#lower aust

[austinbutlerslovers]

Jealous

Label Mature 18+

Summary When Hank shows too much affection to his cat you become jealous, until he turns all his attention on you.

❤️‍🔥Passionate Smut❤️‍🔥 teasing•jealously•Hank on his knees •oral on fem• slight praising•dirty talk•clit play•cum eating•countertop sex•simultaneous orgasm• protection•aftercare 🔗 Master List

🏆 Inspired by Hank on his knees/w a kitty via @umika @aust-een More Hank 🧢 🔗 After Hours 🔗 Kiss it Better

Jealous

Hank is stretched out on the couch, Bud curled up on his chest, purring contentedly. He absentmindedly scratches behind the cat’s ears, a lazy smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

You’ve gathered all of your things after spending the night and are ready to head to work. When he doesn’t realize you’re about to leave, you stand near the doorway, arms crossed, watching him play with the cat. 

He’s so absorbed in his little moment with Bud that when he still hasn’t noticed you standing there, it stings a little.

“You’re seriously going to ignore me leaving for a cat?” you ask, tilting your head.

Hank glances up at you, amusement flickering in his eyes. “You jealous of the cat?” he asks, his voice low and teasing as he runs his hand down Bud’s back, watching the cat arch as it purrs even louder.

You can’t help but feel a pang of longing inside as you watch his hands, the way his fingers curl slightly before scratching down the cat’s back in those long, soothing strokes and your thoughts slip out before you can stop them.

“Maybe I want some of that attention for myself,” you confess.

Hank raises an eye brow, his grin widening as he gently sets Bud aside.

He stands, closing the distance between you, his hands slipping around your waist as he leans in, his breath warm against your ear.

“Jealousy looks really good on you,” he whispers, his lips lowering against your neck trailing soft kisses.

“I didn’t realize I’d be competing with a cat,” you respond, your voice softer than intended as you try to keep the rising heat inside you at bay feeling his lips kissing along your neck.

Hank leans back slightly, eyes filled with mischief. “You’re way more fun to pet.” His teases his hands  sliding to your hips, pulling you firmly against him.

Your breath catches in your throat from his control as his lips return trailing enticingly down your neck.

“I don’t purr though,” you manage to say, your voice barely more than a whisper as you surrender completely to his touch. 

“Not yet,” he teases darkly as he leans back just enough to keep your gaze then he gets down on his knees in front of you, his hands on your hips guiding you closer.

His eyes never leaves yours as he he slides your panties down, his touch igniting a warmth that spreads quickly through your body as his hands slide up the backs of your legs his thumbs grazing over the sensitive skin of your thighs.

You let out a shaky breath, desperately trying to hold on to some form of control as you look down at him kneeling between your legs. His broad shoulders fill the space, his strong hands now gripping your hips, keeping you firmly in place.

In the back of your mind, you know you’re going to be late for work, and the thought barely takes hold before his mouth closes over your clit, making every rational thought disappear.

His tongue swirls and flicks over your clit with maddening precision before he licks a slow teasing stripe up the inside of your pussy.

You bite back a moan, your fingers tangling in his hair, as your knees weaken, barely able to stay grounded under his touch. 

I’m going to be so fucking late, you think for a fleeting second, but the thought vanishes as his thumb presses against your clit, stroking in firm deliberate circles.

Your breath catches in your throat as you softly gasp trying to withstand the onslaught of pleasure.

His eyes flick up to meet yours, dark and focused. Seeing the distraction in your gaze he starts working harder, his tongue moving in languid, agonizing strokes as his thumb keeps a steady pressure on your clit. 

The sensations build inside you like a wave you can’t control, stronger with each passing moment until you moan loudly the sound slipping from your lips before you can stop it.

Your thoughts dissolve into nothingness as your core tenses, the pleasure consuming every part of you until you are overwhelmed at how good he feels.

He pushes his tongue deeper, his mouth moaning against you in as his thumb works faster, and you lose yourself completely. 

The warmth of his mouth, the firm, pressure of his thumb, and the thrust of his tongue push past any resistance you had left and you surrender entirely, your mind going completely blank.

As you come, a soft moan escapes your lips, the pleasure rolling through you in waves as your body trembles against his face. 

He savors every second of your release, his mouth, and hands still working you through it until there’s nothing left for a moment as the world reduces to nothing but him.

His eyes look up to your face, a satisfied grin on his lips as he enjoys every second of the way you fall apart for him, completely lost in the intimacy he's created.

As you begin to come down from the high his mouth leaves you as he slowly rises to his feet.

You look up at him, your breaths still uneven as his hand slides to the back of your neck, gently pulling you toward him, and he presses his mouth onto yours letting you taste yourself on his lips.

It’s intoxicating and overwhelming as he kisses you deep and unhurried, his tongue sliding against yours, until you can’t help but moan softly into his mouth.

“You taste so damn good,” he whispers against your lips, his voice low as he grins, the words sending another surge of heat through you. His hands move down your body as he kisses you again, this time with more urgency as his hips press against yours and you feel the unmistakable hardness of his cock.

You kiss him back with even more intensity, your body completely lost in your overwhelming desire for him. Your hands gripping his shoulders as each kiss becomes more demanding than the last until all that’s left is an all-consuming need to satisfy each other.

He walks you backward, his hands sliding up your back, until the sharp edge of the kitchen counter presses into you. The sudden contact breaks the kiss for a moment, both of you pausing as he looks down at you, his lips brushing yours as your breaths mingle.

“How’s that jealousy?” he asks, his voice low and teasing as his hands grip your waist, lifting you effortlessly onto the counter. 

“You said you don’t purr, either” he adds seductively, his lips trailing down your neck as his hands pull you to the edge of the counter. “But I can feel it… right here.” He whispers, his fingers tracing your wetness with delicate knowing strokes.

You moan in response, your legs tightening around his waist as the world outside falls away, his words and touch all that matters.

He keeps one hand firmly on your waist, his lips trailing slow heated kisses along your neck as his  other hand moves with purpose, digging through a nearby drawer until you feel him warmly exhale against your skin finding what he needs.

His hand comes up to your neck, gently guiding your lips to his, claiming them again deeply, as his other hand works to slide his condom on. 

His kiss grows even rougher, his breathing ragged, as both of his hands return to your neck. The anticipation between you building with every heartbeat, knowing he has a condom on, the need to have each fully consuming you both.

He pulls back from the kiss, pressing his forehead to yours, the intensity of his eyes locking onto you as his shoulders rise and fall with each shallow breath. 

“You ready for me?” he asks, his voice breathless as he awaits your answer.

His words send a flutter through you as a rush of heat spreads through your core, and it leaves you aching for him.

You can barely form the word as you look into his eyes feeling the intensity of the moment so overwhelming. 

“Yes… .” You finally nod in anticipation.

Your words are all he needs as his hands grip your hips, pulling you to the very edge of the counter. 

He presses his large tip against you and a low moan escapes your throat as his lips claim yours while you feel his hard demanding cock push into your entrance.

His hands firmly grip your waist as he begins each deep powerful thrust making you gasp. The rhythm is steady and fast, the intensity building as you find yourselves moving in perfect harmony. Your hands grip his shoulders and he responds by grabbing your thighs, his control slipping as his breathing becomes heavier, more erratic.

His sandy blonde hair falls slightly into his face, but you can see the dark, dilated pupils in his eyes, almost completely swallowing the blue, making his gaze look wild, possessive.

As he thrusts into you his cock twitches making you both gasp as his pace falters. 

His hips slow to a torturous pace, as he drags his cock almost completely out of you catching his breath.

 “Not yet” he says as he lets out a ragged breath. 

His grip tightens on your thighs, his fingers digging into your skin, holding you firmly in place. 

“I’m dragging out every minute of this until you come for me,” he whispers, his voice laced with an almost dangerous intensity, his jaw tight, muscles flexing as he pushes his cock all the way inside of you again.

You moan in pleasure as his lips brush your neck and he quickens his pace, each thrust more intense and deliberate than the last, his chest pressing into yours as he grips your thighs tightly until your both moaning, desperate to come.

His hand slides between your thighs to your clit, your breath hitching as his thumb moves in sync with his thrusts, the sensation so overwhelming, you can’t stop the moans escaping your lips. 

His other hand finds the small of your back, pulling you closer, holding you in place as he works your clit and thrust into you with relentless precision.

“You love how I’m fucking you?” he asks, his words perfectly timed with each thrust.

You weakly nod, unable to form words, barely holding on as he watches your reaction.

“Show me,” he whispers, his voice low and commanding, and he leans in his lips lightly brushing against yours as you gasp, the moans slipping from your lips uncontrollably as you begin to orgasm.

Just as you come, he captures your mouth in a deeply passionate kiss, swallowing every sound of your pleasure as his thumb works harder on your clit. His kiss is so powerful, it drives you to the edge of sanity.

The sensation crashes over you in waves, and all you can do is melt into him, your fingers clutching at his shoulders as you lose yourself entirely.

He slows his pace, guiding you through the aftermath, his hands caressing your thighs and waist as you tremble, your body softening.

The emotions swirling inside you are so strong, you try to calm yourself, but your heart continues to pound.

Your breath shaky as you rest your head on his chest, and he wraps his arms around you, holding you close as you both savor the quiet intimacy of the moment.

“I—I have to go to work,” you finally whisper, the reality of the outside world creeping in as you sit up on the counter.

He smiles, staring into your eyes. “I know,” he says softly, but instead of letting you go, he pulls you back to him, his fingers threading through your hair as he brings you in for one last kiss. It’s slow, lingering, filled with unspoken desire that makes your heart ache.

The kiss says everything and neither of you want the moment to end.

You break away, reluctantly pulling back. His eyes remain locked on yours for just a second longer, filled with the same hesitation you feel. “I really need to go,” you say, though every part of you protests leaving him.

“I know,” he whispers again, this time with a hint of reluctance. He slowly pulls out of you and you feel the sudden emptiness, both physically and emotionally.

He steps back, his eyes trailing over you one last time as you get down from the counter. You quickly pull on your panties, and grab your purse, glancing over your shoulder as he buttons his pants. His expression soft, but his gaze intense.

“I’ll call you” he says with the faintest smile tugging at his lips.

“I'll be waiting” you respond but you pause at the door, your hand on the knob knowing the truth of what’s happening.

You quickly leave his apartment without looking back your heart racing with a whirlwind  of emotions. 

You hail a taxi and sit in the back seat, your mind still lost in the moment you just left.

