#northeast Wyoming

[trainmaniac]

Osage orange by Dean Sauvola Via Flickr: A pair of SD70ACes make for a respectable fake on the rear of a coal empty. The true head end can be seen in the distance towards the top of the hill. East of Osage, WY on the BNSF Black Hills Sub. September 9, 2023.

[evilsecretshopper]

yellowstone

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #18

May 10-17 2024

The Justice Department endorses lifting many restrictions on marijuana. Since the 1970s marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive classification for drugs that are highly addictive, dangerous and have no medical use, like heroin. Schedule I drugs are nearly impossible to get approval for research studies greatly hampering attempts to understand marijuana and any medical benefits it may have. The DoJ recommends moving it to Schedule III, drugs with low risk of abuse like anabolic steroids, and testosterone. This will allow for greater research, likely allow medical marijuana, and make marijuana a much less serious offense. President Biden welcomed DoJ's decision, a result a review of policy he ordered. Biden in his message talked about how he's pardoned everyone convicted of marijuana possession federally. The President repeated a phrase he's said many times "No-one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,"

The Department of Interior announced no new coal mining in America's largest coal producing region. The moratorium on new coal leases has been hailed as the single biggest step so fair toward ending coal in the US. The Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and Montana produces 40% of the nations coal, the whole state of West Virginia is just 14%. The new rule is estimated to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 293 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, the same as taking 63 million gas powered cars off the road.

Vice-President Harris announced that the Biden-Harris Administration had broken records by investing $16 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris, a graduate of Howard University, is the first President or Vice-President to have gone to a HBCU. The Administration's investment of $900 million so far in 2024 brought the total investment of the Biden-Harris administration in HBCUs to $16 billion more than double the record $7 billion. HBCUs produce 40% of black engineers, 50% of black teachers, 70% of black doctors and dentists, and 80% of black judges. HBCUs also have a much better record of helping social mobility and moving people out of generational poverty than other colleges and universities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $30 billion dollars in renewal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program supports 2.3 million families that are in need of housing with vouchers that help pay rent. This funding represents a $2 billion dollar increase over last year.

The Department of Agriculture announced $671.4 million in investments in rural infrastructure. The money will go to project to improve rural electric grids, as well as drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. The money will go to 47 projects across 23 states.

HUD announced a record breaking $1.1 billion dollar investment in Tribal housing and community development. HUD plans just over 1 billion dollars for the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program. This is a 40% increase in funding over 2023 and marks the largest ever funding investment in Indian housing. HUD also is investing $75 million in community development, supporting building and rehabbing community buildings in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Department of Transportation announced $2 billion in investments in America's busiest passenger rail route, the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston. This is part of a 15 year, $176 billion plan to rebuild the corridor’s infrastructure and prepare for increased ridership and more trains. So far investments have seen a 25% increase, 7 million riders, over figures last year. a fully funded plan would almost double Amtrak service between New York City and Washington, D.C., and increase service between New York City and Boston by 50%. It would also allow a 60% increase in commuter trains.

HUD announced plans to streamline its HOME program. Currently the largest federal program to help build affordable housing, the streamlining of the rules will speed up building and help meet the Biden Administration's goal of 2 million new affordable housing units. HUD announced last week $1.3 billion dollars for the HOME program, which built 13,000 new units of housing in 2023 and helped 13,000 families with rental assistance

The Department of Interior announced $520 million in new water projects to help protect against drought in the western states. The funding will support 57 water related projects across 18 western states. The projects focus on climate resilience and drought prevention, as well as improving aging water delivery systems, and improving hydropower generation.

The Departments of Agriculture and HHS have stepped up efforts to wipe out the H5N1 virus prevent its spread to humans while protecting farmers livelihoods. The virus is currently effecting dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle region. The USDA and HSS are releasing wide ranging funds to help support farms equipping workers with Personal Protective Equipment, covering Veterinary costs, as well as compensating farmers for lost revenue. HHS and the CDC announced $101 million in testing an monitoring. This early detection and action is key to preventing another Covid style pandemic.

