#it was tricky but uhhh i did it

[that-disabled-princess]

The aplatonic pride flag color-picked from Ethari!

[chisungie]

.

[corvarrow]

Got caught up in a bunch of different crafting projects this weekend, but did manage to finish the lineart for the Spirit Metal info post! and part of the text as well. 🤔 I think it's going to be a long one honestly even as just a basic rundown. (I guess that's fine though)

Coloring should be easy though, it's just going to be grays and yellow/oranges since I liked my inktober scheme so much. Anyway, should be able to get that done sometime this week...!

[arc-misadventures]

NNN: SI

Jaune: Sienna, can we talk?

Sienna: Sure, what do you need?

Jaune: Uhh… where are you?

Sienna: Changing.

Jaune: Ahh okay. So, uhh… Have you been talking to, Kali lately?

Sienna: No, why?

Jaune: Really? Because she’s been giving me these… knowing smiles…

Sienna: ‘Knowing smiles?’

Jaune: Well, she just looks at me, and she smiles at me. It’s an unnerving smile. Like she knows something, that I don’t know. And, that something will impact me in someway, and she is looking forward to that. Whatever that is…

Sienna: Ahh… That smile… Yes, I’m aware of that smile… She gave that to me after we had our first time together.

Jaune: W-What?! D-Did you tell her?!

Sienna: No, I am not a kiss, and tell kind of lady. But, Kali would know if we did it. It’s just that motherly cat faunas charm of hers. Although, I doubt my breathless moans didn’t hint what we were doing, no~?

Jaune: …

Jaune: So, uhhh… Do you know why she is smiling? Because I was talking about you, and then she started smiling. Are you two planning something?

Sienna: Are we planning something? However, am I planning something. That should be the real question you should be asking, no~?

Jaune: So that’s why she was smiling… Okay, I’ll bite; What are you planning?

Sienna: I’m going to make you fail your silly little, No Nut November challenge.

Jaune: Oh really now? And, how are you going to do that? It ends tonight, and you promised me you wouldn’t pounce me, again. So, with only hours on the clock, how are you going to make me lose?

Sienna: By playing into your type. Your… sexual preferences.

Jaune: Sexy mature older woman? So, you’ll be yourself then? Well good luck then, because I’ve been handling that for weeks. You’re gonna have to come up with something better.

Sienna: Yes, but you like, well dressed sexy mature older woman.

Jaune: Well dressed? Well, I do like a well dressed woman… But, what could you possibly wear that could break me?

Sienna: This for starters~!

Jaune: …

Sienna: What do you think, Jaune~?

Jaune: Talk about being tight in all the right places…

Sienna: Is it now? Well, I didn’t put it all on. As you can see it has a very… unique bunny tail with it. And, it’s rather tricky to… put it in~!

Jaune: I-I-In…?

Sienna: Yes~! So, Jaune can you help me put my little… cotton tail in~?

