#Frustrated Hustler

[jess-dailylife]

The Struggle of the "Easy" Side Hustle

Today has been a tough one. I spent hours trying out all these “easy” side hustles, the ones everyone raves about—those that are supposed to take seconds to complete, with minimal effort and maximum reward. The promise of passive income always seems so close, but when I dive in, it feels like I'm hitting one roadblock after another.

What really stings is how much time I've put into these tasks, only to find that I can’t even finish them without shelling out for a subscription. It feels like a trap, a constant cycle of “almost there, but not quite” that leaves me feeling drained. The fact that after all this time, all I have to show for it is frustration, is just... exhausting.

I thought side hustles would be my ticket to financial freedom, but instead, it’s just left me questioning if I’ll ever find a way to actually earn passive income. When will I finally find a hustle that doesn’t require me to keep paying for tools just to keep going? It’s like the dream of making extra money on the side has turned into a money pit of its own.

I guess I’m feeling defeated. Maybe it’s just part of the journey. Or maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. But right now, it’s hard to shake this feeling that I’ve wasted another day chasing something that doesn’t quite exist… yet.

Here’s hoping tomorrow brings a clearer path.

-Just a girl in Ontario

[sevs-corner]

Tf 141! As classic highschool jock tropes

(Im brainrotting agane so lets get this outta the way)

Tw: nsfw themes/ implications 18+ !!

So the 4 are the popular kids for sure

However wacky they may be, or how god awful their reputation is— the people love em, and are very VERY downbad for ‘em

Price, as the captain of the rugby team, is the cocky type

Overconfident, knows how to sell himself, the typical rich kid that would hold parties after every game win

And they always win

Price is the Troy Bolton equivalent, with all the talents but none of the motivation to use ‘em or explore the arts

He is committed to the game, and the only time where you can find him dead serious and hyper focused

Though in relationships? He’s far from that

Body count? Don’t even try and think about it, its not like he keeps score either

But he does score them based on how good they are (he is BI and will fuck anyone)

The fact that he hasn’t fucked you would be quite rare

Protection king actually, because he will NOT take responsibility for what happens after the deed

But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t raw dog you if you wanted to :)

Ghost, is still as enigmatic as ever and the most brooding out of the four

But that doesn’t mean he won’t kick your ass

To be honest, he wouldn’t hold back at ALL (especially if you insulted his rock music or his fashion sense)

He does play in the same team as Price, and is actually his second in command

He’s super quick on his feet because he does boxing at the side

(How else would he expel all of his angsty teenage energy?)

That’s why he’s always sluggish and the type to sleep in class (but still get straight As ‘cause he’s just a natural smart ass like that)

Teachers are afraid of this man and is also scared of the backing that he has because of his parents and his association with Price and his own parents too (they fund the school board)

In terms of hooking up other people…

He doesn’t do it often but when he does-

Well, let’s just say that people go to him if they feel a little…experimental

Aftercare? The bare minimum ‘cause he knows its intense

Will he do it often and go out of his way to do it? No (but maybe he would for you)

Gaz, is the the “nice” guy out of the four

He’s the type to always get straight As, participate in all the projects, join community projects, be student council president—

Yes, he wants absolute control under his finger tips

People really don’t know if they’re being tugged on strings with him at the helm, doing every bit of his bidding without even him lifting a single finger

While he sits there, looking all pretty

He does play sports but is quite average

But you already know that he’s the one lifting his shirt for the nice lowkey, candid abs pic

Always a performer in the field, which sometimes pisses off Price and Ghost (they’re very competitive when they get into the zone) but really does decently enough that he gets scouted too

Although, he prefers that he handles more of the internal working of school

Slowly ensuring that the four of them have absolute control of the school— all for their amusement of course

His hook-up culture is a bit…skewed

A sadist in the sheets and a masochist in the closet

An absolute wild animal if you managed to hook up with him

But if he hooks up with any of the three other guys?

Well, let’s (also) just say that Ghost has to get his practice in somehow, right? Or when he’s frustrated and need to take it out in a…more sensual way

He is as willing as the day he joined them

Soap, is the wildest party animal out of the four

And because of that, he’s the go-to guy for supplies in alcohol and drugs

Even has connections in getting places for parties (like abandoned parks, houses, a lake side getaway- whatever you wanted he’ll get it)

But for a pretty penny, of course

He is the stash keeper in terms of money and all of the above

He’s also the hustler, working hand-in-hand with Ghost whenever they need to deal with someone

Unruly doesn’t quite match the energy he gives off everyday

Messing and pranking with the teachers aren’t even enough for him

Vandalizing is too common and just wreaking havoc is the name of his game

He does play on the team with the rest but often gets fouls or does foul play that he gets red carded out immediately anyways

Does he care for any type of attraction with hook-ups? Nope

He just fucks ‘em and leaves, responsibilities be damned

You chose to be with him anyways, right? Its not like forced you to the lone room upstairs or anything

Its not him who removed his clothes in front him— it was all your own will and he simply just jumped at the opportunity and your wide open arms

You, on the other hand, just transferred to this school

Unknowing of its inner workings

You find yourself at this school because of a troubled family life

With such a failure in their lives, they decide to dump you here by your lonesome

And now you have to figure out how to live in and outside of this school

Lemme know if you want more crumbs of this hehe <3

[punksocks]

Astrology observations No.16: Lilith Edition

*just based on my experiences please take them with a grain of salt

**the taming your Lilith femininity post can be found here fyi ;0

-The element of your Lilith could point to what people find so scandalous about you. Air: your otherworldly air and intelligence; Water: your sensuality and emotional expression; Earth: Your strength and grounded nature; Fire: Your fierce energy and how you’re too hot to handle

-if Lilith has aspects to your Venus (especially conjunct/opposition/square) you may have guys say they don’t usually date girls like you/of your cultural background (twice as likely if your Venus or Lilith is in Sagittarius) (also that gives me the ick instantly ngl)

-Lilith conjunct/opposition/square 1st/7th/8th/10th could point to being hit on in the weirdest ways ever. (Guys have yelled at me from car windows, or been in my dms for actual years, at a convention a guy was pushing a stroller and said there goes my wife so loudly and so close to my face I didn’t even catch it until a moment after. I mean the other day a dude called my hair pretty then asked if it was heavy- like huh?? Dudes are weird)

-Lilith aspects to mars (especially conjunct/opposition/square) could point to people shaming you for expressing frustration/anger, especially in your youth

-I’ve had soooo many dudes short circuit on me with our Lilith synastry omg. I have stories lol. A lot of guys being into me and running off then coming back (they don’t get to come back in tho! Gross) I’ve felt it the most with Lilith conjunct sun synastry, underdeveloped guys have been competitive and obsessive. Like belittling in an envious way but also trying to make me feel smaller to always keep me around because they were too into my energy (it didn’t work). It can work out with a partner that is self aware and respectful and turn into the sun person showing you a side of themselves that they don’t show anyone else. It just takes a minutes to weed it out lol.

-I would imagine that Lilith conjunct/opposition/square Moon and Venus would be even more of a whirlwind. Lilith would be bringing out the Moon native’s hidden emotions and taboo emotional motivations (it’s giving the guy in Hustlers that came in to guilt his girlfriend into coming home for the night from her job at the strip club, but like that manipulative and petty all the time). And Lilith would bring out hidden and taboo desires in the Venus native (secret girlfriend, can’t meet their friends or family just “because it’s not the right time”- but it’s never the right time, you thought you were dating but it turns out you were the other woman, etc)

-Also Lilith conjunct/opposition/square someone else’s ascendant is very likely to make the other person act jealous and petty towards you

-Lilith in 12th could point to being a lot of people’s secret fantasies, hidden people that deeply desire you or envy you

-A lot of prominent Lilith placements are prone to fertility issues but I’d assume this is even more likely for Lilith in 6th

-Lilith in 7th could date partners that try to change them as soon as they get into a relationship with them (censor how you dress, dictate your hair cut, just really get terribly controlling because they assume your “theirs”) (I’ve also experienced this with Lilith in 10th, and I would guess the same for Lilith in 1st/aspects to 1st or 10th or 7th)

-Lilith in 8th could point to s*xual trauma and at the very least going through many transformations before coming into your own sexuality

-Lilith in 9th could point to blossoming into yourself abroad or in a country outside of your origin. It can also point to receiving a lot of s*xual attention outside of your cultural group.

