#i even decided to travel across the country just for the shoot

[mercymaker]

this || close to just straight up screaming into a pillow

[wh1msic4lwasab1]

𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐧' 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 ︻デ═一

synopsis : gun play w/boothill ;)

tags: bounty hunter!reader, cowboy on the run boothill, lots of filth, gun play, mentions of alcohol, vulgar, dubcon(?)

wrd cnt: 1.3k+

a/n : read his lines in a country accent 🙏 ( i’m from the west coast pls forgive me if it doesn’t hit 😭)

As you rode into town, the sound of horseshoes clanking on the dusty road filled the air. Your mission was to track down a notorious criminal named Boothill, who had a hefty bounty on his head. You followed about a dozen loose leads and ended up in the western region. As the sky was soon to be painted orange and pink, you decided to take a break and rest for a while.

After tying your horse to the hitching post outside the local saloon, you walked in, eyes scanning the room for any sign of your criminal. The place was nearly empty, save for a few rough-looking gunslingers and the bartender.

As you sipped some booze, you couldn't help but feel a little restless. You had been traveling for days, tirelessly pursuing Boothill, and a part of you was desperate for a break.

But is it ever really that easy? Just as you were about to get going, a voice interrupted your thoughts.

“Thats some damn good whiskey, have a nice evening lil’ lady.” 

You looked up to see a man behind you, he downed the rest of your drink before slamming it back down on the bar, walking away while tipping his hat and flashing a teethy smile.

“Hey- Wait!” You scramble out of your chair, grabbing your things, and run to the back of the saloon, slamming the wooden doors open as you look across the balcony to the desert sand.

Suddenly, you feel a large hand cover your mouth from behind you, and hear the doors swing shut.

“Shhhh Shh Shhh…don’t scream too loudly darlin’…not yet anyway.” Boothill whispers into your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine.

His rough hand caresses your cheek before sliding down your neck and gripping your throat, “I reckon you’re the little bounty hunter looking for me, aren’t cha?” You nod slowly, trying to stay calm as his grip on your neck tightens. “Well, sweetheart, you can give me that gun of yours.”

With hesitation, you give it to him, understanding the severity of your situation.

You hear him chuckle, pushing you onto a nearby table and bending you over it.

“Now…What do I owe the honor of your relentless search for me? Are ya a fan? Got a crush on me?” He giggled,holding your wrists together tighter as he pinned you down.

“You’re quite the pretty thing, I gotta say. You can’t just be out for me over a few bucks?”

Anger flares in your chest at his arrogant statement, but you’re too defeated to muster a response.

Boothill takes notice of the fire in your eyes and smirks. With lightning quick movements, he reaches for your hair and tugs your head back, exposing your neck to him.

He trails kisses down your jawline, down your neck, leaving small marks along the way. You moan as his lips graze your skin, and you can feel him smirking against your neck. “I figure we have some fun I before I leave ya in the dust, darlin’,” he whispers, his voice husky with desire. You can’t help but feel a hint of disappointment at his words, but the pleasure he’s giving you quickly dissipates that thought.

You feel his hands run up your back, and then suddenly, he slaps your ass hard, causing you to cry out in surprise. “So feisty…but I like it.” He grins, before spanking you again, sending pleasure shooting throughout your body. He continues to spank you, harder and harder, until you’re gasping and moaning, completely lost in the sensation.

He pulls away, smirking at your pleading expression.

“Turn around,” he commands, and you do as he says.

He grabs your face, jaw in his palm as he makes you look up at him. “Tsk- Can’t even look me honey? Hmph, quite disrespectful no?”

“Disrespectful? You don’t even know my name- Ah!”

With a heavy hand, he grabs your neck and pushes you down on the table, lips connected as well as lower halves.

You’re panting and flushed, your body aching for more of his touch. “You look so pretty like this, all helpless and wanting. I could have you right here, right now, but I want to take my time with you. You did go through all the trouble of finding me, no one’s got this close.”

He smirks, his other hand trailing down your chest and cupping your breast. Your breath hitches as he squeezes and massages your breast, his thumb brushing over your hardened nipple.

“Please…” you beg, voice strained under his hand and unable to contain your desire any longer. He chuckles,

“Oh, you want me already? Well, I guess I can’t disappoint a cute little thing like you.” He unbuttons your jeans and slides his hand down, his fingers teasing your clit through your panties, making you moan loudly. “You’re so wet already, darlin’. Are you this turned on just from my touch?” He smirks, before sliding your gun out of his holster.

Panic set into your entire being, was this how you die? Too distracted by being fucking horny. Shot by your own gun? You almost screamed.

Before you did, Boothill held a hand over your mouth.

He could see the fear in your eyes, soon resting them.

He trailed the gun down your cheek, feeling the cold tip run over your nipple and then your stomach, before you feel it through your panties; rubbing against your folds.

You exhale deeply from your nose, eyes closed shut as you feel him press the weapon to your clit, chuckling at your expressions.

“Look at you…your drippin’ sugar.”

He rips your panties off, watching you spread your legs farther, giving him such a better look at your messy, glistening folds; ready for whatever he gives you.

You feel the gun spread your lips apart, the muzzle engulfing your clit and flicking it so rough your legs started to shake, feeling boothill lean down to talk to you.

“This is the best bounty hunter out here? All I can see is a horny little bitch.” He says with amusement.

Without much warning, he trails the gun down to your hole, pushing it in so slowly as he watches the way your brows contort, your hole expanded wider than it had ever been, the girth of the gun beading through you.

Boothill’s smirk widened as he watched you take it, inch by inch. He leaned down to whisper in your ear, “That’s it, darlin’. Show me how much you want it.” His words only fueled your desire, and you start to grind your pussy against it.

Boothill let go of his grip on you, wanting to hear your pleading voice again. He didn’t even restrain your hands anymore, knowing he had you wrapped around his finger, and this gun. You could feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, and you beg him, “Please...please let me com- I…go, let me go.”

He chuckles, “Not yet, darlin'. I want to see you squirm a little more.” He starts to move the gun in and out of you, the cold metal adding an unknowingly amazing sensation, making you moan even louder.

The combination of the gun and Boothill’s skilled hands on your body brings you to the edge quickly, and you feel yourself clenching around the gun as you come undone. Boothill watches with a smirk as you ride out your orgasm, his finger teasing your clit.

Once you come down from your high, Boothill pulls out his gun, licking a stride up the side.

He removes himself off you, putting your weapon back in your weak hand..”You can have this back honey, and when you touch yourself- which I know you will, make sure to think of the things I did to you when you try to get off with your gun…Hope you find me again!” And with a wink, he disappears into the desert, leaving you with a thrill and memory that you'll never forget….and half naked on a back patio table.

whimsic4alwasab1 ™ - do not copy, translate, modify, or claim any of my work as your own.

[josephquinnswhore]

Her Sanctuary

Pairing: Joel Miller x female reader.

Summary: you start pulling away from Joel, he’s scared he’s going to lose you.

Word Count: 1.7k

Content Warning: mentions of anxiety, bad mental health. Joel talking about Sarah!!! 😭 soft Joel!!!!! Hurt/comfort.

Note: kinda just wrote this on a whim after rewatching the last of us. I miss joel. @cool-iguana ily.

You were an outspoken person. About everything. There wasn’t a single topic you didn’t have an opinion on. Always a snarky reply, a joke, or following pun. That’s just who you were.

Joel spent months wishing you weren’t like that. That you’d just shut up so he could have a few moments of silence between you. His limited replies included a scowl, raised eyebrow or an annoyed grunt. He spent months travelling across the country with you, refusing to open up and reluctantly teaching you how to shoot his rifle.

He didn’t like how you made him feel. How he had started looking at you romantically. The sound of your laugh stirred something in him. Your bright eyes lightened the darkness in his own.

He never allowed himself to let you in; as much as a fight he put up. You wormed yourself into the cracks in the walls around his heart and started to mend him. He doesn’t know when it happened exactly, all he can remember is wanting to hear more of her laugh, he even found her a joke book in an old RV he scouted one evening at the trailer park they posted in overnight.

He had learned how to accept your brightness, for all its worth. Your dorky comments, crooked grin and boisterous laugh. Even those small touches to his back and arm when you would pass by, excusing yourself. Always followed by a mumbled, “sorry.”

But this.. this he didn’t know what to do. He was tearing himself up inside for not knowing what to do. You were quiet today, something bubbling inside of you that radiated off and in between them in a depressing aura that had Joel feeling breathless.

He even found himself staring at you, from the corner of his eyes, turning his head to watch you, making sure you kept up as you lingered a few steps behind him, completely silent. Not laughing, not crying. Silent.

It was heart wrenching and he couldn’t figure out how to put the pieces together to finish the puzzle. Nothing extreme had happened that they hadn’t faced before. They’d fought off some infected yesterday but—it couldn’t have possibly been that. They were fine. They survived.

Maybe you just wasn’t coping as well as he thought you were.

He tried to think of things to cheer you up, and the guilt consumed him when he realised he didn’t really know much about you. He had never asked. It was always you asking about him, pestering to know more about him. He cursed himself for being so selfish.

The harsh reality of their one sided dynamic hit Joel hard, he had always protected her, with his physical strength and ability to kill. That primal instinct that kept them both alive and for what? He couldn’t help her when she actually needed.

He felt utterly useless.

Until. He had an idea. That stupid fucking joke book that she treasured, had to cheer her up right? It had to draw out one of those loud laughs that made his insides flip, the smile that made your eyes squint that his heart craved to see.

He reached into his pack, pulling it out. She’d stashed it in there, insisting that her pack had no more room. He didn’t argue, he knew she struggled carrying the weight. He decided that day that he could carry the extra burden for things that she decided she couldn’t bare.

This baggage however, was tricker. He would take it if he could. He hoped this would work.

He turns around to look at you and what he saw made him feel like there was a metal vice around his heart, your slumped shoulders and black eye bags complimented a vacant look in your eyes, you were unrecognisable in comparison to your default sunshine personality.

“Hey, I was thinkin’ about that algae-bra joke you told me the other day.” He tried to make his voice as soft as he could when he spoke to you, trying to nudge a reaction.

Nothing, she barely looks at him. “Hm?”

“Anyways, I was thinkin’ we could pass the time with this.” He held the joke book in his hand, swinging his pack back over his shoulder, adjusting his rifle strap as he shuffles on his feet.

You felt a spark of something, something that was quickly put out by the fear and darkness that felt so consuming.

“Maybe later?” You offer quietly, walking past him. “It’ll be dark soon.”

Joel felt defeated. How had he failed so badly. How did he let this fester inside of her like a fucking disease that he didn’t know how to get rid of.

This was an infection in your mind; that he figured on his own. This kind of infection he didn’t know how to cure. He had always pushed his own anxiety and panic attacks down burying them, until he learnt to live with it.

But you; the one fucking good thing in his life that brought him life, hope. He wouldn’t allow you to ignore it, to let it consume you.

He wasn’t going to let you fall victim. He would do whatever it took.

He set up camp in silence, stuck in his head about how the fuck he was going to help you, a feeling of shame overwhelmed him as he sits by the fire, rubbing his hands together as you sit in your sleeping bag, across from him.

Arms wrapped tightly around yourself, legs pulled to your chest. It made you look smaller, the way you held yourself protectively. A reflection of the flames flicking in her eyes only made the mood more somber.

He can’t say something came over him, possessed him to say what he felt bubbling up inside of him. He didn’t want to lose her. To him, you were too important, you disarmed him and weaselled your way into his heart. He wasn’t going to let you leave, not ever.

“When my little girl used to get upset, she always shut me out like this, like what you’re doin’, I always told myself she’ll come around.” He nods to himself, as if reminiscing the memory.

You stay silent, watching him. Watching his expression soften.

“An’ now she’s gone it’s all I regret. Not doin’ more. Not making more of an effort with shit like that. Fuckin’ haunts me.”

Not once in the months they’ve travelled he had mentioned having children, a daughter, let alone a decreased one. He had mumbled a few times in his sleep, incoherently a name. Serine, Sari, Sarah? You could never figure it out, and never pried.

