#And Declan isn't a good parent

[someofusarequeer]

Sorry I'm a Maud O'Hara hater Idc Idc Idc if you're child has to ask you if you even like them, you're a shitty parent, if you then respond with a scoff and an eye roll and say "of course I love you, you're my daughter" as if it's expected but without an ounce of warmth, you're a shitty parent. If you call you're daughter names to her face and behind her back and constantly resent her and and and, you're just a shitty parent and Idc how many sacrifices you had to make as a parent, it's never the child's fault.

[seaemberthesecond]

declan csa parallels haven't left me since I made the connection

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about this, because honestly same.

This is one of those things that I won't even say is a headcanon because it's not. It's a reading of the text, plain and simple. The evidence is all there.

Violation of autonomy, familial harm, and secrets are all big themes in tdt. The central problematic of the Lynch family is that the secrets in the underbelly tear them apart and prevent the brothers from connecting to each other in real and meaningful ways. They're deliberately denied the language and vocabulary to articulate their experiences out of fear of the family's secrets being exposed, leaving them unable to communicate with each other.

And in the middle of all of this, we have Declan.

Declan who, unbeknownst to his brothers, is experiencing a radically different childhood riddled with danger and violence and is forced to keep it a secret by his parents for the 'good of the family.' Declan who resents Ronan and Matthew for getting the idyllic childhood he's been deprived of, thus creating rifts in their relationship. Rifts that are further exacerbated because of the secrets he's forced to keep – he can't talk to them about what's actually happening in his life, he can't share anything real with them, so he constructs a fake persona to hide behind, even at home. But his brothers pick up on his artifice and withdraw from him, leaving him even more isolated.

This is…such a painfully obvious allegory for sexual abuse that I'm kind of dumbfounded by the fact that more people don't talk about it.

Both Ronan and Matthew recognize that Declan is treated differently by their parents, but they deliberately don't examine this too deeply because doing so would require that they acknowledge that something sinister lurked in the margins of their childhood and that's just not something they want to face. Declan's grief isn't as clear-cut as Ronan and Matthew's, because he's grappling with the very real harm his parents did to him, but he's demonized for his "sceptical and imperfect love" for Niall and Aurora. His attempts at getting Ronan to see that their parents weren't who he thought they were are met with hostility and scorn (and in Matthew's case, hesitant incredulity). Because again, Ronan doesn't want to hear it. He's actively standing there with his hands over his ears chanting lalalalalala. I mean in CDTH, we can see how very discomfited he gets when faced with Declan at the fairy market because it forces him to re-evaluate his own childhood in light of all this new information about his brother's secret life that was taking place right under his nose. And he does not want to do that.

I mean does that not drive you insane?? The subtext is THERE. Everything about how the Lynch Brothers' dynamic is set up allows for the reading that Declan has suffered some kind of sexual abuse at the hands of one/both of their parents.

And this is purely at a thematic level. It gets crazier when you consider Declan displays many of the characteristics and behaviours of sexual assault survivors.

"It wasn’t that he hadn’t gone on dates or hooked up, that unlovely euphemism for what was sometimes a perfectly nice time. It was that he didn’t get too close. Intimacy was allowed as long as it revealed nothing truthful." (ch 69, cdth)

His issues with intimacy

His 'hypersexuality'

“So he’s a man-whore. It’s not your problem,” Gansey said. (ch 4, trb)

His troubled relationship with physical touch

(He never initiates anything physical with Jordan, it's always her making the first move; his discomfort with Aurora's hug in the Dauntless Declan scene; his discomfort with Feniall's hug in CDTH; he avoids touching his brothers even and is surprised whenever Matthew reaches out to him.)

His disassociation from his own emotions

Declan Lynch had a complicated relationship with his family. It wasn’t that he hated them. Hate was such a slick, neat, simple emotion. Declan envied people who felt proper hate. (ch 10, MI)

So even if you choose to believe Declan wasn't assaulted by Niall or Aurora, there is still enough evidence in the text itself to suggest he's suffered from some kind of sexual violence during his childhood. Fairy Markets aren't exactly child-friendly places (the woman getting strangled in one of the rooms in CDTH anyone?) and it's not really a stretch to assume Declan had to put up with some fucky shit as a uhh* checks notes* 10-year-old in the uhhhh *checks notes again* black market for the rich and powerful.

And then there's the declan-adam-hennessy and the declan-adam-mor triangles which exist independent of whether you consider Declan a victim of sexual violence but certainly get reinforced if you subscribe to it. But I won't get into that.

All this to say, CSA survivor Declan you will always be real to me.

[canirove]

Rice, Rice, baby | Chapter 26

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Masterlist

“Do you want a bit more?”

“I'm full, mum.” 

“You are eating for two, Olivia.”

“I know. But I'm seriously full, I can't eat anything else.”

“Not even some chocolate?” my dad smirks.

“Not even that, no” I say, caressing my bump.

“What about some rice?” Alex asks.

“Nothing” I reply, trying to give him my most murderous look without anyone noticing. 

The day our parents found out I was pregnant, they decided that every weekened we would get together to have lunch and start behaving like the big family we were going to be (at least according to them). And every single time, I've wanted to kill Alex at least once, all because he always makes some joke or comment that they don't get but that I know is a dig towards Declan. 

“Oh, you won't believe who I saw the other day” my dad says, changing the topic of conversation. “Matthew!”

“Our Matthew?” Alex's dad asks.

“They very same” my dad says. “We had a little catch up and he told me he's also gonna be a grandad!”

“Oh, that's nice.”

“And it's a girl! I think we've found our boy’s future wife” he chuckles.

“He may not like women. You know that's a possibility, right?” I say.

“He will, Liv. He is gonna be his father's son” Alex grins, making me take deep breaths to not punch him in front of everyone. He's so lucky he'll have time to run away since getting up will take me my time…

“Did he tell you if they've already picked a name?” my mum asks, taking my hand on hers under the table and giving it a little squeeze. She hasn't told me anything, but I know she's noticed how tense things are between Alex and I. 

“Elizabeth. It is a lovely name, isn't it, darling?”

“It is, yes” I nod.

“Have you decided on one?” 

“No” I say.

“Yes” Alex replies.

“Yes?” his mum says.

“He's gonna be called Alexander like me.”

“I beg your pardon?” I say, raising my voice. 

“It is a lovely name, don't you think? I think it will fit him.”

I'm killing him. I swear to God I'm going to kill him.

“Darling, where are you going?” my dad asks me when all I do is get up from my chair.

“Out.”

“Out? Where?”

“For a walk. I need some fresh air, it stinks in here” I say, my eyes focused on Alex and the stupid grin on his face. 

“I don't smell anything.”

“Pregnant women smell things you normally wouldn't. It's normal” my mum explains.

“Exactly. Now if you'll excuse me.”

“But you can't go alone, darling. Why don't you take Alex with you?”

“No!” I yell. “I want to be alone!”

“Darling…”

“Alone!” I yell again, storming out of the room.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Liv, hey. Is everything ok?”

“I'm going to kill Alex.”

“What did he do now?” Declan says over facetime.

“Be the biggest piece of shit ever, that's what he did.”

“That's not new. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Ok” he chuckles. “Where are you?”

“Out. I needed to leave the house. You?”

“At my parents. We all had lunch together.”

“I'm sure your reunion has been more pleasant than mine” I sigh.

“It was surprisingly good, yeah.”

“Surprisingly? What do you mean?” 

“I told them about you, Liv.”

“What?” 

“Yeah” he smiles. He… He did it. He finally did it. Holy shit.

“And?”

“And they all are looking forward to meeting you. Especially my brothers since they already knew you existed.”

“They… what?”

“I was with them at Wembley when we left together, remember? I had to explain to them where I had gone.”

“Oh, yes…” That game and that day feels like it happened in a different lifetime.

“After that they kept asking me about you, I also told them some things, asked them for advice… Brothers things” he shrugs. “I'm sure you've also talked about me with Kennedy and Olga.”

“Just a tiny bit, yeah” I chuckle. 

“Why don't you come over now?”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. You don't seem to be in the mood to go back to your house, and I don't want to go visit my son in jail because his mother has killed someone” he teases me.

“Ha ha ha” I say, rolling my eyes. 

“You know it could happen” he smirks.

