#hannah's recs

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

Some books I’d recommend that feature disabled characters to read this July!

image IDs in alt text!

Note: I’m aware that not all everyone in every community represented on this list considers themself disabled. As an outsider, it’s not my place to say- they are included because some people in these communities do consider themselves disabled, especially with many being spectrums where different people will experience different severities.

Cosmoknights - Amputee side character (major character in book 2)

Nimona - Amputee main character

Before the Devil Knows You’re Here - Dyslexic love interest

The Spirit Bares its Teeth - Autistic main character, autistic side character

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue - Love interest with epilepsy, main character becomes deaf in one ear, MC with anxiety in the third book of the series

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath - Autistic major side character, wheelchair user minor side character

A Lady For a Duke - Love interest with PTSD

Cemetery Boys - Love interest with undiagnosed ADHD (confirmed by author)

Into the Drowning Deep - Autistic character, two Deaf characters

Don’t Be a Drag - MC with depression and anxiety

Iron Widow - Wheelchair user MC with chronic pain

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Little person character

[the-one-who-lambs]

uhh hello!! sorry if this is a tall order LOL but I wanna ask, do you have any narilamb fanfic recs? :D I already read yours and I really like bamsara’s and I’m waiting for epicaandk’s to update (that one is my fav ever <3) but idk what to read now lol

Tall order?? Naaaaah, I'm always happy to give recs. Oh boy, I'm gonna go in reverse chronological order.

If you've read all of my narilamb fics (have you seriously? I'm impressed, that's probably well over half the 150k+ I've written for this damn fandom. Also, to anyone seeing this from a reblog, my stuff is over at onethirdofimpossible!) then here we go!

You already mentioned it, but The Rehabilitation of Death is excellent so far! This one is by @bamsara who is new to the CotL fandom but apparently not new to fanfic writing; they have a really popular FNAF fic and I assume the well-deserved attention this fic's been getting is a byproduct of the popularity they've already gotten in other fandoms. :D Welcome, bamsara! Many of the fic writers in this fandom are friends with each other already, but we don't bite if you wanna say hi.

Feel No Evil and Language Barrier, both by @payasita. I always love how payasita portrays this duo (in both digital art and writing), with so much sass and repressed loneliness, knowing they're stuck together for eternity and making the best of it. (And maybe falling in love, depending on how dense Narinder keeps being.) What makes these come alive for me is how well thought out the setting is outside the Lamb and Narinder. The descriptions and weight of emotions really pop here.

LITERALLY ANYTHING written by pavi / @i-eat-deodorant. Depending on how spicy you want your fics to be he has even more here. Character analysis, diction, pacing, etc. are consistently 10/10. Top-quality banter between a sassy Lamb and tired old man Narinder. We constantly bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other a lot but I promise I'm not hyping him up just because he's my friend oh my god please just go bless your eyes.

It Was For You, O Death by blueberry-muffin-massacre (if they have a tumblr, let me know so I can tag!). An intriguing alternative ending to the final battle wherein the Lamb chooses a secret third option by refusing to give up the Red Crown and still observing Narinder as the God of Death. So many details are so well thought out and duality their relationship is nicely characterized-- both genuine care for each other and also quite unhealthy. A fine line treaded well!

Confessional by jusmove (again, lmk if they have a tumblr). Been a while since I've read it, but I love how the Lamb chips at Narinder's very carefully built emotional walls. Their personalities are very well fleshed out here, especially Narinder's cognitive dissonance at being able to process love.

Confession by @thewitchoftheweed. I didn't expect a part two to this one, but my god I was so thrilled when it did update. Narinder and Lamb with their unique and parallel loneliness and their fucked-up sense of everything. Their relationship is very rocky here, and I love how they navigate it: with tension and eventual, pained acceptance. Mind the rating.

Of Character Development and Being Dense by @calliecature. A short and sweet narilamb classic. They're both mutually pining and one of them is too emotionally repressed to realize it. Guess who.

Not An Offering, But a Gift by @checkplzjuliet. Small confession fic. I especially love how Narinder's descriptions twist the knife of his situation here, and how Lambert is a total foil for him! There are a lot of good things happening in such a short span, which is impressive.

Also, if you think you've read all my narilamb fics... I do have a secret one out there too. Just so you know.

Happy reading!

I'm already friends with many of the people here, but if any of the writers I've tagged have been kinda wanting to reach out for a while but feel a little anxious... Don't be. I've made my best friends in this fandom by literally just waiting for some of my readers to get over whatever assumption they have that I'm cool and say hi. Or being the more confident one first.

[murasaki-cha]

OH MY GOD!! Cosmopolitan has released chapter 2 of Apprentice To The Villain as a sneek peek!!!!

Obviously they couldn't post chapter 1 since that would be major spoilery because it's from another character's pov neither Evie or The Villain's

I'm gonna go read it now but Hannah just did a LIVE on Tik Tok and there were a lot of people who said that it HURT! So I'm just a teeny bit scared right now. BUT LETS GO!!

Edit:

*sobbing on a pillow* DAMN IT HANNAH!!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭

THE FIRST LINE WOMAN!!

Oh god I need to read the rest no BUT NOT COOL HANNAH SO NOT COOL!!!

