#except the master ofc but that's a whole other story

[openthefobwatch]

"The doctor should be asexual and aromantic" not in a 'the doctor should never be in a relationship' way but in a 'the doctor's feelings for rose go so far beyond the traditional human structures for relationships that they cannot begin to be defined in those terms' way

[maskofenigma]

Fallen London's recurring topic of Love is really interesting to me as a sort of throughline between various stories and i want to ramble about discuss that briefly. i dont call it a theme because thematic statements are usually more complex than a single word, at least in my mind, but a lot of Fallen London's storylines incorporate love into their themes.

there's the obvious things ofc; the Manager and the King, the Duchess and the Canigaster, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Bazaar's whole situation. Love is a common motivator that many people can relate to, so it's no surprise that it appears in this capacity. Even so, these instances also underpin a lot of the setting's character, particularly the latter two examples, explaining why the neath is the way it is. but if we broaden our horizons just a bit, you can start to see it appearing all over the place (though maybe thats just confirmation bias lol).

the youthful naturalist loves discovery and life, and evolution in that context is a story about what one is willing to endure and sacrifice for that love. Love is a constant theme in the Light Fingers storyline, between moon milk and poor Edward, but also shows in Mr Fires's love for London (strange and deleterious though it may be) and the protagonist's love for either the Hybrid they protected or the diamond they'd been after. I don't know as much about the other ambitions (yet), but Nemesis is all about avenging a loved one by any means necessary, and you could see Bag a Legend as a love for the hunt or a love of fame, though even i’ll admit thats a bit of a stretch. Idk about Heart's Desire i’m still working on it but there's probably something. Its literally about what your heart desires but there’s absolutely a deeper connection with the Marvellous and stuff. No spoilers i'm still working on it :3

i dont know a ton about SMEN's story either, but i know from a ludonarrative perspective that it tests the players love for their character, forcing you to ruin this silly victorian who you are presumably quite attached to in the search for knowledge (perhaps another kind of love?) With what little i know of it, i’d honestly be shocked if there wasn’t anything there. if ao3 has taught me anything, there was definitely some kind of love going on between those two space bats, but im not sure if ao3 is a reputable source in this specific instance

The Flukes are literally sick with love for lost Axile, and a lot of the Masters are shown yearning to return to the High Wilderness. Many of the Irem Destinies regard love in this way, love for the sun, for the liberation, for ones partner, for london, for the people of the neath, and on and on. im not very far along with the railway but im 100% certain itll crop up again there, whether with Furnace Ancona or the Efficient Commissioner or the masters or whatever else. same goes for the Exceptional Stories and the myriad tales ive yet to unlock. Weve started to see a glimmer of it in firmament, with the imminent lucifer fire guy, but i wasnt really sure what his deal was. the idea extends to the other Sunless games from what i know, though ive yet to play those. Mask of the Rose is a romance, so thats pretty clear cut; sunless skies seems to have a lot of content relating to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; and sunless seas seems to have it present in a few storylines, though i couldnt point to anything specific at this time. even small things, such as the way that the railway steel seems drawn to Hell and the sorrowful properties of sphinxstone, makes for a setting that is inundated with longing and heartbreak in a fascinating way.

viewed through this lens, fallen london's perspective on love is tragically earnest: love is painful and unfair and yet so very necessary. as someone who's aromantic and a hater, i call that an L. but from a thematic perspective its very interesting how often this occurs and how it connects a lot of fallen london. In so many other narratives, love is a conclusion, a reward or climax. In fact, mass media seems allergic to depicting an active and healthy relationship, and instead relegates such matters to a single ceremonious kiss. But for fallen london, a game where kisses are currency and romance is taxed, the concept of love is afforded such an interesting amount of care and reverence. Fitting for a setting wherein the insisting incidents all relate to love in some way or another

it may be comedic and at times quite absurd, but fallen london to me is a game deeply concerned with love and its influence on people. and idk i think thats interesting. if you're looking for the theme or message of a given fallen london story, look to love, always.

does that count as a thesis? i certainly dont know

[blusidez]

may recs!

** nsfw works ahead so 18+!!!!

neon signs - @pantoneyoongi ; yoongi x reader

- eek okay so hsm is still one of my favorite movies so i automatically knew i would love this. it was so cute seeing the guys hype yoongi up and he’s trying so hard to be humble 😭 i found myself rooting for this blooming couple the entire time!! such a refreshing read

in which series - @onlyswan ; jungkook x reader

- okay so i literally recommend every single installment of the in which series like the love you can feel between these two through writing is mind blowing 🤯 and it's done so beautifully. here's some of my faves this month!!

moving in together!  - i mean c’mon... this live was so iconic and there’s something so heartwarming about learning such a minuscule task like folding your partner’s underwear lol too lazy to shower alone ;) - i thought it was so funny how he just forgot to come back and shower bc chores distracted him like i relate so bad

you suck! - @ugh-yoongi ; seokjin x reader

- this made me realize how much i love vampire fics!!? the banter at the beginning between these two was so entertaining. seeing the relationship between them blossom and how they began to blend their lives together was actually so beautiful!! i never knew i needed twitch streamer jin until now. honorable mention to the supportive bffs tae and jungkook, we love u <3

obviously - @ugh-yoongi ; jungkook x reader

- my most beloved friends to lovers trope!!!!!!! it was so entertaining to see them genuinely believe they were tricking all their friends. like y’all are standing in a glass room!!!!

me and your mama - @joonberriess ; namjoon x reader

- i loveddd the story telling in this one! seeing the journey of their relationship was so sweet and ofc spicy. you can tell there’s just a special love between them, it shows there really is no timeline for love. i just love me a good joon fic too 🫶🏾

bts and types of kisses they remind me of - @melimelon-kawai ; ot7

- i miss my ot7 😔 this was such a sweet read

may 18 - @tattookoo ; jungkook x reader

- 1999, 2002, and may 18!!!! i just love the storyline! its really cute to see one date hold so much meaning and it was awesome to see the couple grow and how life panned out for them! i do not remember life back then lol so i think it’s really cool being transported back to those times with how they talk and everything, every detail is so thoughtful!

redamancy -  @eoieopda ; namjoon x reader

- plus lacuna!! i’m also a really big sucker for ex to lovers so wow omg i think seeing the growth between the two individually then together was really beautiful and one of the best parts. the ring in the teapot really got me like UGH it was so cute and such a nice detail

a little taste -  @jeonqkooks ; jungkook x reader

- this was literal smut so why was i smiling so much??! this was just a beautiful way to show the love between the two, the competitiveness and playful banter was just chefs kiss

love ring - @personasintro ; jimin x reader

- sparked my love for boxer jimin ngl. i love when it's obvious to literally everyone except for the two in the relationship. "i just want to be loved!" got me sooo bad i'm so happy they were able to take the chance for each other 🥹

how would they react if you liked each other but weren't dating - @seokjinsonlyone ; ot7

- ok imagining joon as a rizz master got me so bad. these all were so soft and cute i loved it. it felt perfect for each of them

marshmallows and report cards - @untaemedqueen ; taehyung x reader

- again i just love seeing relationships blossom! i too would fall for dilf tae especially if he kept making me chocolate chip cookies like !??! the whole storyline was written beautifully i loved this couple sm

oui - @pixieknj ; jimin x reader

- didn't find this in may but it's one i genuinely cannot stop going back to it's soo good.

"jimin was terrified of being found out, but never afraid to ask you to- "strip."

LIKE OKAY IM GAGGED! everything was just so good and the ending was so hilarious

new girl - @jjkeverlast ; jungkook x reader

- oh my gosh i got so giddy when this popped up! new girl is a comfort show so i knew this was going to be amazing and one of my faves. even though i know the plot of new girl i was still so entertained while reading this and on the edge of my seat rooting for them lol. also jimin being schmidt inspired was PERFECTION, the character development with hobi and tae too is just so enjoyable, i found myself laughing along often! i’m glad they’re all still so relevant to the plot. def one of my favorite series, i’m excited to see how this develops!! 🥹

grad school is draining the life out of me but i wanted to try and show appreciation to some amazing writers (and organize my collection finally)!!!

[yenn-reads]

Monthly Series Appreciation

What's this about?

I want to share some of my most precious reading experiences with you.

I'm a total sucker for a good series to binge or wait excitedly for the next chapter to drop. And I would love to see you all interact more with those stories, with those incredible writers who put so much of their heart into their work. And especially series often don't get the attention they deserve. And I want to change this.

So here are three stories that I love very much. Give them a try, re-read them, shout out to the author, reblog it!

Every tiny bit of interaction keeps the fandom alive and this is what we all want. Right?

Second Chances

Syverson x OFC Eve (💕🔥🌩, status: completed)

I read this early after I found my way to tumblr and I was drawn into this world so fast. @notabronte gave us this lovely small town feeling where we can see Sy fitting in so well. It's the good old enemies to lovers trope, perfectly executed. I had to re-read earlier chapters after I learned a few things about our protagonists in the later chapters and it made me realize how good exactly this whole story was put together. You're going to fall in love with this town, with this car, with this girl and of course with Sy.

The heir

Modern AU Charles Brandon x female reader (💕🔥🌩, status: completed)

This one is special to me, too. First of all, I am such a huge fan of modern AU Charles. I just love the idea of it. And @daydreaming-in-letters is a master in building atmosphere in her stories and The Heir is not an exception. With the first scene she dragged me into that misty morning where we're about to meet His Snobbiness. And it only gets better after that.

Adaptions

Walter Marshall x OFC Jo (💕🔥🌩, status: completed)

This is my favorite Walter ever. He's just perfect. As is @mayloma's writing. She gives us wonderful characters, not only our two lovebirds but also the side characters that we meet. And so many sweet memories, it's heartwarming. Both Jo and Walt have a past and a life and joining them on their journey how to adapt to each other was a great experience.

[books-and-tears]

I truly think that shen jius jealousy of luo binghe was reciprocated. Since Im talking abt shen jiu im ofc gonna be discussing luo bingge.

Okay okay so we’re well aware of Shen jius jelousy towards Luo binghe, even when he was still a disciple. Shen yuan refrences it often and its the main reason we’re given for why he abused him. Luo binghe had the one thing (good cultivation) Shen jiu spent his whole life clawing and grasping for by pure luck. They even rose from similar positions; Shen jiu a slave and Luo binghe the adopted son of a poor washerwoman. Yet even in their misfortune Luo binghe was better off- he still had freedom and the doting affection of his mother. Also, despite the other disciples bullying him, Ning yingying always took care of him. It probably reminded Shen jiu of himself and Yue qingyuan when they were younger- except ning yingying doesnt “abandon” Luo Binghe.

What we dont consider is what if Luo Binghe was equally jealous of Shen jiu? Now Im mostly gonna talk abt post-abyss Luo Binghe but most of the points still work (to a lesser extent) with white lotus binghe

Peers (haha) Luo binghe is always seen more or less alone. As a disciple he was bullied, ofc in the abyss he was alone. But even as he grows into Bingge, even as he amasses his 3-digit-harem he always seems alone. Had it not been a stallion novel, I think the original PIDW would’ve been a great tale of caution (if u embark on a journey of revenge dig two holes etc etc). Luo Binghe was so focused on revenge he didnt really form any emotional connections; mobei jun was the closest thing he got to a friendship and even then it was more master/servant. I think Luo Binghe also resented Shen jiu for not taking advantage of the opportunities his position granted him- he had literal martial siblings but never formed meaningful relationships with them. More specifically, yue qingyuan. He was a powerful sect leader with connections and brains yet still willingly walked into a trap just for the hope of saving Shen jiu from his fate. Would any of Luo Binghe’s wives do the same?

