#Mrs Cabot loves her

[wild-fleurs]

Oh & I also have this headcanon that when Alex is back & back together/they’re working on their relationship she sends Casey flowers which she used to do when they first started dating thinking it would be cute & make her happy but got really worried and confused why Casey got upset/a bit freaked out & had to be told about when Casey was attacked & how the ruse was flower delivery & Alex feels terrible for 1 sending the flowers/triggering her & 2 not knowing/not being there when it happened for Casey

(I also kind of think my they were married but separated angle could be used to explain that losing Casey is what made Alex throw herself into her work so much & maybe even so focused on Zapata because she was distracting herself from missing Casey or thought she didn’t have anything else to lose obviously not know if what would happen to her)

You know continuing my delusions, can you imagine if Alex and Casey were together all along? So when Alex “died,” Casey started visiting Alex’s mom because, despite being an old money, Upper East Side, house-in-the-Hampton kind of woman, she absolutely adores Casey. She never thought Alex would find someone who would love her as much as Casey does. And Casey loves her because she doesn’t talk to her own mom anymore and Alex’s mom actually enjoys her company.

So what if, when Alex “dies,” Casey starts visiting her? At first shy about it but then going there twice, maybe three times a week. Alex’s mom is happy to have that piece of her daughter still in her life, so she loves doting on Casey and treating her like her own.

Until Alex’s mom dies, and then Casey is left grieving yet another person, yet another part of Alex. And Alex is absolutely wrecked, unable to go to her mom’s funeral, forever regretting that she wasn’t there for her mom. It’s only when she comes back that she finds out Casey was visiting her, and it gave her at least some comfort in knowing her mom wasn’t alone in her grief. It leads to a very tearful, emotional Alex clinging to Casey and thanking her over and over again for it. From then on, they go to her grave together and put flowers up every weekend.

[theitgirlnetwork]

What Are You Willing To Do?

Note: Hey everyone, its time to introduce a new boy to the lineup. Probably our craziest lead boy, Mr. Rafe Cameron. This is a snippet of his upcoming series. The first chapter should be coming out tomorrow along with an update in my other stories: Me and You and Better. I hope you all enjoy the snippet and are excited to embark on this new ride with me. It's gonna be toxic, sweet, and fun. Giving very, I can fix him/daddy I love him energy lol. But that's what Rafe needs! Pls heed the warnings though, this shit is for fun, and not real life, do not go find a crazy motherfucker like Rafe pls...or my oc. Let me know what you think and if you're excited for this story! The aesthetic for our leading lady is already posted. (Milan Cabot aesthetic).

Warning: Depictions of toxic relationships, dom/sub dynamics (throughout the series), obsession, explicit content and language (and everything else bad that comes with Rafe's crazy ass) MDNI.

“Take me home!” 

“Yeah? That’s what you want, kid, that’s exactly where I’ll take you.” Rafe chuckles humorously, pulling his hand from its place on her thigh, leaving the skin he’d been warming with his hand open to the cool night air. “Goin’ the fuck home.”

She watches as his large hand expertly whips the vehicle in the opposite direction of Tannyhill, turning to go down her neighborhood instead. The houses are just as nice, just as expensive, but she knew there would be something missing at her parents home. Rafe’s nonchalant, arrogant demeanor has her blood boiling under her skin in frustration. She wants to wipe the easy look off of his face. “M’not a fuckin’ kid.” she huffs, crossing her arms and leaning her head against the passenger window. 

She feels widened, sharp blue eyes burning into the back of her head as she stares into the dark streets, gasping when she feels the car jolt, tires skirting as the lunatic driver pulls into the shoulder of the road. Before she can react that same large hand is encasing her jaw, pointer finger and thumb pushing into her cheeks as he guides her face to his. “I’m like…I’m genuinely trying to figure out who the fuck you’re talking to.”

She whines a little, leaning into his hand, glancing over to the windows to ensure no one was witnessing this. “Rafe-”

“No, because, I know it’s not fuckin’ me. Like, you know better than that shit.” Rafe says, adjusting his grip, the cool metal of his ring resting against her cheek. “You know, I take bein’ your man like…insanely serious, like always…everything I do is for us. Like, you know that.”

“I…I do…”

“Handle business so I can make sure you have food to eat, buy you have the nicest shit, fuck you real good, m’not gettin’ the issue.”

“M’not saying there’s a problem.” 

Rafe releases his grip fully, taking to cupping her jaw instead, smoothing his thumb down the side of her neck. “And I don’t ask you for much do I, baby? Just hold me down. Listen to me. Trust me to build our life an’ shit, that’s too hard?”

“No, it isn’t, m’not saying I’m not grateful, Rafey, it’s just that sometimes-”

“I’m not trying to, like, minimize what you do for me.” Rafe cuts in again, softening his tone and leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. “But for this shit to work, princess, I need someone who’s gonna actually ride for me. And uh, I need to know now if you can do that, sweetheart. Got too much shit to do to keep having this conversation. Too many plans for us. You need to decide if you can be my woman.”

“I can, baby, I can.” she sighs, nudging Rafe’s nose with her own, ignorant to what he’d managed to do again, blissfully unaware as her eyes slip closed and her guard slips down. “M’sorry.”

“I know you are. But uh, what are you willing to do to show it?” he asks softly, working to keep the smirk off of his face as he watches the small resolve his girl had mustered crumble as she breathes him in, her knees retreating from facing the window and moving over to him instead.

“Anything, Rafey.”

“Yeah?” he says smugly, tugging her into a deep, nasty kiss, tonguing her down with his hand hooked in the necklace he’d bought her, holding her to him. “That’s good t’a hear, pretty girl. M’gunna hold you to that shit.” he murmurs against her lips before lightly nudging her back into her seat and starting the car, mumbling under his breath as he drives them to Tannyhill.

“‘Take me home.’ Must’ve lost your fuckin’ mind.”

[neuroprincess]

Weekend in the Hamptons - Alex Cabot/Female Reader

Alex Cabot/Female Reader

Summary: A family weekend brings good surprises for Y/N, for Alex too. Or, Y/N finally meets Alexander Cabot.

Classification: Fluff

Warnings: Reference to past depression

Word count: +3700

Meeting the parents of your loved one is an important event, especially when you are in a queer relationship, which is exactly why Y/N feels nervous as her long-time girlfriend drives down the beautiful tree-lined road on a late Friday afternoon. The sun among the leaves hitting her pale face, reflecting off the dark glasses and leaving cheeks flushed. Growing up in New York, specifically in Manhattan, Alex never required or felt the need to get a driver's license, but recently the idea of taking the other woman to places or just strolling together beyond the city encouraged her. So she obtained one and is now driving for the first time beyond the block from their apartment.

"You seem nervous." she comments as she turns the steering wheel right "My dad isn't a seven-headed monster, I swear, he changed a little after mom died. Just a little… stiff… eccentric? He'll love you."

"I'm not so sure about that." Y/N whispers and tries not to stare at her, admiring the scenery around "Will Mr. Cabot like the mint liqueur?"

"It's his favorite, don't worry." they stare at each other and the blonde smiles "We're coming soon, take a deep breath and everything will be fine."

"Alex…"

"Sweetheart, the fact that I love you will already make him love you too."

In a few minutes the car parks in front of a two-story house, tall and cozy looking, there are large windows, white details framing the structure and a beautiful well kept garden, trees surrounding it. It's a pleasant, but intimidating sight. The Cabot family is wealthy by heritage and work, they are judges, lawyers, businessmen, deans and even art curators coming from a cradle with renown, raised for greatness. It was no surprise to Y/N when her girlfriend told her that they had a house at the address synonymous of money, but that Alexander Harrison Cabot himself invited and insisted on having Y/N, a simple paralegal, to spend a family weekend in Hamptons. This was a great surprise.

"You are amazing and kind…" Alex turns off the car and begins talking to her girlfriend, joining their hands together as they look at each other tenderly.

"Ah!" both shout in fright as a bang on the passenger side window disrupts the moment, Y/N turns around to find a gray haired, unshaven and blue eyed gentleman staring at her through the glass, hands above his forehead shielding him from the sun, wearing a blue striped polo shirt (similar to those bowling ones) and white shorts, full of pockets. Not the sight she expected, none of them to be honest. The younger nods and tries to smile "Honey, he doesn't look anything like you described." she manages to say between an awkward smile.

"Believe me, I am equally surprised as you are."

When they get out of the car they soon find themselves being hugged by him a triple hug, it's warm and friendly, he even messes up his daughter-in-law's hair nonchalantly. The ADA stares at the scene not understanding anything, her dad, even in the heat, would dress more formally like a light social t-shirt and not so flashy shorts, suddenly he has turned into her grandfather who spent afternoons fishing. And Alexander had never been so receptive with someone, even she had never been hugged like that before.

"I am Alexander, it's a pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady. And you, I bet, must be Y/N?!" he grabs her hand and brings to his lips in an unexpected courteous gesture "My daughter told me a lot about you. Welcome!"

"Thank you, Mr. Cabot! Very kind of you…"

"No no no no, just call me Alexander." he winks and turns to Alex "My girl, even at that age you still are the little girl I taught to sail. Y/N, did you know that? She couldn't drive, but she learned to sail at 9 years old. Which brings me the surprise of seeing her behind the wheel of a car."

