#solid and campbells still

[deadscell]

[peachgull]

Люди в окулярах

[quietwingsinthesky]

hi, okay, sorry, returning to the worm episode, i kind of wish samuel hadn't had the worm in him when sam shot him. i wish sam just reacted too quick, got pushed too far by samuel, cause the whole time samuel is moving closer and promising to tell him everything he wants to know about the past year, sam is thinking, "i need to know but i don't want to learn it from him, what if he lies, what if it breaks my wall and im down for the count here" and look at me. look at me. i'm not even sure the worm was the thing at the front of his mind when he fired.

i think he should've shot samuel, and they should've found nothing in him, and then sam would have to live with that tension he has in the scene right afterwards, where he asks bobby if samuel wasn't a monster when he ganked him. and it's not because it would've made it easier or more right to put down when he was possessed, but because it would have made it sam doing his job. but take that away? and you've just got sam shooting his grandfather, as he was trying to do anything, throw out any line, to get sam to trust him, starting with saying he's family because that's what worked once and ending with promising to tell sam what he needs to know about the past year.

and it changes things, right? because what samuel does in that scene, if we take it sans worm, that's exactly what dean or bobby would have done to get sam to not shoot them. those are the words they would've said, 'we're family' and 'i know something that can prove you can trust me'. but samuel isn't them. and that last point is more dangerous than he realizes. samuel doesn't know about sam's wall or his seizure a few episodes ago, all he knows is that sam's got some sort of amnesia from being resouled. he's pushing a pressure point without knowing what it does. and what it does is make sam shoot.

i wish sam had had to live with that. no way to push it off onto 'samuel was possessed, it was what we had to do.' i want him to think about how he stopped dean from being too trigger-happy earlier and shooting samuel, only to do the exact same thing himself when pushed.

[robinsnest2111]

kinda missing 2012-2015 era grav3yardgirl videos, gonna queue some of my favourites up to watch over the next couple days I think :')

[ozarkthedog]

𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

summary: Declan introduces you to a friend.

pairing: Declan O’Hara x afab!reader / Rupert Campbell Black

warnings: 18+ mdni. filth. unspecified age gap. oral sex (m). Declan calls the shots. fingering. edging. no m/m. slight anal play. dirty talk. squirting. rough sex. Rupert pushing the boundaries aka he’s a menace. cuckhold of sorts. male masturbation. cream pie. light, barely there after care. ep 8 spoilers. w.c: 2.4k

author’s note: i'm a Declan girlie but I had to write something feat. Rupert.

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 ⋅ 𝐅𝐢𝐜 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐬 ⋅ 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭

Soft golden rays bleed through the aged windows of the O'Hara estate. Its owner, Declan, sits comfortably on a worn chair in the middle of his study. Books and papers litter the room, even on the small sofa adjacent to the chair. As the fireplace crackles, the bright orange flames warm your skin as you kneel naked between your employer's thighs.

Declan groans as he feeds you his cock. His thighs widen, as much as his unzipped trousers will allow, on the tattered chair, giving you more room to swallow him down. His heart beats steadily under his lush brown sweater as you suckle his cock while looking up at him under your lashes.

Declan enjoyed times like these when the house was empty, and he got you all to himself. With Maud gone, leaving everything to Taggie was unfair, so he caved and hired a housekeeper. Little did he realize he'd fall head over heels for you.

You both took your time dancing around one another like nervous teenagers at a school dance. Harmless flirting and late-night conversations over the meals you'd cook for him led to Declan taking matters into his own hands.

He was used to control. He enjoyed it, really. The power felt comfortable, and he had no issue wielding it.

Declan was still on edge one day after a trifling day at Coriniuim. His usual soak and cig in the tub wasn't helping. The radio was blasting ear-aching songs, and the water was getting too cold too fast, but that all changed when you walked in on him with an armful of fresh towels.

He took a chance, one that could've ended with him locked up, but you didn't run. You followed his dubious commands and let him exert his dominance, allowing him to reign over you.

Since then, you two have been inseparable.

"Ah, right on time," Declan notes, looking at the clock perched on the mantle in his study as the large front door creaks open.

Declan mentioned inviting a friend over earlier in the day, but you didn't think he meant now.

The sight of your wide doe eyes makes his gut fervently twist. He's always appreciated someone yearning after what was his, especially an individual so well-loved by the women of Rutshire.

"Don' stop, Love," Declan instructs. His Irish accent dips low as he curls a solid hand around your head when you start to draw back. Your wary, garbled sounds vibrate Declan's cock eliciting a hiss from his lips. He sends you a pensive look and keeps you locked as the steps draw near. "You know I like people ta watch, but I wan' to try somethin' new."

Your heart lodges in your throat. Declan had divulged this kink not long after the two of you began dating. It was harmless fun flirting with other men while Declan observed from the shadows like a deviant; the journalist grew feral until he could no longer hold himself back, scurrying off with you in his arms, leaving the poor target in a stupor.

No one could ever come close to Declan; you never want them to.

"I seem to have come at a rather inconvenient time, have I not?" A pondering English baritone fills the room.

Rupert Campbell Black.

With arms crossed, the affluent man leans on the rustic doorframe. He catches your uneasy gaze with a cheeky smile, prompting a wildfire in your belly.

Declan shakes his head, his thick mustache ticking excitedly, "Not at all. Come in."

You try to move again, but Declan doesn't budge an inch. Your brows knot in confusion as your hands fly to cover your exposed bits as best you can.

"Say hello, ta Rupert, Swee'heart," Declan instructs, his dark chestnut eyes alight with devilry.

Your gaze trails from the man's supple leather loafers and pressed lined slacks to the sepia colored dress shirt that exposes a svelte chest as the top two buttons are undone. Rupert oozes high society and overt confidence, the kind of man you'd go dumb even looking at.

"My, my, where has Declan been hiding you?" Rupert croons. His azure orbs fixate with dark intrigue at your naked, shivering form.

As you greet Declan's neighbor, a slight garbled noise barely registers to the men. Tauntingly, Rupert leans over and puts a hand behind his ear, "Sorry, Angel. What was that?"

Your belly flips, and butterflies flutter carelessly in the wake of being so degraded. Still, your cunt produces a wave of arousal and clenches around nothing.

Knowing he doesn't have much patience, you chance another look at Declan and wish you hadn't. His white teeth bared, and his lips pulled back into a light sneer, like a wolf facing down prey, waiting for you to heed his command.

Declan bites back a moan at the hedonic sensation of you stringing together a messy greeting for the affluent man.

Rupert snickers. "Aren't you cute."

"Thatta' girl." He praises before thrusting his length into your throat and cutting off your air.

He waits for a beat, relishing in the watery glaze that coats your eyes and how your chest heaves. Fidgety hands dig into his darkened slacks, knocking the loose ends of his belt. Drool spills down your chin and settles at the base of his cock.

"Ya know ya waited too long ta give Rupert a warm welcome." He fumes, his expression twisting lightly with displeasure.   

With a soft growl, Declan eases his grip. You fall back on your heels, a blight, coughing up spittle and trying to suck down fresh air at the same time.

"Might I say, you've got a real treasure here," Rupert leers down at your messy face and spit-soaked breasts that make your nipples shine in the light. "Lovely to meet your acquaintance."

"Though' you migh' like a taste." Declan offers, looking up at Rupert like you weren't perched at their feet, anxiously awaiting their next move.

"Would I ever." A Cheshire grin tugs at Rupert's lips. He makes a show of folding his button-down sleeves over his muscular forearms as he stalks around you.

Declan beckons you with the tilt of his head, "C'mere, Love. I ain't done wit' your mouth."

You sniffle before taking your place between his knees once more. Declan can sense your worry as Rupert traces a finger down your spine while he crouches behind you. "Don' worry abou' him. He won' do anythin' out of line."

Declan taps his bulbous crown against your swollen lips, drawing your attention away from the blue-eyed beau. His sturdy thighs are a protective shield, enveloping you like a fortress from harm.

As curious fingers tickle your sticky thighs, your lips part with a gasp, allowing Declan to thrust into your warm, wet mouth.

"Jesus Christ, she's soaked." Rupert husks as he softly skims your glistening folds. Your cunt throbs from his unfamiliar touch, coursing a frightening spark of arousal up your spine.

"She's not 'ad much experience." Declan hisses as his crown breaches the tight confines of your throat. Your hand tugs at the thick base that's peppered with dark curls, fingers barely overlapping, pumping in time with his languid thrusts across your tongue.

"You don't say." The Englishman trails off, no doubt thinking of all the crude ways he could defile you.

As you start a slow rhythm, bouncing your head up and down Declan's cock, making the older man unashamedly moan, Rupert swipes his fingers across your seam and gathers all your shiny slick, drawing it up to your clit before lazily circling the tender bud.

Bright lights erupt under your eyelids. Blood rushes south, pooling in your core, heightening your suffocating lust as your body bends to his will.

"Ah ah, Angel." Rupert tsks, grabbing hold of your wriggling hips. His grasp keeps you stock still, unable to evade his voracious touch.

The pads of Declan's fingers press into your scalp as a soft warning. "Be good ta Rupert."

Being pushed and pulled between the two older men was agony of the luscious kind. You only knew of Declan's touch, the succulent highs and lows. The amorous sublime.

A gentle hand glides over your ass before massaging the plump cheek. Your frantic cries are a mumbled mess as you're pushed higher and higher into the pleasurable abyss from Rupert's caress.

He winds two fingers into your core, cursing from your tightness, and splays his dexterous digits along your walls. His thumb lands square on your clit, swiping back and forth with prowess. "So sweet and responsive. Such a good girl." he curls his fingers along your walls, drawing pathetic noises from your chest.

Your body rolls like waves, back and forth between the two men. Rupert's teeth sink into the tender skin of your ass before a gentle tongue soothes the marks and trails down the valley of your cheeks, causing you to choke around Declan's cock.

A wad of spit lands directly on your rosebud just before a wicked tongue ravishes the tight, untouched hole.

Your belly drops at his vulgar touch. No one ever touched you there before. A heavy wave of arousal slips from your cunt as you fight the urgent need for release. Rupert moans hungrily as he laps the rim of your ass.

Your incessant wriggling alerts Declan to Rupert's perverted actions.

"What'd I say, ya daft cunt?" Declan fumes. His mustache twitches as he shoots daggers at the man posed behind you.

Rupert swirls his tongue one final time before leaving your rosebud with a loud pop. "Sorry, chap. I forgot you haven't filled all her holes yet." The tug of his lips says otherwise.

Declan mumbles under his breath and leans back in his chair, focusing on you. "What'a fuckin' sight," he grunts, yanking your tear-coated face off his girth. His large hand completely cups the side of your face, making you feel like a doll with glossy, swollen lips as he stares at you like a man possessed.

Rupert twists his wrist, and your eyes grow wide as saucers. The need to come moves to the forefront of your mind. Declan can tell you're fighting, doing everything you can to hold back as you're slowly dragged to the edge.

Your jaw goes slack, and eyelids flutter; you're willing to endure any repercussions for coming without approval, but then Declan stamps your orgasm out just as quickly as it started.

"No, no, no. Don' be greedy," he tsks, shoving your dumbstruck face back down onto his length.

With Declan's cock stretching your lips and drooling pre cum over your taste buds and Rupert curling his fingers into the spongy spot behind your clit, your nerves scream for release.

The insides of your thighs are soaked, slick from want and a need held so close yet so far away. A soft cry falls from your spit-stained lips as Declan snatches your head off his cock and curves a large hand under your chin, holding you like a precious piece of art.

His opaque orbs sweep across your face, wild and feral; he's on the edge of breaking but holds steady like the stubborn man he is.

"Come on, Declan, let the girl come," Rupert implores to the stoic man holding captive your utmost pleasure.

The corner of Declan's lips tilts. He knows what'll happen. He can see it in your face, how truly gone you are, how nearly close the dam is to breaking.

"Go on, show 'im what he's missin', Swee'heart." Declan encourages, finally allowing you the taste you've wanted all this time.

Your body writhes in their combined hold with unkempt ecstasy as a ravenous cry fills the large study. You come like a geyser, locking like a vice around Rupert's fingers, forcing a curse from his lips as you coat his wrist and trousers with your creamy release.

"Jesus-" Rupert moans, dark and depraved, watching with rabid fascination as your core pulses in time to the beat of his heart.

Declan gathers you into his arms, away from the still man, propping your knees on either side of his thighs. "Sit on the couch and watch," he orders a dumbstruck Rupert before easing you down on his swollen cock.

A whimper catches in your throat from the obscene stretch as his girth widens your channel for the first time that day. Declan grabs your ass and steadily bounces you on his length, helping you rise and fall since your legs have turned to jelly.

"Gone so dumb, ya can' even move," Declan mocks. Coarse whiskers chafe your skin as he nibbles your chin, pouring filthy praises against your jaw, "Still so tight. Maybe two cocks'll do the trick," he drives his girth into your exhausted body. "Wan' your pretty cunt gapin' fa' me."

The seam of his brown sweater grazes your clit on every thrust; the fibers are soft yet overstimulating, your body boils, on the verge of combusting, and there's nothing you can do.  

A low moan catches your attention, dragging you from your frenzied state. As you turn your head to find the strange noise, you see Rupert with his swollen cock in his hand, barely out of his trousers. His cock weeps, the bulbous tip pulsing red, while he sucks your juices off his glistening fingers like a man starved for days.

His animalistic gaze bores into where you and Declan connect. You can imagine how obscene it is. Declan's sticky balls thwap immorally against your ass. Sticky sounds bounce off the walls as he draws more slick from your core, staining the base of his cock in a creamy ring.

Rupert's eyes flit to yours. You silently mouth his name, playing with the man who's used the women of Rutshire like a kid with infinite toys. The subtle action pushes the posh man over the edge.

Biting his knuckles, Rupert spills over his other set with a ragged string of grunts. The image sets off a chain reaction. You follow suit, crying as you come around Declan's cock, and dragging your other half with you. Declan's thick brows furrow, groaning his ecstasy as he fills you with ropes of white.

The three of you gradually come down from the hedonistic scene. Your hearts beat to their natural rhythm as the birds outside sing a dusk setting song.

"T'was lovely to meet you, Angel," Rupert flirts, cleaning his cock with a handkerchief before tucking himself into his trousers. "Hope to see you again real soon."

"Fuck off, Rupert," Declan quips, jutting his chin toward the door.

Rupert sends you a wink before rounding the couch and exits with the fattest smile you've ever seen.