-Lilith in 1st/10th/11th could point to difficulty and backstabbing in female friendships. In 6th & 10th this could carry over to workplaces. In 7th this points to being the other woman in relationships or women coming onto your partner

-Lilith in 3rd could point to having trouble in school, not only socially but with authority figures believing your intelligence (and the believing your intelligence part definitely carries over into adulthood)

-Lilith in 4th often points to a terribly frustrating childhood where you were constantly critiqued by female members of your family, especially your mother. You could’ve felt like your mother/aunts/etc were always trying to compete with you for male attention as well (which is weird, weird grown folks). (it’s not great for Lilith in 1st/8th/10th either but this is on another level)

-Lilith in 10th (square/opposition to 10th as well) can point to being treated like a pariah for no reason at work. I’ve found that when I tried to be friendly I got a lot of kindness outside of my department …but still thrown under the bus with a smile in my department. Then I kept my distance at a later day job and was met with hostile or belittling energy. (This one guy would just constantly walk by and look at my laptop and ask what I was working on when he wasn’t my manager and my manager hadn’t assigned me anything, then he would just chat me up for no reason, always switching between hostile and like almost flirtatious energy. like dude worked on the other side of the office and kept doing this until he left ! Never working in an office again I swear…)

-Also Lilith in 1st/10th- often men in power/positions off authority often dote on you for some reason, especially if they’re older (I still can’t figure why this is though)

-Lilith negative (conjunct/square/opposition) aspects to 1st/10th In “normal” (suburban neighborhoods and pedestrian places like that) you may find that you get this weird thirsty look from guys, who are supposed to be minding their business with their families, like you’re walking around naked when you could be wearing the most lowkey outfit and it wouldn’t make a difference (it’s also why I prefer cities, but even then in some neighborhoods I stick out)

-Your Lilith sign itself always indicates the Lilith behavior you have to learn to “tame” (ex. leo in Lilith has to make sure they’re not too much of a diva), but I also believe it shows you how you need to fight for others (ex. leo in Lilith- use your radiant nature to speak out on the taboo and spotlight helping social causes)- I can do a post elaborating on this if you guys want ;0

-Self awareness is really important with strong Lilith energy. I’ve had overlays with other women/femmes with strong Lilith placements and so many times I’ve had them become mean girls and envious to me even though they’d constantly tell me about their Lilith-esque experiences with other femmes bullying them in similar ways.

[tswhiisftteedr]

Carmilla x reader NSFW? Specifically, eating out after a long day at work. The two going a few rounds from the pent-up stress?

I’m pissed, please take care of me ☆ One shot

☆ Employer!Carmilla Carmine x Employee!Fem!Reader:

After a shitty day at work, you and your boss who is simultaneously your girlfriend, decide to let the days stress go by ‘working out’ your frustrations.

Warnings: Mature Content, Explicit/Graphic Language, Praise kink, Oral Sex(Both Female Parties Receiving), Bad Spanish, NOT PROOFREAD.

Words: 2549

Note: So this a combination of 3 requests, sorry @hyenalover2630 if you don’t like this cuz that’s not what you asked for, I did a one shot instead of headcannon so sorry agin but I though rounding up similar requests would be a smart move. Also this one shot is a bit on the shorter side so that’s that.

Author Note: Soooo, I’m back from the dead, 38 request in my inbox, 15 of them being just Adam requests lol.

☆ more under the cut. ☆

Finding yourself in hell was more than just a lousy situation—it was a downright nightmare. Amidst the chaos, the moral decay, and the ridiculous housing prices, you were desperate for any job that could keep you afloat. You applied everywhere, except under Valentino; you wanted no part of that mess.

So, it wasn't surprising when you ended up as a grunt in the marketing department at Carmine Inc. But you were a hustler, always quick, efficient, and responsible. Your work ethic didn't go unnoticed, especially by the big boss herself.

You couldn't help but admire her in many ways. She was a badass, running a successful business with an iron fist, yet she had a sense of fairness. And let's not forget, she was easy on the eyes, which only fueled your crush.

After a meeting she personally set up, you scored a promotion to be her personal assistant. But even with the big leap, you didn't slack off. Your efficiency was still on point, and Carmilla appreciated it.

As your role in the company evolved, so did your connection with Carmilla. It all started with those little touches—a hand on your shoulder here, a pat on the head there—that seemed innocent enough at first.

But soon, those gestures became more frequent and intimate, like her guiding hand on your waist or the way she'd ask you to stick around after hours for a chat and a drink.

The formalities started to fade away, with Carmilla calling by your first name and encouraging you to do the same, replacing your usual ‘Mme. Carmine’ by the overlords name. It was like she was inviting you into her inner circle, blurring the lines between boss and friend.

As the months passed and you continued to excel in your role as her assistant, Carmilla couldn't help but notice a shift in her feelings toward you. Your hard work and dedication were undeniable, but it was more than that. She found herself drawn to you in a way she hadn't expected. Plus, the fact that you were a beautiful woman did help in growing her attraction for you.

It became increasingly obvious to Carmilla that you harbored feelings for her as well. Your nervousness whenever she was around spoke volumes, manifesting in stutters and how you would visibly warm up whenever her gaze met yours. It was a telltale sign of the attraction brewing beneath the surface.

Furthermore, she couldn't ignore your subtle cues for validation and compliments. You seemed to thrive on her words of affirmation, going above and beyond in your tasks just to earn a simple ‘great job’ or ‘I'm proud of you, Y/N’ from her lips. ‘And who could blame you? With Carmilla being the hot Hispanic woman she was, who wouldn't want her singing their praises?’

After two months of silently pining for each other, where Carmilla was keenly aware of your feelings while you remained oblivious to hers, she decided it was time to break the stalemate. She orchestrated a meeting after hours, summoning you to her office to address the unspoken tension between you.

As you sat down, she wasted no time in getting to the point. With a mix of nerves and determination, she confessed her own feelings, revealing that she had long known about yours as well. It was a moment of vulnerability for both of you, but also a turning point.

The conversation didn't end there. Carmilla proposed taking a chance on each other, suggesting that you go on a date that weekend to explore the potential of your connection further. You agreed, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension at what lay ahead.

The subsequent dates were nothing short of magical, filled with laughter, deep conversations, and shared moments of intimacy. With each passing day, your bond grew stronger, and it became increasingly evident that what you shared was more than just a fleeting attraction.

By the fifth date, it was abundantly clear to both of you that you wanted to take things to the next level. Over a candlelit dinner, you shared your hopes and dreams, expressing your desire to make things official. And as you toasted to your newfound love, you knew in your heart that you had found something special amidst the chaos of your workplace.

Despite the enchanting aura that surrounded your relationship with Carmilla that usual had you on cloud nine, today proved to be shitty day nevertheless.

First, there was the debacle with the rogue shipment. Some brainless thugs decided to mess with a Carmine truck, oblivious to the glaring logo emblazoned on its side. Needless to say, they met their demise, but not before causing a heap of trouble.

Then came the catastrophe with the catalog files—a rookie managed to obliterate an entire folder of vital content. The painstaking recovery process left you on edge, uncertain if the files would return unscathed or corrupted.

And if that wasn't enough, that blasted Vox bastard had the audacity to cancel yet another meeting with Carmilla, marking the third time in a row. The gall of him, treating her time as if it were disposable. You couldn't stand that attention-seeking-whore man-child with his oversized ego and incessant need for validation.

As the day dragged on, you finally collapsed onto your bed, still fully dressed save for your shoes. Frustration, exhaustion, and pent-up tension weighed heavily on your shoulders. It was a relief when Carmilla entered the room, her expression mirroring your own.

With a sigh of resignation, she joined you on the bed, her presence offering a sense of comfort amidst the chaos. In that moment, without a word exchanged, you found solace in each other's presence, united in your shared frustration and exhaustion.

Sighing heavily, Carmilla reached for the bottle of beezeljuice resting on the nightstand, taking a generous swig before passing it over to you. You accepted the bottle, mirroring her earlier gesture as you took a deep gulp, relishing in the familiar burn as the liquid slid down your throat. It was a small but comforting ritual, a shared moment of indulgence amidst the chaos of the day.

As the evening steadily slipped away, the weight of your troubles began to dissolve, replaced by a gentle warmth that spread through you like wildfire. You found yourselves leaning closer, your bodies pressed together as you sought solace in each other's embrace. Your lips met in a heated kiss, passion exploding between you like a bolt of lightning.

Your tongues danced a fiery tango, exploring every inch of each other's mouths with a fervor that belied your exhaustion. As your hands wandered, exploring the curves of each other's bodies, you couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of hope. Despite the challenges and tribulations that the afterlife threw at you, you were a force to be reckoned with.

"Acércate, mi amor," Carmilla murmured against my lips, her voice low and sultry as she pulled you closer. "Today has been a living nightmare, but your presence makes everything better. You're the wind beneath my wings, my sweet girl."

Her praise was music to your ears, making your heart flutter and your cheeks flush in delight. To hear her speak such kind words, to know that you brought light into her day was like floating on cloud.