The man bombarded them with questions and little facts, animatedly pouring out word for word right there in the parking lot. Excited to meet the woman who conquered and entered his daughter's closed heart, he had waited so long for this moment, knowing about her existence gave him a glimmer of hope after all that had happened in the past few years. The death of his beloved Madeleine months after their only child was supposedly murdered, then her return was the breath of fresh air that brought him back to life and brought him out of the depression he had been sinking into for over a year. When Alex, who usually doesn't make first contact, called and said there was something important to say he didn't care that the person she loved was a woman, that she wasn't of the same social status and even less that she was younger. It's his daughter's person and that's what matters to him, that this person makes her happy, feel loved and appreciated.

"Come, come in." Alexander signs with hands for them to come in through the front door "I've prepared a dinner, I hope you like chicken." he says to the girl as she walks through the door, followed by her girlfriend "Your grandmother's recipe." and cheerfully completes for her "I'll get the suitcases."

"No need, daddy. I got it." the two begin to argue at the front door about who will get the suitcases in the trunk of the car, so Y/N realizes that stubbornness runs in the family, after three long minutes of debating they come to the conclusion that they each bring a suitcase "I'll get the one belonging to my woman." she says grabbing the bigger suitcase.

"Of course!" he closes the compartment and smiles surprised to hear his daughter call her partner like that, she, who always was closed off, would never refer to someone in that way unless she really loved her "She's lovely and kind, you two are great together."

"Yes, she is."

The three are gathered around the round dining table, the glass door behind them open bringing a draft of cold air and the beautiful view of the garden with a large pool. The sun is setting a little later than usual, taking a while to get dark. The glass bowls are in the center, it's a vast menu of salads, meat and some desserts, the man has made everything to be sure it pleases the girl.

"I have a lasagna in the oven if you prefer." he says cutting a piece of chicken breast and placing it on her empty plate "But first try this one, it's my mom's recipe, Mary Cabot. Alex's middle name came from her, so we named her Alexandra Marie."

"It's a classic name."

"Of course, that's why my wife loved it, I wanted to named her Leigh or Claire, but my favorite choice was Margot. You know, women boss, when we thought we would have a boy wanted to call him Alexander II, but then a nice surprise came and Madeleine wished to keep it for her." he puts his hand on the daughter's shoulder fondly remembering her birth and the little battle to choose a name for her, eventually honoring him and her grandmother at the same time "She was the longest baby in the maternity room that day, the chubbiest too."

"Daddy, don't embarrass me like that." she puts a hand to face and blushes, trying not to face her girlfriend laughing at the conversation "And when did you learn to cook? Where is Helen?" the absence of the family housekeeper who always accompanies them is strange.

"She retired, end of last year. Just like me, that's why I learned to cook, I wanted to do new things. I learned to cook, I learned to skate, bought new clothes, even read the Harry Potter books. And I'm learning carpentry, look near the pool."

Alex narrows her eyes and Y/N lifts the neck curiously, trying to find whatever it was where he points with a finger, there is a small pile of cut dark wood, tools and what looks like add-ons for the thing.

"What is that?" the blonde asks confused and sips the wine, having no idea what it could be.

"A playground!" he announces happily and as if it was obvious to guess.

"WHAT?" she almost screams spitting the wine on the white tablecloth unintentionally "Why? There have been no children in our family for years."

"My future grandchildren." now it's Y/N's turn to spit out the wine "Apparently you aren't planning that yet…. Or are you?" they stare at him in disbelief "I mean, you already have 40, my daughter. I'm not pressuring you, it's just… the last few days I've caught myself imagining some kids running around the garden. Spending weekends as a family, maybe me teaching them to sail too, I just…"

"It's okay, Mr- Alexander!" the younger smiles trying to reassure him "Well, Alex and I haven't planned anything concrete about, but don't worry. It looks like a great creation."

"I'm improving my skills, but Edward and Patrick from the club will come and help me finish."

"My children are not going to play on a playground set up by those two, they always have their shoes switched every time I see them." Alex argues.

"It's their cataracts, but they are great at carpentry, even made a bird box."

"What if they nail their own hands? Or leave a nail loose and my children end up getting hurt?"

The third person in the room just stared at them while they started another debate, so she understood from whom Alex inherited many characteristics and qualities she possesses, which make her an outstanding lawyer. Both are good with words, stubborn and know how to contest like no one else, even a completely hypothetical situation that would be her children and his grandchildren. Y/N was amused as she finished eating the meal, trying a little of each thing until she realized she had eaten too much.

"Okay, I'll hire a professional carpenter to help me…" the man begins to dictate what was agreed between them.

"And you have to set it up away from the pool, maybe near that tree."

"Perfect! Which gives me the idea of a swing and maybe a tree house, with a slide." he adds.

"Too high for a slide, actually too high for a tree house."

"I can build lower." then the two reach a middle ground and smile, shaking hands to close agreement "Always good to deal with you Cabot."

"I say the same, Cabot." the blonde turns to continue eating only to realize how entertained she has become in this hypothetical debate that her girlfriend is already eating the dessert "It happened again. Oops."

"You mean this is common?" the younger asks confused.

"Yes!" they answer in unison "Since I was a kid, dad was my first worthy opponent."

"That's cute." she comments without thinking, eyes full of sweetness staring at both father and daughter, admiring the relationship.

"You didn't think we are… weird?" Alex asks incredulously.

"Or eccentric?" he looks even more incredulous.

"Or nerdy?"

"Nothing like that, just cute." she shrugs and takes another spoonful of ice cream.

The evening was quiet, no more debates beyond the playground for hypothetical children. After dinner Alexander led them to a guest room on the second floor, Alex's old room from her childhood travels and now completely renovated, looking larger than she remembered. It had been decorated in white, birch and shades of light blue. It's decorated with marine items like ships in glass bottles, seashells, sculptures of sea animals and paintings of beach landscapes. Hanging above the bed had been placed a framed picture of a hand painting of the Cabot family sailboat, named Arabella. The ADA pretended not to be surprised or delighted by what he had done, but once her father closed the door wishing them a good night she ran to the bookcase to get the seashells, recognizing them as those she had collected during the course of her life, which she had picked up on trips with her parents. It was one of the few moments when she could be just Alex or Lexie, as her mom affectionately called her, walking down the sandy lane hand in hand with both of them, looking for little colorful things together, this is how she became a collector of seashells, at least until age 15 when the memories of a more tender childhood gave way to thick books and piles of certificates. Alexander kept them all, even when she said he could throw them away. When she realized she was being watched coughed falsely and left the decorations in place, turning to girlfriend, kissing her affectionately.

"I told you he would love you."

Saturday is sunny, the heat hits the clear room and reaches Alex's naked back, the burning bothering the sensitive skin making her fully awake. The woman grumbles and extends her arm across the other side of the bed, only to find the sheets bare and smooth. She uses her elbows to sit up in bed and searches Y/N around the room, but there is no sign of her presence, the house is also silent. When she looks at the alarm clock on the bedside she is startled by the time, never on a normal day would she allow herself to wake up 1pm, she hasn't slept this late or this much in years. The night before she went to bed right after dinner, exhausted from working all day at the courthouse advancing paperwork and still driven, a short trip that knocked her out. The ADA gets up quickly, rushing to shower and get dressed for the day, opting for an unprinted white t-shirt, jeans and a comfortable slipper.

"Hey, where were you two?" Alex asks as she sees her dad and girlfriend walking through the garden door, she seems to laugh at something the man said.

"Your dad took me to lunch, we didn't want to wake you up. You looked so tired." Y/N approaches and deposits a kiss on the blonde's temple "Good morning, honey!"

"Good morning, sweetheart!" she murmurs and is about to kiss her on the lips as they do every morning when she remembers being in her dad's presence, then pulls away and blushes.

"You can kiss your woman, Alex." Alexander laughs and leaves some bags on the table "We brought you something to eat, we also got you your favorite ice cream."

"What time did you wake up?"

"Early, had coffee and went shopping, ended up at that restaurant you love." he reports cheerfully "Your girlfriend is great company."

"You are two traitors." she laughs and pulls Y/N to herself, making her sit on the lap "What are the plans for today?"

"We can go to the beach, maybe have dinner somewhere or go to Ed's house, the guys called you for a poker night."

"No way."

"Alex, please…" Y/N pouted and made puppy dog eyes, knowing the woman couldn't resist that.

"Okay." she rolls her eyes reluctantly accepting.

 "How about that one?" the younger asks running along the shore of the beach, picking up something colorful partially covered by the sand "It's orange."

"It's beautiful." the blonde smiles and takes the shell in her hand, admiring the coloring "You officially got your first seashell."

They exchange a quick kiss and continue walking around with their hands together, Alex holding a small children's bucket where what they find are being placed. There are a few shells, but the bottom is filled with different colorful stones they found along the way, the ADA carefully places the new addition on top. Alexander walks in front of them, admiring the scenery.

"I confess I never imagined you were someone who likes the sea." Y/N comments opening a silly smile, managing to materialize the image "Always surprising me."

"I think I got so caught up in my role in the troubled and stressful city life for so long that I almost forgot that part about myself. I'm sorry."

"For what?

"I don't know, maybe for not telling you." they stop walking and stare at each other for a millisecond, she embarrassed, Y/N confused.

"Alex, there's no reason for you to apologize, plus I love finding out new things about you." the younger smiles and takes her girlfriend's hand to lips, kissing the palm of the hand while looking at her lovingly "And each thing I find out makes me fall in love with you even more."

Before Alex could answer the man calls them over, pointing to a pair of shells brought in by the water, a white with blue larger and a slightly smaller yellow one. He picks them up off the ground and lifts the shells to show them.

"It's you two!" Alexander says running up to them "The big one is Alex, the color is reminiscent of your eyes. And you, Y/N, are the yellow one. Your aura has that color." he puts the shells in the bucket and runs back to where he was, looking for more shells.

"I used to think so, but now I'm pretty sure, my dad hit the head and changed his personality." Alex whispers and faces him, she had never seen him this way before "Like in those movies you make me watch."

"And that you like. Let's go, before we lose him on the beach."

They found some more shells and went home to take a bath after enjoying their day at the beach. The Cabots were the first to get ready, while Y/N finishes getting ready in their room. Then Alex sees her father neat and tidy again, he is wearing a social blouse and decent shoes, his hair is perfectly styled, beard trimmed, just like she always saw him before.

"I wanted to give you something, I never thought I would pass it on, but here it is…" Alexander pulls out of his pants pocket a small dark green velvet box "This is the ring my father used to propose to my mother, your grandparents. And when I saw how you and Y/N look at each other I knew instantly that it must belong to you."

"Daddy… I…"

"And I may have seen your research history on the laptop unintentionally when I borrowed it." he confesses and steps closer, handing the box into his hands "I would love to have her in the family."

"Thank you, daddy."

"Ah, here she is!" he announces turning his daughter around so that the younger can't see what's in her hands "Look, dear, your girlfriend looks beautiful…"

"Yes…" Alex is awestruck when Y/N comes out of the room dressed in party clothes, it's delicate, the outfit fits her body perfectly, each cut, measurement and the color, her favorite, highlights her as if she were glowing "Sweetheart, you look amazing!" she says approaching.

"I know, your dad bought it for me, in fact he insisted on paying for it."

"I couldn't leave the store without buying, her eyes sparkled seeing the window display." he says excitedly "I already made reservations at that seaside restaurant."

"I forgot to use perfume…" Y/N remembers and rushes back to the room, also to do some touch ups, that place is extravagantly chic, like the places her girlfriend takes her on special dates. She doesn't want to look out of place.

"It's for in half an hour, two places."

"I thought you were going with us." Alex frowns and faces him "You arranged the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Maybe so, I hope you two enjoy the evening. If you want we'll still have poker night afterwards, otherwise the house is all yours, the pool too. I have my plans too." Alexander winks and nods to the girl leaving the room, adjusting her outfit "You look perfect, beautiful lady."

"Thank you, Alexander." her cheeks turn rosy.

"Excuse me, girls. Edward broke the poker table, so I'm going over to help him fix it until the game, enjoy the restaurant for me." he grabs his jacket from the armchair and quickly puts it on without giving time for a reaction "See you later, dear. Take good care of Y/N. And Y/N, take good care of my girl. Oh, I'm bringing the mint liquor for the night, I love the treat."

"Right!" they reply in unison and look at each other as the man hurries out the door.

"I have to say…" Alex begins to speak, letting out the breath she barely realized she was holding, and places a hand on her girlfriend's waist "You look incredibly stunning today, you are beautiful every day, but today you shine. I am so lucky to have you as my woman." then kisses her gently, hands running up to reach her face and caresses with fingertips "And I can't wait to get these clothes off of you."

"And I your clothes, you look fucking sexy."

"Dirty mouth!"

"You love my mouth."

"You're right…"

They smile and walk to the door holding hands, fingers intertwined, Alex's thumb caressing the soft skin. The blonde stares at her girlfriend, the hair, clothes, the body she loves every part and small details, the gentle face with a smile that makes her melt, but nothing makes her weaker than the Y/E/C eyes that always make her body quiver passionately. Every single thing about Y/N delights her, her personality, dedication, how sweet and understanding she can be but also a beast to protect her, how they can be very different in some ways to the point of complementing each other, just as they share many characteristics and passions. She sighs after closing the passenger door, watching the younger settle into her seat through the glass and puts her hand in the coat pocket, feeling the soft little box against the fingertips. She moves the object and smiles. When she got in the car the day before the idea was still being seeded, but one day spent together away from everything was enough for ADA to know that she is the right woman and maybe her dad's, suddenly invasive, little push gave her the courage she needed. A simple family weekend in the Hamptons suddenly turns into plans to make Y/N a Cabot putting the family ring on her finger. Y/N Cabot. Alexandra Cabot's future wife.

[safficranger]

Your League

Pairing: Alexandra Cabot / Casey Novak

Adrenaline surged through her veins, clouding her senses and making the world around her blur. In that moment, there was only them, and she prayed it would never end.

Hot lips whispered seductively with a husky, desire-filled voice, planting soft kisses along her neck that sent shivers down her spine.

Skilled hands explored her body, disappearing under her blazer and causing her breath to hitch. While one hand settled on her hip, the other slowly found its way upward, tracing along the buttons of her blouse. A deep sigh rose within her, clearly giving away the effect these touches had.

Her back pressed against the rough wall, the warm body of the other woman pressed against hers with tempting clarity. There was very little room to breathe; she was trapped, yet she hadn't felt this free in a long time.

"Alex, what are you saying?" Casey asked when she pulled away a few inches.

Startled, Alex opened her eyes. She hadn't been aware she had said something.

"Look at us," she whispered breathlessly. "I feel like a teenager making out behind the school building. I can’t resist you and I think I haven’t felt this good in a long time."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I wasn't sure if you wanted it too."

"I wasn't aware of how much I wanted it, Casey."

Instead of a response, the redhead kissed her again. It was so warm and inviting that she couldn't resist. The kiss stirred feelings within her that she thought she had lost. Her heart pounded wildly, and she was sure Casey could feel it.

Only the need for oxygen made them pause once more.

"Why did you follow me outside?" she asked softly.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"This place feels suffocating tonight. So many people. I just needed to step out for some fresh air."

"Seems like Mr. Overly White Teeth over there had the same idea," Casey responded, nodding towards a man who stood a few meters away eying them sceptically. “He followed you outside.”

Alex hadn't noticed him until that moment. When they both looked in his direction, he quickly retreated back into the bar.

"Jealous?" the blonde asked, turning to her partner with a grin.

"Jealous? Not of someone like him," Casey snorted. "He doesn't even come close to your league. I know it, you know it, and he knows it.” She chuckled “But I guess after a few drinks, he conveniently forgot"

"My league, huh?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Your league," Casey confirmed. After a brief pause, she added, "I just wasn't sure which team you were playing for."

Alex looked at her for a long moment, getting lost in the warm green eyes that radiated so much love. How many times had Casey looked at her like that before, and yet she had never truly understood its depth until now.

"Your team, Casey," she whispered, leaning in to capture the other woman's lips with a kiss. Before she could deepen it, the redhead interrupted, gently stroking her lower lip with her thumb.

"As tempting as it is, we can't stay here," she said softly.

Alex nodded, reluctantly pulling away.

"I don't want it to end," she admitted.

"It doesn't have to, Alex," Casey reassured her. "But this isn't the right place."

Alex nodded again.

“The others will soon wonder where we`ve disappeared. You know how they are. And as happy I am to finally have you in my arms I am not quite ready to share this moment with the Squad”

They fell into a comfortable silence and Alex played with the collar of Casey's blouse, lost in thought. Her fingers trailed along the soft fabric, occasionally grazing the skin beneath. She couldn't help but smile as she noticed the goosebumps her touch elicited, a silent confirmation of the effect she had on Casey.

"Alex…" Desire resonated in the other woman's voice.

"Come home with me tonight." The blonde whispered, trying to suppress the insecurity inside her. The fear of rejection ran deep.

Casey locked eyes with her.

"Is this what you really want?" she asked, having to make sure she didn`t move to quick.

"I don't want it to end." She repeated and Casey understood.

"Let's go back inside, Alex. The night is still young," she suggested, brushing a strand of blonde hair aside. Leaning in close, she whispered seductively, "I promise you won't have to go home alone."

After one more tender kiss, Casey took Alex's hand and guided her back into the pub.

[kissproof]

Could you possibly do something with both mr.orange (readers boyfriend) who finally goes out and meets the rest of the dogs after giving Mr.orange a lovely hickey to show off. The dogs obviously give him a hard time about it but Mr.white just admires her handiwork and comments something like "that must have felt good" or "that must make him crazy worked up if you were able to get it that dark" until the reader offers to give Mr.white one as well. Which ends up possibly as a threesome.

thank you for your request loveeeee <3

SUMMARY: a hickey is worth a thousand words

WARNINGS: mature themes!

to say it was bad was an understatement. the goddamn thing was like europe threw up on the side of orange’s neck. you’d given it to him the night before in the back of a bar where the two of you giggled and got handsy like teenagers. it had only further developed since the darkness fell over it and left orange looking undeniably wringed out.

after hours of useless fretting over it, he wore the hickey proudly. he told himself that it was just another piece of you; a deliciously painful memory of your lips that he could carry throughout his day. plus, you were gonna meet the other dogs today. with you on his arm, it was like another trophy attached to its olympian.

as you strolled up to pat lorraine's, eddie and vic were already outside, stalking like gravekeepers with their smoking cigarettes. they eyed you both through sunglasses of varying tints, eddie making sure his pretty eyes got protected from the excessive californian UV.

