#business-friendly tablet

[charliemwrites]

Mafia!Price warm up because I am… so tired. I’ve had back-to-back events the last few days and ya bitch canNOT hang. So, while I rehydrate and wait for caffeine to work it’s magic, here’s this:

Part 1 here

No Content Warnings

Mr. Price is the best boss you’ve ever had. He’s straightforward and blunt, but unfalteringly courteous. Likes things a certain way — his own way — but that’s nothing you’re unfamiliar with from rich men responsible for billions. At very least, he seems to respect when you challenge him.

“We’ve always done records this way,” he says.

“Yes, sir,” you answer serenely, “but that was before you had me.”

He stares you down and you beam right back, tablet balanced on your forearm. One beat, two. In the corner of your eye, you see Gaz shift. You tilt your head at your boss.

He sits back in his big office chair, thumb swiping over his index and middle fingers. A gesture you’ve been mentally cataloguing as “contemplative” — perhaps deciding if he’s annoyed or amused. You don’t let yourself get nervous seeing it; you’re good at your job and you know it. He’s going to know it too, by god.

“And what do you have to do with it, luv?”

Your smile stretches wider as you take that as an invitation to round his desk. He turns and shifts a bit to make room for you, eyebrows ticking up as you set a neatly paper-clipped report in front of him, highlighted for convenience.

“See here?” You point at one section, a list of finance records. “Inconsistencies that the accountants took two months to notice. Two!”

He grunts as you set it aside, face up, for further perusal and then show him the next set. Different highlighter (and a smiley face in the corner).

“And look here, doing it this way, we noticed the discrepancies within a week,” you explain.

He picks up the page, eyes scanning over it thoroughly before setting it down. Taps his index finger over the discrepancy (circled in bright red) twice.

“Would you happen to have the account — ah, thank you.”

You hum, smoothing the sticky note (hot pink, shaped like a heart) onto the page. “So what do you think, sir?”

He runs a hand down his face, palm rasping over his beard. But there is a grateful note to his gaze as he glances at you.

“We’ll be doing it this way from now on, then.”

“Thrilling, sir. I’ll send out a memo.”

He waves you off, frown already forming on his face. You politely leave his office, stop by the break room to make a fresh cup of tea (a dollop of cream only, no sugar) and knock on the closed door. It’s Gaz that opens it.

“For the boss,” you say. “Before heads start rolling.”

“You’re a doll,” he breathes, accepting the cup and slipping back inside.

You happily toddle back to your desk and begin calling appointment confirmations. You’ve got about a million emails and a hundred calls to make.

—

Working for Price also comes with some… eccentricities. For one, you have a driver now.

Usually Farah, sometimes her partner Alex. On the rare occasion it’s Gaz. They always usher you into the backseat. On rainy days (so, most days in the UK) they hold an umbrella over your head while you scurry into the luxury leather interior of whatever stupidly expensive ride you’re taking.

That was a non-negotiable when you and Mr. Price discussed the details of your employment contract with him. Something about safety…? You feel silly being driven to work as an assistant, but it was your first encounter with the Steel Gaze of Decision and it was unfortunately effective.

Not that you mind the rides! All three of your usual drivers are wonderful. So friendly and chatty. You love hearing about Alex’s niece and Farah’s hobbies, Gaz’s little “spats” with Soap. You spoil them with extra treats from whatever bakery you make them stop at for morning breakfast. (Always local, you love supporting small businesses and strong arm Price into doing so as well).

There’s the gun as well. You’ve only seen it once or twice, always discreetly hidden under his suit jacket. A shoulder holster, all black. Pretend that you don’t see it because… well, you’re not entirely sure it’s legal and you’d rather live in the blissful cloud of plausible deniability.

And speaking of — there’s his bodyguard. To be fair, bodyguards aren’t a new or weird presence with your bosses. Expensive men, they need protection. Ghost is a different kind though.

He always covers the lower half of his face — actually, he’s covered head to toe. Usually in black, sometimes with little skeleton or skull motifs. And he’s fucking big, which is saying something because Mr. Price isn’t a small man either.

Ghost hardly interacts with you, but he’s unfailingly polite when he does. Not talkative, but he holds doors for you, has walked you down to the car. Even once attitude-checked a guest that decided to be rude to you. Didn’t even say anything, just walked into the guy’s personal bubble and stared him down until he subsided. Then he turned, gave you a nod, and you squeezed his arm before toddling off to let Price know his appointment had arrived.

All around the vibes in the office are pleasant, if sometimes stuffy. A little odd. All of his employees are polite if not kind to you, and Price himself is a fair and reasonable man — at least with you.

(The first time you heard him raise his voice through the closed office door nearly scared the daylights out of you. He always uses a low, even tone when speaking to you, so to hear his voice booming like that was something of a shock. Even more shocking was when he opened the door — damn near throwing his “guest” out — before turning to you.

“Call Farah when you have a mo’, would you?” He asked, calm as you please.

You blinked, still having war flashbacks of your last boss. “Yes, sir.”

“Cheers, luv.”)

There’s also the “field trips” as you call them.

Mr. Price is something of a very “hands on” businessman (“micromanager” you tease when he’s in a good mood) who has a hand in several industries. One of them is shipping. Which means that sometimes you find yourself standing beside him in warehouses or at loading docks. And of course you have to go, you’re his assistant! You take meeting notes, provide information or report details. Basically act as his second brain while he reams out idiots or organizes plans.

You suck it up, but you rather hate the smell of low tide. And the occasional gusts of blood on the sea breeze from fishermen gutting their catches. Price catches you looking ill once or twice and at least makes an effort to keep things short after that.

“Poor thing,” Soap teases when you’re in the back of the car, fussing at your wind-swept hair. “Get a bit blown, did you?”

“MacTavish,” Price snaps.

That’s the other thing. Even the slightest hint of suggestive or inappropriate words at your expense are met with firm, almost harsh, reprimand from your boss. It does wonders for you nerves and your respect for him.

“Wish I’d known we were going to the docks,” you sigh, carefully picking at pins to fix your hair. “I would have used more hairspray.”

“Thought I told you?” Price says.

“No, sir, you did not,” you answer, long-suffering. “You know you can put it into the scheduling app, right?”

He blinks. “Scheduling app.”

You blink back at him. “Oh, dear. Here, look at this.”

You spend the entire ride back to the office showing him how your scheduling software works so that you don’t have to deal with any more surprise dock visits.

Previous | Next

Masterlist

[akutasoda]

title - 'and i couldn't ignore the fact that he makes me look like a fool'

╰➜they hesitate to ask you out for many reasons, now seeing you with someone else makes them regret it deeply

dedicated to - aventurine!

warnings - gn!reader, angst (no comfort?), jealousy, sonnet length - 701

a/n: req by an anon!

aventurine only made deals that benefited him. he buried himself within a facade and looked out for himself, being a stoneheart had some quite hefty expectations and while sometimes he could only look at them and the ipc in disgust, he had nothing else left.

sometimes he put his own life in the balance, at the end of the day it was only another chip that he could throw into a bet - he knew that the luck bestowed upon him from birth wouldn't fail him. it never would, no matter how much sometimes he wished it would. aventurine would turn everything into a chip, place anything on the line because he knew the risks and he knew the rewards that outweighed them.

everything except his very own emotions. aventurine wasn't inhuman. he was a person with as much emotion as the next, he was just the kind of person who pushed them to the furthest corner of his mind on a daily basis. it wasn't worth the emotional attachments to his everyday dealings. although one could note how sometimes those emotions could creep out and show themselves - whether it be them subconsciously influencing his decision or them making his hands shake at every gamble.

admittedly there were those in his life that he let get closer than others, an almost unconscious decision because a part of him could never believe in having people like that in his life again. and once they were in his life, he never made the attempt to push them away again. you were one of them, except you were a slight anomaly in his life.

aventurine had known you longer than he imagined, not that he was complaining but sometimes he truly couldn't believe it. admittedly, you were quite the positive presence in his life and he never had a dull time when you were around. just your company was enough for him to feel more like himself, to relax and not worry about anything else. whenever his phone or tablet pinged, he always secretly hoped it was you asking to hang out soon.

aventurine never imagined meeting someone that made him feel this way. he wasn't ready. he couldn't possibly be. those emotions that tried to desperately push him toward admitting that his feelings were more than simple friendly ones. but he couldn't. admitting to those feelings was a daunting thought to him, what if he made himself emotionally vulnerable and confessed only to have you stomp his feelings into the ground?

your oblivious self couldn't quite understand why aventurine started distancing himself, all of a sudden he had meetings or missions to attend whenever you asked if he was available. you knew his work kept him busy, but it was never this extreme… maybe he just got a sudden influx and for now it wouldn't be the right time?

but during his sudden, rather long, absence from your life, a coworker asked you out. you'd known them for quite a while and they were sweet, always looked out for you at work, friendly and rather attractive, so you didn't see the harm in accepting, it wasn't like you were waiting for anyone.

aventurine could only stare on with a faux happiness at your news. the first chance you got, you thought to inform him. you seemed so happy and your ‘partner’ looked the same except he'd be much happier seeing only you happy. they didn't deserve you, he didn't deserve you but it was only human of him to want what he could no longer have. if only he put his heart out on the line, if only he made that risk, then maybe… maybe he could have you beside him.

[antiquarianfics]

Lost Time

You meet up with a lost love.

a/n: i’m so sorry if this isn’t what you wanted. i’ve struggled to come up with much more than this little drabble for this request, but i hope, despite its being short and sweet, it’s enjoyable. :’)

»»———-———-———-———-———-———-———-««

“Well, well, well. Look what the Falcon drug in,” you say with a bright smile, a light laugh following your words.

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes turn around from the table they’re standing at and seemingly arguing over whatever is lain out on it. Upon seeing you, Sam beams, a bright smile to match yours overtaking his face. He takes a few quick strides towards you, pulling you into his arms for a hug.

“Hey, kid! Long time!” He says, pulling away, hand resting on your shoulder. “How’ve you been?” He pulls his hand away, opting to stand with his arms crossed as he waits for your response.

“Not bad,” you grin. “Busy, but not bad. You?”

Sam shrugs. “Ah, y’know. Fighting bad guys, kicking ass.”

You raise an eyebrow, nodding towards a developing bruise on his cheek. “You sure the bad guys aren’t kicking your ass?”

“Ha. Ha.” Sam deadpans. “But, they are, actually. That’s why I called you.” He waves you over and the two of you start towards the table.

Your attention finally falls on the other man in the room who is simply staring at you, mouth agape. Sam sighs.

“Ignore him. He has a staring problem.”

“You’re gonna catch flies with your mouth hanging open like that, Buck,” you say, nonchalantly. Sam gives you a look, Bucky closes his mouth and swallows.

“You two know each other?”

“Something like that,” Bucky says quietly.

“Long time, James,” you reply.

“Y/N.”

You take a bold step forward and lean up and kiss his cheek.

“We should get lunch, just the two of us. Catch up.”

He gives you a curt nod. You smile despite the attitude.

“What the hell is with you two?” Sam asks, completely lost.

—

“19 leu,” the older Romanian shopkeeper demands, holding her hand out for payment. She’s not a friendly looking woman, and you’re not sure she won’t jump the counter to attack the much larger man in front of her for her money.

The man digs in his pocket, but the amount of leu he pulls out is not enough to cover the bag of plums he is holding. You frown, your gut telling you to step in and help. So, you do. You take a deep breath and put on a smile, stepping forward and speaking before gently looping your arm through the mystery man’s.

“Honey,” you chide, “there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You left your wallet with me.” He looks down at you with a confused (possibly scared?) expression on his face. You return the look with what you hope is a comforting smile: “Trust me,” you mouth.

You turn to the shop keeper and roll your eyes at the man. “Men!” You exclaim, waving your free hand to say ‘you get it.’ The woman cracks a small smile, but her hand remains out. You pull out the money, handing it over. “Can’t take him anywhere,” you laugh. “There you are. Thank you!”

You lead the man away from the fruit stand with his plums. When you’re far enough away, you pull your arm away from his and look up at him.

“Look,” you say nervously. “I didn’t mean to be presumptuous, but you looked like maybe you needed an assist. Uh. Have a nice day.” You turn to leave, but he gently and awkwardly puts a hand on your wrist.

“Thank you,” is all he says. You smile.

“Y/N.” You introduce.

“Bucky.”

—

“What are you doing here, Y/N?” Bucky asks stoically once you and him get a moment alone.

“Sam called,” you say with a frown, swiping on a tablet in front of you as you inspect some intel documents Sam had sent you.

“You know what I mean.”

“Sam and I are friends. He needed help, he called, I came. I didn’t know you were going to be here, too.” You set the tablet down and look up at him, still frowning. He looks perplexed.

“You promised to stay away.”

“You promised I’d be safer that way. We both lied.”

Bucky clenches his jaw and looks away. You sigh.

“How do you even know Sam?” Bucky asks.

You raise an eyebrow. “We were in the Air Force together. Did I not tell you I was Air Force? I could’ve sworn we talked about that.”

Bucky sighs, accepting your reason and ignoring your question.

“Anyway, Bucky, the animosity is a little silly, no? We didn’t leave off on bad terms; just tense ones.” You offer a small smile to which, surprisingly, Bucky reciprocates.

“Yeah,” he says, holding an arm out for you. “C’mere.” You step into the hug and hold onto your lost love tightly. “I missed you,” he whispers into your hair.

“I missed you, too,” you say.

[honeipie]

ANY OTHER WAY

izuku midoryia x reader

synopsis: your son demands answers

authors note: this is the short little ending to the toast little mini series! but honestly their little family is so cute i don’t wanna leave them :((( also thank you to everyone who read, reblogged, and commented. i literally love ur life.

psa: mentions of breastfeeding

one | two | three | four

"my life is a lie!" the voice of your oldest son echoed through the hall and into the living room. you didn't bat an eye as his antics, because you knew every time he went to hang out at his uncle denki and aunt jirou's house he came home talking about some new crazy story. though he'd usually wait to talk about it until he was in the same room as you all.

izuku and yutaka, your middle child, raised their heads at the sound of the door slamming behind him.

"koji, you've barely stepped through the door and you're already yelling. mayuka was finally eating" you shifted your youngest head back towards you chest. she had been startled by the door but you were able to calm her by gently rubbing your thumb against her cheek.

"sorry" koji mumbled going to stand in the very middle of the living room so he could get a good look at you all "but i still can't believe i've been lied to for the past twelve years, twevle years!"

izuku's eyes went from his son, then over to you. but all you could do was shrug. izuku grunted as he rose from his spot on the floor. all those years of daunting hero work along with just plain aging were catching up to him. specks of grey started to show, but he attempted to hide them with the green he still had.

"okay koji. what are you freaking out about?"

"i don't know, maybe the fact that you guys almost never got married?!"

now if there was one thing you were expecting to come out of his mouth, it wasn't that.

"did denki tell you about that?" you asked watching as he was now pacing the room back and forth.

"yeah! and i'm glad he told me because it seems like you guys were never going to let me know!"

yutaka looked up from his tablet “mommy and daddy weren’t gonna get married? why?”

izuku put his hands up before koji could go off again “listen, your aunt ochako and i weren’t very good at relationships back then and-“

“what does aunt ochako have to do with this?” koji’s face went from confusion to surprise “you were going to marry aunt ochako! what the heck!”

the tips of izuku’s ears went pink as he heard his surprise “i thought denki told you everything!”

“he only told me that you guys almost never got married! when i asked for more details he said that’s none of his business”

you snorted going to fix your bra since mayuka had finished eating “since when does denki mind his buisness”

“that’s what i said!” koji threw his arms up going to sit in between the two of you “okay so you guys gotta tell me everything! start to finish”

“i don’t know koji. i mean i need mom to tell the story with me and she’s kind of busy so-“

“i got time” you laid mayuka on one side of your body making sure her head was over your shoulder “may takes her time to burp” izuku gave you a look which you smiled at “i love you!”

izuku rolled his eyes before finally nodding “fine we’ll tell you the story. c’mere taka” he held his arms out which his son happily jumped into. after he got him settled on his lap he started on the story of how the two of you got together. the toast, the argument, and the rekindling all in one short (kid friendly) version. of course, you felt the need to add in little details when needed “and then we got married and boom. you kids were born”

koji’s mouth had hung open for almost the whole story, sitting at the edge of his seat. yutaka looked rather confused.

“so..” taka looked over at the two of you “mommy took daddy from aunt ochako?”

“well, sort of. we all agreed that how things ended up were for the best. no matter how it happened”

izuku nodded his head in agreement “i love your mom and i love all of you” he tickled taka’s side making him burst out in laughter.

“i just can’t believe it” koji mumbled shaking his head.

“you better believe it kid. your dad and i are in love” you wiggled your eyebrows making koji groan “in fact, give me a kiss!” the two of you leaned in placing a dramatic kiss on each others lips. both of the boys pretended to gag as they got up.

“not in front of us! not in front of us!” they both made a mad dash upstairs making the two of you laugh.

“they get their dramatics from you” you said scooting closer to him handing over may. an offended look plastered his face.

“they do not!”

“whatever you say mr. midoryia” you leaned your head on his shoulder pulling the blanket over the two of you. you eyes scanned over the home that the two of you created. toys scattered across the living room floor. family portraits hanging on the walls, even from when koji was first born. some random, educational kids show was currently playing on your television. someone had told you that this would ‘stimulate the baby’s mind’ even though she had just popped out. both you and izuku in your matching pajamas that you had gotten for christmas. ever since mayuka was born the two of you had been too exhausted to clean. shit was a mess, but honestly, you felt no sense of stress. you two had a silent understanding that everything would be done in the time that is intended, and you wouldn’t have it any other way

“i love you” you moved your head to look up at the man you had fallen hopelessly in love with. he looked back with a tired smile, but you noticed the crinkles at the corner of his eyes.

“i love you too”

taglist! @sagejin @aejabba @crybabyl0l @v3n7s @yoihoshi-maki @reads-stuff-quietly @valenspuppy @luvrluvrr 🫶🏾

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Steal Your Heart (Part 1)

When the calling card of the infamous Knave of Hearts arrives, he’ll rob his victims blind of their most treasured items on the appointed date. Enter ace detective Yuu accompanied by rookie cop Deuce Spade, both seeking to apprehend the Knave and bring him to justice.