Reputation Im well aware Shen jiu didn’t have a good reputation but lets look at it from Binghe’s point of view. Shen jiu was a peak lord of a well respected and powerful sect. His reputation was only ruined by himself (more what people assumed of him and he never properly cleared the rumours but again this is from lbh pov) through his actions. My point is people didnt have a preconceived notion of what he was like. Shen jiu proved himself to be an unpleasant person through his actions- not lineage. Remember when lbh asked if all demons were inherently evil? Or how the main reason he became this blackened version was because Shen jiu immediately dismissed him as an evil beast thus pushing him into the abyss? Shen jiu was allowed the chance to become his own person… to a certain extent but i digress

Just like… imagine how much more painful it would be if the jealousy was two sided. Neither of them were truly happy and neither of them became happy within their own stories

[fullcry]

*knocks on your askbox* hostage/creature vash au?? may i ask for more details please 👀👀👀

You may!

So, I've had this fic outlined for a while but I wasn't going to work on it until maybe the end of May? I wanted to finish Memories on Film and Biology first, then make more progress on Love and Peace and Gunsmoke.

BUT. @zeearts had to go and create this incredible creature!Vash design and it just got my brain spinning all sorts of gears and now I'm back to dabbling with the Hostage AU!

Basically, the story goes something like this:

Meryl grows up in a rural town without a plant whose primary trade is worm hunting. They've got industrial production going, trading their goods for water from July and other essential resources. There's problems in the town, and being close to July they are firmly within the thrall of the Eye of Michael (except Meryl, ofc, because our girl is Smart and Knows a cult when she sees one).

Well one day Meryl gets chosen as a sacrifice and she gets taken to July where she's put in service to Knives and Conrad as sort of a glorified maid/caretaker to this strange creature Knives proclaims is his brother. Meryl doesn't know what's going on and the whole things seems hella sus and what the fuck is this bird thing huddled in the corner, but she does what she's told and pretends to be a Meek Believer while she tries to figure out how to bust out.

Meanwhile, in the background:

Knives, unable to forcibly control Vash's gate, has proceeded with his "Destroy the Parasites" master plan using the Eye of Michael to start a holy war while he hopes that giving Vash a little of what he wants--a human companion--will weaken his resolve and/or give Knives something to hold over him so he can gain some kind of leverage in this battle of wills with his brother.

Unbeknownst to Meryl Conrad is also plotting, secretly dosing her food with drugs to use her as Test Subject 1 in his plan to create part-plant humans. He hopes that he can secretly dose the water supply he controls to get the drug out to the masses and create hybrid humans that might stand a chance of surviving Knives' war and win a place in his Eden.

Wolfwood, the one responsible for capturing Vash and bringing him to Knives, is also skulking around Knives' lil July penthouse. They've got a baby Livio hostage they're using as leverage and Wolfwood wants his lil bro back and is making his own plan to bust him out while Knives and Conrad are distracted with their war.

Back to Meryl.

Our girl slowly befriends dear Creature!Vash, locked away in his lil plant-proof chamber. He's half-delusion from Knives' mind-fuckery, and through kindness and patience Meryl slowly brings him back to himself.

One day Meryl and Wolfwood meet, and together they strike up a plan to bust everyone out--her, Vash, Wolfwood, and Livio. But things don't go according to plan...

I've been dabbling with it a bit the past few days, though I'm TRYING to stick to the goals I set for myself as much as possible (I have a Patreon now and I'm trying to stick to an actual schedule!) but you know how inspiration can be <sob> It controls me I don't control it.

Speaking of Patreon, for anyone interested I'll be posting WIP snippets of this fic and other ideas this upcoming week on my page!

[andydrysdalerogers]

Sliding Into Home ~ Evidence, Emotions, Whatever

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, S~M~U~T!!, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by me

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: For Reasons Unknown...

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

Frank slammed the door to the office. One week ago, his world was being turned upside down. Now, after the motion hearing, they had to continue to wait for a decision on the adoption.  The judge had granted the stop on the adoption but not the cancellation.  Mike had to prove that he was a fit parent and DNA evidence.  He also had to show why Abby and Frank were not fit for adoption.  Frank reached for the scotch after Andy called with the news. He poured himself a healthy measure and sat on the window seat.  He watched as Mary played with Dodger and Scott, Marco watching over.  

“Frankie?” Abby poked her head in after letting Frank have a few minutes. “Baby?” 

“I can’t right now Abby. I just can’t.”  

“They didn’t say we couldn’t adopt her.” 

“No but they are giving him a chance. Why would they fucking do that?  He has charges against him!” 

“I know, baby, I know.”  She sat next to him and rubbed his back.  “None of it makes sense.”  

Frank drained his glass. “There has to be something to prove he’s an unfit parent.”  

“I agree.” She kissed his cheek.  “And we’re gonna work together to find it.”  

That whole week was dedicated to research and reaching out to anyone and everyone who had been a part of Mike’s life.  A lot were shocked to hear what Mike had been trying to do.  Others felt that the way Frank and Abby went about their relationship forced the reaction.  

Frank and Johnny were warming up for their next game.  “Have you heard from Andy?” 

“No.” Frank felt dejected. Andy, Steve his agent and Scott had been making call after call.  Abby had been called in by the hospital to cover for another surgeon so that added to Frank’s worry. He thought back to after she got to the call. 

“Cricket, you’re pregnant. I don’t think the added stress is good for you.”  

“Frankie, there are patients that need me. I will rest a lot and not make it longer than eight hours. I’ll talk with the Chief.”  

“Cricket, you don’t have to work. I can take care of us.”  

Abby narrowed her eyes and Frank took a step back. “Franklin, are you saying that I’m not strong enough to work?” 

“No baby, I’m...” 

“Let me tell you something Franklin Edward, I am stronger than any man. I survived more in my life.”  

“Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you weren’t strong. I’m just... fuck Cricket, I’m scared ok.” 

“Scared of what?” 

Frank took a moment. “We are on the verge of losing Nugget and what if something happens to you or the baby and... I keep seeing the worst every time I close my eyes.”  

“Frankie, we are not going to lose Mary. I am going to be safe, and we are not going to lose our baby. Honey, you can’t let your fears take over. I promise, I won’t overdo it.”  

“I know, I’m sorry Cricket. I know you are the strongest woman I know.” He kissed her forehead. “Forgive me love.”  

“Say something like that again and we are going to have problems Frank.”  

“I know Cricket.”  

“Now let’s get ready for bed. You need to rub my back.”  

“Yes ma’am.”  

“Abby has thrown herself into work for distraction.  We had to talk to Mary about the hearing because the judge said she wanted to talk to Mary.” Frank sighed. “I just wish we had something to show he is a bad guy. I just can’t believe that he might get custody.”  

Johnny sighed. “I remember you telling me he had helped you in getting custody of Strawberry when she was a baby. Something about seeing Diane using drugs.” He furrowed his brows.  

Frank had mimicked his expression. “Yeah, he did.” 

“Well, how did he know that? He had to have been with her when she was using it.” 

It clicked in Frank’s head. “So it is possible he was using as well. Fuck Storm, you’re a genius.” He pulled out his cell and sent a message to Andy.  

Frank: Can we request a drug test?  Andy: We would need a reason  Frank: He claimed that Diane was using. How would he know?  Andy: Noted. I will file the motion.  

Frank put his phone away. “Thank Storm. Hopefully we’ll get a break.”  

The game is perfect, the Dodgers shutting out the Padres for the day. As Frank jogs off the field, he looks up to see Abby in the row behind the dugout.  “Hey Cricket!” 

“Hey Frankie! Nice game.”  

“You been here all game?” 

“Came in the end of the seventh. Got to watch you bat.”  He could see her eyes turn sparkly and he laughed, knowing that watching him bat was an aphrodisiac for her. She had a thing for his forearms.  She bites her lower lip.  

“Let me shower and take you home baby. Mary has after school science club today, remember?” 

“And Scott?” 

“He’s with Steve. Marco is watching Mary.”  

“So, we have the whole house to ourselves?” It was a rarity in the Adler home to have it to themselves.  

“Sure do Cricket. I also got a fresh jar of peanut butter and Oreos.”  

They way Abby’s eyes light up makes Frank chuckle again.  Johnny happened to come out to call to Frank and overheard the last comment. “Gross.  Doc, isn’t that bad for you or something?”  

“Depends on the situation Johnny. In this case, it's our secret indulgence.”  She winked at him, and he shuddered.  

“Just when I thought I knew you Adler. Now I know what you and the misses get up to in the bedroom using peanut butter and cookies.  Why can’t you be normal, like tying her up or something?” He shakes his head as he walks back into the dugout.  

“If only he knew,” Frank said as Abby bursts out laughing.  

As Abby brushed out her hair to get ready for court, Mary walked in. “Mama, can you tie up my hair?”  

“Sure Nugget.”  She brushed her hair back to gather it up. She could see Mary thinking hard. “What is it, Nugget?” 

“If the judge says you can’t adopt me, does that mean I have to stop calling you Mama?” 

Abby watched as Mary’s eyes glassed over with unshed tears. “No, it doesn’t. I’m your Mama as long as you have me. You’re my Mary and nothing, not the judge, not Mike, will change that.  Just like Frank is your daddy.”  

“I don’t want to go with Mike. He’s not my dad.” Mary turned and buried her face into Abby’s neck and cried.  Abby did her best to comfort her in the moment, stroking her hair and squeezing her tight.  

“I’m sorry you have to go through this baby girl. I wish we could just adopt you and we can move forward with our lives. But Uncle Andy, Uncle Steve and Scott have been working really hard to fight this and now we got to go to court, and you get to tell the judge how you feel.  How you feel is really important.”  

“And you won’t leave me alone with him?” 

“Never, ok?” She wiped the tears from Mary’s face and took it in her hands. “Daddy and I won’t let anything happen to you.”  

As the family walked into the court house, Abby was passed a letter from Andy.  “What is this?” 

“It’s a letter from Diane.  To be opened by you only.”  Andy shrugged.  “My private investigator, Hansen, had done one more interview with Diane and this was given to him to pass along.”  

Abby’s hands trembled as she opened the letter.  

Dear Abby,   When I found out that I was pregnant, I really thought I had a chance at a happy life with Mike. It was a dream come true. I thought it was my chance to have a happily ever after just like you and my brother. When I told Mike about the pregnancy, he said two things to me. 1. He wasn’t the father because I slept around and 2. that he wanted me to abort.   It hurts my heart to know that he really didn’t care about me. I told your investigator where the key to the safety deposit box at Boston National was at and that the letters from Mike during that time are there.   I’m so sorry that I hurt you , Frank and Mary.  I knew when I left her with you, that you would be her mom. I knew it was the best choice for her. I hope this helps in stopping Mike.   Please let Frank know that I miss him. I hope he can forgive me for what I done and that maybe we can build our relationship again. He knows where to find me.   Take care of our family, Abby.   Always,   Diane 

Abby wipes her eyes.  “Did he give you anything else?” 

Andy held up a stack of envelopes. “Let’s go into a conference room.”  Andy, Abby, Frank, filed into a room, while Scott, Mary and Marco sat outside. Andy opened the bundle.  “There are a few addressed to Mary to be opened on specific days.” He handed those to Frank.  “There is one to Frank and the rest... Holy shit.”  

“What was it?” Frank asked.  

“They are letters from Mike to Diane. Dated when Mary was conceived.” Andy looked at Abby.  “May I?” 

She nodded. “I know what they are going to say.” 

Andy opened letter after letter confirming what Diane had wrote. “He denied being the father,” he said. “He asked Diane to have an abortion...” he stopped. “We can admit this to the court as proof.”  

