#drop your reviews and comments below!

[kathlare]

it's so romantic in paris

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Lando surprises Amelie with an impromptu visit to Paris after his P3 finish at Silverstone.

Wordcount: 1.7 k

Warnings: fluff, smau

full masterlist // request over here!

July 8th, 2024 - Paris, France

liked by maxfewtrell, ameliedayman, and others

landonorris: Silverstone I love you, so many incredible fans out there ❤️ Congrats on the win @lewishamilton, we’ll review, do better and come get you next time 😜

View all 2,394 comments

ameliedayman: FIRTS

ameliedayman: Watching you drive makes me want to break speed limits, babe. 🏎️🔥❤️ → landonorris: @ameliedayman Careful, love; I might have to pull you over myself. 😏

haterslayer99: “We’ll do better next time” = We love a humble king. 🧡🔥 → landofan88: @haterslayer99 It’s the confidence for me. Next time, he’s taking the win.

speedyboy69: Imagine being third on track but first in Amelie’s heart. ❤️🏁 → landonorris: @speedyboy69 Priorities. 😉

mclarengossip: Silverstone fans = iconic. Lando’s race? Mid.

hatervibes101: Third again? Yawn. → landofan84: @hatervibes101 If being consistently on the podium is boring, then stay pressed. 😂

podiumqueen: Silverstone was fire, but next year you’re getting that top step, yeah? 🏆

maxfewtrell: "We’ll do better" – translation: he’s about to sweat through another set of golf gloves over this P3. 🏌️‍♂️🤣 → landonorris: @maxfewtrell I don’t see you driving 51 laps, Max. Sit down. 😤

hamiltonnation44: Congrats on the P3, but Lewis stays the GOAT. 👑

--------------

Lando gazed out of the jet’s window, the clouds below painted in hues of pink and gold as the sun dipped toward the horizon. His P3 finish at Silverstone lingered in his mind—a mix of pride and frustration. A podium was great, but it wasn’t the victory he had envisioned for his home race.

As the Parisian skyline came into view, he checked his phone again. Amelie’s texts from earlier flashed across the screen.

Ames💛: You did amazing, Lando. Always proud of you 💛 Ames:💛 Call me when you’re free, okay? I miss you.

He smiled softly, already imagining the look on her face when he knocked on her hotel room door. He hadn’t replied to any of her messages. He wanted her to be completely surprised.

The moment the jet touched down, Lando was in full stealth mode. His team had coordinated everything with Amelie’s, making sure she wouldn’t suspect a thing. He hopped into a black car waiting on the tarmac, the driver speeding through the streets of Paris as twilight fell over the city.

Amelie’s hotel was tucked away in a quiet, upscale part of the city, far from the chaos of the Paris Fashion Week events. She was already in her room, finishing a FaceTime call with Stella, who had been giving her advice on outfits for the shows.

—Okay, I’ll send you pictures tomorrow,— Amelie said with a laugh, blowing her sister a kiss before hanging up.

She was still in her loungewear, hair tied back loosely, and debating whether to order room service when there was a knock on the door.

Her brows furrowed. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Crossing the room, she pulled open the door—and froze.

Lando stood there, casual in a hoodie and jeans, a sheepish yet excited grin on his face.

—Hey, Ames,— he said softly, leaning against the doorframe like he hadn’t just flown across countries to see her.

Amelie’s jaw dropped. —What the actual fuck?!— she exclaimed before bursting into laughter and throwing her arms around him.

He chuckled, hugging her tightly and lifting her slightly off the ground. —Surprise,— he murmured, burying his face in her neck.

—You didn’t text me back all day! I thought you were mad or something,— she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Lando pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes bright despite the exhaustion lingering from the race. —Nah, I just wanted to see your face when I showed up.— He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then finally her lips.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his hoodie as she kissed him back, her heart racing. —You’re insane,— she whispered when they finally broke apart, her voice a mix of disbelief and affection.

—And you love it,— he teased, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

—I do,— she admitted, her cheeks flushed as she led him further into the room.

Later that evening, they strolled hand in hand along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower glittering in the distance. Lando couldn’t take his eyes off her—she was radiant in a simple dress, her laughter echoing softly as she recounted her experiences at Fashion Week.

—You should’ve seen this one guy,— Amelie said, smirking. —He was wearing a suit that looked like it was made out of aluminum foil.—

—Aluminum foil?— Lando repeated with a laugh. —Was it shiny?—

—Blinding,— she confirmed, giggling. —I almost asked him if he was trying to get signals from space.—

—You should’ve. Missed opportunity,— Lando said, squeezing her hand.

They passed a group of fans who immediately recognized them. A few shyly approached, asking for photos.

—Sorry to interrupt,— one of them said nervously.

Amelie smiled warmly. —Not at all!—

They posed for a couple of pictures, Lando wrapping an arm around Amelie’s waist in every shot. The fans thanked them profusely, their excitement evident, before leaving them to continue their walk.

As soon as they were alone again, Lando looked at her with a playful grin. —You know they’re gonna post those and say we’re too clingy, right?—

—Let them,— Amelie said, leaning into him. —It’s not like they’re wrong.—

—True,— Lando said, pulling her closer and planting a kiss on her temple.

Back at the hotel, they lounged on the bed, tangled up in each other. Amelie’s head rested on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his stomach.

Lando hummed softly, his fingers running through Amelie’s hair as she lay against him. Her touch was warm and familiar, grounding him after the whirlwind of emotions that had followed Silverstone. He had felt like a disappointment to himself despite the cheers of the crowd, but being here, wrapped up in her, the weight on his chest started to lift.

He tilted his head down, his voice low and teasing. —You know, I’m starting to think you missed me.—

Amelie smirked, her fingers pausing briefly before resuming their gentle path. —Maybe I did. Or maybe I just like the way you smell after a long flight.—

He chuckled, the sound rumbling against her ear. —Sweat and regret?—

—No,— she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest, just above his heart. —You smell like you. Comfort. Home.—

His smile softened, and he tightened his hold on her. —I missed you too, you know. Even though we saw each other, what, four days ago?—

—Three and a half,— she corrected with a grin. —But who’s counting?—

—I was,— he admitted, his fingers pausing their gentle strokes through her hair to tip her chin up so their eyes met. —I always do.—

Her breath hitched at the sincerity in his gaze, the city lights outside casting faint shadows across his face. She reached up, brushing her fingers along his jawline. —You’re too sweet for your own good sometimes.—

—Only for you.—

They stayed like that for a moment, just looking at each other, the quiet intimacy of the room amplifying the connection between them.

—You know,— Amelie said, her voice dropping slightly, a playful glint in her eyes, —you could’ve told me you were coming. I would’ve worn something a little more... enticing.—

Lando’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk. —You’re wearing my hoodie. Doesn’t get much more enticing than that.—

She rolled her eyes, sitting up slightly to straddle his waist. —You’re such a sap.—

—And you love it,— he shot back, his hands finding her hips as she leaned down, her hair brushing against his cheek.

—I do,— she whispered, her lips brushing against his as she spoke.

The kiss that followed was slow and unhurried, their lips moving in perfect sync as if they had all the time in the world. Lando’s hands slipped under the hoodie she wore, his fingertips skimming the soft skin of her waist. Amelie’s own hands slid up to tangle in his hair, her nails lightly scraping against his scalp and drawing a soft groan from him.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their foreheads resting together.

—You’re gonna ruin me,— Lando murmured, his voice husky as he looked up at her.

Amelie smiled, her thumb brushing against his cheek. —Good. I’d hate to be the only one in this relationship who’s completely wrecked.—

Lando laughed, the sound warm and genuine, before flipping them over so she was pinned beneath him. He braced himself on his forearms, his nose brushing against hers. —Careful, Ames. I might take that as a challenge.—

Her grin widened, her legs wrapping around his waist as she pulled him closer. —You’re already losing.—

—Not a chance,— he countered, capturing her lips again in a kiss that was anything but innocent.

The rest of the night passed in a haze of laughter, soft whispers, and stolen kisses. Paris—the city of love—was the perfect backdrop for the kind of intimacy that Lando and Amelie shared. In her arms, Lando forgot about the podium at Silverstone, the pressure of the championship, and the weight of expectations.

Here, in this room, with the woman he loved, nothing else mattered.

--------------

liked by tatemcrar, stelladayman, and others

ameliedayman: s’il vous plait, s’il vous plaît, s’il vous plaît

View all 1,933 comments

landonorris: You’re looking like a masterpiece in every pic… especially the one with me. 😏❤️ → ameliedayman: @landonorris And you’re my favorite accessory, bébé. 🖤🔥

landosthirst: Someone tell Lando to stop being so boyfriend material, I can’t take it anymore. 😭

pietrapilao: Serving looks AND boyfriend duties? The duality. 🔥 → ameliedayman: @pietrapilao He’s my personal chauffeur and arm candy. Winning. 💋

fashiongirly88: She really ate and left no crumbs in every fit. ICON.

runwayobsessed: The fits, the vibes, the everything. You slayed. 🔥

maxfewtrell: Lando looking like he got lost on the way to a race. 🤦‍♂️ → landonorris: @maxfewtrell I’m called "versatile," look it up. 🙃

landosthirst: Someone tell Lando to stop being so boyfriend material, I can’t take it anymore. 😭

f1fanatic90: Ok but does Lando know that this is her moment? 😬 → landogirl22: @f1fanatic90 He’s letting her shine, that’s what real support looks like. 🙌

[exhelluvafan]

“Well, FUCK you, Stolas! You spring this ‘feelings’ bullshit onto me, are you kidding me right now?!” Like a bolt of lightning, the imp shot into the air, shattering the doors as it closed in on Stolas with a menacing growl. “Can I get a goddamn minute to think after everything you put me through, you pompous, rich, ASSHOLE?!” Stolas froze as Blitzø’s words reverberated in the empty room, his body stiffening. A year’s worth of pent-up rage erupted from Blitzø like molten magma as he paced frantically. "Treat me like one of your little BUTLER imps, you royals think you can manipulate us whenever you want. You toy with our emotions because you believe yourselves superior. And I'm sorry Your Highness, but I won't drop everything for you. That sexy cowboy was one thing, but I have a life beyond fucking you, EVERY MONTH. Do you think I owe you a rescue? Fuck no. This appointment is important. My father Cash was a royal fuck-up who only cared about himself. And I swore to be different. I adopted Loona five years ago, and she's my pride and joy. I've made mistakes, this is Hell after all, but I'm not your toy, I'm not your 'hero' and I'm certainly not going to fit into this sick fantasy you made, only a coward would hide away like that! Why dump this on me NOW?! Well, I'm not letting you, bitch...L̴̨̨̩̃͗̔͌͑E̴̢͍͈̩̳̋̓͒͘T̵͉͖͛'̴̡͚̞̐̃̆͝͝Ș̴̔̓͊͛̿ ̵̢̛̹͝G̵͕̲̋̓̈́̑O̴̧̺̫̞͗͑!̷͉̥͆" Blitzø landed behind Stolas with a thunderous roar, towering over him. His teeth were bared, wings flared, and red and black electricity crackled between his knuckles, a potent manifestation of his hatred for the pathetic demon. He waited for whatever came next. “Blitzø…” Stolas glanced over his shoulder, and Blitzø was met with an intensity of rage. But as quickly as it flared, it was gone, replaced by... wait, what? This motherfucker was crying.  "I thought so very highly of you," Stolas' voice cracked as tears welled up in his many eyes. His lip trembled. "I never imagined you could think so low of me... after everything I've done, everything I've given up for you." Despite the red-hot hostility coursing his veins, Blitzø grimaced as guilt began to bubble up in his gut. For a second too long, he thought about what he’d just said. “Stolas, I—“ He stopped himself, God, what was he on about?! The bird really did groom him. "So," he said, “You seriously think I'd ever think highly of you? After everything you put me through? What you forced me to do for the past year?!" Stolas remained motionless as a statue in the spacious room, bathed in the indigo light streaming through the stained-glass windows. “WELL?!” The imp’s voice cleaved the tense silence, sharp as a knife cutting through the fog. “Blitzø…” Stolas glanced at him, still with his “broken face”. The boss imp glowered at him. “Keep your shitty book, I’m done. Goodbye, Stolas.” Nonchalantly, Blitzø approached a nearby window. With a sharp blow from his gun, he shattered the glass. As he tumbled out, he flipped both middle fingers at Stolas, who glared back with eyes burning like hot coals. Ignoring his opponent's fury, Blitzø caught himself mid-air before gracefully descending to his van below. Sliding into the driver’s seat, Blitzø sat in stunned silence as he felt an immediate lightness in his chest. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn’t bother to wipe them away. He was free, the loss of the grimoire didn’t matter—this was what he truly needed. And God, was this the second happiest day of his life… the first, well, that’s another story.