Will they succeed, or will the phantom thief steal their valuables--and their hearts--first?

This was originally meant to be one fic, but it was getting to be WAY too long. I decided to split it in half and release this part now and the second part (which I am still working on!) later. This first part focuses more on Yuu and Deuce; the second part will be more Yuu and Ace.

(Please note: there are slight romantic implications in the form of an Ace/Yuu/Deuce love triangle, but those elements could also be interpreted as platonic or as just playful teasing with no additional meaning. It’s all in the eyes of the reader!)

Imagine this...

The police station’s waiting room was a familiar sight.

With time, the shiny checkered floor had grown matte, marred with scratches and scuffs from the boots that crossed it on a daily basis. Someone had taken to attempt to pretty up the otherwise dull space by hanging out abstract paintings on the cream-colored walls, and a vase of white roses dripping with red paint at the check-in desk. There was as even a glass tank which housed a small family of colorful hedgehogs.

Maybe they were meant to be welcoming—but really, they were more clashing than anything. Certainly not a fit for the stiff atmosphere of the station.

Still the fluorescent lightbulbs buzzed faintly, flickering in and out on occasion. The sound distracted from the old television mounted in a corner to entertain guests. It seemed to play commercials on a loop more often than it played actual shows. Currently, an Olympus Corp. branded tablet was being toted as the next big technological marvel—though the TV’s audio was fuzzy at best, and the image half static.

A coffee table pushed to the wall, stacked with a new stash of magazines. Whoever updated the reading materials—most likely the friendly senior officer with orange waves for hair—was into the latest trends, often selecting fashion magazines with high gloss finishes. A dangerously beautiful man graced the covers of many of them, dressed in the hottest summertime styles while looking the part of an untouchable ice queen.

As usual, the station was scented with coffee and tea, the beverages of choice for many officers burning the midnight oil or working overtime. The chief demanded it at times to meet deadlines and goals—he was such a stickler for them—and the caffeine helped those under him stay sane as they went about their duties.

In the afternoons, most were either out on lunch or on patrol, lessening the foot traffic at HQ. There was only one man in uniform, seated behind the desk and filing some papers.

Yuu shifted in their own chair, adjusting the rim of the baseball cap upon their head. They were suited in an inconspicuous jacket and sneakers, fingers toying with a badge in a pocket, hidden out of view. To the common man, they were a jogger--but one flash of their lilac gemstone bound to a black and white striped ribbon, and there would be no doubt as to what their true identity was.

The smell of coffee and tea grew stronger, and Yuu glanced up from behind the bill of their hat.

The bespectacled man from behind the fro

nt desk had approached. He had a sheepish smile, bearing a paper cup filled with hot brown liquid and a napkin with a donut laid upon it. Bright pink icing dusted with sugared violet petals crowned the golden fried pastry.

“Detective.”

“Mr. Clover.” Yuu nodded—a terse, polite greeting. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Please, just ‘Trey’ is fine.” He offered the treats, which they readily accepted. “Sorry for calling you in on such short notice. I’m sure you’re busy juggling your other cases—but I think I speak for the entire department when I say we’re thankful that you were able to make it.”

“No worries, I’m used to it in this line of work,” Yuu replied. “It must be something pretty urgent this time around. The Chief sounded frantic over the phone.”

Trey rubbed at his chin, grasping for the right words. “Let’s just say he’s not in the best of moods right now. You’ll need that sugar to get through this in one piece.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Just trying to avoid any trouble. You’d better finish them before you step into his office. You know how he hates it when there are crumbs or spills in there.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Yuu gave a joking salute before starting to pack away at their snack. The drink was the instant kind, and practically scalding, but it was easy to tell that the donut was homemade. The pastry, flaky on the outside and fluffy on the inside, dusted with sugar granules and sweet icing. “Wouldn’t want the Chief to be blowing a fuse again.”

“No, definitely not. He’s done too much of that lately.” Trey carefully eyed Yuu’s donut, now only half of it left. “Oh, but be sure to brush your teeth a thorough cleaning tonight, or I might have some problems with you. Cavities and staining are real dangers, you know.”

“Are you Assistant Chief of Police or my dental hygienist?” Yuu took a generous swig, then a bite just as big. “You worry too much about everything.”

“Ahahah… Do I? It’s a habit, I guess. Comes with the job.”

“That stressful, huh?”

“Well, I do what I can to smooth things over. Hopefully you can too. It’s been difficult on our department with the Chief all rattled up about the… situation.” He stopped himself. “I’m sure you’ll hear all about it from him.”

So the case is top-secret, Yuu concluded with the last of their donut. Not to be discussed in the public.

They ran their tongue across the length of their mouth, lapping up the remains of sugary residue. “I understand. The details are not to leave his office.”

“You catch on quickly. No wonder why the Chief thinks so highly of your abilities.”

“Flattery’s a part of your tool kit as well, Trey?”

He raised his eyebrows. “… You’ve worked long enough with us to figure these things out. Nothing gets by you, it seems.”

“UGIGIGIGIGGGGHHHH!!”

The remainder of Yuu’s drink sloshed around in its cup, set into motion by the bloodcurdling scream.

A familiar man with orange waves erupted from the chief’s office, hurriedly slamming the door shut behind him. His typically relaxed features were arranged in panic, his hair frazzled.

“How did trying to calm him work out, Cater?” Trey inquired half-heartedly. It was a courtesy more than genuine curiosity.

“What do you think?” the senior officer groaned, sinking where he stood.

Yuu quickly finished their drink, tossing their trash—the evidence they had been there—away and then stood, adjusting their jacket. “That sounds like it’s my cue.”

“Yeah, it is.” Trey sighed, frowning. “He’s in a tough spot right. Be kind to him, will you? That’s all I ask.”

“You got it.” Yuu tipped their baseball cap as they passed the officer. “Thank you for the pick-me-up. I’ll be seeing you, then. Officer Diamond—get some rest.”

“Good luck.”

“You’ll need it, Yuu-chan! Brace yourself.”

The Police Chief was a small but serious man.

His character came through in his office space: books on law and order neatly arranged on shelves, papers and files alphabetically organized in their cabinets, and pens evenly spaced apart and arranged in rows. A crystal vase with deep red roses was poised beside his writing implements. A plate polished to a fine shine was propped up at his desk, reading: Riddle Rosehearts, Chief of Police.

Perched imposingly despite his short stature in his seat, he impatiently tapped a finger on an arm. Riddle’s face was a telltale red and veiny, proof of his earlier outburst, but was beginning to cool into a faint, smooth pink.

There was already another man in the office, sitting across from the Police Chief. He was pale and jittery in a suit the color of the night and sewn with blue sequins and glitter. A top hat rested upon his raven locks, the brim of it shading his hauntingly golden eyes.

Yuu removed their hat and, keeping it to their chest, gave a shallow bow as they entered. “Sir.”

One move out of line, one hair out of place, and they suspected he, in his volatile and vulnerable state, would explode anew.

“Welcome, Detective. I’m glad you could join us today.” Every word was a gruff puff of air, a leash with which to wrest control of his rage. Riddle gestured to the empty chair beside the nervous man. “Sit.”

Yuu obeyed, sinking into the seat offered. They casted a glance at the stranger adjacent to them, who was fiddling with his velvet-lined gloves.

“Mr. Crowley, this is the independent detective from Stray Cat Investigations that I had previously mentioned to you. The force has collaborated with them for a number of difficult cases in the past. Their wit and strategic skills have made them an invaluable asset. I thought it prudent to have them return to join us for your case as well.

“Yuu, meet Dire Crowley. He is the esteemed director and curator for the Sage’s Island Museum, and he’s come to us with his woes.”

“Hello, Mr. Crowley,” Yuu said politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He responded with a tired attempt at a smile. “Yes, you too.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted with one another...” Riddle produced a file from beneath his desk and placed it before himself. “Do you care to explain, or shall I?”

“I-I’ll elaborate!” Crowley crowed. He picked at a collection of keys belted to his waist, glistening gold under artificial lights. “The Sage’s Island Museum is planning a new exhibition on the Great Seven. As part of the exhibit, we are having many priceless artifacts flown in from all over Twisted Wonderland. We have donations from even Briar Valley’s royal family!!

“There will also be a great number of important VIP guests present for the grand opening of the exhibit. Royalty, wealthy benefactors, important diplomats, businessmen, celebrities... All individuals who wish to see their history on display! This is very important, you see!! M-My reputation--er, I mean, the museum’s reputation--is on the line here!!”

“Right.” Yuu nodded as they parsed through the information. “I’m following what you’re putting down. And where does your problem arise, Mr. Crowley?”

“Ah, now that,” Riddle smirked, “is the question of the hour.”

He opened his file, pulling out...

A single playing card, its back facing Yuu.

“I trust you’ve been keeping up with the news?”

“As any good detective would. There have been several robberies lately. Terrible, really.” Yuu’s expression clouded with concentration. “Hmm... but if it’s a potential robbery that you’re concerned about, Mr. Crowley... Doesn’t the Sage’s Island Museum boast a state-of-the-art security system from Olympus Corp.? I doubt the average thief would be able to bypass it.”

“That’s just the trouble,” Crowley loudly lamented.

“We are dealing with no ordinary thief,” Riddle clarified.

“It’s not?”

“No. Far from it.” The Police Chief exhaled sharply. “The string of robberies from before--they’re connected by a single thread, perpetuated by the same lone culprit. And now that scoundrel intends to continue his crime spree.”

“I’ve never heard of this before.”

“You shouldn’t have. It was a top-secret operation within my force since the first of its kind.”

“Why am I being told of it now?”

“Because, loathe as I am to admit it, the culprit has managed to outwit us and elude capture each and every time, He employs a bag of cheap parlor tricks and smoke and mirrors like the coward he is,” Riddle confessed begrudgingly. The blue-grey of his eyes were steely and stubborn. “A case as important as this needs the additional man—and brain—power, Detective.”

He placed the playing card down and slid it toward the detective. “This arrived in the morning at Mr. Crowley’s desk, the same as all the prior robberies. It gave him quite the fright. He rushed all the way to the station to beg for our assistance.”

“This is...” Yuu gingerly turned the card over, revealing a message scrawled on the other side in bright red gel ink. Each letter was big and bubbly, bursting with cheek and pomp.

Their heart jumped.

To the Old Crow that safeguards the Museum,

Heyo~

Your pockets look a lil’ heavy there, so I’ll help you out. (Aren’t I so kind?) Three days from now, I’ll claim one of your most prized treasures at the stroke of midnight.

Stand back and watch as I perform the greatest magic trick you’ll ever see... and make the portrait of the Queen of Hearts vanish before your very eyes. It’ll be a show-stopper!!

Until then,

Phantom Thief Knave of Hearts <3 ;3

P.S. Send the cops my regards, they can’t catch me lol (especially when their teapot tyrant’s patience is in SHORT supply geddit)

“They’re just flat-out announcing what their intentions are,” Yuu realized. They were half impressed, half shocked at the gall. “You said all of the victims received messages like this?”

“Calling cards, yes.” The fury had returned to Riddle’s features, causing his voice to spike and strain. “It’s infuriating!! What does he get off on, misappropriating magic as cheap parlor tricks for crime, writing notes in such a cocksure manner, taunting us to pursue him?!

“Not only is he poking fun at my height and committing a crime, but for mere SPORT?! For the THRILL of it?! He’s making a mockery of the good people of this island and of my men and our efforts to secure the peace!!”

The Police Chief slammed a fist down on his desk, rattling his glass vase and setting his perfectly straight pens askew. Crowley shrunk back in fear. “That Knave of Hearts...!! He must be stopped at all costs!!”

“Y-Yes, absolutely!!” Crowley chimed in. “For my--er, I mean, for the museum’s sake, this criminal must be put behind bars!! That’s why I’ve come to you, my good people!

“My taxpayer dollars help fund the police force, so I’ve come to collect on what its promise to protect and to serve the community!! Well, here’s the community at your doorstep asking you to protect and to serve!!”

“That’s why you want to put me on this case,” Yuu concluded, clasping the calling card to their racing heart. “To prevent this from going down tonight.”

“And furthermore,” Riddle added, “to investigate the identity of this so-called phantom thief once the museum is safely secured.”

“That’s a tall order, sir.”

“You’ll have access to our force’s resources, and to my officers. You will assist in overseeing this operation, with maps and outlines of the museum’s security detail from Mr. Crowley. We’ll cooperate to create a plan of attack to apprehend the Knave.”

“You misunderstand me. I never said I wouldn’t take the job,” Yuu coolly informed the Chief. Their mouth cocked upwards with confidence. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

“Oh, blessed day!! From the very bottom of my oh-so-generous heart, thank you very much!!” Crowley cried tearfully.

For the first time the entire briefing, Riddle smiled back at Yuu. “Hmph. That’s what I like to hear. Happy to be working with you again, Detective.”

“Likewise, Chief.”

The sun had already set when Yuu exited the station, the stars blinking into existence. Several hours had been spent picking the museum curator’s brain with a fine-toothed comb, looking over layouts, and memorizing security detail. The information had been well-stocked, and now came the time to let it marinate and bloom into plans.

Stuffing their hands in their pockets, Yuu shuffled down the sidewalk and past rows of parked vehicles. Ahead, neon lights flashed in and out, and the trains rattled on their well-worn tracks, buses and cars honking at each other, the chatter of street vendors filling the air.

And something different than the usual tonight.

The city never slept, always buzzed with energy. Yuu had become accustomed to its sights and sounds, finding them even comforting. Their best ideas were conceived against the hum of the cityscape. It was just soft enough to not fully distract, but just noticeable enough to tug at their thoughts for long enough to stray into new territories and concepts.

Light from lonely streetlamps created tears in the darkness, illuminating the path to their favorite downtown thinking spot: the Mostro Lounge. A good (albeit overpriced) drink would chase away their tiredness.

Yuu continued with that promise in mind, every step catlike. First quick, next slow, then quick, moderate, slow, quick, slow, quick, moderate. Their speed, ever alternating.

Their ears strained against the sounds of the city, slowly parsing through the individual elements.

Trains, buses, cars, chatter… and the soft footsteps masked by them. Footsteps which matched Yuu’s pace.

There was no mistaking it now.

I’m being followed.

They didn’t look to see who it was—the first rule of tailing a target was to never alert them to your awareness. Yuu would know (as oftentimes they were the one in the position of tailer).

They cast their eyes across the street, which was busy with bodies. Once Yuu merged with the crowd, they could easily shake off their stalker.

Their feet picked up their pace again, hurrying to the crosswalk. It was a glaring red, advising pedestrians to stop.

Shoot, Yuu cursed.

They felt a presence step up beside them. From the corner of their eye, they could make out a dark form--clothes. Yuu pretended to check the time on their phone, and glimpsed him in the reflection.

He was in a hoodie, with the hood pulled up and head down to conceal his features. His hands, too, were out of sight, a sea of baggy fabric hiding identifying features, save for his frame. Lanky, but reasonably packed with muscle to keep up with Yuu.

The man shifted, and his sight grazed theirs. His eyes were hard and icy, a silent threat.

Yuu quickly focused on the crosswalk light. Their heartbeat became as loud as the surrounding sounds. Screeching above the vehicles, shouting from the rooftops. THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP.

At last, the light turned from red to white.

Walk.

They started--and so did he.

“Excuse me.” A hand came upon their shoulder. The other pulled at something with a sinister glint. “Do you have a second?”

No walking, Yuu corrected themselves. Run!!

They sprinted down the crosswalk, jostling pedestrians with a hasty “sorry!” thrown back at them. As Yuu weaved through the crowd as fast as they could, they could not completely shunt out the man after them.

“Hey, please wait!! Where are you going?! C-Come back, I need to talk to you!”

His voice carried above the others. People jolted back, the crowd parting to make way for the man to charge forth. His volume swelled louder and louder as he gained on them.

Towering apartments seemed to bear down on Yuu. Their windows, glaring.

A shop. Find a shop and get inside!!

Yuu pumped their arms, pleaded for their legs to move more efficiently.

Again, a weight fell upon their shoulder. It was a clamp, fingers biting Yuu’s skin through their jacket as they dug in and held firm.

The other hand wielded the same shining object that it had before. Yuu looked more closely this time, and the unease in them dissipated. It was not the pointed tip of a knife, but the glint of a familiar officer’s badge wreathed in golden roses.

The man tore off his hood with a sigh--though Yuu noticed that he wasn’t one bit out of breath. Navy bangs fell across his forehead, his eyes a peacock green-blue, much friendlier under the streetlamps than the crosswalk signs.

He smiled at Yuu as though he were greeting an old friend. His grip turned into a tender squeeze. “I finally caught up with you!”

The detective awkwardly pulled away, confusion scrawled on their face. “Um... Sorry, who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“Oh! Uh...” The man jumped, retracting his hand. “That’s because we haven’t! Er, not officially anyway, but I’ve heard a lot about you!!”

Yuu pointed to his badge. “That. You’re an officer?”

“Yessir!” The man offered the proof of his identity and stiffly saluted. “Officer Deuce Spade, sir!! I’m a new recruit...!! I just joined the force a few weeks ago!”

Yuu mustered a faint smile. The darned fool was going to give them away. “... Am I in trouble, officer?”

“Nossir! Not at all!” His entire face shone with eagerness, earnest, and a slightly nervous energy. Maybe Yuu would have found it adorable (in the same way that a child trying hard was adorable), were he not blasting your occupation to the public. “Why would you be in trouble, sir?! You’re working with...”

“Okaaay, that’s enough out of you!” Yuu slapped a hand over Deuce’s mouth, silencing him.

Curious onlookers murmured amongst themselves. Some had taken to halt and full-on gawk. Children pointed, adult narrowing their eyes with suspicion.

Yuu frowned, removing their hand to shoo pedestrians away. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just a misunderstanding. Move along, Wonder Boy and I can settle this ourselves.”

“Wonder Boy?” Deuce, in a daze, pointed to himself. “Is that... me?”

“Who else would I be talking about?” Yuu folded their arms. “I assume you’re free now?”

