#Pregnancy plot

[thelandswemadeofpaper]

A great alternative to the 'pregnancy and/or baby plot' so many people (me included) hate, I rather like the 'find or/and adopted a child' plot

maybe because you want your character to raise a child with their S/O or just want some drama? write cute stuff with kids? want to start the next generation? want your character to be a cool teacher to a kid?

having you characters willing wanting to have a baby in the middle of a conflict or right after it is irresponsable and dangerous, having them take in a war orphan (or any child the plot can create, they could be the offpring of a defeated enemy, of a dead friend...) is far better

and i personally find interactions with older children better and pregnancy more often than not portraited weirdly in those 'pregnancy plots' (Feyre's 'baby rich' smell what the actual fuk)

[pleinsdemuses]

Ooc: Like this post for a pregnancy plot. I'll message you when I will wake up.

[booasaur]

Vigil - 2x02

[wttcsms]

ceo!choso who is stressed after work but doesn't like drinking at home because his much younger half-brother (a result from his father's many, many affairs) yuuji is there, and he doesn't want to set a bad example. he goes to the same upscale restaurant/rooftop bar, and he's struck by how pretty the hostess — you — are. it's a slow night, and as you pace around the restaurant back and forth, he calls for your attention and the two of you spend the night having the best conversation of choso's life. he's never felt more connected with anyone else before, and one thing leads to another, and the two of you are in a hotel room. whispers of i don't normally do this are shared by the two of you, but there's something magnetic about him, something that seems to pull you two together, that you just go with it.

he has to get back home to yuuji and he leaves a note for you to wake up to, but the note ends up falling off the nightstand, somehow ending up underneath the bed. you never see it, so you never know to reach out to him or how to contact him, and when a few weeks go by, you're not sure if you'll ever see that stranger again. which is awful, considering that he's the father of your child. one night of saying fuck it to rational thinking, and now you're going to be a single mother with an elementary teacher's salary.

on the night of the elementary's open house where your new students will get to meet you for the first time before school starts, you don't expect to see him again, walking in with a tailored suit and tie and holding the hand of the most adorable pink-haired first grader you've ever seen.

[fireblossomdoll]

Ups and Downs

Synopsis: You're pregnant and having mood swings today, but Madara makes you a snack

Content: Uchiha Madara x Reader, f!reader, pregnant!reader, pregnancy!!, fluff, crack, mood swings

Word count: 987

A/N: A request from anon <3 (here are hcs about Madara and pregnant!reader)

You were already in the third trimester of your pregnancy. You couldn’t wait for your baby to come. You had picked and decorated a room with Madara, both of you really wanted this child. 

You decided to go to the market today to buy a little charm you had heard of. You had seen some children wrapping these cute pendants on their kunai, so you wanted one for your baby. The streets weren’t very crowded today, making for the perfect day out.

When you got to the store, you couldn’t find the charms. You had asked a few kids where they had gotten theirs and all of them led you here. Yet, as you searched the shelves, you couldn’t find the damn thing. Even worse, there was no staff in sight. You marched further into the store, looking for someone who could help you, and you started to think this trash place was empty.

“Hello?” You asked, annoyingly to no response.

“Hellooo??!!” You asked again, raising your voice so that the store’s useless employee could hear you.

An ugly, greasy looking guy appeared from behind one of the shelves.

“Hello, ma’am! How may I help you?” He said with his ugly smile. He sounded so nice it made you frown immediately.

“Finally! Where are you people hiding the cute charms I’ve seen around?”

“Uh, our kunai decor?”

“Are you dense? Yes, the kunai charms.” You were getting increasingly irritated by this.

“We’re unfortunately out of stock of this item.” He said, still with that hideous smile.

“The hell you mean, out of stock?! I’ve seen it everywhere!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. It is indeed one of our most popular products, and because of that, it’s currently sold out.”

“Argh!”

You were exasperated and left the store in a bad mood. You just wanted to do a nice thing for your baby, but everyone seemed to be against you today.

As you walked back home, more people started to come to the streets. Of course, you couldn’t even have this one thing.

