#i couldn't find any clothes that looked like harveys so

[harveyguilleniconodelamoda]

Photoshoot: Spring Style

Spring is in and those of us who hate the cold are celebrating! I'm also celebrating because Harvey recently posted this gorgeous photoshoot he did with Toronto-based photographer Kye Mack (Instagram, website), where he's sporting a very springy outfit, and the vibes are immaculate.

Warm Pallet, Cool Vibes

I'll be honest, spring is also not my favorite season. I'm not a spring hater, but I much prefer the in-your-face heat and brightness of summer or the cool, golden crispness of fall to anything spring has to offer. Also, I have allergies, so the months of March to May must be enjoyed through a haze of heavy-duty antihistamines. But I digress!

One other thing I'm not usually crazy about in spring is the fashion. Spring tends to be when the pastels and cool tones dominate, and I'm simply not a fan. Lilac, coral, mint...I like my colors saturated and on the neutral to warm side, what can I say?

All that being said, I love this outfit! The crocheted top seems so breezy and comfortable, and those warm colors look amazing on Harvey. The stripes add definition and structure, with their placement almost evoking the "cartoon in real life" trend which has been all over artistic spaces from makeup to clothing to cake decoration.

Against the warm, almost autumnal colors of the shirt, the bright pop of teal from the slacks really stands out. The choice of a bright, jewel-toned shade is so perfect to match with the warmth of the shirt's pallet while still pulling those warm tones more toward the beach than toward falling leaves and pumpkin spice.

Hair & Makeup

For the grooming in this shoot, Harvey credits Toronto-based makeup artist Holly Jones (Instagram, website), who describes herself as "a firm believer that makeup has no boundaries" and only uses "cruelty free brands and brands that cater to any age, ethnicity or gender."

I love that! I feel like this is another great example of the way that Harvey consistently works with artists who share or reflect aspects of his own style ethos. And the styling here is absolutely gorgeous! The loose, tousled curls and golden glow really sell the windblown, just-in-from-a-springtime-walk vibes.

Affordable Options

Crochet Textured Shirt - The shirt Harvey wears appears to be from Zara. It meets my "under $100" affordability requirement at $69.90 and comes in sizes up to a men's Large. The site also offers a list of options with similar vibes that go up to men's XL, with prices ranging from $45.90 to $69.90.

For the teal slacks, I couldn't determine the exact brand of the pants from the little showing in the photo, but they appear to be slacks similar in color and fabric to these from Dolce Vita Men, a brand that describes itself as "affordable luxury menswear." Their definition of affordable and mine are vastly different, however, with these pants clocking in at $1,228.08.

It was difficult to find that exact shade of jewel-toned teal in a light, warm-weather fabric, but here are some of the best matches I could find!

Teal Titans Suit Pant from Shinesty - $29.99, available in sizes up to 42-inch waist.

CONCITOR Men's Flat Front Dress Pants in Aqua Green from SolidColorPants.com - $39.99, available in sizes up to 44x32 (and I'm delighted to learn there's a site specifically for finding solid color pants!).

Collections Etc Drawstring Cargo Pocket Knit Casual Capri Pants from Target - $28.98, available in sizes up to XXL.

[barkspawn]

If you’re still doing one shot requests, could you do one for Sebastian? This is so specific, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but maybe something based around his opening sentiment of “you’re new? Why would you choose Pelican Town, of all places?” (Obvi not his exact wording, but you get it)

I think I’m projecting because I’ve found myself careening towards a similar situation as our dear farmer lol. But I think it’d be interesting nonetheless.

*also sorry for any poor English, it is not my first language >_>

It's weird. I feel like Its been 20 years lol

There's a weird space that just wants to drink my tears

Thanks again for your patience. I hope you enjoy 💜

Amelia had spent the entire week meeting mostly everyone. The only person she knew that she was missing was Robin’s son Sebastian.

He apparently hardly ever left his room except to smoke or go to the saloon on Fridays with Sam and Abigail.

Amelia went to the mines on Friday this time. She'd had a particularly difficult morning and decided to go to the mines for some ore.

Unfortunately for her, the monsters were a little extra feisty tonight. She'd eaten probably five field snacks and it was getting late anyway.

She leans against the wall in the elevator, holding her shirt to the bleeding cut on her forehead. Thankfully, she layered a camisole under her shirt for warmth in the mines. She sighed as she walked out of the entrance, her backpack slung over her shoulder.

As she crossed the footbridge, heading to make her way to the mountain path. She walked down, shifting to adjust her backpack, dropping with a yell as a figure by the lake startled her.

“Shit,” she mumbled as she realized she had to pick up a bunch of stuff, “you scared the hell out of me.”

She hadn't even seen who was there, figuring it was Linus. When she looked up, she saw a taller guy who had longer dark hair, paired with all dark clothes.

“Oh, sorry. I didn't know… Well, this is a great first impression. I'd shake your hand but, well, mud and blood.”

“Uh, do you need help or something? I can call Harvey if–”

“No, no. Sorry. Let me start over. I'm coming from the mines, where I seem to have gotten a little in over my head.”