[cutesyscreenname]

How am I supposed to sleep now 😭

Frankie is so sweet but he better put little miss thang Rochelle in her place 😡😡

^^^actual footage of me stressing over this chapter

Reality Check

Chapter Eight of the Through the Scope series | Chapter Nine

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 5.2K

Chapter Overview: The morning after & the days that follow your and Frankie's hookup are joyful, but not everyone is joining in on the love

TW: Brief mentions of sexual assault & Brunson (iykyk)

Notes: i got it done by the hair of my chinny chin chin LMAOO ,, honestly i usually ramble in my notes but i dont have a lot to say today (': thank you to everyone who has liked and/or reblogged my story so far ! it means so much !! let me know if you want to be added to the tag list as well !! as usual...my asks are always open & happy reading <3

*no use of y/n & female presenting reader*

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Frankie’s alarm blares earlier than either of you want it too. Maybe it wouldn’t have felt so early if you had gone to bed sooner. You jump a little when you hear it going off and feel the man holding you stir behind you. The arm that he had wrapped around your waist detaches slowly to silence the unwelcome sound. You smile to yourself as you hear him breathe out deeply and snuggle his body closer to yours under the duvet.

“I sent it to snooze.” He yawns. “We only have a few more minutes of this.” 

He is clearly more awake than he sounds as his lips quickly find your shoulder. You stretch your neck out to allow him access and he greedily accepts your invitation. 

“I don’t want to go back to reality.” You can feel your heart rate already accelerating as he continues to adorn your skin. 

“Let’s stay here, in bed, all day. I have vacation hours, remember?”

“But I don’t.” You sigh and shift your body to where you can look at him. “And Benny can’t manage the gym all by himself anymore.” 

As you wait for him to say something, you allow your eyes to wander all over his face. His hair looks so curly and soft against the pillow. His eyes don’t look as sad as they do during the daytime. They appear youthful and doe-like.

“What are you doing?” He smiles.

“I’m trying to memorize what you look like first thing in the morning.” You bring your hand out from under the covers and caress his beard. “Does it always grow like this?” You gingerly brush your thumb over the sparse patch.

“Ever since I can remember. It made shaving easier, but it isn’t the most manly, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh? What would you say then?” He pokes at your ribs hidden beneath the sheets.

“I would say that any woman would love their very own special spot to kiss you.” 

You lean forward and kiss him softly. Your lips fit perfectly in the patch just like you thought they would. 

“But I don’t want any woman to kiss me. I just want one.”

He swallows your mouth with his and you willingly let him. Before you know it, he has you situated on top of him as the two of you kiss. His scent is huskier in the morning. It hasn’t been tainted by a long day of work. You break apart so you can look at him. He doesn’t fight with you as he has a particularly good view of your breasts from how you are sitting. Since he was laying on the left side of his body before, you weren’t able to see how the red flowers you left on his neck have grown this morning. But now you have a clear view.

“Don’t be mad at me, but I think you’re going to have a hard time covering these up.” You reach your hand down and trace each one with your finger. “I might have gotten a little carried away.” 

��You weren’t the only one.” His own hand comes up and brushes against your collar bone. The slight pain you feel makes you realize that you didn’t end the night blemish free. “Let’s call it even, hmm?” 

“Deal.” 

You’re leaning down to kiss him when the alarm goes off again. “Guess it’s time to get moving.” Not one to leave a task unfinished, you place your lips sweetly on the edge of his nose before sliding off his torso to land where you slept. You throw your legs over the side of the bed and stretch your arms high above your head. A soreness in your abs and in between your legs demands to be felt as you use your muscles for the first time since last night. That delicious ache serves as a physical reminder that what happened in this bed is real. That the man lying next to you is real. That this moment is so very real.

It also serves as a reminder that he didn’t pull out. While you knew it was safe, he didn’t. You turn your head over your shoulder and falter at what you see. He’s just staring at you. A childish grin on his face as he holds his head up with his hand. The covers have fallen just above his waist to give you a teasing view of that tummy you have grown so fond of. 

“Hey, about last night…” You worry when you see his smile flicker ever so slightly. “I just wanted to let you know that I have the implant. So, we are completely safe since we clearly weren’t safe last night.” 

“God bless modern medicine.” He laughs lightly. 

“I was going to say something before hand, but some guy fucked the thought right out of my head.” You give him a cheeky look.

“He sounds like quite the catch.” 

“Biggest fish I ever saw.” 

A comfortable laughter engulfs the two of you as you each search for the clothes that were discarded the night prior. You realize, a little grossed out, that you hadn’t showered since Saturday morning. 

“Do you mind if I use your shower before we leave? I promise I’ll be quick.” 

He nods and leads you into the bathroom. He shows you where the shampoo and conditioner are and even takes two towels. One for your body and one for your hair. Then he starts the water for you and makes a comment about how other people’s showers are always weirdly difficult to operate. While you were sure you could have managed on your own, you graciously stand back and allow him to take care of you. It’s nice to not have to be in control all the time.

“I think you’re all set. I’ll go get started on some coffee.” He taps the screen of his phone that he set down on the counter. “It’s not even 6:30 yet, you can take some extra time in here if you’d like.” 

He closes the door behind him as he leaves the bathroom. Instead of heading straight for the kitchen like he said he would, he sits down on your side of the bed and buries his head in his hands. When he heard you say Hey, about last night… he was sure you were going to tell him it was a one time thing, a simple fling. Now that you had gotten it out of your system, you didn’t want to be around him anymore. He tried to keep his emotions under lock and key, but he could tell by your hesitation that you had seen something flash across his face. When you revealed that you were only referring to your birth control he was more relieved than he would like to admit. Then the guilt crept in. He scolded himself for acting like a boy fumbling around in the dark and forgetting protection like that. He was always so good with it. He could barely keep himself afloat, but a kid too? How could he have been so careless?