Declan mumbles under his breath and curls his arms around you. He tucks your head under his chin, letting you unwind comfortably before the crackling fire.

"Was that okay, Swee'heart?" Declan's asks with softened eyes.

With a satisfied sigh, you snuggle deeper into his hold, seeking the warmth and protective embrace he can only give. "More than."

feel free to scream at me -> 💌

reblogs & comments are extremely appreciated! follow @ozzieslibrary for new fic updates!

[emjayewrites]

ghost in the machine • jobe bellingham - part ii

SYNOPSIS: What started off as something casual, Jobe now finds himself developing feelings that he is unable to shake.

PAIRINGS: Jobe Bellingham x Justine Campbell (fc: @/themiaamoore)

WARNINGS: cursing, falling in love type stuff, depictions/mentions of sex, jealous!jobe (18+ only) MINORS DNI

TAGLIST: @judesvirtual, @judesprincess, @yeea-nah, @leilaxaliel, @f1-football-fiend @bbgkoo @irishmanwhore @lettersofgold @deonn-jaelle @sucredreamer @henneseyhoe @judes-hoe @judebellenthusiast @imjustheretomanifest @greedyjudge2 @whoevenisthiz

A/N: Another one for Jobey….this is set in the Football Baes Universe. Read Hey There, Delilah to catch up. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist. Gif by @jobesbabe

The buzzer rang three times before Justine made it to her intercom. "Yeah?"

"It's cold as fuck out here," Jobe's voice crackled through the speaker.

She buzzed him in, hearing his footsteps on the stairs moments later. He appeared at her door with an overnight bag and that smile that always made her stomach flip. Their last night together before he left for England U21 duty tomorrow – two weeks of training and matches in Spain and the Netherlands.

"You know," he said, dropping his bag by her couch, "this would be easier if I had a key."

Justine inwardly groaned. Always pushing, always wanting more, even with him about to leave. "You're here for one night, not moving in."

But she let him pull her close, melting into his kiss despite herself. He felt good – solid, warm, familiar in a way that scared her. Two weeks suddenly felt like forever.

"Missed you," he murmured against her hair.

"It's been three days."

"Long three days. Gonna be a longer two weeks."

They settled into her small living room, Jobe spreading out on her couch like he belonged there. Maybe he did. She tried not to think about how empty it would feel without him.

"Love Island's on tonight," she said, curling into his side.

"Course it is." His thumb traced patterns on her arm. "You'll have to watch without me while I'm gone."

"I'll survive somehow."

But they both knew she'd miss their commentary sessions, their shared jokes about the contestants.

They ordered takeaway – Indian food that Jobe insisted on paying for despite her protests. Watched mindless TV while sharing containers of curry and naan. His spot-on impressions of the Love Island drama made her laugh, storing the sound in her memory for the lonely nights ahead.

"Stay still," she complained when he shifted to grab his phone. She'd been using his chest as a pillow.

"Demanding."

But he was smiling, that soft smile she pretended not to notice. The one that made this feel like more than what it was supposed to be.

Later, after she'd showered, she found him in her kitchen making tea. The domesticity of it hit her hard – Jobe in his joggers, moving around her space like he knew it by heart. Two weeks without this…

"Your kettle's shit," he informed her.

"Works fine for me."

"I'm buying you a new one."

"Jobe…"

"What? Can't have my girl drinking subpar tea while I'm gone."

There it was again. My girl. The casual possession in his voice that should have annoyed her but instead made her feel warm all over.

They took their tea to bed – her small double that would feel too big without him. Jobe propped against her headboard while she graded some year four writing assignments.

"This one's got potential," he said, reading over her shoulder. "Good vocabulary."

"You just like that he wrote about football."

"Smart kid. Maybe I'll scout him when I'm back."

Everything felt so natural. Too natural. The way he'd grab papers about to fall, how he knew exactly how she liked her tea, the casual kisses he'd press to her temple while she worked. Two weeks without this routine they'd somehow fallen into.

This wasn't what she'd signed up for. Wasn't what she'd agreed to when they decided to be exclusive. But watching him scroll through his phone, completely at ease in her bed, she couldn't remember why she was fighting it so hard.

"You're thinking too loud," he said without looking up.

"Just thinking about your matches."

His knowing smile made her heart skip. "I'll call every night."

"You don't have to."

"Want to."

They fell asleep with her papers scattered around them, Love Island playing quietly on her laptop. Jobe's arm around her waist, his breath steady against her neck. She tried not to count the nights until he'd be back.

Morning came too soon. Justine woke to find Jobe already up, making coffee in her kitchen. He'd found the good mugs – the ones she usually saved for special occasions.

"Your coffee's as shit as your kettle," he called out.

"Oi, my coffee's fine."

But he was right – the fancy beans he'd brought made her usual instant taste like dirt. Another thing she'd miss.

"Bus leaves at three," he said over breakfast. "But I could come see you when I'm back? After your placement review?"

And there it was again – plans, future, feelings she wasn't ready to name.

"We'll see."

His eyes held hers for a long moment. "Yeah, we will."

When he left that morning, his goodbye kiss lingered. Like he was trying to say something without words. Something she wasn't ready to hear.

Later, alone in her flat that somehow felt too quiet already, Justine tried to focus on lesson plans. But her mind kept drifting to Jobe – how right he looked in her space, how empty it felt without him.

This isn't what you wanted, she reminded herself. But increasingly, those carefully laid plans felt less important than the way her heart jumped when he called, the way his smile made everything else fade away.

Maybe some plans were meant to be broken. Maybe some risks were worth taking.

But not yet. Not until she was sure. Not until the fear of falling for him was less terrifying than the thought of losing him.

For now, she had a teaching review to focus on, a career to build. Everything else could wait.

Even if waiting felt increasingly impossible.

Her phone buzzed – Jobe, letting her know he'd made it to the training center safe. Her heart did that stupid flip again.

Call you later?

Course. Miss you already x

Yeah. These two weeks were going to be harder than she'd thought.

_______________________________________________

The flowers had been the last straw. A massive bouquet was delivered to her flat after she'd mentioned her stress over her upcoming placement review – it is the kind of gesture that screamed "boyfriend" not "exclusive friends with benefits." That's why Bella was here now, squished beside her in an Uber heading to The Den for Jobe's match against Millwall, ready to be the voice of reason Justine desperately needed.

Jobe's increased calls were one thing. She could handle the late-night conversations that stretched until one of them fell asleep, especially since they didn't see each other due to him playing for England's U21 team in Spain and The Netherlands. But flowers? Next thing she knew, he'd be asking her to come spend Christmas with his family.

"Explain this 'exclusive but not dating' thing again," Bella said, not looking up from her phone. "Because that sounds like dating with extra steps."

"It's just... keeping things simple. No other people involved."

"Right. And the flowers?"

"Which is exactly why you're here." Justine fidgeted with her Sunderland scarf – another gift she probably shouldn't have accepted. "I need backup."

"From what? From catching feelings?"

"Exactly."

The Den was packed, electric with match-day energy. Justine had deliberately chosen to sit near the back of the family section, putting physical distance between her and where Jobe would be playing. The fact that he'd looked genuinely hurt when she declined to stay at his team hotel was exactly why she needed Bella here – her friend would keep her from making emotional decisions.

When Jobe took the pitch for warm-ups, Justine pretended to be fascinated by her phone. Definitely wasn't watching how his kit fit him perfectly, or how his smile lit up when he spotted her in the stands.

"You're not fooling anyone," Bella smirked.

"Shut up."

The match kicked off intensely. Sunderland dominated possession early, but Millwall kept fighting back. Justine found herself tracking Jobe's movements despite her best efforts to maintain disinterest. When he went down after a particularly hard tackle, her heart stopped until he bounced back up.

This is exactly what you're not supposed to do, she scolded herself.

Sunderland's winner came in the 89th minute. Justine jumped up cheering before she could stop herself, earning a knowing look from Bella that made her sink back into her seat.

"Man's fit though," Bella commented as the final whistle blew. "Wouldn't be the worst thing, being Jobe Bellingham's girlfriend."

"That's not what you were saying in the Uber."

"Yeah, well, that was before I saw him in those shorts." Bella waggled her eyebrows. "Speaking of action..."

"Stop it."

Jobe jogged over after team celebrations, still buzzing with post-match energy. His smile when he spotted them made Justine's stomach flip – a reaction she immediately tried to suppress.

"You came," he said, like her presence was some kind of gift she'd given him.

"Course." Justine gestured to her friend, needing a buffer from that look in his eyes. "This is Bella."

"Hey!" Bella's greeting was too enthusiastic, too knowing. "Amazing game!"

"Thanks." But his attention stayed fixed on Justine. "Grab food later?"

Justine opened her mouth to decline – she'd specifically booked a separate hotel room with Bella to avoid exactly this kind of temptation – but her friend jumped in.

"She'd love to!"

The look Justine shot her could have melted steel.

Later, in their hotel room, Bella helped her get ready while defending her betrayal. "You're being ridiculous. The boy clearly likes you."

"That's the problem."

"Why? Because he's nice?"

"Because it wasn't supposed to be like this!" Justine whined. "It was supposed to be simple. Just fun. The flowers, the calls, all of it – it's too much."

"When is anything worth having simple?"

"Don't get philosophical with me while holding mascara." Justine sat up once Bella was done putting the last finishing touches on her face, and studied herself in the mirror. "I have a plan, you know? Graduate, get a proper teaching job, build my career. Boys like Jobe Bellingham don't fit into that plan."

"Plans change."

"Not mine."

Bella sighed, then moved to reapply lipgloss onto Justine's lips. "You're scared."

"I'm practical."

"You're running."

Before Justine could argue, Bella thrust a mini black dress with a slit at her. "Put this on. Let yourself have one nice evening without overthinking it."

The restaurant Jobe chose was quiet and intimate – exactly the kind of place Justine had been trying to avoid. Mood lighting, soft music, tables tucked into private corners. He looked devastating in dark jeans and a fitted shirt, making her mouth go dry.

"Your friend's... enthusiastic," he said after they ordered, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"She's the worst."

His laugh shouldn't have affected her the way it did, shouldn't have made her stomach flip. "I like that you brought her though."

"Yeah?"

"Shows you trust me enough to meet your people."

And there it was – the kind of comment that made everything complicated. Because she did trust him, more than she'd meant to. Trusted him with her body, her time, increasingly with her heart.

Don't, she warned herself. This is exactly what you were trying to avoid. Keep it casual. Keep it simple.

But watching him talk about the match, animated and gorgeous in the low light, it was hard to remember why she was fighting so hard against this. Why she was pretending the flowers hadn't made her day better, or that she didn't look forward to his late-night calls. Why she kept telling herself this was temporary when every action, every gesture, every soft look he gave her suggested otherwise.

The food was excellent, but Justine barely tasted it. She was too aware of Jobe – how his knee brushed hers under the table, how his fingers lingered when he passed her the wine list, how his eyes kept finding hers like she was magnetic north and he couldn't help but be drawn to her.

"Tell me more about your placement," he said, genuinely interested in her life in a way that made her heart ache. "The kids still giving you trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle." She smiled, remembering her year fours' antics.

"You're gonna ace that review, Jus."

Their laughter mixed with the soft music, creating a bubble that felt dangerously like belonging. When the waiter brought dessert – a chocolate soufflé they agreed to share – Jobe fed her the first bite, his eyes darkening at her satisfied hum.

"Good?"

"Mm." She licked chocolate from her lip, noting how his gaze tracked the movement.

Later, walking back to her hotel, his hand warm in hers, Justine couldn't quite silence the voice warning her about falling too deep. This wasn't part of the plan. Wasn't what she'd signed up for when they agreed to be exclusive fuck buddies.

"You could come up next weekend," he said casually. "After your placement review."

"We'll see," she said noncommittally, but her heart raced at the thought.

His goodnight kiss was soft, almost reverent. Another voice whispered that maybe plans were meant to be broken, that sometimes the best things in life were the unplanned ones.

She shut that voice down immediately. She had coursework to focus on, a teaching career to build, a life to create. The last thing she needed was to complicate everything by catching feelings for Jobe Bellingham.

_______________________________________________

Something was off about Justine this week. She'd shown up Friday night claiming she needed a break from Leeds, from thinking about her upcoming placement review. Not that Jobe was complaining – having her in his flat, wearing his clothes, making coffee in his kitchen, felt right.

But there was a distance to her, even when she was right next to him. Like she was physically present but mentally somewhere else.

The Stadium of Light hummed with pre-match energy. Sunderland versus West Brom had the stands packed, and Jobe scanned the family section during warm-ups. His parents were there, along with Jude and Lila who'd made the trip up. But no Justine.

He caught Jude's eye, mouthed: Where is she?

His brother pointed to a different section entirely. Jobe frowned. He'd specifically arranged for her to sit with his family – why would she buy a separate ticket?

The match itself was a blur of action, ending in a convincing 3-0 win for Sunderland. But Jobe's mind kept drifting to Justine's self-imposed distance, to the way she'd been pulling back lately.

The next few days would be chaos. Jude was preparing for the game against Liverpool tomorrow. Family time would be intense – dinners, catch-ups, the usual Bellingham madness. Perfect opportunity to integrate Justine more, let his family know her better. If she'd let him.

After the match, he found her waiting in their usual spot. She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Good game," she said, just as his family approached. "I should let you catch up," Justine started, but his mum wasn't having it.

"Nonsense! You're joining us for dinner."

At the restaurant, conversation flowed easily enough. Jude and Lila shared stories about Madrid, his parents talked about the upcoming Liverpool match. Then his dad dropped the bomb.

"So Justine, excited for tomorrow's game?"

She froze mid-bite. "What?"

"Liverpool," his dad continued cheerfully. "Jobe said you'd be coming with us."

Justine's eyes found his. "Did he now?"

"If you want," Jobe said carefully, noting the tension in her shoulders.

The drive back to his flat was silent. As soon as the door closed behind them, Justine rounded on him.

"Were you planning to tell me about Liverpool?" Her voice was controlled, but her eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm telling you now."

"That's not the point, Jobe!" She paced his living room, agitation evident in every movement. "You can't just... make plans for me. Decide things without asking."

"Why not? We've been hanging out loads anyway. You're here most weekends—"

"Because we're just fucking!" The words exploded from her, filling the space between them. "This isn't – we're not –"

"Aren't we?" He stepped closer, frustration making his accent thicker. "Would it be so bad if we were? If this was actually something?"

"We're both busy as fuck—"

"So are Jude and Lila. They make it work."

