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No Corruption in Flood Mitigation Projects: Nik Nazmi Now Says
Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad refutes corruption allegations in flood mitigation projects, countering Bersatu leaderâs claims of inflated costs. Nik Nazmi clarifies that the government reviewed high-priority projects with a set Finance Ministry ceiling of RM11.8 billion, not RM16.6 billion as alleged. Social Media Links Follow usâŚ
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I just listened to "My Tears Ricochet" and had an idea.
TW: Angst *laughs in free therapy*
So, imagine the boys need to fake their deaths. How macabre it is that they attend their own funerals, wanting to watch their loved ones. (These are standalone scenarios they don't fake their death together)
Price: You were his wife for all these years, always waiting for him to return. The funny thing was you could clearly remember the last argument before he left.
"Love, just one more tour, and I'm coming back to you. Then we can start a family and all that, but the boys need me."
"It's always the last tour with you. When is it really the last?"
"This time, I promise."
To some extent, he was right. You thought it was his last tour, but it wasnât fair. You knew it was over when you got the call from General Shepard. Your husband was dead. You lost the love of your life, and all you got were his dog tags and a check large enough to end world hunger. You slapped your friend after she said at least you were financially secure now.
Price watched you from behind a tree. He saw how you clung to his grave, hugging it tightly and lying on it as you always used to with him. Your dress was dirty, and the tears wouldnât come anymore.
When Laswell and Nik approached you, you screamed at them, blaming them for not protecting your husband. You trusted them, and now you couldn't bear to let anyone else near his grave. John wished he could comfort you, tell you he would come back to protect you, but he couldnât. Instead, he sent Simon, who endured all your insults, screams, and even a punch to his crooked nose until you were ready to move on.
Kyle: You and Kyle were born on the same day, in the same room, in the same hospital. It was like a movie; he was your best friend since forever, your first everything, and you were his. It was a love like in all those movies. The only thing separating you was the military, but you stayed home waiting for him. Not even war could separate you. Last year, he brought you that ring. You remember lying in bed, cuddling him as he promised you that you were allowed to die first. He knew you wouldnât survive his death. So he made the silly promise that you would die first. He thought it was the first promise he ever broke to you.
Kyle had to be held back when he saw you crying at his grave. âGuess Iâll find you in the next one, love. Sleep well.â
Ghost: He was never good at love, and he was sure no one would come to his funeral. No one knew "Ghost," and Simon Riley had been buried since 2009. But then he saw you, the cute medic he always tried to push away. He was afraid of hurting you or corrupting you. How could he have known that pushing you away wouldnât stop you from loving a dead man?
All the conversations came flooding back:
"Here, Lt. I made you red velvet cookies, your favorite."
"You're going to sit down and let me fix that, idiot."
"You're beautiful, Ghost."
"You're enough."
"It's kind of silly to be in love with someone whose name you didnât even know. I hope you find your peace, big boy." You placed lilies on his grave and left. In that moment, Simon Riley realized he was loved, and he would burn the world down to come back from the dead just to return to you.
Johnny: Contrary to popular belief among the team, Johnny wasnât a whore. He was a loving husband and father. That was written above "Sergeant" on his grave, at least.
His funeral was crowded with people who wanted to pay their last respects. Most of them were blue-eyed MacTavishes. Then there was you, holding your three-year-old in your arms. He didnât understand why everyone was crying or why Dad wasnât there anymore.
Johnny watched you sit at his grave, sighing as you talked to your husband. "James doesnât understand whatâs going on, but he misses you. He wanted me to give him a mohawk. It looks ridiculous, just like you. I know youâre rocking it in heaven. Just please wait for me, okay? Donât want you to hoe around in heaven," you chuckled, holding back the tears. "You watch us from there, right? Canât miss the birth of your princess, can you?"
#cod#cod x reader#tf 141 x reader#john price#captain john price#simon ghost riley#cod mwii#call of duty#cod mw2#tf 141#gaz x reader#gaz x you#gaz x y/n#kyle gaz x reader#kyle gaz garrick#sergeant kyle gaz garrick#kyle garrick#soap mw2#john soap mactavish#soap cod#soap x reader#johnny soap mactavish#john mactavish#price#john mactavish x reader#soap x you#soap x y/n#ghost cod#ghost#ghost x reader
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đđđ˛ đđ¨đ¨đđ§đ˘đ đĄđ đ§ đđ¨ - đđĄđŤđđ
More Nik just 4 youđŤľđ Trying to make this reasonably slow burn but I just want them to fuckđ
Pts 1 & 2 here!
Nikto is shitting himself. In his enthusiasm to make amends with you, to spend time with you, he completely disregarded his greatest issue. He can't eat with his mask on. He can't very well show you his face when you look like the human embodiment of Tinkerbell, and he looks like - he doesn't really know what he looks like.
Whilst your neighbour is in crisis, you're perfectly happy to flit about your house, debating whether to wear your favourite pink miniskirt or a lacy white dress. The white would compliment the pretty satin kitten heels you're wedded on, and the virginal, snow coloured lingerie set you hope is finally seen by someone who's not you, or your mirror. Your hair is perfectly styled, lipgloss applied with meticulous precision. The outfit is the only spanner in your otherwise beautifully constructed works. You're so giddy that you feel sick.
Your neighbour shares a similar struggle in selecting his outfit, realising that he hasn't taken a woman on a date in a long time, and since then, his muscles have outgrown the sleeves of the suit in the back of his closet, and the pants to match are as moth eaten and neglected as his heart. Of course he wants to look as though he's making an effort - doesn't want to make you feel anymore unwanted by him than you already do, and yet most of his clothes make him look more monolith than man, no decent fit for a woman so soft and feminine as you.
You'd never have expected him to turn up on your doorstep with flowers. Peonies with fluffy pink petals, gently wrapped in a sheet of brown paper, tied up with blush lace. Kind of like you. He would never have dreamed of the way you fling your arms around his neck, tits straining against the thin alabaster fabric of your little dress. "You like them?" He rumbles thickly into your ear, flowers hanging at his side as he wraps his free arm loosely around your back, pushing the thoughts of how the plush skin of your ass would feel in his hands. "They're wonderful." You breathe, taking a sudden step back at the realisation that you've just entirely invaded his precious personal space.
"I need to tell you something." He murmurs, words coming thick from his throat, his confession trapped down in his chest, safe where no one can find it. "Of course, anything." The gentleness in your tone only makes him hesitate further. Why should he corrupt such a soft thing like you? Tie you down to a beast like him? "I am - I need to tell you something, and I understand if you do not want to spend time with me anymore. I am deformed."
Biting your tongue feels practically impossible. You so desperately want to reassure him. How do you tell him that you can see his laundry room window perfectly from your kitchen where you spend most of your time. How do you tell him that you've seen the scars he hides when he puts his mask in the washing machine.
"That's okay." You nod reassuringly. Why is there so much care in your eyes?
"You're sure? I am not handsome." You just want him to let you in. So desperately.
"I promise."
I'm so sorry for writing such short chapters but I need these two to get down and dirty rnđ
#cod mwii#cod mw2#cod#call of duty#call of duty modern warfare 2#cod modern warfare#call of duty modern warfare#modern warfare#Nikto#cod nikto#Nikto x reader#nikto x y/n#nikto x f!reader#nikto x you#call of duty nikto#mwii nikto#say goodnight n go
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El's COD Kinktober 2024
I figured this would be a good way to keep my blog alive. Expect short pieces, and missed days. But I will do my best
NSFW Minors DNI
1. SOMNOPHILIA: JOHNNY "SOAP" MACTAVISH
Soap wakes up to you moaning in your sleep. He helps you make your dreams a reality.
âł gnlafab!reader, wet dreams, somnophilia, dry humping, fingering, premature ejaculation, use of "pup" once
2. Sensory Deprivation/Blindfolds: John Price x Reader
Somehow it's better when you don't know it's coming
3. Double Penetration: Alejandro Vargas and Rodolfo Parra x Reader
Your Colonel and Sergeant comfort you the day after a bad date
4. Lingerie: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader
You want to surprise Ghost for his birthday. Things go wrong, in perhaps the best way.
5. Mommy Kink: Philip Graves x Reader
After a particularly long mission and several bad months at the company, Graves' spirits are low. He needs someone to take care of him, to tell him he's good
6. Threesome: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick and KĂśnig x Reader
KorTac has been working alongside Task Force 141 for a while now. Kyle has always had his eye on you, but it becomes clear that the Austrian giant feels the same. Tensions rise between the two until they decide to prove which of them is best once and for all
7. Restraints: Kim "Horangi" Hon-jin x Reader
Horangi is in debt to you and your going to teach him a lesson: either he pays you back monetarily or...
8. Body Worship: Alex Keller x ReaderÂ
Alex thinks every inch of your body is perfect. And he won't stop telling you until he's sure you believe it too.
9. Face Sitting: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Reader
Gaz overhears you telling Soap you've never enjoyed receiving oral. He decides to change that
10. Exhibitionism: Nikolai x Reader
Nik likes to show you off whenever he can. The Task Force has been eyeing you too much as of late. He reminds them who you belong to.
11. Thigh Fucking: KĂśnig x Reader
KĂśnig is just too big
12. Breeding: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader
Mid-fuck, Ghost let's slip that he wants to be a mommy.
13. Overstimulation: Rodolfo Parra x Reader
After everything that happened with the Shadow Company, you're just glad to have him back. Your relief at his wellbeing quickly becomes more and, well, you have a lot of stress to work off. But he can take it.
14. Free Use: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x ReaderÂ
You and Kyle have an agreement. Whatever either of you want to do, whenever you want to do it. You both enjoy your agreement.
