#(the nasty chicago alcohol)

[odlaw]

sorry to be this guy everyone but i finally tried malort and its actually kinda good

[99hook]

One & Only

Synopsis: He swears he doesn’t care but his actions prove otherwise.

Warnings: FWB situation, Cursing, angst, unprotected sex, angry sex, degradation kink, choking, creampie, daddy kink, oral sex (female receiving), then there’s lots of fluff towards the end.

In other words, 18+

A/N: I’ve been working on this for a good minute now and I think she’s finally readyyy! I hope y’all love it. (If you have a thing for jealous, protective Hook (Tyler), you’ll definitely love it.) enjoy babes & Happy 4th if you celebrate!!

“I didn’t know there were a whole bunch of rules to this!” You shouted from where you stood in the kitchen of Tyler’s hotel room. He had his back turned staring out the sliding glass doors that overlooked Chicago. “I thought we were both just having a good time.”

Tyler didn’t have enough composure to be able to respond right away. As soon as he saw you and whoever that dude was at the bar with his hand on your thigh, he could only see burning red and with every single word that comes out of your mouth, all he can think about is how that dude tried to slide his hand underneath your dress, and how you probably would have let him do it if Tyler wouldn’t have grabbed the poor guy’s wrist and nearly snap it in half.

“And besides, you really have no right to be mad right now.” You were slurring your words and Tyler could practically tell the level of alcohol running through your blood just by the way you’re talking. “It’s not like I let that guy fuck me.”

Tyler whipped around with eyes of fury. His jaw was set and brows knitted so tightly together. Rage was the only emotion he was showing even though deep down inside, he was feeling far more than just that. “Didn’t look like you were making any effort to stop him when he tried to basically finger fuck you in the middle of the bar!” His voice boomed through the room, surely everyone on the nineteenth floor knew what happened tonight, at this point.

“That never would have happened.” You crossed your arms in an attempt to hold your ground, even though it became increasingly more difficult as the room started to spin. “I just don’t understand how you can get so mad. I don’t get mad when all those bitches in your phone send you pictures of their nasty asses!” You noticed the throbbing of Tyler’s jaw. His narrowed eyes averted to the floor before he ran his clammy hand through his wildly disheveled hair and muttered barely loud enough for you to hear, “It’s not the same.”

He stepped out on the balcony and slammed the glass door shut. You stared at him through the large window as he leaned against the railing and looked down on the dimly lit city. Tyler knew that he didn’t have solid ground to stand on in this situation. You weren’t his girlfriend, or anything official besides a fuck buddy. He knew you didn’t have to be loyal to him in any sense, but the thought of you with anybody else? Just the mere thought was enough to make him want to break necks.

The door slid opened behind him and your light footsteps patted against the cemented floor of the balcony. Tyler kept his eyes fixated on a taxi parked outside that bar the two of you never should’ve went to, in his opinion. You tip-toed over to him and leaned your elbows against the railing. You followed his gaze down to the city street below but it was nothing but a blur of swirling lights to you.

An elongated sigh slipped through Tyler’s nose and caught your attention. You turned to look at him, his jaw still set and eyes not even daring to look at you. He was infuriated with no real right to be, but if there’s one thing that you did know above all else, it’s that you love getting him riled up more than you would ever truly admit. Something about the way his jaw could cut like glass and his eyes feel like they practically spear your soul is something you can’t help yourself over.

There was an ache between your thighs and an increasing wetness already soaking through the thin fabric of your panties and the need for him was stronger than you could bare. If you knew anything, it was that you and Tyler were better at communicating in any way, shape or form other than actually talking, and you didn’t want to waste any time trying to get a point across to him any other way other than the best way you know works.

You grabbed Tyler’s arm, expecting him to stiffen up but to your surprise, he didn’t. You picked it up and slid between him and the balcony railing and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck. Tyler’s dark eyes were staring intensely into yours, and it was clear he was still furious, and the thought of that guy’s hand on your bare thigh was probably driving him insane but he couldn’t deny that he had an idea on how to release all of anger and it starts and ends with you.

“I’m sorry, daddy.” You bat your lashes as your nails rake through the hair at the nape of his neck. “I guess I shouldn’t let anyone touch me but you.” He knew that you knew what you were doing, but he was quickly becoming putty in your hands at the feeling of your nails scratching through his hair, your innocent looking eyes staring up into his and the pet name that you know drives him crazy falling from your lips. All he can think about is bending you over that railing and making you scream his name to the entire city of Chicago.

He was trying hard to recollect his thoughts but the second you grabbed a hold to his broad shoulders and lifted yourself up to sit on the railing, then proceeded to latch your plump, warm lips to his neck he was absolutely done for. His arms instinctively wrapped around your back so there wasn’t a chance you’d fall nineteen stories down and you wrapped your legs around his waist as you sucked on the one sweet spot Tyler had right below his ear.

“Don’t know why I bothered anyway.” You whispered against his skin. “Nobody can do what you do to me. Nobody’s ever came close.”

There was an urgent need for you arousing at an incomprehensible pace and the fully hardened bulge of his sweatpants was proof of it. One of his hands kept you pressed against his chest and balanced on the railing while the other one found it’s way to your thigh and you instantly spread as far as you possibly could the second his calloused fingers met with your silky skin.

“You still let that dude touch you.” Tyler groaned, his voice raspy and sore from the yelling and the alcohol. “Still let him think he could have you. Let him think he could do this-“ a harsh squeeze to your thigh earns a whimper to fall from your lips and buzz against his neck. “Such a little fucking tease.”

You were sure you were dripping to the floor at this point. Tyler had so much agitation built up from the events of the night and he just wanted you to understand it. “Still don’t ever wanna see any other motherfucker touch you like that again.”

Your head was swimming and you knew it wasn’t the liquor doing it anymore. Tyler’s words echoed through your ears and only left you dripping for him, impatiently waiting for him to do what he does best to you.

“Never again.” Tyler’s large hand squeezes your thigh again, earning another whimper to slip past your lips. You pulled back and brushed your nose against his. “Never again.” You repeated. “Can I show you how sorry I am, daddy? Please?”

“No.” Tyler’s voice was like ice in your blood. “You’re not sorry yet.”

He grabbed both of your hands that were wrapped around his neck and brought them to his shoulders instead. “Hold onto me, I mean it.” He demanded before he lowered himself, kneeling down until he was level with the view of your drenched panties peeking out from under your short dress.

You gripped his shoulders anticipating the feeling he was all too good at indulging you in. “Look at me. Don’t take your eyes off of me.” He demanded again. His eyes stayed trained on you, taking into account every single movement you made, every little change to your facial expression, he loved watching what he was doing to you all the while making you watch him do it.

His palms roamed over the tops of your thighs before he slid them up to your hips, pulling the dress up with it. There was a thrill being nineteen stories high, exposed with a city below you. There was something strong brewing within you that had you moaning before he even fully touched you and Tyler absolutely lived for that affect he had on you.

His devilishly dark eyes were burning a hole as he held them on you. You felt the tips of two of his fingers skim down the fabric of your panties and a cocky smirk played on his lips. “Being a little tease must turn you on.” He slowly slid his fingers back up, then back down over the lacy fabric, reveling in the way your chest was already heaving and broken moans were falling into the air.

“I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea.” Tyler shakes his head as a low chuckle slips past his lips. “I think you should know by now that if anyone knows how to tease, it’s always been me.”

You knew exactly what that meant and you felt your stomach twist the minute the realization hit you. Tyler had the willpower and the stamina that was nearly otherworldly. When he really wants to, he can easily have you pleading and begging him to stop teasing you. He loves it, probably more than he loves anything else. The way your frustration sends his name flying through the air, bouncing off walls of wherever you two decide to be at for the time being. The sweat that soaks his bedsheets every time he’s done riling you up and finally decides you’ve been tortured enough. He loves it and you knew it.

Your nails dig into the thick bands of muscle on his shoulder blades when you feel his finger tip lightly graze your clit without the fabric of your panties in between. Tyler watched your mouth fall open and your thighs jolt at the feeling and he smirks to himself because he knows he hasn’t even done anything yet.

The moon above illuminates you just enough for him to see every little reaction he pulls from you. He glides the tip of his rough middle finger down from your clit to your throbbing entrance but doesn’t allow it to go any farther especially when you buck your hips foward in a silent plead.

You feel his free hand grip your thigh hard enough to likely leave his finger prints embedded into your skin. You were already heaving above him, holding onto his shoulders for dear life while he barely allowed you to have anything at all from him.

“Tyler” you moaned out, “please don’t do this to me”

Your desperation and your neediness was music to his ears. He glided his finger back up your slit, collecting all of your sweet juices that slid down the length of his finger and dripped onto the cement below. He pressed the pad of his digit to your clit and held it there, refusing your attempts to make him do anything more.

“I haven’t done anything yet, angel.” The pet name Tyler only used in a condescending way such as when he’s fucking the shit out of you and forcing the dirtiest words to bounce off the walls, or when your throat is being stuffed with his length and even in the filthiest state he could possibly have you in, all he can think to call you is just that. His angel.

“You’re teasing me.” You sigh as your neck rolls and you face towards the open sky above.

Your head immediately snaps back down and a loud, strained gasp flies through your lips when you felt two of Tyler’s long fingers enter you and curl against your g-spot harshly. “I said keep your eyes on me.”

He pumped your sweet spot with a force that had your stomach curling into the most pleasurable knots. A feeling of euphoria found it’s way into you, settling in your veins and rushing through your hot blood like a high you never wanted to come down from. You did everything you could to keep your eyes from closing, or rolling, or anything other than what Tyler told you because you knew the consequences if you disobeyed him in a mood that he’s in.

Tyler’s eyes never once falter from your flustered face as he watches your brows knit and your teeth sink into your bottom lip hard enough to turn the pink flesh white. Your back arches as his fingers thrust even faster and he takes his free hand and wraps it around your back to keep you steady before he draws closer and blows hot air over your throbbing clit.

It brings him the most pleasure just seeing you coming undone before him. He takes pride in knowing your body better than anyone probably ever has or will. He knows all your little sweet spots and all the ways to make you come around his fingers, his cock, his tongue or anything else you two decide on at the time. He knows how to make tears prick the corner of your eyes and how to make you scream his name until your throat is sore. He knows how to make you plead for more and beg him to stop when the pleasure is too much for you to bare. And he wants to make damn sure nobody ever gets the chance to learn your body, to admire every part of you the way he does.

His eyes stay trained solely on you as his tongue flicks your clit in an agonizingly slow manner. You were probably drawing blood on his shoulders even through his hoodie with how hard you were gripping them. Tyler felt the burning sensation every time you clawed him and he loved it. He loves when you leave red scars all down his back and his arms, and when your nails leave indents on his skin for hours afterwards. Loves it so much he might get it tatted one day.

“Fuck, Tyler please” you beg, your thighs clenched around his head in hopes that you’d hold him right where you needed him but all it took was for his elbow to push them apart again. He pulled both fingers out of you and took that hand to keep your thigh pressed against the balcony railing, focusing solely on your pulsating bundle of nerves instead.

“Hold on tighter” he rasped as he gripped your thigh with one hand and pressed the other into your lower back since he knows how you like to arch that back when the orgasm rips through you. When you adjusted your grip on his shoulders you felt his plump lips latch around your clit and he immediately started sucking in a steady pattern that had you seeing more than just the stars of the sky above you.

You couldn’t contain the moans and whimpers slipping past your lips especially when he groaned against you, shaking his head from side to side as if you were his last meal on earth and he needed to absolutely devour every last inch of you.

“Bet that stupid motherfucker at the bar was thinking he’d be able to do this.” Tyler groaned against your heat. “Taste you like this.” He flicks his tongue over your clit as he cups his lips around it, sucking and flicking his tongue in a repetitive motion. “Should’ve done more than break his wrist now that I think about it. Something worth getting thrown out the bar for.”

Tyler’s words are muffled against you, his saliva and your juices intermingled as they slide down his chin. You are starting to hear a ringing in your ears the more his tongue works it’s magic on you. Coupling that with Tyler’s fingertips digging into the skin of your thigh and the reverberations of his raspy voice as he mutters against your hot center is enough for you to cry out to the heavens above and the city below.

“Fuck Tyler, please don’t stop I’m so close!” You didn’t even recognize your voice at this point and neither did he. For a split second he thought about doing the little trick he always does when you’re about to come on his face, knowing how crazy it drives you but then he decides, right before your high rips through you like a tidal wave, that you’re not sorry enough yet.

As soon as the warmth envelops you and your eyes involuntarily roll back due to that delightful sensation buzzing through your body that’s so close to reaching an all time high, Tyler stops everything all at once and watches as your thighs tremble in despair for that euphoric feeling that was ripped away from you in a split second.

“Did you really think I was going to just let you have it like that? After everything you did tonight?” He chuckles darkly, only making you throb and your walls clench painfully around nothing. You couldn’t lie, you loved when Tyler’s condescending side came out to play. Especially when it’s so clearly paired with jealousy he always swears he never has.

He rose to his feet and gripped your hips tightly, sliding his tongue over his bottom lip as the flavor of you sank into his tastebuds. “I’m gonna make sure you know I’m the only one that can ever make you feel this fucking good.” His low voice breaks through the night air, sending shivers to skate down your whole body before his large hand wraps around your neck and his lips crash into yours.

Your eyes rolled back as soon as his tongue surpassed your lips. Your sweetness mixes with tinges of liquor and spearmint as his tongue collides with yours. His fingers and thumb gently squeezed the sides of your neck sending a warmth to roll through your blood and the moan that left your lips only found itself caught in his throat.

He pulled back and pressed his forehead to yours, noses brushing as you both caught your breaths. “Turn around and bend your ass over this rail.” He groaned as he let you go. You slid off the top of the railing and did exactly as he told you. You were on your tip toes in anticipation as you painfully awaited him. You heard rustling behind you before you felt his swollen tip at your entrance.

Tyler bent over your body and his lips found your neck, where he took his time peppering hot kisses and small nibbles of his sharp teeth all the while his hand holds his shaft as he glides his length up and down your slit. The wetness could make him come right then and there but that’s not what the goal was to him. This was about proving a point you’d never forget in your lifetime.

His lips lingered over the shell of your ear, hot breath tickling your skin as he whispers, “Don’t you dare hold back on me when I finally give you what you want. When I’m done with you the whole city better know who’s fucking you this good. Understand me?”

You nodded in a needy manner, but that wasn’t nearly enough for him. His hand slapped down on your right ass cheek, surely leaving a red print in its place for days ahead. “Words, Y/N.”

You winced at the pain that quickly morphed into pleasure and out came, “yes, Tyler I understand!”

“Not Tyler.” He slapped down on your reddened skin again.

“Daddy! I understand daddy!” You corrected yourself, and it was then that you felt him crash into you without any warning, pushing his cock fully in and filling you in a way that only he has ever been able to do. You dropped your head and let a breath of both relief and frustration out. Tyler held still until he felt you relax around him, and no matter what kind of sex was being had, whether one of you were angry or not, he always made the point to take care of you.

“Whenever you’re ready, angel.” He breathily sighed behind you, his thumbs gently stroking the exposed skin of your hips. You nodded and picked your head up, pushing back against him as a silent signal that you were more than ready, and Tyler, knowing your body so well, knew what it meant.

He pulled out of you, leaving only his tip at your entrance for a few seconds before he slammed back in, pulling a series of whines from you that he wished he could listen to day and night. Your hands gripped the railing and his gripped your hips as he did everything he could not to come inside you right then and there. His teeth clenched behind his lips as he pulled back out of you just to drive back in again, and each time you made a different sound, let out a different whine or moan but he still didn’t hear what he wanted to hear.

His hand wrapped around the disheveled locks of your hair and pulled your head back. He folded over you again, his teeth grazing the shell of your ear before he rasped, “Remember what I told you?” His voice alone made you clench around him and he groaned when he felt it. “I want this whole fucking city to know my name.” He thrusted a little faster, banging into your g-spot each time.

“Fuck Tyler” you moaned as best as you could.

“Louder!”

“Tyler!” You shout, your voice strained but it surely echoes. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and it didn’t take a genius to know people were probably on their way to work right now. A lot of people were probably going to hear but at this point you didn’t care at all. All you cared about was what he was doing to you.

Tyler let go of your hair and found your hands instead. Your fingers spread and his fit in the spaces as he picked up the pace. He dropped his head to your back and peppered sloppy kisses to your warm skin, muttering against you, “You feel incredible, angel.” But you didn’t hear over your own broken moans and whimpers.

You felt that feeling that you’d been chasing after crash into you without a warning at all. Suddenly you were seeing white behind your eyelids and your knees buckled in, but Tyler was quick to grab your hips and steady you. Your walls throbbing around him were what drove him over the edge, and before he knew it his hips were stuttering and a low groan flew through the air before you felt his warmth fill you to the brim.

The feeling had you collapsing against the railing as pure ecstasy coursed through your body. After Tyler pulled out he slid his sweatpants back up to his hips and leaned back to admire the mess he’s made of you. You were attempting to catch your breath, hair sprawled every which way as you leaned over the railing.

Tyler pulled your dress back down and brushed the hair out of your face. He took a second to really look at you. To him, you’re always so beautiful in moments like this when your hair is a wild mess and your cheeks are tinted pink. He loves afterglow on you almost as much as he loves being the one to make you look like that.

He smirked down at you, his dimples showing as he did so. Hair was stuck to his forehead by the sweat he worked up and his eyes were low and hazy when you looked at him but he had never looked better. You chuckled lightly and shook your head as you managed to somehow stand straight up, even though you were a bit wobbly at the knees.

Tyler grabbed both of your shoulders and steadied you. “You ready for round two?” He smirked down at you, laughing when he saw your eyes widen instantly. He shook his head. “I’m just playing. You ready to get some sleep? I can tell you are. You’re all fucked out.”

“You look so proud to say that.”

“I am.” His sleepy eyes flickered from yours to your lips.

It may not have been the perfect time to address it but you knew it needed to be. After the events of the night and Tyler breaking some guys wrist for just simply touching you, it was time to clear the air and you both knew it. You couldn’t fuck things out forever.

“You know what happened?” You asked as you took a seat in the outdoor chair, and Tyler followed your actions as he leaned against the glass door. “What happened?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I think we fucked this whole friends with benefits thing up.” You admitted, feeling a tinge of heat underneath your cheeks. For some reason it was all too easy to give Tyler any and every part of your body but admitting your feelings was horribly difficult.

Tyler was silent for a couple of tense seconds, his lips folded underneath his teeth as he contemplated what he should say. Finally, he inhaled a deep breath and nodded his head. “I think we fucked that up from the start.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I caught feelings before I even knew your last name.”

He was unashamed to admit it and the boldness had you ready to jump on him and fuck until the sun went down. You knew you had feelings for Tyler too but to actually admit that felt terrifying considering you never wanted to give your heart to anybody after what you’ve been through in the past. Somehow between agreeing to be fuck buddies and now, you have confessed your whole life to Tyler. He’s the only person who knows you just as well as you know yourself. The only one to know your past and your struggles. Any secrets and desires. You gave your heart to him a long time ago but somehow you’re just now realizing it.

“You never told me.” You lowly whisper.

“You would have broke my heart if I told you.” He steps closer and brushes a piece of hair off of your shoulder before cupping your chin and raising your head. He then kneels down before you, his eyes roaming over every inch of your face, as if he’s deciding where to plant his lips and settles on your forehead.

“We don’t have to do this right now. Let’s go to bed. Together.” He offers his hand and you take it, and wordlessly the two of you find yourselves underneath the bed sheets in a different way. It was all too easy to wrap your arms around Tyler’s bare torso and lay your head on his chest, listening to the steady rythum of his heartbeat and occasionally tracing the outline of his tattoos.

There was a lot that probably needed to be said but the only thing that Tyler decided on was the only thing you really needed to hear.

“Ever since I met you, it’s only been you.” He whispers as his fingers lazily play with the ends of your hair. “You’re my one and only.”

You feel your heart flutter at that, and when he places a kiss to the top of your head. “Get some sleep, angel.” He whispers before he wraps his hand around your back. Before you drifted off into sleep you placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight, Ty.” You barely whispered and laid your head back on his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat lull you to sleep.

[farthest-harbor]

Since you have a lot of nick v. Hcs, do you have any hcs bout pre war nick and synth nick where their likes/dislikes/opinions/traits are opposite from each other. Like ex pre war nick hates cats while as synth nick loves cats.

Hell yeah!

- I think prewar Nick was more outgoing than synth Nick. I think he had more confidence, as life had been much kinder to him (up until Jenny’s death, that is). He may have even been a little arrogant, but still kindhearted. Rather different from our much humbler, much more laid-back synth Nick. Synth Nick is certainly much more insecure, partly to do with how people treat him, partly because he compares his synth body to his human one, and partly because he believes that not even the Institute wanted to keep him around. He uses sarcasm and witty retorts to deflect people’s nasty remarks and keep up an outward wall of invulnerability, but he’s still affected by the way people treat him deep down. Still, he’s much more relaxed, more able to sit back and enjoy the little things. Many of the changes in his personality have to do with life circumstances, but some of them also just have to do with getting older and more mature.

- Prewar Nick liked more upbeat music. Both love jazz, but prewar Nick was more into Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, energetic music for dancing fast. And he loved to show off on the dance floor. Synth Nick’s tastes are a little mellower, he loves Billie Holiday and Chet Baker. He doesn’t go out to dance anymore, with no partner to dance with, but you might catch him practicing on his own to the radio if you barge into the agency late at night, his motions slow, smooth, and elegant. He’d be a little embarrassed if you saw.

- Prewar Nick was a huge workaholic and a budding alcoholic. The drinking got much worse after he lost Jenny. Synth Nick can’t get drunk, although he wishes he could sometimes. He is still very much a workaholic. He’s got twice as many hours to fill each day without the need to sleep, so he spends a lot of them working. He’s gotten better at taking breaks since Ellie joined the agency, though. She takes some of the more tedious work off his shoulders and reminds him to step away for a bit.

- Prewar Nick liked to gamble. Mostly pool and card games at bars. Jenny made him promise to stop after he lost very badly one night and they had to borrow money for rent. Synth Nick hasn’t picked the habit back up. He doesn’t have that many caps to spare, and not many people in Diamond City would play a game of cards with a synth, anyways.

- Prewar Nick was very picky about his cigarettes. Had a niche preferred brand. Synth Nick can’t afford to be so picky, people don’t manufacture cigarettes anymore, so he’ll take what he can scavenge, usually just the basic Gray Tortoise brand. They don’t do anything for him on a chemical level, but he finds comfort in the ritual of smoking. The brand doesn’t seem so important to him now. But if you managed to scrounge up his old favorite somewhere as a gift, he’d probably be over the moon.

- Prewar Nick didn’t like Boston at first. Moving there from Chicago, he felt that the city was smaller, less lively, with worse food, and the streets were harder to navigate without the grid system. The longer he lived there with Jenny, the more it started to grow on him. He could envision raising a child in Boston, going to all the parks as a family, and he started to have a list of favorite pubs and delis to visit. Boston was ruined for him after he lost Jenny. Everything was ruined for him, really. Synth Nick has lived in Boston long enough to know its virtues and its flaws, changed as they are in a post-war world. He likes the charm of the old brick buildings in the North End, the boats in the harbor, the Esplanade with its view of the Charles, and the old-fashioned vibes of the Fenway area. He even likes the lazy Boston accent, although only a few people still have it. But he also sees the long history of prejudice and elitism that’s always been a part of Boston throughout history and the disturbing ways it continues on postwar. He’ll never leave, it’s where he’s made his home, but it’s certainly not paradise either.

Hope you enjoyed, feel free to send more asks! I’m having lots of fun with these hcs :)

[annabellewynter]

Hi! I'm new to Writerblr and excited to be here.