Once at work, you settle in half an hour late and completely zone out. The world around you fading away as your mind drifts back to Hank—his voice, his, his touch, the way he satisfies you until you’re craving him all over again.  

Your core throbs at just the thought, heat pooling deep inside you as you bite your lip, trying to pull yourself back to the task at hand.

But it’s impossible to ignore the lingering sensation, theres an ache that he leaves behind.

Hank wasn’t supposed to mean anything—just a one-night stand, a fleeting moment of indulgence. But he is so skilled, so perfectly attuned to your body, that now he’s all you can think about.

You slowly refocus on work only to find yourself absentmindedly tracing your lips, remembering the way he claims them, and you realize, that no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to focus on anything else.

You bite your lip as the frustration sinks in knowing nothing will be enough until you have him again.

🧢 End ?🧢

🔗 Master List

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[theywantedplayer]

could you write reader comforting auston after they lost the round 2 series? in my feels🥹

MastersList

PromptList

As soon as the buzzer sounded, you buried your head in your hands. You felt horrible you knew they worked hard to get where they are now and just for all of it to end like this, it was cruel. You watched as they all shook hands, you blinked the tears out of your eye’s trying to find Auston on the ice. When you found him, he was already skating off the ice with his head hung low as he went through the tunnel. You sat and waited for a couple minutes wanting to give Auston the chance to collect himself before you went down to see him. When about 30 minutes passed you thought that was enough, you walked through the stadium and found your way to the dressing room. 

You slowly opened the door and peaked your head in, seeing Mitch standing in front of Autson. He had his head in his hands with only his lower body patting on. You knew he got too tired to take the rest off because he still had his skate’s on. When you pushed the door fully open it caught Mitch’s ear and he turned his head to you and smiled sadly. He patted Auston on the back and said something before he turned away to leave through the door you were standing in.

You moved out of the way, giving Mitch a soft smile.

“I’ll leave you too alone” he told as he walked out 

You took a deep breath as you walked over to Auston, who was still sitting in his cubby with his head in his hands. You stopped in front of him, not really knowing what to say. You ran your hands, threw his top hair softly running your nails down to his neck, running your nails over his skin.

“Aust-” “Don’t” he cut you off 

You knelt down in front of him lightly grabbing his rist’s trying to pull his hands away from his face, Austin tried to fight it, but when you continued to pry he gave in. When you pulled his hands away a sigh left his lips as he leaned back up against his cubby wall looking up at the ceiling.

You knew Auston hated when you saw him cry or feeling down at any point, it didn't matter how much Reassurance you gave him to tell him that it's okay but it never seemed to sink in. You knew he had shed a couple tears since his eyes were red. It hurt you to see him hurt, you knew he worked hard.

“Auston you played so good” You tried to tell him but by the way he shook his head you knew he didn't believe you.

“I didn't and you know that” he spit at you 

You tried not to take it Personally because you knew he was just lashing out.

“Auston you did play good,i'm very proud of you” you smiled

But it was pointless, Auston quickly got up and stood in the middle of the room. You stood up with him

“Dont Y/n Dont fucking even, you know I played like shit. I havent gotten a point in three games, THREE FUCKING GAME’S!” he yelled. Running his hand threw his hair.

You watched him as his chest heaved, clearly a sign that he was exhausted from the game.

“I'm sorry Auston, I know it's hard” you whispered, too afraid to talk louder not wanting him to Get riled up again .

“Go-d” He sniffed “Its so hard” he whispered 

You couldn't ignore the break in his voice when he spoke. You took the opening so you walked over in front of him. Auston had his head up trying to hide his face, you knew he was crying. You pulled his face down to your’s, you frowned when you saw Auston’s eyes full of tears just threatening to spill at any moment.

‘Aust Im so sorry, I know you worked so hard”

When you spoke Auston signed and a tear rolled down his cheek, you whipped it away with your thumb as you held his face in your hands. 

“I’m so proud of you, so proud” you told him

Auston quickly pulled you into a hug by the waist, pressing his face into your neck. He squeezed you tightly as you ran your hand through his hair. You could tell that he was trying not to cry from the way that he held his breath, so with your other hand you rubbed his back  Softly.

“ can we just go home?” you heard him Mumble into your neck

“ yeah of course honey, grab your bag and I'll grab the rest”  you responded

 you both pulled away but not before you placed a soft kiss on his lips and lightly padded him on the chest giving him a small smile. 

[paigeandsagesstuff]

I’ll Come Back For You

Song: “Wait” by M38

POV: It’s 1945 and you’re an American living in Poland. You help the allies whenever you can, and you met Sergeant Austin Butler.

Warning: p in v, unprotected sex (triple wrap that shit y’all), fingering, clit rubbing

♡ Thank you for your support! ♡

Inspired by the scene between Emma and Norman in Fury.

Master List Babes💋

The soldiers sat around your table laughing as you and your cousin, C/N, prepared a meal for them.

You looked over your shoulder to meet Austin's eyes and his blue eyes that were boring holes into your head and body. You felt something stir within you, and you looked back into the stew you were making as you felt yourself blush.

It was two hours ago when the group of soldiers and their Sergeant Austin Butler entered your flat. It was 1945, and you were an American that moved to Poland to live with your father's side before the war. Since Germany invaded years ago, you helped the allies by giving them food and blankets. So you're frequently with soldiers after word has gone around of your kind heart.

You met the handsome Sergeant Butler four years ago, and he made you feel things you never did. Though, he often got on your nerves with his wolffish grin and arrogant voice.

C/N walked away to place bowls on the table as you were putting spices in the pot.

"Y/N," a voice said behind you, and you felt his arm on his chest against your back.

"Sergeant Butler," you tried to hide a smile and push the butterflies away.

His arm reached to grab a bowl, "Just grabbing a bowl."

Austin walked away, and you felt yourself about to breathe. You turned off the burner and grabbed a towel to bring the pot to the table, and placed it in the center.

"I hope everyone likes stew." You smiled and sat with Austin, who placed his arm behind your back. C/N handed a basket of bread to you, and you took one, set it next to your bowl, and met Austin's stare as you gave him the basket.

"What?" You sheepishly said, and thankfully her cousin and the soldiers were busy talking to notice you and Austin. He smirked with a toothpick between his lips and pulled it out to grab the bread.

"Nothing, doll," he winked.

You rolled your eyes and started to eat your meal. The dinner was full of laughter and funny stories before the war. Of course, there were stolen glances by you and Austin, well mostly him, as you felt his eyes on you.

The boys insisted they clean up after dinner, and Austin cleaned the last bowl. Dan and Luke, the goofballs of the group, came back to eye you up.

"What?" You laughed, face becoming red from their attention.

"You're just a beautiful dame, Y/N," Dan smiled, and Luke elbowed him. "What? She's beautiful to me!"

"Speak for yourself because I have my gorgeous polish woman," he grinned and hooked his arm around C/N's neck to kiss her cheek.

"I'm American, though," you meekly said but were overshadowed by C/N giggling.

Luke beamed at C/N, who was sheepishly looking at her lap. You smiled at the sight of the couple as you felt a hand on your shoulder, and it was Derek, Austin's second command, "Y/N, we could share a bed if you want?"

You rolled your eyes at him and shook off his hand. The men watched, and some told Derek to knock it off, and he said, "Well, I need someone to warm my bed."

The men stopped talking when heavy boots walked over to you, and a firm grip was on your wrist. "Come with me.”

You looked up to see it was Austin with fire in his eyes, and you frowned at him. "Go where?"

"It wasn't a question," he lowered his face to meet your eyes, "but an order."

You quickly got up and let him take you to your room, where he nudged you in and turned to his men, mostly to Derek.

"Y/N will be keeping me warm tonight," he said and slammed the door to lock it after. You stood there in shock and backed away when he turned to you, "don't be afraid."

"Afraid? I'm horrified how you dragged me in here and proclaimed that I'll be keeping you warm!" You said while walking up to Austin, raising your hand to slap him, which he caught by your wrist.

"Careful doll, as I might not be so nice."

You scoffed and yanked your hand away, "You are a jackass, Sergeant Butler."

"Well, you're no walk in the park either, Miss L/N," he said in your ear and walked past you to sit on your bed. You gasped at him and twirled in your floral F/C wrap-around dress to stare at him.

You point at him, feeling your face become hot, "You're the one who walks around acting like you own the place, and now me!"

He begins to unbutton his beaten-up jacket while kicking off his boots. "Maybe it's a dream of mine for us to belong to one another, doll."

You crossed your arms with a pout, even though you felt butterflies in your stomach. Austin gently holds onto your waist to bring you closer so that you're standing in front of him.

"Sergeant, I'm not-."

He cuts you off, "I only want to lay next to me and maybe hold me."

You placed your hands on your hips as Austin ran his fingers through his golden hair, "Can you deny a soldier's last request? I might die tomorrow."

"Fine, but no funny business." You said and sat on the bed to take off your heels.

"As you wish doll."

You shivered when he said that in your ear, and you pulled your hair back to unzip your dress from the back, but callous fingers helped you and allowed them. Goosebumps formed on you as you got up to shimmy your way out of your dress and placed it on a chair. Austin couldn't keep his eyes off of you in your slipped dress. You turned off a lamp to lay next to him, but you were nervous to move.

"I'll help you," he chuckled and brought you closer to his side. He placed his arm underneath your head and took your arm to lay it across his chest, and he looked at you with a smile.

"See," he said, and you smiled at him, "snug as a bug."

You fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

———♡———

You woke up sometime later as it was quiet outside of your door and window. But you heard Austin's breathing and stared at him, adjusting to the dark, and you watched puffs of air leave his parted lips. You bite yours, and your heart tightens as you pecked his neck. You brought yourself closer and snuggled deeper into the nook between his should and head. Deeply inhaling his earthly scent, you kissed his jaw and sighed at the feeling of his arms around you.

"What are you doing, Y/N?"

You froze and tried to pull away, but he held you close. Austin then turned to his side to stare down at you, which you expected to be a smirk, but it was a gentle smile. Luckily it was too dark for him to see your face glowing red.

"I just-I-." You stammered.

"What is it, Miss Y/N?"

You realized that you hate when he calls you by your last name, as you're overjoyed when he calls you cute names or Y/N. You hate watching him leave every time and how he's arrogant but almost always right. You don't hate him, but quit the opposite.

"I just want us to belong to one another," you breathed out with a grin.

