

Hiding you away for a year had been even harder.

Some fans were eagle-eyed and as a result, you were never posted on any social media. You didn't even come to training. You'd never met any of the Arsenal girls in person at all even though you were approaching eighteen months.

Which was why it was so shocking for everyone involved when Katie got out of the car for a home match against Manchester City with a child on a backpack leash.

As soon as you are on your feet, you attempt to escape but Katie tugs on your leash to stop you in your tracks.

You give her a foul look in return before you're plucked into Caitlin's arms.

The crowd watching the players arrive all scream out questions as they walk inside.

"It's nice to finally meet the little one," Kim says pointedly as the two of them arrive in the locker room.

"You've seen her before," Katie replies.

"Over the phone doesn't count," Kim says," She's a little cutie. You must be proud."

Caitlin watches you from the corner of her eye as you methodically rip everything out of her cubby and throw it on the floor. "Something like that."

"She's just like me!" Katie's been waiting for ages to be able to brag about you so she's lapping up all the attention.

"She has a bit of a temper," Caitlin confesses when Katie runs off to show you to everyone else in the changing room," Definitely gets that from Katie.

"We didn't expect to see her today..."

"Babysitter cancelled. There were no other options. We'll probably just tie her leash to a post and call it a day. She'll wander around otherwise."

"She's restless?"

Caitlin winces. "Feral might be the word. I love her but...Katie calls her a gremlin sometimes."

Kim looks past Caitlin to where you're now chewing on Katie's fingers, methodically biting down on each one as she introduces you to everyone.

"Well...she's certainly Katie's..."

Caitlin laughs. "Don't I know it."

You're being surprisingly tame today, for what it's worth, even as you try to make another break for it. You're yet again pulled back by your kiddie leash and Caitlin is left to marvel over just how steady you are on your feet.

It had been hard hiding you from the fans and even harder to not fold and continue to keep you away from their teammates. That second one wasn't even planned but you'd come out a little sickly and spent a few weeks in hospital.

It was enough to cause Katie to put the entire house on lockdown for months after your birth when getting chest infections became your norm.

By the time you were healthy and fit and coming into your own personality, it was too much of a risk to bring you to practice with all of the cameras around.

Either way, it's all ruined now because Caitlin knows the videos of you walking in on your kiddie leash are all over Twitter.

The cameras are all pointed towards you as Caitlin walks out onto the bench to start the game. Katie crouches down next to you, littering kisses all over your face as you giggle.

"I'll see you in a bit, gremlin," She says," You be good for your Mummy."

You garble out a few noises that Katie repeats back to you with a soft smile.

"You know," Steph laughs," Now that she's been spotted in the wild, you don't have an excuse for Sam and her kid to meet her. I hear her Chook's getting bored of waiting."

Caitlin sighs deeply as you slam two of your blocks together to show Leah the noise they make. "I don't think the world could take it if Sam's Chook and our Gremlin met. It's too much rough play for any pair."

"I think you underestimate Sam's Chook. I heard she's been very helpful and careful since Sam hurt her knee."

"It's not Chook I'm worried about." Caitlin tilts her head towards you where you've started to amuse yourself by kicking Leah's shin, giggling every time your little foot makes contact.

You head whips around as your watch your Mam get tripped nearby, landing with a thud.

You screech loudly and go to march towards her, grumbling and frowning as you go. You're stopped by a tug on your leash and a pointed look from your Mummy.

You recognise that look and point over at where your Mam is dusting herself off. "Fell," You say to Mummy," Mam fell."

Caitlin has to suppress her laughter. You've got a curious blend of hers and Katie's accents. Sometimes you sound fully Australian like Harper when you speak but other times it's like Caitlin gave birth to a mini Katie because your inflection is exactly the same as hers.

You sound like Katie now. You look like her too, hands on your hips and face like thunder.

"Your Mam did fall," Caitlin says as she pulls you closer," But she's gotten up now. She's fine."

You don't look convinced as you throw a nasty look over at the referee who did nothing against the clear foul.

"Do you remember my friend Steph? You met her on the phone before? Can you say hi?"

"Hi!" You chirp, giving her a beaming smile that shows off the teeth you have.

It's kind of funny to reconcile this beaming, happy version of you with the one that was screeching at the ref just minutes ago.

"Hi," Steph coos," It's very nice to meet you in person."

You're still smiling as you nod, bouncing on your feet as Caitlin digs around in your backpack. You seem to know what time it is because you turn that beaming smile from Steph to your Mummy.

"Bottle?" You ask hopefully and Mummy rewards you with a bottle full of milk that you hastily shove into your mouth.

You sit down at her feet as you chug your drink. Mummy runs a soft hand through your hair as you take a break and lean into her, wiggling back until you hit her legs.

You turn to smile at her and she smiles back.

Your drink is all empty in a little bit and you focus back on the football match in front of you. You clumsily climb to your feet in outrage when the referee shows your Mam a yellow rectangle.

You don't exactly know what it is but you know it's bad and you don't like it being shown to your Mam. You screech and throw your bottle, stamping your feet.

"No!" You say loudly and the bench behind you bursts into laughter," No! No! Bad! Bad referee!"

Caitlin buries her head in her hands as she tugs firmly on her leash when you attempt to run onto the field to give the ref a piece of your mind.

"She's definitely Katie's," Steph howls through her laughter.

#woso x reader #mcfoord x reader #katie mccabe x reader #katie mccabe #caitlin foord x reader #caitlin foord #woso community #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso

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yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout · 8 months

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Okay so, I'm getting increasingly confused over the timeline of when Aziraphale and Crowley have met over the ages.

Since I'm writing a S3 fic with lots of flashbacks, I figured that I needed to have a concrete and canon timeline so I don't end up accidentally writing a meeting when there shouldn't be one (ie when Crowley was asleep in the 14th century), and I cannot for the life of me find one that has S2 in it so I present to you:

The Nice and Accurate (hopefully) Timeline of Aziraphale & Crowley and their many meetings throughout the ages.

By Yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout.

Pls let me know if I've missed anything.

Before time was invented - God created the universe.

Before the Beginning - Our dynamic duo meet for the first time, as Crowley creates a Nebula with Aziraphale's help.

After The Beginning (the bible never gave dates for this kinda thing) - Crowley saunters vaguely downwards towards hell with the others who are cast out.

4004 B.C. - Eve is tempted by the Demon Crowley (in snake form) to eat the forbidden fruit. This is the first time we see Crowley in his demon form and the first time he (as a demon) meets Aziraphale, well - that we know of anyway.

3004 B.C, Mesopotamia - OI SHEM! Aziraphale and Crowley meet and watch as Noah gathers the animals two by two onto the ark.

2500 B.C, Uz - Aziraphale and Crowley work together to save Job's children from being killed. Aziraphale lies to heaven and fears he will be taken to hell. Bildad the Shuite is a babe.

33 A.D., Golgotha - Aziraphale and Crowley witness the crucifixion of Jesus. Crowley remarks that he 'showed Jesus the kingdoms of Earth'.

41 A.D., Rome - Aziraphale tempts Crowley to Oysters.

537 A.D., the Kingdom of West Essex - Knight of the table round, Sir Aziraphale encounters Crowley as the Black Knight. This is where the 'deal' is first raised.

1301 A.D - 1400 A.D - Crowley sleeps through the 14th century.

1601 A.D The Globe Theatre, London - Aziraphale and Crowley meet at a production of Hamlet. They have been participating in the 'deal' for some time now.

1650 A.D - Aziraphale does the apology dance for the first time.

1793 A.D, Paris, France - Aziraphale is about to be beheaded, but Crowley intervenes and saves him.

1800 A.D Soho, London - Aziraphale opens his bookshop and Crowley successfully prevents him from returning to heaven at Gabriel's orders, by fooling him with some mannequins.

1827 A.D Edinburgh - Crowley and Aziraphale meet Elspeth, a body snatcher, and are caught up in her endeavours.

Aziraphale then does not see Crowley until...

1862 A.D London's St. James Park - Crowley asks Aziraphale for Holy Water, as a 'just in case'. Appalled, Aziraphale leaves.

1941 A.D London - Aziraphale is caught up in a bait and switch with some Nazis. He is rescued by Crowley. One thing leads to another and Aziraphale is a magician in a show, the Nazi's become Zombies and to cut a long story short, it ends with the pair dining together.

1967 A.D Soho, London - Crowley meets Lance Corporal Shadwell and plans to steal Holy Water from a church. Hearing of this, Aziraphale appears to him in his Bentley and delivers a flask of it to him.

2008 A.D Soho, London - Crowley and Aziraphale meet to discuss the Antichrist and plan to become his godparents to raise him as a 'normal' child, neither influenced by heaven or hell.

2008 A.D - 2019 A.D - Crowley disguises himself as Nanny Ashtoreth and Aziraphale, as the Gardener Brother Francis, and the two try to influence Warlock.

2019 A.D - The events of the first season of Good Omens happens, our pair prevent Armageddon and live happily ever... wait what, a second season?

2020 A.D - 2022 A.D - Lockdown happens. This is where the 'Lockdown' video takes place.

2023 A.D - Pain, otherwise known as Season 2, happens.

I really hope this helps some of you with fic planning and stuff. I was getting really confused over when they met and when certain things started happening, that I needed a record for myself - then thought I should share it!

Edited to add: Thank you for the comments, pointing out some things I've missed! I've added lots of them in now. I've only really included events where the two have met (either in show or in book), and have not added in the bits that Neil Gaiman has added (such as the Wild West scenes etc). If there is a script book for S2 and they are in there - I will come back and add them in.

For a timeline that goes over other significant events in their history, please check out the amended version by @graviitron - they've added some cool bits in there, so thank you! 🥰

#good omens #good omens 2 #aziraphale #good omens season 2 #crowley #aziracrow #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens season 1 #good omens timeline #GO #GO S1 #GO S2

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denimbex1986 · 21 days

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We are lucky to be alive in the age of Andrew Scott, an actor of extraordinary breadth, skill and sensitivity, who can terrify as Jim Moriarty in Sherlock, make us fall in love (inappropriately) as the hot priest in Fleabag and cry in All of Us Strangers. He can also astonish, last year playing eight parts in a stage adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. He recently became the first actor to win the UK Critics’ Circle awards for best actor on stage and screen in the same year. And his latest project, Ripley, is a beautiful and chilling adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr Ripley, with Scott playing the lead, dominating all eight one-hour episodes. It’s been a wild, crowning year for the 47-year-old Irish actor. But in March his mother, Nora, died of a sudden illness; she is who Scott has credited as being his foremost creative inspiration. His grief is fresh and intense and for the first half of the interview it seems to swim just beneath the surface of our conversation.

“We go through so many different types of emotional weather all the time,” he says. “And even on the saddest day of your life you might be hungry or have a laugh. Life just continues.” We are in a meeting room in his management company’s offices, talking about his ability, in his work, to modulate between emotions, to go from happy to sad, confused to scared, all within a matter of seconds. How does he do it? Scott laughs. “I would say that I have quite a scrutable face — is scrutable a word? — which is good or bad depending on what you are trying to achieve. But my job is to be as truthful as possible in the way that we are, and I don’t think that human beings are just one thing at any particular time. It is rare that we have one pure emotion.”

It’s an approach that is particularly appropriate for the playing of Tom Ripley, an acquisitive chameleon who inveigles his way into the lives of others (in this case Johnny Flynn, as the careless and wealthy Dickie Greenleaf, and his on-off girlfriend Marge, played by Dakota Fanning). “Ripley is witty, he is very talented. That’s gripping, to watch talent. I can’t call him evil — it is very easy to call people who do terrible things evil monsters, but they are not monsters, they are humans who do terrible things. Part of what she [Highsmith] is talking about is that if you dismiss a certain faction of society it has repercussions, and Ripley is someone who is completely unseen, he lives literally among the rats, and then there are these people who are gorgeous and not particularly talented and have the world at their feet but are not able to see the beauty that he can see.”

The show was written and directed by Steven Zaillian, the screenwriter of Schindler’s List. It’s set in Sixties New York and Italy, and filmed entirely in black-and-white, its chiaroscuro aesthetic evoking films of the Sixties — particularly those of Federico Fellini — while also offering an alternative to Anthony Minghella’s saturated late-Nineties iteration that starred Matt Damon and Jude Law. This has a darker flavour. “I found it challenging,” Scott says, “in the sense that he’s a solitary figure and ideologically we are very different. So you have to remove your judgment and try to find something that is vulnerable.”

It was a tough shoot, taking a year and filmed during lockdown. Scott was exhausted at the end of it and had intended to take a three-month break, but delays meant that he went straight from Ripley into All of Us Strangers. “Even though I was genuinely exhausted, it was energising because I was back in London, I was getting the Tube to work, there was sunshine,” he says. “I found it incredibly heartful, that film, there were so many different versions of love … I feel that all stories are love stories.”