Just a snippet from my Full Moon rewrite ^^! Feel free to comment, review, or ask questions! And yes, if you got the hint, Blitz knows some magic...

This rewrite is truly beautiful, this should've happened on the Full Moon episode, not the victim blaming and consequent gaslighting fest we got, both in Full Moon and Apology Tour.

Reading this was truly cathartic, thank you.

[midnight1nk]

⭐️ WELCOME TO MY MIND PALACE ⭐️

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Greetings, my dear fellows! The name's Ink, your local bisexual goober who is a sucker for single (and tired) parents with their adorable kids.

⭐️ I grew up watching SMG4 since 2014 and I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't share my theories with the fandom. (Listen, I've been itching to say 'and that's just a theory, an SMG4 theory!')

⭐️ While I am a fandom artist in my main account, this blog is only for my SMG4 theories and related stuff. Sorry, no art requests.

⭐️ Usually neutral/positive to most characters and ships but I do love SMG34 (and I will talk about them a lot)!

Feel free to drop a question/comment to my askbox! Thanks for dropping in.

Now with that settled, hear me out...

TAGS TO ALL MY THEORIES:

⭐ #once upon a perfect smg4

[twisted parallels of IGBP and "Once Upon an SMG4"]

⭐ #wotfi 2024 predictions

[self-explanitory lol]

⭐ #puzzlevision 2

[Final battle with Mr Puzzles, made before WOTFI '24 arc. Origin of Eye of Ra/Horus theory, Goop!Four theories]

⭐ #goop!SMG4 // #👁️

[what-if scenario of the keyboard goo still being inside of SMG4, Venom style]

OTHER TAGS:

⭐ #🧿

[...?]

⭐️ #ink reviews

[SMG4 episode reaction and reviews]

⭐️ #ink rambles

[me going insane and sharing my thoughts with the world]

⭐️ #ink episode concepts

[SMG4 episode ideas i came up with, Masterpost]

⭐ #ink answers

[answering my ask box]

⭐ #fanart for ink

[we just got some fanart, we just got some fanart,i wonder who it's from? (also on Ink's Fridge)]

⭐ #ink fridge

[overall stuff i really like that needs to be in a museum/immortalized (full collage in Ink's Fridge)]

⚠️ DISCLAIMER FOR ALL THEORIES, EPISODE CONCEPTS, ETC. ⚠️ 

While I do create theories, episode concepts, and other posts, I want to be respectful to the crew behind SMG4.

I don’t want any of my posts to influence/forcefully change any intended plans for the future so please don’t harass anyone working on the show just because whatever I said wasn’t true. It’s just a reminder to be kind and respectful.

If they somehow see my posts, uh hi, keep doing what you do and I hope for the best! ❤️

📢 UPDATES 📢 

To avoid spam in my inbox, I'm gonna settle a ground rule here: if you sent an ask as an anon, put a star emoji like this one, ⭐️, at the end OR if you're a frequent anon, sign as which anon are you (like "pizza anon" or "theorist anon")!

[Jan. 06, 2025]

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

[ ⚠️ TERF Proship Zionist DNI ⚠️ ]

oc (ink) ref sheet, ink's fridge, and more below cut....

INK'S FRIDGE

all of my top frames from the show, memes, and fanart I received are featured here

fanart credits from:

@/acro-doodles

@/bowlolol

MEET INK/KOI

my OC/persona

(really messy ref sheet I know)

[ghoultrifle]

There's a First Time For Everything Chapter 2 - Fighting With You

WC: 1.8k

Summary: Dewdrop buys the toys he's been so curious about, with only a few breakdowns along the way. Set immediately after the previous chapter.

Notes: Fun fact! The toy reviews are almost all verbatim reviews from the lovehoney website :) isn't that fun! thank you to the unnamed friend who reignited my passion for reading sex toy reviews ashdfklhsg

I'm going to give a very slight warning for dubcon. Nothing happens, but Dewdrop gets in his own head about what might happen. Of course, Rain would never.

And a big thanks to @everybodyshusband for proofreading and hyping me up <333

Read below the cut or on AO3

“‘m ready,” Dewdrop whispers into Rain’s neck, pushing the larger ghoul off his lap, “Wanna get the feeling back in my legs,” he chuckles.

“Are you sure, Dewbug? We can wait if you want, I’ll still love you even if you never end up buying anything.”

Dewdrop grabs the water ghoul’s chin, bringing his head down to eye level, “I’ve never been so sure in my life, especially with you here,” it isn’t entirely the truth, but Dewdrop is feeling better than before, “Anyway, what is your opinion on what I sent you?”

Rain pauses before dragging a stack of filing boxes next to Dew’s chair, perching on them to watch the screen. As Dewdrop logs back in (his password is rainisgay69, ironic for someone who on some level of his dysphoria-ridden brain believes rain is secretly straight), their eyes are accosted with the bright screen illuminating the now dark room, a lilac dildo front and centre on the screen. The description reads, “Realistic Silicone Suction Cup Dildo - Perfect For Beginners”. It’s veiny, a respectable length and girth, nothing that would rip the ghoul open, but enough for him to feel the stretch, to feel full. It looks respectable, with the bonus that Dewdrop could definitely throw it into a strap on the rare occasion he does want to top; he could finally stop stealing from Cirrus.

Dewdrop flicks through the photos, capturing the length, girth, and the size comparable to a hand. Rain’s cock begins to stir at the last picture, remembering that one day he may be lucky enough to hold it, to fuck Dewdrop sweetly and gently with it while he rubs and flicks at the fire ghoul’s small dick, wringing out the most lascivious moans as Dew finally experiences divine pleasure. But this isn’t about him, so Rain wills the blood to return to his head so he can give a coherent response to his mate.

“Fuck, baby, it looks perfect,” he coos, planting a chaste kiss on Dewdrop’s cheek. He can’t help the sly comment that leaves his mouth before his brain can catch up, his mind preoccupied with the image of the toy against Dewdrop’s auburn curls, “Gonna look so good against your dripping cunt, heard ginger and purple go well together.”

The darks of Dewdrop’s eyes widen, and Rain’s face drops as he realises what he just said, “Shit- fuck- I’m fucking- I’m sorry Dewy that wasn’t the right time. I promise I’d be fine if you bought this and it just sat on the shelf forever. Or- or if you didn’t even buy it. Actually, I’d be fine if you banned all sex toys. You coul-”

A firm but gentle slap to the face interrupts the water ghoul, “Alright, wrap it up Sappy Steve. Save it for when I’m actually panicking, okay?” he chides, “And I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

He briefly glances at the top reviews, struggling to believe what he’s reading:

“I have recently celebrated my 70th birthday and this gave me the best orgasm of my life.”

“This is amazing. I can't believe how satisfying it is for a transgender person. I love to sit on it.”

Dewdrop laughs so hard he has fresh tears spilling down his face. That’s a new hobby unlocked: reading sex toy reviews online.

“See!” Rain exclaims, pointing at the screen and nudging Dewdrop’s shoulder, “You’re not the only trans person who wants to get fucked nasty with a toy,” the water ghoul is beaming at the review, hoping it will ease Dewdrop’s apprehension about it all. They’re having fun but Rain won’t pretend he hasn’t noticed how the other’s hand has been trembling as he navigates the website, how Dewdrop’s taking deep yet rapid breaths, his free hand worrying the ring on his middle finger.

The basket icon lights up as Dewdrop’s informed he only has to spend £15 more to get free delivery, “Might as well get the vibrator too, then?” he shrugs weakly, voice catching in his throat as he navigates to the second link he sent Rain earlier. “POWERFUL Vibrator - For Internal and External Use” it reads. Dewdrop re-examines it, looking at each photo in turn, breath turning shaky as he thinks about using it, putting it inside him, where no object has ventured before. As he thinks about the hard plastic sliding in, surely cold and rigid, perhaps he’ll be so dry that it will hurt, and he’ll just have to grin and bear it for his Rain.

The desk begins to shake slightly as Dewdrop’s knee bounces up and down with a fevered pace. His thumb is in his mouth, biting at the skin around his nails, leaving it red and sore. It’s getting to him. This is real. In just a few days he’ll be laying with Rain as he freaks out about it all. Now he’s told the water ghoul he wants it, he feels pressured, like he can’t say no anymore. Because if he says no, then he’s clearly leading Rain on for something that will never happen, and Rain really will break up with him this time. Why would he be with someone who is clearly never going to get over his fear of penetration? Perhaps Rain is straight and just waiting for Dewdrop to realise he is a woman after all, and when he finds out that Dew is just a man who’s scared of dick, he’ll run to the mountains, screaming a warning to everyone: Don’t Date Dewdrop.

A third set of tears begin to tumble their way down his cheeks, a small waterfall flowing with each blink the ghoul makes. His eyes are glassy, he can no longer see the offending toy on the computer, just a set of blurry white pixels laden with illegible text, Rain must have scrolled it down. Rain brings the fire ghoul into the warmest hug he can muster, peppering kisses to his neck. There is no sexual element to it, just pure love for his mate. His mate who he wishes he could take all the dysphoria from and suffer through it himself if it would mean a better life for Dewdrop. His mate who loves Dewdrop in a way the fire ghoul cannot even begin to fathom.

He truly believes he’s unlovable on a fundamental level, that his identity makes him some freak in between man and woman, that no guy would want to fuck him or be fucked by him, and no woman would take his pathetic excuse for a dick, even if he did want to top. It’s solidified in Dewdrop’s mind that Rain is only with him for his own sexual gratification, and now that Dewdrop wants to explore his own pleasure, he’ll be left to figure it out on his own. The image of him weeping as he forces a dildo into himself, cold and alone in his bedroom, is being seared further into his brain with every second that passes. Until he’s brought back to reality by Rain’s shuffling arm.