The name I go by is Annabelle Wynter.

I am a married female in my 40s.

I have two kiddos that keep me busy and an adorable pup named Beast that loves to snuggle. Here's my buddy.

I love to read every genre! There really isn't one I don't like, it mostly just depends on my mood.

Some of my favorite books are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Stephanie Plum novels, Court of Thorns and Roses, Bridgerton Series, Grapes of Wrath, I'm seriously all over the place.

I am the same way with television and love Schitts Creek, true crime documentaries, Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, and cheesy reality TV.

My daughters are really into WWE and I love Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch.

I also write in several genres and currently have two WIP.

The first is a novel that's in its second draft. I'm working on additional changes and will be sharing them on this platform as well as Wattpad. It's a romantic mystery called Surving Karma.

The second WIP is a Regency Romance called Wild Lavender. I have posted the first chapter on here and Wattpad. Summaries are below the cut.

I would LOVE to read some of my fellow writerblrs, so please Tag me to check out your work.

My DMs are open and I love making friends.

Happy writing/reading!

Karma, the universe's funny little way of keeping a tally on each of us and making sure that before the end, it all evens out.

I believe in Karma. And that is why I have spent the past five years working my ass off to try to add some good juju to my scorecard. The first twenty-something years? Well, let's be honest, I have some serious marks against me; and that's just what I can remember!

My name is Collins Alexander, and I'm a recovering alcoholic.

Five years ago, I hit my bottom in a serendipitous fall from grace that landed me a month in rehab, an end to my law career and an eviction from my high rise apartment in the Chicago loop.

Now I'm trying to offset my negative balance with Karma by devoting my life to helping other addicts in a state run rehab. And things were going pretty well too, until the handsome District Attorney, Keaton Donnelly showed up with a picture of my former defendant, missing a few appendages and news that I was next.

And if that wasn't bad enough, they assigned an undercover agent to assist. His name is Derek Nowak and he's got intel on the Chicago gang scene and a smile known for dropping panties all over the Midwest. This is doing nothing to help my mind stay focused on keeping all my appendages intact.

So here I am, in my black bootie Louboutins, a final remnant of my prior life, holding a steaming cup of black coffee and running like hell.

Cause Karma is nasty bitch, and she's coming to settle a score.

Summary: Everett Greenwood never expected to be the Duke of Rorchester, that was a job for his older brother. But when sudden tragedy strikes, he finds himself thrust into a life he never wanted. Then he sees Melina delivering honey to the grand hall. The girl who lives in a shack in the woods becomes the only love his heart has ever known, but can society accept the simple woman as his choice? And will secrets from her past destroy their chance at love? Find out in Wild Lavender.

[bearfoottruck]

FANFIC UPDATE 5-3-2024:

I don't have much other than an update for Gonna Kiss You On the Boulevard (Fanfiction, AO3). However, speaking of My Hero Academia fics, I thought I'd mention all the ones I've written thus far.

MULTI-CHAPTER FICS:

My Hero Cannonball (Fanfiction, AO3): When the Japanese government threatens to pull funding for UA, Deku gets an idea during a foreign film festival at Todoroki's house: enter the Cannonball Run - America's craziest, most dangerous coast-to-coast road race - not only as a form of protest, but to win enough prize money to keep UA afloat. Rated T for automotive and superhero violence, some language and suggestive content. Takes place between Seasons 2 and 3.

My Special Affair (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki is an NYPD detective working for the Supernatural Crimes Unit as its only member. His job is to hunt vampires, werewolves, zombies and other supernatural nasties that threaten the Big Apple. One day, he gets a report of an especially aggressive vampire known only as the "Binge Drinker", but has no clue who it is. Then, one night, he is attacked by a vampire, only for a young woman to save his life. However, could there be more to her? Rated M for strong language, graphic violence and explicit sexual content. Also contains male-on-female violence. Fem!Izuku Fem!Deku

Todoroki and His Women (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki retires from Endeavor's agency to start his own. However, he gets an unexpected surprise when all of his applicants turn out to be women. Together, they'll laugh and cry as they do their best to clean up the streets of Los Angeles. Rated T for violence, language, situations of intense peril, general sexism and alcohol references. Fem!Izuku Fem!Deku.

Todoroki's Laughing Problem (Fanfiction, AO3): During the UA Christmas Party, Eri's lack of common holiday knowledge causes Todoroki to burst out laughing, and now he can't contain himself, much to the chagrin of his fellow students. Rated T for Kacchan swearing, some violence and some suggestive content. Takes place during Season 5, with references to World Heroes' Mission.

Nitro and Acid (Fanfiction, AO3): For years, Kacchan has blasted his way through the streets of Chicago, not particularly caring about anyone or anything except kicking villains' asses and earning a sweet paycheck while doing it. Then, one day, he meets Ashido while grocery shopping, and she becomes infatuated with him. Ostensibly, he wants nothing to do with her, but deep down inside, he's gone crazy for her. Can he put aside his foul attitude and learn to love? Rated M for strong language, violence, sexual content and a brief mention of "rape".

Russian Winter, Broken Hearts (Fanfiction, but will be on AO3 eventually): Sidequel to Gonna Kiss You On the Boulevard Chapter 22, "Super Bomb". After Deku, Todoroki and Tsu's mission to recover the Poseidon under Selkie's command, Russia delivers Japan an ultimatum: either return the bomb or risk war. In the meantime, UA gets a visit from students hailing from a Serbian hero school. Little does anyone know, they'll be in for a fight of international proportions. Rated T for war violence, language and suggestive content. Contains resources to help Ukraine. Fem!Todoroki

Hero Enforcement Regiment (Fanfiction, AO3): Izuko Midoriya serves as "Deko", the Symbol of Peace, but one day, she finds rumors of heroes abusing their powers for personal gain. She doesn't want to believe it, but then one night, another hero attempts to rape her. She fights him off, but is absolutely shattered by the experience, so much so that she founds her own hero agency to combat corrupt heroes. Rated T for violence, language, attempted rape and some suggestive content. Loosely inspired by The Boys. Fem!Izuku Fem!Deku

The Four Horsemen (Fanfiction, AO3): Crossover with Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Adrien, Marinette, and a few other students visit UA High. However, two issues arise: 1. One of the students is secretly a traitor, and 2. Two of the students are cheating on each other with students from UA. Rated T for violence, brief strong language and suggestive content. Fem!Izuku Fem!Deku

ONE-SHOTS:

An Unexpected Check-In (Fanfiction, AO3): After Tsu's breakdown in front of Class 1-A, Deku checks on her the day after to make sure she's okay. Takes place during Season 3.

Thank You For Your Cheerfulness (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki tells Ashido the thing he admires about her the most.

Giving Deku a Hand (Fanfiction, AO3): Fem!Todoroki explores Deku's anatomy. Rated M for sexual content.

Todoroki Gets It On (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki and Fem!Deku make sweet love. Rated M for sexual content.

Deku Saves Father's Day (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki is having a horrible time on Father's Day, but Deku helps him out. Rated T for brief strong language.

Todoroki Is On Fanfiction Friday Fire (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki has been uploading a lot of fanfiction lately, and Ashido takes positive notice.

You Don't Have to Be Angry Anymore (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki is having a horrible time, and Fem!Deku does her best to cheer him up. Rated T for brief strong language.

Half-Cold, Half-Hot, All-Loving (Fanfiction exclusive): A short poem about TodoDeku.

Caring In Pink (Fanfiction, AO3): Ashido checks up on Kacchan. Rated T for Kacchan being Kacchan.

If You Need Passion, It's Close At Hand (Fanfiction, AO3): Fem!Todoroki is having a lonely time, but Deku soothes her. Rated M for sexual content.

TodoDeku Hug (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki and Fem!Deku give each other a hug.

BakuMina Hug (Fanfiction, AO3): Kacchan and Ashido give each other a hug.

KamiJiro Hug: (Fanfiction, AO3): Kaminari and Jiro give each other a hug.

It's-a Me, Midoriya (Fanfiction, AO3): Deku and Class 1-a celebrate Mario Day. Rated T for Kacchan's mouth. Fem!Kacchan Fem!Todoroki

Trying New Fandoms (Fanfiction, AO3): Todoroki writes a fanfic for a fandom he never wrote for before, much to Ashido's joy.

Todoroki's Fanfic Mistake (Fanfiction, AO3): Ashido gets upset because of a fic that Todoroki wrote.

A Special Morning After (Fanfiction exclusive): The morning after Todoroki and Fem!Deku make sweet love, they have pancakes. Rated T for suggestive content.

A Heroes' Lunch (Fanfiction, AO3): Crossover between Sonic the Hedgehog and MHA. The Sonic and MHA casts celebrate National Chicken Wing Day together.

A Letter From a New Friend (Fanfiction, AO3): Sequel to The Four Horsemen. Todoroki gets a letter from Adrien.

Welcome and Comfort (AO3 exclusive): Fem!Deku helps a new student who's feeling lonely.

[briebarlow]

starter for: @elioluna location: just outside of inferno

As much as Brie enjoyed a crowd, these days she found herself needing to step outside for a bit of air more often than she cared to admit. She knew she needed to give up smoking -- It was a nasty habit she'd picked up in private school, and couldn't quite kick as an adult. The blonde found that the cool Chicago air was complemented by the smell of cigarette smoke. Plus, it gave her a moment to herself. What she hadn't expected as she stepped outside, was to find Elio already out there with a cigarette of his own. Eyes narrow as she gets a better look at him, lighting the cigarette between her teeth before she speaks. He'd gone on smoke breaks with her before, but she knew he only actually picked up a cigarette if he was stressed. "You look like shit." She comments simply, taking a deep inhale of her cigarette, arms crossed over her chest. Briefly, she wished she'd worn something with a bit more coverage -- At least the cigarette and alcohol will keep her warm. "What are you doing out here?"

[banyanchicago]

"Discover Movies About Addiction Recovery in Chicago: A List of Resources for Finding Support"

Movies can be an enlightening and captivating way for individuals to explore the issues of addiction and recovery. Movies can also be cathartic, allowing for those in recovery to find reflection and motivation. Movies often take on a generality to draw in a wide audience but can also provide unique stories that allow for people to bond over shared experiences. Here are some prominent movies centered around addiction and recovery that take flight in the “Windy City” of Chicago. The Break-Up - Prominently starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, this 2006 romantic comedy is actually set in Chicago and the two main characters’ unfold after their nasty break-up. The film follows both of them through the fallout of battling addictions and the struggles of reaching sobriety. The film paints a picture of how alcohol can not only begin to tear relationships apart, but also how it can threaten your career and your personal wellbeing without recovery. Love The Beast - A 2009 documentary following actor Eric Bana as he navigates the Chicago racing scene and struggles with his journey of recovery from alcohol abuse. Bana’s documentary explores his racing career and passion for cars but also his mission for sobriety. Girls Trip - Featuring Chicago as the backdrop, this 2017 film follows a group of female friends as they set out on a wild and crazy “girls trip”. One of the characters in the film is struggling with her alcohol addiction throughout, yet ultimately chooses to start her road to recovery and create a better life. Movies provide an interesting way to view what addiction looks like and the path to repair it. Seeing the struggles and successes in film for characters with addictions can provide hope to those in recovery. Seeking the help of drug rehabilitation and visiting addiction treatment centers can provide individuals the help needed to turn behavior and life around.