Unable to contain your desire any longer, you broke your kiss, your breaths ragged and hearts pounding in sync. Carmilla's eyes smoldered with hunger as she reached for the buttons of my shirt, skillfully releasing each one until it pooled at my feet. Your undergarments followed suit, leaving you naked and vulnerable in her capable hands.

In turn, you mirrored her actions, slowly peeling away layers of her clothing until she stood before you in nothing but her ballet slippers and stockings. Her skin glowed under the dim light, her statuesque figure an ode to her grace and power. As you gazed upon her, you felt a raw, unbridled hunger stir within you, a primal urge to taste her.

"Mi alma," Carmilla whispered, her voice trembling with anticipation. "Can you be the good girl i know you are, take care me? Will you be a sweetheart and eat me out?."

Without hesitation, you knelt before her, her scent enveloping you as you parted her legs and settled between them. Your fingers traced delicate paths along her calves, sending shivers down her spine.

As you approached her core, Carmilla's fingers threaded through your hair, guiding your head between her legs with an air of completely control that sent shivers down your spine. You reveled in her power over you, knowing that she desired to be in charge, to assert her authority in this moment of vulnerability.

"That's it, mi vida," she purred, her voice a seductive symphony that resonated throughout the room. "Show me how much you love pleasing me."

Your tongue flicked out, teasing the sensitive skin at the apex of her thighs, drawing a gasp from her lips. Her hands tightened in your hair, urging you forward as you dove between her legs. The taste of her was divine, almost making your head spin.

Carmilla moaned softly, her thighs clenching as you explored her folds with reverence. Each stroke of your tongue was deliberate, each flick a testament to your devotion. Her groans of pleasure echoed around you, a symphony of lust that only heightened your desire to please her.

“Eso es todo, lo estás haciendo tan bien, fuck! Keep going, my beautiful girl.”

As you delved deeper, your tongue probing the depths of her pussy, Carmilla's moans grew louder, her body arching with each stroke. Her fingers twisted in your hair further, grinding you against her with a firm hand that you hungered for. This display of dominance was intoxicating, igniting a fire within you that mirrored her own passion.

"Just like that, mi corazón," she encouraged, her voice thick with lust. "You’re being such a good girl for me.”

Your actions became more fervent, your lips and tongue working in concert to bring her pleasure. Her hips bucked in response, her sighs and gasps filling the room with the soundtrack of our passion. You reviled in her reactions, feeding off her energy as you explored every inch of her tender flesh.

Carmilla's breath hitched, her grip on your hair stronger than ever before as she neared her climax. Her body trembled beneath you, her whispered praises— ‘That’s my girl’, ‘So proud of you, you’re doing such a great job’, ‘I love you so much my beautiful girl’— urging you onward.

As she reached her peak, Carmilla's back arched, her moans filling the room like a thunderous roar, “¡Ya me vengo!”. Her body convulsed, her climax washing over her in waves of ecstasy. You took pride in the role you had played in her release, revelling in her praises as she came down from her high.

Panting, she pulled you upward, her lips claiming yours in a searing kiss that left no doubt as to the power she held over you and the loved you share. "Great job, my love," she breathed against your lips. "Your tongue truly is a work of art."

Then, without warning, Carmilla reversed your roles. With a swift motion, she pushed you onto your back, her eyes gleaming with newfound determination. Your heart raced as she positioned herself between your legs, her gaze never leaving yours.

"Now, it's your turn," she growled, her voice deep and sensual. "Spread your legs for me, Y/N."

You obeyed without a moment of resistance, your nerves jangling with anticipation as she lowered her head. Her tongue darted out, tracing a path that sent shivers cascading through you.

Each touch was electric, her tongue exploring every inch of your body with a precision that left you breathless. Her absolute control and expertise was entrancing, and you craved more. Your hands gripped the sheets, seeking purchase as she continued her exploration.

With every lick and suck, you grew closer to the edge, your moans mingling with her satisfied hums. It wasn't long before you could bear it no longer, and with a “Go for it, sweet girl”, your body thrashed beneath hers as you climaxed. Waves of pleasure washed over you, leaving you weak and breathless.

When you finally came down from your high, Carmilla lifted her head, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Perfect," she purred, her voice a siren's song that enchanted you as if you were a sailor.

As soon as your senses were regained, Carmilla had wasted no time in resuming her ministrations. Her tongue dove back into the folds of my heat, her appetite for pleasure seemingly insatiable. You writhed beneath her, unable to contain the surge of pleasure that coursed through me.

Her fingers dug into your hips, holding you steady as she feasted on you with unwavering passion. Your moans filled the room once more, intertwining with her satisfied grunts. The intensity of her attack overwhelmed you, pushing you to the brink once more.

Overstimulated by her persistent attention, you cried out as you climaxed once more, your body shaking with the force of the experience. When you finally came down, panting heavily, Carmilla released you, her eyes shining with victory.

"Now, that's what I call some well spent frustration," she said, her voice still thick with desire yet quite comforting and sweet. "What do you say we take a moment to catch our breath?"

You nodded, your body still trembling from the intensity of the intercourse. As you lay there, your hearts pounding in sync, you couldn't help but marvel at the relationship you shared. Despite you differences, your love had brought you together in a way that felt both natural and exhilarating.

Carmilla's hand traced lazy circles on your stomach, her thumb brushing across your navel as she gazed into your eyes.

The quiet was a welcome relief, but there was something eating at you that you just had to vent about. "Okay, but seriously, that Vox dude is a major asshole, right? I mean, he's practically begging for a meeting and then bails three freaking times in a row. Am I the only one who thinks that TV demon is just a whiny little prick?”

"Mi amor, the beacon of my day and the guiding star of my night—" Carmilla responded emphatically. "I couldn't fucking agree more with you. That guy, and his associates, are just a bunch of overgrown kids with way too much damn power for anyone's good. If it weren't for you and my daughters, I swear to Santa Maria I'd probably have blown my fucking brains out by now dealing with their goddamn irresponsible behavior.”

After Carmilla's passionate outburst, silence descended once again, but it didn't last long. Before you knew it, both of you were erupting into fits of laughter, finding humor in the absurdity of it all.

You both instinctively drew closer, holding each other tighter than before. Despite the shitty day you had endured, there was comfort in each other's embrace.

As you nestled against each other, a thought crossed your mind: ‘maybe karma was real after all.’ If finding reassurance in Carmilla's arms was your reward after such a terrible day, perhaps the universe's scales were fairer than you had previously believed.

Thanks anons and @hyenalover2630 for requesting!

©tswhiisfttedr. dn translate, or plagiarize.

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Reblogs help!!! (Request Are On Pause)

[jeonxfile]

yes, miss. : kim minnie.

— “ ‘yes what?’ ‘.. yes, miss.’ ”

genre — suggestive? warnings : slight power imbalance. bodyguard!minnie. from this request. use of substances. a bit of manipulation from r’s part. bratty!reader. somewhat heated makeout session. men dni. a bit of groping. writing under cut.

“miss kang.. i don’t think your dad would approve of you using substances, especially in your room of all places.” minnie tried to pitch in as she watched the girl take another puff of her joint. yn looked at her body guard, maybe it was the lighting, or maybe it was the weed but something about the thai girl intrigued her tonight.

yn strutted towards her, her hand playing with her necktie before tugging it slightly, making the girl wince a bit as she bent down slightly to yn’s height. “.. that’s why you’re not gonna tell him,” she said with a small grin. “you wouldn’t snitch on me, would you nini?” she cooed.

yn already knew the answer.

minnie wouldn’t snitch, no matter how serious she tried to be when it came to the brat—she always made sure to keep her mouth shut.

“.. no, miss.” “good.”

–

it was 2 months ago when yn’s father hired that body guard for her—minnie remembered the first time she saw yn like it was yesterday.

“Kang Yn.” The girl’s father called from the hall, yn stepped out of her room, an annoyed look on her face as she looked at her dad. “Yes, daddy? what is it?” she said in a sarcastic voice before looking at the unfamiliar woman who stood besides her father.

the suit, the seriousness in her expression, her overall demeanor.. yn already knew what was happening, and she wasn’t amused. “Nicha, this is yn, my daughter. yn, this is Nicha, your new bodyguard.” The kang’s father said in a stern voice.

“Good afternoon, miss kang.” minnie said with a slight bow. yn simply nodded, giving her a small smile as she spoke. “Good afternoon to you too. may you excuse us real quick? i need to have a word with my father.” The thai looked at the man who had hired her then at the girl who she was assigned to before nodding and exiting.

Yn’s father took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes a bit. “Yn—” “Okay dad, what the fuck. You said you weren’t gonna hire another one!” yn whispered though her tone was filled with edge, sharp enough to make a kitchen knife look like plastic.

