#tig fandom appreciation

[riddles-n-games]

So, I wanted to make this as an appreciation post for the fandom. Looking at all the reveals we've gotten in the last few days and seeing how much the world of TIG has expanded so quickly, I've been getting a bit nostalgic.

When I joined this fandom, it was August of 2022, barely a month out from the release date of The Final Gambit, the finale of The Inheritance Games. I found out about TIG at a random bookstore on a road trip and I had immediate interest (the hot tub scene sold me so quick). I was also still somewhat new to Tumblr back then but I wanted to see what the hype was here.

Back then, we were still in the Averyjameson vs Averygrayson era even though I'd say things were cooling down a bit. But, that's not my point. The community was getting ready for this; there were chapter reveals, theories, and oh, it was awesome. I was so happy to be part of it. And some of the people who made it a lively place back then are still here, but unfortunately, some have gone quiet. @averysjameson, @guppyclato, @lesbianator3000, @margolovescoffeeandbooks, and @cherryschaos, thank you for making my days back then. I know you may have moved on, but I thank you for the contribution you made at the time.

The only thing I will not miss is the toxicity that Averyjameson and Averygrayson fans plagued this fandom with and divided us so much. We had a lot back then to still savor, why did we have to do that to sour the tag when this series had so much more to offer than just the romantic subplot? There was a mystery at large and so many other characters to love. We only seemed to agree on hating Emily and the old man. Moving on, let's never do that again and if there is another love triangle, let's try being more mature about it. I know we can. If Gray, Avery, and Jamie moved on, so can we.

When we were told of The Brothers Hawthorne back in October 2022 and given those first chapters for the new book, I was over the moon. We were going to finally see the POVs of two favorites; Grayson and Jameson. I was so excited to see from Jamie's perspective, to get a mystery set in London and for him to solve it with Avery; it was an Averyjameson dream. However, come the actual release of the book and I was honestly so disappointed. I'm not sure why it didn't hit the levels it should have but I already said my piece on that and while I still have some disdain for that story, I look fondly at the parts I did love. And funny enough, I told myself Grayson's story will just have to do only because I was feeling sour over Jameson's plot. But low and behold, I loved it! It was deep, funny, interesting, and held my attention as if I was in TIG all over again and it hit more high notes than Jameson's. I may attribute that to the familial connections we see displayed there but it felt more rewarding and even if JLB still had more for Grayson's development, that didn't mean Jameson had to suffer for it. However, I'm hoping that this story here was a fluke and I'm putting my best foot forward in believing that maybe reading Averyjameson through Avery's POV again in Games Untold will give back that familiar feeling I've been missing for two years. I never said I wouldn't try again.

Now, we've entered a new era and this is a third for me; The Grandest Game and Games Untold. During this period, I met @hathorneheiress, my fanfic bestie, and a lot of my current supporters have been with me since TBH. I thank you very much for sticking with me by liking, reblogging, and commenting on my posts. You make my day in the same way I assume my content makes yours. I haven't said that enough and I don't think it will ever be. I'm happy that we're all still here now and going into this new unknown with our theories, headcanons, new characters, and plots. I'm sure it will be a blast. Thank you for giving me that feeling again these last few days; it felt like being with Avery and the gang, running through the House, finding another clue, waiting in anticipation what it reveals.

I hope that this next series is everything we hope for it to be, a new start for Gray, a chance to bond with the new characters we met in The Brothers Hawthorne, and an opportunity to make it feel like the hay days of the first book. I hope that Games Untold lets us relish that feeling with the original cast, to relive the good old days, to meet up with some old friends we haven't seen in a while, and to have that final hurrah that leaves us on the highest of highs in the best way possible. Maybe it'll make it easier to say goodbye to the ways it used to be and embrace the new storytellers but of course, with the way JLB leaves us hanging with every story she gives, who is to say that'll be it?

Thank you to everyone who makes theories, headcanons, fanfics, fanart, and so many other things that leave us wanting more. Thank you to everyone who showers that content with support in the form of likes, comments, and reblogs. Thank you to everyone who has been here from the beginning, in the middle, and now. You all made this a special place. Thank you to everyone who made this community that way and continue to do so every day. I'm happy to be a small part of that. See you in the next post.

-Mystery Girl's Red String

[f4iry-bell]

appreciation post to all of the people who are keeping tig fandom alive!!!!!!

[formulalina15]

lina’s (late) 100+ followers event ❣️

since i didn’t realize when i actually hit 100 followers, i wanted to do a late event for it. i appreciate every single one of you so much and its so heartwarming to see how much people actually enjoy my posts. interacting with everyone has become one of the best parts of my days now so this is the perfect chance to do it 🫶🏽

my fandoms: tig, ouabh/caraval, agggtm, f1, taylor swift, shatter me, pjo, 5sos, the naturals, the fixer, little white lies

send me any of these requests in my inbox and i’ll try my best to complete them ❣️

❤️ ferrari - give me any fandom and i will ship you with a character from that fandom

🧡 mclaren - give me any character/person/topic from any of my fandoms and i will make a moodboard out of it

💚 mercedes - give me a ship/person from any fandom along with a prompt and i’ll give you some headcanons on it (i might refuse a few of these depending on the ship/person)

🖤 red bull - give me a character/ship/topic from any fandom and i’ll make them a playlist (i might refuse some of these as well)

💙 williams - i’ll give you a song that reminds me of you

💜 alpine - i’ll give you some song/book recs depending on which one you want

🩶 aston martin - i’ll give you a ship that makes me think of you

tagging mutuals: @sophiesonlinediary @reminiscentreader @k-pevensie28 @bookishswiftie1989 @lionfrostworld @percabeths-blue-cookies @tooinlovetothinkstraight14 @riles-1905 @myster3y @averyriskygamble1989

[broiderie]

Meet the Reaper 25

Alrighty. Here's the next bit. Another bit of filler, but it also gives a little more information on how the club has planned to take care of Megan in everything they can.

Do not copy or steal my work. This is the only place it's posted. Do not translate my work. Please DO reblog it. Our fandom is still active, but we're quiet. Let's make them a little less so.

Warnings: slight suggestive material. I don't remember cursing in here but I probably did. More foreshadowing, but it's my favorite literary device so you might as well get used to it.

OH! I also have a poll up about Mayans villains. Go check it out.

Back at the clubhouse, Megan grinned as she saw Tía Diana and Tessa waiting on the porch. Marcus laughed as he dismounted his bike, only to discover Tessa was headed for the Mustang to meet her prima. Taza grinned too. “We’re chopped liver as long as the princessas are together, Padrino.”

He smiled as Diana came to greet him with a kiss. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way, Brother.”

They spent a low key night in the clubhouse watching -mostly- kid safe movies. Megan and Tessa curled together on a couch with snacks as the men unwound by playing pool or just hanging out. By the time Diana and Marcus were ready to head back to Bishop’s for the night, the girls were fast asleep, curled together like puppies with Rex.

Hank chuckled and pulled out his phone to snap a picture. “That’s another one for her wall…”

Taza grinned. “I agree, ‘mano.” He looked to Marcus. “You sure you want to wake her? She could stay at the ranch for the night and give you two a night to yourself.”

Diana smiled. “Sorry, Taza. We’re going to head out early. Tessa has missed enough school already.”

He shrugged and grinned. “Well - I tried.”

Marcus chuckled a bit. “And we appreciate the thought,” he said before moving to gently wake Tessa.

As soon as Tessa moved when Marcus shook her gently, Megan’s eyes popped open and she was reaching for her holster. 

“Easy, Poquito. Just me,” he soothed. “Time for Tessa and Diana to head out.”

Megan blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes and then relaxed. “Sorry Tío. Habit.”

He smiled and smoothed a hand over her hair. “You’re okay Bebita.” He tried again to wake Tessa only to be greeted by a whine as she buried her face in Megan’s hoody on her good side more.

Bishop laughed around the cigar he was smoking. “Looks like she’s officially out for the count, Primo.”

Megan smiled ruefully and squeezed her cousin a little tighter for a moment. “Are you guys leaving in the morning, Tía?” she asked without looking up.

“Sí. Time for the tiny princessa to go back to school.” Diana leaned over the back of the couch to press a kiss to the back of Megan’s head. “We’ll call from the road so that you two can make plans, okay?”

“Okay,” she smiled sleepily up at her aunt. “Be safe.”

Marcus scooped Tessa up and smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Poquito,” he promised as they headed out the door.

Chibs smiled at Megan from his barstool. “I do believe tha’s my que too, Princess. We’ll head back tomorrow too - but not early.” Tig and Venus had already slipped out earlier in the night. He stood and came to offer Megan a smile. “See ya tomorrow, Lass.”

“Night. Ride safe, Chibs.”

Back at the ranch after showers all around, they gathered in the living room to decompress a bit more. Hank had Megan sitting between his knees so that he could brush her hair out for her before bed while Taza relaxed in the recliner. 

“That was a good catch today, Chica. What gave them away?” Taza asked.

Megan shrugged as well as she could. “They were just too interested in us to be bystanders. We always draw attention, but not like that. And then the lady showed up on that balcony and it didn’t feel right. I figured being the bubbly tourist was the safest bet. Worst case - they were L.O. and Adelita would laugh at me.”

Hank pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Either way, it was brilliant. Now - we just need to figure out who they actually were.”

Taza sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. “Most likely they were either feds or they belong to Galindo. Either one would have reason to have us followed.”

“If they were Galindo’s, they weren’t any that Luisa recognized,” Megan supplied. “She didn’t know their faces.”

“Most likely feds then. We’ll have to be extra careful about tails while Galindo is tied to them,” Hank mused as he continued to run the brush through Megan’s dark hair. “And you -” he tugged he head back to look at him. “You never carry contraband. Never. Don’t even touch it.” He kissed her forehead. “The rest of us can handle it.”

Taza nodded in agreement. “And if we’re ever caught - you know nothing about what we do. You play dumb. We’re just a M.C. Women in our world are never given details so they likely won’t think you have any. As far as the feds are concerned - you’re a cute mascot.”

Megan grimaced, but nodded. “I understand, Papa.”

“Good.” Hank looked at Taza. “And if we are caught and she’s with us - the lawyers go to Megan first. I don’t care how many of us are caught. We would have each other’s backs inside. She’d be alone.”

Taza nodded again. “That instruction has already been given, brother. Bishop and I handled it with the lawyers the other day.”

“And on that cheerful note - Bedtime,” Hank joked. “C’mon mi princessa. You’ve had a long day. Let’s go to bed. 

Megan smiled and stood to go claim a cuddle from Taza. “Night Papa.”

“Sweet dreams, Sweet Chica. Maybe in the morning we can make sure your saddle fits like it should. You can’t ride, but we can fit it at least.” He kissed her forehead softly and smiled at the excited little noise that Megan gave. 

Once in the bedroom with Rex in his dog bed, Hank watched Megan carefully for signs of pain. “How was it today, mi reina? I’m sorry I didn’t think to send your meds with Taza.”

Megan put her hair brush down on her dressing table and smiled at him in the mirror. “I was okay. The pain wasn’t anything like before when I wasn’t taking the pain relief.” She turned and moved to stand between his knees where he was perched on his footlocker at the end of the bed. 

His hands automatically went to her waist where he could slip his thumbs under her sleep shirt to stroke her skin. “I’m glad. I worried all day, but Bishop said Taza would call if you needed them. We didn’t want to interrupt your fun if you really were alright.” He smiled. “Did you enjoy the fair?”

“We had lots of fun with the games. Papa won me a duckie. He’s in the car.”

Hank laughed. “He said you kicked ass at the shooting games though.”

Megan grinned at him and bit her bottom lip. “Maybe a little. There are more prizes with the duck in the trunk.”

He kissed her softly. “That’s mi reina.” He moved her back gently so that he could pull off his shirt and crawl into bed so that she could snuggle back against his chest the way she liked. Once they were settled he frowned a little. “I wish I could have gone to the rodeo with you. Taza said it was eye opening for him. I can only imagine what it would be like for me. I’ve never even been on a horse, let alone rode in anything like that.”

She looked up at him over her shoulder. “Really? Never?”

“Not in my memory. You’ll have to teach me to ride if you want me to go with you on the horses.”

She smiled a little and yawned as she snuggled closer. He draped his arm over her waist to hold her good hand and cradled her as close as he could. “I can do that. You’d do well with Trucker, I think. He’s big enough for you. And Papa says he’s steady. He didn’t even spook when he met Rex the first time. I think you’ll be okay on him.”

Hank chuckled. “Which one do you think you’ll ride most?” he asked curiously.

“Papa says Rocket. He’s the fastest. Sugar is sweet, but she’s slow and a little lazy. And Trucker and I would be okay, but with his size I’d look like an ant riding an elephant. He’s too wide for me to ride for any real length of time properly.” She closed her eyes and Hank moved to turn off the lamp that was their only light before settling back in to hold her. Megan yawned again. “Papa also said something about buying me a cutting horse to compete again. It might be fun to finally have my very own horse… To know that it was mine…”

Hank smiled as he listened to her drift off before he closed his eyes to join her.

The next morning, Hank woke up as Megan tried to sneak out of bed. Just before she got to the edge of the bed, he grabbed her gently and pulled her back in close. “Morning, Princessa. Where you going?” he asked with a rumble.

Megan jumped a little and giggled as she realized what was happening. She relaxed back into his bare chest easily. “Morning, Baby. I was going to TRY to get breakfast ready before you woke up.”

He smiled and nuzzled her neck, placing kisses on her skin. “Mmm but I like making breakfast with you.” His hands wandered a little, stroking the skin of her abdomen and hips. 

“Mm. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to spoil you once in a while.” She melted, enjoying the feeling of his mouth and calloused hands on her skin. She pressed her hips back against his with a tiny whine. 

He grinned and nibbled gently at the hinge of her jaw. “This is spoiling me, mi reina. How’s your pain level this morning?”

She shivered pleasantly and pressed entirely against him, feeling him hardening the more she wriggled. “A little achy, but not bad. I really think I could drop the sling…”

He pressed his whole hand below her navel with a chuckle. “Easy, Princessa. Don’t start that unless you want teased back.” He laughed again at the whine she let out. “Let me see if we can get you in to the doctor in Santa Madre today. You may be right about the sling.”

They both looked up as Taza knocked on the door frame of the cracked open door. “What might she be right about?”

“Good morning, Papa,” Megan said with a smile. “I was telling Hank that I think I’d be okay without the sling.”

Taza stepped inside and frowned. “You shouldn’t push yourself, Chica…”

“I know, Papa, but the pain is so much better without the cast. I went all day without pain relief yesterday and I’m not really hurting this morning either.” She smiled and wiggled until Hank released her so that she could sit up.

Hank pushed himself up to sit against the headboard and hastily arranged the blankets before he smiled. “I told her that we’d get the doc’s opinion in Santa Madre with an x-ray.”

“They said three weeks at the hospital and the Rez doctor said you weren’t healed enough to be without the sling yet…” Taza fretted.

“That was with the plaster cast, though. The soft cast is so much lighter and without my muscles spasming like they were I’ve felt so much better…”

Hank smiled as he watched Megan weedle her father. “An x-ray with the doc won’t do any harm, Taz. If she needs to stay in the sling, then she stays in the sling. But you know it’s driving her batshit.”

Taza winced. “Fine. Make the call.” He moved to sit in Megan’s reading chair. “You call. I’ll help Megan if she needs it.”

Hank smiled and nodded before pressing a kiss to the back of Megan’s head and going to the living room for his burner phone.

Megan smiled. “Can you braid my hair for me, Papa? I can get dressed after.”

“Of course, Chica. What are we doing today?”

A short while later, Taza and Megan exited the bedroom to find Hank sitting at the table on the phone. He was speaking Spanish as he absently rubbed Rex’s ears. 

Without pausing, Megan pressed a kiss to his still sleep ruffled hair and went to the stove to start the coffee. Taza leaned in the doorway and watched as he held in a chuckle. Megan’s back was to Hank so she didn’t catch the double take he gave or notice him lose track of the conversation since it was in Spanish. 

Taza had braided Megan’s hair into her tight warrior braids and then sat back as she fussed a bit over what to wear. Eventually, she’d settled on a white racerback tank top and her light washed skinny jeans that looked like the distressing machine had gone completely apeshit on them. She was completely covered, but it was also tighter than she normally wore. She had all plans of putting her leather jacket under her kutte the way Chibs did before they left the house. 

Taza gave Hank a moment to allow his brain to reboot before he joined him at the table and jokingly threw a napkin in front of his brother. Hank shot him a glare before quickly wrapping up his call. He cleared his throat a bit. “All ready, Princessa?”

Megan finished setting up the percolator and turned to smile at them. “Yeah. Were you able to get an appointment. 

The men looked at each other and chuckled. “We don’t need an appointment, Chica. We just needed to be sure the doctor would be in town. He sometimes has out of town deliveries to make,” Taza explained. 

Hank grinned. “But, yes, mi amore, I got in touch. He’s in town today and we can see him whenever.”

“Oh good. I really want my arm back.”

Taza smiled. “We know, but you still will be limited with the soft cast.”

“But without the sling I can ride with y’all again. Or even drive my car.” She grinned. “And I can go back to work at the bar.”

Hank shook his head, grinning ruefully. “True enough, mi reina.” He stood. “I’ll go get dressed.” He winked at her. “Looks like we’re going South today.”

Taza and Megan made a quick breakfast og burritos while Hank changed. By the time they were all done eating, all three of their phones went off. Megan was closest and checked hers. “Templo tonight. Angel and EZ are headed South today too, so we’ll meet for an update after that. Also - Tía Diana left a text to say that they started back before sunrise this morning.”

