#Fiona and v are great

[aaravid]

I did a sketch trade with @badlandsbandit ! So here’s some Fiona/Patricia summer skin art and a Sway!

[gremlin-girly]

Treasure

Part of the Forgotten Forest AU

Dragon!Ari Levinson x princess!reader

Banner by me in canva, pics found on Canva and Pinterest (credit to OG posters!) | Dividers by @/saradika-graphics

Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, reposted, copied or put through an AI machine. All of my work is 18+ Read at your own risk.

Tags/warnings: entrapment, its giving rapunzel (or Fiona from Shrek ahaha), soft!dark!ari, SMUT, dub/non-con, somnophilia, p-in-v, creampie, loss of virginity, size kink, scratching, forked tongue, oral (f recieving), multiple orgasm, forced orgasm, possessiveness, breeding kink, claw/talon play (???), choking (light), corruption kink, use of good girl/princess/and praise, belly bulge, monster cock, reader used as a sex toy (literally 👈🏻😎👉🏻), after care

Summary: Sick of living in the confines of your tower, you escape into the woods beyond the castle only to find that the fairy tales you were told to keep you locked away were true.

Word count: 4.7k

Ari Masterlist | Masterlist

Your father had good intentions, no matter which way you looked at it. On the one hand; you had been coddled, told tales as old as time about monsters and fae that roamed the forests, seas and mountains beyond your home, the dangers of men and women alike. On the other hand; he had trained you well, both in the art of etiquette and the art of fighting.

Growing up, you had yearned to be a princess who slew dragons for fun. Now that you were a grown up, adventuring outside the castle walls was all but a violation of your father's will.

Unaccompanied princesses get kidnapped, killed or worse.

That phrase had knocked about your head from when you first snuck out at the grand age of five-and-ten. Years later, it was still used, your father becoming more and more paranoid with each passing year and, more worryingly, your punishments for getting caught were getting worse and worse.

The latest example was being forced to live in the castle tower for two months. Your the head maid, Candice, brought you food, clean clothes, water and new books if you needed them. She was a stubborn, stern woman and she had been appointed to you since your last nurse maid, Saoirse, had fretted about you so much on the last outing she'd fainted. Poor girl.

Candice wasn't one for much chit-chat. She'd watch you eat, take your plate, sometime snap at you about something being untidy and then disappear for hours until the next meal. During that time, however, you plotted.

Bit by bit, strip by strip, you tore up your bedsheets; knotting them firmly together until you could lap you small confine three times. With fabric from your underskirts you were able to fashion a simple bag where you stowed your notebook, quill, ink, and some gold you had managed to stash between your breasts where your father and his knights wouldn't dare look.

Your father should curse himself stupid for teaching his only daughter how to be so resourceful. Although, he'd probably commend it if you didn't have your mother's rebellious streak.

When the moon was full on what would have marked the beginning of your third month trapped in your tower, you grab your satchel and iron poker from the hearth, now long cold, and attach your makeshift rope to the feet of your bed before making a quiet descent down your tower.

Towers were overrated anyway.

Hiding from knights and knives was always a great past time and far easier at night. Most were already drunk and thought you were still trapped but you still had to be on your guard.

You hadn't thought very far ahead other than escaping. If you stayed, you would be thrown back into the tower but if you left...

Well, no more royal treatment.

As you wander the cobblestones, waiting for morning when the guards changed shift at the gates of the city, you think about what you could do to earn back your father's trust.

You weren’t hard-headed or argumentative, merely a curious free-spirit... which was still enough to cause your father to go red-faced and have steam billow from his ears on a good day. You considered your options carefully, when a conversation between two drunken knights caught your attention. Hiding in the safety of shadow, pressed against the wall of the tavern that smelled like piss, rotting food and other foul things a princess dare not say out loud, you strained your ears over the chatter and music to listen in.

"Apparently, the king has sent more troops out to the dragon's nest," one said, belching loudly. "'E's a fuckin' loon."

"Ey, don't let the Captain- hic - hear that." The other retorts before laughing loudly. "Even though it's true."

A dragon? Now that was worth investigating.

"If he antagonises it we're all toast." The first one says, sniffing. "No matter the marriage between his pretty princess and any of her suitors."

You consider than man's words with a nod of your head. A dragon would be a tough kill - but if you were clever enough, you could win the respect of your father and your people and you could have your pick of suitors. Mind made up, you wait for dawn, scavenging for as many supplies that you can fit in your satchel.

You're off to slay the dragon.

Five days.

Five gruelling days.

You feet were sore, you were hungry, thirsty and sick to the back teeth of elves, fae and leprechauns trying to trick you into deals on your journey.

One swift swing with your iron poker sent them running, or to dust if you managed to catch on with the sharp end. The least they could do was be helpful. You managed to direct yourself by listening to passing knights on the main road or by speaking to travelers and merchants headed to your home city. By dawn of the fourth day, you could see the dragon's castle and by the fifth, you are stood before the bridge to the castle feeling like a small, insignificant gnat.

The castle is in ruin. The castle's stones have been charred black and in some parts the walls have been decimated entirely. Parts like the bridge. The castle backs into a mountain, and plumes of smoke are still rising from the castle town below, meaning the dragon uses houses for candles or there are monsters living there now.

You swallow down bile. Perhaps you shouldn't have done this. However, you're here now. No turning back.

You step onto the bridge, managing to jump across the parts that are broken, or gone, ignoring the wails of the river below. You get to the gates, smashed to smithereens and creep through the town, poker at the ready.

The town almost reminds you of your city, at least the upper city, but the houses that are destroyed don't all look like fire just destroyed them. There are boulders, charred black by fire, bodies rotting with no signs of burns...

Buildings like the clock tower are smashed with claw marks that have been carved into the stone by something large and sharp. You shudder.

You continue to walk towards the castle, inching through the huge oak doors as quietly as you could. The door creaks shut and the sound echoes throughout the hall and you brace for an attack that doesn’t come.

You search the halls, the kitchens, every room you come across and find...

Nothing.

Then you notice that the rooms, other than the first hallway you entered, are too small for a dragon. They are human rooms, you are in a human castle and you are fool who left home.

You launch your poker into the nearest hearth in a fit of anger, before picking it up and stalking the direction of the bedrooms. High up in the caveside, with a large balcony that oversaw the town and mountainside was a bedroom that ypu had opted to claim for your own. Clearly a King's room with a large four poster bed but the net curtains had all but burned away.

Screw it - you should get to be a king for a day.

The bed had been slept in, unmade and unkempt, and it smelled like a coal fire. You begin a small fire in the hearth, watching the embers dance to life before you with a sigh. Rummaging in your bag you, pull out your mother's necklace and what was left of your rations, asking yourself if your mother would agree with your choice of adventure this time.

You fetch water from the kitchens and drag a tub from a nearby room so that you may bathe in hot water at least once before you begin another five day journey home. Fixing the necklace around your neck, you toy with it idly, wondering how best to grovel to your father when you arrive back home in another five days time until your bath water grows cold and you crawl under the sheets, ready for sleep.

You sleep well for a few hours, until your dreams become fitful. There's a devious pleasure building in your cunt and pressure on your thighs that makes you squirm and groan. You can't tell if you're trying to keep the pleasure building or escape, however, when your mind wakes up it reminds you that you were in the room alone before you fell asleep and you're promptly ripped from your dreams with a gasp.

The wetness, the scent of your sex, is more than real. As is the man between your legs. Before you can scream there's a hand on your throat squeezing, warning you, not to make a sound.

"I wondered how long it would take you to wake," the man looms over you, his body between your bare one, as he moves closer to the candle at the bedside table and with a puff sets it alight.

The the golden glow of the candle you can see him more clearly; broad shouldered, brown haired beast of a man that had managed to sneak in and begin to defile you without your knowledge.

When he tilts his head to look at you your eyes grow wide. His eyes are serpentine blue, the pupils slits, and when his lip quirk upwards to smirk at you a forked tongue runs over sharp, pointed canines.

You had found the dragon.

The grip on your neck loosens slightly and you hear a soft clicking as something sharp rests on your jugular as you take a greedy deep breath.

"Who are you? Why are you in my home?" He growls, eyes watching you closely. "And don't lie to me. I'm not above slitting a pretty girl's throat."

"I'm a princess!" You say quickly, lip quivering. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. "Of Ignisia."

"Oh? A princess?" His eyebrows raise and he grins, his canines like its the best news he's ever heard. "How fitting."

"Please, I didn’t take anything." You barter desperately. "I don’t want anything. I just- I needed someplace to stay. Just for tonight. I'm sorry. I can leave!"

His hand moves but the sharp object that was held at your neck trails behind it and you're horrified to see it is a talon on the end of his finger and you suck in a shaky breath, trying to stay calm.

"Poor little princess so far from home." The dragon coos. "Not that I would usually release a human but you..."

His large hand stops at where your thigh connects to your hip, and runs his thumb carefully over your clit to make your body jerk. His tongue, swipes over his lips as he looks at your swollen bud.

"You, princess, taste like divinity." He tells you. "Like liquid gold. And I'm not willing to part with you."

"No!" You cry out and try to move but his hands hold you in place.

"But aren't dragons greedy?" He says, almost sneering. "A princess should know this."

You thrash against his hold as hard as you can, but he only smiles at you when you stay locked in place, tears falling from frustration.

"You haven't even asked me my name." He says, pouting teasingly. "You come into my home, sleep in my bed with your delectable cunt on display and won't even ask me my name."

He sighs dramatically, pressing the talons into the flesh of your thighs and you cry out until you concede to his obvious request and ask for his name.

"Ari, Treasure." He purrs, leaning down to let his tongue flick against when he asks for your name. When you give it to him quickly, he grins. "Good. Now, where was I?"

He trails kisses down your body, forked tongue flickering over your pebbled nipples tauntingly, chuckling low in his throat when you writhe in his grasp. When he inches futher down to your cunt you can see outline of two leathery wings folded against his back and want to cry; he was a monster of a man, both figuratively and literally. His giant frame could keep you pinned and trapped for as long as he deemed fit; his talons could slice you open at any given chance, and his giant hands could snap your bones like twigs. You were trapped in another castle yet again, but this time there was no escape.

When Ari's tongue takes a long, slow swipe of your folds, you gasp back into the moment. The edges of his forked tongue toy with both sides of your clit at once; flickering and licking the swelling nub under your attempted muted whines. As the pressure builds you try so hard to close your legs but Ari's sharp claws pierce the flesh of your thighs. You let out a scream of pain, and Ari presses your legs against the bed forcefully, keeping you splayed on display for him as his face disappears between your thighs.

"Now, now," he rumbles, breath searing hot against your sensitive flesh. "Stop moving. Let me finish tasting my new favourite treasure."

Head situated, he slings his hefty left arm over your hips to pin you, his right hand still pressed into your left thigh. All of the air leaves your lungs as the dragon begins to devour you; mouth latching onto your clit to suck an orgasm from you.

You claw feebly at his hair to try and get him to move away, sensation becoming too much for your body to bare, but he is set between your legs like stone and your nails only manage to rake through surprisingly soft hair as you coat his face with a scream.

You think he's done when he moves his face away but through half-lidded eyes you can see him smirk.

"Look at how your pretty pearl shines for me," he praises, spreading your sticky folds open carefully with his talons to reveal your pulsing clit. You let out another whimpered plea that falls on deaf ears, body shuddering violently as Ari makes a point to drag his tongue against your sex agonisingly slow so that you can feel the entire tongue seared against your flesh.

"Soaked and needy, waiting for my cock." The serpentine eyes glance up at you from between your legs and your breathing catches when you see that sinful tongue run over his lips. "Is that what you need, princess? A fat cock to keep you satiated?"

You shake your head no as he sits onto his haunches, his huge body bathing you in shadow beneath him. He's well built and ten times the size of any Knight you have seen, muscles trust and trained with patches of gold scales that twinkle in the candlelight like gemstones.

Horrifically, you're in awe of the beast - the monster - before you. Handsome features that, had they been on any ordinary man, you may have found yourself breaking marriage laws for. Not that this was any different. A princess captured and held captive by a dragon, defiled by a dragon, would have you sent to a nunnery.

Unaccompanied princesses get kidnapped, killed or worse.

Despite the fact your current situation was supposed to be the worse, your cheeks grew hot at the realisation that it didn't feel like the worse option. Held captive sure, perhaps maybe reverse kidnapped, but while Ari had threatened to kill you, it seemed he didn't want to if he could help it.

You sniffle as you look up at him, his eyes watching you carefully, seemingly waiting for you to thrash again. When you don't, Ari rewards you by to flicker his tongue over your neck playfully before kissing you softly. Your lips part in surprise and Ari takes advantage of the moment to slip in tongue against yours. He tastes like your cum and sweet smoke and your eyes close as you move your lips against his.

You can feel his smile against your lips; the smirk of someone who has won the fattest prize pig at the fair, the grin of a spider as a butterfly gets caught in it's web. Your heart rattles in your chest like a frightened bird in a cage; both terrified and excited of what would come next.