Jaune: …

~~~

Kali: Hmmm~!

Ghira: Now what’s giving you such a lovely smile like that my dear?

Kali: Oh… nothing~!

[cicerenella]

now i’m so curious, what are your thoughts on spaus, historically and in the modern day? what do you imagine romano thinks of them?

I'm jumping to answer this ask because I'm continuing the Austria train! And also because I have a lot of thoughts about this pairing that is (sadly) very overlooked in my opinion. Slight Spamano following.

OK SO I love SpAus. Great angst machine, I love their historical accuracy and a way to portray my view on Empires in Hetalia, since most of the time power gets into their head. Oh well, a marriage between two of the most powerful empires in europe, what's the worst that could happen?? a divorce that brought war to half of europe.

Spain and Austria's marriage was probably one of the longest and most powerful europe has seen, but that doesn't mean that it was good LMAO. I have an idea that for the first century or so of their union everything was...ok? Sure, it could be better, and it had it's ups and downs (I'm looking at Spain) but that doesn't mean that it was that bad. Except for like, the revolt of the Comuneros, that was a bad one.

I think their marriage started to go really south after the Netherlands' independence and the decline of the Spanish Empire, because after that things only started to spiral downwards. And I do not have a good and kind portrayal of "Empire Spain". He was awful both historically wise and also in his personal relationships and it SHOWED.

So, the war of Spanish Succession. A shitshow, Europe's messiest divorce, it did not end good, and Spain lost massive chunks of territories. The treaty of Utrecht/Peace of Rastatt was probably their divorce papers AHAHHA. In thirteen years more than eighty wars where fought.

And about Romano...I know many people make the love triangle between Roma/Spain/Austria and honestly? I like it. ALTHOUGH I have a very specific characterization that I am going to analyse through just now!

So, Naples was considered an "anomaly" in the Spanish Empire. It was the biggest and most populated city, and often times even overshadowed cities in Spain. Historically speaking, Antonio would admire the HELL out of Romano, even if he was one of his subordinates. I don't think he "loved" him yet, more than he considered him his favorite out of all his colonies.

Although I think the more his marriage with Austria deteriorated, the more his kindness to Romano turned into straight up obsession. The civil war twisting Spain's head in a lot of ways too.

That is to say, that while Spain was having his twisted villain arc, Romano would both hate and care about his superior. In a friendly way, of course, because it would be scandalous having an affair with his "master" that was married to another (plus not to mention Romano's internalised homophobia). So while my man was fighting to get independence, Spain was trying both to save his crumbling marriage and keeping his favorite colony with him (spoiler: he failed in both).

SO UHM YEAH. Romano probably wouldn't want to get into the SpAus business, and Spain obsession for Roma definitely irked Austria a bit. Can you imagine after all that crap that was the Spanish War of Succession going on a rampage in trying to reconquer South Italy?? From your ex husband?? Absolute madlad. I love SpAus. Spamano is my number one ship but this one is a guilty pleasure of mine.

[OH SHOOT, forgot about modern day SpAus. Uhhh, since I ship spamano it is a bit tricky. But most of the time I make them stay on friendly terms!! ex husbands that often nitpick at eachother yay. The venom of their divorce is long gone, and they're both old men that like to crack jokes and reminisce about their past adventures.]

[reverieblondie]

Writer Interview Game!

I was tagged by @savriea , sorry it took me so long to do this! I've been in a writing hole!

I will be tagging @dark-and-kawaii @vera-king-hrfl @lazyjellyfish300 @the-song-of-avernus and @dutifullylazybread. (sorry if you have already been tagged!)

When did you start writing?

I started writing for about one year now! Yay! My first fic I ever posted will have its anniversary September the 17th!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I haven't done any angst yet but I will read it! Maybe one day I will write it but I love a happy ending.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Honestly no clue! if anyone has ideas I am all ears!

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I write on my laptop and sometimes my Ipad, but I write in me and my boyfriends guest bedroom that has kind of turned into my office in a way.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Daydreaming when I am meant to be working and listening to music! sometimes movies will inspire me but those are tricky because I don't want to copy anything too closely.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

I am unsure? If anyone has noticed anything let me know!

What is your reason for writing?

To get my daydreams out for others to enjoy and to do something creative to make me escape from the everyday. also to be horny about my fictional boyfriends.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I love all comments! I really look forward to getting them and reading them! they help keep my creative flame going! what can I say I have a people pleasing praise kink.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Hopefully they think I am trying my best and think I am nice, though maybe kinda goofy.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Uhhh... I am unsure? I want to say creative but you never know!

How do you feel about your own writing?

I write what I would want to read so I love to go back and reread my work though sometimes that leads to be reediting and changing some things.

[kzele]

From the Roots Up

Peter puts a plan into motion in order to shake the foundations of the underworld. Neither Rhino or Sandman were prepared. Tombstone will be even less so.

Something was weird about this fight. As for what that something was? That was the itch that Flint Marko couldn't scratch. The web-head was cracking jokes like usual. And O'Hirn was getting angry at the guy like usual. There was punching and dodging going on, same as all the other fights.

Except. . .Spider-Man wasn't making many offensive moves. Sure, punches and kicks didn't do much to either of them but that never seemed to stop him from having a trick up his sleeve. He kept flipping further and further away towards some street work. Alarm bells rang in Flint's head. As someone who had challenged Spidey on a regular basis, both as plain Flint Marko and Sandman, he knew how tricky his enemy could be in a fight.

"Hey, wait up!" he called out to Rhino. "Don't let 'im separate-"

The ground chose that moment to give way beneath his long-time partner's feet.

"Ahhhhh-oof!"

He sighed, ". . .Nevermind."

"Well, you did try," the vigilante's chimed in.

He glared at the ever-present cause of his misfortune, who flipped flawlessly mid-air into the new hole in the street like one o' those fancy gymnasts on TV.

"You're welcome to join your buddy and me down here. Or not. Although, he might've mentioned at one point that he doesn't do too well in tunnels, especially by himself," the bug's voice continued to echo up through the hole.

Flint remembered all right. After that blowout of a fight, O'Hirn had to be rehydrated while knocked out and then sedated. How they managed to do that without any skin on his arms to put an IV, the silicate supervillain had no idea.

Leaving O'Hirn alone to face the guy that scared the pants off of most of the underworld was not an option. If they got caught again, it was nothing new, but at least he wouldn't be a wuss for letting his partner get caught alone.

He jumped down.

Sometimes, Flint thinks, it pays to have superpowers. because that drop wouldn't've gone as good if he had normal legs instead of sand.

As his eyes adjust, he can make out . . . train tracks?? Are they in part of the subway or something? He was about to look around further for Rhino but-

CRASH!

-that wasn't needed.

"Marko! Glad you could make it! I hope the decor isn't too rustic for your tastes. O'Hirn doesn't seem to appreciate it that much," the weblinger snarked as he dodged yet another punch.

"I'll 'appreciate' it when I crush you all over the the walls, you sneaky little creep!" Rhino growled.

A high-powered jump onto the subway ceiling and Rhino could not longer follow through on that promise.

"As much as I would like to see you both fail at that again, that's not why I arranged this chat."

Flint snorted, "Oh, sure. Let me guess. You want to talk us into giving ourselves up and going straight."

Spider-Man made an so-so motion.

"Not exactly. But not too far off either. A good guess, though. And a choice that I wouldn't be opposed to either of you making."

They both opened their mouths and a hand shot up to halt their next words. Another hand webbed the hole next to the vigilante shut.

"There. I made sure we wouldn't be interrupted by cops anytime soon. The old tunnel we're in needs repairs but it's the workers' day off, so can you just hear me out for a second before attempting another murder on me here?"

Neither he or Rhino moved. They look at each other and then up at Spidey and then back to each other.

This was definitely out of the norm. Was it another trick? But why trap himself down here in the same space with two of his longtime enemies then? It made no sense!

His mouth was now moving but the words were surprising even him, "Well, uhhh. . .alright."

His partner shot him a look but he shot him one right back. They were both stuck down and he was curious, so sue him!

Spider-Man tilted his head, "Huh, this wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. Well you see, when I said hear me out, I should have been more precise. I should have said 'hear me and the Big Man out'."

And with that, a little recorder was suddenly playing in the guy's hands.

"I'm here to see Mr. Lincoln."

"Then you should make an appointment."

//Line Break//

Peter could see the looks on their faces switch from interest to the beginnings of an unpleasant realization.

"Wait. You can't listen to him. He's the bad guy. He's--"

He clicked the tape off.

When he had broken into Tombstone's office that day, he had recorded the conversation just in case the guy said anything that could be used against him in court. It worked on sting operations and TV an awful lot. (Or maybe just the stings ops on TV??) But the more he rewinded and listened to it, however, the more he realized that very little wouldn't be thrown out in court. Between Lincoln's evasive wording around being the Big Man, the charges he brought against Spidey in the tape, plus the wealth and reputation the jerk has. . . Well, Peter knew nothing would come from showing the tape to any above board and official sources.

That's when it hit him. Spidey wasn't the only being treated like a pawn in that exchange. In fact, he'd wager guys like Marko and O'Hirn knew nothing about why they were made.

"He offered you money?!"//"I'll kill 'im! He set us up for jail!"

Called it. Poor guys.

"Hold up! One at a time, please. Yes, Sandy, he offered me a big briefcase full of cash to stay out of the way."

"H-how big a score are we talking here?"

Marko looked like he was about two seconds from breaking down in tears.

"Two rows of seven. All hundreds. None of the cash bundles in any row looked anemic," he responded matter-of-factly.

Sandman slumped onto the ground with his face in his hands.

"Soo, um, anything you want to ask, Rhino?"

Hornhead was trembling in rage and it seemed like a tremendous effort to open his mouth with the way he was grinding his teeth.

"Lincoln. Where do I find him?"

"I could tell you but trust me when I say smashing him is only going to make the problem worse."

"Then why tell us all this?! Look at what you did! You smashed everythin' we thought we knew and now you don't want to get the piece o' crud back?!"

"I didn't say I didn't want him taken down. Look, I could have accepted the money and been at home right now counting the zeros in my bank account. Instead, I'm here. All I'm saying is that smashing him only opens up his throne to people like the Goblin, who FYI, is far worse than Tombstone. And that's saying something."

"So we're screwed no matter what, then," Marko interjected from his seat on the floor.

Sandman's voice sounded lifeless and Rhino was clearly struggling to find anything to say to him.

