#alan and tessa

[fundielicious-simblr]

(Narrator)

Tessa was in the final stretch of her first twin pregnancy, she saw the doctor often due to the pregnancy being higher risk and was given a few tentative due dates. In her previous pregnancy she's gone between 38 and 40 weeks, so if she could make it to 37 weeks with these babies then she'd be happy. She was almost in her 35th week of the pregnancy when she started feeling that familiar pain that signals the start of labour.

After heading to hospital and labouring for hours, little David & Abel Paulson came into the world, joining older siblings Charity (3), Edgar (2), and Jonathan (1). The twins had a bit of trouble breathing shortly after being born, so they had a short stay in the NICU before heading home with a clean bill of health. Alan and Tessa couldn't be happier and thank the Lord for his constant goodness and care in allowing the twins to be born healthy and without complication.

[eddysocs]

In Good Hands — Charlie Harper x Alan Harper x OC

Summary: While staying at Charlie's while she has a cold, Tessa gets the ultimate relaxation treatment from Charlie and Alan.

Word Count: 628

Warnings: Vague insinuation towards sex

Tessa had been crashing at Charlie’s house for a few days now. She wasn’t feeling well, and despite her protests, Charlie, wanting to make a good impression, had insisted she stay until she felt better. It was an offer Tessa couldn’t refuse, considering the cozy Malibu beach house and the company of both Charlie and Alan, who always knew how to make her laugh.

She lay sprawled out on the couch in the living room, a blanket pulled up to her chin. Her eyes were closed, trying to block out the headache that had been gnawing at her all day.

Alan wandered into the room, concern etched on his face when he saw how in pain she looked. “How are you holding up, Tessa?”

Tessa let out a heavy sigh, wishing this illness would just go away. “My body is one big ache,” she told him.

Alan frowned, sitting down at the edge of the couch. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

Charlie sauntered into the room, a smirk on his face as he heard Tessa’s words. “Or,” he drawled, leaning against the wall with that familiar cocky grin, “I’ve got another solution that might help.”

Tessa opened one eye to look at him, already knowing where this was going. “Charlie…”

He shrugged, completely unfazed by her exasperation. “Hey, it’s a proven method. Endorphins, oxytocin, you name it. A little… exercise might be just what the doctor ordered.”

Alan rolled his eyes, shifting closer to Tessa and ignoring Charlie’s usual antics. “Or,” he said, “we could try something less… invasive. How about a massage?”

Tessa’s eyebrows raised slightly. “A massage?”

“Yeah,” Alan said, a little too eager. “I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years. You’d be surprised how good I am.”

Charlie snorted. “You actually believe that?”

Ignoring his brother, Alan gently took Tessa’s hand, his expression softening. “Come on, Tessa. Let me help you feel better. Just relax.”

Tessa hesitated but eventually nodded, too exhausted to argue. “Okay… but no funny business.”

“Scout’s honor,” Alan said with a small smile.

She cast the blanket aside for the time being and turned onto her stomach, adjusting the pillow beneath her head. Alan started with her feet, his hands surprisingly gentle as he worked through the tension.

“You are actually good at this,” Tessa murmured, surprised.

“See? Told you,” Alan said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Charlie watched them from the side, his smirk fading slightly as he realized he was being left out. He wasn’t one to back down, especially when he could tell Tessa was starting to relax under Alan’s touch. Without a word, he moved over to the couch and knelt down beside her head, his hands finding her shoulders.

“Can’t let Alan have all the fun,” Charlie muttered, starting to work his own brand of magic on her tense shoulders.

Tessa sighed softly, sinking further into the couch as both brothers worked together, surprisingly in sync. The combination of Alan’s meticulous attention to detail at her feet and legs combined with Charlie’s dexterous hands on her shoulders started to melt the aches away little by little, leaving her in a state of contented relaxation.

“This… this isn’t so bad,” Tessa admitted, her voice softening as the tension drained from her body.

“Not bad at all,” Alan agreed, his focus shifting now from her feet to her calves.

Charlie grinned, his hands still skillfully kneading out the knots in her shoulders. “See? Told you I had a solution.”

Tessa couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound muffled by the pillow. “You’re both insufferable.”

“Maybe,” Alan said, smiling, “but at least we’re helping.”

Charlie leaned down, whispering into Tessa’s ear with a playful tone, “Don’t worry, Tessa. You’re in good hands.” And she was.

For @sicktember

Forever Tag: @baubeautyandthegeek, @kmc1989, @curious-kittens-ocs, @fanficanatic-tw, @gcthvile, @kenjioharashotspot, @immyowndefender

[brokehorrorfan]

Westworld’s fourth season soundtrack is available on vinyl for $60 via Mondo. The score is composed by Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Iron Man, Pacific Rim).

The 3xLP album is pressed on 140-gram colored vinyl, limited to 3,000. It’s housed in a tri-fold sleeve with a die-cut outer jacket featuring artwork by Greg Ruth and layout by Alan Hynes.

An insert with liner notes by executive producer Jonathan Nolan is included along with slipcase to house all four season (first, second, third) soundtracks.

[guardianreadersofthegalaxy]

Thor: I've just bought the Pyle PMP30 megaphone. I did want the ThunderPower 1200 because- Valkyrie: Because it contains the word 'thunderpower'? Thor: Exactly! But it was out of stock... [from Alan Partridge - Big Beacon]

[adamwatchesmovies]

Sir Billi (2012)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Unfortunately, Sir Billi will forever live in infamy as Sean Connery’s final role before passing away in 2020. No one could ask for a worse endcap to their filmography. Ugly, incoherent and unfunny, this film is a chore to watch and never even approaches “so bad it’s good” territory.

Outside the small town of Catterness in the Scottish Highlands, wildlife conservation officer (?) McKenzie (Ford Kiernan) is on an obsessive search for Bessie Boo, a beaver who escaped his capture and has since been adopted by a family of rabbits. When the rabbits fall into a river, it’s up to Sir William “Billi” Sedgewick (Sean Connery) and his anthropomorphic goat Gordon (Alan Cumming) to save the day.

This plot is utter nonsense. I scraped together a couple of sentences to make it seem like there’s a straightforward narrative, but it’s nearly impossible to follow what is happening in Sir Billi. I kept thinking that maybe the story was a limp-wristed attempt at bringing some sort of cause native to Scotland to light. I'm still not sure. As far as I can tell, beavers are a protected species over there and are only removed when they pose a threat to agricultural developments. I think this "issue" is the movie's foundation, which doesn't bode well. Bessie Boo and a bunch of other beavers are about to be moved to Norway but she escapes. Now, McKenzie is on the lookout. In fact, he’s been searching for this one beaver for at least a decade. He’s posted signs all over town to let everyone know that beavers are illegal. There’s a giant dam owned by the greedy Baron McToff (Alex Norton) that poses a threat to the animals when they fall in the water, a duck from the Southern part of the United States flying around, Sir Billi's daughter and grandson live in his ancestral home while he’s stuck rooming with a talking goat that pees himself and acts like a dog. It's all disjointed and attempting to follow along causes you to lose your mind.

Sir Billi is one of the ugliest animated movies I’ve ever seen, which makes the fact that it actually played in theaters mind-boggling and infuriating. This picture features a real celebrity in the form of Sean Connery but the visuals are worse than those you'd see from a first-year animation student. Filmmakers Sascha and Tessa Hartmann (whose names must appear fifty times in the credits) call out Connery's involvement over and over, as if being reminded of movies we'd rather be watching would somehow make this one better. They even go so far as to make him a ladies’ man, with the “attractive” Toni Turner (Amy Sacco, whose character’s cleavage is given way too much attention for a children’s movie) salivating all over him at every opportunity. Billi drives an Aston Martin, there are nods to Dr. No and a pre-credit title sequence that looks an awful lot like the ones you’d see during a Bond theme. It makes the images of Billi riding on a skateboard that much more perplexing. 

