#Collared my bar caleb

[hiyaluronic]

Fuck the Applebee’s Solstice!

[grigori77]

The Mighty Nein: Echoes of the Solstice (Live Show from Mo-fucking WEMBLEY!)

Ah, a hype man ... okay then ...

My ... he's quite salty really, isn't he?

"All the bar staff are like: What team is this? I don't know, but none of them make eye-contact."

He's got a point, we are better at swearing ...

"In this country, the sentence: I twatted the twat in the twat ... makes perfect grammatical sense!"

Ah yes, the first ĺive show since the Pandemic ...

Oh, here we go ...

Fuck me, look at that FUCKING CROWD ... O.O

Ye gods, Ashley what the fuck are you doing to us AGAIN?!!! Bloody hell ... then Liam ... and Taliesin? Look at that SWAG!!! MARISHA!!! Incredible ... Laura! Wow ... that's like ... AND Travis ... basically Jester and Fjord in the flesh ... just a shame Laura's not blue ...

And then we we have SAM FUCKING RIEGEL ... never misses an opportunity, does he?

Matt's going nuts and I don't blame him ...

Ah yes ... what fresh hell is Riegel gonna unleash upon us THIS TIME? The audience are ahead of us already ... oh gods ... no, you really AREN'T Freddie Mercury, mate ...

Bloody hell ... that actually WORKED ... I'm extremely surprised ...

Ashley has an announcement? Blimey ... no wonder she's a little nervous ... oh, but she's getting into it already ... Nice ... and yeah, Crit Role Red Nose Day, always fun ...

Cosplayer nod! Nice! Liam: "Oh man, so many Sprinkles!"

Yay! Animated intro WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!!!

Liam: "I've had this dream!" Matt: "Thank you all so much for the trauma!"

Recap! Nice!

Oh, so they WERE just Shunted, then? Okay, so what happened then?

So we're about to find out ... where are they? Shush, sound effects problems! Blightshore? Intriguing ...

Ah, so he CAN talk ... Caleb: "It's been a while." No shit, mate!

Oh, so the magical disruption has knackered the collar too ... batter that thing off, Beau! "You know, your wife has shaved me with a greatsword, this should not be too challenging for you." Oh, NOW he's rethinking this plan? Minor Alchemy?

Sam: "No, I want her to punch you!" Liam (as Caleb): "I'm sitting right next to her, it's going to happen!"

Oh crap ... Matt, what are you saying? What the fuck is THAT shit supposed to mean?

Ah, Imogen ... Beau: "She was kind of cute." Caleb: "Don't cross the streams!"

SNAP!!! Thankfully collar not neck, at least ...

Yes! Get her to Yasha! Go! With Caduceus? Awesome ...

Hey! The Blooming Grove! They made it ... oh, this is PRETTY!!! Calliope! Awwwwww ...

BABYYYYYYYYY!!! :3 Ashley: "I touch her everywhere, make sure she's fine! Well ... maybe not EVERYWHERE ..." Caleb: "I've seen them like this when they've been apart for a few hours."

CADUCEUS!!! Yeah, boy!

Ooh! Munchies!

New armour? Sweet ... the "Oh no, I have to leave in a hurry kit"? Intriguing ...

Dream Beau can be an asshole, apparently ... Beau: "But if you felt like exploring, maybe ..." Yasha: "Oh, I didn't know that was on the table!"

Oh yeah, Veth has, like, PRIORITIES now ...

Beau's accidental kleptomania ... XD

A splinter from the Nein Heroes? Intriguing ... and they're on the ship! Yay ... docked? Oh, hey, Nicodranas! Sweet!

Good lord, what are they doing? Matt: "How did we start this so horny?"

REUNION!!! Yay!

Jester's been getting headaches from her Sending ... yeah, that's right, makes sense ...

Perception check? Oh, first roll ... Travis: "Nine!" The crowd cheers! Of course they do ...

ALL of the Assembly ... yeah ... Trent Ikithon, of course, I thought so ...

Yeah, get Veth! Yay ...

Weird dead seabeast? What is that shit?

Matt: "Interrupt MY story, why don't you?"

A Message to the Ruby ... and she has to roll a D100? Nuts ... 48? 14 points of Psychic damage? Oof ...

Yes, she COULD heal herself, but it's par for thd course, really ...

Blud! Hi!

Spooked seabeasts ... hmmm ...

The Brenatto residence ... here we go ...

VETH!!! Yay!

Veth: "The world has been turned upside down!" Beau: "What's wrong?" Veth: "I HAVE A FUCKING TEENAGER!!!"

Luc wants to be an adventurer? Of course he does ... yeah ... how old IS he? Veth: "Whatever feels right!"

Veth: "To be fair, I was drunk for most of his childhood." XD

So what's the plan?

Oh, Scrying? Yeah, try it!

I love how Jester's being do sweet about Ludinus, it's hilarious ... oh, NOW she gets it? Jester: "He's a douche, I hate him!" Yeah ...

Here we go then, go Jester ... Travis: "That's right, use the 5th Level, nothing can possibly go wrong ..."

Jester has a DICK COLLECTION now? LOL

Reminding Jester who Trent is ...

Oh hey, here's Artigan! Nice! Oh ... how rude!

Caduceus: "We're not big problem people." Jester: "Are you saying we're NOT going to push the Moon back into the sky?"

Oh wait ... is Veth NOT coming?

Jester: "Um ... the Lavish Chateau is NOT a whorehouse." Veth: "A speakeasy with benefits?"

Luc? Hi! Wow ... he's an EMO TEEN now? Interesting ...

Veth making fun of Fjord being the weakest of the Nein ...

UNCLE Caleb ... :3

Jester! DO NOT give Luc a tattoo!

Wow ... Veth REALLY IS bowing out ... that's so sad ...

Veth makes Jester take another 8 points of Psychic damage ... XD

Wow ... AWKWARD goodbye ...

To the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum? Okay ...

Everybody runs into the circle ... wait ... WHST THE FUCK?!!!

Luc? Seriously? Wow ... he even has a Character Sheet! He's do cute ... :3

Here we are, then ... and they've just realised they're not alone ...

Sam's doing an emo teen voice now ... I love it ... this is gonna be SO MUCH FUN ...

Are we EVER gonna learn howold he is?

Yasha: "Hit me!" Seriously?

Oh, so we're doing this ... and she CATCHES his punch ... of course she does. Adorable ...

And now he's in a huff ...

And now he's gonna try and hex Beau instead ... this really is getting funny now ... Beau: "I'll cover my eyes to make it more fair." XD

Ah ... Caleb gives him THE TALKING TO ...

Wow ... he's really good at THIS ... oh, totally working the heartstrings, definitely ...

Oh wow ... they're coming around ... oh, so they're giving CAD the deciding vote? This'll be interesting ... and he makes a good point.

Ground rules from Caleb ... as it should be ...

Caduceus casts Death Ward on Luc just to be safe ... Nice one, mate.

Ovedo? Okay ... apparently things are chaotic ... oh, this doesn't sound good ...

Matt once again using the feedback constructively ...

Ah, teenage bravado ...

Volither ... hmm, nice hair.

Aggy? Who's that?

Dark tunnel? Okay ... no, DEFINITELY not Luc in the lead ... an extra luck roll for him? Nice one, Caleb!

Oh shit ... the magic seals are DEAD. Not a good sign ...

Crap ... what the hell is THIS shit? Oh, that's fucking CREEPY ... scary monster monologue ...

Beau just closes the door on whatever the fuck THAT was ...

Oh, it's still going? He does love to go on and on ...

Hello who's this?

Wait ... a guest? Oh shit! It's Daniel! You sneaky bastard ...

A dwarf? Intriguing ... a blue kilt? Even more so ... and WINE? Hmmmm ... a bit tipsy, apparently ...

Whoa ... he bested Beau? Wow ... and then he offers her a DRINK ... of course she accepts. XD

Aggy: "Is that a little boy?" Luc: "I don't trust this guy, he looks over 30."

Luc: "Hey! Don't insult me and then explain it to me!"

Yes, Matthew, what HAS HE found?

"Unattended baggage" ... SNORT ...

See Invisibility ... oh, hello, Star Razor ...

Eldritch Blast! Yay!

Aggy HEADBUTTS the wall Fjord just attacked ... wow, and he just NUTTED a dozen open. Cute ...

Constitution check? 9? Oh, and what does THIS mean? Oh dear ...

He thinks Caduceus is a horse ... I love that ...

Daniel: "I look like a very small, short John Wick, by the way." XD

Aggy just walks RIGHT IN ... and now there's more illusory nonsense ... wait ... the Shadowhand? Ooooh ...

Ah, so ... going down, then? Hmmm ...

Oh dear, this doesn't look too good ... what now, then?

Wow .. clearly Aggy is NOT particularly bright ...

Whoops? Holy shit ... Nice dodge! He's now tumbling down the stairs and FLASHING EVERYBODY ... oh dear, what now? Another dexterity roll? NAT20!!! Nice ... he is UNSCATHED ...

Daniel: "I am just sucking the Dice Gods' dick!"

He is almost ACCIDENTALLY good at this ... oh, here we go ... CRITICAL FAIL!!! Finally ...

Oh dear, what has he gotten into now? 76 points of Force Damage? Holy fuck ... is Aggy DEAD ALREADY?!!! Fuck ... a DISINTEGRATION TRAP?!!! Shit ... so that's it? Aggy is DUST ...

Farewell, Daniel ...

Oh yes, that's right, technically he IS an Admiral ... Admiral Tusktooth. Nice ...

DO NOT let Luc check for traps ... oh yeah! Mage Hand ... and Jester Guides him too ... :3

Wow ... that's a lot of traps ...

Another magic mouth ... for the gods' sake ... he's so full of himself ...

Another door? Okay ... check for traps again ... and ANOTHER mouth ... even MATT is now acknowledging that Trent is full of himself ...

Oh you ARSEHOLE ... not cool to taunt Caleb like that ...

Ah yes, the Tower? Sweet ... yes, rest.

The Aeorian Security Cannon ... and a FLUFFERNUTTER?!!! Holy fuck ...

True Seeing ... oh dear ... now Caduceus has Beau tripping balls again ... fuck, a Nat20 for a full 27 perception ... sweet fuck ...

Athtiri Menthal ... huh?

Beau has a +16 to her Arcana? Fucking hell ...

Ashley once again Stop It-ing Sam when he sneezes. VERY LOUDLY this time, too ...

They're fighting Trent AND a thing, or Trent AS a thing ... lovely ...

Okay, so rest and regrouping, then ... back to Caleb's tower, then head out in the morning ...

Mahogany? Hmmm ... certain dirty minds, I swear ...

Okay, then ... and time for a break! Well then ...

Aaaaaah ... Welcome To Wildemount returns ... always fun ...

And we're back ... Heroes' Feast! Nice ...

Caleb has a personal talk with Luc, and gives him his Luck stone? Wow ... oh fuck, WISH?!!! Seriously? 5th Level Simulacrum ... so he's now CLONED himself ...

Yasha: "Whoa! There's no riding going on! Except on me ..."

"Beth"? Hmmmm ... typical teenage boy, clearly ...

Beau and Yasha and AT IT ... of course they do. And Fjord and Jester. Liam: "No-one more competitive than Laura Bailey."

Good night's rest ...

Beau finds TWO Calebs TWICE as insufferable ...

Luc chugs the weird Potion ... oh boy, what's this shit gonna do? Oh crap ...

Whoa ... wait, what ... oh no ... extra confidence? Oh that's not good ... crap ... Luc is DEFINITELY gonna be even more reckless now ...

Death Wards on both Luc AND Fjord, then ...

Crown of Stars? Crazy ...

Caleb 2 is now a sabertooth cat ... of course ...

And so now Caleb has come home ... group stealth check! Blessing of the Trickster to Yasha? And she doesn't even need it ... but Beau TANKS it ... at least everybody else rolls spectacular ...

Now what?

Ring of Telepathy ... and Trent is still insufferable ... and fucking NASTY with it too ...

This is just gonna be a fucking RECKONING ...

No ... Caleb, DO NOT say your fucking goodbyes right now ...

Assault of memories ... ouch ... this is just CRUEL ...

Two undead presences? Oh you fucking evil bastard ...

Jester goes in with Caleb ... Beau and Yasha go round back ...

"Uncle Deuce" ... Caduceus: "Oh, I'd forgotten about that ..."

The bastard REALLY HAS brought Caleb's parents back ... that's fucking monstrous ...

Insight check ... oh yeah, they're not right, definitely ...

Jester just goes STRAIGHT to Turn Undead ... and they BOTH fail? Fuck ... that's effective, at least ...

I'm sorry ... the house just EXPLODES?!!! Fuck ...

34 points of Fire damage? Oh wait ... no, Fjord has some protection! Nice ... just 17, then. Same for Jester, too ...

Well, they're definitely NOT his parents anymore ...

BATTLEMAP!!! YAY!!! Cue Sam's plug for Wizzkids ...

And ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!!!

Jester Invokes Duplicity! :3 Awwwww ... tiny voice Laura doing the Jester voice is adorable as she directs Matt ...

She attacks Trent with her Spiritual Weapon and HITS!!! Nice ... but it just MISSES him? WHAT?!!! Meanwhile while the duplicates scatter, she bolts out the door ...

Yasha Rages and bamfs out her wings for Radiant Soul! Nice ... charging in to get ready for attack next turn ...

Beau POWERWALKS inside ... and attacks Trent from behind ... but the punch does NOTHING?!!! Seriously, what the hell?

She attacks the dad ghoul instead ... POP POP!!! But it resists the Stun ... Flurry of BLOWS, then ... and Patient Defense.

A METEOR SWARM?!!! Seriously?

And that is just OUCH all round ... crap ... thank fuck for saves for most ... Caduceus takes THE FULL DAMAGE ... and so does Luc? Crap ... but he has Evasion? Oh, so just half, then ...

Fjord casts Hexblade's Curse on Trent, then throws FOUR Eldritch Blasts ... a miss on Trent, first misses on the dead dad, but the other 2 HIT!!! Boof-boof!

The undead back off but Beau gets an Attack of Opportunity ... daddy is FUCKED UP ...

Mind of Mercury? Nice, Beau! And she gets the first HDYWTDT! On the dad ... oh dear ... well, it's a mercy, really ...

Rapid Cast of Chain Lightning from Trent ... oh no, Caleb just Counterspells ... but he can't actually see him, so it misses? Ow ...

Shit ... Caleb is DOWN ...

Caleb 2 turns into a T-Rex! Okay then!

Death Save 1 fails? Oof ...

Luc casts See Invisibility ... Trent is ACTUALLY hiding behind the tree ... Laura: "Like a little bitch!"

Caduceus casts Mass Heal ... 100 each? Holy fuck ... that is all round a SWEET FUCKING SAVE!!!

Jester runs to find Trent ... Fortune's Favour? Nice ... something that doesn't need line of sight? So she just casts Anti-Magic Field his magic! Nice ... that's it, he's now REVEALED!!!

Yasha charges in best she can ... but she can't attack now ... crap ... so she just casts Zealous Presence and YELLS in his face while flowering everybody else ...

Beau charges in too and just SWINGS for him with her staff ... and TANKS the attack roll! Okay ... second strike ... Fortune's Favour! Oof ... Flurry of Blows! FINALLY hits ... 14 damage plus Stunning Strike ... but he shrugs it off ... then 17 and another Stunning Strike ... but he uses Legendary Resistance even though he Crit Fails ... Extract Aspects ... he's resistant to ALL magic? Interesting ...

Fuck, is he running? What is this thing? An artifact ... oh shit, is he changing? What's he doing?

Sam: "Guys, we're fighting Trent Ikithon in Wembley Stadium!"

Everybody's blasted back ...

An orb of black shadow is just growing ... and now he's just a great horrible black shadow creature ...

Whoa ... a SECOND Battlemap? Fuck ...

It's the whole town ... Trent is a FUCKING KAIJU!!! He's suckimg the life out of people and stuff ...

Hexblade's Curse! Go, Fjord!

Caleb stays prone, jnstead turns into Gelidon the Nightmare in Ivory? Whoa ... and Matt has the miniature ready! Wow ...

Caleb 2 charges in with Luc still on his Dino back ... but they keep a safe enough distance ...

Luc casts Enlarge on the T-Rex! Fuck ... Matt doesn't have a larger model for THAT ... Godzilla is now loose in the streets!

It attacks Fjord with a tendril ... Liam: "Keep your hentai out of this!"

Caduceus runs to Yasha ... Holy Weapon to her, so she has boosts to all her weaponry! Nice ...

Jester casts Gate to pull Artigan through in front of the creature. SHIT!!! And he is suitably SHOCKED by what she's got him into!