The Senate confirmed Sanket Bulsara to a life time federal judgeship in New York and Eric Schulte and Camela Theeler to lifetime federal judgeships in South Dakota. This brings the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 197. For the first time in history the majority of a President's judicial nominees have not been white men.

Bonus: The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that transgender health insurance exclusions were illegal. The ruling came from a case first filed in 2019 where an employer refused to cover an employee's gender affirming surgery. The court in its ruling sited new guidance from the Biden Administration's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that declared that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects trans people in the work place. These kinds of guidelines are often sited in court and carry great weight.

[socialistexan]

Very interesting trend I've been noticing.

Conservative Californians have been moving to the more conservative Texas in huge numbers the past I'd say 7-8 years or so and really a large reason why the state has stayed red despite trending purple before then (and why housing prices have spiked)

Now all of the conservatives born in Texas who hate seeing even a single out of state plate are moving to the even more conservative Oklahoma to get away from the "Commie-fornia Libs" who ruined their glorious conservative utopia

I guess the next step is for the conservatives born in Oklahoma to move to, idk, Wyoming? North Dakota? Florida? to get away from the Dall-assholes from the Peoples Republic of Austin who ruined their glorious conservative utopia

Anyway, my queer communist throuple is moving to the Northeast to escape all this shit.

[dream-world-universe]

Colorado, United States: Colorado is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Colorado borders Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico to the south, Utah to the west, and meets Arizona to the southwest at the Four Corners. Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. Wikipedia

[stawpny-2]

OK HC TIME WHILE THESE ARE STILL IN MY HEAD

-Florida has a doorless jeep wrangler, neon orange or pink, I can’t decide

-not a hc but I love how massyork is finally getting more recognition. You can’t just say “nobody can kill you but me” and brush it off as normal saying

-Mass yells at children in airports and train stations and makes them cry. It isn’t his fault they aren’t moving 🙄.

-Maryland curses. A lot. Virginia has to put him in the corner but he always escapes.

-I think New York’s hair grows really fast so like one week he has a buzz cut and then like two weeks later he has a mullet.

-I like the idea of the states being famous and having social media platforms. I feel they would post the stupidest things ever of each other. (They all have gov blocked too)

-wyoming’s only weakness is swimming.

-the national guard has been called on each northeast state on more than one occasion.

-all you hear in Times Square is “Welcome To New York”, “Empire State of Mind” or, “New York, New York” (TS, Jay-Z +Alicia Keys, and Frank Sinatra) If NY can hear car honks and yelling and stuff, I fear he would hear these songs ON REPEAT. (poor guy)

^imagine like crying and just constantly hearing: “In new yooorkk, concrete jungle where dreams are made of!! There’s nothing you can’t dooo!”

it probably makes him feel worse 😔

[lewmagoo]

i smile at the moon | rhett abbott

description: in which two wild souls become knit together as one

warnings: 18+ only, werewolves, violence, animals fighting, perry abbott slander, mentions of death, family drama, mentions of blood, smut, breeding kink, unprotected sex (basically a mating ritual lol), possessiveness, creampie, biting, scratching, all around animalistic themes

pairing: werewolf!rhett abott x f!werewolf!reader

notes: yeah so this started out as me wanting to write naughty werewolf smut and then it turned into a 10k+ word story complete with my own werewolf lore. thanks to @lovinglyeternal bc they basically created this monster by sending me a werewolf rhett concept. you are responsible for my insanity ;-)

He could smell you. 

Each inhale of your scent was intoxicating. Stronger and sweeter than anything he’d ever smelled before. Citrusy, in a way. Warm and spicy like a hot cider. 