But here he was, sitting across from her looking on with longing eyes and his features the most relaxed she’d ever seen.

“I ain’t makin’ that same mistake again, seein’ you like this, pullin’ away. Feels like I’m failin’ all over again.” His admission shocks you, enough to stun a quiet confession from your own lips before you could think.

“I thought you were going to die.” He seems surprised to hear you talking, but stays silent, wanting you to talk more, wanting to hear more.

“I know we’ve dealt with plenty of infected.. we’ve had some close calls even, sure.” Your heart clenched as you recall.

Joel lying on the ground with that infected on top of him, Joel’s gun inches away as he fumbles, fingertips desperately grasping the hairs of grass as he searched for his weapon.

Holding the infected away with one arm, grunting in a struggle that he was bound to lose. It’s rotten teeth and fleshy stench was so close to grazing Joel’s neck. Inches away from sealing his fate.

You had somehow mustered some courage inside of you to tackle the infected, throwing it off Joel and giving him a split second to reach for his gun and put a bullet in the back of the infected’s head.

Your jeans still stunk, of gunpowder and blood. A stench so vile you couldn’t help but relive the moment, it was on your mind every second, unable to process it all.

You almost lost Joel. Joel almost fucking died. It was a breath away.

“I thought if I just—shut down maybe you’d get tired and ditch me.. worse yet I’d stop caring about you so damn much.” Joel’s ears perked at her soft admission.

“And I know you think I’m just—some annoying fucking girl that you have to protect and feed and I’m sorry..“ Joel wouldn’t allow another word.

“Hey. Look at me, now.” His tone was soft, but held a firmness, there was no doubt he wasn’t asking you. He needed you to look at him.

His face looked so soft beyond the flames of the fire, his expression was tender and kind; as no one had ever seen before. He looked beautiful, fuck, he was handsome. You’d always thought so.

“I know it was a close call, we’ve learnt from it, yeah? We won’t make the same mistake.” You nod, Joel continues.

“Don’t pull away from me sweetheart. Please.”

You open your mouth to say something, but Joel interrupts by patting the space beside him.

“C’mere sweetheart. C’mon.” You don’t waste a moment to plop beside him. He wraps his sleeping bag around you and his big hands grip around your torso to pull you into his.

“Tell me you ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

For the first time since you’ve known Joel. He was the one asking for comfort, reassurance.

“Promise I’m not going anywhere Joel.” You nuzzle into him, his natural musk strung a desire out of her that all she could do was lean into him.

“You get some rest now. I’ll keep ya safe.” He murmurs into her ear, a promise.

All you could do was obey him. Closing your eyes as your body and mind revelled in the intimacy and vulnerability of this moment.

His head rested on top of yours, your hair gets stuck in the rugged coarse hairs of his beard. He finds himself nuzzling into you, allowing himself to get lost in you. After months of fighting you; he lets go. He lets you in.

You were his. And he wasn’t going to let anything fucking hurt you. Not even yourself. He would be your sanctuary. No matter what it took.

[snickerdoodie]

“Sugar and Spice”

Summary: Everyone knew Jake Seresin was a charismatic player. Whether it was flirting with girls at the bar or charming his way out of any situation. But what happens when the blond pilot finally meets his match?

Pairing: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x f!reader

A/N: hey guys..I’m not even gonna lie I completely forgot to post this lmao, I got a liiittle busy with everything and it completely went over my head. But here it is! Finally! After two months. This also isn’t proof read, per usual, so sorry if anything sounds off. Enjoy!

Jake’s chatting along with Rooster and the gang when the door suddenly chimes open, taking a quick glance as any human would, but what he sees isn’t what he’s expecting. In comes you, dressed up in a simple white tank top and probably the shorted daisy dukes he’s ever seen, not that he’s complaining though . His eyes rake over your body before he travels further upward, smirking to himself when you accidentally make eye contact. Giving him a nod and a classic small smile, you make your way over to the bar, soon getting into a quick conversation with Penny.

“Well I’ll be damn,” He says into his beer, taking a long sip before wiping his lips with a grin. That causes Rooster to quirk a brow at the unexpected comment.

“What’s up with you? Find a new pair of tits to ogle at?” He quips, noticing Hangman’s intense stare across the room. Seresin shrugs, a smirk still plastered on his handsome face.

“‘Could say that. Could also say I might have just found myself my girl tonight.” And with that, Hangman scoots himself out of the booth he was sitting in and makes his way across the room, gaze dead set on you sitting at the bar, drink in hand. He ignores the unwanted calls and shouts narrowed to him from his friends, too caught up in his next words. Taking a seat on the empty stool next to yours, leering on your exposed skin before continuing.

“Hey there, what’s a pretty thing like you doin’ here sittin’ by yourself?” You turn your head to the sound of the voice, not even hearing him come up beside you. At first, you do a once over at the man, taking in his striking green eyes and Hollywood smile. Then you take notice in his uniform, his sunglasses perched on the fold of his shirt. Must be one of those pilots you keep hearing about. Turning your upper half to him, you smile.

“Doesn’t seem like I’m sitting alone now, does it?” You quip back, setting your drink down on the countertop. The man’s smirk grows wider as he rests an elbow on the wood.

“Aw, no need to thank me, just doin’ what’s needed of me.” You just now realize his country accent, standing out in certain phrases; it makes you fight back a blush. You raise a brow nonetheless.

“Is that so? Did you magically think I wanted you here, Blondie?” You know he wasn’t expecting the nick name when his brows raise for a split second before shooting back down to their original places.

“Eh, I don’t need’a think, I just know by heart. Y’know, with my magical powers ‘n all.” He imitates quotations at the end of his sentence. You huff out a laugh at his words, eyes cascading down to your watered down drink. Taking a sip, you focus your attention back onto the man in front of you. That stupid grin still plastered on his lips.

“Well can your magical powers tell you the name of the lady you decided to make your next target?” It came out a bit harsher than you intended, almost regretting your words. Truth is, you *were* enjoying his company and that southern drawl of his. He honestly was making your night a bit better than just sitting there alone, drowning in your drinks and mind while some overplayed Toby Keith song played on the jukebox.

“I’m afraid that’s somethin’ I can’t do. Care to help me out here?” Relieved he didn’t say anything about your earlier statement, you bite your lip with a smile, nodding.

“(Y/N),” you state, almost missing the way his eyes light up more at your declaration. “What about you, G.I. Joe? Got a name to the face?”

“As a matter of fact I do, gorgeous. Most people call me Hangman but I’ll make a special case and let you call me yours.” He winks with that cheshire grin. You fight back both a blush and a large smile this time at the cringy and overused line.

“Is that so?”

“I’d sure so hope so, ma’am.”

You both stay silent as you stare at each other. While you bite the inside of your cheek, he scoots himself closer to you, knees brushing against each other. You can smell his sandalwood cologne and the beer he’d been drinking previously before coming up to you. Hangman notices your lack of response and licks his lips, eyes flickering from your glass to your hair then to your lips before continuing.

“Tell ya what, sweetheart” he starts, catching your attention, “You name the game. If I win, you’re buying me dinner. But if you by some miracle manage to beat me, you won’t have to endure my charming company ever again.” He finishes, looking very confident in his proposition. You tilt your head and fully face your body towards him, your legs scooting between his as he widens his stance to make room. You swear you could have seen his adam’s apple bob harshly at the movement but you payed no mind.

You narrow your eyes slightly before a small smile stretches across your lips. With the confidence that this man passed on, you carefully lean forward so your palms are resting against his firm thighs. Bracing yourself as you lean in closer. Hangman bites his lip before tilting his head down, his chest heaving in a breath before he speaks,

“You gonna take up on that offer, darlin’?” He drawls out, voice raspy, almost sultry. You look him in the eyes as you lightly squeeze his skin, his smirk growing.

“Y’know what? I will, s’not like I’ve got anything to lose now is there, cowboy?”

I also tried to make my format for my fics a little more..interesting looking. I felt like they’re too boring so tell me your thoughts. Feel free to comment if you liked or disliked something! :)

[buckyscrystalqueen]

More the Merrier: Part 5

Pairings: Henry Cavill x Reader, Natasha Romanoff x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader, Natasha Romanoff x Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers x Sharon Carter

Warnings: Swearing, Polyamory

Word Count: 3,412

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite the heartbreak your family felt, you decided to stay in Australia for the full two weeks. You could definitely tell that there was a heavy, melancholy feel to the air, but that didn’t stop you all from enjoying the country Henry had never been to before.

“I don’t want to go home.” You complained on the last day as you laid in bed, staring at the ceiling of the hotel room as Henry packed both your luggage.

“It’s time, baby.” He huffed with a smile as he set an outfit aside to travel in. “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Can we stop in Jersey instead of London on the way back? I want you all to meet my family.” A smile stretched across your face as you rolled onto your side to look at him. 

“Of course! We can absolutely do that if that’s what you want.” He paused and looked up at you with a nod.

“I absolutely do.”

“Then we’ll stop in Jersey.” You agreed as Nat came into your room with her hand held out. She handed you two Advil and your brow furrowed. 

“For your cramps.” She clarified since your cycles were in sync. Your brow furrowed further as you sat up and shook your head.

“I don’t have cramps. I don’t have my period.” Natasha and Henry both froze and looked over at you as you stared at the two pills in your palm. “Natasha, I don’t have my period.”

“Okay. Okay.” She said as calmly as possible as she walked over to take the pills from your hand so she could take hold of it. “Let’s not panic. There’s a pharmacy at the end of the next block.”

“I’ll take her.” Henry said as he abandoned the suitcases. He walked over to you and instantly pulled you into his shaky arms for a hug. 

“I’ll get Bucky.” Nat whispered numbly. “We’ll all go.” Henry nodded and you fisted his shirt in your hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby girl.” He mumbled into your hair as he shook his head. “Don’t you dare be sorry.”

“How is this possible?”

“We didn’t use condoms on the plane. And you don’t use them with Bucky.” He reminded you as he pulled back to cup your jaw in his hands to search your now panicked eyes. “(Y/N), it is alright. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Even if it’s Bucky’s?”

“Even if it’s Bucky’s.” You nodded your head as the man in question walked into the room with Natasha’s hand held tightly in his.

“Hey baby girl.” He cooed softly as he came over to brush his hand down the back of your head. “We’re alright, okay? Everything is going to be just fine.”

“I know.” You sighed as Henry pulled you to your feet. He carefully tucked you into his side while Bucky grabbed your and Nat’s hands and the four of you headed out the door to go to the pharmacy. 

——

“Natasha, I’m sorry.” You said softly as she stood in the bathroom of your hotel, ripping open pregnancy test after pregnancy test to make sure that they weren’t false positives… which they weren’t. She whipped around toward where you were sitting on the tub ledge and shook her head frantically.

“Solnyshka, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about, do you hear me?”

“But I…”

“Sweet girl.” She sighed as she came over to kneel down in front of you while gently cupping your face in her palms. “I am not mad. I am ecstatic! A bit scared because we’re about to get on the plane for a full day and all I want to do is get you to a doctor to make sure you’re okay. But I am not mad, you hear me?” You nodded as best as you could as Bucky and Henry walked back into the bathroom to look at the current test situation. They had taken the news of the first positive one quite seriously and immediately played rock, paper, scissors for who got to sleep with you in the bed on the plane. Henry won best two out of three. 

“Stop looking at me like I’m about to explode.”

“We’re not, baby.” Henry chuckled as he came over to sit down beside you to hold your hands. “We’re just checking to make sure you’re okay with all of this.”

“I’m okay.”

“Shit, we’re gunna be parents.” Bucky laughed as he ran his hand down the back of your head in a continuous, soothing rhythm. “Who’d have thought it.”

“Alright, let’s get our stuff and head to the airport.” Natasha said as she stood up and went to collect all of the positive tests to throw out. “I’ll call the doctor when we get to London to meet us at the house.”

“Oh, we’re going to Jersey.” You pipped up as you stood up. “Henry wants to introduce us to his parents on the way home.”

“Alright then I’ll call when we are leaving Jersey.” Nat confirmed as she washed her hands. “But let’s get a move on it all the same.”