Rain decides against a tissue; Copia clearly had no regard for his own skin since the tissues in his office may as well have been constructed from sandpaper. Instead, he brings a bunched-up sleeve to Dewdrop’s eyes, catching the tears as he calms the sniffling ghoul beneath him, rocking them together in a soothing motion much like his mother would do in the pit. Words wouldn’t do Dewdrop’s pain justice; consolation would feel inadequate and pity, well, is just that and Dewdrop deserves better. He’s sure that if he reached inside the fire ghoul’s mind for just a moment, it would be more than he could ever bear. So, Rain opts for silence. The kind of silence you could sit in for eternity. The kind of silence where the world is at peace; there’s no buzzing of electricity, no shuffling in the quarters, just the sound of a gentle breeze creeping its way in through the poorly sealed windows, whistling hello as it sings its song. Rain rocks them for what could have been hours, Dewdrop isn’t sure, the sun had already set by the time he started.

Fresh air stings Dewdrop’s eyes. The flood has stopped, Rain’s sleeves near-soaked as the fire ghoul blinks the last of the hot tears from his weary eyes. His own sleeve is drenched in a thick layer of snot as he wipes his nose, the water ghoul looking on in a weird adoration for his mate. If Rain could watch him do that and still love him, then maybe there was hope. As he squints his eyes to focus on the screen, Dewdrop’s confronted with the reviews for the vibrator:

“My clit is tingling like a mo fo!! Thanks lovehoney. What a piece of cum equipment.”

“It took longer to get the item out of the packaging than it did for my wife to cum.”

Okay, maybe it isn’t quite so serious. As hilariously honest as the reviews are, it does spark something in Dewdrop- the curiosity at what these toys feel like, at how they’re so much better than just a set of hands. There must be a reason the vibrator gets a 4.7/5 on the ‘orgasm rating’. Dewdrop hesitates over the button that would add it to the basket, “I’m scared, Rain,” he admits with a sigh of relief, finally putting words to it.

“Then do it scared, spitfire,” the water ghoul replies, “Want and fear can coexist. If you truly don’t want to then I support you, droplet, but it sounds like you’re just conflicted. I think when the time comes, you’ll be glad the toys are ready for you, just like I will be.”

Dewdrop melts into the larger ghoul’s embrace. Rain has somehow managed to reach into Dew’s brain and lay his feelings bare on the table, raw and sensitive. But he’s right, about everything. Dewdrop does want it, he is scared, and he should buy it anyway. “Fuck it,” he smirks, stifled only slightly by a sniffle, as he adds the item to the basket, heading to the checkout page, a fuck you to his dysphoria. Copia’s bank details autofill and Dewdrop doesn’t complain; he’s not been left with much money since being charged with sourcing the pack’s weed on tour. Before he gives himself a chance to second guess his actions, he completes the order.

The thick tension that had filled the air dissipates in an instant, Dewdrop slumps in his chair as Rain idly braids a loose plait into hair, whispering praises to his love, “So proud of you, droplet. Whatever comes of this I want you to remember how brave you are for getting this far, okay?”

“Brave? In what world?” Dewdrop huffs.

“In this world, my love. In this world where every day is a fight between your mind and your body. In this world, where today, your mind won. And in this world where your mind won’t win every day but where I’ll be here, always, fighting with you.”

[markipliere]

TO CLARIFY AGAIN I loved sleedge

Review and spoilers below

Loved the show,,, i am overall pretty disappointed with the lack of the “cutting off your balls” guy but i love that they hinted at it. I also miss the moobles and the horror movie scene alltogether but I understand the limitations they have with the budget and stuff. I really hope the show does good outside of Marks fans, and i believe it will and ideally maybe we will get an international release. I had to watch it on a vpn (canada, used Nord) which wasn’t a big deal on pc, was fairly easy to use and such. But i think if somehow they were able to release it internationally itd blow up insanely. I also hope we’re able to keep it in the top ten for this month (totally not because i want to see iron lung ,,, 👀) and all around its a great show.

Considering too that it was filmed in 2020-2021 is nuts with all the covid restrictions and so on.

The mask of the Elephant monster was awesome and super grotesque, its first appearance grossed me out pretty bad (im not a lover of gore) and I immediately screenshot it and shared it around lmaoo. I do feel, like moistCr1TiKaL/penguinz0 said here , it does kind of drop in its scare factor later on with how often it is just shown standing there in bright light. Still gross, just not as nuts as the first time. The whale clips were nuts, and the sky whale later on was also awesome and the colour choices around the whole show were really good. I very much as an artist thought a lot of them to be pretty inspiring and pretty good for colour/composition/atmosphere studies.

Katies last appearance was sick as fuck, and im glad matteo didnt meet the same fate as originally. I cried about that shit when i listened to the podcast. Linda was fun, she seemed much more agro in the show which i also liked. The old lady section just made me feel bad lmao, like damn atleast in the podcast we had a shithead to not feel bad about. I actually had a lot of fun watching it and seeing the changes and the therapist was a super fun change despite … the gigantic difference in origin for daves scarring.

Also the fucking puke in the sink scene was SO GROSS “its so warm” EWWWWW STOPPPPPP

oh and love love love matteos Character and also the pin in the grass, Dave struggling was so well acted out and the scream really did it i think. Overall 10/10 coz its mark, 8.5/10 coz it was not PHENOMENAL but it was very good. I recommend it and if youve seen the show by now i implore you to listen to the podcast if you dig that kind of thing. If you listened to the podcast first id love to hear your thoughts on it too, feel free to comment your blogs with your reviews and stuff too :D

[zedecksiew]

THE BLOGGIES 2023: NOMINATIONS OPEN

If tabletop roleplaying games were a hydra, blogs would definitely be one of its heads.

Probably the smartest, zaniest one? The one with the unexpected ideas; the silliest quips; the most devious schemes; the most profound observations.

The OSR / post-OSR style of play arose on blogs. I was inspired to make roleplaying games because of a blog post (this one, by Patrick Stuart, specifically).

Beyond the actual playing of games with friends, blogs are the most important part of TTRPGs, to me.

+

Last year, Prismatic Wasteland hosted the inaugural Bloggies.

64 excellent posts from across the TTRPG blogosphere were considered. A celebration of our community, our psychic brain-trust---the many heads of this, our TTRPG beast.

All the nominees are worth perusing. Winners list here.

My post, "D&D's Obsession With Taxonomy", won Best Blog Post of 2022. (Thank you, everybody who voted!)

Because I won, it falls to me to host this year's Bloggies.

+

Nominations are now open for the BLOGGIES 2023!

Is there a blogpost about TTRPGs from the past year (December 2022 to December 2023) that you think deserves attention and recognition?

Tell me about it! Drop a link to it, tell me why you like it, tell me which category it falls under:

Theory---broad criticism, observation, and analysis about TTRPGs (its cultures, its aesthetics and texts, its politics, etc);

Gameable---cool stuff (monsters, subsystems, bits of design, etc) you could grab and add to your own games;

Advice---ideas, tricks, and procedures for making your games better / easier / more fun, basically adding to the play-culture;

Review---specific criticism of specific books / games / systems / adventures / products.

Drop your nominations in the comments below, or in this Xwitter thread, or wherever else you can get in touch with me on the Internet. Do this before the end of 31 December 2023.

+

How BLOGGIES 2023 Will Work

Here's how I am thinking of running things:

25 Dec 2023 - 31 Dec 2023: Nominations open!

1 Jan 2024: Nominees shortlist announced!

First week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Theory Post!

Second week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Gameable Post!

Third week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Advice Post!

Fourth week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Review Post!

First week Feb 2024: Final round of voting for Best Blog Post Of 2023!

"Imperfection is a feature, not a bug, of blogging," as Warren said about the Bloggies, last year. I am but a single person. I will be copying much of his methodology.

I will be whittling down the nominations I receive to a shortlist of 64 posts (16 per category bracket), via personal judgment. No blog will be represented more than once per category---except for reviews (3 posts per blog).

Public voting for each category will happen in four rounds (16 / 8 / 4 / finals). Winners in each category will face off in a four-way vote for Best Blog Post.

Voting will most likely happen on Twitter, same as last year. (I am loathe to do this, but Twitter is still the social-media network most TTRPG people are on, sadly. But am also considering Google Forms. Thoughts?)

Month-long voting gives us the space to celebrate / argue over all the work our community has turned out this year---and gives me time to create prizes. (Am thinking of making linocut prints, inspired by the winning posts.)

Finals being announced in February just before the Lunar New Year justifies the header art above---as the Year of the Rabbit gives way to the Year of the Dragon.

+++

Here we go here we go here we go!

[son1c]

onward and upward?

falling stars fic masterpost

The evening sky was awash with delicate ice cream clouds. The wind had curled them into fluffy orange cones, and as the night rolled in, they soon became sprinkled with stars. There were no flickies up this high; it was just the manta ray battleship sailing through the atmosphere with Sonic at its helm. Most of his excitement from their great escape had worn off by now, but he still wore a smile on his face as he lazily pushed the yoke forward, pressing the ship onward.

Periodically, the sensors in the cockpit would blink or ding. Sonic glanced at them every time they did, and made sure to review the various buttons and knobs around him as well, but everything was fine. He sat back in the pilot's chair with his feet kicked up on the dash.

Rouge had given him the coordinates to her casino about an hour ago, and Sonic, liking the sound of crashing at a place with good music and lots of fun, had entered them into the ship’s navigation system immediately. But they were still a ways off from Night Babylon.

Far below the ship, the desert sands surrounding Scrap Brain Base created a cocktail of color. It was no more interesting to look at a second time than it had been the first time. Sonic was just glad he didn't have to endure the nighttime chill as it blew across the dunes again. Inside the cockpit, it was warm, and the soft yellow glow of the overhead lights kept him alert even when the sun disappeared under the horizon.

Shadow was perched on a section of the ship’s dashboard that didn’t have any controls on it. He sat with his back to the window, leaning forward slightly with his elbows on his thighs. His brow was creased, and his mouth was turned down in a small frown. Every so often, he rubbed one of his inhibitor rings, his mind elsewhere.

His thoughts lingered on Scrap Brain Base. So much had happened while he was in stasis, and he hadn't been there for any of it. He was still reeling from Sonic's transformation into a Robian. Supposedly, that was fixed now, but the blue hedgehog still bore the scars from the Roboticizer. His body remained segmented by dark lines even though he was back to being flesh and fur. And his eyes…

Shadow looked away when Sonic turned his head from the window. The hedgehog's bright green gaze followed him out of the corner of his eye, however. And Shadow could still feel it on him even when Sonic didn't say anything.

The sound of wind rushing by the outside of the ship grated on Shadow's ears. The dark hedgehog gripped the edge of the dashboard. He suddenly felt claustrophobic inside of the cockpit, but he knew the relative openness of the rest of the cabin wouldn't alleviate the pressure on his chest.

So, Shadow stayed where he was. And he said, "I had a dream."

Sonic blinked. He tilted his head to the side and asked, "Yeah? What about?"

