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phaedraismyusername · 7 months

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Happy International Lesbian Day! Here's some super brief book recs to celebrate

Books dealing with love, loss, longing and abandonment

This is How You Lose The Time War is a short but beautifully written epistolary novel between two agents on opposite sides of a time war as they slowly fall in love.

Our Wives Under the Sea is one of the most beautifully written debuts I've ever read about a woman whose wife comes home wrong after they thought she'd died at sea and how it feels to grieve the loss of someone who's still in your home.

Lucky Red is a western novel about a young girl working in a brothel who meets her first female gunslinger and falls head over heels for her, and the consequences that come with loving dangerous people.

Body horror galore

Camp Damascus is about a young woman living in a super conservative christian town built around the worlds most successful conversion camp and the horrors that are uncovered there when praying the gay away fails.

To Be Devoured is about a woman whose fascination with the local vultures turns into obsession and the urge to know what carrion tastes like overtakes her life and leads her down stranger and stranger paths.

Chlorine is about a girl whose entire life revolves around being a competitive swimmer, and how abuse, neglect, and obsession with being the best takes its toll on the young women caught up in these destructive cycles.

Flawed character studies

Big Swiss is about a woman who has a kitchen floor reset in her 40s, moves away and starts a new life as a transcriber for a sex therapist and becomes obsessed with one of his clients before inserting herself into this poor woman's life.

The Seep is a speculative sci-fi set in a future where there's been a quiet alien invasion that has given people the ability to make almost any changes to their own bodies and what that world feels like to someone who doesn't want to partake.

Milk Fed is about a woman in therapy who feels cut off from almost everything until she meets another woman who triggers in her a melding of sex, hunger, and religion and where that takes her. Huge trigger warnings for ED content. It gets tough, y'all.

Fantastical wlw books

Bitterthorn is an amalgamation of fairytales retold as a slow burn sapphic love story between a sad young girl from a cursed land and the evil witch who takes her as a companion in the latest of the generational sacrifices made to appease her.

All the Bad Apples may be set in contemporary Ireland but it is a fairytale following a young girl as she travels across the country looking for a sister she refuses to believe is dead and the people she meets along the way.

Gideon the Ninth needs no introduction on this site but for the sake of formatting - lesbian necromancers in space who find themselves in an isolated murder mystery plot. It's not a romance but it is a love story and this series will change your life if you let it.

Translated novels

Boulder is a short character study following a free spirited woman when she accidentally settles down with the woman she loves and how love and resentment can take up the same space in your chest when life doesn't turn out the way you hoped it would.

Notes of a Crocodile is a cult classic coming of age story about queer teens in Taipei in the 1980s. It was written in the 90s so please keep that in mind if you choose to read it.

Paradise Rot is about an international student studying in Australia and her growing obsession with her housemate as they share a space that allows no privacy. I've never read anything that feels stickier.

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thefearofcod · 24 days

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Top 5 tam lin

YEah ok i totally didn't open this and then forget about it. These aren't ranked but they are true

Medieaval Baebes Tam Lin. I particularly like the nature sounds in the background. Creepy. Wet.

The Forgetmenauts Tam Lin. This one is a really cool modernization, and it's interesting to have it sung by a man (for these five minutes at least he is gay). Goes more into the prior relationship between the narrator and Tam Lin.

The Biscuits Tam Lin. Lo-fi punk, traditional Child 39a lyrics. Two tastes that taste great together. Wild. Crunchy.

Alistair Hulett's Tam Lin. This is how it's supposed to sound. sorry to haters who do not have ten minutes to shut up and hear a story.

Anais Mitchell's Tam Lin (Child 39). A classic. This is the version where I first worked out that Janet is a badass. Mesmerizing. Dry.

Honorable mention to best interpretation: The Imagined Village's Tam Lyn Retold. This fucking rules idk what to tell you

#tam lin #child ballad 39 #fenharael

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xccentriktigress · 5 months

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If you grew up with Goosebumps, do yourself a favor and go check out the new Goosebumps series. Because it has an overarching narrative it's very different, but I'm kind of in love with it.

This show has everything.

- Classic Goosebumps stories retold with care

- Justin Long doing the absolute most. I had no idea he had so much physical comedy in him

- Trans actors playing canonically, openly, on screen gay characters

- Hardcore 90s grunge nostalgia

- Plausible villains with plans that make sense, even if they involve ritual sacrifice

- Quickly resolved love triangles

- Goo that smells like watermelon Jolly Ranchers

And so much more. Honestly, if you like campy horror-lite nonsense go find this. It's on Disney and Hulu (or probably your preferred port of call 🏴‍☠️) and it's really fun.

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boxofthings · 5 months

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got any roach-centric fic recs? like idc the pairing, ghostroach/soaproach/ghostsoaporach any thats roach focused plzz

*cracks knuckles* I GOTCHU ANON this is my time to shine

If anyone wants to reply with their own pls do!

