#Lexie bean

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

goodreads

Rowan has too many secrets to write down in the pages of a diary. And if he did, he wouldn’t want anyone he knows to discover them. He understands who he is and what he likes, but it’s not safe for others to know. Now, the kids at school say he’s too different to spend time with. He’s not the “right kind” of girl, and he’s not the “right kind” of boy. His mom ignores him. And at night, his dad hurts him in ways he’s not ready to talk about yet. But Rowan discovers another way to share his secrets: letters. Letters he attaches to balloons and releases into the universe, hoping someone new will read them and understand. But when he befriends a classmate who knows what it’s like to be lonely and scared, even at home, Rowan realizes that there might already be a person he can trust right by his side. Tender and wise, The Ship We Built is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself–even to those you love–and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.

Mod opinion: I haven't heard of this book before and it doesn't sound like its for my age group, but it sounds sweet for a younger audience.

[transbookoftheday]

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Sometimes I have trouble filling out tests when the name part feels like a test too. . . . When I write letters, I love that you have to read all of my thoughts and stories before I say any name at all. You have to make it to the very end to know.

Rowan has too many secrets to write down in the pages of a diary. And if he did, he wouldn't want anyone he knows to read them. He understands who he is and what he likes, but it's not safe for others to find out. Now the kids at school say Rowan's too different to spend time with. He's not the "right kind" of girl, and he's not the "right kind" of boy. His mom ignores him. And at night, his dad hurts him in ways he's not ready to talk about yet.

Then Rowan discovers another way to share his secrets: letters. Letters he attaches to balloons and releases into the universe, hoping someone new will read them and understand. But when he befriends a classmate who knows what it's like to be lonely and scared, even at home, Rowan realizes there might already be a person he can trust right by his side.

Tender and wise, The Ship We Built is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself–even to those you love–and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.

[w1f1n1ghtm4r3]

i touch the bean

[sams-special-space]

2023 Reads: The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Genre: Fiction: Contemporary Age level: Middle grade Format: Novel

Summary: Rowan, a young trans boy who knows who he is but doesn't know who to tell, writes letters to help him feel less lonely. The book follows each letter he writes before sending them off via balloon in the hopes that someone will hear him.

Thoughts: This is one of those books that sticks to you like glue. I think this is probably one of my favorite middle grade books I've ever read- it's touchingly heartfelt, and captures the voice of a scared trans kid so well that it made me cry lmao!! As a transmasc, I'm always looking for more transmasc rep, and this one especially touched me. I really do recommend it!

I do, however, wonder if this is the type of book that would connect with the middle grade audience. I very much enjoyed it, but it was one of those things where I couldn't really imagine my younger siblings reading. I guess this isn't the biggest problem in the world, but it does make me wonder who the audience is. I'd be willing to go out on a branch and say it's more for trans young adults and older? But I don't know! I'd be eager to hear anyone's thoughts on this :0

But it is lovely! 100% this will be going on my favorites list at the end of the year.

My rating: 5/5 Trigger warnings: Child abuse, CSA, a Black child experiencing the incarceration of a parent, transphobia, homophobia, suicidal thoughts / ideation, vague portrayal of conversion therapy.  Representation: Trans boy + queer MC, selectively mute MC(?), Black SC.

[fvrsaeken]

"Ten months sober I must admit, just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it. Ten months older I must admit, now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it..."

lexie ryan // open!

[theartofangirling]

part 1 of the 2023 version of this post: middle grade books!

part 2: young adult books | part 3: adult books

this is a very incomplete list, as these are only books I've read and enjoyed. not all books are going to be for all readers, so I'd recommend looking up synopses and content warnings. feel free to message me with any questions about specific representation!

list of books under the cut ⬇️

the tea dragon society by k. o'neill

mooncakes by suzanne walker and wendy xu

the witch boy by molly knox ostertag

the deep and dark blue by niki smith

the magic fish by trung le nguyen

the hidden oracle by rick riordan

strangeworlds travel agency by l.d. lapinski

ellie engle saves herself by leah johnson

ivy aberdeen's letter to the world by ashley herring blake

hurricane season by nicole melleby

ana on the edge by a.j. sass

the ship we built by lexie bean

the pants project by cat clarke

[bootleglesbian]

available bootlegs

this is everything i currently have available (updated 06/18/24). if you have anything to trade i generally prefer that but i am open to gifting any of the titles that are not starred! as a rule, if no cast is listed or only some members are listed, that means that i do not know the cast but i am happy to send a screenshot if you would like (and if anyone is interested in helping me identify unknown casts or dates of any files, let me know!).