Your playful remark had kept him from totally spinning out. I was going to say something before hand, but some guy fucked the thought right out of my head. He knew that you told him about it because you didn’t want him to worry. He had never had a partner that brought up the events of the night during the day to soothe him. Whenever Rochelle brought it up, it was to criticize something he did or didn’t do. It registered in his brain that he was subconsciously waiting for you to do the same because it is all he has ever known. But, you didn’t. You talked to him without annoyance and without contempt. You made him feel good about himself. He only hoped that he made you feel the exact same way. With a smile on his face, he treks to the kitchen.

You stare at the bruise on your collar bone in the mirror. You don’t think you have ever seen anything so lovely in your entire life. He had given you a small piece of him to carry around. While you knew it would fade, that made you cherish it all the more. The bathroom mirror starts to fog up and you know it's time to get in. You pick up the towels that are on the counter so you can drape them over the shower curtain and find something that peaks your interest. His dog tags lay haphazardly on the countertop. You pick up the cool metal and inspect it. There are random numbers debossed into it, you assume it related to his military group, and his name indented underneath them.

“Francisco Morales.” The name feels like velvet on your tongue. “That’s going to be fun to use.” 

Not wanting to waste anymore time, you lay your towels out, and hop into the embrace of the warm water.

***

“It’s going to be so nice to change into the extra set of clothes that I keep in my trunk.” You say walking into the kitchen. 

“You keep a change of clothes in your trunk?” He doesn’t turn around to face you as he is pouring coffee, but you can tell by his back shaking that he's laughing to himself. 

“Luck favors the prepared,” You walk up beside him and hop up on the counter. “Francisco.” 

That got his attention. He looks at you, completely shocked, as he sets the coffee pot down. 

“How did you-?”

“You really shouldn’t leave your dog tags lying about.” He moves his body in between your legs and grips your thighs. “Strangers might read them and find out all your secrets.” 

“Or maybe,” His lips brush against yours. “I should tie these strangers to the headboard so they don’t go wandering off.” 

Try as you might to stop it, goosebumps litter your skin at his words. You know he feels them against his palms when he smiles against you and bites at your lower lip. 

“Come on,” He whispers. “As much as I want to stay here with you, we have to get to work.” 

“Tease.” You taunt as you scoot off your ledge. 

You watch patiently as he puts lids on two to-go cups and plucks an orange from his fruit basket. 

“I know you don’t like to eat first thing in the morning, but you should still have something in your stomach.”

“Thank you.” You take the items from him. “Thank you for the whole weekend actually. You really saved me after the bar.”

“You never have to thank me. Anything that I do for you, I do because I want to.”

***

The two of you pull into Brass Knuckles’ parking lot before Benny. Your tote sat balanced on your right leg the whole car ride. Frankie had claimed the left one for himself the second he started driving. Even though you haven't touched your phone the entire weekend, you still had no desire to with Frankie sitting next to you. 

“When can I see you again?” He says as he puts his truck in park.

“As much as I want to see you tonight, I have to visit my dad. He’s going to be wondering who I have been choosing to spend my nights with over him. What about Tuesday?”

You notice the color drains out of his face when you mention that day.

“I actually have a…a meeting on Tuesday. It's for work. They like to have weekly progress meetings to keep us all on track.” 

“Oh, is that why you had to leave around 5 o’clock on Tuesday when you helped me with my car?” 

“Yeah, exactly.” He sounds like he is trying to convince himself more than you at this point, but you decide not to say anything. “What about Wednesday?”

“Third times the charm. Wednesday sounds perfect.” You smile.

He leans over the center console to kiss you before you get out. He tells you that he will wait until you’re inside the shop before he leaves, but you encourage him to go anyway. After a bit of coaxing he finally gives in. You wait and wave by your car as he drives off into the early morning air. You could feel it in your heart that you were in way deeper than you anticipated.

“Okay,” You dig the gym keys out of your tote. “First things first: time to change.” 

You unlock the door to the gym and find your house keys right where you left them so many days ago. Who knew that one simple mistake would lead to the events of this past weekend. After retrieving them, you jog out to your car, pop the trunk, and grab your spare clothes. Finally, you lock your car and head back inside to the safety of the gym. You opt to lock it just in case, plus Benny has a key so he can let himself in. 

As you make your way to the locker room, you pull out your phone to see what you missed. There was one text from your dad. He knew that you had plans Saturday night, so there weren't any messages from that day. However, the text you did receive from him was late Sunday evening, presumably after his group poker tournament, that asked about your next visit.

Dad: Coming to see your old man on Monday?

You heart the message and tell him that you are going to swing by after work like usual so he better be prepared to show you all the work he has been doing. Next, you check on Robbie.

“Oh God, I’m so fucking dead.”