15. Blood Kink: Nikto x Reader
Nikto comes to your door, desperate. You tell him you can't, you're on your period. Blood has never bothered him before, why would it now?
16. Dry Humping: John "Soap" MacTavish x ReaderÂ
You can't, it's a sin... Luckily even God leaves loopholes.
17. Uniform Kink: Philip Graves x Reader
He can't get enough of the way you look, all dressed up for this event. And you can't get enough of him in his dress uniform.
18. Cockwarming: Alejandro Vargas x ReaderÂ
There's nothing Alejandro likes more than coming home to you. And to his second home, between your legs.
19. Pegging: Alex Keller x Reader
One of his friends bought it as a gag gift. You laughed. Alex didn't.
20. Oral Fixation: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Reader
Gaz notices how you've always got something in your mouth; a pencil, gum, a lollipop. He can tell it calms you. At a formal event, he senses your stress and gives you something to help ground yourself.
21. Corruption Kink/Loss of Virginity: Johnny "Soap" MacTavish x Reader
After months of dating and never doing more than make out, you ask Soap when you're going to, well, do it. His answer surprises you, and you learn something about yourself that's even more surprising.
22. Spit: KĂśnig x ReaderÂ
In the heat of an argument you spit at your Colonel's feet.
23. Choking: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader
An accidental training misshap leaves Ghost reeling, you help pull him in.
24. Werewolf: Keegan P Russ x Reader
Little Red Riding Hood, you should know better than to wander the woods at night alone. Especially tonight.
25. Spanking: John Price x Reader
John decides to get you back for slapping his ass in front of his men.
26. Predator/Prey: Valeria Garza x Reader
You and Valeria play a game of hide and seek with a twist...
27. Praise: John Price x Reader
Joyn worries he isn't good enough, that he's gone too often. That he's a bad person. You assure him none of its true.
28. Boot Worship: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader
You show Simon your new boots. He reacts unexpectedly.
29. Hair Pulling:Â John "Soap" MacTavish x Reader
You accidentally grab his hair during a spar. He moans like a whore.
30. Cumplay: Poly!141 x Reader
Soap had an idea for a fun game. You're just surprised he was able to rope the others into it too.
31. Wild Card
#kinktober 2024#cod#call of duty#cod fanfic#cod smut#cod x reader#x reader#simon ghost riley#captain john price#johnny soap mactavish#kyle gaz garrick#task force 141#konig#Horangi#rodolfo parra#alejandro vargas#cod nikto#valeria garza#alex keller#keegan p russ#el's cod kinktober
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The thrilling follow-up to The Magnus Archives But Make It 80's, hot and fresh for this Halloween season! 15 Entities, 30 top hits from the 80âsâ two songs per Entity. I've been listening to Protocol and selectively re-listening to TMA lately, and felt inspired. Track list and key below the cut:
(some songs fit their entities lyrically, and some just have titles that made me laugh)
The Buried
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
Locked In - Judas Priest
The Corruption
Poison - Alice Cooper
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
The Dark
Dim All The Lights - Donna Summer
Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge
The Desolation
I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen
Burnin' For You - Blue Ăyster Cult
The End
You Dropped A Bomb On Me - The Gap Band
Rhythm Is Gonna Get You - Gloria Estefan And Miami Sound Machine
The Eye
Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
Talking In Your Sleep - The Romantics
The Flesh
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
The Hunt
Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen
Eaten Alive - Diana Ross
The Lonely
Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
Alone - Heart
The Slaughter
Toy Soldiers - Martika
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
The Spiral
She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
Where Is My Mind? - Pixies
The Stranger
Don't Talk To Strangers - Rick Springfield
Somebody's Knockin' - Terri Gibbs
The Void
Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes
Higher Love - Steve Winwood
The Web
Who's Zoomin' Who? - Aretha Franklin
Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
The Extinction
I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Nik Kershaw
1999 - Prince
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i was rewatching the first time the albatrio met Nik and when Gillian first made the deal with him, and I just wanted to point out/bring attention back to some things regarding all of their deals :D
the specific phase of the moon used in the NK tattoo represents corruption, as opposed to the sun, which represents freedom and life. Griz said they were similar to the yin and yang, and we see this again later with the sun and the moon temple
mayor Rolin said that, before he was overcome with the black ooze, the number of voices in his head had multiplied and he wasn't able to properly function, SO LOOK OUT FOR THAT Y'ALL IN FUTURE EPISODES âźď¸âźď¸ (I also do want to point out that when chip first entered the hole in the sea he did hear whispers, sooo.. đ¤¨)
since Jay is off attempting to warn Lizzie before the Grandberry Pirates all get ambushed, Chip, Gill, Drey, and Gryffon are all alone in the hole. Chips deal rules that he cannot interfere with Gillions favor, meaning that no one except Gryffon and Drey can stop whatever Niklaus orders of him. and also considering the point where we left off Drey was missing, I don't have high hopes T-T
the wording behind Chips deal is very vague, I've noticed. it simply says he cannot interfere, but it was never elaborated on whether or not it would magically keep him from interfering, or if it would compel him not to, or if he did there would be repercussions, it's all very confusing. intentionally confusing, I assume, bc it's confusing but in the smart way
Jay's deal essentially gives Niklaus the ability to order her to do anything to anyone, excluding Chip and Gill. this could very well mean she could be ordered to kill Lizzie or Edyn or Caspian or even her own dad @_@
on the flipside, it ALSO means Jay could be ordered to release someone she was about to kill, or protect someone who's naturally her enemy
#jrwi#jrwi riptide#jrwi gillion#jrwi spoilers#jrwi gillion tidestrider#just roll with it#gillion jrwi#gillion tidestrider#just roll with it spoilers#just roll with it riptide#just roll with it show#just roll with it gillion#jrwi show#jrwi podcast#gillion#chip bastard#jrwi chip#chip jrwi#chip lastname#chip#niklaus hendrix#jrwi jay#jay ferin#jay jrwi#just roll with it jay#just roll with it chip#jrwi niklaus#jrwishow
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devils night: unpopular opinion: michael crist edition.
michael was actually such a bad friend if you really think about it. this is so ironic because his character is built off the fact that he's diehard for his friends to the point of having insane loyalty to them. he's supposed to be loyal to the point where he chooses to torment rika for that friendship's sake, to the level where he struggles with choosing love/rika over the guys in corrupt.
but like,, he was also so rubbish as a friend and person. it may have been due to oversight and PD not thinking about the overarching relationships that clearly, but c'mon, michael escaped prison while his friends were sent in and has huge guilt over this...
yet, he never once thinks to help damon's sister, who he KNOWS exists and who he knows would be SUFFERING in a house run by big, bad gabriel torrance. he knows his best friend is in jail, that she was the only family damon cared about to the point of keeping her under wraps and hidden away from everyone, and yet, michael never reaches out or tries to help banks??
and michael also knows kai is agonising over her in hideaway, they're actively against damon at this time and he has this top secret info to his name, yet he never thinks to tell kai who banks really is. everyone (including PD) uses the argument michael minds his own business, but no he fucking doesn't, if he did then he never would've messed with nik back during devils night or threatened her at the hotel.
the fact is that we should've either gotten a humanising moment/mention of michael actually being sweet for once in his life, and see him at least keeping an eye on banks if not reaching out while damon was in prison (although, i think it would've been a great platonic bonding scene if he had sought her out before the events of hideaway even if it's just to offer her an out that she may not take, or to simply ask how she is). OR, michael perving on banks that one night, him discovering she's damon's sisterâ that whole thread should've been omitted because it honestly made no sense to me and just made me dislike michael even more.
#devil's night series#kai mori#michael crist#nikova banks#winter ashby#damon torrance#devils night#emory scott#rika fane#kaibanks#devils night series#penelope douglas#killswitch#hideaway#corrupt#nightfall#devil's night
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Is it just me
or are some episodes in the CoD franchise actually absolutely hilarious if you watch them with some in-depth knowledge of modern Russia?
Ok, this is not a critique, I'm not saying, the following scenes are bad/lazy. They make sense, ok? I'm just giggling every time I stumble upon them.
Nikolai looking at this place and commenting 'parking here sucks'.
If it was Price or Gaz - no further questions, because they assess the current situation.
But Nik saying that? Nik, darling, it's the good old Saint Petersburg, the very heart of it. You don't need to be local to know, that parking sucks not only here, but also 15 km around this area. This city was not built for cars, it changes, yes. But the historical part is anything but a parking lot. Imagine if an Italian told you that there are parking problems in the tourist part of Venice. No shit, darling?
This scene. Soap, Laswell and Ghost speedrunning Alexey Navalnys work.
So we have the ACF group in Russia. Long story short: they are investigating cases of illegal enrichment of Russian elites (oligarchs, politicians, terrorists, etc.). Each investigation involves dozens of people and takes months (sometimes years) to accomplish. Here is an example of such a case (there are English subtitles available).
The ACF is the biggest organization, specializing in such investigations in Russia now (i`m not counting the Belling Cat, because they investigate a wide variety of themes and cases, not only corruption in Ru).
One of the reasons, why each investigation takes so much energy and time is because the suspect does everything possible to ensure that his property and money are not associated with his name. All financial assets are divided, they are stored in banks and assigned not to the oligarch himself, but to dozens of companies and front people. This is done just so that one day a tall Scottish guy with his British friend does not show up to you and transfer all your personal savings with the click of one button.
And do I need to say, that a transfer of a significant sum of money is never done just online and the bank would always demand an offline confirmation of your will? Because at the end of the day, it wont be Milenas problem - it will be her banks headache, when she sues them for having a kindergarten level of security.