All of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, is about a screenwriter examining memories of his parents who died when he was 12. In it Scott’s character, Adam, returns to his family home, where his parents are still alive and as they were back in the Eighties. Adam is able to walk into the memory and to come out to his parents, finding the words that were unavailable to him as a boy. Some of it was filmed in Haigh’s childhood home, and there was a strong biographical element for him and his lead. Homosexuality was illegal in the Republic of Ireland until 1993, when Scott was 16. He did not come out to his parents until he was in his early twenties. I ask if he was working with his own childhood experiences in the film. “Of course, so in a sense it was painful, to a degree, but it was cathartic because you are doing it with people that you absolutely love and trust. I felt that it was going to be of use to people and I was right, it has been. The reaction to the movie has been genuinely extraordinary — it makes people feel and see things, and that isn’t an easy thing to achieve.”

The film is also a tender and erotic love story between Scott’s character and Harry, played by the Irish actor Paul Mescal. The two found a real-life kinship that made them a delight to watch on screen and off it, as a double act on the awards circuit. “I adore Paul, he’s so, so … continues to be …” Scott pauses. “Obviously it’s been a tough time recently and he just continues to be a wonderful friend. It’s everything. The more I work in the industry, I realise, you make some stuff that people love and you make some stuff that people don’t like, and all really that you are left with is the relationships that you make. I love him dearly.”

Scott and Mescal were also both notable on the red carpet for being extraordinarily well dressed. Scott loves fashion and has a big, well-organised wardrobe that he admits is in need of a cull. “I don’t like having too much stuff. I really believe that everything we have is borrowed — our stuff, our houses, we are borrowing it for a time. So I am trying to think of people who are the same size as me so I can give some of it away, and that’s a great thing to be able to do.” One of his favourite labels is Simone Rocha. “I love a bit of Simone Rocha. What a kind, glorious person she is. I just went to her show.” Fashion, he says, is in his DNA. “My mother was an art teacher, she was obsessed with all sorts of design. She loved jewellery and jewellery design. Anything that is visual, tactile, painting, drawing, is a big passion of mine, so I have tremendous respect for the creativity of designers.”

Today Scott is wearing Louis Vuitton trousers and a cropped Prada jacket, dressed up because he is collecting his Critics’ Circle award for best stage actor for Vanya. I ask how it feels to have won the double, a historic achievement. “Ah …” he says, looking at the table, going silent, having just been so voluble. “I’m sorry …” His voice cracks a little. “It’s bittersweet.”

At the ceremony Scott dedicated the award to his mother, saying of her “she was the source of practically every joyful thing in my life”. Is it difficult for him to carry on working in the circumstances, I wonder. “Well, you know, you have to — life goes on, you manage it day by day. It’s very recent, but I certainly can say that so much of it is surprising and unique, and there is so much that I will be able to speak about at some point.”

He is looking forward, he says, once promotion for Ripley is over, to taking some time off, going on holiday, going back to Ireland for a bit. He has homes in London and Dublin. To relax he walks his dog, a Boston terrier, dressed down in jeans and a hoodie “like a 12-year-old, skulking around the city” or goes to art galleries on the South Bank — he was considering a career as an artist until he was 17 and got a part in the Irish film Korea. He goes to the gym every day, “not, you know, to get …” he says, flexing his biceps. “More that it’s good for the head.” He is social, likes friends, likes a party. When I ask if he gave up drinking while doing Vanya, which required him to be on stage, alone, every night for almost two hours, he looks horrified. “Oh God, no! Easy tiger! Jesus … Although I didn’t drink much, I did have to look after myself. But we had a room downstairs in the theatre, a little buzzy bar, because otherwise I wouldn’t see anybody, so I was delighted to have people come down.”

Scott was formerly in a relationship with the screenwriter and playwright Stephen Beresford and is currently single, although this is not the sort of thing he likes to talk about. He is protective of his privacy, not wanting to reveal where he lives in London, or indeed the name of his dog — but he swerves such questions with a gentle good humour.

He is famous on set for being friendly and welcoming, for looking after other people. “The product is very important, but most of my time is spent in the process, so I want that to be as pleasant and kind as possible. I feel like it is possible to do that, that it is an honourable goal.” He is comfortable around people, with an easy charm — no one I have interviewed before has said my name so many times. And although when we talk he sometimes seems reflective or so very sad, there are also moments when he is exuberant, silly, putting on accents. “I feel like, as a person, I am quite near my emotions. I cry easily and I laugh easily, and there is nothing more pleasurable to me than laughing.”

Scott was raised a Catholic and is no longer practising, but says his view about religion is “ever changing — I definitely have a faith in things that cannot be proved”. When he was younger and felt overwhelmed, just before or after an audition, he would go to the Quaker Meeting House in central London and sit in silence, something that made its way into the second series of Fleabag, in which Scott’s priest takes Waller-Bridge’s character to that same meeting house. “It’s just around here,” he says, standing up, looking out of the window at Charing Cross Road. “When Phoebe and I first talked, we met at the Soho Theatre. We talked about love and religion, we walked all around here. And I said, ‘This is a place I go,’ so we called in and there was no one there, so we sat in there and we talked. It was a really magical day.”

Scott says he sees all the different characters that he has played as versions of himself. “It’s like, ‘What would this version of me look like?’ rather than, ‘Oh, I’m going to be somebody else.’ You filter it through you, and you discover more about yourself. I think that is a very lucky thing to be able to do, to find out more about yourself in the short time that we are here.”

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yeaimsafiya · 1 month

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CHAPTER ONE back from rehab

SYNOPSIS the beginning of a teenage girl named y/n who is fresh out of rehab but doesn't intend to stay clean.

FROM THE WRITER AHH IM SORRY IM LATE GUYS!! This is the first chapter I'm ever writing, I took some inspo from episode 1 but I'm going to have to cut each episode into fourths because I really don't want to spend a whole week trying to finish a whole episode and school work. But I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter as much as I did - Love you guys, Sapiyah <3

WARNINGS Lots of unnecessary writing, female! reader, mentions of drugs and drinking, strong sexual content, nudity, violence, adult content, adult language, scenes might be uncomfortable for some, some scenes might include mentions of mental illness'

SERIES EUPHORIA

CHARACTERS INCLUDED members of the bakusquad & dekusquad, big three(?), some characters of class 1A

NOTES MDNI! Ageless blogs will be blocked or removed.

Readers discretion is advised

Suddenly, the whole world goes dark and nothing else matters except the person standing in front of you.

You were once happy. Content.

Sloshing and swimming around your own private, primordial pool; Then one day, for reasons beyond your control, you were continuously and repeatedly crushed...

Over..and over.. again by the cervix of your mother, M/n.

You put up a good fight, but eventually lost, for the first time, but not the last.

You were born 3 days after 9/11, your mother and father spent two days in the hospital, holding you under the soft glow of the television, watching those towers fall over and over again, until the feeling of grief gave away to numbness.

And then, without warning, a middle-class childhood in the American suburbs.

You were sitting at the dinner table with your mother, M/n, and Father, F/n. But it appeared something else had gotten your attention, a set of numerous lights above the dinner table, in which you wanted to count.

"Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen.."

" What are you looking at y/n?"

"..."

"What are you doing? ..Y-y/n look at me."

"One, two, three, .."

"What are you doing Y/n?"

*cries*

"Id say she's suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder..."

Its not like you were physically abused..

"...attention deficit disorder..."

..Or had some type of clean water storage..

"..general anxiety disorder.."

..Or was molested by a family member.

"..and possibly bipolar disorder. But she's a little bit too young to tell."

So, explain this shit to me.

"Honey, it's just the way your brain was hardwired; Plenty of great, intelligent, funny, interesting and creative people have struggled with the same things you struggle with."

"Like who?"

"Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, and even Brittney Spears, your favorite!"

You haven't remembered much from the ages of eight to twelve. Just that the world moved fast, and your mind moved slow.

"Does anyone have an idea of what a perception might be?"

And every now and then, if you focused on the way you breathed...

You'd die.

"Slow down, just breathe"

Until every second of the day, you'd find yourself trying to outrun your anxiety.

"What's wrong Y/n?"

..And quite frankly..

"I'm just fucking exhausted"

Coming down to the kitchen, you could hear the small talk between your mother and younger sister, S/N.

"You said the doctor was in our network. How can he suddenly be out of network?"

"I can't afford it."

"Did you see that video of the girl who got acid thrown at her face?"

"What? No.."

"It's pretty fucked up.."

"Mom do you know where the tampons are?"

"In my bathroom, right under the sink."

And at one point, you'd make a choice of who you are and what you want.

"Alright Gia, let's go"

"Why do the co-payments cost $300?"

"Y/n did you eat breakfast?"

".."

"What's with the glasses?"

"What glasses?"

You just happened to show up one day, without a map or a compass..

"Attention students, we need to lockdown."

..Or to be honest, anyone capable of giving on iota of good fucking advice.

And I know it all seems sad but guess what? You did not build this system up, nor fuck it up yourself.

But then it happens. That moment where your breath starts to slow. And every time you breathe, you breathe out all the oxygen you have.

Then everything stops: Your heart, your lungs, then finally, your brain. And everything you feel, you wish, and want to forget, it all just sinks.

And then suddenly... you give it air again, give it life again.

You remember the first time it happened, where you were so scared you wanted to call 911. Go to the hospital and be kept alive by machines and apple juice. But you didn't want to look like an idiot, and you didn't want to fuck up everyone else's night.

And now overtime, that's all you've wanted.. those two seconds of nothingness.

You spent a good portion of summer before junior year in rehab. God granted you the serenity to accept things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

"Y/N," your sister yelled from afar, greeting you after your long leave. You smiled, and whilst running up to her, tried to continue the conversation with your younger sibling.

"Hey, Come here!"

"How are you?"

"Good, I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Look at you, are you growing?"

"No."

Looking over, you see your mother standing by your family car.

"Hey," you yelled out to her, only to receive a small smile from her.

And with that. you knew it was your time to go.

"I'm very happy for you Y/n. You're about to start a brand-new chapter," Your mother says while driving you and your sister to school. You looked at her with a smile, then turned your attention back to the car window.

You had no intentions of staying clean. And yet, Jirou just moved into town.

"There's some new girl in town that I think you'll be friends with," Shoto said, with you standing beside him in his store.

"Who?"

"Shit, I don't know. She came in looking all punk rock and shit; So I'm thinking to myself, like, 'look like somebody Y/n would be friends with'."

Which was sort of a dead-on observation for Shoto, who's not normally revolving in the same direction as planet earth.

"So how long have you been back?" He asked.

"About five days."

"And how are you feeling?"

"I mean, ever since I gave my life over to my lord and savior Jesus Christ, things have been, like, really good."

"Word? That's what's up," You chuckled at his snarky remark, giving him a small smile.

"I'm fucking with you," you said whilst laughing, "It was a joke."

"Shit, hey, I don't judge," he defended, hands raising to just above his chest.

"But for real, is Deku in the back?"

"Are you serious?" Shoto questioned, seeming very disappointed in you.

"What, you think cause' I went to rehab I stayed clean?"

"I mean, ain't that the point?" he asks.

"Yeah, well, the world is coming to an end, and I haven't even graduated high school yet."

You gave Shoto one more smile before going to Deku, whilst Shoto stared at you the entire way there; There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but since you were too busy looking for Deku, you didn't see.

You opened one of the doors of the refrigerators, leading you right to him with a bowl of fruit loops,"I thought your ass was dead," he said one he saw your appearance.

"And I thought you had Asperger's till I realized your just a prick," you barked back.

"This a fickle industry, y'all come and go. I'm just trying to stack my cash, pay off our mortgage," he said while pulling out a bunch of plastic bags out of a microwave.

"So what the fuck do you want?" You gave him a knowing look before he handed you needed.

"You sure you don't want to try something new?" He asks you.

"Like what?"

"2C-T-2, 2C-T-7, and 5-MeO-DIPT."

"I'm sorry I have no fucking idea of what you just said."

"It doesn't matter," he stated, "but this shit, is fucking lit."

"What is it?"

"N-diisopropyl-5-methoxytryptamine. It's a fast-acting psychedelic."

Got some similarities to LSD, but with, like, key differences. Not as visual as shit, but definitely a sense distorter.

"What's wrong?" That same dark purple hair girl questioned.

"I'm just so happy," you responded back.

"I don't know, this shits been going off in Tampa, and mad people like to fuck with this," Deku continued on with his descriptions with the drug.

"Okay. Yeah, why not."

"That'll be 120."

"Oh uh, Shoto said he'd spot me."

"Shoto doesn't spot nobody."

"Yeah, well, it's a post-rehab discount, so you should ask him."

"I will go ask him, cause' I know your full of shit."

Those were the last words he said before you walked out. Those were the last words you heard before you saw the same two boys in freshman year.

