#emmett root

[moonfromearth]

How Tall Are Your Sims?

Thank you so much for the tag @minty-plumbob!! 🥰

This was actually way more fun than I thought it was going to be! Now I want to do it for all my series... 😅

A lot of my sims seem to be pretty close in height (I blame the fact that all of the sims in game are the same height!) but it was really cool to see all my sims "side by side" at their actual heights it's so cute~ 💕

I'll tag... @swiftviolets @aheathen-conceivably @lynzishell @cowplant-snacks and anyone else who hasn't gotten to do it but wants to! Feel free to also ignore though

link to website

[djkerr]

They're going to kill us, aren't they?

Clara and Parker 🎆💞

🎥 @globaltv via IG

NCIS 21x08 Heartless

[aisphotostuff]

Ancient Woodland Walk @ Emmetts NT Kent by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: Toys Hill And Emmetts. An ancient woodland with panoramic views across the Weald. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with many interesting fungus and invertebrate species finding home in the dead wood created after the Great Storm of 1987.

[saintmuses]

❝𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙠❞

Pairing:

Neil Lewis x Reader x Emmett

Summary:

Whenever Emmett was not working, he loved to spend his time with his nephew’s best friend eventually being caught.

Warning(s): SMUT. Dub-con. P in V. Implied cock-warming. Somnophilia. Minors, dni!

Word Count: 712

Emmett remembered her standing on the sidelines cheering her best friend on in friendly baseball games from cookouts they would have during hot summers. It was his favorite part of going to gatherings other than his nephew playing.

He managed to convince her to come over while Neil was working at the Gumshoe Video store because it was not often she would go over to his place without her best friend despite the fact Neil had been living there as well.

He hadn’t counted for Neil to get off work from the video store earlier than planned. His eyes were wide comically, redness crept up on the skin of his neck, his ears were tinted with deep redness that made Emmett smirk. 

He was shifting her on his softened cock, “do you want her?”

The question was met with instant denial, and he would have accepted the answer if it wasn’t tainted with longing and lust.

He ended Neil’s stammering excuse tirade, “Neil, you don’t fool me one bit.” He said gruffly, looking at his pale face despite his cheeks being red. “You want her. You always have.”

He knew with the sight of a slump of his nephew’s shoulders, he was defeated by his own wants, albeit perverse desires. His lips curled in slight victory as Neil edged closer to the bed.

“You’ll have to deal with my…” he trailed off, gesturing to the cum that had been inside her for a while when she was riding him with her ass for him to grab onto to see how his cock was disappearing in her warm tight pussy.

“I don’t care,” Neil whispered before reaching out to touch her face reverently.

Maybe he’s desperate. Emmett mused to himself as Neil grabbed her face gently.

“I-I don’t want to wake her,” the words were spoken in a hush tone, Neil looked at him nervously.

“You won’t.” He assured him despite his nephew’s skepticism in his gaze.

Leaning in, Neil pressed his lips against her unmoving lips gently before withdrawing from her.

Slipping out of her gently, Emmett dragged himself up until he was propping against the bed frame, he was able to turn her body around to face his nephew. He then dragged her docile body into his arms, wrapping his hands around her legs to spread her apart. Neil’s eyes immediately zeroed onto her exposed messy cunt. 

Emmett heard the belt clinking as Neil was unbuckling his belt before he unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them down his thighs along with his underwear.

Despite Emmett already holding Y/N’s thighs apart by her hamstrings, Neil still placed his hands on her thighs to root himself to her after he climbed onto the bed between their legs.

“Oh,” he released a pathetic moan as he pushed his cock into her deeply, scrunching up his face in pleasure. Mouth parted slightly deliriously as his eyes rolled back into his head. He didn’t care if his cock was mingling and forcing Emmett’s spend out of her, all he cared about was the fact he finally had the taste of his best friend’s pussy.

His nephew’s eyes fluttered open at the small sound that she made. Though she was sleeping, it didn’t stop the noises from emitting from her throat which caused Neil to become desperate, pushing in deeper.

Neil's hands wrapped around her hips, enjoying the way her pussy felt.

As Emmett held her legs in place for Neil, his nephew’s movements became even more aggressive—dare he say even more dominant. His thrusts became even more swift than before and his desperation grew wild.

They both heard her gasping as her eyes shot open. Emmett could tell she was looking down where Neil’s cock stayed frozen inside of her pussy. She stuttered as incomprehension filled her tone. “What’s happening?”

Emmett’s lips quirked slightly at her reaction, as Neil pulled her closer to his body. His fingers flexed as they tightened around her thighs as he looked into his nephew’s eyes which were filled with nervousness, but Neil’s hips could not stand still as he started thrusting again.

"Don't worry, it's okay," Emmett whispered as he moved his fingers through her hair. "You're just takin’ care of your best friend," he murmured, telling her the truth.

[latentorogeny]

like unfortunately i discovered i can (theoretically) draw thrawn and that was my biggest mistake because now unfortunately he’s imprinted on me or something because i can Only Draw Thrawn and Eli.

now that i drew 1 (one) good lineless portrait of thrawn its all i want to do. However i have 2 thranto WIPs that glare at me every time i open procreate…. i will finish them i just Hate drawing Bodies and posing bodies and i Love rendering lineless portraits 😭

[hb-writes]

Together

Summary: When the Cullen family goes on a hike, Mia's fear of heights presents a bit of a problem, but Carlisle is there to help her through.

Prompt: Please number 65 (“I volunteer myself to go last.”) with Mia and Carlisle?

Characters: Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Jasper Hale, Edward Cullen, Alice Cullen (mention), Mia Cullen (OC)

Content Warning: Fear of heights, excessive fluff.

Twilight (Mia Cullen) Masterlist

Each breath in and out seared as it passed through Mia’s lungs and throat, the sound of her labored breathing matched only by the pounding of her heart. She knew her parents—and her brothers and sisters, too—could likely hear her struggling up the hill. They were too far ahead on the trail—or what had likely at one point resembled a trail, so much of it washed out by heavy rains and melting snow—by now for Mia to hear the steady conversation of her siblings as they walked ahead, but she knew they would still be able to hear her, able to easily pick out the sounds of her strife from the sounds of the forest around them. 

It hadn’t taken long to realize why the trail had technically been closed for the season, categorized as too dangerous for human visitors. Mia was proud of herself for getting this far without succumbing to offers of assistance, even with the difficult trail that went back and forth between a mostly drained out river bed and the forest, causing Mia to be constantly scaling the suddenly steep inclines only to be bracing herself with exposed roots and rocks as she slid back down a few moments later.

None of it gave the others any trouble, even with the muddy conditions caused by the spring thaw, but Mia was already exhausted, some part of her screaming to turn back, or simply give in. To let someone carry her on their back for a bit, allowing her feet and legs and lungs the rest they clearly needed. But Mia knew if she did accede, even if only for a moment, that would be the end of her hike. Once her body had a moment of rest, it would only protest her walking again. 

And despite the growing part of her wishing for reprieve, Mia didn’t want to give in, not really. She had known what to expect coming into it. Emmett had gone through the logistics with her and Carlisle beforehand, ensuring the hike was doable, ensuring there wasn’t anything she’d have too much trouble with, and even though Mia was nursing a stitch in her side and barely able to control her breathing or will her feet to pull her forward, she knew the worst was still yet to come. 

Her heartbeat spiked at the thought of what still lay ahead, another thing she was sure everyone picked up on, especially Esme and Carlisle, whose gentle footfall was still sounding just behind her, intermingled with their occasional quiet conversation, all of it a deliberate effort made to remind Mia that they were still there, just a step behind if she needed anything. 

Mia had tried her best not to need anything though, and she had accepted little more than her father’s hand extended down to help her up one particularly steep incline. He hadn’t even pulled her up, allowing her to use her own muscles to close the distance between them, his hand in hers little more than a bit of leverage. Mia was near certain she would be so sore she could barely walk in the morning—she could already feel the pain settling in—but that was a problem for tomorrow.

One thing at a time, Mia thought to herself as her muscles burned anew, the sudden thinning of the forest’s canopy above her and the faint sound of quiet conversation between Edward and Jasper reminding her that there were more important things to focus on, more imminent concerns. 

“Doing okay?” 

It was only the third time Carlisle had offered the question throughout their hike, and she knew it was an effort on his part to avoid the temptation to ask after her wellbeing, just as he’d been repeatedly stifling the urge to offer his hand to pull her up steep inclines and to offer his back to give her tired legs a rest. She knew it was an effort for Carlisle to allow her to struggle, to allow her to do things on her own, especially when it so clearly caused her pain. 