“We’re going, we’re going.” Bucky chuckled as he wrapped his arms around your waist and settled his hands on your lower stomach. He kissed your neck with a smile before pulling away to spank your ass lightly. “Come on, lil mama.”

“Oh, don’t you start.” You giggled as you headed out into your room and grabbed your day bag off the bed. It was immediately taken from your hands by Henry.

“No heavy lifting.” He said with a smile as he shouldered the bag while you huffed at him. 

“It’s not heavy lifting, it’s a bag of clothes.”

“No heavy lifting.” Your family chorused simultaneously which made you roll your eyes.

—— 

“I feel like this is really bad timing.” You said as you Ubered to Henry’s parent’s house.

“It’s perfect timing, baby.” Henry said as he reached over the middle seat to take ahold of your hand. You nodded against Bucky’s side in the back seat as the Jersey landscape flew by your windows. “I want my family to know my family.”

“We can wait.” Natasha said, politely as she turned on the seat next to Henry to look back at you. “If you really want to, we can wait.”

“No, let’s just do it.” You sighed as you ran your fingers through your hair. “We’re here and it’s been so long since you’ve seen your parents… let’s just go.”

“Okay then.” Henry said with a nod as he squeezed your hand and turned back around in his spot as the Uber pulled up in front of a quaint home. Everyone got out and Henry instantly grabbed your hand so he could wrap his arm around your waist. “They are going to love you.” He whispered in your ear as the four of you headed up the walkway to the front door. You nodded like a bobblehead as he knocked on the door before reaching back for Natasha’s hand to pull her closer as well. 

“Oh!” The woman who answered the door exclaimed as she took a step back. “Well I’ll be! Henry?! Come in, come in!”

“Hi mum.” Henry said sweetly as he guided you and Natasha into the house first. You looked around the cozy living room that had photographs everywhere and you felt at ease for the first time all day.

“Who are your friend’s dear?” The woman asked as she gave her son a hug while an older man called out his son’s name.

“Hi dad. This is my girlfriend, (Y/N)… and her wife and my other girlfriend, Natasha and their husband, Bucky. Guys this is my mum, Marianne and my dad, Colin.” The room got pin drop silent as Marianne looked between you and Natasha with a furrowed brow. 

“I’m sorry. You said wife and husband?” She clarified, which made you take a step back into Bucky’s chest. He instantly wrapped his arms around your body to protect you from whatever fall out was about to happen.

“Yes.” Henry said as he put his arm around Natasha’s waist. “We’re in a polyamorous relationship.”

“A poly what?” Colin asked as he looked at your family with confusion.

“A polyamorous relationship.” Henry repeated as he turned to find your hand so he could hold it while holding Nat to his other side. “We are all in a relationship together. And we just found out that (Y/N) is pregnant while on holiday in Australia.” Henry’s parents stayed dead silent for almost a full minute, making you and Nat shift unconsciously under their scrutiny, before Marianne nodded her head slowly.

“So you’re happy then?” She asked as she looked up into her son’s eyes, hopefully.

“I am.” He told her with a nod as he squeezed your hand. “Very much so.”

“Well then it’s settled.” She said as she stepped forward and cupped your and Nat’s jaws in her hands. “You two are gorgeous.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” You both said simultaneously, which made her tisk at you.

“None of that. It’s Marianne or mum. Come sit down, we’ll call your brothers. How long are you in town for? Here, girls you can sit here. Colin, go get some chairs from the dining room for the boys.” At her fussing, a smile spread across your face and you shared a look with your wife because neither of you had parents that would fuss over you. “Drinks! Oh, I have water and some beers…”

“I’ll get everyone drinks, mum.” Henry said as he headed through a door off to the right while Colin came in with two chairs from a door behind you. Bucky lunged to help him and you giggled as Marianne fussed while pulling a blanket across your lap.

“A baby.” She said more to herself as she pulled a foot stool over and propped your feet up for you. “How wonderful.”

“Mum, let her alone.” Henry said as he carried in three beers and a glass of water for you. “She just found out. She’s not fragile.”

“Oh, alright.” Marianne conceded as she held up her hands in surrender since she had done all she wanted to do to make you comfortable anyways. “Now, you three tell me all about yourselves. I want to know everything.”

“Mum, I didn’t bring them here for you to give them the third degree.”

“Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill, I will get to know my son’s partners as I see fit. You hush.”

“Yea, Henry. Hush.” Natasha teased before taking a sip of her beer and putting her hand on your lower back to draw circles on your skin until you melted in your spot. “Well not to drop more news bombs on you but I am a former countess of Russia, (Y/N) is an heiress, and Bucky works on Wall Street.”

“A countess, really?!” Marianne gasped as she took a seat on the arm of the recliner chair Colin was sitting in. “And what kind of heiress, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“My family are ranchers out in Montana. Have been for hundreds of years.”

“Oh ranchers. That makes a lot of money then?”

“Mum.”

“What, it’s just a question.” She chided as she swatted the air in Henry’s direction.

“Yes, it makes a lot of money.” You confirmed with a nod before taking a sip of water to sooth your parched throat. 

“Fascinating. Now Bucky, was it? Tell me about your job. Oh, let me send a text to the boys first to tell them to come over to meet you all.”

“My brothers.” Henry clarified as he shifted nervously in his seat beside you. You reached out and gently took his hand and he visibly relaxed almost instantaneously. Once the text was sent, Marianne kept a running string of questions coming as she got to know her son’s new family. It took almost an hour for Henry’s brother’s and their families to arrive and right as the last brother walked in, your stomach growled loudly.

“Oh, we need to feed you!” Marianne exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and started pushing her way through the crowd. “Colin call Pizza Express. See if they can get us a couple tables. They shouldn’t be too busy tonight. Is pizza alright, dears?”

“Pizza is lovely.” Natasha agreed with a nod before she handed her finished beer to Marianne’s waiting hand.

“This is chaotic.” You giggled to Henry as he stood up and unwrapped you from the blanket with a smile. 

“This is my family.”

“And it’s perfect.” You concluded as he helped you to your feet.

——

Dinner with Henry’s family was exhausting. Fantastic, but exhausting. However, you weren’t able to fall asleep. You lay in Henry’s childhood bedroom, staring at the wall, trying to convince yourself that you should get up and head to Piers’ room where Henry was sleeping but you didn’t want to be inappropriate. Marianne had said that this room had the comfiest bed and it was comfortable, but you were sleeping alone for the first time since you met Henry and you were not a fan. 

About 20 minutes later, when you had finally convinced yourself to get up, there was a light knock on the door.

“Come in.” You sat up and let out a sigh of relief as Henry slipped into the room.

“I’m not a fan of sleeping alone.” He whispered as he tiptoed across the floor. You pulled back the blankets and scooted to the middle of the bed with a shy smile.

“Your mom won’t mind?”

“I frankly don’t care.” He said as he got into bed and instantly pulled you into his arms. He sighed and nodded his head as he kissed your forehead. “Much better.”

“I was just about to come join you myself.” You whispered as you ran your fingertips up and down his spine as a second knock sounded on your door.

“Come in.”

“Well if you two weren’t sleeping alone, we weren’t.” Bucky said as he pushed Natasha into the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

“This is a full size bed, people.” You reminded them as you scooted closer to Henry so the two newcomers could get in as well. 

“We’ll make it work.” Nat said as she pushed Bucky down on the bed and climbed on his chest. She laid down on top of him and you cringed as the bed settled but thankfully didn’t break.

“Cozy.” 

“Get your knee out of my crotch. I am not your wife.”

“Ow! My hair!”

“My mum is going to lose her shit in the morning if we break this bed.”

“Sleep!” Natasha hissed as she pulled the blanket up over everyone and settled in against Bucky’s chest. With a smile on your face, you swung your knee over Henry’s hip and snuggled impossibly closer to him and almost instantly fell asleep with your family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When you got back from your vacation, the melancholy mood that had followed you after Steve’s departure settled back in when you realized he had moved out of your condo and in with Sharon permanently. It lasted a couple weeks until you had your first doctor’s appointment with your OB/GYN.

“Twins?!” Natasha exclaimed as you lay frozen on the metal exam table. 

“Holy shit.” Bucky breathed as Henry simply got up from his chair to hold your hand. 

“Fraternal twins.” Your OB, Cara Smith said as she took images of your 12 week along babies. “The antibiotics you took when you had the road rash to prevent infection knocked out your birth control. That’s the only thing I can think of of why you got pregnant on the pill. Y’all wanted to do a DNA test, correct?”

“That’s still the plan.” Nat said as she looked over at you and reached out for your other hand. “You okay, solnyshka?” You nodded your head and looked over at her with fear in your eyes. “Hey now.” She said softly as took a step closer and ran her hand over the top of your head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay.” You nodded and swallowed deeply as Cara removed the wand and printed out your sonograms for you. 

“Alright, let’s get some bloodwork done, and then I need both dad’s to do the same.” Cara informed the group as she picked up her laptop and started putting in notes. Both boys nodded as you stood up and dropped your maxi dress down to cover yourself while Nat handed you your panties. Cara excused herself from the room and you looked over at your wife.

“How the hell are we going to handle twins?”

“Well there are four of us to two of them.” Bucky pointed out as he took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie since he had come to this appointment straight from work on his “lunch break”. “We got this, (Y/N).” You nodded once and looked up at Henry who still hadn’t said anything and he sighed when he met your eye.

“Yes, I’m scared, too.”

“Thank God I’m not the only one.” You breathed in relief as you walked over to him and wrapped your arms around his waist. 

“Everything is going to be just fine.” Natasha cooed, happily as she walked up behind you to rub your back while ducking into your line of sight so she could look you in the eye. “I promise. We are going to figure this all out and it’ll be a walk in the park.”

“If you say so.” You commented as the nurse came in to do your blood work. You forced yourself to let go of Henry and to sit back down on the exam table as he pulled his arm out of his Henley to get ready for his own bloodwork. After about 15 minutes, you were dismissed from the exam room and told to set up an appointment in four weeks for the gender reveal and DNA results appointment. 

“You hungry, baby girl?” Bucky asked as he took one of your hands, while Henry took the other as Nat set up your next appointment. You shook your head because nausea and morning sickness were a real struggle for you that hopefully would go away with the prescription meds Cara called in for you.

“I’ll grab lunch with you, handsome.” Nat said over her shoulder as she scrolled through the family calendar on her phone to find the best date for the next appointment so you could all be there. “Henry?”

“I’m gunna just grab something at the house when I take (Y/N) home. I have finish my college admissions essay so I can apply to NYU’s photography program before the deadline.”

“Still proud of you.” You said softly as you squeezed his hand. He smiled down at you and gave you a single head nod as Nat finished up with the female scheduler.

“Alright, then I’ll see you both at home.” She said as she gave you both a kiss. You kissed Bucky goodbye, wished him well for the rest of his work day, and headed out of the office with your family until you went in separate directions at the front door. 

“What’s got you so nervous, baby?” Henry asked as he hailed a cab at the corner. 

“I’m just nervous something’s going to go wrong.” You admitted with a small shrug. “What if, God forbid, something bad happens?”

“Then you and I will get through it together.” He stated simply as the pair of you got into the cab. Henry gave the driver your cross streets and sat back in his spot to pull you into his side with a sigh. “We aren’t alone, anymore, baby girl. We have each other and Bucky and Natasha. We have a family. And now, our family is growing by two more so we still aren’t alone. Any issues that arise will be dealt with by four adults that already love these babies more than life itself, right?”

“Yea, you’re right.” You sighed as you sank into his embrace a bit more.

“I know I’m right.” He chuckled as he rubbed your arm. “I’m always right… ow!”

“I’m always right.” You giggled with a smile as he rubbed where you had lightly pinched his thigh. “Not you.”

“Of course you are, baby. Of course you are.”

Part 6

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

At Last

Wednesday x Kitsune!reader

"Ma, I'll be fine."

"You've never traveled this far with your flames before, my kit. I'm just worried."