Arty casts Chain Lightning on it ... 38 points of lightning damage! Nice ...

Yasha charges in and attacks! Lots of damage maths, apparently ... 101 points of damage in ONE FUCKING HIT!!! The crowd goes wild! She attacks again! Another hit! 59 points this time! Bloody hell ...

Beau rushes in znd attacks ... Nat20! Yeah! And another hit! 19 damage, then 16! Flurry of Blows ... 20 misses? Oof ... Debilitating Damage? Oh, okay ... and now it's vulnerable to Ice Damage? Nice, Beau!

Oh fuck ... EVERYBODY takes 31 points of Necrotic damage? Ouch ... now it concentrates on Yasha ... Ire of Oblivion? Oof ... a Nat20 save? So she only takes 70 damage? Oh great ...

There's a weak spot? Okay then ...

Even Sentinel with a Nat20 doesn't stop it? Crap ...

Fjord takes 2 swipes with the Star Razor ... both hit! 42 points of damage, snd a Divine Smite for an extra 16! Nice ...

It responds with a Void Claw ... Fjord just hits the brakes and it just MISSES him ... phew!

Caleb just brings his whole dragon mass down on it and vomits ice into its face! 77 points of Ice Damage! Nice ... and he has a Frightening Presence? Okay then ...

Caleb 2-zilla bites the thing's arse ... no joy! Claw strike! Hits! 21 points, then 14!

Luc looks for the egg ... he casts Brenatto's Voltaic Bolt, then shoots the gun into the egg! 26 points of damage to the artifact! Okay ... that looks to be the sweet spot!

Caduceus prays to the Wildmother, makes the creature's ichor turn into ice ... now he can see through it to find out how it works ... he pulls out Yasha's Holy Weapon and inflicts 26 points of Radiant damage on the creature! Cool ...

Jester teams up with Arty to hold her spell with him ... Guiding Bolt with his Enhancement ... balls ... shit roll spoils the shot ... crap ...

Yasha flies up and goes RIGHT for the egg ... and misses! Agh! Reckless! Go again! Another miss! FUCK!!! Oh Fortune's Favour! Okay ... balls! That was ALMOST awesome ...

Beau RUNS UP the creature! Holy shit ... she tries go reach into the chest snd tear the egg free ... strength check! Marisha: "WITNESS ME!!! NATURAL 20!!!" The crowd EXPLODES!!!

Matt: "Beauregard Lionett, how do you want do this?" AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

She tears the egg free, which pulls Trent into it, throws it into Caleb's mouth, and he BITES IT TO FUCK!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Caleb has his vengeance at long last ... the survivors of the town applaud (as does the crowd). Nice ...

Jester congratulates Arty for saving the day ... oh flattery ... he gushes in response ... then she drags him into helping with the clean-up ...

The Calebs return to normal, Caleb sends what's left of the egg into some kind of nether realm. Then they big Luc up a bit, while still zlso grounding him.

Fuck ... Fjord just PROPOSED TO JESTER!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! Matt: "You motherfucker!" Jester OF COURSE accepts ...

Caleb's cats prepare a feast for all, and there is celebration, but only a small victory against the larger backdrop of CHAOS from the Apogee Solstice ...

And that's it! Everybody takes a bow!

Well, this was a whole hell of a lot more epic than usual ... but altogether just the AWESOME reunion we wanted. I just hope it won't be the LAST time ...

[walpster]

The date moves on

[MARIELLA] ...So after the demon came out of the ground he was all flustered like it was his first day on the job or something. He fumbled out a huge list from his pocket - he was wearing jeans for some reason - and I’ve got to finish it or everyone will die. I mean - look at this, I have to make a baby with a ghost, a skeleton, a witch and a spellcaster? Like what’s the difference?!

[LIAM] I’m almost positive that witches are more connected to nature and more dangerous than spellcasters. I’ve heard they do ritual sacrifices, too, but that could just be a myth.

[MARIELLA] I’m honestly surprised you believe me! I know this all sounds really weird.

[LIAM] I’ve heard weirder.

[MARIELLA] O-Oh, right, yeah. Sorry, this is all new to me.

[LIAM] Don’t be sorry, Marie, it’s not your fault. You know, it’s not everyday that a demon curses a random human - this all seems impossibly unfair on you.

[MAIRELLA] Thanks man, you’re too sweet! 

[The pair make eye contact and stare at each other for far too long. They realise that they haven’t said anything for a little while, so they awkwardly break their gazes and resume talking]

[LIAM] [Nervous cough] So uh, I’m guessing that ‘Vampire’ is on your list?

[MARIELLA] Yeah... If you can’t do it then I totally understand. I know it’s a lot to ask but there just aren’t that many guy vampires around - or at least any nice guy vampires, like the ones that won't try and lock you in a basement or something. No offense.

[LIAM] I'm okay with doing this, truly. Also, none taken. Really, the only vampire I know that hasn’t done something horrible is my Dad, Caleb. He’s always tried his best to be a great role model to me. Even now at the ripe old age of 444 he still gives me life lessons!

[MARIELLA] Your dad sounds super cool, are both of your parents vampires or...?

[LIAM] Neither, actually.

[MARIELLA] Oh?

[LIAM] Caleb’s my adoptive father. I was turned in 1618 by this guy who’s long dead now, and I was taken in by Caleb after that guy killed my parents.

[MARIELLA] Oh my god, I’m so sorry.

[LIAM] Nah, it’s alright, that was well over 3 centuries ago now.

[MARIELLA] 3 centuries? Woah. When you were turned I was like, what... -380?

[LIAM] [Uncomfortably] Yeah... Something like that...

[They both sit in silence for a second to soak in how weird that is.]

[MARIELLA] …Let’s not bring up that part, eh?

[LIAM] Agreed...

[???] Sorry dude, can you sign this collar? My cat loves watching your movies!

[LIAM] S-sure...

[Liam cautiously signs his collar while Mariella tries exploding the stranger with her mind yet again.]

[???] Thanks bro! [Walks away whistling a little tune]

[MARIELLA] Hey, Why don't we go grab a drink from the bar! Maybe it'll make this whole... problem a little easier to solve, if you know what I mean...

[LIAM] Marie, you say that like it's a business exchange! I'm down with doing this and I think... I think I quite like you...?

[MARIELLA] W-Well... I think I kinda like you too...

[They both exchange flirty looks and then head to the bar]

[innytoes]

I had a bad day so you all get more self-indulgent Caleb/Ray/Reggie ABO AU fluff.

-Caleb is constantly torn between Wanting To Spoil The Shit Out Of Reggie and his cheap-ass taste. He’d never actually tell Reggie that, of course, but deep down it pains him a little that he knows Reggie will light up more over a little plastic pumpkin than over a rolex. He finally found a decent middle ground with Ray ‘It’s the Thought that Counts’ Molina, and now this?

So when he finds Reggie in their bedroom, gently rubbing one of Caleb’s silk shirts between his fingers, he is like YES. Not just because he is Extremely Jealous of Reggie walking around in Ray’s old flannels and henleys, but also because this is the perfect opening.

So of course he asks Reggie if he likes what he sees and Reggie immediately starts to apologise. But Caleb just tells him of course he can take whatever he wants from Caleb’s closet he’s been buying extra soft shirts for months now to entice him. 

Insert a scene here that is full of Sexual Tension where Caleb slips one of his silk shirts onto Reggie. He does up all the buttons, rolls the cuffs, smooths down the collar and smirks when he smells Reggie’s scent change in his arousal. He gets Reggie to agree to come with him to his tailor so he can get a properly fitted shirt and suit.

(Yes the tailor 100% calls Caleb on his bullshit when he does Reggie’s cuffs etc again and Reggie goes all flustered again.)

-Dumb ABO worldbuilding trope that I like is when scents are really complicated. Betas can’t smell them, and omegas and alphas can’t really smell their own scents unless they really focus, because they get scent-blind to their own scents.

Ray is always smoky, warm, and sometimes rich and chocolatey scents. (In my head his baseline like the smokey note of a lush Soak and Float shampoo bar.) Caleb is always icy and cold things: fresh snow, ice cold streams, etc.

In general, omegas are usually more sweet-smelling. In popular culture, it’s a massive stereotype and beauty standard. Paul was always a dick about how Reggie didn’t smell sweet and he was very  self-conscious about it. So one night he asks Ray what he smells like when Ray is snuggling with him and very clearly nuzzling at his scent glands, all happy.

And Ray is like: ... okay but promise you won’t get upset?

And Reggie of course immediately spirals like: they hate my scent I should be sweeter. And he tells Ray he can start wearing perfume if they want, or using scent-blocking soap. And Caleb looks up horrified like: don’t you dare.

And Ray admits that he thinks Reggie smells like a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Rich and warm and like spices. But he wasn’t trying to imply Reggie smells like (insert Ray awkwardly doing airquotes here) “a basic bitch”. (He knows memes, okay! Sometimes! He heard Flynn say it once!)

And Caleb is all: really? I think it’s more like pumpkin pie.

And Reggie is so mad at Paul because fuck you that sounds AMAZING he smells AMAZING and he is so pleased with himself.

[theoriginalladya]

A Constant Wish

A Constant Wish

Summary:  An anniversary, but not of the enjoyable kind. Nine years on, and Commander Shepard is still dealing with the fallout from Akuze. It's up to Kaidan Alenko to guide him through it.

Tags: Sole Survivor, survivor’s guilt, death, grief, Akuze, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, mshenko

Characters: Caleb Shepard, Kaidan Alenko

NOTE: Four years ago today, my mother lost her battle with cancer. Today, even though I knew the date in my head, it didn't connect until my youngest brother mentioned something in our family text chat. It hit me like a ton of bricks, just as it did then. I've learned to move on, to keep going, to keep living, but this day each year is always the hardest fucking day to get through. And so I wrote this with her in mind for my Caleb Shepard who has his own ghosts to deal with.

Love you, Mom.

A daily thought, a silent tear, A constant wish that you were here

~~~~

Kaidan wakes suddenly, inexplicably, to darkness and the sense that something isn’t quite right.  Not a nightmare, not someone waking him with a touch or a sound, but that unerring feeling that something is just… off.  It isn’t panic so much as a general unease, but he’s used to listening to his gut these days; it’s saved his life or that of a squadmate or even Shepard himself more than once.  

Shepard.

Rolling over, he discovers the bed is empty but for him.  That sends his heart racing faster than he expects and he nearly falls face first to the floor as he scrambles out from beneath the covers.  The time it takes to yank on his sweats and a t-shirt seems an eternity, but he is fully aware thanks to the cold flooring beneath bare feet.  

A thorough search of the upper part of the apartment finds nothing out of the ordinary.  The side note to that is he also fails to locate Shepard.  Granted, he still has half the apartment to investigate, but the fact he cannot find a recent trace of his presence is a bit disconcerting.

He descends to the lower level and begins by checking the back room.  Empty. Next, the living room and the bar. Also, empty.  The lights in the kitchen are dim, just the way they left them when they headed upstairs after dinner.  Still no sign of the man.  

Kaidan tacks his way across to the opposite set of stairs to head back up – maybe he missed him in passing?  As he walks past the hall branching off to his right into the den, habit has him glancing that direction.  In front of the faint flickering fire light, he catches a silhouette; a familiar shape seated at the poker table, hunched over, glass in hand. Unease morphs to concern and curiosity, and he pads down the hallway, calling out softly as he reaches the doorway, “Shepard?  You okay?”

The silhouette jerks suddenly as if startled, then relaxes with an exhale of breath.  “I’m fine, mo ghrá.”

Kaidan takes the response as an invitation to join him, and he slides into a seat at the table.  “Drinking alone?  In the dark? Gonna have to do a better job of convincing me you’re fine,” he challenges, albeit gently.

Shepard huffs; a soft sound and one nearly drowned out by the pop and crackle of the fire.  He sets the glass on the table, rises to his feet, and walks over to the small bar in the corner.  Within moments, he returns with a bottle and a second glass.  This he fills and pushes towards Kaidan, then tops off his own before reclaiming his seat.  “Not alone now, am I?” he asks, setting the bottle down with a heavy thud next to what look to be four playing cards.  

From his position and in the dimly lit room, Kaidan can’t tell which ones they are.  However, knowing Shepard as he does, he can guess their purpose.  Why are you down here drinking and doing card readings in the darkest hours of the night?

Taking the glass in both hands, he pulls it close but does not drink just yet.  Before anything else, he wants, needs, some answers.  “What are we drinking to?”

“Not what,” Shepard declares, blue eyes piercing through the dark to meet Kaidan’s as he lifts his head, “who.”

Kaidan acquiesces with a slight cant of his head. “All right.  Who?”

Shepard lifts his glass in salute.  “Sergeant Angela Nevarra.”

Kaidan frowns.  The name sounds hazily familiar; he’s heard it before but cannot place it.

“Sergeants Carter, Evans and Decatur,” Shepard continues, clearly not expecting a response.  “Corporals Harris, Simmons, Grassini, Aoki, and Meijer.  Malik, Masterson, Owens, Jenson, Weston, Alvarez…”

Kaidan listens in silence but keeps his eyes on Shepard’s face as he continues to list them off.  As the list gets longer, comprehension dawns.  Shepard stops reciting names at forty-eight and the quiet surrounds them again.  Cautiously, Kaidan asks quietly about one name that was not mentioned.  “What about Toombs?”

“Toombs.”

There is a hint of brutality in the way Shepard says the name which Kaidan doesn’t quite understand.  For everyone else associated with Akuze, there is a fondness, a reverence almost in the way their former commander speaks of them, but with Toombs, it’s different.  “That’s his name, isn’t it?  The one we ran into on Ontarom?  Back –”

Shepard tosses back the last of his whiskey, swallows it in a large gulp, and shakes his head sharply once.  “Aye, I remember.”  He slams the glass onto the table with enough force the platform quakes for a moment.  “Heard from him last year, did I ever tell you?”

It’s a rhetorical question, but Kaidan shakes his head anyway.  The time they’ve spent together since his recovery, since the war began, they’ve avoided the more… controversial topics.  Not that Kaidan blames him for not bringing it up; it’s probably just as well.

With a soft snort, Shepard grabs the bottle and pours another two-fingers worth of whiskey.  This is the third drink Kaidan is aware of, and he can’t help but wonder how many Shepard drank when he was alone, before Kaidan found him. 

Their eyes meet again, and the look in them… Well, Kaidan understands now just why the man’s name in Irish is sealgaire, the hunter.  It’s all Kaidan can do to hold his ground.  And, that is knowing that the look isn’t directed at him.

Shepard’s scowl is dark and foreboding as he tosses back this drink, and there is a vehemence in his voice Kaidan has only heard maybe twice since he’s known him.  “Threaten me without knowing what happened?” the commander bites out.  “Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha!  Go hifreann leat!”**

Kaidan reacts immediately, reaching forward and prying the glass from Shepard’s long fingers.  “Okay, Shepard, that’s enough.  I’m calling time for the night.”

Shepard struggles momentarily, apparently not satisfied, but a moment later releases his hold.  Sighing heavily, he covers his face with his hands.  “Tá brón orm,”**

Kaidan pushes the glasses and bottle across the table and out of easy reach and moves to crouch beside him.  “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Shepard’s hands drop away, and when the blue eyes meet his again, Kaidan recognizes the truth.  His mother once told him that if an Irish man or woman expressed true sorrow for something, there would be matching sadness in their eyes.  The sheer magnitude of the sorrow he sees in Shepard’s gaze just now is enough to level the Reapers and end the war three weeks ago, he thinks.  He reaches over and runs a hand along Shepard’s cheek in a gentle caress of understanding. “Hey.”  

Shepard leans into the touch, eyes closing.  When they open again the sorrow still lingers, but not with the same intensity.  Without the glass before him to toy with, he reaches for the playing cards lying face up. “D’you see these?”

Kaidan spares them a glance, tilting his head to get a better look.  “Did you do another reading?”

“Aye,” Shepard agrees, “but not tonight.  These…  This was my reading that night.  On Akuze, before the attack.”

Past – Two of Spades.

Present – Ten of Spades.

Future – King of Clubs.

Crossing Present – Ten of Diamonds.

None of it makes much sense to Kaidan – it never has – so he looks expectantly at Shepard.  When he remains silent, Kaidan asks, “What did they tell you?”

Shepard pauses for a moment, turning his head to look straight at Kaidan.  “That my world was going to go all to hell once again, but that this time, on the other side, I would find a path to my future…”

Kaidan looks at the cards again.  He recognizes the King of Clubs – it comes up often in Shepard’s readings, though Kaidan isn’t aware of any special attachment to it. The rest he can’t tell of he’s seen in readings before or not.  Shepard’s hand flops onto Kaidan’s shoulder, his fingers toying with his hair near his collar.  When Kaidan smiles back, Shepard’s eyes flare with an intensity that might be unsettling under other circumstances, but thanks to recent events in their lives, he has a much better idea of how to deal with.  

Rising to his feet, he sighs.  Any further explanation on the cards can wait until the man is sober again.  “Come on, we need to get you back to bed, I think.”

Shepard follows without comment or question, and, surprisingly, without stumbling.  When they reach the stairs, Shepard surprises Kaidan by sliding his arms around his waist and hugging close to his back, resting his head on his shoulder.  “You understand, aye?”

Already a step above the man, Kaidan stops and half turns to face him.  The question is very open-ended and he cannot miss the obvious pain.  It isn’t difficult to guess what he is referencing. “About Cerberus?”  Shepard nods.  Sighing softly, Kaidan wraps one arm over Shepard’s at his waist, and tilts his head close enough to ghost a quick kiss across his lips.  “Do you honestly think I would be here now if I didn’t?”

Shepard’s face screws up in confusion for a moment, an endearing look Kaidan doubts the commander would ever agree with if he is made aware of it, so Kaidan keeps the observation to himself.  Running his free hand over Shepard’s cheek again, he clarifies quietly, “Yes, mo shearc,** I understand.  You are not them; you never were.”

Hope wars with uncertainty behind those blue eyes; it’s strange to see Shepard this vulnerable, and a little disconcerting.  How much is the drink and how much just… is?

“You really believe that?”

Kaidan nods.  “Aye, I do,” he replies, echoing Shepard’s usual response and leaning in for another kiss. “Now, come on.  You need to sleep this off.  We can talk more about it later if you like.”  Though, as they ascend the stairs together, he is pretty certain it won’t ever come up again anytime soon.  Perhaps this time next year, but not before.  At least now, Kaidan is prepared.