[enginire]

name: melanie cavill nicknames/aliases: mel, mr wiIford. age: late 40s, early 50s (verse dependent). occupation: lead engineer of snowpiercer. voice of the train. (former) head of hospitality. mr wiIford's right-hand woman. education: mechanical engineering at MIT, then a masters in mechanical engineering at yale. languages spoken: english, cantonese, spanish, french. height: 5'5" appearance: slender, wiry. citizenship: second class. positive traits: methodical, meticulous, clever, observant. negative traits: conniving, manipulative, stubborn, secretive, withholding.

coming from a dirt farm in pennsylvania, mel went to MIT to study engineering. she designed the engine aboard snowpiercer.

her main role in season one is to preserve life and preserve order on board the snowpiercer. after seven years of being plunged into an arctic apocalypse, with temperatures outside never raising above -120 degrees celsius, snowpiercer was a new, survivalist hope for life in a hard world. the premise is simple: perpetual motion of the engine produces enough energy to sustain life for the last surviving humans on earth. the train runs around the track constantly, never stopping. if the train stops, there is approximately 10 to 12 minutes until all inhabitants will freeze to death.

she acts as the voice of the train, manning the PA system to inform passengers about the time, outside temperature, and any emergency broadcasts required.

joseph wiIford is a business tycoon. he makes luxury trains, and when rumours about global warming come to light leading to a nuclear winter, meI and wiIford begin building the eternal engine.

during the freeze, mel decided that, under wiIford's control, and his incessant indulgences (such as prioritising billionaires over scientists, murdering meI's handpicked selection of geneticists due to space and resource issues, and having a brothel, parties, alcohol, drugs, etc on the train) there would be no hope for survival. she makes the decision that, while wiIford is off the train, and while her own parents and 8 year old daughter are still not on the train, that they have to leave, in order to avoid his grasp. he is controlling, abusive, and generally nasty, but is overall heralded as the saviour of mankind. she makes this difficult decision to depart from chicago without him, and without alex, and her parents too.

she maintained that he was still alive, and working 21 hours every day in the engine to keep the train going. this accounts for his absence. she is the only one who can speak to him, although the other engineers, javi and bennett, are both aware that he doesn't exist any longer.

mr wiIford became a myth, more than anything, and something meI can use to control the train. she was able to cut pre-recorded speeches together and broadcast these when the passengers required morale boosts, and often pretended to be on the phone to him to prove his survival.

when a serial killer starts mutilating male passengers in third class by chopping off their limbs and their genitals, she brings out a "tailie", andre Iayton, who resides as a stowaway in the tail of the train, as he used to be a homicide detective prior to the freeze. in exchange for him uncovering the murderer, she offers Iayton third class citizenship, to which he replies that he wants rations for the tail and reproductive rights.

when the killer is finally uncovered as a first class passenger, IiIah foIger junior (LJ), the time Iayton has spent with meI has led him to one conclusion: wiIford is not on board the train. to contain the situation and stop this spreading, as it would cause disorder all down the train, meI drugged Iayton and put him into one of the drawers in second class, where criminals and experiments are suspended in sleep indefinitely using a medical derivative of kronole, an illicit drug.

josie, a fellow tailie, undertakes sanitation duties to get up the train and look for Iayton. with help from brakeman tiII, she discovers Iayton in one of the drawers, all while the tribunal for the killer is taking place. meI fakes correspondence from wiIford, excusing the killer, because Iayton has told the killer about the true identity of mr wiIford, who then tells meI that she knows her dirty little secret. the killer walks free, much to the outrage of third class.

Iayton is confused and aggressive following the reanimation process, and steals a security chip from josie to go find meI with the intentions of killing her, understanding that this may be the only opportunity he has because meI doesn't know he's awake.

at this point, the train is in grave danger of being derailed due to a hydraulic system malfunction, leading to train-wide instability. Iayton comes at her with a knife, where she explains that the drawers are a last ditch attempt to save humanity, and aren't yet functional for this purpose. she begs him to let her go so she can save the train, and when he does, she dons a snow suit and dangles out from the bottom of the train to reattach the hydraulic system to the undercarriage.

meI starts a search party for Iayton, paying a visit to his ex, zarah, in the nightcar. zarah has recently fallen pregnant, and meI threatens the life of her child, stating that reproduction is a privilege, not a right, and zarah tells her that josie helped Iayton escape the drawers and will know where he is.

meI confronts josie, arresting her and placing her in detainment. she tortures her with a hose that spews frozen air from the outside, freezing her little finger and smashing it with a hammer when she doesn't give up Iayton. meI excuses herself and vomits in the nearest bathroom. all while this is happening, first class have been made aware that wiIford doesn't exist, as LJ is released into her parents' custody back in first class. she tells them that meI is mr wiIford.

first class passengers want to overthrow meI, because she changed the rules of the tribunal to include a representative from third class, and the killer was found unanimously guilty on all counts. they believe that meI has too much power, and consider her a traitor after finding out that wiIford isn't on the train.

while meI is out of the room, brakeman tiII checks on josie and finds her tortured. josie asks her to freeze her entire hand, and tiII complies, deciding to side with the tail, abandoning her post as brakeman.

meI reenters the room and josie smashes the rest of her hand out from the cuffs, uses the hose to choke meI and the two fight until meI gets the upper hand, yanking the hose out from the pipe in the wall, and leaving the room with it. this forces the room to become immensely cold within seconds, and josie is put out for compost due to frostbite.

meI is confronted by the first class passengers for being a traitor to wiIford, and while this is happening, the tailies, led by Iayton, begin a civil war along with third class, against first and second class. Iayton wants a democracy and, along with help from most of the brakemen, they launch a battle that comes to a head in the night car. both sides suffer monumental losses.

meI is detained for her deception, branded a murderer, and a traitor, and is set to be executed by the 'lung of ice' method. a mask is applied to the face, and a hose connecting an outside air source is pumped into it. the lungs freeze and the detainee dies of frostbitten lung. she is hooked up to the mask, and just before it starts, the jackboot soldier administering it is revealed to be javi, who helps her, along with bennett, and jinju, securing an escape route into the vents of the train.

meI reemerges in the tail of the train in an effort to talk to Iayton. she explains that they know in first class, and if the first class gain control of the train, they will run it into the ground. they agree that their biggest opposing forces are the jackboots and members of the first class, so meI suggests uncoupling the train at a fork in the track from the engine room, where javi and miles are, and from the manual uncoupler at the front of the carriage where she has security access. then, by slowing down the engine, the end of the train can be reattached manually using the same technique. the first class passengers, along with the jackboots, will lose power and have no resources, and will freeze to death.

Iayton agrees to the plan, and offers a surrender in order to get the jackboots and the firsties in one carriage together. meI uncouples the carriage from her end, giving Iayton 3 minutes to uncouple it from his end. this puts Iayton in a particularly difficult position as he realises there are tailies being kept captive (which meI knew about) in that carriage. running out of time, he uncouples the train at the last second. meI tells him that to be a leader, you have to make difficult decisions, and this is an example of one of them.

meI relinquishes power over snowpiercer, stepping down as head of hospitality and focuses her work on being an engineer. ben hears music from outside, and they slow down to see that it is the prototype train, big alice, which acts as a supply train. it can only mean one thing: wiIford is alive and wants his train back.

meI works desperately to speed the train up so they can outrun big alice and remain out of wiIford's control, but ben wants to couple the trains because, due to the recent civil war, snowpiercer needs all the resources they can get. meI dons her snow suit and climbs on the roof of the train, attempting to uncouple the two trains when wiIford catches up to them and couples them. he then slams on the brakes, causing her to fall off the train, and big alice acts as an anchor to bring snowpiercer to a complete stop. they have approximately 10 minutes until they freeze to death. wiIford sends a representative out with a shopping list of demands (eggs, hens, books, morphine) to see how many resources snowpiercer has.

meI, experiencing frostbite as a result in a breach of her suit, thinks she is hallucinating that it's snowing, which shouldn't be possible in -120 degrees. she eventually comes to long enough to get onto the train, but she boards big alice instead of snowpiercer.

the trains begin moving again together.

END OF SEASON 1/start of s2. further season 2 to be added.

[365days365movies]

31 (Films to Life): The Godfather (1972) - Review: Part I

Oh...Oh, shit. We’re here? We’re FINALLY HERE?

This is it. This is one of the greatest movies ever made (allegedly), and the highest profile movie I’ve never seen...up until this point. One of the most referenced, legendary films ever made, and only now do I get around to watching it. But hey, it’s here! So where the hell do I even start with...

Well, let’s start at the beginning: the Mafia. Which is a hell of a place to start, since the history of the Mafia is long and complicated, even for me. But to summarize, the Mafia, or “La Cosa Nostra” as the government calls it, is a fleet of organized crime families originating in Sicily, at least back to the 1800s. Considered public enemy number one for the better part of a century, they expanded to the United States with immigration and began the American Mafia. And while it would spread across the country, it really started in a place near and dear to my heart.

Manhattan and Brooklyn soon became big areas for the Mafia, and they quickly spread to Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tampa, Seattle...just EVERYWHERE. They became involved in...well, most things, really. Guns, alcohol, gambling, tax fraud, extortion...you name it, they did it, and probably killed for it in many cases. The 1920s onward was a bad time to make an enemy of the mob. And while I could take the time to talk about Al Capone, or the various las Vegas and Hollywood scandals, or the alleged involvement with the robbery of the Isabelle Gardner Museum in Boston...we have another city to talk about here.

In New York City, the Five Families soon rose to prominence: the Gambino, Luchese, Bonnano, Colombo, and Genovese families. Formed after a nasty gang war in the city in 1931, this council of capos basically ruled the city, and any smaller families that fit beneath their purview. To this day (and I mean to this day), the families hold a lot of power amongst organized crime families in the city. And as competitors for the same resource do in a given environment, there’s some niche partitioning here, mostly spatially. Different families ran (and run) different neighborhoods, and worked together when necessary. A clean system for a filthy business.

Now that said, there is a LOT to this history I’m not going into, and far more I straight-up don’t know. Check out the Netflix documentary Fear City: New York vs. the Mafia if you want a little more information, or the other documentary This is a Robbery if you’re even more curious. But suffice to say, the Mafia was an open secret in NYC at the time. And even more than that, it was an inspirational force for many creators, if not a terrifying one. Enter Mario Puzo.

In 1969, while the Mafia was still strong and thriving, Puzo is an author born and raised in the city. He’s also a risk-taker, with his primary risk in this case being writing a very publicized story about the Mafia in New York. Although the family at the focus, the Corleones, was a fictional family set within a fictional Mafia structure, that didn’t make writing about the families safe in any way. It also made some not-too-subtle references to the real-life mob and allied people. And it was a smash hit.

Yeah, people loved it, and Puzo was in the money! Granted, not everybody was a huge fan. Johnny Fontane, pictured above, was meant to be real-life crooner Frank Sinatra, whom everyone suspected of having mob ties. Sinatra was understandably not pleased about this, and almost sued Puzo and Paramount, once he heard that a film was going to be made off the book. That also applied to members of the Mafia itself, who were OK with the book, but not overall happy about the movie. And speaking of...

The movie brought on new young director Francis Ford Coppola, who wasn’t a massive fan of the book, but still wanted in anyway. The production was initially plagued with harassment from associates of the Mafia, as well as those afraid of messing too much with the organization. However, with some negotiations with a few “representatives”, problems seemed to magically disappear. Movie’s on as scheduled! The movie debuts in 1972 (after members of the Mafia get a private screening, allegedly), and the first shot comes up to interested audiences...

And the rest...well, the rest is history, as they say.

The Godfather was a MASSIVE success. The in-depth story about a Mafioso and his family over the course of 10 years was popular with critics, popular with audiences, and REALLY popular with the mob itself! To this day, certain aphorisms and behaviors in the Mafia can apparently be traced directly to this movie. Which isn’t surprising, since this film literally affected EVERYBODY. It’s one of the most referenced films in all of media, and we almost all know at least something of this movie, be we boomer, Gen X, millennial (that’s me), or Gen Z. It’s an American classic, and often called one of the greatest films of all time.

So let’s see if it lives up to the hype. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Plot - Part I (by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola)

It’s 1945. A man is telling the story of his daughter’s brutal rape, as well as the lack of justice meted out to her rapists. To get true justice, he goes to mob boss Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), on the day of his daughter’s wedding. The Don protests, as he came to him with little to no true respect. Only when the man capitulates, does the Don agree to the man’s requests. Jesus CHRIST, this cold open, holy shit.