“I…” No, Olivia. This is not the moment to get turned on by his smile. Not now. Focus. “Declan, are you sure about this? Like… I'm gonna be meeting your family.”

“I know.”

“That's… huge.”

“I know. But you are the mother of my son, Liv. And even if you weren't, you are the girl I would want them to meet.” Has he just said what I think he said? That I… Me… What? “I'll call a car to go pick you up, send me your location.”

“I… ok” I reply.

I'm going to meet Declan's family. His parents. His brothers. Bloody hell.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Liv!”

“Oh, hi!”

“How is my cousin?” Declan's littlest nephew says, hugging me and resting his head on my bump. 

“He's very well” I smile. “Happy his dad won today.”

“I'm very happy too” he smiles back. “Are you coming home with us?”

“Not today, I'm sorry.”

“Why?” he pouts.

“Because uncle Dec has a surprise for her” Jordan says while joining us and winking at me.

“A surprise? What surprise?”

“It's a secret, we can't tell her.”

“But I want to know!” he protests.

“I'll tell you later, I promise. Did you enjoy the game?” Jordan asks me. 

“I did. It was nice to finally have an easy one.”

“It definitely was, yes” he smiles. “Anyway, let's go. Say goodbye to auntie Liv.”

“Bye, auntie Liv. And bye, cousin” Declan's nephew says, kissing my belly and making me laugh.

I still can't believe this is happening. That meeting Declan's family went the way it did, that they all welcomed me with open arms and basically treated me as one of them since the moment they met me. 

His parents were the loveliest, his mum asking me many questions about how my pregnancy had been so far but not being too pushy or making me feel uncomfortable. His brothers also asked some questions, but they mostly focused on teasing Declan since they already knew some things about me. Their wives offered to help with everything I may need but without making it overwhelming, and his nephews… His nephews were the cutest, talking to the bump and calling him their cousin, telling him about all the games they would play together and about all the toys they would be saving for him. 

“Liv, why are you crying?” Declan asks me once we are in the car after leaving his parents’ house. 

“Your family.”

“What about them? I thought it had gone really well, that you have liked them.”

“And I did. I liked them very much. Very very much” I sob.

“Aww, Liv” he says, hugging me while I just cry.

“They are the best.”

“I may be a bit biased here, but… yeah. They are the best.”

And now here I am, at the Emirates, waiting for him after watching the game with Georgina. I'm not ready to sit with them somewhere public just yet and risk someone seeing me and putting two and two together. His ex has been posting very shady things on social media, her fans not being the kindest towards Declan, and we don't need to add more fuel to the fire.

“There you are” he says, walking towards me with the biggest smile on his face. And yes, you guessed it… making my knees feel like jelly. Being pregnant and everything that has happened between us hasn't changed the effect his smile has on me. 

“Hello, man of the match” I smile back.

“It's a nice award, isn't it?” 

“It actually isn't the prettiest.”

“Liv!” Declan laughs.

“But what matters is what it means.”

“Ok” he laughs again. “I was thinking about giving it to you. Maybe you could put it in your room.”

“And how exactly would I explain that to my father?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah… true. I guess I'll have to add it to my large collection.”

“So humble, Declan Rice” I laugh.

“The most humble one” he smirks. “Should we get going?”

“Yes, of course. I'm looking forward to this surprise you have for me.”

“What? How do you know about that?”

“Jordan” I shrug.

“He… Urgh” he groans. “He didn't tell you anything, did he? Like details.”

“Nope. Just that you had a surprise for me.”

“Well, that's something. Shall we?”

“Let's go” I smile. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Wait here and turn around” Declan says, stopping outside one of the rooms in his house.

“What? Why?”

“This is where the surprise is.”

“And I need to turn around because…”

“Because you will definitely try to look at what's inside.”

“I would never do such a thing” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Of course not, Liv” he chuckles. “C'mon, turn around.”

“But…”

“Please” he pouts.

“Ok, fine. But only because I can't stand that face.”

“What's wrong with it?” Declan laughs. 

“There is nothing wrong with it” I say, already giving him my back. I don't want him to see that I'm blushing. And why? Because when he pouts the first thought that crosses my mind is how badly I want to bite his lower lip before kissing him. 

“Then what is it?”

“Declan, are you going in to give me my surprise or not?”

“Yes, of course. Of course” he says, opening the room's door. “Liv…”

“What.”

“Don't turn around.”

“I wasn't.”

“I saw you.”

“I wasn't, Declan.” But I was. I definitely was turning around. What could he be keeping in that room?

“Liv, did you close the door downstairs?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because there is a cat on the stairs.”

“What?” I say, quickly moving towards them, the door's room being closed behind me. He tricked me. He tricked me so I would not turn around and ruin the surprise. “Not funny, Declan!”

“But it worked!” I hear him say from inside the room. “You can come in now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Liv. C'mon.”

“Ok” I say, taking a deep breath. Why am I nervous? “Declan” I gasp when I walk in.

“Surprise” he smiles, standing in the middle of the room. “What do you think?”

“I… I…” I mumble, looking around. A nursery. He had turned one of the rooms in his house into a nursery for the baby.

“It looks a bit boring because I didn't want to paint it or choose a wallpaper without asking you first, but I thought I could start by bringing here the basic things, like his cot, the changing station, a chair to feed him, some toys my nephews gave… Liv” he gasps when I run towards him and hug him as if my life depended on it. “Liv, what…”

“I love it.”

“You… you do?”

“I do. Thank you, Declan” I say, looking up at him.

“You're welcome” he smiles, putting a lock of hair behind my ear, his hand moving to my cheek and caressing it. “You're very welcome.”

And then, as I smell his perfume surrounding me, it all begins again. I start getting lost in his eyes for the millionth time, my heart is beating like crazy against my chest, and my skin is burning where his fingers are touching me, sending goosebumps all over my body. Everything I've ever felt for him still is there, and it is as strong as it was. 

Because I love him. It is stupid to keep denying it, to blame my hormones for what I've been feeling. I love Declan, and I don't think I will ever be able to stop loving him. 

“Liv” he whispers as he moves closer, his nose brushing against mine. “Liv, I…”

Kiss me. For God's sake, Declan. Just kiss me. 

“Do you want a tour of the room?”

“What?” I choke, the feeling of his hand leaving my face and his body not being so close to mine anymore being more painful than a slap. 

“The room. There are some details I want to show you. Like this” he says, taking a couple of steps back and completely letting go of me. What the hell did just happen? Was it even real? Did I dream it? Are my hormones making me go crazy? “This was mine” he smiles, playing with the mobile hanging on the cot. “My mother kept it for when I had my own kids. I apparently was obsessed with it and could look at it for hours.”

“Oh, that's… That's cute.”

“And this blanket” Declan says, moving to the chair next to the window. “It also used to be mine. My grandma made it for me and they took me home from the hospital on it. The little man will probably not need it because he will be born in the summer, but… Liv. Liv, hey, are you ok?”

“I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?” he says, taking a step closer and making me take one back. I can't go through all that again. Through all those feelings. I can't.

“I'm fine, Declan. Just a bit overwhelmed because I didn't expect all this.”

“Oh, I see. But have you liked it?”

“I've loved it, I already told you” I say, forcing myself to smile.

“Great” he says, also smiling. “I was really nervous, you know? I didn't know if you would agree with him having his own room here.”

“Why not? You are his dad, aren't you?”

“I am. But things are so complicated with your family and Alex that… I don't know” he shrugs.

“Dec… Declan” I say, forgetting about what I had just done and told myself and walking towards him, taking his hand and putting it on my bump. “You are his dad, and no one and nothing will ever change that.”

“Liv…”

“Ever, Declan. And he agrees.”

“He does, yes” he chuckles, our baby moving as if knowing what we were talking about. As if knowing we needed him right now.

[mysteriousbp]

So, bear with me, as I have 3 questions.

First, I remember in one of your posts you mentioned how the kids have sleepovers now and then. Whenever they do, do the adults do something themselves, assuming they would all be together as well?

Second, you think you could kinda give us some basic family trees of everyone, including Clover and Chara, as well as Axis and Guardener? A visual would be kinda nice.

And third, does Kanako/Clover ever prank someone with the whole switching control thing, maybe with the help of some sunglasses? I'd imagine it would be pretty funny. Anyways, sorry this was so long. But I'm excited to see what the answers are!

