#{ but Greg was intensely helpful }

[iwritefandomimagines]

SET-UP — GREG HOUSE

masterlist

pairing: greg house x f!reader

description: wilson knew house had the hots for you, because every time you visited to have lunch with your best friend he seemed to make an appearance. so, after growing increasingly fed up of just watching his two best friends pine, he decides to do something about it.

warnings: swearing, maybe a tiny bit ooc for house at some points but i got a bit of writers block at one point and couldn’t get the flow so i hope it’s ok! other than that, not much else!

author’s note: i kinda wanna write some wilson imagines after this too hehe so if you have wilson requests please let me know ! i hope you enjoy <3

“Y/N’s coming for lunch today,” Wilson hummed, pulling his lips into a thin line to prevent the smirk threatening to grace them, “Around 1:15, I believe.”

House’s head snapped up from the pile of papers in his hands, but he tried to make it look like he was just astounded by something he’d read and not pleased he may get a chance to see you today.

“And you’re telling me about your lunch date, why?”

Wilson scoffed, “Because for someone who likes to joke that I was having an affair with her, you also seem very fond of flirting with her every chance you get.”

House rolled his eyes, waving his hand in the air dismissively, “Jealous, much? If anything it’s your mistress that’s taken a liking to me, I’d say.”

He wasn’t wrong — your lunchtime visits got more and more frequent once House had started imposing himself on your lunches.

Wilson was your best friend, and since you’d only just moved back to the area after a hell of a break-up and you worked nearby, you’d made a habit of coming to grab lunch with him.

You were both so perpetually busy of late that you rarely saw each other in your free time, so your lunch meet-ups were the perfect way to stay caught up… And to ogle at his other best friend as he brooded away in the corner.

“Sure, that’s why you’re always conveniently free at lunch when she’s visiting,” Wilson replied, shaking his head at him.

House pressed his hand to his chest and feigned a gasp, “Wow, so serendipitous. Maybe we are meant to be! I’d better go and buy a ring!”

It was Wilson’s turn to roll his eyes now, knowing that House wasn’t going to budge.

And that was when his plan was concocted.

Two hours later, at just around 1:20, House ambled past the cafeteria pretending not to be scanning the room for his best friend and you.

When he turned to leave, not spotting either of you and assuming plans had change, he collided with you and your hands flew to his chest as you steadied yourself in panic.

“Oh Greg! I’m so sorry,” you flushed crimson as he chuckled, leaning on his cane but placing one hand on your waist to help steady you too, “I was about to leave because James wasn’t here still and I assumed he was still busy with a patient.”

You were well aware of how his hand lingered on your waist still, and yours was still flush against his chest as you watched each other carefully.

“Strange. He seemed very excited about lunch today and he’s never la— ah, I see what’s going on here.” House deadpanned, finally moving his hand from its spot against you.

You mirrored him, moving your own hand back to your side as it clicked in your mind too just what was going on here.

“That little shit,” you laughed, “I should’ve known.”

You took a small step back, acutely aware of how close you were and how intensely he seemed to be watching your movements.

“You don’t, uh, have to have lunch with me,” you gazed at the floor for a moment, “I’ll grab something on my way home. I’ll just text him and let him know I’m heading off.”

“No,” House stayed still, barely a hint of a smile on his face until he seemed to consciously realise that and force one, “I’m starving. Might as well. You’re a much less insufferable eating companion than Wilson usually is anyway.”

You shook your head with a laugh, “Much less insufferable. Wow, House, anyone might think you’re actually in love with me. You’re just too kind.”

His lips broke into a small smile now too, pleased that your reaction had been in jest too.

He liked that you never took his jokes the wrong way, and maybe he should admit that Wilson was right to think he had feelings for you.

But admitting them made things much more complicated, and so he was more than happy to just continue flirting with you.

On the other hand, you were more than aware of House’s past thanks to Wilson, and though you’d suspected he may reciprocate your feelings for months now, you also were unsure of whether to bring it up.

You joined the cafeteria queue in a comfortable silence, sinking into your seats opposite each other minutes later and spending a moment just watching each other carefully.

As a small smile graced his lips, you couldn’t help but begin to feel brave.

“I like it when you have lunch with us,” you grinned, taking a bite of your food to punctuate the point you were making, “James thinks I enjoy it too much. It’s no surprise he’s done this, really. Sneaky asshole.”

House stared inquisitively at you, thinking over what he wanted to say in response, “I like having lunch with you too. Much more without Wilson here, surprisingly.”

You smiled softly across at him now, an unspoken undercurrent to his words that sat firmly in your chest and made you feel warm.

“I’m glad. I think it’d be nice if— if,” okay, the bravery was waning now as he continued to watch you carefully, a twinkle in his eye, “If we got food together, like, out of here sometime.”

His eyebrows raised for a split second as though he’d not expected that from you, but he leaned forward to rest his chin on his open palm as his elbow found the tabletop, “You do, hm?”

You nodded once, only quickly, as if afraid to confirm what you’d said any more for fear of embarrassment if he declined.

“Are you asking me on a date, Y/N?” he teased, and now you just blushed crimson again and looked down at the table with a small whine, “Greg!”

He shook his head, laughing at his own teasing and taking a bite out of his sandwich as if to deliberately keep you on edge waiting.

“I think a date with you sounds good,” he shrugged, as though entirely nonchalant about it, “If nothing else it’ll get Wilson off our backs, hey?”

You heaved out a sigh, no longer feeling the warm fuzziness you had been and instead just growing irritated.

You usually liked his dry sense of humour, and his tendency to play down every emotion or make light of every situation — but now you just felt mortified.

He seemed to realise this, shaking his head again and leaning forward even more, “Sorry— no, I’d actually like to go for dinner with you, Y/N. Because I want to, and have for a while. Not because our moron of a mutual friend has been trying to set us up for an infuriatingly long time.”

You felt your stomach flip at these words, hope reigniting a fire in the pit of your stomach as he continued eating his food.

“You’re not fucking with me?”

“Not before our first date!” he joked, feigning shock before chuckling at himself and then relaxing his face, “No, I’m not fucking with you. I’d like to take you on a date. This week, maybe.”

You took out your phone, opening up your contacts and pressing “Add a contact” with a blissful grin on your face, “Put your number in, then. And I’ll call you.”

“This isn’t one of those ‘“I’ll call you’’ and then you never come back for lunch and don’t call me’ moments is it?” you knew he was joking, but there was a small part of him that was genuinely unsure you were serious about this as he took your phone and entered his number.

“Why, happen often? Do women not swarm to you?” you giggled, taking back your phone and letting your hand linger on his for just a moment too long.

He cocked his head, “Don’t you know tortured souls with legs that barely work are like, so last season?”

You chuckled at that, “Well, I’m a last season kind of girl. And I’ve got to get back to work, but I will call you.”

“I’ll be waiting by the phone,” he joked, before softening his expression and rubbing a thumb over the back of your hand where it rested on the table in front of him, “I’ll see you soon, Y/N. Have a good day.”

You sent him a wide smile in return, standing up and discarding your rubbish in the bin on your way out as you waved a final goodbye.

As you reached the edge of the cafeteria, you finally saw Wilson’s tall frame approaching and shot him a knowing grin, shaking your head slowly at him as a smirk graced his lips.

“Oh, Y/N! I thought I’d missed you. Have you seen House?”

“Nope, no sign of him,” you sing-songed jokingly, almost failing at your charade until you watched his face drop under the belief that his plan had failed, “I’m joking, moron. We’re going on a date. Thanks, Cupid.”

The smirk returned to his face then, his eyes lighting up at the victory, “Ha! I knew it.”

You pulled him into a hug abruptly — because though his scheming was annoying, you were immeasurably grateful for his push because you’d never have had the courage to ask Greg fucking House on a date without it.

“Thanks, man,” you hummed, pulling away and ruffling his hair, “I just asked Greg House on a date because of you… What the actual fuck.”

“You asked him— no, actually I’m not surprised,” he shrugged, “I’m glad though. It was getting annoying watching you both silently pine, so I had to do something. I’m happy you’re finally doing something about it now.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, but I love you,” you gently shoved his shoulder, resting your hand on it for a moment before noticing your watch on your wrist and realising you needed to rush off, “Shit, I’d better go. I’ll text you later. Have a good day!”

“You too, Y/N,” he waved you off with a smile, blissfully relieved that his plan had worked and his too best friends were finally beginning to admit their feelings for each other, “Now to go and grill House!”

———

thanks so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed — sorry it’s been a while since i’ve posted as well. if you’d like to send in any requests, please feel free! and in the meantime, here is my masterlist!

[kittenlittle24]

Cleopatra

As always, gif not mine, likes and comments are appreciated!

You were a few years younger than Gregory House when you met. Before he suffered an infarction in his right leg, before he met Stacy.

You met Gregory House when he was a resident and you were in your last year of high school. You came to visit a friend that was hospitalized. He was sharp and quick, he saw things others missed or ignored and knew how to connect the dots.

He was the reason you went to study medicine, though unlike him you became a surgeon. Despite his reputation, for you, he had a soft spot and helped you with your studies, and was never too mean to you. Of course, he pushed you to your limits so you’d be the best but he never did anything to hurt you.

When he had his infection and diagnosed himself you visited him in the hospital and he told you he chose the painful path to keep his leg. He chose to undergo a procedure to bypass circulation around the dead muscle. The result was intense pain during the healing process.

That was also where you met his girlfriend. In one of the times visiting him, she was sitting with him, one hand holding his, the other stroking his face. You felt your stomach clench at the sight but pushed through when his eyes met yours. You planted a fake smile on your lips and entered the room, you knew he was in too much pain to see through you.

A few days later your phone rang, and his name popped on screen, though it wasn’t his rough voice that greeted you. It was instead Stacy’s. Asking for your opinion about Cuddy’s middle-ground offer, it didn’t matter how much you objected because, in the end, you understood that she had her mind made up as soon as he asked to be placed in a chemically induced coma.

After that phone call, you rushed to the hospital, hoping you would get there before he’s taken to surgery.

You reached the hallway just as he was pulled out of the room, Stacy exited behind him, “Stop! Please!”

Grabbing Stacy’s attention, she shook her head at the nurses taking him before she marched straight up to you and told you to stay away and put you on the not allowed to visit list.

You desperately wanted to be there for him but Stacy didn’t like having a young groupie around her boyfriend and made sure that you knew that. You didn’t come back after that. You were petrified that he would blame you for not stopping Stacy.

You got an offer for a fellowship at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and decided to take it because you heard he works there now. You felt that you had unfinished business between the two of you. You weren’t sure whether what drove you back was guilt or the feelings you pushed down since the day you met him.

You’d like to think you’ve changed in the last few years. Superficially, you changed your hair and the way you dressed. But you also grew, you weren’t some meek resident or a high schooler blinded by her adoration for him, you were a stronger and more resilient person now.

Or so you’d like to think.