“Well yes i did say that but that was before i caught you sneaking off with some— some hustler in her car under a bridge smoking or whatever you were doing.” he spoke with a frustrated tone—despite putting ber daughter in therapy, it seemed like her habits of smoking and using other substances weren’t gonna go away anytime soon.

yn couldn’t help but scoff slightly, arms crossed over her chest as she looked off to the side. “.. at least we weren’t dead inside,” she murmured making her father’s already running patience vanish. “would you rather i find you dead somewhere than have someone who can protect you?”

yn wanted to retort, to say something—but she fell silent once she saw the frustration and a bit of concern in her father’s hard eyes. “yn.. i’m getting old—i can’t protect you as much as i want to.” the girl let out sigh, already knowing where her father was going with this.

“you’re my only daughter, and you getting hurt is the last thing i’d want to happen. So, please.. just give nicha a chance? for dad?” he asked, holding his daughter’s shoulders as he held her gaze. yn couldn’t stop the guilt that pit her stomach as she heard her father’s tone. “.. okay daddy.” she said softly, making her father smile slightly.

“thank you, yn.” his daughter simply nodded.

—

“..” yn stayed silent as she felt the thai girl’s siren-like eyes on her. if yn hadn’t known better, she wouldve thought the girl was trying to intimidate her. “.. are you just gonna stand there and stare at me all day?”

she finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had unfortunately filled her room. “That’s what your father told me to do, so yes.” minnie spoke in a flat tone, yn couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. “of course he did.” she grumbled.

sensing the kang’s frustration and slight awkwardness, minnie spoke once more. “.. well what do you suppose i do, miss kang?” yn cocked her brow at the thai’s words, her lips curving into a small grin as she sat up in her bed. “come here,”

minnie stood still for a few more seconds before going over to her bed, hesitating for a few moments before sitting down. now it was yn’s turn to eye the girl, observing her closely as she took note of some things.

her siren eyes, the mole under her eye..

“.. miss,” minnie said as yn hummed in response. “do you smoke?” yn suddenly asked. minnie looked at her for a couple of seconds before shaking her head no. “well, do you wanna try?

Minnie thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t think your father would apprecia—” “can you stop talking about my father? it’s not like he’ll find out.”

she said with a slight eye roll. “.. plus, it’s not like you’d tell him,“ yn whispered, hand trailing down her bodyguards chest, her fingers trailed the shape of her necktie before tugging at it, making minnie yelp ever so slightly. “right, nini?”

minnie felt like she was being hypnotized, the way the girl called her nini—it made her breath hitch; almost as if on instinct, she shook her head. “.. no.” “no what?” yn leaned in a bit more, practically straddling her body guard’s lap. “.. no, miss.” “atta girl.”

.

minnie’s tidy uniform had become loose, disheveled in appearance as she felt the kang place her joint to her lips, encouraging her to take a hit. “c’mon.. don’t be shy.” she whispered, her other hand cupped nicha’s jaw as she tilted her head up to look at her.

yn watched as her bodyguard obeyed, taking hit after hit as she did her best to keep her head straight. “see.. feels good, right?” she whispered whilst all minnie could do was nod like an obedient puppy.

the kang laughed at the sight of her supposed stoic bodyguard now all woozy and light. “lay down,” she said with an amused grin. minnie followed, laying down on her protectee’s bed but not without pulling the girl down with her.

this caught yn off guard. one second she was laughing at her guard and the next second she was laying on top of her. yn scoffed, her hands on either side of the thai girl’s head as she got up slightly. “idiot.. i didn’t say to pull me down with you.”

she murmured before taking the joint from nicha’s lips and taking a slow drag. if it weren’t for her father not being home and her windows being open—her room would have definitely been filled up with smoke by now.

yn looked down at her guard, noticing the half lidded gaze minnie was using to look at her. “what? do you want more?” she teased, her tone almost condescending. minnie simply brought her gloved hand up to touch the girl’s face, thumb brushing against her soft cheeks before rubbing at her bottom lip.

now this, yn didn’t expect. she felt her breath hitch a bit at the thai’s actions, unsure of what to do or say so she simply just leaned into her guard’s touch. nicha hummed, using her elbow to sit up as she continued to look at the person whom she was supposed to simply protect.

“.. you’re beautiful.” she whispered. “i know.” yn said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “y’know what’d look pretty on you?” yn shook her head, before she could say anything she suddenly felt a soft pair of lips on hers.

it took her a couple seconds before she melted into the girl’s touch, her hands going to minnie’s shoulders as she pushed her back down onto her bed. nicha was relentless, not letting yn pull back even when she felt her breath grow heavy, only when she felt her urgently tapping on her shoulder did she pull back, and even then—it was only for a few seconds as she quickly pulled her back in.

minnie’s slender fingers trailed to the hem of yn’s top as their lips connected once more, her hand moved beneath her delicate clothing, feeling the girl’s surprisingly toned stomach before she reached her soft breasts. minnie gave one of them a gentle squeeze, lightly fondling it—making yn groan against her lips. nicha took her time with each one as she handled her protectee’s body with gentleness.

just as minnie began to tug on yn’s shirt to ask her to take it off, they heard a knock on the door. “.. Miss Kang,” said one of her father’s many helpers.

yn let out another groan, though this time it was out of annoyance. she grumbled slightly before reluctantly getting off atop her guard, nicha’s hand slipping out of her shirt. “.. we’ll continue this later.” she whispered to the thai who just looked at her, her pupils dialated.

“.. yes miss.” she whispered, making yn smile like a proud owner. “good.” with one last kiss to her guard’s soft lips, she got up and answered the door.

[hotvintagepoll]

Thomas Mitchell (It's a Wonderful Life, Stagecoach, Only Angels Have Wings)—In It's a Wonderful Life, he's Uncle Billy, the man who ties string around his fingers to remind him of things (and STILL misses his nephew's wedding) and has a pet squirrel to comfort him in times of need; in Stagecoach (for which he won an Oscar!), he is a delightfully rough-and-tumble alcoholic who comes through for his fellow stagecoach passengers when they need him; in Pocketful of Miracles, he is a charming old-timer pool hustler who will rob you blind while reciting Shakespeare to you; I have not seen The Black Swan but he seems to have played some sort of pirate-y sidekick. Everywhere you look, this man was scrungling! (Also fun fact: he was the first actor to win competitive acting awards at the Oscars, Tonys, and Emmys, aka the Triple Crown of Acting!)

Harpo Marx (Night at the Opera, Night in Casablanca, Duck Soup)—While Groucho is better-known, Harpo's physical comedy is SECOND-TO-NONE. The man is a strange mime trapped in the paradigm of early 20th century movies. Every move is a symphony and simultaneously a colony of rats in a human skin suit. LISTEN. You MUST see this man in motion. Every still photo of him looks like a combination of a sad clown and a different, sadder clown, but it's only because he put so much joy in every motion.

This is round 3 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you’re confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Thomas Mitchell:

One of those job'bing character actors who turn up in a lot of movies in bit parts. He is a very good actor, with a lot of pathos—you probably know him as the uncle from It's a Wonderful Life, or Jean Arthur's newspaper friend from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. A salt of the earth type who brings gravitas and pathos to every part. He scrungles gorgeously.

He was the first male actor to win the Triple Crown (Oscar, Emmy, and Tony). His Oscar win was for his exceptionally scrungly performance in Stagecoach (1939) clip linked.

Basically, even the Academy agreed this man was scrungly and decided to give him an award for it!

Harpo Marx:

He's like if a clown was a hobo was also somehow a classically trained harpist, his face is always in some kind of contorted silly shape, feral curly haired ninnymuggins always doing weird things to people

Harpo is mute in all of the Marx Bros movies and so his body language and facial expressions are SO over the top but he's also got fewer braincells than a goldfish while often being the emotional heart of the Marx Bros and he's just A Guy!!

Every scene with Harpo Marx is a treat! Just like watching a seagull steal a stranger's hotdog at the beach, it is a joy to watch him frustrate the hell out of all the other films' characters! Harpo Marx is the zenith of unhinged in all of his appearances, making any other funny man a straight man by comparison. (A fantastic feat considering he starred in films with his brothers Grouch and Harpo, who sported a shoe polish mustache and questionable Italian accent, respectively). The scrungliness of the little guys he plays come from his guileless, wide-eyed expression, curly blond wig, and the extreme ability to annoy others, despite never saying a word. Is he malicious? Most definitely, but hard to tell because he has a dopey grin on his face most of the time. Communicating through other sounds like honking horns and whistling, he is a force of chaos in every Marx brothers film! Also an accomplished harp player, the beautiful calm moments where Harpo plays juxtapose the zany, making him all the more scrungly. His visual style of comedy is timeless; Duck Soup had me rolling with laughter as a six year old and is still just as funny today.

In my opinion Harpo is the funniest of the Marx brothers because he is so good at slapstick comedy. Since he never speaks in his film appearances his performances are very physical, which contributes a lot to his scrungliness. He was fully committed to being wacky at all times. All of his hilarity is based on him being weird.

