#when i'm done with the squeeing

[agoldenblackbird]

i'm gonna be a ranty bitch for a minute.

tbh i'm turned off even reading new buddie fic despite being a multishipper and have unfollowed a bunch of buddie accounts because i'm sick of the smug attitudes. one ask that i am otherwise not going to publish or respond to ended with 'sorry you don't understand media literacy bestie :)' fuck off. listen INFANT, i have been writing fanfic and original fic AND watching, reading and analyzing queer media since before you were born, i understand how character and story development works, and i know the difference between 'storyline i personally disliked' and 'bad writing.' this was BOTH, and it also was marketed to us as 'carefully crafted bi rep' and 'queer love story that is not about a bunch of pain and conflict FOR ONCE' so we have every right to be upset at the bait-and-switch.

the fact that i'm seeing the same exact posts - 'bt bones buddie CANON' that i saw three seasons ago after the bucktaylor breakup, or every time they thought buck and taylor MIGHT break up - says something. the fact that so many fans seem genuinely convinced (STILL!) that buddie is inevitable because there have been so many 'signs,' and then they rattle off a convoluted theory that would make the most hardcore taylor swift stan say 'wow, that's a bit of a reach,' honestly weirded me out a little when i first joined the 911 fandom. i have never been in a fandom where so many fans are insistent that their ship will be - not might be or could be, but WILL be - canon. i am skeptical both from past experience with other shows mishandling queer storylines or ship-baiting, and tim minnear's proven track record with this one of not really knowing what to do with buck's LI's. but i didn't want to yuck anybody's yum, so i let them have their theories and squee in peace, and unfollowed or blocked certain tags if i was seeing too much of it and getting annoyed. it's too out there for me, but i'm glad they're having fun!

yet they can't give us the same courtesy. they deride us as delusional for thinking that a canon pairing that was presented to us both in promo and the show itself as different and important (eg the bobby approval convo and 'buck getting off the hamster wheel') might last, and we're stupid to have ever liked tommy or lou or be disappointed at how the breakup was written, and if we point out the biphobia it's just sour grapes.

the bucktommy breakup is not the first time 911 has started out strong with an interesting storyline and fumbled it in the 4th quarter either because the writers got bored or in the name of needless drama/a 'gotcha' sudden twist. amir & bobby, eddie's fight club arc, the sperm donor SL, hen vs councilwoman ortiz, whatever the hell is going on with harry, the whole mess with shannon/kim, just to name a few. and especially the past couple of seasons, for me since 6b, the pacing has been off. they seem to have too much happening at once and many of the storylines don't have enough room to breathe to be narratively satisfying, or they get resolved in ways that feel lackluster.

if the toxic buddie stans who have been attacking lou on sm and sending death threats (wtf!) actually get what they want, which i admit is possible, but it's certainly not guaranteed….i don't know why they think the writers won't fumble that just as badly. it's not going to happen precisely the way they want it to because it is impossible to please everybody, that's what fanfic is for. but at this point i have zero faith that it would even be well done at all, and zero trust in the writers not to just sabotage or regress a character for funsies, and that's an excellent reason to stop watching the show. in most of my other fandoms i regard canon as a jumping-off point or a blurry outline at best, and i can have just as much fun in the 911 sandbox without any further input from canon at all, once i'm less angry.

[jtl07]

There's a story behind each trinket, each wrapper, each pebble and Beatrice learns to always turn out Ava's pockets before putting her clothes in the wash. While the machine rumbles, she'll have Ava explain each one, allow herself to lean into Ava's side as she plucks each item from Beatrice's palm. (When they get to the end, Beatrice leaves her palm open and sometimes, Ava will take her hand. And Beatrice will want - Ava; will want to ask what kind of story Ava thinks they'll have, how many chapters, how many novels will it span. It's the same part of her that wants desperately to hear forever from Ava's lips.)

Art for pocketful commissioned from the ever incredible, the incomparable @princington

(More thoughts - about Prince, about their art - below the cut)

Prince has done so many wonderful works of art for the Warrior Nun fandom, especially their fanart for fanfics - there have been countless times I've discovered a new beloved fic through their art. It's even more special when it's your own fic - it's like looking through someone else's eyes, and when it's an artist like Prince, it's nothing short of awe-inspiring. So when I was thinking of getting art commissioned for pocketful, I knew it had to be Prince.

They were very kind and easy to work with, and they took one of my favorite moments I've written and made me fall in love with it all over again. I mean, look at their expressions! If you've seen Prince's work, you know that they have an extraordinary ability in drawing emotion in such a heartfelt way. I love the fondness, the intimacy, the devotion. I just - [goes off to flail and squee for 10 minutes]

And then there's the physical closeness, how Ava's almost in Bea's lap, how indulgent Bea is as Ava is pointing out the different items in her palm (I love that there's a leaf!). There's so much to love in this - the contrasts and "them"ness in their posture, in their clothes. Also the way Bea has her hand tucked between her thighs makes me think about how she tries so hard to keep her hands to herself, yknow? (That theme was one of the things that made me want to write this particular fic to begin with.) And gosh, how comfortable they both are here, in this humble, gentle space they've carved for themselves. It's incredible, seeing this scene like this.

Prince, we're so lucky to have you - thanks for all you do and for sharing your amazing work with us. I'm going to treasure this for a very long time <3

[rissararity]

Little excerpt from an Omegaverse Logan fic I'm writing for funzies. Below cut gets NSFW!

Everyone always assumed Logan liked tough, red lipped, leather jacket types and he did…to pump and dump on his ruts.

But on the extremely rare occasion he imagined his perfect mate, she was always delicate and wore calming, peaceful colored dresses and skirts.

Dresses and skirts he could hike up at his convenience.

A lady, and a whore.

Excuse me while I re-read this until my squee's die down.

I just love the thought of gruff, grumpy Alpha Logan x sunshine omega.

- He'd be the very definition of scary dog privilege. No one messes with his little Dove and lives to take another breath.

- Before they mated, he'd hate every guy she went out with and not think anyone was good enough for her

- He looks so angry in public. Crowds make way as he nears. Yet the chatty little omega on his arm is bouncing on her heels and smiling up at him without a hint of fear or discomfort.

-Total opposites, yet so perfect for each other.

-Dove is tougher than she looks and likes it rough.

-She accepts his feral side and can take his ruts like a champ. He loves watching her normally taught little belly inflate with his loads, and plugging her while she rests to keep it inside.

- She belongs to Logan, after all. She'd be full of him constantly if he had his way, and he did his best to achieve that goal.

-Skirts! The skirts! His rough, calloused hands slide up her soft legs, beneath the pastel blue fabric. She immediately spreads her thighs for him.

-If she's super dtf, she doesn't wear panties under her skirt at all. His sharp eyes can see the lack of panty line a mile away.

-Possessive. He hates when Dove has to be the distraction during a mission and as soon as possible fucks her against the wall in the nearest alley or dark corner as if to re-establish his claim.

-She loves how his touch erases the memory of the previous one, and she actually feels CLEANER once his thick cum is slowly pooling into her panties.

- Sometimes he jumps the gun and does this before the mission is actually done. If they can't risk anyone catching a whiff, Alpha Logan is very happy to plug her tight little pussy with a special device until she can safely evacuate it upon their return.

-Pretty free use, though he very much values her comfort and consent. Her little omega hip wiggles to encourage him just before he enters are a personal favorite.

- Grunts, and growls. Purrs that rub her brain AND her clit. She can FEEL the deep, gruff sounds coming from his thick, muscular torso. His breath in her ear shakes and shutters.

- "Mine." He snarls, arms curling tighter around her as if someone were going to try and take her from him.

-Logan would shred anyone who tried to ribbons, of course.

- Dirty talk! Experienced, confident Logan loves to praise his little cum slut. Telling her he's gonna give her so much she'll be leaking for DAYS.

- Speaking of, you know Alpha Logan has just as much stamina as any super soldier and his loads are twice the size.

-During ruts she finds herself feeling sloshy after a while but she couldn't care less. This is exactly what she wanted.

She may be a lady, but for her alpha, she IS a whore.

And he loves her.

(Might make a fully SFW version of this sometime)

[roo-bastmoon]

Well done!!

My fellow puppies, kitties, and puppykitties,

It's been an honor to work alongside you this week. We have all given our utmost and done well by our boy.

I'm going to go on rest for a bit, as real-life deadlines are upon me. But please join me in continuing to stream (and purchase when possible), as longevity is the name of the game now.

Looking forward to squeeing with you guys over Are You Sure? and all the good things in store.

Sending you all much light and love!

Roo

[zenkindoflove]

Thank you <3

Now that Pull Me in Deeper is over, I wanted to take some time to thank a lot of people. Writing and posting this fic has been an amazing experience for me. It has changed me as a writer in so many ways, and I couldn't have done any of it without the support of so many people along the way.

(warning: overly emotional sappy rambling. I'm sorry if I forgot someone!!! to be honest, so many people have been supportive of me and popped in and out of this experience and you all have left an impression)

First, I wanted to tell you guys a little bit about my experience writing this fic.

I had never written Canon x OC before I created Alexius in Summer Heat. I've primarily been an OTP fic writer, focusing on one couple per fandom that I would fixate on. When I started Summer Heat, I really wanted to explore as a side story of Eris in a relationship, and for me, the only person who kept popping up was someone like Alexius. Summer Heat was a safe zone to play around because I got to develop him and his relationship with Eris while still focusing on Elucien. When Summer Heat was over, I got the idea to write Pull Me in Deeper because I wanted to explore whether Eris x Alexius would be able to carry their own story on their own, and I wanted to challenge myself by writing a fic that mostly contained original characters.

There was a lot about this experience that was new and challenging. Writing only Canon x Canon ships and those that were really popular in fandoms did not prepare me for some of the trials and tribulations that come with writing Canon x OC fics. You often feel like you are on your own island, separate but adjacent to the fandom. You hope that people on their boats passing by will stop and visit you. Maybe stay a while. Sometimes, I will admit, I felt lonely, especially in the early days of writing this story. I went from a very built in community of shippers who loved the ship for the ship and we could squee together about how adorable our OTP was - to basically trying to convince people that Alexius was a worthy partner for Eris and worth taking a chance on reading about him. So I gained a whole new respect for the Canon x OC parts of the fandom, and I'm happy I can count myself among you now.

To say it frankly, I've grown so attached to Alexius and his relationship with Eris over these last several months. He is very real for me now. You really can't spend this much time living inside of a character's head and being committed to their HEA and not adore them. Not only is he a representation of so many people in this world that I love, but he also has given me so much confidence in my ability to create original characters. In the past, when I have sat down and tried to writing original fiction instead of fanfiction, what always held me back was creating characters that felt like real people. After Alexius, I feel sure now I know how to do that, and for that, Alexius will always be my baby. Please know, as long as I'm writing ACOTAR fanfics, Alexius will be in them and there will be more in store in the future for Eris x Alexius centered fics (more than there already are lol). Eris x Alexius is my Eris OTP and now that I have the Eris bug, I won't be stopping.

Okay now to shoutout some specific people:

@crazy-ache - You have always been there for me in every stage of my ACOTAR fanfic writing process. Thank you for telling me early on, when I felt guilty for this fic expanding so much and taking so much of my focus, that it was okay for me to branch off in this direction and leave Elucien on the shelf for a while. I really needed to hear that then. And thank you for always being up for reading my first drafts, brainstorming through scenarios and plot, and just being my cheerleader. I love you, and I really cannot ask for a better writing partner and friend.

@lucienarcheron - The very first time I ever had the instinct to write Eris with an OC, I ran to you for advice. You trekked this path long before many, many people, and you have been instrumental in me taking a chance. Especially seeing all the hard work and focus you've put into Spirit Meets the Bones really inspired me to want to write an Eris x Alexius solo fic. So thank you so much for being an Eris x OC mentor of mine.

@thrumbolt, @works-of-heart, @bonecarversbestie, @little-fierling - Thank you so much for creating fanart either of Eris x Alexius or inspo from this fic. You all have also been such amazing commenters on the fic itself, leaving insightful, smart, and hilarious feedback. It's so rewarding to have readers who are driven to create based on something you made. And it really helped me in times when I've been down or unsure of myself, that there were people out there who thought enough about my fic that it inspired creativity in them.

@olenvasynyt - your long comments and even longer voice notes that you've left me in DMs have been such a treasure. I especially love the head canons and little snippets you have shared with me about your own Male OC that you have created for Eris. It's such a small community that we are in, and I really can't wait to meet him too. I love that we both have such a strong love for the Autumn Court and creating OCs.

There was quite a few people who started reading PMID because they were familiar with my Elucien fics and got to know Erixius in Summer Heat. I really appreciate all of you who migrated over and decided to go on this adventure with me!

I also had a group of people who really surprised me joining on and reading this fic, and that is the Azris shippers. @the-darkestminds, @jules-writes-stories, @mistandmemories, @constantsins I have ] always enjoyed your expressive, thoughtful, and analytical comments and words of encouragement you have given me. I especially want to shout out @the-darkestminds because I really do think that you helped my audience grow. If you weren't reblogging my chapter updates, a lot of people who are interested in reading about gay Eris wouldn't have seen my fics at all. In my head, Azris shippers only gave this a try because they love you and your work so much. They trust your tastes so they felt if you liked this fic, maybe they would like it too. You have always been such a good friend to me (especially tolerating me even though I don't like Azriel lmao) and I can't thank you enough.

I also want to thank a lot of people who have been with me throughout this entire journey, reblogging my fic and leaving amazingly thoughtful and inspiring comments on my chapters: @clockwork-ashes, @what-about-elvenis, @lovely-vanserra-sunshine, @teddyhoneybear, and all of the people on AO3 who I don't know if you're on tumblr! Comments are everything to a writer, and please know that anytime I received a comment from you, it made me want to write the next chapter so see what you would think about the rest of the story.

There have a lot been a lot of people who have liked/reblogged/or occasionally stopped by to chat with me about this fic or Alexius as a character. While I can't list everyone, please know if you reached out to me, I was always so moved and excited to talk to you. And anytime you want to talk to me about these characters, please do not hesitate!

I know this is very extra - but I really felt it was appropriate to get this sentimental about this fic compared to others. I really put a lot of myself into this story, and the emotional journey and growth as a writer I went on felt like I needed to give back to all of the people who were there encouraging me to not give up. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[agendertoph]

Can I just say that rewatching "The Waterbending Scroll" as a 24 yr old, legit 12 yrs after I first watched it, was such a crazy experience bcus, so like the thing is that I'd dropped off zutara some years ago now, not bcus of any thing in particular, just that I'd drifted from the general atla fandom over the years, but still thought about the ship fondly from time to time

so anyways like. so I get to the ep on my rewatch n I'm thinking "oh hey! isn't this the ep w the pirates and Zuko and Katara? that's nice :D" but bro omg I wasn't prepared

bro I wasn't prepared at ALLL BRO LIKE!??!?!? "I'll save you from the pirates" HE SAID HE'D SAVE HER FROM THE PIRATES?!?!??!

AND THEN!!! When Katara's tied to the tree, we see Zuko smiling for like the first time ever, n like yeah ok he's trying to get in on her good side by appealing to her emotionally open nature, but vnkjnvjksdf omg he smiled for her?!?!??!

AND JUST THE REVEAL THAT HE HAS HER NECKLACE?!?!? Like we knew he had her necklace since "Imprisoned" but omg to see it being offered to her as a broker piece, like yeah of course he's going to taunt her w it, but also like!??!?! the fact he CHOSE to reveal he has her necklace LIKE THIS!??!?! LIKE HE'S PUTTING IT ON HER?!?!?! LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH A WATER TRIBE BETROTHAL NECKLACE?!?!?!??!

oh my GOODNESS, God almighty, bro. bro!!! oh my God, u never really stop being 12 yrs old at heart, huh? this ep had me blushing n squeeing n kicking my feet like I had done so 12 years ago

aaa!!!

[dailycass-cain]

It's been A LONG TIME, but I feel I am so gonna have to catch up on my thoughts with Birds of Prey. So tonight I'm gonna do a three-parter.

Tonight, part 1 will cover #9-10. So let's start with my thoughts on the two issues.

Starting off, this issue means a bit to me three-fold as #1 it occurred during the character's anniversary month.

#2 Artist Jonathan Case once again draws the character (having gone to town with the character in Batgirls #14).

#3 said GORGEOUS AAPI variant cover by Phillip Tan and Elmer Santos. I remember seeing Tan's Cass at a C2E2 a few years ago and nabbing the print (for myself and a friend). He always drew a nice Cass, and I'm glad AT LAST he drew an official one.

As for the issue itself, it's a nice beginning piece to the new arc as the Birds are basically lost trying to find Babs, along with figuring out their new surroundings.

For the special costume given to Cass this issue. I saw an article via Screenrant going into detail on how edgy this suit gives off.

I agree it does, but also to a degree of how maybe she views herself internally. Though of all the unique designs, I'm quite curious on how the artists throughout this arc corresponded with writer Kelly Thompson on the unique looks to each Bird.

Regardless the "Victorian Era" Birds as I view this issue give a very Gothic style and lend to the twists and turns this issue has.

Which, leads into one of the major moments Cass gets in the issue.

The first is a move hyped on the covers during the first arc: Barda launching Cass via a fastball special.

The moment had me squeeing as we get our first tag team move of the two and I hope there is MOAR from them besides the old classic (which you can't go wrong with).

The Birds rescue Babs, and for the briefest of moments everything "seems" right, but well Thompson remembers something OTHER writers kind of neglect with Cass.

In that, she can tell when someone is not truly themselves and is a walking lie detector.

It's a brief, but if "you're in the know" of the character, yeah Cass would easily see via a few steps of body language and behavior that Babs wasn't really Babs.

It's a character quirk that a lot of writers usually overlook coughs some Batman writers coughs.

Again, Dinah trusts Cass 100% with her insight (as the series has already established) and attacks "Babs" and we get out fight in the issue: the Birds vs. this mangled Bat Babs creature.

This issue also feels like the closest meta Thompson has regarding the whole Babs as Batgirl in the issue too. If you take in the fact that her costume has a rather "classic" look to it. And well...

And that leads me to the only downer of the issue because like the Birds themselves, as the reader we are left clueless as they are as to whom or what is behind all of this.

However, for this "one and done" different look. I'll give it being something totally different and again this series trying something new (akin to what we've gotten in the first arc).

Case's art is still stunning, and though more minimalist (compared to his Batgirls issues) still packs a punch. The costumes and crazy demon she-bat Babs still pops in my head.

I just wish we got more information other than the teases for the issue, but this is an unfolding story and like the Birds I'm here for the ride.

Birds of Prey #10 continues this wacky out-of-this-world adventure this time with a 50s twist that has the same dark edge of the prior issue. So what about the Cass within? Well...

Again, another artist of Batgirls helps with the issue as we get Robbi Rodriguez (who's been drawing A LOT of Cass granting 2016 me a wish) and Gavin Guidry on art duties.

Their art compliments the setting within the issue with this 50s to 60s style with a dark undertone (like the prior issue).

So the issue begins with the newest suits we get a '66 version of Cass. The suit itself uses a bit of what we got with the '66 bat costumes but we get Cass bits to it. The bat symbol. The belt. Oh hey! A domino mask! How Black Bat of this suit!

I do love the look, and for a "66' Batgirl" look for Cass checks all the boxes making it different from Babs' look.

Though I have to admit it's weird that Babs herself looks a lot more like her short-lived Sean Murphy bat ears look than something more to her '66.

We also get A LOT of exposition in the issue of what's going on, why someone is targeting Babs, and HOW this is happening.

And it works for me given well we need that info dump and this does feel like the part where we NEEDED this. Even if it does feel like a slight retread of Megaera from the first arc.

However, with one tiny bat twist…

The big fight for this issue is the Birds vs. a corrupted Barda. And oh dear me she is utterly terrifying. But like I said we get a twist, and it is SOOOOO Cass-characterization perfection.

Instead of a brutal fight between the two new friends we get Cass trying to reason to Barda, knowing the New God can beat this on her own.

The moment between the two is just SOOO Cass. Akin to so many stuff with the character in the past. Thompson just GETS Cassandra Cain as a character.🥺

If there's any really nitpick of this issue I have is this issue felt so quick. Like we get so much info, Possessed-Barda, Cass does Cass thing, and that's it. I kind of wish we got more but I get we're sprinkling the Sin and Vixen stuff for later.

But man, Barda/Cass are just the anchor of this series period. Their friendship is something I always wanted and this series hasn't disappointed. I can't wait when Thompson repays this with Barda coming to Cass's aide or does this.

I KNOW THIS IS COMING.

I just wonder WHEN and if I'll have tissues for this moment when Barda unleashes hell or shows this compassion to free Cass from whatever bind.

But yeah Birds of Prey has been my favorite book of the early half of the month, with Tec always complimenting it for the back half.

[familyvideostevie]

hit me with the sunshine!james and grumpy!reader fluff, loser :)

-cece

how delicious! so good i'll ignore the name calling <3 all for you, @theemporium :) i've never done this trope before so hopefully this works!!! | fluff, fem!reader, grumpy!reader x sunshine!james, 1k

"If you keep frowning like that your face is going to stick," James says lightly. He startles you a bit, but you don't let it show. He knows you well enough to tell, anyway. He slides his hand over your lower back as you continue to stare, arms crossed, at the book in your hand.

"Ha, ha," you say, toneless. "James, it's no use." Your lower lip has a small indent in it like you've been chewing on it. He wonders if you'll let him kiss you in the store.

"What's no use, darling? Catch me up, I'm slow." Sometimes, if you're in the mood, you'll bump your hip with his when he teases like that. But you don't move, don't even lean into the hand on your back.

"I think today is going to be a bust." It's shopping day -- different from errand day, you both wander around local shops and buy things you don't technically need. Birthday presents, new clothes, books. It tires you out immensely and James knows that tonight you'll fall asleep in his lap with a movie in the background.

"Why's that?" he asks. You won't ask him to go home early, even if you're not enjoying yourself, since you know he's got things to buy. You won't even sulk -- that's not your style. He'll just be able to feel it radiate off of you, and while he adores your slightly sour disposition, he never wants you to actually be upset. Dissatisfied with the state of the world? Sure, who isn't. Annoyed at slow walkers? Again, join the club. He loves you when you're frosty, he loves you when you're grumpy, he loves you when you're soft in his arms when you wake up every morning. It doesn't matter. He loves it all.

"I--," you start. You set the book back down on the table perhaps a bit too forcefully, as you wince at the noise it makes. "I'm just annoyed they don't have the edition I wanted. When I called last week they said they did." You take a deep breath. "And I'm frustrated that I've dragged you here when it's on the other side of town as the stationary shop we need to go to for Remus and all the other places we need to visit." You sigh again, frown deepening. Time for him to make his move.

He's mastered this by now. James knows that you'll let him underneath your exterior no matter what, half because he's so damn charming and half because you want him to see you, to make you smile. And, if he's honest, he's got no idea why you let him. But from the moment you met it was clear that he was the perfect companion to your mood.

"I'll buy you another book. Two other books. No, three!" You turn towards him and his hand slides to the flesh of your hip, squeeing once, gently. "Well, any more than three and you definetly have to carry some."

You aren't convinced. "James, that's not the point --"

"Well, who needs books, anyway?" He hooks two long fingers through your belt loop and tugs gently. You allow it, falling into his chest and catching the lapels of his jacket, frown still in place. But he can see he's getting there -- your eyebrows are quirked in interest and your shoulders are already looser. He taps the tip of your chin with a knuckle before cupping your cheek. "I could just ravish you in the stacks of this shop, instead. No purchase required."

"James," you scold. Your grip on his jacket tightens and he can tell you're fighting a smile. "I will not be kicked out for public indecency. Who even says ravish, anyway? Who are you, a historical romance hero?"

He nods very seriously. "That's my day job, obviously. How did you not know? You really should pay more attention to me." That earns him an eye roll and tug at the corner of your mouth .

"Poor you," you drone. "Most neglected boyfriend on the planet."

He drags his thumb across your skin, watching it pull. Your nostrils flare. "No," he says. "No, I don't think so. You couldn't neglect me if you tried." He moves his face closer, so close that your noses brush. Your eyelashes flutter and your eyes close.

"Only because you're so bloody loud," you say, softly. "It's very hard to ignore you." He scoffs.

"Careful," he says. "Or I might think you're flirting with me." He drags it out even more, brushing his lips over yours without properly kissing you.

"Now that would be a real blow to my reputa--" you say, but he ends his own game and presses his lips to yours. You gasp and he swallows it, right there in the fiction section of the bookshop. James doesn't let it go on too long, lest you actually get kicked out, which would be a shame since he knows you do like this place normally. So after a few mostly decent-for-public kisses, he pulls away. Your hands loosen their grip on his jacket and he releases your face.

"Shall we go, then?" he asks, finding his voice a little rough. He loves the effect you have on him. You nod, frustration seemingly gone for now.

"I hate when you do that," you grumble, linking your fingers together. He squeezes your hand. "Cheer me up so easily."

"No, you don't," he says, beaming at you. You reach up and flick a loose curl back into place.

"No, I don't," you say, suppressing a smile. "I still don't have my book, though." Well, at least you no longer look put out about it.

"Then we'll go to every shop in the city, silly girl," James says, tugging you toward the exit. "We've got all day."

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, masterlist here!

[ectonurites]

@bylerween2023 DAY 4: PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

I Feel Sick by Jhonen Vasquez (of Invader Zim fame) has always held a special place in my heart (alongside related stories Johnny The Homicidal Maniac & Squee!) ever since I first read it as a kid... and, well, with the lead of the book being a painter who has to come face to face with their work when it seems to gain a mind of it's own... it just felt like it could be a really cool basis for an AU with these guys!

Plus, I got so attached to the idea while drawing out this comic that I started working on a fic to flesh it all out further—at the time i'm posting this it's not quite done yet, but look for the first half of it from me in the coming days!

In the meantime, you can check out the accompanying playlist if you'd like:

It’s specifically a mix that Will created and listens to within the fic—so songs hold thematic relevance as well as sometimes just being the Right Vibe™️. The timeframe for the fic is late 90’s, which is also reflected in the song choices (well, barring the fact that some are remasters of songs that were done later on, but like, the original songs all debuted pre-1997)

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Wednesday wonderful readers :) Holy hell can’t believe we're at the finale already. Granted only ten eps but still haha They really made these ten eps count. Can only wonder what a full season would’ve been like. But we can’t live in that realm. This finale minus the Monica crap didn’t care about was real good for our ship.

Also SO excited I got to mainly use pretty gifs from our wonderful gif makers in this one. They create them for us to use and I'm forever grateful. I love that I have the option to use my own if I need it. But much rather use these beautiful gifs if I can help it. First one in awhile been able to. Also proud of myself for getting this out right before my road trip. Moving to another state is a struggle. You hate all your belongings towards the end lol Also with Tumblr being a dick and erasing my edits twice.... But here it is despite all that . Let’s get started.

6x10 Escape Plan

For the sake of GIF space, and wanting to focus on the Chenford in this ep, I'm not going to do GIFs of her UC mission. I will do a quick rundown of what went down. Lucy’s priority is to get evidence linking Blair to Monica. They end up getting that link through Blair herself because of Nolan. Lucy finds out about the hit at the laundromat Monica is paying Batista for though. She is offing a former ally cause she's the absolute worst. Lucy is no longer needed as a Nanny after this with the family taking off.

They've decided to go to ground after this. Lucy is convinced it'll be easy to collar them though. Which leads us to this fantastic little moment. Lucy folds into the OP since she isn’t needed as a UC anymore. Tim does not take his eyes off her from the moment she enters the scene. It’s unreal. Be more in love with her Timothy I dare you. Look at that man above. This mini moment is so soft. The wording, the heart eyes, and how Angela is looking between them.

She knows they’re still in love with each other. Anyone with eyes can see that. It literally pours out of these two without them even noticing. Angela sure notices hehe She is the fandom in this moment watching this exchange. Melissa and Eric are damn treasure to make such a mini moment so soft and perfect. Got me squeeing to death over here. You can see he’s much happier with her apart of this OP. It’s so lovely. Brief but beautiful. Love our ship.

This scene is the second best of the episode. It’s the first time they’ve really had alone time together since the breakup. Now this isn’t the adult convo they need to have here. BUT this is a HUGE development in terms of communication. Especially from Tim. He’s the one to start and share. He’s grown so much I could cry. This conversation just shows how far he’s come and he is respecting Lucy’s boundaries in the process of this convo.

He’s opening up to her but also doing it on her terms. He doesn’t want to dump his feelings all over her. Because he lost that right when he broke them up. What he is doing is being vulnerable so Lucy knows what an impact she’s made on him. It’s a massive massive growth scene for Tim. It starts out with him sharing he took her advice about therapy. Lucy looks closed off as she should be at first. Saying and?

Tim makes a crack about her being a blackmailing psychopath. Because the jokes help him be vulnerable with her. We all know how much he hates to be that even with Lucy. So this is such good progress for him. Lucy lets him know that’s not normal what happened to him lol I've had two and that most definitely has not happened to me haha You can tell she’s excited he’s gone and doesn’t want him to sour on it cause of Blair. This convo alone proves how much it’s done for him so she wants him to know that. Always watching out for him, no matter what I love it. *happy sigh*

It's fascinating to watch Lucy soften the more he speaks about it. She remains cautious, and rightfully so. But she is intently listening and absorbing everything he’s saying. Tim letting her know the irony was she was a good therapist. And she was there was no doubt about that. She got him to go and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that. After being in therapy and having it continually make my life better I so relate with his replies.

How she opened doors to things he didn’t even know was there. You can see he is pensive but lighter as he says this. When you unearth stuff and give it room to breathe. Process what it is. You feel so much better. For me always starts out with this uneasy pressure and fire in my belly. The anxiety and uncomfortableness of it.

Then by the time we’re done dissecting it that feeling is gone and I feel noticeably lighter. Guarantee you was the same for him. You can tell by how he talks about it. Look at how Lucy is looking at him as he speaks. She can sense it too. Gah it’s so good. She is so impressed and proud of him. Look at her face in the first two gifs. It says it all to me. Melissa, like Eric, has a remarkable ability to convey so much emotion through her eyes. Why we have a super couple everyone. Our actors who portray them are superb.

Tim goes on to say now those confessions are being dissected. Up in the cloud for some FBI IT guy to come un-encrypt them. I hate that so much for him. No doubt the confessions he had were very raw and vulnerable. To have them exposed has to be so violating. I know I would be feeling incredibly violated if mine were leaked. It’s supposed to be a safe space to work your crap out. Be emotional, vulnerable, and talk your feelings out. Which is so hard for our boy.

Wish we could've seen his sessions. But they didn't have time with ten eps. Maybe S7? Tim continuing on to say how they’re going to be analyzed for evidentiary value. I hate that so much. Tim is putting a light spin on it. But we know deep down how much that bothers him. If they were in a better spot or even together he would voice that. But they’re not there yet. Lucy looks at him with a soft smile though. One betraying her feelings for this man. Telling him she’s sorry. Because she really is. Last thing she'd ever want for him.

Lucy then asks if he said anything revealing about her? Because of course he did. There’s no way in hell that man didn’t talk about her. She was one of the main reasons he sought out therapy. But there’s nothing to be done about what he revealed at this point. What’s done is done as they say. His joke had me cracking up so very much. I know it was misinterpreted by some. Wondering if he was deflecting.

He was not. He clearly said intimate and personal things in his sessions. Like I said earlier supposed to be a safe space to do so. But given where they are right now. The fact that this is their first real convo in almost four episodes he keeps it light. Maybe someday when they’re back together they can dip their toe back in but that time is not now. As I said in the very beginning of this scene. He is respecting her boundaries in this moment.

Doing this for couple reasons. One making light of it because he’s feeling vulnerable in this moment. Two he wants to lighten the mood because this is a serious subject. I wanna cry at how much he’s grown to even be vulnerable enough to share this with her. Her reply reminded me of 5x21 when she asked Tim if he missed her? It’s so cute and such a light hearted way to end this scene. This scene represents significant growth for him and for their relationship. They’re on the road to slowly healing and I’m here for it.

The hit was pops off. Tim sees one of the guys taking a truck to escape. He pursues him alone and jumps in back. Luckily his wife sees this and takes off after her man. Doesn’t waste anytime going after him. I love it sfm. When the chips are down they are just there for each other. I’ll forever love how fiercely protective they are of one another. Makes my heart swell with shippy happiness. Angela joins Lucy in the pursuit of Tim.

We watch as Lucy is having a panic attack watching Tim struggle. He is losing the battle quickly and she cannot just sit there and let him get hurt or worse. The love of her life is being demolished in this fight. She physically can’t stand it and tells Angela to take the wheel. Angela is floored by her determination to get to him. If you weren’t already impressed with the BAMF Lucy Chen has become. You will be now. Look at how she jumps onto that truck.

The music once again perfection as the scene unfolds. She is fueled by the need to protect her person and some adrenaline to go along with it. I love Tim’s face when she appears. So thankful she is there because he was NOT I repeat not winning. He was upside down so quickly. It’s why Lucy is there saving him. They immediately fall back into the well oiled machine they are in the field. Taking down this guy together. Always say they look like poetry in motion at work this scene is continual proof of that.

I love the looks they share in the cab. Tim’s far more telling than hers. Looks like he’s falling in love with her all over again For the second episode in a row. Floored by the cop she’s become. How amazing she was to make that jump and save his ass. He is forever in awe of this woman in front of him. Saying so much with just a look there Timothy. You are at work put those heart eyes away haha Actually don’t I love it so much. You can see the utter reverence in his eyes for her. Does my shippy soul good to see it.

The look Tim gives her outside the truck is EVERYTHING. She just risked her life to save him. That man is in shock. After everything he did. The fact that she would risk her life for him like that.... He can't believe it. That’s the face of a man astonished by the woman standing before him. She did it because she still loves you my silly goober of a man. But we will get there I’m sure of it. Like I said earlier this is a slow healing and I’m ready for the ride. I really am.

So much is being said with these looks and no words are even spoken. That’s the beauty of our ship right here. That silent communication only they have. How they can convey so much with just a look. God I love this ship. There’s a reason they’ve had a stranglehold on me for years. Tim cannot take his eyes off the woman in front of him. I love it so much.

T.O. Tim would’ve lost his mind at her action. In love Tim can’t stop being in awe of her for it. I can’t get over how he is looking at her. It’s so telling. Lucy is reciprocating will a look of her own. Their instinct to reach out to each other but they hold back. *sigh*. Such a an incredible fight scene. Our ship got back to back finales with bad ass fight scenes. I love watching them in the field. That’s where their roots begin. Why I love it so much.

We start off the glorious elevator scene. (And fantastic song in the background. Can't praise the music department enough.)We get back to back goodies in this space too. The scene we’re about to embark on is beautifully done. Eric and Melissa doing what they do best. Knocking it out of the park with their skills and chemistry. I love Tim’s 'Lucy smile' being in full force as she walks up to him. *happy sigh* That man could not be more in love with her if he tried. Lucy isn’t holding back with the heart eyes when he’s not looking either. Her being the one to crack the joke is precious. Lightening the vibe instantly.

Making a crack about his injury. Her way of showing she cares without it getting too personal. Because they just aren’t there yet and ya know that’s ok. This is going to be a slow burn to reconciliation. I’m actually pretty excited about it. Tim returns her affections with a joke of his own. Saying slacker is his middle name haha Ever the gentlemen let’s Lucy go on first. They settle into the elevator with some charged energy. Lucy retreats into the back of it. Not ready to be standing that close to him yet.

Wanting to keep whatever this interaction may be brief. She’s still hurting and it shows. Also, knowing the magnetic pull of theirs too strong for her to tempt fate by being closer to him. Tim feels this too as he settles in. Doesn’t push it. His spatial awareness around her remains considerate. Stays out of her bubble for the most part. The growth train with Tim continues. I’m floored by this scene everyone. Just floored. Also proud and astonished by this man. Opening up to not once but TWICE in the same episode.

Let us delve into this wonderful scene with how Tim opens it up. His back to her still. Respecting this physical boundary she has set up. I wanna start by saying watch Lucy in the background as he speaks. He only slightly turns his body so he can’t fully see it. The look of apprehension present? Yes. She is like a wounded animal, not sure if she can trust the man in front of her fully. But she cannot for the life of her keep the love and reverence out of her eyes. She does it the entire scene.

Just because she can’t trust him yet doesn’t mean she isn’t still madly in love this man. Her actions in the OP proving as much. Tim leads off with her saving his life. Blatantly stating she saved his life. Who are you and what have you done with Tim Bradford? Lucy deflects because she doesn’t know how to handle this new Tim. One who is graciously giving her credit. Lucy is feeling vulnerable herself and pushing it away. Telling Tim he had him. Honey, you don’t jump onto a moving truck out another vehicle in motion if he had him lol

Tim refuses to take ANY credit for this. Telling her basically how fucked he was in that moment. Reminding her of his predicament. Letting her know how much he DID NOT have him. He knows he screwed up in his approach and she saved him from his mistake. The growth here makes me wanna cry. They are happy tears don’t worry. The more I go through this season the more I’m glad we had this all happen. I know you must think I’m crazy for saying that. But it’s true.

Can you imagine S1 Tim acknowledging his mistake and showing gratitude to Lucy for saving him? Hell, even S5 Tim, who is madly in love with her, couldn’t share the credit in 5x05 for her saving his life in the pilot. This is a much different Tim Bradford we are looking at folks. Despite all the crap with Dr. London he has grown. Their fallout brought him to a place where he could. To the point where he is thanking her for saving him. No bravado. No tough Tim. Just vulnerability plain and simple. Not only that but sincere gratitude.

Lucy can see the vulnerability he is displaying to her. She can feel how sincere his words are because she knows this man. Back in 6x09 she asked John how he sounded. Because she can determine everything about where is by the tone of his voice. Lucy can’t even see his face really but can tell how sincere he is being by his voice.

That’s why we get this incredibly soft look from her. Heart eyes galore as she tells him ‘You’re welcome.’ As I stated earlier she may not trust him right now. But god is she is so in love with this man. It’s written all over how she is staring at him as she replies above.

Getting me all in my shippy feels and igniting my excitement. I have no doubt Tim feels she doesn’t love him anymore. If he turned around and saw her revealing look of love he would know. But he doesn’t. Being respectful of her space in this moment he keeps his back turned.

It’s here we see Tim internalizing everything. Gathering up the courage to turn around and tell her what’s been on his heart. Something I’m sure has been rattling around in his head since he started therapy. Their hug in this very elevator likely intensified these feelings even more. The kindness and empathy she showed him. Even though he felt unworthy of it. It stirred something up in him. Realizing again what he once had that he so hastily threw away. Once again Eric be killing me with his expressiveness. Tim finds the courage to turn around and speak his peace.

We watch him be vulnerable and open up to her for the third time in this ep. Second time just in this moment. Once I was shocked and proud enough. But three all together? I’m damn right giddy at this point. He starts off STRONG. Admitting he knows he ruined everything. This is HUGE. Finally admitting fault to her. The fact that he knows this and is acknowledging it. *screams into a pillow* It's everything we've waited for. It’s an incredible start to this part. So many were mad at him in 6x07. It wasn’t fair or just to Tim. He needed time to get here. Lucy may need her own therapy and growth. But is little more evolved in the emotional game than Tim.

Also it's WHY he needed therapy in the first place. Wasn’t fair to expect that out the gate for him pre-therapy. You don’t get his character if that’s what you expected IMO. Sorry if that’s harsh but it’s true. It’s what makes this scene even more satisfying. To watch him make the journey to this moment with her. To let her know he screwed up royally. That he wouldn’t have blamed her for turning on him. He made it easy to. This second line showing he still has growth to do. To get to the place where he knows Lucy love him through anything. But he’s a WIP as we all are lol

Lucy isn’t sure she is ready for this conversation. We can see that she struggles to even make eye contact with him. Like I said earlier, she’s having a hard time trusting him, let alone accepting this newer side of Tim. It’s a lot for her to take in post OP. She’s also still harboring a lot of anger towards him. You can see it percolating all over her expression. Tears forming in her eyes. Threatening to fall at any second. Melissa out here trying kill me with her amazing acting.

That anger is ever present and hasn't really had a chance to breathe or surface at all. I mentioned in 6x09 that she hadn't really dealt with the trauma of their breakup fully. Her reaction above is proof of that. This is why she’s letting him know he doesn’t have to do this. Because, deep down, this is what she’s wanted, but she isn’t sure she is actually ready for it. She hasn't sorted through her own feelings and anger fully about all this. Fingers crossed s7 does that or she is there by then. Also Lucy is trying to give Tim an out he is REFUSING to take with her reply.

Tim isn’t going to let this moment pass by without saying this. He is trying to repair them with something he should’ve done long ago. Communication. Honest communication with her. It’s on his heart to do this and nothing is stopping him. It’s here he says a line that makes us all swoon. Makes us all wanna kiss him for. Also, it's making me incredibly emotional in the process. He’s just so god damn sincere it’s making my heart ache in the best way. Letting her know she will never know how much he appreciates her kindness.

Because to Tim he felt so unworthy of it. He felt that way before they broke up. Her continuing to be the same caring empathetic person to him afterwards? Blowing his mind. Also reminding him of this incredible person he let slip through his fingers. It’s an epiphany he’s having here in this moment. What he’s really thanking her for is far more than just the truck and their elevator hug.

She’s shown him her kindness and big heart since the start of their relationship. When he was a dumpster fire and all she could see was his good heart. The man that was beneath all the damage. Lucy has been a constant source of joy, positivity and love in his life. He would be remiss not to thank her for all that she has done for him. This is extending for their whole relationship IMO. His words holding extra meaning in that regard. Thanking her for their entire relationship.

This next part is friggin EVERYTHING. This is Tim acknowledging he took her choice and voice away in 6x06. He is giving her all the say in this moment. Letting her know he will spend the rest of his life trying to pay her back. Which makes my heart happy on so many levels. Wanting to EARN his spot back at her side. Not just waltzing back in. He wants to demonstrate his commitment and win back his place in her life. Gah it’s so good.

I can't wait to see what does for his small doses in s7. Also, there’s something so beautiful about Lucy just being Lucy that reminds him why he fell in love with her in the first place. About what he has lost as well. Knowing this incredible person needs to be earned back. He then follows it up with whatever small doses she allows. Which is now on HER terms. He’s giving Lucy her voice and choice back.

Things he robbed her of in their breakup. Took away her agency when he did these things. Beautiful thing is he recognizes this and is letting her know. Not only does he have a lot to make up for, but if she allows him to, it’ll be fully on her terms and say. You’re dead inside if you weren’t tearing up in this moment. I was a mess. Also If you can’t see the enormous amount of growth this moment represents I can’t help you lol

Lucy’s guarded but softened look says everything. How she is longing to let him back in but can’t just yet. Almost like how a rescue animal would react. The need to want to trust is there. But it hasn’t been rebuilt yet. She is hesitant to truly trust in it. Lucy is floored by the man standing in front of her though. The myriad of emotions coursing through her is reflected above. Just look at her eyes alone. It’s here we can see her soften a little. Defrost a bit. She’s not there yet but she will be. We all love Lucy for her loving and forgiving heart. I don’t see why she wouldn’t let him back in if he continues this growth. This desire to make things right between them.

Working on himself to be better. Regaining his place in her life. Something he wants so badly but realizes he needs to earn back. There is a great quote from Ted Lasso that fits perfectly here. "I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments. But rather by the strength we show when and if we're ever given a second chance." I remember there being a small faction of people being nasty about Tim still. How they never wanted Lucy to forgive him. It was those same people who were terrible about his mental health crisis too. Showing their emotional immaturity once again. Made my blood boil.

I avoided the Chenford tag because couldn't take the outrageous takes they were spewing. Here is what I have to say to those people. One. I hope you never make a mistake in your life then. Because the way you want this man to be treated is with zero empathy or compassion. I highly doubt you'd want that for yourself. Second refer to the quote above. No one should be defined by the actions of their weakest moments. That's not who Lucy Chen is. There is no way she would hold this against someone she loves forever. Tim is going to earn her back I guarantee you that. He is going to show strength when given that second chance. Mark my words.

Tim gives her the sweetest Lucy smile before he turns back around. Feeling better having shared a piece of himself with her. Proud of himself for being vulnerable with her even though scared him to death. Written all over his face in the second gif. But he couldn't let her leave that elevator without letting her know he was going to put the work in. Going to try and fix what he so hastily broke.

It’s once again how Lucy is looking at him when he turns back around that gets me. That longing to reach out to him but keeping herself from doing as such. Keeping herself rooted to that wall in an effort to stop herself from reaching out like she longs to. If you were wondering if she was still in love with him look at her. That is the face of a woman who is still so in love with the man before her.

Tim tops it off with bidding her good night. Nothing more nothing less. He said what he needed to say. It’s up to Lucy to accept it or ignore it completely. It’s her prerogative either way. Which is the impression he wanted to leave her with. Lucy keeping that longing but questioning look up as she follows him out below. We can see her starting to see the change in him as she does. First he tells her he's gone to therapy and now this. I saw a something the other day it said 'An apology isn't one if there isn't changed behavior.' Tim is exhibiting changed behavior here.

Lucy is feeling torn between staying mad or starting to heal. Wanting desperately to believe in his words. That is written all over her face as she exits the elevator. We see her face change into a small smile at the end. It's not in this gif but she does. This was the start to healing everyone. Also was the perfect way to end the season for them IMO. Why you ask? Because it didn’t need to more than this. Anything more would be been a disservice to this SL they created. Would’ve made breaking them up pointless. It had to have a purpose and this was it. Growth. Also this scene is a promise for s7.

I know some wanted a frantic hook up but it wasn't right to do so. They are not ready to be back together yet. Both have a lot of work to do before we get there. How they ended them for the season was *chefs kiss* It ended with Tim acknowledging the wrong he had done and what he’s going to do to make it up. That’s what makes s7 so exciting. I think he will continue therapy. I really do. I also think we’re about to see a determined Tim driven in his quest to make amends. Get to see a side of him we haven’t seen before and that excites me to no end.

Because Lucy Chen brings out the best in this man. And s7 is going to reflect that. As much as this season ripped my heart out. Truly I haven’t been this devastated by a couple in half a decade at least. If not a little more tbh. But rewatching this and having a better insight to it. I’m glad they did this. We all love Lucy rebuilding him and loving him into a better version of himself. Don’t get me wrong I love that. She changed his life dramatically for the better. Thing is she was his safety blanket emotionally.

I said this back in 6x07 that it was Tim’s journey to go on not Lucy’s. It was his problem to fix. She couldn’t fix what was wrong inside him. Only therapy and putting in the work was going to get that done. Their breakup was an eventuality without Tim growing. When they get back together (which they will) we will be grateful for the painful growth this season gave them. Said this before. Rather have them evolve snd grow as characters than be puddle deep like Bailian.

We’re going to get a stronger and even better version of Chenford in s7. Better version of them as characters as well. I cannot wait for the slow burn of their reconciliation. Going to make all the hurt worth it. Because it wouldn’t be right or realistic to rush them back together. I’m ready for the slow burn of s7. I really am. It's going to make when they get back together all the more sweet. I’ll be excited when we lose our minds collectively when it does. Also enjoying the journey it’ll take to get us there. I might do minis for s7 too. I’ll post something when we get closer to that if that’s someone people want.

Until then remember our ship is the best ship on this show. They’ll find their way back to each other. When they do it’s going to make it all worth it ❤️ Also the link above is for the song in the elevator. Whoever is in charge if music is truly gifted at what they do. Every song was lyrically perfect or just musically apt for the moment it was in. Thank you to everyone once again for the likes, comments (please leave comments haha I love them sfm) Reblogs they make all The effort so worth it. Shall see you all in s7 :)

~~~~

Side notes-Non Chenford

More creepy waking up with Bailian. I don’t get get them as a couple. I really don’t. Like watching paint dry.

Loved Aaron's mic drop of a moment with Dr. London. Well done sir. Shall miss you. Come and visit eh? Maybe for a wedding...

[willow-lark]

10 MORE byler fic recs!!!

with the discussion going on in our fandom lately, i wanted to try and uplift some really good fics i've read recently! pls check them out and show the works and authors some love 💕💕 (also thank you to the wonderful @andiwriteordie for motivating me to make another one of these. check out all of her fics along with these ones! :D) (also, my other rec lists: x x x)

we'd be great together by makeit_pink (T, 1/1, 2.6k) - mike and will are having their weekly movie night when they end up sharing a kiss. short and sweet. so, so cute and full of fluff!!

The Manuscript by @whereyouare13 (T, 2/10, 10k+, ongoing) - it's 1997. will byers is a popular sci-fi author, but his editor has rejected his latest romance book. things only get more complicated when mike wheeler re-enters his life. i am a SUCKER for reunion fics and i love will's relationship with robin in this one!! i CANNOT wait to see what happens next.

let the stars fall by @etchedstars (T, 1/1, 3k) - the world is ending. mike and will share a moment. oh??? my gosh??? i literally have not stopped thinking about this one since i read it. legitimately haunting. beautiful prose. mwah.

don't you know the truth (that i'm so in love with you) by mikeslawyer (G, 1/1, 14k) - soulmate aus my beloved. this one is SO GOOD!!! top tier angst right here. and the ending??? the ending??? my HEART. i'm sorry i'm not more eloquent but asdfgjkljk

i'll be watching you. by @beanieblogs (G, 7/?, 12k, ongoing) - in autumn 1983, hawkins national laboratory kidnaps will byers. he and el then escape together. HELLO??? THE concept of ALL TIME. it's more about the willel sibling bonding than byler so far but you should read it anyway. gosh. this is great.

7. träumerei by @tenderforgs (G, 1/1, 3.5k) - a beautifully done character study of will byers. i'm really obsessed with the prose & description in this one. just stunning!!

the body is a blade by @tenderforgs (T, 1/1, 1.6k) - GOD just kill me now will all of these beautiful will character studies???? augh. i want this fic tattooed on me. literally weeping.

Every eye trained on a different star by @ohfallingdisco (G, 1/1, 2.9k) - will comes out to bob. everything i never knew i needed. i miss bob every single day. this is so so good!! it really made me tear up.

stars by the pocketful by @thesapphicbard (T, 1/1, 1.1k) - will and mike share a sweet moment. THEY ARE SO IN LOVE!!! completely adorable. this is the kind of fic that i need to have 5 other apps open to read bc every line is so squee-inducing. i love it sm.

Mike Wheeler's Guide to Being a Supportive Friend by @mike-wheeler-ik-what-you-are (T, 1/1, 1.1k) - a guide to supporting your best friend when he comes out to you. god i love fics like this!! i'm never not down for a good delve into mike wheeler's brain. lighthearted and really funny!!

[ordinaryschmuck]

Full Family AU Part 16

"I'm not going to bed yet, am I...?" Luz asked, fully dressed in her jammies after taking a bath.

"You are soon," Camila said. "We're just getting you and Vee ready for now."

"Okay...Vee's fun, by the way," Luz said with a smile. "I taught her a lot of things. How to walk, draw, and...re...call...itate?"

Camila snorted, trying her best to hold back her laughter. "Do you mean "re-calibrate?"

"That's the word!" Luz exclaimed. "Papi likes to use too big of words."

"He sure does."

"But, yeah, I taught her that thing Papi taught me! Watch!"

Luz then started shaking herself all over, only stopping once she got dizzy. Camila had to stop her from falling on her butt.

"I wish he taught you something a little less...chaotic."

Luz giggled, her eyes still spinning. "Yeah..."

"This one's bath is done," Manny announced. He entered the room with Vee, still wearing her sundress. "This dress of hers really is like skin. Just washed her in the tub and the pizza sauce just went off her. Look: It doesn't even leave a stain."

"I'm sorry," Vee muttered.

"What are you sorry about?" Manny asked with a chuckle. "Not everything you do is bad. This is actually a great thing. Save us money for laundry."

"Assuming she can change shape into wearing different clothes," Camila pointed out. "Is that something you can do, sweetie?"

Vee played with her thumbs. "Shapeshifting requires magic. I only have a little left..."

Luz gasped. "Magic?!"

"Oh, right. Uh, forget that, Mija," Manny told Luz.

"Forget it?! She said magic! Magic's real?!"

Vee nodded, getting Luz to squee!

"Luz, not now," Camila said. "What do you think you're capable of doing?"

"...Maybe changing what I wear one more time?" Vee suggested. Camila hummed for a second, stroking her chin as she tried to think of something. Wordlessly, she went to Luz's closet, opened it up and do a bit of digging. While she was distracted, Luz ran up to Vee with her smile brighter and wider than ever before.

"What kind of magic is real?" She asked. "Is it something everyone can do? Can I do it? Is it something that comes from the heart? You also said something about storing it? What does that mean? Can you do magic? Ooh, is shapeshifting part of your magic?!"

"Luz." Both Luz's parents gently chastised the young girl, making her stop with the constant questions. And for good reason, because it was starting to make Vee hide behind Manny's leg due to all the attention on her.

"Sorry," Luz muttered, looking down in shame.

"It's okay, querrida," Manny said, "But you need to turn your excitement down a couple notches. Just for tonight."

"Okay, Papi..."

"Ah-ha!" Camila returned from the closet, holding up one of Luz's swimsuits, a pink sparkly one-piece with a star in the center. "Can you shapeshift into wearing something like this, Vee? Not the exact color or design, just...the suit."

"I...can try..." Vee closed her eyes and concentrated, the dress shrinking and changing into a one-piece, just like Luz's. But as the dress changed, so did other parts of Vee. Her ears, which were circle, started looking more like Vee's basilisk ears, which blended in with the rest of her hair. Vee's mouth started to become more curved like a cat's instead of the thin line it was before. And when she opened her eyes, her pupils were yellow and blue, just like in her basilisk form. "Did I do good...?"

Camila and Manny stared at her, not sure to respond.

"You...did good enough," Camila chose to see. "But..."

"Her face is different," Luz broke the news first.

"Yeah..."

"Oh..." Vee played with her thumbs some more. "I'm--"

"Don't say it," Manny interrupted. "It's fine. We can just...tell people you were born this way if they ask. I mean, it's not too weird, right? For someone to look this way."

"I guess not?" Camila said, unsure herself.

"But isn't that lying?" Luz asked.

"Lying is only good when it's for the people you love," Manny told her.

"Might want to revitalize that one," Camila said as she went to the closet. "Until then, we can't have Vee sleep in a swim suit. So..."

She pulled out another pair of Luz's jammies.

"Luz and Vee seem about the same size, right?" Camila asked.

"Only one way to find out," Manny agreed.

[evil-robot-husband]

Resonance by @charlieslowartsies...

‘Do you understand, young heir? A Prime is not a scout, not a medic. Their ferocity in battle is unmatched. They stop only when the opposing spark is snuffed out.’  “But Optimus isn’t like that—” Cade choked out, his breath leaving his chest as he watched the battle turn horribly one sided. Yes, apparently, Optimus could be and currently was just like that. And it was horrifying.  This wasn’t a fight, not anymore. It was target practice.  ‘A Prime never loses.’ remarked Excalibur coolly. 

Bound in full-cloth with acrylic paint details and acrylic edges. Typeset and binding done by hand, by me.

What to even say about this fic? Number one, it's fucking amazing. Number two, if you haven't read it, you need to read it now.

I read this and immediately thought "I need to hold this in my hands," so I made that happen! It took me less than a week (thanks, ADHD hyperfocus!) and every bit of it was fun.

Charlie did a fantastic job capturing Cade and Optimus' characters, to the point where I've basically accepted their work as my new canon and can't hear anything that Bay has to say because I'm too busy cheering on Cade as he sleeps on Optimus' giant metal chest.

What was I saying?

Right. Not only is the characterization amazing, the plot is absolutely captivating. It's fun! It's exciting! Every chapter has something that made me squee!

Yeah, so, read Resonance by CharlieMcarthy. You will thank me later.

[messinwitheddie]

*recap panel*

Nny "YES!!"

Squee "NOT COOL, Nny! Not necessary!"

MW "AWWK!"

Nny "Flap off, bird. I'm not speaking to you."

[To Squee] "What?"

Squee "Dont ask "WHAT?" You were trying to be hurtful. KNOCK. IT. OFF. It's getting old."

Nny "Hurtful? I didn't hear anything either of you said. I was just excited over finishing my degrading apology chore. It was a pain in the ass. That carpet absorbs dried mud on a molecular level-- but the deed is done... Why... Why are you making that face?"

Squee "This is just my resting Squee face. Yup. No puzzles being put together on my part. --eep!--"

Nny "Ok.

What were you two talking about?

Why is HE making a face?"

Mr. Casarez "You startled me. I don't handle sudden loud noises well."

Nny "You don't? I'll make a mental note."

Squee "Juan was telling me about his son."

Nny "Aw, gross, you reproduced?"

Mr. Casarez "Once. A long time ago."

Nny "Why are people, who should never under any circumstances make more of themselves always the ones who reproduce?"

Mr. Casarez "If only people who "should" reproduce reproduced the human race would probably be extinct by now."

Nny "... You can't be dumb and wise, old man. That's not allowed."

(DING DONG!)

My "AWWWK!!"

Mr. Casarez "¡¿Qué diablos fue eso?!"

Nny "Whoa!"

Squee "Juan, it's ok! It was just the door bell. I the food is here. I saw a car pull up front."

[Last Page]

Thanks for all the positive feedback, everyone, especially after going so long without updating this.

Looks like everyone figured out who Mr. Casarez is, which I'm pleased about. Whether or not Nny figures it out is the journey we're now on.

Sorry for blurriness in some panels. Couldn't keep my hand steady.

It's funny, I've gotten compliments on Nny's outfit in the second part to this story because I head canon that Nny is self-conscious about his skinny arms and therefore usually never goes sleeveless (Hence the jacket he had on pages ago for arm coverage.)

So right now, he's especially irritated for letting Squee talk him into helping Mr. C clean MW's enclosure because it forced him to take off his jacket, revealing the tank top, along with all the other reasons.

For me, this tidbit makes this scenario funnier.]

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

found family!ler!Marc Spector and lee!reader. you can pick any scenario, with cuddles in it

Tickle Hug

Summary: See prompt above :)

(Thank you for your patience while I get this done Anon ❤️😅 I'm sorry it took a while to get to completion ❤️🥲 Hope you enjoy! ❤️ :))

"I'm gonna get ya!"

You squealed as you ran into the living room. The sound of Marc's footsteps pounded behind you.

"Tickle tickle Y/N," the older knight teased.

"No! Dohon't say thahat!"

Marc followed you in your path around the coffee table. "Why?"

"You know whyhy!"

"No." The eldest cut off your path. "I dohohon't."

"Eeek!" You turned the other way and tried to run away, but Marc managed to wrap you in a bear hug from behind. "Ah! No!"

The eldest knight scooped you up. "I'm gonna get you Y/Nnnn!"

"Noho!" You tried to squirm out of Marc's arms. "Lehet mehe go!"

"No can do Y/N." Marc sat down on the couch with you in his arms.

"Eep!"

"You look too cuhute." Marc wrapped you in a hug. "And that means yohou hahave to be tickled!"

"Nooo!"

"Yeeeees." The older knight began to spider up your sides. "Yohou knohow thehe rules."

You broke into a stream of giggles. "Noho!"

"Ahall cuties muhust be tickled upohon ehentering the apartmehent."

"Thahat's juhust aha lihie!"

Marc moved up to your ribs. "A lihie?"

"Yehes!"

"Why would Ihi lihie?"

"Soho yohou cahan tickle uhus!"

Marc spidered up and down your ribs. "If you guys weren't so precious, Ihi wohouldnt hahave to make thehe rule."

You tried to retort but each word became swallowed up by all of the embarrassingly bubbly giggles filling the living room.

"See? Yohou cahan't deny iiiit."

"Shuhut uhup!"

"Whyhy?" Marc smirked as he tickled your top most ribs.

"Shut uUUUP!"

The older knight wiggled his fingers into your armpits. "Do thehe teases make yohou more sensitive?"

"NOOOOOOHO!"

"I think they doho. Yohou're little face is ahall reeed."

He wasn't lying. You could feel the heat pouring off every part of your flustered face. "MEANIHIE!"

"Awww, aham Ihi being mean to the little babyyhyhy?"

"NOT AHA BAHABYYYYYYY! NAAAH!"

Marc had switched from tickling your armpits to blowing raspberries into your neck. The switch made you squeal and snort as he continued blowing them around your neck then onto your collarbone. "MAAARC!"

"Yeees?" The older knight "innocently" asked in between the berries.

Another snorty filled squeal left your mouth. "JEEEHEHERK!"

"Oho Ihim a jerk nohow?" Marc blew a raspberry on the other side of your neck.

"AHEEE! YES!"

"Do you want me toho stohohop?"

You stayed quiet.

"Not even juhust aha liiiittle?"

You bit your lip.

"See? Absolutely adorable!" Marc exclaimed before he rushed forward to nuzzle your neck while his fingers danced along your sides.

The sudden attack had you squealing and melting into a red faced pile of laughter. Although you wished you could smack the grin right off Marc's face, you were enjoying the moment. It felt good just to laugh and giggle in Marc's arms as he playfully tickled you.

"Stop being so precious!" Marc growled into your neck.

"NAAAH! YOHOHOUR BEHEARD!"

"Ihi dohont have aha beard."

A snort slipped out of you. "YOU HAHAVE FACIAL HAHAIR!"

"And?"

"SQUEE! TICKLES!"

The older knight pulled away and flashed you his signature smirk. "Oh?"

You hid your bright red face in your hands as you turned into Marc's shoulder.

"Awww, hiding are wehe?"

You didn't respond.

"Ahaw cohome on now Y/N." You felt Marc's hand spidering on to your tummy. "Dohont hide from me."

You kept your head hidden in Marc's shoulder, small giggles slipping out at the ticklish feeling.

That's when Marc's hand started poking in a circle on your tummy. "Round and round the garden like aha teddyhy behear."

You squeaked.

Two fingers walked down your tummy. "One step."

You tensed.

The fingers moved farther down. "Twooooo step."

You held your breath for half a second.

Then suddenly, Marc's full hand dug into your lower tummy. "Ahhhhh tickly under thehere!"

"Squeee!" You rushed your hands down to grab Marc's wrist. "Naaahahaha!"

"Thehere yohou ahare." The older knight stopped his tickling and rubbed his nose into your cheek. "My little Bahambinoho."

"Nohoho!" You pushed on Marc's chest. "Nohot aha Bambinoho!"

"Yehes." Marc squeezed you close. "Yohoure my Bambinoho."

You stuck your tongue out at the man.

"Ahand yohoure aha goofy Bambino." The older knight ruffled your hair.

You whined. "Not myhy hahair!"

"Looks better thahat wahay."

You slipped under the hand and wrapped Marc in a hug. "Love yohou."

The older knight returned the hug. "Love you tohoo kihiddo."

For a brief moment, you two enjoyed the hug. The only sound filling the room was your residual giggles as you recovered from the tickle attack.

[waratah-moon]

happy birthday week!!!

could i request ‘dont kink shame me’ with eddie?

This screams cheerleader!reader to me. Early in their relationship... sweet girl is so innocent and Eddie's having such a hard time not corrupting her 🥺 thank you my love! 🎂 bday prompts list 🎂 masterlist / send me a message Warning: SMUT (guided hand job, oral m receiving, inexperienced reader)

It only took the slightest movement for Eddie' to gasp, a soft groan slipping past his lips. "Need you to stay still, baby girl."

"Why? I'm just getting comfy." You were sitting on his lap, watching him roll some joints in preparation for the big party happening at Michael Wright's tomorrow night. Eddie was nothing if not a business man.

"Because when you move, things happen."

"What do you-oh," you realised what he was alluding to, a small smile breaking the corners of your mouth. "Is that all it takes? Really?"

"Sweetheart I get hard if you look at me a certain way. Doesn't take much when I'm around you. Especially in those thigh highs."

"My socks are turning you on?"

"Don't kink shame me."

You let out an airy laugh, hopping off his lap and stretching your arms above head. Eddie bit his lip, eyeing the sliver of skin exposed by your lifted blouse, the backs of your thighs barely covered by your ridiculously short skirt. You turned to see him watching you, and you smiled, moving back to straddle him so you could see his face.

"Hi," you pressed a chaste kiss to either corner of his mouth before finally bumping your nose against his. When you moved, you could feel an unmistakable growing hardness beneath you.

You hadn't done much with Eddie, your relationship was less than two months old. Eddie always treated you like a delicate glass ornament that would break if he gripped you too hard. He knew that your previous experiences with exes weren't positive, so he was doing his absolute best to make sure you always felt safe. You'd only gotten up the courage to ask him to touch you beneath your clothes last week, and in that moment he focused solely on you and making you feel good. And god, you'd felt great. You'd been meaning to return the favour, but hadn't had the chance. And you weren't exactly sure how to anyway.

"Baby," he groaned when you pushed down, focusing your weight onto his lap. "What's gotten in to you?"

"Eds, I've been thinking. Last week, when you, you know," you drifted off hoping he'd catch your meaning so you wouldn't have to spell it out. He nodded, egging you to go on. "I wanna say thank you, properly. But I don't really know how."

"Baby girl, you don't have to-"

"I want to, Eds. I really want to," your hands slipped from his shoulders landing firm against his chest. "Can you show me?"

"Fuck, sweetheart. Are you sure?" You nodded, and he let out a breath, pressing his mouth against yours and prying your lips open with his. He pulled you down flush against his lap, and you instinctively rocked your hips. "Just like that baby girl. God, you're getting me so hard."

You whimpered. His crotch was grinding against you in such a way that it made your thighs clench. "Hop off and sit next to me." You did as he said and he quickly undid his zipper, pulling his jeans and boxers down and letting them fall to his ankles.

Eddie's cock stood to attention, the tip red and leaking, pressing against his stomach. Your mouth instantly watered at the sight and you reached out to touch it. His skin was taut along the shaft, but felt velvety soft. There was a prominent vein along the underside, and his breath hitched when you traced it to the tip. When you reached the tip, the pad of your finger brushed over the slit, smearing fluid around the head and down the shaft. Your hand went to grasp him but he stopped you.

"Wait, baby, lick your hand first, get it nice and wet." You licked your hand, tasting salt on your palm, returning it to his shaft. "Don't grip it too tight. Move your hand up and down."

You followed his instructions and he let out a groan when you squeezed near the base. "Like that?"

"Ye-yeah, exactly like that. Go a little faster." You quickened the pace, a growing wetness between your legs when his breathing became unsteady. You leant forward and blew a stream of cool air against the tip. His voice cracked. "Shit, shit, Jesus H Christ."

"Not good?" You looked up at him to see his eyes hooded.

"No, that felt incredible, keep going," he pulled on your pony tail, scratching your scalp. You leant forward again, kitten licking the tip and earning a shuddered breath from Eddie. He tasted like earthy musk and salt. It wasn't entirely nice, but your love for him outweighed the unpleasant taste. The head of his cock fit nicely in your mouth, filling out your hollowed cheeks perfectly. "Holy hell baby girl, what are you doing?"

"Dunno, it just felt right. Is it okay?"

"Yep, yep, yep. If you keep licking I'm gonna-" he yelped when you swirled your tongue around the head. "Fuck, pull back, I'm going to cum."

You leant back, your hand resuming it's earlier pumping motion and your thumb tapping the slit. Eddie came with low moan, gravely and deep, spurting white liquid over your hand. You couldn't help the grin that spread over your face; proud that you'd gotten that reaction from him.

"Holy shit, baby. Fuck," he raked his hand through his hair, pushing back the curls. He leant forward and kissed you softly. "Are you okay?"

"More than okay," you smiled, kissing his nose.

-

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