Taza paused from loading the dishwasher and grabbed his. “The Scot says they’re leaving in about an hour. Want to stop by the clubhouse and say goodbye, Chica?”

“Yes, please. That means Venus is leaving too,” she said with a smile. 

They gathered their gear and donned their kuttes before heading out to meet everyone at the clubhouse. 

Hank kept a close eye on Megan on the way over, to see if she was having any anxiety over so many people leaving. She seemed to be calm and collected, but he kept a hand on her knee when he wasn’t shifting gears just in case. 

Angel was the one who rolled open the gate for them to the clubhouse, but by the look of the pit - everyone was there. The Sons were standing on the porch in what looked like last discussions of plans with Bishop and Marcus. Once they got parked, Hank came around to open Megan’s door for her so that she and Rex could get out. He started towards the porch, but realized that Megan seemed to be lingering by the car as she fussed with Rex’s harness.

“All good, mi princessa?” he asked quietly. 

Megan shot him a smile. “All good. Just don’t want to interrupt business…”

Hank grinned as Taza joined them. “Mi reina - you’re an officer. No business that you don’t know about.” Taza smiled too as realization passed over Megan’s face and she looked a bit sheepish.

“Ooops. I keep forgetting,” she grinned. 

Taza laughed. “You’ll get there, Chica. C’mon. I know you want to say goodbye to Venus.”

They joined the group just as they stepped off the stairs. 

“Well, good morning to you, Little Bit. Come to see us off?” Tig asked, ginning at her as his eyes lingered a little too long on her tight jeans that were just brushing the tops of her biker boots.

Venus smacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand before turning her own attention to Megan. “Good morning, Sweetheart. Feeling alright?” she asked, stepping forward for a hug.

Megan hugged the tall woman back. “Good morning. I’m fine. Not hurting as much. We’re actually going to see a doctor today about maybe being able to drop the sling.”

“Oh good. You let me know what they say. We’ll be on the bike, but I’ll text at rest stops.” She pulled back to smile at the younger woman and straightened the girl’s necklace for her. 

“I will. I’ll miss you,” Megan said quietly. 

“Psh. I’m only a phone call away. Call me anytime and I’ll start driving, Honey.”

Megan hugged her again. “Ride safe and say hello to Happy for me.” She grinned at Tig over Venus’s shoulder. “And you need to stop being lazy in the ring. It’s just making it harder on you.”

Tig laughed. “Oh. She bites this morning. When you’re all healed up, we’ll see who’s lazy in the ring.”

Chibs stepped forward. “It’ll still be you, Tiggy,” he drawled with a wink at Megan. “This lass’ll be a proper fighter.” He offered Megan a hug which she took. “We’ll be down in style for tha’ big party soon enough. Keep ya’self safe til’ then, alrigh’?”

Megan squeezed him around the middle gently. “I’ll be alright. Ride safe, Chibs.”

“You too, Lass.” 

With a few final goodbyes, SAMCRO mouthed their bikes and headed back North. 

Taglist:

@jemmakates

@msjava1972

@drabbles-mc

@delightfulheroshoeflap

@iamthegraham

@oureternalbond

@camelia35

@anaeve

@tallrock35

[msfbgraves]

i swear that TIG lowkey likes terry and daniel together lmao. just from some of the things he’s said in interviews or when asked to share his thoughts…he may not know what silverrusso is but he definitely has some ideas about them. maybe even feels. and not just that, but TIG’s acting choices concerning daniel even from kk3 have been highly suspicious. it got more subtle in CK but at the same time more sensual and more powerful?? every single scene they have together is charged with this wild energy that is barely restrained. the air cackles with electricity and terry channels this into every second he has with danny boy. amazing. ridiculous. outrageous chemistry.

I read tkk3 as maniac decides to seduce young teenager as revenge for hurting his own flame, falls in love at first glimpse (forget sight! He's already intrigued by his happily dancing shadow), doubles down on the seduction since the boy is into it (God he's pretty), gets unexpectedly broken up with, beats him up twice (by proxy) because that is Not Allowed, admits defeat, goes on Massive Bender, becomes a Good Person because The Boy seems into that, truly tries to not be a maniac anymore, stops collecting young boys because I suppose his therapist conditioned him out of those behaviours with a shock collar, puts all his manic energies into Being Normal, you've never seen anyone be This Extra about Being Chill, and then he takes one look at those Baby Browns and all of that goes straight out of the window. It really feels like TIG went: "What would I be liked coked out of my mind?" But the thing is, and I say this with the deepest love and respect, I think that most people could not take enough coke to get to his baseline of energy. And yes he seems very happy to work with Ralph Macchio, but (and I know I'm not spouting a popular opinion here) Ralph seems a bit reserved? Intimidated? That's just the vibe I get. Yes, the energy is off the charts, and he calls Thomas the sweetest guy and an absolute pro but I detect some "Whoa! You're a lot, sir" 😅 there. Like, Ralph [in whatever he chooses to show us, which I know is a persona] normally makes men all bashful or helplessly aggressive because they're into him and They Shouldn't Be. And Ralph is always like "I'm just A Little Guy" while blowing the world kisses. But Thomas reacts to that [Again, who knows him really, it's all in interviews and he too is at work so it's a persona too] not with confusion but with "Hells yeah, get me some of that!" and it's the first time Ralph truly does not have the upper hand when playing the seduction card. That's how I see Silverusso in canon too. Daniel is very much into Terry but he's got such a forceful personality, Daniel is afraid he'll get swamped. And Terry can do a lot of things, but truly tone himself down is not one of them. And sure this could all be an act to play up their roles in a franchise in interviews, actors are known to do that. But that's how their dynamic reads to me.

And of course TIG knows what Silverusso is. They all know what LawRusso is, do we believe they haven't looked into other ships? He's been writing scripts for TV, of course he knows about fandom. He may have been asked not to read any for legal reasons but he clearly appreciates fandom going by his enthusiasm for fanart. Naw, man knows what's up.

[ipsa-est-lux-plenae]

the tig community on tumblr was pretty peaceful before these people decided to come out here and spam tags that have nothing to do with their ship with snarky remarks. if you don't like something, then stay on the side you appreciate and stop flooding the tags with negativity. they'd have a better experience if they used their time to talk about something they enjoy instead of talking shit about a fictional character. they end up seeming more obsessed with grayson when they do that lol.

ANON YOU ARE SO RIGHT, you put this perfectly

talk shit all you want on private dms and discords or whatever, but don't clutter the LITERAL MAIN TAG with your hate. the TIG fandom on here is so small that there are like 10 posts on the tag a day, so when people talk shit in the tag, it shows up for everyone, and we're just trying to talk about this thing we enjoy

[mileycfan4eva33]

Fandom: SVU

Title:Epitaph Song

Chapter: 1 Down South

P O V: Amanda Rollins

Billy's Diner

Loganville, GA 2020

(A/N: Thank you as always for the readers who take the time to review, favorite or follow. As usual I own none of these SVU characters just my original characters. All others belong to NBC, Dick Wolf and Wold Ent. Jessie, Billie do not exist in this fic, I am still deciding if Noah dose or not. If you have a preference as to if you want Noah in it or not hit me up reviews motivate me.)

"Oh, Air Condition, thank God! It's hotter than a roasted pig on a skewer out there." Olivia Benson's laugh is light and airy as we enter the restaurant. "Oh, Amanda, I love your expressions, don't ever change. Seriously your southern drawl is so cute. Don't ever lose it."

"No worries, Olivia; it's been nearly ten years since I moved to New York. I haven't lost it yet." "Thanks again for coming down south with me. It means a lot."

"Your welcome Amanda, are you feeling any better since this weekend?" Shaking the soreness out of my weary bones I feel a yawn snaking up my jawlines as I try to fight it off to no avail, the yawn is relentless in its attempt to escape.

"A little thanks I am still tired and nausea I don't know why I slept all weekend, yet I still feel dizziness not as much as this weekend, but I am still weakened almost as if I am drained of all energy." Sliding into the booth, I lean back against the cool plastic backboard. "I'm sorry for calling out on you this weekend, Captain."

"Amanda, please, stop don't worry about it your health is too important don't apologize." "I am sorry, Liv, not just for this weekend, but now we're both away from NYC."

"Because your dad passed away, Amanda, we're not here on vacation. Kat and Fin understand, and Chief Garland sent two detectives to help out, SVU is covered. Please take some of this concern and apply it to yourself; you lost your dad. I know you haven't been close to him in years, but he is still your dad, give yourself the allowance to mourn, Amanda. Don't hide your emotions down and pretend that everything is perfectly fine."

"I don't think it's hit me yet, Olivia. I just don't feel anything." Olivia's hand slips over my hand as we lay them on the table, waiting on the waitress to come over to us. "It will Amanda, I don't know when sweetie, it may take weeks, days, months, but it will hit you. I just want you to know that I am here, honey, whenever you want to talk."

"Thank you, Liv; I appreciate this jester I know we haven't always been close, but I love the friendship that has been built over the last four years." "As do I Amanda. I love the trust that we've built within each other, the respect. Where is the waitress?"

"Liv, it's the south; we take our sweet time with everything, ain't no rushin' in the country life."

"You ever miss living down here, Peach?" "Honestly, Liv, there are parts I miss like my family, friends. I miss the comfort in knowing there is always someone here who will have your back. What I don't miss is everyone knowing everyone else business."

"Is that a true thing? Everyone else knows each other's business?"

As if God was given me a clue incomes Betsy Jane Rose "Oh, my bless my heart Amanda-Taylor Rollins, is that truly you?" I pick my head up, gritting my teeth as she comes flying inside the restaurant arms wild "Betsy Jane Mary-Sue it sure is, wow child it's been yonders since you've rolled back into these parts."

"Oh, I am so sorry about your daddy, such a shame bless your heart honey-bee."

"Oh well, how sweet of you, Ms. Betsy, so very kind of you thank you, how did you hear about my daddy's passing per se? We didn't put it in the Tribune or online."

"Oh, Sugar, you know how these things work, Lord, who needs that dingy old paper when we gave word of mouth. Has it been that long Darlin? Surely you remember the good old Betsy-Jane- Mary-Sue train."

"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Oh Amanda, let me enlighten you wow New York City has slapped you silly, child. Anyways So Mary-Jo Higgins oh heavens I was born at night, but not last night! Duh, of course, you don't know who Mary-Jo Higgins is, well back in our days of youth she went by Mary-Jo Robins, so any who baby, Mary-Jo is now an RN."

"That's a Registered Nurse, by the way." "Yes, Ms. Rose, I know what an RN is."

"So yeah Mary-Jo works a that's Loganville Medical Center where your daddy was brought to by the Ambulance. So Mary-Jo was there when he passed bless his heart so Mary-Jo well you know good ol' Mary-Jo never could keep a secret so of course, she told her Mama who had to run down to the Salon to say to Ms. Sue who of course told the whole Salon."

Both of us laugh, "How did you find out, darlin?"

"Oh, you know this little thing called HIPPA they like to notify the Next of Kin, and since my parents you know divorced many moons ago, that would make me the eldest child his next of kin, since he hasn't gotten to remarry yet."

"Speaking of kin-folk dear, where is that sister of yours? She straighten her life out yet? Kimberly coming on her own?"

"No, Ma'am, I'm afraid she ain't gonna make it, you know the whole being in jail thing it kind of puts a cramp on a person's freedom. Thank you so much for coming over though, I sure don't want to keep you."

I don't give her a chance to answer quickly, sliding back into the booth turning to Olivia. Just as our waitress comes over. "good afternoon- honey pies, what can I get you ladies?" after we order, I lean back as Olivia starts to laugh, unable to hold in her amusement over Ms. Rose any longer. "So that's how news travels down south Captain." eagle eyeing Betsy across the room, I can already see she's on her cell phone. "Well, the whole damn town will know I am back soon enough." "that has to be frustrating, Amanda." "Oh, Liv, you ain't got a clue. Every day dealing with women like, is there any doubt about why I got out of here faster than a bat out of hell."

I stay silent about the other reason I left Georgia as soon as I was old enough my sexuality there's no room for differences here in the good old south. No way could I tell Olivia this though she has no idea I am a lesbian. "So, is your Mom coming?" "Lord, no Liv she's up in NY taking care of Mason, Mama said she was sorry the son of a bitch died, but she dumped his ass years ago, let his new hussy handle the affairs."

"My dear new sister, who I haven't even met yet. She's handling everything as per my dad's living will."

"Amanda, I am so sorry." "Don't be Olivia, I am fine." "Of course you are." I don't reply not because I don't have the response in me but because the doors burst open and a vast mass of people come pouring into the already packed diner.

"Amanda! It is true! You are back!" Tommy Jake Edwards "TJ" calls out "Yo Ms. Betsy Jane was right boys. Good Ol Rollins is back in town." there are rumblings from the entire group of men "Liv meet the former jocks of Loganville High School Pyro Red Devils who ruled LHS's halls from 1996-1999."

"Rollins, how can you sneak back into town and say nothing? Yo, Rollins, that is rude! I thought we were your boys!"

"Bump that T-rolls, I am pissed forget these clowns, I am your cousin! Uncle Jimmy is my kin-folk too. Where's my love?"

"Hey, Jensen, I just got back into town like literally ten minutes ago. I'm sorry it's been crazy these last few days. My head is still spinning. I haven't told anyone yet, sorry, truly."

Jensen's arms wrap around me tightly. "No worries, cuz. I got you. I am sorry I know you and your Pa wasn't close but damn it still sucks." "Thanks, Jensen, yeah, it does."

Coming out of his hug, I'm met by his brother Blake who I hug as tightly. "Yo boys will catch you later going to hang with family." the rest of the crew waves blowing me kisses as Liv, and I make room for these two. "Hi. I'm Olivia Benson, Amanda's boss, and friend."

"Oh honey-child we know who you are, we've heard all about you now haven't we Blake?" "Oh, yes, Yes, we have well let us introduce ourselves since Miss. Amanda has the manners of a pig. I am Blake Yankee; Jensen is my twin brother; our Mama is Amanda's dad sister."

"Were you three close growing up?" "Oh, tighter than chili papers, Mama, us, and our uncle TC's kids, our cousins Alonso and Scottie, are coming in tomorrow." "They called us the Rollin- Yankee-Terrors." Sipping my sweet tea, I groan, remembering all the names the seven of us use to get growing up. "don't tell her that she is my boss."

"Oh relax Junebug, it ain't like I told her about the time you put laxatives in Ernie Reynaldo's cornbread when you were ten and locked him in the outhouse for the whole day and told our teacher he ran away to the circus."

Olivia laughs so loudly. I feel my temperature rise in my face. "You what?" my face buries into the palms of my hands. "Yo, boy, that was nothing. Remember when we were twelve, and Kyle Kane told Manda she was uglier than a burnt barn, she took his pants and underwear while he was changing and threw it into the river."

Both boys bang on the table laughing, shoving each other as Olivia arched an eyebrow in my direction "Oh, yeah I do, she let the anger seethe inside all week till Saturday when the whole town was gathered for the annual fishing competition. When Kyle's dad was with the reporter for Atlanta news, Kyle comes walking bare-ass naked; the entire town saw him walking his little dude swinging in the breeze. Kyle was grounded for months. "

My embarrassment only increases as I lay my head down, groaning while all three laugh. "Oh, God, even as a kid, Amanda, you were a rule-breaker and a little shit-head." I feel Olivia's hand stroke mine laughing as she hangs her head down tears running down her face, which a lovely rose color.

I only pick my head up when the food arrives, feeling my whole body shiver and jolt as I lean back, smelling the greasy food. Reaching for the ketchup, I pop a fry in my mouth. I still can't shake this feeling of being drained or the tightness in my head.

"Oh My." another voice pops into my world as I see Mr. Jason Axson and Mrs. Janet Axson coming in with their two kids Christopher 17, Savannah 14. her voice cuts through the air. "How are you, Sugar?' "I am just peachy; thank you, just enjoying dinner with my family, here."

"Oh, of course, we don't mean to interrupt. You could use the food; obliviously, you are mighty thin sugar. Your daddy was right; they are working your tail to its bone up there in that big city unless you are sick again, darling."

"No Ma'am, I am right as a peach as I said, but I am trying to enjoy my dinner." "Yeah, Janet let these nice folks eat; worry about our own family; I do apologize, Miss. Amanda lovely to see you again, we shall pop in at another time."

Olivia's eyes stare right into mine. I know she's wondering about the "Are you sick again" line my face flushes as I look down, avoiding her eyes and the question. Another part of my past she has no idea about, My stomach rolls as I think about all the secrets and pressures I have on top of me, none of which Olivia needs to add to her plate.

"I need to use the bathroom, I'll be back, excuse me." getting up I start to head there, of course, a two-minute walk becomes ten as I am stopped by multiple people offering their condolences. My back hits the wall just as another wave of dizziness hits me; I do everything inside of me not to show it to anyone, I can see Olivia's eyes on me from across the room. Yet it isn't Olivia who catches my attention, rare I know.

This time, Savannah's voice so young, scared, and nervous. I am standing right next to their table as I hear Savannah say. "Mama, Daddy, I have something to tell you." Savannah's beautiful emerald eyes glisten as she stares at her parents. "I am a Lesbian, and I plan to come out this weekend at the prom."

Savannah's courage freezes me. I am forty and don't have the courage she has at fourteen-years-old. I can't think fast enough to react before her mom is out of her chair, smacking Savannah across her face. "You are not gay! Stop your lying, you fifthly whore! Who put these lies in your head? You are a good girl, a good baptist girl. Take it back!"

"No Mama, I can't I won't because I am gay, and yes I am a good girl, I am a baptist and MVP for the last two years in all the southern regions. I will play at college, and I will go pro, and my sexuality won't stop me from doing any of that."

"Fool, of course, it will, but you won't have to because you are not gay!"

"Mama, I am please just listen to me. Stop being such a bitch."

Her dad jumps up, grabbing at Savannah as I react, finally racing towards Savannah as Jason starts yelling. "Don't talk to your mother that way! Ever! No daughter of mine will be a sinner! I could deal with you being pregnant, not this! This is unforgivable. You either get over this phrase you little slut or you are OUT OF THIS FAMILY! Let's go now, Christopher, Janet leave her."

I hurry towards Savannah, who is trying with her whole body to remain strong as her family walks out. I know her face is stinging from the assault, but it's nothing like the pain in her soul. The rest of the restaurant sits there, not offering to help just turning to their families. My hands connect to Savannah's as I help her sit down "Sweetie, I am so sorry that your parents reacted to you."

"It's okay, ma'am, I excepted this. It was so so stupid-crazy to even except for any different outcome."

"No honey, it isn't it's not crazy or stupid to except unconditional love from your family; that's what parents are supposed to do. Of course, you wanted to tell them living in secrets, hiding who you are, it's exhausting. The if only or what-ifs or the I should have's, they take their tolls."

"It's 2020, not 1990 times have changed; maybe the south should catch up." My hands rub Savannah's back softly. "I'm from here honey, so I get it baby-girl I know how scary accepting your sexuality is, I know how painful it is to hold this all inside, to feel as if you ain't normal simply because you don't feel fireworks when the popular jocks kiss you."

"I knew that when I was thirteen, I felt it already I was great to hang out with boys all day when it came to playing ball, or telling dirty jokes or pulling pranks, but when it came to who I was attracted to sexually or emotionally, guys they just didn't do it for me. I could feel myself gravitating toward girls in ways that I didn't with boys."

"Don't let your sexual identity label you or define you—whether it be as lesbian, bisexual, asexual, or another term—how you choose to label yourself is not based on a checklist. You can still be everything you just told your parents; you can play any instrument you want to learn, you can be the best damn softball player this world's ever seen."

"Savannah, I started figuring it out at thirteen, but I didn't let myself act physically until I was 16, I kissed a girl at a party for the first time, and it was magical. Everything flowed so naturally, my body just knew what to do. I reacted to her in a way that felt right—the way I had always envisioned the first kiss to be. I tried saying I was bisexual for a quick minute and even had sex with several guys to prove that I wasn't an abomination the way the church, my family, and everyone else in this town always said gay people are. Still, I could feel myself gravitating toward girls in ways that I didn't with boys."

"Did your family accept you?"

"I don't know I never told anyone I was too scared. It was a different time back then before it got better or internet support. There were no Gay pride parades even now at forty living in NYC, a place filled with cultural and sexuality differences. I am still living in that small-town mindset. I can't tell anyone. I can't even tell the woman who I am madly in love with who I know is so accepting of people. Because I am still afraid that even with an open mind as beautiful as Olivia's, I am afraid she'll reject me."

"Savannah, I know this feels like the end of the world right now, it's not I am right by your side. I will support you; you can stay with me. Will get through this together."

"Thank you, Miss. Amanda. Thank you so much. I think you should tell this Olivia lady how you feel. Even with my parent's rejection, I feel such a weight off my chest; I feel as if I can finally breathe."

"Amanda, maybe you should listen to Savannah, she seems like a brave young lady, and I love women who are strong in body, mind, and spirit. You have a very sexy strong body, and I know your mind is sharp, so if you get some balls Amanda and tell me how you feel face to face, I think we might be able to make a beautiful connection, of our minds, souls and our bodies." Olivia's voice completely freezes every sense, emotion and body function inside of me. I can't speak, think, move or even breathe.

Did she just hear me confess my deepest feelings for her?

[pastrepentance]

for gatekeepcr ;)

send me urls pls + accepting + @gatekeepcr

MY OPINION ON;

CHARACTER IN GENERAL: the first time i watched soa, i hated both gemma and tara more than anything. the second time around, i loved gemma (still hate tara oops). and now, thanks to YOU i wanna just roll gem up in bubble wrap and keep her safe for forever. her story in the show is just ??? so fucking good idk how i didn’t appreciate it the first time around.   HOW THEY PLAY THEM: you are literally gemma. like idk how else to say it. everything about your portrayal of her is fucking FLAWLESS.   THE MUN: i mean you were LITERALLY the one (1) and only reason i decided to bring back lyla, try out juice, and make tig. you were the one active soa blog i could find and i felt like it was good enough to bring back lyla who i’d been missing for 6 years. we don’t talk a whole lot anymore bc school is draining but i still consider you one of my best friends and i am forever fucking grateful for you because i never would’ve resurrected this fandom if it wasn’t for you.

DO I:

RP WITH THEM: yes but will be doing more of it when classes end   WANT TO RP WITH THEM: yes pls pretty please

WHAT IS MY;

OVERALL OPINION: i’m just so glad you exist and welcomed me and lyla/juice with open arms when i first came back to tumblr. none of this would’ve happened without you and i need you to stick around forever, pleaseeeee

and tbh @ all my followers, if you’re not following angela what the fuck is wrong with you??

**Note: Mun’s answer are all to be completely honest. Don’t send url if you don’t want brutal honesty

[bow-down-im-your-queen-now]

Happy faces and Boy shorts

Prompt: Its all fun and games until someone accidentally burns the clubhouse down. Or in which the gang always knew Happy was serious in claiming you as his girl, but they didn't realize just how serious he was.

Paring: Happy Lowman x Reader

Fandom: Sons of anarchy

Word count: 1.5K

Warnings: Language, Sexual situations, fire

A/N: I adore the characters from this show so i figured it was high time i wrote something! I know the fandom is smaller but i highly suggest checking out the show if you haven’t had the chance yet. Enjoy feed back is appreciated!

Standing in the parking lot of Teller-Morrow clad in only your underwear and a slightly over sized tee shirt at 6 am was not the ideal way you wanted to start your Sunday. Yet there you stood tired, pissy, and barely clothed.

“This sucks.” Was all you whined. Happy simply grunted in agreement.

The shrill sound of the fire alarm had stirred the clubhouse awake a while ago, a slight panic filled everyone as they jumped up more focused on quickly hiding any illegal paraphernalia rather than getting dressed.

“We good?” You mumbled to Happy as you watched the fire department enter the lot to tackle the growing fire. You could only imagine what he might have had laying around his room just ready to get him in trouble.

“Mhmm, don’t you worry girl.” Was all he rumble pulling you closer as the firefighters began to unload from the truck.

It wasn't that long before Gemma and Clay were pulling into the already crowded parking lot. Tig had been the one to call them not long after the fire started.

"Is everyone okay?" Gemma called out as she ran up, Clay in tow behind her.

"Yeah Gem, we're okay, everyone got out in time." You said as you walked towards her. She was quick to tightly embrace you squeezing hard. She held on to you for a while and you didn't have to see the boys to know they were rolling their eyes at her dramatics. She finally pulled away but still held you at arms length, looking at you closely as if trying to make sure you weren't lying. "Gemma I'm okay, we're all okay."

She purses her lips for a second before finally nodding and letting you go. Clay walked up behind her and gave you a quick hug. "Glad you're alright kid."

You smiled up at him and you all walked towards the rest of the group where Gemma attacked everyone lingering around with the same tight hug you had received.

"So what happened?" Clay finally said as he watched the firemen stream in and out of the building, the fire was mostly controlled from what you could tell.

"Fucking Chuck happened." Tig gripped from the other side of happy. "Decided he wanted to make everyone breakfast at the crack ass of dawn, set the kitchen on fire."

Clay sighed loudly bring a hand up to rub his temples. "Idiot."

"He better not have burned those damn hands I bought him." Gemma quipped.

A little while later one of the head firemen began to approach the group tentatively, obviously wary of the tattooed, half dressed, and sleep deprived bikers. Gemma had disappeared into the office and the rest of the men, Clay included seemed disinterested in hearing a lecture from the man about whatever fire hazards were in the building.

"Excuse me, is there someone I can talk to?" He called out as he approached.

Everyone in the group looked back and forth at one another, no one wants to bite the bullet and you finally sighed stepping forward.

"Yes, sir?" You walked to meet him halfway and the guys chuckled behind you.

The man began droning on about the cause of the fire and you did your best to keep a polite smile plastered across your face.

"Holy shit." Tig chuckles as he watched you. "Is that what I think it is?"

This drew the attention of the rest of the men and they followed his gaze to where you stood, back facing them. While listening to the man you had placed your hands on your hips, causing the shirt you wore to rise up without you realizing it.

There on your left ass cheek was a tattoo of a happy face. The top part was covered by your lacy black boyshorts but there was no denying what it was. All eyes turned to Happy shocked and slightly impressed.

"No fuckin way." Jax laughed and Chibs let out an impressed whistle.

"You do that to your girl, Happy?" Tig continued a huge smile stretched across his face.

Happy glared back at the men, pissed that they had been staring at your ass in the first place. He was silent for a second thinking over Tig's words and a smirk crossed his lips finally. "Oh hell yeah."

Laughter erupted from the men just as you finished talking with the firefighter and turned to walk back towards the group.

"Clay there is a laundry list of fire hazards that need to be fixed-" you cut yourself off as you took in all of their wide taunting smiles. "What?"

"Come here, baby." Happy called out reaching for you. Eyes narrowed and watching the men carefully you walked over to where Happy leaned against his bike. He turned you and pulled you between his open legs, your back resting again his chest. His hands moved to rest on your thighs possessively

"We like your ink ______." Jax finally snickered and you frowned for a second unsure of what he meant, knowing that the boys had already seen all of the tattoos that decorated your body. That was except for one. A flush crossed your cheeks and embarrassment filled you.

"Oh my god." Was all you could think to mutter and you could fell Happy's chest rumble with laughter. You jabbed an elbow back into him and more laughter was all that you were met with.

It was at this point Gemma came walking up, having caught just the tail end of the conversation.

"What's going on?"

"_____'s got a-" Tig started at the same time you rushed to say 'nothing'

Tig looked back amused and you sent him a stern look to hush but you knew his mouth would be running the moment you weren’t around. Gemma only rolled her eyes before calling Clay over presumably to talk about what to do next and you narrowed your eyes at the rest of the men daring them to say anything else. Of course, the towering man begins you was also a convincing reason for them to keep their mouths shut but the smirks didn’t leave their lips.

Happy finally patted your thighs motioning for you to move. You stood up from where you had been leaned back against him. He followed suit after you took a few steps away and rose to his towering height.

"I'm going to get dressed." You announced turning around to face him.

The damage has thankfully only been limited to the kitchen and was, considering the circumstances, fairly minimal. The fire department had finally green-lighted entering the building.

Happy only grunted in response, nodding and you smiled beginning to walk away.

You didn't get very far before you felt him being an open palm against your left ass cheek. A small squeal left you at the momentary sting that followed and you whirled around to glare at him although there was no heat in your gaze.

"What was that for?"

"Mine." Was his all he responded with bluntly. And you rolled your eyes at his stake of claim.

"You're barbaric, Lowman." You snorted, you ass still stinging and you knew a red mark was probably forming not that you really minded much. Although yet another flush filled your cheeks as you realized that the sharp sound had attracted everyone's attention.

"You love it." He grinned and a small smirk crossed your lips as you bit your lip and reached a hand out to him.

"You know it." You teased back and he looked at the open invitation you reached out to him.

He took it finally and pulled you closer, his voice lower when he spoke again.

"What's the matter, little girl? Need help getting dressed?" His voice was husk and eyes dark and you were thankful that he spoke low enough for only the two of you to hear.

"Something like that." You whispered back trying not to show how much his words affected you but he saw through it.

"After you." He finally said and you grinned pulling on his hand once more as you tugged him along with you. Happy stood from his bike and followed. A few wolf whistles filled the air as the guys watched the two of you walk away.

"Oh and let me catch any of you fuckers starring at my girl's ass again and I'll gut you." Happy turned around and called out.

You glanced back in time to see a majority of the guys throw their hands up in defense and you piped up once again.

"Aww come on Hap, can't blame them for enjoying the view." You joked shaking your hips for added effect. It was at that point that Happy let go of your hands and rushed towards you quickly. He scooped you up with ease and before you knew it you were thrown over his shoulder.

Apparently, It was going to be a good morning after all.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

1) I got lost in your soa meta tag... My opinions on the characters change with each rewatch, except Tara. She’s my fave... and I’ll never understand the hate she got, especially from women. The same women who loved and rooted for Gemma, and defended all her actions but hated Tara. I remember when the spoilers came out that Gemma murdered Tara- women on fb and ig were cheering about it. I was horrified.

cont. I loved Gemma in the first 3 seasons, her relationship with Tara in s2/3 was my favorite. After that I hated her. I’ll never understand what Nero saw in her. She was a complete train wreck. Jax is horrible, but I can’t help but love him. I think because I don’t rewatch the last few seasons as much as I do the others, so I try to block out all the really bad stuff. I hated all the bloodshed and how horrible the characters got- the last season makes me nauseous. But SOA is still one of my favorite shows of all time. Jax finding Tara’s dead body is still the saddest scene in television history for me. I sob every single time I watch it. The first time I watched SOA I hated Wendy. Then other rewatches became a like/hate with her. One minute I hated her the next I could sympathize with her. Back and forth. I’ve rewatched it so many times (mainly the first 4) some times I would try to work out timelines and that would be reason enough to hate Wendy. There was a point I even shipped her with Jax, and was glad they worked it out in the end. But then I would read someone’s meta about her, and I’d be like wtf she’s not good enough for Jax or the boys. Smh. Now the only thing that irritates me about Wendy is the s6 crap. and this is probably a very unpopular opinion... but I cannot stand Opie and never got why fans liked him so much. If I made a list of fav soa characters he wouldn’t even make the top 10. I thought he was boring in s1, dumb in s2, I only remember him killing Stahl in s3, and I hated him in s4 for cheating on Lyla. Like, I’m not completely heartless when it comes to him tho, mainly due to Ryan Hurst’s acting, the emotional scenes really got me; seeing Donna dead, beating up Tig, finding Piney dead, killing Stahl, the whole scene leading up to him shooting Clay, all great scenes that made me cry. But Opie is still just “blah” to me. Ps.. sorry for all the messages 👀 

Hey there! Please, never apologise for sending asks. I love interacting with people and discussing fandom things. I hope you enjoyed reading through my rather extensive SOA meta tag. Since you’ve read some of my posts, I assume you probably already know my stance on the characters and a lot of the things that you’ve spoken about. 

My opinions also change with every re-watch I do. That’s the case for any show I re-watch, not just SOA. That’s why I love re-watches so much; they allow us to get to know the universe and characters even better, to notice details we may have missed previously and develop new perceptions on things. With every re-watch I do, I purposefully try to watch it with fresh eyes and to cast previous opinions aside and look beyond what I’ve previously seen/thought about the show. 

The hate that Tara gets is unfair and undeserved. I wasn’t in the SOA fandom when the show was airing, but it’s horrifying to know that fans were cheering about her death. I know she’s only a fictional character, but it’s very sad that people would react that way. Regardless of personal feeling, Tara did not deserve what happened to her. No one deserves to be so brutally and viciously murdered in that way, it’s by far the most gruesome and painful death on the show. I still find that scene (and the one that follows with Jax finding her body) difficult to watch. Tara is definitley not my favourite character, but she’s by far the most relatable character and she’s fantastically well written. I think that perhaps the hate she has got in the past (I don’t really see it now) stems from that fact that she’s not really that likeable. That may just be my personal opinion, but despite the fact that she always tries to do the right thing and was one of the most morally “good” characters on the show, she always came across a little hypocritcal and snobby to me. But I completely understand why she’d be your favourite character and why so many fans love her.

When it comes to discussing my like and dislike for characters on SOA, it’s a very complex thing. I detest practically every single character on the show, because they’re all awful people that do terrible things. However, there are certain characters who I’m able to love despite that because of the way in which they’re written and how complex they are. Jax is one of those characters and so is Clay. I hate Gemma with a passion, but again, I can appreciate how complex she is and as far as villains go, she’s one of the best in my opinion. I love Wendy to pieces, but you’ll already know that from reading my tag. I think she’s very misunderstood and underrated. I really saw Wendy as being an underdog, and that’s probably why I love her so much. I completely agree about Opie! He is by far the most overrated character. I don’t understand why fans love him so much. I think that maybe it stems from his death and that because it was so emotional and impactful, fans have memorialised him and placed him on a pedastal. But in reality, he was a stagnant character with nothing to offer. I feel that way about a lot of the other minor characters too like Tig, Chibs, Bobby, Juice, Happy etc. 

Thanks for sending these asks, my lovely, it was a pleasure to discuss SOA with you :)

[unending-happiness]

All the Colors of the Rainbow

@the-burning-tiger

Happy Birthday, lovely Tigs! I appreciate your friendship, and we all appreciate your beautiful fics that you give us. Thanks for being one of the most positive and wonderful people in this fandom. Sorry this is late and I hope your birthday was amazing!

Read it here on ao3

Alec closed the door as quietly as possible out of sheer habit. He unglamoured his bow, quiver, and thigh holster and took them off, placing them in their usual spot at the very top of the tall bookcase. He made his way to the kitchen, carefully navigating a lego tower in the middle of the floor. He thanked the angel that he had left his boots on this time, because stepping on a lego was definitely worse than getting stabbed in battle. He deposited the takeout bag on the counter and looked around, wondering where everyone was.

It was rare that he didn’t have someone greet him the moment he walked in the door. The Chairman wasn’t even winding his way around his legs in an attempt to convince him that Magnus hadn’t fed him dinner yet. Very strange, indeed.

He walked toward the bedrooms, glancing out on the balcony as he walked by it just in case someone was there. “Magnus?” he called out, as quietly as he could.

He heard a door open with a creak and then the sound of giggling coming from their bedroom. “Welcome home, our darling. We are in here,” Magnus said from the en suite bathroom.

Alec furrowed his brows, wondering why Magnus sounded both amused and exhausted. He hopped over a makeshift parking lot of matchbox cars with all the grace a tired shadowhunter could muster and followed the sound to their bathroom.

He stopped in the doorway and took in the scene before him. Magnus was kneeling on the floor in front of their huge tub, their four year old son, Max, barely visible in a sea of bubbles. Chairman was perched on the edge, batting a paw at errant bubbles floating around the room. Magnus was lathering soap around in his elegant, ring-free hands, in much the same motion as he would use to perform magic. 

Alec leaned against the door and smiled, then sighed fondly to himself, understanding the reason Magnus sounded so tired. He must’ve had quite the evening, considering their son’s face and hands were absolutely covered in black marks. He could see just a tiny bit of his beautiful blue skin peeking out.

“You think this is funny, my little Picasso?” Magnus asked, leaning further over the bath and lathering up their son’s hair with deft fingers.

“Max, what did you do?!” Alec asked, trying not to laugh as he stepped into the room  and stood near Magnus, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"It’s papa’s guyliner!” Max said, beaming at him proudly and holding his arms up for Alec to see.

Alec raised his eyebrows at that, “Guyliner?! Where did you hear that word?” Alec asked, having never heard Magnus call it that before.

Magnus looked up at Alec and said, “Jace. Where else?” before turning back to Max. “Blueberry, we call it eyeliner, whether it is worn by gals or guys,” Magnus corrected him with a soft smile.

Alec rubbed a soothing hand across his husband’s back, forever thankful for Magnus’ never ending patience.

“How was your day?” Magnus asked, even though they had talked several times throughout their workdays like they always did.

“Less eventful than yours, it seems. I brought dinner,” Alec answered.

"Did you get noodles, Daddy?” Max asked.

“I sure did,” he assured his son with a smile.

“Noodles are Rafe’s favorite,” he reminded him as he moved a little boat through the water.

“You’re right, they are. Where is Rafe anyway?” He asked them.

Magnus squeezed some soap on a washcloth and started scrubbing Max’s arm. “He's in his room with his headphones on, playing a game, as usual, but his time is almost up. You can deliver the bad news.” Magnus looked up at him and winked.

“How bout I scrub the artist and you go peel him away from his game.”

Magnus’ laugh was music to his ears. “Nice try. I think this is the easier task.”

“Speaking of easier task, why are you scrubbing him instead of using magic?” Alec asked, handing Magnus the rinsing cup.

“Papa used too much magic today, and he has to save it for colors,” Max informed him matter-of-factly.

Alec knew that if he used so much magic today that he was now conserving, it meant that he had a pretty full and rough day with clients, and he felt bad that he hadn’t gotten home sooner to help him.

“Colors?” he questioned.

Max rolled his eyes at him, and once again he wondered how this child didn't have his own blood running through his veins. “You know. The colors in the bubbles.” He grabbed Magnus arm and shook it. “You are going to do it, right? You have to do it!”

Magnus smiled, even as he waved a chastising finger at him, “You are asking an awful lot from your tired papa after you ruined his favorite eyeliner and made a big mess.”

Alec knew without a doubt that Magnus would do whatever Max was asking, big softie that he was, but it was still fun to watch him pretend to be a stickler for the rules.

“Pleeeeease. You have to do it.” He pulled his tiny blue lips into a very pitiful looking pout.

“Oh, alright. I suppose a bit of magic won't hurt me, but you have to promise me that you will ask permission the next time you feel like giving yourself a makeover. This color is all wrong for you, anyway.”

Max nodded his head emphatically.

Magnus waved a hand across the tub, making the bubbles all the colors of the rainbow.

Max and Alec both beamed. Ah, yes. He remembered this trick.

“Whose bubbles are these?” Magnus asked him.

“Daddy’s!” Max answered, running his tiny hand across them. “Do yours!”

Magnus repeated the motion and turned the bubbles pink, purple, and blue this time.

“Pretty!” his son said, playing with the bubbles.

Alec kneeled down next to Magnus and ran his nose along his neck, “Beautiful,” he said, not talking about just the colors.

“Flattery will get you many places with me, darling, but you still have to go break the news to Rafael,” Magnus whispered.

"Why aren't you using makeup remover, Magnus? That's what you take yours off with.” Alec whispered back into his ear like it was some big secret.

“Ha! That's just how tired I am, darling. I forgot everything I know about makeup.” He shook his head at himself and reached a wet hand up to pat Alec’s cheek, causing Max to laugh again.

Alec grinned and kissed Magnus’ neck in the way he knew drove him crazy and murmured, “How about I make you some hot tea?”

“Sounds wonderful. How about a massage too?” Magnus countered.

“Absolutely,” Alec said between kisses, “Anything else I can do for you?”

Magnus shivered. “I can think of a few things.”

Alec groaned softly and stood up, trying to remind himself that there were still three hours between now and the boys’ bedtime.

He scooped a handful of bubbles and placed them on top of his son’s head. “Max, I need you to stay in your own bed tonight.”

He nearly laughed at the one-eyed squint his son sent his way, “But papa is so warm.”

"So warm,” Alec agreed, “but our backs need a break from the bed hog. I'll make you chocolate chip pancakes in the morning if you sleep the entire night in your own bed.”

Max considered it for a moment. “Deal.”

Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand and nuzzled his face into it. “You are almost forgiven for moving my makeup bag when you cleaned, Alexander.”

[annashipper]

Showsie Submission

Hey Anna! Just thought I'd submit on recent events. Although I have not been vocal lately, I have still been paying attention to the land of shamwow. So...Ben goes to a concert in NYC? We get some pics of him solo, and a delightful lack of fuckery to accompany them. We also get some nice, high quality pics of IW filming...accompanied by some Fail articles that focus on his work, sans any fetch attempts from she who shall remain fetchless. I have to say, I find these recent events encouraging...not from any shamwow point of view...but from a good PR point of view. I'm with Ballsy...cookies where they are deserved, really. Granted...I've become so inured to the previous poor efforts of team BC in this respect that the bar of my expectations in this matter has been set quite low as a result...but kudos are given for this week's efforts regardless. I think I'm finally seeing the result of some sensible and grown-up PR strategy here, and I really hope it continues. I also wanted to address JT Anon's comments on the nan factor as pertains to PR strategy. I do think that you find groups like the nans in any fandom...they just happen to be more vehement and vocal in this one. I do believe that pandering to such a group is not a particularly good idea when it comes to a risk/benefit analysis, and that no effective or capable PR would do so, if they could possibly avoid it. But, I don't think that a capable PR is what we have here, given previous form. I think they use the nans for clicks, but without any thought as to the consequences. I've also seen people mentioning the Beatlemania type promo that was used in that Hollywood Reporter article in 2014. In my opinion...that was poor form. I'm sure the nans saw it as validation for their behaviour, but I just saw it as mocking, disrespectful and not good at all. Which brings me to my main point...I've often said that Ben's team have failed to understand his fandom. Let me clarify this point for you now (just in case the intern that is tasked with reading these blogs is paying attention). If I were in charge of Ben's image from the start...I would have aggressively marketed him as the 'thinking women's crumpet' from the start. Because I think my job as PR would have been to determine what demographic my client was most likely to appeal to, and to build a business plan in that direction. I think they had made some good steps in that direction...up until mid 2014...and then the wheels came off that particular train, for whatever reason (which I'm sure we'll never know the truth of), and we ended up with the mish-mash of contradictory messages we have now. Team BC have failed to appreciate the demographic they should have been aiming for. Ben was never going to be the classical Hollywood heartthrob material. He doesn't have the right look for that. Don't get me wrong...I still think he is pretty, in a striking and unusual way, but he's not got the archetypal good looks for such a thing. Instead of the Internet's Boyfriend with a bunch of squealing fans designed to appeal to the barely post-pubescent, they should have been aiming for slightly more mature woman as their target audience for this man. This is the audience I think a man like Ben would appeal to. Someone who isn't about the hype, and is looking for substance over style. And it would have had the added bonus of being directly aimed at where the money is. Because people forget...free thinking and more mature women are more likely to be professionals, established in their careers, with a considerable amount of disposable income to spend on movie tickets and the like. And such women don't require hearing awkward shoehorning and stuttering (and, quite frankly, unconvincing) affirmations about a personal life that should have been kept private, to spend money on their fave. They would have been more impressed by someone showing enough respect for their wife and children to not put it up for sale to the highest bidder in an attempt at generating cheap publicity. This is a vast and untapped market that they have failed to capitalise on, had they recognised it earlier. But...I do feel they have finally cottoned on to this, because we are now seeing a strategy from Team BC that accommodates this view of celebrity. Let's hope they continue their current good form and that they won't disappoint us in the future. Fingers crossed! Hugs to you, Anna

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ben is definitely standing his ground, I’ll give him that.  And yes, I’m quite optimistic about where this seems to be going.  Cookies for PR though?  I’m withholding those until after Wimbledon (and I think everyone reading this blog knows the reasons why)

As far as Ben’s image is concerned, that’s something I’ve found fascinating since before I even became a fan of his.

I still remember reading through Empire and seeing he’d gotten their Sexiest Man Alive title for 2013 which, I have to be honest, baffled me at the time (but in my defence I hadn’t watched a single episode of Sherlock yet).  

I remember reading article upon article about him back then, all of them talking about legions of Cumberbitches, about him being the thinking woman’s crumpet and definitely seeing the potential for him to make it big in the industry.

When I finally watched Sherlock and couldn’t shut up about this magnificent actor everyone around me had to see in action, one of my colleagues even had a mug made for me that read “Proud Cumberbitch” with a screenshot of Sherlock in the sheet at Buckingham Palace, which I thought was hilarious and kept using at the office (because apparently I have no shame).

So yeah, as long as Ben was being adorable on red carpets, verbose and funny in interviews and wasn’t playing the same game everyone in Hollywood seems to be playing, I had no problem with the Cumberbitch title.  It was just a silly thing that I could find humour in.

Fast forward to the fall of 2014: There was certainly a shift in the way he was portrayed in the press during TIG promo, and they seemed to want to hold on to both aspects of his image at that point.  Having him give long winded interviews about Alan Turing and the way he was slighted by the system, while also having him do that cringe worthy photoshoot for Hollywood Reporter.  

To make matters worse, they kept jabbing at his fans with not only Beatlemania references, but also building him up like this bigger than life movie star who couldn’t run fast enough away from his screaming fans, as well as the paparazzi.

That would have been all fine and dandy, had Ben accustomed the world at large to such behaviour.  BUT, although anyone paying attention knew that lots of his fans were overly enthusiastic (a great number of them willing to go to great lengths to breathe the same air as he does for 5 seconds) and ready to throw themselves into battle to defend him against his critics, they also knew that he was a man who’d been in the industry for close to 20 years already and had managed to always guard his private life.

Therefore, when he kept talking about how fiercely private he was while obviously doing staged pap walks ... globally, he started looking disingenuous.  Something that was amplified by the fact that he kept talking about being happy to find love with Sophie Hunter, a woman who 9 out of 10 people think trapped him into marriage with a pregnancy, while he started looking more and more frustrated around her, the more we saw them together.

Let’s get one thing straight:  No one likes a liar.  No one thinks a liar is the thinking woman’s crumpet.  No one thinks a liar is adorable.

In order for Ben to turn his image around and go back to presenting himself the way that he has worked so long and hard to be regarded, I believe he has to stop lying.  Because let’s face it, he may be a gifted actor, but the poor guy can’t lie his way out of a paper bag.  Not about anything that matters at least...

When he stops lying, I’m prepared to bake heaps of cookies for everyone.  His PR, the poor intern who has to keep reading our ramblings to report back to Karon who then reports back to Ben, the people in Ben’s life who’ve stood by him through all of this adversity, the Skeptics, the Nans, even random people in the streets.  The only people not getting cookies will be the trolls who are posing as skeptics, as well as Shitty and her friends.  And let me tell you Ms Showsie, I make a mean cookie  :P

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Podcasts for your functions!

In honor of #trypod, here are the podcasts I listen to, semi-arbitrarily assigned to functions! But seriously check any of them out.

Also I tend to go for either surreal radio-show style fiction, or people just joking about dumb stuff.

Si: Sawbones. I recommended this for I think INTPs a while ago, but I think any Si users (...and non-Si users since ISTP sister is a fan) will appreciate it. It’s about all the ridiculous and sometimes horrifying things that people have done in the name of medicine, from trepanation to patent medicines. I’ve also appreciated the handful of more serious episodes: there was one about the hosts’ daughter’s birth, and more recently a few about immigration medical requirements and health insurance. But mostly it’s informative, historical, and funny.

Ne: Crossover Appeal. It’s a podcast about fandom, namely taking two things and mashing them up, but usually things that don’t usually get mashed up (read: no superwholock to be found). I don’t listen to every episode because I frequently find I’ve only read/watched one of the works, but I’ve loved the HP&HP (Harry Potter and Lovecraft) Halloween special, the Yay Hamlet Hamilton/Hamlet one, and the Orphan Black/Phryne Fisher episode for badass ladies. And the fact that it’s every other week and you can skip around probably works well for Ne users.

Ni: The Beef and Dairy Network. Deeply surreal, with that dark and dry humor that is often characteristic of Ni users. There’s a consistent underlying storyline/conspiracy, and a bit of political sarcasm in the mix, so I think that will also work for Ni users who appreciate the payoff of sticking with a serial story with an unusual format, that sometimes draws from reality but twists it.

Se: My Brother, My Brother, and Me. This one is pretty famous (Justin, the oldest brother, is also a Sawbones host and I found MBMBAM through Sawbones), and it’s characterized by a combination of terrible advice and weird riffing and tangents. I think Se users will particularly appreciate the combination of rapid-fire switches in the conversation along with concrete yet impractical suggestions and goofy humor.

Ti: Within the Wires or Alice Isn’t Dead. Both of these are Welcome to Nightvale shows, but with a smaller self-contained story that unfolds slowly, allowing you to try and deduce what will happen next (and probably often fail). I think they both fall well along the Ti-Fe spectrum, though honestly what do I know. Within the Wires in particular seems to be a good Ti-Fe show and is in my opinion the strongest (Orbiting Human Circus wasn’t my favorite though I did enjoy it overall).

Fe: This American Life. A classic, not only because it’s something people have been listening to forever and can all share, but also because of its dedication to telling the stories of every kind of person and finding the commonalities between these different stories. I don’t always listen to it (it’s a lot; also sometimes it will lead to you crying in your car and now that I don’t have a car I’d really rather not burst into tears on the subway) but I do love it and thank it for having this message of how we’re all the same on some level.

Fi: Pop Rocket. It’s about pop culture, and it’s a great hangout show - the hosts are a diverse group and are all close with each other. They focus on a single topic each episode usually but what impresses me is how great they are at letting each host talk about pop culture from their own perspective and relate it to their personal experience in a way that is effective and interesting.

Te: She’s Running. This is really new (only 2 episodes) and it’s interviews with women who are running for office at any level (city, state, federal) in the U.S. . It is not technically partisan though it’s obviously got a very pro-women message and the two interviewees so far are affiliated with the Democratic party. It has a message of getting out the vote for these candidates, but also provides some really great insight into the work involved in running a campaign, even a small one.

Are you being paid by WTNV and Max Fun?

No, I wish.

I’m looking for more/None of these are for me, but I’d love other podcast recs!

Thanks! Other recommendations include:

I figure since this is on Tumblr you’re all sick of Welcome to Nightvale but I do listen to it and enjoy it. It does have the drawback of being both serialized and pretty far into that serial - you'll want to go back to the beginning and that will take a while. 

Speaking of - I never listened to season 2, but season 1 of Serial, about a young man jailed for his sometimes-girlfriend’s murder in the Baltimore area that might have been due to a combination of Islamophobia, the fragility of memory, and the fact that in the early 2000s, we didn’t really understand cell phones, was rightfully a hit. Listen if you like true crime or even if you don’t (I usually don’t).

I stopped listening to Aisha Tyler’s Girl on Guy regularly because I lost interest whenever the celebrity wasn’t someone I knew about and also because it’s really long and no longer worked well with my listening habits after I moved from a regular job-having car owner to a grad student who depends on NYC public transit and has an irregular schedule. However, Aisha Tyler is hilarious and a great, empathetic interviewer (I’m pretty sure she’s an ESTP with good Fe from the impression I have) and I recommend it if you’re into more long-form interview style listening. 

I also stopped listening to Professor Blastoff which features Tig Notaro,  Kyle Dunnigan and David Huntsberger. A large portion of that is because I found Kyle Dunnigan kind of annoying (which is mostly a clash of senses of humor I think - don’t take my word for this since it’s definitely a personal taste thing). It’s also really long (usually about 90 minutes if I recall correctly) so it similarly doesn’t work that well with my listening, but if you do a lot of driving or can listen to podcasts while you work, check it out! I did listen for some time, especially around when Tig Notaro was just out of her year of terrible things and getting a lot of fame for that. It ended in mid-2015 due to scheduling conflicts, but there’s a big archive if you’re just looking for something to listen to that isn’t strictly up to date.

I mostly listen to comedy, pop-culture, and story/fiction podcasts because I am a very visual learner so any more technical/educational podcasts tend to not work for me - I spend the whole time wishing I was just reading an article or watching a video. However, if you’re more an auditory learner, I did enjoy Freakonomics - I just felt like I forgot everything immediately and would rather reread the book. There are some great resources online specifically for finding educational podcasts so if that’s your interest, have at it!