So when I see, as Soap and Laswell trace all Milenas fundings in mere days, as they clear her bank accounts in seconds - I just lose it. Because even the most stupid politician in real Ru looks smarter than poor Milena. But again, it's not bad, its artistic allowance necessary for the pacing of the narrative.
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Choices MCs (Filipino Edition lol)
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Finally drew four of my Choices MCs inspired by @cassiopeiacorvus and her wonderfully done OC compilations (how do you have the patience to draw all of em omg)
I'm thinking of doing the same for my Romance Club MCs too (background would be the purple of the homescreen there)
Interested in commissioning me? Click the source! đ
Evangeline Marie G. (Guzman) Lakandula - Ah yes, my soft, anxious babie with self-worth issues. She comes from a messy background with a horrible father. She was close to her late (paternal) grandparents and had a very complicated relationship with her late mother. One of her relatives shes v close to is her older cousin, Ethan.
She's a college dropout thanks to her father's bad choices and worked the moment she had a chance to.
After her mother passed, that was it for Evangeline. She kinda needed to go away from her dad and his loud voice and other issues. So she left home and Ethan helped her out before he left for a business trip abroad.
He had her go to a house he owned in Laguna where she could live in provided she just do the cleaning in there. She found simple work that she was qualified for and that was her life for the next few years until a certain bachelor party came into her life.
Diwa Kalangitan M. (Masangga) del Rosario - My chaotic good and very protective MC who definitely rabbleroused in the school she works in.
She was raised in a household that follows some precolonial beliefs and traditions. She has a stepfather who's an albularyo and two half-siblings. One is studying in college, the other is still in high school. She has a close relationship to both her parents.
And she is rather happy with her job as a teacher in a private school. Sure she sometimes goes against curriculum to make sure the kids enjoy her lessons. She's a class advisor also so when she found out their math teacher humiliated one of her students, she confronted said teacher.
Her trip to America is really just a birthday trip until the events of the book started. In the end she ends up in a poly relationship with Nik and Cal. (She does end up pointing out to the boys that she'll have to go back to her work and family at least just to properly resign and find work near them and also to assure her family she's safe.)
Maya Chelidonia C. (Caacbay) dela Rosa - The local tired detective who had to move abroad for their own safety. Love them SM.
Maya is the child of Jaime dela Rosa, a cop in the Philippines who does not follow in corrupt practices and tries to do right by the community. He was killed after coincidentally seeing signs of corruption in the force and wanting to expose it.
After their father's death, Maya also followed in his footsteps. On their end, they wanted to try and do some good in their job but ended up experiencing some discrimination in the work force. Enter them finding the same evidence of corruption that their father found as well. This time they managed to expose the corruption but in the end, one of their few friends in the force warned them that they'll have to flee the country due to some v angry officials.
So they fled with their mother and younger sister.
Their sister became a fashion designer. Maya found work as a private detective and the two teamed up to be able to live a decent life. Their sister travels with their mom on fashion shows. They're fine living nearby their maternal uncle with their dog, Spudge. (He's a scaredy cat and a lil crybaby who doesn't like strangers and by that I mean he starts crying when the strangers notice him. It's not out of trauma, he just likes Maya and their fam more than anyone else and is v shy with others. He's also scared of the dark and loud noises.)
Inocencia Honorata G. (Galang) Valenciano - and finally, my love's embarrassing bby. My Rafael Aveiro romancer. Love her sm.
She and her mom, older brother and little sister ran away from their father when they were a kid. Her parents annulled their marriage after a few years.
Her older brother became the youngest lawyer in the country and had a firm in New York seek him out. This led to him helping Inocencia and her sister (who had skipped grades and managed to enter college the same year as Inocencia).
Inocencia is v non-competitive that she chose De La Salle University while her sister went to their grandfatherâs alma mater, University of the Philippines. At college, Inocencia got dubbed as SiaSia because of the repeated -cia in her first name and surname.
The two got accepted into Edenbrook when they were gonna start. Inocencia being 27 and her sister being 25. By then, Inocencia still isn't competitive and didn't sign up for the competition for the diagnostics team but her little sister shoved her to try it out.
#play choices#the royal romance#choices fandom#choices game#choices stories you play#choices#choices fanart#nightbound#crimes of passion#open heart#trr mc#cop mc#oh mc#trr: evangeline lakandula#nb: diwa#cop: maya dela rosa#oh: inocencia valenciano#marh art#my art
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https://www.tumblr.com/nowhen-but-now/718457890981183488/having-lived-in-bucharest-i-can-tell-you-he-would?source=share
So Nik is literally Not Allowed to drive any vehicle on the ground unless the goal is to run down a target as fast as inhumanly possible (see CoD:MW 2019). Literally everyone except Price would rather get in a car with Ghost behind the wheel than Nik. Price just got used to it and he's ruined.
Rumor has it Price used to drive fairly well, then he spent too much time with Nik and just forgot how to be a decent driver. This lead to Price 'corrupting' Ghost and now 141 has three grown men who are not allowed to drive because they refuse to follow basic road safety and break every law imaginable. Laswell has countlessly had to cover up the damage the three have done while behind the wheel.
One time Laswell, Soap, and Gaz were waiting for Price, Ghost, and Nik to show up at the safe house and they just see this massive (very stolen) truck come crashing through a field beside the safe house. The truck jumps a ditch, swerves through the yard (tire marks are everywhere), and slides to a stop in front of the house. The three are staring, jaws dropped, as Nik climbs out of the driver's side, Price out of the passenger, and Ghost out of the back.
All three men are unbothered by their entrance and just ask Laswell if they need to run to the store to grab anything. Price and Ghost ignore Laswell when she asks what happened to the small, unmarked car they originally left with and Nik just shrugs while saying "It couldn't handle it".
#call of duty#cod mwii#modern warfare ii#simon ghost riley#john price#kate laswell#cod nikolai#drabble#ask#thanks for the ask <3
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A list of things we know to be true about the Horsemen's parents:
In no particular order - Not an exhaustive list - Feel free to add
Evans Crist had Schrader Fane killed, and paid Martin Scott to do it.
Schrader Fane knew the truth of Damon's birth and, knowing how cruel Gabriel Torrance could be, gave Damon the key to the Carfax room.
Gabriel was also involved in Schrader's death when he learned that the Fanes intended to tell Damon the truth after he turned 18.
Katsu Mori did not inherit his wealth, but built it himself. Worked full time while going to school so his wife could stay home and raise Kai.
Katsu hated Gabriel and Evans, but did not hold that against their sons.
Vittoria did come from a wealthy family but gave it up to be with Katsu. Her family refuses to acknowledge Kai.
(dropped after Corrupt: Katsu has a brother who owns a construction company in Thunder Bay.)
Christiane Alder Fane married her husband at 18, and moved away from her extensive family in South Africa (who are apparently close enough for Rika to leverage to convince Damon his children can have a large family, but not close enough to know that something was wrong with Christiane).
Gabriel originally owned the Delcour and sold it to Evans.
Will's father, Will (Jr?) had two sons before he decided to pass on the family name (risky move, bro)
Caroline Grayson likes movie marathons, and the actress Doris Day.
Will Jr (?) has at least one younger brother, Matthew. (actually wanna call Will's dad Aaron. Do we know what he goes by?)
A.P. (may have) murdered his best friend.
A.P. (may have) shipped Evans off to Blackchurch and had him killed.
A.P. looked like he was in his 50s when he was in his 80s (he's either vain and had surgery, or has got some darn good genetics. Based on what Emory said about Will, I'm guessing the latter).
A.P.'s personality is more similar to Misha's, but Will is his favorite (Will is everyone's favorite according to Will).
Griffin Ashby cut Schrader out of a few business deals (and this was apparently enough for Rika to give Damon information to take him down over a decade after his death, despite not wanting to hurt Winter.(How do you send your attack dog at some one and then be surprised when they attack?))
Adam Scott moved into his wife's childhood home to raise their family. Presumably, his in-laws never left.
Adam and Paige Scott died during a hurricane.
Emory's grandmother moved from France to New England in the 1930s, when she was a toddler. Her father built the house Emory grew up in.
Emory's grandmother was wild as a teenager. She'd been hurt somehow. Her husband was a patient man.
Margot Ashby had an affair with Gabriel.
Natalya Delova Torrance was Winter's first ballet teacher.
Lucinda Evers sold her daughter to Damon for $9462, a Rolex, and emerald earrings.
Lucinda tried to get Damon to give Nik back.
