#and I almost accepted some cigarettes from a coworker I am not having a good time

[gottarunfromthelaw]

On the one hand I have alot of self restraint when it comes to me doing things that I know will eventually hurt me but also I really want to do the things that will hurt me.

[cafedanslanuit]

[ k i n k t o b e r ]  d a y   15    -   masterlist

↪ character: aizawa shouta [boku no hero academia]

↪ tags/warnings: +18, female!reader, punk/rock singer!reader, face-fucking, references to brat taming, light!brat reader, semi-public sex

↪ a/n: ahhhhh, i had this idea for so so long. punk/rock singer and aizawa have been living rent free in my mind for some weeks now <3

↪ featured playlist:

— bad reputation - joan jett

— paradise city - guns n’ roses

— hot for teacher - van halen

You took a second look at your broken fishnet, your fingers tracing the fabric. Memories on how it broke filled your mind making you smirk to yourself. You smoothed your faux leather skirt and stood up from your crouching position, looking at the other people on the stage.

“We’re good to go?”

The rest of the band nodded and you smiled. Passing a hand through your hair, you tapped the microphone twice and greeted the audience. They weren’t as enthusiastic or wild as the one you were used to, but after a long argument with your band you had agreed to accept performing in a higher-class bar. ‘It’s good money’, they had said. And they weren’t wrong, it definitely was better money than your regular shows at an underground bar gave you, but you felt like a caged bird. People with fancy shoes holding expensive drinks were looking at you like some sort of exhibition. And it kind of was. It was 80’s night for a reason.

The guitarist started the known riff and you did your best to put on a good show.

“And I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation…”

It was almost unnerving how people were still sitting down, shoulders slightly moving as they listened to you sing. You tried not to roll your eyes at them. Just one hour, you told yourself. One hour and you’re out of here.

You were in the middle of your fifth song and third beer when you started having fun. Your leather jacket was left behind on the floor and you were play-flirting along with the bassist, putting one hand on his shoulder as you sang to him.

“Take me down to the paradise city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty,” you sang along with your longtime friend. You laughed at your antics and then went back to the center of the stage. For once, you didn’t care the audience was still sitting down. Fuck them. You were having fun enough for all of them and were going to take their money at the end of the night.

Suddenly, most people started looking at the club entrance. Imitating them, your eyes darted there as well, and saw a group of men and women making their way to a big table. You recognized most of them as they were pro-heroes, but wondered what they were doing there. A black haired woman put a birthday party on her head and you assumed it was her birthday. Your eyes kept focusing on every hero in the group until they stopped at a familiar face. A familiar, tired face, whose eyes were widened like a deer caught in the headlights. You winked at him and then looked away.

The song continued as you interacted with the band, rattling your hair as you did so, and twirling just enough for your skirt to rile up but don’t reveal anything. You never expected to see Aizawa again in a place like this, and definitely not tonight. You looked over at his table again and saw him back to his normal state, unamused eyes and just watching all his coworkers interact. He probably didn’t want to be there, and a part of you wanted to keep messing with that.

Before they could change to the next song, you asked the band for a particular one. They went with it, the drum solo filling the club as you propped up your right leg on one of the speakers, platform boots showing off. The guitar followed on the solo and you looked again at Aizawa, who now had an irritated look on his face directed at you. His friends were looking at the stage with a smile, ignoring his friend’s stare. You just smiled back.

“Wait-- wait a second man, what do you think the teacher’s gonna look like this year?” you asked your bassist.

You couldn’t suppress the cheeky grin on your face as you sang. You tried your best not to look too much at that particular table, instead you moved around the stage, probably doing one of your best interpretations of the song. You grabbed the unused microphone stand and used it as support as you crouched down singing the chorus.

“Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, I'm hot for teacher. I've got it bad, so bad, I'm hot for teacher.”

For the second time during the song you looked at Aizawa again and almost felt yourself getting wet from the look he was giving you. It was a mix of incredulity, anger and dominance that riled you up even more to keep on teasing him.

Faster than you had wanted to, the song came to an end, leaving you more hot and bothered than you had wanted to. The band kept on playing the rest of the songs planned for the night and you didn’t look at the table again, just focusing on finishing the set as fast as you could.

Your plans of going to the underground bar with the rest of the band went away when they decided to stay there to share a drink for a while. You stuck your tongue out at them and said your goodbyes.

The city streets were empty, but you paid no attention to that. You walked to the alley behind the club and lit up a cigarette. You watched the smoke slowly come out of your lips, dissipating on the cold air around you.

“That thing will kill you,” you heard a voice warning you. You didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

“I’ve put way worse inside my mouth,” you teased him, taking another drag. “Didn’t think of you as a fancy bar kind of dude.”

“I’m not,” he just replied, walking over and stopping in front of you.

“I’m guessing you’re here because you liked the show?” you said, a sly grin appearing on your face.You opened your mouth to say another joke, but Aiazawa grabbed the back of your hair and pulled it harshly towards him.

“You’re a fucking brat, you know that?” he growled against your face. You bit your lower lip and tried to take another drag of your cigarette, only for him to slap it away with his free hands. “You think you’re so fucking funny with your song,” he said, your eyes setting of his again. The hunger you had seen while you were singing on the stage were back there.

“But I am hot for teacher,” you whispered against his lips with an innocent voice.

That was enough for Aizawa to push you down, making you fall on your knees. He unzipped his pants in front of your face and you couldn’t help but lick your lips in anticipation. For the past couple of months, riling him up so he showed his more dominant side with you. Without the need to be ordered to, you opened your mouth and he quickly killed it with his cock, already half hard from your previous exchange.

Never letting go of your hair, he let you bob your head up and down his length, your hands roaming up his thighs as you did so.

“So many hours spent taming you and you still don’t know your place,” he grunted, tugging your hair, eliciting a moan for you. “Maybe it’s because you’re enjoying this too much. But you couldn’t take any more, could you?” he asked, pushing himself just the tiniest bit down your throat. You took him with a groan and nodded at his words, the implication of his words marking your thighs press against each other. Aizawa smirked at your affirmative answer.

Suddenly, you felt him tug even harder at your hair, pulling you closer to him. Your throat made way for his cock, your nose almost grazing his crotch. He started thrusting inside your mouth at a rapid pace, deep grunts coming out of his mouth. Your hands immediately went to hold onto his pants, trying to ground yourself as he fucked your mouth.

“How am I going to fucking tame you if you’re enjoying this?” he spat, looking down at you. Your eyes quickly filled with tears from the abuse to your throat, but at the same time you couldn’t help the moans from coming out. Having him use you like that on an empty alley seemed like something taken out of your fantasies, as you’ve always used the back room or the men’s bathroom of the underground bar you had met. You could see his teeth as grinding as his hips kept moving.

Drool started dripping from your mouth and falling on your thighs only covered by the fishnet he had broken the last time he had taken you in a bathroom stall after a show. The memory of his pressing your head against the door of the stall as he fucked you from the back plus the view of the hot, disheveled teacher as he lost himself inside your mouth made you moan needily.

The vibrations of your voice made him groan and he quickened the pace. Soon enough he was releasing inside your mouth, the hold he had on your hair tightening even more. Aizawa pulled himself off your mouth and a bit of his cum fell on your tank top as you panted to get some air. He held your cheek in his hand, and you looked at him with a soft smile as he cleaned the corners of your mouth with his thumb. You knew your makeup was probably a bit smudgy and your lipstick was surely gone, but he still smiled back, even if it was just a small twitch of his lip. 

Aizawa helped you stand up and watched you as you fixed your hair and checked your clothes, trying to clean off the stain on your tank top.

“I have to go inside now,” he said, his face back to his normal, apathetic self. You nodded, and fixed your jacket once more before leaning forward and placing a small kiss on his face.

“You know where to find me, teacher,” you winked at him, before turning on your heel and walking away.

[mirakumiruku]

Night Life

bout time i posted something. hopefully it’s worth the wait! maybe i’ll make sequels with other babes if the interest is good...

Dabi/Touya x Reader Contains: Quirkless AU, Stripper!Dabi, drinking, multiple orgasms, unsafe sex WC: 4.7k Taglist: @nereida19​

The red light district was intimidating to say the least. The first time you dared to venture into the streets brimming with debauchery, you were overwhelmed by the flashing neon lights, the bass-blasted music, the stench of alcohol lingering on people’s breath and cheap perfume wafting from the clubs. 

You only made your journey to this den of earthly desires for one reason, a dancer you had heard your coworkers whispering about when they thought no one was listening. An intimidating man covered in piercings and haphazardly stitched leather, he always had the entire crowd hanging off his every move.

Needless to say, you were intrigued. 

You picked up on the name of the club, Smokescreen. It didn’t take too much digging to find the address and hours of operation, it was deep in the city and while it was open for drinks starting at 9pm, the shows didn’t start until midnight.

You didn’t know when the dancer was going to go on, so you figured you may as well turn up for the first show and wait until you saw the man your coworkers had chatted about.

The lineup was interesting to say the least, but you could tell that each dancer had their fans, based on the walk they would do around the edge of the stage by the end of each of their sets, picking up the various bills for 100, 500, 1,000 yen. An energetic man with a mop of electric purple hair; a duo of a shy, muscular blond and a bubbly young woman with her hair in twin buns; a man that had come out in a mask that had tossed his top hat into the crowd at the start of his routine. Each would step onto the stage, put on an impressive show for their fans, then head backstage to get redressed before making their way out to the bar where there was a handful of people offering to buy them drinks.

It was getting late and you were starting to feel your drinks before a bass-heavy song with low electric guitar blared out of the speakers, and the lights dimmed. Figuring this seemed interesting, you picked up your drink and made your way to the proper stage area, where a crowd was gathering once more, far larger than those for the other performers.

The man that stepped out was tall, even without the high-heeled leather boots whose tops disappeared under the hem of his long leather trench coat.

The DJ announced the dancer’s name– Dabi –as he approached the pole at the center of the stage. His walk was leisurely, almost lazy, and a blue spotlight followed him down his path.

A hush fell over the crowd when he stopped, his hands coming to rest at the collar of his coat, only to cause an uproar when he ripped the coat off and tossed it behind him. Now you could see his deep crimson tank top, his skin-tight leather pants, his boots that only ended halfway up his thigh. He stood for a moment, basking in the squeals and bills that were already being tossed his way, before he finally got to work.

You almost couldn’t hear the cheering crowd around you, nor the blaring music as you watched the way he interacted with the cold metal, the way his hands gripped the chrome until his knuckles turned white, or how he held onto it with his muscular thighs as he flipped upside down. You swore that when he stuck his tongue out between his spread fingers, showing off his tongue piercing that glinted in the spotlight, his dazzling turquoise eyes met yours.

Though, you were sure that everyone else in the crowd was sure of the same thing. 

Halfway through the routine he ripped off his top, tossing it into the crowd where it somehow landed in your hands. Some of the people around you clamored for it, but you held tightly to the dark red fabric without taking your eyes off Dabi. He was practically sparkling, from a combination of the various piercings that littered his body and the sheen of sweat that was visible on his skin. 

The show was over far sooner than you would like, and Dabi ended his routine balancing himself in an upside down split, his chest notably heaving as the sweat dripped down his forehead. You pushed your way to the front to wave a 2,000 yen bill as Dabi made his way around the edge of the stage. He gladly took it, giving you a wink as he stuffed the bill in the waist of his pants. You thought you saw his eyes glint as they darted over the torn fabric in your hand, but it must have just been a trick of the light. 

You found yourself back at the bar in a haze while Dabi collected his coat, making room for another blond decked in yellow and red. You ordered yourself another drink, gladly accepting it when the bartender slid it across the counter. You really didn’t realize how warm it had gotten in there. 

Just as you pulled out some cash to pay for the drink, you felt a nudge against your shoulder and a deep voice came from behind you. “It’s on me, Kurogiri.” Your jaw fell open as a familiar leather jacket slid in next to you, elbows coming to rest on the counter. “Gotta give our new customers a warm welcome, yeah?” The man behind the counter, Kurogiri, gave a silent nod before going off to fill some other orders.

“I-I’d think that I should be buying you a drink…” You said with a nervous chuckle, swirling the liquid in your glass before taking a sip.

“Nah, you’re way prettier than I am. Besides,” Dabi gave a nod to Kurogiri as the barkeep slid a glass towards him, “I get plenty of free drinks, sweetheart. I don’t need another.”

You gave a nod, taking another swig of your own drink, your eyes not leaving Dabi as he downed half the glass in one go.

“So what brings ya here? I think I’d recognize such a cute face if you’d been here before.” Dabi shot a playful wink in your direction, and you were thankful that the dim lights hid your blush. 

“Some… friends were talking about this place.” You took another sip, “About you, specifically.”

“Oh yeah? What’d they say?”

“Um…” You ran your finger around the rim of your glass, “Th-that you were hot, and the best dancer they’d seen.”

“And? Do you agree with them?”

Your face heated up a little more, and you gave a slight nod. “Mhm.”

“Good.” Dabi finished off his drink, “I’m headin’ to the back rooms for a smoke, care to join me?”

Part of you couldn’t believe that he actually asked you that, you tried to reason with yourself that no, he was just trying to be polite. 

But while you were thinking, your body moved of its own volition to follow Dabi to a door labeled “employees only”, drawing envious looks from the others at the bar.

You blinked a few times to adjust to the bright fluorescent lighting of the back hall, a big contrast from the low lights in the bar. The hall had only a few doorways, one open and leading to the group dressing room, another leading to the stage, a third to the kitchen, and a fourth was a staircase up to the second floor.

Dabi led you up the stairs and down another hall, finally stopping to open a door and waving you into a small bedroom.

“I didn’t know clubs provided housing like this…” You mumbled, standing awkwardly beside the door as Dabi stepped inside, picking up a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the bedside table.

“They don’t usually. I’m just renting this one from the owner.” He opened a window before lighting the cigarette, taking a drag and letting the smoke slowly out of his nose. “I don’t think we got introduced properly. What’s your name?”

“(Y/N).” 

“Pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). I’m Touya.”

“I thought you were Dabi?”

“What kind of idiot would use his real name for stripping?” Touya snorted, taking another puff off his cigarette.

“Yeah, guess you have a point…” You chuckled and finished off your drink, then set the glass on the bedside table. 

Touya took a seat on his bed, and you sat across from him in a dining chair. The two of you let the silence hang in the air for a moment, before he broke the silence once more.

“So what were you lookin’ for down here, anyway? No one’s really ‘just curious’.”

“What do you mean?” You tried to avoid his piercing blue eyes and teasing smirk.

“I mean that everybody’s got some kinda motive. So what’s yours? For most people they just wanna put a wrench in their one-note life by throwing some paper at a half-naked dancer, but… I’m gonna assume that you aren’t so simple.”

“What do you mean…?” You gave Touya a curious look, your eyebrows knitting together and your lips drawing into a pout.

“I mean that if you were just trying to mix it up for a night, you probably would’ve said no to coming into my bedroom.” Smoke poured out from between Touya’s teeth as he gave you a grin, “But… I’m nothing if not a gentleman. So if you really don’t want anything else, I’m happy to take you back downstairs.”

Your face flushed bright red, but you shook your head from side to side. 

Touya nodded, tapping his cigarette on an ashtray, “Good, been a while since I had a good lay, especially with a cute thing like you.” He shot you a mischievous wink before nodding to a minifridge near you.

“I’ve got some beers in there, you can make yourself at home while I finish this cig off, yeah?”

You didn’t have to be told twice, so you leaned over and opened the fridge, pulling out the bottle nearest to the front, along with the opener that sat atop the fridge itself. Dabi grabbed one for himself, holding it in his free hand while the ashes crept down the white paper. You were grateful that he had opened the window, knowing that you probably would be coughing up a storm if he hadn’t. You normally didn’t think of cigarettes as being ‘sexy’, believing them to be more odorous and irritating at best, but something about the way Touya pursed his lips around it as he took a breath in, and his soft sigh as he released the smoke through his nose or slightly parted mouth had you reeling over the sight.

“You never answered my question.” He finally drawled as he put out the last remaining smolders of his cigarette on the beat up ashtray. 

“What was that again?” You hummed, taking a swig from the bottle in your hand.

“What’d you really come here for?”

“I was bored,” You mumbled, watching the brown liquid slosh in the bottle as you swirled it. “And lonely. Figured I could just pretend for the night.”

“Pretend what?”

‘That someone as hot as you might even look my way normally. If I wasn’t in part paying your bills.” You laughed, and the corner of Touya’s lip quirked up in response.

“I mean, you don’t have to pretend, sweetheart. There have been plenty that have thrown money my way and they’ve never managed to get under my skin, let alone between my sheets.”

Your cheeks flushed, and you quickly averted your eyes from the intense teal gaze. “So… what, then? Is it out of pity or something?”

“No, idiot.” He took a swig of his drink, “It’s because you’re fuckin’ sexy.” He smirked at you, his lids lowering, “Even if you are a little dense.” He barked out a laugh, setting his bottle aside as he fought to capture your suddenly bashful gaze. “What? You think I’m lying? If I wasn’t, why do you think I brought you up here?” He stood up and took a stride closer to you, then took a handful of your hair to force your line of sight onto him. “I could get any bitch I wanted, and I don’t particularly like wasting my time.” He leaned down, pressing a hungry kiss to your lips, and leaving a string of saliva between the two of you when he pulled away. “So why would I have bothered if you weren’t the hottest piece of ass in that bar?”

Your breath caught in your chest as you stared up at Touya, eyes blown wide and the taste of tobacco lingering on your lips. As much as you wanted to keep questioning why he’d go for someone as plain as you… it would be stupid to pass up an opportunity like this.

Questioning could wait for later.

Before you could even cement the idea in your head, you were already pulling Touya down by the collar into another fervent kiss, managing to take him by surprise.

He took it in stride, though. He straddled your hips, his leather-bound bulge pressing expertly against your own clothed sex, drawing a moan out of you. He started to move his hips in a fluid motion, and he moved to press your head into his chest. If this weren’t your first lap dance, it surely would’ve been the best. 

With your face buried in between his pecs, his scent was strong, even under the cigarette smell. You could still catch whiffs of cologne and the sweat he had built up on the stage, and you let your tongue emerge from between your lips to lave against the fabric.

“Naughty little thing, huh?” Touya hummed, giving your hair a gentle tug. “Haven’t even started yet and you’re already acting like a grade A slut~”

He pulled away far sooner than you would’ve liked, standing up to his full height and dragging you along by the collar of your shirt. He backed up towards the bed, taking a seat on it and pulling you into his lap. 

You were immediately on him once more, burying your face in his neck, leaving behind kisses and licks, desperately taking in his intoxicating scent.

“No marks, sweetheart. Can’t break the illusion, yeah?” Touya delivered a sharp smack to your ass, “I might have to punish you if you do.”

Part of you wanted to know what this punishment would be, wanted to leave his neck covered in bright purple bite marks that would be near impossible to cover with concealer. But… you could be patient for now, you could give into your desires and reap your punishment next time.

Well, assuming there is a next time. You’d have to see how tonight goes.

The two of you began shedding your clothes, they were only a wrapping for the real prize after all. You watched hungrily as Touya revealed his piercings and soft pale skin; shiny metal rings were pierced through each of his nipples, which earned you a gasp when you gave the pink flesh a gentle tug.

Touya retaliated with a tug on your own nipples once all the barriers were removed, and your legs quivered at his rumbling laugh.

You removed your pants and underwear first, gasping softly as the cold air hit your dripping sex, which Touya quickly warmed up by circling two of his fingers over your clit. 

Once he deemed you ready, he started to unbutton and unzip his pants. The leather didn’t leave much to the imagination, but you were still surprised and a little intimidated by his size, but the real star of the show was the row of shining silver piercings that ran up the underside of his cock in a Jacob’s ladder. Part of you wondered how that could possibly be comfortable against the pole, but you were mostly thinking about what they would feel like rubbing against your velvety walls. 

“What do you think, babydoll?” Touya hummed, his hand tangling in your hair as you sank to your knees in front of him, admiring the metal that sat snugly against his skin.

Instead of responding, you leaned forward and licked up the column of piercings, eliciting a low moan from the man above you.

“Ah, fuck…~” He groaned softly, tugging gently on your hair. You purred in response, sucking at the head of his cock and licking away the precum with the tip of your tongue. “You really are fuckin’ cute,” Touya mumbled, his voice low and gravely with arousal. “But you already know that, huh?”

You smirked up at him, wordlessly answering his question, before diving back in to shower his length in kisses and kitten licks. Touya took your ministrations with a surprisingly calm air, the only giveaways being the hitching in his breath, and the single bead of sweat that ran down the side of his face.

You started slowly kissing, licking, and nibbling up his body. Over the thin white happy trail and abs that looked carved marble, taking care to tease at his pierced nipples as you continue your journey up over his chest, to his neck, then finally pressing a heated kiss to his lips. 

He growled softly into the kiss, grabbing you by your thighs and pulling you into his lap. You ground your slit against him, gasping when the piercings caught on your clit, sending shocks of white-hot pleasure through your body. You lined yourself up, your dripping cunt grazing over the flushed pink head, only to find yourself being flipped over onto the sheets.

