#Little Lion Cafe | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ghostieyanyan · 11 months ago

Text

♡~Yandere Valentine in Twisted Wonderland~♡

Yan!Twisted wonderland x mc (separated)

sorry this is a bit late but here's some of my short takes on valentines day in twisted wonderland!

Warnings: yandere, lack of proof reading (sorry), collars, pet-play, drugs, manipulation, hinting nsfw, beating someone up, dead animal, wedding, hidden camera, (if theres anything missing please do tell me)

~~~~~

Riddle

Riddle has been planning something for you before February even started, probably before new year too. He understand that he doesn't really have a nurturing touch, thanks to his mom, like the others do. But that wouldn't stop him from trying his best to make you feel special.

He'll ask you to have tea with him and if you happen to be distracted by "other matters." he doesn't mind using his unique spell and pull you around by the collar, like a dog.

"its very rude to not pay attention to the person that invited you out.."

~~~~~

Trey

As a vice house warden, he understands that you'll be busy. not just Crowley giving you either impossible or pointless work, or the fact that every boy from each and every dorm are falling to their feet just for you on valentines day, hoping you'll notice them.

Trey knows he's not like some flash students here but he knows what he's good at and doesn't need to try too hard like some other desperate students.

"Hey, perfect! i made you something, your favorite, with a little personal Trey touch~ you should probably eat it all now. Before Grim does."

~~~~~

Cater

Cater is pretty good at getting your attentions. Magicless other worlder, he just has to invite you to something outside of NRC and then watch as your eyes sparkles. Kind of reminds him of a little kid that just need extra attention which he's happy to do.

He'll show you cool different places, shops and cafes. All these cool places are picture perfect and he just loves dressing up with you. from an outside eye, it almost looks like you 2 are dating~

"Perfect! Look at this! we should totally take a picture here with our treats! Say "Happy Valentines Day~!"

~~~~~

Ace

You were very confused on why Ace has been grumpy all day. you tried everything to make him feel better but nothing. You bought him food, drinks, candy from Sam's. nothing.

After the day was over, you made it back to the dorm and Ace decided to follow you back? you tried to ask him what's wrong buy he swiftly grabbed you and rush to your room!

"All day has been a pain.. everyone gawking at you. All the meaningless gifts. All of it! Tonight, you're gonna make it up to me by letting me sleep with you!"

~~~~~

Deuce

Deuce wants to turn a new leaf and doesn't want to look back at his delinquent side every again. he's a new deuce now, a student that's just trying to get good grades and trying to be well respected. but old habits die hard.

Any and every time some one even looks in your way, he's sending daggers at them. and if they don't get the hide, he'll tell you that he needs to use the restroom and for you to stay where you are until he's back. he'll be quick...

"sorry it took me a while, there was.. a long line... wanna get lunch now?"

~~~~~

Leona

Leona, normally, doesn't care for this holiday. his brother always ask him if he's "stolen any hearts" this year? its always the same answer. but this year was different.

For once, he gotten some valentines gift. he remembered, not because he was eavesdropping, he just sleeping and you and your friends were talking about valentines gifts. how you had too many and how you might have to do several trips to bring them back to your dorm...

when you looked at your pile of valentines, instead of valentines, you saw sand.. and a plush lion with a card, flowers, and chocolate..

~~~~~

Ruggie

Ruggie cant really communicate with his grandma that much, cause they're not in a position to have phones but he does send letters now and then.

Each letter has there, 'how are you?'s to their 'are you taking care of yourself?'s. Now his letters to his grandma had this mysterious person, and how 'he's feels his heart flutter whenever they're near.' there also might be some 'I'm worried that I'm not good enough' he was very happy to get this letter back

"don't worry, sweetheart~ you should bring them over and ill give them a good talking to."

~~~~~

Jack

Jack tried everything to stay away from you all day. You're smell was just too intoxicating for him. Jack didn't want to risk spending time with you and his instinct...

he could tell, the other beastmen felt the same way. So all day, he kept his distance while also putting other beastmen in their place when they get a little too handy with you. luckily you didn't notice a thing.

But when you approached him, he couldn't just push you away. you mean too much to him. he doesn't want you to see him like.. a monster.

"Hi, prefect. how's you're day..?"

~~~~~

Azul

Azul tried to just charm you with his charisma alone, no shady actions, no "read the fine print." it seem like he was on his best behavior all day. it made you feel uncomfortable for a hot while.. but after a few hours you gotten use to it.

It was all in Azul's plan. instead of flatly telling you or tricking you to form a contact with him. he was gonna show you that you could rely on him, to trust him. so when you do sign a contact with him, you're guard will be so low, you wouldn't ever dare look at the fine print

"Prefect? Would you like to stop by Mosta lounge for lunch? there's a special i know you'll love. oh! its on the house."

~~~~~

Jade

before valentines day, Jade asked you to go out with him on a hilling trip. you'll find great mushrooms and if you find any 'shiny treasure' you could keep it as payment. you felt bored at the time and went with it. it was pretty fun. Jade taught you about wildlife and camping and you just enjoyed being out and about, anywhere than Grim's messes was a fresh air.

But on one of the day's out, Jade fell and hurt himself! it'll take a while for you guys to head back so you both decided to just wait until it heals, or when jade is "strong enough" to head back.

"aww.. prefect, you're too sweet for taking care of me~"

~~~~~

Floyd

Floyd has been a pin to your side all day. every time you were just talking to your friends or in line for lunch or whatever, Floyd comes out of nowhere, picks you up and runs away from your friends. it doesn't help that his long legs gives him a big advantage. the fact you cant struggle that much and the fact that you're friends cant keep up with Floyd...

When he finally gets alone time with you he just wants to play or just stare at you... its a mix really. sometimes he'll tell you he wants to show you a trick he learned from the basketball club. sometimes he just wants to walk around with you on his shoulders. but one things for sure, everyone is staying far away from both of you...

"Shrimpy! look at this! it kind of reminds me of you.. cause you're smol~"

~~~~~

Kalim

Lets admit it, when Kalim falls in love, he falls HARD. Like he would spoil his love rotten if he could. But he knows that you wouldn't allow him to do so, cause you're just too sweet.

Kalim loves to watch you work sometimes, you're so hard working even though you're in a situation that he couldn't imagine. Far from home with no contacted to your families, that's terrible. but he'll show you that he could help solve all your problems. But he doesn't want to overwhelm you so he'll start small.

"HEY PREFECT!!! Look what i got you! Golden bangles! they have our initials on them too! Come on, try them on! I'll help."

~~~~~

Jamil

Jamil could easily used his unique spell on you but with it being Valentines day plus every student's having their eyes on you, he cant do it without getting caught. So, he'll have have to charm you with the next best thing, food.

He understand the for some people, food is their love language. He wasn't sure if that's you but he does know that you love his food. so a win is a win.

He'll make you not only your favorite foods but his own too. As a "get to know me" dish. Watching you enjoy his hard work, was like breathing fresh air. he loves your presence.

"here prefect, you can have more. i made it for you after all. hmm..? oh repayment? just repay me by spending the day with me.. just me."

~~~~~

Vil

Without warning, on a weekend, Vil grabs you and tells you get to dress. he's taking you out. You couldn't really say no to him so off you went.

He took you to store to store to store. Each store had either something he liked or something he didn't. did you have a say in anything? no.

It felt weird a bit but overtime that feeling went away and you were left with giving Vil a mini show fashion show... with just you and him...

~~~~~

Rook

Saying Rook loved you was an understatement. he loved your hair, your eyes, your walk, your demeaner, everything. On one of his strolls by your dorm, he noticed that you were taking care of a stray animal in your backyard.

You left food for it, you made a spot it could rest, you had a whole set up. even though you don't have a lot of money, you're golden heart shined through. He felt like cupid just struck him through the heart. He would like to do the same to you...

so on Valentines day, you found a box at your door step. inside the box... was your stray friend's lifeless body...

~~~~~

Epel

Epel's family loves to send him letters, he at least gets one every week. they're all mostly asking if he needs anything or family updates, etc. But now talks about you his letter. last time he visited his family, they kept asking about you.

Epel feeling the pressure of his family, told them that you and him were together and how you had "other things to take care of" and that's why you're not with him. they seem to calm down and jumped to another family topic. Now Epel has to convince you to "pretend" hopefully don't for long, that he was your boyfriend for his family.

"umm... hey prefect? i have a favor to ask you..?"

~~~~~

Idia

Idia normally doesn't care of any holidays, in general. he mainly does them for his brother or whenever a game was having a seasonal event. but he couldn't say he had someone special to "sit by the fireplace with him with hot chocolate" or "having a picnic out in spring" or even "being or having a valentine"... He didn't mind it...

which what he'll normally say, until he saw you with your pile of valentines day gifts! augh.. why do you have to be so popular?!

With a lot of pushing from ortho, he finally gave you your gift. it was a blue teddy that looked like hades. You didn't have to know about the hidden camera and mic in it. you could just thank him by sleeping with it~

~~~~~

Malleus

Malleus couldn't really celebrate valentine's day.. he's a prince of Briar Valley, after all. Having him give a valentines day gift can be interpreted as a marriage proposal. that will look every bad for Briar Valley. But the heart wants what it cant have~

His heart belonged to you and he would gladly throw away his position as a prince for you. or... he could just ask you to marry him?

He didn't want anything to come to harm you because of him, so in secret, he made you a wedding dress/suit. Until his graduation, he'll ask you to marry him and then he'll pick you up and off to Briar Valley, ruling together~

~~~~~

Lilia

Lilia loves a good trip. So many places to see, so many things to do. He wants to take you to see it all. why stay at NRC and just reading about other places when you could go out with him. he may be older but he could still protect you with all he has and he'll still be able to show you a fun time. Oh maybe he should show you how to fight?

He's had his eyes on you since you came to the school, you were so strange but you are never boring. something always happened with you around but you all ways find a way out of it. you're, well..... perfect.

"Prefect! guess who got 2 tickets to Shaftland! why just two? for me and you silly. come on, get your things. I'm gonna show you so much more of this twisted wonderland"

~~~~~

Silver

You understand that Silver is just a tried guy. so you do everything in your power to make sure he's okay and not gonna get hurt. After a while of this, you've noticed that Silver's holds on you, when ever you go and move him to a safer place, is more forceful than normal? You just told yourself that it was just sleepy silver but it doesn't seem like silver noticed and you didn't mind.

Whenever Silver was awake, you noticed that he's always just a call away. he wasn't over your shoulder or anything but you did see him more often than you usual did... were you thinking too much on this..?

"hey prefect? i got you some treats from Sam's... happy valentines day~"

~~~~~

Sebek

Sebek is loud. that is not an understatement. bet Sebek probably knows that too. he often uses it to tell other to "respected Malleus." but today he was oddly quiet? you tried to ask him if everything was okay, he said he's fine. Also whenever the other first years asked, he'll snap but not at his normal loud tone?

Without you realizing, Sebek was actually fighting an inner demon of his. Humans, like yourself, were so small and weak. yes, Silver is human too but he's a trained human, you weren't.

He sometimes wonders... how easy would it be to over-power yo-

~❦~❦~❦~

Che'nya

When Che'nya first appear in front of you with just his head, you, ace, and deuce all screamed. he loved it~ but your little squeak whenever you get scared, gets his blood pumping. like the rush you get when you catch you first mouse~

He started to visit more often then before, but not just to say hi to trey and riddle. but to spook their little perfect. a pick to the side here. a blowing into your ear there.

He just cant keep his hands off you! the best part, he doesn't have plans on even telling you it was him.

~~~~~

Neige

but to Vil's dismay, Neige kept bugging him about you! the mysterious manager~ Vil got so tired on it that he just pointed him to your dorm. Which Neige was happy to run to see you.

When he saw you place, he's heart broke a little. how could someone so lovely as you, live in a dump like this? He found you out in the back yard cleaning. it kind of reminded him of himself, run down building taking care of others. you were perfect for him!

"Heya! perfect, right? i was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me?"

~~~~~

Rollo

Rollo will not caught walking into THAT school. but that wont stop him from appreciating you. Whether it takes a few days to a few years, Rollo swears to himself that he will save you from the hell hole your in.

but in the mean time he'll send you some flowers and a gift basket filled with Fleur City treats and fun toys that you liked when you last visit. if only you were in that school and you were in his, he'll show you so much and treat you much better than those.. "monsters."

"If though I'm not there, i hope you enjoy my gift. maybe next time you could visit again and I'll give you a personal tour."

~❦~❦~❦~

you can see this as platonic or romantic

~~~~~

Crowley

Crowley is a very strange bird man? says he cares for you then runs away with his feather tail in between his legs. Or when he just hands you work when he could easily do them himself. He's a very strange man so when he was insisting on you to stay by his side all day? it confused you.

like he'll have you in his office and when you tell him you needed to go. he'll "get sad" and say "awww.. i guess ill just power through all this paper work"

you thought he just wanted you to do the paper work (that you could do) so you did. you didn't figure out that maybe he just wanted you by his side so no one could see/ give you anything for valentines day.

~~~~~

Crewel

Crewel is a very classic man. so when he asked you to help him with some of his designs, you were quite confused. why not ask Vil or anyone from pomefiore? nonetheless, you helped as best as you can. giving your input on designs, telling him what you thought looked nice, getting materials for him, etc.

After you helped him make a set, he asked you to model them for him. he "wanted it on an actual person than a motionless mannequin."

You didnt know that he was doing this so you wouldnt be laying down with dogs with fleas today. Crewel thinks all the boys in this school are just crazy the fact its valentines day. so having you help him was just killing 2 bird with one stone.