Bakugo and Kirishima.

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rayassecretlife · 1 year

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Fic idea!! Lo’ak being your secret boyfriend and always being touchy when no one looks or stealing quick kisses. But this time he goes extra far by secretly fingering you under a table during movie night. Maybe the people at the lab arranged it since (duh) the na’vi people don’t have that? You decide anyways <3

Yes yes yes oh my god this is amazing. Thank you for your request!!! Enjoy 💙

Your my little secret

Pairing: Aged up!19 Year old Lo’ak Sully x Fem!Omatikaya!reader

Warning(s): Mature language, kissing, Semi-public?? Maybe full public, F!ingering,

Not proof read, sorry for mistakes!

Secrecy was always a fun game to you. Who wouldn’t want to have a secret life? Doing things you weren’t supposed to, nobody knowing of anything you did, creating you own reality—it was truly amazing. But for you and Lo’ak, it was so much more than that.

You and Lo’ak met through Neteyam when he had started seeing your older sister, and ever since then have been almost inseparable. Lo’ak asked you out not long after your first Ikran riding together, not once taking his eyes off you since.

Jake wanted to assign Lo’ak a mate. Although he liked you, he hated the fact you and Lo’ak would always go off and do dangerous things. You never led him, but you almost always followed. How could you not? You followed your boyfriend everywhere you could. Your parents also hated how close you were with him, knowing his bad history with getting in trouble. You two tried to accept the decision but you couldn’t, not baring to stay away from each other for more then two days.

So your relationship went secret, and you loved every second of it. When you were in public you two acted normal, but as soon as everyone was looking away, even if they were still next to you, He’d almost always pull you into a quick kiss. Dangerous, but that’s what made it so fun.

His hands would often coast your body as well, tail tickling your skin when you walked side by side. You and Lo’ak had some close calls with getting caught but you always had a good excuse for the reason you were alone. As far as kissing and touching went, you and him never went all the way. You’ve had times where it got close, but Lo’ak was far too nervous he’d end up hurting you or even mating with you.

You admit, it was a terrifying feeling to do that without being public—being as he was Jake’s son and almost always on watch or lockdown for bad behavior. But none of that mattered because one day you were going to run away from the clan, together.

“Lo, we’re gonna get caught!” You couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled you into an empty cave, almost instantly pulling your waist so you’d be closer to him. This cave was particularly close to the main area, and you could still hear other Na’vi’s outside of it. “You can’t wait?” He chuckles, completely discarding your question as he lifted you up, wrapping your legs around his waist.

“Wait until tonight? No way” You waved him off, still leaning down to press a small kiss to his lips. You remembered you had to attend the sky people’s event, in which they laid out a big projector screen to watch a movie? You didn’t know what it was, really. You just wanted to be with Lo’ak.

“Maybe it’ll be fun, Lo” you try to convince him but he just continues to shower you in kisses, hands gripping eagerly at your waist. “Okay, okay. Someone will catch us”

“Your paranoid. Nobody will come-“

“Lo’ak! Where the hell did he go!” You almost immediately jumped from his arms at the voice, eyes widening toward the doorway. It was Neteyam, and he was definitely looking for Lo’ak because the two had to help the sky people set up with their parents.

You felt your boyfriends hands squeeze your own and you looked back, taking in his smile as he laughed. “I guess I’ll see you tonight then?” You push his face before pulling him back into a tight hug, leaning up to kiss his jaw.

“I’ll be waiting for you” He smiles, cupping one side of your face before leaving. You could hear his brother finding him outside and it made you laugh, covering your mouth so you wouldn’t reveal your secret spot.

•·.·''·.·•

“Y/N!” Tuk’s small voice called to you, her little legs carrying her as fast as she could go toward you. “Your here!” You laugh as she clung to your leg, ruffling her freshly braided hair.

“Of course I’m here. Your hair looks so cute, Tuk” You lift her into your arms, walking toward the group of sullys that made their own area around the tables and cushions in front. The projector screen was huge and playing many commercials, waiting for everyone to get seated.

There were sky people and Omatikaya everywhere, many Na’vi asking questions about the screen and where they got it from. You and many others were clueless to their technology, but it intrigued so many.

“I see your finally here” Your sister walks to you, Neteyam not far behind her with his eyes everywhere making sure nothing was wrong. Nobody trusted the sky people, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t try, right?

Once everyone got seated, you sat at one of the only open spots behind everyone. A table that was surprisingly big, and it always almost completely empty. Your sister and Neteyam were far from you, as were the sully family as well but you didn’t want to be a burden and walk over so many people to get to them.

You were starting to worry, trying to find Lo’ak everywhere but he was nowhere to be found. Was he hurt? Is he mad at you? Maybe he’s with spider? You didn’t know, but you were crying for him inside your head, just wanting to be next to him the entire time.

Just then, the chair next to you pulled out and you turned your head quickly, that sweet smile you grew to love making an appearance. “Am i late?” You scoff, pushing his face.

“I couldn’t find you” He dismisses you, hand taking your thigh in his grasp with a smile. He knew what that smile did to you—he could get away with anything.

“I’m here now, My mate” Your eyes widen and you look around, afraid someone might’ve heard him. “No one is looking, I promise” He soothes, thumb rubbing your thigh to calm you down. You sigh and nod your head, leaning your forehead against his. His mate… oh, how much you loved when he called you that. You hoped one day that came true, but for now it was okay to pretend.

As the movie played and everyone settled down, you couldn’t help but notice how touchy your boyfriend had been getting. Sure, he’d do this a lot, but it felt different. No one was next to you, only in front of you on the ground where the cushions had been.

One of his hands rubbed the small of your back gently, while the other moved dangerously close to your heat, head turning to look at him with wide eyes. You knew that look—that look he always made when he was planning something bad.

“Lo’ak-“

“No one’s looking” he shrugged, leaning down to press a small kiss against your jaw. “Just watch the movie, baby” You obeyed, refusing to look at him any longer. Your stomach was twisted and your heart was facing the fastest it ever had, cunt clenching around nothing in anticipation for how close his hand had been.

You were nervous, you never did anything like this together. He saw that and of course, moved up against you so you were laying against him, allowing him access to kiss your neck.

“Do you want me to?” He asks and you have to bite your lip to conceal the moan that would’ve came out, his hot breath against your ear making shivers go down your spine. You nod your head and he wastes no time in attaching his lips to your neck, thanking Eywa it had been dark because otherwise the people would’ve seen everything if they’d looked back.

Of course he teased you, fingers lingering around your center just to piss you off. He continued to whisper sweet nothings into your ear, fingers gently running over your loincloth. You were about to speak but he shushed you, pointing toward the screen for you to keep focus on that.

This was so risky—so scary you thought you’d faint. His hand traveled up and a shaky breath left your lips as his fingers brushed your clit. You were so clearly begging for him to touch you, trying your hardest to put a normal look on your face so nobody would notice your struggle.

“My little secret, your doing so good for me” His middle finger seeped through your folds, your slick almost instantly covering it. “You’ve been hiding this from me?” You can feel his length gently pressing against your back, still trying your hardest to focus on the movie in front of you. Finally, his fingers found your clit, rubbing gentle circles against it.

At this point you had been biting your lip so hard you were sure it drew blood, breath shaky just trying to hold back your moans. Lo’ak loved watching you like this. Your innocent body in his grasp, letting his fingers use you while you were in front of all these people? It was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

“So wet already” His small words made you close your thighs, his voice tsked in your ear. “Keep them open for me, I know your nervous” You wanted it—you really did, but you were terrified the people would see. Your heart damn near jumped out of your chest every time someone spoke around you.

“Lo’ak—“

“Y/N, I have a question” Oh Eywa you were so glad his hand was under the table because when that voice called out to you, your heart fell to the ground. You quickly smile at the girl, trying to sit up from his grip but he only secretly holds you in place, fingers digging into your side signaling you to stay put.

“Kiri! What-“

“Are you okay, Y/N? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost” you nervously laugh, waving a girl off with a nod. Lo’ak’s stomach was in a twist watching you, his fingers still working circles against your clit.

“Yes I’m—“ You hesitate when you feel his finger slowly dip into your entrance for a quick second, pulling back out just to tease you. “I’m fine, just tired” She turns her eyes to her brother.

“Mom was asking where you were-“

“Kiri can we talk about that later? I’m trying to watch the movie” Lo’ak spoke as you bit down on your nails, looking away and squeezing your eyes shut as you felt one of his finger re-enter your tight cunt. She put her hands up in defense before leaving, and finally let a small moan escape your lips barely above a whisper. “They’ll hear you” He breathes against your ear and you sigh, looking at him with soft eyes.

“Let’s go somewhere-“

“Your the one who wanted to watch the movie” Your feet intertwined against each other as he pushed his finger deeper inside you, focusing on the screen that had been in front of you in attempt to drown out the boy behind you. “Just relax, I’ll make it feel good”

Soon it became pleasure over fear, your hips riding against his fingers trying to gain more friction. You couldn’t even focus, only squeezing your eyes shut trying to act like you weren’t there. “Lo… more” He bites his lip, ring finger now brushing over your entrance.

He soothed you as he sinks another finger inside you, your slick covering his hand in only a few seconds. “Shhh, don’t want them to hear, do we?” As much as he loved to hear you, he knew if he didn’t quiet you down, the people would definitely hear you and his parents would catch him in an act he didn’t want them to.

He could feel your walls tightening around him as his fingers curled inside you, your nails digging into his thigh to hold on. You leaned back on him, hoping that being close to him would make you feel better but it didn’t—the tightening knot in your stomach only grew.

“Lo…” He once again shushes you, placing a few kisses against your neck as his movements got faster, holding you close to his body. “I’m… I—“ You didn’t know this feeling. You didn’t know what to do or even what to say.

“Let it go, Pretty girl. I’ve got you” He cooes, free hand caressing your side. At his command, you felt this rope of please relieve from your body, hand covering your mouth as you put your head down to hide the expression on your face. You could barely help it, legs squeezing shut around his hand.

“Shit…” Your voice was soft against the table, pulling your head up with a sigh as he removed his now dripping fingers from inside you. Your eyes followed his fingers that traveled in between you two, your slick covering them like paint.

He smirks, taking his fingers into his mouth making your eyes widen—but you slightly loved it, watching his eyes like his watched yours. “You almost got us caught” you confront as he pulls away, eyes flicking to look over at the people around you to make sure no one was watching.

“Just wait until we’re alone”

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jesuschristmattyhealy · 1 year

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bleak midwinter

(this is the first thing I've written in ages pls pls be nice! Also, I know that it is neither cold nor snowing in London right now but I simply don't care!! this is literally just domestic cuteness because that is what I have brain power for <333 goodnight)

It’s biting cold. So cold they’ve said on the news that the dogs shouldn’t go out for any longer than it takes them to pee. So cold that your dad is texting you from home that you should buy a space heater for the basement so the pipes don’t freeze.

“Tell your dad if I’m buying a space heater it’s to shove up my own arse so I don’t turn into an icicle in my own living room.” Matty enters the room as you read him the message, clutching a blanket shawl around his bare shoulders.

“Have you thought about starting with a shirt, sunshine?” You ask, tugging the fleece fabric tighter to his chest.

“I did, but then I thought you’d rather stare at my ripped man muscles all day,” He jokes, flexing under the blanket. His hair is unbrushed and falling in competing angles across his face.

“Ugh, you know me so well,” you laugh, pinching his arms, “Thank God for my big strong man and his big strong man muscles.”

His voice deepens to a grunt, “Big strong man hunt mammoth throw spear light fire.”

“Yeah, could you actually? It’s worse than the North Pole in here.”

“Should we walk the boys first? That way we don’t yunno… burn the house down.”

“We’re ignoring the weathermen’s advisory?” You ask, waving your phone screen at his face to reiterate.

He sighs, “Okay, well then you get to tell them that they’re only allowed out for five seconds and deal with them looking at you like you ran over their friend for the rest of the day.”

As if on cue, Mayhem and Allan lumber into the kitchen, jowls quivering at the prospect of the word “out.” Ever since you moved in with Matt, the dogs have become as much yours as they are his. Matty swears they love you more than him. And it’s true. You can’t resist their droopy faces and old man frowns.

“Okay, fine,” you relent, huffing, “But they have to wear their blankets and their boots and possibly even a scarf.”

“Right, that can be sorted.”

He runs off upstairs to pull on something for the blustery weather while you root through the baskets by the front door to find the dogs’ blankets and winter boots. Matty made relentless fun of you for buying them, saying that no way would it ever get cold enough in London for them to use them. And then he’d seen the awkward, baby giraffe prance the two creatures did when the boots went on. He was so entertained he began searching for excuses to put them on.

You pull each dog into your lap, cooing apologies and encouragement at their stiff limbs and whale eyes.

“You’re going to look so handsome in your boots!” You remind them, to no avail, “All your neighborhood friends will be so jealous.”