Peter took a deep breath, "I made the mistake of thinking people like you were the enemy. I started being Spider-Man to help the little guy but I think we're all the little guy here. The Big Man thinks of us as little numbers on a ledger or like chess pieces if we get powerful enough to get noticed. Even if you go against him openly, he'll just replace you. With every day that passes, you're less and less unique because he can churn out more like you. And he'll ruin more people to send against me unless. . ."

Both sets of eyes were looking at him now. Even Rhino had calmed enough to seem interested in listening again.

"Unless what?"

"Unless we do the opposite of what Mr. Benevolent Overlord wants and team up."

End of Part One (Possibly more to come???)

[j0kers-light]

I am not sure if your requests are open but was wondering if you would do a smut one-shot where y/n and joker dress up like their getting married maybe it's y/ns weird fetish or jokers but it is one of thems idea that's up to you

[Most importantly hope you don't mind this but the joker isn't wearing any makeup in this]

Ps. Love his lighthouse love it

His Lighthouse: A White Future (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

A White Future - Oneshot

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS NOT A STORY UPDATE!

Hey hi @jokerslittlepage 🖤✨

Please excuse me for taking so long in writing this! This one was tricky to write I'm not gonna lie… I feel like Joker is a little OOC in it since I mostly head canon his against marriage but hey. I did what needed to be done. Please don’t hate me!! 🥹🥹 and at this point Joker rarely wears his clown makeup around Y/n so you’re all good beloved!

Enjoy as I post this in the dark at 1AM!

— Oh and this is definitely not possibly canon with His Lighthouse. You'll understand after reading lol 🤭

Also I'm kinda feeling this song playing in the background as Joker and Y/n dance on the balcony. Its soft and gentle enough yet angst for this ill fated couple 😘

taglist:

@blackreaderatrisk @twinkledinkle @clemdango04 @l3ejm @tears-of-amber @what-an-angel @darthjokerisyourfather @thatsnoteii @dollster @cheetahspy @kaidennnnn @urdariingdoll @motivation-idontknowher

Wanna be included in the His Lighthouse journey? Join the taglist!

Joker blamed you for this.

You unlocked another one of his weird fetishes that he never would have known existed, all completely by accident.

You were cleaning out the closet in the guest bedroom and trying on things to see if they still fit. If it didn't, you were donating it.

Joker had returned from a late night meeting at the main hideout and was relaxing on the bed, still dressed in this three piece suit. This one was all black, giving off mafia vibes, especially since he proudly wore the gold chain you bought him around his neck.

Your initials were on a small charm hanging from it. It was a subtle way for Joker to acknowledge his girl; he never took it off.

Joker washed his clown makeup off in the bathroom and was content watching the strip tease and mini fashion show you were putting on. So far he kept his hands to himself.

No surprise Joker was a great judge with his killer fashion sense. He was honest about the things you tried on.

"It's a no for meee."

"Wait, Bunny! Keep that one. It makes your hips look... mmm. C'mere pretty thing.."

"I dunno.. bell bottoms are making a uhhh comeback. I like the color, doll."

"Don't even try that on. Toss it."

"Y/n, what possessed you to buy that?"

Rude comments and all, you were making progress with Joker's help! You had almost everything cleared out and ready to either return back into the closet or in bins for charity, that is, until you squealed and dug out a white garment bag.

"I forgot about this!" You laid the bag out on the nearby couch and unzipped it.

Joker lifted his head at the sound and watched you eagerly lift up a dress. From here it looked cream or was it white? He spoke up to ask. "What's that, bunny?"

He missed your megawatt smile. "One of my fans invited me to her all white wedding before you and I met. She asked me to be her bridesmaid and I totally forgot I kept the dress!"

You held it up to your body and faced the mirror. She was so happy you made it and they were such a beautiful couple. You were glad you made her day even more special by being there. You smiled while reminiscing fond memories.

You turned just enough for J to finally see that garment in its entirety and his brain swiftly short circuited.

"Put it on."

You turned towards Joker. "Huh?"

He had this hazy look in his eyes as he watched you stand before the mirror. The urge to see you in white struck him hard and fast. He didn't know why.

"I said.. Put. It. On."

You knew that tone very well and scrambled to do what Joker said before he lost patience.

You took off your bra and shimmied into the cool satin material. The panty line was too harsh in the white fabric so without thinking, you peeled off your panties and tossed them aside.

Joker swallowed audibly watching them go. He liked that pair very much. However they looked better on the floor.

"Can you zip and button me up?" You held the front of the dress up to your breasts and moved your hair back for him.

Joker took in a shaky breath. The dress wasn't even on properly and he was already having impure thoughts. The ivory color against your darker skin just made it pop even more. You tried on countless articles of clothing tonight but this was the icing on the cake. He stood up from the bed and walked over to you.

His green eyes met your e/c ones in the mirror before you looked away, hiding your flushed cheeks. For once he didn't comment on your skittish behavior.

He reached out and pulled the zipper up, letting his fingers brush against your skin like a feather.

The intimate gesture sent shivers down your spine.

Joker was so close you could feel his body heat on your exposed skin and his hands were like a branding iron buttoning the two pearls at your neck. When he was done, Joker rested his hands on your shoulder and spoke to your reflection.

"You ahhh need heels." He whispered on your neck.

You didn't understand where he was going with this. You weren't trying on full outfits, just the clothing itself.

Joker rolled his eyes when you didn't move and stalked over to your endless pile of heels for himself. He flung a few to the side and mumbled under his breath when he couldn't find the ones he was looking for.

"J what are you doing?" You walked over barefoot but jumped when J laughed after finding the perfect pair. He wordlessly pointed for you to sit down.

Thank goodness a chair was nearby. Joker meant business when he didn't speak. You flopped down in your sage accent chair and waited for the lion to stalk its prey.

You were speechless when Joker got down on his knees to put a pair of Tom Ford stilettos on your dainty feet. They were the same pair he gifted you recently. He swore he purchased them with real money.

Like you actually believed him.

Regardless if he obtained them legally or not, they made your skin tone pop even more and highlighted the stark white of the bridesmaid dress.

You wore clear heels to the wedding but Joker was in charge here. Only the best for his Light.

"There... perfect." He whispered more to himself than you. His green eyes snapped up to you. Joker's hands were rubbing your calves but they slowly creeped up under the gown to caress your thighs. "A vision in white."

From the halter neck to the draped bodice, you were a sight to behold. This gown, what it represented, was doing things to him. His Light bathed in white whereas he was swallowed in darkness.

Yin and yang. The two of you were polar opposites and he absolutely loved it.

"A-Alrighty.. um it still fits! So um... can I take this dress off now?" You asked with a shaky breath. Green eyes pinned you down further into the seat as Joker's lips inched closer and closer to yours.

"NoPe. It's our big day and you look... phenomenal. You look so heavenly.. n' all for me." Joker tucked a wayward curl of hair back behind your ear.

His words made your eyes widen. Big day? What was he going on about?

"J.. what're you..?"

"Stay right here, doll. Don't. Move." He ordered. He grinned at you before backing away and leaving the room altogether.

You blinked in shock but did as you were told.

Just what had gotten into Joker and where did he go? It was taking him longer than a minute to return.

You tapped your heels on the floor as you waited.

He came back with your fresh bouquet of flowers that you always kept on display in the foyer. This week it was a hodgepodge of wildflowers mixed in with chrysanthemums and snapdragons; the perfect wedding arrangement. You finally had an understanding of what was going on here.

"Did you know it's considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?" You accepted the fresh flora and discreetly shook off the excess water from the stems before it soaked into your satin dress.

Joker just shrugged and helped you to your feet. He kissed your cheek and led you out of the bedroom. "Who needs luck when I have you?"

Now that was sweet.

You bowed your head and let Joker guide you out onto the balcony. He walked you out just like a newlywed couple to the reception.

The night was balmy and the distant lights from the Fashion District cast a neon glow on everything. Joker stepped away to turn on the patio's string of lights to soften things up a bit.

They came on and illuminated you in a warm intimate glow. You were missing a veil for this to truly be a dream come true. Joker would just have to go without. Your smile monopolized all of his attention anyways.

You shined brightly just like the lighthouse he named you after. You laughed when Joker bowed and offered you his hand, like a true gentleman.

You both knew he was anything but.

"May I have this uhh, dance?"

Joker's smile was genuine and without his signature makeup, he looked dazzling under the twinkling lights.

You could stare at J for hours. You didn't care about his scars. Yes, they made him into the fearsome man he was, but in your opinion, Joker was beyond stunning no matter how you looked at him.

How could you say no to such a handsome man?

With your bouquet in one hand– you gave Joker the other as he swept you up into a ballroom waltz right there on the balcony.

You heard gentle music playing from the speakers and knew this must've been what he ran off to prepare.

"But you don't plan things.." You mumbled under your breath.

Joker kissed your cheek to silence his laugh. You loved pointing out his affinity for structure and plans.

The two of you danced along to the soft music and stared into each other's eyes. Yours were more bashful whereas Joker did nothing to hide his desire. The grip he had on your hip clenched tighter when you bit your lip. It wasn't unusual for Joker to get handsy but your curiosity got the better of you at the origin of his passion.

"So... um you're not gonna tell me what brought this on?"

He scoffed as if you should've already known the answer. "Do I need an excuse to dance with my wife?" Joker dipped you suddenly.

You were sputtering and gaping like a fish. "W-Whahh? Wife?" He slowly straightened you back up.

"Do play along, Y/n." Joker said with an eye roll.

"Oh I'm sorry Joker! I didn't know we were roleplaying tonight. I was trying on clothes and you went all... thison me! How was I supposed to know you had a bridal fetish or whatever this is? I bet you wanna skip straight to the honeymoon anyways."

You looked away and missed Joker's licking his scars in agitation. You knew the exact buttons to press with him, it was infuriating.

The scene was set. Why couldn't you just play along?

Joker spun you again but this time he jerked you roughly so your back was against his chest. He kept you steady on your feet with his strong grip.

"I.... didn't know I had one until you found this... this... dress. White looks soo... ethereal on you my Light. So what if I wanna end our uhhh re-cep-tion early and consummate our bond. Hmm? Are ya gonna stop me? We both know that's what you wanT."

Joker leaned down to whisper in your ear. "You wanted me since the moment I came home."

That may be true, but he didn't have to call you out on it!

That matte black suit of his was equal parts sinful and alluring plus you really wanted that gold chain of his swinging in your face tonight.. An airy moan slipped out before you could stop it.

How did he know your body better than you?!

Joker ran his hand down the front of your dress and bunched the satin material up until your legs were bare to his touch. The humid air teased your bare sex, making you shiver.

"I bet you're thinking about it.. righT now, aren't ya? Let's see just how needy my wife is..." 

Without warning, Joker plunged his fingers into your wet pussy. You clutched onto his forearms and gasped at the intrusion.

"Told ya, princess.. you're sopping wet for me." He groaned at hearing your wet lips gush out as he thrusted them deeper inside. Your eyes fluttered half mast but flew back open in fear.