Mia turned towards her parents, nodding as she briefly met Carlisle’s eye. Her chest was tight enough with each breath that Mia knew if she were to try speaking, any words would only come out as a strangled gasp without the air necessary to support them. 

Carlisle nodded in return, and Mia turned around, trudging up the path toward the clearing. Jasper and Edward glanced at her as she arrived, subtle smirks on both of their faces as she dragged her feet to close the final few steps between them. 

Mia let out a ragged breath, leaning over with her hands on her knees as her body caught up with the fact that she was no longer walking, no longer plodding up a hill, no longer pushing her limits. 

Carlisle held out a bottle of water, which Mia took as she straightened back to her full height. She felt a sharp pain in her side with each big inhale, and she focused on breathing just enough that she avoided the pain. 

“The others already went ahead?” she asked, hoping the words sounded at least a little normal and not as though it was a great effort just to speak. 

Edward nodded, watching as Mia took gulp after gulp from the water bottle. 

“Alice is just crossing,” Jasper said, and Mia pulled the bottle from her lips before following his gaze to the far side of the suspension bridge where Alice was twisting and twirling as if she were on a stage and not a glorified bundle of wood slats held together by cables, all of it a staggering 156 feet above the surging waters below. 

Alice, as per usual, seemed entirely unbothered by the risk. 

Mia's gaze traveled to the waters below. Even though she had looked at the pictures online…even though she had known all she could know about the trail and the bridge and the river before agreeing to come along, seeing it in-person was something different entirely. Her mouth dried out despite allowing another gulp of water to slip past her lips.

“You want to go next?” Jasper rocked on his feet, leaning over to nudge Mia’s side with his arm. She took a step back, away from the edge that she was nowhere near to begin with, her body responding to some subliminal call to retreat. 

“Can I go in the middle?” she asked. 

Edward leaned back, revealing a small brown sign with white lettering affixed to a post near the bridge's entry. 

RECOMMENDED: ONE PERSON ON BRIDGE AT A TIME.

“Great,” Mia muttered under her breath. “I volunteer myself to go last, then,” she added as she took a few steps before lowering herself to sit on a large rock she imagined had been brought there just for this purpose. For the people who were too scared to cross to have a place to sit and watch the braver members in their party go forge ahead. 

“Are you sure?” Jasper asked. “I could—”

Mia cut off the suggestion with a glare and a shake of her head. Anxious as she was about the crossing, she didn’t want Jasper’s brand of help. She didn’t want him to soothe her nerves or sway her mood, tempting as that all was. Jasper didn’t fight her on it, offering a shrug before he turned to begin his journey across.

"See you on the other side." 

Mia propped her elbow on a knee and let her head slump into her hand as she watched Jasper disappear over the bridge. 

“You sure you don’t want to go next?” Edward asked. “Get it over with?” 

Mia shook her head once before turning her attention to pushing her hiking boot through the mud, making a gouge in the ground with the force of it. 

“I’ll go next,” Esme said, pressing a gentle hand to Mia’s shoulder as she passed. 

Mia watched her mother go, not pulling her eyes away even as she felt Edward’s gaze on her.

“I’m sure you’re making it worse in your head than it’s actually going to be.”

“And how would you know what I’m thinking?” 

The words snapped with more force than Mia intended as she turned to look at her brother. Mia knew that she had her mind locked up well enough that Edward couldn’t get in, couldn’t really tell what she was thinking though she was sure he had attempted. Mia had made sure her guards were up and secure today, almost as much of her focus settled there as it was on making sure she didn’t trip and fall. 

“My thoughts are none of your business.” 

Edward snorted, and Mia waited for either the pseudo lecture or sarcastic comment she could tell was on the tip of her brother’s tongue, but when she looked up, it was clear he was already mid-conversation with someone else. 

Carlisle—she presumed—knowing that the two of them frequently engaged that way, especially where she was concerned. 

“Fine,” Edward said in response to whatever Carlisle had expressed through his thoughts. “I’ll wait for you on the other side," he added, glancing down at Mia, but Carlisle shook his head.

“I believe your mother would like to walk with you for a while,” Carlisle answered. He nodded toward the other side of the gorge, where Esme indeed still stood, waiting, and whether Esme truly had any particular reason for wanting her son’s company, Mia was grateful to her mother for occupying him, and grateful to her father for suggesting it. Grateful that Edward wouldn’t be permitted the opportunity to follow up on any of their conversation just now.

“You two go on ahead.” 

Edward didn't bother responding before he headed out onto the bridge, his feet making swift work of the crossing.

“Your brother means well,” Carlisle said as he slipped down onto the rock beside his daughter. 

Mia rolled her eyes, her gaze shifting from her father to watch the brother in question. Edward had by now joined Esme on the other side of the bridge, the time it took seeming impossibly quick, but Mia knew Edward could still hear them. 

“I know,” she answered. And she did know. As much as Edward and Mia sometimes grated on each other's nerves, Mia knew her brother meant well. She knew he wanted what was best for her. 

Mia pushed her foot through the mud, focusing her gaze there as she spoke. “It’s just amazing how they’re all so overprotective until it’s something I have reservations about, and then they’re all ready to push me off the side of a cliff.” 

Carlisle chuckled, knowing that it was partly true. 

“They do realize I’m a human being, right?” she said. “Unlike the rest of you, if I fall off that bridge and break my neck, I’m dead.” 

Carlisle sighed, and Mia felt the weight of her words. She’d meant it as a joke, or a sort of joke, but the mention of her ever present mortality was a heavy subject. Somewhere along the line, she’d realized that it was heavy for all of them in different ways, but it seemed to be heavier for her father more than any of the rest of them. Mia understood why. She knew that if anything like that were to happen…if her existence hung in the balance somehow…it would be her father’s decision on how they would proceed. It would be her father who changed her or let her go. 

Mia released a sigh as she leaned her head against his shoulder, an apology of sorts.

“You’ve done well today.” Carlisle snaked an arm over her shoulder. 

Mia snorted, glancing up to him, eyebrow raised. “So have you.” 

Carlisle reached for the water bottle she’d discarded beside the rock, holding it out for her as if the compliment she’d spared him just now was akin to giving him permission to dote on her a bit. Mia didn’t fight him on it, accepting the bottle and taking a swig. 

“It’s nice here,” Mia mused as she stretched out her legs in front of her. “Maybe we should just sit here and relax and…”

“Is that really what you want?” 

Carlisle would’ve been happy to sit there with his daughter for hours, enjoying nature and the peace and quiet. And he was certain that the longer they lingered on this side of the bridge, the better chance they had of letting the others hunt at a more leisurely pace without concern for Mia’s presence, but he could feel the tug of war within his daughter. Could feel that there was some part of her that wanted to face her fear of heights. 

Mia shrugged and stood up, taking a step toward the bridge. There was supposedly a small, easy hike to a beautiful view on the other side of the bridge, but…

“It’s a big fall,” she said. "Quite a ways down..."

“It is,” Carlisle agreed, “but the bridge is safe,” he added, as if he knew she was questioning it. 

Mia nodded. She knew her father wouldn’t allow her to traverse it if it wasn’t safe, but intellectually knowing that fact did nothing to quell the anxious hormones rushing through her blood stream. 

“But it wobbles,” Mia said. She had seen the bridge swaying while the others had crossed. “And it’s very…open.” It was far more open than she had expected, the cables and wood slats offering far less protection and safety than she had expected.

Mia glanced back at her father, waiting for him to contest her observations, but Carlisle only nodded. He wouldn’t lie to her. He wouldn’t deny the truth of her observations. The validity of her concerns about the structure. 

But more than Mia was concerned about the structure, she was concerned about her role in crossing. She was afraid that her clumsy nature would somehow result in her falling between the wooden slats. Or that she would somehow succeed at propelling herself over the cable rails. 

She knew both were unlikely scenarios, but she couldn’t stop the fear from settling in her stomach. 

And she couldn’t stop herself from imagining the most likely of scenarios—that she would simply freeze, stranded somewhere in the middle of the bridge and paralyzed by fear.

She knew she didn't have to do it. No one would force her to cross, and with her siblings gone, no one would taunt or tease or try to convince her either. And Mia knew that deciding that crossing the bridge didn’t serve her and not crossing because of that decision…that could be a form of courage. Standing up for herself in that way would be just as courageous as forging ahead.

She could almost hear her father saying as much though he remained quiet and waiting, not wanting his words to influence her choice. The quiet between them seemed to last an impossibly long time while what seemed like a million thoughts raced through her head each one louder than the last until Mia took a hasty step forward and her mind quieted. She her breath as she moved out onto the bridge. She didn’t want to think about it any longer, or allow herself to claim the courage of saying no to something she didn’t want to do, because though it was easier to stay on this side, deep down she wanted to cross the bridge. She wanted to see the view on the other side. She wanted…

Mia looked down at her feet as she placed the third and fourth and fifth steps down, and with each step it became more difficult to focus on her hiking boot and the wood slat beneath it, her eyes drawn to the rushing waters of river below. 