“ain’t she somethin’?” eddie whistled within ear shot, marveling at the paint job of fred’s car as he curled it round the parking lot and stopped it at their feet. it was funny eddie said anything at all. he could’ve bought twelve of fred’s car plus the one he sat in now.

“well, she ain’t yours, pal,” freddie retorts with a smirk, yanking the gear in place with his head out the window.

“wasn’t talking about your girl.” vic squints, unwavering in his cloud of smoke. “but…now that you mention it…” he drops his sunglasses further down his nose and winks at you through the windshield.

with an eye roll, fred gets out of the car and your eyes follow his hurried footsteps along the asphalt, biting your lip as you wait. you hear your door jack open and shut, a rush of hot air hitting your arm.

“thank you, baby,” you hum with a smile.

“holy shit!” eddie cries, beside himself. “what the fuck is that?”

your attention is brought quickly from your body to the ever-so-obvious mark on freddie’s neck now that you were both gleaming in the sunlight.

“oh… i-" you stammer.

“i haven’t seen one that big since you got out of jail, vic!”

“fuck you, cabot.”

“what the fuck is taking you dicks so long— jesus, orange, your neck." a new voice emerges from the left of you followed by a pair of goofy long legs.

“i know," freddie grumbles, turning his body away and pinching his nose bridge.

“sorry. i’m pink--mr pink. nice to meet you.”

“nice to meet you,” you say politely, forming your hand to his as he extends to greet you. you note that all of them smell of the same smoke.

“you do that?” pink asks, in awe, and you can only blush.

“let’s go,” freddie sighs and walks you inside, a hand on your back as you make it through the doors and spot two more men sitting down at a large table.

“hey! there they are! hello, beautiful.” the older man, who you know to be white, stands up with his arms outstretched and kisses your cheek as they all file in and sit down in their respective seats, leaving one open for you next to orange.

“hello-“

“what the fuck happened to you?” brown recoils, interrupting. his arm leaned on the back of his seat, yet another cigarette parked between his big fingers.

“what does it look like?” freddie cocks his hip, totally flustered.

“sweet thing gave our boy a real juicy kiss!” eddie laughs.

“it’s bigger than my hand!”

fred finally sits down next to you as white does the same, sandwiching you between them. “mustve taken a while…" he trails, eyeing your lips and imagining fred's neck. "t'get it that dark”

you eye white, curiously. “what? you want one, white?” brown smirks. a few scrapes of silverware is heard over the sudden silence of the table.

“just sayin… it’s a beautiful job.”

orange reaches his arm around your chair and hugs close to you. “well, you can all get a good look ‘cuz im done talking about it.”

“awwwwwww!”

“lover boy's embarrassed!”

you look back at freddie, then back to the guys. you shrug. “i’ll give you one too if you like it so much.”

“oh, yeah?” white adjusts himself in his seat and smiles, his face turning red.

freddie furrows his brow before poking his head in to get closer to white.

“in your dreams, white. she’s kidding.”

“i'm not!" you whine.

“baby-“

“it’s just a little kiss…”

you can't help but feel all the dogs' eyes watching you and orange as you look at each other, negotiating with the micromovements in your eyes. they'd never guessed orange would date someone who'd be so charitable!

eventually, freddie sighs, scooting himself back to face the other side of the diner, “…fine.”

you can imagine what happens next.

[aries-rising-on-an-aquarius-tide]

Now that Kelli has been gone for a bit, I feel like I can get this off my chest: Wolf Productions done fucked up.

Not for the first time, and not right from square one. But gosh, what a waste.

Kelli Giddish's Rollins was the only female character with the depth and acting chops behind her on the show since Cabot was a regular. She showed up and was able to go toe to toe with Mariska in carrying episodes - both personally related to her character, or to cases - not to mention had electric chemistry with Benson (sexual or not, take your pick).

With all the flack that SVU had taken over the years for not having a more diverse cast in regards to sexuality, Amanda was the earliest and best opportunity they had to develop a complex, interesting storyline of an adult woman coming to her sexuality late in life. I am not even necessarily the most ravenous Rolivia Shipper out there, but I'm heartbroken that they took Amanda's character over the years into the most boring, obvious, dissatisfying of directions.

I adored Amanda's wild/problematic side. Her episodes with her fighting with Amaro, dealing with her gambling addiction, shooting her sister's ex, or going rogue undercover are my favorite episodes of basically the last 10 yrs of the show. It was so good to finally have someone in the squad who was easier to relate to in a real-world sense. Someone who went to a Big Girl job in the day, but in the off hours was a mess with a rebellious streak.

It was always my hope that they would turn around the storylines where she seemed to chase men that were purposely bad for her, into a realization that it was because she was more emotionally into women. It fits so perfectly with her childhood, her background, and had ready-made holes in existing canon where they could have written it in with ease. (Pretending to be Liv's gf at the sperm bank, the remarks she makes in the episode Plastic, questioning her second pregnancy, etc.)

Instead, they had Carisi mope after her for years, all through the seasons where she showed no interest in him. I lost 50% of my respect for Carisi when he had that sulking tantrum after she fucked the bartender in Intent (a sexist double-standard btw, which would have never flown with fans if it had been Rollins pouting bc Carisi turned her down), and the other 50% after Carisi became ADA, with the writers seeming to then write him as rather victim-blaming.

The biggest irony, in my opinion, is that Dick Wolf complains that giving the fans EO will make the show too 'soap opera-y,' when what he/they did with Rollisi and Kelli's exit was far and away the most soap opera-esque thing they ever wrote! Fuck off with that obvious shit! Oh, the once-troubled blonde who is now straight as an arrow, rides off into the sunset with the Catholic altar boy and trades her powerful feminist position for a 9-5 (don't come for me, there's nothing wrong w being a professor, that's not the point here) and her two kids. Eat all of my ass, Mr. Cis-het, White, Only-Primetime-Billionaire Wolf. 🙄***

To make matters worse, they specifically brought in a POC actress to play a bisexual character, only to write her out as fast as possible for absolutely no discernable reason!?! The utter waste of what they did with Kat Tamin is an equal travesty. Give me Kat waking up in Amanda's bed. Give me Amanda making pancakes for breakfast and Kat carrying the kids to the table. Give me anything but the bullshit, Caucasian tripe that they sold us with Rollisi!!!

*takes deep breath*

And if - IF - the powers that be couldn't think beyond the end of an average-length cock when it came to Rollins, then for the love of all that is holy: her chemistry with Sergeant Khaldun was 1) vastly more believable 2) hotter 3) more diverse as an overall cast option and 4) less cringeworthily obvious.

I have loved SVU since I was 16 yrs old, and even though I gave up watching it around The People v. Richard Wheatley (for reasons unrelated to this specific rant), I still lurk in the background and keep myself vaguely caught up. But it's getting impossible to defend a lot of the choices they have made in the last three or four years. Good talent is so hard to hang onto these days in H'wood, and Dick Wolf seems just as, if not more, determined to fuck up his show as Chris Carter was in the 90s with TXF.

Thanks for coming to my TED Rant. 😮‍💨✌🏻

- HeartEyes4Mariska

***Not to mention the Barisi Shippers got robbed in the process.

[ask-jay-gatsby]

Dear Mr. Gatsby,

Greetings! I would have sent a letter sooner, but alas, I couldn’t find your address until now. I would love to attend one of your parties sometime! only if Nick is there They must be quite the spectacle if so many people are present.

Though I have heard many a rumor about you, I doubt the validity of most all of them. And so, I would like to form a sort of correspondence acquaintanceship with you. I hope you don’t mind and that you and your neighbor are doing well.

If I may ask, do you have any favorite artists? And yes, I know that is a broad term; choose anyone who does any art form you desire to mention. As a creative mind myself, I would love to see what you appreciate in particular. It’s fascinating how everyone can have such different opinions on what they find appealing, and all of it is justified.

P.S. If we ever stumble upon each other in-person, I have a gift of (very legal) alcohol waiting.

Sincerely,

August

POST: LONG ISLAND, NY. AUG 1922

Dear August,

Delighted to make your acquaintance. While I am concerned as to what particular rumors you might've heard about me, rest assured that the good ones are true and the bad ones are not. At least, that's what I like to pretend. I could do a great many good things and nobody would know. But the bad—oh, well, everyone would know.

If you'd like to write to Nick, he takes letters at this address: @ask-nick-carraway. Though he's been somewhat preoccupied as of late. Hasn't had much time to check the mailbox at his cottage...

Anyway! What a wonderful inquiry. I have become quite an appreciator of the arts, both fine and rudimentary, as I have painted myself and spent much time among the great artists of our generation and beyond. I have such fondness for Lilla Cabot Perry of the Boston Guild of Artists. I attended her showing here in New York earlier this year and bought a whole array of postcards (along with genuine works). I will attach a postcard for you of a work that hangs in my office. It's a picture of distant and exotic Mount Fuji.

