#and i'm crossing my fingers we get more of them as a focus in season 2

[backjustforberena]

You can bargain with me all you like; bring my granddaughter with you to soften my resolve...

[zweiginator]

what do we think about patrick fingering you behind the bleachers after he lost a tennis match out of pure spite

omg who said that

college ex!patrick doing this is so...

you broke up with patrick two weeks ago, and you had completely avoided him since. you didn't return his calls or answer his texts or his frantic knocks at your door.

he was desperate for you back, you knew that much. the break up came out of nowhere for both of you. you were happy until one day you just weren't anymore.

it was hard to see your friends' relationships progress. you were much too young to get engaged or anything serious like that, but you still hadn't met patrick's parents. he told you it was complicated. he didn't take you out on dates as much; he said he was too busy with tennis. flowers were becoming too few and far between, and his eyes were wandering more and more on the freshmen girls on the tennis team.

so you broke up with him. it was short, the conversation. you said you couldn't do this anymore. he asked what you meant and you were concise. you couldn't settle. you wouldn't anymore. and then you got out of his car and didn't look back.

patrick had spent the two weeks after preparing for his match; it was a big one, and it was truly up in the air who would win. patrick and this opponent were competing for that coveted spot as the number one collegiate tennis player in the nation. it was so close to his grasp he could fucking taste it. and practice took his mind off of you, sort of. he still dreamt of your pretty face and how your skin felt in the mornings. he thought about kissing you, if anyone else was doing it. he thought about your pussy, how warm you were and how your eyebrows furrowed and you gasped and plead for more every time he fucked you.

but during tennis, he didn't think about anything. he was confident before the match--until he saw you in the stands.

you wore a pretty sun dress, one that patrick always complimented you on.

you saw him, he knew it. but you pretended like you didn't. you weren't there for him; you had plenty of friends on the tennis team, and it would be rude not to support them.

but maybe a part of you wanted to see patrick again. just a sliver of you. to see his breath hitch and his eyes lower with regret. he did just that.

and patrick lagged behind the entire match. it was as if he just couldn't quite find enough confidence to drill the ball. he got penalties for throwing his racket and cursing at his opponent, the refs, his coach. you saw his coach screaming at him during a break. pulling him in by the collar of his t-shirt and telling him to lose the fucking attitude.

maybe it filled you with pride to see him unable to focus with you there.

patrick saw you smirk, your eyes peering over the sunglasses perched on your nose. he bought you those, when you complained about how sunny his matches got. the courts faced the west, and at sunset it was impossible to see.

and then the match was over. patrick lost and it wasn't even close. he didn't go to the locker room. he marched over to where you were sitting. patrick's coach rubbed his temples, fully aware of his hotheadedness and how this would look. but the more patrick was controlled, the more he lashed out. so he said nothing.

you looked up at patrick from your seat, setting your phone down. people filed out of the bleachers. patrick pulled his shirt off with one hand and sat down next to you.

"what the fuck is your problem?"

"excuse me?" you asked.

patrick realized this wasn't a conversation that needed to be so out in the open. so he dragged you behind the bleachers. pinned you against one of the metal poles. it was hot against your back. patrick was scaring you, just a little.

"you fucking dump me, don't speak to me for weeks and now you show up at the most important match of the season?" patrick spat. he crossed his arms over his chest. a vein in his neck looked as if it were about to pop.

"i'm here to support my friends. you're not the center of everyone's fucking universe, patrick."

he scoffed. "yeah, i know i'm not the center of your universe. i just think if you had some fucking decency you wouldn't have shown up here just to fuck me over. i would've won if you weren't here."

you feigned a pout. "yeah, i'm sure. you don't get to blame me for everything. maybe you just weren't good enough."

it annoyed him how self-assured you were acting. the nice, sweet girlfriend he knew was gone. you were being rude and bratty--and patrick fucking liked it. he liked how your words had a razor sharp edge, how your jaw was tense and your own arms were crossed over your chest, mirroring him.

he liked how the wind was blowing the skirt of your dress up, how he could see the lace of your bralette peeking out.

being around you always made him hard, but something about that moment, how he couldn't have you anymore, how you were bickering like sworn enemies--made patrick need you.

and you couldn't deny how good he looked. the extra practice had defined his abs more; his arms looked bigger. he had a little extra scruff on his jaw and a sheen of sweat almost made him sparkle under the sun.

you trailed a finger down his chest and pulled him in by the waistband of his shorts. looked up at him with those eyes that made him melt and said, "a bit more practice and you'll get 'em next time, huh pat?"

you turned to walk away. patrick grabbed your wrist like a reflex. his breathing was heavy from the adrenaline. he felt dizzy smelling your perfume again. so he kissed you. it wasn't a nice kiss at all.

his teeth almost clashed into yours, and his tongue was messy and wet as he pushed it into your mouth. his thumb brushed against your bottom lip. you slapped him as his lips were still latched onto you.

he stopped kissing you.

but you stood on your tippy toes and pulled him back into you. clawed at his back and moaned as his hands groped your ass. he called you a slut, said of course you want this.

but he wouldn't give you his cock. you whined as he kissed your neck, and somehow you ended up sat underneath the bleachers between his legs. he tilted your head back to kiss you more and more as his hands spread your thighs. his grip was strong; he was able to keep them wide open for him even though you tried to clamp them shut.

he pushed your panties aside and ran his thumb through your folds. he knew you would be soaked for him but he smirked at the physical confirmation that he was right. your back arched against him as he pushed one finger in, then two, then three.

he curled them inside you and pumped them fast. you closed your eyes and dug your fingers into his thighs but he grabbed your jaw.

"look at me. don't close your eyes. fucking look at me and beg me to fuck you."

his hand wrapped around your throat. it was hard to speak but you tried. nothing came out.

"poor thing." patrick cooed, mocking you. his thumb rubbed your clit and you moaned his name over and over.

"you want me to fuck you? do you still think i'm a fucking loser? look at you spread out like a fucking slut for me." patrick was harsh. he spat in your open mouth.

"fuck me--patrick. take me home--please." you begged him like he asked. but you meant it. if his fingers felt this good right now his cock would be fucking euphoric. it always was.

he covered your mouth as you came on his fingers, his thumb still rubbing circles over your swollen clit. he was so fucking mad at you, but he would always talk you through your orgasm and kiss your forehead. and he would always take you back.

[theriverbeyond]

arcane s2 act 2 THOUGHTS, overall I think this was a lot stronger than the first act --- at the end of the day arcane is a character and relationship (primarily sisterhood/brotherhood/parent-child/family) driven show above all else, with plot as a sort of loose secondary, so like, even though i DO have plot critiques they're feel a lot softer just because the arc was genuinely so enjoyable to watch on an emotional level. anyway #SPOILERS and critiques below. well more like one big excessively long critique but I spent ages typing it all up so here it is:

i think my big critique thus far is pacing and story planning. there is just... a lot going on, for a 9 episode show. like a LOT. like way too much. and I think this was obvious in the first arc, and better managed in this arc -- but that is largely because this arc wildly narrowed the focus. this arc totally left out Ekko and Hermidinger(i can never remember his name. the squirrel dude), the new enforcer squad were basically back to being background characters, and while Sevika, Jayce, Victor, Cait, Ambessa were all present/involved in plot, they all took a big backseat screentime-wise. This allowed the act to really focus in on Jinx & Vi, Jinx and Vi & Vander, and Jinx & Isha, which is of course where the arc really shines -- but it brings BIG concerns for act 3, where presumably we will be back to having a full plate of characters. So I expect the "too much going on" issue to be more obvious in act 3, which is disappointing because that's like, the finale.

following from the above, there's a lot of skipping around that feels very economical but also like.... WEIRD! like.... we are watching a highlight clipshow? or something? Salo gets told "hey check out this healer" -> next time we see him he is totally healed. WHAT? like sure i dont care about him as a character, but that just feels kinda.... like we are really squeezing in here huh!! and we go from seeing Victor heal one dude in act1 -> next time we see him he has set up a whole commune and is playing big jesus. WHAT???? we dont get to see anythijg in the middle?? what about Jinx and Isha reuniting after escaping Stillwater but before finding Vi??? etc etc etc? and sure those scenes would be not be necessary on a "the plot doesnt work without them" level, but these types of "TITLE CARD READS: 2 DAYS LATER, AFTER THE GANG SETTLES IN" situations are happening SO frequently in this season that it really seems like they have too much story to fit into the time they are given, and are now aggressively trimming anything they can so stuff will fit and still make sense.

Basically what I'm saying is the show feels like my twitter reads, where Im a verbose mf and have to aggressively abbreviate words and cut sentences and rambling when I tweet so it can fit the character limit. and sure I don't need all those extra characters and words to convey my full meaning but "economical with time" is not really the best compliment I could give a show. Like why do you have to be so economical. why are we pinching pennies seconds here instead of modifying the plot to improve the pacing.

shallow critique but the "Jinxers" all getting blue hair and pronouns and pink accents was weird. like..... Jinx has a lot of symbols, like the monkey or the shark or whatever, that they could have easily done something like that. and the blue hair is GOOFY!!! the only one who gets a pass is Isha, bc her hair clearly looks like a quick dye/paintjob, versus everyone else who looks like they went to a salon.

I think this is, again, an issue of screentime economics, but im honestly disappointed in the CaitVi reunion. it's not that I dislike the scenes themselves, but it all feels so... easy! fast! like their breakup felt so emotionally resonant and them making up felt so quick. I have my fingers crossed for Consequences (and fallout from both Vi's alcoholic era and Cait's rebound bedsharing) next act, especially based on the preview, but like.... we have so much other stuff to tie up I am just not sure there is enough time for them to really deliver the impact that the breakup promised.

I've been told that they always planned for 2 seasons and had everything plotted out beforehand but the pacing is... really weird for something they had so meticulously planned for two seasons. It feels a LOT more like they wrote a story they wanted to tell, they were then given 18 episodes in which to tell it, and they decided they liked their original story so much that they didn't want to cut anything even though 18 episodes is a huge squeeze for this number of characters/this level of plot complexity.

And I think the quality difference is SO noticeable between the acts that are tight and focused (like this arc here, or the original season 1 act 1 -- both were tightly focused around Vander family dynamics, with some B and C plots. Compare that to act 1 of s2, which feels like trying to the contents of an entire pringles can into my mouth at once)

Related to that, I keep getting the sense that the writers want Specific Events to happen -- they want Jinx to care for someone that represents Powder, in order to coax out that part of her again. They want Cait and Vi to pull a doublecross deception on Ambessa. They want Victor to lead a jesus cult. etc. And then they draw a line from A to B in the most efficient way possible instead of doing things in a way that feels natural or actually rewarding. And then of course the specific Thing they wanted to happen does happen, and they do it really well. And it going really well retroactively justifies the hamfistedness of the setup, but also, should it? I talked about this issue for s2act1 last time but it remains, so.

Anyway that ways just way too many words to essentially talk about one issue. But that one issue (pacing/story planning) just... seeps into EVERYTHING, and I spent a long time typing all that out, so.

This is a bit of a complimentary critique, but I think the wild pacing means that there is a LOT of feeling jerked around emotionally, and I think the show is doing a pretty good job at making that feel exciting instead of confusing, so props for that

Ok now for stuff I liked, because despite my Hater Energy I loved this arc. that is why I have critiques. Because I love it and wish it was better.

like I said, Isha's introduction felt really hamfisted but I can't deny her story crushed my SOUL this arc. I loved that she was nonverbal, I loved her growing relationship with Jinx and it all definitely got enough screen time for Jinx's character development to feel natural/real/earned. I loved that. I cried. oh my fucking god. I love the thematic parallels of it all and I love how it puts Jinx into the role of a parent -- this WHOLE show is about family. sisters and brothers and parents and their kids. this is what it is ABOUT this is why i love this SHOW aughgaaiudsadsafdkha

Jinx's whole character development and everything is so. I don't have brain to write more about it tn but im like. yeah. i love it a lot. she allows herself to try to be the big fat hero...

I love women. This was such a good arc for beautiful handsome women.