He blinked at you before cupping your face with his free hand and consuming your lips as you held onto his shoulder. Austin moved on top of you and pulled at your dress, you helped hastily, and he moved down to kiss your breast softly and groped the other one.

"Sergeant," you moaned but covered your mouth in embarrassment. He roughly grabbed your hand away and gingerly left kisses from your stomach to your throbbing core. Austin stood to slide off your stockings, then removed his clothes to throw behind him. You made eye contact, and he crawled on top of you with his hand on your thigh to make circles and then go toward your bud. You moaned into his needy kiss but almost cried out his name when you felt a finger slide into you.

"I need to stretch you out, baby."

You held onto his arm as he thrust his finger in slowly but added speed and another digit while rubbing your bud.

"Austin, I think I'm-." You gasped when you felt him leave your entrance and stared at him with a pout.

He smirked while kissing your jaw, "I want your first orgasm on my cock."

You blushed and nodded at him when he lifted his shaft to enter you as your face scrunched up from being stretched, and he kissed away the uncomfortable feelings. He bottomed out but waited for you to adjust, and you nodded at him to move, which he did slowly again and again. Those thrusts became long and hard as you scratched at his back and wrapped your legs around his waist, and he went deeper.

"Oh god!" You loudly cried out when he hit a specific spot. He gripped the pillow next to your head with your H/C sprawled around you as his other hand rubbed your clit. You kissed one another and heatedly battled with your tongues.

"Austin," you whimpered into his ear, which drove him crazy. "I think I'm about to cum."

"Me too, doll."

His thrusts became sloppy as his thumb circled your bud. Your back arched by itself and into his heated body as Austin bit your lip to pull it away. Your first orgasm lasted a while after he filled you up.

"Fuck Y/N!" Austin moaned onto your swollen lips as you came down from your high.

Austin leaned onto you, trying not to crush you as he caught his breath. You kissed his neck and then shoulder. He placed his head in the crook of yours.

"I love you, Sergeant Butler."

Austin hovered over you with a smile, "I love you, too, Y/N."

He pulled the blanket over you two and wrapped his arms around you, caging you in as you both drifted to sleep.

———♡———

You two woke up to the pounding on the door before Derek barged in, making Austin shield your body from him.

"What, Derek?" Austin spat, and Derek blinked at you two.

"Sorry, sir and ma'am," he stumbled, "but we have to leave now! The commander wants us to head north."

"Shit!" Austin said as Derek closed the door, as you watched Austin rushing to find his clothes. You shook your head in disbelief and quickly crawled over to him by the end of the bed.

"No!" You hugged him from behind, allowing the sheet to fall. He sighed while bowing his head as he held your hands to peel them off. You met his gaze as your eyes began to fill with tears, and you shook your head at him while holding onto your wrists, "Please, Austin, don't-."

"I'll come back for you, I'll always will," he said and cupped your face to kiss you, "you were my reason to stay strong, doll, so still be it."

You grabbed his hands and nodded, "Okay."

He roughly grabbed your face with his eyebrows furrowed as he started to choke up, "Promise me that you'll be strong, please, baby. You keep me together."

"I promise," you sobbed, and he pulled you in for a hug. You two kissed every part of each other's faces until Derek called out Austin's name.

"Hold on, god dammit!" He said and looked at you again with matching teary eyes. His hands touched your flushed cheeks for a longing kiss, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, bringing him close.

"Sergeant!"

"Dammit." He mumbled again but stole another peck, "When I come back, I'm bringing you to America, and we can live wherever you want. In the city, by the shore, or on a farm! Wherever as long as I'm with you."

Austin lifted your arms away from his body but left his jacket on you, which you held close. He backed away with your arms moving away from each other slowly, and Austin stood in the doorway and said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He left as the men followed him while glancing at you with pitied stares.

Be strong. I will.

———♡———

That was two months ago, and the war is over. You still wear Austin's jacket as you helped the allies, showing them you belong to the man, your sergeant. But you haven't heard from him, even though your C/N heard from Luke, and it seemed okay.

But where is he?

You take out what remains from your luggage as you pack into your new flat. C/N told Luke about how you two had to move because the enemy was getting suspicious of you, so you thought that Austin knew, but now you're unsure.

You hear two voices coming up the stairs, and one said, "Do you know a Y/N L/N, sir?"

You dropped a pile of papers and ran to the door to swing it open. You stood in the doorway as someone in the greenback was facing you.

"Sergeant Butler?"

The man turned, and you covered your mouth.

"Evening, doll," Austin smirked.

You ran towards him, and he held you tightly, and you said, "You came back to me."

You pulled away to push some hair away from his face and touched his dog tags and his chest. You met his gaze with a huge grin.

Austin pulled you into another hug, "I always will, Y/N. I'll always come back for you."

You sniffled into his shirt, "Can C/N come with us to America?"

He smiled at you, "I'm sure Luke has that covered."

You laughed as you two planned to live in the city or by the beach.

Tag

@purejasmine

[wweassets]

I'm back..... Costume Contest anon here! As promised, here is my recap of the 2nd annual *Fantasy* MAT GALA red carpet, a charity ball just for the guys. Similar to the Met Gala, the theme is high fashion, formal attire, haux coutoure, avant garde, and CREATIVE. But since this is an event just for the guys in a private venue with no media outlets, they're showing off their bodies in the most creative ways possible to prove to each other who's been hitting the gym the hardest. WWE is partnering with The Advocate magazine for this event, and is raising money for the Human Rights Campaign during Pride Month. (Apologies for the late report!)

Here are some of the highlights!

L*GAN PAUL wore an elaborate outfit made completely out of golden brass knuckles linked together - a long-sleeve baggy top with nothing underneath, and baggy pants, also with nothing underneath, with slight glimpses of his dick and his fat ass cheeks.

T*MASSO C*AMPA and J*HNNY G*RGANO of DIY are sharing ONE tuxedo. Tomasso is wearing a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, and no pants, just a classic white jockstrap to show off his muscular legs and big ass. Next to him is Johnny, who is completely shirtless and wearing baggy black tuxedo pants that are way too loose on him with no underwear, showing the top part of his ass, and his beautiful 8-pack abs.

BR*N BREAKKER is referencing Doja Cat from this year's Met Gala in a look very similar to her wet bedsheets look. It's also very campy - he's completely nude and wearing nothing but a small white towel around his waist, as he's addressing his critics by washing the spray tan off himself. The towel can't fit around his large muscular ass, so it hangs low and shows off the top half of his beefy cheeks. As he walks the red carpet in flip-flops, the towel causes high a slit against his massive legs, and his penis flops out from underneath.

R*NDY ORT*N is posing for the cameras from a side profile - he's wearing a full black tuxedo. He turns around to show his profile off from the other side, to reveal that he's only wearing HALF a tuxedo, and completely nude on the right side of his body, showing his big chest and shoulders, giant muscular legs, and his new fat ass. (Plus half of his penis and ball sack). On the nude half, he's body-painted as a viper, and he's wearing a yellow snake eye contact lens on his right eye.

S*TH R*LLINS is doing a tribute to his "eras." He's wearing a black darby hat, similar to the one he wore at the Kentucky Derby red carpet. In a tribute to his Shield days, he's wearing a black blazer made out of Kevlar material, with bulky pockets and straps. On his right leg, he's paying tribute to his mesh era, by wearing only a black mesh legging. On his left leg, he's paying tribute to his "Architect" black-leather tights era, and he's only wearing black liquid latex covering his entire leg. Effectively, his lower half is completely exposed, with his penis and ass checks hanging out once again.

AUST*N THE*RY is taking a page out of John Cena's book from The Oscars earlier this year. He's completely nude, except for the envelop invitation he received for the event covering his penis. He's completely comfortable walking down the red carpet with his nude body exposed, and his fat muscular ass cheeks bouncing around.

Not to be out-done, LA KN*GHT is being equally brave and daring with this body. He's wearing a black leather vest that is so long that it goes down his body and eventually becomes pant legs. He's wearing nothing else, so essentially his penis and fat ass are completely exposed. As he struts down the red carpet, his penis bounces back and forth between his muscular quads.

ILJ* DR*GUNOV is wearing a white faux fur coat with no pants on, just a white thong to show off his muscular legs and perky muscle ass.

TR*CK W*LLIAMS is the most covered at the event, but that doesn't mean it isn't revealing! He's wearing a beige turtleneck to show off his muscular chest and shoulders. He's also wearing VERY tight maroon velvet pants, so tight that they hug his muscular ass and show off every inch of his long penis, which is crawling down his right thigh.

JD McD*NAGH is wearing a high-cropped black leather jacket, and instead of pants, he's wearing several purple bandanas tied around his legs to represent the Judgment Day. His penis is covered by a bandana wrapped around it, but his fat right cheek is completely exposed and hanging out.

C*DY RH*DES is the last to appear, and he's wearing a custom suit from his favorite American designer Tommy Hilfiger. He's wearing a cropped navy blue blazer that ends right below his pecs, and on the left pec, is the giant TH red/white/blue blocked logo, covering where he was previously injured by the torn pec. He's wearing his Championship belt, but he takes it off for the photographers to reveal that his pants are extremely low rise, revealing that his pubic hair is dyed bleach blond, similar to his own hairstyle.

So, which are your favs?

oh MY GOD ITS HAPPENING. YOU’RE HERE. WE WON. THIS IS AMAZING. first of all just want to say how much i love the effort and really appreciate it… you’re an icon and we love you 💖💖💖

but now for my results… it was hard… REALLY hard… but

🥉

austin - simple but gorgeous and slay and slutty and GOOD

🥈

seth - another total slay from our usual winner. legit perfect but a lot going on

🥇

bron - just… SO SEXY. like wow. i can see it so clear and i need it.

honourable mentions for cody, randy and trick. they all could win too legit

how about everyone else??

[444names]

the entire article on the 1st annual australian international jazz festival from wikipedia

Achrears Achricke Acralson Acrams Acrold Action Ader Adia Adizzy Adurniew Afted Afterick Aheld Alks Ally Almoss Altetues Althence Ance Anded Anis Annates Annuat Apper Appy Araded Arday Ardebt Ardeddy Ardersed Ardon Areve Arria Arriew Arrimmy Arriven Arshold Artion Atemotay Aten Atist Atre Attersed Aturneup Augh Aught Ausic Ausoning Aust Austay Aware Awarted Awartio Awkineup Awking Awkip Bandebt Banded Basted Becast Beck Becorth Beet Befoled Beforee Begand Beint Beir Beirset Bericed Bersed Bighling Billow Bily Boaran Bout Briew Brinee Brip Brive Brived Brohde Brolvist Broth Brove Brubee Brushigh Bruss Bryclub Budia Budions Buted Buter Chight Colan Cold Comike Comikip Comptis Dands Dayedne Daying Delbout Deral Ding Dingin Dinging Dion Diset Distree Dium Doorded Drome Dross Duce Eadcas Ealing Earted Eaver Ernighan Eventend Evience Evies Evis Feardat Feart Feartime Fericato Fild Fille Fily Fined Fing Fivin Folarah Folerip Fordon Forgan Forth Fortion Foryce Fred Freher Fret Gaison Gent Gild Gilly Gineup Gint Ginut Gortent Grams Gran Gread Grear Gred Grethren Halearah Halson Halten Hand Hander Hands Happeric Hawking Heal Healk Hearrive Heate Heatout Heing Heir Hels Helson Henreve High Hild Hisbance Hiso Hole Holed Holer Imey Imike Imikip Iming Impten Inted Intersic Intet Jack Jacke Jazinte Jazzy Jime Joinesen Joing Joingild Jonds Jonee Jonight Karaing Lanis Lannual Lartio Latted Lemort Lers Lian Ligh Lighlia Lined Ling Linuared Locald Locasken Loctonal Loperive Lowed Loweed Lowerion Lowers Lowily Lown Lows Mage Mand Maniso Many Mcday Melsone Miket Miking Mine Ming Mint Moriels Mort Morte Morting Mory Must Mustio Networ Neup Ning Nocalth Noutedia Onatice Onder Onesed Oney Ought Ovended Over Ovintern Pears Pedium Percust Pers Pies Plan Pland Plannual Playinut Prad Praded Pralk Pralles Pran Precome Preek Pria Prick Prion Privaust Privence Proadia Proarsed Progaing Prolan Prold Prom Prompted Proneste Pross Protay Protho Prove Quars Quate Quatte Quin Raid Ralth Ramey Rams Realkso Rear Reastay Reaving Reavist Reck Reco Recom Recorist Redio Reed Reedist Reek Reence Reennies Rehe Repor Repore Reporic Reptined Resepor Reth Reve Rever Revillow Reving Robeturs Roduce Ronal Ronised Rost Rotern Rusir Rustrial Salmosts Saraidne Sarric Sars Sation Sationes Schring Sedium Sheacken Sheas Sheree Shight Shily Ship Shipeddy Shis Shisban Shistrah Sholvie Shost Shout Sicial Siciand Sick Sionatin Sitioney Stal Statine Ster Stet Stised Stols Ston Stran Strand String Strossit Strote Swiked Swikinah Swinut Switive Sydn Sydne Tatic Tayed Tedium Theadvan Thearad Theas Theine Thost Thouncer Thouted Thowinte Thre Threhey Tinews Tion Tobe Toled Toles Tons Tormand Treading Trive Tues Turic Twed Tween Unce Unclub Unds Upcone Valmor Vard Vars Vaugh Vielvie Viesday Viest Views Vill Ving Vist Warde Ware Wareet Wars Wart Warteddy Wass Wastedid Weddy Welve Whey Whold Whost Whough Whow Wild Willes Willows Wily Wine Wined Wing Wition Woric Wornal Woryclub Yeal

[fifaonlinenewslive]

Recent Match Report - Queensland vs West Aust 18th Match 2022/23

Recent Match Report – Queensland vs West Aust 18th Match 2022/23

Queensland 6 for 295 dec (Street 83, Burns 72, Renshaw 54) and 7 for 97 (Morris 3-22) drew with Western Australia 7 for 427 dec (Bancroft 164*, Cartwright 78, Agar 72) Queensland’s lower order saved the side’s blushes, batting into the darkness at the Gabba to secure a Sheffield Shield draw against Western Australia. A stalemate looked all but certain when WA batted through the morning…

[iihbki3]

Picture of the day: Musk-mallow (Malva moschata) with raindrops, Mitterbach am Erlaufsee, Lower Austria https://t.co/pLZUcviiY6

[itsnirmal888]

Butt and Thigh Workout with No Equipment - at your home

Butt and Thigh Workout with No Equipment – at your home

no Equipment Butt and Thigh Workout at Home – Bodyweight Lower Body Workout. source

[eda11y]

Almost Over by rdlalf

[terrified-spider]

I finally finished Dr. Stein! (:

He took ages, mostly because I had to change the size of the hat about three different times, and I procrastinated for at least two weeks on making the final change because I didn't want to redraw the hand another time.

The ID is under the cut, along with a list of the stupid stuff our party has done. Critique is always welcome! (:

Stupid stuff we've done:

(For context, we're playing Curse of Strahd, so watch out for spoilers and mentions of drugs!)

The first thing our party did after arriving at Valaiki was to harass one of the people in the bar, who was high out of his mind. Stein stole his 3 gold, then after learning where the man got his drugs, paid the man back with those same coins.

Stein's player rolled a 1 for investigation while exploring the lower floor of the Witches' windmill. When opening the cupboard of baking supplies, he saw the sugar and flour, but thought the bone dust was cocaine.

Demne ate a combination of that "cocaine" and some of the questionable fluid in the cauldron in the center of the room.

Aust spent the almost the entire session as a spider. (It was my first time ever using wild shape, and I wanted to get the most out of it.) He only changed back after Dr. Stein was knocked out and Demne had been magically put to sleep, surprising the witches who never knew he wasn't just a weird spider.

We killed two of the witches by repeatedly knocking them down the stairs.

Aust (the chaotic neutral drow) was the only one who was against to handing Ireene over to Strahd for a thousand gold.

Our wizard collects the teeth from the corpses they kill.

Stein, who worked as a doctor and is one of the party's two healers, has the worst bedside manor out of everyone.

[ID: A digital drawing of a plague doctor, facing the camera and showing the entire body. No portion of his skin is clearly visible, as he is wearing a dark cloak and layered blue jacket. He is holding a crossbow up in his left hand, and is casting a spell in his right hand. End ID]

[feathers-scales-and-tails]

Hi! Do you have opinions on chicken roosts, regarding size, thickness, and roundness/squareness? I’ve seen conflicting info on the internet. I’m wondering for full size chickens, for context!

I like offering a variety of perch types for day use, but for roosting I personally prefer thicker square ones that the bird is able to sit on.

Their feet aren’t structured like Psittaciformes, designed for climbing and navigating treetops, so it takes them a lot more effort to grip round perches. Since I have a lot of different breeds, many who prefer to roost low to the ground, I prefer the ‘platform’ perches where the bird is able to comfortably lie down and sleep vs having to balance all night.

They still get plenty of opportunity to exercise their legs and toes during the day! My Aust. Langshan love flying up into trees. I just prefer the peace of mind that a bird not feeling fantastic isn’t going to fall off a perch and hurt them self during the night.

It’s still good to offer a couple different thicknesses of these perches though, if you’re able to. Here are a couple examples:

I like having them lower to the ground too, to prevent leg injury for heavy breeds or bumblefoot if something sharp is underneath. Most breeds don’t seem to mind these low perches, but some like Sumatra, Old English game, Rosecomb bantams, etc. would prefer much higher roosts

My memory is failing me right now but I thiiink you want to aim for roughly 30cm of perch space per bird too. Anyway I hope that can help out a bit! Sorry I didn’t get around to answering it sooner.

[theywantedplayer]

“I've been in love with you for years!” prompt with auston matthews please !!!!

 

MasterList

PromptList

another failed date is what you just went on and the only reason you went on it in the first place was to get over Auston. You’ve been in love with him for years. U2 ended up living together since you were still in university, you didn’t wanna move in at first, but you knew it wasn’t going to be a good idea because of your crush on him. But you couldn’t pay for your apartment and university so you gave in

I don’t think you were excited for the date. He was nice and he was a gentleman and you really thought you could go past the first date but apparently he didn’t feel the same time. In his words, I’m just not feeling it so you went home with your shoes off and got the attention of Auston, who is still in the same place sitting on the couch.

I’m not feeling it was what you said to him standing in front of him, hands on your hips

“Huh?”

“ that’s what he said “I’m not feeling it” who the fuck says it like that!” you ranted

“so I take it it wasn’t good” he asked pausing the TV

“ yeah, no shit it was Aust…… I liked him” you continued “he clearly didn’t feel the same way like every other fucking guy” you said, defeated, walking towards your bedroom

“hey come on don’t say that” Auston tried as he got up to follow you, but you stopped in your bedroom door way

“these dates are pointless anyways” you shrug, turning into your room, Auston hot behind you 

“I’ve come to learn that men aren’t attracted to me” 

“ok stop that” Auston told grabbing your arm and spinning you around

You love how close he was in the hated that you loved it

“ you need to get it out of your damn head that men don’t find you attractive, because we both know that’s not true” he argued “ after every damn date you pick yourself a part and you shouldn’t,fuck y/n there is nothing fucking wrong with you. These guys are just fucking stupid”

Auston was mad, you could tell from the way his chest heaved as he breathed, and how he ran his hands through his hair. You were mad, the man you’ve been in love with saying all of this to you when you knew he didn’t feel the same way piss you off.

“ why do you even fucking care” you snap back at him

“cause I’m fucking in love with you I’ve been in love with you for years” he yelled  Auston couldn’t believe what he was saying. He’s been holding in his feelings for years, and they finally got the better of him

“ I hate seeing you get all dressed up for the stupid guys, guys that should be me. You say that guys don’t find you attractive but I’m crazy about you. I love everything about you since the day that I met you!!” When he finished speaking, he took a deep breath

There was silence between both of you, and Austin was praying that you would say something to him. He couldn’t bear the silence after he just confessed his love to you.

“Fuck y/n please say something”

You didn't know what to say, but at the same time you've always practiced what you’d say but know thats its right here in front of you, you froze. Auston’s heart dropped at the sight of you just staring at him and not saying what he needed you to say. He took a couple step’s back running his hands over his face

“Fuck” he groaned he knew he fucked up, “Fuck y/n im so sorry, I should have just kept my mouth shut” When he turned back to you, he felt like he wanted to cry.

“You love me?” you spoke quietly, staring at him in dissalef 

“Of course I do” he answered 

You took a couple steps forward so you were now right in front of him, You stared at him before you spoke

“I-i Love you too” You whispered 

Auston responded by smashing his lips into your’s, his hand pressing up the back of your neck and running through your hair and the other pressing you against him from your lower back. You gripped Auston’s hair. Auston groaned into the kiss, it was passion, you gasped when you felt him slightly pull on your hair giving him a chance to slip his tongue into the kiss. 

When you two pulled away you were out of breath, you both were smiling brightly at each other. Years of waiting finally paid off. Auston pulled you close, resting his chin on top of your head.

“You love me” you smiled

Auston looked down at you smiling “I do love you” he said kissing you softly 

[ask-an-aussie]

Aussie Wildlife FAQ

So here's questions I'm frequently asked as both a wildlife rescuer and carer and keeper at a wildlife sanctuary. Heads up, this is a long post, I've made the questions stick out so you can easily skip through. I've tried to make it as easy to read as possible, and to find what you're after, whilst also providing lots of info.

Poison Vs Venom, what's the difference?

Well, mostly, poison just never stops killing. Like if you poison an insect, then a bird or small mammal eats that insect and they slowly get poisoned by all the poisoned insects they eat, then something eats them, like an owl, and that gets poisoned, then as it rots the poison goes into the environment, etc. Poison never dies. Venom has to be injected, so yes you can be envenomated by a dead animal, if you are stupid. Poison can be inhaled, eaten/drunk or even through touch. So if a cow is poisoned you have to dispose of the body safely, if a cow is bitten by a venomous snake, technically you can still have steak for dinner.

Are all Australian animals out to kill you?

Maybe.

They could want to kill us, I mean as a species we aren't that great. Their ability to kill us however is limited. So are all Aussie animals able to kill you? No. So we have lots of cute small mammals, like antechinus, dunnarts, pygmy possums and the like, that can bite and scratch but are very tiny bois. We even have lots of non-venomous snakes, pythons and blind snakes. Most lizards outside of Goannas can't cause too much damage. Echidna's are completely defensive, have no attack whatsoever. Lots of birds have no interest in you, unless you get near their nest. Freshwater Turtles, Little Penguins and Tawny Frogmouths all main defense is shitting really stinky shit at you. Even our venomous snakes, as long as you seek medical attention you should be fine. Considering we have the top 10 most venomous snakes in the world but average only 1 death a year that's pretty good.

But you still have lots of dangerous animals right?

Yes.

Maybe I should elaborate. Any animal is dangerous, including you, if given the right circumstances. I'm a lovely person but hurt my dog and you better run. Most animals don't want a bar of you. However, if you are a threat to them, or their babies, they will defend themselves. A lot of animals get tagged with the word 'aggressive' which I don't like, aggression is a human emotion that I've never seen in wild animals, or even pets and things. Mostly it's defensive behaviours that people read wrong. For example, the most venomous snake in the world is the Inland Taipan (found in Aust.), however the most dangerous snake in Australia is the Eastern Brown snake, less venomous but also less shy and lives in suburbia. Still, it only ever strikes at people when it feels cornered and needs to get you to back the hell off. And lets be real here, what else can they do? They can't yell and scream, they can't punch or kick. Legit their only option is to bite, and even then mostly it's a closed mouth strike to freak you out into stepping back, and most people bitten by snakes are given a 'dry bite' where no venom is injected, as they want to use it on their food not waste it on us. And 90% of snake bites that happen in Australia are people either trying to catch or kill a snake.

It's fairly simple. Don't threaten animals, don't give them a reason to be dangerous and you are fine. Crocodiles in the water? Don't swim there. Sharks around? Avoid swimming at twilight. Snake? Leave it alone. Nest with baby birds? walk away. You don't randomly show up in some strangers home and expect them not to react, so why do we expect different from animals?

What animals are on the most 'dangerous list' then? Which animals should I really avoid pissing off?

Start with the obvious. Crocodiles, venomous snakes, sharks, some jellyfish, venomous spiders, stone fish, blue ringed octopus, birds of prey (our Wedge Tailed Eagle WILL attack drones, hang-gliders and helicopters if they come into their territory) Then you've got the less obvious. Ants - like meat ants, they will swarm over you then all bite down at once. 1 bite isn't so bad, a whole colony biting you, deadly. Then there's other ants in the Myrmecia family (bull ants and the like) that are just HUGE, and have massive mandables for biting and also can sting you, and are one of the most toxic insects in the world.

Wombats - Can run at 40km/hr, skull so hard it's the only thing a Tassie Devil can't eat, able to bite your calf muscle clean off your leg, oh and they have killer booty. A hard cartilage plate in their lower back that they use to block their burrows, and if threatened can lay down and as the animal tries to get past jam their legs straight and crush the skull of a fox against the roof of their burrow, easily break a dingoes jaw or even destroy your hand.

Kangaroos - yes they box, hahaha wouldn't it be funny to box with a kangaroo. NO. Kangroos box for fun but also to defend themselves and their mob. The Alpha male is the big buff one that looks like he's on steroids. He looks like that for a reason, to defend and protect his mob. DO NOT MESS WITH ANY KANGAROOs, but really don't mess with Big Daddy (for being the alpha he gets all the ladies) Kangaroos are made for this. A punch from a Kangaroo can easily break you ribs. They can lean back on their tail and bring both legs up to kick you, easily tearing you open, which they can do with the claws on their toes, and so basically dissecting you from sternum down. Oh and if they gran you round the neck for a 'Cuddle' DUCK AND RUN. They will hold you in a kind of choke hold and then bring their legs up to kick you and basically snap you in half. Don't even mess with Wallabies man, they may be smaller but can still do damage.

Tassie Devils - are extremely shy and slower than you, like you can actually run away from them. BUT. They have the strongest bite strength compared to size of any animal. The have a PSI of 1200 and males weigh around 8 kg. For perspective, Hyenas have a PSI of 1100 and males weigh around 50kg

Brushtail Possums - They may be cuter than the American Opossums but trust me, they don't want you around. They are solitary so most people have heard them fighting of a night, screeching, shrieking, hissing, growling and making darth vadar noises. Heads up from someone who has had to rescue them from awkward places (fire-places, BBQs, closets) They are stronger than you and they will f*** you up. Even without them meaning to I've gotten injuries from my joey Brushies, they get so keen on their milk when you put it in that they climb your arm and their claws are sharper than cats. Also the sheer strength of them. I'm stronger than I look but if they are clinging on to a tree you are gonna need all your strength to get them off. The can also bite your finger clean off. And I've seen injuries from people who feed wild ones and for some reason have been late to put out the food or something and they've climbed their leg or even jumped on them - stitches were required in a few of those cases (human skin is not thick like tree bark)

What's with Magpies and swooping?

Simple, they have nests/babies and are protecting them. Australia Magpies are very smart and can recognise faces. If they think you are a threat they will try and scare you off. Just like if you're walking along with your toddler and there's a weirdo doing something strange you hold the kid tighter and closer to you and move through faster. But these guys can't just move their nests or their babies. The spot is chosen based on food availability and shelter from sun and rain, but also not being too cold. It's their spot. I've never been swooped by Magpies, other birds yes, but not Magpies. My local birds know me as the lady that cleans and fills the bird bath. Legit the Magpies sing a specific song when it needs filling to call me out to do it. So don't be a threat. If they are swooping in that area, try to avoid it or go through quickly. We used to have Plovers at my school, in the bush at the end of the oval. Never a problem. One day some kids go into the bush and stomp on their nest and eggs. After that they would swoop anyone who came close to there. So the school blocked off that end of the oval. Fair call. Wasn't the birds fault.

Why is everything named so basic?

Oh you mean the snake that's black with a red belly being balled a Red Belly Black Snake, and the tree with all the doodles on it being called a Scribbly Gum? 80% of plants and animals found in Australia are found NO WHERE ELSE. So the early Europeans had a lot of things to name and when they tried naming it themselves they would get it wrong. 2 good examples are: The Death Adder (only considered highly venomous, not deadly, and not an Adder). Also you're only likely to get bitten if you stand on it or try to pick it up. The Australian Magpie, they saw a black and white bird so it must be a magpie. Nope. Actually not in the corvidae family but in the butcherbird family - Artamidae. So their solution was to either take the Aboriginal word, for example, Quoll, Kookaburra, Koala, Quokka, Taipan. Or name it after what it looks like/sounds like/ is found Boobook Owl - makes a sound like booooo-book Squirrel Glider Eastern Water Dragon Grey Headed Flying Fox Flaky Bark Tea Tree Old man Banksia This can cause confusion though as not every brown coloured snake is a brown snake, and not all Eastern brown snakes are brown. Squirrel Gliders aren't related to squirrels. Flying foxes are bats not actual foxes that fly.

What do I do if I find injured wildlife?

Well, depends on the wildlife and where it is. If it's in a dangerous position, like the middle of a highway, don't try anything. First thing, call a wildlife rescue group, there are plenty around and they have trained people who know what to do. A quick google search should show you all you need to know, also the IFAW's Wildlife Rescue App will identify the closest group to you.

If it's a snake, adult wombat or kangaroo, or any other animal that can cause you serious injury, leave it be. The wildlife rescuers you call can give you basic info on how to help but mostly calling them is the main thing.

If it's something smaller, like a young animal or glider or baby bird and you are able to put it into a cardboard box that will be perfect. The 3 main things injured/ill wildlife need are warmth, dark and quiet. You don't need to worry about food or water. The rescuers will organise that. If you give food or water to an animal in shock you can cause more damage.

THE BEST THING IS TO DO NOTHING. I know this sounds stupid. But so many problems can occur from people who don't know what they are doing helping out. You know what they say about good intentions. For example, picking up a Koala like you would pick up a human child (under the armpits, around the chest) you could actually break their ribs. Also so many Koalas end up needing vet care during heat waves because people pour water into their mouths - they can get pneumonia as the water goes in too fast, it is not a natural way for them to drink. You can also get yourself injured or make the animals injuries worse. I have seen Kangaroos with broken legs get up and try to hop away from people. I have seen severe scratches on other people because they tried to pick up an animal.

What diseases can wildlife give me?

Well. I only know about Australian wildlife, and it's very different to other parts of the world. If you get a bad bite or scratch from wildlife you should see your doctor ASAP, get the wound cleaned properly and make sure your tetanus is up to date (same as if a pet gives you a bad bite or scratch).

There aren't that many Zoonosis that are around in Australia that are easy to catch. Mostly you have to be dealing directly with sick wildlife to get them.

The main thing is Australian Bat Lyssavirus. ABL for short. Now our bats can carry it. About 1 in 1000 bats may have it and you HAVE to be bitten or scratched for it to be transmitted to you. If you are bitten or scratched by a bat your chance is 0.1% of getting ABL but it is related to Rabies, so head straight to hospital for treatment. If you don't touch a bat you won't get bitten or scratched and so your chance of getting it is 0. Hendra is the other virus our bats carry, however it has to go through a horse before it mutates enough for humans to get it.

Basically it's only when you get involved with wildlife that your risk of getting a disease from them is higher than VERY unlikely. If you happen to help some wildlife, and you maybe wrap them in a towel or jumper, even if they urinate on it. You can just chuck it in the wash (I usually add a little extra disinfectant) and it will be fine. Treat it the same as if a pet had used it or urinated on it.

What's some Good Wildlife Apps to have?

Well, there's so many out there now hey? Here's some that I've found handy or know people that use. WomSAT EchidnaCSI PlatypusSPOT are all for recording sightings of these animals (wombats/echidnas/platypus) this helps researches track where they are and how they are going which means we can help them more as well. OzAtlas - record a sighting of anything Australian, animal, plant, fungus, insect. FrogID - need to identify a frog? This is the app for you. Use photos or sound recordings, Field Guide to *insert state/territory* Fauna - Have a field guide on you wherever you are without having to carry a book. Seek by inaturalist - Helps you identify any animals, plants, insect, fungus. IFAW Wildlife Rescue - wildlife rescue app (currently for NSW only but soon expanding) will give you advice on what to do and put you into contact with the local wildlife rescue groups.

Besides Cats and Foxes, what other invasive species have you got that cause problems?

First up, any invasive species causes a problem. In Tasmania they have issues with Sugar Gliders, because they are not naturally found there and use up tree hollows that other animals need. Invasive species cause competition for food, water and shelter. They can also bring in diseases that didn't exist in Australia before and that our natives have no defence against (like cats and Toxoplasmosis) Here's a quick list of invasive animal species in Australia. Cats, dogs, foxes, pigs, water buffalo, ferrets rabbits, horses/brumbies, goats, camels, Cane Toad, European Honey Bee, Common Myna bird, deer, donkey, common starling, common pigeon, black rat, brown rat.

There's more, there's reptiles, and weeds and fish but those guys ^ are the main ones that cause problems.

I am an animal lover but unless we get rid of these animals you loose more in the long run. I'm 100% against use of poisons, I prefer having people hunt them to be honest. If you know what you are doing and have the right equipment you can give them a quick, painless death. To give you an idea how bad invasives are:

The introduction of the rabbit is the main cause the Lesser Bilby became extinct.

The introduction of cats and toxoplasmosis is believed to be the main reason Eastern Quolls became extinct on mainland Australia

Rats led directly to the extinction of 5 of Lord Howe Island's bird species

30% of our land snakes and Goannas are at risk as Cane Toads are rapidly spreading and eat their eggs.

The Common Myna Bird is the 2nd greatest threat to Australian native birds (habitat loss being the 1st)

The fox population has been estimated at 72 million and consume around 190 million birds a year

There's an estimated 23 million wild pigs/boars and an estimated 2.6 million goats - all eating whatever they come across.

How can I help Australian Wildlife?

There's the stuff we already know, like reduce/reuse/recycle and don't litter. But there's other things you may not know about.

Turn off lights at night - any lights that you don't need, don't have them on, especially if they are outside. Lots of animals require insects in their diets, particularly moths, which can be distracted by lights. Zoos Victoria have launched educational stuff for this https://youtu.be/ZAcL4FKPtHw

Learn about them - It's not hard, there's multiple ways you can do it. There's books, tv shows, pod casts, you can follow sanctuaries and other people who work with wildlife on social media. Planting flora that's native to your area is great as different plants can attract different animals and it's much lower maintenance, being made for that environment. You can even find cool life-hacks like Lemon Scented Tea-Tree doesn't just smell amazing and feed lots of wildlife, it keeps the mozzies away! There's different kinds of nesting boxes out there specific to different species that you can put up to help 'foster' that species. You can even become friends with your local Magpies! Mine know me as the lady who cleans and fills the bird bath and all I had to do was whistle to them when I was done and now they are really chill around me and I get to watch their antics. Debunk Myths! - In learning about wildlife you can debunk lots of myths like: a mother bird won't take it's chick back if you've touched it (fake news!) or that snakes dislocate their jaw to swallow their prey (that would be soooo painful!)

Put out water - have a bird bath and keep it clean and full. Or if you don't have one or want to get one just put water out on hot days. Summer's getting hotter and hotter and our animals really suffer. So put out a nice pot or container of water. Don't forget to put a rock or a stick in it if it's a slippery surface (like plastic or metal) so that little animals and bugs don't fall in and drown, and keep it out of the sun if it's likely to heat up.

Check roadkill - it's not pleasant but needs to be done. Don't do it if it's a motorway or somewhere dangerous, but if you can PLEASE do. Roadkill sometimes looks dead but isn't and you don't want them laying there suffering. They may have pouch young if they are a marsupial or young nearby that will need care without their parent. And where possible get it off the road. Species like Tasmanian Devils, Goannas and Wedge Tailed Eagles feed on roadkill and can then end up as roadkill themselves. Even if you have to drag it, it's dead and not gonna feel any more pain. 100% of people I have attended a rescue for who have called because they stopped and found a joey or young in a pouch or hiding nearby have not regretted their decision at all. Even if they were late for work, they saved a life and it was worth it.

Avoid using poisons - insecticides, pesticides, snail bait and straight up rat poison. Like mentioned in POISON VS VENOM, it just keeps killing. There are so many other options out there and they aren't hard to find. There's stuff on the internet but also at Bunnings I've found more environmentally sound options that use Tea Tree oils and Eucalyptus instead and work just as well.

Don't feed them! - Most Aussie animals are gluten and lactose intolerant. BREAD IS REALLY BAD! and if not eaten it gets mouldy and causes disease. Putting out bird seed is the number 1 problem when we talk 'feeding wildlife'. WHY?

The 'wild birdseed' that you buy in shops isn't actually for wild birds. JUST LOOK AT IT, you don't see those seeds growing out in the wild. The main seed wild birds eat are Bottle-brush, She-oaks, Banksias, Wattle and Eucalypts. None of those are found in these bags of seed.

Even for seed eaters that seed you buy is too fatty and unbalanced

For those that don't usually eat seed, like Lorikeets, eating the seed destroys the specialised bristles on their tongues that they need to eat their natural food - nectar and pollen.

If you don't keep it clean you will spread diseases, especially psittacosis (beak and feather) for which there is no cure just a slow, drawn out death. You can also catch it and end up in hospital.

You cause an imbalance. Animals breed based on food availability, if you make food available they will breed but there might not be enough space or trees available and you create more competition and also they end up relying on you and if you go on holiday or anything they can die without that food.

You can cause health issues in other animals. Possums love bird seed but it makes them fat, making it harder for them to escape predators.

You will be feeding non-natives. For example, the Common Myna bird cannot survive on wild plants, but if there is a food source around they can. Got rid of Common Mynas in my neighbourhood by convincing my neighbours to stop putting out bird seed.

RATS LOVE BIRD SEED. Specially feral rats. Mice also love bird seed.

You make a predator hot-spot. It won't take long for predators to realised animals they prey on visit your feeding station and they will come. The most common predator I find around bird seed? Snakes. Snakes love rats and mice, rats and mice love bird seed. You do the maths.

If you want to feed them just do some research and plant trees that are food for them.

How many species are endangered?

Sadly, it's almost quicker to list what's NOT endangered in Australia.

That's hard to say as there is different ways they can be endangered. In one area they may be common, but in another they could be disappearing. You can have Endangered lists at different levels; local, state, national and international.

But the most used list is the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species. AKA the IUNC Red List

Here's a bit of a breakdown: EXTINCT 26 mammals 7 birds 4 amphibians CRITICALLY ENDANGERED 7 mammals 8 birds 15 amphibians 13 reptiles ENDANGERED 18 mammals 29 birds 18 amphibians 21 Reptiles VULNERABLE 51 mammals 40 birds 23 amphibians 35 reptiles NEAR THREATENED 43 mammals 37 birds 9 amphibians 21 reptiles

Then there's the "data deficient" category where they really just don't have the info. 10 mammals 11 amphibians 42 reptiles

I will continue to update this post as I think of other things. Feel free to send me any questions you have

[wolfswitcheryanimations]

Hey guys! I'm doing art commissions!

If you want me to draw something for you, please pay the down payment of 4.40$ (also the price of a sketched bust and I will message you within 24 Hours to finalise payment.

I WILL NOT do NSFW, Fetish Art, Hate Art (art against minorities) and anything containing Incest or Pedophillia, and I will decline offers with topics uncomfortable to me (with a full refund.)

The prices are negotiable, and harder/easier work will be given higher/lower prices. Artworks will usually come out in 2-3 days at best or 2 weeks at worst. Please understand that I am a child with a life outside of drawing.

With all that out of the way, here's the link to my etsy listing. Hope you buy something!

[embklitzke]

July 2020 Camp NaNoWriMo - The Magic Crystal Justice Squad (Chapter 3)

It wasn’t as bad as he’d made it sound.

It was a lot worse.

I stared at the screen, watching the footage now for a third time, barely hearing the reporter talking over the video, stomach sinking.  This was bad.

“I am so fucked,” I said to myself, clutching my cup.  “What the hell was I thinking?”

That was the problem, though.  I really hadn’t been thinking.

Worse yet, the news had correctly identified me—not as me, of course, not at Autumn McCrory, but definitely as the Quicksilver Crystal Princess, the de facto leader of the Magic Crystal Justice Squad.  That alone made me want to curl up in a hole and die.

I was twenty-nine years old and I was going to be known for the rest of my life as the Quicksilver Crystal Princess.  At fourteen, it hadn’t sounded so bad—none of it had sounded that bad.

At fourteen, none of us had exactly been able to think very far ahead or very clearly about what could happen in the future.

Gods, we were so stupid back then.

But Nimue had made it sound like it wasn’t going to be terrible.  She’d talked to us about duty and honor and responsibility and helped us learn how to use the powers our wands gave us—and so much more.  I missed her more than I wanted to admit.  She’d always somehow known what to say and what to do—up until the last minute of her life, when she’d sacrificed herself to save us in those dark hours.

We’d all thought that it was the ultimate noble sacrifice.

Something about it now seemed like cruel irony.  We hadn’t won the war.  We’d only delayed it.

My lips thinned as I ran the video back again.  Where had the cameras been?  How had I missed the fact that I’d hit the eleven o’clock news?

Tristan was right.  If the others didn’t know what I was doing yet, they’d sure as hell know soon.

What do I tell them when they come demanding answers?  I didn’t know.  What was worse, I didn’t know what I’d do if they didn’t come demanding answers.

I put my head down on my desk, staring at the wood grain at close range, then sighed.

“Buck up, Autumn,” I muttered to myself.  “This isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened.  Or could have happened.”

It wasn’t, but it was damn close.

It had only been a matter of time, though, before someone caught sight of me.  I’d really just hoped it would be later.

I let the video cycle through one more time before I turned it off with a groan.  My coffee cup was empty.  Even four cups in, I wasn’t any less tired than I’d been when I rolled out of bed.  I’d need to fuel up even more if there was even going to be a prayer of my making it to Maricopa tonight to babysit Tristan and his date.

I wish I could have said no.

At least it meant I didn’t have to cook.

Dragging myself to my feet, I headed with my cup back toward the kitchen to make another pot of coffee and try to mentally prepare myself for diving head-first into my brother’s research.  Not for the first time, I wished I could find a way to just be numb, to not feel the ache of his absence whenever I even thought of what he’d been digging into.

Gods, Aust, why didn’t you tell me about what you’d found sooner?  But I knew why.  He wanted to be sure before I threw myself into danger again.  He knew that would be my first instinct, especially since we’d already figured out that no one was going to crop up to replace me and the rest of the team.  No new Magic Crystal Justice Squad was going to arise.

There was just the old one, now twelve years out from retirement, and with most of the team intending to stay retired for the rest of their lives.

I couldn’t blame them. If not for my promise to Nimue and what had happened to Austin, I would’ve stayed retired, too.

Like I said.  Fate’s a cruel bitch and I know for a fact that she’s got my number.

Halfway through making a fresh pot of coffee, someone pounded on my front door.  It startled me badly enough that I jumped, heart going at three times its normal speed.

What the hell? I wasn’t expecting any deliveries, and Tristan never knocked—he’d always just let himself in.

The last time someone had pounded on the door like that...

My heart lodged in my throat.  I opened the drawer where I kept my wand stashed and prayed that I wasn’t going to need it.

Keeping it hidden behind my back, I moved toward the door.

Whoever was on the other side pounded again.  I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice level.  “Just a minute.”

Peering through the peephole, I only saw someone’s back.  It was a woman, her brown, almost black hair in dozens of small braids.  I caught a flash of skin only a few shades lighter and swallowed hard.

Oh gods.  Please no.  I don’t think I can face any of them.

But if it was who I thought it was, she already knew I was home and she already knew she had the right place.

Still, if it was Tia out there, how the hell had she managed to find me?

Clutching my wand behind my back, heart hammering and praying that this wasn’t some kind of trap or trick, I unlocked the door and cracked it open.  Tia turned at the sound of the bolt sliding back and met my gaze through the crack.

“You are a really stupidly hard person to find,” she said, crossing her arms.  “Can I come in?”

Heaving a sigh, I nodded, opening the door wider.  “Yeah. Come in.”

This isn’t going to be fun.  Not at all.

Her tone told me that much.

She stepped past me and walked deeper into my apartment.  Exactly three steps in, as I turned to close and lock the door behind her, she turned back toward me.

“Unlisted phone number, zero social media presence, no address under your name, no real paper-trail. It’s like you wanted to be forgotten.”

“Maybe I did,” I said as I leaned against the door, avoiding her gaze.  I didn’t want to see the anger or hate that I knew I’d find there.  She was pissed and probably entitled to it.

“Maybe you did,” she echoed, her voice heavy with sarcasm.  “If not for that video on the news and three measly pictures that might be you on Tristan Zeller’s arm—by way, if that is you, you’ve got even more explaining to do than just what was on the news—you might as well be dead.”

I shrugged.  The lack of social media and the unlisted number and address had all been my idea. Austin had profiles, but the apartment was under the name of the McCrory Trust and his cell number was unlisted, too. It had just seemed safer that way, smarter.  Besides, the work he did practically required some sort of social media presence.

Mine—or the lack thereof, if I were really honest with myself—didn’t require even that much, so I’d stayed completely under the radar as much as I could.

There was a huge part of me that really had wanted to be forgotten.

“So how did you find me?” I asked, staring at her feet.  She wore flats, cute ones printed with cherries on a pale blue background. The red echoed the color of the capris she wore.  Somehow, she’d always managed to be effortlessly fashionable, even when we were teenagers.

I’d always envied her that in a teeny, tiny way.

She huffed a sigh. “It wasn’t easy.”

“I didn’t think it would be.”  Because I didn’t want to be found.

The weight of her gaze was almost enough to make me wilt.  “I ended up finding your dissertation.  That got me to a copy of your CV.  Why the hell aren’t you teaching?”

“Technically, I’m doing post-doctoral research.”  I levered myself off the door and walked back to the kitchen.  She pivoted to keep me in view.  I turned my back to her as I resumed making that fresh pot of coffee I’d started before her pounding on my door had interrupted me.

“Post-doctoral research,” she echoed.  “In what, Autumn?”

“Technically nothing.” My lips thinned and I turned back toward her.  “What do you want, Tia?”

Her expression went slack. For the first time, I met her gaze and saw worry there, not the anger and hate I’d expected.  “What do I want?  I want an explanation, Autumn.  What the hell is going on?  Why were you out there as the Princess on the evening news?  I thought that was all over—we hung it up.”

“We did,” I agreed. “But you guys knew that Austin and I were going to watch.  That we were going to wait to see who was supposed to pick up where we left off if something new cropped up, if something else went sideways.”  My fingers curled around the edge of the counter behind me and I held onto it—it was something tangible, something solid, and I needed that without knowing why.  “I owed that much to Nimue and there was no way in hell Austin would let me shoulder that burden alone.  Not after everything he watched us go through.”

“So what changed?” Tia took a step toward me, then stopped, as if she’d seen something in my expression that gave her pause.  “What did you guys find out?”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“More complicated how?” She looked around, her brows knitting. Her arms fell to her sides.  “You were on the news stopping some apparent thugs from breaking into a WestCorp satellite facility because who knows why. That seems pretty simple to me.  I just want to know why.  Maybe if I asked Austin, he’d tell me.”  She turned, as if she was about to go looking for him.  I didn’t stop her.

I just squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed hard, fingers digging into the edge of the counter.

“He lives here with you, doesn’t he?”

My head dipped in a single nod.  I couldn’t look at her.  I couldn’t even open my eyes for fear that I’d just burst into tears.

The pain of loss hit at the worst possible times.

Worry threaded through her voice, mingling with a sense of dread and foreboding, as if somehow she knew what I was going to say.  “Autumn, where is he?  Where’s Austin?”

“They took him,” I said in a choked whisper.  “Men with guns came one night and took him.  I didn’t realize who or what they were until it was too late to stop them.”

“What were they?” she asked, her voice growing closer.  I trembled, biting down hard on my lower lip, as if that would help keep the tears at bay. “Autumn, please.  Tell me.”

“They were her men. Her monsters.”

Tia’s voice dropped. “Kalstrixa’s?”

“Yes.”

The words came as a harsh whisper.  “But we banished her.”

“Apparently not hard enough,” I said, my voice choked.  “Because her thugs showed up at the same front door that you just pounded on and took my brother before I could stop them.”  Sucking in a shaky breath, I finally let go of the counter long enough to swipe angrily at my eyes, at the tears that had started to roll down my cheeks. It was only then that I met Tia’s gaze and saw the shame there.

The bottom dropped out of my stomach.

“When did this happen?” she asked, a tremor in her voice.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Six months ago,” I said, feeling lower than the shit you’d scrape off the bottom of your shoe.  “I didn’t tell anyone.  Tristan found out on accident.”

“Tristan Zeller.”

I nodded, closing my eyes again.  “Yeah.”

“Who doesn’t know anything about any of this.  Or...didn’t until you told him.”

“I didn’t tell him anything,” I said.  “Just that men with guns came and took Austin.”

She shot me a skeptical look, then came toward me, leaning against the kitchen island to gaze at me steadily.  “How do you know him?”

Now was the point that I hoped I was a far better liar than Tristan kept telling me I was.  “Austin introduced us.  They went to school together.”

Tia nodded slowly. “Must be pretty good friends.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “That actually was me in the pictures.”

“Are you seeing him?”

“Not like that,” I said. “I haven’t been with anyone since...” my voice trailed away as my throat tightened more.

Garrett was like a ghost that haunted me.  Even all these years later, I ached for him in ways I couldn’t even fully fathom, much less fight.

Tia nodded slowly. “Have...have you seen him?  Talked to him?”

“Glimpses only,” I said, turning away.  “Do you want some coffee?”

“Are you asking me to stay?”

I shrugged.  “Knowing you, Tee, I doubt you’re leaving before you’re fully satisfied with the results of your interrogation.”

“Interrogation,” she repeated, though I could hear the teasing smile in her voice without looking back.  “Well, I always was good at that, wasn’t I?”

“The best,” I said, glancing back over my shoulder.  “Do you want some coffee or not?”

Her smile gentled and she nodded slightly.  “Yeah. Coffee would be good.”

I plucked a spare mug from the tree on the counter, turning on the brewer and leaning against the counter to wait, playing with my own empty mug.  Behind me, Tia sighed softly.

“It’s good to see you,” she said almost tentatively.  “Even if I had to see you on the news first.”

“Did you see it last night or this morning?” I asked her.

“Five AM,” she said. “Spent all morning trying to track you down instead of actually doing my job.”  Her lips thinned.  “You had me real worried, Autumn.  Really, really worried.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m good at that.”  I looked away again.  “Sorry about the scare.  Sorry you had to see me on the news.”

“I’m—I’m not really that upset about that,” Tia admitted.  “But I am upset that you didn’t come to me when they took your brother. Why didn’t you?”

“Because we retired,” I said, staring at the thin stream of coffee as it dripped into the carafe. “Because it didn’t seem fair to try to drag you back into something that you’d managed to get out of.  All of you guys have lives.  For Austin and I, making sure that nothing bad happened because of what we used to fight was our job, was our life.  If we could do that and let you guys keep on keeping on?  Why wouldn’t we do that, y’know?”

“How long have you known that she was back?” Tia asked.  “Or—or at least her forces were back?”

“Austin told me about a month before the men showed up to take him,” I said, starting to pour the coffee. I filled her mug first, then mine, and brought both over to the island.  I kept talking as I got the cream and sugar and brought them over.  “I don’t know how long he knew before he told me, but I think it was a while.  He was always watching, always digging.  He was better at it than any of us.”

“Well, that’s how he figured out our secret in the first place, isn’t it?  It’s not like it was any kind of twin-sense.”

I choked on a laugh that could have easily turned into a sob, shaking my head.  “You’re sure as hell right about that.”  For all the jokes and theories about twins having some kind of innate connection that bordered on the psychic, it hadn’t really been that way for Austin and I.  Every so often one of us would have a bad feeling about the other’s state of being that came true, but not enough for either of us to believe it was anything other than coincidental.  As for when I’d picked up my wand for the first time, if Austin had noticed anything inside of the first year, he never let on.  It wasn’t until later that he’d started to sort out that there was something strange going on with me and my friends from school.  He’d gotten curious enough to start digging and it wasn’t long before he’d stumbled into what was going on.

No matter how hard any of us ever tried to keep a secret, somehow Austin could always figure out what it was.  That was his superpower.

He’d always said it was the only one he needed.

I miss him so much.

He was all the blood family I had.

Now even that had been taken away from me.

“So he found something,” Tia said.  “Pursued it, didn’t tell you anything until later, and then shit hit the fan.”

“In a major way.”  I scrubbed a hand over my face.  “Before you got here I was getting ready to go through his files again, see if I could figure anything out, see if there was something I’d missed the last dozen times I looked through them.”  I sighed.  “I don’t know.  I feel like there’s something he buried in all of the information that he gathered that I just haven’t found, one piece of the puzzle that I’m missing that’ll help me put it all together.”

“That also sounds like him.”  Tia stirred some cream and sugar into her coffee, staring into the mug for a few seconds before she looked at me again.  “Did you report it?”

I startled.  “Report what?”

“Austin’s kidnapping.”

Wincing, I shook my head. “No.  How could I?  For all I know, she’s got people in the military industrial complex or law enforcement and they’re the ones that took him.”  The thought made me sick but it was entirely possible.  Before we’d managed to banish her, Kalstrixa had people everywhere, embedded in some of the highest levels of governance and law enforcement.  It had been a terrifying thing for a bunch of teenagers to face.

In some ways, I was silently grateful that a new crop of teenagers wouldn’t be the ones facing her return.

At the same time, fighting her alone didn’t have much appeal, either.

I can’t ask them to help me.  They hung it up.  Let them stay retired.

Let them stay safe. As long as they’re not involved, they’ll be safe.

As long as they don’t suit up, they’re safe.

Please, let them stay safe.

Tia chewed her lip. “I guess I didn’t think about it that way.  The men that were going after WestCorp—”

“I don’t know what they were after,” I said.  “Not yet. That’s part of what I was going to start trying to figure out when you got here.”  I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  “Tristan was going to check into some things on his end to see exactly what his company’s getting set to do at that facility.”

She nodded slowly.  “I wish you’d called me.”

I just shook my head. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”

“You shouldn’t be fighting alone.  Someone’s got to watch your back.”

I tried not to think about how long I’d been doing it alone.  She didn’t need to know that I’d been doing it for seven months—since before Austin was taken.

There was a big part of me that thought my actions were at least one reason that he’d been taken away from me.

Every action I took now put him in danger, but I knew that he wouldn’t want me to stop fighting. Even though he hadn’t confided in me exactly what he’d found, he’d said enough for me to know how high the stakes were and how much he believed that we needed to take action.

I couldn’t just stop now. That would have been a betrayal and my brother was the one person in the whole universe that I wouldn’t ever betray.

Not in this life or any other.

“Autumn?”

I jerked, blinking at her. “What?”

“You got really quiet,” Tia said.  “It was like you weren’t even here for a minute.”

“Maybe I wasn’t,” I whispered, staring into my mug again.  I took a slow sip of coffee.  “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”  Tia reached across the counter and put her hand on my arm.  I shivered a little.  She bit her lip.  “I’m sorry to barge in and demand answers.”

“I probably deserved it,” I said.  “Like I said. You didn’t deserve to find out about this from the evening news.”

“Yeah,” she agreed softly. “But it’s okay.  Sounds like it’s been rough all over for you.”  She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I’m guessing Rin doesn’t know?”

A shudder went through me and I shook my head almost convulsively.  “No.  And neither of us are going to tell her.”

Tia blinked.  “Wait, what?  You don’t think she deserves to know?”

“They broke up, Tia. A year ago.”

“He was going to marry her, Autumn.  You don’t think she deserves to know that something’s happened to him?”

It was almost enough to bring me to tears again.  My hands tightened around my mug.  “Just because they were going to get married doesn’t mean that she deserves this level of pain, Tia.”

Her sharp breath told me that she knew exactly what I meant.  “Oh.  Oh, Autumn, that’s not what I’m implying.”

“You don’t have to,” I said, my voice cracking.  “I’ve already thought it.  I just hope I’m wrong.  Is it awful to hope that they’re just holding him hostage and maybe punishing him for my actions but not trying to do that to him?”

“No,” she breathed. “No, Autumn, it’s not awful.  None of us would ever wish what happened to Garrett on anyone.  You know that.  God, I’m sorry.  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to remind you of that.”

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of it anyway,” I said.  I had to take another drink to loosen my throat enough to keep talking.  “I don’t know what I’ll have to do to save Austin, Tia, but I’m not asking any of you to come back to this.  I want you guys safe.”

“None of us are safe if she’s back,” Tia said, her gaze steady and her voice firm.  “Nothing that means anything to us will be safe—no one that means anything to us will be safe if she’s still out there, Autumn.  You know that.  You might not want to, but in your heart, you know it.  That’s why she came after Austin—above and beyond whatever he uncovered and couldn’t leave alone.  She came after him because he means something to you—to all of us.” Her hand tightened on my arm.  I swallowed hard and just stared at the countertop.

I knew the words were coming before she said them, I just didn’t want to hear them.

“Let me help,” Tia said softly.  “Please, Autumn.  Don’t shut me out.  Don’t shut any of us out.  He’s family to us, too.”

I couldn’t deny her that. I shivered, wanting nothing more than to shrivel up and blow away like a dry leaf on the wind.  “Tia, if you pick it back up, you might never be able to set it down again.  This could destroy your life, everything that you’ve worked for.”

“If I don’t and she wins, everything that I’ve built for myself since we hung it up isn’t going to matter anyway.”  She took both of my hands in hers.  I couldn’t help but stare at the engagement ring on her left hand.  Austin had mentioned to me that she was getting married shortly before he’d disappeared.  He’d seen the announcement on social media a few days before an engagement announcement hit the papers.  I was happy for her.

I was also terrified.

Her fingers tightened around mine.  “I won’t build my future on rubble of yours and Austin’s, Autumn.  It’s not in me to do that to either of you.  You’re going to let me help in whatever way I can—whatever way I have to.  You’re not going to argue with me about it, either.  Y’dig?”

“I dig,” I whispered, then smiled faintly.  “What are you going to tell your fiancé when you start missing dates and not coming home until late?”

“I guess that’s going to have to depend on group consensus,” she said with a faint smile.  “Because let’s be real here.  It is only a matter of time before Rin shows up looking for you and Austin because I’m guessing she knows where you guys live.”

“Actually, she doesn’t.” I shook my head, smiling weakly at the shocked look that crossed her face. “Austin always either picked her up or met her somewhere, and they would always go back to her place.  She hasn’t known where we lived in ten years.”

Tia let out a low whistle. “Well, then.  Either way, she’s going to be hunting you down.  She might not find you as fast, but she’ll find you regardless.”

“You think she’s going to be mad.”

“Oh, I think she’s going to be absolutely furious.”  Tia grinned. “Good thing you’ll have me to back you up and help deflect the mighty Sullivan Rage.”

“You’re going to make me tell all of them, aren’t you?”

“You don’t think you should? That we should?”

Tristan warned you.

I closed my eyes for a second.  “I just wanted to keep you guys out of it.  Safe.”

“And I love you for it,” Tia said.  “I also hate you for it.  C’mon, Autumn.  All of us might as well be sisters.  We hate and love each other in equal measures and god knows that sometimes we don’t like each other very much, but at the end of the day, we’ve always got each other’s backs.  Hell hath no fury like a girl whose sister’s been threatened.”  The ghost of a smile curved her lips.  “Or, in this case, our not-so-innocent and beloved brother.”

I stared down into my coffee again.  “Well. I guess I’d better get dressed, then, huh?”

“If we want to catch Rin before she’s completely on the warpath?  Probably, yeah.”  Tia swirled her coffee in her mug.  “Should we call before we go see her?”

“No,” I said, gulping down my coffee in a few swallows.  “She’ll only want to know why I need to talk to her and I’m not going to break this news over the phone.”  Even though it might be easier if I did, she doesn’t deserve that.  I’ll eat her wrath in the face if I have to—hell. She’ll probably beat the snot out of me for not telling her sooner.

Still.  She and Austin had broken up—however temporary or not it might have been.  Maybe she’d just chalked his silence up to that.

Maybe she was over him.

Either way, I was going to find out whether I liked it or not.

“Let me get dressed,” I said quietly.  “Then we’ll go.”

“Sounds good,” Tia said, watching me as I crossed the living room.  “Do you mind if we make a stop on the way?”

I paused at the entrance to the hallway that led back to the bedrooms, arching a brow at her.  “No.  Where are we stopping?”

“My place,” she said, dark eyes sparkling.  “There’s something I need to pick up.”

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[wendimydarling]

*One hand is laced with yours and pressed into the wall while my other hand holds your legs up. I thrust into you, harder, faster but I need to be deeper so we both can come.* “It might hurt, Kitten.” *I slide your lower body off the wall and you hiss. I calm you down and thrust into you until the pain is mixing with pleasure.* “I-agh-Kitten!” *I hold your gaze as we come together. My cum filling your warm pussy wanting to make a new life. It’s too soon, I know.* - Your Husband

“Fuck, Daddy!!!”

The new angle is so good. Painful, but with everything I just did it feels right. I come around you at the feel of your slick coating my walls. You slump us into the wall and I wrap my legs around you, clutching your neck as I come down from my high.

I kiss your lips slowly, softly. I love the way you taste.

“I love you, Aust. Thank you for my surprise.”