All his life he’d been told that the scent of one’s mate was unique and indescribable. The most wonderful, appealing, all-consuming scent. Before he found you, he’d tried to imagine what it would smell like. His mama’s brown butter chocolate cookies, fresh out of the oven? Cotton candy, from the county fair? The comforting sweetness that hung in the air of his favorite childhood ice cream shop?

However, all of those scents paled in comparison to you. It hit him like a freight train the first time he met you. His knees went weak, his spine tingled as if he’d been struck by a bolt of white-hot lightning. It hit you just as hard, overwhelming your every sense. At that very moment, both of you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you were made for each other. The Fates had brought you together and your bond would never be severed. 

You would never forget that first meeting in the woods. You were part of a neighboring pack. New to the region, having recently migrated from your old home because tensions between your pack and a rival one had grown to concerning levels. 

To avoid a full-blown war, your pack had moved out west, hoping to start fresh. And a fresh start was exactly what you found. But little did you know that it would also lead you to find the one you were destined for. 

You met him the day his pack came to make a formal introduction and welcome you to the region. The Northeast Wyoming pack was comprised of the Abbott family descendants. 

However, the pack was not as great as it had once been. What used to dominate the entire northeastern region of Wyoming had been reduced to a very small family of wolves. Royal, the alpha. His wife Cecelia. Their son, Perry; the eldest and next in line for alpha status, and their younger son, Rhett. Finally, there was Amy, Perry’s young daughter. 

Rumor had it Perry once had a wife, but she’d ultimately left the pack and chosen to become an omega. Or, so you’d heard. 

When you heard the pack was coming to welcome you to the area, you had no idea what to expect. These were potential allies, but if something went wrong, they could very quickly become your enemy. You hoped it wouldn’t come to that. You were tired of fighting and wanted nothing more than to finally enjoy a season of peace. 

Little did you know that you were about to meet the one you would mate with for life. 

They came at sunset, bearing gifts. Food for your table. Good bottles of wine. They even brought a few toys for some of the small children in your pack.

Cecelia did most of the talking. She was warm and friendly and gave you a hearty welcome, informing you that she was so happy to have new neighbors in the region, and was looking forward to rebuilding the community they’d lost over the years. 

Silently, you wondered why their pack was so small. Yours had nearly twenty members. Theirs had five. Perry had a child, an heir, already. Which left Rhett, the only one who hadn’t furthered the bloodline yet.

Of the whole family, he was the last one to arrive that night. Royal made an offhanded comment about him always being late, and how he was just being lazy. The comment rubbed you the wrong way. Especially since Rhett wasn’t even there to defend himself. You didn’t even know the man, but you already felt a strange sense of protectiveness toward him. 

Odd, you thought. But instead of dwelling on it, you simply turned and joined the rest of your pack, ready for the evening’s festivities to begin. 

Rhett arrived a little while later. A rickety old GMC Sierra pulled into the gravel driveway, and it caught your attention. You glanced over to see a young man climbing out of the driver’s side. You couldn’t quite see his face yet, but you could tell he was handsome. 

That’s when you caught it. The breeze blew in your direction, and a scent unlike anything you’d ever smelled before filled your entire being. Deep and musky, like pine and woodsmoke, yet sharp and fresh, like the air after a rainfall. 

It pulled the deepest of gasps from you, and you dropped the stack of plates you’d been carrying out of the house for the outdoor supper. You vaguely heard your mother calling your name, asking what was wrong, but you hardly registered it. Without another thought, your legs were moving of their own accord, carrying you straight for the brunette-haired man walking up the lane. 

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a figure quickly approaching. But that wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the scent. Sweet and spicy and delicious. He tensed, his eyes widening as his nostrils flared slightly. He’d never been hit with something so strong and irresistible. Suddenly his world was spinning off its axis as he realized what this meant. 

His heart began to pound in his chest. His palms grew clammy. His knees went weak. And then, suddenly, you were in front of him, eyes glowing yellow, bright as the sun, and he thought he was going to suffocate right then and there as the breath left his lungs. 