Frank took the letters and read.  “This bastard did this to my sister.  Can we use this in the kidnapping charges as well?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll send them to Diskant as soon as we are done here today.  Let’s get this party started.”  The group stood and walked out.  Abby and Frank took both of Mary’s hands and walked to the court room.  As they entered, a familiar laugh rang through the room. Mike Weiss stood at the front with another man.  

“Oh look, it's my daughter and her jailers,” Mike said with a sneer.  

Frank growled but Abby put a hand on his arm. “Let it go Frankie.” The family sat where Andy directed them and took a seat as they waited for the judge. Mary cuddled into Frank’s side, keeping her face away from Mike.  

They all stood as the judge entered the courtroom.  “You may sit,” he ordered. “Ok, we are here to hear the motion to suppress the adoption of Mary Eileen Adler. Complaint filed by the alleged natural father Michael Weiss and contesting are the guardians in questions, Franklin Adler and Abigail Hernandez-Adler.  Mr. Weiss, you may proceed.”  

“Thank you, Your Honor.  I am submitting my first piece of evidence as exhibit A. This is the DNA match showing that I am the natural father of the child.  Second is the birth certificate where I am not listed so I cannot terminate rights that I was not privileged too.”  

“Entered into the record.  Mr. Weiss, your argument please.”  

“Your honor, due to the natural mother’s, Diane Adler, reckless behavior, I was not allowed time to establish myself as Mary’s father. I was away at school, earning my degree while Miss Adler gave birth and then subsequently rescinded her rights to Mary.  While I am grateful to Mr. Adler and Dr. Hernandez for raising the child, I would like to point out a few things.  

“Mr. Adler has been known to make reckless decisions while having custody of Mary.  Proof of alcohol abuse is evident in public record and led to the termination of his relationship with Dr. Hernandez. Mary only had one guardian for five years before Dr. Hernandez reappeared in her life.  That instability is not good in the upbringing of a child.  She should be brought up in a stable home with a loving parent who would do anything for her.  I believe that I am that parent. Thank you.”  

“Mr. Weiss, how do you explain the pending kidnapping charges against you?” 

“I feel like that was a misunderstanding.  The guardians did not allow me access to my daughter, and I just wanted to get to know her. It is not my fault that they over reacted and calling in law enforcement.  Once the matter of her guardianship is settle, those charges will be removed.”  

“Alright.” The judge turned to Andy.  “Mr. Barber, any evidence you would like to add?”  

“Yes, Your Honor,  I have in my possession, provided by the natural mother, Diane Adler, letters from Mr. Weiss to Miss Adler, during the time of Miss Adler’s pregnancy.”  Andy watched as Mike’s face blanched. “In these letters, you will find proof that Mr. Weiss denied paternity of the child multiple times but also requested that the pregnancy be terminated at the earliest convenience.”  

“Objection, how do they know when the time of the letters were written?”  

“The letters reference dates in the past as well as significant aging of the paper.”  

The judge looked over the letters.  “Admissible. Please continue.”  

“Thank you.  We also have the original custody order that named Mr. Adler as the guardian of Mary with an addendum of adding Dr. Hernandez-Adler as a guardian after the fact.  Mr. Weiss’s argument that Mary was in an unstable home is laughable.  Mr. Adler has done everything he could to provide Mary will everything she needed.  When he himself could not care for her, given his profession, he made sure that the child caregiver chosen was of sound mind, clean record and recommendations from former employers.  He is in the room today to testify, if need, that Mr. Adler was a loving and attentive parent to his niece.  

The door opened in the back, interrupting Andy. A young woman went up to Andy.  “A moment your honor.” He spoke to the woman and smiled.  “Apologies, sir, but we have an additional witness that we would like to add to our list.”  

“Alright, name?” 

“Bobby Fuller.”  

NEXT

Taglist

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@before-we-get-started

@tinkerbelle67

@bunnyforhim

[daemon-in-my-head]

1 and 6 for the 4th edition past life durge asks <3

Apologies for the delay and thanks for the ask! The first one threw me for a loop lol

1. The song that describes you Durge best from your own perspective?

Knew the answer for this by heart when I created the asks but shit changes, so I'm gonna say 'Kleid aus Rosen' (dress of roses) by Subway to Sally. German song and German band so lemme give ya the gist of the song (also cuz it's hella ambigious and demands a backstory not a lot know)

A girl wants a rose tattoo, her family and fiance are against it however, saying lilies would suit her better. Now the girl, willful as she is, rejects their opinion and runs away from her home and her marriage promise to find the master who can give her the roses she wants.

The master, however, rejects her as well. Saying that sweet dahlias suit her and that roses come for a price she wouldn't want to pay. But once again, she rejects that opinion and begs him on her knees for days until he relents and starts giving her the bloody roses she so longed for.

She suffers greatly during the whole ordeal, bloody roses bloom on her neck as her skin grows pallid, but in the end, the master finishes his job.

Except the girl will never see the roses she so long for, as the price she had been warned about was her sight.

So TL;DR: wilfulness and ego became her downfall. She may have gotten what she wanted, but she's lost everything for it, including the joy of ever seeing what she so desperately desired. Pretty spot on.

There's also a bit of desperation and being tainted by sin going on in the story but that's ever more nuanced.

The chorus is basically 'master, master, give me roses. Roses on my white dress. Pierce the roses into the bare, untouched, maiden body.' As I said, there's a lot more with sin and sexuality going on too in some interpretations but the songs pretty much a 1:1 copy of an actual old as fuck lament and that's the 'og' meaning.

6. Sarevok, what was his relationship with your Durge like? Did they like each other? Was it complicated?

Complicated? Nah not rly. He despises him for what he does to Orin, but Sarevok bets on the pure Bhaalspawn. If it was up to him he'd gladly rid Sarevok of the curse of being a judge, but daddy ain't no fan of that so he gets to enjoy unlife I guess.

Did kill him in the end tho. But ofc only after turning Bhaal down and spitting in everyone's face. Slay. Literally.

[variousqueerthings]

we did watch end of time last night, and I didn't cry, but also it feels like I ought to, but maybe it's that the story isn't technically finished because there's a coda coming up. but also I feel sad anyway

but just to think about the original epilogue that is the five specials, interesting to think about. I do think that "the next doctor" is the messiest of the bunch, but that's par for the course for christmas specials (and still by far not as messy as some later christmas specials...) however, let's be real, I'm here for the character insights, and this episode eases us into the idea that this doctor will not be with us long, mentions a bit about being alone, and then the doctor has a last christmas dinner, after avoiding it since rose

planet of the dead is an alright episode -- fun general plot, am into the creatures it introduces, and I mentioned before that whatever is happening between christina and the doctor is like an anti-romance (and... not by design, I assume, but it fits in with all of my headcanons, so I'm not complaining here). the main thing here, other than cryptic prophecies, is that the doctor has an offer for a new companion here. and he says "no, because I have a bunch of survivor's guilt, PTSD, and depression, and I wish women would stop suddenly kissing me out of the blue, seriously beginning to freak me out, sure hope that doesn't happen in my next regeneration..." (well, okay, he thinks those things)

mainly those two episodes though, give us a bit of good stuff. people clap and tell the doctor what a good job he's doing, you're like "ok maybe he could keep going like this for awhile and things might get bette-"

and then waters of mars, beloved carrier of The Themes, rtd like, "well you've got two slightly silly episodes to start us off, and we've got a double episode that's very rtd-vibes to finish us off, so lets have a middle episode that is so horrifying on several levels, to really balance us off, yes good." (and it is so fucking good). rtd in the behind-the-scenes talked about how they originally had a whole thing about how yuri and mia being a couple, well were they going to have children, and how would that affect the development of humanity if they were meant to be dead and like... yeah. adelaide knew what was up, but they didn't (maybe they suspected -- what's it like, I wonder, knowing you were really really meant to be dead, and you're living a life that is at odds with time itself...) but we don't have time to get into aaaall of that, the important thing is that the doctor is briefly mad with grief and tries it out against heavyweight (checks notes) The Concept Of Time, and sort of loses and is told it's time to die and responds to it by going-

lol nope. at the beginning of the end of time, the doctor avoids dying by doing a last spot of travelling, and acting like he's having a mental health breakdown and that's fine. and then has to rush to face his death, which as it turns out is (not so shockingly) connected to the master, our favourite weirdo, and they do their whole homoerotic thing where the master hurts the doctor in various ways and ties him up and threatens to kill him and destroys humanity (again), par for the course, except for bringing back the timelords + ofc there's a whooole bit where the doctor's PTSD depression comes to the forefront and he admits that he's terrified of regenerating, but also everything sucks and david tennant is a terrific actor and it's fascinating that rtd brought back doctor who in the way that he did, with a relearning of the wonders of the universe, only to rip it all away again

so you know. get fucked ten, but also it makes sense, there's an Arc, there's Cause and Effect, there's mountains of Sadness. POV you're learning about tragic narrative arcs in the whimsical time travel show after having tuned in for 5ish years since you were 10 (kidding, I watched the animated animal farm when I was five and it made me very curious about why it made me feel so bad and then we chased that concept ever since)

I genuinely cannot remember how I emotionally left things with ten back when there was no proposed special episodes going to happen, but I think if there's any doctor that needs a bit of catharsis, it's that one. and hopefully that'll come with a sense of everything that came next to change the doctor's view on Life this time around. or youknow. more pain. maybe a bit of both

in any case, thank you to the first rtd era, it changed my brain chemistry forever and introduced me to the whimsical time travel show and everything was fine

[feysandfeels]

Thanks for your encouragement 🥰 I’m definitely doing it for the plot lol, also I just don’t wanna live my life with a missed opportunity. I’ve known him for a couple months now and he just moved away days after we met. He’s the first person I could ever seriously see myself with. He’s kind, attentive, so smart it’s a little intimidating, funny, so hot it’s definitely intimidating, has the same aspirations as me and he’s just an overall great package. But I guess this is where my quarter life crisis is coming from. I’m 26 and I’ve never been seriously in love, except now for the first time and it might not work out bc the distance makes him unsure. I feel romantically I’m very far behind everyone else. Also I still wanna get my masters degree which will throw me back to a students life and make me feel even less accomplished. BUT I have found a great therapist at the end of 2022 and I’m working on those issues 💪🏼🌞 what about your love life and life in general? Only if you wanna share ofc

Here is my thing boo... when thinking about your life, about your times and your dreams and plans and goals and all that jazz.. why would you then put on top of that timelines that correspond to agendas that are not your own? Like if you are at 26 experiencing love for the first time, why do you have to categorize it as "being behind"? behind who? yourself? you can't be behind something you have not experienced. Others? why would you use parametres that do not come from you in order to measure your own experiences?

On that note, going back to being a student is no less of an accomplishment: it is a privilege because you get to experience the joy of learning again... and learning something new. What are you thinking of getting your master's on?

Define a version of success that caters to your specific path and no one else's. Just like you should define beauty by your standards and not by society's you know?

You are brilliant and living life at your own pace and that is what success looks like.

My love life?? it's been interesting because I realized the way I have been dating no longer serves me and that's fine... like I overgrew this dynamic and way of engaging that came as a result of like... D R A M A. But other than a very intense situationship/showmance in the summer, dates here and there, doing whatever it is my blah and I are doing, and a lot of chemistry with my stage combat instructor (because omg omg hahahaha like fighting is a a whole thing hahahaha and when you need to block that with a story is always v interesting) there's nothing else to report. I'm what my friends call "the coveted one" like they try to date me, I get bored because if they don't make me feel like Rhysand does I will not waste my time...I also have been going through a Hockey moment... but like that we can blame @moononastring and @briannamcfraser for that.