You looked left and right, hoping it was dark enough for your neighbors to not witness what was going on your balcony.

Just because you owned the penthouse didn't mean there weren't other buildings surrounding yours. Gotham City was notorious for peeping toms and noisy neighbors.

"J-J... my mmph!" Your complaint fizzled away when Joker's thumb rubbed at your clit. Why did you take your panties off around this man?

J loves when you wear dresses and skirts for 'easy access' and for good reason.

The man was a sorcerer with his fingers and you loved when he worked his magic. He curled them just so and had you hurling straight to the cusp of pleasure in record time.

You were wet the moment he walked in the bedroom but he didn't need to know that. Joker knew his tailored suits turned you on.

Finally getting some much needed stimulation was sending you over the edge. You clawed at J's arms as the heat threatened to consume you entirely.

A flick of his thumb against your bundle of nerves and you were moaning out in ecstasy.

You made a mess of his fingers right there for anyone to see if they looked out their window. The thrill of being seen had you squirming in J's arms. You swatted at his hand with your flowers when he tried to prolong your orgasm.

He easily overpowered you and laughed at your sensitive walls clenching down on his fingers. Joker clicked his tongue when you tried bucking away from him.

"Tsk. Always running away." He sighed.

You squeaked when he picked you up, bridal style, and carried you back inside.

Usually Joker would toss you down on any nearby surface and watch your body bounce helplessly before he dragged you back towards him, but today was different.

Today, Joker stopped into your enclosed sunroom and set you down gently on the couch. He hit the light switch and instantly the balcony lights went out and plunged the both of you into darkness.

Now only the moonlight shining in from the glass roof guided his lips to yours.

You dropped your flowers to cradle the back of Joker's head and deepened the kiss. He let you have control for as long as it took him to discard his suit jacket and rip off his tie. He was working on the buttons on his shirt when you pulled away.

"Ngh, no let me... l-let your wife do it." You moaned out.

Your hands were shaking as you undid the buttons. You were too nervous to look up at the panting dragon before you.

Joker let you push his shirt off his shoulders but he tilted your chin up when you failed to look up.

You acknowledged your role and needed to be rewarded.

He whispered your name amongst the lush plants and flora in your sunroom. The air in here was stuffy since he left the balcony's sliding door open. You were already collecting sweat on your brow and good thing Joker took off his makeup earlier or it would be melting off of him.

He still licked at lips in that nervous habit of his.

"Do you want this? Tell me to uhh stop if ya don't." Joker slowly pushed your dress up to bunch up around your stomach. He had no plans of taking it off. If he did, he'd risk tearing it to shreds and that wouldn't do.

If he had it his way, you would wear white everyday, you looked so beautiful in it. But back to the matter at hand.

You nodded in the dark and wrapped an arm around Joker's shoulder. His gold chain was still cool to the touch and you ran your fingers over it fondly.

"I want this. I-I want you. Please, J."

He left a kiss to your forehead and groaned. "You already have me, Y/n."

Joker moved to remove his pants after earning your consent. The sound of his belt buckle in the dark sent a rush of adrenaline to your core. You were excited and the fact you could hardly see made this encounter even more hot.

Your heart was beating out of your chest when you felt Joker's hands slide up your heel clad legs and yank you closer to him. Your back hit the couch cushions and you scrambled for something to hold onto in the dark.

Joker must've seen you flailing around since he guided your hands back onto his shoulders.

No fair how he could see perfectly in the dark whereas you were blind as a hehe... bat. 

"Hey.. I wanna see yo— ah!"

Joker slapped his cock on your pussy as if he heard your joke. You jumped at each impact of his hard on hitting your clit and clawed at his upper back in delight.

He seemed to enjoy the sting and tipped his head back in a groan.

Then a pair of neon green eyes stole your attention. It was unnatural the way they reflected off the lack of light, almost feline at times. Joker's night vision was legendary and it was all focused on you.

Your beautiful body sprawled out on the couch. Your curls framing your face like a halo and Joker swore the white of your gown made your melanin skin glow.

How did he get so lucky? He must be dreaming. If it were a dream, he would enjoy it while it lasted.

Joker slid his dick into you, slacked jaw and eyes filled with longing. Your eyes rolled back feeling him stretch you open and come to a rest inside. Joker panted above you and braced his weight on his hands near your head.

You were now caged in with nowhere to go.

"Yeah? This what you– mmhm d__n, is this what you needed, my Light? If ya want me, then take it. Take. All. Of. Meee." Joker grunted and set a rhythm; steady deep thrusts that jolted your entire body and stole your breath.

You buried your hands into his hair and tugged, knowing J loved that. He moved with the motion and laughed to himself.

"F__k, relax Princess and work with me." He pulled his hips back so he could slam into your pussy deeper.

You cried out and wrapped your legs around his waist. He felt the straps of your heels press into his back.

Note to self, clothed sex was hot.

"See? There ya go.. now I can beat it up just the way ya like it. Ohhhh, I got the best wife. Tight cunt, killer body... sexy moans– louder doll. I wanna hear just how good I'm making ya feel."

You bared your neck as he picked up the pace and plowed into your womb. Each rock of his hips hit your g spot and made you dizzy.

You looked up and watched the clouds distort the image of the moon through the roof. Such a beautiful night spent with the one you love.

Joker noticed your distracted gaze and brought your focus back on him by pressing down on your lower belly. You keened loudly in his ear.

"Haha. Eyes on me, Princess. I know, I know. You can cum if it feels that go~od."

You nodded, gasped sweetly, and then came on Joker's cock. And he didn't stop his powerful thrusts either. He plowed right through your orgasm with no regard for your hypersensitivity.

You couldn't escape his passion and took out your agony on his back. Joker hissed when your nails initially dug into his skin but laughed it off.

"Argh, those d__n nails of yours are sharp! Is it really that good, darling? Too much cock making you go crazy stupid already? You want me to stop? Huh? Too bad, cuz I'm noT done yet." He groaned when your walls clamped down tighter on this dick but he recovered quickly to resume his brutal thrusts.

He picked you up by your waist and positioned you to straddle him properly on the couch.

You cried out when you sank further down on Joker's cock due to the angle.

Now he could see you properly as a beam of moonlight shined down from the roof to a spotlight on you bathed in white.

Your hair was in complete disarray and your lips red from biting them in pleasure but in Joker's eyes, you were absolutely stunning.

You locked eyes with Joker and braced your hands on his shoulders. His fair skin was flushed red from exertion but he still looked every bit of Gotham's City most wanted criminal.

The dark gleam in his eyes was a warning in itself.

Your gaze latched onto the gold chain hanging around his neck, and most importantly, the tiny charm with your initial bouncing with each thrust Joker made up into your pussy.

It was hypnotizing and you couldn't help but lean forward to kiss Joker.

He didn't mind and slowed things down so you could feel each vein sliding against your gummy walls. The wet slap of skin and heavy pants was the only sound in the sunroom. You wouldn't be surprised if the glass behind Joker was fogged up by your lovemaking. It was still too dark to tell for sure.

You were the focal point here so you leaned back and put in some work to get Joker off.

You rolled your hips in figure eights that he loved so much and was quickly rewarded.

Joker placed his hands onto your hips and used them like handlebars.

"D__n Y/n. F__k meeeeee." He leaned back on the couch and watched you ride his dick, chasing another orgasm.

You didn't care that you were getting your dress dirty or that your feet were killing you in your stilettos.

Joker took one look at you dressed in white and gold and smacked your behind. You whimpered softly. The sting spurred you to go faster and you began chanting Joker's name like a prayer.

"Nuh uh bunny. You know what ta call me." J whined when you clenched tighter around him.

You bit your lip, looking away.

He could call you wife all night long but it was something different about returning the favor. You knew Joker needed this to get off but it meant more to you.

"Say it Y/n.. p-plea— nghh just once. That's all I, ahhh, that's all I neeeed, darling. I want you to have it, but I need.."

Oh. Joker begging meant he was serious. His eyes were squeezed shut as he neared his own release but you could tell something was holding him back.

You could feel it with how handsy and needy he became. Anything could spill from Joker's lips as he reached his summit. He needed whatever this fetish was.

You drew in limited air and blew it out in a shaky moan.

Just the sight of Joker, usually so composed and calculated, losing all self control– because of you, was empowering. At this rate you were gonna cum again.

You wanted Joker to cum with you; it felt right with the emotions floating in the air tonight.

You choked back a moan, "I want it! I want my husband to c-cum. I need you, J! Please fill me up!"

His reaction was instant.

"Yeah? Ya want it? My beautiful wife wants my cum? Anything you want, it's yours, Y/n. Ask of me anything. I will defy my own will to grant your desires!! Y-You can have it all just.. stay with me. F-Foreever. Never.. s__t, so tight! Never leave me Bunny." 

You recognized your own book quote mixed in with Joker's pleas and moans. If possible, you fell even deeper in love. You wouldn't stop for anything after hearing that.

You felt the moment Joker came undone.

He squeezed you close as his hips bucked up into yours uncontrollably. He didn't care about moaning obscenely in your ear because he babbled his deepest darkest fears to you in between struggling to breathe.

"Stay with me, Y/n.. I need.. I need you please— you complete me. You own me. Don't go.. my beautiful wife. M-My Light. All mine.."

It was the most vulnerable you ever heard Joker speak. He was open about his future with you.

You were uncertain about his plans after he healed up and left, but tonight you got a glimpse of the future. He wasn't going anywhere and neither were you and you never felt more closer to him than in that moment.

You bared down and let a silent scream paint your features as your own climax was ripped from out under you.

The fact you came with Joker made the release ten times more intense and hearing him confess in your ear was like an atomic bomb.

Joker fell back and took you with him as the afterglow hit you both. Shivers and gasps were exchanged in the muggy room.

Your dress was sticking to your sweaty skin and you felt absolutely euphoric wrapped up in the arms of your lover. Joker wasn't in any better shape. The satin fabric of your dress was brushing up against his sensitive skin with every rise and fall of your breathing but he couldn't move.

He was slowly softening inside of you and cum was oozing from your pussy and pooling down to your inner thighs.

It was filthy but neither of you could bear to move. You were right where you needed to be. In his arms.

If Joker had a shred of morals he would carry you to the bath and help wash you up but first he had to address what he said during the heat of the moment.

Joker rubbed his scarred lips along your collarbone and subtly cleared his throat.

"I.. meanT it, Y/n." You turned your head and rested it under Joker's chin. "I dunno what started all of this but I uhh.. I'd like that. Us. You know... together.. Not right now! But ahh uhh.. it's on the table for the future... if ya want."

You tensed up in his arms and he thought the worst.

What if you disagreed and thought he was insane? What if you wanted nothing more to do with him? Was this the end of this phenomenal relationship all because he considered marriage?

Joker sounded so cute, all bashful and unsure of himself and you loved watching his eyes dart around in a panic. You put his worries at ease by leaning up and kissing him soundly.