She closed her eyes, hands settled on the cables to her sides, willing her body to still the shaking that had started, willing her foot to take another step, but she was frozen, every part of her resistant to any idea of movement. 

Even to get back, she would have to walk. She would have to open her eyes and turn around and…she gulped, her body ramping up at the thought of those things, the doubting thoughts once again growing louder and more insistent.

“Dad…” 

The word was barely a whisper. Barely a plea, but Carlisle was there beside Mia in just a fraction of a second, guiding her to breathe, his voice and hands on her shoulders steadying her as her eyes remained squeezed tight. 

“I can’t do it. I…”

“You don't want to?” 

Mia took a deep breath, her eyes still shut as she considered her father’s question, the way he had effectively sidestepped her assertion, letting it fall away without comment, both of them knowing it wasn’t true. 

Both of them knew that there was little truth to Mia’s ‘I can’t do it.’ Crossing the bridge wasn’t a matter of ability, but a matter of desire, and Mia knew her father wouldn’t push her one way or the other. Carlisle would let her decide.

“I don’t know,” Mia answered, taking another slow breath to help loosen the tightness in her chest.

“I’m with you either way,” Carlisle answered. “We can go back or cross together. It's up to—”

“I thought only one person was allowed at a time,” Mia interrupted, remembering the glaring warning sign, as she glanced over her shoulder to look at her father. 

Carlisle’s face held an easy smile, a hint of mischief gleaming in his eye as he shrugged.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” 

Mia let out an uneasy chuckle, pulling her eyes from her father to look across to the far side of the bridge. 

“Together,” she said, more to herself than anything, as if the word would convince her bones and nerves and muscles to cooperate, but it was Carlisle’s echoing of the word that had Mia taking a hesitant step forward and then another.

“I’m right here,” Carlisle said, his hand finding Mia’s shoulder when she paused a few steps later.

She looked over her shoulder briefly, offering him a nod before she continued on across the bridge, Carlisle's father’s comforting presence just a step behind. 

Twilight (Mia Cullen) Masterlist

[panlight]

I just read your post about how easily Bella was able to adjust to vampirism, and do you think it was has something to do with she had already tasted human blood before she turned?

like if we go for the eternal damnation angle, where after you're turned you're supposed to drain the life of the kind you belonged to but that doesn't happen to Bella nor does she suffer through it as she had already tasted Blood and thus had already damned herself therefore making her immune???

I mean I know Smeyer didn't go for that angle but this adds an added layer of depth and darkness to the whole "Eww Bella drank Human Blood and LIKED IT" and " Wow, Bella has adjusted so well to being a vampire" like i feel like it ties the whole thing up in a neat lil bow

I could get behind this! She's already tasted human blood, "screwed her total," as she said, before she even becomes a vampire, and so she's primed for it, she's already doomed. There's no angst because the vampire essence had already taken root. I could also accept that the James bite did something to her, or even the pregnancy had changed her in a way that made the adjustment to vampirism less of a shock to the system.

I still wouldn't love that it was such an easy, non-event though. I don't, personally, feel like becoming a supernatural creature with an insatiable blood thirst is something you can really "mentally prepare" for. Like sure, making the choice beforehand and being informed might take the edge off; it could remove a few of the layers of chaos and fear, and that could help. She's not waking up in a strange world surrounded by strange people like the others were. But it should still be hard. You're still dealing with all-new senses, all-new instincts, all-new painful bloodthirst. "I just thought about it and made up my mind not to eat people!" is such a boring explanation.

And also, for me, the whole thing I found compelling was this sort of impossibly difficult and painful self-denial the Cullens had going on. It's only interesting if it's difficult. Newborn!Carlisle banishing himself to the woods and trying to starve himself for months and then spending centuries perfecting his self-control enough to be a doctor is just WAY more interesting to me than Bella hanging out with her human dad on day 2 of vampirism. Alice wandering alone and trying to make sense of her visions and having only "sporadic success" at not eating people is a hundred times more interesting to me than newborn!Bella dressing up all sexy and going to meet a lawyer. The mental image of Carlisle, Edward, Esme and Rosalie ALL having to tackle newborn!Emmett to try and keep him from eating someone because he's so outrageously strong is way more compelling (and scary! and sad!) than Bella just getting "distracted" by Edward and not eating the hikers. Jasper still struggling with the bad habits he picked up in the vampire wars; Rosalie killing her attackers without spilling a drop of blood because she knew she wouldn't be able to resist that; lovely gentle Esme slipping up and killing people and having to come home to Dr. Perfect Record with red eyes. Edward going on his rebellion because he didn't want to be in pain any more. THAT's the stuff I find compelling, that's the stuff that sucked me into this series.

But totally! At least explain her success with some actual lore. She's already tasted blood, she's already been bitten, she's been somehow changed by the nightmare pregnancy. All of that is better than "mentally prepared." Or at the very very very least really make it clear her success was about her circumstances. It was easier for her because she was informed and supported, not because she's innately magic or unusually self-controlled.

[redgoldsparks]

September Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Who Was Her Own Work of Art? Frida Kahlo by Terry Blas and Ashanti Fortson A short but sweet glimpse into the period of Frida Kahlo's life when she was beginning to mount solo shows of her paintings in New York and Paris. I loved the bright colors, tender character designs, and the reconstructions of conversations she may have overheard at her gallery openings. In no way a complete biography, but instead a little window into the life of a passionate artist.

Electric Bones volume 1 by Hazel and Bell Lucian is the son of a minor nobleman and the CEO of the galaxy's biggest AI company, but he's not so rich that he can't get in trouble. After being fired as a programmer from Echo Station he joined a startup with a couple friends and is now fishing for funding at an elite tech expo on board an expensive and exclusive space vessel. There he sees someone he thinks he recognizes- Ezra, a grey robot, an fully sentient AI who worked on Echo Station as a researcher and partially cost Lucian his job. So why is Ezra now working on the space vessel as an escort? Unless it's not Ezra, but just a look-alike robot model? These questions drag Lucian into the beginnings of tangled web of intrigue which include kidnapping, AI-hacking, and murder. I've been reading this story online as a webcomic for years; you can still read all of volume one here: https://electricbonescomic.com/index.... But last year I also backed the kickstarter, and just sat down to re-read the whole story in print form, including a sexy little bonus comic. I love these characters, I love the rich colors, the lovely sense of flow and design of the pages. I can't wait for volume two! Re-read in September: Each time I read this volume I see more in... creepy little hints for the futrue!

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown read by Edward Herrmann I picked this up after watching the film of the same name. It's a very well researched history of the University of Washington men's eight rowing team, a bunch of boys raised during the worst of the Great Depression, working their assess off to represent the US at the 1936 Olympics. The book follows Joe Rantz most closely, in huge part because he was one of the few members of the team still alive and available to interview when the author began the book. However, several of the others kept diaries or wrote letters which the author also had access to. There's a lot of background on the era, both the economic hardships of the Depression and Dust Bowl in the US, and also the way Joseph Goebbels planned the entire Berlin Olympics as a massive propaganda project to fool the West into thinking that Germany wasn't planning war. I thought the book was a little longer than it needed to be, but overall enjoyed it as a good audiobook to keep me company during work hours. As always, the truth of the story is even stranger and more dramatic than the version of this story that made it to film!

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers read by Emmett Grosland Dex, the traveling tea-monk who befriended a robot in the wilds, now brings their friend Mosscap back down to the human-inhabited parts of the world. Like the first book, this is a gentle story, told more in a series of linked vignettes than an over-arching plot. I enjoyed the exploration of whether essence of self is rooted in the body, and to what extent consciousness and personality transcend the body while still being undeniable linked. However, like the first book in this series, there just isn't quite enough plot to satisfy me. I read this because I've decided I'm a Becky Chambers completest, but I don't personally recommend this series as the best place to start with her work- I point readers instead towards the standalone To Be Taught If Fortunate.

Tove Jansson: Work and Love by Tuula Karjalainen translated by David McDuff A wonderful deep dive into the long, creative life of Tove Jansson, the Finnish-Swedish artist behind the Moomintrolls. Tove was also a painter, a cartoonist, involved in theater, sculpture, and a writer of several prose novels and short story collections. She was born during the period of WW1 and WW2 overshadowed her twenties and early thirties, but she spent those years drawing cutting political cartoons against fascism and violence, as well as developing her gallery career, setting up her first studio, and falling in and out of several impactful love affairs. She seems to have accepted her own queerness or bisexuality without much internal struggle and lived as openly as was possible as the time. She turned down several proposals of marriage but happily in mid-life met an artist who became her life-long partner and sometime inspiration and collaborator. The two of them built a little cabin on a very small and barren island in the Finnish archipelago and spent summers there for nearly thirty years- partly to avoid the fame Tove received because of the global love of the Moomins. This book was translated and I do think at times it wander a bit or retreads some material, but I loved how rich it was in color illustrations. Always a pleasure to read about an artist's path.

