#( select : reno )

[fatetainted]

"kannski hafði faðir minn rétt fyrir sér. ég er uppáhald guðs." and a laugh to distract himself from that first part. "rufus let me hit it 'cause i'm goofy."

[shaymoo22]

Celebration Center Reno (No CC)

This is a build I made a while back that I've updated and reuploaded to the gallery. For some reason the game still thinks there is CC in this build but there is NONE! (To find this build you MUST select "include custom content")

Details below!

_________________________________________________________

(To find this build you MUST select "include custom content")

EA ID: shaymoo22

Lot Size: 64 x 64

Lot Type: Rec Center

Packs Used Are Pictured Above

[rottenpumpkin13]

I got hit with the nostalgia stick so now I gotta know how AGSZC try to play Just Dance

Things That Happen When AGSZC Play Just Dance

• Sephiroth walks in on the four of them doing a concerningly perfect rendition Baby One More Time and suddenly understands what Reno meant when he referred to them as a "fruit bowl."

• They ask him to join, but Sephiroth claims he's not much of a dancer, and he'd feel uncomfortable. Zack convinces him to play through manipulative use of puppy dog eyes. Sephiroth caves and him and Zack end up doing Timber (Sephiroth plays as the panda).

• Genesis keeps losing his shit when his score isn't high enough, and launching his Wii remote into the wall. It gets to a point where Angeal gets a silicon cover for his remote and ties it around his wrist like the petulant child that he is.

• Zack is so sweaty and hyperactive that Cloud twice believed he was having a stroke. Zack doesn't care about scores, it's all about "showing off his sick moves and having fun!"

• Zack Gangnam Styles into the glass door at one point and shatters it.

• Genesis is doing the absolute most to get a high score and failing, meanwhile Sephiroth is only casually dancing and scoring effortlessly.

• It's notable to mention that the reason Genesis is doing so poorly is because he refuses to "adhere to these ridiculously outdated dance moves" and comes up with his own, improved moves on the spot because "his are better"

• Angeal (owner of the Wii) has a heart attack when Zack backflips into the TV. He's fucking perplexed. The dance didn't even call for a backflip. Angeal doesn't understand anything anymore. Oh. There he goes again. Backflipping into Cloud's face. Zack might need to be sedated soon.

• The guys keep fighting over characters, testing their friendship in a way nothing ever has before. Sephiroth tries to settle these disputes by having them rock-paper-scissors over who gets to be which character. While they're distracted, Sephiroth selects the character he wants.

• Genesis and Sephiroth perform Careless Whisper so seductively, afterwards Angeal asks them if they have something to share with the group.

• At one point Cloud realizes that he doesn't actually need to be doing all the dancing. He can just move the controller and get a good score. He does this once and outscores Genesis, who promptly tries to use his secured Wii remote as a nun-chuck and terrorizes Cloud with it.

• They do Rasputin and on the first squat, Zack's knees give out (ironically) so he ends up in fetal position on the floor. No one wants to pause the dance, so they Rasputin around him in a circle. Lazard pops his head in the room, sees this, and assumes they're performing a ritual.

[harpersessentials]

+30 CC-FREE LOTS FOR BRITECHESTER

I don’t know if it happens to you - but I often find myself with a sudden urge to rebuild worlds - Even though I’m the worst sim-builder and sim-decorator in the whole history of Sims 😋 And in my quest for lots there’s one thing that stresses me out all the time: where will the builds fit in the map?! 🤯 Therefore, I have been creating some personal lists with favourite lots and I thought why not sharing them with you too!

Below I leave a list of my absolute-favourite cc-free lots for Britechester (and their respective location in the map). A selection of builds made by amazing and astonishingly creative architect simmers. Thank you all for sharing your builds with us!

1 - Larry's Lagoon 40x30

Foxbury Lots-In-Commons (University Housing) by Cerrydd

Foxbury Commons (Foxbury Commons) by Mini Simmer

Foxbury Student Union (Foxbury Commons) by Kriint

2 - Maritime Manor 30x20

FoxD-gn (University Housing) by @helgatisha

Foxbury Housing (University Housing) by @Lazysimie

3 - Briny Tower 30x20

Foxbury Tower Dorm Right (University Housing) by jasonsterlingmrc

4 - Tidal Tower 30x20

Foxbury Tower Dorm Left (University Housing) by jasonsterlingrmc

5 - Laurel Library 50x40

St. Laurel Library (Library) by @awingedllama

6 - Pepper's Pub 20x20

His Lordship's Dinner Ale (Bar) by @moonlightowl-es

The Pub of Britechester (Bar) by @simnematographygj

Parisian Apartments + Coffee Shop (Residential/Retail) by Milgemilge

7 - Spring Steppes 20x15

London Townhouse (Residential) by @theseptembersim

Brook Townhouse (Residential) by @xogerardine

London Townhouse (Residential) by @xogerardine

Britechester Townhouses (Residential) by @juliafilms

Study in Britechester (Residential) by Moniamay72

8 - Mossy Lane 20x15

Wisteria London Townhouse (University Housing)by @theseptembersim

Campbell Townhouse (Residential) by @xogerardine

Autumn Townhouse (Residential) by @plantsimgirl

Britechester Bakery (Retail) by @simpaera

Mossy Lane Reno (Residential) by DoctorSimCraft

9 - Honeydew Fields 20x15

Allen Townhouse (Residential) by @xogerardine

Honeydew Fields (Residential/Cafe) by @helgatisha

UBrite Housing (University Housing) by xandralynn

Gibbs Hill Housing (University Housing) by Xandralynn

Classic Apartments (Residential) by plumbobkingdom

10 - Drake Hall 30x20

Wyrm Hall (University Housing) by @caelhinn

Britechester Student Hall (University Housing) by @96langerlui99

Drake Hall (University Housing) by @helgatisha

University Dorm (University Housing) by @juliafilms

Georgian House (Residential) by @theseptembersim

11 - Darby's Den 30x20

Darby's Den (UBrite Commons) by @juliafilms

UBrite Commons (UBrite Coomons) by MissSimReno

Student Center (UBrite Commons) by Xandralynn

12 - Wyrven Hall 30x20

Hydra Hall (University Housing) by @caelhinn

Wyrven Hall (University Housing) by @helgatisha

13 - Darkwing House 30x20

Darkwing House (University Housing) by @rebouks

Darkwing House (University Housing) by @awingedllama

Drake Dormitory (University Housing) by melapples

Simpha Sorority House (University Housing) by Mini Simmer

[choicesficwriterscreations]

June MC of the Month: Eva Archer

Please welcome June 2024's MC of the Month: @dutifullynuttywitch's Eva Archer

Each month, we highlight one MC or OC on our Meet My MC / OC List. They are selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!

Learn more about Eva below

1- In your own words, tell us what you like most about your MC / OC.

She’s an idealist, preoccupied by social justice. While at the Tower, she constantly fought the authoritarian leaders, which resulted in her and her sister needing to flee so she wouldn't ‘get disappeared’. Now that she’s leading her own colony, she is still trying to find the right balance, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and feels welcomed.

2- Do you feel your MC / OC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?

I think we both lean towards social justice and fairness in our decision-making. And I definitely gave her some of my musical tastes! (Though I have more grunge and alternative in my repertoire.)

But other than that, Eva is much cooler than I could ever hope to be!! 🙂 She’s a fighter, brave, willing to put her life on the line for others.

3- What is most important to your MC / OC? What is their motivation in life?

Eva is not the bravest, but she is fiercely loyal to her friends. Being forced to leave her fatally injured sister Brynn, her only family, behind after narrowly escaping The Tower was the hardest thing she’d ever done. It left her deeply scarred. She refuses to lose anyone else she's close to and will put her own life on the line if she can save her friends or members of her colony.

Her friendship and frequent quests with Eli and Angel help her gradually feel more confident in her fighting skills. As a leader of the newly established Olympus Colony, she speaks up against injustices and tries to be conciliatory. What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes?

She despises cruel, self-centered people. Unfortunately there are too many in her post-apocalyptic world, who will do anything, kill anyone just to survive a day longer.

While she generally loves Troy’s easy-going attitude, she absolutely loses her temper when he shirks on his chores - which he unfortunately does regularly.

4- If your MC / OC could change one thing - anything - what would it be?

She would find a cure for the parasite that converts people into zombies. She’s in no way a scientist, but she wholeheartedly supports her best friend Shannon Fox in her ongoing investigations.

5- What is your MC / OC’s favorite quote or song?

Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones.

It’s a bittersweet reaction, really, having lost both of her fathers in a horrible way (one became a zombie and killed his husband), and more recently her sister. She holds on dearly to the lyrics that “wild horses couldn’t keep me away”. It’s how she feels about Troy, and her friends Eli, Shannon, Angel, little May…

Her favorite quote is more inspirational: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” – Emily Dickinson

6- Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC / OC?