~~~~~

Trein

Trein's cat, Lucius, seemed fine to you. but you couldn't say much when Trein asked you to help him look after his beloved pet. plus a cat that doesn't call you Hedgeman felt nice. a cat that was just a normal cat, that can understand you and talk but you don't understand it...

On Valentines Day, Trein tells you about his wife and what they do together on this day. It was really sweet to hear an old man talk about his love, plus his life too.

It felt nice and you enjoyed the time you spend together. you still couldnt tell if Lucius was actually sick or if he was just winning about food...

~~~~~

Vargas

You had no idea what came over Vargas. But when it was gym time and there was any partner exercises, it seems like he'll give the poor guys, that asked you to be partners, more hard exercises.

it could be in your head but after you're done, you see the poor student crying for squats or something? Will he be okay?

"oh, don't worry about him. he's been slacking off recently so its just catching up with him. HAHA!"

~~~~~

Sam

Sam is quite busy on Valentines day. a lot of students ask for valentines day cards, bears, to flowers. some even get the custom order. with those custom orders, he realized a lot of them were for you... he might not be able to do anything.. but his friends might help.

when same gives the students the valentines day gifts, he has a shadow follow them and when they're not looking. the shadow destroys the gift and runs away.

it kills two bird with one stone. they cant give the perfect gifts and Sam still gets the money. oohh he loves what he does~

~~~~~

604 notes · View notes

bloodyknucklesforme · 1 month ago

Text

Pomegranate | Nikolai x F!Reader

Chapter 4

You meet with Nikolai for a fourth time.

cw: cw: dark fic, dubcon/noncon, reader is being trafficked, human trafficking, non-con spanking, anal, sexual harrassment/assault

Masterpost

“Hey, is it true Marcus is dead?” Cassie whispered. She had the cot next to yours. You didn’t remember the last time you moved from it. Arno hadn’t bothered you since you got back a few days earlier. You just wanted to sleep, let the days slip past seamlessly.

“Yes.” You answered softly. His body kept reappearing in your nightmares. Despite it all it felt like he was a level of protection you no longer had. He’d beat you, rape you but he was choosy about who you were sent to. Kept his eye on you when you worked the club. You had no one now. No Marcus, no Nikolai. Just Arno, who had hundreds of reasons to get rid of you.

The other girls were thrilled, of course. He wasn’t a kind man to anyone. Part of you still mourned. He was the last thread connecting you to your old life. That nice little flat you shared, your job at the cafe, the few friends you’d made. You’d planned out a future with him before he showed his true nature. You’d tried not to blame yourself, that hindsight is 20/20 but all those old signs gnawed at you.

Your birthday dinner where he slapped outside the restaurant. How rough he’d get in bed. The belittling. The credit cards taken out in your name. You were the frog in boiling water. Water he filled with flowers and gifts to placate you until you owed his friend more and more and the rent was still not being paid.

You kept your coat tight around you. Just over 1k in pound notes could get you away. You just had to find the right time. You’d need to steal your passport back or maybe just run away to some government office, not local police - something higher up. You didn’t know where that was but if you caught a cab you could figure it out.

You didn’t know if Nikolai would call for you again. You saw Jane being hurried away once you got back to the club. She was a redhead. There was a pang of jealousy you felt when you saw her come back bow legged. You didn’t care to ask about any tip he might have given her. You just hoped he didn’t like her more than you. Like it would even matter anymore.

You’d seen his true form. He had a methodology to his violence. The snap of his fingers and you could have been the one naked, tied to a chair. Seeing him again would be knowingly going into the lion’s den.

You thought about what he said the other night about trust and loyalty. If you ran, would he come after you? You wouldn’t tell the authorities about any clients in particular but he didn’t know that. Marcus insulted him and Nik killed him for it. You didn’t want to think what he’d do to you if he thought you betrayed him.

You squinted your eyes as the door swung open, flooding the room with light. Other girls groaned and threw their coats and other makeshift blankets over their heads.

“You!” Arno snapped, pointing at you. “Nikolai wants you tonight. Be ready in thirty.”

You did your makeup with a shaky hand, smudging your eyeliner to make it seem intentional. You felt like a schoolgirl about to see the principal. You sat in the back of the car, biting back tears. His look of disappointment had lay heavy on your shoulders. You thought he’d never call for you again and the brief glimmer of excitement you felt when he did scared you.

Yet here you were, standing in that little room with a white gift box in front of you, wishing you could disappear.

The box was empty.

You took a deep breath and took off your clothes, folding them into a neat pile in the corner. The door buzzed and you were let in.

You walked along the plush rugs towards the living room. It felt colder than normal. He sat on the couch in a white dress shirt and dark grey slacks. The room smelled like cigar smoke. Jazz music played softly over the speakers.

“Come here, Kotenok.” He patted his lap. You kept your eyes low as you walked over. He’d seen you naked before, been inside you before yet this felt shameful and embarrassing. It was on purpose you felt. “No, like this.”

He manoeuvred you till you were stomach down, your ass laying across his lap. He moved a pillow for you to rest your head on.

“I’m upset with you.” He said, rubbing a circle across your back. You didn’t even try to hide your shaking. His rings only reminded you of what he did to Marcus earlier in the week.

“I’m sorry, Sir.” A rabbit in the jaws of a bear.

“Are you? Tell me why I’m upset.” He gave you a soft slap at the top of your thigh.

“I tried to run.” That was the first thing that came to mind. A slap. “I…I threw up…I didn’t listen.”

Another slap.

You were struggling to think of anything except the hand hovering above you. Your face screwed up. You crumbled.

“I’m sorry, Kolya.” You pleaded, “I’m so scared. I’m sorry. Please. Please.”

He hushed you, rubbing your back again.

“I know you are, Kotenok.” He bent over and kissed the small of your back. “But you still need to behave. Do you want me to keep you around?”

“Yes, please.” You gasped out.

“I need a girl who listens even when she’s afraid.” He rubbed your ass. “Count for me. Twenty for running.”

He alternated between your cheeks and tops of each thigh. You started to cry after the fifth one. You kept counting, pressing your fingers to your palms for each slap. At the end you were sputtering, spit dripping down onto the couch cushions.

“Good. Breath for me. Good girl. Keep breathing.” He rubbed the heated skin. “Had you ever seen someone die before?”

“No.” You shook your head.

“I don’t blame you for vomiting. It’s hard the first time. You’ll get used to it.” He rested his hands on you, drumming his fingers against your ass and upper back. “I’m going to spank you ten more times. Tell me why.”

“I… I don’t know.”

“What are you supposed to do when you get here?” It felt like your heart was trying to crawl deeper into your body and hide away from your own realisation.

“Take off my clothes.”

“And?”

“Put on what you gave me in the box.”

“You do know yet you didn’t do that the other day.”

“I…I was-”

He clicked his tongue, “No excuses. You do what I say no matter what. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Count.”

He hit harder this time, rings cutting against the plush of your ass.

“One.”

Again.

“Two.”

Again.

“Th–three.”

“Should make you count in Russian.” He mused.

Again.

In the end you were left a snivelling mess with a burning ass. He rubbed your lower back soothingly.

“You did good. Did you learn your lesson?” Your face was nearly as hot as your ass when he praised you.

“Yes,” you gasped, heart still beating rapidly. He flattened his hand over your hair, cooing at you in Russian as you came back down to Earth.

Two ringed fingers brushed against your lips, tugging the bottom one down till you relented and let them into your mouth. You sucked obediently.

“Have you been fucked in the ass before?” Your organs lurched inside your body as you noised out an affirmative around his fingers. There was a rumbling sound from his chest and he pulled out his fingers. “Spit.”

You spit onto his fingers. It was more drool than spit and he gathered the rest dangling from your lips. You tensed up as he prodded against your hole. Your hips rolled uncomfortably as he pressed a finger inside you.

“Shhh, I just want to stretch you. We have somewhere to be tonight.” You chewed on your lip as he worked a finger in, stretching you until he could fit a small plug inside of you. He moved you off his lap to lay on the couch by yourself. You tucked your face against the cushion, adjusting to the stretch and feeling of the plug.

When he came back he rolled you over, wiping you down with a wet wipe. You’d grown sweaty, too much for his taste.

“There’s a box in the bathroom upstairs.” He pulled you to your feet and gave your ass a soft slap as you headed upstairs.

It was simple but gorgeous. A black slip dress made of lambskin, felt like butter between your fingers. The price tag, still attached, made your jaw drop. It was backless and fit perfectly. There was no bra or panties in the box. There was another box with black leather pumps in it. The back of them rubbed against your heel uncomfortably, just slightly too small.

“Beautiful.” He was sitting on the bed. He’d put on a jacket to match his slacks. “We’ll go now.”

He led you down the same way as last time just with no black bag over your head. You didn’t know a lot about cars but you could read the word “PORSCHE” on the back of the car as he took you to your seat. He even buckled you in again. He pressed down on your stomach, chuckling as you whined.

“Have you ever gambled?” He asked, starting the car.

“No, sir.”

“I’ll show you then.”

He kept a hand under your dress, on your thigh the entire drive. You kept your eyes glued to the passenger window, watching the city go by. It was November so some buildings had started to put out Christmas lights. You always loved the lights. A long time ago you and friends used to walk around your hometown just to see the neighbourhood decorations. You tried to count the decorated buildings, something to take your mind off your still stinging ass.

You pulled up in front of an older building with a restaurant on the ground floor. A valet opened your door for you. Nik came around and threw his keys to the man before wrapping an arm around your waist. It was cold and you leaned against him for warmth.

The restaurant was dimly lit with candles on all the tables. Music played softly over the chatter of guests. Nik nodded to the host and walked the two of you towards the kitchen and down a small hallway towards a small elevator.

You had to squeeze in with him, your chests pressed together.

“Hold it!” A hand reached in front of the closing door, forcing it open again.

“You’re late.” Nik said. The man squeezed in behind you, his hips pressed against your ass. He was tall and bulky, young though, maybe thirty with the beginnings of a beard on his face. You looked up at Nik, hoping for him to do anything.

“So are you.”

“Had to take care of her.” Nik brushed his hand down the back of your head. The elevator shook as it began its descent.

“Your little trollop get into trouble?” The man looped a strand of your hair around his finger.

“Only a little but she learns quick.”

You yelped and clung to Nik as the man lifted the back of your dress up.

“You plugged her up too?” He clicked his tongue, amused before dropping your dress again. You hurriedly fixed it, face feeling as hot as your ass.

“She takes her punishment well. Right, Kotenok?” You nodded, arms hugging him underneath his jacket as you tried to make as much room as possible between you and this other man. “Look, John. You’ve scared her.”

“Don’t worry love, I won’t bite… not without Nik’s permission.” He snapped his jaw close to your ear, laughing when you jumped. The elevator dinged and the door opened. “What are the odds you put her up tonight?”

“The same odds that you’ll win anything.” Nik smirked.

The basement smelt like mildew and cigars. John walked ahead of you.

“Just sit in my lap and relax. I want to show off my pretty girl.” Nik said against your temple. “No shaking, remember?”

“Yes, sir.” He pressed a quick kiss on your hairline before guiding you down the hall.

Several men sat around a table, drinks and cigars in hand. Nik sat down next to John before pulling you into his lap sideways. You rested your head on his shoulder, ear against his neck so the thumping of his pulse could drown out the laughs and crude comments. There were no other girls in the basement. Just dangerous men playing cards.

You weren’t following the game closely but Nik seemed to be doing well, his pile of chips building up slowly in front of him. He had you hold his drink or cigar for him while he thought about his next move, encouraging you to take little sips from his glass. You ended up drinking more than him and maybe everyone else at the table.

“See how good she is to me?” Nik tapped the tip of your nose.

“I’ll get in your lap if you give me enough money,” John said, his knuckles brushing against your bare spine. “Won’t suck your cock though.”

“Enough whiskey and enough cash I think I can convince you.” Nik laughed but pulled you a little closer to him. Other men at the table laughed while John shrugged his shoulders in a guilty way.

“Unfortunately I decided to make my money the honest way.”

“Through our taxes?” Chimed in another man.

“No one here pays taxes.” Another laughed.

As the night went on the table’s patrons began to dwindle. Nik’s stack of chips continued to grow while you drifted off. He was warm and smelled like oud and musk and spice. You could almost forget what he did last week. Forget the blood and the smell and the fear.

You were cutting threads, detaching from all those bad feelings because right now you were safe. Nik was your ticket. Don’t mind the violence or the harassment from his friends. Ignore your known naivety and trust him to keep you alive long enough. Be perfect. Be his girl, his good girl.

“She’s cute like that.” John said. “Maybe I do want a bite.”

“Not tonight. Use your winnings to get your own girl. I’ll send you the address. Girl I had last week was good. Tight pussy.”

“Why isn’t she here then?”

“I like this one.” Rings brushed against your cheek.

He carried you out to the car. He put his jacket over your shoulders before buckling you back into the car.

“Gave you too much to drink, didn’t I?” He sighed. “Well, hopefully you won’t squirm as much when I fuck you.”

You fell half asleep on the drive back, only vaguely aware of the turns and stops that were made. You jolted when his car door shut.

“Shh, go back to sleep.” He cooed, lifting you up out of the car.

The bedroom was warm and the sheets were soft against your cheek. You stretched out like a cat, no like a kitten. You rubbed your face against his pillow, taking in the smell. He was moving around the room behind you, clothes dropping to the floor.

The mattress dipped on either side of you as he straddled your legs before ruching your dress up above your waist.

“I don’t know when you’ll see me again.” He said, rubbing his hand over your bare ass.

“Huh?” you turned to look over your shoulder, concern plastered across your drunken face.