~~~~ 

** mo ghrá = my love

** Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha!  =  A breaking and crushing on your bones!

**Go hifreann leat! = To hell with you!

** Tá brón orm = I’m sorry

** mo shearc = my love

[grayintogreen]

I'd love more Beau whump. Maybe a BTHB prompt, like Tortured for Information, Shock Collar or The Collector if those haven't been done yet?

HI ANON. Let's pretend this DIDN'T take me months to finish. I had a clear idea for this, but my brain was just like "what if we overcomplicate it" and then it was just six thousand words long.

ANYWAY. Beau WHUMP. The Collector was the only one I hadn't done yet, so that's the one I did.

Heyyy, I only have one more BTHB prompt to go.

Beau paced the length of her cell- more of a glorified dog kennel- and swore a blue streak in the key of her footsteps. Across the way, in this dark warehouse, the coughs and grunts and meaty slaps of fists slamming against magically reinforced iron bars were everywhere, proving she wasn’t alone, and yet she might as well be for all the help her fellow captives were going to be.

Fuck. She had to go and be stupid, didn’t she? At least it was her and not Yasha in this cage.

---

Earlier…

Yasha wanted to rest. And she got to- for a handful of years she was free to tend her garden and be Beau’s Yeza and just hang her swords up on the shelf to be admired and to intimidate Cerberus Assembly members who came to kiss ass and save face. (Beau still looked back proudly on Yasha, sipping tea with her pinky out for fanciness, looking Ludinus Da’leth in the eye and enunciating the name Magician’s Judge.)

The problem wasn’t Yasha needing to roam- the problem was Kord, which Beau would never ever say out loud out of a desire to not be struck by lightning or caught in a freak summer storm every time she walked home from the Archive. Kord had named Yasha his champion and sometimes that meant picking your swords up and going off and doing things in his name. Beau could have gone with her, scratched an itch, but work was piling up.

So Yasha went off with Fjord, Jester, and Kingsley, and Beau was left alone with just Caleb and the immense piles of red tape she had to cut her way through, and that was extremely boring. Without Yasha to greet her with food and kisses and sex, she knew the days would blend together and she would go completely mental if she didn’t find some sort of enrichment. Hanging out in the seedier places in Rexxentrum promised a good spar and that probably would have been enough, but then someone caught her attention on her way home.

Two men talking about a highly illegal underground fighting ring. Gladiatorial combat. Run by slavers. That sort of thing. They probably shouldn’t have been talking about it so openly, but they were drunk and she had good ears.

It sounded like something she could bust wide open. The intent was to do a little recon, get back with Dairon, and then raid the place.

READ ON AO3.

[doof-doofblog]

"He's My Brother?!"

Tuesday 16th March 2021

Part One

Hello again everyone, hope you're all doing well! I wanted to share some personal news with you, I received my first Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, we're slowly on the path on getting things back to some form of normality! Who knows, maybe soon EastEnders might be able to go back to its original 30 minutes, even though I'm enjoying it and don't care how long the episodes are, it'll just feel normal, right? Anyway, I've seen a few spoilers regarding these two episodes, I'm really intrigued to write about these episodes. Tuesday aired two episodes of EastEnders so I'll be doing two posts to review each one.

Monday's episode ended on such a cliff-hanger, it's only right that I start this blog with mentioning Lucas and Chelsea first. The episode opened right there Monday left off, Chelsea and Lucas are at the airport preparing to go to Ibiza with suitcases full of drugs. Chelsea's suitcase is currently being checked, she's stood in absolute panic about what the security guard is going to find. Only when he reveals a bottle being over the correct amount she's allowed to take, I got really confused! I was completely and utterly convinced that Lucas had given Chelsea the drugs as a way of teaching her a lesson, and not in a bad way but in a cruel-to-be-kind kind of way. But as soon as Lucas begins to walk through with his suitcase, Chelsea hears commotion from behind and Lucas is surrounded by armed guards. The interesting thing is, Lucas doesn't hesitate, calmly and willingly, he drops the suitcase, opens it up to reveal the amount of drugs stored inside it, Chelsea watches on in dismay as her Father basically gives up on the whole job. Lucas looked over at his daughter, but the look on his face, I couldn't quite tell what he was doing? Was he doing this to save his daughter?

Frantically, Chelsea later arrives home, informing her Mum that Lucas has been arrested and he plain and simply gave up the drugs as if he'd planned it. Denise is visibly shook to hear but she's more relieved to know that Chelsea is safe and no harm has come to her, as far as she's concerned, Lucas can look after himself, whereas Chelsea needs her family around her. However, Chelsea seems to think that Lucas has given up the job on purpose, and now because the job hasn't gone through, Chelsea and the rest of the family could be in danger.

Returning to the airport, Lucas has been taken to side room, there he is begging the officer to allow him one phone call. At first the officer seems to think he's part of a drug gang and is wanting a call to let his comrades know about his arrest, however when Lucas mentions that it's to do with his family and that they could be in danger, it looks as if the police officer suspects he could be telling the truth and allows the phone call. As Denise and Chelsea are at home, Jack is there trying to keep them calm and discuss what actions could be taken due to Lucas's arrest, but of course his main concern is to keep Denise and Chelsea safe, if Caleb finds out the job hasn't been done, he knows that the Fox family could be in huge danger, he instructs them to not go on their phones and don't answer any calls or answer the door to anyone but himself. It's then that he receives a phone call from Lucas, pleading to for his help. What on Earth could Lucas be asking of Jack? Will Lucas be okay? (Of course some of you may have already seen the second episode, but as I haven't, I'm going to be speculating, please no spoilers, thank you!)

--

The next thing I want to mention is Bailey and Bernadette. The sisters are still deeply saddened by Bronson's passing, but as they sit in the park with Mitch, they continue to discuss Bronson's personality and his favourite foods. Always the best way to remember a happy doggo! Unfortunately, as the family reminisce about their beloved pup, Mitch has devastating when he hears a job opportunity had fell through, which he was hoping would keep him going until the winter. Are the Taylor family falling on hard times? Are they really struggling for money so much right now?

Bailey however tries to reassure her Dad, informing him that he has to keep positive as something will come up eventually, but she also drops the bombshell that he wouldn't have to pray for Astronomy Camp for her as she didn't win her competition, both Bernie and Mitch voice their disappointment for Bailey as she begins to feel sorry for herself.  But suddenly a little surprise makes the young girl begin to smile, a little dog approaches her as she holds food in her hand, it appears to not be wearing a collar and no one is around to claim the dog, must be a stray. Happily Bailey interacts with dog and smiles to her Dad that it's a sign from Bronson.

Seeing the little pup bring a smile back onto his daughter's face, he later approaches Karen about the possibility of keeping the new found dog. I also just want to mention how adorable the new dog is, I know not many dog last for long on the Square, but it would be nice for them to fill the void of Bronson. I don't think EastEnders have ever had a better dog since Wellard. They need a pet who's going to become memorable, and with one as adorable as this new pup, it could really work. Karen unfortunately is against the idea of getting a new dog, mainly because they can't afford it. But something tells me that maybe she's just not ready to get over Bronson, maybe? I feel if you've been able to afford a dog before, there's no reason why you can't get another one after? Right?! Mitch really wants to cheer his daughter up, I'm hoping Mitch will go and find the new dog, adopt him and bring him in to their family.

--

The next thing I have to mention is Ash and Suki, after finding her daughter at home alone with Peter, Suki takes it upon herself to confront Ash about the fact that she's been suspended from work, of course she has no idea why, but we all know it's because of Peter begging her to give him pain medication whilst off duty. As the ladies begin to argue, Ash tries to reassure her Mum that everything will be fine when she attends the hearing, she'll be able to explain and she'll get her job back. But Suki begins to fret, considering how much she cares for her family, and more so their reputation, I reckon?

Peter takes it upon himself to interrupt, informing Suki that Ash wouldn't have been suspended if it wasn't for him, this makes Suki realise that it's all Peter's fault, but the devastating blow is that her daughter could potentially lose her job because of a boy! Later on, as things begin to cool off, Suki is alone at the family business as Ash visits her, without Peter in tow. She begs her Mum to not worry and let things slide as she and Peter have a plan of way of getting her job back, but Suki seems to really struggle as the realisation sinks in, she voices that the reason she's so upset is that was she so proud of her daughter for getting so far with her career, for the job role she took on in life, how she has become successful in life, and now she fears that because of Peter, everything could be taken away from her! For me, I found it interesting to see this side of Suki, we know she loves the idea of power and success, but to actually hear that she's proud of one of her children, seems that maybe she really just wants the best for her family.

--

Okay, now the main event! After hearing the news that Gavin has passed away, Kathy and Sharon are discussing whether to attend the memorial. Of course, Sharon isn't interested in sharing memories of her biological Father, needless to say she doesn't have any fond memories of him, Gavin did have a bad reputation after all. Kathy however, considering as she was married to him once - I'm assuming, we know for sure she loved him and/or dated him, is considering going, whether Sharon joins her or not. As far as Sharon is concerned he can "Rot in hell!"

However, after a few wise words from Callum about Dad's in general, regardless whether they were pigs or not, it's always best to be the bigger person, Sharon then decides to tag along with Kathy and attend the memorial. As the arrive Kathy realises that she recognises a few faces, where of course Sharon knows nobody. Sally, Gavin's sister approaches them and thanks Kathy for coming, regardless of the awful things Gavin did, she makes the valid point that she did love him once.

As they look around the room, there is one bloke in particular who seems to be downing a lot more alcohol than others, he seems to be banging to people and knocking into the bar, eventually this man decides to make a speech, but it's not one of the speeches you'd expect. But however, to Sharon's interest, he seems to be saying things which she would actually agree with. Gavin was the scum of all scumbags. This speech however doesn't sit well with other family members and the young man dashes over chairs and tables to escape the angry mob!

As Kathy and Sharon make their exit, they watch as everyone gathers in the parking lot. However Sharon seems to have somehow managed to get her hands on Gavin's urn, without a second thought she simply dumps it into a litter bin, much to Kathy's shock. Looking for the drunken, suspicious man who rudely corrupted the memorial, both Kathy and Sharon seem to notice that their car has been left un-open. Realising that the young man could be hiding in their car, they make a subtle entrance and sit in the front seats. This scene looked like something out of a comedy, the young man appears between them in the backseat, shushing them not to give away his hiding place. Unfortunately, for the young man, the angry mob begin taking their anger out on his sports car - I did find this pretty comical as Kathy and Sharon both describing the damage being made to his car as he hides on the backseat. After the angry mob seem to finish off the last of their damage and head back into the building, Kathy asks the young man his connection with Gavin, how did he know him? Why was he at the memorial? Were they business partners or something?

But then as he walks away, he drops the big bombshell, introducing himself as Zack and that Gavin was in fact his Dad! As he walks away to his damaged car, both Kathy and Sharon look at each other in their shock as they come to realise Sharon has a brother she never knew existed!

Now I just want to say, most of us recall what happened when Sharon found out about another long-lost brother, however, I have to make the valid point that Dennis was in fact an adoptive brother. Den Watts was her adoptive father, so technically Sharon and Dennis were never really blood related, which I guess is why their romance can be looked to one side, however, Zack would be Sharon's Half-Brother! People might think history will be repeating itself if Zack was to become Sharon's new love interest, but I'd hope that EastEnders wouldn't go down the route of incest. It would be interesting though to see how Sharon will come to terms with knowing about her secret brother, will she want to build a relationship with him? Will he want to know her? Could they bond knowing that they've both had such a horrid man for a Father? Who knows?

I'm really looking forward to seeing the second episode following this one, I will be posting about it tomorrow, but in the mean time please no spoilers for me. I'll look forward to blogging about it tomorrow! Thank you again for reading! Love you all xXx  

[znaeb]

I Want To Know You | Z.K

He stood helplessly in the doorway as she packed up her things. Tears rolled down his cheeks as she angrily threw clothes into her suitcase. Her face was scrunched up in a permanent scowl, and he flinched when she slammed the full suitcase closed.

She pulled one of the drawers from the dresser, dumping its entire contents into a second smaller suitcase. Moving quickly to the closet she pulled down a handful of hangers, laying the clothes on the bed before grabbing down another handful.

“Melinda, don’t do this.” His father finally spoke from where he stood in the opposite corner of the room. She threw a pair of shoes on top of the messy pile of clothing, then stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes boring holes into the man’s face.

“Give me one good reason.” She spoke in a low, firm voice. If looks could kill, his dad would already be 6 feet under.

His father, forever passive and unbothered, scoffed and waved an exasperated hand toward the door, “Fine. If you can’t think of anything, then be my guest, leave.”

“What about my birthday, mommy?” His voice made both of them look toward the door in shock, obviously having not seen him before this very moment.

“Well... honey that’s still a month away, okay?” She tried to soften her voice to talk to him, but it barely changed.

“But you said you would help me plan a party for big number 6...” he pleaded, trying so hard to find the good reason she needed.

He knew that his birthday wasn’t enough when she said, “Well, I promise I’ll see you on your birthday anyway.” And slowly looked back to her things.

“Oh...” he could barely make any sound come out. His heart was broken, he wasn’t enough for her.

His father stayed put in the corner and rubbed his forehead, not daring to make eye contact with him. Not able to look at his son.

“Dad?” He begged for some sort of comfort but found none.

“Why don’t you go on to your room, Caleb. You don’t need to worry about mom and dad’s serious talks.” He spoke quietly, his eyes staying locked on the floor.

He turned slowly and went to his room. Hearing their bedroom door shut loudly behind him he squeezed his eyes shut and sat on his bed, hands in his lap.

A few moments later he heard a bit of yelling, but he couldn’t tell what they were saying. Then a few moments after that he heard their door swing open, footsteps down the hall, and the front door open before it was slammed shut again.

He didnt see her on his birthday. Or Christmas.

In fact, he didn’t see her until January, and then it was only for about 30 minutes at his grandmother’s house. She had a man with her, David, who she said was very nice and a good friend of hers.

Her and David got married three months after that. When his dad lost his job at the plant, he ended up moving in with them. He didn’t like it.

He lived with them for a little more than a year before they moved to California, and he moved in with his grandmother, his mom’s mom. She was nice. She would always talk about how his mother loved him very much, even if she didn’t show it very well. Or at all. She would also tell him how she’s never been able to stick to anything and how ‘marriages were no different for her.’

He liked living with his grandmother. She was good to him. But he still felt the pain of his mother’s leaving every day. He still remembered the feeling of her looking at him and saying that he wasn’t enough of a reason to stick around.

He grew up pretty wild. He tried to stay out of trouble for his grandma’s sake, but it always found him. He had to call her to bail him out more times than he’d like to admit, but she was always there for him. She never gave up on him— even though she probably should have.