Sir Billi is the kind of movie you don’t even need to see to review. Take one look at that poster. Do you think you’d enjoy this? Could you even finish it? What if I told you the film ended with a song whose only redeeming quality is its ability to vanish from your memory the second it’s ended? Sir Billi is exactly what the 0-star rating was made for. (January 20, 2023)

[tilac-f-f]

Cannot believe that my two favorite animation channel upload video same day. (which are make their fans wait for them months)

Animation vs Minecraft by Alan Becker

Murder Drones by Glitch

[fantasticbookdragon]

Mini Reviews

Mini reviews: Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey Set on You by Amy Lea Priest by Sierra Simone (more…) “”

[masterjedilenawrites]

List of books below, taken from the Star Wars wiki. Only included: Original Novels, Novel Adaptations, Script Books, and Young Adult Novels. Please no comments about books that are missing from the list... it is what it is.

The High Republic: Convergence - Zoraida Cordova

The High Republic: Path of Deceit - Tessa Gratton, Justina Ireland

The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha - George Mann

The High Republic: Path of Vengeance - Cavan Scott

The High Republic: Cataclysm - Lydia Kang

The High Republic: Into the Dark - Claudia Gray

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi - Charles Soule

The High Republic: The Rising Storm - Cavan Scott

The High Republic: Out of the Shadows - Justina Ireland

The High Republic: Tempest Runner - Cavan Scott

The High Republic: Midnight Horizon - Daniel Jose Older

The High Republic: The Fallen Star - Claudia Gray

The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness - George Mann

The High Republic: Defy the Storm - Tessa Gratton, Justina Ireland

The Vow of Silver Dawn - His Majesty the King

Dooku: Jedi Lost - Cavan Scott

Padawan - Kiersten White

Master & Apprentice - Claudia Gray

The Living Force - John Jackson Miller

Queen's Peril - E.K. Johnston

Queen's Shadow - E.K. Johnston

Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade - Delilah S. Dawson

Queen's Hope - E.K. Johnston

Brotherhood - Mike Chen

Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel - James Luceno

Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising - Timothy Zahn

Dark Disciple - Christie Golden

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good - Timothy Zahn

Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil - Timothy Zahn

Ahsoka - E.K. Johnston

Thrawn - Timothy Zahn

Lords of the Sith - Paul S. Kemp

Tarkin - James Luceno

Most Wanted - Rae Carson

Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition - Mur Lafferty

Rebel Rising - Beth Revis

Crimson Climb - E.K. Johnston

A New Dawn - John Jackson Miller

Jedi: Battle Scars - Sam Maggs

Lost Stars - Claudia Gray

Leia, Princess of Alderaan - Claudia Gray

Thrawn: Alliances - Timothy Zahn

Thrawn: Treason - Timothy Zahn

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Alexander Freed

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad - Christie Golden

Heir to the Jedi - Kevin Hearne

Doctor Aphra - Sarah Kuhn

Battlefront: Twilight Company - Alexander Freed

The Princess and the Scoundrel - Beth Revis

Alphabet Squadron - Alexander Freed

Aftermath - Chuck Wendig

Shadow Fall - Alexander Freed

Aftermath: Life Debt - Chuck Wendig

Victory's Price - Alexander Freed

Aftermath: Empire's End - Chuck Wendig

Last Shot - Daniel Jose Older

Poe Dameron: Free Fall - Alex Segura

Shadow of the Sith - Adam Christopher

Bloodline - Claudia Gray

Force Collector - Kevin Scinick

Phasma - Delilah S. Dawson

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Alan Dean Foster

Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire - Delilah S. Dawson

Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition - Jason Fry

Resistance Reborn - Rebecca Roanhorse

A Crash of Fate - Zoraida Cordova

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition - Rae Carson

[femmehysteria]

Best Character Named X Poll

FOLLOW @best-character-named-x-poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM GMT everyday.

ask box closed for now

WILL BE POSTING POLLS ON @best-character-named-x-poll FROM FEB 1ST

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count.

Round 85: David

Round 86: Tiffany

Round 87: Charlie

Round 88: Sandy

Round 89: Cody

Round 90: Amanda

Round 91: Jeremy

Past Polls and Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Caroline, Tyler, Louis, Leonard, Rebecca, Steve, Nicole, Isabelle, Victoria, Katherine, Jade, Alex, Sophie, Greg, Jake, Ellie, Isaac, Robin, Tony, Annie, Lisa, Margaret, Oliver, Clark, Kara, Phoebe, Emma, Ruby, Bart, Alfie, Beth, Julian, Nancy, Penny, Margaret, Tessa, Erica, Theresa, George, Kevin, Sebastian, Felix, Martin, Michael, Erin, Caleb, Helen, Charlotte, Kyle, Martha, Diana, Elsa, Gary, Zoe, Connor, Colin, Daisy, Eric, Maya, Adam, Andy, Magnus, Alma, Nora, Alice, Spike, Leon, Marcel, Kim, Juno, Sue, Chris, Otto, Donald, Daphne, Kate, Todd, Ned, Ken, Angel, Judy, Jo, Hazel, Naomi, Diego, Miranda, Joel, Lila, Duncan, Dexter, Meredith, Pearl, Lily, Malcolm, Napolean, Joan, Nico, Jamie, Nadia, Velma, Jill, Kiera, Rory, Evan, Tam, Klaus, Neil, Derek, Michelle, Luna, Laila, Cordelia, Zack, Imogen, Felicity, Cindy, Alicia, Kelly, Alan, April, Astrid, Delilah, Jodie, Claudia, Juliet, Karen, Jonas, Milo, Celia, Hannah, Joy, Ethan, Katya, Aria, Atticus, Ian, Cynthia, Faye, Frank, Boo, River, Corey, Gabrielle, Minerva, Ebony, Zia, Beverly, Rudy, Georgina

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Richter, Sean, Troy, Cain, Agatha, Warren, Percy, Reggie, Mina, Ryan, Felicia, Dylan, Josh, Shirley, Debbie, Jared, June, Mabel, Ray, Chad, Moe, Hugh, Fearne, Christine, Joe, August, May, Scarlet, Alana, Leela, Manny, Dean, Francis, Mason, Oscar, Quinn, Guy, Ulrich, Wally, Yasmin, Tobias, Woody, Sabrina, Quentin, Margot, Alina, Matilda, Freya, Kendra, Angus, Ophelia, Leisel, Zelda, Adora, Piper, Scarlet, Sheila, Valentine, Laurie, Laurel, Fitz, Violet, Gabriel, Ford, Artemis, Owen, Bianca, Newton, Summer, Darcy, Noah, Taylor, Miriam, Hugh, Aurora, Hank, Henry, Dawn, Delia, Cosmo, Wanda, Zeke, Cecil, Aiden, Calvin, Ayesha, Beatrice, Parker, Chase, Hunter, Tina, Misty, Amaya, Amara, Harvey, Talia, Tatiana, Tanya, Orion, Eugene, Kit, Bo, Duke, Blue, Cameron, Rudolf, Mara, Marianne, Carl

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

Past Polls

Round 1: Peter : WINNER: Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Round 2: Elizabeth : WINNER: Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Round 3: Jason : WINNER: Jason Mendoza (The Good Place)

Round 4: Eve : WINNER: EVE (WALL-E)

Round 5: Fred : WINNER: Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)

Round 6: Rachel : WINNER: Rachel (Animorphs)

Round 7: Arthur : WINNER: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Round 8: Amy : WINNER: Amy Pond (Doctor Who)

Round 9: Tom : WINNER: Tom (Tom and Jerry)

Round 10: Claire : WINNER: Clare Devlin (Derry Girls)

Round 11: James : WINNER: James (Pokemon)

Round 12: Max : WINNER: Max (Black Sails)

Round 13: Simon : WINNER: Simon Belmont (Castlevania)

Round 14: Jane : WINNER: Jane Crocker (Homestuck)

Round 15: Victor : WINNER: Victor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Round 16: Mary : WINNER: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)

Round 17: Will : WINNER: Will Graham (Hannibal)

Round 18: Laura : WINNER: Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks)

Round 19: Ben : WINNER: Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi (Star Wars)

Round 20: Chloe : WINNER: Chloe Price (Life Is Strange)

Round 21: John : WINNER: Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives)

Round 22: Lydia : WINNER: Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice)

Round 23: Mark : WINNER: Marc Spector (Moon Knight)

Round 24: Jess : WINNER: Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Round 25: Theo : WINNER: Theobald Gumbar (Dimension 20: A Crown Of Candy)

Round 26: Sarah: WINNER: Sarah Jane Smith (Doctor Who)

Round 27: Richard : WINNER: Richard Gansey III (The Raven Cycle)

Round 28: Cass : WINNER: Cassandra Cain (Batman)

Round 29: Edward : WINNER: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Round 30: Carm : WINNER: Carmen Sandiego (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?)