He's just a weird little guy who causes chaos everywhere he goes, and then sits down and plays a beautiful harp solo! He steals the show from his very chatty brothers without saying a word, and was surprisingly ripped under that old raincoat

All of the Marx Brothers are Scrungly to a degree, but Harpo is the scrungliest! His outfits are so big he gets lost in them, his pockets are full of everything, and because he never speaks, he always uses physical comedy. Also he's an incredible musician.

[overandundertarot]

Message for you 💌📞

Pick a picture for a message you need to hear right now.

PILE ONE: Knight of pentacles, The Lovers, Death reversed.

Pile one the thing or person you're obssessed with is not as bad for you as you think it is/they are. They're serving as inspiration for you to work harder. You've been resisting change and wanting help for a long time and this thing could be the catalyst that pushes you past the threshold. For a lot of you this is a lover/deep friendship connection who pushes you to develop yourself and work on your goals.

PILE TWO: Knight of swords reversed, Nine of cups reversed, Three of cups.

Pile two you can't do it all alone. You've been dissapointed by people before but that doesn't mean that the right person to help you succeed won't come along eventually. You're feeling frustrated because you have so much inspiration and creativity but you may feel like you can never channel it properly. There's dissatisfaction at your current state in life. You feel like you have all the tools but somethings just not right. You may find yourself asking; It's supposed to work out so WHY ISN'T IT? What you're missing is collaboration and a broader perspective. Allow people to lift you up.

PILE THREE: The Sun, King of Pentacles

Pile three you're someone who can see the ugly parts of life but shrug them off like water down your back. You know how to live with the evil parts of the world and how not to let them affect your life. The message for you is that you've been doing great! You're wroking hard towards your 'Mission.' I'm getting that you want a better future for your community and specifically for your children and family. You want to bring them up to a higher level through any means necessary. You're an earthy and sociable person pile 3, you're a hustler, a modern day warrior. Keep it up!

***

That's all! I'd love to know how the messages are received so feel free to comment any feedback you have!

[chicademartinica]

Hello, want to ask, why Only Friends is shaping up to be 'THE BL'?

The hype is real.

Gmmtv show but a bit risqué for this agency. (See 3 will be free and The warp effect)

Excellent and seasoned actors (who chose the project, no one under 25 except Neo (22) but HE IS AN OG) ,

Jojo Tichakorn is a very talented, queer, sex positive director who doesn’t give a shit about pairings. He will wreck havoc in the cobranded pairs and some will hate it. I for one WILL LOVE IT.

Great cinematographer // Great crew.

Very Queer story shot in very queer spaces. Bangkok gay nightlife. Possible exploration of queer hustler culture (small dealers, sex work, yaba pill popping, queer people in the justice system). Class differences and frustrations in Thailand.

Queer women ! Trans women !

Binge drinking will be treated very seriously (see The eighth sense)

It’s a sexy, messy and toxic story but in the hands of a very sex positive team.

There is a bet, with real money, about this show having the evil twin version of the 3 will be free threesome. (Nicknames including 3 will be messy/a catastrophe,4 will be whores/hardcore.)

Hollywood is on strike so hella potential new viewers.

So it can totally be “The Thai BL” of 2023. But funny thing this director did ONE (1) BL : Never let me go and used the format to dialogue with the uber heteronormative lakorns of his youth. Will Only Friends even be a BL ? As I said FUN !

[bijoutarot]

Why They Can’t Leave You?

Pick An Image

Image 1

If your person leaves this connection they will lose it all. With you they have a sense of family. They feel nurtured, loved, and cared for with you and they are afraid to lose that. You give this person so much confidence. You always motivate them to go after their goals and that makes them feel so strong and attractive. You look at this person with wanting, loving eyes and this melts their heart. They always return to you despite their wandering eye. This frustrates you because you give them the world. If you walk away they will lose A LOT of money. You are established in your career with plenty of money. You show affection by giving gifts and paying for things. You make your partner feel like royalty. You cater to their needs and wants without question sometimes it is at your own expense. Sometimes you take away from yourself to make them happy. If they leave you they know they will not find the same love elsewhere.

Image 2

The reason why your person can’t walk away from you is because they know you are marriage material. They know you are their person. The one they want to wake up to. The person they want to spend their life with. This person has put you through hell and back. They believe that to love means to endure. They tested you throughout the length of this connection. They believe whoever wants to be with them has to prove they are the one. You hide this from your friends whenever they ask you how are things are between you. Your person admires your strength but they are still skeptical. You are their person but they are not ready. People around you have been celebrating lately. There are a lot of drinks flowing. Your friends are encouraging to go out on a date with someone new. It is time to recognize your value.

Image 3

Recently a big truth has rocked the foundation of this connection. In this image your person has no control over ending this relationship. They are desperately trying not to lose you. This truth has turned you off completely from ever taking them seriously. You have not fully walked away as yet and are abstaining from any intimacy with this person. For some of you, you will soon find out that this person is still legally married. You will begin to wonder why they approached you to begin with? Your person has been dishonest and this is causing you to change the way you look at them. The trust is gone. This person cannot walk away from you because of how loving you are. You give them the love they are not receiving in their dying relationship. They have been with this person for a long time so it is now at a point where they are staying together for convenience. This person is very selfish.

Image 4

Your person cannot walk away from you because they cannot get you off their mind. For some of you this began in the workplace. You two were assigned to work on something together and hit it off. You two share that hustler mindset. The spark is there between you two business and emotionally. I see you two potentially going on trips together in the near future. For some of you this romance is a secret in the workplace. Hooking up together after work has started to become your favorite thing to do now instead of happy hour with friends. They do not want to walk away because they are thinking about the future. They envision you as a business partner who they can build an empire with. They see you two as a power couple. You two are equally yolked which is rare. They like that you are just as busy as them. In the past this person dealt with partners who were unhappy with how busy they are because of work. With you they never have to hear, “you work too much.” With you they get a different level of understanding. They respect you more than any other partner they had in the past. They admire how sharp and intelligent you are. You are quick on your feet and catch all of their witty jokes. This connection is not something they are willing to lose right now.

[cantsayidont]

Some bad teevee:

FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION-DOLLAR HEIST (2024): Tasteless, embarrassingly bad eight-part Peacock miniseries wastes a high-profile Black cast (including Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Chloe Bailey, and Terrence Howard) in a clumsy attempt to turn a true crime podcast, about the armed robbery of an afterparty for the October 1970 Muhammad Ali–Jerry Quarry fight, into a self-consciously retro blaxploitation pastiche. Starring comedian Kevin Hart as Gordon "Chicken Man" Williams, the Atlanta hustler who organized the party for an array of top Black mob figures and then found himself on the hook after the robbery, the show is a tonally uneasy mix of grim drama and leaden shtick, which smothers some flailing stabs at social commentary while giving the more serious scenes (which are often quite brutal) an inappropriately campy vibe. Hart (who also produced) acts like he's in a latter-day FRIDAY sequel with all the punchlines removed, while Henson looks so uncomfortable that you can't help cringing every time she's onscreen; even Don Cheadle's weary dignity is very hard-pressed, and Dexter Darden's weak caricature of Ali doesn't help. Worse, the story just isn't interesting enough to sustain eight one-hour episodes. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: One can see what they were going for ("COTTON COMES TO HARLEM meets ACROSS 110TH STREET, but based on a true story!"), but it's a complete train wreck.

NOBODY WANTS THIS (2024): Thinly plotted, stupid sitcom about an obnoxious blond shiksa (Kristen Bell), who runs a confessional podcast with her equally obnoxious sister (Justine Lupe), unexpectedly falling for a cute rabbi (Adam Brody), whose family and friends can't believe he's dumped the hot Jewish woman (Emily Arlook) everyone expected him to marry. Feels like a (bad) romcom feature script stretched awkwardly into 10 half-hour episodes, and it becomes more and more offensive as it goes on, villifying every Jewish woman older than about 15 in a vain attempt to make the boorishly antisemitic heroine seem like a reasonable romantic choice. CONTAINS LESBIANS? The main character periodically mentions that she was a lesbian for a year, but she's not now. VERDICT: Aptly titled.

PENANCE (2020): Eye-rolling British drama/thriller, based on a Kate O'Riordan novel (strictly beach and bathtub reading, one assumes), about a middle-aged mum (Julie Graham), reeling from the unexpected death of her 20-year-old son, who has a Horniness Crisis™ involving a hunky, manipulative young man (Nico Mirallegro), who's also dating her teenage daughter (Tallulah Greive) and is plainly up to no good. Not at all credible even before some absurd third-act contrivances, it's essentially a wish fulfillment fantasy (or porn scenario) drenched in just enough sour self-loathing and turgid melodrama for the target audience (Tory-voting sexually frustrated middle-aged white women) to reassure themselves that they're not really having fun. Just to make sure, Art Malik costars as the kind of insufferably chummy local priest Pat O'Brien used to play. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Nope. VERDICT: Probably well-tailored for its intended audience, but for everyone else, it's too silly to take seriously and too dour to even constitute good trash.