She said she knew his heart and she knew what a good man he could be. He would always roll his eyes at that, but he hoped she was right. He desperately wanted to be good.

Senior year he started going by his middle name, Zion. Trying to separate himself from who he used to be and give himself a second chance.

He didn’t really get it together until after high school. He never studied, but by some miracle his grades were good and he graduated.

His grandmother cried at the ceremony, and his dad looked proud of him. His mother came to the after party with her new new husband, Gerard, and left him a card with fifty dollars in it.

He got accepted into into Columbia University with his friend Brandon and they moved out to New York together.

———

First day of class, sophomore year, he walked in and saw her.

She sat in the second row, eyes focused on something far away. Her chin was rested on her hand and her hair was pushed out of the way behind shoulders, exposing her long neck snd prominent collar bones.

He sat on the end of the row, only two chairs between them, and couldn’t take his eyes off of her for the entire class.

When the professor drew the class to a close, he watched as she gathered her things and stored them in her backpack. When she stood it was only for a moment as she sat right back down, but this time in the seat directly next to him.

She crossed her right leg over her left and looked at him expectantly.

“Hi.” He said lamely, immediately wincing at his own voice.

“Hello.” She smiled and nodded her head once.

He could tell she was waiting for him to say something, but he wasn’t sure what it was so he just sat there.

After a long minute she sighed and stuck her hand out, “I’m y/n, the girl you were staring at during class.”

He blushed, embarrassed that she had noticed him.

“I’m Zion.” He shook her hand and chuckled, “the guy who was staring at you during class.”

She let out a gentle laugh and stood up.

“I’ll see you later, Zion.” She waved and then turned around and walked out the door.

For two weeks he took every opportunity he could to talk to her, and when he built up a good rapport, he moved to the seat right next to her.

He spent the next month after that trying to win her affection. Every morning he brought her a different coffee until he discovered her favorite and then he brought her that, plus a pastry on the mornings when he wasn’t running late.

They started studying together regularly, and she accidentally spent the night at his apartment a few times after falling asleep while reading.

“Y/n? Hey, c’mere.” He practically lifted her from the chair in the corner of his room and tucked her into his bed.

She groaned and grabbed his hand as he started to walk away, “Where are you going?”

“Just to the couch. I’ll be right out there if you need me, okay?” He patted her hand and rested it onto the pillow next to her head.

She hesitated for a second but then nodded her head and whispered a goodnight, watching quietly as he left.

Eventually she agreed to go out with him. He brought her to the bar where Brandon did stand up, picking a night where there was a good crowd and the laughter was flowing.

After the show they decided to walk around the city for a while, neither of them wanting the night to be over yet. After a while they found a park and a quiet bench and agreed to sit for a while.

“Okay, okay,” she was barely able to contain her giggles, “if you could have one superpower, what would it be?”

His eyes were glued to her. Her red cheeks, her dimples, her bright eyes. When she laughed he couldn’t stop himself from laughing along with her.

“I think... flying? Oh and invisibility! Wait, maybe super strength...”

“Zion! I said one!” She hit his shoulder and leaned against him while she laughed.

“That’s too hard of a question.” He chuckled and picked her hand up from his chest and held it.

When her laughter quieted down she kept her side leaned into his, her cheek laying on his shoulder. She watched him play with her fingers, her heart beating fast.

She tilted her head up to look at his side profile. Her eyelashes tickled his jaw and drew his attention from her hand to her face that was now no more than an inch from his.

“Hi there.” He whispered.

She smiled and leaned up slightly, pressing a small kiss to the corner of his mouth. She pulled back quickly to gage his reaction, but there was no time to do so as he was leaning towards her and connecting their lips a split second later.

After that things progressed so quickly that it caught him off guard. The more serious their relationship got, the more uneasy he became. He liked her so much, and he knew she liked him too, but his insecurities were too big to disregard.

He refused to let himself be vulnerable. And without meaning to, he came off cold. He acted like it wouldn’t affect him if they broke up right then and there.

She didn’t know why he was like that. Why he would clam up and act nonchalant when she knew that he wasn’t okay. Time and time again she tried to draw it out of him, listening intently every time he mentioned his past, but he never gave too much away. He never fully let her in.

One evening, after a long day, they went back to her apartment to study. He got distracted very quickly, unable to keep his hands off of her.

“Baby, baby.” He mumbled into her neck and tried to pull her textbook away from her, “put the highlighter down, I’m trying to make out with you.”

She giggled and let him close the book, putting her hand on the side of his face and kissing him back. A few minutes later he’d made his way on top of her, arms holding him up as they kissed.

Thoughts swirled around in her head and the questions she’d had for a long time were begging to be asked.

When he moved down to kiss her neck she stared up at the ceiling, trying to find her words.

“Zion?” She said his name cautiously, her fingernails gently trailing back and forth across his shoulders in a soothing way.

“Hm?” He hummed against her sternum, not stopping his actions.

“When can I meet your family?” She felt him faulter a little bit, but he quickly shook it off.

“I dont know, most of them still live in Canada.” He slipped his hand under her shirt and skimmed his fingertips over her ribs.

“What about the ones who don’t live in Canada?” She continued, trying to sound soft and cute and keep from making him uncomfortable.

“As far as I know she— my mom, still lives in Cali. Far away from here.” He sounded slightly exasperated, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet.

“Well what is your grandmother like? Wasn’t it her birthday recently?” He sighed loudly and let his head fall to rest on her chest, his hand stilling on her side.

He lifted his head and looked in her eyes for a moment, then gave her a peck on the lips and spoke, “Let’s not talk about this now, okay?” Another peck on the lips, “it’s not important.”

“Zion...” she put her hands on the sides of his face and pulled his lips away from hers, “It is important. I want to talk about it.”

He jerked his head to the side and her hands fell from his face, “Why are you always pushing this?” He spoke harshly as he got up and sat on the other end of the couch.

She sat up slowly and pulled her knees to her chest, “I just want to know you.” She said softly.

“You do know me!” He shouted suddenly.

“Baby, please don’t be mad,” she crawled towards him and tried to hold his hand. He jerked it away and stood from the couch, standing near the center of the room and looking at her. “Why won’t you talk to me?” She asked, eyes beginning to water.

“What the fuck do you want me to say?!” He yelled again, pacing back and forth.

“Anything...” she pleaded, “say anything.”

“Fine!” He finally snapped, “Fine. What do you want know?! How my mother left me and my father? Or how about all the times when I was little and I begged my father to stop drinking so I could live with him, but he wouldn’t give it up! He got fired from job after job after job, and then dumped me on my mother! Then, when she decided that she didn’t want me either, she dumped me on my grandmother! Which one of those happy childhood stories do you want to hear first?!”

Tears were now falling down her face, she wiped her cheeks but couldn’t rid her face of them entirely. She stood from the couch slowly and walked towards him. She wanted to reach out and pull him into her arms, but she knew that that wasn’t what he needed right now.

“I don’t know, baby...” she sniffled. She tried to make eye contact, but he wouldn’t look her in the face, “but I want to hear them all.”

“No you don’t... no you fucking don’t!” He yelled, finally looking her in the eyes. His were full of tears.

He tried to step back and away from her, but she held onto his shirt and pulled him back. He looked at her for what felt like forever, waiting to see if she’d change her mind. But she didn’t. She stood there, unmoving, giving him the floor. Waiting for him to speak.

And he actually did.

Once he started talking he couldn’t stop. He told her everything. About all the times his mother canceled on him, ditched him for some guy, made him feel like he wasn’t good enough for her.

And then about how his dad started drinking when she left... and never stopped. He told her about when his neighbors called CPS and his dad was too drunk to even answer the door. And the 2 months he spent in the system while his dad got sober to get him back, but then turned him over to his mom a month later.

And he told her about how he finally had stability with his grandmother. How she was the only person who he felt actually loved him. Who gave him a sense of worth and purpose.

They laid on the couch for three hours, Zion talking and her listening. They even called his grandmother and made plans to FaceTime the next evening so he could properly introduce them. After they hung up he told her that he wanted her to come home with him over Spring break, she didn’t even hesitate to agree.

After that they got ready for bed. They brushed their teeth together and he hugged her from behind while she washed her face, then she sat on the floor and hugged his legs while he washed his own face.

They laid in bed holding on to each other late into the night. His head rested on her chest and she played with his dreads. While they laid there he asked her questions about herself, ones he’d been too timid to ask before tonight.

“I— um... do you think your parents would like, approve of me?” He lifted his head to see her face, brushing hair off of her forehead gently and kissing her nose.

She giggled and ran her finger along his jaw, “I know for a fact that they would love you... but not as much as me of course.” She watched as his lips spread into a big smile.

“Oh? You love me?” He sat farther up on his elbows, his face now right above hers.

“Yes.” She giggled again.

“Well this is very interesting news.” He gave her a mischievous smile and nudged her cheek with his nose.

“Well I already know that you love me, so it was only fair that I let you know I feel the same way.” She nuzzled her face against his, but he pulled back and gave her a quizzical look.

“And how did you know that?” He raised an eyebrow.

“You, my darling, are a sleep-talker.” She grinned, eyes sleepy but still bright and shiny.

“No I’m not!” He scoffed, giving her thigh a little spank, “stop making things up.”

She burst into a fit of giggles and tried to escape his grasp.

“You are!” She exclaimed, “I can even tell you when and how you said it.”

“Okay fine,” he laughed with her, settling back into her arms and planting a quick kiss on her shoulder, “tell me.”

“Two weeks ago, when I slept over here after that one test? I woke up to you shifting around a bunch really early in the morning and I asked if you were awake... you said some nonsense that I couldn’t really understand, but then you rolled over and said super clearly, ‘good morning y/n, I love you’. And then you were still and quiet until you woke up for real.” She told the story while running her fingernails across his shoulders.

He blushed and hid his face in the crook of her neck. His lips brushed against her shoulder and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, wanting to hold her as close as possible.

“Well that’s kind of embarrassing, huh?” He kissed her temple and then rested his cheek flat against her sternum.

“No, actually, it’s kind of the sweetest thing ever.” She smiled and looked at his shoulders as she rubbed them, “besides, I know you really meant it.”

“How can you be so sure?” He teased, poking her side.

“Well, I suppose I can’t be one hundred percent positive, but I’ve never heard of someone lying in their sleep before...”

A moment of silence passed and she almost thought that he had fallen asleep, but then he spoke, “You can be positive.” He mumbled against her skin.

“Hm?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

He lifted his head and kissed her, drawing it out for a few seconds before pulling away to speak, “I said that you can be positive. I love you, y/n.”

Her heart felt like it was going to burst, she felt so lucky. She had this man, this wonderful man, all to herself. And he wanted her back. He felt the same way.

She gave him sleepy kisses until his eyes were too droopy to stay open and he had to rest his head.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, both of them fully content. Both of them feeling secure and loved.

****

Hope you like this! <3

[stronghours]

CUSTOMER SERVICE

E T S Y

Darling Fallon    Sep 3, 2013

Sensational (sin-sational!). i write on behalf of myself (S) and my lover (m). we have been ripped off by bulk-produced molded hoods before and i can only say HAND CUT LATEX ONLY never look back!! worth the money and will eventually pay for itself. neck fit like loving glove and adds dynamic intensifier to breathplay. Lovely proprietor replied prompt when “m” had questions re: breathability (she added extra breathing hole at no extra cost). class acts all around (and not just in our dungeon!) will return for more but “m” needs a break first if u get the drift lol1!! thanks to lady j!

Purchased item: DeMarco FetishWear – Latex Chrysalis Hood (translucent…

3 Helpful

  myMister   Aug 24, 2013

this one writes on behalf and with permission of MISTER. this one quaked with bliss when package arrived. truly awful to behold in the wise hands of MISTER. this one’s neck is small and delicate For His Pleasure and all item adjustments were made to order and did not affect shipping time. if this one could be so efficient For His Pleasure this one would be in heaven on earth. instead, this one is less than a hole. item truly enhanced <O sensation. without a doubt will be used over and over in this household for due punishments of this very worthless one. discrete pgk’ing. thanks to designer J for deepening this one’s service to MISTER.

(NOTE FROM MISTER – WILL PROPRIETER PLEASE PRIVATELY EMAIL TO DISCLOSE IF YOU ARE MALE/FEMALE/OTHER SO “myMister” (this one) WILL BE ABLE TO PROPERLY ADDRESS YOU IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS FORMAL ROLE)

Purchased item: DeMarco FetishWear – Throttle Collar w/ attached Gas…

1 Helpful

  JulieJuice   August 3, 2013

LOL rip-off!!! cant believe all u ppl sucking this guys dick. says everywhere in product descript. (and you guys reviews!!) that custom sizing is no additl. cost but mine cost more!! only small alteration to titty holes cause of my cleave situation. bullshit. not buying from him again.

Response from J

Hi again Julie. If you check our many enlightening inbox conversations from 7/5-7/16 you will be reminded the additional cost was due to your request of more ring hinge insertions as the standard amount in pattern block “was not bling enough”. Cleavage was irrelevant. Sizing related alterations are always no added cost. Custom alterations requiring additional materials/effort and adjusted pricing will always be discussed and approved on client end before any exchange of payment.

Purchased item: DeMarco FetishWear – Hexagon Restrictor Harness…

HELPFUL?

  HannahCakes!    Jun 1, 2013

Hey Whats Up I’m Caleb (obviously don’t have an etsy) and using my lady’s account. She got the catsuit for my birthday and she looked so sexy like J-Lo or someone. Didn’t want her doin the latex stuff because I thought shed have to shave off all her pubes and personally i like that kind of thing a lot but no harm done. Anyway she was super sexy and the suit thing looked good and stayed together even when we started rockin. To other full bush guys out there if youre girl wants to wear the latex stuff SHE CAN KEEP HER BUSH she just has to use lube to oil up the bush that she has.

Purchased item: DeMarco FetishWear – Domina Catsuit w/ Pussycat Zipper (red…

7 Helpful

  HannahCakes!   3 months ago   Friend   Ignore

Caleb Review

Hi J,

Saw my boyfriend’s 6/1 review and I was like uh ohhh. I asked him to leave one because he went gaga over the catsuit, but I wasn’t expecting all the bush stuff. If you don’t want to be associated with that and want to delete, that’s ok on my end. A little embarrassing! – Hannah!

Reply from DeMarco FetishWear    3 months ago    Friend    Ignore

Hi Hannah. Please don’t worry about it, any positive review is welcome. His feedback has apparently hit a chord with some specific hesitations and concerns buyers have been experiencing but not confiding with me, so I plan on keeping it up for the time being. Enjoy your garment.

  JoeyoftheHerd    3 months ago   Friend   Ignore

Moo-cow snout muzzle thing – (idea i had)

Hi. Is this idea good

Reply from DeMarco FetishWear    3 months ago    Friend   Ignore

Hi Joey. Are you interested in a custom cow muzzle/mask, like the pup play masks on my page or are you just brainstorming for personal reasons?

Reply from JoeyoftheHerd    3 months ago    Friend    Ignore

idk it’s just an idea i had

Reply from DeMarco FetishWear    3 months ago    Friend    Ignore

It’s a cool idea

Reply from JoeyoftheHerd    3 months ago    Friend    Ignore

Thanks man i thought so 2

1234Brett10093456    3 months ago   Friend   Ignore

I REMEMBER YOU FROM RAWHIDE

JULES yes I know who you are and I know your name are you scared yet?? I remember when you used to hang with Roscoe out at Rawhide because Roscoe pretended to hire you because he secretly wanted to fuck and suck you till you cried and I saw all that. I have brown flippy hair, blue eyes and am tall/cut versatile but lean TOP. I know you faked being gay. You heard of bi-now-gay-later but have you heard of gay-then-straight-betrayer (you)? That is fucked up that you still sell stuff but pretend to be a gay guy because that makes your stuff sell better because the gay guys want to fuck you. I know you are faking because my muscle bud Tomas (latino) saw you making out with a ginger chick at the wet bar in Entrance last week. He said it was probably a joke but I know it wasn’t because he said he saw tongue. I wont let you be a breeder without a fight. I am willing to tell EVERYBODY YOURE SECRET. But I wont if you prove to me YOU CAN STILL BE GAY. Im attaching a pic of my cock so you know im not lying and can follow through. I will only believe YOU ARE GAY if we can see each other face/face (i can host only on fri- I have two roommates) and our cocks have to touch and you have to stay hard for at least five minutes while I suck and jack your cock and tongue your balls (shave or dont i will leave that up to you). condoms ok but if you want to be a breeder so bad maybe I will just breed your ass but if youre actually a gay guy you’ll like it and cum thick ropes as I fuck your dirty little slut hole and youll tell me youre a hole while I fuck it with the shiny precum head of my cut fucking cock (7inches erect). you will smell my hole and BECOME GAY again IT WILL HAPPEN  - Brett Costino

  TheSteelyDanMan   2 months ago   Friend   Ignore

Latex & Breastfeeding Concerns

Good morning, J I hope you are well. Returning customer, here. My kajira/wife and I are splinter Gor lifestylers (NOT KAOTIANS) [link] but are currently isolated due to our deviation from standard kajira beautification ideals and the arrival of our first child (girl - Gemma) two months ago. My wife’s submission has usually been expressed fashion-wise in various strict latex outfits, a few of which you have kindly provided us over the past couple of years. Naturally, the arrival of a mini-me results in some changes! My wife, insecure after birth, wants to return to strict full-coverage latex, but this desire is at odds with her physical situation of actively nursing Gemma and we both have worries. Does the constriction of latex effect or otherwise harm milk production, or could secondhand latex exposure harm our baby? I imagine you have catered to many lifestyle situations where this might be relevant so I thought I would ask. Thanks very much. LEO

Reply from DeMarco FetishWear    2 months ago    Friend    Ignore

Hi Leo. While I have catered to many lifestyles, I’m afraid I must exercise discretion in this situation, as it would be on par with giving medical advice. I will say any allergy is a possibility and one should exercise undue care with a very young infant, not just in matters of latex. I highly encourage you and your wife to discuss this with her doctor as frankly as possible. In the long run it might be worth reevaluating aspects of your wife’s submission and temporarily making do with latex pieces that do not restrict the breasts, while nursing is a part of her daily reality (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you examples are available on my page). Best of luck and congratulations on the new addition to your family.