"Lila has money!" Justine threw up her hands, her Jamaican accent becoming more pronounced. "She can hop on a plane whenever she wants, visit Jude between matches. I can't."

"I'll pay—"

"No." She cut him off firmly, taking a step back. "I'll go tomorrow. For your parents, not you. But after that... we need time apart. Think things through without sex clouding everything." She turned toward the guest room, shoulders tense. "I'm sleeping in here tonight."

"Justine." Her name came out rough, angry. She was invalidating everything – his growing feelings, their potential, all of it.

But she closed the door without looking back.

Jobe stared at the wooden barrier between them, knowing better than to follow. Justine was bullheaded – shit, just like him. Better to let her sleep it off, even if every instinct screamed to go after her.

Tomorrow would be interesting, to say the least.

The next morning, his mum caught him before they left for the Liverpool match. She'd noticed the tension between them at breakfast, how Justine had kept her distance.

"Give her space," his mother advised, straightening his collar like she had when he was small. "Girls like Justine... they need to come to things in their own time."

"What if she doesn't?"

His mum's smile was knowing. "She will. Some things are worth waiting for."

The match itself was insane – Liverpool versus Real Madrid always brought out the fans. Justine sat with his family this time, but the careful space she maintained between them felt like miles.

Watching her laugh at something Lila said, relaxed despite everything, Jobe realized his mum might be right. Maybe some things need time. Maybe pushing would only make Justine run faster.

Still hurt though, watching her build walls he'd thought they'd moved past.

Just fucking, her words echoed in his head. As if that's all this was. As if the late-night calls, the shared meals, the way she fit into his life, meant nothing.

But his mum's words came back too. Some things are worth waiting for.

TO BE CONTINUED....

My apologies for this short chapter; didn't want to make it too long and had to split it up.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Fall Wardrobe Essentials

Staple Tees:

**Purchase in Modal, Pima cotton, or a cotton-cashmere blend**

Fitted crewneck tees (long-sleeves/tees & tanks for layering)

Relaxed fit long-sleeve tees

Turtleneck long-sleeve top (fitted & relaxed fit options)

Contour bodysuits

Blouses/Shirting:

Silk button-down blouse

Cotton button-down blouse

Silk shell top/t-shirts/camis (for layering)

Sculpt knit top(s)

Self-tie wrap blouse

Shirred boatneck, mock neck, or cowlneck silk blouse(s)

Leather button-down

Knitwear:

Thin cashmere/wool crewneck sweater (fitted/relaxed fit)

Thin cashmere/wool turtleneck sweater

Chunky relaxed-fit cable knit sweater

Knit polo-neck sweater

Cashmere sweater vest (crewneck, v-neck, and/or turtleneck)

Mockneck cashmere/wool sweater

Cashmere long-sleeve sweater dress

Cashmere/knit skirt (mini, midi, or maxi - depending on your personal preferences)

Sophisticated coordinating knit set (top/pants or skirt of your choice)

Casual knit set (top/pullover and relaxed fit pants)

Cashmere cardigan

Cable knit cardigan (doubles as a light jacket)

Bottoms:

Black straight-leg jeans

Black bootcut/flared jeans

Black straight/bootcut trousers

Wide-leg trousers (I love a solid black, black pinstripe, and black with lace-up detail selection)

High-waisted leather pants

Split hem trousers

Stretch jersey/cashmere pants (straight-leg or flared)

Quilted leather/tweed mini skirt

Knit/wool mini and/pencil skirt

Leather skirt (mini or midi)

Silk midi skirt

Dresses/Jumpsuits:

Knit/sweater dress

Little black dress (shift dress/A-line cuts are great)

Blazer dress/jumpsuit

Slip dress (for layering)

Minimal black jumpsuit ("LBJ")

Leather and/or denim dress or jumpsuit

Jackets & Outerwear:

Black tailored blazer

Leather blazer

Tweed jacket

Trench coat

Leather moto/cropped/bomber jacket

Black wool coat

Raincoat ( I like Rains for high-quality options on the affordable side that are still built to last for several seasons)

Statement jacket/coat

Footwear:

Sleek flat/low-heel black boots with a pointed-toe or square-toe silhouette (I love Vagabond, Jeffrey Campbell, Vince Camuto, and Sam Edelman for more affordable, high-quality options)

Black loafers/sleek black flats

Black lace-up boots

Black heeled boots

Black pumps

White sneakers

Rain boots (I recommend the Melissa Shoes Welly/Grip/Step boots or a stylish, sustainable, and more affordable option)

Accessories:

White/black ankle & crew socks

Black control top tights

High-waisted shapewear shorts

Chunky/small chain necklaces & bracelets

Simple pendant necklace(s)

Pearl necklace

Simple diamond studs

Crystal drop earrings

Minimalist bangles

Stackable rings

A sleek, minimalist black tote (can fit a laptop for work/travel)

Black shoulder bag

Small black bag (top handle, crossbody, etc.)

Statement bag/evening bag

Cashmere scarf

Silk/decorative scarf

Fingerless/touch-screen friendly, lightweight gloves

Lingerie/Loungewear:

Seamless bra/underwear

Lace bra/underwear

Matching pullover cotton sweatshirt/sweatpants

Knit or jersey cotton top/lounge pants set

Luxurious pajama set (silk, Tencel, cashmere, etc.)

A to-die-for piece of lingerie like a lace slip/silk teddy

Silk or cozy robe

Cozy open-back slippers

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Find Your Way Back Home: Part Five

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Warnings: smut, made to feel worthless, being told you're only good for fucking and nothing else, feeling guilty for sleeping with someone else, angst

Summary: Dean left. He left to be with some other woman while you were left behind to pick up the pieces after Sam fell into the cage. Now he's back, you're not sure how he is, but he's... different. More ruthless... sexier, even. You two start your own friends-with-benefits thing until Dean comes back into your life, and all those emotions you've been repressing come shining through.

Author’s Note: This is the fifth part of six parts of the commission for @winchester-sinchester. Dean is thirty-one, the reader is twenty-three, and Sam is twenty-seven.

x

You pull your hair into a tight ponytail while staring at yourself in the mirror. You hate to say that you’re starting to not recognize the person staring back at you. She didn't ask to be this way. She got life thrust into the palm of her hands and was told to deal with it. When you first got into hunting, you didn't think you’d end up here.

Focus, Y/N. Don’t think about that. Get ready.

Whenever you go on hunts, you put your hair into a ponytail to keep it out of the way. People have told you to cut it since it’s so long but you like your hair too much to do that to it. You grab two knives off your vanity and slip them into their holsters when you feel hands on your shoulder. You close your eyes when they start to roam down your body around your curves.

If you close your eyes, you can still pretend it’s him.

He turns you in his arms and presses his lips against yours. It still feels wrong kissing him even after so much time has passed since him. Before he can distract you, you pull away from him and open your eyes. Sam stands in front of you, and no matter how hard you picture Dean, it’s always going to be Sam now.

Dean left you for the last time. He left you right after Sam fell into the cage to be with her. Lisa. Lisa fucking Braeden. In the beginning, you were hurt and confused as to why he would choose her over you. Why would he choose a woman he hasn’t seen or spoken to in eight years over the woman he’s been with since he was eighteen?

It broke your heart to see him with her, to see him be happy with her, but you told yourself this is what he chose. If that wasn’t a sign from the universe telling you to move on, you don’t know what was. He was able to so why shouldn’t you? It was a shock to find Sam roaming about after he fell into the cage, but he claims he doesn’t know how he got out. All he knows is that he fell into the cage and he woke up on solid ground.

He’s been different since came back, more ruthless, more impulsive, but you figured spending time with two archangels would do that to a person. You choose not to think too much about it because then you’re forced to think about you and Sam together which forces you to think about Dean and the decision he made without you.

“You look so good right now,” Sam whispers. He leans down and kisses your neck not-so-gently while nipping at the skin. “I could just eat you for hours.”

“We need to go on the hunt,” you sigh and tip your head back.

“I can be quick.”

Before Sam can sink to his knees, the door to the bedroom opens. You pull away from him to see Samuel Campbell, the Winchester’s grandfather, standing there with a scowl on his face.

“What’s taking so long? We need to go.”

“Yeah, we’re coming.”

You push Sam away from you and grab your gun off the vanity. Hunting had become routine since shacking up with Sam, so this is light work. You’re seriously impressed with how far you’ve come. You’re not the same scared little ten-year-old Sam and Dean met.

Hunting with Sam is a whole experience in and of itself. As you’ve mentioned before, he’s ruthless and doesn’t care who gets in his way. He will fuck up whoever he needs to fuck up without regard to who is getting in his way.

“Y/N, take Sam with you to the back end of the house. We’ll take the front. Remember, this guy is an alpha. It’ll take more than just silver to take it down,” Samuel warns.

“Got it. Shoot it with silver bullets a ton.” You turn to Sam who is already moving to the back of the house. “Sam!” You roll your eyes and quickly catch up to him. “You can’t go off on your own.”

“You’re not my keeper, Y/N. I’m just here to do the damn job.”

Damn, Hell must have really fucked him up. What happened to the young man who took everything personally and wore his heart on his sleeve? What’s in front of you now is a shell of the man you once knew. Doubt and uncertainty creep in the back of your mind but you push it down because if you confront it, you’ll have to look into why Sam is so different. That might mean drama for you. That might mean bringing Dean back into your life, and you can’t do that to yourself.

Sam takes the lead, as always, and completes the hunt in record time. He is fearless and doesn’t let the alpha’s pets stand in his way. He was gonna kill the alpha if it weren’t for Samuel asking to keep it. He claims he wants to interrogate the creature before killing it, and Sam doesn’t care enough to ask questions.

He didn’t bat an eye when Samuel took the creature away.

Sam builds up so much energy during hunts that he usually works out to get rid of it, but this time he decides to take you back to his bedroom. Since coming back, he’s never been gentle with you. All he wants is a rough fuck, and you’re delusional enough to give it to him. If you told him to stop, he would, but he feels too damn good to actually stop.

There is no prep time with him, other than checking to see if you’re dripping for him, which you are. Dean has been rough with you every once in a while which is one of your kinks. Sam must have figured it out because he loves manhandling the women he fucks.

He flips you on all fours and grabs your hips to pull your ass into the air. Underwear is no obstacle for him because he grabs the sides of the flimsy fabric and rips it into two.

“Shit, Sam. That was my favorite pair.”

“I’ll buy you more.”

He won’t. He pulls his cock out of his pants and runs the tip up and down your slit. Dean was the only one you’ve ever been bare with before Sam. It feels weird to have another man’s cock inside you when you’re still so in love with Dean. It’s a damn good thing you’re still on the pill because you’d never forgive yourself if you got pregnant with Sam’s child.

After coating his cock with your wetness, he slides into your pussy easily. He sets a hard and fast pace from the get-go, and you arch your back with your mouth in an O shape. He grabs your hair to keep your back arched as he pounds into you.

“Fuck! Sam!” you gasp.

With his free hand, he slaps your ass twice to watch it bounce. Not that he needs any help because his hips are doing a good job of it.

“Next time, I’m fucking this ass,” he grunts out.

You hate how easily he can bring you to the brim. It’s like he’s not even trying when it comes to you. He doesn’t stop after the first orgasm, no. He brings you over the edge four more times before coming himself. He’s a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure.

Dean is still on your mind but you’ve fucked Sam so much that he’s pushed all the way to the back. That’s what hunting with Sam for months on end will do to you. Dean is still living in his bubble of happiness while you try to pick up the pieces he left behind.

After months of hunting alphas and bringing them to Samuel, you finally get a break. He’s hunting the vampire alpha which is going to take time since he’s very crafty. He got word that alphas were dying so he took extra precautions to hide away. Still, that doesn’t stop Samuel from going after him.

“Hey, Sam. You got a second?” you ask.

He’s in his room working out. He’s using the rafters to do pull-ups, exposing his tanned skin and hardened abs.

“What’s up?”

“There’s a carnival in town that has laser tag. I can get tickets if you want to go with me.”

“Pass,” he grunts out and drops to the ground.

“Come on. It could be fun.”

Sam walks toward you with a smirk on his face that makes you stop talking. He towers over you and uses that intimidation to his advantage.

“Let me be perfectly clear. You’re nothing but a good fuck and that’s it. I don’t want to go on dates with you or ask you how your day is. I’ll come to you when I want you wrapped around my cock. Okay?”

He leaves the room to take a shower while you’re left in his room with a broken heart and a lump in your throat. Tears threaten to fall but you won’t let them. Dean was and is a lot of things, but he’d never treat you this way. Instead of crying like a baby about this, you push down your feelings and pick yourself up like you’ve always done.

The months slowly drag on with you doing the same thing over and over again each and every day. Go on hunts with Sam and Samuel, kill everyone but alphas, go home and fuck Sam, feel bad afterward because of it, go to sleep, and do it all over again. Before you know it, a year has passed and you’re nowhere closer to feeling like how you used to feel.

Dean is still gone and your heart is still aching. Someone with a higher power in the universe must be listening to your pain because it brought Dean to you in a way that isn’t so surprising. He tried to get out of the life but was always listening to radios, reading newspapers, and trying to hook up with hunters to see what was going on. He didn’t want to put Ben and Lisa in danger so he never brought his work home with him until he got attacked by a group of Djinn.

The reunion you’ve been hoping for didn’t go quite according to plan. Dean wasn’t so happy to find out that his brother had been alive for a year.

“You’re kidding me, right? Tell me you’re actually joking,” Dean glares at you and Sam.

“No,” Sam shakes his head.

“We didn’t want to pull you back in. You were out.”

“Pul--All I did was try to look for a way to bring you back. You’re telling me you’ve been kicking for a year now?!”

“You promised you’d leave the cage alone.”

“Fuck that. I didn’t go poking it but that didn’t stop me from trying to figure out how the hell to get my brother back. You’ve been with him this whole time?” Dean asks you.

“Yeah. I didn’t want to destroy your perfect life with Lisa.”

“Come on, don’t do that,” he sighs.

You’re already walking away from him. All the feelings you’ve suppressed for the past year come rushing out and you have to walk away before you do something you regret. Your heart aches for Dean despite the amount of time that has passed since you’ve seen him.

Once the Djinn were taken care of, Dean wanted to stay with you and Sam to continue hunting. He didn’t want to leave Lisa and Ben to fend for themselves so he spent most of his time with you only to return to them on some weekends.