Sincerely and emphatically,

Jay Gatsby

[littlemissvincentvega]

can you plssss do nsfw hcs of Reservoir Dogs? maybe their favourite position? if this is uncomfortable u dont need to write this! no pressure xx

the reservoir dogs & their favourite positions

a/n: thank you for the request babe i'm sorry i didn't do it right away i kind of suck at getting to them but i'm remembering how much i love writing!!! enjoy 🥰🥰

18+ explicit content / reservoir dogs x reader

cw: references to p in v sex, oral (f and m receiving), bdsm, slapping, spanking

mr. white / larry dimmick:

larry is kind of an oldschool guy in general, so i feel like missionary would be his thing. he likes to be able to see his girl's pretty face when he fucks her, and it gives him the freedom to be rough and dirty or slow and passionate. if it's the former, he'll pause every so often to lean down and kiss her forehead for taking him so well 🥺

mr. orange / freddy newandyke:

freddy just SCREAMS cowgirl to me. he likes to be able to see all of his girl, tits bouncing in his face and every inch of his cock buried in her sweet pussy. maybe he's just a lazy bitch? it gives him the freedom to touch her everywhere, though-- squeezing her ass, her hips, waist, kneading her breasts and pressing kisses to them while she rides him. he usually brings his thumb to her clit so he can see her face when she comes. that's a sight he never gets bored of

mr. brown:

idk why but i feel like brown likes a rope bunny. he likes to tie his girl up and i can see him enjoying her being hog-tied, him kneeling beside the bed so he can eat her pussy or facefuck her. but bondage aside he likes missionary, with his girl's legs in the air and her feet resting on his shoulders (i think you know why 🦶🦶😏)

mr. pink:

pink is sort of obsessed with eating his girl's pussy, so his favourite position is between her legs with his arms around her thighs. that way he can look up and see her face, see the ecstasy he's bringing to her with his tongue. he's also a fan of facesitting. it makes him sooo fuckin hard when his girl comes on his face and he's practically suffocated by her cunt. this guy has a magic tongue and i think we all know it

mr. blonde / vic vega:

woah okay this kinky motherfucker where do i even begin?? vic likes to slap during sex so doggy style is his go-to. it gives him the freedom to grab his girl's hips or waist so he can fuck her as hard as he likes (and trust me, he likes to POUND into that pussy) and slap her ass so hard she can't sit comfortably for a week. sometimes he'll bring his arm around her torso and clamp his hand around her throat, hold her upright and grunt dirty things into her ear. he's still proud of her being such a good girl, though, and sometimes he'll kiss the little patch of skin behind her ear

'nice guy' eddie cabot:

eddie is sort of a wild card when it comes to positions. he likes cowgirl because he's lazy and likes his girl's tits in his face, he likes fucking her from behind so he can slap her ass, he likes missionary so he can get as deep in her pussy as he wants. it all depends on the mood he's in. i also think eddie would like doggy style in front of a mirror so he can see his girl's face while he pounds her, it reeeeallly gets him off. another thing about eddie? he loves when his girl gets on her knees for him and begs for him to come all over her face and tits, it drives him feral 🥵

[jordanstark007]

Calex Kids 3/6

Owen Cabot-Novak

The Politician

(Set Season 14, just run with it, & the Olivia mentioned is not Olivia Benson)

“Call off your puppies.” Owen smirked at the sound of his mother over the phone, leaning backwards in his chair, the phone at his ear,

“Its good to hear from you to mom, what can I do for you this fine afternoon?” He could hear the eye roll from across the phone,

“I don’t need protecting Owen, neither does your mama, we’re fine.” A heavy sigh escaped from the president his gaze glaring holes at the ceiling of the Oval Office.

“The detail stays. You are my mother and I will have you protected. Now I have a press conference in 15 minutes about my decision to run for a second term, as president, considering the fact that the only reason I am the president was because I was the designate survivor. I love you.” The call ended with a quiet I love you echoing from Alex’s end, and Olivia walking into his office,

“Mr President are you ready?” Owen sighed heavily his head in his hands, before he nodded,

“Of course.” The speech should have been routine, the words were rehearsed, prepared and the questions rattled off answered with a precise precision that had been drilled into him.

Until Olivia interrupted a quiet whisper echoing into his ear, “Owen your mothers been shot, she’s on the way to the hospital now.”

The world fell silent before he looked up his eyes harbouring an angry fury, “I want the jet set for New York now.” She went to argue but his expression coxed a pause in her disagreement, as she nodded,

“Ok.” He released a breathe before returning to the podium,

“I apologise to you all but I will be unable to continue this evening, my mother has been rushed to the hospital and I will be flying to New York, to be at her side. Thank you, goodnight.” He rushed from the stage, immediately, making his way to the black limo, although he knew they’d take too long so veering off he found his most prized possession. His Harley Davidson, forgoing all decorum her mounted the bike, speeding toward the air strip.

“Mr President!” Owen smirked before speeding off,

“I’ll meet you there Olivia.” Owen didn’t know how many laws he broke speeding to the airstrip, but he met the jet in record time, minus his security detail and campaign manager.

“Mr President, we weren’t expecting you for another 15 minutes.” Owen nodded, he’d abandoned all presidential decorum the moment he’d heard his mother had been shot.

“I know, let’s get in the air, I want another Air Force 2 sent for Liv, but I want to be in the air in the next five, my mothers and siblings need me.”

Paparazzi surrounded Owen when he was disembarking from the plane, but his focus rested solely on his mother, was she even still alive? Arriving at the hospital the looks he received where humorous, wide eyes, and open mouths.

But he didn’t care he found her mama, immediately taking her into his arms and his sisters who hugged him briefly, before returning to their seats or in Alec’s case pacing continuously back and forth.

“Where is she, is she okay?” Atlas glanced over at her brother, the tears flowing freely.

“She’s still in surgery, we don’t know anything else.” Owen nodded, his back flush against the wall as he security team ran through the halls of the hospital attempting to locate their missing president. Olivia trailing behind with a hardened expression, when they found him, she glared harshly.

“The senate already hate the fact that they have a 24 year old for president, and you go and be reckless, what were you thinking?!” Owen looked over at his family dragging he woman into the hallway,

“I was thinking that my mother has already been shot once for this job, and she was put into Witness protection for 4 years because of it, I wasn’t there then I was in Boston get my masters degree in politics so that I could do this fucking job.” Olivia backed off slightly the anger radiating from Owen in waves

“Owen-“

“I was made the designated survivor that night by fluke accident, I was never supposed to survive, but I did and I was the only one left, so I took the damn job because my country needed me. And now my family needs me, so I apologise if I don’t give a damn about what some sorry sons of bitches that I put in power say! I get that they think that I shouldn’t have this job, I get it it goes against the constitution, but I also know that of everyone I would do what was best for the people, and the people of this country know that!”

“Owen!” He turned to her suddenly, now paying attention to the woman in front of him,

“You need to calm down, you’re not thinking clearly.” He nodded, tears now welling in his eyes,

“My mother is dying Liv, don’t tell me to calm down!” He paced relentlessly, until she grabbed his arms spinning him around so that his lips landed on hers, when the kiss ended, his head fell to her shoulder as he sobbed,

“I’m sorry, Liv, I’m so sorry.” She pressed a soft kiss to his temple,

“I know Owen, I know. Now you need to man up and march in there and show them that the president is handling this, and show your family that you’re there for them.” Owen nodded wiping away the tears furiously,

“Of course,” He strode into the waiting room taking a seat with his family, his mama clutching his hand, and Atlas crying on his shoulder. The waiting near killed him.

When William emerged, Owen stood the surgeon surprised at the sight of his brother, “Will, is mom okay?”

The man sighed heavily, eyes downcast, “She made it out of surgery, but she’s not out of the woods yet, the next 24 hours are crucial. Mama can got sit with her but it’s one at at time.” The family of 7 all nodded, Casey walking slowly toward her wife’s hospital room, as Owen watched.

He sat relived until Olivia tapped him on the shoulder, “Mr President have you got a minute?”

He nodded slowly, following his campaign manager into a near empty hallway, passing him her phone, “What’s this?”

The woman smiled victoriously, “It’s the public’s reaction to you leaving the Presidential address early, support has gone up 73%, Owen, read some of the comments.”

His gaze filtered through the comments the people commending his dedication to his family, combing through them all he noticed the call for him to run for another term, they wanted him as their president, only this time it was their choice and they wanted him in office.

He nodded a small smile curling at his lips, “This is good.”

Olivia’s wide smile faltered slightly at his seemingly disheartened response, “What’s wrong I thought you’d be happy?”

He glanced up at her handing back the phone, “I will be when my mother makes it through the night, then we’ll celebrate. You me and a nice bottle of champagne, until then, have everything that requires immediate attention faxed over to the Vice President I need to be with my family.”

Elliot: “They’ve got an army of kids.”

Liv: “There’s only 6 of them.”

Elliot: “Only six?! One Cabot-Novak could take over the state, but six?! They’ll be running the country.”

Liv: “One of them already is.”

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Number 7

Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ll be counting my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “Now, I may be wrong…but frankly, I doubt it.”

Number 7 is…Jessica Fletcher, from Murder, She Wrote.