green = video, pink = audio, starred = trade or donations only

*Anastasia (Hartford Theatre pre-Broadway run - Christy Altomare, Derek Klena)

*Anastasia (Broadway - Christy Altomare, Derek Klena)

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, 06/24/18 - Melissa Benoist)

Beetlejuice (Broadway, 10/31/19 aka Halloween)

Book of Mormon (Broadway - Ben Platt)

Come From Away (Broadway - Jenn Collela)

Falsettos (Proshot)

Falsettos (Broadway - ORC, not proshot)

Falsettos (Tour - Max von Essen, Nick Adams, Eden Espinosa, Nick Blaemire, Audrey Cardwell, Bryonha Marie Parham)

*Falsettos (Tour - Max von Essen, Nicka Adams, Eden Espinosa, Nick Blaemire, Audrey Cardwell, Bryonha Marie Parham)

Freaky Friday (La Jolla)

*Ghost (Broadway - Caissie Levy)

Hamilton (Broadway - Lexi Lawson)

Hamilton (First National Tour - Michael Luwoye, Solea Pffeifer, Joshua Henry, Emmy Raver Lampman, Isaiah Johnson, Jordan Donica, Mathenee Treco, Ruben J. Carbajal, Amber Iman, Rory O'Malley)

*Hamilton (Chicago Act 1 only - Karen Olivo, Ariana Afsar, Samantha Marie Ware, Miguel Cervantes, Joshua Henry)

*Hamilton (Broadway - OBC, not proshot)

*The Last Five Years (Off-Broadway - Betsy Wolfe, Adam Kantor)

*Lempicka (Broadway, 03/38/24 - Eden Espinosa, Amber Iman, Andrew Samonsky, George Abud, Natalie Joy Johnson, Zoe Glick, Nathaniel Stampley, Beth Leavel)

*Mean Girls (Broadway, 02/22/20 - Renee Rapp, Erika Henningson, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Grey Henson, Kate Rockwell, Krystina Alabado, Kyle Selig)

*Mean Girls (National Tour)

*Mystery of Edwin Drood (Broadway - Stephanie J. Block, Betsy Wolfe, Jessie Mueller)

*The Prom (Alliance Theatre pre-Broadway - Caitlin Kinnunen, Anna Grace Barlow)

*She Loves Me (Broadway - ORC proshot)

Waitress (ART pre-Broadway run - Jessie Mueller, Jeanna de Waal, Keala Settle, Drew Gehling, Joe Tippett, Dakin Matthews, Christopher Fitzgerald, Eric Anderson)

*Waitress (Broadway - Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Molly Jobe, Drew Gehling)

*Waitress (Broadway - Sara Barielles, Chris Diamantopoulos, Charity Angel Dawson, Molly Jobe, Will Swenson, Christopher Fitzgerald)

*Waitress (Broadway, 06/19/17 - Betsy Wolfe, Drew Gehling)

Waitress (Broadway, 12/14/17 - Stephanie Torns, Jason Mraz)

Waitress (Broadway - Shoshana Bean, Jeremy Jordan)

*Waitress (Broadway - Shoshana Bean, Jeremy Jordan)

Waitress (Broadway, 02/03/19 - Sara Bareilles, Gavin Creel)

Waitress (Tour, 08/26/18)

Wicked (Broadway, 02/01/15 - Caroline Bowman, Kara Lindsey)

Wicked (Broadway, 02/10/13 - Donna Vivino, Ali Mauzey, Kyle Dean Massey, Randy Danson, Adam Grupper, Catherine Charlebois, F. Michael Haynie, Tom Flynn)

Wicked (unknown - Eden Espinosa, Megan Hilty)

*Wicked (Broadway - Stephanie J. Block, Annaleigh Ashford)

*Wicked (Broadway - Lindsay Mendez, Katie Rose Clark)

[teademoness]

Hi hi hello ^-^

For those of you who are into DoL, what dessert or ice cream flavor would your pc be ^^

For me I think mine would probably be these->

Catlia = Strawberry ice-cream with strawberry chunks

Felyla = Blueberry muffins

Sophie = Oatmeal raisin cookie

Miki = Candied Pecans with Aleppo

Tsumi = Dark chocolate brownies with chocolate chips

Lillian = Vanilla bean cheesecake

Lexi = Strawberry chocolate soufflé

Lavina = Chocolate cinnamon rolls with maple frosting

[shaggy-dog12]

☆THANKSGIVING SURPRISE☆

John Price X Reader

A little bit of spice?) But mostly just fluff and wholesome time with fictional family and Price. Use of "Y/N" 1 or 2 times (and of course, the Macy's parade)

(Family members are given names already, you can always change the names up if you'd like, just thought this would be easier for me.)