About a month into your fellowship a young female doctor with long brown hair, walked up to you introduced herself as Dr Cameron, and asked if you could get your boss to help with her case. Learning she’s on a fellowship as well you quickly became friends and it wasn’t long before she exposed that she’s a fellow under one Dr Greg House. You exchanged details and promised to hang out before going your separate ways. You occasionally saw him in the cafeteria or the clinic; if he recognized you he never admitted it. You felt that same stomach clench when you saw him eating lunch with Wilson and Stacy walked up to them to talk.

Much later that day, or rather night, you walked to the glass block office, staring at the clear door on which in white capital letters GREGORY HOUSE, MD. Was written.

You turned sharply at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind you. There he stood, a black blazer on a light blue shirt and a cane in his right hand.

Seeing him this close you noticed the grey hairs and the crowfeet and realized a lot must have happened in the last five years since you saw each other.

“I was curious how long it would take you to come to see me.” He stated.

Lowering your head, you didn’t know if to be happy or anxious that he recognized you. Moving past you, he opened the door and walked into his office.

“Are you coming in or not?” He asked holding the door for you.

You didn’t need to be asked twice, rushing inside you watched him limp to his desk before taking a seat and raising his leg to rest on his desk.

Taking a pill bottle out of his inner pocket, he rattled it before opening it and popping a pill into his mouth.

“Are you still involved with Stacy?”

Placing the Vicodin bottle on his glass desk and picking up his red ball instead, “Nope.” He replied as he tossed and caught it, playing catch with himself.

Feeling a slight relief at his answer, you glanced at the chair on the opposite end, you considered sitting but you were still too anxious and hyped about what was about the nearing discussion and chose to stare outside the window behind him.

“You asked a question, now, my turn.” He stated as he continued to play with his ball, never looking at you, “Why disappear and suddenly reappear?”

“Those are two questions.” You whispered still staring at the dark skyline.

Putting the ball down, he pulled his legs down, grabbed his cane, and came to stand in your face, “Let me rephrase, where were you when they agreed to surgically remove my muscle?”

You closed your eyes for a second and took a deep breath, “She asked to stay away. Stacy called to consult about the surgery, I knew that she had her mind set and that she wouldn’t listen to anything I was going to say.”

He took a small step forward, which made you retreat, “You didn’t stop them.” He excused.

Feeling a tear slide down your cheek, you harshly wiped it as if he didn’t see it.

“I tried House! I had no power, she was your appointed medical proxy and she told me to stay away.”

As if the fight left him, House went silent. Walking past you he left his office and headed straight to the elevator.

You let out a shaky breath as you heavily sat down and covered your face with your palms. You knew you weren’t done yet.

He barged into Stacy’s office, the door slamming against the wall from the force he used on it.

“You sent Y/n away?”

Dropping the papers she was reading she leaned back in her chair, “I’m surprised she didn’t run to tell until now.”

Standing up she moved to lean against her desk, “She was in love with you, probably still is. I had to fight for our relationship every day after your surgery enough, I didn’t need her there to watch me fail and wait to take my spot.”

“You were so insecure about our relationship that you sent her away from me.” He concluded.

He shook his head and left her office to go back to his. He paused at the doorway when she called his name but didn’t turn to face her.

“She worships you, don’t ruin it.”

He nodded once and walked away.

Once he reached his office door he hesitated, his hand hovering over the handle. He stared at the back of your head, seemingly you didn’t move while he went to confront Stacy. Sighing he pushed the door open and entered it.

“I take it Stacy told you the same I did.” You softly said as you mindlessly pushed something back and forth on top of his desk, your back still facing him.

Taking a couple of steps forward, he tapped his cane on the carpet, “Also shared this interesting theory that you’re in love with me.”

You turned in your seat, your arm resting on the backrest as you stared at him, not knowing if he was yanking your chain or actually dense.

“Not going to deny yet?”

Standing up you stepped up to him, “House, are you kidding me? I'd be your mistress just to have you around.”

His eyebrows shot to his hairline, he opened his mouth to say some sarcastic remark but stopped himself.

After a few seconds in which he stayed silent, “I came here to apologize for not fighting harder, maybe-“

“There wasn’t anything you could have done. Stacy wouldn’t have let you.”

Shaking your head, “Probably not, but I still owe you an apology. And I am sorry I wasn’t there.”

Walking past him towards the door, “I guess I’ll see you around, Dr. House.”

[space-helen]

Overwhelmed

Words: 541

Pairing: Nick Stokes x Reader

A/N: I'll admit this isn't the bed thing I've ever written.

Request: May I please request some fluff and a hint of angst for Nick Stokes x reader (maybe wife or girlfriend)? Just pure softness after a case? - @perasperaadastrawriting

______________________

Walking into the house you plonked down your bag before slipping your shoes off and heading straight for the kitchen. 

You’d done overtime. The case had been intense and tedious but it was finished. Nick had left work before you, getting Greg to bring him home, leaving you the car.

Grabbing some water you let the cool liquid run down your throat before going to the bathroom. You moved through the bare minimums of your nighttime routine and walked to the bedroom.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” Nick was sat upright in bed, he knew something was wrong when you didn’t go straight to find him or call for him once you got in. Usually he would also make the effort to come and greet you but Sam was fast asleep over his legs.

You just shook your head as you found your pyjamas. “It was just one of those cases.”

He nodded and pulled back the covers next to him for you to get in. Sam raised his head to greet you and you ruffled your fingers on the top of his head. Moving from Nick's lap to yours he raised his paw to your shoulder and leant in, as if hugging you. 

Petting the dog you sighed. “We bagged and tagged one hundred and fifty individual bullets from such a tiny scene, all from about eight different guns.”

The man turned to you, a slightly shocked expression on his face “and it was only you and Sara on the case?”

You nodded “Yeah. It was manageable but not that late into a shift.” you rolled your eyes and relaxed into the pillows more “I’ll get over it.”

“They could have at least shoved Greg and I on it to help after we closed ours.”

You shrugged “It is what it is. It’s done now.” sighing Sam pulled away from you and looked you in the eyes before turning to Nick.

“Bed.” he said gently and the dog obliged. Jumping from his space, down to his bed in the corner of the room.

The man silently stretched his arm towards you and brought you into an embrace, curling into him you allowed him to hold you close as he placed a kiss to the top of your head. 

You felt all of the muscles in your body relax, there was no comfort like being with your husband. You weren't sure when it'd started but you could feel a dampness on your cheeks, tears running down them for no real reason. 

"What's wrong?" Nick spoke softly as he peered at your face.

"Nothing, I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed." You went to move your hand to wipe away your tears but Nick's hand got there first. Gently wiping them away.

"We all get those moments." He reassured you "you've seen me have plenty of them" He joked as he gave you an extra squeeze. 

Burying your head into his chest you let out a sigh “I’m glad I found you Nick.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

The two of you relaxed into bed further, you could feel the worries and tension from the day melting away, it didn’t take long for you to fall asleep in his arms.

Tag List: (open)

CSI: @perasperaadastrawriting @penny4yourthoughtsxtmblr @kitbydesign

[i-smoke-chapstick]

What advice or tips do you have for a writer wanting to write the characters from Succession for the first time (Shiv, Kendall, Roman, Tom, Greg etc)

Not sure if this was meant for me, since I haven't yet written for Succession, but I can still try my best to help out! Here are some tips <3 Sorry for the long post.

Whenever I'm writing for a character, I really try to incorporate their canon dialect and dialogues here and there. For instance, Roman stutters on his words quite a bit erratically, and Greg has a lots of "uh"s and "oh"s and awkward, bumbling uncertainty. It's all about the characters voice, because I find fanfics with lots of dialogue to be the most enjoyable! If I was writing for succession, I'd typically try to follow these tips for each character,

Shiv: Shiv sometimes speaks with an underlying tone of superiority, and a lot of her interactions also have fraught tension. When writing a character, you need to look at their insecurities and desires to get a feel for what they want vs. how they express it. Shiv struggles with a desire to prove herself, but wants power. Because of this, she's blunt in all the wrong ways.

This sounds dumb, but I always do a short writing exercise beforehand and I really encourage it! One of my favorite things to do is just imagine the conversation I'm trying to write. For instance, if Y/N were ask Shiv what her favorite color was. She might say something like,

"My favorite color? Seriously, Y/N, that's the question you come up with? Well, if we're going to play this game, I guess I'll indulge you. Let's see... I don't know, maybe the color of money? Honestly, I'm more concerned with the color of success, and right now, it's looking pretty green to me."

Kendall: Similarly stutters like Roman, and can switch between being aggressive and vulnerable.

Here again with the favorite color theory:

"Uh, favorite color? That's a... good question. You know, it's, uh, probably something classic. Black. Yeah, black. It's, uh, timeless, powerful. Like, I don't know, it's just... it's a strong color. Represents, like, the intensity and, uh, the seriousness of, you know, life and business." (Long example, but I'll dive into this!)

Succession characters are very human. The pauses in their words, their overuse of "like" and "uh" (especially for Kendall). I try to use Kendall's "media trained" upbringing as a way for him to spin the question into something flattering for himself. Like if he was in an interview.

While as If we were writing for Roman, he might say something like,

"My favorite color? Seriously? Okay, um, let's go with... I don't know, red? Yeah, red. It's bold, it's sexy. Plus, it's the color of blood, and blood is, like, life or whatever. Or maybe it's just 'cause I look good in it. Either way, red. Final answer."

Roman has a lot more vulgarity in his dialogue, as well as pop-culture references and anything completely outlandish. Sometimes I like piecing together canon dialogue from the show to form answers as well, because the reader can more affectively imagine the character saying it!

Tom: When you're writing a character like Tom, his interactions really depend on whoever he's talking too, and how stressed he is about a situation. If he's speaking to a reader whose a Roy, or more powerful than him in a way, he's fumbling; not trying to impress them per se, but trying to fit in. Also, if in this universe you're writing, Shiv is apart of, Shiv is just a major part of his character in general, he'll probably mention her now and again. Once again, the favourite color theory!

"Oh, my favorite color? Well, I'd have to say blue. It's calming, you know? Reliable. Like a good, steady stock that just keeps going up. Plus, it’s a color that commands a certain... respect. Not too flashy, but still, quite distinguished. And, well, Shiv looks great in blue, so there's that too."

Now, if you're writing for someone like Greg who asks the question, someone who he doesn't view as a threat, Tom is much more assertive and aggressive. He'd be more sarcastic, less enthused, and simply wouldn't care. Might not even answer the question. He has the same loose, condescending tone as Shiv would.

"Oh, my favorite color? You know, Y/N, of all the things you could ask me—my thoughts on the latest market trends, insights on corporate strategy, or even just what I had for breakfast—you went with favorite color. Remarkable. Adorable, really. Y/N, what is this? Preschool? Do I look like someone who has time to contemplate the nuances of the color spectrum?"

Greg: Poor Greg.

"Ah, favorite color, huh? Well, that's a tough one. I reckon I'd have to go with a good ol' forest green. Reminds me of these long hikes through the woods back home. Plus, it's just got this calming vibe to it, you know? Like being surrounded by nature's...embrace." Que the awkward cough, realizing he's ranting or saying things that don't quite sound right.

Greg is more compassionate, more air-headed then the Roy's. He's probably the only one on this list to add a subtle,

"What about you?" To make more semi-awkward conversation.

