#Mark Roper

[biglisbonnews]

Wyoming bill to legalize "chicken roping" in bars awaits governor's signature "A bill that would make it easier for people in Wyoming to consume alcohol while doing things like throwing axes, darts, and chicken roping is only one step away from reaching Gov. Mark Gordon's desk," reports Cowboy State Daily. Alcohol, axes, darts, and chickens — what could possibly go wrong? — Read the rest https://boingboing.net/2023/02/13/wyoming-bill-to-legalize-chicken-roping-in-bars-awaits-governors-signature.html

[thesleepyfable]

~ SWTD: Still Here AU Part 14: ~

Operation Spy Part 3:

The finale of Operation Spy. Yes, this is a short arc. It's a bridge into the next, much longer chapters.

Part 15:

As the minutes ticked by, things seemed to calm down. The dock crew were quick to realise the infected were harmless. Seeing the Beria crew talk to them as if nothing happened helped wash away their nerves. It was just a lot of them to take in as a third party. Still, Brodie and Finlay lingered by the only phone you could use to contact the outside before reaching Bernard's office because they weren't going to risk having police or military find them. Archie soon made his appearance. Loyal to the core, he waited here the entire time. The scream from earlier woke him from a nap he was taking somewhere else in the building.

Someone found the courage to ask Addair about the album he carried under his arm, which he returned in kind by showing off his wife and sons, going into great detail for each picture. From what they were doing to location. Whether it was just for attention or because he somehow turned over a new leaf in the span of 24 hours was anyone's guess. The same went for Gibbo. They wanted to know about Eleanor after seeing the chain, which he obliged, but when it got too much, with everyone sharing their own stories of their wives, eventually talking over each other, he literally retreated his head into the mass. Douglas and Dobbie were quick to vouch for him, and it was taken well. 'I wish I could do that,' one commented. Yes, Gibbo can somehow breathe. No, he didn't know how he was doing that. He just subconsciously knew.

Trots, for once, didn't go on about a Union and instead told his side of the story with Archie listening because he was the last to learn about anything surrounding yesterday's events. Muir, Caz, and a few others from Beria stood to the side.

'Are you sure your ma and pa will be okay with this?' Caz asked.

'They should be,' Muir answered. 'I cannae think of anywhere else we can go. I want to go home anyway and it's got the most room for us.'

'No harm in trying then.'

As for Rennick, it was clear there was a history between himself and Bernard. Roper could feel it as he awkwardly sat beside his manager in the makeshift office they made, which was just the trio sitting further away between the maze of containers.

'Is this necessary, Davey? Aren't we friends?' His voice perfectly matched the description of a weasel-bodied, rat-faced, snake.

'That ship sailed a long time ago. So long in fact, it's done three laps of the world by now.'

Roper took out the documents O'Connor gav to him and handed them to Bernard, who was trying his best to control his shakey hands. Not because of fear, but anger.

'This should help you close the investigation. We made sure to collect everything.' No answer. Bernard took the time to scan over everything. All the medical and financial records, the payslips, food intakes, orders that never arrived, and a list of crew. A red mark against those who were gone. He wanted to find one mistake. Something. Anything to make sure he won. Not because he wanted the crew to still work for him, even if the infected would be good for heavy lifting. It was out of pride. Bernard Cunningham can never be wrong.

'And, just so you know, we're all quitting.'

'Yeah, I fuckin' got that.' He caught a glimpse of Rennick smiling. Seems Bernard wasn't above keeping up appearances. 'Have you got something to say, David?'

'Not really. I'm just enjoying this.'

'Enjoying what? Watching you toss away your career? Everything I gave you? You've got some fuckin' nerve to be smiling right now. Just look at yourself.' The sickly sweet office attitude Bernard carried himself with had long gone. This was the real him. 'You're disgusting.'

Roper's eyes went wide as saucers. He glanced between the men, having never heard anyone talk to Rennick like that. He was at a loss for words. Rennick remained strong. The words cut deep, but he wasn't going to let Bernard know he had any effect on him. The bastard wasn't going to win.

'So, you know we all need Severance pay?' A pause. Bernard couldn't believe Rennick was telling him how to do his job. 'And we're also going to need to borrow a couple of the trucks.'

'Why?!' Bernard's voice was exasperated.

'We're not walking all the way to-'

'I don't care where you go, you prick!' Bernard's voice bounced off the metal. 'You've already taken my rig. You lot can go fuck yourselves if you really think I'm gonna let you take more from me!' The chairman was red in the face and looked like a fish gasping for air.

'My rig,' Rennick corrected with an eerily calm manner. 'Don't worry about it, we'll return them. I can speak for everyone here, that we don't want anything from you.'

'Except for the dosh,' Roper interjected. Rennick ignored him.

'Don't worry about it, big man. The sooner we're out of your hair, the better.'

Bernard huffed, rubbed the temple of his nose. Rennick has clearly said something right because in less than a few seconds, he snapped with a 'fine.'

'But, I better not see any of you again.'

Maybe he was petty. Maybe he wanted to play into how Bernard saw him, but Rennick, without warning, shook his hand. If he thought he was disgusting, then he'll want to leave a metaphorical mark on Bernard. How? By wrapping a tendril completely up and around his arm and holding it for a few seconds too long. He used that fake yet convincing smile to the untrained eye. Bernard saw right through it but was more distracted by the obvious. He tried to pull away, but with no luck. 'It's been a pleasure doing business with you.'

The tendril retreated back into Rennick's body. He turned away, and Roper followed. The pair had never been on good terms, but Roper would be lying if he said he didn't feel bad. Bernard's words were cruel, but it certainly explained why Rennick managed the Beria the way he did for years. With a 'friend' like that, who needs enemies? Apparently, Rennick, because he seemed to make that his mission. Still...

'Are you okay?'

'Should I not be?'