When Ari moves back off your body he returns to his haunches and begins to slowly undo the laces to his dark brown trousers, that bulged with the outline of his cock. He watches how your eyes fixate on him, how you don't make a move to run; any human would have done so by now. It only confirms to him that you aren't just any other human; you're his. His tongue darts across his lips when your breathing hitches as he frees his weighty cock and smirks again when you don't move. Your eyes dart up at him, wide and panicked, when he taps the head of his weepy cock against your clit and you suppress a delicate whimper.

When Ari wordlessly tilts his head at you and repeats the motion and you release a shaky breath as you watch as a glittering line of pre-cum connect you both. His cock is easily too big for you; thick girth and far too long... a broadsword would probably be more comfortable.

Ari coats his cock with your slick cum and groans when he pushes against your tight hole experimentally. The stretch is unimaginable, bordering on unbearable, as your cunt betrays your body by adjusting to his size slowly. Your body seizes with panic and you breathing becomes deep hiccups.

"Stop! Stop!" You wail, pounding the sheets. "It's too much!"

"Too much?" You can hear the smirk in his voice, even with your eyes squeezed shut. His talons envelop your hands and pin them beside your head. "Princess, that's just the tip."

"Please please please," You shake your head violently, lip quivering as you try not to cry. You don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry. "Your cock is too big. I can't."

"You are." Ari's voice fills your ears, soft and soothing and you blink away tears to look up at him, realising he's stopped moving but his cock still twitches part way into your cunt. "I'm in no rush. We'll go slow, Treasure."

He dips his head down kissing you almost kindly as he moves his hips back and forth slowly. Small teasing thrusts at your entrance begin to go deeper, stretching you wider as Ari experiments with patterns and you gasp helplessly at feeling of the veins of cock against your walls. The stretch is unbelievable, your pussy clamping down so tightly onto him you can't move, let alone think. When Ari finally bullies his cock to its base you let out a pitiful wail, stuck against him with his cock prodding into your insides uncomfortably.

"See, Treasure? You take my cock well." Ari praises, littering your face with light kisses. You harrumph, trying to act unaffected by his praise and ignore the fluttering sensation his words cause in both your chest and pussy, but wjen his hips begin to slowly roll back and forth against yours you hiss.

You can feel each drag of his cock, torturous and steady, splitting you open and bringing you to ruin slowly. A clawed finger inches it's way from your clavicle down to your stomach, where the outline of his cock is visible, and Ari lays his palm flat and looks, what seems to be longingly, at the sight. A rough thumb-pad, careful with the claw, brushes over your swollen clit and you moan; nerves dialling to a hundred with renewed excitement.

"I want to make my treasure glow," he half growls, looming over you, hips still rolling against yours though slightly faster than before. His left hand grabs and swallows both of yours and pins them above your head, pressing his body close to yours as his cock buries itself repeatedly in your cunt - harder now - and his other hand busies itself with toying with your sticky clit.

Your pulse races and you can feel your body betray you by wetting his cock again, moaning like whore as the wet sounds echo in the stone room. Ari's eyes meet yours, slits growing from pins to saucers with excitement. You can't look away, cheeks burning, pulse racing; you'd never been in a predicament like this before and it was becoming harder and harder to deny that the dragon you had come to slay was breaking your will in the best way.

"My treasure wants that too?" He asks, pressing his palm harder into your abdomen when he ruts especially hard, making sure you can feel his huge cock twitch inside of you. "Have I broken you in already?"

You go to shake your head no as you squirm gently in his hold but Ari's blue eyes pierce yours, forked tongue flicking at your lips curiously. Suddenly, he rolls onto his back; taking you with him and you sit perched on his cock while he lays wings splayed beneath you. Now, you can see just how deep his cock is inside of you and you let out a sharp whine of surprised ecstasy.

It excites you to see your body like this, so small in comparison to Ari's, so utterly helpless to his whim and yet he hasn't truly hurt you. He has defiled you in a way far more sinister; in a way that leaves you wanting more.

Ari's claws sink into the flesh of your hips and ass, growling as he forces your now-eager body to grind against him before he uses his strength to lift you up and down over his cock; effectively using your tight, wet cunt to pump himself.

"How many little gems shall we have, hmm?" Ari presses, gaze fixated on yours - daring you to answer and promising to fulfil it. "How many will you give me, Treasure?"

"Ah - Ah - I don't k-know." You pant out, hearing the lewd unashamed sounds of wet skin as your insides constrict his cock.

"Oh? You don't?" Ari taunts and you cry out when his thumb finds your clit again. "Don't worry Treasure, I'll keep you nice and full all the time just in case."

"Please!" You yell to the cieling, an unfamiliar feeling building higher and higher. Your hands grasp at anything you can hold; Ari's wrists, then forearms, before gripping his shoulders with a half sob as the feeling hits a new peak. Ari keeps using you as your orgasm washes over you and you're left shuddering and gasping for air. Now pumping you faster and harder than ever, Ari's tongue darts over your sweet, sweat-sheened skin, watching your tits bounce and your face contort from hazy to fucked out.

"That's it, give me one more." Ari urges with a hint of desperation in his voice. "One more for me, pretty princess. Then we can take a break."

You're too far gone to care about asking what he means by taking a break, focusing solely on his seductive voice, calling to you from the abyss of lust.

"A-Ari," you whine anxiously, feeling the pressure build far quicker this time.

"That's it, Treasure. Cum for me. Let me feel you cum with me." His hands don't stop forcing your body to work his cock, even after your muscles go limp until he forces your hips down hard and he cums inside you with a loud groan that sounds akin to rumbling thunder.

You're both panting. Ari lowers you slowly so you can lie atop him, his cock still pulsing inside you and his breath hot against your neck. Minutes pass in silence and you think that you may have passed out or fallen asleep because you feel groggy and more bone-tired than after your five-day trek.

Ari's claws rake your scalp gently, his breathing steady, but then he shifts his weight - moving you with him off the bed until you're bundled in his arms.

"Where are we going?" You ask, your voice sounds distant, quiet almost.

"To the treasury," He tells you nonchalantly. "Now, wrap your arms around me - good girl - but I want to look upon all of my treasures."

You comply, confused, but when his wings flex behind his back you start to panic.

"No, no- what are you-" you look behind you as Ari carries you in his arms easily from the bed and makes his way to the balcony. You smack at him furiously. "NO!"

But Ari only laughs like your a kitten hitting at a springy toy and continues, letting his wings open fullyas he steps into the cold night air. "Calm down. I'm taking you to the treasury, then we'll continue."

You breath is stolen before you can argue back and you grip at Ari so tightly you can feel your fingers kneading muscle as he takes flight and soars upwards. The beat of his wings every few moments is worrisome at first, until he levels out and the breeze is gentle as he glides along the skyline. There's a shameless grope to your ass that makes you squeak, burying your face into Ari's neck while he chuckles.

"You're missing the view." He says and you tighten your grip around him. "I promise I won't drop you."

At the mere mention of him letting you go, you almost choke him with your grip your legs like a vice around his waist and press his cock against you. Ari huffs and holds you a little tighter but you still don't relax your grip, shivering as night wind bites at your skin.

"Open your eyes." Ari urges, nosing your cheek. "I've got you, Treasure."

You peek one eye open and find Ari's face smiling down at you against the black background of the night sky. Stars dance behind him and you turn your neck slightly to look around you to the mountain and river below. Ari's descent is slow, allowing you to take in as much of the night sky as possible and as concession for the exquisite view, you don't complain when he kisses at your face and neck (perhaps even leaving some bite marks hither and tither too).

The entrance to the treasury is through one of the highest peaks of the mountain the castle is built into and after a brief period of total darkness encapsulated by sharp rock, you're greeted by golden light. Large chandeliers dangle from the rocky cieling and their candles' flames are mimicked by the sea of gold below; coins, chalices, knick knacks, clocks and candelabras by the million are kept in this hidden treasure trove, the odd glint of colour from a ruby or amethyst catching your gaze. Upon one of the highest peaks of treasure, sits a throne of solid gold, and Ari lands silently next to it, setting you on your feet beside him while he retrieved to golden chalices and what looked like a bottle of mead and set them on a table to the off side of the throne.

As he moved, you bit back a gasp, noticing Ari's final draconic feature. When you had been panicking or pleasured, you'd missed it; a long slightly curved tail that thinned to a point from Ari's tailbone, hidden behind his massive form. Ari catches you staring as he comes to take your hand and guide you to the throne with him, tail dragging through gold coins with ease.

"You like my tail?" Ari chuckles, making a show of swishing the muscles back and forth, standing tall and proud with a grin.

"I didn't realise you had one." You respond, slightly embarassed though you can't tell what for.

Ari laughs, coins and jewels crunching beneath his feet like crisp frost on grass blades on a winter's morning before taking his seat on the throne, pulling you onto his lap. "You were too pre-occupied with taking my cock, princess."

His body is slightly too warm as you press against him, cosying up as tiredness begins to seep into your veins. Ari sips from his chalice as quietly as he can, holding you curled against him, and occasionally pressing his hot lips to your bare skin.

"My little treasure," Ari murmurs as your eyes fight to stay open. "I'm going to keep you with me. Always."

Treasure END

A/N: I don't know how many of you have read Shifting Sands by @late-to-the-party-81 but it is one of my fave Lloyd fics of all time. I was toying with the idea of a dragon and thought of that while writing Lloyd's fic and wondered who would make a bad good dragon and ofc its Ari (Also Monster!Ari fucks hard always - in every sense.) Will I revisit? Probably.

Ari: @steviebbboi @stargazingfangirl18 @late-to-the-party-81 @irishhappiness @pandaxnienke @doodooslay @theinheriteddutchess @queen-honeybee-stories @alicedopey @dontbescaredtosingalong @ryubyy @maydayfigment

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[em-harlsnow]

I just wish we had seen Ian be comforting to Mickey more. They had so much opportunity in later seasons, but they didn't take it and it really pissed me off. Posing Ian as more selfish in season 11 than we ever saw him in earlier seasons, with Mickey pointing a gun at Terry and saying he 'tortured him for years' and Ian shrugging it off with 'Frank broke my nose'. Like yes, yes, Ian should also talk about his own abuse. But overshadowing your partner's struggle with your own (when Ian saw first-hand what Terry was like) is just shit and felt OOC for Ian. Bear in mind, Ian also was BFFs with Mandy and knew all the horrors Terry did to her. It seems off for him to be sympathetic to her in season 2 (?) I think when trying to get her an abortion and season 6 (?) when she came back, but not to Mickey.

I'm not hating on Ian here, I love Ian. I'm saying the writers fucked him over, that Ian would have been sympathetic and kind if they hadn't been annoying. If anything, Ian bringing up Frank being abusive is not only out of character from a 'he would comfort Mickey point of veiw' but also from an 'Ian doesn't like to talk about the shit that happened to him' view.

We got the scene of Ian saying 'you are so much better than that', which is good. But it's the best we got. And considering the unbelievable amounts of abuse Mickey suffered, it doesn't feel like enough. Earlier in the show, they were amazing at going over dark themes. With Fiona struggling when she got out of prison and Lip's alcoholism and Ian's bipolar disorder and Debbie's huge mix of things and Carl's illegal proclivities. I do think this all stems from them trying to make it more comedic, but it just WASNT comedic. They tried to make Terry's death funny?? tried to have Mickey crying over it be funny?? It just felt tone-deaf, like the writers didn't watch their own show.

I heard something about the writers being changed in season 10, so maybe that's why.

But in a show that was very dark, for the last two seasons to get like three sad and meaningful scenes (Mickey's 'you don't love me enough now', Frank speaking to Lip about fatherhood and Ian's 'I miss mum') is ridiculous. It felt like they were trying to tie the show up in a neat bow, but they failed. Most of the character's storylines are open-ended and annoying. They also made them all act really middle-class (at least in my opinion) which is odd for people still struggling with poverty.

Everything felt very surface-level. In my mind, what could have been GREAT in season 10/11 would be this:

Mickey struggling with PTSD (idk insomnia, OCD, claustrophobia from prison could all play a part in this, there were so many opportunities they didn't take)

Ian struggling with getting his old job back, proving himself again and trying to find himself (they sort-of covered this, but barely)

I would keep the gallavich wedding, but I don't like Terry's involvement. honestly, it felt sort of weak coming from a bastard like Terry.

Lip and Tami I like together, but I would have liked to see their bond be deeper. It, again, felt very surface-level through the last seasons. Would be interesting to see Lip have the same intensity toward fatherhood as he did when he thought Karen was having his baby. it didn't feel the same

some of the gallavich engagement angst I like, but I think they could have done better than Mickey going off with Byron.

bring in more milkoviches. I mean, come on. where did they all go. Mandy, Iggy, Sandy, just bring them back.

Would have liked to see Ian and Mickey become like the new Kev and V (stable and loving but also crazy)

Kev and V's storyline was decent altho boring. Maybe it was good that it was boring, because it showed them become really stable in their roles as parents and partners and full-on adults (ik they were always adults, but yk what I mean)

Carl's relationship with the Mexican family I felt should have had a deeper impact on him. For someone with such emotional depth, it felt strange for him to just get over it so quickly. he really liked Anna. (plus I liked her so I want more of her)

Debbie could have had a redemption arc, she didn't.

