#it's this fandom's fault for getting the idea of a baby in my head

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

i know i'm getting ahead of myself, but can we talk about how beautiful an oshamir baby would be?

[queers-gambit]

Adore Her, Dior Her

prompt: ( requested ) what good is having all that money if he can't spend it on the woman he loves?

pairing: Mafia!Bucky Barnes x female!reader

fandom masterlist: Marvel

word count: 4.3k+

warnings: author foams at the mouth for Mafia AUs, overwhelming fluff, cursing, not edited.

"That's the one. That's one we should get!"

"You've said that about the past three dresses, Buck!" You groaned, smoothing your hands over the skirt. "We need to narrow this down, okay? The wedding's in a month!"

"Why did we even agree to go?"

You glared, "'Cause we love my brother and we're supporting him."

"But she's just so - "

"Jen. Her name's Jen."

Bucky nodded, leaning back on the cushioned chair, "Well, Jen's just wrong for him. Literally the definition of toxic."

"Does it count if they're toxic together? To each other?" You sighed, standing on the pedestal and turning to look in the three mirrors beside the dressing room.

"Of course it does," he stood, buttoning his suit jacket out of habit. He approached you, head cocking as he looked your body up and down to get the full view of the gown you tried on. "You're really okay letting him marry her? Turn this way a bit, baby, lemme see the front."

You scoffed, but took his offered hand and twisted on the small platform towards him, "You were there at Christmas, he doesn't listen to reason. So, if Daniel's convinced Jen's for him, as his sister, my only job is be supportive."

"They literally abuse each other," he pointed out.

"Well, he's not changing his mind. Okay? It's been three years, he won't budge, whenever someone brings up them breaking up, he goes into hiding - so, I don't know what else I can do," your hands slapped your thighs when you shrugged, "except just be there for him. Now, focus, please, help me narrow a dress down."

He shook his head as you turned to face the mirrors again, "Actually, you know what? I don't think anything in this store is for us."

The attendant perked up and scurried over, rushing, "Oh, well, we have a much larger selection in the back, Mr. Barnes - "

"That won't be necessary, Barbra, thank you, though," he nodded. "Doll," his hand planted on your waist, head over your shoulder as you still looked yourself over in the mirrors, "go get changed, I know where we need to go."

"Bucky, no, there's plenty of options here," you argued, twisting on the wee little pedestal to face him again. "We don't need to drop a stack on a dress - "

"You let me worry about the price tag," he smirked, leaning in to peck your cheek. "Just go change, pretty girl, c'mon. Step-to!"

You offered Barbra, the attendant, an apologetic smile as you shuffled back into the changing room; quickly stripping from the dress. When you exited in your street clothes, Bucky was tipping the aged woman for her effort in gathering your options, but the moment he saw you, his hand was extending to hold yours tightly.

"What was wrong with that store?" You asked when you stepped onto the noisy and busy street to approach the sleek, tinted car Bucky drove for day-to-day errands.

"We're not shopping at David's fucking Bridal."

"You literally drove us here," you laughed.

"Yeah, and then I had a much better idea," he smirked at you, unlocking the car and opening your passenger door. "C'mon, princess, just gotta trust me."

"Last time you said that - "

"That wasn't my fault," he groaned, cheeks flaring red in embarrassment. When you opened your mouth to retort, he rushed, "Aht, nope, don't say shit. C'mon, I'm taking you somewhere special so get that pretty ass in the car."

He grinned when you laughed and did as bid, feet safely inside when he closed the door after you were settled. Bucky easily jogged around the back of his car, New York busy this time of year as traffic flew past on the street and forced Buck slow. He dropped into the driver's seat, sniffling slightly.

"Reminds me," Bucky smirked as he pulled onto the street, "how would you feel about us going to Aspen this winter?"

You sighed, "Why?"

"You wanna stay in New York for Christmas?"

"Well, yeah! It's so magical."

"Okay, so, we can go over New Years?"

You sighed, "You know, we don't have to go anywhere..."

"Sweetheart," he cleared his throat, "I actually have some business in Aspen, this will just help determine when I schedule the meetings for."

"Oh," you nodded slowly.

He sighed, "I know my job isn't orthodox, but business is business, right, sugar?”

"No, yeah, yeah, I get it. It sounds kinda nice, maybe we can go skiing."

"You know how to ski?"

"No, but I'm sure someone in Aspen could help teach me."

Bucky grinned. The drive was full of easy conversation, neither you nor Bucky dwelling on his business dealings, always feeling as if it was taboo given his station in the Mafia. So when he pulled up in front of a designer store, you gawked. "Now, if we can't find something here - "

"Um, absolutely not," you laughed. "Bucky, I can't even afford to walk into a place like that!"

"Good thing I'm paying," he smirked. He assisted you out of the car, tossing his keys to one of his security guards who had been following in a separate, tinted vehicle. When you both entered the dimly lit store, you were blown away by the gorgeous minimalist design; warm lighting, open floor space, and racks of different clothing options.

"Ah, Mr. Barnes! Hello, hello, hello!" A new attendant greeted with more enthusiasm than you would've greeted any of your clients, approaching you two. She shook your boyfriend's hand vigorously, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Bucky wrapped his arm around your waist, "Looking for a dress to wear to a wedding."

She offered you a forced smile, telling your boyfriend swiftly with her teeth on full display, "You came to the right spot!"

"See?" Bucky smirked at you. "All right, Valeria, what's first?"

Valeria waved you both onward to a private changing room, offering complimentary sparkling waters, coffees, teas - even offering to go retrieve anything you two would want from the Starbucks down the block. Valeria took your measurements and dress size, making idle chit-chat with Bucky and making it obvious he was a regular in the store, then scurrying off to collect an armful of options.

"This is - wow," you nodded in impression, petting the material of the display dresses hung along the wall.

"Like it?"

"It's growing on me," you eased with a small shrug, hearing Bucky chuckle and for his phone to chime. You perused the place as he became glued to the little device, sat in front of the dressing rooms.

Valeria returned with another attendant carrying coffees. "Right this way, Mrs. Barnes," Valeria directed you into a changing room, missing the giddy look you sent Bucky over your shoulder at being called his wife. "All right, so," she sighed, hanging up the dresses she selected, "I think these are modest enough for a wedding, but still glamorous to turn a few heads."

You hummed, "They're kinda short, don't know if that's the energy I want to be giving off at my brother's wedding."

"They'll fit differently once on but we can always accommodate," she assured, pulling one from the hanger. "Here we go," she assisted you, zipping you in and looking you over. "Oh, it's just darling on you! Look at that, not a single hair outta place, right?"

You giggled lightly, "It's certainly pretty."

"Shall we show Mr. Barnes?"

You nodded, following her out to reveal Bucky sitting on a plush loveseat, sipping his coffee. His eyes widened when he saw you, nodding, "Oh, yeah. This is what I'm talking about."

"Hush, we're only buying one."

His eyes rolled, "I'll buy the whole damn store if I want."

"You don't own it already? Hm," you teased, perking your brows.

"Keep sayin' shit, I'll cut a check right now - "

"Bucky," you tisked, moving to the runway mirrors. "It's a little tight, isn't it?"

"It's snug," Valeria agreed. "Is there a color scheme for the wedding?"

"Um," you paused, "I'm not sure - I just know it's in winter, like, in a month."

"Maybe a pretty powder blue?" She looked to Bucky, who nodded. "Or how about a pale green? Like an olive tone?"

"She looks gorgeous in anything," Bucky smirked from behind you, taking another pull of his coffee.

"What about that brown number?" You asked, ignoring the way his compliments made you feel like the only girl he's ever seen in the world.

"You have a very good eye, Mrs. Barnes," Valeria nodded. She asked her coworker to go find your size, taking you back into the dressing room. You narrowed down the options without changing again, not wanting anything black or dark since it was a wedding and not a funeral. Though, you knew Bucky would disagree.

You showed your boyfriend a pretty little green dress, but he shook his head. "I thought the black was nice," he told you.

"I'm not wearing black to a wedding," you laughed lightly. "It screams bad luck to me, don't you think?"

"Think it's more of a statement, sayin' the entire event is a sham and they shouldn't be doing this," Bucky snickered, the other attendant, Laura, returning with a pretty brown dress. "That satin?" He asked, rubbing the material when it was presented to you both.

"It's very fashionable now," Laura nodded, "and it's not too dark."

"Since when is it a rule to not wear dark colors to a wedding? I miss the memo?" Buck leaned back to his seat.

All three women offered him a small look, you chuckling under your breath before Valeria was leading you back into the changing room. "If I may, Mrs?" She spoke softly, "I've known Mr. Barnes for a number of years but he's never brought anyone into the store. Then, one day, he tells me he needs a new suit because the 'girl of his dreams' had agreed to a date, and every time since then?" She smiled softly at you, "He's sang your praises. I'm very honored you're trusting me with helping you today."

"Oh," you blinked in shock, giggling nervously, "well, thank you very much, Valeria, now I know why his suits are always top of the line." She waved you off, making you add, "And for the record, I'm not Mrs. Barnes, guess that'd be his mother, wouldn't it?"

"Oh," her eyes widened, gasping softly, "oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I just - he talks so highly about you - "

"No, it's okay, it's okay," you rushed, patting her arm. "I actually kind of like it..."

She hummed, zipping you into another dress, "You know, he's the reason my girl and I are together."

"Really? How'd that happen?"

Valeria chuckled, "He's very bold, your man. We were getting coffee one day, discussing his wardrobe for a business trip he had in Hong Kong, when my lady walked in. I went all silly and stupid, and Mr. Barnes just," she shook her head with a fond smile, "brazenly asked her out for me, in front of the whole shop."

"Oh, Jesus, yeah - sounds like him."

"Well, luckily, it worked, else I don't think he would've come back for my assistance. I was so embarrassed, you have no idea, but my lady - Charlie - thought it was charming and cute. Mr. Barnes hasn't let me live it down since. Says he demands an invite to the wedding." She met your eyes through the mirror, offering, "And I'd be really happy to give him a plus one, hmm?"

"You're so sweet," you whispered, turning to survey the dress. You spent the better part of three hours there, trying on dress after dress, nitpicking almost everything as you just weren't sure what to wear. Bucky wasn't much help, he just approved everything.

So, it was up to Valeria and Laura to help you; bringing out iPads and design books, trying to piece something together that best fit your comfort and the vibe of the wedding. You didn't want to look like a walking money bag since your family wasn't by any means wealthy, thinking it would be a slap to their faces since your boyfriend could spend his money without ever thinking about it. You didn't want to give your family any reason to talk behind your back.

"I like the brown satin," Laura offered softly, looking you over in the mirror. "But the blue is just wow, it really looks like it was made for you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but I think the green compliments her eyes more," Valeria cocked her head in thought. "Are you wearing your hair up or down?"

"Up," you answered, trying to mimic the look by pulling your locks off your shoulders, "with thin jewelry, I think."

"Diamonds?"

"Pearls, if I can find a dress that looks nice with it," you smiled, seeing Bucky's reflection in the mirror watching you with a soft smile on his face; head titled in thought before his phone chimed again and warranted his attention. "Maybe we could try the pink dress?" You looked to the two women for an opinion.

"No," Valeria shook her head, "it washes you out. And pink in winter? Oh, sweetie, I'd lose my job if I let you leave here with that. Guess that means you'll have to come back in the spring, right?"

You grinned in response as Laura chimed in, "The green's actually really nice, but the brown looks much better with your body type." Then she turned to Bucky, prompting, "Mr. Barnes? Final decision - which dress?"

Bucky paused, musing, "Lemme see them all again, get one last taste. It's between the green and brown numbers?"

"Or the blue," Valeria nodded. "C'mon, sweetie," she offered her hand to help you off the wee runway you were perched on in front of the magnificent mirrors.

"You look sensational in them all, doll, how the hell am I supposed to choose just one?" Bucky teased, his canines on display from the broad grin that stretched his lips.

"You'll find a way," you answered.

"Awh, telling me Mr. Big-Tough-Manly-Business-Man who makes impossible decisions everyday can't choose a simple piece of fashion?" Valeria tacked on.

"You guys can't pick either!" He laughed, "And you do a helluva lot more shopping than I do!"

Laura, Valeria, and you paused to exchange looks, you pointing at Bucky and relenting in a drawl, "Touché."

When you were escorted back into the dressing room, Laura waiting outside the door for your privacy with Valeria, Bucky sat back on the plush loveseat and extended his one arm over the back of the seating. He smirked to himself, shaking his head as if in disbelief - but he was. Bucky was in disbelief.

How did a rugged Mob boss find himself here? Watching his girl like a private fashion show?

His whole life, all he knew was turmoil, pain, drama, and fear. He knew he would inherit his father's well-built organization after he passed and knew what this life would entail; having no preconceived notions about a quiet life. He knew he would have to be tougher than tough, adaptable, intelligent, and confident in his role as the head of the 3-6 Brooklyn Mob. Knowing the idea of a family was farfetched, knowing he'd never know the simple pleasures in life, that he would constantly be on the move - in-able to form real, sentimental, emotional connections. He knew, in this life, he'd remain alone for everyone's best interest and safety, indulging in a series of flings and one-off relationships that couldn't haunt him.

Yet they did. These encounters reminded Bucky how alone, how stranded, how isolated, how different he was. Instead of satisfying an unquenchable thirst, these fleeting partners became heavy anchors to Bucky's reality and reminded him that there was no such thing as love - nor was there any room or logic.

And then... He met you. Bucky's lips silently spread in a grin as he remembered meeting you at a bakery; purchasing the last slice of coconut cream pie to your absolute chagrin. He thought you were gorgeous, something ethereal and unobtainable; authentic, raw, and unfiltered - things his one night stands could never measure up to. So, he offered you the slice of pie if it meant giving him your number as currency.

After that, it was impossible for Bucky to consider ever being alone again because you were the sun; center of the universe that drew everyone into your orbit. He was smitten, content, excited to date you, turned on by the fact you had no idea who he was - a rare occurrence in the city. You were pure as fresh snow; sweet, kind, affectionate, attentive, and borderline overly empathetic.

Bucky knew he was in love with you after only a few weeks when he had shown up at your apartment, dripping in blood. You didn't panic like he feared you would, just checked up and down the hallway before yanking him into your home. You cleaned him up, tending to wounds, offering a safe space for him to relax in; making mindless conversation to help distract him from the pain he endured.

And now? Now, Bucky was sat in Dior, giving his opinion on your wedding guest dress; wondering how he allowed himself to get to this point of being domestic. Bucky wasn't a man to give his opinion on dresses, what color nail polish you should use, to send fresh bouquets of flowers every other week. Yet here he was, sipping too-expensive coffee, deciding between brown, green, and blue dresses that he never would've batted an eye at.

However, that was just the domino effect you caused in his life. You were sweeter than apple pie, becoming Bucky's one tether to reality that saved him from losing himself in this dark, criminal mindset he adopted. You didn't know it, but you had transformed Bucky from a brooding asshole into a boyfriend; someone you were proud to claim and never hid from - never shied away from. He admired the way you came to terms with his job, knowing it was a hard pill to swallow and yet noting the way you just accepted him as he was.

Bucky realized in that moment that he adored this new aspect of life after thinking it was impossible to obtain. He adored sitting here, offering opinions on dresses, his security left outside instead of hovering over him like a brutal reminder he was seedy. He loved having you to come home to, he loved being part of your mundane world - a person who went to weddings, who drank Starbucks, who asked her boyfriend his opinion about how she looked in dresses. Who thought bouquets of flowers were romantic, who baked him homemade cakes for his birthday, who worked overtime in order to afford his Christmas or birthday presents, who walked to the takeout place instead of paying for delivery.

All that you are, Bucky adored deeply; falling in love with you each and every single day. All he wanted to do was protect you, share his life with you, even pick out outfits for weddings you would attend. He knew if any of the men in his organization knew the extent of his affection, they'd surely weaponize it against him... Or at the very least, tease him relentlessly. Yet he never cared, knowing you wanted to be loved out loud instead of hidden away in a storage closet; but did care if it meant his enemies could use you to get to him. It was a risk, an occupation hazard for loved ones to become targets, but that only made Bucky so much more protective of you.

Laura glanced at Bucky and saw the fond smile soften to let his teeth trap his bottom lip, smiling at the Mob boss looking soft, content, smitten being there. She knew most boyfriends would never put this much effort into helping their girlfriends in the fashion department, thinking he must've been truly in love to look so at-ease. Plus his enthusiasm through the entire ordeal assured her that Bucky was genuinely enjoying himself.

Once again, you slipped into the blue dress and showed Bucky. He hummed and snapped a photo, asking you to turn this way and that. Then you tried the green dress, him taking another photo, and finally, you changed into the brown satin dress, facing Bucky for his final verdict.

Bucky hummed in contemplation, swiping through the photos. "You know what?" He asked, looking at you with a grin. "You look delectable in everything, I can't decide - so, let's just get them all."

"Bucky, no - "

"We'll take all three, Valeria, please," Bucky interrupted you.

You waited until the attendants left you alone with a knowing look shot in your direction to ring up the desired purchases, hip cocking and hands to your hips. With an underlying exasperation, you questioned, "What the hell, Buck?"

He grinned and stood, again, buttoning his suit jacket, "C'mon, princess, this is fun, right? Being spoiled?." His arms wrapped around your waist, looking down at you as if you hung the very sun that sucked him into your orbit. "What's the point of all my money if I can't spend it on you? Huh?"

"You can save it for a rainy day?"

He shrugged, "Not necessary."

"Maybe pay to send some underprivileged kids to go to college?"

"Well, there's a thought," your boyfriend mused, "but I already do that through the Stark Foundation. I sponsor a few scholarships."

"Okay, well, buying all three still doesn't help me decide what to wear," you chuckled, you mimicked his action and wrapped your arms tightly around the base of his ribs. Due to his height, your head had to tip backwards to meet his eyes with a small smile.

You could look at this gorgeous man all day, everyday if God ever permitted such an act. Why wasn't dating a paid activity? You'd be the top earner with the way you were absolutely enthralled with all Bucky Barnes was. And what an honor it was to earn his mutual adoration.

"We'll figure it out at home. Gotta get you moving in the material to make an honest judgement," he offered softly. "But you look gorgeous in all of them, baby, seriously. Like, drop dead gorgeous that makes every girl brim with jealousy. Shit, doll, you're gonna run the risk of outshining the bride."

You sighed, "Look, Buck, I appreciate what you're doing, but three designer dresses? Where the hell am I ever gonna wear them? What kinda event calls for overpriced fashion statements?"

Buck eased with a soft expression, "Guess I'll just have to take you out so you can put them all to good use, huh?"

"That's not a solution!"

"Is to me," he let a hand drift to roughly palm the meat of your ass cheek over the brown satin; another symptom of him being whipped, his comfort over public displays of affection. "Seriously, doll, how the hell did I get so lucky?"

"Hmm?"

"Just look at you, my girl," he chuckled lightly, "radiant in anything you put on. It's almost unfair, makes me wonder what I did so right to have someone like you I can call my own. I can't wait to show you off in those dresses, just look so Goddamn tantalizing. I mean, damn, baby, I'm gonna have to fight off men with my gun and the jealous women with a stick."

"You do realize we're already dating, you don't have to lay it on so thick."

"And you do realize being with you makes me the luckiest bastard in the city, right? Least I can do is spoil you, I've already got everything else I've ever wanted."

Your heart swelled at his words, sighing gently as your chin rested on his chest to keep your head tilted. Softly, you admitted, "I don't think you're the lucky one, pretty sure the honor's mine. I couldn't ask for anything more in a man - in a partner. I'm so fucking in love with you, Bucky, it honestly doesn't make sense."

He nodded, asking, "Know what else doesn't make sense?"

"What's that?"

"You refusing those dresses, I mean, c'mon!" He laughed, you groaning and releasing your hold; making his tighten to prevent you from escaping. "Those dresses look phenomenal on you, you really gonna reject my gift? C'mon, you know the rules, doll, if you adore her, you Dior her." You were ready to retort, but Bucky smiled, "For the record, I think you should wear the blue dress to the wedding."

"Blue it is," you smiled, lifting onto your toes and hooking a hand around the back of his neck to meet his lips in a scratchy kiss. "Thank you so much, baby," you whispered, feeling his lips spread against yours before he brought you back in for a much-more passionate kiss. "Hm!" You hummed, pulling away to scold, "But no more, all right? You spend too much money on me - I mean, who the hell needs three designer dresses?"

"You do," he whispered, "you deserve all of this, sugar, and I'll do what I can t'spoil you the way you should be. Might as well get used to it, I got no plans on stopping."

Your eyes rolled in good faith, excusing yourself, "Yeah, yeah, all right. Lemme get changed and we can - "

"Nah," he shook his head, petting the skin of your back exposed from the brown satin dress with his fingertips, "know what? Stay in the dress, I wanna take you out and show you off."

Your lips found his in a breath-sucking kiss, trying to convey your appreciation and giddiness over never having been spoiled like this in your entire life - feeling grateful, refreshed, and privileged for a man like Bucky in your life. Whatever greater force there was in this world, you thanked repeatedly for choosing you to love this man and for this man to love you. There was no telling what you did to deserve him, but blessed be those heavenly powers.

requesting rules and masterlist

MCU masterlist

[zombie-eats-world]

Crocodad Theory: The not-so-Crack-pot Theory.

Making this post in order to replace my old Crocodad thesis since I think I can do better now. Plus I was still using the old theory name then and I dislike seeing it pinned on my tumblr now. You can find that older post HERE if you desire to!

Crocodad theory, chances are you have heard about this theory if you are even slightly invested in the One Piece fandom. But despite its infamy, and outside its stanch believers like myself, it's mostly considered a crack theory and used for a laugh.

Now let's be clear, Crocodad theory is not a crack theory. A crack or crack-pot theory is more of a headcanon built on vibes, it's a fun idea made up out of thin air and isn't really serious. If the Crocodad theory was a crack theory it would have evaporated into the nether by now. It's over a decade old, after all, and yet it persists to this day! That is because the Crocodad theory has real evidence from the canon, the One Piece offshoots, and maybe even Oda himself.

If you weren't aware of the Crocodad theory, sometimes lovingly called Dadodile, let me summarize it very succinctly. The theory is that Crocodile is a transgender man and gave birth to Luffy. Crocodile is Luffy's other father and his birthing parent. If you think that sounds ridiculous or even hilarious, let me walk you through it because I assure you- that is intentional.

Let us begin where the theory began... Impel Down.

The possibility for this theory was born in 2009 with these panels:

The simple fact that Ivankov exists and that he knows Crocodile, from "when he was just starting out" mind you, makes this not only possible but probable.

What other "secret" could Ivakov be speaking of here? It's definitely not his weakness to water, that would just be bad storytelling. It could be that Crocodile is the child of Rocks which is possible considering we now know Ivankov was at the Gods Valley incident. But if I could speak as a writer for a moment, it would really be a waste for an author to introduce a character that can change genders and then bring back one of the first big villains like Crocodile, AND THEN connect the two with the mention of weakness but not make that secret that Crocodile had once been a woman. Or even at least a part of the reason.

But if that reasoning falls through for you, here is some in-canon evidence for the idea that Crocodile is transgender:

First of all, the agents' code names are so gendered: Every single digit agent is Mr with a Mrs, or Ms partner.

Crocodile’s name. His moniker is different from almost every other powerful pirate the story introduces to us. He isn’t just Desert King Crocodile, he is Desert King Sir Crocodile. Again it is oddly pronoun-centered. As if he is trying to remind people that he’s a guy.

The introduction of Bon Clay. Bon Clay is our first canon queer character in One Piece. He makes mention of being a girl many times and feels like a joke character when we first meet him. But as we know in One Piece, a pirate crew is a reflection of the Captain. Crocodile isn’t prejudiced to queer people like Bon Clay alludes to others being a few times. Crocodile even allowed Bon Clay to be both the male and female of his team!

Next up was the reveal of Baby Crocodile and how it’s deliberating ambiguous what gender Crocodile is. In every other Warlord's childhood look reveal, their gender is obvious, so why was Crocodile left out of that?

Then of course we have Gold Roger's execution, and how almost everyone got a reaction panel. But not Crocodile. No, we only see the back of his head. Oda has shown that he loves to get every single character's reaction to major events, sometimes to a fault. So why is he trying so hard to hide Crocodile from us? It just isn’t Oda’s style to leave someone out unless there is some kind of secret he wants to build up too. Now be sure to keep this in mind for later.

Last but certainly not least is just how much of an absolute troll Oda is. This will not be the last time I bring this up, Oda is a HUGE troll. He loves to play to his favorite fan theories and he decides most everything on how funny it is. And wouldn't it be funny if the first antagonist in the Grandline was secretly the birth parent of Luffy?

I mean just look at this! Oda, you absolute troll.

Bottom line: Trans Crocodile is more likely than not.

But this is where a lot of people decide the rest of this theory is crack, they take Trans!Crocodile and leave Crocodad out for reasons I honestly can't understand. Despite that, Cracodad has just as much if not more evidence than the Transgender part of this theory.

Before I begin I would like everyone reading to keep a few things in mind. All throughout the Impel down arc and the journey to Marineford, and even the first few chapters into Marineford, Crocodile could not have given a shit about Luffy, Ace, or the war at all. He did not care who won the war or if everyone involved died. He came to the battlefield for the sole purpose of killing Whitebeard. PERIOD. He was never once shown reacting with any concern when Luffy began facing down anyone strong. Not even Magellan. Crocodile had been around Luffy, seeing him do inspiring things for a massive amount of chapters by the time we get to Marineford, and yet Crocodile literally didn't care if Luffy lived or died, he just wanted to fight Whitebeard.

With that clear let's move on to what happened after Luffy's father was revealed to the world in Marineford. This moment is where the most obvious evidence first came about:

When Sengoku announces Luffy's father to the world we get many reaction shots, but once again Crocodile is conveniently missing from the lineup. He even disappears for a whole chapter! The young man who took down his decade-long plan to take over Alabasta just got announced to be the most wanted man in the world son, and we get no reaction from Crocodile... its suspicious.

Crocodile stopped Ace’s execution: Now Crocodile explains this by saying he ‘didn’t want to let Sengoku have the pleasure of victory’ but seriously? What kind of petty ass BS reasoning is that?! Crocodile has dreams and ambitions, and yet he gives up trying to be the one to take down Whitebeard to randomly save someone he canonly mocks in Impel Down? Someone he doesn’t care about. Some people will tell you it’s because Luffy inspired him like Luffy does many others, but what exactly is Luffy doing in Marineford that he didn’t in Impel Down or even Alabasta? Nothing. That means Crocodile has an entire about-face for no believable reason while completely off-screen. Which we've already said isn't Oda's style.

Daz and Crocodile face Mihawk to help Luffy: When Daz blocks Mihawk’s strike, Luffy questions it. Daz answers: It’s an order from above! That means Crocodile ordered Daz to specifically protect Luffy. Again, why? What reason did he have to do that? If this was some latent Crocodile has been inspired™️ moment, why wouldn’t Oda show it? Oda loves to hype up those moments, and loves to detail it all to the smallest piece. But Crocodile just randomly decided to have his main man Daz look out for this person that he COULDN’T HAVE GIVEN A CRAP ABOUT JUST TEN EPISODES BEFORE does not fit within the story. Then, right after Daz blocks Mihawk, Crocodile appears out of the woodwork to block another attack.

When Mihawk questions why he’d protect Luffy, Crocodile’s only response is “I’m not in the best mood now, Mihawk, you better watch yourself.” It’s interesting that he has no reason, none, he just comments that he’s in a shit mood. Maybe because he just found out he once stabbed his own child in the gut and left him to die?!

Crocodile vs Akainu: The brother killing Lava Man™️ is probably the most dangerous person in the war. He has no mercy, no morals, no restraint. So the fact that as Luffy is lying comatose and weak, with Jimbe slumped over him, Akainu about to deliver the final blow, Crocodile coming out of nowhere once again is so telling.

The fact is: Crocodile went above and beyond to save Luffy. That final stand against Akainu is so powerful. Crocodile doesn’t just save Luffy, he rushes to Luffy's aid, slicing through Akainu and reassembles to stand protectively between them. He did not need to do this at all. Oda didn’t need to have him do this either!

There were plenty of other characters that could have essentially done the same exact thing, but Oda chose to have Crocodile, someone who shouldn’t have been on Luffy’s side at all, save his life in the final moment.

Lastly, without a word, Crocodile uses Sables to get Luffy to Law’s ship. He risked his life, faced down the one person who could kill him without a second thought, and sweeps Luffy away to safety without any stated reason at all. In fact, everything he says is deliberately vague. Crocodile doesn’t believe in loyalty, he dumps people if they are weak (see; Alabasta Crocodile vs Luffy desert fight) so his line of “you gotta protect the one you wanna protect! Don’t let them have their way!” Feels so out of character. Crocodile has to have a reason for this odd behavior. And no, it doesn’t end there! In the defense of Luffy, Crocodile has an awesome and powerful moment where he stands in unity with all the Whitebeard commanders. HIS ENEMIES. Crocodile stands in unity with the people, he himself stated he hated more than anything, for Luffy!

These are the moments that alerted people to what would soon be called the Crocomom theory, now called Crocodad. But just because it began there doesn't mean there wasn't foreshadowing from before Marineford.

Let's go over all of that now:

First to talk about is once again Crocodile's crew. Miss Father's Day debuted in episode 124 of the anime and chapter 205 of the manga. She has a green amphibian theme to her, which is interesting because she is a woman with the moniker Father's Day while also having a theme of an animal that is famous for being able to change its gender. Her debut episode even has her introduced along with the reveal that Luffy's using his blood to fight Crocodile.

The next point is something Oda has never explained. Crocodile has strange relationships with children. From hiring a sixteen-year-old Miss Goldenweek, leaving her out of the Mr. 3 assassination order, and her history of actually sinking Crocodile's ships before getting hired, all the way to how Crocodile lectured Luffy in their fight. It just had the cadence of a parent. Not even Luffy's parent, just a parent. He lectures like someone who has experience with children.

Next, Luffy does not look like Dragon. That is a direct quote from Luffy in the manga. But you know who he does look like?

That's right! Luffy looks a lot like Crocodile. If you need more convincing on this, there is a great post by Dashevacotton that puts together many of the best canon pictures of Luffy dressed up like Crocodile. That post is here!

Crocodile and Luffy are incredibly similar. Not just in looks, but in personality, and in their general life.

These two have so much in common. From having a way with animals, to the amount of unadulterated loyalty they've inspired in their crews, all the way to the cadence of their speech.

Crocodile and Luffy even have a similarly goofy reaction to seeing the underground passage to the Alabasta Poneglyph.

Episode 123, episode time 13:16 Crocodile spots the entrance and laughs, "Ha, now I see secret stairs." Also in episode 123, episode time 20:47 Luffy looks around and spots the secret stairs. "That hole... it looks gator-ish."

Even what we know of Crocodile's backstory is that he had a rapid rise to fame just like Luffy by being a rookie who came in and beat down non-canon characters like Douglas Bullet to the shock of the world.

Next, let's bring up an earlier point: Oda-sensei is a mega troll.

This isn't exactly new information, Oda once deflected to bringing up a dick fight instead of answering if Zoro or Sanji was stronger. He is a Troll. He loves wordplay, and he likes to hint hint nudge nudge us all day long. Just look at Oda having Sanji call himself a prince in Alabasta as a joke, only to realize years later that he actually was a prince.

It's because of Oda's tendency to play around and make knowing jokes we've gotten some pretty compelling evidence for the Crocodad theory.

First would be the wordplay!

-Crocodile is closely linked to a Bananawani-> Monkeys like Banana -> Monkey D. Dragon is a reptilian Monkey attracted to Banana reptile. Fight me - A 'crocodile smile' is a term most often used to mean a fake or ingenuine smile. Crocodile's scar has been liked to look like a 'crocodile smile', which would mean Crocodile is the only character that always has a smile on his face. What a fun bit of wordplay to foreshadow the birth parent of Joyboy!

Then there is this SBS alongside the One Piece School spin-off manga by Sohei Koj.

What a great way to get out of revealing Luffy's parentage without actually revealing it!

And of course, we have the One Piece Mafia Theatre episode of the anime.

Oda would certainly make this canon just because of his troll tendencies. This is a hilarious theory because the story supports it yet only a fringe group believes in it. It's hilarious and therefore it's probably true.

Lastly, the symbolism makes this theory truly great.

I've already mentioned how Crocodile's scar being a 'crocodile smile' and thus giving him a permanent smile on his face would make him the most meaningful candidate for Luffy's birth parent. Joyboy, our Sun God Nika, was born from a man with a permanent fake smile; who is also named after an animal with the world's biggest smile.

It's just such a perfect setup, it makes my writer's heart swell.

Since Oda has stated a mother in One Piece would stop the adventure, it would fit that the first major villain in the Grandline to try and stop Luffy's adventure ended up being the man who gave birth to Luffy.

If we are going to speak of symbolism, I'd be remiss not to mention what a crocodile spiritually symbolizes. I really don't think I need to explain why adaptability, creation, ambiguity, and duality mean so much to this theory.

This theory could die or be confirmed any day now that we've entered a God's Valley flashback. I will love it either way but truly, honestly, I believe this. I hope I convinced a few of you to. If you are interested in the succinct list of Crocodad evidence that post is Here!

So in conclusion...

Crocodad is canon!

[miiilowo]

Highlights / Notable info from the second Scott Cawthon Dawko interview for people who don't want to watch it

MISC/START OF INTERVIEW

- scott says the 1 thing he'd wanna go back and change/fix the past 10 years is FNAF world; said a lot of weird/bad decisions were made going into it, that he didn't like the graphics and it Could Have been a good game but he doesn't like it overall & he may consider making an improved sequel

- he was scared to hand FNAF over to steel wool but he thinks he got lucky w/ them

- refuses to play both FNAF VR games because they genuinely scare him too much; didn't want to beta test them (funny)

- he very much knows the fandom prefers pure horror and the supernatural but cant resist leaning into scifi stuff

- doesn't like the names burntrap and glitchtrap and they were supposed to be temporary

SECURITY BREACH

- half blames covid splitting up steel wools workforce for the games lack of quality and delays

- says his "vision of the game" was misaligned with steel wool, that he had a "very specific story in mind" for security breach and it didnt pan out like he wanted

- he takes fault for it, saying he conveyed it in a bad way; "I was trying to tell steel wool to do specific things throughout the game, put specific items in specific places, have specific characters do certain things, meanwhile not TELLING them what the story plot was. Because in my head, I was thinking 'Okay, when people find this, they'll connect this to this to this & it will all be revealed, and I thought I could do that without telling steel wool the story plot. That didn't work out very well because they got all of these pieces, and they thought it was their job to connect them in a way that made sense. And so really what you ended up having were the same pieces telling completely different stories...I don't blame them for that, I blame myself for that, because what I should have done was gone 'hey, heres the story, the pieces are here, here's how theyre supposed to connect'."

- burntrap originally even supposed to move; just supposed to see something you saw in between machinery or in corners, that you werent supposed to know his purpose even though he used to have a very specific one (that the fandom doesnt know)

- he knows it didnt turn out like anyone wanted & thats why they made the RUIN dlc, he hopes it redeemed security breach

- he said hes learned from that mistake with security breach and things should be better in the future

- he cannot share any thoughts on the mimic

- he likes vanny a lot, shes one of his favorites and he thinks that shes underutilized and should get more spotlight in the future

THE BOOKS

- process is 'he has an idea, he proposes it to the writers, they flesh it out'

- he likes bunny call the most, and that it's not entirely made up; he took his family to a summer camp. 2 older kids 2 babies. one of the things you could sign up for was a 'panda call' . a very 'deceiving title', he says. early in the morning, a bunch of the camp counselors dressed as killer clowns would come into your cabin and scare the kids to wake them up early and drag them off to do their daily activities (?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????) and he knew this was the case, & before it happened he started to sort of feel bad that he signed up his two youngest kids for it so he crept outside in the dark and 'started listening for screams' early in the morning. 'somewhere in the dark in these trees theres clowns and theyre coming for my cabin'

- acknowledges the fazgoo is weird and bad.

- the 'creature on the cover of blackbird is my sleep paralysis demon' (quite literally)

- says his least favorite story is the guy getting pregnant with springtrap's baby and that he Doesnt Know What He Was Thinking, that he swears he 'wasnt trying to pick on matpat'

- he says theres potential for the books to be adapted into shorts goosebumps style, but hes afraid it might be 'too much' and oversaturate the franchise

THE MOVIE

- he says a big issue was that there was material thats difficult to translate to the big screen; the nuance of the antagonists being that the animatronics are possessed by the spirits of innocent children, and he wanted to preserve the innocence of the victims while also having the horror and the kills, and thats a big part of why several screenplays got scrapped; he was more picky/cautious about that than anything else

- says the victims are sort of like 'confused, scared animals backed into a corner, who believe that adults are out to get them' & thats part of why they kill people + the manipulation from william afton

- he likes the movie overall but thinks specific things could be improved and they aim to do that with the second movie, but doesn't want to dwell on those shortcomings too much

- hes perfectly happy with critics hating it but the fanbase loving it & that was his goal for it

- when the movie began showing in theatres he said: 'i told myself i wasnt gonna go online i wasnt gonna read any reviews i had already told everybody at blumhouse and i told my legal team DONT talk to me DONT call me DONT email me DONT send me charts DONT send me facts or figures i dont want hear ANYTHING', saw 1 negative review on accident then started reading all of them immediately before the 2nd showing even happened

- 'for a couple of hours there i was distraught, i thought it was a complete disaster' (based off the initial negative critic reviews, before learning how much the fans loved it)

SECOND MOVIE

- Not giving away many details, but following the same formula; 1st movie based on 1st game, 2nd movie based on 2nd game, etc

- Thinks people will like it, that the setup for the 1st movie was the hardest part but now that they have that launch pad to go off of and hes really fond of what they have planned

- Emma Tammi is also directing the second one

INTO THE PIT GAME

- was originally just supposed to be a short novelty game, but they made something really good and he encouraged them to keep going & its turned into a full-fledged game

- he says its going to be a very 'unique experience' and that everyone will like it a lot

- says working with megacat (studio for the game) has been 'weird but good', that theyll vanish for several months and return with a bunch of info

SPINOFFS, GENERAL FRANCHISE STUFF, FUTURE PLANS

- Would want to work on a game based off of Fetch and that he thinks it'd be really cool

- Says he feels like he's sort of lost touch with the fanbase as things have gotten bigger

- Wants to have a better structure for managing a twitter page, official news feed, etc., wants more management than just Himself because it'd better service the fanbase

- He says theres another game planned with steel wool (not the mimic game) way down the line that hasnt been announced yet

- Making more choose-your-adventure fnaf book stuff

- He's 'very careful' with collaborations because he wants to preserve the fact its fnaf and he doesnt want it to be distorted or tainted, & even if he really really likes a game he won't do a collab if the vibes are mismatched, but he's a little more open to things like that now (but we have FNAF X DBD now! yay)

THE BOX.

- (paraphrased) His process for a lot of the lore in games is that he'll come up with half of a mystery and then come up with an answer as things progress, that he feels something is there and he makes the path for that thing to be revealed

- 'but sometimes when things progress the roads that have been put in place arent the same roads that were there before'

- he had something planned for the box. the progression of the story did not allow for the reveal of whats in the box

- he never pursued whats in the box. and he will never know whats in the box.

[oneofstarkskids]

fresh out the slammer

pairings: steve randle x reader

summary: steve's gotten himself into trouble... again. but it's alright, cause he knows who his first call will be to.

a/n: not my usual fandom, but you can hardly blame me.

*not my gif*

you had planned for a quiet evening full of studying for an upcoming test, but when you're dating steve randle there is no such thing as a quiet evening. your rotary phone rang loudly from it's place on your desk, scaring you half to death.

you jumped up from your bed and reached for the device. breathlessly, you held it up to your face, "hello?"

on the other end was that charming voice, smooth as butter, "hey darlin'." you couldn't stop the smirk that tugged at your lips, and thank god he couldn't see it.

"steve jacob randle! do you know what time it is?"

steve chuckled on the other end, "yeah. sorry to bother you, sweets, but i need your help."

worry suddenly washed over you and your brain went through every possible scenario, "are you okay?"

steve thought it was cute how concerned you sounded, "i'm alright. i just need you to come pick me up."

you frowned. pick him up? steve had his own car, so why would he need to be picked up? "from where?" you asked curiously.

"me, dally and two-bit are kinda in the slammer..."

you were furious. why would this man think it would be a good idea to call you? he knew exactly what you thought of his talent to get himself in trouble.

nonetheless, you loved him. sometimes you wondered why. so, you made your way over to the curtis' place to tell sodapop what happened.

he wasn't all that surprised. he just grabbed his coat and you caught a ride with him over to the station.

soda filled out some paperwork as you talked to an officer. "no charges were pressed so bail's not an issue, but this will go on their records."

you gave him a tight lipped smile, "thank you, officer." he led you down the hall towards the holding cells.

dallas was sitting on the floor with one of his legs propped up, looking bruised and pissed off as ever.

two-bit, who hardly had a scratch, was standing against the wall with his arms crossed.

and then there was yours, standing the closest to the bars with an apologetic smile on his face as soon he saw you.

the officer unlocked the cell and the boys slowly walked out one by one. you didn't say anything, just gave them all a stern look and walked back the way you'd come.

they followed a bit behind, but steve hurried to catch up to you, "baby, i'm real sorry."

you tried to ignore him, but he was persistent, "not here, steve." by the time you guys had gotten back, soda had finished all the paperwork and you were free to go.

soda, two, and dally went straight to the car but you paused, "stevie and i are gonna walk home. thanks for the ride."

steve pouted, "but i'm tired." you shot him a glare. you were not going to put up with his whining right now.

soda nodded in acknowledgment and drove off with the others.

the two of you walked for a bit until you felt like you were far enough from the police station to kick his ass.

"what did you do this time?" you asked in annoyance. steve placed his hands on your arms, "it wasn't my fault, darlin'! those soc's were fixin' for a fight."

you scoffed, "then that's something you have in common."

steve shook his head, "wasn't like that. we were smoking outside the dingo and they roll up in their fancy mustangs with some kinda grudge."

steve wouldn't lie to you and you knew that, so it didn't take long for your anger to fizzle.

"i really wish you wouldn't get yourself in these situations," you sighed as you eyed his scrapes and bruises.

"you don't gotta worry about me. i can handle my own," he smirks and pulls you closer by your waist.

you rolled your eyes lovingly, "i know you can. sometimes i just wish you wouldn't."

steve shook his head, trying to understand what you meant, "and run away? no way. those stuck up soc's get what's comin' to them. i'm never gonna stop fighting, baby. i can't. not after everything they done."

and for a moment his macho exterior fades and you see the tears shimmering in his eyes.

"stevie, you know i love you, right?" you ask with a soft smile on your face.

he smiles back, but it quickly turns into a smirk, "does that mean i get a kiss?"

your laughter fills the night air, "not with that busted lip."

you turn to continue walking but steve, who now has a taste for revenge, comes running up behind you and swings you off your feet.

you helplessly protest so he puts you down, but he doesn't let you walk away just yet.

swiftly, he grabs your hand and spins you to face him before planting his lips on yours.

despite the fuss you had made, you kiss him back with just as much fervor.

as soon as the kiss is over his expression turns very serious, "i still can't believe you had soda leave us here to walk home."

he curses from the sting of your playful slap.

[laughtalelogs]

❄frosted - ace x reader❄

❄ day 5 - cookies, holiday-themed contest, “that definitely looks… interesting?”, “that is exactly why you want a high-quality fire extinguisher right in the kitchen.” —the santa clause ❄ fandom/character(s) - one piece - ace x reader ❄ warnings - no beta reader, modern au, fem!reader, no warnings - just fluff, blurb ❄ word count: 617 ❄ description - you both suck at making cookies, but it's the thought that counts, right?

still working on the robin fic. I would just upload what I have, but I want to do my lady justice she's too fine to fumble

somethin' cute for the girls; this one was actually the 2nd blurb I had locked and loaded ready to go. tomorrow is law, and its about to be long asf too.

check out the rest of the days here

A bead of sweat dropped on your chin. The thick itchy wool felt suffocating as your tense muscles flexed. You grip the bag with a shaking hand. Every second you try willing your digits to stay still, tremors wracked through them more.  

“And....” You exhale, dropping the piping bag onto the counter, sliding down to the ground. One dozen down, another 3 dozen to go. “-done!”

“That definitely looks... Interesting?” A pang of annoyance rings through as you watch Ace glance from his station, a raised eyebrow. He picks up the frosted sugar cookie you just finished, holding the crude drawing up like it was fine china.

“Is this supposed to be a Yeti? It’s kind of sick.” 

You huff exasperatedly, “No, it’s obvious Frosty, dumbass.” 

His smile drops, as his gaze turns to you, the cookie, and back at you. He tries to clear his throat, but fails to cover his laugh. 

You puff your cheeks in embarrassment. “It’s not funny, baby.”

“Oh no, I wasn’t laughing at you, pretty girl, I was laughing at how creative you are,” He tries to fight back, but you reach on the top of the counter and grab the spatula, throwing it at him. 

He dodges with ease, mirroring the same look you had on your face.  “Sorry, baby.” 

“As if,” You scoff back, but an acrid stench burns the inside of your nostrils, a smoky haze covering your apartment. Your heart drops at the sudden beeping alarm.

“Ace! The cookies!”

“Shit-” 

You watch him run to the stove, and as soon as he opens it, a plume of fire fans out, licking at the fresh oxygen of the kitchen. Screaming, you scuttle underneath the cabinet, grab the canister, and pull the pin. A sea of smoke and foam finally fades, and you both sit staring at each other with wide eyes.

“Oh no... The cookies.” You glance back at the ones you just frosted, the frosty-yeti hybrid cookie buried in an avalanche of foam. 

He scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.  “That is exactly why you want a high-quality fire extinguisher right in the kitchen.” 

“But- But-” You feel the whine bubble up your throat, looking at the destruction of the kitchen. Ace sighs, but smiles nonetheless, dropping to his knees beside you. 

“It's honestly my fault for even accepting the baking contest,” He admits, wiping what he can of the foam off his face, crouching to do the same for you with gentle fingers.

 You go to the counter, because, no, it was your fault for thinking you both had the patience for a task like this. Sanji wouldn’t have cared if you both didn’t bring cookies. It was the idea of making them with him that made you so on board with it. Before you could get anything out, his rambling trails off as he looks at you with a coy smile.

 “Has anyone told you look amazing in white?” 

“Piss off,” You burn hot, waving away his hand that cradles your face. You were supposed to be mad. “And now you look like Frosty.” 

“Well, you don’t have to cry, because I don’t plan to melt away,” He cheeses

“Ha-ha, corny ass,” You mumbled, leaning forward to let your head press into his chest, feeling his lips press against the top of your head fondly in response. You hum in content. Maybe it wasn’t the cookies that made the moment. Maybe it's the man who will not let you be upset for a moment more. 

“Why don’t we just buy some really nice cookies..” You offer finally, and he laughs in response, his voice rumbling in your head. 

“Sounds good to me, angel.”

just so you know this is canon! I actually talked with ace, he told me to tell you ‘hi baby’ and to kiss ur forehead<3

liked this? check out my other fics! (x)

[sobx9]

My five favourites Jiara fan fiction stories (because why not)

I would like to give the biggest kudos to fan fiction writers, especially in the Jiara fandom. Seriously, some of the works in this fandom are sooo good and we, fans, really appreciate you! Especially now, when the ship has basically ended in the show, it’s comforting to go back and read works where Jiara is happy/has a happy ending.

I envy you for being able to write that well. I have so many ideas, story lines, even dialogues for JJ and Kiara in my head but I am really struggling to write it all down. I am trying to write my first fic right now but it’s not going well at all.

Here’s my top five:

around the world - RaeOfFrickingSunshine - @rae-of-fricking-sunshine

This one is a no brainer in my head. I read so it many times. The way it portrays them falling in love over the course of their “surf” trip, there’s something so real in this about how falling in love with your best friend can look like. I also love the other topics, JJ’s strained relationship with his father, Kiara’s issue with food and body image, the bond between the Pogues. Honestly a master piece that I could talk about for hours. Only issue? There’s not more of it. Yes, there’s a part 2 which is as good as the first one, but I would honestly die to have the first part told by JJ’s perspective with more scenes from their trip.

This “rant” from Kiara is still stuck in my head, because it’s so heartbreaking and true.

“You don’t know why I’m mad? I’m mad because Pope gets concerned when I walk alone at night in Berlin – one of the safest cities in the world. I’m mad because some guy feels entitled to my body when all I’ve done is dance with him. I’m mad because whenever I say I’ve got male best friends everyone assumes I’ve fucked you all. I’m mad because everyone says be careful and oh are you wearing that out as if it’s going to be my fault that something happens to me, even if it’s someone else doing that thing. I’m mad because me changing what I wear doesn’t stop that bad thing happening, it just makes it happen to someone else. I’m mad because I’m thinking what if I did do something, did I ask for it.”

baby i'm not even in a gown (the way you want me make me want you now) - RoseofWinterfell - @whitetrashjj

Honestly, I had a hard time picking out my favourite work from this author, they are all pure gold. But at the end I decided to go with this one. It’s shorter, light hearted, smutty and so much fun. This author writes the characters so well in all of their pieces, better than the show itself in my opinion.

Firsts- piglemousse - @piglemousse

Another great one and with much better story line for them after season 3 than what we actually got. I am a sucker for stories with them travelling the world.

the benefits of being under the influence(r) - noos - @kiekiecarrera

AU one, but JJ and Kiara are so in character in this. It has the enemies to friends with benefits to lovers trope which is always fun and is just beautifully written.

Enemies with Benefits and Beach Houses - Lis4 - @lis4ux

Another enemies to lovers one that’s currently being written. Big kudos to the author for keeping up with it during the season 4 fiasco. It’s something I look forwards to reading every weekend.

There’s so many more out there and it was very hard to pick only five. Thank you again to you authors for creating beautiful works to read!

If anyone wants to share their favourites, please do not hesitate. Or come scream at me about Jiara and OBX (well maybe not scream, I am a sensitive one)

[blackwolfstabs]

SHADOW

Billy reflects on his only daughter and how blood can look so tragic yet so beautiful in the dark light of a serial killer's love.

fandom: Scream characters: Billy Loomis, Sam Carpenter, Christina Carpenter (mentioned), Mr. Carpenter (mentioned), & Tara Carpenter (mentioned) content: AU // She's Somebody's Daughter

a/n: shoutout to my billy, who inspired me to write this AU: @alphawolfstabs - love you lots billy! thank you for always supporting and inspiring me 🩶🩶🩶 inspired by Shadow | Austin Mahone

Being the bad boy with a difficult home life was one of the most misleading things in both observing and experiencing. It was easy. It was simple. At least, this was true for those observing. It was a problem that had logical causes and predictable solutions. However, from the boy experiencing it, things weren’t that clear. It wasn’t easy or simple. It was a game. 

And if you looked closely, it was a game that the boy would come to know well. A painful, torturous game that was much easier to play on other people, especially when they don’t know who you are. It was all about questions, a quiz, one could say. Or a trivia…

Now, the questions weren’t complicated. They were actually very simple, but only when they were placed into the right hands. Only when they were asked to someone with a clear head. Emotions are a dangerous element to gamble with. They are what determines how the game will end. Those who have control over everything going on, inside and outside of themselves are very victorious. Lucky is the right word for it. But when you look through the lens of someone who’s preoccupied—whether it be by confusion, fear, anxiety, a loss of control—everything turns around. And those people do reckless things for unexplainable reasons that predict irreversible consequences.

The result? Take it from anyone who’s been burned with tragedy. It will always… always be at the cost of someone’s life. More times than not, it’s oneself. But then there are those rare cases when it’s someone else… someone you had no idea would even take any kind of blame for what you did. And you never know until it’s too late…

It was from a mirror. It was always from a mirror that Billy had the opportunity to have any sort of interaction, or connection, or bond, or whatever it was called with Sam. He never thought he’d ever have a daughter. He never thought he’d have a kid, period. Who would? He wasn’t that type. However, Christina was, and did she fall hard for him. It wasn’t a long relationship, but it escalated quickly. Ever since his mother left, Billy never thought twice about shit. Especially about shit like that. He was young, wild, and reckless. That’s all there was to it. But when he got that 2 AM phone call, and Christina was on the other line, it was the first time in years that he stopped to think for a second.

“I’m pregnant.”

They both knew he was the donor, but he was 17 and already had a plan. And it didn’t involve Christina or a daughter. So, he told her to give “it” up. Get rid of “it”. Then, he got himself killed before he found out she never did give anything away.

Now word had it that 13 years down the road, Christina began to resent their daughter, Samantha, and it was all because of him. It was controversial, of course, because honestly… How couldn’t it be?

Everything fell apart the night she found out that Billy Loomis was her father, her biological father. After 13 years of seeing Christina’s husband, her baby sister’s father, Mr. Carpenter, as her father—as her dad—it was no surprise that her world was turned upside down. It wasn’t her fault. Yet Christina would say it was, because she knew better than to go snooping where she wasn’t supposed to be. 

That was the Loomis in her. And that was what made her who she was. It was what made her a survivor.

Samantha Carpenter would always be Samantha Carpenter. There was no telling her otherwise. It was written on her birth certificate and tattooed on every memory she ever had, before and after she found out the truth.

But through all those years, and even now, Billy had been watching. That was the one thing that he would thank death for… he got to be a part of his daughter’s life. Even when she didn’t like him, even when she couldn’t stand it, even when he teased her and critiqued her and forced her to face the bloodied card she’d been dealt—the one that was stained with the blood of a killer. 

Even through everything, Sam was Billy’s daughter. She was his. And even though he was compatible with the majority opinion of him not being the type of guy…

He loved her.

He loved her a lot. No matter what his background was, Sam brought a light into the abyss of the afterlife. He never had the chance to be there for her like a father could’ve and should’ve been, but the idea always stayed in the back of his head. Because in the years before she knew about him and about herself, he was not a reflection…

He was a shadow.

He had seen her be a kid, a little girl ducking into the safety of another man that had no idea just how lucky he was to have someone like her call him “dad.” And while he’d never admit it, the reality of that hurt Billy over time.

He had watched her since the day she was born. Every time she walked into a room, he was there. Every time she turned out the light at night, he was there. Every mirror she glanced in or window she looked out of, he was there, even before her hallucinations began. 

He had to say, it was strange to watch someone that was half of him live. It was strange in a way that started to restore the emotion in him but only to an extent. He wanted to be more to her than what he was, but he didn’t know how to be. That’s why he was so hard on her when things started to go south, especially when she was brought back to Woodsboro. When she went to New York, it was the same thing, however, he could feel that they were more than just estranged in the realities of living and dead. And so, he put a name on it: Team Loomis. His words were no less than a mentor’s, but regardless of that, he wanted to be better. Truly, he did. Because in everything she did, he saw someone with a thrill for survival that left him knowing it was bred from himself. 

But he also saw everything he missed out on, everything that should’ve been him had life meant to be something else—had he meant to be someone else. 

All the times Sam had called Mr. Carpenter “dad” or “daddy”. All the times she had run to him when she was scared or reached for him when she needed help. When she’d cry, and he’d held her. When she’d fallen, and he’d picked her up. When he'd make her smile and laugh, even on her bad days. As she'd gotten older, he’d tell her he was proud of her, and he’d still kiss her goodnight like it was the first night... even after so much time. 

And then she found out the truth. And she accidentally told him straight to his face, even though she didn't know he was standing right behind her. That little girl and her daddy—that bond that had been built up on a fantasy sworn to be reality—was shattered. Just like that.

And she had watched him walk out that door that night, thinking for years-on-end afterwards that it was her fault. That she was the reason he left.

But the real reason was on the wall, a shadow that could only observe in silence like he’d done since the dawn of her time. At that moment, Billy never knew if it was too soon or too late to be there for her. He didn’t know how to comfort her. How could he? 

Only his shadow knew how he felt about her. Only his shadow went where he dreamed of her and him. 

He was only a shadow, until he wasn’t…

—

All of those thoughts hit Billy as he watched Sam lay nearly lifelessly on the cold, blood-splattered floor, her back to him and her breathing light and raspy. Her clothing was ripped and torn apart, blood smeared over her face and skin, bruises spotted her body, her hair was matted with sweat and stuck to her glistening complexion.

This was the same girl he'd watched grow up.

She didn’t deserve the burden life dealt her because of him and Christina, but she carried it anyway. She’d carry anything, if it meant keeping the ones she loved safe. What a tragedy... but also so very beautiful.

She was beautiful. She was powerful. She was dangerous. She was Billy Loomis’s daughter.

And Billy felt such a strong sense of paternal instinct, desire, and longing as he looked at her now.

That was his baby girl.

“Sam…” he said her name loud enough for her to hear, but gentle enough for her to feel comforted.

At first, Sam didn’t move, seeming too exhausted and beat to do anything else but lie so weakly on her side. But then she did. 

Billy didn’t expect her to try and get up, but she did. He wanted to go to her, but he was frozen as watched her struggle, her arms shaking violently, while she pulled herself to her knees. A hoarse grunt that was part-whimper left her lips as she forced herself to her feet. Her face lifted ever so slightly towards him and…

She looked exhausted, like seeing him was the one thing she wanted more than anything—like she had felt trapped and alone, victorious yet defeated in this burning place. She nearly stumbled as she started towards him, finding her limp in the pain that was scourging through her.

It was slow, but it was strong in comparison to the desperate need her father knew she had to just fall and not get up. But she didn’t. She dragged herself to him with everything she had, until she got close enough for him to hold his arms out, and she collapsed into them. Billy dropped with her as she fell to the ground again, holding her close and pulling her into him. He felt her shudder and grab his guarding arm, like she was afraid he was going to disappear. His fingers combed through her hair, and he felt tears touch the forearm that was held against her cheek.

She moaned in pain, digging her nails into him. 

That’s when he spoke to her. “Good job, Sam… you did so good.” He wished he could say all these things, all these words that she’d never heard from him—that she should’ve heard from him—but when he saw her bare torso convulse to have blood flood out of the gash in her side, that sealed his lips.

But she still held onto him…

Just like she had held onto Mr. Carpenter for years.

“It’s over…” Billy whispered, then bowed to place a tender kiss on her head. “Just rest now…”

When the paramedics rushed in, Samantha Carpenter was alone.

But Billy Loomis’s shadow never left.

[darl-ingfics]

"I Guess They Call It Falling"

Fandom: EXO

Sickie/Whumpee: Suho (cold), Kai (heartbreak)

Caregiver(s): Kai, Suho

Word Count: 991

Notes: So, back during Sicktember I had a fic based off a song by my favorite Western artist, Kel/sea Ball/erini. I listen to her music so often that I get a lot ideas while listening, and I've decided to create a 'vault' of fics based on her catalogue. Additions to it won't be terribly consistent, and connections with the songs will always be as such that you don't need to know Kel/sea to get the fic. But I mean, she's great, so why not give her a listen? This one's based on one of my FAVORITE songs by her. Hope you enjoy!

Eyes barely open, sinus headache pounding against his skull, Junmyeon didn’t see that the sink light was on as he flipped on the switch for the kitchen’s overhead lights, desperate for a cup of tea to soothe something in him. To be fair, the sink light usually wasn’t on at 2am, unless someone had plans to get home late, which no one did since it was a Tuesday. But the sink light was on, and because he hadn’t noticed it, Junmyeon nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Jongin sitting on the floor against the fridge.

“Oh shit!” the older man exclaimed, clutching his chest to slow his heart rate. The yelling irritated his throat, prompting a flurry of coughing. Once he had his breath back, Junmyeon turned back to the boy on the floor. Jongin had his knees pulled to his chest, the look of surprise from the light turning on still etched on his face. “Nini, what are you doing in here?!”

Jongin’s eyes filled with tears. “We broke up.” His lips wobbled, and it was then that Junmyeon noticed the stain of tear tracks on the younger man’s cheeks and the puffiness around his eyes. He’d likely been sitting on this floor crying for at least an hour. As Jongin covered his face with his hands, chest heaving with a sob, Junmyeon slid to his knees and enveloped him in a hug, resting his head atop his dongsaeng’s. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Junmyeon soothed, rubbing Jongin’s arm affectionately as the younger man buried his face into his leader’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all Dispatch’s fault!” Jongin cried, the noise muffled into Junmyeon’s sweatshirt. His fingers made contact with the material as well, balling tight fists in fabric. “We weren’t ready for that kind of pressure!”

“I know, baby,” Junmyeon sighed, rubbing Jongin’s back soothingly. “You wanna talk about it?” Jongin nodded. Junmyeon pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes, keeping one hand on the dancer’s shoulder. “Who did it?”

“She brought it up, but I’m the one who said it,” Jongin sniffled. He hiccuped. “But I didn’t want to!”

“Then why did you?” Junmyeon prompted, rubbing his dongsaeng’s shoulder affectionately. 

“Because it just felt… I don’t know.” The younger man sighed, scrubbing at his eyes before staring off into the ceiling. “Things were going so well when it was a secret, but suddenly everyone knew and… it just felt different.” He scrubbed at his nose, sniffling sharply. Junmyeon gave his shoulder one more squeeze before he stood up to grab the box of tissues from the counter, dropping them onto the floor between their feet. 

“That’s completely valid, love,” Junmyeon said as he sat back down on the floor, knees propped up in front of him. “And it’s so unfair that they put so much pressure on you. I’m so sorry.”

Jongin shrugged. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have done anything.”

It was Junmyeon’s turn to shrug. “Still, I hate seeing you sad.” At that moment, his breath hitched and he abruptly turned to the side. “Heh’itsch! Ee-itchu! Itchuuu!” He groaned, rubbing at his forehead as his sinuses began pounding anew. 

Jongin nudged the tissues closer to Junmyeon with his foot. “Why are you up, hyung? Don’t those cold meds usually knock you out?”

“Usually. But I took the last ones at, I don’t know, 6pm? Then I passed out, and woke up maybe an hour ago feeling…” He gestured vaguely to his face, searching for the best word to describe his current suffering. “Clogged. I took more meds, but couldn’t fall back asleep, so I came to make a cup of tea to speed up the process.”

Jongin vaulted to his feet. “I can make us both some.”

“That would be great.” Junmyeon smiled, his eyes following Jongin as he moved about the kitchen. “When did the break up happen?”

“Earlier this evening.” Jongin kept his hands moving as he talked. “We started talking about the… tension or whatever it was maybe three days ago? But this was the first day we could see each other. So we met up and… just decided to end it.” Even though only a quarter of Jongin’s face was visible to him, Junmyeon noticed the way that he bit his lip, the tightness of his back. 

“So it was relatively mutual?”

Jongin shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean…” He sighed, hanging his head. “Hyung, we really didn’t want to.” A tear ran down his cheek. 

“Nini…” 

The kettle screamed. Jongin snapped to attention, shaking his head to clear it as he moved the kettle from the stove and poured the water into two mugs he’d prepared earlier. Once the tea bag were steeping, he turned around, leaning against the counter. He nodded twice before meeting Junmyeon’s eyes. 

The leader smiled sympathetically. “If it means anything, you’re definitely the one member I could ever let anywhere close to dating my sister, if I had one.”

Jongin nodded. “I appreciate it. I know I’m an excellent lover.”

Junmyeon laughed, coughing from the suddenness of it. “Glad that hasn’t changed.”

Jongin snorted, shaking his head. “That’s my only consolation right now. This break up had nothing to do with either of us. I didn’t hurt her, she didn’t hurt me. We get to walk away on good terms.”

“And that’s a really special thing.”

“I know. It just sucks.” Jongin sniffled again, wiping the remnants of his tears from his eyes. He turned back to the mugs, expertly removing the tea bags and adding honey to both. He turned around, a mug in each hand. “Can I sleep with you?”

Junmyeon chuckled softly as he pushed himself up to his feet. “I mean, you can, but then you’ll definitely get sick.”

“That’s okay.” Jongin shrugged, nudging the leader’s shoulder affectionately. His smile was bittersweet. “Not like I have to worry about kissing anyone for a while.”

[houdinicarpenter]

THE OTHER SIDE

When Tara's hysterical screaming interrupts her phone call, Sam goes to investigate and finds herself in for a challenge.

fandom: Scream characters: Tara Carpenter, Sam Carpenter, Chad Meeks-Martin, & Mindy Meeks-Martin content: sfw tickle fic, post Scream VI, siblings doing stupid shit a/n: i'm very nervous to post this. i originally wrote it as an experiment and had no intention of posting it, but i've been encouraged to do so by some dope-ass people (even if they have no idea what it is that i wrote). also... if this fic looks/reads familiar to you, no it doesn't 🤫

“NAAA-HA-HA-HA! STA-HA-HA-HAP I-HI-HIT!”

Around her little sister’s scream-laughing, Sam pressed the phone against her ear, closing the other with her ear to hear Danny’s voice on the other end.

“I’m good Wednesday or Friday. So, whichever day you’re free…”

“Uh…” She took a moment to think it over, before a loud squeal cut into her thoughts. She refocused. “Wednesday… I think?”

“Okay, I—” Before he could finish his reply, Tara’s hysterical vocals drowned him out again.

“AAHH-HA-HA-HA-HAAA! GUY-HY-HY-HYYYS! PLEEE-HE-HEASE!”

Sam sighed and brought a hand to her head. “Danny, can you just hold that thought for a minute? I’m gonna have to call you back. My sister’s screaming about something, and I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” She hung up and left her phone on the couch as she made way towards Tara’s room, where the noise was coming from. She busted open the door. “What is going on?!” 

Tara was lying halfway in Chad’s lap and halfway on the floor, her face bright red and chest heaving, while Chad held her against him and Mindy moved away from her. She looked between the three, expecting an answer.

“Tara was being a little turd, so we tickled the hell out of her,” Chad reported. Still in his hold, his girlfriend looked up desperately at her sister. 

“More like they tried to kill me!” Chad snaked a couple fingers into her underarm and gave it another scratch, to which silenced the younger Carpenter with a ticklish whine. “Stop it!”

The eldest just sighed and shook her head. As irritated as she’d seemed on the phone, now that she knew what the noise was all about, she couldn’t help but give a playful roll of her eyes. Even at 20 years old, her baby sister was still as ticklish as she’d been when they were kids. She’d always fallen victim to the quote-unquote, “Tickle Monster,” when she’d get on Sam’s bad side. Of course, she’d never hurt her, like other older siblings might. However, all the older Carpenter had to say when Tara was starting to get on her nerves was, “I’m gonna get you, Tara, if you don’t stop.” It was enough to warn the little girl off, unless she was feeling extra risky that day—which she did a lot. “Okay, well, keep it down,” she told them, “I was on the phone, all the way in the living room, and I couldn’t hear over the screaming.”

But Mindy just shrugged. “It’s not our fault she’s so ticklish,” she insisted, nodding towards the youngest.

Her brother kissed the top of his girlfriend’s head, before he let her go and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I did not expect that.”

While she watched Tara retreat onto her bed for safety, Sam crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Yep. She’s always been that way,” she confessed, making the other’s already-flushed face darken even more.

She glared at her. “Oh, don’t act like you’re not ticklish, Sam. I know you are.” If Sam was going to expose her, like it was nothing, then two could play it that game. “Mom and Dad got you good many times, and so did I.”

Before her big sister could say anything to defend herself, Chad challenged, “Okay, but is she as ticklish as you?”

Tara met his gaze confidently, even leaning forward a bit to show her sincerity, “Yes.”

“No,” Sam immediately objected, gaining all of their attention.

“Ooh…” Mindy glanced between the sisters. “Somebody’s lying…” She and Chad exchanged glances, before she put her hands up towards each sister. “Maybe we should test it?”

Tara shook her head, when the twins looked at her. “Don’t look at me, I just did my test. I’m still trying to recover.” She pointed at Sam, “That’s the liar, right there. Test her.”

But when she received all eyes again, Samantha shook her head with a disbelieving scoff. “This is ridiculous. I’m leaving.” Right as she turned around to walk out, her younger sister’s voice fought her to stay.

“Why?” she quizzed, leaping off the bed and slipping past the threshold to stop her from leaving. “Don’t think you can take it?” There was a sparkle in her eyes that mimicked her child years. After what just happened, she had nothing to hide, but Sam was another story.

“I can take it!” the older snapped, not realizing how defensive she sounded.

“Then, why not?”

“Because it’s stupid.”

“Then, prove me wrong,” Tara insisted, stepping forward to force her sibling to back up into her bedroom. Sam’s brow hardened a little, which made her go on to propose, “For a full minute, we get to tickle you and see if you’re as bad as me.”

The other was already rolling her eyes and sighing, indirectly saying everything she’d been insinuating about it. “Tara…”

“What?” she grinned. “If you think it’s so stupid and you insist that you’re not as ticklish as I remember, then one minute should be nothing, right?” She took another step forward, cornering her further. “If you win, you can choose to do or make me do anything you want. You can have revenge, make me do the dishes or make me cook dinner for a week, whatever you want,” she offered. “But if I win, I get bragging rights, and I get to tell Danny.”

“Ooooohhhh,” Chad teased the idea as he looked up at Sam, who was now almost standing in front of him. 

This made Tara’s smirk grow as she raised her eyebrows. But her big sister just blinked at her, unfazed.

“You’re serious?”

Instead of replying, the younger just took a step back and held her hand out for a deal-making handshake. Her smile dropped into a serious expression. “Deadly.”

On the inside, Samantha was groaning at how ridiculous this idea was, but she knew if she were to keep refusing, none of them would get off her back. It was a minute. 60 seconds. That was it. After, she’d be free to walk away without being hounded about irrelevant nonsense. She had to admit, she truly didn’t know how she’d take this ‘challenge,’ because Tara was right, it had literally been years since she’d been in a situation like that. And everybody and their dog knew just how much she’d changed from her younger self.

“Fine, I will do it, to make you get off my ass…” 

Tara’s head tilted in a form of a nod, “Fair enough.” She then made way to her bed and jumped up on it, spinning around to sit like a dog. She tapped the space next to her, “Take a seat, Sammy.”

While she looked calm on the outside, the older Carpenter’s heart started to pick up speed as she moved towards her assigned spot. She sat down with a sigh, to which invited her sister to move behind her, making a half-circle around her like a cat to its human’s leg.

“Just to let you know,” she warned, “if you start to get out of control, Chad’s gonna have to hold you.”

“What the—”

“You agreed to a minute, we shook on it!” she reminded, cutting her off. “You’re strong, so I can’t trust that you won’t fight for escape.”

Sam just wanted to get it over with, as much as she was quickly growing to hate it. She swallowed uneasily, but luckily Tara didn’t hear.

“Chad, Mindy, what are you still doing down there? I’m gonna need backup!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Chad leapt off the floor, while Mindy came around the opposite side of the bed and pulled her phone out.

“You better be timing this shit,” Sam growled.

“I got it right here,” Mindy flashed the screen in the others’ direction. “Tell me when, T.”

Tara sat down right at her sister’s back and rubbed her hands together like she usually did when she was about to kick someone’s ass in a game. “Go!”

Not even a second after the cue was given, Samantha felt her sibling’s fingertips skitter up her back and through her hair to get to her neck. Instinctively, she stiffened, but she stayed where she was. A swarm of chills flooded her, but it wasn’t the cold-type. It was the kind that told your brain that your skin was crawling, and it wasn’t sure how to respond.

Tara still maintained her confidence as she drug her perfectly filed nails around to the sides of her neck, threatening to further explore the soft underside of her throat. She got more of a reaction here, the older’s shoulders jerking up, while a small noise emitted from her larynx. Bingo. She then put her lips up to her ear, intentionally whispering, “Is Sammy afraid of the Tickle Monster?” Whispering into her ear had always been something Sam couldn’t stand, because it tickled.

And like she expected, her older sister twisted away, her face cringing as she closed one eye and hissed in irritation. Baby pink talons slithered beneath her chin, which made her try to back up, but she just ended up bracing against Tara.

The younger Carpenter giggled at this and slithered her fingers down her collarbone and into her underarms. The owner’s spine twisted, clenching her arms to her figure, but it just trapped her dangerous touch. 

Sam’s barrier broke, and she started to snicker as she tried to twist away. However, a different pair of hands crept onto her torso to keep her where she was, and just that contact made her snickers turn into giggles. She pulled her knees up and tried to push Chad off of her.

“I didn’t even start ticking her, and she’s already laughing.” Chad looked over at Tara, who encouraged him with a nod.

“Well, get on it! Time’s running out!” She relieved her sister from scratching at her underarms and went back up to her neck.

Her boyfriend shrugged and obeyed her order as he attacked the victim’s abdomen and ribs with menacing fingertips. 

A loud whine came from Samantha, before she erupted into full-on laughter. She kicked out in a struggle to gain a grip on the mattress to push herself out of her 2nd tormentor's reach.

Tara had to work around her writhing, making her think back on what she had claimed before she agreed to this. “You’re squirming a lot for someone who swore they could take it, Saaam,” she teased in a sing-song voice.

Beneath her dominance, the older Carpenter choked out, “Shu-hu-hut up, Ta-ha-hara!” She shook her head, shoving her hands against Chad’s.

From the head of the bed, Mindy shouted, “She’s tryin’ to get away! Chad, switch places with Tara!” She held her phone up, “She’s got 40 seconds!”

The pair did so, in a smooth transition, Tara not taking her hands away from her sibling as she tickled down her sides and in between her ribs.

Given his size, Chad was able to get a hold on Sam pretty quickly. He slipped his forearms beneath her arms and dragged her back until she was mostly on the bed, holding her upper body in his lap, like he had done with Tara only minutes ago. There, he was able to twist his wrists to occupy her collarbone, some of her neck, and her upper ribcage.

The underdog was in a constant cycle of guffaws and wheezing, her face bright red from the intensity, which mimicked her little sister’s patterns as well. She wasn’t even able to get words out before Tara took things to the next level. 

She slipped her hands beneath her big sister’s shirt and forced it up, before going after her bare stomach. “How about this, Sammy?” she taunted as she earned a squeal from her new tactic, “Does this tickle even more?”

Samantha gave a hard buck, her head throwing back into Chad, which she instantly regretted when his fingers danced on her exposed throat. She pulled her head down. “NAAH-HA-HA-HA! TA-HA-HARA-HA-HAAA!” Her knees yanked in, but to no avail, simply leaving them to kick out again in another buck.

Her sibling kept one hand on her fluttering belly, while the other controlled her legs by raking her nails into her inner thighs. “It’s not just me!”

“20 seconds!”

“Come on, Sam! Finish it out!” Chad cheered her on from above, even though he was busy scratching at her ribs. He retreated one arm enough to then tickle beneath her underarm again. “Find your inner Loomis! Prove Tara wrong!”

The older Carpenter nearly shrieked, when he did this, one hand weakly holding Tara’s wrist while she tried to bear the handle he had on her left ribcage to shrug out of his new point of captivation. “S-STAA-HA-HA-HAP! I C-CA-HAAA—” Her voice gave out in another violent wheeze.

With the grace of a cat, Tara eased up on her contribution to leap over her big sister and finish the rest of the time on the opposite side. Her back was turned to Mindy as she tore into Sam’s lower abdomen, slipping her nails beneath her beltline to assault the sensitive flesh between her hips that she knew would throw her overboard. “I almost forgot about this spot!” A squeal-entwined “no” answered her, and she trailed one hand away to skitter down her bent leg, catching the sole of her foot. “And here!”

Sam retreated her leg instantly. “NO, TA-HARA, DO-HO-HO-HON’T!” She braced her heel into the bed to try and push herself up out of her lying position. 

However, before her baby sister could do anymore damage, the timer went off and was followed by Mindy lunging forward.

The female twin broke the challenge to wrap her arms around Tara’s waist and pull her backwards. “Extra 15 seconds for Tara!” she announced, pinning her against her and digging her fingers into the younger’s stomach. “TICKLE ATTACK ON THE CARPENTER SISTERS!”

Tara exploded into shrill laughter, still too weak from earlier to push her off. “NO-HO-HO! STOP! THA-HA-HAT’S NOT FAI-HA-HA-HAIR!”

“Careful what you wish for, babe!” Chad teased and continued his playful torment on Sam, while his girlfriend’s familiar squeals and laughter filled his ears.

The younger Carpenter kicked and shook her head furiously as Mindy raised one hand to wave her fingers in front of her view. She was just as much a victim to air-tickles—when already under the ticklish spell—making her squeal when those dreadful words came from her attacker’s tongue.

“Tickle, tickle, tickle,” Meeks-Martin taunted, then unleashed merciless fingertips everywhere Tara couldn’t cover.

“AAHHH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA! NAH-HA-HA-HAT THA-HAAT!” She bucked and thrashed, receiving karma for her cruel treatment on her older sister. “MI-HINDYYY-HE-HEEE!”

Chad was the one to call everything off after 15 seconds, which was more like 20 for Mindy and Tara. “Alright, Mindy! That’s a wrap, they look like they’re about to pass out,” he told her.

Luckily, his sister obeyed and let Tara lean against her as she recovered.

The football player sighed as Samantha covered her eyes with one hand and rested the other on her still-exposed stomach, panting almost in-sync with her sister. He glanced over to his sibling. “Aw, I kinda feel bad now…”

Before she could reply, Sam did, breathlessly. “Good… You should…”

“Hey,” Mindy piped up, “It was your sister’s idea!”

Tara pushed herself up from leaning against the twin, glaring over her shoulder. “Yeah. And you messed it up!” she hissed, shoving her away. “The point was to target Sam, not me!”

But her former attacker just chuckled, “I know. But I couldn’t resist.”

She rolled her eyes and looked over at Chad. “So, what’s the verdict? Did I win?” She then glanced at the others.

Chad shrugged, “I don’t know… Sam doesn’t break as easily or quickly as you do.”

“That’s because she was trying! You guys caught me off guard,” she countered, then pointed to Sam, “She was expecting it!”

Mindy gave the younger Carpenter the benefit of the doubt, “Sam is a lot more squirmy than Tara is, though. Tara just kinda gives up.”

This made the youngest frown, “Okay, that’s rude. But it’s a point…”

By now, Samantha had caught her breath enough to sit up on her own, even though her abs ached from the laughing onslaught. She cleared her throat and combed through her ruffled hair. “Just make a decision,” she ordered as she pulled her shirt down to its intended length, “I told Danny I’d call him back, because Tara was being too loud.”

Finally, Chad put his hands up in defeat. “Honestly, I think it’s a tie,” he decided.

His girlfriend rolled her eyes and slouched her shoulders, “Okay, fine, but I still get my share of winning, right?”

Behind her, Mindy nodded, “Sure, but because y’all tied, Sam gets her pick on what you have to do, too.” She glanced up to the eldest, who stood up and continued to adjust her shorts.

The other two looked in her direction too.

“What do you want, Sam?” Tara asked in partial disappointment.

Her sister rubbed her hand over her face, then glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll think about it,” she answered, the small smirk pulling at her lips promising something that Tara would dread. Rightfully so though, with how she handled the so-called challenge. Oh, she would make her decision wisely. 

Chad chuckled at that response, while the younger Carpenter groaned. Beside them, Mindy jumped up.

“Alright!” She clapped her hands and pointed to Sam, “Now that that’s over, Sam, go call Danny back and finish your conversation. After that, we’ll watch the movie.”

Her brother nodded. “Agreed. Can’t have a slumber party with the Core Four without a good movie.” He glanced over to Tara as she slid off her bed and started towards the bathroom.

“I’ve gotta pee now, thanks to you, Mindy!” her voice carried as she shut the door.

That’s when Sam decided to take her leave. “Okay, I’ll let you know when I’m done. Or if you guys wanna go ahead and set it up, you can do that, but our TV’s a little different than the one that y’all have, so you might wanna wait for Tara.”

From beyond the bathroom door, Tara hollered. “Tell Danny to expect some dirt on you, in the near future!”

She just rolled her eyes and shook her head as she walked out.

───────────────────────────

🫣 welp... there you go

p.s. i've already been requested a pt. 2 for this so i'll be working on that in the near future. i don't know if i will be posting that one, but if this one does ok or if someone mentions they want me to share the 2nd part, i will consider :)

yolo, right?

- parker (HOUDINICARPENTER / BWS) 🖤

[f10werfae]

in my dream world Sy is dating a woman who has the biggest floppiest ears like a puppy and he dotes and loves on her so much; making her go so shy she covers her face with her fluffy ears. She works as a plant nursery worker, which means she spends her days planting seeds and looking after local plants to make sure they’re happy and healthy, that is until Sy plants his seed on her. Knocking her up full with their own pup, with him wishing it would get her bushy tail and fluffy brown ears. His pup🫶😭

He’d have a pretty collar (a classy one not some bulky ugly one) round her neck, designed with small diamonds and glittering rocks, adorning his initials to show who she belonged to. It was only fair since he saved her from that lab that was about to do god knows what to his poor baby pup. It wasn’t her fault she had been born more or less human, with puppy ears and a puppy tail, in fact it made her who she is. A soft snuggly woman who wanted nothing more than to spend her days with her owner/man/husband/baby daddy. With him tending to her every need while she’s on heat, with it sometimes prolonging weeks, no wonder they have babies upon babies.

Let’s not forget that anytime he tugs on her soft tail she instantly grows needy and has to have kisses, hugs and lots of orgasms because she’s so desperate, naive and innocent; not knowing the consequences of his cum filling up her fertile womb. It only makes sense that within a few years their farm house has tons of their babies running around chasing each other, with Sy kissing and hugging on the newest addition to the family, his other arm wrapped around his pup’s pregnant stomach. Again.

PSA: This was just an idea in my head but I had to get it outtt 😺 I dont know if this is worthy an actual full length imagine but we shall see. Hope you guys enjoyed this idea as much as i did!

taglist: @pandaxnienke @thereisa8ella @kimhtoo17 @beck07990 @dumb-fawkin-bitch @madebylilly @kebabgirl67 @marvelgurl @uwiuwi @stormcloudss @girl-of-multi-fandoms @misshale21 @hallecarey1 @nikkitc0703 @mischiefsemimanaged @oliviah-25 @aerangi @alina02 @alexxavicry @hp-hogwartsexpress @angelmather1 @acornacre @ggmimitf @thebaileybugle @p4st3lst4rs @kzhlvlysstuff @thoughtsofreid @cilliansangel @theekyliepage @cookielovesbook-akie @luvabellee @elenavampire21 @hoya122 @rosiesluv7 @yaminax @esposadomd @meyocoko @disaster-rose @severewobblerlightdragon @kemillyfreitas @adoreyouusugar @queensgirl718 @sweetybuzz25

[thewayuarent]

Perfect victim Sand

(Except he’s not)

Sand is a quite interesting case to study. There are a lot of things to love about him and trust me I do. But. He is the closest thing we have in this show to the perfect victim idea. I mean, even Force jokes about it (god I love this man).

The thing is, I have a strong feeling that huge part of the fandom literally adopted him. Like you know, compensating him absent mommy and daddy. His mother is great woman, she’s loving and caring, but she is far from an actual parental figure - @emotionallychargedtowel made a great analysis on that topic and how it clearly influenced Sand.

Maybe that’s something about Sand being genuinely loving and caring character himself. Maybe it’s because we spend 5 episodes with him being absolutely adequate and not minding others business and by the moment of episode 6 the idea of Sand was already formed. Maybe it’s about Ray pulling Sand through a lot of shit. Maybe it’s something about First’s babygirl vibes, amazing microexpressions and his big boba eyes that easily penetrates the soul. Maybe it’s all the above and more.

But Sand gets the most I’ll protect him by all cost vibes (I get it, I want to protect him too, he’s my sad stupid baby, how can I not). And while it’s understandable to some degree, it doesn’t mean Sand is a victim in every situation he himself, series or fandom try to apply on him.

And yes, it’s specifically about Sand and Top beef. While we don’t know the full story yet, we know the basis: Sand had a lover, this lover cheated on him with Top. Right? Except that in Sand’s mind this story looks a bit different.

Not once, but twice Sand claims that Top “stole his lover”. And I’m sorry to bring it to you, my precious sad baby with big beautiful eyes, but your lover is a human being. They’re not a car, or watch, or a cow. They are a person. And as a person they make decisions.

Unless we’ll find out that Top literally put a bag on their head and dragged them away into his basement, Top didn’t stole anyone. This person cheated on you. It sucks, I get it (Mew probably gets it even better than me). It hurts a lot. It’s absolutely not Sand’s fault. But it’s not Top’s fault either.

Yes, hitting on someone’s lover is a douche move (if Top knew about Sand and didn’t care and I wouldn’t surprised but we don’t know for sure). Yes, Top is an arrogant jerk who behaves like a toxic bitch with anyone except for Mew. Yes, in that hospital scene I kind of wanted to punch him in his hot smug face.

But Sand’s lover cheating is not his responsibility.

And Sand’s choice of actions is stealing and spreading fucking revenge porn. Where is not only Top he hates so much but also Boston who did to Sand what? Made an ugly scene on his birthday and ruined his whatever it was with Ray? Bitchy behavior 100%, but not on, you know, illegally recorded sex tape level.

He regrets it later, but two people he apologized to - rightfully so - are Ray and Nick. Not, you know, Boston for example.

I mean, how the thing Sand did with Top is different from the thing Mew did with Boston? In details - yes. In motivation and general action - the same shit.

And I know that the majority of saving Sand agenda is directed towards his relationship with Ray. I get it. I feel it (I have a very complicated mix of very complex feelings about that one but I digress). But I do feel that Sand isn’t criticized enough for his actions towards Top (and Boston).

Compare it with the amount of criticism towards:

1. Nick recording and using TopBoston footage;

2. Boston recording and using RayMew footage;

3. Mew stealing and using Boston footage;

The only person I doubt here to criticize hard is Ray cause while he got and resend this fucking sex tape and I do think it was wrong I kind of understand his situation. I mean he did receive it passively not actively and I doubt Mew believed him without proof. It still sucks from his side to use it and I don’t forgetting him but he was kind of a tool not a participant so yeah.

All of them are clearly wrong and deserve discussion about their behavior and all the critique they get. But so as Sand. The thing is, Sand is not a victim of Top.

Top is a victim of Sand.

And it’s absolutely not about Top being good or bad or Sand being good or bad it’s really about humans being complex and depending on that specific situation. It’s always about complexity and context.

Sand is, if generalizing, a good person. But he also selfish by some degree and categorical and has some deep trauma over his ex lover. And he does fucked up stuff.

That’s why I found Sand’s attitude towards Mew especially interesting. With MewTop situation he probably didn’t really care but at some level had a sense of justice. In his eyes, Mew is as victim of Top as he was. So Mew deserves to know the truth.

But with MewRay? And that’s where the fun (and also clear speculations) begins. Sand doesn’t have a beef towards Mew about Ray loving him and prioritizing him over Sand, at least for now. Maybe because he learned something through his last relationship, but with his behavior towards Top I doubt it. It’s probably partially because Ray is technically not his lover or boyfriend or monogamous partner - he doesn’t owe Sand anything and while he’s angry and sad he understands that.

But it may also be about the Mew technically being there first. You know, how Sand was with his lover until Top appeared. Ray loved Mew way before he even knew Sand exists. It’s actually Sand in this analogy who takes Ray away from Mew (not that he knew about it or Mew cared but you get my point). So Sand doesn’t blame Mew for being with Ray. He probably - understandably so - blames Ray for playing with his feelings and also blames himself for falling into it.

And now here is a part when I just speculate about cool plot line we’d probably never get so feel free to stop reading now. Like for real. So Sand is fine with Mew and, honestly, good for him. My question is: if Sand will buy this RayMew relationship thing. And then Ray gets back to him. Will he resist temptation?

We have a small chance that Sand will get some self respect and won’t take Ray back immediately, of course. But in a case of Mew. If Sand is stupid enough to believe there is something happening between Ray and Mew from Mew’s side, will he stay away cause of respect towards Mew and their relationship? Or will he “play Top card” and - how was it? - steal Ray to himself?

Cause oh my lord he wants Ray for himself. He can agree with Nick and his “I don’t want be his first and only it’s enough to be with him” as much as he wants but we all know that even Nick doesn’t really think so. Sand probably also doesn’t want to deal with Ray at all by that point but totally opposite desires can coexist.

It would be really interesting to watch his internal conflict about being better person but still losing to his desire plays out but I really doubt Mew and Ray will last long enough to us see it.

[violet-moonstone]

i feel like my reasons for enjoying rhaenyra targaryen in hotd is completely different from most of the fandom's. my girl makes nothing but bad decisions and it's a trainwreck that i cannot look away from. I would have far fewer issues with this fandom if people realized that rhaenyra has no idea what she's doing.

rhaenyra there are a variety of ways to have sex but only one of them can get you pregnant - please stop making clearly non-targ looking babies with harwin strong. look at those valyrian orgy paintings in the red keep and get some ideas. change things up in the bedroom, im betting you. this isn't about morality, it's survival

rhaenrya what have you done to consolidate your power all these years while you knew alicent and otto were scheming against you? did you strengthen ties with lords who you knew would be loyal to you? did you go on another tour of westeros to reinforce in people's minds that you are still the heir? did you commission artists and architects to build things in your name? no? oh, ok coolcoolcool

rhaenyra are you SURE you wanna marry daemon so soon after laena and laenor's funerals??? like...maybe don't alienate the velaryons, one of your strongest potential allies? she didn't even actually order laenor killed in the show and still managed to make it look like she did! girl! use your head please, im begging you!!!

rhaenyra leaving the read keep and fucking off to dragonstone so alicent and otto can take over is a bad idea, you sure you wanna do that? Have you considered getting to know aegon at all? because he doesn't want to be king and the only reason he thinks you want to kill him is because of his mom and grandad, are you sure you don't wanna try and address that in any way? he's pretty weak willed and you could at least try to manipulate him.

rhaenyra your father is literally falling apart and could crumble to dust at any moment, are you SURE you wanna leave alicent and otto in charge of funeral arrangements when that happens? you're just gonna knock on wood and cross your fingers and hope they honour your place as heir when you know for a fact otto hates you?

MY GIRL

don't even get me started on daemon like...everyone is in love with daemon cause hes a charming badass and i get it, but can we acknowledge that if this man played his cards right with viserys and weren't such a fuck up, he'd be sitting on the iron throne and married to rhaenyra from day one

team black is just as responsible for the dance of the dragons as team green is and i will die on this hill

team green is at fault for the dance for scheming too much, team black is at fault for not scheming nearly enough

thank you for listening to my ted talk

[finn-writes-stuff]

Could you do headcannons of Vex, Vax, Keyleth and Pike from critical role reacting to a partner being pregnant?

Baby Makes Three

How do these members of Vox Machina react to finding out that you're pregnant?

Vex, Vax, Keyleth & Pike x Reader

Fandom: The Legend of Vox Machina/Critical Role Campaign 1

Format: Headcanons

Warnings: Talk of pregnancy, especially of the reader being currently pregnant. Vague allusions to Syldor's bad parenting. Mentions of Keyleth's mother disappearing. Worrying about being a bad parent and other anxieties about messing up a kid.

Gender-Neutral Reader who is pregnant. Are they AFAB? Is it fantasy plot magic? Who's to say?

Masterlist

I am a firm believer in the fact that being an adventurer in a fantasy world will mess up your parenting skills a little bit, but it's fineeeee -Finn

Vax

He has so many daddy issues, he is definitely panicking. Even in a situation where you both planned this and want a child right now, he is panicking about being a bad father to your kid and having them take after him.

Vax does his best to keep most of the panic from you, he doesn't want to stress you out and he doesn't want you to feel like it's your fault that he's worried, but he isn't great at hiding it. He hugs you and you can feel exactly how stiff every muscle in his body is.

Having a solid conversation with Vex about it helps. And then talking to you for a long time about what it's going to be like having a kid and parenting together. After that, he will calm down significantly, even if the stress hasn't quite left him.

He wants to be a good parent so badly, especially when he gets to be one with you. The idea of having a little kid running around with his eyes and your smile melts his heart in his chest.

He's so protective of you now. He already was, but now that there's a baby in the mix too? He doubles down on it. Vex will also be extra protective of you, she is incredibly excited to be an aunt.

Vax just needs some time to process it and get past his own worries, then he will be the most excited future father. Even when he's still terrified, he is supporting you as best as he can.

Vex

Unsurprisingly, due to having the same parents, Vex also has daddy issues! She deals with them differently though, so she isn't quite as scared of the idea of being a parent as her brother is. She leans more into making sure that she will be a good parent, come hell or high water.

Presumably, this pregnancy was planned, so Vex knew this was coming. She has everything planned out. Names, clothes, toys, kindergarten, everything. She is so completely, totally prepared for this.

The night you two find out that it worked and you're pregnant, she cries. It throws her off guard because this entire time she has been focused on the details. But at that moment, she is reminded of why you guys are doing this and of how much she loves you.

Trinket is just as excited as the both of you are. He has started very carefully carrying around toys in order to prove how helpful he can be when the baby comes. He also just about killed someone when they bumped into you a bit too roughly. Vex was very clearly not trying that hard to stop him.

She will spend so much time spoiling you and bringing you everything you can ask for. It doesn't matter if it's still the first trimester and you aren't even showing, she isn't going to make you get up and grab things yourself when she can do it!

Pike

Mama Pike, my beloved.

She is arguably the most normal about this development. She's excited and worried and there are a million emotions going through her head, but the only one that really matters is the overwhelming love that she feels.

Grog is going to be the godfather, this is Pike's important request. The trade-off is that you get to see him sob about it when you offer the role to him. He is the most emotional about the pregnancy and it's not even his baby.

Pike really likes kids, and the idea of having her own makes her really happy. Having it all finally come together has her riding a high for the next week.

She is very careful about keeping spell slots in order to keep you safe. She refuses to potentially run out of them when you need her. She trusts that you can generally take care of yourself, but she would never forgive herself if anything happened to you.

She enjoys just watching you with your hands on your stomach. It creates a deep sort of contentment in her. She loves you, you love her, your child is on the way and the both of you will love them with everything you have. This is how it's meant to be.

Keyleth

Keyleth is so incredibly anxious about this, but she is doing her best to keep it together. She talks a lot with Pike and Percy about how she isn't going to disappear like her own mother did. It is her worst fear to leave her own child alone like that.

But she has Vox Machina to help assuage her fears, and more than anything, she has you. You, to keep her steady and grounded, to love her and to love this baby, to be her partner and help her through her worries.

She would do anything for you. She would face any fear she has, so long as it meant you were happy. And creating this family with you does make her terribly happy too, despite all the worries. She dreams about it sometimes, about the scenario where she is done worrying and can just live a life with you.

Her father wants to be around to help out as much as he can. Keyleth is very emotional about this fact. He sends so many of her childhood toys for you to give to your new child.

She likes talking to the baby before they're born, just laying her head on your abdomen and speaking softly about how excited she is to meet them.

[thefangirlingpuellamagi]

Arthur Puppington Rant (Revised)

As someone who's favorite Moral Orel episode was Passing and has watched it over and over again, I really feel like I gotta put my thoughts out there, because I feel like a lot of interesting things about it are missed. Maybe it's because this show has caught the eye of many younger than the target audience. Or maybe it's because we see how Clay and Arthur turn out to be, and that skews our view of them before. I just gotta say it: Arthur Puppington is not a man who went too far in his understandable jealousy, he was disgustingly immature for being jealous of his son in the first place.

The idea that Clay was stealing Angela away from Arthur is already pretty ridiculous. Clay is a child in this episode, a child does not have the kind of agency to be a threat to an adult relationship. It's also a stretch to think he has his Oedipus complex this early on. While he sure was babied a lot, what also counts the lack of love received elsewhere for many years on. Also part of the idea of an Oedipus complex is jealousy against the father, and Clay did want love and attention from Arthur, even while Angela was still alive. The more I watched how Clay’s prank played out, the less I felt he cared about getting back at Angela. He must have planned it before learning about his siblings as the use of ketchup earlier clearly inspired him to use it as fake blood. And his upset is immediately over once he’s gotten both of his parents’ attention, not at all lingering on how he wasn’t an only child until a far later age. Clay never had any reason to doubt his mother loved him, but he did have reason to think he wouldn’t have seen both of his parents show equal care for him, together, in the same room. They were growing distant from each other.

Looking further into Arthur and his marriage with Angela… When he looks at that photo of them, it's not just a photo of when they were first in love. As said elsewhere in this episode, Angela would heavily smoke, drink and do stunts when she was younger. He looks back on a version of Angela that he thought was unbreakable, but was inevitably going to slow down one day. He indulged in her impulsiveness, and kept getting her pregnant over and over even when she hadn’t yet changed her lifestyle for child rearing. A woman cannot go through that many pregnancies without risking postpartum mental health issues, especially if they end up being miscarriages. Arthur assisted in letting her mind and body decline, creating Angela’s resentment towards him. Clay has no fault in this. Arthur could have taken a break from trying for a baby, helped her get clean and recover in this meantime. But he refused to be an actually supportive and responsible husband.

Now I’m not trying to say Angela wasn’t also flawed, but I don’t think it's gone over anyone’s heads how unstable she was. What the fandom is how badly Arthur idealized her. How he pushed his son away so he can be the only one clinging to her. In fact, that’s what he literally does the moment she takes her last breath.

[lawsend]

Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 1

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here. I've just borrowed the names).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,524

Rating: MA

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

A/N: Thanks to @harleybeaumont and @karahalloway for prereading and bouncing ideas with me.

“Riley! Riley! Come here!”

Riley Brook’s head jerked up from the keyboard she’d been furiously typing on, her lush auburn brown curls bouncing freely, her deep emerald eyes wide. Her gaze darted from the source of the interruption, who was standing on the other side of the room waving his arms at her, to the coworker sitting at the desk across from her who looked completely disinterested as he lifted a shoulder and brought a sandwich to his mouth, lettuce and mayonnaise falling onto his desk.

Gross. That’s what the break room was for.

She carefully closed the lid of her laptop before walking across the newsroom. Goddamn if she was going to let any of these vultures scoop her story or copy her work.

“What’s up, Max?” she asked as she approached the over-exuberant freelance photographer who often hung around the office.

His cobalt blue eyes sparkled with excitement as he ran a hand through his short, russet brown waves and practically danced in place, “You told me to tell you if anything interesting came across the police scanner!”

Riley grabbed his arm, her fingers sinking in almost painfully as she glanced around the newsroom in panic. Dragging him into the empty breakroom, she glared at him, “Keep it down! It’s not a scoop if everyone knows!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to her, “The seventh precinct was just called out to investigate a homicide!”

“The seventh precinct?” Her eyes widened, “That’s Liam’s beat! Did you get the address?”

“Of course!” He dangled the keys to his midnight blue Chevy Tahoe in front of her, “We can take my car!”

She deftly swiped the keys right out of his hand, “Fine. But I’m driving!”

“But-“ he tried to protest but she was already striding for the door. He quickly gathered his equipment bag and stumbled after her.

Sliding into the passenger seat of his own vehicle, he glanced over at the woman in the driver’s seat, “It’s my car, Riley…”

“Don’t be a baby,” she admonished him as she put the car in gear and flew out of the parking garage, “Besides, I like to be in control.”

“Yeah….” His eyes tracked across her face then dipped down her body, a flush creeping across his cheeks before he turned toward the window, “Just try not to sideswipe anyone this time.”

“That wasn’t my fault!”

“Which time?”

“Any of them!”

Max wrapped his hand around the grab handle above the window and held on for dear life as the Tahoe careened around a corner, “You know the murder victim isn’t going anywhere, right?”

“I want to get there before that asshole Neville! He’s not scooping me again!”

“Okay….” Max squeezed his eyes shut and said a quick prayer as his vehicle jolted over a curb.

The Tahoe skidded to a stop in front of the Vista Heights apartment complex. Riley hopped out and made a beeline for the crime scene.

“Are we really going to just leave her in the middle of the street like that?” Max yelled after her.

Riley answered him over her shoulder without slowing down, “No one’s going to tow it right now. The cops have bigger fish to fry. Come on!”

He hesitated only briefly before grabbing his camera and scurrying after her. He glanced back at the SUV doubtfully, but the sight of Riley’s retreating back spurred him on. He could always bail out a towed vehicle. Riley never waited for anyone or anything.

He kind of liked that about her.

By the time he caught up to her, she was leaning over the caution tape as she tried to get anyone’s attention, “Excuse me? Excuse me?”

“Stay behind the tape!” a uniformed officer yelled at her.

“I know that…” she muttered as her eyes scanned the area until she spotted a familiar face, “Liam! Liam!”

Detective Liam Rys turned his gaze toward the crowd as a voice he knew all too well screamed his name. Shaking his head, he strode over to the caution tape with his lips pressed firmly together, “I’m at work, Miss Brooks. How can I help you?”

“Sorry, detective,” she gave him a look that was half repentant and half teasing, “I was wondering if I could get a comment, or at least the name of the victim.”

“You know better than that, Riley. This is an active crime scene.” There was a slight edge in his voice as his eyes flicked over her shoulder to take in Max as well, “You both need to get out of here. Wait for the press release, like everyone else.”

Riley tipped her head back to look up into his face. At five foot seven, she was tall for a woman, but he had a couple of inches on her. The tailored suit he was wearing fit him perfectly and gave away his family background of wealth and privilege. He wasn’t buying Armani suits on a detective’s salary. His raven hair was cut short, not quite military short, but close. His onyx eyes held several emotions, the primary of which was annoyance.

“Are you still mad?”

“I was never mad, Riley,” he glanced at Max then leaned forward so only she could hear him. His breath tickled her ear, “But fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I’m not falling for your tricks a second time.”

Goose bumps cascaded down her spine at the  memory, “It wasn’t a trick, Liam.”

“Hm,” he pulled back with a smirk, “Right. That’s why my case ended up on the front page of the Cordonia City Ledger the next day.”

“Coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences so move along.”

“But-“ she watched his retreating back with a frustrated exhale.

Max’s gaze swung from Riley to Liam then back again, “Whatever happened between the two of you anyway?”

Riley shrugged, “Nothing that wasn’t mutually beneficial.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning none of your business!”

“I was just-“

“Max, look!” she punched him in the arm as the body was wheeled out and loaded into the back of an ambulance.

Max brought the Canon EOS Rebel up and started clicking furiously.

Riley’s eyes swept around the crime scene, looking for anything that would help her identify the victim.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? If it isn’t the scruffy underdog and her mangy sidekick.” The voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Riley turned with disdain toward the biggest pain in her ass. Neville VanCoeur, the highest-ranking journalist at their rival publication, The Cordonia City Herald. He had curly, dirty blonde hair that he kept gelled so thickly to his head a hurricane wouldn’t move it an inch. His face was fixed in a permanent sneer unless he was on camera, and he’d had it out for her since day one.

Probably because she’d turned down both his sexual advances and his job offer. “Scruffy underdog isn’t the insult you think it is, Johnny Bravo.”

Max erupted into gales of laughter as Neville stiffened, “Who is Johny Bravo?” he sneered, making Max laugh even harder.

“Your long-lost twin, ass wipe,” Riley smirked at him before turning her back to scan the crowd, looking for a neighbor that might talk.

Neville’s response was lost as Riley made her way through the throng of onlookers, hoping for anyone that knew which apartment the murder had occurred in. No one knew anything.

She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration as her eyes fell on the spot the ambulance had been. “Hey, Max, I have an idea!”

Max listened and a mischievous grin spread across his face, “I’m on it!”

He quickly found Neville’s photographer and sidled up to him, “Dude! There’s a delivery entrance open around back! I got some amazing shots!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

The man’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, “Why would you tell me this?”

“Oh, am I not supposed to?” Max acted startled, “I’m new at this. I thought we all helped each other out like that! Isn’t that how it works?”

“Sure, kid. That’s how we do it,” the guy gloated, “Thanks for the tip!”

Max watched the photographer whisper to Neville who looked gleefully around before sneaking around the parking lot to the back of the building. He gave Riley a thumbs up.

Riley waited for Max’s signal, then found a uniformed police officer, “I’m sorry to interrupt but I just saw that reporter go around back. Aren’t they supposed to stay on this side of the caution tape?”

“Yes,” the man was obviously annoyed, “Thank you ma’am, we’ll take care of it.”

“Any time, officer,” she smiled disarmingly at him.

Riley and Max ran back to the Tahoe, giggling the whole way.

“That should keep him busy for a while!” She laughed as she climbed back into the driver’s seat.

“So, we can get to the coroner’s office first, I presume?”

“Of course!” She started the car and threw it in reverse.

“Be careful with Estelle!” Max yelled at her as the car went up onto the sidewalk.

“Sorry, sorry!” She put it in drive and made her way carefully away from the crime scene. Curbs were one thing, she didn’t want to hit a pedestrian, and the street was now full of onlookers.

They drove in silence until they were clear of the crowd. Max relaxed into his seat with relief, but it was short lived as Riley gunned it the moment they were back on open road.

“Jesus, Riley! I want to get to the coroner’s office as a photographer, not a body!”

“Have I ever killed you before?”

“No…but there’s a first time for everything!”

Riley was quiet for a moment, then her tone turned serious, “Can I ask you something?”

Max’s face lit up at what he thought was a change of subject, “Sure Riley, you can ask me anything!”

“So, I’ve been wondering….Why did you name your car Estelle? That’s an old lady’s name, isn’t it?” She took her eyes briefly from the road as he answered.

Max gave her a flirty wink, “I like older women.”

Riley rolled her eyes as she returned them to the road, “Grandma old?”

Max’s face fell, “No…no, that’s not what I meant!”

“How old are you, Max? Twenty? Twenty-one?”

“I’m twenty-three, Riley. I’m a grown ass man.”

“Sure you are.”

“I’m only five years younger than you, you know.”

“Only,” she snorted, “Five years is an entire college career and then some.”

Max let out a frustrated exhale as he shifted in his seat, “Whatever.”

They pulled up in front of a small, nondescript building situated behind a UPS hub and across from a warehouse in the industrial district. It was a squat, one story structure made of faded brown brick with a row of tiny windows stretched across the front and a red windowless door in the middle. Actually, the door was just off center, a detail made her want to knock it down with a wrecking ball.

“This building is depressing,” Max muttered as he climbed out of the Tahoe.

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true!”

“Considering what it is, that seems appropriate,” Riley responded as she made her way into the building and down the hall to the morgue, bypassing the reception desk which was thankfully empty.

“Come in!” a voice called in response to her knock.

“Hey, Dr. Lee!” Riley greeted the woman with the lab coat.

“I told you to call me Hana,” the doctor was shorter than Riley, with warm caramel colored hair falling to her shoulders, deep brown eyes and an upturned nose.

“Sorry…Hana…I was wondering if you knew anything about the murder at the Vista Heights apartment complex earlier today.”

“Just brought him in,” Hana swept her hand toward the body on the table, “the cause of death seems obvious, but you never know. All homicide victims are autopsied, as you know.”

“Who is he?” Riley craned her neck trying to get a better look. The man on the table looked to be in his mid to late forties with jet-black hair and sharp features.

Max hung back near the door. He had no desire to see the dead body.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” Hana admonished.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Riley shot Max a meaningful look, her eyes darting from his to a manila folder laying on Hana’s desk, before stepping closer to the other woman. With a slight pout, she reached out and rubbed a hand down her upper arm, “Forgive me?”

Hana flushed slightly as a shy smile spread across her face, “It’s fine, I know you’re just doing your job.”

“And you’re just doing yours. I respect that.” Riley’s eyes flicked over Hana’s shoulder as Max closed the folder and gave her a thumbs up. “You said the cause of death was obvious?”

Hana hesitated, “I really shouldn’t say…” 

“I promise to keep your name out of it.”

“I mean…it’s going to be out there soon enough anyway. I don’t think it’s a huge secret that gunshots were fired just prior to 911 being called. That’s all I can really say.”

“Thank you!!” Riley knew about the gunshots because Max had heard that much on the police scanner. It was nice to have confirmation though. “We’ll let you get back to work!”

“Riley?”

She paused on her way to the door, “Yeah?”

“Are you going to be at the bar later?”

“The Beat?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Of course!” she grinned, “There’s been a murder! Where else would I be but the bar all the cops hang out at?”

“Okay, maybe I’ll see you there.”

“That would be awesome!” Riley gave her a wave then exited the room. The moment they were back in the car, Riley turned to Max and demanded, “Well?”

“Well, the victim’s name was Trenton Hayes, he was shot dead in his apartment.”

“Trenton Hayes…Trenton Hayes…” she searched her memory, “Isn’t he some kind of wall street tycoon?”

“Yeah, I don’t really keep up with that type of stuff.”

“Really?” Surprise pulled through her, “You’re a Beaumont.”

“Not a very good one,” he laughed humorlessly, “My contribution to the family empire consists of spending the money…”

“Okay….” She didn’t know what to say to that. She smacked him on the shoulder as she drove, “Well, look the guy up!”

“I am!” He swatted her hand away as he typed into his phone, “Oh, shit! I’ve seen this guy before!”

“Really? Where?”

“I took pictures of him for this PI I work with sometimes.”

“What? Why?”     

Max shrugged, “I don’t know. He pays me to take photos sometimes, or hack into shit. I wasn’t following the guy; I was following the woman he met with!”

“Who was the woman?”

“Katie Sloan.”

“Wait! The wife of William Sloan? As in, the head of Sloan Enterprises?”

“Yeah, that’s the one!”

“Holy fucking shit! Who is this PI? We’re going to talk to him right now!”

“Walker and Son Investigations, it’s on Canal Street.”

“Hold on!” She yelled as she yanked the wheel and skidded into a U-turn, “Canal Street, here we come!”