#the same place

[cipher-fresh]

My mom just picked me and my siblings up from our dad’s house and my dad’s girlfriend was sleeping in my dad’s bedroom as she walked inside

[miss-floral-thief]

Hm bro got some cheesy fry things?

[elysia-nsimp]

Me, putting my computer (with all my rp accounts) away: that’s enough Tumblr for right now… I’ll do something else now.

Me, opening Tumblr on my phone (with my main): Ah, yes, perfect

[amerasdreams]

yay my car is fixed. (Hope it worked anyway) dad took it in. 😊 it was a loose brake caliper making the noise (wearing the brake pads dad said... sounds like it could be serious if left)

Now im planning to go back tomorrow and switch cars. Then I can go to the park if I want and there are several other I miss from the car -- bug spray, hat-- couldn't walk far bc so many bugs here! Mosquitos and deer flies. Umbrella when it was raining. Snacks (which I need to drive alertly sometimes) Etc.

[dkafterdark]

Alright, y'all, I'm officially obsessed with The Lamb and the Lion series by Gregory Ashe: 1) The Same Breath, 2) The Same Place, 3) The Same End

The books are M/M romance/mystery/suspense set in Salt Lake City and starring

Tean - gay, POC (his dad is Latino), former Mormon, wildlife vet at the Division of Wildlife Resources, has a lot of issues including a bad relationship with his family and a toxic on/off relationship with his closeted not-boyfriend Ammon (a cop). (CW: Tean's family is homophobic and there's some dubcon in his relationship with Ammon)

Jem - gay, white, con man, homeless, illiterate, raised in the foster system, has a lot of issues that he is suppressing like it's a game of wack-a-mole. (CW: Jem experienced physical and sexual abuse as a child and was raped and tortured when in juvie - in some ways he made me think of what Andrew or Ash would be like in their early 30s)

further CW: these books revolve around criminal cases that Tean and Jem get roped into and there's murder, sexual assault, violence, animal cruelty, homophobia, and more stuff I'm probably forgetting

So yes the books do get dark and are extremely heart-wrenching. But they're also filled with intense beauty, searing insights into human nature and morality, loads of humor and banter and Jem's antics, sweetness and affection, and a beautiful, hard won, slow burn love story. These books made me feel lots of rage and frustration, happiness and joy, heartbreak and hope.

I can't even describe all the ways that Jem and Tean broke my heart, especially in this final book. They've had such a journey and I'm so overwhelmed thinking about everything they've been through, the horrors and violence, the laughter and antics, the heartbreak and realizations and growth. Outstanding character work all around, superb storytelling, and really interesting and complex cases. Not to mention the totally immersive and descriptive setting. Jem and Tean are the oddest and most wonderful duo and are now living rent free in my head (the only way Jem would live, tbh).

[dkafterdark]

"With a final lurch, Tean reached him, his arms wrapping around Jem. He was what he always was: a wiry bundle of heat and muscle, wild hair pushed back, the smell of the steppes, sagebrush and pine. He was crying, and Jem laughed quietly as he smoothed down Tean’s hair and returned the hug. Then the laugh ended, and Jem had to blink hard to clear his eyes. He let his chin rest against Tean’s shoulder. He thought, again, of how rarely anyone had ever touched him like this."

The Same Place by Gregory Ashe

[dkafterdark]

The Lamb and the Lion series by Gregory Ashe (this is 100% canon - the number of times Jem demands McDonald's could be a drinking game)