#Boy is good at people

[torakowalski]

More Swimmer Steve!

(part one | part two | part three | part four)

"Kinda cold to be sitting out here," Steve says, dropping down onto the grass to sit next to Eddie. He leans his back against the hotel wall and blows on his hands.

"Can't smoke in my room," Eddie says, staring out into the dark evening. "My roommate's quitting."

"Sounds like a drip," says Steve. He picks up the packet that Eddie has been making his way through, gives it a shake, then puts it back down without asking to borrow a light.

Eddie's relieved; with the way he's feeling, he totally would have given one over, even though Steve really is serious about quitting this time.

"Nah," he says. "He's an athlete."

Steve laughs a little under his breath. "And an idiot."

That gets Eddie turning toward him. "Huh?"

Steve rubs his hands up and down his thighs, skin making a gentle noise against his denim jeans.

"I mean, I knew you liked guys, it just never occurred to me that that meant I should act different. I'm sorry, man. I won't forget to take underwear into the bathroom with me, anymore."

That...is not what Eddie expected. Eddie has been sitting out here, trying to work out if he had the cash for a Greyhound home, if Steve kicked him out of the hotel. This is not that. At all.

" You knew I liked guys?" Eddie asks. Far as he knows, the only people who know are Robin and Gareth and Wayne and Dustin, what with how they're the only people he's told. "Did Robin -?"

Steve shakes his head. "She wouldn't. No one told me, I just... You know how you just know?"

"No?" says Eddie who has never ever trust his ability to know that. The idea of getting it wrong is too frightening.

"Huh," says Steve. "I always seem to know. With guys, at least." He smiles a little to himself. "I'm not so good at spotting lesbians."

"They camouflage," Eddie says, automatically. Even he doesn't know what he means by that, but it makes Steve laugh, which is all he ever wants. "But like, you're cool? We're cool?"

"I guess that's up to you." Steve turns to him, devastating eyes all big and earnest. "I'm the one who's been... What did Robin say? Exposing myself to you."

Eddie chokes. "That makes you sound like a creep in the park."

"That's what I said!" Steve knocks his knee against Eddie's. "But anyway, I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I know you weren't trying to like, taunt me or anything. I thought I was being a creep for like looking."

"You barely looked," Steve says which, how does he know? Did he look at Eddie looking? "And it's no skin off my nose, if you do." He catches Eddie's eye, bounces his eyebrows up and down. "You deserve a treat."

"Oh you're a treat, huh?" Eddie asks. He reaches out, gives Steve's arm a shove, and feels about a year's worth of panic melt away.

Steve just smiles, smug and annoying and fully aware of what he looks like.

He leans back against the wall, staring out across the parking lot. "It's just cos I'm a guy, right?"

Eddie hums a question at him.

"I mean, you're looking, or not looking, because I'm a guy and you like guys. Not because of anything to do with me?"

Eddie freezes. He doesn't do that much; he's much more inclined to flight or fight. Mostly flight, let's be honest. But right now, he doesn't know what Steve wants to hear, so he doesn't know what to say.

Steve huffs, turns to Eddie so Eddie can see him rolling his eyes at himself. "Sorry, stupid question."

"It's kinda because it's you," Eddie admits, because Steve looks like he thinks it _isn't_ and that's apparently unacceptable to Eddie. "Like, a little. Partly."

He holds his pointer finger and thumb an inch or so apart, so Steve can see how much of Eddie's horniness is dependent on Steve's Steveness.

"Huh," Steve says and grins. "That's cool. "

"It... is?" Eddie asks. "Not super fucking weird?"

Steve shakes his head. "No? I mean, I had way more than a little, partly thing for Robin for ages, but after we talked everything, it wasn't weird to her. That's basically the same thing."

Sometimes Eddie has no idea how Steve's brain works. "How?"

"Because!" says Steve, like it's obvious. He definitely picked that tone up from Dustin. "My sexy parts were into hers, but hers weren't into mine, no one's fault, just the way they were made. So if she wasn't weird about me, I'm sure as shit not gonna be weird about you. You know?"

He does a little shrug, hands spread. Eddie knows he hates explaining himself.

"You're something else, Harrington," Eddie says.

"In a good way?" Steve asks.

"In a great way," Eddie promises.