Neither animal seems convinced. Next are the blankets: green for Mayhem, red for Allan. You scrounge up a couple of crochet neck warmers you made back during lockdown that have become the dogs’ (your first designs were too rudimentary for human use). The two stand blankly in the entryway, staring up at you, a pair of disheveled and disdainful babushkas.

“Right love, I brought you an extra jumper because that one’s not nearly warm enough, and I think you should wear these.” Matty rounds the corner, fully dressed now and very much resembling Joey Tribiani a la “The One Where No One is Ready.” He’s holding the sweater of his that you love to steal, and a pair of NorthFace snow pants that you haven’t touched since going home to visit your parents last Christmas.

“Wearing enough clothes there, gorgeous?” You pull lightly at his two turtlenecks.

“Time will tell, darling,” he quips, pulling a balaclava over his unruly curls, “Get your pants on then, would you.”

“I’m going to look like a stuffed turkey in these,” you protest.

He looks at you, “Love, we’re the only ones dumb enough to be outside right now, who are you worried about seeing you?” You purse your lips which he takes as invitation to steal a kiss, “C’mon, you’ll be the cutest stuffed turkey on the block.”

You pull the snowpants on in a rustle of movement and fabric. He turns to the dogs who are still frozen in position by the door, unwilling to move a toe in their boots.

“And who are these dashing gentlemen!?” Matty coos, rushing over to the dogs to tug gently at their ears, “Are you boys ready?”

You love the voice he uses for the dogs, a high pitched, horse squeak that seems so uncharacteristic coming from a man who dresses in leather and cowboy boots on the daily. In the morning, while he’s feeding them before coming back to bed, you’ll lie awake and listen to the monologue running in the kitchen — asking if the doggies had sweet dreams, asking why Allan was whimpering in the middle of the night, asking where they should go walking today, quipping “the usual boys?” as he sets the dishes down.

“They were born ready!” You say, straightening up from pulling on your fleece lined boots.

“Right, then let’s go!”

You open the door and the wind hits your little group like a cement wall. Within the first five seconds of exposure, your eyes are watering and your nose is dripping ferociously. Over the howling gusts, you can hear your boyfriend’s indignant complaints.

“This is by far the most ridiculous idea we’ve ever had, I mean what are we doing, it’s literally cold enough to castrate me.”

“Okay, okay,” you gasp, “We’re walking two blocks and turning around.”

“And then is it Virgin River time?”

“Virgin River and fire time, very much so.”

“That’s all you had to say.”

And he’s off, pulling Allan down the stairs and through the front gate. You and Mayhem can only stiffly follow in their footsteps, Mayhem taking each step as if stepping down into the Grand Canyon. Allan has stopped to pee on a tree and Matty is hoping up and down next to him.

“I didn’t wear enough clothes,” he moans as you get closer to him.

“Oh, poor man,” you pout, looping your arms and running a mittened hand up and down his bicep, “Is this helping?”

He closes his eyes, scrunching his nose dramatically, “Emotionally yes, physically, not really.”

“Oh dear, well let’s keep it moving,” you stick your hand in the jacket of his puffy coat and find his, “We’ll think warm thoughts.”

He nods, “Sahara Desert, I am in the Sahara Desert and it is so hot.”

The four of you walk as quickly as you can down the sidewalk. In a way, the silence of the cold is sort of pretty. It hasn’t snowed in a while and the remaining piles of snow are frozen into the concrete, glittering menacingly in the steely sunshine. There are rarely cabs or cars in your neighborhood, but today there isn’t even one. You can hear the window panes rattling in your neighbors' homes. You understand what they’re singing about in “In the Bleak Midwinter,” that silent frost that hangs over your head, a threatening promise, an empty maw.

You’ve barely made it three house fronts when Matty suddenly announces,

“Right lads, have you both pissed? Can we go back?”

The dogs peer up at him as best they can from beneath their shawls. Allan does a full body shake.

“Taking that as yes,” he turns the two of you in a half moon and sets off again at a brisk pace, a horse going back to stable, “I’m going to drink so much tea when we get back, you’re not even going to believe it.”

“I’ll join you in that,” you mutter, tucking your chin further into your favorite wool scarf.

You tumble back through the front door, a cascade of static electricity and shivering limbs. Matty hurries off in one direction to start the fire, and you in the other to turn the kettle on. You’re rolling the sleeves of his sweater up and over your hands and debating turning the oven on just so you can stick your freezing hands in when you feel a pair of hands on your shoulder.

“How’s it coming?” Matty mutters in your ear.

“It’s not going half as fast as I need it to,” your teeth chatter around the words, a full body shiver pulsing through your body.

“You know what they say about watched pots.”

“I know, but I don’t know where else to look.”

“How about at me?” He asks with a hint of indignation.

“Oh, okay,” you giggle as he spins you around so that your hands can loop behind his neck. His curls are rough from the cold and goosebumps rise across his rosy skin.

“Let’s never go back outside,” he mutters, burying his face in your neck. His hands wind themselves in the excess fabric of your sweater, his thumbs brush the bare skin at the base of your spine.

You sigh, “But what if we need something?”

He grumbles a laugh, “I have half a Sainsbury’s worth of tea, Jack and Mel, the dogs, the fire, and you. I don’t know what else I could possibly need.”

You smile, inhaling. He smells of the wood stove, tobacco smoke and the vanilla lotion that he keeps swearing he isn’t stealing from you.

“You’re right. There's nothing else.”

#matty healy #matty healy x reader #matty healy fic #the 1975 fic #I'm genuinely so nervous to be writing again oh no #hope you enjoy !!

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bluebird325 · 1 year

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A Brief Summary of Scotland's Anger

Some of you may have heard that England has blocked Scotland's gender reform bill. Others may have seen the demands for dissolution of the union as a result. Please allow me to sum up the anger as impartially as I can:

Historically, the Scottish hate the English for a variety of reasons: see the Jacobite Uprisings and the Clearings. But this is about modern politics, so let's start there.

Essentially the SNP, the ruling political party in Scotland, have been trying for YEARS to get a referendum result where the Scottish people vote to leave the United Kingdom. In 2014, David Cameron (the then prime minister of the UK) gave permission for a referendum to be held, and 55% of the population voted to remain in the UK. Some of the reasons for staying was the economic stability from using the pound sterling currency and being able to stay in the EU, as well as access to funding from the rest of the UK (the arguement being that Scotland could not afford to support itself without help from Westminster).

Since then, the SNP and some of the other, smaller parties have argued that the initial result of the 2014 referendum was not strong enough, and that the initial promises made to the Scottish people are no longer valid (see Brexit and the recent economic crisis for the big examples, but there are others). Recently, the SNP has even taken the matter of the right to hold a second referendum to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK and one that deals mostly with English cases. The court ruled that, based on the current laws and treaties, Scotland needed permission from Westminster to hold another referendum. This has angered many people, regardless of if they want to stay or remain, and this latest action against Trans Rights could put more pressure on Parliament.

Scotland, as a country, has always been slightly more to the left of the political spectrum than England, which has led to many political conflicts where England just pulls rank to 'resolve' the issue. For example, Scotland HATES having nuclear weapons, and the UK's nuclear submarines are based on the west coast of Scotland. Another example is in the NHS, where prescriptions are free in Scotland but a flat rate in England. Nicola Sturgeon (leader of the SNP) had wanted to put Scotland in lockdown earlier than England and had even set up a different way out of lockdowns that was more gradual, but it ended up being watered down into 'Scotland had to wear masks for longer than England'.

Now, the Gender Recognition Bill removes many barriers for trans healthcare, such as how long an individual has to self-identify as a different gender to the one they were assigned at birth, lowering the age at which an individual can change the gender on their birth certificate to 16, and removing the need for a gender disphoria diagnosis. The gender disphoria diagnosis is one of the biggest barriers for trans healthcare in the UK at the moment, as a referal to even get the chance to be diagnosed can take years, and people have died on the waitlist just for a first appointment. For a more in-depth look at the issues surrounding trans healthcare in the UK, I recommend Abigail Thorn's video essay titled 'I Emailed My Doctor 133 Times: The Crisis In the British Healthcare System' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1eWIshUzr8). Fair warning, it will make you furious.

The Gender Recognition Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament, also known as Holyrood, by 86 votes to 39. That's pretty good for a bill like this, but the UK Parliament has prevented this bill from receiving 'royal assent', which is required to make the bill enforcable. This has angered a lot of people, as it could be seen as England blocking the will of the Scottish people. Unfortunately, Scotland cannot leave the UK without permission. This is why there has been so much emphasis on a referendum, as the result could put pressure on the UK Parliament. England is reluctant to give permission, and one of the main reasons floated for this are the oil fields in Scottish waters.

TLDR: Scotland has always been annoyed at England, and the latest action to block this bill could tip those bad feelings over into full on anger, revolt and revolution.

#scotland #england #uk politics #transgender rights #trans rights #dissolution #revolution #scottish independence #Brexit #uk #parliament #holyrood #westminster #Honestly it was hard not to get angry writing this #The current system for trans care in the uk is broken #lives are being lost #and england is throwing a tantrum because they dont want to change #tell me this isnt about control #long post

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absolutebl · 10 months

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Top 10 Cozy BLs!

Our Dating Sim made me realize we have a new sub genre of BLs happening right now: the cozy BL.

I decided to invent/identify/name this new BL category because... I can. I crowd sourced (here in the hellhole) opinions of how to define it and what should go on it. The collective brainstormed and elected the following qualifications:

low angst

low stakes

high domesticity

a central relationship that is more cute than anything else

extra points for found family

AKA BLs that make you feel happy and comfortable.

These BLs leave you feeling warm and safe, like a hot water bottle. I will list them in order of my personal preference when in the mood for “cozy.”

1. Our Dating Sim

(Korea, Viki)

Did I create this list for this show? Yes I did. It defines this category. It is a very low stakes, high domesticity, extremely warm and gentle second chance at love office romance.

This is a fuzzy blanket of a story that perfectly suited KBL’s short-length tendencies. The pacing is... muuuuuah... chef’s kiss.

2. Seven Days

(Japan, grey in 2 parts Seven Days: Monday - Thursday | Seven Days - Friday - Sunday)

Popular first year Seiryo has a policy of going out with any girl who asks… for one week. On a lark, third year Yuzuru tests to see if that policy also applies to boys. Seiryo agrees that it does. Along the way they accidentally fall in love. Possibly my favorite BL of all time. It’s very gentle with us and its characters while still having that Japanese emo edge to it.

A master class in quite yet riveting cinema.

What, you doubted me? OF COURSE it’s on the list

3. My School President

(Thailand, YouTube)

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but I still ADORED this, and that’s partly what makes it so comforting. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny?

4. See You After Quarantine?

(Taiwan, Viki)

Be you never expected lockdown to be comforting? This under appreciated gem is Taiwan’s answer to Gameboys and is just as charming and adorable yet still as quintessentially Taiwanese as one might hope. It features a Japanese love interest and the cutest most confused disaster gay. Slow burn because the two have almost no actual screen time together and yet manage some truly amazing chemistry plus sweetly caring and earnest. Honestly how does Taiwan do it?

5. Ingredients

(Thailand, YouTube)

At the time (during lockdown) many of us referred to this as our “emotional support grocery store advertisement.” If all you want is two soft boys being domestic, cooking together, cuddling on the couch, cat sitting, and babysitting - just put this on and be comfy.

6. What Did You Eat Yesterday?

(Japan, grey)

Basically the grown up version of Ingredients. Emotionally repressed, grumpy, salary man shows his hair dresser husband his love by cooking amazing meals. That’s it, that’s the whole show. There some queer fam drama, and blood-fam coming out drama, but mostly is husbands cooking and eating together and it’s great. Is it BL? Not really. Do we care? Not really.

7. The New Employee

(Korea, Viki)

This one is queer comfort, explicitly. If you aren’t queer you might not find it as warm and engaging. A near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also featuring found family and a lesbian bestie. Sweet & innocent (and out) Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams. On his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved (and also v gay) boss.

As you do.

But things get romantic pretty darn quickly.

As you gay.

8. En of Love: Tossera & Future the series

(Thailand, YouTube)

Tossera = Younger boy wants to court older boy and does and… that’s it. No really that’s the WHOLE STORY. There is actually no angst, drama, or, indeed plot. But are they the softest bois ever to BL as a main couple? Yes, yes they are.

Future is... exactly the same thing.

Are we mad about it?

Nope.

9. Oxygen

(Thailand, YouTube)

Softest seme in the universe sings his affection to the older boy at the cafe. Let the slow burn courting commence. Oxygen uses every BL trope in the playbook for one of the gentlest lowest angst BLs ever made. It’s a hyung romance (younger boy courts older boy) but very very earnest about it. Am I biased? Sure. This is probably one of my biggest comfort watches.