"It was about…" Shadow's grip on the dashboard tightened. "Your words from the forest. Something you said then stands out to me now. That comment about a golden figure… while trapped in stasis, I believe I saw the same one."

Sonic shifted in his chair. "For real? You recognize it at all?"

"It might've been you."

Despite his verbiage, Shadow spoke with certainty. Like he knew it was true without really knowing. He watched as Sonic's eyes widened, the weight of Shadow's words sinking in right away. But then Sonic's eyes closed and his mouth stretched into an amused grin.

"Nah," Sonic said. "Couldn't've been the same one. I mean, unless I was lookin' in the mirror… how could I have seen myself?" He dropped his legs to the floor and turned in his chair. He was facing Shadow fully now. "You saw me. I saw you. Not sure what the color change is about, but that's what I'm gettin' from this."

Shadow thought about the misty face he'd seen in his dreams. The grin it wore and the attitude it radiated, so strong even through the ether. When he looked at Sonic's face now, he got the same feeling.

"The Doctor said we fell from space," Shadow said.

"He also said we fought a giant lizard," Sonic said. Then, he shrugged. "I'll buy the first part. But that second one's kinda rocky. Our new pal's gonna need to back it up before I start believin' it."

Rouge. She was out in the cabin with Omega, presumably working her magic and keeping the bloodthirsty mech from blowing a hole in the side of the hull. She had her work cut out for her considering the zoo's worth of badniks that made up the rest of the ship's passengers, but since no alarms had gone off yet, Sonic assumed she was succeeding in her quest to keep Omega from reenacting the opening cutscene from Sonic Adventure 2.

Shadow was quiet for a moment. The weight on his chest persisted, a horrible reminder of all the things he couldn't change. “The you that I saw in my dream,” he began, “what if you can never return to that state again?”

Sonic looked at Shadow with those eyes. Those unnatural, glowing eyes that threatened to crush the dark hedgehog into pieces. And he said, “That’s the fun part. Stuff comes and goes. Not knowing what I’ve seen or what I’ve been for the last time is just part of the adventure!”

Shadow toyed with his earring. Despite his initial reluctance to wear it, he was glad he still had it, and that it hadn’t been lost back at Scrap Brain. “Your point of view is admirable,” Shadow said slowly. “But it’s on this that we differ.”

“I’m not sayin’ you gotta agree with me,” Sonic said with a wave of his hand. “That’s just the way I see it. When everything’s temporary, everything matters. So I gotta take it in while I can, that way I don’t have to worry about missin' it once it’s gone.”

Shadow’s hand fell from his earring. The star shaped jewelry twinkled when it caught the light, and Sonic smiled at it. At Shadow.

“Even so,” Shadow said, shuttering himself from Sonic’s smile with a scowl, “the Doctor will pay for what he took from you. If you won’t seek retribution, I'll do it in your stead. This, I promise you.”

Sonic reached out and patted Shadow’s shoulder. “You say that like you’ve got somethin’ to prove,” Sonic observed. “Well, I’m tellin’ you right now that what you’re trying to do, you’ve already done. There’s no promise in the world that could mean more than stickin’ with me when I didn’t have two legs to stand on.”

Shadow shook his head. “That was a favor repaid, nothing more.”

Sonic fiddled with his own earring. His gaze turned back toward the window, and the night sky beyond. “If you say so.”

“I do,” Shadow said stiffly. A tangled web of feelings churned in his gut. He chose to focus on the one that he was most familiar with: anger. "This goes beyond what was done to you. The Doctor crossed both of us, and now with that cheap copy…" Shadow's anger was joined by disgust as he remembered the expressionless face of the Shadow Android. "I won't allow such an insult."

Sonic tapped his thumb on the yoke. "I get the feeling he's a fan of fakes," Sonic said. "I mean, come on--you remember that fake we saw of me on the way in, right? Maybe it's just his M.O."

This didn't help calm Shadow. "He'd be wise to think twice before dedicating his time to tawdry mirrors. They'll all end up shattered in the end."

Suddenly, one of the sensors on the dashboard started to go off. Unlike the routine beeps from before, however, this time the screen was lit up bright yellow. Sonic and Shadow both leaned over it to see what it said and found that it warned of an anomaly on the lower deck.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Man, Mr. Ivo sure skimped on the specs for this thing. That could mean anything!"

Shadow got down from the dashboard and began moving toward the door. He said, "Stay the course. I'll take care of it."

Sonic snorted. "Leavin' me on the bench, huh?" He thought back to how he'd left Shadow to secure the ship with Rouge and Omega while he went after Buggy on his own a few hours earlier. "Guess I deserve that," he conceded. "But take Omega with you, yeah? He could use the fresh air."

Shadow paused at the door to the cockpit and glanced back over his shoulder, but Sonic had already turned back toward the dashboard, his fingers trailing over the buttons curiously. So, Shadow pulled open the door and exited the cockpit, leaving Sonic to fly the ship alone.

What he didn't see was Buggy slipping through the crack in the door at the last second. The little robot could be quite opportunistic, that way.

Out in the main area of the ship, badniks crawled and skittered like bugs. A collection of caterkillers curled around the support beam in the middle of the cabin, while a pair of monkey robots tossed a crabmeat back and forth like a football. Four buzzy bombers seemed to be having a race around the meager airspace, circling the cabin as if they were Nascars on a track, with a group of rollers attempting to knock them down by throwing each other up at the ceiling to intercept them whenever they looped back around.

And then there was Omega, still in his corner. Rouge was with him, and so was his number one fan, the wasp robot from the basement. It was anyone's guess why he hadn't squashed the pesky thing yet, but it probably had something to do with Rouge regaling him with tales of her more violent plunders over the years. It was like Cocomelon for the war machine.

Shadow walked up to Omega and said, "You're with me. There's a problem on the lower deck."

"NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME. THE BLOODSHED WAS JUST GETTING STARTED."

Rouge smiled coyly. "And there's more where that came from," she said. "After we do some snooping!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow at Rouge's use of the word 'we.' But ultimately, it didn't matter to him if she tagged along or not, so he didn't comment on it. Then, he turned away from her and headed toward the back of the cabin.

The hatch that led to the depths of the ship was by the tail of the manta ray. Shadow had to weave around the menagerie of lollygagging badniks in order to get to it.

Rouge and Omega followed closely behind. Omega kept his eyes glued to the floor as he walked so as not to see the badniks. If he didn't have to look at them, it was easier to pretend they weren't currently sharing the same space. Although, the buzzy bomber's trills as it said goodbye broke the illusion for a little bit.

Once the three of them were all standing around the hatch on the floor, Shadow knelt down and unlocked it. Then, he grabbed the handle, and heaved. The circular hatch was large--about twice as wide as Omega--and made of solid reinforced steel. But it was like a paperweight to Shadow, and he lifted it up easily. With one hand, he held the hatch over his head, his face now pointed downward so he could peer into the ship's maintenance shaft.

There was a ladder that led down one side, but it quickly disappeared into inky blackness. At the bottom of the shaft, there were no lights, so it was completely dark. A faint wind rose up from the passageway as well, and it rustled Shadow's quills.

The hedgehog turned to his two companions. However, before he was able to say anything to them, Omega jumped down into the shaft. His mechanical voice echoed up to Shadow and Rouge.

"IF THE PROBLEM HAS A FACE, I WILL TEAR IT OFF! YIPPEE!"

Rouge shook her head, but she did so with a smile. Then, she offered her hand to Shadow and said, "Let's skip the ladder, shall we?"

Shadow looked at her hand. A kind gesture.

He didn't take it.

"After you," he said, gesturing to the ominous darkness at the bottom of the shaft.

Rouge brought her hand back to her side. Casually, she said, "Ladies first, hmm? How very noble of you." Her face betrayed nothing of what she might've been feeling. And if she stretched her wings and dropped into the shaft a little too quickly, it was only because she wanted to get on with their "snooping," as she'd called it.

Shadow watched her disappear with a frown. But he didn't linger on it. And after taking a breath, he jumped after her and Omega, with the heavy hatch slamming shut above him.

[owlsandwich]

Are you looking for an alpha/beta reader?

I am putting a tentative feeler out into the world to see whether this would be helpful to anyone.

I have been interested in getting into alpha reading / developmental editing for a while, but I want to get some practice in so that I can build a solid offering. It would be aimed at people who have a rough manuscript draft, but for some reason they are finding things just aren't working with the story and would like an outside view.

I have done this kind of thing twice in the past. I write up a c15 page report looking at plot structure, pacing, character arcs, themes, and giving my suggestions. It would not be a line edit, so I wouldn't be looking at spelling, grammar etc. Obviously this would be for free, as it is practice for me too!

Here is an example of what I did for a friend (this was a bit more casual than what I would do for someone else, but it gives an idea of the report structure):

I'm mostly familiar with fantasy stories, though the above was a sci-fi, so I am comfortable looking at those as well. I don't think I could give very good advice for surrealism or literary fiction, as I am not familiar with those genre beats. At the moment I'm looking for drafts with a word count under 100k as well, due to the time taken to read them.

Full transparency: I have no qualifications in writing, but I have self-published one book and hope to self-publish my second in the next few months.

Some nice things people have said about my work are below.

Praise for The Mechanics of Magic:

We are proud to announce that MECHANICS OF MAGIC by W.B.J. Martin has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.

Best fantasy novel I have read for years. Having read fantasy on and off for more years than I care to remember I thought the genre was dead, this book gives me hope that there are still writers out there who have a good imagination with decent writing skills.

Brilliant read, loved every moment of it. Well written suspenseful storyline with intriguing characters and visually descriptive settings making you feel like you're there.

Beautifully written with a gripping storyline

I couldn't put it down! Great book!

Praise for Burning the Darkness (not yet published, but a version is available on AO3) I am doing my best to keep comments anonymous here, but I wanted to share some of the lovely things people have said :):

[...]one of the best works for vampire lore I have ever read here and I can't get over it.

[...]this is such an interesting characterization/character arc[...]I almost want to share this with one of my old English teachers or write a formal essay about it

[...]beautifully paced and your world building has been extremely interesting.

If you're interested, please do drop me a message! Again, this will all be free, as I'm using it to test whether I can build some kind of report standard and to feel out a rough turnaround time. If you do find I am helpful at all, I might ask for a review at some point in the future if I decide to do this more 'professionally'.

[hdowlpost]

How To Submit Your Gifts

We had people ask about submitting the H/D Owlpost gifts and the header templates. :)

So here comes the Submission Info for Your Gifts! First things first: If you have any problems, concerns, or questions about your gifts or giftees, please email us at hdowlpostmaster@gmail.com.

You still have almost four weeks until November 22 when submissions are due! We cleared off all the mice droppings and pumpkin seeds gift wrappings and ribbons from last year's fest, and the Owlery is spic & span, waiting for all your sparkly gifts to arrive. The AO3 Collection for H/D Owlpost 2024 is open.

If you haven't confirmed your Assignment yet, please do so now.

We will send out Check-in mails in the next days. Please reply to them so we know that you are on track with your Owlpost gifts. A short "All well" is perfectly fine. Or tell us how we can help you!

Don't wait with your submission until you've created all your gifts: It's best for us when you send us each gift as soon as you've finished it, one after the other.

SUBMISSION INFO:

• Please post your gift fics, podfics, art, pictures of craft gifts, recipes etc. to the Harry/Draco Owlpost 2024 Collection! The Collection is moderated and unrevealed, so gifts will not be revealed before the posting date. You as the creator will remain anonymous until we de-anon the Collection for the Big Reveal on January 12, 2025.

• After having posted your gift to AO3, please fill out the header template below and send it to the mod email: hdowlpostmaster@gmail.com We will use this header for posting your gift at LiveJournal, tumblr and the Owlpost Discord.

• When sending your email, include your username in the subject line as well as the name of your recipient. EXAMPLE: "Username - Gift for X") --> "Owl_Saviour - Gift for Blond_Git"

• Please send the header for each of your gifts in a separate email. It makes our job so much easier.

• If you want us to post your fic to A03, let us know and we'll happily post it for you.

Gift Header

Here's the template for the header.

Gift from: Title: Summary: Word Count OR Art Medium OR Podfic Length: Rating: Contains: Notes:

( TITLE )

FOR PODFIC GIFTS, please add: Podfic cover: add here who created the podfic cover, you or someone else Podfic length: add the length of your podfic Podfic gifts are not anonymous.

ABOUT BETA GIFTS: If you are gifting a beta reading, please contact your giftee and offer your beta services. For beta-reading gifts, anonymity is waived between gifter and giftee. But please do not tell other people or post about the beta gift you are giving. The beta reader should still be anon for fandom at large. The betaed fic does not have to be Drarry or even a Harry Potter fic. It can be any story that is agreed upon between the beta and author. Beta-readings should be completed by the submission deadline of @hdowlpost Fest (November 22, 2024). Once you have finished the beta, please send us an email and tell us which story you betaed. Thank you! ♥

ABOUT COMMENT/REVIEW GIFTS: Please use this alternative header.

Gift from: Review/Comment of: TITLE OF FIC Summary of Fic: Word Count of Fic: Rating of Fic: Commenter's Notes:

Last and final things: Email us if you have any problems. We are very generous with extensions and we totally understand that people may need an extension. So don't hesitate to ask for for one. We try to make Owlpost work for everyone and have as little stress as possible. ♥ If you need to drop out of the fest, please email and tell us. We swear that we understand; life happens, no judgement. But we need to know so we can find pinch-hitters. ♥ ♥

Your Owl Postmasters @kittymiaomeow and @vaysh11 & the Owls

[theiasthesis]

REVIEWS

Hey there! If you're here you're one of two people

A) You're trying to see if I'm a safe and reliable creator, who can provide you with a good and valuable service

B) You put your trust in me to provide you a service, and you're here to make a review!

Welcome to my reviews page. Here, you can comment down your experiences and results for any free or paid services I have provided for you. You can also drop a review in my asks!

If you're having difficulty writing a well written review, below are a list of questions you can answer!

What service did you get?

How was the quality of it?

Was there anything unique and different to other peoples services?

Was it worth the price?

Did it change your perspective?

How was your personal experience with me?

Would you recommend my service to anyone?

You can also check out reviews that I've posted right here!

[sholiofic]

July Break Bingo: Reincarnation

Prompt: Reincarnation 500 words, Biggles +/ EvS, bittersweet

The park was brilliant in the sun, filled with flowers and skateboarders, the sky a deep blue bowl above. James bought an ice cream cone from a vendor, and licked it while checking his phone as he walked, reviewing his handful of job applications. He wasn't unhappy that none of them had so much as snagged an interview.

He really didn't know what he wanted to do with himself. He was fresh out of a stint with the RAF that he hadn't much enjoyed, it simply hadn't been what he wanted, even though it had felt like the only thing to do when he was eighteen. And now he was at loose ends, with a pilot's training .... on aeroplanes he couldn't fly in the civilian world. It was very frustrating. Somehow he felt it ought to have been different.

He could get a commercial pilot's license, he thought; he had the training and the flight hours, it was just the necessity to learn on civilian aircraft that he was lacking. He did love the freedom of it, the sky above and below him, as if in some way he had known it for longer than he had been alive. He might be able to enjoy that. It wasn't quite the thing he wanted -- but it almost was, it felt closer than he'd been in a very long time.

When a hand closed on his wrist, jolting him out of his thoughts, he reacted with military training, dropping his ice cream and seizing the other man's arm as their eyes met.

The man staring at him was older, hair shot with grey, eyes bright and wild and stormcloud blue-grey. He wore a suit that was oddly old-fashioned, quite out of place in the park with its skateboarders and teenagers. And his face was filled with a strange excitement, a sense of recognition that jolted James down to his core.

James let go of the other man's wrist before he could break it, and wrenched his arm free. "If you're giving out pamphlets, just hand it to me and go," he said, because what he couldn't quite understand was why that face looked so familiar, when he knew he had never seen it before.

"You won't believe what I'm handing out," the other man said quietly, falling into step with James. He had a neutral accent with something underneath, some hint of other vowels that, for some reason, had James's heart clawing up to try to hear more. "But I've been looking for you for --" He hesitated, as if snipping off some comment at its base, and then went on, "Come get a coffee with me. Let's talk. I think you might be looking for something to do with yourself -- aren't you? I can make you an offer you might like to consider."

James glanced at him. Then he said, "You owe me an ice cream."

A quick sharp smile broke across the austere features, making them very briefly beautiful -- and James thought, for no apparent reason, of a place he'd never been, a wide open expanse of desert with blue sky above and sweeping dunes below. Then the stranger (or was it a stranger?) said, "It is you. Yes, damn you, I'll buy your ice cream. Lead on, choose the place, I'll go with you. Wherever you go."

[noodyl-blasstal]

Review-tribution - Best Served Cold Chapter 6

Day 6 of @tazsapphicweek so it's time for chapter 6 of Best Served Cold!

Read below or on Ao3. Missed the start? Here's ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, and ch 5.

-

Sloane leaves Davenport a message, she’s very concerned about a company trading under the name she has trademarked. Hopefully he can help her sort out the confusion when he’s back from his voyage.

–

Raven doesn’t check her phone until the morning after their date. She’s alternately furious and delighted to see what they found. Thank goodness for friends, she could never have proved this on her own. It’s too early to tell Istus yet, they need some more evidence behind them, but they’ll get them. They can’t be allowed to get away with this. They won’t be allowed to get away with this.

–

It doesn’t take long to swap out the QR codes. Hurley and Sloane easily dupe and switch out the posters.

It turns out that one of the benefits of owning your own website is being able to delete the negative reviews.

It turns out that when ‘you’ direct everyone to a different website which you’re not in control of, your 5 stars perfect rating (from names which, on a quick cross examination by Hurley, largely match the ones on the complaint emails) drops quite dramatically.

Worst customer service I have ever experienced If I could give this place 0 stars I would. The owners were so rude and the portions are tiny.

Weird texture Everything is just so powdery? For the price they charged me I expected more. I won’t be going back.

Do they even want customers there? I have never been so aggressively negged by staff members before. I called my therapist when Ieft.

They wouldn’t let me take anything branded The staff said that they didn’t want their brand to be associated with me and wouldn’t let me have any of the cups with the logo on. It wasn’t even that nice! If they don’t want to be associated with me then I certainly won’t be back.

Hurley approves all of the new reviews. There’s a carousel of terrible feedback on the main page now, she set it to cycle through the comments. She’s sure that there’ll be an influx of good ones once they realise, but they don’t seem to have yet.

–

“Hey, Raven! Look.” Hurley turns her phone round, delighted smile on her face.

“Hang on, let me get my glasses.” Raven is so glad she finally caved and got a chain for them, no more forgetting where she last put them down... Well, she’s so glad Istus found one that was tiny bones and ravens and therefore was too good not to use. “What am I looking at?”

“Facebook.” Hurley says, like that will mean something to her.

Raven looks blankly back at her in the hope she’ll explain.

Hurley doesn’t even roll her eyes, which Raven appreciates. “It’s The Good Lick Store’s Facebook page. They made one when they realised… somebody…” Hurley looks side to side shiftily… “had made another website and they must have figured that whoever it was would also nab their Facebook page if they didn’t set it up. People are leaving reviews. Lots of them. They can’t delete them on there either!”

“These are bad.” Raven says, scrolling slowly through the list of complaints about quality and customer service. She’s smug to see how many people recommend going to Happy Scoops instead.

“They’re really bad.” Hurley confirms.

Raven loves to hear the joy in her voice. The last few weeks have been a stew of tension and worry, it’s nice to feel like the tide is turning. Hurley’s joy bubbles over into a laugh and soon Raven joins her, it’s irresistible.

–

Sloane snuggles into her side as Hurley presses send on the email.

“And you’re sure that’ll be anonymous?” She asks.

“Absolutely.” Hurley says. “All of the evidence, but no way of knowing where it came from.” She doesn’t bother trying to keep the smug tone out of her voice. They all deserve a win, and the management company deserves to know the truth about who has been ‘complaining’ about Happy Scoops.

It doesn’t hurt to add screenshots of the reviews, but that’s just for her own gratification.

Sloane plants a kiss on her shoulder. “You’re a brain genius and I love you.”

Hurley closes the laptop and pulls Sloane into her lap. “I love you too.”

–

“Istus! I’m so sorry, I heard what happened.” Cherity looks genuinely bereft.

“Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, Charity, but I’m afraid I don’t quite follow?” Istus hands over Cherity’s usual cone.

“You know, dear, the…” Cherity looks to the side furtively and whispers “... the fro yo people.”

“Oh, well, you know, there’s plenty of space for two businesses.” Istus tries to smile as brightly as she usually would. There’s no need to trouble customers with this, no matter how friendly they are.

“No no, what they did. We know it was them who cancelled the events. Ziad told us in the group thread.”

“The what, sorry?” Istus stares blankly.

“They posted something on the wrong Facebook account, and Ziad took a picture and sent it, and then Mustafa told us about how confused you were about the cancellations and we put it together. May the gods have mercy on their souls, but we certainly haven’t in the comments. Anyway, goodbye dear, I’ve got to pick up Mercy from play group, but we’re with you!” Cherity drops her bombshell and leaves.

–

“Raven?” Istus asks. “Do you know how to make Facebook happen?” She shuffles the sparkly, cloud shaped mouse of their elderly computer again to see if that can speed up the ever spinning wheel on the screen.

Raven creases her brow as she looks up from the book she’s reading. “Is this a test, beloved? Do you think I’m some kind of replicant?”

Istus takes a deep breath so she doesn’t accidentally sound terse. It is definitely an out of character request, but she needs to work out what’s going on. “No. I just need to get on. Cherity said something odd today and I just want to check what she meant.”

“It’s definitely a website. You have to type in the bar at the top for those.” Raven says, letting her glasses fall on the chain and pushing herself out of the seat. Istus has long since stopped teasing her about the grumbling noises when she does it (since she started doing them too, in fact).

The computer finally chugs to life and lets Istus click on the kind swooshy fox that takes her to the internet (Kravitz let her pick her favourite one, and the fox was much more fun than the coloured ball). “This one?”

“I think that’s the google bar which is different. But try putting facebook in there anyway?” Raven leans down, uncertain, one hand on the back of Istus’ chair, and squints at the screen.

Istus types ‘Facebook’ into the bar and waits.

“Do you think we should get a faster one?” Raven asks as they both watch the spinny wheel on the screen.

“Maybe we can ask the boys?” Istus muses, leaning back to rest against Raven as the computer screen goes black and then starts to load the next page.

Raven rubs her chin against the top of Istus’ head, and Istus smiles up at her despite the fact that Raven can’t see. It’s easy to send up a thought of gratitude for this moment. Istus spends a lot of time thinking about the future, it’s a good thing, it’s why her business has lasted so long, it’s why they have the house, it’s how they can afford to retire if they ever get round to it. But sometimes, sometimes it’s important to stay in the here and now, and being here with her wife is a wonderful now to stay in.

“There we go.” Raven points at the screen. “You need to log in.”

“Huh… where’s the little book got to?” Istus cracks the desk drawer.

“I’ll tell Kravitz on you.” Raven’s smile is evident in her voice.

“You wouldn’t!” Istus plays along as she shuffles papers aside. “My love, how could you betray me like this?”

“But if you write your passwords down then everyone can steal them.”

“I don’t have anything to steal in the computer.” Istus finds the little book rammed right at the book. “Anyway, Taako gave me the book because he was sick of us calling to get them to do the reset thing.”

“A wise man.” Raven nods.

“Shall we use yours?” Istus is fairly sure hers doesn’t work anymore after the time she kept mixing up the order of the numbers and exclamation marks Kraitz said she needed.

“Go on then.” Raven reads her the details and Istus types. It’s a well practised routine.

“I’m in!”

“What are you looking for now?” Raven leans back down to peer with her.

“Well, Cherity said that The Good Lick Store posted something strange in the wrong place.” Istus types the shop’s name into the search bar, proud not to have to ask this time.

Their name pops up next to their logo - Istus has begun to think it more garish than fun as time goes on… though that may be more to do with the shop’s owners than anything else.

“I don’t see anything.” Istus says.

“Try scrolling down?” Raven suggests.

Istus moves the mouse down, nothing happens.

“I think you use the wheely bit.” Raven points.

Istus tries again and the page shoots by until there’s a blank spot and the loading wheel comes up again.

“Maybe try a tad slower?”

Istus moves the wheel gingerly the opposite way and Raven fully drapes herself over Istus’ shoulders.

“Hmmm, maybe they deleted it.” Istus shrugs. “Nevermind.”

–

“How many fish?” Carey asks Killian

“Not that many.” Killian smiles the smile of someone who has hidden an amount of fish very north of not that many in a frozen yoghurt shop.

Carey smirks and nods. “...and I assume you’ll need a shower, you know, because of the not very many fish juice.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

“You can’t talk about fish juice and seduce me!” Killian groans and pretends to push her away, pulling her closer instead.

“Can’t I?” Carey grins happily as Killian groans.

“It’s you, not the fish juice.” Killian scoops Carey into her arms.

“To the bathroom!” Carey points the way.

–

Sloane smiles, grimly satisfied with her work. She slips away into the shadows.

–

“It’s just terrible, what happened to the sign.” Carey says.

“So awful.” Killian nods.

“Sadly there’s no leads on who was responsible.” Hurley shakes her head. “I’ve been trying to figure it out all morning, but there’s simply no evidence.”

“Such a shame to see mindless vandalism like that.” Sloane shakes her head. “What is the world coming to?”

Raven barks a laugh and tries to quickly cover it with a cough. “Mmhmm, terrible.”

“It is a little bit funny.” Istus says, primly. “Such a shame those letters were in the sign in that order.”

Raven looks up surprised.

“Of course, no one here would have stooped so low.” Istus narrows her eyes at them all in turn. “But hopefully they can repair it easily enough…” There’s a long pause and Istus adds in a stage whisper. “Did any of you get a photograph?”

–

It takes three days before the sign is repaired. Raven makes sure to pass by at least once on each and every one of them. Partly to glare at the twins through the window and partly to enjoy the sight of the queues dwindling. The sourness on the faces of the hosts increases with each visit.

–

Raven’s busy scarfing down a sandwich between appointments when her phone ba-bings, then pings again, and again.

Istus’ Army Hurley: Quick! Everyone! It’s happening Hurley: Check this out!

The link she sends next takes Raven to a statement.

We are a group of concerned locals and we’re calling for a boycott of The Good Lick Store. They have been sabotaging other businesses (see screenshots attached). They created a fake profile to reduce other business’ revenue and, in the process, took away a community lifeline. They selfishly put profit in front of people. We’re not going to stand for it, and you shouldn’t either. Don’t let yourselves be used to harm the businesses who are there for our community!

Underneath sit three screenshots of posts from The Good Lick Store’s new Facebook page, clearly written as if they were Happy Scoops (cancelling yet more events).

“Incredible.” Raven laughs to herself as other messages begin to pop up.

Sloane: YES! Killian: Take that, dick store! Killian: Carey says “wahoo with three exclamation marks at least” Raven: Good job Hurley Hurley: Not guilty! It wasn’t me. Raven: Then… who? Carey: Yeah, who’s our saviour? Hurley: Customers Hurley: I messaged the page after I saw the post, it turns out it’s people who come to the events, they’re furious. Raven: OH. Istus did say that Cherity mentioned something about Facebook. We couldn’t find anything though. Hurley: They’re obviously angry about being lied to, but coming after Istus? It’s never going to be good PR Hurley: Wait, Raven, you went on Facebook????? Killian: Are you reading the comments? Please read the comments Hurley: Incredible Killian: I think it has broken Carey, she just keeps snort laughing. Raven: How do I get there? Hurley: Hang on.

A screenshot pops up in the chat.

Francisco ‘A boycott won’t be hard, the ice cream’s shit anyway.’ The Good Lick Store ‘It’s not ice cream, it’s frozen yoghurt.’ Francisco ‘Sorry, my bad. It won’t be hard, the frozen yoghurt is shit anyway.’

Raven: You’re not supposed to argue with people on the internet, Kravitz said. Hurley: Kravitz is very very right. Sloane: I’ve gone on a deep dive. Did you see their statement? Hurley: Share with the class?

A screenshot quickly follows. The Good Lick Store believes in quality, belives in luxury, believes in pursuing your dream. Our dream is to bring you sophisticated flavours, challenging topping combinations, and real-world business practices. We believe in our product and we believe in challenging our competition. In business there’s always a winner.

Sloane: But wait for this

Another screenshot of the first comment. Aoife: ‘Well the winner’s not you, is it?”

Sloane: Do you think they’re feeling good about their life choices? Hurley: Snrk Carey: Get’em! Raven: Has anyone showed Istus yet? Killian: No! Don’t! She’ll feel bad for them. Hurley: They don’t deserve cheer-up cake Sloane: Or restorative cookies Raven: You make a good point

-

Enjoying the story? Find the final chapter here.

[my-mt-heart]

I’ve seen your posts about how the fandom needs to be louder in their promotion of Caryl so the official accounts take notice of what Carylers want. In the run up to TOWL Andy and Danai (during promotion) and clips of Rick/Michonne from the show were going viral almost everyday because fans would post things without depending on the official accounts’ promotions. There are tweets with 100,000 likes for example, which reached people who aren’t into TWDU.

Is there anything the Caryl fandom can share to build the hype for this couple & their show?

I only mentioned Richonne because that was a show rooted in love, as opposed to Dead City where the two main characters are in conflict.

For argument's sake, let's assume all of that engagement was genuine. The promotion for TOWL was leaning very heavily into the Richonne fandom's desires for their favorite characters/couple, which motivated them to post more. It's a catch 22 for Caryl. There are things their fans can post that'll convey where their interest is, for example, Caryl/McReedus photos and clips highlighting their burning chemistry. Nostalgic photos and clips like Daryl holding Carol outside the barn as Sophia's walker comes out is considered one of the most iconic scenes of the series and would get the flagship's GA talking (remember when Netflix posted it on their SM?). Same goes for the Cherokee rose scene. Fanart like bassel's and our dear @kryptoniancape's below is always enjoyable and there's a wonderful Caryl podcast called @9lives2mics that we can boost.

But. For Carylers to build a lot of hype and at the same time drown out the toxic voices who are more than ready to review bomb just because they hate Caryl/Carol, official promotion needs to strike the right cord with all Carylers whenever they do decide to do their job give us new content. No, they can't promote canon that hasn't happened yet on the show, but they can lean into the tag that worked the first time around, "to find home is to find each other," which suggests that Daryl and Carol are in fact each other's person. Raise us up and we will raise your show up.

Where are our McReedus interviews to give us insight into Caryl's emotional journey? Where are our photoshoots of them on the bike together and our Caryl keyart so we can have visual representations of their chemistry? Giving us content we're excited about will motivate us to post more content, which will draw more attention from the Carylers who left and from other onlookers.

Trigger us and we'll call you out on it. Not all of us, but even mixed reception as a result of shipbaiting, friendzoning, and sidelining Carol will ruin the momentum. Maybe it gets the Richonners "buzzing" in our place, but scaring away the Carylers who are on the fence right now is nevertheless a bad move. Carylers are the fans AMC should be able to depend on season after season. Fans who criticize Carol or undermine her importance as a main character or in Daryl's life are more often than not the same fans who have been validating the friendship positioning strategy on social media posts because there's always humor attached to it. Take a look at some of these posts and the nuances should be clear. These are fans who openly hate Carol or do not understand the importance of Carol's story or don't connect with Carol's story. These are not the fans who will ever pay a dime to watch "The Book of Carol." Instead of garnering audience for the show, it's turning away the target audience because a lot of these comments are making Carylers feel unheard and turning them away from the official accounts.

If the trailer is dropping tomorrow, that's a good opportunity for Carylers to post about what they love and what they want to see from Caryl's story...

Romantic canon

Daryl and Carol both striving to get back to each other

Equal representation

The Heroine's Journey for Carol

And/or, what's not working and what's giving them pause.

nunbaiting

the title

friendship positioning

the title

relegating Carol

the fucking title

Our voices have an impact. Case in point, when we wanted to give Melissa the choice to come back. There's a tendency to talk about what we'll settle for and I understand that feeling, considering how toxic and difficult it can be to navigate social media when the official accounts don't do anything to stop that toxicity from spreading. But it's important to talk about why Caryl's story matters to us and what we want to see from it because it sets the future trajectory of the show and it puts the power back in our hands. When you're loud, people hear you.

[sereneskin]

𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚

Hey there, skincare enthusiasts! Are you ready to dive into the world of Korean skincare with me? 🌟✨

Korean skincare, also known as K-beauty, has taken the beauty world by storm for its innovative products, effective routines, and glowing results. Whether you're new to K-beauty or a seasoned enthusiast, there's always something new and exciting to discover!

Why Korean Skinncare?

🌸 Innovative Products: From hydrating essences to nourishing sheet masks, Korean skincare products are renowned for their unique formulations and advanced technologies.

🌿 Natural Ingredients: Many K-beauty products focus on natural ingredients like green tea, snail mucin, and ginseng, known for their soothing and anti-aging properties.

💧 Hydration is Key: K-beauty emphasizes deep hydration, which is essential for achieving that coveted "glass skin" look.