There were 30 unread messages and 6 missed calls from your best friend. You never told her that you were going out that night. The texts weren’t about your absence at first though. The earlier ones ranged from updates on tests she took, her saying she would have to miss your usual Sunday evening call so she could study, and her conferming dates for when she was going to drive down to see you. As the evening went on, they started to get a little more specific. She asked where you were because you weren’t answering, then she said that she knew because she tracked your location. When you still didn’t respond, most likely due to inebriation, she said she was getting worried. Guilt racked your body to know she was concerned and you weren’t there to reassure her. She texted again after you made it to Frankie’s house and correctly guessed where you were. Robbie said that she hopped that you finally grew some balls and fucked him. God, you can’t wait to tell her. The last text she sent was very late Sunday night, or technically early Monday morning, saying that if she didn’t hear from you by the end of the day she was going to call the Florida police and file a missing persons report.

You decide that the best plan of action is to call her. She is more than likely awake at this time anyway. Texas was only an hour behind Florida and it was already 7:15 am. Setting your fresh clothes on a shelf in the locker room you press ‘call’ and select speaker mode while you start to undress. She answers on the third ring.

“You better have a really fucking good explanation as to why you went completely ghost on me this weekend! I was so worried! You never do that!”

“Robbie, I’m so so sorry that I didn’t call or text you back.” You toss your old shirt into your tote. “Truth be told, I didn’t get on my phone at all this weekend. You could say I was a bit preoccupied.”

“You didn’t…”

“I did!” You yell into the speaker.

You’re sure that all of the dogs in the surrounding area can hear both you and Robbie’s high pitched celebratory shrieks. She sounds even happier than you do if you’re being honest.

“I want to know everything! Don’t you dare skimp on the details! Oh my God I’m so glad this finally fucking happened!”

You try your best to recount everything that went down while you continue changing. She sounds like she’s going to go into cardiac arrest when you tell her about the saved bottle cap and sticky note. When you finally get to the part where you had sex she is having a full blown conniption on the other end of the phone. 

“Robbie, I’ve never been with a man that was so eager to eat me out like that. He was, holy shit, he was relentless like…”

Her loud and incoherent rambling through the speaker cuts you off and sends you into a fit of laughter. 

“I had no idea it could feel that amazing! Oh God and when he fucked me? I didn’t think it was possible for me to feel …safe.” You take a shaky breath and push down memories that threaten to bubble to the surface. “I really didn’t think I could feel safe doing that again after what happened.”

She’s quiet, for the first time in the conversation, while she processes what you said. 

“I’m so happy that he was able to provide that for you, babe. And I’m sorry that you had that feeling of safety stolen from you regarding sex. That wasn’t fair and it wasn’t your fault.”

“I guess I just kinda closed myself off from the possibilities of letting another man in like that again.” You clear your throat to chase away the feeling of being choked up. “I’m sorry again for disappearing on you.”

“It better not happen again!” She says with false seriousness. “Ugh, I need a man that will fuck me like that. I’m in a serious drought right now.”

“Well,” You say in a sing-songy manner. “Like I said a while back, I have a guy here that could treat you the way you deserve.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. What was his name again? Will?” 

You hear the faint sound of keys jingling and a lock opening and are shocked at how time has gotten away from you.

“Hey, I hear Benny coming into the gym so that means I’m gonna have to help him prep for the day. Call you later?”

“Yes, please!”

You hang up and toss the rest of your discarded clothes into your tote. Before you leave you look at your face in the mirror. Honestly, with the lack of sleep coupled with the absence of makeup, you don’t look half bad today. 

“Morning, Benny!” You shout as you exit the locker room. 

“Ahh! What the fuck?” You have to stifle laughter after seeing him jump nearly a foot in the air. “I didn’t know you were here?!”

“I was back there changing.” You swing your very full bag over your shoulder in confirmation. “I figured it would be weird if I was still wearing Saturday’s clothes on Monday.”

“I thought Fish was goin’ to take you to pick up your car after we left?”

All you can do is stand there and try to suppress a devious smile that you feel forming on your lips.

“No fucking way! You two never left that house did you?!”

“In my defense,” You say, walking to the lobby. “He made a very compelling argument not to leave.”

“I knew he had it in him to seal the deal! Come on,” He wraps his arm around your shoulder and walks with you. “Tell me everything while we open up. I need to make sure he treated you well.”

“Everything.” You raise one of your eyebrows.

“Well skip the sex stuff.”

***

You’re blown away with how far your dad has come in his physical therapy in only a little over a month. He can actually walk on his own now. Technically, it's only short distances and with a cane for support, but he’s walking by himself nonetheless. You watch peacefully as Miss. Maggie walks next to him and sweetly utters quiet encouragement. When he finally makes it back to his chair, Miss. Maggie lets the two of you know that she’s going to take her break and will be back in about 20 minutes.

“So,” He props his cane up against the arm of the chair. “What did you get up to this weekend? I was a little shocked that you texted me saying that you had plans.”

“What? I can’t have plans now?” You joke.

“No, no. I just didn’t know you had made any friends that you cared enough about to make plans with.”

“Remember that guy who hired me? Benny? I’ve gotten pretty close with him and his group of friends. They actually surprised me on Saturday by taking me to a bar they frequent to celebrate my ‘one month anniversary’ working at the gym.” 

“That’s mighty kind of them, sweet pea. I’m proud you have stuck it out this long. Did you have fun?”

“I did! It was nice to get out and do something.”

“Because spending your weekends with your dad is such a drag, right?”

“You know that's not what I mean.” You cock your head to the side.

“I know it wasn’t, but I hope it made you realize that. I don’t want you to spend the short time that you have here tethered to me. I want you to still have a life.”