“John and I have some work we need to handle. Hopefully it won’t take long but you never know with these things. When I call again I want this hole prepped,” he pulled the plug out, groaning as your muscles clenched. “Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Kolya.” Your bottom lip quivered. All the fear came flooding back like a broken dam. He took your chin between two fingers.

“I’ll try not to die before I fuck this cunt again. Now relax, was thinking about this all night. Had a hard time concentrating knowing my girl was waiting for me.”

He popped open the bottle of lube and dripped it on your hole. You buried your face into his pillow and lifted your hips up for him. The head of his cock rubbed against you, pushing against your opening.

You took a deep breath and did your best to relax. He responded by pushing the tip inside of you, he rubbed your flank, murmuring praises to you. He kept pushing as you grunted and whined at the burning stretch. “You can do it.”

He gave you respit once his hips were flush against your ass, petting your head as you twitched around his length. He licked the sweat beading at the base of your neck.

“I think I would be okay to die after fucking your ass.” He snickered before pulling out and thrusting back in hard. You let out little grunts every time his balls smacked against your pussy. He built up a harsh rhythm, fucking any real sensation out of you, leaving you floating with a dull ache. He was moaning and cursing above you, almost as loud as the sound of skin slapping against skin. “Yebat!”

His fingers dug roughly into your hips as he came. His cock twitching inside you as he filled you up. He pulled out with a sigh and pushed the plug back in.

“Don’t want you ruining the sheets.”

He let you sleep on his pillow that night. A rabbit sleeping in the bear’s den, nuzzling against his fur.

#nikolai x reader #nikolai x f!reader #nikolai cod #dark fic #my writing #call of duty #call of duty mw2 #cod modern warfare #cod #cod mw2 #cod mwii #pomegranate #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty modern warfare 2 #call of duty x reader

122 notes · View notes

delusionsofgrandeur13 · 9 months ago

Text

CASUAL

tim drake x reader

prologue

not nsfw yet but will be!

series inspired by Casual by Chappell Roan

readers can expect: fem reader x tim drake. party/alcohol mentions, reader drinks, isn’t really affected. creepy drunk guy/unwanted flirting. sexual innuendos.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

you’d seen him before, of course. on the cover of trashy tabloids in supermarket lines, ordering coffee at the college cafe. but this was the first time you’d seen him at a party.

you pull down the hem of your dress, red and so tight breathing was out of the question. you lick your thumb and, bending down, try to rub out the scuff on the toe of your right doc marten. you take as big of a breath as the dress allowed and put the most confident smile you could onto your face. you weren’t used to going to these kinds of frat parties, where the member’s lives were funded solely by old family money. the frat house had been paid for by lucius fox for his son to have somewhere ‘suitable’ to live. it was bruce fucking wayne’s former frat. you can’t imagine you’ll even talk to anyone the whole night. why would you? those kinds of boys were never your type, ever. but they were lydia’s. she’d been invited by her guy of the month, and in turn, invited you as emotional support. the laws of friendship demanded your attendance.

“you ready?”

you nod as lydia links her arm through yours, and pulls you up the pathway to the door of the frat house. you can hear the bass pounding through the windows, the house dark yet full of sound. a boy leans up against the dark wood, his arms crossed lazily. he lifts his head up, looking you both up and down, lydia in purple, you in red. something about him made you want to run home, yelling excuses for why you’d used a coupon at the store the other day and why your dress was secondhand. he sniffed, nodding, and moved aside to open the door for you both. the music washed over you in a wave, a little disorienting.

as soon as you crossed the threshold, lydia squeezed your arm and darted up the stairs, where her guy was waiting. you look around, trying to not fold in on yourself. the keg was in the corner, with some guys looking rather eager for anyone to volunteer to keg stand. you veer in the other direction. groups of people every so often burst into laughter, and you shiver. old money laughter was chilling. couples were scattered throughout the house, grinding on the stairs, sitting on each others laps on the couch.

you hadn’t been in a relationship for two and a half years, and every person since then had just been sort of a rebound..and then another rebound, and another, and another. you didn’t miss your ex, you just were no longer sold on the lovey dovey, ooey gooey, valentine’s day, til death do us part type of love.

the island in the kitchen was topped with marble, and you blinked, harshly reminded again of where you were. you grab a red solo cup, laughing internally at the fact that no matter who was throwing the party, those cups were present. you mixed yourself a rum and coke, more coke than rum. a frat house was a frat house.

your neck prickles, and you turn with your drink, leaning up against the island. the vibes of this place were giving you all kinds of heebie jeebies. a blonde girl in a pristine white tennis skirt flounced past, giving you a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. you return it, your expression turning into a grimace as you catch a glimpse of the guy making his way towards you. his light brown hair was cut way too short for his face shape, and nose was crooked like it’d been broken multiple times, then reset, then broken again and left like that. his green eyes were watery, red and bloodshot. he looked at you, hungry, and you felt like you were in a lion’s den, your flesh about to be stripped clean of your bones. his left hand was preoccupied with holding an entire bottle of vodka, which, with a glance at the label, said it was bubblegum flavored. your mouth twisted, thinking of the way that would taste coming back up.

he put his free hand on the counter next to you, cornering you. he leaned down, his breath telling you exactly what bubblegum flavored vodka tasted like.

“i haven’t seen you before. why?”

the rum and coke mixture in your mouth soured at the thought of this guy getting any closer to you.

“it doesn’t matter because you won’t be seeing me again.” you try to sidestep him, but he moves closer, setting his vodka on the island.

his arms were bracketing you in now, and your heart rate picked up speed. you silently begged lydia to come down the stairs and save you, but it was hopeless. the look in his eyes made you curse yourself for coming, for being anywhere that he was. he opened his mouth to say something else, but froze, looking at something over your shoulder.

“eric.” the voice came from behind you. it was masculine, and it sounded friendly enough, but you and eric both seemed to understand the underlying warning. he grabbed his vodka, leaning away, but still a step too close.

“tim.” eric nodded to whoever was behind you, his demeanor suddenly almost..respectful.

he then gulped, which you would’ve laughed at if he wasn’t still so close to you. your neck prickled again. he mumbled as he walked away, grumbling into the mouth of his bottle about frat presidents and how unfair it all was. he shot another glance back towards the kitchen before turning the corner, his lip curling.

you didn’t turn, instead taking another swig from your plastic cup. it crinkled in your hand as you relaxed your grip on it. someone was tapping out a rhythm on the marble. it sounded impatient, and you internally rolled your eyes before turning around. tim drake wayne was standing behind you, leaning his forearms on the countertop. his thick dark hair was coiffed in a way that probably took him hours but was meant to look like it just air dried that way. his jeans were tailored, but sat low on his hips. the dark fabric of his sweater looked like it would cost a month’s rent, and you had to resist the urge to reach out and feel it between your fingertips.

he stopped drumming his fingers, and your face grew hot, realizing you’d basically just been checking him out. he returned the favor, looking you up and down with half-lidded eyes and a cheshire cat smile. if eric was a lion, tim was a black panther. he’d probably play with you like a yarn ball, batting at you until you unraveled. being in his presence felt dangerous. you felt the burning gaze of a few others in the room who would probably cut off their pinky finger to be in your position. you shifted your weight off of the counter, standing up to walk away. you got two steps, stopping when tim called out after you.

“no.” he said. you spin, taking in the look on his face, his eyebrows pinched like a petulant child. you felt your own eyebrows raising as your entitled-rich-boy tank reached capacity.

“..no? what do you mean, no?” you replied, incredulous.

“don’t leave.”

“right. bye!” you turn to go find lydia, stopping in your tracks when tim suddenly slides in front of you. you suck in a breath, surprised at how fast he can move.

“maybe i wanted to talk to you.”

“what if i don’t want to listen?” you retort. his dark blue eyes flash, and the cheshire cat smile stretches across his face again.

“then don’t. give me your wrist.” he raises an eyebrow like a challenge, holding his hand out.

you comply, not really understanding why, and he’s pulling a pen out of his jeans, uncapping it. his grip on your wrist is firm but not painful, his hand warm and surprisingly calloused. the pen bites into the skin attaching the seam of your wrist and hand.

“there.” he finishes writing, pocketing the pen. “a new accessory to match that dress.”

the digits of his phone number wrap your wrist like a bracelet, and your heart stutters a little, your cheeks pinking.

“thank you?” you say, your words coming out as more of a question than you realize.

he winks, dragging his eyes up the length of your body again.

“maybe next time i’ll give you a pearl necklace.”

you blink and he’s gone, his lean back disappearing behind a corner. your heartbeat thumps in time to the music. you never thought you’d be in the presence of a wayne, let alone get one of their phone numbers. you stare at your wrist, memorizing the numbers like there’ll be a test on them later. lydia appears, her makeup smudged and her hair undone. she grabs your arm, shaking it a little.

“hey, all good to go? what’s that on your wrist?”

you shake your head, dropping it down by your side.

“nothing.” you smile at her, linking your arm through hers. “how was it?”

#casual by chappell roan #tim drake x reader #tim drake imagine #tim drake smut #tim drake wayne #tim drake #red robin #robin tim drake #the batboys x you #tim drake x you #red robin x reader #red robin smut #smut #tim drake x fem!reader #dc comics smut #—☆#—ness writes

370 notes · View notes

spooky-bunnys · 1 year ago

Note

I have this request based off of something that almost happened with me and my friends

Tenjiku gang is at an arcade why you may ask well it’s izana little brother (name) birthday and everyone is having fun until they lose him and they all start to panic until they find little (name) inside a claw machine hugging a plushie. Izana would be panicking and trying to get his brother whike (name) is happily waving back at tenjiku. Half of tenjiku suggest they get an employee to open claw machine the while the other half say they have to play the game in order to get (name) out

While their bickering shion says “hang on let uncle shion handle this” and starts walking to the claw machine and signals for (name) to scoot back and to cover their eyes which (name) does. The others are asking what shion is doing and he replies with “don’t worry I’m a professional at these types of games” and he proceeds to put his brass knuckle on a punches through the glass of the machine and grabs (name) along with another plushie for (name) and just books it out of the arcade to avoid getting in trouble by not only tenjiku but from the arcade employees and since shion had a head start he takes (name) to the nearest cafe to get him some cake for his birthday (with money that was definitely not stolen from the arcade machines)

It was supposed to be a normal hang out. Eveything was fine. Ran and Rindou hadn't stared fighting. (Name) was being entertained by Hanma at the moment. Kisaki was helping Mochi with a specific punching game. Mucho couldn't make it to the hang out. Finally Izana and Kakucho were with Shion at the claw machines.

They visited arcades frequently lately. Since the colorful lights and sounds excited the toddler of the group. Especially since today was the Toddlers Third birthday. Nothing major has happened yet. Yet being the keyword. Things started getting rough when the brothers started fighting. Then Mochi almost breaking the pumch bag game due to him not punching correctly. Finally Hanma had set (Name) down to get the tot a snack.

That was his biggest mistake. Especially since he knew (Name) had taken a great liking towards a certain toy, in a certain claw machine. Hanma had sat (Name) by his brother. Telling the leader he would be back. (Name) watched his brother with interest at first. Wondering how the thing in front of them work.

Then as if the cards were playing in his favor, Izana managed to win a stuffed animal. Watching with wide eyes as his brother got the toy from the mysterious door. (Name) decided he'll get the toy he wanted from the thing from earlier. Which lead to the current moment.

"HANMA WHERE IS HE?!" The gang had never seen their leader so panicked. But it was fair since (Name) was his precius treasure. "I told you! I sat him by you to get him (snack)." Kisaki pinched the bridge of his nose. Annoyed. He said it was a bad idea for the lanky male to watch (Name) in the first place. It took almost 8 minutes for them to find (Name). Well Rindou found him.

"What the hell?!" Rindou's yell caught their attention and thats when they noticed he was staring into a claw machine. "Hm~ what's wrong Rin-Rin?" Thats when Ran saw the sight and pale. "(NAME)?!" Cue to Tenjiku panicking. Inside an out of order claw machine, sat 3 year old (Name) cuddling a lion stuffed animal. He looked so happy.

The gang did not share this happiness. In fact it was almost the complete opposite. "(Name) buddy. Remain calm. Listen to Aniki and Kaku-nii okay? We're gonna get you out!" Izana then whipped his head toward Kisaki. "Well?! How do we get him out!?" Kisaki stuttered. Not sure what to do honestly. They could get the staff, but there was a high chance they wouldn't know what to do.

Shion brushed his way to the front. Upon spotting his favorite Uncle, (Name) dropped the stuffed lion in favor of trying to get to his Uncle Shion. Seeing how he wasn't able to reach said Uncle upset (Name). Which sent Izana into a bigger panic. Shion quickly thought of an idea. "Listen I know exactly what to do. I'm a professional at these type of games. Let Uncle Shion handle this."

Shion signaled (Name) to move back. After some fussing he did as told. Shion put his hand in his pocket. Putting on his brass knuckles. Without missing a beat he punch the glass. Shattering it. Which made the kther members immediately start yelling/screaming (in Izana's case) about (Name)'s safety. Shion quickly grabbed (Name), the stuffed lion, and (animal) before racing out the arcade.

It took the others a few seconds to realize what happened before they quickly rushed after them. They took refuge at a nearby cafe. Which happened to be (Name)'s favorite. When the others finally arrived (after carefully avoiding the workers) they saw Shion feeding a happy (Name). (Name) was cuddling the lion and eating cake.