10. Our Dining Table

(Japan, Gaga)

Lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me with the best of what Japan can do (like Restart After Come Back Home), it’s only flaw (if I dare say such a thing) is that it is not really “romantic.” Lovely & sweet but the romance beats are being used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy, it’s OK with me, but not totally BL.

For me one of the hallmarks of cozy BL is that as a chronic rewatcher I find myself starting to rewatch these ones even as they are still airing. Oxygen was an icon of this (also my first watch-along and the reason I realized I really had a passion for BL)

Shorts

Summerdaze - Singapore & Korea, YouTube

The 8.2 Second Rule - Japan, YouTube

A First Love Story - Korea, YouTube

Some More - Korea, Gaga

Quite a few other Strongberry offerings.

More like this?

Top 10 Most Romantic BLs for Valentine’s Day

Top 20 Softest Couples in BL

Top 10 Cutest BLs

Fluffy Sweet Soft Thai BL

10 BLs Best Enjoyed with Hot Tea & a Roaring Fire

MOAR RECS?

From the blog comments. If I agree I gave it a description.

Boys Lockdown (YouTube) - actually on this list because it go so many votes by everyone else, I haven’t watched it.

My Ride (GaGa) - Thai BL grew up with this pulp - a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine AKA a cinnamon roll couple. Mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple. Full review.

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun (Viki & Gaga) - yes, high school angst but so sweet about it. Review here.

2 Moons 3 Ambassador (grey) - I love this odd little pulp, it’s oddly satisfying for all it’s awkward cheese-fest. Maybe that is why I like it. Review here.

21 Days Theory (YouTube)

About Youth (Gaga) - A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and an earnest depth. Full review here.

Ai no Kotodama (Gaga)

Be Loved In House: I Do (Viki)

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (Viki warning dub con) - it’s here because a lot of people (like me) love it, but there are objections. Review here.

Cherry Magic (Japan, indie subbed) AKA Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni narerurashii - the sweetest, fluffiest, most charming bit of adorable ever, full of found family and pastry and serious slapstick, the characters are utter spazzes, but so cute about it. Still that aspect makes me a little tense so I don’t find it as cozy as others do.

Craving You (Viki)

Destiny Seeker (grey) - see 2 Moons Ambassador

DNA Says Love You (Gaga) - particularly the last few episodes.

La Cuisine (GaGa) - sweet and kind of pure show, and like Thai desserts perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on the bad girl character, I did dock it. But if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would. Full review.

Meet Me Outside (Gaga)

Meow Ears Up (Gaga)

Mr. Heart (Viki)

Mr. Unlucky has no Choice but to Kiss (Viki)

Nitiman (Thailand YouTube) - This Thai BL pulp had sympathetic characters, a solid tsundere uke redemption arc, and a fantastic pining seme who yearned without bullying, grooming, or gaslighting. Plus when they were together, they were ridiculously soft. But it also had a realistic portrayal of university life, bisexual awakening, and friendship groups. Ending is okay but a victim of lockdown.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Viki)

Ocean Likes Me (Viki)

Roommates of 304 (Viki)

Wish You (Korea - Netflix or Viki, you want the movie version) AKA Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart - low stakes high pining romance about a pianist who falls in love with a busker who is on his way to being the next big idol.

There was quite a lively discussion coming up with this list, since everyone defines cozy differently but I am not alone in my top 10 choices, these mostly got the most votes.

(source)

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3rinbkk · 10 months

Text

yoongi’s masterlist 🍊

SERIES

shoot your shot by @yoon2k

genre: smut, fluff.

love lockdown by @personasintro

genre: zombie apocalypse au, enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut. summary: it started with a supposed virus all around the world. it continues with people turning into monsters who want to eat everything that’s alive.

three tangerines by @kithtaehyung

genre: brother’s best friend au, implied age gap au; angst, smut. summary: “when Yoongi told you he would be there if you needed anything, this isn’t what he had in mind”. NOTE: THIS IS MY FAVORITE FIC EEEVEEEER,, just wanted to say thank for this beautiful masterpiece <3

cyberslut by @kimnjss

genre: social media au. smut, college au, secret identity, tutoring au, slight themes of infidelity. summary: he has no idea who you are... up front, you're sweet and innocent- but in reality you're the exact opposite. running your own nsfw account, where your favorite topic is his hands.

ONE SHOTS

your yoongi by @yoongiphoria

genre: fluff and smut. NOTE: i don’t know why i can’t tag you, but i genuinely hope you see this. thanks for your work <3

don’t argue by @yoongiofmine

genre: fluff, smut, idol au, established relationship. summery: after almost six years together, yoongi asked you to move in with him. you’re done packing your whole apartment for the move, and he shows up to make sure your last night at your old place is special.

so close by @namfinessed

genre: major angst, fluff, second chance romance summary: words are not enough for people who are so close and so in love, or a fit in which yoongi loses you but will do everything in his power to win you back.

yoongi chokes you as a xmas gift by @noteguk

genre: pwp, established relationship.

next door by @personasintro

genre: fluff (?), smut. summary: your neighbor doesn’t respect your complaints about him being loud, but you don’t let it slide so easily.

first love, last love by @kithtaehyung

genre: angst, smut; opposites to lovers, high school/university au. summary: after the most pivotal moment in your life, you never thought you would ever see him again. years later, you cross paths in the last place you ever imagined him to be. was this the universe giving you a second chance? or were yo destined to repeat the same mistakes you fought hard to forget?

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romanarose · 6 months

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Darkness on the Edge of Town: Finale

Joel Miller x Fem!reader

Chapter 1 : Chapter 2 : Chapter 3: Masterlist Join my taglis

Fic Summary: Right before a mandatory FEDRA lockdown, Joel saved a woman in an ally from FEDRA guards and is forced to house her for the entire lockdown. I.e theres only one bed

Chapter Summary: Joel get's you out.

Warnings: PIV sex, raw dogging it, unprotective creampie, dry humping, sad ending, uuuuuuhhh thats it.

Immersability: Reader has no age gap, is implied to be approximately Joel's age, possibly older than Tommy. Is not concerned about pregnancy.

Support writers, reblog fics!

******************

Joel spent the day on his radio, trying to get a hold of someone named Tommy. You weren’t sure who Tommy was, but he said he’d help. Was he one of the guards Joel knew? He seemed to know a lot of people, despite being such a grump. You wondered if he worked with someone, someone with a little bit better of people skills.

You were on the bed, flopped and sprawled out, listening to Joel argue with various people as he dialed in an out of communication. Whoever Tommy was didn’t seem interested in him.

“Well he needs to talk to me, I’m his goddamn brother!” This was followed by the slam of a fist on the fist, making you jolt. Joel murmured and apology.

“Whose Tommy?”

A deep sigh. “My brother.”

You sit up, trying to catch his eye but Joel won’t allow it. “Older or younger.”

“Younger.” He grumbles. “That’s why he’s such a pain in my ass.”

Smiling, you stand up and walk over to wear he sat and wrapped your arms around her, feeling his chest. “Just like me.”

He relaxes to your touch, reaching his hand to hold yours. “Yeah, just like you.”

Joel could get you out, easy. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was you had nowhere to go.

The creek of the floor signaled your movements and you walked around the chair, kneeling. “Joel… can’t you go with me?”

He looked regretful. “I really wish I could, darl’n.”

“Why nooooooot??” You lay your head down on where his arm rested.

“Tommy.” Joel admitted to you, looking out the window with an air of wistfulness. “He’s the problem and the solution. He’s a firefly.”

Your ears pick up at that. “Oh?”

Joel scoffs. “Yeah, idealistic fuck.” He shook his head. “Tommy can get you somewhere safe, I know he knows people… but I can’t leave him.”

Another point of interest. “Are you a firefly?” That would explain why he knew so many people.

A soft chuckle. “No, absolutely fuck’n not.” He shook his head. “That’s Tommy’s shit. But him and Tess, they’re family. I ain’t leaving them…”

Tess. Sister? Friend? Girlfriend? WIFE?!?!? You tried to sound casual. “Whose Tess?”

Joel turns to the side, just slightly, eyeing you with a slight smile. “Are you jealous?”

You pull your hand away from him, standing up. “Should I be?” Playing it cool was not working.

“Easy now,” He spoke lowly as he stood up. “It ain’t like that.” His eyes dodged yours for a second. “Well, I guess sometimes it was like that.”

Nodding, you take in his words. “So I’m not like… the other woman… right?”

“No.” He was adamant in his words, sure and firm.

Your arms cross in figurative protection. “Then who is she?”

“Tess is… a friend. Known her a long time, she’s family, and…” He goes to rub the back on his neck. “I dunno… sometimes we… blow off a little steam… But it’s nothing romantic!” Joel is quick to add.

This relaxes you. It was understandable, the situation the world was in meant getting off where you could get. You liked being a pain in his ass, however.

“So, you fuck your family?”

That caught Joel’s attention, his eyes widening. “What?!”

You look up at him innocently. “You said Tess is family, and you admitted to fucking her…” As Joel towered over you, attempting to hide a smile as he realized you were just fucking with him, the back on your legs hit his bed.

“Fuck brat.” He wraps his arms around you, causing you to squeal as you both fall onto the unmade bed. A mess of blankets and sheets ripped off the corners takes you in, Joel’s boxer-covered hardness grinding into where his boxers also covered your sex. The two of you had spent the last few days in various states of undress, and have forgone the sweats for his underwear.

Breathing heavily, you wrap your legs around his waist and control the pace as he works you up. Feeling how hard you make, getting off on that hardness rubbing on you, you get obscenely wet and needy below him. You loved that no matter how big and tough he played, he let you take the lead.

“Fuck me, now” You demand as you shove him off you, both of you scrambling to get your underwear off. All the fear you felt was manifesting in arousal, your anxious for what happens when Ross gets his hands on you, the attraction you felt to Joel, the affection your felt over how he protected you… your head was swimming and you just needed to be filled.

Flipping over to your hands and knees, Joel wasted no time lining up and sliding into you, knowing you enough by this point that you can take him all.

The feral desperation was electric, the fear, the ever-present knowledge that this little window of heaven was slipping away from both of you made everything more intense. His thrusts were slopping, erratic, needy as he whimpered and grasped at your skin. He needed help.

“I got you, baby.” You whisper to him, reaching for the headboard you instruct him to relax, to just feel you. And god does he.

You use your leverage to fuck yourself on his cock, being filled and filled and filled over and over again by your own accord.

“That’s it.” He praised, hands groping and playing with your body, fingers rolling your pearled nipples between them. “Fuck yourself on my cock, use me to get off.”

And you did, god, did you ever. You fucked him until your both came collapsing on the now-bare mattress, a tangle of blankets flowing around you both as you two continued to kiss and touch in your post orgasmic bliss.

“We haven't been very careful, have we?” Joel musses, playing with you hair as you lay on his chest.

“How you mean?”

“Well, I think I came inside you at least a dozen times.”

You chuckle and kiss a plush peck. “I think I’m past the point of worrying about that.”

His eyebrow raises. “Oh? Are you…?”

“Post-menopausal? Not yet, but I don’t think we’re far off.”

He nods, viably relieved.

You wake a little bit before speaking again, bringing up a phrasing of his from earlier that had stuck in your head. “Is this romantic? To you?”

Lifting his head off the wearing-down mattress, Joel’s eyebrows furrow. “Hm?”

The white shirt you still had on draped over your breasts, reminding you they were no longer the pert, young breasts you had before the outbreak. You wondered what Joel looked like before, if you two would have gotten along like that back then… It was impossible to tell.

“Earlier, when you were talking about Tess, you said that wasn’t romantic. That. Emphasis on that.”

He looked like he had been caught. “Oh, um… well, you know-”

“Joel.” There was no way to tell what he was thinking. Was he backtracking because he thought you didn’t feel like that? Or had he just gotten ahead of himself when talking? “It’s okay, you can be honest.”

The bed creaked as he sat up, rough hands ruffling through his grays. “Well. I dunno…” You raised an eyebrow at him, but he insisted he was being honest. “Even before everything I didn’t really… date…” Joel cleared his throat. “Being a single dad didn’t leave much time for that.” Even the slightest references to Sarah was a hurdle to jump, a pain that stabbed at him so deep for a few seconds, he couldn’t breath. For a few seconds, all he saw was her, bloody and dying in his arms, all he could hear was her gurgled coughs and his own voice begging Tommy to help.

She knew him better than to push it, placing a hand over his and bringing him back to this world. “It is for me. Romantic. And I’m not under any delusions that this is a fairy tale. I know I have to leave, and I know you have to stay. You do for family. But Joel sweetheart…” You reach up to touch his face, his soft hairs and fluffy sex hair making you wish things were different. “But who you are- Joel, I need you to understand… You’re not who you think you are. You are a good person, you are loving and gentle and fun, baby…” You kiss his cheek. “I enjoy just talking with you, just being with you. Just… when I leave, just know, there are people who love you for you, not just what you can do for them, okay?”