But hey, lighten up, it’s a wedding! The congregants dance merrily, and my fiancée remarks that her Italian great-grandmother wore the same pink dress during her mom’s wedding. We get introduced to a number of Corleone’s associates, but I won’t get into them all here. Meanwhile, Vito continues to deal with visitors.  Since no Sicilian can refuse a request on his daughter’s wedding day, a bunch of people keep asking things of him.

One of these visitors is the mumble-mouthed Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana), an old associate of the family, and a very large man who “does things for [Vito] sometimes”, according to another visitor. That other visitor is Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), son of Vito and sister of the bride. Having returned from service, he’s brought his new girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) as a plus one.

Another brother visiting the wedding is Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino), famous singer and godson to Vito. Apparently, he owes Vito quite a lot, as he got him out of a contract years ago by threatening the contract holder with the help of Luca Brasi, who I assume is an enforcer for Vito. Michael tells this story to Kay, but insists that his father’s barbarous family business has nothing to do with him.

Fontane’s here for another favor from Vito, as he wants a part in a movie to repair his ailing career. He starts to cry, Vito shouts some iconic toxic masculinity, and then says that line. You know, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Yeah, the most iconic line of the film. He sends along adopted son and lawyer Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) to enact that favor for him the following day, then FINALLY goes to his daughter’s wedding. Poor dude.

Indeed, Hagen goes to Hollywood and speaks with film producer Jack Woltz (John Marley), who spits an impressive litany of racist phrases before learning that Hagen works for Corleone. Woltz calms down a bit and invites Hagen over for dinner, and to see his prized...horses. Oh. Oh, shit.

Yeah, this is the problem with watching an extremely iconic and acclaimed film from 52 years ago: you know all the references. The Godfather is one of those movies that’s sort of permeated media almost universally, so...yeah, I get it, I know exactly what’s about to happen here. 

See, despite Woltz understanding the power that Hagen represents, he still refuses to give Fontane the part. Why? Because he hates Fontane for stealing away a woman from his production company (and possibly from his bed). So, yeah, he says no. And how does Corleone respond to this refusal? He makes him an offer he can’t refuse...and creates the second of this film’s famous sequences (with the cold open being the first scene).

Damn, that poor horse.

Fast forward to Christmastime! Next matter of business: dealing with Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), a rival and heroin dealer backed by a rival crime family. Hagen advises that it’s time for the Corleone family to get into a new business: drugs. And so, Vito meets with Sollozzo, who offers $1 million to get into the business. But Vito refuses the offer, and instead goes to speak with Luca, asking him to speak with the rival family to find out what he can about Sollozzo. And Brasi attempts to do exactly that...only to be brutally murdered by the Sollozzo and the Tartaglias. FUCK.

Things now immediately escalate. Hagen is kidnapped, and what’s worse, Vito Corleone is shot multiple times in the street WAIT WAIT WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED HOLY SHIT

Um. Jesus. That escalated impossibly quick. The family is alerted, and it’s unknown whether or not Vito survived. Meanwhile, Sollozzo calls Vito’s son, Sonny (James Caan), and tells him that they’ve got Hagen. This whole thing is because Vito refused the deal, and Sollozzo thinks that the right move is to ask Sonny to make the right choice...after she had his father shot. Yeah, uh, Sollozzo, that’s an incredibly stupid plan, because they’re gonna fucking MURDER you SO HARD.

It’s even worse for him, since it’s revealed that Vito actually survived FIVE SHOTS TO THE BACK. Sollozzo really needs Hagen to make that deal for him, and he manages to convince Hagen to get Sonny to make the deal. As the sons (save Fredo) try to decide what to do in the case of Vito’s death, they get a delivery of fish. Which means, apparently, that Luca Brasi’s dead.

The next day, Vito’s captain Clemenza (Richard Castellano) takes out a bodyguard that was meant to guard Vito, as they suspect him of being a traitor to the don. And I recognize yet another famous scene, in which a hitman kills the bodyguard, then tells him to “take the gun and leave the cannoli.” Again, classic.

Mike, who is initially not supposed to be involved in his father’s business, goes to visit him in the hospital as he heals. But there are no guards or cops present, as there should be. Suspecting an attempt on his father’s life, Mike gets a nurse to hide him, JUST as a “visitor” comes to deliver flowers to him. Looks like the visitor is actually legit, though, as it’s the COPS who were paid off by Sollozzo. Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden) comes, planning to arrest Michael for interfering. Hagen intervenes just before then, likely saving both Michael AND Vito.

The next day, Sonny’s out for blood. He’s gunning for the Five Families, now, having taken out one of the Tattaglias that killed Luca Brasi. With this whole affair, Mike is now interested in being a part of taking out the dirty cop and Sollozzo in one shot. They’ve expressed interest in meeting him, and he decides to take the opportunity to kill both men at a dinner. While Sonny and Hagen doubt he can do it, Clemenza makes sure he’s ready. Mike’s getting indoctrinated into the family.

The meeting is set up, and Sonny, Hagen, Clemenza, Mike, and caporegime Tessio (Abe Vigoda) plot to meet at a dinner that night. They pick him up, and manage to shake any tails from Corleone’s men, but still head to the agreed upon restaurant. The two talk in Italian, while the police captain eats his veal. I’d give you the translation, but I love the fact that the film doesn’t; I had to look it up out of curiosity. But it doesn’t matter for long. Michael gets a gun from the bathroom, and he kills them both. Looks like he’s part of the gang now. And with that...a gang war begins.

Back to the old formula! See you in Part II!

[mojsvijet]

Netflix’s ‘Tiny Pretty Things’: AKA, How Not to Adapt a YA Duology

I was going to write this after I finished the series, but 4,25 episodes in, I got too mad about things. There is so much that went wrong with this adaptation, and I’m pissed. This is a rant about how Netflix fucked up one of my favourite books of all time.

Spoilers abound, reader beware.

Background: Tiny Pretty Things/Shiny Broken Pieces was originally a YA book duology written by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton about a (fictional) elite ballet academy in New York City. There are three main POVs in the books: Bette, your stereotypically blonde ballerina who’s got a pill addiction; June, a half-Korean, half-white dancer struggling with an eating disorder; and Giselle (Gigi), the new girl who happens to be black in an art that is still very, very lacking in the diversity department. Competition can turn downright cruel sometimes, and it happens a lot in the books. I first read the duology in fall of 2019 and was immediately drawn to it (hello, ex-ballerina here). I’ve probably read it about five times, and so when I heard that it was going to be a Netflix show when watching a documentary about Debbie Allen’s dance school a couple of weeks ago, I got excited--what could go wrong?

Oh, dear me.

What They Changed and Why It Matters

The Setting: Instead of New York City, the Netflix adaptation is set in Chicago. I’m not entirely sure why they did this--was it because it would be less expensive to film in Chicago? Anyways, the setting was an integral part of the books and to change it to Chicago doesn’t really make sense.

Gigi’s Name and Backstory: She’s now ‘Neveah’ and her mother is incarcerated; she also has a brother who is in a wheelchair. No sign of the heart condition that was potentially life-threatening. In the books, her name is very significant, as she was named after the ballet Giselle--a ballet that is eventually performed at the end of the first book. Because she rises to the top after coming to the ABA, a lot of nasty shit happens to her: glass in her shoes, her EKG getting stolen, cockroaches… She also gets into a relationship with Bette’s forever boyfriend, Alec, who seems to have been renamed Oren in the Netflix series and it doesn’t happen. 

June’s Backstory: Her entire backstory got changed, which is a shame because out of the three main POVs, June was my favourite in the books. June’s mother used to be a dancer but left the dance world after she got pregnant, eventually beginning her own business and is very successful on her own. Thing is, June’s father was a dancer as well, and is now one of the big shots at the academy. Before she was born, her parents signed an agreement: so long as her mother said nothing about who her baby’s father was, she would inherit the contents of a trust fund set up for her when she turned eighteen. It’s never actually said how the relationship ended, but June sees it as her father ‘abandoning’ her mother. Because her father was white, she doesn’t speak Korean, and she doesn’t look ‘white enough’ or ‘Asian enough’, she’s constantly mocked by the (fully) Korean dancers at the school, including her ex-best friend, Sei-Jin. Why did they fall out? Sei-Jin kissed her and then spread rumours that June was the lesbian. Another main part of her story that was cut out is her anorexia/bulimia.

Bette’s Crazy Mother: Rather than being respected and a member of the board, Bette’s mother in the books is a raging alcoholic after her divorce and takes it out on her younger daughter. The older one, of course, can do no wrong. She’s essentially a joke to the ballet world, one who attempts to make problems go away with a fat check.

All the Male Characters’ Names: Alec is now Oren, Henri is now Nabil, Will is now Shane, and Mr. Lucas (aka June’s dad) doesn’t seem to exist.

Cassie: Rather than being drugged and dropped on purpose during a pas exercise and having to go to rehab, she’s now fallen (or been pushed) off of a roof and is in a coma. Fun times.

Why So Many Sex Scenes…

When I saw ass in the first episode, I knew it wasn’t a good sign. There’s maybe one or two sex scenes in the entire duology, and even then, they were very mild. There was no need for a sex scene every episode like there is in the Netflix adaptation. Who greenlit that?

How Can They Fix It?

Pull the entire thing and do a faithful adaptation.

[sweetdejun]

someday // l.t.y.

summary: several years after high school, when you and your peers have all established careers, you get invited to your graduating class reunion.

pairing: lee taeyong x gn!reader

word count: 2.4k

genre: exes!au, angst, some closure.

a/n: mentions of alcohol, UNEDITED

You knew this day would come, but not this soon.

It feels like it came fast when in reality it’s been almost seven years since you graduated from high school. It took a handful of odd jobs after receiving your bachelor’s degree, but you were able to land a position as an accountant. With your hard work, you’ve slowly climbed up the ladder to where you now serve as the finance director of the firm you work for. Your salary is handsome, as per your standards, and you were recently able to afford a nice apartment. It was only after your move that you visited your parents on the other side of the city where they handed you the envelope in your hands. It was an invitation to your high school reunion.

That's how, fast forward a week later, you found yourself standing in front of your old high school gymnasium. You see people walking towards the entrance and feel stupid because most of them seem to be going with another person, maybe a friend they would keep in touch with or a significant other. Maybe you should have coaxed one of your co-workers and bribed them with drinks or something afterward. Too late now, you thought, as you sighed and made your way to the entrance. Upon arrival, the first thing you notice is the reasonably large group of people scattered throughout the room. It’s dark and the only light sources are the few disco ball lamps projecting multicolored circles throughout the perimeter of the room. You squint to try to make out people when seconds later, your thoughts are interrupted by a shrill, “Y/N!” You turn your head towards the sound and find an adult Jisoo approaching you. Jisoo was one of your closest friends you kept in touch with for a while but lost contact with a couple of years into college. “Jisoo, is that you? Oh my god, it’s been ages! How are you?” you hugged her, and she began to share how shortly after graduating college, she applied for a job as a photographer at a fashion agency, but she ended up landing a job as a model. Long story short, Jisoo was now a thriving model. “I’m so happy for you!” you gush with sincerity and she gets shy, combing her fingers through her hair. She tells you that she may have just landed her big break, about to fill you in on details when an oh-so-familiar voice cuts her off. “Hey guys,” you turn around and your eyes meet Lee Taeyong.

Taeyong and Y/N: the “dream team” as they used to call you back in high school. You shared a long and valuable relationship with him, dating almost throughout all of high school. That's why when people heard that you split up, they were more shocked than they would have liked to admit. it was a rather nasty breakup that was not mutual at first; he had gotten into his dream university located across the country while you chose to stay in your home city for college. You didn't want to stop him from achieving his dreams of becoming a pediatric dietitian; you would have hated yourself for acting that selfish. Therefore, you thought things could work via long-distance and they did for a while, but the harsh realities like not being able to hold each other in your hard times set in faster than you wanted to admit. Your schedules were becoming increasingly incompatible, and it became difficult for either one of you to grasp onto the relationship. You both watched as it slowly slipped away from your hands. Taeyong was the one to pull the trigger, and with heavy hearts, the two of you officially parted ways.