In front of your house, you saw your roses blooming. They were so pretty! You remembered how Madara helped you find the seeds, plant them and take care of them. Even if he didn't really want to garden, he still helped you grow these beautiful roses. 

Madara had taken such good care of you during this pregnancy. You loved him so much, you couldn’t have asked for a better husband. He always made sure to not let you use too much effort, and he smelled so nice.

He would let you play with his hair while he cooked you breakfast, lunch and dinner. His hair was so soft and long, you loved fiddling with it. Oh yeah, sometimes it would smell like roses if you two worked with them for too long. And he would cook for you. Such delicious food, but maybe not what you wanted right now. You wanted something lighter and sour, like a green apple. But also very sweet, like honey.

As you wandered through the living room, you heard muffled voices coming from the other side of the house. You went towards Madara's office and put you ear on the shoji to listen to what he was saying.

“–find the scrolls? –”

“ –working on it. The team hasn't–”

You couldn’t hear it properly, but what they were talking about didn't matter. You knocked and waited. Nothing happened so you knocked again, with a little more force.

“Hmm? Come in.” You heard Madara's deep voice come through.

You opened the shoji, seeing Madara and Hikaku with some scrolls laying on the table. Both looked back at you, as you stayed halfway hidden by the shoji, not really entering the room.

“Madara,” You dragged his name a bit.

“Yes?” He gave a little cute smile.

You looked down and around the round before continuing, “I wanted something to eat,” He arched an eyebrow and opened his mouth, but you kept going, “Some apples dipped in honey would be very nice, you know?”

“Right now, dear? I'm in the middle of something,”

“Please? Cut apples with honey sounds so good, though,” You insisted.

He sighted and stood up.

Did you bother him too much? Maybe he was tired of working and trying to get done was fast as possible, and you made him late. Or maybe he was very concentrated and you interrupted all his thoughts by coming here. “Are you mad at me?”

“What? No, my love, I'm not bothered at all, just getting up,” Madara looked in your eyes, “This wasn't so important, Hikaku can deal with it by himself.”

“So it was important matters that I–”

“Not at all, let's get going,” He interrupted you and pointed towards the hallway, “Shall we?”

You followed him to the kitchen, where he picked a couple of green apples from a basket.

“You should sit down,” He told you as he grabbed a knife.

You sat down by the table and kept looking at Madara as he prepared your snack. He looked so good today, it made you smile.

When he finished cutting the apples, he poured honey into a small bowl. You were very happy with how things were looking. The honey and the apples looked delicious, you couldn't wait for Madara to bring them to you.

“Now, now, here's whatever this is supposed to be.”

Madara placed two bowls in front of you, the sliced apples and the honey. 

“Yay! Thank you!” You said as you reached out to grab one apple slice.

He walked to your side and bowed his upper body until he was slightly above your head. “No problem. Try not to make a mess with the honey, okay?” He told you before kissing your temple.

“Sure,” You said with your mouth full of apple and honey. “It's so sweet!”

“Well, it is honey,” He giggled, leaving you in the kitchen.

[yaralulu]

It’s funny how feyre got so upset at lucien for “choosing” tamlin and not doing more for her when tamlin became overcontrolling ,yet when the IC chose rhys and didn’t tell her about the dangers of her own pregnancy it was totally cool and ok 🤨?

And I knew that if ... that if I had been wasting away and Rhys had done nothing to stop it, Cassian or Azriel would have pulled me out. They would have taken me somewhere —wherever I needed to be —and dealt with Rhys later.

Funny you say that feyre because those same friends were willing to watch you go through the pregnancy completely oblivious to the fact that you’re gonna die because rhys told them to keep it from you.Despite feyre being their high lady and family,they chose to listen to rhys because they’re rhys’s friends above all🤷.

Lucien gets so much shit for being “tamlins loyal dog” as if the IC aren’t just as loyal to rhys if not more but it’s ok with them because they’re family. The double standards and hypocrisy from feyre is lowkey insane. ACOTAR feyre would have never let this shit slide 🗣️!!

[suzukiblu]

Some assorted Smallville headcanons from some of my assorted WIPs for Plot Bunny. They did not specify which WIP they preferred, so I just picked a bunch of different ones and went from there! 

Smallville does not approve of Clark Kent’s parenting style: Smallville is a tight-knit, proud little community where everyone looks out for each other that is full of people who want to continue living in a tight-knit, proud little community where everyone looks out for each other. The population at large still considers Clark one of their temporarily-displaced own and were therefore very willing to pretend to believe the “cousin” story when “Conner” showed up–right up until they found out it was NOT a story meant to help Clark’s displaced kid he’d just found out about settle into the Kent family in a low-pressure environment while he got over whatever obvious trauma had happened to him. Now? Now there are pitchforks being sharpened and torches being lit. CLARK JOSEPH KENT, YOUR HOMETOWN IS NOT MAD, JUST DISAPPOINTED. 

Kara gets to Earth on time and the Kents get a two-for-one special on free kids: Smallville is pretty sure Jonathan and Martha did NOT get this emotionally-fraught teen mom and her weird but adorable little baby from any actual adoption agency, Norwegian or not, but what’s a little illegal immigration and identity fraud between neighbors? None of THEIR business, no sir. Especially not if any strangers ever show up in town asking QUESTIONS. 

Jon and Martha, professional soulparents: Oh Jon and Martha absolutely will be clearing out the attic to make Conner a bedroom the absolute SECOND they get back to Smallville. And also being heartbroken about Clark, obviously. Everyone in Smallville is going to cry on them when they hear about Conner and be both very sad and very happy for them. And then they’re all gonna be Weird About Conner, who isn’t gonna know how to talk to ANY of them. He’s gonna get his cheek pinched by so, so many old ladies and SO many manly back-claps and it’s gonna be a pain controlling his TTK enough to actually let people do it. Meanwhile, everyone in Smallville, internally: oh he’s exactly as weird as Clark was when he first showed up, noted. Jfc, Jon and Martha, AGAIN?? WHERE DO YOU EVEN FIND THESE KIDS. 

Kon is too trans for this pregnancy shit: No one in Smallville knew a thing about Kon’s physical sex, so they’re all gonna be VERY surprised very soon, but also Smallville in general is gonna take that whole reveal like CHAMPS and just roll with it, even if it might require some people having some Talks With Their Kids And/Or Slightly Bigoted Relatives. Like, there will be a few assholes and a few over-inquisitive weirdos around, because nowhere is a monolith, but overall Smallville is gonna roll with it and be chill about it while ALSO being incredibly out of touch with the up-to-date terminology/language and having very little grasp of the minutiae of queerness in general ( aside from a couple of very quiet people who are gonna feel a WAY about finding out that Conner Kent is trans and went completely unclocked all this time, and seeing how most of the town’s taking finding out really well, and does that maybe mean . . . ). 

the one where Kon isn’t the father: Smallville has politely not asked any questions about Tim aside from if he wanted a baby shower or not, but also ALL of Smallville knows Tim was Conner’s “boyfriend” and Kyra is “his” daughter. That’s just gossip-by-osmosis that all of Smallville knows. A lot of casseroles and crocheted things and quilts have happened to the Kent household since Tim showed up pregnant and traumatized. And baby stuff donations. And babysitting offers. And general helpfulness in general. People weren’t necessarily close to Kon, but a lot of people felt very bad about what HAPPENED to Kon, especially after finding out about Kyra. Not that any of them actually KNOW what actually happened to Kon or the truth about Kyra, but that’s a clone of a different gene donor, okay?? OKAY.

[merakiui]

*DIGS YOU OUT FROM THE MUD* MOOOOOAR!!!! HDJSJSK once azul find out the secret behind his fave milk, floyd takes him out back and forces him to breed u to keep quiet and jade omg jad has the biggest balls and loves to put them on ur face aaaaaaa

AAAAAAAA YES YES YES OTL THANK YOU FOR DIGGING ME OUT.......... allow me to describe The Vision because I had more thoughts while I was trapped under the mud.

(cw: nsfw, female hucow reader, breeding, pregnancy, bull hybrid jade, lactation, there's really no plot here; just pure horny >_< )

✧ floyd has the biggest crush on you and it's so obvious, but he's not allowed to touch you because boring farm regulations and blah blah blah. >:( it wouldn't be good if another male's scent was on you when they're trying to pair you and jade together, and floyd thinks that's a stupid rule because you're his girl!!! he definitely doesn't follow it. maybe he promises to be good and pull out each time, maybe give you a bath to wash his scent off, just to keep things safe. he's so stupidly in love with you and it shows. orz his favorite thing to do is milk you because you make the cutest little sounds. he's painfully hard the entire time and he can't stop looking at your heavy tits, admiring the feel of them in his hands, or the way you tremble, your body alight with arousal. he's down so bad. he has to cap all of the bottles and stock them in the fridge first before he's going off to deal with his erection. T_T

✧ and jade......... he's a sly bastard. he knows floyd's in love with you (anyone could tell) and he takes every possible opportunity to stir up drama just for the fun of it. floyd threatens to send him off to the slaughterhouse if he keeps acting like an ass, but that's jade's specialty. <3 he just loves pressing you against the fence and rutting into you from behind, loves to drink straight from your tits, loves to fuck you in broad daylight so that everyone on the farm knows you're getting your guts rearranged by him. and floyd hates it! it's just not fair. why did they have to bring jade in? can't they just leave the breeding up to floyd? he'd gladly knock you up. but you and jade are so compatible and jade's so possessive of you, and the last time floyd tried to enter your pen he was swiftly kicked in the stomach. ;;;;;

✧ and azul!!!! he loves, loves, loves the milk from this farm. it's just so delicious; it's made the dishes at his restaurant taste even better than before. since he's an ambitious man, he originally visits the farm with the intention of purchasing whichever dairy cow is responsible for producing such high-quality milk just so he can get it straight from the source without having to go through the hoops of shipping and whatnot. but floyd's so evasive with answering his questions and as azul's leaving in a huff he passes the barn and spies you inside and...... now he needs you!!! he'll pay any price; he's desperate. floyd's dying inside because no one's supposed to know about you, but this loud-mouthed businessman knows and..... he allows azul to milk you so he can take a few bottles home for himself in exchange for his silence, and azul is so good at rizzing you that he ends up fucking you. and jade lets it happen because it's another fun way to watch floyd shrivel up and die. T_T he's so mean,,,,,

✧ and when you're pregnant, your milk production seems to double and you have to be milked multiple times a day because your tits get so heavy and full. floyd's living the dream, even more so when you weep and beg him to just fuck you already because you're soooo sensitive and soooo horny and you desperately need to be filled with cock; and jade's busy napping, so he can't do it. floyd gladly takes his place and he's the happiest in the world because after so long he finally gets to fuck you. he cums so much, all of it stuffed inside, and he cradles your belly so sweetly and tenderly.

✧ the alternative to this idea is that azul kidnaps you from the farm and keeps you captive in his home so that he can always have your milk for himself. not only for personal enjoyment but for the mostro lounge as well, and you hate him so much because he took you away from your home and friends and he keeps you shackled and collared with a little bell so you won't run away or escape. you've spent so long with him and you're months into your first pregnancy with him and he's been nothing but sweet and soft and he fucks you so good; and he's always so eager to milk you and he praises you constantly. stockholm syndrome kicks in and suddenly he's not so bad. suddenly you don't hate him anymore. suddenly you're riding him into the sheets with reckless abandon and coming apart on his cock because it feels so good and you love him so much and this is where you've always wanted to be. this is your home.

[poppiesforthirteen]

i don't get people who don't like looms because "when two time lords love each other very much they send a formal application to the council to use a machine that is in their house" is so much funnier than a nuclear family

[auspicioustidings]

Just saw that gut wrenching post about Johnny being alive and can you imagine the absolute heart wrenching pain of his kid, his baby, having a British accent. Like instead of it being 3 years it’s like 8 years later and Johnny’s coming home after he can’t take it anymore. Living off of well-meaning pictures just isn’t doing it anymore.

Only to come home and his kid look at him like he’s a stranger, that the house that Johnny bought isn’t his. Only for this eight year old kid to speak to him and it just crushes Soap even more. Like Ghost unknowingly and unintentionally influenced the kid so much that even though the kids a full-blooded Scot they talk like as if their from Manchester.

“Hey, Dad,” Soaps eyes perk up but it’s not directed to him as he looks down at the kid that looks so much like him. Calling for a man that should’ve never held the father position. The position that Johnny always wanted. “There’s a man that says he knows mum.” The kid looking back at Soap inquisitively the same way Ghost does when he’s calculating something and low and behold Ghost himself reaches the door.

“Told ya not to answe—“ a maskless Ghost that’s domestic in a home that shouldn’t have been his, Simon Riley in the flesh stutters over his words. “Johnny?” Brown eyes wide as he can’t believe that the man he loves is standing right in front of him. A ghost from the graveyard that’s come back.

“Dad you know’em?” A small British accent that mimics more Simon than anyone else. Same baby blue eyes that match his real dads eyes, the same man that stands on the porch, waiting at the door of his own house like a stranger.

“Yeah, I,” for once Simon feels small. Feels the shock like ice cold water being splashed on bare skin. “We… We know him.”

You absolute maniac this is scrum diddly umptious are you kidding meeeeee

But wait I can and will make it worse! Johnny is obviously betrayed and loud about it. Simon is betrayed that everybody knew but him. Gaz and Price are betrayed that they were ordered to keep this fucking secret.

But the worst part is when Simon says that you two didn't mean to fall in love. Johnny is angry, his response is "in love? In LOVE? Did ye tell her about Las Almas before she decided on that?"

And now you get to be the most horribly betrayed of all when it comes out that the husband you mourned had cheated on you with the husband who mourned him with you.

Full fucking melodrama when nobody is talking to one another and you are sobbing over a positive pregnancy test :')

[peaches2217]

Peach is asleep in her favorite chaise. A book laying open in the floor, its pages splayed over the tiles, hints at an earlier attempt to keep herself awake with some light reading, but now she's curled up on soft pink cushions without a care in the world. Her crown is at the foot of the chaise alongside her bright red pumps; stockinged feet poke out from beneath her petticoats, her toes periodically wiggling in her sleep; one arm supports her head against the arm of the chaise, and the other is draped over her midsection.

A spring breeze blows in through an open window, tousling her hair. Her nose twitches at the ticklish strands that splay across her face, and then she draws her knees closer with a contented sigh, the arm around her midriff curling in tighter.

Mario has never understood the phenomenon of cuteness aggression so well as he does now. He wants to fell an oak with his bare hands, repeatedly slam his full weight into the nearest immovable obstacle, maybe punch a god in the face, all so she can continue to rest undisturbed in peaceful stillness.

Of course, none of that aggression actually manifests as he approaches her. He actually feels quite weak the closer he gets. She’s understandably expressed frustration at her recent sleepy spells  — nurturing life or not, she’s still a monarch, she can’t just nap whenever it suits her — so to see her so serene, the smallest of smiles gracing her plush lips, makes Mario want to melt into a big, goopy puddle. She deserves this. She deserves this and so much more.

He kneels beside her and kisses her forehead softly. The thought of waking her would be unbearable if not for the promise of pampering her and making her far more comfortable. Call it a necessary evil.

“Hey.” He brushes golden flyaways from her face, tucking them behind her ear. “Hey, you’re gonna be all sore in the morning if you sleep here, yeah? Wakey-wakey, Princess.”

His Princess, the benevolent and regal Mushroom Queen, furrows her brows and grumbles her disapproval. Though she leans into his touch on instinct, the rest of her body withdraws in protest. The arm supporting her head joins her opposite arm as she readjusts, and then her cheek is smushed against the chaise, one hand absently rubbing her stomach as she cradles it in her forearms.

Mario, not normally one for tears, has never felt the urge to fall to his knees and weep so strongly in all his life. The fact that he’s already on his knees is his one saving grace. How can any one person be so perfect?

“Peachyyyyy,” he sing-songs, already slipping his arms beneath her knees and back.

“Mmmryuuoooh,” she groans in response.

In one smooth movement, he hoists her from the chaise and stands to his feet, leaning back a bit so she can remain comfortably reclined against him. Her arms wrap easily around his neck as he carries her to their room, her cheek against his, and he can’t resist planting a few kisses to that cheek between the chaise and the bed. She giggles beneath his affections and mutters something about his mustache, and though Mario utters an apology in turn, he can’t really say he’s sorry in the slightest.

She doesn’t let go when he tries to lay her on the bedcovers. Instead, she hangs on tighter, and though he could still break away easily, Mario won’t even entertain the thought. He instead coaxes her into sitting on the mattress while still leaning against him, and he blindly works the buttons of her dress; only when the last button pops open at his fingertips does Peach relax her hold, allowing him to pull the puffy pink garment from her body and discard it thoughtlessly on the floor.

He repeats the process with her petticoats, then her brassiere, and only then does she lay back against the sheets. Thoroughly spent in spite of her lack of effort, she pushes her cheek into her pillow with a quiet sigh. It takes every ounce of self-restraint Mario possesses to keep from leaning over her immediately and peppering her tired face in kisses.

“Don’t move,” he says instead, tapping the tip of her nose. Another smile plays on her lips as she hums in acknowledgement.

Within a few more minutes, he helps her into a silky nightgown and lays her back down, where she lifts her arms so he can tuck the blankets over her relaxed form. One hand, predictably, comes to rest on her stomach, and the other, almost as predictably, finds one of his hands.

Lacing their fingers together, Mario takes a moment to glance down at where her opposite palm lies. The swell in her abdomen is only noticeable when her spine is straight and her clothes are form-fitting or gone entirely, and even then, it’s not readily identifiable for what it is. Yet ever since discovering it in the bathroom mirror last week, her hands scarcely leave that swell when she’s alone or when it’s just the two of them. He’s even caught her clasping her hands lower than usual while within the public eye, hovering as close as possible without giving away the as-of-now secret that she’s carrying their child.

She’s carrying their child. Wow. Why does the notion still feel so surreal? He’s known this for nearly a month now, yet still his thoughts are consumed with her alone. It’s bound to sink in eventually, right?

“Need anything?” he asks. “Water? Heating pad? A massage?”

Peach doesn’t answer. The slow rise and fall of her chest informs Mario that she’s already dozed off again.

Still, he can’t bring himself to move just yet. He rubs circles into her hand with his thumb, staring for a while at her peaceful, rosy complexion. What more can he do? He wants to draw a piping hot bubble bath for her and brush her hair while she soaks, he wants to carry her in his arms so she needn’t waste energy on walking, he wants to bear the world and all its hardships on his shoulders so she can remain as she is now, healthy and happy and resting blissfully.

After all, growing a tiny human is a tough job. She’s got her work cut out for her. And already she’s falling so easily into the role of a mother, loving and devoted…

Gingerly, he leans over to kiss the space between her eyebrows, resting his palm atop the hand on her belly. “I love you,” he whispers against her skin, and he realizes, maybe for the first time, that he’s not just saying it to her alone.

He’s not sure what to make of the feeling that rises within him — it feels vaguely similar to what he calls cuteness aggression, that mixed desire to melt into a puddle of fondness and good feelings while taking on an army with nothing more than his fists. Maybe it’s love, he thinks as he withdraws, his hands lingering a moment longer. A love that’s neither platonic nor romantic nor fraternal. A love unlike any he’s experienced yet.

Maybe this is the fabled love of a father.

That thought echoes through his mind long after he turns from them, and as he hurries to change clothes so he can join them in bed, he finds that suddenly he can’t stop smiling.