Round 31: Hal : WINNER: HAL9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Round 32: Sid : WINNER: Sydney Adamu (The Bear)

Round 33: Jack : WINNER: Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)

Round 34: Stephanie : WINNER: Stephanie Brown (Batman)

Round 35: Ash : WINNER: Ash Ketchum (Pokemon)

Round 36: Veronica : WINNER: Veronica Sawyer (Heathers)

Round 37: Kurt : WINNER: Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler (X-Men)

Round 38: Eleanor : WINNER: Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)

Round 39: Nathan : WINNER: Nathan Young (Misfits)

Round 40: Fiona : WINNER: Princess Fiona (Shrek)

Round 41: Gale : WINNER: Gayle Waters-Waters (Chris Fleming)

Round 42: Barbara : WINNER: Barbara Millicent Roberts aka Barbie (Barbie)

Round 43: Sam : WINNER: Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings)

Round 44: Grace : WINNER: Grace Chastity (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

Round 45: Barry : WINNER: Barry Bluejeans (The Adventure Zone)

Round 46: Raven : WINNER: Raven (Teen Titans)

Round 47: Dan : WINNER: Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom)

Round 48: Mia : WINNER: Mia Fey (Ace Attorney)

Round 49: Matt : WINNER: Matt Murdock (Daredevil)

Round 50: Rose : WINNER: Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)

Round 51: Robert : WINNER: Robbie Rotten (LazyTown)

Round 52: Lola : WINNER: Lola Bunny (Space Jam)

Round 53: Scott : WINNER: Scott Summers aka Cyclops (X-Men)

Round 54: Olivia : WINNER: Olivia Octavious (Spiderverse)

Round 55: Finn : WINNER: Finn the Human (Adventure Time)

Round 56: Emily : WINNER: Emily Charlton (The Devil Wears Prada)

Round 57: Elliot : WINNER: Eliot Spencer (Leverage)

Round 58: Sonia : WINNER: Sonia (Pokemon)

Round 59: Gideon : WINNER: Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Round 60: Jen : WINNER: Jennifer Check (Jennifer's Body)

Round 61: Miles : WINNER: Miles Morales (Spider-Man)

Round 62: Lana : WINNER: Lana Skye (Ace Attorney)

Round 63: Spencer : WINNER: Spencer Shay (iCarly)

Round 64: Tracy : WINNER: Tracy Turnbald (Hairspray!)

Round 65: Luke : WINNER: Luke Skywalker (Star Wars)

Round 66: Natalie : WINNER: Natalie Scatorccio (Yellowjackets)

Round 67: Harry : WINNER: Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium)

Round 68: Lucy : WINNER: Lucy van Pelt (Peanuts)

Round 69: Damian : WINNER: Damian Wayne (Batman)

Round 70: Tabitha : WINNER: Tabitha Casper (Dan and Phil Games: Sims 4)

Round 71: Nick : WINNER: Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun)

Round 72: Gwen : WINNER: Guinevere (Merlin)

Round 73: Paul : WINNER: Paulette Bonafonte (Legally Blonde)

Round 74: Abigail : WINNER: Abigail Hobbs (Hannibal)

Round 75: Jordan : WINNER: Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby)

Round 76: Donna : WINNER: Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Round 77: Morgan : WINNER: Morgana (Merlin)

Round 78: Allison : WINNER: Alison Cooper (BBC Ghosts)

Round 79: Patrick : WINNER: Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants)

Round 80: Linda : WINNER: Linda Belcher (Bob's Burgers)

Round 81: Philip : WINNER: Philip J. Fry (Futurama)

Round 82: Clarisse : WINNER: Clarisse La Rue (Percy Jackson)

Round 83: Jeff

Round 84: Maria

[fundielicious-simblr]

🌲🍁🥧 Harvestfest 🌲🍁🥧

(Valentina's POV)(AN: These next few posts out to be LONG since there's so many kids)

This year we all made the trip to my parents house for Harvestfest, every year the family grows by a few that it's hard to believe that 10 years ago none of us were married and all 10 of us lived at home. 10 years later there's 6 of us married (with 2 on the road to marriage), and 16 grandchildren with a few more on the way! It's all proof of God's endless goodness and undeserved kindness in our lives! We decided to do an all grandkids picture so my parents can update the framed pictures they've got (and so my mum can have an updated picture to boast about all her grandbabies on Simbook 😂) Trying to get all the kids to stand still was definitely a massive effort, there were almost 15 of us standing behind the camera making noises and waving toys to keep their attention. The older kids did great at crowd control, we just had to move quick so no one started crying, because one crying child sets them all off and it would've been disaster.

My parents have been loving having all of us at home again, my mum has been prepping for the past week to have us descend on her house. She's in the last few years of homeschooling the twins, and once that's done then she'll be able to retire herself as a homeschool mum. Dad is still running his tech business, and when mum isn't homeschooling she's actively working on her music as she has commitments to teach at various music camps. Zachary missed Kelsey this Harvestfest, she had arrangements with her family but they'll be seeing each other soon after so he'll be travelling back to Brindleton Bay with us.

The Paulson Family: Carter (32) and Madelynn (29), with Lester (7), Fitzwilliam (2), and Alana (1)

Carter and his family are doing great! Carter continues to work for Willowcreek PD, there's been mention of him transferring out to move back to Newcrest but it's a decision that they're praying on right now. Madelynn is homeschooling Lester through a homeschool co-op, so the other two get to tag along and hang out with the other kids whilst their older brother learns. Little Alana definitely keeps the family on their toes, she's just like her cousins and loves a good runaround!

The Townsend Family: Aria (8), Valentina (29), Abbott (2), Adele (1), Eric (32), Ansel (7), with Asher (2) and Abigail (1) in the front

We're very thankful for each other and for our little (or not to little) family! I'm so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with a family that has filled our hearts and our home, Eric and I thank the Lord everyday for his blessings on us.

The Paulson Family: Alan (28), Tessa (23), Charity (3), Edgar (2), Jonathan (11m)

Alan and Tessa still live in San Myshuno and are raising their 3 beautiful children. Alan continues to work as a critic whilst Tessa stays home to watch the kids. Their family are always so encouraging in our various group chats, and they're always keeping us up to date with the on-goings of the pro-life ministry they work with. Tessa is always in Willowcreek to see her parents and her twin sister Tabitha (who is married to cousin Tanner), so the cousins (both 3rd and 4th generation) are always getting to see each other.

Celeste (27) and Reid (25) have much to be thankful for - they're engaged! Reid proposed a few days before Harvestfest and Celeste was overjoyed. The couple have already planned for a winter wedding before Christmas time, so Celeste has used the opportunity of having us all at home to immediately ask all of us sisters and as well as our sister-in-laws Madelynn and Tessa to be in her bridal party. Reid's parents video called our parents so they could greet the couple together when they got back to my parents house. Celeste is over the moon to be engaged and can hardly wait to be married!

The Crocker Family: Gregory (28), Kristyn (25), Kayla (2), and Wyatt (3m)

The highlight of the year for Kristyn and her family was when little Wyatt joined them! Kayla is enamoured by her little brother and the family thank the Lord for his safe arrival. Gregory continues to work as a lawyer with his father's firm, and Kristyn now has two kids to keep her occupied.

The Crawford Family: Tucker (26), Sabrina (25), and Campbell (1)

The Crawfords are ecstatic to be expecting to use another blessing from the Lord, Sabrina is almost in her second trimester and they're almost able to find out the baby's gender. By next easter they're going to have a new member of the family to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord in the spring! Sabrina said they'd announce baby's gender when we're next all together for Celeste's wedding. Little Campbell is such a smart little boy who is working towards gaining more skills, since they're around animals a lot he's great at recognition.