"Cool." Steve nods to himself. "In that case, give me a cigarette."

He reaches for the packet. "Not on your life, you're not that great," Eddie lies, and snatches it away from him.

(continued here)

[lesbxdyke]

I could think of no better way to share the news than this!

So when I was 17, my cat went missing and I'd given up hope of ever seeing him again.

Until on Monday, 27th of May, 2024, my friend sent me a FB post asking 'isn't that your mother?' about the person named on the microchip.

Here he is! 16 years old, and found safe, twelve whole years after he went missing!

Yesterday (Tuesday the 28th of May, 2024) I went to the rescue that had him, and I reclaimed my boy, renaming him Artie! (He'd originally been called 'Cat' because my mother and I couldn't decide on a name)

He's home safe with me now, currently inhabiting my bathroom and purring up a storm every time someone goes in there!

I'll be doing slow introductions between him and my current cat to give them the best possible chance of living in harmony!

Here's some pictures of Artie once we let him out of the carrier:

[yasartmeme]

I had a vision

Also bonus:

[jaythelay]

[technically-human]

St. Hilarion's ghost story

[amu-says-hav-says]

I can’t believe I went through all of Season 2 assuming Nina was the stand-in for Crowley when you actually pay attention it’s so CLEAR that she’s Aziraphale. I was tricked by her spiky, sarcastic, cynical outer shell and lulled into a false sense of security by Maggie’s bubbly optimism and wholesome goodness, because on the surface they reflect the ineffable husbands perfectly, in their personalities, their aesthetics, even many of their actions and morals. but not, and this is the real key, when it comes to their “relationship”. but those first impressions really had me damn fooled. 

I missed the blatantness of Nina’s “we’re just friends. actually we’re not friends. we barely know each other.” the same thing Aziraphale said in season 1.  the way he still struggles to quantify their friendship when Nina asks. Nina’s sarcasm when Crowley asks about rain and awnings because it worked for him (we all know it LMAO). hell, that whole convo the girls have in the rain is so AziraCrow (“I know. I’m not your type” “...You have no idea” hits so much harder the second time, help meeeee.) “Lindsay” maybe being symbolic of Heaven and Aziraphale’s toxic relationship with them and their abuse? (the handwritten text messages in red pen make me think of angry notes on paperwork, anyone else?) because Crowley has never actually cared about what Hell thinks of him, just not getting into trouble (or him or Aziraphale getting hurt). Maggie is always chasing Nina. NINA NEVER GOES IN THE RECORD STORE. Just like Crowley always goes to the bookstore, to Aziraphale, Zira NEVER WENT TO THE FLAT (apart from The Swap but that doesn’t count imo). Crowley has always chased Zira, not the other way around. Always there to rescue him, always going to him for company, always relying on their shared connection, always US. OUR SIDE. All through season one, he comes to Zira every time to work together, never trying to work alongside Hell in any way that isn’t to save their skins or Earth, while Zira hides things from Crowley because he STILL thinks Heaven is ultimately good and will do the right thing if he can just show them. fix it from the inside. 

Maggie working up the courage to finally say something, to put herself out there, while Nina is utterly oblivious and then when she does realise Maggie has feelings, becoming standoffish, putting up that barrier, fighting it, denying it, ITS SO CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE IN THAT ORDER. the way I was fooled into thinking Nina’s trust issues are Crowley because he does have trust issues ofc he does BUT Crowley has ALWAYS TRUSTED AZIRAPHALE. has always relied on him. has always been hurt when Aziraphale doesn’t immediately reciprocate the way he expects (the holy water request, the bandstand, the “off in the stars” etc). he’s always the one putting himself forward. Aziraphale has always been the one to second guess everything, to fight their connection, their similarities, their friendship. the girls really made me think it was going to be okay when they sat Crowley down, even as my inner sirens were going haywire about Metatron interfering, they were telling Crowley he just needs to open up and it’ll all work out BUT HE’S ALREADY AT THAT POINT. he may not say it, and by gosh is that part of their damn problem, but he’s always SHOWN IT. he’s not Nina who needs time to heal and recover from her broken trust, he’s always been Maggie believing it doesn’t matter, they’ll end up together in the end anyway AND I WALKED RIGHT INTO THE TRAP THAT THIS MEANT THEY WERE GOING TO BE OKAYYYYYYYYYYY

[cozylittleartblog]

Columbo and the Knight (1984)

put me in the universe where Columbo ran through the 1980s and had a crossover episode with Knight Rider. I think they deserved it, and I am not just saying that because they're my two favorite Old Shows. @telebeast wrote a little fanfic blurb about it and I HAD to visualize it into a comic (which is also the longest comic I have finished thus far at five pages...), so writing credit goes to them.