  NoraBarnacle    2 months ago   Friend   Ignore

A sincere offer…

Several months ago, I bought a pair of latex gauntlet gloves from your shop. Since then, astonishing changes have come over me. I used to be high-powered, highly controlled, a formidable woman (natural ash blond, green eyes, 45”-40”-44”) I was determined to keep these feelings to myself, but I can no longer resist, as I wholeheartedly believe your Dominating spirit, imbued in the gauntlets, is leading me forcefully but masterfully into your care. If it pleases you, know I have not touched my aching slit for one month total as I am uncertain whether you desire me to feel pleasure that is not approved by you. There are no images of you on your site, but I have drawn an accurate picture of you in my mind and I know you are the Man that I never knew I was waiting for, the Man who will lead me, the Man who will hold my neck and strike my forehead to his knee in his insistence that I allow myself to be led. When I wear the gauntlets, they are your own gallant hands restricting my weak bones. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I can no longer resist. I do not desire to resist. Please message back so I can properly present my acquiescence, body and soul, unto you. I squat disgracefully on my plump thighs, full of whorish tremor that makes me unworthy, but still I desire. I will service your home with my ardent hands and service your thick and striving cock with my wet tongue. Respond to this small soul. I submit to your gallant wisdom – A Secret Admirer

  RicoMetals   1 month ago   Friend   Ignore

Redhead Modle in Pic for Serve Her Serrated Corselette

Hey man-to-man who is she. I love redheads. Does she modle for other people/would she modle for my pieces? there’s no head in the pick – what’s her nose situation? we could all do collab and I think it would be hot. Let me kno - RICO

Reply from DeMarco FetishWear    1 month ago    Friend    Ignore

Hi Rico. I have not blocked you (yet) because said model wanted me to reply to you first and inform you, she’s already an established performer in her own right and does not want to model for a guy who “thinks I need some sissy seamstress to pimp me out to shitty welders online”. As I only have basic welding experience, I can offer no further comment or defense on your behalf.

  DerryBerry454   1 month ago   Friend   Ignore

Inquiry re: standard leather sleep-sack dimensions

Hello Miss J, quick question:

I will buy this item no hesitation no delay if you tell me right now about your vagina. Questions I prioritize:

1.     Color labia (outer)

2.     Color labia (inner – aroused)

3.     Clit length in centimeters or whatever measurement is most flattering to you

4.     Range of clit engorgement

5.     Depth of vaginal canal (I will allow ballpark figure as I know not everyone has graded speculums lying around)

6.     Percentage of clit orgasms v. vaginal orgasms – bonus points if you describe uterine orgasm, if that is your experience (no pressure to answer last part, as I understand it is not necessarily vagina-adjacent)

7.     Are you hairy? What color?

8.     When you wash your vagina do you douche or do you use fingers to rub through labia folds and that is it?

9.     Color of menstrual blood

10.  If you wear panties, do you find the crotch of your panties degrades due to PH of your vaginal discharge? (give me the qualities and I will calculate this for you)

While a picture of your vagina is welcome (and will only be for my private use) I really do like gathering these stats (I’m kind of a nerd) and would appreciate as much openness on your behalf as possible and you will benefit too because I’ll give you money for your lovely product. Talk to you soon! 😊

  B O A R D

[RUBBERVALLEY FIENDS THREAD 3/3 2006-PRESENT] TOPICS: 850 POSTS: 10,356

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): Hey people, we’ve reached the end of the summer and you know what that means – Ivan himself of the halls of Rubber Valley presents inaugural post of their annual sweeps week filming extravaganza – first photoset already up and we’ve got the goddamn brilliant LYDIA SUCKS sons! The greatest bitch on the face of the planet almost psyched us out but she’s here she’s low and she’s ready to blow. Vid upload will probably take till tomorrow to render but we’ve got some great pic galleries already. Ivan really spoiling us pigs lmfao. Seeing lots of setup and dress-up and behind scenes stuff for yall candid pervs. We’ve got full body latex and face coverage hoods and I see a breathing tube and the barn inversion setup. Possible inverted ceiling fuck? The boys can dream. Links to download pics results in PERMABAN – only official links to Rubber Valley site allowed, don’t know how often I have to say it. You want to pass ripped screenshots you do that through email *casts pearls before swine*

GOBgobGOB: no pic of lyds upside down yet ☹

LordJim: Not interested until I see Ivan haul out the FuckRacers from two years ago – wonder why he doesn’t bring those around more often? Great view stats on current vids and who doesn’t like a fat ass getting auto-fucked while she steers the go-cart supine?

SUCKPUNTER: lmfao all views are you bro

GOBgobGOB: D I R E C T H I T

SUCKPUNTER: hey lordjim where’d you learn the word supine

LordJim: Yeah “laugh out loud” very funny guys.

SUCKPUNTER: did you learn it at college

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): Lydia looks gr8 folks. Queen pristine and ready to cream. SUCKPUNTER – chill out because I’ve got my eye on you. Don’t take the bait Jim. You’re like thirty.

SUCKPUNTER: at least I don’t get off on bitches doing the pinewood derby

LockSTOCK2FUCKINGBARRELS: LYDIA!

GOBgobGOB: LYDIA!!!

McLovin: LYDIA LYDIA LYDIA

TheWorldofMartinAmis: Goddess. Wish she’d get her boobs done though.

LockSTOCK2FUCKINGBARRELS: same! I’ve been waiting for years for her to get into xtreme body mod. Right up her alley. If she’s at EXXXOTICA EXPO next year I’m going to try to get her meet and greet and ask. I know tattoo guys who’d pay HER to give her first tat.

McLovin: Lydia wouldn’t go. She’s like indie transgressive.

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): nice to see you again lockSTOCK. I see your POV but Lydia has several interviews where she says most of her viewers see her bod as a clean palate in the art of pain – as in, wounds have to go away in order for us to appreciate a fresh ruining ; ) tats and huge implants are a little tougher to work around. Anyway in my mind you can fix bad tits but you can’t fix bad attitude

ThatOneFootGuy: id suck her feet

McLovin: woah fuck 4th latex pic in dressing series with her mouth open and her eyes shut – who the lube guy with his arm right down her front?

SUCKPUNTER: lol hand clear to her pussy and hes not even hard faggot

McLovin: scope the ginger amazon in the background with camera – new girl? Don’t recognize. Didn’t know Ivan was bringing new people around this year’s sweeps.

LordJim: I wondered too when I saw. I’m sure DungeonMaster mod understands if I copy/paste following from Ivan (no pics, text w/actress info):

Newcomers are always welcome in RUBBER VALLEY (especially if they’re lovely, and especially if they’re ladies!) and this old goat is pleased to welcome DOMME LUX, our friendly neighbor down south in that little town called Chicago. Mysterious as she is alluring, you’ll see her shining light sampling tidbits of delight off our Valley Girls throughout the uploads this month (or even taking a crack at a couple!) We’re just getting to know her, but I have a feeling she’s a generous gal at heart as she kindly offered us the services of her Personal Valet, Jules DeMarco, who himself spoiled us all year with devious latex devices for our steadfast daring dollies after the unfortunate 2012 passing of our beloved torture designer Merrick Marvel (memoriam post 03/04/2012). Check out Jules’s Half-Bag Breast Mummifier in scheduled post 7/22 (Heather Bunny in the inverted Wench Wrench) the diabolical Arachnae-Hood (Lacey Jane, spinning in our trusty Landscape(her) Rolling Pin 7/16) and the Double-Fuck Full Body Boa Binder with eerie inflatable bubble hood (Lydia Sucks, finale post 7/31, don’t miss it, SUBSCRIBE). I must confess, we took advantage - the poor fella ran himself ragged helping us with film prep all week. So as an apology we let him get up close and personal with Rubber Valley’s reigning heroine LYDIA SUCKS fitting her in a custom four-limb black latex catsuit with half-face hood, made especially for her brave beautiful bod. He takes a good long time greasing her up before Ivan and Barry get her hoisted and joisted and in her best bitch-bat position among the rafters of the exalted Rubber Valley barn, where we leave her to squirm in terror! (but let’s get real – what scares Lydia? We’re wracking our brains!) Uh-oh, is Domme Lux looking jealous in the background? Is she plotting a little comeuppance for our Lovely Lady Lydia? Only one way to find out – SUBSCRIBE!

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): Np lordjim, if you hadn’t posted I was going to. Looks like we’ve got fresh meat in the valley.

TheWorldofMartinAmis: very pretty girl, but always bummed when a new one turns out to be top. Call me old fashioned, I come to the Valley for slaves.

SUCKPUNTER: firecrotch

GOBgobGOB: brb too busy crankin it. milky gingerbread titties come to daddy

McLovin: @TheWorldofMartinAmis, Ivan always has at least one femdom around. Room for everybody in the valley

LockSTOCK2FUCKINGBARRELS: holy shit I know that guy.

SUCKPUNTER: lmfao faggots know faggots

LockSTOCK2FUCKINGBARRELS: no for real. His real name is Jules Marinelli. I worked with him one summer lifeguarding beaches for the park’s district. Our boss found his website where he sells his sex stuff, and it was this whole big thing. Found the kink club Entrance through that (check it out if you’re in my hood ever – huge, clean, not too much gay shit, great ladies of all stripes hanging around, but limits on drinking if you’re trying to access certain levels). He’s bi. He’s either secretly Domme Lux’s slave or Domme Lux is his slave and it’s mega on the DL because it’d hurt her career if it got out she could ‘verse. There’s all this gossip.

SUCKPUNTER: bi guys r fags

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): SUCKPUNTER – that’s strike one. lockstock – not deleting your post because from what I can see JDM doesn’t/isn’t acting in explicit scenes, but let’s cool it with doxxing info. Looks like he’s had an experience with that before, and as a small business owner myself, I know how it can suck. We aren’t gossiping high school girls. Settle back and enjoy what Ivan gives us.

GOBgobGOB: *sees dudes in the chat and stops jacking off*

LockSTOCK2FUCKINGBARRELS: NP mod, feel free to delete it later before it causes problems.

TheWorldofMartinAmis: going back to previous discussion – don’t think a breast job automatically constitutes body modification

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): think about it martinamis, it’s a slippery slope – you want to see some swollen battered fish get destroyed, or a fresh natural girl get destroyed?

SUCKPUNTER: i am not a faggot and a whore’s a whore and im here to see whores fucking destroyed

GOBgobGOB: *tony soprano voice* she was a HOOOOER

SUCKPUNTER: fag or cunt all whores get fucked

LordJim: Mod, step up. This isn’t going to get better. With all due respect

SUCKPUNTER: fag or cunt ALL WHORES GET FUCKED

DungeonMaster (MOD 2): yeah, already done. That should be the last of him. Don’t know why I expected that situation to turn out differently.

  FROM: lydias-verified@terrorproductions.com

TO: JulesDM86@gmail.com

Subject: Debrief – valley week

Jules,

As discussed, attached is current info for my old webmaster service from when I had to run my own fansite. Decent price and decent vendor system. Can only be an improvement on what you have now. That is not an insult, but I know it sounds like one. Stay with me.

[link] [link] [link]

And above, the top three most trafficked boards I’ve found following my own career and the rubber valley gang. We’ve caused quite a stir already and its only July 15th. I wouldn’t count on this causing an uptick in your business, but I think you know that. The standard gentleman at home spending twenty bucks a month for guaranteed links to a woman being fucked inside out while wearing a sensory deprivation hood simply doesn’t translate him to spending 100-200 dollars, contacting a seller, taking measurements, and going through the effort to order he and his special girly the hood itself. But I know you believe you’ve chosen your life the same way I believe I’ve chosen my life and won’t whine. I will say, if your ego is bruised, that your clothes are wonderful. They feel maybe half like death. I’ll wear them again and again.

On a funnier note: I have accounts myself on all the above message boards and post semi-regularly. It might amuse you to do the same thing, but you need to be careful regarding your identity. Feedback from viewers is never relevant, but it needs to be pure (don’t ask me why – my brains are fucked out). I won’t tell you who I am, and you won’t tell me who you are. Maybe we’ll find each other.

I wouldn’t tell your Cathy, since some sensitive (if inaccurate) information is flying around. Your instinct towards privacy, while cute and old fashioned, is an apt instinct. Looks like the good people of Chicago can’t keep their fucking mouths shut. Will you be able to find a straight job if your work now goes up like a dead dog’s gut? Don’t despair. Your nice long cock dropped so well down my throat while your Cathy beat my clit with the edge of your belt (nice touch – whose idea was that?) so while you might not get another chance to perch in a lifeguard’s throne, you might very well have a future in film. You’re vigorous, discrete, disciplined, clean, and a cutie-pie. Have your Cathy make some films of you alone or you two together. It’ll excite her, so you have no choice but to be excited yourself. You’re excited reading this. You believe you chose this.

Anyway – Cathy! Don’t be insulted on her behalf. I loved playing with you both. She’s kind and a lot of fun, which are virtues I still let myself appreciate in others. Let her know I appreciate how she let me use you. She’s a good girl and has a good future in store, especially with her personal valet running her life. Pick her outfits, pick her makeup, pick her clients, pick her laundry soap – is it already like that? I want to be buried alive, but you want to be buried in chores. Please dream big, Jules.

Rubber valley is where I have the most fun out of all the shoots I have in a year, but I really was lucky that you two showed up. Poor old Merrick Marvel (not even that old – colon cancer). But out with him and in with you. I enjoyed our river talk and I felt very safe in the car with you at the wheel, though I know I tormented you a little (but I’m pretty sure Cathy helped you out later with that – will you write back to me what she did to you, and if she let you come?) At one point you were with Ivan in the garage, and I tried to have a little talk with her about oblivion, but she either understood my point and got scared, or simply didn’t understand. It’s unfortunate, kind of soul-sucking, how our dominant “loved ones” transform into necessary evils. Adjust the tube. Grasp the handle. Move the thigh. Use the vocal cord to form the order. But what do they know? I never knew how to explain.

I’ve attached some personal pictures of me. I like knowing that you have them. I won’t contact you again except under strict business purposes, so let me sum up. Serve Cathy well. Don’t let her get bullied. Flourish creatively. Keep that belt. Fuck as often as your body commands you to fuck (if I suspect that sometimes your body is Cathy’s body by proxy, then this number will double, perhaps triple, but the choice is out of your hands because she owns your cock). You have a lot of growing up to do. Don’t despair. More to come.

We won’t see each other soon, but we’ll see each other again. Ciao! 

I expect improvements.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Lydia S

[pizzaintheuk]

Outcast

Been playing on Sims 4 for weeks and I thought to do my very first fanfiction of my two favourite characters from the game. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the police station Morgyn was looking at the missing people posters on the noticeboard.

“Thank you so much for this” said the policeman walking into the room.

“Its no problem, I’m happy to help” replayed Morgyn.

The Policeman explain to Morgyn for over two months there been reports of people going missing and finding their dead bodies the next day. Each body had all their blood drained out. From the evidence the police officers has it look like the murder only attacks at night and when people just coming out of bars.