The Paulson Family: Jarrod (21), Madison (19), and Myles (1)

Jarrod and Madison announced to the family that they're also expecting - and its twins! They've recently found out and Madison already has the cutest little bump, little Myles doesn't understand yet but he's about to get a 2 for 1 deal on siblings and be a big brother two times over. Madison is going through the motions of a twin pregnancy, thankfully for her she's got me and my mother who have experienced multiple pregnancies more than once, with the way twins run in the family I'd be shocked if we didn't get any more twin pregnancies.

[liaromancewriter]

A Valentine Engagement

Premise: Cassie and Ethan's big news makes for front page headlines in the society papers.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Format: Edit/Manip + News

I've been wanting to do an engagement photoshoot for Ethan & Cassie for ages (her family insisted). I originally thought I'd commission artwork, but decided to make a manip instead and write a society news story.

Text can be hard to read on images, so the copy is included below the cut along with the original photo.

Published in Newport Société:

The Valentine Clan is expanding by one and it’s a Rhode Island affair.

Newport royalty, Asher and Myra Valentine, announced the engagement of their granddaughter, Dr. Cassandra (Cassie) Elizabeth Valentine (31) — daughter of Robert and Olivia Valentine — to Providence-born Dr. Ethan Jonah Ramsey (39), son of Mr. Alan Ramsey.

The couple met four years ago while working at Boston’s Edenbrook Hospital, where Dr. Valentine is currently Head of Diagnostics and Dr. Ramsey is Chief of Medicine.

By all accounts it was a fairytale romance and now a whirlwind wedding. The couple plans to wed in an intimate ceremony with close family and friends on the grounds of the Valentine Estate on Oceanside in July.

Even though their permanent residence is in Arlington, VA along with The Hudson Group global headquarters, the Valentines have been part of the Newport establishment since the 1800s, owning one of the few legacy homes still in the original family’s care.

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate @zealouscanonindeer

[brokehorrorfan]

Westworld’s second season soundtrack is available on vinyl for $60 via Mondo. The score is composed by Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Iron Man, Pacific Rim).

The 3xLP album is pressed on 140-gram colored vinyl, limited to 3,000. It’s housed in a tri-fold sleeve with a die-cut outer jacket featuring artwork by Greg Ruth and layout by Alan Hynes.

Westworld's first season soundtrack is available on vinyl now, with the third and fourth seasons to be pressed in January and February, respectively.

[ladamedusoif]

Visiting - Chapter 5: This Must Be The Place

(Moodboard by the wonderful @cutesyscreenname)

Pairing: Professor!Ben (College AU) x OFC Lydia/fem!Reader (reader POV/2nd POV)

Summary: Seeking a change of scenery after her life falls apart, Lydia crosses the Atlantic and arrives in a small New England town, to spend a year expanding her intellectual horizons as a visiting professor of art history at a small liberal arts college. Her growing friendship with Ben Morales, professor of Hispanic literature, forces Lydia to confront the fallout from her past - and raises unexpected questions about the future.

Chapter summary: Lydia turns 42, parties with her colleagues - and now she knows for sure.

Word Count: 4.9k

Rating: Mature, will be Explicit in future chapters

Content (chapter specific): Professor Ben College AU; smaller-than-usual-for-this-fandom age gap (Lydia turns 42, and Ben is 47); canon is not a thing here; slow burn; strong language; alcohol consumption; weight and body insecurity; self-confidence issues; a little bit of angst; a lot of yearn.

A/N: Title of the chapter is taken from 'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)' by Talking Heads, which features in the chapter. Further A/Ns after the chapter to avoid spoilers.

See the Series Masterlist for an outline of Lydia's story and background.

Thanks, as ever, to @lunapascal and @julesonrecord for screaming along about these Beloved Dorky Idiots and approving important fashion and music choices.

Taglist: @lunapascal, @julesonrecord, @cutesyscreenname, @tessa-quayle, @vermillionwinter, @iamskyereads, @tieronecrush, @perennialdoll247, @love-the-abyss, @imaswellkid, @intheorangebedroom, @javierisms, @fuckyeahdindjarin, @littlemisspascal, @khindahra, @pedrostories, @readingiskeepingmegoing

You knew for sure on your 42nd birthday. 

It wasn’t anything dramatic that confirmed it. No great thunderclap or parting of the clouds to bathe him in a divine light. No diving in front of an errant student frisbee to protect you as you gazed up at him in adoration. 

Then again, you were old enough to know that such dramatic realisations only existed in the movies, on TV, in books. The truth was that, though you felt (and sometimes acted on) immediate physical attraction, it was more usually a case of a small, glowing ember finding kindling in order to become a steady flame. 

He was in your office for one of your routine afternoon coffees, and feeling a bit stressed and disheartened over a particularly poor batch of student assignments. He reached over for another butter cookie. 

“It might be that mid-semester slump, but no matter how long I do this job I always feel like this is my fault.” He sighs. “Like I didn’t do enough with the preparation, or with tutorials, or that I made the assessment too difficult. You know what I mean?”

His soft, dark eyes look at you, seeking acknowledgment that he wasn’t alone - and a kind of reassurance. 

“You have to know it’s not your fault, Ben. I know how many tutorials you did with them - and, if you’ll recall, how you were worried about the lack of uptake for the one-to-one sessions. That’s not on you.”

“I just wish I could shake the feeling that I could have done more.” He shakes his head and takes another bite of his cookie. 

“I do know how you feel, you know? I do this too - it’s automatically my fault, no one else’s, I need to fix this, etc.” You smile at him. “In your case I think it’s because you’re a very good and conscientious tutor. And a good person.”

You feel your face heat a little, noticing that the tips of Ben’s ears have turned pink. He breaks away from your gaze for a moment. 

“Thank you, Lyd. So are you.”

There’s a little crackle in the air. You speak before it becomes too strong. 

“Anyway, this’ll cheer you up. Today, a student came into my office and just looked at me and said, ‘Alan??’”

His eyes widen and he starts to giggle. “Alan?!”

“ALAN.” You recount the rest of the story, recreating your confused facial expressions and the student’s mounting annoyance that you are not, in fact, Alan.

“So then I said: what’s Alan’s surname, I could look like them up? And the student says: I dunno?”

At this, Ben laughs so hard that he sends his glasses flying off his face, landing somewhere at the bottom of your desk. He doesn’t seem to notice at first, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. 

“Fuck, Lyddie, I definitely didn’t laugh this much at work before.”

You do a little bow from your desk chair and sip your coffee triumphantly. “Said it would cheer you up. Uh - since when did the staff lounge coffee taste this good?”

He sits back down, having recovered his glasses from the floor. His expression is a little hesitant. 

“Well, the thing is - it’s not staff lounge coffee. I - god, I’m a cliche - I bought an Aeropress. And this is the first batch I’ve made in work, and I thought…” He looks at you and half-smiles, a little twinkle in his eyes. “I thought you shouldn’t have shitty staff lounge coffee on your birthday.”

Oh, wow. This soft, kind man. 

“That’s such a nice thing to do. And - how did you know it was my birthday?”

Ben’s eyes widen and his expression shifts to one of panic. “Ohhhh, shit.”

“You better not tell me you track our birthdays.”

He huffs a laugh. “Do you think I’m organised enough for that?? No, it’s - shit. I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t tell Evan.”

“Tell Evan what, exactly?”

“He’s planning to bring you out for birthday drinks at the weekend. Nothing fancy!” He holds up a hand, as if to reassure you. “Just some drinks at Murphy’s, maybe some dancing? You know their jukebox is pretty good.”

You widen your eyes and nod in agreement. “They’ve got the tunes, alright.” 

He grins. “Well, that’s the plan. But I think Evan wants to surprise you with the invite. So… maybe work on that, reaction-wise?”

You do your best “surprised and touched” face. Ben chuckles. 

“Perfect.”

He’s got a class to get to, so he says his goodbyes and heads off down the hallway, greeting a group of students with a little wave.