Lip was argumentative and lost a lot of his ingenuity, it becoming sort of tragic that all his intelligence was used for was getting cheaper paint and helping out some arrogant rich guy get more rich. Idk, I would have liked to see him try and start up a business with a little crime on the side, making it really successful.

Liam's character was good. I thought it was cool to see him exploring his heritage and scamming people at school like his siblings used to. It didn't have the same rawness as the kids did in the early seasons, but it wasn't the worst storyline. I like seeing another smart gallagher with opportunities like Lip, but Liam seems less likely to lose the opportunities. He was a beacon of hope, I think. I think he should have had more friends though, because the Gallagher Family became pretty isolated from the rest of the neighbourhood. Where did the sense of community go?

I don't care what Frank does, he's always done his own thing. I like that he died at the end.

Terry should have suffered more. Although, his death being anticlimactic does show that sometimes villains in real life just die, and they don't get what's coming to them. It's unsatisfying.

Better exploration into Mickey's feelings of his death please.

Better exploration into Frank's dementia please. William h Macy did it well, but the other characters moved on from it so fast. I get it, he was a piece of shit, but it had potential as a storyline.

They should have missed Fiona more.

More actually passionate gallavich scenes like in season 4,5 even season 7. But no, we get an argument over 'who's the man in the relationship'. Sorry, straightest bullshit I ever did see.

I don't hate season 10/11. There are some good parts. But where's the fast-paced, comical, dark, chaotic, meaningful and intelligently satirical Shameless that I know?

[trans-gothic]

Hey everyone, I’m so sorry to be asking for money again, but things are very tight right now. I quit my abusive retail job (no more constant casual sexual harassment, yay) but it’s hard getting on my feet with my delivery job when so much of the money just has to go immediately back into gas and maintenance on my car. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next week to continue my HRT, and then the cost of those prescriptions to deal with as well. Haven’t been driving long enough to get that health insurance stipend yet. It’d be great to be able to afford those and not be living quite so day-to-day, yknow?

I’m looking to raise about $400, but literally anything at all helps.

C*shapp: $FJstardust

V*nmo: @Fiona-Stardust

Z*lle: fionajc1989@gmail.com

P*ypal: same as above

[book--brackets]

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (2012-2016)

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab (2015-2017)

Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski (1992-2013)

For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf. 

Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. This child has the power to change the world -- for good, or for evil. 

As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt's responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat. 

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986-2008)

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl--and herself--than first meets the eye.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (2000-2020)

As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly—stinks.

So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name…

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)

Peter Pan, the book based on J. M. Barrie's famous play, is filled with unforgettable characters: Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up; the fairy, Tinker Bell; the evil pirate, Captain Hook; and the three children-Wendy, John, and Michael-who fly off with Peter Pan to Neverland, where they meet Indians and pirates and a crocodile that ticks.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. The visitors quickly wreak havoc in a city that refuses to believe in either God or Satan. But they also bring peace to two unhappy Muscovites: one is the Master, a writer pilloried for daring to write a novel about Christ and Pontius Pilate; the other is Margarita, who loves the Master so deeply that she is willing literally to go to hell for him. What ensues is a novel of in exhaustible energy, humor, and philosophical depth.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (2012-present)

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (1995-1997)

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. 

 As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968-2001)

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.

This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

[svltzmans]

it's nice to have a friend - f.g.

a/n: hiii i love fiona so much and i love writing for her 🫶 thank you to dinosaur anon for requesting this one! it actually brought me tons of comfort to write so i appreciate it so much

warnings: cigarette smoking, mentions of sex, not proofread!

"debs, can you please just eat the lunch i make you?"

"but i just had peanut butter and jelly yesterday."

"we've been over this, peanut butter and jelly is the cheapest and easiest."

debbie huffs, storming off and taking her paper lunch bag with her.

monday is fiona's least favorite day of the week, for countless reasons. she has to return to making lunches and hundreds of other chores to make sure every one of her siblings is ready and at school on time.

it hurts to not be seen and appreciated for the work she does every day to keep her family afloat, even though she knows her siblings are still young and don't understand the magnitude of the impact she has on their worlds.

after successfully encouraging liam to take a nap and sending the others off, fiona finally gets to sit on the couch and breathe.

before she knows it, she's waking up to lip and ian walking through the front door. she figures she must have fallen asleep, her exhaustion having finally caught up to her.

"you're such an idiot," lip sneers, clearly in the middle of a fight with his brother.

fiona sighs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and standing up.

"god, i need a cigarette," she mutters to herself, stepping outside onto the stairs and grabbing a lighter from her pocket.

"rough day, huh?" a voice asks from the sidewalk. fiona looks over to see her neighbor, y/n, standing in front of the house.

"to say the least," she responds, taking another puff of her cigarette.

"you know, if you ever want to sleep in or go out or something, i can watch the kids."

"for what, 100 an hour?" fiona asks, laughing to herself. she expects y/n to laugh too, but she's stonefaced.

"no, for nothing. i'm serious. i know it can't be easy dealing with this shit every day. you deserve a break."

fiona is shocked by y/n's response. she wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't free childcare.

"i'll let you know."

"cool. see you around."

fiona watches as y/n leaves, walking toward the grocery store on the corner. she can't help but be slightly suspicious of her offer, thinking she must want something in return. regardless, she smiles to herself, feeling like someone finally recognized how hard she is working.

"she definitely wants to get in your pants," lip insists. "she doesn't want any money?"

"no, she said she didn't. it does seem kinda suspicious, but she sounded so genuine about it."

"she must just be a really good flirt then."

"i don't know, lip. it seemed like she actually just wanted to help."

"okay, so let her. see what happens."

fiona lets herself imagine the possibility of having a few hours to herself. she could take herself out to eat, go on a walk, go to the store. she could do whatever she wanted with her day and not have to worry about her siblings being taken care of.

"i'll do it."

fiona stands tentatively on y/n's doorstep, debating on whether she should actually knock or not. lip could be right, or he could be completely misjudging the situation.

eventually, she forces herself to gently tap on the door, and it only takes a few seconds for y/n to open it.

"oh! hey fiona, what's going on?"

"i'm here to take you up on your offer."

"to watch the kids? yeah, of course. want me to come over now?

"that would be great, v and i are planning on going to get some dinner and drinks."

"sure, i can hang out with the kids until you get back."

"you're a lifesaver. how much do i owe you?" fiona feels inclined to pay y/n for her kind gesture, despite her declining money before.

"fiona, i told you you don't owe me anything. now, go enjoy your time with v."

reluctantly, fiona leaves for her dinner with v, silently praying that her siblings are in good hands.

y/n decides to cook something simple that she knows all the kids would enjoy, opting for pasta with a few different sauces to choose from.

fiona had told her siblings that their neighbor would be spending the afternoon in the house to make sure everything was under control, but they weren't expecting a meal.

"this is great, thank you y/n," ian smiles, finishing his plate and heading to his room.

the other kids nod in unison, agreeing with their brother's compliment.

y/n notices that liam had pretty much covered his entire face in sauce, and she can't help but to giggle to herself. she wipes his face clean with a cloth and gets the youngest gallagher ready for bed.

the rest of the siblings were used to their own routines and were in their rooms after dinner. in her solitude, y/n cleans the kitchen behind her, and eventually ends up giving the entire bottom floor a quick clean. she knows it would give fiona one less thing to worry about.

when fiona walks through the door at around midnight, she finds y/n sitting on the couch, watching whatever was on the television set.

"hey, welcome back. how was dinner?"

"really great. thank you again for doing th... did you clean the house?"

"yeah, i made the kids dinner and started by just cleaning up after myself, but i ended up just kinda doing the whole bottom floor."

"y/n this is... thank you so much. can i please pay you? at least a little bit? you are seriously amazing and i..." fiona stops, feeling herself start to ramble. she is in pure shock that anyone would care this much about her and her siblings. just out of the goodness of their heart.

"i'm happy to do this for you guys, seriously. you better not even dream about paying me, fiona," y/n smiles, feeling her heart grow warm seeing how much this meant to fiona.

"do you wanna, maybe stay? chat a little bit?"

"that sounds really nice, actually."

fiona and y/n quickly fall into stride with one another, and before they know it they have been talking for hours. they talk about just about everything, and by the end of it they are both feeling much more connected.

"shit, it's 3am," fiona laughs, finally looking at the clock.

"damn, that flew by. i should probably get some sleep."

"you and me both," fiona stands, y/n following suit.

"y/n?"

y/n turns, facing fiona.

"yeah?"

before y/n knows it, fiona is pulling her into a tight hug.

"thank you so much, again."

"any time. i mean it."

"before you leave, i have to give you something," fiona says, speed walking into the kitchen and returning with a small piece of paper.

"my number. if, you know, you wanna watch the kids again. or hang out with me, maybe," fiona smiles, nervously handing y/n the paper.

"both of the two will definitely be happening again," y/n responds, finally leaving the gallagher home and returning to her own.

the next day, fiona pulls lip aside.

"she's so amazing, lip. she really didn't want anything in return. she wanted to help. and she talked to me for hours."

"well, you better ask her on a date then, huh?"

"you think i should?"

"it seems like she's actually into you. and not just in a sex way."

fiona's cheeks turn a deep rose shade as she cracks a smile, earning a dry laugh from her brother.

"fi's in love!" he yells, running around the house as fiona chases.

when y/n wakes up the next morning, she's surprised to hear a gentle knock on her door.

when she opens it, she's surprised to see fiona on the other side, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"i know it's kinda early, but i wanted to give you these. and i wanted to ask if you wanted to go out for breakfast. my treat."

"it's never too early to see you, fiona. i'd love to go to breakfast with you. can i just have a second to change out of my pajamas?"

the pair both burst into laughter at the image of y/n in her pajamas, standing on the doorstep.

"that might be a good idea."

[cloudy-em]

Hi there! I got a request for Lip, if you don't mind 🥺

Reader is friends with either Fiona or Ian (she's the same age as Lip though), and one evening, she's dragged to the house for dinner (she's also very shy, very), so they meet and he just can't help but flirt constantly to make her blush and stutter.

And maybe later on, he hears her talking to Fiona/Ian about it, saying something like not keeping her hopes up because she can't believe he could actually like her ("no one likes the shy girl" kinda thing, I had that said to me and I need some comfort for it😂).

He basically wants to prove to her that he actually likes her. Maybe he already noticed her st school or something.

Have a good day, hun 🤘

of course!! glad to provide some comfort <3 i was the same way all from like elementary to high school so i get it! have a great day, too, thanks for the request <3

ages are pretty inconsistent in the show, but i think in season 3 he's like 18? i don't write characters when they're minors, so the reader and lip are both 18 years old and they're seniors in this! so this is set in like season 3ish i guess.

xxxxxxxxx

Ian and Y/N walked through the front door of the Gallagher household. Y/N took her shoes off, following Ian to his room where they dropped off their backpacks. Even though they aren't in the same grade, they're still great friends. It started when Ian found Y/N at school one day, trying to hold herself together after being made fun of for her quiet response to a teacher's question that she had to repeat multiple times. It turned out, Ian and Y/N actually had a lot in common, and the rest was history.

Y/N wasn't over at Ian's house often. The loud and chaotic nature of his family was endearing, but she didn't quite feel comfortable enough with the other Gallaghers yet to let her walls down. Not that she was ever as loud or chaotic as the family; she was just on the quieter, shyer side, and the Gallaghers respected that.

Ian had invited Y/N over for dinner, making sure Fiona was aware. Ian and Y/N both helped her with dinner, Y/N smiling quietly to herself as Ian and Fiona laughed and joked together. They set the table, and Fiona yelled up to the rest of the family to come eat.

Frank was god knows where doing god knows what, and Kev and V were busy at the alibi, so it was just Y/N and the Gallagher kids for the night. Debbie and Carl came barreling down the stairs leaving an empty seat between them because the two had recently been arguing. Lip walked down the stairs, Liam in his arms, and helped Liam get into a high chair. He sat between Carl and Debbie, clearly sick of their argument, and sighed. Y/N was stationed between Ian and Fiona, the two she was most comfortable with. Food was distributed and everyone tried to make dinner conversation.

Y/N looked at Debbie politely as she talked about a student counsel project she was working on, trying to plan out how perfect and showstopping it would be. She smiled hearing the girl's plan; it sounded great and she had no doubt Debbie could do it. Glancing towards Lip, she noticed him watching her instead of his younger sister. There's a pause, and Lip grabs her attention.

"You look really pretty today, Y/N," he says genuinely. In response, she blushes and looks towards her lap, mumbling a thank you. Lip opens his mouth, ready to say something else, when Carl pipes up.

"Yeah! You look just like the Barbie I put on the grill earlier!" He exclaims before backtracking. "Well, you look like her before I put her on the grill. And I wouldn't grill you, you're too nice." Y/N smiled and tried not to laugh at the young boy's antics as Fiona lectured him about cruel and unusual punishment. Lip kept staring at Y/N, completely mesmerized by her shy and gentle nature. He was wracking his brain on what to say next; he didn't want to try stupid or sexual pickup lines on her. He wanted to take his time with her. He'd noticed her in his literature class in school, they both sat at the back, but on opposite sides of the room. Ian was about to kick Lip under the table for his weird behavior, knowing Y/N would be uncomfortable, but Fiona beat him to it.

