#he's a lawyer and a tough one at that lol

[cigvrettedvet]

closed starter for @someotherdog

"if you want me to help you win this case, i suggest actually cooperating with me for a change."

[mi55delulu]

[9:56 p.m.]

pairing: lawyer!jungkook x lawyer!fem reader

cw: fluff, mature language, banter, established relationship, mentions of domestic violence, inaccurate depiction of law bc do i look like a lawyer? 😭 written in lowercase and also, unedited … boo me.

—

“how could you?!” you slammed the newspaper down onto jungkook’s desk. he peered up at you through his glasses, unsurprised at your reaction. the headline of said newspaper read: superstar mingyu suspected of cheating on korea’s sweetheart somi in amidst of domestic violence trial.

“i knew you played dirty, but this is a new low for you, jeon jungkook.” you sneer, pacing back and forth in his office. he watches you, eyes never leaving the way your skirt hugged your figure.

“well, did he not? the pictures on your phone from the paps tell us otherwise.” jungkook leans back in his leather chair. he looks good like this — hair slicked back neatly with a couple of strands framing his forehead, tie loose around his neck, and sleeves rolled up on his forearms to display his tattoos he’d usually cover in the courtroom.

you and jungkook were from the same cohort in law school. the best students in that year, always neck and neck when it came to your coursework. though, jungkook had one thing that you lacked: charm. he was always able to persuade the judge and jury at the very last minute.

in school, you both learned the three simple rules of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. you liked sticking with the facts — logos. after all, the law is above all and justice is only proven in the court. jungkook, however, played his cards using tactics that swayed hearts. it frustrated you, but it always gave him the upper hand. things haven’t changed much from school now that you were both associates in the top rival law firms in korea.

you continue, “it doesn’t justify the abuse—” “alleged.” jungkook interjects with a smile.

“—he sustained from your client! for all we know, there was no overlap.” you palm your forehead and rub your temples to ease the forthcoming migraine.

jungkook stands up and comes around his desk, “baby.”

jungkook swayed many hearts in the courtroom, but he only had one heart in mind. you were a tough case to crack, but that’s what he loves about you. so headstrong, so smart.

he chased you down after every mock trial to offer a drink after another one of your losses against him. it’s a common practice for law school students — work hard, play harder. like clockwork, you’d hold up a hand to decline respectfully. but after you’d won in an exceptionally hard trial, you finally accepted his offer to drink. that was the turning point for your relationship in the coming years with him.

he corners you against his desk, arms caging your sides as he leans in to kiss your cheek while making his way down your neck. if you were truly upset with him, you wouldn’t have let him near you, let alone touch you like this.

“i’m sorry.” he means it, doesn’t like upsetting you, but he also hates losing big profile cases. he reckons you’re the same given with how you barged into his office. it’s not the first time and his secretary has given up trying to stop you.

“fuck you,” you scowl, to which jungkook answers with a nod against your neck, “keep this shit up and i’m going to postpone the wedding date. also, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“i’ll make it up to you after the trial, okay?” he kisses up your jaw.

“that’s bribery, jungkook.” you lull your head to the side, too tired to continue this argument with your fiancé.

“all’s fair in love and war.”

—

a/n: hehe was this okay? thought i’d drop off something small to kickoff 2025. lmk if i should continue these lil timestamp drabbles or if you’d prefer longer fics. if you like longer fics … you’ll rarely hear from me since my lil pea brain takes a minimum of 10 business days to write 1k words LOL anyways, have a lovely day

[rafeandonlyrafe]

office hours

words: 1.4k

warnings: maybe inappropriate workplace relationship lol

“sorry for the interruption, mr. cameron, i need your signature on this.” 

rafe groans, suddenly jolted out of his groove. he holds a hand out, and his employee drops the stack into his hand. rafe thumbs it over quickly, it’s just an expected agreement for a merger, already signed by his company’s lawyer, so he scrawls his name on the line and shoves the paper away, turning back to his computer.

“nelson, wait.” rafe calls right before he can leave the office. the man turns around nervously. it’s no secret that rafe is a tough boss to work for. he can snap over little mistakes, because he wants everything to be absolutely perfect, but if you keep your head down and do solid work, you can rack in a lot of money.

“no interruptions unless it’s an emergency.” rafe says, and nelson nods, knowing it’s now on him to make sure nobody disturbs the bossman, otherwise it’ll not just be the interrupters head, but his as well.

rafe turns back to his email, finishing typing it and not even bothering to read it over before hitting send. he looks waywardly at the stack of papers that’s his next assignment. it’s the end of the financial year, so everyone has been extra busy.

rafe opens the first binder, quickly going over just the bits he needs to. he works quickly through the second and is onto the third when his concentration breaks by a commotion outside of the only semi sound proof glass walls of his imposing office.

rafe waits for it to die down, but it doesn’t. with a sigh, he gets up out of his chair, giving a glare to the ‘ceo’ nameplate on his desk. he loved the power of running a company, but goddamn, did he sometimes hate the work that came with it. he just hopes whatever all the noise is about isn’t petty drama, otherwise there will be firings before it hits 5pm.

“he said not to be disturbed!” rafe hears nelson say as the door swings silently shut behind him.

“unless it’s an emergency, it’d say mckenzie inc pulling out is a fucking emergency!” rafe can’t let this go on any further as more people begin yelling at nelson, unaware that rafe was watching them. “shut the fuck up!”

you could hear a pin drop with how quickly a silence fell over the crowd. “is mckenzie inc pulling out?” it’s still silent, so rafe gives the crowd a general glare.

“it’s only a rumor, sir.” 

“from who?” he asks. rafe doesn’t recognize the name spoken back to him. it’s so goddamn much to keep up with every single other company that they partner with.

“take ten minutes to gather up everything you know and then meet me in the conference room.” rafe knows exactly what he is going to do with those ten minutes as he heads towards the stairwell, heading one floor down. he swears he’s going to tread wear patterns into the carpet with how many times he takes this same path.

he opens the door, unclenching his jaw that he didn’t even realized was clenched in the first place when you look up from your paper with a smile on your face. “hey rafe.”

“hi wifey.” he says, moving around your desk to hug you. you stand so you can put your arms over his shoulders, humming gently in approval at rafe squeezing your body against his.

“it’s only 4:30pm, are you going home early?” you ask him, rubbing your hands gently over his shoulders, knowing how much tension he holds in his body.

“there’s a rumor mckenzie inc is pulling out.” your face falls briefly before you put your happy mask back on, but rafe catches it. “i’m sorry baby. i called a meeting to figure it out, but i don’t know how long it’ll take. you go home if i’m not out by 5, okay?” rafe hates the thought of you leaving the office all alone, his sweet wife having to drive his obnoxious (your words, not his) sports car back to your house, making dinner all alone as rafe is stuck in a boardroom.