#devil's night series#most of these people are disasters#I have new headcanons though!#the horsemen of thunder bay#the women of thunder bay
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Cod x Dnd Nikolai
I love the idea of Nikolai being afflicted with Lycanthropy(the werebear variety) and being a Firbolg. Firbolgs are usually displayed as kind of hippie-y tree huggers due to their connection to nature and their more laid back demeanor. Nik has a calmness about him that I think would fit a Firbolg really well, their natural magical abilities coming in handy with the work that he does. The Lycanthropy gives him an edge, we mostly see him working alone so this would also offer extra protection (I like the excuse to make him more bear coded too). I wish Nikolai got more canon content, I love that he is this smug motherfucker that has everything when it's needed and never gets caught because âyou canât prove it was meâ. His type of character is fun to have as a supporting role in any campaign, the perfect âI know a guyâ for fun or for a deus ex machina moment.Â
Assuming what we may about Nik and Priceâs past they met young, and maybe they werenât even on the same side of the conflict. Nik grew up a little rough and rugged, mixed with the wrong crowd for a sense of community and shelter. The city heâs from is rough, guild infighting runs rampant and royal guards rarely lift a finger given they have their own hands in the pockets funding the underground guilds. Itâs corrupt, many of the less fortunate turn to working for the guilds and the righteous few that think they can make a difference join the guard, they end up worse for it. When a diplomatic envoy is sent from the neighboring kingdom Nikolai seeâs it for what it really is, a test. Something for them to judge relations, to measure strengths. The two kingdoms had been more and more at odds in recent years, small fights break out along the boards often now, they were on the verge of war. Watching the small group of Crowns guard be escorted through the city streets from one of the guilds upper nests, Nik catches the glance of one of the marching men. The half orc is on the outer edge of the procession, a spot usually occupied by young inexperienced members. He shouldnât have known where to look to see him. This was gonna be interesting. (I would love to see how Nik and Price met and whatever hijinks they got up to in canon, Iâll just day dream for now)
#call of duty#cod mw2#mw2#ramblings#call of duty x dnd#callofduty#dnd#cod#nikolai mw2#cod nikolai#Nikolai my love#dnd5e
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you're so real for your response to the anon that wanted nikto and fem reader to hurry up and bangalang nasty style
i want them to have the most deep, delicious, heart-healing, back arching, desperate, trusting, nasty bangalang EVER
imo that man WOULD be rough no doubt, but not on the first time
Thank you!! I very much am foaming at the mouth thinking about them doing the nasty, but I need to do Nik justice because he deserves EVERYTHINGđ𫶠He's literally scared to be in the same room as my soft fem reader angel baby - he's that concerned about his appearance, and scaring her with it. When they do eventually have sex, it'll be when they're both comfortable around each other, and he finally trusts her enough to show her all the painful parts of him. I think also he still doesn't trust himself to a certain extent, not used to having such lovely, beautiful things, and he's genuinely terrified that he'll hurt or corrupt her. She's so much stronger than he thinks, but is also the most patient, understanding and non-judgemental person there is.
Some kind of higher being must've put them together, because they're just so right for each other.đđ
Sorry for ranting!! I'm so!! so!! invested in them!!đŤśđ
#cod mwii#cod mw2#call of duty#nikto#mwii nikto#cod nikto#call of duty nikto#nikto x reader#cod#Angies asks!
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open starter location: Aventia, Borderreach notes: say a little prayer for you~ the Vanguard is recruiting too! This has a cap of 4.
Wherever there was darkness, Nikandros would stand. The Vanguard of the Light did not shrink at the sight of evil, they stood against it - shoulder to shoulder against the shadow.
Nikandros stood in the quiet courtyard of Aventiaâs keep, away from the chaos and noise of the besieged walls. His white mantle draped over his shoulders, edged in gold, with the sunburst eye embroidered across it practically gleaming in the pale, clouded light from above. A silvered blade hung at his side, not meant for battle, but as a symbol of his devotion. Nikandros was not here to fight on the front linesâthat was not his purpose. He was here to guide, to bless, and to steel the righteous against the waves of darkspawn at their gate
Before him, knelt a young warrior, her armor dented and worn from previous skirmishes, her hands trembling as she clasped them together in prayer. Her eyes, filled with fear and uncertainty, looked to Nikandros, seeking somethingâanythingâthat could offer her strength against the darkness that pressed against the gates.
Nikandros placed his hands lightly on her bowed head, his voice soft but steady, filled with the quiet authority of one who had seen many fall and many rise in the Lightâs name.
"The corrupt and the wicked do not falter," he began, his words slow and deliberate, each one resonating in the stillness of the courtyard. The air became charged as light began to sift through narrow shafts from above, it wreathed the pair as Nik spoke with steadfast purpose. "But blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just."
The warriorâs breathing slowed, her grip on her sword tightening as Nikandros continued, his hands still resting gently on her head, as if to quiet the storm that bristled below the surface.
"Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood, the Creator's will is written." Warmth passed over the courtyard, and clouds covered the light once again as the paled dark fell over her shoulders once more. "Go with the Light, child, and know that you do not stand alone." There was no arcana to charge the air, the telltale metallic taste of witchcraft was entirely absent. Nikandros left the weight of his voice upon her and let pride bloom in her chest in place of uncertainty.
He lifted his hands, a sign of release, of sending her forward into battle, not with force but with faith. The fear in her eyes had not vanished, but it had dulled, replaced by something steadier. Hope.
Nikandros stepped back, watching her rise to her feet, her resolve hardening like tempered steel. He offered no grand gesture, no final call to armsâonly the weight of his words, meant to linger in her heart. He tilted his head in a modest affirmation as she did the same before departing.
The state of Aventia was unfortunate. Desperate. But Nikandros was not deterred, there were still innocents here being evacuated and warriors were arriving from across Lysara - more and more by the hour. By way of mounts, air, ship, and steam. In grand, flourishes of magic, Olympians arrived from the Tower.
"Whatever our differences, there is only one war that matters." The war between good and evil, the light and the dark. Nikandros offered his hand toward the stranger, "The Light offers you protection in this hour of need."
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Lost and Found-Chapter 19
Fandom: Extraction
Pairing: Tyler Rake and Esme Drummond (OFC. But you do not have to read the others in the series to understand this fic.)
Warnings: some profanity.
*Includes Extraction 2 canon mentions
Tagging: @tragiclyhip @munstysmind @themaradwrites @youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @karimac @kmc1989 @thebewingedjewelcat @timbradfordsboot @asirensrage @residentdormouse @arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @occommunity @ninjasawakenedmystar
Link to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43179357/chapters/126074509
My tag list is open! Please just let me know if you'd like to be added!
*****
Heâs the last to arrive; met by Nik at the entrance to the conference room. And they exchange warm embraces and then indulge in non-work related chit-chat; a friendly conversation about his long and draining flight and the dreary, damp, fall weather that had greeted him when he touched down in New York City.
Thereâs something in the way he carries himself; an abundance of confidence that borders on cockiness and an energetic, almost cheeky bounce to his step. Tall and broad-shouldered and wide-chested, he possesses a charming and almost boyish smile; the perfect companion for the near mischievous glitter to his eyes. Clad in âcasual business��; charcoal grey trousers, black trench coat, and cream-coloured cable knit sweater that provides a striking contrast against rich, dark skin. And he exchanges one-armed hugs and small talk with those he knows, handshakes and polite greetings with those he doesnât. Then stands patiently a couple of feet away as Esme and Tyler finish their conversation, his hands stuffed in his pants pockets, as he slowly rocks back and forth on his heels.
Waiting until Tyler releases the diminutive woman from his embrace, he gives the younger mercenary a smile and a nod in greeting before stepping forward. Draping an arm across Esmeâs collarbone and pulling her back against him; lips near her ear as he wags a disproving finger in Tylerâs direction.
âNow this one is nothing but trouble.â His English accent is thick; the tone of his voice rich and deep. And easily recognizable. âDidnât your mother teach you to never speak to strange men?â
âIf she had, you and I never would have met.â
âExactly the answer I expected from you. You always have been too quick for your own good. And everyone elseâs for that matter.â Giving her a tight, affectionate squeeze, he drops a kiss on the top of her head and then turns her around to face him; hands resting on her shoulders as he smiles down at her. âDid you miss me?â
âLike a migraine.â
âThatâs not friends now, is it. Is that any way to treat your favourite fella?â
âI treat Tyler just fine. I donât think he has any complaints.â
âYouâre just an evil little human, you know that? Always have been. Straight to the core.â
âYou seem to bring out the best in me.â
A pregnant pause. Then they both smile and chuckle and he pulls her into a hug; firmly rubbing a palm against the middle of her back before releasing her.
âSurprised?â
âI thought you were in Rome? Last time we talked, you were heading that way. They send you to kill the Pope? Howâd that go? Cement your role as the leader of hell yet? Do churches burst into flames if you walk past them?â
âI cemented my place down below a long time ago. And I WAS there; tending to less corrupt and evil things than that old fuck. But a little birdie called me. Said I was needed elsewhere. So, here I am.â
âWhat are you even doing here? WhatâŚ?â
âNik asked me to lend a hand. Help you out of your mess. Heard you got tangled up in some nasty business. With some big-time players. Organized crime, if I do recall correctly.â
âThe DiTomasso's. This generation's version of Capone. Probably even worse.â
Releasing a long, low whistle, Alcott gives a slow shake of his head. âBoy, when you step in it, you REALLY step in it, donât ya,â
âYou know them?â
âI know OF them. Havenât had any first-hand experience myself, but I know people who have. And they all say the same thing; that family is as corrupt and as evil as they come. Theyâve got a lot of people lining their pockets; everyone from sanitation workers to coppers, to hospital CEOs and top-notch lawyers and even politicians. And weâre not talking the bottom of the barrel either; weâre talking the district attorney and councilmen and even the damn mayor himself. Not to mention theyâre very tight with the High Table. They may as well be running this city. Hell, they may as well be running the entire STATE.â
âSounds like this placeâs version of the Radiani boys,â Tyler observes.