The others slowly joined the two. (Name) of course didn't notice. He was enjoying the cake and new stuffed animal he got. Izana carefully checked the toddler and after making sure the toddler was okay, quickly tried attacking Shion. Kakucho took over feed (Name) cake, trying to keep him distracted so he won't see his brother hog tying his favorite uncle behind him.

#male reader #x male reader #tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x male reader #tokyo rev #tenjiku x male reader #tenjiku #izana kurokawa #shion madarame #kanji mochizuki #kisaki tetta #hanma shuji #haitani rindou #haitani ran #haitani brothers #kakucho hitto

586 notes · View notes

yuri-is-online · 8 months ago

Note

I love your one sided Floyd vs Ace thing because Ace is just trying to play wingman from the background so Yuu will stop talking about how Floyd's "Such a sweet boy!", like he didn't just try to take Aces head off during practice. And "He visited my class today" , yeah perfect, Floyd visited him today too. For very differnt reasons though. or "He just helped me dye my hair! Doesn't it look good?". It does but that's besides the point.

Bro Floyd is pining SO HARD rn it's not even funny anymore! He's always lost in fantasies but they're not even the hot kind! No, he's daydreaming about holding Yuus hand and going to that one really cute Cafe in Port city that Yuu always calls a "French Cafe". He doesn't know what the hell a French is but you know what! Calling it that makes you happy so that Cafe is French! He wants that excuse to come find you whenever he wants a nap and fall asleep in your lap as you pet him to sleep, and no one can even say shit about cause like! You'd be together.

But he thinks that Ace is trying to get together with Yuu and that just puts his mood way below the poverty line. HES NOT. HE SWEARS HES NOT. ACE JUST WANTS TO TEASE YUU FOR THEIR STUPID GROSS CRUSH NOT BE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT!

AlsoYuuisthepervertintherelationshipthankyouforcomingtomyTEDtalk

ah confused the ducky you. you always see my floyd visions so clearly, i am so happy

I like Ace's relationship with Yuu in pretty much all flavors, when I'm writing floydyuu I think of Ace as the self appointed mom friend/older brother. He likes the feeling of power and responsibility he gets from it since he's used to being the baby of the family. Floyd thinks that little shrimpy is funny and cute at first, someone he could chase around similar to Riddle.

But then they beat Azul. They beat Azul by annoying Sea Lion, who constantly ignores and mocks his attempts to fight him. They got under his skin, that's just on a different level. He's paying close attention now, and he likes what he sees. At first it's exciting, he likes new things and these feelings are certainly new. But it also makes him notice little things. Like how much closer you are to Crabby than you are to him. The jealousy just eats him up because he feels like he shouldn't be? Crabby kind of sucks? He's seen how his color changing magic is, he can't imagine he'd be a better option than him. But shrimpy giggles at his jokes and spends almost all their free time with him. He hates it, and it's starting to effect his... not quite but yeah kind of friendship with Crabby.

Meanwhile Yuu is savoring any sort of contact they can get with him. I love the hair dye suggestion, Floyd says he'll give you one color but really he just wants an excuse to put a streak of teal where his swoop would be on your head. He's too much of a coward to do it, going with whatever you request instead and how happy you are makes it almost worth it until you babble about how you'll have to show your friends how cool it is and what a good job he did. He makes a point of visiting Ace intending to threaten him but he ends up just whining about how he doesn't know how to get through to you, and asking if Ace knows anything about what a "french" is (he thinks it's a dessert) before he lapses into the silence of daydream while Ace wonders if it would be worth it to get Jamil involved.

Yuu gets the perv title for being into a literal fish on top ha of going along with whatever Floyd comes up with. Please do not underestimate his imagination he can be quite filthy when he wants to be, he's just being a good boy and only thinking about extramarital h*nd h*lding for now (•̀⤙•́ )

#<3 asks #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #floyd leech x reader #floyd leech x yuu

239 notes · View notes

why-animals-do-the-thing · 8 months ago

Text

California zoo accessibility data dump

I just recently got back from a short (and fully covid-cautious) zoo road trip in Oregon and California, and wanted to share my notes re: accessibility at the facilities I visited. I'll get this all integrated into the spreadsheet, too.

Wildlife Safari - Winston, Oregon

This is a large drive-thru safari park with a free walk-about area attached that contains some small exhibits. Guests stay inside their cars the entire drive-thru, although there's at least one place to stop and sit in a gazebo to rest and use the bathroom (porta-potty only). You can pull over to watch animals for longer, and go through multiple times if you missed anything. It's a long drive-thru and there isn't really a good way to truncate the experience if you've got some kind of emergency. The roads are not flat, but they're well maintained and not bumpy.

The walkabout area is very small and contains bathrooms, food options, and other guest services. The paths are mostly concrete and well tended, although you do have to cross the steam train tracks to get to lion/some of the lemur viewing. I believe the Australia walkabout area was also unpaved. There's lots of parking in a big, flat, paved lot.

Sacramento Zoo - Sacramento, CA

This is a very cute, small inner-city facility - a good option if you don't want to try to walk a huge zoo in one day. There's lots of shade from all the plants and a good amount of benches throughout, including picnic tables with shade canopies. The paths are almost entirely flat and paved, with the exception of a boardwalk ramp up to the giraffe feeding and okapi viewing platforms. The cafe has gluten-free and vegetarian listings (maybe vegan?) on their menu. No straws are provided for animal safety, but if you need one, they can give you a reusable curly-straw from the slushies (kinda long and awkward for a normal cup) as an accommodation. They've got both water fountains and water bottle filling stations. Being build in a larger city park and recreation complex, there isn't a dedicated parking lot just for the zoo: the closest is across the street, shared with another attraction, and is kinda small. I've never had issues finding parking when I've gone, but sometimes it does involve a bunch of walking to get to the zoo entrance - if you have mobility or stamina limitations, probably best to get dropped off at the entrance and wait (there are benches).

San Francisco Zoo - San Francisco, CA

The SF Zoo is huge. There's lots of green / garden / swamp space that doesn't have habitats in it, but it means exhibits can be pretty far away, so plan your route accordingly. (Going out to the grizzly bears is the longest loop). Depending on the time of day, there's not always a ton of shade for guests either. There's a decent amount of benches, and quite a few are in decent proximity to animal viewing. After a somewhat long but not steep hill right at the entrance, the paths are all paved and fairly flat. There's a hill going down into/up from the Australia area / kids playground, but it's the only one I really noticed. There's a long elevated boardwalk through the lemur habitats that connects to the top of the new Madagascar construction - if you can't do stairs, as of Spring 2024, that's the only way to get up there to look down on the mandrills or see the top of the fossa habitat. (It's still under construction, so there might be an elevator in the building in the future). Back by the grizzlies, there's an old indoor rainforest building - while there's buttons to automatically open the door going in, I didn't find any on the first inside door going out. It makes sense they don't want both doors to open at once since it's a bird airlock, but not having independent ones on each door meant the day I used an ECV I got stuck in there until a nice staff member noticed.

All three times I've ever been to SF most of the little food kiosks haven't been open, and the vending machines for drinks have been hit and miss - so bring your own, or stock up at the cafe if you need to have supplies with you - but there are water fountains and water bottle filling stations around the zoo. There are interpretive audio boxes through the zoo in English and Spanish, used with a key you get at the entrance(?), but I heard a lot of complaints in passing about some of them not working. There's lots of parking at the zoo in a flat paved lot, and there's a specific dropoff area on one side for rideshares/mobility needs.

Oakland Zoo - Oakland, CA

To be clear up front - Oakland was the hardest facility to visit on this whole trip, with regards to mobility. We went twice, and I used an ECV (electric scooter) one and walked the other. Neither option was easy and both were exhausting. Oakland is a super hilly facility - you basically have to drive up a major hill to get to the zoo. The bottom half of the lower zoo can only be reached by going down pretty steep paths. The hills are also not graded to be "flat", so if you're in a wheelchair or ECV, you're going to have to lean to compensate for the tilt and balance the chair... while controlling it going down a steep hill. It's exhausting and kinda scary. (I don't even let other people carry my camera because $$, but I had to ask for help so I could focus on driving the ECV on those hills). There's also a lot of areas of the pathways that are not in the best repair, or patterned with pressed-in images, and multiple places actually have brass bugs embedded in the pavement so that they stick out above the surface. Lots of tripping hazards and/or things to rattle your teeth out rolling over. A couple places in the upper zoo (the California wilds area) the paths switch from paved to sand and back again, for drainage, maybe? On the upside, there's a lot of benches everywhere, including directly across from prime viewing areas.

Getting up to the upper zoo requires using a gondola - there's no walking option. You can actually take wheelchairs and ECVs on these, but you have to be ready to advocate for yourself. Normally, they don't stop the carriages completely, and expect people to walk on while they're still moving slowly. You can ask them to slow them down for you (I did, because knee issues plus torque is bad), or stop it completely if you need the time/help. When I took an ECV on, they had me disembark and get in one carriage, and they loaded it into the subsequent ones. This is fine because I can walk and stand on concrete for a while without it, but I'm not sure how that practice would work for people who need their mobility aids the whole time. They were very nice about managing the stopping and the loading and didn't make it feel like an imposition, too. If they stop the carriages completely at any point, there will be a loud buzzer/alarm when the ride starts back up. If you're close, it's pretty loud and startling. As they leave the track at the bottom the gondolas tip and dip a little, which can be scary if you're not expecting it - I think it's just the transition of the car from the loading bay onto the track itself. The rest of the ride is very smooth. The track is pretty high up and gives a great view of the bay and the surrounding cities, but face uphill if you don't do well with heights. Once at the upper zoo, the path from bald eagles through jaguar is mostly a boardwalk, but it's not too bumpy.

Oakland's parking is hard if you're not there early in the day, IMO. The overflow parking gets pretty far from the entrance, and starts to go up the hill towards the upper zoo. If the lot looks busy, drop anyone with mobility/stamina issues off at the entrance before parking. Unlike many other zoos I've visited, Oakland's ECVS have added sunshades, which is really nice (and which I should have used).

Monterey Zoo - Salinas, CA

This is a fairly small facility with most habitats on one level, but some big cats and bears are up a pretty big hill. The walkways are paved and flat, and there's an ADA-graded boardwalk ramp that takes you to the top of the hill. The pipes used for the handrails on both the stairs and the ramp get very hot in the sun, however. There's a boardwalk up to the rhino overlook. They indicate that their bathrooms are accessible, but the ones in the main building didn't have bars for transferring - I didn't check the ones up on the hill. At one point in the day speakers along the path started playing really loud pop music (drowned out the birds) and it was very overwhelming. There's lots of handicapped parking spots across from the front entrance, but if you don't have a tag, the rest of the spots are up a bit of a hill and a small walk from the entrance. They do have a note, though, that they can help if you need accessible parking and don't see any, so you could probably call/have someone to go in and ask for an accommodation.

Sequoia Park Zoo - Eureka, CA

This is another nice small facility, very doable for a half-day trip. The paths are paved and flat, and there's benches available. There's a lot of shade, although it can depend on the time of day, and places to fill a water-bottle. The sky-walk through the redwoods is accessible, but might be a little difficult depending on mobility limitations - its' a very sturdy boardwalk through the canopy of the tall trees. (I had more thoughts on this from my last visit, I'll dig out those notes). If you can do even part of it, it's worth it, and there's places to turn around. Because it's in a residential area of the town there's not a huge dedicated parking lot, but lots of street parking and a decent lot directly across the street. I've never had difficulty finding parking, and you can drop people off at the entrance easily.

#accessibility project #zoo accessibility #my notes #zoo accessibility project #disability rights #disability access #ada compliance

163 notes · View notes

angelbaby-fics · 10 months ago

Note

chloe! it’s bear! 🥹❤️

i have to go on anon since i can’t ask from my side blog! 🥺

i love your stucky stories and i was wondering if i can request stucky taking their little to the zoo and their little wanting to run off and look at all the animals!

thank you and i hope it’s not too much 🥺 -🐻

Zoo Adventure

Word Count: 1.3k

A/N: Hihi bear!!!! I'm so happy to see you!!! I combined this request with another in my inbox as well as an idea I've had for literally 2 years now about baby surprising daddies with pictures from a photobooth 😅 well better late than never hehe 💕 And I think this came out pretty adorable if I do say so myself so I hope you guys enjoy!! 💕

Your heart was practically pounding out of your chest as the car pulled into the zoo parking lot. You weren’t even sure if you could stand to wait the few moments it would take for Bucky to get out of his seat and unbuckle you from yours. You knew you had to be in one of your daddies’ arms as long as you were in the parking lot, but it took all of your energy not to bolt straight for the entrance gates. Steve and Bucky shared a proud grin as they each held one of your hands.

You could hardly decide who you’d visit first. The entrance branched off into three different pathways, lions on the left, rhinos to the right, and monkeys down the middle.You stood in the center of the pathways, looking around with wide eyes until you were suddenly hoisted up into Steve’s arms.

“Where do you wanna start, pumpkin?” He asked.

“I dunno!” You answered. “I wanna see everything!”

“Well how about we start with the lions over here, and we make our way around?” Bucky suggested.

“You promise we’re gonna see them all?” You questioned.