Being with Sam was great when you knew Dean wasn’t going to be a problem but he’s been trying to get back into hunting so he’s around all the time. How can you continue being with Sam when you know he’s not the one you really want? He was a good distraction for what it’s worth but he’s not enough anymore.

Sam doesn’t feel the shift in your energy otherwise he’d go find someone else to fuck. All he sees you is a good lay, and there are plenty of women willing to give themselves up for one night with him. You tried hard to be into it but it’s just not happening. Dean should be back any second from Lisa’s with a packed bag and you don’t want him catching you with his brother.

The same person who brought you and Dean together after all this time must want to start drama because he walks into Samuel’s house expecting to go to bed. Instead, he finds you and Sam on the couch with you in his lap and Sam’s lips on your neck.

“Shit, Dean,” you gasp and move off Sam’s lap so fast.

It doesn’t matter how quick you are because Dean knew what was going to happen if he hadn’t walked in.

“What the hell is going on here? You’re fucking my brother?” Dean asks.

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Not anymore,” Sam shrugs.

“Shut up before I smother you with a pillow while you sleep,” you hiss.

“I don’t sleep.”

“Yeah, lucky you.”

“Y/N?” You look into Dean’s eyes and see the raw emotion in them. That causes tears to form in yours but you don’t let them fall. “Have you been sleeping with Sam this whole time?”

“Dude, you left her, like a thousand times. Fair game,” Sam smirks.

You and Dean still have your staring contest because you can’t seem to say anything that would make this better, and he can’t either. Guilt starts to weigh on your shoulders even though you did nothing to be guilty of. He left you. He moved on from you. So, why the hell do you feel like shit?

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection | Day 6: Canon Divergent

Ladies | @ididitallofitforyou Rating: General Word Count: 1,130 Main Tags/Warnings: Established Relationship Summary: The ladies in Dean and Cas' life throw them a surprise bachelor party.

Yours Again | @tami-ryver Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1,935 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Consensual Possession, Castiel Possessing Dean Winchester, Possession, Cursed Castiel (Supernatural), Gabriel is So Done (Supernatural), Castiel's True Form (Supernatural), Angel True Forms (Supernatural), Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, Wings, Angel Wings, Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Season/Series 05, Misunderstandings, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Fluff Summary: Dean just waves his hand, but stops when he can almost feel something brushing against his hand. His mouth turns into a wide smile when he realizes he is actually touching Cas' feathers. They are like silk and Dean can imagine himself being wrapped by them, luring him to sleep.

priority | @dcforts Rating: General Word Count: 2,034 Main Tags/Warnings: S15e18 Coda, Castiel's Confession Scene, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It Summary: The world is empty, he almost lost Cas again. The world is full, Cas loves him.

the edge of the devil's backbone | @cascigarette Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3,008 Main Tags/Warnings: Dean Winchester Bears the Mark of Cain, Demon Dean Winchester, Fallen Angel Castiel, Blood and Violence, Blood Drinking, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, Rough Sex, Oral Sex, Face-Fucking, Come Swallowing, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Spit as Lube, Church Sex, Angst, Porn with Feelings, Porn with Plot, Alternate Season 10, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester Summary: The demon burns, burns, burns, and the angel is a moth to the flame. Or: Dean succumbs to the Mark of Cain. Cas follows him. Whenever they cross paths, it's bloodthirsty and violent and addicting. Cas asks him to stop. Neither of them are sure if they want him to.

thank god for bruce campbell's abs | @watchinghimrakeleaves Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 3,408 Main Tags/Warnings: Human Castiel, Castiel in the Men of Letters Bunker, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Season/Series 09, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Dean decides to expose Cas to horror movies. In the process, he learns some startling things about his best friend.

What the Heart Misses | @thefandomsinhalor Rating: General Word Count: 5,546 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergent, Episode S15E14, Fluff, Sam Winchester Knows, Castiel Does Not Make A Deal With The Shadow, Dean Loves Castiel, Christmas, Gift Exchange Summary: After learning that the Winchesters and Jack celebrated Christmas with Mrs. Butters, Castiel takes the opportunity to give Dean a Christmas present. Which then prompts Dean to reflect on the nature of their bond.

a light in the dark burning brighter | Chi_Yagami (AO3) Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 6,092 Main Tags/Warnings: finale fix-it, injured Dean Winchester, hurt/comfort, confessions, kid Jack Kline, team free will at the beach, Dean finally gets his little umbrella drink Summary: Three weeks after Castiel is pulled from the Empty, when Dean can finally eat solid food and sit up in bed on his own and complain about being fussed over, Sam asks what they can do to make Dean's recovery a better experience—for everyone, Sam adds. Ducking his head, Dean admits to his brother that he still wants to go to the beach and sip on one of those little umbrella drinks in a coconut.

insi(de an)d outside | @thisisapaige Rating: Mature Word Count: 6,688 Main Tags/Warnings: Castiel as God, Angst, Alternate Season/Series 07, Sexual Tension, Castiel POV Summary: Castiel smiled. His Dean— His defiant, determined Dean— was ever the hero. Dean never gave in without a fight, without exhausting every plan and trying every angle. It was so human of him. Castiel could not help but love him for it. "Surely you know holy fire cannot hold a God?" Castiel asked. "You know me." The flames flickered across Dean's face, casting shadows over the hollows of his cheeks. "I had to try."

It was you, only you | @verobatto Rating: Explicit Word Count: 10,131 Main Tags/Warnings: Slow burn, canonverse, season 15, friends to lovers, fix it Summary: After defeating Chuck and the raising of Jack as the new God, Dean wakes up from a revealing. dream. Nothing will stop him now from rescue CAS from the Empty. But a new defiance is looming over TFW2.0. Will Dean be able to use his words this time? Or is gonna be work a big impediment again?

Murder the World | @thisisapaige Rating: Explicit Word Count: 10,160 Main Tags/Warnings: Angst, Canon Divergent after s10e22 The Prisoner, Demon Dean Winchester, Parallels Between Cain/Colette Mullen and Castiel/Dean Winchester, Switch Castiel/Switch Dean Winchester, Violence, Porn With Plot Summary: Castiel said he would be the one to watch Dean murder the world. Now he has a chance to prove it.

Loving you back in time | @verobatto Rating: Explicit Word Count: 15,683 Main Tags/Warnings: Temporary MCD (Castiel, Sam), time travel, top!Dean/bottom!Castiel, falling in love, enemies to lovers, winged Castiel Summary: After locking Chuck and defeats him, Jack comes out with a plan to get Cas and Sam back from death. Dean will travel back in time to try to really stop the Apocalypse from its root, this time Dean will contact Castiel before events, and part of his mission is to try to convince the angel to join him, explaining they're the good guys and angels and Heaven are not, while trying to avoid the urge of kissing his angel. But something won't go as they expected, and Dean will have to change the plan. This is mid season 15 canon divergent fic. The time travel is before Dean going to Hell. I mixed two importants moments, but they're not in the timeline of the season 3, with references to episode 1x12: Faith.

In A Parked Car Exhuming Ophelia | @an-android-in-a-tutu Rating: Mature Word Count: 17,741 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Interrogation, Demons, Grief/Mourning, References To: Homelessness, baby eating, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Heaven Politics, Unsafe Sex, Pregnancy, Temporary Character Death, Dubious Consent, Summary: The bunker didn’t lend itself to much natural light, and the utilitarian fixtures in the concrete hallways tended to sap people of their colour even on a good day. Maybe that was why Dean looked so much worse than Sam remembered, as worn as he’d ever seen him. The hand he pulled away from his face was shaking, just slightly, and he dropped it quickly to disguise the tremor, but the detail had already been seared into Sam’s brain. Something was very wrong. "I need you with me on this." Sam hasn't spoken to his brother in over a month, so when he shows up in the middle of the night with a powerful demon in tow, he's concerned. It doesn't take long for him to realize that Dean is keeping secrets again, and that whatever he has hidden behind his teeth has to do with the strange woman who seems all too content to remain bound in their dungeon. The demon with white eyes. All Sam wants is the truth, to figure out who she is, and how she's connected to his brother. But people who ask questions, tend to get answers. And they just may be more than Sam can take. An alternate take on season 9 that replaces the Mark of Cain plot with something much worse.

Rock & Roll and Feathers | @verobatto Rating: Explicit Word Count: 20,172 Main Tags/Warnings: Season 15, canon divergence, rock stars, case fic, rock star!Dean, bodyguard!Castiel, mutual pining Summary: TFW 2.0 defeated Chuck, locking him down in a magic box and exchanging him with Castiel's deal with the Empty. Everything would be perfect if Jack wasn't locked inside another magic box too. The only way to release Jack, now the New God, is to find the key. Rowena knows who has it. His powerful father, a retired sorcerer, who would give anything to those who win his rock and roll contest. That's why Dean will sign up as a rock star, followed by his manager Sam and his bodyguard Castiel. Bad thing is, maybe winning a rock Contest is not the only test they will have on the road to reach that key.

Roadtrip to the End of the World | inkdr0p (AO3) Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 24,813 Main Tags/Warnings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer, Original Male Character(s), Team Free Will (Supernatural), Sam is a nerd, Dean is a nerd, Cas is an ancient multidimensional being, Road Trips in the Impala (Supernatural), Castiel stops and looks at everything, Las Vegas, Star Trek References, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff, Dean works through his experiences of the future in 5x04 The End, Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, Sam Winchester Knows, Dean Winchester Has PTSD, Sleeping in the Impala (Supernatural), Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester Use Their Words, Wingfic, Winged Castiel (Supernatural), Sam covertly gets Dean and Cas to go on a date, Dean Winchester Deserves to be Happy, Castiel Deserves to be Loved (Supernatural), Season 5, In which I repeatedly compare Cas to a cat, Hunters & Hunting, Slice of Life, Canon Divergent (erases 5x05 "Fallen Idols") Summary: “There’s an apocalypse on, Bobby. In case you forgot.” “No Dean, I didn’t forget. But unless you’ve figured out a way to stop it in the next couple of days, I don’t see why you can’t give yourselves a break. This ain’t a sprint, Dean, it’s a marathon. Besides, last year when we realized just how much had hit the fan I seem to recall you being real quick to---” “Vegas.” “Exactly.” “...The Star Trek Experience.” ---------- OR: Dean's back from the future, Sam's back from his break, and Cas is, well, Cas. As good a time as any to finally take that road trip Dean's been dreaming about since he crawled out of the ground and learned the Apocalypse was a real goddamn thing. All he has to do now is remember how to have fun. Fic takes place in lieu of 5x05 "Fallen Idols"; instead of Paris Hilton the boys are off to the Las Vegas Hilton, former home of the greatest place on earth: The Star Trek Experience.

but i'm singing like a bird 'bout it now | @dirtangeldean Rating: Mature Word Count: 26,976 Main Tags/Warnings: Car Impala (Supernatural), Car Conversations, Aromantic, acespec, AceSpec!Cas, accountability, 15x18 coda, switch POV, Healing Dean Winchester, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Eventual Happy Ending, First Kiss, Dubcon Kissing(kinda), arospec!Dean, Aromantic Dean Winchester, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair, Episode: s15e18 Despair - Castiel's Confession Scene, Former Sex Worker Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Gives Oral Sex, Past Sexual Assault, Mention of Past Sex Work, Dean Winchester's Jacket, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, reader…i have taken liberties, Angelic Grace Kink (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Angst with a Happy Ending, Minor Original Character(s) Summary: 15x18 fix-it: Dean uses his one last shot to save Cas and succeeds, the fall out that happens when the unspoken becomes spoken all at once has a happy ending. The eventual conversations of comfort, duty, sacrifice, power, obligation, and love ensue. Communicationnatural. OR Dean can't bare to have Cas leave him. And the Empty allows him to stay. OR Reckoning with a first kiss actually being the opposite of happiness simply due to circumstance.

We're at the lost and found | @mercurialkitty Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 27,019 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Post-Season/Series 12 AU, season/series 13, Fix-it, mostly broadcast tv level swearing with a few f-bombs, Hunter's Funeral (Supernatural), canon typical angel slurs, Domesticity, will they or won't they, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, relationship beginning, like an episode some story arcs are left unresolved, dadstiel Summary: What would the beginning of season 13 have been like if Cas lived and Mary stayed put?

Desideratum and Other Mishaps | @thefandomsinhalor Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 28,075 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergent, Episode: S14E13, Baby Jack Kline, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Protective Dean, Fluff and Angst, Dean Worries About Castiel Summary: In an unexpected turn of events, Castiel and the Winchesters find themselves with a toddler on their hands, when Jack, intending to regain his grace, makes a wish with the Baozhu—the wish-granting pearl—instead of Dean and gets transformed into a young child. Unsure how to fix the situation, and with Mary and Sam aiding the hunters from the other world on a hunt, Dean and Castiel are left alone at the bunker to care for baby Jack, where more than one revelation will unfold.

Dean Winchester and the Belly Button Piercing | @teeparadigm67 Rating: Explicit Word Count: 34,800 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Porn With Plot, Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker, Dean Winchester has his Belly Button Pierced (And Sammy Doesn't Know), Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time Having Sex, Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester is a Tease, Castiel doesn't understand flirting, Idiots in Love, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Porn with Feelings, Canon-Typical Violence, Piercings, Ear Piercings, Pierced Dean Winchester, Navel piercing, Fluff and Smut, Domestic Fluff, Flirty Dean Winchester Summary: Dean Winchester was 23 when he got his belly button pierced. It was during a time in his life when everything felt like it was in turmoil (long before he even really knew what his life being in turmoil truly meant). He never intended to go out and get any piercings—his father would have never allowed it. For 20-something years it had been his best-kept secret… that was until one fateful night when a hunt went wrong and his best friend had to swoop in and help patch him up, catching an eyeful of his elusive secret. Castiel’s infatuation with his best friend took a dangerous turn that night (not that he wasn’t already treading treacherous waters with his feelings towards the man). He had already known that Dean had a piercing, but he had no idea it was still functional, and equally had no idea that a piece of jewellery, Dean’s own slice of quiet rebellion, would have such a profound effect on him. Now Castiel can’t help but want him and his fading grace is doing very little in hiding his… indiscretions. The idea of it slowly drove him insane. And what makes it worse… Castiel was certain Dean was doing it on purpose.