“Are you sure it’s a vampire that doing this?” stuttered the officer.

“Most vampires live in Forgotton Hollow. They have very strict traditions which they must follow. I’ve seen some in my time, most of them keep to themselves and feed off from the humans in that area but they don’t kill.”

“However this one must did something really bad to upset the higher ups and got kick out from the community. They also must be very hungry and new to their powers as well.”

“Well if you think so then this monster must go! It don’t belong here and that it!” said the Policeman.

Morgyn pull his wand out and smile to the officer.

“Don’t worry leave it to me” and vanish from thin air.

 ______________________________________________________________

Days went by and Morgyn was still looking for the vampire. Tonight he had a lucky feeling to hang around Fashion Distant. Morgyn waited near to the water fountain till all the bars close for the night. Suddenly a horrible scream from an alleyway woke Morgyn up. Running as fast as he can towards the notice so that the murder doesn’t escape.

Once in the alleyway Morgyn was shock to find a half dead woman,she was bleeding badly on the right side of her neck. No time wasted Morgyn grab his wand casting a spell to heal the wound however the woman was still unconscious from the blood lost. Morgun notice a man with blood on his hands at the end of the alleyway. Morgyn without thinking gave chase to the creature. They reach to a dead end, the vampire turn around and stare at Morgyn.

“This has to stop!” shouted Morgyn and moved closer to the monster. “Too many people have been hurt because of you!”

“Just leave me alone,” It hissed.

The Vampire (Caleb Vatore) stood his ground. Eyes glowing in the darkness watching Morgyn every move. Morgyn was nervous he know what this creature can do but he had to keep this city safe.

The Vampire losing what little control he had, open his mouth showing his fangs and bellow with so much anger. He jump toward Morgyn grabbing him by the collar pinning him to the wall.

“I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!” It spat at Morgyn.

Trying to pull away from the monster, Morgyn explain calming.

“You are hurting people, I have to do this,”

It sadden him that this creature has to go but he made a promise at the police station to end the voilent.

The Vampire tried to be in control of the situation he quickly replayed.

“I can’t help it, I need blood... please... don’t kill me... if you let me go ... I’ll .... move away from this city so no one can get hurt... just let me go.”

”...and hurt more people!” Morgyn shouted back “I’m sorry but my job is to protect people from the supernatural. Everyone are counting on me to look after them.”

The Vampire let go off Morgyn and slowly walk away. His eyes still glaring at him but this time with sadness and hatred at the same time.

“Your lucky ... to have people who .... care about you”. It whispered

He walk backward to the other wall so his back was touching the hard surface, he look at his bloody hands and continue talking.

“I have no one ... she gone ... I’m lost without her”

Morgyn adjusting his collar question ”...Who?”

 The Vampire look at him and answer.

“Lilith... my sister. She was all I had left. We didn’t want to be vampires, we had no choice but to live with this curse for years. We wanted to live in peace with the humans ... finding other ways to get blood beside drinking from them. The older Vampires didn’t approve and banished us from Forgotton Hollow. We had nothing but each other....”

Morgyn could not believe what he just heard. Without knowing start walking towards the creature.

“I’m sorry ... what happen to her?”

Morgyn lifted his left arm to try and comfort the Vampire. Which the creature slap the hand away and punch Morgyn right in the face with all his power he had left.

“YOUR WEAK PATHETIC HUMANS TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!” It shouted.

“We finally saved up and bought a small studio to call home. Our landlord was suspicious of us and paid someone to spy on us. They follow us to a local hospital were we took blood bags. We got attack by the locals... I escape but my sister didn’t...”

“I couldn’t do nothing but watch my sister being chain up and burn to death by the sunlight!”

The Vampire full of emotion drop to the ground and begin to cry from the lose of his sister.

“There was nothing left of her... but ... I know she wanted me to be strong and carry on... however ... it hurts ... so much... there no one to go to when I need food or find a place to stay.”

“Who will want me?... yea... know one.”

The creature finally calm down from crying. His tired ice cold eyes look up to his executor.  

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to hurt anyone... just so hungry that I can’t control myself... please don’t hurt me.”

“I just want to live a peaceful life.”

Slowly moving his head down, looking at the floor knowing that this is going to be the end. The Vampire was trying to imagine happy thoughts of him spending time with Lilith. Knowing once this is over he can be free from this world.

______________________________________________________________

Morgyn knows the right thing to do by ending the Vampire life. He murdered so many people and tonight nearly killed a woman just because he was hungry. Vampires have no place in San Myshuno and should stay in Forgotton Hollow. If this one runs off he will bring danger to everyone that goes near him.

However, this vampire been black listed from this own people to a point him and his sister had to run away. On top of that he lost his only family member by the humans they wanted so desperate to be apart of. He can’t ask for help as the they will kill him for being different.

Morgyn remember being young, people judging you from being different but with the help of his friends it made him live a happy life.

This creature just need someone to guide him to a peaceful life. 

Morgyn doesn’t mind being that person.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

 I hope my grammar is alright not very good with writing stories. As for them doodles I should colour them in but to tired to do that. Maybe in the future as I was going to draw more for this story. 

Anyway I hope you enjoy reading this trash HAHA

Keep safe and stay at home !

[theoriginalladya]

Lifting off the ground hug, Caleb/Kaidan!

from this lift

on AO3 here

Ooof!  I’ve had this one sitting in my Inbox for three months or so.  Thank you for your patience!  