First question answer:

Well, when the kids have a sleepover, they take turns deciding which house they stay in. Then each parent drops their kids off with the parents, whose turn it is to have the sleepover in their house. Then, after dropping their kids off, the parents that aren't responsible for the sleepover usually use that sleepover night to do adult stuff at home that they can't do when the kids are home, like watching a horror movie or something.

But the parents sometimes hang out with the other parents when the children are being taken care of by someone else. But it is rare to have all the parents together in a hangout… Ceroba and Dalv find Undyne too "energenic" for their tastes.

Second question answer:

Sure. But before that, I have to inform you of something. I know that I made a post sometime ago with the idea of making Guardener - Kanako, Clover, and Axis sibling. But that was just an idea that isn't canon to the AU anymore. (Good thing I didn't do anything with that idea.)

Frick I forgot to add Melody's birth parents status. Uh...

Melody's birth parents: Unknown (Melody was left on the orphanage doorstep when she was a baby)

But since you asked for Guardener, I made family trees for the important characters that have appeared in my AU until now. (Lore drops are going to be made.)

I'm just going to comment on one thing. I decided to name the bunny child that you find in Snowdin's Inn Declan because, in genocide, they are replaced by a decoy. Declan, decoy. Get it?

Third question answer:

That's a joke I've been trying to make for some time. I had ideas to use sunglasses or Chujin's goggles. But I don't have any ideas for pranks that I can make. But that is something they would do in my AU canon.

[rahleeyah]

My hot take is that Declan's arc could've been built out longer and in would've been more in sync with Amanda's story both with a relationship and becoming a mother. And that it would've worked more smoothly than it did with Carisi. Thoughts?

#dont@me

Hmm. My hot take is given everything that happened Declan should've fucked Liv and not Amanda 💀 but I digress

To your question

From a pure character standpoint I like this; Declan pulls Amanda up at a time in her life when she's at her lowest, confronts her and encourages her to be a better version of herself. I'd argue it doesn't make a lot of sense character wise for Amanda to keep the baby, so for me Declan sticking around would've made that decision click. It also didn't really make sense for Declan to promise that he wasn't going anywhere and then literally disappear for years, so that's another reason him still being in the picture would've worked better for me.

However

Amanda at that point isn't really "ready" for that kinda relationship. She still got too much of the fuckboy spirit in her and she wasn't ready to work it out yet.

And in the broader sense of the show Carisi made more sense. They could've kept Declan around like Kathy, turning up once a season, but unlike a certain someone Donal Logue is a working actor outside svu and they probably couldn't guarantee he'd be available on any kind of consistent basis. Carisi is already there. And with Carisi they get to do an EO lite - tptb know that "coworkers who can't fuck but really want to" appeals to viewers. The tantalizing promise keeps people coming back (to a point) and it makes for a nice parallel to EO. Sorta. Unlike eo the only obstacle in their path is really Amanda herself, and that's why I hate seeing Amanda be so smug about having figured it out and trying to tell Liv how to figure it out herself - the only similarity in their situations is falling for a coworker, Amanda didn't have the same experience as Liv. This is not to say that I think that smugness is bad writing, I think it's very good writing in that it's in keeping with her character overall and characters are supposed to have flaws and do things I don't like. It works, her thinking she's gotten her happily ever after so obviously she is an authority on the subject of Liv's relationship woes.

I got off track.

The point is, I think it could've been really interesting to keep Declan around, to have Amanda work on her issues in the context of co-parenting her child with her baby daddy (I personally might have preferred that, done well, to her relationship with Carisi) but I understand why they didn't.

[theycallme-thejackal]

Hello dear jackal! I’ve got a prompt. Could you write one where Midge bumps into Declan Howell and she uses him to make Lenny jealous?

Pairing: Lenny Bruce & Midge Maisel Rated T Warnings: 5x01 Spoilers

Midge isn't one to intentionally toy with someone else's emotions, but there's a certain poetic justice to both Declan Howell and Lenny Bruce being in this particular bar on the same night.

She honestly can't deny there is a certain...attraction to the tortured artist sitting on the stool in front of her. She knows that if she asked him to take her to bed, he would. Immediately. And it would probably be great.

But the problem is that she's so fucking in love with Lenny that she can't imagine leaving this bar with anyone else.

Declan watches her as her eyes fall on the comic across the room, and then he turns to look. A dark chuckle passes his lips. "Lenny Bruce, eh?"

Midge nods, playing dumb. "Yes, that's Lenny Bruce," she replies, taking a sip of her martini and returning her gaze to the man before her. "You know him?"

He shrugs. "We run in...adjacent circles. Sometimes they meet."

"Ah," she breathes. "So you know him, but you don't know him."

"Precisely," Declan replies as he studies her. Part of her wonders if he's about to take out a pencil and start sketching on a napkin. Or maybe he has some paints and will begin using her face as a canvas.

Instead he chuckles softly. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She denies it, but she took half a beat too long to do so. Declan dips his head disbelievingly. "So I suppose I will once again fail in attempting to convince you to come to bed with me."

Her gaze unintentionally flicks toward Lenny, just barely catching his eyes before he looks away, and Declan gives her a sad little smile. "In another life, perhaps," he comments as he stands. He kisses her cheek softly before stumbling further down the bar to get another drink.

She watches him go and then looks back at Lenny, nursing his bourbon and avoiding looking at her. She steels herself and makes her way to his table, leaning on the empty chair beside him. "Got tired of avoiding me?" She asks, cocking her head.

He looks up at her. "Who says I was avoiding you?"

Midge lifts her brows and shrugs as she pulls out the chair to sit. "The distinct lack of sneak attacks in recent months was a hint," she answers as she crosses her legs.

"Where'd Howell go?" He asks, not bothering to look away from her.

"Somewhere down the bar," she answers with a wave of her hand.

"You'll catch up with him later then?"

Midge rolls her eyes. "Maybe my parents were right," she says.

That confuses him, and his brows furrow intensely. "What?"

"Maybe you are an idiot off stage."

He gives her a little chuckle. "I can confirm that is absolutely true."

"I'm not with Declan Howell," she explains. "Just...an acquaintance."

"You looked awfully cozy up there."

She rolls her eyes again. "For fuck's sake, Lenny, you're the one who left town. And tried not to say goodbye, I might add."

"So?" He mutters petulantly.

"So you don't get to be jealous when I talk to other men," she snaps, moving back to her feet.

"I didn't - " He huffs a sigh as she pauses halfway out of her chair, and she sits back down. He takes a long drag from his cigarette. "I didn't leave to get away from you," he murmurs. "I just...needed to get away from New York. Go be with my kid. Get away from the cops."

"No cops in Los Angeles?"

"There are, but they like me better."

"Lenny..."

He cocks his head at her. "Midge..."

"I'm going to ask you something, and I need you to answer honestly. No jokes, no deflecting, just...honesty." He nods slowly. "Are we ever going to get our shit together, or is this just...passing?"

There's only about an inch of space between their hands, and his fingertips brush against hers almost absently. "I...it's too late for me, Midge," he mutters. "I'm not...I'm not the man you're looking for."

"Bullshit."

"I'm not good enough for you, Midge!"

She looks at him for a long moment before sighing, "And you said I put you on a pedestal." He taps the ash from the end of his cigarette without saying anything. "So your answer is no, then. We're never going to get our shit together. It's going to be just one fucking incredible night - when you told me you loved me, by the way - and then...nothing."

His face flushes a little at that, and he ducks his head, muttering, "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Well, I did. You want to take it back?" She asks primly.

His lips quirk in a similar way that they did that night at Dublin House - so similarly, in fact, that she half expects him to say you are lovely. "I don't want to take it back," he admits quietly.

"Good. Because I love you, too, you putz."

A soft breath of a chuckle passes his lips, and he shakes his head. "Midge, you're killing me," he groans, half joking.

"Would you rather I try a different tack? I can go find Declan." She jerks her thumb over her shoulder.

She has now intention of going home with Declan Howell. Even if Lenny pushes her away again, she's just...not interested in being with someone else. But her joke has him glowering, his eyes practically flashing green with jealousy, and she drops her hand again, letting it rest on top of his this time. "Let's try," she pleads. "Because I think...I think this could be it, Lenny."