I had a tough time deciding between Jessica Fletcher and our previous pick, Columbo. Both are from classic detective programs, and each show had a remarkably long lifespan (incidentally, both ended the same year, 2003). However, while I love the twist formula of Columbo, I personally always liked “Murder, She Wrote” a little more. I blame this on two primary facts: one of them is the simple fact that I’m a sucker for an old-fashioned “Whodunnit” mystery, of a more traditional sort. The other is summed up in two words: Angela Lansbury.

Angela Lansbury – may she rest in peace – was, is, and always has been one of my favorite actresses. She was one of those ubiquitous types of performers where it’s hard to say where people would know here best from: for some, she may be recognized most chiefly for her work in musical theatre, with shows like “Mame,” “Gypsy,” and “Sweeney Todd.” Others may know her for her connections to Disney films, like “Beauty and the Beast” or “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” Still others may know her for any of a variety of other shows and parts some may call more “serious,” such as the villain of “The Manchurian Candidate.” And of course, for some, there’s “Murder, She Wrote,” where Lansbury – from 1984 to 2003 – played the marvelous Jessica Fletcher, easily my favorite female detective character in all of fiction.

Jessica can best be described as a sort of combination of Ellery Queen and Miss Marple. She’s a mystery writer who lives in a quaint little town – the fictional seaside village of Cabot Cove – and uses her experience writing detective work to help her solve crimes. While she finds plenty of cases in her hometown, research for her books (along with past experiences and jobs, such as working as a teacher) has brought Jessica all over the globe, and she has many friends and connections as a result of her travels. In a typical “Murder, She Wrote” episode, Jessica will find that one of these connections is under suspicion for murder. However, for one reason or another – sometimes simple faith in her friends, other times for more practical and logical reasons – Jessica refuses to believe they are responsible. When the police dismiss Mrs. Fletcher, she takes matters into her own hands and eventually solves the case and clears her friend’s name.

Mrs. Fletcher’s sheer determination and confidence are probably her most noteworthy traits as an amateur sleuth. Once she feels she’s right about something, nine times out of ten (at least), she typically is, and she won’t allow anyone to tell her differently or treat her as inferior for any reason. Her personality is fun, too, of course: she is in some ways a very soft, almost maternal figure, but she also has a sharp wit and a fine amount of sass in her soul. However, what I personally find most interesting about Jessica Fletcher is her attitude towards crime itself. I’d argue she is probably one of the most empathetic detectives out there.

Most of the time when Fletcher solves a case…she’s sad about it. There’s almost always this sense of pity and sympathy towards the ones she helps take down, even when they try to kill her, themselves, in turn. When she isn’t sad, she’s angry; this is most typical when the killers are people she knows well. She recognizes that murderers are just as human as the ones whose lives they destroy. Many of the victims in the show were unlikeable people, and while Jessica can’t agree with the ones who took them out – especially since they often endangered people close to her – there’s a sense she often feels sorry for them. In her mind, they aren’t necessarily bad people, simply people who made bad choices. So she doesn’t hate them; mostly, she seems to feel disappointed in them.

The series gave Lansbury a lot of room to flex her acting chops, in a lot of different ways. As the nominal star of the show, she had a lot of input on the content of episodes, and Jessica was not the only character she played in the show. There was also Jessica’s flamboyant cousin, Emma, a recurring figure who even took over for Jessica in one story. It’s hard to imagine anybody else now in the role, and I would argue it’s the actress, as much as the character herself, who makes this series so enjoyable to watch.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 6!

CLUE: “I did not know the bank was being robbed because I was engaged in my sworn duty as a police officer.”

[serenasoutherlyns]

simplicity and other myths - chapter one

Alex Cabot came careening back into her life like a car into a wall. Big pieces of brick littered the floor around her. Olivia just stood stunned on the sidewalk.

cabenovak. mature. ao3.

Alex Cabot came careening back into her life like a car into a wall. Big pieces of brick littered the floor around her. Olivia just stood stunned on the sidewalk.

--- Casey was awoken around midnight by the buzzing of her phone. Olivia, she knew before she checked it.

“Hey, Liv,” Casey said in a sleep-filled voice.

“Hey,” came Olivia’s voice. There was no way she’d been to sleep yet, Casey thought. “Are you awake?”

I am now, Casey thought, but said simply “Yes.”

“Can I come over?”

“Of course,” said Casey. When she hung up the phone she considered tidying her room a little, but decided she couldn’t be bothered. Olivia wouldn’t mind a few pairs of underwear on the floor or a couple glasses on the nightstand. She lay in bed until Olivia arrived. She buzzed her up and waited in the living room in her ratty pajamas, water in hand. She heard Olivia’s footsteps growing louder in the hallway and opened the door before she had a chance to knock.

As soon as she entered they were all over each other. Olivia clearly had a bad day, but she tried to spare Casey the details now that she had decided not to go back to the DA’s office. It had been on and off since she came back to New York, since they ran into each other at a coffee shop. They were not under the impression that anybody was in love with each other, but it wasn’t just sex. Casey liked being friends with Olivia.

“You alright?” Casey checked in.

“Fine,” breathed Olivia, “a little pissed.” She left it at that.

“What are you feeling tonight?”

“Hm,” Olivia said, starting to push Casey into the bedroom, “what are you feeling?”

“I’m just along for the ride,” said Casey, flopping onto her unmade bed.

“Okay,” said Olivia, taking off her shirt. Casey admired her abs, the black bra she wore. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

---

“Liv, coffee?” Casey said, popping her head into her bedroom where Olivia was beginning to wake up.

“Sure.” Olivia sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“Two minutes.”

“How dare you offer me coffee and not have it ready?” Olivia said.

“I didn’t want to waste the extra cup if you didn’t want it.”

“Like you wouldn’t drink it.”

“Shut up and be grateful or I’ll pour it down the sink.”

Olivia threw a pillow at Casey, who dodged it and threw it right back.

“Is this the off day this week?” Casey asked once mugs were in hands. Olivia hadn’t rushed out of bed at six AM so she assumed it was. Casey was freelancing for a while and was between contracts.

“Yes,” said Olivia. “Blessedly. Yesterday threw me for a goddamn loop. You’ll never guess who’s back in town.”

“Oh yeah? Anyone I know?”

“Sort of,” said Olivia. “Alex.” Casey’s jaw dropped.

“Cabot?”

“That one.”

“She’s back? But,” Casey trailed off.

“Apparently she’s been here for quite a while.”

“And she didn’t call you?” Casey asked. Olivia put her mug in the sink. She stretched her arms above her head and shook it. “Crazy. Do you want breakfast?”

“Breakfast sounds great. I haven’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch.” Casey resisted the urge to lecture.

“I don’t have anything in the fridge,” Casey said. “Bagels?”

“Bagels,” Olivia said in agreement.

---

“So what’s she like now?”

“Different, but the same,” said Olivia. “The tenacity is there. But I can tell she’s been through a lot. And she’s older of course, calmer. Like the rest of us. It was super awkward when she showed up at the crime scene unannounced like, like it was totally normal.”

Casey nodded. Her phone rang. “Ugh,” she said, “it’s a client.”

Olivia waved to Casey’s phone and took a bite of her bagel. Casey answered.

“Good morning to you too, Mr. Smith,” she said. “No, no, I’m not busy. What do you need?” Olivia tried to contain a laugh. Olivia’s phone rang. It was an unknown number, so she didn’t answer. Casey went back and forth with her client, who seemed like a real piece of work.

Then, the same number called again.

“Hello?” Olivia picked it up.

“Hey, Olivia,” came Alex’s unmistakable voice. “You still have the same number.”

“Hi, Alex,” she said. “I do.” She stood up from the table and stepped outside into the cool February air.

“Um, I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink tonight. Catch up.”

“Oh, now you’d like to?” Olivia said, snippier than she wanted to.

“I--” said Alex, “yes, I would.”

Olivia sighed. She may as well give her a chance.

“What did she want?” said Casey when Olivia rejoined her.

“She wants to get drinks tonight.”

“Now?”

“That was my reaction too.”

“Are you going to go?”

“Yeah,” said Olivia. “May as well.” Casey half-nodded half-shook her head, as if to say, alright. “What did Mr. Smith want?”

Casey rolled her eyes dramatically. “Don’t get me started. I want a latte.” Olivia ate the last bite of her bagel. It took them until after lunch to part. They hashed out their whole weeks, they previewed the one to come. Olivia agreed to come over for dinner on Tuesday and bring a bottle of wine.

---

“I did miss you, you know,” Alex said with the first sip of her second glass of wine. It stung to hear. “I just, it was a lot to come back to myself. I wasn’t ready for a lot of people.”

“You weren’t ready for me,” Olivia said.

“No, Olivia. I wasn’t.” Alex had a touch of animosity in her tone. Olivia wanted to reach over the table and kiss her how she wished she had the first time, the second time she thought she was saying goodbye to her for good. Make up for lost time. Olivia could understand that.

“What were you ready for?”

“The law,” said Alex. “I missed the law so badly. I slowly started seeing my family. Friends…I worked on some of Serena’s cases for a little while. Got a taste of the other side of the aisle.” Olivia saw Serena on occasion. She was surprised she hadn’t gotten any sign that Alex was back. Alex must have kept herself away from anybody remotely associated with NYPD or the DA’s office.

“I’m glad you had some support,” said Olivia. She stared into her glass. She wished she could’ve been some of that support.