You have not contacted each other since then. Now, the two of you stand face to face, and you see an emotion in his eyes that you don’t recognize. Perhaps it’s because you successfully managed to forget the negative memories from all the ones you still have of him. Or maybe you just forgot how to read him. “Uh, Y/N, I wasn’t expecting you to show up,” he awkwardly rubs his hands together as he slowly shifts his gaze around the room. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to come, but I decided to come just for the fun of it. Bit of a last-minute decision, actually.” Jisoo could sense the tension in the air and playfully scoffed, “really? Y/N, I thought you weren’t the type of person to make last-minute decisions. You used to grill me for doing that all the time.” You notice the surprise looming on Taeyong's face; he must’ve been taken aback by your statement too. You turn away from his careful gaze before coldly replying, “people change over time, I guess.”

After Jisoo finds someone else to catch up with, you quickly excuse yourself to the bar to grab a glass of punch because there is no way in hell that you want to be left alone with Taeyong right now. The walk over to the bar is a little difficult, mainly due to the lack of light, but you manage to make it without bumping into anyone else. as you pour your punch in a cup, someone clears their throat in front of you. “Johnny Suh!” you gasp, a smile forming on your face. Johnny and you used to be neighbors in high school but right after graduation, he and his family moved to Chicago. You were very sad at the departure of one of your only friends, so you were beyond thrilled to see him again. You shuffle around the table to give him a hug that he gladly reciprocated. “I thought I saw you walk in. how are you, Y/N?”

“I’ve been well. Busy, but well. When did you get back?” He tells you that he recently got a job at an accounting firm, right here in the city. When you ask him where he says the name of your firm. “No way! I work there, too!” Johnny lights up at this, you talk about the work-life, how the people are, and share your experiences.

You fail to notice that across the room, a pair of eyes have been following you ever since you left them alone a few moments ago. Taeyong watches, with a pained gaze, as you reciprocate what is obvious flirtatious behavior from Johnny. Truthfully, when Johnny moved away, Taeyong remembers being a little happy on the inside, because he wouldn’t have to hear you talk about him so much. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that Johnny harbored a small crush on you. When he brought it up, you used to throw your head back in laughter, before pinching his cheeks and calling him cute. That same feeling begs to ignite again, but his head is quicker than his heart, as it forces him to look down at the thin silver band wrapped around the ring finger of his right hand. You’ve moved on, he hears, and he tucks his hand into his pocket. Someone walks over to him and captures his attention, pushing the thoughts of you and what could have been to the back of his head.

Johnny gets a call from someone, so he excuses himself from your company, leaving you standing amidst the terrible background music and a half-full cup of punch in your hand. You figure you can go grab some fresh air right about now, so you meander off to the door, before stepping out onto the concrete outside. The cool summer breeze is comfortable against your arms but out of habit you fold them together, the cup of punch firmly held in your palm. You close your eyes and exhale the breath you didn’t know you were holding. “Care if I join you?” Taeyong’s voice rings, shattering the silence you developed briefly. Opening your eyes, you clear your throat before saying, “be my guest.” Taeyong stands next to you, and once he’s in the light you’re able to get a better look at him. The last time you saw Taeyong, his hair was much shorter and cleanly trimmed. He had innocence in his eyes that twinkled with every step. The version of him standing next to you was definitely more mature; there’s a shadow of smile lines and crow’s feet on the side of his face you see, his hair has grown out quite a bit and you can make out the sharpness of his cheekbone and jaw naturally contouring his face.

“Some things never change, right?” He says out of the blue and you cough to offset the growing embarrassment you feel. He’s referring to how you used to zone out into your thoughts when you stared at him, usually from the side. He would always be able to pick up on it, teasing you relentlessly. “Have you been well?” “Did you move back here?” The both of you asked at the same time to one another, awkwardly laughing off the collision of your questions before you said, “you first.” Taeyong nodded, “I moved back here almost a year ago actually. I was transferred to a small hospital and they knew I was from here, so they figured it was easier to send someone who had a feel for the demographic.” You bit your lip, and he continued, “I didn’t realize how much I missed this city. It was only after I moved back that I felt like this is where home was all along. How about you, did you ever leave?” You shook your head, “I had all my opportunities here, so I never felt the need to go anywhere. I have been perfectly happy and I never felt better,” and as you speak, you notice Taeyong pull his hand out of his pocket to scratch his ear and light reflects the ring resting nicely on his ring finger. You try not to let your eyes widen too much, but you can’t help it if your heart shatters in your chest. “You’re engaged.” Taeyong winced at the change in your tone; he wanted to avoid this topic. “Uh, yeah. Yes, I am.” You attempt to play it off, looking away from his analyzing gaze. “Who’s the lucky person?” Taeyong looks outward with a certain fondness as he recalls details of his significant other. He says they met in one of his classes, saying they “were the best friend he never had”. You listened on as your walls started to break.

“I proposed shortly after I found out I was transferred here. They moved here with me, actually.” You nodded, recognizing all too well this feeling growing in you. It was reminiscent of how you felt when you broke up with him, but this was much more intense. You painfully exhaled and you knew he could sense it. “Happy for you. I really am,” you managed to say without letting your voice crack. Taeyong was always very straightforward with you, and it didn’t surprise you when he said, “Y/N, I was in the darkest place when we broke up. They helped me get out of that. I know it was not an easy decision to make, which is why I want you to know that you will always have a place in my heart. We spent so many years together, it’s natural that you and I will always be something special.” You turn the other way, and this time, you can’t stop the tears from falling. You couldn’t face him anymore because you don’t want to reveal to him that a big part of you still wanted him. Seeing that ring on his finger and hearing him gush about his partner reaffirmed all that. Now, all you wanted to do was to get out of there. “I’ll be honest, sometimes it still feels like I haven’t gotten over you. Even if I did. Know that I will always love you and that you’ll always have a piece of me.” Taeyong says, and a small whimper leaves you. “I’m a mess, Taeyong,” you croak. “I built this strong wall and convinced myself that I was okay. Tonight you’ve proved me wrong. I tried time and time again to find someone else to introduce into my life but no one comes close.” You finally wipe your eyes and turn back to face Taeyong to find silent tears trailing down his face. “I was hoping you’d be here tonight if I’m being honest. I needed to get this off my chest. I’m sorry for everything, Y/N.”

You breathe, the final bit of teardrops sitting at your waterline. “Thank you, Taeyong. For everything, but especially the memories. I know I can’t fall out of love with you overnight, and I certainly will not ask you to do anything selfish. You know that I just want you to be happy, and if they make you happy, that’s all that matters.” Taeyong wants to reach out to wipe your tears, but he’s afraid he’ll cross a line he set for himself. “Would you still want to be friends? For old times’ sake,” Taeyong asks, hoping you’ll say yes. You feel conflicted but you say, “you’re going to need to give me time, Taeyong. I need to sort things out in terms of relationships, and right now, I don’t think I can take being your friend. That’s going to lead to me wishing terrible things on you two, and I don’t want to jeopardize a relationship that is strong enough as it is. Please, don’t force me to befriend you when I’m broken.” Taeyong is hurt, but the rational voice in his head is telling him that you are doing the right thing. “It’s getting late,” you muster the courage to say, “I should head out but I’m glad you got the closure you needed.” Taeyong offered to walk you to your car, and you don’t know if you can take any more heartbreak, but you let him walk you anyway. The tears are gone for now, but they’ll come back. Taeyong hesitates, “Do you want to meet up for lunch or something anytime soon?” You unlock your door and open it before turning to him. There’s a glint of hope in his eye, and you smile meekly, “maybe but not soon, Taeyong. When I’m ready. I hope you can understand.” He nods almost instantly, and you’re grateful for his reaction. “I’ll see you someday,” you tell him and he nods, waving to you as you start your car and leave, whispering under his breath “someday.”

a/n: AHHH my first ever long scenario. this was much easier to do than a series lol but I’m nervous! I would appreciate any and all feedback you guys have for me, and thank you for reading it!

[babi-correia]

What Could Have Been (Part 13)

Words: 1655 Warnings: Poorly written medical stuff, mention and treatment of injuries, PTDS (kinda?)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |  Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

When you come to, you’re having trouble breathing, and if that isn’t enough, the previous events rush to you all at once and your thoughts spin out of control. Suddenly, you’re not in a building in the middle of Chicago anymore; you can feel yourself being blinded by the scorching sun from Afghanistan, you can see the dust in the air, feel the sand under you.

“No, no, this isn’t happening.” You panic, feeling the searing pain on the right side of your hip. Your breathing picks up and your hands start shaking. “I’m in Chicago, I’m in Chicago, I’m not a Marine anymore, Deft Hawk is over.”

You repeat it to yourself like a mantra, shutting your eyes and feeling the tightness in your chest increasing.

“Get me out of here!” You manage to shriek, feeling a scratch in your throat. “For the love of everything, get me out!”

-

Jay looks at Kayla as she stops dead in her tracks, her ears perked up as she presses her nose to the floor.

“You got something there, girl?” He asks, giving her more lead as she moves around and starts whining. “Good girl! Can you find an entrance?”

He unlatches the leash as Kayla searches around, stopping by a displaced slab of concrete. He hears a faint voice coming from under the rubble and his heartrate picks up as he crouches.

“I got something here!” He calls out as he grabs the concrete slab and shoves it out of the way slightly, creating a tiny gap that exposes the hallway underneath.

The firefighters gather around him, someone calling out orders that Jay doesn’t listen; his mind rests solely on the fact that you’re probably down under the rubble, and he must find a way to get to you.

The firefighters join him in moving the concrete slab, opening the gap more and more until a person can go through. Before anyone can process what’s happening, Kayla jumps in and starts barking and running. Jay curses and thinks for a moment before jumping after her, ignoring the calls from the firefighters behind him.

“Halstead!” Severide calls out, making him look up. Jay sees him and Stella peeking into the hole, concern stamped on their face. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I heard her, and I’m not leaving her down here alone.” He says, his jaw clenched tight.

“Wait a bit.” Stella says, earning a confused look from Severide as she gets up and calls someone over. “Move back!”

A bag falls to the floor in front of him, and he recognizes it to be medical supplies.

“Look, we can’t send anyone else in there, it’s too unsafe. We’re going to secure everything the most we can and help you get her out, but for now you’re on your own.” Severide informs, looking glum. “That’s why you shouldn’t have jumped in.”

“I don’t care about that.” Jay says, picking up the bag from the floor and hearing Kayla bark in the next hallway over.

“I’m going to be on channel 3.” Will’s voice comes through before he peeks from the hole too, his red hair disheveled and sweat dotting his forehead. “Be careful, Jay.”

“Always.” He mutters, turning around and calling for Kayla. The dog comes to him and he clips the leash back on her vest before petting her. “Good girl, c’mon, let’s find her.”

The dog runs ahead of him, expertly dodging the debris and apparently following a pre-determined path. Jay slows down as he sees a firefighter’s helmet on the floor, the “3” in the front staring at him and making his heart skip a beat.

“C’mon Kayla, find her, c’mon.” He mutters to the dog, who looks back at him with big eyes and blinks. “You have to find her, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself if you don’t.”

Kayla whines and moves forward, turning a sharp corner and pulling at the leash, making Jay follow her. His breath hitches in his throat once he turns the corner, seeing you laying on the floor with a metal rod stabbing through your stomach and a nasty gash on your right leg. He hooks Kayla’s leash around one of his belt hoops and rushes forward, kneeling by you and removing your SCBA mask, wincing at the amount of blood sticking to your face and his hand shooting to your neck after a pulse. He sighs in relief when he feels a steady heartbeat, switching the radio’s channel with his free hand before pressing down on the button.

“Will, are you there?” Jay asks, flicking the button to leave the radio open. “I found her, but there’s a lot of blood everywhere.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean she’s impaled by a metal rod, her face is bloody, and she has a pretty deep laceration on her right thigh.” Jay says, undoing the front of your turnout coat and cutting it free from the rod with a pair of scissors from the medical bag.