Castiel's Hidden Pussycat | @macy2me Rating: Explicit Word Count: 41,050 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence - Season 13, Castiel Adopts A Cat, Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Dean Winchester in Denial, Castiel's grace is damaged, Boys Being Awkward, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester is So Done, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, Frottage, POV Castiel (Supernatural) Summary: Castiel, angel of the Lord, has been saved by a cat. He didn’t intend to keep it. He didn’t mean for the green-eyed cat to work its way into his heart. It’s becoming a bit of a theme. Yet, here he is, smuggling a cat into the bunker. Cas and Dean have been doing a dance for nine years—circling each other, one step forward, by one step back, changing direction, never getting closer, never too far apart. However, when you throw a cat into the mix, the next move becomes a lot harder to predict.

When Dreams Come True | @avonlady42 Rating: Explicit Word Count: 65,616 Main Tags/Warnings: canon divergent, angst and fluff and smut, Dean Winchester has a wing kink, plot twist, inappropriate use of grace, top castiel/bottom Dean Winchester, explicit sexual content, happy ending, marriage, adoption Summary: After Chuck is defeated, Jack forces Dean and Cas to finally admit their feelings to each other and gives Cas his wings back in the process. They end up getting their happily ever after while Sam settles down with Eileen. Ten years they spend together as a couple, hunting when they need to, but mostly living the domesticated life Dean always wanted and Castiel always wanted him to have. Unfortunately, it all comes crashing down one day when Castiel goes on a hunt and doesn’t make it home. Dean will do whatever it takes to get the love of his life back and ends up getting more than he bargained for when he finds him again. This fic is canon compliant through Season 14 and starts off during the Ouroboros episode S14E14, from there it becomes Canon divergent with some of the rest of Season 14 and Season 15 being the same, but slightly different. S15E20 doesn’t exist and there is an alternate storyline 10 years into the future.

We Are The Music Makers (WIP) | Clairebearer (AO3) Rating: Explicit Word Count: 120,932 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Canon Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Castiel, Action/Adventure, Romance, Sexuality, Domestic Dean Winchester, Human Castiel, Reaper Dean, BAMF Dean, BAMF Castiel, BAMF Sam, Greek Mythology - Freeform, It's all about the souls, Awkward Sexual Situations, Sexual Fantasy, Slow Build, Case Fic, Magic Mirrors, Dark Magic, Demons, Angelic Grace, Mental Health Issues, Trickster Gabriel, Musical References, Pop culture references, Movie spoilers, Fate, Destiny, Free Will, Canon divergent, Cupid - Freeform, Terminal Illness, Top Dean Winchester, Bottom Dean Winchester, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Dean Winchester is Not Heterosexual, Bi-Curious Dean Winchester, Temporary Major Character Death, Angst with a happy ending Summary: Set in the aftermath of seasons 8's epic finale. With Sam's life hanging by a thread Dean is forced to call the only being he knows has the power to help: Death. However, like most impossible things they come with a terrible price and it acts as an hour glass hanging ominously over Dean's head as his life-line burns away like a fuse, a full-time job as a reaper waiting for him. Time is short and the world is bent on destroying itself, so when the shadow of an averted apocalypse threatens to resurface and wipe out everything he has fought so hard to save, Dean must do everything within his power - and more - to stop it. His own feelings be damned... If he can help it.

Far From Heaven: Part Two | @Taymarpigeon Rating: Explicit Word Count: 151,921 Main Tags/Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Post-Canon Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Fluff, Gratuitous Smut, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergent, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide Attempt, Homophobic John Winchester, Abusive John Winchester, Former Sex Worker Dean Winchester, POV Alternating, Top/Bottom Versatile Castiel/Dean Winchester, Possessive Castiel (Supernatural), Possessive Dean Winchester, Extremely Dubious Consent, Dom/sub, BDSM, Risk Aware Consensual Kink, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Consensual Non-Consent, Angelic Possession (Supernatural), Angelic Grace Bonds (Supernatural), Wing Kink, Castiel and Dean Winchester Get Married, Additional Tags in End Note Summary: Castiel is gone and Dean can't move passed it, can't bring himself to stray far from the last place he ever saw his Angel. A place so full of sorrow, yet there is love there too, lingering in the farthest, darkest reaches. Gabriel is done watching Castiel and Dean be martyrs. Jack's fixed up Heaven, all is as it should be, there's no reason these two idiots can't finally have everything they ever wanted. If he intervenes, if Gabriel finally embraces what he was built for in the first place, will it make a difference? Will Cas and Dean finally get their happily ever after? He's not gonna lie, leading three (not so) wise men across the desert was probably easier than this headache will turn out to be. Still, Gabriel maintains that it is possible to lead a horse to water and make it drink. You just gotta know which buttons to push.

[sharonisthebettercarter]

hugh campbell is literally the tallest member of the boys in the show and it's one a my favorite details<3

they rarely show it off and tend to use camera angles and posture (hughie boi i see you constantly slouching--LOOK AT HIM~<3<3<3 just casually *unintentionally* making butcher appear is *actual size*--) to play up or downplay/switch up height differences, but i kinda love that hughie went from being the second shortest member (comics) of the boys to the literal tallest<3 (butcher was generally in the middle with homie just casually being a head taller than him--, frenchie and mm being the taller guys on the team, love sausage of course being the biggest guy when there~<3<3<3 he still is btw--)

love love LOVE him so fucking much<3<3<3 literally the *only* REAL bear in this damn series (HE STRAIGHT UP BEAR HUGS BILLY IN THE COMIC AHHHHHHHHHHH~<3<3<3!!! we better see moar of him i swears--). mm is a close one, but he's more of a good big papa wolf~<3 butcher's a scraggly dumpster kitten or fuckin' heifer--

i *also* love love LOVE the single inch height increment hughie and billy got goin' on with homie, it's just the cutest most fun thing~<3 it goes--

5'11" (homie<3)

6'0" (billy bean<3<3)

6'1" (not so wee hughie<3<3<3)

6'2" (LOVE SAUSAGE~<3<3<3<3!!)

i see you sandwiched right inbetween those bois there, 'ey billy~<3? ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

throw in mm between billy and homie, it's hard to find a solid height on that bitch<3 (and they *def* keep trying to downplay his height and bulk cause holy FUCK, THAT MAN--) but i'm gonna say he's probably around 5'11.5", closer to 6'0" maybe??

lol for the roughest layout i guess, they tend to bill urban a bit taller than he is (you can tell cause they'll bill quaid at the same numbers but he's definitely taller than urban, also i SWEAR everytime this man is in a photo that's not a solo glamor shot he's tryin' out some jank ass angles always always always leaning *in* to the camera to make himself look *bigger* leik honey you are so fuckin' cute-- and they *def* keep trying to make billy look *way* bigger than he actually is, BILLYYYYYYYYYYY--) but boi, i see you too<3<3<3

i guess maybe a little closer, it might go something like...

5'11" (homie)

5'11.75" (mm)

6'0.5" (billy bean)

6'1.5" (hughie)

in which there's .75 increments, and then a full 1 inch leap from billy to hughie. either way, they're def very close and not a single one is 'small' per se (except compared to love sausage--tho i do bet starr is one of those fuckers to downplay his height so other men get insecure LMAO--), but i just love the sequencing<3<3<3

what i *also* love~?

(bad posture homie lol) homie's reaction to hughie posturing at his full height was fucking amazing. IT WAS OH MY GAWD--i can't. he had his little surprised moment and then made a *pleased* "ooh~<3" and then smirked like THIS--

leik hughie... MAH BOI--i know he *tried* so fucking hard but leik. homelander is just so unthreatened by him that he's fucking *amused* and engaged with hughie *trying* to be brave. *he relaxed further*-- he just... he just doesn't give a shit. and it's horrible. but also *beautiful* because at this point, you can tell he's just so bored out of his mind that he even *welcomes* the challenge in some ways. he is LOVING that people feel so attacked by him without him doing much--LEIK.

there are a couple other unhinged and unsettling *positive* reactions he has to people similarly enough, (his descent into madness in real time--not gonna get into it now lest this post become *all* about homie--) but man oh man~<3

little bit less posture difference here, will say it's silly fandom obsesses over/exaggerates single inch height differences (particularly between homie and billy while ignoring/reversing hughie and billy, leik C'MON--let hughie be his height~<3! also we should be obsessing over the perfect~<3 *sequencing*, DUH--) but it's honestly pretty amazing how much of a nonfactor the height is in general.

for homie, it's pretty obvious he doesn't give a shit as he's particularly relaxed and unbothered by people being taller than him (especially hughie--literally amused by people posturing LEIK--by the gods his reaction to hughie challenging him--I CAN'T IT WAS FUCKING--GOOSEBUMPS~<3<3<3), but it just goes to show. motherfucker is just playing with his food--

BONUS~<3

lmao blurry ass pic of baby urban getting *dwarfed* by dwayne "i'm 5'11" and wear lifts" 'the rock' johnson. (also that mofo got so much bigger leik gotdamn i am actually curious how much more he'd *DWARF* urban cause ya look at him now and just. he ate a truck--ya look at the rock next to a guy leik SHAQ and HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT the differences are staggering leik one inch is nothin' baby--) SWEET BABY JEEZUZ--

bonus bonus~<3

another detail i *love*?

the shorter two (and frenchie~<3<3<3!) have the bigger/longer noses and... *likely* the biggest cocks--

;))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[batnbreakfast]

Okay I'm so curious because I see you posting about it all the time but I never know what is *actually* going on.

What does the zoom booze no doom thing entail? What are the rules? What is the origin story? Can anyone join?

I love when newer mutuals finally ask about Zoom. 😄

So my main and OTP fandom is Berena - Bernie Wolfe & Serena Campbell in the great *giggles* British hospital soap series Holby City.

Zoom, Booze, no Doom was born as an idea to actually watch Berena scenes together. At the end of 2019 this started as a bit of idle talk about how to actually do this, but you know : time zones, private lives, and so on…

Until, at the start of 2020, we suddenly all had nothing much more to do, but sit at home, watch tv, and worry about Covid.

So in April 2020 a weekly Berena Zoom rewatch started, hosted by a fandom friend. Everyone was welcome to join in. We skipped the doom scenes, which is how the name of our Zoom was born, because there was enough doom for everyone in real life, and finished our rewatch around the end of June, if I remember correctly.

The Zoom was fun! It was great to meet fandom friends at least virtually. It was a space to talk and vent and scream about our beloved on our screens. For me, it was something solid in uncertain times.

After we finished the rewatch, I didn’t want to stop zooming, so I took over as the host. We watched all kinds of media with our favs. The good, the mediocre, and the very, very bad things. We branched out. We had Halloween Zooms and Christmas Zooms. Bat’s belated birthday Zoom. Anniversary Zooms. ESC Zooms and live watch Zooms when Doctor Who or Silent Witness aired.

Covid restrictions became less and less, real life took over more space again, I started working and travelling again, but we’re still meeting up whenever I’m home (and not sick *sighs*).

We chat about our lives - there’s definitely more to tell nowadays - then we watch something together, then we chat some more, and at some point I kick everyone out of the Zoom because I’m getting tired. 😄

Some of us have been doing this since the very first Zoom. Some left, some joined in. Some take part whenever their busy life allows. A lot of us met in real life by now. We’re friends. Some of us went to the theatre together as a group from all over the world. While we all seem to suffer from severe writer’s block somehow these days, while Holby City has stopped airing for quite a while, we still hold on to our tiny, close knitted fandom corner. I feel like the Zoom changed our approach towards our fandom quite a bit.

I wouldn’t have thought that we’d make our first anniversary, but now it seems like we might reach our fifth? Five years, huh. Amazing. I love everyone taking part in this and I’m deeply grateful for the friendships grown from the Zoom.

I’ll stop being soppy now.

The rules are quite simple: Be kind. Bring joy. An interest in whatever we’re watching. A love for Berena and their actresses is a good thing.

If someone joins in for the first time, it’s nice if they chose a Zoom name that’s connected to their Tumblr, so we know who they are. Letting me know in advance is appreciated, because I tend to get anxiety if a new name pops up unexpectedly. 😌

Hope this answers your questions!

PS: I tend to avoid Zoom posts breaking containment these days (my nightmare was a containment break for a Doctor Who live watch 😂 - there’s only so many people I can host), so reblogs are off on this one.

[deadscell]

you’re still calling me friend?

[roughdraftmonth]

what's the plan? outline methods & tips!

Hey, Rough Drafters!

This is for all the outline fans out there. Here are some tips on different outline structures that might help you while you blueprint your Rough Draft! I hope there is something helpful here whether you are new to outlining or a veteran. This is not a comprehensive list. I totally recommend digging into other narrative structures, seeing how they tick, and deciding what works for you!

✏️ The Hero’s Journey • Created by Joseph Campbell (using the simplified terms from Christopher Vogler)

The Hero’s journey is the backbone of most outline structures. The only difficult thing is a lot of these terms are still derived from classic mythic structure and are less applicable today. However, since it has been so well dissected and discussed, there are so many resources to help transpose the terms to narratives that involve less sword-and-shield-heroism. It might take a little time to understand each beat and what it can mean for you and your story, but this is such a well loved structure and will give your story some solid backbone! This structure is best suited for an adventure story where characters travel from one place to another, but you can get creative about what that adventure or journey looks like. At its most basic, though, the hero’s journey will help take your characters on quests in a far off place—whether it’s in the stars, across the continent, or in a world of your own making.

⭐ Great media examples of ‘journey’ narratives are: Star Wars (pick one really), Little Miss Sunshine, Lord of the Rings, and Life of Pi.

✏️ Save the Cat • Created by Blake Snyder

Save the Cat was originally intended for screenwriting. Its best application is in scripting, whether that be screenwriting, plays, games, or comics. The first and last beats help to set a tone for your story, which is crucial for script writing and opening/ending shots in films, but this concept can be just as important in prose. Consider using guidelines from this structure to plan your first and last scenes before you get to November.

⭐ You will recognize Save the Cat in most films, and you can find beat sheets to match films for example on the Save the Cat website.

✏️ Six Stage Outline by Michael Hauge

This structure is great to keep simple with bullet points or expand for more depth. In this outline there are only 11 beats—6 stages and 5 turning points. Turning points are the highest moment of external conflict. Ideally, internal and external conflict escalate at each turning point. Identity deals with character’s misbeliefs about themselves as the narrative drives them to be their most authentic self. This outline focuses on developing both internal and external struggles. If your story is particularly character-driven, this structure might be the one for you.

⭐ Many stories follow this structure but the one I was taught off of is the greatest movie of all time. Shrek.

Try drawing your arc with notes out on paper. This arc can silly: include dead ends, drop offs, spirals, tangles, anything! This helps visualize the ups and downs of the narrative. Also great to do after you’ve completed outlining for a visual aid.