Joel closed his eyes to your touch, pressing into your hands and humming, practically purring before he sighed and stood up.

“What are you doing?”

He pulled on his boxers again before sitting down at his radio. “Calling Tommy.”

“He ignored you the last several times.”

Joel sighed. “Yeah, because I just said it was me. I wanted… I wanted him to answer me… but if he knows someone needs help… he’s gonna come.” You watch as he calls in, to the fireflies you now know. “Yeah, it’s Joel- no, no wait just, fuck, I know he don’t wanna talk to me but… can you just relay a message? A woman needs his help. It’s important.”

Getting out of Boston did prove to be the easy part. Joel did it all the time, apparently.

The plan was made to leave the final night of the curfew. You and Joel had fucked like rabbits all day, violating every surface of his small apartment in an attempt to get enough of each other to fill the hole you knew was coming in his absence. How do you know someone for a week and feel like he’s already a part of you?

Joel was right, Tommy couldn’t resist a damsel in distress, and radioed Joel back an hour later. After explaining the situation, him and Tommy came up with a plan. Tommy was leaving Boston for a little bit on some sort of mission he refused to tell Joel about, making Joel worry even more. Tommy would only agree to take you if he didn’t give you any more details. Joel offered, even begged to come with Tommy, help him out on getting you to safety and whatever mission he had, but Tommy refused. He wanted nothing to do with Joel, and was only talking to him for you.

So this was goodbye.

“Joel.” A voice in the dark drew both of your attention, causing you to reach for your gun but Joel’s hand stopped you.

“Tommy…” Joel moved to greet him, but as the man stepped into the light, he held up a hand. “I’m not here for you, Joel.” He looked like Joel. Not extremely so, but passable. His face was a little scruffy, a 5 o'clock shadow all around and long, dark brown hair passing his chin. It was thick and wavy like Joel, but no touch of gray. Joel introduced you.

The dark and brooding expression on Tommy’s face softened, his glare fixing into a soft smile as he reached for your hand. “Thomas Miller, nice to meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances.”

You smile back. “Yeah, you and me both.”

“We should get going, are you ready?”

“I can still join-”

Tommy still wouldn’t look at him. “We need to go.” He was more firm this time.

You turn to Joel, heart breaking at the pain on his face as he stared at his brother rejecting him.

“Joel? Baby?” The pet name drew his attention, and clearly Tommy’s as well. You take his hand in yours. “Can you look at me?”

He listened to you like he always did in bed, eyes watering despite his hardened shell.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

He shook his head. “I thought I could protect you.”

You place both hands on his cheeks, feeling the scruff. “Joel, you saved me. I don’t know what exactly Ross and those men would have done to me, but there's a good chance I wouldn’t make it out alive, and even if I did…” You close your eyes and shake your head. It wasn’t unheard of for bodies of women to show up dead. Evil men were still men when the world fell apart. “I’m going to be safe, okay? And it’s because of you.”

Joel sighed, as he always did, taking your hands off his face but still holding them. “Please be careful, okay? Tommy’ll take care of yuh, and I ain’t go no doubt he’ll keep up with that mouth of yours.” He gives your hands a squeeze. “Go on, now. Everything will be alright. Promise.” He sounded like he was convincing himself as much as you.

You look at his lips, silently asking but not wanting to make him uncomfortable kissing in front of someone. Joel hesitate, but moves in, hesitating again before giving you a small kiss on the cheek. You’ll take it. Hugging him, you whisper a thank you and a goodbye.

Joel makes one last attempt to talk to his brother and he gently nudges you in Tommy’s direction. He’s assured you time and time again that Tommy is a safe person, that he is a good person and not a rapist, but still the idea of being alone was daunting. You could handle yourself pretty well, but it’s not like you were a weight lifter. Tommy was stronger and possibly more youthful. “Tommy, man, thank you for-”

“This doesn’t make up for all the other shit, Joel.” Tommy interrupted him, pointing an aggressive finger. “Saving one woman isn’t going to undo all the bullshit-”

“I didn’t see you stopping me-”

“NO ONE COULD STOP YOU, JOEL! Jesus, even Tess can ring you in sometimes! You’re a fucking maniac and I don't ever want to see your goddamned face again.” With that, he turned on a heal and beckoned you to follow him.

The last thing Joel saw was your confused face, trying to make sense of Tommy’s accusations.

You watch Joel disappear behind you, and wonder what kind of man you had just spent a week falling in love with.

****************

While that's technically the finale, I have an idea for potentially a short epiloge! If you're interested, comment!

Reblogs are the only way to spread work!

@trinkets01 @ninebluehearts@luciannadraven33 @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @buriednurbckyrd @hiroikegawa @whatthefishh @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @koshkaj-blog @daddysfavoritesexkitten @csara615 @notesonpretty @kirsteng42 @mundivagantsoul

#joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us hbo #the last of us #tlou hbo #joel miller hbo #joel miller pedro pascal #tlou fanfiction #joel miller smut #eventual smut #joel miller series #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #Darkness on the edge of town #pedro pascal smut #joel miller reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller you #joel miller x you

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undoing-anobrains · 10 months

Text

you bring me home - matty healy

part one

series masterlist: :)

wc: 1.9K

Nothing could have ever prepared Caroline for the world as she knew it suddenly ceasing to exist and being forced to move in with her brother and his best friend. Well maybe saying he forced her was a bit of an exaggeration but George had been very clear that she could join them willingly or he would come and pick her up because he wasn't leaving her to mope and deal with her recent heartbreak all by herself for who knows how long.

Just weeks ago her fiancé, well, she should say ex-fiancé now broke things off with her while they were visiting wedding venues because he claimed he didn't love her anymore. It had been like a sudden rough force hitting her in the stomach. Knees almost crippling underneath her and the bright smile she had been bearing since they arrived vanished within milliseconds. The sharp pain left her gasping for air, at the mercy of the cold man who had so casually ripped her heart out.

Now she was living by herself in their formerly shared apartment. Haunted by memories everywhere she turned. She couldn't sleep in their bedroom anymore, not when she was greeted every morning with the right hand side of the bed empty and untouched. She had boxed up all of the belongings he had left behind once the anger at the situation had passed but she hadn't been able to open it since. And then there was the ring. It felt wrong to keep wearing it when it was a reminder of her farce of a relationship but she still loved it. Mainly because she had picked the ring out herself because he never knew what jewellery to buy her - seriously, Caroline had never worn silver in her life and what did he get her for every anniversary and holiday? The same silver heart necklace.

Glancing out of the apartment window Caroline noticed the raindrops sliding down the glass. How fucking appropriate, she mused. George had rang her earlier to say that he was on the way to pick her up so she found herself waiting eagerly to catch a glimpse of his car. At first she had been hesitant to even accept his offer of moving into the studio for however long they were in lockdown and living with her brother for the first time since they were teenagers. But after spending the past few weeks feeling like a ghost in what was once her home, she desperately needed the change in scenery, and company.

Apparently she had completely missed his car pulling up outside even in her concentrated efforts because a knock rapped against the door. Caroline quickly headed to unlock it and within seconds George was stood before her. "Hey, Caro," George said hugging her tightly "ready for a change of scenery?"

Caroline nodded. "I think I'd go insane if I stayed here any longer G."

"Well," George shot her a grin "I can't promise that you won't go insane living with Matty but it's definitely better than moping in here by yourself."

Matty. That had been the only real reason she had felt so hesitant accepting George's offer. They had never really been close considering their age gap. Caroline had still been in school when the band started to take off and by that point the boys had surpassed the need for family members filling the audience at their gigs. She had met her brother's closest friend a few times over the years, mainly when he would come over to their house to get high with George in his room. Caroline had the biggest crush on him back then, not that she would ever admit it, but she had a suspicion that he knew because of the occasional joke he made when they got older.

She'd played the part of the supportive sister at their early gigs and she made sure to support them by going to whatever shows she could get time off work. George was incredibly talented but there was no denying Matty's charisma on stage. Caroline hated how easily he captured her attention whenever she watched one of their performances. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the whole band, her gaze always wandered back to the one member who'd never really given her the time of day.

Even at 25 she was convinced that he still only saw her as George's kid sister. And she’d accepted that - it was a childhood crush and destined to be nothing more. She was meant to be getting married to another man after all. A man who she had once believed to be the love of her life. However, she supposed it was true what they said about your first love because she’d never forgotten about it. If you could even call unrequited infatuation fuelled by adolescent pining a first love.

"I dealt with both of you growing up," Caroline deadpanned "I think I can handle it just fine."

George feigned offence momentarily but he knew it wasn't an argument he was ever going to win if he let Caroline get started. Similarly to Matty she could talk for England - the only difference being she had some self control and it mainly showed when she was really passionate about something, whereas Matty just never shut up.

With that Caroline had handed her bags to a reluctant George and she left the apartment without a second glance. Deep down she was tempted to take a minute to remember the place which for the last five years of her life she had called home but everything about it was as tainted as the wilting roses forever frozen in time that she didn't have the heart to replace.

George loaded her bags into the back of his car when they reached it before turning to Caroline with a teasing grin "do you want to drive?"

"Do you have a death wish?" she beamed back at him "because if you do I'm more than happy to assist."

Caroline's relationship with driving had always been a constant source of entertainment for her brother. Even after he moved out, it still never failed to bring him some amusement. She was an absolute menace on the roads and had failed her driving test an impressive ten times before deciding that maybe she just wasn't meant to drive. Initially George had been the one forced to take her driving to appease their parents but he quickly grew bored of attempting to teach his sister who he claimed was hopeless (and maybe he was right but that wasn't the point.) He ended up pawning her off to Hann because he was the most sensible one and Ross would just encourage her chaotic tendencies on the road and Matty wasn't much better himself.

He gestured to the passenger seat in the car and Caroline took the hint. She climbed into the car, her emotions swirling within her, yet finding comfort in her brother's presence. George settled into the driver's seat beside her, his strong hands gripping the steering wheel with determination. "Ready passenger princess?"

"Look G," Caroline smirked "some people were meant to drive and the rest of us were born to be driven everywhere .

As the engine roared to life, Caroline quicky seized control of the aux. Moving slowly at first as they pulled away from her now old apartment building, before picking up speed as they left the city behind. Caroline watched the scenery pass by a blur of buildings and streets transforming into sprawling landscapes.

Throughout the drive Caroline noticed George glancing over at her whenever he thought she wasn't aware of it. As overbearing as his protective brother act could be sometimes she found herself especially grateful for it this time. Their shared silence spoke volumes and their unspoken bond conveyed all the comfort and understanding in the world.

"Matty's already here, by the way," George informed her as they approached the secluded studio.

That was all Caroline really took in. For the remainder of the journey she felt like she was just an autopilot. Like she was just a shell in place of a human. Then before she knew it George brought the car to a complete stop and parked it right in front of the studio. She later eyes on Matty instantly although not intentionally, he just so happened to be caught in her direct line of vision immediately after she hoped out of the car. He looked good. Happier than she’d seen him in years.

When their gazes locked for the first time in a year Caroline was slightly intimidated by the intensity of Matty’s stare but it melted away and reformed into the familiar teasing smile she had come to associate with Matty. She desperately to part her lips and speak but something was stopping her. It was unlike Matty to hold back like this as well and Caroline didn’t know what to make of this sudden reserved demeanour to him. They were at a standstill with George completely unaware of their staring match as he unloaded both of their bags from the back of his car. Caroline felt as though her throat was stuck and all the witty comments she’d been calculating in the back of her mind were suddenly wiped from her memory.

Despite having the ability to hear Matty’s voice at anytime through his music and interviews, Caroline was ever grateful that she’d been blessed with the opportunity to hear it in person. Yet even after being so sure she could resist the almost magnetic pull Matty’s voice had on her, any hope of finally being free of that childhood crush she’d never been able to let go of quickly diminished the second those words fell from Matty’s lips.

They fell like soft,music notes. A mixture of quavers, minims and crotchets perfectly arranged to enthrall her and leave her practically speechless at the beautiful melody they created that was Matty’s voice. And Caroline’s heartbeat? In that moment it mimicked a crescendo like no other. One that would put all of the greatest musicians and composers to shame.

Matty’s surprisingly veiny and dexterous hand filled her vision pulling her abruptly out of her quiet admiration as he notably leaned against the doorframe. “Well, well, well, look who's finally here. The famous Caroline Daniel graces us with her presence."

Caroline felt her cheeks turning a shade of pink so she tried to brush it off by playfully rolled her eyes in an effort to compose herself. “If anyone’s famous here darling we both know it’s not me,” Caroline grinned “I’m just here because George didn’t want me to have a mental breakdown by myself.”