“Expose the wounds the most you can, stabilize the rod, and do a tourniquet on her leg. Then, you’re going to start an IV for plasma, you have it on your bag. If you need more, come back to the hole and we’ll drop some more bags in.” Will says, the strain in his voice letting Jay know he’s dealing with other patients as they speak. “Let me know when you’re about to start the IV so I can talk you through it.”

Jay puts on the disposable gloves and cuts away the shirt around the rod, exposing enough skin to let him look and stabilize it. He feels himself paling as he sees the exit point of the rod, his hands fumbling around the bag in search for tape and gauze. He quickly stabilizes the rod, watching as the gauze quickly becomes red with blood, but moving on to your leg.

He unlatches the suspenders in the front and gingerly sets them out of your shoulders, pointing upwards. Kayla lays down by your head and licks your hand, whining as you don’t respond.

“You did good, girl.” Jay reassures, carefully pulling the turnout pants down. He peels away the fabric of your regular pants and winces at the blood coming out. “Oh, that does not look good.”

“What’s going on?” Will asks, reminding Jay his radio is open.

“There is a lot, and I mean a lot of blood coming out of the gash on her leg.” He mutters, fishing the tourniquet out of the bag and tying it around the very top of your thigh. “I don’t know how many plasma bags you have here, but either Severide stabilizes this fast or it’s not going to be enough.”

“Stabilize her for now, then we’ll see how to proceed. Focus on the task at hand, Jay.”

Jay nods to himself, securing a big wad of gauze against the gash.

“I’m ready for the IV, Will.” Jay says, checking everything in the bag again. “What do I need?”

“Take a cannula with a 16-gauge needle. A cannula is a little plastic thing that looks like a cross. The needle’s color code should be gray.” Will instructs as Jay rummages through the bag, making a victory noise when he finds the materials. “There’s a vein that leads to her middle finger, find it. If you can’t find it, grab her wrist until her veins pop up more. Clean the injection site, disinfect a wider area to make sure the dressing will adhere to her skin and not the dust. Once that’s done, insert the needle right atop the vein.”

Jay takes a deep breath, getting a small square of gauze and alcohol and disinfecting most of your hand before searching for the vein. He finds it fairly easily, but his hands are shaking when he places the needle in place. He clenches his jaw as he pushes the needle in.

“Inserted the needle, now what?” Jay asks, unable to keep the shakiness out of his voice.

“Above all, stay calm. You see the green thing at the end of the needle? It’s the catheter, push it forward slightly. It’s normal for blood to come out, it means it’s in the right spot. After that, take off the needle and connect the cannula to the catheter.”

Jay does as instructed, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding when a small stream of blood comes out into the catheter. He removes the needle and inserts the cannula, grabbing some modified tape to secure it against the back of your hand.

“Done. Now what?”

“Get the plasma bag, place the bag somewhere above her and let it drip into the tube. Make sure there’s no air, and then connect it to the cannula.” Will says, his voice steadier than Jay feels himself. “You’re doing great. After that you can see if you can get her to regain consciousness.”

Jay sets up the plasma bag on a small ledge of concrete, watching as it drips down the tube. Once he makes sure there’s no air in the tube, he connects it and sighs, feeling a weight come off his shoulders.

He gently wipes some hair off your face, getting a gauze and dipping it in antiseptic, beginning to wipe most of the blood from your face when a loud crash makes the whole structure shake.

“What the fuck was that!?” Jay asks, getting silence for a while before the radio comes to life.

“Some part of the access you went in through came down.” Severide’s voice comes through. “Everything is very unstable and we’re doing the best we can, but clearly we can’t rush it or everything might crumble down.”

Jay lets out an irritated groan, sitting down on the floor as he looks at you and Kayla, the dog’s muzzle resting on your shoulder as she lazily licks your neck.

-

@thexplosivegirl | @godohammers | @savingprivatecass​ | @princxss-fia | @fullwattpadmusictree​ | @bethii1​ | @doramstr​ | @annaallicce​ | @hehurst23​ | @dreamslove92 | @lostsoulwalking | @magicxshadows​ | @lookatallthefeels | @miranda0102​ | @killjoys-make-some-noise-na-na​ | @corebore123​ | @talicat713​ | @jayxuptons​ | @detectiveinchicago​ | @cozyfandoms​ | @justanotheronechicagofan​ | @redsmemories​ | @nocturnalherb16​ | @lovejessejay​ | @zizzlekwum​ | @music-is-my-escape71 | @inlovewith3​ | @panaitbeatrice​ | @goingwiththewind​ | @sesamepancakes​ | @caitoszmerlo​ | @rebel-without-care​ | @poguesvixen​ | @cookiecakeslive​ | @csigeoblue​

[possible69arabiwilldo]

Name is Robert I was born in

Name is Robert I was born to be a big loser but I am a winner big in my heart and soul in a way you can say that I was a bit of a pain in the ass I was in the only place I could go to a place where I was not only a little more than in the way of my own parents who were not the best for a child who was born with cerebral cerebral palsy on my left side my biological mom was a ratchet hooker crackhead and my brother father was in prison for most of my life their names were Irene and Michael I was middle child alongside my older brother Michael and my sister Jolene and my sister Margaret I was adopted at the age of 3 to my aunt and uncle verton and Cheryl Miller who had two biological children or named Jed and Josh you are both older than me 35 years old as 2021 throughout School I was a troubled child was put in behavioral disorder classes bullied a lot by my peers also did not graduate high school I have to go back and get my myged and then when I turned 18 I finally got to meet my biological family my biological dad Michael is really awesome is a minister for a church called The Cowboy Church are pretty prairie Kansas where are people who are Outcast another churches can until right at home and not be judge by their fellow churchgoers adoptive parents brought me up as a Mennonite which is a sect of the Amish faith Amish people riding a horse and buggy by the age of 19 I started smoking meth smoking cigarettes drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages having gay sex and having a black boyfriend and at the time I was only starting that would lead to Chronic homelessness now I'm 35 years old living in Lincoln Nebraska homeless on the street along with my buddy Charles who is also homeless 27.8 years old black man from Chicago Illinois Charles is my best friend in the whole wide world as an amazing friend awesome awesome sidekick Charles is a straight man but I always joke around or make cracking jokes about being gay and humping his leg are having gay sex with with him I used to bounce around from mission to Mission state to state City to City house 2 house never once ever succeeding in life I am broke Social Security income smoking methamphetamines Delta 8 homeless homeless gay single with no identity because it was stolen I won't stay at the mission here in Lincoln because there were seven stabbing in one night one guy got stabbed in the throat where is surf covid pandemic damn so bad that I constantly have to wear masks Wherever I Go and now the Delta variant of covid I made it 10 times worse worrying about if

there's going to be Fentanyl in my meth so much that I am about to leave that shift alone all together for the fentanyl I the meth is killing people who have been smoking meth cut with it in the last few months I have been dating a guy find Beatrice Nebraska who is interested in P n P bareback sex with a big collection of illegal paraphernalia in his bedroom he has his own what does experiences business as his own car and has a 3-bedroom house of his own and his own personal needs to be happy with his own business as a hair stylist and his life is great and awesome I've also had some very bad sexual experiences like having sex with guys bareback who are hiv-positive sucking off Truckers and being a gigolo having unprotected sex with men for money sure I can survive getting hard lately I have been feeling kinda sickly I don't know if it's because of the cold weather all the rain hot days cold nights just because of my sexual experiences which are so raunchy and nasty but I'm ashamed of because my biological mom was arrested during a filming the 147th episode of cops for prostitution in the city of Wichita Kansas on 157th Street South and Broadway what is known for prostitution and a bunch of gang activity I am pretty ashamed of my actions that I have done I am a Christian and I am ordained minister and I would like to take this time at the end of this article to repent my sins pray for forgiveness strive to do better in the long run I've had some crazy Life Experiences that those experiences probably worst experiences I have ever experienced in my whole entire life so without further ado dear Lord God in the highest I Repent my sins and ask for forgiveness browse a simple nasty perverted sexual activities that I have participated in throughout my 35 years of living on this Earth ame

[ruzek-halstead]

girl’s night

pairing: jay halstead x hailey upton

it's girl's night for the first responder ladies & girl talk ensues. the night ends at molly's where hailey tries to make a great escape but ends up confessing her feelings for jay instead.

"have you seen the way he looks at you? the man has heart-eyes all the time!”

masterlist || ao3

warnings: swearing, fluffery

it was vanessa’s idea to have a girl’s night.

she’s young, full of energy and looking for a good time. this particular girl’s night could have gone many ways, as literally everyone had different ideas in how to spent their night. eventually, vanessa’s idea received the most votes and it was decided they were going clubbing.

so hailey pulled out a little black dress from way deep in her closet (honestly, when was the last time she dressed up?) and a pair of strappy matching heels and allowed vanessa to drag her to a nightclub. the other first responder ladies were also in attendance (it was amazing that their schedules all coordinated for once). due to vanessa’s connections to the club, they were able to score a luxurious booth with bottle service in the vip section of the club; the drinks are flowing and they are all clearly and obviously, very inebriated.

“i’m so glad we got to do this!” sylvie exclaims, a fondness in her eyes. “god, i haven’t had an enjoyable night like this in forever. i love you ladies,” her eyes are glistening and hailey is sure she’s about to start crying in the club.

stella takes her empty glass from her hand and replaces it with a full one. “no tears tonight, brett!”

sylvie takes a hearty gulp from her glass. “sorry. i’m probably drunk.”

“you definitely are,” natalie laughs. “what do you think the guys are up to?”

kim snorts and all eyes land on her. she’s ditched the glasses and opted for the bottle instead (it’s been a year). “is that even a question? molly’s, obviously.”

“since we’re on the topic of men,” april says with a glint in her eye. “kim, what’s going on with you and adam?"

kim chokes on her bottle. “what?”

hailey hides a smirk in her gin and tonic.

“when are you guys getting back together?” natalie adds, looking at her expectantly. “honestly, we’ve all been waiting forever!”

sylvie nods. “you two are endgame.”

“end-what?” kim sputters, feigning confusion. she isn’t surprised they’re wondering though; adam and her have a long history and they always keep coming back to one another.

stella rolls her eyes, “not everyone speaks tween, brett.”

“it means ‘meant to be together’ obviously!”

kim hides her smile with another gulp from her bottle. “i’m not saying anything definite, but we are progressing along slowly,” she pauses so the ladies can squeal in delight. “we’ve been through a lot recently and i just can’t jump into anything right now.”

emily nods in solidarity. “that makes perfect sense. you do you, girl.”

“but since we’re on the topic,” kim adds, smirking in hailey’s direction. “how about you and jay?”

hailey nearly drops her glass.

“oh my god, yes! we’ve all been wondering the same thing!” april exclaims.

suddenly, all eyes are on hailey and she’s overwhelmed, like a deer in headlights.

“jay and i?” like the flick of a switch, hailey’s undercover skills jump in and she’s schooling them all with a perfectly stoic expression. “i’m not sure what you guys are talking about; we’re partners.”

if it wasn’t for kim and vanessa, she might have actually fooled them all, but they know her too well.

“bullshit!” vanessa yells, “i don’t believe that for a second. have you seen the way he looks at you? the man has heart-eyes all the time!”

“forget about that!” natalie interrupts, “we all saw your reaction in the hospital not that long ago.”

hailey swallows deeply. “that was… different. i wasn’t sure if he’d make it.”

“and what did that make you realize?” vanessa prompts with a mischievous smirk. hailey refuses to answer and instead downs her drink, following a particularly nasty glare thrown in vanessa’s direction. she’s unphased of course and says, “she’s obviously in love with him!”

“vanessa!” hailey snaps in utter mortification.

emily pats her knee from her seat beside hailey in the booth. “oh honey, it’s alright.”

“embrace it,” sylvie adds with a giggle, tipping back a bottle. stella smirks and hastily pulls it away from her.

“i’m so done with this conversation,” hailey mumbles, sliding down in her seat. compared to all the alcohol she’s consumed, she feels oddly sober in that moment.