You weren’t sure who moved forward first. But all at once you were in each other’s space, like two lovers reunited after years apart. 

Rhett leaned in and pressed his nose to the side of your neck, breathing in deeply. You buried your face against his chest and inhaled sharply. This was customary for wolves. Especially ones mated to each other, to greet one another by taking in the other’s scent.

When you parted, you realized that his eyes were glowing, too. 

“It’s you,” he whispered, awestruck. His chest heaved. He could hardly take in oxygen. 

You barely knew what to do with yourself. You were so overwhelmed that all you could do was stare at him, drinking him in. The one you had dreamed of since you were small. Your hands lifted of their own accord, and you ran them over his face. Down his neck. Across his chest. Feeling that he was in fact real and that this wasn’t a dream. 

Then, when you found your voice, you breathlessly spoke. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.” 

Rhett finally found the breath he needed, and a disbelieving laugh brushed past his parted lips. He could hardly believe his eyes. Here you were, standing before him. The one he thought he’d never meet. He’d been certain that he was cursed to go through life without a mate. Yet here you were, standing in front of him, and an all-consuming sense of elation buzzed through him, like fizzy champagne in his veins.

You watched as he took a step back, his boots crunching against gravel as he threw his head back, face turned to the sky. He took a deep breath and let out a deep wolf howl, sounding through the wilderness. It echoed off the trees and it shook you to your core.

You couldn’t help the laughter that began to pour from your mouth. Laughter of disbelief. Laughter of joy. Laughter of love. “It’s you!” You repeated his own words from moments prior, still laughing, so happy you could barely contain it. 

He looked back at you, his eyes, back to a thrilling and human blue, framed by smile lines as he grinned at you. His howl had alerted the rest of your pack, and his own, and moments later, they were all gathering in the clearing to see what was going on.

You grabbed Rhett’s hand, holding it up high as your fingers intertwined. “I’ve found him!” You cried. “I’ve found my mate!”

That night, what had started as a friendly dinner between new neighbors turned into a celebration that lasted well into the night. It was a joyous occasion, to find one’s mate, deserving of an extravagant celebration. 

You swore you didn’t stop smiling for the entire night. The realization that in a moment of divine fate, you had met the man you were going to spend the rest of your life with. Your soulmate. The half to your whole. Suddenly, all the strife that you’d gone to just to get to this point seemed all worth it. Because now, here was this beautiful man beside you, rugged but gentle, with kind eyes and a shy smile. And he was everything you’d dreamed he would be. 

Your families gave you time alone that night, and you walked beneath the light of the half moon, side by side, straying away from all the activity to find a quiet spot. 

You sat in a clearing in the woods and you talked for hours. You told Rhett all about your pack, and the unrest that had forced you to move all the way out here to Wyoming. You spoke of each pack member with such reverence and respect, and it sent a pang of envy through him. 

He revealed to you that he did not have the most positive relationship with his family. 

“We’ve, uh, we’ve been through some shit, the last few years. It’s put a strain on the pack. ‘specially my relationship with my brother.” He gazed out across the expanse of the woods, and in the silver light of the moon, you saw a sadness in his eyes. “His wife Rebecca left him and Amy. He didn’t take it very well.”

“That’s sad,” you whispered sympathetically. “Do you know why she left?”

Rhett’s eyes remained trained toward the distance, and you didn’t miss the way his jaw tensed. “Don’t tell my folks I said this, but he ran ‘er off. I saw it comin’ from a mile away, but everybody else seemed blindsided when she wound up running for the hills.”

“Were they mates?” You questioned. 

“Nah. Perry said they were, but they weren’t. He didn’t want to wait to find his mate. Went against pack customs just so he could have Rebecca for his own. She went along with it at first. Even had a baby with him. But when I tell you I ain’t never seen a more unhappy woman in my life. She was a nice gal but she was fuckin’ miserable with my brother. Eventually it got so bad that she up and left. Didn’t even take Amy with her, that’s how bad things were,” he explained. 

