#emily Lightman

[onlyactivewhenexhausted]

you guys need to watch 2009 show Lie to Me so that there’s more fanfics about it. This show has no fandom and it’s absolutely tragic

[lilolilyr]

A Callian + Emily triple-drabble for the @flufftober 2023 day 6 prompt: corn maze!

The family manip without the corn maze edit

<1k, rated G, no warnings, fluff!

Read on Ao3

[teaandslushies]

Oh, lovely, another LtM* plotbunny I don't have time for:

Emily comes home for winter break all giddy over the boy she met in Psych, and the girl they both met at some random pub night on campus.

Cal is gobsmacked. Gillian is all for Emily testing out her sexual orientation, as long everyone is safe and having a good time. Zoe is all: hello, apple, meet tree. Why did everyone assume I was *jealous* of Gillian? Cal is even more smacked of gob.

(Inspired by this Jennifer Beals quote: "To be honest, it was really nice to be on a set where I could get a whiff of men! [Laughs.] But it was also very confusing because I had spent six years playing Bette and flirting with women and being with women as this character. So when I got to Lie to Me, being on a set and being in a power suit, my brain thinks I’m playing a lesbian character.

So I’m on the set flirting with Kelli Williams’ character in a scene and Tim Roth is like, “Wait, wait! You’re not supposed to be flirting with her, you’re supposed to be flirting with me! This is the set-up!” And it was almost automatic that my character was flirting with this woman. It was like automatic pilot.")

We were robbed of that out-take.

[astridshifts]

You don’t know them like I do fr 😩🙏🏻

[itsallpanicnodisco]

DUUUUIDE I NEED SOME FAMILY CENTERED FANFIC OF THEM LIKE YESTERDAY UGGGGH

Cal & Emily Lightman - Best father/daughter relationship EVER.

[kissofthemuses]

Closed Starter for @asoulunbound || Emily && Spencer

Emily's brows pulled down as she watched the snow come down fast and heavy. Her hand was pressing her cellphone to her ear harder than was necessary, as if that would help the line be any clearer. ❝I can barely hear you, you're breaking up,❞ she said into the phone, louder than she normally would in some vain attempt to be heard herself.

Reception had been spotty even before the storm had the wind howling at the window, and now it was totally failing. ❝There's no way we're gonna be able to make it back! I can't even see three feet ahead! Hello? He-fuck.❞ The call had disconnected.

She sighed heavily as slid the phone into her jacket pocket and looked over at Spencer. The storm had whipped up quickly and, before they could get out, it was far too dangerous to try.

❝Well, looks like we're not going anywhere for a while. And reception is kaput.❞ She pulled her jacket tighter around herself as she looked around, searching for she didn't even know what in the moment.

[lilolilyr]

♡ Lightman Family ♡

Tim Roth and Hayley McFarland, Kelli Williams, manip by me

Putting the originals under a cut so you can see them even if the sources are bugging:

in the flufftober ficlet I made this manip for, I also used this image of a corn maze

[fixomnia-scribble]

OH JUST @ ME.

Lie to me* has taken over my writing life.

I’ve now plotted out Cal’s backstory, Gillian’s backstory, the whole How They Met Over Jimmy Doyle thing, the whole Sweet Sixteen Jimmy Doyle Follow-Up, and a pile of post-episode tales (yes those ones), before even getting to the juicy post-series shenanigans. Which I have plotted out up until 2022, culminating with Emily getting her PhD against the backdrop of COVID. Will it all get written? I have no clue. It’s not like I have any time to write, and yet the writing keeps happening.

My favorite thing about fanfic is watching a writer go through all 5 stages of grief as their fluffy one-shot inexplicably becomes a 100k-word novel.

[teaandslushies]

Thanksgotten

I wrote a thing!

The story of a most becoming apron. And families (and found families) finding things to be thankful for in each other.

Basically Thanksgiving Hallmark Movie Fluff. From my Canadian Thanksgiving leftover turkey to yours. With bonus recipes at the end.

(And can we talk about Gillian's little eyebrow thing and tongue-lick when Cal says he thinks it's becoming? Competent man in the kitchen indeed.)