I was suuuuper skeptical of Warwick -- I knew from fan speculation the likely connection between him and Vander, and also that he was a big fuckoff werewolf, and I was worried it would all be too goofy but really loved this. Jinx's look of utter terror when she didn't know if she'd killed her father/sister again, the hug, Vander's head touch with Vi, his love for his children bringing him back from thoughtless rage... i loved it. i can't even think about that last scene oh my GOD

I did just complain about the CaitVi reunion but as a homosexual I loved it a lot. Like. It was hot. There was spit and handcuffs and wrassling in the dirt. the almost-kiss when Cait pulled the bag over her head was more intimate than a kiss. there was name calling.

I love Cait having a rebound gf/fuckbuddy. It is SO funny to me, it's an excellent characterization moment for Cait, it's great tension that will HOPEFULLY have payoff in act 3, it's incredible fodder for angsty erotic fanfiction that I hope will soon grace a browser near me. and i hope it influences the CaitVi NETFLIX SEX WARNING scene that will soon grace a TV near me. I hope it is so long it compels me to write 1k words complaining that it was an irresponsible use of screen time

Jinx and Vi teaming up is another thing that felt too fast for me but like, was retroactively justified by how good it was. LIKE!!! Vi protecting Jinx. Parallels to childhood. Their sibling fight. How Vi reached out to her and welcomed her into the family hug. I'm emotional

We finally got to see BLOOD like I'm not a gore person, honestly, but act1 was pretty bloodless even during violent scenes, and I was a little worried that it would just be like that. but NO!!! Warwick's massacre was soooo good and got that blood spraying

I really like how Silco continues to haunt Jinx, and I love the way the show is exploring her grief and like... that she doesnt know who she is anymore. ough.

LOVE Sevika and Jinx's heist/disguise scene, especially all the animation/art details. Like the way Jinx's disguise is so poorly fitted, it's so good. I rewatched that scene specifically like, 4 times

Pitfighter Vi 🧎

as always super interested to hear other people's thoughts, critiques, critiques of my critiques, if im missing something big, etc etc.

[sameschmidtdiffname]

Can I get a Derek Danforth x shorter Male Reader where reader is like the only person Derek cares about. Reader is very cuddly but Derek isn’t big on PDA but when they are alone Derek loves holding the reader in his arms.

If not it’s ok!

OFC YOU CAN!!!

I had like fifteen different drafts for how this story could go and I couldn't make up my mind until literally last night, thus why it took so long. I hope this is okay!!!

Tangled

Derek Danforth x Male! Reader

Summery: The holidays are a miserable time of year, especially when ones mother won't even talk to them to let them know she's not coming, sending Derek into a breakdown and wrapping you up in the process.

Tags: No use of Y/N, short! Reader, hurt/comfort, mommy issues, drug use (marijuana), arguing, breakdown, banter, comedy, injury, eventual fluff, holiday fic. (I don't give a fuck that it's Febuary, shut it.)

Notes: honestly I was HYPED when I saw this request. I fucken GOT YOU babe and I am so sorry it took this long. I hope this was worth the wait <3

•°○《▪︎☆▪︎》○°•

I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest; who likes the holidays?

The decorations are nice. The food's better. But in the matter of family and visitation, could anyone honestly say they liked the whole routine? Picking who to see, booking flights, trying not to lose yourself in a bottle of liquor that you bought on the way to their house.

Maybe not every detail is the same, but you get the general idea.

"Please sit down," I begged Derek, watching him pace the floor. All week Derek had been in a mood, which isn't totally uncommon I will admit. But usually he could be coaxed out of it, sweet words whispered in his ear finally bringing him off whatever edge he was ready to fling off of and convince him death was for another day. This week however was different, Derek always tapping his foot, glaring at something. And pacing. Neverending, always thinking, lasts through the night pacing. I was beginning to feel sick from the anxiety, and my mood was making Derek even shorter in his.

"I'm fine," he snapped.

"You're clearly not," I said. In his hand he gripped his pen, clicking it to life with five rapid clicks before taking a long pull like he couldn't breathe without it. "Derek."

"I said I'm fucking fine."

"I have never seen you as more of a mess, will you please just sit down for one moment?" I pleaded, shifting closer to the edge of the plush loveseat kept in front of our bed. "I'm worried about you."

He wants to snap. His jaw is tight, teeth gritted as he spins on the heel of his black, pointed boot, mouth opening as he begins to point one finger at me. But the minute he actually makes eye contact the edge drains, his shoulders sagging slightly as he exhales his smoke, bags appearing under his eyes. Derek had a reputation for being a hard-ass, but when we were alone and I grabbed his attention, his demeanor would shift into one more gentle, more honest. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he finally crossed over to me, sitting beside me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I'm fine," he said quietly, tucking my head under his chin. His hand strokes up and down my back, his heart still pounding but beginning to calm as the smoke begins to work into his bloodstream, allowing him to focus on me more than his thoughts. His cologne compliments mine, smelling mostly of cinnamon to match the winter season. The silk material of his red shirt is soothing against my skin, little silver snowflakes decorating it. Always a pattern with him.

"Is it your mother?" I asked quietly. He stiffened, his heart rate picking back up against my ear.

"I don't want to talk about this," he said quickly, beginning to pull away. I gently grab his arms, making him look down at me before he can close off once more.

"We've been together for almost a year and you won't say anything about your-"

"I said I don't want to talk about this."

"We have to talk about this at some point or you're going to have a giant fit and I won't be able to help you."

It isn't meant as an insult, but I hear it as soon as the words come out. Derek's eyes narrow into slits, bitterness seeping through.

"Fuck you. I don't throw fucking fits." He pulled away quickly, the battery of his pen glowing as he took another hit, long and deep, blinking rapidly to show he's hit his limit.

"You are on the cusp of one right now. You're in denial," I said concerningly.

This time he really is about to snap when someone knocks on the door, popping her head in to announce dinner will be ready shortly.

"Is she on her way?" Derek asked the redheaded assistant, blowing his smoke out through his nose, hands on his cocked hips. The woman presses her lips together tightly, glancing between the two of us before speaking.

"I haven't heard anything from President Danforth for a few hours, sir," she finally said. Derek sighed deeply, looking down and pinching the bridge of his straight nose as he taps his foot at impressive speed.

"Thank you," he said quickly, not meeting anyone's eyes. She takes the opportunity, quickly nodding at me and ducking out of the room with the quick click of the door, leaving us alone again.

I simply stare at him, hands folded on top of my lap as I wait for him to say something, do something. When he goes to take a third blinker, I finally stand.

"Don't you fuckin' dare," Derek warns me, holding out his palm.

"You are going to get stoned to the point that you'll fuck up this dinner the you have been worried over for the past week. What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hiss, stepping closer.

"There's no fuckin' point, she's not coming," he said, shrugging harshly and scoffing.

"And that bothers you. Will you just admit that?" I said. I step closer, close enough to reach for the pen, but I wait, letting him narrow his glazing eyes at me first.

"What is your obsession? You want me to break down? Cry? You wanna fix me, huh?" His tone is harsh, paranoia settling in as he takes a step towards me. "Whatever savior shit this is, I'm not taking."

I snatch the pen quickly from his grasp, only to have his hand grab my wrist without any real thought. Derek towers over me, gripping me tightly enough it hurts.

"Drop it," he growled.

"No," I growled back.

"I'm not asking."

"Tough shit."

"What is your-"

"Derek." The snap does something, my voice bouncing around in his ears as he glares at me, but releases my wrist nonetheless. I step away quickly, tucking the pen into the inside pocket of my evergreen blazer. "You'll get this back tonight," I tell him, not looking back. Derek mutters under his breath, brushing past me to exit the suite. Fine. Let him hate me. See if I care.

Derek never liked public affection in the first place. Growing up in a house with a politician for a mother he was hyperaware of all the right and wrongs to a public reputation. I think he also just had no desire to be seen as any kind of vulnerable in a crowd. But tonight it's different. Tonight there is a tinge of hate with the distance he creates, and my side feels cold without him. With each step forward he takes five back. People filter in and out of each room, some I'm sure just here with a friend of a friend for the free food. But if there's anyone I never see through the passing hours, it's Derek's mother. I can see him checking his phone every five, three, then every other minute.

It was a touchy subject. Derek loved his mother, adored the ground she walked on. And when she would visit him or welcome us over to wherever it was she was staying it was obvious she loved him too, allowing him to get away with things most mothers wouldn't. But her head was always in work, her eyes always scanning a document with a pen in her hand to sign off on anything at any given moment. There were times we'd spend the visit gathered in silence lest she retreat to an actual study, claiming she could not focus with our chatter. Derek loved his mother, but it was obvious he was neglected by her too.

He'd been planning the party meticulously. Ordering dozens of sample just for garland, asking my input on plates. Yes, Derek was known for throwing elaborate and wonderfully tasteful parties, but if he thought his mother would be in attendance he would go the extra mile, not sparing an inch of detail and making sure that it was so perfect she'd have no choice but to attend.

Problem is, Madame President has many choices for her perfect Christmas party.

It isn't until the clock strikes ten and security begins to push people out that he finally locks eyes with me, the hate draining and giving way to the exhaustion underneath. He disappears through a doorway, and I follow after him, watching his snow white suit that matches my shirt perfectly work its way quickly through the endless halls as I chase him down the rabbit hole. Oh yes, don't think I escaped his scrutiny just because I'm a living being. I didn't even know we'd have complimenting outfits until I stepped out of the shower that morning while he worked on a cigarette, waving it around between his fingers on one hand with the hangers in the other and a phone pressed between his shoulder as he shouted something in Spanish at the poor assistant on the other line.

He doesn't bother shutting the bedroom door behind him whether he knows I'm following him or not. But when I gently push the door shut behind me, finally turning away from him, I feel his warm body press against mine from behind. His arms wrap around me, one around my waist and the other around my shoulders, alcohol thick on his breath as he buries his head into the crook of my neck. His hand finds my hair, burying his long fingers in it as he takes a deep inhale of the pine scented cologne dabbled on my neck. His body is heavy against mine, swaying slightly from exhaustion.

"Hi," he says softly.

"Hi," I say just as soft, reaching up to find his curls. I smile slightly at the feeling of his fried ends, tainted from overprocessing. "You wanna talk?"

"No," he maintained. But his voice cracks, and the collar my shirt is starting to feel wet. Not to mention his arms are shaking.

"You wanna not talk on the bed?" I ask him.

"I'm fine right here," he says in a broken voice. But when he softly sniffles and takes a tiny gasp for air, he's finally done in and dragging me towards the oversized bed, not bothering to actually open the canopy as he flops himself down onto the lush, green and gold duvet.

"It's fine, I'm fine," he insists even though he's dragged half of a gold chiffon curtain down and around him and he's too high to figure out how to get it off. "She has meetings, this happens."

"Yeah, well. It happens a little too often," I say gently, trying to help him before he gets this thing wrapped around his neck. In his vulnerable and understandable fit he's making this curtain situation much worse, actively reweaving whatever I untangle from him in his blind confusion.

"I mean, I get it. Running the country, having a conversation with your own son, it's fine," Derek hiccuped as he gestures his hands like scales weighing the options, one drastically higher than the other. His face is as red as his shirt, large tears streaming down his face as he paws uselessly at the fabric. He swipes frantically at them, clearly becoming frustrated at being unable to control his raw emotions. "I mean, priorities shift so what the fuck am I complaining about?"

"Honey, I think you're sitting on it."

"What?"

"The curtain."

Derek moans inconsolably as he throws himself against the bed, taking down the rest of the gold chiffon and covering us both in the material.

"What does it matter?" Derek cries pathetically. "I could hang myself with this and she'd have a fucking meeting in Germany!"

"Your mother would come to your funeral," I say softly, stroking his hair as I press my lips together, letting him heave out his sobs. He brings a bundle of the fabric to his face, bunching it up and sobbing into it before raising his head once more for another comment.

"Probably have a flood in Uganda day of. I'd fuck up my own suicide day," he snaps to no one in particular.

"No you wouldn't," I say, continuing to run my hand through his hair. Derek sinks into the golden bundle once more, curling in on himself like a child. Then suddenly his eyes grow cold again.

"And the fucking appetizers were cold!"