“Patience, sweetheart.” Touya hummed, positioning himself between your thighs and pinning you to the mattress with his hands on your hips. “I dunno who you’ve been with, and I don’t really care, cus I’m gonna make sure I’m the best lay you’ve ever had.” He smirked, one hand ghosting over your skin to trace his fingers over your opening. “First you’re gonna cum on my fingers, then on my tongue, and only then will you get to cum on my cock.” He licked his lips, grinning when he heard the sound of your walls clenching around nothing. “That’s assuming you’re still conscious, that is. Wanna make sure you’re awake for all of it.”

With that he sunk two fingers into your waiting pussy, humming in content as your doughy insides clung to the digits, and smirking at the sweet mewl that made its way out of your lips.

Your eyes fluttered closed at the sudden intrusion, your hips canting up from the bed only to be held down by Touya’s other hand. His skin was sweltering against your own, and you could already feel the sweat beading on your forehead.

“So fuckin’ cute…” Touya purred, curling his fingers to pet against the spongy spot just inside of you. He drank up your needy moans in a feverish kiss, taking your panting mouth as an opportunity to run his tongue along yours. Normally you would’ve cringed at the pungent taste of cigarettes still on his mouth, but something in your arousal-addled mind loved it, savoring his signature taste. 

Touya was clearly experienced with his hands, the way he ground his thumb over your clit and thrusted his middle and ring finger inside you, making sure he attacked the spot that made you see stars. 

You panted when he pulled away, the tip of your tongue hanging out of our mouth as if trying to chase his own. 

“You’re really needy, aren’t you, babydoll?” Touya cooed, his free hand coming up to cup your chin and thumb at your lower lip. “What’s the matter, haven’t had someone take care of you like this before?”

You shook your head, any memories of past lays fleeting from your mind as all that could occupy your thoughts was the man above you.

“Good. I’d hate to be anything but the best,” He punctuated his words with a quick kiss to your lips, “Especially for such a sweet thing like you.” 

You whined and tried to chase his lips with your own, the knot of pleasure in your stomach growing tighter and tighter with each harsh thrust of Touya’s fingers, forcing desperate moans from your mouth.

All it took was Touya’s predatory smile and a pinch to your swollen clit to get you to squeal, the edges of your vision turning white and your back arching off the bed with your orgasm. 

“Mmh, you really are cute when you cum, huh babydoll?” Touya purred, pulling his fingers out and pressing them into your open, panting mouth. You eagerly sucked at them, eliciting a groan from Touya as your drool dripped onto his palm. 

You whined at the loss when he pulled his fingers from your mouth, wiping your saliva off on the sheet. “Don’t get all loopy on me now, sweetheart. I’m nowhere near done with you.” 

You squeaked in surprise as your hips left the mattress, and again as Touya’s breath ghosted over your sensitive heat.

“Ready for round two, babydoll?~”

Even if you wanted to say no, the way Touya dragged his tongue over your slit made you think that he wouldn’t take that for an answer anyway.

He was slower now that he was devouring your sex, his sinful tongue lapping over your ower lips and dripping entrance, drawing squeals out of you every time his silver piercing flicked over your clit. 

Your hands immediately found purchase in Touya’s hair, drawing a purr out of him as your fingers carded through his locks that had been so clearly damaged from all the dye and gel over the years. You couldn’t bring yourself to care about its scratchy texture though, not when it was only serving as a handle to bring that wicked mouth further into your core. 

Touya purred into your sex, tongue probing against throbbing walls with practiced ease and fingers rubbing over your clit in tight, adept circles. You clamped your thighs down around Touya’s ears at a particularly pleasurable lap, and as much as he hated having your sweet sounds muffled, he was more than pleased with your warm skin pressing tightly to his own, pulling him even closer in. A sign of exactly how much pleasure he was bringing you. 

You couldn’t take your eyes off Touya, not when his beautiful turquoise orbs were staring so intently at your flushed-red face, at your pouting lips and the tongue darting from between them. 

Your jaw hung open as you panted and blubbered out moans and nonsensical fragments of sentences, pleads for ‘more’ and praise for Touya’s masterful ministrations. 

You were so focused on the Adonis between your legs, you hardly even noticed your end nearing until it was too late, until you were already feeling the white-hot pleasure coursing through your veins and you were tossing your head back from the force of it all.

Of course, Touya lapped up all of your slick, purring at the taste and making sure he didn’t stop until you came down fully.

Once your thighs dropped from around his ears, Touya managed to pry himself away and crawl up onto the bed, caging you in with his hands planted on either side of your head. 

“Still with me, baby?”

You slowly nodded, only to feel a calloused hand at your chin, pulling you to face him directly.

“I’m gonna need a ‘yes’ if you want me to keep going.”

“Y-yes, Touya…” You breathed, leaning into his surprisingly tender touch.

“Good,” He purred, swiping his thumb over your lower lip. “Wanna make sure you’re here to get the full experience, y’know?” He smirked when he saw your miniscule nod, “Besides, it’s not fun for me unless you’re all there, screaming my name, begging for more…” His voice lowered to a growl right into your ear, right before he was delivering a playful nip to your earlobe. 

You could feel Touya’s hard cock against your quivering sex, the piercings dragging along your clit and sending near-electric shocks through your lower body. 

“Ready, babydoll?” Touya whispered in your ear, lining up the head of his cock with the entrance to your heat.

As soon as the breathy “yes,” escaped your lips, Touya thrust his hips forward. He only buried a few inches inside you, but it ripped a pleased gasp from you anyway. 

He was gentle as he slowly speared you open, drawing sweet moans from your sweet, pouty lips with each centimeter of his length. The piercings that ran down his cock produced a delicious drag against your walls, heightening the experience even further. 

Once he was fully seated inside you, Touya lowered his forehead to press against yours, his heavy breathing apparent as he gazed into your eyes, waiting for your signal. At your subtle nod, and your murmur of ‘please’, he pulled out at a torturously slow pace. Just before you could whine for more, his hips snapped back into you. 

He set a relatively gentle pace to start with, the slap of skin on skin and both of your heavy breaths being the only noise audible above the music from the club below. 

It was only when you whined out pleas for more, Touya, more that he finally picked up the pace, much to your relief. His hands held your sides in a bruising grip, and he leaned down to capture your lips in a fervent kiss.

You could taste yourself on his tongue, along with the lingering flavor of alcohol and cigarettes. A normally unappealing combination, but since it was Touya, you devoured it that much more. 

His cock felt burning hot inside you as your plush insides clung to him, the piercings dragging along your sensitive areas, distracting you from Touya’s wandering hand landing on your clit. He rubbed small circles into the bundle of nerves, earning a gasp and a moan from you. 

No matter how many times you had been with others or played with yourself, you had never felt this full. Each time Touya’s hips retreated, you couldn’t help the disappointed whine as you were emptied, even if only for a second. 

“T-Touya, I…~” Your voice came out high and breathy, jostled by the steady gyration of Touya’s hips.

“Getting close, sweetheart?~” He cooed, pressing a coy kiss to your nose. “I can tell, the way you’re milking my cock like that…” His voice delves into a growl, his eyes shutting as he presses his forehead to yours. “You really know how to get me riled up, huh, babe?”

Your mouth hung open, puffing out breathy moans each time Touya pistoned his hips into you. His hands were all over your body, circling your clit, pinching your nipples, holding your hips tight enough to leave bruises. He paid attention to your neck, pierced lips ghosting over the sensitive skin, leaving tiny kisses, nips, and licks. He was careful, not leaving any bruises above the collar. He obviously knew what he was doing.

All his ministrations sent the knot in your stomach winding even tighter, and you could feel yourself nearing your edge, when before you knew it you were already falling over it.

White-hot pleasure filled your veins, sending your head back as you let out a cry of orgasmic bliss, your tongue hanging from your grin. You held Touya close, arms wrapping over his shoulders and legs over his hips, keeping his thrusts shallow as he neared his own edge. He let out his own feral growl as he reached his own limit, and you felt his spunk filling you, leaving a pleasant warm sensation in your stomach.

“Shit…” Touya mumbled, though he made no move to get up. “You’re on the pill, right?”

You nod, and he breathes a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god…” He groaned, slowly pulling his softening cock from your heat and laying down beside you.

“What?” You shoot him a tired, but playful smile. “Am I not cute enough to have a kid with?”

“Nah,” He hummed, pulling you so your back rested against his chest, “Just don’t think I’m able to pay child support, y’know?” He laughed, prompting a giggle of your own.

“Makes sense…” You rested your head back, leaning into Touya’s hand as he played with your locks. 

“Maybe if you keep visiting, something can be arranged~” Touya purred, leaving a nip on the shell of your ear.

“Maybe so…”

Normally, the night life wasn’t for you. But if it meant seeing Touya…

Maybe you could make an exception.

[strawberrysoup]

Let’s Review || Chapter 10

Peter Parker knew that his big sister would do anything for him to be safe and happy. She’d given up everything for him twice over already and would do it again in a heartbeat. And that’s why, when the criminal mastermind Tony Stark started inextricably following him around, he didn’t say a word. Because he knew without a doubt Penny would do whatever she had to if it meant keeping Peter safe. He had to protect her, just like she always protected him. He never considered what would happen if Stark decided both Parker siblings were worth taking. Never considered who else in Stark’s inner circle would agree. He just wanted to protect her and yet somehow, they both ended up with needles in their necks.

relationship: Steve Rogers/Original Female Character/Bucky Barnes, background Peter Parker/Tony Stark rating: Explicit/18+ warnings: Dark Steve Rogers, Dark Bucky Barnes, Dark Tony Stark, Dark Avengers, kidnapping, non-con/dub-con elements, underage Peter Parker, emotional and psychological abuse, very dark 

Penny never had difficulty sleeping. She was exhausted 90% of the time, between three jobs and everything that went into raising Peter, and could take a nap whenever the opportunity arose. It was a joke amongst all of her coworkers, that if you gave Penny an idle 10 minutes, she'd find a place to curl up and nap. She could sleep 16 hours straight happily if given the chance. 

Insomnia wasn't a part of her life. It was why finding herself unable to sleep was shocking to her entire system. The day of her punishment she took a nap and that was the last time she slept more than an hour at a time for the next three days. She wasn't sure if it was the fear and anxiety or the stress or any other combination of things, but she simply couldn't sleep. 

She didn't know if her kidnappers had noticed, strangely enough. They watched her constantly, tracking her movements and making notes of her habits, but never mentioned her sleep patterns. Or her eating patterns, for that matter. 

When Steve got up in the mornings, she waited about half an hour before getting out of bed herself. While he went for a workout, she pulled all of the curtains back from the floor to ceiling windows in the living room and laid on the floor in the sunshine. It was the only time she really slept soundly for longer than 20 or 30 minutes. By the third day, when she got up and went into the living room, the curtains had already been pulled back and the couch cushions were arranged like a pallet on the floor where she usually lay. An apple, which she had a tendency to grab in the mornings to hold her over until breakfast because half the time the only kosher food in the kitchen was fruit or vegetables, was already washed and cut and set on the coffee table. 

They never said anything about what she ate, even when Bucky made large, intricate meals and she avoided most of it. The first night he made spaghetti and meatballs with a side salad and she'd only eaten the salad. The second night had been pork chops and pasta salad— she'd dug out the last of the salad from the previous meal and a bit of the pasta before realizing there was bacon in it. Honestly she was starving, there was hardly anything kosher in the apartment and she was living off vegetables. 

Her captors were strange dudes. Sometimes they seemed chivalrous to a fault, set in some sort of bizarre gender stereotype; they would never sit before she did or start eating until she took her first bite. But Steve didn't like when she cursed or rolled her eyes and Bucky told her smoking wasn't ladylike when she asked for cigarettes. There was a weird dichotomy where they desperately wanted her to be happy in her imprisonment but simultaneously wanted to micromanage her behavior. 

After the fourth near sleepless night, she’d once again retreated to the living room once she was sure Steve had left. The spot in front of the windows was comforting for some reason, the warmth of the sun was encompassing like a hug but didn’t require touch. It felt safer than anywhere else in the apartment. 

She slept for at least an hour and only woke up to the sound of JARVIS playing a chime every few seconds, the noise slowly increasing in volume. As she blinked, slightly disoriented by the sound, and realized she was no longer laying on the cushions. At some point while she was asleep Bucky had managed to wedge his way beneath her, leaving her to lie on his chest. His arms were raised on either side of her head like he was holding something over her and the top of her head brushed his chin. 

At that point, her body didn’t even bother to instinctually tense. Even after such a short period of time, the panic response had lost its grip in the face of resentful acceptance. 

“Good morning, doll,” Bucky’s voice was a rumble beneath her more than a sound and she heard a page turning above her, “I can see why you like to lay here.” 

Penny didn’t bother answering, tired eyes tracking his movements as he lowered his arms and put a book on the floor. He didn’t look tired at all with his hair carefully pulled back into an artfully messy bun, fully dressed despite the fact that it couldn’t have been past 7 am. It was unfair how attractive they were, considering the position they had put her in. She’d never even considered a man bun atttractive before for fucks’ sake. After a short moment, his hands came back up to cup her face. 

Knowing the kiss was coming didn’t make it any easier to process or mentally prepare for. She didn’t want him to, it was disgusting, how dare he kiss her— but it was also so nice. Bucky was a really good kisser, both of the soldiers were, and it sent tingles down her sprine every time. The warmth from the sunshine was amplified by the feeling until it seeped into her veins and rendered her boneless against him. 

“Really good morning,” Bucky smiled against her lips, brushing his nose against hers as he pulled away enough to look at her, “Steve’s gonna be out of the shower in a few and we’ll head up to breakfast. Go get dressed.” 

Penny nodded in response, dazed, and let him pick her up and set her to the side of the pallet where it was easier to stand. The bedroom was still mostly dark, the heavy curtains drawn and the only light coming from the partially open bathroom door. The shower was running and she could hear Steve moving around as she walked to the dresser. 

There was a drawer dedicated to the softest clothing they’d purchased for Penny and she was especially taken with the shirts in it. They felt like ultra thin, soft cotton but were actually rather thick and warm. She pulled out a black one with long sleeves and traded it for the t-shirt she’d slept in. The same pair of jeans she’d worn the previous day followed and she tugged off her socks, prefering to go barefoot just because she could tell it bothered Steve. 

She stepped past the blond in question just as he came out of the bathroom, pretending not to notice the once over he gave her. The assholes weren’t exactly subtle, probably didn’t see the need to be. Bucky was waiting by the elevators when she walked into the living room, motioning over with the metal hand.

It had been days but she still hadn’t gotten up the courage to ask about the arm. Steve and Bucky both treated it like a completely normal arm, as if it wasn’t a super strong and incredibly high tech prosthetic, and she was afraid to mention it. Instead she tried to make sure she didn’t look at it for too long, or hesitate when he touched her with it just in case it made him angry. 

“Ready for breakfast baby?” He wrapped the arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his chest, ducking his head down to kiss her cheek. 

“Yeah,” Penny murmured, eyes tracking Steve as he also left the bedroom and crossed the room, kissing them each soundly before calling JARVIS to bring the elevator.

Penny had forced herself to become comfortable with any display of affection that came directly before getting to see Peter, just in case they decided to throw a hissy fit at her rejection and refuse to take her to breakfast. Despite the fact that she'd been promised she could see her brother multiple times a day, it had been limited to breakfast. She asked at least 20 times a day, can I see Peter now? I want to see Peter. I want to see my brother. They brushed her off every time, made some sort of excuse. 

It was part of their plan to make the siblings 'adapt' to their new lives. Penny could read between the lines and knew they didn't want them together too often to avoid any plotting. If they couldn't communicate enough to make an escape plan, they probably wouldn't try. It made sense, the clever bastards, but not being able to see her brother was wearing her down. Combined with the lack of sleep, she was beginning to feel more and more distraught. 

JARVIS was a small, unexpected saving grace. She wasn't sure why, but the AI would give her updates on Peter if she asked. Is Peter okay? Yes, Ms. Parker, he is currently in the lab. Is Peter okay? Yes, Ms. Parker, he is taking a nap at the moment. Is Peter okay? Yes, Ms. Parker, he is watching the original Star Wars trilogy. 

As they rode in the elevator up a few levels to what she'd come to realize was Stark's floor, she could see a very small red light in the upper corner. JARVIS was always watching, monitoring things like heart rate and temperature. He understood Hebrew if she spoke in it and would answer in kind, giving her a sort of privacy from the men boxing in her. The AI wasn't on her side per say, but the little things he did helped keep her from going crazy. 

When the doors opened, Penny didn't wait for the men to move before she began on her way to the kitchen. She would sit in a chair, despite the incredible amounts of pain it caused after her punishment, but would be transferred to someone's lap almost immediately. Likely Bucky, since they seemed to take turns and Steve had held her yesterday. They wanted to hold her and feed her. It restricted her movements, kept her farther from Peter, and drove her batshit insane. 

She quickly sat in the chair closest to her brother, forcing herself not to wince in pain and reached out for his hand. Peter was coping much better than she was, it was plain on his face and otherwise in his appearance. He didn't look happy necessarily, but he was sleeping and eating regularly. There was no visible cringe when Stark touched him, which she assumed meant the man hadn't hurt him. 

Penny had been considering for days what she would do if she walked into the kitchen one morning and found Peter injured. She was about .02 seconds from losing it at any second as it was, if she ever suspected Peter was hurt she would go ape shit. The goal would be to take Stark out as efficiently as possible— she'd likely only have one chance. She was pretty sure shoving a fork through his eye would be as effective as anything else. 

"You know, you get a very particular look on your face when you're considering killing me." 

Penny looked away from Peter just in time to see Stark before he swept her up out of her chair and sat down with her in his lap. Being as small as she was, it made manhandling her pretty easy in comparison to say, Peter, who despite being skinny was tall and ungainly to lift and carry around.

"Tony," Bucky sounded displeased but Stark waved him off. 

"My turn Winter Wizard," the older man snarked, tugging her snugly back against the line of his chest, "I love Penny too." 

Love. Stark didn't love Penny. She was half convinced he didn't even understand the concept, had it so thoroughly confused with obsession that he couldn't comprehend what love was. Love was selfless and unconditional, it was supposed to bring joy and comfort. Nothing about Stark's actions were any of those things, didn't provide a feeling of happiness and safety. Sitting in his lap was like sitting on a live landmine.

"What're your plans for today sweetheart? Peter wants to spend some time in the lab with Bruce— honestly I think he likes biology more than engineering, can you believe that?" 

Penny didn't answer, watching from the corner of her eye as Steve and Bucky sat down in the chairs around them. Steve sat opposite of Peter at the head of the table while Bucky took a seat to the teenager’s right, across from Penny and Stark. There was another comprehensive breakfast spread across the table, a quiche, pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese and ham, fresh fruit, sausage and bacon.

Every time they loaded plates for her, Penny found herself turning her nose up at at least half of it. She was pretty sure they were unaware that the siblings were Jewish, either that or they were too stupid to realize there were dietary restrictions involved in the religion. Peter was more lax than Penny, he didn't remember their parents as much and aunt May and uncle Ben hadn't been religious, but she still ate kosher about 75% of the time. Plus, most kosher foods just felt more ethical and humane. 

Not that the mother fuckers who'd kidnapped them had any idea what it meant to be ethical. Or humane for that matter. 

"Penny, words," it wasn’t an order necessarily but she'd come to realize over the few days she had been in the tower that Steve's tone left no room for disobedience. 

"I don’t have any plans," she tried not to overtly grit her teeth in irritation. 

Any other day she'd be at the daycare until 1ish, taking care of the babies. After that she'd go to her barista job and after that, she went to the grocery store to stock shelves over night. Penny didn't have downtime, she didn't have hobbies, she didn't do anything during the day other than work. Maybe that's why she wasn't sleeping at all; she wasn't doing anything. Certainly not half as much as usual. 

"Well, what would you like to do? What do you do for fun?" 

Simmering anger began to build under Penny's skin but before she could answer (and potentially get herself into trouble), Peter jumped in, "Penny used to knit. And you liked gardening, right? When we lived in the house you had all those plants and the garden out back." 

"Ma's garden," Penny twitched her nose, the movement preventing a facial expression from settling and giving away her emotions— she tried not to think of the garden, or the house they'd lived in before the accident, it made her too sad. 

"Bite, sweetheart," Tony directed when she went quiet, refusing to elaborate. 

The food on the fork was a piece of the quiche, something with spinach and cheese and bacon, and Penny shook her head. The bacon was bad enough, but putting dairy with it as well was too much for her to stomach. Stark hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily and putting the fork down, forcing Penny to turn slightly in his lap to face him.

"You have to eat, sweetheart," he looked just a shade short of irritated and a thrill ran through her, a mix of fear that he might hurt her if he got mad enough combined with dark satisfaction that her actions were having an effect on him even if unintentionally, "you're too skinny as it is and you can't keep refusing food."

"I won't eat it," she stated quietly, resolution in her tone.

The only things on the table she would truly be willing to eat were the fruits and the pancakes. The quiche had cheese and bacon, the eggs had cheese and ham, and the individual meats were pork. For some reason, the bites of food she wanted were few and far between compared to the dishes she couldn't eat. 

"It's not an option baby," Bucky's voice was soft and imploring. 

Irritation climbed up her throat. She wasn’t on a hunger strike, she wasn’t being difficult. They were the ones who'd snatched her up against her will without considering her needs and wants. They were the ones at fault and fuck if she was going to— 

"That's not kosher," Peter quickly pointed to the quiche, followed by the scramble,  "that's not either. The pancakes might not be either depending on the eggs. Penny will eat the fruit." 

"You guys eat kosher?" Bucky and Steve both looked startled and she'd bet Tony did too. 

She didn't realise they were all considering what they knew about Peter; Tony had taken the boy out to eat multiple times in the months before bringing the siblings to the tower and there'd never been any sign of a special diet. They were Jewish, yes, but Tony could clearly remember the teenager eating bacon cheeseburgers and shrimp alfredo. 

"I don't but Penny does."

Since they'd brought her into the apartment, the soldiers hadn't paid too much attention to what she ate. Salads mostly, pasta. They hadn't focused on what she was eating, just the quantity of what she ate. 

"Ms. Parker regularly checks with me before consuming anything," JARVIS announced to the silent room. 

Maybe part of the reason Penny wasn't sleeping was because she was hungry. Honestly she was always sort of hungry, Peter having plenty to eat was more important than her eating regularly, but she'd been really hungry over the past few days.

"Penny why didn't you say anything?" Steve looked stricken and Bucky's face was ashen; he'd even talked to Wanda about kosher foods before they'd assumed the Parker's didn't eat a specific diet. 

"Why didn't I tell my kidnappers that I follow a religious diet? I wonder."

The words were scathing and spoken with a hiss of disdain that had their shoulders raising automatically. Bucky and Steve both shrunk back slightly and Stark went still behind her. She even managed to get out of his arms without a fight, standing up and heading for the elevator without hesitation. 

"...Penny?" 

"I'm going to take a shower, leave me alone!" 

She was so angry and fucking exhausted and hungry. Irrationally, it felt like storming off after having an argument with family instead of the true life villains she was surrounded by. She felt like a teenager storming off after fighting with her parents. Shockingly, they really let her go. The elevator doors opened and closed for her, even though she was alone. 

"Shall I bring you to your apartment Ms. Parker?" 

"It's not like I can go anywhere else," her voice was tearful and she bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to cry. 

But instead of moving, the elevator stayed still for an abnormal amount of time. She assumed JARVIS was waiting for the soldiers to arrive. 

"Perhaps you would like to go to the kitchens, miss?" 

"The kitchens?"

"Yes miss, I've spoken to one of the chefs who is more than happy to make all necessary adjustments to the kitchen to facilitate a kosher diet. New equipment is being brought in to prevent cross contamination and an order was sent to the runners for kosher foods which should arrive in less than an hour. In the meantime, Chef Cohen is gathering the necessities to make a kosher breakfast from what is currently on hand." 

Penny immediately burst into tears against her will, entirely overwhelmed. The tower was a goddamn nightmare, she was trapped and more often than not separated from her brother, but JARVIS was slowly becoming one of her favourite people (even if he wasn't really a person) in the world. Because JARVIS talked to her in Hebrew and told her about Peter when she asked and helped her figure out what she could eat and played movies on the wall all night while she was stuck in bed. 

He couldn't help her escape, he was a computer program at the mercy of his protocols, but he did more for her than anyone else. 

"Yes please JARVIS," Penny managed to get out through her tears, pressing her palms against her eyes gently, "thank you JARVIS." 

"You are most welcome Ms. Parker, your happiness is my priority." 

"It is?"

"My protocol is to make sure Mr. Parker and Master Stark are happy. In order to do so, I must make sure you are happy miss." 

Penny wasn't smart. She didn't have a high IQ, never finished college, would never qualify for anything more than a dead end job. But she was good at reading between the lines. Finding unconventional solutions to problems was a skill of hers. JARVIS might not be able to intentionally help her escape, but he might help her on accident without even realizing it.

It wasn't a plan, not yet, but it was a tool in her arsenal she never expected to have. And she would use it to her advantage as soon as possible. 

"Sir, Ms. Parker is currently on her way down to the kitchens were Chef Cohen is preparing a kosher meal. He has also compiled a comprehensive list of kosher foods to be kept in the kitchen at all times." 

"He made a list? Why didn't you do it J?"

"He's Jewish," Peter answered before JARVIS had a chance, shrinking back slightly when three pairs of eyes leveled on him suddenly. 

"Have you met him? He shouldn't have come up to this floor."

Sometimes Peter forgot that gentiles didn't recognize Jewish surnames, "he… didn't. His last name is Cohen. That's one of the most Jewish names I can think of." 

He couldn't be sure, there was a high chance that Peter was hallucinating, but it was possible that Tony Stark was blushing. Like, it was possible but Peter was pretty sure his eyes must've been playing tricks on him. Tony made him blush a million times a day, it was never the other way around. A small thrill ran through him, had he made Tony turn red? 

"Peter, is there anything else like this that we should know?" 

Steve's voice drew him out of his reverie and Peter directed his attention at the blond, "like what?" 

"Like things Penny doesn't like, or will upset her?" 

Peter nodded in understanding, "like abducting her and keeping her against her will?" 

"Peter!" Tony was trying to admonish him but his tone was full of laughter.

Bucky leveled the teenager with a vaguely amused expression, "Tony was the one who kidnapped her."

"Yeah but she hated him on principle before that, you guys she learned to hate." 

"Okay, moving on," Tony waved his hand dismissively before the soldier could respond, "J, let Cohen know he's officially Penny's personal chef. I want him available any time she's hungry, any time she wants a snack. I'll up his pay, but if Penny gets up at 3am and wants some ridiculously complicated meal, he'll be dragging his ass out of bed to make it." 

"Understood sir."

Bucky absently stared towards the doorway Penny had disappeared through, "I could figure out kosher cooking." 

"Let the professionals handle it, Bucky Bear," Tony snorted slightly before turning his attention to Peter, "is she allergic to anything?"

"I'm not sure, we think she had an allergic reaction to something a while back she never went to the doctor or anything," Peter took a huge bite of his pancakes.

"She hasn't been to the doctor in a long time has she?" Bucky frowned, considering the implications. 

"Or the dentist," Peter nodded. 

"We'll have Bruce do a complete work up, just to be safe. We’ll get dentist in here too. J?" 

"Dr. Banner would be happy to see Penny anytime today and I am sending a request to your own dentist sir."

"Tell Bruce we'll head his way once Penny finishes eating," Steve had a tendency to look up at the ceiling occasionally when speaking to JARVIS despite knowing he wasn't up there, "will you let us know once she's done? I want to give her some time to calm down."

"Once she has finished her meal I will direct her Dr. Banner's lab—" 

"J, you'll tell them when," Tony ordered, quickly noticing the way his AI tried to steer his words, "the soldiers will accompany her. Going down to the kitchen by herself was a stretch, she can't be wandering around unattended this soon."

"She was hungry, sir." 

Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance; the AI sounded defensive but there was a derisive tone to him as well, aimed at the soldiers. They were the ones supposed to be taking care of Penny and yet she was hungry. JARVIS was unimpressed with them and had a surprisingly strong attachment to Penny after such a short time. 

"Yeah, yeah, J, just let them know a few minutes before she's done eating," Tony turned his attention to Peter, "baby, why don't you go take a shower before we head to the lab?" 

Peter felt his eyebrows furrow in confusion. Usually, showering before going to the lab was sort of a waste. They'd get sweaty and gross by the end of it and need another shower anyway. He hoped he wasn't blushing— usually Tony took a long bath with him when they were done in the lab. 

"We're still gonna take a bath together baby, don't look so sad," the salacious look on the older man's face had Peter quickly darting to his feet, face on fire as he ran off. 

Tony waited until the teenager was out of earshot to turn a very dark look on the soldiers, "wanna explain how the fuck you haven't known for two full fucking days that Penny won't eat anything that's not kosher?"

"Tony—" 

"No, actually," he waved his hand before Steve could finish speaking, "I don't care what you have to say. You're going to listen." 

He wasn't older in literal years, but Tony's consciousness was older than the soldiers' and in that moment he felt those years. He stood from the table, coffee mug in hand and took a few steps towards the counter. In general, Tony considered his friend’s to be his family. They were important to him, he wanted them to be happy and healthy and cared for. But Peter was his world and because of that, Penny was too. Her happiness usurped theirs. 

“I gave you both the opportunity to take Penny, the way I took Peter,” he took a sip of coffee, tapping his fingers against the expensive marble countertop, “I knew from the way you talked about her, that you loved her the way I love Peter. But I didn’t want to. Honestly, I wanted to keep her tucked away where I can keep her safe and happy. I knew I could do a better job than you, but I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt.” 

Tony dumped his coffee into the sink, setting the mug in after and running some water into it. Around 10am a housekeeper would come in a clean up after breakfast, leaving the dishes that lived in the house and taking the rest down to the kitchens. He liked to keep everything as spotless as possible because his brain was a pretty big disaster at the best of times and clutter didn’t help. 

“You’re very quickly losing it,” he held his hand up when Steve went to speak, “shut up, I don’t want to hear it. Right now you’re listening. This is strike one. Penny is upset and she’s been hungry for the last two full days. Somehow, despite being around her constantly, you didn’t realize that. You better figure out what else you’re not realizing because if I feel like Penny isn’t thriving, I’m going to take her back whether you like it or not.” 

[hobbledhobbit]

Paint and Patience

Another part of the tales of the Institute Green. This one following the Illustrator, Ms. Steam. .

A puff of smoke dissipated after swirling and distorting the stars it hovered in front of.

"Fear is strange. Was there any reason not to have it that you can be certain of?"

"For myself?"

"No, of course not." The pale man made a vague gesture into the building from their spot on the balcony. "Their fear."

He took another deep drag, awaiting her answer.

"All mortals have fear, Mr. Pale. The end always looms like the back cover."

He contemplated, letting his gaze take in the curvy and soft form of his coworker. She liked her candy striper outfit most of all and it let the inviting roundness of her form offer refuge in the form of a vast change in scenery from the black iron and gold speckled dark wood of their world.

"That's what I had figured too. But the fear is on all aspects. They love, there's fear; they succeed, there's fear; they give up...you get the idea."

Ms. Steam gave an amused hum before turning to him fully. "They are yellow. Maybe it's not the fear that gives you pause when dealing with them?"

Ms. Steam took the spent cigarette out of his hand and flicked it over the railing. He had a nasty habit of burning the filter when he was lost in thought. The smell was never pleasant. 

Mr. Pale was slender and ordinary, his overall countenance being somewhat "beige", though his eyes held a sharp intelligence and his tongue a wicked wit. 

Ms. Steam liked talking to the scrivener, he was always agitated over their charges and the conditions in which they were formed. The illustrator had an idea that it may be his only way to show his caring side for anything.

"I believe you're right," he finally said, "I am more enraged by those who live without that...I guess it would be more a concern for the welfare of others than fear…"

"Compassion?"

"Compassion! Yes, thank you. Those that lack compassion for others and make grand swathes of suffering. They hold my ire."

"Had one recently that's got you in this tizzy?"

"No. It'll be later this evening. I would feel bile rising in my throat if I had the capability. I taste the lies and excuses on my tongue and moving through my fingertips to take the last vestiges of their existence to print." 

His voice grew ever darker, as he mimicked typing on his typewriter, his hands looking suddenly more large and sharp, his plain face gaining sharp edges and wider eyes, his teeth sharpening and slowly multiplying.

"Sickening, wretched filth!" He gurgled out.

Ms. Steam shrugged, unbothered. "We are only the record keepers. No need to grow attached."

He cleared his throat and fixed his appearance, brushing his blond hair back and suddenly looking more to his normal human-like form. 

"We aren't machines, Ms. Steam. Every monster we document can feed our own monstrous nature, teach us our own excuses for screwing over other lives."

"What do you suppose we do for it then? Become judges for life forms that are under our care?"

"Teachers. I think the Evil need to be taught a lesson. We should make an example."

Ms. Steam waited for Mr. Pale to continue, but it was obvious from the way his eyes darted around in his head that the idea was still cooking. 

She pat his head and made him look her in the eye.

"When you figure it out, set it up. I'm in thorough need of distraction. But for now, we must tend to our duties."

He gave a small nod and a tight lipped smile. It was no secret that he disliked his job, but he was the best at it.

She took her leave, walking in from the cold of outside to the warm hallway. Her shoes were almost silent upon the hard wood. The reflection of the candy striper outfit was blurred for a moment in the polished floor before it showed Ms. Steam in a plain, floral, flowy dress. She used the key around her neck to unlock her office door and step in. 

The yellow glow of the human soul took a moment to take shape. Young and small.

"Sorry for being late," she smiled, "Are you ready for your portrait?"

The 'studio' was large. The ceiling was high and vaulted, the floor had many different colors and textures that one couldn't tell if it was made of dirt, marble, wood, or any of the other things floors are usually made of. There looked to be all sorts of settings along the long wall. Beaches to mansions, forests to kitchenettes, mountains to dumpsters.

The girl looked to be a little younger than a teenager. Short dark hair and brown eyes, sun-kissed skin and a strong jaw.  She was in night clothes and looked overwhelmed, looking around from her seat on a fainting chair.

Ms. Steam went to her large desk and picked up some materials. She loaded a small tray with chalk pastels and paint. 

"Take your time," she said to the girl, then paused giving her an understanding and patient look. "Tell me what you think is happening. This fear will go away soon, I promise."

"He killed Mom. I went to go hide my little sisters, but I guess he killed me too." She started to cry in earnest. "They're probably so scared. I don't know what to do! There's nothing I can do! I'm dead!" 

She sobbed and screamed her dismay while Ms. Steam set up the easel near a beach setting.

"Angels are supposed to help the innocent!" The girl accused from her seat. She smacked her bare feet against the ground and stomped over to Ms. Steam. "You're supposed to protect us and God's supposed to deliver us from evil!"

"Deliver you where?" Ms. Steam turned to the girl, eyebrow slightly raised. She felt it wouldn't be the best option to tell the girl she wasn't an angel.

The girl's righteous fury was snuffed out by the calm of the question. She looked lost and on the verge of more tears. 

"I-I don't know. If you're good, evil isn't supposed to happen to you." She sniffled, "And you're supposed to get rewarded for being good."

Ms. Steam sat on a stool to look the girl in the eye and wipe her tears with her skirt. 

"I'm sorry, little one. The universe doesn't do good or evil. That's a human thing. Kind or cruel are choices people make."

Ms. Steam offered a hug to the child, who was falling apart again in tears. She accepted the hug, was wrapped in strong arms, and felt light as a cloud.

"The nightmare is over. I know it's scary to not know what comes next. But even your choices mattered so much at the end."

The girl was hiccupping through her sobs, clinging tightly to Ms. Steam. "They're so-s-so little and he's gonna hurt them!"

Ms. Steam rocked her lightly and pet her hair. "I know...what if I brought them here? Would you feel better knowing where they are? They would probably like to know where you are too."

Fear stabbed through the girl and she looked at Ms. Steam. "He killed them too?!"

"Long ago already. They're in my queue."

"What's going to happen?"

"I'm going to paint your picture of what you want to be remembered forever as. You're a good older sister. Brave, just, and with so much love in your heart that your last moments were thinking of nothing but protecting others. Rewards aren't in my job description, but I think that I could work one up for you."

"Holly!" Called two little voices from the fainting couch.

The girl turned and let go of Ms. Steam, running to the two blonde children running towards her in their pajamas. 

"Katie! Kathy!" She called to the twins, hugging them tight to her and hurrying her face in their disheveled blonde curls. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry for what?" asked Kathy.

"Why are you sad?" asked Katie.

Before Holly could answer, they both noticed the beach and dragged Holly towards it. 

Holly noticed that they were all in their bathing suits, and the studio had faded away entirely-there was only the beach then. She saw Ms. Steam still standing there, starting to work on the canvas in front of her. She gave Holly a wink before going back to her work.

Holly looked at her sisters who were already splashing in the water and got to playing with them. They built sand castles and played in the water together. The sun didn't bother any of them much, and they felt full and content. 

Ms. Steam stepped back from her work, looking at the picture of Holly pulling her sisters through the water as the little ones kicked up a spray behind them.

The twins looked caught in a moment of trust and fun as Holly tried to teach them to swim.

The studio had phased back to its normal state, the girls now residing as the artwork. Ms.Steam added a single small cloud in the distance as her signature and bowed low at the piece. 

"Thank you for the opportunity," she said.

When she stood back up, the canvas had a frame of glittering gold. She took it and wrapped it in plain brown paper before placing it in an adjacent room for delivery.

Ms. Steam dealt more with children and those that didn't have a command over their language. She found that younger children were more accepting of their fates than older ones. Responsibility and shame hadn't really had a chance to stick in yet and make them second guess everything.

She went about putting away her supplies and let out a sigh. She placed the last brush behind her ear and exited her studio. So long as her things weren’t all in place, the next soul wouldn’t show up. 

The door she approached was labeled “Mr. Slow: Security” on a gold plaque. She knocked and entered, finding the large form of her colleague sitting at his desk, shining his shoes. He looked up boredly, eyes crinkling at the side once he recognized his visitor. 

“Ms. Steam. What an unexpected and fun surprise. What brings you to my office?” His voice was deep and had an edge of threat to it. Unfortunately for Mr. Slow, she had taken the centuries to become immune to his specific charm. 

“Mischief brings me here, Bacchus.  Do you intend on participating or trying to subdue?” She leaned on the doorway, pushing her hair behind an ear. “I do so hate to lose out on the fun because someone had to distract you.”

Mr. Slow sat up and put his hands on his desk. “So long as the mischief isn’t brought to these halls, there’s no reason for us to tussle. I do have a feeling that I will be having to teach Mr. Pale a lesson later today, but that won’t likely interfere.”

This was met with an amused hum. She covered her mouth to feign hiding a smile, “I am starting to think Bartleby likes your teaching method. You boys and your roughhousing.”

Mr. Slow went back to shining his shoes, “I’ve been informed, Ms. Steam. Go back to your room. The day isn’t out yet, no matter how many clients you put in a single frame. Only the frame counts.”

“Pushy,” she teased, straightening herself out. “I’ll see you at the diner afterwards, Mr. Slow.”

The door closed, leaving Mr. Slow alone. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the conversation he had overheard on the balcony during his rounds. Redirecting fear could be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

[implodingcacti]

Hi, I worked graveyard at a hotel for 2 years.

Tonight’s my last night. I want to share some stories with you, because this job has been fucking wild.

When I interviewed for the job, my future GM asked if I was a good person (I said yes), complained about the American healthcare system for 30 minutes, and then hired me on the spot. That was my entire interview. He said he trusted me fully because my friend recommended me for the job.

This is the same friend who tried to get me to buy her cigarettes with a school ID because she had left hers at home. Our school IDs were printed on cardstock and laminated by the secretary. I told her it would not work because it looked like a shitty fake ID.

It did not work.

This surprised her.

Also the same friend who had a tan minivan, drove us to Starbucks during an off period in high school, almost crashed because she was smoking, and hit two people’s cars in the parking lot.

Love her.

The first employee I met got into an argument in front of me with her boyfriend. They fought loudly. Afterwards, she asked if I wanted a lollipop.

She got fired like a month afterwards because she took the money from the drawer. This was not the first time she had been fired for this.

I worked with a guy who I’m going to call S. S was a bald white guy who looked like a attorney who couldn’t leave his job. Or a depressed bank manager who’s wife divorced him. He was a very nice man.

I told him this one day on shift change. He thought this was fucking hilarious.

S also used to be a drug dealer. He got busted for selling drugs at this hotel years ago, went to prison, all that shit. My manager hired him after he got out. He thought this story was very funny.

We had a permanent resident named Joe. He was the nicest fucking guy. I chatted with him in the mornings when I set up breakfast. I miss him so much.

He doesn’t live at the hotel any more. This is depressing.

A man threatened to beat me up for flirting with his wife, because he saw us laughing in the lobby. I tried to tell him that I was not interested in his wife, who was 30 years older than me and also not my type. He was still angry.

I texted my manager this. He told me that if the man tried anything, we have, and I quote, “a big ass wrench” next to the safe. He gave me permission to hit the guy with it.

The wrench is, in fact, really fucking big.

A sexline operator called me once, while I was working. This was uncomfortable for me, a very ace then-19 year old. We got into an argument because she claimed I had called her.

Actually just... lots of people liked treating me like phonesex operators. Apparently people’s kinks are listening to room rates. Please do not do this to the people working front desk.

While we’re here, I got invited to a threesome once. The people who invited me? They watched me clock in to do shift change. They asked literal minutes after I clocked in. There is only one person at front desk. They asked after the other guy left.

I declined. For obvious reasons.

The other guy was S, who laughed about it when I told him the next day.

That time that they fired someone and another person left and we were short staffed for a month, so there were two days a week I’d come in at midnight, leave at 6AM, and then come in at noon for another 6 hour shift.

I hated that. Never again.

There was a raid on a hotel across the street. I watched it happen with Joe. He told me shit was wild. I agreed.

My GM would just... text me. At random times of day. To ask how many we had in house.

It was never when I was working.

He was always disappointed that I couldn’t tell him because I wasn’t working.

The time I had to crawl partially under a bed in a smoking room to help a guy get his cat. She was a good cat.

A lady told me a man was outside with a chainsaw and she’d seen him murder someone. Understandably, I was concerned, because she was shaken up and my hearing is godawful. I called the cops, who took things very seriously until she said the chainsaw man had no head in her physical description.

apparently she was on a very bad drugs trip. I learned this the next time I had to call the non-emergency number, because one of the cops from that incident showed up and told me.

A guy died in a room. Normally, you’d think this would be relayed with more urgency. I found about it when I was doing shift change with S. He told me this, and then proceeded to complain about an unrelated room and called them assholes.

The guy’s car was here for 8 months. The company he worked for wanted us to ship the car out to them. We told them they’d have to cover the shipping charge. They refused, and then S got the title to the car.

A guy once threatened to call the cops on me because I told him he couldn’t check into his room 10 hours early without paying an early check in fee. He wanted to call the cops because Expedia said it was 24 hour check in, and it was false advertisement.

He made the mistake of doing this right before I had to head out for a camp. I laughed at him, told him I’d willingly call the cops for him, and that I would love to have them come down.

A scam call once got angry with me because I wouldn’t authorize a purchase.

They pretended to call my manager. I laughed when they did it, because I could hear the phonecall.

My manager had a very particular way of speaking. He was very slow when talking. They did not take this into account.

I told him about this the next shift, of course, and he did not believe me. It was during shift change, luckily, so I did a faux phone call with another coworker, who had worked there for years. Both of them thought it was funny that I had his timing and general tone down.

The scam artists told me I was fired because my manager was, quote, “extremely disappointed in me”. I told them I was glad, because it meant I could go home early.

(My manager told me I wasn’t fired when I told him he had apparently fired me. I asked if he was still disappointed. He laughed.)

When we changed the clock-in system and I had to text our hotel manager whenever I clocked in and out.

A guy tried to tell me that I wasn’t qualified to check him into a room because women are all stupid. I asked him if he wanted to talk to the manager. He said yes, and the manager called him an idiot.

The other time someone told me I wasn’t qualified to check them in because I took too long, and I offered to let her come in and check herself in. Our servers were updating. She declined, because she didn’t work here. I told her she was just going to have to be patient.

Kicked someone out of the hotel once. He came back 30 minutes later to try and re-rent his room. I told him no. He thought I was just joking about him being kicked out.

My GM tried for like 8 months to get me to date another coworker. He made jokes about giving him a raise so he could take me out to dinner.

I do not think my GM knew I was very gay.

The coworker did not take me out to dinner.

The one drunk college student from Germany who I made friends with in the breakfast room, and his significantly less drunk friend.

they both said trans rights, i’m still crying

Drunk men are assholes. Drunk women are godsends.

One night, a lady told me my eyes were pretty, and when I had to help her to the door, she called me gorgeous and said I smelled nice.

her friends were so embarrassed

i forgot how to speak

That same night, a drunk guy said he hated his wife and that he hated me too after calling me an asshole. His wife came in after he said this. I felt bad for her.

Occasionally people would stop at the front desk on their way back from the gas station, and would come bearing gifts of usually drinks. It was always nice.

one time a guy offered me weed brownies

i declined because i was worried about

The guy who stopped at the front desk to ask where the nearest Starbucks was, because his girlfriend wanted a frappuccino, and he was gonna get her one so she could have it in bed.

He came back as I was clocking out.

His girlfriend had dumped him on his way back.

I felt really bad, because this man had peak “dumb of ass but chugs respecting women juice” energy.

Incidentally, I got a free Starbucks frap.

Someone was convinced I was colorblind because I told him that I thought his blue cup was neat.

It was a purple cup.

i did not know how to tell him i was not colorblind, i am just an idiot

Our GM moved to Texas and we didn’t see him for like a year. He was the GM of 2 other hotels. Apparently, he said he was living at all three.

Some dude came into the hotel once night. I tried talking to him. He started signing. I do not know sign, and apologized, and then grabbed a paper to write back and forth with him.

The man made me learn fingerspelling and we instead did this back and forth.

I thought nothing of this, and he came by a few times to chat with me, albeit incredibly slowly.

During shift change, he came in again. I explained to my relief that he only signed. He nodded, and then told me that he had been “healed by a grace act of God, and could now hear and talk.”

He then tried to tell me to come to church to celebrate this miracle.

He told me he was actually fine. He was just choosing to learn ASL and wanted me to participate for the “immersion of it all”, so that I might “find the lord and accept him once more into my heart”.

yes, this was in fact, some white person bullshit

Also in line with white people bullshit, the guy who said he could tell I had a strained relationship with my half-sister but a good relationship with my youngest sister, that my father would recover from the divorce, and that my engagement would be fine. He said it was because I was a Leo cusp, and then said that Kimberly was a good name for me and that I chose well.

i am not a leo. i was born in december

i have no sisters

i have never been engaged

my parents are (somehow) still married

i was wearing a nametag. angeles does not sound or look anything like kimberly

They sold the hotel last year to new owners. Nobody knew until an email got sent out that said we “probably would still have our jobs”.

I argued with my new manager about a raise. He didn’t want to give it to me. I told him he had to, because I was working minimum wage, and the minimum wage had gone up.

the AAA guy who was a real big dick when I asked him to repeat himself and joked about women being bad at jobs.

He asked me if there were any discounts. I refused to give him any, because we had none for him.

He asked if I knew if there was any discount that would make him stop asking me stupid questions. I sighed and said “No, but god I fucking wish there was.”

Tonight, a lady asked me what our beta fish’s name is. I don’t know. She decided to name him Benny, and then asked me to come up with a name. I panicked and said Soap. This was apparently the right answer, because she nodded sagely and said I chose wisely.

[bandrlodge]

Just My Type

Bucky x Plus Size Original Female Character: Briar Hawthorne

Chapter Summary: Briar experiences 6° of separation

Chapter warnings: general buffoonery, recreational drug usage (marijuana)

Chapter One: Design Client Anonymous

Briar smirked, pulling her coffee cup from the cabinet. Another night, another Natasha one nighter. Of course, she'd hurried them out as she heard her roommate stirring. She pulled Nat's comically small mug from the cabinet as well and prepped both of their drinks. One sugar for Nat. Five sugars and a heavy splash of Coldstone's Sweet Cream Creamer, for her cup. Briar heard the patter of her footsteps down the steps as she was topping off her mug.

"Morning, Nat." She smiled, sliding the mug over. She grumbled, ruffling a hand through her thick, red hair. Briar settled back against the counter, adjusting the neck of her oversized Manson shirt before grabbing the coffee.

"So...how was last night?" Briar asked. She sipped the coffee, relishing the warm hug now rushing through her bones. Natasha chuckled and downed her mug full in one gulp.

"Let's leave it with, slimy yet...satisfying." Briar gagged.

"Fuck you, you nasty bitch."

Natasha laughed, "I've offered, several times."

Briar shook her head, "I don't fuck where I sleep."

"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense." They heard a voice call. Briar's head snapped over to our balcony door, which was now closing on a very disheveled Clint Barton. His hoodie hung off his frame, obviously torn in a fight. Clint, was a character; the only one of Natasha's group that was ever allowed to meet her. She loved him and couldn't count the number of times he'd shown up, carrying pizza and begging to rewatch Avatar. One time, he'd even brought a dog, Lucky. From that moment on, he'd had a permanent invitation and open door to their place. Other than him, no one had ever been allowed inside the apartment and in the four years she had known Natasha, she'd never met a single friend other than Clint.

For good reason though; living with a semi retired Avenger was dangerous. She never wanted to try and draw more attention to our friendship and home by bringing home extras. Well, high profile extras, according to her.

"No one asked you, bird brain." Brisr smiled. Clint perched himself beside me on the counter, snatching the half full coffee pot from its machine and taking a swig straight from it.

She rolled her eyes and simply took another drink of her own, having learned long ago any war involving coffee was a war that would never be won with Clint.

"Oh yeah, Nat, uhm...Boss wants to talk to you. Says you should probably call him, like...an hour ago."

"So, we arent gonna address the bloodied knuckles and tattered clothes?" Briar cocked an eyebrow and glanced between the two. Nat shook her head, "Probably not. I'm gonna go make this call." A moment later she was gone, leaving poor Briar at the mercy of the blonde coffee fiend.

Clint finished off the remainder of the coffee sitting in the pot and scooted closer to me, bumping his shoulder against my own.

"So, how's work going?" He wiggled his eyebrows, flashing his side cocked smile. laughed, raking a hand through my hair. Her finger snagged into a blue tendril and pulling at it absently while she answered,

"Honestly? It's fine. That's it. I expected a bit more from a high profile firm. I took two cases from the lead designer and one from a coworker at their behest, but, there isn't too much to go around." Briar had switched from a solo home design firm almost eight months before. While being her own boss was pretty much heaven, she needed health insurance and there was no way she could afford those payments on my own. So, she took the newest Senior Designer spot at Legendary Interiors and the rest was history. Even with the small work load currently, Briar was pretty lucky with them. The base pay was substantial and there was always a fifteen percent commission for Senior levels. She had her health insurance and not once had she been asked to remove her piercings, change her hair color, or cover her tattoos.

"But, I'm lucky. So, I don't wanna complain too much. Plus...you should see the room I'm working on now. The case came nameless to me, but, the space is amazing. From what I can tell, I actually have the space to do all of the projects I've come up with. The proposal is being sent in on Monday afternoon. Hopefully..." Briar took a large breath, "its accepted." Clint nudged her,

"You're fantastic, Briar. It will be" He hopped off the counter, putting the now empty pot back into it's holder and held out his hand.

"Show it to me, Smurfette."

Briar laughed at him and abandoned her coffee cup to drag Clint down the hall to the design room. She flipped the light switch and pulled him over to the light table. Rough sketches of a modern penthouse with multiple greenery patches throughout the floorplan lay upon the table, littered with various colored ink marks. Clint sat on the stool and studied them for a few moments, chiding the blue haired woman for biting on her nails whilst he was doing so.

"This is great, B. The greenery you've used is so...oddly placed but, it works."

She squealed, "That's what I was going for. The client is a war veteran with severe PTSD. I wanted him to have the modern space he requested, but...he originally just asked for a little spot in the house to retreat to. But, I put a bunch of spaces around the house. Triggers arent confined to one space. So, why should his self care depend on getting to one specific area?"

Clint nodded along with her rambling, something obviously ticking away in that big brain of his.

She smacked his shoulder softly to get his attention, "Whatcha thinking, bird brain?"

He turned to look at his friend, a shit eating smirk plastered on his face.

"I know whose space you're designing."

________<_________<________<________<_____

Bucky had sent the proposal for a new design over to Legendary six weeks ago. By now, he had hoped to see at least a rough sketch. Except for a few short email exchanges between himself and the Vice President of Design, he had no information on who had taken his project nor, what they were doing with it.

He pulled out his phone and shot a text to Tony,

'You said that design place was the best, right?'

Not a moment later: 'Yes, tin man. Who got your project? Katherine? Jonas?'

'I don't know, Tony. I haven't heard from anyone other than Camille. She didn't give my name to the designer like I asked, which I appreciate, but I don't know whose working on it.'

Bucky managed to fix himself a hot cup of lavender tea before Tony responded with a name and a phone number.

'Her name is Briar Hawthorne. She's been with them eight months and is their newest Senior Designer. Camille gave it to her specially. That's her cell phone number. I had to schmooze for that. Use it wisely, old man.'

Bucky laughed, Tony schmoozing on his behalf was still jarring. But, thankfully, the past decided to stay in the past after the Thanos affair. There was too much to rebuild and too much to cherish now, there wasn't time for wallowing in past mistakes. He sat on his bed, pulling a sleeping Alpine tightly to his side and shot a message over to Briar.

Hopefully, he could get some information on his damn apartment design.

______<________<________<_______<______<__

Briar sat on the balcony, weary eyed, and staring at the text message on her phone. She took another inhale of her joint and leaned her head back against the egg shaped hanging chair she was in. An exhale later she was typing her fifth attempt at a response to him.

She took another drag of the joint and recalled finding out the identity of her client.

Clint had laughed for a good five minutes. Chuckling at the absolute fucking serendipity he was watching unfold. Natasha had come in as he was dying down and as soon as he told her - in a hushed whisper between two very best friends - she had also spent a full five dying from laughter.

Turns out, the client was none other than Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. A.k.a. the Winter Soldier. Natasha had complemented the decision on the multiple greenery spaces for relaxtion and meditation, saying that the Sergeant would like that idea. Clint had teased Natasha about how she couldn't hog their Smurfette anymore, knowing that the team would likely attach themselves to Briar quickly.

She reread the text for the hundredth time.

'Hi, Ms. Hawthrone.

My name is James Barnes, and I am the client whose penthouse you are designing currently. I know originally I asked to remain anonymous but, I wanted to check the progress on the design. I've not recieved any sort of update.

Thank you, again. '

He seemed so formal. Briar was stuck on how to respond, wondering if she should mention Natasha or if she should just be professional.

'Mr. Barnes,

Thank you for reaching out. I apologize that you have not been provided with regular updates but, I can tell you that the draft proposal and cost summary will be available to you on your account dashboard on Monday. I submitted my idea to Camille yesterday afternoon. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any other questions or concerns.

- Briar Hawthorne'

Professional, succinct.

Boring.

She hit send and stuffed the phone down beside her thigh in hopes that the cushion on the chair would muffle the vibrations so she could ignore it should he respond. Briar finished out her joint and pulled another from her cigarette case and lit it up.

She felt the dooming buzz of an incoming message on her thigh and groaned.

It was James.

'Could we maybe meet tomorrow and go over the plans together? I would feel better going over the plans with the actual designer. Not her boss.

And call me Bucky. All my friends do.'

So, they were friends now? She chuckled and settled back into the chair again.

Meeting a client off the clock could go wrong, there was no telling if she'd face repercussions on Monday.

But, the opportunity to present her project on her terms in her words...

'Yeah, sure. I can do a full layout set up on my design wall here at the house. Just text Natasha for the address. She doesn't let me give it out. She's a weird roommate.

And call me, Briar.'

There. She threw it in.

The frustrated groan yell from inside the house a moment later meant that Bucky was quicker on the draw than she would have thought.

_______<_________<___________<_________<__

JMT tag: @sea040561 @heli0s-writes @suz-123

Thank you to you, reading this. Yeah, you. You're awesome.

[sabinefm]

( bruna marquezine , cis female , peach ) welcome to aida&stefano , SABINA REUBE ! thank you for choosing to stay here. in this form it says that you go by the SHE / HER , you’re TWENTY THREE years old , you’re originally from SAN FRANCISCO , and you’ve been staying here for ONE YEAR . it also says you’re known to be + RESOURCEFUL , but also - SELFISH. that really shouldn’t be a problem though. check in at the front , hope you enjoy your stay ! (the click of heels, hot sand under your bare feet, chocolate covered strawberries, the imprints a bra leaves on your skin, red lipstick staining your fingertips )

ABOUT THE MUN.  i hope this email never finds you 

hello all, my name is pepper and i have never been on time for anything, ever in my life sdjkdskj this is especially true today, rip. no but honestly, i never thought i would actually get accepted into this beautiful rp so i stalled checking acceptances cause i’m a Scaredy Cat and that made me really late, and then i ended up taking the rest of my coworker’s shift cause she had to go and thus ended up coming home even later than i thought which has made me really really late... BUT against all the odds i’m here! and ready to party! and tell y’all about my bby sabina! but first a little bit about me, i am twenty four (ew), i can’t cook (rip), and i currently spend most of my lonely quarantine days either watching anime or scrolling through tiktok. i am canadian but every canadian that meets me thinks i’m american and i don’t know why. when i was a child i had an irrational (or yk very rational) fear of sharkboy from sharkboy and lava girl, and tbh it has never left me. i was also afraid of gill from kim possible so you can imagine my horror when that fish f*cking movie won an oscar?? when i was younger i also thot god looked like king triton from the little mermaid cause he was white and he had a beard yk. it fit in my little brain. and finally i just recently discovered girl in red and therefore feel like i finally got my bi girl card,,, feeling validated in this chillis tonight. and if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about me idk what will. anyways, that’s officially enough about me onto who we’re all really here for, ms sabine!

BIO.  the lengths i would go to to both get attention and avoid it... astounding  tldr ; daughter of a guy who created a dating site + app, came to a&s after leaving her husband to be at the alter after catching him cheating with her mother, wants to be a bad bitch, sometimes succeeds. 

THEN.

sabina came into the world the child of a mediocre stay at home mom and a penniless entrepreneur so it goes without saying that she had very little. her dad had a lot of passion and a lot of drive but no one would really give him a chance, and her mother kind of only married the man because she was expecting him to make it big enough for her to never have to work another day in her life so? yeah she was hella disappointed tbh 

but not sabina! she looked up to her father so much as a child. while her mom was kind of ~emotionally unavailable~ her father was too, but like at least he had a dream he believed in, yk? he wanted to help people fall in love and sabine being the big romantic she was as a child had never heard of anything so noble. her daddy was her hero. sabina honestly had big daddy’s little girl vibes until she was like 22 tkjsdkjd

one day when their family credit card got rejected one too many times sabina’s mother called it quits on yk the whole mother gig. she left sabina on a bench outside of the grocery store while she went to go home and ‘get some cash’ which even at seven sabine knew was a damn lie cause they were too broke to have any damn cash. and yeah that was the last sabina heard of her for a long ass time. it was a reverse ‘dad went to get some cigarettes’ situation but just as traumatic honestly. 

although not as much for sabine’s dad. that man literally saw his wife leaving him as a minor setback and moved on. he threw himself harder into his work, to the point where sabine barely saw him. this was the start of sabine desperately trying to compete with her father’s business for even a sliver of his attention. this was a battle she usually lost. 

sabine raised herself for a while there, since her father yk remarried his job and her mother was following the jonas brother’s cross country. she became both very independent and very lonely for a child, which was an odd combination that both haunted sabine for pretty much the rest of her life after that point and lead her to make most of her worst decisions. but that’s a story for another time, because right when all hope was lost sabine’s father won the lottery. literally. 

all at once they were five million dollars richer. they went from nothing to everything real quick. and this marked a change in the reube’s lives in a way sabine couldn’t have even imagine at the time. 

sabine’s father hector used the money to fund his business and that shit blew up! he created a site by the name of loveisblind that was in the ring with the likes of match.com and christianmingle yk, one of those dating sites. everyone on loveisblind is set up on blind dates based on the information they fill out on their profile and are only allowed to see each other when they reach a certain point of emotional intimacy. the site had wild success rates, and got very popular, blah, blah, the point was the reubes? suddenly rich af!

and you think that would give hector more time to spend with his daughter right? no. it gave hector the money to hire nannies for his daughter. 

yes, somehow despite hector no longer having to work himself to the bone, sabine saw him even less. tragic really. she really became that lonely rich girl trope real quick, and this is what unfortunately got sabine into the habit of seeking the attention she wasn’t getting from her father in other men and women, which she is not proud of. 

that unfortunately didn’t fill the void that sabine had but you know what did? making the loveisblind app so her daddy would love her. basically around the time that tinder started gaining traction and getting popular, people stopped going on the loveisblind site and started instead turning to apps. her father was trying and failing to get into that market, and sabina, being yk, actually a lot more intelligent than her father ever gave her credit for, created the app for his site and pitched it to him over his lunch one day. it was honestly one of the first times sabina can remember her father really paying attention to her in the longest time. it was also the proudest she’s ever seen him. 

the app was a big success! a whole new generation was using it and finding love, including one ms sabine reube. in the early days of the app launch sabine met her prince charming, christopher ‘kit’ johannson. he swept her right off her feet, and she fell HARD, and when they debuted their relationship it wasn’t long until they kind of became the face of the app?? like sabine’s father was the creator after all, the fact that his daughter found love on the app too was big news for a while. people followed their relationship and strived for something like that for themselves. sabine didn’t know it at the time but they were basically a walking advertisement, and her father was LIVING for that.

fast forward a bit and your girl went to yale for computer engineering and business (did her daddy’s status and money ease the way? maybe man, nepotism am i right) whilst kit went to harvard, they were long distance for a bit before they graduated and kit very publicly proposed (the whole thing was well recorded too, gotta get that gram), and then both sab and kit moved in together and both started working for their families respective companies. it was around then that sabine started to understand just how much and how often kit was cheating on her. it was a real wakeup call. 

sabine ended up breaking down to her father about her suspicions, and he basically ended up telling her to suck it up and think of the business. the fact was sabine and kit, the face of their new generation and one of the first successful couples from the app getting married and living happily ever after was amazing for the company. and the two of them calling the whole thing off just because of a little infidelity just wasn’t going to cut it. 

now once again, this is where sabine’s deep desire to be loved and accepted really bites her in the ass. this was one of the first times sabine’s father had ever really asked her for anything so... she did it. or at least she did her best to do it. she lasted until the wedding day around the time where she caught kit and her own mother (who she only invited out of a deep rooted need to actually know the woman who gave birth to her again) going at it in the coat closet of their wedding venue. yeah, at that point sabine pretty much snapped, blacked out, smashed a whole wedding cake over kit’s head, and took their honeymoon to venice on her own. she arrived at Aida&Stefano with running mascara in a ruined wedding dress trying to ask about a honeymoon suite. it was a whole mess, but you know what so is sab so at least she was on brand. 

NOW.

after sabina arrived she spent about a week mourning her failed almost-marriage and yk, destroyed family before she decided to fuck it all and reinvent herself. she desperately wanted to become someone new, someone unrecognizable from who she was before, even if it was only on the inside. so she cut her hair (the first step to every transformation) hardened everything soft about herself and made the irrevocable decision to become a bad bitch. she (mostly) succeeded. kind of. 

sabine basically curb stomped out the soft, hopeless romantic people pleaser in her and decided to become someone more unsympathetic. someone who puts her own needs first instead of burning herself up to keep others warm (cause what good has that ever done her before?). someone who people would be afraid to hurt but who wouldn’t even feel pain anyways. and to sum it up that person is a heartless bitch. or at least she tries to be.

i’m gonna stop here because this is already a lot longer than i wanted it to be and i haven’t even got to the other sections yet rip but you get the point i feel

PERSONALITY.  *feels nothing* mmm, don’t like that *feels something but like too much* mmm not a fan of that either 

most of this is tbd because i’m still developing her but

VAIN. the kind of girl who will file her nails or check herself out in the mirror while you’re talking to her. will reapply her lipstick in the rearview mirror of her car while she’s driving. checks herself out in any reflective surface, i mean i would too if i looked like bruna but Still 

KIND. even though sab tries to be a hard ass she’s probably the most loyal, generous, kind person you would ever meet deep down. like she puts on this persona of being heartless, but if anyone needs her she will be there for them. kind of hates that she’s such a softie sometimes but she can’t help it. 

EMOTIONALLY UNAVAILABLE. doesn’t want to be hurt again and will do pretty much anything to avoid that. tries to keep people at arms length especially romantically. loves making friends though, and will indeed spoil them. 

HEADCANNONS.  who wants to hire me as their maid i’m not gonna clean im just gonna wear a cute maid outfit dust like 6 things and bend down a lot

has the vibes of that drunk rich aunt that’s always smoking like sexily as she looks far into the distance and wears like a super luxurious coat. will gossip with you. will buy you things your mom won’t. will cuss out your toxic father at the dinner table. that’s her energy.

unfortunately actually does smoke. i hate 

okay fun fact, the only reason sabine went to university for computer programming and business was because she felt her father wanted her to. she honestly has no real passion for the subject and just wanted to use her talent to make her father as proud of her as he was on the day she debuted that app to him. but now that making daddy proud isn’t like the only thing occupying her entire brain sabine like is like ??? wait what do i actually want to do with my life ??? and it took her a while to figure it out but after a while she fell back on one of her passions, art. she’s actually making a graphic novel aimed towards young adults about a modern day hades and persephone vibe, kind of about a girl who falls in love with the grim reaper and the lengths she goes to to chase after her (yes it is a Lady Reaper) into the depths of hell,,, it’s wild. she’s very proud of it but also kind of shy about it tbh. her go to critic is georgio, because she knows that little shit will be honest and yk what she respects that. 

but when it comes to making actual money your girl turns to cam work most of the time, because well. at the very least it’s quick, easy, and semi discreet. and sometimes she gets something out of it too. she figures it’s a win win, and she’s been doing it for about a year now, mostly because she absolutely refuses to use any of her father’s money. 

is allergic to cucumber. 

has a different 'relationship’ like every week or so, along with a few one night stands peppered in. unfortunately still attracted to people who are bad for her (kit for example was an asshole and a cheater and DEFINITELY conservative like she messed up on that one), but is also very afraid of falling in love again and letting herself get hurt, so she normally doesn’t let things last too long before she starts self sabotaging. 

if you ever catch sabine with like... her nails growing out or her nail polish chipped, something is wrong. like something is deeply wrong. sabine will have her nails done in the middle of the apocalypse, the only reason they would be less than perfect is if she is having a breakdown. always has colour on her nails, and usually it’s a shade of red, purple, or black. 

always has wild ass stories to tell about her tinder dates or one night stands and will tell them without shame for your entertainment. is a great storyteller honestly, a talent she got from her mother but she doesn’t want to admit that. 

fun fact, her mother mariah was PISSED when hector got rich AFTER she left him and tried for years to sue him or something but no dice. she was so angry and vengeful over the whole thing that she took the opportunity of being invited to her daughters wedding to get back at her husband where it hurt, his business. thus sleeping with kit. didn’t really think about how her daughter might feel about the whole thing because she was yk blinded by rage, but that’s just how mariah is so i mean,,, rip sabina. 

shops when she’s sad, or happy, or angry, or confused sdkjdsj will use any excuse to shop, and at this point she has more clothes than she knows what to do with. her style can be kind of out there at times, but she will let you borrow things though. 

she has a cat named momo. yes that is inspired by her being the peach skeleton. also has a parrot named poe i think. i also have the urge to give her a snake but... i will resist. so sabine wants a snake for sure 

her favourite colours are black and red

she is a horrible terrible driver. don’t drive with sabine unless you’re an adrenaline junkie or like want to die tbh 

her dad 100% set up the relationship between kit and sabine as a pr stunt, but sabine doesn’t know that yet and when she finds out her father used her like that ooh boy things are gonna get wildt. as it is now sabine just thinks she disappointed him and it’s kind of eating her alive. half the reason she’s staying here is because she doesn’t want to face him or yk her old life anymore. her father is so caught up in the shame she caused him that he hasn’t even tried to call her after the whole thing and the one time sabine got hella drunk and called him all he did was tell her what a disappointment she was and ask when she was coming back to work so we love ~parenting~

WANTED CONNECTIONS. girls will “🥺🥺🥺🥺” their way out of everything

close friends please and thanks, best friends also please, uh, can i get some awkward one night stands that avoid each other at all cost, can i get a neighbour who’s ear sabine is always talking off in the hallway between their rooms even tho they just want to go home but can’t because sabine is Oversharing, maybe a flirtationship, but also i would love an enemy (it could be for a ridiculous reason or a completely valid reason but either way please give it to me), someone she goes out dancing/partying with at piccolo, a sibling like relationship, a confidante, someone who she trusts to read her comic and maybe even do some linework, and absolutely anything else okay my brain is fried rn but i want it all! please like this and i will slip and slide into your dms <3

[szopenhauer]

Where do you put your keys when you get home? personal

Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? one from far away on the sand when I was on camp and second time it was just dead and not even whole anymore, I wanna touch a snake!

What’s your favourite movie from the 80s? can’t choose only one

Are you expecting any phone calls or emails? not really

Do you have any family that live in another country? no one close

Are there any words that you hate or make you cringe? sure

What is the best house you’ve ever lived in? I’ve lived in one house only unless I can count some I stayed for awhile like grandma’s apartment or aunt’s cottage 

What movie reminds you of your childhood? many movies like Jumanji or Goonies

What was the last email you received? spam

Are you in any fb groups? I am

Whose house did you last visit? my gf’s

How many tabs do you have open right now? 5

What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but keep putting off? I procrastinate lots of stuff

What’s the first thing you check on your phone at the start of the day? fb messanger/time

Would you date someone who still lived with their parents? I still live with my parents  Do you think there is life on other planets? not those close to us

Would you enjoy a night of playing video games? maybe Do you dream of traveling the world or are you happy where you are? I’m not happy but I don’t want to travel  Would you watch a porno with your partner? hmm... Have you ever stolen from your work? no Do you own any sex toys? I don’t How often do you use facebook at work? depends Would you date someone half your age? that would be illegal and I wouldn’t want to anyway Are you a romantic person? a little? Would you be okay with your partner hanging with their ex as friends? I probably wouldn’t be  Do you have a current passport? never had a passport Is it more fun to go out just with your date or on a group date? just my date Have you had a relationship with someone of the same sex? as a lesbian Is marriage a necessity for two people who love each other? no but it’s nice Is there anything you think science will never be able to explain? possibly Is intoxication ever an acceptable excuse for acting stupid? if you can’t act normal then don’t drink, UGH! Do you litter? never Do you believe in fate or destiny? not sure Doing nothing all day makes you feel…? both good and bad Have you ever had sex with someone you worked with? I have not Would you date someone just for the sex? noooo Do you consider yourself a positive person? pfft Are Sex and Intimacy the same thing? sex is to intimacy like square to rectangles How often do you get angry? I’m like Bruce Banner Have you had cosmetic surgery? I haven’t On a first date do you pay or do they? split Do you only date people who have jobs or are full-time students? I don’t care what they do in life (school, job or nothing) if we don’t live together, I’m unemployed myself Could you date someone who does drugs? doubt it Do you enjoy watching sports? nah Would you do a striptease for your partner? umm... Would you date someone who doesn’t have a car? sure, I don’t even own one  You have a week off, travel or stay home? home <3 Does spending the weekend at home annoy you? noooo Do you consider yourself open minded? nah Do others find you sexy? r u kidding?... Have you ever met someone in person you met online? I have Do you tell your friends you love them? nope, just family and partner

Do your siblings dye their hair? sometimes Who can you best relate to in the last book you read? partially to Will, Stella and Poe Are you indecisive? it’s hard for me to make a decision but I am not changing my mind like wind blows

What are you listening to? Lana Del Rey What are you doing tomorrow? we’ll see What was the last compliment someone gave you? not sure which was last Do you have a big family? no but it’s still to big for me :x Which one of your senses would you miss the most if you lost it? sight, then hearing

What’s your opinion on prostitution? Should it be legal and regulated, or is it something that needs to be gotten rid of completely? it should be illegal If you want (or don’t want) kids, is this something you’ve always known or have you changed your mind as you’ve grown up? I wanted kids at first because I played dolls and didn’t know anything about pregnancy or taking care of real children, I just thought it’s normal everyone have them at some point and that’s all but once I found out more about the subject I realized it’s not for me because of many reasons

Has the person you like ever seen you in your pajamas? yup Did the last person you kissed celebrate your last birthday with you? she wasn’t in my life at the time What’s the first word of the last text message you received? ok was the whole message XD

What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? I’m gonna die, if I won’t fall asleep I’ll explode, I feel so bad Are you okay right now? am I ever?... When was the last time you saw your mom? we’re home together What is the last thing you drank today? just going to drink some water in the kitchen Will you be up before 7 am tomorrow? hope not What are you listening to right now? Cigarettes after sex Last time you had a sleepover? ages ago If the last person you dated said they were in love with you, what would you say? I know she does, she was telling me that already Do you replay things that have happened in your head? overthinking for life If you could get paid to do anything in the world, what would you do? sitting in front of the computer  Do your parents actually knock on your door before entering your room or just barge right in, instead? my dad knocks, my mom barges in What would you do if it snowed right now? ...

Are you more of a leader or a follower? loner

Would you say you’ve had a good life so far? no comment What’s something you wish you could have delivered to your house? regularly or right now? What’s your favorite art style? surrealism? Are any of your coworkers currently out on maternity/paternity leave? I don’t have coworkers now Do you have a good sense of balance? it’s hard to say Do you live in a very racially and culturally diverse country? no Do you live alone? I wish

Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way? nothing big If you knew that one of your friends was considering suicide, what would you say to them? depends

Who was the last person to pay you a compliment? my gf The shirt you’re wearinh - is it one of your favourites? yep Is there a certain name that you think seems to have become really popular, and you know lots of people with that same name? growing up Ewelina, Julia, Emilia, Katarzyna, Urszula, Małgorzata and Michał were the most popular names Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site? yup Have you ever asked anyone “Do you love me?” If so, did you get the response you wanted? Do you think when someone says “I love you”, you feel obliged to say it back? yes, usually and kinda If you’ve had a bad experience in a past relationship, did you find that you were scared to get into another relationship, in case the same thing happened again? that’s normal Are you friends with the last person you hugged, or something more? we’re related Do you ever post song lyrics as your Facebook status? sometimes Do you drink alcohol on a regular basis, or do you prefer to save it for special occasions? I don’t drink even on special occassions Did you play with Barbies when you were a kid, or did you prefer something else? I played with Barbies but not only them If you were going to buy a present for the person you love/like, what would you generally choose? what she likes/wants/needs :) If I’m going to buy you a box of chocolates, which kind should I definitely NOT get? don’t buy me any Is there something you generally always ask for help with? I need help with many things :( Has anyone called you beautiful today? no, I’m not so that would be a lie

Who was the last person to see you cry? my mother

Do you drink bottled water? sometimes

You never know what you have until it’s gone. True or false? kinda true

Are you scared of losing the person you like to someone else? if they were happy with someone else - let that happen, I’ll be fine alone

Will you be in bed in the next 20 minutes? too early to sleep

Do you laugh at inappropriate times? rarely

How many bracelets do you have on right now? zero

Do you have someone you have late night conversations with? I do

What does your phone do when it receives a text? vibrates

What is in your pocket? no pockets!

Can you remember the last person you texted without looking? my sister 

Do you listen to music everyday? almost

Are you gonna be home alone tonight? I won’t be alone

If there was a large spider in your room, would you stay in the room? how big?

Are you a flirty person? maybe The last store you went to was…? local

Do you have a friend named Alex? used to  What did you think of the movie Juno? I have mixed feelings about it How often do you eat meat? often Have you ever gotten clothes from the kids section as an adult? I have :x Are you more of a science/math person or english/history person? I’m artsy  When you were little, would you have rather watched Cartoon Network or Disney Channel? we didn’t have such expensive channels Since using the internet regularly, have you started to read less than you used to? I read less not because of internet Are you a big fan of the Harry Potter series? nah Do you find yourself feeling lazier when the weather is warm? I feel lazier when the weather is cold because I don’t wanna leave my bed or home at least Are you a fan of the TV show Friends? watched fragments and I like Chandler and Phoebe - I think they would be great together, I’m a bit like them How old do you think is too old to sleep with a stuffed animal? never Are you 100% over the last person you kissed? I’m not How many tattoos would you like to have? I don’t plan any Are you over the age of 25? I am Do you want your life to stay the way it is right now forever? omg! I want my life to get better :( Would you rather live without music or without the t.v? without TV

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #236

“so i asked you once, and i ask you again: where do your roots start, and where do your roots end?”

Do you wear a ring on your finger? Yeah, a Supernatural reference best friend one. Do you listen to your friends’ advice when they give it to you? I mean, it depends on the kind of advice and the seriousness of the issue. I'd say in most cases, yes. What’re you listening to right now? "Angel Eyes" by New Years Day ft. Chris Motionless. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? It has been, twice. I don't think I'll do it again because my glasses are just in the way and they come out and get lost too easily. Is your last ex still someone you care about and do you still have romantic feelings for your ex? Yes to both. My feelings towards her haven't changed at all, we just made a heavily-discussed, hard, but wise decision for the time being. Are you someone’s best friend? Sara. What’s the biggest annoyance in your life right now? Annoyance, ummm... oh, easy. Being poor as dirt. That's only slightly under my skin, y'know? Have you spoken to your mother today? Yeah, I live with her. When was the last time you cried and why? PTSD. It's started to become relevant again, jOY to THe WOrlD!!!!!1!!!1!!!!! Is there someone who makes you instantly smile when you receive a message from them? I mean I don't always smile, but I consistently do get excited. If someone loved you right now, would you want them to tell you? *confused screaming* Do you like to cuddle? If I'm seriously romantically into you, yes. Is any part of you sad at all? I think that's always going to be a thing for me, somewhere down in there. Do you like seafood? Only shrimp, and even that I don't like in some forms. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Does more than one person like you? Idk. Do you ever worry that people might be talking about you behind your back? Always. Fuck, I think Sara's the only person I can count on to never. Do you call your partner ‘baby’? I hated it and never used it 'til Sara. I eventually did, and somehow, it felt okay and not disrespectful??? Idk if I'll use it again. What's the most boring guy’s name out there? Like, "Bob" or something. Do you know how to play Mahjong? Nope. Ever had a promise ring? No. What’s the biggest turn off in the opposite sex? Send me a dick pic and I will actually KICK you in the dick. Fun fact, even though I'm still bi, visually, penises gross me the fuck out and so I'd rather see someone's as little as possible, m'kay? Doing that is like a surefire way for me to decide "oh no bye boy." How often do you catch yourself daydreaming? A whole lot. This time last year, were you single? No. Who is someone you’ll always hate? The doctor that put me on a medication that put around 100 pounds on me and blamed it aaaaaall on me. :^) Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Yeah, just spelled differently. Who knows your biggest secret(s)? Sara. Do you ever read the threads on r/AskReddit? No. Are you currently stressed out about anything? You have no fucking idea. What’s your Instagram @? brittanymphotography or eldritch_obscura, depending on what kind of photography you're into. Don't have a personal one. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? No. Are you in love with anyone at the moment? It's so complicated. I think, but I also question the "in" love part. That and just "loving" are different to me. I want her, I want Jason, and here I am strictly monogamous. I barely understand what I feel romantically rn. If a friend called you to help hide a body, would you help or turn them in? UM fuck that I'm calling the cops. Have you ever had a crush on someone that, now as you look back, is completely embarrassing? Not really. How would you react if a friend started dating your ex? When "ex" is used singularly, I always assume you want The Ex. So, regardless of friend, that'd feel weird, but with certain people/levels of friendship, less so than others. If you were in an emergency, which friend would you call first? So not family? Uhhh, I don't know. It depends on the kind of emergency. Ever kissed someone who wasn’t single? No. Other than that "someone who wasn't single" being my partner. Are you single? if no who are you dating and for how long? Not right now, no. What kind of music do you listen to? Tons of different forms of metal, rock, indie, and I'm even into some electro stuff now. Do you have any YouTube videos of yourself? Thank the merciful lord, not anymore. What’s your fave YouTube video? BIIIIIIIIIHHHHHHHHHH the one featuring Dark in A Heist With Markiplier. I am not exaggerating my love of White Suit Dark. Use three words that best describe your best friend: Passionate, loyal, and resilient as a motherfucker. Now use three that best describe you: Also passionate, empathetic, and caring. List three things that describe your crush/love: Look I love someone but am also preoccupied with the idea of Jason coming back to me. It's not a "crush," it's being in love with a memory. I don't have a clue how to answer this rn. Is there someone in the family that no one really talks to? As far as extended family goes, yeah. Have you ever been romantically interested in a coworker? N/A What is the game you’re currently playing most often on your phone? None; I have no games on it because my phone has incredibly small memory. Same. Are you close to someone who is mentally unwell? Well, define "unwell." I have a load of friends and family with mental disorders, but calling them "mentally unwell" seems too severe. Do you have an opinion on adopting/purchasing a pet? Adopt, dude. There are so, SO many cats and dogs and I'm sure more that need a home, but you'd rather pay hundreds for a dog with likely some sort of health problem from extreme breeding than adopt an animal for a far cheaper price that ALREADY needs a family? Come on, now. Have you ever read any of your idols’ books/autobiographies? I read Ozzy's autobiography. Do you know anyone who is freaked out by cats? ???????????? no????????????? What name would you pick for yourself? Probably "Zoey." Do you enjoy going to live shows? Do concerts count? 'Cuz yeah. Who do you spend the most time with? My mom, I guess? She's the only one I live with, but she's like, never home because she works more than she breathes. What color do you wish your hair was? Natural hair, blonde. So much easier to dye, jc. Does any of the jewelry you wear have sentimental significance? The ring mentioned earlier, as well as the bracelet Sara also gave me. Who is your favorite drummer? Eh, no op Do you find musicians attractive? This is a dumb question... It depends on the musician??? If you could get any piercing, what would it be? I want a microdermal below/near the outer corner of my eye NOW. But I have glasses so it would totally ruin the purpose, ugh. Do you scream, yell, jump around and dance at shows or do you stand still? Just cheer, really. I wouldn't call it "screaming." I guess I can yell, too? Have you ever lost your voice from screaming so much? "No. I’ve had a sore throat." <<<< This. What’s your favorite color on the person you have feelings for? Both Sara and Jason, as well as like anyone, I love wearing black. Actually, Sara is super cute in light colors, like baby pink. Ugh talking about them at the same time feels fuckin weird. Who’s your favorite horror monster/killer? Alright, let's just say like, the "traditional" guys. I suppose Jason? His silence, totally casual pursuit, and mask creep me out, man. What kind of music do you prefer to listen to when driving? When I myself am driving, I don't want music on. I can't concentrate. Are you willing to board airplanes? I've gone up to see Sara like... three times within two years, I think? They don't scare me too much. I don't like takeoff, though. Too rocky and dizzying. Do looks really matter to you when it comes to friendship? ??????????? what?????????? the fuck??????????????? Do you accept friend requests from people you don’t know? Nope. I have to not only know you, but care more about you than like the average acquaintance of whatever. What is one of your best talents? Writing, I guess? Are/were you a rebellious youth or angsty teen? ha ha oh BOY Do you put your change in a jar for savings? No. How do you feel about transvestites? BITCH y'all great. I love you. Fuckin ROCK YA SHIT. Do you know anyone with a land line at their house? Yes, actually. Do you have any guilty pleasures? Certain kinds of daydreams. Have you been in a fist fight with someone you didn’t want to fight? I've never had a physical fight. Has anyone ever convinced you to do something you didn’t want to? Sure. Usually for my own benefit/growth, though. Are you a sensitive person? Yeah, quite a bit. Do you enjoy writing? Yep. Are you a germ-o-phobe? YEAH. Would you ever own a hairless rat, cat or dog? I would TOTALLY have a sphynx. There's this one breed of dog too and is furless on most places but does have some furry areas and are so ugly they're cute, and I once almost did adopt a hairless rat. So there's your answer. Do you prefer big, fluffy towels or normal sized/smaller towels? BIG FLUFF What is the image on your beach towel? Don't have one of those. Are you good with making eye contact? NO. I never know how long to maintain it and overthink it HEAVILY. I avoid it most of the time. What is your favorite book that was turned into a movie? Probably The Outsiders. I thought it did the book great justice. Do you like the movie or the book better? I don't remember either well enough. Do you watch porn? No. I don't want to watch some strangers bang each other. It's in no way arousing to me. What’s your favorite flavor of applesauce, if any? I guess just normal? Do you go to a firework show every 4th of July? Nah. Are you diabetic? No. Are you allergic to gluten? No. I don't think I'd survive. Are you lactose intolerant? No. Do you live with your parents? Just my mom. Parents are divorced and Mom had full custody, and my two sisters are proper adults that can survive without their mommy. :^) How much experience do you have written down on your resume, approximately? NOT A LOT!!!!!!!! I only count like, one damn job that was valid/lasted a couple months, but only because I very rarely worked. I also only include my previous online college, and should I create a resume now, obviously the one I currently attend. What’s your favorite song to dance to? I do not dance, my friend. What do you think of your parents? Both of them are great. Mom is the reason I'm (in the big picture) healthy, even alive. I WOULD be dead, died a long time ago, if it was not for that woman. Saved my life again and again and again, been there for me through both the same old shit and new madness. I'mma stop here before I actually cry just thinking about how thankful I am for her. Dad, too, I love, and I aspire to be as positive as he seems nowadays. His loyalty to my sisters and me, especially after the shit I've said, is incredible. He doesn't take a lot too seriously, and that's nice, especially when you're having a hard time. He's an optimistic guy now that always makes an effort to cheer you up. He's a total goof, too. He's just fun to be around. What do you think makes you attractive to other people? HA, fuck if I know. I guess my vertical lip labret stands out? Everyone I've dated since having it has at some point pointed out that that's like, my trademark that makes me recognizable right off the bat and that it looks good on me. One of the few things I even like on myself. Would more money make you happier? Look me right in the fucking eye and answer "no" to this. What is one of your favorite memories as a child? Watching my older sister play demo discs' video games after waking up. It's something so simple, but idk, I love remembering that. What’s your favorite kind of cake? Probably red velvet, like gd that shit good. Who is your favorite sports team? Idc. Like I have a natural fondness towards the Carolina Hurricanes 'cuz they're Dad's favorite and we've gone to some games together, but I really don't care. Who would you like to get to know better? I have this high school acquaintance named Courtlynn on my Facebook that seems so cool and relatable. She seems to like me too (not romantically, but she's really supportive, hearts like everything, comments the sweetest stuff sometimes, all that), I just think both of us are shy to reach out. What is the strangest food you ever ate? "I don’t eat anything I consider strange. I’m so picky and basic." <<<< Big 'ole fat same. What’s your favorite thing to order at a Chinese food restaurant? I exclusively only eat pork fried rice and/or egg rolls. Are you an organ donor? YES!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE BE ONE!!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T NEED THEM ONCE UR DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!! THE LIVING DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SAVE SOME LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What’s your favorite candle scent? FRESH BAKED BREAD MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? Check for identification and call if a number is given, offer it food and water, put a notification up on Facebook about a lost pet... all that stuff. We'd try to avoid a shelter, probably, because yeah. Euthanization is a thing. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? I am the one with the tongue piercing lmao. No. Is it easy for someone to make you cry? OH YES, QUITE. How many children can you see yourself having? IF I had kids, IF, I could not possibly imagine myself with more than two. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? SILENT HILL FUCK MAN I LOVE THAT SHIT. Are you competitive? Not really. Depends. Black and white or colored photos? It very much depends. Composition, lighting, content, all that contributes to what I find more aesthetically pleasing. Do you prefer to date younger, older, or the same age as you? Preferably around my age. What’s something from the past that you don’t miss at all? Being a depressed mess every waking moment of my life. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you wash your hair every day? No, every day is bad for your hair. Do you have trouble sticking to promises? Definitely not. I'm good at that. Have you ever made out with someone of the same sex? Very briefly. She thought she was ready, but not quite. What kind of headphones do you have? Right now they're literally just flimsy hot pink earplugs from a dollar store lmao. How often do you go to parties? Never. Do you sleep in awkward positions? I don't think so. Do you experiment a lot with new looks on yourself? Not really. Where is your favorite place to be kissed? Don't touch my tits with, like, anything. Do you ever quote your favorite movie in normal conversations? No? Do people ever tell you that you look stoned when you’re not? No. Do you suffer from anxiety or depression? *shrugs* why not both? Do hospitals freak you out? To a degree. Been there enough times to both get semi-used to it, but it also agitates old wounds and makes me antsy to get out. What about cemeteries at night? I've never experienced this, so I can't say. But the idea doesn't really creep me out, no. What is your favorite Nintendo 64 game? I never had one. Were you mean as a little kid? Nah, I was a good kid actually.

[artificialqueens]

Withstanding The Test Of Time Ch5 - Shalaska - pureCAMP

A/N - I’ll be honest, I’ve entirely forgotten how to format fics on account of the fact that it’s been so long since I submitted. Nonetheless I’m here!! I’ve been a busy bee with school (year 11 woo - not) and mental breakdowns and periods of horrific self doubt but pffft that doesn’t matter.

It’s been a long time coming so here she is!

Irritatingly enough, Alaska had been true to her word. The party was small enough that the place wasn’t overwhelming, but large enough that Sharon could blend in, unnoticed, with nobody paying any attention to her.  She had dug out an old black ensemble that she had often wore when she went clubbing, pairing it with the darkest makeup and the largest heels she could find. To add a little bit of insult to injury, she had even taped over her timer again - the large ‘Alaska Thunderfuck’ was obscured by some offensively-matching black electrical tape.

  Sharon’s first port of call was to grab a drink, in an effort to find something to do with her hands and to avoid talking to anybody. She wanted a beer, but there was no such luck - she ended up content with a vodka and coke, surveying her surroundings.

  It didn’t take too long for her to find Alaska, what with the bubbliness she seemed to be overflowing with. She was in the same dress as she had been that afternoon, making her way around the room to graciously accept everybody’s congratulations. At least, Sharon thought to herself, they only really cared about Alaska. The last thing she wanted was a congratulations on caving to her fate.

  At that thought, she started to regret showing up. It wasn’t like she was going to have fun tonight. She might as well have stayed in Alaska’s home, spending her money on cheaply made horror films to pass the time until her new wife came stumbling home. That would’ve been preferable, but she was here now.

  Eventually, she decided to just use her phone as a crutch. Instagram was looking exciting, full of people who had better bodies, better lives and more money than her… Facebook was as bad as ever, with the baby bullshit… Twitter was filled with promotions for a movie she didn’t want to see… but it was fine. As long as she kept her head down, and pretended she was interested, no one would approach her.

  Her phone buzzed, the distraction as unwelcome as her boredom.

  Bianca: We need to talk

Bianca: Call me.

  Sharon rolled her eyes. Bianca had been a safe haven to Sharon for years, but she was beginning to feel as though the older woman only cared about her when she was of use. After all, Sharon was one of the few who was willing to get arrested for the cause, but that didn’t seem to mean anything outside of protesting.

  Stepping outside, she dialled the number, stretching her sore arm as she did and attempting to copy the exercises the doctors had told her to do.

  “So?”

  Sharon frowned. “Huh?”

  “Your timer? Did it go off?”

  Of course. With a huff of annoyance, Sharon rolled her eyes. “Why thank you for asking, Bianca, I am recovering well after being hit by a fucking car. Not that you seem to care, of course.”

  “Get over your attitude, kid. Did your timer go off?”

  “Yes, it did.” Sharon said shortly. “Is that the answer you want? Or do you want me to go into detail about how madly in love I am with my new soulmate, hmm? How deeply I regret joining your movement because now I know the feeling of true, real love, yes?”

  “Sharon, listen to me-”

  “No, Bianca, you fucking listen to me for once.” She said hotly, getting worked up. “I’ve done enough listening. I’ve been arrested for you, because I believe so strongly in our cause that I think it’s worth it. I was hit by a car - an actual fucking car - trying desperately to escape my fate because I was so upset that I’d have to succumb to the laws I’ve been fighting against with you since I was a fucking child. Today was the worst day of all, because it finally fucking happened. And I’ve had not an ounce of support or sympathy from you, all because your fucking timer will never run out, so you don’t care how it feels for anyone else. It feels like a trap, Bianca! It feels like someone has their hands around my neck and I can’t get out and not a goddamn word of support has come from you. I need you right now. I need somebody who will understand the desperation I’m dealing with. I was stupid enough to believe you’d care about me, and that you’d reach out. But you don’t, do you? You care about your fucking protests. And that’s it.”

  “Sharon-”

  “No.” Almost out of breath from her rant, Sharon decided to just end the call. “Fuck you.”

  Thanking anyone above that she had remembered to take the purse that contained her cigarettes and lighter, Sharon hurried to fish one out of the packet and lit it, bringing it to her lips with a sigh of relief. As she released the smoke, tilting her head upwards, she noticed Alaska was stood a few feet behind her, looking awkward.

  “Want a cigarette?” Sharon offered, slightly uncomfortably.

  Alaska, predictably, shook her head. “No, no thanks. I don’t smoke.”

  “Of course not,” Sharon took another drag. “You value your lungs, probably.”

  The blonde didn’t seem to know what to say to that, and she brushed off the comment with a shy smile. “That didn’t sound too good.”

  Sharon huffed. “She didn’t deserve all the years of my life that I gave to her. Then again, neither do you.”

  Alaska looked at the floor.

  “It’s nothing against you…” Sharon added, suddenly feeling a stab of guilt. “It’s this whole soulmate bullshit… like, I don’t know you. We don’t know each other. But all of a sudden I’m supposed to be yours for the rest of our lives.”

  “I know.” Alaska said quietly, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “You’ve made your views clear, Sharon. If you stopped to listen for one second, you’d realise that I haven’t tried to force mine on you. Am I upset? Of course. Have I tried to make you fall for me? Not even close.”

  Sharon rolled her eyes. “I don’t need this. I don’t know why I came out tonight-”

  “I don’t know why you came out tonight either!” Alaska exploded, angrier than Sharon had expected she could look. She usually came across as calm and collected, but not anymore. “What do you want from me? I’ve done all I can. And you know as well as I do that we’re soulmates because there’s something inside each of us that the other is going to fall for. You’re only hurting yourself by denying yourself that love.”

  “You soulmate-worshippers are all the fucking same.” Sharon spat, stubbing out her cigarette against the wall. “God forbid anybody have a different view to you, right?”

  Alaska scoffed. “A different view is one thing, Sharon, this is a matter of fucking fact. You’re the close-minded one here, not me.”

  She stalked off back into the party, clearly more than aggravated by their conversation. Sharon stubbed out her cigarette a little too aggressively into the wall, cursing as her fingers scraped against the rough brick. Sure enough, it had drawn blood.

  Childishly enraged, Sharon stamped her feet against the floor and left, deciding her chance her luck and walk to her new home. She had never been the best at controlling her impulsive anger, but she soon came to realize that she had bitten off her own nose to spite her face. In leaving the party, she had only cut herself off from an evening of potential drunkenness and dancing, and it wasn’t going to affect anyone but her. Alaska didn’t give a shit if she was at the party or not. But here was Sharon, stalking angrily down a road she didn’t recognise, hoping she would end up in the right place.

  Ha. What a painful metaphor for her life.

  Is it me? She wondered. Sharon had always been unpopular, a trait that came with being gay and weird and anti-soulmate in a world that revolved around the perfect marriage, but that had only followed her into adulthood. Her friend count had dwindled from a meagre three to a pathetic two, and even that was a stretch. Courtney wasn’t really a friend - she’d have nothing to do with her if it wasn’t for her marriage with Willam. Her relationship with Willam at present was rocky at best, and she’d just lost Bianca. Sasha was sweet but just a coworker - again, somebody who would never give her the time of day if they weren’t otherwise associated with one another - and that left Alaska. Alaska, her wife, who had hit her with a fucking car at the start of a clearly beautifully blossoming relationship.

  Sharon was angry. Far too angry. It was all her fault, and she knew it. Her own parents hated being around their miserable excuse for a daughter, and it was no wonder. She was going to be as shitty a wife as she was a friend.

  It wasn’t long before Sharon had to admit that not only was she a shitty person, a shitty friend and a shitty journalist, she was also a shitty navigator. In her anger, she had walked too far to turn back, but not far enough to recognise anything. Something told her she had taken a wrong turn - or many wrong turns - and she was pretty much hopelessly lost.

  She didn’t want to concede. It was only made worse by the fact that she picked up on the first ring.

  “Sharon?”

  “Where the fuck do you live?!”

  Sharon’s demanding tone caught Alaska by surprise. “What?”

  “I said, where the fuck do you live?”

  “Where are you?” Alaska had the audacity to sound concerned.

  “I don’t fucking know, Alaska. In case you didn’t get the message, I’m lost.”

  Her aggression was uncalled for and Sharon knew it, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Alaska was probably the only person who could help her, and she was still spitting in her face as she begged.

  “Alright, I’ll come and get you. Stay put, and stay on the phone.”

  Sharon rolled her eyes. “Great idea. Drunk driving.”

  Alaska huffed, clearly irritated with her impertinence. “I’m not drunk, I haven’t drank anything tonight. Look, do you want my help or not?”

  Sharon bit her lip.

  “Thought so. Where are you?”

  As Sharon opened her mouth to snap back, Alaska cut in.

  “And don’t give me any ‘I don’t know, I’m lost’ crap. Look around, tell me what you can see, and I’ll come find you.”

  Letting out a sigh, Sharon deflated, feeling the anger in her chest dissipate into a bout of hopelessness and low self-esteem. “Uh… there’s like three Indian takeaways opposite me… I don’t fucking know, it’s dark. There’s a bank?”

  There was a pause. “Sharon, are you on Lilibeth Street?”

  She shrugged, and then realized Alaska couldn’t see her. “I don’t know! If I knew, I’d tell you!”

  “Go find the bus stop, if it’s Lilibeth Street then it’s next to the bank.”

  Sharon did as she was told. “Okay, yeah, that’s where I am.”

  “Jesus fuck, Sharon, how did you wind up there?”

  “I wasn’t thinking! I wasn’t looking, I don’t even know where you live so I had no idea where I was heading. Can you just hurry? I’m not feeling this area. Semi attractive woman alone at night in a place like this doesn’t feel so good.”

  She paused and corrected herself. “Passable looking woman.”

  Alaska ignored her, though Sharon swore she heard the fragmented beginning of a sentence, as though Alaska was going to argue. Instead, she simply stayed on the line, the sounds of traffic faint in the background indicative that she was true to her word and already on her way.

  “Just stay put and you’ll be okay.”

  Yet again, Sharon rolled her eyes. “Where else could I go?”

  “Not the point. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Both of them remained on the call, although neither spoke in the fifteen minutes it took for Alaska to drive from the party to Lilibeth Street. Sharon hadn’t realized how long she had been walking for, the anger having blinded her rational senses, but it had to have been a decent amount of time. She was embarrassed to have given in and asked for help, so embarrassed that she couldn’t even think of anything nasty to say down the phone. That was new.

  It was Alaska who broke the uncomfortable silence as Sharon spotted her car pulling up a few metres away.

  “I can see you! I won’t hit you this time, come over.”

  Sharon should’ve laughed. It was funny. But her bitter, resentful side took over and told her to cling to the tattered shreds of her pride. She ignored the joke, pushing aside Alaska’s attempt at a truce, and hauled herself into the passenger seat without a word.

  “Sorry it took so long.” Alaska said. “Weaving through everyone wasn’t so easy. Everyone wanted to talk to me.”

  Sharon snorted derisively. “Must be nice. Can’t say I’ve ever had that problem.”

  “Be thankful,” Alaska tried to make light of Sharon’s negativity, still unsure of how to deal with her. “It’s exhausting.”

  “I’m sure it is.” Sharon replied. “But having friends is better than having no friends, surely. I mean, face it, you don’t deserve me.”

  Alaska recoiled. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong.” Sharon told her. “I know we argued earlier, but you’re still lovely and all that shit. I’m talking about how I’m the world’s biggest asshole and I look like the before picture. You could do better and you know it.”

  They lapsed into silence. Sharon had tried to sound nonchalant, if slightly disinterested, but she hadn’t succeeded. An atmosphere of awkwardness settled around them as it suddenly seemed far too clear that her words were laced with insecurity and hatred, rather than a punk defiance.

  Finally, Alaska managed, “I can’t believe you think that.”

  The car had come to a stop outside a house, which Sharon realized in the darkness was their house. Alaska parked but made no effort to get out of the car, letting the light come on and illuminate their over-tired faces.

  “Do you - do you really think I could do better?”

  Sharon frowned. “You think you couldn’t?”

  “No, I mean…” Alaska waved her away. “You don’t see…? God, Sharon, when I first saw you… other than lying unconscious in the road, I mean… the first thing I thought was that you were really beautiful. You don’t see that?”

  The compliment made Sharon feel strangely uncomfortable for reasons she didn’t understand. She squirmed slightly, sure she was blushing unattractively.

  “I can’t say I’ve ever been the prima donna.” She muttered. “Lousy job, lousy income, lousy life. I’m not exactly every woman’s dream.”

  Alaska looked deeply at her, genuine hurt visible in her doe-like eyes. How did she have the ability to look at Sharon like that? Nobody looked at her like that. She possessed a kind of gentleness and beauty that Sharon didn’t understand or recognise. She looked as if she was genuinely perplexed by the whole conversation, and Sharon was frustrated that she didn’t get why.

  “You don’t need to be every woman’s dream, Sharon. That’s impossible. You… You only have to be my dream woman.” Her voice was impossibly soft.

  Sharon looked away. “Don’t do this. Don’t pretend like I’m what you were fantasising about as a teenager. I know that’s not true. I’m not anybody’s dream woman, not even yours.”

  Alaska shook her head, somewhat defeated. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  They walked in silently, ignoring the awkwardness that had been created by their conversation. Sharon followed Alaska, still slightly unsure of the layout of her new home, praying she wouldn’t have to sleep in the very bedroom she had allowed herself to sob in earlier. Agreeing to the marriage was something - but sleeping in the same bed was another thing entirely.

  Sharon nearly melted with relief as Alaska opened the door to a bedroom she hadn’t seen before. “This is the spare room, you can stay here if you want.”

  It was small, but still a decent bit bigger than her old bedroom. In the centre of the room, Sharon recognised her old duvet and bedding, neatly laid out on the bed as if it had been there the whole time. Once again, she was touched by a gesture that seemed so small yet was so thoughtful. It seemed wrong that Alaska had been so kind. Sharon didn’t deserve any of her kindness.

  “I figured it would make you feel more at home.” Alaska smiled weakly. “Goodnight, Sharon.”

  Sharon nodded, unable to bring herself to say it back. Her first day as a married woman ended as it had begun - curled up in bed, desperately unhappy.

  -

  Sasha offered nothing but a friendly smile as Sharon took her seat at the desk, remembering their conversation from the previous workday. Under the law, Sharon was legally entitled two weeks away from work, in order to celebrate her new marriage and allow time for a honeymoon, should she choose to go down the traditional route of many. Perhaps a little childishly, in her attempt to prove that she was not happy about her marriage whatsoever, Sharon had set her alarm and headed into work purely to get away from her new home.

  “Hey, Sharon. How’s your weekend been?” She asked conversationally.

  Sharon scowled at her computer screen, irritated by the email notification that had just appeared. “It was okay. I fucking hate having emails first thing in the morning, don’t you?”

  Sasha laughed. “Definitely. Who is it?”

  Sharon clicked the little bubble.

  Sharon, Please come to Board Room 2A at 9.30am today for a meeting to discuss the changes to your monthly pay. If you are unavailable at this time, please reschedule as soon as possible.

Yours,

Agnes Moore

  “What…?” Sharon frowned, rereading the message. “It’s from Agnes. Apparently my wages are changing.”

  Sasha pulled a face. “A promotion, maybe? You deserve it!”

  “You’re probably the only person in this office who thinks that.” Sharon snorted, not missing how the office bitches were glaring at her from across the room. “Isn’t it crazy how you can get hit by a car and still receive less sympathy from your coworkers than they’d give a dead badger. I love working here.”

  Sasha giggled, far too used to Sharon’s grim sense of humour. “At least you have Agnes. She’s nice, it’s Trinity you want to worry about.”

  “Right,” Sharon agreed. “Well, I’ll let you know whether they’re firing me or not. This should be fun.”