His eyes grow teary in a similar way they did in that airport walkway six months ago. "Midge - "

Before he has the opportunity to protest further, she presses her lips desperately to his. Please, please stay with me.

He kisses her back almost immediately. Dropping the cigarette in favor of cupping her neck, he pulls her closer to him with such surprising strength that she tumbles from her own chair and into his lap.

The change in position in this rather busy bar has them both laughing quietly until it makes kissing near impossible. He buries his face in the crook of her neck and holds her body tightly against his as she tenderly strokes his hair. "I love you, Lenny," she whispers again. "I should have said it at the airport before you left. Or in your hotel room that night."

He doesn't let go or lift his head. He just inhales deeply against her skin. "I love you, Midge." She smiles and dips her head to kiss his temple.

[arsenalgbt]

In the arranged marriage au verse, I feel like there is definitely potential for a continuation of Ben and baby Ethan with Bennyliba endgame. What exactly that looks like is the more complicated aspect though. My initial thought is Ben being at a WDBz Sunday roast, Leo and Kieran are hosting of course and are just the image of domestic bliss. Declan and Kai, despite having a new born baby, are acting like they're on their honeymoon and are sickeningly touchy feely. Ben swears he heard Kai moan when Declan was kissing him. Ben is happy for his friends, really he is, but he also feels strangely lonely. It's not the same loneliness he used to feel when he was going through his post-partum depression, he's not that kind of lonely. He has his baby, his best friends, his nieces and his nephew and his parents. He shouldn't feel lonely. It takes him a little while to realise the loneliness he's feeling is because he wants a partner. He may tease his friends but he wants to settle down, he wants someone to make him a packed lunch to take to work like Kieran does for Leo or someone worth leaving work early for like Declan does for Kai. He wants a partner. Hooking up is great but he wants to date. He admits this to Kieran who of course makes some comment about Willo - in Kieran's defence, Ben talks about him a lot. Ben swears they are just work friends and that nothing is going to happen there. Willo is too young, too much like Kalvin, too dangerous. Ben isn't going to date someone like that, he needs to fall in love with someone smart, loyal, steady, dependable who knows how to use their dick well and is okay with him being a single mother. He needs someone like Rob (genuinely the first person to pop into my head, I couldn't think of other Ben ships and there is a really well written Ben/Rob puppy play fic on ao3 I like so...). He starts dating Rob, not introducing him to Ethan or anything but telling WDBz about him and brining him to a Thursday hang out after Kai and Declan announce they want to go out without Karla for the first time. Even Kai can't believe Ben brought Rob so early on in their reltionship. Ben wants Rob to be Mr. Right so badly that he is sort of forcing it while growing closer to Willo as friends and ignoring the intense pull and attraction he has to him. It's very much a head vs heart story with Ben always putting Ethan first and having a lot of moments with him - 💙🤍KT Anon

YOOOOOOOO I'M EATING THE HELL OUT OF THIS

He may tease his friends but he wants to settle down, he wants someone to make him a packed lunch to take to work like Kieran does for Leo or someone worth leaving work early for like Declan does for Kai.

fucking crazy... so vivid... the longing...

likeee rob???? ofc it fits. irl, rob and KT are besties. in this AU, I bet KT has been wanting to introduce rob to ben (being English, a good looking alpha, similar bantering style) BUT it's always:

rob was in the midst of fleeting relationships

ben was smitten af with kalvin

when kalvin was out of the picture, rob said he would love to meet ben but after his hair transplant was finalised LMAO (that, and ben was in therapy anyway)

and ofc, rob's pride as an alpha, wtf why did i write alpha lol - anyway because let's face it, ben is way way way richer than he is, who comes from a humble background just like KT ya feel me

omds I love this. I am bookmarking this as a fic material...

Ben wants Rob to be Mr. Right so badly that he is sort of forcing it

the vision...........

It's very much a head vs heart story with Ben always putting Ethan first and having a lot of moments with him

yes yes yes I would love the fic to be centred around ben and Ethan ofc! their progress as mummy and son... Ethan the starboy in a local footie club... omds now I need some snippet from your soccer mums au again!!!!

[maya-matlin]

What are your thoughts on Anya and Jane? I'm bringing them up because they were in a whole bunch of episodes yet somehow I literally always forget they exist, which probably doesn't say much about how compelling I found their characters?! I remember loving Jane initially and then thinking the show had no idea what to do with her. And Anya just seemed like such a sheep with no personality or strong opinions of her own, but that seems somewhat intentional?!

That's interesting. I feel like Anya is very memorable, but I can see why she'd be less noticeable compared to other characters.

Anya is complicated. She was one of my top favorites for years. I loved watching her character develop. You're right that Anya was always a follower and allowed herself to be easily misled and sometimes went along with things she didn't actually want just because she didn't care enough to fight it. She was very aimless and seemed to desire romance over stability, even in cases where none of her romances stood a chance of being successful. Anyways, I'm feeling less positively about Anya because I'm struggling to get past the fact she lied about being on birth control when she slept with Sav, therefore raping him by deception? And the thing is, I don't think she ever fully understands that this behavior was wrong, and that she violated the person she claimed to love. All Anya knows is that she shared something special with Sav, and then he quickly broke off their relationship. Her passivity leads to a lot of lying and deceiving to get the outcome she wants. There was the fake pregnancy that she later used to renew her relationship with Sav before going on to lie about a miscarriage. Only to be upset with Sav for yet again lying to his parents about not dating in high school. All those two did was lie to each other. She later lies to an adult man about being a legal adult in order to pursue a romantic relationship. He doesn't get a ton of sympathy for me considering he later made plans to see her again the minute she turned eighteen, but had he been someone with morals that would have been a deal breaker and had some sort of effect on his future dating life. Then there was the Owen relationship. Even though Anya was in a vulnerable place and felt very down on herself, she willingly dated a guy who committed hate crimes against two of her good friends and who is extremely predatory towards any girl that gets too close - Anya included. She pointedly ignores gigantic red flags to get validation. But then, I also like her demeanor? As manipulative and immature as Anya can be, she has good moments and is clearly lost for most of her time on the show. She's not an entirely bad friend, but she also isn't above throwing away that loyalty when it suits her. I don't know. She has a lot of issues.

As for Jane, I agree. Jane bugs me at times because she comes across as very judgmental and is another "not like other girls" character. It almost felt like Jane had a different personality based on the season. I liked season 8 Jane the best. Season 9 Jane was pretty confusing. Suddenly, she was singing in Peter's band and sleeping with Declan. I didn't mind the rationale behind Jane's affair, but it wasn't given a lot of explanation or even much thought. Anyways, sorry. I wish I could give you a better answer about Jane.

[scorpsik]

Fics masterlist.

All links for AO3 X Most are angst/Emily Prentiss centric, so there'll be injuries, bravado, self doubt, scars, smoking, drinking, swearing+ talk of abortions. A lot of these are friendship style fics. I hope you enjoy xx

More

Even more. I'm so sorry

Last ones, I promise

ART ON REDBUBBLE!

Just Dirt In The Ground : Em struggles with the anniversary of her death. Angst. JJ friendship.

Moving On : 3 chapters of a 10 yr old Em and the effects of moving around as a child. 1 chapter at 15 when she has lost herself. Angst; lewd behaviour; Matt Benton; John Cooley

Coming Clean : IF Em told the team about Ian, she might have done it like this. Angst. Rossi, Hotch.

Lungs Of The Earth : Some humour. Team chase an unsub through the woods. Multiple POV.

New Beginnings : Emily becomes chief. Rossi, Hotch.

When Nightmares Return : Askari kidnaps JJ's son. Can Em save them? Angst, torture, SA. JJ, Hotch, Will. 4 chapters.

Sin : Matt Benton helps Em through the very worst time in her life. Can she be there for his? Angst, drugs, sex, abortion, OD, bad parents.

Shellshock : Slight diversion from 'Run'. Em has concussion as she tries to save Will. Angst, bombs. Team dynamic.

Cold Pizza : Hotch brigs Em home for some TLC post Doyle arc. Friendship. Angst, memories.

Life Is Very Long When You're Lonely : Em feels very alone after Paris and seeks out Rossi. Angst, bleak, friendship.

Quicksand : Em is gravely injured in the field. Injury, blood. Luke, Rossi.

Eggs : Teen Em gets very drunk. Did she do something bad? Hotch knows. Friendship.