“I always wished we could’ve had a real chance, Olivia.” Olivia laughed: quick, bitter.

“You’re the one who didn’t give us a chance.” Alex nodded.

“Well, I wish I had.”

“Thanks,” said Olivia. An almost-apology a decade later. An awkward silence overtook them until Alex broke it.

“Are you, seeing anyone?” Alex asked. Was she about to ask her out?

“Not really,” said Olivia. “Sort of.”

“What does that mean, ‘sort of?��”

“I have an arrangement with someone,” said Olivia, “we’re not exactly together, but it works for us both.”

“That’s nice,” said Alex, a little deflated.

“Yeah,” said Olivia. She thanked herself for closing out. “I should be going. See you soon, Alex.” She stood up and pulled on her coat.

“See you,” said Alex.

If Olivia had turned around as she walked out, she would’ve seen Alex watch her the whole way.

[stilinskiderek]

📕🎥👻 🤬

📕: top 5 books

Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion - i read it for the first time when i was 14 and now have two tattoos for it so its always 1 <3

The Mediator - Meg Cabot - I'm counting the entire series as one book bc it has been so influential to me I love it so much

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - I read it for fun . it was not assigned. I love you Mr Rochester you weirdo

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn - I love all her books but Gone Girl was something soooooo special to me

You - Caroline Kepnes - I . Listen . The show is fine. But book Joe is someone i want to study under a microscope.

🎥: top 5 favorite tv shows

Teen Wolf . This one is in order.

New Girl - I have never related to a fictional character how I relate to Nick Miller. We're the same guy in different fonts. But like not that different.

LOST - I started rewatching it last year and everyone who says it's confusing is LYING on the INTERNET. LOST is not confusing and it is GOOD.

Superstore - Unironically one of the best sitcoms I've ever seen in my entire life I want everyone on earth to watch Superstore

Glee - i cant lie . its glee .

👻: if you died right now what’s your ghost outfit? Michael Myers shirt but additionally i forgot also my WWII locket so like im ready.

🤬: what’s a non fandom related unpopular opinion you have?  not totally unrelated to fandoms but i think if you go to a concert and you record the entire thing on your phone you should just not go :) Or I should be able to smash ur phone with a rock :)

[world-cinema-research]

A Critical Analyzation of Tangerine (2015) with Comparisons to Reservoir Dogs (1992)

By Cris Nyne

From the opening scene of Tangerine by Sean Baker, the dialogue feels like a long string of firecrackers sparked by the lead character Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) that doesn’t stop until the end of the film. Sin-Dee has just gotten released from jail after serving twenty-eight days and she is seated with her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) in a donut shop. Both are transgender sex workers in West Hollywood. As soon as Sin-Dee mentions her boyfriend (and pimp) Chester (James Ransone), Alexandra interjects and states how she knew she was going to break up with him because of how much he cheats. This confuses Sin-Dee and throws her off into a tailspin of rage and determination to track down Chester, and they’re off! Interestingly enough, in Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino, the film opens up with the main characters sitting around a table in a diner, discussing topics like the true meaning behind Madonna’s Like a Virgin, and why Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) doesn’t tip waitresses. Both films revolve around people who are on the fringe of society and operate in the shadows of what is considered normal and accepted.

Sin-Dee Rella catching up with Alexandra during the opening scene of Tangerine.

Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot, a crime family boss who got the crew together to pull a diamond heist. This is the opening scene when Joe is counting the tip money and makes Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) throw in a dollar, despite his beliefs of not tipping servers.

Tangerine was filmed with an estimated budget of $100,000 and was shot with three iPhone 5s and an eight-dollar phone app. The film is based around transgender sex workers and the lifestyle that they live. This can hardly be considered a mainstream or conventional film. Although the film had an incredibly low budget, Tangerine generated more than $930,000 at the box office. It was picked up by Magnolia Pictures at Sundance after overwhelming praise for the film from critics and audiences alike. Rotten Tomatoes lists Tangerine with a critic score of 96% and an audience score of 76%. The film was also nominated for many awards, and co-star Mya Taylor won numerous awards for her brake out role as Alexandra.

Katherine Johnson for the academic journal The Conversation writes, “Given the marginal status of many transgender people, the mental health stresses they face and the likelihood of discrimination in access to health care, secure housing and employment, it is important that populist representations create realistic and non-shaming examples of trans lives.” Tangerine creates a narrative that expresses the determination and grit of the transgender community to thrive in a society that does not whole-heartedly accept them."

The official trailer for Tangerine.

A burgeoning new mind state was coming of age during the year of Tangerine’s release in 2015. RuPaul’s Drag Race and Caitlyn Jenner’s reality show I Am Cait pushed the idea of gender roles into the American lexicon and fostered a new mindset of understanding and acceptance from a swath of the public who only knew the concept of patriarchy. The Danish Girl was also released the same year. This was a film based upon a novel by David Ebershoff that told the story of an artist that is about to undergo one of the world’s first sex change operations. Collins dictionary runner up to the word of the year was Transgender in 2015. That same year also saw the Supreme Court federally legalize same sex marriage.

A monumental shift was happening. As we steamroll into the future, every family seemingly has a member that does not fit into the norms of society. Loved ones that we grew up with would keep secrets of their sexuality and desires, as to not be rejected or ostracized by those close to them. Seeing representations of themselves on screen facilitates acceptance and the related content is empowering. Roger Ebert concludes:

“That we rarely see transgender characters in movies who aren't prostitutes is an entirely separate issue that I'm sure will be discussed in months to come—but here, too, we have to keep such misgivings in context: American films rarely show us worlds like these, and when they do, the films don't tend to get much attention.”

Roger Ebert once again hits the narrative right on the head. It’s a positive step to see more diverse representation on screen, but how they are represented will remain a source of friction.

The official movie poster for Tangerine (2015)

As I mentioned earlier, Tangerine was shot with an iPhone and a film app. Perhaps that is harped upon all too often when describing the film, but fast forward nine years after the film’s release, a lot of us now experience a voyeuristic life through our smartphones. This has distinguished the film as unique upon itself and makes the style and feel of the movie relatable. It’s as if you are sitting in a rumble seat along for the ride. Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs, although created before iPhones, also lends itself to an up-close-and-personal style that is engaging to the viewer. Most of the film was shot in one room, almost giving the viewer space to look around the warehouse. Violence is evident in both films, although Tangerine does not supply the bloodshed that Tarantino submerges us in. Both films are dialogue-heavy, full of rapid-fire wit and over-the-top colorful street slang.

Another trait both films shared are the smaller production companies that financed the film that also did not have household name actors to help draw in an audience. Tangerine was a Duplass Brothers Production, along with Cre FIlm, Freestyle Picture Company, and Through Films. It was later at Sundance when Magnolia would assist with a wider distribution. The main stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor were picked from an LGBTQ center and were virtually unknown. Since it was Tarantino's first film, he was not yet a name brand and most of the actors at that time were not that recognizable, except for Harvey Keitel, whose career was essentially at a standstill during this period in '92. Keitel wound up co-producer Reservoir Dogs, and paid for the studio to help secure the talent. Dog Eat Dog Productions Inc. and Live Entertainment were the companies involved with finance and distribution.

Sin-Dee getting into a screaming match while looking for her partner and pimp Chester.

A memorable scene of Mr. Pink (Buscemi) and Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) arguing over the next step after the cops threw their plans into disarray.

Although every country has its own distinct cultures and quirks, both Tangerine and Reservoir Dogs are international in their appeal to viewers who appreciate the representation of the underbelly of culture that is a shared common bond of anywhere in the world. They were both filmed in highly unconventional styles that exposed aspects of society that many mainstream audiences at home and abroad would consider best left in the dark. Reservoir Dogs was Tarantino’s first film, so he was virtually unknown during its release. Sean Baker had a few films under his belt, but they were independent films with low budgets that revolved around the lives of sex workers. Mainstream audiences would not be familiar with his catalog. Sean Baker’s latest film Anora was just crowned with the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and it also delves into the trivial life of a sex worker. Both directors have very distinct styles and references throughout their careers that build upon a cinematic theme.

Tangerine and Reservoir Dogs both came full circle by the movies end. There was nothing left for debate, and you could deduce that there was not going to be a part two for either film. All the gangsters were dead by the end of Reservoir Dogs, and Sin-Dee and Alexandra completed their mission, as both characters expressed resolve in the last scene.

Sin-Dee finally catches up with Chester (James Ransone) to confront him on his cheating.

Tangerine is a film that flew under the radar, but I believe will continue to find new viewers as Sean Baker continues to rise as a respected writer and director in the industry. Given the advances we have made in the last decade since the films release, the addition of genders up for debate and their roles in society, Mr. Baker will seemingly have a lot of content to sort through and create in an ever-changing world of self-discovery.