  She ignored the stares of the others as she walked through the office, heading for the elevator. Despite her pessimistic attitude, a new kind of resolve had taken hold of Sharon overnight, and she felt the overwhelming urge to try and prove herself. After all, the reason she was in so much debt was owing to the fact that she had been to college in order to study her dream profession, and was working her way up to getting there. It didn’t matter that she had been an intern for so many years, silenced at every opportunity. With her freedoms outside of work suddenly limited, Sharon wanted to prove that she could make her way up on her own.

  An idea had struck her as she lay in bed that night, thinking too much about everything and nothing. If her bosses agreed to it, it could be the first step in the right direction - a small pay-off towards everything she had been working for. She’d lost her independence through her marriage and lost her passion for her cause through Bianca - she wasn’t going to lose this, too.

  Both Agnes and Trinity were seated at the table in the meeting room, watching her through the glass walls as she made her way towards them. Breathe, she told herself. You got this.

  “Ah, Mrs Needles.” Trinity welcomed her as she sat down. Sharon tried to suppress her wince at the title of Mrs. “So glad you could make it. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Sharon bit her tongue, forcing herself not to do anything rash. “We do?”

  “We do, surprisingly.” Agnes replied, her tone much warmer than Trinity’s. “We’re aware that over the weekend you got married, meaning you’re now entitled to the marriage bonus as well as an extra $15k per year. Any articles written will now be shared alongside the others on the company twitter as well as just on the website, guaranteeing they will reach a wider audience. We need to discuss your accounts and your position within this company before we grant these to you, however. There has been talk about promoting you to a proper journalist within the company.”

  Sharon’s mind was reeling, bombarded with too many facts at once. Marriage bonus? Extra pay? A promotion? She didn’t really know how to make sense of it, and continued to sit quietly, dumbly staring at her bosses across the table.

  Part of her wanted to laugh at their lack of tact. If promoted, she would be a ‘proper’ journalist. Of course, it hadn’t been just the others in her office that had viewed her as the help. She had been the coffee girl for longer than anticipated, and more so the coffee girl than the girl who wrote shitty articles about bland topics.

  “Okay…” She said finally, crossing her hands in her lap. “I’m willing to pretty much accept everything you say at face value, but I have to ask about this promotion. I’d like to know what has been holding me back for so long. I’ve been with this company for a while.”

  Agnes and Trinity exchanged a look.

  “Well, Sharon, as you know…” Trinity began, her voice cloyingly sweet. “We’re a company that express a multitude of opinions on a multitude of topics, and everything goes. However, as far as the ethos of the workplace goes, many people within the team felt as though you weren’t quite as experienced as those you work amongst. Of course now, with these new developments, you’re much more suited to the position.”

  Irritatingly, Trinity used so many pointless buzzwords that it took Sharon a while to figure out what she was actually saying. When she realized, however, she was sure she was wrong. If not, she needed to hold her tongue even more to keep back her rage.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Sharon said, staring her dead in the eyes. “Are you saying I’ve been held from the position due to being unmarried?”

  Both of her bosses shifted uncomfortably. “It’s complex, you see,” Agnes tried. “Not all decisions are made by us, and some of those above feel that-”

  Sharon cut her off. “It’s a yes or no question. One word will do.”

  Trinity pursed her lips, clearly slightly pissed at the interruption. “Yes.”

  Sharon smiled widely. Spite, as she well knew, was an excellent motivator, and it would definitely work in her favour this time around. If she played the game right, things could go well for her.

  “No worries, I completely understand,” She said, with as much sincerity as she could muster. “Actually, I had an idea for an article that could be written as my first proper debut. I won’t give anything away, of course, but it’s the story that we never hear.”

  Agnes frowned. “What do you mean? We aim to please and intrigue our readers, not to put them off with something they don’t want.”

  Sharon shook her head. “No, that’s the beauty of it. It’s the story we’re not being told. No other company is publishing this story, which means we’ll stand it. Like it or hate it, people will want to read it because it’s new and it’s different. If you’re willing to agree to this promotion, I’ll write it.”

  It was too good of an offer to pass up, and Sharon knew it. With a handshake and the promise of a few more emails - oh joy - headed her way, she had sealed herself a promotion, a pay rise, and the chance to write an article that could potentially get her fired.

  It was a little more than thrilling.

  She was suspiciously chipper when she returned to her desk, prompting Sasha to grill her within an inch of her life about every detail of the meeting. Her friend had squealed with excitement, attracting the attention of the others.

  “I can’t believe they think you’re worth paying as much as us.” Pearl commented, her nose turned up at the very idea.

  Normally, Sharon kept her head down and her mouth shut to avoid trouble, but she simply couldn’t any longer. “Pearl, I can’t believe they think you’re worth paying.”

  The death glares were worth it. Sharon turned back to her computer, trying to suppress her laughter. Sasha had made no attempt to quieten hers, which wasn’t doing her any favours.

  Sharon felt a strange rush of adrenaline as she opened up her document, tentatively trialling a headline. It could be changed, of course - everything she wrote would be heavily revised and edited to ensure that it was perfect, but it was a good start. Whether or not her bosses liked it, she would soon find out.

  In bold letters, the blazing headline, “Protesting Marriage Laws - The Story You Don’t Want To Hear” stared back at her. It would be a controversial one, for sure. But she was Sharon motherfucking Needles, and she had never shied away from a controversy before. There was no reason to start now.

  That’s right. I’m the protagonist of this jumbled up mess you are about to see. Or the antagonist, if you prefer. I present to you, the story that you don’t want to read.

[tomlinshawexchange]

Tomlinshaw Exchange 2017 Fic List

Thank you to everyone who participated: writers, pinch hitters, betas, britpickers, and readers!

Here’s the full collection on AO3. 

Do You Smile To Tempt a Lover by allwaswell16  Nick Grimshaw is entranced by Louis, his very beautiful, very cheeky new coworker at The National Portrait Gallery. He watches him day after day, wondering what he’s furiously typing on his laptop over lunch. With a little help from the very bored barista in the gallery cafe, Nick finds himself growing closer to Louis than he ever dreamed possible.

Now that you’re here, I never want you to leave by wearetheluckyones “You like him,” He sing-songs, tugging off the pasta container’s lid. “Go fuck yourself.” Nick tells him as he finds plates, no actual bite behind his words. “Did you get the extra garlic bread? You ate it all last time.” “You gonna ask him out?” Harry asks, taking the two foil wrapped garlic breads from the bag and putting them on the counter. “I’m gonna give you the same answer I gave you last time you asked me that.” “You’re into him, he’s into you, what’s the big deal?” Harry asks, frowning, accepting the plate Nick hands him and dumping half the container of bacon and feta gnocchi onto it, and half the container of penne arrabbiata next to it. “You should just ask him out. There’s no harm in trying.” -*-*- Or, the one where Louis’s a drummer, Nick’s a radio DJ, and Louis’s dogs are menaces.

some velvet morning, years too late by tintedglasses A better adult probably would have changed their emergency contact information once they had convinced said contact that they wanted nothing to do with them, but Louis had never been very good at proper adult things. Besides, it’s not like he thought he’d ever need it. Or: Louis wakes up in the hospital with unfinished business at his bedside. Turns out Nick has some unfinished business, too.

(no such thing as) ordinary, love by dizzy Nick is an Uber driver in London and Louis ends up passed out in the back seat of his car.

The Sky At Night by sunsetmog There’s a little piece of paper on his bedside table, torn from the bottom of a notepad. Insomnia Alliance, it says, in Louis’s chicken scratch handwriting. 9pm-7am, then the telephone number. Or: Louis can’t sleep, and Nick’s the one who answers the phone in the middle of the night.

you can’t take the sky from me by mrsenjolras “Alright,” Nick says eventually. “You can stay till our next stop. But it’s not gonna come free.” Louis stiffens. He’s got money, sure, but he’s worried that that’s not the kind of payment Nick is looking for. “Oh, don’t look so scared,” Nick says, though. “We’re not stopping till we’re in the next system. Can you work?” “Oh,” Louis says, relieved. “Yeah, I can do pretty much anything.” “Great, well, welcome aboard the Pig Dog,” Nick says, extending a hand out for Louis to shake. Louis takes it, decidedly not thinking about how it’s larger than his own and also very warm and quite soft, and instead cocks his head. “Wait, your ship is called the Pig Dog?” [Or: the one where Louis stows away and gets more than he bargained for.]

Cigarette in my left hand, whole world in my right hand by wearetheluckyones Harry’s had some really bad ideas before, starting with the time he got pissed and jumped into the Thames stark naked, but this might take the fucking cake. Offering up Louis as a viable option for a model for Nick’s last photography project is ludicrous at best and a disaster waiting to happen at worst.

Know You Know You Got It Bad by taggiecb “I heard you on the radio.” Louis says. Okay, definitely not what he expected to hear. “Yes, I am on five days a week, sometimes more.” Nick replies. Seriously, what is up with this kid? “No no. That’s not what I meant.” Louis shakes his head and sighs heavily, as though Nick is the one being cryptic. “I heard what you said. To Fifi.” Louis pauses, but Nick takes a cue and stays quiet. He has a feeling that the more he talks, the longer this thing is going to draw out. Suddenly Louis is getting close, really close. Like, so close that Nick is wondering if Louis is about to kiss him. He doesn’t of course, he’s moving to talk into Nick’s ear. Which, Nick isn’t going to lie, affects him almost as much as a kiss might. The boy is fit. “About the chains and whips.” Now it’s Nick’s turn to blush and fumble Or Where a glib comment on the radio leads to one very interesting few weeks for Nick.

Those Summer Nights by YesIsAWorld Nick’s whirlwind summer romance ended when he left his dad’s beach house. Now it’s the first day of senior year, and Nick needs to avoid both the most popular boy at school and his friends’ probing questions.

Give Me One More Night With You by EmmyLouWho Louis turns up at Nick’s door on Saturday night, carrying a bottle of wine that he’d picked out at random at a Sainsburys on the way there. He’d spent ages trying to figure out what you were supposed to wear when you’re going over to somebody’s house so they can thank you for looking after their dog but really you were effectively keeping their dog hostage and you also think that that person is really cute and you’re trying not to be weird about it. His Google search had been, perhaps unsurprisingly, not very helpful. Or, the one where Pig turns up on Louis’ doorstep one day, and Louis has a crush.

Somebody Hurt You (I Know A Place) by writcraft An unexpected encounter brings Nick and Louis together but before they can tell anyone about their relationship an attack on Louis tears them both apart. Nick struggles to deal with the fact Louis no longer remembers their time together as Louis struggles with his injuries and nightmares in the aftermath of the attack. Together they help one another to heal and learn how to love all over again.

There Now, Steady Love by Jiksa Nick’s just had his heart broken, Louis is surprisingly careful with it. Or, the one where Nick’s a small time radio DJ & Louis’s a single dad trying to make it as a musician.

Go On, I Dare You by pwoperninjaelf Nick and Louis are camp counsellors that have spent their past few summers working at an American summer camp, eager for the paid trip abroad, but far less keen on one another. On the final day of camp last summer though, they ended up drunkenly hooking up, but never spoke about it again. Nick’s still not entirely sure what went down and why Louis bailed on him, but it’s okay. He’s just going to ignore it. Ignore Louis, which shouldn’t be too hard considering that’s what he’s been doing for the past few years already anyway. This summer is going to be just like all the others, honestly, nothing’s changed… An American summer camp AU, featuring two stupid boys who keep getting their wires crossed, a host of other familiar faces, all the old school band t-shirts and a camp that should probably keep a better check on their counsellors.

your crooked sleep beside me by nicalyse Louis Tomlinson is unexpected. In which Louis comes on the Breakfast Show and Nick starts to fall for him.

not that good of a person (but i might be for you) by neonmoonlight “Do you fucking mind?” Louis asked tensely, glaring at Nick. “You know, I thought naming your old ship after a greek goddess was some quirk of yours,” Nick started then gestured towards the book that Louis placed on his shelf. “But clearly, you have a thing.” “You make one more comment I will abandon you on a dying planet,” Louis said, turning back to his bag of things. He heard Nick scoff behind him before he left and let the door slide shut. Louis closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down before he went back to fix up his space. The one thing Louis wanted was for Nick to leave him alone, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen. or the one where nick and louis hate each other until they don’t and there’s a spaceship.

If This Is To End In Fire by Jiksa Apocalypse makes it sound a lot more glamorous than it actually is.

What about us? by octoberrose11 Ducking his head he mumbles out, “One of them might have passed out but her friend caught her before anything bad could have happened. Anyways! Don’t change the subject!” “What subject?” Anton drops himself gracefully into Liam’s lap, holding onto his shoulder to steady himself. “Who kicked Harry’s puppy?” “He’s mad that Tommo and Grim are practically fucking on the dance floor.” “They are not! They’re friends, barely friends. They only can stand each other because of me.” Twin unimpressed looks came across the other two’s faces. “I’m going to pretend that it’s the drinks that are making you act like that, Styles, because the man I know wouldn’t say such a thing about one of our best friends.” Liam waved Harry off when he opened his mouth to protest. “You dated both of them, Harry. You broke both of their hearts.”

It’s Like I’m Shootin’ With Broken Arrows by Saori  Road trips are fun if you’re going with someone you can connect with. Riding on the highway with the radio on, eating junk food, taking selfies and making meaningless conversations, bantering about directions… That’s not exactly the case with Nick and Louis. There might be less connecting and more bickering. or, Nick and Louis miss the last plane, and they have two days to get to France. Traveling together might be the worst and best decision in their lives.

It couldn’t get better they say by happilylouie  When Louis Tomlinson releases his new single “Miss you” he is set to appear on Nick Grimshaw’s morning show. Nick has a long time crush on Louis and maybe, just maybe, Nick can gather the courage to say something this time. What if Louis song is inspired not about a general situation, but maybe about a certain radio show host that he himself has had a crush on for a while. or Should be laughing, but there’s something wrong - How about we’ll make it right?!

I’ll Be Your Pride by YesIsAWorld  Louis needled Nick into riding the Ferris wheel with him so he wouldn’t have to ride alone. Of course, they get stuck at the top and Louis has to help Nick through his paralyzing fear of heights.

This is different than in the movies! by definitelynotafan  In which Nick’s new flat is haunted and the ghost has a weird thing about shoes.

All the Silver Moons by YesIsAWorld Nick wakes up in a strange hotel room and is apparently visiting Louis on tour. Which is really weird, because Louis doesn’t like him and they’ve never hung out without Harry as a buffer. And clearly Louis thinks they’re *together* together and Nick hasn’t the faintest idea what’s going on.

[fallout4holmes]

Publick Occurrences #5

Publick Occurrences

The Disappearance of Earl Sterling

It was night when I returned home from my latest round of Minutemen affairs. Codsworth was glad to see me, and gave me a full report of every moment of domesticity I missed while I was away as he fixed a quick meal for me. Unnecessarily reassured that everything was in order, I went upstairs as quietly as I could. Shaun was asleep, Dogmeat at the foot of his bed. The canine lifted his head, saw it was me, and promptly went back to sleep. I got into bed and followed his example.

I woke the next morning to Shaun shaking me. “Dad! Wake up!” After a moment of terror, I remembered where I was. Nothing was amiss.

I sighed, closing my eyes again. “Why?” I grumbled.

“Nick’s here!”

He had my attention. I sat up, “What?”

“He’s downstairs. Codsworth couldn’t wake you. Nick thought it was funny.”

I threw on a robe over my nightclothes and hurried down the stairs. “Good morning, Valentine.”

“Morning.” He sat at the dining table, an old copy of Publick Occurrences laid out before him, cigarette in hand, and the dog panting happily at his feet. He was amused. “Just how late did you get in?”

“Not terribly late,” I sat down across from him and unconsciously took the coffee mug Codsworth handed me. “I’m afraid I haven’t slept well the past few nights… Codsworth, what is this?”

“Tea, sir.”

“Tea.”

“Well. The closest approximation I’ve been able to reproduce given current resources. It is a work in progress, sir.”

It did not taste like tea. “At least it’s hot. Valentine, what brings you here this morning?”

“A case, if you’re up for it. Local matter.”

As if a sleepless night would be enough to deter me. “What is it?”

“Earl Sterling. Twenty-five year-old bartender at the Dugout Inn. While you were gone, Vadim noticed that Earl hadn't been into work for a few days. Normally, this sort of thing would just be blamed on the Institute, but you’ve eliminated that possibility. Vadim came into my office, half-drunk with a sob story about how he and Earl went way back, and that he just can't believe that Earl would run off without a word.”

“Enemies?”

“None with enough motive to make him disappear. Figured we could head over to the Dugout, ask around, see if anyone has keys to his place. I know,” he cut off my response, “keys aren’t strictly necessary with you, but I’d rather not have to explain to security why I was watching you pick the lock on Earl’s door if we get caught in the act.” He glanced at Shaun as he joined us. “Of course, I doubt anyone there will be in condition to talk until later in the day,” Valentine put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. “I thought you’d be up, so I came over, but the investigation can wait til later this afternoon.”

Later that day, Shaun had taken Dogmeat to play with Natalie Wright, and I was interviewing the Dugout Inn’s patrons.

“Staying out of trouble, Vadim?”

The boisterous owner laughed. “You are checking up on me? I love it. Do not worry. I have cut ties with anyone who might try to kill me over debts. All is well, friend. Relax.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Valentine told me about your friend, Mr. Sterling.”

Vadim shook his head sadly, “Poor Earl. Gone just like that. Such a good bartender. Good friend. Oh, but terrible with women, mind you. Bull in china shop with them. Ah, Nicky, forgot to drop off Earl's key when I hired you. Here.” He handed it over, “I hope you find out what happened. Security does nothing but yell at me for asking about it.”

He turned his attention to his customers, as I turned my attention to his brother. Valentine, I saw, had already started in the direction of the other patrons scattered through the bar.

Yefim had a very different opinion of Earl Sterling than Vadim. “One of my brother's old friends. Oh boy, the way those two would go on about girls. You think Vadim is loud now…”

“I find it hard to believe he could be louder.”

Yefim smiled. “You’d think so, but you’ve never seen him with Earl.” The innkeeper’s expression darkened, “Earl was a horrible womanizer, and I warned him more than once to leave the staff and customers alone, but my brother always stood up for him. Honestly? Kind of glad he's gone. Wouldn't shut up about the new face he was going to get at the Mega Surgery Center. Vain till the end.”

It was not a pleasant picture painted, to be sure. I joined Valentine, who was now in conversation with the waitress, Scarlett. She too had not been much impressed with Mr. Sterling’s character. “You'd think a bartender would be... smooth, you know? Charming? Not Earl. He tried so hard, too. Way too hard. The real sad thing? He thought it was his looks. Kept talking about getting a new face over at the Mega Surgery. Wouldn't have helped.”

As we left her to her work, I told Valentine that Yefim had mentioned the Mega Surgery Center as well.

“Earl must’ve been convinced all his troubles would be solved with a new face,” my friend stated. “You ever talk to Dr. Crocker over there?”

“Not personally, but I’ve heard Dr. Sun complaining about his coworker’s lack of professionalism and/or lack of concern for his patient’s health.”

Valentine smirked. “Sounds about right. Well, we’ve got Earl’s key, suppose we drop in and see what we find?”

Nick Valentine works out his thoughts aloud when he’s on a case. I often did the same before the War. It was humorous to find myself on the receiving end of a trail of reason this time, and at the same time it was somehow comforting.

“You know, even before you killed the boogeyman, I'd have put the chances of this being an Institute snatch job somewhere between zero and none. The idea of this being a run-of-the-mill kidnapping is just as unlikely. Earl Sterling, local assistant bartender. Why not nab someone you can use? Someone who could get you what you want? Earl could barely get you a drink by closing on a busy night. So where's that leave us? No known enemies. Wasn't much for the great outdoors, so likely not Raiders or Mutants. No, this all screams accident. Now, what was Earl into that might've gotten him in this kinda trouble?”

“Women.”

Valentine was shocked. “That’s a hell of an answer.”

I hastened to explain, “No, no that’s not what I meant. The surgery, Valentine. He was obsessed with changing his looks so that women would accept his advances, even though it would have done him no good. I’ve just found the receipt. Dr. Crocker is the last person who would have seen him before he disappeared.”

Valentine looked at the slip of paper covered in the doctor’s nearly illegible scrawl. “Well, then. Guess it’s time we made a doctor’s visit.”

Dr. Sun stood in his open air office, cleaning up after his last patient.

“Dr. Sun?” I asked while his back was to me, “Is Dr. Crocker here?”

“I’m a doctor, not a secretary. I’m sure he’ll be around eventually. Did  you have an appointment…” he turned to face us. “Oh. I should have known it was you when you pronounced my name properly… and Nick Valentine. What’s going on?”

“We need to talk to Dr. Crocker about Earl Sterling.” Valentine showed him the receipt.

“Ah. Mundane procedure, low risk cosmetic work. But Dr. Crocker said the surgery was never performed, Earl vanished before he paid.”

“We’re trying to find Mr. Sterling,” I said. “There is a strong chance that Dr. Crocker is the last person to see him before his disappearance.”

“The last time I saw Dr. Crocker, he had to get something out of the Surgery cellar. Probably just had to wash some needles or move some storage around, he’ll be back up shortly.”