Don't Leave Me Alone : Those first, awful days in Paris. Angst, scars. JJ friendship.

Mom : Emily tries to explain why she isn't actually dead. Angst. Elizabeth P.

Weight : Demonology. Em worries that she let Matt down. Angst, abortion, Rossi friendship.

What's Inside : 9 year old Em finds magic. Fluff. Yes, fluff. No angst.

Hero : Em reflects on her past as she awaits rescue. Kidnapping, reminiscing, threat. Ian Doyle.

Reunion : Now Scratch is dead, an old friend can return. Hotch, Rossi. Friendship, humour.

Remember Me? : 4 chapters. Derek and Em are kidnapped. Torture, blood, talk of SA, violence.

Parallels : Tiny piece written from an image I saw of CME. Rossi, friendship, bereavement.

Surrogate Sisters : 4 mini JJ/Em friendship fics moving through the series. Some angst, scars, humour.

Poison Ivy Ya Come Creepin' : Humour. Em gets stung. Swearing. Rossi.

Clueless Babysitter's Club : Penelope and Em are the WORST babysitters. Humour.

Trust : Em is back from Paris - but not all Agents trust her. Heavy angst. Slut shaming, self doubt. Hotch friendship. Nasty agents. Boo.

A Better Life : Em and Andrew adopt. 5 chapters. Angst and fluff.

Whole Again : Rossi makes Em feel good in her first day as chief. Friendship.

Butterflies : Filler fic on how Em spent those first days grounded at the BAU.

Opening Up : Andrew asks Em about her scars. Fluff, injury, scars.

Option A : What if the team DIDN'T fake Em's death? Angst. Ian Doyle.

A Dish Best Served Cold : I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. Ep 300 SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PRENTISS EP!! So now it friggin' well is. Angst. Reid.

Medals : Em gets an award, but it doesn't make her happy. Rossi. Angst. Stephen Walker death.

Loving/Loved : 2 chapters. Em visits Declan. Angst, fluff. Doyle.

Compartments : Returning from Paris, Em must face Ian again. Angst, fear, injury. Hotch, Declan, Doyle.

Coming To ; Em comes out of her coma alone. Bleak. Post Doyle. Injury, angst. Hotch, JJ.

Damage Limitations : Em tries to help Hotch deal with the spectre of Foyet. 'Haunted' ep. Friendship. Angst.

For Him ; short fic as Em fakes Declan's death.

Drinking Buddies; 3 chapters on Derek/Emily's friendship through the show. Drinking, humour, scars.

A Crack In The Past ; A case brings back memories for Em. Reflections of desire related. Torture, injury, war. Rossi friendship.

Dandy-Lion : Post Minimal Loss, Em turns to Spencer for comfort. PTSS, injury, fear, nightmares, comfort, friendship.

Growing Up : Teen Em makes a few decisions about her future. Hotch friendship.

Paternally Yours : 6 short fics on Rossi/Em's friendship through the years. Angst, humour, injury.

Desperately Seeking Emily : Heavy angst. Post Doyle. Emily is lost and Rossi tries to help. Angstangstangst, injury, shame, comfort.

The Promises I Make : JJ asks Em for a special favour. Fluff.

Boys Don't Cry ; Em interrogates a lad who reminds her of herself.

Scratches That Won't Heal : The after effects of Mr Scratch plague Em. Angst, PTSS, panic attacks. JJ friendship, ccomfort.

Becoming ; Emily is becoming Lauren. She IS Lauren. Angst. Doyle.

Pig Farming 101 : Humour. Derek, Penelope, Em.

Good Dog : 'Keeper' related. Em connects with Todd. Reid.

Facing It Together : JJ helps Em through a nightmare. Angst, injury, Doyle.

Shoulda Woulda Coulda ; 7 chapters, one for each team member, relating to how they cope with Em's death. Angst angst and a little more angst.

Motel : Em has a one night stand, but her scars are an issue. sex, scars, shame. Nothing too explicit.

The Day After ; Rossi talks with Em the day after Demonology. Angst, friendship.

Maths Is A Very Serious Topic ; Post Paris. Em and Derek tease Spencer. Humour.

Could I..? : Em has feels for Andrew. Injury, fluff.

Last To Leave : 9 year old Em wait in vain for her parents to collect her from school. Awful parents.

Check : Gideon weighs up the newest member of the team: Prentiss.

I Am... I Was.. ; Lauren Reynolds is dead, but not cold. Angst. Tsia.

Pennyroyal Tea : 3 chapters. Em has therapy. Doyle, injury, self doubt, bad memories, comfort.

Sallow Skinned, Starry Eyed, Blessed In Our Sin : BLEAK!! Just hopelessly bleak. Em is back from Paris and feels like she has nothing. Ouch.

You Were There For Me. I Am There For You. : 6 chapters, one for each character. 2 stories per chapter of friendship: Em with; Derek, Hotch, Spencer, Dave, Penelope and JJ.

Coffee And Hot Sauce ; Teen Em is suspended from college. Hotch friendship.

Memories ; Being at JJ and Will's house brings back memories for Em. Angst, abortion, bad parenting. Rossi friendship.

Against The Clock ; Diffusing a bomb?? pfft. Easy. Angst. 'Run' related. Will, JJ, Hotch.

A Phone Call Away : After Maeve's death, Em calls Spencer. Angst, grief, comfort.

Anniversary ; Oh, angst. Anniversary of the abortion. Anniversary of the stabbing. Joyful, as you can imagine. Not :) xx

The Worst Of Times : Hayley is dead and Em tries to comfort Aaron. Grief, love, friendship.

Coming Home : Em returns to the US to catch the Tribute killer... but the experience is overwhelming. Angst, self doubt, grief. Comfort. Rossi friendship.

Imaginary Friends ; Alone in Paris, Em imagines how each of her friends could help her. One chapter per friend. Angst, injury, loneliness.

Adrenaline : Em loses her cool going after Dale Shrader (Retaliation). Angst, anger, injury.

Parents ; God Em's parents are SO AWFUL. Angst, shame, Rossi friendship. 2 chapters.

Cavalry : The team save Em from her awful parents. 2 chapters.

Baptism ; After her return from Paris, is Em immortal or does she have a death wish? 'Epilogue' related.

Four Times Emily Prentiss Was Alone For A Nightmare And One Time She Wasn't : I am an evil, evil bitch. Sorry. Clearly this isn't a fun fic.

Forgiveness Is Divine : References to abortion and child death. Rossi heals some of Em's wounds. Angst and comfort.

Something To Remember Me By : Dave takes Em out for dinner before she heads to London. Friendship.

Poisonous : 'Amplification' related. JJ and Em discuss their fears on the case.

If That Mockingbird... : Em is 5. Her parents say she is bad. Agh...awful parents again.

Desert Garden ; Who has been sleeping in Dave's office? Angst. Doyle arc. Despair and sadness.

Making It Better : Em has a nightmare on the jet, and Derek isn't s sympathetic as JJ at first. Nightmares, injury, Doyle arc, hurt/comfort.

Paths That Cross : Paris, 84. Rossi meets a young teenaged girl who is lost in the world. My heart hurt writing this. Angst, and ugh... sad little Em.

It Is What It Is : '25 to life' related. Em's ability to compartmentalise had all but crumbled by now. Angst, death, blood. Derek friendship.

Pieces : A collection of fragments from Demonology. JJ, Hotch, Rossi, angst.

Unhappy Birthday ; Rossi has visited Yates again on his birthday. But he has a visitor who helps him heal. Friendship, angst. Em.

On Your Side : Jordon Todd has a friend in Emily.

Till The End Of The Day : Em needs to apologise to Dave. S15.

Esta Bien Querida : 'Rite of passage'. This case assaulted all of Em's senses. Angst, blood, death, talk of SA, petulance. Hotch, Derek, Dave.

Too Late : The team struggle individually to cope with Em's death. Angst, angst, guilt, angst.

Rendezvous : Em and Mick Rawson get together. Mild sex.

Shots : Derek, Dave and Em are injured on a mission. Copious blood, injury, hospitals, friendship.

After ; Dave talks to Em after Minimal Loss. Friendship, injury.

Quid Pro Quo : Strauss has Em over a barrel.

Just Cal My Name : Penelope helps Em relax after the Scratch ordeal. PTSS, massage, friendship, humour.

Confession ; Em has something to tell Dave. Guilt, angst, PTSS, scars, smoking, fear, friendship.

What She Needs ; Dave will be whatever Em needs him to be. Implied sex, scars, love.

Getting To Know You : New partners Morgan and Prentiss get to know one another.

[lordwisteria]

Going off that “Jason Todd should be Catholic” post I reblogged....this is so ridiculously niche lol but I need to get it off my chest....Jason Todd is so Ronan Lynch coded

Traumatic reaction to violence that unexpectedly changed them forever, into darker and harder versions of themselves

Molten eyes and a smile made for war!!!

How do you live if you think you were maybe supposed to be dead?

How do you kill yourself again and again, even if it keeps you alive?

Just to get it out of the way yes Gansey died and came back but Jason and Gansey are like the least alike of anyone

Complicated relationship with a parent they once adored

Inexplicable magic that is difficult to explain and makes their lives harder (Like everything about Ronan/Jason coming back to life and the Pit)

General asshole who actually does care a lot

Cared the MOST about one person (Gansey) and slowly came to care about everyone else; fighting and clawing their way back into their own families

It is about RAGE and REGRET. FEAR and FORGIVENESS. It is BEING THE MONSTER AND ASKING FOR LOVE ANYWAY

Ok but. But but. Are there any other parallels? You could go the Lynch brothers route (Dick as Declan, Tim or Damian as Matthew, Bruce as a complicated and dead Niall whose obsessions killed him without considering what it would leave behind for his sons). But I think this really only considers the characters relationships with Jason, not who they are as a person. IF we are looking at who they are instead of their relationships (so yes this does not consider romantic/platonic/blahblah):

It would be easy to say Dick is Gansey. They have the same name, are ~leaders~, and are canonically the prettiest princess in any room. I get it and maybe in the Titans you'd be right, but here, Bruce is Gansey. He is the one with the quest! He is the one driving things forwards and bringing the others along. He's the one with the family name and the family wealth and the family home. He went through something traumatic as a child that irrevocably changed him, fueled his intense guilt and obsession. He brought the group together, and yet feels left behind by them. Someone who cares deeply about the people immediately around him, and yet will not stop pursuing his other goals even if it's hurting them or himself. Obsessed, I think, with proving that he deserves to be here.

Which means that Dick...is Adam Parrish. Like. The constant search for independence. The perfectionism. The bad relationship with his father that forced him to need to be his own man. (Sorry real Bruce but you sucked in batman #416) Loving someone so much and yet always thinking the worst of them. Refusing to be a burden and yet accepting any yoke that comes his way. The intensity of the performance, of pretending to be who you wish you were for the people you care about. Taking on responsibilities because there is literally no other choice, nothing else you could do. Picking the best of your options and knowing that none for them are to rest easy. Valuing freedom so much and giving up your literal body for the quest.

PLUS (less perfect but): Cass as Henry Cheng (and not just bc they are both asian do not look at me like that) Narrative outsider who was watching from afar and put themselves in the narrative. Was molded by shady parent's shady business practices. Was put in a situation as a child they should not have had to endure, which challenged their beliefs and shaped them anew. And maybe like, later Tim as Noah, a bright, fun, young kid on a skateboard who gets himself involved in something too big for him and is undeniably damaged by it. Tim isn't betrayed by someone the way Noah is, but he's kind of...betrayed by the narrative, in a way? Betrayed by the adventure that he thought he was getting. Too clever for his own good, but sometimes naive about people. Lowkey a mirror that lets people see whatever they want to see lol

(I don't see super clear parallels for anyone else lol but I did have a fun time with the thought of Damian as Blue (short/down to fight/has another family/environmentalist/kind of feels fundamentally alienated as someone who is not like everyone else/wears green))

[dxrknessexploredarchived]

1, 12, 33, 45, 48, 57 - for Declan

@tealeavesandthorns

1 Childhood: A young Declan was a fidgeter and a wanderer. Rare was it that the boy sat still, confined to one area. Whether he knew the land or not, he was always up for exploring, seeing just what kind of adventures nature could offer. His parents were of the mindset that unless he was gone for hours which could mean he was hurt, he was smart enough to be on his own and responsible enough to not do anything too outlandish. To them, climbing trees, exploring patches of land, and generally running free was a key part to childhood. There was little crime and the like to worry about on rural Ireland and the same extended to rural Midwest America once they moved. The properties that were owned were far from any neighbors so they hardly had to be concerned with him bothering others. Occasionally, Declan bit off a little more than he could chew, getting stuck in a tree or a little turned around and lost in new areas. But it never deterred him. Those quiet moments where he was learning new land were some of his favorite.

12 School: Declan was an average student. School to him felt more like a chore than work on the farm. Being inside, stuck at a desk, force to learn things that didn't always interest him or had much use in his life was monotonous and boring at best. His mind constantly wandered and teachers noted that he was often stuck daydreaming. It didn't help that as a kid, he was constantly fidgeting and shifting, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. Book learning was a bit of a struggle since he is far more of a hands on learner, information sticking best when he is able to physically do something. That's not to say that he doesn't enjoy reading, because he certainly can devour novels if given the time and a proper setting. It was just never the best method of learning for him. He just always preferred being on the farm, learning new tasks, being around the animals, and helping his family. College wasn't an option for him, more self proclaimed than any real barrier. He knew he wanted to help run the family farm and eventually his own when the time came. It was only at his parents insistent that he took some business classes to better help manage the farm in the evolving world.

33 Hurt: Physical hurt is something that Declan has no issue dealing with. He is a born and raised country, farm boy. Emotional hurt? It is far more difficult. Declan is a pretty easy going guy and for the most part has had a pretty easy going life. It isn't something he has experienced a whole lot of throughout his life. Perhaps he is simply a really good judge of character. Or perhaps it's the fact that he is just around animals more than people, preferring their company. But when he does experience it, he tends to turn it inwards. Bottled up and kept to himself, he doesn't tend to let others know that he is hurting. What's the point? To him, there is nothing that can be done about it. It is his struggle to move through and get passed. Though he doesn't always do that well. He tends to drink a little more in those sort of times and isolate himself under the guise of work if the hurt is deep. It's only those that know him best that can tell when something is effecting him more than he is letting on. Even those individuals will have a hard time pulling it from him, if they even can at all.

45 Art: While Declan can appreciate art, it isn't something that he dedicates a lot of time or thought to. If anything, his preferred medium is photography. The few pieces he has in his home were either shot on his farm or around his hometown in Ireland. That is in his mudroom, a place that he gets to see it but doesn't end up staring at it too long. If he is asked, he doesn't miss Ireland but there is a little longing to see it once more. The others are various shots of animals and one of the sunset over a set of pastures for the horses. Paintings, sculptures, and the like won't be found in his home. Things are too easily broken and he prefers to spend what money he does have on other things.

48 Scars: No one can work on a farm as long as Declan has without a series of injuries and scars to prove the years of work. For the most part, his hands have been spared a lot of trauma though close inspect slows faint white lines littered across the skin. Cuts that went just a little too deep, a horn that caught the flesh of his palm, and the like. He does have several that are more obvious. There is one spanning the right side of his lower back, from where he got caught between equipment as a child, an injury severe enough it left him in the hospital for two weeks. He has a scar on his right cheek from catching a horn of a goat to the face as a teenager, just missing his eye. The final one is along the tricep of his left arm. It's about two inches long, more upraised than the others. He had a piece of metal stuck in his arm thanks to a car accident.

57 Ocean: Declan has seen the ocean. He flew from Ireland after all but has spent the majority of his life inland. There is little pull to any particularly large body of water, visiting or otherwise. He much prefers significantly smaller bodies of water, like rivers and lakes. Less chance of being on someone's menu. There are things he can not control or account for when it comes to the ocean, and for that reason, it never really fascinated him.

[affluenzafm]

you know you love me.

Meet JIMMY BROOKS, or if you read the Anti Grapevine, THE GOLDEN BOY. He is a 24 year old PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL COACH, that currently resides in THE UPPER EAST SIDE.

He is known around the city for his RESOURCEFUL & IMPULSIVE demeanor, but they may be hiding something… HE SELLS ARTWORK UNDER AN ALIAS.

KEITH POWERS, CIS MALE, HE/HIM.

Coming from a family where Olympic gold runs in their veins, Jimmy Brooks was born with the weight of expectation on his shoulders. With generations of athletes behind him, it was never a question of if he’d become one, but when. The Brooks name is practically legendary. Jimmy’s path was set long before he ever picked up a ball, with scouts knocking at his door by the time he took his first steps. Every move he makes feels like it’s measured against his family’s legacy, and while it’s not always easy, he’s learned to embrace it. Being an athlete is in his blood; It’s who he was always meant to be. It's what he's good at, what helped him gain his confidence -- And depending on his mood, arrogance. He ignored the desire to explore other talents, to dare to venture into something different, all for the sake of making his parents proud. It recent years, he's had to pivot from the life his parents created for him -- Being in a wheelchair stalled his basketball career, forcing Jimmy to see himself in a different light. Who is he if he isn't continuing the family legacy? Is it something he truly wants to fight for?

it's all about who you know.

KATIE MATLIN. mentee. Jimmy saw Katie’s potential from a mile away, a spark that set her apart from the rest. Taking her under his wing, he knew she could go far with the right guidance, so he made it his mission to help her grow. What started as a mentorship has evolved into a genuine friendship that goes beyond sports. They push each other to be better, not just on the field but in life. Through victories and setbacks, they’ve built a deep bond, knowing they can always count on each other—whether it's for advice, support, or just someone to lean on.

HAZEL ADEN. ex-fiancée. Jimmy and Hazel were the industry’s golden duo—young, powerful, and poised for greatness. Together, they had it all: fame, fortune, and a picture-perfect romance that everyone admired. But one day, out of nowhere, their engagement was abruptly called off, sending shockwaves through their world. The public was stunned, but within their inner circle, whispers began to spread. Rumors of betrayal, hidden secrets, and untold truths swirl, leaving everyone to wonder: was there more to their sudden split than meets the eye?

DECLAN COYNE. bad influence. tba.

this character is taken.

*this character is black, cast accordingly.

[bluntforcefem]

Also for the ask game, Alyssum and/or Briar with 💌☄️🌈🚲🎤📸 ? I know its a bunch of emojis but I really want to know if these men can ride a bike. Because everything about Declan screams that his fathers were cyclists. No offense. Also bc whenever they have things in common with Declan it makes me cry.

💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner?

briar isn't much of a writer; his affection largely bleeds through his actions, but he appreciates anything alyssum writes for him all the same. alyssum thinks they're cheesy, which doesn't stop him from leaving little notes all over the house for briar anyway (a habit that he has with his work that just kind of... leaked over into how he shows love. dec got a lot of paper-towel notes in their picnic boxes.)

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

people tend to get their personalities switched on assumption. aly looks like the reclusive distant bitch type & briar seems friendly enough. however briar is a master of the passive-aggressive southern hospitality and does NOT like leaving the garden; aly is the one who actually makes friends with people and goes places for work and makes small talk and such. still a bit reclusive though.

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

it would be the same for them both, by agreement on their regrets. "take dec into the city for school, make sure he makes friends, don't let him go off alone until you know he's settled."

🚲 BICYCLE - can they ride a bike? what do they remember from learning to ride a bicycle?

alyssum learned how to ride a bike as a kid. pretty much as soon as he learned, he was hauled off to use it to get to school and back by his parents, who really really did not want to drive him back and forth. he did it in bad weather a lot. he got used to it quick enough.

briar didn't actually learn to ride a bike until high school - he was homeschooled until then, for a certain definition of homeschooled, and lived in the middle of fuckoff nowhere with approximately 0 surfaces to learn to bike on. aly taught him about halfway through freshman year so they could go places together. he distinctly remembers eating shit, a lot, and feeling like he was too old to be fucking up so bad and getting embarrassed about it. but he also remembers when aly bought him the old secondhand bike he used for the rest of school, so.

🎤 MICROPHONE - are they good at singing? what is their go-to karaoke song?

alyssum is decent at singing for someone who's never learned and never wants to! can't hit high notes, will try to anyway especially if in good company. his go-to karaoke song has been welcome to the black parade for ages.

briar's a good singer! often sings while he's out working in the garden or doing other things, but doesn't really love doing it otherwise (mandatory choir in high school fostered a deep resentment for doing it in public especially). go-to karaoke song is don't stand so close to me (the police)

📸 CAMERA - do they enjoy having their picture taken? what's their go-to pose? do they like taking photos? what do they take photos of?

briar saw a polaroid camera once and got deeply obsessed with them. takes a lot of garden pictures. hated having his photo taken until a couple years after he moved in with aly, though, and didn't let aly take pictures in earnest until dec was born and he got a massive soft spot for letting aly take pictures of them both. of course this was flipped around onto aly but aly LOVEEES getting his picture taken. likes to get dressed up for no reason and pose for briar. briar kind of does the 10 stare by default until aly or dec yells at him to smile. aly loves throwing up double peace signs or bunny-ears'ing the other people in the photo with him

[canirove]

Rice, Rice, baby | Chapter 10

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Masterlist

“Liv, this just arrived for you.”

“For me?” 

“Yep” my coworker says, giving me a big bouquet of roses. 

“Oh, thank you.”

“You're welcome” he smiles before walking away.

Told you the flowers in Paris were the first of many ;) -DR

“DR” I chuckle. 

“Now you are allowed to receive flowers at work?”

“Bloody hell, Sonny!” I scream, the bouquet almost falling from my hands. “You scared me!”

“Sorry” he apologizes. “But it's not my fault that you were too focused on reading your love letter.”

“I wasn't reading a love letter” I say, hiding the note in my pocket.

“Of course not, Liv. Of course not” he laughs. “Who is the lucky guy?”

“No one.”

“Oh, c'mon. I saw the way you were smiling, those flowers are from a suitor. Who is he? Do I know him?”

“They aren't from a suitor.”

“Liv…”

“They aren't” I insist. “They are a late birthday gift from a family member.”

“A family member?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“And why are they sending them here and not to your house?”

“Because…”

“Liv!” Olga says, running towards us. “Liv, the meeting! We are gonna be late!”

“Oh, yes, sorry. I almost forgot.”

“Yeah, you were busy with your flowers that are from a family member and not a suitor” Son smirks.

“Exactly” I reply, sticking out my tongue. “Let's go, Olga.”

“Wait, your what?” she says with a confused look.

“Nothing. C'mon” I say, grabbing her arm and walking away.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“That was the longest meeting ever” Olga sighs. 

“It was” I say, stretching as I get up. “Oh, sorry. I didn't see you…there.”

“It's ok. It isn't the first time you hit me while stretching” Alex says. Alex. I hadn't seen him since my birthday. I didn't even know he was sitting behind us.

“How are you?”

“Good.”

And then, silence. The most awkward silence ever.

“Olivia?” our boss calls. “Olivia, could you come over here? There is something I need to discuss with you.”

“Yes, of course” I say, looking at her and then at Alex again. “See you around?”

“Maybe” he shrugs. “Nice flowers, by the way.”

“I… umm… thank you.”

“Are you coming, Olga?” he asks her.

“Yes, sure. Good luck, Liv” she says before walking away, Alex completely changing his mood and smiling and talking with her as he used to do with me. 

“Olivia?” my boss calls again.

“Yes, sorry” I say, joining her.

“Thank you for staying for a bit longer, Olivia” she smiles.

“Of course. Did something happen?”

“It actually did, yes. But it is something good, don't look at me like that” she laughs. “When I was discussing the national team's next visit with their people, they told me that they are gonna be having a free spot in St. George's cafeteria and that some of the players have told them about a certain barista who works for Tottenham and that they are very happy with.”

“A certain… Wait, me?”

“Yes, you, Olivia. They want to know if you would like to be part of their team during the next international break.”

“I… I don't know what to say…” Me… working in St. George's Park…with the national team? What? “What about my job here?”

“You would still have it, of course. As you know, they'll be spending the first few days in St. George's and then come here, so you would come with them and work your usual shift. This would be like an extra.”

And a really good extra, to be honest. That money would be very welcomed, and it could be just what I need to finally get my own place and move out from my parents’ house.

“Can I think about it?” I ask.

“Of course” my boss smiles. “But they need an answer before the end of the week.”

“Ok, thank you.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Oh my God, Liv! That is great news!” Kennedy says.

“I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don't know yet. Is it… wise?”