Autism W!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The indescribable tension between an overworked and underpaid smut writer, and his biggest fan hater.

(for @frummpets)

[leisi-lilacdreams]

mikey and splinter are off camera ironing more flags leo just grabbed the first one done lol

[nyerusnova]

Okay I'm weak and couldn't resist diving in, so here are all the cute Timmys from this week's issue, Batman #147:

First, some flashback babbie tims.... (also yes that's him and bruce in matching Wayne-monogrammed sweatshirts I'm crying)

And then for present-day timmy being such a sweetheart aaahhh (and also getting ready to kick ass)

BONUS adorable bruce and tim moment:

[egophiliac]

LET THE BOY HAVE AN EDUCATION

officially at the point where we're starting to see where it's all headed and I am just going NYEEHEEHEE in delight at it all. ahhh...next week can't come soon enough...

[haveihitanerve]

Ok so, idea. Damian says ‘i love you’ as a sort of goodbye/thank you. Like for example “This evidence will prove very useful on this case, I love you Todd.” or “this photo of Titus is most adequate Drake, I shall have enough to start drawing. I love you.” or “The meal was most delicious Pennyworth, I love you.” And everyone coos and is like “aww.” even jason and they look at dick because like obviously dick taught damian that, hes the golden child, the one damian looks up to the most, the most affectionate one…

But the truth is, Damian learned it from Bruce. Damian is there when Bruce calls his other kids, he hears Bruce go “I love you.” As a goodbye the second after the child at the other end hangs up. He hears Bruce say ‘i love you’ to alfred, quietly, when hes patching him up after a mission, hears the frantic ‘i love you’s’ after someone gets hurt on patrol, and he thinks thats how its done. But Bruce seems to think the same as everyone else, that he got it from Dick, and Dick looks so pleased, Damian decided not to correct them. Besides, who do they think Dick got it from?

[aeide-thea]

on principle opposed to describing art i dislike as 'masturbatory' because even though it's an alluringly contemptuous word to sneer it's impossible to reconcile with my pro-masturbation stance

[aunmenosheteroenespanol]

2.12 Chimney Begins - 2.09 Hen Begins - 2.16 Bobby Begins Again - 7.04 Buck, Bothered and Bewildered

Tommy's family arc

[chick-it-out]

[the-woman-upstairs]

Really fucked up that, when they’re young, Patrick and Art are SO tactile with each other, so comfortable sharing the same space. Art lets Patrick touch him and move him and physically overwhelm him and easily acquiesces to it, if not outright enjoys it.

Then in the present, they’ve been so far out of each other’s orbit for so long, held such animosity that when they have their moment alone in the sauna, Art physically recoils from Patrick’s close proximity! It’s so painful to watch because even as Patrick’s goading him, it’s so obvious he wants to be able to get back into Art’s space. But Art has erected all these walls around himself, he refuses to give Patrick an inch or even admit to missing how close they used to be!

AND THEN we see Art and Tashi later and he wants her to hold him, to be gentle with him, and just TOUCH him. Like, he does miss that kind of close physical contact! He either doesn’t know how to ask for it or is uncomfortable being that openly vulnerable. Worth noting that he pretty much always defers to Tashi in regard to initiating physical intimacy (with their first kiss, though he does state his desire, SHE has to be the one to make the first move). And it seems pretty obvious that Tashi herself isn’t comfortable providing that intimacy, whereas Patrick actively seeks to provide it (the hug/forehead kiss after their win together in the early years, dragging the stool closer to him).

Art has tried very hard to act like he doesn’t need physical affection and even though his discipline and devotion to Tashi has made him a stronger tennis player, it’s made him a hollow person, which, in turn, has kept him from becoming a GREAT tennis player.

All of this, of course, is why the ending hits so damn hard.