“it’s okay, i can wait for you.” you say, kissing rafes jaw gently as he nuzzles his nose into you. it’s definitely inappropriate, being married to your boss, but you were an accountant at this company before rafe took over as ceo, so no one really bats an eye. in fact, they’ve gotten used to politely hinting when they need help swaying your husband or calming him down.

“no, baby, i want you to go home.” rafe says, glancing at the clock.

“mmm, maybe.” you say, and rafe knows there’s no point in arguing with you when he has to get back up to the top floor. “hey.” you cup rafes cheek, seeing all that stress in his eyes. “i love you.”

rafe smiles gently, leaning down to peck your lips. “i love you too.” 

rafe hates having to leave, and briefly considers asking you to just come sit at the table up there, but he knows whenever you’re in the same room he can’t properly focus, always attuned to your needs, if your happy, if anyone is bugging you, if there’s a way for him to get his hands on you.

he steps into the boardroom and the chatter dies down. rafe sits down at the end of the table, looking pointedly at the poor soul who happened to sit closest to him. 

“there’s a possibly leaked report that mckenzie inc is pulling out of our deal, but i heard from my source that they just want to renegotiate their contract-” shouts of disagreement arise. rafe pinches his nose between his fingers. this will be a long night.

--

they’re not even done, but rafe knows if he spends literally another second with these people that he’s going to end up decking one of them in the face, so rafe calls for a half hour recess for dinner. he glances at his watch as he heads down the stairs. 6:30pm, an hour and a half after he’s hoping you left.

he’s hopeful when he notices your ceiling light turned off, but as he gets closer to your office he notices that you’re curled up in your office chair, peaceful look on your sleeping face illuminated only by the blue light of your computer screen that remains on.

rafe melts right on the spot, seeing you, his perfect little wife, fallen asleep at your desk because you don’t want to leave him.

he opens and closes the door gently, kneeling on the ground next to your chair. he places a hand gently over your head, rubbing your hair as softly as he can so you don’t startle awake. “hey, baby.” he whispers. 

you stir at his sweet voice, eyes fluttering until you place where you are. “mmm, how long did i sleep?” you ask.

“it’s 6:30 now. you should have gone home, are you hungry?” 

“‘m okay.” you say, sliding your knees down from the curled position in a big stretch. you grab your phone, checking your texts with a smile. rafe feels a brief flare of intense jealousy roll through him as he angrily thinks who the fuck is texting you and more importantly whothefuckistextingyouthatsmakingyouSMILE. but you turn your phone to show him and his thoughts are completely changed.

you: there’s a rumor that mckenzie inc is pulling out of their deal with us. can you tell me anything?

henrietta (mckenzie inc ceo wife): no clue where that rumor got started. just checked with richard and it’s not true. get you and rafe home!

you: thank you! saved us hours of headache. by the way, shall i drop off some strudels tomorrow? i got…

rafe stops reading the text message thread and looks up at you in awe. you giggle and drop your phone onto your desk, letting rafe pull you into a kiss. “you’re incredible.” he mumbles against your lips before capturing them again “amazing… genius… beautiful.”

you eventually have to pull away from kissing rafe. “you should go tell the guys and gals that it’s all good and they can head home.”

“they’ll figure it out.” rafe says, grabbing your bag and shoving your personal items in it. you look at him confused before he slings it over his shoulder, bending down to pick you up bridal style. “i’ve got to take you home right now before i have to explain to them what all the screaming and moaning they heard was.”

[ramennoodlezzzao3]

No-Power’s Umbrella Academy AU Headcanons (Fic is set in 2021)

- [ ] Age Order from oldest to youngest: Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Ben, Vanya/Viktor, Five (28, 26, 25, 23, 22, 20, 16)

- [ ] Reginald is TERRIBLE with news, good or bad. Everytime he tells somebody something they leave totally confused.

- [ ] Reginald is a Lawyer.

- [ ] Grace can’t have kids, that’s why they adopted. (she’s not a robot)

- [ ] Grace is a stay-at-home mom and kinda acts like Mrs. Wheeler from Stranger Things

- [ ] Luther is a scientist and works at NASA as an assistant.

- [ ] Luther HATES tomatoes. Idk, he just kinda looks like he would.

- [ ] Diego is still a cop, but he’s actually a good one.

- [ ] Diego will drink coffee to seem tough but he enjoys tea more (his favorite is Earl Gray)

- [ ] Allison still an actor and still has a daughter, but she named her Elizabeth (After her great-grandmother) and Allison’s husband died in a car crash when Elizabeth was three.

- [ ] Allison bakes a TON of sweets with her daughter and sends them out to her family as Christmas or birthday gifts (Five loves them and always calls Beth to thank her)

- [ ] Klaus drinks A LOT but he doesn’t do drugs and is actually a yoga instructor (He does Tarrot readings on the Hush-Hush because he’s a fraud)

- [ ] Klaus LOVES to spend time with his siblings. He’s at every family gathering, birthday, and holiday even. Sometimes, if he misses them enough, he’ll just show up and spend a week or two there.

- [ ] Ben is a kindergarten teacher. He’s always LOVED kids, he absolutely adores them, he thinks they are the cutest and purest things ever. He’s actually one of the many reasons they adopted Five. (Buddy just REALLY wanted a little sibling to raise and play with because Vanya was only a year younger than him)

- [ ] Ben, for some reason, is naturally good at fighting. Like, Diego was scared when Ben asked to train with him and he got a mouthful of kneecap within the first thirty seconds.

- [ ] Vanya can play almost every instrument, she just enjoys the Violin the most. She teaches Violin and Piano lessons at the same school Ben does.

- [ ] Vanya buys herself little trinkets and gets all giddy because she thinks they’re cute.

- [ ] Five is a student in highschool and is VERY SMART. He had the opportunity to skip a grade -and still does- but he declined. He hated being the youngest in his family -He gets babied too much lol- and he thought it’d be hell to be the youngest in his classes too.

- [ ] Five is allergic to peanuts. Like, HIGHLY allergic to peanuts so much to the point where he carries two EpiPens and his own water bottle to not chance anything.

- [ ] Fives real name is Max, Maxson Hargreeves, but GOD does he absolutely hate it. He goes by Five because it was his siblings nickname for him when he was younger. (His birthday is 5/5/05)

- [ ] Diego is tremendously good at cooking and sings while he does it. Not hum, he fully sings as if he’s Mariah Carey.

- [ ] Klaus is obsessed with kimonos…nobody knows why, but if you catch him on the right day he’ll just be fully decked out with his hair pulled up in a sparkly purple kimono.

- [ ] Ben is a total lightweight. Buddy could smoke a cigarette and it’d have the same effect of smoking weed.

- [ ] Allison hates the feeling of fur or fuzzy things. Fuzzy slippers? Nope. Socks? Nada. Blankets? Definitely not. She prefers heavyweight blankets and tight clothing.

- [ ] Allison doesn’t braid her hair, it gets all knotted and takes forever to detangle.