[selfshipping-shapeshifter]

❥.⋆↜My F/os↝⋆.★

Bolded character names are the more main f/os in their fandom, italicized names are secondary f/os in their fandom, and unedited names are the ones I don’t think about as often

Red names are the f/os who are on my mind the most at the moment or are my current hyperfixation, if I remember to edit it-

I'm in the process of making selfship tags for all my f/os (if you have any ideas then please let me know because I'm stuck) :3

⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆

A Monster in Paris:

Emile

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Beetlejuice:

Beetlejuice (tag: beetleblood 🪲💚🩸)

Delores (tag: corpse bride 💀🖤🍷)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Bendy and the Ink Machine/Bendy and the Dark Revival:

Bendy (tag: the demon and his fallen angel ✒🖤🎞)

Sammy Lawrence (tag: a worshipper's symphony ✒🖤🎻)

Twisted Alice Angel (tag: the angel's darling ✒🖤🪓)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Call of Duty Zombies:

Edward Richtofen

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Cuphead:

Chef Saltbaker (tag: my love for salt has been taken to a new level 🔪❤🧂)

King Dice (tag: the king's queen 🎲💜♣️)

The Devil (tag: the devil's bride 🔥💛🥀)

Werner Werman

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Danganronpa:

Teruteru Hanamura

Hifumi Yamada

Ryoma Hoshi

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Detroit Become Human:

Connor

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Edward Scissorhands:

Edward

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Fallout 4:

Nick Valentine (tag: he may be a synth but his love isn't 🔎💛🪛)

Hancock (tag: they're better than the chems 🚬❤🥀)

Jack Cabot (tag: ⚗💙🔬)

Kent Connolly (tag: pre war nerds 📻🧡🥀)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Five Nights at Freddy’s:

Funtime Freddy (tag: his cupcake ⛓💗🧁)

Molten Freddy (tag: their clingy bodyguard 🪛🧡⚙)

Sun/Moon/Eclipse (tag: their favorite fazbear employee ☀️💙🌙)

Monty (tag: his fearless mechanic 🐊💚🪛)

Glamrock Chica (tag: her personal chef 🍕💗🧁)

Glamrock Freddy (tag: his superstar ❄🧡🌟)

Springtrap (just Roger Stanford aka the one from Springtrap and Delilah) (tag: pancake satan 🔪💜🥞)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Gavril:

Gavril

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Gravity Falls:

Stanley Pines (tag: jill's favorite humans 🎱❤🌌

Stanford Pines (tag: jill's favorite humans ✒❤📜)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Grounded:

Dr. Wendell Tully (tag: my tiny scientist 🔬💚☘)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss:

Baxter (tag: batfish 🧪💙🦇)

Sir Pentious (tag: snake bites🐍💛🦇)

Lucifer (tag: apple blood 🍎❤🩸)

Adam (tag: guitarfang 🎸💛🩸)

Husk (tag: bloodhusk ♦️❤🩸)

Vox (tag: staticbat 📺💙🦇)

Blitz

Fizzarolli?

Asmodeus?

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Homegrown Pet:

Hector (tag: my pet 🍬❤🥀)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Inside Out:

Anxiety (tag: anxiously smitten 🍵🧡🥀)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

JOHN DOE:

John Doe (tag: totally normal love 🔪❤👁)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Lurking for Love:

Jacob

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Phantom of the Opera (2004):

Erik, the Phantom (tag: his saving grace 🥀❤🎼)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Portal 2:

Wheatley (tag: his luv 🔩💙⚙)

GLaDOS (tag: her test subject 🔬🧡🥼)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Puss in Boots The Last Wish:

Death (tag: embrace death (literally) 🐺❤🥀)

Goldilocks

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs:

Prince Average (tag: my prince 👑❤⚔)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Scrutinized:

Tanner Grayton

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Skyrim:

Inigo (tag: my dragonfly 🏹💙🌌)

Lucien Flavious

Kaidan

Auri

Miraak

Cicero

Madesi

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Spooky Month:

Bob Velseb

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Super Mario Bros Movie:

Bowser

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Team Fortress 2:

Medic (tag: vampiremedic 💉❤🩸)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

The Bad Guys:

Mr. Wolf (tag: a thief after my own heart 💍🤍🥀)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

The Great Mouse Detective:

Basil

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

The Groom of Gallagher Mansion:

Elias (tag: 👻💙💍)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

The Hunger Games:

Finnick Odair

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Trapped With Jester:

Jester

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Undertale/Deltarune:

Rouxls Kaard (tag: 🪱💙🦋)

Mettaton (tag: star-crossed lovers ✨💗🎬)

Sans (tag: i love you a skele-ton 💀💙🌭)

Papyrus (tag: pasta lovers 💀❤🍝)

Alphys (tag: nerdy love 🧪💛🥼)

Undyne (tag: burning passion 🗡💙🔥)

Jevil (tag: chaotic romance ♠️💜🃏)

King of Spades (tag: ♠️💙🥀)

Spamton (tag: 💌💛💸)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

Your Boyfriend:

Peter (tag: obsessive love 🔪💙🥀)

❀♡❀♡❀♡❀♡❀

My Ocs:

Klaus Hendrix

Rosaline Beam

Damien Sanguine

Tyrilon Lennox

Leo Finnegan

River Montoya

⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆

These are all romantic f/os btw

This list will update every time I get a new f/o if I remember-, which is quite often

Also, I’m completely fine with sharing my f/os with others and I completely understand if some people are uncomfortable sharing f/os! I don’t really want any jokes about “stealing my f/o” or anything like that

[jxrm]

book log - 2021

party of two by jasmine guillory

the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins

one to watch by kate stayman-london

the boy at the door by alex dahl

little cruelties by liz nugent

followers by megan angelo

the three mrs. wrights by linda keir

those other women by nicola moriarty

the affair by sheryl browne

influence by sara shepard

this won't end well by camille pagan

slay by brittney morris

the midnight library by matt haig

pretty little wife by darby kane

love & gelato by jenna evans welch

the prenup by lauren layne

firefly lane by kristin hannah

when you disappeared by john marrs

one year of ugly by caroline mackenzie

when no one is watching by alyssa cole

providence by caroline kepnes

the other couple by cathryn grant

musical chairs by amy poeppel

by the book by amanda sellet

all the good parts by loretta nyhan

the end of her by shari lapena

simmer down by sarah smith

there's something about sweetie by sandhya menon

over my dead husband's body by etta faire

what if? by shari low

the accidental beauty queen by teri wilson

searching for coach taylor by mindy kaling

bridal boot camp by meg cabot

the tenant by katrine engberg

meddling kids by edgar cantero

kind of hindu by mindy kaling

the last time i saw you by elizabeth berg

unscripted by nicole kronzer

dial a for aunties by jesse q. sutanto

lila by naima coster

big shot by mindy kaling

single asiactic male seeks ride or die chick by eddie huang

within these wicked walls by lauren blackwood

five total strangers by natalie d. richards

help is on the way by mindy kaling

love & estrogen by samantha allen

a touch of jen by beth morgan

instamom by cahntel guertin

second first impressions by sally thorne

the minders by john marrs

where the grass is green and the girls are pretty by lauren weisberger

undercover bromance by lyssa kay adams

the last mrs. parrishby liv constantine

if the fates allow by rainbow rowell

sweet virgina by caroline kepnes

less by andrew sean greer

the soulmate equation by christina lauren

crazy stupid bromance by lyssa kay adams

watermelon by marian keyes

graceful burdens by roxane gay

the last flight by julie clark

fly away by kristin hannah

isn't it bromantic? by lyssa kay adams

the rest of the story by sarah dessen

[vvendyreads]

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Con artist Gretchen is a fake spirit medium who lives by one rule as her moral compass: She only takes on a client if she can leave them better off than when she met them. When her best client offers her $10,000 to help her bridge partner cleanse his presumably haunted goat farm so he can sell it, she can't really say no. Gretchen is surprised on her arrival that Charles "Charlie" Waybill, the bridge partner, is actually an attractive man around her age how does not believe in the supernatural whatsoever. After he kicks her out, Gretchen is even more shocked to learn that there actually is a cursed ghost haunting the farm and only she can see him. Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie not to sell the farm, or else he will meet the same cursed fate.

I was so excited for this book. The plot sounded like fun and I loved the cover. I was even more excited when I learned that it was written by Sarah Adler, who wrote one of my favorite books from last year- "Mrs. Nash's Ashes." I was hoping that this book would be just as good and it didn't disappoint.

I usually don't love morally gray characters, at least not in my romances, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the character of Gretchen. She does bad things, but she tries to not actually hurt anyone. I found myself buying into her rule and appreciating that she grappled with what she was doing. It made her journey more interesting and you appreciate where she ends up in the end.

The author has said that this book was partly inspired by flipping the relationships in the movie Ghost and I definitely felt it while reading. Gretchen is Whoopi Goldberg's character, the fake psychic medium who suddenly can talk to a ghost and has to convince someone that they're not lying this time. Instead of reconnecting lovers, the medium in this one falls in love with the one who is still alive. It was a fun take on it and I think it worked really well. I also got hints of Meg Cabot's "The Mediator" series with the way that the medium interacted with the often annoying ghost.

I also enjoyed the goat farm aspects of the book. It's not a setting that I've read before and was a good vehicle for putting things into perspective for Gretchen.

I liked the male lead Charlie. He took a while to listen to Charlie but his skepticism felt very believable. Wouldn't most of us not believe a woman claiming to be a psychic? He was clear with his intentions and expectations and communicated pretty well. I'm a sucker for good guys in books and he definitely was one.

Sarah Adler is a wonderful writer. I love her use of imagery and her wide variety of references to other media. I trust any book that she writes in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️