“Of course, angel,” Steve replied.

“Don’t wanna leave anybody out.” You said softly. You were always looking out for others, whether it was your friends, your toys, or the animals at the zoo. Your daddies adored how considerate you were.

To help you feel better, the three of you waved and blew kisses at the other animals you could see down the other paths, letting them know you’d be back to see them too as you made your way towards the lion cage.

A big old lion with a giant mane and a grumpy face lumbered out into the grass of the habitat. He reminded you of Bucky in the mornings when he was growing out his hair. Past the lions was a hutch full of tortoises, and they reminded you of Bucky too.

Steve and Bucky took turns carrying you in their arms, neither one of them ever getting tired of course. Sure, you could make your way on your own, but they loved to spoil you in every way. Plus, you could get the best views of all the animals this way, never having to stand on your tiptoes just to see over the fence. The only time you were ever on the ground was in the reptile house, where you had to crouch down to see some of the snakes and lizards in their little habitats. Steve prefered to stand outside for that exhibit.

You laughed as penguins raced each other across the pool, squealing every time one leapt out of the water. The elephants trumpeted just like in the movies, and the monkeys jumped around their cages, swinging from rope and vine like your best friend Peter.

As the sun grew higher in the sky, there was no better time for a lunchtime picnic. The zoo had a plaza with a seating area, a little cafe, and a big shiny merry-go-round. Bucky chuckled to himself when he caught you staring longingly at the carousel. Steve was unpacking your lunches from the bag he’d brought, sandwiches for each of you and little baggies of vegetables and fruits. Finally he pulled out two big water bottles, and - uh oh -

“Oh, baby, I think we left your sippy cup at home!” He said, looking up at you apologetically.

How were you supposed to eat your lunch without your milk or a juicebox? But Bucky came to the rescue with a perfect idea.

“Why don’t you two take a turn on the carousel, I’ll go see what the cafe has for the little one. How about that?”

“Yes yes yes!” You answered, already dragging Steve towards the merry-go-round attendant before he could even reply.

You circled the base of the carousel to find the perfect animal to ride on, ultimately deciding on a majestic zebra. Steve stood at your side, keeping his arm protectively around your waist throughout the ride to make sure you never lost your balance as your noble steed carried you up and down, around and around. When the adventure came to a stop, he picked you up off the zebra and carried you back to the table where Bucky was waiting with a carton of chocolate milk.

You happily ate your lunch, telling your daddies between bites what your favorite animals were so far and which ones you were most excited to see next. After a while, however, Steve and Bucky started to talk about boring grown up stuff, and your mind began to wander as you finished up your lunch.

That's when it caught your eye, something that tempted you even more than the carousel, or the animals, or even the gift shop. You grabbed your coin purse and headed off on your mission, Steve and Bucky too engrossed in their conversation to notice.

At least for about 15 seconds, but by then it was too late. You were out of their sight, and the panic welled up in each of them like an erupting volcano. Wordlessly, they sprang into action, splitting up to look for you in the most efficient way. Steve circled the carousel, his heart dropping as he scanned each animal and found every one vacant. Bucky went back to the cafe, maybe you’d finished your chocolate milk and tried to go back for seconds, but no luck there either. You couldn’t have gone that far, and you definitely would never leave the zoo on your own, but being who they were, there was always the fear in the back of your daddies’ minds that someone would target you to get to them.

They didn’t even want to give that notion a second thought. After clearing the cafe and the carousel, Steve and Bucky met back up at your table to make sure you hadn’t come back, before widening their search. They were about to find a zoo employee to help them when suddenly, a mechanical whirring caught their attention. Both their heads snapped over to the source of the noise, and they were just in time to see a strip of photos fall out of one of the photobooths in the zoo plaza - a strip of photos of you.

The breath they’d each been holding let out as you pulled back the curtain and stumbled back out into the daylight. You were surprised to see your daddies there waiting for you, expecting them to still be at your table

“Oh hi daddies!” You said cheerfully, reaching over to retrieve your pictures. “Looky! I got a present for you!”

You tore the photo strip in half, handing one section to Steve and the other to Bucky, but they just stood in stunned silence.

“Baby…” Bucky whispered, crouching down to embrace you with all his strength.

“You like your present, Baba?” You asked, your voice muffled in Bucky’s shirt.

“We love them, angel,” Steve answered, “But please, don’t ever run off without telling us where you’re going, okay? You made Daddy and Baba very scared.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” You said, disappointed in yourself. You hadn’t even realized you were misbehaving, too wrapped up in surprising your daddies with your special gift to realize you hadn’t thought through your plan all that well.

Bucky let you go with a kiss on your cheek, and you kissed him back, and Steve as well.

“Thank you for apologizing, baby,” Bucky said, “And thank you for the present. We love it, angel.”

Bucky put the photos of you smiling at the camera in the front pocket of his wallet where he could always look at your angelic face whenever he needed to. Steve put the photos in his shirt pocket, vowing to put it in his compass as soon as he got home.

#little!reader #stucky x little!reader #daddy!stucky x little!reader #daddy!stucky #marvel agere #bucky x little!reader #steve x little!reader #steve rogers x little!reader #daddy!bucky #daddy!steve rogers #cg!steve rogers #cg!bucky #cg x little!reader #sfw agere #chloe's fic

335 notes · View notes

seiwas · 2 months ago

Note

hello selly my darling!! im sorry its been so long! 🤍🤍 a little snack 🍓🍓

for the ask game, choso + sleeeepy please :)

emu hello 🥺 no need to apologise!! thank you for the little snack, and for sending in a prompt! 💗

contains: best friend's older brother choso, one-sided pining? maybe? it's a crush

choso + sleepy

weekends with yuuji are pretty standard.

he either goes for a morning hike or run, and you join him sometimes, depending on your mood. after that, you grab breakfast at the small cafe down his street, grabbing something for his (hot) older brother, choso, too, while you're at it. then, the rest of the day varies depending on what's needed for the following week.

it's a routine you've built up throughout uni and has been a major constant in your life thus far. your week never feels complete unless you end it with your best friend and coffee.

this weekend, you skip hiking with yuuji and opt to meet him straight back at his apartment when he's finished, which is also something you've done plenty of times before, except―

when you open the door with the spare key you own, you find choso standing right in the middle of their living room, holding a pillow with nothing but his sweatpants on. he only stares at you, eye half-lidded as his hair fans around his face like a disheveled lion's mane.

you freeze, blinking once then twice before squeaking out a small, "sorry!" and stepping out again.

in all your weekends spent with yuuji, this has never happened before.

choso usually sleeps in, only waking up by the time you and yuuji prepare lunch. he's never usually up and about at 8:52 a.m.

the lock clicks as he moves to open the door to welcome you back in. and when he does, he still looks the same―unbothered and completely unaware that he's standing half-naked in front of you.

it takes extra effort for you to keep your gaze up as he greets you, "yuuji is still out."

"y-yeah," you stutter, "i told him i'd meet him here." you catch a glimpse of the room behind him and notice the messy heap of pillows and blankets on the couch then realize, "unless i can't! then—"

he shakes his head, hair swinging around as he rubs at his eyes, still a little sleepy, "feel free." his arm stretches out to motion to the rest of the space, as if to emphasize, "you practically live here."

you chuckle nervously as you step back inside.

"sorry, it's messy," he gestures at the mess of pillows on the couch, "fell asleep watching a movie last night."

this is not the first time you've ever interacted with choso; you're actually normally comfortable around him, albeit a little stuttery from the kind-of mini crush you've developed on him since sophomore year. but he's also almost never like this―lean muscles and bedhead on full display as he talks to you, voice hoarse with the cutest bit of sleepiness still on his face.

you swear, this is a recipe for your own demise.

he passes you a glass of water as he yawns from across the kitchen island, hand going straight to scratch his stomach.

"thanks," you give him a small smile, drinking it immediately in an attempt to conceal how flustered you feel. "will you be joining us for breakfast?"

the sound of his footsteps dragging across the floor accompanies the slight hum he makes while thinking. his fingers run through his hair, ruffling them as he answers, "i can," then another pause before he continues, looking at you straight in the eyes as he asks, "do you want me to?"

#choso x reader #jjk x reader #shotorus.workbook #havent written choso in a hot second !#but bsf's older bro is probs my fave trope for him #i hope you like this emu !#some stuff abt the blurb: yuuji knows reader thinks choso is cute but thats the extent of it #honestly reader hasnt even fully admitted it to themselves yet that they have a full blown crush on him #choso is acting 100% purely innocent hahaha doesnt know anything and also can't tell #so when he asks that final question he rlly asks it so casually but reader is dying inside #ask #rep #ask game answered #yemmuisworld #emu.🪻

80 notes · View notes

corazondebeskar-reads · 6 days ago

Text

how to break a girl in ten easy steps - part four

dark!Joel Miller x f!reader

series masterlist | prev chapter | next chapter

words: 600

summary: rewind. play it back from the start.

chapter warnings: dark, dead dove do not eat, non-con, captivity, predator/prey, capture, non-linear storytelling, brief mentions of car accidents - no graphic description. there's nothing explicit in this chapter, but it's still fairly dark.

dividers by @saradika-graphics

NOTE: please read and heed the series and chapter warnings. this is very dark. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. please read responsibly.

Step One Once you’ve selected the perfect girl, make arrangements to bring her home. Remember all the elements of a successful acquisition: stealth, strength, and speed. Follow the tips in Appendix B to avoid unwanted attention.

He’d been looking for a girl like you. A dumb little thing who no one would miss. He had everything else he wanted — his land, his cabin, his truck, his guns. Everything his shriveled old heart could want, except a warm cunt.

And, admittedly, he was just a little lonely. Not enough to want to be around people more. No, he made his chit-chat on monthly shopping trips.

The townsfolk liked him an awful lot. Sure, it was mostly pity, but he’d fixed enough fences and done his part at a few barn raisings. Always asked Billy at the hardware about his grandkids and tipped Sheila generously at the cafe. Kept the boys at the Sheriff’s department flush with venison and took care of any mountain lions that wandered too close to the residential areas.

He heard them whisperin’. Poor Old Man Miller, what a sad bastard, living by himself out in the woods since the accident.

You’d stayed at the little motel for a night, and seemed to have moved on in the morning.

Seemed to.

What was left of your shitty, banged-up little sedan was in his tertiary barn. Your shitty sedan, an old truck he’d been halfway through fixing up a long time ago, and the remains of another truck covered by a tarp (which, in turn, was covered by a thick layer of dust) in the back corner.

A little graveyard of sorts.

He’d known when he saw you sippin’ coffee in the diner. Eyes darting around you, clearly put off by the dinky little country town you’d stumbled across for the night. All alone and so sweet. So fuckin’ pretty. You were perfect.

And by the next night, you were his.

You’d been just passing through. But you’d driven through the night, and now that it was the next afternoon, you knew you had to call it soon. The only thing around was some pit stop of a town; all huddled around the off-ramp on the south side of the mountain pass. A Holiday Inn was nestled behind a gas station, and you couldn’t tell if either were really open.

The Speedway was a success, doing yourself the favor of filling your tank tonight so you could hit the road at first light with no extra stops. The Holiday Inn, however, was way out of your budget. Luckily, on the other side of the highway was a dinky motel and a cute little diner whose neon sign was speaking all the right words—and those words were “24-hour breakfast.”

As expected, there weren’t too many people inside. It was dubiously clean and probably was a nice place fifty years ago. Now, the Formica tabletops were cracked and stained. The bench’s vinyl cover was ripped, but you didn’t mind any. Not when you can smell eggs and pancakes already.

There was a grizzled man at the counter with a cup of black coffee. His dark eyes narrowed and followed you, sending spidery shivers down your neck. You ignored him, even though he kept looking at you while you ate. Every town had its old perverts, and so long as he didn’t try anything, you’d forget all about him by the next day.

Or, you would have. If only he hadn’t been the one to pull you from the wreck of your little Toyota after that pickup drove you off the road.

If only.

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #dark!joel miller #dead dove fic #dead dove do not eat #tw: non-con #heed the warnings #reader discretion is advised #fic: how to break a girl in ten easy steps #fic: better run

47 notes · View notes

strawbrryvyy · 6 days ago

Text

A+ in secrets , F in feelings

Pairing- lee Donghyuck x fem!reader

Genre- Angst,smut,fluff(if not in this part then soon)

Synopsis- in which you, a failing student find out a secret about the smartest kid in your university,who happens to be your true love , and blackmail him into tutoring you so that you pass

a/n:hiii!!omg!my first ever fanfic and its about haechan!!everyone pleasee request ofc after reading my rules and i REALLY hope you like this first part 🩷

25th of July

There it was. the letter ‘F’ in bright red ink stamped on the page, accompanied with crosses littered throughout. You could already feel the stare of Professor Park drilling holes into your back. This was the fifth fucking time.

“Ms. L/N,” a strict voice cut through the air as you looked at the professor with tinged red cheeks. Great, being called out again. ”See me after class to know more about your... predicament." A scowl was permanently etched on her face.

“You’ll get wrinkles like that early”—“What was that?”. You become silent as you bite your lips in order to suppress a “fuck you” or a “you heard me!”.

“Nothing.” At this, she left the conversation in order to pay attention to other students.

Later

“So what did she have to say?” Yizuho giggled as I smiled back in sarcasm at her.

“as if you don’t already know little Ms. Gossip Girl,” a sigh escaped your lips as Yizhuo hit you on the shoulder. You guys were headed to the ‘Kwangya Korner,’ a popular cafe on the university’s campus and the place where Minjeong, who was the last of your trio, worked. As you two entered the cafe, Minjeong smiled smoothly and yelled in surprise at the sight of you two so early after class.

“You guys didn’t get sidetracked today, she smiled as she fixed a coffee.

“No,you replied in a monotone voice while taking the coffee from her hands and taking a sip, making the girl gasp.

“That… was a customer's,” she said with a smack of her lips, her head turning to the side as you handed a twenty-dollar bill.

“Yeah, here… I paid, making me the customer; she chuckled at my words as you handed Yizuho the cup to take a sip. As you did so, her lips quirked up into a smirk as she called both our names.

“Look here…It's Donghyucksss. She prolonged his name in a teasing manner as your cheeks took on a rosy tint as you scrambled up from your seat to look at the cup. Oh! My! God!

“AHH…MINJEONG…Why didn't you tell me? The whine in your voice was evident as your and Yizhuo's words were met with silence.

“We have no more…she whispered to herself as you two looked towards her in confusion. She then explained how they had run out of the things needed to remake his order.

“W-what do you mean you RAN out?!” Yizuhos's giggles echoed around the kitchen. Like... how pfft, how does that even happen?” Minjeong looked at the girl with a deadpan look as she turned herself towards you and pointed to the door.

“You drank it, you tell him.” Her eyes were so stern you couldn't tell if she was joking or not. Surely she was! right...?As you questioned her, you knew she wasn't kidding and wanted you to go outside and tell him yourself. She was feeding you to the lions.

“B-but... I... I just wanted coffee after failing, man, "you said with a sullen face as you began to walk outside while Minjeong stood there smirking.

“Should’ve waited in line like a normal paying customer.”

You flipped her off with a scowl as you made your way to the front counter where Donghyuck would have been. And he was standing there in all his leather pants, messy hair, and black jacket glory. He was beautiful, as if he had been constructed by Ares himself. He looked like he was tired and waiting for his coffee. coffee that he wouldn't get because I drank it.

“Uhm…Hi, D-Donghyuck?” You ask in a weary tone as he turns to your direction in surprise.

“Yeah... um, that's me...” He holds his hand out as you shake it. He gives you a weird look as he speaks. "I didn't want to... never mind, my coffee? Please,” as he says this, you turn back to see if Minjeong or even Yizhuo could save you, but to your dismay, they were there giggling and closing the door.

“Right…I kind of drank it, and we, um... We didn't have any more, and I'm so, so, so sorry, but I'm—"

Before you could even finish your ramble, he had left; the doors “jingle!” was all that was proof of him leaving. ugh!What a jerk!

Later

“You should apologise, Yizuho said, or tried to as she stuffed her face with pieces of fried chicken. Minjeong sighed and nodded.

“You never know... Donghyuck's pretty smart; he could help you, you know, pass for once... and you never know," Yizhuo snorted at Minjeong's comment as you squealed, feeling chunks of the chicken that was in her mouth on your silky pink pyjamas.

“First of all, I already did that; that jerk just didn't listen, and second of all, he doesn't even take the same course,” you sigh as Minjeong throws you another chip.

“Well, actually, he was right to react like that considering what you did was low-key disrespectful, and second of all, he took computer science last year,” Yizhuo nodded to Minjeong's words as they waited for you to actually consider them.

“Fine.I'll ask him, but it's because I feel bad and want to pass... NOT because I want us to date or whatever.”

27th of July

As you scan the room, you see multiple familiar yet unknown faces. There was Natty, who you knew from high school, and Jaehyun, who was quite popular with the ladies, among some. However, they weren't who you were looking for—Donghyuck,finger on your chin as you scan the room until, ta-dah, there he was leaving through one of the less crowded exits. Without a thought, you ran after the man frantically as you saw him stop and take out his phone to attend a call. A scowl on his face as he uttered the next sentence.

“Yes … dad I know…Yeah, no shit—sorry, no, I didn't mean it. No, I don't have a date... I mean, maybe because they would only care about the fact that I'm THE Lee Do-hyun’s son”... What did he just say?! Donghyuck was famous actor Lee Do-hyun’s child?! HOW?! As you processed all of this new information, a scream escaped the boundaries of your mouth, causing Donghyuck to do a full 360 and face you with an even worse frown than the one he had on previously.

“You heard all that? ... didn't you?”

“Yeah…I—aren't you the chick that drank my coffee?” You grinned sheepishly at his words while nodding.

“I’m sorry, really ... But what I just heard... was it true?” you squeaked out as you looked at him with a slight frown. This was the man you had crushed on since the day you first saw at orientation.The man you didn't dare speak to until two days ago after drinking his coffee. The man whose secret you now hold.

“Listen, it's fine. But just don't tell anyone, Kay."His near dismissive tone had brought you back to your senses as you called his name to stop him.

“I will!If you don't help me, I will!” You bellowed with determination.He looked at you amused as he quirked a brow and beckoned you to continue".I need to pass computer science with Professor Park. You did the course last year, and I REALLY need to pass". A chuckle left his lips as he looked at you with a hooded smile before nodding.

“Fine, meet me at the library tomorrow at six,” and with that he was off, leaving you with your pounding heart in await of tomorrow's events.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*''*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*''*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

#nct dream #nct dream x reader #nct 127 #haechan fluff #haechan x reader #lee donghyuck x reader #lee donghyuck #Ivy’s files #nct 127 x reader #aespa #haechan series #haechan angst #haechan smut #haechan imagines #lee donghyuck imagines

45 notes · View notes

babyangelsky · 5 months ago

Text

Back in March when I was doing the BL Challenge (brought to us by the lovely @negrowhat), I mentioned in my post about Korn Theerapanyakul that it isn't often that we get an actual villain who isn't just a love rival in a BL. The presence of an antagonist in a story doesn't necessarily make them the villain and not every story calls for one either. That being said,

Jak is a villain.

I want to break down this shot because it tells us a lot about the dynamic at play and Jak's point of view.

There's a lot going on here. The first thing my eye is drawn to is the line between them (and how Mut is just slightly crossing it since he stepped into the lion's den). Once you see that, the differences between both sides of that line become more obvious.

Mahasamut is dressed in a dark cool color and he's in shadow but his face is catching the light. The flowers, fireplace, candles, and TV behind him feel warm and homey. Fitting for a cafe. On the other hand, Jak is dressed in a warm light color and he's sitting in the light but his face is in shadow. The windows behind him and his positioning makes it feel like he's sitting at a desk in a corner office in a high rise instead of a cafe.

I weirdly wish they'd shown us when they arrived at the table because I would bet you anything that Jak sat down first. He's the older one, he's relaxed, etc. It makes sense for him to have sat first which means he chose that specific seat and the only reason I mention it, and really the only reason it matters, is that it tells us how Jak sees himself in this situation.

He's sitting there in the light in his dad sweater telling Mahasamut about wanting to fulfill his role as Tongrak's father and that he's so sorry about his behavior in the past and wants to atone for it and it's all bullshit because look at this man's face.

It is completely shadowed, just like his intentions and his agenda whereas Mut's is completely in the light.

And the difference becomes even more stark once Jak tells Mut to break up with Tongrak.

Jak is spewing nothing but ill-intentioned bullshit and Mahasamut sees it for what it is and makes it clear that he isn't going to fall for it, which is why things devolve.

Now. Just so we can get it out of the way, yes, obviously Mut should not have agreed to that meeting. He shouldn't have engaged and should've put the baby in the car and driven in the opposite direction. I was screaming at my screen for him to do just that, as were many of us I'm sure. However, I have to point out that it is not inconsistent for him from a character writing standpoint to have agreed.

Lest we forget, he said this to Tongrak last week when he was explaining why he turned Prin down when she tried to buy him.

"But Leah the dad is so much worse how could he not see—!" I know. Trust me, I do.

I'm gonna put on my baseball uniform and go to bat for my man for a second though because I think part of the reason that he agreed to talk to Jak is that he vastly underestimated him. And to be completely fair to Mahasamut, I did, too.

If I had to guess, I would say that he was expecting to be dealing with someone cut from the same cloth as Prin. Maybe a little worse since he knows what Jak has done in the past but certainly nothing he couldn't handle. Mahasamut is not a reckless or a thoughtless man. I don't believe for a second he would've even walked in the building if he didn't feel confident that he could deal with Jak.

The problem is that Jak is very much not cut from the same cloth as Prin.

I noted in my expressions post that it looked like the only time Jak was actually feeling something was when he accepted Prin's offer to destroy Tongrak but that's not entirely accurate. Having gone back to watch his scenes, there's a second instance where genuine emotion peeks through.

There's such a cold rage in his expression when he reproaches Tongrak for choosing his mother and cutting ties with him. And make no mistake, he's not angry because he loves his son. We already know that he doesn't. He's angry because in his eyes, he lost to a woman he felt nothing but disdain for.

If Tongrak and Kwan had chosen Jak over their mother, do you think Jak would be out here causing problems? No, he would've flat out ignored them. He wouldn't bother keeping such close tabs on Rak and his relationships because he would've already won and if he's doing it now, it's because he wants to win.

This is a game to him. This is fun for him.

His son is terrified and begging him not to hurt an innocent little girl and a young man and Jak's response is, "Don't be greedy."

He tries to force his son to choose which one of the people he loves most in this world gets to be safe but the choice isn't really a choice. He says he'll choose for Rak and he already has. Jak had already had Mahasamut beaten by the time he comes to see Tongrak and we know that because Mut's injuries have been treated when Rak gets home and Vivi is already there.

Matter of fact, the only reason Jak is even here talking to his son is because his attempt to convince Mut to leave has failed and he knows that going to Rak won't fail. He knows his son is afraid of him and he knows he can use that fear to get what he wants, which is why he brings up the uncle doctor.

Although we've gotten little of Jak so far, it's safe to assume that he is not a man who makes empty threats. Tongrak knows this, too, which is why he becomes so panicked when the doctor is brought up. We as the audience don't know who this doctor is but we can surmise from Tongrak's expression that he's important enough to be used as a weapon by Jak.

Until this point I don't think Tongrak realized that his father had anything to do with whatever happened to this doctor, he looks genuinely surprised. But all Jak had to do to prove how serious he is about his threat is mention the man. That's all he does. Rak puts the pieces together himself.

And here is where I bring up next week.

If you can look at this man's face as he rips the contract and think for a moment that he's going to try to push Mahasamut away for some flimsy petty reason, I am here to tell you that you are dead wrong. If I so much as SEE the words 'noble idiocy' I'm going to kick off.

Because we know that by the time Tongrak picks up this contract to rip it, Mahasamut has already been beaten twice and that Jak made a barely veiled threat to have him killed. Rak is rightfully terrified of his father and afraid for his boyfriend's life and wanting to keep Mut safe and ALIVE is not noble idiocy.

Now is it going to work? Smart money says no, wild horses couldn't drag Mahasamut away. He loves Rak too much to take any threats lying down. But as much as I understand why Mut talked to Jak, I understand why Rak wants to keep him safe even more.

Jak didn't accept Prin's offer because he wanted to help her. He doesn't give a single shit about her agenda except to mock her for it. He agreed to destroy his son because he wants to, because doing so will allow him to win and get back at his ex-wife. The money is just a bonus.

Jak is a Villain.

#rewatching jak's scenes does not get any less brutal fyi #there are only two reasons why something is hard to watch:#because it's done poorly or because it's done well #and this was done very well #love sea #love sea the series #meta #conversations with leah

126 notes · View notes

petertingle-yipyip · 3 months ago

Text

STRANGER (xi) - KAZ BREKKER

tags: @beekeepingageissome @shadowzena43 @nikfigueiredo @mp-littlebit @starmansirius @hadesnumber1daughter @directioner5life @strvngestark @hostilityghost @ofmenanduhhhwellmen @justnerdystuffs @faeriepigeons // previously // next

Pairing: Kaz x Davina Rollins (enemies to lovers)

Word Count: 6,204

Summary: Friends become allies. Ghosts die again. War against her bloodline threatens more than her own Snakes. How much can the Dime Lions try to take before Davina truly breaks?

“I’m getting really tired of being here.” You complained and rested against the side of his desk. He stood across from you and ran a gloved hand through his hair. “We should meet in my office one of these days.”

“We should stop meeting like this in general.” He scolded and you frowned at him.

“I know you wouldn’t dare meet me under any other circumstance.”

Hurt flashed across his features and you regretted your words for a second. “Why are you here?” He asked instead.

“I just wanted to see your glowing smile, Kazzle.” You said sarcastically.

“Cute.” He rolled his eyes.

“I needed something from Haskell, and now I have it. Can I leave?”

“Haskell isn’t here.”

“Exactly.”

“So you stole it from his office?”

“Steal, borrow without permission. He won’t even notice. Who cares?” You shrugged. “It doesn’t involve you.”

“Everything that happens here involves me.”

“Does ‘here’ mean the Crow Club or Ketterdam?” You cocked your head. “Because when I asked you for help a few days ago, you said the Dregs weren’t yours. And if you mean Ketterdam, then what happened to Melli involves you too and you’re choosing to do nothing.”

Kaz tilted his face towards the ceiling and muttered a complaint before looking at you again. You straightened and raised your eyebrows expectantly, waiting for his response. He kept your gaze for a moment before his eyes dropped to your folded arms beneath your cloak.

You hugged the stolen bottle a little closer.

He made a small sound of satisfaction before he moved around you. You spun with his movements to keep him in front of you.

“What did you find out?” Kaz asked.

“What makes you think that?” You countered smoothly.

“You haven’t worn the cloak in weeks, Vina. Not since the night you came to the Slat.”

“I didn’t go to the Slat. I was near the Slat and you invited me in.” You corrected, as if it made that much of a difference.

“You also wouldn’t risk pissing off Haskell for nothing.” He tapped your hidden arms. “What do you need this for?”

You pushed off the desk and sat in the nearby chair. You kept one arm around the bottle and the other came free to flick some of the loose hair out of your face. Kaz watched you with vested interest and you couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. He watched your expression for something as he came and leaned on the desk beside you.

“Do you remember the cafe from when we were kids?” You asked. You attempted to sound casual but the context of the conversation gave your intentions away almost instantly.

Both you and Kaz knew it, though neither of you acknowledged it. He just nodded quietly.

“Well, I heard that Pekka has Melli there. I looked into it and the intel checked out. Two Lions I could see and at least four more inside.” You explained.

“Did you see Melli?”

“No…”

“And how did you come upon this information?”

“You remember Filip? Had the little wind-up dogs?”

He smirked slightly. “I killed him.”

You tilted your head quickly. You weren’t surprised in the slightest.

“That tracks.” You nodded. “Well, his son Vicente is a Lion and he told me.”

“You sought him out?” Kaz’s brows raised in accusation. “Could you be any stupider, Davina? Truly.”

“Thank you, for that.” You rolled your eyes.

“What was it then? Just strolled by and he told you everything?”

“Absolutely not.” You laughed. “I didn’t even know he was still around, let alone with Pekka. He came to me, same as an interesting little demo expert.”

“Hmm. So that’s where Wylan ran off to.” He feigned disinterest.

“So it seems.” You shrugged with the same nonchalance. “Regardless, Wylan’s working on a couple things and I’ll make sure he’s fairly compensated. Trust that he won’t come back empty-handed.”

“I wasn’t worried about that.”

“So you admit you’re worried about something?” You teased and he half-smiled at you. “Does Dirtyhands have a conscience after all?”

“Not exactly… Vina, how do you know you can trust the Lion?”

“Kol asked me the same thing.” You confessed. “And honestly, Kaz, I don’t. But he can’t exactly waltz back into the Emerald Palace like nothing happened.”

“Why not?”

“I may or may not have carved off his tattoo.”

For a split second, he was surprised.

“It was his idea.” You defended. “He claims he wants to split for the Lions and head to Fjerda.”

“And if he’s lying to you, what will you do?”

“I don’t know.” You confessed. “I know I should kill him just to ensure he can’t double cross me, unless I keep his hostage until this is over.”

“That runs its own set of risks.”

“It’s possible he truly wants to leave, right?”

“He might.” Kaz nodded. “But it’s more likely that he was sent to the Rook to lure you to that cafe. Everything he said that checks out could just be a ruse.”

“I don’t have another choice. It’s the only lead I have and I’ve provoked my father enough. It’s a matter of time before he-“

Someone knocked hard on the door of Kaz’s office. You stood quickly, leaving the bottle of kvas in your chair. Kaz eyed the bottle for a second before looking back at the door. You drew the blade at your thigh and felt the dried blood crack against your palm as you spun it so the blade was parallel against your arm.

Another hard round of knocks and Kaz straightened. He took a step to be at your side just before the door slammed open. You felt a subtle hand at your back and you reached over to tap the back of your hand against his hip.

You kicked the chair against the desk as two brawny men walked in.

Your grip tightened on your blade as they moved deeper into Kaz’s office. You barely registered Kaz putting himself in front of you, not until he reacted first. He slammed the top of his cane against the first man’s stomach and you sidestepped the altercation to take on the other man.

Immediately, you went for a slash. The blade cut a long, shallow line across the man’s chest and he staggered back. You immediately threw your shoulder against him and the force pushed him against the nearest wall. You moved closer but he reached out and got a hand around your throat. The action caused his sleeve to raise and you saw the edge of a tattoo.

Dime Lions.

You were slammed against the wall in his place. You gasped, feeling the man’s fingers digging into the sides of your neck. Daring a glance over his shoulder, you saw the other Lion slam Kaz’s head against his desk.

You wedged your knee between your bodies and the man simply chuckled. You smiled and flipped the grip of your knife.

The man threw a punch that made your head snap to the side. The taste of blood filled your mouth and your tongue ran along the spot on your cheek that you bit off. When you raised your knife, the Lion’s free hand shot out and caught your wrist.

You smiled slightly as your other hand went under your cloak for the smaller blade. You freed it quickly before dragging it along the back of the hand around your throat.

He withdrew both hands and you stumbled to the side. You gasped for breaths, throat burning and head pounding. You could feel the warmth of blood flow returning to your head and you blinked away the dizziness. You felt his hand on your arm so you swung both blades wildly. The only indication that your blade made contact was his hiss, then he slammed both massive fists against your back and you fell to the ground behind Kaz’s desk.

You could hear Kaz struggling and your hands fumbled to recollect your blades. You sheathed the longer one at your thigh and clutched the smaller one tightly. You crept around the desk, readying an attack, when that damn voice froze you in place.

“Evening, Mr. Brekker.” Your father spoke and you crouched a little lower.

You used your free hand to tug your hood back into place. You spun carefully on your knee for a better view, strategically putting yourself behind Kaz. Both arms were pinned behind his back but you didn’t miss the subtle movement of his hands.

He was telling you to stay put. You glared at him for a moment, weighing your options. You could throw yourself into another fight, take on both Lions and potentially your father. But you recognized that that idea put Kaz at risk. He wasn’t exactly in a favorable position.

You could wait quietly, as Kaz instructed. It was safer for you both in theory. You saw it as Kaz being a sitting duck and a stubborn bastard. Then again, Kaz had been doing it longer than you had. He had a better mind for strategy.

So you obliged. You sunk down a little lower and listened carefully.

“Tell me what Davi’s planning and we’re even.” Pekka told Kaz.

“Not even close.” Kaz countered angrily. “And what makes you think I know anything?”

You heard a rustling of fabric. “The girl left a little gift in my office. And I know my daughter. Unless someone’s been putting ideas in her head. she’s not cruel enough for this. You, however…”

Vicente’s tattoo.

“Have you ever considered that you’re wrong? Maybe your precious princess isn’t so lovely anymore.”

Kaz groaned slightly and you peeked to see your father pressing the beak of Kaz’s cane against his throat. You tensed, considering your attack, but Kaz gave you the same gesture with a little more urgency.

Don’t. Move.

“I’ll cave your head in with your own cane and dump your body in the Harbor.” Pekka threatened. “I know she turns to you. She thinks you can protect her.”

“I’d just as easily let her die as she would me.” Kaz spat.

Your stomach twisted at his words and you thought you understood why. Kaz was that little piece of your childhood you held on to, that minuscule tenderness that doesn’t exist in the Barrel. It was your assumption that Kaz held some sort of sentiment towards you, too. Hadn’t he told you so, or at least implied it?

In the moment, you weren’t sure, but it wasn’t the time to worry about it.

Pekka snorted in disbelief. “Tell me, boy. When was the time you saw her?”

“When did you?”

“I'm not playing games.”

“Clearly.”

“My men saw her come here a few nights ago. Why?”

“I. Don’t. Know.” Kaz emphasized each word. “I don’t answer her beck and call, nor do I keep tabs on Davina.”

“I do, and she seems to have a soft spot for this place.”

“I couldn’t care less about your daughter.”

A small commotion, another groan from Kaz, the faint metallic smell of blood. You leaned around to see and the Lion you were fighting earlier caught sight of you. You ducked immediately but it was too late.

You shot a mental apology to Kaz and acted.

You slammed your blade into the side of the incoming man’s knee. You twisted the knife and he shouted. You hooked the other arm around his leg and threw your body to the side so he fell to his back. You pinned your knee against his throat and met your father’s expectant stare.

“There she is.” He smiled.

You had unintentionally proved him right.

“What do you want, Pekka?” You spat, jamming your knee harder against the Lion’s throat.

“You.”

“And you knew I’d be here?”

“More of a hunch… Mellaney keeps asking for you.”

Your blood ran cold. You could feel Kaz’s eyes on you but you didn’t look away from your father. The Lion under your knee was limp so you stood. Your fingers twitched, itching for the other blade at your thigh, but you wanted to do it with your own hands.

You came around the desk and your father stood straight.

“Give me Melli and you can have Vicente back.” You offered flatly. It took everything to keep your rage buried.

“Is that who’s this was?” He nudged the bag at his feet. You glanced down and saw the bloodied skin that was Vicente’s. “This is war now, Davi.”

Your hands balled into tight fists. “No, it became war when I came to your Palace in good faith and you shot me. It became war when you came to the Exchange and bought Stadwatch to try and kill me. It became war when you ambushed me at Dryden’s to kill me again. When you took my lieutenant. It’s been war since I left your household.”

He scoffed slightly and crossed his arms. Kaz’s cane clattered between you two and you kicked it away, conveniently closer to Kaz.

“The only difference now is that I’m fighting back now.”

You threw the punch without thinking. Your fist connected with Pekka’s jaw and you heard Kaz engage in his own fight beside you. Your father was quick to throw a punch back and you barely dodged the heavy uppercut coming your way. You were just able to spin away.

When he righted, you threw your elbow back against his stomach. He doubled, allowing you to grab at the back fabric of his jacket. You held him in that position and drove your knee up once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth, he caught your leg and yanked so you fell to your back.

You coughed roughly as the air left your lungs. Your head turned to the side and you saw Kaz standing, blood soaking one of his sleeves. The second Lion was laying at his feet, rocking side to side in pain. Kaz and Pekka were staring each other down now.

“Soft.” Pekka taunted.

“Enough.” You rasped and pushed to your elbows. “He’s been less helpful to me through this than you have. Dirtyhands already told you he doesn’t care. It’s between you and me, Papa.”

“You know what, Daughter, I’ll offer you a deal. Just this once.” He offered you a hand to help you up and you batted it away. You climbed to your feet on your own. “When you send Vicente back, I’ll take you to Mellaney.”

Your instinct was to look to Kaz for his opinion, but you knew that’d only feed your father’s notion of you being soft for him. Instead, you looked at the floor to think.

“The deal expires when I walk out this door.” Pekka warned.

“And you drag your men with you.” You commented before lifting your eyes. “Is she unharmed?”

“Better shape than Vinny, I bet.”

“Difference is I have a Healer, so I can cut him into little ribbons and put him back together.”

“Then he can put your precious lieutenant back together, can’t he?”

The rage you were burying was now burning between your ribs. You dug your nails into your palms hard.

“Fine.” You breathed, defeated. “Take your Lions and the pound of flesh. Leave the Dregs out of this and you and I will settle this.”

“You brought them into this, dearie.” He tapped his finger under your chin and you jerked your head away from his touch.

“And now they’re out of it.” You glared at him. “From tonight, every time you involve them will be another finger Vinny loses… He only has ten after all.”

Pekka offered a half smile and chuckled to himself. He motioned for the conscious Lion to gather the bag and their comrade. He pulled your blade out and threw it at your feet before they left.

You finally looked to Kaz, who was suspiciously quiet throughout the encounter. Your eyes returned to his bloodied sleeve and you saw the slice across his bicep. You knelt for your blade.

“I didn’t realize I was followed.” You admitted as you stood. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to go through with the trade?” He asked.

“I don’t know…” You shook your head and moved to his side. You gently touched his arm, your hand staying on his sleeve while you turned his arm for a better look at the slice. “Can I help?”

You brought your eyes to his and he was already looking at you.

Of course he was.

He nodded slightly and you stepped back so he could move to lean against the desk. You used the small blade to slice his sleeve the rest of the way around before tucking it safely away. You tore it into two strips, gently using one to clear the leaking blood. You ignored the way your fingertips brushed his skin.

“For what it’s worth, I tried to stay out the way.” You said idly.

You wondered if he’d say anything about the contact. It had to stir something in him judging by the way his arm was rigid. You kept your eyes on the long, shallow cut, but you felt his eyes on your face.

“Was he right?” He asked and you froze for a second. “About your feelings for this place.”

“It’s complicated.” You answered and returned to your task. “Did you mean it when you said you’d let me die?”

“You tell me.”

You dropped the soiled strip over the chair and grabbed the clean one. You looked for confirmation, hovering your empty hand a few inches from his arm. He nodded, gently pushing his arm into your hands. With gentle pressure, you held the fabric in place with one hand and wrapped it with the other. You ran your fingers over it, ensuring it was flat, before tucking the end and giving it a gentle pat.

“If I knew what you were thinking, Kazzle, my life would be a whole lot easier.” You laughed slightly. “What would you do, if you were in my shoes?”

“Do you truly believe I don’t care about you?” He asked instead.

“I think it’s complicated, you and me. For now, that’s all it needs to be.”

Kaz stood tall and you tilted your head back to look him in the eyes. His hand reached for you then hesitated. You mimicked his gesture from earlier and put your arm in his hand. He squeezed your limb slightly.

“Does he know anything that can hurt you?” He asked. You looked up from his hold on you and Kaz was already looking at you very intently.

“I don’t think so.”

“Perhaps letting him go is better. It could be safer for Melli.”

“If it isn’t…”

“You have your Heartrender. You have Wylan and his tricks. I’m sure you’d even have Jesper if you needed.”

“But I don’t have you.” You said quietly.

He pulled you a step closer.

“If it was the other way around and you needed to bring Jesper or Inej home, would you come to me?” You asked in hopes that he didn’t hear your last comment. If he did, you two would only get more complicated and you couldn’t afford that.

“Vina…”

“Kaz…”

There was something he wanted to say. You could see it in his eyes, that minuscule softness that you’d only noticed in private. You could feel it in the subtle way his grip on your arm had tightened. His breathing had begun to shake a bit and you wondered if the legendary composure of Kaz Brekker was faltering.

You reached your other hand up and carefully brushed his hair away from his forehead. His eyes closed and he let out a shuddering breath. You couldn’t help but smile slightly to yourself as you retracted your hand.

“I wouldn’t let you die. You do know that, right?” You asked gently.

He nodded, eyes still closed. You took a small step back before looping a finger under the chain around his neck. You freed it from his shirt to see your ring, safely hanging on the end. You had given that to him with the intention of getting it back but maybe you should let him keep it. A way of always having a connection.

“And I don’t think you’d let me either.” You said.

“It’s a dangerous game we’re playing, Vina.” He spoke lowly, like all his focus was on something else, as his eyes opened.

“I may be soft and stupid, but I’m not completely clueless… Wylan’s going to try and get the stimulant out of that kvas and make it a gas. We’ll use it against the Lions at the cafe first and, hopefully, get Melli out without a fight at all. Then we burn it down.”

He cracked a half smile. “Wylan’s idea?”

“Mine.” You shrugged. “But he did light up at the idea.”

“If you truly need me, Davina…” He began carefully. He was considering what he wa about to say, and you could tell by his hesitation that it was not something to be taken lightly. “You know I’ll be there.”

Little did he know just how much you needed him.

In another life, maybe.

“What about Haskell?” Your brows furrowed.

“I’ll handle it.” He nodded. “I wouldn’t let you die either.”

“I think we’ve both lost enough for a while.”

You patted his chest before turning away to recollect the bottle. You turned and offered Kaz a salute, which he shook his head in amusement at, before you practically skipped out the Crow Club.

When you got back to your office, Kol was keeping an eye on Vicente while Wylan worked. You placed the bottle near Wylan and he jumped. You stifled a giggle when his eyes met yours, solely because the way his goggles exaggerated the shape of his eyes.

“I don’t drink while I’m working.” He shook his head and you laughed.

“The hallucinogen.” You explained. “It’s in the kvas. Can you work with it?”

He made a noise of interest and examined the bottle, blindly handing you a list. You patted his shoulder as you accepted before moving to your desk, where Kol was leaning against.

“He give you anything else?” You asked and pulled your cloak from your shoulders. You winced slightly but ignored the ache in your back.

“He tried to say something about you, how you matured but I put him under. If I hadn’t, I probably would’ve knocked his teeth out.” Kol answered.

“Maybe you should’ve.” You laughed slightly

“You were gone a while. What happened?”

“Pekka.” You sighed and dropped into your chair. “Brekker caught me so we were chatting and dear old dad came to bully information out of him.”

“He say anything?”

“Kaz is the last person who’d tell Pekka anything. You don’t have to trust him, but trust that much.”

Kol shrugged before he turned to you. “You have a lot of faith in Dirtyhands.”

“Neither faith nor Dirtyhands are going to get us through this. Even when we have Melli, we’re going to be fighting the Dime Lions until someone runs his empire into the ground.”

“That someone being you?”

“Not on my own.” You shook your head. “And not anytime soon. Go home, get some rest. I’ll stay here with them.”

“You’re not alone in this, Davina. I hope you know that.”

“I know.” You smiled softly.

It took five days for Wylan to have his concoctions ready. It would’ve been sooner but you had to send Kol to Little Ravka for some of the components. You had asked Wylan to go to the Slat that day Kol was gone, just to check in and make sure the Dime Lions hadn’t tried anything.

You were glad to know Pekka was keeping to himself, at least for the time being. Wylan also came back and very cryptically explained he had a conversation with Kaz. What it was about, he wouldn’t say, so you didn’t know why he told you to begin with. He was also very excited to tell you that Jesper said hello.

When the night came, Kol kept Vicente close and you traveled with Wylan. You went with him to dose the perimeter with the accelerant and set the glass jars with the gas at the windows. You worked the locks and cracked them open, while Wylan snuck it inside and nestled it safely against the frame.

You met back with Kol and Vicente in the alley across from the cafe.

“What now?” Wylan asked.

You all had fabric across your mouths. It wouldn’t keep the gas out yet, not until you used the slings of water to soak it. Wylan rested a hand on the borrowed pistol at his hip. Kol was his weapon. You had two blades at your thigh and one under your cloak with a pistol at your back. Vicente was unarmed for the time being.

“I’ll take Vicente.” You and Kol switched positions. “Kol and Wylan, you two had around back. Break the first jar when you find her.”

Wylan nodded, determination in his eyes. “No mourners.”

“No funerals.” You answered and he smiled. “Blink last.”

“Die tomorrow.” Kol nodded before grabbing Wylan and disappearing into the shadows.

“I should have a weapon.” Vicente muttered as you dragged him with you.

You rolled your eyes. As you headed into the street, you noticed how empty it was. You looked around, realizing it wasn’t like that when you were working with Wylan. Before you could try and signal to Kol, Vicente slammed his elbow into your ribs.

Your grip faltered and you staggered away from him. Immediately, you drew a blade. Vicente laughed, stalking around you like a predator.

“You know, Davi, I didn’t think you’d be this stupid.” He mocked and you straightened, turning in time with his steps to keep him in front of you. “I really thought you’d be smarter than this, but I guess your daddy was right.”

“I should’ve killed you.” You spat. “I will.”

“No, you won’t.” Condescension dripped off his words and your anger began to thump in your blood. “I used to have such a crush on you when we were kids, know that? Then you met those little farm kids.”

“Shut up.” You threatened. “What have you done?”

“That night you let me onto your gambling floor because ‘Someone will keep an eye on me’ -“ He mocked and you nearly threw the blade at him. “Your Snakes don’t pay as much attention as they should…”

“They were right.” You scoffed. “You didn’t just show up at the Rook. You were sent.”

He finally stopped walking and shrugged with a smile.

“Is she even in there?”

“Oh, she’s in there.” He laughed, pointing to the building behind you. In the circling, the cafe ended up behind you. “Just not sure how intact she is.”

You felt it then. Your control snapped like a taut elastic in your chest. It vibrated around in your rib cage and guided your actions. You quickly drew your arm back and flung the knife.

It dug into his shoulder and your next attack was quick to follow. You slammed your fist against his face.l before jerking the knife out. He made a move to kick out your knee but you were able to raise your foot and knock the attempt away. You spun so your cloak wiped across his vision and you tried to dig the knife into his stomach.

He jumped away and caught your elbow. He bent your arm at an unnatural angle, causing a burning sensation to shoot through your shoulder. You winced and dropped your knife for your other hand. You jammed the knife up and it cut across his leg before his knee hit your chest. You coughed roughly before letting out a scream.

He had dislocated your shoulder.

You heard glass shattering in the cafe so you turned. Before you could figure anything out, Vicente’s arm came across your chest from behind and your own blade was against your neck. You jerked in his hold but all that did was move the knife against your skin. Hot blood began to leak out and down your shirt.

“Stupid.” Vicente hissed.

“I’m not the one who let me mutilate him.” You laughed while your eyes stayed locked on the door to the cafe.

Another glass, followed by gunshots.

“They’ll die. And it’s your fault.”

Your good arm moved to one of the knives at your thigh. Your fingers were closing around the hilt and you felt the knife tip trailing from your throat to the center of your chest.

“Saints save them.” You whispered and carefully pulled out the knife.

“What do you say, Davi? You wanna watch them die?” Vicente taunted in your ear and you jerked your head away.

You took a deep breath, gripped your knife firmly, and jammed it over your shoulder. His hold on you dropped and you spun away quickly. You saw your blade buried to the hilt in his eye socket.

Over your shoulder, another knife came flying in to slam into his chest. He gasped, sputtered for air, then fell to his knees. You pushed him to his back with a foot against his chest before you leant down to retrieve your blade. The weapon came back with his eye stuck to the edge.

You made a face and flicked it until it fell off with a wet thump. One last glance at Vicente told you he was dead.

Seeing him dead didn’t have the same feeling as it did the first time you killed a Lion. You decided it was because he deserved it.

You wiped a stream of blood from your neck before you spat on the ground.

“Are you alright?” A familiar came from your side. You turned your head and saw Inej beside you.

You nodded, ignoring the pain in your limp arm. “Dirtyhands send you?”

“No.” She collected her own blade. “He came with us.”

“Us?” Your brows raised.

“You didn’t think I’d skip on the fun, did you, Love?” Jesper came up to Inej’s side with a grin and his pistols ready. “Nina should be here soon, too.”

You sighed in relief.

Kaz appeared next, barely sparing Vicente’s body a glance. He went right to your other side and you shifted your body to try and keep your dislocated limb out of his sight.

“We can catch up on how you knew later.” You nodded, silently offering Kaz your thanks, before you unclipped your sling. You tilted your head back and soaked the fabric. “Wylan and Kol have already set off the gas. Once we’re all clear-“

“Trust me.” Jesper spun his revolvers around his fingers. “I know where to shoot.”

“Never had a doubt.” You winked then spared a moment to turn to Kaz. “Haskell?”

“Too drunk to notice we’re gone.” He nodded.

You returned the gesture, remembering Kaz saying he’d handle it if you needed him. It still left you wondering how he knew but you figured Wylan’s mysterious conversation was a ploy to get his trio of friends to show.

Before anything else could be said, another round of glass and gunshots. You ran into the cafe.

The front room was full of smoke and the smell of gunpowder was creeping through your mask. You tightened the grip on your blade and used the other hand to wave the smoke from your line of sight.

You wanted to yell for them but you had no idea what you were running into. Instead, you just trusted your feet and what little you could hear. You made it through the front to the kitchen and found a hallway just as the last glass shattered.

A new wave of gas came from the wall and you heard shouts of orders. You flattened against the wall before sticking your head through the doorway.

Five Lions were huddled at the far end of the hall. Other fallen bodies littered the path and you realized it was a worse trap than you thought. Your stomach sank at the thought of what you and your friends had walked into. A hand on your shoulder made you jump.

You slammed your good shoulder against them so they hit the wall. As you faced them, you realized it was just Kaz. He gave you a small smirk and you rolled your eyes. You stepped away and pressed yourself back against the other side of the entry to the hall. You silently winced at the pressure on your shoulder and could practically feel Kaz’s questioning look.

You waited a moment before moving.

You crept into the hall, swatting the gas away. The Lions were all fallen, some twitching or muttering in their hallucinations. You stepped carefully over the bodies until you found Kol and Wylan.

Kol was kneeling over Melli, hands moving quickly. Wylan was kneeling beside them with his pistol aimed. Your hand went up in surrender and he quickly lowered his weapon. Tucking your knife, you hurried to Melli’s other side.

You couldn’t stop the tears in your eyes. She was alive. Her left eye was bruised, as was her jaw. There were various splits in her skin, likely from punches after she stayed silent, and you vaguely heard Kol mention broken bones. You brushed the loose hair away from her forehead and a relieved laugh fell from your lips as she stirred.

“We have to go, Davina.” Kaz said and his voice was all that snapped you back.

“Right.” You wiped your eyes. “Can you two get her up?” You looked between Wylan and Kol.

Together, they got her to her feet. She mumbled your name and your heart twisted. You sniffled slightly and Kaz took a gentle hold of your hand.

“This is my fault.” You whispered.

“She’s alive, Vina. That’s what matters.” He offered and you heard an unmistakable kindness in his voice. “This isn’t over.”

“Help me take him down.” You turned to him. You didn’t care to be cryptic. You didn’t care to be nonchalant. “I don’t care what it takes. I need you with me.”

His eyes scanned your face and softened a little more every second. Everything in you was aching, yearning, for him. You needed him by your side for more than just revenge. You needed him as your friend, as your first crush, as the only person you felt knew the deepest truths of who you were.

Kaz saw right through you, and you both knew how dangerous that was. To care for someone in the Barrel was a target on both of your backs. To need someone was a death sentence, easy leverage against you. It made you weak, vulnerable, soft and stupid.

But that didn’t stop you from needing Kaz with everything in you. It didn’t stop that spark in your chest when you thought about him feeling the same way.

“Brick by brick.” He nodded, squeezing your hand.

You were so relieved you almost hugged him.

Instead, you squeezed his hand back and gently tugged him to follow you out.

All hell had broken loose outside.

Jesper and Inej were back to back, fighting off six Dime Lions. Nina had arrived and she was beside Kol, both blocking Melli’s barely conscious body. Wylan was watching for you to exit so he could spark the accelerant.

You drew your pistol and was about to enter the fight when Kaz grabbed your arm. You turned quickly and saw him point to the rifleman on the opposite roof. Their rifle was pointed directly at you and Kaz. You dared a step and a bullet hit the cobblestones at your feet.

The cafe ignited behind you, heat slamming against your backs.

“What do we do?” You asked Kaz.

Kaz whistled sharply. Jesper’s head turned to the roofs at the signal. You heard him laugh when he caught sight of

him before returning to his initial fight. You tilted your head in confusion before you watched him and Inej flawlessly switch positions for her to take the last Dime Lion. Jesper shot down the rifleman without so much as a glance.

Your mouth slightly fell open in shock. You knew he was good but you had no idea he was that good.

You turned to Kaz and he was staring at something across the way. You looked but saw nothing.

“Kaz?” You asked carefully.

Dread gripped your heart.

“Kaz.” You tried again, putting a hand on his arm.

He went for a step and fell against you. Immediately, you put your hand against him to help steady him. You bore as much of his weight as you could while your mind was reeling. You looked to your friends for help. Jesper was checking Inej and Nina was kneeling with Kol over Melli.

You looked and saw the blood seeping across his shirt.

Wylan was the first to notice.

“What happened?” He came running over and helped you get Kaz, who was in too much pain to argue, to the ground.

“The rifleman.” You realized. You didn’t even hear the second shot. You glanced at your hand and saw it was covered in his blood too.

“Kol!” You screamed desperately.

66 notes · View notes