The comment is so out of left field that a short laugh escapes me, my hand immediately covering my mouth. I instantly feel awful, looking away as I try to compose myself from the dramatic change in complaint.

"Don't laugh at me," Derek snaps. "I paid good money for those."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, that was just a bit random. Would you like to get off of the curtains you also paid for?" I ask him softly, fighting the fit of giggles his hateful eyes inspire to continue. I try to wrap my arms around him in comfort but he moves away in irritation. Or tries. This curtain is keeping us pretty close, which only adds to the whole thing.

"No," he says as he finally gives up. He crosses his arms in irritation and huffs, but after a long moment and a glance at my bemused face he moves to get the curtain off of his own. "Yes. Get this off of me!"

"Okay, I'm coming."

"Where the fuck is the end?"

"I told you, I think you're sitting on it."

"Your mother is sitting on it!"

"Let's not bring anymore mothers into this-"

We struggle in the cocoon of chiffon, twisting and turning in the same and opposite directions, both of us bickering over who has what and who's preventing our freedom.

"This shouldn't be fucking hard!"

"Quit moving, you're making it worse."

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you!"

"Hang on, I think I-"

With a forceful tug I pull the end out from underneath of Derek. Unfortunately, Derek had shifted himself to move off of the end at the same time, leaving me to fling off the side of the tall bed and hit the lush rug underneath that hardly cushions the oak floor with a loud 'thud' that makes the artifical blond gasp.

"Fuck! Are you okay-?"

Derek scrambles to the edge to look down at me, but he's too high to realize he's overshot his position and sends his larger body crashing on top of mine, making me cry out as I break his fall.

"Eat a salad," I groan, curling in on myself as I try to catch my breath.

"I did, that's why I'm the tall one." Derek and I are once again tangled in the curtain, laying on the floor in a pile of limbs and half of Derek's face is burned from the rug. "Are you okay?" He asks worriedly, looking over my body for obvious injury.

"Have roses at my funeral," I cough, clutching my stomach.

"Rose's are cliché."

"Rose's are fucking iconic."

"If you have basic taste, then yes."

"I don't mix snake and cheeta."

"It's French."

"Then get fucking cheeta print rose's."

"Don't be hysterical."

I shoot him a look and finally he manages a laugh, wiping at his nose with the cuff of his blazer and smiling.

"Maybe I'm a little hysterical," he offers.

"I think I have a concussion."

"Oh, you don't have a concussion," Derek says dismissively. He cups my cheeks gently, his soft hands forcing my eyelids open wide as he checks my eyes. "Oh, fuck. Yeah, you have a concussion."

I laugh, pulling him close and keeping my eyes closed to keep from getting sick.

"Mister 'I Don't Throw Fits,'" I tease.

"I can just not take you to the hospital."

"Bitch."

"Cunt."

"Dickhead."

"Fuckface."

"Fashionably handicapped."

"Poor."

Derek finally figures out how to free us from our prison, pulling away the fabric and looking down at me from above with a gentle smile on his tear stained face. "You've got good bone structure, though," he says.

"It's my daddy's," I tell him.

"I don't remember buying you that."

I smack Derek's chest playfully, groaning as I try (and fail) to sit up. "You're awful."

"You love me," Derek says softly, sitting beside me. The statement is true and meant as a playful reminder, but it's the way his bloodshot eyes still glisten with leftover moisture that makes me cup his face. Or try. I can't see.

"I love you," I say softly.

"That's my chest."

My hand moves.

"Knee."

My hand moves again.

"That's my dick."

"Jolly good friend," I say with a squeeze and overexaggerated British accent. This knocks the last bit of sorrow out of Derek, making him laugh loudly as he finally lays down beside me. He wraps his arms around my smaller frame, pulling me close to him as he presses a soft kiss to my forehead.

"I'm sorry,' he says softly.

"We really do need to talk about your mother at some point," I tell him, stroking his arm that lays across my chest.

"I know." Derek's voice is soft, his fingers playing with one of the buttons on my blazer.

The silence is sweet, the sound of Derek and I's breathing the only sound in the room. And the slight ringing in my head.

"I think you need to call someone," I tell him.

"My problems aren't that bad," Derek says in a hurt voice, moving to look down at me.

"For me."

"Oh!"

▪︎《•☆•》▪︎

I'm going to be so fr, I haven't watched 'The Beekeeper' since it was in theaters so if the mommy issues are inaccurate that's on me. But y'know what it works better for his character so it's °~*accurate to meee*~°

Taglist:

@cassiecasluciluce @gh0u1ishly @joshhutchersons-slut @schmidtsbimbo @sugarevans @wompwompwomp57 . Thank you for your support pookies!!! <3

Masterlist

[rwrbficrecs]

First monthly faves for 2024 !! ❤️

Leave a message by @sherryvalli (book-verse)

@dot524: In the mood for some cute, heart-melting fluff? This is a one-shot that recounts Alex’s voicemail messages over the years from those who care about him - including Henry.

would you be my love, my love? (would you be mine) by ohprongs (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: a strictly come dancing AU with a lot of feelings that I've been thinking about ever since i read it!!!

even though we know it isn't true by @matherines (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: for everyone struggling with academic pressure, or anyone, really. it's pretty sad but of course there's comfort personified in Henry!!

beyond infatuation, how obsessively i adore you by @waterloolovers (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: a new fandom classic if you ask me. Henry works at the daycare Alex's daughter goes to and their relationship progresses really naturally. the kid content in this fic is some of the cutest i have ever read and this is the perfect fic to go on your reread list for comfort.

And They Were Roommates by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Alex and Henry get to know themselves and each other after they move in together. This story is not sugarcoated at all, very realistic - just how life is, and so so sweet. Also, unfortunately, rather short, but still worth the read - as are many other stories by this author, such as the 'Las flores' series.

Spirit of the Season by @pridepages (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: A little late to the game but I finally read E.J's Christmas story. Her way of story telling doesn't disappoint in this shorter tale (by her standards). It's not lighthearted and it touches some difficult topics (mostly canon) but it's all worth it because of the way they fall in love through Christmas Eve/night. Can't recommend it enough!

Where There Are Octobers by @iboatedhere (book-verse)

@na-dineee: 31 short chapters that are just really fun to read! Some are post-canon or canon-compliant, others are AUs - but in all of them the characters are so beautifully drawn, true to how we know and love them! A vet AU, a hospital AU, major fluff, even an X-Files AU - and who knows, maybe one or two dribbles will turn into more?! Fingers crossed!

The Art of Losing by bigfishbigpond (book-verse)

@dot524: If you think the mid-story breakup should have been longer and more angsty, here’s the story for you. An interesting and heartfelt story of what Henry and Alex are like apart, and what pulls them back together.

I know that you hate me (Do you though?) by @arand0mdutchgirl (book-verse)

@magnificentandcoolfez: A bit of good ADHD angst (with some comfort ofc). I like the focus on how hard adhd can be and it's a short and good read for those who like comfort that comes in the shape of your crush holding you until you feel grounded again.

blushing ears and beating hearts by @kill8a (book-verse)

@na-dineee: This story is not just slow burn, it is glacial burn. It's an college AU, set in New York, and so slow, so tender, so fluffy - after reading it I was floating on cloud 9 for quite a while. I don't know if you feel the same way, but it's funny how changing one given variable somehow changes the whole dynamic between the two of them. Or is it just me?! Either way, it's so wholesome to tag along as their love blossoms, I still feel so hugged and cared for.

all so human with our guards down by @maxbegone (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: a post-apocalyptic story that is unlike any other. There are no zombies or gore, but instead it focuses on rebuilding and the softest love growing between Alex and Henry, surrounded by family and friends. I kinda wanted to live there by the end of it.

The Snow Prince by @orchidscript (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: several fairy tale tropes meet to create this absolutely amazing story. It has dreaminess of a fable, best kind of yearning of your favourite slow burn fics and a little bit of adventure of a fantasy novel.

but to say that I'm a rainbow, to tell me that I'm bright (when I'm so used to feeling wrong, well, it helps me feel alright.) by What_Is_A_Mild_Opinion (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: Fandom is really sleeping on this one! This story is a canon rewrite with characters reimagined as creatures with animal characteristics. The wordbuilding is so fantastic that even if you are not a fan of long fics following canon step by step, it's absolutely worth to check this even for a chapter or two and get to know these wonderful versions of Alex and Henry. (Alex is literally rainbow.)

safe with me / more than I ever (in a thousand years)by @indomitable-love (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I think the author is very well known among all rwrb fanfic readers. I really, really liked these two stories, like a lot: Two 5+1 fics, one from Pez's point of view, the other from Bea's - unfortunately both characters are given too little attention in the book imho. As expected, both narrators are sharply observing, protective of Henry, loving, honest, tender - and you end up loving Henry (and Alex) even more.

check out our past Monthly Faves here ❤️

[clonehighdoublehelix]

CLONE HIGH S3 NOTES

This poster art is such eye-candy! I wish the animation budget was slightly higher so it could look this hand-made throughout. Though as someone who works on Flash shows, the production value has been high overall but nothing can compare to the unnecessary lavishness of Rough Draft Korea animating the original series. I never watched the show for shipping and last season the romances were so arbitrary and unengaging that I have no reason to expect anything. Joan and Confucius? Yeah, why not. Who cares! (I might pay attention if they had an mlm couple that aren't background characters that appear for one second)

I'm still crossing my fingers we get some more zany Scudworth B-plots that aren't getting wasted or mooning over Candide. This little snippet of them grave-robbing looks promising!

Though I'm a little disappointed that they're revisiting the Looney Tunes hijinx with Skunky-Poo. We can hope there's some new angle to it. (PITCH: Candide becomes jealous of the 'new woman' in Scudworths life, not because she's winning his heart but because SHE wants to be the one causing him grievous bodily harm)

The new writers really like writing JFK as a big golden retriever so, having him be Abe's goofy comic relief buddy could work. That's right: JFK is the new Gandhi! (A very normal sentence)

The cast list also reveals some new foster parents and school faculty which I'm super excited for. Last season had such a myopic focus on the leads that it felt like they existed in a vacuum. I hope some of the supporting characters get to, y'know, speak this season.

Sighting a Salvador Dali clone almost makes up for Baby Patrick Swayze. Is the name the whole joke? Because it *kinda* rhymes? I refuse to screencap the creature but me and my friends would beat that thing with hammers, I can tell you that much. And we all agree this is the last season, right? I'm shocked such a niche cult show didn't get shelved indefinitely but Zaslav's reign of terror is characterized by writing shows off seemingly at random. Maybe the sheer clout of Lord and Miller got this reboot made and released? The crew seem to indicate the shows future depends on how many people watch the show on premiere day through an app only available in the United States. Yikes! 'Max' is doing the bare-minimum of legally required advertising but the audience still appears to be a handful of die-hard fans who complain about every creative decision the reboot has made so far.

Here's looking forward to February 1st!

[yakysanny]

Netflix's official press has released episode titles and descriptions for One Piece Live Action

Some of my thoughts under the cut!

Seems like Syrup Village has been changed pretty drastically, which is not surprising - it's widely considered one of the weakest arcs in the entire series. I think here the live action actually has a chance to improve upon the source material, hopefully the changes will be positive!

Love that Kaya is a ship yard heiress, now we have a real tangible reason for why she's wealthy

Trio of overbearing house staff? There's Merry and Kuro, but who's the third one? Am I forgetting someone? Is this even important?

I wonder if we'll get Usopp's little friend trio or will they be cut

The action seems to have shifted from the slope to the mansion. Good change imo, more interesting location and the slope antics probably would've been to cartoony for live action anyway. Also the mansion has become a prison??

More Koby focus!!! This is a big one, he's a recurring character in this! I feel like not only are we gonna get the Koby-Helmeppo-Garp cover story, but even more importantly they'll feature prominently in other arcs (really curious about how they'll fit into the Syrup Village arc, also Usopp was the one who called them??)

No mention of them but when do we get Luffy and Zoro's backstories? Will they go the manga route and give them pretty much as soon as we meet them, or the anime route and hold on to them for a while

I have a feeling that Krieg plays a relatively small role in Baratie, again probably for the best since he's the least interesting part about that arc. I'm gonna be really sad if we don't get Gin though :(

We saw in the trailer that Arlong pirates were at the Baratie so they will probably replace the Krieg conflict and be the reason that draws Nami away (rip Johnny and Yosaku, I think we won't be seeing them either)

We most likely won't get Loguetown either. We've seen the barrel scene in promotional material, but I think they moved that scene around and we see it right after leaving Arlong Park. Now this works well if we get a second season. Arlong Park, the emotional climax of East Blue, is the finale and then Loguetown is going to be a great new season opener (many would probably consider it a stronger start than Reverse Mountain arc too). So fingers crossed for season 2!!

[theladyragnell]

Hi! Question for you once you've had a chance to finish S3 of Ted Lasso: I'd love to hear your perspective on how S3 could have unfolded in a more fulfilling way. No pressure, of course, but I enjoy reading your insights. :)

Okay! I am rolling up my sleeves.

EXPRESSING-OPINIONS-ON-THE-INTERNET CAVEAT: I am not a media critic, and not everything in this post will be cohesive, well-thought-out, and non-contradictory. I do not for a moment pretend that my opinions are Correct, they are merely my own.

SECOND CAVEAT: At this point, with where they left arcs, I'm about 80% sure that depending on how the WGA strike goes (crossing my fingers for them) and any corporate retaliation for that, there will be a spinoff or continuation sans Ted. More of their choices make sense if that is true, even if I don't love the thought (let shows end!!!), so this is all changes I would make assuming s3 is the final season.

The thing about this season, for me, is that any given episode or moment was largely really enjoyable for me! Sure, a few quibbles, and the whole Roy and Keeley thing we will get to in a moment, but if I ignored the fact that I was watching a season, most things worked for me. Looking at it as a season, though, it was too busy, in a way that meant the show dropped a lot of things I wanted to see more of.

So, when pondering this question, I think that there's no way to keep everything I love while getting rid of only the things that annoyed me or that didn't feel right to me. And in the end, I'd rather miss things that weren't there than be annoyed with things that are present, so my take on s3 would streamline a lot of things to engage with others.

Oh boy, this is already long, time for a cut.

Change #1: Roy and Keeley do not break up. There was simply no reason for this, and especially no reason for it to happen off-screen. They can still fight and have difficulties, and Roy can deal with his mental health, but it's just unnecessary drama and I never understood it. This also prevents Roy and Jamie's weird last-episode regression to fighting over her and forcing her into shitty positions.

Change #2: Most of Keeley's plotlines change. All of the KJPR plots and characters were interesting, but they also busied the season up too much. So I'd have her actually building up a one-woman business without Jack (or, tragically, Barbara), maybe doing the Shandy thing and grappling with that for longer, or her dealing with the Establishment the way Rebecca does so often, trying to make them see her as a businesswoman and not a footballer's girlfriend.

Change #3: Beard and Jane break up. We get to carry over the threads from s2 from the Beard episode and from Higgins expressing his concern, instead of treating the way Jane treats him as comedy. We also get to counteract this show's everyone-deserves-not-just-forgiveness-for-everything-but-also-to-be-in-your-life-again message with one instance of someone setting out a boundary and sticking to it.

Change #4: Many of Nate's plots change. As with Barbara, I would really regret losing Jade, but I think there are better uses of Nate's screentime--he was set up to be a real main character in s2 and I felt like I hardly saw him in s3. What I really wanted was for Nate to learn how to have power over people responsibly, I think? I'd have chosen either for him to grit his teeth and stay at West Ham (perhaps while joining the conspiracy to overthrow Rupert) or, when he left, for him to somehow end up coaching a kids' team, and learn gentleness in authority that way. It would pick up this show's really genuinely cool theme of "once one person makes a point of stepping out of the cycle of abuse and trauma it can ripple out around them" in interesting ways.

And while there are many other tweaks I'd make (more Sam, his last focus plot was SO goddamn miserable; eliminate everything about the psychic; goodbye to Rebecca's boat stranger), I'm going to finish with the last big one, which is

Change #5: Ted gets to do something besides reinvent total football, pine for his son, and make speeches that should have been edited down to a third of their length tops. He just seems so checked out this whole season, just talking about how none of the work he's done is on him, all focused on Henry in the wrong ways, so that going back to Kansas felt more like a horrible sacrifice than a choice that will bring him fulfillment or contentment. He was always going to go back to Kansas and his son, much as I wasn't wild about that, but it doesn't feel like a new beginning for him, just like he's going back to his old life with a little more knowledge of football and more knowledge of how to model good parenting and relationships for his kid (while not, from the way I interpreted that last expression, dealing any further with his own mental health). It felt weirdly dark for this show.

(Also I know this show loves its book theming, and I know it's The Wizard of Oz (see: a song from The Wiz playing over the credits to the penultimate episode), but have they considered that in subsequent Oz books Dorothy and her family move back to Oz? Things to consider.)

[daresplaining]

Your thoughts on She-Hulk ep 8?

I loved pretty much everything!

Yes, so, I was finally able to watch the rest of She-Hulk (I lost access to Disney+ partway through, so it took some finagling) and I do have thoughts! First, as I've mentioned previously, I loved the show overall; I thought it stayed very true to the spirit of the She-Hulk runs I have read (though to be clear, I'm not a Shulkie completist), was really funny (the knockoff "Avongers" merch in that one episode got me. I was on the floor), delivered some sharp commentary on the rampant misogyny in fan spaces and towards media with female leads (often drawing from actual online responses to the show by Comicsgate-types, which was genius), and poked fun at superhero tropes in a way that felt-- again-- true to the character and also mostly in a spirit of love, which is very important. I wanted to start with this because one of the things that kind of drove me nuts while the show was airing was seeing people prioritize the various cameos over the actual fact that freaking Jen Walters, She-Hulk herself, had a TV show, and I loved that she actually broke the fourth wall to call people out on this at one point.

(I'm glad this screenshot now exists in the world, and I'm worried that I might have to pull it out again when Echo's show airs. But hopefully not...)

But the cameos were fun, and felt correct for a show dealing with superhero law and tropes-- you do need a whole bunch of superheroes and villains around for that sort of thing, and I like that they went for an eclectic mix of big names and more obscure characters. Anyone who follows my Iron Fist blog might have seen me freaking out about the surprise appearance of El Aguila, one of my favorite side characters from Power Man and Iron Fist volume 1 (more freaking out will be forthcoming; I'm going to write a post about him when I have two seconds to spare). His MCU counterpart was kind of a parody version of the character, but that was true for many of the D-listers in the show, and I'd never expected to get El Aguila in anything, so I was still pretty dang thrilled. He even had his mutant powers! Amazing! We got MCU El Aguila before, like, MCU Scott Summers.

He also appeared alongside Man-Bull, who is a wonderfully weird Daredevil villain who I also never expected to see adapted. The decision to use El Aguila rather than the more obvious Matador was a little surprising (though I didn't mind at all), but a friend told me that she thought she had heard that they weren't allowed to use the Matador...which is intriguing... Hopefully it's because he's going to be the Big Bad in Daredevil season 4. One thing I was fairly disappointed by was the fact that we didn't get an appearance from Trish Walker, whose modern-day comics counterpart Patsy Walker/Hellcat is very close friends with Jen. However, considering MCU Trish's current situation, I can see why they made that choice. Tonally, this wasn't the right place to continue her story. Fingers crossed, though, for future interactions. Someone needs to get her out of prison!

But anyway, on to the main focus of this post-- this guy:

They definitely made this Leap-Frog hype-up ad as a joke, because hahaha, who gets excited about Leap-Frog, right? Joke's on them: I get excited about Leap-Frog. I was losing my tiny Silver-Age-Daredevil-fan mind that entire night, even knowing that it would be a while before I'd actually be able to watch the episode. Do you know how amazing it is that we got Leap-Frog in this thing? Leap-Frog in a largely comics-accurate costume? Leap-Frog who was allowed to be Silver Age goofy? Leap-Frog with a CATCHPHRASE? (I'm largely allergic to MCU things being imported into the comics-- if I have to open a Daredevil issue and read "the Devil's of Hell's Kitchen" with my own two eyes ever again, it's going to be my supervillain origin), but if 616 Leap-Frog were to start saying "ribbit and rip it", it wouldn't bother me. In all honesty, I didn't think he quite lived up to the hype. He was essentially a different character, and wasn't tremendously Leap-Frog-y when you got right down to it. But seeing him bouncing around in that green rubber costume still filled me with joy, and gave me hope that this might open the door for other such characters. Other fun, wacky, classic Silver Age villains who are long (emphasis on long) overdue an MCU debut. Stilt-Man. I'm talking about Stilt-Man.

In any case, I hope that anyone who might not have checked out She-Hulk yet will give it a try. It's a fun ride.

Psyche. Okay, yes, I'm also going to talk about Daredevil.

To be brief: I really, really liked this cameo. My interest in MCU Daredevil pretty much died in 2018 with the Big Cancellation, and as many bolts of lightning as I shoot through it (or...Hand ninja I sacrifice for it? I guess that's more on-theme), I haven't managed to revive it yet. It was fun while it lasted, but it's not a version of the character that really appeals to me much in isolation, and at the end of the day, I'm a Daredevil fan because I like the comics.

I also have the same issues with Charlie Cox playing Matt Murdock that I think a lot of people have, though that's not something I really feel I need to go into in this post. On the most superficial and shallow level possible (sorry), he just doesn't look like Matt to me, which is something I was able to overcome in the Netflix shows because when you're watching something for thirteen hours straight, eventually your brain adapts. But getting this brief cameo after having not seen him for four years, it was extra jarring, and it actually threw me out of the story a few times. He walked into the courtroom in that one scene and said he was Matt Murdock, and I'm afraid my immediate reaction was, "Pfff, what? No, you're not." (Also...his American accent has not really improved, which was just something I'd assumed he would have been working on.)

But my longstanding quibbles about casting aside (and to be clear, I love that people like the asker above like him in the role! I think for many people who got into DD through the MCU, he is their Matt Murdock, and I fully respect that), this is the live action Daredevil content that I've been waiting for ever since it became clear that the Netflix show was wedded to its dark, tortured version of the character and would not be touching on many of the other attributes that make Matt interesting to me. If this had come out at least five years ago, I would have gone completely bonkers over it-- and even now, I had a thoroughly great time watching this cameo. I had hoped, but I'd never, ever imagined that we'd actually get the yellow suit--especially after the Netflix show picked the practical-but-boring Man Without Fear/"Trial of the Incredible Hulk" outfit as his origin costume. And you know what? It looked pretty good.

For a "grounded" live action take, I think they did a decent job of translating the feel of the yellow costume while being shackled to a certain expected MCU DD aesthetic as established by the Netflix show's version of the red suit. I particularly liked that...that...

No, I'm sorry. I can't do this. Let me just...

Okay, THERE we go.

As I was saying, I thought they did a solid job referencing this most classic of DD costumes, and I would love to see him wear it in more than just this cameo.

And with the yellow suit came-- my god-- the quippy, swashbuckly Matt I have been longing for. The fight with Leapfrog was fun! The banter with Jen was great! I don't know what else to say! Swashbuckly Matt = Happy Daresplaining. What a relief to finally see that side of his personality make an appearance in this universe, and from an in-character perspective, to see him finally finding that confidence and joy in his adventuring. I hope that the Daredevil show (if it ever actually happens at this rate...) pulls from this; that we didn't just get a lighthearted Matt because She-Hulk was a comedy show.

And the romance was a surprise, but I didn't mind it. It was handled with humor, and it's not a relationship that exists in the comics so it was a fun new concept to play around with. Plus, both 616 Jen and Matt are characters with pretty hefty love lives, so it fits. And even more to the point, as the third asker above mentions, it took a baffling 40 YEARS for Marvel's two most prominent superhero lawyers to even interact, finally facing off for the first time in Soule's She-Hulk run, so I cherish every new scene they have together in any medium because they're great together. I was a little--"worried" is too strong a word, but maybe "cautious"--about how this would be handled from Matt's end, since he's really not a one-night-stand kind of guy. He falls in love easily and dates a lot, but it's dating. He gets attached to people. He clings. But this ended up seeming like maybe not a one-night-stand after all. The last episode seemed to imply that they were still together, so...is this going to be a thing? Are MCU Jen and Matt a couple now? Anyway, it was fun to have a bit of the soap opera-flavored drama of 616 Matt's love life filter into the MCU, because it really didn't come up much in the Netflix show.

In any case, to make a long and much-delayed post short, while MCU Daredevil will have to work very hard to re-earn my interest, I did enjoy this, and loved She-Hulk. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a show that's an all-around good time.

[bamboobrat]

succession s4 e3 recap: i just called to say are you a cunt? 1/2

ding dong the bitch is dead!

today we celebrate! extra long recap! (you'll find part two here and at the bottom)

it's finally time to fire gerri:(((

this has been in the cards since the hazmat suit remark, but still shakes me to the bones.

and sticking her with cruises? horrifying.

almost as horrifying as logan asking roman to kill her...

"you two, you know, you were close"

dickpickgate, the laughs were too high a price to pay.

on a more positive note, greg is also not having a good day.

is he out of the inner circle? was he ever in? did kerry really look up if a focus group existed and pull him apart like string cheese?

my guess is it's because he is annoying. on this, logan and i agree. visually aggravating, indeed.

(on a more serious note, yes, i've seen the posts about nick and all i can say is believe women)

big boss man's last words:

i wasn't paying attention. karolina was in the scene.

tom uses one line to summarize the episode we never got.

wanting to kill cyd and gerri on the same day can kill you, you know. it's called karma.

felt a strong impulse to skip the intro having seen the trailer, but i'm a good lil nick britell fangirl of course.

also, you know it's going to be a good episode when it's a mylod.

roman is very nervous about breaking up with his girlfriend firing gerri. "let's enjoy this sham marraige and the death of romance", he said...

i know i asked for more gerri. THIS NOT WHAT I MEANT!

roman is me, i am roman etc.

i'm also sad to report that i am, in fact, team hat.

they are sad and angry but not in a perverted way:(

so, so pretty<333 j. for supporting! sarah for lead, please!

it's the least they could do. seriously.

looks like having to kill gerri was the last drop for our romey.

calling your dad a cunt right before he dies? it's shakespearean.

connor associates victoria spunge with the loony bin. some of you might think the cake is not an essential part of this episode, but you are wrong.

shiv doesn't pick up the phone. first the cake, now this!!

this is what my mom tells me all the time: gotta pick up the phone, i could be dying.

and just like that... logan roy died. on the toilet. where all horrible fathers deserve to die. special shout out to tywin lannister!

the writers are absolute sickos for making me actually morn this guy by watching how his children absolutely fall to pieces:

roman repeating how everything will be okay. ken saying he can't forgive logan, but that he loves him. shiv immediately reverting back to her younger self and calling logan daddy...

anyone else have some trauma responses to share?

these asshole kids crying over their asshole father </3

they frantically go back and forth between accepting that he is dead and making action plans on how to save him. it's a beautiful and heartbreaking throwback to the first season, when they still believed their money and status could save them from experiencing death.

even billionaires are mortal. really makes u think 👀

frank calls kendall son and i think it finally sinks in. i'm a pool of tears ready to be wiped up off the floor.

shiv and ken go to let connor know.

they look so smol and lost and sad, i CAN'T. they really are kids.

connor is on some GOAT shit with this line:

well, his father may not ever have liked him, but at least he got the world's strangest hug from his homey romey.

being in denial too hard can cause hug disfunction.

it's not a nice thing to call someone dead.

truly a heartbreaking rant we get from kieran here. one emmy for our favorite slime puppy!

karl continues to be the voice of reason:

i feel connected to this man, spiritually and emotionally.

he should pour one for kerry as well.

our girl is simply not dealing. fingers crossed for a delicious breakdown to come.

tom agrees.

funniest shit i've ever seen.

this is why we like to keep karl around, for the drinking and the nicknames.

part 2

[storyofmychoices]

Dani Rambles about COPII.... chapter 9

Okay, firstly I know I am literally behind on everything!!! I'm sorry, the past few days have been crazy so I'm trying to get caught up today but needed to read chapter 9 so that I could make prompts for the book club so here we are.

I actually found this to be one of the most interesting chapters in a while. I feel like we got some information and it felt like we could have a moment with Trystan that wasn't physical and we could see their relationship growing, as well as actually focus on the case!

I'm very disappointed the twins didn't have any actual information, that's just such a tease on PB's part, but revealing that information now would be too easy, so I get it. Well played on their cliff hanger.

I loved seeing Trystan bond with Juli's moms. Seeing that relationship mended has meant more than anything else. Seeing Eliose forgive Trystan and literally cheer on Lilah was such a heartfelt and beautiful moment. I loved it! (and also when Trystan said he wasn't good enough for Juli and the moms said he was 🥹😭❤️

(also the more we learn about Juli, the more wonderful I think she was and I kinda love her)

But the scene in Juli's room!!!

Okay so, I have lots of thoughts, they're not really coherent so I apologize.

The letter's were interesting, I really don't think it's Bas, they've literally been pointing fingers at Bas since we got to Drakovia. If it were him that'd be a huge let down. I chose the option that MC says she thought his letter sounded like a friends vacation trip. I thought it was funny to see that Astrid wrote complaining about her siblings, it could just be a quick funny Astrid moment, of course she would be complaining, but Astrid doesn't seem the type to send letters complaining to just anyone... we've never seen her and Juli mentioned as friends (or am I blanking?) so could there be more to them than that? No letters from Vasili though 🤔 (I still think Vasili is Juli's lover and Eveline knew about it)

The nightingale whistle!!!

ugh, so I've been a bit emotion about Nightingales for a couple weeks now, thanks Neil Gaiman and Good Omens. If you don't know, you're better off, the angst is real and my heart can't take waiting 4+ years for season 3.... 💔😭

But I digress,

So Nightingales are interesting birds especially with the symbolism they carry. And even in the chapter they mention star crossed lovers as part of that symbolism which is totally on point so It could just end there, but then I thought of Romeo and Juliet and their conversation about the bird and whether it's a nightingale or a lark.

In the play Juliet (whose name begins with Juli (like Juliana)), she believes the bird is a lark and represents light/morning (and their time together must end), where Romeo says it's a nightingale so it's still night and they have more time together.

Perhaps in COP, Juli is the lark and her mystery lover is the nightingale (who thought wanted more time with her even after night had past)

What that means, I really don't know, but here we are.

Then the shocking(?) twist that there might be another heir... i mean I think a lot of us probably thought that. I mean you have 9 heirs already, what's one more. But the missing heir might be the queen's?

I don't know if we've met them already, of the background characters we met so far, the only 2 I could think of would be Bird (only because his nickname is bird and he was randomly mentioned in this book, when the crime really didn't fit his mo) and the royal assistant (who just seems awkward around the family. I thought she might be Eveline's secret daughter, but maybe the queens?

Or maybe it's someone we haven't met yet.. or maybe one of the Thornes we know isn't really the King's. 🤷‍♀️

Maybe if the Queen has a child older than Trystan, maybe it's why she is so hard on him. She knows he is destined for the crown but not deserving? But also, why wouldn't she have been more supportive of the bill?

Lots of thoughts, I'm sure I'll be back with more. If you made it this far, you totally deserve a gold star!

Oh, and one more thought... if the Queen does have a lover, that would finally explain Patryk lol that boy does not fit in.

Wouldn't it be fun if Trystan weren't the King's how easily that would tie things off! But I don't get why the queen or anyone would want to stop the act then, if passed it would make any of her children (by the king or anyone else) legitimate so she could get Trystan in without worry if the act went through. So many questions. So little information

[anime-chick]

YYH TRAILER REACTION

i already love yusuke's actor

i'm sad koenma isn't a baby, but maybe we'll get a snippet of him being a toddler before shifting into an adult

a MUCH more serious tone than i was hoping for

the demon that attacks yusuke is scary as heck

did they just show the dark tournament island? they did oh yes they did

kurama looks as pretty as ever, as gay as ever, and i dont mind the wig, i said it, i like it even

hiei fucking around with stabbing cars??? okay okay, im here for it

kuwabara's energy sword!!!

the fight scenes look badass, there's definitely a lot of effort being put into them

kurama's handstand spin thing is just what i want for him, like, yes baby you do that

karasu and bui being in it so early on??? along with toguro??

speaking of - elder and younger toguro both look so so much better than i thought they would

i dont know what to do with the four of them fighting toguro together - seems odd but hopefully in the context of the show it makes sense

live action bui is totally giving off shredder vibes and im not mad at that

the focus of the trailer is mainly the action which does make me a little nervous because so much of the magic of yu yu hakusho happens outside of the battles and the characters interacting.

i do wonder with the inclusion of the toguro brothers if theyre skipping over the saint beasts arc to get to the yukina arc which would be a good place to end the season, though including bui? and karasu? i think they're trying to make hiei and kurama's battles more personal.

crossing my fingers we get another trailer that shows more than just the action (even though the action does look amazing and the cgi is solid).

ANYWAYS. it looks awesome. i think it's going to be a very fun adaptation~

[plumblossomcafe]

Ch.56: In the Depths, an Unexpected Reunion

Katheryne: Ah, Aether, Y/n. Right on cue, hehe.

Paimon: Hey Katheryne! Got any new commissions for us today? Also... how come you look so happy to see us? What have you done!?

Katheryne: I went to the shrine to draw a fortune slip earlier. The shrine maiden told me that "it is the season for an unexpected reunion."

Paimon: Katheryne? Drawing fortune slips at the shrine? ...Is it just Paimon, or is that the most unusual thing ever!? Wait, no, that's not the unusual part — we're in Liyue! You went to Inazuma and back in a single day!?

Katheryne: Hehe, even I have a private life, you know.

Y/n: "Creepy"

Paimon: Okay, so when you say "unexpected reunion," you mean running into us, right?

Katheryne: Who can say? But the anticipation of knowing that an unexpected reunion is due is making me happy to see everyone I cross paths with today.

Paimon: Fair enough, even though we see each other pretty much every day... Whatever makes you happy.

Aether: An unexpected reunion... Perhaps...

Paimon: Wait, are you saying... Ohh, Paimon gets it, Aether. Well, let's just hope the shrine maiden was right...

Y/n: Fingers crossed we find her.

Katheryne: I'm sorry... Did I say something I shouldn't have? You three seem a little down.

Paimon: Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, back to business. Do you have a new commission you want to give to us?

Katheryne: Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. This one is from a miner. It seems to be related to investigating The Chasm.

Paimon: Really? Does this mean The Chasm's not sealed off anymore?

Katheryne: I will leave the requester to fill you in on all the relevant details. His name is Yuehui, and he should be at The Chasm right now.

Paimon: Alright then, thanks, Katheryne! We'll head there right away.

Katheryne: Very well. Ad astra... abyssosque. Hmm, this time, you are truly bound for the abyss. Good luck to you both.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Paimon: Hi there! You must be "Yuehui," right? We've been sent by the Adventurers' Guild.

Yuehui: Ah, great, good to meet you. Yes, I was the one who posted that commission. Wait a second... You both look kind of familiar. Are you a famous adventurers or something?

Aether: Never mind that. Let's focus on the task at hand.

Yuehui: Oh, uh, alright then. I'll start by introducing myself. I'm Yuehui, a miner, and I received a Mining Permit for The Chasm just recently. I have a handful of other guys in my crew.

Paimon: Seriously? They actually give permits out for The Chasm?

Yuehui: Yes, the folks over at Yujing Terrace finally came to their senses and are now allowing a limited amount of ore mining near the surface. We were among the first to gain approval. But some things have happened recently that put all the miners on edge.

Paimon: Really? What happened? We haven't heard anything.

Yuehui: So... it's hard to say exactly how big of an issue it is. Could be something. it could be nothing. The main thing is that it's just very... strange. While one of the miners was on a break, he suddenly noticed a few hilichurls walking his way. They seemed like they were in a daze or something. They walked right by him without giving him a single glance. They just made a beeline for the depths of The Chasm. After that, the miner started observing his surroundings more closely and noticed the same thing happening time and time again.

Paimon: Hmm... are the hilichurls just curious? Maybe they just wanna take a peek inside...

Yuehui: Not likely. The strange part is that in all the time, this miner has been watching the hilichurls......he's never seen any of them come back out. It seems to be a one-way trip. Once the hilichurls go in, they never emerge again. And it seems to be happening more and more frequently as of late. "What are these hilichurls up to?" "What happens to them after they go inside?" "Is there a disaster brewing?" These are the kinds of thoughts going through the guys' heads now. Everyone's driving themselves crazy worrying about it.

Paimon: Uhhh! Paimon's not surprised... Paimon feels spooked just hearing about it.

Y/n: "Strange" is definitely the right word...

Yuehui: Exactly. The deepest fear is the fear of the unknown, you know? So we have to get to the bottom of it before everyone can put their minds at rest.

Paimon: Do we... do we really wanna take this commission? Um, thanks, Mr. Miner, Sir, we need to consider it first—

Aether: We'll take it.

Paimon: Hey! You could at least pretend to consider Paimon's opinion first!

Aether: When strange things like this happen... I'm inclined to think the Abyss Order is involved.

Paimon: Oh, so that's where you're coming from. Hmm, well, okay then, maybe we will find some clues about your twin. You'll really regret it if you don't go, huh?

Yuehui: So, what's your verdict? Will you take the commission? No pressure, but I gotta say... I'm not loving the prospect of my Mining Permit going to waste.

Paimon: Yup, we'll take it. We're kinda curious ourselves now, too.

Yuehui: Great. You're doing me an enormous service here. Now, let me give you the rough location that the hilichurls keep heading to...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Upon reaching the area, a destroyed city was seen, but unlike other cities, it was quite the opposite, leaving the trio in shock and confusion.

Paimon: What the... It's a city? A whole city that's... floating in the air... upside down!?

Y/n: I'm at a loss for words. This is not what I was expecting...

Paimon: Just look at this place, Doesn't it remind you guys of something? Wait, what was it again...

Aether: "The Defiled Statue."

Paimon: Yes, that's it! It's just like that. It's just as strange, just as upside-down and just as spooky. In which case... Maybe whatever's going on in The Chasm really is connected to the Abyss Order. Oh, we gotta get to the bottom of this...

Dainsleif suddenly emerges from a portal beside them, shocking everyone who was present...

Paimon: ...Oh...

Dainsleif: ...

Y/n: Dainsleif!?

Aether: I was not expecting that.

Dainsleif: The feeling is mutual. I certainly hadn't expected to meet you here, either.

Paimon: Long time no see, Dain... Wait, but how did you suddenly end up here in The Chasm?

Dainsleif: The Chasm? So, we're in the depths of The Chasm, are we. *looks around* Interesting... This is one place where I have never set foot before.

Y/n then went up to Dainsleif and started punching him in the abdominal area while complaining about him leaving unexpectedly and hitting her, but Dainsleif didn't seem to be phased

(Pretend that's you and Dainsleif)

Aether: I have a lot of questions for you.

Dainsleif: *holding Y/n by the collar of her shirt* I understand how you must feel. Last time, we met suddenly and parted hastily. Now our paths cross again... Fate, it seems, owes you an explanation. *referring to Y/n* Please come get this one

Y/n: *hissing* I'm not a thing, you old man!!!

Aether: *held Y/n close while covering her mouth* First, tell me what you're doing here and what was going on with that portal just now?

Dainsleif: That much should be self-explanatory. I came upon the trail of another Abyss Herald recently and began pursuing it. Unfortunately, I got as far as cornering him before he resorted to the same trick that they all do... I was hot on his heels when I followed him through the portal, but as usual, it was to no avail. It took me to the wrong place.

Aether: So you didn't actually catch up with my sister last time?

Dainsleif: Correct. Based on my recent experiences, I can only conclude that the Abyss's portals are not simply pathways from point A to point B, but gateways to an entire network. Where they emerge on the other side is their choice. It can be anywhere within the network.

Paimon: Sounds kinda similar to how Teleport Waypoints work...

Dainsleif: In short, though I was right behind your twin last time when I entered that portal, the next moment that I realized where I was......I was all alone, back in the ruins known as Stormterror's Lair.

Paimon: Oh yeah, about that — whatever happened to the eye of the first Field Tiller?

Dainsleif: It's in a safe place. You can be sure that I will learn the truth of the "Loom of Fate" operation sooner than it could ever fall into the Abyss Order's hands.

Aether: Why don't you tell us who you really are? Who is the "Twilight Sword"?

Dainsleif: Hah. So that title stuck in your memory. I by no means went out of my way to conceal it from either of you. It once stood for the glory of Khaenri'ah, but now......It is but a cruel joke. My curse to bear. Twilight Sword was my title as captain of the Royal Guards when I witnessed the destruction of my entire homeland firsthand. I believe my reluctance to raise it in conversation is quite justified.

Y/n: Sounds like your sister was right...

Aether: What is the history between you and my sister? What happened between you?

Dainsleif: We were travel partners. We both partook in a painful journey of searching for our fate, but regrettably... we did not make it to the journey's end together.

Aether: The journey's end...

Dainsleif: Before you continue questioning me, I ought to warn you... If my suspicions regarding the portal network are correct, then the fact that there is a portal leading here tells us that the Abyss Order has their eyes on this location.

Paimon: You mean the Abyss Order is plotting something here? Actually, Paimon, Aether, and Y/n suspected that, too.

Dainsleif: I mean that it's highly likely that even as we speak, the Abyss Order is watching our every move.

Paimon: Uhh, don't say that! You're giving Paimon goosebumps!

Aether: I'll trust you. For now.

Dainsleif: Huh, a wise choice. There appears to be light from a fire coming from near that rocky wall. Let's take a look.

Art Dump(Spoiler for an upcoming story?):

"We had no time to say goodbye, so let's not call it that."

"I will protect you, so you should keep on smiling"

"Once you reach the end of your journey as I did, you will see for yourself the true nature of this world."

"So we'll meet again. Though we need not rush, sister‍. I have more than enough time to wait for you."

[23739606]

Todayyyy

Today I did not get much done on my project, but I learned a ton and feel like this has been one of my most productive days in terms on networking and engagement.

I ran into Nic and Hope while working at the library and had another brief chat with them about the new Oxford Road temporary library setup! I can't wait to see how they transform the space and see how students actually use it. I can't imagine trying to build an academic library from a building of classrooms rather than from scratch... and to design it in a way that students can use the same way as before seems so confusing to me. But I'm so glad I can help out!

I had a meeting with Jen, Stella, and Matthew to chat more about the Open Research team. Jen gave us a ton of tips and recommendations for finding a job during the stressful season--both Matthew and I can only work 20 hours a week, and we both have library experience, customer service experience, and are working on our LIS MA certification, so it seems like we fit a lot of the boxes needed for library work. I just have to be really diligent about checking job boards and seeing what new posts are open.

I learned more about how Jen's role is the strategy part of Open Research at MMU. She decides how to make our uni's plans and aims work for the LCS and specifically the OR team, directing the team to work in those ways that support the overall strategy of the university, now being a dual focus uni. There is emphasis on teaching as well as research which can make it difficult to decide whether OR moneys should support researchers or students...

After a quick lunch, I shadowed the help desk and booksorter team. Basically, they showed me what their daily tasks look like, and I asked questions and related it to my own experience working in libraries. The library here deals with the collection in a different way than my previous uni (SPU), but it makes so much more sense given that MMU is probably five times the size of SPU. Differences like: holds are only placed on books already checked out, the booksorter manually returns items, and the staff are very chill on quiet days like today.

I'm honestly loving this placement so much -- I'm learning so much about working in an academic library and just desiring more and more to be back in one in an official role!

Then, I went to the Manchester Central Library for an orientation session because I will be volunteering at the Embassy of Utopia event next week! There was one other woman from my course that was there, so it was nice to see a friendly face. I'm hoping I can get some good networking done at this event, and the Information desk person I was talking to suggested talking to as many people as I can because he knows some staff are near retiring age and are looking for replacements. Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow I have a meeting with Stella after some more shadowing at the front desk, and I'm hoping to get my presentation mostly finished by then. If not, I'll be working from home on Thursday, and I'll definitely be able to bang it out then.

[billfarrah]

What are your thoughts on people saying Simon's storyline was reduced to being Marcus's love interest or to the love story? I disagree. But what are your thoughts.. you make the most sense in your responses so share. 🙂

I mean, it is true. Well, I don't think anyone is saying he's reduced to Marcus' love interest, but rather his role was more reduced to the love triangle plot. I think a lot of people myself included were disappointed we didn't get to see more of Simon's family life because that was such a highlight of season 1, but I understand that they're only given 6 very short episodes (42 minutes for most of them, one was 47) and they wanted to focus on Simon's romantic life, which I'm ultimately okay with. I still think Simon's character arc this season was well-done, if less in-depth than Wille's. I know some people disagree and that's to be expected. Not all fans are gonna agree on everything and that's okay. I respect other's opinions and understand their gripes. The way I look at it, I think he learned a lot about himself and what he wants out of a relationship and I thought his characterization was pretty consistent with how he acted in s1, he just had his guard even more up. I liked that he got the chance to be messy and petty, and I did actually like the Marcus storyline.

I'm hoping that if we get a season 3, the family element will come back into focus, which I'm hopeful it will since Lisa said in that live she did post-s2 release that we'd only just begun exploring the family lives of both the royal family and the Erikssons. So I'm trying not to be too upset about the missed opportunity and hoping they make room for it if there's another season. There will most certainly not be any love triangle drama - Marcus is toast - so there will be plenty of more time to explore Simon and hopefully Lisa capitalizes on that. I’m also hopeful as Omar said he and Lisa intended to sit down and talk about a potential s2 storyline, so hopefully he gets a lot of input. He loves Simon so much and I’m sure he has great ideas. Keeping my fingers crossed for a season 3!

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

The Reaper and the Death Angel Part 20

Part 19

Series Masterlist

Contains: Fluff. Forensics and discussion of cold cases involving children. Smut (oral sex M receiving, body worship, complements fingering, CONSENT, mild dom Jax, mild sub reader, begging, aftercare.) Loosely follows the plot of season 1 episode 9.

6.1K Words

Comment if you want to be tagged

The beginning.

"I'm plan to get on my knees and suck your dick tonight, the smoothy will make it a bit more pleasant for me." His eyes went wide and he took a gulp from the glass, "this is really good."

You nodded, and he licked his lower lip. You straddled him, kissing him deeply while his hands moved down to grip your ass. You pulled away just as he started to grind you down onto him.

"See you tonight my love."

"Hale and ATF here for you."

You pulled one glove off and walked over to the intercom, "I'm doing a post, they can wait out there until I'm done or they can leave. I'll be another half an hour."

There was a belief pause before Travis spoke again, "Agent Sthal is being pretty insistent, she said that she's more than happy to talk to Holt if you don't come out."

That wouldn't go down well.

"Send them in, tell them to come to the exam room. Thank you Travis."

A few moments later, Hale and Stahl were at the door, "Dr l/n we'd like to talk to you about a few things."

You kept your focus on the remains in front of you, "we can talk through the door or you can come in. I have a job to do that doesn't involve helping you."

"We'd like to have your full attention."

You turned to glare at her, "best I can do is let you in. These remains belong to a child, nothing you could ask me is more important than making sure this little boy gets his story told."

You walked over and buzzed them in, Hale's hand immediately going to cover his nose, "if you have a problem with the smell of rotting flesh, you shouldn't be here." He gave one last look of disgust before dropping his hand.

"What is it that you wish to discuss? I'm a busy woman and I don't have the time to wait around for you to get your stomach under control." Sthal stepped forward, hands on her hips with a condescending look on her face. You put on a new glove and went back to the exam.

"What do you know about the Sons of Anarchy?" You pressed your lips together to avoid speaking out of turn.

"They're a motorcycle club. Samuel is my Brother and Jackson is my romantic partner. I'm on friendly terms with all of them, but I'm closest with Mr Ortiz and Mr Lowman, a member of the Tacoma charter. I get along great with Gemma and the other women, you're not going to find a problem with me."

Hale looked at Sthal as if to say, "I told you so."

Sthal wasn't interested in anything you had to say, "I would really like your full attention for this, it's very important." If looks could kill, she would be dead a thousand times over.