Okay, Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. I really don't think this was meant for my blog, but regardless, I love questions like these <3

[lol-jackles]

I understand producers wanting a no risk lead and Jared earned that credibility and reputation. I don’t disagree with everything you said about Jared.

But I’m still surprised that Jensen didn’t earn the same reputation being co-lead and surprised he has not been given the opportunity to lead or co- lead again on another show. He seemed to have built a strong reputation with directors and producers and execs in the industry so shouldn’t he be on that same short list? I just don’t get what jensen is missing that jared or max theriot, Tom Ellis or Justin Hartley seems to have. What is that “x” factor?

The work he did on Smallville, Spn, Big Sky and The Boys, why didn’t that earn him points to have studio execs ensure he stays employed and part of a show?

Even in an industry that 97% are unemployed, Jensen seems to be a standout actor that gets constantly overlooked. Why?

Jensen was going to be a lead in Greg Bertlanti's unnamed project, but then Zaslav happened. But you ask a very good question on why the networks' bean counters don't have him on a Short List.

First, my wild guess is while Jensen's scene stealing talent improves the episode he's in, it's not the same as having screen presence to create a story, which is a must for lead actors to carry a show. For example, Jared's two-minute screentime in "The End" was not scene stealing, he became Lucifer for the sake of the story and left a memorable impact on the viewers' impression.

Think of every time spin-offs were created to capitalize on the scene stealers’ popularity, only for the scene stealers “special-ness” to evaporate into the ether when they have to carry the show by themselves.  Rebel Wilson had her own tv show called Super Fun Night. but it failed because fans expected to see the whacky side kick persona, but instead got a Rebel Wilson playing a normal woman who is sometimes socially awkward.

Second, Jensen has a bit of a branding problem.  If an actor doesn't understand what their brand is, then how do you expect casting directors to see it as well?  

Actors make the mistake of trying to please every customer by changing who they are and not understanding that getting hired starts with choosing a brand for themselves and sticking to it.  Say you own an Italian restaurant and I come in and say, “Oh, gosh! You know what? I want Mexican food.” And then you say, Okay, we’re cooking Mexican food now.”   This is what a lot of actors do.

I used to joke that Jensen was like an active from the show The Dollhouse. Actives are neutral human husks until they're downloaded a personality to carry out a specific mission.  You don't know what the true nature of an active unless you're willing to watch several episodes to look for clue crumbs to their innate personalities.  

I tell young aspiring actors on how to discover their brand by pretending to write a profile for an online dating site.  People usually don't write descriptive sentences but use adjectives: funny, athletic, intense, quirky, great smile, etc.  To help them along, ask their trusted friends and family members to make a list of 5 qualities that pop into their heads.  Then use the impression that appear over and over again because now you know that is you, your essence.

Too many times actors wait for an agent or manager to show up and tell them who they are. Or they ask me, “what do you think I am?". Actors have to decide for themselves and figure out their acting “singularity”  -- that exclusive combination of attitudes and behaviors that make them an original even when they're typecasted. Some people describe Jensen as a version of Dean-lite, but that doesn't make Jensen an original then.

Third, Jensen is not a natural born-leader. Most of us aren't, but like acting, you can constantly work on the craft. Leaders are supposed to protect their team, but Jensen was still soft-bashing Jessica Alba twenty years later. I don't care if Jessicca was a bitch, a real man is not supposed to betray a woman’s confidence. He can still talk about the difficulties of working with Jessica while respecting the position she was in and up against. In contrast, Jared immediately defended his female co-stars when it was popular to dunk of them: the Olsen twins, Paris Hilton, and Snookie.

[lisbeth-kk]

December moments

Prompts used in this chapter: Father Christmas - Silent Night - escape

To what lengths are Sherlock willing to go for his beloved John? Can the good doctor really persuade Sherlock to help Lestrade with a tedious case at a shopping centre?

December 19

The case is barely a four, and John knows it. Normally he wouldn’t have even considered asking Sherlock to solve it, but damn it, there are kids involved, and it’s almost Christmas, AND Sherlock has proven that he isn’t the Scrooge he claims to be. The fact that Greg had texted John instead of Sherlock, spoke volumes. DI Greg Lestrade had few hopes that the great detective would even bother replying to his plea, ergo he begged John to reason with him. 

“Lestrade’s got a case for you, or his niece rather” John starts awkwardly. “You’ll probably find it tedious and mundane, but children are…”

To John’s astonishment, Sherlock’s head jerks up from his microscope, his gaze sharp and intense. 

“What about children, John? Pray tell!”

His voice seems urgent which takes John by surprise. 

“Well, Father Christmas failed to appear at Selfridges today and his elf, Greg’s niece, has no clue to where he’s gotten. His family and friends haven’t heard from him, and his phone is left at his flat. The costumer’s service at Selfridges is faced with crying kids and displeased parents in large numbers,” John explains. 

Sherlock sits in his normal thinking position and asks John in quick succession what information they have on the missing Santa. After pondering John’s retort, Sherlock decides to go to Selfridges and question Lorna the elf. 

“Why do you want to take this case, Sherlock?” John asks curiously when they’re seated in the cab. 

“Because I don’t want any child to be disappointed like that. I experienced it myself when I was five…”

Sherlock trails off and doesn’t explain further, but the sad look in his eyes, makes John’s heart ache. John takes Sherlock’s hand and squeezes it, which earns him a soft smile, but Sherlock’s too lost in his own mind to give John more attention than that, which by the way is plenty for John. 

***

When they enter Selfridges, Silent Night is playing, and it really doesn’t fit with either man’s mood. It’s too serene for the conundrum they’re here for. 

Sherlock’s unusually gentle with Lorna, who’s in shambles. She proves to be the lost Father Christmas’ girlfriend. 

“I texted him this morning. We were supposed to meet here at half past one. Nothing seemed amiss with his message. I really don’t understand…” Lorna says before she breaks down crying. 

“Let me see your phone,” Sherlock requests softly. 

He mutters something unintelligible under his breath when he scrolls through Lorna’s text history with Cory the Santa. 

“Anything suspicious?” John asks silently. 

Sherlock shows him a text from the week before where Cory mentions a Marion Wesley, apparently a former colleague who’s started stalking him again. When Sherlock asks Lorna about it, she looks shocked. 

“Do you think she can be responsible?” Sherlock prompts. 

In the background there are angry and accusatory voices to be heard from irked parents and whining children. The cacophony is suddenly overwhelming, and John can feel the tension building in his partner. They need to escape this room and get somewhere quieter before Sherlock combusts all over the establishment. 

John gestures to Greg, who immediately understands and asks them to come into a secluded staff room around the corner. While they walk, Sherlock taps furiously at his phone, and mere minutes after scrolling the Internet or perhaps the dark web for all John knows, his face lights up. 

“Got you!” he exclaims and beams at John. 

Half an hour later, Cory is found in Marion Wesley’s cellar, only slightly dehydrated but fit for facing the queue of children at Selfridges. 

“What a hero,” John murmurs when he and Sherlock watches him in action as an indulgent Santa. 

“Indeed,” Sherlock agrees. 

John moves closer to Sherlock, wraps an arm around his waist and leans in to whisper his praise. Brilliant. Amazing. Sherlock leans against John utterly satisfied with all of it. Having witnessed how quickly the atmosphere changed as soon as Father Christmas and his elf appeared, almost felt like being a part of one of those horrible American Christmas films his mother adores. 

When they walk to the exit, Silent Night plays again, and this time it fits perfectly. 

Read it on AO3

@totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @a-victorian-girl @phoenix27884 @safedistancefrombeingsmart @sabsi221b @gregorovitchworld @topsyturvy-turtely @peanitbear @helloliriels @raina-at

[lady-margaret]

bridgerton season 3 episode 3 screaming thoughts (unedited)

this was marked mature for some reason so im reposting 🙃

this is a dream isnt it

okay not a good idea to watch this full volume without any headphones in a dorm building with relatively thin walls

OH ITS COLIN'S DREAM!!?!?!? i was rly counting on it to be pen's..... YES I WANT HIM TO BE AS DESPERATE IF NOT MORE THAN ANTHONY WHAHAHHSHAHS

bridgerton sibs dreaming about their future spouses lol ("anthony's night and day i dream of you" counts)

^ speaking of that i miss daphne

love seeing the bedrooms more and more

WTF HAPPENED TO HIS ARM HELP GREG PLSSS

hyacinth is rly gorg

why are the bridgertons so dumb and bad at

NOT acting suspicious "i slept so well... not even a dream" BUT WTF ARE U TALKING ABOUT WHAHDJSHDJSB

bridgerton blue is so pretty

COLIN STOP ACTING SUS he really is related to anthony and daphne jfc this FAMILY

OH hot air balloon thingy ive been hearing about

IM EXCITED FOR MORE LORD DUBLIN

pLS I WANT THE STIRLING COUSINS!!!!!!!!!!!

lady danbury and the queen: and iconic duo as always

o lord the featherington sisters are insane BWHAHAHAHHAH

URGH I AM LOVING ELOISE GOWNS THIS SEASON

ELOISE AND PENELOPE PLS BE FRIENDS AGAIN SOON IM GONNA START CRYING i hope pen gets to explain huhuhuhu

no dont go in there thats not a good ideaaa

wait theyre cute; theyre the cute couple, kathonys the steamy passionate couple, idk what to label daphne and simon

lord debling is so interesting i actually really like him so far

i love penelope in bridgerton blue

i love the subtle hints of book canon

franny's SO PRETTY how are all the bridgertons so pretty

a-holes, the lot of them also when am i gonna see more kate and anthony im starved

alice is so pretty

LOL colin YES!!! we want penelope to find a husband

BENEDICT PLSSSSSSSSSSSS i love him... im so excited for him to fall in love with sophie

"he's dead" HELP

okay debling is cool but a lil bit intense for me

“oh i would not tell him that"

cressida gaslighting herself to like lord debling Imao

the featherington sisters are hilarious; its really cute how they actually seem to like their husbands

hyacinth and gregory are becoming real faves for me

this is coling following pen around: 🐕

COLIN CALM URSELF o god hes down bad

u kno what i feel like cressida may end up with debling since colin will obviously end up with pen

O GOD WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH pennnnsndnbdnsjdn

colin ur so hot we all kno ur not looking at that damn balloon

where the hell are anthony and kate

HELP BENEDICTTTTTTT ur so cute poookie

eloise 😭😭😭😭😭😭

its giving same vibes as serpentine boat scene from szn 2 for some reason

colin ur so hot colin ur so hot

lol violet ur garden will soon be watered

are anthony and kate seriously on a honeymoon again WHERE ARE THEY

cressida and penelope vying for debling's attention is kinda entertaining

FRANNY RUN pls look for a scottish earl named john stirling ! he will make u happy while he is able to do so and he has a wonderful family! he has a cousin named michael who is great 😌

kate where are u

oh? WHATS UR NAME SIR IM TRYNA SEE SOMETHING IS UR LAST NAME STIRLING

i feel like benedict and his new paramour (okay her name is tilly) is gonna be a diff version of anthony and sienna in the way that it will kickstart his season (BECAUSE S4 IS GONNA BE BEN'S PLS)

debling is so wholesome OH GOD

DID HE JUST GIVE CRESSIDA'S LEMONADE TO PEN

dw cressida he could still b urs

AY ANTHONY MENTIONED now bring him out

АНННН MAMA VIOLET KNOW i just know she loves pen sm

o god colin colin calm yourself ur in a room FULL OF PEOPLE STOP IT colin colin calm down

OH HAPPIER THAN EVER ???????? ouch

[wambsgansshoelaces]

I have a blurb request (or it can be headcanons it’s up to you and it’s totally no rush like take your time ily.) but Youngest Adopted Roy sibling, Tom, and Greg being the trio that everyone thought Kendall, Shiv, and Rome would be. Like you have three underdogs, three people that most would never place bets on just absolutely proving ppl wrong.

honestly idk if I did this the way you were envisioning it but it’s here :0 if you want me to redo it just tell me what you want to change and it’ll happen :P

the first non x reader on my profile, what have you done to me… /lh

thank you for requesting anon, I love uuuuu

word count: 999 (completion and new beginnings!!!)