The glass panel in your office door frames his broad body as he walks away, an empty coffee mug in each hand. You watch the way his navy pullover fits just so over his shoulders, the way his rolled-up sleeves make visible the muscles of his forearms, flexing as he carries the mugs. You smile involuntarily when he reaches his office door and turns to open it: if you were being honest with yourself, you’d been quietly admiring that handsome profile for a while now, ever since you really noticed it for the first time that day at the beach.

It would be easy to insist to yourself that Ben Morales was simply a good friend who happened to be nice to look at, and nothing more. 

The problem, though, was the way you were suffused with warmth and affection when you looked at him - and the yearning ache in your chest that occurred simultaneously. 

So now, you knew. 42 years old, far from home, and trying to deal with having the kind of feelings for someone you swore you’d never have again.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Now let us in, we’re jonesing for some champagne.”

Evan is first through your apartment door, brandishing a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and wearing a leather jacket over a wildly patterned shirt. David and Ani follow close behind, both embracing you in turn.

“Cass was hoping to get up this weekend but she’s stuck in work,” Ani explains, looking around your apartment. “Where’s Ben?”

You feel the familiar twinge in your chest. “Virtual conference,” you explain as you head into the kitchen to retrieve some glasses. “Said he’ll meet us at Murphy’s once he’s done.”

Evan opens the champagne with a dramatic flourish, taking off his leather jacket as he pours the fizz into the crappy wine glasses that came with the apartment. He eyes them up with disdain. “Feels wrong to put Veuve Clicquot in these.”

You raise an eyebrow accusingly. “I have vintage champagne coupes at home. In any case - I won’t take advice from a man wearing that shirt.” 

“This is an exact replica of the shirt Leo wore in Romeo + Juliet and you will respect that,” Evan whips back as he hands you a glass of champagne. “Happy birthday love youuuuuu!”

David and Ani join in the toast. “To Lyd, queen of obscure film facts, tote bags, and the messiest office I’ve ever seen,” Ani pronounces. “Happy forty-fucking-second birthday.”

You roll your eyes and grimace. “And I’m looking every single one of those years. Cheers.” 

David shakes his head while Ani tells you off. “You shut the fuck up, you beautiful baby-faced creature.”

You take a sip, and close your eyes as the bubbles of the champagne burst deliciously on your tongue. 

Murphy’s is a pretty standard small-town dive bar with a distinctly above-average jukebox and playlist. It’s the preferred drinking hole for staff, mostly because the majority of the student body have deemed its usual crowd “too old”. Evan has extended a pretty open invitation, by the looks of things - most of the clientele that Saturday night are colleagues from the faculty. Some wave cheerfully in your direction, mouthing “Happy birthday!”; others come over to say hi and offer to buy you a birthday drink. It’s a nice reminder of the warmth of the welcome you’ve had here.

You are having a nice time: sipping your vodka tonic, bopping gently to the eclectic mix of everything from classic 50s rock and roll to indie and grunge hits from the 1990s that’s playing on the bar’s sound system, chatting to colleagues. It’s nice. But you keep watching the door, waiting for him, wondering at times if he’ll show at all. 

He doesn’t owe you anything. Conferences are tiring. Maybe he needed an early night. 

Maybe you miss him when he’s not around. 

You’re talking animatedly to Jen’s wife, Rachel (who is as stunning as Ani had insisted), when you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! Panels ran over and then I couldn’t get a cab and then I took my bike and - anyway. Here now. Happy birthday, Lyddie.”

Ben pulls you in for a warm embrace. You fight to suppress the urge to really lean in: to hold your cheek a little longer against the softness of the check flannel he’s wearing, to linger in the comforting warmth emanating from his solid frame. 

But you pull away. “No worries! I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Bit much?

He tilts his head slightly to the side and smiles at you. “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Not when I’ve got the chance to see your moves out there.” He nods in the direction of the ‘dancefloor’, a small, cleared space located near the back of the bar, before turning back and winking at you.

Fuck.

“Dude, it’s been a long time. I suspect I don’t have any moves any more.”

He looks sceptical. “Hmm. Let’s see about that. But first - let me buy you a birthday drink.”

You stare in the bathroom mirror at your reflection as you tidy your hair a little and reapply your favourite lipstick, the vivid red of MAC’s Lady Danger popping against your skin. 

Forty-fucking-two. It’s probably the vodka and tonics, or maybe just the buzz of the bar and your colleagues and friends having a good time, but - for once in your life - you find yourself thinking you might look…not bad? You’re wearing a soft blue denim blouse and black jeans, teamed with a pair of bright red cowboy-style ankle boots that exactly match your lipstick. Red drop earrings and a bright necklace complete the look. 

As long as you didn’t concentrate on the greying strands of hair, or the perpetually tired look on your face, of course. And you couldn’t see all of your body in the small mirror - a bonus. 

But that was for Tomorrow Lydia to deal with. For now, you were enjoying yourself. 

As you blot your lipstick, you hear the opening chords of an upbeat, familiar slice of power pop:

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

“Fucking Cheap Trick! YES!”

You fling open the door to the bathroom, already bopping slightly in time to the music. Nothing could have prepared you for the sight that greets you on the tiny ‘dancefloor’.

It’s Ben. 

Ben, dancing, with Susan, the usually no-nonsense faculty administrator. 

And not just the half-hearted shuffling or pogoing you’ve usually witnessed from men of your generation, either. He’s pretty good: moving with Susan in a sort of loose jive, perfectly in time, occasionally twirling her under as she giggles like a teenager rather than a woman in her late fifties. And he’s clearly having a whale of a time, too, his unmistakable grin wide and enthusiastic as he mouths along to the song. 

It’s all you can do not to let your mouth drop open in astonishment as you hustle over to the bar to join Evan, David, and Ani.

“Um…what the fuck is happening??” You ask, tilting your head towards the dancefloor.

Evan chuckles. “Oh, that. Yeah, Ben has some moves, believe it or not.”

Ani nods in agreement. “Susan’s husband is a sweet man but he fuckin’ hates dancing. So he fully endorses the idea of our Benjamin Button over there getting Susan’s dance fever out of her system, so he never has to bother.”

Evan leans his head to one side, thinking for a moment. “Normally we only see this kind of dancing at the holiday social at the end of the semester, and even then after a wine or two - and he’s not drinking at all tonight. So something’s put him in a really good mood.”

“He’s not drinking?” you ask, curious in spite of yourself.

“He said something about ‘being in charge of a vehicle’,” David explains. “His bike, I think.” 

Ani sips their drink. “You’re right, though, Ev. He’s always been a happy sort of guy but of late? He’s sunshine personified. He’s even less stressed when the copier eats his handouts.” They suck at the inside of their cheek. “I don’t know what’s changed.”

You become conscious of a petite blonde woman standing on the fringes of the group but who’s clearly been listening attentively to the conversation. It’s not that you don’t like Amy, Susan’s second-in-command in the faculty administration office. She’s just…a lot. And her penchant for gossip, however wildly inaccurate, was notorious.

She turns to face the rest of you, a look in her eyes that screams “gossip incoming”. 

“Ooooh, guys… what if he’s finally met someone?? Makes sense, right??”

David’s eyebrows shoot up over the frames of his glasses and he takes a large sip of his whiskey soda.

Ani scoffs. “Bit of a fucking leap, Amy, no? All the time we’ve been here and never known there to be the slightest suggestion of him seeing anyone seriously - he’s like the ‘married to the job’ cliche. And now you think that’s why he’s so happy lately? Some mystery new person?”

Amy looks put out. “Think about that statement, Ani. It’s been ages, there’s no other obvious explanation, therefore I call Benny’s getting coupled up!!!!!” She sucks at her rum and coke gleefully, eyes wide and excited. “Oh my GOD I wonder who it is? Do you think it’s someone on campus? I mean, where else do you guys meet anyone, hahaha! And he’s so hard-working and committed. Maybe I can ask Susan and find out if she’s seen him hanging out with anyone in particular. Or maybe if he’s been out of town more, y’know? Oooh, exciting! I love a good romance!”

She swans off in the direction of her table as the song winds to a close. 

Fuck. Too late, as usual, Lyd. As if you ever stood a chance to begin with. 

You notice David trying to catch your eye, but you turn to the bar and signal to the bartender. “Hey, who wants tequila shots?”