Matty chuckled his voice laced with a hint of mischief “Say the word love and I’ll join you…” before his tone turned more genuine “for what it’s worth, I've missed having you around."

She wanted to make a stinging comment about that being a first. Or about him finally properly acknowledging and taking to her for the first time in years. But she held back. If they were going to be living together with only George as a mediator she didn’t want to purposefully instigate things. Besides, she was just here so she didn’t have to wallow in her misery alone. Not even the presence of the only guy she’d never really gotten over could throw a wrench in that, right?

#matty healy #the 1975 #matty healy fic #matty healy x oc #the 1975 fanfic #george daniel #ross macdonald #adam hann #matty healy fanfiction #matty x reader

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dailymanners · 2 months

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Hello, Stranger. By Will Buckingham. Granta; 336 pages; £16.99 The Power of Strangers. By Joe Keohane. Random House; 352 pages; $28. Viking; £16.99 Fractured. By Jon Yates. Harper North; 348 pages; $28.99 and £20

ATTITUDES TO STRANGERS tend to follow a familiar pattern. Children are taught never to speak to unknown grown-ups, especially those regarded by their parents as untrustworthy. The onset of adolescence and young adulthood brings a bursting desire to interact with all sorts of people, particularly the kind who might not elicit family approval. Whether the resulting encounters are sexual or social, they confer a thrilling frisson of escape.

Social circles generally narrow again as people find life-partners, form households and produce offspring of their own. Time becomes scarce; new friendships are often based on sharing the burden of child care. Some people never recover the youthful zest for unforeseen liaisons. Professional duties swell even as parental ones diminish, and the inclination sags. In old age, even if curiosity and charisma remain undimmed, frailty makes new serendipitous connections harder to establish.

But that is not the whole story. In mid-life and beyond people can still experience the joy of a random meeting, however short, which somehow touches a nerve. That might involve nothing more than a smile, or a chance remark that hits an emotional spot; or it might be an unexpectedly deep conversation on a plane or train, a surge of mutual understanding that is life-affirming even if the interlocutor is never seen again. This aspect of the promise and peril of strangers has enticed storytellers—from the rapture of “Brief Encounter” and “Before Sunrise” to the ruin of “Strangers on a Train”. The knowledge that the exchange will be a one-off can permit a delicious, uninhibited frankness.

In the age of covid-19 and Zoom, the chronological pattern has been warped. Instead of their hazy possibilities and risks, strangers have assumed an all-too-literal role as a looming source of infection. During lockdowns they are officially to be avoided. Yet youngsters still long, dangerously, for the ecstasy of communion, not just with edgy individuals but anonymous crowds. People of all ages have come to miss the human stimulation of busy high streets or trains, or the comforting sense of fellowship in a cinema or theatre audience.

So this is an apt moment for three books about meeting strangers. Will Buckingham has written a moving memoir of finding solace, after the death of his life-partner, in travelling and talking in lands such as Myanmar that are culturally distant from his native England. Joe Keohane, an American journalist, argues that communicating empathetically with strangers is vital and potentially life-changing. Jon Yates, who runs a youth charity based in London, frets that deep fissures in Western societies are making it impossible for people to reach, even casually, between classes, religions, ethnicities and generations.

All three authors make sweeping generalisations about the evolution of human society, from hunter-gatherers to the age of Homer and beyond. But they are more interesting when they reflect, using personal experience or scientific research, on how people live and communicate now. In different ways, they all make two separate but related points. First, interacting meaningfully with a new person can bring huge rewards—but it is a skill that must be cultivated and can easily be lost. Second, the self-segregation of modern Western societies means that, for many people, conversing with some fellow citizens seems pointless, undesirable or outlandish. The second problem exacerbates the first: if you consider others beyond the pale, why make the effort to get to know them?

. . .

Mr Buckingham focuses on the pleasures and pitfalls of encounters in remote places where the stakes are lower because the acquaintanceships are bound to be temporary—in a holiday flat-share in Helsinki or while travelling through the Balkans. But, like the other two, he notes that wariness of unfamiliar people is neither new nor insuperable.

Faces look ugly when you’re alone

Mr Keohane and Mr Yates offer tips on befriending strangers. . . Mr Yates discusses the case for a kind of national social service that would encourage youngsters to mix with other groups and generations. Both have homely micro-solutions that readers can apply in daily relations—assume the best of others, remember that most have stories they are longing to tell, react philosophically when a friendly approach is rebuffed.

A telling point that none of the books captures is a paradoxical one: some of the most sophisticated forms of interaction between strangers occur in societies that are chronically divided. Think, for example, of rural Northern Ireland, or of parts of the former Ottoman Empire, such as Lebanon, where residents have lived in separate communal silos. In ways impenetrable to outsiders, the denizens of such places develop perfect antennae for the affiliation of a stranger and adjust their remarks accordingly. The ensuing exchanges occur within well-understood parameters—including a sense that social categories are resilient and pleasantries will not change them. But tact allows people from antagonistic camps to have amicable encounters and transactions.

All three authors are inclined to overstate the ability of brief interactions to stave off conflict. Yet at least this much is true: a capacity to engage with new people in civilised, humane and meaningful ways is a necessary condition for social peace, even if it is not a sufficient one. That points up a half-hidden cost of covid-19. Children educated on screen; teenagers bouncing off the walls; adults working at home; lonely pensioners: more or less everyone’s social skills have been atrophying, with consequences not only for individuals but, perhaps, for the fabric of society.

As lockdowns lift, people are now stumbling back into a world of accidental collisions, some eagerly, some queasily, most with an odd sensation of novelty after a year of hibernation. The lesson of these books is that the easing of restrictions is not just a coveted opportunity to reconnect with those you love and resemble. It also restores a freedom, long taken for granted even if little used, to come to know the profoundly different. ■

#there are definitely things in this article I don't fully agree with #but the core message #be civil when you're in public around strangers #is something I can agree with

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mrchiipchrome · 1 year

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W.C.- 3,2 k

People have always asked you why you’re so incredibly fast, is it because of your above average hamstrings or is it because of plyometrics?

To answer this question would be a pain in the ass, you could say that it was a little bit of everything. All throughout your life you’ve worked on strengthening your hamstrings and now it’s like they were made of steel. This was so that you could reduce the possibility of hamstring tears and other injuries to your legs. Plyometrics helped you with that explosive movement needed to drive forward and to be able to keep at that same speed throughout a longer period of time, though you only started using them later in life. Some people even thought that you were doping, but that was quickly debunked.

Though after you broke into the senior national team at the age of 16 the footballing community soon accepted that you were just speedy, especially for a youngster. Coming up through the youth groups along the likes of Jessie Fleming and Jordyn Huitema, you’d always been able to beat them in a footrace.

When Jessie went off to college, you thought the decision was perfect for her and that she could learn and evolve her game to adapt to the brutality of football in America. But, even though she wanted you to follow in her footsteps, having become almost like sisters after spending so much time together, with the college route that was not what happened. Instead of committing to play college ball, you declared for the NWSL draft as soon as you turned 18 where you were selected first overall to the Washington Spirits. It wasn’t that you were bad in school per se, you weren’t interested in playing at college level.

You played football during the days while you took online classes in the evenings, classes in sports science where you found out about plyometrics. Those exercises became a daily occurrence and you soon found yourself even faster than before along with having a better technique while running and jumping.

After 2 years with the club, a rookie of the year award, two consecutive NWSL MVP’s and two golden boots under your belt your contract with the club ended. You had two options, resign with the club that drafted you or take your talents to Europe who had top clubs in bidding wars for you. Rejecting clubs like PSG and Eintracht Frankfurt, you settled for following your former teammate Rose Lavelle and national teammate Janine Beckie to Manchester City, signing a record contract with the massive club.

And while it was seen as an escape from the lockdown in the U.S. for players like Rose, the club had won your heart like no other, or rather one person in it had. A certain English forward, speedy like hell, blonde hair, 163 cm tall.

Lauren Hemp had stolen your heart with her subtle stares and quick feet that danced across the pitch in a way that had you entranced.

Moving in with Janine Beckie after signing the contract in the summer of ‘20, you met the English forward exactly 2 days 8 hours 34 minutes and 28 seconds after you had stepped on that plane heading from Dulles to Manchester airport, not that you were keeping track. It was like you were in one of those rom-coms Rose liked so much, your eyes met hers across the field and it was like everything suddenly made sense.

You had only been broken out of the moment by a barreling Janine Beckie, heading straight for you with no apparent need to stop. You had let out a loud groan the second she made contact with you, bringing you both down to the ground with her momentum. Greeting her, you hear scattered laughs from all around the pitch and as you had gotten up your eyes drifted in an effort to meet her enticing ones again.

After that, you and Lauren had become the tightest knit pair in women's football, even tighter than the ones that had known each other way longer than the two of you had. You know exactly what the other will think before they think it, it’s like you can hear each other's thoughts because you can make each other roll on the floor in laughter with just one singular look. You were known as City’s dynamic duo and one of Manchester’s two dynamic duo’s along with Alessia Russo and Ella Toone all while dominating the league.

Now having been at City for 3 years you’re constantly reminded on how you made the right choice, getting to play with your favorite girls and continuing to win awards. One of those being an olympic gold with your national team, one of the best moments of your current international career. Lauren had decided not to return with the rest of the national team when they were knocked out of the tournament, choosing to come and support you instead as you played for the final.

She was the first one you ran to when you were let go to celebrate with your families, you didn’t have anyone else there as they were disapproving of having football as a job and deciding to freeze you out of family events while not going to any games. Although, Lauren and your national teammates were more than happy to fill that hole their absence left in your heart.

When Janine left for Portland in 2022 you felt quite lost for a while, your roommate and the person who had become more like a family member to you left. You felt betrayed for a while before coming to the realization that the move had nothing to do with you or the team, just that she had to leave for a situation that was better for her.

But still the formerly shared apartment felt too empty and eerie without another presence accompanying it. One morning, while walking into the training grounds with your favorite person she gives you an offer you just can’t refuse.

“I could always move in with you, you know. I mean if you want to, my lease expires in like 2 months and you’ve been complaining about the apartment being empty ever since Janine left and I know I won’t fill the space that she left-”

“I’d love for you to move in with me Tempo.” And that was the start of an even deeper understanding of each other, even more inside jokes than before and an inexplicable amount of protectiveness directed towards the shorter girl. You had already had little to no tolerance towards players going in for tackles that were more aggressive than needed or players targeting her, but when you moved in together that tripled.

The amount of yellow cards your mouth and subsequent protectiveness had earned you made Georgia look like an angel in comparison.

When the 21/22-season ended and you had signed another long term contract with the Manchester based club, you decided to go home to Canada for a bit as you were given some time off. You had promised to get back in time for the start of the Euros, and you were never one to break a promise.

So after a vacation where you had eventually went and visited your former roommate, you made your way back to England to watch your best girl and her national team hopefully lift the trophy at the end of July.

And like you had done the year prior, Lauren makes her merry way right into your arms with you being the first one she greets. And there you stand with her in your arms, just muttering reassurances and words of praise before releasing her to her parents. Now both of your medals hang together in your living room, right above your tv.

—-

Parting ways with Lauren has been hard ever since you met her, even if it only was for a week. But as you stand in her arms at the Manchester airport, you contemplate on not even taking the plane to France for the international friendly. She lets her grip on you go, letting her arms hang limp at her side from where they were just placed around your waist. But your grip doesn’t lessen, not wanting to leave her. The voice over the speakers calls out the number of your flight and the gate which you should find yourself in during the next few minutes. Giggling softly into your ear, she gives you a nudge to indicate that you should let go but you just do the opposite.

“You have to let go sweets. I love you and we’ll see each other after the break.” Her revelation has your heart beating out of your chest despite how many times it's been said between the two of you, never in the way you want to though.

“Love you too, so much my Hempo Tempo. I promise to sneak away to watch the Brazil game, maybe I can convince Jessie to watch it with me.” Your own confession has her heart beating restlessly in her chest as you finally let her go with a kiss to her temple. Hearing the last warning for your boarding ring out between the walls of the airport, you take your hand baggage and walk towards the gate. You don’t turn around, knowing that you wouldn’t be able to board the plane.

The nearly 2 hour flight was incredibly boring and you spent most of your time restlessly sitting in your window seat, tapping rhythmically on the food board. When you finally arrive in France you’re ready to crash in your bed, having flown late at night, but you had promised to call your roomie to call her when you arrived in the star-shaped country.

You stay on the call until you’re laying in your hotel bed, under the covers and in your favorite hoodie of hers. It was oversized though for her, but the length fit you perfectly. And like usual you were roomed with Jessie, the older forward seemed to have a special power for getting you to calm from your hyper activeness.

As you’re dozing off you hear Lauren mutter out a quiet ‘I’m in love with you’, but your brain is way too tired to process the sentence before she hangs up the phone.