"I meant what I said too silly. I-I need you too but only if you'll have me." You looped your hands with Joker's much larger ones.

He stared at the clash of skin tones and sighed. He was worrying over nothing.

"Forever then, yeah?" He kissed your palm before looking down at you. That breathtaking smile of yours was highlighted by the moonlight.

Since J quoted The Greeks Among Us, you decided to do the same.

"Until the last star fades in the night sky, I'm yours forever and ever, ο εραστής μου."

He rolled his eyes at your direct quote but attacked you with kisses anyway. His sweet little nerd. However the phrase summarized your love perfectly, all for a man who didn't deserve a single ounce of it.

Joker would spend the rest of his days proving his love for you. He could start by giving you that ring he bought.

[cant-icle]

one of the untitled ones. pick one, any one

yea ok

uhhh this one was last edited 12/18/19 and is pegoryu, i'll post the whole thing under the cut bc its like 700 words

Despite all earlier efforts to dissuade him, Akira really wants a pineapple burger. 

So they’re gonna go sneak out of the hotel to get one. 

This is incredibly stupid; Ryuji may be an idiot, but he’s not dumb. He’s also about as strong as wet tissue paper in the face of Akira actually telling him he wants something. Big Bang Burger is open 24 hours here in Hawaii (crazy!!) and they’re actually going to sneak out of the hotel to go get one.

Akira meets him in the hallway, his hair a mess, his eyes gleaming. “Are you ready?” he asks, barely a few centimeters from Ryuji’s ear. “If we get caught, we just say we’re getting something out of the vending machines for Mishima, okay? He drank some of the tap water and he’s been complaining all night.”

“Shit,” Ryuji wrinkles his nose in sympathy. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do this.”

Amazingly, they don’t get caught.

There’s no teachers in the hallway, no staff out this late at night; there is a Makoto near the front desk, but her head is buried in a book and it’s child’s play to creep around her and through the automatic doors and out into the night.

Ryuji very wisely waits until they’re halfway down the beach to the shopping strip to whoop. They did it! Got out of there scott-free! Sure, getting back in’s gonna be just as tricky, but that’s a problem for later! “Dude!” he says, half-gasping, prodding Akira’s shoulder with his fist over and over until Akira ducks under his arm and jabs him in the ribs. “Man! That was—”

“We do sneakier things in the Metaverse all the time,” Akira reminds him, but the knife-grin on his face belies the adrenaline he’s clearly feeling too. “It was just getting past Makoto.”

“Seriously, I thought she was gonna look up—” He bumps his shoulder into Akira’s, lightly at first and then harder, until he’s almost overbalancing both of them and Akira’s shoes slip in the soft sand. “We were almost toast!”

“Are you— get off me, what are you doing? I’m not gonna carry you—” 

Despite his complaints, Akira’s laughing; he hears it in the husky undertones of his voice, and leans all the harder into him. “You’re a big strong thief, you can hold me!”

“You’re the musclehead! Why aren’t you carrying me?”

“You want me to carry you?” Ryuji asks, grinning wide. Akira looks at him, then steps backwards. “Nah, Aki, you want me to carry you?” 

He reaches out but Akira’s already sprinting off, stumbling in the soft sand

“So,” Ryuji asks, more distracted by the feel of the waves curling soft and warm against his calves than anything, “how is it?” 

Akira chews for a moment, a moment Ryuji spends admiring the shape of his jaw and the curl of his hair in the moonlight. This should feel like the least romantic thing in the world, honestly; he can’t smell anything but the grease wafting off the fry bag clamped in his hand, and Akira’s got sauce smeared up his cheek, his hair shoved up and off his forehead by his stupid dumb fake glasses.

But the moon turns his skin to porcelain and his eyes to gunmetal, leaches the color from his clothes until he’s as much a part of the night as any other piece of the scenery.

“S’okay,” Akira finally says, but his pleased expression and the way he twists away when Ryuji sways closer to his hard-won prize betrays him. 

“Worth it?” Ryuji presses, sloshing closer, until their sides touch.

Akira chews a little more, Ryuji following the motion when he swallows. “Salty.” 

“Could be the ocean air.”

“Could be.” He takes another bite, a mournful moue crossing his face when he sees how little there is left.

“Man, why you gotta be all stoic? You like it, you like that big dumb piece of pineapple on bread, don’t you?”

“It’s not dumb!” 

“Then y’wouldn’t mind if I—” Ryuji sways down towards it 

and thats it!

[quaranmine]

letters from the lookout #2: last seen

(HC Firewatch AU snippets)

June 8, 1988

Mumbo has loaded his bags into the car, shut the door, and checked the ties on the bike rack for the third time when he heads back up the stairs to say goodbye to Grian. The morning is cool and dark, and the streetlights are still on outside. It’s still. The sun isn’t up yet. 

He steps inside and closes the door as quietly as possible. He already slammed it by accident again on his first trip outside, and he’s trying his hardest not to upset any of their neighbors at this hour. 

Grian is sitting at the table under its warm ceiling light and has, kindly, looked better. He’s wearing an oversized university t-shirt and sweatpants, and looks like he might fall asleep again at any second. Grian is not typically an early riser, only incidentally so—thrust into the unwanted world of early alarms by the usual dread and horror of being an adult with a job. But this morning is still earlier than he normally wakes up. 

There’s a cup of coffee, mostly full, sitting on the table in front of him, which Grian regards with bleary eyes. Grian also typically drinks tea, not coffee, except on mornings where he decides he needs some extra strong caffeine. Mumbo’s not sure the coffee has any extra caffeine than the tea does, given how strong he’s seen him brew it. He loves coffee, however, and his roommate knows this. 

“I made that for you to take with you,” Grian says. He squints at the cup again. “I did drink a little of it. Sorry.”

“Erm, that’s alright mate,” Mumbo says hastily. “I’ll just stop by someplace on the way and get something for myself.”

“Oh, okay,” Grian says, immediately taking another sip. “So you’re off now I guess?”

“Yeah,” Mumbo says. “Just came back to say goodbye and do a final sweep of anything I’ve forgotten.”

“Good.” Grian nods, and then appraises Mumbo, up and down. “Are you driving all the way today?”

“If I can.”

“Ugh,” Grian says. “That’s way too far. You should rest. It’s like, one state over, why is it eight hours?”

“Because America is big,” Mumbo says. 

Grian wrinkles his nose. “Don’t like that.”

“I’ll spend the night when I get there before I go do anything,” Mumbo says. “I have to get the backcountry permit at the office, anyway.”

“Fine,” Grian says. “Drive safe. Call me when you get there. And when you get back. When do you get back?”

“Uhhh, if all goes well, then June 15. But the last part of the trail might be tricky and I’m not sure I’ve broken up each day into a reasonable enough distance to cover. So I think I might end up staying another night, in which case I’d give you a call on June 16.”

The information is already written down on the calendar stuck to the fridge, but Mumbo knows Grian wants to hear it again, just in case. Mumbo’s going by himself, after all, so it’s best someone knows where he’ll be. 

Especially since he’s going to be really in the wilderness this time. There’s mountain trails, and then there’s empty mountain trails. Shoshone National Forest has plenty of the latter, and it’s precisely that solitude that is drawing Mumbo. Everything in his life is busy, busy, busy and stress, stress, stress. He’s sick of it. It feels like his brain is being squeezed out of his ears every single day and he needs a break if he wants to get out alive. 

Grian’s brain is also being squeezed out of his ears, but he seems to be at an earlier stage in this process where he’s still mostly okay with it all. It makes sense, though, and Mumbo can’t fault him for it. While he got a jumpstart on a career right out of university a few years ago, Grian has been sifting through apprenticeships and half-jobs for a long time to build experience. His architecture license is still shiny and new, and he isn’t jeopardizing that to follow Mumbo on his last-minute trip. 

Mumbo hugs Grian, and they say a brief goodbye. Grian reminds him to call him, and to buy him a postcard somewhere, and proclaims he’s going back to sleep for at least another hour. 

Mumbo steps out into the cool predawn air once more, and a shiver runs down his spine. Is it the cold, or the anticipation? He gets in the car, and just sits in the seat for a minute before turning on. He takes a deep breath. It’s okay right now. He has nobody to report to but himself (and sometimes Grian) for the next few days. He’s free, even if it’s just briefly. 

He turns the key in the ignition, and drives. Every mile bleeds away more stress.

[starseneyes]

Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 11

"The Naked and the Dead" AKA "Chenford is SOOOO married"

SPOILER WARNING: I will spoil the entire episode, likely the entire show, and I am addicted to details. Please proceed with caution.

Everybody primed and ready to go? Let's dive in!

"Hey, let me do it."

Timelines are tricky on this show, so I really don't think this was after the "second" date, but later. We saw in the cold open that Nolan and Celina were on a case during the day, so I think Tim and Lucy have been sneaking in dates and we're MAYBE a few days or a week past the end of the last episode.

So, that cute little glance Lucy gives Tim before uttering "let me do it" made me squee. Yes, I squee like a little girl kicking in a too-tall chair. Let me flail. I'm good at it!

Tim steps back and lets his wife girlfriend get to work on the coffee machine.

We know he's into black coffee (and clearly she knows his order after all the years on the job together), and I bet if he has a machine at home, it's either a grind-and-brew to give him whole bean goodness in a more instant form, or it's that "one cup" model I gave my husband to keep at work. Insert coffee. Insert water. Brew.

"So, what'd you guys get up to last night." "Nothing!"

Tim. Oh, Tim. Remember last week when I said you should stop lying? Yeah... maybe time to take my advice because your "nothing" is louder than a lot of "somethings".

To be fair, Nolan did say, "You Guys", which might trigger Tim's Fight-or-Flight response. Fleeing the scene might have appeared less suspicious.

Lucy slips in with her well-practiced UC skills on full display. See, she's had time to prepare, this time, and she's not going to get caught in the early stages of her secret romance.

She rattles off her love of the new Chagall exhibit while Tim suddenly gets lost in the aroma of his coffee so he can't open his big mouth, again. He seriously can't even look at either of them.

Tim finds a spec of dust on the floor to admire, sips his coffee, and hopes nobody notices.

Also, can we talk about Lucy handing Tim his coffee!? I know she could have done it at any other time in their relationship. I mean, she was his Boot and then his Gofer. She's handed him MANY a cup of coffee over the years.

But there is something so bloody domestic about Lucy Chen handing her boyfriend a cup of coffee.

"Nothing? You had all morning to come up with a cover story and that's what you went with?"

First off, I love the tone change from Lucy sending Nolan off to confronting Tim.

Second, I love how Tim immediately has to right the wrong of him being perpendicular to her and set himself directly in front of her, feet pointing towards what he desires. (Any New Girl fans out there?)

"Woah, woah. He bought it, didn't he?" "Uhhh."

I love this teasing. Both Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil excel at something I adore in actors... the Art of the HUM. It can be "uh" or "hm" or "mm".

I don't care which of the "H" "U" "M" s you use and in what combination, a great actor can use them to add layers to a scene and make it feel completely natural rather than written-in.

Chenford fans are blessed with both actors masterfully pulling it off. Think Matthew Goode in A Discovery of Witches. If there's a King of the HUM, it's him.

But these two are pretty high up there in terms of mastery.

"What if he had asked you a follow-up question about the exhibit?"

There's that competitive spirit coming out with these two. Tim wants to prove that his excuse is more fool-proof than hers.

