#erik and tess

[comicwaren]

From Damage Control Vol. 4 #005, “The Deep End”

Art by Nathan Stockman and Ruth Redmond

Written by Adam F. Goldberg and Hans Rodionoff

[the-bi-library]

Bisexual books out in May 🩷💜💙

Books listed:

A Swift and Sudden Exit by Nico Vincenty

It Ain't Over Til the Bisexual Speaks by Lois Shearing, Vaneet Mehta, etc

The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee

The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller

Bisexuality: The Basics by Lewis Oakley

Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black (Hardcover edition)

Road to Ruin (Magebike Courier, #1) by Hana Lee

Blood Remains by Cathy Pegau

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown Garner for Gold (Lustrous Divinity, #2) by Catherine Labadie

The Last to Pie (Pies Before Guys Mystery #3) by Misha Popp

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

Smoke and Steel (Scions and Shadows) by Dax Murray

Fake Dating a Witch (Bewitching Billionaires #1) by Brigid Hunt

A Girl Can Dream by Emily Barr

The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins

Meet Me in Berlin by Samantha L. Valentine

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

Adrift by Sam Ledel

Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan

This is not an exhaustive list so please do let me know of the books I missed 💖

[the-forest-library]

August 2024 Reads

The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

Slow Dance - Rainbow Rowell

The Break-Up Pact - Emma Lord

Last Seen Online - Lauren James

All's Fair in Love and War - Virginia Heath

A Shore Thing - Joanna Lowell

You Should Be So Lucky - Cat Sebastian

This Spells Love - Kate Robb

Where Are You, Echo Blue? - Hayley Krischer

My Antonia - Willa Cather

The Girl in Question - Tess Sharpe

The Only Light Left Burning - Erik J. Brown

Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson

Hawkeye: Bishop Takes King - Ashley Poston

Across a Field of Starlight - Blue Delliquanti

Show Up and Vote - Ani DiFranco

A Product of Genetics and Day Drinking - Jess H. Gutierrez

The Hard Parts - Oksana Masters

Rage Becomes Her - Soraya Chemaly

The Genius of Judy - Rachelle Bergstein

Me Vs Brain - Hayley Morris

Forever Barbie - M.G. Lord

It's Not Hysteria - Karen Tang

The New Menopause - Mary Claire Haver

The Nervous System Reset - Jessica Maguire

The Modern Trauma Toolkit - Christy Gibson

Small Talk - Richard Pink

Girls Just Wanna Have Funds - Emma Due Bitz

Please Unsubscribe, Thanks! - Julio Vincent Gambit

Work Won't Love You Back - Sarah Jaffe

The Tree Collectors - Amy Stewart

Cowpuppy - Gregory Berns

Bold = Highly Recommend

Italics = Worth It

Crossed Out = Nope

Thoughts:  Unfortunately this month was marked by some disappointments (eagerly anticipated reads: Slow Dance, Last Seen Online) and (sequels to books I loved: The Girl in Question, The Only Light Left Burning), but The Pairing restored my faith in Casey McQuiston and left me desperate for a European food and wine tour.

Goodreads Goal: 289/300 2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads| 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[peachy-panic]

What are your top ten whumpy book recommendations?

Top 10, you say? How about a comprehensive list of every half decent whumpy book I've read in the last 3 years? (I tried to balance the order between my overall love for the book and the whumpiness level)

BLANKET TW FOR THESE BOOKS: noncon, abuse, domestic violence, med whump, lab whump religious trauma, institutionalized abuse

WHUMPY BOOK RECS

TOP 10

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards (series, ongoing)

Winter’s Orbit - Everina Maxwell

How To Bang A Billionaire - Alexis Hall (trilogy, complete)

The Darkness Outside Us - Eliot Schrefer (will rip your heart out)

All For The Game - Nora Sakavic (trilogy, complete)

Dark Room Etiquette - Robin Roe

HappyHead - Josh Silver (sequel in progress)

All That’s Left in the World - Erik J. Brown

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue - Mackenzi Lee

Stars in Your Eyes - Kacen Callender (releases in October 2023)

OTHER RECS:

- We Are The Ants - Shaun David Hutchinson

- Tonight We Rule the World - Zack Smedley

- The Lookback Window - Kyle Dillon Hertz (just finished!)

- Dark Space - Lisa Henry (trilogy, currently reading)

- First, Become Ashes - K.M. Sparza

- Parker - Jack Harbon

- A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - Foz Meadows

- Docile - K.M. Sparza (BBU vibes)

- Into the Light - Mark Oshiro

- Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart

- A List of Cages - Robin Roe (minor main character)

- Deposing Nathan - Zack Smedley (minor main character)

- How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager - D.N. Bryn

- Mysterious Skin - Scott Heim

- Surrender Your Sons - Adam Sass

- Yes, Daddy - Jonathan Parks-Ramage

- Not Quite Out - Louise Willingham

- Runner - Parker Williams

- Fraternity - Andy Mientus

- A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara (honestly… maybe don't read this)

LADY WHUMP:

- They Never Learn - Layne Fargo

- The Girls I’ve Been - Tess Sharpe

- I’m The Girl - Courtney Summers

- Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan

- We Set the Dark on Fire - Tehlor Kay Mejia (there’s a sequel)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Bi Books Coming Out May 2024

💖💜💙 Do you know what we could always use a little more of? Bi books! Here are a few coming out in May that would make fabulous additions to your never-ending TBR! Happy reading!

💖 Don't Be a Drag - Skye Quinlan 💜 We Were the Universe - Kimberly King Parsons 💙 Fake Dating a Witch - Brigid Hunt

💖 A Swift and Sudden Exit - Nico Vincenty 💜 The Z Word - Lindsay King-Miller 💙 Evocation - S.T. Gibson

💖 A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins 💜 It Ain't Over Til the Bisexual Speaks - Various 💙 Lavash at First Sight - Taleen Voskuni

💖 Smoke and Steel - Dax Murray 💜 Meet Me in Berlin - Samantha L. Valentine 💙 A Girl Can Dream - Emily Barr

💖 Adrift - Sam Ledel 💜 The Ride of Her Life - Jennifer Dugan 💙 The Only Light Left Burning - Erik J. Brown

💖 The 7-10 Split - Karmen Lee 💜 The Sins on Their Bones - Laura R. Samotin 💙 Garner for Gold - Catherine Labadie

💖 The Girl in Question - Tess Sharpe 💜 Bisexuality: The Basics - Lewis Oakley 💙 Blood Remains - Cathy Pegau

💖 Exhibit - R.O. Kwon 💜 The Last to Pie - Misha Popp 💙 The Fireborne Blade - Charlotte Bond

[ghost-e1]

The Dealer's Hand

OHOHOHO Another Mass Attack!! I am going to hide this bit under the cut because its... a lot!

Castiel (AF) - Theodore Stine ViscountArt (Twitter, Insta) - Barclay @styxwings (AF) - Alis @spiralingbeetle (AF, Insta) - Erik @shattered-tea-art (AF, Insta) - Caleb Liu @approximately-74373-bees (AF) - Ace Stevenson Poppy_corn (af) Jasper Evergreen @cookies-super-secret-blog (AF, Twitter) - Tess Wells @saltyzcryptid (AF, Insta) - Andy Wright Cryptidaer (Twitter) - Pariah @noodlesewp (AF) - Carina Bellairs Cryptidaer (Twitter) - Nerissa Anasi @friccafracc (af, twitter) Strandy @blazecat86 (AF, Insta) - Eve Hallows @labyrinth-guard (AF) - Gabriel the Twisted Angel And once more the guy in the middle is my oc, Wren!!