“I’m literally here for you.” You counter.

“And I’m grateful for that, but you worry about everyone else around you before you worry about yourself. You can’t fully help people until you help yourself. Plus, you ditching me on Saturday gave me an opportunity.” He winks.

“Oh?”

“I asked Maggie to coffee on Wednesday after her shift. It will be here in the cafeteria we have, so it won’t be in a fancy place or even particularly good coffee, but that won’t matter. The location is irrelevant as long as you’re with the right person. Remember that.” 

“I’m really happy for you, dad.” You reach out your hand and squeeze his. “I’ll remember. I promise.”

***

Ever since Frankie dropped you off Monday morning, the two of you have been texting like two middle school girls who have just gotten phones. Granted it's only Tuesday now, but you didn’t even text Robbie this much. They weren’t anything particularly deep, yet it was sweet to know that he wanted to share what he was doing during the day with you. He sent you a picture of the sun when he got to work yesterday, then a photo of the sandwich he picked up for lunch with a ‘6/10’ texted below it, and later on during the evening he sent you a picture of the moon and said ‘I thought you would like this’. Today you were a little bit surprised to see his name pop up with ‘good morning!’ next to it. Surely this meant y’all were more than just a one night stand. You spin yourself around in your desk chair as you let hundreds of ‘what if’ scenarios play out in your head. You didn’t want to assume anything, but this felt special to you. It felt really, really good. Your spinning comes to a halt when you hear your phone chime.

Frankie: I’m sorry that I can’t see you tonight because of my stupid meeting, but maybe I can make it up to you?

You: How do you plan on doing that?

Frankie: Since I can’t be there in person to make it up to you the way I really want too…I have something else up my sleeve.

You: You’re not going to tell me what it is, are you?

Frankie: Where’s the fun in that? Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it.

Before you have a chance to respond, the doorbell announces that a customer has walked in. A little part of you hoped it was the man behind the screen, but you were sorely mistaken. 

“Good afternoon to my favorite receptionist in the whole gym!”

“I’m the only receptionist in the whole gym, Brunson.” Your fingers are itching to text Frankie back, but instead you direct them to your computer keys.

“That doesn’t matter, darlin’. You’d still be my favorite even if you weren’t.” 

You could tell he thought that was a real winner of a line by the smug grin on his face.

“Oh, wow. Lucky me.” You yawn as you shift your gaze to the computer screen.

“So, are you going to come see me fight this Friday? I’m sure you’ve seen me in here training for it.”

“Well, since I work here I’ll be there by default.” You say without looking up at him. “And believe it or not, I’m not actually the one training you so I have no idea what goes on behind that brick wall.”

“I need a sweet little thing like you in my corner.” He either doesn’t pick up on your annoyance or chooses to ignore it. “Waiting on me with a fresh towel to wipe my face and some water for me to drink in between rounds.”

“Would you look at that? You’re all checked in for your session! I’m sure Benny would be more than happy to see you now.” You smile sickeningly sweet. “Enjoy your workout.”

“See you soon, darlin’.” He says as he heads back.

“Not if I can help it.” You mutter under your breath.

The doorbell’s cheery jingle rings out again as soon as Brunson has thankfully left your line of sight. When you turn to face the guest, you recognize her. It’s the woman who unfortunately walked in on you telling Benny that you would kick his ass last Thursday. Her hair is a golden color and is as straight as an arrow while her eyebrows were as dark as the night sky. She was about your height and dawned what looked like very expensive workout gear. 

“Good afternoon, Ma’am! How may I help you today?”

She looks a little uncomfortable as she approaches your desk. “I’m just here to sign up for a membership actually. My friend originally recommended that I come to this gym and I liked it so much the last time I was here that I figured I would make it official.”

“That’s wonderful to hear!” You chalk her awkwardness up to this being a male dominated gym. “Let me get the paperwork for you to fill out.” You grab a pen out of your holder and then the membership document out of your desk’s filing basket and hand it to her. “Once you finish this, your physical copy of the membership card should be mailed to you in about a week's time. If you decide to pay us a visit before then, I can just check you in manually through our computer system.” 

You gesture to a few chairs placed against the front glass wall of the building for her to sit in while she works on the form. Movement from out in the parking lot catches your eye and you see a delivery man approaching the gym with an enormous vase of flowers. You watch, confused, as he walks inside. 

“I have a delivery for uhhh…” He looks down at his work tablet and looks back up as he says your name.

“That’s me. You can set them down right here if you’d like.” You wave your hand to the open left corner of your desk.

He tips his hat to you and walks out the door before you even get a chance to ask who sent them. Lucky for you, you already had a feeling who the culprit is. You stand up so you can inspect them closer. The flowers were massive lilies, but not at all like the ones you used to have on your kitchen table. These had petals that were a striking deep pink in the center that were encircled by a lighter shade of pink that eventually faded into white at the edges. Each petal also had a beautiful freckled pattern on them that was an almost mauve in color. Their scent was intoxicating. Within only a few seconds, the entire lobby smelled like a field of them. You see a small note attached to the neck of the vase by some string. 

Stargazer lilies for my estrella -Frankie

“Wow, someone must really like you.” 

“Do you really think so?” You poke your head around the bouquet to look at the woman seated across from you. “It’s still the early stage, the very early stage, for me and this guy.” Your cheeks already hurt from how hard you’re smiling. 