[springtrappd]

the books are genuinely batshit, yeah, but mostly not in a fun way (barring a few exceptions). like, even beyond the myriad technical problems or the L O R E, they're just the written equivalent of junk food -- empty calories you gorge on not for their contents, but the joy of it. and the joy of it is almost entirely derived from Special Interest Dopamine over anything actually in them. truly, seriously, they're some of the most soulless garbage i've ever read, while still managing to be so, so fucking cruel in some of the worst ways possible.

eleanor, for example, is originally from a story about a tweenage girl with body dysmorphia caused by, y'know, The Horrors, and the story -- rather than examining what external factors would have made her feel this way, or why she feels such an intense need to be a palatable objection of consumption, or any of that shit -- instead ends with this being Her Fault; when eleanor tricks her into secretly replacing her body parts with scrap, it's framed as a kind of karmic retribution for her own failings, which is just an utterly unhinged thing to write at all, let alone about a 13 year old girl. (she realises her mistake, has her face stolen by eleanor, and then collapses into a pile of trash to be discarded without anyone realising what happened.) particularly when the story prior was about the time travelling ball pit, and the following is fearmongering about goths being obsessed with death?? and that is the frights experience. (minus the writer's thinly disguised fetish.png, ofc, which only really come into play after book 1)

people focus on the actual interesting shit that comes out of The Ghostwritten Hellpit because trying to actually explain literally any of it makes me sound crazy. like. frights was originally supposed to end after #7, right, which is when frights!afton has his big final boss battle and dies! and it's a pretty cool sequence except eleanor is also there just kind of hanging out in lines very obviously added in later, setting her up as secretly behind afton somehow and also the true big bad, definitely. except they now no longer have a plot, because their fucking main antagonist is dead and none of the protagonists have ever spoken with each other before, so instead -- and i'm going to sound like i'm shitting you here, but i promise you i am not -- jake the stitchwraith (our main ghost kid who stuck around to end the hauntings) finds evil drug dealers threatening a homeless girl and murders them because he remembers that drugs are bad. and he burns 'SAY NO TO DRUGS' into one of their foreheads. and that homeless girl is eleanor, who pretends to be the real homeless girl because uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. and they then spend several entire epilogues just sitting around a warehouse doing nothing. concurrently to this happening, our main adult character, detective larson, has been having visions of the time travelling ball pit calling to him to come find it, so he's off investigating the HALLUCINATIONS OF THE SUPERNATURAL BALL PIT. at one point he is aided by a fellow cop who dresses and speaks like a cowboy. he appears twice and is never mentioned again.

eleanor's master plan was to pretend to be the daughter of this scientist researching remnant so he'd try to inject her with remnant which would do uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh because uhhhhhhhhhhhh anyway so larson falls into the ball pit and starts time travelling across the various previous stories, revealing that he had secretly been there the whole time as he chased eleanor away from the shit she was doing because uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and while they're doing that jake seals her inside one of her memories and she dies. and it turns out she exists in the first place because scientist guy's actual druggie daughter, renelle, was ill and he -- terrified of losing her -- made her a locket out of remnant, which just made eleanor, because uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. and then jake goes off to exorcise the ball pit, which was actually the source of eleanor's power and also everything that happened because uhhhhhhhhhh. and -- again, i'm not joking -- all of the balls in the time travelling ball pit are actually the souls of its victims, and jake goes in and frees every single one from the bad memories they're stuck in because uhhhhhhhhhhhh. yippee!

"oh but eleanor is afton--" no she isn't. she is afton's creation (in the vaguest sense), the same way that elizabot and charliebot are; they are the remnants of a legacy, the shadow cast by the looming spectre of tragedy. It Is A Fucking Metaphor

[celeste-clearwater-06]

hello. it is i. so! i was wondering if you could do a little ditty abt nail polish with the company and/or the fellowship? basically like modern girl in middle earth type stuff, and she realizes that she has nail polish on her which is something they totally don't have in middle earth. basically headcanons abt like how they would react to painted nails and which one of these mfs would let me paint their nails. cuz like - they dont know its just a "fem" thing here so no toxic masculinity. ty <3

OMFG I'M SO HYPED FOR THIS! I just picked a few random Tolkien characters that seem to have a lot of attention, so I hope you like this!!

Nail Polish (LOTR/THE HOBBIT X READER)

Frodo~

I feel like Frodo would be very skeptical at first

Because, come on, a girl falling into Middle Earth out of nowhere??

However, his interest is certainly peaked, seeing you twist the brush away from it's blue colored bottle as you smile down at it

"What's that, you've got there?"

"Oh, just some nail polish!"

He watches with curiosity as you perfectly decorate your nails with the periwinkle color

"How interesting..."

He may not want to have his nails painted at first, but has this deep fascination with how perfectly you can paint them without screwing up

Soon, he forgets all about the ring as you paint your nails, sitting cross-legged and starting with those huge blue eyes with interest

If he allows you to paint his nails, he would smile the whole time

I mean HIS TINY HANDS?!?!

What a bean 🥺

Tries his best not to chip the color when he leaves for Mordor with Sam

Gollum is actually really interested with his nails

"whAT IS IT prECI0us?!?1!1?"

But Frodo will swat his hands away, because "it's a gift from someone important."

The one thing that keeps him smiling along the way 😊

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Legolas

Elf prince is so interested!!

He thinks the spring green color looks so pretty in the bottle

He's obviously not used to most thing from your world

Asks politely;

"How do you use this?"

"...can I show you?"

So whenever the Fellowship stops for the night, he watches with amusement as your brows furrow and you stick your tongue out in concentration

Legolas sits very still, so it's easy for you to paint his nails

How does he keep them so clean?!

He's low-key obsessed with how satisfying it is...

wAIT...

Now HE wants to paint YOUR nails?

THE PRECISION...

He's so good at it!

Legolas is so patient and calm

He says it reminded him of making flower crowns I guess?

And he doesn't even mess up once 😳

THE MASTER NEEDS TEACHING, DAYUM-

He gets so happy with how the color matches him!

Forgets that you have to let it dry at first, so it gets a bit smudged when he draws his bow

Upset Legolas :(

But you fix it for him, and he's happy again!

CAN

NOT

STOP

LOOKING

He's amazed!!

And so proud!

Pretty Elf 🥰✨

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Pippin

Pippin is very confused, to say the least

He though it would be something relatively close to a nail filer

But once he sees the pastel yellow color, on your own fingers, he has to have some!!

WILL

NOT

SIT

STILL

While you're trying to paint his hands and feet (by request), he's telling you great tales of the shire, a throwing his limbs around to exaggerate his story

You've to clonked him on the head and scolded him quite a few times

For some reason, he's saying it tickles??

"It does! The brush is like feather!"

Painting his toes it a lot easier, seeing he can't really feel much on his feet

The color goes perfect with his green eyes 🥴

Also, let's not forget that Pip is the definition of "disaster-on-legs"

After the polish dries, it immediately chips, since he's busy causing trouble with merry or practicing his hand with Boromir

He really wants to paint your nails, and you let him do so...

Poor hobbit has zero clue with how this shit works 🤦‍♀️

He feels so bad about getting it all over your fingers, but you assure him it'll be fine and that it will eventually wash off in a few days

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Boromir

HE WANTS TO USE IT RIGHT AWAY-

Pink, as cliche as it sounds, suits him so well

He's just amazed!

Also, really likes the smell 🤔🤔

Is grinning like an idiot while you're painting his nails

"Such talent and patience you have!"

"Pfft, it's really nothing. Takes a bit of practice is all."

Afterward, is flashing his bright pink nails at everyone

"Look at Y/N's spectacular skill of hand!"

I think Boromir would have a habit of picking at the polish after it dries

But that's okay, he doesn't mind too much

It gives him more time to spend with you while you repaint them!!

He's afraid he'll screw up your nails if he tries to paint them, so he never offers

That's alright though, since you know he only means well 😊

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Thorin

Oh he's so regal

You were in Rivendell, digging through your purse, and suddenly

Tada!!

A deep navy blue bottle, probably about half empty was revealed

He was curious, but tried not to let it show, since that would damage his royal ego 🙄

"What is that?"

"Oh, just some nail polish. Wanna try some?"

Thorin would insist that you show him how it works first

And so, you did

He definitely admires the color

But defied any suggestion of you painting his own nails

That would be "un-kingly" 😤

Okay so maybe he lets you paint his pinky finger when nobody is around

But he smiles (a rare sight) while watching you paint your nails

And does give a somewhat compliment at your articulate handwork

"It looks exceptional as artwork."

"Erm... Thanks?"

He definitely thinks the color matches you beautiful skin tone 😌

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Kili ~

Prince Dumbass LOVES red

It reminds him of Tauriel 🥰

One night, you left your bag opened on the ground as you went off to get some food from Bombur, and Kili couldn't help but notice the glittering ruby bottle inside

He grabbed it, being the nosy prince he was, and examined its glow in the firelight

"What kind of jewel is this?"

"Oh hey, my nail polish!!"

Very confused

"Why does it smell so strange?"

Thankfully, being a dwarf, his fingernails are a bit bigger, so there's more room and it's easier to paint

He, like Pippin, has issues with sitting still and gets you really annoyed

"I swear to all things fluffy, if you don't sit still I will cut off all of that hair in your sleep-"

"😳"

He immediately smudges them, and then you have to paint them AGAIN

Once they FINALLY dry, he won't let anyone touch them

"Stop it, Fili! You'll damage them!"

He can't stop touching them, since it's so smooth!

The others tease him, but he doesn't mind, as long as they stay nice and clean

Turns into a whiny toddler the MINUTE they chip

"Y/nnn! I need you to repaint them!"

"I just painted them yESTERDAY-"

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Fili

A mix of Thorin and Kili when it comes down to it

Definitely prefers gold 😌✨

Sees you painting your nails one night in the library in Erebor

"What have you got there sagh (friend)?"

"Just some nail polish. Wanna try some?"

Once again, he wants to see what it does like Thorin

And you of course happily oblige

Admires the color greatly

He says it reminds him of the gold floors in his kingdom, and it makes you chuckle

Fili loves to have his nails painted, and especially with such a regal hue 💅😌

DAMN does it bring out those baby blues 🥴

After that, you stare at his hands a lot, proceeded by his flirtatious teasing

Shows up Kili's sparkly red polish with his "more extravagant" color

He is also very protective of his nails and tries his very best to keep them from chipping

You love watching him hold his weapons and spar with his pretty nails 😳

Even with his larger hands, made for forging and wielding huge swords and axes and smelting, he had an incredibly steady and gentle hand when it comes to this subject, so he's AMAZING at painting his and your nails

Fili insists that you have matching nails all the time, and it's a regular thing for you to hang out and talk about your day while you paint each others nails 🥺

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Thranduil

Have you MET this man?!

KING OF DIVAS 💅💅

At first, he's very weirded out

"What do you have in your hand, mellon (friend)?"

"Oh, just some nail polish."

"Interesting..."

Thranduil watches intently over your shoulder as you carefully decorate your nails with a glossy black polish, sitting directly next to his throne

"Do you want me to paint your nails?"

"Hm?"

He reluctantly agrees, placing his BEAUTIFUL hand in yours and stares down at your gentle talented work

He loves the color more than he cares to admit, and much like his son sits very still as you lead the brush over his clean nails

The elf king loves seeing your tongue stick out in concentration

You remind him that it'll need time to dry out

And as he says in his notoriously sassy voice;

"I thousand years is a mere blink in the life of an elf... I'm patient... I can wait."