You nearly convince yourself that the confession was made up by your mind in a moment of vulnerability, especially when your flatmate acts like nothing happened the next day, texting her normal good morning. You stand your ground though, sure of what you heard her say over the phone.

Jessie can tell how distracted you are when you sit down with her for breakfast, your mind at a million places at the same time. She doesn’t push you to talk, contently sitting in the comfortable silence just waiting for you to crack up like you usually do when you have too much on your mind and need someone to vent to.

“I think Lauren’s in love with me”, your whispered confession has Jessie looking towards you, a soft smile playing at her lips.

“What makes you think that?”, she replicates your tone, curious but not invasive, as she whispers back to you.

“Well, I’m pretty sure she confessed last night when I was on the brink of sleep. It’s also the way she acts around me, I haven’t really noticed it before but she’s always been more…”

“Affectionate?” The older Canadian finds the exact word you were searching for and you send her a quick grateful smile before continuing,

“Yeah, affectionate. My City teammates have pointed it out to me for a while now, but I’ve never really given it much thought, now after I heard what I heard I’ve been thinking a lot about our interactions.” Nodding in thought, Jessie asks the crucial question that you know has been at the tip of her tongue since you started the conversation.

“And how do you feel about it?” The question is one you have to think over long and hard, thousands of emotions swirling around in your head making your judgment clouded. It seems like everyone knows exactly what you’re feeling, except you.

“I don’t know, I mean my head is saying one thing and my heart a completely different thing. Everything’s so divided and I don’t know what I feel at the end of the day.” The words are spoken through short breaths and quick movements, indicating your stress.

“What is it that your heart is saying?”

You reply without thinking as your heart clearly takes the reins of your body before your mind takes over again.

“That I’m completely and utterly in love with her”

“And your mind?”

“That I’m in love with her but that she doesn’t love me back and that I have no chance with her.”

“You should know that letting your heart take over every once in a while isn’t a bad thing. Everyone can see how much you love each other, your mind is always going to make up insecurities and lies just so that you don’t step out of your comfort zone. But your heart” She puts her index finger right above where your heart is beating steadily, “is always going to tell you the truth. And now it’s telling you that you love her, so just listen for once.”

“When did you become so wise?”, you’re back to your joking ways, retreating back into yourself as things become real all of a sudden but you take Jessie’s advice to heart.

“I always have been, you’ve just always been too slow to understand. Come on now we’ve gotta go to training.”

—-

A few days later you find yourself sitting in your hotel room sending Lauren a good luck text, all your teammates sitting at various points around the room waiting for the game to start. Somehow they had all overheard you when you were asking Jessie about the game, which led to them inviting themselves into your hotel room to watch the game with you.

You pay extra attention to the small rapid forward of the England squad, watching as her feet carry her all over the pitch. Small exclamations are let out as the Brazil players are more rough than necessary, not just towards your best friend.

Your cheers bounce around the small room as Lucy assists Ella for the first goal of the match, your usual rival playing for Lauren’s team which means that she’s in your good book for the night. When the whistle for half-time blows you sigh a quick sigh of relief, not having to see anyone get battered even more.

As the second half starts you’re at the edge of your seat, Brazil coming out blazing while England just manage to stop their attempts. What happens in the 88th minute of the game completely takes your attention from everything else.

As Lauren’s going in for a header, the Brazilian player's body is in the way and her elbow smacks right into her nose. You can see how the blood is gushing from her nose as she goes down, and your breath hitches in worry. Frozen in your place, the camera zooms in on her face as blood rushes from her nose and down into her mouth and you can feel how the bile is rising in your throat.

This wasn’t the reaction your teammates were expecting, just sitting there completely zoned out, they were expecting a furious Y/n storming around the room shouting in all directions. But they leave you be after a stern look from Jessie, the girl having moved beside you for comfort. You can’t focus for the rest of the game, not as Brazil equalizes or during the pens.

Getting the ‘i’m okay’ text did little to assure you, but ultimately you had to believe her as you couldn’t fly out to check if she was actually okay. During the nightly facetime call you observed how she seemed to be in a bit of pain, even though she was slightly loopy from the painkillers she had been given to combat the obvious source of hurt.

The rest of the international break goes by fast, Canada drawing 2-2 with France off a brace from yours truly and England losing for the first time in 30 games with a 2-0 loss to Australia. And if you’re being honest, you were waiting for the chance to go home now.

Packing your bags, you’re off to the airport towards Manchester, and this time the flight felt like 18 hours instead of 2. But you make it to Manchester and the only thing you want to do now is to embrace Lauren and do as Jessie told you.

Luckily enough for you, Lauren had promptly told you that she would pick you up from the airport, no argument from you there. Now the only thing you need to do is find her in the sea of bodies.

A familiar squeal sounds behind you and you turn around just in time to catch a sprinting Lauren in your arms, careful to not bump her nose in the process. You lift her in a tight hug, just cherishing her company that you’ve missed oh so much. Eventually, you put her back onto the floor before making a split second decision.

Taking her face in your hands, you let your heart take over as you pull her into a sweet kiss, the kiss being everything it’s supposed to be. When you don’t feel her reciprocate you start to pull away, thinking that maybe Jessie had been wrong anyways and that Lauren didn’t like you back. It seems like Lauren comes to her senses at the last second though as she pulls you closer by putting her hands on your waist, tilting her head up slightly so that you don't have to lean down as much and pressing her lips more firmly into yours.

Pulling away from her has a whine escaping her lips as she goes up on her tippy toes to press a few quick pecks against your lips. This whole situation taints your lips with a permanent smile and as the girl opposite you asks a question you can’t help but tell her the truth.

“What was that for, bubs? Not that I didn’t enjoy it…”

“Well my dear Hempo, I followed my heart and it led me to you. You’re the reason why my heart beats a little faster and why my palms get sweaty, you’re the reason why I sometimes stumble over my words and why I can’t seem to focus when we’re in the same room. I am completely and utterly in love with you, and if I heard you right then I think you feel the same way.”

“You heard that?” Only giving a nod in response, you clasp her hand in yours as you stroll to the exits of the large airport. Out of nowhere, you let out a hum before speaking up,

“You know what they say Tempo, ‘the airport has seen more genuine kisses than a wedding hall’, I think we just proved that my love.”

Y'all better pray for me, I finished writing this instead of studying for my test tomorrow, but I hope you all like it as much as I do :) also gif is hilarious

#woso x reader #woso imagines #lauren hemp #lauren hemp x reader

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kellshaw · 10 months

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Entropy impacts your fantasy world

Entropy infects all systems. Things wear down, and either collapse or shake apart into new configurations.

Fantasy worlds are divided into a series of ages, where myths are split apart from legends and history. They might look like this Middle-Earth inspired history (at least my high school D&D campaign world did):

First Age - Gods walk the earth, or make the world. Evil gods are dealt with or bound.

Second Age - The great civilizations flourish, items of remarkable power of crafted and legendary battles occur. Famous institutions like kingdoms, and bloodlines are established.

Third Age - Not as epic, as the first or second age. The hero grows up on a farm or distant location and learns about the age of magic. Perhaps they’ll inherit a sword or learn lost secrets. There are ruins everywhere. Some dark threat left over from the second age will return and be dealt with. Perhaps the hero will reconnect with one of the elite institutions established in the second age.

Fourth Age - The age of magic ends, and everything changes. Elves sail away, gods leave the world, and hand it over to people, who, live in wisdom and peace and tell stories about the good old days to the kids.

This is also a metaphor for human life. The first age is childhood when you believe impossible things and dragons, the second age is when you’re young, fighting for your passions, the third age is when you get your job and learn how the systems of the world work. And the fourth age is when you’re paying off the mortgage, and you don’t have time to play D&D anymore or read books, but you’ve got fond memories of those days and will tell your bored family members about the good old days.

Let’s cut to 2020, COVID era. I’m in the fourth age of my life. During lockdown, I work through a bunch of intense personal stuff. One of them is that my epic fantasy novel series is doomed not to be finished in its current state—it’s lost in a muddle of endless rewrites. The book had lots of POVs, good character work and world building, but not much of a plot apart from an expedition across a continent. Time to recognize that it would never be done. I’ll never be Brandon Sanderson. (At least with that book.)

I get out my shotgun, place the barrel against the malformed, beating dreams of finishing that series, and pull the trigger.

Time to reboot. Start something else. I need to create I can finish. Shorter, less epic. Except, being one of those eternal gamemaster types, I can’t tell stories without a world.

Yeah, I could build any world I want and—my subconscious wants to design a setting in a fantasy world’s fourth age. When I was younger, the concept of the fourth age horrified me. Who’d want to tell stories in a world where the magic went away, and everything was about modern life, office workers and cars?

Now, I find that interesting. Because the past is a magical one, right? How would that influence the modern day? And how did the magic leave the world? What if something went wrong with the final epic battle between light and darkness? What if losing magic was a last ditch strike? A nuclear option. Not a gentle fading of magic like in Middle-Earth—a planned obsolescence—but a catastrophe mess that broke the world.

And what if magic survived, but became hidden, messy and complicated?

So that’s the key idea I had when designing my world. Modern, yet with a hidden layer of magic.

Now to figure out what that looked like. And what sort of stories would it drive?

How about you—did you build your world by thinking about this sort of thing to start with (themes) or did you start with some other idea? Or even a sense of a character or a vision of a scene? (I love the story by CS Lewis how his initial idea for Narnia was simply a mental picture of Lucy and Mr. Tumnus walking arm-in-arm through a snowy wood...)

#writeblr #fantasy books #worldbuilding #writerscommunity #writers of tumblr #fantasy #fantasy writing #urban fantasy

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xenisstrange · 3 months

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i don't think anyone outside of this fandom will ever understand what this game has done for me

i was eleven years old lying in my bed with my ipad mini and a pair of earbuds. it was around midnight, way past my bedtime at that age.

i scrolled through my youtube home page and came across a video titled something along the lines of "I CAN TIME TRAVEL???" and started watching.

the gameplay opened with the scene of a girl staring at a massive tornado. and then she woke up in photography class. and then she figured out she could rewind time.

and i was hooked.

then came the bathroom scene. the moment nathan shot chloe, i exited youtube. i was too shocked and stunned to continue. so i put my ipad away and tried to go to bed.

that lasted for less than five minutes.

too curious as to what would happen next, i grabbed my ipad and found the video again.

once i was past the initial shock of what had happened, i found myself falling in love with the art style. i fell in love with the music. i fell in love with the concept, the characters, the universe.

i remember thinking chloe was so cool. i remember wishing i could have a clothing style just like hers.

i remember wishing i had a place like the junkyard where i could escape to.

and i remember relating to max. she's artistic and shy. just like i was.

just like i am.

and then i finished watching episode one. i had to wait two months to see what would happen in episode two. and whenever a new episode did come out, it was always the first thing i watched when i came home from school.

it was like i saw myself in the characters.

kate's rooftop scene broke me. and in coming years, i would relate to her depression far more than i ever realized i would at eleven years old.

chloe's anger stunned me. i didn't realize why i felt so connected to the intensity of it then, but knowing what i was to experience in my teenage years, it now makes sense.

max's sensitivity made me feel so seen. and she was just as creative as i wished to be. i bought an analog camera when i was fifteen just because i wanted to take polaroids like her.

i wanted to be in the world of life is strange. i wanted to experience true friendship (and more) like what max and chloe had because up until then, i felt so alone.

this game made me feel understood. this game made me feel like i could make my life an adventure. this game gave me hope for the future.

i finally played the game myself when i was thirteen. it was the second game ever in my steam account.

but throughout high school, i forgot about the game for a bit, only getting re-obsessed for a short while when before the storm came out. i finally played life is strange 2 in the summer of 2020, when i rediscovered life is strange during covid lockdown. and then came true colors. i played that one the day it got released.

even though the new games are amazing, and the characters' relatability is just as strong, the original life is strange will forever hold a special place in my heart. in a way, it formed who i am as a person today. just ask anyone who was in my life when i started saying "hella" in every sentence.

a few days after i turned eighteen, i realized "i am the age of the characters in life is strange."

and that was crazy to me.

i had grown up with these characters, wondering if my life would ever be as interesting or as venturesome as theirs. and now i was the same age as them.

and then i became older than them. and my life has most definitely not been the adventure i'd hoped for.

but i've come to accept this, as max and chloe are video game characters, and i live in the real world.

but that's why i hold the first life is strange game in such a special place in my heart. these characters were there for me when real people weren't.

this game taught me the difference in morals and beliefs, because what one person thinks is wrong might be right to someone else. this game taught me to be kind to others, to show compassion and empathy, because you never know what someone is going through.

this game taught me not to be afraid to love.

because if i were to be chloe, then someday my max would make a return.

#life is strange #lis #max caulfield #chloe price #life is strange before the storm #life is strange true colors #max and chloe #sorry this is so long #i just have a lot of feelings ok #i love life is strange sm

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