'Well, what he said was terrible and-'

'For fuck sake, Roper, I'm fine.' He didn't sound fine. 'I don't-' Rennick caught a quick glimpse of his reflection and looked away. His jaw tensed and he looked to the floor. He just wanted to leave. 'I don't need one of your therapy sessions. Give it to Gibbo.' Roper let him pass. Rennick knew he heard the pained tone, but he won't let that get the best of him. He pushed the feelings to the back of his mind and continued forward. 'Attention crew of The Beria!' Everyone turned. 'Grab your stuff, we're getting out of here.'

Thankfully, it was smooth sailing for everyone. Bernard gave them two trucks, but on the conditions that a member of the dock crew drove them. He didn't care if they were driving to Glasgow or to Cornwall, just as long as they were gone.

Sadly, this is where most of the crew would be parting ways. Many could and have made it home from here. This included Roper, Sunil, Dobbie, McLurg, Scooby, Douglas, Archie, and...

'Be sure to stay out of trouble.' Finlay. This was her goodbye. At least for now. She lived in Glasgow, as did most of the crew. Easy to meet up and travel together for a visit.

'Nae promises,' Caz laughed. 'But, are you sure you don't want to come with us?'

'Nah. I've got me boy to get back to. He came home last week, and I wanna see him.' She chuckled. 'I have a story to tell him, eh?'

The pair shared a hug. Finlay had always been there for Caz, and not just because she was a fan of him during the boxing years, but because she cared. It might be because she was the only woman on board, but she really was like a mother to most. A strict mother, but one none the less.

'Safe journey.' Caz slipped a piece of paper that had a home number. He made sure everyone got one. 'Call us whenever.'

'Aye. Now, go on ya blighter before you make an old biddy like me cry.'

Muir and Rennick took one truck. Caz sat beside the driver, followed by Roy, then O'Connor. Innes stayed in the back. Gibbo, Addair, and Trots took the other, with Trots being able to sit in one of the passenger seats. Brodie and Raffs accompanied them.

Why were Brodie, Raffs, and O'Connor staying? They needed to plan their trips home. All three lived off the mainland, and they weren't going to plan another long treck home now. Especially O'Connor. Bad enough, he was on the east side of Scotland. He needed a few days of rest.

'Okay, that's everyone!' Raffs called from the passenger window, to which Roy returned a thumbs up. The trucks roared to life and slowly made their ways out of the docks. The crew members who stayed behind waved until they were out of sight. Raffs took advantage of being the closest to the door and rolled his window down to rest his head and elbows out. Seeing the sea vanish from view for the endless countryside with patched fields of snow was like whiplash. A well-deserved whiplash. The smell of the sea air was replaced with an Earthy aroma.

The infected and Innes couldn't see the outside, but just knowing they were on a road was something they never knew how much they needed until now. A sense of calm overcame them. Finally, they were back in Scotland. Even if they'll never be human again, it was good to be back on the mainland. Rennick felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. Never again will he have to deal with oil rigs that made him lose sleep and cause so much stress, he refused to eat. Even if Roy saved him leftovers.

A small window divided them and the seating. Rennick tapped on it for Caz to slide open.

'So, where are we going?'

'Braemar.'

'Where?'

'Home,' Muir answered. 'We're going home.'

[peace-comes-dropping-slow]

SWTD Character Heights

TL;DR:

Caz, collar to heel, is about 5’ 2.5” / 158.59 cm.

Muir is just under 5’10” / 177.19 cm.

Innes is 5’7” / 170.44 cm.

Alex is 5’9” / 175.07 cm.

Roper is 5’10” / 178.03 cm.

Full explanation under the cut!

Shipping containers are a standard 259 cm / 8.5 ft (thank you my lovely @sgiansporran!), and thanks to @zeondraws (an absolute star), we were able to get Caz up against one!

(All images made using the Image Ruler app on iPhone!)

Then, I compared him to Muir, and Muir to Innes. The markings on that image (again, thank you Sporran!) are an estimate for how tall they’d be if they straightened out their knees.

It’s easiest to do this calculation for a character who is standing up — so, Zeon kindly found me a few more targets on the deck!

I’m currently limited by not being able to download the free cam mod, but I’ll continue to find the heights of anyone I can track down photo references for. For now, enjoy these!

[poguesmaybank]

Leverage Episode Battle

The Three Strikes Job: Season Two, Episode Fourteen. Lt. Patrick Bonanno of the Massachusetts State Police is shot while trying to take down a corrupt mayor, and the team steps in to finish what he started. But when their mark's true motives are finally revealed, finishing the con gets just a little harder.

The Carnival Job: Season Four, Episode Six. The team attempts to steal a revolutionary new computer chip from a family household, but in the middle of their efforts, the child of the target's family is kidnapped during a chaotic carnival. Eliot must face an old adversary named Roper to get the child back.

[deeisace]

So this morning, cs my brain is fried in many ways,

As a companion to the Draculas of New Jersey, have all the Frankensteins of England -

First, on the very first census, of 1841, we have Jacob Frankenstein and his family, living in Liverpool -

There really wasn't much detail on early census records, and whoever's filled this in has done it a slightly odd order (dad, youngest son, mum, oldest daughter, middle son), but we see we have Jacob Frankenstein, who is a merchant, his wife Sarah, and their children Henrietty (age 5), Samuel (age 3) and Nathan (age 1 or possibly 7), and that F in the last column marks them as "born in Foreign Parts".

The house they live in, they seem to share with two other families - an English roper, his wife and four children, and an Irish tailor his wife and their servant. I imagine, if I might, that it may have been one of those tall buildings you get in the town centre occasionally, with a shop below and two or three storeys above - the tailor would have the shop and the floor above, and the one/s above that would be split between Frankenstein and Choppers (the roper)

I'm not certain, cs nothing much is certain on the 1841 census, but I think that must be the case, because there's a 1 for 1 dwelling/building, and then the families have little notch marks separating them (you can just see one above the J in Jacob there).

If we skip forward 20 years, we find them not in Liverpool, but having moved to Islington, London

A little more detail on this record - we find out that Jacob and Sarah are from Hanover, which I gather is now a part of Germany. Henrietty has anglicised her name to Harriet, and that N must be Nathan, which means he was 1 on the 1841 record. We also see Harriet was born in Yorkshire, and Nathan in Liverpool, tho I can find neither record. And that Jacob's merchant-ing is going well enough that they needn't share housing and they actually have a live-in maid!

And, there's another record to show he joined the Freemasons in about 1850, so I imagine he was doing fairly well for himself.

-

There is, at the same time as our Jacob in 1841, another J Frankenstein, but this one is an "agent" - whatever that means 180 years ago - and he lives in Stepney!

He is also "of Foreign Parts" and also in his 30s, but he is instead a lodger, with several other single German-sounding men (you can see Doctor Gotentag above him there), in the house of some laundresses (Sarah Kelly, Elizabeth Pryor, and her daughter Sarah)

I jumped forward 10 years to 1851, and couldn't confirm finding this same Frankenstein, but there are a couple of new ones -

We have Adolphus, a tailor from Breslau who is lodging in Manchester with a Polish hawker and his family

And we have Isaac, a licensed hawker - a seller of things, the type that shout you over, like a marketstall man, tho maybe without a stall - in this case, jewellery - and he lodges in Portsea/Portsmouth, with Kitty Barnard and her daughters.

-

Then, if we jump again to the 1870s, there are a great many more Frankensteins -

We have Jacob, Israel, Simon and Harris Frankenstein, who are all Polish tailors (tho sometimes the record says "Russia Poland"). Israel and Simon live in London, Whitechapel and Spitalfields respectively. Jacob is in Cheetham and Harris is in Manchester. And all their families, too.

Also in Cheetham, we find Reub and his family - I imagine he is Jacob's brother or cousin (he is also listed "Russia Poland") - he is a glazier, and his teenage sons are tailors.

Philip Frankenstein, also in Cheetham and from Poland and so likely another brother or cousin, is a waterproof manufacturer (did macks exist then?).

And Leon, who lives in Rochester, married a Kentish woman called Lydia Jolley (nee Gladdish), and he is a picture frame maker, also Polish - tho he, unlike the rest, is listed under "Poland, British Subject" - either, he lived in England most of his life and was just born in Poland (see, my John Scarth, who always listed himself as "Portugal, British Subject", and was from Orkney), or because he married an Englishwoman, I'm not sure, and he, nor the census man, are not here to quiz.

If I go any later, I imagine there'll be a great deal many more records to trawl through and I don't really want to, so I shan't.

I am mildly disappointed there are no Adam Frankensteins, tho, I did check

[callsign-cacti]

This is for the Anon who was asking if I would ever write anything for Roper! This has been sitting in my drafts for two weeks because life got super fucking busy. And I love this little introduction to the story I want to do for him.

Hope this hold you over!

---

Roper wasn't quite sure how he had gotten himself into this position.

Well, he knew exactly how he had gotten himself into this position, but he didn't care to think too hard about why he was back in your bed. Again.

Not when you were on top of him, riding him like a fucking champ.

He refused to think about it, until you were rolling off of him as soon as the last waves of your orgasm subsided, reaching for your glasses, and gesturing to the door.

"You, you want me to go?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, sure that he was misunderstanding in his post orgasmic haze. Hell, he hadn't even taken the goddamned condom off yet, and here you were, pulling the sheets halfway up your body and reaching for the book that had been knocked onto the floor.

You didn't even dignify him with words, just nodding and jerking your head towards the door. A clear dismissal if there ever was one.

This didn't fucking happen to him. He didn't get dismissed after sex. Normally, they were begging for some post sex cuddling, or negotiating for another round with Kenny fucking Roper before they had to leave.

In a daze, he got out of bed, slowly picking his clothes up off the floor and sliding them back on.

Surely you were playing a joke on him.

Because that was some of the best sex he had ever had in his life, the only thing that was topping it was two days ago.

Two days ago when the two of you had slunk into the room in the baseball house marked Fornication. Under. Consent of King.

You had looked around the room with disgust clear on your face as Roper fell to his knees before you.

And while he hadn't been dismissed that night either, you certainly hadn't stuck around for the usual post sex laze about.

But now, you clearly wanted him gone.

And that just wouldn't do.

[chadfallout76podcast]

In the wee hours of the morning following the Rusty Pick Grand Opening, a poker game is interrupted from a threat from above. As Chad and Roper race against time as ZAX gains access to a larger network, Commander Johns fights for his life inside the Nuclear Winter Simulation in Vault 51. The sun is setting and before this final match is through, winning will come at a great cost.

These episodes are in loving memory to long time Bethesda Game Studios developer Ferret Baudoin, who recorded his lines prior to his untimely passing. His family has graciously allowed us to use them posthumously and it is fitting that in these episodes he will save the day, one last time.

The remainder of our season ad revenue from these episodes will be benefiting the global crisis and humanitarian work of Project Hope. Please support our fundraiser: ⁠⁠⁠https://donate.tiltify.com/+fallout-for-hope-ukrainerelief/chad-a-fallout-76-story-podcast⁠⁠⁠

Written by Kenneth Vigue.

GUEST: Jordan Reynolds ~ Reuben Gill

GUEST: Jake Green ~ ZAX 1.3c

GUEST: TYR ~ Aeternus

GUEST: Ferret Baudoin ~ The Archivist

Alexander Luthor ~ Chad Johnson, Bear, Free Radical #1

Kenneth Vigue ~ Narrator

Sean Baptiste ~ Brooks Calvert

Lady Devann ~ Atomic Alice

Tooniversal ~ Damon Toon

t0nik ~ Crane

Jessica Duval ~ Susie, Tiffany

Clint Winberry ~ Moose Miller, Dogbreath, Guard #1

Christian Mower ~ Punch, Mr. Handy, Mr. Clark

Fenwa Teryen ~ Charles Bishop, Guard #2

Jessica Marie Dickey ~ Patsy Parker

Dr. Mark Hauswirth ~ Abraham, Baldrick (Handy to the Archivist)

Kevin Chenard ~ Fletcher

Robert Solomon ~ Razorhandle (Raider), Free Radical #2

Robyn Meif ~ Roper (Free Radicals Leader)

Ray Middelthon ~ Commander Johns,

Lucy Middelthon ~ Old Lady Simpson

Elder Memes ~ Beckett

Jorian Koeten ~ Insult Bot

Christopher J. Morrow ~ Fritz

Email and business inquiries:  ⁠⁠⁠fchad@fallout76podcast.com⁠⁠⁠

I hope to see you all in the Wasteland...

CHAD: A Fallout 76 Story and its websites are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Bethesda Softworks LLC, ZeniMax Media Inc., Microsoft Corporation, or their affiliates or subsidiaries. All logos, designs, and product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. It does not reflect the views or opinions of either company or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Fallout 76.

All other content on this site is copyright by the author, and is licensed under a ⁠⁠⁠Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠⁠⁠.

Audio program ©2023 Kenneth Vigue - All Rights Reserved. No reproduction of this content is permitted without express written consent. This content is protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act Services Ltd. ©

[infamousbrad]

They had "pig butchering" scams in the 1930s.

Please tell your friends and family about this, because you don't know who doesn't know this. I forget how many people don't know this, too, but then I remember that I learned about it from a 1940 non-fiction best-seller that I only heard about because it was popular among 1940s and '50s science fiction authors. (And then later made into a movie called "The Sting," which, via a long chain of copies, also got made into a long-running TV series called Leverage.) The story goes like this:

The Roper identifies and ropes the Mark, who gets handed off to the Grifter, who Shows the Mark the Store. The Store Baits the Hook, then puts the Mark On the Send, and then Stings the Mark when they get back to the Store, and then Blows them Off.

I just got around to watching the John Oliver episode about what the FBI now calls "pig butchering" scams, and, having read David Maurer's original 1940 book about the professional jargon of long-con confidence artists, The Big Con, I recognized every step of it. I spent the whole segment saying the same thing over and over again: "Oh, is that what they're calling that now?"

Do you believe that basically every rich person in the world got rich because they got away with some scam? Of course you do. But are you more jealous than angry? Do you wish someone who knew you would like you enough to let you in on the scam? That's why you're a Mark.

A Roper is a person who's trained in how to go into places where it's normal to have conversations with strangers (back then, cross-country trains and inter-continental ocean liners; nowadays, your smartphone) and easily make friends. Most of the Roper's new friends quickly get ignored; what they're looking for is a resentful, jealous middle or upper middle class person who wishes someone would tell them the illegal way to get rich.

That's when the Mark finds out that the Roper is in the middle of getting rich him/herself! Thanks to The Grifter! And asks the Mark would you like to meet the Grifter?

The Grifter works out of the Store; Ropers bring Marks to him/her. The Store looks entirely convincingly like a place (or an app or a site) where someone dirty, on the inside, could easily cheat people out of tons of money, by doing things like trading on secret information. And the Mark is happy to find out that the Grifter could easily make tons of money for them if they had anything to invest in the Store. The Mark hands over the small amount of money they have on them and, very quickly, the Grifter Baits the Hook: gives them their winnings, and apologizes for how small they were. If only the Mark had more money to invest ...

At which point the Mark, who is On the Send, goes back home and empties out savings, takes out one or more equity loans, maybe even embezzles from his/her work (fully intending to put the money back) and brings it all to the Store.

At which point, instead of getting back winnings, the Mark gets Blown Off. If the Grifter does it smoothly, they can sting the same Mark over and over again: "It's not our fault, you did it wrong." Or "it's not our fault, this time the cops intervened, you're lucky you weren't arrested."

Any newly met "friend" who offers to tell you how to get rich is not your friend. You're the Mark and they're the Roper. The "way to get rich" method they offer you, that looks like it couldn't possibly be fake, too many people would have to be in on it? Is a Store, and they're making so much money off of Marks like you that they can easily hire that many people to play their parts. Oh, but the first time you tried it, you made money? Of course you did; how else would they put you On the Send? And when you come back from being put On the Send, you're not going to get rich, you're going to get Blown Off.

[carleighalpha]

Late Night Ride

{Y/N} wants McReynolds’ attention so she offers a late night drive.

Rating: M.

Word Count: 1.2K

Imagine: Smut.

Warning: Nothing I can think of.

{Y/N} was bored in her new apartment. It was a Saturday and she wanted some attention. She had a good idea that McReynolds wouldn’t turn her down. She got up and brushed her {H/L} {H/C} hair.

“ Might as well.” {Y/N} said with a cute mischievous grin on her face. She put on a {F/C} tank top and some {S/F/C} shorts. She grabbed a pair of {S/C} boots and walked out. She got down to her beautiful 1967 Chevy Impala. She started the engine up and her car roared to life. It was about 6, so she knew he would be up. {Y/N} rode the baseball house. She shut her car off and walked up to see the team just either drinking or smoking up.

“ Hey Roper?” {Y/N} called out to one of her friends. He smiled and gave her a hug.

“ You know where he is?” {Y/N} asked as he nodded.

“ Kitchen.” He told her as she nodded and walked into it. Glen saw her walk in and smiled.

“ Where has your sexy ass been?” Glen asked as she just smiled. He loved her smile.

“ Been moving into my new place. Wanted to see if you were up for a drive.” {Y/N} says as she bites her lower lip. Glen smiles at this. The two of them had a lot in common and they knew what each other liked.

“ Who's this?” A boy with some long brunette hair asked as he looked up at {Y/N}.

“ Oh! I’m {Y/N}.” She said as a blush crossed her cheek.

“ I’m Jake.” He said as he smiled.

“ We were just heading out.” Glen said as he took {Y/N}’s hand in his and led her out.

“ What with him?” Jake asked Finn.

“ That’s {Y/N}. Her and McReynolds have a history. Enough said.” Finn said to him. {Y/N} smiled as Glen led her to her car.

“ New details on your car?” He asked as {Y/N} nodded.

“ New seat covers, now I’m wanting some attention, so keep it off my car and on me.” {Y/N} said with a slight purr in her tone. Glen growled slowly at the remark.

“ Let's go.” He said as he pulled away, {Y/N} got in the driver's side and started up her car. The two of them drove off and as they drove, they talked and caught up on the two days they haven’t chatted.

“ Long days of submitting writing for erotic purposes are long and frustrating when I can’t see you.” {Y/N} said as Glen rubbed her inner thigh, {Y/N} bites her lip.

“ Well, I can help with that.” McReynolds said as he laid a ghosting kiss upon her neck. The two of them go to the river as the night grows. {Y/N} parks her car and Glen smirks over to her before placing a kiss upon her lips.

“ God you are sexy.” Glen said with a smirk.

“ Back seat now.” {Y/N} said as her core was becoming wet. The two of them shifted quickly over the seat. {Y/N} and Glen quickly began losing their clothes. The moment the tank top came off of {Y/N}, Glen began to carefully move her chest to the point the girl underneath was becoming a wet mess. Glen was kissing her neck with a deepening lust. {Y/N} pulled his hair so she could breathe, but then began kissing his neck and leaving marks after she had removed his shirt.

“ Fuck me.” Glen growled low as {Y/N} smirked. Glen removes her shorts and panties in one shot and begins to remove his pants as well.

“ Don’t make me wait, McReynolds.” {Y/N} said with a mischievous smirk. Glen smirked before lining up and slamming inside her core. {Y/N} gasped as he settled deep within.

“ God you are fucking tight. How is that possible?” Glen said as the feeling of her walls surrounding him was tight and almost made him orgasm, but by sheer will, he stopped himself. {Y/N} also had to stop herself from cumming right then and there. Glen then began to move. The car window began to fog up to stop anyone from seeing what was going on in the Impala.

“ God fuck!” {Y/N} said as the heat in her belly was growing with every thrust that Glen was giving her.

“ Fuck.” Glen said as he had one hand on the window and let it slide down. The hand found itself on one of {Y/N}’s breasts as he began to fondle the nipple. The stimulation from that and the thrusting was too great as Glen then began to suck a mark on her neck. {Y/N} moaned out as her walls began to quiver around his member. {Y/N} let out a gasp that gave Glen the knowledge that she had come by his moves alone.

“ God this is fantastic!” She said as Glen kept moving. Her smell, her skin, her sounds all worked for him and he was close.

“ Where?” He asked as {Y/N} smirked.

“ You know where.” {Y/N} said as Glen smirked, kissed her hard as he pounded deep inside and came deep with her with a hardy grunt. The two of them panting hard as the warm heat entered her core.

“ That was even better than last time.” {Y/N} said as Glen smirked. He lifted up and removed himself from her. She whimpered at the loss of being filled up.

“ Oh, I’ve given you a hickey.” {Y/N} said as Glen smirked.

“ I’ve marked you up myself.” Glen said as he lifted her chin. {Y/N} blushed a mighty red upon her cheeks. The two of them got dressed and sat on the trunk of the car.

“ Think you have enough material?” Glen said as he smirked at her.

“ Think I do have enough before I need some more help.” {Y/N} said with a smirk.

“ I love this.” Glen said as {Y/N} pulled out a joint and began to light up.

“ It’s better than being a sober bitch.” {Y/N} said before puffing up.

“ You think that college will be good as this is my senior year? I mean what’s next!” {Y/N} said as Glen smirked.

“ Whatever you want it to be.” Glen said before {Y/N} kissed his cheek.

“ Let me get you back.” {Y/N} said as Glen smirked. She got him back before 12 AM. She drove off and Glen smirked. Glen walked in the house, Roper and Glen saw him.

“ Wow, she tore you up!” Roper said with excitement in his voice.

“ What can I say? She wants the attention. I give her attention.” Glen said as he went upstairs and laid down. Back at {Y/N}’s apartment, she lit up another joint and sat at her typewriter. She began to type out her newest chapter. All she could do was type and smile. She was glad that she and McReynolds shared that bond.

“ I might hit him up for some more tomorrow. After all, a girl does have her needs.” {Y/N} said, smirking proudly.

[kindheart525]

Name: Rainier Bubba Reigns  Nicknames: Rain, Roper (rodeo nickname), Rodeo Clown (Red Cedar)  Parents: Orchard Blossom and Cherry Jubilee  Siblings: Plum Pastry, Pacific Rose, Shamrock Shake, Red Delicious, Southern Belle Future Spouse: Red Cedar Future Children: Apple Core, Calypso, Black Diamond, Red June, Maraschino, Freshwater, Pastel Oak, Heather Set, Pink Lady Ann, Mystery Pines, Berry Fruit Bat, Yellow Sonnet, Heaven Crisp, Pepper Spice Personality: Rainier has a zest for life that can never be dulled. A rodeo champion, he is always finding ways to have fun in whatever he does. Even if he doesn’t win, he is glad to have had the experience. He is excitable and fun to be around, able to get along with just about anyone. Rainier can also be quite oblivious, which becomes an issue when he overlooks legitimate problems in his life, including red flags in his relationships, until they become especially serious. He is extremely understanding but to a fault, but even when he does have to face problems he tries to take them in stride as best as he can. He is not cocky, he just loves life. Cutie Mark: A coiled lasso, symbolizing his talent in lasso tricks.

Adopted from @glitterfleshgum

[thesleepyfable]

~ SWTD: Still Here AU Part 12: ~

Operation Spy Part 1:

Here we go. The moment we've all been waiting for. The rescue. How will it go? Knowing this lot...

Part 13:

Step 1. Grab the yellow paint and mark the infected containers.

Step 2. Load the infected inside.

Step 3. Get back to the mainland.

Step 4. ...

Well, we'll see what happens afterwards.

Brodie and Roper waited at the Under Rig. They watched the horizon. An outline of a cargo ship came into view. It was a strange feeling. They were all so relieved because this was it - they were going home - but how can you just walk away from this? Easy. You don't.

The pair had to count their lucky stars. They weren't dead like Gregor or turned into something no one thought possible like Rennick. They can still have a normal life. Until then, they just had to go through an investigation, followed by a debriefing and possible firing from Cadal to cover their own arse. It's not like anyone here would care. If Cadal was thinking about sending anyone here to another rig, then they had another thing coming.

'So, what's your plan, Roper?'

'I think I'm going to take myself and the misses on that long needed holiday to Spain. What about you?'

'Take myself and Raffs back to Skye and...'Brodie shrugged. 'I dunno. Rethink my life choices.'

Roper wasn't daft. He was basically the crew's therapist when he wasn't manning Marine Control, and he knew something was bothering Brodie. Which was an oddity in and of itself because nothing bothered him. He was a father figure to most of the younger lads here, especially Raffs. Brodie's known him since he was a child. Roper's eyes lingered towards Brodie's crossed arms. His hands gripped to the sleeves as if he were hanging onto them for dear life. His breathing was laboured, which he'd just pass off as the cold.

'Don't blame yourself,' Roper said. Brodie's shoulders and jaw tensed. 'Raffs is fine. You're fine.'

'I know.' Brodie spoke through gritted teeth. 'But, I shouldn't have let him go down there.'

'He wasn't infected.'

'The lad wasn't ready.'

'Yes, he was, Brods. If none of this happened, he'd be going head first back into that diving bell. Give him time. He'll tell you what he wants.'

Of course, Roper was right, and with a supportive pat on the shoulder, he made his way to the Deck for an update. Brodie continued to watch the cargo ship come into view and took a deep breath to help himself relax.

'He's right.' Raffs' voice broke Brodie out of his spell. The pair had failed to notice that the young man was just around the corner. He approached and leaned against the railing. He seemed happier today. More relaxed. His wide eyes were calm, and his hands weren't shaking. 'I mean - Yeah, I was terrified, but I knew I was safe. Plus, I did hit my head in there. Of course, I'm going to be shak-'

Brodie didn't let Raffs finish his sentence. He just grabbed the young man he saw as his son and held him close. Raffs knew what this was. He's felt this crushing hug before, where Brodie kept him close and refused to let go. The last time he felt it was when Raffs nearly fell down the stairs carrying one side of a dresser. You couldn't fight it either. Any second now...

'I'm sorry.'

There it is.

Raffs returned the hug, though he could never have the strength of Brodie. 'I'm fine,' he said with reassurance whilst he pulled away. 'Just needed to wrap my head around all this.' Brodie's heard that excuse before, but he'll take his word for it. As long as he was okay.

The same couldn't be said for Muir.

Anxiety suddenly gripped him, and the heartbeats he could hear weren't helping. If this was his power from The Shape, then it was frankly shit. The excitement from everyone made him uneasy. There was no warning. The anxiety just came knocking on the door before kicking it down. Muir's mind began to race with ridiculous possibilities. What if the ship sank? What if the police are waiting for Caz to just shoot him? What if The Shape isn't really dead and it'll follow them to the mainland? What if he's taken away and he never gets to see Innes again?

Muir held his breath with a thousand yard stare. No one seemed to notice. Not even Innes, who came into the container with a backpack he left for his partner. All of Muir's eyes turned to him, yet his head stayed seated in the same position.

'Alright. That's all of your stuff.' Like everyone else, Innes was happy. 'Yes. I brought the bloody harmonica before you ask. But don't go playing it until we get ye home.' Muir didn't answer and continued to stare. His mind wouldn't shut up. Everyone's heartbeats drowned out whatever Innes said. It was an echo for him. Everything began to blur. Not because The Shape had suddenly returned, but because he was crying. Muir could finally allow himself to breathe again. Innes looked, and his smile dropped. 'Muir?' He felt a tendril wrap around his hand, and he instinctively began to stroke it with his thumb.

'Please don't go.'

Innes frowned. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

'Stay in here with me.' A pause. 'What if this doesn't work? And what if I'm taken away, never to be seen again?'

'I think that's impossible.'

'Innes, please!' Muir snapped as he began to tighten his grip on Innes and shook his head, because he couldn't run a hand through his hair anymore. 'I don't want to be on my own.'

Innes moved towards him and wiped Muir's tears away. Muir hugged and pulled him closer for him to rest his head on his shoulders. Of course, Innes allowed it and, in return, gave Muir a kiss. 'Alright... Alright, Muir. I'll stay, but we have to be quiet.' Muir nodded before buring his head into Innes.

The pair were so worked up in themselves that they didn't notice Gibbo, Trots, and Roy watching. None of them were surprised. They all suspected something for a while. I'm glad to see they had their confirmation.

Roy often wondered what that felt like. To love someone so near and dear in that way. He's loved friends and family, but nothing you could conclude to be romantic. His only real love outside of that would be football and cooking. He caught on that the three were just staring at this point and gave Gibbo and Trots a small tap.

'Right, you two, get in.'

With their belongings tucked away in the corner, Gibbo, being bigger of the pair, went first and soon settled by using his bag as a pillow. Trots soon followed and didn't exactly know what to do with himself. He had this coat pocket, but it was just awkward for him. Like Rennick, he felt like a rescue horse being led to a stable.

'Hope you don't mind me sharing with you, Gibs.'

'As long as there's no Cadal this or Cadal that.'

'Oh no, this has made it worse,' Roy laughed. 'But hey, if he gets bored, Animal Farm is in his bag.' It wasn't. Trots knew it wasn't. The comment got Gibbo laughing. Trots just smirked before using the tendrils to make himself taller before giving Roy a quick shove on the shoulder with a chuff.

'Off with ya, ya prick.'

'Seya on the other side, lads.'

Of course, the men weren't in complete darkness. Along with the sun coming through at the bottom of the door, Caz and Finlay made some adjustments to the containers, other than paint. A few holes for the natural light. No one thought about possible rain, though.

'Are you really going to use your infection to get a Union?' Gibbo asked out of curiosity.

'Of course,' Trots said. 'How can they say 'no' to this?'

'Ah Christ.' Maybe Gibbo should have taken Rennick as his container-mate. He made his stance known by grabbing Trot's bag and holding it over his head like a pillow trying to block out the noise.

'Right, you two Roasters,' Finlay said in her usual tone that commanded your attention. She was never scared to use it towards Rennick and Addair before, and them being infected didn't change that. The pair awkwardly stood in their own shared container. 'I better not hear a peep out of either of you.'

'I want off this rig, Finlay,' Rennick said in that tone when you're about to get an earful. 'Why the fuck, do you think I'm gonna be loud?!'

'Because you always have to get the last word.'

'Then give me my own container.'

'No. We take you in pairs. Muir's too big for anyone else.' Except Trots, but wanted to be with Gibbo. 'Now keep ye' voices down, or I'll come in there and ring both of ya necks.'

Was Rennick scared of Finaly? No. Was Addair scared of Finlay? Also, no. But, the pair had to admire her attitude, even if they didn't like being spoken to like this. She always carried herself with authority and had bigger balls than most of the men here. Even if she couldn't swim.

'Hey Finlay?' Addair called as she began to close the door. Finlay stopped and listened. 'Why did the military say no to you?'

'Because they don't take women. Is that why they refused you, Addair?'

With that, the door shut, and Finlay could finally feel her blood pressure return to normal. Faint snickering from Rennick could be heard through the metal, followed by a small smack. She spotted Roper and gave a thumbs up, who gave one in return.

Within minutes, the cargo ship docked beside them, and a man stepped off and onto the walkway that connected to the rig. Thankfully, the sea was calm this afternoon. Roper went to greet him.

'Are you Rennick?' He asked.

'No,' Roper said. 'We did a headcount. We lost him.'

'Didn't take a lifeboat?'

'Considering none of them worked, the answer's no.'

The man noticed the exhausted look in Roper's eyes. He was putting it on just so they could leave faster. They then noticed the amount of holes and smashed windows were on Beria. And this was only one part. Their eyes went wide and confused as they scanned the rig before looking to Roper for answers, who exchanged a look that said, 'I know.'

Nothing else needed to be said. The man gave a nod of approval. 'Oh, and we still have some equipment that Cadal will want back.'

'Will they?'

'Do you want to pay for anything we lose?' Seems Caz's sarcasm had finally rubbed off on Roper.

'Fair enough.' He turned and called to his crew. 'Get the crane going!'

And breathe.

Soon, the crew of Beria were safely secured on the cargo. The infected were all sat next to each other, but the equipment sat on top. So much for the holes to give them sunlight. Maybe they could see in the dark?

Caz found himself watching the containers from the safety of Bridge. He couldn't feel their presence from this distance, and it left him on edge. He hoped they were okay. Yes, even Rennick and Addair. He turned and, along with the others, watched the Beria slowly disappear from view.

'Good riddance.'

[bearterritory]

No. 1 Cal Sweeps No. 9 Stanford At Big Row

Cal Retains Schwabacher Cup

REDWOOD CITY – The No. 1 California men's rowing team had a successful outing at the Big Row against No. 9 Stanford, taking both the varsity and second varsity eight races at Redwood Shores on Saturday and retaining the Schwabacher Cup. The Golden Bears have now won nine straight matchups against the Cardinal and extended their series lead to 70-19. Both crews remain undefeated this season heading into the Pac-12 Championships in two weeks. In the varsity eight race, Cal was able to build an open-water lead of about two seats by the 1,000-meter mark. Stanford was able to keep the distance over the next 500 meters, before the Bears made a push to extend their lead to a few seats of open water to win by five seconds in a time of 5:31.7. In the second varsity eight race, the Bears got off to a great start and built a three-seat lead in the opening 500 meters before extending it to open water by the halfway mark. Cal continued to extend its lead through the sprint and won in convincing fashion, almost 25 seconds ahead of the Cardinal, with a time of 5:41.2. "I thought both crews raced really well," Cal head coach Scott Frandsen said. "I wanted today to be an internal, positive-momentum-building kind of race and I think there was that for both crews. The second varsity got off to a really good start and got out early and just extended the lead through the rest of the race course, so I was pleased with how they performed. The varsity had a really good race. Stanford stuck with them through the middle, but we were able to win by a second or so of open water. So good results and execution of the race for the guys. Now we have two weeks to build towards the Pac-12 Championships." Results V8+ 1. Cal - 5:31.7 2. Stanford - 5:36.0 2V8+ 1. Cal - 5:41.2 2. Stanford - 6:05.2 Lineups V8+ Coxswain - Luca Vieira Stroke - Iwan Hadfield 7 - Elliott Kemp 6 - Tim Roth 5 - Ollie Maclean 4 - Gennaro di Mauro 3 - Gus Rodriguez 2 - Frederik Breuer Bow - Campbell Crouch 2V8+ Coxswain - Grant Fisher Stroke - Tommy Barrell 7 - Fred Roper 6 - Tobias Kristensen 5 - Matthew Gallagher 4 - Balthasar Issa 3 - Harry Manton 2 - Daton Wolfaardt Bow - Wilson Morton

[mariacallous]

Martin Luther was a controversial figure during his lifetime, eliciting strong emotions in friends and enemies alike, and his outsized persona has left an indelible mark on the world today. Living I Was Your Plague explores how Luther carefully crafted his own image and how he has been portrayed in his own times and ours, painting a unique portrait of the man who set in motion a revolution that sundered Western Christendom.

Renowned Luther biographer Lyndal Roper examines how the painter Lucas Cranach produced images that made the reformer an instantly recognizable character whose biography became part of Lutheran devotional culture. She reveals what Luther’s dreams have to say about his relationships and discusses how his masculinity was on the line in his devastatingly crude and often funny polemical attacks. Roper shows how Luther’s hostility to the papacy was unshaken to the day he died, how his deep-rooted anti-Semitism infused his theology, and how his memorialization has given rise to a remarkable flood of kitsch, from “Here I Stand” socks to Playmobil Luther.

Lavishly illustrated, Living I Was Your Plague is a splendid work of cultural history that sheds new light on the complex and enduring legacy of Luther and his image.

[nuttyrabbit]

tell us more about umbril the water genasi barbarian

Certainly! For starters, Umbirl

(Image cropped from a larger commission by one of the players in the campaign)

Umbril's an interesting sort to say the least. Having been left on the steps of an orphanage in the coastal town of Kraken's Maw when he was just a baby, he grew up knowing nothing about who his parents were, where he actually came from, and most importantly, why he was blue and had such strange markings all over his skin. His strange skin coloration in particular made it so he never FULLY fit in with the other kids nor got adopted. Yet despite such oddities, he had a fairly normal childhood otherwise, befriending and playing with the other children and getting himself in trouble as all children are want to do. He was a very rough and tumble kid, finding new and creative ways to get himself hurt, whether it be by wandering out of town, fighting local animals, or roughousing with the bigger kids. Still, no matter what happened, no matter how hurt he got and no matter how many times he got yelled at, he'd always greet it with a grin and a laugh before doing it all over again

Ths rambunctious, rough and tumble attitude carried him well past his childhood into his teenage years and even adulthood as, even after leaving the orphanage and finding part time jobs, he had a tendency to get into scraps and do other, very reckless things, which often put him at odds with employers, locals, and tourists alike. Such an attitude wasn't helped by his tendency to brag about how tough he was.

One day, when a group of old sailors came into town and heard him bragging, they decided to call his bluff and place a bet: if he could slay the mightiest beasts in the land, then they'd pay him a thousand gold and spread tales of his toughness across the seas. They expected that to shut him up, but instead with a laugh and a grin, he took their bet and with what gold he'd scrounged up doing odd jobs, he bought a greataxe that he named "Kraken's Cry" and ventured off into the great unknown.

It was through this that he managed to meet the current party, having been called to a town by a former employer of his with the promises of riches and fighting strong monsters.

Along the way he's had quite a few...interesting adventures, including but not limited to

Clearing out an entire cave full of goblins and finding legendary magic items

Killing a parrotbear (a reflavored Owlbear) and stealing its' feathers

Turning what should've been a mundane contest of endurance into a terrorist attack

Killing Ropers

Getting roped by said employer into searching for a lost city, finding said lost city, going on a drug trip because of a mushroom man inside the city, getting flung into a magic forge, meeting God, and getting flung years into the future

Going to the Feywild and then immediately getting kicked out of the Feywild by what the party called The No Fun Allowed Club

Inexplicably acquiring a Defender Greatsword

Entering a bare knuckle battle royale

But perhaps the most interesting development has been within Umbril himself. Recently, he discovered that he has a sort of "inner lightning" that's explicitly tied to his blue skin and strange markings (Hence his subclass being Storm Herald). While harnessing this power, he's also had strange visions of a strange human woman with silver hair controlling lightning with but a gesture, and a blue prince that lurks beneath the waves. He hasn't had time to look into these visions, but part of him believes that he may have stumbled across the answer to a question he never dared ask

Thanks for the ask anon!

[iwannalixthosefreckles]

What role would you assign each member for a heist?

Oooh, are we thinking of rebooting the Ocean's franchise with SKZ? Luce, you son of a bitch, I'm in. Let's get started.

(I had to refer to tvtropes for this because I didn't know all the archetype names)

The Mastermind - Bang Chan is the most obvious choice here. Normally I hate obvious choices. But he's so damn good as the leader of this wild crew! He's the Danny Ocean here, charming everyone into joining.

The Partner in Crime - Felix. Second in command to the leader, he's the one helping him pull the team together. The Lou to Chan's Debbie, if we're talking Ocean's 8.

The Con Man - Seungmin. The con man's the one manipulating people. They have to be sharp and quick on their feet. I think Seungmin's smart enough for this role.

The Pickpocket - Lee Know. It's just a feeling, based on his dancing but also his martial arts skills, thinking that his smooth movements could translate into pickpocketing.

The Hacker - Jeongin. Gamer boy gone bad. Putting those skills to use breaking into systems as needed to pull off the big heist.

The Driver - Changbin. In a pinch, can also be used as a bruiser if they need some muscle.

The Distraction - Han. He's the one drawing all the attention to himself so the others can do what they need without being noticed.

The Roper - Hyunjin. He's the one baiting the mark, getting them into place for the plan to work. Like a honeypot, seducing the target.

[wisteria-lodge]

A couple of these are real:

The Spanish Prisoner - Early version of the Nigerian Prince scam. The Mark is contacted by the Roper, who is pretending to be fabulously wealthy but temporarily unable to access their funds (often due to being in jail.) The goal is to get the Mark to pay bail, or a bribe, or some other expense to get the wealthy "prisoner" out of jail, expecting a payout that isn't coming.

(still shows up in the form of "illegal immigrant wins the lottery and can't collect the money")

The Mona Lisa Variant - Probably a reference to a con artist in the 30s who got six people to pay him to steal the Mona Lisa, then commissioned six forgeries, shipped them where they needed to go, THEN stole the Mona Lisa and just kept the original, thinking that now the word was out about the stolen painting, it would be extremely risky to move it anywhere.

The Fiddle Game - The Roper dresses like a shabby street musician, eats a cheap meal at a restaurant, then forgets his wallet and leaves his violin as collateral while he goes and gets it. A second conman (The Inside Man) comes in and makes a big show out of recognizing the violin as an insanely valuable Stradivarius violin. He'll pay anything you want for it, here's his number, please contact him. Then when the "street musician" comes back in, the Mark (either the owner or another customer) is motivated to try and buy the (worthless) violin off him.

(there's a version of this where the Roper comes in looking for their wedding ring/diamond earring/glass eye, and offers a huge reward for whoever finds it. Later, the Inside Man "finds" the object, and the Mark tries to buy it off him.)

The Big Store - More of a category of con where a group of con men set up an entirely fake business in order to get either money or personal information. (At one point you needed to set up and staff an entire fake physical storefront, now all you need is a fake website.)

The White Van Speakers - The con artist sells cheap speakers at a huge markup out of the back of a van. But the trick is that the Mark is told (or gets the very strong impression) that these are in fact very nice speakers being sold at a huge discount, because they've been stolen.

My favorite leverage bit is when they have agreed on names for cons that they never explain but reference absolutely bonkers bits of. Like. “Yeah I was running a Blue Spiked Fish but then I lost the wig and had to turn it into a Seventh Taco on the fly.” “Where on earth did you get the firefighter uniform??” “Had one in the closet from running a Cicada job earlier that year.” Beautiful. Perfect. They could do this every episode.