Ofc, you just scoff at this and tell him it'll only take about five to ten minutes

He just nods and stares back down at them with admiration

Thranduil doesn't do much around his kingdom, except maybe get a bit drunk and direct orders to his guards, so it's no worry about him chipping or ruining his nails

I hope you liked this, just as much as I enjoyed writing it!! Have a lovely day, and don't forget that requests are open as always!! ❤❤😊

[justthehiddleswrites]

Accidently Married | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 1 |  Living Well is the Best Revenge or Just Trip Her on the Red Carpet

A/N:  Tom makes certain comments about an ex (who is unnamed).  It is a fictional girlfriend, take from it what you will.  Keep your hate to yourself.  

SERIES MASTERLIST HERE

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Molly Bishop)

Summary: Tom is stuck in a news cycle from hell; Molly is stuck in the dead end job of bartending with a pile of student and credit debt.  Tom has an idea to solve all their problems.  Get married, get the paparazzi off his back, divorce after a year and Tom pays off Molly’s debts.  Tom has everything figured out, that is until he sees Molly as more than a just a friend and so does someone else.  In this vying for affections who will win, the handsome Brit or the boy from Boston?

This Chapter: Tom is in Vegas to present at a music awards ceremony and what do you know his high profile ex girlfriend is nominated for two awards.  And the press are having a field day.  Molly Bishop is grateful for the awards show because it means extra tips and getting her closer to paying off her student debt.  An offhand comment by Luke coupled with an encounter with his old girlfriend has Tom’s mental wheels turning.  Perhaps he and Molly can solve each other’s problem.  All they have to do is get married.

Warnings: fake marriage, smut (vaginal sex), mentions of:  child abuse/neglect, foster care, substance abuse, cheating.

TAGLIST IS OPEN! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED!  THANK YOU FOR READING!

--

Tom dreaded turning his phone back on when the plane landed at McCarran airport. He knew what waited for him on the other side. Tom wondered if his publicist would buy the story he left his phone back at the bar in Heathrow. Probably not, he had tried that earlier in the year and Luke went ballistic until he came clean. He did not want a repeat of the earful he got back then. With a sigh, Tom switched on his mobile and shoved it into the front pocket of his jeans, vibrating as messages and emails came in.

Tom never imagined the relationship would end like this. He thought he was in love. He thought she was in love. But it had all been what were the words she used “escape hatch”. Tom had been a means to an end. And the punishment for his naivete was a news cycle that would not die. And that photo.

He waited until he was in the car on his way to the Bellagio before checking his messages. There were a series of several text messages from Luke.

Call me when you get to your hotel room.

Don’t read the papers.

Don’t talk to any reporters.

Don’t do anything until you talk to me.

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose underneath his sunglasses.

“Fuck!” he hissed under his breath.

This meant only one thing. Another story. Maybe more pictures. He shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, she was attending the same awards show. It ventured to guess the papers would play that up. Tom slumped against the car seat for the rest of the ride.

Check in went fine at the VIP check in. One perk of not only being a celebrity, but a presenter at the awards show. The bellhop delivered Tom’s luggage and garment bag. He pulled the outfit for tomorrow and hung it up, just like Illaria told him to. It was only when he flopped onto the sectional couch, Tom called Luke.

“I’ve been waiting for your phone call.” Luke deadpanned. “I started to worry you would pull that ‘I left my phone at the airport bar’ story.”

“I did cross my mind.” Tom let his head hit the back of the sofa. “Do I want to know?”

“Not really.” Luke winced. “They used the photo again.”

“Of course they fucking did!” Tom punched a nearby pillow. “I look like a twat. Luke, I need this to stop.”

Luke sighed. “Until something comes along that is better than this, expect it to hang around for a while. Unless you are planning on getting married in the next two days.”

Tom chuckled darkly. “Not bloody likely.” He sighed again. “Thanks for everything Luke.”

“It’s my job, mate. But you’re welcome.”

After Tom hung up, he stared first at the phone in his hand and then at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure how he got here, and he sure as hell didn’t know how to get out. Tom decided instead to wallow in self-pity and eat a ridiculously expensive room service steak.

-

Weekends were always busy when there were special events over at the MGM arena. This weekend was no exception. And while it may not be good for Molly’s back, her bank account greeted every penny with a smile. Vegas may be a cheap place to live, but it still costs money. And her college did not accept IOUs for student loans. She shoved more tips into the jar behind the bar and helped the next person.

“What’ll be?”

“Whatever you have that is strong and on tap.” Tom’s smooth voice cut over the din of slot machines and video poker machines.

“Coming right up.” Molly poured him a beer, and he signed the receipt with his room number before sliding to the end of the bar.

Three hours later, Tom still sat at the end of the bar, nursing the same beer. Most of the crowd dissipated at this point. Celebrities needed their beauty sleep. Or at least most of them.

“Would you like to switch that one out for a cold one?” She leaned over, smiling. “On the house.”

“Sorry.” Tom blinked and glanced around, looking for a clock Molly imagined.

“No clocks.” she commented. “Or windows.”

Tom’s brow furrowed. “Really?”

“The whole point of casinos is to keep people inside. Clocks and windows help people realize how much time has passed.” Molly replaced his beer. “The whole place is set up like a maze.”

Tom took a long draw of the fresh beer. “You seem to know an awful lot about casinos for a bartender.”

“You seem awfully forward for a movie star.” she snapped back. Tom’s eyes met yours. She shrugged her shoulders. “I have a friend who works at Regal Cinema, they let me in for free.”

“I’m having a bad day.” Tom muttered back. “You still didn’t answer the question.” He took another long draw, leaving the glass half empty.

“Oh, so we are adding pushy to your resume. I thought Brits were supposed to be charming. If you must know, I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Tourism from Arizona State.”

Tom opened his mouth to comment, but Molly cut him off.

“Funny thing about the tourism industry. You need experience to get a job, but you can’t get experience without having a job. Classic catch-22. Which does not pay my bills. So I bartend until I get hired somewhere.”

Tom felt like a prize idiot moping about his problems. He cleared his throat. “Apologies for my earlier behavior. I have been in a poor mood for the last several weeks and it has made me a terrible companion and customer.”

Molly smiled at him. The first truly friendly face in a while. “It’s fine. And you are entitled to a bad day.” She filled up his glass. “Once or twice. Share your troubles with me. Unless it is about which supermodel you should date next, then I don’t want to hear it.” she joked. Tom’s face fell. “Oh shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”

Tom held up a hand. “Please don’t apologize. I take it you don’t read the magazines.”

“As a matter of course, no I don’t.” Suddenly a lightbulb went off. “Oh…”

Tom twisted his face into an exaggerated expression. “‘Oh’ is right. Usually followed by the words ‘shit’ or ‘fuck’.”

“And is she…”

Tom drained the glass. “Yep. Nominated for two awards.”

“Yikes! Well, if there is anything I can do, I am here all weekend.”

Tom stood up and left several twenty-dollar bills. “I might take you up on that. Thank you again for the conversation… I didn’t catch your name.”

“Molly Bishop”. she said, clearing his glass.

Tom offered his hand, and she shook it. “Tom.”

“I know.” she leaned in, her dark brown hair falling to the sides of her face. “Remember, you’re a movie star.”

Tom laughed. A real belly laugh. So loud that it jolted the old man at the other end of the bar awake. “I needed that. Thank you again. Have a good evening, day, morning.”

“It’s evening. Goodnight, Tom. Sleep well.”

Tom headed back towards the bank of elevators. He glanced over his shoulder to watch Molly wipe down where he had been sitting, shove the twenties into a tip jar, while tucking her hair behind her ears and help an obviously drunk couple. Tom made a mental note to find her again before he flew back and leave an even bigger tip.

-

Tom woke up the next morning and headed down to the gym to run on the treadmill. He would have preferred running outside but wanted to avoid people. After running five miles, he switched the machine off, wiped it and him down and headed upstairs to shower and change for the day. Tom wandered back downstairs in search of Molly, but the bartender on duty, a guy named Seth, mentioned she wouldn’t be back until the evening. Tom thanked him and headed back upstairs.

He was restless until it was time to get ready. After dressing, he took a selfie in the mirror and sent it to Illaria who confirmed he did it right. Now came the waiting game. Tom wanted to time it to avoid having to see her at all. Finally deciding he had wanted long enough, Tom called for the car and headed downstairs. What Tom forgot to account for was his incredible bad luck.

He arrived right after her and was forced to walk the red carpet, watching her out of the corner of his eye, with her arm linked around whatever man, boy, prey she ensnared for the evening. Tom plastered a killer smile on his face and continued to repeat the mantra in his head “Living well is the best revenge” when all he wanted to do is either trip her or return to his hotel room and eat an inordinate amount of chocolate cake.

The rest of the awards show blurred together into moments of white hot rage masked by a cool exterior and numbness. Thank god for the teleprompter or else Tom wondered if he would have made it through his presentation. But he did and thought he made it through the entire event without running into her and then…

“Tom!” her voice called out.

Tom froze and stiffened. What a difference a few weeks can make.

“Darling!” He spun on his heel to face her, smile firmly in place. He leaned forward and kissed her cheeks. “It’s good to see you. You look good.” he lied through his teeth.

“You too. I thought I might miss you. I just wanted to say—”

Tom waved her off. “Water under the bridge.” Another lie. Perhaps he missed his calling as a barrister or even a publicist. “Your date seems nice.”

She smiled. That smile that once melted his heart. “Thanks. He is. Where’s your—”

“Back at the hotel.” He checked his watch. “Which reminds me, I should head back. Big plans for the night.”

She blinked, and stutter stepped back. “Oh. Right.” She composed herself. “Well, it was nice to see you again. I hope we can be friends.” She held her arms open.

Fucking friends! Tom howled inside his mind. What was she playing at? More fodder for her songs? Tom seethed on the inside. He stepped forward to awkwardly hug her, praying there was no one around to snap a photo. Knowing her, though, she probably had someone in the balcony with a zoom lens.

“Of course, love.” He squeezed her a little too tight until she let loose a small yelp of pain. Tom allowed a genuine smile to come across his face. “I won’t keep you any longer. Enjoy the after party.” He walked away before she could continue on the conversation.

He waited until he was well out of earshot. “Bitch.”

-

The crowd started waning around 9:30 as the awards show let out. Molly figured most of the attendees would hit the after parties and things would pick up around 1 or 2 a.m. Until then, it would just be the regulars. She turned around to arrange the glasses she just cleaned when a now familiar voice rang out.

“Marry me.” Tom asked, his tie loosened.

“I don’t know you.” Molly teased back. “Now what will you have?”

“You as my wife.” Tom repeated, his palm flattened against the bar.

“Be serious.”

“I am serious.”

“Are you drunk?”

Tom shook his head. “Stone cold sober. Hear me out.”

She glanced around, seeing no plausible escape. “I’m listening. But if another customer comes up, I’m walking away.”

“I need something to move the paparazzi off this current news cycle with me.”

Molly smirked. “You ran into the ex. Did she have a new boy toy on her arm?”

“Yes, but that is beside the point.”

“It is entirely the point.”

Tom slammed his hand against the bar, rattling the container of nuts nearby. “Can I continue or are you going to keep interrupting?”

Molly crossed her arms. “Go on.”

“I need something to move the press off this story. You need money. We are the solution to each other’s problems.”

“You may be gorgeous, but if you think I am sleeping with you for money…”

“I never said sex. I said marriage. The last I checked, they could be mutually exclusive.” Tom’s expression softened. “Listen, you are clearly unhappy here. I am unhappy too. If us being together could alleviate a bit of that unhappiness, why wouldn’t we seize the opportunity? We get married. Get the paparazzi off my back. I would pay off your student loans and credit cards. And then after a year of living together, we quietly divorce. No sex. Just a business relationship.”