“What do you… Leo, careful” she says while he runs around the garden terrorising one of the dogs. “What do you mean with wise?”

“Well, if I accept the job, I will have to stay at St. George's. And who else is gonna be there?”

“Who is… Oh. Declan.”

“Yes” I nod. “We will be spending a week together in the same place.”

“And? Things are ok between you after what happened in Paris, right?”

“They are. That's why I don't know if it is a great idea.”

“You are not making any sense, Liv.”

“Kennedy, I… I…” I say, nervously playing with my hands. “I think I'm falling in love with him.”

“You are in love with Declan?” she gasps.

“I don't know if I'm in love yet, but I… I'm falling in love with him.”

“Oh, Liv, that's wonderful!” she says before hugging me. “Declan is the perfect guy for you. He is so nice, and fun, and lovely, and charming and handsome! You make such a good couple!”

“Aren't you going too fast?” I laugh. “We aren't a couple yet or anything close to it.”

“But when you were in Paris he told you that he likes you, didn't he?”

“He did. But that means nothing. That may be what he says to all the girls he is seeing.”

“Liv, James has known Declan for years and he's told me that he isn't like that, that he is one of the good ones. If he wasn't and if he didn't trust him, he would never let you date him or encourage it. You know you are like a little sister to him.”

“Yeah, I know” I smile. “He also is like an older brother to me even if we've only known each other for a couple years. I know I can trust him. And you.”

“We both love you very much, Liv. The kids too. You know Leo already thinks of you as his auntie.”

“Auntie Liv” I chuckle. 

“Exactly. And we would never allow auntie Liv to get her heart broken. Besides, a guy admitting that he likes you is a big step, you know? I know it from experience” she laughs.

“Yeah, I know.” It only took Alex ten years to tell me that he was in love with me. “Thank you, Kennedy” I say, trying really hard not to cry. 

“Urgh, come here” she says, hugging me again. “And stop worrying so much. That job with the national team is gonna be the best, you'll see.”

“I hope so.”

“It will, Liv. It will. And who knows, you may get to properly taste the rice…” she smirks.

“Kennedy!”  

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But you know it is a possibility. Like me sending my son to the North pole. Leo, what are you doing to that poor plant!” she says before running after him while I just laugh, hoping that she's right about what she's said. About Declan and his feelings for me, and maybe, maybe… about finally tasting the rice too. 

[thewcllingtons]

❝ Yeah, I think so... Planning a wedding isn't easy and you managed to tie a lot of things together in such a short amount of time. I've seen a lot of other brides get frazzled at the thought with a wedding planner. I don't know too much about it, but I think it's something you should try. ❞ Luis didn't know if Amelia had a job that she did before him. He figured she was like more heiress girls, they just did whatever they felt like doing with no set plan. It's not like she had to attend meetings or review contract work like he did. ❝ When it comes to work, I'll try my best. Diplomatic shit is such a pain. It's a lot of philantrophy crap that I'll have to deal with just for the sake of looking good. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is let work get away from me, but it might considering it's all over the place. ❞ He hated the fact that his family picked such a bourgeois line of work, but it's what he had to deal with to keep the family trust. Hearing that Declan managed to pull a loophole to get the woman that he wanted is nothing less than commendable to his mind. It's something that he'd do if he had been in love with a women. Luckily, he wasn't in any sort of relationship when the arrangement came along. There isn't any baggage that came with him. ❝ That's cool. ❞

Luis knew that Amelia probably didn't expect him to be approving of her brother actions considering he forced them into an arranged marriage, but every instance was different. They were different people. As much as Luis hated to admit it, his parents forcing him to settle was a good thing. It's probably the one thing that managed to keep him alive. He was going head first off the deep end before this managed to happen. ❝ Hm... Maybe try to slow yourself down. That helps sometimes, you know? ❞ He isn't trying to push her into an idea, but he'd learned a lot about controlling his emotions considering he had the same fiery tendencies as his wife. He'd help her if she asked. Luis chuckled, ❝ Well, I figured it's something that you'd want to hear your husband say at the very least. ❞ Pausing, he thought for a moment, but felt too tired to come up with something worth while to ask her. ❝ Not that I can think of... I guess I should offer the same question to you. Is there anything you want to ask me that you didn't feel comfortable saying until now? ❞ // @kiillerqueen

Amelia hasn't ever had anyone to encourage her to do something that she found enjoyment in. So hearing Luis encourage her to seek into the possibility of doing something like that comes as a surprise. At the same time it is also likely a wise idea that the blonde keep herself busy , because if she is busy that means she keeping herself out of her usual trouble. ❝ You really think that I could be successful at just a job? I mean I did enjoy planning our wedding more than I actually thought that I was going to. Plus it is probably a good thing that I keep myself busy while you're busy with your work. I just think we make sure that we don't only keep ourselves busy with work or else we're going to be strangers in our marriage. ❞ Fem is basically confirming that she was going to take up her husband's advice to look into becoming a wedding planner. Her full attention is on her husband at his question about her brother and violet's wedding. ❝ Declan and Violet got married in secret the night before my father's wedding to his gold digging wife. He basically waited until our father handed him the papers before dropping the news that he married Violet. He basically found a loop hole out of going through with an arranged marriage. ❞ Amelia can only imagine how terrible that sounded since the two literally just got married in an arranged marriage. Hearing Luis's words didn't only bring comfort but this strange feeling in her stomach. Something many would refer to as butterflies , and this had been the first time she felt such a way since they first met. ❝ You're right that is how it should be , but not all husbands or wives for that matter are like that. I want you to know that I will always be in your corner even if it is something I don't completely agree with. I'll be there by your side supporting you. ❞ Amelia herself felt like she needed to make it clear to Luis that he had her support just as much as he was going to give it to her. She had not desire on having a failed marriage like her parents. Amelia wants to be able to prove to people that she is capable of being successfully not being like her father when it came to not only a marriage but loving someone. ❝ If I am being truthfully honest I do think that I am just use to having people wait for me to fail at something and I just guess that sometimes I don't realize it gets to me until it comes full circle. ❞ Amelia doesn't allow herself to be this vulnerable with just anyone , but they were not tied together for life so there is no reason why she shouldn't be honest with her husband. ❝ I don't think I've heard many people admitting to liking me. ❞ An amused laugh escapes past the fem's lips , and even though she was expressing her concerns she somehow find it in her to laugh about something in their conversation. ❝ I guess now that we are married I should ask if there is anything you want to know about me that you felt like wasn't okay to ask before our marriage. ❞ Amelia felt like now that they're alone it would be best time to at least get to know each other a little better than they did before they married. //@thewcllingtons

[void-botanist]

Haiiiiii! Oh shit, your blorbo fucked up. MASSIVELY. They need help. Like desperately. Who do they go to and why do they go to that person above anyone else?

Happy Blursday next! I love how for some of my characters the answer is incredibly obvious, and others have like a whole hierarchy of people to go to or avoid. In Nicea, Tristan probably has the most complex calculus for who to go to because she has so many options, but Declan is fun because he adds an extra level of danger into it. It used to be that he would just go to Cady for whatever and figure it out from there. A high magnitude mistake would probably involve going to Cady's mom, Teagan, but Cady would sort of mitigate the bad feelings. Now Declan avoids ever going to Teagan because no matter what she says (even only good things), asking for her help is too embarrassing. So he goes to Spinder instead. Spinder is the only person in his life who fulfills all of his requirements: can help, understands the whole dynamic of him and Cady and the Nicea which has basically been his whole existence, didn't have their relationship fractured after the disappearance (like with Tristan), and can keep his mouth shut about it.

Zel has a similar thing going on in TFA. She used to go to her brother Zalen for pretty much everything but it feels like half the time now her problems are with him. Her grandmother is guaranteed to have wisdom about just about everything through being old, observant, and also their religion's equivalent of a pastor, but it feels so shameful to have to ask her to help with some fuckup. Zel is already convinced that she is the fuckup of the family, even though no one has ever said that, but she knows that the only person who will never ever believe that about her is Zalen's partner Silas. So she goes to him. (And if she ever desperately needed money, Silas's parents would be only too happy to oblige him…) Maybe at some point she'll feel comfortable enough with Anni to go to her but she isn't quite at that point.

Thank you so much for the ask!!

Nicea taglist: @kahvilahuhut