"Lip, it's rude to stare, especially at our guest."

Hearing his name brought him back, and he cleared his throat. "Um, Y/N? You have Mr Harbor for Physics II, right?" he asked, curious.

"Yes, 4th period," she replied quietly. Lip smiled hearing her voice, wanting to hear it more often.

"Oh great! I have him for 6th. Do you wanna come over sometime and study together? We can work through some problems if you want, maybe do some physical experiments-" he's cut off by Carl.

"Gross, Lip, you don't propose sex in front of the family!" he yells. Lip's eyes widen.

"Oh, jesus! No no I wasn't- Y/N that's not what I meant, I- I meant just calculating projectiles with a slingshot or something, not- not THAT!" he tries to explain desperately. He really did just mean doing problems and experiments together. They're both very intelligent people, and Lip thought it was a good proposition for a subtle excuse to get to know her.

"I-it's okay, Lip, n-no worries!" Y/N felt her face and neck flush. she knew he didn't mean sex, but the idea of it made her blush. Of course she'd heard plenty of rumors around school about how good Lip Gallagher was in bed.

The meal was done pretty quickly. The family all got up, Y/N waiting until most of them left to bring her plate to the sink.

"I'll take care of the dishes, Y/N," Lip said, gently placing his hand on the small of her back. She jumped slightly, moving out of the way and nodding, heading upstairs to finish her homework. Ian follows shortly after.

Lip walked up the stairs to grab a cigarette from his desk, but paused as he caught his name.

"-and it's nice to hope for just a second that maybe, just maybe, he likes me, that he cares for me, but he doesn't, Ian! There's no way someone like Lip would ever like someone like me! He's confident and attractive and smart and girls love him! I'm just me. I'm shy and quiet and it takes me forever to warm up to people and nobody likes the shy girl," she sighed sadly. "You don't think he's trying to prank me or something, do you?" she asked Ian. Lip walked away, not realizing she felt this way.

He had to do something. He went back down the stairs, no longer set on his cigarette, rather a way to prove himself to her. He thought hard for a while, realizing it was probably just best to talk her alone. He sighed, thinking of what to say without fucking up.

Lip heard Ian yell goodbye to Y/N, and her footsteps walking towards the front door. He ran towards the front door, trying to be casual.

"Hey, I'll walk you home. Make sure you get home safe," he said, sounding more like he was making a statement rather than offering.

"Oh, um, okay. Let's go then," Y/N replied.

The walk to her house was quiet. Lip didn't know what to say. 'Hey, I've been watching you at school for the past 3 months and I haven't hooked up with anybody since I noticed you because you're all I can think about even though we've barely ever talked'? He knew he needed to say that, he just needed to find a less...aggressive way of saying it.

He walked Y/N to her door, making sure she got it unlocked. He reached out and touched her arm just as she turned to enter her house. She turned to look at him with big eyes.

"Look, Y/N. I, uh, I've noticed you at school a lot over the past couple of months, and I know you're my brother's friend, but I'd really like to get to know you better. I think you're really, really smart and you're pretty, too, and Ian talks about you all the time. You just sound like a great person and I think I have a small crush on you. I know you probably don't feel the same, but if you'd give me a chance, I think we'll get along great and we can get to know each other. Please?" He poured his heart out.

Y/N hesitated, a soft blush rising to her cheeks. "I- okay, Lip. We can get to know each other. I'm just nervous and really shy around people I don't know so I'm sorry-" he cuts her off.

"That's why we'll know each other, 'kay?" he said, gently stroking her upper arm with his thumb.

"Besides, I like shy girls."

xxxxxxx

lip x shy!reader is one of my favs thank you so much for this request! let me know if you want more of this kind of content please!

[bumblesimagines]

this wasn't supposed to happen.

i did a number on your back. sorry about that.

we should do that again sometime.

Fiona Gallagher

we should do that again sometime.

this wasn't supposed to happen.

i did a number on your back. sorry about that.

Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader

As consciousness seeped into his body and his senses slowly awakened, he was hit with a few realizations that quickened the process of waking up. He couldn't hear Génesis babbling away in her crib nor the loud strays he often fed mewling for food outside. The springs in the mattress beneath him dug slightly into his skin and the smell of cheap booze and perfume lingering in the air invaded his nostrils. The mattress abruptly dipped slightly and strands of hair tickled his shoulder, startling the exhaustion fully out of his system.

The room around him was unfamiliar. The walls were covered in chipping paint, there were enough clothes on the floor to give to twenty people, random bottles of water and beer were sat about in different places, and there were odd stains on the barely visible rug. The chaos and mess of the room made his skin itch. (Y/N) exhaled quietly and tilted his head to look at the owner of the bedroom. Shit.

"I can't wait for ya'll to meet them. I swear, they are the kindest people in this whole city." (Y/N) hummed, absentmindedly listening to his cousin's girlfriend go on and on about their neighbors, the Gallagher family, as he raked his fingers through his eldest daughter's hair and detangled the small knots that had formed. Veronica held his other daughter at her hip, cooing and clicking her tongue to keep the toddler entertained whilst they made their way over to the tall house right next door. 

"V's right, (Y/N). You'll love 'em. Debs and Talia are gonna get along great." Kevin piped in and scrunched up his face at Génesis, a wide smile breaking out on his face when she burst into giggles and gleefully clapped her tiny hands together. Talia clutched her dolls close to her chest and tentatively peered up at the house when they entered through the front yard. 

"I bet Carl's going to be tripping over himself when he sees Talia." Veronica giggled and gently pinched one of Talia's reddened cheeks, listening to her boyfriend pound loudly on the front door until it swung open and a teen's freckled face greeted them. He looked between them all curiously and a fond smile appeared on his lips when he noticed the bundled-up toddler in Veronica's hands. 

"Hi, I'm Ian." He introduced himself a bit meekly and stuck out a lanky arm to shake (Y/N)'s hand before stepping back and allowing them to enter the house. The house seemed bigger with an archway connecting the living room to the kitchen and dining room. There were two staircases on opposite sides of the house leading up to the second story, nearly each step covered in toys and beer cans alike. It looked like a tornado had rampaged throughout the rooms but (Y/N) tried to contain his judgment and put on a smile for the family. Veronica had mentioned there was only a twenty-one-year-old managing all five of her younger siblings with their drunk father occasionally crashing on the couch. 

"Oh, a baby!" A little girl not much older than Talia squealed and sprang up from the couch, nearly trampling her brother in the process of reaching them and earning a swift glare. She jumped up onto her toes and smiled widely as she delicately ran her finger over the back of Génesis's hand, cooing softly and introducing herself. "Hi, baby. I'm Debbie." 

"Guys, I'd like you to meet (Y/N) and his daughters, Génesis and Talia. They're going to be stayin' with us next door for a little while so make them feel at home, alright?" Veronica called into the living room, barely drawing the other teenager and his little brother's attention away from the action movie playing on the television. She scoffed quietly and muttered under her breath before flashing the woman heading down the stairs a smile. The pretty brunette returned it and gasped softly at the sight of Génesis in her arms. 

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" She cooed warmly and chuckled sweetly at Debbie's fascination with the baby, one hand rising to comb back the hairs sticking out from Debbie's ponytail. He assumed she was Fiona Gallagher, the eldest daughter taking care of all the kids. Fiona was tall and slim, almost lanky like her brother but held a more at-ease air to herself than he did. The bags under her eyes were subtle, just barely noticeable, and her hair had been tied up into a messy ponytail that barely restrained the wavy locks. She looked up from Génesis and met his eyes. Her brows slightly lifted and her lips parted and closed, a hint of red spreading across her cheeks. 

"Nice to meet you, Fiona."

He'd promised himself before leaving Kentucky he'd stay in his lane, that he wouldn't involve himself with anyone again for a while. Talia's mother had been one thing, someone he couldn't bring himself to be resentful despite her refusal to be in their daughter's life. They'd been two naive fourteen-year-olds messing around who faced the consequences of not being more careful. Becoming involved with Génesis's mother, however, had been his fault. The lengthy criminal record and history of short relationships should've been big enough red flags to abort ship before they could be tied together permanently, but he'd ignored them and her own recklessness led to her incarceration. Two failed relationships, two motherless daughters. With his shit luck, he could only hope Fiona was on some sort of birth control.

"Fucking hell." He sighed heavily and rubbed his palm over his face, making vain attempts at ignoring the subtle throbbing in his temple. (Y/N) pushed himself up and swung his legs over the edge, picking his briefs up from the floor and slipping them on. Fiona groaned quietly behind him and he peered over his shoulder at her as she rubbed her eyes and stretched out across the small bed, the mattress beneath her creaking with each movement. 

"Jesus, I did a number on your back. Sorry about that." She chuckled and tucked some of her frizzy hair behind her ear a bit sheepishly. Fiona sat up and leaned back against the wall, one arm reaching out to rummage through the nightstand until she found a cigarette pack and pulled one out. Dangling one between her fingers in his direction, she said, "We should do that again sometime."

"No, Fiona, this wasn't supposed to happen. I- I have too much on my plate right now to deal with... whatever you want this to become. I don't need the girls getting confused either. I appreciate the warm welcome into the neighborhood but... for your sake and mine, we should just stay as neighbors."

[obsidianpen]

just another day of listening to fiona apple, the call me by your name soundtrack and lana del rey while thinking about V and H in NG bc their relationship gen had a big impact on my life. Like I cry myself to sleep thinking ab them; it’s such a complex thing I could talk about it for hours.

So thank u for writing this ff, it wouldn’t be an hyperbole to say NG changed my life. I’m not being dramatic, but in a way it’s the one consistent and intangible thing that I always come back to no matter the changes and hardships in life. It may be weird to say that cause NG is rather dark but it’s lowkey my safe place.

Love you pen, mother of oh great tragic, devastating and life changing harry potter fanfictions

🥹🥹🥹💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[tht0nesimp]

Home Sweet Home

Yandere Gallagher family and foster(?) kid reader

tw: incest if you squint, entrapment, blackmail, violence, The Whole Family Finally Works Together!, not much Debbie or Carl, nor V or kev, not time specific I guess Idfk just pick a season when their in school, restraints, drugging, reader try’s to run away

Summary: Running away goes bad, and you receive your just punishment—and perhaps some unjust punishment as well.

“Where do you think you were fucking going” Ian scream, tapping his finger against your forehead “Is it empty in here? God, and to think Fi thought it was ‘alright’ if you went off on your own for an hour or two” Ian sighs and looks around the street, crossing his arms, giving you the same disappointed look as last time. “We’re walking home, everyone will deal with this once we get home” Ian moves you away from the street and further on the sidewalk, grabbing your arm to keep you from sprinting across the road “No! Please! Don’t tell! We can make an excuse?!” Ian’s grip gets tighter, and for a brief moment you wonder if he forgets he’s been doing ROTC for three years and karate for even longer, and could easily fracture your wrist.

“Now they have to hear about that too” Ian walks till he’s dragged you home, opening the door to the place and looking at you like a impatient mother, clearly not in a great mood. You usher in, wanting to make him be in as good of a mood as possible when breaking the news to everyone. “Carl? Go get the handcuffs from the van!” Ian yells out to Carl, who’d been sitting absentmindedly on the couch got up and ran out the back door towards the van. “Ian i promise it won’t happen again but you can’t—“ “Lip!” Ian ignores you and sets you onto the mattress in the living room—something that pissed you off.

♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪

“What are you doing?” Fiona yells out to your in your space under the stairs, quickly pulling the curtain back as she heard you talking. “Nothing, just talking to myself” you say quietly, not wanting to alert any more attention to it. “Tell, now” Fiona gets angrier by the second “Really I’m just talking to myself I promise” “Nah, grab your mattress, can’t trust ya, your sleepin in the living room” Fiona crosses her arms and shrugs, mind already made up. “That’s not fair!” Your voice carries more defiance than you thought you had left “One more word and Ian and Lip will be sleeping on the couch tonight to guard” Fiona points to the living room before walking off, no doubt to plan however many kids wanna sleep in the living room with you.

♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪

But that was a few months ago, and you’ve been so good, so so so good all the time. You let Lip tutor you and let Carl talk to you about girls and guns, you play with Liam, Drop lunches off at Ian’s work since you earned back going out alone, even telling Debbie about puberty and playing big sister! That has to count for something for you, something to help your case here! Eventually they sit you down on your mattress with and circle you, sitting in front of you on all sides, the normal position for when they rip you apart

You could have been hurt—Your weak!

Your being ungrateful—Your stupid!

We can’t handle this right now, but we will if we have to—Your trouble!

We took you in, before us, you were nothing!

Not good enough!

So you wait for the barrage, but it doesn’t come, only sighs and quiet footsteps. “I know your gonna hate us right now, but this is for your own good” Lip opens a kitchen cabinet and gets little baggy of pills, Fiona follows closely and gets a slice of plain bread.