[castieltrash1]

on the 1st day of rothmas, castieltrash1 gave to me... holiday decorating with the tim roth characters! (more below the cut xoxo)

⋆ freddy “mr. orange” newandyke (reservoir dogs)

freddy’s place has never really been cohesive, to say the least. you’ve noticed none of his dishes or cutlery match and most of the time his bedsheets and pillowcases are different patterns or colors. besides his blue walls, retro comic book posters, and that stained glass cross by his front door, he doesn’t really ‘decorate.’ as long as his work stuff is easily accessible, everything else just kind of fits wherever. he prefers spending his free time on renovations -- clanky bathroom pipes or a loose kitchen cabinet hinge are more important to him.

that being said, freddy is a traditional christmas decorator. as early december rolls around, he lugs his fake tree out of storage, hangs a wreath on the door, and strings up some lights. most of his ornaments are plain glass bulbs, but he’s collected a few keepsakes over the years! in all honesty, he’s secretly excited to settle down with you and make a home out of someplace (preferably not his messy apartment.) it’s not in the cards just yet, but he knows someday you two -- and maybe some pets or kids if you feel so inclined -- will have a cozier domestic setup where christmas feels less like an obligation and more like a celebration.

“step back and tell me if this shit is straight,” freddy says, jerking his chin up to the string of lights he’s hanging above the door. you hesitate for a moment, not wanting to put the ladder he’s balanced precariously on out of reach in case he falls; a scenario that seems completely likely considering he’s got a nail gun in one hand and a half-smoked cigarette propped between his lips.

you slowly inch backward and… “oh. they’re- uh…” one end is about three inches higher than the other, give or take. “no, they’re good. perfect.”

freddy snorts, a flicker of ash falling to the ground. “i’m a cop, remember? i know when you’re lying.”

⋆ cal lightman (lie to me)

cal has always been your average low-effort christmas decorator. half of his presents are wrapped in a brown paper bag, for christ’s sake. towards the end of his marriage with zoe and shortly following their separation, he put a lot of effort into holidays for emily’s sake, but now that she’s grown, his co-parenting relationship has mellowed, and he’s got you in his life, there’s a lot less pressure for the holidays to be perfect!

he is absolutely going to keep cutting corners, though. why would he wobble on a ladder outside in the cold to hang up lights he’ll have to take down in a month anyway when he can just use those projectors that shine colors all over the house? and sure, he likes ornaments, especially the cheesy hand-made ones emily made in elementary school, but he’s content throwing some tinsel and popcorn strings on a lit-up tree and calling it a day. speaking of trees, they’re one of the few splurges he’s willing to spend his time and money on. he likes the smell and look of real ones, sue him!

“did you even measure the door beforehand?” you ask, barely able to see the top of cal’s head over the massive tree in the way. he’s got one end, you’ve got the other, and emily has disappeared somewhere in the middle of the prickly pine needles.

“it’ll fit!” cal yells back, just as emily crawls out from under the mass of branches, sweat and melting snow glimmering on her forehead. she takes one look at the way you’re straining to pull the top through the front doorway and laughs under her breath, shaking her head.

“twenty bucks says we have to bring it in through the backyard.”

⋆ philip chaney (captives)

when you meet philip, he’s been moved to a short-term facility, so the rules are more lax. it’s still prison so traditional decorating is out of the question, but you two make it work. he doesn’t want to draw unwarranted attention from inmates or cos whose radars he’d rather not be on, so philip sticks to his favorite and the safest way of sprucing up his cell: photographs. bring him pictures of you, your decorations, and your tree during visits and he’ll tape them to his wall or the underside of the top bunk to admire before bed.

on his days out -- after his classes are over and he’s got an hour to blow before the bus arrives --philip loves walking around to see all the christmas lights. it’s freezing, but he never seems to notice, too busy pointing out his favorite decorated buildings and houses. his old contracting and electrical wiring jobs make him a pain in the ass, though, since he never stops scrutinizing the shoddily hung lights or clear fire hazards.

philip flicks the ash of his cigarette, eyes narrowing at the bundle of cords tucked on the side of a building you two always pass; now covered in flashing red, white, and green. your fingertips are freezing off and you can’t tell the smoke of philip’s exhales from your breaths of white air.