You down a shot with Evan and Ani, eyes scrunching up as you suck the lime wedge and try to halt your crazy train of thought. It’s a familiar melody of guitar, bass, and keyboard that eventually distracts you, though, as the opening bars of “This Must Be The Place” by Talking Heads float from the bar’s sound system.

You gleefully tap Evan on the arm and start to shimmy in place, still facing the bar. “Fuuuuuck, man! I love this song! C’mon, let’s go dance.”

Evan’s gaze is trained on the dancefloor. “Much as I’d like to, babygirl, I think your dance card has already been filled for this one.” He nods and points behind you.

All you can do is laugh. Ben, having clearly noticed your excited reaction to the song, is moving towards you, hips swaying in time to the music, and making a cheesy “reeling you in” gesture with the dorkiest of smiles on his face. 

“Time to see those moves, birthday girl!”

Evan gives you a shove, sending you almost colliding with Ben’s broad chest. You force the awkward thoughts and feelings down deep inside you.

“Well, seeing as I’ve just learned that you have moves, sir, I guess I should see them up close.”

He grins and pulls you to the floor proper.

Even with the help of the cheap tequila, you are a little stiff for the first few moments, exposed and unsure of yourself as you try to keep moving in time to the rhythm without giving away everything that was racing through your mind. 

Ben’s dark eyes are warm and bright as he mouths along to the lyrics and takes your hand, gently encouraging you to let go and relax a little more:

Feet on the ground, head in the sky

It’s okay, I know nothing’s wrong

You feel your body locking into the rhythm with his. A genuine smile creeps over your face as the song enters the first chorus and you both join in with David Byrne’s vocal. He takes both your hands during the next instrumental, pulling you in a little more. 

You lean in close to his ear, keeping up the rhythm but not letting go of his big, warm hands. “I love this song so much, but I’ve never actually got to dance to it before - this is so cool!”

He smiles softly and leans close in turn. “Well, now I’m really glad I got to make that happen.” He lets go of one hand and puts his arm around your waist, bringing you into a more traditional dance hold. “Happy birthday, Lyddie.”

Deep down, there’s a tiny voice inside you that wonders whether he’d do this - dance with you, like this - if he was actually dating anyone else. But then you remember how open he can be with friends, and you tell yourself it’s just one friend dancing with another. 

He twirls you in and out as the song enters the final chorus. For a moment, you let yourself slip into an unspoken, unrequited romantic fantasy as you sing along together, smiling and eyes shining:

And you love me til my heart stops

Love me til I’m dead

In that moment, where you allow yourself to imagine this as real, as something that could be, you feel happier than you have in years.

Closing time rolls around. Ani and Evan are tapping on their phones to arrange cabs, and you’re pulling your coat on and chatting to David when Ben approaches, bike helmet in one hand and a little kraft paper gift bag in the other. 

“Lyddie, can I -”

“BENJAMIN!” He’s interrupted by the arrival of Amy, three sheets to the wind, and clearly hellbent on proving her theory right. “I need to talk to YOU about your secret.”

Ben’s eyes widen as he stutters in response. You make an executive decision. Dumb and all as this might be, you are not going to hang around to hear him say the words, to confirm that he’s taken.

“Oh man, really need to go to the bathroom before I go okay yeah see you in a few?”

You lock yourself in a cubicle and try really hard not to cry.

“Amy, I was in the middle of talking to Lydia and -”

Amy rolls her eyes dramatically. “Pfffft. This is more important. Now: who are they?”

David closes his eyes, pinches the bridge of his nose, and exhales. Ben looks completely confused.

“Who’s who, Amy?” His eyes continue to search the back of the bar, trying to spot you when you’ll eventually emerge from the bathroom.

“Don’t play coy with me, Professor Morales. You’re like a new man lately. So - who’s responsible? Who’s the lucky person?”

The penny finally drops. “Amy, do you… are you asking me… do you think I’m seeing someone?”

Amy jabs a finger at his chest triumphantly. “Aha!”

“I’m not… seeing anyone. Okay?” He tries to break away from Amy and nabs Ani as they’re walking past. “Where the fuck is Lyd, Ani?”

“Jeez, calm down, dude. What the fuck? Give her a Benjaminute. She’s in the bathroom.”

Amy reappears at Ben’s side. “I don’t believe you.”

He’s a patient man, usually. But this shit, coupled with the way you disappeared all of a sudden? He’s done.

“Amy - so help me god, I’m not with anyone or fucking seeing anyone. Okay? I’ll send a newsletter update if it ever happens. Now, please - where the hell did she go?”

He finally gets you alone - kind of - outside the bar, while you’re waiting for cabs to show up. 

Your imagination ran riot while you were on your own in the bathroom stall. But you’d concluded that this was for the best, one way or another. Better that he wasn’t available. Better that he wasn’t interested. Better that you just resisted what you felt. Better that you were just here for the year.

Everything you ever touched, relationship-wise, turned to shit. You couldn’t do that to Ben - even if a man like him would ever want a woman like you.

“Lyd?” He’s quiet, eyes searching yours for an explanation as to why you fled when he approached earlier. 

You smile up at him, hoping the redness around your eyes doesn’t show too much. “Hey. Sorry about earlier, I just - didn’t want to get stuck on the way home.” You pull a goofy face to try to lighten the mood, and he smiles gently, but can’t help but shake the feeling you’re being a little stand-offish with him. 

“Just wanted to give you this.” He hands you the little gift bag. “Don’t get excited, it’s a really small gift! But I saw it and thought of you.”

In a rom-com, he’d meet your gaze, trail a thumb across your cheek, and lean in for a soft, chaste kiss. Or you’d catch his hand, look up at him through your lashes, and press your lips to his.

On a cold November night in New England, though, it’s just you smiling and thanking him profusely while trying not to cry. Or to kiss him in front of everyone. 

“You okay, Lyddie?” 

You nod. “I probably shouldn’t have done the tequila shots earlier. Just a bit woozy and tired now, I guess.” You look down at the pavement, and back up to his handsome face. “Thank you so much. This means a lot.”

He leans forward and for a split second you dare to hope. To no avail. A tiny, soft kiss to the cheek. 

“Happy birthday.”

Ben cycles off, bike lights bright in the darkness, and you hop in a cab with Evan and David. Evan sits up front, while David sits in the back with you. He sees the way that you hold the little gift bag in your lap, and notices the pervasive sadness in your body language and expression.

“Hey, Evan?” he prompts his boyfriend. “Who was that crazy blonde lady that kept harassing Ben about his personal life?”

You can almost hear Evan rolling his eyes. “Fucking Amy. She’s fine, most of the time, but once she’s convinced of something - hoo, boy. Dog with a bone.”

David turns to you, a somewhat knowing look on his face. “When you were in the bathroom she accosted Ben about her conviction that he’s got some sort of secret partner and that’s why he's been so cheery lately.”

You fight to keep your expression neutral. Does he suspect something?

“Oh, okay. I heard her theorising it earlier on.”

Evan continues ranting. “He TOLD her, he wasn’t with anyone? Like, if he was seeing anyone or interested in anyone I would know. I would be able to tell.”

David reaffirms the key detail. “So he did say he wasn’t seeing anyone?”

Evan scoffs. “Babe, you were there. He said he wasn’t and then he got pissed off because he couldn’t find Lyd.”

David turns to you with a little smile on his face, and shrugs gently, as if to say: “See?”

You wipe off your makeup in the harsh light of your tiny bathroom, the fluorescent glare seeming designed to highlight every grey hair, every wrinkle, every trace of ageing. The confident woman in her bright red lipstick has been replaced by someone else entirely.

You put on a fresh pair of pyjamas, and climb into bed. In many ways, it had been a really great night. It’s just that you had to go catching feelings for him, and now everything was being filtered through that lens. 

David had been trying to make it clear to you that Amy’s fantasy was bullshit, that much was obvious. But if Ben wasn’t seeing anyone, and if he was so keen to dance with you and laugh at your jokes and give you gifts, then why didn’t he try even the slightest thing with you? There was only one conclusion: he wasn’t interested. 

It’s better this way.

The little brown gift bag catches your eye, sitting patiently on the nightstand for you to finally open it. You take a deep breath and reach over for it.