“From now on, with every meal, three of these” Fiona places them on the plush pillow in front of you “Over my dead fucking body” at this point, you might as well dig your grave deeper “Take em, now” Fiona’s voice gets a little firmer, patience quickly evaporating “You all are crazy! Batshit crazy!” Your face stings as a hand comes down to slap you “We are protecting you! Stop being pathetic and take the damn pills kid!” Fiona storms off, angry no doubt.

“Get her jaw” lip stretches his arms back a little and nods to Ian, Carl and Debbie simply seem to watch in amazement from afar. “I’ll take them” Lip grabs them “See, I would trust you, but you did just try to become a godamn runaway an hour ago” Ian grabs your jaw, locking it open and moving your head a bit. Lip drops the pill in dry, they let you suffer through the chalky sensation for a few seconds before pouring a small bit of coke down your throat. Debbie hesitantly approaches as you cry, leaving a blanket at the edge of the mattress before turning to Carl “We should leave her alone now” they all seem to listen, albeit Lip and Ian stay around in case somehow some manhandling is needed but attempt to atleast isolate you by staying in the kitchen.

It must be hours later as the pills begin to wear off just a little “Ian…Lip…Debbie…Fiona…?” You were hungry, and thirsty, and you realized months ago that in situations like this your best option was to ask quietly and make yourself as small as possible. Lip groggily wakes from what must be an alcohol induced coma, tapping Ian’s arm and waking him. “It’s like…6 in the mornin” Ian groans but gets up from his position on the couch. He and Lip get up, walking in stride to the kitchen to get you food and water, Ian returns with a plate of toast and an egg “Where did you even think you would go?” Ian stares dumbfounded “No other family, when will you just accept that you belong in this house? Y’know we tried to be nice, let you do shit you wanted, but you keep proving you’re not trustworthy!…Maybe it’s time for a permanent spot in the living room” Ian sighs and get back onto the couch “N-No! I was so good I was just trying…I just wanted some alone time out” Lip returns from the kitchen with a cigarette “Alone time is for big kids, and you’ve been acting like a quivering pussy all day” Lip laughs even as Ian nudges him a little.

“Where’d Fi put the pills?” Lip narrowly avoids getting his ash on Ian and searches around the dark living room, turning on a lamp and finding the baggy on the nightstand next to the couch “Deb made cookies, I’m gonna go get one, make her take the damn pills” Lip gets up and leaves you and Ian, who puts the pills on the plate and stares at you expectantly. “Now” You have no choice, so you pick your dignity and take it with the small plastic cup of water.

“Dickhead…” you mumble as Ian and Lip sit on the couch with a cigarette “Big talk for someone sitting in front of two people she’s partially dependent on survival from now on” Ian laughs a bit at Lips taunt and they talk about whatever stupid shit they have going on.

It wasn’t fair, nothing in this house was ever fucking fair. The Gallaghers barely let you take two steps without coddling or yelling at you. Even Debbie and Carl are protective, albeit Carl doesn’t really give a shit most of the time, but still! Ian can have his shitty boyfriend Mickey, Lip can have his shitty girlfriend Amanda, Debbie and Carl can date older people, but the second you take foot out of the house it’s like you’ve sold yourself off at the corner? That’s bullshit! You let the thoughts boil around in your brain before the world plucks you back off of fantasy land and into reality as Ian turns the lamp off, laying down and getting an extra blanket “Prolly shouldn’t give it to you but its cold tonight, sleep, you need it” your hands don’t move quite right from the pills as you go to grab it, wrapping yourself in it as much as possible and squeezing your eyes shut as if to push demons out.

In the morning, you wake in a hazed fogginess to the typical shenanigans of the early Friday morning—it’s summer, so atleast they won’t make you do school work while you sit there. “Hi little dude” Lip picks Liam up and puts him in his high chair, talking to Fiona about something offhandedly for a few minutes. Debbie and Carl are upstairs fighting over the bathroom, and there’s clothes being pushed down the laundry chute. Fiona comes over, key in hand, and squats down. “We are gonna get you a shower after breakfast, I’m gonna uncuff you, and you are gonna be the good kid i know ya are” Fi smiles and chuckles, the lock clicks and you sprout up, still dizzy and disoriented as you make your way over to the dining room table. Putting your head down to block out any chance of light getting into your glassy eyes.

You can hear a plate slide onto the table infront of you, a cut up slice of toast and eggs, and no doubt another serving of the satans damned drugs. “You want me to take her with me to work?” Ian seems absentminded as they discuss “I was gonna walk down to the pool or on the L…” you let your voice slip out, even though you know the inevitable response. Fiona hugs you, and you can hear her let out a breathy sigh “If she goes with you, no drinking, and no strippers or anything” Fiona leans on the counter a bit while she talks to Ian, smiling as she pats him on the back. “Alright, Lip? Wanna chill with us in the living room while I get ready for work?” Ian calls out to the older boy, the two bringing your plate; and by extension, you, into the living room. Ian doesn’t say much as you plop down onto the couch, until he starts working on shorts for his job.

“Lip, this really isn’t easy! Hey, grumpy, are my cuts even?” Ian twirls around in the much too short shorts. “You look like a stripper” you let yourself sink further into the couch, eyes drooping as you slowly blink “Lip, you wanna stop by later? I’ll get you a free beer?” Ian continues his conversation with Lip like the comment never happened, something you should be happy about, considering it was one less argument to deal with.

You stare at the ceiling for however long it takes for Ian to drag you and his duffel bag out of the house, jogging much too fast for you to keep up. “Hurry Hurry!” Ian laughs, the usual giggle of his manic episodes. How you wish you could call him fucking crazy and be over with it. Once you finally get to the damned club, Ian seems to happily leave you off in some secluded area, an indoor gazebo with rows of beads instead of a real door. You attempt to avert your gaze as much as possible, seeing Ian grind on some old man’s cock wasn’t particularly pleasant.

The hours pass, Lip stops by, and eventually the wee hours of the morning come and Ian is sitting next to you. “Let’s get you home, ok? The bar doesn’t have much in the way of uhm food but I found some crackers in the back…let’s take our pills together I guess?” Ian chuckles and slings an arm over you as he relaxes a bit, in nothing but his dancing outfit and a coat. He pops his in his mouth and grimaces before washing it down with some sort of fruity martini, eyeing yours and grabbing the bowl.

“Food first!” Ian holds it up to your lips, you grimace but fake a smile at the noises he makes and open your mouth for the dry food. After a few more, Ian finally relents and hands you the pills, opting to grab you a glass of ice water instead of alcohol—definitely not surprising seeing as how you weren’t really allowed to drink.

♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪

“Your fuckin wasted” Lip lets out a frustrated laugh and runs his fingers through his hair “I’m not wasted” you defend yourself, one beer doesn’t count as wasted lest your an anemic 11 year old. “Maybe we should have you join ROTC with Ian, learn some damned respect” Lip slams a cupboard before noticing the expression on your face. Your fear makes him calm down just a little. He brings you home, albeit it’s suspicious he even knew your friends and you were gonna be drinking, he brings you home for what wasn’t the first nor last time he would drag you away from your friends, ruining any chance of a social life. You mutter curses under your tainted breath as he opens the front door, godamn crazy Gallaghers…

♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪

Ian manages to call a cab, nearly as foggy as you are. Lip accompanies you on the few blocks home, him and Ian being the typical amazing brothers they are (to each other, of course, to you, they’re the devils Fiona’s helpers). You absentmindedly follow, counting your steps against the warm concrete and enjoying what stars you can make out, hoping to appeal to Ian’s more sympathetic side, you sit down in the yard and stare at the night sky. “Gotta go in” you muster a little huff “Please? It’s so pretty, no one ever lets me come out and looks at the stars with me….” You pretend to want to spend time with him, looking at him with big watery eyes “Well…Why don’t we open the window in the living room, should let some fresh air in, you need it” he smiles, whether he knows what he’s doing or not is a mystery but he pulls you up and happily brings you over to the front door, you get one last good look before your being yanked through the doorway and into the kitchen. Lip waves Ian off to go change and it leaves just you and him at the table.

“You know, everyone’s gettin real tired of the teen runaway shit man; you gotta mature, you aren’t exactly setting a good example for Debbie” Lip lectures for a few minutes before Fiona sleepily comes in the door, hugging you before digging in the fridge and taking off her shoes “You take your new meds with Ian?” Fiona asks “Yeah, with crackers” you mumble, making Fiona put her hands on her hips and look at you. “Crackers? Ian’s gotta figure out some real food next time, I think we’ve got leftover pizza” Fiona heats some up and you can hear the whizzing of the old thing.

Carl comes downstairs, and heads straight for the knife holder. After getting a small knife, much to Fiona’s dismay as she looks at him in disbelief, Carl makes his way over to the table. “Are you crazy like Ian?” He tips his head a little, the familiar curiosity brewing in his eyes makes you wanna rip your hair out. “No I have to take them because everyone else is crazy like Ian—“ Fiona leans against the counter and glares, plate of pizza in hand. “No, you have to take them because your irresponsible” she waves her finger before placing the plate on the table in front of you “Lip, make sure you lock the door before bed…” Fionas shift seems to have left her exhausted, she drags herself up the stairs and you can hear her drop onto her bed.

Lip nods before returning to his cigarette, patting you on the back and digging around in the bathroom, pushing through Debbie’s products until he finds a hairbrush. “Ian! You’re basically a girl, help her!” He taunts and shakes him a little as he comes downstairs, Ian gently punches him in response and tiredly grabs the brush “Got any good movies?” He discusses with Lip “You like saw?” Ian leans down and takes a break from detangling your hair “Uhm…I guess” you don’t think too much about it, the way it seemed, you would be asleep before the opening credits were done.

So, Ian gets the disc for SAW2. He finishes with brushing it and lets himself focus mostly on putting it in 2 braids, not bothering to ask if you mind, of course. But they seem fine eventually as Ian relaxes into the couch, pulling you up between him and Lip and throwing a blanket at you in an attempt to be playful. He makes a look of discomfort when you show no emotion and instead opt to grab it and curl up, he seems to justify it in his head and shrugs.

You watch the guts and gore, some woman falling into a pit of needles makes you flinch just a little, but you manage to distract yourself with the sounds of Debbie in the kitchen. Excusing yourself from the horror fest, you walk up to her and reach over to grab a glass, pouring yourself a glass of juice. Her eyes seem to follow you everywhere “Would you mind helping with daycare tomorrow? Please?” She gives you a look, even though you don’t have much of a choice. “Sure, you should sleep so your energized for daycare in the morning, Night Debs” you put on your best smile and she smiles back before walking back up the stairs for bed.

You find yourself wandering with your glass of juice, staring at the bright liquid as you stare at the window, being as quiet as you can, you open the door and creep onto the balcony. “Stunning” you manage to whisper as you stare at the growing grass and what was left of Ethel’s farm off in the distance. You crack the door so it doesn’t make noise but doesn’t let in a draft either, taking as much time as you can afford to spend out on the rickety wood structure, sipping your drink and closing your eyes.

Your pulled out of your delusions of tranquillity by cold small hands on your wrist, much too small to be Ian’s or Lip’s, you turn to see Carl with a smirk on his face. “I won’t tell, just get inside” he lets out an evil giggle, staring at the sky as well. Unfortunately, Ian and Lip had already been alerted to the antics going on as they watch from the kitchen and talk. “If you’re gonna do that, might wanna get sneakier” Lip sips a beer and glances back at the end of the movie. “Alright bedtime for you Carl” Lip pats him on the back and shoos him away to upstairs.

Fiona is sitting piling blankets and pillows onto the mattress, in a better mood for sure. “Gets cold at night, should help” she hums and finishes up, hugging you tightly “Be good kiddo, please” it sounds more like pleading than an order, you’d put money on her praying for patience sometime this week. So she tucks you in and locks the overbearing amounts of locks on the door, sending Lip and Ian to their own beds for the night.

She sits on the edge of the mattress and rubs your foot “I love you, and we’ll get through it” she says like it’s Ian’s bipolar diagnosis and not her own fucking family and their intense insanity. She seems to take your watery eyes as a good sign and kisses you on the head, leaving a water bottle on the table for you and shutting the lights off.

Leaving you and the familiar high from whatever bullshit you were on, you curl up in bed and finally fall asleep, preparing to do everything again—what can you say, persistence is a Gallagher feature.

[the-bi-library]

Here is the final part of the bi4bi books posts!