I adored the Choices book Wake the Dead. Such an interesting, dark concept, where your choices matter, with tons of potential for world-building… I wanted to create a character that had lived through terrible things, resulting in deep-seated trauma, but at the same time could see the light in the world and continue to strive to better her life and that of those around her. This is how Eva was born!

7- Other facts about Eva

Eva was born close to Reno, Nevada before the zombie apocalypse.

She previously worked in pest control from the age of 18, then became a scout at 25 at her former colony, The Tower.

Eva is dating Troy Hassan, her childhood best friend from her Tower days. This was a slow burn, friendship to love. Troy’s an absolute charmer, knows her better than anyone and is her emotional support. He’s much more carefree, which brings out her lighter side – necessary with all the stress and pressures of running a colony during an apocalypse!

She dearly misses her sister Brynn, who died shortly after escaping the tower. Eva admired her fierceness and how she bravely ventured out as a scout every day to support the colony. Eva hopes to become as tough as her sister.

Thank you so much for reading through my MC profile, I had a blast sharing Eva Archer with you!! And thank you @choicesficwriterscreation for giving us the space to gush about our fictional babies!!

[barkingbonzo]

The Women 1939

The Women is a 1939 American comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor. The film is based on Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 play of the same name and was adapted for the screen by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin, who had to make the film acceptable for the Production Code for it to be released.

The film stars Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Lucile Watson, Mary Boland, Florence Nash, and Virginia Grey. Marjorie Main and Phyllis Povah also appear, reprising their stage roles from the play. Ruth Hussey, Virginia Weidler, Butterfly McQueen, Theresa Harris, and Hedda Hopper also appear in smaller roles. Fontaine was the last surviving actress with a credited role in the film; she died in 2013.

The film continued the play's all-female tradition—the entire cast of more than 130 speaking roles was female. Set in the glamorous Manhattan apartments of high society evoked by Cedric Gibbons, and in Reno, Nevada, where they obtain their divorces, it presents an acidic commentary on the pampered lives and power struggles of various rich, bored wives and other women they come into contact with.

Filmed in black and white, it includes a six-minute fashion parade filmed in Technicolor, featuring Adrian's most outré designs; often cut in modern screenings, it has been restored by Turner Classic Movies. On DVD, the original black-and-white fashion show, which is a different take, is available for the first time.

Throughout The Women, not a single male character is seen or heard. The attention to detail was such that even in props such as portraits, only female figures are represented, and several animals which appeared as pets were also female. The only exceptions are a poster-drawing of a bull in the fashion show segment, a framed portrait of Stephen Haines as a boy, a figurine on Mary's night stand, and an advertisement on the back of the magazine Peggy reads at Mary's house before lunch that contains a photograph of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

In 2007, The Women was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[u2fangirlie-blog]

Good Omens Crowley and Aziraphale Reunited Playlist

In anticipation of Good Omens Season 3, here’s the “Crowley and Aziraphale Reunited and It Feels So Good Playlist.” We know our favorite demon and angel will be reunited. Take heart, have faith, and keep hope. Crowley and Aziraphale will be together again, like chocolate and peanut butter. This is music Maggie and Nina would put together in a playlist for a party celebrating the Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship. The songs are about friendship and love.

How ever you as a fan define the love they share – eros, philia, or agape - we know Crowley and Aziraphale love each other. In the Good Omens universe, angels and demons are sexless and genderless. However, they can have genders and sex body parts if they want to. They can be sexual, asexual, binary, nonbinary, romantic, aromantic, hetero, homo, bi, pan. They can be any expression of the spectrum of identities and orientations. Above all else, they can love each other.

Maggie, Nina, Aziraphale, and Crowley are going to sing a karaoke version of “That’s What Friends Are For” at the party.

Please enjoy this unashamedly, unapologetically romantic, silly, sentimental, and sugary playlist (with extra cheesy goodness).

See note after list on song the selection process.

Songs include:

“You’re My Best Friend” – Queen

“Let’s Stay Together” – Al Green

“For Once in My Life” – Stevie Wonder

“Reunited” – Peaches and Herb

“Love and Happiness” – Al Green

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

“That’s What Friends Are For” – Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder

“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” – Aretha Franklin and George Michael

“Can’t Fight this Feeling” – REO Speedwagon

“Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper

“I’ll Be There” – Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz version

“I’ll Stand by You” – The Pretenders

“I Say a Little Prayer” – Aretha Franklin

“I Honestly Love You” – Olivia Newton John

“God Only Knows” – The Beach Boys

“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Beatles

“Just the Two of Us” – Grover Washington, Jr., ft. Bill Withers

“Just the Way You Are” – Billy Joel

“Your Song” – Elton John

“How Deep is Your Love” – The Bee Gees

“The Air that I Breathe” – K.D. Lang version

“Time in a Bottle” – Jim Croce

“Up Where We Belong” – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

“Islands in the Stream” – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

“Endless Love” – Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

“Almost Paradise” – Mike Reno and Ann Wilson

“Leather and Lace” – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley

“Feels Like Home” – Bonnie Raitt

“In Your Eyes” – Peter Gabriel

“I Want to Know What Love Is” – Foreigner

“Never Tear Us Apart” – INXS

“Eternal Flame” – The Bangles

“Heaven is a Place on Earth” – Belinda Carlisle

“Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and The Waves

“Never Gonna Give You Up” – Rick Astley

“Everlasting Love” – U2 version

“[I Can’t Help] Falling in Love with You” – UB40 version

“Let’s Get It On” – Marvin Gaye

P.S.: Aziraphale secretly loves romantic duets and rock ballads. He wouldn’t admit it because his personality is classical music. However, he longs to sing karaoke duets with Crowley. “Reunited,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” “I’ll Be There,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Up Where We Belong,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Endless Love,” “Almost Paradise,” and “Leather and Lace.”

P.P.S.: “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Crowley unironically loves this song, but he invented “Rickrolling,” so Rick Astley would get paid more in song royalties. Who’s laughing now?

P.P.P.S.: “Let’s Get It On.” Crowley has experienced all the infinite varieties of human, demonic, angelic, and supernatural being sexuality and intimacy. Like various “sins” thought up by humans (without demonic influence), he has taken credit for inventing some of the more fun, creative intimate activities. He consulted on the artwork in the Kama Sutra. Crowley secretly wants to snuggle under the blankets with Aziraphale on cold rainy days, but he would never admit it because it would ruin his reputation.

Note on song selection:

Yes, the playlist is exclusively classic pop and rock songs. I’m a Gen Xer. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are Gen Xers. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are Boomers. This is the music I grew up listening to. These songs make me feel good. They don’t write songs like this anymore. I’m a cool college English teacher. My job is to corrupt the youth of the nation. Ms. Myers is going to expose you to culture. I’m a cool spinster aunt. Auntie Amy is gonna learn you about oldies music. I selected songs that thematically fit with the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley. Listen to the lyrics. They fit. The list flows. You may not like my choices, so your mileage may vary. You can make your own playlist.

You can listen to it on YouTube.

[dark-elf-writes]

Kid 1: vote for Barret. Wants their dad to be with someone he 100% trusts and that fought with him for a long time. Places a lot of value on trust and shared experiences. The most rode or die kid of the bunch which is really saying something.

Kid 2: vote for Genesis. Is really invested in the idea of cloud having something resembling an equal when it comes to combat. The fact gen would appreciate their dad’s (far too often overlooked) materia selection just as much as his swords is a plus.

Kid 3: team Rufus. Really wants cloud to be a widower because no one living is worthy of their dad, but the bag needs to be secured before they kill Rufus off. Has high hopes that cloud would be a better president shinra than Rufus ever could be. Practically a shoe in for the Turks. Will hiss at the mention of prenups.

Kid 4 (he/him?): originally voted Sephiroth. Probably thought his eyes looked like an endangered lizard’s and decided that meant the rest of him could be fixed. He is of the opinion cloud is very good at fixing people (others used to say he was weird and broken before cloud, but now they don’t so he must be okay now). Besties with a dragon summon and dreams of giving someone a self fulfilling prophecy because those are his favorite ones.

Kid 1 Lily 11 (She/her): Leader of their group. Brown hair and eyes. Lost her parents when the plate fell and got displaced again after meteorfall. Was brought to Cloud by Marlene who is her best friend to this day. May have alternative motives for wanting Barret to marry Cloud. Will kill for her siblings and friends no questions asked. Has nightmares about the plate falling all the time and takes the longest warm up to the Turks as a result. Future mechanic/gunsmith. Has definitely had more than one experiment explode on her.

