Gonna send this in now; don't worry about responding for a while, it's almost time for me to go to bed and you have fun things to do! Lieb: As anyone can tell you, Lieb doesn’t give a shit. Not about how much his clothes cost, if he went to college, the type of beer he drinks, and who he loves. Which means of course he’s punk, through and through. This comes through from old-school punk, like the Ramones, and through more modern groups like Palma Violets, Arctic Monkeys, and (1/?)

FIDLAR, his choice of pre-gaming music. He’s the cultural heir to the Beastie Boys and Nirvana and he’s proud of it. Jamie T’s songs feel like they fit that particular sentiment, with the chorus of “Sticks n Stones” REALLY summing up Lieb: “When there’s no one left to fight/Boys like him don’t shine so bright/Soon as I see the dust settle/He’s out on the town tryin’ to find trouble”.Wavves and FIDLAR (two of my favorite bands) bring in the SoCal element to Lieb. I feel like even though in (2/?)

canon he’s so damn proud of being from there, in a modern AU, he’d constantly be trying to distance himself from the general hippie reputation in favor for the grittiness of NorCal or even claiming New York (“Well, Web’s from there, and I lived with him before we came out here, so really, I am a New Yorker. And the Ramones would’ve loved me, so fuck off.”). Toye: Much like how Ron and Lip are Joy Division and New Order, the Joes are the Ramones and the Clash or the Damned: same genre, same (3/?)

circles, still different enough to be their own. Joe definitely is more in touch with his emotions outside of pissed off than Lieb, and he doesn’t really care as much about his reputation as long as he’s not publicly considered weak or soft, which leads into what I (lovingly) refer to as “1980s emo”. As with Oasis vs. Blur, the Smiths vs. the Cure is a huge debate (I’m firmly with the Cure on this one), but as long as there are songs he can mope around to, Joe doesn’t care. He does fit more (4/?

into 90s and 2000s alt in terms of his reactions and how he conducts himself, so I think Tame Impala, Pixies, and The Strokes fit him well in that area. They rep his outer reputation to people. But he’s a softie and as much as he denies it, he’s the guy who lays in bed and listens to mostly sad or apathetic music for a few days after a break up, then gets mad and makes himself get over it. Also, for some reason, this tattoo metaphor for the Joes (Lieb is stick-and-pokes done by a friend (5/6)

with some shitty alcohol and not quite legally and Joe is one of those old schools at an obscure but critically acclaimed parlor) popped in my head??? Do with it what you will. So that’s my thoughts, and I think I’m going to take a bit of a break w/the mixes. Would you like me to send in one or non-music things or something else? (6/6)

LIEB:

firstly; you’re absolutely right. lieb doesn’t give a shit about ANY of that- like he isn’t a very materialistic person at all, more concerned with collecting experience than he is with collecting actual things (aside from records, which i think perhaps he’d have a lot of- it ties in with the Web/Brooklyn Baby thing too because he’d be in awe of Web’s record collection and all of his rare finds and he genuinely does think Web is cooler than him because of that) (okay maybe not QUITE cooler than him but, yknow, close ahah). 

i actually have a whole document i did one night on why jamie t and joseph liebgott are the same person (which in retrospect would have been better as a powerpoint presentation tbh), but yeah, i think sticks and stones sums him up particularly well in that respect. it’s not even that he’s necessarily always seeking to fight, just that there is nothing else to do but fight. the kids i work with have a grand total of zero things to do at lunchtimes so they just fight for fun, which i think is something that comes with lieb quite a lot- and, presumably, jamie t. both of them have grown a lot though, and i think that becomes evident through music moreso than anything else. take sticks and stones and compare it to trouble, is what i think i mean?? idk im rambling here definitely but!! i hope you get what i mean kind of haha

ALSO i love FIDLAR and im always shook when i meet other people who do too so like!! that’s fucking awesome. and also that’s an interesting take on lieb actually! i wanted to include things to do with california because i knew his home state kind of played a big part in shaping his identity, but im afraid i was less aware of the north/south divide in terms of culturey things so!! learning that was cool, and yeah i could absolutely see him as claiming new yorker status on behalf of web omg!

TOYE:

fuck fuck i’m laughing so hard ok so I did my analyses of the Joes last night, and we have pretty much the same things to say about the Joy-Toye. I didn’t go into relationships b/w other mixes but wow, ok, 95% of it is what I had. I can still send it in, but it’s basically the same thing

first of all it’s both hilarious and wonderful that we reached the same conclusion on toye omg- like, we must obviously be doing something right if we’ve BOTH reached the same point of conclusion right?? right?? ahah

i dont really know what else to say on the matter of toye since youve worded it so brilliantly in your ask, like oh gosh, the image of him lying around after a heartbreak listening to mopey music is just like- agh i wanna give him a hug and tell him everythings going to be fine

ALSO THE TATTOO METAPHOR IS REALLY COOL AND I LIKE THAT A LOT

im tempted to write something but! i dont know what but i just, gosh its a great metaphor and great imagery too!! thank you for this!!

and also!! you do whatever you like rae honestly! im always around to chat or discuss music or the shows or anything you wanna!! you’re super cool and thank you so much for these mix things because i really appreciate them a lot!!

much love! and i hope that all is well!!

hi! i really want to get into the EU stuff, but i have absolutely no idea where to start. can you point towards a few good books, maybe? thank you, and i absolutely love your account btw!

Hi!  Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.  ♥  Recommendations for EU stuff often depends on what you’re interested in, because there are a lot of books I really enjoyed, so I’ll organize them by era, since that’s how fans are often divided.  I’ll also include comics, because often times the comics are some of the absolute best stuff!If you haven’t watched The Clone Wars and Rebels yet, those are absolutely the places to start as they’re key to the fabric of the bigger story, imo.  Not that you can’t understand the movies without them or anything, but TCW is especially important for understanding just how grueling the clone wars really were.  And Rebels is important for showing the fates of a lot of the TCW characters and seeing the Empire vs the Rebellion (it does a lot to flesh that out, too).PREQUELS:

Any of the Star Wars Adventures comics that contain the prequels characters are great.  Well, ALL of the Adventures comics are great, but the prequels ones are adorable, funny, and yet really well-told.  They’re light-hearted and largely oneshots, but the IDW comics have been incredible for still being some of the absolute best SW content out there.  Especially a not-miss is #12-13 and the 2019 Annual for the Padme&Leia&Breha story.

Obi-Wan & Anakin comic by Charles Soule.  A five-issue mini series that has the most stunning art of all the comics I’ve ever seen pretty much, it’s also a really good look at the time of Anakin’s apprenticeship and provides some interesting glimpses into their early days together.

Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic by Charles Soule.  This comic was an absolute phenomenon to read month to month and one of the comic series that I’ve spent the most time analyzing and felt it’s really held up to scrutiny, which shows just how much thought went into it.  It’s 25 issues of Vader fresh off Revenge of the Sith, over the span of a couple years, and really does an AMAZING job of exploring Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader, all the choices he made and the themes of the comic are all about showing he can’t admit to the HUGE mistakes he’s made.  It was incredible.

Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure by book Cavan Scott.  I’m not usually a fan of Choose Your Own Adventure style stories, but this one was worth it to me to get an absolutely DELIGHTFUL book with Obi-Wan and Anakin, who are cranky with each other, but ultimately show that they can come back together and obviously care about each other.  Sprinkle in some other cool stuff (Jedi details, Bant Eerin being recanonized) and it was lovely.

Dooku: Jedi Lost audiodrama by Cavan Scott.  If you’re interested in Dooku, Asajj Ventress, or the Jedi at all, this drama was pretty amazing, it gave a ton of worldbuilding detail, but also did a lot to fill in the backstory of Dooku and gave us a long look inside Asajj’s head as well.  Qui-Gon makes some appearances, he has an amazing dynamic with Dooku, and my heart as always skips a beat for how much I love the Jedi.

Age of the Republic comics by Jodie Houser.  Holy shit, these comics were SO GOOD.  They’re a series of oneshots about the various heroes and villains of the time, a glimpse into the lives of all of them, and Houser really nailed it here.  My favorite is the Obi-Wan one, because the conversation he has with Anakin about Qui-Gon is a must and delves deepest into the characters’ stuff, but all of them are worth reading.

Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu comic by Matt Owens.  A five-issue mini series that, okay, the art is Like That but the storyline really worked for me because it’s a really good look at Mace’s character and his belief in the Jedi Order and how he came to master himself and how the galaxy looks at Jedi.  It’s woven around a fairly typical action plot, but one of the things that always strikes me is the compassion the Jedi show one of their own, even when they’re falling into darkness, as well as this is a comic about Mace Windu’s faith and his work to master himself and it’s SO GOOD.

Kanan: The Last Padawan comics by Greg Weisman.  Stunning art plus a look at some of the characters/relationships that I want so much more of (TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT DEPA BILLABA) and more glimpses into life at the Jedi Temple, as well as telling the story of how the character went from Caleb Dume to Kanan Jarrus, all of it heartbreaking and so, so good.

While the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover is no longer canon, but it does an absolutely phenomenal job of breaking your heart all over again for the characters and expanding on everything that was going on during that time and really, really gets into the headspace of Anakin’s character in a way that was line-edited by George Lucas himself, so I think of it as having a lot of emotional truths to it, rather than being part of canon (which it’s specifically said as not being).

ORIGINALS:

The ongoing Star Wars comic (by Jason Aaron, then Kieron Gillen) + the original Darth Vader comic (by Kieron Gillen) are the absolute best place to start, they’re an incredible addition to the characters’ journeys between ANH and ESB.  The two comics are meant to be read concurrently, so I recommend them together, they often show the same scenes from different points of view, but you can roll with either of them if they’re going well for you.  They’re my favorite for what they add to the story.

Star Wars Battlefront II’s storyline can be watched on YouTube like a movie, which is about two hours long, has some fantastic characters (Iden Versio and Del Meeko are amazing, but also the brief storylines the OT trio have in the game are fantastic) and it does a really great job of helping to bridge the gap between the OT and the ST, explaining a lot about Jakku’s significance and how the First Order popped up.

From a Certain Point of View novel by various.  MY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE EU, FULL STOP.  A series of point of view stories from various supporting characters during A New Hope is exactly what it sounds like and, okay, not all of them worked out for me, some of them are very skippable if you’re not enjoying it, but the Obi-Wan one, the Qui-Gon one, and the Yoda one are all must-reads because they are HEARTBREAKING and fill in so much of what’s going on with those characters in the OT with regards to the PT events.  Also the Motti one is the single funniest thing Star Wars has ever put out.

Lords of the Sith novel by Paul S. Kemp.  While I’ve only read about a third of this one so far, I’ve enjoyed it a lot, as it’s a look at some of the worst parts of SW’s timeline, where Vader and Palpatine are at their worst, where Ryloth is suffering, but it’s done with deftness and gravitas, imo.  Possibly better after you’ve seen TCW and Rebels because Cham Syndulla’s character will have more weight then.

Legends of Luke Skywalker novel by Ken Liu.  This book came out around the time that The Last Jedi came out (or at least that’s when I read it, iirc) and it was a balm for my soul that needed Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.  It’s an in-universe series of myths, so it’s not literal, it’s stories told about Luke Skywalker as he travels the galaxy trying to understand the Force and the Jedi.  It’s lovely!

Thrawn novel by Timothy Zahn.  I still think the first Thrawn book was really good (even if the shine came off the apple after that) and it does a fantastic job of setting up the character’s backstory, intro into the Empire, and creating the character of Eli Vanto, WHOM I LOVE.  It’s a great read and some of the best of Zahn’s Thrawn work.

ROGUE ONE + SOLO:

The Rogue One novelization by Alexander Freed.  I had trouble connecting to Jyn Erso when I first watched the movie, but the way Freed wrote her as this messy, complicated, thorny person who was trying to do the right thing was perfect for making me fall in love with her.  (Freed is really, really good at writing messy, complicated, worthwhile women, imo.)

Most Wanted novel by Rae Carson.  I loved this book a lot, where it’s a young adult novel set before the events of Solo and helps tell Han and Qi’ra’s backstory and is a great space adventure at the same time.

Catalyst novel by James Luceno.  This does a really great job of bridging the Republic era with the Empire era, how the galaxy went from the Clone Wars to what we see in Rogue One, AND expanded a ton on Galen Erso’s character, his relationship with Orson Krennic and Lyra Erso and Jyn, so it made the R1 experience just a ton more valuable for me.

SEQUELS:

Bloodline novel by Claudia Gray.  This book still does the absolute most to bridge the gap between the OT and the ST, to explain the events of what happened in that time period.  Gray’s writing is best when she’s writing Leia as a character and this book works as a novel for her and as a story about the rise of the First Order and some of the problems of the New Republic.

Spark of the Resistance is a young adult novel (so about 200 pages) by Justina Ireland.  I only recently read this one and I just thoroughly enjoyed it, it was Rey and Rose and Poe off on their own adventure, which was typical cute Star Wars stuff, but the chemistry and adorable banter between these three was so good I could have read an entire series for them!  (I also liked her Lando’s Luck YA novel, if you’re interested in his character.)

Poe Dameron comics by Charles Soule.  Soule’s writing is some of the best stuff in SW so far and he does an absolutely phenomenal job of capturing the charisma of Poe’s character, while also giving him an actual character arc to work through.  The comics just fly by, they’re so good and so smoothly easy to read and so damn charming.

Cobalt Squadron novel by Elizabeth Wein.  If you get the audiobook of this, it’s narrated by Kelly Marie Tran, who does a love job of reading it, and was a book that helped me just utterly FALL IN LOVE with Rose Tico.  It’s a book that does a lot to explain her back story and who she is and it’s just absolutely wonderful.

The Last Jedi novelization by Jason Fry.  If you really, really hated TLJ, this might not be the book for you, but I found it to be a book that helped fill in some smaller details that made the movie work better for me and got inside the characters’ heads just enough to help grease the wheels to put me in a better place with the movie, so I always really like it.

Hello! I've been fumbling about them internetz and can't seem to find any good fics with a bit more lestrade, donovan and anderson(doesn't have to be positive at all). Have You per chance seen or read anything like this? Thank You!

Anonymous said to inevitably-johnlocked: Hey Steph! , I Want to ask if you got any good fic with BAMF Mycroft / OFC (Anthea , Molly , or an original character), something hot !!!!! thanks !!!!

Hi Lovelies!

Ah, in regards to the Nonny ask, I don’t really have any other Pairings of a secondary characters with OC’s, etc., but since both of these asks are very similar, I’m putting them together in hopes you’re going to enjoy what I have for @givemeyoursoulplease!

That said, I’ve not many secondary character fics; I hope you enjoy what I do have! Not all of them I’m sure (I’m still going through my bookmarks), but that’s what “part 2′s” are for LOL. Feel free, my friends, to suggest your faves and your own fics!

SECONDARY CHARACTERS & OTHER CHARACTER POVs

Defining John Watson by StillWaters1 (K+, 660 w. || Friendship) – “Not good?” Two words and Lestrade realized just who John Watson actually was.

Realisation by Susie.Donym (K+, 957 w. || Sally POV, Pre-Slash / Friendship, Humour) – It takes her a while but Sally finally makes a huge realisation.

Devil’s in the Details (Isn’t that what you always say?) by Rae Himura (K, 976 w. || Angst, Sarah POV) – It was the little things Sarah noticed. (Or, some things even the world’s only consulting detective can’t see.)

The Other Shoe by thewaitwasworthitlove - (NR, 1,053 w. || Pining Sherlock, Angst, URT, Post-TSo3) - Sherlock realizes how deep in love he has fallen for John. Only Sherlock Holmes would manage to be more shattered than crystal dropped on concrete.

Sherlock Is Not The One You Should Worry About by AllesandraQuartermaine (K, 1,077 w. || Sally POV, Character Reflection, Praising John) – Sally Donovan’s eyes are opened about a certain Doctor John Watson.

Secrets by 796116311389 (G, 1,084 w. || Drunk Sherlock, Drunk Confessions, Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, Pining Sherlock) – “He is the best person in the world and sometimes I get sad because I’m not. Not his best person.”

Wreckage and Rubble by grannysknitting (K+, 1,116 w. || Drama, H/C, Ambiguous Ending) – Lestrade’s point of view when he’s called to the wreckage of the pool. He doesn’t want to deal with the wreckage that would occur if London’s newest crime fighting duo are parted from each other.

The Simple Separation Will Not Come Between Us by The Circus (T, 1,278 w. || Hurt/Comfort, MCD, Violence, Heavy Angst, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Prose) – The choice is simple. Real, and No John. Or Not Real, and John. For a prompt that says ‘John dies and Sherlock loses himself in his Mind Palace’

Back in the Saddle by grannysknitting (M, 1,577 w. || Post TGG, Donovan POV, Observation / Introspection, Protective Sherlock, Injured John, Case-ish Fic) – Their first return to solving crime after the pool and the explosion.

With A Tilt Of The Head by StillWaters1 (K+, 1,636 w. || Anthea POV, ASiP, Character Study) – Anthea knew that she was witnessing the first of many meetings to come between John Watson and Mycroft Holmes. From the moment he had tilted his head, it was obvious that John wasn’t going anywhere: he was already more than “associated” with Sherlock – he was part of him.

In Which Lestrade Looks in on Sherlock and Observes by Aztecwarfareandcrumping (K+, 1,833 w. || Lestrade POV, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, John Whump) – John’s in hospital, which means Sherlock is, too. Lestrade takes it upon himself to look in on them.

A Sofa with a View by nondeducible (G, 1,855 w. || Domestic Fluff, Schmoop, Secret Relationship) – Lestrade loves football, John and Sherlock love each other.

Feed The Memory by Hekate1308 (T, 2,081 w. ||  Tragedy & Hurt/Comfort) – He could feed John Watson, at least. Angelo POV.

Only Human by BlackBandit111 (K+, 2,179 w. || Tragedy, Major Character Death, Sally POV) – Sally Donovan didn’t think she’d ever see Sherlock cry.

Coming Full Circle by KCS (K+, 2,358 w. || Alternate TGG, Friendship, Drama, Violence/Death References, Drugging/Poisoning, Kidnapping, BAMF John, Moriarty POV, Introspection) – Moriarty had John for almost six hours between his abduction and the showdown at the pool - more than enough time to implement a Plan B for his escape should Sherlock call his bluff with the fake bomb vest.

Rescue by missilemuse (T, 2,574 w. || Fake Relationship, Sherlock Whump, Irene Helps Sherlock) - If this was the way Sherlock Holmes loved, it was no wonder why he had avoided the damned emotion for over half of his life. Part 6 of Reichenbach To Return [[this isn’t really Johnlock, but it is… it’s non-ad10ck ad10ck. You have to read it to understand. It’s SO good and painful, trust me. Sherlock!Whump and pining]].

The Art Of Communication by StillWaters1 (T, 2,679 w. || Friendship, H/C) – Lestrade was used to getting odd, non sequitur texts from Sherlock. But when “John went out for milk” was followed by a terse “two hours ago,” Lestrade immediately understood three things: John was missing, Sherlock was quietly panicking, and this could all end very, very badly.

Waiting and Recovery by A Wandering Minstrel (K+, 3,173 w. || H/C, Friendship) – Lestrade waits for news of Sherlock and John at the hospital. Mrs. Hudson looks after her boys. Two companion pieces.

It Was All Right There In Front of Him (A Five Times Plus One Story) by bees_stories (T, 3,191 w. || 5+1, Protective Idiots, Grooming, Bed Sharing, Lestrade POV) – DI Greg Lestrade is a good detective. But sometimes he doesn’t trust the evidence in front of him, until there’s a compelling reason to do so.

First Night Out by verityburns (M, 3,251 w. || Romance, Christmas, Dev. Rel.) – As John recovers from the effects of a brutal kidnapping, he and Sherlock attend the Yarders’ Christmas Party. There are… developments on the dance floor…

The Bee Charmer by dreadpiratewatson (M, 3,314 w. || Est. Rel., Captain / Soldier John, Idiots in Love, Domestics, John in the Army) – Greg goes to 221B to check up on Sherlock after a strange phone call pulls him away from an important case, and is stunned to find himself in front of a gun brandishing soldier with a sleeping Sherlock on his chest. John Watson is a doctor, a war hero, a husband, and the only one in the world who can soften Sherlock’s heart.

Listening By Ear by StillWaters1 (T, 3,384 w. || Friendship, H/C, John Whump) –  Lestrade figured that anyone who thought John Watson wasn’t important, and that Sherlock hadn’t changed since meeting him, had to be completely, bloody deaf. Because it was all right there, in every sound Sherlock made. For anyone attentive enough to listen.

Paranoia by Ewebie (M, 3,789 w. || Humour, Drinking Games, Scotland Yard Gang, Jealous / Posessive Sherlock, Inappropriate Questions, Embarrassed John, Matchmakers) – John and Sherlock join the gang of Scotland Yard for a night of drinking, and it gets a bit personal and revealing.

Days Go By by Hummingbird1759 (T, 4,454 w. || Angst, Friendship, Post-TRF, Introspection) – The characters’ lives go on after the Fall… sort of.

Study in Mycroft by chappysmom (K+, 4,929 w. || Character Study, Canon-Compliant, Mycroft POV, Big Brother Mycroft) – A look at Mycroft’s thoughts and actions during a Study in Pink.

when Harry met Sally (and then Sherlock Holmes) by Etharei (T, 5,443 w. || POV Outsider, Kidnapped John) – Harry Watson hadn’t expected the Met, and possibly the British government, to be this keen on locating her missing brother. {{TO READ}}

The Refining Fire by Arwen Jade Kenobi (T, 5,451 w. || Post-TGG AU, Angst, Friendship, Alternating Character POV, Worried Sherlock, Hospital Recovery) – Fire can burn things to ashes, but it can also burn things together.

Maybe This Christmas by feverishsea (T, 6,021 w. || Matchmaker Anthea, Anthea POV, Slight Mystrade, Holmes Family) – Anthea has given up her life, her own desires, even her name in service of something greater than herself. But that doesn’t mean she can’t see when someone else wants something – even if she doesn’t happen to care overmuch for that person. And it doesn’t mean she isn’t willing to help.

Observational Failure, or: Seeing is Believing by SilentAuror (G, 8,733 w. || Lestrade POV, Romance) – Lestrade is almost sure that Sherlock and John are together now. All the evidence is pointing to it, yet he just can’t seem to wrap his brain around the concept.

Observational Failure, or: Seeing is Believing by SilentAuror (G, 8,733 w. || POV Third Person / Lestrade, Romance) – Lestrade is almost sure that Sherlock and John are together now. All the evidence is pointing to it, yet he just can’t seem to wrap his brain around the concept.

Our Sudden and Strange Return by Arwen Jade Kenobi (T, 10,314 w. || Post-TRF, Friendship) – One year, eight months, and an odd number of days after the alleged fatal fall Mycroft gets a message from Sherlock saying that he’s back.

Sunset’s Wake by StillWaters1 (T, 13,136 w. || Angst, Hurt /Comfort, Minor Character POV) – It wasn’t until that moment, when the dazed man in the practical black jacket came pushing through the crowd and into her arms, that she understood why she had been drawn outside St. Bart’s that day.

Sympathy for the Devil and Mycroft Holmes by scifigrl47 (T, 18,535 w. || Family, Canon-Compliant, Meddling Mycroft, Big Brother Mycroft) – Mycroft has always protected his younger brother, but there are some things he just can’t control. Sherlock’s relationship with John Watson is one of them. Set during the first two seasons of Sherlock.

Brief Conversations with the Woman by May_Shepard (E, 21,906 w. || Pining, Love Fairy Irene, Filler Fic, UST/URT, Drug Use, Clueless Sherlock, Relationship Advice, Angst w/ Happy Ending) – Sherlock has a puzzle to solve, and his name is John Watson.

And A Doctor by StillWaters1 (T, 27,393 w. || Friendship, Doctor John, Whump, Soldier / Doctor Dichotomy, Five and One) – It was only when people actually saw John working as a physician that they began to understand: that it wasn’t just about bullets and IEDs and trauma care under fire. That “doctor” actually covered a pretty wide field. And that John was bloody good at covering ground. 5 times Dr. Watson treated others and 1 time he treated himself.

Jack In The Box by Liketheriver (T, 30,785 w. || Romance, Case Fic, H/C, Lestrade First POV) – John’s been kidnapped, Mycroft has rules, and Lestrade has to do his best to keep up with Sherlock as they deal with a returning foe. Lestrade POV as he and Sherlock work to find John, even though that’s the last thing John seems to want. Part 2 of Bedtime Universe

The Wrong Wagon by DancingGrimm (E, 35,663 w. || Alternating POV, MollyxJohn [Molly pines for John], Public Sex, Casual Sex, Obliviousness, BAMF!John, Awkwardness, Angst & Humour, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) – Molly sees John in a new light and realises that she may have hitched her horse to the wrong wagon…or something like that. John pines for Sherlock and worries what he will think if he ever finds out. And Sherlock doesn’t know what Molly’s up to…but he knows he doesn’t like it.

The Green Blade by verityburns (T, 72,929 w. || Casefic, Bromance) – As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit… (POV switches between multiple characters throughout the fic)

The Blog of Eugenia Watson by Mad_Lori (G, 95,026 w. || OC POV, Parentlock, Teenagers, Diary / Blogging / Journal, Family, Humour) – I like to think of this not so much as a blog but as the first draft of my inevitably best-selling memoirs. My Life In an Unconventional Family. How unconventional? Well, I live with my divorced parents and my dad’s husband. How’s that for starters? Trust me, it gets weirder.My name is Eugenia Watson, but you can call me Genie. I’m sixteen. This is my life. Note: Work is marked complete for now and is on hiatus, having reached a convenient stopping point. Additional chapters may be added in the future. {{HAVE NOT READ}}

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@winoharry - dearest rae, hello! you’re so fucking funny what the heck, your daily snaps are iconic and make me laugh. plus you have one of the loveliest hearts i've ever come across, so happy to be friends with you 💙

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@meddrowse - nath, your edits are mind-blowing, beats me how super talented you are, it’s crazy. i aspire to be half the person you are one day, having you follow me is a blessing, you’re a true darling ❤️

@always-jackedup - sarah, my sweet bean, you are simply one of the greatest people i have ever had the privilege of meeting on here. a message from you lights up my dms, you wear your heart on your sleeve and are so wonderful to everybody who talks to you. and your writing, wow absolutely amazing 💛

@haesthete - béa, my sis, we haven’t spoken in a while but seeing you on my dash makes me smile, to know you’re ok and well makes me happy. your kindness is warm and contagious, you spread so much love and your blog is so cute. wishing you tons of love 💚

@gwil-lee - ronnie, you are one talented lady! can’t believe you actually follow me, you’re such a dear and your gifs are beautiful. also it’s nice to have someone to scream about gwil with, you’re definitely one of my favourites 💜

@eltnjohn - darling taylor, hi i really hope you’re doing good. you truly are a sweet soul with a golden heart and your selfies are stunning, don’t doubt yourself, you are a goddess. i adore your rocketman posts, keeps my dash full of great content, sending you buckets of love and happiness 🧡

love you girlies! xx

Just an idea for a fanfic: Roy is trying to date someone else, because he decides he has to move on from Riza. He soon realizes it is a dumb thing to do and he loves her so much, so he confesses. I was also thinking Riza isn't okay with the other woman, obviously, but that isn't important. I don't know, if you like the idea and have time. I love your fics, congrats!

thank you so much!!! this spiralled waaaayy out of control so that’s why it took so long to answer :’D (plus, i loved it so much so kept adding to it shhhh ;D) i hope the wait was worth it adfsadfd

enjoy!

we’re not lovers

but more than friends

tonight i’m getting over you |carly rae jepsen

The womanacross from Roy was lovely. Her long brown hair flowed and curled over hershoulder, swept over her left to expose her neck. A thin, golden, necklace surroundedit, resting on her chest, sitting just above the neckline of her dress. Herbeauty was outstanding, Roy had thought, as he charmed her with his smile andconversation.

But itwasn’t a certain blonde-haired woman he had grown to love over the years.

That wasthe whole point of tonight, to try and forget and move past the feelings thathad plagued him for over fifteen years. They both needed to, that was a mutualunderstanding between them. It wasn’t healthy to remain stagnant in theconstant state of limbo they had found themselves in.

They hadtheir past, they had made their bed in Ishval, and now they had to lie in it.

Perhapsthat’s why they were so drawn together. Only a monster could love anothermonster.

Riza toldhim she was happy by his side, but there was always that haunted look in hereyes. He had caused that. He had influenced her decision to jointhe military, however indirectly it was. Riza – good, kind, caring, Riza – hadmurdered thousands of innocents because of him.

He didn’t deserveto be happy because of that and he certainly didn’t deserve her.

So, hewould look on from afar. She deserved someone who didn’t drag her off to war tomake her do things she would regret for the rest of her life. Roy shuddered atthe memory of her resentment when she arrived in Ishval, seeing exactly what he was capable of with theflame alchemy she had entrusted to him.

“Issomething wrong?” Lucy asked with a kind smile.

“Ah,nothing,” Roy smirked, turning his charm on the lovely lady across from him. Not Riza, though. “It was just ashiver.”

“I canhelp warm you up,” she smiled, reaching across to run lazy circles on the backof his hand.

He shouldwant to go home with her, but the look of desire in her eyes and the promiseher actions suggested drew him up short.

This wasuseless. Plus, this was unfair to Lucy. She deserved someone who could give herall of themselves, not someone who had already promised himself to anotherwoman years ago.

“I’msorry,” Roy apologised, gearing up for his big apology speech. This wasn’tworking. He retracted his hand, folding them together atop the table. “I justgot out of a relationship and I’m not quite as ready as I thought it was,” helied. It was better than the tuth.

“Butyou’re Central’s “most eligible bachelor”,” she chuckled, her amusementspeaking of how absurd she thought that title was. Roy and Lucy both. There wasa sympathetic look in her eyes that Roy didn’t expect to see. “Is there someoneelse, Roy?”

He couldlie. He should. But…

“Yes.” Hersmile was wide and understanding. “I’m so sorry.”

Lucystraightened in her chair. “I thought so.” Roy’s blood ran cold in his veins.Was he that obvious? “Go and see your girl, Roy.” She winked at him.

Roy stood,placing more than enough money down on the table to cover both their meals anda very generous tip. He kissed the back of Lucy’s hand gratefully, apologisingprofusely. She laughed away his apology, the sound carefree and light, acontrast to his daily thoughts.

That wasthe other thing about Lucy, she didn’t want someone like him, not really.Everyone had their own darkness inside, but Roy was a blackhole. He would eventuallycorrupt her like he did with everyone else he had met.

The onlyother person alive who knew exactly how he felt was Riza.

So whydid he chicken out when the time came to tell her how he really felt?

*          *          *

Rizatried not to think too much about the significance of tonight. Tried. However,it was all the men had been talking about that afternoon. They were aware of some kind of past between her and Roybut didn’t know the whole story or their current situation; that weird limbo inbetween being close friends and lovers. They weren’t quite the latter, optingto maintain professionalism so they didn’t compromise each other, but thefeelings were there.

Regardless,he had still gone out on a date with another woman.

Tonight,was date number four.

So,Riza only thought the feelings werethere. They were for her, anyway. Clearly, it was one-sided.

The shrillring from the phone in her hallway interrupted her thoughts. Jumping slightly atthe sudden noise, Riza stood wearily, sick of this song and dance her and Roykept doing and answered the phone. Her faithful pup had obviously picked up onher quieter mood this Friday evening, so elected to stay by her side as shemoved to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hawkeye,”Madame Christmas’ gravelly voice greeted her. Riza closed her eyes inresignation, instantly knowing exactlywhat this phone call was about. With a knowing sigh, Riza answered the Madame.

“Again?”Frustration was clear in her tone.

“Afraidso.” There was a hint of disapproval in Christmas’ tone, but whether that wasdirected to her drunk nephew or Riza’s attitude, the latter was too tired ofall of this to care. “And… Well, you better come and see this.”

The word“no” was on the tip of her tongue. She alwayshad to take him home. Christmas never called anyone else. So, Riza had to give upher peaceful Friday night to go and pick up her drunk boss from his aunt’s bar.

Oh, andshe was in love with him, so of course she couldn’t say no.

It wasunfair. The things he said once the alcohol had loosed his tongue, the thingshe promised… It made Riza shiver with delight while dread pooled in her stomach,because they couldn’t move past where they were now. Not until they had atonedfor their sins.

It wasjust a shame he never remembered those promises.

So Rizawould continue to keep picking up Roy after he got smashed at his aunt’s barafter a date, playing the role of dutiful bodyguard and adjutant, because godknows there was no one else who would put up with such bullshit from him.Hughes was gone, so that mantle fell on Riza’s shoulders, and she wouldn’t wishthat burden on any of the other men. They simply didn’t have the patience.

Shejust wished the whole “after a date” part could be left out of it, to spareherself the heartache.

“I’llbe right over,” Riza replied, ensuring to put as much of her irritation intoher tone.

“Thankyou, Riza,” the Madame answered, surprising Riza. She never used her firstname. It was either “Hawkeye” or “Elizabeth”. “You’re a real gem and too goodfor my boy.”

“I, uh,th – thank you, Madame Christmas.”

With anod and a farewell, Riza ended the call, staring at the phone in shock. Somethingwas… fishy here. And why did she need to go to the bar to see what was happening?

Rizasteeled herself as she entered, mentally preparing herself to deal with thisLucy woman. In all honesty she was lovely enough, stunning, and would beperfect for Roy. She didn’t have any darkness within her like Riza did. She wasuntainted by war and trauma, unlike Riza.

Butthat didn’t mean Riza had to like her.

Was itchildish? Yes. Was it idiotic? Yes.

But theheart wants what the heart wants. It was extremely irritating.

“Rizaaa!”Roy called very loudly from his seatby the bar. He had turned around jerkily at the sound of the door opening, the stoolspinning more forcefully than he anticipated. As he rose his glass in a toastto her he wobbled, so much so that the Madame’s hand shot out across the bar,steadying her nephew who was wearing the silliest drunken grin.

Rizanoted there was a distinct lack of a female companion. However, was this really a place you took a woman on adate?

“Comeon! Come get a drink!” he slurred, spinning back around. It was reminiscent ofa child on a swivel chair, enjoying the way it spun, like it was a game.

“No,Roy,” the Madame replied firmly, taking the drink from her nephew’s hands. “You’vehad enough. Time to go home.”

Roy pouted– Riza could see it as she approached the bar apprehensively. “You’re no fun,”he whined, trying to clumsily swipe the glass of whisky back from her.

“Nope.Home time. Hawkeye’s here to pick you up.”

“Riza!”he grinned, turning to face her again. “My favourite Riza.” He hiccupped thengiggled to himself. “My one and only,” he professed, trying to prop his elbow onthe top of the bar, only for it to slide forward and his head to thump painfully off the polished wood.

“Allright, sir,” Riza announced. “Time to go home.” Trying to hide her amusementwas incredibly difficult. That’s what he got for getting her to drive him homeafter his date. Riza only prayed Lucy wasn’t here with him and she would haveto driver her home too.

As ifreading her mind, Madame Christmas answered that question for her. “Just a taxifor one tonight, Lieutenant Hawkeye.”

Good. Therewas only so much Riza could take in one night and dealing with drunken Roy puther at her limit.

“Noooo…”her charge whined as he lifted his head, rubbing the side where his head hadconnected with the hardwood. “I want to stay. I want to stay here with Hawkeye.”

“Well,what we want isn’t always what we get,” Riza replied, just realising how shesounded after the words left her mouth. Feeling Christmas’ gaze on her, Riza purposefullyignored it as she lifted one of Roy’s arms over her shoulders, grasping thatwrist, while snaking one of hers around his back.

“That’strue! You’re so wise Riza,” he gushed, wobbling as he stood.

“Yes,sir,” she replied, desperate to keep that professional barrier between them. Thingswere getting into dangerous territory. If Riza wasn’t careful, this could getvery messy.

The tripto his apartment was uneventful. Roy fell asleep in back, snoring softly as hishead rested against the cool glass of the window. Riza purposefully put him inthe backseat to avoid dealing with him if he decided to try and stay awake totalk to her while he was in the passenger’s seat. Getting him into his apartmentwas easy once she had finally woke him up again. It took three decent slaps tohis cheek to rouse him from his drunken sleep.

It was onlywhen they were in his bedroom that things begun to get complicated, like the usuallydid.

Butwith one exception.

“I loveyou, Riza,” he breathed as she draped his suit jacket over the back of the armchairin his bedroom. Glancing back sharply, his head was bowed, shoulders slumpedforwards.

“Wh –What?”

Hishead lifted and Riza was left breathless at the miserable, desperate, look inhis eyes. One tear fell down his cheek slowly, dripping onto his white shirt.He looked so… broken. Shattered. A shell of his usual self.

“I loveyou.” His eyes shone with a different kind of clarity. This… This was a new one.Usually there was the begging for her not to leave him, to hold him while heslept to keep his demons away, coupled with promises that one day he would makeher happy. Sometimes, Riza obliged – selfishly – but it wasn’t often. It had onlyever happened twice. Most of the time, she couldn’t.

“I loveyou so much,” he repeated. “I really do.”

“Sir –”

“Pleasedon’t use that,” he begged in a whisper, breath hitching. “I can’t bear thatthat’s all I am to you.”

“S –Roy,” Riza corrected herself. “You know why that is,” she replied gently.

“I do,but I hate it. I hate that I can’thold the woman I love, tell her how much I love her, hold her close,” herepeated, the clarity from his eyes gone. There was a sinking feeling in Riza’sstomach. These words may have all been from the heart, but how much of it wouldhe remember when he awoke?

Still…It was nice to hear.

Thosefeelings the supposedly shared were still buried inside him somewhere. How truethey were, remained to be seen. He was incredibly drunk, after all.

“Theother women,” he gestured, voice taking on a tone of mild disgust. “Are adistraction,” he slurred. Roy gestured wildly with his hand, as if brushingthose other woman away from him, but he almost toppled off the bed in his enthusiasm.Riza reached to steady him, Roy’s eyes instantly finding hers as soon as Riza’shand was on his shoulder.  “Lucy nevermeant anything to me,” he added, voice earnest. “Honestly. It was a way to tryand get over you, but… but I found out… I didn’t want to.”

Riza’sstomach dropped.

“All Icould think about was you,” he mumbled, eyes drooping closed. Without a word,Riza edged him onto his back as he lay down. “There’s always only ever been you…Love you…” His eyes closed slowly, face going slack.

Rizawatched him, frozen in place by his revelation.

This was…life changing. Literally, everything could change between them, both good andbad, if Riza brought it up again. However, due to personal reasons, she knewshe never would. They had sins to atone for and a job to do. There was no placein her life for talk like this, even if Roy was telling the truth.

Chalkingup to the effects of the drink, Riza steadied her shaking hands as she pouredhim his usual glass of water and collected a couple of painkillers from hismedicine cupboard. Upon returning to his room, Roy was passed out and snoring.

*          *          *

Roy’shead pounded as he awoke. There was a moment of disorientation as he tried toremember where he was and how he had gotten into his bed. Flashes of last nightreturned to him briefly, like a blinding white light that made his head hurteven more.

Hisbody was lying on top of the comforter. His black overcoat lay neatly over the sideof the chair in his bedroom. His blazer was draped over the back so that it wouldn’tcrush. The trousers of his suit and his shirt were a lost cause though, theywere crumpled to hell, but that was something he was okay with. The thought ofRiza undressing him to put him to bed was too much to handle.

Tryingto sit up was a straight failure. The bile in his stomach made itself known andhe retched into a basin that he didn’t remember placing by the side of his bedlast night. Come to think of it, he certainly wouldn’t have collected the tallglass of water and painkillers which currently resided on his bedside table.

Riza…

She wasalways taking care of him, he realised miserably as he rested his head on the rimof the basin.

Fourhours later, once he was finally able to face standing up, Roy fumbled his way tothe phone in his living room.

“Can I talkto you?” he rasped, asking immediately after Riza answered, barely giving herthe chance to say hello. Silence greeted him on the other side of the phone andRoy thought she wasn’t going to answer.

“Aboutwhat, sir?” she asked casually, but there was an edge to her voice. She wasannoyed. Roy groaned internally. The flashes had formed into full blownmemories a short while ago, as they always did after a night of drinking. He wasn’tlucky enough to be able to forget any embarrassing things he had said or done whiledrunk.

Whichmeant he also remembered every drunken word he confessed to Riza, every promisehe made to her.

Heswallowed the bile in his throat, a result of the nerves in his stomach. Last nighthe had told Riza he loved her. As in, “I’min love with you”. This… both wasn’t a good thing but something he was alsorelieved about. It was out there, in the open. He had drunkenly confessed it, which,in a way, was a coward’s way out, but at least the drink had given him thecourage to say something he had been meaning to for years. The result of his revelation while out with Lucy had sparkedit and the excess drink had spurred the notion along.

“Lastnight.”

“Don’t mentionit, sir, just helping out a –”

“Butyou didn’t have to, though. You neverhave to. I want to make it up to you.”

“Sir –”

“Riza,please,” he begged, his voice dropping low, almost a whisper. “I need to speakwith you.”

“Allright,” she agreed after a moment. “Where –”

“Myplace? As soon as possible?”

Therewas another pause. “Understood.”

“Thank you,”he breathed, but she had already hung up the phone.

Royspent the next twenty minutes showering and brushing his teeth to rid his mouthonce and for all of his vomit breath. The basin he had vomited into numeroustimes was no clean and sitting on the balcony at the back of his apartment toair off. It wouldn’t do to have that sitting in the house while he had a guest.

Afterthe benign greetings and small talk – as little of it as there was – Roy launchedright into what he had planned to say.

“I’msorry,” he announced. “I was out of order last night and I truly do appreciateyou coming to pick me up and bring me home from the bar.”

“Not aproblem, sir,” she replied simply. Roy’s cheek twitched at the use of “sir”.

“Butthe thing is you don’t need to dothat.”

“TheMadame didn’t make it seem like she was giving me much of a choice,” Riza replied,tone dry.

“That’s…”his tongue almost slipped. He had asked Christmas to always call Riza to pickhim up from the bar if he got out of hand. She was the only one on the teamcapable of putting up with his shit, and while the Madame disapproved of thearrangement (because it was grossly unfair to Riza), she agreed, nonetheless.The truth was, Roy didn’t trust anyone else as much as he did her. “Sorry. Thingsare a little foggy as I try and piece it all back together.”

Hecursed himself as he automatically begun to chicken out.

“You don’tremember anything, I understand.” Her tone said she understood, because thatwas the lie he told every time, but the edge in her voice showed her true bitterness.

Thatwas what pushed him to finally reveal the truth.

The liesaved complicating things between them however he should be fucking mature andlevel headed enough not to get himself into that position in the first place. Hisdemons didn’t see it that way and sometimes Roy just needed to shut them upwith the poison of alcohol. At least, for a few hours, he could forget…

Onlyfor it to come rushing back. The reminder of the inappropriate things he had saidto his dearest subordinate, the way she would take care of him withoutcomplaint when he was drunk off his ass, it all came back to him. It was also avery nice reminder that he didn’t deserve Riza Hawkeye. She was so good to himand Roy, in return, treated her like dirt.

Today,he would rectify that.

“That’sthe thing, I do remember.” Roywatched carefully as she begun to scoff, only to freeze in place finally realisingwhat he had said. “I remember last night, and I remember what I say every time.”

“E –every time?” she questioned. Roy nodded. Her expression changed. “Why did youlie, then?”

It wasa fair question, one he expected. “Because if I told you the truth, it wouldcomplicate things between us and we’ve both come to a mutual understanding aboutthat,” he gestured between the two of them. “The truth is…” he took a deepbreath, getting ready to dive headfirst into a dark and stormy sea, not knowingwhat would happen to him once he breached the surface of the water. “I do loveyou, Riza.” She was a statue now. “But the reason I never said it before isbecause I feel I don’t deserve you. Not after what I did to you and in Ishval.Keeping you at arms-length was the appropriate course of action.

“So, I liedto cover it up.” He chuckled humourlessly to himself. “I always was a cowardwhen it came to our personal relationship. Too scared to admit how I felt in caseI fucked it up.” Roy’s eyes dropped, falling to rest on his clasped hands infront of him. His elbows dug deeper into his knees, using them to steadyhimself in the tumultuous sea before him. Riza had yet to say a word. If it meanthe could get everything out in one go rather than hiding from it behind anotheranswer he had to give her, then it was for the best.

Even ifit did fuck everything up, at least the truth was finally out there after overa decade. She deserved that much, at least.

“I havebeen incredibly selfish, and for that I apologise.”

Riza staredat him for a long moment. Roy’s gaze dropped, feeling ashamed of everything hehad put this wonderful woman through over the years. The edge and irritation hehad heard in her voice earlier was Riza reaching her breaking point. Roy knewthis. There was only so much she would be able to take.

He hadsaid his piece, however there was one more thing he had to say.

He hadto give her the option to walk away, should she desire it. It was only fair.

“In mydesk drawer at work there are a set of forms,” he began, unable to look her inthe eyes. Again, being a coward. “They’re transfer forms.” It was barely audible,but Riza’s breath caught. “Should you wish to have me sign them off, I’llreadily accept, and you can finally be free of me and my bullsh –”

“Idiot!”she shouted, standing abruptly. Roy jumped in fright at the sudden rise in hervoice. “Do you really think that’s what I want?”

Roy’smouth opened and closed like a goldfish. “I thought –”

“I’msick of your bullshit, yes,” she seethed, glare pinning him in place. “You’re agrown man, you should fucking know better, but do you really think that I would wantto transfer away from the team? And you can’t even look me in the eyes to saythat?” She scoffed.

“I… I…”

“Thishas nothing to do with you, and everythingto do with you,” she added, laughing humourlessly to herself. A hand ranthrough her hair, leaving bits of it sticking up on her head. “What you think youdeserve and what I think you deserveare vastly different,” she replied, gaze hard. “I promised to protect you andfollow you, didn’t I?”

“Yes,”he replied upon realising she was waiting for him to answer.

“Wepromised we would atone for our sins, correct?”

“Yes.”His voice was stronger this time.

“Wepromised we would do that together.”

“Wedid,” he swallowed.

“So whythe fuck would I want to transferaway?”

“Riza, I’msorry, I just thought –”

“Yeah?”she asked, and Roy was shocked to see her eyes were wet. “Well, you thoughtwrong. God,” she scoffed to herself. “You’re an idiot.”

“I mean,I know I am, but why do you think so?”

“BecauseI love you too, doofus.” Roy felt hisheart stop, only to rev up into top gear, beating wildly. “I’ve done so foryears and I don’t want to leave you, but you’ve been too blind to see it. You remember everything you sayafter I put you to bed, black-out drunk? Well, I live it. I have to hold you as you cry yourself to sleep, I have tolisten to your ramblings about how “one day” we’ll be together, and we’ll behappy.” Her eyes were threatening to spill over now and Roy was transfixed byRiza’s show of emotion. “I have to watch you go on dates with other women andpick you up afterwards, listening to you raveabout how great they are to the other guys!”

Roy wasup and out of the chair as the first tear fell down her cheek. He wrapped hisarms around her tightly, refusing to let go even as she struggled.

“It’sall an act,” he whispered past the lump in his throat. “I was drunk last nightbut I meant every word. It’s the only time I could tell you the truth becauseit’s the only time I didn’t feel scared to death about us.”

“Why wereyou so scared?” she asked, a quiet sob interrupting her words. Her fight againsthis hold ended, Riza’s hands splaying across his chest since he had trapped herarms between their bodies.

“Incase you left me. In case it was too much to deal with, loving me while beingphysically unable to.”

“So,you leave me to wonder if your drunken ramblings are real or not?” she asked indignantly.

“Yes.”Riza stilled against him. “Yes, because it was the safest curse of action. Itwas so stupid, I know that, but therewas never an appropriate time to tell you the truth. Not without us gettinginto trouble.”

“You’re–”

“An idiot,”he chuckled to himself. “I know.”

“Well,yes,” Riza replied matter-of-factly, and Ry gave her a quick squeeze ofaffection. “But you’re my idiot.”

“I am,indeed.”

“That’swhy I watch your back. Someone has to stop you acting like one. I’ll just needto try harder next time.”

Roylaughed quietly. “You do a grand job as it is, however I apologise this onetook a little longer to figure out.”

Rizatook a deep breath. “I love you too, Roy, but know this can’t change anything betweenus.”

“Oh, I know,don’t worry.” He loosened his grip, placing his hand on Riza’s upper arms topull her back, gazing lovingly down at her. “But I had to get it out there.After that date with Lucy last night I fully realised how stupid that idea was.There was no way I would be ableto get over you. There’s only ever beenyou.”

Riza smiled sweetly up at him, placing her head back on his chestwith a content sigh.

At least the truth was out there now. Where this left them?Roy wasn’t sure. But for the moment, things were okay.

All was as it should be in the universe, with Roy openlyadmitting he loved Riza Hawkeye, and Riza openly admitting she loved Roy Mustang.

SHE'S NO YOU - Ch.8

A/N: So this is a bit of a change up. No Rae and Finn? What in the world will you do? Read this so you know what's in the mind of the other characters! ❤ Not even bothered to even double check this. My editing skills suck. 😂 -- CHAPTER EIGHT: EYE OF THE BEHOLDER -- OLIVIA POV: "What else am I meant to think Betty?" My sister Belinda had been trying to calm me down ever since I arrived at her place after work. The embarrassing confrontation in front of all whole floor left me a scorn woman, but I haven't been able to think about anything else. Of course I took his threat about staying away for a while seriously. I didn't come all this way just to loose Finn. It was that stupid bitch, Rae's fault we are even having an argument. Her and those fucking kids! Every second of our lives together, revolve around them. He's so invested in them, it makes me sick! I just want to shake the life out of Finn sometimes. I understood my boyfriend had never been a romantic man, we went to business dinners together but never any by ourselves. I wish he would show me off but I understood that he wants his private life out of the publics eye. I respect him enough to respect his wishes. "Calm down Livvy" Belinda scolds. She places the nail file she was using down and turns to me. "Don't worry about that stupid bitch, and those pesky children. Your the one sleeping in his bed. Not her. Jesus Olivia! Who's the one with an unlimited credit card?" "Me?" "Exactly!" "What's that got to do with anything!" "Nothing screams 'I love you' more then 'here spoil yourself with my money'. Your loaded, I'm loaded. We're loved". My sister had always been a no-nonsense type of women. She knew everything about the ins and outs of our relationship. Belinda was the only one I truly trusted. From the moment I started working as Finn Nelson's personal assistant, she knew I wanted him. All of him. And she helped me get him. "I just want him to tell me he loves me!" "Olivia, you practically threw yourself at him after the breakup. You forced yourself into his life, after he spent over a decade with that ugly bitch. You need to give him time. He will tell you, i can promise you that" she smiled snuggly and picked up the nail file again. "Does John still have those photos?" I inquired. I needed to use my backup plan - well Betty's plan - I didn't like the bickering Finn and I were doing. We were once happy, before Joshua's birthday. "Of course he does! I made sure of it, there was no way I was letting him destroy them! Why?" "I need to do something. I need to push them further apart, then maybe he will forget about her and them bastards". "Ohkay. Well ill be seeing John tonight at the roosevelt hotel, so I'll tell him to bring the photos along" she wiggled her perfectly manicured eyebrows. I shuttered thinking about my model-like sister sleeping with that fat old man. "Why are you still sleeping with him Betty" I scrunched my nose in disgust. "Have you seen the way I live? I have everything I've ever wanted. He even brought me a fucking house! If that means I have to open my legs to a greedy old man, then so be it! Plus if he hadn't of done all that, you wouldn't of seen Gregory again when I brought this place" she laughed, taking a sip of red wine. "Don't remind me please!" I rolled my eyes at the mention of my ex boyfriend. "Oh come on! He was the perfect trifecta to our plan!" "All I did was inform him of the newly single Rae, and told him where she worked. Still, he didn't even start to date her til a year after that, and he still doesn't think she's over Finn". "I didn't know you still spoke with him?" My sister seemed more interested now, anything to do with juicy gossip and she was right there panting at my leg. "Oh come on, I saw him again a few months ago at a club. It's not a big deal I just asked how his relationship was going. Plus Josh told Finn about a year ago that Rae has a boyfriend and you brought this place, what, two years ago. Simple maths Betty". Finn had not been impressed when Josh had disclosed that information with him. He kept ranting and raving about another man taking his place, and how he wouldn't allow it. Finn did jack shit after Rae had put him in his place  I seriously don't know how Finn managed to stay with that crazy bitch for so long, it really reflects on her children too. "Yeah, yeah whatever. He was the love of your life at one time". Here she goes again, she's digging for more information. She knew we dated for 3 years in high school, but I never did tell her the reason we broke up. And I don't think i ever will. "We broke up over 10 years ago Betty, we grew apart. End of story" I hissed, earning a scowl from my sister. "Well, we have the photos.." she effortlessly changed the subject. "We will make Finn hate Rae even more. Then you can have your happily ever after - eww by the way, and I can stop listening to you complain about this everytime I see you". Did I mention my sister can be a bitch of a bitch sometimes. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree in our family. Once Finn sees these photos with the time stamp, he will definitely think she cheated on him. She won't be able to deny it. The photos Betty took were perfect. This will tear them further apart, and I will have Finn to myself. "Well I'm going to head home now. Maybe Finn will be in a better mood now that he's seen the kids" "Whatever. I'll be in contact with you tomorrow about the photos. Love you!" I left my sister to finish her nails. We had always been close, Betty and I. The moment I told her about my interest in Finn, she jumped at the chance to help me eliminate the problem. She had a socialite business man hanging off every word she would say, so when the plan was formulated John immediately agreed. I knew that the sick bastard would. He had always had Alot of mistresses, his stupid wife was clueless of course. My sister seemed to be the only one that stuck around though; for the lavish lifestyle she couldn't dare part from. In reality she was a nobody, without the money she would be left with only me and our parents. Maybe that's why she's so bitter? She hadn't always been this way.. No, but since Mark Earl - Rae's brother - broke her heart at 18 she had been a different woman. She really did play the vengful-ex quite perfectly. My half crazy sister, a womanizing prick and my devastatingly handsome ex boyfriend all helped me in their own way get the love of my life. Gregory helping without even realising, he truly did fall in love with that cow. I should know. But what my sister didn't know, was that I had a secret of my own. A secret that I couldn't wait for the world to know. I knew the moment Finn found out he would never consider leaving me. He wouldn't be able to live with himself and I will get what I want. Just him and me, away from his former life, surrounded in money and power. I decided I needed to tell him as soon as possible. I couldn't wait to see his reaction. --- ARCHIE POV: There was still 20 more minutes until 6.30pm, and I wasn't sure if I was going to get that phone call. Or if it was a good idea to bring the kids around them whilst they were 'sorting themselves out'. I still couldn't beleive what Finn had told me about what happened at the ball. It hurt that Rae hadn't said anything to me in confidence, but I totally understood why she wouldn't. Of course, I'm my head I still hoped that this was a load of shit. John, the slimey bastard was always one to stretch the truth from time to time. He was a regular at dinner parties, along with his decent wife Pam. Sometimes I wondered why Finn would always invited him. The children were putting their pajamas on for me, whilst I made my second cup of coffee for the night. My niece and nephew knew how to run rings around me in such a short space of time. Between plating hair, and preparing tea with Joshua, I had been going nonstop. Sophie was a placid little girl, who would stick to you like glue. She would rather cuddle you, instead of going out and doing something. In a way that was my own fault, I never put her down. Thankfully Ben had completely understood. Even when he knew I wasn't telling him everything. He reassured me that he would keep my side of the bed warm for me, even if it's the middle of the night when I return. I heard the front door slam shut and ran from my half made coffee to the foyer. I hoped Finn was Ohkay, and that he finally got the answers he needed. I shouldn't of been surprised when I found it to be Olivia instead of my brother. She did live here after all. "What are you doing here? Where's Finn?" We had never gotten along, even before she had started dating my brother. She had once tried to get me booted from my family's building when she told security I was a crazed homosexual man who was in love with Finn. Not once did she apologize, even when Finn gave her a verbal lashing. "He's out. I'm just looking after the kids" I shrugged walking back towards the kitchen. I needed caffeine now more then ever. She followed. Perfect. "He wouldn't of just left the kids here on his night without something serious happening. Are you going to tell me what that is? Or do I have to ring my boyfriend?" Olivia tapped her heel on the tile, a plucked eyebrow was slightly raised. Obviously her mother never taught her to respect her elders. "He just said that he needed me here, and here I am. End of story" I dismissed. I wasn't going to tell her where he was, it was none of her business. "Your a real peice of work you know th-" "Why are you so mean?" Ruby interrupted a stunned Olivia. "Excuse me?" "I said why are you so mean?" "You have no right to ask me a question like that, thank you" she scoffed, slamming her Prada onto the bench top. "Well your always mean to me, Josh and mommy. Now you are being mean to uncle Archie" Ruby glared. The Feisty little 6 year old had a point. Olivia was a bitch. Olivia looked like she was going to fly off the handle bars at any moment. But somehow the raging bull was suppressed, with a fake smile she grinned and bared it. "I'm not mean sweety. Your mom and I just don't get along because she just a bit jealous that I'm with your daddy and your daddy loves me" I was about to step in when my nephew, who I didn't realised had stepped into the room spoke up. "Then why is dad mean to you? I love my mom and I'm never mean to her" I covered up my smile with my now steaming hot mug. "You'll find out soon just how much your daddy loves me" she smirked, collecting her things and headed straight for Finn's bedroom. "Unle Archie she's strange" Joshua crinkled his nose up in confusion. Even I had no idea what she meant, but she was out of her mind if she though Finn had anything but Rae running through his head. I tried to ring Finn's mobile number, but it had been diverted straight to voice mail, same with Rae's. I didn't want to stay here for much longer with Oliva in the house and I didn't want to interrupt whatever Rae and Finn had going on. "Hey babe" my next victim was my husband, luckily he knew how to pick up his phone. "Hey" I sighed. "I need help" "What do you need? - Sophie! Don't you dare touch the cat food!" I chuckled listening to my daughter and husband argue. "I hear everything is going great at home... Ohkay, well Finn and Rae aren't answering their phones and I never got Rae's address off Finn before he left. I don't really want to stay here because queen bitch is home" I looked around the lounge room making sure there was nobody listening. "Bring them here" Ben said calmly. "Are you sure? What about school in the morning?" I stressed. "Bring their uniforms with them. I'm sure Finn has a clean pair for both. He's so fucking pedantic, so I would be surprised if there is multiples. And when you get a hold of either one of them just explain what's going on. If Rae wants them home, then I'll take them home". The thing about my husband was that he was always rational when it came to situations like this. "What would I do without you?" I sighed. I couldn't help but smile, I loved my husband dearly. "You would eat your body weight in taco bell". "Shut up. I'll see you soon" I hung up the phone and headed towards the kids room. I just hoped Finn got back to me soon. -- A/N: did you expect that? Ohkay guys, I need a couple of days to complete the next chapter. This is actually 14 chapters smooshed into 8, so bare with me I'm still righting the story. But the concept and timeline is complete. How many more chapters? I dunno... Haha @lily-pop-2 @mmfdfanfic @milllott @hey1tskat1e @milymargot @tinakegg @luly310 @I88cym @arathewallflower @i-dream-of-emus @lurkernolonger @eveerez

Twelve Devils Dancing #2

Twelve Devils Dancing #2 Action Lab Danger Zone 2018 Written by Erica Schultz Illustrated by Dave Acosta Coloured by Andrew Covalt Colour Assists by Liana Kangas & James Savage Lettered by Cardinal Rae     With the body count growing, Callum and Aisha’s road trip take them to the location on the cipher. They have a plan, but Callum’s health may sideline him, leaving it up to Aisha to put the pieces together and get the evidence to arrest the Crypto-Killer. Meanwhile, Callum’s evidence tampering in the original case come to bite those still in his FBI unit back home. And Brian has a fan who’s interested in more than just his paintings. The past and present are resolved in the conclusion of Twelve Devils Dancing.     This has been an utterly amazing story. This is the kind of book that leaves an impression on the reader the kind that makes you want to see more. We have been introduced to a lot with these two issues and there is always room to go back and see more of Callum’s life and his career or youth before heading into the army. Heck even in the army now a gay man like him well I personally would love to see whatever it is that Erica came up with when creating him for this book. He can be a beacon of hope and acceptance in ways that were never imagined. The best part of it is that he’s flawed like everyone else and being human like that and us getting to see it only makes our connection with him that much stronger.     I am a huge fan of the way that this has been structured. Using chapters like a novel allows Erica to move around and place the characters where they need to be without wasting space with unnecessary panels for explanation. There are few things in life more powerful than what happens in our formative years. That kiss which Callum and Brian shared could have blossomed into something amazing or it could have ended right there but thanks to the environment in which it happened and what we see happening as a result well damn. The Reverend is another character that incites anger and rage in me as a reader but he’s also one who is based on real life people that unfortunately exist. As such and thanks to the level of characterisation his impact is immeasurable. Plus there is always that sneak suspicion that he never died in the fire.     I have been a fan of Dave’s since Chastity and I've followed him ever since. His work here is not only inspired but it is the best I have seen him do. The attention to detail that he uses and how he’s able to manipulate the varying weights in the linework to create such magnificent subtle detail is awe inspiring. I mean the flashbacks and the woods and the way we see trees or the faces and facial expressions, which are where you can take the measure of an artist, are stunning to see. The interiors add an extra dimension of characterisation and add to this the colouring, the use of shading and colour gradation with light sources being consistent this is beyond any kind of expectation one might have.     Callum, Aisha and pretty much everyone else we meet get some seriously good characterisation here. Brian is the lone exception and I would have like to know more about him, how he felt when Callum kissed him for example. As well as confirmation that the women he used in his paintings were due to the fact his mother didn’t protect him like a mother should. We get that idea but more depth to that would have been nice.  The ending to this one will take your breath away and it will leave you haunted and wanting. ​     This is one of the most impressive and strong books that I have had the pleasure to read this year and should definitely be up for limited series of the year.  

Beautiful Homes of Instagram One of the things I love most about our “Beautiful Homes of Instagram” series is the fact that I can share any type of interior style. Farmhouse, traditional, coastal… anything that inspires us and most of all, anything that can teach us something new and if you love DIY projects, you find yourself in the right place today. Erin, from @cottonstem, is the queen of DIYs on Instagram. I have been following her for quite some time and I always feel amazed by the DIY ideas she shares, and I know that you will be amazed as much as I am. Read on! Imagine, if you will, the geekiest of freak out moments, hands flapping, giddy squeals abounding, and that is what I looked like when sweet Luciane asked to feature our home on HomeBunch! So many gorgeous homes from some pretty darn talented people, and I’m kiiiiinda pinching myself that Luciane even knows who the heck I am. Ha! Before she figures out that I’m a total cray, let’s get on with the home tour, shall we? My name is Erin, and I’m the gal behind @cottonstem, an interior décor and e-design company specializing in affordable and approachable DIY-friendly design. Now…if you’d asked me ten years ago if the above sentence would ever be connected with my name, I would have laughed! I’m actually a former high school English teacher, and, on the side, I found myself decorating for family, friends, friends of friends, until things snowballed and I began to pursue this biz full-time. I love to be creative, to dream up crazy new ideas, to help others realize their own design dreams, and, best of all, I get to do this job right alongside the other job of my dreams: mommin’ my four little daughters. My husband and I met in college and finally began dating after I bought a date with him at a fundraiser, and we’ve been married for 12 years now. He’s so patient and supportive, carving out time and space for me to chase my dreams…plus he indulges all of my DIY ideas and crazy out-of-the-box concepts, and he’s usually the one holding the hammer and hoisting the furniture all around. What a guy. We are located near Tulsa, Oklahoma in a neighborhood built around 2000 with homes nestled high on a wooded hill, placed carefully between mature oak and pecan trees that the builders thankfully worked around during the building process. Our home sits on a little over an acre of heavily treed land, and it’s truly a wonderland for our little ladies. Further back in our side yard sits my little 80 square foot she shed, the headquarters of Cotton Stem Interiors. That tiny space is my happy place, and it’s where I go to create, to write, to plan and to dream! Over the past six years as my interiors business began to take shape, I found my personal style gravitating around crisp whites, soft fabrics, washed woods and pops of green. My style is a little bit farmhouse, a little bit cozy French cottage, and a whole lot of approachable DIY! Decorating on a budget for years, I’ve learned many ways to accomplish design dreams on a dime, and I’m living my own personal dream by daily helping others achieve theirs. Beautiful Homes of Instagram Entryway with hanging flowers – what a beautiful idea! Décor: DIY hanging faux flowers using vintage ladder and threat. Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Alabaster on DIY shiplap walls / Sherwin Williams Sea Salt on ceiling and vintage buffet. DIY Tutorial DIY tutorial can be found on Erin’s blog. Dining Room Erin’s dining room is ready for Fall and I am loving the decor! Area rug: Rug is the Ciato Blue Vintage from Well Woven. Faux pumpkins were handlettered in copper. Chairs: Flash Furniture Distressed White Metal Chairs. Fixture: Quatrefoil chandelier. Fireplace Surround Vintage 1900’s fireplace that survived a farm fire locally, and we were able to restore it and give it new life! Farmhouse Table -Vintage farm table dating back 150 years, and we purchased it from the original owner’s grandchildren. The original owners’ initials are carved into the table. -Faux lemons and a primitive dough bowl shipped from the Ukraine created an easy summer centerpiece. Kitchen This kitchen features so many great diys, from the shiplap island to the countertops! Paint Color: Cabinets and shiplap island: SW Alabaster Walls: SW Sea Salt Barstools: Hampden Industrial wood top barstool. Kitchen Sink & Countertop Countertops are are DIY concrete over Corian. Sink: Lyons Apron Front Acrylic 34in Sink Kitchen Backsplash Backsplash: Bianco Arabesque Tile Grout: Grey Oyster grout from Home Depot. Mugs & Bowls Here Erin shows her collection of hard-to-find Rae Dunn dishware that she has collected over time, along with her collection of vintage LuRay dishes in soft blue/green. Breakfast Nook Round pedestal table: The Blanca Table. Chairs: Collin Distressed White Dining chairs. Fixture: Antiqued White French Country pendant. Window treatments: DIY medium weight drop cloth curtains Rug: Safavieh Ivory and Silver oriental vintage 5×8 Living Room The kitchen and breakfast room opens to an inviting living room. Seating: IKEA Ektorp sectional and chairs in white slipcovers. Living Room Flooring Flooring (in entire home): Style Selections Porcelain Wood Tiles in Natural Cinnamon Timber 8×48 Rugs are from Rugs USA. Lighting Light Fixture: Wood bead chandelier from Painted Fox Home. Paint: Shiplap & Fireplace is SW Alabaster and walls are SW Sea Salt. Shiplap DIY shiplap using pine underlayment cut into 8in strips and painted SW Alabaster. Farmhouse Fall Decor Isn’t this magazine worthy? Erin brings so many amazing ideas to her home! Source: Pumpkin pillow, white pillow, navy pillow, artificial pumpkins, floor lamps. DIY Book Wall Décor: hand-lettered wood sign from @navybeanlettering and DIY book wall using vintage books. The vintage theater chairs sourced locally. Paint Color Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. Hallway School Drop Zone Erin needed a space for her four daughters to stay organized with school and dance. So she did this DIY mudroom/drop zone by using bead board. I love it! The laser cut wood letters are from Harper Grace. Master Bedroom This is one of my favorite bedrooms I have posted in a while. Isn’t it enchanting? The paint color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Duvet: Ruffle Duvet from Target. Blanket: Raw Edge Quilt. Throw: Chunky Wool Knit Blanket is from Etsy. Bedskirt: Gathered Cotton Toile. Rug: 8×10 jute rug. DIY Bedroom Ideas DIY embroidery hoop wall can be found on Erin’s blog. Headboard: DIY project using 8-in wide pine boards and SW Alabaster Nightstand Nightstand: Gable Lane Scalloped Edge Table. Lamps: Turned Column Washed Wood Lamp. Light Fixture Light Fixture: Shady Oaks Farm wood bead chandelier. Bedroom Fireplace Fireplace: Early 1900’s vintage mantel with DIY wood slice insert and antique French chairs. Guest Bedroom The cement tile-looking wallpaper is Milton & King Wallpaper in Heritage Tiles. Stunning! Fixture: vintage 1940’s copper fixture. Bed: vintage 1900’s East Lake bed. Rugs: White cream rug from Well Woven. Bed canopy can be found here. Bedroom Dresser Decor I am loving how Erin decorated this guest bedroom. It’s full of personality and inspiring ideas. Sister Bedroom Iron beds: Antique bronze twin bed. -Rug from Boutique Rugs -Paint: SW Opaline Shed Erin converted an unused utility shed into her home office. Welcome The shed comes complete with heating, air and wifi! Cozy Spot She used DIY shiplap with pine underlayment cut into 8inch strips. Paint Color The shiplap paint color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Curl-up with a Good Book Who wouldn’t love to have a place like this? Life is… Add a little magic into your life… Interiors & Photos: Erin from “Cotton Steam“. Make sure to follow Erin from @cottonstem on Instagram to see more photos of her beautiful home! See more “Beautiful Homes of Instagram“: Newest Fall Post: Instagram Fall Decorating Ideas. @sanctuaryhomedecor: Beautiful Homes of Instagram. Being one of the most popular posts on Home Bunch, this home went viral on Pinterest! Beautiful Homes of Instagram. Click here to see all “Beautiful Homes of Instagram”. Posts of the Week Fall Interior Design Ideas. Trending on Home Bunch: Open-Concept Family Home Design Ideas. Latest Interior Design Ideas. Follow Home Bunch on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives. Popular Paint Color Posts: The Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colors 2016 Paint Color Ideas for your Home Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Pictures Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Ideas Inspiring Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color and Color Palette New 2015 Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Design Ideas: Paint Color Interior Ideas: Paint Color More Paint Color Ideas How are you, my beautiful friends? What a sweet home! This is a place where you feel Love – where you can see how much the homeowner loves her home and works hard to make every space feel extra special. People like Erin are truly inspiring to me. Have a Blessed week, everyone and try to keep this in mind during this week; ” I will be a voice for good – I will bring good to this world and those that I come in contact with”. The world needs kindness. See you guys tomorrow! with Love, Luciane from HomeBunch.com Follow @HomeBunch: Contact: “For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”