“Dr. Sun, why is there a trail of blood leading under that door?”

Dr. Sun looked at the floor, surprised. “What? Oh. Dr. Crocker must have tracked some fluids when he went down into the cellar. He's... sometimes not as fastidious as I am between surgeries. This is a medical facility, it’s not unusual to see blood stains.”

“Awful lot of blood, Doc,” Valentine said, softly.

Dr. Sun frowned. “Look, I may not care for Dr. Crocker’s attitude, but I’ve worked with him for ten years and if you think anything other than medicine is happening in that cellar, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then there’s no reason for you not to let us in,” I said.

“There are plenty of reasons - but fine. Here’s the key. See for yourself, if it’ll put this whole thing to rest. But if I find one instrument out of place down there, I will hold you accountable.”

I took the key. “You have our word, doctor, everything shall be left exactly as we found it.”

Exactly what we found… was blood.

Rumors have already circulated about what transpired in that cellar. I record it now as plainly as I can, not only to stop rumor from spiraling out of control, but because it is the truth. Dr. Crocker was respected by a great many people in Diamond City. When we went into the cellar, he was in the process of cutting the body of Earl Sterling into pieces. He was clearly unhinged, speaking to the body as he worked. We managed to slowly draw the story out of him. He had taken jet before Earl’s operation. He made a lethal mistake during the operation, and Earl died. To preserve his reputation, Crocker decided to make the body disappear by cutting it up into small pieces he could deposit in the nearby butcher’s waste pile.

He grew more and more agitated as he spoke. I tried to calm him down, “You made a mistake and a man died for it, but you can still do the right thing, doctor.”

There was a moment of clarity on his face as the reality of his actions penetrated through the drug haze. “You're right. There's one thing I can do. Only one thing's going to make this all better.”

I rushed forward as soon as I saw the syringe in his hand, but I was too late. He injected himself with a lethal dose of Psycho. Death was almost instantaneous.

It was at that moment that Dr. Sun decided to check on us. We explained what happened. Dr. Sun was appalled, shocked that his colleague would go to such lengths to preserve his reputation, and berated himself for not recognizing the severity of Dr. Crocker’s chem use. Then he ordered us out of his cellar, stating that a medical professional should be the one to clean up the mess. With his assurance that he would file a report to Security, we returned to the Agency to file our report with Ellie. She took it upon herself to let everyone down at the Dugout Inn know what happened - a tragic mistake born from pride.

Death was the ultimate cost of vanity, for both men.

[nitelotus]

Reverse (KBTBB AU)

Triggers: None

Characters: Eisuke Ichinimoniya X Rei Satomi (OC for @hotcocosharing)

Author’s notes: This was kinda long for me. Not really a drabble and my contribution to rebel Nanowrimo. @hotcocosharing, hope you enjoyed this little offering. 

If you liked this story, comment, reblog and enjoy!

Rei Satomi looked upwards to the five faces before her. How did she end up this way?

She was a lowly maid. A maid that worked long hours with enough pay but often thankless job. Like any other little girl, she wanted that dream of a loving husband, children, a pet or two and that white picket fence. But you deal with the choices that life dealt you. Sometimes they are bad and you make mistakes. Sometimes they are good. That’s what she thought she finally had when they accepted her as a maid at Tres Spades. It wasn’t an easy job with rude customers, long hours and coworkers that only aim to make those tedious days even longer. She worked hard, kept her head down and out of trouble.

Until now. Again, her question repeated. How did she end up here? The 5 men before her were all imposing but so different from each other. Each were known for their own specialities in their chosen fields. She had not known them personally but by the rumors that traveled around the hotel. She never expected that she would meet all of them, all at the same time and this particular situation. It was almost surreal. Did Alice feel like this when she fell into that rabbit hole?

“So the choice is yours, Satomi-san. Because actions have consequences. Who among the five of us would you choose?”

This was a nightmare that she never wanted to be in. 

Rei woke up from her bed with a start. Her forehead was damp. She had sweat on her back. The nightmare gave her the sweats even though the temperature in her room was cool. She often did not have nightmares but when they do, it was always almost prophetic in nature. It was kind of odd to have this type of nightmare where she felt completely helpless. Being an owner of a five-star hotel, she was a type of person that was not prone to panic or worries. She was a woman of decisive action. She had complete trust on her instincts. It was very rare for her to rely on anyone else but herself.  She would have not gotten this far in owning several hotel chains, not only in Japan but all over the world, if she second-guessed herself all the time. The staff that worked for her were all personally chosen and vetted. She was often thought of as ruthless and cold but in a world dominated by her male counterparts, this was the only way to not only survive but to thrive. 

There was a soft knock outside her bedroom door. Three knocks as was instructed by her. She already knew who it was. 

“Come in,” Rei groggily acknowledged.

The door slowly opened to reveal Kai, her personal assistant. Even though it was dark inside her bedroom, she was able to recognize that familiar figure. She very fortunate to have found Kai during the early stages of building her empire.The woman was very efficient and might have easily been her rival in this business. Lucky for her, she was content being her right hand woman. Kai was wearing a navy blue blouse and black slacks with her reasonable pump for today’s business. On her hand was her iPad and ready with the agenda for the day. But when she looked up to glance at her boss, there was a worried expression on her face.

Even though that they have worked together for a long time, the two women still had a firm boundary between them. Business ideas were shared and collaborated between them but  anything personal was off limits. This kind of relationship worked really well. There was an unspoken conversation with that exchanged look between them. No words came out but the understanding was still there. Concern. Questions. If it was important to Rei, then it would be addressed. Otherwise it was not that important. 

Kai then proceeded with activating her iPad. The first thing she addressed was the meetings scheduled for the day. Next she updated her boss with all the emails and communications that came through last night. After this, she went over the issues with the local branches followed by the international branches of the hotels. She was very concise and to the point. The concerns that she brought up to Rei were the only ones that needed an approval. Otherwise, everything else was for her information. This was one of the many important reasons that Kai was hired for. When a task was delegated to her, it would be 200% exceptionally completed. 

Last but not least, they discussed the special event for that night. This was what Rei really wanted to hear this morning.

She reached over to one of her bedside table to grab the glass of water. Water helped with hydration. Unlike other executives that relied heavily on stimulants like coffee or cigarettes, she was a firm believer of water hydration. After this brief meeting with Kai, she will meditate, run a mile and then take a quick shower before breakfast. 

“Everything is in order you, Saotomi-san.” There was a brief hesitation before Kai continued on. “There is an addition to the line-up for the auction tonight.” The Black Market Auction was the most celebrated event of the All Spades Hotel. It was by invitation only. It was never held on a schedule like most auctions. The invitees were meticulously investigated based on their status, wealth and prestige. A person don’t just attend the Black Market Auction. The invitation cannot be bought or sold off. It was a very exclusive event. It was only after Rei finished her morning routine this she address the last topic that Kai mentioned. She wasn’t much for surprises but she can be flexible. “Show me,” was Rei’s order.

It was quiet. For such a prominent place, there should have been some noise. Footsteps, conversation, the whirring of the slot machines. An indication of life. But wherever he was, this was absent. It was unnatural. It was unnerving. All he could hear was his own labored breathing.

How did he end up here? In this situation? 

All he could remember was that he was supposed to deliver the champagne to a guest in one of the room below the hotel. He was pretty new so he often got lost. But this time, it wasn’t just entering the room hotel room. The room he was in held artifacts, statues and paintings that he could never afford with his salary in his entire lifetime. The voice that inquired behind him on what he was doing in that room made him take a hasty step. This made him collide with one of those white and blue Chinese vases. The noise it made when it collided with the ground might have been the worst he ever heard in his life. Well, maybe second to the scolding voice of his father. After that, it was mayhem.

This was where he ended up in. Tied to a chair, blindfolded and gagged. The closing of the door was the last thing he heard. 

Until now.

Footsteps at last and then the same door opening. 

A female voice spoke. “I think this would be the main highlight of the night.” 

He heard confidence in that statement. A finality. Wait. Did she just call him, ‘this’? There must have been another person in the room since she wasn’t talking to him. 

“Unconventional but this would certainly bring up the ante to tonight.”

Again, the other person did not speak. They might have nodded in assent. 

“Make it happen.”

Then after that was when his nightmare began. He was moved and prepped. It must have been difficult for the people who changed his clothing, brushed his hair and maybe some makeup on him. He was still blindfolded, gagged and his hands tied to his back during all these preparation. He dare not fight back for fear of retaliation. He was in a disadvantageous position. 

Was it hours before he was once again moved? 

Now, there were voices. So many voices. Glasses clinking and voices that talked about everything and nothing. But one voice was clear as she whispered into his ear.

“Be a good boy and give them a show,” she softly instructed.

Then bright lights blinded him as he found himself in a cage. A cage placed in the center for the stage. Off to the side was a female dressed in blue with a white apron. Her blonde hair looked like a halo caused by the light’s reflection. 

“And for our tonight’s finale! Our first ever live human auction. Bidding starts at half a million!”

Bidding? Auction? What’s going on?

The crowd went wild. Someone bid on the half million, then added another million, or two. Then three. He couldn’t believe it himself what was happening. Was he really being bought like a piece of meat?

“20 million!” someone shouted.

“Sold!”

How did he end up here? In this situation? 

The blindfold was put back in place and he lost the direction on where his cage was wheeled too. Yes. He was in a physical cage. Nowhere to go but to the person who bought him for $20 million. 

The voices went faint but still there. The noise were more subdued now. 

Was this the end?

The blindfold was roughly untied. It took him several blinks until his eyes adjusted to the light. There was an ornate chandelier at the center of the room. Before him on a couch was someone who laid across it. Her button blouse was unkept. There was an unlit cigarette on her lips. On another couch was another lady wearing...cat ears? The cat ear lady was showing off her nails to a blonde in a pink jumpsuit. Across them was another lady wearing a Chinese dress. The high slit revealed a shapely thigh. 

“Eyes on me,” someone ordered him.

His eyes followed the direction of the voice. 

This was the person he heard from before. The one in the room that described him as an item. He was treated as such in that action. 

“What….where am I? Who are you?”

The cat lady laughed and so did the woman in pink beside her. 

“The guy doesn’t know you boss! Is he blind now?” cat lady asked.

This didn’t faze the woman she just called Boss.

The woman wore a striped suit and high heels. Her hair was in a loose bun on her nape. Beside her was another woman who wore an all white one piece pencil dress. There were glasses that was perched on her pert nose. “Boss lady” leaned over him. He could smell her perfume. A musk with hint of mint. Strong but refreshing. 

“Eisuke. Eisuke Ichinomiya.” 

Her words were sharp and clear. She commanded his attention. 

“We just bought you. Saved you from being someone’s play toy.”

With one finger, she tilted his head up to meet her gaze. 

“You owe us $20 million. So decide. Choose.”

Her smile was not at all warm. 

“Among the five of us, who will you choose to serve?”

[inevitablyridiculous-blog]

Look who remembered their password

It's been a while. This past month has sucked some major monkey balls. Went to court for my alcohol charge. Got community service. Fees. Juvenile diversion ( probation for minors) and I have to attend alcohol/ driving school. here's the real good part- next day my friends and I are all chilling on the back porch of these apartment duplexes; drinking and smoking some weed. Then the cops show up hahaha. Put my friend in handcuffs when he tried to eat the weed. Then they insist we call our parents when they find out the two of us are minors. Almost got away with it. Called my real dad who's chill but bc I was drunk and scared I let it slip he lived in TN so they were like " who tf you live with?" ( not in those words) anyways they had to call my adoptive parents. Next day get home and when my parents got home they were pissed as fuck.knocked me around a bit. I tried to leave and they threatened to call the cops. Then almost moved in with my dad but last minute decided against it because I would of had to quit my job. Very hard decision. They Grounded me for a month from anything but work. Controlled my every movement. Just recently got ungrounded. And things were looking up for a minute. Have to wait to go to college for a year to save up money cause I plan to move as soon as possible, which will be tough since I will have no family.' Will possibly be without a car for a while. But then everything goes to hell of course because that is my life. Like a cigarette. Calms your nerves for the moment but takes all your money and kills your lungs. Resolved things with my co worker/ one of my besties who I had a dispute with bc my drunk azzzz is stupid and needs affection and confirmation. So while I was grounded and had nothing to do after work but didn't wanna go home he would chill with me in the back of his truck. I think it's called the bed? My other friend who is stuck up his boyfriends ass was always ditching me and wouldn't make time for me, so my co worker and I would just talk about politics ( we have very different views on how to solve the world but similar views on what some of the problems are) and shit. Look at memes. Talk about people. It was refreshing after a long night of work. And then out of nowhere another dispute erupts. Our coworker/ shift manager was chilling with us one night and the topic of black men came up I guess? Don't remember how but I said something along the line of having never been attracted to black guys. As in I've never been sexually attracted to anyone who is black. Not because they are black but because I just haven't been. Apparently my co worker thought it was racist. So he said so. But the other girl agreed with me and was like " how is that racist?" And he said that I basically said I'm not attracted to black guys because they are black guys. Which isn't true. Everyone has a taste in people. They are attracted to certain physical qualities. I do not have a type necessarily. I do admit to liking slim ish fit guys but again, I don't go after a certain type of guy bc I'm very into the soul and emotional side of a person. Like it's personality over physical. But just like most people I do find certain features attractive. And I can't help that?? It's biological for humans to find people attractive as it keeps us reproducing and shit. So I'm not exclusively into white guys, although most of the people I have found attractive (as in want to fuck them ) are white. There IS a difference between not having been with a certain race and not wanting to be with a certain race. I am not racist. That night I might of worded it the wrong way and I guess he interpreted it as me saying I will never be with a black guy because they are black. But he ended up leaving the car and going home. I messaged him trying to find out if he was ok or whatever bc I truly didn't understand why he was mad. Two days later and he's still ignoring me and I'm pretty sure he blocked me on Snapchat again. And it sucks. He was one of my best friends so I didn't really expect him to just drop me like that. Which leads me to believe that our friendship has been a sort of game to him maybe? Im a clingy person and he knows that. I depend on human interaction and affection ( probably because I've never had that in my childhood) and I guess I expected him to understand that even though he is a very guarded person. So I might of been wrong with that expectation. It's just getting old. Constantly worrying over friendships and why I'm not good enough and if I'm a bad person for caring and if maybe I just have a bad way of showing my intentions and it gets misread as bitchiness or shallowness. I truly don't know why everything goes to shit but I think it's acceptable to say FUCK

[bobjlower]

5 Truths That Will Change Your Life

It’s funny, really, that in a world which is spinning ever faster there is also an ever growing desire to feel happy every day. It’s almost as if feeling unhappy, depressed or simply unmotivated are seen as a pathological sickness, whereas those are simply human emotions. We are humans because we are self-conscious and as such we can and have to feel the highs and downs of life. It’s ok to be sad, man.

Life would be one gigantic nightmare if we felt the same every day. Yet, I see a lot of people that try to feel awesome all the time, fired up by motivational Youtube videos or some pseudo-philosophic bullshit their favorite entrepreneurs discharge onto their social media accounts.

We meditate, we work out, we only eat vegetables, we go to bed early, we drink 5 liters of water a day, we read a book before sleeping, we are grateful, we work 16 hours a day, we try to live forever, love ourselves, love everyone…it sounds even worse than Orwell’s 1984.

Guess what, trying to feel your best every day will simply make you feel worse every day because you fail before you even start the day. When I wake up in the morning and want to drink a Coke and have a BigMac, then I go for it without having a bad conscience. I don’t eat carrots for breakfast because that makes me depressed. Most of the time I just do what I want, what my body tells me to do, and I do fine.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to feel motivated every day, we are not machines. Listen to yourself.

However, here’s a crazy thought. You can still do what has to be done and be efficient at it without feeling like a Hollywood teenage star on 5kg of antidepressants or trying to pretend to be one of those “I HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY EVERY DAY AND I LOVE MY LIFE IT’S AMAZING”-entrepreneurs.

These people are just as sick as clinically depressed people, trust me (if they aren’t just selling their stuff on social media and as soon as the camera is turned off they smoke a pack of cigarettes, which is the more likely variant). They don’t have a stop-button, it’s self-destructive, even if a byproduct of this sickness is morbid happiness and a million dollar bank account.

Now I’m not saying you don’t have to work hard because you have to if you want to stand out of the crowd. But you can actually hate it – the point is, you just have to DO it. And you can do it well even without feeling motivated. What truly kept me back for many years was that I was looking for something I truly loved doing, but whatever it was, that thing was accompanied by something I hated, as well – and that thing I hated was exactly what I needed to do in order to succeed.

People, that’s just how life works.

You want to be a rock star, you have to take care of the business side of your career. And you also have to sit down and learn that new riff for hours even if you don’t want to.

You want to be a professional streamer on Twitch because you love video games, well, soon you will hate them. You have to stream 12 hours every day in a highly competitive market and you have to talk all the time while doing so. Some days you won’t want to go on the stream because you don’t want people watching you every day, and then you lose subscriptions.

You want to be a trader, you need to work hard on your journal, reviewing trades, planning trades, introspect yourself. The things that you LOVE to do, like playing music, playing video games, trading the charts, you get to do those as a hobby, that’s fine. But when you want to turn what you love into a career, then you HAVE to do the things you HATE. There is NO WAY AROUND IT.

And you are absolutely allowed to feel bad about it. On some days I wake up in the morning and feel like staying in bed. “Ok, not getting up today. The world can kiss my ass.” And then 5 minutes later I still get up because I have learned to be disciplined and efficient, no matter how I feel on a particular day.

I no longer try to feel good about everything I do. I am certainly not happy every day even though I get to live the dream life every day, I travel, I trade, I run my own company. I mean, it is definitely better than being stuck in a cubicle but it’s not all sunshine every day. That’s just an illusion because life never is all about sunshine.

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” – Jim Carrey

You see, running after a never-ending happy high is like looking for the holy grail, it doesn’t exist. You just have to extract the information from the emotions you are feeling, and then let them pass by. That is how you become efficient at operating under any mood.

If you are always stuck at “I want A, and then everything will be okay”, you will never be happy. Because once you get “A” – if you get it in the first place, that is – you will be happy for a bit and then there will be a new “A” that you want.

Once you realize that life is all about ups and downs and not about constantly feeling happy and living forever, life will turn from being a constant torture to a huge theme park of opportunities. This is the truest truth in life, there will never be a greater truth than this.

You feel bad today? Accept it. Think about why you feel bad, extract the information, let the emotion pass, then do what you have to do. Are you feeling high today? Why is that? Extract the information, then do what you have to do and let the emotion pass.

  Every day I do what I hate, what I fear, what makes me uncomfortable, but I know it has to be done in order to succeed. Because – this is another revelation for you, read closely – if life feels the same, whether you are poor or rich, then you might as well do what makes you rich.

Being fat is a lot of work. Being lazy is a lot of work. Being rich is a lot of work. Being healthy is a lot of work. If everything is a lot of work, then all you have to do is to decide what you want and go for it. It is really that simple. Just do what has to be done, no matter how you feel on a particular day or how you feel about what you have to do.

There is really no difference between sitting on a couch and watching TV or working out for 6 hours. I feel like shit about both, but one activity gets me the results I want while the other activity might give me something to talk about with my coworkers the next day. It’s really all about the results you want.

Climbing the Mount Everest is not harder than eating 20 Big Macs. Heck, nothing in life is hard or easy. It’s just transformation of energy into a certain result. And here comes another truth. Wanting to be someone or something but doing nothing to get that something or to become the person you want to be is actually MUCH harder than just doing what needs to be done, no matter how the fuck you feel about what has to be done.

Let that sink in.

Realize that people who say they feel awesome every day are liars or clinically sick.

Social media is just a snap of a person’s life to sell you something, not the truth.

You won’t and can’t feel good every day, but you still can do what has to be done and do it efficiently. Accept that you are a human, not a machine.

Being poor or being rich only shifts your problems – but there will always be problems. Accept this and free yourself of the illusion of the “happy” life.

Wanting something but not doing anything to get it will inflict more pain in the long run than just doing what you have to do.

Why do successful people never stop, even after they have reached everything they possibly could? Because they realized life is not about getting “A” and then being happy for the rest of your life, it is instead about doing “B” (the grind), and constantly getting different “A’s”.

The best night of sleep you will ever get in your life is when you go to bed exhausted after a day full of work, giving you the feeling of achievement and getting you slowly closer to the “A” you are chasing at the moment, knowing that when you reach that “A”, you will simply look for a new “A”, but that happiness truly comes from “B”, the grind.

Do what has to be done, no matter how you feel about it, accept emotions as they come and go, extract the information from them, and then keep doing your thing. And sometimes take a rest, look at the world flying by you, observe, be present, then jump right back into the stream of madness. That is what life is all about.

You won’t reach enlightenment through meditation, working out, eating healthy, getting up early, BLA BLA BLA. It’s all marketing crap to sell you the newest product.

Only the grind will give you what you need. But don’t work 16 hours a day. 8-10 focused hours is more than 95% of the population ever do. You will be a champ in no time. A champ with good days and bad days, but a champ nevertheless, and a champ that does what was to be done, whenever there is the need for concentrated, focused action.

Embrace the suck. Period.

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