Kid 2 Ky 12 (He/they): The Nerd™️ of the group. Red hair brown/red eyes. Got kicked out when he caught geostigma and never bothered to check if his parents wanted him back after he was cured or if they even lived. Was brought in by Denzel after the church along with a few other geostigma kids who had nowhere else to go. Always more comfortable with books rather than people. Looks for symbolism in everything. Has made all of them go see Loveless a dozen times. Materia gremlin. Could probably outcast Cloud if given a few years.

Kid 3 Jayden 10? No one is sure (they/them): The most mysterious/murder gremlin of the group. Could be Cloud’s pre-mako clone with the blond hair and blue eyes. No one really knows anything about them pre Geostigma and didn’t ask for fear of making them sad/bitey. Will settle for Tseng or Elena for Cloud if Rufus is not an option/as a second marriage. Has mutual beef with Reno and no one knows why. Will be scouted for the Turks if they can just stop plotting Rufus’ death.

Kid 4 Seraph 10 (he/him): The Weird Kid™️. White/blond hair green eyes. Ran away from an abusive/neglectful home before everything and kept running after. Only went with Kadaj and co because they looked so similar to him. Most people that meet him swear that he was a Shinra experiment but no one will say so out loud for fear of Cloud and his other kids bodying them on the spot. Likes fortune telling, lizards, and magic (non materia). Has a hard time with social situations and crowds but so does cloud so he feels better about it now than he did before.

[sonicasura]

Man or MAG: Main Route

Here is the MAG section of our species swap with everyone's favorite himbo! This is the main route as Mina's path will have her own post. Kafka ain't gonna have fun either way that's for sure. Warning this does get a bit dark with mentions to inhuman experimentation and PTSD. Let's get started.

Kafka is 24 years old when he fails his latest attempt at the Entrance Exams. The day has already been terrible for him personally. He didn't make it through the first part, the company van gotten wrecked so he had to walk, and it was raining like hell.

Kafka was about to walk home when a mysterious man approaches him. The guy explains that he's with a side branch for the Defense Force who focus on dropouts. He heard about Kafka's recent failure and offered him another shot through a special program.

A deal that honestly sounded too good to be true. Yet, the last promise Kafka had made to his childhood friend would do him in. He takes the offer and meets the man at an agreed upon location tomorrow. This was the last day Kafka would be seen by anyone.

In reality his 'provider' actually worked in a shadowy organization with links to the black market. Due to the rise in kaiju attacks, high paying officials wanted special 'guards' to protect their assets. Individuals with the kind of power only seen by the Defense Force.

Thus they delved into experimentation involving kaiju DNA in what would be known as Project MAGNUS. Super soldiers with increased size, enhanced strength, heightened aggression but also made to follow orders by their select 'handlers.' Kafka had become their latest test subject and they aimed to break all of him.

He would undergo grueling experiments as his genetic code is shattered n stitched together like clockwork. These high stressed tests were made with the purpose of triggering the kaiju DNA inside Kafka to activate. Only then would he be ready for 'reprogramming'. It took 6 months for the man's kaiju side to activate.

Kafka would skyrocket to 15'6 in size with his muscle density doubling in the process, dark grey scales swiftly covered his arms/legs/sides of his face/torso sides, teeth growing into fangs so large they overtook his cheeks to form a massive mouth(like his kaiju), a large black scaled tail came out his lower back, twin white long horns burst from his forehead and eyes became blood red slits.

The newly made MAG would go on a vicious rampage. Kakfa brutally kills everyone inside the building he been imprisoned within as all were guilty. He is soon found by Toku, his fellow Monster Sweeper, within an alley. (There was a corpse cleanup nearby where the MAG ran off to afterwards.)

The man quickly recognizes his missing coworker and decides to help Kafka. You can say the Sweepers become very protective of their transformed coworker. Everyone pitched in to find Kafka a safe, comfortable place to call home and help him feel like a person than just survive.

Sometimes the MAG's aggressive nature would come to the surface so his sweepers find kaiju for him to fight. If the Defense Force get too close, then they send a signal out for Kafka to run. There have been a few sightings of the MAG but not enough for him to land on the DF's radar fully.

It would remain like that for years until Reno joins the Sweepers. The young man immediately felt something was off when he was assigned to this particular crew. Like something is watching him with sheer curiosity. It didn't help that his coworkers would ignore sudden discrepancies on the corpses they work on. (Power tools don't leave behind bite marks.)

He uncovers the truth when Kafka is forced to save Reno from the spider Yoju. Things only escalate further as the MAG would find his nest been invaded by a particular tiny Kaiju. One that triggers a panic within him upon the words 'Found You' before shoving itself down his throat.

Kafka reacted much more violently with this forced transformation due to PTSD wrought from the experiments. The new No.8 stands around 23'4 in size, his lower arms/lower legs/jagged back spikes/horn tips now a blood red, has an extra pair of smaller arms underneath his main pair, four horns with a smaller pair in front of the main, mouth reached half way down his neck, and large obsidian batlike wings bearing torn red membrane. Reno immediately called the Sweepers as he seriously needs help to look for the now runaway Kafka.

They would find the upgraded MAG getting soothed by Ami(the little girl) and her concerned mother(Futaba). Interestingly, Kafka's red highlights had turned a soft blueish green as both recounted how he not only saved them from the Spider Yoju but healed the mom with his scales. Whatever had altered his form somehow stabilize the man's unstable DNA.

This becoming more apparent as Kafka suddenly shrinks to a more humanlike state. (He's around 6'8 but still have some monstrous features like small horns, short tail, faded scale 'patterns', and sharp claws.) Kafka will now change forms depending on his mood with content/relaxed leading to his smaller humanoid version.

The kaiju inside him seems to be responding to the MAG's innate desire to keep his humanity. Maybe it could turn Kafka back to the way he was before. Or at least make this monstrous side more manageable.

Although the Monster Sweepers will have to be careful. Kafka has fully landed himself in the Defense Force's radar but more unstable sources shall make themselves known. Whether he can be a man or become a monster only gotten a lot harder than just dangerous.

That's all I have at the moment. For now, enjoy a song that came to mind involving our himbo in general: Monster by Fight The Fade.

[tumbleweed-writes]

Now That I Have You: Chibs Telford X Original Character. Chapter Eight.

Previous Chapter HERE

Chapter Eight: Fix It

========

Chibs sat on an old rickety picnic table, outside a Sons clubhouse in Reno Nevada. The cold desert night air was a refreshing change from the air in Charming, but Chibs could not quite find it in him to appreciate the nice change in temperature.

He reached into the pocket of his kutte pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a cheap navy blue bic lighter his heart and his mind feeling so heavy. He wanted to disappear into the dorm he was staying in, in the Reno clubhouse, and sleep off his misery. The noise of the party raging on inside though kept him from the rest or escape he craved.

He reached into this jeans pocket pulling out and staring down at his cell phone for the millionth time today. He glared down at the cell spotting the no missed calls message it taunting him and breaking his heart all the more.

Though it was Monday night the Reno clubhouse was boisterous and filled with action. The Reno brothers had gone all out to make the mother charter feel welcome in their clubhouse. There was a wide selection of booze and several attractive women were up for grabs.

Chibs was tempted to go inside and let himself become lost in the chaos. He was tempted to let the wild surroundings swallow him up and dull his heartache.

He knew that he couldn't do that though, going inside and letting go would be a gigantic mistake. Letting the chaos, booze, and women soothe his heartbreak would just make everything ten times worse in the long run.

He once again reminded himself that Molly hadn't broken up with him. She had just told him that she needed time to think. She had not ended the relationship.She just wanted time to sort her head out and figure out if this was worth continuing. She just needed time to think.

But wasn't that what women said when they were breaking up with you, a voice that sounded a little bit like Jimmy O'Phelan piped up in his head. He felt his heart plummet at the thought.

He frowned taking a long drag off of his cigarette hoping that he could somehow smoke out the Jimmy voice.

Though he knew that the truth about whom and what he was would have come out eventually, he hated that things had gone this way. He knew he could not hide the truth forever, but he had dreaded what Molly would make of it all. He had known it would not be easy for her. She had come from such a violent background. So, of course she feared falling into violence once again. His world gave her so much to fear.

He was well aware that because of who he was and what his life was that he risked the chance of losing Molly and Mason. The risk of losing them hurt far more than he'd thought it would.

The thought of losing what he'd built with them both so quickly was like a punch in the gut. It felt like the air had been knocked out of his body and there seemed to be no way to ever feel as though he could breathe steadily again.

The idea of Molly being afraid of him was agonizing. He hated thinking that she may believe that he would ever harm Mason or her. He hated believing that she might fear that the life that came with him would only lead to pain and suffering for her child and herself. He hated thinking that she might not trust him to protect both Mason and her.