âIf you thought they were badâŚwhich they WERE, donât get me wrong⌠youâre definitely not going to enjoy these fellas. Theyâre twice as twisted and dirty. If not MORE than that. Their bloodlines are long and run extremely deep and theyâre extremely loyal to one another. They will stop at nothing to defend and avenge the family name. Which, from what I heard, you found out firsthand today, yeah? A little incident. Involving a sniper?â
Noticing the way Esme tenses, Tyler lays a comforting hand on the nape of her neck; fingers pressing and digging into the tight muscle. âIt was way too close to home. Millie was right there. They didnât even give a shit. They opened fire anyway.â
âThey donât give a fuck WHO is the room, mate. Your kid, your mother, your grandmother. Theyâre taking the shot regardless of who is there to see it or who might be standing in the way. Believe me, thereâs word out on the street. And a healthy reward. For whoever pulled that trigger. Some of us do have some standards. Some morals left. And when it comes to kidsâŚâ
âAnd Winston didnât even give a shit,â Esme laments. âHeâs the reason we had to pull all of this together so quickly. Because he wants us out. ASAP. He was more worried about the attention we brought to The Continental. And the mess WE made. He didnât care that Millie could have died.â
Tyler smirks. âHe was more disappointed I didnât.â
âYouâre on his shit list too, are ya?â Alcott laughs. Youâre in good company. Heâs tried to intimidate me many times. Heâs even tried to kill me. Off the books. Yet here I am. Still around to burn his ass. I can only imagine what his reaction is going to be when he finds out Iâve checked in. Should be interesting, to say the least.â
âTyler thinks he might be connected to it,â Esme says. â The sniper.â
âHe threatened me. Hallow shit, mostly. Offered me money to get the job done and then bring Esme and Millie back here. And walk away from them. For good.â
âHow much money?â Alcott inquires.
Esme scowls.
âI need the whole picture. Details. Theyâre important. Even I wouldnât hand you over for all the money in that manâs vault downstairs. And thatâs saying something.â Winking, he reaches out and affectionately ruffles her hair. âConsidering I merely tolerate you most days.â
âI told him to fuck the money,â Tyler replies. âSaid I wasnât walking away. I was in their life now and I was staying in it. Didnât matter what he offered. Or how much.â
âIâm not surprised. Youâre one of the few in this game that still has some principles I tell you what though, I lost mine a long time ago. If I come face to face with that old fuck, Iâm liable to rip his head off and shove it up his ass. And that wonât end well for me. You canât even scratch your balls or pick your underwear out of your ass around here without The High Table having some rule against it.â
Esme grins. âMaybe you need a chaperone while youâre here. Someone to keep you out of trouble.â
âOh, thatâs mighty rich coming from the likes of you. Considering how fast trouble manages to find you. Which is how you ended up with this muppetâŚâ Alcott jerks his head in Tylerâs direction. â...in the first place.â
Tyler smirks. âI thought we were friends.â
âYou shot a coffee mug clear out of my hand, mate.â
âThat was before I got to know you. Once that happened, I figured you were alright.â
Taking Esme by the shoulders, Alcott turns her to face Tyler; a forearm once more draped across her collarbone.. âNow you listen to me and listen to me good. That man? Nothing but a nuisance. A troublemaker. I can maybe see falling for his bullshit one time, but TWO? Whatâs that saying? Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twiceâŚâ
âIâll have you know that heâs a perfect gentleman.â
âYeah, I bet he is. I bet you wear the pants in the relationship, yeah? Got him on the straight and narrow? Someone has to keep the likes of him in line, am I right? And itâs always the tiniest ones that crack the mightiest whips.â Chuckling, Alcott steps around Esme; clapping Tyler on the shoulder before pulling him into a tight, brief hug. âIâm just fucking with ya. Itâs always good to see you. Especially out of prison orange.â
âFeels like a lifetime ago. How you been holding up?â
âWell, my knees crack when I walk, my lower back constantly hurts, and I need glasses to read and driveâŚâ
âJust say it,â Esme teasingly encourages. âOld. Youâre getting old.â
âNot to mention I have to get up three times a night to take a piss. Other than that, Iâm doing just fine, mate. Still kicking ass and taking names. And most importantly, still on this side of the ground. Much to a lot of peopleâs dismay, Iâm sure.â
âYou just make friends wherever you go, donât ya.â
âWhat can I say? Itâs my devastatingly good looks and my boyish charm. You fell off the radar there for a bit, mate. After that last job for me. Heard something about you trying your hand at a normal life? Became a firefighter, started your own business. Iâd ask how that all worked out for you, but you wouldnât be standing here right now if itâd panned out.â
âI still do those things. And Iâm going to go back to them; once this is all over.â
Esme frowns as her cell phone vibrates within the back pocket of her jeans, and quickly checks the message. âMillie forgot her backpack,â she informs the two men. âSheâs the one who packed and put it somewhere she said sheâd see and not leave it behind. I swear that girl would forget her head if it wasnât attached.â
âGets more and more like her mother every day,â Alcott chides.
âItâs all her âessentialsâ. Headphones, all her colouring and drawing stuff, her tablet. Iâm just going to run it down to her.â
âYou want me to come with you?â Tyler offers. âYou shouldnât be going anywhere alone. YouâŚâ
âIâll be alright,â she assures him. âThereâs armed guards everywhere. Iâm sure one will tag along. Besides, itâs just at the end of the hall.â
âI come bearing gifts,â Alcott offers a bag heâd carried into the room with him; bubble gum pink with white and purple tissues paper. âFor the little one. Wine gums. Right from over the pond.â
âSheâll be ecstatic to find out youâre even here. You guys behave, alright? I know how easily trouble finds BOTH of you. TylerâŚâ Standing on her tiptoes, she presses a kiss to the underside of his chin, then turns to Alcott and pecks his cheek. â...Russell.â
******
The men stand in silence as they watch her go. And the moment she slips from the room, a grinning Tyler turns to his old friend. âRussell?â
âYou didnât hear her say that.â
âCan I call you Russ?â
âNot unless you want me to rearrange that pretty little face of yours. That is need to-know information. And honestly, you donât need to know it.â
âWhy so secretive? Itâs just a first name. There some reason to hide it?â
âIâm not trying to be secretive or hide anything. I just hate the fucking name. Russell. Who does that to their kid? Itâs pure shit. Makes me sound like I should be out there wrestling sharks or fist-fighting kangaroos. And I donât do either, soâŚâ
âAnd Esme knows your first name becauseâŚâ
âDonât get your panties in a twist now. Itâs not what you think. Itâs NEVER been whatâs going through your head right now. Weâve known each other long before you ever came into the picture. And I was in it when you werenât around. When she needed someone to be there for her.â
âI would have been had I been given the chance.â The anger returns. The bitterness. And he hates himself for feeling those things. Especially towards her. Itâs difficult to accept; the fact it will likely be a long and drawn-out process. A bumpy road on the way to full acceptance and full forgiveness.
âThatâs not my business. What went down between the two of you. But for what itâs worth, none of it was your fault. You didnât do anything wrong. It wasnât personal; why she took off. She didnât do it because she didnât want to be with you. Or because she didnât love you. She left because she did.â
âWhy didnât you get a hold of me? Let me know she was okay? Let me know about Millie? WhyâŚ?â
âWith all due respect, mate, my ties to her? My loyalty? Theyâre a lot stronger and deeper than the ones I have with you. It wasnât my secret to tell. I was there for her. As a friend. A confidant. And It wasnât up to me to play peacemaker. It wasnât my job to bring the two of you back together. That was all on her. She needed to be ready to do it HERSELF.â
âAnd nothing ever happened? Between the two of you? NothingâŚ?â
âYouâre really not going down this road, are ya? You really donât think thatâŚâ
âI donât know what to think. This is all new to me. The two of you even knowing each other, let alone being friends. And when I think about your visiting her and being around my kid andâŚâ
âNothing EVER happened. Not even close. Not once did either of us ever start down that road. And I canât speak for her, but I never thought about going down it. Weâve known each other a long time. Weâre colleagues. Good friends. And thatâs it. Thatâs all it ever was. And itâs all it ever will be. Do I care about her? Do I love her? I do. But not in the way you do. Am I making sense?â
âYouâd tell me. If anything everâŚâ
âI have no reason to lie to you, Rake. And you should be now: I donât play games. Do you know how many times sheâs talked about you? Cried about you? Itâs a hell of a lot. There was never going to be anyone else. No matter how hard they tried. Youâve got nothing to worry about, mate. She loves you. Always has. Always will. You and ONLY you.â
âShe talked about me? To you?â
âA girl has to open up to someone, yeah? I was that someone. From time to time. So donât go there in your head. Nothing good will come of it. Sheâs back in your life. And sheâs brought you a hell of a gift. That little girl is something else, isnât she? Concentrate on THAT. That little girl and her mother. Nothing else matters.â
âYou told her. About Georgia. About Mia and her sister and IâŚâ
âSheâd caught wind of it. Through Nik. I just filled in the blanks.â
âYou were spying on me. Even after that. I know youâve been filling her in. On what Iâve been up to.â
âShe was worried. About how you were doing. So I checked on you from time to time. Put her fears at ease. It was all out of concern. On her part. She needed to know you were okay.â
âI wasnât okay though. I was FAR from okay.â
âShe didnât need to know THOSE things. Listen, mate. I like you. A lot. Youâre damn good at what you do. Youâve been a hell of an asset to me, thatâs for sure. And we ARE friends. But letâs make one thing clear. If I had to choose between you and her? It would be her. No questions asked. Now are you going to drop this shit or..?â
âI just want to know ifâŚâ
âAnd I told you everything there is to know. I do have a word of warning, though. Sheâs special. Sheâs a rare breed. Especially in this line of work. So if youâre only inserting yourself back in her life and making promises and declarations of love and always and forever just so you can hurt in the end? Out of some need for revenge?If that comes aboutâŚâ
âI would NEVER do that.â
âIF that comes about, I will come for you. And I will make things veryâŚuncomfortableâŚfor you. Painful, even. So if screwing her around has even crossed your mind, maybe you SHOULD consider taking that money and fucking off. Because you donât want to piss me off. You hurt her or that little girlâŚâ
âI already saidâŚâ
â...I will be your worst nightmare. And you donât want that, do you. NowâŚâ Clearing his throat, Alcott plasters on a smile and claps Tyler on the shoulder). â...back to being mates, yeah? I will fill you in on some gossip though. When it comes to your girl, though. Remember how I complained about how the tea was at your place?â
âVaguely. I do remember you drinking all my milk.â
âWell, I learned right quick that the tea at your place may as well have been liquid gold. Because your lady love? She canât make a decent cuppa to save her life.â
A smirk plays on Tylerâs lips.