🧴 Layering Technique: The famous 10-step skincare routine isn't just about piling on products; it's about layering lightweight formulas to ensure each step is effective and absorbs well.

The Basics:

Double Cleansing: Start with an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser to thoroughly cleanse the skin without stripping it of natural oils.

Exfoliation: Regular exfoliation removes dead skin cells and allows skincare products to penetrate deeper.

Hydration: Layering hydrating toners, essences, and serums helps to plump the skin and prepare it for the next steps.

Sheet Masks: A staple in Korean skincare routines, sheet masks deliver concentrated ingredients and boost hydration.

Moisturize & Protect: Finish off with a moisturizer to lock in all the goodness and don't forget your sunscreen during the day!

Join the K-Beauty Journey!

Follow along as we explore the best Korean skincare products, share step-by-step routines, review the latest trends, and chat with experts. Whether you're looking to achieve radiant skin, battle acne, or simply pamper yourself, K-beauty has something for everyone!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and product recommendations. Let's embark on this radiant journey together! 💖

Got questions or want to share your favorite K-beauty tips? Drop them in the comments below. I can't wait to hear from you!

[silverskull]

Shades & Hues

Part 2: Hues of Happiness

Tim and Lucy often have happy kisses, but sad hugs on-screen. What if we flipped that idea and wrote a two-shot?

* She’s in his arms, wrapping herself against him tightly, and he pulls her close, dipping his nose into her hair. He can smell exhaust, and cigarette smoke, and the unfamiliar shampoo from the apartment she shared with her mark, but it’s her - it’s her - and she’s here, with him, and he can feel her ribs below his fingers, her eyelashes fluttering against his neck, and nothing else in the world matters.

(Full fic below the cut, or click here to read and bookmark on AO3)

“Lopez is my plus one.”

“I asked her first!”

“I asked her nicer!”

“So what does that make me?”

“Minus one.”

Lopez and Harper grin and chortle - yes, chortle - clinking their champagne glasses giddily together over the fancy linen tablecloth. They’re dressed to kill, Angela in a flowing white pantsuit, Nyla in an unexpectedly pretty pink cocktail dress, and they’re determined to make the most of the free bar while it’s still available.

Grey gives an amused snort at Tim’s other elbow, shaking his head at the detectives and slicing into his seared steak. Tim grimaces, poking his fork at a lump of potato stuck to the side of his plate.

“You’re just gonna let your minions disparage a senior officer like that?” he asks, knowing before even finishing the question that Grey has absolutely no intention of siding with him.

“They’re free agents tonight, Sergeant,” Grey chuckles. “They’ve earned their place here. You only got a seat at the table-”

“Because you slept your way to the top!” Angela interrupts, with a wild toss of her head. Tim feels his jaw drop open, aghast, and his fork clatters loudly against his plate before falling clumsily into his lap, spattering potato everywhere. Nyla finds this particularly amusing and she cackles loudly, throwing her head back and leaning against Angela for support. Tim scowls, swiping her napkin and dusting himself off irritably.

He wasn’t one to shy away from a celebratory night out. He quite enjoys the opportunity to dress smart and eat well, particularly when the company is good. He remembers Lucy quizzing him relentlessly after his first date with Rachel at Ravenna. She’d started with some circumspection, commenting on the reviews page in the newspaper he’d been browsing, or spending hours in the shop talking her way through an imaginary buffet for herself and Jackson, that just so happened to have all the same dishes as Ravenna. He’d let her ramble on, knowing full-well that it was driving her crazy, until she eventually broke down and asked him outright.

“How in the hell did you know so much about a restaurant with two Michelin stars? What are you? Some sort of moonlighting food critic?!”

“You sound surprised.” His smile was smug, and he knew she knew it.

“No! Well… yes.” She jostled in her seat, fiddling with her seatbelt. “You just never seemed like the type who likes…” She trailed off, pursing her lips thoughtfully. It irritated him.

“Likes what? Good food?”

“No! I know you like good food. A guy who likes…” She paused again, following the track of a delivery bike as it swooped past them at the traffic lights.

“Likes what? Spit it out, boot!” He thumped the steering wheel for emphasis, glaring at her as the lights changed and the cars in front of them rumbled back into life.

“Likes culture, I guess,” Lucy finished, with a shrug. “The finer things in life. You… you still surprise me.” She turned to appraise him, her lips tugging down at the corners as she fought a losing battle against a smile and as the shop moved forward, a beam of sunlight caught her eyes, turning her irises from dark honey into molten amber. He looked away quickly, clearing his throat.

“Yeah, well, I’’ve got layers.”

“Like an onion?” she smirked.

“Like an ogre,” he growled, pressing a little too hard on the gas pedal.

She settled back into her seat, readjusting her belt and tipping her chin up. “Well I think that underneath all those layers, you’re just a big softie.”

He’d added dumbbells to the bottom of their warbags before she arrived the next morning.

“Oh lighten up, Timothy, it was only a joke!” Angela waves her napkin at him across Nyla’s lap, snapping him out of his reverie. Harper plucks her own napkin back daintily, scrutinising him thoughtfully.

“You should be honoured to be here at all. These awards are for people who do actual police work, not just smashing down doors and waving ‘round riot shields,” she says, spreading her napkin neatly back over the pleats in her dress. “If it wasn’t for Chen, this table would be exclusively diligent detectives and top brass-” she gives Grey a solemn nod, “-and you’d be on door security with Nolan and the rookies.”

The aforementioned Nolan picks that very moment to catch Tim’s eye from his station at the entryway, waving cheerily and completely ignoring an influx of inebriated off-duty cops heading towards the bar. Juarez, at least, gives them a stern glare, but she’s almost a foot shorter than all of them and hidden in the shadows cast by the elaborate lighting. Tim scowls, turning back to his plate and tossing his cutlery into the middle of the potatoes.

It’s over an hour later when the speeches begin, and Tim can feel himself slowly begin to petrify into his seat, his legs restless and antsy, and his hands tingling from repeated applause. Harper had raved about this ceremony, swirling her embossed invitation around in the bullpen, and noting that only the crème de la crème of Law Enforcement ever got invited to it.

The California Law Enforcement Agency Gala Awards. What an atrocious mouthful. 

Apparently Harper had attended before, nominated for her UC work in years gone by, but she’d lost out to a Detective Fry, who, in turn, had gone on to all but run the Undercover school in Sacramento. Harper held no ill-will, instead lauding the merits of a night of great company, fine food and - best of all - a free bar, paid for by the agencies themselves. Previous nominees were sometimes honoured with invites, and Harper had been drawn this year, and she preened smugly around the station for the entire afternoon after opening her mail. 

He’d seen her invite so many times during the day that, upon arriving home that night and opening the mailbox, he immediately recognised the thick card and gold embossing on the envelope he pulled from within. It was dark out, and he’d had to unlock the door and find the light switch while Kojo tangled himself around his ankles enthusiastically, but he was soon able to see it clearly. He’d turned the envelope over in his hands, tracing the golden bear above the seal, the name imprinted in dark ink along the front.

Detective Lucy Chen

The next day at work, Harper nearly exploded with pride when he showed it to her. She’d set about calling contacts and negotiating deals to try to extract Lucy from her op ASAP, and even succeeded in securing them a video call that very evening. Lucy was pleased with the news; amused at Harper’s enthusiasm and proud of her own work too, but mostly she was happy to see him. To see Tim. She’d eventually persuaded Harper to let them speak alone, and he plugged a pair of headphones into the screen, letting the music of her voice wash over him while he drank in her face.

She’d already been awarded the highest marks in the LAPD for her Detective’s exam (he’d promised her he wouldn’t take revenge on Prim, once she’d let him in on her secret; but it didn’t stop him from wishing for the guy to stand behind the wrong door one day, and get smashed right in the face) and now she was up against nominees from agencies across the state. Officers just as clever, hardworking and brilliant as herself.

Tim, of course, thought there was no need for all the fuss, and said they should just give her the prize directly, no questions asked. Grey and Harper stepped in quickly, reminding him that the fact that the awards were being held in LA meant more of her colleagues would be present to cheer for her. As if to drive home the point, Nolan signed himself and Juarez up for security duty the moment the requisition went out, and Thorsen traded Smitty a crate of ridiculously expensive IPA to take his place when the list had filled. Grey got invited as station Sergeant, and Harper latched onto Lopez as her plus one.

Which left Tim, miserably waiting to hear back from Lucy for days on end.

And, in the end, she’d found no way out. Nyla reminded him, half-heartedly, about ‘dope time’, and Lucy ruefully highlighted that it wouldn’t be a good look to drop an op in order to attend an awards show. He’d initially chosen to decline the event altogether, but then a request came down from the Captain, and subsequently the Chief of Police, that all nominees needed to either attend in-person or assign a representative, and, as her partner, Tim would have to show up for Lucy.

Which was how he had ended up here, now, listening to the same Chief of Police drone on about the challenges of modern policing, the responsibility to be seen as fair representatives of the justice system, and the bright future ahead for police agencies, with such an outstanding bunch of nominees in their presence tonight. The woman wouldn’t be winning any prizes herself, for speech-making at least.

“And, at last, what you’ve all been waiting to hear. May I present to you, from across the entire state of California, the ten nominees for this year’s CLEA Exhibition Award!”

Raucous applause breaks out across the room - the bar has been open for over four hours at this stage - and Angela elbows her neighbour (a young officer who’d travelled all the way from Eureka, and was desperately seeking Lopez’s approval) to imitate her sharp wolf whistle. Eventually, they quieten down enough for the Chief to begin calling out the names, but she’s only on the second one when the room bursts into noisy cheering again.

It’s Lucy’s name - Detective Lucy Chen - and her colleagues from the station are spread all across the room, clapping and whistling loudly the moment she’s mentioned. Tim feels the warm glow of pride, and he allows himself a moment to smile fondly at her photograph when it appears on the screen at the back of the stage. He stays looking at it as the rest of the names are called out, basking in her warm smile - one cheek dimpling in shy amusement at the photographer, a small strand of hair drifting across the other - and he wishes with all his heart that she was actually here. With him. Hiding her face in his shoulder at all the attention, or steadying his anxious foot-tapping with a soft hand on his knee.

“And, of course, though there can only be one winner, I want to be clear that the contributions of all ten nominees is valued, honoured, and will be upheld up as a standard of achievement for the Force for years to come.” Chief Coleman was stacking away the last of her note cards, tapping them firmly against the wooden surface of the podium, and grimacing quickly against the spotlight into the depths of the room. “I also want to note that neither Detective Abdul nor Detective Chen could be with us tonight, due to work commitments. In their stead, we welcome their husbands, Doctor Karim Abdul and Sergeant Tim Bradford.”

Lopez and Harper pitch immediately in opposite directions, cackling madly, and Tim feels a hot blush rise along his neck as his colleagues in the shadows whoop and hoot merrily. Grey gives him a smug side-eye, but says nothing, and Tim rolls his shoulders back, picturing in his mind’s eye the little velvet box buried behind a loose board in the back of a dresser at Genny’s house, that not even his sister knows about. 

They’ll all find out, when the time is right - he’s sure. But he’s still waiting for that moment.

Waiting for Lucy.

“And the Exhibition Award for exemplary achievement in California’s Law Enforcement Agencies for this year goes to…” The Chief pauses to break the seal on the envelope in her hands, and Lopez, aided by her new minion from Eureka, begins a drumroll on the edge of the table. Tim’s eyes are fixed on the screen, but he notices, in his periphery, Thorsen enthusiastically joining in, slapping his hands against the wall behind him and grinning from ear to ear. Despite himself, he feels a thrill of nerves; a rush of anticipation.

The Chief pulls out the card, and her lips quirk into an amused smile. “Detective Lucy Chen!”

The room erupts in applause and cheers, even the tables of guests from out of town giving in to the excitement of having a local winner. Tim feels hands patting his back, his shoulders - someone even dares to ruffle the back of his hair. He’s not surprised - of course she’s won, of course she has! - but in the commotion he nearly forgets that he has a job to do. Grey and Harper think for him, practically lifting him out of his seat by the elbows and propelling him across the room towards the stage. His feet catch on the legs of someone’s chair and he stumbles, taking a moment to apologise and straighten his tie before swallowing his pride and heading for the podium.

The path through the crowd seems endless, but eventually he trots up the steps to the stage, where Coleman shakes his hand firmly, her face serious and her eyes dark.

“We’re extremely proud of Lucy,” she says, gripping his hand tightly. “She’s a remarkable woman.”

He can’t help a quick smile. “I know.”

And then he’s on his own, staring into the blinding glare of the spotlight and almost forgetting the single notecard in his breast pocket. He reaches in to pull it out, feeling the sweat on his palms sticking to the paper, and he recognises Angela’s shrill whistle from the hidden sea of people before him. He takes it as support, takes courage in it, and begins.

“I can honestly say that on the first day I met Lucy Chen, I never pictured a night like tonight anywhere in our future. She was a hot-shot from the get-go. A woman with no quit in her. Endlessly aggravating. I even thought at one point it was a personal attack from our Sergeant, him sticking her with me.” He swears he can hear Grey chuckle from the middle of the room. “But Lucy was also kind. Thoughtful. Compassionate. She gave people grace in their hour of need - none more so than me.”

His mind flashes back to any number of moments in their first months together - his shooting, Isabel’s return, Andersen’s death - and he remembers his own dawning realisation that Lucy’s presence wasn’t just some flash-in-the-pan whim of a privileged kid.

“She had potential - real potential - and she was ready and willing to learn from all of us around her how to hone that potential, and become the officer that she is today. And she went through hell…” His voice catches, the fleeting sensation of hot sand under fingernails sweeping over him, and he has to swallow hard against a lump in his throat to keep going. “She went through hell to get to where she is today. The fact that she is still a member of the LAPD, and not only succeeding, but thriving, is a testament to her incredible talent, her skill, her capability, and her enormous heart. I am proud to accept this award on her behalf, and - with the greatest of respect to all the other nominees - I know that there is no-one more deserving.”

The crowd applauds again, and he steps back from the podium, noticing a small shuffle beside the tables at the foot of the stage. Thorsen has somehow wound up near the steps, and he’s apologising to someone as he edges past their chair, shoving them calmly but firmly to one side. Tim wonders why he chose now to start making a nuisance of himself, but he plasters on a smile and gives a quick nod of gratitude to the audience. He turns to thank the Chief too, but her chair is empty and there’s a sudden flurry of action in the wings opposite him. A young man with a headset scurries towards another man at a laptop and whispers hurriedly in his ear, covering the end of the mic with one hand. Tim is immediately on edge, and his smile falls away, his skin prickling into sharp goosebumps.

He’s just about to leave, turning to head for the steps and calculating how quickly he can grab Thorsen’s spare gun, when Coleman appears at his elbow and grips his arm tightly.

“We must take a photo, Sergeant Bradford,” she says, pulling him firmly back towards the centre of the stage and seizing his hand.

“There’s really no need-” he begins, looking around for a way out and catching, instead, the bright pink of Nyla’s cocktail dress at the side of the stage. There’s a dazzling flash - a camera somewhere below them - and he blinks against the stark spots in his eyes, shaking his head to try to clear his vision, and it’s only some remote modicum of ingrained obedience that prevents him from pulling away entirely from the Chief’s grasp and running for cover.

There’s another flash, and he’s suddenly aware of a low murmur running through the audience, a hum of suspicion, but he doesn’t have time to acknowledge it before Chief Coleman drops his hand and leaves him, confused, in the centre of the stage. She walks back to the podium, tipping the microphone briskly back down to her own height, and he checks quickly to the side to see Harper, still in the shadows, and grinning broadly.

“Ladies and gentlemen - colleagues from across the state.” Coleman’s stern voice gets everyone’s attention quickly and the murmur dies down. “It seems we have a small change to the order of events tonight. I’ve just been speaking to one of Detective Chen’s handlers, Detective Harper, and it seems they’ve had a breakthrough in their case. I’m sure you’ll be as delighted as I am - but nowhere near as delighted as Sergeant Bradford - to welcome to the stage…” She turns and smirks at Tim. “Detective Lucy Chen.”

His heart drops at the same moment as his jaw, and he has no time to think before Harper moves to the side and there - right there, in leather and denim - is Lucy. 

His Lucy. 

A little dishevelled and a little uncertain, but smiling with her whole face - her whole heart - and twirling her fingers nervously. Lucy. Chief Coleman urges her forward, and all Tim can hear is the blood rushing through his ears, and his hands reach out for her before she even moves. 

And then, with just a few steps, she’s in his arms, wrapping herself against him tightly, and he pulls her close, dipping his nose into her hair. He can smell exhaust, and cigarette smoke, and the unfamiliar shampoo from the apartment she shared with her mark, but it’s her - it’s her - and she’s here, with him, and he can feel her ribs below his fingers, her eyelashes fluttering against his neck, and nothing else in the world matters. He wants to ask ‘how’ and he wants to know why he was left out of the loop, but all of that can wait. For now, all he needs is her breath against his skin, her pulse hammering away against his chest almost as fast as his own, and the utter contentment that he feels in knowing that she is here, safe, at home, and with him.

It takes him a moment to recall where they are, with his fingers tangling in her hair to draw her head back and his thumb tracing along the sweep of her cheekbone, but then he remembers. He realises the rushing sound in his ears is the applause from the crowd, and he can definitely hear Angela’s piercing whistle taunting him from the floor, but he really can’t bring himself to care. He catches Harper’s eye as she saunters off the stage, and she waggles her hand at him, pointing conspicuously to her ring finger.

“I missed you.”

Lucy’s voice draws him in like soft honey, and he allows himself another moment to indulge in her presence, to soak up the familiar beauty of her face, and the smile she wears just for him. He pulls her into his chest once more, pressing his lips against the crown of her head, and then the Chief is rolling her eyes at them and waving her hand to get them off the stage. He grins, turning Lucy towards the steps and handing her the sparkling award. She lets him direct her, and he has a split second while his back is turned to the crowd to dip his mouth to her ear unobserved.

“Marry me?”

She comes to a dead halt, her eyes locking on his, and he grins, linking their hands and drawing her knuckles to his lips.

The crowd is still cheering, and Coleman is beginning to look a bit peeved, so he tosses her a quick salute and tugs gently on Lucy’s hand. She comes to, wobbling into a faltering walk behind him, before following him down the steps and off the stage. With the spotlights out of his eyes, he can see their friends, their hands raised as they clap for her - for them - and he leads Lucy towards their table, where he can see Nolan and Juarez already standing behind an extra chair.

She doesn’t have to answer him tonight. She doesn’t have to wear the ring he picked. She doesn’t even have to say ‘yes’ - at least, not yet.

But he needs her to know he missed her too.

And he needs her to know he loves her.

And he will always be here, ready to welcome her home.

Always.

AO3 link💖

Back to Part 1!

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

TROPED TIMELOOP

Welcome to TROPED TIMELOOP, a special TROPED Multifandom Fanfiction Challenge!!! This will be a traditional four-round, but with a timeloop-y twist! Every round will have a theme and four tropes, but with the added requirement that you must include the Time Loop Trope! Let’s see if you’re up to the challenge and join us for this special event!

How It Works:

This is a Multi-Fandom Event & No Sign-Ups are Required! If you would like to participate, we’d love to have you! Just take a look at our prompts when they are released right here on the TROPED tumblr, and get to writing! You will submit your fics to an AO3 Collection that is linked in our reblog!

The Writing Periods will be on a rolling basis, with new TIMELOOP prompts dropping between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox! If you are inspired for a round later in the event, you can still submit a fic to be included! We will simply drop the next prompt, but nothing will officially close or end until the end of the full Writing Period, on September 23rd! Fics will be accepted into the official collection for the entirety of the event! **You will write four or more (4+) separate fanfics inspired by each round, but you do not have to participate in each and every round.**

Read and Review! Once you’ve submitted your own fic, take a look at the others in the competition! Please try to read as many as you can! Take some notes, and leave some kudos/comments for the authors! This is not a requirement for participation, but it is highly encouraged and helps make TROPED build a strong community!

Voting! For this challenge, we have decided to host a more objective voting-style for you. We will have the Longest Fic, the Shortest Fic, the Most Timeloops, and other Objective ‘Challenge’ Winners for each round and for the event overall.

TIMELINE:

Writing Period Dates: June 21st - September 23rd!

Round One Prompt Released: Wednesday, June 21st at 12:00am

Round Two Prompt Released: Saturday, July 15th at 12:00am

Round Three Prompt Released: Tuesday, August 8th at 12:00am

Round Four Prompt Released: Thursday, August 31st at 12:00am

End of TIMELOOP Writing Period: SATURDAY, September 23rd at 11:59PM PST / SUNDAY, September 24th at 2:59AM EST

Winners Announced: September 24th!

*All times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) unless otherwise specified!

Rules:

If you are a veteran to our TROPED Challenges, the rules below are mostly the same as before, but any newbies joining the fun should definitely take a look below!

This competition was created to get creative and put out different fics into the world, and to create a fun, positive fandom experience for everyone! In order to ensure that we achieve that goal of a positive experience, here are a few rules and guidelines that must be followed! The requirements for the fics entered into the competition will be:

Must include Characters from your specific chosen Fandom

Must fit the Theme of each round! While this event is all about the time loop trope, each round will have a clear cut theme for you to use in your fics!

Must use ALL of the tropes selected for each round! We have selected four tropes to go with the time loop trope. Explanations for these tropes will be released in a Google Doc for you. Don’t forget: Part of the fun of TROPED is taking the prompts and turning them on their head! Our definitions are baselines for what the trope or theme MUST include, but it’s just a starting point! If you have an idea for a trope or theme, and you aren’t sure if it fits, please message us!

There is NO Word Count Requirement. You may write as much or as little as you like as long as you incorporate the prompts, including the time loop trope!

All ratings G through E are welcome! Please be aware that some fics may not be everyone’s thing! Write what you like, but the challenge is public so just keep that in mind! Since we are requiring Smut in one of the rounds, please be sure to follow the TROPED rules that pertain to romantic/sexual relationships in your fic. (No rape. No incest. No underage. No negativity. No plagiarism.)

Links for this event can be found in the reblog!