The bag on your shoulder slipped as your mother fussed over you. Within the two months of your impromptu vacation from school, you already visited Enid and Yoko. Now that the new semester is nearing, it was decided that you would stay with Wednesday and the rest of the Addams brood before going back to Nevermore together.

Together. That word made your heart flutter like a leaf in the wind. But it made you anxious as well. While you both stayed in touch, there wasn't much of an indication of a forward path in your relationship. Sure, this was probably Wednesday's first real relationship so you tried to chalk it up to taking things slow but it still made you unsure. It was hard enough to convey emotion through text. To add in an emotionally stunted person made things near impossible. But you're trying. Maybe things will change once you're within the same space.

Your phone rings, finally making your mom stop her fussing. With a silent thanks, you answer, already knowing who it was.

"My dark spirit! I'm ready if you are." Silence greets you. Long enough that you're slightly concerned. "Wednesday?"

"Yes, we're ready for you, m-mia volpe." There's a sudden burst of muttering through the phone. The only thing you can really catch were Wednesday's threats of death to whoever it was. Eventually, her voice turns back towards you. "We are ready. My family insisted on greeting you as well, so be prepared."

"You got it. I'll see you in a bit."

With the call ended, you take a hold of your luggage and wait for the familiar pull. While you never traveled this far, you and Wednesday tested the spiritual attraction whenever you could. Even when you were in California with Enid, it seemed to work from across the country. Maybe you'll test a cross-country travel one day.

It doesn't take long before you feel the pull in your heart. You turn to look in the direction with a soft smile which draws the attention of your mother.

"You care for this one, don't you?" You respond with a nod.

"I do. I don't know where it'll go, but... I'll follow as far as I'm allowed."

You turn to face your mother and give her a hug. She pulls you close, petting your head gently.

"Take care, my kit. I love you."

"Love you too, Ma." With a smile, you back away to give your flames some space. "I'll talk to you later."

Your eyes close as your body turns to face your heart's direction. Making sure you have a tight hold on your suitcase, you leap into the air and surround yourself with your foxfire. In a whirl, you shoot forward towards your destination.

-----+++++-----

Wednesday keeps her eyes trained on the sky as she waits for any sign of your arrival. The both of you weren't sure how long it would take. She tried to tell that to the rest of her family, but alas they stood just behind her, watching as well.

The wait gave Wednesday some time to think. Time to think about you and your relationship. This was an entirely new concept for her. The physical aspect of the relationship was easy, even if it was a while since you've touched. That was just a response to stimuli. The emotional aspect was the troubling part. These new feelings made her nauseous and self conscious. Watching her parents made her think about you, even if it still grossed her out. She missed your presence and when she saw pictures of you, Enid and Yoko, she was jealous.

But she used this time away from you to filter through her feelings. She even talked to Thing about it when it bothered her to that extent. Her mother tried to pry, but Wednesday shot that down almost immediately. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about with someone whose opinions are skewed to those positive feelings. She needed to think about things logically.

Her traitorous heart, however, leaps when she sees the flicker of flames in the distance. Her feet move on their own as you soar closer. The eyes of her family burn at her back, but she doesn't seem to care. You were almost here.

The fireball lands and whirls for a moment before revealing your form, tails waving the flames away as it dissipates. After patting yourself and making sure there weren't anymore embers, you look up to see Wednesday.

It's quiet as you stare at each other. The Addams brood wait with bated breath as the two of you walk towards each other. When you are face to face, you just bask in each other's presence. Afraid to break whatever spell residing in the space, you can only whisper a soft, "Hi." Wednesday doesn't reply in kind. Her stare, as always, comforts you.

Eventually, the goth steps closer and just leans against you. Your hands move up to gently caress her arms. Not quite hugging, but close enough to satisfy that urge. You take a breath, letting Wednesday's scent fill your senses. You both didn't part until you let yourself gently nuzzle against Wednesday's cheek.

"Guess I should meet the family. Been letting them wait long enough." You look over at the rest of the Addams and see them near bursting with excitement. A stark contrast to Wednesday herself.

"I suppose," she responds. "The sooner we do this, the sooner I can get you alone."

A pleasant shiver runs up your spine as you follow the pigtailed goth. It seems you really didn't need to worry about your relationship. Wednesday seemed to miss you as much as you missed her.

As soon as you are in front of him, Wednesday's father, Gomez, grabs your hand in a brief shake before pulling you into a massive hug.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, Y/N! Welcome to our humble abode!" You just let your gaze travel to the massive manor over Gomez's shoulder. 'Humble, huh?'

When he releases you, you move towards the matriarch, Morticia. When she reaches her hand out, you take it and lay a soft kiss on it. She lets a soft smile grace her beautiful features, her eyes glancing at Wednesday knowingly.

"My, my. What manners." She takes your face in her hands and gives you a couple of air kisses.

Next is Pugsley, Wednesday's brother. When you shake his hand, he immediately asks whether you would help him with some experiments. Wednesday just gives a tiny shrug when you look at her for guidance.

"Uh, if I have the time, sure." The young Addams smiles wide in response, reminding you of Eugene.

The towering butler then walks up and grabs your belongings with a low groan.

"This is Lurch," Gomez says, introducing the large man. "He'll take your things while we give you a tour of the house." Wednesday steps in at those words.

"Father, the tour can wait. I'm sure Y/N is tired from their trip." She gives you a meaningful gaze. You nod in response and offer a regretful smile.

"It did take more outta me than I thought." You rub the back of her head, a little embarrassed at the attention. "I would like a moment to chill, if that's all right."

"Of course, my dear," Morticia responds. "We have plenty of time for you to see the house." She pats your head and gestures to Wednesday. "Now go. I'm sure you two would like to catch up."

You weren't sure if you saw a knowing glint in her eyes, but regardless, the implication makes you blush. To save you from further embarrassment, Wednesday takes your arm and leads you to her room.

As soon as the door to her room closes, Wednesday is on you. She pulls you close, hands finding their place on your cheeks. When your foreheads touch, you close your eyes, letting yourself feel Wednesday near you. Again, with a crooked smile, you let out a quiet "hi" before feeling her lips on yours.

Spirits, you missed this. The way Wednesday's body melts into yours. The way your hands found their home on her waist. The way you move in sync with each other despite this being only the second time you've done this.

+______________+Tag List+______________+

She's practically pinned you against the door and you've no intention of breaking free.

When air calls for you both, you part but still within the same breath. Your nose brushes against hers gently, your smile dopey and lopsided.

"This time without you had been torture," Wednesday whispers. "How you've come to claim my entire being has confounded me."

"Well," you begin. "It's not like you haven't affected me. You already have a hold on my heart and I didn't even realize until you were dying."

You two take another breath before Wednesday pushes away with a soft groan.

"We're beginning to sound like my parents. It's disgusting."

You let out a laugh before letting yourself take in Wednesday's room. Before you really could, something plops on your head and gives your hair a ruffle. Almost immediately, you know who it is.

"Thing! My main hand." You give him a fist bump before catching up. His excited signing recounting story after story. Wednesday looks on with fondness. You've already become a major part of her life and she looks forward to seeing what the future brings for you.

@screechcat @trishatheotaku @halleest @ashlynnmalfoy @a-trash-person @rainbow-love4ever @ognenniyvolk @spadesinfodump @maria-403 @simonsbluee @awolfcsworld @wizardofstories @alexandra-001 @leafanonsforest @daddy-jareau @anxietylemonice @tundra1029

[hobiebrownismygod]

Prowler!Miles x Last of Us AU Idea

Imagine living in a dystopian world riddled with infected, being completely alone in a world where riding solo gets you killed, not having any family or friends whom you travel with, and one day you accidentally fall upon a boy your age who has a giant slash on his arm and an infected wound in his side.

You barely even notice him when you enter the mall, more nervous about the infected swarming the shops than the possibility of another human being, but you find yourself backed up against a coffee counter with a gun pointed in between your eyes just mere minutes later.

At first you're being your quippy self with the young man, making jokes, trying your best to get him to put the gun down when you realize, he's holding his side in pain. He's been bit.

You immediately turn cold and you tell him to show you the bite. He refuses, shaking the gun at your face, but too scared to actually shoot. And then he tells you, "I've had this bite for two weeks."

Of course you don't believe him at first, but after further inspection, you realize that he's right. There's no way he should still be alive, but somehow...he is.

He tells you his name and he tells you what he's trying to do. He thinks this bite means something. He thinks he's a cure. And for the past week he's been traveling across the country trying to find a group called the Fireflies, people who he genuinely believed would be able to develop a cure.

You fell for his tales. You decided to help him. The two of you gathered up as many rations as you could and began your journey towards the west coast, where there were more infected, but also...more people.

This came to mind and I thought it was cool <3 It feels like it suits his whole "antihero/vigilante" vibe and his universe being all dystopian and crime-riddled. Also Last of Us just goes with everything

Tags:

@therealloopylupin2099 @daydreaming-en-pointe @l0starl @itsparis-07 @puff-hugs @s6onder

[specialagentlokitty]

Rosita x sibling!reader - we got each other

Hi! I saw that you have opened requests for TWD characters. Could I request a story where the reader is Rosita’s sibling, who (I have two ideas for the character; please pick which one you think is best ❤️) either gets taken by the Saviors like Darryl, and Rosita saves them and helps them with the aftermath - or one where the reader and Rosita reunite after a long time of being separated? - Anon💜

You had never stopped searching for your sister, not since you had lost her at the start of this all, because you knew she would be alive somewhere.

If you had to spend your whole life searching the whole country up and down then you did, because at this point you didn’t have anything to lose.

There was nothing.

No home. No job. No bills to stress about.

It was like freedom with a heavy price, the price of the dead wondering around, the the price that you hadn’t seen Rosita in so long you weren’t sure where she would even be.

Standing by the side of the road you looked at the map in your hand and sighed, stuffing it back into your pocket at looked around.

You decided to just follow the road, see where it was going to take you since you were bound to come across a town or something which you could hold up in for a few days rest.

Pulling your hat a little further down so you could block the sun from your eyes, and you squinted a little as you saw figures in the distance.

Reaching into your bag you pulled out some binoculars and looked to see it was a small group of people and a few horses.

“Well shit..” you whispered.

They were walking towards you, so you stuffed your binoculars away and your hand hovered over your gun.

You kept walking, and you could tell they noticed you by the way they got ready to grab their weapons and you stopped.

“Who are you?” You called.

“You first!” A man snapped.

He was aiming a crossbow at you.

“Nah, I asked first.”

Another man walked in front, raising both his hands, gesturing for his friend to back down a little.

“We mean no harm, we’re just travelling. That’s all. I’m Rick, what’s your name?”

You studied him for a moment.

“You a cop?”

“How’d you know?”

“Cop recognises cop. I’m (Y/N).”

You relaxed a little bit still didn’t move your hand, letting Rick know that you were ready to use it if it came to it.

He did the same thing, letting you see that his people were also armed and ready to attack if you tried to attack them.

“A lotta shit there for a small group, you got more people?”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you that. We’re not sure if you’re with another group.” Rick said.

“Well, seems we’re at a crossroad then, because I’m not moving, but I ain’t telling you shit about me either.”

“Want to tell us why you’re out here?”

You thought for a moment.

You hadn’t seen people in a long while, and knowing your sister she would’ve done the smart thing and gathered with a group.

“I’m reaching for a photo, don’t shoot.”

You reached into the pockets of your jeans and pulled out a photo, walking over to Rick and you held it out the him.

It was folded in half to hide you on the other side, and you showed him the woman.

“You seen her?”

“Who is she to you?”

“Have you see her?” You pressed.

Rick gestured to the photo then to his people.

“May I?”

You nodded your head, letting him take it and he walked over to the others where they had a hushed conversation.

A few of them glanced over at you, and a woman walked over.

“How many walkers have you killed?”

“What is this? An interrogation? I don’t know. Lost count.”

“How many people have you killed?”

“Two.”

“Why?”

“They were bit.”

She turned to Rick, and Rick gave a nod of his head and walked back over, placing his hand on the woman’s shoulder.

He handed your photo back to you.

“We know where your sister is.”

“How’d you know she was my sister?”

Rick smiled, reaching into his pocket he pulled out a photo just like yours.

“Rosita gives it to someone who’s going out just in case they come across you. Let me introduce you to everyone.”

There was a few minutes of introductions before they began to move again, and you were walking alongside of them.

They told you about how they came to meet your sister, and that she was alright, and as you got closer to their community you felt yourself growing nervous.

It had been a while since you had been around people, so knowing that just beyond those gates was even more people made you uncomfortable.

You flinched a little as they creaked loudly, the gates slowly opening, and you were led inside where you just stood awkwardly to the side.

Michonne stood next to you.

“Has it really been that long since you saw Rosita?”

“We had an argument before this started, I decided to leave. Then the world went to shit.”

“And you’ve spent all these years trying to find her?”

“She’s my sister, my family, course I have.”

She smiled, gesturing behind you and you turned around.

You both just stared at one another, and you slowly set your bag on the ground, giving a little smile.

“Hey…”

Rosita walked over, and she stood in front of you, not saying a word.

You noticed a small scar on her face, and you frowned a little bit.

“You been causing shit?”

“Shut up.”

She pulled you in for a hug and you laughed, hugging her back tightly, letting tears fall from your eyes.

“You’re a fucking idiot…” you whispered.

You held her hit your back.

“You’re the dumbass who ran away…”

Pulling back, you nodded your head, running a hand down your face in order to wipe your tears.

“Yeah, I know…”

“Come on.”

Rosita grabbed your bag, leading you away from all the prying eyes that were watching the pair of you and she took you somewhere quiet.

She set your bag down in her room, and you sat down against the wall while she sat down on the bed.

“Looks like you got a pretty cozy place here.”

“Yeah, ain’t bad really. A good group of people.”

You nodded your head, taking the photo out of your pocket in order to look at it.

Rosita watched your for a moment, not really sure what to say.

You had both been looking for each other for so long, she had given up, but you? You kept going, you kept looking for her and she began to feel regret.

Getting up, she walked in front of your and sat down.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t look for you…” she whispered.

You just smiled, that same smile you would always give her whenever she did something stupid when you guys were kids.

You reached out, placing your hand on her head.

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you found a place to stay safe, and people to look after you.”

Rosita moved over, sitting next to you so she could lay her head on your shoulder, and you held her hand tightly.

“Don’t leave…” she whispered.

“I’m not…”

Rosita was beyond excited to show you everything she had been doing here at Alexandria, she wanted you to love the place like she did.

Whether it was the people, or the things they were trying to do she wanted to show you how worth it it was, and she wanted you to stay.

“Rosita?”

She hummed a little bit.

You reached out and lightly back handed her stomach.

“Wanna go kill some dead fuckers?”

“Oh fuck yeah.”

You both jumped up, grabbing your weapons and you ran out of the house with her on your heels, turning it into a race.

Because everything was a competition between siblings, especially in the middle of the apocalypse

[gutsybitsies]

It started with a Christmas card.

Well, it started with Hazel and Nico's Christmas Card.

It went like this: The first year after Hazel retired as praetor and enrolled in a university, she was in a photography club and created Christmas cards of her and Nico. They sent it out to the rest of their friends, captioning it "From the family of Di Angelo Levesques to yours, Merry Christmas!"

That went on for three years until someone proposed (they proposed simultaneously), and Nico's tears ran down his cheeks with no abandon as he walked Hazel down the aisle and off into the arms of Frank. As Frank's best man, Jason had to fight the urge to gather him up in a hug and hold him until Nico stopped crying.

He did just that later in their hotel room (someone had booked a single room for the both of them, how strange).

Now, two months until Christmas, Hazel was planning a bigger Christmas card. Her, Nico, and Frank.

But maybe. Also Jason?

"So." Frank pulled up a book on how to talk smoothly. "I think you casually go up to Nico."

"Yes?"

"And say. Hey, since we're adding Frank to the Christmas card this year, should we do a thing where Frank and Jason wear matching outfits?" Frank suggested. "Just slide it in, assume that Jason's going to be in the card."

"Would that work?" Hazel asked. "What if he asks me why Jason would be in the card? Frank, they gave us separate wedding presents! Not a joint present!"

"But I don't want to hurt Jason's feelings by having a card with just us and Nico!"

"But they gave us separate presents!"

"Jason's feeling!"

"It's not like I haven't talked to him about this," Hazel said. "He tells me he's not ready for it."

"Which is unfair to Jason," said Frank. He doesn't understand why Nico was dragging his feet. "This is why Jason's being obtuse about it as well."

"Well hold on. Maybe Nico says he's not ready because Jason is oblivious. He wasn't exactly Mr. Romantic with Piper."

The two of them agreed to disagree on their first major argument since the honeymoon, and tabled the discussion for later.

Frank found himself the victor though, as three days later he saw a text (from your Hephaphone to theirs! Ready for the internet? Want to send silly images? The latest Hephaphone is monster proof!) from Hazel to Nico that read <So when are you and Jason going to come over for the Christmas card shoot?>

Nico hasn't sent a response yet.

Unbeknownst to Frank, Nico is off having his third existential crisis in a year.

A few years ago, exactly a year after he and Jason decided to move in together to save on rent, Jason invented the idea of a friend cuddle.

The reason? Heating is expensive, and so why not share a blanket on the couch, and also share body heat in the meantime.

Nico, as the son of the literal god of wealth, said yes of course that makes perfect sense, we can't afford to spend that much on heating! We can friend cuddle while we play wii sports together in the winter. Sometimes Jason would wrap him up in his arms and cuddle against the warm, designer sofa while they watch Milf Manor. Sometimes they switch and Jason is the little spoon and they take a nap listening to the D.C. traffic.

Most of the time, Jason travelled across the country, and Nico travelled across the world. Half the time they're not even in their "bachelor pad", its residents flitting across the world performing feats of heroism (or other more mundane tasks nowadays, thankfully). It functioned as a safehouse for other demigods, the guest bedroom permanently in a state of welcoming for wandering teenagers in need of a break.

That was the only reason why, when the two of them were in D.C together, they share a room. Because of course they can't afford a three bedroom apartment in D.C.! And of course, they have separate beds, because bros room together all the time.

Okay, fuck that. Yes, they were more than bros and maybe Nico and Jason both enjoyed cuddling each other in a more than platonic but less than Romantic way and if Nico could spend the rest of eternity not having to Deal with trying to come to grips with trying to define this relationship and possibly breaking the great balance they have. That would be great, thank you.

His father in the Underworld seemed to want to do just that, like every other time he changed Nico's world.

"So. My dad just bought me a house," There it was, the dream. Nico di Angelo was a homeowner now. "It's near the weed dispensary, the neighborhood that always smell like Amsterdam, we looked at it once, remember?" Back when they had first decided to rent a place together, because adulthood meant stepping out and getting a place on your own, meant stepping outside the box where you never felt like you belonged and finding someplace you did.

It was a choice between a large place in a tough neighborhood (with lots of room, a lot of space!), or a small place in a nice neighborhood (tight quarters, not much space to move around). And well. Of course a nice neighborhood is better, right? Because of....safety issues.

"Oh," Jason absorbed the knowledge, he looked at Nico and could almost see the frenzy of thoughts that were chasing around in his head. He could almost see the sentence You can have your own room again, before he wrapped his arms around Nico from behind. "That would be a good place to bring demigods on the run, or on quests. Teenagers need a lot of space, and it's in a neighborhood with a lot of mortal smell. Much better than this place, we should thank your dad."

"....Right." Nico calmed down. "I mean, we can't deprive the teens of a really great safehouse."

"No, of course not," Jason rested his chin on Nico's shoulders and blew a puff of air into his ears. "Can't do that at all, that would be too selfish."

"I love-" Nico stopped, "how great, this situation turned out to be. For the kids."

It was the third time this year Nico almost said I love you, and Jason counted that as a win.

"I love that, too."

Nico looked at Jason, so comfortable in the moment. So soft, sometimes he was so sure that Jason would kiss back. Most of the time he was scared of what would happen if Jason didn't. Either way, there was no way the two of them are moving into a new, more spacious place.

No changes needed.

His Hephaphone beeped again, with Hazel's message.

.....Some changes were apparently can't be stopped.

Nico and Hazel were family, and they appear on Christmas cards together. Well, now Frank was family, with Hazel. And by all rules of convention he and Hazel should send their own Christmas card. Except Hazel wants Nico in there.

Which would leave Jason out of the picture, officially. That didn't sit right with Nico.

Frank, Hazel's husband, matching together on a Christmas card with his brother in law's......best friend. Roommate.

nico.di.angelo.exe stopped working for the fourth time that year, then started working up again. It's a very normal thing. Jason is just like family, so of course he'd fit in the Christmas card. In fact, he should've been in Nico and Hazel's Christmas card from the beginning. Technically they were cousins! Immediately Nico recoiled from the cousin thought and gagged inside. No, not cousins. Just found family, best friends, something more something less. And that works perfectly fine.

That was how Jason and Frank found themselves cosplaying as Santa's reindeer with a grumpy Nico and ecstatic Hazel dressed up as two different Santas.

First, a photo of Frank of Jason sitting in front of a sleigh, with Hazel and Nico holding the reins of the sleigh. Then, the photographer wanted "the two couples" to have one person piggyback the other. The last time Jason carried Nico on his back was a couple of months ago that year, when Nico twisted his ankle and just had to be carried everywhere for an entire week. Jason couldn't let his best friend just limp around like a sad sack!

Nico nestled against Jason's neck and ghastly smiled at the camera, just like all of his cute ghoulish smiles in the other pictures. Jason couldn't wait to see the pictures. Is it normal to be dazzled by the cuteness of something that looked creepy? Because he felt that everyday. His roommate looks creepy and it is incredibly cute.

After the photoshoot, as Hazel and Jason poured over the photographs, Jason picked out his personal favorites as Hazel picked hers.

"I'd like that one printed and framed," He said, pointing to one where he and Frank were holding Hazel and Nico in their arms in princess carries. "This one is nice, too." It was a piggyback carry, and he'd adjusted Nico without warning, surprising him into grabbing onto the antlers he was wearing on his head. "Actually, how much would cost for you to send me the rest of the photos digitally?"

"Nico!" Jason called out, "We should hang this next to the T.V."

Nico came by to look at the photos that Jason picked out. He looked really happy, he was used to looking and being happy recently, for the past few years. There he was, and there Jason was, next to his sister and her husband. A family.

"Yeah," he said softly. "It'd look great."

"We should pick some out for the new house, too," Jason said. "I'd ask Leo and the other Hephaestus kids for some defense mechanisms to put there. We can finally call in our favors, have a housewarming registry."

Frank not so subtly pulled Hazel away from the warm and bubbling atmosphere forming around Jason and Nico.

He mouthed to her Just like our wedding gift registry!!!!!!

Hazel screamed silently and mouthed back It's finally happening!!!!!!!

"It'd be a great thing," Jason said, "For them kids and teens, of course."

Nico jolted. "Yeah, for the kids, and the teens."

But even more than usual, he felt the urge to lean up against Jason, so he did.

[oo-hazel-oo]

hey everyone, i’m back… sort of.

i know i disappeared off the face of the planet for a while and i’ve been absolutely awful at keeping in touch with so many of you, which i am so, so sorry for. i’ve been dealing with some health stuff that prompted me to take a social media break, but it was one of my new year’s resolutions to reconnect with you all. i’ve missed everyone so much. so to start 2024 off on the right foot, i thought i’d give you all a recap of the past six months! i also thought i owed y’all an explanation for why i disappeared for so long, so i included that below the cut (tw: health stuff - if you have health anxiety, don’t read - or if you’re just wanting some happy news, feel free to read the fun update instead!)

fun update

some amazing things have happened this year!

♥️ i graduated university with first-class-honors!

♥️ i got to meet some of my amazing internet friends in-person (shout out to @just-another-dreamerr <3)

♥️ i finally got my u.k. citizenship and decided to move to scotland on a more permanent basis (will be starting grad school in sept. 2024)

♥️ got to spend some quality time with my best friend before she moved across the country

♥️ rediscovered the joy of live music

♥️ received amazing recommendations from my professors for my grad school applications, which really helped validate my writing and made me smile for a week straight

♥️ i got to travel across europe with friends and family - saw some beautiful places, ate incredible food, and met some of the kindest, most generous people

♥️ got to witness my favorite football (soccer) team make it to playoffs

♥️ improved my crocheting so i now i get to make lots of little gifts for friends and family

♥️ finally found a curly hair routine i love!

not-so-fun update

(again, tw: health stuff)

so over the past year i’ve been dealing with health issues, both physical and mental, and i finally went to my GP to address them last january. they essentially told me that everything could be attributed to anxiety and low iron levels; i accepted this at first, but when symptoms persisted over spring/summer, i became a bit frustrated - i felt like once anxiety was added to my record, it was all the doctors would acknowledge. anyways, flash forward to a month ago when i finally found a symptom that was a bit more difficult to just brush off as anxiety - a painless, hard lump at the base of my neck.

as soon as i found it, i booked an appointment with my family’s doctor, as i have family history of cancer (including my mom and grandma), and have since become wary of any unusual lumps and bumps. but to be honest with you, i wasn’t that worried - i was assuming it was just a swollen lymph node. this new doctor was more thorough than any doctor i had seen in the past. she ran a bunch of tests and discovered that my WBC count was low. my iron levels were actually great, which surprised me because i had attributed lots of my previous symptoms to iron deficiency. she took a look at my neck and immediately was concerned by the size, texture, and location of the lump and referred me for an urgent ultrasound, which i have on the 8th, to (hopefully) rule out the possibility of lymphoma.

needless to say, i’m panicking a bit. on the one hand, i’m glad i’m finally being taken seriously by a doctor. on the other hand, i’m supposed to move to the u.k. on the 19th and no longer know if that will be happening. the not-knowing and waiting around is really, really hard.

so it’s been a difficult start of the year for me and i feel a bit burnt out by everything. but i’m trying to keep myself busy with the things i love and hope that this will at the very least give me some much-needed answers.

anyways, i love you all so much and hope the new year is treating you well. and if it’s not, know that you definitely are not alone. please shoot me a message, even if we’ve never really talked, i really want to catch up and hear about all the amazing things y’all have been up to! ♥️

[speakeasy8]

[001] Fujii, K. (through the eyes of his manager, Zuzzu)

Sooo...this is from the staff journal on Kaze's app mostly updated by his main manager, Tomonori Kawazu, or more affectionately known as Zuzzu. I've been catching up on it slowly (there's 2+ years worth of entries). I'm reading it in its original language because even though the app seems to be available in multiple countries, I haven't seen any mention of English entries or the content of the diary among Kaze's international fanbase.  So I figured I'll share some of the more interesting entries I find here.

Do lemme know if there are already official translations available and it's just me who doesn't know about them so I don't keep doing all this work for nothing, yeah?

Oh I checked and found that Kaze's team has given blanket permission for stuff on the Kaze app to be reproduced. It's only when people rip the stuff in there for unauthorized reuse (like pictures to be printed on t-shirts, etc to be sold as unofficial merch and what-not) that they put their foot down. So in case you're wondering, this thingy that I'm doing here is a-ok in their books, since it's basically content reproduction, which they do not seem to consider as rights infringement. As far as Kaze goes, anyway.

Note that this is based on whenever I get to making more headway into the journal itself and only on whatever entry I come across that I find interesting enough to want to share so it's not going to be everything and it ain't going to be regular. Far from it. Hope y'all understand.

Also, this probably isn't necessary given where this is and there's only like 5.5 of us Kaze fans in here but if anyone wants to share this outside of Tumblr, I'd appreciate it if I'm asked about it first. Thank you!

This particular entry was posted 31 Dec 2020.

Good evening, one and all!

The other day, I talked about working on two music videos in a single week in this Staff Journal. As today is the last day of 2020, looking back on what the year was like, it dawned on me that it was a year where our concerted efforts lie mostly with shooting these videos. We've released seven of them so far so I thought we could take a short trip down memory lane and recount what crazy 2020 was like for us.

It's been just about a year.

Since Kaze's first individual concert that was held at LINE CUBE in Shibuya, that is. This was the show Kaze decided to first announce to the world his original song, NaN-NaNw. It goes without saying that the first music vid that's going to be released would also be that of NaN-NaNw. As someone whos's been making and uploading videos on YouTube all by himself all this time, it's a matter of course that he has very clear ideas on what he wants in this first music video.

Calling ourselves Team Kaze, a small team of staff all came together and brainstormed on everything right from the concept, to the director, to the location.

Call it great timing, but we were able to find ourselves a director willing to take on the job and we were able to have a series of in-depth discussions with them.

See, not only is the entire song in Japanese, it's also sung in a rural dialect. But. The location is NYC. (Kaze himself wasn't too particular on the location though.)

The final story concept was something that came about after many in-depth back-and-forths between Kaze and the director to brush it up. Casting auditions including for the role of the angel were held at the location city right up to the last minute when, three days before we were due to travel to the shooting location, the original director had to bail on us for reasons I'm not able to disclose.

※Please refer to the vlog on YouTube to find out a bit about the progress we were able to make with said director and the concept of the song itself.

Remember, this was Kaze's very first music video. And it's slated to be shot at an overseas location, no less. But here we are, served with this shocking news, three days before we had to show up on set.

"Let's just give up on NYC and rethink the concept from scratch while we search for a new director. I mean, we could just delay this whole thing, couldn't we?"

Were some of the suggestions brought up within the team at the late night discussion table. But Kaze wiped everything clean off it when he said:

"Ah can't think o' another concept that'd work wit' this song."

By the way, just so you know, I actually tabled a suggestion where we go to India with a skeleton crew and shoot with just a single camera instead. But it got voted down pretty quickly which was just as well. Lol.

SEP Nakagawadani-san, Itabashi, the cameraman Kamiike-san, the lighting engineer Takahashi-san and Chris, who took over directorial duties, accompanied us on this journey with its beginnings full of ups and downs, starts and stops. The location coordinator Chika-san and Michael were also a huge help.

(Img taken from Kaze's app)

Here's a little anecdote from the shoot I thought I'd share:

You know the emotion-sharing scene where Kaze was in this room surrounded by a whole bunch of the cast who were all dressed in white? That was actually the very first scene shot which Kaze was initially none too happy about. He complained to me, "Ah never once imagined that the very firs' scene o'mah very firs' music vid wud see me lip-syncing in fronna whole buncha foreign peeps ah've ne'er met X(." He sounded nervous and I probably didn't imagine that hint of agitation I detected in his tone, either.

Also, because shooting was around Christmas season, NYC was alight with decorations. Which complicated things for us as the music vid had absolutely nothing to do with the holiday and we now had to be extremely careful to avoid anything to do with it getting into any of the shots.

When shooting the opening scene of the music vid, the image Kaze, the director and the cameraman each had for it in their respective minds were all different so tensions were slightly strained until everyone eventually came to an agreement.

Reckon it can't be helped, since the original director is no longer on board.

The last scene shot was at the subway. After wrapping up, everyone in Team Kaze and the film crew all felt as though we've created something pretty dang awesome.

And we weren't imagining it either because as a result, NaN-NaNw  won this year's MTV Video Music Award Japan for the R&B category. I can't even begin to describe how happy this made us all.

(Img taken from Kaze's app)

This song and its MV turned out to mark a good start for us all so it felt like all the things we went through for it paid off.

After we've returned to Japan, without waiting for the music vid's release on 24 Jan, we went on ahead and dove headlong into pre-pro for MOH-EE-WA.

Since MOH-EE-WA is a song with hip-hop vibes to it, we figured we could engage a director who's at home with the genre, preferably someone young? Were some of the things Kaze and I talked about and it just so happen we were fortunate enough to have crossed paths with one Spikey John earlier, who not only hail from Okayama just like Kaze, they're pretty much the same age, with Spikey having been just one school year above.  We met him some time in early Jan.

But, whether it was the folly of being about the same age, or both being extremely dedicated to their craft, as things turned out, they were pretty far from smooth-sailing. Having been able to meet the man was a highly fortunate thing in itself still, though. Lol.

Basically it's like this:

The ideas Spikey thought were great, Kaze didn't see eye-to-eye with.

The things Kaze wanted in, Spikey didn't think much of.

For someone who's usually pretty chill, Kaze got uncharacteristically worked up by the communication issues he seemed to be having, at one point going, "There's no way ah can work wit' someone ah can't co'municate on equal terms wit'. Wha he expect me ta do? Git down on mah knees an' beg?"

And from Spikey's end, it was, "Yanno, maybe I'm not the right guy for this."

So while trying to placate Kaze on one hand, on the other I spoke with Spikey to help him gain a better understanding of Kaze. It took several meetings but the two were gradually able to close the gap between themselves and understand where the other was coming from.  Once they've gotten to the point where they've gained respect for one another, well, I'm sure you were all able to see the work that resulted for yourselves.

After the video's official release, Kaze well and truly considers Spikey as one of his bros and Spikey proclaimed himself a Kaze fanboy.

(Img taken from Kaze's app)

Goes to show how important it is to trade ideas, even if they clash.

Whoa, seems like I've been going on forever about this and I'm not even near the end yet. Mind if I took a break? I'll continue in the next entry, promise!

Oh right, since we're looking back on the past, I figure I should let you all in a bit on how Kaze and I met.

"Oh hey, so I've been pretty into this young dude on YouTube lately," Asako Miyazaki, the guitarist-cum-vocalist of SHISHAMO, the band I was managing back then, told me one day. That was how I first learned about the existence of one Fujii Kaze. If memory serves, that was probably around the end of 2017.

Back then, I was just like, "Oh, is that so?" But half a year later, in the summer of 2018, I found myself reaching out to him, and was promptly rejected as he told me, "A bunch of people who claimed to be from the industry have already gotten in touch, so I think I'm good, thanks."

Me, dejected: D8 T___T

So I placated myself by thinking that it didn't have to be me, that he'd for sure be able to meet someone worthy, who could do proper justice to his talent.

But Asako, bless her generous soul, wouldn't hear of it and urged me to not give up, telling me , "Dude. Don't just throw in the towel. Keep trying."

"Wow. That's really big o' her. Me, ah wouldn't be able to find it in meself to jus' han' mah own man'ger over ta someone else," was what Kaze said when I told him about it later. But really, this is just one of the countless things that make Asako an extremely cool person.

After that little push from behind, I gathered up my will to try again and eventually managed to get to a point where he was willing to meet with me at Okayama Station to hear me out.

There, we settled into a cafe and spoke at length and, on that very same day, he brought me home to meet his folks.  In the days after, I made a few more visits to Satosho to explain to Kaze and his folks my ideas and hear what they have to say as well. We communicated a lot and, well, here we are.

They say that fate or destiny is what brings people together and I can't stress enough the truth and importance of that. Thinking back on what led us here this New Years Eve has just renewed my conviction of it.

Lastly,  I'd like for you all to know that the warmth you have so generously shown us was what kept us going throughout this whole year. Trust me when I say we can't begin to thank all of you enough. Really, thank you all so very, very much! I hope you'll continue being generous in your support through 2021, as well.

Looking forward to seeing you all in tomorrow's piano livestream!

--

[justagirl-andherbooks]

Books Purchased in May 2023

There was a Sunday in May when my husband and I decided to shirk our responsibilities and hit a slew of bookstores across town. I picked up three in total and even though I'm still juggling, reading two very different books right now - which I will make a separate post for - I'm honestly so excited to dive into these!

Summaries are below the cut.

Thank you to @firefly-graphics for these cool dividers!

The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard

Jina Modell works in Communications for a paramilitary organization and she loves it. When she displays a high aptitude for spatial awareness and action, she's reassigned to work as an on-site drone operator with one of the elite GO-Teams. Far from athletic, she needs to be fit for the field and learn how to run and swim for miles, jump out of a plane, shoot a gun...or else be out of a job.

Team leader Levi Butcher doesn't have much confidence in Jina completing her rigorous training, so no one is more surprised - or proud - when she thrives in her new environment. Even more surprising is that the disciplined leader can't stop thinking about her smart mouth...

Meanwhile, a powerful Congresswoman is setting a trap to ambush the GO-Team. Once the squad is deployed to Syria, Jina remains at the base for remote surveillance, when suddenly the station is attacked with exlposives. Escaping to the desert, Jina must remain undetected by the enemy and make it to her crew before they're exfiltrated from the country.

But Levi never leaves a soldier behind, and he's determined to bring back the brave woman he's fall for - dead or alive.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules, with one exception: an online account where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere feels like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for...

Night Broken: A Mercy Thompson Novel by Patricia Briggs

When her mate's ex-wife storms back into their lives, Mercy knows something isn't right. Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions - she wants Adam back, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning the pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn't about to step down without a fight, but there's a more dangerous threat circling. As the bodies start piling up, she must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

I've quickly become a fan of the Mercy Thompson novels and I mean, come on, the summaries for Howard and Mandanna's stories are just so intriguing!

I do enjoy my romance woven into action and adventure - clearly. 😉

Happy Reading!

Yvette

[baglove]

(via cat lovers Mask by mohammed elhachimi)

funny, cute, fear federal feel feeling few field fight figure fill film final finally financial find fine finger finish fire firm first fish five floor fly focus follow food foot for force foreign forget form former forward four free friend from front full fund future, game garden gas general generation get girl give glass go goal good government great green ground group grow growth guess gun guy hair half hand hang happen happy hard have he head health hear heart heat heavy help her here herself high him himself his, a ability able about above accept according account across act action activity actually add address administration admit adult affect after again against age agency agent ago agree agreement ahead air all allow almost alone along already also although, always american among amount analysis and animal another answer any anyone anything appear apply approach area argue arm around arrive art article artist as ask assume at attack attention attorney audience author authority available avoid away baby back, institution interest interesting international interview into investment involve issue it item its itself job join just keep key kid kill kind kitchen know knowledge land language large last late later laugh law lawyer lay lead leader learn least leave, left leg legal less let letter level lie life light like likely line list listen little live local long look lose loss lot love low machine magazine main maintain major majority make man manage management manager many market marriage material matter may, civil claim class clear clearly close coach cold collection college color come commercial common community company compare computer concern condition conference congress consider consumer contain continue control cost could country couple course court, cover create crime cultural culture cup current customer cut dark data daughter day dead deal death debate decade decide decision deep defense degree democrat democratic describe design despite detail determine develop development die difference different, bad ball bank bar base be beat beautiful because become bed before begin behavior behind believe benefit best better between beyond big bill billion bit black blood blue board book born both box boy break bring brother budget build building, business but buy by call camera campaign can cancer candidate capital car care career carry case catch cause cell center central century certain certainly chair challenge chance change character charge check child choice choose church citizen city, myself name nation national natural nature near nearly necessary need network never new news newspaper next nice night no none nor north not note nothing notice now number occur of off offer office officer official often oh oil ok old on once one only, enough enter entire environment environmental especially establish even evening event ever every everybody everyone everything evidence exactly example executive exist expect experience expert explain eye face fact factor fail fall family far fast father, history hit hold home hope hospital hot hotel hour house how however huge human hundred husband i idea identify if image imagine impact important improve in include including increase indeed indicate industry information inside instead, sort sound source south southern space speak special specific speech spend sport spring staff stage stand standard star start state statement station stay step still stock stop store story strategy street strong structure student study stuff style subject, shake share she shoot short shot should shoulder show side sign significant similar simple simply since sing single sister sit site situation six size skill skin small smile so social society soldier some somebody someone something sometimes son song soon, third this those though thought thousand threat three through throughout thus time to today together tonight too top total tough toward town trade traditional training travel treat treatment tree trial trip trouble true truth try turn tv two type, difficult dinner direction director discover discuss discussion disease do doctor dog door down draw dream drive drop drug during each early east easy eat economic economy edge education effect effort eight either election else employee end energy enjoy, onto open operation opportunity option or order organization other others our out outside over own owner page pain painting paper parent part participant particular particularly partner party pass past patient pattern pay peace people per perform, cat, love, success successful such suddenly suffer suggest summer support sure surface system table take talk task tax teach teacher team technology television tell ten tend term test than thank that the their them themselves then theory there these they thing think, animal, tie dye hippie hipster rainbow tumblr cool peace trendy colorful cute shaka trending trippy beach blue pastel hippy dye funny hang loose indie jeep ocean tie aesthetic boho fashion girly good vibes love popular positive surf vibes weed adventure bohemian, dope feminism girl green groovy grunge hand happy hawaii kawaii life loose mandala meme music nice pale peaceful pink purple space summer tiedye trend tye die tye dye vintage 70s 90s artsy be happy black california car colors drugs festival florida food, fun good goth hang hearts hippies instagram la logo lsd marijuana meditate new york peace sign pineapple psychedelic pun quote retro script shoes sign stay woke tie die top selling travel traveling tropical typography vibe water waves white woke yellow zen, 1960 1970 2019 3 420 60s aestethic alex morgan alien aloha anatomy apples atlanta atlantis avocado avocados awesome backgrounds ball basic beautiful bernie birkenstocks black and white bloodshot bob bob weir bones bong brandy melville bright bright side, bro bud buddha buddhas bumper ca cali calligraphy calm cartoon case chaco chacos chakra chakras chance the rapper chic chicago chill chill out city claire andrews claireandrewss classic clout clout goggles college colour colourful country cowabunga dancing, skeleton dark blue dead head death designs disco dolphin donut doodle dorm down drake dude edm elephant elephants emoji eno equal pay eyes fall fat buddha fist floral flower flowers font four stars fries fruit fry funds fye gd50 girl gang girl girl girls

[woodworkingpastor]

A sign of peace -- Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 2:6 -- Second Sunday of Advent -- December 4, 2022

I am regularly perplexed by the lack of support—and even the outright opposition—to our denomination’s peace witness. Even after we acknowledge the reality of evil, the presence of enemies, and the very real threat their existence creates, it puzzles me why some people do not want to be associated with a church that attempts to put the very words of Jesus into action in our lives and to be involved with people in places where there is conflict, injustice, or structural disadvantage.

What is so threatening about beating swords into plowshares, weapons into farming implements? Just this week I read an article about the dangerously low levels of the Colorado River, and how that is threatening both Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam—a water supply serving 1 in 10 Americans. In the face of such a reality, how many more guns, bombs, and fighter jets do we really need?

For me, it calls to mind this poem from the prophet Isaiah, who looks at his people’s desperate situation and encourages them with the words

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse…

Is that enough of a promise on which to hang our hopes? A small sign of new life out of something that seems too far gone to be of any use?

The promise of continuity (Isaiah 11:1)

Isaiah 11 is one of the major waystations on what we might liken to a highway that travels the length of the Bible. There are many topics and threads and personalities that we can trace through Scripture for life application, and we do this often. The main road through the Bible, though, is one that begins with creation in Genesis, extends through the Fall, continues through Jesus’ birth and death which we recognize each Advent and Easter, and ends with new Creation in Revelation.

It might easily be likened to the many highways that go all the way across the United States. 

When I was young, my family would vacation in Ocean City, MD. When you leave Ocean City on US Rt. 50, you pass under a sign that says, “Sacramento Ca 3037.” (There’s an analogous sign in Sacramento). 

I remember being fascinated by this sign, and the thought of being at the beginning of a stretch of pavement that literally reaches across the country fascinated me to no end. Maybe someday I’ll drive to Ocean City, make a U-turn, and head west!

One of the characteristics of Rt. 50 is that it is considered one of the lonelier roads in America, because once you cross the Mississippi River, the highway passes through some of the more isolated sections of the western states and does not visit many of the major cities. That’s the case with Isaiah 11; we are on the main highway of Scripture, but we are on one of the lonelier portions of it. In 2003, Lynette and I drove from Sacramento, CA to Boise, ID, and we decided to drive east on Rt. 50 as long as we could. We went up through Lake Tahoe, then down into Carson City, NV. I will tell you, those miles of highway east of Carson City give new meaning to the word desolate. This is Isaiah’s situation; but the desolation of the people’s spiritual life does not prevent the prophet from looking backward from whence the people have come and recalling the promise to King David

A shoot will come out of from the stump of Jesse.

(Jesse is David’s father, if you recall.) This particular promise is itself a continuation of the promise made to Abraham, which is itself a continuation of work that God began at creation.

It is a promise to not only work with people, but to work through people. To demonstrate that God was serious about that promise, human beings were given a certain kind of power: power to “fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion…over every living thing that moves upon the earth;” power to “till it and keep it.” This power was to be used in keeping with God’s original intention, to live and work in a place where life could be enjoyed to the fullest measure.

Tragically, humans soon decided to go their own way, and in doing so the power that they God had given them to accomplish beautiful and life-giving things began to be used for selfish, evil purposes. It is a remarkable sign of grace that God continues to work through the people to whom he made the original promise. God had so many opportunities to bail. Yet God continues to work through us.

But from this vantage point on the highway, Isaiah is also looking forward. We have the privilege of looking all the way forward to the end, further even that Isaiah could. From there, we see the promise of Revelation 22:13, where Jesus announces himself as

Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End

a declaration that is remembered on today’s Chrismon with the Greek letters alpha and omega. To push the highway metaphor a bit too far, Jesus is the “Ocean City and the Sacramento” the beginning, the end, and the maker of the road itself!

Here in Isaiah 11, it probably seems like we’re stranded alongside the road with the hood up and steam pouring out of the radiator, wishing we’d had that check engine light looked at while were in St. Louis, but here we are in the Nevada desert with nothing left to do but start walking west, hoping to find someone who can fix our car.

We might even think about the settlers who passed this way 175 years prior. Not everyone who headed west in the wagon train days survived the journey. But most of the group would, and it would be up to them to carry on the dream. The dream is still alive in Isaiah 11, even if it doesn’t look like much at the moment.

How will this ruler operate? (Isaiah 11:3-5)

The promise may seem faint, but it is there nonetheless. Into a world of corruption and inequality, this shoot from the stump of Jesse will operate in a way that benefits all. He will be known by great wisdom and understanding; qualities that will be used to face the difficult realities of life and deal with them fairly. He will be known for counsel and might; the ability to account for the often-competing needs of the many and the few. He will be known for knowledge and fear of the Lord; this one will live with a faith that honors God.

These qualities sound like they are just another set of characteristics of the political kingdoms-of-this-world. But I will argue a different point; I encourage you to see in these qualities the skills of a shepherd—one who is concerned with the needs of both the individual and the whole.

The problem of peace

Knowing these things about God, why isn’t this peace universally sought after? Perhaps because if the shepherd is going to account for the needs of both the individual and the needs of the group, some will have to give up their positions. For all to be well, those who contribute to the unwellness of others will lose some of their position.

If the wolf will lie down with the lamb, the wolf needs to find something else to eat. The one with the most power has to make the most change.

If the weaned child will place its hand on the adder’s den, the snake needs to trust that the child is no threat. In this case, the one that feels vulnerable needs to learn to trust.

In the early 2000’s, the Church of the Brethren began a new phase of mission work in South Sudan. One lesson we learned is that peace is hard. Consider the case of neighboring farmers—one of whom fled their home for the relative safety of a United Nations refugee camp; the other who stayed at home and began working both farms to better provide for his family. How will the farmer who stayed—and worked extra hard in a very dangerous environment)—feel about his neighbor who returns? Will he gladly give up the land he thought had been abandoned? Who decides how they will get along?

Peace is difficult, but it begins with the possibility that another way of interacting can be imagined. Isaiah 11 is not a call to action; the text doesn’t ask us to do anything. It is instead a portrayal of good news. This is the promise at the end of the highway, and like the settlers who crossed America, the destination is worth the struggle and sacrifice.

Something that causes difficulty in our culture these days is that more stories are being told—stories that complicate our understanding of how things were and how things are. Stories that must be accounted for as we work for how things might be.

A long time ago, I officiated the funeral of a dear lady who left behind two nieces who absolutely adored their aunt. We worked very hard to organize a memorial service that honored their aunt. One of the details they wanted was an open microphone for people to share stories of their beloved aunt. One of their cousins came to the mic and began to share. His primary offense (in my mind) was that he missed several excellent opportunities to stop talking and return to his seat. But the two ladies with whom I’d planned the funeral were horrified. Mind you, everything the man said was true, and none of his words were inappropriate or all that out of order. But his stories did suggest that this beloved aunt’s life was a bit more complicated than the nieces wanted portrayed.

Dealing with things with the spirit of wisdom and understanding requires dealing with uncomfortable truth. And it is perfectly reasonable to think that when people learn stories that show things in a different light, that they might begin to reconsider the present and the future.

As humans, we are unique on earth in our ability to imagine a future that does not yet exist. It is one aspect of the imago Dei (the image of God) within us. Our imaginary traveler on US 50 somewhere in Nevada can simultaneously remember the beaches of Ocean City, MD and anticipate the new life in Sacramento.

This is where power that God gave human beings at creation comes back into the story. We have the power to enact change—to see the vision of a new life at the end of the highway and start moving in that direction. We can see something and begin working with people and institutions to bend things toward a certain end. It’s the basic lesson of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The moment of truth comes when Ebenezer Scrooge recognizes that his past does not have to dictate his future. It’s the basic definition of grace. We can use this power to participate with God, or we can use it to work against God. We can use this power to seek the best for people, or we can run over people. We have the power to both envision and move toward a certain future.

The promise in Isaiah offers us the image of a peaceable future, where mortal adversaries become partners in the Kingdom of God and the knowledge of God is as well-known and widespread as the oceans that cover the sea.

This, dear church, is the promise of peace that this One whose coming we remember—and whose coming again we anticipate—offers to us. Conflict is unavoidable, but permanent hostility is not the only possible outcome. We just need to decide to make the trip toward peace.

[boypussydilf]

@sadblueish let’s go. so he’s a fox named orville/orv (i cant decide if i want to shorten it or not) who lives out of a van or trailer or mobile home or something which also doubles as a bookshop & he travels across the country selling books. the gag is that wherever he goes he keeps running into sam and max and they keep ruining his business and his life doing things like shooting his customers before they pay and blowing up his van. orv hates them so much. he used to be fairly shy & quiet & gentle but now he spends his life constantly on the edge of a nervous breakdown and swearing that he’s this 👌 close to going full supervillain. he never will go full supervillain, he’ll just keep reinforcing his van and avoiding new york like the plague and going on disturbingly intense rants about sam and max. sam and max have no idea that he exists or that they’ve run into him multiple times. they would not recognize him as even vaguely familiar. someday i’ll learn how to draw anthro animals and i’ll finally draw him (i have been saying this for years and never done it). i just find the idea funny

who wants to hear about my sam and max oc

[bastart13]

I’ve had a lot of fun recently coming with with female mercenary characters for TF2. I really liked where the concept art was going with making them all individual characters rather than simply “if the characters were women”

The design style is fantastic for distinct simplicity so I tried limiting myself to basic colours and shapes to make these

and I’m pretty confident they pass the silhouette test!

Character names/bios under the cut!

Heavy

Name: Marie Jarrett

Age: Mid 30s-40s

Height: 6’5

Nationality: American (Hawai’i)

Bio: Raised in Hawai’i, growing up she developed more and more drastic measures to fend off the tourists swarming her home. Land mines, electric gates, guard dogs, none could stop them for long until she picked up her trusty minigun to send her message. But even still, she hears the click of cameras in the night.

Eventually, she left her home to explore the world. Enthralled with the image of seeing different wonders across different countries, she’s always disappointed. She’s travelled every continent and still finds nothing that lives up to her expectations. No place, no person. She’s outgoing and open to new experiences, only she usually hates them.

Mercenary life is a great opportunity to earn money, see sights, meet new people and kill them after they don’t meet your expectations. She hates New Mexico and takes every opportunity to destroy the buildings and insult her employer’s tastes. She finds some people she tolerates within the mercenaries as she hasn’t yet visited where they live. However much she hides it, she has a deep, instinctual fear of the Engineer.

  Soldier

Name: Linda Smith

Age: Early 40s

Height: 5’10

Nationality: Canadian

Bio: Canada’s perfect woman… or so she claims. The star of war propaganda posters and clearly decided for the role because of her great tactical assets. She’s there to motivate people into the fight. To spread the glory of Canada and inspire her allies. She believes she has higher orders than anyone else she’s working for (ignoring the fact she hasn’t heard from them for a good few years) and is determined to follow them to the letter. She may have lost the letter but she remembers it good enough.

She represents the ideals of Canada: polite, friendly, apologetic, and pacifistic. None of these are contradicted by how she throws around rockets. That’s not what Canada means. She’s superior to everyone around her and graciously educates them on how to improve through example. She loves her French and British allies and will kindly tell the Americans how to be better.

She’s motivating and actually fairly competent, it’s just that competency might be misdirected. She’s damn good at rocket jumping, shooting her shotgun, and supporting her team, it’s just that you really need to get it in her head when she’s meant to be doing it.

Scout

Name: Patricia “Pat” Herald

Age: 50s-60s

Height: 5’4

Nationality: English

Bio: In her years, Patricia has learnt fear… and she’s learnt to laugh in its face. She wakes up at the crack of dawn, ready to leave at the drop of a hat, boots polished and laced the night before. Her years have taught her that with a gun and Jeremy by her side, she can survive!

The postal route of Appleby-in-Westmorland.

She’s been chased by geese, dogs, cows, elderly ladies, and when her postal route had her delivering post during the war, she developed a taste for blood. Nothing will stop her from delivering her post on time. Every day before 6am, every postbox will have their letters and parcels. One chucked across barbed wire, another house jumped over a river, another house miles into the country with dogs on her heels, she WILL get there and she’ll get there FAST.

But after a couple of decades, she needs a change of scenery, and the Gravels wars are just the holiday she’s needed. With her trusty black and white cat by her side (ignoring the yowling and scratches) she reckons it’ll be great time to enjoy herself.

Quotes: “Oh, hello, Human Jeremy.”

“Bloody fucking Ethel! Building her house out in the country… surrounded by bloody hills and rivers!”

Pyro

Name: Nikephoros Papadopoulos

Age: Late 20s

Height: 5’11

Nationality: Greek

Bio: Survival of the fittest. Nature gives and nature taketh away. If you’re not prepared for that, well, Pyro is more than happy to teach you the lesson. They embody the old values of the Greek gods: f*ck or fire. She indulges her every whim and unfortunately for the people around her it often involves arson.

One year for the Olympic games, she was given the noble title of torchbearer. On complete coincidence, the Olympics shifted to primarily water sports. Underwater sprints became the hot new trend!

She’s merry and chatty, never missing the opportunity to talk to other people about herself and her world view. She can’t wait to spread her gospel to help other people improve themselves (though she always gets a laugh out of those who go out screaming in the flames). She can’t help it if she has a sadistic side.

Engineer

Name: Mikawo Kojima

Age: Early 20s

Height: 5’0

Nationality: Japanese

Bio: Japan’s early-rising industrial revolutions in technology are best exemplified in Mikawo, a young upstart determined to rise to the top, learning everything she can and building the best of the best. Unfortunately, she’s never been the most creative but when you happen upon other people’s blueprints and happen to construct them first, what does it matter who came up with the “concept”?

At first, she appears to be every bit the quiet and demure young woman people expect, only when silk hides steel, that steel is a massive automatic sentry gun. She’s motivated by a distinct contempt for the people who get in her way. Especially those who try to be better than her. She enjoys the flexibility of English, especially the cusses, and she has no reservations about swearing up a storm, even if she still refuses to give a straight rejection, preferring instead to give a small “I’ll think about it.”

Quotes: “This GUN is fair use on your head!”

Demo

Name: Qingzhao Zeng

Age: Late 40s

Height: 5’3

Nationality: Chinese

Bio: The Zeng family has a long-standing family trade in demolitions and explosives, traced down the line all the way to the Song dynasty. Luckily, Qingzhao has sisters so, you know, it’s not all that important. She doesn’t even have to stop smoking and drinking. She hasn’t blown herself up (that much) so clearly, it’s working. Precision is for other people to worry about. She’s apathetic to a T, having seen everything. Measurements come from the heart. A pinch of gunpowder there, a splash of paint there.

Her family has a deep-seated rivalry with the DeGroots. Long ago in ancient China, a Zeng matriarch woke up in a cold sweat, a message from the stars to let them know of their Scottish rivals. Due to being a continent away from each other, the families have actually met each other only a handful of times, but the hatred needs to be kept up because, what if?

Turns out, Qingzhao has met Tavish even before finding employment under the Mann brothers. One drunken night, the two of them had a short, whirlwind friendship, sharing secrets and declaring each other to be their best friends. Luckily for them, they both forgot the night, merrily hating each other as tradition dictates. However, headaches and flashes of this terrible night haunt them both. Could they really get over centuries of hate and become friends?

Absolutely not.

Sniper

Name: Ansa Aaltonen

Age: 27

Height: 6’2

Nationality: Finnish

Bio: Snow. Sugar. Cocaine.  Her life is run by many white powders. Ansa is a professional sniper, with a sharp eye and a steady hand… when she isn’t also high as a kite, lost in the snowy wilderness of Finland and screeching to the sky. When you’re up in the dark and cold, you need something to give you a little pep in your step. It just so happens Ansa liked having a bit more pep than most.

She’s there for a THRILL. There’s nothing better to get your heart pumping at 200 beats per second than a good headshot, embracing the chill, and a hit of sugar. She no longer feels the cold or heat or even pain, shrugging it off until she collapses. It just makes her feel alive. She’s efficient, fast, and determined to get her kicks.

She has an unusual taste, living off fermented fish and tree bark. To most people around the Finnish wilderness, she’s nothing more than an urban legend, but she’s very real and she’s looking for some excitement, happily found in employment in the Gravel wars.

Spy

Name: Yvonne Pleshette [Real name N/A]

Age: 30s

Height: 5’8

Nationality: American (California)

Bio: The silver screen calls to his woman and she’s happy to answer. She trains herself to act in every possible role she can, having a wide range of accents, body languages, and backstories. To truly test herself, she gave up her identity long ago. Lately she’s been going by the name “Yvonne.”

The world of Hollywood is cutthroat and full of backstabbers so she learnt to cut throats and stab backs. While some people tell her the terms are metaphorical, nothing else has given her more roles. Living the mercenary life is simply gathering research for her roles (and earning some much-needed money in the process).

She presents herself as a classic film star, despite being a minor name at best, mostly because she’s always changing it. She has high standards but a cheapskate personality. She’s a bit of a bitch, happily criticising others, especially if they’re working with her. What can she say? She’s a diva.

[Slutshames other spy]

Quotes: “Ugh, actors these days, they know nothing about getting into character. They still have names.”

“’AHHHHH—’ Wait, no. Once more from the top. Scream in agony.”

Medic

Name: Susan Monks

Age: 30-40s

Height: 5’7

Nationality: American (New Jersey)

Bio: The American Healthcare system. Is there a more glorious sight? The exploitation of pain. The money. The debt. The fear it strikes into the entire population it’s designed to help. To Susan, there’s nothing better. She squeezes every last drop from the people she helps, working on a purely transactional lifestyle. She’ll never help someone unless she has all of their insurance information and the payment secure in her bank, and god forbid she ever accept help. It’s not like she can afford her own prices.

She’s very self-aware of her own corruption and proud of it, though she refuses to be exploited in the same way, suspicious of anything “free” but also doing her best not to pay for anything.

That said, she doesn’t much care for how good a job she does. In her eyes, asking for surgery is one thing. Asking for successful surgery is another. She has a variety of skills in both cosmetic and military medicine. She just wishes the license board would stop sending her “malpractice” letters. Ugh, stick to your own business. “Disappearing” all their messengers is becoming a pain.

Quotes: “Why get someone else to do something for you when you can scrounge a way to do it yourself?”