âShe claims to be a tea lover. A right tea granny, even. But all this time sheâs been making herself -and unsuspecting others- utter shit. Complete pig piss, in my opinion. And you think sheâd learn; being such close friends with a Brit. But she never does. It never gets any better.â
âI bet you drink it though.â
âI pretend itâs the best thing Iâve ever tasted. Every time. Itâs the little things. That makes them happy. And it also spares my balls. I quite like them attached to my body.â
âItâs why I lie about how good the coffee is every time she makes it. And why I spent a year eating food that wasnât fit for human consumption.â
âGive it at least one more before you drop the truth on her, yeah? Unless you fancy being castrated. Twelve months of getting on her good side should do it. And are you really serious? That this is your last job?â
Tyler nods.
âYou know youâve said that before. A few times. Just since Iâve known you.â
âMaybe if you stopped calling me with offers I canât resistâŚâ
âJust say no, mate. What do you think will happen if you do? I wonât hold it against you. You owe me nothing. Weâve had this conversation before.â
âSometimes itâs hard. To say no. To completely walk away.â
âAnd youâre certain you can do it this time? Walk away and stay away?â
âNow I have a reason to. I have Esme. And Millie. Iâve got a family now. I may not owe you anything, but I owe them a hell of a lot.â
âShe deserves a normal life. A partner. A father to her little girl. A husband, even. And if you think you can give her those thingsâŚâ
âI KNOW I can.â
âSheâs got a lot of faith in you. So do I, for that matter. I see the way you look at her. Your whole face just lights right up; whenever sheâs even within five feet of you. Youâre a different man. If I see it, you know she does too.â
âI hope she does. All Iâve ever wanted was to be with her. Have a life with her. Make her happy. Be the man she wants and needs. Deserves.â
âIt won't be easy. It never is for guys like us. Trying to give up this life for a different one.â
âYou speaking from experience?â
âSadly, yeah. Iâve tried. Many times over the last couple of years. Canât seem to do it. Pull the trigger. Totally commit.â
âSo you and you and Mia arenâtâŚâ
âWe are. Off and on. Every so often I make promises I never seem to keep and she takes me at my word. Itâs a vicious circle. One I canât seem to break. Not for lack of trying. Mind you. She deserves better than that; someone who just canât seem to put her first. And I want to. Believe me, I want to.â
âSeems to be her type. Men that canât give her their all.â
âShe never speaks ill of you, for what itâs worth. I know thereâs a lot of hurt still there. But I think thatâs more to do with losing her only child than it is what you did leading up to it. You gave her closure on that front. And I appreciate that by the way.â
âItâs the least I could do. After all the hurt I caused. And she gave me that, too. Closure. Not that I really deserved it.â
âDid you love her?â
âI did. In a way that was directed solely to her. She was my wife. The mother of my son. And things werenât always great between us and we both take responsibility for that. It wasnât just my boy getting sick. Things were rough before that ever happened. We thought we could get through them butâŚâ
âBut you did. Love her.â
âItâs what I thought love was, anyway. I was certain she was my one and only. The person Iâd spend the rest of my life with. At the time we called it quits for good, I didnât think Iâd ever get over her.â
âButâŚâ
âBut then I met Esme. And everything changed. I changed. The way I felt about herâŚFEEL about herâŚnothing can even come close to touching it. It took me until I was thirty-five; to find the love of my life. And losing her broke me in ways I never thought possible. I didnât think I had anything left TO break.â
Alcott nods in understanding.
âSheâs everything. My entire world. Even when she was gone, it all revolved around her. I spent every second of every day wanting her back. Trying to find a way to make that happen. I never moved on. Not really. I probably never would have.â
âLike I said, sheâs a special sort. A breed all her own.â
âI canât fuck it up. Now that I have her back. Now that I have a daughter. I canât lose my family. Iâd never survive that. If something happened to EsmeâŚâ
âNothing will. Thatâs why weâre all here. To make sure nothing DOES happen.â
âAnd none of this is a slight on Mia. In any way. Sheâs a good woman in her own right. She deserved a lot better than what I gave her. And Iâll regret it for the rest of my life; leaving her when she needed the most. But I donât regret that things fell apart. Because if they didnât, I never would have met Esme. And a life without her is not one I like to think about. Five years? That was long enough.â
âIf you fuck this upâŚâ
âI wonât. I wonât make the same mistakes twice. You know, maybe I should be making some threats of my own. When it comes to Mia. She deserves a good man. Someone who loves her and ONLY her. That can put her above their work. And if you canât do that and YOU hurt HERâŚâ
Alcott chuckles. âYouâre the last one that should be threatening me when it comes to Mia. ConsideringâŚâ
They find themselves interrupted by Esmeâs return; bashful and apologetic as Millie rushes into the room ahead of her. Her pigtails swinging from side to side and her brilliant blue eyes sparkling; her giggles and squeals filling the room.
******
âUncle Duey!â
Alcott catches her the moment she leaps off the ground, giving that rich, deep chuckle as he throws her high over his head. OnceâŚtwiceâŚthree times, before expertly catching her and showering her face with kisses; eyes briefly closing as he gathers her close to his chest and squeezes as tight as her tiny body will allow.
Tyler notices the remarkable change in the man. The softness to his face, the glitter in his eyes, and the gentleness to his smile; one of his large, scarred hands cradling the back of Millieâs head as he presses his lips to her temple. And itâs bittersweet; the knowledge that so many people got the chance to meet and love on his daughter before he did.
âI missed you!â Millie presses a noisy kiss to Alcottâs lips, then pulls back to look at him; pouting as she holds his face in her tiny hands. âItâs been forever Since I last saw you!â
âItâs only been two months.â
âTwo months is wayyy too long! It felt like two forevers! Where have you been?!â
âWorking. In different countries. I couldnât come see you and mum until I was finished. Some bad guys needed taken care of.â
âAnd did you? Take care of them?â
âOf course.â
âYou killed âem, didnât you.â
âAmelia!â Esme scolds. âWhat in theâŚ?â
âUncle Duey kills bad guys just like Auntie Nik and Uncle Yaz do. And just like Tyler does. Itâs not exactly a secret, mom.â
Grinning, Tyler nudges Alcott with his elbow. âUncle Duey?â
âTyler?â
âWe can talk about THAT later.â
âHeâs Uncle Duey âcause when he visits, thereâs THREE of us,â Millie explains, holding up the exact number of fingers. âThereâs him, momma, and me. Like in the cartoon. Huey. Duey, and Louie. I came up with it! All my myself!â
âThatâs because you are very smart,â Alcott praises. âLike your mum. And you also let me pick which I wanted, didnât ya. And do you remember why I chose what I did? Why I picked Duey?â
Millie letâs loose a near-perfect English accent. ââCause the other two sounded like right wankers.â
Laughing, her âuncleâ presses a kiss to her forehead. âThatâs exactly right. Did you like your surprise?â
Millie nods enthusiastically. âI love wine gums! Theyâre my favourite! Especially the ones you bring!â
âThatâs âcause those are the real deal. Straight from over the pond. Right from England. You know how hard those were to actually get here? The issues I had getting them through customs? Short of having to smuggle them up my aâŚâ
âUncle Duey needs to learn to watch what he says around little ears,â Esme gently scolds.