Smells wafted out of the kitchen, pouring into the house. Scents of sage, thyme, apple, pumpkin, and most importantly, turkey. You stand in the kitchen, apron tied around your waist as you roll the dough for the homemade noodles out on the island counter, cutting them in thin lines so they won't be too long or thick. The front door opens, and your mother and father step into the living room, kicking their shoes off next to the fall themed welcome mat and walking into the kitchen. "Hey, hun." Your father walks over, pressing a kiss to your forehead. He walks over to the sink, washing his hands and joining you. Helping you to roll out the dough and cut the noodles. Your mother sets down the apple dumplings, sweet potato casserole ,and her famous corn pudding. Your mother turns to you, giving you a smile. The corner of her eyes crinkled, showing off her wrinkles. But she still looked quite young for her age. "Have you heard anything from John, sweetie?" Your lips swiftly curl into a slight frown, "Yeah…He said he won't be able to make it back for Thanksgiving.. said something about a botched mission.." A soft, defeated sigh escapes your lips as you throw the noodles into the now boiling water on the stove. You hear your father mutter, but don't catch what he said. "Really? That's not what I hea-" Your father was quickly cut off, your mother jabbing him in the gut. He was about to scold her, but the glare she gave him quickly shut him up, he clears his throat and went back to making more noodles. Throwing them into the pot with the rest of the noodles. The front door opens again, two brunettes, one 5 (male) and one 8 (female) run into the kitchen. Hugging your mom and dad, soon turning to you, hugging your leg, and waist as they beam up at you. "Max, Lexi!" You smile and bend down, placing a kiss on the crown of their heads. Their mother (your sister-in-law) walks into the kitchen with a platter of fruits and vegetables in hand. "Max, Lexi. Get out of the kitchen. We can't have you guys here in the adults's way." Max and Lexi pout, running out of the kitchen and into the living room. Turning on the TV, switching the channel to the Macy's Parade. You laugh. "Hi Beth." Beth turns to you, greeting you as she walks over. "Need help with anything?"Yeah, could you start mashing up the potatoes, and when William gets in here, tell him to start snapping the end of the green beans off. Beth nods and starts mashing up the potatoes, William soon joining to help out while Lexi and Max enjoy the parade. Twenty minutes pass, and the rest of the family shows up. The island and counters filled with desserts, appetizers, and main courses. The children sit around the kids' table, happily chowing down. The adults sit along a long, rectangular shaped table, eating and some sipping on wines and beer. "Y/N, could you get another bottle of Pinot noir? We've run empty on this bottle." Your mother looks at you, holding up the now empty bottle of Pinot noir. "Yeah, does anyone want another beer or another type of wine?" William chimes in, holding up his empty can of Bud Light. You give a quick nod walking into the kitchen, throwing away the empty can of Bud light and Pinot noir, walking over to the fridge you grab a Bud light out of the fridge, placing it on the counter, then walking over to the wine rack. Reaching for another bottle and corkscrew opener. Stabbing the opener into the cork and twisting it, pulling the cork out. Before you could turn around, two callused hands are placed upon your waist, turning you around. Your eyes widen as you look.

John…

A scream of sheer glee escapes you, jumping into John's arms. A shocked gasp escapes John's lips as he quickly hoists you up, wrapping his arms under your legs as your arms wrap around his neck. A toothy smile plastered on his face as he leaned in, lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss, John walked over to an empty space on the counter. Placing you down, resting his left hand on your cheek, deepening the kiss and his right hand on your thigh, slowly sliding up your shirt. A low groan escapes John's lips. Pure bliss taking over the both of you. John's hand runs up and down your side and kisses your jaw and neck. A giggle escapes your lips due to John's beard tickling your neck. "John.. Don't you think we should wait until later?" You place your hands on his shoulders, pushing slightly so he'd look up at you. John chuckles and kisses your cheek. "I suppose so, love. Wouldn't want anyone to walk in on us." Price backs away, helping you off the counter, embracing you. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to come back for Thanksgiving. What's with the sudden change?" Price brushes a strand of hair from your face. "Oh, no love. I only said that because I wanted to surprise you. I even told your Mom and Dad that I wanted to surprise you. They knew of this plan before I was even cleared to leave." Price placed more tender kisses on your face. "Well, you can consider me throughly surprised John. Now make yourself a plate and eat with us!" John smiled warmly, making himself a plate of food and sitting next to you at the table, chatting away.

You had to admit. It was quite a nice surprise.

[rensimps]

Wrong Number {L.F, SKZ}

chapter 8

summary: when texting your friends new number turns to you making friends with a memelord and his friends.

warnings: fluff, crack, very bad sense of humor, angst if you squint, a lot of swearing

word count: 756

It's been a few weeks since you and Jackson had started working with the 3 "small producers", and honestly you really liked working with them. they are respectful and honest, speaking out on things that should be changed and what they think could be done better and you and Jackson listened.

For the most part the song you 5 have been working on is complete, Chris had messaged you about lyrics and you both sent ideas to eachother, asking opinions and what should be added. you had already finished writing the lyrics you both worked on and now all you had to do was sing and rap your parts. your part was the chorus where you would do a fast rap and then transition to singing, Chris wanted your sing part to be strong and rough but confident as well as it fit with the lyrics. your singing voice was mostly breathy and light but on song currently you opted for a more growl type (yknow, like ado?).

As for Chris and the other 2, you had no idea where they'd put their parts in but you trusted them enough. Jackson on the other hand, worked with Chris and Seungheon on the song and the beat. When you first listened to the finish product you honestly thought it could fit in with 3racha well with Jacksons vibes scattered on it but you let the thought pass by.

★彡

Today was the last day before holidays from uni for you and your friends. you all had decided to crash at Jacksons place to have fun and drink in celebration of finishing all your tests.

Jackson was currently sat on a bean bag infront of his TV playing some games with Lexis as you and Jiyeon started on dinner for the evening. You helped Jiyeon with most of it, dinner being Kimchi Jjigae, some bulgogi with various side dishes, a side of tofu to dip into the jjigae if they wanted to and some fish cakes. You brought out a few plates and placed them on the coffee table infront of the couch and called everyone in for food. Jiyeon came striding in with a cooler which you assumed was full of alcohol. She picked some stuff to start with, like beer, soju and makgeolli. you snatched the makgeolli before anyone else could and lexis whined out, something about it being her favorite but you just stuck out your tongue at her.

As you all sat and chatted for a while, your phone dinged a few times. you took your phone and saw a message from lix, your friend you had been talking to for a few months, you two had gotten close in the time you had been messaging, often playing games with eachother like genshin or fortnite, which you definitely carried. You opened your phone to see what he sent.

Mona Lixa: Y/NNNN WANNA PLAY SOME GAMES? I FINISHED MY SCHEDULE FINALLY

sent 21;38

You laughed at how excited he seemed, and sent a reply back with some memes

Y/N: can't rn, I'm having dinner w my friends tonight bc we finished our exams, later maybe if you're still up?

sent 21;40

Mona Lixa: boohh, fine ig I can wait, have fun! I'm gonna beat you this time frfr

sent 21;42

You laughed at his message and liked it before closing your phone, only looking up when Jiyeon called your name.

"y/n, you've been laughing your phone a whole lot lately, did you get a boyfriend? are you cheating on me?" Jiyeon said in faux of fence but also wriggling her eyebrows at you. You scoffed at her but smiled nonetheless and pushed her shoulder slightly. "as if, it's just a friend of mine, he's been whining about how I can't play games with him right now."

"oooooh what friend? I didn't know you had friends other than us" lexis teased, pointed her chopsticks at you accusingly. "yah! fuck you mean other than you! I have plenty of friends" you pouted "he's the person that I texted when Jackson gave me the wrong number, he's actually funny unlike you guys" you smirked as everyone gasp at what you said. they all jumped up and started throwing pillows at you as you screamed and laughed the night away.

★彡

After a few hours at Jacksons place you went back to your apartment. You walked in, took off your shoes, and immediately head to your fridge to drink a bottle of water and hangover supplements to not feel like death in the morning. as you finished drinking the water your phone dinged again, this time a message from Chris.

"Chris": Hey, finished the song, well send it to you but we have to tell you guys something first.

sent 01;23

you furrowed your eyebrows at the cryptic messaged, heading to your bedroom and laid down before replying.

Y/N: That's great! I'll message Jackson to hop on to the group chat then

sent 01;28

★彡

«prev mast next»

taglist:

taglist: @lauraliisa @smoltika @dreeener @tfshouldidohere @ilychee08 @schniti-is-in-the-house @strawberry31 @deadmans-toe @2137natalia @jiisungllvr @lixielovesme

[mr-laveau]

-hands you my Love listener and also all my actual love ily booboo-

One. They have been called Love and/or Asset and will name themselves Ariel.

Two. Unfortunately, we already know all there is to their backstory 😭

Three. They’ve played around with the idea of lots of aesthetics and have settled on a sort of pastel, casual look with academia elements.

Four. They’re gender-fluid, so they switch from male, femme, and androgynous presenting on a whim.

Five. (Now that I’m really reading these questions, I’m so sorry for sending you an Android 😂) Marcus is an anime nerd in the worst way, so Ariel was deffo made with East-Asian features.

Six. They were made to look in their early twenties.

Seven. Slender and androgynous.

Eight. A Scorpio, though I’m not confident about that answer, I’ll admit.

Nine. Anton, who is the only person they feel likes them, and James, who is the only person who they feel respects them.

Ten. They’re still discovering hobbies and interests but so far, they’re enjoying listening to music and learning piano.

Eleven. Hmm, I think it’d be interesting if it was Psyche, Greek Goddess of the Soul, since it could be argued whether they have one.

Twelve. RedactedAudio 💕

Thirteen. Ariel is a sex-neutral/averse ace, so when they do sex without the obsession-code, it’s done with curiosity and the partner’s pleasure as the main priority.

Fourteen. Hmmm… that’s a new question for me. I think they actually don’t know yet.

Fifteen. I am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds. It unironically makes them feel a lot of things.

Sixteen. Lowkey Natalie Portman’s character in Ex Machina.

Seventeen. Almost like a stock photo or a model’s shoot. They are symmetrical and physically attractive, beautiful almost, but there’s something impersonal about the stiff way they hold themselves and the lack of emoting on their face.

Eighteen. They really want to meet a dog. EDM music confused them and holds up appeal. They wish they could try coffee and lemons.

Thank you, my love 🧡

LaVeau-gue - design #003 - Asset/Love - Ariel - Lexi Sun

You are most welcome Lexi, always an honour to get to work with my first redacted friend, especially when it comes to this bean, Ariel! I still remember a few of the details from our previous conversations in regards to how you see them so I hope this does them justice!

Design Notes

Approaching Ariel's design, I had already had remembered conversations with you in regards to previous inspirations you'd mentioned for your take on Love. I also added in a bit of my own inspos to the mix to see what would take

For Ariel's design I wanted to keep in mind the solid collection of notes you'd written up so I could incorporate as much as I could whilst also condensing the design so I could make it simple to redraw (as I do with some of my other designs). My main focus when getting into this design however was to create a human and android Skin similar to how I'd made my Asset, Prim.

A big inspiration I had for them was Jenni from My Life As a Teenage Robot and Hatsune Miku so I decided that white metallic plates reminiscent of Jenni would work and blue hair similar to Miku would tie things together. Additional, I also chose to include colours from the PM title cards to establish that visual parallel .

As for clothing, I followed your instructions as best as I could, creating an androgynous fit that was pastel and had hints of academic elements! On top of that, I incorporated musical notes as a reference to the singing Ariel from the Tempest and the little mermaid does and to reference her proclivities for piano music. To reference back to your choice of Psyche as a god to represent Asset, I included butterfly designs on their overalls. To balance the whole pallette I combos the PM pallette and the pallette of their clothes which ended up being pretty readable overall! Another fun fact is that I also ended realizing that Ariel shares a clothing pallette with my Caelum!

Wanna have your listener designed by me? Check out my rules for LaVeau-gue and send an ask my way! Also, currently I am looking for money to replace my computer so any interested parties who wanna help can check out my commissions!

[transbookoftheday]

Leave Trans Kids Alone

Inspired by David Tennant's "Leave Trans Kids Alone You Absolute Freaks" shirt, here are some amazing trans middle grade and picture books you should read:

Book titles:

99% Chance of Magic by Amy Eleanor Heart, Abbey Darling and Luna Merbruja

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski

Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and A. J. Sass

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Joy, to the World by Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker

Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass

Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter and Joamette Gil

Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff

Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensee, KC Oster and Aarin Dokum

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon

Tally the Witch by Molly Landgraff

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

The One Who Loves You the Most by medina

Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang

When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita

Calvin by J.R. Ford, Vanessa Ford and Kayla Harren

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find the word

Thanks @melpomene-grey here, @drchenquill here, and @awritingcaitlin here!

My words: water, tower, broken, history, light, need, pressure, time, crack, creak, crunch, crave, click

Your words: air, space, line, write

Tagging @diabolical-blue @space-writes @sarahlizziewrites @sarandipitywrites @tabswrites

+ ANYONE ELSE

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

Keep reading for:

The wonderful smell of car exhaust

Ash arrives in Alium

Robbie wakes up

Infodump on chronokinesis

Parker just asked Wade to punch him (he did)

Robbie just had a random thought

Ash is trapped in fantastical plants

Lexi isn't here and Maddie is worried

Liam and Sam do an arm wrestling match

Akash is a tad depressed

Lexi looks for Ash

Jack is tired

Robbie punches Jason

Water - from The Secret Portal Part One (Lexi POV)

“What can I say? I’m observant,” I said as the exhaust from the buses caused my eyes to water. “Ugh, I’ve never been picked up over here before. Why can’t your stepmom pick us up in the parent pick-up?”

Tower(ing) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

I groaned and blinked until my eyes focused. The blur of colors became a bunch of colorful trees towering above me. I pushed myself up to a seated position, groaning, and looked around—I’d never seen trees this color before and wondered if I should be taking notes.

Broken - from The Secret Portal Part One (Akash POV)

A small groan came from behind Gwen as Robbie regained consciousness. His glasses were askew, but not broken. He held his head. “Wh— what the hell was that?”

History - from The Secret Portal Part One

Although chronokinetics were rare, they were the most powerful Alii. Sure there were dimensiokinesis and energy conversion, but there was not enough documented information on a chrono's powers. Not only because they were rare, but too dangerous to test. The best theorists speculated traveling to the future was impossible, as it would take the chrono out of the past, disrupting history’s natural flow. On the other hand, if a chrono could travel back into the past, they could theoretically cause a paradox that unraveled their plane of reality.

Light - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

“Finally,” he said as Wade leapt over the barricade and went to Parker’s side. “Yo, it’s been years and you finally give it your all.” “That wasn't my all,” Wade said, holding his palm over Parker’s face. A white light glowed around his hand. “I’ve tackled people much bigger than your string-bean self to the ground.” “Yeah, but they were wearing football gear.” “Stop talking,” Wade instructed. “You’re gonna mess up the healing.

Need - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

I tapped Akash’s desk and whispered, “We need to watch all the Winnie the Pooh movies.” “I’d love to know how your brain got to that topic. Though I agree.”

Pressure - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

Panic built in my chest, almost tighter than the vines. I felt my eyes and sinuses heat up under the pressure—physical and otherwise.

Time - from The Secret Portal Part One (Maddie POV)

“Ash said her stepmom would be here,” said Rose, peeking around the corner to the tennis court, “but I don’t see her car.” “Well, maybe they had to stay after class,” Noelle said. “Or Mary’s stuck in traffic. This is nothing to worry about, Maddie. My mom’s late all the time.”

Crack - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

“Hold on, Robbie!” said a large girl, who strained until the diamond guy’s arm slammed into the table. I winced as I heard it crack under the force. “Haha! I win!” The diamond disappeared, and I realized he was an ordinary guy—about my age but a little taller than Robbie. Both stood and walked over to us.

Creak(ed) - from The Secret Portal Part Two (Robbie POV)

“Akash?” I said, tapping on the door quietly. No response came, so I creaked it open. Akash lay on the bed, but awake, staring up at the ceiling. I let myself in, closing the door behind me. I leaned against it, waiting in the silence until I could think of something to say that wasn't a generic apology or query as to whether or not he was “okay.” Neither of those seemed appropriate at the moment.

Crunch(ed)- from The Secret Portal Part One (Lexi POV)

I looked down to see if there were any imprints where she may have stepped. Most of the ground appeared untouched, but my eyes rested on a patch of flattened red ferns a few yards away. I ran toward them, then kept looking at the forest floor. The colorful leaves covering the ground appeared crunched, like someone had staggered through them shortly before I arrived. I followed the path they appeared to make.

Crave(ing) - from School of the Legends Year One

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Jill suggested. “I’m fine?” “Jack, you look exhausted. And cold.” “Well, I was playing with ice all day.” “Well, you look scarlet. Your cheeks and nose are all rosy.” Jack lifted his hand to his nose--she was right; it was cold. “Y’know, I’m not tired, although I am cold.” He stood. “I’m just craving my bed--this has nothing to do with you.”

Click(ing) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

I stopped in my tracks and turned to my right. Jason Sturges stood down the hall, clicking his stupid sticks against the lockers. A rush of fury overtook me as I remembered this morning. I didn’t know what I was doing until I was right beside Jason, punching him in the face.

[spc-rambles]

I adore the steelworks gang, like more than I've seen other people express online.

First of all...

My little icon Lexi.

They have been known and initially regarded for their silly voices and jolly nature but I don't often see people looking into why they do it. Like their voices make them more wild than Marion who's generally loved by some fans but they also do it in spite of themselves. They and Theo did an entire upbeat song about how much they are failures to railway engineering with lyrics like:

"We're experiments gone bad

in other words whoever designed us must be mad."

These are not the words of someone with self esteem in how funny they are! They even showed them actually depressed when saying 'We can't do anything.' for the final time in the special.

And anyone who knew how long it took for more in-your-face LGBT+ representation in 2018 She-Ra will know that if this special just came out three or four years later, we might've had proper gender-fluid Lexi representation.

As for Theo...

He is still a pure little bean and I feel the ambiguity of his design makes it all the more reason for him to feel bad about his design. I don't know what about his design warranted gigantic cogs on his sides but we don't know what went on in whatever workshop he was built at. For all we know he could've had the Henry treatment, having been dumped on the doorstep on the first desperate railway executive needed an engine, as a last ditch effort for a dying manufacturer.

As for him being on the spectrum, I can still see it in his behaviour. Lexi was truly not gender fluid but once you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person.

And some characteristics are visible in him.

His unintentional bluntness. "Are you being scrapped?"

His tics and stutters.

His shakes in excitement, if you were to count it as stimming.

And who's to say he's not limited to physical disabilities? He and Lexi, depending on how successful you can view it having designs as unique as them on British rails, are the perfect ones to have given the body language they were adamant on giving all the engines back then.

Him being so gentle and anxious is generally adorable, so yeah, not so much to say about his actual personality.

Speaking of not much to say, not much to say on Merlin either, at least nothing that people haven't said already. We all know how awesome he is.

Beresford is MY MAN!

Beresford just wants a friend guys. He said in his own song that he was always ignored by engines who just want to get a job done. No time to chat with him. Loneliness can drive him mad. It is kinda sad that his appearance in Royal Engine was not only a sign of the further appearances these characters could've had but how it was also kinda a rehash of the scene we got in his last appearance, so maybe an episode of his own where he learnt to make friends properly would've been fun.

Ah well, at least he got some friends in another life.

And what can I say about Hurricane?

Keeping it real, working with steel.

Since 1902

He is such a chill guy, that while his companion might've had a lot of hard labour in mind for Thomas, he seems so genuine in wanting to take Thomas in while still acknowledging his terrible position. He could've done with standing up to Frankie though. But whatever, that's meant to be a part of his character, and he was voiced by the chad Jim Howick no less.

It's so funny when people say he sounded like a member of the royal family when he's played kings before.

And then there's Frankie.

Oh my god I adore her so much. Her manipulation being legitimately intimidating at the best times, especially when she's actually chasing Thomas down in the dead of night, her musical style bribing him into working for her, her VA's performance capturing all of her personality through line delivery perfectly.

Everything about her class, her demeanour, most of her lines makes me so curious about her whole life.

How is she running this steelworks better than the human manager of the works if there even is one? How are the human workmen so ok with her doing this? How did the other engines before Thomas get into doing her work? How did they get out? How did Hurricane stay with her for this long, let alone not encourage some potential friends of his to work with her? Was she indirectly responsible for Hurricane surviving as long as he did to still be a tank engine after she was built? Why didn't the railways surrounding this fictional steelworks not agree with this most likely non-existent human manager not just agree to get a lot of their engines to transport steel from their works? What did Frankie do? What are you hiding from us!?

The whole mystery surrounding her and her apparently feeling put-down and apparently not evil at heart according to her character profile and her role in the book 'Delivery at the Docks' makes her potential crimes such a goldmine for story potential that I really want to delve into very soon.

And yeah, that's what I have to say on them in canon. All beautiful characters that I feel need more recognition on a regular basis.