The man failed to suppress a smirk, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette upwards, “I see that. I'm Sebastian.”

“Well, hello Sebastian. I'm Amelia.”

“Oh. You just moved in, right? Cool.”

She laughed quietly, nodding, “that's a word for it.”

He gave a small nod, his eyebrows raised, “okay, I've got to ask. Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?”

“It sounds like someone isn't the biggest fan of life here,” she laughed, shifting to adjust the cloth on her head, “it was my grandfather's farm. He died and left it to me a long time ago apparently. I lived in Zuzu… Well, it's a long story.”

He seemed to perk up at the mention of Zuzu, “what was it like living there?”

She offered a small smile, joking, “depends. Do you have an hour?”

“Well, yeah,” he responded, serious. She watched him turn to lean against the tree nearby, “I'm not asking you for personal info… I just like the idea of living there, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. But honestly? It wasn't everything I wanted it to be. I'm, well, I like to keep to myself. I thought moving to the city would be great for my independence and I could just… Have my own space.”

Sebastian nodded, like everything she was saying made perfect sense. He was listening rather intently, “sounds perfect. Why would you leave?”

“Because it ended up being overwhelming. I had a shit job because I couldn't find any that suited what I wanted to do. Rent is fucking expensive. I had to stay with two roommates and still pay 1000 gold monthly. Note that roommates are definitely not helpful if you want to be independent. It also doesn't help if the jobs pay like shit.”

Sebastian frowned, considering, “yeah, but you're still on your own. With all of those people you just blend into the crowd. I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find a studio apartment for relatively cheap.”

“I wish I could say you're right,” she sighed, pulling the shirt from her face as it was thankfully hardly bleeding now. Sebastian gave her a look as if pointing out how she looks like hell, “I'm good. Listen, if you find an apartment for that cost, you're going to be in a bad area or have to use communal bathrooms. Trust me, neither situation is worth it.” she watched as Sebastian frowned, “also, I'm sorry but that's not what being in a crowd does. In my experience, being around all of those people is terrifying. You don't know who is judging you or if someone is going to hurt or steal from you. I also just don't like being in crowds and being touched by strangers.”

There was a long pause as Sebastian lit another cigarette. He never really chain-smoked, but somehow he needed another tonight.

“That's perfectly reassuring, thanks,” Sebastian deadpanned after a long drag.

“Hey, I'm not trying to piss in your cereal or anything. I just know how it is to want something so badly that I ignore the bad.”

His eyebrow arched, a small smirk growing as she spoke. He was going to stress about Zuzu now and it's not like he could move right now anyway. So, he avoided the topic.

“Piss in my cereal?”

“You know, like ruin your day or whatever.”

“‘Piss in your cereal’ is definitely more interesting.”

Amelia laughed and shook her head looking over at him, “you know Sam warned me you'd make fun of me if you thought I was cool.”

Sebastian’s smile fell, “Sam is such an asshole,” he sighed.

Amelia laughed and held the shirt to her head again, “pleasure meeting you, Sebastian.”

She turned and gathered her backpack, hoisting it over her shoulder. She heard him mumble something, likely still embarrassed about Sam’s comment.

“Oh, and Sebastian?”

He turned, eyebrows raised, “what's up?”

“My experience in Zuzu doesn't mean yours will be the same. If you have any questions or want advice, you know where my farm is… I think.”

Sebastian paused for a long moment, “thanks, Amelia. I guess you're cool.”

She laughed and turned to leave, “thank Yoba.”

[rose-and-thorn-fanfics]

THE DARK KNIGHT FANFIC: Joker x OC (Part 7)

Lottie stood outside Wayne Tower, clutching her purse and anticipating the arrival of Rachel Dawes. A taxi cab pulled up, and the passenger door opened. A tall brunette in a tailored grey suit stepped out, smiling at Lottie. Lottie mirrored her smile, giving Rachel Dawes a hug, and sliding back into the car with her.

"So glad to meet you again!" Rachel said, her eyes shining. Lottie could see why Bruce was so attracted to her.

"Yeah! This is cool!" Lottie replied. "I've heard so much about you from Bruce."

Rachel nodded, looking away and changing the subject. "So, we haven't talked in a while. What's been going on with you? Anything fun happening at Gotham University? Any boyfriends... girlfriends...?"

"A little of both." Lottie replied, trying not to appear anxious. "Actually, the girl we're picking up downtown is my girlfriend. Her name is Maya."

"Oh? And does she get along with your boyfriend? I've heard those types of relationships are complicated to manage. You must be a busy girl!" Rachel said playfully.

Lottie laughed, nervous. "They've never met. But yeah, it is complicated."

"And they're both students from Gotham University?" You know, that's a very prestigious school. I used to go there." Miss Dawes added.

Lottie glanced out the window, watching as they passed the Gotham Empire News building. She looked back at Rachel. "I feel like you've been asking me a lot of questions. I'd love to hear a little about you!" Lottie said sweetly. 'Nosy bitch,' She thought.

Rachel studied Lottie's face for a second, then sighed. "I guess that's only fair. I admit, I was asking all those questions because a friend of mine, Lieutenant Gordon, explained to me the strange circumstances of your parents abduction. This city is full of untrustworthy people. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I'm sure Bruce feels the same."

Lottie felt her heart sink. "Lieutenant Gordon thinks I'm a suspect, doesn't he?"

"Well," Rachel said, placing her hand on Lottie's shoulder, "not exactly. He thinks maybe you got involved unknowingly with the wrong people. Your name was written in fire on the Lau Industries building."

Lottie felt her stomach turn to lead. She had to think fast or she'd appear suspicious. Lottie summoned tears and put on an act of crying from being overwhelmed. "I just don't feel safe, you know? I'm j-just so scared!"

Rachel squeezed her hand, completely buying the petite girl's performance. "I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you."

"I hate to interrupt, but we're here." The cab driver said, stopping the car in front of Maya's apartment building.

Maya ran up to the car, and opened the door and cramming into the only empty seat next to Lottie. "Oh my god, Lottie, you're crying? Who made you cry." She said, turning angrily to the cab driver. "Was it you?"

"No!" Lottie interjected quickly. "No, I'm just... extremely sensitive these days. It's nobody's fault."

Maya relaxed a bit. "Oh, ok. Well, hopefully this shopping trip will be enough to cheer you up!"

The girls arrived shortly after at one of Gotham's fanciest streets, 3rd Avenue, known for its exquisite selection of clothing stores (everything from Miu Miu to Chanel). Rachel informed Lottie while they were shopping that tomorrow night Bruce was hosting a formal fundraiser at the penthouse for Harvey Dent, and that they'd both need to find something nice to wear. Lottie browsed rack after rack of dresses, looking for anything stylish and low cut. Her goal was to bring shame and dishonor on her recently deceased parent's reputation in front of the high society of Gotham. Finally, she settled on the most expensive and revealing dark red dress she could find.

Maya laughed when she saw what Lottie had decided to wear. "You really want to make an impression, don't you?" She couldn't stop giggling. "I only wish I could come as your date. I'd love to see the shocked faces of the other guests!"

Lottie smirked. She leaned in close to Maya so Rachel couldn't hear. "You can always hack the camera and security system if you really want to witness the spectacle. I know you're good at that sort of thing..."

Maya grinned, obviously a fan of that idea. Rachel came out of the dressing room, showing the girls the dress she had picked for the party. Lottie showered her with compliments, and used the black card Bruce had given her to pay for their dresses. After shopping at many more stores, Rachel hailed a cab and they rode back to Maya's house, dropping her off, and then to Wayne Tower, saying their goodbyes. Lottie rushed to the elevator. Shopping had taken all day and it was late evening. If she wanted to get downtown for her shift at the Thrills strip club, she'd have to change quickly, especially if she didn't want to get caught.

[beantothemax]

Trousseau fic‼️‼️‼️‼️ accidentally became more of a Harvey fic while I wrote it but oh well‼️‼️ also this one is super long, I write all these inbox fics in my notes app and they're usually 2-5 pages but this one was 7 full pages‼️‼️ that's so much‼️‼️

Claude half pushed, half threw Trousseau out of the room. The apothecary fell to the floor, staying there for several seconds as he lacked the strength to stand.

When he finally stood, the world spun and his vision blurred. Bruises littering his arms made it impossible to even hold onto something for support.

Petrichor happened to pass him in the hallway, rushing to his side to help him. She always said she would remain neutral in the internal conflicts of the Moonshade order, but it was clear she favored Trousseau.

She lead him to Harvey's office, knocking on the door.

"Your pet project got hurt pretty bad, he-" she didn't get to finish her (hurtful) sentence before Harvey tore the door open.

His eyes fell on the apothecary, quickly scooping him into his arms, "thanks for the help, Petri."

She merely nodded before walking off.

Harvey shut the door behind him, setting Trousseau down on his armchair before searching the cabinets for anything that could help. One cabinet had a bottle of water and cloths. They weren't perfect, but they'd work.

He knelt beside Trousseau and dabbed the damp cloth on his wounds. The apothecary hissed at the stinging sensation, thought it clear he was in more than a bit of pain.

"He hit my head so many times. It hurts so much," Trousseau muttered.

Bruises littered his face and temple. One eye was so swollen that it was difficult to see out of it.

Claude had harmed Trousseau countless times before, but not like this. He was cruel, but he understood the severity of a concussion and refused to touch Trousseau's head. But now...

"I'll take care of him," Harvey said coldly.

"Don't kill him, Arcanette would be upset," Trousseau replied.

"I don't care what she thinks, you're more important than Vide."

Trousseau wanted to tell him not to, to remember to keep himself safe, but he was in far too much pain to argue.

With his limited knowledge of healing magic, Harvey cast a numbing spell on him, before picking him up.

"I'll hide you from Claude, so you can recover. I have a lot of work to do so if I can't check on you, then Ori or Petri will," he said.

The Moonshade order had a handful of bases around Solistia, though Lostseed was their main one. Trousseau couldn't stay in any of them, lest they wanted Claude to find him again.

There was no base in Montwise, but it wasn't safe either. Claude knew Harvey lived there, and Oboro's unhealthy habits made him frequent the arena. It was far too risky.

The last place he could think of was Conning Creek. Only him and Petrichor visited regularly, and even those visits were infrequent. Petrichor only visited to see Cateracta, and a dear friend of Harvey lived there.

Over the few days it took them to get there, Trousseau had recovered enough to stand. He tightly held Harvey's arm and leaned on him.

Harvey hesitated, but knocked on the door. There was no one else in the world who would be as willing to help him.

"Ah Harvey, it's nice to see you," Rita smiled, "and you brought a friend, is he a scholar from your conferences?"

"I suppose you could say that. Is Osvald home? I need to see him," Harvey asked hurriedly.

"Of course, he's in his study," she smiled.

Harvey thanked her as she shut the door. Him and Trousseau walked the last few meters to the decorated cave Osvald loved so dearly.

"Osvald? It's me, Harvey," the scholar said as he entered.

Osvald looked up from his paper just in time to see Harvey descend the final few steps, with the exhausted and injured Trousseau in tow.

"Who's this?" he asked.

Harvey sat Trousseau down on the stairs before approaching Osvald.

"His name is Trousseau," Harvey started, "I've gotten myself mixed up in a horrible mess, I just need you to help my friend recover for a week or two while I get some stuff sorted out."

Naturally, that explanation wasn't enough for Osvald's chronically curious mind. Harvey groaned internally at the idea of answering all of Osvald's, sometimes scarily specific, questions.

"What kind of mess? Is it anything I can help with?" he asked.

"I- it's a long explanation," Harvey said.

Osvald thought a while, but sighed.

"We have space in the attic and spare bedding, so he can stay there. Rita can help him settle in, then you're telling me everything about this mess."

Harvey nearly hugged him and cried with relief, but he'd learned how to keep his composure.

"Thanks, Osvald. I-I really can't explain how much this means to me," he said.

Osvald smiled, "of course, anything for a dear friend."

gonna need Claude to stand in this large X I’ve painted onto the ground here. don’t mind the rope I’m holding.

SERIOUSLY WHAT TBE FUCK. WHAT RHE FUCK. HATE HIM. HATE HIM SO MUCH. god Harvey better ‘take care’ of claude and it better involve at least one gun

osvald asking no questions (at first at least) about taking trousseau in is very sweet though. yet another parental figure to add to the list (two, including rita!)

also let harvey and osvald hug. they both need one I think.

you never fail to deliver the Emotions pie this certianly hurt…

[daedalusdavinci]

2023 Tumblr Top Ten

1. 139 notes - Aug 20 2023

2. 82 notes - May 6 2023

MY Davekat Fic Recs

3. 78 notes - May 6 2023

Superbat Fic Recs

4. 55 notes - May 10 2023

Q: 42. Foolish - twobats

Bruce awoke with panic flaring in his chest. There had been a hand on his shoulder. Alfred and the kids knew better than that, and so instinct took over, grabbing the offending arm and yanking. Before he was even fully awake, Bruce had rolled and pinned a man underneath him, an arm drawn back to knock him out. “Wait, wait, wait, Bruce-" Bruce blinked hard, and in the darkness, the details of the figure started to come together. Harvey- or was it Two Face? had one hand pinned above his head, the other raised defensively. "Some way to treat your bedfellows." "Dent,” Bruce breathed, letting his hand fall. He gripped his collar instead, rolling his fist into the fabric. “Why are you here?”

5. 54 notes - Feb 6 2023

Q: 7 couldn't you wait to kiss me at home with bruharv perhaps

He was old, now. Gray confused the line between white hair and dark brown, swept back and fussed with the way Harvey preferred. The skin grafts made his wrinkles look deeper on the left side of his face, clustered across his forehead and around the corners of his mouth. His glasses were sharp and square, perfectly distinguished, and his suit was a loud white and black, paired with a purple turtleneck that fit him nicely. He looked as beautiful as the day Bruce had met him, but settled into himself, finally finding balance as the years turned. Confidence looked dangerously attractive on him, but his smile was as golden warm as ever. “Harvey,” Bruce greeted, reaching for his cane to rise and meet him. “Oh, sit down, Bruce.” Harvey pushed a cup of coffee into his hand, gently forcing him back into his seat. He stooped to press a kiss against his cheek, the tilt of a smile warm against Bruce’s skin. “I just wanted to make sure you got it before it went cold. You’re running over time.”

7. 40 notes - Feb 15 2023

Q: Meaningful gestures 30. "Wow, you really did your research, huh? That's amazing..." is eating my brain because of college!Bruharvey. Like, this doesn’t have to be a prompt but just picture Harv/2-F’s reaction to seeing Bruce do research just to help them. (I can’t decide what would be better, Harv or 2-F fronting in the moment they find out.)

The stack of books on Bruce’s desk feels like an impossible tower, its shadow looming over Harvey the way his father used to during those late nights, clothes disheveled and beer still in hand. Except, it’s not like that at all. It’s huge and overwhelming, terrifying in its size, but its scary because of what it represents- not what it might do. The hit comes before Harvey ever knows he has to brace for it, finding an unguarded place in his ribs and striking straight through to his heart. The air leaves his lungs. His steps stagger. His hands feel shaky and his knees are untrustworthy, at risk of giving out beneath him at any minute. They’re just books. They’re just books. It’s what Bruce does. He inhales knowledge like his life depends on it, drawn to every bit of esoterica he can get his hands on. It shouldn’t matter. But it does.

8. 40 notes - Feb 7 2023

Q: 10) I have never been this sick before I'm sorry did I, haha this is so weird, but did I confess my love for you? f- four times? yeah? haha oh, superbats

Alfred said it was the flu. Not Ivy’s newest batch of toxin, or Tetch’s mind control, or the lasting effects of a JLA fight gone wrong, or even a stomach bug from eating Tim’s latest feeble attempt at cooking while desperately trying to practice to impress his boyfriend. It was just the plain old flu. And Bruce had never felt worse. Alfred said it probably wouldn’t have been half as bad if he hadn’t gone out to patrol in the snow, multiple times, even after being warned not to. Damian said it probably wouldn’t have been half as bad if he hadn’t insisted on testing those antitoxins on himself recently. Jason said he’d slipped a viral strand of zombie DNA into his coffee grounds the last time he swung by, and it was only after Cass pointed out the coffee grounds also would’ve poisoned half the house that he realized Jason was most certainly just fucking with him. Duke said he should probably run the tests just in case, because the freezing batcave would certainly do him a lot of good, and somehow that entirely reasonable suggestion just wound up making Alfred more frustrated than ever. And then Alfred did the unthinkable. He called in the cavalry.

9. 39 notes - May 6 2023

My Riddlebat Recs

10. 39 notes - Jan 12 2023

Snow Day

Ships: Matches Malone/Harvey Dent

AU: Harvey Dent adopts Jason Todd

Word Count: 5,537

Summary:

On cold days, particularly after long nights, there are few things better than a good, long sleep. Especially if that sleep is accompanied by a henchman who’s so much more, and a squirmy teen still freezing from the snow he didn’t dress for, despite Harvey’s warnings.

Created by TumblrTop10

[buglaur]

the calloway boys are going as stardew boys this year

[stardew-atlantis]

Three Taps (Harvey/F!Farmer oneshot)

I saw that post about the unrealistic mechanic of stardew spouses going to sleep before their farmer gets home from the mines, and I remembered that I actually wrote something like that.

Summary: Harvey waits for SJ to return from the mines, but she's too exhausted to talk to him. [Takes place in Year 2.]

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: None, lmk

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

Even underneath the warm blanket of a soft bed, Harvey felt uneasy. He tried to force himself to think about something else, reading from his journal of 'Tendon Dynamics' by the light of his bedside table lamp, but he couldn't help glancing at the clock every so often. He tried not to worry too much. She promised to be home by midnight. It was only 11:30.

SJ often told him not to wait up for her, insisting that he go to bed, and she would be home by midnight at the very latest, but he found it difficult to sleep on the nights she went to the mines.

Harvey sighed with relief when he heard the front door to the farmhouse creak open, feeling as if he could finally breathe again.

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

It was just after 1am when SJ finally got back to the farmhouse, moments away from passing out. Exhaustion had crept in long before she reached the front door. After a dreadful day in the mines, she wanted nothing more than to go straight to sleep and try to forget the fact that she came home practically empty-handed. She dropped her backpack to the floor the moment she stepped inside, shrugging off her jacket and laying it on top of the bag, too tired to bother hanging it up on the coatrack.

Rocky was nowhere to be found, most likely asleep in Zephyr and Elliott's room. He preferred sleeping upstairs. The position of the windows allowed him to lay in a sunbeam in the mornings, and their bedroom was right above the living room, so the floor was always delightfully warm from the rising heat of the fireplace.

...

SJ was surprised to find Harvey still awake when she entered their room. His eyes flicked to hers and immediately went wide with concern.

"You're back! Are you alright?" He asked, looking like he was ready to jump out of bed and perform first-aid, if necessary.

She nodded weakly, the dull ache in her head throbbing a little bit more as she did so.

"Long day?" He asked, knowing the answer.

She nodded again, shuffling to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. Despite how tired she was, she wasn't about to subject her future-self to changing the sheets if she climbed into bed with her slimy, soot covered clothes.

...

"Find anything interesting today?" Harvey asked, as SJ re-emerged in her pajamas and slowly walked around the bed to her side.

She responded with a noncommittal shrug as she removed her glasses, not even bothering to fold them before setting them down on the nightstand.

She peeled back the covers and collapsed into bed, the muscles in her back finally giving out as her head hit the soft pillow.

"Wow, that bad?" Harvey asked, his tone softening as he realized she was in no state to make conversation.

With her eyes still shut, she slid her hand across the bed to find his.

The two of them had developed a system for non-verbal communication where SJ would hold his hand and tap her thumb to respond to his questions. One tap meant yes, two meant no. It proved to be rather useful during times like this, where she was simply too tired to speak.

"Of course," Harvey said, realizing what she was trying to do, and taking her hand. "Is this better?"

One tap. Yes.

"So you're okay? You're not hurt?"

Two taps. No.

"Is that... no you're not okay? Or- sorry, should have just asked one question. Are you okay?"

Yes.

"Good. I'm glad. Just tired then?"

Yes.

"I see. Did you find any more iridium today?"

SJ had recently been tasked by Willy to help repair his boat. In order to do this, she needed a ridiculous amount of iridium to replace the old anchor. She had been going down to the mines up to four times a week in search of all the iridium ore she could find. Unfortunately, today, she didn't find any.

No.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll find some next time."

She gently stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. It was the most she could manage in terms of affection.

"Um. I know you want to go to sleep but... Are you... too tired to cuddle for a little bit?" He asked, hopefully.

SJ sighed. So that's why he was still awake.

Harvey often suffered from insomnia. Cuddling was his (and SJ's) favorite way to fall asleep. He always waited up for her on the nights she went to the mines, but it was usually SJ who crawled into his arms before Harvey had the chance to ask. She knew how guilty it made him feel to ask for things, which was why it hurt so much to say no to him. As much as she wanted to, she thought that if she moved at all, the room might never stop spinning. She hoped she would remember to tell him that in the morning.

SJ paused before reluctantly tapping his hand once again. Yes.

"Oh... alright."

She didn't even need to open her eyes to see the disappointment on his face. The ache in her heart from his response was almost worse than the pain in her head.

SJ gently squeezed his hand, an attempt at an apology.

"It's fine. Another time then."

Yes.

"I'll let you get some sleep." SJ felt him press a kiss to her hand before he let go. "Good night, love."

She heard the click of the lamp as he turned it off, and the rustling of blankets as he laid down next to her.

SJ stretched out her arm again, reaching until her hand was resting flat against his chest.

"What are you doing?" Harvey chuckled.

She tapped her fingers three times. Another gesture she taught him one day while they were walking through town together, holding hands.

Harvey let out a content sigh, covering her hand with his. "I love you too."

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

Also on Ao3

[thoughtsaboutshows]

number 5 for the Christmas fluff! the one about the fire alarm 😊

Just a little fluffy college AU

Sabrina has been so excited for college when she’d first made the brave decision to go out of state.  While U Conn was nearby and Greendale University even closer, she had always felt a pull to Boston College.  It was where her parents met and Boston, Mass was where she’d spent the first year of her life.  Her first steps were taken on the University lawn where her father had become a professor.  

They had died tragically though and Sabrina had spent the next seventeen years being raised by her eclectic aunties.  They were crazy in a good way, her aunt Hilda always fluttering around the kitchen in colorful dresses and Zelda sipping a martini with her breakfast of cigarettes.  She had gotten to grow up with her goofy cousin, Ambrose, who had lost his parents too.  They were the weirdos of Greendale, but they were her family.  

When Sabrina first stepped foot on the greens of Boston College she felt a sense of coming home.  She walked around where she first walked, and was grateful and glad she was there.

That was until a blaring noise went off in her dorm room at 3 AM, waking her from blissful dreams of summers at Sweetwater River.  She quickly realized the shrieking was the fire alarm and because they’d had a drill last week, this one was likely a real fire.  

So she shot out of bed, not bothering to put anything over her shorts and camisole set before slipping on her slippers and running out the door and down the stairs.  When she exited the building and the cold gust of night air tickled her skin, she remembered it was the middle of November.  Her annoying roommate, Prudence, kept their dorm room at a toasty 75 degrees, hence the more summer-like pajama set.  While it made sense for her warm room, the tiny outfit did not bode well for the middle of the night when winter was just around the corner. 

She considered running back in for a jacket, but there were buckets of people pouring out of the door and her R.A. was standing guard at the door to make sure no one made their way back inside the building.  Plus, she could hear the sirens of a firetruck in the distance and knew that it likely wasn’t safe.  Her next thought was walking towards Roz’s dorm and crashing in her room, but she had no cell phone, no ID, and she couldn’t get into that building without a key. 

She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to get warm and closed her arms even tighter to try and cover herself when Prudence walked by and snickered at her outfit.   She really didn’t like her roommate sometimes.  Sabrina stood for a few moments wondering how bad it would actually be to go join wherever the fire was.  At least she wouldn’t be embarrassed and she’d be warm.  

A clearing of the throat broke her from her contemplative thoughts.  Nicholas Scratch had appeared out of nowhere, and he stood next to her wrapped in a warm blanket.  His hair was perfectly messy and he had those bedroom eyes, and she noticed how they darted up and down her body.  A mixture of lust and shock. 

“Spellman, what are you wearing?”  He asked her with a slight laugh poking through.  Sabrina crossed her arms even more and rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn’t help the warmth that filled her body simply because he was standing next to her.  

He was a sophomore and she had met him at the beginning of the year in one of her upper level english classes.  He had noticed her right away, her unmistakable beauty only outmatched by her quick wit and intelligence.  He knew right away when she fearlessly answered a question on the first day, the only freshman in the class, that he had to know her.  

His pursuit was direct and though she tried her best to shake him, she found she couldn’t, and that he was the only one who could hold a serious conversation with.  And no one could hold a candle to his looks or flirtatious smile.  She fell for him quickly and he helped soften the sting she once in a while still felt after Harvey dumped her at the beginning of the Summer.    

They weren’t dating, at least not yet, but she saw him almost every day either in class or in the library.  When they went out, she let him pull her on the dance floor and allowed his lips to travel to her neck more than once.  And more frequently lately, she’d allow him to bring her back to his dorm room, which she’d learned was a floor or two above her own, and let his lips explore more of her body.  Her hands that she buried in his hair acting as a steering wheel as she pushed him lower and lower.  And soon there was nothing between them, the dainty pjs she was wearing were his particular favorite to peel off of her when she’d shown up in his room unannounced just last week.  

“You know how hot Prudence keeps the room.”  Sabrina grumbled.  “In my sleepy-hazed state my brain didn’t think to grab a coat.  And since this is real, I’m probably gonna catch pneumonia and die.”  Nick laughed at her dramatics and bit his lip to keep from laughing further when she widened her beautiful brown eyes in his direction.  “You’ll have to find someone new to share your bed.”  He chuckled again, not noticing the girls around him who always seemed to be eyeing him.  She saw it though, and it filled her with insecurity and pride that she was the one he was choosing to spend his time with.  People stared at her too, and he saw it, the way her smile lit up the room and all heads turned in her direction.  

“You really think I’d let that happen?”  He teased her and bumped her hip with his own.  

“You seem pretty smug over there in your warm blanket.”

“You haven’t given me a chance to offer you to join me.”  She stared at him and raised her eyebrows as he paused with a smirk.  “So join me.”

“How do I know you’re not naked under there?”  She grumbled and turned away from him.

“You say that like it’d be a bad thing.”  He quipped and she couldn’t help but chuckle.  

“Down boy.”  She answered.  Her cheeks flushed again but a new round of goosebumps erupted on her body with another gust of wind.  It really was freezing.  Nick rolled his own eyes and tried to get her to stop her stubbornness.  

He looked at her intently and didn’t back down until she made eye contact with him.  

“Get over here, Spellman.”  He was so insistent, so warm in his delivery.  And she couldn't’ take it anymore. She really was cold, but the idea of Nick wrapping his arms around her sounded better than getting warm did. 

She closed the distance and allowed him to wrap the blanket around both of them, his arms hugging her tightly to his chest.  She felt better instantly, and the kiss he placed on top of her head surely helped.  She ran her hands up and down his back and realized he wasn’t naked, but was wearing a set of flannel pajamas.  

“You’re not naked, Scratch.  I’m proud.”  She spoke to his chest and the rumble of his laughter brought her comfort. 

“It’s a shame really.”  She lifted her head to look at his face, which was playful and mischievous.  “They say body heat is best transferred without any clothes.”

“Hmm.”  She laid her head back on his chest.  “Good to know.”  

About twenty minutes later the residence director called out the all clear.  Someone had just burned popcorn and there wasn’t an actual fire.  Everyone started filing back into the building, Nick and Sabrina following towards the back.  He had his arm around her waist and the shared blanket was wrapped around their shoulders.  

“Want some company?”  Sabrina suggested when they made it to her floor and he turned to her to say goodbye.  He thought she wanted to sleep next to him in his bed.  Nick rubbed his face and ran a hand through her hair.  

“Now that I’m awake, I don’t know that I’ll be able to get back to bed.   I won’t be very fun to sleep next to.”

“Who said anything about sleeping?”  She bit her lip as her brown eyes darkened.  Her smirk was wicked and he was sure he was in love with her then.  “I wanna test out your body heat theory.”  

He leaned down and kissed her firmly, right there in the busy hallway as his thumbs explored the exposed skin between her shorts and shirt.  When they pulled away they were both chilled and he decided they needed to get warm.

“Lead the way, Spellman.”

[goodtimesforachange]

It's six AM and I can hear my mother getting ready for work, and she probably can hear me typing but tries not to pay attention, because she'll get angry, because I haven't been sleeping, and each time I don't sleep, she tends to get very nervous and concerned. Parts of her concerns are due to her job. A doctor - a good one - is less worried and more nervous, so she is. She's actually the best doctor I (and her patients) have ever seen, and that makes her carefree and quite hysterical. Her hysteria, before I turned into an adult and learned to love her, made me feel like I'm suffocating. That's why growing up as a teenager, I used to create various moms for myself. Lady Gaga was one of the earliest moms I had, then Marilyn, then PJ Harvey.

The smell of hot bread she just toasted spreads into the house, and I feel kind of warm. In the worst hours of my life, when I couldn't even cry to at least capture some emotions, thinking about her was the only thing which reminded me of feelings. We have contradictions. I smoke, she cries if she finds out. I clothe as I wish, she's neat and conscious about her looks. I do stuff slowly, she's always in a hurry. I'm collected, she's all over the place. The stakes between us are always high, either we fight or celebrate. That's why thinking about her, when my mind is empty and deranged, is the only thing that reminds me of living. I sit in a corner (maybe head between hands or dangling off the bed) and I imagine what she'd do if she found out, how she'd react if she knew, and I try to swallow a big fat lump, knowing that she would never, ever, let me go through any of these, if she had any slightest idea.

The door shuts close. I suddenly feel some sort of loss. I'm suddenly all alone.

[vogel-lynne]

The taste of Rebellion - chapter 18

"This recent bad weather won't go away soon..."

"And in the U.S. Trump seems to be the winner...according to the latest survey..."

Johnny turned the rigid knob of an old radio and straightened its crooked antenna until the sound became understandable, hoping to be as lucky as he was in front of that Tesco Express. He was living out of the world, though he knew Liberty were releasing many interview for their upcoming album. Like in almost every band, the singer received more attention, even if he kept his profile low, like Liam Rixton did; he was seldom featured in tabloids and never faced enormous scandals, except when he clapped back on Twitter. On the band's official website there was a wide range of t-shirts and hoodies in the merch, still fans wore tees featuring Liam's most epic tweets.

"...as a teenager my singing was lower pitched in order to sound like Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder or Jim Morrison; I believed my voice was too high and every day I prayed for that vocal development all boys go through during puberty, but still..."

When he first heard his voice, Johnny believed to be listening to a teenager, or a man in his late twenties instead of a 38 year old one who could still slay anyway, according to the legion of women who swooned over his tattoos and his attitude. Envious people declared him too thin and said his eyes made him look Asian, but he ignored haters and his stans outnumbered them. However, his Scottish accent was the feature Johnny admired the most, after his musical skills. Other band members had exotic accents as well; Gad never forgot to add a word in Hebrew and Jonathan could sing like a country man from a ghost town whereas Daniel sounded like a stereotypical citizen from eastern Europe.

Sir Stuart McGregor tried his best to use received pronunciation, like the royals, but always failed, with much amusement of Johnny and Harvey.

The radio was the only technology in Alice's house, together with a blurry cathode-Ray tube television. Their structures and noises fascinated Johnny, who could spend hours and hours simply observing them and trying to discover their mechanisms, just like Jonathan from Liberty did with computers, but he promised Alice to be always available, and so he followed her to the church and then to the newsagent's.

He was afraid somebody could recognize him. And that kept him from getting in trouble.

He was more wanted than a criminal from western films.

"In every issue" whispered Alice, astonished by all those Johnnies staring at her from magazines and papers, including the real one standing right behind her. Even hunters' monthly issues talked about him; he became a prey just like foxes and deers, and probably many dogs were trained to find him, although he lost every smell of his old house. Luckily his parents couldn't see him changing his clothes from the school uniform, that got burnt by Salamalyon's fire together with his ID and passport. The ashes were then poured in a trash bin. Nothing more than useless grey dust.

"Was your family religious?" Asked Alice during lunch time. Her eyes shone behind glasses and her hand veins and bones were visible through her pale skin. Johnny shook his head; the McGregors were among those who prayed exclusively when they needed something to go right: affairs, parties, their son's sport games or school tests.

He never felt necessary to put his life in an abstraction's invisible hands; Good and bad luck alternated randomly.

"Y' knoooow?" Alice yawned, falling asleep on her favourite armchair: "God's watching over us...for instance he wanted us to meet..." her cat ran on her lap in search of cuddles. How old was she? More than 75 for sure.

Life was extremely tiring for her and her illness didn't get any better, despite how regularly she took her pills. Silently Johnny arranged a kettle and a fine flowery tea cup using his consumed callous hands. He also explored that once happy house full of black and white photographs of a little girl growing into a good looking lady, old fashioned hats and expired cosmetics. No sign of kids or marriage; she preferred animals and even rescued a Fox kit then released in the wilderness once healed. Some old plastic flowers were disposed on a chest of drawers full of darkened sheets. The mirror was covered by a grey veil and looked like a violet ghost when Johnny tried to remove it. In his mind he started to hear smooth steps and a whisper while a whitening face materialized in front of him...

"Meow! Meow!"

A shadow on the wall brought him back to reality, as Mr Ginger broke into the room. A shiver went down his spine; the porcelain doll on the rocking chair made everything creepier, as if she could get up and stab him.

"What's up, kitty? Are you hungry?" The feline meowed insistently. Johnny filled his bowl of jelly beef, but it jumped on the motionless lady, maybe still asleep.

"Alice..."

No answer.

He gently shook her shoulder, but she fell on her right side. No pulsation in her wrists and no breath.

Nothing could wake her up.

He carried her to her bed.

At least a good deed concluded her life, unlike those who died alone after a miserable existence.

Two lonely souls from opposite generations met and found comfort in each other.

Probably she was already describing to Maryanne that young lad so similar to the man she loved.

The journey wasn't over yet.

Only its final destination was unknown.