slysidekick

[slysidekick]

The weight of not saying it

Author note: I wrote this right after episode 7x06.

I wasn’t sure whether to share it or just let it stay buried on my hard drive.

It might be one of my last posts for now.

I hope it meant something to you—even just a little. ☺️😢

For @slysidekick 😇

They don’t talk about it. Not really. But it’s there. Always has been. Like a cut that didn’t close right.

She feels it when he’s too close. When he looks away too fast. When he doesn’t.

One night. That’s all it took. One.

They said it wouldn’t matter. That they’d be fine. That they could walk away clean.

But now— it sits between them. Breathes when they don’t.

They don’t touch it. Can’t. Won’t. Because if they do, it unravels. Everything.

Tonight though—he’s different. Eyes slower. Like he’s tired of lying with them. And she knows that look.

She remembers how it felt. How the room tilted, not all at once, but slowly—like something slipping. He kissed her like it had already happened, like they’d just stopped pretending. Her hands were frozen. She didn’t even notice.

And maybe she shouldn’t. But hell, she wants to ask.

Do you regret it?

She doesn’t say it. Doesn’t need to.

He blinks. Once. Then again. Like it’s not even a question.

Then—he shifts. One step. Maybe two. No noise. Just heat.

His voice breaks the air.

“Never.”

And that’s it.

It lands between them like something final. Something old. Something that never really left.

She doesn’t breathe for a second. Maybe two.

Then she knows.

She doesn’t either. God, she couldn’t even if she tried.

[slysidekick]

You ask me why I did what I did? Ask, rather, why the serpent Nidhogg eats the roots of Yggdrasil — why, when the tree’s death means, in turn, the dragon’s ruin? Because, Thor, I keep telling you — that is what it was born to do — that is what I was born to do

[slysidekick]

Congratulations to Brooke from Let's Not Date for winning Father's Day.

[slysidekick]

canon chenford project ❀ ↳ tim-lucy's top 15 scenes (ranked) #11. S02E13 "FOLLOW-UP DAY"

[slysidekick]

posting a chenford gif a day until the rookie comes back (day 30)

[slysidekick]

[slysidekick]

When a Character Is Grieving Someone They Never Got to Say Goodbye To

✧ They talk about the person in past tense… then correct themselves. Then stop talking entirely.

✧ They touch things that belonged to the person like they’re fragile, sacred, about to disappear.

✧ They hoard the last voicemail, last message, last anything. Play it. Don’t play it. Just knowing it exists hurts enough.

✧ They leave something untouched, an empty seat, a half-packed bag, a coffee order that isn’t theirs.

✧ They get irrationally angry when someone else seems to be “moving on.” As if forgetting is betrayal.

✧ They don’t let themselves cry all at once. It comes in pieces. Like they’re afraid too much grief will drown them.

✧ They over-apologize. For being quiet. For being distant. For not being okay.

✧ They become hyper-aware of time, dates, anniversaries, time zones, the exact moment everything ended.

✧ They get superstitious. Ritualistic. As if doing things "right" might reverse something.

✧ They smile when they talk about the person. But it’s brittle. And it never quite touches their eyes.

[slysidekick]

When writing a character struggling with shame

Shame isn’t guilt. Guilt says I did something bad. Shame says I am something bad. It’s corrosive. It rewrites self-worth. And most of the time, it whispers, not screams.

✧ Start with silence. Characters carrying shame don’t confess it on page one. They avoid. They deflect. They joke. They become perfect. Shame thrives in secrets. Let it fester before it speaks.

✧ Show the disconnect. They don’t feel lovable, even when they are. Compliments bounce off them. Praise feels like a setup. They think kindness is a trick. Show them flinching at affection.

✧ Give it a backstory. Shame doesn’t appear from nowhere. Maybe they were told they were too much. Not enough. A mistake. Shame is always planted by someone else, then internalized. Find that origin moment and make it hurt.

✧ Let them sabotage good things. They get a healthy relationship? They run. They succeed? They downplay it. They get seen? They shut down. Shame convinces people they don’t deserve good things and they’ll act accordingly.

✧ Body language matters. Hunched shoulders. Arms crossed. Averted eyes. Shrinking into themselves. Shame has a physical posture. Write it.

✧ Watch their inner voice. Shame doesn’t sound like “I’m the worst.” It sounds like “Why would they care about me?”or “Of course I messed it up.” It’s casual. Constant. Cruel.

✧ Make healing slow and clumsy. Shame doesn’t vanish after one pep talk. It takes safe spaces. Relearning. A lot of awkward baby steps. Let your character accept one small good thing and then panic about it later.

✧ Let them rewrite their own story. Eventually, they’ll have to look at who they were and say, “Even then, I was trying. Even then, I deserved love.” Let them get there. Let it be earned. Let it feel impossible and then let it happen anyway.

[slysidekick]

This is so wholesome

[slysidekick]

When you can’t lie to your partner.

[slysidekick]

Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen in In The Line of Fire [4x03]

[slysidekick]

CHENFORD SCENES Season 3 Episode 3 “La Fiera” #he bet on her and won 😌

[slysidekick]

posting a chenford gif a day until the rookie comes back (day 22)

[slysidekick]

me when we start eating billionaires and i have to kill gomez addams

[slysidekick]

"Wasn't grumpy last night." "No... you definitely were not."

Those smug fkers. 🤣🤣🤣

Episode: 7.06

[slysidekick]

Introducing Chenford Week 2025, a special 10-day fandom event celebrating our favorite ship and characters! This year's much anticipated event will begin on Friday, July 11th and run through Sunday, July 20th.

By using the tag #chenfordweek25 the fandom would love to see it all! From fanfics and gifsets to fan videos and edits, there is always something for everyone to enjoy!

Underneath the read more line below, you will find 3 to 4 daily prompts ranging from soft to spicy and everything that could possibly lie in-between.

New to the event? Unsure about the rules? Or forgotten how it works? Don't sweat it because the rules are simple!

1.) Pick 1 or more of the daily prompts and create something out of it!

2.) Combining daily prompts is encouraged! But please do not jump around and combine prompts for multiple days. (ex: combining a prompt from Day 1 on Day 1 with a prompt from Day 9).

3.) Fic writer? Don't forget to add your work to the AO3 collection, Chenford Week 2025, which will open on the first day!

4.) Works created or generated with AI will not be supported. This includes, but is not limited to, fanfics and art.

5.) Don't forget to tag your creations with #chenfordweek25! A masterpost will be created after the event is over :)

Have questions? Don't hesitate to send me an ask!

And now, without further ado, Chenford Week 2025.

Friday July 11th - weather, fight/argument, the next step

Saturday July 12th - and a little bit of spice, confessions, fave season 7 moment

Sunday July 13th - road trip, fix it, undercover, 7-A-19 or 7-A-100

Monday July 14th -story from the headlines, 1 year in the future, fave season 7 line

Tuesday July 15th - chenford colors [blue/yellow], trope wheel, date night, season 5 or season 7

Wednesday July 16th - AU's, found family, celebrations/holidays, undercover or uniform

Thursday July 17th - lyrics/quotes/poems, away from Mid-Wilshire, hurt

Friday July 18th - call gone wrong, crossover, fave kiss, tim's house or lucy's apartment

Saturday July 19th - love languages, domesticity, the shop

Sunday July 20th - free choice, pillowtalk, fave season 7 parallel

[slysidekick]