No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada Set in South Korea in the early 1980s, this comic follows up Banned Book Club in which college student Hyun Sook discovered a friend group of students reading books deemed illegal and dangerous by the government. During South Korea's Fifth Republic, a military regime, students could be beaten or jailed for owning banned books. But even under an authoritarian government, college students are still college students: learning, growing, questioning their identities, looking for trouble, romance, and ways to subvert the rules. Set on a camping trip during winter break, this book follows a group of students, including Hyun Sook, with conflicting motivations and interests as they decide who to trust and who they want to become. A timely story about the power of art, literature, theater, and community to resist fascism. Despite the real danger, it's full of humor and deeply human moments. I had the chance to read this book ahead of its release- look for it on shelves in early October!

Tokyo These Days vol 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto Manga editor Shiozawa decides to quit his job after a magazine he founded folds. He plans to find some hobbies and start a new life. But manga won't let go of him so easily. Editor colleagues continue to ask him for help, especially with their more difficult artist clients. He has to pay last visits to artists he worked with in the past, which often turn into emotional conversations. He tries to sell his entire manga collection to a used bookstore, but at the last minute has a change of heart and keeps it. Then he decides he wants to work on one more story. But who to ask to write and draw it? This is an elegant, understated book about how deep the comics industry gets under your skin, and the very wide variety of people who fall for manga and can't let it go, even after it's broken their hearts.

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang High schooler Ash feels misunderstood by their family and the world, their need for quiet, their passion for the environment, and their developing identity all overlooked in the loud busyness of life. While the rest of the family plans a summer vacation to Disneyland, Ash plans their own escape: heading up into the hills of the family ranch near Mount Shasta to find the cabin where their late grandfather lived close to the land. This story is so elegantly told and elegantly drawn, with large amounts of white space on the pages balancing the delicate warm-toned watercolor panels. I've been a fan of Jen Wang's comics for over a decade and I'm so impressed how each one is so different from, but equally as rich and wonderful, as the last!

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag This was exceptional. Mags, a recent high school graduate, lives a carefully controlled life. She cares for her aging grandmother, she works her restaurant shifts, she doesn't party, she doesn't let anyone get too close, even the girl she's sleeping with, who has a boyfriend. Also, she's feeding a dangerous secret, something fanged and strange that lives in the dark. Then Mags' careful routine is disrupted when a friend from childhood, Nessa, turns to the little town outside Joshua Tree where they both grew up. Nessa is being chased by a darkness of her own, and wants answers about a confusing childhood memory. The storytelling, the page layouts, the mixed use of color and black and white, all combined to build such delicious tension in this queer horror tale. Highly recommend!

The Pale Queen by Ethan M Aldridge A beautifully illustrated original queer fairy tale. Agatha, the daughter of a miner, dreams of a university education but it seems out of reach to a country girl. Then she encounters a pale magical woman from the forest, who tricks Agatha into owing her a favor. This turns into a series of tasks with increasingly dangerous consequences. I loved the watercolors, especially during scenes set at night. The story is aimed at fairly young readers, but still engaging for an adult.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean read by Katie Erich Devon is a single mother on the run from an abusive family, living undocumented in England, a borderline alcoholic, searching from town to town for a contact who will lead her to the people who make the medicine her young son needs to be safe. Devon also isn't human; super strong, impervious to cold, she can see in the dark and the species she comes from eat books to survive. She has perfect recall of every text she's ever eaten but none of them help much in her current precarious state. Woven through this tense narrative is a second timeline of Devon's past. Raised as a precious and rare daughter of an old book eater family, she grew up in a manor house on the moors, treated like a princess- one whose marriage and reproductive choices were entirely controlled by the powerful men around her. When Devon rebelled, her first child was taken from her. But her second was born with a complicated and dangerous hunger, and a need to kill in order to survive. This is a dark story, a thriller with fantasy elements, with content warnings for violence, gore, rape, cannibalism, alcohol abuse and physical abuse. I found it a gripping listen on audio, and I enjoyed the narrator's northern English accent, well chosen for the setting of the story. But it's not a light read and at times Devon's depression and despair were hard to sit with. Take care that you are in the right space of mind to enjoy this story before you start it.

Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman This coming of age comic spans Jonah's four years of high school, including crushes, dates, a first sexual experience, and that teen classic, joining a sports team to impress a boy and gain popularity. Jonah is a nerdy, closeted gay freshman with few friends when he joins the team. On the team he gains confidence and a spot in the school cafeteria- but he also fails to stand up to his teammates when they make increasingly sexist and homophobic things about other students. I enjoyed the complexity of Jonah's relationship with a female best friend, and with a boy he wants to date, but isn't comfortable being seen with in public. The book doesn't have a neat ending; the messy way some characters interactions end mirrors of confusion of teen years.

Life Lines by Jason Martin Bay Area Cartoonist Jason Martin collections stories from across his long memoir comics career in this, his second anthology. The stories relate friendships, experience touring with bands, working temp jobs, his life-long love of music, tabling at comic conventions, and the kind of mundane moments which crystalize into perfect gems when held and examined so tenderly. Martin's writing is compassionate and clear, and it holds a kind mirror up to a familiar world.

[seizethebees]

just realized the connection between "gotta leave warner his pride" and elle being the one to propose to emmett

like elle's worried about hurting warner's pride by just... wearing a dress and expecting to be proposed to, but then she publicly proposes to emmett, an act that would likely be infinitely more embarrassing and emasculating to warner and the people whose opinions he cares about

but elle never expresses concern for emmett's pride, which i think just shows how much more assured emmett is in himself and his masculinity and also how their relationship is rooted in mutual respect and a balanced power dynamic

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Queer Books November 2023

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ The Pirate and the Porcelain Girl by Emily Riesbeck 🧡 Heading North by Holly M. Wendt 💛 The Wisdom of Bug by Alyson Root 💚 Trick Shot by Kayla Grosse 💙 A Holly Jolly Christmas by Emily Wright 💜 Outdrawn by Deanna Grey ❤️ Yours Celestially by Al Hess 🧡 The Christmas Memory by Barbara Winkes 💛 Violet Moon by Mel E. Lemon 💙 The Santa Pageant by Lillian Barry 💜 Only for the Holidays by Shannon O’Connor 🌈 Homestead for the Holidays by Wren Taylor

❤️ You Can Count on Me by Fae Quin 🧡 No One Left But You by Tash McAdam 💛 The Worst Thing of All is the Light by José Luis Serrano, Lawrence Schimel 💚 Today Tonight Forever by Madeline Kay Sneed 💙 Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt 💜 Emmett by L. C. Rosen ❤️ Finding My Elf by David Valdes 🧡 Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams 💛 Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng 💙 Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree 💜 A Power Unbound by Freya Marske 🌈 We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull

❤️ The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle 🧡 You Owe Me One, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James 💚 Skip!: A Graphic Novel by Rebecca Burgess 💙 Something About Her by Clementine Taylor 💜 Touching the Art by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore ❤️ A Nearby Country Called Love by Salar Abdoh 🧡 Normporn: Queer Viewers and the TV That Soothes Us by Karen Tongson 💛 Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost by Esme Symes-Smith 💙 The Order of the Banshee by Robyn Singer 💜 Once Upon My Dads’ Divorce by Seamus Kirst, Noémie Gionet Landry 🌈 Forsooth by Jimmy Matejek-Morris

❤️ A Common Bond by T.M. Kuta 🧡 Risk the Fall by Riley Hart 💛 Just a Little Snack by Yah-Yah Scholfield 💚 Home for the Holidays by Erin Zak 💙 NeurodiVeRse by MJ James 💜 Dark Heir (Dark Rise #2) by C.S. Pacat ❤️ sub/Dom by Rab Green 🧡 Bitten by the Bond by Elaine White 💛 Heir to Frost and Storm by Ben Alderson 💙 The Sea of Stars by Gwenhyver 💜 Bad Beat by L.M. Bennett 🌈 Idol Moves by K.T. Salvo

❤️ Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa 🧡 In the Pines by Mariah Stillbrook 💛 The Crimson Fortress (The Ivory Key #2) by Akshaya Raman 💚 Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison 💙 Megumi & Tsugumi, Vol. 4 by Mitsuru Si 💜 Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr. ❤️ Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid 🧡 An Atlas to Forever by Krystina Rivers 💛 Come Find Me in the Midnight Sun by Bailey Bridgewater 💙 Bait and Witch by Clifford Mae Henderson 💜 Shadow Baron by Davinia Evans 🌈 Day by Michael Cunningham

❤️ Livingston Girls by Briana Morgan 🧡 Delay of the Game by Ari Baran 💛 The Nanny with the Nice List by K. Sterling 💚 A Talent Ignited by Suzanne Lenoir 💙 A Kiss of the Siren’s Song by E.A.M. Trofimenkoff 💜 Rivals for Love by Ali Vali ❤️ Whiskey & Wine by Kelly Fireside, Tana Fireside 🧡 Buried Secrets by Sheri Lewis Wohl 💛 Ride with Me by Jenna Jarvis 💙 Living for You by Jenny Frame 💜 Death on the Water by CJ Birch 🌈 Merciless Waters by Rae Knowles

❤️ Vicarious by Chloe Spencer 🧡 Sapling’s Depths by Spencer Rose 💛 That French Summer by Sienna Waters 💚 System Overload by Saxon James 💙 King of Death by Lily Mayne 💜 Warts and All by Ashley Bennett ❤️ Principle Decisions by Thea Belmont 🧡 The Best Mistake by Emily O’Beirne 💛 Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey 💙 Until The Blood Runs Dry by MC Johnson 💜 Splinter : A Diverse Sleepy Hollow Retelling by Jasper Hyde 🌈 The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q by Felicia Davin

❤️ The Queer Girl is Going to be Okay by Dale Walls 🧡 Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black 💛 Leverage by E.J. Noyes 💚 Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright 💙 Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon 💜 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher ❤️ To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn 🧡 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💛 For Never & Always by Helena Greer 💙 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sally Hawley 💜 Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 8 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù 🌈 A Carol for Karol by Ann Roberts

[moonfromearth]

The Official Root Recap!!

In honor of starting to play with the Root family again, it's time for a bit of a recap!

Meghan was the founder, a clumsy chef with big dreams... If she could make it through cooking without her food bursting into flames. She was made for the Unlucky Chef scenario and was the perfect fit for it, plagued by bad luck in the kitchen so bad that her savings took a hit with every meal.

She met Ulrike Faust at the Humor & Hijinks festival and after being friends for a while they eventually started dating. However, Ulrike wasn't quick to commit to a serious relationship, but eventually the duo managed to work things out and got married.

Not long after, they had their son, Emmett Root, our heir, by the power of s i m s m a g i c. He looked like a clone of Ulrike with Meghan's bad eyesight.

Finally, after years of hard work, Meghan reached the top of the culinary career, thus completing the scenario and her generation!

She, Ulrike, and Emmett then led a happy life together until Ulrike and her passed away on the same day, their graves left at their favorite lake house rental in Granite Falls where the family made many happy memories.

[1/3]

[aisphotostuff]

Ancient Woodland @ Emmetts NT Kent by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: Toys Hill And Emmetts. An ancient woodland with panoramic views across the Weald. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with many interesting fungus and invertebrate species finding home in the dead wood created after the Great Storm of 1987.

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Ketchup Bottle

Pairing: Charlie Swan x agegap!Reader

Word count: 4.8k

Notes: Bruh where tf did this come from??? Like?? What do EYE mean Charlie Swan x Reader??

P.S this title is so funny

1

Charlie stares at the menu in front of him, his fingers pursing his lips. If he’s gonna be stood up, he might as well treat himself. 

Bella had been nagging him to “get back out there” recently.

“Mom is happy… I am… I just want you to be too.” 

She knew he didn’t really need anything, but she wasn’t stupid, she knew that he was definitely not doing great on his own. So she set him up on a blind date, one of Alice’s friends that Alice promised was exactly what Charlie needed.

He should have known better than to trust her…. Alright, that wasn’t nice, if he was going to trust any Cullen it was her. 

And maybe like, Emmett. 

He orders himself a nice steak and is just about to hand over the menu when a girl walks in absolutely drenched from head to toe. She looks like she’d fallen into the freaking ocean. He’s about to stand up and figure out what’s going on when the hostess starts walking toward him. 

“I can handle it from here” He sighs, getting up now and putting his hands on his hips. 

“You wanna talk in back? Maybe get you into something dry?” 

“T-that would be nice” 

He leads her back to where they busy to find her something warm. A chair is brought over next to the giant ovens and she sits gingerly on it, trying not to lean too close to them, the owner promises to come back with something dry. 

“You wanna tell me your name? And maybe about what happened?” He’s in cop mode as he puts his coat around her shoulders and she snuggles down into it. He removes a little leaf from her hair and flicks it away. 

She’s pretty, he notices. A young thing compared to him, dressed nicely, must have had a date.

“I’m Y/N” Your teeth chatter with each word and he has you scoot a little closer to the oven while rubbing your arms. He crouches down to get a good look at you, you’re not in too bad of shape… a few bruises here and there, little scrapes but you seem to be intact. 

“Alright Y/N, you able to tell me what happened?” 

“Nothing that would involve the Sheriff” you sigh “It was just an accident” 

“That would be something to involve a Sheriff with” He raises an eyebrow and you shift uneasily. He reaches out, taking your hand a bit awkwardly, and rubs the back of it, trying to warm you up, and hopefully soften you a bit in the process.

“My phone died” You mumble and he nods understandingly. 

“Alright, I got a phone you can borrow… and?” 

“I got rear-ended-“ you tug at the roots of your hair nervously and he holds your hand tighter, trying to calm you down “And- and they literally sped off?? It wouldn’t start after that and I had to leave my car on the side of the road and start walking and then it freakin’ started raining-“

“Were you able to get a plate number?” He asks it calmly, hoping to soothe you a bit and it seems to work as you sigh and let your head fall back 

“Man you bet I did… and I had a date tonight!! He probably thinks I stood him up!!!” 

He reaches into his pocket for his phone and unlocks it before handing it over. “How late are you? Maybe I can get you a police escort”

You giggle a little at his joke and start dialing the number you’d learned by heart from the little piece of paper your friend had given you. 

“We were supposed to meet here at around 7? And it’s literally 8:30 now… I’m sure he’s gone.” The number goes straight to busy and you pout.

“Do you know what he looks like?” 

“No…blind date. I’m not from around here” You try dialing again, but it goes right to busy. “But I know his name!” 

“What is it? Maybe I can help ya find him.” 

“Charlie Swan?” 

Charlie stares at the floor as you change into some clean pajama pants and pull a shirt over your head. He didn’t say anything about the fact that you were his date apparently… he just took you home with him because honestly he didn’t really know where else to take you. He bought you dinner there, had it boxed up so you could leave together-

Seriously? You?

He couldn’t deny you were pretty, your hair was so soft and bouncy now that it was somewhat dry, and you so weren’t lying when you said you weren’t from around here, your skin was too sun-kissed to have been from around here. 

Still… 

What the hell were those two thinking? And okay a better question, one he wasn’t even sure he wanted the answer to. 

You were friends with Alice? 

Did that mean…? 

“Thanks again” You sigh as you come out of the bedroom, Bella’s old room, while using a towel to scrunch your hair. He’d all but shoved you into the bathroom for a hot shower while he picked out a few things of Bella’s for you to wear. He called her to make sure it was cool and he heard Emmett screaming some less than great ideas for clothing. 

“Yeah it’s no problem…kinda my job” He watches you plop down at the kitchen table and rub your hands together while laughing evilly before opening the takeout container in front of you. He smirks a little at that while grabbing a couple beers from the fridge.

“Figure maybe we can get your car tomorrow? Tow it in… I know a guy who can fix it for ya” 

He sits next to you, watching you eat. You’re eating human food, but didn’t he hear that they did that anyway? To fit in? 

“Penny for your thoughts?” You pop a fry in your mouth and he shrugs, slouching in his chair a little and tilting his head back.

“It’s nothin'” He shrugs and sits up again, grabbing the mail from the table and perusing distractedly. “What about you huh? You doin any better?” 

“Yeah” You shrug back “I guess” 

“You guess?” He sets the paper down and waits for you to chew your burger before grabbing your beer

“It’s stupid”

“Oh, I doubt that” he crosses his arms over his chest, giving you his full attention and you look down at your box for a second.

“He didn’t call… to see if I was okay” you smile a little sadly “I know I accidentally stood him up… but he never asked if everything was okay” 

Charlie is… definitely starting to grow a bit of a soft spot for you. He sighs and melts into his chair miserably before slapping his hands over his face. 

“He knows you’re fine” 

“And just how does he know? The jerk never checked in. Can you believe that?? He never even asked where I was! What if I was in a ditch!!” 

“Were you?” He interrupts and you huff

“Luckily no…”

He snorts and you roll your eyes “He could have called”

“He knows you’re fine” he repeats himself and now you cross your arms over your chest.

“That’s not helpful” 

“Have you tried calling him again?”

“Why? It all goes straight to busy… I think- I think he blocked my number.” 

He can hear the sadness in your voice and it just about breaks his heart. He reaches over and gently moves a curl from your face.

“I didn’t-“ he has to take a breath before he continues “I didn’t block your number, Y/N. We’ve been so go-go-go I didn’t really get the chance to introduce myself, you just sort of fell in my lap”

You narrow your eyes and purse your lips “Hmmmm yeah you know I’m startin’ to realize “Mr. Sheriff guy” isn’t exactly a name…” 

“You literally went home with me” He runs his hands through his hair

“You’re a sheriff-“

“Chief”

“Now you wanna correct me? And anyway, everyone you know… seemed to let it happen!! so!!”

“Is- is this really how you live??” 

“Says the guy who never told me his name.” You scoff and cross your arms and it’s his time to narrow his eyes at you. 

Maybe you were friends with Emmett. 

“Okay. First, you never asked. Second, again you know it’s been kind of a busy night and-“

“Shouldn’t the first thing you do be to introduce yourself?” 

“Okay we- we are not turning this around on me-“

“You brought a stranger home!!!”

“Did you want to stay in the jail??” 

“I’m a stranger! What if I murder you!!” 

“How did we get here?” Charlie looks at his hands as his phone starts ringing, he pinches the bridge of his nose and gives you a sassy look before answering it.

“Hey… yeah she’s here, I’ve got her” 

“Oh, so you are gonna murder me!” You point accusatorially and his mouth drops. 

“I’m not gonna murder you!! Jesus- here just, just take the damn thing.” He hands over the phone and gets up to give you some privacy.  

How in the hell Bella ever thought this was a good idea is completely lost on him. 

You creep into the living room, your head down as you shyly pass him his phone back. 

“Some first date huh?” 

Alice had… a good laugh at your expense when she realized you didn’t know who Charlie was or where you were. You wanted to slam your head into the table over and over when she slowly walked you through the entire thing.

You’d been hanging out with Emmett entirely too much. 

“I’ll say” He pats the couch and you sit next to him, leaning back into the cushions.

“I didn’t stand you up” You mumble and he grins, putting his arm over the back of the seat.

“Yeah, I know” 

“I wanted to be on time, I- I took so long to get ready” You sigh, letting your head fall against his arm and he looks at you.

“For a drowned rat, I think you looked pretty nice for what it’s worth.” 

You swat his chest and roll your eyes playfully as he chuckles. He runs his hand over your hair, before pulling you a little closer to him.

Is he… really putting the moves on you? And why does it feel natural? You lean into him easily, coming closer to him. He can’t tell if it’s because you want to be next to him, or because you’re cold. He grabs the throw blanket from the back of the couch and tosses it over you. He lets out a surprised grunt when you pull your legs up on the couch and snuggle into his side, putting some of the blanket over him too. 

“So what are we watching?” 

He hands you the remote and you put on some reruns of Murder She Wrote.

“Gonna have it all figured out before she does? Chief Swan”

He knows you’re messing around and he thinks it’s funny, but it’s the way you said his name like that, the title that literally everyone calls him that just feels… different coming from you. He shifts a little but flicks your arm as a distraction.

“Shut up” 

You both start to nod off after a while, his head falls on yours and he swears his dreams get sweeter, his body feels lighter, and the usual anxious ache in his shoulders is gone… it’s kind of odd, but welcoming.

You wake up a bit, and readjust yourself, prodding at him lightly to lay down. He finds himself easily doing whatever you want, as he puts his legs up on the couch and you nuzzle into him, your body slotting in between him and the couch. He’s never been the cuddling type, but when your head lays on his chest he can’t help but wrap his arms around you and softly rub your side, soothing you back to sleep. 

The next morning is…Awkward. His eyes flutter open and you’re still there, sleeping soundly on his chest. You’ve got his shirt gripped tightly in your fingers, your thigh over his torso. He’s not sure how he’s going to get out from under you without waking you but he needs to do it, and he needs to do it fast. He knows the second you wake up you’ll feel it… and he’s not sure whether it just happened or if it had something to do with you but god has he never hated being a man more than in this moment.

You shift a little with his movements and he freezes, taking time to make sure you settle back in before moving your arm off him, he sits up a bit and starts to slide out from under you when you startle and push away from him some.

“Charlie?” You mutter and he freezes again 

“Uh…yeah?” 

“Where are you going?” Your voice is so small and feminine, and there’s that sleepy little rasp and it’s- it’s been too long since he heard that specific sound. He gulps and stays where he is, hovering in a weird position. 

“Just… just to the bathroom?” 

“Oh… come back fast okay?” You turn away and curl up under the blanket and he sighs in relief before rushing off to the bathroom. 

“So I thought after breakfast we could go out to where you left your car… you remember where that is?” 

He looks down at the steaming cup of coffee in his hands, you’d insisted on making breakfast as a thank you and after much protest, you shoved him down into a chair and he let you do what you wanted. 

He’d nearly choked on said coffee when you came into the kitchen, wearing one of his t-shirts. The band logo stretched across your chest and it hugged your curves better than anything he’d ever seen. 

“Sorry I kinda went through your laundry, your daughter’s clothes are nice! Honestly!! They’re just…. A bit small?” You gesture awkwardly to your chest. He hadn’t even noticed that you might be having a problem with the clothes, you were both so tired. 

He nodded dumbly as you set the cup down in front of him with a little wink and turned toward the fridge to find the eggs. He kept his cup to his mouth suspiciously long as you bent down to grab a few from the carton on the bottom shelf. 

“I think I remember, sure works for me” 

“Alright, we just gotta pick up a friend on the way” 

Charlie grips the wheel tightly as he drives down the road you’d directed him to. Billy had spent the last 20 minutes cheerfully learning all about you, the second he got in the car, Charlie knew this was the biggest mistake he’d ever made. 

“So what happened to your hot date last night” Billy snickers as Charlie helps him into the car.

“Hot date huh?” You pop out from between the seats and Billy smiles, shaking your hand as you introduce yourself. 

“Yeah, big man over here finally got himself a date. Between you and me, I’ve been telling him he needed to get la-“ 

“Okay! Okay, this was fun! But you know Y/N why don’t you just buckle up okay? Thank you.” 

“He’s just being shy” Billy completely ignores Charlie trying to signal him to shut the fuck up and continues. “I bet she went home with a smile on her face and a wobble in her step” 

You burst out laughing and Charlie steps out of the car, he legitimately pulls over and steps out for a minute. You and Billy cackle at his blush, pointing and laughing when he smacks his head against the cool metal of the hood of the truck. 

“I apologize for the… vulgarity” He chuckles, wiping his tears. “Nothin’ gives me more joy than harassing him” 

“Oh trust me, this was great” 

Charlie gets back into the truck, flexing his fingers on the steering wheel as you and Billy giggle to yourselves. He’s silent as he pulls up alongside your car and you hop out. Billy lets out a low whistle and Charlie sets his forehead on the steering wheel. 

“Is that one of your shirts?”

“Yes.” 

“Did she find that herself or did you give it to her”

“She found it.” He takes off his seatbelt and reaches for the door handle.

“What did you tell your date? Did she see you with her?” 

“She was my date.” 

Charlie leaves Billy in the car to stew as he comes over to yours, he opens the passenger side and gets in, watching you rifle through some papers. 

“Is he dying inside” 

“Oh yeah definitely” He shuts the door and you look at him, grinning. 

“Yeah I thought you’d really like your sweet revenge when it came”

“You wanna point at him now and laugh” 

“Oh a hundred percent” 

He watches you gather up a few things before you sigh, your travel makeup box in your lap. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I’m just… disappointed my hard work went to waste” You smile sadly and he reaches over, his hand cupping your face.

“I already told you, you looked pretty.” 

“You really think so?” You lean into his hand “I mean Alice told me all about how cool and impressive you were” 

He’d have to thank her for that.

“I just… kinda wanted to impress you too you know? I had on my best heels and everything!” You reach in back and pull them upfront. 

He shifts a little, his jeans tightening. They are nice shoes, they’re black and shiny, he’s sure he could see his reflection in them. 

“I had to change my shoes to start walking” You frown and he takes one from you, looking it over.

“Would you have asked for a second date?” 

You look over at him, he’s got a lopsided smile and you can’t help but smile back at him. 

“Would you like? A second date… I’ll admit this wasn’t much of a first” 

“I dunno” he shrugs “I had a nice time with you, breakfast was good” you giggle and lean your head against the headrest. He likes you, he realizes and that’s kind of weird for him, a grown-ass man having a crush. But here he is, feeling like kicking his feet every time you smile at him like that smile is meant just for him maybe.

“Let me make dinner for you tonight” 

He’s inviting you on a second date, ever since Bella had moved away she constantly told him he nodded a hobby, and in an effort to get his nagging loving daughter off his back, he decided to enroll in a cooking class. 

“Okay, I’d like that. And Charlie?” 

You open the car door and then lean over the center console, kissing him softly. It’s such a surprise it takes him a second before he kisses you back, his finger hooks under your chin and he holds you in place, knowing you want to run away from him. 

He’s… well versed you realize, as you melt under his warmth. And truly he doesn’t want to admit.. it’s been a while since he’d done something like this, you make him feel like a teenager again as he cups your cheek, pulling you closer to him. You’re just reaching to put your arms around his neck when suddenly the truck horn blows and you scream. Charlie groans and reaches into his pocket for his phone that’s ringing. 

“What. Do you want?!” 

“If you guys are gonna have sex can you like… turn me in the opposite direction” 

Billy has apparently recovered from making an accidental ass out of himself as you climb into the front seat of the truck while Charlie handles the tow truck and paperwork.

“You like him?” Billy asks as you watch Charlie, his hands on his hips.

“A lot, he’s really nice, kinda sarcastic, kinda funny, and he smells- soooooo good” 

“Okay. Didn’t need to know that part” 

“Are you gonna tell me I’m wrong??” 

“I don’t smell my best friend? Like. Ever?” 

“Inhale”

“What no I’m not gon-“

“In. Hale!!!” 

Billy is a full-grown man. He’s been through more than anyone ever should in their lifetime. 

And he inhales when this little girl tells him to.

He inhales slowly while you’re nodding your head up and down.

“Oh yeahhhh”

“….. Well shit” 

Charlie opens the door as you’re shaking Billy by the lapels of his shirt and you’re both screaming about how good he smells.

“Uhhhh do you guys want me to go?” He points backward and you smooth out Billy’s shirt and hop from the truck. Charlie opens the back door for you and you give him a little salute as you climb back in. 

“We’re cool… we’re good, we’re cool” 

“We’re normal” Billy shrugs. 

Once you’re back at his place, you decide to go take a little nap. You leave him and Billy downstairs chattering away like they did in high school and slip into his room. To be honest you’re not all together sure it’s okay that you’re in there… but the large neatly made bed is calling your name. 

You remove the ill fitting pants you’d borrowed from Bella and crawl under the covers, curling up into his pillow and inhaling slowly. Yup, still smelled delicious. 

“She’s really into you” 

Billy stares at the TV while Charlie grabs a couple beers. He rolls his eyes and hands him one before plopping down on the couch. He sighs as he leans back, resting his head along the back.

“Is this what we’ve come to? Gossiping about my love life?” 

“Sarah would be eating it up and you know it” 

Charlie grins a little at the memory of her and nods. 

“S’pose so” 

“So… what about you?”

“I barely know the girl… she’s, nice. She’s fun… but I barely know her” 

“Are you actually going to take the time to get to know her? Or are you going to let her walk away? She’s a real catch, Charlie”

“You’ve spent an hour with her!” 

“And that’s all it took for me to see that… maybe Bella was right, I think she is good for you, I think she’s what you need to brighten this place up. The sun has finally come back to Forks.” 

You wander out of the bedroom around 3 and head back downstairs, you rub at your eyes sleepily as you stumble down the stairs.

“Hey sleepy head, how was your-“

You stand in front of him, doing a little stretching. The shirt rides up around your hips and he blinks slowly, taking in the soft buttery skin of your thighs. He can just see a hint of your pink panties before putting your arms back down. 

“You okay?” You move to stand between his legs and he looks up at you, slightly in awe

“Yeah” 

“You sure?”

He takes a breath before taking your hand and pulling you closer. You straddle his lap and he takes a second to smooth his hands over your thighs, feeling them in his grip. He seemed so into the softness of your body, your plush curves. 

“I’m sure”

“What’s this all about huh?” You giggle quietly and wrap your arms around his neck, he leans you closer into him and you feel his hands grip your ass. Your mouth falls open and he smirks. 

“I think it’s time I finally start thinkin’ about myself again.” 

So maybe he’s going a little overboard with Billy’s advice right now, to just relax and have fun with you. But he can’t find it in him to care when you nuzzle your nose against his. Is he going way too fast with this? Yes. Had he just met you? Also yes. 

But he’d be damned if he didn’t get at least a little sun while it was shining. 

“Sounds like a plan to me” You smile against his lips  and he rubs your sides slowly, feeling you up. You blush and scoot closer, settling down in his lap, and he can’t help but think about how the only thing separating him from feeling you is a pair of jeans and a thin pair of panties.

His hands slide up under your shirt, feeling your bare skin against his fingertips and you tilt your head, deepening the kiss with him at the same time your hips move forward a bit more. His hands freeze in place as you start to roll your hips against his clothed cock, they stutter slightly as you feel just how large he is.

“O-oh my god” You whisper and he pulls away to look at you

“What’s wrong?”

“Y-your really um-“ You pause for a moment, completely flustered when the front door suddenly opens.

“Charlie? dad thinks he left his-“

Charlie practically launches you off his lap as Jacob comes through the front door. You fall to the floor with a squeak and he stands up quickly, throwing the blanket over your bare legs while you’re still floundering to get up.

“He-uh he left his what??” His voice is high-pitched as he tries to step in front of you but it does little to stop Jacob from staring.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine”

“I think I broke my spleen”

“So your dad left something??” Charlie clears his throat and Jacob looks up at him

“Uhhh yeah… he thinks he might have left his meds in the couch or maybe the truck or something… do you uh-“ He’s trying not to snicker “You want me to check the truck first?”

Charlie pats his pants pockets and fishes out his keys, tossing them over to him.

“That would be nice, thank you.”

“I’m Jacob by the way” He tells the bundle of blanket on the floor and your little hand sticks out, waving in the wrong direction

“Y/N”

“She’s cute” Jacob mouths with a double thumbs up and Charlie has to refrain from going to grab his shotgun.

As soon as the front door closes again he turns to you, pushing the blanket back. You’re glaring up at him, your arms crossed.

“Are you ashamed of me?”

“Of course I’m not” He pulls you up from the floor and you flop down on the couch, sniffling a little.

“You shoved me off of you”

“You’re barely wearing any clothes”

“And?!” You huff and he rolls his eyes

“And… that’s Billy’s son”

You think about it for a moment, still pouting and looking away from him and he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at you again

“Will a kiss make you feel better?”

Your head turns so fast he thinks you’ve got whiplash from it, he himself can’t even believe he said it.

“Maybe…”

He holds your chin in his fingers before kissing you again, it sends a jolt of electricity down your spine when you feel his other hand on your torso, pushing you down onto the couch again.

“I’m so sorry honeybee’” He whispers, his hand sliding between your thighs, your heart flutters as he rubs higher and higher, you can feel his hand brush against the front of your panties when there’s a loud knock at the front door again.

“Is it safe??” Jacob cracks the door and Charlie closes his eyes, letting out a long sigh before getting up and tossing the blanket back over you.

“Yeah, it’s safe”

You snicker as he comes in, shaking the bottle of meds and tossing Charlie back his key.

“Got em, thanks”

You sit up, swinging your legs off the couch and getting up, the blanket falls from your form and Jacob’s eyes widen.

“I’m feeling kind of cold… I’m gonna go take a shower okay?” You lay your hand on his chest, purposely putting your body against his and his cheeks redden.

“Uh…okay sure. Yeah”

Your hand slides down his torso and you let it settle on his hip.

“Come up soon?” You whisper, but there’s no point, because Jacob can hear it anyway

“Okay” He kisses your forehead before you finally pull away, holding his hand until you can’t anymore

“It was nice meeting you Jacob” You give him a little wave and he smiles, tipping his head as you walk up the stairs.

“It was nice to meet you too. Maybe we can have you two over for dinner soon.”

As soon as he’s sure you’re out of earshot he comes over to Charlie, holding his hand up for a high five

“My man” He laughs and Charlie slaps his hands over his face and falls onto the couch.

What was he going to do with you?

[flowerslut]

Wait I gotta know, what do YOU think happened in Calgary??? I've always had so many thoughts but would love to hear what you think because your thoughts are always top tier

I have a few random headcanons about it that I've incorporated into fics over the years; most featured in an old one shot and in a chapter of roots (that anyone could read without being spoiled for the fic tbh). but this is what canon gives us:

maria is "undeniably dangerous" (hell yeah)

she successfully tracked the cullens down in calgary (how? We Just Don't Know!)

she considers her and jasper to be "on good terms" (lol)

she and peter Do Not Like Each Other (BIG lol)

the cullens had "to move immediately" after she visited (something that appears to only happen when the cullens' cover gets blown)

jasper had "politely" asked maria to keep her distance after whatever happened (L O L)

so, given all that information, you can go ahead and assume that maria's visit was "eventful" (edward's words) because one/some of the cullens slipped up, their cover was blown, and maria was able to showcase some sort of skills or capabilities that freaked them the fuck out. given all this, I typically headcanon that:

maria tracked the cullens down within the first decade that alice and jasper were with them

calgary was an absolutely SHIT SHOW

multiple cullens slipped up (at leaaast jasper, emmett, esme)

if there wasn't some sort of physical altercation, then there was definitely some insanely scary screaming matches

jasper's polite request was definitely some sort of threat or ultimatum

alice didn't see Whatever Happened coming (leads to future sadbad plot opportunities)

the Calgary Debacle ABSOLUTELY set jasper back with any progress he may have made with his self control

and because of all of this (gestures to everything listed above) this Debacle negatively affected the entire, brand-new family dynamic, and the cullens' feelings/opinions about (at least) jasper

[jordansohollywood]

QUEER AS FOLK, SEASON 1: MY THOUGHTS

IDK who’ll read this, but in honor of finally finishing the first season of Queer as Folk, I’ve decided to give thoughts. (All good, I promise.)

For a first season of a show, this one was pretty good. The cast really meshes well with each other and has good chemistry.

Gale Harold and Randy Harrison… I couldn’t imagine two people playing Brian and Justin better. Their chemistry is perfection, and they make me root for the characters’ relationship.

Speaking of Justin, what can I say? I love him with all my heart! Like… I really do. His character, so far, is really dynamic. His friendship with Daphne is literally everything, and I’m itching to see more of them together. (Chris Hobbs, when I fucking catch you…)

Brian as a character really grew on me. When I first started watching the series, I found him annoying. But as the series progressed, he really softened my heart and made me sympathetic to his struggles.

I find the cinematography of the show to be very captivating. It really immerses me.

I like Ted and Emmett’s friendship and the way they look out for one another. Makes me feel like there’s something more to their relationship. 🤔

I like Lindsay and Mel’s relationship! IDK, I just find them cute.

This is all the thoughts I have for now, but I’m pretty sure I’ll add on to this when I feel like it. Now… onwards to season 2!

[doctorbrown]

MCFLY JULY ‘24 ⸺ 「 9 / 31 * A NEW ‘PUPPY’ 」

August 7, 1895

“Are you sure about this, dear?” The sun streaks across the Train’s sleek lines and Clara marvels at the massive steel beast, powerful and elegant, carving its presence out of the otherwise dreary California landscape. Much like her husband, it is a fusion of the times, the present—by her account—and the future, blended seamlessly to create something larger-than-life that would put even Captain Nemo’s prized Nautilus to shame.

“I’m positive it’ll work. Besides, somebody has to test it to make sure everything is properly calibrated and I’d rather not put you or the kids at risk.”

It isn’t that she doubts her husband on this—he’d already invented a Time Machine once—that fancy metal behemoth propped up in the Delgado Silver Mine where it would wait for another sixty years until Mr. East—Marty came to retrieve it, facilitating the events that, to them, have already occurred.

He had been working diligently on this ever since they’d agreed that they couldn’t remain in this time, lest they threaten the space-time continuum and potentially jeopardise Emmett’s own existence. Even when she could no longer keep up with his future knowledge of science that still bordered the realm of science-fiction by this time’s standards, she had nothing but confidence in his ability.

No, it is the inherent risk that any scientific experiment entails that has her worried for Emmett’s safety, for time is the one barrier she has no hope to breach should something go terribly wrong.

But she can’t allow herself to think like that.

“I’ll be back in about ten minutes’ time from your perspective.” Emmett wraps his arms around her waist, radiating such confidence and conviction that Clara almost feels foolish for worrying so much.

“And not a minute longer,” Clara teases, leaning in to send her husband off with a fond kiss.

The train whistle blares, slicing through the tender parting and causing both Doc and Clara to leap a foot in the air. Laughter, muffled, yet still filtering out from the open cab, takes the place of the silence and if Clara strains her ears, now ringing from the sudden unexpected noise, she can hear Jules and Verne shouting at each other from inside the Train, the latter complaining how he wants a turn.

“I’d better go before the boys decide that I have to wait for them to be finished before I’m allowed to interrupt.”

“Boys, come out of there,” Clara calls, projecting her stern teacher voice that leaves no room for discussion or debate. “You know the Time Machine isn’t a toy and your father has very important work to be doing.”

Jules and Verne both groan, but in mere moments, they trudge their way out of the Train, carefully descending the steps.

“Can we come too, Dad?” Jules asks, throwing that wide-eyed, pleading look at his father that usually has him folding.

“Yeah! Us too!”

“I’m sorry boys,” Emmett says earnestly, “not this time. But I promise that the next time we use the Train, it’ll be as a family.”

“He’ll only be gone for a few minutes,” Clara adds, to which both of the boys’ faces immediately fall, their expectations of some grand adventure dashed.

Emmett climbs into the cabin and retracts the steps and Clara ushers the boys back several feet, mindful of Emmett’s tales of the first Time Machine and its aggressive displacement method. The boys wave as the Train picks up speed and Clara finds herself holding her breath, her chest tightening with each crack of thunder resounding through the air in spite of the idyllic blue California afternoon. The shockwave rattles her bones and when the flash of light subsides, leaving nothing but a trail of fire and smoke where the Train was only a moment ago, Clara finally lets out the breath she was holding.

“Whoa!! Did you see that, Mom? Dad’s gone!”

Verne runs along the side of the tracks, chasing the ghost of the train with Jules in tow, and Clara stays rooted where she is, overcome with a number of complex thoughts and emotions. The reality of it thrills and excites—time-travel would open doors and wonders that she only ever dreamed about, only ever found through the escape of fantastic books—while paradoxically releasing hordes of butterflies in her stomach, each flutter of its wings an uncertainty, a yet unforeseen trouble, an obstacle to overcome.

The Twentieth Century awaits—she could practically grasp it in her hands now, alive with possibility and promise and peril—and they were going to greet it together, as a family.

Clara doesn’t know how long she stands there until she comes back to herself, pulling out her pocket watch to check the time. Two minutes until Emmett should be getting back. Jules and Verne have moved well enough away from the tracks now, likely chasing one of the small critters if their fixation with the ground is any indication.  

When the storm rolls in despite the conspicuous lack of overcast, Clara’s attention snaps back to the tracks at the same time the boys whip around, eagerly awaiting their father’s return. The Train returns with all the pomp and circumstance it deserves, steam rising from its engine, and once Clara confirms that it’s safe to approach, the boys take off, meeting Emmett at the cab.

“It worked, Dad, it worked—but it’s so loud!”

Emmett peeks his head out of the window, grinning triumphantly down at his family. “Right on time. The temporal displacement worked perfectly—in reality, I was gone for almost three hours.” Both Jules’ and Verne’s eyes go wide. “But according to my watch”—he digs around in his pocket, fishing out the watch—“it has only been ten minutes exactly. I thought I might have to recalibrate the Time Circuits, but it looks like—”

Something barks from inside the cabin and Clara and her husband exchange a look.

“What was that, Dad?”

“It barked! Did you get a dog?” Verne gasps. “Did you bring a dog from the future?”

“You remember me telling you stories of my faithful companion Einstein, don’t you?”

“Named after one of your heroes of the Twentieth Century,” Clara says, recalling the countless tales in which Einstein the dog made an appearance. She had known she would come face-to-face with her husband’s best friend—before Marty, that is—at some point, but she had hardly expected the large, shaggy creature sitting comfortably in the train as if this is old news, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Einstein looks around at the unfamiliar surroundings, then appraises each new unfamiliar face in turn.

“And the world’s first time-traveller,” he says proudly, reaching down to scratch Einstein behind the ears. “I grabbed him from the lab when I could be certain Marty wouldn’t show up unexpectedly.”

“Does he bite?” Jules asks, his voice trembling slightly.

“Only if he doesn’t like somebody. But Einstein is an exceptional judge of character—he’s more likely to lick the skin off your face if you don’t push him away than he is to bite you.” Emmett ushers Einstein out of the Train and gestures to each member of his family, introducing them as if Einstein was possessed of human intelligence.

“I know this is all confusing right now, Einie, since I’ve only been gone a couple hours as far as you’re concerned, but I’d like you to meet my family.”