THE PENGUIN (2024): HBO Max dared to ask, "Will the market bear yet another Batman-less Batman TV project?" and came up this spinoff of THE BATMAN (2022), returning the film's version of the Penguin (Colin Farrell, buried beneath half his weight in prosthetics), maneuvering between the rival crime families of Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) and Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown), with his only ally a Black teenager (Rhenzy Feliz) who becomes his driver and protégé (not unlike the relationship between Dwight and Tyson in TULSA KING). Cristin Milioti costars as Alberto's unstable sister Sofia Falcone, newly released from Arkham Asylum, with Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sal's ruthless wife Nadia. There's no reason to assume this show won't follow exactly the same pattern as GOTHAM and PENNYWORTH — i.e., a brief flirtation with gritty urban crime drama that quickly goes off the rails into campy derangement while stuffing its pockets with as many second-tier Bat-adjacent characters as Warner Bros. will permit. (Alberto and Sofia are borrowed from the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale series BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN and DARK VICTORY, although this version of them bears only a vague resemblance to the original.) Since the show's only apparent reason for being is to juice interest in the eventual Matt Reeves/Robert Pattinson theatrical sequel without impacting that sequel (or even showing Batman) in any meaningful way, why bother? CONTAINS LESBIANS? TBD. VERDICT: Lucy with the football.

[koffeesfancy]

Defend Ch. 3 | Bodyguard!AU | Koffee x Reader

Summary: You're a district attorney that has been placed under 24/7 security during the investigation of a prominent member of a local gang. You believe the whole situation is blown out of proportion and resent the imperious woman you are entrusted to. Partly due to her teasing, cocky nature, you struggle to take the short-statured woman seriously. Eventually, you not only find yourself seeking her protection but also solace in her company.

Genre: slow-burn romance, fluff, angst

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2205

Taglist: @lyfeofbilly @prettymrswright

The heavy wooden door swung shut behind you with a resounding thud, echoing the anger pulsating through your veins. The assistant district attorney, Alecia Grey, sat casually at her desk, a forkful of shrimp lo mein poised halfway to her mouth as she glanced up from her lunch. Curls of her auburn afro fell over her eyes, giving her a devil-may-care appearance that only fueled your frustration.

"I’mma call you back bae," she murmured into her phone, the words dripping with insincerity as she clicked the red button and set it aside. She leaned back, feigning innocence as if nothing was amiss, before casually folding her hands in her lap.

"Good afternoon, ma’am," she began with mock politeness, her tone oozing with condescension. "Did you go for lunch yet? I believe there’s still some donuts in the breakr-"

"Cut the shit, Grey," you snapped, your voice cutting through the air like a knife. Alecia's raised eyebrow was a challenge you couldn't resist as you continued your tirade, finger pointing in accusation. "You went behind my back and whined to the police chief and your uncle down at the courthouse and went forward with the charges knowing I wanted to wait to hear back from Thomas’ ex-wife first. Go outside and look at the name on those doors, jackass. This is the district attorney’s office, and you work for me, not the other way around."

Alecia's response was infuriatingly calm as she rose from her seat, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor like the ticking of a time bomb. She circled her desk slowly, picking up the snowglobe beside her and shifting it from hand to hand in indifference.

"You’re right, ma’am," she replied, her smile twisting into something sinister. "This is the DA’s office. Too bad I don’t see one around here.” She glanced dramatically around as if to search, her curls bouncing as her head moved.

The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to suffocate. Each word spoken added fuel to the fire burning inside you, igniting a rage that threatened to consume everything in its path. But beneath the anger, there was a sense of betrayal that cut even deeper. Alecia was more than just a subordinate; she was supposed to be an ally, someone you could trust to have your back. And yet, there she was, undermining you at every turn.

As the confrontation reached its peak, you felt the weight of your authority pressing down on you, a reminder of the power you held in that office. But Alecia's defiance was like a slap in the face, a challenge you couldn't ignore. With every fiber of your being, you were determined to assert your authority and put Alecia back in her place.

"I knew you were a cheap hustler the first time you double-crossed me," you continued, your voice seething with venom, "but I didn’t think you were delusional on top of it all."

Alecia's facade faltered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features before she quickly regained her composure. She tilted her head, the movement almost mocking as she regarded you with a cool detachment.

"Is that so, ma’am?" she replied, her voice laced with thinly veiled amusement. "And here I thought I was just doing my job. Silly me."

Your fists clenched at your sides, the urge to lash out almost overwhelming. But you knew better than to let Alecia see you lose control. Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself to rein in your emotions, to hold onto the last shreds of composure you had left.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Grey," you warned, your voice low and dangerous. "But mark my words, it's a game you won't win."

With that, you turned on your heel and stormed out of the office, leaving Alecia behind with nothing but the echo of your words ringing in her ears. The anger burned hot inside you, a fire that threatened to consume everything in its path. But amidst the flames, there was a determination, a resolve to fight back against those who sought to undermine you. 

Lieutenant Simpson rose quickly from her seat in the lobby at the sight of you departing. The tails of her long black trench coat flapped behind her.  You could hear the loud slap of her oxfords on the linoleum as she trailed you. You ignored the sound of her voice, your mind racing with plans and strategies, each one more ruthless than the last. You knew you couldn't let Alecia get the upper hand, couldn't let her think she had won. No, you would fight tooth and nail to protect your position, to uphold the integrity of the office you had been working so hard to build.

After making it all the way down to the parking garage, a sinking feeling washed over you as you realized your keys were nowhere to be found. Panic clawed at the edges of your mind as you frantically searched your pockets, but it was no use. You had left them sitting on your desk in your haste to confront Alecia.

Cursing under your breath, you made a split-second decision and bolted out onto the street, hoping to catch a cab before you lost your zeal. But as you stepped out into the bustling cityscape, you felt a firm hand grasp your arm, pulling you back with surprising strength.

"Yow! Easy nuh!" Mikayla exclaimed, her voice urgent as she tried to steer you back towards the bureau. But you were beyond reason, your mind consumed by a single-minded determination to confront Chief McNaughton and assert dominance.

Ignoring Mikayla's protests, you shook off her grip and continued on your path, your anger driving you forward with reckless abandon. Your breath came in quick, sharp bursts, and your heart pounded in your chest. The city streets buzzed with activity, but all of it faded into the background as you focused on finding a cab.

You stepped to the edge of the curb, thrusting your hand out to hail a taxi. The heat of the day pressed down on you, mixing with the fire of your anger, making your skin prickle with irritation. The noise of the traffic and the chatter of pedestrians barely registered as you scanned the street for a cab.

A black truck turned the corner, its engine growling. Something about it caught your attention, a sense of unease prickling at the back of your mind. The truck slowed as it approached, the windows tinted so dark you couldn’t see inside. You frowned, still keeping your hand out, hoping for a cab to appear.

Suddenly, the truck’s window began to roll down. Your unease flared into full-blown alarm, but before you could react, Mikayla’s arms wrapped around you with surprising strength. Her grip was firm and unyielding, her muscles tensed with a readiness that spoke of her training and resolve. She tackled you to the ground in one swift, fluid motion, her body shielding yours.

As you hit the pavement, the impact jarred your senses, but all you could focus on was Mikayla's presence enveloping you. Her arms were like bands of steel, strong and unyielding, but there was also a gentleness in the way she held you, as if she were cradling something precious. Her fingers pressed into your shoulders with a fierce protectiveness, their warmth seeping through your clothes and into your skin.

Her body molded to yours, her chest pressed firmly into your back, and you could feel the rapid rise and fall of her breath. It was erratic, yet comforting, a reminder that she was right there with you, sharing the danger. The warmth of her body against yours contrasted sharply with the cold, hard ground beneath you, creating a cocoon of heat and safety.

The feel of her curves against you was both a revelation and a comfort. You could feel every contour of her form, from the softness of her breasts pressed against your back to the firm, toned muscles of her legs entwined with yours. Her embrace was all-encompassing, wrapping you in a sense of security that was almost intoxicating.

"Stay down!" she growled in your ear, her voice urgent and commanding.

Her breath was hot and ragged against you, each exhale a mix of exertion and determination. The scent of her skin, a mix of faint cologne and something uniquely her, filled your senses, grounding you amidst the chaos. Her presence was overwhelming, her power wrapping around you like a lifeline.

In that moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was only Mikayla’s touch, the heat of her body, and the fierce determination in her hold. The sound of her heart pounding against your back, her strength, and the protective cocoon she formed around you created a surreal sense of security.