[enrogued]

@themckaytriarchy sent These are the last good days of summer--the last good days before Genosha. They still have time for "trivial" things like team politics and figuring out how to get through to Magneto during disagreements without banging your head into the wall. Tess... has not been doing a great job of getting through to Erik, even if she's persistent. Every day is the same: 'we need arts programs for mutant kids outside Genosha. Like an outreach.' And 'Erik, I'm not giving up." And, 'Every mutant kid should have the opportunity to dread their piano lessons!' Followed by the inevitable, 'Fine, let's table it.' On. And on. At this point, Morph's probably regretting telling Tess their parents couldn't find anyone to teach them to play... whatever instrument they tried to force them into playing as a child. Because Morph didn't pass. So she paces, and she grumbles, and she considers her options. Then she goes, 'well, I might as well.' 'Might as well' involves plopping down in a chair across from Rogue, bracing her hands on her own knees as she leans forward. She doesn't blink as she studies her, gaze speculative. "I'm trying to get something done. Community work." Blunt and to the point. "But Xavier's not here anymore, and I don't know if I can swing it without Erik's help. 'Well. If Rogue kills me, at least I'll get to die in a dramatic fight.' "How do I work him?"

there's a crispness to the air that's a good indication that summer is almost over, that pretty soon all the trees across the state will be turning orange and dropping their leaves. rogue's always torn between preferring the cooler temperatures because they make it easier to wear full body coverage outfits and missing the heat of the sun that reminds her of home.

but right now the sun is shining and she's settled like a cat in a sunbeam, chair underneath one of many floor to ceiling windows, book in her lap. relaxed. or as relaxed as anyone ever gets around here, especially with the new boss on their tails.

she's not too worried about it. there's no scolding on earth could move her from this spot right now. (she'll move for an emergency, but nothing less than the mansion being on fire).

so she takes a long moment to actually look up from her book when someone sits in the chair opposite. rogue places a gloved finger between the pages to hold her place and raises her head, only to be startled by the intensity of tess' gaze.

it's not intense like angry, it's just piercing. feels like she's trying to see her soul. " ya good, hon? " she asks, as tess launches into her spiel about trying to get some community work done. mutant outreach, she assumes. or something similar. come to think of it she's heard someone mention tess's music and arts programme.

so it strikes rogue as strange that erik hasn't signed off on it yet. her brow scrunches slightly- and then even more as tess asks the most obvious of questions that rogue doesn't want to answer.

how do i work him? as if there's any one way that will work. more worrying is that she's come to rogue, like she knows that it's easier for her than anyone else. is it that obvious? has she been that obvious? that careless?

she ignores the question. " woah, slow down, sugah, is this about your arts programme? " she already knows the answer is yes. " you wanna put together a music and arts outreach, right? " so why hasn't erik said yes? rogue has fond memories of him teaching her about the importance of the arts, talking about a culture of mutant led activities, exactly like what tess is trying to put in place.

is the new magneto so far removed from the erik she knew in the savage land? " i don't understand, erik- magneto should want to put together a mutant arts program, he- " used to talk about it all the time. used to demonstrate how much the arts meant to him by painting me? c'mon rogue, think before you speak. " i don't know why he wouldn't sign off on that. it don't make a lick o' sense. 'less he can't see the forest for the trees. " or he just hates other people trying to explain his own ideas to him (heaven forbid) and so he's deliberately ignoring tess' idea so he can follow through on his own.

" maybe it's a control thing and he won't give ya what ya want because he wants it to come from him. either way, i've got nothin' for ya, sugah. i wouldn't know where ta start. " a lie, because she does know where to start, but it requires a far more in depth explanation of what is going on between her and erik than rogue is willing to give. she wants to say leave it with me, i'll make sure ya get it. but that seems far more suspicious than she wants to be. it's disclosing a little too much. and it's implying she has some sort of sway over their new boss, which she's pretty sure she doesn't. right?

[equallyshaw]

something borrowed - nathan mackinnon (feat. erik johnson and ryan graves)

- based off the movie of the same name + my own plot changes

- Warnings: swearing. angst. ej is annoying in this, i apologize. just a character. also lili is a bimbo blonde in this, kinda like in the movie. no hate against any blondes, just mirroring the movie. there is a not so friendly joke, so please be advised. itll be in bold so you can skip over. ALSO, this movie is so chaotic and all over the place...this is all over the place and chaotic lol

- shoutout to @pucksalotguys for supporting this and giving me feedback :)

Word Count: 5.7k+ this is a long one, so much to upack.

────────────

tessa burns grew up around some of the greats in nova scotia, canada. aka, sid the kid, brad marchand, andrew cogliano and ryan graves to name a few. her older brothers played hockey ofcourse and so she was always around the rink at all hours. always had a chirp or two to throw out as she left the arena with them. despite growing up in nova scotia, she never met nathan mackinnon until they both went to shattuck st marys for highschool and hockey. they instantly connected, over hockey, nova scotia, bad breakups and the undying need to be the best. though, he was more hard core than she ever was; in her defense.

tessa was never alone growing up, despite have four brothers before her. she had her best friend ryan graves, grew up right down the block. always had a bad joke, always had a smart and witty comment to make. one that would rock you to your core. she also had her best friend liliana who was a blonde goddess. a 5'8 blonde, taller goddess. one that all the guys went after. one that swore she gave up toronto university just so they could both go to univeristy of british columbia. one that guilt tripped her left and right, but she was liliana. ofcourse, she couldn't 'drop' her. that was her girl, and there was no way she could do that to her closest confidant besides ryan. ryan saw how shitty liliana treated her, how liliana made sure she was the center of the attention. always. ryan always knew about tessa having the huge crush and ever lasting love for nathan, though he was lilianas. she had been for the past three years. so ryan watched as tessa looked on from the bench, what else could she do? so she wallowed in her own guilt, pity and anger of not saying anything before to nate. though it was too late, they were to bed wed in the middle of august before they would flee to california for a week then back to denver.

°• ♔ •°

tessa walked into the restaurant and her eyes went wide, taking in the 'surprise' 28th birthday part; liliana had thrown for her. it was june 24th right after the seaosn had ended, but on without a cup. not this year. tessa smiled fakely as lili cheered and wrapped her arms around her best friend, sister even. "honeybug happy birthday!" she screamed, using an old childhood nickname that should have never see the light of day; even when she was 6. "thanks lili." she responded cooly, hugging her friend back. some of her closest friends were here, well lili's too. wherever tessa went, lili did too and vice versa. she smiled at her brothers who came up, wrapping her in a family hug. "hi guys.." she smiled, one that didn't reach her eyes. "hey tess, mom and dad say sorry for not being here." the oldest, billy explained and she nodded. british columbia was more importnant it seemed.