The bag contains two packages and a card, addressed to “Lyddie” in Ben’s distinctive handwriting. Card first.

“Fuck me, you’re such a dork.”

The card features a Venn diagram of three intersecting circles, one marked ‘Life’, the other ‘Universe’, and the third ‘Everything’. Little drawings of a potted plant, a whale, and the planets surround the number ‘42’ at the centre of the diagram. 

You giggle in spite of yourself. You could have bet that Ben Morales would give you a Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy-themed card for being 42. 

To Lyddie

Wishing you a very happy birthday - now, you are the answer to the Ultimate Question.

B

PS Explanatory post-its on gifts

“Explanatory post-its? Such a dork,” you whisper to yourself as you reach for the little packages. 

The first parcel’s note reads: 

I saw that you had a few of these in your office. Thought you might like a memento from here. Can also provide useful symbolic film prop. Rosebud!

You open the wrapping paper carefully to reveal a small cardboard box. Inside, there’s a miniature snow globe in lurid colours, a kitschy souvenir of the fading resort town near the Barrow College beach house on the coast. 

You turn it upside down, gently, and watch the light catching the glitter as it settles slowly over the old boardwalk and ferris wheel inside.

The second package is, unmistakably, a DVD. This time, the note reads: 

If you get inspired and make a timpano sometime, I’ll be there. 

It’s a copy of Big Night.

Ben Morales cycles up to his garage door and wheels his bike inside, carefully removing the front and rear lights (two each - he knows one isn’t enough at this time of year) and placing them on a shelf along with his bike helmet and reflective armbands.

The garage is separate to his house, which he bought a year or two after he got the job in Barrow. His siblings were surprised at the time, expecting him to just buy a decently-sized apartment rather than an entire house, but once he’d seen it he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. 

He’s lived alone for a very long time, so he’s used to returning to an empty home. It feels emptier than usual tonight, though: the quiet weighs heavier, and the fact that he’s on his own seems more obvious. Must be after the bar, he guesses. All that noise and music and conversation. Of course the house would seem lonely after that.

He thinks about putting on a movie, but - unusually for him - he can’t think of anything he’d like to watch. He pours himself a small glass of whiskey, sipping from it as he scans his shelves of records until he finds the one he’s looking for. He slips the vinyl from the cover and places it on the turntable, propping up the record’s brightly-coloured slipcase against the wall. 

He’s about to drop the needle on the final track on side 2 when his phone buzzes on the dining table. It’s a message from Ani, sent to a group chat you’d set up for your closest work friends, and they’ve attached some photos from tonight.

Ben starts the record going and gently drops the needle in the right place. As the familiar melody plays from his speakers, he settles himself and his glass of whiskey in a chair and opens up the pictures. 

You, sipping champagne at home while making a face at Evan’s lurid shirt. David and Ani sticking their fingers up to the camera, evidently caught unawares by Evan. Evan reenacting various poses from Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (Ben knew the shirt seemed familiar). Ani and you dancing, back to back, arms flung in the air and joy written all over your faces.

One of you, big eyes shining and red lipstick immaculate, wearing a hairband that proclaims “IT IS MY BIRTHDAY” and holding a cupcake with a single candle in it. He can tell you’re trying not to laugh. He wonders if it would be weird of him to save it.

Him, “reeling you in” for a dance. “Fuuuuuck,” he grimaces, sipping more whiskey as he cringes at himself. And then you and him, dancing, first at a slight distance, then hand in hand, then -

The music triggers the memory of his hand in yours, an arm around you, and the smile on your face. 

I can’t tell one from the other

Did I find you, or you find me?

Maybe he should say something to you.

Another message. You, this time. A photo of what he presumes is your nightstand, with the snow globe, Big Night DVD, and card on display.

LYDIA: I LOVE them so much. I don’t know how you remembered the movie and the snow globe is perfect. I promise not to drop it unless for dramatic and cinematic purposes as determined by Orson Welles. 

Another message.

LYDIA: Really, such thoughtful gifts. I’m so touched. L. 

The song ends. Ben takes a last sip of his whiskey. 

Maybe he should just tell you.

(bookshelf divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more; other dividers by @cafekitsune)

Further A/Ns: For those unfamiliar with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to the "ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything."

This is the card Ben gets for Lydia.

[throuple-tournament]

These are the throuples that are currently in the tournament in alphabetical order by media. The bolded ones have a submitted description and the italicised ones have no image (Last Updated 6th October 2024):

3 Will Be Free: Neo, Shin and Miw

A Chorus of Dragons: Kihrin D'mon, Janel Theranon and Teraeth

Agents of Shield: Jemma Simmons, Leopold Fitz and Daisy "Skye" Johnson

Arrow: Oliver Queen, John Diggle and Felicity Smoak

Berserk: Guts, Casca and Griffith

Boy Meets World: Cory Matthews, Shawn Hunter and Topanga Lawrence

Dead Boy Detectives: Crystal Palace, Edwin Paine and Charles Roland

Doctor Who: 12th Doctor, Missy and Clara

Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Ferris, Sloan and Cameron

The Golden Girls: Dorothy Zbornak, Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund

Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill, Richard Rider and Gamora

Ice Age: Manny, Sid and Diego

The Infernal Devices: Will, Tessa and Jem

Jane Eyre: Bertha Mason, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester

Jurassic Park: Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm

Keroro Gunso AKA Sgt Frog: Giroro, Dororo and Keroro

The Kingkiller Chronicle: Bast, The Chronicler and Kvothe

The Kingkiller Chronicle: Kvothe, Willem and Simmon

Lockwood & Co: Quill Kipps, Lucy Carlyle and Anthony Lockwood

Luca: Giulia, Luca and Alberto

Lupin III: Arsene Lupin III, Daisuke Jigen and Ishikawa Goemon XIII

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: Gaby Teller, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin

MASH: Hawkeye Pierce, Bj Hunnicut and Peg Hunnicut

Mass Effect: Garrus, Tali and Shepard

Merrily We Roll Along: Frank, Charlie and Mary

Mo Dao Zu Shi: Jin Guangyao, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Keiko, Bill and Lee

The Mortal Instruments: Jace, Clary and Simon

Nancy Drew: Nancy Drew, George Fayne and Ned Nickerson

The Phantom of the Opera: Erik, Raoul de Chaligny and Christine Daaé

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry

The Princess Bride: Fezzik, Inigo and Wesley

Project Sekai: Rui Kamishiro, Shizuku Hinomori and Tsukasa Tenma

The Road Within: Vincent, Marie and Alex

Romeo & Juliet: Romeo, Rosaline and Juliet

Sherlock & Co: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, and Mariana Ametxazurra

Shrek: Donkey, Shrek and Fiona

Six of Crows: Jesper Fahey, Inej Ghafa and Kaz Brekker

Star Wars: Leia Organa, Han Solo and Chewbacca

Static Shock: Richie Foley, Virgil Hawkins and Daisy Watkins

Stranger Things: Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington and Jonathan Byer

Ted Lasso: Roy Kent, Keeley Jones and Jamie Tartt

Tokyo Ghoul: Seidou Takizawa, Akira Mado and Koutarou Amon

Totally Spies!: Clover, Alex and Sam

Transformers: Ratchet, Rodimus Prime and Drift

Twelfth Night: Viola/Cesario, Olivia and Duke Orsino

Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun: Suzuki Iruma, Asmodeus Alice and Valac Clara

White Collar: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke and Elizabeth Burke

Wings of Fire: Clearsight, Sunstreak and LeafWing

Winx Club: Stormy, Icy and Darcy

Winx Club: Stella, Bloom and Flora

Yentl: Anshel, Avigdor and Hadass

Y: The Last Man: Dr. Allison Mann, Yorick Brown and Agent 355

Zero Escape/Zero Time Dilemma: Carlos, Junpei Tenmyouji, and Akane Kurashiki

Feel free to submit descriptions for any of these throuples, even if they're already bolded!