CEO, COO, MPH

“Fucking move, Gregory.”

“I would if I had space, but I don’t!”

You’re crammed in between the two of them as they bicker. “It’s a small ass elevator, and that’s fine,” you hiss, the elevator finally coming to a halt on the sixtieth floor. The three of you were here on a mission: get them to sell. You were meeting with the heads of a company Logan’s been lusting after, and it was imperative that you got them to fork over their rights.

It’s not that you were so good at your job that Kendall had decided to send you with Tom and Greg, it’s that Logan wants the sellers to think that they’re not taking this seriously. So they send two randoms along with the head of some department at Waystar. You feel oh so important.

Tom smooths his tie down as you walk slowly through the hall. “I know this is all just pretend for Logan, but I’m going to actually try.” He glances back at you. “You help me do the talking. Greg gets to just sit there and look pretty.”

“But I- I have things to say, too,” Greg protests quietly, Tom shouldering open the conference room door.

“Just don’t say anything stupid,” Tom replies quickly before pasting a dazzling smile on his face, turning to the few people gathered in the room. “Gentlemen. How are you, how are you? I haven’t seen you fine folks in a while.”

You and Greg exchange a glance. You nudge him forward into a few handshakes, following suit as the sellers and their lawyers go from Tom, to Greg, to you. You take your seat in between the two, across from all of the other men.

“I don’t think I’ve seen either of you before,” the CEO says, awkwardly smiling. He gestures vaguely in the direction of you and Greg.

“They’re two of my most trusted, and between you and me, my most favorite,” Tom says smoothly.

“I handle all relations, communications, and media,” you supply, keeping your face passively sweet. “I was the one you were emailing with before all of this.”

The CEO’s eyebrows raise in recognition. “Oh, you! I don't know why I didn't recognize your face. I've read all of your work, actually been to all of your press conferences. You're so delightedly and properly educated, unlike your siblings. You were much more pleasant than the first person we spoke to.” He leans in conspiratorially, glancing at Greg when he speaks his next bit. “I know you’re technically both Roys, but Siobhan was less than pleasant to interact with. I don’t know how either of you do it. You don’t understand the relief the lot of us felt when they said we’d be meeting with you all instead. The first sit down we had?” He shakes his head.

“Yeah, uh, they can be intense,” Greg replies, eyes brightening. “Sometimes it feels like I’m in over my head, you know?”

The CEO nods, sighing. “I think we’re all friends here, and friends can be honest.” His eyes flick over the three of you. “And if I’m honest, we’re a little… apprehensive about this entire thing.”

Tom leans forward in his seat, his brow furrowing in concern. “Is it the money? Because I can assure you, the number isn’t the issue.”

The CEO shakes his head, a hand running over his chin. “No, no. The money is… it’s amazing, what can we say?” Polite laughter echoes through the room. “It’s just… the management.”

Tom nods, shifting back into an upright position. “Well, that can be sorted, can’t it? What are we thinking?”

“What was offered to us, Mr. Wambsgans, is that Roman Roy takes over the company from us for whatever number we thought appropriate. We like the money, we just need someone different at the helm.”

Tom hums. “I think for us to rearrange things, we’d have to give you a number. And it’ll probably be much lower than you want it to be, just because of… personnel issues.”

“See, I think the three of you would do a fantastic job, based on how we’ve interacted over the last month.” The CEO leans back in his chair. He points at Tom, then Greg, then you. “I see a CEO, a COO, and a Media and Press Head. At least, ones I’d be happy with handing my company to. And as long as we’re still over the seven figures, as initially agreed, then I suppose the money isn’t an issue.”

“We’ll relay the message,” Greg tells him, smile on his face.

“Ah, I know where I know you from, now!” The CEO’s face lightens. “You’re the fellow that helped out with the shareholder issues we were having back in October! You were a ray of fucking sunlight, I tell you. I thought the shareholders were going to dump us, I have no idea how you did it.”

Greg looks surprised. “Oh, I, uh, didn’t know you knew about that. I was kind of just given the order, and, um, I got involved, yeah.”

“I’m quite glad you did. Well, now I’m sure. I trust the three of you with my life, and I trust the old geezer as far as I can throw him. If he can come to terms with the three of you leading the troops into war, the company’s good as yours. Retirement’s on the horizon, for me…”

The CEO drones on for what feels like several more years, talking about his new young girlfriend and all the things he planned on doing once he’s retired. The vacations he’d take, the people he’d meet… You checked out after twenty minutes.

When you’re finally done and out in the hall, and nobody’s around, Tom pumps his fist in the air. “Fuck yes!”

“Did that just happen? Did we just do that?” Greg asks.

Tom doesn’t respond, just loops an arm around both you and Greg, and hoists you both into the air in victory.

[lucidlivi]

Unholy

Warning: mentions of violence, sexual innuendo, mentions of sex, and mentions of std

"well it looks like our priest here wasn't as godly as he appeared." Nick said looking at the body in front of us.

Nick and I were working a case on the strip. A priest was found in his office, his pants pulled down to his ankles and missing a significant part of his lower region. He was stabbed repeatedly and left to bleed out.

"that's a lot of rage, someone wanted this guy to suffer and I think I know why." I said.

I picked up the condom still in its wrapper showing it to Nick. I opened one of the drawers of his desk, the action making empty condom wrappers fall out. A smirk spread to Nick's lips.

"so you're telling me our priest was going to get it on before he was butchered?" Nick asked shaking his head in disbelief.

"a priest who was a sex addict." Nick said finding more hidden boxes of condoms.

"this priest gets more action then you do Nick." I joked.

You'd think with the way Nick looks he'd be a total man whore but that was the farthest thing from the truth. He was reserved and sweet. Which was only one of the reasons I was insanely attracted to him. Nick and I were partners, we got each other like no one else did. It was getting harder day by day not to let my feelings for him slip out. Nick was about to respond when Greg walked in to help us process the scene.

"wow that's a sight." Greg said grimacing at the bloody corpse.

"our priest here had a little problem." Nick said throwing a box of condoms at Greg, causing me to laugh, even though Greg caught them.

"I could use these more than you." Greg said tossing the box on the ground by his feet.

I cackled as Greg made the same joke I had only seconds earlier.

"you know i'm not as holy as i've led you all to believe." Nick said shrugging his shoulders.

I couldn't help the intense blush that spread to my cheeks as the intrusive thoughts entered my brain. I quickly coughed to try to cover up my uneasiness.

"sure whatever you say buddy." Greg laughed grabbing his camera to start photographing the scene.

"here's the difference between me and you Greggo, you'll screw anything within two feet of you, I reserve that for the special ones." Nick said, and for a second I thought he'd glanced my way.

"I can't help woman find me attractive and throw themselves at me." Greg shrugged.

"you attractive? please I could have way more woman if I wanted." Nick argued back. He wasn't wrong but of course I wouldn't tell him that.

I rolled my eyes, they fought like an old married couple.

"will you two shut up now and help me." I said looking at them.

Greg looked at Nick and smirked.

"alright settle it then." Greg said staring at me.

I looked at him confused. He was definitely backing me in a corner here and I didn't like it one bit.

"hypothetically of course, who would you want to sleep with, me or Nick?" Greg asked eyeing me.

"bold of you to assume, i'd sleep with either one of you." I said raising my eyebrows at him.

"that's why it's hypothetical, duh." Greg said.

"Greg leave the poor girl alone." Nick said glaring at Greg. I gave him a silent thanks.

we were all quiet as we finished processing the scene. I'd found a notebook containing the names of all the woman our unholy priest slept with in the last couple of months. I looked at the last log entry. It was from last night. I was finished collecting my evidence and was about to walk out. Suddenly I got a bold rush of confidence.

"Nick." I said glancing at the both of them.

I could see the wide grin Nick now donned.

"what?" Greg asked seeming to forget about his previous question.

"I'd sleep with Nick." I said closing my kit and leaving the scene.

I didn't know if they noticed but I intentionally didn't say hypothetically, because truth was if the opportunity arose I just might.

"hell yeah suck it Greggo!" I heard Nick scream in his thick texan accent.

It was later in the day and Nick and I were visiting the multiple ladies who had the honor to make it on the priest's list, 16 in total. It was all the same story, they came to him for advice and he'd talk his way into their pants. He made them feel special, like they were the only girl in the world and after he got what he was looking for, he'd drop them. No wonder someone wanted him dead. The last woman we'd interviewed was extra spiteful when she spoke about him.

"you think she could be our killer?" Nick asked as he hovered over me looking at the file on our suspect.

"would you blame her? he was totally sexualizing her!" I said quickly turning around in my chair.

I couldn't help the nerves that shot down my body as the heat from his radiated not far from mine. Our faces were just mere centimeters apart. I'd never been nervous about Nick being close to me before but now I had to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. Maybe it was because I'd never thought of him in such an unholy way before. Nick furrowed his brows as if he was deep in thought. He didn't seem to notice the proximity of our bodies, but it was all I could think about. Nick finally snapped out of whatever daze he was in and looked down at my red face. He cleared his throat looking down at my small but plump pink lips. He was about to say something when Greg's annoying voice made us jump.

"that's right ladies and gentlemen aids." Greg said throwing another file in front of me.

"our priest had HIV?" I questioned opening the autopsy file from Doc Robbins.

"yeah, and get this, those condoms we found, well he wasn't the one wearing them, 16 woman visited a local clinic over the last couple of months, each one testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus, and I think if you compare my list to the one you found in his office you'll find that they're the same list." Greg said.

I was looking over the report from the clinic and sure enough every single woman we'd talked to today had been on that list. Not one of them mentioned having HIV or Aids.

"take a look at this, our priest suffered from 16 total stab wounds, a coincidence, I don't think so." Nick said pointing out the COD.

"16 angry woman, 16 stab wounds, 16 killers." I said picking up my phone to call Brass.

Captain Brass and his team started bringing in our woman. He'd brought 15 in telling us he was unable to locate the last woman we'd spoken to, she'd somehow evaded them. They were out currently looking for her. None of the women were talking.

"okay clearly our last suspect is the mastermind behind all of this." I said slamming the door of the interrogation room after another failed attempt at a confession.

"we'll find her." Nick said squeezing my shoulder.

"I think I already did, her credit card was just used to check in to the La Playa, a little run down motel just off the strip" Hodges said handing us a map.

"let's take a trip then." Nick said throwing me my vest.

Nick and I arrived at La Playa quickly, the air was eerie. Nick marched in to the front office with me hot on his trail. The person behind the check in desk was an older man, clearly intoxicated.

"well hello there, looking for a couples room for a little off duty lovemaking." the man said winking at the two of us.

I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks as it wasn't the first time in the last few hours that I'd had that exact impure thought about my partner.

"not exactly, a Allison Wyatt just checked in here, we need to know what room you rented to her." Nick spoke with authority.

I couldn't help but notice the creepy lustful stare the man was giving me. Nick must've noticed it too, he grabbed my wrist pulling me slightly behind him, my body now out of view of the drunken man.

"Allison Wyatt where is she?" Nick asked again slamming his fist on the desk.

His one hand still held me behind his back, and normally I would've protested the protection as I prided myself on being an independent woman but somehow when Nick did it, it felt right.

"room 116." He said giving us a map of the motel layout. It was a small square block of rooms with a pool directly in the center.

Ironic, 116. Nick quickly pushed me closer to the door, making me go first, and staying directly behind me so the creep couldn't get the good look he was anticipating. I blushed as Nick's hand brushed the small of my back. We reached room 216, and could hear rustling inside. Nick placed his hand on his firearm.

"stay behind me." He ordered looking down at my small stature.

I swallowed the lump in my throat nodding my head slowly. It was completely inappropriate but I couldn't help the heat that rushed through my body at his demanding tone.

"Allison Wyatt this is the LVPD we're coming in." Nick said kicking the door in effortlessly.

As soon as we were inside we saw her sitting in the chair in the corner of the room.

"Nick." I gasped quietly directing him to look down.

there were at least four gas cans discarded in the bathroom and we were standing right in the gas soaked carpet.

"Allison you don't want to do this." Nick said lowering his gun as we noticed the matches in her hand. If she lit one, this place would go up in flames in seconds.

"why don't I, there's nothing left for me." She said opening and closing the box almost as if she were taunting us.

"because he got what he deserved." I said disobeying Nick and going to stand in front of him.

Nick went to move his arm to pull me back but Allison gave him a warning look not too.

"you bet your ass he got what he deserved, that bastard ruined me, he ruined all of us. do you really think a man is going to want to touch me now? I went to him because I'd finally got the courage to leave my abusive ex husband, ha out of the arms of one abuser into the arms of another. He used me. After he finished he went to the bathroom to clean up, I rifled through his drawers and found that I was just another notch in his bedpost. I also found a note from his doctor. It had a positive test result for HIV, that bastard didn't even use a condom. I decided that I would be the last woman he'd ever hurt. I let his secret slip to the 15 others, and boy were they angry. I seduced him, and then I cut it off so he couldn't use it to hurt anyone anymore." She said as a few tears fell from her eyes.

"that's when you took turns stabbing him." Nick said trying to take a step forward but once again receiving a warning look.

"he ended us, so we ended him." She said tossing a knife on the ground at my feet. It was covered in blood.

"I understand why you did it. He was a sick man. He abused his power and hurt a lot of people. But he can't hurt anymore and we can help you so you don't have to hurt anymore either." I said taking a step towards her.

She scoffed giving me a look.

"there's no help for me, I'm already burning."

In a quick second she struck a match. Before I could process what was going on, I was being tackled out of the room. Flames engulfed her body, the heat causing blisters on my skin. Nick rolled off of me, his shirt catching flames. Nick quickly discarded his shirt, jumping in the pool. I did the same, the cool water calming my burning skin. I was having a hard time treading water because my skin was sore.

"come here." Nick said grabbing my hand and dragging me to his body.

He held me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I blushed as I ran my hand down his bare torso.

"thanks for saving me." I said smiling at him.

"hypothetically if I kissed you right now what would you do?" Nick asked brining his forehead to rest against mine.

I bit my lip darting my eyes from his down to his lips. I quickly closed the space between us, latching my lips on to his. I was now feeling a heat throughout my body for a very different reason. Nick moved a hand, gripping my head to bring me closer if that was even possible. Our lips moved in sync, a passion and hunger I'd never felt before. I wanted more of him, all of him. Nick pulled away slowly, his lips swollen, probably matching mine. He looked at me with lustful eyes.

"I think we're going to need that room now." I purred in his ear.

let's just say the crime wasn't the only unholy thing that happened that night.

[naefelldaurk]

Penitence

by Amaruuk

May Prompts 2024 — Do Over

(Also on AO3, here)

He couldn't settle. The wrapping around his ribs was too tight, the pillows at his back inadequately stacked, the duvet out of his reach, leaving him chilled. And that was not to mention the remains of the cake lying heavy in his stomach, an undigested mass, far too rich after weeks of near starvation.

He was miserable. It was pointless lying in bed, in the dark, but it hurt too much to get up unless absolutely necessary—and he couldn't face Lestrade again; dealing with Molly's bright-eyed sweetness had been awkward enough.

The change-over of his minders had taken place at midnight, a few short minutes ago. He could picture Molly's sad face as she updated Lestrade. Sherlock's in his room. I don't think he can sleep, but he wouldn't let me help him. Their muffled, unintelligible voices continued for a few moments. Finally, the door to the sitting room opened and closed, followed by the creak of a single, heavier set of footsteps. They came slowly down the hallway, presumably on the way to the toilet.

Sherlock sighed and then inevitably winced. It had been a mistake leaving the flat to celebrate his birthday, and his not yet fully healed body was holding a grudge. But he had enjoyed it—at first, anyway, before the painkillers had buggered off and exhaustion and discomfort had sloped in to take their place.

Molly had been chipper and bubbly; pure Molly. But John … John had been watchful and assessing, his own expression unreadable. When Molly had asked how he had known that it was Sherlock's birthday, John had recounted, through tight lips, how Irene's message alert had given it away. At this, Sherlock had offered a wry smile. In return, Molly had rolled her eyes and given her head an indulgent shake. But John, his face only slightly relaxed, had nodded once and continued to watch him until it had become clear that Sherlock was beginning to fade. He had bundled Sherlock and Molly into a cab, and his hand had lingered on Sherlock's shoulder before pushing the cab door closed. It was that touch, the warmth of it sinking into Sherlock's chilled skin, that he focused on now.

John had spoken with such fierce intensity about High Wycombe and luck and last chances, about Mary and cheating and who he wanted to be. And then he had wept, and Sherlock had held him … and John—John!—had allowed it. Sherlock's ribs had burned, his lower back had spasmed, and the knot on his jaw had ached where it rested on John's head; but he would have suffered all of that, and more, for hours and hours to have the gift of John Watson standing willingly in his arms.

The squeak of the hinges and the slow swing of the door caused him to startle. He twisted to face the intruder, but the movement inflamed his already angry ribs and he froze, exhaling sharply. Between panting gasps, the pain spiked and his vision gradually cleared, and he discovered that John was supporting him with an arm braced behind his back.

"Only me," he murmured. "Let me sort this; then you can lie back."

"Where's … Grant?"

"Save your breath, Sherlock." John spent a few moments plumping and organizing all of Sherlock's pillows. "Greg was called out," he said, as he guided Sherlock back down. He reached across Sherlock's body to grab the duvet which had puddled around his upper thighs. The swift movement stirred the hair on his exposed belly and groin, which in turn caused all the tiny hairs on his body to stand up. If John noticed, he said nothing, his focus bent on easing the duvet up over his chest and tucking it lightly against his sides. The sudden soft warmth was exquisite, and Sherlock mumbled his thanks. John rested a hand on his arm. "I'm going to make tea. And then we're going to talk."

Sherlock rolled his eyes to follow John's passage out of the room. He had not expected to see him again so soon, especially as there had been time for him to brood over their last encounter at Baker Street. Indeed, he seemed preoccupied, and his terse, And then we're going to talk, did not bode well for a happy conversation. But John was here, and his solicitous manner and casual friendliness soothed Sherlock's doubts.

John returned a few minutes later, leaving the door ajar so that the dim light from the hallway spilled into the dark room. Sherlock gratefully took the offered mug and held it close, hoarding its warmth. "Pajamas?" John pointed towards Sherlock's chest of drawers.

"Middle right." Sherlock blew across his mug and took a sip. The welcome warmth helped to ready him for whatever was to come.

John rummaged for a moment and finally came up with an old, well-worn tee shirt and a loose pair of pajama bottoms. "This do?"

"Yes."

"Let's talk first." After draping the night things over the foot of the mattress, John picked up his tea and hooked one leg over the edge of the bed and sat next to him.

Sherlock took refuge in his tea. "All right."

John's shoulders slumped a little. "Well first, everything I said about High Wycombe and her was utter rubbish—though if that's what you wanted, I'd drive you there myself and wait in the car while you … did whatever you wanted to do."

"I don't want to go to High Wycombe."

Raising a pacifying hand, John said, "No. I get that." He brought the mug to his lips; a clear sign, Sherlock thought, of hesitation. But John gulped his tea, then dragged a huge breath into his lungs, rolled his shoulders back, and exhaled. "All that other stuff, all those other things I said—" He tipped his head, his penetrating gaze demanding Sherlock's attention. "I meant all of that."

Sherlock narrowed his eyes. "The things you said to Mary?"

A dark grin twisted John's mouth. "Mary wasn't there. It was just you and me."

"You meant for me to hear that."

John shrugged. "I haven't been what you'd call 'stable" these last few weeks. Mary died, and I … kind of lost it."

"It was my fault—"

"It wasn't your fault!" John snapped. "I knew that; of course, I knew that. But I was—" He nodded abruptly. "No more excuses. You're the most important person in my life, Sherlock. That has never changed. But I hurt you, and you let me. And that can never happen again."

"John …"

John shook his head again, a peremptory gesture, signaling Sherlock to be quiet. "Let me get this out. Let me try." His chest swelled on a ragged inhalation, and Sherlock's ribs twinged in sympathy. "I cheated on you, too. You did so much to keep Mary in my life, even though you must have known I was making a mistake. Even after she shot you and you died—you died again, Sherlock! And then, in the morgue, when I— Christ, this is hard."

"You don't need to say any more."

"Not done." He took another drink of tea and collected himself again. "I want to be that man, Sherlock." There was a rasp in his voice. "The man you think I am. And I do want more. I want more with you."

Sherlock stared up at him, wide-eyed. John couldn't possibly mean what he was implying. "Are you saying …?"

"Whatever you're thinking, yes. I love you. I've loved you for years. But I've done nothing but hurt you, and I—"

"John," Sherlock said fiercely, "Do you mean that?"

"With all my heart."

Unthinking, Sherlock turned to set the mug on the table. His ribs seized and he growled in frustration. Through the flash of grinding pain, he was aware of John taking the mug from his hands and then pinning his shoulders to the pillows. "Stop it," John ordered. "Lie still, Sherlock, before you do yourself more damage."

Groaning, Sherlock released his muscles, his body sagging into the pillows.

"Good," John said, his features set. "I'm not actually done."

Sherlock glared up at him.

"Better." John smiled, a small smile, but this time it was a true John Watson smile, shining in his eyes with a hint of pink in his cheeks. But then it wavered. "You see, I left something out."

Sherlock gave his head a tiny shake, demanding with that small motion that he continue.

"Just this." He bent closer, methodically slow, and laid his lips against the corner of Sherlock's damaged eye. "I'm sorry," he breathed. He moved, then, to the stitched cut at his eyebrow. "I'm sorry." Inch by inch, as the duvet was pushed aside, he anointed the wounds that marred Sherlock's body with a brush of his lips and penitent words. When he reached his flank and revealed the widespread bruising that ranged from the lower visible edge of his rib cage to the ridge of his hip, John uttered brokenly, "Oh god, Sherlock, I am sorry. So, so sorry." A terrible sound escaped him, and he lowered his head, the rush of his breath hot against Sherlock's skin.

Sherlock placed his hand on the top of John's head, fingers gliding through short strands of hair. "John, please. Please come up here."

John rolled his head in a short arc, No. He was weeping softly, catching his tears in his palm.

"Please. I'm getting cold."

That got through. John immediately scrubbed the wet from his skin and set to rearranging the duvet so that Sherlock was quickly draped in cozy warmth from collar bone to toes. When he was once more comfortably reclining and no longer at risk of catching a chill, John took a few seconds to gather himself, his posture less hunched, his features more composed. He raised his head, flicking a glance towards him only to look quickly away. The lines on his face had deepened, the circles under his eyes darkened. He said, in a very small voice, "How can you bear to be near me?"

Sherlock held out his hand. John's face threatened to crumple, but he recovered himself and accepted his grasp, their fingers meeting and squeezing tightly together. "You must understand, John," Sherlock said plainly, "it's the alternative that's unbearable."

Whispering his name, John bowed his head over Sherlock's hand and kissed it. "You … you need to rest. I should go—"

"Rosie?"

"She's with a neighbor." He swallowed hard. "But can I stay? In my old room, I mean."

"No."

Some of the color drained from John's face. "Oh."

Gazing up at him fondly, Sherlock explained, "It's Rosie's room now. Your old bed is gone."

"Rosie's room?"

It was Sherlock's turn to glance aside. "I hoped, eventually, that you would …"

"We will," John said firmly. "If you want us."

Sherlock leveled his piercing gaze at him. "Of course I do. Whenever you're ready. But you're not allowed to sleep on the sofa."

The lines in John's forehead began to smooth out. There was a lilt in his voice when he said, "No?"

"You said you want more. Then you will have to sleep here, with me. The sofa is too small for both of us."

John's face broke into a smile, and it was like the sun coming out after a run of dreary days. He kissed Sherlock's hand again. "It won't be easy, you know. Rosie's a handful."

Sherlock raised an amused eyebrow. "As are you. We've never really done 'easy,' John."

"We can start over," John offered. "I can—"

"No." Sherlock tightened his grip, John's hand seeming very small within his. "No do overs." It was important that John understand this, and that he agree. "It's not been all bad, has it?"

A relieved look rushed across John's mobile features. He shook his head and leaned forward to drop a kiss onto Sherlock's forehead. "Best years of my life, Sherlock."

"Then finish what you started," Sherlock demanded gently. When John only looked confused, Sherlock touched his own lower lip. "You missed a spot."

[panelshowsource]

i will work on that and post a set this week :) kiell was very fun!

hmm i can't say i'm sure about sandi — though i'm loving her hair this series and she's beautiful as ever!

i would also love to know anything about miles' new show, if anyone has details about it to share 🥺 it's gotten lots of positive reviews, pretty solidly 4/5 stars everywhere i've seen. but even without a personal panelshowsource follower review i recommend getting a ticket!! and then coming back and telling us about it!!

hello and thank you :) sure, i put that on my drive for you here. enjoy!

he actually is 100% that bitch

i don't have this on drive atm only because it's really so easy to source. both were just posted in tv_bunny a couple of weeks ago, for example 🥲 i recommend heading over there and making a request, and someone will have links for you right away! lmk if you have any issues

does watching it on dailymotion work for you?

hello! yes, you can find ladsladslads over in the standup folder :)

their breakup was certainly intense for them both... i think i recall sara saying around the time-ish that she had expected they would really be together for the long haul, so as things began to disintegrate she was very disoriented. i also recall there being a bit of an ugly period between them — like, publicly — which was unfortunate, but they both seemed to be carrying their own bitternesses and that was surely hard

it's funny — i talked a bit about this a couple months ago, but thinking about them both reminds me so much of the rhlstp with john kearns: he talked about how, in this day of social media, audiences expect comedians to show themselves on stage, to give you that peek behind the curtain and personal anecdotes/opinions/details, and really share who they are with you — and he doesn't like that expectation. he's doing surreal and often absurd comedy, playing a character who's almost nothing like him at all, so the real john doesn't need to bleed through for the show to work. but people like sara and john...they use the stage as a form of therapy; sara uses it as a form of workshopping, communicating, connecting, sharing; i often think john is grasping, sometimes desperately, at the opportunity to be seen and heard. (his new show howl, which has gotten quite good reviews, is about his sobriety, for example!) so even though there were aspects of their breakup experience that were intense and very personal, i really hope that sharing them helped them both :)

hope we'll get to see his new show howl sometime soon, which is about his sobriety!

i have my theories about how john will be on taskmaster... let's just say, i think he'll be quite earnest and try very hard, and i think what alex has said about it being very difficult to do a character on taskmaster/the show showing people's true colours will be very relevant LMAO i can def see john coming on and trying to be cool and collected and just breaking down LMAOOO but agree it will be interesting! and personally i do always love the dynamic between greg or alex and one of their good friends heh

—————

PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS / NON-PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS FAQ / TAGS / ASK

[beeandheroddobsessions]

You Stop My Heart (Pt.2)

Part 1

Pairing: Elvis x Black! Reader

Summary: Elvis Isn’t the only one who can cause a visceral reaction in the crowd.

Warnings: Implied Racism, race talk, cursing? 50s Elvis. Reader is indeed promiscuous.

A/N: I was so hurt when my original draft vanished in the middle of writing it but I think it was a sign because this came out so much better! The song, as always, isn’t required (but yes it is) but I would recommend playing it once the band starts because it brings it all together and gives an idea of how the reader is singing. Happy reading!

... Alright, here we go

Gumption be damned, all eyes we trained on you, and you hadn't uttered a word yet. The host turns his attention to you, visibly shocked, "H-How are ya tonight, Ms. y/n?" You can't help but feel a little uncomfortable, hands clammy and a mouth as dry as the desert.

"Just fine, sir, thank yo-"

"The hell is she doin' up there?" A man in the sea of people shouts. The question is enough to stir your stomach, bile rising in the back of your throat. We will not blow chunks in front of all these white people. Not tonight, no, ma'am. You decide that your conscious is right and bury the feeling in your feet.

"Is there anything you'd like to say, Ms. y/n?" The host asks, making an effort to ease the tension. A simple "No sir,'" is all you can get out. "Well, alright then, the floor's all yours." With a nod to him, you look over your shoulder toward Greg. You give him the queue to start, praying he doesn't fuck this up.

Sure, you all have practiced a thousand times, but that was in the comfort of your own home, with not nearly as many leering eyes. There's just no telling how a nervous Greg sounds. You turn back toward the crowd, silently praying you wouldn't screw up, either. The first kick of the bass drum confirms that this is really happening.

Mack doesn't usually sing, but she can. She, Val, and Angel open with a simple harmony. You join in soon after. The crowd looks like you first did when Elvis was on, disinterested. Not good. You break from the girls,

"I'm so excited. I can't get past a-one, two, three," There's murmuring throughout the room, but you have to keep the attention.

"I'm so impatient; it's everything you do to me." You're gripping the mic stand like it'll save you from the intense stares. Then, quickly, you glance toward Sister Mack, silently pleading for help. She holds your gaze and mouths gumption. You release the stand from your clutches and loosen up a bit.

Your hips start to sway. "A little fire.. mixed in good with desire." You run your hands from your bust down to your waist, bouncing with the beat. "Makes my heart sing like a choir- I'm on a respirator whenever he leaves." Your hands move from your waist to your hips, and you lean forward, back arched, and cleavage on full display. Whistles ring out through the crowd.

" 'Cause you stop my heart," you lead the chorus; Angel follows, "I can't focus on anything." You grab the stand again, using it as support while

you dip down and throw your head back. " 'Cause you stop my heart..." you flash a smile, "...and you get to beat it back again." Whistles have turned to hollers. Okay, y/n, bring it home now "bum, bum,bumm, bumm, bum..." you rock your hips from side to side on the beat. This has boys rushing the stage to get a better look.

You look back at sister mack and see a smug expression gracing her features. Told you, she mouths. You continue, and the screams get louder. You can't help but think these fellas look so... fucked out. It's your turn to feel smug.

You didn't realize the weight of the situation. White girls sitting in a puddle of their own slick because a white boy got on stage and shook his hips in their face is one thing; white boys creaming their pants for a black girl swaying hers was another.

Mouths hung open as you teased a bit more, pushing up the curls that framed your face and giving a wink. Hands reached out toward you; some got a hold of your leg. You thought you were done for, that they would drag you down and beat you senseless for such a promiscuous display.

You couldn't've been more wrong. Screams for your attention were coming from different directions. "y/n! over here!" One yelled, "I'll treat you right," said another, "Let me show you some fun, darlin'!" you heard.

It was all too much. These men lusting over you was not the expected outcome. You pull away as you begin to finish the song. When it ends, you blow a kiss. Many attendees pretend to catch it, and you can't help the giggle that leaves your mouth.

For the last time, you look over the crowd. You see boys with blown eyes and seething girls red in the face. Boy, did you feel accomplished .

"It was wonderful performing for Yall. Goodnight, everybody!"

You and your friends make your way off the stage. Greg is the first to speak. "Did ya see that? Them boys couldn't get enough!"

"Mhmm, y/n had 'em foamin' at the mouth," Val says.

You shake your head and open your mouth to speak, but Mack beats you to it. "What'd I tell ya? Gumption!" With a roll of your eyes, you reply, "Yes, sister mack, you told me. I didn't do anything too different, though."

"My ass!" Greg exclaims, "You ain't never sang a song like that before. I mean, I ain’t never seen ya move like that and ya were practically moanin’ on stage." You're quick to shake your

head. "I was not! I -” Angel is quick to cut you off,

"Oh yes you were. Every high note in tonight's show was downright sinful." You laughed, "kept the attention, didn't I?"

"Sure did!" Mack shoots back.

With your adrenaline dropping and your stomach rumbling, the need to change into something more comfortable and find food was getting harder to ignore.

"I'm gon' run to the car to grab my other dress and some flats."

Greg gives you a skeptical look, "You ain't goin’ alone. Take Mack."

You roll your eyes. "It's bout twenty feet from the door. I can handle m'self." He shakes his head, "well, at least let her stand and wait for ya."

You breathe through your nose, irritated that he's holding you up.

"Alright, come on, mack." She hops up from where she's sitting, and you two head for the door.

"Your brother's so dramatic." Mack chuckles at your scrunched-up face. "He just worries, is all. We don't know nobody here, and well, you're... Ya know?"

You understand what she means and drop it, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Hmm. Yeah, I guess."

As you push through the door, striking blue eyes meet your own. He takes in a breath and holds out a shaky hand. "Hi... m'Elvis"

Holy fuck.

Taglist: @prayerstopresley @kaitaesupremacy @18lkpeters @dumpsterhippie @dkayfixates @pennyroyalcreep

[greg-montgomery]

Hi my love <33

So as you know (bc I don’t shut up lmfao) I am currently going through a wild time that’s making me super emotional breaking down at everything! So I come to make a humble request 🫶💓

Can I get thoughts/blurb/hcs/etc, really anything lmfao, for how Greg and Aaron would be supportive of big life changes? The way they’d be comforting while still being logical and grounding😭😭

No worries if not of COURSE! Love you always

MY SWEET!!!! 🫶🏻 it’s all going to be okay, i’m right here for you and so are our favorite men 🤭

let’s start with aaron <333

aaron is the wise Old Man™️ because he’s older and he can give you advice from life experiences! so one of the things he does a lot is talk to you about the big changes of his life. remember when he gave up being a prosecutor because he wanted to join the bau to prevent the crimes form happening? that was a big decision for him to make but he knew that was what he wanted. and now he knows he wouldn’t change that decision for the world bc the bau is his life <3 so he comforts you with the fact that big changes are for good and that was what happened to him 🥰 he just knows more and he has this thing where when he says something you believe him. if aaron hotchner tells you you’ll be alright and you have nothing to worry about, you believe him!

if you get overwhelmed he just gets you in his lap or his arms and asks you questions to find the root of what is bothering you. it kinda helps to break down your problems into smaller ones. and as you do, together you figure out possible solutions. which takes a huuuge weight off your shoulders!

he also lets you get as emotional as you want without any judgement!! he knows how scary it can feel growing up! but he will make sure you have a shoulder to cry on! someone to hold you all night long <3 and of course he reminds you that no matter what life changes you’re going through he’s the one thing that will never ever change cause he’ll love you forever 🥹

now for greg <333

greg is the organized type. you know he loves his lists 🤭 and ofc he’ll make so many lists with you. what’s stressing you out? he definitely has a list for that. problems with solutions! he won’t let one of your worries unanswered. you’ll be like “i’m worried about…said problem” and he’ll be like “no worries, let’s look at the list and see what possible solutions we have for that 🥰”

greg is also a ray of sunshine!! which means he will somehow make you feel excited about your new beginning!! bc look at all these new opportunities!! new places for dates!! new people to meet and become friends with!! he’s just sooo excited for your new life together so you can’t help but get excited too!!!!

when it comes to missing your favorite people, he’ll create routines with you so you don’t feel their absence as intensely. maybe he’ll plan for specific days and times to call your friends or facetime your parents! plan your next trip back home! maybe he’ll help you make a journal that you’ll fill with your new life experiences and moments so you can share it with your favorite people so they won’t miss out on anything!! anything to make you feel less homesick 🥹

they both love you sooooo so much and they’re proud of you!! they couldn’t be happier to see you grow and change and make new beginnings! and they’re literally right there by your side so you know you’ll be alright!!

and a little thing from me <3 there’s this quote about change from an old tv show i used to watch that always helps me 🤍 “i don’t know if things will get better if they change, but in order for things to get better they have to change”

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Thoughts after re-watching Taskmaster s02e01:

- Watching this has reminded me that when I saw this season for the first time, and had heard of none of the contestants in it before – this was even before my phase of watching 8 Out of 10 Cats/Catsdown and getting really really into Jon Richardson – my favourite was Richard Osman. This was established in the very first task, when he was the only person who thought to bring the mat down the hill instead of trying to get all the balls up the hill. I immediately decided I liked this guy, who was so matter-of-fact about how smart he was. He continued this pragmatic approach throughout the episode. In the potato throw task, he was the only person to cross the red green by covering in things he was allowed to touch. In the task where they had to get information out of Fred the Swede, he was the only person to use the tactic of getting the guy to spell out his answers by having Richard ask about each letter and Fred would say yes or no. Which is the most reliable way to do it, if you have a task in which you have to find an answer by only asking yes or no questions, and it always bugs me when someone struggles with one but doesn’t think to do that. Richard Osman was pragmatic and intelligent in his approach to tasks throughout the season, but really showed that off in episode 1, capping it off by winning the live task. I remember I was rooting for him for the rest of the season.

- @youpricksneverwalk has worked out before that there’s a pattern of people getting referenced in one season, and then appearing in a later season, and going on to win it. Sam Campbell was referenced in season 7 because he drew a picture that James Acaster brought in as a prize. Ed Gamble was referenced in season 5 because he stole from Greg for Mark Watson. John Robins was referenced in season 3 because Sara Pascoe brought in his clock as a prize – and he hasn’t won yet, but we’re pretty close to that.

I have an addition to the people who got referenced and then appeared later, and amazingly, it keeps the pattern going! Jon Richardson brings in a certificate he got for doing the “highest ever stand-up gig” because he did one on a plane, and says Dara O’Briain and Jack Whitehall both did support. Dara, of course, later appeared on Taskmaster and won. We have yet to see Jack, and it’s probably fine if they keep it that way.

We’ve also discussed some other comedians who’ve been referenced before and could possibly appear in future seasons to continue this trend. Noel Fielding brought in a picture of him and Julian Barratt as a prize once. Steve Pemberton referenced Reece Shearsmith in one of his prize tasks. Tim Key brought in an excuse note about appearing in Daniel Kitson’s play, though Kitson appearing on Taskmaster is more theoretically possible than a genuine possibility (however, I have said “I’d really love this person on Taskmaster but of course it would never happen” before and then been proven wrong, so technically you never know…). Re-watching s02e01 has reminded me of another one (in addition to Jack Whitehall) – Katherine Ryan calls Sofie Hagan for help during the task where she needs to translate Swedish.

They also had Susie Dent give her ruling on a semantic issue at one point, and she could be fun on a New Year’s Treat sometime.

- They really did jump right into this one. Halfway through, I went back to check and be sure I was, in fact, watching the first episode. That potato throw incident, with voting on disqualifying Joe, was the second ever task of the season. Normally they take a bit of time to warm up first, don’t jump right in with something that intense. Even the task of getting the balls up the hill was pretty intense, with Jon, Joe, and Doc all losing their minds. That was a great intro to the season though. I guess you have to just jump right in when you only have five episodes in total. No time for getting to know anyone.

- This might be an unpopular view, but I think the jokes about Greg and Alex having sex with each other were funnier when they were slightly more subtle in the early seasons, when they’d sort of come out of nowhere and catch you off guard. As opposed to being quite so constant.

- This isn’t really relevant, but Richard Osman looks too big. He sits in those studio chairs and looks like a cartoon character in a comically small chair. He walks around the house and looks like he doesn’t fit in it. I think he’s the same height as Greg, but I don’t notice Greg looking too big, in the day-to-day shots, the way I do with Richard Osman. I guess that’s because Greg mostly just sits on a chair that’s been made for someone his size (as opposed to the contestant chairs that are too small for Richard Osman), but I think of other things I’ve seen Greg do, and he didn’t look that out of place. Greg Davies walked around the We Are Klang set and just looked like a regular tall person. Richard Osman looks like a human walking around a Lego set.

- The frequent "four comedians and Richard Osman" jokes are funny. You wouldn't get that these days, because it's normal to have vaguely comedy-adjacent non-comedians on Taskmaster. But I think Richard was the first - everyone in season 1 was a comedian (though there was one "four comedians and the poet Tim Key" joke), and everyone in season 2 besides Osman is a comedian.

- Katherine Ryan was noticeably good in this episode too, even if I've gone off her these days. I think Taskmaster played to her strengths well, she's funny when she's doing the "take charge attitude" thing, pretty much equally funny when she succeeds and when she falters. Also I found her speech about not caring where the ball goes in sports funny - I assume that was shoehorned stand-up? It sounded like it, though the only stand-up hours I've heard from her are from after this so I don't know. It was funny anyway. I don't mind shoehorned stand-up on panel shows when it's funny.

- It is funny to watch this again now that I know Doc Brown is the only person to ever go on the Taskmaster podcast and say he hated filming this show (though Russell Howard came pretty close to saying that - every other person has said they loved it). I wouldn't have noticed on a first watch, but he doesn't look like he's having a great time.

[sitp-recs]

Meddling, Menswear, and Magic - by @writcraft

Harry/Draco (2022, Mature, 18.7k)

Draco Malfoy is working in a job he hates and avoiding the magical world entirely, but he really is fine. When a bequest from Severus Snape brings Draco back to a much-changed magical world, he must find his place within it and navigate his growing attraction to Harry Potter in the process.

“Being unhappy seems like a good enough reason,” Harry says.

“Maybe I deserved to be unhappy for a while.” Draco meets Harry’s gaze and there’s a raw, open intimacy in it that makes Draco’s stomach flip.

I can’t believe I got obsessed fell in love with another fic as soon as I posted my 2022 wrap up, what is even my life 💀 I haven’t written a proper rec in 84 years and actually felt a bit anxious posting this but whatever, you only live once (or until Jan 3rd when I get back to work) etc etc. As a general rule I prefer not to rec ongoing Fest fics but I guess every rule needs an exception, right? I just didn’t want people to waste any time before checking this and closing the year with a single rec feels quite auspicious :) and maybe this will prompt MA to reveal themselves to me because I’m ready to kiss the ground they walk on

I’ve said before that my reccing process comes in waves and requires the kind of passionate frenzy that urges me to write while reading the fic, which I happen to experience very rarely nowadays. This only shows how much this story has affected me. Muggle Draco, found family, meddling Snape friends, coworkers to lovers, karaoke nights (!!!), master chef Harry, this fic has everything I adore and delivers every single detail masterfully, with heart and intent. Simply put, I am blown away. Not only by MA’s singular ability to reach inside my mind and tick my every box, but also by their build up and characterization skills, coming up with charming, fleshed-out characters and a delicious brand of playful banter that made my heart beat outside of my chest from their very first interaction at the Ministry. The unrelenting banter was so excellent and entertaining I could cry - I surprised myself giggling so many times imagining their faces while delivering those lines. Gotta love a sassy couple, peak romance!

The premise itself is unpretentious yet brilliant, bringing Snape back from the dead to articulate things and push the boys plot together. His presence is clever and powerful not only from a plot perspective, but also to help us understand a bit more about post-war Harry and Draco, as they take the responsibility for his legacy by continuing his research work. There’s a lot to unpack between Draco’s fierce loyalty and Harry’s resigned determination to see this through. But despite all the emotional depth, the vignette style, smooth pacing and light tone make it hard to believe this is almost 20k; it feels both longer and shorter, I’ve read it in one breath and was left aching for more.