And, Tim, while you may be the Master of Tests, Lucy is the Master of Cover Stories. Remember Dim and Juicy's meet-cute Lucy created that made you think naughty thoughts you tried to cover up with veiled barely-there compliments? Lucy's gonna school you, former TO.

"Let him. I read the catalogue to the exhibit cover to cover."

First off, how the hell does Melissa O'Neil make that line sound hot? The world may never know.

Secondly... BOOM, Tim Bradford! You've been schooled by the master! Lucy is the queen of preparation. For goodness sake, she read psych journals trying to prepare to break up with her ex-"Work In Progress".

Lucy has a pattern, and it's a good one when your SO becomes your SO and you don't want anyone to know... o.

"Mmhmm"

See? Master of the HUM.

"I hear you have Citizens Academy today." "I do. Do you have any tips?"

She trusts him completely, and I love that he immediately rattles off information to help her. At this point, he knows exactly what she needs to hear, and what will be useful to her.

Also, Tim's disdain for screenwriters is strong. Or someone in the writer's room is really tired of unsolicited screenplays in their inbox.

"So... um, what are you doing tonight." "Nothing... I hope."

Ooooh, Velvet Voiced Tim is back! Eric Winter puts this velvety quality into Tim's voice when he's in boyfriend-mode, and it's so bloody delicious.

I did VO for over 20 years, so I get SUPER excited about these little shifts in performance. Immediately, we know what he means. Yowza.

"Nothing sounds perfect."

Okay, I have to be upfront and honest, here. My original prediction was that they would not have sex for the first time off-screen and that they would not have sex this episode.

But when this scene dropped as a promo (and I love that they did widescreen with wings when it was too awkward for the crop), I second-guessed myself. Did they... do it off-screen!?

No. Now, I firmly believe, no. But this scene had me going for a minute!

Narratively, it makes more sense to drag it out. Yes, I know that in real life some people sleep with one another the moment they meet. But I believe for these characters in this moment... it makes sense to take their time.

But when I first heard they were doing "nothing" and they'd also done "nothing" the night before with only the morning to make up a cover story... I questioned my choices hard.

And now my mind's in the gutter.

Okay, readjusting. Let's get back to Tim's beautiful smirk as he watches his woman depart. "I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave", anyone? Our kitten is smitten.

Lucy On A Mission

Lucy works at the computer, lost in thought and using that big brain and compassionate heart of hers.

Aaron slides up, completely unaware of what's on her computer. He's ready to spill the tea, and the tea is standing right beside him.

"You'll never guess who's coaching Little League." "Nolan?" "No. Sergeant Friendly."

I love the glare Tim gives Aaron. Because it's his damn fault. But I also love Aaron poking fun at Tim. Their dynamic's been a lot of fun to watch this season.

"Whu- How did that happen? Can I watch?"

Ma'am. This is a PRECINCT. Please pick your panties up off the floor and resume normal operating function.

I mean, wow, Lucy! There was some heat in that question and Aaron is right there!

Lucy Materializes Out of Thin Air

I had to watch it twice to pinpoint where the hell she came from at the ball park. So, my initial surprise was akin to Tim's.

"Hey." Hi."

How. Is. This. HOT!? They're just saying "hi" and it's so charged with electricity the baseball field lights are about to turn themselves on. There is absolutely zero chill with these two since they started dating, let's be real.

"Um... who are you?" "What?" "I... the... a lot of heart? They're kind of a mess." "They're kids. It's supposed to be fun." "Yeah..."

I hear that edge in his voice on that line.

It's the same edge that gets into his voice anytime he discusses anything remotely connected to his father or childhood. So many of his choices are informed by the scars he still bears—physical and emotional.

Tim walks away, a little frustrated, because he can see Lucy doesn't get it. To be fair, he isn't explaining it. He's not communicating with her at all here.

But, also to be fair, he's never sought counseling or therapy for what he survived. There's a lot bottled up and it can be hard to pour it out in digestible bits if you've never learned how.

Genny fills in the gaps. That's all Lucy needs to process where Tim is and what he's going through.

I grew up with a lot of yelling, name-calling, and verbal and emotional abuse. Manipulation. Control.

One of my greatest joys is breaking those cycles with my own children—giving them a better childhood.

Tim watched the anger and the volatile nature of the last coaching situation here. He remembers his own father. He wants different for these kids, even if they aren't his own.

"He's trying not to be like him." "Yeah."

Lucy deflates a little, here. It was only silly puffery meant to tease, but now she gets it. Now she sees where this comes from, and she feels a little guilty. Of course, she didn't know, but now she does.

*Tim thumbs ups a kid dropping a ball* "Well, I mean, there is such a thing as over-correcting."

Here's where Lucy knowing Tim so well comes in. She doesn't try to talk to him about it. She doesn't try to tell him what to do.

Instead, she gets in there to help course-correct so Tim can keep being supportive, and she'll provide the structure so he doesn't have to have the anxiety of in any way resembling his father.

This is such a demonstration of love, to me. She knows he's not ready to deal with all of this. There will be a day—perhaps when his father dies—that he'll start to process through everything that happened. But, in the meantime, she'll help him through.

This is where Tim and Lucy live, now. It's a "we". It's an "us". It's something neither of them has ever had to this degree, before, even though Tim was married once-upon-a-time.

Lucy and Tim are a team, now, and this episode highlights why—they complement each other. They balance each other. They sharpen each other.

And in this way, Tim's very fortunate to be falling in love with someone with a pysch degree who can understand what's needed. She's the ideal partner to help with this because she knows him enough, now, not to push. But she also knows enough to provide a safe space for when he is ready to discuss.

"What are you doing?"

You never know what your girl is gonna do, do you, Tim?

To note, the last time he asked her this was when he was in the hospital recovering from spinal surgery. She was supporting him, then, too. She has a knack for it. (and I think the time before that was when he caught her putting boots in his locker... she also has a knack for pranks, of course)

"My name is Lucy. I am Coach Bradford's... friend."

Look. At. Tim's. FACE. Look at that bemused smile when she asserts she is his "friend". There was a time when he wouldn't even have accepted that moniker.

It wasn't until they were discussing her love life in the shop during the last 30 days of her training that she said, "we're friends" and instead of refuting it, he simply made a face.

And I love that she remains his friend even as they're transitioning into everything else. I often tell my children that my husband is my best friend—and I mean it. Nobody supports me like Matthew, lifts me up like Matthew, understands my trauma like Matthew, and makes me laugh like Matthew.

I love every layer of that man. And he loves every layer of me. And friendship goes a long way to getting to that point, I think.

Lucy rattles off instructions for how to throw a ball while Tim side-eye-fucks her and thinks of other things she can do with her hands as she's acting out the motions.

Come on, I'm not wrong here, people! Look at his face and tell me there aren't a few things happening in his mind that are not baseball-related but might involve running some bases.

Lucy disperses the kids, and Tim fires off a "You heard her" which is the Chenford Coaching Team equivalent of "Listen to your mother!"

He looks her up and down and smiles deliciously at Lucy, activating her praise kink in a delightful motion of her head.

Yes, Lucy Chen absolutely has a praise kink. And there's nothing wrong with that! But I love how Melissa O'Neil has been consistent with that little head swish Lucy does.

We've seen her do it throughout the years ("Maybe one day she'll be as good as you" comes to mind), and it never stopped. It only morphed.

Look at it at Lopez's wedding when he compliments her (in his way) and then asks her for a dance. Praise Kink Activated.

She does it at the end of 5x08 as we wait to fade to black, and there's a softer version of it when she's basking in Tim's adoration at the end of their first scene of 5x09 in the Watch Commander's office. Girl's got it bad for Tim Bradford.

He offers her the ball... but no he didn't. And I'm giggling like Lucy last episode because he's such a teenager around her, sometimes.

I've heard the expression all my life, "Love makes you young". I often think of Patrick Stewart wearing the Elf Song Hat while his wife recorded him (Google it... you'll die laughing).

With Tim, I feel like it resets him to before all the hurt and heartache in his love-life with Isabelle. He can be... free. Flirty. Fun.

But, seriously, Tim's the one who is going to get them found out for sure. Because, you know who had a front row seat to that eye-fuckery? Genny, that's who.

Y'ain't fooling anyone, Timothy.

"I think you two should co-coach. You were great together." "Oh, no, no. I'm ready to hand over the reins, entirely." "Not a chance."

I've thought about the layers in this little interaction quite a bit. Genny sees something here—whether it's the romance, the layered friendship, or the true partnership they've developed over the years.

But I feel like Tim's dealing with some self-doubt, here, and Lucy catches onto that.

I have a husband who deals with self-doubt. He's an incredible human, but I can tell when he's leaning into that and when I need to pull him back out and remind him how awesome he is.

I get that feeling here with Tim and Lucy. Maybe I'm projecting. But, I feel like he's saying, "She's better than me" and she's saying "No way, no how". Because he's not bad at this. Yes, he over-corrected a bit, but kids do need the support he offered. And Lucy brought the structure. They're better together.

I mean, just look at the way they're cleaning up together. Lucy's handing the bats to Tim and Tim's putting them away. They're doing it instinctively because helping one another and working together is completely natural, by now.

It's not something they have to discuss or consider—it's instinctual.

I've seen this in nature, before. A client of mine (yes, same client from last Meta) flew me out to Los Angeles a few times for work. I stayed with him and his wife, and I got to watch them work in the kitchen together.

After decades and decades of it being the two of them together, with no kids or anyone else in the way... it was like watching a dance.

That's Tim and Lucy. They move together rhythmically and naturally. May it be so in all aspects of their life—but I'm skipping to another episode that hasn't aired, yet, now!

"No, but seriously! I saw today why you work so well together."

And, Tim, poor, sweet Tim, opens his mouth. Tim can't get words out, and one look from his wife, and he knows to shut that mouth.

"We spend so much time together on, out on the job. It's so great that Tyler has been making friends so quickly after moving here."

Anyone else thinking Lucy's UC school was solely so she could cover up for her and her not-so-secretive secret boyfriend? Because, hello, it keeps coming in handy!

This is classic redirection. I use it with my children all the time. Just this morning my 5-year-old daughter was having an unusually hard time saying goodbye to go to school. Usually, she walks in without a glance back. Today, it was CLING city.

So, I went through the room until we finally finally found something to get her mind off of me so I could slip away.

Lucy's doing the same thing. She's pointing at something else in Genny's life to let that thought of "Tim and Lucy" slip away. It gives Genny something more personal to her to focus on, and shifts the conversation gently.

"We'll make sure he gets the best seat in the house."

Just thirty seconds ago, Tim was trying to get out of co-coaching, and they were both deflecting why they're great together, but now we're back to "we". Heck, we never left "we" for Tim and Lucy. They're a unit, now.

"What's wrong?" "There's something going on with my Domestic." "You want me to come? "No, it's okay. I got it."