(These are in no particular order)

GhostRoach:

i left my heart in the mountains (right next to yours)

I'm going to want you 'til the stars evaporate

and here i stand (in the dirt with you)

These are all by Santihan and ugghh these were the fics that pulled me back from my near decade-long ghostroach obsession sabbatical. Well-written, emotional, they are amazing, my favs, I will rec these til I die (the first two are painful :'))

Things That Burn by abel_obel

Such a good one, I always go back to this when I'm in a ghostroach mood. Good ol' classic person A gets injured and person B freaks out

Roach Wouldn't Really Do It...

Exhaustion's a Funny Thing

Both by tinyduckies! Def read the TWs for the first one, but arghhh, I go back to these ones a lot!. I really like how the first one's more realistic/gritty when it comes to the aftermath of surviving Loose Ends

Second one's just a lovely depiction of Ghost and Roach's dynamic. Loved the banter and the second chapter ends real sweetly :)

The Barracks: Part 2

Ulterior Motives

Both by doberman, these two are much longer fics (which ghostroach is in desperate need of) and are such interesting reads!!

The first one is an AU that takes place in a pub with Ghost being his repressed, unhealthy self, and Roach coming in as the new co-worker to sweep him off his feet lol

The second one is ongoing and takes place slightly after MWII with Ghost meeting Roach outside of deployment

Sovereign by Applescone

God, this one really puts me in an introspective mood. It's so well-written and just feels so grounded and human. Takes place years after Loose Ends, with Ghost and Roach rekindling their relationship whilst dealing with the complications of Shepherd's betrayal and death

我给你早在你出生前多年的一个傍晚看到的一朵黄玫瑰的记忆 by Alex_Upshur

Ok I know this is in Chinese, but just use a translator like I did and yeah, while it won't be as accurate as the author wrote it, it's still a really lovely fic and i adore it :') A lil bittersweet look into the 141's lives and sweet moments with Ghost and Roach <3

Of Doubts and Dreams (Retold)

The Hook Up

All written by Call_Of_Booty, an og ghostroach author from wayyy back during the og trilogy (and ff.net) days. The first one's a rewrite of one of their old fics and it focuses on Roach and Ghost's dynamic up until the night before Loose Ends.

Second one's about Roach deciding to leave the SAS whilst he and Ghost have complicated feelings for eachother due to past hookups. Both great reads!

Distance Makes the Heart Pissed Off by krwaken

I'm sure every GhostRoach shipper knows this one lol. A lovely 200k word slowburn of these two <3

Fear & Delight by EpiKatt

Hornet's Nest with more GhostRoach :))

Tell Me Why This Has to End by Feral_Raccoon

ANGST :( Post-Loose Ends. Ending broke me haha

and you wrote your name / right there next to mine by cheese_n_crack

more Loose Ends angst :( A bittersweet ending with Ghost and Roach looking at the stars in their final moments

You'll Get Sick Anyways by ghostslefttit

Very short, but very cute lil fic with Ghost taking care of a sick Roach :))

If We Crash (I Hope We Do) by mintyiecat

Man I can't even begin to describe how much I love this one. Portrays Ghost and Roach's relationship post-loose ends where Roach is now a civilian. Loved how the author depicted their relationship as not flawless. Felt very human and raw. Very sweet ending :)

GhostSoapRoach

Something in the Orange by fixfoxnox

Y'all been knew this would be on here lol

Follows Roach's pov where he's been reincarnated into the reboot timeline with all his memories from his old life and him trying to make his way back to Ghost. This one makes me sad as hell. Has all the feels :')

Something in the Orange by insomniamemoirs & RandomWordsAndStormyDays

Funny how my top two GSR fics are named the same thing, but hey, they're both amazing. I was apprehensive because of the "calling Soap Roach by accident" trope, however they really diverted my expectations and made these three really feel like equals in a relationship. Really love how they made sure to establish a strong dynamic between Soap and Roach instead of pitting them against each other. And Roach isn't just some 2D character here, he's very nuanced and I love it!

Freezing Waters by AmphibianEft

Sweet fic of Roach getting injured and Soap and Ghost freaking out and taking care of him

Stress Relief by Anonymous

Just Soap and Ghost taking care of Roach after Hornet's Nest (smut) :)

SoapRoach

Leg Day by tinyduckies

Good ol' smut lol (09 soaproach mm)

Everything That Isn't Said by pajamabees

More 09 smut

Taste by fixfoxnox

Just 3.5k words of Roach wanting to kiss his captain :)

fall for me by punishervest

Just a sweet moment between 09 Soap and Roach with Soap reminiscing on his past with Price but also considering how he wants something more with Roach <3

She (Means Everything To Me) by mylareading

Just 1.9k words of Soap being down bad for Roach (super sweet)

Roanig (Roach x Konig)

I Really Like The Way You Stare At Me by turqu0ise

The fic that introduced me to roanig <3 Just a cute fic focusing on the development of their relationship

Subatomic by tinyduckies

Another nice fic focused on the development of their relationship. Loved the interactions they had in this :)

These are the ones I have so far! I'm sure later on I can add to the list, and if anyone wants to reply with their own feel free :)

I've also been made aware there are Keegan/Roach fics, but I haven't gotten around to reading them yet, but def check out their tag anon! Hope this was an adequate rec list haha

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dollfaced-erin · 3 months

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Ngl the sugar daddy jing yuan reader fic lowkey intrigues me, like why did Jing Yuan resort to something as finding a sugar baby? Was he stressed over something as well? A relationship problem? Was he that lonely?? I feel it would be nice to explore!

i love this request. it took me a while to find the right songs and good scenarios, but i got you covered, bby ! I MIGHT NAME THIS SERIES THO ! it's a WIP obv unless until i finish the main storyline and will take longer time to accommodate to unlike the main story (and that one already takes an eternity) do enjoy the treat !

Taglist : -

@rebeccawinters , @nayukiyukihira , @pix-stuff , @fluffy-koalala , @swivy123 , @starxao , @kaoyamamegami , @kimura-uzuri , @rsvye , @seikouryuu , @just-here-reading , @matsulovesyou, @sincerely-aaronette , @prettyliliy , @chibiduck , @hermosacolibri , @la-diablas-thingz , @farelady-fate , @everi-eve , @shadowfoxey , @helloyuki , @immahuman , @samptlay , @boomie-123 , @airentia , @eden-absorbed

𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖊 ! : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ᴀᴜ , ᴊɪɴɢ ʏᴜᴀɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ , ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴄʀᴀᴅʟᴇ

𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 ! :

ˢᵗʳᵉˢˢ , ᵃⁿˣⁱᵉᵗʸ , ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ ᵒᶠ ˢᵉˡᶠ ʰᵃʳᵐ , ᶜᵒᵐᶠᵒʳᵗ ᵃⁿᵍˢᵗ, EXTRA LONG.

Another day...another report.

Scratch that. There were hundreds of reports on his desk as is. And they were piling as time grew on. Not like it would ever stop. They just kept adding up, accumulating like the spam emails in his iMac monitor before him.

And his secretary was of no help either. Sure, she did her work mighty fine ! Being on time, punctual, taking all the calls and planning his meeting and fixing up his schedule. But that makes him feel more annoyed than ever.

She's just too punctual. And she expects him to be like that too.

She was always rushing him to do his work, always nagging him on and on to pay attention to the business proposals, to look over the reports, remind him again and again that he had lunch with the Lead Researcher from that growing Space Research Centre built under the name of one of the most well-known geniuses known to mankind.

Herta's Space Research Centre...and her Lead Researcher who was currently managing the Centre on her own... Asta...

What time was the meeting again...?

"Remember ! You have a meeting with Lady Asta from the research center at 2pm this afternoon ! Don't be late ! It's a crucial investment !" He heard Fu Xuan's voice ring in his mind.

Oh...2pm. He had time before that.

He sighed in his chair, leaning back into his leather chair as he ran a hand through his messy silver hair. Lazy golden eyes glanced at the time showed on the standby mode on his monitor...

"1 : 45..." he read aloud, his voice carrying his lazy tone through the silent room.

He thought about it.

1 : 45 ?!?!

He never bolted out of his seat faster than he ever had before.

"Hahaha !" The man laughed as Jing Yuan retold the tale of the earlier day. A hand landed on his back, slapping it playfully as his friend found humor in his troubles.

"Don't laugh, asshole." Jing Yuan said, a frown of frustration on his lips. But it slowly curled up into one of amusement seeing his friend like this.

"You're really finding my concerns entertaining, don't you ?"

"Sorry, sorry. My bad." The man said, raising his cup of alcoholic beverage to his lips, sipping it elegantly.

"But then, what happened ? You rushed out of your building to the meeting place. Did you see Lady Asta ?" Blade asked, looking at his friend with a smirk on his lips.

"Oh, you bet. I found her as soon as I got there. But fortunately for me, she had just arrived herself. So, I wasn't too late, nor did I make her wait." Jing Yuan said with a relieved sigh.

The two were meeting up in quite the high-class bar. Somewhere that had classical music playing, dim lighting, expensive drinks of the finest quality, quiet chatter and the clinking of glasses and extravagant attire. It wasn't your average bar. Heck, there were barely any ruthless drunkards in places like this, those who caused ruckus when they drank too much.

"But Fu Xuan, that girl..." he pondered, shaking his head at the mention of his secretary. "She really needs to learn how to loosen up and stop asking me day after day when will I hand my company over to her."

"Oh ? She's blatantly asking you to make her the heir to the corporation ? Very...brazen, of her." Blade said with a furrow of his brows and nodded his head.

"It doesn't get any easier, Blade. Believe me." Jing Yuan sighed.

It was just another day in his life. He was the CEO of one of the top companies in the country, or even the world ! The Xianzhou Alliance was branched into 6 franchises under one brand, though usually known individually. Fanghu, Luofu, Zhuming, Xuling, Yaoqing, and Yuque.

And Jing Yuan just happened to be the CEO of the Luofu branch, also being the youngest and one of longest reigning ones at that. Not only that, he was known for his good looks, his intellect and gentlemanly manners.