Then, the sharp crack of gunfire shattered the moment. Bullets whizzed overhead, striking the ground and nearby cars, sending sparks and shards of glass flying. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air, mixing with the scent of hot asphalt and your own sweat. 

Screams filled the air as people scattered in every direction, the street descending into pandemonium. The chaos was overwhelming, each second stretching into an eternity as you felt the vibrations of each gunshot through the ground beneath you. Mikayla’s body shielded you from the violence, her presence a barrier against the chaos.

The truck sped off, tires screeching as it disappeared around the corner. The gunfire ceased, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

You tried to rise, but Mikayla pushed her weight against you in a way that felt unexpectedly sensual, her body pressing intimately against yours. "Wull on, mama… Mi nuh think it safe yet," she murmured, her breath warm against your ear. You stayed on the ground, feeling the tension in her muscles as she remained alert, scanning the surroundings for any further threats.

After what felt like an eternity, Mikayla slowly eased up, her vigilance not waning. "Now," she whispered, her voice a blend of caution and assurance. She helped you up, her touch lingering, her hands gentle yet firm. She wrapped your arm over her shoulder and gripped your hip to lean you against her for support. Together, you hurried back inside the building, moving away from the vulnerable glass windows.

Once inside, Mikayla frantically checked you for injuries, her hands moving over every inch of you. Her touch was electric, sending shivers down your spine as she worriedly asked, "Yuh aright? Yuh nuh feel nuh pain? Yuh hurt?"

Her concern was palpable, her warm brown eyes wide with fear and care. You were entranced by the intensity of her attention, feeling a profound sense of being cared for like never before. Her hands moved over your shoulders, down your arms, across your back, and around your waist, her touch both clinical and tender.

"I'm fine, really," you managed to say, your voice shaky. "Thanks to you."

Mikayla's hands stilled on your shoulders, her eyes locking onto yours. "Yuh frighten mi," she exasperated, her voice filled with emotion. The sincerity in her words and the warmth in her touch created a moment of profound connection. “Yuh gwine tek tings serious now?"

Your heart raced as Mikayla's words sank in, her accent adding a raw, earnest edge to her plea. The chaos of the past few minutes contrasted starkly with the intimacy of the moment, leaving you reeling.

"I—" you began, your voice faltering as you met her intense gaze. Her eyes held a mix of fear, concern, and something deeper, something you couldn't quite name but felt acutely.

You took a deep breath, the weight of her question pressing on you. "Yes," you said finally, your voice steadying. "Yes, Lieutenant Simpson. I will. I know I need to."

Her hands remained on your shoulders, grounding you. The anger and adrenaline from earlier were replaced by a different kind of intensity, one that connected you to her in a way you hadn't anticipated. You placed your hand over hers, feeling the warmth of her skin against yours.

"I didn't realize how much I was risking," you admitted, your voice softening. "But I do now. And I promise, I won't take this lightly again."

Mikayla's expression softened, a hint of relief washing over her features. She nodded, her grip on your shoulders tightening briefly before she let go. "Good," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She laughed softly adding, "Cah mi cyaan lose yuh yet."

The sincerity of her words and the way she looked at you created a moment of profound connection. You realized then that this wasn't just about the danger you faced—it was about the infatuation you were starting to develop that was growing stronger with each passing moment.

As the sirens of approaching police cars began to wail in the distance, you realized just how close you had come to disaster. The danger was real, but so was the support and affection you felt from Mikayla. In that moment, you knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, having Mikayla by your side was a blessing you couldn’t afford to take for granted again.

Previous chapter

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

Another snippet of the ongoing story, because I was asked nicely. It also now has a tag here.

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

The guest/project/a number of other terms he's given up on keeping track of has been moved from the museum to the actual research facility it's attached to by the time Shun Yao clocks out.

He restrains himself from going to look, focusing instead on the offer his supervisor has given him.

The researchers want him to go back and see the medium again. To access more of those memories, see if he can find something that can draw Nie Huaisang out of the state he's fallen into.

He has to admit, the extra pay they're offering is quite attractive.

(He doubts they'll offer him anything else once they know the whole story.)

He has said he'll come back with an answer after sleeping on it, and they've accepted that.

His dreams that night are…

Are…

This isn't how it's supposed to work. He's only supposed to be able to reach Jin Guangyao's memories with the help of the medium's charms, or the medium himself.

And yet the images that flash behind his eyelids as he sleeps can't be anything else.

A bright, laughing teenager greeting and embracing him with joyful affection.

A broken young man in mourning, clinging to him as if he's a life preserver in the sea.

That last day.

All the hateful accusations and despairing misery that fell from Nie Huaisang's mouth and the tears of frustration that trickled down his face as he slowly succumbed to the sedatives he'd been slipped.

"I suppose you were capable of some actual fondness for me during those days, but only the kind a street hustler has for the monkey he trained to pick pockets,” he slurs in defiance, struggling desperately just to keep his eyes open. “Believing for so long that I was anything to you but a way to butter up or piss off Da-ge… I guess I really am as stupid as everyone says.”

From a distance, like watching a first-person videogame, he watches hands that are both his and not his reach down and so very tenderly brush Nie Huaisang's hair away from closed eyes before he leans down further and presses a soft kiss to one of the tear streaks down the unconscious man’s face.

He can’t decipher the words he -not he- says to Nie Huaisang, they just register as a gentle murmuring stream of sound. But the feelings- this simmering mishmash of affection/anger/regret/denial/too many things to even begin to sort out-

Then he jolts awake, back in his own skin and his own apartment and his own time.

What the fuck...?

It's hours before his alarm, but he doesn't feel he'll be getting any more sleep, so he rolls out of bed and heads for the kitchen.

Once he's hunkered down with a mug of the overly-sweetened milk tea he only keeps around for shitty nights like this, he starts trying to sort himself out.

Those memories... That was the kind of stuff he would have expected of... hell, a widower or a divorcee or something, not a guy who was just getting rid of a witness, even if it was a witness that had once been a friend. … Friend-ish.

Though… thinking about it more, that weird little house had been awfully nice. And the mirror would have

been useful for more than just checking to make sure the wards hadn't failed.

Ugh.

Dammit.

He shouldn't be getting invested in this! That life is dead and long gone! He should tell his supervisor he doesn't want to go digging up any more memories and be done with it all!

And yet when it starts getting light out, he finds himself barely taking the time to shower and get dressed before he's out the door and headed to the medium's place.

He absolutely refuses to go through the experience from before, but getting some of those charms the guy had told him about should be enough.

He just hopes he's not about to royally fuck himself up by turning this particular rock over.

So.

That was... a lot.

Like, a lot a lot.

He ends up having to call in to work for the day, though he does manage to let his supervisor know he'll be taking on that extra job. And then he curls up in a ball under his blanket and spends a good two hours staring at the little calming lamp he's had since college.

Wow, he could have lived a long, happy life without knowing some of that.

He can -extremely grudgingly- understand some of the... less than savory decisions made.

But others... haha, no. 

No thanks. 

No more thinking about that.

At least now he understands the full length and fucking depth of the messed up relationship between his predecessor and Nie Huaisang. And now he has an idea of what he should do next.

[softsky-daily]

11/7/2024

My phone always makes these nighttime photos look so haunted.

Positive thing: I had a nice therapy session.

Talking with him about election woes helped, and it was also while I was talking I realized there's plenty of good things happening in my life too. I have many wonderful friends, I'm moving to a new place soon, my mom is confirmed to be coming home in December, and I'm getting back into stuff I enjoyed like nigehaji. I reflected on how much more I've been feeling like drawing and writing again which I thought might never happen.

There were some funny/interesting things from today. My coworker friend and I have been slowly watching through nigehaji together after we finish work on Thursdays, and she gets supremely frustrated while watching the main leads. It's a playful kind of frustration, and I totally feel her because I'm pretty sure I reacted similarly when I was first watching. There's this weird quality to nigehaji where the exact same details and scenes that make me insane make every other person go "...ok?" or even "god what is wrong with them". Which is absolutely their perogative and I don't feel offended if they don't like it. It just makes it hard to explain why I do like it. I don't know how to put into words that the fact that the two main leads don't communicate on the same wavelength and the main guy is always running away is frustrating but also a key part of the message of the whole show. And if it was any other romance with a different setup I would condemn it to hell for being a dumb miscommunication arc but in nigehaji it's actually just cinema to me. I don't know how to explain!! I just don't know. But maybe I'll write another essay about why I like it and maybe it'll finally turn out coherent one of these days.