- [ ] Luther can do top-tier voice impressions, it’s actually terrifying how good he’d be trying to catfish someone.

- [ ] Vanya rarely ever wears makeup. She instead uses her hair as a way to boost her confidence so she styles it every now and then.

[ramlightly]

Curious Souls asked: I cannot express how badly I want to know the carnivorous ecology and the most hated lawyer PLEAAASSE

OKAY OKAY SO, I'll talk about the lawyer since that's easier lol.

 Meet Sir Cypress, the most hated demon in all of Hell, for he is a lawyer that specializes in defending and in contracts. 

See, once Hell was developing systems for soul ownership and debts and contracts in general, there was a lot of, as you might imagine, a shit ton of fraud, lying, mismanagement, etc. So much chaos and interpersonal fighting that demons actually went to Lucifer himself to sort things out. So Lucifer went, fine you whiny brats, I'll make a demon whose whole purpose is to set these things straight. 

That was Sir Cypress. And Sir Cypress takes his job very, very seriously. He loves it, considers tough cases personal challenges, has even found himself caring for others like poor lost souls or runaway demons. He has ruined many a demon's plans but no one can really touch him because he is of Lucifer's spawn. 

 Sir Cypress someone who is well aware the real problem is the system itself and all he's ultimately doing are bandaid solutions. But to cause an actual reform would be going against Lucifer and the other Archfiends themselves, which would probably just Cypress killed and replaced. So he focuses on the individuals he can help. He's also insanely overworked but, hey, Sir Cypress has all of eternity to figure things out. 

He's a jolly sort. Has a sort of Columbo energy, appears bumbling and silly but is very sharp and cunning. He's been around for this long, he's figured out a lot of tricks. 

(https://retrospring.net/@ramlightly/a/112269960210223526)

[flover4ever]

first date⋆.˚ ౨ৎ ˚ ˖࣪

a/n: i think abt matt and karen's date in that restaurant all the time. such a perfect scene! i wanted to capture that energy. i've always wanted to write a matt x librarian! oc fic. but times are tough and i can never commit to things lol. here's a snippet of what could have been. also, i am not from new hampshire. but oh my god, how pretty!!!!! im jealous.

warning: matt murdock x librarian! reader

matt didn't think his night could go any better. in front of him, he's got the most beautiful girl of his dreams. she told him that he is wearing a white cardigan and light blue dress, the fabric reaches the ground. she told him that the kids from the library tell her it reminds them of when the sky is clear of clouds, only sunny and blue.

matt takes a sip of his wine. "you got family in new york?"

"no," she shakes her head, taking a sip of her water (when he first asked her out, he wanted to take her to drinks. but she has sworn off drinking for life). "moved here three years ago."

matt's eyebrows raised. matt realized just how little he knew about her, despite how she was the common thread in nelson & murdock. "where are you from?"

"new hampshire." said y/n, a small smile peaking through her, like the first ray of sunshine. "it's beautiful there, so much color and life."

"god, it's hard to describe it," she said. matt loved how she described things, down to its smallest details. she talks in such a cadence akin to deep flowing rivers to morning birds. she can make her grocery list sound like a love poem. "it's hard to capture that beauty... sense of awe at the life around you, you know?"

matt smiled, so hard his cheeks started to hurt. he was sure he'd grow smile lines by the time he's forty if he keeps this up. maybe it was worth it. for y/n. "yeah," he muttered, almost lost in a trance.

"why'd you come to new york, then?" he's genuinely curious, his head titled to the side. "i mean, you make new hampshire seem like another planet next to new york."

she laughs, a giddy and joyous thing. "new hampshire's home. but new york, it never leaves you know? even with the grim and grit, there's something or someone that just makes you want to stay. when I interned here in hell's kitchen, the only thing that kept me moving was the kids. story times, their little faces, their constant questions. all of it. it gave me purpose."

matt hears her heart race, the kind that spoke to one's sense of passion. it was almost melodic, the rapid yet enchanting rhythm of muscle.

"nobody truly understands that they're the future," she said. "our future. i want to give something to them, something irreplaceable."

"like reading?"

"yeah," she sighs, like talking about the children of hell's kitchen filled her with such fervor, she couldn't contain it. "exactly."

"but working with the best lawyers in new york is a definitely a bonus," she adds, holding up her glass of water, the ice swirling against the glass.

y/n narrates what she's about to do, matt chuckles as he does the same, their glasses clinking.

"what about you?" she rested her head on her hand, her heartbeat starting to race as she met his eyes. though their gaze would never be able to meet, his dark gaze became her favorite shade of brown. it wasn't like hers, like earth's dirt in new hampshire's wilderness-- it was gold, shining like embers.

"me?" matt raised his eyebrows.

"yeah," she says, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, her vegan samosas long gone by now. "what made you want to be an attorney?"

"it was my father really," said matt. "he was a boxer. . . caught up with the wrong people. and when i was nine, he died. i tried giving him justice, but no luck. i guess i just don't want any nine year old matt's to feel the same way i did."

"like what?"

"helpless."

her gaze softened. "you're a good man, matt."

"i think you are good, too, marianne," says matt. "better than me."

and he meant it. for years when darning the suit of daredevil, he feels as if there is a twisted part of him taking over his soul. every punch felt one step closer to that. being matt murdock, keeps him grounded-- but that wouldn't be possible without foggy, or karen, or y/n.

she seems like she doesn't have to try. she is effortlessly good and pure. and maybe there is a twisted side to her that she hasn't shown to him. but he's hanging out the hope that this is who she truly is. a person who is kind and good at her core, even if she had to eat through the rotten parts of herself. maybe that's what makes her truly good.

[toomuchracket]

play house anon has got me thinking about what other of the girls’ shenanigans flatmate dad!matty could get roped into. let’s play hair salon. let’s play ponies. let’s play fashion show. let’s play rescue the princess (matty is ofc the princess).

this ask brought to you by all the games I used to play with the pile of neighbor girls as kids

they all have their individual favourites to play with him and i wanna talk about it. lfg

from the time dylan is old enough to hold things, she wants to play hair salon with daddy, latching her little hands into his curls with fascination and delight and giggling when her hair grows and he gets to play with hers in return; when her sisters are born, and their dark curls grow in too, she adds them into the game (and takes far more care of their hair than she does with matty's lol), sliding clasps and butterfly clips in with joy. when she's almost a teenager, the constant need to do something with her hands will be finally diagnosed as anxiety, eased by piano lessons and filling sketchbook after sketchbook in prep for her inevitable fashion career, but as a slightly shy kid she keeps them busy and calm by styling the hair of the people she loves - most often, matty, who will never ever complain about spending time with his eldest baby girl, even when he's tour-tired and craving sleep. and he thinks the butterfly clips are his best look lol

elena, his mini-me middle baby... she LOVES tea parties. so like matty in more than just looks, she loves people, and would happily invite you and her sisters and anyone else to sit around the table, but she thrives a bit more one-on-one - given that she's in the middle, and so confident and chatty that she escapes worry (as much as you CAN escape worrying about your kid), matty actually loves the games with just the two of them, getting to put all his attention on her and yap about anything and everything. a lot of these conversations end up as learning moments, nuanced and strangely profound for her being like five or whatever; as much as she's like matty, elena has strong opinions on what she deems right and wrong, but lots of empathy and a desire to help people who need it, which is so very clearly inherited from you. the conversations continue over actual tea and then a glass of wine well into her adulthood, and the day she comes home from school at sixteen and declares she wants to be a lawyer like you isn't a surprise to matty at all, rather a deeply proud moment

last but not least... tiny baby phoebe. six years younger than dylan and four younger than elena, you and matty naturally end up spending a lot of time with her while they're at school (although they DOTE on her despite the age gap being not totally ideal for playtimes). all your girls are sweet, but she really is the sweetest, a happy little dreamer who loves games that require imagination and stories and elaborate scene-setting and thus absolutely inherited the healy dramatic gene lol - she's playing dress-up and doing fashion shows, she's making up dances and plays (the girls def do the little women thing of writing and performing shows lol), she's convincing (not that he needs it) matty to act like a damsel in distress so she can rescue him from the dragon (mayhem, who by this point is an old man but plays along regardless). everyone recognises the performative streak in her from the time she's two, and despite matty's worries about nepotism accusations and the toughness of the industry, she gets into drama school on her own merit and ends up being the only daughter to follow him onto the stage, even if she takes more after her grandparents doing musical theatre instead of just music. yeah, that's our girls <3

[storiesofsvu]

Do you like Cragen as the sergeant better or Olivia?

That's kind of a tough one.. but here are my thoughts.

To preface: some of my opinions are PURELY based on the fact that we have sat and watched Olivia's career for 25 years. We've seen her as the rookie detective and make her way up. We've ONLY seen Cragen as the captain, so we don't know his history like we do LIv's.

Cragen was a *fantastic* captain IMO. He was the "dad" that the squad needed. He was relatively neutral when it came to conflict situations, knowing that cases needed to be solved/investigations run smoothly, efficient, and LEGALLY.

He always helped his team *and* helped the ADA. Alex was the daughter he never had, you can't tell me otherwise. He keeps gin(maybe vodka?) in his office and only ever offers it to her. THE MAN IS A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC. so that alone says a lot. When Zapata comes after her, he signs his old revolver over to her and makes sure she knows how to use it. He wasn't as close with Casey, but in moments where her emotions were starting to show, he was the one to go comfort her/urge her back to the case.

He had a fantastic relationship with *all* of his detectives/squad and knew how to toe the fine line between personal relationships and being their boss.

Now, onto Olivia. It's been very different watching her grow. I can't fully remember when she moved up the ranks...she became the sarge around s15? maybe 16? she HAD to be liue by 17 cause thats when dodds shows up.

I think she's a decent commanding officer. But she has plenty of flaws when it comes to holding that title. And now, Cragen likely went through some similar struggles as he grew into the role, managing is hard (i would know..).

1st: she holds personal grudges and relationships above specific things. She's also rather rude and unwelcoming to a LOT of new people. That can trace back to her abandonment issues and Elliot leaving, she's a straight up cunt to amanda in s13 and pretty rude to nick at first (she also does nothing but fight with casey and alex in their later seasons.. seriously).

She ALWAYS has issues with the lawyers, as captain she should be smoothing out those bickering moments between her squad at the ada, but instead she's the one instigating and HOLDING that grudge with a stick up her ass. She hates most lawyers until/unless they're doing exactly what she wants. Like, it DOESNT matter if the lawyer is literally doing their job, or prosecuting a case in what should be the right manner, she still takes it out on them and she makes a VERY low blow a lot of the time. She takes EVERYTHING personal when it comes to them doing their job, she doesn't see eye to eye with them and she *refuses* to hear them out or even try to THINK about it from their perspective.

2nd: she doesnt treat her team equally or fairly imo. I know equality comes with proving your worth so like, teasing carisi when he first shows up is one thing, but shouldn't you want people to feel WELCOME in the place that you're in charge of?

similarly, she holds so many people on her team accountable for shit that she either did (and got ZERO repercussions for) in the past, or things like DEMANDING muncy go buy a blazer and smarten up her wardrobe meanwhile velasco's sitting there using an undone wrinkled button up as his blazer?? she's generally not very nice to her at all. not to mention OLIVIA was the one who poached muncy?? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

okay that got away from me and in no way was this meant to turn into an Olivia Benson hate post because I DO like her, but it appears like her better as a detective? LOL.

i think she is fantastic with victims, with helping them, supporting them and making sure they get the closure and such that they need.

I also honestly like 1.0 Liv WAY better. 2.0 we got some good moments and banter and bestie relationship with Barba (we also got a LOT of fighting and not seeing eye to eye) but that was about it. Between the shitty writing, performance lacking and constant switch up of the team in like... s18-22... it just didn't end up working out well for her.

I DO think she's a good leader, but i think she has a lot of progress she could make. Take a look at Ayanna over at OC, or Kate over on OG (ugh i miss her already). you have to understand the politics of the job to be in that position and i just don't think she fully gets that? i dunno.

NOW IM RAMBLING AND ITS 4 AM AND IM SURE IM GONNA GET HATE FOR THIS LOL

hope it was worth it anon LOL

<3

[mellowwillowy]

Greetings Mellow,

I hope you are eating on time and drinking enough water. I recently stumbled upon your very handsome OC (look-wise and character-wise <3). But I am in need of some more content from Blue, our cute puppy.

Last night, I was thinking about this one scenario. You mentioned that Blue was involved in some suspicious underground job(?), so, one unfortunate night for our reader, but FORTUNATE for Blue, where he somehow got involved in crossfire with an enemy of his and got shot in his abdomen. As a result, he was in immense pain (obviously), frustration visible on his face. While he was contemplating what his next move should be, there comes our reader! She was working late in her ceramics studio; while disposing of the trash from the back door, the air carried faint groans and moans, ominous sounds that hinted at someone in distress. True to her being the main character that she is, she walks closer to the crouched figure. Upon closer look, she sees a pool of blood around the baby blue-haired man.

Without hesitation, she crouched down next to him; almost immediately, she took off her hoodie and pressed the cloth onto his oozing wound. Now, Blue here feels like he is on cloud 9. Is he dying? Is she an angel that he sees? If yes, then he wouldn't mind dying in her arms; with the last of his energy, he hides the gun. The reader freaks out but does not waste time pulling him inside her studio (with much struggle). She places him on the loveseat sofa and rushes inside her bathroom to grab her first aid kit. Thankfully, the bullet went through, so the reader did not have to worry about taking out any bullet. She gently tried to keep Blue conscious, occasionally caressing his cold cheeks and murmuring encouragements.

After a meticulous wound dressing, his eyelids began to flutter shut. The reader draped a blanket over his shivering form, surveying the aftermath as she grappled with the uncertainty of her actions. Throughout the night, she stood vigil by his side, periodically checking on him, her mind grappling with the weight of her decisions.

As dawn breaks, what do you think will unfold when Blue awakens? How will he react to the unexpected savior who tended to his wounds and offered a respite from the shadows that enveloped him? Can you make a short scenario based on this?

───🌷

I’m not sure if Blue is considered fortunate enough that a bullet pierced through him but it sure is for reader 😭

CW: Blue is not so kind with his thoughts lol.

Blue was still wary of his surroundings including you when he woke up. He had no weapon in hand but he could still threw you off if you were to harm him, right?

But you did none of that. Instead, you took great care of him for the whole night! It was rather questionable why you didn’t bother to give the ER a call though.

Of course, he gave you the impression the he was just some silly funny guy that accidentally got shot. Truth was that he was very pissed. How could his father’s men failed to keep him safe and sound? That aside, he was content enough with the idea of encountering yet another stupid plaything.

He was great with his words, as slimy as those lawyers, he made you let him stay for the week! One week was all it takes for him to evaluate you after all. Whether you were the person he should ‘keep’ or ‘dispose’ of.

Alas it was not as he expected. He did not think this would take a U turn to a romantic headstart. Wasn’t it supposed to be something of a platonic or just ended in one night stand?

Blue knew how things work but not this. Was his heart picking up pace because of the wound? It was unreasonable. He didn’t want to admit it but he could only try. A week spent with you would have determined everything he originally thought of.

Yet he could not see this one outcome (Happens if you manage to play your cards right, Blue is a tough love interest!)

He fell for you, not because of your kindness and naivety, no it was something more than this stupid plot.

And he wanted you more than anything.

Yes, he would take his leave once the week ended. Whether you fell for him or not, he would soon come back as a man you don’t remember ever encountering.

His smile was eerily familiar, his voice was light when he spoke: “Hello~! Nice to meet you, the name is Blue!”

Nb: The Blue you first saw was a completely different person lol.

[compo67]

Finishing Wolfsong.

Just 2 hours left.

I had my in-person interview with the law firm on Friday. I was going to take the train. I woke up 5 minutes later than I wanted. My mom and I spoke for a while. I was late taking a shower. It was snowing and no one could drive. I pulled up to the station just as the train got there. Sigh.

So I drove. A solid hour. In stop and go traffic. Halfway through, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. So I had no drivers license and no way to pay for parking. Sigh.

I pulled over once I got into the city. Paid for parking online. $23. Sigh.

At least I hadn't forgotten my bag or my padfolio or my portfolio.

But then, in the parking garage, I noticed that my sister had tied my tie incorrectly. It was way too short. So I untied it and tried starting over. Didn't work. I went and sat in the garage lobby and watched a YouTube video until I made something resembling a knot (lol).

I walked a block in the snow to the building, then changed my shoes. Security asked for a license. Thank goodness they accepted the photo of it I have on my phone. I got to my floor with 5 minutes to spare. Sigh.

The rest, well, it went okay. I still have a rapport with the hr manager. We got along very well. The secretary coordinator was... tough. She asked difficult questions, some I had prepped for, some I hadn't. A recurring theme was how do you handle difficult personalities?

Like. Uh. Y'all know I've worked retail, right? And a 24/7 crisis line? Handling difficult personalities was 75% of my job. I know when to say, "That's out of my expertise." And I can diffuse most situations with the tone of my voice. But the fact that they kept asking different versions of that question was kind of a red flag. The HRM assured me that she and her assistant would be a team. But still.

I met with one of the lawyers on the recruiting committee. He was very weird and said some shit I would never say to a candidate, let alone a candidate for an HR position. He referred to himself as a fat white man. He said kids, even his own, are annoying. He said he works a lot and he's always tired. Yikes, but also, dude. Just. Dude.

My last meeting was with the HRM alone. We real talked. She shared she has RA. I shared that I do too, and EDS. She didn't look at my cane like it was a foreign object. She shared that an employee snuck a dog into the office for 3 weeks before she noticed. It's an ongoing issue now with the ADA and the building policy. I felt bad for the doggo.

My mom, the other day, had to speak to a gentleman at work about his clothing. There had been complaints about him. Whenever he sat down, his ass was hanging out. Full plumber butt. She approached the situation with tact so he wouldn't go off, but surprisingly, the man was so embarrassed and apologetic. It's weird sometimes, this hr stuff.

I asked for a salary range I think I deserve. It's close to what I was making at the crisis line. Maybe a little more.

I'm a fast learner. I'm motivated to help anyone I can and if I can't, then I can get them in the right direction. I'm just not sure this is enough. The president of the firm seems like he'll be the difficult personality. But he does like hockey. So maybe that's my in?

HRM said I'd hear back from her this week. I just now scheduled sent a thank you email.

I want to work for this HRM. But I'm a bit wary now. We'll see. I have 9 months to try and hold down a full time job without losing my SSDI benefits.

I got home Friday and collapsed onto my recliner. I ate an edible and took an Ativan, and promptly fell asleep. It felt so good to sleep after so many feelings.

I attended a feminist menopause workshop on Saturday morning. It was reassuring and I learned a few new things. Glad I went.

Today, I'm going to my dad's after doing his grocery shopping. Then headed to KPs. She quit her job at the crisis line. I'm so proud of her, but also worried about her. It's always tough quitting without something else lined up. But she did what was best for her.

Today, all I did was knit and watch movies with my mom and sister. It was great. I needed that.

Okay, sleep now. ❤️

[pennielane]

Not to get all self-promo (does this count as promotion if it's just revealing that I have been spending too much time on this shit for decades lolol), but if folks would like primary sources on the shit that was going down in McCartney v. Mills, I have annotated their divorce settlement - technically I've done it twice, once at the time and once more recently, and I could probably go through and do it again and still have more to add because the whole thing is Insane: https://royaltyisshe64.tumblr.com/post/672503132585132032/le-divorce-part-the-it-is-finished

Re: Paul and Linda's rough patch. Neither of them did an explicit "we're having a hard time right now for [reasons]" statement, but they did have a LOT of stressors in the mid/late '80s. Pre-Flowers in the Dirt, Paul was experiencing a pretty severe (by his standards) critical/commercial downturn and was still reeling from the trauma of his estranged best friend's murder. They also had two teenage daughters, an adolescent son, and an adult daughter who was going through significant mental health struggles. They were almost perpetually getting busted for possession and Paul had Not Long Ago Literally Been In A Japanese Prison. They were trying to strike a balance between Paul's career and Linda reestablishing her own, separately. And I think Linda really, really did not want to tour again (even if she were to participate in an off-stage capacity), but, by '86 or so, Paul really, really wanted to. This does come up a bit when they talk about their marriage "not being perfect" in interviews, though neither of them ever went in-depth about it. There is quite a bit in the lyrical content of Press to Play (and that album's b-sides) and Flowers in the Dirt that backs this up, I think - Tough on a Tightrope, We Got Married, This One (even though I know the popular narrative here is that it's about John... I mean, it can also be both, like Two of Us, lol). I certainly don't think they were miserable 24/7 during that period or that they were necessarily On The Verge of Divorce; I do believe that they had to put in a lot of hard work and both of them had to compromise to keep all those plates spinning. And ultimately, they seemed to end up much happier - until Linda's diagnosis brought it all crashing down.

you're literally my hero for annotating the divorce settlement, i can't believe i hadn't seen you had done that!! the lady mccartney at the beginning made me literally projectile vomit but all your insightful and hilarious comments (the stella being homicidal one ajfdhlsakrfhjaksf) really softened the blows throughout that insane document

re: the rough patch insight, thank you for your expertise!! i always loved tough on a tightrope, i think it's one of paul's more romantic songs but totally depicts a Hard Time in their marriage. considering everything you said, it makes total sense that they would've been Going Through It in the late 80s. Paul had Not Long Ago Literally Been In A Japanese Prison. - no but for real, i used to laugh about this but i read more about it recently and like, i didn't realize how insanely lucky he was (+ privileged to have very powerful lawyers) to not have spent his entire life in that prison 💀

they did seem super happy (dare i say the happiest they'd ever seemed?) in the 90s until linda's diagnosis (i mean they seemed As Happy As They Could Be throughout her treatment as well but paul looked a helluva lot more disheveled). fuck you cancer!!

[rowlev]

I wanna ask u about daredevil lol what is it

Oh boy, time to unleash Pandora’s box.

So Daredevil is a fairly long running comics character in the marvel universe, known for his super senses, bright red spandex with devil horns, and general acrobatic prowess, hence his name. In his civilian identity, his name is Matthew (Matt) Murdock, a blind defense lawyer known for his largely pro-bono law practice “Nelson and Murdock” with his best friend, and former college roommate, Foggy Nelson.

He’s a street level superhero typically known for protecting his small neighborhood in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Historically that region was a pretty poor neighborhood (not so much today, but times change) consisting largely of poor Irish Catholic immigrants, and that’s how he grows up- son of an single, immigrant father who does boxing for a living, known in the ring as “Battlin’” Jack Murdock.

Now Jack Murdock doesn’t want this life for his son- he’s old and losing his strength from years of fights, and forces encourages young Matt to stay in school and study hard so he won’t end up like him. It’s not just the physical degradation that makes him so adamant to ensure Matt doesn’t follow his path though, it’s also the fact that he’s been forced to compromise his morals and start throwing fights for money, under a local crime boss’s command.

Matt is unaware of this at the time, but he’s got plenty of other stuff to worry about, like bullying from other kids his age when he refuses to go outside and play with them (his dad wants him to study), and the fact that he gets blinded at the ripe age of 9 by some radioactive chemicals, after diving to save a man crossing the street, who was about to get hit by the truck containing said chemicals. These chemicals don’t only blind Matt though, but also enhance his other senses to superhuman levels, giving him a massive amount of sensory processing issues on top of the superpowers lol.

His father helps work him through the traumatic event, and beginning of his readjustment to life without sight, gets him reading braille, and starting to study again, hoping maybe his kid can be a lawyer or something when he grows up. However it isn’t long before he ends up getting killed by the crime bosses he was throwing fights for, after finally refusing to throw a fight.

So Matt, now alone in his world, gets sent to a Catholic orphanage, and spends the rest of his childhood there, utterly alone until he meets his mentor - Stick. He’s also a blind man, but he’s different from Matt in that he doesn’t have any special enhanced senses, but he is a master in martial arts, mostly learned from people in various fantasy Asia locations that marvel has created. He trains Matt to hone his senses, block out all the unnecessary noise, and punch really hard.

He’s big on tough love teaching styles, some of which to be honest are straight up abusive, but Matt, as a young impressionable orphan, sees him as a substitute father figure. Stick doesn’t stick around for long though, and the reasons for this vary in different comics and the tv show. Regardless, the impact is that Matt has been abandoned once again, and there’s really no notable people in his life until he gets into law school and meets Foggy Nelson.

Foggy is his college roommate, and while they don’t initially get along (one comic says Matt nicknamed him Foggy because he felt like the snoring he made while asleep sounded like a foghorn), they quickly become inseparable. Various comics disagree on their dynamic but I like how Waid portrays them, with Foggy as the smart one and Matt as the charismatic one, both reliant on each other to prepare the best defense for their clients.

In college, he also has a fling with Elektra, who is the start of his endless string of lovers. She is the daughter of some rich millionaire, but what Matt likes about her is the danger she represents. By this point, Matt has been actively masking the fact that his enhanced senses allow him to sense his surroundings much more than an ordinary blind person might be able to for more than half of his life. He never told his father about his enhanced senses, and Elektra is the first to see him for who he truly is, mask off, and accept it. However the problem he runs into is that Elektra’s morality is much more gray than the black and white lines he’s constructed as a Catholic lawyer. She urges him to more and more reckless stunts until an event (differs between different comics/the tv show) where his actions lead to death or near death. They break it off and he doesn’t see her for many years following.

Once he kicks off his career at Nelson and Murdock, he also starts his early vigilante career. I’m not too familiar with the reasons around why it only kicked off then (I haven’t read daredevil: yellow yet or the very early comics) but he quickly racks up small time enemies and a very unbalanced work-vigilantism schedule.

Their first office manager is named Karen Page, and she’s the first and most prominent love interest for Matt. Her story starts out with her and Matt being in a very innocent relationship while both of them mask the darker parts of their personality from each other. The early comics don’t do this very well because well, people were much more misogynistic in the 1960s. However I think the tv show beautifully adapts this storyline and fleshes Karen out a considerable amount. In the comics though, Karen eventually is killed by Bullseye, who you can probably guess the powerset of by his name.

Bullseye also kills Elektra after she and Matt have a reunion, both in comic suits, where she has become an infamous assassin in the time after she left Matt in college. Technically he kills Elektra before he kills Karen but Elektra gets revived later so it’s all good. In any case, bullseye cements himself as a major rogue of daredevil haunting him through his deceased girlfriends. He represents a main antagonist for the martial arts/ninja side of daredevil, along with the Hand, a cult of ninjas that worship a creature called the beast, who can resurrect the dead.

On the law side, with Matt Murdock, the kingpin tends to be his main enemy. If you’ve seen into the spider-verse, you’ll know that Kingpin has beef with Spider-Man too, but with Daredevil, it’s a lot more personal. The Netflix show demonstrates him with perfection but I think the Frank Miller Born Again run demonstrates his ruthlessness best, where he discovers the secret identity of Daredevil and then systematically and slowly dismantles his entire life, getting him disbarred, then manipulating his tax records and utility bills so that he loses his house, leaving him homeless, sleeping on the streets, with only one thought on his mind: revenge against Kingpin.

Those are the basics I guess, but yea the comics are just him on adventures fighting supervillains and (more often) his own personal demons regarding his repeated childhood abandonment and deep-rooted depression. I find him to be a complex and interesting character with a lot of flaws to explore. I would highly recommend the tv show, it’s a genuine masterpiece and an excellent way to get started on the comics too.

[youremyheaven]

thank u for replying to my last post!!!🩷

not the 4th house stellium 😭

my ex had a thing going on his best girl friend but she didn’t want him either and friend zoned his ass lolol and he used substances to “forget” about her. He would accidentally expose himself about his relationship with her and I ended up figuring it out because they would play games together at night while I was sleeping and he would get weird whenever I mentioned her like he left me out in the dark about her and would make lies up about her like she was a nobody to him. He also painted her to be this bad person just because she ignored him, friend zoned him and she didn’t want anything serious with him. You worded it perfectly how Rahu’s Maya had veiled us like these men conditioned us accepting their wack ass behaviors. They are suffocating asf!!! I feel like that picture of Nicole Kidman leaving lawyers office after divorce lol

oof 8th house and 12th house synastry? omg are you okay? 😭

he sounds a lot like my ex ngl 😭 glad we're both past these messy Rahu guys 🫶🏼

rahu men 🤝🏼 using substances to avoid their problems

i often felt like my Rahu ex saw his shadow in me and lowkey resented me for it, he was super insecure that's for one but also sometimes when i explained something, he'd be like ohh yeah ik what u mean and take it in a very different way and im like no buddy that's not what I meant at all lol (the way he perceived it was also always in the most negative light too lol) other times he felt like he wasn't good enough for me and often asked me why I was with him. idk if this is a Rahuvian trait but a lot of guys will resent you if you're "better" than them because being with you makes them feel inadequate and triggers their insecurities,, they don't feel good enough about themselves so they don't treat you right, they're always questioning their worth?? i feel like all my dating experiences have thought me is to never be with someone who puts you on a pedestal because they'll never see you as a real person with real needs just some exalted deity they can be indifferent towards when they're not feeling it lol

the 8h & 12h synastry was tough 🤧😮‍💨I feel like ive been fundamentally altered but in a good way. i needed him to wake me up somehow and boy did he wake me up 😭😤 Rahu plays it's tricks on you but when it leaves,, you gain a clarity of a different kind. It's kind of why we need maya because without the illusion, if we perceived reality directly we'd go crazy, to see glimpses of it through the Maya and then eventually when the time is right, dispel Maya altogether,,, idk it's probably the 12h synastry making me a little delulu lmao but despite all the bad stuff, I feel renewed by my relationship with him, it's given me new life (i don't think this is Rahu, I think it's cause we got together during my 12h profection year and had 12h synastry) and im grateful for that ✨

thank you for sharing your experiences with me 😭✨im glad i can hear from someone who's been thru something similar 🫶🏼

[puppy-the-uncensored]

You know i'm in deep when I start thinking of Aus, so far I've got two for my newest obsession Something's Wrong With Sunny Day Jack

Or I guess one and a joke timeline/story idea

First up just... Prison. Yep. Why am I in jail with Jack worriedly hovering over my shoulder? Assault and battery >:3 Because if Ian had the Audacity to cheat and come back, my ass would end up in jail. I'd give him a warning to lose my number and get a life and if he ignored it Jack wouldn't even have to get involved. Sadly Ian is rich and I'm broke, so aside from being unabashedly guilty of beating a man in broad daylight his lawyers would no doubt be better lol. Famous last words- He deserved it

Now the meat of this post; The classic Swap au ✨w✨ now we're the ghost haunting the beloved rising star! The angst potential is way too delicious~! Joseph is stressed and doing his best with the Sunny Time Show becoming more popular when he finds a worn cassette tape from a band he's never heard of. After blacking out listening to it and having no memory of what it even sounded like he finds he now has a cute Spector following him around that's trying to talk him into taking care of himself off set... eh it's probably just the stress and lack of sleep getting to him is all.

I'll have to come up with a name for it aside from just 'swap' but I think that'll come as I workshop it. I think MC would be from a small garage band that was trying to make it big but their lead singer (or musician depending on if anyone wants to insert their own persona) was tragically killed in a back alley scuffle after one of their shows. To contrast Joseph I think they'd have had a very positive and optimistic outlook on their success and were excited to grow! They had tough times but had a support system. They just hadn't hit it big yet, the night of their death being their first and last big show, so the band is unfamiliar since it never truly got off the ground. Another thing is that the time difference between the two isn't gonna be massive like ours with Jack, just a couple years. This gives me the idea that Shaun and Ian could still be around from MC's past. Shaun as an old bandmate and maybe Ian could be their obsessive ex that accidentally maybe caused their death? If I add them to the story at all since this is meant to focus on Joseph and his life as part of the Sunny Time Crew. I could have nods to them in the background and keep them minor characters but meaningful. Shaun goes on to get into the movie industry like canon and maybe crosses paths with the studio, MC encouraging this and advocating for his talent. Ian's an actor so them also crossing paths for some kind of collab or just happening to be shooting at the same studio or location could lead to... unpleasant memories surfacing and MC's facade cracking a bit.

Again though the main focus is MC trying to get Joseph to acknowledge them. Since they aren't close they can't reach out or do anything to prove they're real. I can imagine it'd be frustrating and heartbreaking to have a chance to no longer be alone in your torturous afterlife, stuck in a cassette listening to your own songs drift through the void on loop even when you stop singing, only for the only person who can see you to act like you don't exist. He's following his own stardom, something you'd failed to achieve in your short life, and is simultaneously running himself ragged into an early grave. Everything is cold and you can feel your tether to the world just barely hanging on by your own spite and refusal to go back to being alone. After months of holding on by a literal thread, just a whisper away from being sent spiraling back into purgatory, anyone would be a shaken up and willing to do whatever it took to ensure they could stay- even if it meant seducing this asshole that's been ignoring them for months with an innocent saccharine smile. Of course, Nobody would expect to actually start falling for him, but hey- at least now you don't have to act when you're trying to flirt with him! And it's not like you didn't care about his wellbeing before then, you did! The threat of eternal torment by your own voice echoing out into oblivion for the rest of eternity just happens to be a better more traumatizing motivator! I don't plan on making MC a yandere, but they will have some similar tendencies to Jack since they're both in the same situation and traumatized to hell and back (literally). Mc is willing to be whatever Joseph wants or needs- whether that be a best friend, someone to help around the house, or more. So long as they're cared for and get to be a real person, at least to him, they're content (they may just have to get over some feelings first- but they'll be okay! Promise!)

Since Mc is connected to a cassette tape, there's no screen for them to show up on or reach through- so i'm imagining a scene zoomed in on Joseph's face as he's sitting back in a chair with some headphones on and listening to the tape as he reviews a script- only to feel his eyes drooping as a voice sings in his ears. In the background a fuzzy faded person twirls and sings behind him, eyes closed. As he starts to doze off they become more solid, the noise is coming from inside rather than his headphones.

Then with a *thunk!* his head hits the table and the Spector jumps- eyes opening. They're left alone in the shot looking over at him in concern and surprise. The song keeps playing and we see the tape spinning in the reel as off screen they ask if he's okay- only for him to be out cold and the tape stops. The 'ritual'(?) is complete and Joseph is now officially haunted by his new ghostly beau~

[mermaidsirennikita]

Who are your favourite Self Made Man heroes from romance?

Oh, I lots. My favorite self-made Kleypas heroes are Derek Craven (the best one, no other self made hero stands up to him, that's my MAN), John McKenna (became a highly successful business bitch just to prove a point, and I respect that), and Rhys Winterborne (Mr. Do Me In Your Department Store So I Know It's Real). Kev Merripen would be there, but tbh Kev is less self made and more "the Hathaways' Chief of Staff" who'll fuck you super good.

We talk a lot about Winter Makepeace, rightfully so, but what about his brother Asa??? Asa is running a pleasure garden, he ran away from home for years only to show up SUPER MAD in Scandalous Desires when he found out Mickey O'Connor was boning his sister, he gives big snarky rake energy but then when push comes to shove he's like the sweetest man ever???? And he'll put on a show in a moving carriage while confronting a highwayman directly after.

It should be pointed out that right after Winter loses his virginity in a moving carriage in Thief of Shadows, he like, STOP DROPS AND ROLLS outta there to face an angry mob or something... And right after Asa jacks off in front of Eve in Sweetest Scoundrel, he has to be all "THE LADY SAID NO" to ye olde carjackers. The Makepeace dudes bounce back HARD.

I loooove Jack Dodger in Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath. Such a deeply competent yet deeply wounded and super slick romance hero. And there's a level of debatability about his TOTAL self made status, but he counts to meee.

Once More, My Darling Rogue actually has another "is he tho" self made hero lol. Because like. Drake Darling spent his young childhood in HORRENDOUS conditions... But he did then get adopted by a duke and duchess. BUT BUT BUT so much of his struggle in his book is not feeling like he's really Sterling's son... and then the end.... I want to WEEP. But also, Drake tells this woman with amnesia who he fully knows is not his housekeeper, that she's his housekeeper, just because she's a bitch (and he wants to fuck her real bad). He makes her wash his back AND HE HAS A GIANT DRAGON TATTOO (which he got because his adoptive father HAS ONE ALSO LMAO). How can I not endorse that kind of hero.

I love Griff from Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath because he begins as this spoiled second son of a duke, then his family loses literally everything, and he has to start over as a self made man!!! Yes!!!!!!

Li Tao in The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeanie Lin. My man.... grew up on the streets... was killing people for spare change and doing some street fights... blossomed into an amazing warlord, who ALSO has a dragon tattoo!!!

Joanna Shupe writes wonderful self made heroes. Her Uptown Girls trilogy has all self-made heroes, I think--Frank from The Rogue of Fifth Avenue grew up super poor and becomes a successful lawyer/fixer (who wants to bone his boss's daughter real good), Clay Madden is a casino owner, Jack is a successful gangster, which counts, I think.

Speaking of casinos, imo Bourne from Sarah MacLean's A Rogue By Any Other Name is borderline because like yeah he's a marquess but he gambled away literally everything when he was what? 18? 21 max? And he had to dig deep to become a successful gambling hell owner.

Cull from Pippa and the Prince of Secrets by Grace Callaway is SO swoony to me. He's all scarred and tough but tender and adoring with Pippa and just wants to make her happy and also has a flute with which he commands a child army, it is what it is.

[alectoperdita]

i'm back with more questions!!! loooool also some nsfw haha

what does kaiba wear on a normal day off from his lawyer job

what is kaiba's erogenous zone (or was it mentioned in the fic and i just missed it 🤔)?

what makes kaiba aroused the most when it comes to jou?

does kaiba jack off in the shower (based on your random facts post) HAHAHAHA

how seriously mad would jou be if kaiba got kissed square on the lips by someone else and which character would it be? 👀👀

is jou still friends with yugi in this au?

Hello again! I always have a lot of fun answering these questions. Also very helpful in fleshing out the story/world further. 💜

what does kaiba wear on a normal day off from his lawyer job

A very tough question given that I suck at fashion and it's always hard to imagine Kaiba dressing as a normie. But I guess that's the answer. Outside of his suits, Kaiba dresses very normie in a yuppie kind of way. Business casual and kinda preppy? Turtlenecks are a must-have in any Kaiba's wardrobe, but they're mainly reserved for the colder months. So basically turtlenecks and cashmere sweaters in the winter, light linen shirts and neat slacks in the warmer months, his tees are solid colors and have no prints, and he has a decent amount of athletic wear for when he remembers/makes the time to exercise. He must have an old hoodie or sweatpants from his college days in the back of his closet as some of us do.

what is kaiba's erogenous zone (or was it mentioned in the fic and i just missed it 🤔)?

Hmmm I don't think I've drawn any attention to an especially erogenous zones. He likes it when Jou pays attention to his nipples. I think he would be weak to slow, wet kisses on the back of his neck. Nothing especially notable has stood out to me (yet).

what makes kaiba aroused the most when it comes to jou?

Not sure if this makes much sense, but Jou's physical strength? He's weak to Jou's beefy physique. Sometimes he really likes the idea of being held down or feeling hints of Jou's full strength. Even more often is when Jou actively doesn't use that strength against Kaiba because he's ready to let Kaiba lead (so I guess a willingness to submit to Kaiba). This Kaiba might be a bit of a brat. 😏

does kaiba jack off in the shower (based on your random facts post) HAHAHAHA

Hahah yes, that would be one good place. Especially if he wakes up with a hard-on and is running short on time.

how seriously mad would jou be if kaiba got kissed square on the lips by someone else and which character would it be? 👀👀

Oh man, for some reason, I feel like Mai would be brave enough to do that on purpose. Both to rile Jou up and unsettle Kaiba. Jou would definitely not like it (because no one but him should be kissing Kaiba, thanks!), but he wouldn't get too steaming mad at Mai?

It also feels like motives matter a lot in this situation. Because if someone is sexually harassing Kaiba, you can bet Jou will be ready to break a nose or two.

is jou still friends with yugi in this au?

Yugi has not come up in this fic so far. I've been musing on if he's there. Because as of chapter 4, Mai, Anzu, and Miho will have made appearances. There's no particular reason why Yugi couldn't be friends with this version of Jou (unlike Lure), just not sure where I want to necessarily fit him in.

LOL I had a thought while answering this. Would it be funny if I made Yugi the owner of the neighborhood sex toy shop?