He felt his heart sink knowing that it was not easy for any ol lady accepting the club along with the knowledge of what it made their man do. He knew that Molly was not familiar with this life. This was so far out of her norm. She had come to him from a society that told her that outlaw biker clubs were dangerous and the people in them should be feared. Molly wasn't like Gemma, or some of the croweaters, or Tara even. This was all uncharted territory for her.

Molly would either sink or she would swim if she agreed to be his. Chibs knew that it wasn't just her safety and her heart that she had to consider. Mason was the most important thing in her life; Chibs knew that.

Molly was a mother; she just wanted the best for her boy. That was something that Chibs adored about her. He loved her obvious love for her child. The love she felt for her son had been an admirable trait that he'd noticed about her. He adored seeing her be a mother. He found it comforting; thinking that she trusted him with her child. Mason and she had been so soothing for him. He'd grown to adore them both so quickly.

Chibs could admit the more he'd learned about Molly's past the more he'd adored her. He had admired how she was so strong for her boy. She would sacrifice anything for her son. Chibs had fallen for her strength. She was so brave in his opinion; escaping her husband to protect her child. She was stronger than she realized.

In Chibs' opinion Mason was so lucky to have a mother like Molly; a woman who would leave everything she knew to try to give her child a better life. A woman who was willing to risk her safety to make sure that her child would never know the strike of his father's hand. He hoped that one day when Mason was old enough he would know about and appreciate what his mother had done for them both. He hoped the boy would understand just how strong his mother was.

Chibs felt his heart ache thinking of Mason. He had not just fallen for Molly; he'd adored her kid as well. Mason was so young and so trusting. He looked at Chibs and did not see the hardened dangerous biker. He saw Mr. Chibs who bought him popsicles and pushed him on the park swings. He did not fear Chibs. Chibs hated the idea of not being in the boy's life. He had wonder if things were over between Molly and he, would he still be permitted to be a part of Mason's life. When this relationship had first begun to develop, Molly had told him that she did not want him to disappear from her son's life if things fizzled out between them. Would knowing just how dangerous he was change how she felt about that?

Chibs hated the idea of being kept from the child he'd grown to adore. He'd realized that the little boy loved him; looked up to him. Chibs feared breaking Mason's heart. He feared that if things were over between Molly and he, then Molly would move on to some safer choice in a romantic partner. He feared that this safe choice would replace him in Mason's life. He hated the concept of some other man being looked up to by Mason.

Chibs could admit that he had already talked to Tara over the phone; had a long conversation with her. He had made her promise him that she would keep an eye on Molly and Mason while he was away. He had made her swear that she would do everything to protect them just as he would. Of course, he knew that this was not simple for the good doctor. Molly was giving her the cold shoulder; angry that Tara had known the true nature of Chibs upon first encouraging Chibs to give Molly that ride home and seemingly encouraging a relationship between Molly and he. She was upset that Tara had withheld the truth from her. She refused to return Tara's calls or texts and Tara was not willing to go to Molly's place to try to break the ice. Chibs feared that their friendship was at risk and he had no idea how to fix anything. The thought of Molly losing her trust in Tara made his stomach turn. He knew Molly's husband had not allowed her to have friends. He knew Tara meant a lot to her. Thinking that she'd lost trust in a friend she was so thrilled to have made his heart ache.

He could admit that he feared something happening to Molly was he was away. His worse fear was her husband showing up to hurt her or her boy while he wasn't there to keep Mason and she safe. He had nightmares about it each time he tried to get an ounce of sleep. He had horrible dreams were he woke up in a cold sweat wanting to puke only able to remember the dream version of the woman he loved and may have lost screaming out in pain begging for him to help her.

Chibs feared that his dreams may become a reality. He was more determined than ever to protect Molly from her husband no matter what. He refused to let his dreams become a reality. He knew no matter what happened between Molly and he, that he would kill Brian Parker if he ever stepped foot in Charming. He would make the son of a bitch regret ever thinking of raising a hand to Molly.

He wasn't going to stop protecting her and her boy. Even if she didn't want him anymore he wasn't going to let a thing happen to her.

Chibs had thought of calling Gemma asking her to check up on Molly, but the last thing he needed was hurricane Gemma racing over to Molly's house or work and making things worse.

It had to work out, he promised himself. He had lost so much in his life, he had to hope that life would finally show him some gentleness and allow him one sense of peace and love. He tried to tell himself that Molly would think about their time together and would understand that what he did for a living didn't define him. She would surely have to realize that he may do bad things for the club, but that didn't mean that he wasn't a good man.

He knew it was a cliché, a criminal with a heart of gold. The thought would have made him chuckle if he wasn't so miserable.

He knew that Molly probably didn't see it that way; a criminal with a good heart. In a way he had betrayed her, not telling her the truth about just what he was from the start. He had slowly trickled the truth to her thinking he was lessening the fallout. Slowly revealing the truth to her though had hurt her more in the end.

How could she ever want a man like him, he found himself asking. How would she ever even begin to accept this side to him? How could she ever believe him when he promised her that he wouldn't let a thing happen to her or Mason?

He didn't know what the future held for Molly and he and it was excruciating. He just wanted to know what was going on inside her head.

Did she still trust him? Did he still make her feel safe? Did she still believe that he cared so much for her and her boy? Did she understand just how much she meant to him?

The last thing he'd ever wanted was to let her down. He never wanted to break her heart. He never wanted to make her doubt him. He never wanted to destroy her trust. He had adored her sweet nature and he feared he'd tainted it. A cruel voice in the back of his head claimed that this just proved that he wasn't good enough for a woman like her. He felt an insecure voice claim that he was a dirty violent criminal who was not worthy of a sweet woman and her child. She deserved so much more than he would ever be.

Chibs rolled his eyes as a blonde croweater wandered outside a cigarette hanging out the side of her crimson lips she making a beeline for him. He was so not in the mood to deal with some gash trying to put the moves on him.

She made her way over to him speaking as she leaned in. "Got a light?"

Chibs said nothing as he handed over his lighter he hoping and praying she'd take his silence as a sign to fuck off. The croweater took it from him lighting up her own cancer stick before speaking. "You look like something the cat threw up."

He raised an eyebrow knowing that her comment was probably pretty accurate. He hadn't slept well since the night he'd left Molly Garrett's house aside from the terrible nightmares he had about her and her husband.

He had spent his time going back in forth in between throwing himself into club business and staring at his phone trying to build up the nerve to call Molly. He'd been driving himself insane trying to figure out a way to fix this. He'd been torturing himself thinking that there was no way to fix this and fearing what his life would be without Molly and Mason. He hated the thought of his life going right back to what it had been before Molly Garrett and her boy had pulled into TM Auto with a broken little Volkswagen Bug.

The croweater sat down beside him wanting to take a load off. The silver platform stripper heels she was wearing had been a poor choice for tonight, though the boys at the clubhouse loved them, especially that samcro guy Tig.

The two sat in silence for a long moment before the croweater finally spoke her curiosity getting the better of her she unable to shake her curiosity about her silent SAMCRO company. "Trouble with the ol lady?"

"How do ya know I've got an ol lady?" Chibs blurted out wondering if his heartbroken appearance was really that obvious. He had to wonder if he had some kind of neon flashing sign that stated heartbreak over his head.

"There's only one thing that can make someone look that shitty...and that's love." The croweater stated a knowing tone to her voice.

Shelia the croweater had been through enough heartbreak herself to spot the clear look of heartache a mile away.

First there had been Jeffery, her high school boyfriend who drove a harley leading her into her lifelong devotion to bikers. Then there had been Max, a biker with a rotten front tooth and enough tattoos to cover a tattoo parlors walls. Then last but not least there had been Jake a skinny guy with long stringy hair and a mean temper, things had been good with him until he'd gotten himself locked up in the state penitentiary.

Sheila spoke again feeling the need to play therapist. She'd always had a thing for wounded birds, nursing them back to health. The Scotsman beside her looked like a wounded bird in need of guidance if there ever was one. "So what happened?"

Chibs let out a sigh not really wanting to discuss his love life with a woman in a sequin mini dress and a pair of heels that most strippers would envy. Somehow he found himself speaking though knowing it would feel cathartic to get it all out of his head. "Nothing...I mean it was nothin she did...it was all me. I let er and her boy down. I may of wrecked shite beyond repair."

"Then fix it, whatever you did to let her down...find a way to make things right, Babe. Don't let her go, fight for love. Whatever you do, don't give up. Grovel at her feet if you have to. Just repair what you broke. Do whatever it takes. Sitting around wallowing in misery is just hurting you both. If she means enough to you to make you this miserable then she's worth fighting for. I bet she's just as miserable as you. Show her that you can't live without her. The second you get home, spill your heart to her. Tell her you love her and that you're going to do what it takes to fix things. Don't give up." Shelia responded the hopeless romantic in her providing advice for the Scot.