Sometimes... one outline model is not enough! Mix and match your favorite terms and structures in the manner you feel best assists your narrative structure. Don’t be afraid to make it your own!

Read in your medium (novels, scripts, poems, etc.) and notate pages and scenes where the major beats happen. This really helps engage your brain and makes you more familiar with plot structure!

My favorite method to outline is the MLA outline structure. Using a template like this helps me put all of my ideas into place. I don’t have an excuse for not knowing what to do. This helps lock me in!

✏️ Uh oh, Secret Plantser Agenda!

If outlining the ending first doesn’t work for you, outline everything EXCEPT the ending! Leave something for you to discover once you get there!

Sometimes you need to take a step back. Maybe don’t make a 10 page outline. Maybe make 10 bullet points. Outline as much or as little as you need to.

Occasionally overplanning can cause me to lose the joy in my writing! Make sure to really experiment to find what works best with you and your style! Sometimes that means... making a less in-depth outline. This is a call out post for me (Sarah with an ‘h’) specifically.

✏️ Technically, I like to combine elements of all three of these plot structures, but Michael Hauge’s 6 stage outline is my favorite. It’s a very good structure for adjusting to your outlining style, whether you want to do just the bare bones plot points, or you want to use them as the waypoints as you plot out scene by scene. I like to use the stages and turning points as the headings and subheadings to my outline. I hope these tips are able to help you in your outlining journey, both planner and plantser alike. If you know of any other helpful tips for outlining, please share them with us!

Thanks for tuning in, happy drafting!

-Sarah with an ‘H’

[novaksupremacy]

The Veiled Law of Affection- Chapter 6

had the day off so I popped out another one for you :)

The Veiled Law of Affection-Chapter 6

Word Count: 6358

Casey Novak x Olivia Benson

by PKJ @novaksupremacy

Based on the events surrounding S5 E24 "Poison", little bit of smut, lots of mushy angsty schtuff, sibling arguments, one of my favorite Casey episodes.

Read Part 5

“Look you’re making a mistake!” The woman shouted in the interrogation room. As it stood, she was accused of poisoning her adopted daughter. They had learned from her other little girl that she made the poor child stand in the corner with a sponge full of detergent in her mouth. As if that wasn’t bad enough the girl’s hospital visit was delayed by hours, causing sever detriment from the poisoning. Her husband’s sister had also spoken to Benson and Stabler about the many red flags pertaining to her parenting skills.

“Not according to your sister-in-law,” Olivia barked.

The woman scoffed, “Wendy never liked me you can’t listen to her!”

Elliot raised his voice, “Can we listen to your other daughter, Katie, Mrs. Campbell?”

Her attorney Gates laughed, “Sure, because seven-year-olds are so reliable. Tomorrow, she’ll tell you a pony with wings lives in her closet.”

Stabler was fuming at this point, “So Katie made the whole thing up, right? How you shoved a sponge of soapy water into Alexis’ mouth while she gagged and cried! Made her stand in a corner, counting, until she collapsed!”

“I feel terrible that I wasn’t paying close enough attention!” Karen Campbell started shouting, “But I can’t possibly be everywhere at once! I have FOUR children! I am a good mother!

Munch and Fin had Mr. Campbell in the other interrogation room at the same time.

“Why don’t you believe me?” the man leaned against the window, arms folded.

“We do, that’s why you’re not under arrest Munch said flatly.

“My wife did nothing wrong!”

“You couldn’t know what your wife did. You were gone all day.” Fin said more questioning than matter of fact.

“I told you when I got home Alexis had stopped breathing and Karen was hysterical. If we wanted to poison Alexis, what would we bring her to the hospital at all?”

John snapped at him, “Actually I’m more interested in why your wife does the things she does. Like berate and emotionally abuse your adopted daughter.”

“That’s a lie!”

“You callin’ your sister a liar? She says Karen treats that girl worse than a dog!” Fin retorted.

                As Liv and Elliot came out of the interrogation room, they found Agent Huang and Casey waiting for them in the bullpen.

                “The emergency room said they pumped two cups of detergent out of Alexis’ stomach.” Huang stated as they walked up.

                Elliot shook his head in disgust, “Mrs. Campbells accident story is a bunch of crap! No kid is gonna drink two cups of that stuff willingly.”

                “What about the dear old dad?” Liv interjected. “He had to know that his wife hated that kid.”

                Casey sighed, “he wasn’t home so criminally he’s not responsible.”

                “We got the mother right?” Elliot asked, agitated by the situation.

                “How’s the seven-year-old?” The redhead questioned, she knew Elliot was good at his job, but she still had to do hers.

                “Solid.”

                “No chance you influenced her statement?” She didn’t want to ask but she had to.

                “None, counselor. I’ve been doing this a little bit longer than you,” the detective said back his tone less then amiable.

                Casey tilted her head, she hated that El took things so personally. “Just making sure we’re covered, children under nine aren’t automatically swearable.”

                “I can talk to her,” Huang offered, “If she knows the difference between a lie and the truth then she can testify.” Casey nodded as a show of gratitude.

                “Hey Detective Benson, while you’re waiting, I have some paperwork for you in my office that I’ve been meaning to give you.” Casey tossed out nonchalantly.

                “Sure, I’ve got a few minutes.” Liv nodded, her hands in her pockets. “After you Counselor.”

The brunette tailed on the heels of the ADA as they headed down the hall. Huang couldn’t help but snicker as they walked away. “It’s ridiculous that they’re still making excuses at this point. We pretty much all know what that was about.”

“Guess Daddy wants a little midnight snack, you know what I’m sayin’?” Fin nudged the FBI agent in his rib.

Elliot snorted into his coffee, “What?” He laughed so hard he choked on some of the hot liquid. “Who wants a what?”

Fin was laughing “Oh you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing that exchange yet? Imma let you experience that on ya own.”

Munch walked over with a cup of coffee in his hand, “What, what’s so funny what did I miss?” Everyone just shook their heads and assure him it was nothing. “You know this doesn’t make me believe in the conspiracy that everyone’s working against me, any less. If anything, you, you’re just adding fuel to the fire.”

Casey shut the door to her office and locked it, closing the blinds tight.

Liv rubbed her eyes, “Case, I gotta tell you baby, I’m exhausted.”

“I know,” Casey kissed her gently and rubbed her shoulders then steered the detective towards the couch. “I figured my couch was more comfortable than the crib.” She kicked off her heeled boots and made room for Liv to come join her. “Plus, this way I get to hold you, and the door is locked so you won’t get startled.”

Liv crawled over her girlfriend and wedged herself between her and the back of the couch, wrapping her arm and leg around her, squeezing tight. She was exhausted, they had been up since the night before with this case, but Captain wasn’t letting anyone go home until they made some headway on this. Casey reached over the brunette and pulled the blanket down off the back of the couch and covered them with it. She laid soft strokes up and down Liv’s arm with the tips of fingers and pressed her lips to her forehead and held them there for a moment before she kissed lightly and then pressed her cheek against the side of the detectives head and pulled her close. She could feel Liv’s breathing shift indicating that she had fallen asleep. The attorney watched her girlfriend’s chest rise and fall, she looked so peaceful.

“I love you, Olivia.” Casey whispered and kissed her head again. “I wish I could tell you.” Every second spent with Olivia was the happiest moment of her life, even when it wasn’t. Even when it was sad, or upsetting, or the case was spiraling out of control, all she had to do was look at Liv and feel at ease. That was the first time she ever said it out loud, not that her lover heard her. She wouldn’t dare say it then. Everything was going so good, she didn’t want to fuck it up. She dozed off alongside the brunette detective.

Casey stirred about an hour later to Liv kissing her neck. She grinned and stretched, giving the detective more access to her neck. “Mmm I should let you nap in my office more often.”

“Mmm, yes, very refreshing. Better than a cup of coffee.” The brunette smiled as she planted a long tender kiss on her girlfriend.

Casey brought her hand up to cup Liv’s face and deepened the kiss. She let out a sigh as she felt the detective slip her hand down below her waistline. “Babe.” A smile that could only be described as one of pleasure creeped across her face, “we can’t.” The redhead let out another soft sigh and a light moan as Liv continued to tease her. She grabbed her lover’s wrist and looked her square in the eye, “I need you to either fuck me right now or stop what you’re doing.”

“Gladly,” the detective hummed and pulled the ADA underneath her.

                Casey sat up on couch and slid her boots back on as she watched Olivia tighten her belt and adjust her watch.

                “What?” Liv looked up as she was fastening her sleeve buttons, “Did I miss a belt loop or something?” She looked down.

                The younger woman shook her head, her cheeks getting red, even still Liv gave her butterflies. “No,” she said breathlessly, “you’re just beautiful.”

                The brunette leaned over Casey on the couch and kissed her, biting her lip softly before pulling back to meet her gaze, “You’ve pretty stunning yourself, Counselor.” She lingered for a minute before heading towards the door, looking back at her girlfriend one last time before turning the handle. The detective continued to fumble with the buttons on her shirt as she walked out almost walking straight into Munch.

                “Olivia,” the startled detective smiled, “what happened spilled something on your shirt?”

                Realizing she was still half unbuttoned pulled her shirt closed with her fist, “Uhm yea, something like that. I got it out though.” Liv shifted nervously, “Going see Casey? I gotta get back to work.” She motioned the thumb of her free hand back towards her desk.

                “Be careful, Detective. The coffee machine’s on the fritz and looks like your shirt can’t take another hit.” He called out, pointing with the folder in his hand as Liv kept walking. He knocked on the ADAs door.

                “Come in,” Casey called out, “Hey John!” she smiled as he walked through the door, “what’ve you got?”

                “Hey Casey, I just have Huang’s report for you to file before you go to the judge.” Munch walked forward and handed her the file. “Ouch, counselor I don’t think the vanity is worth it. Besides your hair looks nice curly. Platonically speaking of course—you’re not my type.” He straightened his tie.

                The redhead looked at him baffled, “John, I’m not following.” She chuckled. “Did you break into the evidence locker?”

                “Oh,” he waved his hand at her and then motioned to his own neck, “the burn, from your straightener. Looks like it hurts.”

                Casey clasped her hand over her neck and leaned on her elbow. “Huh, yeah, well you know. Lack of sleep.” She chuckled nervously.

                “Do me a favor, don’t operate any heavy machinery.” Munch gave a mock salute and walked out.

                “I deserved that,” Casey muttered under her breath after he left, “payback is a girlfriend with a hickey.”

*******

                “Their seven-year-old daughter? That sounds a bit imprudent.” Judge Taft said as Casey and Gates followed him down the hall.

                “Rittenhouse v. North Hempstead found a three-year-old wasn’t automatically presumed incompetent to testify.” Casey argued.

                “Ah, but you’re in my court now.” Taft’s voice dripping with self-importance.

                “And another case disqualified a seven-year-old witness. It’s completely subjective.” Quipped Gates.

                “Which is why,” Casey was growing impatient, “a psychiatrist examined Katie Campbell and that she understands her duty to tell the truth.”

                “I’m sure the people won't mind if I determine that myself.” Taft stated, his grin was sickening.

                “That’s not necessary Your Honor.” The ADA shook her head, assuring her the proper procedure had been followed.

                “But again, it’s in my court.”

*******

                Olivia stood over the stove stirring the cast iron while Casey stood at the counter furiously chopping up a bell pepper.

                “And then, THEN,” she was practically slamming the knife against the cutting board, “he told me that I needed to dress appropriately.” She stopped chopping and turned towards her girlfriend.

                Liv stopped stirring and turned to look at her girlfriend up and down. “What do you mean appropriately? That suit is perfectly tailored?”

                He said, “By appropriately, I mean in a skirt.” She was swinging her chopping hand as she spoke.

                “Woah, woah, why don’t we put that down.” She carefully clasped the redhead’s wrist between her hands and slid the knife away from Casey as if she were disarming a suspect.

                “Sorry, that’s probably best. I might hurt myself, you know like how I burned myself with my straightener this morning?” her tone shifted to mockingly accusatory and flipped her hair away from her shoulder.

                The brunette gasped, “Jesus baby I’m sorry! I didn’t think it would be that bad, I was just trying to get you back for the one you gave me the day of that softball game.” She chuckled.

                Casey mocked her laugh making a goofy face at her. “Hilarious babe,” she tossed a mushroom at her, “Especially when I had to have it pointed out by Munch! Who by the way is the only one still in the dark about us, totally clueless.”

                The detective wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist and leaned into her propping her head up on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Taft is being such a misogynist,” she tightened her hold, “You’re gonna kick ass in court.” She kissed her neck.

                “Ahh, hey!” the redhead swatted playfully at her and pulled her head to the side, “You’ve done enough damage for one day, Detective.” She giggled and leaned her head back to kiss Liv enthusiastically.

*******

                “Its open!” Casey called out, pouring more whiskey into her glass as Liv walked in the door.   

                “Swearability hearing went that badly huh?” the detective furrowed her brow, worried to find her girlfriend drinking alone on the couch.

                “Worse. He basically told me I embarrassed myself and shouldn’t brag about my lack of intellect.” The redhead put the bottle down and waved her hand in its general direction, “Don’t worry I don’t plan on making a habit out of it.”

                The brunette dropped the takeout down on the counter and dropped down next to Casey on the couch, “Well that’s a relief.” She motioned for Casey to swing her legs up over her. She slid the redheads boots off and dropped them to the floor. “Still, I’m sorry that he’s being such an ass.” Liv started to massage the counselor’s feet. “Elliot told me he’s gotta testify that he didn’t coerce her.”                

                The ADA took a swig of her drink and threw her head back, “Uggh Liv, why are you so good at that?”

                The brunette grinned, “I’m just, good with my hands.”

                Casey quirked her brow, letting out a low moan, “Mmm, that you are Detective, that you are.” She opened one eye to look at her girlfriend who was looking at her adoringly, “I see the way you’re looking at me.” She closed her eyes again.

                “Oh yeah and how’s that?” Liv chuckled, continuing to massage, working out a particularly difficult knot.

                The redhead smacked the couch and let out a moan, “Ohhhh, G-d that feels good. You’re spoiling me.” She peaked her eye open again, “And you’re looking at me the way you look at a container of honey chicken, hungry.”

                “Is that so?” The brunette smirked, “I mean cause I have honey chicken over there on the counter…”

                “You could have me on the counter,” Casey bit her lip.

                “Why would I do that,” Liv paused, the ADA picked her head up, the brunette was waiting for her shocked reaction before continuing, “when I can have you right here on the sofa.” She got a good grip on her thighs and pulled Casey down the couch to her.

                Casey squealed, “Babe, my drink!” she quickly dropped the glass to the coffee table, laughing. The detective was already pulling the attorney’s jeans down around her ankles and tossing them in the corner next to a pile of law journals.

                The brunette pulled Casey up to her to kiss her longingly, she could taste the whiskey on her tongue mixed with desire. The redhead moaned and then broke the kiss to catch her breath. “You kill me detective,” her eyes glistened, staring into Liv’s. She pressed a light kiss to her lips, “little deaths.” She sighed. She kissed her hard, running her fingers down the side of the brunette’s face. She allowed herself to fall back onto the couch pulling the cop down on top her, unbuttoning Liv’s shirt button by button.

*******

                Elliot sat in the witness box during the Hudy hearing ordered by Judge Taft. He swore that there was no influence on Katie’s statement and that the girl introduced her mother to the conversation without any prompting. Gates accused him of having a vendetta against Karen Campbell for comments taken out context. Upon stepping down from the witness box, Elliot started to walk away as Taft went ahead and ruled the testimony inadmissible.

                “This is a joke,” Elliot scoffed as he headed towards the back of the courtroom.

                “I beg your pardon, Detective Stabler,” Taft asked sternly?

                “I said this is a joke!” The detective turned back towards the judge.

                “You’d be wise to remember no one cares what you think, once you leave that box.” Taft’s words fell pointedly.

                “That interview wasn’t suggestive,” Elliot muttered walking back towards the bench.

                “Elliot, stop.” Casey raised her voice.

                He continued, “You’re just one of these judges that think cops strong arm witnesses just to make a case. What you think I just bullied a seven-year-old into lying?” He turned to walk away again.

                “Elliot, leave!” Casey commanded, she was trying to protect him and not blow her case at the same time.

                “No Elliot stay,” Taft scoffed, “You’re in contempt.”

                Casey went down to the holding cells to check on her friend, “You alright?”

                “Yeah great, thanks for getting me a couple hours off.” He said sarcastically.

                The redhead laughed incredulously, “You are not blaming this on me.”

                “Well, you did let that defense attorney trash me pretty good in court.”

                The ADA threw her hand up in protest, “Yeah and that stunt you pulled. That’s gonna ensure Taft screws me at trial but hey at least you still have your ego, right?”

                “You bail me out to talk about my ego?” the detective quipped back at her.

                “I did not get you out of there!” Casey rolled her eyes.

                “I called in a favor,” Mary Clark stared at the two of them, arms folded, “The contempt citation is withdrawn. So, if you could possibly stop acting like a petulant child.” She turned her attention to the young attorney, “And you, you need to start playing nice with Oliver Taft.”

                Stabler looked back at Casey, “And you’re worried about my ego. This guy abuses his power and gets away with it.”

                Mary cut him off, “You didn’t help anybody by mouthing off to the trial judge.” She looked back at her protégé, “This isn’t law school Casey, pick your battles. Winning is more important than wearing a skirt.”

*******

                Liv and Casey were lying in bed, the redhead snuggled up in the detective’s arms, staring out into space. The brunette stroked her back, “I can’t believe you asked Taft to recuse himself.”

                “I really fucked myself this time I think.” The anxiety in Casey’s voice was clear. “Why did I do that?”

                “Baby, you did it because you knew it was the right thing. That judge is never going to be impartial and was never going to get justice for that little girl.”

                “He still won’t,” Casey sat up, crossing her legs, and facing her girlfriend. “All I’ve done is ensure that he hates me and will do everything to make sure that I have a hard time prosecuting this case.”

                “What did Mary say?”

                The redhead sighed, “She said I was insane for asking an ego maniac to recuse himself and all I did was make myself an enemy.”

                “What are you gonna do?” Liv followed suit and sat up, taking the ADAs hand to comfort her, “It’s not like you can get him thrown off the bench.”

                “Maybe I can…”

******

                Elliot chased Casey down as she headed to court, “Hey I think I’ve got something that even Taft can’t ignore.”

                She furrowed her brow at him, “What is it?”

                “The records from the adoption agency the Campbells used. They tried to give Alexis back.”

                The redhead nearly fell out, “What? When?”

                “February of this year, only 6 months after her adoption. Wouldn’t hurt her my ass, that’s such bull.”

                The ADA smirked knowing Elliot may have found her a smoking gun.

*****

                It was no use even with the mountain of evidence, Taft’s bias completely controlled the courtroom as he acquitted Karen Campbell. Casey felt so defeated as she walked out of the courthouse, if it was a fair fight, maybe she would’ve felt better about losing. She walked over to Elliot.

                “I’m sorry,” she frowned and tapped him with her briefcase.

                “Don’t be, I know you went to the mat on this one. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.” His hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trench coat.

                “I want Taft off the bench.” She looked Elliot square in the eye.

                Elliot ran his hand down her arm, “and I want a ’65 stingray.” He said consolingly.

                “I’m serious,” she said as the detective had turned to walk away, “I’m going after him.”

                “Casey,” he exhaled, “It’s not worth it, what good does it do, to kill your career?”

                “If this is justice, I don’t want this career.”

                The detective looked at her concerned, “I’m just worried about you putting yourself in a bad position, I’d hate to see you get dragged down because of this bastard.” He grinned, “Besides who’s going to play softball with me when they fire your ass.” He punched her arm playfully.

*****

                Liv was zoned out at her desk working on DD-5s, the background noise of Munch spewing conspiracies at Fin and Cragen practically lulling her to sleep. She was nodding off halfway through a sentence when she felt a presence next to her desk, “Elliot for the last time I do not want a dirty water dog for lunch today.”

                “I’m not gonna ask why Elliot has asked you that more than once today.” Casey joked.

                The detective’s ears perked up and she leaned her head to the side, looking at the tall, gorgeous litigator leaning up against her desk. “Hey Da—DA Novak. ADA Casey. Hey Casey, what’s up?” Liv was about twenty shades of blushing after almost letting that nickname slip at the office.

                Casey leaned down, cleared her throat, and lowered her voice, “Daddy needs a favor.”

                “What’s wrong, Case?” She could tell there was a sense of urgency in her girlfriend’s voice.

                “I need you to help me talk to Cragen about reopening the Rosalind Silvo case. I know in my bones that there was bias on Judge Taft’s part and there was evidence to prove she was innocent…” the redhead pleaded.

                “…But Taft wouldn’t pay for the test.”

                “Exactly! If I can get Cragen to reopen the case, the DA’s office doesn’t have to go through the same channels, I can get permission to exhume the body, clear Silvo, and screw Taft to the wall.” Casey rambled, having to take a deep breath when she finally stopped speaking.

                “Well, I would like to hope I’m the only person you’re screwing against the wall but let me see the case notes and then we can go talk to him together.” Olivia chuckled, waving her hand for Casey to show her the files.

                Liv filled Elliot in and then the three of them brought it to Cragen’s attention, “Casey I’d love to help get an innocent woman out of prison, but I don’t have the manpower to fuel a vendetta.”

                “Its not really that much work boss, I think we got it covered,”

                Cragen shot him a look, “Well thank you for being such a real helper, Elliot.”

                Casey pleaded, hoping her puppy eyes would work on Cragen the way they work on Liv and Elliot, “It’s two interviews, if nothing pans out, I swear I’ll drop it.”

*****

                Liv walked out of the coffee shop and handed one to her girlfriend who was waiting for her on the sidewalk.

                “Thanks. It was a little too crowded in there for me.” Casey reached over and interlinked her fingers with the brunette’s. Her hand was a shaking, not something she’d attempted to do in public before.

                The detective tensed up, “Casey, what if someone sees us?”

                “I’m not ashamed,” she stopped and pulled the brunette’s hand turning her to face her. “I’m proud to say I’m with you, Olivia Benson.”

                Any fear Liv had at this point was washed away with Casey’s words and the adorable little dimples the redhead got when she smiled. She squeezed the attorney’s hand tighter and pulled her in close. “And I am all yours, Counselor. I wasn’t trying to hide you, I just want to keep you safe.”

                Casey smirked and leaned in to kiss the brunette, “Maybe you’ve forgotten how good I am with a bat.” She turned and started to walk again, holding her girlfriend’s hand tight with one hand, and sipping her coffee with the other.

                “You go talk to Mary, I’ll hang back here. I’m gonna check in with the house.” Liv stated as they got closer to the judge’s apartment. Casey nodded and started to walk away, the brunette pulling her back and into a quick kiss before letting her go. She wasn’t going to feel ashamed to show anyone how much Casey meant to her anymore. She watched as the redhead walked down the block and couldn’t help but stare at how good she looked in that outfit, how her hips swayed back and forth. She chewed on her lip and was startled by the phone ringing.

                “Benson. Hey El I was just about to check in. Yeah, I’m good, I’m just waiting for Casey, she’s talking with Judge Clark.”

                Judge Clark walked out of her apartment just to find Casey waiting for her. “I don’t know how I can be more clear,” she was sympathetic but not up for taking on Taft.

                The ADA smirked, “Rosalin Silvo is innocent, here’s the M.E. report.” She handed Mary the file Olivia had gotten from Warner. “Taft let his bias run that courtroom, same crap he always does but this time, he stole a woman’s life.”

                Mary scanned the report, her face dropped, and she looked up at Casey, “That son of a bitch. He’s an embarrassment to the bench.”

                “I’ll worry about him as soon as I get Rosalin Silvo out of jail.”

*****

                After hearing the evidence Judge Preston spoke, “I have to agree with counsel, the only possible remedy is to vacate Ms. Silvo’s conviction. We’re adjourned.” She stated with the bang of her gavel.

                 Rosalin, with tears of joy in her eyes, hugged Mary, and Casey, thanking them before hugging her other child tightly. The ADA and Judge Clark gathered up their things and headed for the door as Taft approached them.

                “Well Judge Clark its good to see you haven’t lost sight of your humble beginnings as a legal aid attorney. Ms. Novak, are you going to be coming through all the decisions I’ve made.” He scoffed.

                “That depends,” she started, “how many other defendant’s have you falsely convicted?”

                “History is full of mistakes Ms. Novak, even your short history.” His tone was aggressive.

                Mary stepped in between him and Casey. “You’re not threatening her, are you? Some people might consider that conduct unbecoming of an officer of the court. You can’t bully your way out of this Oliver.” She gave him a smug look knowing she could tear him down in an instant.

                Casey did her best to hide her enjoyment of this exchange when her cellphone rang. “Casey Novak.” Her heart sank, “Oh G-d.”

*****

                The ADA ran up to the scene as she approached the Campbell household. She stopped at the stairs as she saw the small body being carried out, covered in a white sheet. “Why wasn’t she in the hospital?” she demanded, her voice raw with emotion as her eyes met Elliot, who was exiting the building.

                “Released.” He walked towards her, “Parent’s didn’t want her in a nursing home. The aunt dropped by, found Alexis in her bed already dead.” He paused for a second, “Casey,” he took a deep breath, “Karen was the only one home.”

                “She finished the job.” Casey muttered as Olivia emerged from the doorway with Karen Campbell in cuffs, she was reading her, her Miranda rights as they walked past.

*****

                “Hey, you okay?” Casey was leaning against the door of the call room.

“Hey babe, I’m fine. Is her lawyer here?” Liv lifted her head up.

“No, no not yet it’s okay lay back down.” The redhead walked over and laid down on the cot next to the detective. She pulled Liv’s arm tight around her.

“Baby, you okay?” Liv mumbled into Casey’s back. She was met with silent sobs causing Casey’s body to shake against her. The brunette lifted her head up, “Baby what is it?”

“This is my fault.”

“How could you possibly…”

“I should’ve fought harder to get Taft thrown off the case, off the bench, something! I should’ve done more.”

“Case, you are only one assistant district attorney, and while you are wonderful and gorgeous and intelligent, not to mention compassionate beyond rivaling— you are only one human being.”

                Elliot rapped on the doorframe, “Hey guys, Gates is here, showtime.”

                Casey wiped her tears and stood up straighten out her blazer and the three of them headed down to the interrogation room.

                “What happened,” Elliot sat down and opened his notepad, “You miss us?”

                “You can’t charge my client with murder for a crime she was already acquitted of.” Gates spouted, demanding the release of the client.

                “Unless we’re talking about two separate acts, which we are. Right Karen?” Olivia stated closing the door behind her. “Alexis was suffocated, the poisoning had nothing to do with her death.”

                Casey studied Gates face, he had no idea what his client had done. He was as shocked as they were.

                “I didn’t want to bring her home. Pete insisted. She wouldn’t stop crying, I just wanted her to stop. It wasn’t my fault!

                “What you gonna claim it was an accident again?” Elliot clapped back at her.

                “No! The judge said I should do it.”

                Casey tilted her head, “What Judge?”

                “Judge Taft.” The ADA shot a look at Gates as Karen continued, “He said Alexis was too sick and I had other children to think about. He said we would all be better off if Alexis just died.”

                Olivia looked at her girlfriend in disbelief.

“When did he say this to you?” the redhead pressed.

“The other day in court right before I testified.”

Gates jumped up, “Interview is over, everyone out.”

“What the hell was Taft doing talking to her anyway?” Elliot asked.

“Hanging himself,” Casey scoffed. “The bastard’s done now.”

“Doesn’t that nullify her acquittal,” Liv jumped in.

The redhead nodded, “Sure does not that it matters, we’ve got her on homicide.”

A few minutes later he met the ADA and the detectives outside the interview. “I just want you to know I had no knowledge of this ex-parte or as an officer of the court I would’ve been duty bound to tell you immediately.”

“What did he say?” Casey demanded.

“Apparently, he saw her crying and told her to think of her other kids and maybe they would be better off if Alexis died anyway and then he advised her to get psychiatric help so that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen again. Which I think is a fine idea.”

“Book her and go pick up Taft,” Casey stated as she gathered her things.

“On what grounds,” Cragen questioned.

“Criminal Facilitation Two. He told her to get a shrink which means he knew this was no accident and acquitting her gave her the means and opportunity to commit a Class A felony.”

“He has judicial immunity Casey,” Cragen spoke softly.

“He smoked his judicial immunity the minute he had an ex parte communication with the defendant.” The redhead said as she stormed out of the precinct.

*****

                “I don’t think I’ve every been this nervous.” Casey said checking over her appearance in the mirror. “I cannot lose this case.”

                Liv came up behind her and kissed her neck, “You’re gonna do great baby. C’mon,” she turned her around and straightened the lapel of her jacket, “Everyone knows my Daddy has the best conviction rate in town, and she isn’t scared of anyone, definitely not some old man named Oliver Taft.” She pulled her collar tight and kissed the redhead. “I know you’re already dressed but I think I know how to calm you down.”  She smiled slyly.

                “Mmm, do you now?” Casey raised her brow and bit her lip.

                Liv nodded, sliding the redhead’s suit jacket off and placing it on the counter, “Mhmm yeah. Watch.” she said sliding her tongue into her mouth.

The attorney enthralled in the kiss grabbed for her girlfriend’s belt buckle fumbling to get it undone and get Liv’s fly down. She slid her hand down into the brunette’s waistband as her lover had moved on to kissing down her pulse points. Casey felt how wet Olivia already was and let out a sultry giggle, “Mmm, I’m starting to think I just keep you like this twenty-four/seven. Let Daddy fix it.” She moaned sliding a finger in and pressing her palm to Liv’s clit.

The detective fumbled with Casey’s suit pants as she let out little whimpers which Casey swallowed, kissing her hard. Finally getting them undone, the attorney used her freehand to grab her girlfriends wrist and pull it to her, sliding it down into her boxers. Liv glided two fingers into Casey’s soaked center and thrust her back against the counter.

The ADA threw her head back, “Oh god Olivia! Fuck” she slipped another finger into the detective. The two of them mewling and whimpering as they continued toying with each other’s g-spots. They knew each other’s body’s like clockwork, enough to make it last for hours or make the other cum instantly. Their breath hitching and growing ragged they both knew what was coming next and let go, collapsing against each other and back against the counter.

Casey held Liv’s head against her shoulder and kissed her temple, both of them out of breath. “You make the prettiest noises when I fuck you.”

******

                As they arrived at the courthouse Casey was much more relaxed. She was hurriedly headed towards the courtroom when she heard someone call out to her.

                “Hey Novak! Catch.” She turned around to see Elliot lob something in her direction. She caught it one handed and looked at it.

                “What’s this for?” she said quizzingly.

                “It’s cologne Case, you smell like sex. Keep it,” he headed in, “Knock em dead!”

                As the trial proceeded the prosecution called Taft as their first witness.

                “Is that why you spoke to Karen during her trial, because you thought she was innocent.” The ADA asked casually.

                Taft paused for a second and took a deep breath, “I admit the conversation was ill-advised. We were in the same elevator, she was distraught. I allowed my empathy to overrule my intellect.” Elliot rolled his eyes from the gallery as Taft spoke.

                “Did it every occur to you that Karen Campbell might be responsible for her daughters condition?” Casey continued.

                “I must object, Your Honor.” Taft argued.

                “You felt sorry for the defendant, so you must’ve already decided she was innocent even though the trial had not concluded yet.”

                “I had formed no opinion,” Taft retorted, “as you just said the trial had not yet concluded.”

                “I know,” the redhead swung her hand as she walked over to the jury box. “Which is why it was so strange that you were talking to her. Why did you tell the defendant to quote seek psychiatric help, so this tragedy doesn’t occur again.”

                “She was upset,” the judge answered.

                “Because it sounds like you really did think she poisoned her daughter.” Casey was getting louder, more adamant in how she spoke.

                “It was a mistake, is that what you want me to say Ms. Novak? One mistake in almost three decades?”

                Casey sneered, “Didn’t you make an arguably bigger mistake? When you wrongfully convicted Rosalin Silvo of murdering her daughter and sent her to prison for ten years?” The ADA was shouting at this point.

                “That is completely immaterial,” The Judge argued.

                The redhead stepped to him, “You can’t object Judge Taft.”

                “But I can Ms. Novak,” Judge Bradley warned.

                “Did you tell Karen Campbell to suffocate her daughter?” Casey walked back towards the jury.

                “No.”

                “But you talked to her even though it was clearly improper,”

                “It was a mistake!”

 “You don’t make mistakes, you make judgements, who’s innocent, who’s guilty. You saw Rosalin Silvo and she was a whore. That means she’s a bad mother. And then you saw Karen Campbell. Why did you talk to her Judge?” Casey was furious at this point.

“Your Honor!?” Taft turned towards Judge Bradley.

“Why talk to her? Why talk to Karen Campbell?” the young fiery attorney pressed as Taft stood up in the witness box. “Why talk to a woman who tried to murder her daughter?”

“I didn’t know!”

“Didn’t know what?” Casey shouted, “That she’d turn around and try to do it again.”

“I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE” Taft bellowed at Casey.

Judge Bradley banged his gavel, “That’s enough!”

“Nothing further,” the redhead’s lip curled as she walked away.

It didn’t take the Jury long to come back with a guilty verdict. The press was outside waiting for Taft as both Elliot and Casey watched satisfied from afar. He had been demoted before he even left the courtroom. The detective nudged the ADA, “You did good Case.” She nudged him back and smiled.

*****

                “It’s open,” Casey said as she heard her girlfriend approach the door. She was sitting at the counter. “Hey beautiful.”

                Liv walked over and planted a longing kiss on the redhead.

                “Mmm,” Casey couldn’t help but smile at the brunette’s touch. “I have something for you.”

                “You do?” The detective asked, “What is it? Something sexy?”

                Casey giggled, “I hope you think so.” She looked up at Liv, “so you know how you always say how unsafe it is for me to leave my door unlocked when waiting for you? I think I’ve found a solution.” She slid her hand across the counter towards her girlfriend and lifted it away revealing a singular house key. “What do you think?”

Read Part 7

[the-physicality]

we did it

the pwhl cannot do 10p et games. the wnba can get away with it because they don't take as long. but this was two and a half hours. and you can't start that at 10p. they probably should have had this game on the weekend

lots of scoring, yay. we played a solid 40 minutes I thought

i appreciate that they were able to execute the eng [that is why i was excited]

my manifestations [a big claire dalton game, + for my top line] were successful

MGM 2nd star of the game, a goal and an assist in 11 minutes of ice time

[the pwhl +/- is messed up rn bc they gave ambrose the assist on the poulin goal but she is not listed on the +]

scoring 4 on 25 shots? I like that

poulin scoring 2 on 3 shots? I like that even more

some bad decision making on wide open looks from 3 people but we won so I won't name names

we should have saved that first goal, and we never should have given up the breakaway that led to the 2nd

i'm starting to get annoyed with the announcers for not noting that we have played fewer games so don't give our defense credit unless you are looking at goals allowed per game. and give us more credit for our win % [we are now top of the table with one more game remaining than MIN

we beat them in regulation, we beat campbell [i don't care if the situation has changed, it's still important to me]

I know it wasn't the goal to take fewer shots, but i think we have been taking better shots as of late and it is helping the offense tremendously

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: “The Star”/“Jerry”

(Fionna & Cake, Eps. 7–8)

Airdate: September 22, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jacob Winkler, & Sonja von Marensdorff

Directed by: Ryann Shannon (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

It is hard to believe that we are already privy to the penultimate episodes of the Fionna & Cake miniseries. So far, this series has been hit after hit. So do "The Star" and "Jerry" live up to what has come before them? Read on for more...

The plot to "The Star" is deceptively simple: Fionna, Cake, and Simon are transported into a universe where Simon was killed by vampires, which led to Marceline being abducted the ice crown-wielding Vampire King (once again played by the wonderfully sonorous Billy Brown) and turned into his protege, known as "The Star." While the world has been almost entirely overrun by vampires, a Mad Max-esque version of Princess Bubblegum is still putting up a hell of a fight (Mad Max Bubblegum is aided in this task by Peppermint Butler-as-a-Tank, a human[?] version of Huntress Wizard, and a non-psychopathic version of Martin). Cake's shapeshifting impresses Mad Max Bubblegum, and so she decides to enlist Fionna, Cake, and Simon's help in defeating the Vampire King and his evil 'daughter.' Alas, as goes the best-laid plans of mice and men... The episode ends on a purposeful anti-climax: Fionna, recognizing that all is effectively lost, forcibly teleports herself, Cake, and Simon away from Vampire World while Mad Max Bubblegum and The Star struggle in the sky, with neither wanting to land a killing blow. The fate of Vampire World is thus left unresolved.

As a major fan of Stakes, I was delighted to be transported back into the world of vampires in "The Star." And this time, the show does a very solid job showing just how powerful and scary these monsters actually are (despite their Kermit the Frog-meets-Nosferatu appearance). And let us not forget Evil Marceline (oh, where to start)! I quite like that Ooo's Marceline is a heroic anti-anti-Christ, but even I found the titular antagonist of "The Star" to be a terrifying delight. It has been a good long while since Marceline has rightly pranked someone, and while I don't know if killing people or sucking souls count as pranks, it was nonetheless wonderful to see her ornery side return—only this time, turned up to 11. You can tell that Olivia Olson had a lot of fun recording her lines for this episode; her performance is energetic, her tone mocking. When I heard The Star taunt Mad Max Bubblegum and Co., it took me back to when I first heard Olson's voice acting in "Evicted!"

It was a clever move having The Star and Mad Max Bubblegum be sworn enemies, as it allowed the series to explore their dynamic as a couple without focusing on their past or present relationship. In the Vampire World, we learn that the two have never been in a relationship together. But despite this, still found themselves pulled toward one another in an almost preternatural way. Who knows… Just as the souls of Finn and Jake seem to be destined to always find one another, perhaps Marceline and Bubblegum are "soul mates" in a similarly metaphysical sense? Regardless, the hesitancy to kill one another that both characters show at the end of the episode speaks volumes as to how they feel about one another, even in a universe where they are sworn enemies. (Man, I really hope we get a Bubbline spin-off one of these days…)

Ah, I feel like I could talk about the Star for days, but there is more to consider, so let me move on to…

Airdate: September 22, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Jim Campbell, & Jackie Files

Directed by: Steve Wolfhard (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

"Jerry" begins with Fionna, Cake, and Simon finding themselves in a dead and desolate world—humorously dubbed "Crapworld" by Cake—that we later learn was created by the Lich's wish in the season five premiere "Finn the Human." (As a mythological aside, when the Lich made his initial wish, it seems that Prismo did not simply wipe out all life in the Oooniverse; instead, he effectively created a copy of the Oooniverse within the Oooniverse. After killing off all life in this bubble dimension, Prismo then transported the Lich to his new wish-altered reality. Really, it is turtles all the way down…) While searching for the Crapworld ice crown, Simon tries to cheer up an increasingly despondent Fionna by telling him the story of how he and Betty met.

Eventually, our heroes run into Crapworld BMO, who upon learning that Prismo's remote is out of juice, attempts to recharge it with his robot heart. This does not go as planned (it actually results in Crapworld BMO spectacularly exploding, which is somehow both horrifying and funny), and Simon, Fionna, and Cake decide to track down Crapworld BMO's oft-mentioned friend "Jerry" and tell him that BMO has passed. Upon finding Jerry, however, the trio discover that he is actually the Lich… albeit a depressed Lich; it seems that after fulfilling his mission of ending all life, the Lich lost a sense of purpose. (I've been there, dude...) Simon sees this as an opportunity, and using the Crapworld ice crown and the Lich himself as a conduits, he manages to summon GOLB just as Scarab materializes to deliver divine punishment.

To be continued!

"Jerry" is a decidedly bleak episode that more than anything radiates the creative sensibilities of its supervising director, Steve Wolfhard. For those out of loop, Wolfhard was a storyboard artist on the original Adventure Time series, and he helped write some of the show's strongest outings (e.g., "Puhoy," "Lemonhope," "Escape from the Citadel," "Graybles 1000+"). Wolfhard has a unique approach to writing, often using humor/cuteness to paste over more existential horrors, and while he did not storyboard "Jerry," the episode nevertheless feels like the apogee of his "voice," brimming as it does with a darkness that is only lightly covered with a veneer of humor. Indeed, many of the episode's funniest moments (e.g., the scene in which BMO cheerfully, stupidly kills itself, the reveal that the Lich has depression) cannot be described as anything other than gallows humor. Wolfhard often joked in interviews that many of the episodes he pitched involved main characters dying. With "Jerry," he finally got his chance.

Ultimately, what prevents "Jerry" from becoming a bummer-fest is the way the episode is interspersed with flashbacks that tell the story of how Simon and Betty fell in love. Despite their being the emotional heart of the episode, I do not have much to say about these scenes other than they are sweet. They largely expand upon details that we already knew, but in doing so, they enliven those details, infusing them with a sense of affect that exposition or background detailing could never convey. There's a couple easter eggs thrown in for die-hard fans (e.g., several relics from the main series are name-dropped, we see when a photograph of Simon from "I Remember You" was taken), and its all tied-up nicely with a new HALF SHY song, "Everything in You." All in all, these scenes are the sweet, sweet eye bleach we need, given the tone of the episode's other half.

My biggest gripe with these episodes is that they both lean too far into Fionna's failures while somehow not leaning in far enough. The former issue is most noticeable in "The Star," the beginning of which sees Fionna follow up her candy genocide by making a series of increasingly bone-headed decisions, one of which leads to the direct death of a character (although, Mad Max Bubblegum was also quite bone-headed for letting Random New Girl put everyone in danger immediately after introducing them to her few crew members). Put simply, I feel the episode excessively plays up Fionna as a gullible girlfail, which seems a bit much. Paradoxically, in "Jerry," the show did not have Fionna properly, fully, believably consider the ramifications of the mistakes she had made; instead, the episode focuses much of its emotional energy on the story of Simon and Betty's relationship. Yes, Fionna does have a realistic breakdown in the middle of the episode, but almost immediately, the show decides to have Simon distract her with more of his own love story. None of this sinks the episodes, but it does make them less than perfect.

For some, the episodes' bleakness might also be a defect: indeed in both "The Star" and "Jerry," lots of characters die, and the fridge horror is off the charts. But while I have criticized the show for such cruelty in the past (e.g., my review of "Wizard City"), the bleakness in these episodes is not meaningless. Instead, it arguably serves to underscore that without Simon Petrikov existing and doing all that he has in the Ooo Prime universe, the world (any world) quickly goes to hell. (This is perhaps most noticeable in "The Star," given that the big twist of that universe is that Simon was killed by vampires, presumably before he placed the ice crown on his head, thus resulting in Marceline's capture and indoctrination by the Vampire King.) Even in his crazed "Ice King" state, Simon is something like a cosmic lynchpin holding together reality! Considering how much Simon/the Ice King is a woobie in the original series, it is nice to see Fionna & Cake accentuate just how important he actually is.

Final “The Star” Grade: A-

Final “Jerry” Grade: A-