If You Believe That There Is Absolutely Nothing Shameful Or Wrong About Being Gay-

Yess! These all sound dead brill would love to read or write this.

18th Century Manners

I love Regency Romance, don’t get me wrong, it’s one of my all-time favourite genres, but I really feel like there are not enough people who appreciate the non-romance shenanigans that the rigid code of politeness in force in Approximate-Regency-Period England allows. Where are the stories about:

1. Someone accidentally wanders into the wrong social group without realizing it, Certain Things are never openly discussed, ergo two discreetly gay dudes have been effectively members of a smuggling operation for like 4 years without anyone noticing the misunderstanding. A Discreet Communication Carried For A Friend is a  Discreet Communication Carried For A Friend, after all. 

2. Elderly matriarch of large and successful family is discovered on her death to be the widow of the wrong Sir Henry, at no point did anyone notice because It’s Rude To Pry, entire family has been slavishly obeying the whims of a completely unrelated stranger for 30 years purely because she turned up and announced that she was Eccentric Uncle Henry’s widow. 

3. Trans dude makes his first foray out in male attire, meets a bunch of Lively Young Gentlemen while out drinking, they’re friends now, his entire made-up-on-the-spot backstory is accepted without question, nobody questions him for the next 50 years because he’s Lord So-and-so’s Dear Chum and therefore is just presumed to have been vetted at some point. Once or twice a Fellow Chum finds out, is mildly shocked, and then Never Speaks Of It Again Because One Does Not. 

4. Being a werewolf is HELL when it takes 2-3 hours to get dressed to socially acceptable standards and all the best parties are on full moon nights so people can see to drive home. 

5. Angry ex shows up to be poisonously sweet at a party, it is Literally Unthinkable to be so rude as to tell them to leave. 

6. All your friends are 100% down to help each other cover up a scandal. So far your friends-group has concealed 1 lesbian affair, 2 het affairs, smuggling, extortion, and 2 murders. 

7. Being an obnoxious old lady is super fun when everyone else is too polite to Sass You Back. You eventually find a stroppy young woman who drops even sicker burns than you do and adopt her as your heir. 

Some warm poetry, for cold evenings:

Molly Fisk, “Winter Sun” (We can make do with so little / just the hint of warmth, the slanted light.)

Pat Schneider, “The Patience of Ordinary Things” (It is a kind of love, is it not? / how the cup holds the tea.)

Barbara Ras, “Bite Every Sorrow” (You can speak a foreign language, sometimes / and it can mean something.)

Jack Gilbert, “Failing and Flying” (Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.)

Lisel Mueller, “Things” (Even what was beyond us / was recast in our image; / we gave the country a heart, / the storm an eye)

Rabindranath Tagore, “On the Seashore” (The sea plays with children, and pale gleams the smile of the sea-beach / On the seashore of endless worlds children meet)

John O’Donohue, “Matins” (May I live this day / Compassionate of heart / Gentle in word / Courageous in thought)

Wallace Stevens, “The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm” (The summer night is like a perfection of thought. / The house was quiet because it had to be)

Brian Patten, “Inessential Things” (Cats remember what is essential of days)

Emily Dickinson, “Simplicity” (How happy is the little stone / that rambles in the road, alone)

Yi Lu, “Valley’s Green” (flowers like tiny saucers — little bowls — little cups / filled to the brim with their own colors)

Jacques Prévert, “How to Paint a Bird’s Portrait” (When the bird comes / if it comes / observe the most profound silence)

Archibald MacLeish, “Eleven” (Happy as though he had no name, as though
 / He had been no one: like a leaf, a stem,
 / Like a root growing…)

Denise Levertov, “A Woman Alone” (Then / self-pity dries up, a joy / untainted by guilt lifts her. / She has fears, but not about loneliness)

Richard Brautigan, “Your Catfish Friend” (I’d love you and be your catfish / friend and drive such lonely / thoughts from your mind)

Linda Gregg, “The Letter” (I’m not feeling strong yet, but I am taking
 / good care of myself)

Andrew Lang, “Ballade of True Wisdom” (And I’d leave all the hurry, the noise, and the fray, / For a house full of books, and a garden of flowers)

Ada Limón, “The Raincoat” (my whole life I’ve been under her / raincoat thinking it was somehow a marvel / that I never got wet.)

Jorge Luis Borges, “The Just” (These people, unaware, are saving the world)

Wendell Berry, “The Peace of Wild Things” (I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.)

Keep the flame going for those we have lost to suicide. 

Aww, this is lovely! You’ve got me shipping these guys so hard.

20 for Li Ming x Ao Shun because I've been thinking about that ship a lot today

Same. Its a very good ship

Assassination attempts against the dragon kings were not unheard of or unexpected when they did catch wind of the plans to do so. And Ao Shun had more than a few experiences of being tackled to the ground when someone took a shot at him.

And Li Ming had more than a few experiences of taking down would be assassins and protecting His King.

Ao Shun ordered the room empty and Li Ming went to leave as well but Ao Shun snagged the cuff of his sleeve and held him in place. When the last of the courtiers had left he pulled Li Ming to his chest and cupped his jaw with almost too warm fingers that pressed into his cheeks almost too roughly, and kissed him hard enough to snatch the air from Li Ming's lungs and make him grasp the front of Ao Shun's robes in a tight grip, holding him as tightly as he was held in turn.

"You're hurt." Li Ming said, resting his forehead against Ao Shun's, before reaching up to smear blood off his cheek, a bullet graze from the shot that slammed into the throat with a terrible clanging sound of lead on ebony. "I wasn't fast enough, and you were hurt." The temperature in the room was dropping fast and frost began to creep along the marble flooring, rendering it essentially an ice rink.

"You saved me." Ao Shun replied before kissing him again. "He could have killed you."

"He wanted to kill you."

"People are going to have to try a lot harder than that to kill me." Ao Shun replied.

"He. Hurt. You." Li Ming pulled him back in and kissed him, just as roughly as the first. "He's lucky that the guards got to him before I could rip his throat out with my claws."

"Oh, Mon Étoile, you'll get the chance." Ao Shun said, before reluctantly stepping away. He took a deep breath before Li Ming closed the gap again and kissed his cheek. "Did you just... Kiss me better?" He smiled.

"No, this is kissing you better." Li Ming said, before pressing his lips to Ao Shun and threading his fingers into the loose strands of ebony hair that had been tied back before things had gone sideward in a rough tackle to save his life. "Learn to duck faster."

"Learn to not throw yourself in harms way."

"Never." There was a private doorway from the throne room right up to the private quarters and Ao Shun pulled him toward that door, tucked away in a dark recess. "I want to speak with the prisoner, if he had co-conspirators..."

"That can wait, we'll be safe in my suite. And... Alone."

Yeah, Irene is a quality woman. Docs are fabulous, and that is gonna hurt Silver so bad!

I keep having this thought of them all in a modern world pop into my head, only Silver calls Irene sugar tits and she just kicks him in the crotch

What’s your group chat called

To people who are desperately asking for fundz/donations on tumblr.

USE THESE REDDIT SUBS INSTEAD PLEASE FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!!!!!!!!

Hate Reddit if you want, but using these subs are your best chance. People gather in these subs because they have charity to spare:

/r/Assistance /r/legaladvice /r/RandomKindness /r/Charity /r/care /r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza /r/Food_Pantry https://www.reddit.com/r/RandomActsOfPetFood/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RandomActsOfChristmas/ https://www.reddit.com/r/almosthomeless/ https://www.reddit.com/r/homeless

/r/freelance  /r/povertyfinance /r/thrifty /r/borrow /r/gofundme

/r/depression /r/familysupport /r/transitions 

I never see anyone actually getting any significant donations on tumblr and to be honest, tumblr is the worst place to ask for assistance. Use it as your last resort, it frustrates me to no end seeing people begging for help, reblogging the same post over and over, the same types of posts over and over, to no avail, when people are waiting to help you on a different part of the web  GO TO WHERE THE HELP IS. IF YOU WANT DIRECT ACTION TO WORK STOP WITH TUMBLR AND USE REDDIT.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF SATAN REBLOG THIS SO WE CAN START REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF DONATION POSTS THAT GET STUCK FLOATING AROUND THIS WEBSITE

This is fabulous, looking gorgeous! Arthur is very much a fan, apart from the fact he funnily enough just happens to lose his train of thought rather often in council meetings now. I wonder why? Your art is amazing, seriously talented?

AU where we ignore the ending and Merlin gets to do magic freely and gets to be bad ass Royal Sorcerer of Camelot

Super adorable! I just love them as a couple they’re perfect for each other. This was really cool. Thanks.

Hey, can you do Irene and Kai for the ship ask thing? Thanks

Irene wakes up first but it's because she's a restless sleeper and she goes back to sleep pretty soon after. Kai still there and breathing? Good. Back to bed.

Irene but she usually don't mean to, it just happens.