Chibs raised an eyebrow a little dumbfounded that the woman was giving him advice that seemed to be so sensible.

Sheila spoke again smirking the booze she'd drank this evening making the filter in her brain that stopped her from being so blunt shut off. "You know, usually I would try to talk you into a back room and take total advantage of this situation, but I can recognize that look in your eyes. I've had it a few times myself. Fix it hon. Make things right with your ol lady. If you love her then fight for her. Make it clear to her that she's the one for you."

And with that statement Sheila patted Chibs' on the knee before standing up and hobbling on her all too high heels back into the clubhouse.

Chibs raised an eyebrow as he watched her leave. The last thing he would have ever expected in a dozen years was for a croweater to give him some decent advice about love.

He frowned when he noticed the tattoo clearly visible on Sheila's back; two gigantic wings, angel wings to be more descriptive.

Christ, his guardian angel would come drunk in stripper heels and a cigarette hanging out the side of her mouth; he couldn't help but to think.

He sighed realizing that the croweater was right; he couldn't let his old lady go without a fight. He was falling in love with Molly Garrett and he had to show her that he was willing to do what it took to fix this and earn her trust.

——————————————-

Molly Garrett sat up in an old rocking chair parked in front of her TV her heart feeling heavy.

The television was on showing some stupid looking reality show. It was one of those shows where they locked up a bunch of people in a house and made them cohabit together in the hopes of one of them winning money.

Molly had turned the tv on an hour ago but found that she couldn't pay attention to it. Mason was in his room playing with his favorite lego set completely unaware of his mother's heartbreak.

She was miserable and lost; so lost. She had never felt more conflicted about anything in her life.

Chibs had made her happy. She had felt so wonderful with him. He had been so kind, so patient, so understanding, and so perfect. He had truly felt as though he was her godsend. She was unsure if she should still feel that way. She didn't know if she should still think of him as her light at the end of the tunnel.

Her heart insisted that Chibs had been perfect to her. He had treated her like a queen and treated Mason like a little king.

Her mind screamed that he was dangerous. He had admitted to her that his role in SAMCRO required violence from him, violence he was comfortable with. His past in Ireland showed that he had no problems with violence. She had been so ready to leave violence behind when she'd left Brian. She had been ready to find security and peace. How was it that the first man she'd found herself attracted to brought so much violence with him? Chibs' world sounded so frightening and threatening. She could imagine that the world of SAMCRO was tinged with danger and fear.

A voice in the back of her head insisted that Chibs would bring violence right to her front steps. She was uncertain of if he would ever be violent towards her. As frightened as her mind was of the world he lived in, her heart claimed that a man who had been as sweet as him would not harm her. Then again hadn't Brian been sweet at first? She feared that even if Chibs would not harm her, that the world he involved himself in would bring harm upon her or her child.

Chibs' world sounded like such a brutal one. He was a criminal, there was no doubting that. He had admitted to her that he'd done some awful things. Something told her that the things he'd done and was capable of continuing to do would give her nightmares and make her skin crawl.

Why else would Chibs have been so afraid to tell her the truth? He was not a dumb man. He had to know that she would see him as a monster if she knew what he was capable of.

If he was some kind of monster then just why did she feel so safe with him? Why did her heart try to claim that he would never allow any pain to fall upon Mason or her? Why did her poor heart seem so insistent that she should be willing to give him a chance? Why did she want to try to trust him despite her mind telling her that she would be a fool to give him any second chances?

She was overwhelmed with the debate over how Chibs could feel so dangerous and so safe at the same time?

Molly wasn't sure if she could take on this life of his. Could she handle it all; the guns, the women, and the chaos?

It wasn't just herself that she would be placing in this world of Chibs', it would be Mason too. Surely a responsible good mother would take her child and run far far away from Chibs Telford and all his friends too.

Mason was just a little boy. He was so innocent and so trusting. He adored Chibs so much it was so obvious. What kind of mother was she letting the criminal become some kind of screwed up role model for her fragile impressionable son? Wouldn't she be setting Mason up for a destructive life if she stood by Chibs?

What would Mason learn from such a world? Would he learn that breaking the law was okay? Would Chibs teach him that violence was sometimes necessary? Would Chibs teach him that it was okay to cause people pain and leave chaos in your wake? Would Chibs teach Mason that it was fine to bend rules and do horrible immoral acts? What kind of mother was she even considering allowing an admitted outlaw biker to be around her son? What kind of woman was she if she was feeling any sort of amorous feelings for that outlaw biker? Just how much had Brian fucked up her mind? Had her husband really destroyed her that much that she was growing so enamored with a man who was so capable of violence?

She took a deep breath trying to hold back her sorrows. She had done nothing but cry over the past few days. She'd cried and driven herself insane debating what she wanted with Chibs. She'd sobbed and told herself that she was so damaged and the worst mother on the planet.

Her time had been spent crying and thinking. She just felt so wretched.

Molly didn't know what to do. She wanted to crawl into her bed and never get back out again. She just wanted to hide from the reality of her situation. She felt so heartbroken and so angry. Tara had been calling her and she'd ignored the calls certain if she spoke to the woman she would have nothing kind to say. Tara had known this entire time and she'd let Molly fall into this being so naive to the reality of SAMCRO. Molly felt so betrayed and so hurt.

Her heart hurt. It felt like someone had ripped her heart out of her chest cavity and stomped on it and made it a filthy broken thing before shoving it back into her body.

Her hearts screeched that Chibs made her feel so content, and beautiful, and just plain secure. Mason loved him so much. The child thought that Chibs was his hero. She could not find a way to make sense of her fears surrounding Chibs and the way that her heart felt about him. She could rationalize the two opposing opinions she held about Chibs.

She questioned if this was the end of what Chibs and she had been building together. Her mind asked if she could she lose Chibs? Could she find it in her to walk away from him and not regret it? He had felt so healing for her heart. Could she walk away from how healing he'd felt?

Could she trust him to keep her safe though? Could she trust him to keep Mason safe from the violence of his world? Did she trust him not to hurt her and not to let hurt fall upon her or Mason?

She tried her best to put on a happy face as Mason entered the room crawling up into her lap and sitting down.

Mason spoke up letting out a very over dramatic sigh. "When is Mr. Chibs going to come back?"

"I don't know baby...he went on a special trip." Molly answered her heart aching to even talk about the man. How would she explain it to Mason if she walked way from Chibs? Did she still trust Chibs enough to remain in Mason's life even if she didn't trust him with her heart?

"Like an adventure?" Mason asked as she began to rock him almost feeling like he was a baby once again.

Though Molly knew now that the rocking was probably more for her comfort than his.

She spoke "Yes, exactly like an adventure."

"I hope he comes back soon...I miss him. I love Mr. Chibs. Do you miss him?" Mason asked as he stared up at his mother frowning at the tears that were beginning to fall down her cheeks.

Why else would his mother be crying he thought. She must miss Mr. Chibs just as much as him?

"Why do you love Mr. Chibs?" Molly asked not wanting to answer the question about missing Chibs. She knew that deep down she did miss him. She missed him more than anything. She had no idea how to feel about him, but dear God did her heart miss him so much.

Mason let out a sigh as he spoke up as though he was explaining something very obvious to his mother. "I love him because he'd kind of like a daddy. He does all the stuff a daddy is suppose to do I think. Like he takes us places in the bug, and he tells me stories and watches movies with me and gives me Popsicles. He made me pancakes once and he pushed me on a swing and played with me at the park. He kisses you like a daddy is suppose to kiss a mommy too. He's strong and funny and smart. I think he's a lot like a daddy is supposed to be."

"What about your daddy though?" Molly asked knowing that this conversation was going to happen sooner or later. She just hadn't expected Chibs to be a part of this conversation not like this. She felt guilt bubble in her gut wondering if they should have discussed Brian sooner. A voice in the back of her brain taunted her that this was just another way she was failing at being a good mother.

Mason frowned for a moment as though he was locked into deep thought before he spoke. "He's nicer than daddy. Mr. Chibs doesn't make you cry like daddy does and he doesn't make you hurt. I don't like daddy, I like Mr. Chibs a lot though."

Molly felt her throat begin to tighten up as she let her child's words sink in. He doesn't make you cry like daddy does and he doesn't make you hurt.

Mason spoke again suddenly as he let out another dramatic sigh. "I don't think Mr. Chibs is a real pirate though."

"Why?" Molly asked trying not to cry even harder than she already was.

Mason spoke his voice very serious as though the reasoning was completely clear. "Because he doesn't have an eye patch."