Molly chewed over what Tom said, while chewing on her bottom lip. He wasn’t wrong, she was unhappy. Vegas was supposed to be a brand new start, but it was more of the same. Dead end job and no career prospects on the horizon.”

“Did you say live together?”

“In London, yes. I have plenty of room. Your own space. You have a passport.”

“Yes.”

Tom’s face broke out in a wide grin. He couldn’t believe this was happening. The blood pounded in his ears and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He looked up at her with his bright blue eyes.

“Will you marry me, Molly Bishop?”

“Yes.” she smiled back.

Tom leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Then let’s get going, because the licensing bureau closes at midnight.”

Molly headed over to the manager, Nick.

“I quit.” she shoved her apron at him.

“What? You can’t quit, Molly. The big rush is coming.”

“You heard the lady.” Tom called. “She quits.”

“And who the hell are you?”

“Her fiancé. Come on, darling.” Tom held out his hand. She lifted up the bar at the entrance and took his hand.

-

The two of you were full of nervous energy the entire cab ride to the licensing bureau, fitting right in with the other couples waiting to get a license. While you waited in line, Tom made some calls to several chapels until he found one open and able to squeeze the two of you in.

“Now all we need is to get you a dress and some rings.”

“Oh!” Molly dug through her purse. “My friend’s kid gave these to me.” She pulled out two plastic rings. “I think these will do in a pinch.”

Tom closed his hand over hers. “I’ll buy us proper rings tomorrow. Now a dress.”

“There’s a mall on the way. I can grab something on the way.” Tom kissed Molly’s forehead.

“You are brilliant.”

“Thank you.”

Within an hour, Molly was wearing a simple white slip dress, Tom still in his suit from the awards show, although he did straighten up the tie. She smiled like a fool, holding onto a fake bouquet and Tom’s wedding ring, complete with a plastic spider in her hand.

Tom slipped on the plastic gem ring when the minister told him to, and she did the same with the spider ring. Tom giggled and so did Molly .

“I now pronounce husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

Tom leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. His lips were warm and soft. It was… nice. Under other circumstances, she imagined Tom would be an excellent kisser.

Tom gazed down at her. “Hello, Mrs. Hiddleston.”

“Hello, Mr. Hiddleston.”

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

Raise the Stakes, part 14

Aaaaaaannnnnnd we're done! I literally decided on this ending today and I'm posting it before I start to get THE DOUBTS. I hope you enjoy it and thank you so, so, so much to everyone who's liked/ commented/ messaged along the way.

There's mention in here of an interview that did actually happen a couple of days ago and what's included is pretty much what I've read online. That said, I've embellished some for the purpose of the story, so I'm not claiming to know anything.

Previous sections are on the Master List.

Pairing: David Finlay x OFC x Jay White

Word count: 2,767

Content advisory: other than the usual language, nothing really. Should I be cautioning people about angstiness? Because there's angst.

Thought you should see this.

The toneless message with its link is ruining your day. You can’t stop looking at it, but you don’t want to open the link again because you don’t want David to see it. Not that you have any reason to feel guilty. If anything, he’s the one who has some explaining to do but he also has the biggest match of his life tonight, the one where he can finally put the years of tension and rivalry with Jay behind him. You want to be supportive but you also want some answers.

It can wait, you tell yourself for the hundredth time. You’ll talk about it tomorrow. Or next week. All the time in the world. At least, that’s what you hope.

The whole day, the two of you are together but you have to keep a little bit of distance. Don’t want to get distracted and he has to conserve all the energy he can. Doesn’t stop you from touching each other, of course, but even when you do, it feels like you’re still at a distance. He’s trying not to think about anything except tonight. Or maybe it just looks that way. Maybe he’s thinking about his future beyond tonight, when he moves on. It would be nice to know if he wanted you to move on with him but he’s not letting you in on his plans. Hell, if it were up to him, you wouldn’t even know that there were plans.

You’d expected Jay to have some sort of mocking comments. How come the boyfriend you’re so in love with is giving interviews talking about signing with another company, moving to another state, changing everything about his life, and you don’t know anything about it? How Jay had looked at that interview and immediately known that you weren’t aware of it is beyond you. It’s unnerving sometimes, his ability to figure things out when it comes to you. You suppose it’s one of the reasons he’s always been able to get under your skin and make you do what he wants.

But aside from the initial message, he doesn’t say anything. You think that maybe it was a ploy to see if you’d confront David and start a fight before their match, because that’s exactly the kind of ugly trick Jay loves. When you arrive at the venue, though, you see him getting out of a car at the same time. He doesn’t look scornful, doesn’t shout something insulting, doesn’t strut like a damn peacock in mating season, nothing that you would normally expect from him. He looks straight at you and doesn’t smirk or sneer. On anyone other than Jay White, the look might be interpreted as concern.

Technically, you’re supposed to be there for all the performers but at this point, there’s very little left for you to do. It’s all on them now and if everything turns out to be a garbage fire, it won’t be because of any failings on your part. So you do your rounds to make sure everyone has what they need, knows their cues, gets any questions answered. But you always circle back to where David is and stay for as long as you can before your nerves get the better of you.

And then there’s the one person you should check on, but don’t. You aren’t completely derelict. You check with the people he has around him, you even lower yourself to telling Chris Bey that he can text you if his majesty needs anything. Strangely, you don’t hear anything. You text Jay once to say that you’re available to help. You keep it professional and don’t mention anything about the link he sent earlier, so you’re expecting him to needle you about it, or at least act like you’re useless because you aren’t spending your entire day catering to him. Nothing. You’re almost tempted to go check to make sure he’s not sick because one thing Jay White has never been is one to stay quiet when something is bothering him. Maybe he feels sorry for you, in which case you’d rather he yelled.

You enjoy as much of the show as you can but you spend the last minutes before his match with David, largely quiet, just holding each other’s hands. You walk as far as you can with him and, as his music hits, squeeze his hand extra tight. He turns and gives you a soft, quick kiss before leaning back and doing it again, deeper.

“I love you,” he says, cupping your face in his hand.

“I love you too.”

He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself of something. You sound like you’re calling after a train that’s already left the station.

Against your better judgment, you stay where you are. Jay arrives, already acting his part, hands tapping idly on the belt that, in theory, is the reason they’re fighting. You stare at him waiting for him to acknowledge you but there’s nothing. His music swells and he heads out like you’re not even there.

“Just like old times,” you mutter to yourself.

And still.

You watch from backstage as Jay holds his belt up, grinning and preening like he never had a moment’s doubt. You know him well enough to know that’s not true. He keeps cutting looks back at David as if he’s expecting to have to defend himself again, as if he doesn’t believe that he’s truly vanquished him.

The audience doesn’t share his insecurity, cheering him on like he was the hero and David the villain. He’s obnoxious and self-centred but they love him anyway. It makes you feel a little less stupid for the years you’d spent doing the same.

A couple of assistants help David backstage, holding ice to his neck and making sure he doesn’t collapse on the way to the locker room. He looks angry, sullen, and bitter, but not injured, which is a relief. You turn away from the scene in the ring and follow him back to his dressing room, taking over from the dojo students on ice duty when you get there. You don’t speak. You figure it’s better to let him decide when he’s ready.

You’d love to, of course, because despite the fact that you don’t want to make his night worse, it’s becoming unbearable to keep everything inside.

“Where does it hurt?” you ask quietly, picking up a new cold pack.

“Everywhere,” he mumbles.

You hold the ice against his lower back, remembering the awful hit he’d taken on the ring apron.

“You looked great out there.”

“Didn’t feel so great.” He gives you a little smile. “Onward and upward, right?”

“Or southward?” You don’t even mean to say it out loud because this is absolutely not the time to bring it up and certainly not in this passive aggressive way.

“Southward?” He raises his eyebrows like he doesn’t know what you’re talking about but you can see immediately that he does.

“Nothing, it’s ok.”

He sighs. “What’s southward?”

“Do you need another ice pack?”

“Uh oh, sounds like someone’s been reading the dirt sheets.”

“Just making a joke.” You wish you hadn’t brought this up because now you have to try to cram it back into its hiding space in your brain. And you have to suppress the fact that you’re actually kind of angry.

He watches you, trying to gage your state of mind. “Shouldn’t listen to idle gossip.”

That hits like a slap across the face.

“It’s not gossip, David. You did an interview with Wrestling Observer. If people are speculating or have questions, it’s because of what you said yourself.”

“It’s just talking. I didn’t confirm anything.”

He seems a little proud of this, like he’s very clever for getting people talking about what they don’t know. He doesn’t seem to have an issue with the fact that you’re one of those people.

“It’s all there, though,” you murmur. “Talking about how much you want to work in the States, that you want to try somewhere new, that you’re moving to Florida. You’re going to NXT, right?”

He shrugs and avoids your eyes.

“Were you ever going to tell me about any of this or did you figure I’d be able to piece together where you’d gone from news clippings and Reddit posts?”

“Of course I was going to talk to you. Nothing’s final yet.”

“So you were waiting until you bought a house in Florida and signed a contract with another company? Then what? You’d wake me up one morning and just say ‘bye babe, I’ll be living in another state from now on?’”

“The opportunity came up. This,” he gestures to the two of you, “is still really new. I didn’t want to introduce all these complications.”

“David, I’m not some girl you picked up in a bar. We’ve known each other for years. You’ve talked to me before about your contract renewals. Seems like you could have told me something.”

“I was going to tell you something. When I had a better idea of what I wanted to do.”

“You told a journalist, a ‘dirt sheet’ in your own words, that you’re in the process of moving to Florida. That seems like you have a pretty clear idea.”

“Ok, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out. You don’t even read that stuff normally.”

“You’re aware people are talking about this on social media, right?”

He grunts but doesn’t say anything more. It’s infuriating. He looks resentful that he has to explain himself, like he didn’t think this was going to be an issue for you. Finally, he meets your eyes, guilt very clearly evident now.

“I don’t know why I didn’t say anything. I’m an idiot, I could have figured out that you’d see something, or that someone would tell you.”

“It is my job to know stuff like this, all other considerations aside.”

“Believe me, I did not want you getting this from some random dweeb on Twitter.”

“I wish it had been a random dweeb on Twitter.”

He looks surprised and then it’s like part of him collapses when he realizes what you mean.

“Got up this morning to a one line text and a link to the article from our old pal. You know, making sure I’m not out of the loop.”

“Asshole.”

“In this case no. Somehow, you managed to cede the high moral ground to a man whose morals are generally nonexistent.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Well, this is hardly the ideal moment to have this conversation, but I want to know if and how you see me fitting into this new life you’re going to have.”

He shrugs a little. “How do you want to fit in?”

The realization hits you hard. “You don’t think this is going to last, do you? You didn’t think I was serious.”

“Wanting is a lot easier than having.”

“Maybe for you.”

“No, that’s not what I meant, it’s just that I… You’re right. I didn’t think I needed to consider you. It wasn’t part of my decision-making process.”

“You’ve been setting this up for weeks. All this has come together at the same time you’ve been with me almost every day. If I wasn’t part of your process, that was the decision right there.”

The two of you stare each other down but there seems to be nothing left to say.

Eventually, you rise to your feet and stammer, “I’m just going to… I need to take a walk or something.”

You wander around the place, watching the crew rushing to pack up. Eventually, you find yourself outside, where the ring still stands, bathed in the glow of the safety lights. It seems forlorn in front of the empty seats but there is still a kind of magic about it. That’s what draws people to this business, you suppose, the feeling of magic.

Since no one else is around, you climb up and through the ropes, kicking off your shoes. You’ve been in one before, but always just to set it up or break it down. You’ve never had an in-ring moment. And there’s a reason for that, which is that you can barely wrestle your way out of your winter coat. But as long as you’re here and you need to do something to take your mind off the sensation that your chest is about to rip.

You run, or jog, from one side to the other, bouncing off the ropes as you do, the way you’ve watched dozens of men doing for years. Although you know the “ropes” are actually steel cables with a plastic coating and you’ve handled them before, it surprises you how much it hurts when you hit them too hard. It’s not the worst pain you have right now.

You pick up speed a little and then practice letting yourself “bump”, a fancy way of saying fall flat on your back. Each time, you knock the wind out of yourself a little but you get right back up and continue your running. Finally, you have enough momentum that you’re able to just roll yourself into a somersault, and sure, it’s not the most perfectly executed thing, but you keep your body straight and you pop right back up. Just like a pro.

“Ta-da!” you say to yourself.

That’s when the tears come. It’s not falling to pieces, but the stew of emotions inside you just starts to leak out. What the hell do you do now?

There are some footsteps behind you, echoing a little in the empty arena, and you see a man’s approaching shadow loom behind you, pushing his long hair back from his face as he crouches down. So you’re not startled when a thick pair of arms wraps around you and you feel his face pressed against your neck.

“Come home.”

You give an unhappy laugh. “Home is kind of a weird concept right now, Jay.”

“You’re always home for me. I guess I was hoping you felt the same way.”

You snap your head to look at him, pulling back enough so that you can focus on his eyes. In all the time you’ve known him, you don’t think he’s ever looked as calm as he does in this moment.

“Congratulations on your win.”

“Yeah, I get to be a target for a while longer.”

“Stop pretending you don’t love it.”

“Sure, I love it. It’s nice. There are other things I love more.” He runs his fingers over your cheeks, cleaning away the remains of your tears. “I’m sorry about sending you that story earlier.”

“All the shit you’ve pulled over the years and that’s the thing you apologize for?”

“Oh I meant I’m sorry that I had to be the one to send it. I don’t want you to shoot the messenger or anything.”

“If I haven’t shot you by now, I think you’re safe.”

He laughs and pulls you back against his chest, kissing down your cheek and neck. Then he stands, pulling you right up with him and letting his lips trail over the crown of your head.

“Come on.” he whispers, taking your hand.

“Wait, I need my shoes.”

You dart over to pick them up and he’s right there to help you into them and to lead you through the ropes and down the stairs. That’s when he plants his lips on yours, firmly, so that you can feel it in your knees.

“I need to go get my suitcase inside.”

“Do you always carry everything with you wherever you go?”

“I’m headed straight to the airport from here. Catching a red eye back.”

“Skip it. Leave tomorrow.”

“Just like that?”

“Sure. I have a really nice room.”

“I know you do, I booked it.”

“Always taking care of me, aren’t you?”

“Oh wow, he noticed.���

He kisses you again, a little longer, digging his fingers into your back, and your body melts against him of its own volition.

“I’m not coming back if everything is just going to go back to the way it was, Jay.”

“I didn’t come running after you because you’re good at managing my schedule.”

You give him a sceptical look but you can't entirely keep from smiling.

“Look at me,” he grins, “I’m a god. Any woman would want me and you have me. You should feel like you won the lottery.”

“Yeah,” you drawl, letting him wrap an arm around you as you walk away together, “I won.”

[lethargical-lily]

Poly!God Of Pain’s Groom Comic

I know Khoal sucks but I honestly liked them all so much that I kinda just wished they would all be happy together (yes this includes Kaveri). This is sort of ooc and an au but I need this leave me alone

you should also probably read the comic or this won’t make any sense srry

In this AU the servant of Khoal is not River’s ancestor, it’s his previous life

River had a crush on his master Khoal but as a servant dared not to say anything

As a servant he got to know a bit about Kaveri which also led him to developing a crush

Kaveri and him became very close friends eventually

When Kaveri and Khoal got together, Kaveri came clean about his crush on the servant

Khoal was like “Shit me too😳” so they bonded over this but their life was ended before they ever acted on it

River was fully aware of their relationship but when he was walking in to give something to Khoal that he asked for, another servant saw through the door and saw Kaveri and Khoal doing the dirty

This caused a ruckus and the whole torture and death thing played out essentially the same but River was forced to undergo that as well as they felt he was guilty by keeping this secret

Once reincarnated, the beginning of the story plays out essentially the same except Khoal has more fondness for River due to their history (which River does not know about at this point in time)

Larry is still a male reproductive organ to River but Khoal doesn’t let it slide as much because this is his reincarnated crush

Khoal does try to stop Larry when she nearly attacks River but Heil is faster

Thus he is introduced to Kaveri (again)

Kaveri still has his memories with River but for him this is like meeting Kaveri for the first time

Tbh I like them becoming besties all over again

They just joke abt their connection to Khoal and their relationship with each other

They have fun times

Ofc River is also falling for Heil as usual but Heil used to have a thing for Khoal and has a specific fondness for Kaveri he can’t quite place while having a new crush on River

Kaveri reciprocates Heil’s feelings but he doesn’t know that

Basically everyone has a crush on each other and the only one who is completely unaware of anyone’s feelings towards him is River

Skipping forward Larry is unfortunately successful in ending River’s life but not without Khoal seriously attempting for that to not happen

Khoal is very depressed after this and hates Larry’s guts :)

River doesn’t become a river deity instead his soul passes on to the afterlife like normal and all his memories of his original life r backkkk!

He chooses to stay in the afterlife a little bit bc this is where his friends are

Kaveri and his relationship grow as well as his one with Heil

He’s now acknowledged his romantic feelings for the two of them but doesn’t act on them since he doesn’t feel they are reciprocated

Instead he sets up Heil and Kaveri since he knows of their feelings for one another which works out and they officially start dating

Not long into the relationship they both tell River about their feelings for him, he does the same and now they’re a throuple🥰

The god of the underworld and his two dead lovers how romantic

Khoal is aware all 3 of them are currently residing in the underworld (unaware of their relationship status) and has begged Heil to see them

Heil, under the impression he didn’t try to prevent River’s death, refuses every time

Eventually Khoal’s worry overpowers his common sense and he simply goes there himself which, if you’ve read the comic, is dangerous for him

Heil like “damn fine if u gonna be a female dog abt it” and finally bring Kaveri and River to Khoal’s estate

Heil confronts abt the whole “U let Larry kill River” thing

River is like “no sir he did not”

Heil felt like 🤡 fr

There’s a lot of just regular catching up that they did before being like “K how we gonna stop Larry?”

Heavy fast forward they defeat Larry, Heil finally has the power required to bring Kaveri and River back to life, Khoal tells them of all the feelings he’s had since the beginning of the story, River makes a pikachu face but then is like SAME

Kaveri, River, and Khoal kith

In the background of everything Khoal and Heil had some seggsual tension so they finally kith too

They’re all dating and live happily ever after

And if u ask “Where’s Hella?” Or whatever her name

Don’t

This was more of a rewrite of actual events than it was relationship head canons as planned but I’ll probably be writing that at some point

[andydrysdalerogers]

Sliding Into Home ~ It's A Ruff Life

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, S~M~U~T!!, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by me

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Not Just A Pretty Face

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

“Where are we going?” 

“Places.”  

“Frank!” 

“Mary!” 

“Abby, where are we going?” 

“Surprise.”  

“Scott!” 

“Same answer.”  

Mary crossed her arms. “I don’t like this.”  She huffed her indignation and stared out the window.  

“Can’t you just trust me Nugget?” Frank looked back at her through the mirror.  “You don’t even know if it is good or bad.”  

“If you’re not telling me, then it’s bad.” Mary’s eyes widen.  “Are you sending me away?” 

“What?!” All three adults gave her a look.  

“Why would you think that Nugget?” Abby asked.  The bruising on her face had almost disappeared, just a few lingering lines left.  She still had to be gentle with her ribs, but her wrist had been removed from the cast and now just in a brace.  

“Because you’re not telling me where we are going or what we are doing.” Mary’s eyes glassed over. “Am I in trouble?” 

Frank calmly pulled over onto the side of the street and climbed out.  He opened Mary’s door and crouched down to her. “Mary, why are you thinking that?” She shrugged. “Mary, you have to be the most loved little girl in the whole world.” He undid her seatbelt so he could hold her close. “This is just a surprise. I won’t let anyone hurt you or take you away from us, ok?” 

Mary looked at him as two tears fell. “Promise?” 

“I promise Nugget. I love you, ok?” 

“Love you too Frank.”  She hugged his harder. “I wish you were my real dad,” she whispered against his chest. Frank’s heart clenched and he hugged her a little tighter. He couldn’t respond. When he felt her calm down, he pulled back.  

“Ready to trust me?”  She nodded and climbed back into her seat. Frank closed her door and took a moment.  Scott and Abby hadn’t heard Mary and he wasn’t going to bring attention to it. He wanted to be her father but feared that Mary would resent him at taking away her chance to find her real father.  But if what Diane had said was true, Mary’s father needed to stay far away from them.  He walked back to the driver's side and climbed in.  

“Everything all right, love?” Abby studied her husband.  Five years apart and she could still read him.  She could tell something upset him but he wasn’t distraught, so it wasn’t anything bad.  

“I’m alright Cricket,” he flashed her a smile.  “I’m just happy.” He put the car back into drive and took off.  

Arriving at their destination, Mary jumped out of the car.  “We’re at the animal shelter?!?” 

“Yep,” Frank said.  He offered his hand, and she took it. “I thought we would volunteer today.”  He walked them to the front.  “Hi, I’m Frank Adler and this is my family. Director Barnes is expecting us.”  

The receptionist batted her eyelashes, much to Abby’s annoyance, but she remained silent.  “Right this way, Mr. Adler,” the receptionist said, with a rather breathy tone.  

They followed the woman and opened the door to see a man seated at a desk, a large golden Labrador at his feet. Mary squealed when she saw the dog.  “Can I pet him?” 

Director Barnes smiled. “Of course, he’s very friendly. He’s name is Winter.” He watched the little girl bend down to pet his dog.  “You must be Mr. Adler.” He offered his hand. “I’m James Barnes.”  

He shook his hand. “Please call me Frank.  This is my wife Abby and my best friend Scott. The troublemaker on the floor is Mary.”  

Abby caught the eye of the receptionist, who was frowning at the introduction of Abby as Frank’s wife and Abby smirked a little.  Back off bitch, she thought as the receptionist retreated back to the front.  She turned back just as the director was offering his hand to her.  “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barnes,” she said.  

“Likewise, but please call me James.” After shaking hands with Scott, Director Barnes moved to the door. “Well, I know we talked about volunteering so follow me.  Its playtime for the dogs so you will be helping with that.” He guided the group to a large outdoor area.  “So, the rules are simple: toss, tug or run with the dogs.  They should all be friendly, but they might nip since we currently have a lot of younger dogs who are still learning.  If you need help, I’ll be back in about twenty, but our staff will be in the yard with you.  Have fun.”  

Mary let out another squeal of delight as a horde of dogs, some puppies, some older, raced into the yard.  They attacked the group with jumps and licks as they battled for attention.  Frank sat down and was ran over with puppies, his laughs loud as he was attacked.  Mary ran around as a group followed her.  Abby and Scott were like Frank, sitting on the floor, playing.  

They spent an hour playing with the dogs before helping the staff with feeding time.  But one puppy in particular followed Mary around any time she moved.  When Mary sat, the puppy climbed into her lap and stayed there, even when she was petting another dog. Frank went up to the director.  “What kind of dog is that?”  

“It’s a golden retriever.” The director smiled. “That one is very attached to your daughter.”  

Frank opened his mouth to correct him but decided to let it go. “Is it up for adoption?” 

“He is.” James checked his tablet.  “He’s the last of a litter that came in a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, the mother died but a couple of good Samaritans saw the puppies and brought them in.  He was the runt, but he grew once he got some attention.  Funny enough, the staff named him Dodger, because he would dodge them when they tried to treat him.”  

All of the dogs were eating but the little guy wouldn’t budge from Mary’s lap. Mary decided to hand feed him and he ate his kibble right there. Frank crouched next to them. “You like him, Mary?” 

“He’s so fluffy.” Mary bent her head so her cheek could be against his fur. “He’s a cuddler.”  

“Would you like to take him home?” Frank smiled as Mary’s head whipped around to look at him.  

“Seriously?” 

“Seriously.”  

“I can take him home? Like for forever?“ Mary’s eyes began to glass over again, this time with happy tears.  

“Yeah, Nugget, for forever. But you have to promise to help take care of him. Walks, clean up, baths, everything.  Like you said, you’re nine now. Practically a grown up.” Frank scratched the puppy under his chin and received a few kisses in returned. “We got a deal?” He held out his hand.  

“Deal!”  Mary picked up the puppy in her arms and dove into Frank’s for a hug. Dodger was in between and squirmed to get free, licking both of faces.  Mary pulled away to show off her new puppy to Abby and Scott.  Frank stood up with a smile.  

“Ready for the paperwork?” James clapped Frank’s shoulder.  

“Let’s do it.  

A few days later and Frank was waiting on his family to get to the car to take them to the airport. “Let’s go!”  

“But what about Dodger? I can’t leave him here,” Mary said tearily.  

“Mary, he’s going with us,” Abby said. “Its why Frank got us a private flight.” She hugged her niece. “He’s still too little to stay home and we’re not about to leave anyone behind for this All Star game.”  Abby stood up. “Two minutes Frankie!” She ran back up the stairs. 

Mary smiled.  “Ok! Then I need to get his bag together.”  

Frank tilted his head in the air. “For the love of God, can we please get moving!” 

“Stressed, Frankie Boy?” 

Frank looked out the door to see Johnny and his sister smiling at him. “Hey guys, welcome to casa Chaos.” 

Dodger chooses that moment to make an appearance at Frank’s feet. “Oh my god, look at that precious little bean,” Sue squeals as she bends to pet him.  

“Dodger!” Mary comes screaming out of the hallway with the dog’s bag.  “Have you... Johnny!” 

“Hey Strawberry! Oof!” He catches Mary as she launches herself at him. Johnny adjust her in his arms. “Now, who were you calling for?” 

“My puppy!” She pointed down to where Sue and Dodger are on the floor.  “He’s coming with us since he’s still a baby.”  

"Nice. I like the name too!” Johnny put her down and looks back at Frank.  “I thought we had to leave at 1?” 

“We do, but try telling my wife, niece and best friend that.”  

“I’m here,” Scott said breathlessly.  “Ha! I beat Abby out!” 

“Not fair, I had to pack for three!” Abby yelled from upstairs.  

“I packed myself!” Frank yelled.  

“And who packed our niece?!” 

“Fuck,” he muttered, admitting defeat.  

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar,” Mary sings.  

“It’s a quarter,” Frank retorts.  

“Abby said for the f-word it’s a dollar so maybe you will learn not to use it so much,” she sassed back.  She grabbed the dog’s bag and the leash, clipping it on before taking Dodger down to the SUV that was taking them to the airport.  

“Abigail Cecilia Hernandez-Adler!” Frank yelled up the stairs.  “Let’s go!” 

“Did you just government name me?” 

“Yes and you just cost me a dollar to the swear jar with your stupid rule change so get your ass down here now!” 

“I need help with the bags Franklin!” 

“Fuck my life.”  He turned to move and pointed as his friends.  “Anyone tell Mary I said that, I will make you fly commercial home.”  

Arriving in Boston later that night, Frank carried a sleeping Mary down the steps to the waiting SUVs. He stopped mid staircase and smiled.  “Cricket, we have surprise weloming party.”  

“What do you mean by...” Abby stopped.  “Papi, mami!” She raced down the stairs and into the arms of her father.  

“Mi hija (my daughter),” William Hernandez said as he cradled his youngest child. “Welcome home!” 

“I missed you papi,” Abby cried as she held onto her dad before letting go and hugging her mother Ana. “Oh Mami.”  

“Mi bebita (my baby), you look so much better now.” Ana cradled her daughter’s face. “I’m sorry we couldn’t make it out to you.”  

“Its ok Mami. I had a good husband who took care of me.” She smiled before looking at Frank.  

“Mr and Mrs Hernandez,” he said. He shifted Mary to offer his hand but Ana pulled him in.  

“Stop it Frank. Its either William and Ana or Dad and Mom, mi hijo (my son).” She hugged him the best she could with Mary in his arms.  Frank shakes William’s hand before moving to put Mary in the car.  “She is getting bigger every time I see her.”  

“I know, she’s growing like a weed,” Abby giggles.  She sees movement in the corner of her eye.  “Oh! Mami, Papi, let me introduce you to Johnny Storm and his sister Susan and of course you know Scott.”  Handshakes around until Ana notices the fur ball on the floor.  “And that is our newest addition, Dodger.”  

“Que Lindo!” Ana scoops him up into her arms. “Are you staying at the hotel?” 

“Just for the two days of All Star stuff,” Frank said, “we’ll be at the house for the two days before and after.”  

“Perfect, then tomorrow dinner is at our house,” Ana said. “The whole family is in town to watch you, mi hijo. Johnny, Sue, of course you are welcome to join us.” The siblings nodded.  

Abby covered her mouth to squeal, not wanting to wake Mary. “My brothers?” 

“Everyone, bebita. We’re gonna head home and let you get our Mary to bed.  We’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“Of course Ana,” Frank said. “Mary’s been blabbering to see her abuleos (grandparents).”  

Abby’s parents waved as they walked to the car and everyone piled into the cars. “Are you sure its cool that we crash with you guys?” Johnny asked.  

“Of course,” Abby said.  “I would love to show you both around our hometown.” Abby smiled but inside she was nervous.  She hadn’t been back to this house since she had left almost six years prior. Her leg bounced and she clenched her fingers. Frank reached over and gently pulled her fingers apart.  

“Talk to me Cricket.”  

Abby’s lip wobbled a little.  “Haven’t been back to this house since...” 

Frank smiled softly. “I understand.” He kissed her hand. “It’ll be ok.”  

Pulling up to the house that she and Frank had started, Abby was thrown back to the day they bought it.  

Eight Years Earlier 

Abby stared at the house. “It’s big.”  

“Yep.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“We need the room, Cricket.”  

“No, we don’t.”  

“Yes, we do.”  

“Why?” 

“For our babies.” Frank smiled down at his girl. “We’ll have babies some day and I want this to be our forever home. Mary will be a big sister to them one day.”  

She smiled softly. “Promise?” 

“Promise. This will be our next adventure.” 

Abby walked through the door and it was as if time stood still. Their carefully chosen furniture, artwork, even some of the photographs were exactly as she left them. Her breath hitched with emotion.  

Frank let her have the moment. “I’m just going to put her down,” he said softly, kissing her shoulder. “Scott is showing Johnny and Sue to the guest rooms. I had the service open the rooms. Take your time, Cricket.”  

Abby walked the room and touched everything, needed to feel to make it real. This home that they had built themselves, made theirs and she just walked out, leaving it behind. She walked to the shelves and saw all the pictures of Mary growing up but one was in the back that caught her attention.  She picked it up and stared at it.  It was of her and Frank, at the Red Sox benefit, the first year he was with the team.  

“I couldn’t get rid of it.” Frank leaned in the doorway. “You looked so beautiful that night. It was...” 

“I remember.” Abby smiled. It was the first time they made love. She blinked to focus her eyes. “Frankie, I’m sorry.”  

Frank walked to her and lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her back to their bedroom and placed her on her feet by the bed. Cupping her face, Frank stared into her deep brown eyes, eyes that had always captivated and made him feel like he could lose himself. He didn’t know what to say, so he bent forward and captured her lips with his. Abby wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.  

“Help me,” he rasped. “Help me erase all of the bad memories from this house, Cricket.”  

“Yes,” she whispered. Frank smiled against her lips and lifted her up again so he could lay her on the bed and stay on top of her. He gripped the back of her head to hold her in place as he placed open mouth kisses along her chin and neck.  She let out a low moan.  

“Quiet, baby. We have company.”  

“I can’t Frankie,” she groaned. “You feel so good on top of me.”  

Frank was holding himself off of her slightly, conscious of her ribs. “I’m not hurting you, right?” 

“No.”  

“Good.” He rolled his hips against her pelvis, and she arched, the feeling of his rock hard member against her heated core. As she exposed her neck, he took to the opportunity to nibble and lick down her chest.  

“I need you,” she moaned, trying to keep her voice down.  

“You have me. You’ve always had me, my love. My Cricket. My Abby.”  

They helped each other remove their clothes, Frank taking every opportunity to kiss Abby’s skin, remarking her as his. Abby couldn’t stop touching him, her feather-like touches sending bolts of lighting through his body.  He hadn’t touched her since the assault. He had been afraid to, scared to put her in more pain. But now, here in the home they made together, he was determined to put their relationship back to where it was before.  

Frank stared down at his love, her body open to him, miles of smooth, olive skin that had a slight tone of pink from her being heated. “Can I taste you?” 

“You don’t have to ask,” she said.  

“I won’t take from you anymore. Not after...” he stopped. “I’ll always ask Abigail. You’re my equal and I’ll protect you.  You’re mine.” Abby gasped at his words as Frank positions himself in front of her pussy.  “Am I yours?” 

“Mine,” she gasped as he licked from the bottom to the top. “Frankie,” she cried softly.  

Frank sucked and licked until he brought her to her first orgasm. “Fuck, you always taste amazing.  But I need to be inside you now.”  

“Yes, yes please,” she begged.  Frank flipped them to have her on top. “Why?”  

“I don’t want to hurt your ribs, baby.  Sink down on me.” He helped her lower himself onto him.  “Your pace Cricket. Take what you need.”  

She rocked back and forth as he held her hips to steady her. “Touch me,” she pleaded quietly. “I need you to touch me.”  

“Tell me where.” 

“My breasts,” she whined. “My clit, anywhere, Frankie. Just... ahh,” she cried as he took her breasts in his hands. He tweaks and pinched, watching as Abby’s head dropped back. He let his left hand wander down and his thumb pressed against her clit. He could see her about to wail so he clamped a hand over her mouth.  She looked down at him with wide eyes.  

“You have to be quiet,” he said with a smirk. He moved his hand away from her mouth and to her neck to pull her down to him.  He kissed her softly, distracting her when he pushed his hips up into her. He let go of her clit to pull her hips down on him. The action made his pelvis brush against her, giving her the stimulation to finish.  

“Frankie,” she mumbled against her lips.  

“Go,” he urged. “I’ve got you Cricket. I’ll catch you. Let go baby.”  

With a soft cry, she detonated around him, squeezing him as he helped her through, trying to reach his own end. After a couple of thrusts up, he released with his own groan in her ear, pumping her full.  

As he stopped, the only sounds that were made were from them catching their breath.  Frank held her close, staying inside of her, needing to feel the closeness.  “I love you, Cricket.” He kissed her head.  

“I love you too Frankie.” She smiled as she snuggled into him.  

“Welcome home Cricket. Its finally home again.”  

Next

A/N: The results are in and we finally meet Dodger! Also, I have no idea what's up with the taglist but hopeful doing it like this helps.

Taglist:

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@before-we-get-started

@tinkerbelle67

@jennmurawski13-writes

@bunnyforhim