I'd appreciate it if you let me know if there are any more bi4bi books that I didn't include here 💕

Books listed: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Drowning Summer by C.L. Herman Case Sensitive by A.K. Turner Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn The Light Years by R.W.W. Greener The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson Tell Me Anything by Skye Kilaen Her Scarlet Letters by Cat Giraldo Break Free by Raleigh Ruebins Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant The Door Into Fire by Diane Duane The Stone Prince by Fiona Patton Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan Cleans Up Nice by Margo Phelps Educated by Nellie Wilson Queried Sick by Dallas Smith Chance Agreement by Margo Phelps Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress Release by Suzanne Clay Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain To Beg or Not to Beg by Cat Giraldo Two Winters by Lauren Emily Whalen Electric Idol by Katee Robert Neon Gods by Katee Robert The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin The Spinster's Swindle by Catherine Stein Rocky Mountain Freedom by Vivian Arend Um traço até você by Olívia Pilar Biforia by Rebecca Romero Escalando Você by Rebecca Romero Entre estantes by Olívia Pilar → translated Between Bookshelves by Olívia Pilar Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders The Stars Undying by Emery Robin Legend of Korra: Graphic Novels Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Novels Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachiban Brimstones and Roses It Would Be Great If You Didn't Exist My Werewolf Girlfriend The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur Xeni by Rebekah Weather

Part 1

Part 2

[em-harlsnow]

difference between the first seasons of shameless and the last seasons imo

read beneath the cut, it’s pretty long

what i think really changed about the last seasons of shameless compared to the first seasons is how they tried to incorporate the audience. i’ve seen writers/producers say that they tried to set up the cameras in a way that made it feel like the audience was a part of the family, or a visitor confused by all the chaos.

i think that idea was lost in later seasons and you stop feeling like a part of the show, but even more than that, the audience becomes very detached from everything.

further, i think the characters began to lack the same weight that they did before. as they all start to grow up and become steadier as people, the show also loses its chaotic appeal. by the time the characters were all adults, the writers seemed lost on how to add that gritty dark element that the show had initially without becoming repetitive. there’s only so many times that frank can have some ridiculous storyline that hurts his kids where fiona has to pick up the pieces. it gets boring.

so to try and stop that happening, they ran with old comedic devices that i felt shameless had always deviated from, or at least exaggerated. but no, in the last seasons the show fully leans into them. it becomes more like a sitcom, like modern family or friends.

with tami and lip, it was tami getting insecure about lip possibly liking someone else and lip coming up with all these schemes on how to spend less money and hide that he was going for cheaper options from his girlfriend.

with debbie, it was the show leaning into the whole milkovich/gallagher thing and trying for a new pairing which honestly was entirely lacking. we had more development on her and mattie’s storyline (which was gross) than her and sandy. they turn debbie into a caricature and leave her without much emotional development, taking away any of the audience’s compassion towards her.

with carl, it was the whole police thing, where he struggled with his annoying boss and then his second annoying boss.

with liam, it was him becoming very mature very quickly, but lacking the same depth that debbie and carl got at his age. that’s just my opinion of him, bare in mind i haven’t watched his scenes in season 10/11 recently.

with ian and mickey, it was them becoming that TYPICAL comedic couple, with the show taking away a lot of what made them different. So many of their storylines were full of pointless arguments and unsatisfying resolutions. they tried to make them almost middle class, removing mickey’s skill in crime and making him look lazy. taking away all of ian’s emotional development and making him seem pissed off constantly. they don’t seem to understand each other the way they did before.

don’t even get me started on kev and v. they were one of the most interesting storylines at the beginning, and they suddenly became boring.

fiona left, so i can’t comment much on her.

shameless also lacks the connection the show used to have between storylines. every character was somehow connected to another character at the start, all the different plots influencing each other. that quality was lost later on.

at the beginning, the show made great points about poverty and politics without needed to obviously explain each one. it was metaphorical, an example of poverty and of people and relationships and life. In later seasons, it becomes too obvious for me. the messages the show is trying to convey are much more clear and surface level, which means the impact of these messages is reduced.

it’s like the difference between someone giving you an example of a specific person who has been abused, let’s say. You can either tell an emotive story about that abuse or you can say, they were abused, this is wrong. shameless originally was emotive, giving you connections to characters and therefore adding weight and meaning to their stories. It becomes shallow when the show gives its messages in plain ways. like the conversation that ian had with that woman in the furniture shop about the election results in season 11. sure, ian was right, but it doesn’t have the same impact when delivered in that way. if they’d done the show the same as they did in the first seasons, i’m sure the message would have been conveyed more passionately and effectively.

now, this is just my opinion. i don’t hate the last two seasons, but it wasn’t very shameless-esc. I also don’t write TV shows, so i don’t know exactly how to fix all those things

i do enjoy the last seasons, it wasn’t all bad. but it was different to the first ones, and that is something to comment on.

[gallavich-annise]

Shameless Rewatch Thoughts! 

Frank the Plumber 

I missed a week because I was on holiday and my brain refused to write this for a few days... But I eventually found my groove again, so should be back to normal.

I really liked this episode. It felt so strong... Debbie in particular had a star turn. The only plot that got more screen time than I'd have liked was Jimmy Steve. And while I could have done without all the homophobic jokes around Frank's new voice as a gay rights activist, I quite like that plot line for its absurdity... it's a more fun Frank storyline that isn't about him specifically ruining his kids lives so I enjoyed it. 

In summary for this episode, Fiona gets a new temp job, Debbie finds Sheila depressed and stays to help her out, Lip bounces between Karen and Mandy, while finding out that Mandy applied to a bunch of colleges for him, Ian finds out that Mickey's getting married, and Frank starts making speeches in favour of gay rights because he wants to leech off Christopher's insurance. Oh and Jimmy Steve has a very bad no good day.

Given that Jimmy Steve spends the episode removed from the Gallaghers, and his plot is my least favourite I'm gonna start there.

I'm not sure how much I liked this plot. Overall the arc makes sense as "Jimmy is having trouble with life in the Gallagher house and has a bit of a revelation about what he wants to do with his future". It doesn't feel entirely out of nowhere, I feel like his arc so far this season has had this embedded within it. But his plots veer wildly between the shit with Estefania and the Brazilian Mafia and this side, which is a much more coherent plot but relies on me giving more of a shit about Jimmy Steve than I currently do.

Jimmy Steve hates his new job as a barista and being followed around by Beto. Fiona has noticed he's been quiet and subdued and thinks something is wrong but hasn't really talked to him properly about it yet. He gets paid and it's less than he expects because he forgot about tax, and got docked for giving Beto free refills. As he's coming out, his car (which he stole) gets found by its original owner, who takes it. Then he gets mugged at gunpoint at the ATM and loses his pay. 

It's a bit much... But it's within the realms of possibility for a really bad day that anyone might have. 

Then, there's Beto. I like Beto... Mostly. But I didn't like him so much in this scene. Previously he'd told Jimmy Steve that Fiona was too good for him and agreed with her that she had to do the necessary for her family. In this he says that Jimmy is too good for Fiona?! Only perhaps that's not quite right? Maybe he said Jimmy thinks he's too good for Fiona. He definitely says Jimmy will resent moving to the ghetto, which... Isn't an inaccurate point. Moving to a rougher area must be hard, even if that does make him seem like an entitled prick. He is an entitled prick. So are many of us. 

And then he lets Jimmy go for a thinky walk without being followed, which is pretty sweet of him. And Jimmy sees an ambulance and goes to see his ER doctor friend... And Jimmy has a flash of "maybe I can get the adrenaline I crave from doctoring after all". I dunno... The whole sequence left me kind of cold. I think the Brazilian Mafia and Estefania stuff and the fact that Jimmy lies to Fiona so baldly and needlessly takes away my sympathy for his genuine character moments. This might have been effective... It didn't do it for me, at least not this time around. 

Fiona! 

Fiona has a new job. And I kind of love everything about this episode storyline. Training to do the job, but immediately ignoring the script to commiserate with the first person she calls? And then being successful about it! It's kind of great actually. And her being unfamiliar with the office environment... It's beautiful. Borrowing slightly tight/short suit from V that V used for librarian porn?! Made me laugh. 

The stuff with her looking up the circumcision website on her work computer in plain view AND KEEPING THE IMAGES IN THE FUCKING BACKGROUND? So that part was funny on one level, and the drama it created was funny and fine, but it is just such a stupid move. Like how would she think it was okay to look at pictures of penises on her work PC in view of everybody? Fiona, really?! 

But it's okay, I got over it quickly... Because I enjoyed the set up at worldwide cup. I enjoyed her flirty awkward dressing down with Mike, and his introduction... I thought that was really nicely done. Because Fiona isn't looking except that Jimmy is being distant, and this guy seems nice! Good looking. Amusing. Much as "throw new man at Fiona" is way WAY overused in Shameless, this was a decent execution of it. 

And I liked her coworkers. I loved the moment where she hears Frank's voice and is so confused until she finds the gay coworker who's playing the video and when he finds out Frank is her dad, he apologises for dobbing her in about the porn and the personal calls. It was very cute. The moment at the end where she stops in a store on the way home was lovely (I didn't spot what kind of store but I assume it was discount or thrift and she's not being super irresponsible with money she doesn't yet have). 

I really like this as a "things looking up for Fiona" episode. She's had such a hard time, and this is a little ray of sunshine. I enjoyed it a lot. Even knowing how it all ends it's nice having these moments in between crises.

Where next? So the Karen stuff intersects with the Debbie stuff a bit, so I'm gonna go Debbie then Lip/Karen/Mandy.

And Debbie does so fucking amazing this episode. I don't remember this making so much of an impression on me first time around, but I was really involved in this... I think seeing how Debbie turns out (and how the writers wasted her character in the later seasons) made me really appreciate these early seasons seeing how good Emma Kenney is at being Debbie. Because there are some killer moments in this episode. If/when I ever hear anyone say anything bad about Debbie I will remember this episode. 

It starts with her going to Sheila's to drop Liam off. And she finds Sheila on the sofa, not moving. Jody is sweet but off to work. Karen comes down and leaves and Sheila won't talk to her. And Debbie... Knows she can't leave Liam with her in that state. There's a beautiful moment of indecision and then... She takes off her coat. 

And Debbie skips school to help Sheila. It's so... Debbie. She's sweet, and she's being so grown up because the grown ups aren't. She's there for Sheila when no one else is. She makes her cinnamon toast and paints her nails to try and cheer her up a bit. It's tragic that she's in this position. You see her abandonment issues and her desperate desire for love (which made me remember that Sheila leaves in season 5 without saying goodbye and that made me sad). 

I felt all the feelings in this plot thread. All of them. My heart broke. "Mean girls suck." "My daughter's a mean girl." "It's not your fault." "I'm her mother." "if how we turn out depends on our mother I'm pretty screwed, right?"

(All quotes paraphrased from memory) 

I just... That's so wise! And also, so hard to accept. Because as a parent you have to believe that you have a role in shaping your children, which means the bad as well as the good. It's so hard to draw this boundary where children are themselves as well as your progeny... Obviously parents (and circumstances) play a big role in who your kids become. And obviously Sheila made mistakes and struggled in ways that were going to negatively affect Karen... But Debbie's right that it's not all her fault. Just as Sheila is later right that it wasn't Debbie's fault that Monica left. No matter what your upbringing you still have to make your own choices, and Karen made some bad ones. It helps when you've had better examples, but that just means you might need more help learning how to take the better path, not that you don't know you're doing the wrong thing.

Sometimes this show does an amazing job with its messages and themes and this was one of them. So good. 

Then later we see Karen coming home from school, angry. Sheila explains to Debbie what she did, and about how she made lots of mistakes and was a bad mother at times. And Debbie... Well Debbie gives the most heartbreaking speech. "If my mother said sorry, and stayed, I'd forgive her. Because she's my mom."

Excuse me while I go weep in the corner. 

And it's true! Because they would forgive her if she made the effort and put in the work. The problem with both Monica and Frank is not ever putting that work in consistently, or owning up to their mistakes in a way that let them move forward. If they ever had, there would have been a huge barrier of broken trust to overcome... But we saw in season 2 that every one of those kids (except maybe Lip) wanted to believe Monica would come back and be different this time. Oof.

But we're talking about Sheila and Debbie so I'll stop there...

Debbie my darling, you deserved so much better. Sheila's face through all that is beautiful. It's such a lovely scene and sequence between the two of them. Top tier Debbie and Sheila.

I'll return to Sheila's apology in a minute, because first we're going to talk about Lip and Mandy and Karen. 

And... Lip, my dude, I love you but you're a massive dick. Fucking Karen is one thing. Apologising to Mandy so you can continue to string her along is another thing entirely and fuck you for that! 

The talk between Mandy and Lip at the start of the episode is sweet, actually. "Did you mean all of it" "not all of it" "how much did you mean" "I think there's some stuff we should talk about, but the rest was me being..." "In doucheland?" And yeah... That's kind of the conversation they need to have!! 

Except... First, Lip is fucking Karen behind Mandy's back, and Second, Mandy blindsides him with her having applied to colleges, including MIT in his behalf because he wouldn't. 

I don't actually know how I feel about her doing that. It's a massively romantic move, don't get me wrong... But the notion of doing all that and going through it for him when he actively stated he didn't want that is a little... Well I have some complicated feelings about it, I guess. But overall, I think Lip did need a kick in the arse and this was a beautiful and amazing kick from Mandy. 

And he's initially pissed, which I absolutely get! You're allowed to be pissed when your significant other makes huge decisions for you... Only she didn't, really, I guess. She just gave him options when he was shutting doors. 

He does bitch about it to Karen while he's fucking her in a toilet stall. And I hated that for many reasons. Both for Karen being manipulative, and Lip being a cheating dick... But also just how blatant it is?! High school rumour mills being what they are he's setting Mandy up for humiliation to go with her heartbreak if someone finds out and tells her. 