[lainalit]

Acotar is essential fae twilight

Both main couples are the blandest of bland chicken

But the big difference between them is that in Twilight's found family, the Cullens are atleast interesting as characters, meanwhile the inner circle out here being just a different taste of blandess to feysand 

[moregraceful]

list of things i have seen on my roadtrip so far:

snow

3 rainbows

red sun rising

red sun setting

$2.95/gal gas

the depot where they make the electric caltrain trains

I helped an old man jumpstart his car and after we got it sorted (in the pouring rain, after 30 minutes, bc neither of us had used a hybrid engine to jumpstart a car), he said I wish I had cash to give you, my guardian angel was watching out for me, she blessed me with you. I was like ok well you're welcome, it's no problem 😅 and he said would you like to see my guardian angel? and I was like, um? and he pulled out the FATTEST, SLEEPIEST CHIHUAHUA FROM HIS TRUCK and said, here she is...my guardian angel :)

a saskatchewan license plate in nevada

[sidsinning]

Might be just me but the moment pregnancy becomes a main part of the plot in female historical isekai/villainess webtoons the urge to read every new chapter dwindles significantly

That one where the fl is a captain and runs away bc shes having a baby and thinks the ml would disapprove is ok tho since its unique and spelled out as THE plot from the beginning

Ok I use unique very lightly but this one was cute I swear

[avantgardetheseventh]

I don't really intend on getting into Bridgerton but having watched the first season, I can safely say Marina Thompson deserves so much better.

Like she was easily one of the most interesting characters. When she talks about how she didn't have any guidance, nobody to show her the way, I literally wanted to cry. She had to make a whole new living for herself under the Featheringtons, everyone treated as if she didn't belong there, she had to treat her pregnancy all on her own.

I would have absolutely loved to see her actually get a decent conclusion instead of having her solemnly part ways. I also loved her friendship with Penelope initially and well..

[heyheydidjaknow]

I haven’t played this stupid game in 6 months. This is a sequel to Prospects, this time featuring Bailey.

Agreement

The envelope shook in your hand. “This should suffice.”

Bailey took it from you, not bothering to meet your eyes as she slit the top and took the slip inside. Whitney, dressed for the ride ahead— or fight; whatever came first— in his sweats and t-shirt, stood with his back to the door. Despite your assurance, he had insisted on sitting in on this final transaction as if the mountain of cash you had worked yourself ragged to obtain would not be enough to settle the score, as if your being there were not dependent solely on your value as a worker, as if Bailey— who now looked up at you over the check between her fingers and her half-rimmed glasses— would care beyond that if you were gone.

The ground swayed beneath your feet.

Bailey leaned back in her chair, gesturing to Whitney with the check. “This was your idea?”

You could not bring yourself to look back at him, but you could imagine his expression. It was the same as when you had when you had met Briar and Avery a few days before; cool, unflinching, as though you were an item at a pawn shop he was trying to get a good price on. You supposed you were, in a sense. “Yes.”

Bailey nodded slowly, taking in your figure, your stance. You squirmed under her gaze. “And the child’s yours, I take it?”

“Yes.”

She considered as much. “You know,” she mused, “your… what would the word be? Fucktoy?”

He scoffed. “For our purposes, property.”

“Oh, hardly.” She leaned her elbows on the desk, fingers lacing together under her chin. “Not officially at least, not until our terms are settled.”

“What terms are there to settle?” You picked at your cuticles, heart pounding in your throat. “Is that not how much—“

“That’s how much my best earner was worth before.” Her smile was sweet like cough syrup, sharp like whiskey. “I’m a businesswoman you understand; it would hardly make much sense for me to part with my greatest revenue stream for its raw material costs.”

You looked back at Whitney. He kept his eyes trained on the woman in front of you. “And how much would it take for you to part ways with your charge?”

She sighed in mock contemplation. “Oh, I don’t know.” She sucked her teeth. “Another fifty percent ought to do it.”

The words echoed in your ears. You swallowed back panic as you went back to staring at the floor.

“Fifty?” His sneer was audible. “The fuck you take me for?”

“Someone desperate.” She gestured to you. “Someone willing to take when they can get and leave.”

“A bitch, you mean.”

“So long as we’re being frank.”

“You—“

“Do you know how much that child is worth?” You shut your eyes as you felt her own take you in. “Do you know what sort of market you could appeal to with a matching set?”

You heard a rustling of cloth behind you. Whitney’s voice was as cheerful and bright as you had ever heard it. “So long as we’re considering the lives of people that matter,” he smiled, “I’m curious; how much is your life worth?”