"AYYYYY KIDDO!!" she heard the ever popular and familiar voice of brad marchand. she turned and grinned at the brother like man and hugged him. then she hugged his wife charlotte, "thankyou guys for coming!" she beamed, holding onto her left arm. "ofcourse! we wouldn't miss it for the world hun." his wife smiled and tessa nodded. "hey bobby orr!" she heard the captains voice from behind her, and tessa turned. she smiled widely for sidney, and hugged him. "hi sid." she mused, pulling away. "got you your fav." he mused, and handed her a cherry vodka. she smiled, thanking him. "where the hell is nate?" she heard him mutter under his breathe. she felt her heart rate pick up, covering it up with a small smile. "do you know where ryan is?" she questioned and speak of the devil, he walked up behind sid. he clasped a hand on sid's shoulder and they did a bro hug before sid sauntered off to find his best friend.

"nice surprise face." he smirked leaning in and she rolled her eyes. "dont tell her please!" she begged her best friend, brother even. he nodded smiling, "ofcourse not. that would ruin her, i think." he trailed off as they caught her making a scene. she saw nate behind her, smiling up at her as she said a joke and laughed loudly. oh, the ever enigma stealing the spotlight once again. "i don't think she's capable of NOT having the attention on her..even if it's your birthday. by the way, happy birthday sis." he smirked and she gave him a wink. "oh thankyou, thought you wouldn't say it for a sec." she grinned and he stuck out his tongue. "uh huh." he sighed, sipping his whiskey and looking back at lili. she rubbed her temple, before looking around. "love how its mainly her frineds." she muttered, feeling angry at herself. again, another birthday and she had no new friends. and everyyear, lili had more and more.

"hey, stop. dont feel bad for yourself. she's a lot to deal with." he mused, almost as if it was an insult. but tessa, knew exactly what he meant. "honeybug!" she heard the very immature nickname and rolled her eyes which ryan caught; as she turned around with a fake smile. "what?" she asked, with a fake giggle as lili rushed up to her with a tall guy. "i want you to meet somebody!" she grinned, pulling her towards the guy. "ej this is tessa. tessa this is erik johnson or ej as we call him." she smiled, as if she was cupid herself. "birthday gal!" he said loudly, causing lili to laugh loudly once again as he pulled tessa in for a bear hug. "ah hi." she said, unsure of what to do. she stood there, frozen. felt like she had been violted in a way, but it wasn't that deep she reminded herself. "you guys are so cute together!" was all lili said before waltzing off to give nate a kiss.

tessa sighed, looking around, trying to not ficate on ej himself. the very tall, and muscular man in front her of. with 3 front teeth missing, like a little kid. "how'd you lose your teeth?" she asked randomly and he laughed a hearty laugh. he explained in a unnceccesary 10 minute story before they were interrupted by nathan. she gave him a thankful smile that he could decode, and nodded. "i think cale is in the back over there." nate said through gritted teeth. ej nodded, giving the birthday gal a kiss on her cheek to which she instantly wiped off. ej left, and left a chuckling nate in his path. "you have a great poker face burnsy." he mused, sipping his beer. she looked at him, acting as if she didn't. he met her eye, before she could spit out words. he gave her a charming smile and laughed. "i would never tell lili." he joked, and tessa sighed looking down at her almost empty drink. "tess-" nate said but she cut him off. "its all good. im gonna go find ryan." she said without looking at him as she walked past him, and away.

minutes later, lili yelled over on the microphone to get her cute butt up there. "honeybug, baby, get your cute butt up here!" she joked, causing everybody to laugh. nate searched for her, and she appeared after ryan pushed her to the front. "dont keep cruelle waiting." he muttered for only her to hear. she sighed as lili smiled at her, dotingly. "honeybug. happy birthday. so thankful for you every day." she smiled, an erupture of 'aws' filled the room. tessa blushed, "tessa gosh, where do i begin?" she said, almost acting. she looked up at the ceiling, pretending to wipe away any tears. "phew, my botox is really holding up.." she trailed off joking causing some uncomfortable and comfortable laughter to erupt. ryan from next to her, hit her shoulder and she laughed.

"tessa, tess, burnsy honeybug, my platonic soulmate..gosh we've been through it all! from kindergarton when i pushed ryan down the slide for cutting us off on the playground.." she began as the photos began on the slideshow, showing the two and then the trio of chaos. "god, we were the trio of chaos. tessa, ryan and i. i don't know how ryan put up with us, to be honest. or how he still does." she joked. "she was with me through my first breakup in 6th grade..i was a mess! let me tell you. we watched the holiday and the he's just not that into you SO many times with lots of popcorn, oreos and icecream." she explained, showing some photos of their teenage years. "heres us at prom. ryan said 'fuck it' im taking you to prom honeybug. awe SO cute!" she said doing a little hop. "then miss burnsy went off to shattuck, fucking shattuck oh my god. if i have to hear about one more hockey player that to shattucks im gonna pull my hair out. o.m.g." she said laughing along with everybody else. "then fucking gravy went off to shattucks and so i was left alone." she began, something she never got over. something she held over them, and still guilt tripped them about. "i was not a hockey player, thankgod! i was all about makeup and clothes and cheerleading. and they weren't there to witness me win state but i witnessed them play for team canada. what assholes." lili had the audience in the palm of her hands. they were eating this up. though ryan, sid, her brothers and nate all cringed throughout.

"but anywho, after i notably declined ivy league university of toronto to go to university of BC with my honeybug..ryan went to some place called denver." she added the last part with everybody hollering now. though it wasn't a joke really, she was purely an idiot. “then we graduated, and then it was really real that we were gonna be seperated for real this time. miss barnsy got into john marshall law school in chicago, and i was incredibly sad when i started working in toronto. but only 512 miles away from one another." she paused, waving a small wave. "and after a year into living into chicago, you introduced me to the absolute love of my life." she pasued, blowing a kiss to nate. he smiled shyly, and looked down embarrassed a tad bit. "thanks for hiding him for so long hun." she dazzled the crowd. "and now were getting married, thanks to you!" she smiled widely. "bubba as much as i love you, tessa girl has been my one constant my whole life."

she turned towards tessa now, ""you're the the sister i've never had, you're sometimes the mother i often need, the reason why i can stumble so fearlessly into adventure is because she's always there. she's always there. i love you tessa. my forever honeybug." she beamed, and the crowd clapped. "bubba!" she said, out of the microphone and made her way towards nate. she wrapped his arms around the girl and kissed her head. tessa watched from afar, and ryan nudged her to look away. "lets get you another drink..after that." sid mused, pulling her towards the bar.

later on in the evening, it was now ryan, nate, lili and tessa left. ryan was holding lili as they all waited outside the restaurant now on the almost desolate street. "oh fuck- i forgot my bag!" lili said slurrely. nate and tessas head perked up and both went to say something, "take her to the hotel. we will be there soon." nate said before tessa could say for him to go back with her. the duo nodded and the other two made there way back inside. "was it the vintage chanel?" nate questioned and tessa laughed, a true and real hearty laugh. "nathan...aren't you the one who got it for her?" she said cocking an eyebrow as she held it up. nate sighed a relief, snatchingit from her. they looked at one another, and nate saw something twinkle. "lets get one more drink." he mused, pulling her down the street to the bar next door.

one drink turned into four more, and somehow someway; though they knew how it happened. they ended up in her small apartment there in toronto. for the first time in their entire relationships, they had acted on that part of their feelings. though, they thought it was more the alcohol than anything.

°• ♔ •°

ryan, sid, ej, their other friend maria, liliana and tessa found themselves in st john on the coast of newfoundland. the five of them walked into the lake house, that they were staying at for the next week. nate and lili walked hand in hand, lili doting on him that made ryan want to vomit. "bubba...please?" she asked with puppy eyes, begging him to take her shopping on the mainland. he sighed, instantly giving into her. lili clapped her hands together, and ej high fived her for some odd reason. "you go girl!" he hummed, sitting down in the living room sofa and propping his feet on the table. tessa stopped unable to move anymore, because of ej's hockey bag and suitcase that was in the way. she gave him a scowl, nobody noticing but ryan ofcourse. "ej..bags please." ryan spoke up and ej hopped up, muttering an apology. "its ok." she smiled, and simply stated. tessa made her way up the stairs, as ryan went towards the first floor room. she got to the second floor, and nate instantly grabbed her bags. "oh thanks." she hummed, following him to the bedroom next to theirs. "thanks." she smiled, and he nodded. very unsure of what to do. things were kinda awkward after they slept together, but she made him forget about it. made him, and he promised her. "yeah. no prob." he responded, as she sat down on the bed. his eyes flicked to her's from the doorway before lili came up and smiled.

"shopping?" she grinned, and then motioned towards nate with her eyes. tessa shook her head no, "im gonna take a nap." she said cooly and the two nodded. lili pulled nate away before he could say bye. tessa sighed, laying down on her back. "hey barnsy, wanna come swimming?" she heard the voice of ej and she perched herself onto her elbows. he took in her stance, and angle she saw him check her out. she shivered and sat up all the way. "im okay. thanks though." she responded and he nodded, giving her a toothy smile before he ran off. she shut her door, silently cursing herself. this was going to be a long trip.

°• ♔ •°

the following day, the group decided they were going to play volleyball. just unsure when. before they made there way to the beach, ryan pulled tessa into her bedroom. "spill." he demanded crossing his arms as she sat on the bed. she shrugged, "tell you what?" she asked. he gave her a blank stare, "i know what youre hiding honeybug." he stated and she gritted her teeth. "nothing im hiding nothing." she spat, standing up and walked over towards the double window french doors to the balcony. she instantly found nate's broad shoulders, strong back and dirty blonde hair of his. she stared at him, as lili spoke to him from the pool with ej. ej and her were splashing one another now, and she could tell that nate wanted to be anywhere but there. "that. you are hiding that, tessa." ryan said from behind her, freaking her out. she must of timed out, watching him. she shook her head, looking out towards the beach now. "no its true. i could tell at breakfast. im not an idiot." he said, checking his hip with hers. "well i could say the same about you and maria..." she mused coyly, before giggling as she walked out of the room. "oh god no, if i ever have to be at the same table especially at their wedding, im killing them before they leave for cali." ryan mused making tessa laugh even more. "you two totally slept together!" he whispered yelled and she whipped around to face him. "oh thats gold." he said chuckling. she shook her head as he nodded hers.

"im not an idiot, i know you did. now it makes sense." he said as a wave of realization washed over him. as he placed his hands behind his head, laying down on her bed he asked, "you totally did..more than once?" he asked like a child, he couldn't contain his excitement. she combed back her hair, trying to calm herself down. "oh my god, twice?" he asked, getting excited more. she looked at him through the bedroom mirror and he started to laugh. "oh my god." he said abruptly stopping, "lili, oh my god, she's gonna flip." he said seriously before laughing. "its not funny!" she said pulling a pillow towards her from the bed and hitting him. "this is rich barnsy!!!! you have to say something to nate, i see it eating you two up." he exclaimed and she shook her head, a wave of guilt and sadness washed over her pale face. "no, its already been decided that we aren't to speak of it ever again." she stated before walking out.

breakfast.

tessa sat down next to nate by accident, as she sat their reading the newspaper. he met her eyes, over the newspaper, when she looked at him. she whisked her eyesight away and focused on transporting the fruit to her plate. "listen..tess. we need to talk-" she cut him off with a glare. "no, we do not. we already have. we can't hurt lili more than we already have." she hurriedly said. he swallowed back what he was going to say, and nodded. "never. again." she said through gritted teeth before meeting his eyes. god, those blue eyes that transported her back to shattucks. god, how she loved them.. ej bolted outside with coffee, and threw down a iced coffee for the brunette. a black coffee for nate. "oh yay coffee's here!" lili said walking out with pancakes. ej sat across next to lili who sat across from tessa. tessa swallowed, as she could feel the intense stare ej was giving her. nate coughed, breaking ej's concentration and ej looked away. maria sat down next to ej and he smiled at her. "morning." he smirked and maria gave him a polite smile, before noticebly scooting her chair a few inches away. ryan finally walked out and sat down next to tessa. "gravy finally arrives, nice. we can begin." lili said in her fake polite voice, clearly annoyed with ryan. per usual. "sorry princess, forgot the world and time revolved around you. what a keeper nate." raya huffed, and lili squinted at him while nate rubbed his eyes.

“okay gravy, atleast i have some sort of schedule going. arent you a hockey player? it looks like you haven't done anything to combat your croissants and poutine eating." she spat, (trigger warning) softly grabbing her stomach. he flipped her off, causing ej to laugh loudly. nate looked at him with a intense stare, one tessa hadn't seen for a few years. it was almost, like his old self had flared for a hot second. before it cooled. "atleast i dont spend somebody else's hard earned money." ryan muttered, and lili picked that up. "well, atleast he has somebody to spend it on. dont ya honey?" she smiled a dazziling smile, placing a arm over nate's shoulder and kissing him. ryan pointed a finger in his mouth and faked gagged causing tessa to stifle a laugh. "besides, i always tell nate to help out tessa but she always says no." lili added, sipping her coffee. tessa set down her fork, "how many times do i have to tell you that i dont want or need his money." she explained once again. "i am comfortable, i dont need a lot. besides-" lili cut her off, "youre due for a promotion anyways!" she clasped her hands together and tessa shook her head.

"no, not what i was gonna say but thats true. i like the life i live, and i love the work i do lili. i dont need anybody's money, especially not his." she defended and they all sat up with the 'not his' part. ryan took in the quick look nate and tessa shared, one without words but words. "what i mean is that, he's my friend, that just feels weird." she added and they nodded. "besides, more for me!" lili hummed, kissing nate again. tessa picked up her fork and took a strong bite of her strawberry.

After.

the group were outside on the beach, hitting the volleyball to warm up. it was ej and tessa, lili and nate. while ryan and maria sat out. "ouuu! we should play a game!" lili beamed with mimosa in her hand. "yes!" ej said loudly, pointing at her. "how about everytime we get a point, one of us on the winning point tells a secret!" lili said with a grin, causing ej to grin wickledly and laugh. "no i dont-" "lets not -" nate and tessa said at the same time. "oh come on! itll be fun!" lili said pouting. "yeah, itll be fun!" ryan added, and tessa glared at him. "ej im in, youre out." ryan said and ej nodded, as they switched positions. "ryan!" she whispered yelled at him, and he smirked. "it has to come out eventually babe." he smiled and placed a quick kiss on her head. nate looked over, and saw what was going on. he knew ryan knew, even without ryan confirming.

“ry!" she said before lili hit the ball to him, him to nate and back to ryan. that happend over and over. ryan won the never ending sequence and chuckled, "oh dont i have a secret!!" he huffed, "tell it tell it!" ej said like a 5 year old. "dont i have a secret." he laughed, and tessa begged him with a pleading look. "no its fine, we don't need to play." nate said trying to get him to not say anyhting. "no this has to be said." ryan exclaimed and lili looked on with excitment, "yes please tell!" she beamed sipping more of her mimosa. "tessa- tessa and-" but he was cut off, as she made he way towards ej - as a distraction - and kissed him. she kissd him hard, pulling him in by his thin shirt. nate and ryan looked on with confusion while lili shrieked with excitemnt. "AHHHH! im cupid!!" she cheered as tessa pulled apart, and walked off. ryan and nate looked at tessa as she stomped away.

tessa continued walking down the beach for 20 minutes more, trying desperately to stop crying. nothing was working. she sniffled, as she sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees. what the fuck did she just do, she thought. ryan made his way over, after the rest of the group went back to the house. "youre an ass." she said boldly, standing up and walking past him. without allowing him to get a word in. "tes-" she cut him off. "how dare you jeoporadize my whole relationship with them? huh?! how you made me kiss ej!" she screamed at him. "i made you kiss him? that was all your doing hun. not mine. youre too scared to admit your true feelings for nate, im not an idiot. you love him. everything makes fucking sense. ever since i first met him when i visited you in minnesota, i saw the way you looked at him and how he looked at you. you fucking fool. you let her snatch him away. you let her win." he screamed.

"she wins everything! she has won everything that has come her way! she gets the guy she gets the house, the unending bank account, her fucking parents are god sends, she got into utoronto with a lower gpa then me!!!! liliana wins everything, that is just how it goes. she wins everything." she whispered the last part, as she fell apart. ryan walked up to her, but she pushed him away. "no." she sniffled as she paused, "dont. just dont. youve done enough." she sighed and walked back up to the house. already packed and ready to go.

°• ♔ •°

the following evening the group was down at a local pub, taking in the drinks and food. tessa sipped her cocktail as maria came up. "ryan will never like me, right?" she stated and tessa did a double take at her. maria already knew, "im sorry maria. he doesn't like you that way and probably wont ever." she said softly. maria nodded, " its fine." maria responded before walking off. that was how it will be with nate, tessa thought. she looked in the distance and saw nate and lili bickering about something, before she walked off to dance with ej. nate rolled his eyes and turned around to the bar and met tessa's stare. she swallowed, grabbing her bag and walking out. she walked outside to the rain, and she felt her arm being grabbed. "tessa dont go!" nate pleaded. she shook her head, as she was being drenched.

“then leave her. leave her, and be-" he cut her off. "be with you? i cant, tess. i just cant." he stated and she nodded. "becasue it wouldnt look good, huh? im not exactly a trophy wife and im fine with that. but....but atleast ill be happy. at some point." she mused, and turned around. "im sorry tess. i really am." he stated and she stopped middway. she turned around and hurried towards him. "i should of gone back for you." she began, "i should if let you walk me home that night in denver. i should have let you done a lot of things but i was scared. i was nervous. i was scared into thinking that you could possibly like me." she exclaimed. "i should have never told you to stay with her, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now." she stated, finishing her tangent. he shook his head, "you were always enough tess. always, there wasn't a moment where i thought otherwise." he began and she felt a beacon of hope flicker through her. "but im with her now." he stated and she felt her heart break even more. she sighed, he took in all her tears. she shook her head, "youre a coward, nathan. a coward." she stated promptly. "but ill be happy, ill be incredibly happy without you." she stated, before walking off. nate watched as she did, the rain coming down even harder which coincided with her mood. nate really watched as the love of his life walked away for him, for good.

°• ♔ •°

there was a knock at her apartment door around 2pm. she closed her book and walked towards it, opening it to nathan. she tried to close it, but he quickly stopped it. "what nate?" she demanded, placing a hand on her hip. she shook her head when he said nothing, "we broke up. i - i thought about what you said and it's true. i won't be happy with her, how i'd be happy with you." he began and she shook her head sniffiling. "no." she said very warily, her voice cracking. she saw the pleading on her face, and opened her door further to let him in. "i should have never let you walk home that night you introduced us tess. i know that, ive known that but i was too scared to break it off and see what people that follow me would say. you were right, i am a coward. ok? and im sorry that it took me over 10 years to figure it out. im sorry tess, there isn't anybody i'd ever want to be with but you. and then we, and then we slept together and i knew i was doomed. i knew her's and i's relationship was doomed." he finished and she looked at the ground. she wiped her tears, looking back up at him. "i want you, always and forever." he stated, with much emotion. "i - im sorry." she started, "i just dont know. she's my bestfriend." she exclaimed. "i see the way she treats you t." he stated, using a barely used nickname from him. one that dated back to a drunken state moment in highschool.

“i want to, trust me." she sighed and was about to say something else but somebody knocked at her door. "tessa honeybug!!!" they both heard from her door, and she pushed him to go hide. "go go!" she whispered and he disapeared. she opened the door and lili instantly walked in. "i broke up with him!" she stated, and tessa acted surprise. "really?" she questioned and lili nodded sitting down. "i uh, i knew he wasn't the one. after.." she trailed off, unsure how to tell her best friend that she'd been sneaking off with somebody.

"what changed?" tessa asked, nervously. "i met somebody!" she squeled, not bothering to contain her excitement. "i mean, more then met." she added, "well i knew this person, for awhile." she stated. "who?" tessa whispered. "ej." she mouthed. "ej!" she said excitedly. the fuck? "the toothless big foot?" tessa quipped. lili rolled her eyes, "yes him. and i know!" she said. "thats nathan's teammate! lil!" tessa said getting defensive of him. "i know i know but nothing happened until we went to st johns. thats it. nothing before." lili defended. tessa began to pace, "and im in love with him, and i want to be with him." lili stated standing up and beginning to walk out. "i know it'll take you a bit to come around, but please don't tell nate yet. we want to do it together."she said before pausing at the door. tessa's mouth was still open in shock, "oh and dont feel guilty about the kiss. it was humerous." she smirked before walking out. as soon as she did, tessa went to look for nate. somebody knocked on the door again and she opened it to lili. "is that nate's jacket?" she asked, smirking. "wait what? oh- he left it in my car when we got back into toronto." she lied but lili didn't buy it. "no, no. thats not true." she stated, before pushing the door open. "nate! i know youre in here, nate!" she yelled, as tessa shut the door. nate walked out into the living room.

"you asshole!" "my teammate?!" they yelled at one another, "my best friend!!!!" lili threw back at him. "my. teammate." he slithered back. "how could you?" lili, turned towards tessa. "no- no dont go after tess. go after me. she didn't initiate it." lili held her hand up, "stop, dont speak for her." lili spat. lili shook her head at nate, "you know, i hope youre both happy together. i really do." was all lili said before walking out.

"nate-" tessa said but nate shook his head, grabbed his coat and walked out.

°• ♔ •°

tessa mouthed "im sorry" to ryan and he flipped over his card that had her name on it, "me too." and she hugged him. tessa had just flown from toronto to newark to visit ryan. she hadn't seen or talked to him since june and it was now middle of october, hockey season. they drove back to his condo, and the two put her stuff in the guest room. a little while later she walked out into the kitchen and sat down at the counter, as he cooked dinner. "whats for dinner?" she questioned in french. he smiled a toothy smile, "fettuince alfredo." he mused back in french. tessa nodded, grabbing the water bottle he set down on the counter. "what are you doing here?" he asked leaning against it, trying to read her expression. she sighed, "well you know about lili and ej. well nathan was there and lili heard and then he heard her and then when i tried to talk to him, he walked out." she said placing her face in her hands. he saw the stress, anxiety and never faultering love with nate. "have you talked since then?" he asked and she shook her head, "nor lili?" and she shook her head. "im alone." she said before sobbing. he instantly came over and pulled her in for a hug. "shh." he whispered over and over again, trying to comfort her. "youve got me." he said kissing her head. she sniffled, and pulled away. "youve always had me, no matter what." he explained some more, trying to get her to understand.

she looked at him, "always will. and-" he paused laughing nervously. "this is shitty timing but i dont care. ive always been there watching you from the bench, watching lili have something that you didn't. and that hurt me, because i was there the whole time but-" she cut him off, "i never noticed because i wanted him." she finished and he nodded. "im in love with you, and i have been since we were kids." he added and she felt a whiplash of memories hit her. she went through the big and little moments with him, putting the pieces together. he always chose her over lili, and that's why he got so upset with her in st john. "ry-" he cut her off, putting his hands up in innocence. "i know, i know." he said biting the inside of his cheek. "i know ill never be nate. ill never be nate the great. even before, i knew i was never good enough." was all he said before moving back to the stove. tessa sat there and shut her eyes, feeling her emotions consumer her. but they didn't. ryan's phone started to blast, and he looked a the id and saw nate. he rolled his eyes, picking it up.

“hey nate." he stated, and tessa perked up. ryan looked at tessa, "yeah she's actually here. she came to visit." ryan stated with not emotion on his face. "for you, tessa girl." he said locking his phone. "look's like it's time for you to fly to denver...in two hours."

1 year skip.

tessa walked with nate's dry cleaning in her hand as she walked through downtown denver. it was now october, one of the last warm days, and tessa was spending it in the city; working. after everything went down, lili and ej got together as well as nate and tessa. tessa moved in as lili moved out and in with ej. tessa was walking down the street going towards where nate said he'd be for them to drive home together, after she spent the day in the city. she walked down mainstreet and saw a familiar blonde walk past. the both of them paused instantly, turning around to face one another. lili sized tessa up and tessa just smiled. "you look good." tessa said, ever the people pleaser. ever the lili pleaser. lili pushed some hair behind her shoulder and smiled. despite them being in denver, and having their boyfriends be teammates, they stayed away from one another. they didnt talk, and tessa honestly had more friends outside of the wags group. she was only friends with tracy, cales gf and andrew coglianos wife. she was fine with that. nate and ej moved on, but still kept a distance. lili smiled, tilting her head just a bit. "oh." was all she said, before realizing that tessa saw it. "i hope you two are happy." was all lili stated, nodding towards tessa's engagment ring. the two got engaged over the summer right before they came out to denver. tessa smiled with a somewhat of a glow radiating from her, "we are. i am." was all she said. lili nodded, "are you two?" tessa questioned. lili nodded, "yes. we uh, we eloped this summer." she smiled referencing her small and simple ring. so unlike lili, tessa thought. "i know what youre thinking. but i love it. ej seems like a lot and he is in a way, but he's truly simple. i wish; i hope that someday you and nate can see that and hopefully come around. or atleast nate." lili responded and tessa nodded. "me too." tessa smiled, before turning around and continued to walk down main street to the square, where nate was waiting.

nate saw tessa's midlength wavy hair before he saw the rest of her. she was in her usual workday outfit, he pixie black pants clinging to her curves and her white boyfriend shirt untucked. she beamed as soon as she saw him, and he mirrored her. "hi." he mused, wrapping an arm around her back and pecking her. "hi." she said back, as he took the dry cleaning from her along with her work bag, and took her hand in the other. "ready for dinner?" he questioned and she nodded, heels clipping the sidewalk as they went to meet sid who was in the city for a game. where they'd also be asking him if he wanted to be Nate’s best man.

tessa saw her life with nate, she always had despite lili. despite the years spent on the bench, she'd never change it because now she had him. and he had her. she regularly thinks about their first meeting as they plan their wedding, both remembering clearly the outfit she had on. a blue dress. something borrowed from the very beginning.

────────────

wasnt sure how to end but i hope you guys like it!!! despite it's being hella long, i hope you liked the drama :)

@fallinallincurls @erikjohnsons @hockeylvr59 @hockeyboysarehot @cale8makar @makarhughes @starshine-hockey-girl @slafgoalskybaby

[codename-adler]

hi queen (ignore this if i already sent this in, but i was really not sober when i sent in the first one so i can’t remember if i actually sent it or not god bless) but if it’s not too late for the WIP game what is the aftg x tlou wip 🙏 i’m obsessed with both tlou and aftg so im so curious

i realize i've answered you months ago but i'm in a yapping mood about that wip so hiiiiiiiii (i need to vent about Abby Winfield so this does not end up in the fic)

one of my BIGGEST struggle so far is to not make Abby unlikeable...

(if you are new to the blog, Adler does not like Abby here✨)

but because this is a Wymack-centric, Wymack pov fic, she's gotta be there, and i gotta respect Wymack's choice, so i gotta do her justice somehow

(no there will not be Wymack/Abby in this fic, nor any of mine ever, bc i cannot stand this puta)

now here is my dilemma: who tf do i cast her as?

obviously it should be Tess. obviously. i can work my way around making them NOT in a relationship, that's fine, Joel/Tess is complicated and murky too; what i cannot seem to reconcile is how Abby is so meek compared to Tess...

pros: Abby still being a nurse in this verse would give her the curiosity to prob at Neil's case of immunity

cons: it's Neil she's dealing with. never gonna get anything out of him, no chance in hell. so if she does not have the info on a potential cure, if she does not get hopeful, what is her motivation here? why would she care about him? the Foxes are not a thing, Neil's 18, plus she's not doing it for Wymack bc he doesn't want to have anything to do with Neil!

why would she sacrifice herself for Neil's "cause" ???

i love how all of this bs is just me trapping myself with personal hcs✨ (ut then it wouldn't be my fic otherwise, would it?)

so if she's not Tess, who is she?

she could be Rhemann's wife in /Jackson/, but AGAIN, Maria is strong af, and Abby is... Abby. Rhemann could build the commune and Abby be his nurse/medic wife, but that's erasing a woman in power, a Black woman no less, so i don't really vibe with that... plus now i just got a lightbulb moment, so yeah, ok, she could be just a wife with no real purpose in /Jackson/ (hey, that sounds an awful lot like her role at PSU... jk jk)

but more importantly, if she's not Tess, who is?

Rhemann, Kevin, Neil, Andrew, Aaron, Jeremy, Jean, Thea, Matt, Seth, Robin, Renee, Allison, Stuart, Ichirou, Riko, Tetsuji, Mary, Nathan, Lola, Nicky, Erik, Tetsuji, Kengo have all alreayd been cast/have a role 😅

who's left: Laila, Cat, Katelyn, Dan...

could it be Dan? his second-in-command, his captain, yes, but he's already lost Kevin, and killing off one of his adoptees for another does not make sense 😭

ok i'll admit all this mental gymnastics was really fun + i figured it out while ranting, so yay! yay me! thanks Jess for letting me use your ask to go a little mad 😅🫶

stay tunèd <3

[bookaddict24-7]

⭐️ Young Adult LGBTQ+ Books I’ve Read & Recommend! ⭐️

Darius The Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

___

Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them?

___

Happy reading!

[maximummuses]

"Officially, I was dead for two minutes." Tess grimaces, regarding her battered reflection. She doesn't seem to notice the pain, merely poking and prodding at herself. (She'll fix it later, when she's ready to drag her mutation out.) Her tongue slides over her scabbed bottom lip. "Don't tell Pietro, Erik. Please." [Erik]

Ill & Injured Sentences, Vol. 4

"Hm. I see." Death was, like many things, an old friend to Erik. He has found himself embraced by the reaper on at least one occasion he can remember.

"In my experience, Woolf, all secrets are found out in time. Is this one you wish to maintain?"

[the-bi-library]

Bisexual books coming out in 2024!

Let me know of the books I didn't include!

Here is the goodreads list link. You can add books to this too!

Books listed:

Dear Bi Men: A Black Man's Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries, and Combating Erasure by J.R. Yussuf

Breaker of Fates by Vaela Denarr, Micah Iannandrea

Fake Dating a Witch: A Magical Summer Solstice Romance by Brigid Hunt

The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald

Rupture in Total Eclipse by Sem Thornwood

The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee

Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher

Better Left Buried by Mary E. Roach

Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Afterdark by E. Latimer

Truthfully, Yours by Caden Armstrong

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan

Digging for Destiny by Jenna Jarvis

Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody

Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni

Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

Mewing by Chloe Spencer

London On My Mind by Clara Alves, Nina Perrotta

What Is Love? by Jen Comfort

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer

The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean

Road to Ruin by Hana Lee

Rise by Freya Finch

The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Honeybloods by I.S. Belle

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba

The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales

One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors by Gail D. Villanueva

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford

Trouble by Lex Croucher

Playing For Keeps by Jennifer Dugan

Something To Be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke

[omniversecomicsguide]

We’ve got listings of December’s collected editions from Image Comics on OmniverseComics.Guide - what are you picking up next month?

DECEMBER:

RAT QUEENS OMNIBUS with stories from Kurtis J Wiebe, Ryan Ferrier & a host of artists including Tess Fowler, Stjepan Sejic & Priscilla Petraites

SAVAGE DRAGON: ULTIMATE COLLECTION vol.2 by Erik Larsen

BIG GAME by Mark Millar & Pepe Larraz

GUNSLINGER SPAWN vol.3 by Todd McFarlane & Brett Booth

ANTIOCH by Patrick Kindlon & Marco Ferrari

ARCADE KINGS by Dylan Burnett

[positivelybeastly]

"My slutty pirate outfit doesn't fit anymore." That's how she greets him as she strides into the lab--in her civilian clothes, the provocative costume that's been her staple since 1989 slung over her arm. "I know the new boss isn't going to let us have the night off without a fight, but I'd like the universe to cut me a little bit of slack."

It's less about the costume and more about the change. And the fact the team spent yesterday fighting off the ghosts of dead classmates, which is... fairly brand for October, somehow.

Tess has been arguing with Erik all day, and it's not hard for Hank to figure out why. It's textbook: she feels like she's losing control of her life, and therefore, she's digging her heels in and being stubborn over something that can be controlled. Like a night out, or cheap Halloween decorations. As for their leader, Magneto--is Magneto, and Tess choosing a tacky ghost windsock as the hill on which she's willing to die doesn't bode well for the future.

"Morph and I found it with the old Halloween stuff in the attic." She tosses the outfit--and a couple of old souvenir Halloween shirts onto an unused lab table and pulls up a chair for herself. Then she glances down and picks at a dust bunny stuck to her shirt. "Do you remember how hard we had to fight the Professor to get that Sleepy Hollow trip?"

(Tess. Tess fought him for the Sleepy Hollow trip.)

"I kept freaking out the horse the 'headless' guy was riding." So they bailed on the hayride, and Hank set up somewhere atmospheric to read from the copy of Washington Irving he'd brought with him. She smiles fondly at the memory, flicking the dust bunny to his pristine floor. "You had a bigger audience than anyone by the time you were done."

Her eyes are dark and thoughtful as she watches him swing from the rafters.

"I could get through to the Professor about things like that. Why it all matters and how it keeps us going when things get--" She bares her teeth for a moment, then shakes her head. "When they get the way they get. But I don't know how to make Erik see it."

[Forgive some of the language but it's Provocative Halloween Costume Talk and it's 1997.)

"You surely aren't telling me that Tess McKay, Provocative Privateer of the Ponderous Pools of Westchester, is no longer a fixture of our fair shores?" Hank glances up from his own costume - a startlingly accurate Hamlet outfit that he's patching a few errant holes and frills in, since it hasn't quite survived the interim year unscathed - and smiles at Tess as she strides into the lab with her usual confidence.

Hmmm. Where's his red yarn . . . ah!

"Oh, I remember quite completely. The Professor was very insistent that we couldn't blow our cover, that it simply wasn't wise to have that many mutants - including those of the physically mutated persuasion - out and about, even on Halloween. And you were very insistent right back, if I recall correctly."

Hank does recall correctly. (Of course he does.)

And, naturally, that perfect recall extends to Washington Irving, the self-same author of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. How could it not? Even as he flips up onto the ceiling and clambers away from Tess to fetch his red yarn, the rafters clanging with each self-assured clasp of his feet to their reinforced structure, he doesn't lose a beat.

"“All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phantoms of the mind that walk in darkness; and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in diverse shapes, in his lonely pre-ambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in spite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was - a woman.”

He has a big, teasing grin on his face as he regards Tess, his meaning and his joke plain. What kind of woman could possibly perplex man more than ghost, goblin or witch, hmmmm?

But, this is, despite initial appearances, a serious conversation, and his face mellows for a moment. He can definitely understand Tess' frustration, even as he perceives why Erik is having such a hard time letting them all relax. In amongst all the consternation about his trustworthiness, there's been little time to talk about his leadership style, and the fact that it could use a little work.

Obvious, in retrospect, when one considers his previous attempts to lead a force against the X-Men have gone - not well, but a fact easily lost in the shuffle. Magneto is excellent at charismatic charges against the enemy, logistics, battle tactics, but morale was never his strong suit, was it? How best to rectify . . . ah!

"Just a moment, I think I might . . ."

With a little puff of dust, Hank fishes a rather worn photo album out of a storage container underneath one of his many lab desks, and throws it with expert accuracy, the book opening along its spine and presenting its secrets to Tess.

'Inaugural X-Men Halloween Party, 1983.'

"For whatever reason, I appear to have misplaced Jean and Warren's pictures, I shall have to go rifling through my other albums for completion's sake, but, if you flick over the page . . ."

"Perhaps a reminder for Erik, that even the Professor was not above having a little bit of fun every now and then, might convince him that there is worth in the activity. He need not participate, but, if the Professor was able to convince Scott to let go for one night and simply dress up and have fun, I believe you and I are capable of the same, Tess."

[lovelybishop]

Character/Fandom List

(Updated February 5th, 2023)

*I DO NOT WRITE FOR CELEBRITIES.

*Strikethrough means currently not accepting requests for said character/fandom

*If you see a character that is not listed, please ask! I’m sure I write for that character, I just forgot to put it on this very long list!

*If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

—

DC Extended Universe

Suicide Squad (2016) / The Suicide Squad (2021)

Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker, Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2, Floyd Lawton/Deadshot, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Robert Dubois/Bloodsport

Birds Of Prey

Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress, Roman Sionis/Black Mask

Fear Street Trilogy

Cindy Berman, Deena Johnson, Heather Watkins. Christine “Ziggy” Berman*,Kate Schmidt, Nick Goode*, Ruby Lane, Samantha Fraser, Simon, Tommy Slater

*Please specify which actor

The Last of Us (HBO)

Joel Miller, Tess Servopoulos

The Good Place

Chidi Anagonye, Eleanor Shellstrop, Janet, Jason Mendoza, Michael, Tahani Al-Jamil

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Movies

Ajak, Alexei/The Red Gurdian, America Chavez, Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Christine Palmer, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Darcy Lewis, Doctor Stange Variants, Drax the Destroyer, Druig, Gamora, Gilgamesh, Hela, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp, Ikaris, James “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier, James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Jane Foster, Jimmy Woo, Katy, Kingo, Lady Sif, Loki, Makkari, Mantis, Maria Hill, May Parker, Melina, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Nebula, Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Peter Parker Variants, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Phastos, Phil Coulson, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Sam Wilson/The Falcon/Captain America, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Sersi, Shang-Chi, Sharon Carter, Sprite, Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thena, Thor, Tony Stark/Iron Man, T’Challa/Black Panther, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Valkyrie, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Vision, Wanda Maximoff Variants, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Wong, Xialing, Yelena Belova

Disney+ Series

*This list is for characters who have not appeared in any movie (with the exception of Captain Carter.)

Agatha Harkness, Bruno Carrelli, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Joaquin Torres, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop/Hawkeye, Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab, Madisynn King, Mallory Book, Marc Spector, Mary MacPherran/Titania, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Maya Lopez, Mobius, Monica Rambeau, Nikki Ramos, Peggy Carter/Captain Carter, Ralph Bogner/”Pietro” Maximoff, Star-Lord T’Challa, Steve Grant, Strange Supreme, Sylvie, Taweret

Agents Of Sheild Series

Melinda May, Grant Ward, Daisy “Skye” Johnson/Quake, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie, Lincoln Campbell, Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, Deke Shaw

Netflix Series

*I plan on watching all Marvel Netflix Series. Though Because Matt Murdok was in No Way Home and She-Hulk, I still will write for him.

Spider-Verses

The Amazing Spider-Man

Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Into the Spider-Verse

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Olivia Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man

X-Men

Alex Summers/Havok, Bobby Drake/Iceman, Charles Xavier/Professor X*,Ellie Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Erik Legnsherr/Magneto*,Hank McCoy/Beast*,James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix*,Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler*,Marie D’Ancanto/Rogue, Nathan Sumers/Cable, Neena Thurman/Domino, Ororo Monroe/Storm*,Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver, Psylocke*,Raven Darkholme/Mystique*,Scott Summers/Cyclops*,Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Warren Worthington III/Angel*

*Please specify which actor.

Free Guy

Guy, Millie Ruck, Walter “Keys” McKey

The Office

Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly

Wednesday

Ajax Petropolus, Biance Barclay, Enid Sinclair, Gomez Addams*,Larissa Weems, Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates. Morticia Addams*,Tyler Galpin, Wednesday Addams, Xavier Thorpe, Yoko Tanaka

*Please specify which actor.

Star Wars

Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Bix Caleen, Bo-Katan Kryze, Boba Fett, Captain Phasma, Cassian Andor, Cobb Wanth, Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand, Finn, General Hux, Han Solo, Jyn Erso, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Poe Dameron, Princess/General Leia Organa, Qi’ra, Reva Sevander/Third Sister, Rey, Rose Tico, Zorii Bliss

Stranger Things

Dustin Henderson, Eddie Munson, Eleven Hopper, Jim Hopper, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Michael Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Will Byers

*I do not write for Billy Hargrove

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Young Adult Book Releases: May 2024

🦇 Good morning, my bookish bats. I hope you have a good book, hit cuppa, and sweet snack within reach! No TBR is complete without a few young adult novels, and plenty were released in May! Here are a few YA releases to consider adding to your shelves.

🩷 May 7 🩷 ✨ The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve ✨ Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez ✨ The Ballad of Darcy & Russell - Morgan Matson ✨ Pulled Under - Michelle Dalton ✨ Bite Me, Royce Taslim - Lauren Ho ✨ The Unboxing of a Black Girl - Angela Shanté ✨ Dispatches from Parts Unknown - Bryan Bliss ✨ Beastly Beauty - Jennifer Donnelly ✨ This Book Won't Burn - Samira Ahmed ✨ Perfect Little Monsters - Cindy R.X. He ✨ Sunhead - Alex Assan ✨ Lie Until It's True - Jessie Weaver ✨ Malicia by Steven dos Santos ✨ Blood at the Root - LaDarrion Williams ✨ Spin of Fate - A.A. Vora ✨ Death's Country - R. M. Romero ✨ Queerceañera by Alex Crespo ✨ Eyes Open - Lyn Miller-Lachmann ✨ Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding - Maia Kobabe, Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier

🩷 May 14 🩷 ✨ The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe ✨ A Crane Among Wolves - June Hur ✨ 10 Things I Hate About Prom - Elle Gonzalez Rose ✨ Blood & Fury - Tessa Gratton & Justina Ireland ✨ The Dangerous Ones - Lauren Blackwood ✨ Beach Cute - Beth Reekles ✨ The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza ✨ True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li ✨ Flyboy by Kasey Leblanc ✨ Thirsty by Jas Hammonds ✨ It Waits in the Forest - Sarah Dass

🩷 May 21 🩷 ✨ Keeper of the Stones and Stars by Michael Barakiva ✨ We Mostly Come Out at Night ed. by Rob Costello ✨ Attached at the Hip - Christine Riccio ✨ The Quince Project - Jessica Parra ✨ I Wish You Would - Eva Des Lauriers ✨ Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall ✨ In the Shallows by Tanya Byrne ✨ Liar's Test - Ambelin Kwaymullina ✨ The Worst Ronin - Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Faith Schaffer ✨ Wild About You - Kaitlyn Hill ✨ Summer Nights and Meteorites - Hannah Reynolds ✨ The Word - Mary G. Thompson

🩷 May 28 🩷 ✨ Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore ✨ Another First Chance by Robbie Couch ✨ Don’t Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan ✨ Stay Dead - April Henry ✨ The Redemption of Daya Keane by Gia Gordon ✨ The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown