#five has put himself in charge of getting funds for their futures
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Hufflepuff Five is so good! Are the Hargreeves lives as students as adventurous like the main crew from HP? What about the Ministry of Magic? Would they get involved if someone caught wind of the siblingâs powers that werenât just magic?
Their lives are SO wack honestly like, they just vibe. They just are going through their magical youth being absolute feral children who donât trust adults as far as they can throw them while trying to hide their weird funky powers and also ravenously going through magical feats like theyâre going out of style
Luther is every siblingâs go-to practice partner because apparently durability extends to being like? Slightly magic resistant? Basically if you hit Luther with a spell it will only be like, maybe half power? So the siblings use him as a magical shield half the time and an experiment the other half and Luther just Suffers Through This until it all goes wrong and he ends up as a werewolf, oops
(But at least Ben is alive! Honestly the only reason Luther wasnât straight up mauled to death was a combo of his durability, Benâs proficiency in healing magic, and Ben managing to befriend the acromantulas)
(Luther eventually gets a sense of humor about this after long years of working on accepting himself and constantly threatens to bite his siblings or makes comments about them looking extra tasty when they irritate him)
Allison is a quidditch star, super popular and athletic as all hell. She probably ends up being the Slytherin team captain, honestly. Allison is all glamor and charisma and in her later years of hogwarts has an absolute blast. Allison is very much functional passing so sheâs usually the front man to get the professors off their backs, but she also is the front man for a lot of the shit that the family sell for extra spending money. Five and Ben might make potions, but Allison rules the underground black market in slytherin with an iron fist (which gets them into shenanigans involving other kids who Owe Debts)
Diego is on the gryffindor quidditch team and so him and Allison are constantly at each otherâs throats on the pitch (Allison sometimes rumors him during matches when she gets within earshot which makes all of the siblings yell at him but she maintains that he gets to use his stupid powers to score points so she should get to as well). Diego gets roped into everything because heâs super soft. He starts a lot of fights because he has vigilante genes so he serves a lot of detentions. His house tolerates him losing them points because the man is a wizard with a quaffle
(Diego and Allison actually practice a lot together, which their respective teams are like HMMMM over but theyâre siblings and slytherin knows that Allison would never hesitate to knock Diego off his broom and wave cheerily as he falls to his death, and gryffindor is aware that Diego can, should, and must throw a ball directly at Allisonâs dumb face if she gets too close to him because of the Cain Instinct)
(Honestly Allison and Diego do a LOT for interhouse unity, showing that you can still be ride or die for each other while also wanting greatly to kill each other uwu)
Ben is too independent for his own good, which is what gets him into trouble. He likes gardening, and he likes herbs, and sometimes heâs just GOTTA go into the forbidden forest on a full moon to gather these very specific ingredients, câmon. He also just. Likes spending time in the forbidden forest. Heâs Hagridâs favorite student because he doesnât bat an eye at all the weird magical creatures, bc homeboy got an eldritch horror in his navel. Ben makes friends with the acromantulas (who have a healthy respect for him after the Horror ate a few of them), patiently avoids the centaurs, and bribes the pixies into giving him their shed wings through liberal application of jam stolen from the Hogwarts kitchens.Â
You know what Allison is functional passing and Ben is distinguished passing, all their teachers assume that Ben is the most put together of them but theyâre WRONG. They havenât seen Ben at two in the morning yanking Vanya out of ben because if they donât break into greenhouse four and help those poor fucking plants the first years are tending to theyâre all going to DIE and thatâs not fair??? ben is single handedly going to save all those poor plants (and all those first yearâs grades)
Vanya is just VIBING, he ends up coming out as trans in fourth year and gets to be roommates with Ben which is pretty sweet. If only Ben didnât drag him into shenanigans?? All the teachers are like âah yes Vanya, such a quiet boy not like his siblings at allâ but Vanya can will should and must climb onto the roof of the astronomy tower to play his violin because He Just Likes To Be Tall. Vanya once punched a snobby ravenclaw kid in the nose and then stared them down saying âthe teachers will never believe you.â
Vanya steals Luther to practice his powers with in unused classrooms the most?? heâs durable. heâll be fine if Vanya blasts him into a wall with his powers lol
Vanyaâs solution to all their problems is âdo you want me to blow it up with my powers?â or âdo you want me to kill them for you?âÂ
(All of the siblings now refuse to duel with Vanya except for Luther bc Vanya is RUTHLESS. He WILL murder his siblings (almost) given the chance. Theyâre all so lucky that Ben is so good at healing and carries extra vials of healing potions on his person otherwise Madame Pomfrey would be VERY CONCERNED)
Five and Klaus probably get into the most shenanigans? Klaus gets less and less afraid of ghosts the more he runs into nice ones like Fred Weasley. Fred also lovingly nurtures Klausâs absolutely terrible sense of humor and encourages him to prank the whole school. Klaus knows ALL the secret passageways thanks to Fred, a previous owner of the Maurauderâs map, so heâs just like. Constantly in the walls. He once dropped out of the ceiling to get to transfiguration in time and nobody even commented on it because Klaus is just Like That.
(A few people see Klausâs boney elbows and knobbley knees and thinks heâs a good target for bullying just because heâs a slytherin and interhouse awfulness absolutely it at an all time high so recently after the war. YEAH his siblings step in and put the fear of god into any bullies, but Klaus fights like a cornered raccoon.)
Five is just way too smart and curious for his own good. He likes to poke around, figure things out, and also make money. Five does peopleâs homework, charges them for potions or rune work, tutors, dismantles shit in the chamber of secrets, ALSO explores the secret passageways (and finds some that werenât on the map), is lovingly bullied into Friendship Activities with his housemates, breaks into the other housesâs common rooms for funsies, and keeps getting fed by the house elves who found out he can âapparateâ like them (without a wand) and have apparently adopted him against his will
Five is the sibling who has his fingers in like. ALL the pies. and just constantly pops up and drags them into things. Five will be helping Klaus with potions homework then glance up and tell Diego heâs cashing in the favor heâs owed for carving runes into Diegoâs knives and that Diego now gets to break into Douglas Eddingtonâs room to steal back Lana Delwichâs diary so that Five can trade it to Lana for her rare Solomon Babik chocolate frog card which Five can give to Barnaby Beeson in exchange for a Large Distraction of Fiveâs Choice and a sketchy book on ward breaking which Five needs so he can break into the headmasterâs office to get a confiscated dark magic book that has some information Five needs to alter a potion that heâs probably going to make Luther drink later
Five is the sibling who is like âUgh, I thought I was trading for some nundu ingredients but now i have a Whole Baby Nundu in the basement :/â
Which, of course, Klaus wants to keep despite the poison breath.
âThis is literally one of the most dangerous magical creatures, we are not keeping it.â Luther says, unimpressed. However, he definitely has it cradled in his arms and makes kissy faces at it when he thinks no one is looking. (Apparently baby toxic nundu breath only makes Luther sneeze, so thereâs that?)
âIf you guys are arrested for smuggling I am not bailing you out.â Is Allisonâs only decree about the matter.
Honestly I wouldnât be shocked if someone DID eventually find out about one of the siblingsâ powers - however, they would come to entirely the wrong conclusion about them?? Because this is a world of MAGIC and so everything magical has to have a magical explanation, right???
Luther is durable as all fuck???? Uhhhhh maybe he has some like. Troll blood or giant blood something back in his family line, obviously not something he would ever want the world to know about bc of species-ism
Allison can make you do whatever you want with her words????? Maybe sheâs part veela? With that charm appeal?
Five is doing. Wandless apparation?? I mean, thatâs rare as FUCK but wandless magic is,,, grudgingly accepted though itâs usually only used for small or very familiar spells and not usually something as complex as apparation but OKAY just sit him down and forbid him from doing it anymore bc boy boutta be SPLICED or some shit
Klaus can. Klaus can talk to ghosts. Who are not full ghosts. Hmm. huh. Maybe itâs?? A family ability??? a super rare one? like being a metamorphagus? (What the fuck??????? what the FUCK???????)
Primarily the kids started off paranoid because they believed that their abilities indicated that they werenât the same type of magic, and they didnât want to be returned to their father, and then it progressed into âthese abilities might make people scared of us (looking at you allison, with your imperius-ass abilites)â or âwe canât afford that kind of scrutiny or curiosity about our powers (they might find out luther is a werewolf or something idk)â and âif we are âdesirableâ children with ârare abilitiesâ the government might try to split us up and adopt us into weird pureblood families or something OR might try to lock us up (like where would they even put Ben??)â
honestly if ben ever got found out heâd just deadpan âitâs a curse, hand me the black wormroot would you?â and be like âoh yeah itâs under control i just go vibe in the woods every so often and rip up a tree or something. I think the horror wants to be the whomping willow when it grows up actually, so just donât get too close when iâm in the horror zone. if you can live with a murder tree on campus you can live with me on campusâ
someone sees vanya fuck something up with his powers and is like ???? and Vanya is just like âaccidental magic lolâÂ
âarenât you... a bit... old for accidental magic...â
âaccidental. magic.â
#hogwarts au#they get into so many shenanigans op you have no idea#honestly they probably get a lot looser with publically using their powers#except for allison#she keeps a lock on that shit bc it's an azkaban sentence for using imperius babie#also yes vanya is trans in the hogwarts au now sorry i don't make the rules#congrats elliot page for coming out#i'll probably vary between my aus what is going on with vanya but hogwarts au vanya is trans#he shares a room with ben and gets dragged along to help ben break into greenhouses#five has put himself in charge of getting funds for their futures#because they might survive on the hogwarts orphan fund right now but what about AFTER diego#allison is going to become a famous quidditch player so she doesn't care#but the REST of them???#allison is a jock and you can pry that from my cold dead hands#they have less 'take down the government' school shenanigans#more 'magical school that can kill you' type things#and also whatever shady shit five has gotten into#the slytherins have given up keeping five out of their common room#someone: what have you got there?#ben with the horror out gesturing with a tentacle: a smoothie#luther about being a werewolf: i'm a MONSTER#five: and WHERE was this attitude when you ate my last jar of marshmallow fluff?#the siblings are all just. immune to bullshit now honestly#long post#far tua long#Anonymous
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Hockey Fic Exchange: Second Chance in Chicago
This is for the @hockeynetworkâ winter gift exchange. I was matched with my friend, @texanstarsloveâ and it was relatively easy to give her what she wanted.Â
Title: Second Chance in Chicago
Player: Jonathan Toews
Genre: Angst, smut
Word count: 6410 words
 March 2007
âWouldja look at that? Thereâs the future NHL star, looking like the dork he is.â
Lizzie stuck out her tongue as Rachel announced the presence of the asshole himself, Jonathan Toews. They were all sophomores at UND but he had gotten drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Hockey ruled UND so the team already had a high profile. But this yearâs team looked like it would do some damage in the tournament so all eyes were really on them.
Tonight, Lizzie and her friends had decided to go to a frat party at the Beta house. It was a cold early March Thursday night but she had been in the mood to party. Unfortunately, the party had been invaded by the hockey team.
Jonathan grinned, his deep brown eyes sparkling like he had already pregamed. âHey ladies,â he greeted before grabbing Lizzie and giving her a hug.
âEw!â
Lizzie pushed Jonathan away. He definitely had pregamed, he smelled like good old Vladimir vodka. He was going to have a fucking hangover tomorrow.
Jonathan pouted. âI thought we were friends, Lizzie,â he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Lizzie again
âWhen did you think that?â
Rachel and Bethany snickered. It was a bit of a running joke, this animosity between Lizzie and Tazer. No one quite knew how it really started except it had been a freshman year hook up that ended bad. At least, that was the rumor. Ever since, Lizzie couldnât stand Jonathan and Jonathan did every thing possible to needle her.
Lizzie flipped her hair over her shoulder before elbowing Jonathan in the ribs. Giving him an angelic smile, she ordered, âDonât touch me.â
Being the drunken asshole he was at the moment, Jonathan leaned down and murmured in her ear, âYou didnât say that last weekend.â
âUgh!â
Lizzie pushed Jonathan away before stomping towards the keg. Jonathan shrugged as TJ and some of the other hockey players came in. She was able to avoid him for the rest of the night and even flirted with a couple of junior guys she hadnât met. Of course, as soon as she went to get a breather from the hot party, Jonathan was already outside.
Shivering, Lizzie huddled close to the door, planning to ignore Toews. There had been a snowstorm the other day and there was a good ten inches of snow on the ground. Â
âSupposed to snow again tomorrow.â
Lizzie let out a loud sigh. Of course, he couldnât respect her silent plea to be left alone. âThis is North Dakota. Itâs always snowing.â
Turning to her left, Lizzie looked at Jonathan. For once, he didnât have his cocky, self-assured, âIâm the one in complete chargeâ look on his face. He looked slightly pensive and a bit unsure. âHere, have my hoodie.â
âI donât-,â Lizzie started to say but she relented as Jonathan put his hoodie over her head, pulling it down. She was cold as fuck, shivering in just a short-sleeved shirt and her jeans. âThank you,â she murmured.
âYouâre welcome.â
They stood there for several moments, breath turning into puffs of icicles before Jonathan finally broke the ice. âRidley, really?â
âOh, you know him?â Lizzie tensed, UND wasnât as big as other schools but she could at least have found someone that Jonathan didnât already know. But then, hockey ruled here and he knew more people than her so yeah, just her fucking luck.
âHeâs cool.â Jonathan shrugged, suddenly feeling nervous as fuck. It really wasnât his area to talk, he didnât really want to be a cock-block, but fuck it. âHeâs not an asshole or anything. But we both know thatâs not who you really want.â
âOh really? Who told you what I really want?â
He hadnât really planned to do it now; Jonathan had planned to go for it next month. But he already had told coach and his teammates that he was going pro after this season, so he might as well do it. âWe have unfinished business, Elizabeth.â
Lizzie froze at Jonathanâs use of her full name. Â He was the only one here at UND who ever used her full name. It brought back memories, those first weeks of spring semester of freshman year. Memories of doing things that would have had Momma reaching for her rosary and Papa yanking her out of UND to go into a convent. She bit out, âNo, we donât.â
âSo, thatâs why you called me last Saturday, asking me to come over after the game?â
Lizzie rolled her eyes. âI was drunk,â she very primly replied, staring at her nails. She thought to herself, âI need a manicure.â
âThen last weekend, you came over and you definitely werenât drunk.â
Lizzie shrugged, pretending she didnât hear what Jonathan said. She didnât want to admit the truth; Jonathan made her nervous. She was 19 and every time she was with him, she felt like this could be something that could be forever. But Lizzie had plans; she was planning to go east for law school, get out of North Dakota forever. This wasnât the time to even think of settling down with anyone, especially not with Jonathan since he was going pro. Even though, her traitorous pussy reminded her, Jonathan made her cum better than anyone else and wasnât scared to choke, bite, or spank her unlike other guys.
Jonathan growled, of course Lizzie would be acting obtuse. He wasnât looking to settle down or anything serious, he was just about to turn 19 and about to go to Chicago in five and a half months to start his pro career. Jonathan did really like Lizzie a lot and wouldnât be against putting a label on what was going on. Then, Lizzie got cold feet last year and had been stringing him along for over a year. It would be nice if Lizzie actually admitted that they had something going instead of being nasty to his face but fucking with him late at night.
âOkay, since you donât want to face reality, Iâm just going to say it. Itâs not fair that you like to treat me like shit in public but you want me to fuck you when no one is looking.â
Lizzie opened her mouth before closing it. From the tone of voice that Jonathan had used, it sounded harsh. Like she was using him like a whore. But Jonathan wasnât done.
âDonât worry about my hoodie, Iâll get it before I leave.â
Jonathan turned around and went back inside of the party. Lizzie stayed outside for several more minutes, pensive. Then she harrumphed and rejoined the party, resolute that she was going to ignore Jonathan once she gave him his hoodie back.
**
Twelve years later
Lizzie brushed her ginger hair over her shoulder. It was weird to be ginger for the first time since she was fifteen. The past years, she had been a very faithful blonde but it was time to do something very different.
âNot bad for a rancherâs daughter.â
Lizzie twirled in her full-length mirror, admiring the way the navy-blue dress fit her body, accessorized with her diamond hoop earrings, tennis bracelet, class ring, and the brand-new patent leather heels she had managed to score on clearance at Neiman Marcus. Very much the uniform of an intellectual property litigator who had just made partner, not the yee-haw who had went to UND. But right now, as she thought about tonight, Lizzie felt like the yee-haw she tried to suppress.
Tonight, there was a fundraising cocktail hour for her firm, Bradley, Lewis, and Cooper. This would be the first one that Lizzie attended since she transferred to the Chicago office from Atlanta. She was good at gladhanding and charming people, attending Penn Law had sucked the yee-haw from Lizzieâs accent. Now, she was Elizabeth Romanelli, ready to make connections while raising funds for the Childrenâs Miracle Network.
Only fly in the ointment was that this fundraiser was being held at the United Center. Not only that, it was rumored that the firm was able to get a couple of players for the Blackhawks to appear. Bradley, Lewis, and Cooper did some work for the Blackhawks, mainly with local TV contracts and sponsorships. Lizzie took in a deep fortifying breath. âIt has been years,â she told herself. âThereâs no need to be nervous seeing Jon again.â
She turned around and grabbed her coat. It was mid fall but the temperature dropped enough at night that Lizzie wanted to wear her coat just in case. Before she left, she looked at her left ring finger. Taking a deep breath, she slid her old wedding ring off her finger. It was a new start, time to act like it.
**
The fundraiser went pretty well, in Lizzieâs eyes. It was her first firm social event in Chicago so most of it was spent shaking hands, exchanging business cards, and talking some shop. There were a couple of Blackhawks players there, none of that Lizzie recognized. She admitted several times while in conversation, that she was more of a college hockey than pro hockey fan.
Then, the one person she was hoping wouldnât show up, showed up. Lizzie worked hard not to check Jonathan out but he had the kind of presence that commanded attention. His hair was cut short and the once lanky frame had filled out completely. Lizzie smirked when she saw one of her fellow attendees lick her lips but she couldnât blame her. Jonathan looked delicious in a black suit with a pristine white shirt, no tie. He looked like casual, dominant elegance in a hockey player package as he made his rounds the room.
âYouâre lucky that your department doesnât work with the Blackhawks on anything,â said the woman who licked her lips. Lizzie looked down and looked at her name tag, it said âEliseâ.
âOh why?â
Lizzie took a sip of her pinot grigio, waiting for a reply. Elise didnât disappoint as she whispered, âHeâs single and my law school loans say he would be perfect for them.â
She couldnât resist laughing at that statement; Lizzie totally understood where Elise was coming from. But as soon as her laughter faded, there was Jonathan Toews, right in front of them. Elise looked up at him, obviously starstruck. Lizzie put her best courtroom face as she stuck out her hand. âHello, Iâm Elizabeth Romanelli. You are?â
Jonathan blinked when Lizzie introduced herself as Elizabeth Romanelli. She was Lizzie MacArthur in the flesh, all these years later. Grasping her hand, Jonathan said, âJonathan Toews, but you know who I am.â
Jonathan kept his best PR smile on his face as he processed his thoughts. This was Lizzie, the only one who got away. She was a redhead now, not a blonde, but those green eyes were still the same. Deep green eyes that always brimmed with an intelligence that had made Jon feel like he was an idiot when they first met at UND.
âOh, how do you two know each other?â
Lizzie managed to keep her expression completely neutral while Jon reddened a bit. He dropped her hand as he said, âWe went to college together.â
âWhere was that,â Elise innocently asked and Lizzie wasnât sure if she was truly curious or if she was being a bit catty.
âI went to University of North Dakota with Mr. Toews for undergrad,â Lizzie said. âThen I did Penn Law.â
Elise replied, âOh. I remember reading that once.â
Lizzie refused to roll her eyes as Jon made small talk about the hockey season with Elise. Spotting a waiter, Elise raised her hand for another glass of wine. Tonight, was looking like it was about to be long. Before she could make her escape, Elise exclaimed, âOh, thereâs Mr. Schmidt, I need to talk to him! It was so nice to meet you and talk to you, Mr. Toews, Ms. Romanelli.â
Lizzie sighed as she scampered away, leaving her alone with Jonathan.
âLong time, no see,â Jonathan said, taking a sip of his water. Tomorrow was a game night and while he enjoyed drinking, he had no interest in doing anything that would keep him out of peak performance. But looking at Lizzie, he wished he had something stronger. The years had done her good; she looked curvier, stronger, hotter. He felt his pants tighten and Jonathan thought of his smelly hockey gear to deflate his hard on.
Lizzie stroked the curve of her new wine glass before replying, âI know. Wasnât necessarily planned.â
âRomanelli?â
âI was married,â Lizzieâs smile tightened.
Jonathan quickly replied, âIâm sorry. I didnât mean to ask anything that would make you feel- â
âItâs okay, letâs not go there, okay. Before you ask, Iâm a widow.â Lizzie looked down at her wine. It had been long enough that she knew she wouldnât break down but it was awkward to talk about it with her first college hookup/almost boyfriend. After all these years, Jonathan still had an affect on her. She felt a bit lightheaded but her once dormant libido had flared up as soon as they shook hands. It was as if her body had decided that someone worthy was nearby and it was time.
âIâm sorry,â Jonathan repeated, his voice low as he ran his fingers through his short hair. It was a bit overwhelming seeing Lizzie again but he was already damn sure that he needed to see her again. As they exchanged pleasantries, Jon moved on to another group at the fundraiser. But every now and then, he made sure to catch her in the crowd.
At the end of the night, he was finally able to get Lizzie alone, again. âNow that youâre in Chicago, why donât we go out? As old friends?â
Lizzie laughed as she waited for her coat. âWe werenât old friends and you know it.â
âBut who said that we canât be at least friends now?â
Jonathan gave Lizzie a big smile while she scoffed, âI can tell by the way youâve been looking at me all night that you arenât interested in being just friends.â
âHow was I looking at you?â
Jonathan leaned into Lizzie as he noticed that Seabs was nearby. While he loved Seabs as a brother, he didnât want him to have any idea of what he was planning, yet.
Lizzie batted her lashes at Jonathan before replying, âLike you never seen a woman before. I have to keep the conversation business casual but we both know what Iâd really like to say.â
âThen, you should let me have your phone number.â
âSmooth, Toews,â Lizzie commented. âVery smooth.â
âI try.â
Jonathan couldnât help himself; as Lizzie received her coat from the coat check, he helped her put it on.
âWow, I donât know if youâre actually a gentleman now or if youâre trying to get points,â Lizzie quipped.
Jonathan gave her an aw-shucks grin and a shrug. Despite her better judgment, Lizzie figured that it couldnât hurt. She didnât really know anyone yet in Chicago and it would be nice to talk to someone who she at least knew from college. But she didnât want to openly give it to Jonathan so she took the moment to turn and grab paper and a pen from a table. Writing her number and snap down, she slid it into Jonathanâs pocket.
âThere, now you can never say I never gave you anything.â
Lizzie turned and sauntered away. Jonathan fished through his pockets and grabbed the paper, grinning and laughing to himself.
**
Lizzie had to give Jonathan credit. He knew how to attempt to get a womanâs attention. The flowers were a nice touch; not too ostentatious and he was smart enough not to attach his name to them. But Lizzie knew exactly who they were from because there were exactly nineteen pink and nineteen white roses in Mondayâs bouquet. Yesterdayâs bouquet was a set of nineteen purple flowers that after she looked them up, Lizzie found out that they were purple columbine. Todayâs bouquet involved nineteen white camelias and nineteen red chrysanthemums.
âThis guy must really like you.â
Lizzie turned around to see Peter, her paralegal. He was pointing at the flowers, a pensive look on his face.
âReally? He just wants my attention.â Lizzie dismissively waved towards the flowers but inwardly, she was loving it.
Peter raised an eyebrow. âOkay, whatever you say. Anyway, I have five messages from the managing partners.â
âI already know what they want and I already reviewed the files and sent them to Kristin, Jacques, and Malik. They are working on the briefs for the arbitration and they should all be done by the end of the work day. I will prep my own opening argument myself for the hearing when we are done talking. You can quote everything I just said in your email,â Lizzie stated with a smile on her face. This was her first arbitration hearing at the Chicago office with her new associates working under her. But she knew it would go well.
âBut the flowers. Iâd look them up, Ms. Romanelli. Heâs sending you a message with each bouquet. Especially that first one with those kind of pink roses, maiden blush roses? Oh, heâs definitely telling you something.â
âYeah, yeah, whatever.â
Lizzie brushed Peter off, her mind already back on work. However, she messaged Jon later, I like jasmine, lily of the valley, the most.
The next day, there was a bouquet with yellow jasmine, lily of the valley, and red pink flowers, the number adding to 19 and a note, looking forward to seeing you tonight.
**
Lizzie was still a mystery and Jonathan was desperate to figure her out. This was their sixth date and every time he felt like he was getting closer to her, Lizzie pulled back. Jon understood but at the same time, he was getting annoyed. He was also horny as fuck and trying very hard not to let his cock dictate his actions.
Tonight, Lizzie wore a little black dress with strappy heels to dinner and all Jonathan could think of was having Lizzie wear those heels while he fucked her hard and fast. It took all his willpower to keep the conversation light during dinner as his traitorous brain filled with all kinds of dirty images. Now, they were having post dinner drinks at a place Kaner had suggested. It was very intimate, the kind of place for seduction. Unfortunately, Jonathan thought, there would probably be no seduction tonight as he stood on the wall with Lizzie.
âI intentionally wore these for you.â
Lizzie fluttered her eyelashes at Jonâs dumbfounded expression. She wasnât dumb; she knew exactly the kind of affect she had on men. Lizzie had to give Jonathan credit; he was doing a good job of not being a stupid hornball.
âI love them,â Jonathan drawled before taking a sip of his whiskey on the rocks. He told himself to be patient, as they continued to talk but after another half-hour talking about football, Jon finally broached the subject. âAre you seeing anyone?â
âAre you,â Lizzie countered. She went out on a couple of dates with a couple of different guys when the Blackhawks were out of town because, in her mind, she was still a free agent. Doing that actually made Lizzie feel more comfortable with going out with Jonathan. Not that the other dates were bad but Lizzie had to admit to herself that there was still something more with Jonathan.
âNo,â Jonathan admitted. His DMs were full on all social media so he could go out with anyone he wanted if he truly felt like it. But right now, he really was just interested in Lizzie.
âThatâs nice.â
Lizzie twirled the straw in her cocktail. Jonathan thought about what to say but ended up blurting out, âI still think about some of the things we did.â
âWoooooooow.â
Blushing, Lizzie bit her lip. Some of those memories had come back since she had seen Jonathan again. Some of those things that had seemed extra sinful at eighteen and nineteen were mainstream these days. Plus, Greg had tried but he didnât have that same aura that teenage Jonathan had. Adult Jonathan had that dominant aura in spades and it was tempting.
Lizzie added, âAnd?â
Jonathan moved closer to Lizzie, his big body bracketing hers, his monotone voice even deeper, âYou remember when I tied you up the first time?â
âThat wasâŠ. interesting,â Lizzie replied. She felt flushed, that memory now in her brain. They had been fumbling around and Jonathan had tied her up before making her beg and scream his name. But the knot had got stuck and after he cut her out, Lizzie had chafed skin on both of her wrists. âIt was an interesting experiment.â
Jonathan licked his lips. He noticed that Lizzie was flushed, her body leaning towards his. It was almost heady, the tension, he could taste it. So, he decided to press into the attack.
âWeâve both grown up now. I mean, I know what I love to do in the bedroom and Iâm not a teen boy fumbling around.â
Lizzie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Jonathanâs pronouncement. Steeling her face so that she looked impassive, inwardly she was freaking out a bit. Jonathan had been pretty good fuck in college, better than the rest of her boyfriends before she married Greg. But this Jonathan, three times Stanley Cup winner and hockey superstar Jonathan, he seemed lethal.
And he knew it as he gave Lizzie a little smirk and a wink.
âDonât worry Lizzie, no one is going to judge you now if you like a little pain. I definitely wonât. You know I liked giving it to you when we were experimenting.â
Exasperated, Lizzie exclaimed, âYouâre still so arrogant! I seriously doubt youâd have a chance to fuck me again.â
Jonathan moved closer and Lizzie backed up, backing into the wall. Jonathan got close enough that Lizzie could smell his expensive cologne but far enough that she could easily move away if she wanted to.
âI donât know why youâre still lying to yourself all these years later,â Jonathan murmured, his dark brown eyes looking black. âBut Iâm patient, I can still wait. You still want me and Iâve always wanted you.â
Lizzie bit her lip and Jonathan resisted the urge to groan. He had thought that he had forgotten her but just meeting her again two months ago had brought back those old feelings. Now, he was getting tired of playing cat and mouse but from what he had learned from TJ and Ridley, Jonathan was trying to be careful and tactical with his advances. He at least managed to get her to go out with him. His cock could wait.
Of course, after telling himself that, images from a decade ago filled his head. Ignoring them, Jonathan instead taunted, âNothing to say? I never thought lawyers could be rendered speechless.â
Instead of replying, Lizzie reached out and touched Jonathanâs sweater. It was super soft and felt like it was made from the finest cashmere. She finally replied, voice low and soft, âWhy am I so attracted to you? This shouldnât really be happening.â
âFate.â
It was a very simple reply as Jonathan grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed her hand, just a brief touch of closed lips to skin. But it felt like electricity coursed through both of them. Jonathan recovered first before giving Lizzie a devilish smile. âNight, night Elizabeth.â
***
âHeâs way too smooth.â
Lizzie took in a deep breath as she watched the first snowfall of the year through her office window. Rachelâs laughter at her complaint registered super loud over her ear pod.
Rachel commented, âOf course he is, heâs had over a decade of practice. I canât believe heâs still interested; I think Jon has dated models and he could date anyone. Youâre lucky as hell, Lizzie.â
Lizzie pouted as she moved away from the window. âI donât know if I want to be lucky.â
âWell, I remember all of the sneaking around youâd did when we were in college. You had no problems fucking him in private.â
âRACHEL!! Oh, my Gawd, you knew that?!?â
Lizzie put her hand on her forehead, mortified. She thought she had been cautious.
Rachel chuckled before continuing, âNo one else figured it out. But it was obvious that sparks were flying. And then Jon goes pro and you end up dating around until you met Greg. But you never were as happy as you were freshman spring.â
Lizzie sighed, feeling a headache beginning to start. âGreg, you know I loved Greg.â
âI know honey, if you hadnât, I would have seriously considered stopping the wedding,â Rachel consoled. âAnd he did help you escape the ranch and your parentsâ plans.â
âIâve been a widow for 3 years and this is the first time Iâve been attracted to a man,â Lizzie blurted out. Her cheeks reddened as she realized her admission.
There was an extended pause before Rachel finally replied. âThen you should go for it. Greg wouldnât want you to give up on sex because heâs gone.â
Lizzie flipped through the messages on her work phone as she pondered Rachelâs words.
âI gotta go, Alyssa is about done with school and the baby should be up any minute. Stop thinking and just fuck him. Just remember to put color corrector and concealer over any marks Jonny leaves on you.â
Lizzie exclaimed, âRachel,â but she had already hung up. Checking her personal phone for messages, Lizzie grinned when she saw she had a snap from Jon. Opening the snap, she saw a photo of Jon signing jerseys and picks with a note of canât wait to give you one.
Lizzie responded; too bad Iâll be too busy to get one for the next couple of weeks
Lizzie put her phone down, ready to focus on her work before getting a new message from Jon. I told u I can be patient.
**
Lizzie looked down at her list of pros and cons. All the pros were reasons why she should fuck Jonathan: get rid of all the unresolved tension from college, heâs an already proven great fuck, probably the best guy to be her first fuck since Greg passed away. The cons were that he was Jonathan Toews, he was famous, and he did have the ability to be an asshole. Her skeptical side told Lizzie that she probably couldnât keep it casual but the other side was like, was that a bad thing?
Shaking her head, Lizzie pulled on a pair of jeans before putting on a sweater. The Blackhawks were back in town and last night, she went to the game courtesy of Jonathan. Lizzie had taken Elise with her and they enjoyed the Blackhawks winning against the Flames. It was actually fun as Lizzie explained some of the finer points of hockey, such as power plays, penalty kills, offsides, and the fact that all refs in all sports were absolutely awful. Tonight, she actually told Jon she would come over after they saw a movie.
Lizzie was curious about where Jonathan lived. She knew it was in an area called Lincoln Park; she lived in the outskirts of the North Side. Her student loans from law school demanded payment so Lizzie moved in the nicest area she could afford, in a gentrifying neighborhood. âGet a taste of how the rich live tonight,â Lizzie said to herself. However, she did put on a matching pair of underwear just in case she decided to do more.
**
Jonathan looked at Lizzie as the car pulled up to his place. He had been on his best behavior tonight; no sly comments, etc. after last time. But Lizzie had been cuddly during the movie and now, she⊠he couldnât read her actions.
Jon entered his code and led Lizzie inside. âVery nice,â Lizzie commented as they walked through the first floor of his place.
âOh wow, you have my favorite flowers,â Lizzie exclaimed as they walked into his kitchen. There was a vase with Spanish Jasmine flowers.
Jonathan shrugged even though he was inwardly pleased. He had ordered them this afternoon, a rush order when Lizzie said she would come over. Now she was here and he felt at a loss. His cock said to seduce her, his brain said to wait for her cues and see if she was actually interested. Jonathan grabbed two cups and got himself and Lizzie a glass of water before guiding her back into the living room.
âMore movies,â Lizzie teased as she made herself comfortable on his leather couch.
Jonathan shook his head no, suddenly nervous as he cut on the TV. He didnât want to fuck it up.
Lizzie smirked as she watched indecision on Jonathanâs face. Tonight, had been their first date since that conversation and it was obvious that Jonathan was still very interested but didnât want to do anything that seemed pushy. Lizzie thought at first it was because they were out in public but she realized that if she wanted to actually go there again, she would have to bring it up.
âWhat are you thinking about, Jon,â Lizzie asked, intentionally shortening his name.
Jonathan put his arms on the back of the couch and mentally said fuck it. âDo you want to good answer or the dirty answer?â
âDirty answer?â
Lizzie grinned as Jonathan gulped then groaned.
âI keep looking at your ass in those jeans and I want to grab it so bad,â Jonathan admitted. Lizzie looked at his big hands and she decided that tonight was the night.
âYou can grab it, if you want?â
âHuh, what?â
Jonathan looked so dumbfounded that Lizzie giggled. âI said you can grab it. Thatâs another way of saying, you can touch me.â
âAre you sure,â Jonathan asked, locking eyes with Lizzie.
Lizzie rolled her eyes before grabbing his hand. âI came here with the full intent of getting fucked. But if you arenât interested, thatâs okay and we can hang out before I go home.â
âOh, do you really want me to fuck you?â
Jonathan raised an eyebrow as Lizzie flung her hair behind her shoulder. âI want you to kiss me, eat my pussy, maybe Iâll suck your cock, and then fuck me, if you want to get precise.â
âGoddamn,â Jonathan breathed. âFuck, then why donât you sit in my lap?â
Lizzie climbed into his lap before locking eyes with Jonathan again. His deep brown eyes looked nearly black and he had stubble all around his jaw. She traced his jaw with her fingers before running her fingers through his hair. His voice a deeper monotone, Jonathan murmured, âIâm not going to bite, unless you want me to do that.â
Instead of replying, Lizzie brushed her lips over Jonathanâs, once, then twice. Then she leaned down and nipped his lip. âI like biting,â she whispered against his lips before kissing him again. Jonathanâs arms came around her waist, keeping Lizzie in place as he began to take over the lazy kiss. Need stretched through their kisses, tongues interacting as over a decade apart melted away. Then Jonathan pulled away. Lizzie reached to pull her sweater off but Jonathan stopped her.
âLetâs go to the bedroom, I donât want to fuck you for the first time in forever on a couch, at least not this time.â
Lizzie laughed as Jonathan picked her up and nearly ran to his bedroom. She didnât even get a chance to look around and admire before he was on her. Jonathanâs hands were all over her body as he desperately kissed her. Before Lizzie realized it, her sweater and bra were off and so was Jonathanâs hoodie and t-shirt. She could feel his rock-hard abs against her body as Jonathan rolled so that Lizzie was on top.
âYour tits are still fucking amazing.â
âThanks,â Lizzie beamed as Jonathan gently kneaded them in his hands.
He murmured, âThey are still so sensitive,â as her nipples hardened quickly in his fingers, watching Lizzieâs changes in expression. âSo, youâll tell me right away if I do something you donât like?â
âLike what,â Lizzie asked.
Jonathan lightly grabbed her throat, something they had never done before but something he had learned that he liked to do. âLike that.â
âMmmm, this is good,â Lizzie replied. Choking was one of the kinks she had explored with Greg and that she missed.
âFuck, you got dirtier,â Jonathan stated before rolling Lizzie under him again.
âWhy donât you stop talking and undress me some more,â Lizzie ordered.
Jonathan laughed before idly replying, âNormally, I wouldnât let you tell me what to do but we havenât even negotiated that yet. And we arenât, not tonight.â
Lizzieâs giggled as she shimmied out of her jeans. But those giggles were replaced with moans when Jonathanâs fingers brushed her upper and inner thighs before stroking her pussy through her panties. âSo wet for me.â
He had planned to go slow but Jonathan was pretty sure that wasnât happening, at least not for this first round. He needed to be deep inside of Lizzie, back where he belonged. Jonathan stood up and took off his own jeans and boxers, revealing his very hard cock. Lizzie reached up and ran a hand over his cock before pumping it with both hands.
âIâm not going to last that long,â Jonathan warned as Lizzie began to jerk him off. âI want to cum deep inside of your pussy, Elizabeth.â
âOh my God,â Lizzie breathed. There was something in the way that Jonathan said her full name, it made her pussy drip even more.
Jonathan reached into his night stand and grabbed a condom. âBe a good girl and put this on me.â
Lizzie took the condom from Jonathanâs hands and opened it. Then she guided it over his cock with a wicked grin on her face. Leaning back on her elbows, Lizzie smirked at Jonathan before sucking her lip into her mouth. âFuck me, Jonathan.â
Jonathan growled as Lizzie spread her legs, showing him just how wet and ready she was for him. Pulling a leg up and over his shoulder, Jonathan entered Lizzie slowly, making sure she felt every inch. Lizzie moaned, her hands grabbing anywhere they could on Jon as he fucked her, slow soft strokes turning harder with each thrust.
âFuck you feel so good,â Lizzie groaned as Jonathan gave her a harder thrust, hips grinding with each stroke.
Jonathan managed to reply, âYour pussy still feels like it was made for me.â
He was already close and Jonathan couldnât hold off even though he could tell that Lizzie wouldnât cum with him this time. Jonathanâs lips found Lizzieâs as he kissed her while he came. Lizzie let Jonathan ride his high out, she could feel that she was getting closer but she wasnât there.
Jonathan slumped against Lizzie for a couple moments before withdrawing from her pussy. He took off the condom, telling Lizzie, âStay there.â
Dumping the condom into the trash, Jonathan pulled Lizzie to the edge of the bed. Spreading her legs, Jonathan knelt in between, fingers spreading her folds. Then his tongue licked her clit and Lizzie arched off the bed. âDonât worry, Iâm going to take care of you,â Jonathan cooed as he played with her clit. Then he dove in, licking her juices from her pussy before tongue-fucking Lizzieâs entrance. His fingers continued to roll her clit with light pressure, enough to keep Lizzie on the edge but not enough to get her to cum. Then Jon sucked her clit into her mouth and bit it very lightly, enough of a shock to get Lizzie to cum with a scream, fingers grabbing sheets to hold on for dear life. Jonathan muttered something in French as Lizzie rode out her high. Then she fell asleep with a light snore.
**
Lizzie laid on the bed, her hair fanned out around her head, body too depleted to move yet. But she peeled herself up as Jonathan was sitting up next to her, a MacBook in his lap.
âWow, what time is it?â
âItâs a little after midnight,â Jonathan replied. He had changed into a pair of sweats and Lizzie licked her lips. He looked really good in gray sweats.
She shrugged. âAt least itâs Saturday.â
âI cleaned you up after you passed out.â
Jonathan gave Lizzie a wicked grin as she blushed. âItâs been a while,â she replied.
Lizzie got up and Jonathan pointed to his left, indicating that was the way to get to the bathroom. Lizzie stepped inside of the master bathroom, still too tired to check it out. After taking care of business and washing her hands, Lizzie walked back into Jonathanâs bedroom. Jonathan handed her a t-shirt and said, âYouâre too tired to attempt to drive home. You can stay here; Iâll keep my hands to myself.â
âI like cumming so you donât have to keep them to yourself.â
Lizzie gave Jon a saucy smile while he groaned.
**
Let yourself be happy. Find that guy again, the one who was before me. I just want you to be happy, donât shrivel up and die because Iâm gone.
Lizzie looked at the note, last note from Greg before he passed from non-Hodgkinâs Lymphoma. Her wedding ring was on next to it, the simple gold band twinkling in the late winter sun.
Today was her seventh month since her move to Chicago, fifth since she met Jonathan for the first time in years. Tonight, she was going to the game, Elise going with her but this time, they were going to sit with the WAGs. Lizzie had met Jonathanâs closest friends and teammates and it was obvious that there was something happening between them. But Lizzie felt the need to look at this one more time.
âIâm going to be happy, Greg,â Lizzie whispered before putting her old wedding ring and the note in a box, setting it next to a vase of nineteen red tulips that Jon had given her. Then she pulled her hair into a ponytail, sent all work calls on her work phone to voicemail. Picking up her personal phone, Lizzie smiled as she looked at the text from Jonathan.
She wasnât going to run this time. She was going to embrace a future with Jonathan.
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@ironmanspussyâ here we are, directly inspired by your wonderful texpost!Â
King Rhodes needed a partner to rule. It was ancient law, something he hadnât really desired to follow. But unfortunately, the lawyers are assholes and want to create a monopoly of power that he just simply hasnât the time to dismantle if heâs to follow his ten-year policy plan.
His partner should be well-mannered, aware of high society dress codes as well as how to navigate regular, everyday wear, and be calm in times of crisis.
So begins the search.
âYouâre not going to find someone you like like that,â his advisor, Carol says, laughing. âI guarantee it.â
âWeâll see,â Rhodes decides.
Oh, they saw.
They saw a lot.
Almost every single candidate is bad. Or just off, in some way.
âRogers seemed like a nice fit,â Carol says, tapping on her clipboard.
"He was nice, not for me. A bit too much.â
âWhat, muscle?â
âYou could say thatâs a factor. Heâs also just a little too take-charge-of-everything.â
âMm, that could pose a problem later. Well, the candidates who most matched your requirements are all out.â
âYouâre kidding.â
âYouâre a very particular kind of guy, Jim. So here are the rest.â
âSend in the clowns,â Rhodes says, waving his hand in dismissal and drawing the other one to his forehead to signal a headache about to come on.
âYou just sent Barnes out,â Danvers reminds him, grinning.
âAsshole.â
âIâm still getting paid!â Carol sing-songs.
-
Itâs almost better. Almost. Prince Clint Barton is an impossibly good marksman, and...thatâs about it. His leadership style is far different from the Rhodes kingdom needs and he admits that he almost showed up in jeans.
Well, at least thereâs honesty. Rhodes could find that forgivable.
But the jeans. Good god.
-
Bruce Banner is a total sweetheart, but his constitution is quite poor and again with the fashion choices. He shows up in a very nice outfit and has a nice wit about him.
They talk at length, and Carol swears that it will go well and perhaps there will actually be a wedding by June, all things said and considered.
This is until Rhodes leads Dr. Banner out to the gardens to meet Thor, their part-time warrior and full-time gardener.
Thor is completely gone on the scientist-ruler, and there it is.
âThis is supposed to be your matchmaking,â Carol reminds him, scowling. âIt was going well.â
âOnce he met Thor anyways, it would have been all over. You know Thorâs type. The scientists that could ruin the earth if they truly had the thought to.â
âI suppose youâre right. Next person, then. She looks promising, Empress Romanov?â
-
Natasha Romanov is a terrifying figure. Very, very terrifying.
That being said, she has excellent taste in fashion and promised to send Rhodes some reviews, but âunfortunately has her heart spoken for.â
(Itâs not very unfortunate. Rhodes feared for his life.)
-
Heâs about to lose it, to be completely honest. Is there seriously no one out there?
âYour last candidate, at least for this month, is Tony Stark. High-profile inventor.â
âNot royalty?â
âEssentially, he is. Dad helped create weapons, he followed with protection and medical detail. He usually doesnât agree to meet, so youâll have to ask him why.â
âRefuse to meet royalty?â
âPeople.â
-
Tony Stark did, in fact, refuse to meet people. In general, people were not his strong suit and he saw no point to marriage.
âIf you marry well, you get more access to resources for your reacting thing,â Pepper says.
âMy reactor. Iâve told you that a million times.â
âAnd Iâve forgotten it a million and one. But if you meet Rhodes, heâs probably your best chance of not marrying a total shit royal.â
âAnd why is that?â
âSearching online for your answer is free, I am not. Your bill will be sent to your inbox.â
Tony stares after Pepper. Sheâs too damn capable.
He sighs to himself.
He does need more funding for his projects. His father cut him off completely and while that wouldnât be the worst thing, Tonyâs not going to charge obscene prices just to keep himself afloat.
So...marrying a royal. Not the best plan in the world, especially given Tonyâs track record with people. Sure, he can play the part. But he just...wonât.
-
This is why Tonyâs about five minutes late, cursing up a blue streak at a guard that has followed him into the hall because due to his appearance he thinks he needs to have a âcheck-inâ with the people at the front desk for appointments, and in general? The day has been bad.
Also, Pepper forced him into âniceâ clothes. While Tony can and has worn his nice clothing before, he does not like the ones that Pepper chose because they are uncomfortable, stiff, and absolutely a bit too long.
So he trips on the carpet.
âMotherfucker!â
Rhodesâ head pops away from his conversation with the chef regarding the dinner menu.
Here is a man with probably the most intricately embroidered robes heâs ever seen on, hair that looks like it was probably not even styled, just brushed through, and had about the entirety of the guard behind him asking him about an appointment time.
Obviously, heâs the most attractive man Rhodes has ever seen in his life.
âAnd who are you?â he asks.
âTony. Stark. Mechanic and inventor. Um, you talked to Pepper about me? I think Iâm in your circle of potential candidates for ruling. Itâs totally fine if you kick me out, I kind of scuffed your carpet.â
âWe need new carpet anyway,â Carol says. âWeâll disregard your entrance for now, Stark.â
âTony, please.â
âTony,â Carol says slowly, smiling. âYou will be walking around the gardens with King Rhodes, pausing for dinner.â
âCool.â
Rhodes has to stop from laughing. Cool. Heâs already a fan of this.
Carol leans over to him, whispering in his ear.
âI thought you wanted someone who had a cool head, not someone like that.â
âWell, I can be wrong every once in a while.â
âOr more.â
âEvery once in a while,â Rhodes reiterates. âBesides, I have a good feeling about this.â
âHm.â
-
Walking through a garden with a stranger is not as smooth as one would expect. Rhodes isnât exactly well-versed in asking people what their plans are for the future, and if they are amenable to perhaps marriage.
âWhat do you do for fun?â Tony asks.
Heâs sort of taken aback at the question.
âPardon me?â
âWhat do you do for fun?â he repeats. âLike, do you cook? Sew? Duel with your rivals? What do you do for fun?â
Well. He has to think for a moment.
âI go on runs.â
âThat is not fun. Donât tell me that thatâs whatâs fun for you.â
âWhat, canât run?â
âI donât run, thereâs a difference. Iâll run when somethingâs chasing me.â
âAnd yet you wonât have training, like I will.â
âDid you forget my trade, Your Imminence?â Tony asks, voice mocking him.
Itâs honestly refreshing. Rhodes doesnât like it when people are so serious around him, so afraid to disappoint.
âAn inventor? Youâre going to invent a way to run better?â
âTo fly, honey. Honestly...â
-
After that, itâs a dead-set decision from Rhodes.
He offers his hand in marriage, as well as the crown. Tony blinks.
âYou havenât even seen me take a turn in the ballroom.â
âItâs either going to be wildly entertaining or surprising, and I canât wait for either.â
-
Tony enters his own room, in a panic.
This has to go well. He has to dress to impress.
âPepper, heâs holding a party for our engagement. I have to dress nicely.â
âYou know how to do that, I donât know why youâre telling me that.â
âThere are so many factors. Do you know anyone who can embroider his family crest on any shoes? What colors Iâm meant to do? Oh my god, we have to fuse the colors together. This is going to be a disgrace. Iâll be exiled to be a hermit in the forest who relies on bark for sustenance, and this--â
âCan you. Potentially, maybe, chill? Itâll be fine.â
âYou say that, but right now Iâm imagining having to go to war because I didnât wear the right color of red, so...â
âYou are literally the worst person alive.â
âFalse, we both know Justin Hammer and out of the two of us, I think youâd want to date me more.â
âDonât be a smartass.â
âJust practical, Pep. Just practical. Now help me shade match Rhodeyâs red.â
âHeâs Rhodey now?â
âIn my head? Yes. I donât like Rhodes, I absolutely will not call him Jim until we both hit seventy years old.â
âBetter let him know that.â
-
Rhodes gets a text from Tony.
so a.) your new nickname from me is rhodey. donât question it, honeybear. Anyways, would you say your royal family color is closer to garnet-red or blood-red?
Rhodey blinks. He likes the nickname. Itâs different. He has to show the text to Carol.
âWhat in the hell does that mean?â
âLet me google it.â
She analyzes the results, frowning.
âIâm thinking blood-red.â
âOkay. Thanks.â
âWhy does he want to know the color?â
âI donât know, Iâll ask.â
weâve decided it matches closer to blood-red, Tones. Why do you ask?
Tony blinks. Other nickname. Interesting. He likes it.
my outfit choice relies heavily on this.
He leaves it at that, grinning as he puts his phone away.
Rhodey is laughing. Heâs excited to see his husband-to-be.
-
Tony knows he looks damned good. The whole outfit is incredible. Red with gold stitching throughout, and he got his hair to cooperate to be artfully messy instead of just messy.
âIâm surprised at you, you clean up well,â Pepper teases. âYou ready to go and make your debut?â
âAs ready as ever,â Tony says, fixing the chain around his neck. The gold glints off the lights, and he knows heâs about to be the best dressed person in the room, with perhaps the exception of Rhodey.
He knows that most people are surprised that heâs the one that King Rhodes has decided to marry. Heâs not known for being a particularly polite royal. In fact, he has told multiple members of royalty to âget fucked or get out of my wayâ when they want him to build something that he refuses to build.
So heâs not exactly the perfect choice. But his outfit is still the best in the room.
âHi gorgeous,â Rhodey says, smiling. âYou look incredible.â
âWell I do know how to make an entrance, after all,â Tony says. âYouâll find out this is only the tip of the iceberg.â
âWell then, Iâm in for treats all my life,â Rhodey says. âHow are you tonight, Tones?â
âDoing well, finished up working on one of the cars for Thor today.â
âWait, youâre the one whoâs refinishing it? He hasnât been able to shut up about it for weeks! I was the one who used to look at it.â
âYou like fixing up cars?â
âYes, of course I do!â
-
From there, conversation flows. They understand each other well, laugh at the same jokes, and agree on cake flavors.
Itâs not love, not yet. But theyâre getting there.
-
It is officially love when Tony steals Rhodey from his royal duties to get a cheeseburger.
âSometimes itâs good to get out of the throne, donât you think?â Tony says, grinning over his sunglasses.
âFor a cheeseburger? Canât say Iâve ever done anything like that.â
âThatâs because youâre all fancy and posh, I bet you donât even know the f-word,â Tony says.
âFuck you,â Rhodey jokes.
Tony gasps. âThe king knows a curse word? Oh my lord! What...shame you bring to your family!â
Rhodey laughs, and itâs in this moment that he realizes that spending the rest of his days with Tony is potentially the best possible option in the world.
âIâm so glad weâre getting married,â he says. Tony stills.
âYou...you are?â
âYouâre the best thing to happen to me, I think,â Rhodey says, taking a sip of water as if he hasnât just said the sweetest thing Tonyâs ever heard. âAnd I hope that Iâm the best thing to ever happen to you.â
âI mean I donât know, the AC/DC reunion tour was pretty sick...â Tony says, grinning. âIâm kidding. Rhodey, I think weâre gonna be a good team. And Iâm glad that I get to be with you.â
-
Their wedding is the talk of the year. Literally no one can shut up about it, but maybe thatâs because Tony accidentally showed up late because he was inventing and had wild hair and maybe a stray grease-stain on his forehead.
Rhodey just grinned.
âYou better not be late to the reception.â
âIâll try my best. You know how I am.â
They kiss, and Rhodey sends him into a deep dip. Tony laughs into the kiss, and it becomes one of the most well-known photographs of the year.
-
Sure, Rhodey didnât exactly get all of the qualifications that he wanted out of his ruling partner. Tony is absolutely not calm in times of crisis, and stress-bought novelty socks.
He more than once told a difficult business partner to âabsolutely get fucked up on a Thursday, see if I give a singular shit when my husband is ten times better than you,â and also has a certain unawareness of some of his public outfit choices. (Hello sweatpants with holes in them and a striped hoodie.)
But Tony makes the best coffee ever, always gets Rhodey flowers from the supermarket, and is perhaps the most compassionate man heâs ever met.
So not a bad trade-off.
They lay in bed together, Rhodey looking over his obscenely trashy detective novels with his reading glasses, and Tony battling Pepper in a word search competition online.
âI love you,â Tony says out of nowhere, smiling. He presses a kiss to Rhodeyâs shoulder.
âYouâre okay,â Rhodey responds, patting Tonyâs thigh.
He makes a squawk of outrage as Rhodeyâs head turns from his book, grinning.
âYou better give me a kiss to make up for that,â Tony demands. Rhodey rolls his eyes.
âOf course, drama queen.â
âDrama queen? I was told by the love of my life that I was ïżœïżœïżœokayâ after one year of marriage? And I am supposed to be unaffected? Absolutely unacceptable, I think I will fling myself into a pit in the ocean, and--â
Rhodey cuts him off with a kiss.
âOr not. Not could definitely work.â
#lovelyirony writes#rhodeytony#not the exact direction i was going in#but hey! u do what u gotta do#rhodey#tony stark#ironhusbands#pepper potts#natasha romanov#carol danvers#tony does Not care about his appearance rlly#like he knows how to dress but like. also overthinks it
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Uber
Nottmort (Tom Riddle/Nott Sr.), Modern Muggle AU, ~2k words
Thanks to @yletylyf for kicking around this idea! Tom drives an Uber in the Bay Area. Thoros & co need a ride.
â
Abraxas and Orion are bickering over luggage in the background when your Uber pulls up. Black, of course, so itâs a Mercedes that will smell a little too much like leather cleaner when you get in, but none of you have ever ridden in an UberX or, god forbid, an Uber Pool, and youâre not about to start.
Your colleaguesânever forget, you are not friends, no matter how much time you spend with themâslide into the back seat before you can even begin to help load bags into the trunk. Youâre left alone with the driver, and though he offers to help, you havenât let yourself sink that low as to make this man pile all of your shit in his car while you sit around and watch. And anyway, it feels like the polite thing to do. More than Abraxas or Orion, youâve been raised to be polite.
So you fold yourself into the front passenger seat, too kind to push the seat all the way back and give yourself the leg room you need even if Orion, behind you, is just 5â8 to your 6â3, and smile at the driver as he confirms your destination.
Heâs pretty. Youâve been in a lot of Ubers and youâve never seen a driver this pretty. Is that classist?, you wonder to yourself, remembering something you read in Vox the other day. Probably. Nevertheless, youâre taken by the curve of his mouth, the sweep of his dark hair, and you throw a smirk over your shoulder at Abraxas who you know must have also noticed.
âTraffic to SFO will be busy,â he says regretfully, and you roll your eyes. Orion refuses to take the early morning flights, unwilling to wake at 3 AM, and youâre always stuck with these long, miserable Uber rides down from the city to the airport. âAnd Terminal 2âright in the middle of it. Thereâs construction around those doors, if you havenât been thereââ
âWe know,â Orion butts in rudely, shutting up your driver for the few minutes it takes to get out of your neighborhood.
You use those few minutes to swipe through your phone. Emailânothing important. Messagesâyou clear the notifications. Your Instagram is alight with people reposting the same infographic about voting rights and you make a mental note to kick some money to that non-profit thatâs been all over Twitter lately. You close out apps and end up back at Uber, watching your carâs laggy progress through the San Francisco streets. Your driverâs name is Tom, the app informs you. Itâs a nice name.
You clear the side streets and Tom offers amenities. âIf you want any water, there are bottles in the cooler between the seats,â he calls back to Abraxas and Orion, âand mints in the cup holder. You can adjust the air conditioning if you like, and thereâs a charging cable attached to the back of my seat if you need it. Would you like to choose any music?â
âNo,â Abraxas says, and whether he means the music or the entire spiel doesnât really matter, given his withering tone. You look back at him, trying to convey âBe niceâ with just your eyebrows, but Abraxas is fussing with his hair and ignoring you.
Tomâs one of the chipper ones, it turns out, because he takes the rejection in stride and shifts to the dreaded personal conversation. âWhat do you all do for a living?â
âAh, we invest in companies, mostly start-ups,â you say, trying to avoidâ
âVenture capitalists!â Tom guesses, and heâs right but you hate the term and its connotations. So what if you are all white men whose family money has bankrolled tech speculation? Itâs what anyone with half a brain would do. You donate, you read the liberal newsâat least, you think thatâs true for all of you, though Orion was friends with that Republican mayoral candidate and Abraxasâ father sponsors that conservative think-tank andâŠ
Ah, fuck. âYeah, pretty much,â you agree, hating yourself.
Behind you, Orion digs his AirPods out of his pocket. You hear the snap of the magnetic lid as he closes himself off to the world. Abraxas is slouching, the hem of his third-favorite cashmere cardigan catching on the seat behind him, and you realize that youâre alone in this conversation.
Well, fuck it. If those two pricks are going to make you call the Uber, deal with the reimbursement paperwork, and sit in the front seat, youâre going to talk to the driver and make this car conversation as painful as possible for them.
As if reading your thoughts, Tom does the one thing that guarantees a terrible ride: he pitches his app idea.
âYou know, Iâm also a software developer,â he says, which is at least more promising than when someone isnât, âand if I had the kind of funding that companies like yours provide, I would absolutely make this app.â He proceeds to describe something completely inane, the type of exclusive, niche social networking app that hasnât had legs since before the Trump presidency and you would be content to let him drone on, to let Abraxas keep melting into his own seat and to let Orion channel his anger through a knee driven into the back of yours, butâ
But for all that Tomâs idea is stupid, he has the energy of the best pitches you see. His energy is infectious. His eyes light up, he gestures with one hand, and when he stops to take a drink (one of those water bottles with a built-in straw, which you associate with joggers and your lamest employees but which does very different things to you when itâs Tomâs mouth wrapped around the top) youâre transfixed by the wet sheen over his chapped lips.
And so, yes, maybe itâs mostly lust, and maybe this is a sign that you need to download Grindr again, even if only to jerk off to the dick pics youâll get, but you start to actually talk to him.
âThereâs no future in niche social networks,â you say, halting Tom in his tracks. âThere will always be new ones, donât misunderstand me, but the broader landscape is saturated by the top names, and theyâll buy out their competitors if they need to. Perhaps you can topple Tumblr, but thatâs not a path to profit. If you want to impact the social market, you need to pinpoint the novel interaction model that you want to offer and make yourself buyable.â
âBuyable,â Tom repeats, like heâs never been interrupted before. He probably hasnât. The first rule of Ubering around the Bay Area or the Valley is to never engage the app pitches, and Orion has started kicking your seat for your transgression.
âYes,â you enunciate. âYou want to be bought out and brought in at a high level. The giant that eats you may or may not use your idea, but youâll make a comfortable sum as a consolation prize.â Youâve helped companies through this before. Youâre flying out to New York this week in part because one of your investments is considering purchase offers and you want to strategize in-person. The founder is dallying, sending emails about independence and integrity, and Orion will bully him into selling while you and Abraxas negotiate the best terms for the contract.
You can feel Tomâs eyes on you. Abraxas might be calling âThorosâŠâ from the back seat, and Orion might be attempting to annihilate you with his gaze alone, but youâre smiling at that handsome face behind the wheel and hoping for an accident on the 101.
Unfortunately, you make it through San Bruno without running into more than the usual level of traffic, and Tomâs pulling up to your terminal much sooner than you would like. Abraxas and Orion jump out of the car with uncharacteristic speed when it stops, Orion even moving to stand by the trunk in readiness to take his bags. You delay.
âDo you have a business card?â you ask, when itâs clear Tomâs waiting on you.
He fumbles to pull a wallet from his jeans. You canât quite get a view of his ass as he does, but that doesnât stop you from looking.
His card is bent at the corner, printed cheaply, and probably from his last job. Youâre pretty sure that company doesnât exist anymore. Tom taps the phone number. âI can be reached here,â he says smoothly, but his professionalism cracks when he adds, âby call or by⊠text.â
You know what sort of texts youâd like to receive from him.
Pulling out your own card case, you hand him your card. âText me,â you say, your voice just this side of appropriate, âany time.â
Tom visibly swallows and jumps out of the car. You take your time getting up, and if your cashmere sweaterâMargaret Howell, not that Elder Statesman piece of shit Abraxas is wearingâends up in the footwell of Tomâs passenger seat, well, youâll be back in SF next week, wonât you?
âThanks for the ride, Tom,â you tell him as you take the handle of your luggage, letting your fingers brush his. âI enjoyed our conversation.â
âYeah,â he nods, and you donât care that Abraxas is snorting behind you, heâs been judging you this whole trip and he lost out on a hot guyâs number as a result. âIt wasâŠâ
âThoros,â you interrupt him before he can ramble and psych himself out. âMy name is Thoros, and I really would like to hear from you.â
Tom looks at you then, and you see him pull together the same sureness that drew you into his initial pitch. âIâll text you about the app.â
âIâm looking forward to it,â you say, meaning it.
â
Bonus:
âYou know,â Abraxas drawls as you sit in the United club lounge, gesturing lazily with his overpriced airport Fiji water, âif you tip him too much itâs like youâre paying him for sex.â
Orion looks up from his phone then, removing one earbud for the first time since he put them in. âIâve paid more for sex with less attractive men.â
âWelcome back,â you say, âI didnât realize you had paid any attention.â
âSomeone would need to not have eyes in order to miss how hot that Uber driver was,â he bites back, returning to his phone.
âWell, Iâm tipping him extra anyway,â you announce, confirming Tomâs five-star rating. Should you write a review? Is that too much?
Abraxas, with a grumble, declares, âIâm telling Alecto not to approve this expense.â
â
Bonus bonus:
Your phone buzzes at the end of dinner, the celebratory affair to close the sale which someone had insisted must be at Lilia, even though Abraxas doesnât eat carbs and you would have preferred to grab a slice at Scarrâs rather than haul out to Williamsburg, anyway.
Itâs Tom. Of course itâs Tomâyouâve been texting all week, and between a few late-night flirtations and one very bald statement of interest, youâve got a date set for when youâre back home. Youâre going to Mensho Tokyo, since he lives in the Tenderloin and you live⊠vaguely around the Tenderloin, at least, you tell people you live there when you want to seem cooler, and Tom is the type of guy that makes you excited to stand in line for hours to get seats. Youâre already thinking about whether you might put your arm around him while youâre waiting, and you unlock your phone to see what heâs saying now.
Itâs a picture message.
A picture of Tom, wearing your Howell sweater and no pants and oh god oh fuckâ
âWas that Uber driverâs dick?â Abraxas whispers, next to you, and you curse your luck. âRemind me to call the next Uber, Jesus Christ.â
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Plague Rat Chapter 3
Three months laterâŠ
 âHello and welcome to Channel Eight! Iâm Erica, bringing you the news!â
 âToday we are speaking of what is now called âthe Plague of Truthâ, brought upon us by the Akuma Plague Rat.
 Due to the Akumaâs powers of infecting people with a deadly virus resembling the Black Plague but targeting liars, many secrets came about. And many consequences have occurred. The most high profile ones are the former mayor, his wife and a dozen city officials who are now closing ranks and trying to-â Marinette turned off the TV and closed her eyes.
 After she had been purified, the girl had been horrified at her actions, feeling ill and disgusted. She had done that? She had attacked people? She had nearlyâŠ
 Luckily there was a therapist employed by the hospital that sat with her and spoke with her. He was open and honest and she had a lot off issues she usually kept locked up.Â
 He helped her speak of them and confront them. Helped her understand her issues. Helped her realize how many were people putting things on her and expecting things if her when they shouldnât.Â
 She still didnât feel okay. Knowing what she did made her feel sick, but her classmates where there. Alix spoke with her softly, the girl knowing she had killed one. Kim spoke of rewatching his actions and feeling horrified. Rose shuddered at what she had done.
 It helped.Â
 More so, honestly, it helped knowing that her actions had exposed Lila and a lot of corruption. Not only had she hit the mayor, sheâd hit the commissioner, Audrey, Nadja and a bunch of others.Â
 Andre had been removed from office and was now facing trial for his crimes. The commissioner had been removed from office along with Roger being fired and were also facing charges. Rumors said they would probably get ten years at least.
Audrey was going away for child abuse, corruption and the abuse of her staff. She had admitted everything and Chloe had been removed from their care in a second, being placed with an aunt on the other side of Paris who hadnât spoken to her sister in years and had never cared to. The aunt had agreed to take Chloe in but had warned the girl she would not put up with any of her actions.
 Marinette hadnât heard anything since as Chloe had been expelled by the new principal that had replaced Damocles when the fact he was being bribed came out. Bustier had also been replaced. Marinette wasnât sad to see them go- even if it was only recently she could go back to school after the shock to her system becoming an Akuma had been. It wrecked her metabolism again and sheâd been stuck in a bed for months.
 Luckily, there was a friendly nurse around who was happy to take over for Akumas. Marinette has the best time hearing her rant about magic and how stupid it was she couldnât tell who Ladybug was when she was in the hosptial. Often right in front of her door.
 Tikki found it hilarious to.
 But she had finally left the hospital and Tikki said she could go back to fighting, something she was glad about. She missed it, not that sheâd admit it.
 But before that, there was a trial to be had.
 -0-
 âSo you willingly did it-â
 âI did.â Alya interrupted the lawyer. âI willingly exposed her to sick children but that was at the urging of Lila who said she had to be lying. I believe the videos Iâve given show that.â Alya felt like a bug as everyone in the courtroom stared at her. She kept her chin up though. She would not be cowed by this lawyer Lilaâs father got her. Apparently Lilaâs nasty habits came from someone and that was her father. Her mother had been furious to know she was in contact with him and was not pleased by the lawyer but agreed to it.
 She didnât want her baby in jail either.
 He was a good lawyer, knew how to come at things from all angles.
 But Alya had been Rena Rouge. The Fox Miraculous left marks deep in her soul, which made her slippery and sly. She had forgotten and gotten caught in lies herself, but she remembered now.
 And she would not yield.Â
 âI wonder, if anyone actually knows that the reason she wants Marinette dead is because she called her out on her lies in college.â Snapped Alya, suddenly latching onto the thought. The lawyer blinked. âDidnât know that? Lila is just angry that Marinette didnât follow her around. That Marinette called her out.â The lawyer actually stepped back and turned to look at Lila who couldnât hide her furious face fast enough. Alya smiled at her while the lawyer said he had to dismiss himself from the case now, his clients had been lying to him.
 Alya hadnât been a good person for a while. She had followed a liar and had blinded herself to truth for a long time. But she had once been a hero, once been a good person.Â
 She was going to start again.
-0-
 âSo you thought it was like tabloids?â Dr. Shaw asked Adrien who sighed.Â
 âYeah I meanâŠâ Adrien shook his head. âI donât know. Maybe if I hadnât known the truth Iâd have believed hem but when I did I saw how stupid they were and they reminded me of the tabloids. I thought theyâd figure it out themselves. I didnât think she was hurting anyone.â
 âBut she did. Her actions almost caused many of them to miss out on incredibly important opportunities for their futures. It was lucky your friend Marientte managed to convince them it was a good way to show case their skills to the supposed contacts Lila had.â The doctor said and Adrien winced.
 âI⊠I didnât want her Akumatized again.â
 âAnd yet Marientte was.â Adrien looked down. âAdrien, if I can be very blunt- you despise conflict and prefer a passive approach to it. While disliking conflict is fine, and I encourage you not to seek it out, not confronting people who you know are in the wrong isnât always the best idea.â
 â...â Adrien didnât want to think about it anymore. But he had to. His father had made him go to therapy and Plagg had told him it was a good idea for him to do so. He needed to get over this. âItâs easier when itâs not me.â Adrien blurted our. âOnline I mean.â He quickly covered. It was easy to confront people as Chat Noir.Â
 âThen pretend youâre not Adrien when you confront people.â The therapist offered andâŠ
 That was really good advice.
Two months laterâŠ
 âHello and welcome to the new Ladyblog!â Alya grinned on the screen Marientte was watching. âAs you know due to certain circumstances I left this blog for the last few months. This is due to Lila and her actions towards my classmate and my own actions. However, this is a new start. First and foremost- this blog will now only contain facts. I have three people to check over anything I post thatâs an article and needed to be researched who will do so. I spoke with Ladybug and sheâs agreed to an interview with all heroes providing they agree-â that was the only small crack, a shadow of sadness. After Miracle Queen everyone know sheâd been a hero, and seeing a new fox must hurt.
 Marientte though was just amused that Alya was such a good actor. Sure she no longer used the fox but she fit the Turtle very well. And Nino was a fine Dragon, while Luka was a great Fox and Kagami was an amazing Bee.
 It hadnât been to hard to manage to have an interview with them- though all separate. It was enough to show Paris they were human to.
 Marinette smiled, watching as Alya continued her speech.Â
 Things had changed since sheâd become Plague Rat. Lila was now in jail back in Italy. Youth jail but still. She would spend two years there before being released on parole for either ten years or for the rest of her life depending on her actions. While she had lost her first lawyer they had been assigned a second one who had managed to get a psychiatrist in to look at her.Â
 The man said she was either a psychopath or a sociopath. They had tried to say that meant she was allowed to be free but that was ended when the doctor pointed out she knew what she was doing was wrong. She just didnât care.Â
 She wasnât allowed back in France and apparently other countries had also banned her. She was forever stuck in Italy.
 The former mayor was also in jail. Five years, chance of parole in two and a half, maybe less depending on behaviour. Nadja had lost custody of Manon after it got out she routinely used the girl to gather info and had put her in risk multiple times. Audrey was in jail, Roger had lost his job and was on probation.Â
 Paris had experienced a revolution after Plague Rat. The new mayor was a woman who took no shit and was a hardass who was happily funding the police to find Hawkmoth, and bring him down. The new commissioner had fired all corrupt cops- Roger had been part of this sweep- and now Paris was thriving.
 Adrien as well seemed to have changed. He had formally apologized to her for his inaction and he was taking steps to be able to confront people. Heâd already had a fight with his father about being a model and had leaked to the press how Gabriel treated him. Gabriel was in therapy now and Adrien had a social worker doing random checks on him.Â
 âI guess even Akumatized Iâm a hero.â She remarked to Tikki who chuckled.Â
 âPerhaps. But I like you as you.â
 âSame.â She still has nightmares about what sheâd done. She still freaked out about the hospital. Hell she was still recovering months later from the stress of being Akumatized while suffering from sickness and a horrible immune system.Â
 But she was doing better. She was moving forward.
 And that was all she could do.
Tagged: @anastasian-dreamer @magicalfirebird @kibastray @thesunanditsangel @virgil-is-a-cutie @marinettepotterandplagg @heaven428 @sofmimis @so-freaking-done-with-people @moonystars14 @slytherinhquinn @spartanxhunterx
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The Lone Paradise Ranch Long have the residents of Arkney County known of the good times to be had at the Lone Paradise Ranch, where the liquor never stops flowing, nor does the parade of beautiful women. Founded nearly 20 years ago by Rafael Soler as a way to fatten his checkbook after seeing an opportunity to add a source of entertainment to the county, the Lone Paradise Ranch quickly built a name for itself among the whoâs who of Arkney County and beyond, thanks in no small part to the annual Arkney Derby, an event that rivals the Kentucky Derby in scale.
While the Lone Paradise is largely known as a place to gamble away your fortune on the horse races, inside is where the real horseplay transpires. Managed by those who have fallen into Solerâs grasp, a prostitution ring is run out of the ranchâone driven by sweet words promising opportunity and the fear of what happens if you dare not believe them. Though all who fall into the spiderâs web have their own cause for being there, whether it be drugs, loans with unscrupulous interest rates, or the chance at a better future, the more they struggle, the more tangled they become. Leaving seems the most obvious answer, but doing so is a nigh unattainable feat, as the Lone Paradise demands a hefty price for freedom.
The Lone Paradise promises to make your most intimate dreams come true, but who dares pay the price?
This ad is for some of the members of the local prostitution ring. The faces and some of the ages are flexible. This ad is open to original characters as well! (For all levels.)
Feel free to hit one of us up on discord at either contramundum#7735 hobie#4947 or mady#5462 if you have any questions! Full descriptions of the members of the Lone Paradise Ranch after the break~
Owner & Operator â Rafael âRafâ Soler (53) FC: Benicio Del Toro || Played by Mira Owner and operator of the Lone Paradise Ranch, Rafael Soler has been at the center of Arkney Countyâs entertainment for nearly twenty-five years. By day, the ranch boasts family-friendly activities, but the real fun happens after the sun has fallen. The adult entertainment offered by the ranch has skyrocketed its appeal and made the Lone Paradise Ranch a name whispered among both the elite and those with more illicit cravings. Heâs shown himself as an adept businessman whoâs not afraid to sink to the level of his clientele, and recent years have found him more depraved than ever. In a long term business/personal relationship with Entertainment Manager, but Annie March has recently caught his eye.
Personal Assistant â Logan âVickâ Vickers (34) FC: Scott Eastwood || Played by Hobie Rafael Solerâs second-in-command, Logan Vickers serves as an extension of the manâs will. He began working for the ranch after graduating high school when Raf used his wealth to protect Vickâs familyâs cattle ranch from foreclosure. He is reckless and wild, a hot-headed cowboy who flies by the seat of his pants. Despite his rowdy streak, Vick oozes southern charm and rarely does he ruffle feathers without meaning to. In his youth, he was a local rodeo star, roping calves and clinging to the backs of bucking broncos. Today, he undertakes the more vicious duties for Raf, more often than not walking away with blood on his hands. He has seen the measure of Rafâs wickedness and embraced it, choosing to walk with the devil, rather than meet his wrath. Despite knowing the depths of Rafâs depravity, he has roped in his two longtime friends, the Horse Handler and the Head of Security, into his disturbing games.
Head of Security (mid 30s) â Reserved for Levi Suggested FC: Russell Tovey, Jai Courtney, Jon Kortajarena A transplant from the west coast, the Head of Security came to Arney County after his wealthy father decided to give up the good life in favor of getting back to his roots. A teenager when he arrived in Kansas, the Head of Security quickly fell in with Logan Vickersâ gang of hoodlums. Like the Horse Handler, the Head of Security was brought into Rafael Solerâs circle by Vick, yet unlike the Horse Handler, the Head of Security has no qualms about the unsavory things that go down at the ranch. Though, perhaps this is why the more abhorrent tasks are left to Vick. Instead, the Head of Security is charged with protecting the girls from overzealous patrons and the occasional disgruntled boyfriend. He and Vick are in an erratic off-the-books affair that neither man acknowledges.
Horse Handler (mid 30s) â Open Suggested FC: John Boyega, Michael B. Jordan, Dudley O'Shaughnessy Kansas born and bred, Lone Paradiseâs resident Horse Handler has spent his lifetime in the flat grasslands of the Midwest. The son of a pair of horse breeders, the Horse Handler knows his way around those beautiful creatures. Like Logan Vickers, he participated in the local rodeos in his youth, solidifying their friendshipâone that has lasted to this day, despite Vickâs unconscious attempts to derail it. An old soul with a bleeding heart, the Horse Handler is a misfit among the Paradise Ranch staff. He stands against everything that Rafael Soler believes, but found himself roped into the madness by Vick nearly a decade ago. Now he cares for the horses that the ranch keeps for races and fixes the odds in the houseâs favor when Raf deems it necessary. A bit of a white knight, heâs been known to engage in relationships with the entertainment, believing he can save them from a life of servitude.
Legal Advisor (33-36) â Open Suggested FC: David Castañeda The legal advisor is Rafâs son, returning from a lackluster stint on the East Coast, but also the most presentable face of the operation, there in places where his father, Rafael Solerâs accent or aggressive bearing might be less welcome. Whether in dealings with local police, lawsuits, or other official functions, the legal advisor knows where all the bodies â perhaps literally â are buried, and is more than happy to grace the situation with a placid all-American smile. His exact feelings toward the ranch and/or his father are murky at best, and buried under carefully considered words; however, his eye has really been drawn to his fatherâs latest favorite, Annie March, much to his dismay.
Entertainment Manager (40s) â Open Suggested FC: Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Thandie Newton One of Rafâs long time favorite performers, the Entertainment Manager has done her fair share of favors to get to where she is today. Beginning as just one of the girls, the Entertainment Manager exercised her feminine wiles to charm Raf and win his favor. At one time, she might have thought heâd marry her, but sheâs long since learned of her disillusion. A few years ago, Raf retired her from the floor and now she manages the talent with a firm, but fair, hand, taking it upon herself to protect the ones who do good work. She spits fire and fights for what she wants, but she knows to bite her tongue when it comes to Raf. Vick, however, is a different story. She knows they stand on equal footing and is more than willing to throw her weight around when necessary. She has been involved in a long term relationship with Rafael Soler that spans both the personal and professional, though his attention towards her has waned since Annie March caught his lustful gaze.
Escort One â Annie March (24) FC: Josephin Skriver || played by Mady/ Sheâll convince anyone who asks that sheâs doing just fine, but Annie is always a step away from disaster. After attempting to steal cash and a car from Raf, Annie has been working for him to pay off the debt. But that hasnât stopped her from borrowing more and more money from him to fund her drug habit. Annie has her share of secrets, including that sheâs trying to get a little freedom after being under Morphosâ watch for most of her childhood and can make people do just about whatever she wants them to. At the end of the day, Annie is a survivor and sheâll play whatever game she needs to in order to get by.
Escort Two (20s) â Open Suggested FC: Zendaya Too smart for her own good, Escort has her own operations going on behind Rafâs back. She has private clients she sees on the side and is carefully stealing from Raf in order to fund her escape from the ranch and Arkney. She might come off as the cold type but she has a soft spot for Jockey, even though she knows this is the last place to start caring about people. Particularly close to the Entertainment Manager and almost feels bad for lying to her face but doesnât fully trust anyone here. Doesnât realize how dangerous her moves are getting and that the Legal Advisor is starting to catch on.
Escort Three (early 20s) â Reserved for Sam Suggested FC: Karmay Ngai A girl from a nearby town nobody bothers to remember, she is the youngest and newest addition to Rafâs coterie. Seeing the success of former girls like the Entertainment Manager, she has an idea that the ranch is her way out. It should go without saying that not all is as it seems. From the icy indifference of the Entertainment Manager to the questionable warnings and/or advances from the Horse Handler, nothing is given and she learns she must find her footing within the complex politics of the ranch. But how long will it take for the glamor of the ranch and its clientele to wear off? Only time will tell.
Jockey (20s) â Open Suggested FC: RegĂ©-Jean Page, Reece King, Avan Jogia First spotted by Raf at the derby, something about his headstrong, self-assured nature found him in the manâs good graces. One of the fastest racers, Raf soon after offered him a resident position at the ranch with an income that put a jockeyâs to shame. Aside from serving as a conversation piece at the ranch for the guests (heâs a skilled storyteller to boot) and eyeing Escort 3, he also has been unwittingly drawn into some of the ranchâs shadier dealings by Vick and the Horse Handler. Heâs beginning to realize that he canât see the bottom of the pool heâs entered.
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This broker tries to combine low commissions with good tools and customer service. There is no commission fee on U.S. listed stocks and ETFs and no ticket fee on option trades and a contract fee of just 50Âą per contract. They started out with the idea of fostering a trading community and claim focus on customer service by offering knowledgeable staff who answer the phone quickly as well as easy access to chat and quick responses to e-mails.
Fidelity
Fidelity has traditionally been more geared toward the investor than the active trader, but over the past five years or so they have also catered more to active traders. While not a direct access broker, their commissions are very competitive. They offer zero commissions on stock and ETF trades and $0.65 per contract on option trades. They also offer more robust customer service than most direct access brokers.
E*Trade
E*Trade is well known for itâs ubiquitous advertising. They have been around for a while and now offer zero commission on stocks and ETFs with $0.65 per contract on options. They claim to cater to all types of traders and have a special platform they call eTrade Pro for active traders.
Tradezero
Tradezero is an offshore broker which allows small accounts to daytrade. There is no commission on limit orders that add liquidity. They clear with Vision Clearing. They offer 6 to 1 leverage. You can read the FAQ here. They have recently opened a US branch with regular leverage and zero commissions as well. As with many brokers, you might want to use them for trade executions but use a separate charting package for your charts.
Schwab
Charles Schwab was the first of the major US full service brokers to switch over to zero commission stock and ETF trading. They charge $0.65 per option contract. They have generally offered superior customer service in tandem with low commission structures over the years and are a very reasonable choice for a broker.
Tastyworks
Tastyworks is a relatively new brokerage started by Tom Sosnoff who was instrumental in starting thinkorswim and sold it to TD Ameritrade. They offer a competitive commission structure which you can check out here. You can use a small cash account to daytrade options and start each day with your settled funds balance as your buying power for the day.
Robinhood
Robinhood is a mobile app that allows you to trade stocks, ETFs, options and crypto. A major feature is that the trades are âcommission freeâ. It looks like they now do their own clearing. You can read about that here. There are some distinct disadvantages to trading off of a phone, but you can also use a full featured platform along with robinhood to help you analyze the market.
TradeStation
The TradeStation platform has been around for many years and originally started out as Omega Charts. For a long time they were way ahead of the competition and likely pushed the evolution of trading platforms forward. They have integrated trading into most aspects of their software, so you can easily trade from the platform which is a very good feature. If you are into backtesting and system building, they have a programming language called EasyLanguageÂź which allows you to build and test systems. They also provide you with an extensive historical database to facilitate backtesting.
MultiCharts
MultiCharts is a charting and trading platform with a robust set of features. The platform allows backtesting and indicator creation with EasyLanguage. As with many of the better software packages you can do market replay which allows you to practice your trading risk free. It is a very customizable package so you have a lot of flexibility to set up your workspace in a way that suits your trading style.
TC2000
The TC2000 platform has very good clean, sharp looking charting with many added features. The watch lists are also very configurable. Another favorable aspect of this package is that you can add trendlines, etc. and they will still be there the next time you go to the chart. The following is from the TC2000 website: Scan and sort through 1000âs of stocks per second. Screen from hundreds of indicator & fundamental criteria customized with your parameters and time frames. Just follow the step-by-step wizard to build your custom conditions. No programming is required, but you can optionally write condition formulas to refine your results. TC2000 helps you find the charts you are looking for in real-time.
eSignal
eSignal has been around for a long time. They are one of the more pricey packages. Their charting is quite clean looking and their data is pretty good. They used to be at the forefront of charting packages, but others have caught up to them in recent years. You can check out their promo video here
AmiBroker
Amibroker has been around for almost thirty years. It is a charting and back-testing package that is extremely powerful and fast but not especially intuitive. Itâs user base is fiercely loyal, but a large percentage of them are quite code savvy. For the average user, there will probably be a steep learning curve. All that would be well and good, except for the fact that the user manual is a bit much to decipher and the tech support is done mostly by e-mail and a yahoo message group of all things! Here is the user database. I would highly recommend this software if it had more user friendly support. The pricing is very reasonable.
Trading View
Here is what Tradingview has to say about their services: Easy and intuitive for beginners, and powerful enough for advanced chartists â TradingView has all charting tools you need to share and view trading ideas. Real-time data and browser-based charts let you do your research from anywhere, since there are no installations or complex setups. Just open TradingView on any modern browser and start charting, learning and sharing trading ideas! Itâs basically a community platform for sharing trading ideas and also offers real time charting capabilities.
Medved Trader
Jerry Medved is a programmer who developed and founded âQuoteTrackerâ years ago and eventually sold it out to TD Ameritrade. QuoteTracker was an excellent charting program that was very reasonably priced and could be had at a discount through various brokers. When Jerry sold it out to TD Ameritrade, he apparently was not able to compete with them for a set amount of time. It appears as though the non-compete is expired because he recently came out with Medved Trader. In the spirit of QuoteTracker, Medved Trader is a full featured, reasonably priced, well put together trading software package. Here is a demo of Medved Trader done by Jerry himself. You can get it for free from some brokerages including TradeKing and Tradier brokerages.
NinjaTrader
NinjaTraderâs platform is a capable charting package with numerous valuable features. You can add indicators and trade off the charts if you like. It facilitates back-testing as well. Here is the platform purchase page. You can download and try out simulated trading for free in order to get to know the platform. It can be configured to work with a number of different brokers and comes free with a NinjaTrader account if you do a certain volume of trades per month.
SierraChart
SierraChart is an excellent charting program which is compatible with a number of broker datafeeds as well as with many third party datafeeds. The price is reasonable and it is possible to trade right from the platform.
Sterling Trader Pro
A professional level platform, Sterling Trader Pro is used by prop firms, broker-dealers, and active traders. You can connect from your desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, or Android.
DAS Trader
DAS Trader is a high end trading platform which you can get through many brokers. Itâs available on desktop, laptop, iPhone, or Android.
FinViz
These guys provide one of the best free scanners available on the net today. Itâs so good, as a matter of fact, that you donât really have to sign up for their paid service if you donât want to. Although it seems as though they are geared toward the lower priced stocks when you look at the landing page, you can click on the screener section and set the parameters to your liking. Itâs a great tool for getting quick background news and other info on stocks you are interested in. Simply click on the ticker and youâll get a page with much of the pertinent fundamental information as well as recent news and a daily chart. For more info and intraday charts, you can subscribe for a very reasonable price.
Protrader.com
Trade Ideas
This service is a sort of artificial intelligence trading helper. You get to program the scans according to criteria that fits your scan ideas. If you get stuck, this software has many pre-frabricated scans that you can mix and match. The scanning is very current and you will get as many alerts as you can handle provided you give it enough to look for.
Your Brokerâs Stock Scanner
Donât forget to check out your brokerâs scanner. Many brokers license commercial scanning software either in whole or part. You might be surprised how close the results are to those of software you would pay a significant extra fee for. I highly recommend that you check this out first before spending extra money on a paid service.
Protrader Web
Market Watch
MarketWatch is a subsidiary of Dow Jones and Company, the same company that owns the Wall Street Journal and Barrons. Although the news is not timely enough for active day trading, it offers a lot of useful news covering all sorts of things and can give you an overall look at what is happening in the Market. It has a lot of entertaining and fluff news as well.
CNBC
As you already probably know, CNBC is a financial news network covering current events related to the world markets. It is up to you to decide how useful the information presented here is. There is no doubt that there is a lot of âhypeâ on this station, but they do cover breaking events that are important to daily trading activities. You can find the pertinent info faster with subscriber news services, but a lot of people enjoy watching CNBC for entertainment purposes as well.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg.com is a business news website that covers news pertinent to the Markets as well as business in general. In some ways it is similar to CNBC but more sophisticated with less hype.
Yahoo Finance Economic Calendar
The Yahoo Economic Calendar is a good place to get the run down on what important market related announcements are coming up. If you donât have this info elsewhere, itâs worth checking out before the market opens. They donât update the results fast enough for active day traders, but at least you can be aware of when important reports are coming out and adjust your trading accordingly.
World Charts
Allstocks.com is a funky little website that features a lot of useful information for traders. The main page I use on this site is the world charts page which shows a time delayed read out of how the world markets are doing. Itâs a quick way to get a snapshot of what occurred overnight around the globe.
Yaba Daba Doo!
Www.protraderinstitute.com
Rebate trading is an equity trading style that uses ECN rebates as a primary source of profit and revenue. Most ECNs charge commissions to customers who want to have their orders filled immediately at the best prices available, but the ECNs pay commissions to buyers or sellers who âadd liquidityâ by placing limit orders that create âmarket-makingâ in a security. Rebate traders seek to make money from these rebates and will usually maximize their returns by trading low priced, high volume stocks. This enables them to trade more shares and contribute more liquidity with a set amount of capital, while limiting the risk that they will not be able to exit a position in the stock.
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The Song You Might Have Been (Chapter 1)
Fandom: A Heist with Markiplier/Who Killed Markiplier
Pairing: Prison Attorney (Yancy x Y/N District Attorney)
Summary: In which circumstances occur and the assistant district attorney ends up in the same prison as a certain inmate who might be their only chance at survival.Â
A/N: Yes, itâs been months. Iâm sorry. I had trouble finishing the last chapters so I put off posting it, because I didnât want to leave you guys hanging if I never finished, and then I got hit with a major bout of depression regarding my writing and a bunch of other stuff in my life.
But, Iâm feeling a lot better about myself and my writing, so I thought Iâd share what I did have of this fic. Yes, this is the same nonbinary DA from my other series. Please let me know what you guys think!
Many thanks to @timelords-13
---
Itâs unthinkable. Except that it isnât, because it happened.
Youâve been framed for a crime you didnât commit.Â
And the frame job is good. Enough to have you arrested. Enough to taint what little good reputation youâd cultivated in the city as a public servant working under the District Attorney.
But not good enough to convince your closest friend.Â
âListen,â Damien reassures you, just before youâre hauled off to prison, âDonât worry, we wonât leave you in there. Iâm on this, Mark is on thisââ
âWhy should I be reassured that your B-list actor friend is interested in my case?â
Damien rolls his eyes. âI understand your doubt, but Mark is well-connected, my friend. His social capital rivals mine. Iâm sure he can get a dedicated detective interested in clearing your name.â
âWhy do you expect me to trust Markâs judgment in detectivesââ
âMy friend, retain some of your optimism, or at least have some faith in me, please? And, listen, while youâre in prison, Make. Friends. Or alliances, at least. Youâre going to need someone to keep you alive.â
âWhat, you donât think I can look after myself?âÂ
You knew he was right, he is right, but if you didnât give him a little bit of a hard time like you normally would, you would have lost what little cool youâre retaining.
And so here you are. Being escorted into prison. A non-white, not-quite-male prosecution lawyer.Â
Great. Just great.
And apparently your reputation precedes you. Once youâve been processed and properly stripped of almost all your personal possessions (you managed to sneak a picture of your mother into the pocket of your jumpsuit), you find yourself shoved into the outside yard and on the receiving end of stares from just about every prisoner milling about.
Your natural prickly bravery is warring with your fear of being in a place like this with no chance of protection. You find the most uninhabited corner of the yard and lean against the fence, hands in your pockets. Touching the photo in your pocket helps to ground your pounding heart.
Make friends. Easy for Damien to say. Heâs not the one with the personality of a housecat only slightly used to human interaction, but thatâs what happens when you dare to go against the status quo from the get-go and refuse to take shit from anyone about it.
The big difference between you and Damien is in your political approaches. Damien is transparent, kind, honest, and has enough social capital that the entire city adores him. Even the tabloids donât dare to trash his reputation and any attempts to do so have fallen flat.
You, on the other hand, are far more cutthroat and firm in your approach. You emphasize justice and cracking down on the criminal element in the city, but you donât leave out corrupt officials either. Youâve put just as many white collar criminals away as blue collar, and youâve done so without any particular bias. Youâve created the reputation of an incorruptible crusader, but not someone who pursues a case without being absolutely sure the perp is guilty.
Hence your cynicism about the likelihood of anyone liking you enough to a) keep you alive here in a prison full of criminals you prosecuted or b) clear your name and get you out of prison in the first place.
âHey!â
You immediately tense up. Please donât be talking to me, please donât be talking to meâ
âHey, youâre the attorney that put me in here!â
Jesus Crucified Christ.Â
You make eye contact with the guy approaching you and, sure enough, you recognize him. A former gang member whoâd taken a side job as a human trafficker. Whoâd have thought even gangs looked down on that sort of thing? It was thanks to the gang leader himself that this guy was charged in the first place.
âTrent Newman,â you greet nonchalantly. âLong time, no see.â
Newmanâs eyes narrow dangerously. He moves toward you like heâs got a shiv in his pocket. Whatâs the turnover on dead guards and prisoners here? Youâve tried to find out in the past, but the Warden whoâd earned the nickname âMurder-Slaughterâ didnât exactly have an open book policy into the kind of prison he ran.
âWell, looks like my luck is turning around!â His hand reaches into his pocket. Shit. Sometimes you hate it when youâre right. âIâve got something Iâve wanted to give to you since the trial, and now Iâve got my chance!â
You move slowly into a defensive position. Getting shivved on Day One of your prison stint wonât look good for you. âYou sure you want to do this now, Newman? With the guards around? With this many witnesses?â
âDo I look like I care?â Newman spits back.
âWell, youse should, shouldnât ya?â
Newman whirls around and your attention focuses on the guy who just popped up behind him. This inmate has multiple tattoos on his neck and arms, and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his biceps.
âBut, câmon, Boss, this ainât just any criminal, this is an attorney, this is the attorneyââ
âI thought I told you, Newbie Newman. No one gets shivved here without my knowinâ âbout it. So why donât youse go occupy youself elsewhere whilst I welcome our new guest?â This guyâs tone is casual enough, but only an idiot would miss the outright threat underlining his words.Â
Newman is an idiot, but heâs not that clueless. He tosses one last glare your way before storming off.
Once Newman is gone, this guy saunters up to you with all the confidence of someone whoâs been here for too many years to count. âIâve heard of youse, I think. Youâre that big-time attorney somebody, huh? Iâve got quite a few inmates here whoâve got youse to thank for their residence.â
This isnât off to a promising start, delayed shivving notwithstanding. You wait for him to get to his point.
He inclines his head at you. âNot much of a talker, huh? Thatâs fine. I loves to chat it up. The names Yancy, by the by.â He rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck. There looks to be a pack of cigarettes stuffed into his rolled up sleeve. âSo, what are youse doinâ in here? Get a little tired of following that justice book of youseâs? Take a bribery from the defense? Get a little snort of the good stuff?â
âFrame job,â you answer, against your better judgment.
âSo you finally snapped and framed a guy? Canât say Iâm surprised, you lawyer typesââ
âNo, I was framed,â you correct. Youâre not sure why. Itâs not like it will matter to this guy.Â
Yancyâs eyebrows shoot upwards. âIs that right?â When you donât respond, he leans forward, his eyes squinting at you. âSo you tellinâ me youse innocent, then?â
Your brow lifts at him in response. âWould you believe me if I did say that?â
Yancy blinks at you like a baffled cat. He leans even closer, sniffs a few times, and straightens away from you. âYes, yes I think I could. What were youse framed for?â
Wait? What? Does guilt smell like something? Your arms cross over your chest. âUh, well, I donât have any proof on meââ
âThis ainât the kinda place lookinâ for proof, just get on with youseâs tale, huh?â
Well then. This wasnât exactly how you expected to tell your life story for the first time. This day is already shaping up to be far different from your expectations.Â
âAnother attorney at the office was on the take. Connor Smith.â His office nickname had been âPit-stain,â but thatâs not exactly pertinent to your story. âLeaking information and taking bribes from another public official that Iâm pretty sure is embezzling from the charity heâs running. Maybe even funding the new drug empire in the city. I only had been investigating off the books for a week before Smith ended up dead, and the police found evidence implicating me.â
Yancy listens to all of this quietly, nodding along and stroking his chin with two fingers. âI see, I seeâŠâ Then he shrugs. âWell, thatâs unfortunate for youse, but hey, lifeâs an unfair bowl of cream, ainât it? So, while you get comfortable in youseâs cell, I can show youse the ropes of this placeââ
âWhoa, whoa, whoa,â you interrupt. âYouâre making it sound like Iâm never getting out.â
Yancy blinks at you again. âWell, why would youse wanna leave?â
Is he...is he serious? âWhy would I want to stay in a prison full of inmates who want me dead?â
âWhat, like that jackass Newman?â Yancy scoffs. âLook, Gorgeous, many of youseâs arrests are happy to be here. No water bills, hooch wine, no nine-to-five job eating their mind away.â He clicks his tongue and winks. âWhat more could you ask for?â
Well for starters, youâd like wine not made out of toilet water, but thatâs not the point right now. âMy freedom, maybe? Because Iâm innocent?â
âHey, what makes you think Iâm not innocent myself?â
âAre you?â
âNo, but itâs the principal of the thing, ya know? Innocent until proven guilty, and all that nonsense!â
You canât help it. You laugh. This is so goddamn surreal, and youâre still utterly baffled that this is your life for the foreseeable future. Your laughter catches Yancy off guard and you wave your hand dismissively. âYouâre right, youâre right. Still, I think Iâll focus on staying alive until my name is cleared.â
Yancyâs eyes narrow at you again. âWhat, you think youâre too good for this place, is that it?â
The anger in his voice is confusing. âNo? I just...haveâŠâ You shrug helplessly. âI have people I need to get back to.â
The anger leaks out of Yancyâs posture as a look of understanding comes over his face. âAh, I see! Youse gotta piece on the outside, huh? Well, Gorgeous, thatâs what conjugal visits are for, I donât see why that would hold youse upââ
âNo, God, no, thatâs not what I meant. I mean...ugh, fine.â Against your better judgment, again, you pull your momâs picture out of your pocket and show Yancy. Itâs one of the few you have of the both of you together. Happy. Smiling.Â
Much to your horror, Yancy yanks the picture right out of your grip. âHey!â
He skips out of your reach without taking his eyes off of your momâs image. âYouse the family type, huh, is that it?â
You snatch the picture out of his hand and stuff it back into your pocket. âWhat if I am?â
âHey, no need to act all defensively there, Gorgeous,â Yancy reassures. Thereâs a glint of...something in his eyes. Youâd dare to call it regret if you didnât know better. âBut lemme tell you what Iâve learned since coming here, yeah?â He leans in just close enough to make you uncomfortably aware of his soapy smell. The last person to be this physically close to you was Damien. âYouâll forget about youseâs familial bonds soon enough. The past doesnât survive within these walls, you hear?â
He pulls away from you just as the prison bell rings and you suddenly feel like you can breathe again. âAnyways, youâll change youseâs mind soon enough. Once you forget about your worries and strife, youseâll fit right into this luxurious place.â
The man jogs inside with a gang of inmates surrounding him before you can respond.
You donât see Yancy again until breakfast the next morning.
After a night of anxious sleep on the bunk underneath the cellmate who barely spoke two words to you (youâre pretty sure this is another criminal you condemned in court), you werenât really sure what to expect at mealtime. You came in long after dinner the day before and your conversation with Yancy left you wrongfooted for many reasons.
(Of course, first things first, you have to deal with the public showers. Hopefully thatâll be the worst part of this experience.)
You settle at a corner table all by yourself. Breakfast consists of a runny but hot oatmeal and a small carton of milk. Your appetite is nonexistent, but seeing as the food situation might not improve anytime soon, you take small bites anyway. You canât afford to let your strength wane from hunger.
âAre you the framed lawyer?â
You almost choke on your oatmeal as you spin around in your seat and see a giant of a man standing behind you, his forearms crossed. Thereâs a spider web tattoo on his bald head and a long bushy beard on his chin. âI...might be?â
He nods and sits next to you. The seat creaks underneath him. He pulls a fork out of the pocket of his jumpsuit and takes a giant bite out of your oatmeal. âBoss told me to make sure no one bothers you. The nameâs Jimmy.â
By âbossâ does he mean Yancy? Why the hell would Yancy bother with giving you a personal guard?Â
â...oh. Thanks?âÂ
Jimmy nods gravely. âI do what the boss tells me. Heâd be here himself, but he had business to tend to with the warden.â
You have nothing to say to that, so you continue eating your oatmeal and continue to just let Jimmy eat off your plate. He asks for your milk carton and you hand it off without a word.Â
Itâs not until breakfast is about to end that the man of the hour himself appears. âGâmorning, gâmorning, Legal Eagle!â Yancy greets. âHow are you and Jimmy the Pickle here getting along?â
âThey gave me their milk!â Jimmy reports with a toast of your milk carton.
âOh, a generous lawyer?â Yancy looks you up and down. âFirst one to come to this place. Thatâll be all, Jimmy, thank you.â
When Jimmy goes to leave, turning back one last time to smile at you with a wave of the milk carton, Yancy takes his place the next seat down from you, feet coming up to rest in the space between the two of you.
âDare I ask why you assigned me a bodyguard?â Suspicious as you are, you try to convey through tone that you have no problem with having one.
âCanât have a new inmate die right off the bat, now can I?â Yancy pulls a bread roll out of his pocket and tosses it to you. You catch it in surprise. âCasts a bad look on me. No one dies here without my say-so.â
You take a bite out of the bread roll. Itâs a little stale, but itâs much preferable to the oatmeal. âSo Iâm more useful to you alive right now?â Youâre not offended. At this point, youâll take what you can get until youâre released from Happy Trails Penitentiary.Â
âYou could say that.â Yancy blows a loose strand of hair out of his face. âI was just talking to the warden about your cellmate situation.â
âWhat about it?â
âWell,â the bell rings, signalling the end of breakfast, and Yancy winks as he swings his feet off and hurries away again, âyouâve got a new one, of course!â
You donât think much of this until that evening. In the meantime, your first job is in the kitchens washing dishes. Thereâs a pleasant routine to doing a chore youâre familiar with. The guard in charge of this job is more than terrifying, but he leaves you alone once he sees how quick and efficient you are. (Youâre not so naive as to forget that prison guards can be even more dangerous than the inmates.)Â
Jimmy plops next to you again at lunch and your time in the yard passes, miraculously, without incident.
When itâs time to return to your cell for the night, you see an unfamiliar pair of legs dangling from the top bunk. Then you see the face at the other end of the body.
âWhat,â you begin with no small amount of suspicion, âthe hell are you playing at?â
âIâm sure I have no idea what youse talkinâ about, Legal Eagle,â Yancy (because of course it is) responds in a too-innocent voice.Â
Looks like that nickname is sticking. Great.Â
âListen,â Yancy continues when he sees that youâre not at all convinced at this âcoincidenceâ that has taken place not even twenty-four hours after your arrival. âLike youse said. There are plenty of inmates here whoâd like to see you dead. I can hold off most of them, no problemo. But a few are just whack job enough to be out of my hands. They barely listen to the warden, let alone me. Henceforthing, I say that the best bet is to keep an eye on youse myself. Iâm a rather busy bee durinâ the daytime, so Iâll be takinâ the night shift, I will.âÂ
He shifts around the bunk until his top half is dangling upside down, right in front of your face. âUnless youâd rather someone sneak in at night and stick ya in youse sleep.â
âI think you know the answer to that,â you retort. âBut why put in this much effort to protect a new inmate, and more than that, a prosecuting attorney?â A thought occurs to you and your eyes widen. âWait. Do you...do you know something about my case?â
Even upside down, Yancyâs face is inscrutable. âI guess youâll have to figure that out for youself, donât ya, Gorgeous?â He lifts himself back onto the bed and crosses his ankles. âWhy donât you get some rest, huh? The guard in charge of the kitchens doesnât take too kindly to cranky inmates who donât appreciate the work theyâve been given.â
You stand there, glaring at him, for another several seconds before dropping to the floor and doing fifty push-ups. Because you didnât do your usual twenty-five last night and also because youâre not just going to take this guyâs word as gospel. Youâll wait until heâs asleep first before getting to bed.
--
Thank you for reading! Please relbog/comment! If you want to be tagged/untagged for the rest of this series or this pairing, please leave a message in my inbox!
Link to Chapter 2 is here!
@starcrossedforever87 , @dontworryaboutanything , @beereblogsstuff , @falseroar , @intemperantiae , @memetoyoko , @soul-wolf , @marki-dumb , @withjust-a-bite , @raimeyl , @scribbeetle , @its-dari , @neverisadork , @silver-owl413 , @sassy-in-glasses , @chelseareferenced , @sketchy-scribs-n-doods , @axolittle-boi , @wildfandom , @shrinkthisviolet , @purple-anxiety-blog , @conceitedink , @skidspace
#kat writes#ahwm#a heist with markiplier#ahwm yancy#prison attorney#y/n district attorney#wkm#please guys#i need feedback on this one
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Random HCs for Some of My Verses
Futureâs Blurry (the Past is a Trap) verse:
-Glaucus has no idea how he wound up with a pet mad scientist. He WENT there intending to kill Besithia, he DID. Instead he found himself with a mad scientist on his heels, complaining about not having a fancy lab anymore and needing it if heâs going to prove Glaucus wrong.
-Oh yeah, Glaucus thinks with a squint, somewhere in the whole âsomehow not killing the scientistâ (not that he COULD, Prompto had come from that man and if there was a chance ... well, he loved Prompto more than he hated Besithia, it would be worth the annoyance) Glaucus had said that Besithia wasnât smart enough or skilled enough to be Really All Thatâą. Besithia had immediately taken offense, forgetting all about his life being in danger in favor of his pride, and demanded HOW DARE. OF COURSE HE WAS.
-Glaucus had snorted something to the order of how if he was REALLY all that he would be able to make a cure/vaccine for the Scourge, not just piddle around infecting things with it and claiming to have done something NEW (the scourge infected everything by nature, essentially infecting machinery wasnât new, it was just calculated stupidity).
-Glaucus thinks that might have been what led to his acquisition of a scientist actually. Besithia so insulted heâd been willing to defect from the empire that they both knew would never condone a vaccine for their precious Scourge just to prove Glaucus WRONG.
-At one point he has to stop and laugh hysterically over the fact that he just took out Niflheimâs R&D division at the kneecaps. By doing a slightly (SLIGHTLY) more adult version of Double Dog Daring their head scientist.
-Thereâs also the fact that, to get proper funding, housing, and equipment for his new pet scientist, Glaucus could no longer just subsist on bounties from Hunts and dragging Ardyn from hotel to hotel. No, he needed money, manpower, resources that couldnât be tracked.
-Lucky for him, he was once Cor the Immortal, the guy in charge of busting illegal butts and then later in charge of the surviving population of humanity in the Long Night. He knew a thing or two about discreet resources and acquisition of funds.
-The Insomnia Underworld had no idea what hit it. It feels like one minute their going about their days, discreetly infighting between the families, laundering their illegal items, the next minute everything is being taken over like dominos by an icy-eyed TEENAGER that canât seem to DIE no matter what is thrown at him.
-By the end of the year post getting his scientist, Glaucus had (unwillingly) re-taken his title of The Immortal and was the shadow king of the entire freaking Underworld of Insomnia and a good chunk of Lucis. Anyone who didnât like his new rules of conduct were killed or kicked out and those who were smart enough to swear loyalty found themselves magically bound by their word (Glaucus had no idea how he pulled off that trick, he blamed the KoL and their shenanigans during the time travel). Glaucus then put some of the less scummy and more intelligent ones in charge and calmly swanned off to go back to running around the wilds taking on Hunts and blowing up Nif bases.
-The new Lieutenants in charge of the underworld on behalf of their new Underworld King all just ... kinda blinked at each other and silently asked âWhat Just Happened?â
-And that is how Cor/Glaucus ended up the reigning king of the Lucian underworld and Besithia got to play mad scientist in a hidden laboratory all Right Under King Morsâ Nose thank you and good night.
...
Risk the Fall (We Have Felt It All) verse:
-The others in the main cast of the first game get reborn too, donât @ me.
-As we all know, Lightning is the new Crown Princess of Lucis and Hope is the new Crown Prince of Tenebrae, the others are also their own characters so to speak except for Snow and Serah but weâll get back to them in a sec.
-Sazh is an Armaugh. Heâs Weskhamâs nephew and his new name is Sors. Heâs three years older than Lightning this time around, but he STILL gets teased as the âOld Manâ of the group, which he bears with good humor. He ends up being her Hand, just like Ignis is for Noctis.
-Fang and Vanille are reborn as half-sisters who look nothing alike. Fang is the elder of the two and just as Throw Hands as ever. Sheâs like- three-ish years younger than Lightning. Vanille is five years younger than Lightning. They donât have the same mom, and only stumbled on each other by happenstance. They started by recognizing each other from their past life and then started comparing their current one and talking about it was funny that they both came from a fling rather than a marriage. Then they start talking about their respective moms (At least Vanilleâs is dead I think? Who knows, but this way Fang gets to adopt Vanille and drag her home)Â and from there they talked about what little they know of their respective dads.
-And find out their descriptions of appearance and temperament described by their mothers match.
-Eerily so.
-âWeâre sisters!â Vanille (who needs a new latin name btw) squeals in joy, throwing her arms around Fang, who just snorts dryly and says,
-âI swore that if I ever met âim, Iâd stab him where the sun donât shine. But since he gave me you ... I guess Iâll just give him a black eye. Maybe break an arm.â
-Far, far away in Insomnia, Cor pauses and reaches for his sword on instinct, sure for a moment that someone was plotting bodily harm against him. There is no one in the study but him, Regis, and Clarus however, so he shrugs it off a moment later. Probably just the nifs cursing him out for his latest mission or something.
-Snow and Serah come back as canon characters. Because I Said So.
-Luna is 8 years old when she tentatively creeps up to Zagreus/Hope, tears in her eyes, and softly asks âHopeâ if she can see her sister.
-Zagreus stares at her in shock, then slowly kneels down to be eye level and whispers, âSerah?â
-She nods, blue eyes so much older than they were just yesterday before something caused her to remember, and Hope kisses her forehead before hurrying off to find his computer. Over Skype, Lightning and Serah cry for joy and sadness.
-âWeâre not sisters this time,â pouts Lightning just a little.
-Serah smiles, sugar sweet and innocent, âI guess youâll just have to hurry up and marry Hope so we can be sisters-in-law.â Both of the elder reincarnates choke on their spit while Luna laughs.
-Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the jungles of Galahd, Libertus tiredly puts ointment on Nyxâs cuts and scrapes while the grinning Ulric holds an ice pack to his black eye, âJust had to pick a fight, didnât you,â mutters Lib, âalways gotta be the Hero.â
-Nyx smiles, and Lib notices itâs that strange, far-off sad one he gets sometimes, the one that makes him look way too old and weary for his years, âI promised,â he says simply, an apology and unknowable explanation all in one. Libertus doesnât ask WHO he promised, he knows Nyx wonât tell him. âI promisedâ has been his excuse since they could barely walk. Libertus isnât sure he wants an answer at this point. Some things just arenât for mortal men to know.
#Secret Engima Rambles#The Future's Blurry (the Past is Trap) verse#Risk the Fall (We Have Felt It All) verse#mwahahahaha
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Beyond Lovers || Chp.4
{More Than Friends Sequel}
Masterlist
Chairman!Jaehyun AU x CEO!Reader AU
Summary: You find yourself falling deeper and deeper in love with the former CEO after overcoming your fear of love. Although there were rough patches, both of you are now stronger than ever. However, you realize that maintaining a relationship and a company at the same time can be very difficult, especially if someone is out to destroy the both of you.
{ Previous / Next }
You were in awe as you walked through the building that was now lit up with purple, pink, and blue neon lights. It seemed it was only yesterday that Jaehyun proposed to have you as NCTâs CEO. You blindly accepted his offer not knowing how stressful it would be to weigh both online college and a company on your shoulders. Your eyes have almost gone blind from staring at a computer all day. From doing online courses to mapping out designs and promotions for NCT. You wouldnât have been able to get through even half of it if your friends werenât there to support you.
For the past few weeks, Soyeon and Mark have stayed up at the crack of dawn studying with you in hopes of finishing the courses required for the three of you to graduate on time. Itâd be an understatement to say that the workload is difficult. At times, you even considered going back to college to learn face to face with a professor. However, Soyeon and Mark have always toughed it out and helped to make sure the three of you had the time for NCT.
When you have finished the crazy college workload for the day, you were faced with another workload from NCT. Photoshoots, coordinating, and managing the company left you absolutely no time to relax. You were just thankful your friends were suffering along with you. Soyeon, Soojin, Lucas, Winwin, and Ten were the models of the company. Since they were already professionals, half of the stress was taken away from you, not to mention that Tenâs ability to design saved the company so much time and money. Photoshoots also go smoothly with their professional opinions for improvements. On the other hand, Mark and Johnny were of great help behind the scenes. Mark was in charge of contacting future partners and other human resource duties while Johnny and you took charge of photography and video contents. The whole company was surprised, except for you and Jaehyun, that Johnny decided to retire from modeling. You and Jaehyun have always known Johnnyâs passion and skill for photography. Plus, Jaehyun has always told you how guilty he felt to have made Johnny model with a âplayboyâ image back in SM. Taking both their thoughts into consideration, you used NCT as the perfect opportunity to settle both their concerns and wishes.
You walked through the crowded building remembering the countless nights the nine of you spent decorating and making the building look like what you all have envisioned for it to be: a place of creative freedom and a place that held no boundaries nor anyone to force a fake image upon others. With a big smile on your face, you greeted the people who congratulated you and had small talks with the guests of tonightâs grand opening event. You saw your friends enjoying their time eating, taking pictures, and just happily talking to other people. An ooze of happiness burst from inside of you. Although it was beyond difficult to start the company you and Jaehyun dreamed about, the endless efforts the nine of you put in resulted in a great outcome.Â
You scanned around the room and stopped when you saw a particularly well-dressed man staring back at you with a bright smile on his face. Returning the smile, you subtly motioned for him to come.
âHey there beautiful stranger,â the husky voice said.
You rolled your eyes at him as he wrapped his long arms around your waist. He stared at you lovingly and dove forward for a long kiss.Â
Pulling apart, he said in a breathless whisper, âCongratulations Ms. CEO, this all happened because of you.â
Giving him a quick peck, you smiled and whispered next to his ears, âWell arenât you lucky to be dating her.â
Smiling with his dimples exposed, Jaehyun tucked your hair behind your ears and gazed at you with loving eyes. âI sure am.â
Suddenly, you heard a buzzing sound in his pocket as he walked away to answer the call. You werenât sure if it was because of the strobe lights or if you were just imagining things, but you saw a slight change in Jaehyunâs eyes. He seemed angry at first, maybe even furious, but when he made eye contact with you, his bright smile returned. You quickly brushed aside the doubtful feeling and walked toward him.Â
Gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, you asked him softly, âEverything alright?â
With a light chuckle, he grabbed your hand and placed them beside him. As to assure you, he rubbed soft circles into the back of your hand and said, âI just got a call from our collaborationâs department chief. There were some problems with the contract.â
Pouting, you asked him, âSo you have to go? I didnât even do my welcoming speech yet.â
Jaehyun chuckled, pinching your cheek lightly, âIâll see my famous girlfriend on youtube later. I know youâll do great, but donât forget to mention the handsome man who funded this whole project.â
You scoffed as he gave you a wink and started heading towards the exit. You saw him grab a glass of champagne before waving goodbye to you, disappearing into the elevator.
Sighing, you, too, took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and gulped it down. You tried to calm your nerves as you gave yourself a mental pep talk. Truth be told, you were a nervous wreck on the inside even though you seemed poised and calm on the exterior. Memorizing your speech wasnât the difficult part, after all, you planned to speak your immediate thoughts instead of drafting out a speech. This way, the people will understand your genuine appreciation toward them and the company. However, what made you break down with anxiety was the gossip and drama that surrounded you in the past. Although your dating scandal with Jaehyun became less of an interest to the public, there were still many people who doubted you and the position you carry. It took you a lot to fight down your insecurities to even get dressed for the event and show up. You didnât want to disappoint your friends who all counted on you, so you shallowed down your fears and dragged yourself to the event with forged confidence, hoping nobody will notice your nervous breakdown.
You felt someone lightly wrap their arm around your neck and you turned around to see Soojin. Your best friend gave you an assuring smile and told you, âItâs going to be ok y/n. If anything happens, which it wonât, you have the eight of us to back you up.â
You returned a forced smile and replied, âItâs seven now.â
Looking at you with confusion, she asked, âSeven? Who left?â
âJaehyun did. He had to deal with one of the department chiefs.â
âTsk tsk Leaving his girlfriend on one of her most nerve-wracking nights. What a shame,â she shook her head and looked at you with a straight face, âI disapprove.â
You chuckled and lightly shoved her, âShut up Soojin. He wouldnât leave me if he saw how nervous I am. Plus, he has important business to attend to. Itâll determine all nine of our futures.â
Raising her arms up in defeat, she said, âFine, fine. Iâm just salty he took my beautiful girlfriend from me.â
You saw her pout as she leaned closer to you, and you pressed your hand on top of her mouth, shoving her away. âPlease, you had countless boyfriends and now you try to claim Iâm yours?â You looked at her with fake shock, âHow dare you! You cheater!â
You both laugh, feeling better already that Soojin was there to shake off your nerves. Soon after, you saw the rest of your friends come over, encouraging you that youâll do fine. You must say, it was nice to always have the seven of them by your side. Everything felt like it was in place as long as you and your friends were together, indifferent to the media, dramas, and gossips that could easily separate you all.
âPlease give a round of applause for NCTâs very own CEO, y/n y/l/n!â
A roar of applause was heard through the neon-lit floor and you felt your nerves rising. Giving a small smile, you walked to the front of the podium as gracefully as you could.Â
Taking a deep inhale, you let out your words loud and confidently, âThank you for the warm welcome! I am so pleased to finally introduce to you, NCT.â Another round of applause stroke and a few cheers were heard. âOur company has been working endlessly to introduce to you all our wonderful models and designs. I would like to first, thank all of our NCT models for bringing this collection to life: Soyeon, Lucas, Soojin, Ten and Winwin,â through your anxious eyes, you saw your five friends waving to the crowd. You gave them a warm smile and continued, âThese models are the center of NCT and my most precious friends. Please give them your utmost love and support.â
You continued through your speech with no mistakes and applauses were heard throughout the room. You started to feel at ease as you finished your speech with the words you wanted to say the most, âLast but not least, I would like to thank this one very special person. He has been the light of my life and the most supportive and helpful person to both me and NCT. Unfortunately, he had some matters to attend to so he wonât be here to introduce himself and talk to you all. Nonetheless, I would like to thank Jaehyun with the bottom of my heart. I love you and will continue to lo-â
A cold liquid flowing down your head caused you to freeze before you can finish your sentence. You tried continuing to speak but your eyes started to see red paint drip down from your hair to your face. You felt the crowdâs eyes stare at you as more paint fell down your body. Suddenly, you heard a few people push their way to the front of the crowd and curse at you.
ââLoveâ my ass!â
âNice way to kiss your way up to the top!!â
âYouâre nothing but a slut!â
Once again, fear and anxiety took over you. You didnât know what else to do but stand there dumbfounded. No matter how hard you tried to muster up your courage to speak, nothing came out. The people just continued to shout threats and throw all sorts of foods at you. The room started spinning and your vision started to get blurry. You saw a swarm of security running towards the shouting people and Mark coming up beside you to call an end to the event. Just as you were about to lose yourself and fall to the ground, Johnny caught you by the waist.
You heard him whisper by your ears, âHold it in, stay composed. Donât let these idiots see you fall.â
Johnnyâs words made you get a hold onto reality a little better as you stand up straight, acting as if nothing was wrong. You clutch onto his arms as the both of you walk towards the exit behind the backdrop.
âââ
âą Sorry Iâve been MIA & S U F F E R I N G âą
âą I have too much work and Iâm just a tiny girl so pls have mercy on me đ€ âą
âą Iâm also hella frustrated bc my card charged me for SuperM albums but I couldnât place my order on the website like wtf does that even make sense to u âą
âą ANYWAYS HOW WAS JOPPING YALL LEMME HEAR UR REACTIONS âą
âą STREAM JOPPING đ âą
#nct#nct 127#wayv#kpop#nct dream#nct imagines#kpop social media au#kpop texts#nct 127 smut#nct angst#nct texts#nct social media au#nct fluff#nct jaehyun#nct 127 social media au#nct 127 imagines#nct 127 angst#nct 127 fluff#nct 127 texts#nct 127 jaehyun#jaehyun social media au#jaehyun imagines#jaehyun texts#jaehyun smut#jaehyun fluff#jaehyun angst#yuta imagines#wayv imagines#beyond lovers
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Silvio Gesell hated money. A German entrepreneur who moved to Argentina for business in the late 19th century, he witnessed a massive financial crash in 1890 that convinced him that money was behind the world's economic problems: poverty, inequality, unemployment, stagnation.
The problem, Gesell believed, was that money served two roles that often came into conflict: It was a way for people to store wealth, and it was the thing everybody needed to conduct business. The fact that money could store wealth meant its holders had a reason to cling to it, especially in crises like the one he saw in Argentina, when opportunities to safely put that money elsewhere looked grim. It was a typical story. When people got scared, they hoarded cash and brought business to a standstill. It led, Gesell said, to a situation of "poverty amid plenty."
Gesell wanted to create a new kind of money â a money that would "rot like potatoes" and "rust like iron" so no one would want to hoard it, a money that was "an instrument of exchange and nothing else." And the crazy part is that he did create it. Through a series of pamphlets, articles and books, Gesell inspired a worldwide movement that introduced a completely new form of money. It's one of the most fascinating, and largely forgotten, stories in economic history.
But after 70 years of obscurity, Gesell is making a comeback. All of a sudden, this obscure radical from another age has his name and ideas popping up in unlikely places â like speeches of leaders at the U.S. Federal Reserve, research papers of the International Monetary Fund and the pages of the Financial Times. As the industrialized world grapples with stagnation and as markets signal another recession, policymakers are struggling to figure out what to do. Could Gesell provide an answer?
Money with an expiration date
Gesell was born in 1862 to a German father and a French mother, and he was raised in what is now Belgium. Back then, it was part of the expanding Prussian empire. At 24, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked as an importer and manufacturer and did well for himself. On the side, he taught himself economics.
In 1891, hoping to end the depression in Argentina, Gesell published his first work, "Currency Reform as a Bridge to the Social State." He proposed a new kind of paper money that would have an expiration date. To avoid expiration, the bills would have to be periodically stamped for a fee. With no new stamp, they would become worthless. In this system, saving money would cost you money. Savings, in other words, would have a negative interest rate. Only by spending or investing it would you be able to avoid stamp fees.
Gesell called it "free money" (or Freigold) â "free" because he believed it would be freed from hoarding and also because it would encourage bankers to lend money without charging interest. The logic was this: If you're holding on to something that's dropping in value, you'll happily part with it â even if it means that it won't make you more money than you started with. It's like a game of hot potatoes. You want to pass it on. Gesell believed this would keep money whizzing through the system, preventing future depressions and increasing public prosperity.
It was a completely radical idea, especially during a time when nations were on the gold standard. That system latched money to the stable value of gold, which meant currency was a pretty safe place to store wealth. Gesell was saying he didn't want money to be like gold. He wanted it to be like most other objects, which decay and rust and go bad. Of course, many people hated this idea, especially people with a lot of money.
In 1899, Gesell began moving back and forth between Europe and Argentina, spreading the gospel of free money and writing extensively on other matters as well. He had a bunch of eccentric views, criticizing monogamous relationships and advocating free love. He lived in a vegetarian commune near Berlin for a time. He was a bohemian utopian who advocated for peace between nations. He was critical of big business and finance, but he believed in individual freedom and market competition. And he was a committed anti-racist. As fascism rose in Germany, Gesell would call the scapegoating of Jews for the nation's problems "a colossal injustice."
Wikimedia Commons
After World War I, Gesell watched Europe descend into political and economic chaos. In 1919, anarchist revolutionaries in Munich, Germany, took the helm of the short-lived Bavarian Republic, and they persuaded Gesell to become their finance minister. Led by pacifist poets and playwrights, it has been called "one of the strangest governments in the history of any country." Gesell began pursuing a program that included land reform, a basic income for women with children and, of course, stamped money. But the job lasted less than a week â ending after another group of revolutionaries, this time led by hard-line communists, overthrew the anarchist poets and playwrights. A year later, after the German government reasserted control, Gesell was tried for treason. But, successfully arguing that his only role and purpose was to rescue the Bavarian economy, he was acquitted after a one-day trial and went back to writing.
Free money becomes real money
For decades, money that expired unless stamped was mostly a theory. It took the Great Depression to make it a reality. As the economy went into a free-fall, people scrambled to find solutions. And in towns scattered throughout Europe and the United States, they found their solution in Gesell. The money reformer, who died in 1930 of pneumonia, would not live to see it.
In 1932, in the small town of Wörgl, Austria, a town leader, Michael Unterguggenberger, got Wörgl to issue stamped money as a way to combat skyrocketing unemployment and business closures. The town used it to pay the unemployed to do public works, and by all contemporary accounts, the system worked to lift the town out of misery.
The press dubbed it the "miracle of Wörgl," and it was one in a series of local experiments with stamped money. These experiments inspired many other struggling cities, like Hawarden, Iowa, and Anaheim, Calif., to do the same. It was around then that Gesell's work was finally published in English. With classical economics discredited by the prolonged depression and with leading economists scrambling to figure out what to do, many were inspired by Gesell. Among them were Irving Fisher and John Maynard Keynes, two of the most influential economists of the 20th century.
In 1933, Fisher wrote a short book inspired by Gesell's ideas called Stamp Scrip. Fisher was an economist at Yale University, and he's now somewhat unfairly remembered for making overly optimistic predictions before the crash of 1929. He lobbied Congress to institute stamped money to provide relief to a distressed America. U.S. senators introduced a bill (S. 5125) that would have issued a billion dollars of stamped money to be distributed nationally. But it did not end up becoming law. Perhaps that's because that year was already seeing huge changes, with newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt implementing the New Deal and taking the U.S. off the gold standard.
Keynes, in 1936, dedicated five pages to Gesell in a concluding chapter of his magnum opus, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. While critiquing some of Gesell's overall theory, Keynes concluded, "The idea behind stamped money is sound."
Why do we care about this now?
After World War II, the industrialized world entered a remarkable period of economic growth. And central banks, now off a rigid gold standard, played a greater role in managing money to ease the ups and downs of the market. Negative-interest money lost its allure, and Gesell was mostly forgotten.
But the world's central banks are now thinking about how to keep money moving again. When the economy enters a downturn, they usually cut interest rates to encourage spending. But interest rates are already close to zero, which could be a huge problem in another recession. For a long time, economists believed rates couldn't go negative for a simple reason: If saving in places like a bank costs people money, they will instead just hoard cash, which won't cost them money. Cash becomes a roadblock to economic stimulus. One way around this is higher inflation, which devalues or "taxes" money in real terms, but central banks like the Fed have been showing that they have much less power to increase inflation than previously thought.
Central banks in Europe and Japan have been experimenting with teeny-tiny negative interest rates as a way to stimulate the economy, but the issue still remains that people will start hoarding cash if rates go significantly negative. It's why serious economic thinkers consider Gesell relevant again.
In our technological age, a Gesellian system of unhoardable cash wouldn't actually have to involve stamping paper bills for a fee. It could involve high-tech physical cash, such as magnetic strips that allow the government to impose a "Gesell tax" on holding cash, as one economist proposed some years ago. Harvard University's Kenneth Rogoff has been advocating we get rid of paper money altogether and move almost completely to a system of electronic cash. He believes it could give central banks the power to impose negative interest rates deep enough to rescue our economy from future recessions. In all of this, Gesell was a pioneer.
Silvio Gesell has been called everything from a "libertarian socialist" to an "anarchist" to a "free spirit" to a "crank." John Maynard Keynes had a much more affectionate term for him: a "strange, unduly neglected prophet."
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#20LakhCroreReliefPackage?
Our Prime minister, on 12th May, 2020, at 8:20 PM- that is at 20:20 announced a 20 lakh crore economic package in his speech of 20 minutes.
The Prime minister merely announced it, after which our Finance minister divulged the details of the package part by part over the next five days. Come, let us find out what this package  of 20 lakh crores holds for you, for a common man and for the middle class people, what are its benefits and disadvantages?, and is the 20 lakh crore package really worth 20 lakh crores?
Come, let us see
When you hear 20 lakh crore rupees, then you might assume that this means that the government will spend 20 lakh crore rupees from its coffers to aid the public. But it is not so! In order to comprehend this, you will first have to understand that there are two kinds of policies in economics- monetary policies and fiscal policies.
The monetary policies are framed by a country's central bank RBI is the central bank in India. Monetary policies basically involves fluctuating the interest rates change the supply of money in order to control inflation. This is done by the RBI. The other policy is the fiscal policy which is made by the government. The government alters its spending- which areas to spend more, alters the tax rates. These are the fiscal policies. The monetary policies are decided by the RBI and the RBI is independent of the government that is technically- in theory and the government formulates fiscal policies 8 lakh crore rupees out of the 20 lakh crores is a liquidity infusion by the RBI.
We will know about what liquidity infusion! But the point is that since it is a measure taken by the RBI, it classifies as a a monetary package. The problem is that in 20 lakh crore rupees of economic package rolled out by the government. It is incorrect to count the monetary package of the RBI. It is unfair to do this, because whenever we have talked about the economic packages of the countries across the world, we considered only fiscal packages.
When we said USA rolled out a 2 trillion dollar economic package- it only meant fiscal package entailing what actions and decisions the government took there. Germany rolled out a package of almost 190 billion dollars. That too, was a fiscal package. But the Indian government combined the monetary and the fiscal package together to show that the "government" had rolled out a package of 20 lakh crores.
At the outset, let us talk about the 8 lakh crores set to come in from the RBI. This money will come from the reserves of RBI. It is called a liquidity infusion because in economics, "liquid" means converting any asset into cash which will make its buying and selling easier. The money lying in the reserves of RBI was not in use in the economy. It is simply laying there. When RBI will make its reserves liquid, then it will seep into the economy and the people will be able to sell or buy it once it will be converted into cash. The RBI will do this by lowering its interest rates so that the rest of the banks that take loans from the RBI are able to avail loans for lesser interest and when they take loans at lower interest rates, they would be able to loan out to the companies and people at a lower interest as well and in this way, the extra money of 8 lakh crore rupees with the RBI. The reserves of the RBI would be injected into the Indian economy basically the money would first go to the banks and then reach the companies and the people. The money would come into the economy in the form of loans so the loans that RBI gives to the other banks and the interest rates that it charges them is called repo rate.
You must have heard in the news that the RBI is cutting down the repo rate, because this is the only way- through the process that I explained- RBI would slash its interest/repo rate the other banks would be able to avail cheaper loans and this is how money would be infused in the economy. This is a very simplified explanation that I have put before you for you to understand.
So basically the point is that the 8 lakh crores from the RBI would have negligible effect on the end consumer. So, out of the 20 lakh crores, 12 lakh crores remain which is the fiscal package from the government. Out of this 12 lakh crore, the government had already announced 1.7 lakh crore in the previous package. That is being recounted in this and there are several other things in this remaining corpus that the government has already announced earlier but they are recounting it in this 20 lakh crore package. An article in the New Indian Express tells us in detail  the schemes that the government had already announced but were recounting it in this 20 lakh crore package.
For example, the PMMSY yojana which the government had announced in the 2019 union budget. Let us get a section by section overview to find out what this economic package entails: First, for the MSMEs- Micro, small and medium enterprises-The government has decided to dole out collateral free automatic loans worth 3 lakh crore rupees. The companies would definitely benefit- but keep in mind- this is a loan. Money is being loaned out and not given out. There would be a liquidity infusion worth 90,000 crore rupees for the power distribution companies. It is a loan/loan guarantee in a way and it is being expected that the power companies would pass on the benefits to the consumers.
 Our farmers would be given a concessional credit of 2 lakh crore rupees This, again, is giving out loans at lower interest rates. A special credit facility worth 5,000 crore rupees has been provided for the street vendors. This too, means giving out loans to them. A supply of free food grains will be provided for the migrant workers for the next two months which would cost around 3,500 crore rupees and the government claims that this will benefit 8 crore migrant workers.
One nation, one ration card will also be implemented by May 31st, 2021. This is a good news but it is yet to be seen how much of it is implemented on ground. The government has also said that the migrant workers returning would be given employment under MNREGA. But have you observed how most of the things in this economic package are loans, loan guarantees or credit facilities?
Basically, the people and the companies are being given out loans at lower interest rates or without collateral. There is nothing wrong with this- it would definitely benefit some companies and some people but at the end of the day, there are merely loans being given out. Today, the person who does not have a job and is not able to bear his expenses will be able to sustain himself today with the help of the loans but someday, he will have to pay it back.
So, overall, in the long term, this is not reducing the pressure or the stress upon the public. A lot of people- At least I had expected that the government would transfer money directly into the people's accounts so that they would be benefited today- not that loans would be doled out with an expectation of repayment. The situation today has developed due to the lockdown by the government. It was necessary but not all the burden should be piled up on the people. Furthermore, such things have been counted in this economic package of 20 lakh crores which is basically your money.
For example, TDS reduction by 25%. What benefit does it impart? None, actually. Just that at the moment, you would get more liquidity in TDS, but, overall, you wouldn't get a lot of money. Similarly, EPF contribution has been reduced to 10% from 12%. This too, was your money that you were going to access later. But slashing that today would mean that you are borrowing that money from the future. This is basically the public's money being given out to the public and being counted in 20 lakh crores.
So a question would arise here is that 8 lakh rupees is from the RBI loans would be provided worth this lakh crores old schemes worth this lakh crores are being counted by the government our own money worth this lakh crore is also being counted. So how much money is the government actually spending for the benefit of the people, out of the 20 lakh crores?
The right answer of this is anywhere between 1 lakh crore and 2.7 lakh crore. Different people have made an estimation of this. Yogendra Yadav ji claims that this amount would be 1.7 lakh crore rupees out of 20 lakh crore rupees which the government will actually spend. Barclays is a famous financial services company of England. It has made an estimation that this amount is 1.5 lakh crore rupees. Care ratings has made an estimation that this amount is 2.73 lakh crore rupees. HSBC India claims that this amount is around 1% of India's GDP and not 10% of India's GDP that is, around 2 lakh crore rupees out of 20 lakh crore rupees.
So where is the 1-2 lakh rupees (that the government is actually spending) being spent? Out of this, 40,000 crore rupees would go to MNREGA which is good, in my opinion. 3,500 crore rupees would be spent on buying foodgrains for the migrants, as stated earlier which is another good thing as it would aid them. Out of this, 8,000 crore rupees would be utilized in Viability Gap Funding. That is, those projects that are not economically viable but are projects of social infrastructure which the country needs- for example, constructing roads in a village.
Overall, in my opinion, there is negligible benefits for the salaried middle class people. Furthermore, the government took some major decisions like privatizing the coal sector privatizing the defense production privatizing the power distribution and privatizing the space sector.
Now, I don't not adhere to whether privatization in these sectors is a good or a bad thing. Whether the decision was good or bad will be revealed by the implementation.
 Thankyou
Content Credit- Dhruv Rathee
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl_gcq1PmuI
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father
words: idk
warnings: none, reallyÂ
authorâs note: I really fucking hate this
this is heavily inspired by I Am Mother, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Passengers. They are all great movies that you should watch! The poem featured (in italics) is titled âFear of the Futureâ by John Koethe. If any of you get pissy I can properly cite it.
ââ
In the end one simply withdraws
From others and time, one's own time,
ââ
âSon, are you paying attention?â
Peter blinks a few times and shakes himself out of his thoughts.
âMy apologies, Father.â He responds, pressing his hands to the cold countertop of the metal table, steadying them.
âYou will not pass your exam if you keep this up.â Father tells him for the hundredth time.
Peter swallows thickly.
âFather, I-â He starts, but quickly cuts himself off.
The empty classroom is silent, except for the sound of Peterâs heavy breathing. It seems to bounce off the white walls, amplifying his nerves.
âWhat is it, son?â Father asks, leaning forward and causing a metallic sound to ring out. âYou know you can ask me anything. I will not be mad.â
Peter looks up at Father.
As much as he looks like a human, his smile is emotionless and mechanical.
âI donât understand why I have to take exams. If I am the only one left, why does it matter?â Peter finally asks.
Father doesnât drop his smile. His unnatural blue eyes shine as he speaks.
âThey measure how well I am teaching you. They can only help you, my son.â
Peter nods slowly, staring into those glowing eyes. Father reaches forward, taking Peterâs small hand in his robotic one. His right hand is void of the fake skin that covers his skeleton, leaving a robotic limb exposed. His mechanical fingers curl around Peterâs. As much as it is unnerving, Peter likes Fatherâs bare hand. Father tells him that the extinct humans modeled him after their ideal man, blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, and muscular. The exposed skeleton makes Father feel a little more real.
A little more flawed.
âNow, answer the question. 5 people are ill, but have the necessary organs to save one person of influence. On the other hand, the one person of influence has the necessary organs to save all five of the others, but will lose their life. What is the most ethical thing to do?â
âEasy. The person of influence should give up their life for the greater good.â
Father smiles.
âGood boy.â
ââ
Becoming an imaginary Everyman
Inhabiting a few rooms, personifying
ââ
Nothing goes bump in the night in their sanctuary.
Thatâs what Peter thought, anyways.
But a loud banging noise awakes him from his sleep. Peter sits up in bed, startled. His eyes dart around his pitch black room, looking for an indication of the noise. The banging doesnât seem damaging enough to set off an alarm, so Father is still asleep. Peter reaches over to turn his bedside lamp on, an unnatural white glow lighting up the room. The room is untouched, glass door tightly sealed, closet doors unopened. Peter leans over to the crisp white side table, reaching inside itâs drawer to grab a flashlight. He slips out from under the white comforter, bare feet landing on the fluffy ivory rug. The banging starts up again. As quietly as he can, Peter shuffles towards his bedroom door, pressing the button to the side of it, the door opening with a soft whoosh. He looks down the hall, trying to find where the sound is coming from. He listens intently and it seems the banging is coming from,
The Airlock?
Peter furrows his brow.
Thereâs never any disturbance by the airlock, because, well, itâs an airlock.
His feet guide him to the airlock, since Peter knows the sanctuary like the back of his hand. The banging gets louder as he approaches, becoming clear and crisp as the door to the airlock room opens. Peter shines his flashlight on the giant metal doors, protecting him and Father from the contagion outside. The sound of something on metal rings through the room.
Slowly, Peter approaches the secure doors. He has to stand on his tippy toes to reach the small window, so he does and shines his light through the glass. What he sees makes him gasp and drop his flashlight.
Thereâs someone there.
Banging on the doors.
âHey! Let me in!â The thing shouts, banging on the doors harder.
Peter is frozen as he tries to think of what to do.
If the thing is a robot, like Father, itâll most likely be able to get inside on its own eventually. Opening the door for it would set off the alarm, causing Father to catch him and punish him.
But, if the thing is dangerous, Father will be able to protect him.
Peter presses the button next to the double doors and turns the key.
The alarm starts blaring, flashing red as the doors open slowly. Before the doors even lift up half way, the entity is scrambling underneath them.
âYou couldnât have gotten here faster?â The thing spits. He looks roughed up, torn clothes and dirt smeared on his face. Peterâs heart catches in his chest when he sees a fresh, open wound underneath his eye, and a bigger one on his left arm.
Heâs human.
Peterâs mouth opens and closes as he tries to think of something to say. Both of them turn their head when they hear the sound of metal hitting the floor.
âFather!â Peter yelps as the doors to the airlock room slide open.
âA fucking droid?â The man hisses, reaching for the gun strapped onto his waist.
âWait!â Peter yells, running in front of Father as the man cocks his gun.
âWhat the hell are you doing? Donât you want to be saved?â The man sneers, hands shaking as he holds up his gun.
âSon, move out of the way.â Father says from behind him.
âPlease. We want to help. Put the gun down.â Peter says softly, ignoring Father.
The man looks at him wildly, red light illuminating his face. Slowly, he lowers the gun, turning the safety on and tossing it on the ground.
âTurn that fucking alarm off so help me god.â
ââ
The urge to tend one's garden,
A character of no strong attachments
ââ
The only sound in the cafeteria is the clanking of the manâs fork on his tray. After the alarm was shut off, all he would grumble about was food. Father told Peter to take him to the cafeteria and get him dinner.
He hasnât said a word, just grunts.
âYou just gonna fucking stare at me, huh?â The man says through a mouthful of corn.
Peter gulps.
âIâm not allowed to leave you alone. I apologize.â He says softly.
The man shorts and rolls his sunken eyes. He takes another spoonful of his corn.
âDo you have a name?â Peter finally asks, fidgeting in the metal chair.
The man inhales, dropping his fork and leaning back in his chair.
âTony.â The man, Tony, says, outstretching his hand thatâs wrapped in a frayed bandage.
âPeter.â Peter responds, shaking Tonyâs hand.
âIâm taking a shower. Thank you for your hospitality,â Tony mumbles, clearly not at all grateful.
Peter stands up quickly.
âThere are private living spaces with showers. I can show you there. See, this place was built for-â
âYeah, Iâm  aware. I can get there on my own.â Tony interrupts, pushing his tray towards Peter as he stands.
âBut sir,â Peter rushes after Tony as he walks toward the main doors. âItâs a confusing layout. Let me show you there. Youâll get lost.â
Tony whips around, grabbing Peterâs wrist, twisting it slightly. The boy lets out a little yelp.
âListen here you little shit,â Tony growls, face inches away from Peterâs, âIâm fully capable of getting around in here. Iâm the one who fucking funded it, for Godâs sake. Now, leave me the fuck alone or Iâll break your tiny little wrist.â
Peter is left speechless as Tony drops his wrist and walks away.
ââ
Who made nothing happen, and to whom
Nothing ever actually happenedâa fictitious
Man whose life was over from the start,
ââ
âHe is getting used to the changes in his life. Give him some time.â
Father squeezes Peterâs leg from where heâs sitting on the end of the bed.
âI know,â Peter says solemnly, âI just want to talk to him. Human to human.â
Father nods at these words.
âDid you know?â
âIâm just as surprised as you are, son. Get some rest. You can try to speak to our guest tomorrow.â Father says as he stands up.
âI must charge. Goodnight, my son.â
âGoodnight, Father.â
ââ
Like a diary or a daybook whose poems
And stories told the same story over
And over again, or no story. The pictures
ââ
âWhy did you choose Tony?â
Tony looks at him in confusion, then hisses as Peter dabs his cheek wound with peroxide.
âWhat do you mean?â Tony asks, wincing as Peter covers the wound with a bandage.
âWell, I chose my name after Peter Rabbit. Father always read that to me as a child.â Peter tells Tony.
The older man chuckles and shakes his head.
âThatâs cute.â He grunts, calloused fingers drifting over the bandage.
âHey! Are you teasing me?â Peter giggles, sifting through one of the drawers to get a new roll of bandages.
âNot one bit. And in real life your parents choose your name.â
Peter sighs.
This is real life.
âI donât have parents. Just Father.â He says quietly, unwrapping the worn bandage that encases Tonyâs hand.
Tony rolls his eyes.
He seems to do that a lot.
âWould you stop with the father thing? Itâs a droid. Not your dad.â Tony grumbles.
Peter is hurt.
âHeâs taken care of me all my life. Heâs never lied to me, has never hurt me.â
âBullshit.â Tony growls, âItâs been telling you that humans are extinct. But look at me. Iâm here, arenât I?â
Peter doesnât say anything.
âI try to be a sympathetic man. So Iâll give you some sympathy. You deserve to live with other humans. Have some interaction for once in your goddamn life.â
Tony is now pacing around the room.
âCome with me. Back home. Iâve got 100 people living in one of these sanctuaries a few miles away. Thereâs room for one more.â
Peter looks into Tonyâs stormy eyes.
âWhat about the virus?â
Angrily, Tony pushes over the metal supply cart. It falls to the floor with a bang.
âThereâs no virus! Canât you see?â
Tony grips Peter by the collar of his white t-shirt.
âNo virus, no disease, nothing. Just droids.â
ââ
And paintings hang crooked on the walls,
The limbs beneath the sheets are frail and cold
ââ
âYour tags.â
Tony looks up from his tray of chicken.
âMay I see them?â Peter asks, setting down his fork.
Wordlessly, Tony sets down his utensils and takes off the dog tags, bandaged hands brushing the leather of the jacket he refuses to remove. He drops the tags into Peterâs cupped hands, cool metal against his skin.
Peter lifts up the tags, thumb grazing over the raised letters.
Barnes, James Buchanan
The rest of the words donât mean anything to him.
âWhoâs James?â Peter asks, lowering his voice when he hears a door open nearby.
âBucky. He went by Bucky.â Tony says, avoiding Peterâs eyes.
âWhoâs Bucky, then?â
Tony rubs his face.
âHe was my husband. Died 3 years ago. Can we stop talking about this?â
Peter gives back his dog tags.
âSorry.â
âNo, itâs okay. I overreacted.â Tony grunts, finishing the rest of his apple juice.
Father enters the room.
âIs there anywhere private we can go?â
ââ
And morning is an exercise in memory
ââ
âWow, you talk so much. Iâm tired from listening to you talk.â
Peter giggles and flops down onto his bed, lying next to Tony.
âIâve just got a lot to say.â
Tony smiles as he looks at the ceiling.
He smiles a lot more now.
Peter turns his head so heâs face to face with Tony.
âLot going on in that pretty head of yours?â Tony asks, brushing a stray curls out of Peterâs eyes.
âGuess so.â Peter responds, face heating up.
Tonyâs hand caresses his cheek gently.
âIâm guessing youâve never kissed anyone before.â
Peter turns his attention back to the ceiling.
âHey,â Tony says softly, turning Peterâs face back to his own, âWould you want to try?â
Peter nods slowly, lips parted. Before he knows it, Tonyâs lips are pressed to his. He melts into the older manâs touch, loving the feeling of his beard. Peter decides he could do this forever. Tonyâs hand gently rests on Peterâs hip, rubbing small circles with his thumb. His tongue probes against Peterâs closed lips and the boy decides to open his lips slightly. Tony slips his tongue into Peterâs mouth with a groan. Lightly, Peter pushes Tony down so heâs lying on his back, climbing to straddle his lap.
âHoly hell.â Tony breathes once they part.
âYeah.â Peter says, hands resting on his chest.
âYeah.â Tony repeats.
Peter erupts in a fit of giggles, lying on Tonyâs chest.
âCanât wait to come home with you.â
âMe neither.â
ââ
Of a long failure, and of the years
ââ
âLet us go or I kill him.â
Peter lets out a sob as Tony tightens his grip on Peterâs throat. Theyâve rehearsed this before, yet it is still frightening to have the cold barrel of a gun pressed to his temple.
Father doesnât say anything, just watches.
âOpen that fucking door goddammit!â Tony screams, yanking Peter closer to the door.
Silently, Father presses the button to the airlock doors. Once theyâre open, Tony pulls Peter out into the open. The ground is dirt, no grass to be seen. There are a few withered trees, bare of leaves.
As the doors close, Peter catches a glimpse of Father.
He sobs.
Tony presses kisses to his cheeks, wiping away his tears as they fall to the ground.
âIâm here. Itâs okay. Youâre safe now.â
ââ
Mirrored in the face of the immaculate
Child who can't believe he's old.
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Manchester United vs. Everton Preview
Author: Declan Harte
Wednesday, May 8 2013. That was the day Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from management. Ever since then Manchester United and Everton have been intrinsically linked. Then Everton manager David Moyes was quickly put forward by Ferguson as his heir to the throne. Neither club has looked forward since.Â
In the six years following Moyesâ appointment as âthe chosen oneâ neither club has been able to sustain any level of consistency resembling that of a top club.Â
Everton replaced Moyes with Roberto Martinez. In his first season in charge Everton finished fifth. In the proceeding years Everton have finished 11th, 11th, 7th, 8th, 8th and now sit in 14th place in the current league standings. Consistently mediocre.Â
Three failed managers later and now Duncan Ferguson has been placed in temporary charge after the sacking of Marco Silva. Ferguson won his first game in charge with an impressive, energetic and intense 3-1 display against Chelsea.
But looking at the squad, itâs no wonder this side has been so stagnant over the years. Of the 18-man squad, players have debuted at the club from five different managers. This is a squad built by five different men. Five different minds, five different ideas, five different philosophies. And 500 million pounds down the drain.Â
Their opponents this Sunday have a similar story to tell. Manchester United, once the Premier Leagueâs dominant side, have completely failed to adapt to the post-Fergie world. Much like Evertonâs matchday squad last weekend, Manchester Unitedâs squad, for their 2-1 victory over local rivals Manchester City, was made up of players who were debuted by five different managers. 500 million pounds down the drain.Â
And what of the respective managers that will take to the touchline this Sunday? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Duncan Ferguson. Two managers not considered to be at the top of the game, not at the forefront of tactical innovation or even really anywhere close.Â
âBut they get the club.â
Why does that suddenly make someone qualified to manage a club? Would any of the other 18 clubs in the Premier League want Solskjaer or Ferguson in charge of their teams? Absolutely not.Â
Yet here we are. Despite being under pressure in recent weeks, Solskjaerâs position at the club remains relatively safe, according to reports. Victories over Tottenham and Man City last week have helped ease the pressure off the Norweigan. But every step forward at Man United is immediately followed by two giant leaps backwards. Progress is the enemy.Â
To give Solskjaer some credit, his new signings have improved the squad in a way that previous managersâ signings havenât. Aaron Wan Bissaka last week put in a man of the match performance against the champions that showed why he is worth 50 million pounds, and Daniel James has proven to be an uncharacteristic gem to make rivals jealous.Â
But is Solskjaer the man to bring Man United forward? When quality options like Mauricio Pochettino exist in the market, that question is one Ed Woodward should be asking himself every waking minute.Â
And is Duncan Ferguson the man to bring Everton forward, out from the darkness? Even Ferguson himself doubts this. The Scot has been very quick to dismiss his chances of taking charge full time.Â
So, who's next for Everton? Silva was supposed to be the saviour. Lured away from Watford in the most protracted process possible, the Portuguese was given the funds to build a squad in his image, but now the Everton painting looks too abstract even for Jackson Pollock.Â
This form of nostalgia as a means of trying to move forward is not the way big clubs should be carrying themselves. This short-termist pursuit of happiness, this spark of joy that was previously lacking under other managers is a temporary fix to a problem that needs long-term solutions.Â
This realisation was made by a club not too far away from either Everton or Man United. In 2012 club legend Kenny Dalglish was relieved of his duties as Liverpool manager, replaced by Brendan Rodgers.Â
Liverpool backed Rodgersâ vision and playing-style. His appointment was a progressive decision by the club to bring in a young, exciting manager and to give him the resources to build a team to gradually compete with the top sides.Â
But when the Rodgers experiment came to a natural end during a tepid 1-1 draw - against Everton in fact - the club quickly moved on. They brought in the natural evolution of Rodgersâ style. They didnât rip up his template and hit reset immediately, they built on it.Â
Jurgen Klopp was not appointed through blind luck. A plan was put in place to give the club a vision of how they wanted to play. Four years later and Liverpool have won the Champions League and have an 8-point lead at the top of the Premier League.Â
There is no evidence to suggest that Everton or Man United have learned from Liverpoolâs blueprint, or even their own errors.Â
These two clubs remain linked. Destined to keep making the same mistakes, forever stuck in the same patterns. Three points on Sunday would be massive for either manager, but ultimately meaningless for the clubâs future prospects. Until they decide to get their respective houses in order, these matches will remain a stark reminder of both clubâs recent failures that bind them together.
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bill skarsgĂ„rd. cismale. he/him. Â ïŒ Â damon stenström just pulled up blasting real life by the weekndâ that song is so them! you know, for a twenty-seven year old ceo, iâve heard theyâre really -narcissistic, but that they make up for it by being so +savvy. if i had to choose three things to describe them, iâd probably say a freshly-engraved solid gold desk plate, gaunt cheekbones and cold eyes, a tailor-fitted name brand suit worn only once. hereâs to hoping they donât cause too much trouble!
hello angels ! it me, lainie, coming @ u with another one of my babies about whomst u can find some backstory below and other such Necessary Info for plotting:
trigger warnings: death, suicide, murder mention, drug use
damon was born a first and only child in stockholm, sweden, to an extremely wealthy family, his father being the ceo of an internationally-successful energy supply company that had been taken over from his father. growing up, damon was always vaguely aware that he was supposed to be next in line when his father retired, but as a kid it never interested him much and not only was it rare to catch him asking his father questions about the business, it was more or less infrequent that they were caught spending time together at all. he was an independent and highly entitled child, soft only for his mother who spoiled him rotten.
he was 12 years old when the company expanded to north america and damonâs father decided to move them to manhattan. it was supposed to be the companyâs new headquarters and on top of that, damonâs paternal uncle was already living there. and while his dad and his uncle got along decently well ( as far as anyone was aware, at least ), damon himself did not. it had always been bad blood ( the reason for which being damonâs birthright, though he didnât figure this out until he was older ), but living in the same city now managed to exacerbate things. that on top of his tendency toward rebellion led to a highly unstable lifestyle. damonâs mother usually defended his adolescent outbursts and ceaselessly stood up for him even when it meant spending absurd amounts of money to cover up embarrassing stories from leaking to the press. damon spent his high school years partying, doing drugs, and finding his way from one bed to the next, and his family paid through the wallet.
suicide tw // it was at 19, however, that things changed. far sooner than heâd expected, his father pulled him aside one day to talk to him about the future of the company and damonâs role in it. distant theyâd always been, but his father was adamant his son be the one to take over one day. it wasnât this rare show of emotion, however, that won damon overâit was the idea of the alternative his father put in his head: namely, his uncle taking the reigns instead. the timing of all this certainly struck damon as odd but he couldnât figure out why until a week later, when his father was found dead in his bedroom with a bullet in his head.
suicide tw // there was no note, and before damon could blink his uncle had pointed a convincing finger and he was being carted off to a cell on suspicion of murder. the fact that his father had just a week ago gotten him to decide he wanted to take over the family business didnât look good, but after 72 hours he was released when it was officially ruled a suicide. there was no substantial evidence to make a case, yet that didnât stop damonâs uncle from making his views on the subject perfectly clear. in spite of that and in spite of the public talk over whether or not he really had killed his father and gotten away with it now as head of the company, damon stepped into his position as ceo just before his 20th birthday.
he knew next to nothing and relied solely on his quick logic and ability to intimidate much older inferiors into taking him seriously to get through the first six months to a year, after which he truly began to settle into his job. behind the scenes heâs still prone to getting up to his rich kid bullshit, but he keeps a relatively squeaky clean image for the public.
heâs 27 now, so heâs been at it about 7 years and has a thoroughly tight grip on the reigns at this point. at least he thinks he does. thereâs plenty of dirty dealings that keep the company running which hadnât been in place when his father was in charge, but heâs successfully kept all of that a secret.
as far as his personality goes, heâs your typical detached, entitled trust fund baby handed the world on a silver platter as well as a job as ceo of a multinational company. heâs got a bit of a god complex but is more than capable of coming off as charming when he needs to be. has a little bit of a swedish accent, particularly when heâs worked up and yelling. uses and abuses his six foot five stature and resting death glare to get what he wants.
still wildly fucked up about his dad, but will not under any circumstances talk about it except to reiterate that he did not, in fact, kill him. is a 10000% mamaâs boy but thatâsâŠâŠ..not something he shows the public either yeugdhusjs
if he was FORCED to put a label on his sexuality it would be pansexual but he rly hates the idea of putting something like that in a box. he just........sleeps with whoever catches his eye BUT heâs also careful about not letting any of his Escapades become public so heâs also relatively choosy about it unless heâs whacked out of his mind on drugs
i literally edited this and itâs still a rambly mess but iâll tell u what!!!!!!!! it is what it is and im washing my hands of this come hmu if u wanna plot or like this and i will appear in ur dms at some point !!! also plot ideas below
wanted connections
someone with whom heâs done DIRTY DEALINGS for his company!!!! could be someone else who runs a company or just someone who might have had something he needed (eg connections)
the above but with the added Spice of blackmail
one or two people heâs actually close with!!!!Â
a pr relationship / any kind of pr stuff tbh heâs always trying to do things thatâll help his image given how shaky itâs always been bc of the way he started out
an ex or two who definitely ended on bad terms, either him breaking up with them bc heâs him and got bored or they broke up w him bc heâs......him ateyrgjdhsa
endless hookups and one night stands and endless possibilities for angstÂ
people heâs hardcore led on who probably despise him now
SOMEONE whoâs like a little brother/sister to him??? that heâs very protective over and soft for and like....theyâre one of the only people who can talk sense into him when heâs being Too Insane
please just all kinds of enemies heâs so Cold itâs so easy to hate him
uhhhHHHHH people who remember the scandal about his dad and think heâs guilty !!!
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Aaron Paul as Electro & Bryan Cranston as Doctor Octopus in MCU?
Now hear me out. After watching the first two season of Breaking Bad, these two actors have caught my eye as ones with the most potential to have stellar performances in the MCU. The only Spider-Man villain to ever get a second showing would be Green Goblin, and we all know how that turned out...
So for this, Iâll be listing off potential traits for each of these twoâs roles and major plot points that I think could happen. Be warned, this is gonna be a long one.
Plot
Continuing off of FFH, Peter now has to struggle with trying to prove his innocence and keeping his secret identity. Happy tried to help him by playing as Spider-Man once... and it ended badly...
We come to a point where Peter graduates from high school, though is still not proven innocent of his actions in London.Â
Speaking of which, Mysterio is alive. Quentin Beck actually went off and freed Adrian Toomes, Herman Schultz, and Mac Gargan from prison to form an alliance in order to kill Spider-Man.
Cut to post-graduate Peter, who receives a letter regarding his acceptance into an internship role at the newly built Oscorp facility, where the Avengers Tower once was. His internship is under the guidance of Doctor Otto Octavius, who works alongside his partner, Max Dillon.
Peter mainly assists Otto and sometimes Max on their respective projects, even swinging out to get coffee once in a while. Max believes Peter is Spider-Man and is totally cool with it, but Otto denies that claim, thinking itâs just a coincidence when Peter has to show up late with drinks or for work.
Max is having a troubling financial situation where is landlord is threatening to kick him out of his apartment unless he pays double his usual rent in two weeks. Desperate to keep his apartment, Max works overtime at Oscorp. Peter helps him develop a mechanism that will allow his project to finally succeed.Â
When Max tries to use the mechanism, it breaks off and heâs struck by the eelsâ electricity, scarring his face much like the PS4 version. Heâs put into the hospital and Otto promises to pay for his treatments.Â
Otto and Peter have dinner together in the aftermath of the events. Otto decides to confide Peter in the fact that his motor functions are deteriorating. Peter vows to help him finish his project with prosthetics while also helping fix Maxâs.
Meanwhile, Max returns to his apartment to find himself evicted. When he goes to the landlord and explains what happened, he still refuses to give Max the apartment. Out of anger, Max kills him with his powers. He instantly regrets it though, running away from the scene.
We meet Norman Osborn in Oscorp as Peter and Otto are close to completing the prototype prosthetics. Norman knows Peter as an old friend of Harry Osbornâs back in grade school. He mentions that Harry is elsewhere at the moment, but advises that Peter watch out for any upcoming opportunities at Oscorp. Otto confronts Norman about trying to give Peter a better opportunity, only for it to go right back in his face as Norman notes that his research has never gone anywhere.Â
That night, Max steals money from an ATM with his powers. The police pursue him to the point where Peter intervenes. Max says he knows that itâs Peter, but Peter denies knowing him, wanting to maintain his secret identity. With their trust broken between them, Max attacks Peter in rage and gets away.
Max then encounters Quentin and the others, who give him the tools heâll need in order to achieve his goals.Â
After a while, Peter and Otto complete the arms and the neural interface. As theyâre testing it out though, Max arrives and attacks Peter for not protecting him. Otto gets caught in the crossfire and has the neural interface fused to his skin. Max gets away with his research, while Otto is taken to the hospital. Frustrated, Peter goes after Max to try and stop him.
Max lures Peter to a power plant where the rest of the villains are to ambush him. Peter escapes, but is wounded from the attack.Â
As Peter gets a motivational talk from MJ, he finds out that Max has taken Norman hostage in exchange for funding his project. Peter puts on a new suit and confronts Max and the other villains. He starts losing, but as Vulture attempts to finish him off, Otto arrives and saves Peter. One by one, Shocker, Scorpion, and Mysterio are all defeated by the combination of Peter and Otto.Â
Max furiously attacks the two of them, and Otto ends up killing him, much to Peterâs dismay. Peter then reveals his identity to Otto out of guilt for Maxâs death, and Otto then attacks him. After an emotional fight, Peter wins, and all of the villains are taken to jail.Â
In closing, Peter quits his job at Oscorp out of guilt and decides to work odd jobs while enrolling at ESU.Â
The mid-credits scene features Aleksi Sytsevich arriving at Oscorp to be a test subject for their new battle suit. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn is taking the formula used in Spectacular Spider-Man to become the Green Goblin in the future...
End-credits scene features a nod to a potential Spider-Verse...
Now for some characterization
Max Dillon/Electro
Max is a mostly laid back, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. Heâs working on a project to harness energy from electric eels to produce a more clean source of energy.
He believes Peter is Spider-Man, but is 100% okay with it. In fact, he would give up on his own project if it meant getting the chance to help Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Peter doesnât trust him enough to share his identity.
His living situation is like Peterâs in Spider-Man PS4. He struggles to pay rent, so he decides to work overtime to earn more money.
Peter thinks the accident Max was in was his fault since heâd been working on the mechanism and hadnât tested it before leaving.Â
Max tries to have fun with his powers at first, but he ends up destroying a lot of things in the process, thus making him afraid of them.Â
Though heâs not in charge, Max does his own thing when being a part of the villain alliance. The plan to lure out Peter, take Norman hostage, and naming the team the Fearsome Five were all his ideas.Â
Max and Otto have a father-son relationship. Theyâve worked in the same lab for years and have collaborated on a few projects together.
Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
Otto is timid, but isnât afraid to speak up when it comes to defending his colleagues.
Max calls him Doc Ock, and he hates it.
When Otto confides in Peter, he notes that it was likely due to an incident that involved Norman when they were both in college.
Otto is mostly like his PS4 counterpart, but is on Peterâs side up until the very end of the movie.Â
He justifies his reason for killing Max to be that he was going insane with power.
He promises that no one else will ever know Peterâs secret as he goes to jail.
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