Another interesting thing that completely distracted me from my nigehajiposting was someone in one of the Japanese Discord servers I'm in apparently got coaxed into some maid cafe bar, and spent ¥100,000 on a drink. ¥100,000!!! For context, that's roughly $650. I know he got pressured into a tourist trap basically, but I was so shocked at how he basically reacted like it was a small mistake and not something that ruined his wallet. Like, that's almost my rent for the month basically. On one drink?? Oh my god. I would fall to my knees. What cracked me up was how he followed up saying he was done with maid cafes because of this but not 30 minutes later he announced he was in another one. Godspeed, dude. I guess this is how Japan's tourism industry stays alive.

This one's less interesting but I had to do a reading for class, and the book we have to read is written in a very annoying way. Basically it's a self-help kind of book about how to organize your life, applied to building your career or whatever. I do think there's some good points in there, but because the author is a Los Angeles white woman hustler type lady it has this grating edge to it. "You just have to get up early and do things!" rings hollow from anybody but especially from someone like that. There's a short excerpt where she describes how one of her lowest points in her life was lying on the floor for 30 minutes feeling stuck. And like, lady, I feel that way every day, and I'm lucky if it's for 30 minutes. Also her anecdotes tend to include other brands and social media and it just feels like I'm being advertised to every other minute. She shows an example of what she thinks a cordial email is and it's the most passive-aggressive thing I've ever read and she finishes by saying something like "And I'm really proud of how I handled this email, I'm so professional!" and it's like, okay...

Long story short, I don't trust people whose lives are extremely niche in the grand scheme of things giving advice as if it's universal. Maybe if you're white and neurotypical and abled you'd resonate more with this lady and her "I try to get up at 6:15am and be in my car by 8:23am" type nonsense.

But anyway. Tomorrow I'm looking at another place with my friends to potentially move into, and this one looks real promising. It's got wood floors instead of carpet like the last one, and it's located in a nice neighborhood close to my university. The rent isn't bad either. I'm hoping it looks as nice in real life as it does in the online pictures.

[strictlyfavorites]

Lithofayne Pridgon Jimi Hendrix’s original foxy lady1

She was the woman he could never quite date exclusively, because she was too free spirited to be tied to one man; Hendrix’s frustration at loving her alongside singers Sam Cooke and Little Willie John inspired “Foxy Lady.”

It was the 1960s, and Pridgon was dating both Little Willie John and Cooke while running with other musicians, hustlers, drug dealers and, later, “fun fun cops” who shook down people to bring her the leftover pharmaceuticals. At a party in 1962 thrown by Jack “Fat Man” Taylor, a big Harlem drug player, she met Jimi Hendrix, a struggling guitarist.  She and Hendrix had a one-night stand of sorts at Fat Man’s party and then ran into each other again outside of the Apollo one year later; Pridgon was there to see Cooke, and Hendrix was trying to get a job. But in that moment, the two began their torrid and frustrating love affair—while she was still seeing Willie John and Cooke, of course.

But Jimi, she says, so young and in love, was also “insanely jealous”. She has an extraordinary collection of love letters from him, written in florid, lyrical prose – the same style later evident in his lyrics – that prove without a shadow of a doubt the intensity of his infatuation; an intensity that scared her. “As I write more and more, I feel myself grow so very weak under the power of you,” he wrote in one.

For all her talk of being a “loose lady”, Lithofayne is clearly a romantic at heart; one who sought from the men she knew a love that was pure and uncomplicated by jealousy, disaffection and possessiveness; a love that swept her off her feet, but also a love that left her to be free. “I wanted to continue seeing Jackie and Sam and Willie,” she says. “I didn’t think about it in terms of, ‘I’m your old lady.’ I wasn’t anybody’s old lady.” She loved them all equally and unreservedly. “That was the problem,” she says. Jimi couldn’t handle that.

“He adored her, to the point of distraction,” Winona Williams says of Hendrix. “You always want what you can’t have. And he had her but he didn’t have her exclusively, and that drove him up the wall.”

One time Lithofayne recalls, he even said to her, albeit jokingly: “I’d like to freeze you in a cake of ice, thaw you out when I want to, if that was possible, huh?” “Stop talkin’, crazy,” she replied. “He talked crazy.”

Hendrix left the US in September 1966 for England, where he would find a recording contract, recognition and fame. But he made a point of tracking Lithofayne down whenever he came back to New York, and she remained very much on his mind. His deep, abiding love for her never faltered, seemingly finding form in a song he recorded in London for his debut album, “Foxy Lady”.

She tells a story that illuminates where the title may have come from. “He used to call every pet we had ‘Foxy’,” she says. One time, they found a kitten on the street and took it in; Jimi immediately named it Foxy. Later on, they bought a poodle; he named that Foxy, too. He was also in the habit of using the word in other ways: “He used to like to refer to good-looking girls as foxy. Or if I put on certain things, he’d say, ‘Wow, you look foxy in that.’”

So wrapped up was she in her own story with Jimi, she never thought for a minute the songs with which he found fame could be about her. She thinks it would make her sound “cocky” if she claimed they were now. “He was always saying: ‘This is about you. I wrote this about you,’” she says. “I just thought it was cute.”

“Jimi would have settled down with Fayne,” says Williams. “I don’t see any other woman that he’d have settled down with – but Fayne was not about to settle down. If Fayne had said: ‘Look, I want you to leave all of these women alone and we’re going to do this,’ he would have done it.”

“Well, he might have,” Lithofayne laughs, “but that would have been dumb.”

Williams is adamant that Lithofayne, the only constant in his life from the time he first hit New York in 1963 through the seven years until he died, was the one person among his circle of intimates who superseded all others. “All of these girls that think they had a part of this man’s heart need to know that his whole heart belonged to Lithofayne Pridgon,” she says. “But he couldn’t get it.” 

Her time with Hendrix, in particular, weighs heavily on her, sometimes too heavily. Over the years, friends and acquaintances have suggested things might have turned out different if only she had acceded to his demands. “In other words, if I had stopped being me and become somebody else,” she says. “Oh my God, that’s too much responsibility.” But she believes in her heart that “‘ole coulda-shoulda-woulda shit” is just a losing game.

[georgiapeach30513]

Who is calling that parking lot scene cringe???!!

It was less cringe to ME than Scarlett and Adam screaming at each other in marriage story. (Which also got comments for being cringey but somehow also got them Oscar noms LOLOL)

In fact, rewatching it now makes me really realize how well directed and delivered that scene was. If the whole movie moved that way this would have been a real awards contender. Chris’s anger and frustration and hurt and betrayal was felt in that scene.

Such a damn shame. I’m legit upset lol.

Emily and Chris need a do over - I hope somebody can give it to them because they do have chemistry.

Oh, I saw several people calling that scene cringe. I think that was one of the most raw emotional performances he’s ever given. Chris does have his holdups in performances, and usually it’s those emotional moments. But he did it here! His voice cracked and it was amazing.

I wish the script would have been better. I guess that’s the hard part of taking a completely factual book and making it “entertainment”. There was a disconnect. They didn’t know how to make us like Liza.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, Chris was the best part of Pain Hustlers.

And yes, while I’d love to see Chris and Emily work together again, he’s one that gets too comfortable with costars. Let’s move on to new ones and not get stuck in a Scarlett and Ana rut.

[heliotrope-journey]

Falling in Love with Danger

Good evening, vampire hunters.

Chubbo has baked some sweet-tasting doughnuts to scatter across a rose-covered section of the cherry blossom garden for adventurers craving a delectable pastry to find. A young preteen couple, Pierre and Gregor, that has sought time alone from prying eyes have taken notice of one stuck in a rose bush. They share just about any dish they find with each other, but one wasn't enough to savor so they decided that it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer to find a plateful. KawaiiPixelArts has caught a glimpse of a few of the doughnuts hidden in the garden herself and joins in on the hunt both to teach the inexperienced couple how to detect the aggressive knights patrolling the section and replenish her own healing supplies. Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash.

Micheala's detour through Lionhead Mansion's ballroom to look for Einsam is anything but sweet and besides coping with a gut instinct that Zahak has ill intentions for him, being in a hall commonly used for parties brings her back to a time she got stood up at a theater. The ballroom is crawling with phantoms and bats and since her will to protect herself is greater than her frustration, extinguishing them might help her get it out of her system.

Likewise, designing this section of Chapter 2 brings me back to when I included her in my "A Series of Unfortunate Events" fanfic illustration that recreates The Marvelous Marriage. She was stood up at the theater where the play was performed, but ended up staying in the hope that Count Olaf's cringe acting would take her mind off her heartbreak. The illustration is obviously not canon, but before the events of Son of a Hustler, she was forsaken by her love interests twice. One never showed up to a theater where they'd promise to meet and the second drove her to fake her death and leave her life far behind. Her path would lead her to the mansion and eventually to Einsam. She hopes that protecting him will help her to find her purpose again. And you can guide her on that path as Son of a Hustler progresses.

Thank you for supporting the series as always and we hope March treats you well. :)

Sincerely,

WN