“philip.”

“what?” he looks back at you, pointy teeth curling into a knowing grin when you glare. he keeps walking, leading you somewhere warmer, but doesn’t let up. “they’ve got three fuckin’ cords plugged into one bloody outlet.”

⋆ ted the bellhop (four rooms)

ted is kind of like a retail worker -- christmas decorations and music send a chill up his spine. thoughts of working new year’s eve at the mon signor make him lightheaded and the last thing he wants is to bring that home with him. unfortunately, he also gets sad if you two don’t decorate, so it’s a lose-lose situation. he’ll eventually decide that the bellhop’s room remain decoration-free for his sanity, but at home, he needs a little holiday cheer.

don’t let him try any handmade or crafty type decorations. if there’s one thing ted’s bound to do it’s burn himself, start a fire, rip something, trip over something else, electrocute himself, fall off a ladder, and end the night slamming his fists against the floor yelling “why, god, why?!” make it simple and save yourself the headache. give this man some plastic ornaments, battery-powered fairy lights, and a few garlands and he’s set.

as the first few notes of “jingle bells” fill the room, ted’s neck snaps toward your cd player, the color draining from his face. “turn that off. please. now.” you watch in slight amusement as the candy cane in his fist cracks under the pressure of his whitened knuckles.

as you skip the classic tune, ted lets out a comedic sigh of relief, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “i heard that fifty-seven times last shift, you know!”

⋆ joshua shapira (little odessa)

besides the fact he doesn’t celebrate, joshua isn’t a big decorator to begin with. most of it is out of necessity -- wherever he’s holed up has to stay discreet for safety reasons. the last thing he needs is bright flashing lights pointing potential threats in the right direction. if you two live together or are settling down, he’ll let you decorate inside, regardless of which holiday you celebrate. he’ll tease you, but, as long as it makes you happy and isn’t too overboard, he doesn’t mind.

the few hanukkah pieces he has are heirlooms his mom secretly gave him after he left home. after her passing, they became even more important to him. he keeps them safe all year long and makes sure they -- the menorah, especially -- are proudly displayed by the front door window. he doesn’t have the best memories from home, but lighting the candles has always been one of them.

after reciting the respective blessings, joshua takes the shamash and begins lighting the menorah. you watch as the flames spark, slowly moving from the left to the right with each candle. the reflection flickers in his eyes even after he finishes and steps back, pulling you close.

“it’s beautiful,” you softly murmur, resting your head on his shoulder.

he nods, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “yeah… it is.”

⋆ guildenstern (rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead)

medieval yule decorations are all about the foliage. guildenstern might not be able to differentiate between most plants and flowers, but he knows a good branch of holly when he sees it. he prefers the celebrations, music, and food more, so he won’t go all out, but he still enjoys being festive. also a big fan of mistletoe for its symbolic protection and the excuse it gives him to kiss you.

if you two spend yule at or near elsinore, you’ll be treated to the castle’s extravagant decorations. the great hall is especially beautiful this time of year with the roaring fire, bright greenery, and intricately embroidered tablecloths made of fine fabric. the church would also likely have trees donned with paper flowers and apples to celebrate!

guildenstern sidles up to you in the great hall, biting into a crisp red apple. the sharp crunch cuts through the music playing and you shoot him a glare. “pray tell, where did thou find that?” the banquet had a variety of feasts, but there wasn’t an identical fruit in sight. the only place you’d seen one was those decorating the church’s oaks and surely guildenstern would never-

“upon a tree outside,” he replies, grinning between chews. “there are more to be found, should thou desire one.”