Okay, so my Irish boy you want, my Irish boy you get!  Hope you like it! :)  (got a bit long so I put it under a cut)

~~~

“Daidí?”

The waiting area is crowded – nothing unusual about that, except maybe for the time of year.  The late winter/early spring storm outside futzes with shuttle traffic everywhere, it seems, and where normally a handful of people mill around the area until theirs arrives, today it is at least five times that number.  Caleb glances down at the owner of the soft voice who stands to his right, her small, seven-year-old hand tucked securely in his much larger one. “Aye, a stor?”

Niamh glances up, a slightly concerned look in her green eyes.  Caleb’s heart lurches for a moment.  She rarely ever gets that look these days, not since returning to Canada with him and Kaidan after the war.  Still, every once in a while, she does and those few times usually do not end well. Taking a knee in the overcrowded Kamloops spaceport, he lowers to her eye level and gives her his full attention. “What is it, darlin’?”

Her eyes dart furtively around the Arrivals section; Caleb’s follow, searching for the source of her concern.  When she turns back to him, she throws her arms around his neck and buries her face against his neck.  “Now, Niamh,” he murmurs gently while rising to his feet again with her in his arms, “you are perfectly safe here.  You know this.”

She sniffles, arms tightening, face remaining hidden. A moment later, a droplet of water tickles down the inside of his collar.  Securing his hold on her, he surveys the area again.  The Arrivals board flashes a change – another delay, not surprising given the late season storm outside.  There were already three inches on the ground when he left the orchard to head into the city. Tadhg opted to stay home with seanmháthair rather than a long drive in the snow.  But Niamh had insisted, and like Kaidan, Caleb can deny her nothing.

Mo ghrá, he thinks to himself as people continue to mill around them and the others still waiting, where are you?  

A synthetic voice announces the arrival of a shuttle delayed for two hours out of Ottawa; three groups of people nearby look relieved, but the majority of the rest are in the same boat as Caleb – still waiting.  The chronometer on the wall nearby isn’t helpful either, simply reinforcing that the shuttle from London is over an hour late.  

But beyond the normal din around him, Caleb catches the soft strains of music, barely audible with all the commotion.  Tilting his head slightly, a smile curves on his lips as he recognizes the tune.  Slowly and carefully, he moves to the beat and rhythm of the song, humming the tune beneath his breath so Niamh hears while gently bouncing her in his arms.  She remains as she is … but after only a few bars, he feels her lips curl against the side of his neck.  

Still, even he is aware the mission objective has not yet been achieved.

Glancing around again, he locates an exit strategy and eventually makes it over to the right side of the room; still good view of the Arrivals gate, but with space enough for him to set Niamh on her feet.  Crouching before her again as he sets her down, he winks. Her eyes brighten a little as she now hears the music drifting down from a speaker above them.  “Can we?”

Caleb nods, ruffling her red-gold curls as he stands up and takes her hand.  “Of course, but you will have to show me.”  

She nods with all the solemnity a child can muster in such a moment.  They have a little bit of free space around them, and she takes a couple of steps to her left to the beat of the tune.  Caleb, as promised, follows.  When she turns back the way they came, he scoots that way.  Above them, the song continues; on the floor, Niamh keeps moving, each series of steps a bit more complex.  Faithfully, Caleb mimics them, in the back of his mind, one lone thought; if only the Normandy crew could see me now!

The song changes over, the rhythm altering slightly, but it’s still upbeat and his daughter isn’t fazed one bit.  When she hops three times, he hops with her.  When she shuffles heels first, then toes, then heels again several times in a row, he does the same.  At least the dance lessons are paying off.  He pretends to mess up his footing at one point, accepting the mix of scowl and concern she throws like well-aimed daggers in his direction with a laugh and a casual shrug.  

“Daidí!”

“I’m doing the best I can!”

“A stor, haven’t you learned daidí has all the dancing ability of a krogan?”

Caleb spins around on his heels, amazed that he and Niamh can get so engrossed in the activity he completely misses Kaidan’s arrival.

Niamh, on the other hand, seems unperturbed, shouting, “Papa!” as she throws herself at him.  

The second human Spectre lifts her into his arms, hugging her close and kissing her cheek.  Remaining close, he murmurs in a conspiratorial tone loud enough Caleb can hear, “I think he’s too old to train.”  She giggles, clearly pleased with the observation, and nods her head vigorously in agreement.  

One of Caleb’s brows arch a fraction, but it doesn’t last. “Aye, probably.”  Caleb steps closer, pulling his husband and daughter both into his arms.  He is not completely unprepared, however.  

“Hey!”

Kaidan’s yelp of surprise is the most delightful of greetings.

Niamh’s giggles turn into a long peal of childish delight as Caleb lifts them both in his arms and off the ground.  As he sets them back down, he grins at Kaidan before planting a welcome home kiss on his lips.  “Then again, maybe this ‘old dog’ can still learn a few new tricks after all?”

Setting Niamh down, Kaidan returns the hug with a grin of his own, no lift this time.  Releasing him, he murmurs into Caleb’s ear, “I look forward to finding out!”

[bamby0304]

Her Saviours- Ch.19

Series Masterlist

Summary: During an odd case, the Winchesters came across Y/N, a scared young Omega girl who had been used as a lure for a nest of vampires. After rescuing her from the monsters, John and his sons took her in knowing she was in no state to live among ordinary people. But three Alphas and one Omega is a mixture bound for disaster.

Warnings: Explicit language. ABO dynamics. Angst. Fluff.

Bamby

Dean’s arm was around your waist as the two of you snuggled on your shared bed. Sam was sitting at the dining table of the night’s motel of choice. On the phone to one of John’s oldest hunter friends, Sam was determined to get to the bottom of where his father was.

“No, Dad was in California last we heard from him. We just thought...he comes to you for 'munitions....maybe you've seen him in the last few weeks. Just, call us if you hear anything.” There was a pause before Sam added a ‘thanks’ and then hung up.

Looking over your shoulder at him, Dean asked, “Caleb hasn't heard from him?”

“Nope,” Sam sighed, rising from his seat. “And neither has Jefferson or Pastor Jim. What about the journal? Any leads in there?”

“No, same as last time I looked.” Dean shook his head, settling back down into his pillow and pulling you close again. “Nothing I can make out. I love the guy, but I swear, he writes like friggin' Yoda.”

“You know, maybe we should call the Feds. File a missing person’s,” Sam suggest.

You scoffed, pulling away from Dean to sit up and turn to Sam. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I want to find my dad. I’m desperate enough to do anything to find him,” he countered.

Shaking your head, you pushed up to your feet and stepped towards him, a little challenging. “And what? You think Dean doesn’t want to find him? You think I don’t want to find him?”

“I’m not saying you don’t want to find him, but you and Dean… you’ve always followed his orders. You’ve always gone where he told you to, and done what he’s said to. Hell, you two went off on a case because of him, and now look at where we are.”

“So you’re blaming us?” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

“No I’m blaming his overbearing Alpha attitude,” Sam countered, surprising you. “No one ever questions him, so he doesn’t feel challenged or threatened, so he thinks he can get away with anything and it’s stupid shit like that that’s gonna get him hurt.”

“You did.”

He frowned down at you, confused. “Huh?”

“You challenged him every chance you got,” you noted, stepping closer to him subconsciously.

Raising one shoulder in a shrug, he reached up to fix the collar of your flannel top. “Someone had to. Just because he’s Pack Alpha doesn’t mean he’s right. Doesn’t mean he should be Pack Alpha.”

The way Sam said it… you weren’t sure he was even aware of the way his scent intensified ever so slightly. You were though. You could feel it pulse around you, and fill your senses. Suddenly you felt a little light headed and warm.

Noticing the way you swayed on the spot a little, Sam’s hand shot out to grab your waist and hold you in place. “You okay?” he asked with genuine concern.

Biting your lip, you hummed a ‘yes’ as you nodded.

Dean cleared his throat from where he was leaning up on his elbow in bed. “You two done?” Once you’d pulled away from Sam and crawled back onto your spot next to Dean, he turned to his brother. “We've talked about this. Dad'd be pissed if we put the Feds on his tail.”

“I don't care anymore.” Sam shrugged just as Dean’s phone chimed. “After all that happened back in Kansas, I mean...he should've been there, Dean. You said so yourself. You tried to call him and...nothing.”

“I know!” Dean exclaimed as he reached over to the bedside table behind him to check his phone.

“You know, he could be dead for all we know.”

Sam’s words made your blood run cold.

“Don't say that!” Dean warned. “He's not dead! He's- he's…”

“He's what?” Sam pressed. “He's hiding? He's busy?”

Instead of answering Sam, Dean finally checked his phone. He mumbled after a pause, “Huh. I don't believe it.”

“What?” Sam asked, taking a seat on his own bed.

“It's, uh… it's a text message. It's coordinates.” Dean turned and showed the two of you his phone.

Sure enough, someone had sent him coordinates.

42, -89

There was only one person who wasn’t in the room who sent those kinds of messages to the Winchesters… John.

Dean jumped out of bed in an instant and hurried over to the dining table where Sam’s laptop sat. You and Sam were still in shock, watching as Dean got to work right away.

When Sam’s brain eventually did catch up, he stood and headed over to his brother. “You think Dad was texting us?”

“He's given us coordinates before,” Dean noted.

“The man can barely work a toaster, Dean,” Sam countered.

He was very wrong about that, though. John wasn’t great when it came to tech before Sam went to college, but after? When John saw how the loss of his son was dragging you down, he got you to show him how to do things. It was a way to distract you, but also a way so he could check up on you. Make sure you knew that even when he wasn’t around, he was still there for you.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t shown the same reassurance this time around...

“Sam, it's good news!” Dean insisted. “It means he's okay, or alive at least.”

“Well, was there a number on the caller ID?”

“Nah, it said 'unknown'.”

“Well, where do the coordinates point?”

“That's the interesting part.” Dean read from the computer screen. “Rockford, Illinois.”

“Ok, and that's interesting how?”

“I checked the local Rockford paper. Take a look at this.” He turned the computer so Sam could see it as he explained the case he’d found. “This cop, Walter Kelly, comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, then puts the gun in his mouth, blows his brains out. And earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum.”

“Okay, I'm not following. What has this have to do with us?”

“Dad earmarked the same asylum in the journal,” Dean noted.

Taking that as a cue, you got out of bed, headed over to Dean’s duffle and pulled out John’s journal. Flicking through the pages, you quickly found what you were looking for. “Seven unconfirmed sightings, and two deaths.”

“Until last week at least,” Dean added. “I think this is where he wants us to go.”

Sam just snorted, pulling back from the table and shaking his head. “This is a job... Dad wants us to work a job.”

“Well, maybe we'll meet up with him? Maybe he's there?” You weren’t sure if Dean actually believed his own words, but you wanted to hope he was right.

“Maybe he's not?” Clearly Sam wasn’t as confident. “I mean, he could be sending us there, by ourselves, to hunt this thing.”

“Who cares! If he wants us there, it's good enough for me!”

“This doesn't strike you as weird? The texting? The coordinates?”

“Sam! Dad's tellin' us to go somewhere, we're goin'.”

Knowing Dean had the last say, Sam just glared at him as Dean rose from his seat and headed towards you. You stood there, feeling a little uncomfortable and conflicted as Dean wound his arms around your waist from behind and turned the two of you until you were facing his brother.

“He’s Pack Alpha. Doesn’t matter if you want him to be or not. Doesn’t matter if you think he shouldn’t be anymore. Dad’s the boss, we do as he says and that’s final.” Leaning forward, Dean rested his chin on your shoulder. “Now, pack up your crap.”

“We’re going now?” you asked, turning your head so you could look at him.

“He sent the message now, so we’re going now.” Dean gave your cheek a kiss. “Don’t worry, you can sleep while I drive,” he promised before letting go of you and turning away to head into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was closed, leaving you and Sam alone, the two of you looked to each other.

“You can’t agree with all of this.”

“All of what?”

He scoffed and stepped towards you. “Dad has control over your life, and now Dean does, too. You must hate having to do what they say.”

“I don’t have to do anything. I don’t belong to anyone. You see a mark on my neck?” Pulling your collar back, you tilted your head to give him a better view. “I’m a free woman, Sam. I can do what I want.”

“If that’s the case…” he shrugged, “why don’t you join us on this case?”

It was a challenge. He knew you’d always wanted to do more than just sit around and do research. More than just sit around and wait for the Alphas to return. Now, however, things were a little different.

“After the shapeshifter-”

“That was months ago,” he countered, cutting you off. “And you’ve come a long way. You’re strong, Y/N. You’re better than the woman people think you are. You’re not weak or timid or shy. I know you, even after all this time. I know you. You hate not having full control over your own fate, you just won’t say anything because you feel like you owe Dad, Dean and me some kind of debt.”

Swallowing the thick nothingness in your throat, you averted your gaze.

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

“You deserve better than waiting around for my dad to give you permission.”

Eyes darting back up, you glared at him. “What are you saying, Sam?”

Was he suggesting you deserved more than hotel rooms, microwave meals, and bad day-time TV? Or was he suggesting something else?

Before he could answer you, the bathroom door opened as Dean stepped out and spotted the two of you.

“Am I interrupting something?” The tension in Dean’s voice an palpable. There really was no question as to whether he was okay with you getting close to his brother or not… clearly, he was not okay.

“No.” Shaking your head, you decided you didn’t want Sam to answer. Reaching for your bag on the floor, you turned to look over your shoulder and smiled at Dean. “I’ll meet you in the car.”

Without giving Sam a second look, you walked out of the room, hoping he wouldn’t bring the subject up again.

Dean was playing the bad guy in the bar, which meant you and Sam had to pretend not to know him, but still be around and wait for the cue. At first you thought that meant the two of you were just gonna sit at the bar, pick at some peanuts and drink some beers… but Sam had other plans.

“Come on.” Grabbing your hand, smiling widely, he led you over to the jukebox.

Your eyes grew wide and darted around the room. “Sam what are you-”

Cutting you off, he twirled you around before pulling you closer. Hands landing on your hips, he smiled down at you. “Dance with me?”

“You’re insane,” you scoffed, moving to pull away.

As you pulled back he caught your hand again and kept you from going far. “Just stand here and sway with me. Please. Nothing serious. Just… I wanna hold you, Y/N.”

The flutter of butterflies that assaulted your stomach almost had you fainting on the spot.

Moving back to him, you couldn’t help but return his smile with one of your own as his hands landed back on your waist. You couldn’t deny that they felt good there. That it felt good to have him close again.

“Are you doing this to mess with me?” you asked, voice soft, unsure, a little scared of his answer.

Sighing, he slid his hands around to the small of your back, pulling you a little closer. “Don’t think for one second that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be with you, Y/N. I never once ran away from you.”

“No… but you didn’t stay with me, either.”

“I would’ve asked you to come with me if I thought you’d do it. But I know you care about Dad and Dean, and I knew you would have begged me not to go.” He sighed, “I never could say no to you.”

“You're Daniel Gunderson. You're a cop, right?”

Dean’s voice carried through the bar, drawing yours and Sam’s attention to him as he spoke to a man at one of the tables. It was pretty obvious the guy didn’t want to talk to anyone, but that was kind of the point.

“Yeah.” The guy nodded shortly.

“Huh. I'm uh, Nigel Tufnel, The Chicago Tribune,” Dean introduced himself with the fake name he’d chosen for the case. “Mind if I ask you a couple of questions, about your partner?” he asked as he slid into the seat across from Gunderson.

“Yeah, I do. I'm just tryin' to have a beer here.”

Just like you’d all planned, Dean insisted, “That's okay, I swear it won't take that long. I just want to get the story in your words.”

“A week ago, my partner was sitting in that chair. Now he's dead. You gonna ambush me here?” Gunderson gestured to the chair Dean was now sitting in.

That was Sam’s cue.

Dean was not giving up. “Sorry. But I need to know what happened.”

Walking away from you, Sam stormed across the bar and shove Dean right out of the chair. You could tell by the way Dean’s head snapped in the direction of his brother that the shove had been harder than he’d been expecting.

“Hey buddy, why don't you leave the poor guy alone! The man's an officer! Why dontcha show a little respect!” Sam snapped.

Staring at Sam a moment longer, Dean then fixed up his jacket and walked out of the door.

Once Dean was gone, Gunderson looked to Sam. “You didn't have to do that.”

“Yeah, course I did. That guy's a serious jerk.” Shaking his head, Sam took Dean’s place in the seat across from the cop. “Let me buy you a beer, huh?”

Not waiting around to see what was gonna happen next, you headed for the nearest exit.

In the farthest corner of the parking lot, you found Dean sitting on the hood of Baby, shaking his head with his hands in his pockets. The way he was looking at the ground, it was clear he was unimpressed.

“He did it for the effect,” you assured Dean, heading for the car.

Looking up, he scoffed. “He did it to get back at me.”

“And what does he have to get back at you for?”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Dean gave a short shrug. “Let’s see, there’s the fact Dad’s gone and I’m not looking hard enough for him. I dragged Sam back into the life and now I’m bossing him around like Dad always did. And there’s you.”

“Me?” you asked, stopping in front of him.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Play pretend,” he answered. “I saw the two of you dancing.”

Gesturing over your shoulder at the bar, you gave a short laugh. “You mean you saw us standing in front of the jukebox together.”

“I know what I saw, Y/N. I’m not an idiot. It’s not just tonight. The two of you… he wants you, and you want him.”

“Of course I want him!” you exclaimed, getting agitated. “Have you forgotten the years I spent with him? I might’ve been with you first, but Sam and me… it was safer for the two of us to be together. We could do the public thing. It wasn’t illegal, it wasn’t weird, and we took full advantage of that. Sam and I actually acted like a fucking couple, not some dirty little secret!”

Dean pushed off the car suddenly. “I never wanted that for you! You think I wanted to treat you like some secret?”

“You still fucking do!”

“Because I can’t have you!” he countered.

By now, you wouldn’t be surprised if the people in the bar could hear the two of you screaming at each other.

“You fucking think I like not being able to show you off to the world? You think I like flirting with every set of boobs, and then crawling back into bed with you like they’re nothing?” His nostrils were flaring as his angered eyes searched yours.

A calm settled over you as he said his last point. “If you hate hooking up with so many women, then stop.”

“Being with them keeps me from making a huge fucking mistake.”

Gasping, you flinched and pulled back. Right away he could see his mistake.

“Y/N-”

“You think marking me would be a mistake? You think… being my Alpha would be a mistake?”

“No.” He quickly shook his head, all traces of anger now erased from his voice. “I think marking you without talking it out with Dad first would be a mistake… ‘cause I don’t want to take you away from him, and I don’t want to take him away from you. When Sammy left I know how much that hurt, and now that Dad is gone I know you’re hurting all over again. But just because he’s not here now doesn’t mean he’s gone forever, and when he is back by your side… I don’t want either of you hating me.”

The sincerity in his eyes made your heart hurt. He meant every word of it. Dean… he wanted to give you more, but he didn’t want to take from you at the same time.

“No one ever said making me yours would take me from him,” you countered.

“I’m not willing to take that risk.” He sighed, “I’m sorry.”

Smiling sadly, you nodded. “No, it’s fine. I get it. I can wait until we find John. Then we’ll all sit down and we’ll figure this out. I get it. It’s okay.”

Despite how much you wanted to believe it… you weren’t sure you could. You weren’t sure the words were enough to keep your heart from breaking even more than it already was.

“Everything okay?”

Spinning on your heels, you watched as Sam approached you and his brother.

Avoiding the question, Dean leaned back on Baby again. “Shoved me kinda hard in there, buddy boy.”

“I had to sell it, didn't I? It's method acting.” Sam shrugged as he stepped up to you, turning away from his brother. “You okay?” he asked, lifting his hand to caress your cheek.

You pulled back and looked away, folding your arms over your chest. “I’m fine.”

Watching you, Sam frowned with concern. “Y/N-”

“What did the cop have to say?” you asked, cutting him off.

Sighing, realising you weren’t going to talk, he got back to the case. “So, Walter Kelly was a good cop. Head of his class, even-keeled, he had a bright future ahead of him.”

“What about at home?”

Turning his attention to Dean, Sam shrugged. “He and his wife had a few fights, like everybody, but he was mostly smooth sailing. They were even talking about having kids.”

“Alright,” Dean pushed off Baby again. “So either Kelly had some deep-seated crazy waiting to bust out, or something else did it to him.”

Sam gave a short nod. “Right.”

As the three of you headed for the car doors to get in, Dean asked, “What'd Gunderson tell you about the asylum?”

“A lot.”

Bamby

[kayah16]

Family (HAHN)

Eddie was still growing but he hasn’t grown that much. He was still short tempered and ready to shoot at any moment. Seeing that Mitch’s family was being disrespectful towards his little sister, niece, and nephew. That didn’t sit well with the once rogue cop.

He didn’t understand Mitch’s family and how he dealt with them. Mitch had to know his family was racist and didn’t like Lainey. That’s why when Lainey texted him about what Mitch family said to her, he knew what had to be done. Shoot them.

The quicker they get shot the better off everybody is. Then he realized that start drama with Mitch and he didn’t care but Mitch was still Treasure and Diego’s dad. Something in him was telling he should go tell Mama, but the other side told him no. Come to think of it none of the children has heard from Mama.

He’ll talk to his siblings about that later but now was time to gather his brothers and cause some hell. He thought about texting his brothers, but he needed to see their reaction in person. Only thing he told them was to bring their guns.

He also told Benny don’t say anything to Melissa. They all met up in front of Mitch’s family bar which instantly pissed Cameron off. He wasn’t fond of Mitch and he hated his family with a passion. Benny was confused which isn’t a surprise and Zion just wanted to know why they were there.

“Alright. Before we go in and turn this place upside down. I’m about to show y’all the text message Lainey sent me.”

Retrieving his phone from his pocket he went straight to the text messages showing them to the others. Zion the usually calm one started cursing and made his way inside the bar. The other three followed behind him into the bar. Eddie took his gun out and shot a warning shot into the ceiling making everybody except his brothers jump.

“I’m going to say this one time. Everybody get the hell out because if you don’t we have a bullet with your name on it.”

The customers ran out the bar which made Pauly and Vinny come from the back. Pauly’s eyes became wide as he looked at the bigger men in front of him. Vinny knew he fucked up. Benny cracked his neck and his knuckles staring at Mitch’s family.

“Ayo, my man. Bring yo ass over here.”