“By the looks of that arrangement I would definitely say so. What’s the occasion? Anniversary? Birthday?”

“Nothing like that.” You feel a mix of bashfulness and pride talking about Frankie. “We weren’t able to see each other this evening because of a work meeting he has to go to every Tuesday. He sent these to make up for it.”

“That’s so sweet! Who’s the lucky guy?”

Before you have a chance to answer, Benny walks into the lobby, but is stopped in his tracks by the newest addition to your desk.

“Did Fish send those?!”

“Yeah, he did.” You blush under his surprise. 

“I’ve never seen him act like this over someone before and I’ve known him for a long time.” Benny looks at you with genuine gratefulness in his eyes as he comes around to grab a water bottle from the mini fridge. “I fully support whatever is going on between the two of you.” He gives the top of your head a quick kiss before he rounds the brick wall again. 

“Fish?” The woman has a strange look on her face.

“Oh! It’s just a nickname of sorts that his friends have for him.”

“Interesting.” She beams as she comes up to hand you her finished paperwork.

“It was nice to talk with you,” You glance down at what she wrote. “Georgina!”

“I enjoyed it too! I’m sure I’ll see you around!”

You sit back down in your chair and, unfortunately, you miss her pulling out her phone and dialing a number because you’re busy sending Frankie a thank you text for sending you flowers that look like he plucked them out of the night sky. 

“You will never guess what just happened!” Georgina squeals into her speaker.

“Spit it out, George!” A woman barks on the other end.

“I was just at Brass Knuckles, right? Getting a membership like you asked to do? When I was signing up this delivery guy came in holding this gigantic vase of flowers for the new receptionist.” 

“Why the fuck would that concern me?”

“It should concern you because they were from Frankie, Rochelle.” 

“Did she say that explicitly?” Her tone has gone from mild annoyance to full blown anger.

“That guy Benny did. The one that runs the gym? He called him ‘fish’. That’s Frankie, right?” When Rochelle doesn’t answer right away, she presses on. “I thought the two of you were going to rekindle the relationship or something?”

“He never gave me a straightforward answer.” She grumbles. “Now I know why. George, I think it’s time that I had a little heart-to-heart with Frankie.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

{tag list: @cutesyscreenname @rsquared31 @smol-beb @bitchwitch1981 @avastrasposts @hoeslingz @saltybutteredtoast @javicstories @c-justhere @pimosworld @modernperplexity @beboldbebravethings @mxtokko @moonliqhtszn @tanzthompson @megcads @myloveistoolittle @casa-boiardi @jitterbugs927 @partyofone3413 @pedrit0-pascalit0 @golden-library @pati-et-vivere @mashomasho @lilmizmoz @angstylittlepascal @sofiparallel @selflcontrol @adriennemichelle98 @painitemoondust @pedritosgirl2000 @tpwkmera }

[sororygilmore]

my favourite eps and albums of 2024 so far ♡

[hedghost]

it’s the return of…

Pick a WOSO Player, Get a Sapphic Book Rec!

Part 4: YA (Mostly) Contempory Romance Edition

Links: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

Note: I haven’t read any of these yet so please remember to do your own research and check content warnings before reading!

Aggie Beever-Jones: Hotshot by Clare Lydon

Kathrine Kuhl: Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick

Salma Paralleulo: You Don’t Have A Shot by Racquel Marie

Grace Clinton: Gwen and Art are Not In Love by Lex Croucher

Jess Carter: Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan

Esme Morgan: The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

Zecira Musovic: Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Katrina Gorry: That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey

Kyra Cooney-Cross: It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiara

Charli Grant: Never Mine by Bryce Oakley

Khiara Keating: Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe

Hannah Hampton: Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

Esmee Brugts: Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Jule Brand: Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Daan van de Donk: Margo Zimmerman Gets The Girl by Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum

gonna do another one of these with some different/more adult genres so feel free to send in any players i haven’t done yet!

Hope you liked it! Check out the previous posts and follow for more :)

Hedge xx

[jessread-s]

✩🦄❤️Review:

These books have quickly become comfort reads of mine!

“Apprentice to the Villain” follows Evie Sage as she becomes her outrageously handsome evil overlord’s apprentice to save both him and the Kingdom of Rennedawn’s magic.

Evie and Trystan made me giddy with joy! Their romantic tension heightens as the two are put in situations they would only fantasize about. I was left feeling satisfied and not (in a good way because I don’t want this series to end!) as they inched closer towards coupledom. While the slow burn is truly infuriating, there is nothing I would not endure for them.

I really appreciate how Maehrer leans into the found family element with this book. The added points-of-view shed light on the backstories of characters new and old. Learning more about what Evie went through as a child and the sacrifices she had to make informed my understanding of her character and the growth she underwent in this story. She steps out of her comfort zone and learns new skills to embrace her new role as Trystan’s apprentice while holding on to her kind, gentle, and optimistic personality. I think that is what I love most about Evie—she never loses sight of what is important to her, her softness included!