Molly burst out laughing at the comment. She laughed hard, more than she'd laughed in the past few days.

She laughed so hard it made her sides hurt because laughing was better than crying.

—————————————-

Molly frowned as the sound of someone knocking at her front door interrupted her sleeping in.

She rolled over opening her eyes as she stared at Mason. The boy was sitting up in her bed beside her watching his favorite cartoon Adventure Time on the little TV that sat on her dresser completely ignoring the pounding at her front door.

She rolled out of bed knowing that she looked like hell but the knocking wasn't letting up long enough to allow her time to put on real clothes.

"Alright keep your pants on." She mumbled as she made her way out of her bedroom to the living area towards the front door her body feeling heavy and tired.

She opened the door seeing the last person she'd ever expected to see.

Gemma raised an eyebrow as she stared at the disheveled woman in front of her. Molly Garrett looked far less put together and sweet than she usually tended to look. She looked like hell.

Molly's hair resembled a wild nest of tangled hair. Molly's eyes had dark circles underneath them and heavy bags hinting that she'd not been sleeping well. She was wearing only a baggy mens red plaid pajama shirt, that had once belonged to her father, and a pair of knee high socks.

Molly felt her cheeks flush realizing that she looked like a crazy person standing here in front of Gemma Teller Morrow. She resisted the urge to shrink back from her feeling far less polished and far less secure than Gemma. She resisted the urge to slam the door in the woman's face and hide.

She didn't even have time to invite the woman in as Gemma walked into her house uninvited and spoke. "We need to talk."

"Is it about the lawyer?" Molly asked her stomach dropping. What if Lucy Fisher had decided that she didn't want to represent her anymore? What if she had decided that she wasn't going to do it pro bono? What if things falling to pieces between Chibs and she meant that Lucy no longer cared to work for her?

"No. We need to talk about the mistake you're making." Gemma stated as she made herself at home taking a seat on Molly's sofa and lighting a cigarette.

"Pardon me?" Molly blurted out crossing her hands over her chest a little irritated with how relaxed Gemma looked sitting back on her ugly sofa. The woman looked like she owned the place.

Gemma raised her eyebrows taking a drag off her cigarette, Molly's irritation not even fazing her. "You're miserable and Chibs is miserable. Now usually if someone made him that upset I'd make them pay, but I'm making an exception with you. He loves you, so I'm being nicer than I'd usually be willing to be in this situation."

Molly frowned as Mason entered the room giving his best friend Abel's grandmother a curious look.

Gemma spoke up taking charge of the situation as she spotted the boy. "Why don't you go into your room and play buddy. I'm just going to talk to your mommy and cheer her up."

Molly opened her mouth wanting to say something to stop this madness. She frowned as Mason followed Gemma's orders turning around and going to his bedroom.

Gemma patted the sofa as she spoke up. "Now sit down and listen."

Molly surprised herself by doing just that. Part of her wanted to tell Gemma to get the fuck out of her house, but a bigger part of her knew that she should just sit down and hear the woman out.

"Do you love him?" Gemma asked not screwing around before blurting out the big questions.

Molly dropped her jaw her cheeks flushing a little. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to answer that.

Did she love him? She let the question marinate in her brain for a moment trying to come to a conclusion.

Didn't he make her feel safe? Didn't her make her smile? He made her heart race. Kissing him was like being in heaven. He touched her so gently as though she was made of porcelain. Even though her brain had been debating just how dangerous he might be, she knew her heart had been insistent about one thing; Chibs Telford had captured her heart and she feared walking away from him would shatter her heart indefinitely.

"I think I'm getting there." Molly admitted still unsure of how to answer the question. It was too soon for love, but she knew that she was defiantly falling hard for him. Even if she was afraid and uncertain if she trust him, her heart knew what it thought of him.

Gemma smiled apparently satisfied with the answer. "I get that you're scared honey. After what you've been through I think you have the right to be scared, but you have to understand something. Chibs would never hurt that kid or you."

"I am having such a hard time believing that. He had admitted that he's comfortable with violence" Molly stated as she began to wring her hands together wanting to do something to keep her nerve busy body occupied.

Gemma sent her a stern look fast to speak up. "He might be comfortable enacting violence if it's for the club. Don't mistake that for how he treats the people he loves. I have known him for a long while now, he protects what he loves. I know for a fact that Chibs would sooner cut his own hands off than raise them to you or that boy of yours."

Gemma gave her a knowing look as she spoke giving Molly the same speech she'd given at least a dozen other old ladies. She'd given the speech when they were having doubt about their place in the club. "I get that you're scared of SAMCRO. I get that you don't like what it might bring out in him. You have to accept that the club is part of him. The club can be a lot to handle. If you love him though, you're going to have to learn to love the club. Love the man, learn to love the club. Trust me Sweetheart, the club is the glue that holds shit together when things get hard. We look out for our own. You're Chibs' that means that club looks out for you and that boy of yours."

Molly let out a sigh as she spoke. "But can I trust that my son will stay safe in this world? If I let myself learn to love the club will it hurt my child? Can I trust that nothing in this life I'm willing to take on for Chibs will hurt my son?"

"No offense honey, but you can't ever be sure that your kid will stay safe in any world. You only get one chance to raise your children I know that. Don't you want to raise him somewhere where you know he'll be loved? Chibs loves that little boy he would never let anyone lay a finger on him. If Chibs loves him, then everyone he shares a patch with, everyone tied to the club will love that kid and do what it takes to protect him. The same goes for you. Like I said, we take care of our own." Gemma explained knowing that Molly needed to hear this.

Molly bit her bottom lip trying not to cry. Gemma was right. Chibs would never let any harm come to Mason, from his world or any outside forces.

Gemma spoke again a sigh leaving her. "Chibs loves you, Sweetheart. He's known too much loss in his life and too much pain. Being with you has given him a sense of peace I'm not sure he's ever had. He would do whatever it takes to show you that same peace. Trust me, he's dedicated to you. You have to trust that you mean the world to him. Give him a chance to show you that."

Molly rolled the information through her mind her mind and her heart once again battling it out. She felt her heart speak a little louder listening to Gemma's words. Give him a chance. 

Gemma patted Molly's knee as she spoke up. "Now what do you say we go surprise your old man?"

"He's coming home?...today, I mean? What about Mason?" Molly asked her stomach churning at the idea of facing Chibs. What was she supposed to say to him?

Gemma stood up nodding her head. "Yes, we're throwing a bash at the clubhouse to welcome the boys home. I'll take care of your boy. Now go put on something that will give Chibs an instant hard on."

Molly felt her cheeks flush the last part of Gemma's statement making her drop her jaw a little. She couldn't help but to thank god that Mason was out of earshot in his bedroom.

She wanted to argue but she found herself standing up and heading to her bedroom to do just what Gemma said. Something told her that it was not wise to argue with Gemma Teller Morrow. 

She had a feeling that it was time to listen to her heart. She had to let her heart have what it seemed to want.

——————————————

Molly felt so out of place. She felt so very very out of place as she climbed out of Gemma's black suv.

It had taken her a while to find something to wear that would look sexy but would still make her comfortable.

She'd finally settled on a pair of blue jeans and a black tank top that was a little tighter than she'd usually feel comfortable in, at least in public. She had worn that all on top of a matching lace pink bra and panty set that she'd never worn before.

She had worn the same low wedges she'd worn that day at the park. She had done her makeup wearing the strawberry colored lipstick. She had curled her hair allowing it to lay loose around her.

The only jewelry she wore was a heart shaped pendent necklace around her neck. It had been her now deceased grandmother's at one point and it made her feel strong.

She knew that she needed to feel strong right now.

She was almost afraid that Chibs wouldn't want her anymore. She was frightened that he was upset by her sending him away.

Molly stared down at her outfit hoping that the tank top and jeans were what Gemma meant by hard on inducing.

Gemma had called over a woman named Neeta to watch Mason. Molly had been reassured that Neeta would watch the boy for a few hours. Then later this evening Gemma would take him to her house to spend the night with Abel.

That would give Chibs and she a night to fix this. She told herself that she was willing to give him a chance to fix this. She had to let him try. She was not ready to walk away from him.

Molly was overwhelmed by the amount of people at the clubhouse, and the amount of women. Scantily clad women seemed to crowd the area. Some of the women seemed far more alluring than her. They were certainly comfortable showing far more skin than she would ever dare. They seemed quite confident in their looks and brazen enough to go for any man they wanted. 

She felt less than sexy around these women. She was surprised that she felt a little jealous at the thought of these women being around Chibs.

Gemma spotted the look on Molly's face. She spoke up soothing Molly's worries as though she could read her mind. "Don't worry. He's only got eyes for you. Since the moment you met him, he's been all about you."