Pauly took small steps praying he didn’t piss on himself. That only pissed Benny off even more. Grabbing the younger man by his collar he yolked him up throwing him against the wall. Vinny tried to step forward but that caused Zion, Cameron, and Eddie to pull their guns on Vinny. All their fingers waiting to pull the trigger.

“What your bitchass say about my little sister?”

Pauly didn’t answer fast enough which irritated Benny and that was met with a punch to the gut.

“I ain’t asking you again! What did your bitchass say about my little sister? Matter fact what the hell did you say about my niece and nephew? Talk!”

Pauly started to babble and asked Vinny for help. Vinny thought he was going to be sneaky and grab his gun, but Zion seen it and shot him in the shoulder.

“Next shot is going to be in your head. Hold on B, this punk said some slick shit too about Lainey, Goldie, and Diego.”

Cameron approached Vinny who was holding his wound and pistol whipped him in the mouth.

“So, you going make my little sister a prostitute? That’s what the hell you said? What are my niece and nephew again? Say it! That same big shit you were talking to our little sister talk it now!”

Cameron shouted. Zion stood by Cameron while Eddie stood by Benny. What they didn’t know is Caleb had walked in the bar and was watching them with a proud smile. He wanted Vinny and Pauly to repeat what they said as well.

“Y’all heard my boys. Repeat what y’all told Lainey.”

Everybody turned to see Caleb sitting in one of the booths. Vinny and Pauly both felt like they were in a horror movie. Standing up Caleb slowly made his way over to his boys.

“Y’all two quiet but when my daughter was here y’all had a lot to say. Make my daughter a prostitute? A black bitch? Who said that?”

“Vinny did.”

Pauly choked out. Caleb nodded giving Cameron and Zion a signal. A few moments later Vinny yelled out in pain as Zion shot him in the hand. Pauly whimpered feeling terrified.

“What was said about my grandbabies? They are orangutans and porch monkeys. That’s what the message said, and I know my babygirl have no reason to lie to me.”

Caleb gave Eddie and Benny a signal and next they heard Pauly was yelling out in pain. They shot him in the hand as well. Caleb wasn’t an evil man but one thing he did not play was messing with his family.

“Now I know yall going to go and tell Mitch. I want yall to. I want yall to go and tell Mitch. I want yall to remember this. We let your live but the next time we will kill yall and not think twice.”

Caleb motioned for his boys to follow him but then stopped midway.

“Vinny, before you make my daughter a prostitute, I promise you, you will be somebodies bitch in jail. Be blessed, oh tell my girl Mama Rose I be speaking to her about what you two have been doing and saying.”

They all left the bar satisfied with their work. Now they were going to have a sit down with Mitch. Mitch was either going to smarten up and leave the Malones alone or have nobody in his corner when it came to the Young family.

“Aye Pop, where Ma?”

Zion asked.

“People forget that Mama wasn’t always a Christian and I think she about to show a few people don’t fuck with her. Y’all want to go check on her?”

“Hell yeah! Mama not in the house and not answering calls. She must think she grown.”

Cameron spoke up. The other men laughed as they got in their separate vehicles following Caleb to their next destination.

AN: This may suck but this is how it played out in my head lol. The men in this family ain’t wrapped too tight 

[conceptstage]

Life Lessons {Part Two}

AO3    ~    Part One

Jester frowned at the beer that was offered to her. “I don’t know,” she said. “Do you really think it will help?”

Nott paused as she downed her beer and nodded emphatically. “O’Course. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, this will make you forget it. There’s no better therapist than booze.” She smacked her lips and sighed. “This shit sucks.” But she finished off the mug and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Jester picked up the mug but just swirled it around for a moment. “Have you tried, I don’t know, an actual therapist?”

“Booze is cheaper.”

Jester was still dubious but she took a sip and instantly spit it onto the floor. “Bleh! That’s gross! You like this stuff?”

Nott shook her head. “You don’t drink it cause it tastes good. In fact, anything you can do to avoid tasting it is probably the best way to go. Just tilt your head back and pour it straight down your throat, don’t let it linger on your tongue too long.”

“This is a weird hobby.”

“It’s the most popular hobby in the world. Just try it. If you don’t like it, you can stop.”

Jester sighed heavily and stared at her own reflection in her beer. “Maybe…”

“Or, we could talk about what’s bothering you like adults and try to work it out responsibly.” Nott suggested, though the tone in her voice said it was the last thing she wanted to do. Jester sneered at the idea of giving voice to the swirling thoughts in her mind and tilted her head all the way back, pouring the beer into her mouth. She swallowed with a grimace and Nott cheered. “Atta girl!” Then she ordered another round for them both.

“I’m still on my first one,” Jester complained when their second drinks were brought over by the waitress.

“If you don’t drink it, I will,” Nott said with a shrug.

Jester finished her first mug and felt herself begin to feel delightfully light, like all her bones were suddenly hollow. She was smiling as she started the second mug. “You know…” she mumbled. “This is kinda nice, actually.” She took a swig and shuddered at the taste. “If only this didn’t taste so bad.”

Nott laughed. “The sacrifices we make…” She let it trail off like she had forgotten her point and started a new sentence without prompting. “So, what bothered you so much that it made you agree to come here with me tonight?”

Jester knew someone in the back of her mind that she shouldn’t answer. This was a secret and Nott was a notorious secret-blabber. It was her gossipy tendencies that had sent Jester down this spiral in the first place. “Beau. I think I’m in love with Beau.”

Nott spit her beer out in surprise and ignored the angry ‘Hey!’ of the woman at the table next to them. “Oh for fuck’s sake! Really? Now?”

Jester nodded and crossed her arms on the table, laying her hot forehead against her arms but speaking loud enough that she thought Nott could still hear her. “I think I’ve loved her for a really long time but I didn’t put the right words to it! When you told us at Molly’s house the other night that she used to have a crush on me, I started having all these thoughts. We sleep in the same bed all the time! We cuddle, we hold hands, we go to the theater to watch bad movies every week and giggle together in the back row.”

Nott’s mouth twisted up in disgust. “Beau giggling? Ew.”

Jester sat up straight and charged forward, either ignoring Nott or not hearing her at all. “I mean, we’re practically already dating, but without the sex!” Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh my god, I wanna have sex with Beau. I wanna kiss her so much and see her whole body turn red all over. And I wanna -”

“Aht!” Nott reprimanded. “Nope. Stopping that line of thought right now before I hear shit I can never unhear.” After a moment of quiet, Nott sighed and reached over to take Jester’s wrist and remove her glass mug from her python grip. “Okay, okay, don’t break the glass. I’ve already got a tab going here and I can’t afford any more broken shit on it. Alright, let’s start at the beginning. You told us all years ago that you were straight.”

“I know and I still like men. And it’s like…” she paused and looked around the bar, pointing to the attractive purple haired woman behind the bar. “Like, look at her. She’s beautiful, right? Super, extra sexy even. I don’t wanna have sex with her. But Beau… It’s different with Beau.” She picked her mug back up and downed it. “I want more. It’s starting to taste kinda good.”

Nott frowned. “I don’t know. You’re already spiralling.”

“Nott, just this once? Please?”

Nott couldn’t resist those sad eyes, even if they were a little wild and loopy right now. She sighed and ordered another round. “Alright. Write down your address on that napkin before you forget it.” Jester looked confused but too a pen from her purse and started jotting it down. “You give that to the taxi driver. If you remember nothing from here on out, remember that, alright?”

She did remember nothing but that. 

She vaguely remembered arriving at her apartment building, staring at her bright green front door for a few seconds, and then walking away from it instead. She must have had a destination in mind, but she couldn't remember it at all.

-

Jester woke up in a familiar bed that was not her own. Her eyes felt like they were on fire and her throat felt like Frumpkin had crawled inside and slept there last night. She smacked her dry lips and forced her eyes open long enough to start mission ‘Find Something To Drink’.

There was a sports drink by her bed.

Mission accomplished. 

She was pretty good at this hangover thing.

She popped open the bottle and downed it in large gulps. There was a mostly empty bottle of the same kind of drink next to it and she finished that too. She nearly missed the bottle of pain pills behind them, but she knocked it over by accident when she had tried to sit down the second bottle and thought ‘Oh good, feel-better medicine’. She couldn’t really count right now and when she tried she wasn’t sure which pills in her palm were really there and which were double vision from how dizzy she was, so she just took out what felt right and swallowed them.

Beau’s room, she realized as she started looking around.

She was in Beau’s room but Beau was nowhere to be seen.

“Beau!” she groaned. “Beeeeaaaauuuuu!” She needed one of Beau’s magical ‘make-everything-better’ hugs right now.

There was the sound of shuffling footsteps from the bathroom and Beau stuck her head out, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. She smirked and leaned against the door frame. “Morning, Drunkie. How you feeling?”

“Like fucking shit.”

Beau laughed and stepped back into the bathroom long enough to spit, rinse and wipe off her mouth, then she walked over to the bed and climbed in beside Jester, letting the younger woman wrap around her like an octopus. “That’s the great thing about alcohol, it comes with its own life lessons.”

“Then why do people drink?”

“Why did you drink?”

Jester looked up at her blearily and blinked. “I forget.”

“That’s why.” She sighed and let Jester rest for a moment, gently brushing her fingertips through her friend’s hair. “So. You gonna tell me what happened last night or am I gonna have to piece the evidence together like a detective?”

“Second one. No talkie. Not me.”

Beau hummed thoughtfully. “Well, you would never drink for the first time all alone. You weren’t with me, you weren’t with Caleb and Molly, Yasha is in Xorhas for the next month, Caduceus doesn’t drink, and Fjord would never let you get this fucking plastered. So you must have been with Nott. Nott is banned from most bars in town so that narrows down where you went. You smell like smoke and you have peanut shell under your fingernails, so you must have been at The Leaky Tap.”

Jester nodded her head against Beau’s collar bone. “You’re really good at that.”

“Not really, that was all bullshit. You actually have a napkin from the Tap stuck on the ass of your dress,” she said, pointing to the dress on the floor. “With… I think that’s your address written on it.” Jester didn’t turn to look, instead snuggling closer to Beau’s body like she wanted to disappear inside of her. “How did you get to Dairon’s though?”

Jester frowned and finally turned her head up to look at her. “Dairon’s? What was I doing at Dairon’s?”

“Apparently, you drank so much booze that you were transported magically to a time when I lived there,” she teased. “You called me from her phone and I came to get you, in case you were wondering how you got here.”

She hadn’t been wondering that, she was just glad that she was. “Thank you. You’re the best.” I’m in love with you. But she didn’t say that out loud. Beau was over her, she’d said so herself. There was no use bringing it up now, not when Beau had moved on. Beau started running her fingers up and down Jester’s spine and Jester sighed, closing her eyes and letting herself drift off.

[lo-ve-ly-lu-na-blog]

Lucifer and Her King (Devil!Cal AU)

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: Drinking, cursing, sexual implications

Chapter One

The club was aglow, and so was she. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair wild and untamed, her smile infectious and bright. She was Lucifer-- and she was about to embark on a journey labelled the beginning of her descent.

Her descent started with a man with curly brown hair, a smooth grin sliding across her face. Lucy, however timid, wasn't in the particular mood to await pursuit tonight. She felt a pull between her and the dark stranger. Though the pull nearly knocked her off of her feet, her own will pushed her harder. She finished her drink -- though she instantly forgot how it tasted -- and made her way across the room.

Calum wasn't in the mood for partying. A once-in-a-blue-moon event his friends had joked, but he wasn't in the mood for jokes, in a similar fashion. He lived life to the fullest -- drinks and girls and friends and fun. His life was great. So, why did he feel like something was missing?

The mystery girl approached him resembling an angel. Her hair -- though untamed and messy -- shone under the green light, her eyes -- though slightly glossy and unfocused -- set him on fire. He watched her as she drew closer and closer, her body water through the club's jagged rocks of dancers. When she reached him, he didn't say a word. This girl was an angel in disguise.

He smiled devilishly when she dragged him onto the dance floor. The sounds he made were even more devilish when she kissed him. When she pulled him out of the club? At that moment, he wasn't just a devil -- he was the devil.

Lucy let Calum tug her down, down, down into him as they fled further away from the music and the people in the club. Their breaths were quick, but their hands were faster. When they parked, she ran from the cab as if darkness threatened to pull her in, he ran as if it threatened him with light. Up the stairs, through the doors, onto the bed -- it was all too slow, so they moved faster. They whispered sounds they didn't know they could make, coaxing them out of each other with every buck of their hips.

His name was Calum, his voice was velvet -- soft and smooth and the fire threatening to burn her --, and he made her eyes roll back.

Her name was Lucy, her body was a rose -- beautiful and fragile and dangerous enough to spark a fire in him --, and she taught him things he thought he'd already learned.

Their bodies, as moulded together as they were, was only the beginning of a knot that would pull them both in tighter than they might be able to handle. Their lives were about to change, for better or worse, and they, at the very, very least, had that one blissful night under the stars and Fate's grim grin.

♚

The morning sun woke Calum with a hiss. He turned over, not thinking anything of it until he remembered that he always kept the drapes windows closed. His back, now erect, dampened to a slouch when he remembered his friends must have opened them, simply to bother him. He heard a loud laugh trail underneath his door from the kitchen.

Yes, that’s it, he comforted himself in his head. Luke, Michael, and Ashton are just destroying my house, per usual. If he were anyone else, he would have thanked God for the lock on his door -- crafted of the purest titanium -- instead, his thoughts remained quiet.

He tossed and turned in a vain attempt to sleep, but they were much too loud for his eyes to close. Finally, he jumped out of bed -- growling and groaning as he dressed and brushed his teeth. He reached for the lock on his door, only to find it unhitched. The day prior seemed to drop onto him like a piano from the sky. His eyes widened as he raced towards the kitchen. A girl like her alone with his three mischievous and flirty friends? He felt a surge of possessiveness burn through him, scorching his lungs.

He skidded into the kitchen, only to find Ashton, Luke, and Michael eating donuts and drinking beers. He didn’t find them drinking beers at nine in the morning as unsettling as the lack of Lucy in his kitchen.

He skimmed the room in an instant. He didn’t find anything that even hinted at the memory of her in his apartment, Calum found nothing out of the ordinary, except the clothes she’d torn off of him so eagerly were no longer on the floor, but folded neatly on the coffee table.

“G’morning to you, too, Cal,“ Ashton joked from the counter, tipping a beer in Calum’s direction. “Nice of you to join the party, like the one you left without warning last night.“ He quipped.

However, Calum wasn’t particularly in the mood for witty banter. He gripped Ashton’s collar and slammed him against the nearest wall, his temper flaring hotter than the flames that glowed blue upon his head.

Ashton choked on the beer in his throat, but Calum didn’t mind. In fact, he licked the beer that landed on his lip and swallowed it gratefully. “Where is she?” Luke and Michael sat quietly on the counter, chewing their food calmly as they watched the scene their friends had made. It was quite entertaining, actually.

“Who the fuck is She?“ Ashton asked through quick inhales to his friend, whom he was certain had gone crazy. 

Michael, the more reasonable of the bunch, ventured into the depths of Calum’s fury. "Cal? The apartment was empty when we got here," He paused, digesting Calum's reaction. His grip loosened, Ashton landing firmly back onto the ground.

"What?"

"The apartment was empty," Michael continued, taking a small sip of his coffee before continuing. "Except for you and your fuckin' snoring, of course."

Calum turned around, picking up the coffee labelled "Caleb" and gulping it down -- it scorched his throat the whole way, and he savoured it.

"I don't snore." That was all he said, and then he walked right out of his own apartment, his mind awhirl with feelings and ideas he couldn't understand.

Fate sent a piteous look towards the curly-headed boy. She knew how the story would go, but she wished she didn't.

♚ 

 Lucy couldn't think, not when the previous night haunted her every movement. Little did Calum know, that club was her home, working all day, partying all night. She only slept in her apartment, and rarely did so. Angel's Hell was her home, and her coworkers were her family.

Ivy leaned across the bar, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "You left early last night," Lucy felt her cheeks warm -- still, she continued cleaning the counter in silence. "I also caught sight of this beautiful boy with tattoos like constellations and eyes like a drug."

Lucy froze, her eyes remaining downcast, not meeting Ivy's. "He didn't see me, though." Ivy pulled away from Lucy, moving on to mop the floor before their five o'clock opening. "He only had eyes for you, El Diablo."

Ivy had given Lucy the name El Diablo because of her riveting taste for satire, knowing Lucy was an angel. At least, that's what Lucy thought.

"We just spent one night together," She finally admitted, cleaning the bar with a much faster pace, eager to switch topics. "It was nothing."

She stiffened. Ivy had already expected this answer, but hearing it was another torment entirely. "I don't trust him," She said with a quick bite.

Lucy snorted. "You don't trust any men, Ive."

Ivy spun Lucy around quickly, though Lucy was sure she hadn't placed a single hand on her. "I'm serious, Lucy," Her eyes seemed to burn, but with light instead of fire -- they were such a bright brown they were mesmerizing. "Stay away from him and his whole posse, they're bad news."

Lucy shrugged her off, memories flashing before her eyes -- the dance floor, the car ride, the bed, the morning. "It was just one night, Ivy, calm down." She tossed the cloth away, breathing harshly. "I'm probably never going to see him again, anyways." She made her way behind the counter, shrugging past Ivy. "Excuse me," Was all she said sharply before she made her way to the back of the store.

Ivy sighed, looking up towards the ceiling, or, more specifically, beyond it. "You'd better have a good plan for this." She muttered to her superiors before she returned to the floor, scrubbing away the dirt.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let me know if u want to be part of my tag list ❤

[beckstriad]

The Pit - Part 3

TW: (brief) contemplation of Suicide/death as a way out of a bad situation This ain’t the parking lot?

The previous night’s events came crashing in suddenly and he sat upright, wheezing from pain and shock, his hand reaching for his throat. Something heavy was there, and it took his pain muddled mind a moment to connect the sound of the chain to the way he wiggled the thing around. 

A collar?

Rolling onto his hands and knees, he slowly stood, shaking and putting a hand on the pillar behind him, the other to his head. Forcing his eyes to focus, first on the ground and then the surrounding area, it was the same warehouse. But it was empty. Sinking back down to the ground, his mind spun with grief and despair; there were worse things than death here.

Mac lost track of time as he leaned against the pillar and drifted in and out of sleep, not bothering to yell for help. Waking with a start as the doors slammed open and malicious laughter echoed around, the group of men from before strolled in and up to the fence. 

“Awake? Oh good, you still got fight in you after all.” The leader, Matt or Mathias is what they called him, put a foot on the lower rung of the fence. “Got anything to say?” Mac just stared up at him, jaw tight, seeing no point in engaging with these men. 

“You really are a dumb asshole aren’t you? Well it doesn’t matter, you can fight but even better you can take a hit. That’s your job now, aren’t you happy? Consider this employment, and if you’re good we’ll see about upgrading your conditions. How does that sound?” He continued to ramble on, clearly enjoying the captive audience he commanded. “Look at you, you already got marks on you so I know you love a good fight.” Clearly this man loved to hear himself talk, “so either you looked down on us at the bar, or you were scared of how many there were of us? Maybe you’re not so dumb but look, the point is -” he looked at one of his ‘friends’ as they made their way into the ring and towards Mac “- you’re the dog in our fight ring. We host all kinds of fights here so don’t worry, it’s not all on you.” Looking up at the taller man approaching him, Mac decided he wasn’t going to play their games and closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. 

“Here’s the thing,” that damn voice again “you don’t get any choice here. Now, I brought you in ‘cause I thought you liked to fight. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you’re a sick fuck and just want pain. Whatever, live and let live right?” 

Chuckles behind him agreed.

 “But people are going to come and they’re going to beat the shit out of you. The only choice you get is if you take it or fight back, and the fight’s over when one of you stops moving, or when I say.”

Still no response from Mac, which irritated Mathias somewhat, though Mac couldn’t see the frown “understand this, piece of shit; I’m going to protect my investment. You’re not getting out of here easy.” Waving a lazy hand, he directed the man in the ring towards Mac, past some spray painted line on the floor a certain distance from the wall. “Caleb will even give you the first hit free, whatcha say?”

Real generous of ya.

Opening one eye, Mac saw the situation and hated it, hated every single thing about it and wanted to just lay down and die. But something in him refused to, it wouldn’t let him do it.

Stubborn to the end, I guess.

Heaving a great sigh, he rose with his back to the wall, partially to hold him up until the room stopped spinning. 

“Holy shit boys, would you look at that? Caleb, hope you’re ready to take your loss.”

“Fuck you Matt, you cheating bastard.” 

“A bet’s a bet man, don’t bitch now.” The rest of the crew laughed, and Caleb looked annoyed and pissed off, but not actually angry.

Rolling his neck and shoulders as he stepped off the wall, Mac cracked his knuckles and flexed his hands, reaching striking distance and watching as Caleb refused to flinch. Wiping any feelings of guilt from his consciousness, Mac tensed up and saw Caleb stop his hands from raising up, anticipating the hit. Problem was, Caleb was braced for a punch, not Mac’s workboot driving his knee backwards and into the floor. There was a sickening crunch as the knee bent back the wrong way, Mac’s weight ploughing through the delicate joint. Caleb started falling backwards and Mac moved in close, driving his elbow up under the taller man’s chin to help him to the ground. Hardly hearing the screams, Mac’s jaw flexed as he turned and went back to the wall, sitting down to hide how bad his legs were shaking. All he could think about was either how much he hated this or how much he hurt, there was no relief from this hell either way. The others came through the fence towards him and he prepared for another beating, hoping this one would send him into oblivion; instead Mathias shouted orders at them. Backing off, a few retreated to help their friend while Mathias came up close to Mac;

“Oh, that was beautiful, very nice. Tonight’s going to be amazing, you’re quite the catch.” He shouted  over his shoulder at the others, “Caleb, shut the fuck up, you’re going to the doc, you’ll live.” 

Fixing a feral grin on his face, Mathias slowly popped his finger knuckles one at a time “Yea, you’re gonna love it here buddy.”