This series is so ridiculously fun and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 3!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

the absolute Experience of hearing booktok describe one book as THE best five star read you've ever seen that you'll wanna read over and over and over again and then actually trying it and realizing you'd literally eat glass if it meant you got back everything you wasted on it

[coffin-flop]

(alt text: in the background is the Disability Pride Flag, in front of that is the book covers of: Out on a Limb; The Luis Ortega Survival Club, True Biz, Blackwater, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, and The Heart Principal)

It's Disability Pride Month! Here are just a few books I really liked that would be fitting to read this month :)

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young - a contemporary romance where a one night stand leads to a pregnancy they decide to navigate together (and both love interests have limb differences)

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes - a ya novel about a largely non-speaking autistic teen who's raped by a boy she thought was her friend, who grows a community of people who help one another along a path of revenge and healing

True Biz by Sara Nović - a book about several students and an administrator at River Valley School for the Deaf navigating changes in their lives and their sense of community, and fighting for their autonomy.

Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham a YA graphic novel about a badboy teen jock, a quiet boy with an autoimmune disorder, and the spooky things that live in their town. Werewolves and cute romance included.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - a YA historical fiction horror which takes place in an alternate 1883 London where violet-eyed mediums (men) commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society. When a trans autistic boy is diagnosed with Veil sickness, a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness, he's shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School, where the ghosts of missing students beg for his help. even tho it's ya, it is horror and the themes are very heavy- check out trigger warnings.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang is about Anna, who is facing career burnout in a flakey relationship, embracing an open relationship at her longtime boyfriend's suggestion. Instead of the string of one night stands she planned on, she finds someone who accepts her and helps her understand herself. Their relationship is derailed when a family emergency puts even more weight on Anna's shoulders until she finally has to care for herself. This is a contemporary romance, but the subject matter is pretty heavy and the protagonist experiences a prolonged period of autistic burnout

[notsominx]

Did anyone else wanted more from Henry in Icebreaker by Hannah Grace?? Just me? Because he was such a sweet nonchalant character. He was a really good side character. And Although he wasn’t for the storyline, he did when my heart a whole lot!!! After I finished Icebreaker, I felt over dizzy for Henry. Till now I cannot stop thinking about what more can he be. I want to write a character like Henry. Speaking of character, Hannah is really great at writing. And character development is amazing! Such a good author!

[rainkays]

HORROR RECS FOR YOUR FAV UD CHARACTER!

(this came to me while watching the descent because it’s so sam coded so shoutout to all my horror lovers that are obsessed with until dawn i ❤️ u & these are mostly based on movies i either think the characters would like/ have their vibes <33 i would love to do this for other games (tq or lis) so lmk if any of you would be interested in seeing that!!)

(JESS) black christmas, ginger snaps, jawbreaker, sorority row, i know what you did last summer

(SAM) the descent, final destination 2, you’re next, ready or not, the strangers (2008)

(EMILY) X, urban legend, scream 3, drag me to hell, jennifer’s body

(ASH) paranormal activity, lisa frankenstein, shaun of the dead, killer klowns from outer space, the mist

(JOSH) blair witch project, cabin in the woods, evil dead 2, suspiria, creep

(MIKE) the lost boys, the strangers prey at night, evil dead (2013), as above so below, the shining

(CHRIS) rec, the banana splits movie, texas chainsaw 2, wrong turn, trick r treat

(MATT) nightmare on elm street 2, the reanimator, valentine, hostel, final destination (2000)

(HANNAH) carrie, saw 3, it follows, happy death day, christine

(BETH) barbarian, the exorcism of emily rose, amityville horror, hell house LLC, the orphan

[the-one-who-lambs]

OH THIS IS SUPER RANDOM but I made a new friend at the con I went to this weekend (because I'm incapable of not doing that I guESS). We were talking a bit about different fandom experiences on different social media platforms since she was on Insta and I keep my fandom stuff on Tumblr

Anyway I asked her for recs for CotL artists on insta because their algorithm is fucky and doesn't show me much so I know there are incredible talents I'm missing out on

And she listed her favorite artists and they're my mutuals. So her taste fucks hard obv. Life is so beautiful

[murasaki-cha]

Some stuff from Hannah's live on TikTok:

Evie is a Sagittarius or any fire sign. The Villain is probably a Libra. The other characters she wasn't really sure. Tatianna is probably a Virgo and Becky a Taurus, Kingsley an Aries and she wasn't sure about Blade.

There will be more Kingsley in book 2

The Villain's name is inspired from Gilmore Girls and Stardust. Evie's name spawned into Hannah's head for no reason.

Apprentice To The Villain in 2 words would be: Action and Tension

Hannah listened to "So Close" from the Enchanted movie soundtrack while writing the dance scene with Evie and The Villain in book one

Evie and The Villain are definitely inspired by Olicity from Arrow

Kingsley's favorite hobby is eavesdropping

[saintmachina]

Do you have any favorite traditional fantasy novels? I’ve read the Kushiel’s Dart & Captive Prince series and am on the lookout for more.

Those are two of the series I would have recommended! To be honest, I haven't read a lot of traditional (I assume you mean classic second world adventure fantasy) fantasy since i was teen: I tend to be more drawn to contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, weird fiction, slipstream, and similar genres right now. But I'm leaning back into reading some of the classics as I go.

I read a good chunk of Mistborn and loved the magic system and the worldbuilding and just stopped because I had trouble connecting to the characters, so that might be a good book for another reader. I of course love Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicle's books but those are more gothic fiction, hmm....Honestly I think Hannah's Whitten's Nightshade Crown series captures the feel and sweep of classic fantasy with a super lush, atmospheric, romantic twist. Similar, The Seven Deaths of the Saint by Alix Harrow is yes, experimental and a bit more literary, but you cannot tell me it doesn't capture the mythic, world-ending, out-of-time quality of classic fantasy.

