#liz's recs

[murasaki-cha]

I am unfortunately crying over a man....

Fortunately that man is actually Wes Bennett

[malinaa]

It's death by a thousand cuts, Katara thinks. Saying goodbye to their old lives, forging ahead with whatever amalgamation of reality once they both fully remember everything, whatever reality that may be. Yet, two tethers between them will remain. Or, Five years after Katara and Zuko go missing in Ba Sing Se, Kya and Lee are found living peacefully in the Earth Kingdom countryside.

CRAZY FIC BTW. IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.

[thegeminisage]

hi liz please can you give me a spirk fic rec (besides yours, obviously i’ve already read that) (something with good spock characterization would be great!!)

HELLO sorry for taking so long to get back to you. this is haaard bc so many of my favs also involve the ot3 (bones i love you) and also i wanna make a longer rec list someday but i am going to give you just a few that come to mind first so that this doesn't languish forever in my ask box. i'm not copypasting summaries notes etc like i would for a Proper Rec List so please READ THEM read the warnings everybody always read warnings. mix of aos/tos since u didn't specify and since you read mine i'm assuming you don't mind either <3 and in no particular order. ok here we go <3

Bare Your Faces of the Veil by flippyspoon - TOS - spock gets split into human and vulcan halves and he is really dead forever (until he isnt). this one actually got me misting up, it was awful, and it's more kirk-centric, but it's really good

anchor by Sir_Bedevere - TOS - post plato's stepchildren coda. it's again mostly kirk but also very quiet and a really good comedown from All Of That

The Black Knight and the Moon by Waid - AOS - pon farr fic will absolutely fuck you up. double read the warnings on this one bc it's not just sad it's EXTREMELY upsetting, intentionally extremely upsetting, but it's probably the best characterized AOS spirk fic and most realistic thought experiment i've ever read

Grief as a four-dimensional figure by Moreta1848 - mostly AOS with some TVH elements - everyone goes back in time to try and save vulcan. GREAT spock stuff in this one. i bonus rec most of this author's stuff actually (they have an au of earth being hit instead of vulcan in aos and tos intersex spock) - a lot of it is verrry long but i read as they update so the little pieces are fine.

Cosmic Fuck series by Gayle F - 1 2 3 4 - TOS - this is just straight smut, but it's VINTAGE smut, and also first fic to feature the famous vulcan double ridges. the last one is the first ever kirk/spock/bones (sorry i know you said spirk) so it's just full of historical relevance. sometimes the smut gets a little weird (the first fic is technically a dubcon situation because of pon farr and in the last fic they get off on a tangent about toe-sucking) and since it's not tagged you do have to go in a little blind. i've only read the middle two once and don't remember them well (so i can't help you out with warnings) but i reread the last one alllll the time. it's a really refreshing writing voice and feels so different from fanfic today wrt to how it talks about sexuality. the final fic (SORRY AGAIN) stands well on its own and is actually my fav TOS fic of all time <3

[dr-lizortecho]

Liz’s Oatian wedding dress for @ajna-eye-cogitations inspired by the lovely fic How It’s (Actually) Going To Be, that imagines a better ending for our lovely leading lady <3

[mattiesgf]

OKAY IM LATE TO BETTER THAN THE MOVIES BUT OMFG I NEED A WES.

ajshdjakdhskkahd

childhood friends to enemies to friends to lovers? YES PLS

[sublimecatgalaxies]

I'm sobbing.

press the gas and ride

gif by @riley-keoughs pairing: Joel Miller x f!Reader (nicknamed Dolly) word count: 2.4k+ summary: comfort in a car warnings: hurt/comfort. smut. angst. A/N: this takes place a month after teacups, but no need to read. tlou ep 3 spoilers. this is really just trash smut. Joel Miller Masterlist

She watched Joel's expression buckle as he read the letter. His brow furrowed, the muscle in his jaw tensing. She looked away, suddenly feeling intrusive. She'd never come here with Joel. His trips to Bill were semi-frequent, but this was the first time he’d brought her. Of course, he hadn't expected this. He hadn't thought they'd be walking into a dead house. 

The fresh air through the open front door bullied the stench of rotten meat and vegetables. The dinner on the table buzzed with flies. There were starched, ironed napkins folded in triangles with lovely patterns of woodland creatures. She traced the tiny squirrel sewed into the fabric before studying the label on the wine bottle. She was intent on busying herself. She wanted to give Joel space, but he'd been more paranoid than usual since the attack a month ago. 

I don't want you out of my sight.

She hadn't stopped aching. Brutal. Horrible. She'd slaughtered two people, and her mind continued to spin with the memories of it. She was unable to remove the taste of blood from her tongue. She could not unhear the shuddering death rattle or unfeel the way the man beneath her had wriggled and then spasmed like an electrocuted rodent.  

Joel had also seemingly lost his cool that night. After he'd tucked her into bed, she'd heard him smashing up the first floor. In the morning, he'd refused to let her see what he had done and when she fell apart again (in the safety of their QZ apartment), Joel wouldn't have it.

He'd crouched so they could be eye-level, large hand cupping the back of her skull. "They got what they deserved. Nothin' more than that."

He was right, but teaching her head to stop was easier said than done. 

She scanned the dining room before settling on the mahogany cabinet full of delicate china. When she noticed the powder blue and white teacups, she winced. She couldn't escape it. Everything triggered her. She needed to learn to grow up and out of her pain because it wouldn't serve her and certainly not Joel. He bulldozed through everything, and she had to follow suit. 

Joel cleared his throat. He had stopped reading and was staring out the window, far away. She intended to bring him back to shore. 

"They have a car?" she asked, and Joel's eyes swept toward her. Inscrutable. 

"Yeah." He scraped a hand over his mouth. "Yeah."

***

Joel guided her to a guest room, instructing her to clean up and be ready in an hour.

He'd found her a box of women's clothes that she happily dug through. The very idea of new outfits felt celebratory- even if they smelled a bit stale.

The musty fabric reminded her of her grandmother's closets. She'd used to hide behind the wool coats and leather shoes, toes snug in the sea-green carpet. She'd get light-headed on mothballs. 

Her family was gone. A long time gone.

She supposed Joel was the only person who really gave a shit about her well-being. If she died, he’d have the memory of her, at least. She wouldn’t be dust.

After she showered, she yanked on a sundress and sneakers. Joel would undoubtedly say something, but she was past caring. She stared at herself in the mirror, petting the floral-print bodice. She twisted side to side, the breeze from the open window licking between her legs and under her arms. 

She thought of Bill and Frank in the next room and abruptly stopped. Morbid. Strange to be so fine rummaging through a house when two dead men were feet away. Their window was open, too, and she wondered if the sweet brush of cool air had cradled them into the next life. She stepped forward, pressing her ear against the wood. She listened, tapping her fingertips over the wallpaper. 

Silence. She tapped again. Waiting.

"What are you doing?"

She whirled around to find Joel standing in the doorway with a towel around his waist. He'd combed his wet hair back, but a single strand boyishly drifted over his forehead. The scars across his torso gleamed white under the naked afternoon sun.

"Nothing." She shifted her weight, the dress swishing with her. 

He frowned as he scrutinized her outfit. "You can't wear that."

"Because?"

"Because you can't do shit in a dress that short," he replied flatly. 

She put her hands on her hips. "Can I just wear this today? It's-fuck-it's the prettiest thing I've worn since-since I don't know." She averted her eyes, feeling childish at her reasoning.

Because I want to be beautiful for once. I want to look beautiful for you and not covered in grime, blood, and jeans, two sizes too big. 

The expression on Joel's face flickered between irritated and puzzled. She thought he might stride across the room and tear it off her. 

Once in a while, he'd give her shit about things like this-pecking at her for enjoying luxuries that didn't exist anymore. He'd call her a spoiled brat when he really wanted to tick her off. Instinctively, she knew he was doing it, so she'd snap at him, deal him back with a rough hand. 

He always won and she assumed he’d win here, as well.

She expected him to say no, but he took a breath instead. Running his hand across his chest, he massaged an old bullet wound hidden in the sparse hair before turning back into the hall. White flag. 

Then, his voice pitched so low it grazed the floor. "Fine."

***

The letter must have softened him. Repeatedly punched him until he was a tender, pliant piece of meat. He hadn't even twitched when she snatched two guns too massive for her off the basement wall or smuggled a box of wine into the car.

His hands scraped over the steering wheel when he slid into the front seat. He stared blankly at the dash and then the manicured driveway. The grass was just beginning to creep away from the lawn, encroaching onto the asphalt. 

She wasn't sure how to deal with this. He usually seemed to take death in stride. His grief was like a chalky, oversized pill, but he swallowed it nonetheless. He'd made it clear that he didn't even like Bill yet...

"I'm sorry," she offered.

"Take your feet off the dash," he ordered stiffly.

She scowled but did as she was told, figuring she didn't need to push Joel Miller’s buttons again today. She settled into her seat, hands prim in her lap as she waited for him to begin driving.

He didn't. 

He continued to sit silently, seemingly unable to turn the car on. The hand around the steering wheel tightened, his scabbed knuckles flexing and paling beneath the windshield. His nostrils flared, and she suddenly knew:

He was going to crack. He was going to burst down the middle, and he needed her. 

Abruptly, she crawled over the console, gripping him by the lapels of his button-up to balance her weight. The fresh clothes looked good on him-the plaid green shirt fit his broad frame like a glove. She nearly toppled into the door before he grasped her wrist roughly. “What are you-"

"Shh," she murmured, straddling his lap. He stared at her. 

Joel wore his grief in the creases of his face. His pain. His anger. He was beautiful to her. Sexy in a way that couldn't be understood. Older, too. Older than any man she'd ever had before, but it wasn't like she'd had that many men, to begin with. 

"I'm here," she whispered, her thighs squeezing around his own. His mouth parted, exhaling. 

She wondered what undercurrents ran beneath his skin-his armor. What did he think about? How did he see her? 

She lifted herself onto her knees, and Joel's hands automatically seized her hips. Unbuttoning his jeans, she tugged the zipper down, and his eyes found hers. Good. Coyly, she licked her palm before gripping his half-hard cock. She stroked him slow, glancing down to watch the blush-red head disappear in the circle of her fist. He shuddered, hips lifting a few inches off the leather seat. 

She intended to be fast about this. Pleasurable consolation was a language she knew Joel understood. 

“I’m going to fuck you,” she said and he shivered under her touch. He remained silent as the grave though his eyes never left hers. Perhaps, he was struck dumb by her forwardness.

She clutched his shoulder as she braced herself before sinking down and guiding him into the heat of her cunt. She'd worn the sun dress for a reason. 

Joel made a gritty, strangled noise as she took him to the hilt, lowering herself until his thighs were flush with her ass. The band of his jeans grazed her skin, the metal of the zipper catching flesh. His nostrils flared as she tightened, walls spasming because he was always a little too big. 

Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, forcing his face against her chest. He sighed deeply as she rocked forward, his fingers biting into her waist. It could hardly be called a fuck, just her grinding down and him pushing his cock upward until he couldn't claim another centimeter. 

She cradled the back of his skull, rooting her nose around his damp hair that smelled like clover and a scent she recalled from before - something generic and artificial like Irish Spring. 

Finding leverage was proving difficult, but she did her best. She rose up, keeping him halfway inside her before sliding down. Repeat. In her defense, she’d never fucked anyone in a car before.

One of her hands snuck out the open window to grasp the top of the car. It was dusty, and she had this ridiculous worry that maybe someone would crawl into the garage and bite her hand. She ripped it back to cup the side of Joel's face instead. His mouth twitched, his lids heavy like he was drunk and dazed. He didn't even care she had smeared old car dust into his beard. He'd have to shower again. She would, too, and she wanted to laugh at the strange coincidence of paving new roads in their relationship through hot showers. After all, he'd wrenched her away from a panic attack in that house outside Boston. He'd held her in the shower, mouth brushing her ear.

"You did a hell of a job."

"You did so fuckin' well, sweetheart."

She swelled from the memory of Joel's praise. She wanted to pay him back.

"I've got you," she murmured against his temple, nails tracing a line across his scalp through his thick damp grays. "I've got you, Joel."

He nodded-or she thought he did. His gestures were always so vague. Sometimes he'd hold her down and fuck her brains out while telling her how much he wanted to kill her for being stupid and acting recklessly. It would then always end with him possessively clutching her body to his.

You send mixed signals, Joel. 

What?

You said you wanted to kill me, and now you won't let me go.

I never said that. 

She felt him twitch inside her, his mouth dragging across her clavicle before he abruptly shoved the top of her dress down and latched to her nipple. He sucked it, tongue darting over the nub and causing her pussy to clench around his length.

"Sweetheart," he mumbled. 

"I know," she said. 

Their grief sat between them - a weight strung about their ankles, dragging them down to the deepest parts of whatever was left. She knew blips of his pain as he knew hers. He comforted her in the ways he understood, not necessarily with words but with actions. She could do that for him now, remind him that he had her.

She rolled her hips, and he groaned, his breath puffing against her sternum. She snagged him tighter and dug her grip into his skin like she was holding fast to a rock in a riptide. The car was so small, the steering wheel bumping against her lower back, and you could hear everything.

The rustle of fabric. The squelch of her sex and slap of skin. 

Finally, Joel planted his feet and began to drive up into her. Short, fast strokes that hit just right. It almost hurt. It gave her a belly ache, but everything else fell away. The car filled with his low, subdued grunts and her whimpers. 

He secured his arms around her waist, one hand sneaking to the base of her scalp to embed his thumb into the muscle beneath her ear. They were tangled in such a way that it would have looked like anything - they could be devouring each other, feasting on the other's throats as they fucked fast and sad.

Somewhere along the way, Joel tilted his head and demanded her mouth.

He kissed her fiercely, tongue hot and aggressive as it wrestled with hers. Exploring. "Baby," he sighed against her slippery teeth. "Fuck."

Joel, her man of few words, but just the right ones. She still didn't call him anything but his name. Nothing else fit him.

"Shit," she gasped as he delivered a harsh thrust. Stay with me. Stay focused.

Her climax paraded around her belly, kicking up dirt and shouting out toward a faceless crowd. It was turning in circles, unable to find the finish line. He was screwing her tectonic plate deep, but the friction wasn't enough for her to get off. It didn't matter. This was about him. Not her. 

He gripped her hip and shoved her down before spearing up, grinding in slow, determined circles. He left her mouth to find her throat, sucking methodically at her pulse. 

It didn't take too long after that. He grumbled something into her jaw (maybe, Dolly) before his hips stuttered beneath her. She felt him fill her, warmth blooming outward. She'd have to deal with that, but for now, she worshiped him. He lifted his face, flushed from exertion - golden, bright, and devastating as his dark eyes searched hers.

“You’re good,” she praised, pressing her lips to his chin.

When she crawled off his lap, she was sticky between her legs. He huffed, tugging at the edge of her dress as if trying to hide her modesty. 

No one's around here, Joel.

No one. It's you, and it's me. It's us. 

She was sore as fuck, like she'd been smacked in the crotch. Her orgasm was lost somewhere, hanging by a few threads, but she didn't want it. Instead, she craved the longing-the lingering frustration of her missed pleasure. She brushed her hair out of her face and smoothed her dress.

"That was-"

She was hauled back over to him. Their brows bumped, noses jamming together before Joel kissed her hard. When he finally pulled away, he asked, "You feel safe with me?"

"What kind of question-

"You feel safe with me?" he urged, hands seizing her cheeks. She wondered if it had something to do with what had happened at that house a month ago. The teacup house. Or was this because of what had been written in that letter beyond Bill and Frank's goodbyes?

She felt that if she probed, he would splinter. It wasn't her business. She told him the truth. 

Smiling, she placed her hand over his. "Yes," she assured him. "I always feel safe with you."

Joel took a breath, nodding once, before pulling away. He stabbed the keys into the ignition, twisting them north, and the car rumbled to life.

When they left the garage, she watched the walls creep over him again. 

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #598 - "Daydream Believers"

Originally posted on May 5th, 2011

Story - Liz Calkins Art - Pietre A. Valbuena

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005

wada sez: Skids’ most notable story was the Marvel Comics issue “Showdown!”, where he formed a bond (a romance?!) with the human cashier Charlene; they’re ultimately forced to part ways and return to their separate lives. Here, Charlene imagines herself in a wild west saloon; Skids imagines a Cybertronian equivalent, and they ultimately share the same fantasy of life together—the dreamlike thought-bubble effect surrounding most of these panels fades away for the final two, which I think is meant to imply that Charlene really does reunite with Skids! Rumble and Frenzy are seen arguing over whether FIBRIR or RIBFIR. A full list of songs quoted in this piece is given at the bottom of the strip, but it’s kind of small, so check below for a full list of lyricist credits and links, along with clean inks and colors.

“Let’s Get Away From It All” - Tom Adair (listen)

“Eve of Destruction” - P. F. Sloan (listen)

“Somewhere” (from West Side Story) - Stephen Sondheim (listen)

“The Yellow Rose of Texas” - traditional (listen)

“Down on the Corner” - John Fogerty (listen)

“Feelin’ Good Again” - Robert Earl Keen (listen)

“Consider Yourself” (from Oliver!) - Lionel Bart (listen)

[zephyrcove]

hi just hopping on to start that @clare-with-no-i is a genius and theogony is a masterpiece that I will never get over !!!!!!!

[murasaki-cha]

.......excuse me what the hell did I just read????

You're telling me the dream couple Wes Bennett and Liz Buxbaum BROKE UP!!?!? IS LOVE EVEN REAL ANYMORE!!??!?!?!?!

I'm legitimately so depressed right now don't talk to me

WES GET YOUR FREAKING FUTURE WIFE!!! LIZ COME AND COLLECT YOUR MAN!!

I will never emotionally recover from this news. Oh my god the playlist mankes so much sense now I hate this...

[romaevelizz]

No bc, why do I imagine Aemond lets Zhuriya choose different gemstones for his eye bc it’s a thing she loves to do and that she loves her kepa just the way he is 😭😭 now she can’t… my heart. i can see him wearing black diamond in his eye during the dance. also in solitary for his daughter, showing he is mourning for the two children that died in the hands of their grandfather 😤🤧

ugh he totally would he’s such a good dad i fear :((

[pleasantfanartist]

Alex returns from his final tour in a flag-draped pine box. Michael is willing to do whatever it takes to get him out of it. But they end up raising a lot more in that cemetery than they bargained for.

From the fic Two Ravens by @sabrinachill

[read-chill-wine]

Anti-men? 🙄

Insecure men, note the key word, tend to get big mad when they're written in a way that doesn't stroke their ego and savior complex. Anti-men is going to be a reason a lot of books I'm going to talk about are banned or challenged. It's actually a very common theme.

The argument is a book that is "anti-men" is anti-family. Perhaps if you look at it under traditional definition and close both eyes, there may be anti-family undertones, but oddly enough, family is still something humans as a species crave. We are, in our nature, pack animals and thrive best with companionship and nurturing relationships. That's why the found family trope is so popular.

[athenasparrow]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love

@liiilyevans Thank you so much Liz! I love this game!!!!

Lay All Your Love On Me (LAYLOM)

The first time Lily kisses James, he doesn't even know.

While it's not my best writing and most of it is wildly unedited, it's a very important fic for me because just publishing whatever I've had really helped me slog through some terrible writing and zero-inspiration moments. It's also the first multi-chap that I've written while publishing. I know where it's going, but the journey is on a whim!

Dancing With Our Hands Tied (DWOHT)

But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t take his eyes off her figure as she moved effortlessly in rhythm with whatever song she had playing. He learned she was wearing more than a t-shirt when she slid across the kitchen on her socks, throwing her head back to sing words James wished he could hear.

My BABY! Yeah, I loved every moment of this fic! I love this Lily and James so much that there are two sequels in the works xx

The Art of Identification

Lily, star potions pupil, can't identify Amortentia when it's staring her right in the face (or nose)

This one is a rarity; I don't usually do Hogwarts AND no smut LOL! Wrote it for @annabtg on (read: wayyyy after) her birthday and LOVED writing a twist to the normal amortentia realisation : )

The Right Door

Sirius and Remus try to set up Lily and James, but turns out they've already met

One of my very first fics that's been getting a bit of love lately! I think if I wrote it now, it would be a heck of a lot longer and more angsty, but I love it for what it is!

When The Skies Are Gray

Two strangers, one umbrella, and a little bit of fate.

One of my favourite strangers - lovers creations of mine. I love this trope and I had A LOT of fun writing this! I still giggle when I read it.

I wouldn't be a very good smut fairy if I didn't break the rules and drop this bonus pure smut fic at the bottom because that was FUN, but probs not what people are wanting rec'd lol.

Certain Satisfactions

Lily is nothing, if not determined to tease her boyfriend (be it behind closed doors or in the middle of The Great Hall).

[e-b-reads]

Books of the Spring (April-May 2024)

I started this back in June but then life got busy again...books of the summer will be out soon, but for now: here's some books I read way back in April and May that I think other people should read too!

Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli): I think I read this when I was a kid, but long enough ago that I forgot most of it. Anyway, picked it up at a thrift store to put in the camp bookshelf of free books to borrow/take, and wanted to (re)read it first. It's good! A good book for kids (or adults) to read. Silly and exaggerated in the way good middle grade fiction is, but also about racism and family and having a home. Sweet, and a good way to get you thinking.

The Right Sort of Man (Allison Montclair): Yet another first in a historical mystery series, this one following a pair of women who have started their own business in post-WWII London - a matchmaking agency. Except they also keep getting caught up in solving murder mysteries. I enjoyed it; the dialogue and actions are snappy and funny, but the characters also have and acknowledge real struggles (they go to therapy! unusual in a 1950s-set book but handled realistically). I have now read through the latest published book and look forward to more.

Tomboy (Liz Prince): A graphic novel memoir of the author's gender experiences. Not earth-shattering, but I have long enjoyed a book that makes me feel less alone in my own experience of gender. Obviously I'm not exactly Liz Prince (for one thing, based on the illustrations, she's maybe willing to wear skirts as an adult but wasn't as a kid? And I am the exact opposite) but a lot of what she had to say struck home for me. And it's good for books to exist that showcase a small part of the diverse ways people are.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Moniquill Blackgoose): This one has done some of the rounds on tumblr for sure, but I did enjoy it, and posted something about it here. An interesting fantasy world that's obviously this world but with alternate history where the Norse colonized the Americas. (And the dragons, that's different too). I don't usually reach for YA fantasy anymore, but I will be looking for the sequel to this one when it comes out.

[imdoingsortagay]

Claiming the last slot because Jen Barkley needs some love.

A Jen Barkley who has found herself with genuine feelings for you, someone who was supposed to be just another one of her many one night stands. She plans a grand date for Valentine's, wanting to be everything she's always sworn she wouldn't be (cheesey) in order to ask you to be her girlfriend. (This can be celebrated with her then taking you home wink wink nudge nudge)

I won't say ( I'm in love)

Summary: Jen surprises her friend when she talks about wanting to plan a romantic dinner for you when most of the time the woman she fucks never seem to stick

Warnings: Soft Jen? Claire again cause yes. disney songs.

a/n: omg I've fed so many people with Kathryn stuff but here's this <3

" Jennifer Barkley ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH THE FLING FROM WEEKS AGO?"

" shut the fuck up Debella," Jen tells her friend as she shoves her into the office, scared to have someone hear the other woman say that she has feelings.

Jennifer Barkley is known for being a cut throat bitch, never showing any sort of soft emotions as her only goal career wise was to move up in the political ladder. Which she’s already done, but there was something always missing from her life

A partner or someone for her to come home to besides an empty apartment and several toys to get through the night. That is until you came into her life one faithful Saturday night when all your friends were late to the bar you recommended.

It’s been going on like this for about three months between the two of you. Jennifer would text you to come fuck, she’d let you stay and you’d give her food, and help her clean around her apartment with her attempting to cook in return. It was a sort of domestic bliss if Jen had to name it but there was something always holding her back.

The fear of rejection.

While she knew you’d never hurt a fly ( you personally ask her to save the spiders in her apartment), her inner thoughts always seem to sabotage any sort of chance of Jennifer asking you out on a date.

Until now when she decided to tell Debella about her current crush on you.

“ what’s stopped you from asking her out on a date ? “

“ don’t make fun of me,” Jen mumbles as she makes her way to Claire’s desk, a bit nervous about talking about such vulnerable stuff.

“ never “

So Jen rambles onto her friend about her fears and thoughts while Claire listens. After an hour of crying, fixing her makeup, and more crying from the politician and Claire asks her friend a question she'll probably regret.

" Did you want me and Birdie to help you plan a date for them? "

" What?" Jen asks, wondering if her ears are deceiving her as Claire is never the one to ask to help with anything.

" Birdie always loves to plan our dates and I even took some of those tips too, but if you don't want her to know it's all good," she explains while Jen contemplates having the blonde bimbo in on the plan as just having Debella know already makes her nervous.

" How quickly can she plan a date for Saturday night?"

" For being a bimbo," Claire starts," my girlfriend is quick when she wants to be".

"That's what she said" Jen mumbles and she gets thrown a pillow.

" Stop acting like a dummy and come over here we got a date to plan Barkley?"

Saturday Morning

Jenny Poo: Be ready for me to get you at 12pm y/n, wear something comfy.

y/n: May I know where?

Jenny Poo: Just do it okay

y/n: Okay !!!!!!!!!!! Packing snacks too

In the couple of months that you've known the older woman, she wasn't the one to plan things out of the blue, always claiming that she thrived on having a set schedule but nonetheless, you got ready for the surprise that she has for you. Bringing some snacks that she always mentioned having in her office, humming a tune while you hope the time goes faster.

While on the other side, Jen is freaking out driving to your place, hoping that between her, Claire and Birdie have done a perfect job to impress you. Having paid closely to when you'd sleepily mumble to her about your favorite things to make this date the best thing you've ever experienced. Sure, for the most part, it was Jen who was doing all of the work as Birdie and Claire were flirting for a bit like horny teens, the outcome of last-minute planning was worth it.

Jen just hoped that it was enough to show you that she wasn't afraid to commit to you, to commit to having a relationship with you.

All the overthinking seemed to help her as she made it to your place in no time, sending you a quick text for you to come out.

Jenny Poo: Im outside your apartment honey, ready when you are

The moment you see her text pop up, you respond with a quick heart before running around your place to ensure everything is in order, double-check again then lock the door and try not to speed down the building to Jen's car.

" What did I tell you about running like a maniac to my car honey?" Jen lectures you.

" Jenny Poo it's the middle of the day and I know how to look both ways before crossing," you say as you get into her car, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.

" You gotta stop with the nickname "

" Never will Jenny Poo"

" Wait til you see what my contact name is for you honey," she mumbles to herself, while you buckle up.

" It better be something with the word ' the best' Jen"

" Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh sure," she says as she drives the both of you to the mystery location for the date. Jen was happy to see your smiling face, singing along to the playlist that you made after the second time Jen had given you a ride in her car and she had nothing playing.

Sing-alongs, talks of snacks, and more stops than Jen needed and the both of you were at the location, the older woman making sure to cover your eyes with a blindfold to take you to the surprise.

" I can close my eyes, Jen, cmon now," You while as she places the blindfold over your eyes.

" While I trust you with that baby," she starts off," this is something special I planned for you".

At what Jen said, you let Jen lead you to the location, holding her hand and humming a tune to calm her down as she's very bad at being calm around you, and at this moment the woman needed it.

After a couple more minutes of silence, Jen smiles as the both of you arrive at the far side of the park and she places you at the front of what she set up for this date.

" Are you ready for me to take off the blindfold?"

" Been waiting Jenny," you joke with her which earns an eye roll from her.

" Call me Jenny again and watch what happens when we fuck later tonight," she says sternly to you which as always, makes you shut up right away. She slowly takes off the blindfold and you are met with one of the most beautiful dates set ever, so full of flowers around the gazebo, in the middle a table full of your favorite foods that you never thought Jen would ever remember and it made you tear up a little.

" Oh god" she freaks out as she sees you start to cry," I knew this was too much, baby I didn't mean to overwhelm you my bad-"

Jen is surprised at the surprise kiss, her brain all over the place before realizing this was a happy kiss and leaning into you, not caring who passes by to see what she had planned for you.

" Fuck," you say as you pull away, to see that Jen was also starting to tear up, something you never saw from her.

" Are those happy tears Jenny? Never thought I'd see the day you cry".

" I never thought that I'd find anyone as amazing as you my little y/n, someone who makes me hopeful for a future," she says before you give her another kiss back.

She never thought in all of her years, someone would make her heart grow a bit, make her realize that someone like her would find any sort of love but she was very grateful to have found you that fateful day at the bar.

[winxwannabe]

Do you have any sparxshipping fanfict recommendation? I feel like I have read everything good out there and that there aren't many new ones.

So this anon is months old at this point, and at the time I didn't answer because I didn't really have new recs. That's no longer true, so here are the fics I'm reading now (not counting tbhtbh because that's like assigned homework):

I've gushed about Damn the Dark before, but @mira-meraki has a continuation now called Break the Silence. We're only 3 chapters in as of answering this, but it's already everything I could have hoped for in a sequel and more. It's got a post S3 team-up, we're exploring Darkar's Avalon & Shadowhaunt's overall impact on Bloom as a person, and Baltor is a simp for her the entire time. There's literally nothing to dislike. (My mind automatically equates S2 stuff with Darkar, he's not involved, I'm bad at words sometimes)

To play with a master went up post-receiving this ask, and the final chapter was just published. I've only read chapter one, but that's enough for me to recommend it. It's already been a dark, twisty road and I am full speed ahead. Beep beep, bitch.

@bloomvalyria is also working on The Dragon Queen, which I am beyond excited for just based on the prologue and the freaking comic she made for it. I don't know what's going to happen (she won't tell me) but I am ready for it.