Oh, how far we've come. In the past, if Tim said, "What's wrong?" to Lucy, it was surprising that he was taking interest. But, this is his girlfriend, and he knows her well. He looks to her phone for a clue as she approaches.

Then, he offers his help. This isn't TO Tim who wants to make sure his Boot doesn't mess things up. This isn't Sergeant Tim who is going to be backup for Officer Chen. This is Boyfriend Tim willing to be there for his woman, but asking what she wants because he knows she's more than capable of handling herself.

That's what hits me the hardest about this—he knows she's got it, but he's there if she wants him.

And I think that's why her "No" and the head-tilt comes off as intimately as it does... Lucy knows what Tim's offering and why. It's love he's demonstrating and she's sending a "message received" with that look.

And Tim's little "okay" downturn of his lip at the end of the clip even shows how he's not worried a bit. But he was going to offer. And I bloody love that.

Tim and Lucy and Wesley

I love this scene. It's so small and seemingly insignificant plot-wise, but it's the heart of the story, here. Okay, I'm tearing up a little.

PAUSE: TW Abuse CW Abuse

I don't want to give details, but I have people in my life who have been where these women are in the story. So, to me, I don't see the characters. I see my cousin. I see my friend. I see the girl when I was in college who was murdered by her boyfriend in the dorm.

In the case of the plot, this scene isn't necessary. But in terms of the context, it adds so bloody much. It's the message. It's the truth of what happens all too often. Gabby Petito is a recent case that made national headlines, but this happens all over, every day.

And what can we do? What options are there? How can we help? There is some heavy stuff in this episode. But, it's important for us to listen and learn.

END TW Abuse CW Abuse

I love that Tim has Lucy's back, here. She could have done this alone, but I bet she asked him along for his experience and for the weight of his strips in the discussion.

And I ADORE Shawn Ashmore (the sharp-eyed twin, as I've always thought of him), and there's something so irreverent about him sitting in that suit atop the desk that made me giggle a little the first time I saw it.

"Him and Bailey are just way too nice to be landlords." "Totally." *aggressive head-nodding Tim*

And like the Fool who took the stage immediately after the gruesome murder in the Royal Shakespeare Production of MacBeth (the Scottish play for my theatre siblings), there's the levity we need to help transition to what's next.

It's the rhythm of the scene and script where somehow this writer's room is tasked with heartache and hilarity in the same space. It takes skill to do well, and this scene does it well.

"Okay, hold on, you are a complete badass out on the streets-" *Tim question's wife's opinion aggressively* "Off hours, you're a little...." "Easy target."

Nolan's indignation combined with Celina's face make that moment. But it's all the rhythm of Tim and Lucy that gets us there. Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy.

Lucy wants to try to find the compassionate angle, and Tim's going to tell it like it is.

Chenford Coach a Game

Tim and Lucy have me smiling ear-to-ear for so many reasons in this scene. Look at how sweet he is with the kids, making sure they have a good experience. Look how competitive she is. Miss "I like trophies" is coming out, and it's amazing.

"God, every time!" "Be encouraging." "Good. Good job. Good try." "We're gonna work on that."

Married. So married. Beyond married. This whole interaction is gold. And the matching hats and shirts!? Normally, I wouldn't think Prison Orange would be a good look on a cop, but these two pull it off!

Tim is coaching Lucy as much as he's coaching the kids. I see a little "teacher Tim" in that "Be encouraging", though far gentler than TO Tim. And his face right before he tells her, "We're gonna work on that" has me rolling. That little down-turned mouth cracks me up.

We're getting a sneak peek into their future with this one. And, as usual, Tim and Lucy are balancing one another out.

That's one of the things I really love about them. They're not the same person, like Lucy says his ex was. They're very different people who are on a parallel path and are willing to put in the work to make this work because they're worth it.

"I'm excited." "I know."

AHHHHHHH. I know it's a TINY, tiny thing, but the way that he so effortlessly leans into her, the way he cocks his head as he says, "I know." It's so married.

And I have to call out the camera work, here, and the directing. If we're paying attention, we see Nyla and Angela showing up as Blake goes to bat. From the other angle you might note Blake's father shooting to his feet as Blake's bat connects with the ball.

The director is allowing us to discover the story-line without dumping us in at that shot of Nyla and Angela surrounding Blake's father. And I bloody love it.

James Patterson (pre-ghost writers) took the same approach with his mystery books. If you were really paying attention, you always had the opportunity to discover the answer along with the detective. That was something the ghost writers just always missed.

It's fun to have the chance to be detectives yourself—and this director allowed us that chance.

And, I just looked it up. Robert Bella, again! That explains the composition of Tim and Lucy with the fence during the night scene at the ball-field—having Eric Winter take the two steps up so he'd be framed behind the fence instead of in the gap as Melissa O'Neil steps away for Lucy's call.

Anyway.... back to Blake's Criminal Dad...

I had hoped this was the way the story-line would go (with Blake's father being arrested at the end of the game), but I didn't call Nyla and Angela being involved.

So, that gives two more people front row seats to "Why the Hell are Tim and Lucy Coaching Together if They're Just Friends And Holy Crap Were They About to Kiss on the Sidelines?"

Also love the Genny is up there, and that she's positioned behind Blake's father. I don't know if she did it on purpose to help make him easier to find for Nyla and Angela, but that's my head-canon.

And LOOK at Tim and Lucy cheer Blake on! Married. So married.

Plus, that hi-five. I know we're all talking about what Tim has in his hand. Is it cash? We've seen him bet on things before (including that his Rookie would smoke everyone at firearm re-certification), but did Tim and Lucy bet on the game?

She definitely grabs on after the high five, and we see his fingers wiggling. Is he trying to get out of giving her the money? We might need Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil to chime in on this one...

I have to say, I am loving domestic Chenford, and watching them find new layers to their relationship. I know a lot of people want snogging every week, but I am a huge fan of dolling it out in smaller dollops, much as the romantic aspects of this relationship have been leading up to "Do you want to go on a date?".

Yes, in real life, some people sleep together the moment they meet. Then, you have me and Matthew, who waited four years and until we were married. Lucy and Tim are somewhere between that, and I think they're doing what's right for these characters in this moment.

And I have to separate Chenford back into Tim and Lucy, for a moment, to acknowledge what might not be seen as "Chenford" to most, but totally is to me... Tim and Lucy had separate story-lines this episode.

Yes, Lucy came together on the baseball story-line. Yes, they converged at parts on the Domestic story-line. But, we got to also see them handle themselves without the other as backup. And I think that's so important for us to see as an audience—Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy. They don't have to be together every second.

Tim was highly organized and communicative as a Sergeant in the shoot-out. We got to see his military-level calm and control on display.

For Lucy, we got to see her compassion, bad-assery, and conflict de-escalation without anyone having to back her up. She's a confident and competent cop.

Together, we love them. But I'm someone who also lovesTim and Lucy as Tim and Lucy—separate from Chenford.

I think it's important for the show to remind us who they are on their own so that we can appreciate them both, and not let "Chenford" become the only story-line for either. Both characters are rich and complex, and deserve the opportunity to shine separate from one another, not only when they share a scene.

PAUSE: CW Abuse TW Abuse

This story-line really broke my heart because I know those women. I've been the one in Lucy's position trying to help before one was nearly strangled to death by her husband. And she stayed... it was rough.

If you are in an unsafe situation, please reach out and get help. Here is the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

I like to keep these Metas light and frothy, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge this plot line that isn't a story for two many people in this country and in this world.

Yes, we watch television often for entertainment, but there can be some truth in the messages we receive.

END CW Abuse TW Abuse

As always, thank you for reading and joining me on this ride. I can't wait to see what's next for Tim, Lucy, and Chenford.st

[volosdarling]

VOLINO POKÉMON THOUGHTS!

★ ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS IN THIS POST ★

💫 How did you and your F/O meet?

IT WAS HIS PRAYER TO ARCEUS, ACCORDING TO HIM... :3 HE PRAYED FOR A SIGN, AND THERE I WAS NOT LONG AFTER, UNCONSCIOUS IN THE CENTER OF A TIME-SPACE DISTORTION. OOPS

💫 Did you know them before they rose to fame/infamy, or maybe you caught their eye amongst all the fans and rivals they had already?

HE WAS ALREADY AN OUTCAST OF SORTS BECAUSE HE TRIED TO BRING THE END OF THE UNIVERSE AND STUFF... BUT THAT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS COS HE WAS NICE TO ME AND HELPED ME HEAL ^_^ (ALSO I HAD NO IDEA FOR AT LEAST A YEAR)

💫 How do your teams coexist? Are your pokémon complete opposites, or two haves of the same coin?

AHH UHHH IN HISUI, HIS TEAM WAS OUR TEAM... WELL ITS MORE LIKE THEY'RE HIS TEAM + MY BODYGUARDS. :-P

TODAY, HIS TEAM IS WAY STRONGER THAN MINE, SO THEY'RE KIND OF MENTORS TO MY POKEMON... BUT HE'S HELPING ME BE MY OWN TRAINER WITHOUT USING RENTAL POKEMON, SO ITS FUN.

ALL HIS POKEMON HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES SO ITS HARD TO ELABORATE, BUT HIS TOGEKISS IS THE SWEETEST ONE, AND MY CLAYDOL IS ... ERRMMM... ALWAYS LEVITATING SILENTLY AND DOESN'T REACT TO ANYTHING

💫 When the battles are done for the day, how do you guys relax?

IF WE'RE NEAR SOMEWHERE WE HAVEN'T BEEN, WE'LL TRY SOMETHING NEW. BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW WE ARE.. WE LIKE TO LEARN NEW THINGS TOGETHER. LIKE WHAT PLACES HAVE GOOD FOOD :-P

... but SOMETIMES WE WILL PACK FOOD INSTEAD, BECAUSE TO EAT OUT 7 DAYS A WEEK IS JUST EXPENSIVE, AND ONLY HE KNOWS THE WAY I REALLY LIKE MY LUNCH BEST LOL

ELSE: WE GO TO MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD (HOME)

💫 Have you visited other regions with your F/O yet? Maybe gone sight-seeing or tried your hand at taking on a foreign championship together?

( AHHHEE I DON'T THINK I COULD BE A CHAMPION OR ANYTHING CRAZY LIKE THAT. NOT BECAUSE I'M BAD AT BATTLES BUT BECAUSE I WOULD KMS IF I HAD TO BE ON TV. HIM ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK HE CAN DO IT. BUT HE HAS HIS OWN INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF THAT XP )

WE'VE TRAVELED AROUND SINNOH... I WANT TO GO TO PALDEA ONE DAY THOUGH BECAUSE I READ THE VIOLET BOOK AND I THINK ITS SO COOL HOW CRYSTALS GROW EVERYWHERE THERE... 💭 MAYBE IF I SAY PLEAAAAASEEEEEEEE🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 WE CAN GO

💫 Do you have a pet F/O who’s a pokémon? How do you guys relax in your downtime? Did you catch them or hatch them? Who really found who, between the two of you?

I HAVE A PORYGON IN MY COMPUTER THAT I GOT FROM DOWNLOADING A BAD FILE IF THAT COUNTS. . .

RIGHT NOW HE'S HELPING ME BEFRIEND IT BECAUSE HE'S VERY GOOD WITH POKÉMON :-] BUT SLIGHTLY LESS GOOD WITH COMPUTERS, SO SOMETIMES IT'S TRICKY. LUCKILY I'M THE I.T. GUY IN THIS RELATIONSHIP SO IT BALANCES I THINK LOL.

WE RELAX VIA PARALLEL PLAY/STUDY LIKE EVERY AUTISM4AUTISM COUPLE, THANKS FOR ASKING!

[soggystyrofoam]

I know this is probably out of nowhere and it’s probably been like- a minute since the topic has been brought up, but I’ve been binging your Revue Starlight art and posts and-

You give an absolutely amazing depiction of Claudine Saijou and I was just wondering if you know a brief rundown of all the angst that is her character that was shown in the ReLIVE game or if there was somewhere I could be pointed to that has all her angst djfj

No worries if not ofc!

I meant to respond to this and I never did I’m so sorry 😭 I don’t know if my brain contains the information in brief rundown form anymore but if you want good Claudine stuff and you haven’t looked at it yet, read her chapter of the overture manga (the whole manga too actually it’s so good)

As far as ReLIVE goes uhhh I think Maya tendo erased is the classique Chapter That Implies Some Things About Claudine . but it’s a little tricky bc I can’t just direct you straight to arcana arcadia without telling you to read. The entire main story 😭 but do it. Do that.

[0xy--m0r0n]

this is kinda old art but the coloring is pretty recent lol

uhhh not much to say once again. i did try to make it look like lance's outfit is kinda see through but it just looks like a very bland blue lol (it's actually kinda tricky to make skin tight clothing look see through wow)

AERIAL DANCER LANCE!!!

[arc-misadventures]

FMK Nora. Jaune/Ren/Oscar... Good luck

Nora II: FMK

Nora: Hmm… Well this is tricky…

Jaune: Well, I’m worried now…

Ren: You’re worried now?

Jaune: I’ve grown accustomed to, Nora’s antics. So, I don’t get as easily worried as I did before.

Ren: That makes sense. So, what’s so worry about her this time though?

Jaune: She’s thinking… About what I do not know, but that scares me. Nora, usually acts, and doesn’t overly plan out her actions. Sure there is some planning to her madness. But, nonetheless, when she puts her mind to it, she can create great things…

Ren: Or, destroy them with reckless abandon with ease…

Jaune: Precisely…

Oscar: …

Oscar: I-Is it always like this with, Nora…?

Ren: Yes, but you’ll get used to it eventually.

Oscar: Oh… Oh no…

Nora: Okay! I’ve got it!

Jaune: Yay! Now we can all die together!

Oscar: Haha! Very funny, Jaune.

JR: …

Oscar: V-Very funny, Jaune…?

Nora: Okay! First things first; I kill, Ren…

Jaune: What did you do?

Ren: Nothing, I didn’t do anything!

Jaune: Which is precisely what you did wrong!

Ren: There’s no way that’s why she’s so upset!

Nora: That’s exactly why I’m so upset you jerk!

Ren: Oh… Uhhh…?!

Oscar: Is this what you meant by fearing, Nora, Jaune?

Jaune: Oh, you’ll know when to fear, Nora boy. Oh you’ll know…

Oscar: O-Okay…

Nora: Okay… After that, I would fuck cute boy, Oz!

Oscar: W-W-WHAT?!

Nora: I’m gonna fuck him so hard, and rough he’ll be begging for more from his new, Mommy. I’ll ruin him for any other girl! So he’ll only be mine!!!

JR: …

Nora: When he’s legal.

Jaune: Oh, okay.

Ren: Seems reasonable.

Oscar: Are you kidding me?! She’s threatening to break me?!

Jaune: So you’d die death by snu snu. What’s not to like about that?

Oscar: Say what?!

Ren: Tis there not a more nobler way to go~?

Oscar: Are you guys planning my funeral?!

JR: Yes.

Ren: Joking aside, do you think, Nora, would break, Oscar if they did it?

Jaune: You were joking around? I was being serious: Of course she would break him like a twig of twigs!

Ren: Oh…

Oscar: I need an adult…

Ren: So, since, I get killed, for some reason… I guess that means you’re going to marry, Jaune?

Nora: Yes! I get to marry, Jaune, and I finally get to live out my life long dream!

Jaune: I thought her life long dream was dying under a tower of pancakes?

Ren: I thought so too, but this whole thing with, Oscar has thrown a grenade into that.

Oscar: So… Uhhh… what’s this dream y-you were talking about?

Nora: Well, if I marry, Jaune I get a new mom, and that that actually love me! And, I get a whole bunch of sisters in my life as well!

Ren: Oh, so she’s marrying you for your family.

Jaune: If that’s it, then I don’t mind. My family already loves her to bits. Hell if we didn’t go this route my mom would probably adopted her, you too if you want.

Ren: R-Really…?

Nora: Then, we would have loads of sex, and make a really, really big family! One that would rival, no surpass, Mom’s family size! And we would eat loads of pancakes, and live happily ever after!

Oscar: Oh, that sounds… nice?

Ren: I think you better go, and do that.

Jaune: Why: Because that sounds like a lovely idea, or because it would save, Oscar’s pelvis?

Oscar: My what?!

Ren: Mmmm… Both…?

Jaune: …

Jaune: Sure, why not. A moment, Nora?

Nora: Hmm? Need something, Fearless Lea… Whoa?! Hey, why are you picking me up?! Put me down!

Jaune: Nope.

Nora: Grrrr! Where are you taking me?!

Jaune: The bedroom.

Nora: What, why?!

Jaune: To consummate the marriage.

Nora: …

Nora: FUCK YEA!!!

Ren: (Sniff) There goes a real hero…

Oscar: Is it always like this with you guys?!

Ren: Yes, get used to it, or go mad from the insanity of it all.

Oscar: Oh…

Oscar: …

Oscar: Shit…

[marysixnumbers]

Let Me Fix That For You

A/N: Just saw the fantastic Bottoms (2023), and wanted to write something with it, have this drabble! (Contains some spoilers)

Fandom: Bottoms

Words: 1,392

It was colder out than Josie thought. She could feel her fingers numbing on the steering wheel as she waited outside PJ's house, leaving the engine on so as to not cool the car down too much. Her eyes wandered over PJ's front windows, partially trying to determine if her friend was close to being ready, but mostly to avoid looking at the woman in her passenger seat.

Isabel. Josie still couldn't really believe the two of them were an item after so many years pining after her from the back of math class. Part of her - well, most of her - wanted to turn around and just kiss her, maybe more if they had the time - but she didn't know when PJ would be here, and she still wasn't sure if Isabel was, like, okay with that, and didn't she hear somewhere that being all aloof and indifferent made you ten times hotter than being needy or whatever?

"Hey." Josie felt a tap on her shoulder and pulled back from the window. "You seemed a little spaced out there. Watcha thinking about?"

Isabel was looking at her with a slight smile on her face, and a note of - was that worry? Anxiety, even? Shit, maybe she was being too aloof. Josie quickly found Isabel's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Nah, I'm fine. Just a long day, you know?" She summoned up an awkward smile of her own.

Her girlfriend's expression didn't change, but she seemed satisfied with Josie's answer, squeezing her hand back. "Wait a minute" - she gestured towards Josie's head - "Your hairtie's coming undone, I can get that if you want?"

Josie nodded, feeling Isabel take a loose strand of hair between her fingers, hearing Isabel murmuring about conditioner brands - though she was suddenly finding it hard to focus on the details, as she felt Isabel's nails barely graze the side of her neck. She shifted in her seat, trying to discreetly get away from her girlfriend's hand, but those fingers wouldn't leave her alone. Isabel's touch wasn't firm enough to hurt, but there was just enough pressure for it to really, really-

Before Josie knew it, Isabel was stroking under her chin, and she'd grabbed her hand and pushed it away, other hand clamped over her mouth to suppress any loose giggles.

"Woah, are you okay? Did I scratch you or something?"

"I'm good, I'm good. I'd just prefer doing it myself, that's all."

"Josie, are you sure? Because you kinda- Oh my God."

"What?"

"Oh my God, are you ticklish?

Josie blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.

"You're super ticklish, aren't you? Is that why you were moving around so much? Back there?"

She knew from past experience that outright denial was not the way to go, though admitting the truth didn't seem like a great plan either.

"Uhhh... yeah, I am. Ticklish, uh, I mean, I'm a little ticklish, yeah..."

"Oh m- How did I not know about this?"

Josie tried to answer, she really did, but when you have your crush of several years looming over you with a massive grin, after discovering your biggest weakness, without even being able to move from your chair, coherent thought becomes a little tricky.

"Um, well, you didn't know because I didn't tell you, and I didn't- I didn't tell you because I didn't think it would be information that you would be-"

She was literally at the edge of her seat, pressed up against the car door, but that somehow still wasn't far enough to escape Isabel's roving fingers.

"That you would be- ah! Interehested in! And I didn't think you'd be interested in it because - ohh, your hands are cold - because it doesn't benehehehefit either of us to know- okahehehey, okay that's a tickle spot, okay you founehehehed ihtahahaha! So we can just let this go, we don't need to do anything else related to- tickling, or me being tickled, or-ohmygod not there. That's really BAHAHAHAHAD!"

It wasn't simply being ticklish that embarrassed Josie. It was that she had no resistance whatsoever - one little tickle and the floodgates burst wide open. If she wasn't being tickled within an inch of her life, she might've realised that this is the loudest and hardest she's laughed in a long time, and certainly the most she's laughed in front of Isabel. Right now, though, all she could think of was how Isabel's fingers seemed to be all over her at once - her hip pokes, side squeezes, belly flutters, and rib tweaks felt like they happened seconds after each other. Curled up tightly on the car seat, her eyes tightly shut, she couldn't see Isabel reaching over her, theoretically giving her views she would've killed for in years past.

"This is so cute! I've never been with someone who is, like, this ticklish, you know?"

"NAHAHAHOHOHO THIHIHS IHIHIHISN'T CUTEAHAHAHAHAAH!"

"Hmmmm, I disagree~" Isabel swooped down to nibble on Josie's neck, prompting a round of wild cackles, before darting over to scribble on her knees, making Josie kick under the steering wheel so hard she thought the airbag would go off.

"WHAHAHAHT THE fuck, how did you know abouahAHAHAT THE KNEEHEHEHES, STAHAHAHP!"

"Oh, the knees? I guessed it. I can tell you're ticklish everywhere."

Josie squirmed like mad, slapping helplessly at the air, trying not to reveal how much her girlfriend's comments were getting to her. She was sure Isabel could talk to her like this and she'd be giggling without any physical contact.

"YOHOHOU'RE FUAHAHACKING KILLING MEHEHEHE!"

"Aw, but you're tough, you're the leader of the fight club! Wait... maybe our next session should be all about tickle fights! Only if I get paired with you, though, this is way too fun to pass up."

Why exactly was this so much worse than the last time she was tickled? Was it Isabel's nails, which had just enough purchase to find devilishly ticklish areas hitherto neglected? Was it Isabel jumping from spot to spot, not content until she'd wrung every kind of laughter out of poor Josie? Or was it the rush of being like this under Isabel, becoming a puddle of hysterics thanks to someone you'd known, feared, lusted after, and then finally loved, for the entirety of high school? Of finding yourself so vulnerable in her presence, just you and her, and the dizzying mix of emotions that came with that?

She felt Isabel's hands leave her body, her head still spinning as she panted like mad and gripped the sides of the driver's seat. She vaguely heard the back doors open, and a couple of voices paired with a blast of winter air from outside.

"Yeah, the dog took Hazel's notebook, we had to turn the house upside down looking for it, then I had to redo my makeup... Jesus, Josie! You look like you've run a marathon, what the fuck's happened?"

"Hi, PJ! Oh, she told me she was ticklish, so I tried it out on her. She wasn't lying!"

"You told her?! Josie, I know you're fucking head-over-heels for her already, but why-"

"Wait, she's ticklish?" Hazel piped up from the back seat.

"Like, incredibly, and she made me swear to never tell anyone, under pain of death, but now she's just giving it away-"

Josie gripped the steering wheel as her friends settled in the car. She looked over to Isabel, whose smile had still not left her face, even growing when she wiggled her fingers towards Josie and saw the other woman flinch.

Isabel reached over to Josie, the loud chatter in the back masking their conversation? "Are you okay? I didn't... go too hard? Or anything?"

"You're fine, it's cool. Gimme some warning next time?"

"Next time?"

"Uh, wait, I mean-"

Before she had time to think of an excuse, PJ poked her head between the front seats. "So, Isabel, did you know that if you put your lips on Josie's belly and blow real hard, she yells loud enough to wake up a whole slumber party?" She gestured to the cheerleader, who brought her hand to her mouth and giggled.

"What the fuck, PJ?"

"You're the one with no secrets anymore, pal. And between her shoulder blades-"

PJ was pulled into the back seat as Josie pulled away from the sidewalk as fast as she could, and drove off into the night.