[jerzwriter]

One Bed Fic Prompts

Thank you for the great response! I am working on fic requests now. I will accept more. However, they may take some time to get to since the response was so great! Thanks, friends! :)

OK, I want to have a little fun. I found these on @creativepromptsforwriting, and they look like so much fun. Please send fic requests one of two ways:

Prompt Request 1:

Send (1) A prompt from this list:

Only One Bed Dialogue Prompts

and (2) a second prompt from this list:

Only One Bed Morning After Dialogue Prompts

and (3) a pairing:

It can be any of my pairings (Tobias x Casey, Ethan x Kaycee, Casey x Jess, Trystan x Carolina, Eli x Zoe) BUT the assumption will be they are not together (at least not yet)

OR any fun mix-up (i.e, Tobias x Kaycee, Ethan x Casey, Tobias x Jess)

OR any random characters (i.e., Tobias x Jackie, Ethan x Bryce, Trystan x Luke, Zoe x Troy, Alan x Naveen, and don't limit it to two... knock yourself out!)

OR it could even be OH MC x famous celebrity patient - 2 characters from different stories - anything goes.

If that's too complicated, go this route!

Prompt Requests 2:

Send me one prompt from this list:

Bed Sharing Scenarios

and (2) a pairing:

Any of the scenarios above. Any pairing, mix-up, or random characters. (Again, if a pairing, the assumption will be they are not together in this fic.)

I promise to make it fun!

I'm going to tag my current lists below the break because I would REALLY love to do these - so feel free to send any you like to me! :) Anyone can send requests and Anon is on as well, so go crazy! :)

Perma: @alj4890 @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @genevievemd @justyourusualash

@kingliam2019 @kyra75 @onikalover @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16

@secretaryunpaid @stars-are-within-me @tessa-liam @thosehallowedhalls @tveitertotwrites

@jerzwriter-reblogs-asks

Open Heart: @coffeeheartaddict2 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @liaromancewriter @peonierose @rafasgirl23415

@trappedinfanfiction

Ethan x MC: @cariantha @cryomyst @mrs-ramsey @youlookappropriate @custaroonie

Tobias x Casey: @brycesgirl @storyofmychoices @icecoffee90

Casey x Jess: @aallotarenunelma

Wake the Dead: @dutifullynuttywitch

Crimes of Passion: @moominofthevalley @rosesnink

[bunnyscar]

Dreaming

Jeff woke to the sound of heavy breathing above him. Glowing golden eyes stared down hungrily at him, their intense gaze boring into his soul. Hot breath tickled his neck, sharp fangs glittering below the golden eyes. It was the stuff of nightmares. But it was not a nightmare.

“Alan?” Jeff said cautiously, slowly reaching over and turning on the lamp that stood on his bedside table. Alan was perched on the side of the bed, quite close to Jeff’s head, staring at him. Now that the light shone on him, his eyes looked more normal, and his teeth were only showing because he was yawning. He looked almost comical with his bed head and the rubber ducky pajamas Jeff’s sister Tessa had bought him.

“What’s wrong? Why did you come in here?” Jeff asked, stifling a yawn. Glancing at the digital clock on his table, he saw it was only 3 a.m.

“You were making noise,” Alan said flatly.

“Oh, I’m sorry if that woke you. I guess I must have had a dream and grunted in my sleep. I don’t remember the dream though.” Jeff paused, then said slowly, “Did I really grunt that loudly for you to hear it?”

Alan shifted and looked away. “I was awake anyway. And the house is quiet.”

“You couldn’t sleep?”

“Bad dreams,” Alan muttered, glaring at the floor.

Jeff asked gently, “Do you want to sit up together and color for a bit?” Alan nodded slowly. Jeff grabbed their coloring books and pencils, and soon they were sitting cross-legged together on the bed, coloring away in peaceful silence.

Alan hadn’t been much in Jeff’s room, despite having lived with him and Tessa now for several months. It was rather odd to see him sitting on Jeff’s bed, hunched over a coloring book with a very serious face, as if making the dog in the picture red was the most important thing he’d ever done. Jeff smiled to himself. There were many good memories in this room: the faded pink blanket that had belonged to his grandmother and was the only reminder he had of her; the picture of his grandfather that stood like a sentinel above his desk, surveying the room with a discerning gaze; and the paper cranes that Tessa had made him with on his tenth birthday. Glancing down at the coloring page in his hands, Jeff knew he would have another memory to keep now. A memory of spending time in the middle of the night with a good friend.

“Jeff,” Alan suddenly spoke, bringing Jeff out of his thoughts. “Do you...ever have nightmares?”

“Hmm, I don’t have them so much now, but I used to have several when I was younger. Things like monsters chasing me, or sometimes I would dream that I was all alone in a labyrinth and couldn’t get out.”

Alan tapped his pencil against the page he was working on, his brow creasing slightly with unease. “Nightmares...make you afraid, don’t they? That’s what you call that emotion?”

Jeff nodded. Alan’s tapping became faster. “I had a nightmare,” he murmured. “I was running from something, and I had to get away before time was up. There was someone with me. But then I couldn’t run anymore. And there was blood, blood everywhere. Blood pooling on the floor because the other person was dead. Blood coming from me. Blood….but I was terrified by it. In the dream, I was scared of the blood.”

Alan looked up at Jeff then, and the hollow look in his eyes broke Jeff’s heart. Alan knew little about emotions or how to express them, and often he had only one facial expression, a fierce, angry look. But now his eyes were full of horror, of dark despair and fear. If there had been any emotion Jeff did not wish Alan knew, it was this terror.

“Jeff, I was scared of the blood. As a vampire and a monster, I’m always attracted to blood. It makes me go crazy. But in the dream, I was repulsed and horrified by it. Which can only mean—I was human in my dream.” Dead silence filled the room for a moment, Jeff processing what Alan had just revealed. Taking a deep breath, Alan said shakily, “I hate this dream, I hate feeling so scared. But I also don’t want this dream to go away, because—it’s the only way I can be human.”

“Then, why don’t we give you a new dream, one where you can still be human but not scared,” Jeff said slowly.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s something my grandfather told me to do when I was scared at night. If I had a bad dream or kept seeing things in the dark, he told me to make up stories about the scary things and change them into not-so-scary things. For example, that wardrobe,” he pointed to a wooden closet in the corner, “used to scare me all the time because of the shapes the wood grain makes. In the dark, I thought they were monsters that would come get me when I fell asleep. I started telling myself, though, that they were fairies, and they would come take me to dream land where we would play soccer and have parties all night long. Once I started thinking about that, I’d fall asleep before I knew it.”

Alan stared thoughtfully at the ground, a slight frown on his face. “I guess it might be kind of cheesy, but it worked for me,” Jeff said apologetically.

“Thanks, I’ll try it,” Alan said slowly.

“And if you ever need to get up and color with me, don’t worry about waking me. I’m always happy to stay up with you,” Jeff offered.

For a few nights after that, Alan did come in and ask to color with Jeff. But slowly, he came less, and he seemed to be sleeping better. It wasn’t until a week later that Jeff realized how effective his advice had been.

He walked into the kitchen one morning to find Alan sitting at the table, Tessa leaning over his shoulder and exclaiming over something. Looking up as Jeff came in, Tessa said eagerly, “Hey, hey, come look at this! Alan drew something completely original!” Jeff walked over curiously. Alan was an excellent artist, but so far he had only copied other artwork, not drawn anything that he himself had imagined.

Though some of the lines were shakier than in his other pictures, this picture was still quite good. It showed two boys, one grey and one brown-haired, and they were drawing a big picture of Clifford the Big Red Dog on the ground. The boys were smiling at each other, hands poised with chalk to continue drawing. They were smiling. Alan was smiling in this picture. For Jeff was sure that the two boys were meant to be him and Alan.

“Alan, is this…”Jeff started to say.

“It’s thanks to you, Jeff,” Alan said gruffly, not looking at him, but Jeff could tell he was happy. Jeff gazed at the picture again and smiled. Even if Alan could not smile yet in real life, there would come a day when he could smile. When this picture would not be just a dream, but a reality.

Previous ||

P.S. just a little fangirling over my own characters:

Alan puts Clifford in his picture because he likes children's books. Though he looks like he's sixteen, he's really only a few years old since he was created in a lab. Even though he can read higher level books and understand them for the most part, he enjoys children's books more because they are simpler.