You dropped the tool in your hands and removed both gloves walking over to the door and gesturing for them to follow you. You took them on the short walk to bone storage before storming in.

"You want my full attention? You think whatever you want is more important than all these people waiting for justice. When I'm not thinking about the bones on my table, I'm thinking about the bones in here." You walked over to one wall and pulled out three trays.

"I would like you to pick one of these remains to be identified. If you can do that, we can go to my office and I'll talk to you." They were all clearly the bones of children, Hale reached out to the smallest set and you picked up the card.

"Sorry, not that one. The police mishandled the evidence and I don't have the time to talk to you and fix that mistake." You realised that while Sthal deserved this treatment, Hale probably didn't. He reached out to another box, and you shook your head.

"Nope sorry, the prime suspect for this one refused to give anything away. I don't have the time to collect evidence and work out a deal with the DA to get this little girl's killer." Sthal crossed her arms over her chest, "are you done?"

Deep breath

"No June, I'm not done. You have nothing on the Club, coming after the women, is just low. Now get lost, or I swear to Lucifer that I will make sure the forensics community knows how little you care about the dead." It took her a while to realise the mistake she had made, that didn't stop her from trying to recover ground.

"We'll come back later when you have the time." You glared at her one last time,

"Yes, that would be best."

The rest of the post was done by the afternoon, you were sitting in your office when Holt walked in.

"I saw ATF here today, did you cause a kerfuffle?"

You shrugged, "I don't know, Hale's growing on me but that women makes me want to punch her in her smug face." Holt nodded.

"I will ensure she is dealt with at the door next time, if it has to do with Jackson and his past time, then I can't have you dealing with personal matters during work hours. She can reach you at home from now on, I will inform Travis that only Hale is to be buzzed in from now on."

"Thanks, professor."

He paused at the doorway, "no problem, Dr l/n."

Hodgins popped in just after Holt left, "DNA's back, we got the guy. The DA is on the way." He left and your head dropped to the desk in relief, another case down, another one to find.

"A Mister Winston at the door for you."

That's a pleasant surprise.

"Send him in Travis, and remind me to bring you an extra bit of cake tomorrow for all your hard work today."

Opie arrived at your door a minute later, "hello Ope. Please sit, can I get you anything to eat or drink? There's plenty of stuff around."

He sat down at your desk, "a coffee is fine, thanks." you got the coffee ready and put it down in front of him, then sat down in your own chair.

"What brings you here today?"

Opie leaned forward and rested his arms on your desk, "I just wanted to sort out dropping the kids off here so Donna and I can have the day to ourselves. Thanks for the offer by the way."

You pulled up your calendar, "I have tomorrow, both days this weekend, next Monday and all of next weekend as well."

Opie thought for a minute, "tomorrow would be great."

After a few clicks, that was done, "all fixed, you can drop them off after 9:30 in the morning, I'll get them their food for the day so you guys can just leave the house in the morning without worrying."

You looked at the expression on his face, he seemed upset, "there's more, isn't there. I'm here to listen and I promise, these walls and steal traps. Nothing you say here gets out." Opie took a deep breath.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?"

His eyes were downcast, "I think you should do what makes you and your wife happy. The Club took you from her for five years Ope, it's going to take her time to come around."

He nodded, thinking about what you said carefully, "Jax and the other guys want out of guns, I'm not going to tell you to lie to Donna and say things are going to get better overnight. But with the peace with The Mayans, there's no reason to worry her either."

He took a long sip in contemplation, "and if she doesn't want me to be involved in the Club?"

You looked at him dead in the eyes, "then you leave the Club or you figure out how to leave her while still keeping your children happy. This isn't all about you and Donna, it's about them too. They need their parents to be happy and they will grow to understand if that means you being apart."

You finished his coffee before he responded, "Jax said you would tell it to me straight. You've given me a lot to think about. Thanks for listening."

You smiled at him, "no problem Ope, and for what it's worth, I think Donna will come around with the Club."

You got up and gave him a hug before walking him out. You would talk to Jax and about Clay and Tig were handling Ope later, over the last week or two it had become clear that Tig was poisoning Clay to be even more blind to the truth than he already was.

But now wasn't the time to think about that, from work, you were going up to Stockton to see Otto and then home to get ready for tonight.

****

"Hello Otto, how's life been treating you?" you put the box of supplies in front of him and sat down at the visiting tables.

"Alright now that you're here, how's Luann doing?"

Whenever Luann hadn't visited that week, which was rare, he always asked after her, "she's going great. One of her films won award, and the studio has been nominated for a women's rights award for her treatment of the staff. If she gets it, it will mean access to a much higher end of the market."

He gave you a strange look, "do you happen to be the person who put the nomination in?"

You looked at him sideways, "you know I'm not going to answer that. She treats her staff really well, she's deserving of some recognition. I've seen some terrible things in that industry, the only way it changes is if we give more power to the people who do the right thing."

He nodded, "yeah, you're right. How's Abel going?"

You smiled, "excellent, he'll be getting out of the incubator in a few day, then he'll be home a little while after that. We're all very relieved." Otto smiled and went through the box you had brought him.

"You know this foreign food is making me very popular, I'm going to have to start some import store if you keep it up."

You giggled, "hey if French chocolate gets you all the friends you could ask for, I'm happy to provide it." He laughed, rubbing his face at the dry humour.

"A little birdy told me that you and Jax were finally together."

You shook your head, "I swear you guys are worse gossips than Marines and that's saying something. Yes, Jax and I are now together." He smiled at you and the bell rang.

"I see you same time next month?"

He nodded, "yeah, be safe and bring pictures of Abel when he comes home." With one last hug, you left.

*****

'Thanks for dinner Sammy!" Sam was already walking away, leaving you and Jax at the table.

"How was Otto?"

He leaned over and grabbed one of your hands on his, "good, he misses everyone but overall, he's doing ok."

Jax nodded, "thanks for going to see him. We try to go when we can but with everything going on we haven't had the time." You ran your thumb over his knuckles.

"You really should, the more you see him, the more he knows that people on the outside care, the easier it will be for him. And I understand if this point offends you but you can't give the cops a way in. Loneliness is an amazing weapon."

Jax thought for a minute, "I know, I'll get something going with the guys so someone is always ready for a visit."

He watched your facial expression change, "shall we head upstairs? I do have plans for the rest of the night."

Jax gave you a cocky smile, "I can't wait to see these plans."

You smiled under your eyelashes, "I'm sure you'll have fun."

****

You led Jax to the middle of the room and got a pillow off the bed, dropping it to the side.

"Can I ask you a favour? You can say no."

He nodded, "sure Darlin." You kissed his chin.

"I really want to suck your dick, but I also really just want to touch you."

He tilted his head in confusion, "you are touching me."

You barely suppressed a smile, "not like that, I want to…….. admire your architecture." he thought for less than a second before grabbing the hem of his shirt.

"Let me, please." He dropped his hands and you slid yours over his body, gripping the edge before Jax helped you pull it over his head.

The expression on your face made the blood run to Jax's dick, it reminded him of the same look you gave him when you first met but this was laced with so much desire. You leaned in, brushing your fingertips over his skin, he could feel you regarding him like he was some kind of prize artwork.

"You're so warm, your skin feels like a blanket warmed by the sun in summer." Jax felt his face get hot, it's not like he wasn't used to women worshipping him but this was different. You were running your fingers over his every ridge and angle, pausing to press a kiss on specific points.

You brushed your thumb and then your lips over a scar on his side, "how did you get this one?"

He smiled down at you, "feel out of a tree when I was a teenager." You kissed it again before moving onto another area of his chest.

Jax felt painfully hard and it was clear you hadn't even begun yet, not that he had any plans on stopping you. You moved to his arms next, touching the tips of your fingers to the dome of his shoulder.

"You have such nice arms, can I confess something?"

He smiled, "sure Darlin." You pressed your nose to his skin then nipped it gently.

"You are very very biteable. I don't know whether it's the build up of frustration and desire or the fact that you're so attractive that it makes me angry but I can barely contain myself."

He raised his eyebrows at you, "is that so?"

You shook your head, "you're insufferable Teller." You moved to the other arm and then his back, caressing then kissing his shoulder blades, then his tattoo and finally, up his spine.

You ran a hand along his pants, "can I?" He moved his hands to help and you knocked them away, removing his sweatpants but not his boxers before moving the pillow and kneeling on it.

Looking down at you while you pressed kisses to his legs made him feel like this was an act of worship, and yet, he felt like he should prostrate himself at your feet, rip open his chest cavity and hand you his heart for you to do with it whatever you wish.

Mercifully, you finally touched your fingers to the elastic of his boxers and he nodded, you pulled them down and his cock sprang against his stomach. You put one hand on his hip and the other hand around the base of his dick.

"If I pinch you, it means stop. If I tap, it means slow down. Other than that you can enjoy yourself. You'll have to give me some direction because I want to make sure you are having fun, ok? If you're going to cum, just tap my cheek."

Jax put a hand on your head and used the other hand to stroke your face, "just do whatever you want, I'll tell you if I don't like something."

You started small, kissing the head while your hand moved up and down the shaft. As you took the head in your mouth Jax groaned and you went a little deeper, "yeah that's good."

You pulled away, shooting him a sly grin when he looked down at you. You turned your head to the side, licking him from base to tip and back again before going back to sucking the first third of him into your mouth.

"Fuck, just like that." You did as he asked, taking a deep breath before going a little deeper. As the hand on your head became more insistent, your movements became quicker. Jax was now moving your head back and forth in earnest, moaning and grunting with each movement.

"You're ready good at that. Holy shit, I can't belive I waited so long to make you my old lady." You laughed and the vibrations made his knees shake. He felt you pinch his hip before you pulled off him.

"Can I touch myself?" His breath caught in his throat, he started to go over the parts of a bike engine in his head in hopes of not cumming like a teenager.

"You're going to kill me y/n."

You laughed again, "that didn't answer my question Jackson, can I touch myself while I suck your dick?"

He groaned again, and moved back slightly so he would have a better view of your whole body, "please Darlin, although I can't promise how long I'll last with that vision." You smiled at him and he watched one hand move down your body while the mouth went back to work.

He tried, he really did but all it took was the shake of one of your moans and he was lightly tapping your cheek. He was expecting you to pull back but you pulled him deeper into your mouth and one of your hands drifted to lift his balls towards his body.

The orgasm nearly threw him off his feet, desperately grabbing for anything as one of your hands braced against his hip. The gentle push of your small hand against him helped him stand on unsteady legs and then you were kissing back up his body.

"Thank you Jackson, I really enjoyed that." He stood there stunned, you enjoyed it, you were thanking him.

"Is your phone off?"

You tilted your head at him on confusion, "it's never off, why?" he put one hand on your upper arm and the other around your waist and pulled you to him.

"Because you're not leaving this bedroom until I'm done with you. I don't care what's going on." You stood on tippytoes, brushing your lips against his.

"And what you planing on doing? There won't be any begging from me it that's wht you're after." He shook his head with an arrogant smile on his face, his hand drifting down your body to your centre.

You try to suppress a moan as his fingers glance over you, "really, because I beg to differ with how wet you are already." You attempted to glare at him but it only came across as desperate.

"Balls in your court Teller."

The hand still on your upper arm softened and he shifted it to your face, leaning down to kiss you. He pulled away, kissing a path over your cheek to your ear, "show me what you like." You raced to put your hand over his, fumbling for a moment to lay your fingers over his.

Jax's hand was mostly limp, accepting your guidance with ease. As he got more confident, you pressed less and less and finally, you moved your hand to grip his forearm.

"That feel good?" You nodded, flopping against his body as his fingers moved on you. Jax felt like a king, all that talk and you weren't able to hold up your own weight as he touched you.

Jax chuckled, moving to whisper in your ear, "if you don't think I'm going to pay back your appreciation of my architecture, as you put it, you're wrong. I'm just going to wait until you least expect it."

Your head fell back against his chest, "I'm immune to your charms Mr Teller." his fingers sped up and any other words caught in your throat.

"Bed?"

You kissed the side of his face, "please." there was a quick shift and your knees hit the edge. You sat down, grabbing Jax's arms to pull him down as you laid back. Once you were both positioned comfortably, his fingers returned to your slit.

"Oh fuck, keep going please."

He smiled and his voice took on such a cockiness, "that sounds a lot like begging." You sat up a little, latching onto his shoulder with your teeth before kiss your way up to kiss his face.

"That's not begging, that was a simple req……." you couldn't finish the rest of your sentence because two of his fingers were sliding inside you.

"Sure Darlin, you can say that all you like but we both know the truth. You'll be begging soon enough." You tilted your head, sucking on the point where his neck met his shoulder.

He crocked his fingers, looking for the rough spot inside you. He observed your reactions carefully, watching each grasp and moan. He would slow as you got close, focusing more on kissing any skin available to his lips.

"Come on y/n, don't make this hard on yourself. All you have to do is ask and I'll give you what you want."

He felt your teeth glance over his collarbone, "fuck off you insufferable man, you won't be winning this one." he smiled down at you, pushing himself up on his elbow so he was leaning over you.

"I promise I'll make it worth your while. It must be getting hard to hold out, I can feel you shaking." His condescending tone was undermined by the way he started to kiss you, soft and full of love.

"Please Jax, I'll do whatever you want. Please."

He pulled back, running his free hand over your face, "see, was that so hard?" his hand moved from your face to his hard cock, stroking it in time with his fingers.

"Jax I'm close."

He bit his lower lip, nodding slightly, "me too." He rubbed his thumb on your clit just a little harder and that was it, you exploded over his hand. You were vaguely aware of Jax groaning, his fingers stuttering inside you just a bit. He kept touching you as you came down, until finally pulling out when you got too sensitive.

"That was fanfuckingtasic, thank you."

Jax groaned again, "if you want to leave this room, you have to stop thanking me after doing stuff together. It's making it very hard to think about anything else when you take that sweet tone."

You giggled, pecking him then biting his lower lip, "I'm a very appreciative person, Beloved, you're going to have to get used to it." he smiled at you, soft and warm.

"You stay here, I'll clean us up."

Jax got up and you took the time to admire him, "you have a very nice derriere. Jax stopped his journey to the bathroom to laugh.

"Derriere. What is this, the 1890s?" He kept walking, laughing softly as he cleaned himself with one cloth and brought another warm, damp one to clean you before getting back up and putting the used fabric in the hamper.

He climbed into bed, pulling you to him so your head was against his chest. You both laid there for a while, Jax stroking your hair gently.

"You're going to be there tomorrow with me when they take Abel out, right?"

You tilted your head to look up at him, "of course, Holt gave me the whole day off." Jax smiled softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

His burner beeped and checked the text before tossing his phone back down, "is everything ok?"

He nodded, "yeah, Clay and Tig just went in to meet with the Irish." One of his fingers started to trace your cheekbone, his fingertip gracing over the highest point.

"You know it's only early, right? They will out before ten at this rate and then you can relax, until then, do you want to watch some TV?" Jax nodded, reaching over to grab the remote.

"You can choose this time, I'm sure there's something you'll find interesting."

Jax smiled, flipping through the channels and recorded shows, "oooooo, the history of stolen art. That sounds fun." You shrugged at him and he put it on, putting the remote down, he placed the hand across your body and rested it on your hip.

"You good?"

You giggled a little, pushing up to kiss him gently, "I'm great, you?"

Jax pressed his lips together, leaning down to whisper in your air, "never been better, but you know what's going to beat this? The show you're going to put on for me because I won our bet." You giggled, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Well then Jackson, you better get to planing."

He chuckled softly, "I meant what I said, I regret not telling you how I felt sooner." You thought for a moment before replying.

"I knew you had feelings for me, so it's on both of us." Jax looked at with an unreadable expression.

"I knew you had feelings for me too." There was a pause before you both broke out into full-blown laughter.

"The day that Hap got shot, he called me off his face on pain meds to tell me that you were always talking about me and that when I walked in, in that dress, you reverted back to twelve and said I was the prettiest girl you had ever seen." Jax went red.

"Well Hap must have called me after you because he said you got all weird every time someone asked you how you felt about me, and he was totally convinced you loved me." You buried your face in his chest.

"Bobby blabbed too, and Billy was very insistent that you were totally into me."

Jax smiled, latching his hand in yours, "I'm not surprised, he called me yesterday and made it clear that if I ever hurt you I'd be getting shot."

You laughed softly, "I'll have to pull him up on that, he can't behave like that."

Jax chuckled, pulling your hand to his mouth to kiss your palm, "it's ok, he seemed pretty happy about the whole thing. I've been invited to your next get together."

You looked at Jax with mock fear, "oh shit, that's not good. Marines gossip worse than school girls. You'll be answering questions for hours. I'll have to find a photo and point everyone out so you go in prepared."

You were going to expain more when Jax's phone rung, he picked it up and looked at the ID before tossing it back down.

"It's Clay, if it's important, he'll call back." Sure enough, Jax got another call a minute later. After listening to Clay, he shot out of bed, looking for clothes to throw on. He hung up, getting your own clothes from a drawer, "one the Irish has been shot by the Nords, get your kit."

****

When you got to the Clubhouse Juice and Chibs were leaning over a bleeding man, you put the kit down and surveyed the scene, "what have we got?

Chibs spoke up, "the slug hit an artery, Juice is stopping the bleeding but this is outside my area of expertise." you got supplies out of the kit, handing some things to Chibs and putting an ungloved hand on Juice's shoulder.

"You're the only reason he'll alive right now because your finger is tamponading the bleeding." You waved Gemma over.

"You need to give him these, being shot in the area will give him an infection so we need to try and stop that. He needs to take two now and then two every four hours, he has to finish the bottle or the infection will come back with a vengeance."

Gemma shook him awake, "the doctor's here to fix your up, she's Jax's old lady. You're in good hands."

Camron lifted his head slightly, "are you Irish doc?

You shook your head, "nope, but I've seen and treated more gunshots than you've had hot meals, so you'll be ok." You stuck him with the painkiller cocktail and he passed out.

You went back over to Juice, pouring iodine solution over Hayes' injuries. "On three, you're going to pull your finger out and I'm going to close the artery with this clamp." He nodded and you started counting, on three, Juice pulled away and you slipped in to clamp the bleeding wound.

"Great work Juice, you saved his life." Juice smiled at you and left to clean up. Over the next hour, you walked Chibs through what you were doing, with him eventually taking over while you instructed.

After it was done and Hayes was being taken to the cabin, Jax came over to speak to you, "what do you think?"

You thought for a moment, "it's hard to say, it's a pretty bad area to get shot in. If the antibiotics keep the infection at bay, he should be fine but they aren't always foolproof and I don't have access to the cocktails that hospitals do."

He nodded, "and everyone else?"

You took a deep breath, looking around to his if anyone was in earshot, "Chibs is fine, he'll be able to deal with similar problems from now on. Maybe give Juice an extra thank you or two, I don't think he's doing too well with all the mess." Jax nodded, leaning down to kiss you.

"You should head back home, I'll be dealing with this for the rest of the night. Or, you can stay here tonight, just in case you're needed again."

You kissed him back, pulling away as Clay approached, "good idea My Love. I think I'm going to have another shower, my go-bag is in my car." Just before Clay pulled Jax aside, you kissed him one last time and went to start getting ready to settle in for the night.

It was around four in the morning when you heard Jax come in, after a very brief shower, he flopped on the bed, mumbling about telling you the whole story in the morning and then he was asleep.

****

"KNOCK KNOCK"

"Jax, y/n ATF are here to talk to you." You lifted your head off the pillow, Jax was wrapped around your body, rubbing his eyes with his hand.

'We'll be out in a minute, tell them to wait." You dropped your head back down, "well there goes our morning plans, I'll call the hospital and tell them we'll be there for Abel later in the day.

After little fanfare, you dressed and went out to the picnic tables to talk to Agent Sthal and her partner.

"I know you're a busy woman, but we won't take much of your time." Everyone was standing around watching, "where were you last night between 8pm and 12am?" You glared at her.

"With my boyfriend, is there a reason you're asking about my whereabouts?"

She huffed, "there were reports of a shooting in the vicinity of one of the Club's hangout, we were wondering if you knew anything about it."

You rolled your eyes, "why would I know anything about that, and if I did, why the fuck I would I even be talking to you? Can you please stop wasting my taxes and go and do something worthwhile." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I would have thought this was the last place you would be, I'm surprised you haven't asked Jackson to leave the Club, considering everything they're involved in."

You shot up, looking directly in her eyes so she could see how angry you were, "how dare you say something so offensive and hurtful. I love Jackson entirely for all that he is, including the Club. I would never ever try and change something so fundamental to the way he is. The fact that you even thought to mention it shows you know nothing about me or anyone else here. Now leave me the fuck alone before I bring you up on harassment, you have no reason to keep questioning me."

Everyone was taken aback, Jackson went from looking shocked to boastful and Gemma was standing off to the side with a knowing look on her face.

Sthal for her part, wasn't happy about being embarrassed. You preemptively got a card out of your wallet and slid it towards her.

"After that statement, you and any of your ATF colleges can go through my lawyer. Now, unless you want me to file a complaint, you are going to apologise for saying such a terrible thing." She was practically snarling at you.

"I'm sorry for offending you, I just thought you'd hold yourself to a higher standard." When she saw the look on your face, she realised her mistake.

"You should be hearing from your superiors in the next few hours. I'm going to call the ATF director on my way to see Jax's son right now. I hope you're happy about the damage you just did to your career.

She and her partner walked away and once they were off the compound, the crowd erupted, "that was fucking beautiful Lass, you're a lucky man Jackie Boy."

Jax shook his head, leaning in to kiss you hard on the lips.

"Yeah, I am."

You kissed him back, grabbing his head in your hands, "let's go see Abel and then you can thank me for dealing with the pigs with such grace." Everyone laughed and you were off.

****

"You ready?"

Jax's smile lit up the whole room, "I've held him before but this just feels different."

You slid to the edge of your chair, "because this is the first time you've been able to just hold him. Before this, you had to worry about something going wrong."

Jax nodded softly, "yeah, it's nice just to be able to hold him." The doctor came out with Abel wrapped in the blanket, gently passing him to Jax.

Jax was lost for words, he looked over at you and the expression on your face. There was a voice in his head screaming at him not to fuck this up.

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm your old man." You leaned in, putting a hand on his leg.

Jax tilted his head towards you, "and that very pretty lady over there is your mum." Jax knew it from the moment he saw you holding Abel the first time that it was true, all your statements about what kind of parent he needed to be only reinforced that.

"You really mean that? I mean, that's what you want?" He could hear the cautious hope in your voice.

Jax handed Abel to you, "without a doubt."

You sat, looking down at his sweet little face and couldn't find it in yourself to protest, "Sam will be happy to hear that, he's always talked about being the coolest uncle in the world."

After sitting with Abel for a little while and a quick talk with his doctors about transitioning him to home over the next two days you and Jax left with plans to see how the renovations to his house were going.

*****

The house was mostly done, and a quick walkthrough left you sitting at the kitchen table. Jax had become more distant as the day went on, his thoughts seemingly drifting elsewhere.

"What's wrong my love?"

He took a deep breath before replying, "Do you know Brenan Hefner?" He watched your facial expression change.

"That stupid fuck? I wish I didn't, he's as dirty as it comes. A shipping container with three bodies showed up at the port and he stopped any investigation. I was waiting at the port for hours before one of his cronies came out and said that it was a misunderstanding and nothing was wrong." Jax put his head in his hands.

"Hayes asked us to take him out, do you know if he's mobbed up?"

You nodded your head, "he's not made but he's got friends. But not many, so it won't be an issue. Will Happy be the one to do it?"

Jax shrugged, "I have no idea. But I hope so, I'm worried that Clay's going to tap Opie to do it."

You rubbed your head, "If he does, he does. All you can do is be there for Ope. I'll give you my thoughts after I see them tomorrow." Jax reached his hand across the table to grab yours.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

You gave a quick laugh, "crash and burn?" Jax returned your laugh.

"Yep."

Part 21

I would really really appreciate feedback on the smut, it's the first time I've written it for this character and the first time I've written anything super explicit in a modern setting.