[thetypedwriter]

The Women Book Review

The Women by Kristin Hannah Book Review

I have been tasked with yet another book club book. 

I am in the era of book clubs apparently (and I’m not complaining). 

The Women by Kristin Hannah is another example of a book I would never normally read. It’s not YA and it’s about war. In general, I’m not the biggest fan of fighting or bloodshot which usually discounts any war books.

However, since I had to read this for my school book club and it's from the perspective of a female nurse during the Vietnam War instead of a soldier, I was cautiously optimistic. 

Turns out, I really enjoyed it. 

For people like me, people who don’t like war or fighting or bloodshed, this book is not for you. That being said, I thought The Women offered a fascinating take on a historic event but told from the view of a group largely marginalized and forgotten: women. 

Namely, the novel follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath and her story of becoming a hero by serving as a nurse in the Vietnam War following the death of her older brother, Finley.

Wanting to make her parents’ proud and get her photo tacked onto her fathers’ hero wall, Frankie enlists as a nurse without any training or experience. 

Naive and doe-eyed from her coddled life on Coronado Island, California, Frankie finds out very quickly that life in a war is worlds away from the country clubs and sparkling oceans from home. 

With soldiers and civilians alike coming in with chest wounds, missing limbs, and burned bodies, Frankie quickly casts away the shell of her former self and adapts to life in ‘Nam. She grows and learns and leans into her one passion: nursing. 

The first half of the book is about Frankie’s years in Vietnam and the horrendous things that she witnesses and deals with on a daily basis. The details are…atrocious.

As a book about war, this was expected, but still harrowing. To read about the appalling wounds and injuries that American soldiers and Vietnam villagers suffered and endured are heart-wrenching beyond belief. 

It was almost as much of a relief to me as a reader as it was to Frankie when she finishes her second tour in Vietnam and goes home, a concept that seemed as far away and as foreign as Vietnam once seemed to a sheltered girl in the 1960’s. 

The whole second half of the book is almost as terrible as the first, but in a less gruesome sense. Frankie’s life since coming back is less than ideal…

Being assaulted at home with anti-war sentiments, people calling her a baby killer, her parents telling their Coronado community that she’s been away in Florence, people unwilling or hesitant to talk about the war, and on and on it goes. 

Frankie, who expected people to be proud of her, drowns instead in her own shame and suffering, sending her down a dark spiral accompanied by addiction, drunk driving, and the betrayal of her own morals, values, and beliefs. 

All in all, The Women is exactly what you would expect of a war novel. It includes grisly injuries beyond most people’s imaginations, the struggle to reintegrate into one’s life back home, the pull of addiction in order to numb the pain and nightmares, and the eventual finding of one’s self in the aftermath of so much pain and suffering. 

The one special caveat of this book, is, as its namesake suggests, about the women. Over and over again in the novel a variety of people say, “There were no women in Vietnam.”

Lies. There were women. Important, significant, brave women who made a difference. 

This book is their legacy, one that will never be forgotten. 

Recommendation: War books are not my cup of tea. The fighting, the sadness, the agony—it’s usually too gut-wrenching for me to consume. However, The Women is such an important tale detailing the heroic women of the Vietnam War, their contributions, and their lives.

This book taught me so much, as well as deeply saddened me to know that such a horrific event took place in human history that cost countless precious lives. 

This is not a book I picked up willingly and I probably won’t read another war book for some time (or ever), but I appreciated all that I learned. It showed me how fleeting life is and made me grateful for the life I have now. 

Any book that can remind me of my own mortality (and make me cry) is pretty powerful in my opinion. 

Score: 7/10

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩☁️💜Review:

Henry Turner and Halle Jacobs are my everything!

“Daydream” follows Henry Turner, the captain of the hockey team, and Halle Jacobs, and aspiring author, as they strike a deal amongst themselves to overcome their respective challenges in a difficult year. In exchange for being Henry’s private tutor to help him maintain his good academic standing, he will give Halle new experiences to beat her writer’s block. They just need to stick to their rule book. Simple enough…right?

First and foremost — Hannah Grace, just in case anyone hasn’t told you this yet, “Daydream” WAS worth waiting for! It is beautifully written and will be held close to my heart from this point forward. 

As an eldest daughter, I heavily related to Halle and her people-pleasing tendencies. The loneliness that stemmed from taking on so much and putting everyone else first truly made my heart ache. 

Henry faces many obstacles of his own, like the pressure he puts on himself to be a good team captain. I appreciate the way Grace portrays his neurodivergence. It felt realistic and she handles it with care, which is so important in terms of representation. I enjoyed reading from his perspective and learned a lot from how he views the world and processes conflict. 

I adore Henry and Halle’s dynamic. Henry puts Halle first and Halle, having a sister with an ADHD diagnosis, makes every effort to understand Henry and his needs. She is very observant of his body language and gives him space when he needs to sort through his feelings. I especially love the pacing of this book surrounding Henry and Halle’s physical intimacy. Halle had a lot of anxiety surrounding it due to her previous relationship and Henry was so patient with her. He made sure to be respectful of her timeline, ask for consent, and check in with her. Throughout the book they maintain a healthy relationship by being open and honest with each other. Not only is it heartwarming, but it contributes to their insane chemistry! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph