#but honestly i could have watched a few seasons of them being a couple but having conflict. its not like they dont have issues

[someoldfires]

oh i have. A lot of thoughts

[leupagus]

Guys I Might Have Three Nickels

I've been watching "Agatha Christie's Marple" for the past few days and it's pretty good! Marple adaptations all tend to have a better caliber of actors than a lot of bog-standard mystery shows (looking at you, "Madame Blanc"), and while Joan Hickson's Marple is right up there with David Suchet's Poirot and Jeremy Brett's Holmes as "literally can never be beaten, these are the best anyone's done it," both Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie do a fantastic job as Miss Marple.

Then I got to "The Secret of Chimneys," Season 5 episode 2

and guys

Guys

So there's a murder of a viscount, like there is, and this detective Finch rolls up and immediately spots Miss Marple (in her NIGHTIE! standing at the window like some kind of hussy, honestly Jane) and doffs his cap to her with that little smile that makes you go, "huh."

At this point I've watched a couple dozen Miss Marple episodes where she goes through detectives like wildfire and this guy's supposed to be a "*guru*" so I'm expecting some battle of the egos or something and like, Stephen Dillane is great! But bleh, I might have to skip this one.

Then my dude asks Miss Marple to SHOW HIM THE BODY, with a pleased little smile at her as she goes "uhhhhhhhh but my knitting?" (He even does that thing where you use someone's honorific and wait for them to give you their name, and that's when I was like "ohhh this bitch knows exactly who she is.") What follows is what I can only describe as a meet-cute in the secret passageway where the viscount was shot (and in fact the body is STILL THERE) and where Miss Marple literally asks the police equivalent of "is there a Mrs Finch" and he looks at her like this:

At which point I'm like "ohhh my dude not only knows who she is, he deliberately came here without a sergeant so he could draft her," and sure enough he just starts...handing her pieces of evidence like "hey babe can you decipher this note for me thanks love you" while Miss Marple is like, "this approval and camaraderie coming from a cop... not sure if want."

Next is a series of romantic strolls through the gardens while they discuss murder, during which Finch reveals his undying love I mean his research into Miss Marple and the "dozen case files" of her previous exploits that he's collected like some deranged fanboy. Miss Marple responds to this by BLUSHING LIKE A SCHOOLGIRL and stammering about how pish tosh it's nothing really, and I couldn't find a gif of it but he's staring at her like this:

Yeah I bet u r tempted

He also makes a half-hearted attempt at negging her "amateur sleuth" status, only to then immediately assure her that he makes like, so much money being a big fancy detective and can keep her in all the yarn and garden seed she could ever desire.

There's also a late-night tryst at the compost pile right after Finch has been (mildly) poisoned and Miss Marple is like "men are so weak" as she roots through the garbage for clues.

Not how he wanted their first date to go D:

The next morning there's another murder which: bummer, but also allows the two of them to read love letters together and for Finch to give Miss Marple the following look as she explains how secret assignations among lovers can "quicken the ardor":

Miss Marple then goes onto solve the murders and btw hands over the priceless diamond that's been literally missing for two literal decades that she found in her spare time. The entire scene features Finch looking at her like this:

After the dust settles, Finch and Miss Marple have a lovely moment where he calls himself "another one of your casualties," then super casually mentions that he's probably going to have to go on assignment to use the diamond in a daring international espionage case and I can't decide if he's asking Miss Marple to go with him or simply trying to show her that he is cool and smart and would make an excellent wife, but either way the episode ends with her turning him down and Jane, we need to talk about your priorities.

Anyway I've already written 2K about the subsequent 10-year epistolary romance these two have following this episode because I make poor choices.

[0daylighthours0]

A Deep Dive into Milkvan and Byler's Development: If Milkvan Was Endgame All Along, Why Was it Written Like This???

SO. I've been rewatching st with my mother, who's never seen it before. And she was a fan of milkvan throughout seasons 1 and 2. Viewing those seasons again I could see why, they're cute. However, come season 3 and INSTANT distaste. And, listen, my mother is not the consciously shipping gal. She simply routes for main character pairings as writers intend, doesn't read between the lines, doesn't nothing. And she does NOT know my own opinions on the pairing. In other words, completely unbiased, uninternet drama influenced eyes. We've now reached season 3 and, after getting through a chunk of it, I asked her,

"so what do you think of Mike and El?"

and she expressed to me that they seem to be, quote:

"not very good together."

She said El's character doesn't suit the way she's acting now (in the first few episodes, concerning Mike), that Mike is more likeable and interesting when he's away from her. She doesn't like the way they ditched the party, and when it comes to their 'making out' the scenes are seen by her from Hopper's perspective (in other words, distasteful). She claimed that they'd be much better characters as friends.

And ya know what, she's right. And I mean like - duh, that's what we've been saying all this time, I'm not stating anything new here. But guys, wouldn't it be strange if the central couple of the show, pivotal that it is liked by audiences and is rooted for by them as they are THE pair, would be so dislikable like this? So uninteresting, so cliche.

I mean, okay, let's do a little mental experiment I like to do to test if I'm not just acting delulu. Let's play a game. In this game, milkvan ARE meant to be endgame. They are in love, they were all along, and they're here to draw in viewers and appease all El stans. Now, seasons 1 and 2 their relationship is honestly fine. Surface level, yeah, people will watch and appreciate them. They perfectly blend in with all the other neat pairings of the seasons, and have their own unique character traits to stand out as a main couple.

Just pretending our mate Will doesn't exist, we now get into season 3. Now, writers have nothing to lose here. If you've finished season 2, you probably like milkvan already. The issue is that they're already together now, so what's the conflict going to be? The arc? And every central couple needs that conflict to stay juicy.

Just take a look:

Jancy: quarrels, struggle to understand one another

Jopper: not yet together, one sided? will they won't they

Lumax: ...

Lumax? Lumax. Huh, guess they were simply together. Some loveable bickering, maintained a friendly dynamic while clearly in closer proximity. Well then, writers can do the same for milkvan right? Well, yes easily. But one might argue that since they are supposed to be THE pairing they need more going on between them than that. So what'll it be? Well, it seems that writers thought,

"hey, why not break them up?"

ok so.. that's a bit risky. I mean you want people to like this ship, if you break them up then that threats: 1. there being a disliking to one or both characters, 2. coming off generic if done incorrectly, 3. the break up might make no sense considering how in love they came off as just a season ago. But hey.. it could work, if done right. Some kind of misunderstanding, similar to Jancy. Maybe an argument leading to a sudden parting. I mean, yeah, Yeah! I can see that. Perhaps Mike is being too overprotective whilst El's trying to sacrifice herself for something, so she NEEDS to separate herself from him attempting to hurt him less. Or, I dunno, something akin. What's crucial is that us, AS THE AUDIENCE, still know them to be deeply in love. I mean, we have to still want them to be together. And we've seen couple trouble before. Just take a look at Lumax season 4 - did you or did you not want the best for both of them as a pair? You most likely did. See, it's doable. So did people like milkvan season 3 the same way, even after a separation plot? No.

Okay well, there are obviously those who'll always love milkvan no matter but, see, season 3 tainted it. "We need to write them like this cause it's more realistic to teenager behavior" my ars. You can make it messy without making it icky. Not only did it sour their unique dynamic, it flabbergastingly stomped on Mike as a character.

Honestly, I feel Mike has always been a mild struggle to write. Season 1 his motivations were 'find Will' (who still doesn't exist in our mind game yet shh) and 'protect El'. This worked well for him. Afterwards though, El and Will became more separate plots to him. But as a main character it remained integral that he be closely linked to them somehow. This sets him apart from Lucas and Dustin, who can easily be given any arc any season as their plots have the flexibility of a side quest nature. Since what Mike does is meant to matter more - with there probably being a better way of phrasing that but you know what I mean - it's harder knowing what he'll do when El and Will (who we'll GET to sh.) are their own separate people. And Mike is just a boy, he doesn't have super powers and he isn't a cop, which leaves there even less for him to do which is of significance. Season 2 writers decided upon having him support Will's arc, making himself of enough relevance by being able to take credit for some Will development in the story, and the plots that surrounded that, and then Mike was thrown a little bone by being the one to come up with the idea of burning those vines in the finale.

Truthfully, you don't really remember Mike's deeds much when reminiscing the series. It isn't like Dustin who's bond with Dart sticks to everyone, or Nancy and Jonathan responsible for kicking out Hawkins Lab. This is due to them, again, being able to traverse all sorts of adventures without limits. But my guy Mike can't do dat. Sadly, this kind of leads to him coming of as a little.. well... insignificant. And I know I know, the Mike truthers are gonna come at my throat. And hey! I love him too. I only want the best for my boy.

This makes season 3 a unique case cause it seems that, for the plot they decided they wanted, writers actually had to almost entirely change his character. I mean mate s2 Mike and s3 Mike are two different peoples, don't even. And I don't believe that the Duffers had their story and character turnouts completely drawn out from the very start at all. If I was to guess, I'd assume they have vague ideas of little plots they plan to include in future, but there is definitely a lot that has come unpredicted or changed throughout st's runtime. And one of those phenomenons are Michael Wheeler. So they decided to make this guy a di-

So they decided to make him more douchy, more movie typical teenage guy. It's not as if he wholly sucked, he didn't, but he didn't really do much. Whined about his girlfriend, separated the party. I mean what even was his arc? (UnLESS–)

You see, if milkvan is written to be loved, then season 3 was strike one. All of its charm was stripped away. It seems they had some cute scenes after their reconciliation, but it's not enough. It's just sort of

"oh, ok, so they're happy with eachother now. yayy."

and Stranger Things should want to be anything but boring. Sure they often enjoy indulging in tropes, but they always do something different with them. Something standoutish. And from this point on milkvan just got dull. Either writers ran out of ideas or lost interest, honestly (still with our mind game of telling ourselves they're meant to be).

But it's okay. Look, so season 3 was a bit rocky, maybe lost a couple of fans for the guys, but it is salvageable. Easily, easily. Looks like we want a plot of Mike struggling to tell El he loves her. Great! Much to work with.

So let's get into it. Season 4! Choices were... made. And, okay, now we can't go any further without bringing in our boy Will.

Mike is intrinsically tied to Will and El and has been from the start. Maybe Will was more of an accident. Maybe s1 Will was just a plot device for Mike, then s2 Will was a plot device again and Mike needed to be there as the main boy character. Come season 3 and it seems their relationship still matters. Will was sidelined - hard - so most of Mike's moments revolved around El. But as his bond with Mike is the only that's been properly built up, that's the only friend we'll get him interacting with in a way that matters. So the Mike and Will tie continues!

But that does not have to be the case for season 4. Now the writers have a chance.

They made Will gay.

Ok so.. ok so yeah that's fine. Yeah! I mean they didn't have to do that, might put them in hot water with the bylers since milkvan is their golden beauty but.. you know what no no that's okay. He's been hinted at being queer since episode 1, why not make it canon! Cool that works. Explore that, especially since we now have Vecna who can easily target Will for this. Give him a boyfriend! Or a guy crush. He's at a new school now? That's cool. Maybe we can explore some new male character Will's taken interest in. Hey maybe he meets someone who interests him which rises to surface his whole sexuality plot and-

he's in love with Mike.

Ok. No. No. What are you doing? What do you mean?? You didn't have to do that. Strike- strike EFING TWO mates! Strike. 👏 efing. 👏 2!

This was part 1. I am tired and gots to get my ars in bed. But ohohoh, do not worry. I am just getting started.

[thavron]

I was writing a meta post about the final fifteen and honestly it got so long an unwieldy that I gave up and just decided to live in denial land for a bit. But there is one piece of the puzzle I want to put out there, and that's how the flashbacks are edited, or one in particular.

I've seen a couple of great posts about how the flashback minisodes are edited in season two to be from Aziraphale's POV and not the Objective View, and if I was a better meta writer I'd have links for you, but I'm not, sorry. I've also seen a few posts discussing whether Aziraphale is a reliable narrator. That is definitely something we ought to consider when dealing with this sort of POV storytelling, but not entirely relevant to my post, but worth reading about if you have the time.

What I want to discuss is how the Metatron conversation is edited. We see Aziraphale go outside with the Metatron, this is the usual objective viewpoint. It then cuts to the scene inside the shop. We don't see the Metatron conversation again until Aziraphale is talking to Crowley. The way it is edited makes it very clear that this is not just a flashback but also Aziraphale recounting the tale. The use of "He said-" cut to scene, and "I said" cut to scene makes it as clear as the editor possibly can make it. It is a technique often used in editing to reduce exposition monologuing. Whether this is an accurate depiction of the Metatron conversation, we don't know but not actually relevant to my point (though worth thinking about).

What I want to point out is that Aziraphale chose to give Crowley four important pieces of information.

I don't want to go back to heaven.

There are enormous projects afoot. (consider that they have already discussed the possibility of a second Armageddon, though only Crowley knows about the Second Coming.)

They know about the Arrangement.

We could go together as angels.

He says all this in such a way that suggests he's fully drank the cool aid, but if we review the information without the dramatics it sounds more like a warning.

The use of double signalling ("it'll be like the old times, but even nicer" whilst shaking his head no) which occurs throughout the scene, this post and this video got me thinking about how deceptive Aziraphale is being. But he's not trying to deceive Crowley. He is trying to pass on the above information, hinting that he has a plan, whilst putting on a show for whoever is watching. He assumes Crowley is on the same page, and then it all falls apart when it becomes apparent that Crowley is really not. This is when he changes tack, and begins to panic.

He's left with the horrible task of trying to respond to Crowley's declaration positively, whilst not breaking the illusion. Which is why we get lines like "We can be together... as angels."

He also obviously sees them as a unit already (our car, our shop) and so it may not have he occurred to him that Crowley wouldn't just trust him and follow him into heaven. It's insensitive yes, but also not out of character for Aziraphale. I think this is the real kicker here, Aziraphale feels rejected because Crowley doesn't trust him enough to follow, and Crowley feels rejected because he doesn't feel good enough. Yet they are both clearly saying they want to be together.

I think the final few moments with Aziraphale and the Metatron is really what sells this idea to me. He is left undecided. He has the choice, abort mission and follow Crowley, or go ahead alone. He's devastated and you can see him wavering. If this was truly about him being excited to go back to heaven, I don't think we would see this indecision.

I can not decide just what is motivating Aziraphale to leave, whether he sees a sliver of hope to fix things in heaven, or whether he has decided to take on the role of hornet in a bees nest, but what is abundantly clear to me is that he has a plan and he wanted Crowley to help him, and Crowley said no. Or maybe he didn't. He was waiting by the car after all. Maybe this moment is what allowed him to move forward with a smile?

[pickingupmymercedes]

I'll come find you - Lewis Hamilton

pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Reader!

warnings: Angst, AD 21', Niki Lauda, Lewis to Ferrari

wordcount: +1k

a/n: Was watching quali today, this season is going to be something with Mercedes as it is

As always, I'm open for feedback, come say hi!

______________________________________________________________

You expected the anger, the sassiness, even the moodiness. You walked the long corridor to his driver’s room ready to let him vent, to hear him out and say nothing in return, because that was what he usually needed, someone to hear him about the frustration, how rough it’s been and how hard he was going to have to fight the next day to make the impossible look achievable.

But you were met with silence and darkness when you walked into the stuffed room, his smell the only indicator he was there.

“Hey, I brought some coffee” You tried from the little table by the corner, getting the two containers and setting them on the surface. He didn’t answer.

Lights out, shirt thrown in the chair, shoes on the floor, him sprawled in the sofa, the back of his head buried in the pillows, braids loose, his eyes stuck to the ceiling. You crawled by his side and looked at him, hands tracing the lion in his chest.

“Why did you and Niki bet on me?” He asked nonchalantly out of the blue, voice small and nothing like what you had prepared yourself for.

“Because we believed in you” You put it simply after a couple of minutes studying him, prompting your body on your elbow and looking at his face, expecting him to look back.

“Do you still?” He replied with a nasty and off-putting tone, one you hadn’t heard come from him in a very long time, his eyes now on you, daring you to answer him.

“What do you want me to tell you?” You realized then he wanted to pick a fight, maybe to get his mind off of the qualification that had gone so terribly wrong for him just a few hours ago, maybe to let out pent up frustration from the car not being where he wanted.

“You don’t get it” he huffed, looking up at the ceiling again, withdrawing back to his shell.

“I know I don’t” You said getting up from the sofa and going for the door “I’m here for you when you want, and not as someone expecting wins. I’m here as someone who loves you and wants you to do whatever it is that makes you happy.” You said into the dark room before leaving him with his thoughts.

You had no idea where to go from there, the whole team had something to do and surely you could get ahead on one of the many resumes you had to write, but you weren’t really in the mood to write yet another time how the f1 team had failed the initial concept for its car, something the Mercedes board had read a million times over in all your other debriefs from the past two year.

You end up sat at the front of Mercedes garage in the pitlane, looking out to darkness of the sky after all the lights at the circuit had been turned off. In those times you missed Niki, he would’ve known what to say, he would’ve known how to talk to Lewis, how to cheer him up. And quite honestly, those two years had been so taxing on you, playing from both ends, backing Lewis and Mercedes, trying to encourage both while still keeping it professional and private, you were slightly relieved it was the last year.

“Penny for your thoughts” The tall Austrian said looking down at you, scootching there in the corner with you like he wasn’t a giant trying to fit himself into the small crack you were trying to hide in.

“Just looking out at the sky” You mumbled back hugging your knees and giving Toto a small smile, one he didn’t even have to look at you to see wasn’t a real one. You were both there sat quietly, close but so far away from each other, the furthest ever you had been from someone you once saw as a mentor.

“Will this ever heal? Niki, 2021, Lewis?” You thought out loud, not able to contain it inside anymore.

He might had been tough about it with you in those first weeks, he even managed to not contact you for a whole month after that night in Abu Dhabi, mainly out of pride for not giving in and rushing after you when you left mere hours after the checkered flag. He held his head tall and proud walking through Brackley that winter without a clue if you’d ever come back, and even during an AMG board meeting, he kept his cool when he saw you remotely there on the screen. He broke down though when you showed up mid-march 2022, after the first 3 races with a bouncing excuse of a car.

The moment he realized you were back he couldn’t stop himself from holding you tight, and repeating to anyone around that Niki would’ve killed him if he’d lost you for good. But as much as you were taken aback by the Austrian’s response, your relationship never quite healed back to where it was before, you had gone back for Lewis and for Niki, and he knew that.

“Do you think what we’re going through has something to do with that night?” He responded with another question and looked honestly curious at what you thought.

“Not the only reason, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence either” you shrugged your answer, only to be met by a smirk.

“Niki would’ve been proud of you. How you fought for what you believed that night even when everyone thought otherwise, myself included… how you’re still fighting for Lewis, for Mercedes. I suppose it hasn’t been easy… whatever it is you two have on top of everything else, I see it in your eyes.” He offered you after a few moments of silence, taking a big breath and nudging your shoulder to get closer to you.

“I heard some of your talk to him back there, and I wanted you to know I’m always here for you, as someone who loves you. Very much so.” He said after kissing your forehead, a gesture exclusively reserved to his Wolf pack.

It was immensely odd for him to be the one opening up while his favorite chatter box kept quiet, all your emotions hidden so well. He was used to you coming to him for advices, from boys to business, but he took for granted how you had chosen him as a safe person. That was until a business decision, made in the hastiness of a crises, left you speechless and him on the receiving end of those icy and judging eyes, instead of the curious and lively one he had grown so fond of.

It had never been the same since that night, and he had no idea if it would ever be.

“I don’t hate you, you know that, right? I could never… things just haven’t really… I – I haven’t really healed from that, I guess.” You said quietly to him and to yourself, leaning your head on his shoulders, his warmth still the same home comfort you missed.

The few moments you had been allowed came to an end when a cough brought the attention to one of Toto’s assistants, awkwardly waiting by the side and clearly aware she was interrupting something.

“They need you. I’ll be fine here with my thoughts” you gave him after a few moments of him studying your face while he reluctantly left the hidden corner, accepting his fate in yet another meeting ahead.

Eventually you started to mentally prepared yourself to make your way back to hospitality, sure that whatever was going to happen in the following days and months would make them the hardest for you both professionally and privately.

“Hey, care to share the spot?” Lewis sweet voice startling you as he too found you.

“I could swear this was a good hiding place” You jokingly complained leaning in his shoulders as he sat by your side.

“I’m sorry for earlier, there’s a lot going on” His lips kissing your hair and his hand softly circling your palm.

“I’m scared, Lew… of how things have been, of how things are going to be.”

There was no circling that topic since he told you there was an offer for him at Ferrari, you both knew then that your lives would change, dramatically. Your relationship was by no means secretive, but it had developed in the comfort of a team that went out of its to help keep it private. Ferrari was a dream, and you shared his passion for the history of motorsports, but his move meant you had to learn how to be his partner without also being in his team.

“You remember the night I told you I loved you, the very first time in LA?” You raised your head to look at him, trying to understand where he was coming from with the question, nodding you head and humming a “hm mm”.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you that, but I decided I had to tell you when I woke up really early in the morning with Roscoe snoring that day, and you were so quiet and still in that bed when I looked over, I froze for a few seconds." He swallowed at the confension as you attentively watched his features show how bad that had affected him.

"I don’t care if you’re my boss or if you’re wearing my rival’s shirt, when it comes to you all I care about is your wellbeing.” The story and how worried he was to make that night perfect now all the more meaningful to you as he tried to bring you as close as possible in the small space.  

“These past two years have not been easy for us and there’s no guarantee the next ones will be any easier, but as long as you’ll allow me, I’ll come find you, anywhere.”

_____________________________________________________________

TAGLIST - @saturnssunflower @xoscar03 @chocolatediplomatdreamerzonk

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[joeys-babe]

Joey B Blurbs: Water

————————————————————————-

Summary: While bored at home during the twin’s nap time, you try the Water by Tyla Tiktok trend on your husband Joe.

Warnings: nothing really. fluff, unserious/funny

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Imagine universe: Into The Mystic

————————————————————————-

November 6th - Day after win over the Bills

(yn’s pov)

Joe and I were currently cuddled up on the couch in comfortable silence, the only sounds being of the overhead fan and TV quietly playing the science channel.

Yesterday the Bengals had yet again a big win and it seemed like things were starting to click with the team. That Bye Week was exactly what they needed to set the season on a good path.

I scrolled through TikTok on my phone, one Airpod in my ear so I could hear the audio while leaving one ear free to hear any remarks from Joe about what he was watching on the TV.

Lately, my FYP consisted of puppies, couples, other WAGS, and thirst edits of Joe (I'm not ashamed).

Just under two weeks ago, I pranked Joe after seeing a video on TikTok and I wouldn't be lying if I said I have a couple more trends I've wanted to test on him.

One of them is the trend that consisted of you playing the song “Water” by Tyla as you secretly record your man to see if they'll try to get a peak of the screen to see her do the water dance.

I already knew that Joe would never openly fawn over another woman in front of me, or in private either really. Knowing it wouldn't have a super-positive impact on me and our relationship. But, there was still a part of me that wanted to see how he'd react to it.

Hell, he probably didn't even know the trend; which honestly would be the best outcome.

My head was lying comfortably on Joe’s shoulder as he intently paid attention to his favorite channel. I discreetly took my Airpod out of my ear and back in the case before pulling up the audio.

I had my phone angled to where it was hidden discreetly but Joe was still in frame.

The show was on a commercial break and through the camera view it showed Joe scrolling on his phone, occasionally laughing at something then scrolling on.

Turning my volume button up, I clicked the record button and studied Joe’s expression.

As soon as he turned I looked at him with a shocked look, but he was only grinning and showing me this video of a fainting goat on his Instagram feed; not even paying attention to the audio.

When he noticed the bitchy look on my face he immediately looked at me rather confused.

“What? Do you not think it's funny?” - Joe

My gaze on him softened when the fact he didn't know any significance of the audio became apparent. When I moved my phone out of its hiding spot and Joe realized he was being recorded, he looked at me even more confused.

“What are you doing?” - Joe

I turned the video off with a laugh and pecked his lips. When I pulled away Joe still looked lost and a little annoyed as to why I hadn't started explaining myself yet.

“Do you not recognize that song?” - you laughed

“No…” - Joe gave you a puzzled look

“It was a little TikTok trend that girls do on their boys. you, my love, are one of the very few that passed.” - you

“Yay?” - Joe

“Very yay, Joey!” - you giggled

Joe smiled slightly before gesturing to the TV that was counting down the time left on the commercial break.

“Can we watch the show now?” - Joe

“Of course. You had such a good reaction that I'm gonna bake you a pumpkin pie later.” - you

“Really?!” - Joe

“Yup!” - you

Joe squeezed me as a thank you and nuzzled his face in my neck, suddenly feeling the need to be cuddled.

“I still don't know what I did that was so right, but I'm glad I made you happy.” - Joe

————————————————————————-

Authors note: this fic was too short to even qualify as an imagine so here’s my first blurb!

Hope you enjoyed! ❤️

[reggieslocket]

prepare yourselves because i'm going to give you a bunch of reasons and hints that will show you the high chance of eddie being actually gay and him and steve becoming a thing >:)

1. "freak" as a queercoded word

let's start with the scene where dustin, robin, steve and max find eddie in the house where he was hiding and particularly on the dialogue between the five of them

there's this scene where eddie says something about how the people in town are getting ready to hunt him because they think he's guilty and he says "hunt the freak right?" and we see robin giving him an almost sad but understating look before replying "exactly" and i find it curios that they made her respond that out of everyone, i feel like it could be because she kind of relates to eddie's situation? she also would probably be considered a freak by people if they knew about her sexuality and that's why i believe the word has a queercoded meaning, if you think about it, "freak" was already used in the past seasons when bullies made fun of will, who also happens to be a queercoded character (even though we know he's coming out this season)

2. the handkerchief code

the handkerchief code gained popularity in the 70s and later on in the 80s and it was used especially by gay men to let others know their sexual preferences and fetishes. there were different and specific meanings depending on the color of your handkerchief and where you decided to put it (left pocket or right pocket)

now if you watch closely eddie can be seen wearing a black hanky in his left pocket throughout the seven episodes and of course these little details have their own meaning, in fact the black one was used to indicate S&M (sadomasochism) and as mentioned before the fact that it is placed in his left pocket isn't casual because that placement indicated that the person wearing it was a top (the dominant one in bed) while if you put it in your right pocket it meant you were a bottom (the submissive one)

this whole hanky thing made quite sense for me except for the fact that it was hard to believe that eddie is into sadomasochism but then rewatching the show a few days ago i noticed some handcuffs in his room and i found it weird because honestly what is a 20 year old man doing with those? he's not a cop or anything and so the fact that they are in his room is a bit strange for me... i just hope that the choice of making eddie wear the handkerchief isn't casual but a powerful move by the duffer brothers in order to hint at his sexuality

3. joe and joseph's interview

this interview really do be getting my hopes up. basically the interviewer asks joe what season one steve would think of his season four self and he replies with "surprised, approving... approval" WHILE looking and smiling at joseph who is also grinning, like there's no way they aren't hiding something and i hope it's the relationship between steve and eddie and steve's bisexuality. plus the fact that even maya is smiling while it seems like natalia is the only one able to be subtle about the whole thing lmao

then obviously there are steddie-antis saying that he would be approving of him and nancy getting back together but like... what should he be approving of? they were already a couple in season one so it wouldn't make much sense

4. gaten ships them as well

remember: if gaten ships it then it's canon

i love how the first couple that came to his mind is steddie and how proudly he says their names. he seemed so serious while saying it that it made me reflect on the fact that it's not that impossible seeing it happen and if not in season 4 maybe in season 5 since i read somewhere that luckily neither steve nor eddie are going to die in the last two episodes of this season (i don't know if it's true but let's hope so)

5. the chrissy-eddie thing

almost everyone who hates the fact that we headcanon eddie as gay will give the same explanation that he is clearly straight because he was flirting with chrissy and honestly i didn't see that as flirting at all, i just thought he was being really nice to her like he is to everyone. she was having a hard time and he was able to make her laugh and loosen up a little, i didn't find it as something romantic and furthermore who says that every interaction between a man a woman has to be romantic?

like friendship exists as well people?? and don't try and say "tHeRe cAn'T bE sO mAnY qUeEr cHaRaCtErS iN oNe sHoW, iT's nOt rEaLiStIc" like trust me it's more realistic having a group of only (or almost) queer people than one where everyone is straight and i know the show takes place in the 80s but gay people existed even then but they just couldn't openly say it so stfu

6. steve's attempts to find a girlfriend

we all know mama steve is trying his hardest to find a girlfriend but none of them really "suists" him right? what if eddie is the person that suits him? i mean it would be epic if he spent two seasons trying to find a girlfriend and then he ends up with a dude lol, i'd like to see bi steve happening so bad and i just know that robin would be super supportive of him and my boy dustin would be the happiest person on earth if his two dads got together

you can't tell me that they aren't developing a little crush on each other or that they don't care about each other, just look at eddie's face and his loving eyes in that scene and steve staring at eddie's lips for the whole time. i swear if they are really trying to get nancy and steve back together i'll start a riot because honestly they would be so forced, it wouldn't be good for both of their character development and also my boy jonathan doesn't deserve this, they made jancy dirty this season and i'm still pissed ugh

anyway if you read the whole thing ily and thanks for coming to my ted talk :)

[fannyyann]

Tkachuk tells NHL.com how change in approach lifted game for Panthers

Forward no longer playing it safe, becomes ultimate clutch player in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There was a time in Matthew Tkachuk’s life when he played it safe. It’s hard to remember now, hard to get that image out of your head, the one where he is crushing opponents and taking over Stanley Cup Playoff games and literally walking off the ice after scoring a game-winning goal in the fourth overtime of Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. 

It’s hard to remember there was a before. 

But there was.

Once upon a time, like most mortals, Tkachuk didn’t want to make a mistake. He didn’t want to be blamed. He didn’t want to err, to let down his teammates, the fans, himself. It was a time when he wasn’t quite as confident, wasn’t quite as assured -- if that can be believed -- when he didn’t know that, for him, safe was the riskiest play of all. 

“I think maybe earlier in my career, being a young player, not wanting to be the guy that made the mistake, [I] maybe played a little bit safe in the high-pressure situations,” Tkachuk said. “Just trying to play it smart and, honestly, safe’s a perfect word for it. 

“And then a couple years ago, I was like, why not make the play when nobody else wants to try to attempt it because they’re too nervous [about] what bad’s gonna happen? And I’ve seemed to go the other way, in the extreme other way, and that’s seemed to work the last few years.”

Tkachuk pinpoints it exactly, to 2021-22, his final season with the Calgary Flames, before the trade, before he landed in South Florida and became a genre-crossing star, before he helped propel the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final last season. 

“I was like, ‘Why not?’” Tkachuk said. “Why wouldn’t you want to be the guy that can make that right play at the last minute of the game or whatever? … I’m like, I’m capable, I feel like I’m a good enough player where I can be confident in myself no matter what the situation is. And that’s just kind of kept going.”

The Panthers and Tkachuk will need it to keep going, as they head to the playoffs having hit a tough skid of late. The Panthers, who are set to face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), are 3-6-1 in their past 10 games, including a 6-0 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. 

They are second in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the Bruins, having clinched a playoff spot on March 28, a far cry from last season when the Panthers clinched with a single game remaining on their schedule. They then fell behind 3-1 in the best-of-7 first-round series against the Bruins. That was when they -- and Tkachuk -- came roaring back to force a Game 7. To win that Game 7. 

“I knew what he could bring on a stage like that, but I don’t think the whole rest of the world knew what he could do,” brother and Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said. “So for him to show what he was all about is pretty cool. And I think he’s got another level to his game.”

Paul Maurice thinks he knows why. 

The Panthers coach has seen a handful of players in his career who are elite, who might even rise to the level of potential Hockey Hall of Fame players. And when he’s viewing them, he notes something, something that seems to be common to all of them.

“I watch them and they have a higher expectation of the result,” Maurice said. “And the analogy I used [was] when that guy goes in and buys a suit, he expects it to fit right and it’s going to look good. He has an expectation of the result. 

“With Matthew, it seems to me, it’s tied, there’s four minutes [left], he’s excited about that situation because he has a really high expectation that something good’s going to happen because over the course of his life, that’s exactly what’s happened. It wasn’t a lottery. It’s just he’s gone out and made it happen, so he wants to and believes it can. 

“I never sensed any arrogance on him. I truly have not. It’s not like, hey, give me the puck, I’m the shooter. He just thinks when he hits the ice, it could happen, and his life has told him that it could happen. So why wouldn’t you enjoy the hell out of that?”

Oh, and he is. 

Not only has South Florida been a revelation for Tkachuk, so too has the team, which has entered into the top echelon of the NHL. He has figured out himself and his game, not only that he can -- and will -- come up big in the biggest of moments, but that he can also adjust to fit what the team requires, mold his game to the situation. 

Asked if he is a chameleon, he readily agrees. 

Especially in the playoffs. 

“I look at those types of playoff games differently,” Tkachuk said. “Like some people if they’re not producing, they’re not doing too much to help their team, whereas one of the good things that I’m able to do is recognize what my team needs out of me on that particular night or that particular shift. 

“There are some nights when offense comes second and all I’m trying to do is run around, be physical, try to forecheck and try to gain my team momentum like that. Even if teams are keying in on me or really focusing on me, there’s ways to make an impact.”

No one can argue with that. The Bruins still bear the scars -- some literal, some figurative -- of what Tkachuk did to them in the playoffs last spring. 

In the final four games of the first-round series, Tkachuk had eight points (four goals, four assists) to help them win the best-of-7 series. 

Boston forward Trent Frederic, who traces his understanding of Tkachuk back to basement games as kids in St. Louis, said that he thinks that, likely, had Tkachuk not been on the Panthers, the Bruins would have advanced. 

But he was. They didn’t. And now it’s not hard to believe that many teams are uninterested in seeing the Panthers on the opposing bench in the playoffs, in seeing Tkachuk on the opposing bench. 

Before a cracked sternum forced him to miss the fifth and final game of the last season’s Cup Final, Tkachuk had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists), including four game-winning goals, in 20 playoff games. 

“So the playoffs, I think the one quote, he’s a [expletive] gamer, that’s how I feel about him in the playoffs last year. And I know it’s profane, but it’s also very specific words, it’s exactly the way I feel about him,” Maurice said. “Sometimes the words just fit. Sometimes they’re casual and you swear too much. Sometimes I do. But that is how I -- a [expletive] gamer. He comes up with the biggest plays time and time again. And his energy level to be able to play at that level, that was specific to the hockey. 

“This year, I’ve gotten to watch what an incredible leader he is.”

He sees it on the bench, in the exhortation of his teammates, in his calming of them, in his barking at them. He sees it when he brought a friend and his two kids into the dressing room after a game in Detroit, when Tkachuk paused in his postgame showering routine to sign a jersey, to take a picture, to get Carter Verhaeghe out of the shower to sign the other jersey. 

“I don’t even blame players who don’t sign,” Maurice said. “But he doesn’t have to do that, and he does that consistently. … It’s not fake. It’s not showy. I think he understands the responsibility that he has and he takes care of it.”

There are so many responsibilities heaped on Tkachuk now. 

He is a leader on the ice and off it. He is the second-leading scorer, with 83 points (24 goals, 59 assists), the top chirper and certainly the most talked about player on the Panthers. And he is ready, once again, to receive that pressure. He is ready for the playoffs. He is ready for the eyes and the lights and all that comes with it.

“I enjoy it,” Tkachuk said. “I think that the high intense games and the rivalry games and the, just like the intense part of the games that some guys might not feel too confident or comfortable, I seem to thrive in them and I love those moments.”

There will be no shortage of those moments in the waning days of the season, in the start of the playoffs, as the Panthers attempt to replicate their Cinderella run to the Final last season -- without the Cinderella part. 

Because much like the Panthers, who have been at or near the top of the NHL all season, there will be no surprises when it comes to Tkachuk. He is known, now. Known for stealing games, for coming up big in the biggest moments, for never, ever playing it safe. 

And when the pressure comes, as it will, he will be right there. 

“Knowing him, that’s going to make him go to another level,” Brady Tkachuk said. “And I think for him, he’s going to love, not the spotlight, but the opportunity that comes from that and what he’s going to be able to do with that. He gets better when the pressure is higher.”

[thosewildcharms]

Your rhetorical questions have lit up my brain lol like what if Rick had met Michonne and Andre first instead of Morgan and Duane? 🤯 But anyway on a separate note, it’s so wild to see Rick and Shane’s first scene and Rick laughing along to Shane’s mysoginistic weird ass rant in light of who he is now. He really was just some emotionally repressed small town guy, And while Lori telling Rick “I wonder if you even care about us” in front of Carl was horrible, I wonder what Rick could’ve done or not done that would make her feel that way? And Shane said women’s problem is they don’t know how to turn off a light switch, to which Rick says part of the problem is he’s the one who’s leaving light switches on; I hate to be missing something that’s probably obvious but what did he mean with that?

oh that's a great idea for an AU anon. your mind!

this got long because who am i, so under a read more it goes.

maybe i got my rickgirl blinders on and am giving him too much credit but i thought rick was laughing at least somewhat incredulously at shane's speech (he was at the very least shaking his head a lot until the very end) but yes present-day rick would probably not have entertained that quite so much lol. but to kind of go along with that, my interpretation of light switch thing was rick kind of dismissing shane's, as you pointed out, misogynistic joke by saying he's the one with the issue turning off lights, and also to shift the conversation into the Actual Problems he and lori are having. also in retrospect it kinda feels like the show was lowkey already telling us lori and shane were more suited for each other than lori and rick but i could be reading into that. but listen metaphors have a habit of flying right over my (probably) autistic little head so i could also be missing some hidden meaning there.

as for the fight with lori, there's a flashback (i think in season 2?) where lori is talking to a friend about that same fight and she admits that she was the one who was being the asshole and how she got even more pissed off over how even-tempered and reasonable he was in response. from rick's perspective, he said he would try to talk about his feelings only for it to seem like lori didn't actually want to hear them after all. honestly i think they were just fundamentally incompatible, as we saw over and over in seasons 1 and 2. it wasn't anyone's fault, and their fights probably escalated because they didn't even know how to argue the way the other person wanted them to.

and not to constantly compare rick/lori to richonne, but rick similarly almost never yells or gets mean the few times we see him and michonne argue. the couple of times he did in towl were such an anomaly it set off alarm bells for michonne that something was really wrong with him (and also the situation was just objectively insane). but michonne and rick know how to disagree without getting ugly, and she certainly never has to try to provoke him into communicating because they have a fundamental understanding of each other that rick and lori never had. for sure rick learned from his mistakes with lori but i don't think the rick who was with lori was an entirely different person who said horrible things to his wife. he couldn't express himself the way we see he can with michonne because he just didn't have that type of connection with lori. and to be fair, lori didn't feel that with rick either, and again, that's okay. they probably should have just called it quits well before rick got shot. @cantstayawaycani and @jonesywrites go into this far more eloquently than I did here in their very excellent towl season 1 reaction video that you should definitely watch, because it's wonderful from start to finish.

[storiesofsvu]

Solace in Solitude Chapter 1

Emily Prentiss x reader (eventual) warnings: language, hurt/comfort, mentions of medical issues/trauma/injuries, obvious mentions of the episode "Lauren". fair warning: i'm doing minimal research medically for this fic, so for the love of all things holy don't be commenting or sending asks with unsolicited comments about how I got it wrong. I didn't go to med school, I only watched 19 seasons of grey's anatomy, alright? 😂I'm not saying everything in here is accurate lol. Anyway! here we go! let's start another adventure with Agent Prentiss.

It was your new morning routine, one that you finally felt you’d settled into, a quick breakfast and getting ready in your apartment, grabbing your lunch from the fridge before making your way out to the streets of Paris. The subway journey wasn’t far, you were lucky enough to live relatively close to the hospital, making your commute honestly, pretty enjoyable. You hadn’t been here long enough for things to feel mundane, most days it still kind of felt like it was a vacation, a trip you’d enjoy and be back home before you knew it.

You stopped in at a café a couple of blocks away, a coffee for yourself, a bag of assorted pastries for the fellow attending;s and another one to leave at the nurses station. You were fluent in French, having no issues communicating with any of the workers and that continued when you arrived at the hospital, a friendly ‘bonjour’ a quick ‘comment ca va?’ in the locker room as you changed into your scrubs, slipping into the role you played while you were at work. The one where you had been transferred in from somewhere else in Europe, where you exclusively spoke French and worked various trauma cases with the hospital. You wandered up to the nurses station wondering what today would bring, knowing that you really only had one long term patient, the most were overseen by doctors who had been there longer or they’d been discharged already.  A few more greetings in French, a catch up on gossip and some jokes tossed between everyone before the neurosurgeon came up, tucking their chart back into the pile.

“Hey, your girl in three twelve is finally up.”

“What?” Your head shot up, eyes nearly wide, “really?”

“Well she’s not up yet, but they took her off the vent overnight.”

“She’s breathing on her own?” You asked and they nodded.

“No signs of neurological damage either. Looks like she should be in the clear.”

“Thanks.” You shot them a grin, picking up the chart as you wandered down the hallway to check on how your VIP patient was doing.

*

Emily felt her eyelids twitch before she was really aware of anything else, her brain slowly starting to wake up after being under for so long. She pulled air into her lungs with a bigger breath than normal and her throat hurt, her chest hurt, hell, everything hurt. She wasn’t quite sure what she last remembered, but a dull beeping and the smell of rubbing alcohol certainly wasn’t it. It took a while for her to finally be able to open her eyes, groaning quietly at the bright lights of the room. She knew lights like those, they belonged in hospital rooms, she tried to move her arm to shield her eyes and winced as pain shot through her body. Blinking a few times she managed to roll her head, looking around the room, it was definitely a hospital, a private room if she guessed correctly but there was something different about it. She tried to remember anything, her biggest memory was Ian standing over her, an elated smile on his face as all she felt was immense pain wafting through her body as it turned cold.

She winced suddenly at the memory of the table leg, as if she felt the original impact all over again and her other hand rose this time, gently palming at her stomach through her gown. She could feel stitches and she let out a low breath, her memories had happened, but somehow she was alive. She raised her wrist, squinting at the hospital band, trying to figure out how long she’d been here and that was when she got even more confused, the only thing she could properly make out was ‘Valerie Stewart.’ She felt her heart jump in her chest, had she been misidentified? A family thinking their daughter, wife, sister was alive and they would be disappointed when it was actually just her? She peered at the tiny print, trying to figure out the rest of it, it was somewhat recognizable but it was as if she couldn’t quite figure it out yet, like she’d known it in a past life.

The door suddenly opened, thought it shut quietly and she figured whoever was coming through it was someone who thought she was still asleep. It was as if she was still in a haze, you shot her a small smile and said something she recognized but couldn’t fully put together yet. It was like you were one of the adults on Charlie Brown, she registered the noise coming out of you but it sounded like gibberish. She watched as you flicked through her chart, reading the updates from the night before and adding in your own notes, you moved to check her vitals, adding them to the chart and suddenly there was a nurse in the room. The two of you made a verbal exchange and Emily felt like she had cotton balls in her ears, extremely frustrated with herself that she somehow couldn’t understand what was going on.

“Wh- where am I?” She finally managed to choke out and you glanced toward her with wide eyes. You shot her a look that she knew meant to wait, while you said something in fuzzy gibberish again, watching until the nurse had finally left and you sighed softly, replying to her in English this time.

“It’s likely your throat’s going to be sore for a few hours, you were intubated for quite a while.”

“Wait…you’re American?” She croaked, shifting so she could sit up and you jumped to her bedside.

“Whoa, whoa, let’s let the bed do the work right now.” You very gently pushed her shoulder back onto the bed, reaching for the remote to get her upright, “yeah, I’m from Boston.” You let out a breath, glancing toward the door again, “to answer your first question we’re at Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris.”

“Paris?” Emily asked, nearly wincing at the pain her side, at least her brain was slowly starting to realize why she couldn’t understand things at first. She’d woken up with her English thoughts, the longer she thought about it the more she was able to slowly able to translate things into French. “Why? How?”

“I am still not completely sure.” You replied, leaning against the edge of her bed, “I just know what came into my ER that night and what I was told after ward. You should be glad you’re recovering as well as you are Valerie.”

“It’s not—” She started but you cut her off with a glare and she practically pouted, pursing her lips.

“As far as I was told, your name is Valerie and you got in a bad car accident in Versailles, you were air transferred here for recovery.”

“What happened?” She looked up at you with such vulnerability that you couldn’t help but let out a soft breath, glancing to the door to make sure no one else was going to come in before you delved into the night that changed your life forever.

*

“Doctor Carter we have incoming!” A nurse called out and you let out a groan.

“I’m about to punch out, page your on calls.”

“I really think this one needs you.” They replied and you rolled out the tension in your neck, grabbing a gown.

“What’ve we got?”

“Late thirties, female, potential concussion or head injuries, likely broken ribs along with internal bleeding, impaled object to the lower abdomen. She’s already coded in the ambulance.”

“Alright, let’s get going. Set up trauma three, make sure we’ve got extra blood on hand and get an O.R clear and ready!”

You were quick to glove up, shifting right back into work mode as you basically ignored everyone who came rushing in at the same time as the patient except for the EMT’s. After a quick neuro consult you worked with your team to assess injuries before getting the woman down to the operating room. The next four hours were spent repairing her internal injuries with extreme precision, you’d had to remove her spleen, stitch up a portion of her stomach, and honestly pray that she would make it through both the surgery and recovery.

You let out a deep breath of relief when her stats were stable after closing and you could finally go home. You thanked your surgical team and finally pulled off the mask to make your way out of the hospital. What you weren’t expecting were intruders on the surgical floor.

“Doctor Carter.” A voice called out and you glanced up at a dark haired man in a fitted suite, a small blonde with him.

“I’m sorry, you’re in an authorized area, you can’t be down here.”

“We’re with the FBI.” He pulled out a badge for you to examine, “how’s she doing?” He glanced toward the room.

“She lost a lot of blood but she’ll be okay. We’ve got her stable.”

“So she’ll live?” The blonde asked, a quake in her voice and you nodded.

“Yeah.”

There was a small glance between the two of them and your brow furrowed as you saw your boss coming up behind them before the man started speaking again.

“We need you to back in there and do whatever you need to do to call a time of death on her.”

“Excuse me?” You nearly laughed, “I just spent hours saving her life.”

“And there are people out there who cannot ever know that.” The blonde commented with a tight smile, “they need to think she’s dead.”

“They need you to pretend she didn’t make it.” Your boss finally spoke, “you sign the death certificate, everyone in the OR thinks she’s gone, that’s it. I’m going to go in, disconnect a couple of things so they think she’s coding.”

“And after that?”

“Once she’s semi stable she’ll be airlifted out of here.” The suit informed you.

“And you’ll be going with her.” Your boss informed you.

“I’m sorry, what? I have a department to run here.”

“And she’s gonna need you when she wakes up.” The chief continued, “you’ve done years of doctors without borders, you’re the best trauma surgeon, you’ve got experience working PT, and you’re multilingual. I know this case just happened to land in your lap but it seems like there was a reason behind it. You’re someone we trust with something like this.”

“You want me to relocate, drop my entire life that I have right now just because of a random patient?”

“She’s one of our finest.” The blonde commented, struggling to keep her composure, “and we need one of your finest taking care of her so we know she’s okay, that she’s safe. The man who hurt her is still out there…”

“For lack of a better term from now on she’s part of Witness Protection.” The suit explained, “she’ll be given an entire new identity.”

“And me?” You asked.

“We can give you a backstory if you want.” The suit continued, “but you could also just tell people you’re going abroad again. We only ask that you don’t give out any details about where you ended up or what you’re doing, and you keep extremely minimal contact with friends or family back home. Her life could depend on it.”

“So..?” You glanced between the three of them before your boss spoke again.

“You call time of death. Then you have a few days to get your affairs in order, pack up your apartment, get ready for a new life. I’ll put in the paperwork to make it look like borders has called you back in on a last minute necessity, then you get on a plane.”

“I’m guessing I don’t really have a say in the matter, do I?” You glanced between the three of them before letting out a soft sigh, grabbing a fresh mask and looking to the chief, “okay.”

**

“What… does that all mean?” Emily asked, struggling over her words as she tried to clear her throat. You moved from the bedside to fill up a cup of water for her.

“Without a spleen you’ve got an increased risk of illness or serious infection and you’ll likely have a harder time recovering from them or injuries in the future, which is another reason we kept you under so long. We removed part of your stomach so if you have any plans on binging food, you’re gonna get sick, you had three broken ribs and one cracked one. I’ll have a nurse take you up to x-ray later to check on those, considering you’ve been immobile it’s likely they’re pretty healed already.”

“Great.” She grumbled, dropping back against the pillow.

“You’re gonna be pretty tired for a bit, in a couple of days we can see about getting you up and mobile, but certainly no strenuous activity until those stitches are out. You’ve been healing nicely so far. There’s going to be a lot of work to get you back to where you were but the main point is that you’re alive, and you’re going to be okay. I’ll be here every step of the way to make sure of that. I’ll have a nurse bring some food in, make sure that tv’s up and running, let them know if you need anything else.”

“My team?” She glanced up at you, confusion still etched across her features.

“The blonde and the suit know you’re alive, but I don’t think even they know where you are.”

“Oh…”

You paused by the foot of her bed, resting her chart on the table as you sighed softly, “listen… I know that this is a lot, and it’s probably even more confusing considering you just came out from anaesthesia and I really don’t have all the answers. All I know is that Emily Prentiss died on March seventh.”

“And that was…?”

“Three and a half weeks ago.” You scooped up her chart, “I’m Dr Carter, have someone page me if you need me, I’ll be back to check on you later. Welcome to Paris, Valerie.”

Emily watched as you gave her a tight smile before disappearing from the room and she sunk back deeper into the pillows. She let her eyes slowly shut, maybe if she kept them shut long enough when she reopened them she wouldn’t be here, she be back stateside, with people she knew, people she loved. The hope only lasted so long, an ambulance siren blared outside the window and she felt her body run cold before a shock jolted through her and she opened her eyes with a gasp, her heart racing as she glanced around in a blur. She took a heavy breath, trying to calm herself down as memories from that night started to creep back into her brain. Her hand came up to her mouth as she started to chew on her nail, she wasn’t even really sure what emotion was surging through her right now, or if it was some weird combination, thankful to be alive, heartbroken to have left her found family, and full of anxiety of suddenly being thrown into a life that wasn’t hers.

Lauren Reynolds was dead.

Emily Prentiss was dead.

Now it was her turn to make sure that Valerie Stewart didn’t end up the same way.

___________________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @melindawarnersgf @daddy-heather-dunbar @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @supercriminalbean @daffodil-heart @its-soph-xx @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @s1ut4nat @scorpsik @prentiss-theorem @strongsassysexysloane @happenstnces @sapphicprentiss @geekyandgay98 @pagetboobstarcomments @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @desperate-gay @amypoehlfey @overtrred28 @theclassicgaycousin @regalmilfs4me @kalixxh @ara-a-bird @five-bi-five-mind @niyizh @inlovewithmiddleagewomen @tommyriddleobsessed @hotchs-bitch @ollysmulti @iluvsreid @kmc1989 @storiesofsvu2-0

[bb-olicity]

On An Island Alone

It’s been 3 weeks since Chenford’s breakup and I feel like I’m on an island… alone.  The day after 6x06 aired, I made the decision to walk away from The Rookie. Well, at least until after the finale. I’ll decide if I'm walking away permanently once I check online and see how the season ended.  And before I go any further, to anyone who wants to say I'm not a true Rookie and (most importantly) Chenford fan: I have just as much right to stop watching the show as you do to keep watching it.

So why am I choosing to no longer watch the show?

The main reason I started watching the show in the first place is/was Chenford and I can’t sit there and watch them redo Seasons 4 and 5A and I won’t. Especially considering the fact we already know from Eric’s comments to TVLine they’re not getting back together by the end of the season finale.  I do not see them getting back together until at least the midseason finale next season.  Actually, if I’m being completely honest, I’m not sure they will get back together or if they even should.  I know me saying that will make a lot of people mad, but after reading Melissa and Eric’s post-episode interviews, I got a sense of finality when they were talking about Tim and Lucy’s relationship as a couple and the breakup.  Plus, I honestly don’t see how they can come back from what they did, which leads into the other reason why I’m not watching anymore.

Tim’s whole storyline rubs me the wrong way in so many ways.  They could’ve brought in his military past in so many other ways and still had him struggle without destroying his character in the process.  As it is, the storyline feels extremely forced just to cause drama for the sake of drama and, for me, irredeemably destroyed Tim’s character.  They completely erased 5 ½ seasons of character growth in the matter of only 1 ½ episodes.  And I'll never be able to see Tim the same way again, even if he goes to therapy.  I personally would never be able to trust him again and I honestly don’t see how Lucy could either.  That’s also why part of me feels like they should not get back together. Yes, I know it’s a short season and everything is condensed, but Alexi and the writers should not have done the storyline this late in the season, knowing they would not be able to do it justice with only 4 episodes left and not knowing the show’s fate by the time they finished filming the finale.  Since they were planning to break them up, I feel like they should’ve done it at the end of the premiere or by 6x03. That way there would’ve been time for Tim and Lucy to work through their struggles individually then work them as a couple by the end of the season.

Why do I feel like I’m on an island alone?

After the episode aired, a lot of the fandom was angry and a good number said they were done to show.  However, over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that number dwindling and a lot fans are now justifying the breakup who weren’t before and they have absolutely every right to.  I can see where they’re coming from, to a certain extent.  Tim and Lucy both were hiding things from each other since they started dating and would just gloss over things that needed deep and meaningful conversations to work them out.  That said, I personally will never agree with the breakup or the whole (Tim’s) storyline and will always maintain the breakup was completely unnecessary and they could’ve (and should’ve) stayed together and worked through their struggles as a couple.  So yeah, I’m on an island alone… and that’s okay.

[dwonfilm]

Come hell or high water. | Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Looming over the Winchesters and [Y/N] is the war between heaven and hell. Dean will ultimately be faced with a choice he’d never be able to make. What will happen?

This will be a multi-part story, not necessarily set in a specific season but around 4-5 (verging on 6 now) would be the best fit.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: angst, mentions of alcoholism, violence, sadness.

Mentions: Sam Winchester, Lucifer, Bobby Singer, Crowley, other made-up characters to further the plot.

Here’s Part IV if you haven’t read.

Flashbacks are in bold.

Part V:

It had been about a year since Lucifer had ruined Dean’s life. At least.. he thought it was a year. Honestly? He’d given up trying to keep track of time after a month. Frankly if Sam wasn’t keeping the tally on where or when or how.. Dean had no clue. Well.. that wasn’t the entire truth. There was one thing that he could keep track of and that was the alcohol cabinet. It ran out far more often over the course of the last year than it ever had. Sam tried, several times in fact, to get his brother to sober up. Every couple months like clockwork the younger Winchester would try to pick up more pieces of his older brother’s life. Today had just so happened to coincide with that schedule. Sam sighed, walking into the dank motel room that the brothers had been sharing for a few days. They’d been in Phoenix for a couple of days and once this case had come up, Sam knew it was gonna be hard. [Y/N] was from Arizona and having to face this state without her would be hard for them, of course more so for Dean. “Did you bring more whiskey?” Dean’s words were slurring together slightly, but it wasn’t anything that Sam wasn’t used to—there was hardly a day that went by where his older brother wasn’t drinking himself to the point of blacking out.

“Dean, you can’t help me hunt this thing if you’re shitfaced.” Sam again sighed, because as much as he meant that, he knew better than to come back without the booze. He’d tried that a couple of times during the first few months of her absence. Once in New Orleans and the other in Houston. Both times had resulted in fists being thrown. Louisiana was the time where the punch connected, Dean nailing his baby brother square in the jaw—apologizing for it immediately after. Texas had him shoving Sam into the wall and holding him there before breaking down into a fit of tears. “Mhm, yeah, the hell I can’t.” Again Dean’s words slurred into one another and he pulled his hand over his face. “Sammy.. I can’t. I can’t be here knowing that she isn’t with us.. I can’t be here knowing that and be sober. I promise you I’ll lay off on it next case.. please. I can’t do it here.” Dean sighed, his voice raspy and raw with emotion. It was the most sober sentence that he’d uttered in a long time. Sam moved across the room to the bed that was his brother’s for the time being and sat on the edge. Next to it on the nightstand was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels. “Dean I know this is hard but..” he paused, not wanting to push his brother but this isn’t healthy and at this rate he was killing his liver and quick. “..this isn’t what [Y/N] would want for you, man. She-“ Dean’s gaze shot upward and the bloodshot nature of his eyes was made clear.

“Don’t. Don’t use her for your own personal gain here.” Again his words sloshed together and Sam just looked at him. “My personal gain? Dean the only thing I’m trying to gain here is my brother not killing himself by drowning in alcohol. She wouldn’t want you killing yourself and making yourself more vulnerable to the shit we hunt day in and day out. I know she was your girlfriend, I know she was the love of your life but she was like my sister and I loved her too.” For so long Sam had buried his own grief, his own guilt for letting [Y/N] make that call and letting her leave, his sadness about not only losing someone he cared deeply for but living every single day to watch his brother killing himself slowly. “I promised her I’d take care of you, Dean.” Sam’s voice was just barely above a whisper. He’d expected his older brother to yell, to shove him off of the bed where they sat, to have yet another heated argument with Dean. What Sam wasn’t expecting however was the deep sigh and the shakiness of his brother’s voice when he did speak. “I know.. I’m sorry Sammy.” Dean’s voice was small, it was clear that they both had used the little bit of silence to begin crying. Another silence washed over the two brothers and it stayed like that for a number of minutes.

“I’m worried about you, Dean. I don’t say these things to make you feel shitty man, I just know she wouldn’t want this for you and I don’t want it either. Cas is working a lead that may be able to help us with getting her back, but right now we need to help these families. I’ve been going over some of these details in my head and I think it might be a witch.” Sam explained, but this only had Dean’s irritation return. “Great. We just had to come to Arizona and it just had to be a witch. Someone up there’s got a real sick sense of humor!” He shouted, looking up knowing that if the angels were still tuned in, they’d have heard him. Sam couldn’t help but sigh softly, it really seemed like the world was stacking the deck. However that was nothing new. “It’s late man, try to get some sleep. I’m gonna look some more and see if there’s something I missed—hell maybe I’m wrong.” It wasn’t likely that he was and both of them knew that. “Yeah, alright.” Sam stood up from the bed and moved over to the little table in the corner of the room. Dean reached into his bag, grabbing the same flannel he’d taken everywhere else. When it started to lose the smell of her, he’d spray it with her perfume. He’d just done so last week, so the smell was strong. Laying it between his arms he would slowly sink down to a laying position. Resting his head on part of the fabric and letting the exhaustion and drunkenness take him to sleep.

It was summer, they’d had a surprisingly quiet week. Sam was at Stanford and so the only person that Dean had except for his dad was [Y/N]. They were laid on Baby’s hood, the night slowly enveloping the daytime sky. It was a good week too, they hadn’t really fought much. Right now they’re just enjoying each other’s company and gazing up at the stars. “I think it’s so funny, we’re so small physically in the world and yet we alter it for the better almost every single day.” [Y/N] spoke softly, her [Y/E/C] eyes fixated upon the sunset overhead. Dean turned on his side to face her with a smirk upon his features. “Sweetheart we both know there’s nothing ‘little’ about me.” Dean replied, winking quickly at her. He was met with a smack to the shoulder while she chuckled softly. “Not what I meant, idiot.” She replied, turning her head to face him. Dean’s expression feigned hurt but he was smiling through the mock ‘offence’. His green eyes flicked upward for a moment to watch the sky darken. “I know, sometimes it feels like we should be welcomed into these towns with a party.” He spoke, sighing softly. “You mean like a hero’s welcome?” [Y/N] asked. Dean simply nodded. “I mean.. we probably should. If even half of the world knew what was really out there.. this entire planet would freak. People like us have been.. we’ve had our whole lives taken from us in a sense and yet we just.. keep going.” Now Dean turned his attention back to [Y/N]. “You mean to tell me you’d wanna be normal?” He asked, quirking his brow. She sighed before looking back up to the sky. “I don’t know.. I was never given the chance to know what normal looked like—this is all I’ve ever known.”

Things got quiet for a little while but Dean’s eyes kept finding their way over to [Y/N]. “If you have a question, you can just ask.” She spoke softly, not moving her gaze from the stars that were now making their appearance in the sky. He never knew how she did that—just knew what he was thinking in a way that wasn’t invasive or supernatural. She just.. knew him. “Did you.. did you think about hanging it up before you met me? After.. your dad?” Dean’s tone was soft, he didn’t bring up [Y/N]’s father much because it was obviously a sensitive subject. She released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and slowly looked over to meet his gaze. “Did the thought cross my mind? Sure. I was younger, you know probably could’ve scammed my way into some college.” She sighed. “I also was distraught and sad and not thinking with much clarity. By the time you and your dad showed up, I was already convincing myself to look for work. Maybe fate brought you to me.” [Y/N] smiled as she reached over towards Dean, her hand gently cupping his face. She knew he was in his head too much, probably trying to blame himself for keeping her from a ‘normal’ life. She leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

Dean had woken up as her lips touched his, that was a memory that he’d forgotten he had. Sighing, he squeezed his eyes closed to get rid of the tears he knew had built up quickly. Rolling over he looked at the clock. 7:45AM. Turning around he saw that at some point Sam had gone to bed. There was no way he was going back to sleep now nor did he want to, so he opted to take a shower. There was the beginnings of a headache coming on, because for the first time in.. god knows how long he’d actually taken a break in drinking alcohol. Time had gotten away from him until he heard knocking on the bathroom door. “Hey man, leave some hot water for me.” Sam spoke before walking back to the table to get back to work. After a couple minutes Dean emerged from the bathroom and took a glance at the clock. 8:45AM. He turned towards his younger brother to see him eating, a breakfast burrito on the opposite side of the table for him. “Thanks.” He spoke up before sitting in the other chair and unwrapping the food. “No problem.” He responded before taking a bite of his own food, immediately after leaning closer to his screen. “So, unfortunately, I was right. This is definitely a witch.” Sam said, using his touchpad to scroll further down on whatever he was reading. Dean groaned before taking his first bite of the burrito. While he ate, Sam went over the details of the case and where they’d have to go in order to get more answers.

They’d found the witch, who was killing people for their hearts—collecting them to use in some kind of dark spell to grant her and her coven immortality and power. Sam and Dean had located her home after noticing a pattern with where the bodies had been found by police. This house had a storm cellar and it was likely that she was taking her victims down there to extract their hearts. Despite keeping quiet, somehow the witch had been alerted to their presence. “Sam and Dean Winchester. I should’ve known you’d be on my trail.” She spoke, turning away from the woman who she’d kidnapped. “Yeah well, if you know who we are you should know this little killing spree you’re on is finished.” Dean spoke, his gun aimed at the witch. Sam had his gun aimed too and the witch turned fully to face the brothers. “Is that so?” She asked, an eery smile upon her lips. “We can spare the song and dance cause no one’s interested.” Dean spoke up again. It was clear that his nerves were at the end of their rope. Sam didn’t necessarily disagree with his brother but the tension was getting worse. “I mean, we could.. but then I couldn’t mention the fact that I have very powerful friends.” She continued. “Why would we care who your friends are?” Sam asked, confused that this was the plan to try and get them to spare her life. “I have a spell for immortality and power growth, doesn’t that make you think about what other powerful spells my coven possesses? Ones that could maybe, free trapped people?” She continued and suddenly it clicked in Sam’s brain. “Don’t.” He warned the witch.

Dean quirked a brow but didn’t turn or move, keeping his eyes and his aim on the witch. “What? You don’t want to help your brother?” She asked, the younger Winchester getting increasingly irritated. “What are you talking about?” Dean asked, which caused Sam to groan. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. “People talk, people whisper. I’ve heard all sorts of things about you two—two who used to be three.” Dean’s stomach twisted in knots. It was clear what she’d been hinting at now and it left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Sam’s protective instincts took over and he pushed his way in front of his brother. “That’s enough.” Sam warned, his nerves being pushed. However this witch knew that she was in a matter of living or dying and wasn’t going to give up so easy. “What? Hey, if you want to leave her suffer in the pits of hell.. that’s cold but I support it.” Dean winced at this statement. He spent so many nights restless, wondering what kinds of torture Lucifer was making [Y/N] endure—knowing full well that he loved the emotional side of things almost as much as the physical. “I said that’s enough.” Sam repeated, knowing that despite his older brother having a hatred for witches, he’d very likely do anything to free [Y/N]. “You think I’m just trying to keep myself alive, but like I said I know lots of powerful witches. There’s a spell out there that can help. You just have to come back with me. I help you, you help me. We’ll get [Y/N] and—“ Suddenly the witch dropped to the ground, dead. Sam had heard enough and once her name was spoken it was the final straw. Dean moved to free the girl who had almost been another victim, getting her out of there.

Six months later.

Fort Wayne, Indiana—the boys had just finished a hunt. Vamps nest was completely wiped out. After cleaning up, Sam basically forced Dean to go to the local bar. Not because he wanted anything from his brother but he knew that today marked a year and a half since [Y/N] was forced to go to hell alongside Lucifer. Staying in the motel room would only mean that Dean would get too in his head. Sam was hoping that the music and the pool alongside a bit of alcohol would be enough to keep his mind at bay, at least for a little while. Dean sat in a booth sipping his beer while Sam had gone for refills. There was a blonde who’d been eyeing Dean every so often, clearly interested in something. Seeing that he was alone she figured it was the best time to approach him. Confidently she walked over to the table, swaying her hips just a bit with each step. Once she reached the booth she paused, seeing if Dean would react in any way to her presence. About a minute went by and he hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even turned his head to look in her direction. She cleared her throat which broke Dean from his daze. “Can I help you?” He asked flatly, looking up at the woman for a brief few seconds before gazing forward again. “I was just wondering if I could join you, you seem lonely over here.” She tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I’ll pass.” He stated plainly, hoping that Sam would be back any moment. It was clear her confidence took a blow but she was trying to remain determined. “C’mon.. I’ll get you a refill. What would it hurt to get to know one another?” She continued and it looked like Dean was about to snap but Sam finally approached the booth. “My brother said no, so, go back to whatever you were doing.”

Scoffing the blonde turned on her heel and walked back to her table and friends. Sam slid the fresh beer over towards his brother and sighed before sitting down. “Sorry, I never thought about that.” He spoke up, lifting the glass bottle to his lips. “About what?” Dean asked, but then he clued in. “It’s fine. I never thought about the possibility either. Usually..” Now it was the older brother’s turn to sigh. Usually [Y/N] would either scare the girls off altogether, making it obvious she and Dean were an item or she’d tell them off directly—hell she’d even fist fought a couple. Sam felt bad and in this moment was questioning whether dragging Dean out was doing more harm than good. He watched as the eldest of the two took a swig of the beer he’d been handed. Time ticked, a few minutes of silence between the brothers where the noises of the bar took hold. Suddenly Sam’s phone rang, so he flipped it open to answer the call. “Hey Bobby, what’s up?” He spoke, Dean’s mind having him only paying half attention. It had been several minutes since his brother spoke and that finally had Dean’s full attention. “What is it?” He asked, the expression on his younger brother’s face unreadable. “Yeah that was Dean, he’s with me.” Sam replied, to Bobby, with Dean leaning forward to attempt to hear whatever the conversation was about but he the table stopped him from getting too close. “Sam.” Dean said sternly, trying to get the information. He held up one finger to try and get his brother to wait. “Yeah, alright. We’ll be on our way. Bye.” Sam closed his phone and looked at his brother but the expression was still blank.

“Sam what’s going on?” Dean’s tone laced with worry, confusion and a couple other emotions. “We need to go to Bobby’s—now.” He replied before standing up and beginning to walk towards the door. Blinking a bit, the older of the two was still in a sort of a daze. “Dean! Come on!” Sam called out, which had his brother sliding out the booth and quickly catching up to his younger brother. They walked to the impala and Sam got in the driver’s side, leaving Dean to get into the passenger seat. Flicking his wrist now, Baby’s engine purred to life and the younger Winchester pulled out of the parking space and onto the road. First they had to stop at the motel to grab their stuff and check out. Sam took the duty of loading up their things while he gave Dean the key to return to the office. He’d ran the key back and thanked them for the room before returning to Sam who was just closing the trunk. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?” Dean asked, resting his forearms on Baby’s roof. Sam was double checking that he had everything before closing the door to the room. “Sam!” He exclaimed, causing the taller of them to turn towards his brother. “What Dean?!” His mind had been racing ever since he hung up from the call with Bobby. “Are you gonna clue me in? Why do we need to rush to Bobby’s?” Sam knew his brother was right to ask, it wasn’t like him to keep things from his older brother but it wasn’t his call—he also wasn’t sure on things. Hell Bobby wasn’t sure either. “I.. I’m not sure if it’s something and Bobby asked me to just get there, with you, as fast as we can.” He explained, fidgeting with the keys to the impala in his hand.

Dean was confused, searching his younger brother’s eyes for any kind of hint as to what was so important. He wanted to argue, wanted to push for more information but at the end of the day he trusted Bobby. “Okay.” He said, pulling on the handle and getting into the passenger seat. “Okay.” Sam mirrored, slipping into the drivers side yet again and backing out from the motel and taking off down the road. Sioux Falls was their destination and if they could make it without any stops that would be best. Dean’s mind was racing—it could be so many different things. They had so much going on that it was hard to pinpoint what issue Bobby had cracked or what he was getting close to cracking. Man their lives were a mess, a chaotic and insane mess that most humans would never be able to grasp. Sam had a firm grip on the wheel as he drove, which he’d been doing most of the time over the last year and a half. Often times Dean had too much whiskey in his system and honestly, his older brother wasn’t putting up much of a fight about it. When it came time to drive to a different state, Dean was close to the point of blacking out anyway. Most drives during this time was Sam being alone with his thoughts while Dean passed out and slept. Slept until a nightmare woke him up, or sometimes worse, a dream that felt so real that Dean forgot [Y/N] was gone. Those hit him the hardest, the realization that she was in hell along with the sobriety like an 18 wheeler running him down. Nightmares were a toss up. It was either stress and trauma from his own time in hell or it was imagining what kind of suffering that [Y/N] was being forced to endure. Sam wished he could do more, but all he could do was offer moral support and watch.

It was almost two days later by the time that Sam and Dean were pulling into Bobby’s yard. Neither of the brothers could pinpoint where it came from, or when, but their anxiety was piqued. Neither of them really knew what they were walking into but both of them basically sprinted up the steps and knocked once before walking into the house. “Hello boys.” Sam and Dean both wide eyed when they saw Crowley sitting in the living room. “W-what are you doing here?” Sam asked, Dean wasting no time and drawing his gun. “Where’s Bobby?” Dean demanded, but his question was answered immediately after when the older man walked in with a couple of books. “Dammit, boy. Put that thing away.” Bobby spoke to Dean, which had a look of confusion cross the eldest Winchester’s face. “What?” He asked, looking at Singer. “Put the goddamn gun away if you wanna get down to it. We don’t got much time.” Bobby replied, flipping through the pages of one of the books he’d brought in. “What does Crowley have to do with things?” Sam asked, to which the King of Hell laughed. His gaze shifting between both of the brothers before speaking. “Well I’m here to help you lot bust [Y/N] out of Hell.”

Author’s note: Hi! Sorry if the chapters are getting shorter, I can’t tell, but I feel like the story is still being told sufficiently. I still haven’t decided how many parts this will be but I know for the most part where I’m taking it but just wanted to add that in—I feel like the first couple chapters were longer. I guess the lengths just vary with what I’m trying to convey. Hope you guys enjoy! 😊

• —– ٠ tag list: @roseblue373 @mrsjenniferwinchester ✤ ٠ —– • ·

[rashomonss]

Late Nights

a/n: I’m kinda tipsy and I’m listening to jazz rn so ofc I’m in my feels, also I’ll post a dateables version if y’all like these (*´▽`*)

“I enjoy your company”

Late nights with Lucifer consist of sitting in the comfort of his office as the fire crackles its hypnotizing little sparks.

Just the two of you, listening to some of his favorite music as it plays in the background.

His tie is loose and his top buttons are undone. You on the other hand are wearing something comfortable but still use his large fluffy coat as a blanket; not that he minds.

The two of you just sit and end up talking about yourselves as well as life in general. It’s times like this where Lucifer truly bares everything he is to you without the worry of any judgement on your end.

You also in turn, bare your true self to the Avatar of Pride who relishes in the thought of learning more about you.

Maybe it’s due to the drinking you both have been doing, or maybe it’s due to the comforting atmosphere you both share; but no matter what it is Lucifer finds himself enjoying moments like this the most.

And the simple reason behind that is the fact that he will always enjoy you and your company no matter what, for he truly loves your whole being with all his heart.

Late nights with Mammon are you both cuddling up together on his couch staring at the large tv in his room.

Candy and chip bags are scattered across his table but the two of you are too warm and comfortable to go throw them away.

A stack of DVD’s can be found on his side of the couch; this pile contains the ones both of you have already watched. Another stack can also be found on your side of the couch, those are the movies you both have yet to watch.

Currently on the tv, a cheesy Devildom romcom plays and the two of you joke and make fun of the main couple. His laughter and yours mix together until they become one unified laughter filling up his room.

Mammon bashes the main love interest for being to chicken to tell the girl he likes his feelings, to which you laugh and reply “that sounds like someone I know”

Immediately his face goes red, however he does explain to you that he’s never be like that loser, because he claims that you already know he’s head over heels for you. In response you smile at his protests.

The longer the movie drags on the more you both find yourselves snuggling closer. You two have no room to talk because you’re cheesy enough just being yourselves, but it’s okay neither of you actually mind.

After the movie ends Mammon does claim that he truly does love you, and how he always will.

Late nights with Levi end up in tears and screaming, as the two of you hold each other and cry after finishing an anime.

Before the two of you were gaming, but Levi decided to take a break brace he just wasn’t in the mood to game, so you suggested a few new shows that had just come out. And of course he could never deny that.

You both went to the kitchen before starting your anime marathon and grabbed a few things then went back to his room and settled down together in his bean bag and blankets pile.

You had suggested cuddling and finally after awhile he had given in.

how as each episode passed you began to wonder, how many have the two of you binged today alone? Five? Maybe seven? If you’re being honest you lost count awhile ago.

You both had currently just finish watching a new series that came out, and honestly it was a lovely romance at first…until the main character died that is.

The story was so well written and animated that by the end of the season you both were a crying mess as you hugged each other with a death grip.

Levi cried and begged for you not to leave him, and you in turn did the same as the two of you rolled around in each others arms on the floor, whispering how much you two loved each other.

Sometimes others only realize and express their true emotions through the pain of watching others.

Late nights with Satan consist of you laying your head on his lap as he reads another chapter of the new book you both were currently fond of.

You both had finished two books already earlier in the day, so was one more so wrong?

As Satan sat on his bed reading aloud your head rested on his lap and he had unconsciously been running his fingers through your hair for the past 15 minutes.

He was unaware of how tired he made you with this action but you were determined to stay awake for the rest of the book, after all it was just getting to the good part.

So after he finished the last chapter you decided to take over and read aloud instead, to which he greatly appreciated it. Now it was his turn to lay on your lap. And if he’s being honest he had been waiting to for awhile.

As you began the next chapter Satan couldn’t find himself concentrating on the words at all, instead he took in the scenery of his room at that very moment.

Over at his table was a pot of tea and your two matching cat tea cups. Next to it was a small desert tower that was now empty, if he remembers correctly you had eaten most of the top snacks. The rest of his room may have been messy yes, but messy or not the scenery made you look beautiful.

As you continued to read he looked up at you and admired how the moonlight hit you as it shone through the window. Then sighting to himself Satan relaxed as he felt your hands in his hair, softly running your fingers through it.

There was truly no place in the world he would rather be than here with you in this very moment.

Late nights with Asmo have the two of you laying on his soft bed with matching pajamas and face masks.

Asmo sits up and does your nails, as well as inform you about the latest gossip while your head lays in his lap.

Soft music is played to set the mood and he has a dim lamp on as well, and the TV can also be heard in the background.

After he finishes with your nails you both head to his private bathroom to wash off the face masks and take a nice bath together.

When he’s with you, he makes sure to use all of his expensive bath salts and bubble bath products, after all they’re only used for special occasions such as these. He loves spoiling himself and you.

Asmo always sets the bath at the perfect temperature as well as the perfect fragrance when you both get in, to the point it makes you sleepy. Not to worry though, Asmo has no qualms against washing you, as long as you’re okay with it. But be warned he will want you to wash him back.

Once your bath is done he does his skin care as well as yours if you deem yourself to tired; and will also apply his favorite lotions and creams to your skin for that extra soothing feel. Lastly once the two of you are finally done you cuddle up under his soft fluffy sheets and listen to him tell you how much he truly adores you.

Late nights with Beel take place in the House of Lamentation kitchen.

You both wanted a small late-night snack and thus met in the kitchen to prepare one.

He decided to take over the cooking this time so you sat on a stool and listened to him talk as he cooked your favorite food.

Every now and then you’d have to remind him to stop eating the ingredients because he’d run out eventually. He would always smile in return but no matter what he’d still nibble on a few here and there.

Beel then began telling you about his upcoming fangol matches as well as how practice was going. He liked talk to you about matter such as these, he wanted you to be the first to know after all, but don’t tell Belphie he said that, he might get a bit sad.

As you listened to him talk he took the liberty of feeding you small bites of food asking if it was to your liking as well as if you had any feedback for him.

Once the food was finished he pulled up another stool and joined you, continuing to talk about anything he found interesting.

However you had become full quite quickly from being fed so much earlier that you decided to feed him the rest of your food, which he happily enjoyed.

After you finished he then insisted that you needed to feed him the rest of his food too. You smiled and kissed his cheek as he happily continued eating.

Food does taste the best when it’s shared with the people you love the most.

Late nights with Belphie consist of you both laying on the roof of the House of Lamentation and looking up at the beautiful night sky.

Sure it took a bit of convincing on his end to get you up here but it was worth it, after all the view of the Devildom sky during this time was incredible.

You both spent your time pointing out stars and Belphie continued to tell you interesting facts about his favorite ones.

He pulled you close to him and for once, let you lay in his lap as he continued to talk about his love for the stars.

The way the stars sparkled off his two-toned eyes was the most beautiful thing in the world. Not to mention the way he talked to you.

His voice is so full of love and warmth you found it hard to pay attention to what he was telling you. As he spoke he too watched the stars reflect off your eyes as well and felt his heart stop for just a second.

He had never seen anything more beautiful than the views he would look up to see when he was with you. And it was then he believed, that you were the best thing to ever happen to him, and he wouldn’t change anything for you.

[jennagrinsoverml]

hii do you have a list of miraculous fics you think everyone should read at least once?

Anon, I have been excited to answer this request ever since I got it. What better way to celebrate my 50th Rec List (!!!!) than with my favourite fandom fics? 🎉🎉🎉

I've tried to choose fics with a variety of tones, from different fandom eras, and different authors. These fics are all special to me in some way, and whittling this list down was HARD. Others may have fics they think should be on this list, and to those people I say: make your own rec list. This one's mine. 😘

Experimental Kisses by @komorebirei

Ladybug watched him. Maybe it was guilt, maybe sympathy, maybe a streak of playfulness. Maybe the traumatic akuma experience had softened her up. Whatever the reason, a thought wafted lazily through her mind and out of her mouth. “You know… you’re right. It isn’t fair, is it?”

Chat Noir looked up.

“I remember my first kiss, but you don’t.” She hummed and tapped her chin, making a show of remembering. “It wasn’t a bad kiss, but we were in the middle of fighting an akuma, so I didn’t get to enjoy it much, either.”

Oops—that came out sounding a little, no, a lot more flirty than she had intended. Anyway, if she was going to commit to this idea, she may as well go all in.

One-shot. Ladybug offers to kiss Chat since he doesn’t remember their kiss and the way she reacts to the kiss…it lives in my mind rent-free. I have fallen asleep many a night fantasizing about what the repercussions of the kiss might look like. One of my absolute favourite Ladynoir fics.

team is a four letter word by @ladyofthenoodle

Alya didn’t want to come between Ladybug and Chat Noir. But she didn’t want to stop being Rena Rouge either. And if Chat Noir didn’t want to talk to her, then she’d need to find a different way to prove all three of them could be a team.

Her plan unintentionally brings a few secrets to light, which leads to even more secrets coming to light, which leads to… well, Alya is sure it’ll all work out eventually.

Multi-chapter. Warning, this fic is a WIP! (But there’s only one chapter to go.) Honestly, I didn’t want to have any WIPs on this list and I was lowkey hoping that it would be finished before I posted this list but I’m obsessed with this one and couldn’t leave it off. It’s literally one of the BEST fics in the entire fandom and, I think, the absolute best delving into the characterization and relationship dynamics of the core four. This fic feels so dynamic and complex, with all of the characters feelings so like themselves and each having their own distinct voices. The conflict is so well done and so realistic. It’s such a fantastic tackling of the issues that came up in the last couple seasons and I cannot rave about it enough!!

œuf ouch owie by @ominousunflower

Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Ladybug smiles. “I wanted to drop by and welcome Aspik. I know it must be a little intimidating, being surrounded by so many veteran heroes…so, welcome! We’re glad to have you on board.”

“I look like an egg!” Aspik announces, T-posing.

Chat turns to Rena, feeling like he has been punched in the solar plexus. What the hell? he mouths.

Rena grimaces, her eyes wide with panic. Stomach sinking, Chat remembers one of the first things he learned about the Fox Miraculous: that if Rena Rouge isn’t focused, her illusions go haywire.

Oh, no.

One-shot. This is hands down the FUNNIEST fic in the entire fandom asdfghjkl like I have read this fic at least 50 times and I still laugh out loud every single time. If you have somehow failed to read this fic before, read it now. You won’t regret it!

lucky (we're in love in every way) by @carpisuns​

Chat Noir is Adrien, and Marinette is freaking out. If she manages to quiet her internal screaming, maybe she can also find the guts to tell him her identity too. And maybe they'll actually live happily ever after—well, as soon as Tikki and Plagg are done humiliating them.

One-shot. This fic just makes me so incredibly happy. Like it puts a smile on my face every single time I read it (and I have read it many, many times!) I love Marinette’s reactions and Adrien’s sweetness and the kwamis just absolutely ROASTING both of them. Marissa has written a ton of amazing fics for this fandom (seriously we are so lucky to have her) and I was tempted by others (like tell me something i don't know) but in the end, I had to follow my heart with this one.

Your Kitty by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights​

“Such a dramatic kitty.” Marinette scratched under his chin, bringing a smile to his face and a purr to his throat.

Your kitty, he didn’t say.

Wait. What?

(The one where Chat Noir thinks he needs pats like a cat, only to find out he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion.)

One-shot. When I think of Marichat, this is THE fic I think of. Adrien being touch starved is 100% my headcanon now. This is just so sweet! Marinette’s affection and Adrien’s determination to do the right thing no matter the personal cost and the way they fell for each other without meaning to... Also I love that they both encouraged the other to go back to their original crushes because that makes so much sense!!

rattle my cage by @lnc2​

In which history, despite Alya's best efforts, does not repeat itself.

One-shot. I am always here for Adrien being rash and Marinette being smart and capable and just switching to treating him as Chat absolutely seamlessly after a reveal. I absolutely love the vibes of this one.

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by @runningoutofink

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Multi-chapter. It should come as no surprise by now that I’m a sucker for reality tv and this is my absolute favourite reality cross in the fandom! I love that it’s canon compliant, and frankly the idea of Marinette and Adrien as designer and model on Project Runway is friggin’ BRILLIANT. The slow burn and pining are delicious, and the identity reveal is incredibly well done! (And it has a steamy sequel, Meet me in the Middle, which is 🔥🔥🔥 and intensely satisfying after all of that build up.)

daydream by @clairelutra

you're my daydream

you know that i've been thinking about you lately

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

One-shot. Shout-out to the author for realizing way before canon let on that Adrien is way more likely to figure out Marinette than the reverse! And then absolutely murdering us with this intense slow burn that absolutely drips with mutual pining and UST.

What Will You Do When Everyone Knows? by @sariahsue

They stepped in closer, shoulder to shoulder to catch the akuma as she landed, but she twisted in midair, landing squarely in front of Cat Noir, swiping at him. He stepped back, trying to keep his balance. Her fingertips almost touched his face, and Ladybug felt her stomach lurch.

“Duck!” she yelled to him as she whipped her yoyo around. He did, but unfortunately, the akuma woman did, too. Ladybug suddenly had no target to latch onto and lost her balance. Her stomach twisted again as she pitched forward. Black hands darted forward to catch her, but too late she realized it wasn’t her partner. Cold gloves caught her shoulder and neck, then slid up her face, brushing past her earrings. Cold. The woman’s touch froze Ladybug’s breath in her throat.

Then there was something warm around her middle. Cat Noir’s shout sounded distant as he pulled her away. As the woman’s black gloves left her face, Ladybug felt even more heat being pulled from her, along with… something else.

Multi-chapter. There really isn’t another fic in the fandom like this one. The akuma is original and provides an absolutely amazing premise for this fic. We have mystery, intrigue, and a huge upset to the status quo with the public revealing of Ladybug’s identity. I also loved the dramatic irony of Marinette being unable to understand Chat’s reactions to things that make perfect sense to us readers. It’s got amazing characterizations and suspense, and I love it!

But All I’m Seeing Is You by @chelseaapproved

After Ladybug finds out Adrien is her Chat Noir, they start dating. She didn’t think it’d be so hard to keep her identity a secret from him. She also didn’t realize how much it would affect her friendship with him as Marinette.

One-shot. This might be my favourite ladrien of all time. It’s only about 5k, but man does it ever pack in a lot of emotion and relationship development and I really, really, really love it.  I really felt how much they love each other in this one and Marinette is just so, so wonderful to Adrien and he’s so wonderful to her and if you haven’t already please read this.

A Miraculous Reveal by @kasienda​

Series of one-shots and drabbles all centered around The Reveal Moment. Identities will be revealed, feelings will be confessed, and secrets will be discovered through contrived situations, accidents, meddling friends, desperate moments, and moments of emotional vulnerability. Each chapter is a self contained piece. Love-square focused, but will not remain exclusive to them. Each chapter will have its own trigger warnings.

Collection of one-shots. I feel a little like I’m cheating in including a collection here, but like most of us in this fandom, I’m an absolute sucker for identity reveals, and @kasienda is especially talented at writing them! Every single one of these is beautiful, amazing and worth reading at least once.

the wonderful part of the mess that we made by heresie_irisee

They knew.

They knew, and there would be no magical reset button for the memories they'd made today. She'd have to  see him at school every day, and she'd see the Chat in him, as surely as  he'd see the Ladybug in her.

One-shot. Oblivio is probably my favourite episode and this is such a great alternate take on it. The mutual pining is so, so, so good! Especially love Marinette struggling to assimilate Adrien’s identities and Adrien’s obliviousness.

The following fics are amazing and absolutely worth reading, but do feature sexual content, so minors beware.

The Ladybugs and The Bees by @bullysquadess

AKA the early-fandom Ladynoir puberty fic that spiraled waaaaay out of proportion.

Multi-chapter. I’ve avoided reccing this fic for so long as it was literally the most kudosed fic in the entire fandom when I joined. However, the kudos are well-earned and I can’t make a list of must reads without including it. I love the ladynoir, the way it builds slowly, the focus on the developing relationship, both physical and otherwise, the yearning and the devotion and the vulnerability. And, of course, the steamy scenes are fantastic!! The whole thing is just so well developed and feels so grounded and real. I absolutely love it.

one night of moonlight by @mirthaculous

i’ll always think of you

inside of my private thoughts

i can imagine you

touching my private parts

2:13 ok im texting you now like i promised instead of drunktexting adrien and telling him how badly i want his cock tonight. arent you proud of me?

2:19 this is Adrien, hi.

Marinette’s brain-to-mouth filter isn’t great on the best of days. Add some beer and some misplaced texts, and things get a little more… interesting.

One-shot. Rated M. This is one of my favourite fics of all time. This is so steamy, seriously the UST is off the charts!! It is absolutely unreal how much these two want each other and the mutual pining and they’re so stupid and this fic literally killed me and I thanked it.

[tizeline]

Now that we're entering into 2024, I'm asking some artists and writers that I follow:

1) What is the one piece you're most proud of from this past year?

2) What are some pieces that you would have liked more people to see? If you can include links, I'd love to go check them out!

3) What were your top three favorite pieces (art, comics, fics, etc) that someone else has made this past year?

(As always, no pressure to respond! Feel free to just ignore, or let me know if you'd rather I not send you these kinds of asks in the future.)

Oh this is fun! :D

1) The drawing I'm the most proud of this year is actually one I never ended up posting lmao, so I suppose this is the perfect reason to actually do that

I always feel a bit self-concious about posting non-fanart drawings cuz they don't tend to gain as much attention. Which, I am fully aware that there are more important things than clout! But I am a simple woman, I crave validation 😔 Anyway, I am still very happy about how this one turned out. I very much prefer drawing characters over enviroments, which led to me being way worse at drawing enviroments than characters, so I've been pushing myself for the last couple of years to get better at drawing backgrounds and surroundings. While I still definetily have a lot of room for improvement, this illustration here is the best I've done in drawing enviroments yet.

2) Again, original stuff don't tend to get as much attention (which I fully understand btw, I don't wanna make it seem like I'm complaining too much, I very much appreciate any and all support I get!!!!) but this post with some doodles of my OCs as well as this random drawing of some forest with a big stone head lying in it are a couple of posts I wouldn't mind if more people saw so..... the links are there if ya wanna have a look 👀

3) Oh man, I've seen so many awesome artpieces this year, i can't guarantee that these are my actual top 3 picks, but here are some that I could remember liking (and that I also managed to find lol) (also these are in no particular order

This GIF was the first piece of RotTMNT fanart I ever reblogged and it's still glued to my mind it's just great honestly.

Man I do not like Timothy in the 2012 TMNT series at all but MAN do I love the way pinetreevillain adapted the character for the Rise universe! He's made quite a few comics of Rise!Timothy and he made the character so extremely likable I just hdsjhgjakfga also Pine's artstyle is delicous yummy yum go check out his art now!

I really like those reanimation projects where a bunch of people collaborate and reanimate induvidual segments in their own style, and there was recently one of those released that was a remake of The Clothes Don't Make The Turtle episode from season two of RotTMNT and it's great! Go and watch it here!

[ladylooch]

hi babe!!!! could you possibly do one where the readers being really towards nico? maybe while they’re out with friends or in public or something? she’s just trying to love on him 🥹 or nicos being clingy towards her!!! 🥹💗 thank you sooo much!!! your fics are the most adorable things ever

A/N: Okay, I went back and read your request after I wrote this and was like…  TBH, I read this a little different than you wrote. Mostly just the publicness of it. But I think it’s sweet and fluffy and hits the notes you were going for. Thank you for the request!

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: smut if you squint LOL. I actually think I wrote something without swearing. WHERE IS MY GOLD STAR!?

It’s late when you return to Newark from your Devils girl’s trip out to the West Coast. You were supposed to be back, in Nico’s arms, hours ago. You can’t help but feel grumpy about that while saying goodbye to the pack of WAGs. Everyone is splitting off in different directions whether catching a ride from their significant others, heading to the bathroom, or grabbing a cab together to the same neighborhood. Nico is waiting for you. He already texted you that he was by the Dunkin’ just outside of baggage claim.

When you come down the escalator, you grin at him slumped forward on a bench, arms resting on his large thighs, hat hanging low. The airport is pretty much closed for the night so he stands out. Honestly, he’s so gorgeous he would even if it was bustling. His AirPods are in and you can see his mouth moving. A quick check of your Apple Watch makes you gather he’s likely talking to his parents. No one else is awake right now if they don’t have to be.

“Ich muss gehen. Dich lieben.” He says, standing as you approach. His lips pull into an excited grin. “Baby!” He greets, leaning down to press a long, welcoming kiss against your mouth. His hands wind around your waist, lifting you off your feet and into his chest. “Mmm, I missed you.”

“Hi Neeks.” You muse, placing loving kisses on his lips, soaking up his warmth. His brown eyes glitter, only caring to focus on your face.

“You look good. Relaxed.” He notes, setting you back down.

“I feel relaxed.. minus all the travel trouble.” It all seems like minor inconveniences now that you can feel Nico’s hand slipping into yours. He takes the handle on your rolling suitcase so your only job is to walk next to him to the car.

“Yeah that sucked. I was getting frustrated for you.” He shakes his head. “I mean six extra hours at the airport? Woof.” 

“Yeah I had a nice buzz going by the time we got on the plane. I even slept for a couple hours.”

“Wow! Practicing for Switzerland this off season, yeah?” You laugh, nodding. You are so looking forward to that with him.

Nico places your suitcase in his car and soon you are on your way back to your apartment. Nico’s fingers slide into yours, bringing your hand to his mouth. 

“I missed you so much, babe.” He whispers against your skin.

“Missed you too.” You murmur back to him, turning to watch him while he drives. His face has a bit of stubble and his hair is hidden by a black baseball cap. He chews on his bottom lip, watching the traffic in front of you. He sneaks a few peeks of you every so often, grinning each time your eyes meet.

“Tell me everything. What is the hot goss? Is there pipping hot tea?” You know he is making fun of you. But you missed him so much, you’ll let it slide.

The rest of the ride home is spent chatting about the trip and the various activities and events we participated in. Most of them included indulgence on food and wine. The Airbnb was incredible with so many rooms and spaces to hang out. Plus, a really beautiful, secluded pool and hot tub area. 

“So basically, you missed me when you were sleeping?” He jokes, placing a hand on your lower back as he unlocks the door to your apartment.

“Yes, and when I was super, wine drunk.” 

His laugh electrifies your body.

“Yeah I remember that FaceTime call.” He wiggles his eyebrows at you. You cringe, red filling your cheeks at the awful strip tease you gave him.

“I’m hungry. Do we have any food here?” You ask as he wheels your suitcase down to your room.

“Uh… No.” His airy laughter flows down the hall. Nico is not the grocery shopper in this relationship. 

“Okay.” You take a peek in the fridge and then the pantry, finding enough ingredients to make Kraft Mac and Cheese. You put water in the pot, letting it come to a boil.

“You gonna share that with me?” He asks, gliding his hands around your body to rest against your stomach. His back warms you through your shirt as he kisses all along your covered shoulders. His hands begin to travel. First to your hips, then down your thighs and back up. His touch has electricity buzzing in your body. 

“Babe, I need a little space.” You mutter after testing a noodle and finding it ready.

“No.” He sighs into your back, nuzzling his nose there.

“You’re going to get a monster if you don’t let me eat.” You warn lightly. Nico knows you’re a completely different person when you’re hungry and steps aside so you can separate the noodles and boiling water. His hands are back on you when you return to the stove top. Nico helps by putting in the butter while you measure the milk out. He cringes as you shake the cheese pack in. 

“It’s a disgrace to call that cheese.” 

“Probably, but it gets the job done.” You stir it all together, mouth watering at the sight and smell of the cheesy, nostalgic goodness. You dish yourself up a bowl and Nico who says he wants to at least try it before calling it trash to your face.

“Okay, this kinda slaps tho?” He says it questioningly, thick eyebrows drawing together in confusion, slowly chewing his first bite.

“It’s the best. I don’t know how it works, but it hits different as an adult.” Nico devours his bowl, then slides you across the couch to finish your bowl resting against his chest. He flicks the TV on, putting on The Kardashians. You look over your shoulder at him. 

“Wow….” You trail off, pausing to take another bite of mac and cheese. You run your tongue along the front of your teeth. “It’s almost like you want something from me tonight.” 

“Dying for it. Literally.”

“I’d say your chances are about 90%.” 

“Okay… I like those odds. But, how do I get to 100%?”

“Hm.” You contemplate, pushing some more noodles around your bowl. “I think I need a massage.” Nico sits up, eager to please. His hands come to your shoulders, immediately rubbing the tense muscles. “And maybe let your hands wander a bit.”  You shrug as you delicately chew another bite of food. “And I think I need ice cream after this.”

“So many things.” Nico groans. “You know I can bring my chances to 100% by myself, right?”

“How so?” You ask, scooping up another bite. It pauses right before your mouth when he pulls you back flush with his body and begins to bite gently all along your collar bone. You look down at the remaining golden noodles and say goodbye.

Suddenly, you have better things to put in your mouth.