Blade just happened to be his friend from college and was the main mechanical engineers for the bigger productions of the company, building his name to be known far and wide for a man as young as him. He was known as Yingxing, formerly. A nerdy young man that loved art.

But after a certain incident, he dyed his hair black and changed his alias to Blade before joining a group of debt collectors that made quite the name for themselves.

The Stellaron Hunters.

Jing Yuan sighed, raising a hand at the bartender for another glass of bourbon. He needed a little more liquor to forget the tension that night.

"So, of course the meeting didn't end there, right ? I heard that Herta was planning on opening a university to give opportunities to more...brilliant minds. Perhaps they wanted to collaborate with the Intelligentsia Guild ? Heard they too opened up a new university recently." Blade asked, pouring another glass of Koshu sake for himself.

He wasn't too much of a fan of the harder liquors. He loved to savor his drinks and take his time relishing in the bitter taste. Like the little things around him. He loved to watch drama unfold, especially if he wasn't involved in it.

Even better if he was the cause behind it.

But he wouldn't do that to Jing Yuan. His dude needed a break. Especially since they have known each other for a couple of years now.

"Yeah." Jing Yuan said, nodding his head at his friend. "I suppose you could put it that way. Lady Asta wanted to meet up to ask about the funding for the research in the space station. Now that you mention it, I think she also said something about investing for the university ?"

"I don't know anymore, Blade..." Jing Yuan sighed, hand over his eyes. "After that meeting i came back to more papers and reports. Then tomorrow, the meetings and the negotiations...the business proposals, photoshoots and interviews and not to mention the stalkers recently. Fu Xuan is literally gonna snag my ass one day if she really thinks I'm as incompetent as I look, I swear to the Aeons..."

He let out a tired chuckle, leaning over and setting his elbow on the table. His friend looked at him worriedly, knowing that it might not sound like much, but for Jing Yuan to openly admit his problems like this...

"Why don't you ask her to loosen up your schedule ?" Blade asked him softly, a hand on Jing Yuan's back.

"And listen to her lecture me about time management ? I'd save at the very least 2 hours of my time reading reports." He chuckled dryly, shaking his head and pulled his hand away from his eyes.

"That's not gonna work, Blade. She'll say I have nothing better to do in my time anyway...I go home with those uncompleted documents but I still have to keep thinking how I'm going to arrange my thoughts for tomorrow."

Then they heard a small commotion. There was a man slamming his hand onto the table, and a young lady before him. She looked firm and resolute, not even flinching as the man before her expressed his distaste and anger to her.

"For the last time, I'm saying no. I told you, I don't have the money for it !" The young lady said calmly, her hands spread in front of her to exaggerate her point.

"You brought me here, and then expect me to sign up for Herta's Space Research school to study biotechnology under Madam Ruan Mei ? Do you have any idea how crazy the fees will be ?" The girl asked again, folding her arms over her chest as she merely glared at the man that stood in anger before her.

"Plus you know that I'm already struggling with fees in the Yaoqing Academy is already crazy enough. And that's with scholarship. I'd then have to pay Yaoqing for stopping halfway and my scholarship, then pay the registration fees of Herta's school."

"Imagine having to go to some prestigious, preppy place filled with studying, that I don't even have time to go work to buy myself dinner." The lady stressed with a shake of her head.

"But this is your opportunity !"

"I...I cant afford it..." she admitted softly.

Jing Yuan's gaze softened as he looked at this troubled lady. He wished he could help, watching her being pressured like this. But he wasn't a charity... if he helped her, many more would come to him for the same reason...

But it was a waste that a beautiful young lady like her didn't get the opportunity she deserved. She looked like she was well-versed in studying, and going to Herta's university would secure her a bright future working with the Intelligentsia Guild, or Herta's Space Station or the research facility, or even the IPC !

"I cant keep dating someone who doesn't have standards, (Y/n). My family will look down on me ! And I'm always paying for you when we go on dates, you never spend for me !" The man said with anger present in his tone. Then the young lady before him bit her bottom lip, her eyes trailing off somewhere else.

"Wh-what did you expect from dating me ? You know I'm poor. I work part time at a cafe, juggling assignments, bills and chores. I...I cant always have the luxury of spoiling you ! And you yourself wanted to go on dates, promising me that you'll handle the bill." The lady said, tears in her bright eyes.

"Or not you'll never go on dates with me !" The boyfriend exclaimed, making the girl, (Y/n), feel even guiltier.

Then he slammed his hand again on the table. "Enough ! We're over. I cant keep dating a leech who'd do nothing to improve her life even when there's a path !"

Then the man stormed off, leaving the lady alone and humiliated in the middle of the expensive bar with all eyes on her. She didn't care about that, she was mainly troubled on the fact that she'd have to cover the bills herself...

'How interesting...' Jing Yuan thought to himself as he looked at the pitiful lover.

She was a beautiful young lady, perhaps around 22 years old ? She seemed pretty young. Perhaps she's in the middle of pursuing a degree ? To change majors means she must be pretty early into the registration. Foundation, perhaps...