The characters voices are also delight - this still snarky but also civil, restrained Draco offers a fabulous POV, and learning about Greg & Luna and about “new, older Harry” as perceived by him was an absolute joy. I’m desperate to know more about this Harry with his mellow and jaded persona, a tad mysterious and off-kilt but still lovely and lovable. I found him both charming and intriguing, in Draco’s own (again, top notch) assessment, a peculiar man indeed. And Draco is so thirst for him I could barely hold my excitement omg the tux fitting scenes are so deliciously laced with sexual tension! Their chemistry is off the charts and I melted alongside Draco at Harry’s intensity and single-minded focus. Trust me when I say the M rating is sexy enough!!!

On that note, something unique that I particularly loved about this story is how organically everyone interacts, characters often breaking tension at awkward moments with incredibly perceptive gestures or lines (e.g. the conversation with Ron or when Harry helps out in the kitchen on their first date). That made me feel even more immersed and close to the characters. Something about the way they see each other, open and tentative, gives the otherwise simple exchange an interesting nuance of tenderness and intimacy. Masterful writing 😔🤌🏼

Ugh, I can’t believe I found yet another 2022 favorite on the very last day of the year. I wish MA could have seen my face as I read their fic because I am certain the feeling of pure joy and wonder was written all over it. I haven’t felt this bubbly about a fic in a long time, it was the kind of story that gave me renewed hope to see 2023 as an open canvas, a year full of possibilities. Writing this rec took me over 45 min and nothing was able to wipe the smile from my face. I can’t thank you enough, my dear MA, for giving me such a special experience today of all days. This fic will always hold a special spot in my heart for it. Happy New Year!

Read on AO3

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things Erica The Great Review

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from this graphic novel, as well as from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things reviews, and let me know what your thoughts/theories are about the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things "The Game Master" and "Erica's Quest"

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Synopsis: Following the events of season 3, Erica has embraced her love for Dungeons & Dragons and begins organizing campaigns centered around her new D&D character: Erica The Great. At the suggestion of her mom, she enlists her friends to play the game with her. However, Erica's attempts to control D&D cause her friends to turn on her with disastrous results. Now it's up to Erica to fix things before everyone ends up in trouble.

Observations:

This is the third graphic novel since Zombie Boys and The Bully, and it's once again penned by Greg Pak, this time alongside Danny Lore. Released on January 26, 2022 (four months before season 4 premiered), it serves as an interquel between when Erica was first given the D&D books by Dustin and Lucas at the end of season 3, and when she substitutes for Lucas at Hellfire Club in the season 4 premiere. The graphic novel chronicles one of her D&D campaigns with her friends (Kelly, Tanya, and April). Compared to comics/graphic novels like Kamchatka or Into the Fire which were dark and intense, this one is light-hearted, which is welcoming. This story focuses on Erica's personal development, both in how she plays D&D, and as a person.

When it comes to discussing character development in the series, most of the fan discourse usually centers around Steve's growth and how he's evolved since the show began. While I 100% agree that he has, and that it's one of the best aspects of the show, there are times fans tend to overlook other characters who have changed as well. Two examples that come to mind are Lucas and Erica. I will cover Lucas's development when I review Lucas on the Line, but for this discussion, I'm focusing exclusively on Erica.

Erica's growth has been interesting, and as she's evolved as a character, so has my perception of her. When she was introduced in season 2, I didn't care much for her. IMO, she came off as little more than a bratty younger sister who made disdainful remarks about Lucas and his friends, and at one point (unintentionally) acted as a hindrance when Dustin was trying to get in contact with Lucas. I know there are fans who loved her snark, but I found it mean-spirited and off-putting. I get she was 9-10 years old at the time, and I know some kids tend to act like this at that age, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant to deal with. It also doesn't help she didn't have much to do with the main plot, so I didn't see a reason at the time to get invested in her.

Season 3 was different. I know fan opinions about Erica were mixed at the time, but in spite of that, I liked her better in season 3 for two reasons: 1.) From a narrative perspective, she actually had a point for being there, namely in helping Steve, Robin, and Dustin infiltrate the Russian base underneath Starcourt Mall, and later aiding Dustin in rescuing a drugged Robin and Steve. 2.) This was the season Erica's character development started to kick in. Her reasons for getting involved were initially about "Free Ice Cream for Life," but once things go horribly wrong and she's informed about what's really going on, she finally realizes the danger everyone is in and starts taking the situation a lot more seriously. On top of that, after her talk with Dustin about how she's secretly a nerd, she begins embracing that aspect of herself rather than snidely putting it down like she's done in the past.

Season 4 is where I liked Erica the most. The sequence of her helping to win Eddie's D&D campaign was fun, and it's noteworthy she didn't have to be bribed by Mike and Dustin either. She aided them because she loves the game and she see herself as Dustin's friend. As she tells Jason later when he's asking about Dustin: "Know him? I've bled with him." She still retains her snark, but it's more directed towards people who actually deserve it: Like when Eddie acts condescending towards her initially when she shows up at Hellfire Club, or even some of the barbs she throws Jason's way. This exchange especially is golden:

I love how a.) Erica clearly likes Max and approves of her relationship with Lucas, and b.) Even if she is being snarky here, she's not disapproving of the idea of Lucas going out with guys, but thinks Lucas could do so much better than Jason. 😂

Jokes aside though, I also appreciate how, in an entire room full of adults who were silent and complicit during Jason's speech at the town hall, she is the only one who wasn't afraid to stand up to Jason and call bullshit at his attempts to paint the Hellfire Club as a Satanic cult responsible for every bad thing happening in Hawkins. She knew this was going to turn into a lynch mob that would target her brother and his friends, and she was having none of it.

Initially, she does throw shade at Lucas and Dustin when they're caught by the police and lie about what they're doing, but when she's informed about what's actually going on, she willingly drops everything to help them escape (and judging by her unsurprised look at Lucas's explanation, she probably already figured out the recent deaths, combined with Lucas and Dustin's suspicious behavior, had something to do with the Upside Down). She later does everything she can to stop Vecna along with the rest of the group, and helped save Max's life (following El restarting her heart) by getting emergency respondents there to stabilize Max's condition before it got worse.

Adding on to this, I love how season 4 subtly shows Erica caring about Lucas without the constant snide jabs. Like Erica coming to all of Lucas's basketball games on her own accord (minus the one she missed for Hellfire Club). Or staying in the hospital with Lucas while Max recovers. Or even rushing to Lucas's aid after overpowering Andy. Lucas on the Line also expands on her protective side towards Lucas, such as getting angry when Lucas gets called a racist slur by someone on the basketball team, or even being worried for Lucas when he's made the target of a bomb threat at school.

In Stranger Things tradition, Erica is someone who appears one way on the surface, but has a lot more hidden depths to her character.

This brings me to the interquel Erica The Great: Much like the short story "Erica's Quest," Erica is still developing her skills as a D&D player at this time, and is looking for people to play with her. The story kicks off when her mom suggests inviting her friends to do a campaign despite their unfamiliarity with D&D.

Her friends eventually agree, but problems arise when they have a hard time understanding how the game is played. Erica doesn't help by being impatient and dismissive when they question things. There's also the fact Erica is more interested initially in getting the glory and credit for herself rather than genuinely wanting to work with her friends, resulting in them feeling inconvenienced.

Naturally, this pisses Tanya off, and she leaves to get her mom's bird (a parakeet) to show off to April and Kelly as a way of one-upping Erica. A fight breaks out between them over this, resulting in the parakeet getting loose and flying next door to the house of Erica's neighbor, Miss Dorothy.

Because she knows Tanya will get in trouble with her mother for losing the bird, Erica agrees to get it back for her, all the while dealing with Miss Dorothy's dog and a bunch of other obstacles.

If you've followed along to this point, you can already guess what kind of story this is, and how it plays out: Main character starts out selfish and self-centered. Catastrophe occurs, forcing them to work with others to solve the problem. Through trial and error, they eventually learn the value of teamwork, acknowledge their faults, and grow as a person.

While the plot itself is formulaic, it works here for Erica in bridging parts of her character development. Not only is she learning to be a better player and Dungeon Master, but she's also learning to be a better friend to those around her. She was already beginning to show signs of this towards the end of season 3, and season 4 acts as the culmination of that. This graphic novel shows the big leap forward for her. She's starting to shed her "It's All About Me" attitude while also taking responsibility and learning that it's okay to rely on others for assistance instead of doing everything on your own.

On top of that, regardless of whether or not this was intentional from the writers, I like how the graphic novel serves as a nice deconstruction of the "Mary Sue/Author's Self-Insert" archetypes and how obnoxious they are. The character Erica creates and uses in D&D initially resembles that: She's presented as perfect in the game with no meaningful flaws she has to work through. She's naturally great at everything she does, and both the game's narration and her "companions" are just there to prop her up. Rather than making her look awesome, it just makes her character an uninteresting scene-stealer. This contrasts hard with Erica outside of the game where she's called out for her flaws, works through them, strengthens her friendship with the other girls as a result, and likely takes what she's learned and applies it to the game to make "Erica The Great" a better written and more compelling character. By the end, she's even giving her friends the chance to add their own spin to their D&D campaign because she recognizes it's important for them to try out their fun ideas.

And I get that through all of this, Erica's still a kid who's around 10-11 years old at this time, and that certain levels of being self-centered are expected. I even get creating fantasy worlds at that age where you're the main character of your story, who does everything perfectly and is constantly hailed for your amazing accomplishments. I did the same thing myself when I was growing up, so I recognize I'm not in a position to judge others on that account. However, in the context of this story, it's still nice seeing that growth from Erica.

Something else that's fun is how the quest to get the parakeet back is viewed through Erica's imagination as a D&D adventure. From Erica's perspective, the parakeet is a fiery Phoenix, Miss Dorothy is a mysterious witch, and her dog is a Cerberus. You can tell the artists had a lot of fun with these scenes:

I also love the small detail of Erica starting her D&D Campaign at "Starcourt Tavern," which is fittingly symbolic for the place where her story and first encounter with elements from the Upside Down began:

One tiny question I have though: Where is Tina in all of this? She's been repeatedly name-dropped by Erica and Lucas in seasons 3 and 4, and yet she hasn't made any appearance on the show or in this graphic novel. We get Kelly, Tanya, and April, but we don't get Tina.

Oh well! 🤷

On a final note, in regards to where they take Erica's story in season 5, I'm wondering if she and Lucas will spend most of their time together for the last season as they deal with Vecna's impending invasion. The ominous ending for season 4 certainly suggests that:

Since Erica's also in the hospital with Max at this time, I wonder if she might even have a role in resuscitating Max from her current coma.

Additionally, I also believe that since the comics and season 4 placed a heavy emphasis on Erica's skills and knowledge as a D&D player, she may end up employing them in a way that brings Vecna's downfall in the final season. There's even an argument to be had that the scene of Erica in "The Hellfire Club" rolling a 20 for the team and defeating the D&D version of Vecna is foreshadowing that she'll have an important role to play in the Party's fight against Vecna.

Overall, a fun graphic novel that does a great job enhancing Erica's continuing character development. Check it out when (and if) you get the chance!