“i have a crazy idea!” vanessa interrupts excitedly. “let’s go hit up molly’s?”

emily grins, finishing her glass quickly. “i’ll go anywhere i can get out of these shoes.”

“oh god, me too,” april agrees.

hailey is just dying to get away from conversations about herself and with everyone distracted at molly’s, she can make a quick escape.

stella makes the final decision as she stands up with a wicked grin. “plus, i have an in with one of the owners. free drinks, ladies!”

🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸

it only takes them twenty minutes to call ubers and arrive at their favorite modest bar. it only takes hailey seventeen minutes to realize how truly tipsy she is and how much of a terrible idea it was to wear heels. but then it only takes two minutes upon arrival to spot jay’s truck parked across the street and a small smile spreads across her features.

the ladies enter the bar in high spirits and loud cheers. the men of chicago’s first responders are scattered around the bar, smirking pleasantly at the sight of their drunk coworkers.

hailey finds jay’s heated green gaze easily. he’s sitting on a stool at the bar counter and shooting her an amused smile. her plan to sneak away has already failed before it’s even started. kevin and adam are nearby and kim and vanessa gravitate towards them on instinct. when hailey doesn’t move, vanessa doubles back and drags her blonde partner so she doesn’t attempt an escape.

“how was the night out ladies?” adam questions with a smirk.

vanessa is nearly vibrating with excitement. “amazing! god, i missed clubbing.”

“i’m still offended we weren’t invited,” kevin adds, pretending to be annoyed, “ruzek and i know how to bust a move.”

kim orders a water from herrmann as she laughs (she drank one too many bottles and it’s starting to hit her hard). “i can attest to that. it’s something everyone deserves to see before they die.”

“no doubt,” kevin smirks, nudging his brunette best friend. “what about you, hailey? enjoy yourself?”

hailey’s neck snaps up to make eye contact; she was once again deep in her thoughts. “oh yeah, it was great.”

“she says with limited enthusiasm,” jay narrates sarcastically.

hailey feels oddly sober.

“sorry,” she shakes her head, avoiding eye contact. “i’m just really tired. think i’m going to call it a night.”

vanessa instantly frowns. “do you want me to head home with you?”

hailey can see how much vanessa doesn’t want to end the night; this entire night was her idea in the first place and she can see stella and sylvie setting up the karaoke machine. this night was definitely far from over.

“no, no, i’m okay!” hailey reassures her with a forced, bright smile. “i’ll see you all tomorrow morning!”

she catches adam’s disapproving eye, as if he knows more than she does, but she ignores it.

“i’ll drive you home,” jay offers, just as she is about to leave the bar. he’s hurriedly draining the remainder of his beer bottle and grabbing his jacket.

hailey frowns (but notices kim and vanessa’s identical grins). “no jay, i’m okay. i’ll call an uber.”

jay scoffs. “you are not calling an uber,” he replies with distaste, “and you are not arguing with me about this.”

hailey promptly closes her mouth and shoots him an annoyed glare instead. “goodnight you two,” kim bids goodbye with a cheeky smirk, “be safe out there!”

the blonde detective rolls her eyes at her friend’s antics and silently follows jay to his truck parked across the street. he usually doesn’t drink more than one or two beers specifically so he is still sober enough to drive home and not have to leave his vehicle overnight. and it always helps to be able to drive his coworkers home whenever they need to unwind with a few extra drinks.

jay can tell that hailey is unusually quiet, especially with her silence during the car ride home. it seems like the girls all had a good night, so he isn’t sure what is up with all her mysteriousness.

“did you have a good night?” he asks again for the sake of conversation. they aren’t far from her place but the silence is killing him.

hailey steals a glance at him and his passive expression. “yeah, it was nice.”

“why so quiet?” he eventually asks. “did something happen?”

she lets out a dry laugh. “no, not really.” he doesn’t look convinced in the slightest. “no, it’s just girl talk. they were teasing me about you.”

“about me?” jay smirks. “what about me?”

hailey rolls her eyes at his childishness. “something about the way you look at me; heart-eyes or some weird shit like that.”

to her surprise, jay doesn’t give a visible reaction. he seems to almost agree. “you are pretty amazing and sometimes i can’t help myself.”

jay pulls into her driveway.

“what else did they say?”

now hailey is blushing and finding it hard to meet his eyes.

“something about my feelings for you.”

he places the truck in park and looks at her with hopeful green eyes.

“is there?” he asks. “are there? feelings, i mean.”

hailey notices his body language and mentally decides it’s most likely safe to be completely honest with him. “yes,” she replies, hardly even thinking about it. “i mean, there’s something.”

a smile spreads across jay’s features. “that’s good. i say that because i really do look at you with heart-eyes.”

“what are you saying?”

“i’m saying i like you hailey, and i think you like me too.”

it’s hailey’s turn to smile and she feels the rush of alcohol rise back up into her head.

“everyone else seems to think so too. looks like we’re the last ones to know it.”

[thestalkerbunny]

I mean about induction but i didn't knew that thanks you!

My attention span is just OFF in the next field, lmao.

Okay, hot Induction stuff involving the mobs that exist in the city.

Although New Chicago has a goverment and a Mayor and stuff-the town is Mob run and everyone knows it.

One of the largest mobs reigning in the city belongs to Kennedy Bowers a (currently) human man. They reign large control over warehouses. If you so much as want to BREATHE in the direction of doing buisness with one of the warehouses-you have to get thru Kennedy. Most of the Warehouses are often rented out for illicit actives if they’re not being used to store illegal arms, alcohol or other nasties that would upset the relatively stubby arm of the law in this town. Kennedy is known for being both one of the most ruthless bosses in the city-yet the most easy to work with if you are affiliated with him. He’s one of those people who are fantastically pleasant as a person-but if you’re not with him, you’re against him and there’s such a low tolerance policy for that

The second largest belongs to the Nekomanta-which are Japanese Yokai cats known for eating corpses who have a lot of dominating control over oddly enough, the restaurant business-many of the ‘monster only’ restaurants that serve human meat are owned by them. They’re also the reason why there are so many cats seen lurking around New Chicago-they’re often Nekomantas paroling their territory. They tend to keep to themselves and don’t care to sully their hands with the dramas of human mobs. Their goal in life is to provide the fine upstanding human flesh eating monsters of this city with food and they’ll do it anyway they see fit.

The Third mob is the Agosti family which is a traditional sort of mob that has been in the city since it was built. It has very traditional mob values, ranging from policies of what you can and can’t do to the level of loyalty you will have to this family. When you imagine a sterotypical mob from the movies-that’s the Agosti Family give or take. It’s dominated by a man called  Alessio and his brother, Vincenzo. Alessio’s son, Luca, has a tendency to get into trouble and has not been giving the family a good name especially since he is supposed to be groomed to take over the family with Alessio retires (or finally his son gives him that one last heart attack to do him in.) They run the ‘protection racket’ mainly-providing buisnesses with a sort of...insurance of safety against other mob threats.

Alessio and Kennedy have been at each other’s throats since Kennedy showed up on the mob radar and it’s looking more and more like Kennedy is going to overwhelm the Agosti family at any time. People who follow this sort of drama are theorizing Kennedy is just enjoying watching Alessio squirm.

There are smaller gangs of people in the city-but none as large and affluent as the big three. Those that don’t make any large enough name for themselves are often absorbed into the big 3 or simply snuffed out quickly.

[maddie-grove]

Would you be interested in sharing your list of twelve objectively nasty but enjoyable heroes? (I do not know if Crispin Burke, a personal favourite of mine, would make the list, given the standards for male nastiness in some of these romances, but thank you nonetheless for introducing me to him.)

Good news! Our man is indeed on the list. I guess that one unspoken factor is that it’s harder for a villainous hero to be enjoyable if he does the very worst stuff. Still, there’s plenty of appalling behavior on my list of problematic faves.

I’m going to do this by category:

Heroes Who Could Easily Be Villains

Sebastian from To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney (1995): Easily the worst hero I still like. I enjoy how he decides to be nicer largely because he’s sick of his own Sadean bullshit. Plus, neither he nor the narrative ever acts like his behavior is justified or even sympathetic before he reforms.

Allegreto from Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale (2004): he does some theatrically messed-up stuff, but it’s the early Renaissance and a kinky proto-Machiavellian bastard has to hustle! Plus, he has some top-tier angst, and the heroine gets to play rough with his junk and become a queen in her own right, so things work out!

Valentine from Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt (2016): A repeat blackmailer and kidnapper, yes, but also the funniest bitch in romance. He charmingly thinks the heroine is a beautiful angel.

Crispin from A Lady’s Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran (2017): An MP without principles who menaces the heroine, he certainly benefits from getting amnesia early in the story and getting to re-evaluate his life a la 13 Going on 30, but I loved him from the moment that he admitted to himself that his cruelty to the heroine was (despite his pretensions) indistinguishable from that of her grotesque relatives.

Felix from The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas (2013): A lightweight, especially for this category--his main issue is that he’s a cold fish--but how could I fail to recognize the man who tricks the heroine into thinking her most promising suitor is in an incestuous relationship with his half-sister? All because he wants her to marry him instead? Also, the best dirty-talker in the genre, no contest.

Bad Personality Gang

Rand from The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs (2001): A sexist banker who holds all the most boring, condescending sexist opinions of his day (1870s Chicago) for half the story, Rand has one of the most convincing and satisfying changes of heart I’ve ever seen. But, lord, he made my blood boil to begin with.

Reuben from Crooked Hearts by Patricia Gaffney (1994): A lazy, rude, emotionally immature con man, and yet what can I say? I’m charmed by his pleasure-seeking, borderline-cowardly ass. I think it helps that he refreshingly doesn’t suck in ways that are common to historical romance--he isn’t domineering or sexist--and he’s at his best around the heroine.

Oh, Honey, No

William from Libertine’s Kiss by Judith James (2010): Sometimes a romance hero isn’t a bad person, exactly, but he’s got a ton of issues that you know will never be resolved. William is a wormwood-bitter alcoholic who’s based on John Wilmost, the second Earl of Rochester, and he’s got an nasty attitude towards everyone except for the heroine, whom he thinks is a beautiful angel. This is charming, but I finished the book thinking, “Girl, he’s never going to stop drinking.” But I can’t help loving him, any more than she can.

Bentley from The Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle (2003): Sometimes, a romance hero is an absolute sweetheart, but he’s so self-destructive and has such poor judgment that it’s like, yikes, dude, you’re almost thirty, and you need to stop getting in situations where everyone’s pretty sure that you murdered a woman (he didn’t do it) or where you semi-accidentally seduce and abandon a debutante you consider a family friend (he thought he’d left a note, but the wind blew it away). And, look, this is a lot more relatable than most problematic heroes, and a lot of it is trauma, but I don’t like having to make so many excuses. 

It’s Complicated

Tom from The Hostage by Susan Wiggs (2000): Definitely has the most solid and sympathetic reasons for kidnapping a heroine that I’ve ever seen.

Ewan from A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole (2017): He put years of hard work into getting his torture degree at torture college, and now everyone’s like “oh torture’s bad,” “it’s ineffective,” fuck off. Also, it’s on Confederates, soooo. Seriously, I am very anti-torture, and I’m not comfortable with the idea that it’s okay on people who are horrible enough, but...it’s on Confederates. In the middle of the Civl War. Ewan also has conflicted, if somewhat detached, feelings about it, and it’s interesting and uncomfortable to be in his shoes. 

There’s Just This One Thing

Will from Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (1989): Will is largely a kind, gentle, hardworking, openminded hero, but his backstory is that he killed a woman and he doesn’t feel bad about it at all. Which, okay, it was a freak accident that she died, and he only shoved her because she was threatening his friend with a deadly weapon. I don’t expect him to feel that bad, just regretful that it turned out that way. But, damn it, Will, she was a human being! This is most likely a reflection of the book’s larger hostility towards women who are sex workers and/or have “too much” sex; their “promiscuity” is always paired up with objectively wrong actions (violent/predatory behavior, blackmailing when not strictly necessary), and then everybody’s glad when they die. It’s fucked up.