Molly stuck close to Gemma as though Gemma would protect her from these women and the men. The men were scary looking guys. A few of them seemed to let their eyes scan her body, leering at her. She had never been entirely comfortable around the gaze of men. Something told her that if she did not stick close to Gemma then any of these men would happily approach her and do what they wanted to her even if she tried to decline. She had a feeling that the scantily clad women who seemed to hang around the club were not exactly given the luxury of turning a guy down especially if he wore a kutte. 

She turned to face the clubhouse's massive parking lot as the sound of bikes echoed in the distance.

Gemma placed a hand on Molly's back reassuring her that this was going to turn out okay.

Molly took a deep breath trying to remain calm in the chaos of cheers and motorcycles.

She moved forward as she spotted Chibs her heart beginning to beat faster than she was sure it ever had.

Here went nothing, she thought.

Chibs climbed off his bike feeling no better than he'd felt all week. All he wanted to do was climb into his bed in the clubhouse and hide from everything and everyone.

Despite his decision to go to Molly and try to fight for her the instant he came home, something told him he should take a moment to at the very least figure out a game plan. Perhaps he should freshen up and buy her flowers before he went to grovel at her feet. 

He rolled his eyes as he felt a soft tap on his back, clearly female. A croweater was the last thing he wanted to put up with right now.

He turned ready to tell the gash to fuck off but found himself speechless at the sight in front of him.

He reached out placing a hand on Molly's arm almost afraid that she wasn't really here. He was almost sure that this was some wonderful dream he was having and he'd just wake up to find himself alone and still miserable.

Chibs embraced Molly unsure of what else he should do. He was relieved that she did not shove him away. He felt a sense of peace wash over him as it hit him that she embraced him back. She held him just as tightly almost wanting to fall apart in his embrace.

She took a deep breath holding back the tears; she didn't want to ruin the sexy image she'd tried to build up for him.

As he reluctantly pulled away from the embrace Molly wordlessly leaned up locking her lips with his.

He placed his arms around her again allowing himself to sink completely into the kiss and the passion behind it.

She pulled away pressing a few more innocent pecks to his lips as she spoke. "I'm here if you still want me...I'm not going anywhere."

He pressed his lips to hers again overwhelmed by her statement. She was still his. She wanted him.

He knew he was never going to let her go. No matter what she was going to remain by his side forever.

They stood there kissing lost in one another completely oblivious to the insanity around them. The both of them oblivious to a smug looking Gemma watching them proud of her work.

All that mattered to Chibs and Molly was that they had one another and everything was going to be okay.

——————————————-

Brian Parker sat in the middle of his massive living room bottle of Jack Daniels in hand. His busted hand still ached even though the gashes along his knuckles were healing. He glowered as he lifted the bottle up swigging the alcohol.

He felt his mind flash back to the night he'd come home to discover his wife had run away. 

He had punched a mirror in the master bedroom the night he'd when he discovered that his wife and child were gone.

She'd packed up her clothing and jewelry. Anything that he hadn't bought her. She had left the more expensive outfits he'd bought her over the years hanging in the huge walk in closet.

She had left her wedding and engagement ring behind.

She had taken Mason. His son was gone. The little boy's room was empty.

The photo albums had been taken. Any photos that contained Brain had been left behind.

The bitch had really done it. She'd left him, he thought.

He had already gone to her brother but that smug little prick wouldn't talk. It was the same story with her mother and her sister. Her grandmother had threatened to fall the cops when he'd tried to knock at her front door.

He'd spent the entire time after Molly's disappearing act trying to reach out to anyone who might know where she had run off to.

The police were a joke. They'd said that there was nothing illegal about his wife leaving him. There was nothing illegal about her taking off with his kid if they had not custody order in place. They'd smelled the booze on his lips and had written him off as a drunkard.

Brian gritted his jaw at the thought of his wife. Just who did the bitch think she was? Taking his kid?

Though he hadn't been a good father, Molly and Mason were just a trophy to him.

Molly and Mason were something for him to show off to his friends and clients. They were his perfect family.

Molly hadn't been good enough in Brian's eyes of course. The kid hadn't either; asthma and a learning disability. He was sure Molly's genes had wrecked the kid.

Molly was not perfect by any stretch. She had room for improvement and she was too stupid to listen to his advice. She'd always been hardheaded and he'd thought he'd finally broken her of it. 

Of course Molly had gotten a little fat since she'd had the kid. She wouldn't just get plastic surgery like every other housewife they knew.

Brian had found comfort in his secretary. Missy the secretary was a little twenty year old with fake breasts that he had bought.

The secretary had been fun but she wouldn't stop bugging him about divorcing Molly. That wasn't going to happen.

Molly was his wife. What would the neighbors and his clients think if he divorced Molly for a little twenty year old twit?

Molly might not be perfect but he loved her. She was just too dumb and too stubborn to be grateful for his love. 

Brian had to keep his wife in line. Just like his father had kept his mother in line.

He had to remind Molly of her place in this world. She belonged to him and she was to do as he said.

He wouldn't have to act out and give her reminders of her place if she didn't constantly screw up. 

She thought that she was so smart though. Molly thought that she was so much better than him.

She'd been nothing before him, Brian knew that. Molly had just been trailer trash with a drunken mother, a dead daddy, a gay brother, and a little brat sister.

She was trash before him. He had given her the world. He had given status in their community. He'd given her nice designer clothing and jewelry. He had given her his family's beautiful old plantation home and a staff to answer her every beckon call.

He had given her so much and this was how she'd repaid him.

The little bitch was either coming home with him or she was dead. She was going to pay when he found her. He just had to find a way. 

His wife was coming home or dying. 

[lilredniki]

Do you want me to leave

Prompt: Do you want me to leave

Character: Vincent Valentine

Vincent was the loner type. Only had a select few friends.

Maybe that’s why he understood the quiet little Y/h/c who Tifa introduced as Y/n.

He made a promise to himself that he would watch out for her.

That was why he found himself sitting on the roof of her apartment as she argued with her ex about the girl he was cheating on her with.

“Y/n, honey, it was just a work lunch.”

“Oh don’t give me that shit Reno. If it had anything to do with work, Rude would have been there too.”

“Elaina and I are just friends.”

“Really? Cause that’s not what she told me.” Y/n handed him a box. “Here. It’s everything you left here and ever gave me. Now get out.”

“Babe please...”

“No we’re done Reno. Go back to Elaina and have a nice life.”

Reno walked to the open door and turned to her.

“I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.” Y/n said slamming the door.

Vincent waited till Reno was gone before he let himself in.

“Y/n?”

He heard a crash come from the bedroom and rushed to the door.

“Y/n are you in there?”

“Vincent?”

“Are you okay?” He asked trying to open the door.

“Hang on.”

He waited a moment as she opened the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“Tifa and Yufi asked me to come check on you.”

“Liar.”

“What?”

“You’re lying.”

“How would you know?”

Y/n looked at him and closed her eyes.

“The same way I knew Reno was lying about everything.”

Vincent saw her open her eyes and they were different.

Instead of Y/e/c, her eyes were bright blue with golden red around the iris.

“Give me a second and I’ll come out and tell you everything.”

He nodded.

Y/n came out and leaned against the wall.

“I’m what Reno called a failed test.”

Vincent looked at her.

“They tried recreating you and I’m the result. So the only reason he was with me was so that Shinra could keep an eye on me.” She said sliding to the floor.

Vincent followed and sat with her.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“Gods no. I don’t want to be alone.”

Vincent nodded and opened his arms.

Y/n wiggled over so he could hold her.

“You know, whenever I’m near you I feel safe.”

“That’s good.”

Y/n sighed.

“Why don’t you come stay with me tonight and tomorrow I’ll help you get things fixed.”

“Okay.” She said as he picked her up off the floor.

“Rest Little One.”

Y/n smiled. “Okay my angel of darkness.”

Vincent smiled a little as they left.

‘I told you.’ The voice in his head whispered. ‘She’s ours.”

[fatetainted]

"tseng said he hates me." he said he didn't have time for more of his nonsense today, but is that not the same thing?

[unothief]

How to Play Caravan in Fallout New Vegas

I promised a guide on how to play Caravan a bit ago so here it is

Getting a Deck and Finding a Player

Step 1: you'll need Ringo's spare deck, you've probably picked it up at least once while talking to him about Caravan as he'll just hand it to you, as far as i know it's impossible to play without getting this deck in some fashion but I'm fairly sure you can loot it off him if you plan to just kill him on sight for one reason or another

Step 2: you'll need an NPC to play caravan with, there are only a few of them but you'll run across while playing the game if you look through their dialogue, Ringo is the earliest one you'll run across but some other ones of note are Cliff Briscoe, No-Bark Noonan, and Johnson Nash.

NPCs which aren't merchants have somewhat fixed cap counts they're willing to bet on a game, with No-Bark being the highest (he often will put up to 1000 caps down on his first game), playing subsequent games with an NPC will result in them putting less and less down for each time they lose

NPCs which act as merchants will pull a percentage of their store's cap inventory, including the value of any Legion Coin or NCR dollar they have. This makes it possible to buy a ton of stuff from a merchants and then beat them in a game of caravan with a high bet to return most of the caps spent or even more than you spent to begin with, however you can only ever play a total of 5 games with a single merchant per save

Building a Deck

Now that you've found a player you'll be placed into the game's screen when you select the dialogue option to start a game.

You'll be presented with all the cards you have in your inventory, Caravan is not played with a standard deck of cards and can be played with any almost any assortment of loose cards, this screen (shown in the attached image) is where you select what cards you want to have in play when the game starts

the only rule you'll need to worry about when building a deck is you must have at least 30 cards in play, you can have more if you think it's a good idea

the top row is where you'll see the cards you have in play and the bottom row is the cards you have on you but not in play, use the arrow keys to navigate this screen, if you don't want to build a deck for one reason or another hitting S will randomize the cards you have into a playable deck.

more cards can be found to be added to your deck throughout the game, normally as items on merchants that sell for a few caps each, when bought these won't show in your inventory but will be added to your deck.

The Game

Once a deck is confirmed you will move onto the actual game, you'll draw a handful of cards from your deck and your opponent will make their first move

Three columns exist on the board "Boneyard-Dayglow" (Left), "Redding-New Reno" (Middle), and "Shady Sands-The Hub" (Right)

your "caravans" are the stacks of cards that we will build on your side of the board (Dayglow, New Reno, and The Hub), they compete with your opponents caravans placed in the same column (Boneyard, Redding, and New Reno)

a Caravan can be in one of three states: unsold, sold, or overstacked, the state it is in depends on the value of the numbered cards within the stack

A sold caravan is anywhere from 21-26 in value, anything over 26 is overstacked and anything under 21 is unsold. If both of the caravans in a column are within the sold range the Caravan with the higher value sells and the lower value caravan acts as though it were unsold if both are the same value neither will be sold

the game ends when one caravan in all three columns is sold and the winner is determined by which player has sold at least two in their favor.

during the first 6 moves of the game (including your opponents moves) only number cards and aces can be playe, one card must be placed in each column before any other cards can be played

CARDS

The value of a card is simply the number assigned to it, aces act as ones for this purpose so a caravan with a 10 and an ace is worth 11

as you play cards you'll draw more from your deck into your hand, note cards removed from the board do not return to your deck

a deck has an "order" based on ascending or descending value this order is defined when you place the second card on a caravan, example the Dayglow caravan (see the below image) is in a descending order, numbered cards of a value higher than the top numbered card can't be played normally on a descending deck, the inverse is true for a deck which is ascending there are two ways to bypass caravan order

you can either play a matching suit at which point the order rule can be ignored, example a three of clovers is a valid card for the dayglow caravan this would also change the order to ascending for future cards OR a queen can be played which leads us into face cards

Face cards each have a unique function and can be placed not only on your caravans but also on your opponents caravans

Queens will invert the order of a deck but provide no extra value on their own (placing a queen on dayglow in the below image would make it ascending but it's value would remain at 12)

Kings will double the value of the card they're placed on, these can be placed on any numbed card in a caravan not just the top most card (example placing a king on the 10 in dayglow would double it to be worth 20, which would make the overall value caravan value 22)

Jacks will remove the card they're placed on and any face cards which have been attached to it from the board like kings these can be placed anywhere on the deck (placing a jack on the 9 in boneyard would remove the 9 AND King attached to it from the board)

Jokers when placed on numbered cards will remove all cards of that number from the board, not including the card it's been placed on, when placed on an ace it'll remove all of the ace's suit from the board (a Joker on a 9 of spades will remove all 9s from the board, while a joker on an Ace of Spades will remove all Spades from the Board)

[rottenpumpkin13]

Despite that he's rich enough to afford services to do stuff for him. What are some things or tasks that Rufus would insist on doing them himself?

• Checking and managing his own emails. WHY? Because Tseng once opened Rufus' email to find him a part of an email list called "DATING FOR SENIORS" and Rufus had to spend the next hour explaining that he had meant to put the president's email as a prank, but got his mixed up. To this day Tseng doesn't believe him, and makes passing remarks about how Irene—the 68-year-old secretary from HR—looks "ravishing."

• He does all of Dark Star's care himself—feeding, grooming, walks, baths, playtime, you name it. His reason is that he loves his dog too much, and wants Dark Star to know that, instead of having 18 different people care for her. Like his dad had for him when he was a child.

• Driving himself around. It's a luxury he won't really have when he becomes President, and he likes showing off his sports cars. Rufus also enjoys exploring the city alone and late night drives where he can pretend just for a moment to be a completely free. <- That, also Reno and Rude once drove him to the dentist, but forgot halfway that he was in the back halfway. They ended up at a strip club.

• Shopping and selecting clothes for his wardrobe. He greatly enjoys picking out different outfits and matching them with his personal taste, so he doesn't see a need for a stylist. He doesn't want someone telling him how to dress. He'll wear a hakama and a suit as a uniform, damn it, he can serve both Shinra and cunt.

• Killing his enemies. Preferably shooting them dead.

[housetummelt]

@meldaciomartyr | X

She had always known a talk like this would come. And Dave had all the right to demand it. he had kept his promise so far. Even more, he had gone over and beyond to protect them, even though he had no real reason to do so. They were strangers. They were of opposing nations. Her nation had attacked his, made his and his friends and family's lives harder. And yet... he helped them in every way possible.

So when he asked her to talk, Ida was not about to pull up lies.

Sitting a little straighter, she put away her own coffee. Her eyes avoided the head hunter for a moment, but then she exhaled a breath and started the answers he needed.

"Our family is not just like any ordinary family of Gralea. We were one of the close noble families that resides there since generations. My husband is... was a high ranking general in the army. I was a researcher for the scientific department, a headresearcher. What I worked on was also used by others for part of what makes up the MTs. My sons were just the next generation of this. We do not pick our duty completely freely. Loqi was put in the mech-pilot project. And Reno... he was selected to become a Turk. A jack-of-all-trades for the 'dirty work' for one of the most influential companies in Gralea, led by a family ranking a bit higher than ours in the nobility scale. They want us back because I and Reno know too much. And because it would make the Empire look bad if we ever again resurfaced as refugees in Lucis. They don't like their reputation sullied."

It were descriptions of their duties. Vague ones - and yet more specific than she had given anyone else. And than she would ever give anyone else. But she trusted Dave that this information would stay with him.

Looking at Dave directly, Ida waited for any reaction. Whether the head hunter would change his mind now. Or get up and leave to even just get rid of them slowly. He wouldn't lose his mind right now, no... he was too calm for that. But now he knew why the search for them was a bit more... excessive.

@meldaciomartyr

[vintagestagehotties]

Hot Vintage Stage Actress Round 3

Ginger Rogers: Babs Green in Top Speed (1929 Broadway); Molly Gray in Girl Crazy (1930 Broadway); Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly! (1965 Broadway)

Ethel Merman: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (1934 Broadway); Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun (1946 Broadway); Mrs Sally Adams in Call Me Madam (1951 Broadway); Liz Livingstone in Happy Hunting (1957 Broadway); Rose Hovick in Gypsy (1960 Broadway)

Propaganda under the cut.

Ginger Rogers:

justice for hot dancers!!!

Ethel Merman:

YOU EITHER GOT IT, OR YOU AIN'T. AND BOYS, SHE'S GOT IT.

She is THE star!

She doesn’t even need propaganda so here’s a story copied from wikipedia about an absolutely iconic comeback she had to her fourth husband, the big dick energy is off the charts: An oft recounted story from their short marriage demonstrated the volatility of their relationship. When Borgnine asked Merman how her audition had gone, she replied: "Well, they were mad about my 35-year-old body, my 35-year-old voice, and my 35-year-old face." "Is that so?" Borgnine responded. "And what did they think of your 65-year-old cunt?" Without missing a beat, Merman retorted: "You weren’t mentioned once.”

I know this song is having a moment on TikTok with a different singer, but considering she's been bumped from the film bracket and really is better known for her theatre work, it IS her turn!

From a movie role but shows the kind of presence she could have in stage settings!

All of these examples -- which are only a small selection of the shows she opened -- were written for her; she was that essential to the Golden Age of musical theater. Titanic, stupendous, blow the roof off, staggering. For his 12th birthday, my dad's parents got him tickets to Gypsy; fourth row, dead center, he said seeing Ethel was the most exciting moment of his life.