(The show never really deals with that part... School is very much a tangential thing, which I get because it would be another huge moving part to manage... But given it's a huge part of young people's lives it does sometimes seem artificial that it's so tangential to the show.)

A little aside for the conversations between Mandy and Lip where Ian is there and they're both trying to get him involved and he refuses. Smart move there, Ian. I'll come back to the rest of Ian's episode though.

Anyway! Lip meets the MIT guy. And this was a little bit of a replay of the season 1 scene with the college professor and the SATs. Because Lip tells the guy he's not interested and then folds to a little bit of reverse psychology even though he recognises that's what it is. It's funny. As is Mandy plagiarizing essays off Google. 

And... I liked the conversation about Lip wanting to do robotics and not sit in classes because he wants to be the person thinking differently who changes the game! He wants to meet C-3PO and has a Star Wars geek moment. I loved that EXCEPT for the fact that a) he's never really mentioned the star wars thing before, and b) that is not at all the direction they go with him in season 4. And I know that it wasn't going to be tenable to have him move to Boston and still be in the show, but... They never explain the shift between seasons and that bugs me now I'm rewatching and going "but what happened to this drive from Lip?!" I get that college wasn't going to be what he wanted, and that he wasn't going to be so super special when he's one of hundreds of gifted kids rather than the smartest kid in an underfunded shitty school, but... The show didn't show him trying to be the kid in the robotics lab not going to lectures at all at any point, and I feel like that betrayed this excellent little scene. 

Anyway, I loved it. And I will move on. 

Because the next scene he argues with Mandy again, "it was a huge pain in the ass and I did it for you so you could at least be less of a dick about it. You might even wanna say thank you." And then... He does thank her. Carnally. And they have a very sweet pillow talk moment where Mandy talks about her dreams for him, even if she isn't sure he'll want to share them with her. And it's so sweet and soft and vulnerable and Mandy 😭😭😭😭😭.

I feel so sorry for Mandy because it's obvious to me that he's just in a very different place with her romantically than she wants. But with this little revelation from her, he finally sees what he's been ignoring in front of his face. 

Not that I think Mandy is perfect... She does latch on to Lip in an unhealthy way. But she's a traumatised teenager and so I still want her to have all the good things. 

The moment where Lip confronts Karen and ends their little tryst is beautiful. "She's good for me and you're not." Yes! Well done! Took you a while, but you got there! Even knowing that this doesn't end well, even knowing that it wouldn't end well even in a universe where Mandy doesn't hit Karen with a car... I still love that he had this revelation FUCKING FINALLY based on all the available facts they had at this point in the narrative. And yeah, he doesn't love Mandy like he did Karen. So I am unconvinced that he should be committing to that relationship at this point... But I'm still glad he said that out loud and that he recognises it. 

Okay okay I have complicated feelings about Lip and Mandy, all right?! That's why I love this show. Because there's no right and no wrong just shit that happens and it's sometimes good and sometimes bad and in both cases it's often glorious storytelling. (Except when it's not.)

Anyway. 

Karen calls Mandy and unleashes "vindictiveness" in spades. That call was horrific and I hated it (in an emotional sense... I thought it was in character and well performed etc). She doesn't even lie, she just exaggerates, and makes it sound like a foregone conclusion she can get Lip to sleep with her again, which... Yeah probably not entirely wrong, but given that he had just officially told her no for the first time ever maybe not as sure a thing as she thinks. And also Karen talking about baby-trapping Lip... Fuck you, Karen. Especially given what you've already done to poor Sheila and Hymie. Poor Mandy has to listen to "my boyfriend is a dick and so is his ex". 

Only she's not like I was at 17 where I'd get super upset and have a massive cry in my room and eat a tonne of chocolate. She's a Milkovich with access to a vehicle. 

But before that, we get Sheila's big apology. Which is... Beautiful. It's beautiful because she means it. And because she owns up to all her mistakes and fully accepts there's going to be some blow-back and it's not a miracle cure. She knows she's going to have to work to repair the relationship, but this apology is a wonderful start. And a cathartic moment for Sheila. 

Except that she's barely even done when Karen gets a text from "Lip" to meet him in the park. 

I loved the apology. I found it very moving and a great moment. And Karen sits and listens and... I would have loved to see where they went from there naturally. I kind of hated that the moment was so truncated. This beautiful moment with Sheila that means that Sheila's last interaction with her fully cognisant daughter is a positive one and that they get some sort of reconciliation before... What happens.

And so... Ooof.

Firstly... This scene was just as surprising to me second time around. Even knowing that car was coming I still got jump scared. It's very effective (but probably unrealistic given how loud engines are. Whatever).

Secondly... Okay so I have lots of feelings about it but it's surprisingly hard to articulate them. I just kind of sit there and cry about all of them. I dislike Karen, but she doesn't deserve to be hit with a car, and it means we'll never see what might have happened with her after Sheila's apology... I love Mandy but I wish this wasn't her reaction, no matter how shitty Karen was. I love Lip but I wish he wasn't such a dick to the women in his life. They're all wrong and I understand them and it's tragic and... 

That's it for this thread for this episode except for the scene that confirms that it was Mandy what hit Karen. And Mickey just tells her to make sure she cleans properly and call Manny about the windshield. Milkovich love language is helping cover up your siblings' crimes. Mickey has his own shit going on but he still spares a moment to say "I still love you even though you may have murdered someone. I'm not even gonna ask why, she probably deserved it." Legend. 

Next. 

Carl does basically nothing in this episode, and Kev and V just have their weird gimp porn but, so we just have Frank and Ian left.

So Frank... I hate Frank so much but this was a wonderful episode. Frank at his best, doing something stupid for personal gain and it ending in capers. Not actively fucking with his kids. I found it entertaining. 

I love the little domestic scene at the start with Frank and Christopher and we see how well their little arrangement is working for them. Christopher doesn't seem to mind Frank being a complete freeloader and Frank doesn't mind Christopher needing his attention. Match made in heaven, right? Except that Frank thinks he has gout and needs a doctor... With no money. So cogs start turning and he suggests domestic partnership.

(I didn't look into this at all, but from context this was legal protection for same-sex relationships before marriage was legal. We had something similar in the UK.)

After ranting about "the gays" getting uppity about the legal protections not being enough, he then insists they should be able to get one because they live together "why should our heterosexual proclivities make us ineligible" Frank you are a dick and I hate you but I loved the story, gotta say... It's so fundamentally watchable when he's obnoxious and wrong but also incredibly persuasive in his wrongness.

The AWESOME clerk at... Whatever government department does domestic partnership stuff tells them they need to have proof of a year of cohabitation. Frank goes off on one of his rants, and the woman just goes on break. Good for her! She is amazing and I would like to see her again but I know we won't. Sad face. 

So Frank is defeated (for now). Christopher looks awkward the whole time and then goes off to work, presumably. And Frank waits for a bus near where a mayoral candidate is giving a speech. 

And... When has Frank ever been able to shut up?!

Only this time there are cameras and he's effectively petitioning for gay rights even if we, the viewer, know that he's a) not gay (I think there's a case for bi-Frank given previous incidents but I think he thinks he's straight except when it's convenient... I am not exactly eager to claim him, because he is neither good nor entertainingly evil, but I can't only let the characters I like be bi) and b) in this entirely for his own gain in the form of health insurance. 

His speech is glorious and very Frank. Beautifully articulate. All brilliant talking points. Amazingly persuasive arguments. And completely dickish, especially because he only wants his socially awkward codependent friend's health insurance. 

And the moment at the end where he realises he's missed his bus is a genius finish. 

After that, Christopher is mad at him because the story gets widely televised and he *just* convinced his mum he's not gay. I just now realised that the implication of this is that Frank has met Christopher's mum! Because how else would she associate this random ranting guy with her son when Frank doesn't use his name?! Maybe that's not the intended read here but I'm taking it because I find that image delightful. 

Anyway... Frank goes to the Alibi and there are lots of homophobic jokes. And... They're hackneyed and not great and Kermit and Tommy can fuck off. Frank gets uppity, mostly because it's directed at him for a change. I kind of like the way he doubles down to defending against homophobic language despite the fact he's still not gay... But he's probably aware enough that there's possibly gain in this that he's not shutting it down yet. Very Frank. 

Mostly though, he leaves because Kate won't let him have anything to drink because he hasn't paid his tab. And it's sort of nice to see that they do have limits. I guess.

He gets accosted by a guy who calls him the f-slur but turns out it was in a reclaim-y way (call back to the previous episode's treatment of the r-slur, perhaps). Except that I think it was just Frank's excuse to rant and then be derailed by the guy in question inviting him into a gay bar for a drink, where he sings I Will Survive karaoke and gets blown by a drag queen. Not my favourite scene of the episode, but whatever. 

Later he gets kicked out by Christopher and Christopher's mum. Bye bye Christopher. And picked up by Josh LymanAbraham Paige (another small role from a brilliant actor) who wants Frank to be the blue collar face of the gay rights movement. Even after having done his research... Which is bold, I guess? I liked the pitch and I liked that Frank is basically sold when he's told they'll wine, dine and house him for the duration. In it for the gain the obnoxious self-absorbed git. Fuck you, Frank. But I did enjoy this little outing.

So last. Last we have poor little baby Ian. My darling. Poor Ian.

While listening to Mandy rant about Lip, she lets slip that Mickey's getting married to a whore he knocks up. She's confused when he quizzes her on it.

In fandom we often make a lot of the Mickey-Mandy relationship. In season 1 and 2 there's something there to make from that, but we rarely see them interact, and in season 3 I'm not sure we do at all?! We hear about it, like when Mandy helps him with dealing in return for him threatening cousin Patrick, but... I can't remember them being on screen together before the wedding. Mickey doesn't know what Terry did to her. Mandy doesn't know what Terry did to him. I find it all terribly tragic. I don't know what Mandy would do if she knew?! But... I'm always longing for more Milkovich lore. More of them and their relationship, whatever that might be. Instead we get "who needs an excuse to pistol-whip Mickey" and here, where she's obviously upset that he's throwing his life away to marry someone he wasn't even seeing, but not looking into it, clearly not in a good enough relationship with Mickey that she could ask. And the conversation with Ian implies she doesn't try all that hard to find out from Mickey, it's all "I dunno" rather than "he wouldn't tell me" which paints a picture, but an incomplete one. 

Anyway, Ian goes spiralling and Mandy is suspicious about his questioning, but she just passes it off to Lip as "he's been acting weird all day" rather than putting together that he's being weird about Mickey in specific. If she told that part to Lip, maybe things would go very differently... 

But instead... Ian goes to find Mickey at the abandoned buildings again. 

Again this is painting an incomplete picture, but it's vivid nonetheless. Mickey spending his time there, drinking. Drinking heavily, it seems. Burying his troubles in a bottle because what else can he do?!

I feel like something that doesn't get mentioned much in fandom is that early Mickey is probably just as much of an alcoholic as Lip... He drinks to cope a lot in seasons 1-5. I suspect that it would have become a Thing at a later stage had he not been unfairly written out, especially with the parallels and contrasts the show liked to draw between Monica and Ian, and Frank and Mickey. 

So we have poor Mickey, unable to see any way out, being confronted by Ian who seems to think it's something Mickey's doing voluntarily or possibly out of spite? I find it so hard how... Uncompassionate Ian seems in a lot of these scenes. Focused on how the stuff affects him, and not what Mickey might need. I get it, but I find it hard. Those poor boys. 

And Mickey? Ignores him at first, but is then goaded and pushed. Ian wants a reaction so he does what he can to get one... And Mickey hits him. In the stomach, in the face, kicks him when he's down. 

It's dark and powerful. Even the music goes dark for this whole segment. And I hate it (again, emotionally). Because you see Mickey's tears. He doesn't want to do this. But he doesn't see another way. The most reasonable explanation is that he's pushing Ian away for Ian's protection. Because if he's not around then he can't get hurt by Terry. And it would never occur to him that Ian might be able to help him leave. 

I have seen various takes on "you love me and you're gay." Including takes that it shows they must have said the words before this... I think, given the way they talk in general, that this is all Ian, reading into things. Reading Mickey. I don't think he's wrong, but I don't think Mickey said it out loud. I reckon it was all in the kind of scenes they don't show us because we're not allowed to see the moments of beautiful tenderness there *must* have been to warrant Ian's "I know what he felt with me" later on... I subscribe to the take that Ian was panicking because he feared maybe Terry succeeded. That a) that was possible and b) it worked on Mickey. So maybe he pushed harder. 

Either way it's a raw line, an incredible delivery, a powerful scene between the two of them and I want to cry. My only negative point is that, once again, it felt short compared to similar kinds of scenes we get elsewhere. But Noel Fisher can do wonders with ten second and a beer can, so they sell it. 

Oof.

So then we get the powerful scene later that night, which I found striking first time, and devastating second time. Where the Gallaghers get home to find a gift basket for Frank for his being gay, and they enjoy the spoils of his latest scam. They know it's a scam and they laugh and enjoy their fancy wine and cheese. 