⋆ david (resurrection)

david doesn’t like celebrations of any kind unless he’s the focal point. he won’t make that obvious at first, of course, but you’ll slowly realize his attitude shifts whenever you bring up the holidays. the more decorations you put up, the more kindnesses he asks of you. it’s a simple trick that gets your brain to associate festivities with sacrifice and discomfort.

if he’s feeling kind or wants to reward you for his own benefit, he’ll let you have a few decorations. it’s important you realize that it’s a privilege bestowed by him, so you’ll be more thankful for it. most of the time, you’ll be responsible for putting the decorations up and taking them down, but he might surprise you in the morning with a few lights or tinsel hung just to hear you praise him.

it’s a simple strand of lights above the door, but it’s the most decorative thing you’ve seen this christmas season. your eyes practically water at how warm and cozy it feels, and david rests his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it softly.

his lips curl into a smirk as he watches the colors dance on your face. “aren’t you grateful, dearest? i did this just for you.”

⋆ colin (meantime)

while colin’s family does decorate for christmas, it’s never been too exciting for him. they can’t afford anything new, so he’s seen the same lights, figurines, and garlands used every year since (and before) he was born. most of the houses near his are the same, too. in the past, he’d cut festive pictures out of magazines, the newspaper, and advertisements on food boxes from the grocery store, but mark teased him relentlessly for it.

visiting you gives colin an excuse to admire your decorations as long as he wants. if you two aren’t together yet, he’ll find a way -- mostly with coxy’s goading -- to offer to help you hang lights or some other mundane task that lets him spend more time with you. he’s quiet during the whole process, but you notice he’s extremely careful, making sure everything is set up exactly how you want it.

“oh, wow!” you stare up at the string of lights dangling from your roof trim with an excited laugh, one that turns into a fearful gasp as you watch colin wobble on the ladder at the sound of your voice. “oh shit.” you quickly grip the metal to steady it, peering up at your flustered friend. “are you okay?”

“i-i…” colin’s face is bright red and you’re not sure how much of it is from the cold. “… didn’t hear you… come out.”

“sorry,” you wince, biting back a frown. you’d gone inside to make some snacks and hadn’t thought twice about making your presence known. “the lights look great, though!” this time, the darkening of his cheeks is an obvious result of your praise, and you nod toward the front door, hoping to get him back inside. “hungry?”

⋆ gerbino de ratta (virgin territory)

safe to say, you won’t be doing a lot of decorating with a plague spread further than you could ever travel. any celebrations you have will be limited to those in gerbino’s closest circles, mainly his men, so it doesn’t matter all that much anyway. at most, he’ll “buy” you some nice gold and pretty candles but everything must remain inside lest it be stolen (again.)

“this is beautiful,” you say, mesmerized by the pristine candleholder gerbino’s brought home. he’s even found a tall beeswax candle to pair with it; already smelling sweet despite not being lit. “where did you get this?”

gerbino’s smirk falters. “never mind that, love,” he quickly replies, guiding you toward the mantel that holds all the other trinkets he’s gifted you. “let’s light it, yes?”

⋆ oswaldo mobray (the hateful eight)

your dearest “english pete” is a big fan of the holidays and all the celebrations that come with it. since you two and the rest of the domingre gang are often on the move, most of your “decorations” are on various stagecoaches and horse reins/saddles. pete, in particular, is a big fan of wreaths and holly but he also sniffles and sneezes with the foliage so close to his sleeping quarters.

pete also loves decorating you. he’ll spend whatever he gets from different heists on soft silks and velvets that you can wear through the cold season. some of it is embroidered, and some are pristine heirlooms stolen from richer folk. you usually manage a good collection by the time the near year rolls around!

“hm… hm… yes, yes, like this,” pete mumbles under his breath, a white puff of air in the cold wind. he fiddles with the new red velvet cape he’s found you, fingers adjusting and readjusting the fabric through his thick leather gloves.

he steps back and you grin, teeth near chattering. “well?”

“quite dashing, if i do say so myself, love.”

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

12 days of rothmas masterlist

[whump-or-whatever]

Who's a character you like whumped?