Irene teases Kai for being a snob, Kai teases Irene for her taste in literature (he approves, it just makes her flush whe he mentions Sherlock Holmes around her and Vale)

Kai makes Irene tea, gives her a snack, kisses her forehead and leaves her alone to read. Maybe also wraps a blanket around her. Irene makes Kai comfort food, probably goes down tto China Town so that she can get proper ingredients and they cook it together, but she surprises him with all the stuff to do it and probably preps all of the ingredients, he's a better cook than she is so she let's him take over after that.

I don't think either of them are the kind to say sorry, or really the kind to have petty arguments. Either they are arguing for a good reason, and it's more of a debate with a clear winner and loser, and the loser gradually concedes defeat and admits that they were wrong or its just 'I told you to replace the milk when you finish it.'

'Yeah well I told you not to run the hot tap whilst I was in the shower!' not real arguments just good hearted bickering.

Kai 100% but he will deny it until he's blue (haha) in the face

Splashing through the puddles, kissing underneath an umbrella or awning, and snuggling up to watch the rain out of the windows with big mugs of tea and a plate of cookies

Dumb question. Books. Books. And more books. Kai buys Irene cooking books when he wants to poke fun at her style of pasta or cheese on toast, Irene has bought Kai picture books on more than one occasion because it has a dragon in it

I don't think either of them are big on PDA, so it's just hand holding, kisses on the cheek or forehead. I think I'd have to say Irene napping with her head on Kai's thigh after they have had a picnic by the serpentine on a rare sunny day in Vale's London. That or them linking pinkie fingers whilst working next to or opposite each other.

^^

Ooh, tension! Ao guang ships it. Thanks for writing this, it was very fun.

Hiya, can I get may I have this dance for whoever you fancy writing it for, please?

"May I have this dance?" Ao Guang asked Irene, offering her a gloved hand, black silk she decided as she carefully lay her hand atop of his, conscious of Kai watching her. She could feel the power through the gloves, there was no shielding the strength of a dragon, even in human skin.

"I'd love to, though I confess to not being much of a dancer." She said letting him lead her toward the other swirling dancers. "I will try my hardest not to tread on your toes." He had similar laugh to Kai's, very soft and low, like the gentle rumble of a vintage car.

"Well, I hope that I do not tread on yours, I usually watch these things, but I wanted the opportunity to talk to you without arranging a formal meeting. Those things are so much effort and take up so much time."

"Oh, I am beginning to realise that too." Fear gripped her despite the forced lightness in her voice. "I... What is it that you wished to discuss? If it's something serious, than maybe a meeting is necessary."

"No, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"A good many things I believe. Shall we start with Venice?" He swept her in a turn and straight onto the dance floor. He caught her with the poise and grace of a professional dancer and she wished that she could claim to have the same set of skill. She'd attended plenty of dance classes in her youth, but she'd never enjoyed being on show in such a manner.

"You really don't need to thank me for that." She said, following his lead in the steps of the waltz, trying not to count the music beats aloud, rather than just in the back of her head to keep in time.

"You saved my son from a fate that many consider to be worth than death, as my brother tells me, at great risk to your own safety, and at the risk of your position in the Library."

"Kai is, was, my responsibility." She said. "It was through my own action that his kidnapping was able to take place. I do not deserve gratitude."

"I will have to disagree. From all accounts, you risked your life for my son, for that, I will be eternally grateful and in your debt. For your assistance in Paris, and your discretion, I also thank you, we would have been unable to get a treaty without your presence." She blushed a little bit. "Truly Irene. Or, do you prefer miss Winters?"

"Irene is just fine." She said, smiling. She caught a glimpse of Kai. "Your son is important to me, I was always going to go after him, I do regret asking him to meet me in Paris somewhat, he was kidnapped and injured due to the... Events, but I would not have succeeded without him."

"He said you were humble." Ao Guang's eyes flashed happily, sparking like stars in midnight skies. "He also speaks very highly of you, he has a great deal of faith and trust in you, I am glad that he's finally got someone as loyal as he is. You're a good match." Was there more implied there? They certainly were a good match, but Irene had no desire to made it a publicly known relationship. What had Kai said to his father?

The music swelled before slowly ebbing away. Ao Guang kissed the back of Irene's hand before she dipped into a curtsey and he bowed.

"I believe that my son wishes to be your next partner." He said as Kai made his way over to them. "Thank you for the dance, Irene, and thank you for all that you have done for my family, I am indebted to you."

"I hope I am not interrupting?" Kai said.

"Not at all." Ao Guang said. "Thank you for the dance, Irene, I hope that you enjoy the rest of your time here."

"Thank you, your majesty." Irene smiled as Kai offered her his hand. They waited for Ao Guang to walk away before turning back to the dancers.

"So, are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am, yes. Though I have to say," His hand was warm on her back. "Your father is a better dancer than you are."