She looked very ordinary, unlike the others in this bar. She had beautiful (h/c) hair, the brightest (e/c) eyes that shone under the warm lights of the bar. But she looked tired. She was broke. Wallet, and heart.

Jing Yuan couldn't hold back anymore. He didn't like seeing a young woman as innocent as hardworking as her getting dumped just because she didn't have the money. What kind of asshole does that, anyway ?!

Jing Yuan got up from his place, ignoring Blade's voice of questions as he walked over to the young woman who sat alone.

"(Y/n), right ?" Jing Yuan asked, and she looked up, those bright (e/c) eyes, glistening with tears as she sadly looked into his warm honey eyes.

(Y/n) seemed startled and quickly wiped her eyes. "Yes, th-that's me." She said, nodding her head.

"See, I don't do this often, but..." Jing Yuan started as he sat before her. "I'm quite certain the entire establishment heard what happened between you and...well...your...ex lover...?"

He grimaced a little at the word 'ex', knowing it must still be a touchy subject for her. But she didn't seem to mind and just nodded her head.

"Yeah, I saw this coming, obviously." (Y/n) said with a light chuckle. "I knew we weren't going to work out. But he was persistent, constantly egging me on and on to date him, that one day I just said yes."

"Well, it seems like you're going through a rough patch, and I know you just want to head home and sleep it off. So, I want to help you out." Jing Yuan said, taking the bill on the table and reading out the receipt list.

"Let me pay for tonight."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened as she looked at him, blinking owlishly as she heard his offer. This...this random man was willing to pay for the receipt ? The orders she didn't even indulge in ? She felt guilt eating away at her stomach, making her fidget in her seat.

But what choice did she have...?

That's right. She didn't.

So she nodded her head.

"Wow, didn't know you could be quite the gentleman, oh CEO Jing Yuan." Blade said as his friend came back after seeing off the woman named (Y/n).

Jing Yuan nodded his head, feeling a light blush dust his cheeks from the teasing manner of his friend. But he brushed it aside quickly, composing himself to wish away the blush as quickly as it came.

"I just couldn't leave her there. It would be quite...distasteful." Jing Yuan said, taking his seat back next to Blade.

"Mm...but she was quite the catch, wasn't she ? Too bad she ended up with a sorry excuse as a boyfriend as him." Blade said with a laugh, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice rumbled.

"She was indeed beautiful, yes." Jing Yuan said softly, nodding his head as he reminded himself of the young woman. "It was funny how she didn't even recognize who I am. Most young women would."

He caught Blade smirking at him at which he quickly composed himself with a fake smug smile back on his lips.

"Anyway..." Jing Yuan said, looking at Blade with raised eyebrows. "How are things with you and...Dan Jia ?"

Blade immediately was caught off guard with the question, his pale face dusted with a red blush that went all the way up to his ears. Dan Jia was one of the heirs to a multi-billion organization that was partnered with the Xianzhou Alliance, more known towards their love of arts and entertainment.

And Dan Jia was the woman that had loved him before and after his change. The only person who understood and still stood by him no matter, and it wasn't like any one could oppose her, anyway.

"A-ahem...Dan Jia and I..." Blade stuttered, turning away for a moment as he slowly sipped at his drink.

"We...got engaged." The male said and Jing Yuan glared at him.

"And you didn't even tell me ?" "I was going to when you were in a more chill mood ! Don't blame me trying to be considerate of your feelings !"

Then Blade got an idea. He smiled widely, looking at his friend before uncharacteristically clapping his hands, something he did when he had a mind-blowing revolutionary thought. Usually it meant good news for the company, or friends, so Jing Yuan was very intrigued to hear.

"How about you find a lover ?" Blade asked with a pat on Jing Yuan's back.

Jing Yuan had never heard a solution so stupid from this former engineer before. He sighed, and slapped a hand onto his forehead.

"No no, hear me out for real here." Blade said, trying to pull back Jing Yuan's interest. "If Fu Xuan says that you have nothing to do in your free time, find someone that can act as something to fill in time you need. You cant put hobbies, because hobbies are meant to be something to be done in your free time."

"But what if you had a commitment ?"

Then Jing Yuan looked at Blade like he made the best idea ever. That actually made so much sense ! But...

"What if I get even more stressed from it ?" Jing Yuan asked, looking at Blade.

"Based on the trends right now, students are more frequently found on dating sites, and you could start from there. Give Fu Xuan some reasons to throw her off the scent and make sure she doesn't schedule every second you manage to breathe in the aircon of your private office." Blade explained again, his hands making and tracing gestures onto the surface of the bar top.

'Students, huh...? Perhaps...he might even...' Jing Yuan wondered.

"You mean, be a sugar daddy ?" Jing Yuan asked with a raise of his eyebrow, and his friend laughed.

"Not necessarily." Blade said. "Give it a feel, take on a few blind dates. You have nothing to lose. If it doesn't work out, tell it straight, then proceed to leave."