Welllllll there are many and I like making lists so allow me to just…

The Doctor, Ace McShane and The Master in Doctor Who

Jack O’Neill and Sam Carter in Stargate SG-1

John Shepard, Rodney McKay and Carson Beckett in Stargate Atlantis

Fox Mulder and John Doggett in X-Files

Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap

Helen Magnus, Nikola Tesla and John Watson in Sanctuary

Methos in Highlander

Melinda Gordon and Jim Clancy in Ghost Whisperer

David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson in Starsky & Hutch

Jonathan Archer and Malcolm Reed in Star Trek: Enterprise

William Riker and Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation

John Constantine and Zed Martin in Hellblazer/Constantine/Legends of Tomorrow

John Reese in Person of Interest

Edmund Reid, Homer Jackson and Long Susan in Ripper Street

Will Trent in Will Trent

Cal Lightman in Lie To Me

Charles Xavier, Eric Lehnsherr and Logan in X-Men

Aaron Hotchner, Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds

Neal Caffrey and Matthew Keller in White Collar

Mal Reynolds in Firefly

David Sandstrom in ReGenesis

Will Graham in Hannibal

Number Six in The Prisoner

Flynn Carson in The Librarians

John Carter and Mark Greene in ER

Lucifer Morningstar in Lucifer

Ed Mercer and Gordon Malloy in The Orville

Aaaand several others I’m sure.

[itsallpanicnodisco]

OKAY BUT LIKE—

the real thing we were robbed of when they cancelled lie to me was getting to s10 and having emily and gillian changing cal's ringtone to london boy by taylor swift and him losing his ever loving mind every time

[everymlmhybrid]

I was about to post "Emily Lightman.... blorbooooo" but then hit play on this episode and she immediately hit a woman with her car while texting and driving.

[fixomnia-scribble]

I suppose I have to give myself a little latitude: it's not easy having been deeply enmeshed in East London of 1958 for the past few months, and then cranking my brain back to Washington, D.C in 2012. (All while dealing with the usual round of Real Life matters of grad school and my actual day job and volunteering and people et cetera.)

I have the next two chapters of The Long Game mostly plotted out and some key dialogue sketched in (THANK YOU @ladydedlock for all the daily idea-bouncing!) but the taps are not yet fully open yet. It'll happen. Probably while I'm at work.

To recap: Alec Foster has passed away. Cal has asked Gillian to stay at his house for a while so she's not alone. Zoe is on her way to help with the legal matters and see Emily. Tensions are running amok all over. And Emily is home for her first summer as a college student and refuses to be their chaperone anymore. They've all raised her - they can deal with her as an adult now. We are about to enter a drawing-room drama I did not expect to frame that way, with the Lightman House serving as a pressure cooker of past tensions and the possibilities ahead.

Couple more chapters of the Lie to Me* dance, and then it's back to Poplar, where there's a wedding to get to...after a few hurdles!

[kissofthemuses]

@asoulunbound asked: “🌿🍒” (Spencer and Emily)

send “🌿🍒” (or “mistletoe”) for my muse’s reaction to standing under a mistletoe with your muse

Emily shifted her gaze around the room, just observing those around her for a moment, a drink in her hand. The first holiday party at any new place of work was bound to be enlightening. And, while she was enjoying herself, she was content to stand back for the moment.

❝Hey,❞ she said with a smile as Spencer came up beside her. Catching the hint of leafy green above, her eyes lifted to see the mistletoe hanging directly above them. ❝Oh. You might wanna look up: mistletoe,❞ she said, pointing up at it.

For a second, Emily wondered if she should make a joke and play off bucking the tradition for fear of making things awkward between them, that'd probably be the smarter thing to do. But that choice was the opposite of what she wanted to do. (And, hey, if things did get awkward, she could always blame the alcohol for it, right? Despite the fact that she hadn't had anywhere near that much.) Or they could brush it off as just fulfilling a silly holiday tradition.

Before she could lose the moment and the momentary courage, Emily leaned up, giving Spencer time to pull away if he wanted to, and placed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips.

[fixomnia-scribble]

ENTER ZOE.

New Fic Post!

A Lie to Me* challenge fic! Thanks to @ofcourseiloveher (CommonFlower) for setting it up and chiusobottega for the prompt!

Time passes and every long game comes to an end, at some point. Cal, Gillian and Alec come to the end of theirs.

TW: mention of past drug use and drug addiction. TW: death and dying.