[ejunkiet]

end of year round up (rec list!)

rec lists are a forgotten art in fandom, and I've read so many good fics this year. below are a few of my favourites, although I'll stick with one from each author!

redacted audio - full ao3 bookmarks (94)

- burn me, Asher/Damien by @dominimoonbeam

this was my first bookmark, and it remains one of my favourites. the dynamic is just, so good. ash balances out damien so well. (domini we love all of your work <33)

- I'm out of my element, HuxDami by @jonbinary

set immediately post inversion, and got me on this TRAIN before canon was a thing. Just, gorgeous and tender writing ;u;

- old number seven, Sam/Darlin by @devilbunnyking

Gods, this was stunning. slow rolling tension, sharing a whiskey and plugging tunes in the juke box. Beautiful exploration of both of them!!

- apple and honey, Milo/Sweetheart (18+) by @onesmallcentury

Any redacted reclist would be incomplete without this MASTERPIECE okay. Gods, I cannot count how many times I've reread this. Delicious, gorgeous <3

- refractions, Gavin/Freelancer by @solclaw

The emotional slow burn of those early dates. Just, goddamn stunning. I could curl up in your writing forever, beanie ;u;

- commit it to memory, Huxley/Freelancer by @sealriously-sealrious

honestly, want to link all your writing here Chrys, but this is Huxley! With tattoos!! And @taelonsamada 's gorgeous art!!! MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

- SWEET TALK, Milo/Sweetheart by @gingerbreadmonsters

this whole series is a MASTERPIECE. the dynamics!! The banter!! It makes me melt okay. all your writing is lovely, but this series holds a special place in my heart <3

- Signs Point to Yes, Milo/Sweetheart (18+) by @wakeupnew

On the subject of Milo and SH, this story has been living rent free in my mind for the last few weeks. The eight ball quotes! AGGRO! The dynamic of these two are just perfect, dealing with the inversion aftermath, and it's just gorgeous.

- fill my heart with song (and let me sing), Milo/Sweetheart (18+) by @autisticempathydaemon

Again on the subject of these two, I absolutely loved this fic. I love all of Lexi's work, but this was delicious 😚💖

- Let's make this night last forever (forever and ever), Milo/Sweetheart (18+) by @glassbearclock

Okay, this FIC. ALL OF BEAN'S MILO FICS. It's a beautiful chronology, but this one is just, fecking fantastic.

- ad astra (per aspera), Avior/Starlight by @lvllns

Starlight and Avior break out of the meridian. Gods, this is absolutely stunning. I love Reed's work, and I'm so very happy I got them into redacted >:3

- An Angel In Wolf's Clothing, David/Angel (no Tumblr?)

FINALLY David makes it onto this list. I've read this story SO MANY TIMES. Gorgeous early revelation exploration, where Davey tells Angel that he's a wolf.

- return to shore, imp!David/angel by @taelonsamada

THE IMPERIUM AU OF MY DREAMS. Giving David and Sam the chance they never had to find happiness in the Imperium. SO PERFECT ;u;

- phases of you, David/angel (no Tumblr! 18+)

Gods, this is one of my favourite redacted fics. Reimagines David and angel's relationship if Angel was a wolf, and they were mated before Gabe died. Long fic!! Had me obsessed for a weekend. Still obsessed hehehe

- (Gonna make you) howl, David/Angel (18+) by @romirola

>:3 Romi's work is gorgeous, and I recommend all of her fics, but THIS FIC. Angel pampers David, and it is GORGEOUS.

- Halley's comet, Elliot/Sunshine (no Tumblr)

GORGEOUS. There are not enough Elliot/Sunshine fics!!! Elliot asks sunshine for 7 days to prove that he is a dream walker.

- California nights, Milo/Sweetheart (18+) by @thee-morrigan

Again, I love Katie's writing, and this is no exception. DELICIOUS 😚💖💖

[yanderemommabean]

This is Leah, one of four fur babies (right is her being tuckered out in a basket that I hadn't noticed. Just had to get a photo when I did.)

She has a brother named Lexi (he's the one hugging my little brothers shirt) and it was their first Christmas this year. I also have two labs: Cocoa (chocolate, aged 9) and Rosie (yellow, aged 4). Enjoy the photos and I'll send you more if you want. (Ps. They are all cuddle bugs!)

Hi these beans are mine now, its the way the bean tax works, so ill just be scooping up all these babies-

They're so cute! I just wanna squish and kiss them all!

-Mommabean