"You know how happy I am with Dan Jia. Perhaps it's also time for you to find someone too, Jing Yuan."

So he followed the advice of his friend. Blade was right, he didn't have much to lose if he played his cards right and used his professionalism right.

He downloaded the dating app. And to make things look a little easier to filter the horny, money-hungry women who never left a shred of decency on their profiles, he put on the status of 'CEO. In need of a sugar baby, willing to spend time with me.'

He kept swiping left, left and left. The ones he swiped right on were also just as unsavory, so he kept searching. Until he saw this one account he felt drawn to.

And swiped right.

After a bit of talking, they decided to meet up at a student friendly cafe as to not pressure her. He was feeling quite peppy about it, a light blush of happiness on his cheeks as his feet tapped impatiently on the wooden floors of the cozy cafe.

He made sure to dress casually, a mere dark grey sweater and a pair of white slacks. His hair was still in it's usual messy style, but he tried to make himself look a little presentable, tying it up into a ponytail. It was still messy, but he tried.

He was meeting up with a young lady who was a student in need of help for her tuition loans and apartment bills she couldn't handle on her own. But though she reached out to him, she was often times hesitant to find a 'sugar daddy'.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He never felt this excited before. It had been long since they started talking and she was finally comfortable with meeting him after so many times of denying.

Then he saw her. The girl he was waiting for, shyly enter the cafe with reddened cheeks as she tucked back her (h/c) hair that fell over her face from lowering her gaze so much.

"M-Mr. Jing Yuan..." She greeted as she pulled the seat before him.

"Miss (Y/n). What a pleasure."

He had been searching for her all this while, and he finally found her.

#dragon's cradle #honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you #hsr x you #hsr #hsr jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x you #hsr jing yuan x you #hsr jing yuan #jing yuan #dollhouse mailbox

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bitterkarella · 8 days

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Midnight Pals: Bluebeard

Anna Biller: Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this the tale of bluebeard's castle Biller: it's about a woman trapped at a secluded castle under the thumb of a mysterious and dangerous nobleman with dark family secerts Biller: but with a feminist twist Biller: the twist is gender essentialism

Angela Carter: that's hardly feminist, anna Carter: now, when i retold bluebeard- Biller: oh you say that now angela Biller: but i got a secret weapon no woman can resist Biller: detailed lists of luxury fashion brands

Biller: did i mention this lady has a prada hat, a valentino dress, and dior boots? Biller: chanel, armani, versace Biller: those names won't mean anything to you men Biller: but to us ladies Biller: oh damn phewww is it hot in here or is it just me?

Biller: in fact, girls, i feel the sudden need... Biller: to go SHOPPING!!! Tabitha King: shopping!!!?! Sonia Greene: eeeee!! shopping!??!! Angela Carter: shopping!?!? Biller: we're all going to the mall!!!!

Patricia Highsmith: ugh pass Biller: what's the matter, patricia? no interest in a girls night out? Biller: i think Biller: someone needs a make-over!!!

Mary Shelley: sup fuckers Shelley: what's this, you tellin a gothic story? Biller: what? it's not gothic! Biller: it's simply a novel that makes use of class story telling techniques of brooding fear, isolation, and dark secrets Biller: and if you think that makes it gothic Biller: well i just don't know WHAT to tell you

Shelley: so it's not a gothic story? Biller: no it simply makes use of classic techniques Shelley: is this like how the love witch wasn't a pastiche Biller: IT'S NOT A FUCKIN PASTICHE Shelley: it's a pastiche Biller: SHUT UP!! Biller: whatever happened to sister solidarity!?

Biller: now my work asks, why do women stay with abusive men? Angela Carter: interesting Biller: could it be because it's kinda hot? Carter: Carter: uhhh

Angela Carter: but anna! what about feminism?! Biller: don't criticize me! Biller: i did it for YOU, all for you!! Biller: sure, your guilty feminist conscience may force you to dote on sensitive new age guys but you know deep down you secretly long for a hot-tempered he-man to slap you around, pull your hair, and rule you like a king!!!

Edward Lee: bro Lee: bro Lee: i'm gonna tame this filly Barker: yeah good luck with that Lee: naw naw it's cool Lee: i like em spicy

Lee: yeah babe i getcha, i hear the love witch was a pastiche Biller: IT'S NOT A PASTICHE Lee: yeah it's a pastiche Biller: IT'S NOT A FUCKIN PASTICHE!!! Lee: [to Barker] this is called negging, bro, works every time

Biller: UGH YOU MEN Biller: you're all the same!! Biller: arrogant! bull-headed! Biller: god why can't i quit you?!?

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #clive barker #mary shelley #patricia highsmith #anna biller #angela carter #sonia greene #tabitha king #edward lee

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cleolinda · 7 months

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A tale retold

I first told this story some twenty years ago, and it happened even earlier than that, so here's the Modern Retelling with Historical Context:

For many years, I had—well, you've heard of naturally curly hair? I had unnaturally curly hair. I had a stylist so brilliant that she was able to give me occasional perms that no one could tell were chemical. NO, FOR REAL, I constantly got compliments on my long, rippling hair. In reality, my hair is deplorably fine and flat, although I'm told I have a ton of it; putting in some wave made me feel better, you know? I just wanted to co-wash, air-dry, and go live my tousled life. But after my spinal surgery, I just couldn't spend 2-3 hours in a stylist's chair anymore. And so, after 20 years of my best Galadriel impression, I've had to make peace with my natural texture, the only thing about me (I realize now) that is actually straight.

But this story takes place back in 1996; I was a junior in high school, and I had the freshest of perms. Just absolutely exuberant. Downright Pre-Raphaelite. It had only been done the weekend before, and it usually took about two weeks for the curls to settle down and look less poodly natural, but I wasn't going to miss Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. When I was in grad school years later, my Shakespeare professor went to the mat for this movie, declaring it the best adaptation of any of his plays. And she wasn't a Leo fangirl, either. I tend to agree. And I got to see it on a big screen, opening night, with my best friend and my fresh luscious elbow-length '90s 'do. Banger soundtrack, the big bold visuals that tip over into Maybe Too Much in Moulin Rouge—I'm enthralled, I'm absorbed. Claire Danes is weeping over Dead Romeo, and we all know what’s about to happen in this, a 400-year-old play, but you still hope against hope that somehow it won’t this time. And then I feel something that's not emotion.

Something behind me. In my hair.

It's clammy. This tiny moist hand... creeping... up my neck.

Bear in mind, these are classic movie theater seats, not the big recliners you get now. My head is vulnerable to rear attack. And these tiny fingers, like a gummy little doll's hand, are crawling up my neck, under, through my hair. I am now sitting bolt upright, frozen. What the fuck is going on. It’s still creeping like a little spider up my scalp to the back of my head—put your hand up to yours, get your fingertips to the roots of your hair and really get a sense of what this feels like—

These fingers close, slowly, around the greediest handful of hair they can get hold of, and YANK.

I whip around while Juliet is sobbing—darkness.

To this day, I have no idea who (or what?) that tiny hand belonged to. I mean, you gotta think it was a small child enticed by the siren song of my curls, right? Some parents just didn’t spring for a babysitter on a big opening night, and there’s a Millennial out there with some real interesting core memories, I guess? I couldn't make out anything in the darkness behind me, and we were at kind of a key cinematic moment, so I didn't have time for more than a stern warning glare To Whom It Might Concern. And then I held onto my hair for the remainder of the movie. I chopped it all off within a few months, and went to college with short, straight hair, unable to forget the Cursèd Touch of the Hand. lol jk I just wanted a change and regretted it instantly.

So, happy 20th anniversary to the story I told on the Fametracker forums all those years ago. I can still remember exactly what that hand felt like: tiny. And moist.

#story time with cleo #me for some reason #long post #tiny moist hand #livejournal

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 7 months

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Regarding the great seven, did they win in Twisted Wonderland? Like, for example, did Jafar became sultan and the current royal family of the Scalding Sands are his descendants? Did Aladdin die because of him?

No, that's (largely) not the case! Twisted Wonderland is simply a world in which the characters we know of irl as villains that did heinous stuff are just viewed in Twisted Wonderland as historical figures who contributed greatly to society. It's no different than how we may study our own historical figures and their accomplishments in social studies/history class.

While we do hear stories about the Great Seven and their powers, we rarely hear stories which would imply they somehow "won" in the end as opposed to the heroes. For example, Jasmine and Aladdin are implied to still very much be in love, as Jamil tells the tale of a street rat that married a princess. (If Jafar had "won", wouldn't he have been the one to marry the princess?) However, there ALSO exists a tale concurrent to that one in which we're told the Sorcerer of the Sands revealed that someone had lied about their social standing to trick a princess. There are no indications that these two stories are one and the same, so in the world of TWST it seems they're two separate instances that both draw inspiration from Aladdin. There are also no indications (ever) of the Disney heroes dying because of the Great Seven. In fact, it seems like many of them still got their original happy endings. (ADDENDUM: as a commenter pointed out, it’s also possible that multiple tales or versions of the tale came from the same initial story, something which happens irl as well.) Similarly, we know that the mermaid princess married a human prince, thus alleviating tensions between merfolk and humans with their union. This would not have been possible if Ursula had "won", as that would mean that Ariel would have reverted back to being a mermaid (or that little squishy thing Ursula has a garden of) and would "belong" to the Sea Witch forever. Ariel wouldn't have been able to stay on land and marry Eric in that state. Furthermore, Ursula may have gone on to become Queen of the Seas if Triton still intervened to save his daughter... but then why is Triton still honored as King of the Seas in the Atlantica Memorial Museum in book 3?

There are a few instances I can think of which would imply the villain "won", the main one being that Scar ruled the Pridelands as a wise and benevolent king (which is not true of The Lion King movie). I don't consider this Scar "winning", but more like... a twisted or exaggerated retelling of the actual event. For the villain to "win", that would also imply the heroes are gone or in a position to not stop them, right? Yet there are zero mentions of Mufasa or Simba being out of the picture, or even of Scar banishing family members that opposed his rule.