“I am, sir! I was just let off my shift a little while ago, sir!”

“First, drop the ‘sir’. It’s giving me a headache,” Yuu instructed. “Second, if you’re free, then you’ll be joining me for a drink and a chat. We have things to discuss--chief among them being why you were following me.”

Ring-a-ling!

A bell sounded as the door to the Mostro Lounge swung open. Deuce stepped into a new world, Yuu at his side.

The interior itself was dim, but glass lights fastened in the shape of jellyfish projected swimming incandescent lights in purple, blue, and pink. Velvet booths lined one half of the eatery, the other, a glossy bar with tall, narrow stools, the shelves behind it healthily stocked with bottles in jeweled tones. Strangers poised with drink took residence in most of the seats.

The entire back wall had been repurposed into a massive aquarium teeming with aquatic plants and exotic creatures. Seaweed and coral gently swayed to the rhythm of the smooth jazz floating through the lounge, fish frolicking among them.

“Whoooa,” Deuce gasped, craning his head to drink in every detail. “I’ve never been to a place as classy as this. It looks so expensive. You think my salary’s enough to cover at least an appetizer?”

“Hang on tight to your wallet,” Yuu warned. “This place will squeeze you for every thaumark you’re worth and then some—and they won’t feel a bit of remorse about it.”

The detective raised an arm, flagging a nearby waiter.

Their uniform was simple yet sleek: dark dress pants, a white bow tie, spotless gloves, and a cummerbund and suspenders over a lavender button-up shirt. It allowed for slight variation—one waiter skidded by with his shirt buttoned as low as food safety regulations deemed safe. Another jotted down orders with a jacket thrown over his shoulders and a pair of glasses tucked into the crevice of his buttons.

The waiter Yuu called out to approached like a shark fin cutting through still water, neatly bowing to greet their waiting customers. He was prim and proper compared to the other servers, not a button out of place.

When he raised his head, Deuce marveled at his mismatched olive and gold irises, the teal of his hair marred by a stripe of black. Three diamond-shaped scales dangled from his left ear, as sharp as his eyes.

“I bid you welcome to the Mostro Lounge, honored guests,” the waiter said smoothly. He gaze immediately cut to Deuce. “I see you’ve brought a friend with you, today, Yuu-san. How delightfully rare.”

“Acquaintance. We just met outside under… less than ideal circumstances.”

“Oya, how quick you were to seize on that chance encounter. I may even deem you a bigger opportunist than our dear manager.”

“… Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Deuce inquired.

“Perhaps you will find the answer to your question, should you act as a patron at our establishment for long enough.”

“Quit toying with him, Jade. You know what we’re here for,” Yuu grumbled. “My usual.”

“If that is what you wish. And for this gentleman acquaintance of yours?”

“Just ice water is fine, sir!”

Jade maintained his polite smile. “Very well. One glass of ice cold water for you. I will bring you a menu as well, in case you begin to feel peckish late into the night.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“Right this way then.” Jade gestured for the two to follow him.

“He’s upselling you, you know,” Yuu pointed out under their breath. “Hoping that you’ll buy something when presented with the opportunity to spend.”

“E-Eh, he is?! I didn’t even realize…”

“Fufufu. Please, do not let your worries consume you. You have come to relax, correct? We at the Mostro Lounge ask that you put your fins and your feet up and enjoy yourself while the night is still young.”

They were escorted to two empty stools in a (relatively) quiet corner of the bar. The glass jellyfish lights were clustered in the center of the main dining area, leaving the corner like a slice of dark, uncharted waters. Jass music and conversation filtered into a muffled melody.

Yuu plopped down with relief, followed by an apprehensive Deuce. He slowly sank into the cushy seat.

“I will be right back with your drinks. If you will excuse me.” With another bow, Jade rounded the bar and rolled up his sleeves—the transition from waiter to bartender. Presenting his back to the duo, he set to plucking bottles off of the shelves.

Deuce blinked. He still hadn’t taken to fully processing his new surroundings. “Are we really going kick back and have drinks when there’s a serial thief on the loose?”

“We can’t talk about that in public, or risk blowing my cover. It’s safe to talk here,” Yuu reassured him. “What happens in the Mostro Lounge stays in the Mostro Lounge. Say what you want about the slimy staff, but they know how to keep their patrons’ secrets. Client confidentiality and all.”

The young officer brightened. “Ooooh, I get it!”

“… You’re not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Yuu remarked bluntly. They slipped off their baseball cap, letting loose their hair. “So? Let’s have it.”

“Have what?”

“Your reason for following me.”

“Oh!! That.” Deuce nervously scratched at the back of his neck. “That’s kind of…”

The detective drummed their fingers on the polished counter. Methodical, deliberate. “You mentioned that you recently joined the force. However, only senior officials in the police department and myself were privy to this operation. How did you come to learn about it?”

Deuce stiffened, thrown off his beat (if he had any to begin with). “Th-That’s…!”

“I’m asking you a question, Mr. Spade. Please answer me truthfully.”

“I… um… Truth is, I…” Deuce stared at his lap, unable to meet the detective’s eyes. “I might have eavesdropped when I returned from my patrol shift…”

“Go on,” Yuu coaxed.

“There was a report I had to submit to the Chief, but it sounded like he was busy in his office. It’s hard to not notice him when he raises his voice, sir. I decided to wait outside until he was done, and… well, I got curious.”

“Wasn’t Assistant Chief Clover also present? He just let you do that without a single protest?”

“Assistant Chief Clover was very nice to me! He laughed a little and said ‘make sure you don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar’!”

Darn it, Trey!! You could’ve been a LITTLE stricter with this guy…! Yuu groaned, massaging the bridge of their nose. “Okay, I think I’m starting to get a better picture of what went down. You followed me wanting to learn more about the operation.”

Like a curious child chasing after a white rabbit. Still immature, still wondering, and still way over their head.

“Yes, but that’s not all!” Deuce insisted. He abruptly stood from the table. “There’s an even more important reason than just satisfying my curiosity, sir!”

Yuu quirked an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

“I had to talk to you—without the Chief around. I had to. That’s why I followed you in secret.” The officer nibbled his lower lip, as if biting back something harsh and bitter from coming up.

“Out with it, Mr. Spade.”

“Pardon the intrusion,” Jade coolly interjected. His tone was nonchalant but his bemused smile was a telltale sign that he was relishing in every second of the hot gossip. “Your beverages.”

He slid two glasses between Yuu and Deuce before departing. One was tall and slim—a highball—loaded with carbonated water and fruity gummies. Yellow for jeweled pineapples, red for ruby berries, green for frozen mint, black for floral cacao, and blue from pure azure salt. It was Yuu’s usual, the famed Mystery Drink. The other glass was, by comparison, an ordinary drink of water, a single large, clear cube of ice floating in it.

A bead of sweat ran down Deuce’s jawline. Condensation forming and racing on his glass of water.

Suddenly, the officer slapped both hands on the counter, slamming his face down upon its surface. His navy hair splayed, forehead touching the table in a display of humility.

Yuu almost spilled their drink. “What are you doing?”

“I’m begging you, sir!! P-Please put me on the mission!!” Deuce pleaded, his voice shaky but resolute. “I… I want to help catch the Knave of Hearts too!!”

“If that’s all you wanted, why ask me? Go through the proper channels to…”

“I can’t!! The Chief would never allow it.” His expression creased with shame. “He says rookies need to work their way up from meter maid to working on cases.”

“He’s right. You need to grow into these things, not rush in head-first in a burst of passion.” Yuu made to take a sip of their drink—but the officer’s fist collided with the counter, the liquid inside the glass sloshing overboard. Seltzer water splashed onto their pant leg, leaving a sticky wet spot on a thigh.

“P-Please reconsider! I know how to handle myself in a fight! I’m fast, I could easily catch up with him if it’s a race on foot!”

“Look,” the detective said irritably, “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish here. Fact is, no matter how much you ask, I wouldn’t want to take you on for this case. You’re too green behind the ears—and sorry, but I just don’t see you as an asset.

“You may be strong and quick on your feet, but it’ll take more than strength and speed to catch the Knave of Hearts. There’s a reason he hasn’t been caught yet.” Yuu tapped at their temple. “It’s this. He’s got smarts, and we need to combat that with smarts of our own.”

“I-I can be smart!! I can try to, at least! Please, just let me try…!!”

Frustrated, Yuu scrutinized the young man again. Their eyes roaming, searching, for detail wrong, a hair out of place.

Years of sleuthing had built up a great amount of cynicism and distrust in the detective. How many times had they pulled back the curtain, revealing the ugly truths hidden out of plain sight? How many bruised egos--both clients and coworkers--had they encountered? People seeking status or to feed their own pride.

Yet when they looked at Deuce, none of that ugliness or ego came through. Here was someone who stubbornly stared right back at Yuu, unwilling to back down, even when his dignity lay in tatters on the floor the instant he prostrated himself.

Another selfish bid for recognition? They ventured, toying with the idea. Maybe personal ambition, looking to climb up in the world.

“... One reason,” Yuu said, holding up an index finger. “Give me one good reason why I should take you on. Convince me.”

Deuce recoiled--as though even he hadn’t expected to have made it this far, or to be taken seriously at all. His brows creased with effort as he racked the recesses of his mind to find the right phrasing.

A second later, he let out a piercing shout.

“GAAAAAAAAH!!”

With a grunt, Deuce grasped his cup of ice water and lifted it to his lips. He hammered the drink in a single swig, releasing a satisfied hoot. The liquid courage had revived the man, returning the spark to him.

In a voice as clear as the drink he had just downed, Deuce said, “It’s for my mom. She’s just about the sweetest, most hard-working person I know.”

He hung his head and slammed his empty cup down, shaking the entire table.

“She raised me as a single parent. Mom never once complained, only wanted the best life for me.” Deuce glared into his glass, speaking with scorn and anger--not at others, but for himself. “And how did I repay her? I... turned to delinquency.

“I acted out because I wasn’t man enough to do the mature thing and work on myself!! She blamed herself for my stupid decisions! I made mom worry for me so, so much...”

Plip, plip.

Deuce faltered, letting quiet tears dribble down his cheeks and landing on the cube of ice left in his glass. Once they made contact with the frozen block, it was impossible to tell what was water and what was salt.

“I swore to myself that I would turn my life around... to show mom that it’s not her fault, that she did all she could to raised someone who could contribute to society!! So I studied really hard at the police academy, and even though my grades were crappy, I managed to graduate...!!”

He choked up, a concoction of fiery passion infused in his stuttering words. “I can finally be that model officer and make a change in the community! But I haven’t done a damn thing...! I just play meter maid while bad guys are out there running free, when I could be out there making this city a safer place for mom and everyone that lives here...!!”

The noises of the lounge seemed to fade into a stoic silence around Deuce. His declaration reverberated loudly. “I have to do this. I need to do this.”

He bowed again, his forehead pressed hard against the surface of the table. The single word he uttered was hoarse, desperate.

“Please.”

Deuce pried himself up almost painfully. The eyes were aquamarine, wet with hot tears. Something shone through them in shades of blue and green, priceless as any treasure: an honesty that burned like an eternal flame.

Yuu startled, striken by a single, haunting revelation: He’s telling the truth.

“... I don’t think I’ve met someone like you before,” they said cryptically. “I don’t doubt your story—but as touching as it is, I don’t know if...”

Hesitation reared its head, and Yuu forced themselves to look away. Couldn’t bear to see him, that wide-eyed sincerity.

Emotion clashing with their sound logic. Two things that shouldn’t have belonged together colliding. 

Wait... things that don’t belong together? Things I didn’t expect, surprises and twists to the tale...

A ex-delinquent turned into a policeman. A selfishness turned selfless. An anticipated lie turned into a truth. Something there that hadn’t been before.

The detective’s mind raced, quickly outpacing the words leaving their mouth. A solution which subverted expectations, a trap laced with honey for a man with sticky fingers.

That’s it. We’ll pull a trick of our own.

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind,” Yuu abruptly announced. “You’re in on this operation, Mr. Spade.”

“R-Really?!” Deuce’s face nearly tore in half, his volume revving up like a motorcycle engine. “You mean it?!”

“I do.”

Yuu took a cool sip of their Mystery Drink. Flavors from all over Twisted Wonderland cascaded over their tongue—a triumphant, fleeting pleasure.

They set their glass down and bent over, gripping Deuce by the strings of his hoodie. Yuu tugged, bringing the policeman lurching forward.

His clammy forehead against theirs. Centimeters away, his eyes widened. A flushed heat climbed to his cheeks, his voice set in a stammer.

“S-Sir, what are we...”

“You’ll have to follow my instructions very carefully,” Yuu replied with a devious grin. “Listen up, rookie: cuz you’re going to be the star of this show. Here’s the plan...”

The ambience of the lounge drowned out Yuu’s whispers. From afar, their words could only be read through the shapes of their mouth, the increasingly confused and alarmed expressions that Deuce pulled.

Jade observed them patiently, chuckling to himself. “My, my, it seems like our genius detective has found yet another solution.”

CLATTER, CLATTER!!

A tray piled high with empty plates and dishes was slammed down. Jade’s twin peered around the stack, leaning lazily against the bar.

“Eeeh, but I bet against them this time.”

“Playing the contrarian runs its risks.” Jade picked up a glass, staring at his brother through it. The golden orb called his left eye was clear as a topaz. “As for myself, I’m excited to see how this plays out.”

PLAP.

A notepad came down on the table as a third waiter joined them.

“Both of you need to stop gossiping and get back to work,” their manager chided, sliding the notepad—scrawled with fresh orders—to Jade. “Leave the customers to tend to their own business. We’ll soon know the outcome.”

[To be continued...]

[ak-vintage]

Miller Tours | Secret Springs Resort

Prompt: Joel Miller & Speedboat Rides

Created for the Secret Springs event hosted by @secretelephanttattoo

Dividers by the incomparable @saradika-graphics

The first words he says to you are a blunder, and though unintentional, you would be lying if you said they didn’t sting a little.

“Howdy. Welcome in.” His voice is low and warm, friendly but somehow calmer, more subdued than you had come to expect from the little beach town’s many small business proprietors. “You must be my 2:00. Boat tour for two?”

He glances up at you from his post behind a weathered, white-washed counter, the little hut at the edge of the marina looking like something out of time. There’s a wooden sign with peeling paint hanging over the door, “MILLER TOURS” printed across its surface in navy blue lettering, and rather than a credit card reader or a sleek tablet on a swiveled mount, he has an old bronze cash register at one end of the counter. Spread out before him are two binders describing the features of different tour packages, and there’s a corkboard on the far wall featuring a collage of sun-bleached photographs of past adventures, all of which are held in place with shining silver pushpins.

Boat tour for two? It makes sense. That is what your reservation was for. Still, something in your chest seizes at the question, and you offer him a pained smile.

“Uh. Just one, actually,” you say, hoping that will be the end of the discussion. Of course, that is wishful thinking.

Quirking a frown at you, the man behind the counter pulls a clipboard from a drawer and scans it quickly. He says your name like a question, and you nod, lips pressed together in a tight line.

“Okay. So Bryan won’t be joining us today?” he asks. You think you see something like understanding in the tightness around his eyes, the way his prominent brows pick up just a bit in the middle, wrinkling his golden, sun-warmed skin.

“Nope. Just me.” You tug at your coverup, a delicate, crocheted thing you’d bought specifically for this trip because of the little peeks of skin it afforded, letting you show off your new bikini while still having the illusion of some coverage. The person you had bought it for, however, is hundreds of miles away now, admiring someone else’s skin, someone else’s body.

And you are here. Alone.

“I…I hope that’s all right. I’ll still pay the two-person fee, it’s not a problem,” you say after a beat of tense, significant silence.

However, instead of the reluctant acquiescence you’re expecting, the man grants you a soft smile, and he shakes his head, his dark, salt and pepper curls bouncing as he does. “That won’t be necessary, darlin’. Why don’t you let me get locked up here, and we can get you out on the water?”

A wave of relief passes over you at that, and you nod readily. “That sounds good…” You hesitate, unsure of how to address him, but he rescues you quickly from any further social awkwardness.

“Captain Miller,” he says as he rounds the counter. He extends a large, calloused hand in your direction, and you shake it happily. His fingers dwarf yours, but rather than feeling intimidated, instead it just makes you feel safe. Cared for. “But you can just call me Joel.”

You spend the afternoon lounging at the back of Joel’s speedboat, a tidy, well-kept thing that cuts through the water like a knife, showering you with mists of saltwater as he makes a circuit up and down the coast of Secret Springs. He lets you run the boat’s radio, lets you choose the speed, lets you tell him when you would like to stop and take pictures and when you would like to keep going. You quickly take off your coverup to bask in the afternoon sun, soaking in its rays and luxuriating in the ocean breeze, and he almost manages to keep his eyes focused on the ocean. You almost manage to stop yourself from blushing under his gaze.

About an hour in, Joel reaches down into the storage compartment underneath the helm and pulls out a cooler with a chilled bottle of crisp white wine and two glasses. He pours you a generous glass, mumbling something about not knowing much about wine but knowing that this one is usually a crowd-pleaser. You, of course, offer him the other glass, and though he protests that he really shouldn’t, that it’s bad manners to drink on the job, he eventually accepts. You pour him his own splash of wine, and when he asks you what you would like to toast to, you tell him, “New beginnings.”

As the sun begins to lower in the sky, Joel takes you to a secluded cove on the southern end of town. There’s an area there that has been roped off for swimming, and he drops anchor and tells you you’re welcome to take a dip if you’d like before he takes you back to the marina. You slip into the cool water with no further prompting, eager to refresh yourself after a day in the summer sun, and this time, he makes no attempt to hide the way that he watches you as you float leisurely in the shallows.

By the time he is pulling the speedboat back up to the marina, hopping out onto the dock to haul it the rest of the way in with a length of rope twisted around his thick, tanned forearm, you realize you haven’t thought about Bryan once all afternoon.

When you head back into the Miller Tours building to settle up on your bill, you ask Joel for a piece of scrap paper, and he hands you the final, useless length of receipt paper from an old roll he had stashed away behind the counter. You hand him back your payment for the excursion, a generous tip, and your phone number and the name of the hotel you’re staying at scrawled across that length of receipt paper.

“You sure about this, darlin’?” he asks you as you head for the door.

You glance back over your shoulder at him and smile, feeling lighter, happier, freer than you have in months.

“Definitely,” you say, and then you watch as Captain Miller slips the piece of paper into the front pocket of his shirt.

Tapping his hand over that pocket, as though to promise you he will keep it safe, he replies, “Get home safe, sweetheart. I’ll give you a call tomorrow. See if we can’t get that ‘new beginning’ you’re after started off right.”

[billythesimp]

Hellooo! I've seen your work and i was really amazed by your work. It's just pure mwah 🤌🏻❤️

I thought you were close on request before, so when i see it finally open i was in joy like fr. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) I have few but im gonna slow with you since im sure you also busy.

So mine is Wise (you can add any other characters) x reader (prefer fem but gn is also okay). “when he saw someone else start to flirt with you (and he is jealous).”

If not, feel free to skip this request. I completely understand. Have a nice day and make sure take care of yourself (⁠/⁠^⁠-⁠^)/❤️

How do I write a Jealous Character... Oki here I go then.

[Proceeds to then stare at the screen for another 10 minutes trying to write a jealous character]

I think he came out more overprotective then anything ;-;

Who's This Dear?

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎…

Sorry for disappearing for a bit, decided to take a break and figure out a schedule that wouldn't give me writers block oh so quickly! Also another note, I promise I'm not just a Wise account, people just love this goof! Me included!

Wise x fem!reader

𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡…⋙

tw: OOC / Use of [Name] instead of Y/N

✦ Usually customers were not a big problem at Random Play, with the experience he had gained from being a store manager leading to him adapting to the more tougher requests and issues it came with. He keeps a calm face and offers solutions to many people's problems. And a lot of the time, they are satisfied with his care that regulars swear that Belle and Wise are some of the efficient and caring managers there are. They never get mad or yell, the handle almost every interaction with care and patience. Because of that, Wise prides himself in having gained that reputation on Sixth Street. 

✦ What he also has pride in is what a wonderful girlfriend he has working alongside them. Almost everyone they work with or know on the street know of Wise’s Girlfriend. While she may only work part time during the week, she’s made an effort in getting to know Wise’s connections and making friendly conversation with their fellow vendors on the street. Every time Wise sees her chatting up with their regulars or laughing with someone like General Chops or Master Tin, he can’t help but have his heart swell in joy that they really are such a great person and that everyone approves of them already. Really, Wise believes he scored with this one, the amount of times Belle has joked about them getting married may happen sooner rather than later. 

▿

That being said, it’s during one of the shop’s working hours that it happened. He decided to take inventory of what stock they had around the store, [Name] incharge of manning the counter as Bangboo 18 needed a well-deserved recharge. But as he was shelving some recordings, he heard the angelic laughter of his love that left him wondering just what they could have been laughing at. Peeking out the slot of the staff door, he watched as some random man leaned on the counter. He held a smug look on his face as she only waved him off, a pleasant yet confused smile on their face leaving a growing pit to form in his stomach. 

‘Who the hell is he?’

Wise straightened up his jacket before walking outside to see what they had been talking about. “Oh come now, don’t be so modest. After all, a pretty face like yours surely is what keeps this business going. Why not take a break, how about we get some lunch together after your break- eh?”

“Oh hey babe, how’s the counter treating ya?” Wise saddled up to the counter with his hand hovering over the small of their back, watching as they relaxed at his touch. “Oh- Wise! It’s been good, um. Do you know if we have this movie in stock by chance? I couldn’t find it on the system…” She tucked a hair behind her ear, smiling before letting him slide in and take a look on their small tablet holding all their movies listed in rented/overdue/in-house. The man before stepped back as he did this, slowly getting nervous. 

“Ah- yeah, I looked around and couldn’t find it. Hehe…”

“Hmm, oh [Name], you’re due for your break. I can watch things from here.” She perks up at this, smiling before asking him about sharing lunch together again. “I’m down for sandwiches- OH we could get to 141 and grab some snacks. I’ll go now actually!” With that, she entered the staff only only to return after with her purse and kissing him goodbye, waving to the stranger and wishing him luck with his movie search. 

“Hmm, sorry sir, Looks like what you’re looking for isn’t here. Could I recommend anything else for you? Perhaps something that isn’t already someone else’s property?” Wise sneers at the stranger, a kind-hearted look plastered onto his face despite the dark tone in his voice that only left the man to shiver at his work.

“Um, looks like it's not here… I’ll be going then.”

“Oh, please do.” With a wave, Wise’s closed eye smile turned into a deathly glare as he left and walked the opposite way from where [Name] had gone. Once he figured that he wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon, he let out a sigh of relief and slumped down. The one time he leaves his girlfriend alone and someone already tries to make a move on them. 

“Well that was a sight, huh?”

Belle entered from the backdoor, playfully teasing her brother as he reeled back in shock out of her sudden timing, all the while Eous runs up to his second parent and leaves comforting pats on his legs. “What happened with [Name]? I thought she was watching the front for me?” Wise sighs before muttering out a small explanation, embarrassed as he never lost his cool like this before. Other than the time Belle got lost in a Hollow, he's never overreacted to this extent. He’s only glad that it was Belle and not [Name] who entered, he wouldn’t know how she’d react if she realized he was jealous and became protective of them.

“Way to show who’s the boss around here. Man, I kinda wish I could have seen it.” 

“Master, I have full access to the store camera’s and save every recording for the next 30 days until removal. I can pull it up on the H.D.D System for you.” Before Wise could refuse, Belle is already running into the Staff room to save the recording before it was too late. 

“Wise! I’m back! And I got your favorites!”

The bell rang as [Name]’s cheering caught his attention while they held up two small bags filled with various candies and snacks. He could only smile, approaching them and pulling them into a tight hug. “Thanks love, I really appreciate it. Now how about we watch a movie in my room for a while, huh?”

He is only grateful that he has such a loving and thoughtful girlfriend by his side.

[fortunekookie07]

X amount of time ago, I got my first request for a story. I am still over the moon about that. And being that Xavier's new memories just dropped, I chose him per requesters prompt.

Potatosugar this one is for you

Moment Forever Lost

Rafayel, just thinking or hearing his name sent butterflies coursing through your stomach. Your best friend, the person you felt closest to in the world. The one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

Rafayel, the one existence in this world you felt you could never reach. Not after she entered the picture. How many plans had been rearranged, canceled, or simply forgotten because for Rafayel, she always came first.

When Rafayel told you that she was the one who had rescued him as a kid, and then confided in you that I'm that moment he fell in love with her. Your heart shattered into a million pieces.

After all, how could you compete with that? She was a hero to Rafayel, and he was smitten. The first time you met her you wanted to abandon all hope. She was beautiful.

Perfect, straight, long dark brown hair. A small frame and delicate features. It was like fate had created a perfect girl and then sent her your way to destroy the future you'd wanted.

You had begun to war with yourself internally. Half of you instantly hated her for stealing your place. The spot next to Rafayel had belonged to you. You'd been the one friend who stuck by him since middle school. Rafayel's personality was a bit off putting to most people after all. Even she had found his manners a bit extreme.

The other half of you actually liked her. She was nice, friendly, and very likeable. Her smile alone put anyone at ease. Then there was her talents. As a Deepspace Hunter, her skills were unrivaled amongst her graduating class. She had been named the best and she'd gotten to join the Unicorns Team that took on the most dangerous missions. It was no wonder that Rafayel was smitten with her.

You constantly compared yourself to her. Frustration rising whenever you thought about the goal you once had. Your Evol had never really developed. Making the ground shake around you would not benefit you or your partner at all. Often times you couldn't even control it. Whenever your emotions got out of hand so would your Evol. It drove you crazy to see someone else living your dream.

You hated yourself for having such negative thoughts about someone so kind. She ha never once been cruel to you. Even if she constantly seemed to but in whenever you were spending time with Rafayel.

*******************************************************

Today was your birthday, twenty four years old now. The same age as Rafayel. By a few months, as he constantly reminded you. Proud of being the older, and therefore wiser one.

Rafayel had insisted on going out to celebrate. He'd wanted to take you to his favorite restraint. It was high class and typically only catered to famous individuals and top notch business men and women. It wasn't unusual to see this place booked out for some high tech companies meeting.

Rafayel had persuaded you to come here. He wanted to make you feel important. Not just to him, but for yourself. He wanted to make this a day to remember. He had reserved a table with a fantastic view of the city below and gotten you a beautiful dress to wear.

The color was a deep, dark blue. A sheer outer skirt of intricate lace. The lace went all over the dress and the sleeves. Fitting your figure perfectly. Complimenting all of your best features.

You arrive at the restaurant and walk to the maitre'D. "Reservation for two. Under Rafayel, has he arrived yet?" You ask with a smile. The man looked down at the tablet in front oh him, scanning the list of reservations for the night.

"I'm sorry miss, I don't have any reservations for Mr. Rafayel tonight". The man looked apologetic as he relayed the news. "Oh maybe he made the reservation under my name"? You say with a question and rattle off your own name. The man shakes his head again. "No miss, no reservations under you either". You felt your heart sunk as you stepped away from his podium.

You fish your phone out of the small hand bag you'd brought and immediately call Rafayel. It goes straight to voicemail so you leave a message. "Rafayel, I'm here at the restaurant but they don't have a reservation for us. I'll just wait for you. See you in a few". After hanging up you go to sit on the cushy bench just outside the entrance doors.

Five minutes goes by and you check your phone anxiously. Nothing, no calls or texts. You tuck your phone back into the bag. Couples drift by you once in a while. Some of them glance at you curiously as they walk inside.

Fifteen minutes go by and Rafayel has still not appeared. A sinking feeling in your stomach knots your insides up. This is not the first time you've been stood up, but like a puppy everytime he calls your name you go running back. A burn in the corners of your eyes start as you desperately try not to cry.

You pull your phone out again and call Rafayel once more. It still goes straight to voice mail. "Rafayel where are you? You are coming right? I'm still here waiting for you". Your voice cracks a bit at the end before you finally manage to stave off your tears.

Still wanting to belive that he would not ditch you on your birthday, you continue waiting. Perched on the seat, hoping, just praying, that Rafayel will suddenly appear. Hair disheveled from running and face apologetic, but it doesn't.

For forty-five minutes you sit on that bench and wait. When some of the people who'd gone in for dinner are now coming out you stand up, shame burning your face red. The looks on their faces clearly peg you as having had your date ditch you. You can't take being judged by people you don't even know and run off. The tears have broken free and are streaming down your face.

You don't know or care where you are going at the moment. Just away from there. You stop running after you stumble and realize you've made it to the edge of the downtown area. The restaurant is some thirty blocks behind you. Thankfully it isn't too late and this is a well traveled area. You're able to get a taxi.

Your phone rings as the taxi pulls up in front of your apartment. Rafayel's name and picture flashing on the screen. You send the call to voice mail and pay the driver.

As you're unlocking your door your phone starts ringing again. Rafayel's name and picture showing up once more. In anger you just turn your phone straight off and stuff it into the bottom of your bag. A voice speaks behind you.

"Wow, are you so against taking my call that your abusing your phone too"? That haughty tone can only belong to one person. Rafayel.

You turn and pin him with your angriest glare. "I don't even want to see you right now, much less hear your voice." You spit, hurling all the venom you can muster with your pain and humiliation.

He reaches out to take your hand and you're quick to slap it away. You hide the wince at the loud sound if the smack and the stinging on your palm. His arm is still held out towards you. The back of his hand red with the marks of your fingers.

Tears gather in the corners of your eyes again. "I get that I am not first in your life and that I never will be, but how could you stand me up on my birthday with plans that YOU made"? You ask not looking at him as your voice cracks. He moves in closer and forces you to look at him.

"You are important to me, you're my best friend. I am so sorry about tonight...". You cut him off placing your hand over his mouth before he can say her name. "I don't want to hear it Rafayel, don't say her name. Especially right now". You feel like your soul will shatter if he utters her name now.

He brushes your tears away one handed and you finally realize he's been holding his other arm behind his back. Before you can ask he's drawing his arm from behind his back and presents you with a bouquet. The fragrance hits you before your mind can register what you are seeing.

In his hands is a dozen of the largest white chrysanthemums you have ever seen. The bloom easily bigger than his hand. You didn't even know the flower could get this big. You close your eyes breathing in the scent of your favorite flower.

"I am sorry, this couldn't be avoided. It was an emergency. Let me make it up to you tomorrow. It's the first day of the lantern festival. Let me take you". You look at him in surprise. It was a well known fact that Rafayel hated crowds, for anything. It was one of the reasons why he so often skipped out on his painting exhibits. He didn't care for all the noise either. You'd never been able to get him to go to one before.

"R-really"?!? You ask hardly believing your ears as your heart soars. He nods before replying. "Really, let me take you". You hug him tightly in response. The ruined birthday all but forgotten now.

"I'll pick you up at 6:30 tomorrow". He says when you finally let go. "See you romorrow"! You tell him excitedly before going inside.

Once in the kitchen you search for your flower vases. Finding the perfect one that can hold such a large bouquet, you fill it with water and csrefully place them in it.

You take a deep whiff of the flowers before heading to your bedroom. As you get your pj's on you feel a sense of dread, like something bad is going to happen real soon. You squash it down and force yourself to sleep.

The following day can't pass fast enough. All day long you are distracted, even you co workers notice that you aren't getting much done. Seeing as you are usually zipping through your work it isn't hard to notice.

Finally the end of the work day has come. You excitedly clean up your desk and shut your computer down. Being an office consultant had its drawbacks but the job was easy and the pay was good. Even if it was boring sometimes. It was the safe and stable direction your parents had encouraged you to take after failing to qualify for the Hunter's Association.

After you got home you were quick to jump in the shower and freshen up. You only had an hour before Rafayel would be knocking at the door.

You decide to wear easy to move in clothes. A white dress and sandals with no heel. The dress is simple and cute. Having a halter style top and a point cut skirt that swishes while you walk.

Just as you finish tying your hair into place the doorbell rings. You grab your phone, keys, and wallet then slip them into your small off white knit bag and run towards the door.

Rafayel smiles in the other side and draws you into a hug. "You're right on time"! You say brightly closing thr door behind you after locking it. Rafayel casually takes your hand as he's done many times before and you start walking.

He asks you what you want to do first when the first lights appear just ahead of you. "Let's walk around the stalls and play some games"! You say just as a familiar figure comes into view. Your blood freezes as you recognize her.

You turn and look sharply at Rafayel and stop short. He tries to mask his expression and you can stop the look of betrayal on your face. You jerk your hand out of his. "Did you invite her to come with us"?!? You ask your eyes darting back and forth across his face searching for a denial.

She quickly interjects. "Rafayel didn't invite me. He told me he was going and I decided to come too. I didn't know I was interrupting a date". She says holding her hands up to calm you down. Her face is genuinely sorry and guilt is written all over her face.

"If it makes you feel better I'm meeting up with someone too. I though we could walk around as a threesome. But we can make that pairs. He's my partner from work. His name is Xavier, he's a good guy. Easy to get along with. You might like him". She says with a bashful smile.

Oh, OH there's that look on her face. You recognize it as you'd worn that same expression whenever you thought about Rafayel before. You glance at the man in question. His face is tight and there is a forced smile on his lips.

"There he is now! Xavier"! She calls waving wildly to someone coming up behind you. Turning you see a tall man with ash blond hair and a pair of the deepest blue eyes you've ever seen. "This is Rafayel and his friend". She introduces the two of you to him. He nods and looks you over before nodding with a small smile. "I'm Xavier, nice to met you". He says going to stand beside her.

This man radiates calmness but you can feel a dangerous aura lurking beneath that. As well as a fierce protectiveness for the small woman beside him. She grabs your hand and tugs you into the bustling crowd ahead. "Come on, or were going to miss all the fun"! Her excitement is contagious and your earlier anger had completely disappeared.

It seemed for once that Rafayel had not interjected her into your plans. That happiness was short lived when you noticed he kept paying attention to Xavier and suggesting that he play this and that game with her. Alot of the time she agreed, sometimes she would decline and play with Xavier. Most of the time she would play twice with both of them.

You were beginning to feel like a third wheel and regretting ever having come to this festival. Rafayel was hardly doing any of the activities with you and it stung sharply. Wasn't this supposed to be his apology for ditching you on your birthday?

Finally you could stand it no more and you stopped walking. The only one to notice was Xavier he looked back at you and asked "Are you ok"? You shook your head. "I'm not feeling well, I'm going home". You turned and walked straight back the way you'd come. Ignoring the protests from everyone coming this way and them telling you, you were going the wrong way.

It seemed like it took forever but finally you made it back to the entrance of the festival and you sat down. The tears came again. You just couldn't understand how and why you were so ignored by Rafayel. Your jealousy burned as every scene played back in your head. Rafayel had only played a few games with you and every time had been when she hadn't wanted dtonolaybwith him first. It had only been then, once she'd rejected that he would ask you like a second choice.

Once again you found yourself completely distraught for the second time, for the same man in only two days.

You walked home alone. Mood completely sour and expression dark. Fishing your keys out as you stood in front of your door you noticed your phone. Unlocking it you were unsurprised to find that there were no messages. Either Rafayel hadn't noticed you were gone yet, or he just didn't care. You shut it off and opened the door. Silence greeted you, just as it always did.

"I'm tired of being alone". You say out loud to no one. "I don't want to be in love with someone who doesn't even see me anymore". You cry sinking to the floor and sobbing again. You don't know how long you sit with your back to the front door crying. Your thoughts are jarred when the doorbell rings. You say nothing and listen. The bell goes off again two and then three more times.

Rafayel's soft voice comes from the other side. "Why did you leave without saying anything to me? Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick in the first place. I was worried". He says and the concern in his tone irritates you. You stand up and yank the door open.

"Were you actually worried? How long did it even take you to notice I was gone??? Did you even look for me? Why did you ignore me almost the entire time I was there? Am I just a doormat to you? Am I supposed to act grateful any time you decide to toss me even a SECOND of your precious time"? You hurl all your pent up frustrations at him as more tears slip down your face.

Rafayel frowns and you can see him getting angry but you cut him off. "I'm tired Rafayel, I'm not a puppy that will keep running back to you every time you call my name. I will not be grateful just because you remember that I exist. I can't do this anymore. Loving you hurts to much and I just can't take it. It's killing me inside". You try to wipe your tears away.

"I never asked you to love me. I told you she was important to me a long time ago. It was your stupid choice to fall in love with me knowing all that". He spots back at you angry now. Not since your days in middle school when you first met has Rafayel spoken to you this way.

"You think she'll come to love you back?!? Open your eyes and look you stupid ass! She's in love with someone else too! She won't choose you"! You slam the door in his face before he can respond and run to your room and throw yourself into your bed. You sob yourself to sleep and wish that you had never met Rafayel. He's finally driven you into that dark place you'd tried so hard to avoid.

In the days that pass you feel numb to the world. Two weeks have gone by and not a single message or call from him. Not that you were expecting any or wanted any. The last message was from him and one of the silly stickers he liked to use.

If your heart wasn't broken and you weren't trying to recover from the severe emotional beating you'd taken, you might care that your phone was so silent for the first time that you could remember.

Several times you'd opened your contacts and went to trash all his messages and then block and delete his number all together. You just couldn't bring yourself to do it yet. Maybe in a few more days. You kept telling yourself that over and over again. You were caught in this vicious cycle. Wanting to move on and finally free yourself from him altogether and being unable to do just that.

You had adjusted to your life without Rafayel in it. A few times you'd seen his writing a message bubble pop up in your conversations but he never sent anything. You still didn't care.

Two months had gone by and nothing. Once Thomas had reached out to you asking why you hadn't been to the gallery recently but you didn't answer that message either. Under different circumstances you might have felt guilty leaving him on read.

After work that day you decided to change your pace for the first time in weeks. You went to the coffee shop you used to frequent. The Cafe style had always been cute to you and the chairs were so comfortable. Just as you put your hand on the door you noticed a familiar figure in your favorite chair.

Rafayel was slouched in the chair, completely unlike him. His wavy purple hair was messy and ot looked like he was neglecting his sleep. Badly at that, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by. His head was perched on his hand and he was tapping the arm of the chair.

As if sensing your gaze he looked up. His eyes went wide and he immediately stood up and took a step in your direction. You let go of the door handle and stepped back blending into the people walking as you hurriedly left. The moment your eyes met you felt a twinge in your heart. You weren't ready to see him again.

The next day at work your mood was positively black, as if a heavy thunderstorm was hanging over your head. Everyone steered clear of you. Only coming to speak to you when absolutely necessary.

The day passed by slowly and you paid little attention to anything around you. By the time you noticed that it was quiet everyone had already gone home. You packed your things up slowly and were getting ready to leave when the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. There was a strange energy in the room and your senses screamed danger at you.

Just then a strange screech echoed in the room and something hit you out of nowhere. You flew up into the air and across the room just as alarm bells went off in the building. Metaflux! Your alarmed brain screamed at you through the pain as you were crumpled on the floor where you'd fallen. A Wanderer was inside the room with you and you had no way to defend yourself.

Sheer panic overtook you ss you lifted your head and looked behind you at the horrible monster bearing down at you. That was when the tremors started and you screamed as it's blade bore down on you.

Just as it was about to strike you a gunshot rang out. The monster was knocked sideways and it's blade swung off course. Cutting the desk in two, instead of you. The creature screeched as a flaming dagger sunk into its arm. Rafayel had showed you his Evol many times before. You knew that dagger even at a glance.

The screen around you changed suddenly and then you weren't in your office building. "Protofield"! A female voice called out. Finally you could see Rafayel and her. He called your name and tried to come to you but was held back by the group of Wanderers.

"Just stay put we'll rescue you"! She called tone serious. You couldn't exactly move. Pain and fear had you rooted to the ground. You'd read about protofields before but lacking the skills, you'd never been in one.

Gunshots, screeches, grunts, and communication between the pair sounded all around as they fought the Wanderers off. Just as quickly as it had appeared the protofield vanished. The last Wanderer seeming to have been destroyed.

The two made their way over to you, picking across the damaged desks and scattered paper. Rafayel knelt next to you. Assessing your injuries as she made a call on her watch. Relaying the situation back to the Association as well as medical support.

You hadn't realized it yet, but your breaths were coming in short gasps and you were starting to feel dizzy.

That was when the floor started shaking again. This time the tremors were violent. Rafayel glanced around as he stood up trying to hold his footing. "Earthquake"? He asked glancing at he watch. She shook her head as Rafayel looked around some more.

Only you realized where the tremors were coming from. You'd never told Rafayel you had any Evol at all. He'd believed you when you said you were born without one and had never developed one after the Wanderers first appeared.

The shaking got worse and cracks appeared in the windows as it seemed like the whole building was moving. "Danger"! You managed to gasp out feeling like your energy was being sucked out of your body. You lay on the ground feeling dizzy and nauseous. The windows busted out, sending glass straight to the ground ten floors below.

Rafayel took as step towards you just as a violent shudder went through the building and the floor gave way beneath you. Then you were falling. You tried to scream as you fell. Above you Rafayel was falling too. Seeming to have jumped through the hole after you. Groaning metal and breaking glass was all that you could hear before you blacked out and then silence. Nothing but silence.

*******************************************************

Three months later

Rafayel sat at your bedside. He was usually here at this time of day. It was part of his routine now. He'd gotten used to the beeps of the machines in your hospital room. He'd thought back again and again. The Dr's had determined the earthquake like tremors had come from you. When you had panicked your body's natural instinct to protect itself forced your Evol out of control.

The result had collapsed the building you'd worked in. Thankfully everyone else had gone home for the day. His injuries were nothing compared to yours. Bumps, scrapes, and bruises. He hadn't even needed to be checked into the hospital.

You on the other hand, the list was long and scary. Broken ribs, a punctured lung, skull fractures, a dislocated arm, broken leg, the list went on. He had tried not to read all of it.

The Dr's had treated all your physical injuries and you'd had to under go three different surgeries. The skull fractures had caused the most concern for them. A concussion was the least of your problems.

Right now you were comatose. Your body had shut down all necessary functions to try and repair the damage. The extent of damage to your head had been undetermined as long as you remained asleep.

Rafayel looked at you again, glad most of the bandages were gone now. Beeing wrapped in gauze nearly from head to toe was hard to look at. He took your hand again, careful not to disturb the IV.

"Hurry and wake up, I'll even let you yell at me. I don't mind anymore. You can be mad all you want. Just don't sleep anymore. Please". His voice was a weak whisper as he rubbed his thumb on the back of your hand.

For the first time your hand twitched in his and he looked up sharply at your face. He called your name and the heart monitor picked up your increased hear rate immediately.

He waited anxiously with baited breath and then after what seemed like hours your eyes fluttered open. He leaned over and pressed the call button on your bed after informing the nurse you were awake he turned his attention back to you.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. You were right. I acted like a jerk, and I didn't treat you very well. I knew for a while that my feelings wouldn't be returned. It's not like she didn't tell me about Xavier before. I just didn't want to listen. If you'll just forgive me, I don't need anything else. " Rafayel said in a rush. Spewing everything out that had crossed his mind in the last three months.

Confusion had knit your brows together. You were looking at him with an odd expression. The door opened as the Dr came in just as you started speaking in a raspy voice. Your words had his heart sinking to the floor.

"Who are you?"

****************************************************

Uwahhhhhh I just realized how long this was editing and proofreading 😵‍💫😵‍💫

I really do torture myself, but then again, short stories aren't very common for me. Oh, well.

I do hope you liked this one. It's a no happy end one. Unless you want to pick it up from my ending and make it happy.

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

Happy World Sleep Day! 

World Sleep Day is an annual event where people all over the world celebrate the importance of good sleep. Many people find it difficult to get the number of hours that they’d need. There are enough other things in our busy schedules that demand our time: school/work, household chores and errands, time for family/friends/partners, hobbies… sleep may seem like an easy thing to cut down on to make more time for other things. But getting enough sleep is essential for your physical and mental health! 

Why is sleep so important? Young people (teenagers and young adults) need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night in order to feel and function their best. Here are just a few reasons why:

During sleep, your body works to repair  tissues and organs. Getting enough sleep has been linked to a lower risk of many health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. 

Sleep helps you consolidate memories and learn more effectively.

Sleep is important for your immune system, helping to keep you healthy and ward off illness.

Sleep is important for your mental health as well. Lack of sleep has been linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Sleep deprivation can lead to decreased alertness, reaction time, and decision-making ability, making it more likely for accidents and injuries to occur. 

Improving your sleep habits can take time and effort, but the benefits are well worth it. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Establish a regular sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, even on weekends.

Avoid electronics before bed: The blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, and laptops can interfere with your body's natural sleep-wake cycle. Try to avoid using electronics for at least an hour before bed.

Create a sleep-friendly environment: Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Use blackout curtains, earplugs, or white noise if necessary.

Practice relaxation techniques: Try deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation to help you unwind and fall asleep more easily. You’ll find instructions online! 

Avoid caffeine: Try to limit your intake of coffee, soda and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Get regular exercise: Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep more easily and improve the quality of your sleep.

It's easy to get caught up in our busy lives and neglect our sleep, but by making small changes to our routines, we can improve the quality of our rest and feel better both physically and mentally.

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[thiccpersonality]

Damian (Gremlin) Wayne...and his even more gremlin-esque family

A newly introduced Damian sits in Bruce's Bat-chair, observing his new "siblings" with judgmental eyes. His emerald green ones rolling into the back of his head at the ex-carny babying him: "Look you fool, I shall let you know right now that your efforts to entertain me like I'm some child will prove fruitless. Whatever I have done to make you think I'm approachable, forgive me, because I already hate you."

Richard's smile slowly fades and he clears his throat. His medium blue eyes narrowing into a suspicious glare, his lips forming a tight lipped smile: "Right down to business I see? I'll have you know that you may be the baby, but I was Bruce's first one. Whatever title you held before doesn't matter now...in fact, I would suggest you get rid of it before someone helps you get rid of it."

Damian scoffs and picks at his nails, swiveling side to side in HIS father's chair: "Worried about the competition already? As expected from a weak-willed and spineless peasant such as yourself. I suggest whatever title you held before-" his green eyes rake up and down Richard's lithe form like a predator with it's prey-"Which from your disposition I would say you are the favorite-ah! Or I should say EX favorite."

Jason grunts from where he's punching at a dummy: "Look you little shit. All we did was exist-"

Damian: "Then stop."

Jason: *stops punching to glare at the small fry* "Ex-fucking-cuse me? I already un-existed before, I am NOT doing that again. And drop the attitude before I drop kick you back to your mother."

Damian: "How cute. It's like a puppy learning to bark for the first time. I can already tell you are desperate for my father's attention like a dehydrated ma-"

Jason: *cocks his gun and points it at Damian* "Did no one tell you along the way here that I don't mind killing for Bruce? Would've tried to get rid of Bozo the Clown over there if I knew I could get away with it. And then I'd shoot Bruce myself."

Tim looks up from his tablet with a sigh: "Trying to kill another bird I see? I guess I wasn't enough for you?"

Jason: "That was due to my pit induced rage. I had no control over that-" gestures towards Damian-"But this overly confident little bitch is a choice."

Tim raises his hands in defeat: "Just saying that you shouldn't threaten the new one so soon. Plus...I'm the smart one, Bruce needs me more than all of you combined. And I know everyone's weaknesses well, do you really want to test me?"

Damian sighs and finally hops down from the chair: "Childs play. My mother has made sure I knew everything from acrobatics to knowledge of cultures, religions, languages, books and other things you plebeians would surely combust from the brains it takes to memorize such things. She made sure I had it all so I can replace all of you. And father will be mine and mine alone."

Richard plasters a friendly smile back on his face: "Seems like the one spot she missed was etiquette. Don't worry kid, I'll be happy to show you the way things work around here."

Before the argument can get further out of hand, a clearing of the throat stops the four boys. They quickly turn to see Alfred standing at the bottom of the cave steps with a tray full of cookies.

Polished shoes click across the cave floors unhurriedly, the older gentleman quietly serving the boys their cookies and turning to leave. Not before clearing his throat once again and turning to give the four boys stern looks.

Alfred: "All this bickering is pointless. You all are now family and I hope you lot will act like it. Master Bruce is already making arrangements for your schooling young master Damian, and he expects a somewhat peaceful dinner tonight."

The older man can't help the small smirk he gives, one that is confident and self-assured. "Plus, as long as I am here, there is NOT much competition. You may be his first child master Richard, but I am his first partner in anything he's done. I do hope from here on out you ALL will remember your places. Good day."

The four boys frown at the authority radiating from the usually calm butler.

Damian clicks his tongue and slinks into the shadows while silently plotting his new victims demise.

(Hello everyone! I write fics on AO3 by the same name, Thicc_Personality. I'm sorry this is my first post and it's nothing but chaos, threats and crack...they truly (do) care for each other, they just don't know it atm XD. But I am a sucker for gremlin bat family and an oblivious Bruce to the very obvious competition. That or he lets it slide so easily (especially for Damian) cause he thinks his baby son is the cutest thing ever. If anyone manages to see this...well, I hope there was some enjoyment found here xD. Stay safe, happy, healthy and of course lovely as always. 💜)

[displacedentities]

Took a lil break from the comic to take care of some serious business with my work, and get back on my bean bullshit /pos

100% the fault of the animated series on youtube by @rodamrix, recently rediscovered it after several years and my god!! It's come so far, and I love it so much!!! And it made me miss the space beans in a way I haven't in a long time ;u; So I remade my Among Us character, using features directly from my preferred in-game outfit!

Say hi to Cyan-tist (Cyan)!

I'll info-dump on my bean below the cut xD It's really long, you've been warned!

Backstory

Cyan worked in the specimen laboratory at MIRA HQ, occasionally taking trips off-planet for fieldwork and sample collecting. Cyan was very attached to her many pets, and would get engrossed in her work studying her specimens.

Unfortunately, she was caught alone in the specimen lab one day, and the impostor- Orange- who snuck into MIRA via transport vessel, sought to gain a new ally. Orange cornered and converted Cyan into an impostor by infecting her with the parasite, and once she turned, Cyan went into a feral hunger rampage, mindlessly killing and eating all of her pets and specimens in the lab. The grief of losing her beloved companions and all her work snapped her back into control of herself, only for Orange to praise her for the carnage. Outraged, Cyan turned on Orange, killing and eating him, too.

Not wanting to die for killing a seemingly innocent crew mate, Cyan outed herself immediately to her crew, handing over Orange's remains as well as their weapons during the meeting. Because Cyan never killed any actual crew mates, her crew decided to let her stay, on the condition that she be observed at all times via her Glitch Console (the Twitch pet lmao). She uses Glitch to stream her continued work in the lab, and keep in near constant contact with the rest of her team - it's also MIRA's way of keeping tabs on her, since she's on thin ice as a known impostor.

Cyan has a vitriolic hatred of other impostors, and can hardly conceive of another 'friendly' impostor like her existing. Whenever a hostile impostor shows up, all of her team have an alarm button on their tablets to call her, and 'deploy' Cyan to 'fix' the problem. This has regained some trust with her closest friends in her crew, though Cyan prefers to stay isolated in her laboratory with her new pets. She would love to find a cure for her condition, but is resigned to existing as she is, and it can't bring back the pets she lost. Cyan is soft on animals, robots, her fellow crew, and children, and has misused science lab equipment to make treats for young visitors. Don't mess with her work or she'll bite you.

Abilities

Cyan-tist is a Shapeshifter variant Impostor. She cannot turn into everybody she sees- however, she can transform into anything living she has ever eaten. The higher percentage of the creature she consumes, the better the disguise. She can shapeshift clothing from her own body matter. The 'cat hat' she once wore has become a physical part of her, the ears functional for hearing and movement, and the eyespots capable of sight, producing tears, and emoting.

Due to her initial feral rampage in the lab, Cyan can transform into a wide variety of crewmate pets and lab specimens- her favorites being the three forms of her former companions: a Doggy, a Headslug, and a Squig. She often uses these to spy on new arrivals undetected, attempting to sus out foreign impostors from the cohort. Cyan can adapt features to her existing body at any level she wants- for example, she can gain the fur coat of the Doggy, the wings of the Pouka or the Goose, or the tentacles of the Squig without needing to fully shapeshift. The Doggy form in particular has a heightened sense of smell, allowing her to detect if the scent of a foreign impostor is present, though it may not be sufficient to identify the specific individual from a crowd.

Cyan-tist's adaptive shapeshifting is powerful enough that she can gain the unique attributes of other impostors she has eaten. This includes her advanced chromatophores for changing color, which she acquired from Orange, the first impostor she killed and consumed. Very few impostors since Orange have had anything noteworthy to add to her repertoire of skills. Cyan swore to never eat a crew mate.

Completely self-indulgent Rodamrix Animated Series thoughts

Okay I couldn't help it, I wondered about what would happen if Cyan were to be present in the series. !!!SPOILER WARNING IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, DO NOT READ THIS PART!!!

Original series- If she didn't adapt to the sudden climate shift of the impostor takeover, or stood with the crew in any capacity when they began to spread out of control, Cyan-tist is most likely dead. She would not have gotten along with many- if any- of the impostors within MIRA HQ, and actively would have stood against or tried to kill them, making her an enemy. I can't imagine Big Purple let her live if she tried anything. If by some miracle she DID survive, Cyan is most likely operating as a plant within the impostor hideout, smuggling supplies or otherwise tipping off the survivors as to the movements of the horde so crewmates can escape or avoid being discovered.

Alternate series- Cyan-tist is completely unaware of the plot that Crimson and the MIRA HQ heads have for selling off impostors/parasites and dissenters as test subjects. As such, she continues to operate in her specimen lab, on constant watch for new impostors to show up and threaten her crew and friends. The future arrival of Red, Purple, and Pink would set off HUGE alarm bells for her, and she would be on high alert the moment she detects they're impostors. Cyan would HATE Purple as a known killer impostor, be sus of Pink's no-thoughts-head-empty behavior- though she'd discover quickly he could be distracted with snacks- and not trust Red until his own crew vouches for him. Once the Skeld survivors confirm Red is innocent and a fellow 'good' impostor who saved their lives, Cyan would back off, but keep her eye on all of them.

[whoamisposts]

LOGAN HOWLETT×FEM!READER (FLUFF,BLOOD, A BIT ANGST NEAR THE END ..) Part 2 from the series

ps. english isnt my first language and this is my first time writing this. Sorry, if its not good, im open for request, enjoy...(SPOLIER FROM THE FILM I GUESS...)

summary: after spending the night to wade's House, you and your other roomates decided to perfect the plan to stop the TVA,but something doesn't go quite well....

as you glanced once again at the blanket on the sofa, you remained silent, sipping your hot coffee that Wade fixed you, as he smiled at your shoked face

"What?" he murmured "I told you that he wasn't friendly,but he has a heart,girl..." he continued followed by a yawn, you smiled back at him "yeah..." you breathed out

but that was strange anyway

for the time that you've showered and putted on something presentable, Logan and Wade were sitting at the large table, as you walked to put away in your bag your pijamas, Logan nodded at you, then Wade,as you returned, signaled you to sit with them, you didnt let him wait, and you did as you were told

"Now now..." Wade started "...we need to find some way to reach to him and his shitty business..." Logan puffed away some cloud of smoke from his lips, he just remained there, silent, not even looking at Wade neither you

"well..." you spoke, Wade eyes shifted at you "you know, we have two ways of doing this...either we reach manually for the place.." you explained as you figets with your finger in the table

"go ahead...." Logan grunted

"...or" you gave him an annoyed look "...you know those little tablets that his guards have..." Wade eyes smiled, as he turned to face you with a excited tone in his voice

"...I might say y/n, I'm quite impressed by you..." he chukled,and you did too,Logan limited to sigh and speak under his breath,things like

"this isn't gonna work..." and Wade responder with his usual annoying tone

"yes it will, penut.."

After the two of them putting on a little stupid fight, and blood was splashing everywhere, we heard a knock on the door, guess? yes it was the guards as your luck

by the time the door was opened, Logan was sticking his metal claws into the ribs of the henchmen, while Wade enjoyed himself by attacking the guards with swords, like skewers, but the perfect moment comes when one of the guards, totally scared, decides to open a portal, you scream "LOGAN! WADE, FAST!"

they didn't have to be told twice,Wade even though behind his excitement you could hear some swearing in the background from Logan, who wasn't very convinced, but in the end you threw yourself into this portal, not even knowing where it was taking you, as soon as you pass through it, you see everything black and a sense of sinking into the void, the only thing you know is that you are on the ground, covered in thin, golden sand... you feel a hard thing under your head, you turn and see Logan's forearm under your head, although hard, had cushioned the blow, but your happiness was interrupted by Wade's screams as he fell from the sky

"You never shut up, huh?.." Logan sighs, making you lift your head from his arm, after checking that you hadn't hurt yourself with some looks, but he didn't do the same thing with his friend, on the contrary, after having got up a little more dizzy from the fall, with a kick he threw sand on him, obviously Wade, helpless on the ground, just looked at him annoyed

i chukle for the scene, but as soon i stod up i understood where we were

the void, you escaped this place many times,but every time there was a new challenge

"guys i have a plan" you said excited

"let's hear this..." logan scoffed looking around, Wade was still recovering from the sand on his face

"you see, ive escaped this place many times, you just need to be quite careful, not talking much, and then i can convince that little bald woman to create a portal for us...'

"and how we can trust you bub? why we should?" Logan spills, with a side smirk

you walked towards him,with a little smirk too " you see another person after me and this red costume here? no, you see well, if you have another plan speak up..." you say in a cocky tone, Logan remained stunned at your sudden tone

"Don't worry y/n, this hairy thing here, sometimes cant control his sarcasm.." Wade said, and after a second Logan hitted him in the stomach, but at the end of the story they followed you...ofc they would

we all know Wade, he talks very much, in fact from the time that you went there he was tied by his feet near some burned tree,and Logan? was sticking into a metal magnetic stuff...but you no, you were more than calm talking with cassandra

"So you see cass, we just need this...a little portal,we mean no harm actually." you spoke gently on the sand field, she smirked looking at Wade and then at Logan

"Yeah,it's something I can do but why should i? because you need to play the hero?..." cassandra walked towards you, fidgeting with one of the lace of her coat

"cass please..." you murmured, you look was now empty as you feel something in your mind, you yell in agony it hurted too much!

"what is it miss hero mh? are you not good enough..." She continued, you just stayed there yelling but your body could not move,but all of a sudden your mind was free, you fell into your knees,as you now hear her scream in pain,Logan strikes all of his claws in her forehead then he continued

"go help Wade, now.." he demanded, you stod up, you wanted to thank him but didn't have the time during a battle do we? there were so many people from the void, many heroes that were forgotten or just not very strong and even old, then after massacring every living being on the field, you walked to cassandra,slowly, you were covered in blood, your lower lip bleeding, hair messy and you suit was a little broken by your thigh and arms

"you little shit, will now,gently.." you say putting at her throat a sharp knife

"...create a portal for us" you continued, she laughed at you on her knees, even if she was able to regenerate, she was heavily injuried, as with time this ability can slow dowm

"or?" she chukled, for the time she said that, Logan putted three claws in display for her to know how bad he would hurt her if he only could "this in you sweet ribcage..." the man matched your energy and tone, and you gave him a a satisfied look,then Wade spoke

"Logan is right, now now, be a good psycho bitch, like you are, and open a fucking portal..." surprised, she opened one and remained there with no one at her side, the next thing you know is that you were teleported back in the same place that the guards attacked you, so in Wade appertment, you stood up from the cold floor, scratching your head, next thing you see it's Wade whining on the table and logan that from the fall bumped one of the chairs, you just laughed

you three just took some time to rest before finishing the mission, you closed in the bathroom, were patching yourself up after the long battle, you took off your broken suit and putted something more comfortable, as you exited the room, you could not put you left leg to use, causing you to curse as you walked

"fuck...ouch! " you yelled, your hands on the white patch on the side of your left thigh, Wade was sleeping on the couch totally tired, Logan as his usual was sipping some whiskey, the smell of the alcohol was sharp,but he could somehow not get drunk, how?

then he turned as he heard you cuss

"thats a nice bloody injury that you got there, yeah?" he smirked looking uo at you,then e left his whisky on the counter,walking towards you, you stopped him

"dont worry Lo, i don't need help, I can do it" you rassured him, vene if it was not true, he chukled seeing you struggling, so all of a sudden e took your arm, putting it behind his neck to help yourself steady

"here,at leats let me help, you know that we will need those leg to destroy the shitty guards?"he said in sarcasm, you chukled at his fun commenti as you two walked in your bedroom,he helped you to sit on the bed then he asked

"may I take a look? maybe i can help to erase the pain" you nodded, as the patch was removed this large scar was revealed

"does blood not frighten you?" you mumble, looking how much blood was leaked from it

"mh, you se from a man who lived nearly, 200 years, ive seen worse" he looked at you but his gaze shifter back on the scar,then he helped you to clean up your wound...

as he finished he sat on the bed next to you, even he was tired from the battle

"thank you for helping me,youre kind after all..." you chukle, he did that too, he took his head in his hands as he sighed

"not everyone tell me that you know?..." he spoke in a lower tone,clearly tired, you were confused

"and why is that? for the things I saw, you helped me, that makes you kind, let's say a good man.." you spoke, he straighted his back,as he was still sitting next to you

"I did things that I regret, changing now means nothing..." he scoffed and he stod up ready to leave the room "...you can't change the past."

"...but you can decide the future." you added as your eyes his board figure walking near the door as he opened it, he stopped when hearing your comment, he turned around, right hand still on the handle of the door, he gave you a little chukle, this time more genuine

"its late.." he changed the subject all of a sudden ".. and you should be tired, your wound need to heal mh? so...goodnight y/n" he said not looking at you, in his tone you could hear that he was even surprised from the thing you just said

"yeah.." you nodded looking away "...goodnight to you too, Logan.." he nodded and left the room closing the cracky door behind him, leaving you alone in your thoughts...

hes not a bad person, why does he think that? you think before drifting to sleep

[milkypompon]

The Ruse Ch. 1

pairing: Nathan Bateman x CompanyRival!Reader

summary: Nathan wants to buy out your father's business, but the latter is skeptical of closing the deal with the BlueBook owner. The solution? He's going to seduce you.

content: 18+ mdni, thoughts about sex and kinks, enemies to luvrs

wc: 2.4k

a/n: As requested by a wonderful anon!! THANK YOU, I've been on a bald, billionare kick

beta read by the amazing and adorable... @lovable-liar

|| Next >

Ex Machina || Main Masterlist

“Look, you provided tech parts to BlueBook for almost a decade. Then, you up and left to start making phones, tablets, etcetera with my ideas. And I get that it’s a family-run business. It’s adorable, really.” Nathan sighs and clicks his pen, “But I have to say, in a lack of better terms, you’re running an absolute shitshow.”

Your father leans back on the swivel chair, only one of the twelve occupied because Nathan was pacing around the room, and the other board members weren’t privy to the conversation. 

He was fuming, but he knew that Nathan was right. 

The said shitshow was a repeated cycle — inevitable karma, if you will — that Nathan Bateman, a genius and billionaire, and your father, a now sorry excuse of an entrepreneur, experienced it to the highest degree.

But truthfully, the latter was hit the hardest.

In the past year, your father’s employees designed and crafted the high-end electronics at NovaTech. Over time, they used it as a stepping stone to build their own companies from the ground up, evolving into something worthy of praise. 

He couldn’t keep up with the competition, especially now with the brightest minds walking out.

“I’m doing you a favor by buying you out instead of watching you sink into bankruptcy.” Nathan continues, “Call it an act of a good Samaritan. Or, if you’re not into the hippie bullshit, just see it as me taking back what’s mine.”

Your father frowns. “I bet you’ve been bribing my employees to start working for you, eh?” He throws his hands up in frustration, struggling to find the right words. “It’s all part of a stupid, elaborate plan to drive me out of business!”

Nathan drops the pen, it clatters onto the glass table. He says in a low, steady voice, “Do you seriously think I have time to fuck around?”

He grumbles a “no” and swipes the buy-sell agreement from the manila folder.

“Look at you! Finally coming to your senses.” Nathan opens his arms, an agreeable and friendly stance, though it was anything but that.

“I’m just reading over it again, Bateman. Just making sure you’re not ripping me off.”

“God, it feels like I’m trying to get divorce papers signed.” He tucks the document back into the folder. “Think about it, man. You could throw a retirement party with the greens and have more than enough to tan your ass in Bora Bora.”

—

The next night was the BlueBook Ball, Nathan has a way with words, but it’s a glorified event for rubbing elbows, sickening niceties, and serving tooth-achingly sweet mixed drinks for the wives of big names in the tech field.

Nathan could play the nice guy for only so long. 

He’d been breathing down his own neck to get the documents signed. It was a one-way ticket to the clientele who turned him down because of their loyalty to your father.

In hindsight, he should’ve dealt with the meeting the morning after the gathering while your father was hungover and loose-lipped, ready to nod along with his plan for the buyout.

A perfect yesman. 

Nathan was a scientist first and foremost. 

Hypothetically, he knew it could’ve worked.

And he was a businessman second. 

Technically, he knew others played just as dirty.

Nathan ran a hand down his beard and reminded himself, Just one more night of persuading him and I’ll back down from NovaTech.

Can’t keep on wasting my time.

–

You’re accompanying your father tonight. He stated that it was a gateway to understanding the social aspect of running a business. 

Deep down, you knew it was a sloppy attempt to get you out of your studio and away from tinkering at the new prototypes. 

You begrudgingly agreed because at least it was a chance to abuse the open bar and cling to the side as a wallflower after snagging a few drinks.

But there was the issue of the black-tie attire. In other words, slipping on a tight dress paired with red-bottom stilettos could cause a twisted ankle if you took the wrong step. 

Or danced too hard.

Surely, Nathan Bateman wasn’t the type to throw it back and party like that, right? 

You shake your head, not in a professional setting. 

A faint buzz from the intercom beside your bed draws you out of the bathroom. 

“Hey, sweetie! The helicopter’s here to pick us up.” Your father reminds you.

You check the time on your phone and frown slightly, then press the button on the intercom to reply. “Dad, you said we weren’t leaving for another hour.” 

Another buzz.

“I’m sure they can send another one for you when you’re ready.” 

“Alright, fine. I’ll see you there.”

–

The helicopter ride wasn’t your first, given your father’s affinity for buying new and shiny things for you in hopes of proving that his late hours at the office during your childhood were all worth it—a weak compensation for being raised by maids and butlers.  

The green land and the snow-capped mountains stretching on for miles was a distraction from the thought of showing up without the person who was supposed to be your guide for the night. 

Everyone would be nameless for the time being or blurry faces you’d soon forget. 

You pull the aviation headset over your ears, a thought dawning over you. 

You don’t even know what the host looks like. 

He was surely an enigma, sitting on a fat pile of money and keeping his head down to work on god-knows-what in a facility you were headed to located in the middle of buttfuck Alaska.

Photographers rarely shot photos of him due to his constant refusal to participate in panels, and overall, there were few published sightings of him on the mainland. 

Even then, it was like he took down the photos.

Perks of being one of the wealthiest men alive, you suppose—a false sense of privacy.

The landing, as gentle as it could be from a helicopter, didn’t help to settle the churning at the pit of your stomach. 

A voice from the earpiece cracked to life, “Follow the path. You’ll know when you’re there.”

Before you could ask about the lack of people in sight or even the distant sound of music, the pilot answered your question.

You carefully step out, noticing the stupidly rolled-out red carpet on top of plants and fallen branches. The least he could've done for someone with more money than he could spend was pave a sidewalk.

This must be a sick metaphor. Struggling to walk in nature to find a haven built by a human.

Your ears perk up after about fifteen minutes of walking at the muffled sounds of talking. There were finally signs of life apart from trees and birds. 

No way could you keep walking the last stretch without a break, especially with your calves on fire. All you needed was a hard drink, a bench to sit on, and maybe even a bed for a quick nap. 

The tree stump nearby was the best you could do for now. You veer off the velvet path before your right heel sinks into a mud puddle.

“When I see that man…” you mumble under your breath. Then you were quickly reminded that you wouldn’t recognize him even if he were in front of you.  

There was no point in stopping now; you were late, and now, your right shoe was dirty. 

You trudge on for a few minutes. Standing before you was a wooden facility with glass panels reflecting the foliage. If you looked the right way, it almost blended in, but there were far too many edges and faces. 

A little too perfect. 

Squinting your eyes at the windows inside, you find the guests milling about, politely throwing their heads back to unfunny jokes. A few men were clean-shaven, while others had a trimmed beard. They all had their shoulders rolled back with a champagne flute in hand.

Any of them could be Nathan Bateman. 

Maybe he was close to being six feet under, white-haired with a few loose screws in his head. 

How else was it possible to survive in a place like this?

You surely wouldn’t. 

You unclasp your clutch to find your phone and shoot a text.

Dad, where are you?? 

The message flickered green…

No cell service

He was supposed to dumb down the guests for you tonight, teaching you the whosits and whatsits. But that was the least of your problems.

You’re sure that you’re going to be murdered without a witness as the sunset dips below the horizon. The branches cast shadows against the neighboring trees, a disturbing illusion of a dismembered figure.

You could already imagine the headlines. 

Daughter of NovaTech Gone Missing in Buttfuck Nowhere Alaska!

There was a light chuckle behind you, making you flinch. “Are you lost? There should be a map for a place like this, huh?”

You flick your head back quickly, and a stocky man with a piercing gaze set behind a pair of glasses stares back at you. But his eyes weren’t any less pointed, even with the obstruction. It was as if he knew things you didn’t, keeping the cards close to his chest. Or more like he knew something about yourself that you were only beginning to grasp.

For an audience like this one, he was dressed plainly. A crisp white shirt, taut across his chest, paired with black slacks. You had to give it to him for having the guts to throw the required attire out the window.

Maybe you could get along with this guy.

A non-conformist. 

It’s refreshing.

You offer him a smile. “Yeah, this asshole had us walk what felt like a mile to get here.”

Oh my fucking god… She doesn’t know who I am. The corner of Nathan’s lip twitches up by a degree.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I stripped halfway through the walk.” He plays along with a smirk.

“Explains the whole lax look?”

Nathan pauses for a moment. 

“... Sure. And you?” He cocks his head toward your muddy high heel tucked behind your other one in an attempt to hide it, a cute curtsy, almost. “Is that horse shit?”

“God, I hope not.” You grimace and look down.

Nathan could count on one hand the amount of people that didn’t see him as a potential business partner or an escape during nightly escapades. 

He mentally shakes his head. Maybe having contact with an actual human being was getting to him. Besides, he has to set things straight…

He takes a few careful steps near you as if placating you. When your eyes meet his again, and you don’t pull away, he places his hand on the small of your back.

You could feel the heat through your thin, silk dress. 

“C’mon, I’ve been here a handful of times. Let’s find you a bathroom.”

“And a map while you’re at it.”

He grins. “Like little fold-up ones you find at amusement parks?”

“It’s the only thing that would work around here. God forbid there’s cell service here or something.”

“Dude who owns this place must be an asshole to cut it off like that.”

“Right?!” You bob your head alongside him, grateful to have someone who didn’t feed into the billionaire's bullshittery. 

–

You hate to admit it, but the estate was straight out of Architectural Digest. 

Nathan steers you toward another building. It was a simple square, detached from the main facility, but still held the similar reflective panels, this time on all sides. 

“What’s this?” you prod, dodging a patch of dirt, “A fancy portapotty?”

He fishes out a slim silver card from his back pocket. 

“Is that what I think it is?”

How this man you just met knew the way around the place was beyond you, but you’d do anything at this point to remove the cakey, stickiness of the mud clinging to you.

“Yeah, a keycard. Every main guest gets one, and you haven’t?”

“No, I’m just my father’s plus one tonight, so I’m technically not listed.”

You don’t have to tell him.

Nathan knows exactly who you are.

In his defense, he greenlit the guests tonight by running a background check. He even went the extra mile by requiring them to walk through a metal detector. Especially after the experimental happenings of the Turing test, he wasn’t going to cast a blind eye to an android coming in to hack at him again. 

Or worse, a jealous competitor. 

And that’s exactly what you are. 

Well, not you, necessarily. 

But your father, so by extension, you were a part of whatever plan your father was stirring up. Or at least that’s what Nathan garnered. 

Nathan swore to himself that he wouldn’t act like a petty teenager. But he needs a safeguard to protect his company and decrease the chances of his clients or sponsors from pulling out after they found out about one of his androids going rogue. 

His ego was a liability. Sure enough, to be the cause of his death.

But it also brought him this far, along with his craftiness.

He’ll agree with a quip or two about your annoyance with the BlueBook owner, so you’ll lower your guard. Then boom, bam, thank you, ma’am — dial-up his sweet talk and ease in, persuading you that Nathan fucking Bateman is a trustworthy guy. 

You’ll put in a good word for him to your father. 

“You rarely go to these things, huh?” He tilts his head. 

“Is it that obvious? I usually stay in my studio, drafting up concepts.”

“You’re a designer,” he observes. 

“Something like that.” You shake your head. “But if my dad had a hand deeper into my life, I’d call the shots in NovaTech later down the line instead of playing with paint and wires, or at least that’s what he says.”

And there it was.

“A tortured artist and daddy’s girl,” he takes note.

“Well, how about you? I’m sure you got a sob story of the century to give yourself a buzzcut,” you tease back.

“Smartass.” Nathan presses the keycard against a wall. There was no indication of a slot to insert itself in or tap on—a sleek design hidden from plain view. 

The soft click of the door unlocking brings his attention back to you. “Go ahead, I’ll wait out here. Gotta have you looking your best when we get in there.”

A simple ruse from yours truly.

pt. 2 coming soon (lmk if you'd like to be tagged!)

I'd love to hear your thoughts and my inbox is always open for requests or if you want to chat!

[whxre-bxby]

Idk if this is considered a request BUT GIRL WOULD YOU WRITE A HATE-FUCKING IMAGINE WITH PRAGER? my fav recom barely gets attention 😔🤞 also you write so well keep up the amazing work

nah cuz that's an amazing fuckin idea, HELL YEAH

Hate-Fucking with Prager

Recom Prager x Recom f. Y/N

Masterlist

(This is a bit shorter than usual and also not as rough as the others ones because Prager is too babygirl for mean hate sex. Turns into sweet fluff in the end)

Summary: Prager and Y/N have a silent rivalry and always annoy each other. Things take a turn when they are paired together during a mission and secrets are unvealed...

WARNINGS: SMUT, fighting, arguing, swearing, mentions of firearms, penetration, praise-kink, fluff

Word Count: 4749

It was never meant to get out of control. But I guess destiny wanted us to hate each other...

Things started during a harmless mission with the recom squad out in the forest. Quaritch had us search the area for clues of our past selves or of Sully’s presence. We were never alone when outside so he had us in groups of three. I was with Brown and Lopez. 

We had returned from about an hour's search and gathered back at the aircraft.

“How much ground did you cover?” Quaritch had asked us. The other groups answered with low numbers because everyone either reached a dead end or got stuck in one area. 

Prager’s group which consisted of him, Walker, and Ja had a higher number.

“Almost a quarter.” he said, speaking for his group. Quaritch had nodded, seeming pleased that they moved on faster than the others. Then he turned to us and I spoke up. 

“We actually managed that one quarter.” I replied, my voice feigning innocence. 

Quaritch seemed even more impressed and nodded as he wrote it down on the tablet. 

I looked over to the other team and locked eyes with Prager who was already looking at me. My sentence replayed in my head and I quickly regretted my choice of words. They demeaned his answer even though I said them without any attitude. I should have just said ‘one quarter’. 

I watched him process my words while I did the same but for some odd reason, neither of us broke the eye contact. 

“Ha, eat shit.” Lopez joked with an evil cackle, looking at Ja who rolled his eyes. They just made it seem competitive. 

Prager and I were still looking at each other and Lopez’s sentence created the idea of a competition. One that I seemingly beat Prager in. 

It was just natural from that point on to try and win against the other person. And just like that, a silent rivalry was birthed. 

From then on, everything we did we tried to do it better than the other. We rarely spoke. Prager and I always got along well but never to the point where we would have a friendly and joking conversation. We also never had a reason to dislike each other but all that changed now. 

During training, our small competition would be the most visible. 

‘Oh, Prager did 50 push-ups? I’ll do more.’ 

At the time I wasn’t even sure he knew about it. I thought that this clash was one-sided from me because it was never talked about or properly acknowledged by us. 

…It definitely wasn’t. 

Today, we were back in the forest again. We had searched the entire mission area from last time so today’s environment was new. But the mission objective stayed the same: search the area for clues or old equipment. 

Quaritch didn’t care about mixing up groups like schoolteachers would. He always paired two people when they stood together. 

We were leaving the helicopter and walking deeper into the woods before we would stop and split up. 

My mind was focusing on completely the wrong things. Prager was right behind me and we were going uphill so I was silently listening to see how heavy he was breathing, just to make sure I wasn’t worse off than him. The rivalry was still on. He was distracted too. 

That’s why when we came to a stop, it didn’t even cross my mind that Quaritch would pair us up. I was too busy forcing my breath to sound normal and not heavy. 

Then the inevitable happened and Quaritch started counting through, eventually pointing the two of us together. 

I stood there in shock for a full minute, just processing the consequences of my stupid behaviour. Prager didn’t move either but we refused to look at each other. Eventually, I walked away first and he had to follow me, so we left just like the others did. 

It’s quiet now. The forest is loud but the sound of machines and talking is gone. 

I’m walking forwards with a tracker and compass in my hands, trying to find the marked area we are supposed to cover. I can hear Prager’s heavy footsteps behind me and I definitely feel his eyes burning into the back of my head and body. However, I refuse to turn around. Because that would mean I’m reacting to him. And reactions cause more reactions which then lead to a social exchange of words. A conversation I don’t want to have. Mainly because I don’t know what I would say or how I would explain my behaviour. Perhaps he is completely oblivious to the challenge in my mind but I highly doubt it. The atmosphere that moves with us as we go is too thick for that. Something about it is making me nervous. 

“Do you know where we’re going?” I hear Prager call from somewhere behind me. My ears instantly perk up and my heartbeat speed up. 

“Yeah.” I reply, slightly turning my head over my shoulder to make it obvious I’m giving him an answer in case he can’t hear but still not an interaction enough to encourage further conversation. 

“We’ve walked past this tree already.” He said and almost immediately, his deep voice irritated me. 

Oh no he did not. 

“No, we haven’t.” I reply, speaking the words slowly and giving them some attitude. 

“Yeah, we have.” 

I roll my eyes. ‘He’s acting like a fucking child.’ I think. 

“Are you doubting my tracking skills?” I say, turning around to him and walking a few steps backwards while awaiting his reply.  My eyebrow is raised as I rest my unimpressed gaze on him.

“No, I’m just saying. We’re going the wrong way.” he answers, meeting my challenging eyes. 

“All the trees look the fucking same. I know where I’m going.” I answer, motioning to the hundreds of trees surrounding us before turning back to the front. 

“Give me the tools. I can get us there.” he says, lightly jogging up next to me. I turn away from him, holding the equipment tightly against my body and stopping in my tracks.

“No.” I reply while his hands try to grab the stuff away from me. I face away from him to protect the tools and his hands find my shoulder and waist to try and turn me around. 

“Really?” he asks, questioning my behaviour and I glare up at him. I knew if I’d give it to him he would never give it back. 

“Cut it out, I know what I’m doing.” I say, really feeling pissed off now. His hands remain on me for whatever reason and I shrug them off, flinching away from his touch. 

“If you get us lost you better tell the Colonel it’s your fault.” he says, moving his hands away and crossing them over his chest. 

I frown, not bothering to react to that. We have a mission to do and I take these things seriously, so I walk past him and push him out of my way by nudging my hand against his chest. 

Prager takes a step back and lets you lead the way again. A smile appears on his face out of amusement at your attitude, but you don’t see it. He was trying to piss you off because he liked seeing you riled up and angry. Maybe it was the height difference you too had. He was calmer and you were this little devil he had to put up with. Seeing you mad was cute to him because he just towered over you and was unaffected by whatever you wanted to do. 

I stomp away, repeating his words in a mocking whisper to myself. Those comments were completely unnecessary. If anyone will mess up this mission it will be him. Never me. 

He’s silently following me again, needing to walk a little faster because my anger is making me walk speedier. 

After about 15 minutes, I notice one of the devices showing a new light. It meant we were close. I continued following the marked area on the GPS and within minutes we were there. 

I stop, staring down at the device. Prager comes to a halt next to me. 

I chuckle. “Suck it, look who got us here on time.”

He’s scanning over the device and realises I did successfully find the area. Prager just huffed out a breath before glancing at me and then looking away. I roll my eyes again. It’s not like he’s going to congratulate me. 

We both look around and in the next second, I hear a whinny followed by grunts. Our heads shoot to where the noises came from and we quietly sneak closer. As we emerge from the trees we spot a herd of Direhorses resting and grazing on a tiny field of grass and flowers. There was a fallen over tree behind us which went almost up to our waist and I crouched down behind it while watching the animals. They were two foals in the herd. 

Prager joined me on the ground while both of us watched the Direhorses. 

“Apologise for doubting me.” I tell him. 

“I wasn’t doubting you.” he replied and I straighten my posture while I act out fake surprise. 

“Oh, you weren’t? What was all that shit about then before?” I say sarcastically. He was obviously lying. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he said, not looking at me. 

“Stop being such an ass. If anything, you’re the reason it took us longer to get here.” 

He lightly chuckled. Your attitude did amuse him. “I’d say I’m the reason we made it here because I got you out of your daydreaming.”

“What daydreaming?” I snap back at him, shouting my words in a whisper. 

“You were distracted. If I wouldn’t have said anything we wouldn’t be here right now.” 

“Pfft, yeah right.” I scoff.

“I saw you tripping on those roots. You lost balance even when the path was clear.”

“I didn’t trip on shit.” I say, facing him while I snarl my words at his unbothered figure. 

He doesn’t reply and when you look away, he grins to himself in a small victory of getting you even more mad.

“Log it into the tablet.” he said, his voice a lot quieter now. I turn to look at him again.

“Why? They’re harmless. We don’t need to warn the others.” 

“Just do it.” Prager sighed, sounding like he was losing his patience. 

“Fine.” I say, letting out an annoyed sigh as I start clicking away on the half-transparent screen. 

For a few seconds, there is just silence. But suddenly, before I can even comprehend what is happening, a loud creak erupts from above us, followed by a crash and in the next second two shots are fired. 

Before I can even look up to see what is happening, Prager reacts and in an instant, he pushes me down. The air is knocked from my lungs as I lay on the ground, wide-eyed. Prager is above me, using his arms to lock me in place. He tucks his head in and swiftly moves up so that my head is protected. 

The loud noises come to an end and a piece of metal falls from the tree above and lands on Prager, making him flinch but he doesn’t move away. 

It was small so he wasn’t hurt.  

My hands are over my chest and I’m holding onto my queue for comfort. 

I open my wincing eyes and we hear animals again. I see monkey-like creatures scatter from the tree with the old and abandoned equipment and realise that they are Prolemuris’s. They are non-aggressive, but they must have grown curious and messed around with the old parts of what once used to be a helicopter. 

A gun lands on the ground right next to us and the thud makes me flinch. Prager’s head shoots towards it and we see that it’s open and old. It must be an assault rifle from the first battle and it only had two bullets left. Now it was empty. 

Prager sighs in relief and I let my head drop down onto the ground while I clutch my face. The herd of horses would have definitely fled after that amount of noise. 

I laugh. Mainly because it helped me deal with crisis situations. Prager looks down at me, the two strands of his bandana hanging over his shoulder. 

“You’re kidding, right? It’s just the Promlemuris.” I snort, nudging his firm shoulder.

“Yeah, well I didn’t know that.” he answers, seeming a little embarrassed about his actions. 

“You should have seen your face.” I laugh, giggling beneath him while he watches me turn and roll. 

“Shut up, I saved you.” he replied and I am quiet for a second while I look for the small piece of material that fell from the tree. 

“Yeah, from this big and deadly bad boy.” I wheeze, pointing to the metal scrap. 

“How about a thank you?” he asks, clearly not amused by my mockery. 

“For being a living shield to the amazing Y/N?” I reply, looking into his eyes and biting my lip to suppress further laughter.

Prager just frowns with a light scoff and looks away.

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” I start to talk again. My hand grabs onto his shoulder as I start to try and move away from beneath him. 

Prager glances back at me, just quietly listening and watching me insult and provoke him.

“You’re too fond of yourself, just because you’re bigger and stronger than me doesn’t mean I need you up my ass all day.”

He raises an eyebrow at my words. Bigger and Stronger? That makes a smirk form on his lips.

I stop struggling beneath him and scan over his expression.

He’s just staring at me. In a way, he’s never looked at me before. It seemed different. 

I could tell he was annoyed by me to a certain extent, but even overlooking his cheeky smirk and irritated self, his eyes seemed soft. 

He wasn’t glaring you down, he was admiring you. 

“Stop smiling like an idiot.” I say, growing nervous from the eye contact so I quickly look away, hoping he won’t notice how my cheeks begin to flush. 

Oh, but Prager notices. 

“We weren’t in danger anyway.” I start rambling again, moving my arm to pull me away from beneath him. 

“You need to-” I say, struggling to move away. I manage to inch a little upwards but then Prager just moves up with me and remains hovering above me. 

“What the fuck?” I ask but he doesn’t answer. His silence is making me feel uneasy. His eyes are just fixated on mine. 

“Prager this is so stupid. Stop acting like a fucking moron and-” 

I’m cut off again but this time by something unexpected. 

Prager wanted to shut you up, so he did.

He leaned down and closer to me and before I could protest or object, he captured my lips in a kiss. It was exactly between soft and rough. 

He tried to not escalate it but it was difficult with the way you writhed under him. It was impossible to gently find your lips.

My eyes stay open in shock for a second until I surrender to the inexplicably warming feeling and kiss him back. Neither of us wanted to pull away but we did, not sure where things would go from here. 

We stared into each other's eyes and for a few seconds, the familiar silence returned. My heavy breathing caught his attention. He seemed unsure whether to continue because he didn’t want to overstep anything. 

I was so pissed at him the whole day it frustrated me and having him so close now made my stomach twist in excitement. His body was effortlessly lifted above mine and his biceps strained as he held himself up. 

“Don’t stop now you idiot.” I breathlessly say, landing my hand on the back of his head and pulling him back down to me. 

His heart flutters at the words and he would grin if he weren’t kissing you. Prager secretly loved getting you angry and he loved how bratty and mean you could be. 

The kiss is more heated this time. He gently tugs at my bottom lip with his teeth, making sure not to nip me with his fangs. I open my mouth and he uses the opportunity to slip his tongue past my lips. 

I pull him closer to me and Prager lowers his body down a little further, making it brush up against mine so that our chests were pressed together. 

I wrap my arms around his neck before they grow curious about his body and I let one roam his broad shoulders. It moves down to his chest and Prager hums appreciatively into the make-out.

I want to feel closer to him so both my hands go to his chest and I push him up, breaking the kiss.

For a few seconds, Prager seems stunned and wonders whether he did something wrong. He sees you start to hastily take off your vest and he smiles. Another secret he kept from you was that he liked the way you treated him. He knew you didn’t mean it in a bad way. But the way you would harshly push him around and tell him off whenever you felt like it was such a turn-on for him. He was obviously bigger and could easily overpower you but he adored the way you would ignore all that and boss him around. 

“Quit staring and take your stuff off.” I breathe out and Prager chuckles before listening to you. He moves off of you and on his knees above your own, undoing his vest while I discard mine close to the log. 

My hands move to my belt once my tank top and equipment is gone. Prager peeled his tight shirt off and watched me undo my belt.

“You want me?” he asked, looking at my face now. He seemed unsure of himself. I stop my movements and my eyes meet his.

“Yeah.” I simply reply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this.” 

My hands manage to unfasten the leather belt and my words are all the confirmation he needs. 

“I still hate you though.” I say while pulling my cammies down my legs. Prager helps me tug them off and a grin paints his face. 

God, he loves your attitude.

“Yeah, yeah.” he mumbles, moving down to me again and pressing our lips together. He holds himself up with one hand while the free one roams over my bare skin. I was laying down in only my brown military sports bra and underwear as I felt his large rough hand rub up and down my leg. 

Both our hands feel all over the other’s body because there is no time to sit back and stare. I hook my leg around his waist and pull it down flush against me. 

His abdomen is pressed up against mine with his cold belt buckle making my skin erupt in goosebumps as it digs into the flesh of my stomach. I move my other leg to the side and open them for him so that he can rest his hips in between. 

He groans into the kiss when I shift against him and I can feel his growing erection form in his pants. 

I don’t have the patience to wait anymore. He’s stripped me of all my patience during this mission while irritating me.

I pull away breathlessly. “Take them off.” 

His own stomach tightens with excitement at my words but he doesn’t hesitate to listen to me. His one hand easily opens his belt and I use my legs to push them down his waist to his mid-thigh. 

His boxer shorts went down with the cammies.

The next time he looked at me, his eyes were so lust-filled I knew we both needed this. His lips were parted as he stared at me. 

I adjust my position on the ground to keep myself comfortable and open my legs further. He rests his head on my shoulder while looking between us to see what I’m doing. Prager’s chest is heaving with excitement as he watches me push my panties to the side and let my legs fall open. 

I rest a leg on his waist again and gently encourage him to move closer. 

Prager listens and lowers his hips down until we’re once again pressed against each other. I let out a sigh and grasp his strong shoulders for support while he lets out an uneven breath. 

To boost his confidence and help this situation evolve, I lift my hips up and grind against him. His throbbing dick is resting right between my folds he grunts in response before getting the message and taking over.

He slowly grinds down into me, covering his length in my slick while he curls his hips to create small thrust-like motions. 

“Fuck-” I whisper, letting my eyes flutter closed. Prager needs reactions like those to feel better about what he’s doing. 

His dick was sliding between my lips and gently pressing against my clit. It made me needier for him. But that’s what I needed because I could feel how big he was. 

“Prager…” I whisper, cupping his cheek with my hand. His furrowed eyebrows in pleasure relaxed as he opened his eyes and looked at me. 

“Please- fuck me already.”

The words made him feel like he was floating in the clouds. He couldn’t believe he could get to have you now. For Prager, even during your little contest, he thought you were out of his league. The fact that you said ‘please’ made him smile to himself. 

He nodded, moving back a little and reaching down in between us. His hand lined himself up with my entrance and he felt how coated he was from you. It made him shiver in anticipation of what you would feel like around him. 

Prager gently applied pressure with the tip of his dick against your entrance and then steadied himself above you. He wanted to be close to you so he pressed his cheek against yours so that you could hear and feel each other's breath. 

Slowly, he pushed his hips forward and he felt himself start to sink into you. He took his time, relishing in the feeling of how tightly you were squeezing him. His hips really needed to thrust forward a little every few seconds to keep him in. 

I tightened my grip on his shoulder and inhaled sharply. Luckily Prager stopped moving once most of him was inside and he felt how tense I was, so he stayed still. My walls adjusted to his size and now engulfed him. 

I knew it would feel better in a few seconds for me so I nodded, tapping his shoulder and he understood. Steadily, he withdrew his hips and pulled out until only his tip was still inside me. This time, he thrust forward with slightly more power. 

My eyes were closed while I focused on the being completely filled to the brim by him but they shot open when Prager whimpered. 

I smiled, holding his head in a comforting manner while he continued his gentle penetrating strokes. 

“You’re doing so good.” I coo into his ear. Prager shivers, his ears perk and his tail swishes in excitement. He needs his praise, alright. 

“Keep going.” I whisper and he nods. 

Prager does as I say while I let my arms embrace him. I kiss his cheek while he pants against my neck. 

He’s brushing against every place I need him to inside me and my back starts to arch off the ground as pleasure soars through me. His thrusts are mixed with grinds and his abdomen presses against my clit every time he bottoms out. 

“Faster.” I breathlessly whisper. My legs tense around his waist as Prager speeds his thrusts up and I start to pull him in more every time. 

“You feel so good.” he whines and I smile, pressing myself closer to him. 

“You too, don’t stop.” I end my words with a whimper when his hips unexpectedly snap forward and slap against my skin. 

Prager takes one of my hands and intertwines our fingers before pressing it down on the ground next to my head. His loosely hung open mouth finds the bare skin of my neck and he begins to kiss and suck on the skin, making me throw my head back. 

“Fuck, Prager.” I moan and he starts losing himself in the feeling of us. He’s occasionally biting down on my skin, making sure to leave a mark while my nails leave crescent-shaped marks on the skin of his shoulders. 

“Y/N, I’m gonna-” he starts to whisper, knowing he can’t last much longer. 

“Please. Don’t stop.” I whine, holding him tighter. 

His face is now buried in the crook of my neck and his thrusts get sloppy as his high approaches. Prager’s arms tremble and his entire body tenses in preparation for his orgasm. 

I’m so close I’ll be gone in a few thrusts. My pussy clenches around him as I force my legs open even more. 

Prager moans my name into my ear and his hips stutter and start to rut into me without rhythm. 

I gasp in pleasure and the next time he bottoms out and his skin hits my clit, I throw my head back and feel my orgasm wash over me.

Your pussy clenches around Prager to the point where the suction feels like it doesn’t want to let him out. His eyes clench closed and he tightens his fingers around your connected hands as his hips mindlessly buck forward. 

“F-fuckkk-” he groans, clenching his teeth together.

In seconds, he’s cumming inside you and spilling his entire load deep into your pussy. It feels like you’re milking him for his cum and he’s more than fucking happy to give it to you. 

He rides out your orgasms, stuffing his cum further into you if even possible. 

My legs go limp after being tensed for so long and they fall from his sides. His thrusts slow down until he stills inside me and we take a few minutes to regain our breaths. 

“Holy shit.” he breathes out. I lightly chuckle and wrap my arms around his neck to pull him down. He carefully lowers himself onto me and just lays on top of me while we kill time. 

“You did so well.” I praise him, running a hand through his hair. He smiled against my skin. I knew this big boy needed to be comforted and babied. 

We were comfortably laying in silence, enjoying each other’s presence until the intercom attached to our vests which worked just as well as the one on our throats went off. 

“Prager? Y/N? Do you copy?” the voice buzzed and it was Lyle. I let out an annoyed huff. 

“Prager, Y/N, do you read? All recoms return.” 

Prager raises his head and we look at each other, not wanting to go. 

“Come on, we have to.” I say and he nods before gently getting off me. He pulls out and admires how some of his cum dribbles out of me. 

I get up and we get dressed. We needed to quickly head back and report to the Colonel. My mind was focused on the mission while Prager couldn’t stop thinking about other things.

For example how your panties would be stained with his cum now and how you would have to keep it in you for the rest of the day while you’re out here. 

The best-case scenario for him would be if one of the others would smell him on you. He knew Ja and Brown would tease him for things like not being good at talking to women. This would blow their minds. 

He also just wanted them to know that he was the only guy that had a chance with you here. 

We gathered our things and returned back. This time with much less bickering and arguing. For the first time, Prager and I were having a genuine conversation as we walked. It was nice. Who knows where this will lead us…

Tag List: @numarusworld @jatwow @number1gal @ikranwings @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed

[faytelumos]

Into the Black With a Matchstick, pt 3

I'm keeping this as the taglist, but feel free to DM/comment/Ask if you want to be added/removed.

Please, if you haven't read the first parts in awhile, check out the recap I have linked for your convenience. :3

@c00kieknight, @jxm-1up, @midnight--architect, @robinparravel, @thepotatoofnopes, @those-damn-snippets; @thelazywitchphotographer, @tildeathiwillwrite

first previous recap

cw: bad math

---

Whatever the fuck the newcomer with Admiral Paxie was, it was not helping Adina's already overtaxed brain.

It had been bad enough seeing that Paxie was so huge they could barely even fit into the ship. It was bad enough that Adina was in charge of probably all that was left of the human race, that she had no way of figuring out if these aliens were truly friendly or just acting like it, bad enough that she was starving and dehydrated and high and had the worst God-damned headache she had ever had in her life.

And now she had to let some six foot tall cave-dwelling-mantis-snake-vampire walk around in the ship. It was like this thing was specifically made to be as creepy as possible, and when it got down on all eights—

She had dropped the ship's remote helm tablet, almost on her foot, and she was still shaking from the heart attack the sudden noise had caused her.

When they got to the bridge, which was thankfully open enough to allow Adina and John to put some space between themselves and the aliens, Paxie pulled the nightmare fuel aside. Adina subtly let out a sigh of relief and busied herself at the control panel.

Frankly, she didn't know what she was looking at. This was John's job. But the drugs in her brain were starting to prove themselves a bad idea as her body's discomfort reared its ugly head, and she couldn't stop thinking. Four times during the walk from the dock she had considered waking up a Marine to protect her and John from these monsters. And that wasn't the mind of a diplomat. That wasn't the thought of a leader she could trust.

Just get through this. Get through this meeting, and then food, water, and real sleep.

The smaller Xoixe stepped up to the LCD screen with most of the interactive display on it. John sidled up, too, probably to make sure Adina didn't hurt anything. Good.

"I heard this ship carries its life-forms cryogenically?" the smaller Xoixe asked. Adina looked up, and as soon as she did, John gently moved her hands and started clicking away at the panel's keyboard.

"Uh, yes," Adina replied. Looking up into the suit made it slightly easier than looking into four eyes and a big, sharp-toothed mouth. Maybe they wouldn't have looked so intimidating if her head wasn't throbbing. "Yes, our crew was specifically picked for the task of determining the viability of another planet for colonization. But the human lifespan isn't long enough to make the trip at our curr — with the technology we had." Adina put a hand to her face, pretending to wipe the sweat on her forehead, seeking the cold relief of her own touch. 26 million years…. "We were only supposed to be space-borne for 150 years…."

"If you don't mind my inquiry," the smaller Xoixe said as John kept typing. Adina looked up. The large alien had sat back on their haunches and was carrying their own tablet, made of a sleek plastic-looking material. "Is it possible for me to acquire standard medical parameters for your species? I'm a xenomedic, but since this is our first encounter, I have nothing to go on."

Adina stared for a moment. A xenomedic. So they'd brought a doctor aboard on their landing party. A group of three, and they'd saved a seat for a doctor. Adina didn't even know what the nightmare's job was, but when she glanced over, she realized there were no weapons on anyone. The nightmare perhaps could have used their claws, but looking again, their limbs didn't seem strong enough to hold Adina or John down if they started throwing punches. Both Xoixes had their claws entirely covered in their suits, and there was no attempt to make the suits sharp on the outside.

So maybe they really were friendly. Or maybe they did a really good job at acting like it. There weren't many ways to tell. Did this species even lie? How inherit was lying for intelligent species? Did Earth animals lie? Yes, Koko the Gorilla had told a lie. Had she learned that from humans?

The Xoixe was staring at her.

"Okay," Adina rasped. "Follow me."

---

"Lieutenant Harrison?" Paxie asked once Captain Ramirez and Ensign Kime were gone. Sergeant Klte shifted behind them, out of view of the little alien. Harrison turned away from the console after a lengthy delay.

These creatures looked more and more like prey the longer Paxie studied them. All except for their forward eyes. It was uncanny. Harrison's eyes were bright and round outside of their black, circular pupil, and it made it all too clear that they were looking directly at Paxie.

"Yes… Admiral?" Harrison said. Paxie shook their head slightly to focus their thoughts.

"Would it be acceptable for Sergeant Klte to take a look around your ship? We're curious as to how your vessel has lasted for so long in open space."

Harrison… laughed again. It was loud and sharp, and they opened their mouth and bared their teeth to do it.

"If you figure that out, I'd like to know, too," Harrison said. Paxie quirked their jaw.

"How do you mean?" Klte moved behind them, too.

"Our ship was meant for a 150 year journey," Harrison explained, still baring their blunt teeth. "Even that was ambitious for our level of engineering." They turned to the console and began hitting buttons. They were small buttons compared to the Xoixe's controls, and they clicked and snapped as they pressed and navigated. "We've made unmanned — that is, autonomous and without organic passengers — bodies before. To go into space. But even those tend to give out after a few decades. A-a group of ten years."

Paxie stepped closer and looked down to the readout. It wasn't intelligible; their suit was only equipped with an audio and radiation translator. Harrison gestured to something with their flat, soft digits.

"The requirements on the system for self maintenance, self regulation, and self repair on top of the requirements for life support and cryogenic maintenance are, to put it lightly, a-fucking-lot." Paxie blinked at the unexpected candor. Klte shifted, too. "Compare that against the life expectancy of our alloys in open radiation, extreme heat and cold shifts, and micro-meteorites, and this thing would have been lucky to land us safely if our trip got extended to 300 years." They looked up again. Paxie tilted their head, mind reeling.

Surely they were misinterpreting what Harrison had said.

Surely there was no way that a species would strike out into the open universe without both FTL drives and shielding dampeners.

"You don't have a significant issue with micro-meteorites…?" Paxie asked, and even as they said it, they were afraid of the answer. "…Do you?"

Harrison was bearing their teeth again.

"Oh, it's one of our biggest engineering challenges."

Paxie stared. They couldn't help it. They didn't know what to say. They weren't even breathing for a moment.

"You must have left in a hurry," they rasped. Harrison laughed again.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" they laughed, turning back to the console.

What did that even mean?!

Paxie was starting to feel light-headed. They wished they could take off their environment suit. Klte must have noticed their distress.

"Allow the Admiral and I a moment to converse," it hissed. Harrison flinched, then nodded, watching Klte. It gently pushed Paxie back towards the shuttle, turning off both of their translation protocols. "I'm concerned at this species' sense of self preservation," it said in the Xoixe language.

Paxie laughed, hissing the air sharply through their scaled lips. "Eme is concerned at how well they'd treat other kinds if they treat themselves so haphazardly."

"Exceptionally poorly."

Both of them laughed as they reached the pod. Paxie stepped inside where they could turn around back towards the ship.

"Take a breather, Admiral," Klte said. "I'll see what I can find out."

---

"Adina?" John called. Adina looked up; she was just coming back to the main control room now. The nightmare was still there, but it was down the hall, examining wiring bundles and the hull. How large was its forebrain? Was there a chance it could be tampering? "Adina."

Adina blinked and looked to John. He waved her over. She left the Xoixe's, Kime's, side to see him. He pointed to the numbers on the LCD screen.

"Can you double check me?" he whispered. She highly doubted it. She was a biologist; she knew how to clear her browser cookies and turn her phone off and on again. Anything technical on the ship was John's job now.

She looked, anyway. He was pointing at the ping count from Earth's homing beacon. It was around 800. She sagged to see that. The ping was supposed to communicate with The Solstice quarterly. So it must have stopped working after 200 years.

He pointed to the Most Recent Ping section.

19,406,771 years, 18 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes ago

Wait… what?

It should have been right around 26 million years ago.

"What?" she uttered, leaning in.

"That's wrong, right?"

"It should be…."

What could have done that? The ping system went off every three months. If it had run for… what, 5 million years? Then there should have been 20 million pings.

Why would Mission Control reduce the ping rate?

They wouldn't. Especially not after The Solstice failed to report a landing. Had something happened on Earth?

But, no, just like this ship couldn't last 26 million years, that pinger couldn't last 5 million. So what was happening?

"Wh…" Adina uttered, blinking. What was going on? What was causing this? Were both times just wrong? Was there a way to check? "Wha-what's the mission runtime?"

John stared at her for a moment before turning and hurriedly clicking away at the keyboard. She watched, and then she felt the nightmare get closer to watch, too. She stiffened her shoulders, but tried not to be too nervous-looking.

Hopefully, they couldn't tell. But she had just given Kime normal human biometric parameters….

"Holy shit, what," John whispered. Adina leaned forward.

Mission Elapsed Time:

60 years, 57 days, 1 hour, 43 minutes

"What?"

"One of these is wrong," John whispered. Adina looked up for Paxie and saw the nightmare watching her from the dark corridor. She flinched and gasped, slapping a hand over her heart, then turned to Kime.

"What are our coordinates?" she asked. "Do you have a star map we can see?"

Adina tried to calm down as Kime typed away on her tablet. One of these time ranges was wrong. But if it was the 26 million years (she desperately hoped 26 million years was wrong) then why had they gotten 200 years worth of pings? Maybe Mission Control was desperately trying to reestablish a connection? But 800 pings? That was a bit much.

Kime offered the tablet. Adina took it, and as soon as she did, the display somehow gave her an even worse headache. She blinked hard and moved the tablet away.

"Woah," she grunted, squeezing her eyes shut. John took it from her and grunted like he was straining to lift something.

"Shit," he swore, squinting at the tablet.

"Oh, no," Kime said, "you only have two eyes."

John huffed and offered the tablet back, then rubbed his eyes. Adina had her hands on her temples, trying not to squeeze her head too hard. The dizziness was back with reinforcements.

"How are we gonna do this?" she grunted.

"Do you have universal file translators?" John groaned. "Like the language? The audio?"

"We might, in a sense," Kime said slowly. "Let me make a call."

Adina nodded delicately so as not to jar her brain too hard. That seemed like a strangely cryptic response, but she couldn't think too hard right now.

As soon as they figured all of this out, she was going to sleep like the dead.

---

next

[the-real-sasuke-uchiha]

Hello. I'm wondering what do you think about Indra and his deprivation of heir status situation?

Hi there, nice person. Well, I think that Hagoromo was obviously a biased father with no parenting abilities and a clear, shameless favouritism for one if his children. He ruined their children's lives by seeding discord between them and acting in a blatantly unfair way. He had two sons who were perfectly complementary to each other and, instead of stetting them to cooperate, he left all the power to one hoping the other would just submit to him and serve him in exchange for nothing. This was his idea of "love and cooperation", favouring one part while the other just gives in and accepts whichever humiliation and dishonour. He claims to seek peace, but peace can't never be cemented on injustice and discrimination, something many heroes of the story never seem to grasp.

Indra was left with nothing but a rock, where his father even engraved warnings against power for his successors, a testimonial of how much he distrusted Indra and how he extended that distrust to all his bloodline, even those who were not even born yet. The stone tablet is a testimonial of Hagoromo's everlasting prejudice. It is extremely upsetting and, when Indra is portrayed as evil, jealous or unreasonable, I seriously can't believe people can't consider how betrayed and failed he must have felt.

As I was telling once to a mutual, imagine you own a farm and you have two children. One knows how to handle animals, grow crops, and manage all the work in the farm, but he is null with people. The other knows nothing about the work, but he excels at finding clients, suppliers, organises exchanges with the community... Would you leave the farm to the "people person" child and expect the other to just be ok with it and work for free under the lead of the child who knows nothing about how the business works? And when the excluded child gets angry as expected, you blame him for the farm not working properly? "Oh, my child does not want to be used and treated unfairly, so now the farm does not work and people go hungry, he is so mean!"

That is what Hagomoro did here. He gave the power solely to the dumb child, hoping that "power of friendship" would compensate for his lack of talent and knowledge. But the dumb child and his descendants could never make peace. And this was not only due to the fact that Indra and his descendants were angry at their unfair treatment and challenged their greedy relatives. When the "Asuras" are in charge of power, all they have is nice words and empty promises, but in reality they only create chaos and their only worry is to keep hoarding power and influence. They can't achieve anything because they don't know how to do it. They are simply not capable and they only care for themselves, despite their friendly façade. They are of course expert people pleasers, which makes them good manipulators and demagogues, but never good leaders.

In summary, Indra was treated unfairly and he is the victim in this story. (And, as his last living descendant, if I ever see Hagoromo again I will stuck that stone table up his ass)