There was a pause, a laugh from Bailey. “That bitch,” she sighed. “First that file—“

“This actually isn’t Laundry’s, surprisingly enough.” You heard the clinking of metal parts as he gestured to you. “Friend of a friend who lives in the country; I promised him the deed to this shithole if your position found itself empty.”

Despite yourself, you turned to face him. He held the pistol in his hand with the confidence of a man unfazed by its weight. In the back of your mind, you wondered if he would be tried if he went through with it, whether the cops would come or care or whether they would write it off as the result of one of Bailey’s “ungrateful brats”. You could not for the life of you decide which would be preferable.

“So,” he continued, finger twitching, eyes shining, “I think it best if we tried renegotiating terms.” He gestured to you. “Either you take the money and I take your cash cow off your hands—“ He steadied his aim, “— or I redecorate your office with your insides and you get to find out whether the contents of that envelope are worth shit in hell.”

You cast your gaze back towards her. Bailey looked between the two of you, lips pursed. “You’re more desperate than I thought.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and reached into her shirt pocket. “Let me give you some advice, kid.”

You shut your eyes again at the click of the safety. “Hands where I can see ‘em.”

She pulled out a carton of cigarettes, tapping one out and sticking it between her lips. “He isn’t a better person than I am, you know.” She took a lighter off her desk. “He’s not going to take better care of you than I am, isn’t going to wish you off to some fairy tale land where you’ll never know hardship; if anything, he’s going to fuck you over harder than I do.” She lit it, took a drag, smiled, exhaled.

“You fucking—“

“And you.” She pointed the cigarette at him. “Whitney, yeah? You think your life’s going to get better by being a father?” She leaned her head on her free hand. “I’ve been stuck with this job for thirty years now; the only thing that thing—“ she waved the cigarette in your belly’s general direction, “— is good for is an accessory to the walking ATM it’s stuck in.”

You could hear his voice shake; with what, you could not tell. “So help me God if you say one more thing about my fucking kid—“

“Let me say my piece.” She stood up, taking another drag and blowing it in your face. “If I were you,” she sighed, “I’d see if Harper couldn’t make an exception to get that thing out of you while it’s not breathing. Short of that, I’d ship it here.” She leaned forward, resting her hand on the surface of her desk. “But if I ever find your brat at my doorstep,” she promised, voice lowering, “if I ever see you or that thing here again, I’ll make your time here look like a stay at the Ritz-fucking-Carlton.” She stuck the cigarette back between her teeth, tilting your head up to look her in the eye. The resemblance between her and Whitney was apparent; you wondered if that was just what the eyes of monsters looked like. “I will make your child pay for however much you would have made me twofold, and I will sell their body— whole or piecemeal— to any dumb fuck who asks for what I’m sure will be a pretty young thing like them. Do you understand me?”

You could not breathe.

Her grip on your jaw tightened. “Are you deaf?” She brought you closer, and you whimpered at the sensation. “I asked you a question. Do you understand me or don’t you?”

You shut your eyes as her nails dug into your skin. You dug your own into your palm as you forced yourself to nod.

She kept you there a moment— for what, you did not know— before pressing a kiss to your forehead. Your eyes shot open, and you swallowed back tears— of relief, of sadness, of panic— as she released you, collapsing to your knees and gasping for air. “Good.” She took the check, slipping it into her pocket before sitting back down. “Leave before I change my mind.”

You pulled yourself to your feet, practically tripping over yourself to cling to Whitney. He glanced down at you, letting you bury your face into his shoulder as he took one last look at your former guardian. Wordlessly, he pulled the two of you out into the hallway, past the children gathered by the door, past the garden and Robin and the stairs and the threshold and finally, with a smile of untempered relief and satisfaction, across the street, into the truck parked there, and away from that miserable town, and as you watched the buildings you had come to know as parts of your home flew past, as you watched people you recognized from school rush into the forest and students— like you, you registered vaguely, desperate for money, for purpose, for anything— lean against street corners, you wondered if this would be any better, if this was more desirable, if this was emancipation or a different, crueler kind of ownership.

You mumbled a goodbye to the bus stop as it passed. Only then did the tears really start.