This all points to there being an alternate telling of history in TWST; it seems that the "evil" deeds of the Great Seven were censored and/or retold in such a way to paint them in a beneficial light, since the deeds of the traditional heroes also exist and are also considered true in Twisted Wonderland's history. (For example, Scar letting the hyenas into the Pridelands is reframed as a good thing, since he promoted the integration of a previously marginalized group into the country; Ursula is actually believed to have "mended all her ways" rather than it being a lie to deceive others.) Lilia even specifically mentions that it's possible to "change" history just by telling it a certain way.

On a related note, it seems that this year's birthday series (Platinum Jacket) will delve more into TWST's history and how the NRC boys feel or think about various classic Disney characters. I'm really looking forward to seeing how those expand the lore~

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renthony · 11 months

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At the end of the day my favorite genre of fiction is campy fantasy cheese with a lot of heart. Give me more Willows, Princess Brides, Labyrinths, and things along that line. But make them infinitely gayer.

TBH I eventually want to make my own collection of retold faerie tales, using all my personal faves. But every time I get an idea for one, my brain slaps it aside by reminding me just how nasty people get toward retold faerie tales for no goddamn reason. IDK how much people outside the author world pay attention, but writer community spaces were outright hostile to faerie tale retellings for years, calling them "boring" and "lazy" and "done to death." People still act like jerks about them and act like they're not worth playing with.

I know we're all tired of Disney remaking animated classics just to extend copyright and rake in nostalgia bucks, but when I was in school, one of my English teachers had us do an entire project comparing and contrasting different versions of Cinderella. We had to read five different Cinderella stories to see what we could learn from looking at what the different authors chose to emphasize in their version. Then we had to write our own Cinderella, with the conscious thought of what topic we wanted to look at through the lens of "poor girl is abused by her family and sneaks out to a party."

Classic faerie tales are like a "draw this in your style" but for authors, and I LOVE THAT SHIT SO MUCH.

#original post

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martianbugsbunny · 6 months

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Maybe Disney needs to try taking on a fairytale they haven't done yet. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy more original stories like Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto that as far as I'm aware don't originate from any particular legend (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong tho). Those are fun. Exploring different magical concepts like dragons and the miracle is awesome.

But that being said, I think Disney needs to go back to its roots and do a fairytale. Something with a princess and a big bad that comes from an existing legend. That's (generally) where Disney excels. That's why people love Disney. Little Mermaid? Classic. Beauty and the Beast? Classic. Princess and the Frog? Classic. Cinderella? Classic. Snow White? Classic. Really, I just think Disney does what Disney does best when they're taking a story that already exists and turning it into a beautiful piece of animation with a gentle, kind soul at the center of it, maybe with a different little spin like setting the Frog Prince story in 1920s New Orleans or having Beauty's father be an inventor. Little touches like that to make the story uniquely Disney, but with a solid basis in a folk narrative that touches something deep and instinctual inside most people.

Give me a girl who's cursed. A girl who either falls prey to evil or makes a deal with it, and whose sweetheart fights for her like Aurora or who does the brave thing and sacrifices to fix it like Ariel.

Give me a girl who's trapped. A girl whose family keeps her down or who just hasn't found where she fits yet, who stays kind despite her troubles like Cinderella or who finds her own alternative way out like Belle.

Heck, even a weird-ass thing like Shakespeare But Lions would be welcome. That's such a Disney thing to do, taking a story like Hamlet and filling it with whimsy and giving it a happy ending. Plus, Simba is one of the strongest protagonists and learns one of the best lessons in all of Disney fight me.

(I'm not going to count Frozen in the folk story group because the departure from the original was so wild I don't think it deserves to count. I love Elsa with my entire soul but I would also die to see Disney do a proper version of the Snow Queen fairytale.)

Look, my point is that I'd like to see something that really makes Disney dig a little deeper and recapture the spark of its classics. Because as much as I enjoy stuff like Tangled and Frozen and Moana (I've watched all of them loads of times and I cry about them consistently) they don't come to mind as Disney classics for me. Maybe that's just me. Maybe it simply hasn't been enough time. Maybe it's the difference in the animation. Speaking of that, however, I would actually love to see a Disney movie done in a 2D style again; I don't think 3D has any inherent superiority and I'd love to see what Disney could do with a 2D movie now. And there are so many folk stories in the world, surely there must be one that Disney can bring to life the way it used to. They haven't retold every story that's been told already.

Am I being a little picky? Probably. But I'd love to see something that reminds me of the Disney classics where a gentle person with a courageous core has their life touched by magic, faces an obstacle, and has a happy ending. Something that's not a variation on "X needs to be saved" but a specific character longing for a specific thing and either doing what they think is necessary to get it (like Tiana and Ariel) or giving it up for the sake of someone else, but getting a happy ending nonetheless (like Belle and Simba). Also a clear-cut badguy who gets to be absolutely cunty and evil about it with no peculiar twist.

I'd like to see something Classic Disney again.

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