And no one asks where Ian is. And we pan upstairs to Ian, lying in bed, having been beaten up by his not-boyfriend lover for telling him he's gay. 

Reality versus fantasy. Frank scam versus the real world. It's painful and brilliant. When it hits it hits and this fucking hit.

So... Yeah. This was a strong episode for me. Season 3 still has so many of the things I find off-putting about early Shameless, but it was really starting to show what it could be, and I adore those moments. I feel like season 3 set things up for my favourite, season 4, by gradually shifting the tone darker.

I remember the rest of Frank's gay rights plot being good. I remember Fiona and Jimmy Steve having some more nonsense. And I obviously remember everything that happens with Ian and Mickey in minute and tear-jerking detail. So I'm looking forward to watching all that again. 

Until next time.

[deedala]

what are the Gallaghers/Milkoviches up to in the year of our Lord 2024?

hello macy!! 🥰💖

oh wow thank you for asking!!

✨🌱 gallagher/milkovich family updates under the cut🌱✨

ian and mickey are doing great, their business is running smoothly and they're very successful and happy. once their parole ended they started making time to take road trips out of the state to places theyve always wanted to see. they're currently on a road trip right now in fact!

debbie and franny are great. franny does really well in school and has started playing tee ball and really enjoys it! debbie's business is going well, she's currently single (by choice) but has really reconnected with some of her old welding school friends as well as becoming good friends with calista, whose influence and guidance has really helped ground her. she's matured a lot, but of course she's still good ole debbie, just less messy and a bit more confident in herself.

fiona did that reality dating show down in florida but it was not a great experience. she decided to move to louisville near kev and v. being with her best friends again while still being away from chicago has been really good for her. she has a steady job at a laundromat (that she doesnt own)

lip and tami are doing fine, fred is fine. tami was not pregnant! phew! lip struggled for a little bit but he and brad are back on their feet fixing bikes and its going well.

carl quit being a cop and took over the alibi full time with his former cop former partner guy. the alibi did not really turn into a cop bar after-all, but the cliente has changed a little as they made some changes to the vibe and did some good marketing and its become a pretty solid business.

liam is also great. he's well taken care of living with lip and tami and fred. he also bounces around to his other siblings' apartments pretty regularly just to hang out, sometimes babysits franny, plays video games with mickey, goes jogging with carl or ian (sometimes both!). he's actually on his way to two weeks of summer camp right now. he won a camp scholarship through school to go and he's extremely stoked!

mandy is living somewhere on the north side in an apartment with some friends. she's got a desk job now in the admin office of the chicago make up school. its a solid paying job and she enjoys the atmosphere. she's been thinking of maybe becoming an MUA herself but hasnt decided yet. she hangs out with ian and mickey regularly(sometimes together and sometimes just one of them!)

sandy and debbie have texted a few times but things are still weird for now. sandy doesnt stay in chicago, she likes to bounce around a lot and do her thing. when she is in town she always hangs out with mickey and mandy and she's doing a-ok.

[cloudy-em]

Hi, that's me again😅

So... my other idea for Lip is: (again with relatively shy reader, because I love the thrope a lot) the reader and Lip are already in a relationship, one day someone teases her a little too much on the sexual theme (they haven't had sex yet so she's a bit insecure about it) he notices, he defends her, and once they're alone he starts to joke around, teases her in a sweet way, to make her feel more comfortable to talk about it. (She is not a virgin, she's just not that experienced)

Hope you like this one, if not. It's okay, I promise😂

another great idea! <3

personally i don't celebrate thanksgiving but i remember an episode from one of the earlier seasons of them doing a thanksgiving meal which is very convenient for this so it's loosely based on that

warnings: sexual comments, innuendos, Mickey's kinda being an ass but his comments aren't ill-intended

xxxxxxxxxx

The Gallagher household was bustling with activity. Fiona and V were in the kitchen, finishing up some last minute food preparations while Kevin was entertaining Carl and some of his friends in the yard with games. Ian was fixing drinks for everyone, desperately trying to find Debbie to figure out what she wanted (she was in her room, Mandy braiding her hair for her so she could impress Little Hank). Lip was finishing up a project for some sophomore who'd offered to pay him $100, and Liam was sitting patiently in his high chair. Y/N did her best to help out by setting the table, ensuring there were enough chairs and that everyone had all the proper utensils.

Mickey walked in the front door, beer in hand and flopped down, watching as Y/N reached across to the other side of the table to put a fork next to the plate. Mickey whistled like a boy in a 60s tv show.

"Damn, I bet you're used to that position," he quipped, taking another swig or his beer. Y/N looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows.

Mickey shrugged. "You know, cause I'm sure Philip bends you over pretty often." Y/N realized his implications, blushing and looking away. Mickey laughed, much more comfortable on the subject of sex than she was. "I'm sure Fiona's had to schedule time out of the house with the rest of the kids just to give you two some 'alone time'!"

Y/N grew increasingly uncomfortable. She wasn't a virgin or a puritan, but she and Lip hadn't had sex yet. They hadn't had a conversation about it or anything, but she wanted to wait a while and Lip had never brought it up with her.

Mickey laughed, "Look, kid, don't have to hide anything, we've all walked in on Lip with one of his hookups before." He paused for dramatic effect.

"Besides, it's always the shy one's who are the kinkiest!"

Y/N looked away, trying not to pay him any more mind and focus on her task. Lip walked down the stairs having finished with the sophomore's project, and immediately noticed something was off. His girlfriend was shy, sure, but she never bowed her head as low as she had.

"Hey, Lip!" Mickey called, teasing. Lip looked at him, eyebrows raised in expectation. "Maybe you should go out back and have quickie with your girl, get 'er to stop bein' such a priss." Lip realized what was wrong, walking over to his blushing girlfriend and placing his arm around her waist.

"Fuck off," Lip sighed. "Y/N isn't a priss, she just doesn't think the whole world needs to know about her sex life like you and Ian seem to."

Mickey raised his arms in surrender, "'Kay, fuck, Gallagher, it was all teasing, no harm meant!" He got up from his seat and went to the kitchen, presumably to grab another beer.

"C'mon, baby," Lip said softly, squeezing Y/N's waist and guiding her up to his room. He sat with her on the edge of Ian's bed, holding her hand and rubbing his calloused thumb on the back of it.

"I'm sorry he was messin' with you, baby," he whispered. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Anything I can do for you?" He emphasized his apology by pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

"No, just," she paused, thinking about how she wanted to phrase her next sentence. "Do you ever, I don't know, feel like I'm holding you back?"

Lip had a puzzled look on his face. "Whatd'ya mean, hon?"

"Well with like, you know," she sighed, pulling her hand away from Lip to hide her face. "We haven't had sex and I feel like that's my fault." She heard him chuckle quietly, her embarrassment seeping into her soul even more.

"Baby," he cooed, wrapping his arms around her in a hug as she continued to hide her face. "It's nobody's fault. We haven't talked about it yet! That's the most important part of any relationship, and that's taken me a while to learn. I figured you'd bring it up when you were ready. I didn't want you to feel pressured."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and glazed over, on the verge of tears because of her embarrassment. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he nodded like he had given an order to the universe.

"I thought that maybe you weren't attracted to me or that you thought I wasn't good enough," she whispered.

"Me? Not attracted to you? Aw babe!" he laughed, nose touching hers in a loving exchange. "A pretty thing like you deserves to be worshipped. When we have sex, I'm takin' my time with you."

She giggled at his compliment, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"Oh, what you don't believe me? I've wanted to sleep with pretty girl forever, I just wanted to make sure she's ready for me," he smiled at her. The more he complimented her, easing in sex references, the more comfortable she felt on the subject. He had waited for her! He didn't think she was a prude or anything, he just had respect for her; he cared for her. She felt warmth in her chest as she processed the conversation. Lip kissed her nose briefly, helping her stand up from the bed.

"And try not to let Mickey get you down. He's just like that and assumes everyone else is comfortable talking about their sex life the way he does. I'll warn him to dial it down when he's around you, though," Lip told her, looking into her eyes to make sure she knew he was serious.

"Thanks, Lip. I love you," she told him, hugging him again.

"I love you, too, Y/N. Now, we'll talk more about us and our boundaries and moving forward later," he told her, trying to help her be more comfortable discussing sex with him. "But right now I think we've got a dinner to be at."

xxxxxx

thanks for reading! sorry about me projecting a lil bit in lip and reader's conversation lol, i just think it's really important to have these conversations with your partners and i think lip, despite being all tough and "not sappy" (but he totally is) really cares about discussing boundaries with his partner

have a great day!

[i-willstealyourtoes]

tf2 matchup pleas pleas pleas??? (bats big eyelashes) ^^ I'm 20, a cis woman, i go by she/her pronouns, pisces, i'm on the chubbier side, I weigh around 80(?) kg. I'm unlabeled when it comes to my sexuality. I am from Australia, and I'm mixed with Italian/croatian, as well as North/South Indian. I do have the Australian accent though! But I live near the city. I have honey, warm toned skin, with dark dark brown hair (almost black!), which is just below my chest, and I have curtain bangs and layers. I have a wave pattern, and brown eyes. I have light to medium acne/acne scars, lips on the fuller side, and a round face. I have a little, singular freckle on the tip of my nose, and one beneath my lip. I dress in multiple different styles, and can never choose just one. But my main styles are Boho, whimsy twee. I have two sets of glasses. One black pair, one clearish-violet pair. I'm a pretty insecure person, but i'm willing to make an effort in a relationship. I have Autism and ADHD, and I can be pretty loud sometimes when speaking (unknowingly). My love languages are...idk, all of them?? I'm not super experienced with relationships (my last boyfriend was HORRIFIC), but I love making my partner feel worthy of love, and generally good about themselves. I need to often feel reassured, and I overthink frequently. I linger on arguments on accident, and I have a hard time talking about it. I FREAKING LOVE MOVIES!! My favorites are V/H/S 94, Splice, and American Psycho! I love to draw and scrapbook, as well as going to the nature reserve near my house. I listen to a few different genres of music, but I have a few favorites such as: Dazey and the Scout Destroy Boys Weezer The Bloodhound Gang Fiona Apple Creed Amyl and the Sniffers Reel Big Fish ------------------ Into abserdism. I believe our reason to be on this earth is to experience its wonders, and prioritize your own joy. Big ol introvert. I hate public spaces. I get extremely overstimulated, resulting in me becoming a little irritated with others around me as i'm overwhelmed by everything. Not the best relationship with my dad, great relationship with my mum. ------------------- I play video games such as; Postal Series Minecraft Splatoon Multiple pokemon games TF2 Sims 4 ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ ) thank you!!

You did technically send this when I had my inbox closed, but no worries; the penalty is just a shorter piece lol X') I hope you still like it though !!

Matchup for Movie!Anon

Sniper

You both like nature and both are just a little insecure about things (me too tbh)

Oh also you're both Australian by nationality! When you two first meet, he's immediately put at ease upon hearing your accent :)

He would love to do little movie dates, where the two of you just sit on some bean bags or something and cuddle up at night :)

Sniper's not used to all those big dates and so on, so he's much more comfortable with you in his arms in private

He would absolutely learn how to braid your hair if you want.

Although, don't tease him about it (or do), because he will get all pink in the face X)

"Just.. just turn around and let me do it, alright...?!"

I'm not sure what exactly Sniper listens to, but I think he'd enjoy indie rock so you're in good company when on road trips !

He would definitely take you on trips where the two of you can be alone and just explore nature together

He's not exactly an arts and crafts person, but he thinks it's so cool that you do scrapbooking and draw

He will totally watch you as you sketch or glue things on with hearts in his eyes :)

If you want, he'll bring back things from nature or bring you to certain places to draw/scrapbook !

If you draw him, he will absolutely get all flustered about it, maybe even trying to cover his face with his hat

"..You really did this for me..? Love.."

Also believes in absurdism; life is what you make it, and he's happy where he is (with you), so he doesn't really care about a higher purpose as long as you're with him :)

Demo

He will absolutely chill with you on the couch (with a couple beers) and watch movies till you both pass out

It's his favourite kind of date, where the two of you can just commentate on some random stupid plot or character and laugh about whatever together

Also he loves the freckle on your nose !! He will constantly be booping it and kissing it :)

"I can't help myself, really! It's like an 'x marks the spot,' love."

He likes the colours in your outfit !! He likes your hair too, although he might not be good at braiding it like Sniper...

He isn't exactly big on nature but he'll totally get you some wildflowers in hopes you'll like them (he's trying)

Demo will totally play Splatoon with you. He likes the chaos.

Although don't expect him to go easy on you; he is competitive and you are not safe

"HAH! Take THAT ya wee- Oh, sorry love. Love you...!"

He will try scrapbooking with you. Emphasis on try

He just really wants to see you smile, and if you ever feel anxious about things, he will kiss you repeatedly until you feel better :)

He also doesn't really care that you're chubby; to him it just means better hugs :,)

He is also quite loud, so he doesn't mind at all about your lack of volume control ! He will probably swear at someone endlessly if they insult you about it X)

He's your personal hype man, what more can I say?