âMom, he was only going to âassâ. You say âfuckâ around me all the time.â
âSheâs a chip off the old block, I see. The apple truly doesnât fall far from the tree. So whatâs this I hear? About this Tyler bloke being your mumâs new boyfriend? What do you think of him? You like him?â
âI love him! Heâs nice to momma. And to be. We have lots of fun together. He takes me swimming and lets me watch Coco Melon and Bluey on his phone and he put games on there for me. And he takes me for pancakes!â
âThatâs quite the five-star review.â
âAnd he protected me from the bad guys. When they tried to get to us today. He made sure that I was safe and sound and I didnât end up getting hurt AT ALL. He did though; âcause he lied on top of me and kept me under him so nothing could get me.â
âJust a few cuts,â Tyler assures her. âNothing serious.â
âAnd I was really scared and he calmed me down. He didnât leave me alone to go after the bad guys. He just sat there with me and hugged me and rubbed my back and played with my hair and made me feel better. And he didnât even get mad. When I peed my pants. I didnât mean to, butâŚâ
âThat happens when weâre scared,â her uncle sympathizes. âI used to do it as a wee lad. All the time. Nothing for you to be sorry for or for anyone to get mad about. So you like this guy? Heâs good to you? And your mum?â
âLike I said, I love him.â
âThereâs nothing else I need to know then. Now, you need to go and get what you need and then go with Abeula,â he nods in the womanâs direction as she lingers nearby. ââCause the adults really need to talk. Itâs time to figure some stuff out. When it comes to bad guys.â
âThatâs why youâre here? The bad guys? Youâre gonna help?â
âThatâs why Iâm here.â
âThe bad guys REALLY donât stand a chance now. We got you and Tyler and Uncle John and Auntie Nik and Uncle YazâŚâ
âThe best of the best. Now come on.â He pecks each of her cheeks as her ânannyâ steps forward to collect her). âIâll see you in a little while, ya?â
âMaybe we can get ice cream?â
âIâm sure I could manage to steal you away for a bit. You be good, ya? I donât want to hear any different.â
âIâm always good!â Millie declares, and shrugs into the backpack that Abuella over her; rushing through the room and over to the armed guard that stands by the door. âFrank! You wanna play âGo Fishâ? When we get back to the room? I brought my cards!â
âSheâs going to hustle him. Gonna take him for a few large for sure. Last time we played, she cheated the entire time and took me for every jelly bean I had to my name. Then had to bloody nerve to say âdonât hate the player, hate the gameâ.â Laughing, he turns to Tyler and claps a hand down onto the back of his neck. âYou better buckle up, mate. âCause youâre in for a treat with that one.â
******
âWe donât have a lot of time,â Nik addresses the group gathered around in the conference room. âWeâve been given less than thirty-six hours to be checked out of here. And we have to do it peacefully or quietly orâŚand this is a direct quoteâŚâwe will be subjected to the full weight and wrath of The High Table.â
Alcott gives a derisive snort. âThe old fuck making his usual threats. Iâd like to see him try. I wonât think twice about putting him in the ground.â
Wick sighs from across the table; his scarred hands raking through his hair and down his weary, unshaven face. âI just want to go on record and say that while Winston and I areâŚWEREâŚfriends, I donât support ANY of this. The things heâs doing, the things heâs saying. Iâm just as disappointed and pissed as everyone else. Believe me.â
âWe do,â Nik assures him. âWe ALL do. And eventually, when this is all handled and things calm down, Winston WILL pay the price. I can promise you that.â
Alcott cheekily raises his hand. âIf you donât mind, Iâd love to be there when it happens. AND take part.â
Nik tries to suppress a grin. âI will be sure to include you. Now before we get down to business, I want to assure everyone that this is a secure room. Yaz did a complete security sweep; both manually and electronically. While he didnât find anything, heâs put measures in place to block any of kind of âspywareâ from listening in and recording. Weâre trying to keep Winston in the dark. And Iâd appreciate if nothing to do with this mission is talked about outside of this room. Because if he catches wind, he WILL try and stop us and he will try and stop us and will do whatever it takes to prevent Tyler from removing Esme and Millie from the building. Is everyone on board?â
A collection of nods spreads from one end of the table to the other.
âEverything goes down at one am, Thursday morning,â Nik launches into her âsellâ. âJohn Wick will create a distraction by throwing lit matches down the ninth-floor garbage chute; waiting precisely two minutes before proceeding to pull the alarm and call the fire department. From a Continental extension. The call however will be diverted to our tech people; acting as nine-one-one operators who will respond by sending out two units. John, if you want to explain furtherâŚâ
âPretending to the first on the scene will be a friend of mine. Aureilo. He owns a mechanic place in town and has always been on our side. Heâs helped me more times than I can count. And I know Nik youâve had contact with him in the past and have had no complaints with his work.â
She nods in agreement.
âWith him will be three of his men from his shop; two of them have firefighter experience. They will come into The Continental and âassesâ the situation. Theyâll make themselves look legit, then call the actual nine-one-one from their cell phones and report whatâs happening.â
âIt enables us to clear the building,â Nik adds. âIt creates a big enough distraction, but one thatâs completely plausible. Thereâs nothing suspicious about it. It wonât raise eyebrows.â
âI have a question,â Alcott speaks up, then turns to Wick. âWhere are these guys getting a fire truck?â
A grin tugs at the Wickâs mouth. âThatâs âneed to knowâ information. And no one really needs to know that.â
âWhile guests are leaving the building as per the instructions of the first responding unit, Tyler will start the extraction, Using a key to the service elevator that Charon has given usâŚâ
Esme arches a brow. âCharonâs in on this too?â
âHeâs just as pissed as we are,â Wick explains. âHe offered his assistance. In any way. So far, weâve just taken him up on this small thing.â
âTyler will use the service elevator to take Esme and Millie to the loading dock. Yaz has arranged for three armoured SUVs to be waiting. Tyler, Esme, and Millie will be on one, Yaz and I will use the other to serve as a decoy, and the final one will be driven by Alcott who will follow Tyler at a safe and unnoticeable distance.â
âOnce theyâre in the service elevator, Iâll head across the street and take up a sniper position on the roof,â Wick chimes in. âNik has small teams of her own men on roofs of adjacent buildings.â
âBetter to be safe than sorry,â she explains.
âYouâre going to extract both together?â Alcott sounds wary. âMother and child at the same time?â
âIt makes the most sense. ItâŚâ
âIt makes the least sense,â he interrupts. âFor what I think are very obvious reasons.â
Nik sighs. âYou donât think itâs a good idea.â
âTo be quite honestâŚand with all due respectâŚI think itâs a shit idea. And Iâm actually appalled you couldnât do better.â
Sighing, Nik leans back in her chair; chewing on the inside of her cheek as she struggles to maintain her patience. Sheâs been on edge since the incident that morning; unnerved by the extremely close call, Winstonâs possible involvement, and his heartless response to the fact that two lives had been threatened. Especially that of a child he supposedly loved as if they shared the same blood. âIâm interested in hearing why you think that.â
âThe little one isnât the main target. Itâs not her they want.â He holds up his hand in a plea for silence when Nik opens her mouth to object. âI think most of usâŚIF not ALL of usâŚrealize that what happened this morning? Itâs not connected to any of this. It has nothing to do with the DiTomassoâs. That wasnât their doing. That isnât how they operate.â
âYou canât be sure of that. You have no experience with them. YouâŚâ
âBut I know people who do. Whoâve gone face to face with them and lived to tell about it. Minus a couple of somewhat non-essential body parts, mind you.â
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Esme reaches for her glass of ice water and takes a sip.
Tyler frowns; noticing the distinct tremble to her hand. And he reaches out and lays one of his hands on the nape of her neck; fingers softly and comfortingly massaging at the tense muscles.
â Theyâre up close and personal,â Alcott continues. âThey showed that the other night, yeah? At the house?â
âThey werenât afraid to make some noise,â Wick informs the group. âIâve seen police SWAT teams with less bodies and firepower.â
âTheyâre not cowards,â Alcott adds. âThey donât attack from far away. Not their style. They like to get blood on their hands, and I mean that quite literally. What happened this morning is NOT related to that family. I am one hundred percent sure of that.â
Nik reaches for her mug of coffee. âSo now we have two things to worry about.â
âNo need to worry about the shooting. Iâve got people out there. On the ground. Theyâll find out who it was and theyâll take care of it. Itâs none of your concern now. Itâs out of your hands. My boys will fish âem out and take âem out.â
âAnd Iâm just supposed to take your word for that?â
âWhen have I not been good on my word?â
She relents; briefly blowing on the steaming, black brew before taking a sip.
âOur main concern right now is this plan of yours,â Alcott says. âNow for the most part, itâs solid. Itâs workable. Itâs all clean, fairly easy. Until the actual extraction. Then it all goes to shit. Itâs a mess. And itâs just begging for trouble.â
âBecauseâŚâ
âYouâre out of your bloody mind if you honestly think extracting and transporting bothâŚtogether⌠is a good idea. Youâre putting the child in harmâs way if you do that. These people want Esme. And they wonât care who's with her when they go after her. Extra bodies are nothing but collateral damage. Regardless of age. Do you really want to risk that? Them getting ugly and trying something and the little one paying the price?â
âExtracting both at the same time saves manpower. ItâŚâ
âTo hell with the manpower. Look at all the people here! At your disposal. Instead of wasting what we bring to the table by just having us âkeep an eye outâ, use us to your advantage. Two extraction teams. One for Esme, one for the child. This isnât rocket science.â
âTylerâŚâ Nik observes him from across the table, making note of the furrowed brow, tight jaw, and lips set in a thin, firm line. And while one hand continues to lightly and lovingly rub at the back of Esmeâs neck, the other repeatedly taps a pen against a pad paper that sits in front of him â...youâre the lead operative on this. It really comes down to what YOU feel comfortable with.â
âAs a whole, Iâm fine with the way things are.â
âButâŚâ
âAlcottâs right. It IS a bad idea; to transport them at the same time. Itâs notâŚâ
The man in question grins. âDid it hurt to admit that? That Iâm right? Was it physically painful? The worst agony youâve ever known?â
â... getting out of the building Iâm worried about; Iâve got lots of help close by if I need it. Not to mention Esme isnât a rookie. She isnât a normal client; she knows how quickly things can go bad. She knows what to expect.â
âAgain, I ask. But?â
âEven she has her limitations. And Iâm sure sheâs the first one to admit that.â
Beside him, a silent Esme nods in agreement.
âTwo teams makes the most sense,â Tyler continues. âIf we want to get them out of here quietly, quickly, AND safely, doing it separately is the most logical thing. If things go wrong, I canât be taking care of that and worrying about Esme getting hurt and someone grabbing Millie or her taking off because sheâs scared. Had she been a bit olderâŚâ
âItâs very personal,â Alcott adds. âFor all of us. Everyoneâs emotions are running high. But Tyler has the most to lose. If things go wrongâŚand I mean horribly wrongâŚheâs the one that ends up suffering long term for it. Iâm thinking of EVERYONE here. I want whatâs safest and easiest for all of us. But especially for him and his family.â
âAnd you feel that two separate teamsâŚâ
âI have a lot of experience. When it comes to the job. More than you and your brother and Tyler put together. Iâve been at it a hell of a lot longer. And Iâve known some damn good mercenaries. Guys that could handle their shit. And this manâŚâ He wags a finger in Tyler's direction. â...is one of the best. If not THE best. But not even the best can do it all on their own. They need backup. And with all these extra bodies youâve got at the readyâŚâ
âI think thereâs a few things we can all agree on,â Wick speaks up. âThe first is that we didnât come here to just sit around. To just âwatch and waitâ. We came here to be useful. To get our hands dirty.â
Alcott nods in agreement.
âWeâre all here because this IS personal,â he continues. âBecause this time itâs our friends that need help. Our family. Itâs why we agreed to all this. Why weâre sticking around. This isnât a normal job. Itâs about as far from it as you can get. And if we can shed all the blood, sweat, and tears for people we donât know? Then weâre prepared to shed twice as much for people we do. Alcottâs right; this is the last job where we should be thinking about sparing manpower.â
âNow THIS man,â Alcott nods in Wickâs direction. âIs MY kind of people.â
âHaving Esme and Millie together IS foolish,â Wick continues. âItâs putting Millie even more at risk than she already is. And I think thatâs the last thing her motherâŚ.or her fatherâŚwant.â
âI donât feel comfortable taking them together,â Tyler admits. âIF it was a normal job and people I didnât know? I wouldnât hesitate. But I have way too much to lose, Nik. These people are going to come for Esme; they wonât give a shit who is with her. And thatâs why Iâd rather it just be me. Because at least I can fight back. Millie is the most innocent in all of this. Maybe the ONLY innocent one. I donât want her in the line of fire.â
Nik nods slowly as she considers everyoneâs thoughts and opinions. âSounds like the main players are all on the same page. Does everyone else agree? That we should change things up?â
âJust the extraction part,â Alcott stresses. âEverything else can stay the same. Just need an extra team. To get Millie out. Iâm more than willing. Sheâs known me for a long time. Considers me her uncle. I used to feed her and change her dirty nappies. Take naps with her on the couch. Thereâs nothing I wouldnât do for her. And that includes making sure nothing happens to her.â
âOther than Nik or Yaz, Youâre probably the only person she WILL go with,â Esme says. âAt least peacefully. Itâs still going to be hard; convincing her to leave me behind. Weâve never really been separated. And weâve definitely never gone through anything like this together. But, I canât make that decision alone. When it comes to just handing her over to you.â Laying a hand on Tylerâs knee, she tightly squeezes. âWE need to decide that. Together. Her mom and dad.â
A smile tugs at the corner of Tylerâs mouth and he leans sideways in his chair; pressing a brief kiss to her temple before pushing his fingers through hers and placing their joined hands on his thigh. âIf you think itâs or the bestâŚâ
âI trust him, Tyler. Iâm not one to just hand Millie over. And I wouldnât do it if I wasnât certain that he could take care of her. He really WOULD do anything to keep her safe. I donât question that at all.â
âAnd you know sheâd be okay with it?â
âItâs going to take some convincing regardless of who I choose. But heâs been there since she was just a tiny baby. Sheâs known him all her life. And I know she loves him and trusts him.â
âI just want whatâs best for her. WHO is best for her.â
âI wouldnât try to sell Alcott to you if I didnât trust him. Completely.â
Sighing, he briefly chews on his bottom lip; thumb continuously brushing against the top of her hand. âI trust Esme more than I trust anyone. And if she thinks youâre the right guy for the job, I have no reason to doubt it. Iâm good with it. If youâre willing to take her onâŚâ
âMore than willing.â
âBut I warn you, mate. If anyone gets a hold of her and hurts herâŚâ
âYou donât have to finish that threat. If that happened, Iâd off myself before you had the chance to get to me.â
âThen thatâs what weâll go with,â Nik says. âAlcott will be in charge of extracting Millie and Abeula and getting them to the airport. Once youâve successfully gotten her out of The Continental, youâll call Wick on his secure phone; heâll abandon his post on the roof of the building across the street and meet up with you. Itâs up to the both of you to come up with a preferred pick-up spot outside of the hot zone.â
âWeâre gonna have to grab a drink later,â Alcott addresses Wick. âAnd make sure to bring a big map. âCause I donât know fuck all where anything is in this city.â
âItâs up to the two of you to sort that out and make a firm plan,â Nik informs him. âFor now, we call it a night. We all sleep on the game plan. We meet againâŚsame placeâŚat noon tomorrow. To see if thereâs any other concerns or if weâre all comfortable and on board with things. If we are, we run through everything. This is as personal as it gets. We canât have any issues. We canât have things go wrong. We canât have any fuck ups.â
âWhat about Winston?â Esme inquires. âIâm usually not one thatâs hell-bent on revenge, but when he didnât show any concern for what happened to Millie and I canât let that lie. I canâtâŚâ
Nik smirks, then aggressively snaps the lid of her laptop closed. âDonât you worry about that. Heâll get whatâs coming to him.â
#Tyler and Esme series#Tyler Rake#Tyler Rake fanfic#Tyler Rake fan fiction#Extraction#Extraction 2#Extraction fanfic#Extraction fan fiction#Tyler Rake x OFC#Chris Hemsworth#Esme Drummond#Esme Drummond-Rake
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Silence for a few minutes. The cloud of Billieâs thoughts all but filling the room like a smoke as she stares down at the blankets, her legs drawn up cross-legged on the mattress. A tear hits the sweats with the softest of sounds, and another, and when she finally looks up at Nell her face is painted with them. She says like sheâs begging for something, âHe canât love me. I donât deserve it.â
Nell comes and sits on the bed beside her, wrapping an arm around Billie's shoulders. "None of us deserve to be loved, child. We're all broken angry selfish horrible people. But we were also made to love and be loved and we do. Do you still love Mattie when she's having a shrieking fit? Do you still love Brian when he's at his most provoking? Deserving has nothing to do with it. It can't."
For a moment Billie stiffens but then she lays her head down very slowly on Nellâs shoulder. âWere you even listening the other day? When I was screaming like a harpy? Weâre not talking shrieks and provoking. Weâre talking⌠terrible things. And there is nothing stopping me from going right back to them.â
"Yes, I was." Nell rubs her hand up and down Billie's arm. "There is a Love that covers a multitude of sins, child."
âHe thinks he can cover them but he canât. Thatâs whatâs so stupid about all this. He thinks he can just breeze in here and everything will be better. But itâs not better. Itâs getting bad again.â
"I don't mean Brian, child â although he does love you, and he won't let it go back to the way it was before â I'm talking about someone Who can help you change entirely, and wash away all that guilt and shame you're dragging around."
Quiet for a moment. âI donât think thatâs possible. Itâs like itâs⌠itâs all just fact now. Itâs like toothpaste out of the tube. Rancid, poisonous toothpaste. And now I get to watch my family smear it around.â
Nell smiles a little out the window, eyes soft and thoughtful, and begins to sing under her breath. "What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." She blinks and looks down at Billie. "Toothpaste can be wiped up, child. Thrown in the trash to never be a problem again."
âIt canât be. This is how it is here. Youâve been here long enough now to see. Itâs like a⌠curse or something. Riser thinks heâll be able to love Nik enough and talk to her enough and whip her enough and she wonât grow up to be just another knocked-up, drugged-out Indian girl. But heâs wrong. Heâs wrong because sheâs mine and the bellâs already been rung. You canât unring it.â
"But it can ring a new song, child. Yours can ring a new song. Nikki's can ring a new song," Nell insists. "Child. Look at me. Look at me."
Billie does, slowly, as if her head weighs a thousand pounds.
"Your past is foul, child. Mired in darkness and sorrow and brokenness and corruption," Nell says fiercely. "But so are we all. And you do not have to remain mired in that darkness and death. There is a helping hand that has been extended and waiting for you for years, waiting for you to take it. Will you lift your head out the mud of your own shame and look?"
Billieâs eyes scrunch shut. âYou sound like my grandmother.â
"Do I?" Nell asks, rather amused. "So you have seen the hand. Why would you prefer to flop around in the mud then? Do you think that hand can't pull you out?"
âI donât⌠I donât know how to take ahold of it.â
Nell ponders a moment. "What has your grandmother told you about the man named Jesus?"
Billie paints a weary hand down the side of her face. âThat he was⌠God. That he was⌠I donât understand it. That God made a law and humans broke it and instead of punishing them he punished⌠himself? I donâtâŚâ She drags her fingers over her eye. âAnd then the Great Spirit made coyotes out of someoneâs liver or something, probably, I donât⌠itâs just⌠mythology.â She lifts her head and looks at Nell and says like sheâs suddenly begging, âItâs just mythology.â
"It is not," Nell contradicts firmly, but she is smiling a little. "Look at the world around you, Billie. Do you not see the hand of the Creator in it? In your infant child you are carrying?"
âI donât know what I see. I see the wind. Itâs always winter. I see my children raped and dead in a ditch when I sleep. My grandmother sees things before they happen. The only difference is sheâs not afraid.â
"Would you like to not be afraid?"
âThe only time Iâm not afraid is when I sleep next to your son. And now Iâve ruined that, too.â
"I can tell you of a Comforter Who is with you always."
Billie laughs a little with her eyes closed. âNow that would be something.â
"It is something," Nell says earnestly. "His hands around me were the only thing keeping me going some days. Some years."
âSo why you. Why you and not me? Nothing has kept me going. No hands. None but Riserâs and I have⌠slapped them off.â
"Because I have accepted that outstretched helping hand, child, and you have not. But it's still there. It will be there waiting for you your whole life." Nell adds rather dryly, "And despite his promises I very much doubt you've slapped Brian's hands away for good."
Billieâs eyes slide shut. She says very softly, âI think I need a few minutes.â
Nell pats her arm and stands. "I'll be here all day if you want to talk more." She goes out.
-From the last chapter of Clans of the Coyote-Girl
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