Your eyes widened at the thought. You’d always been told that the bond between mama wolves and their pups was unmatched, running deeper than even the lowest depth of the sea. For one to just up and leave her baby was unheard of. It made you shudder to think just how terrible things must have been to push Rebecca away like that. 

You shook your head. “Poor Amy.”

Rhett hummed in agreement. “Her mama’s been gone a year now. She’s adapted okay, but she seems kinda lonely. Kids at school can’t relate to her because they ain’t wolves like she is.”

“I guess it really was fate that brought us here then, huh? All my little cousins will befriend her, she won’t have to worry about feeling as alone anymore.”

He smiled softly, glancing at you. “Sure am thankful to that Fate fella. I’ll have to thank him if I ever meet him face to face. Thank him for bringin’ you to me.”

It was your turn to smile, and you turned your face away, hiding the shy glimmer that lit up your eyes. But Rhett reached out, hooking his fingers under your chin and turning your face back toward him. “I know we’ve got some more formalities to go through before we’re joined together, but I want you to know that right here, right now, I’m pledgin’ myself to you and only you for the rest of my life.”

You closed your eyes, breathing in deeply again, letting his intoxicating scent wash over you once more. “And I pledge myself to you,” you replied. 

Your gaze remained fixed on his own, and his hand shifted, moving to cup your cheek. His eyes flickered to your lips, then back up to your own eyes, as if asking permission. You gave the tiniest of nods, and he leaned in, so close you could almost taste him. 

Until, suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded through the woods. You broke apart abruptly, and Rhett sighed, rising to his feet. “That would be my mama.”

You couldn’t help but giggle. “Guess we should head back then.”

And so you did, walking hand in hand back to the house. You knew from that moment on that everything was about the change. You would soon begin the ritual of preparing for your wedding, a formality in which your packs would be joined together through your matrimony. Everything you had been dreaming of for your entire life was finally coming true, and it all felt so close, yet so far. 

That night, after you bid goodnight to Rhett, you went to bed with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. You fell asleep dreaming of the life you would lead together. A future that held many unspoken promises. A home of your own. A growing family that would carry on your bloodline, one of the greatest honors that could be bestowed upon a wolf. 

In the following weeks, much preparation was made. You began the process of getting to know Rhett, spending many nights going on walks, learning the inner workings of one another. And then came the week just before your wedding. A night on which the moon hung low and full-bellied in the sky. The night you shifted beneath the glow of that very moon, sharing the very special and intimate moment of transforming into your wolves.

Rhett’s wolf was deep brown, almost black, with the softest fur you’d ever felt. He was breathtaking, and as you shifted into your own wolf, you found yourself nuzzling into him, letting him know you were there, that you were with him until death did you part. 

And then, finally, your wedding day arrived. It was a beautifully warm day. The sun filtered through the trees and cast dapples of light all over, like rays of magic falling from the sky. You’d kept things simple, as wolf weddings normally were. A crown of flowers placed delicately upon your head. A simple, flowing dress. Bare feet so you could feel the forest floor beneath you.

You stood before Rhett, underneath the swaying leaves of a century-old weeping willow, where you spoke your vows to one another, and joined yourselves, and your packs, as one. 

As you pledged yourself to your mate, you wept tears of joy, and when he kissed you, so tenderly and reverently, you held onto him tightly, as if he might disappear if you let go. Now that you’d found him, you never wanted to let him go. 

“I’m yours,” he whispered against your mouth. 

“Forever,” you echoed. 

The celebration that followed was grand. Music and dancing, old folk tales told around a bonfire whose flames seemed to touch the very sky. It was the most wonderful night of your life, and nothing could steal your immense joy away. 

And so, your life together began. Your union brought your families together, and gave the Abbotts a sense of community that they had not previously had. Just as you’d hoped, Amy made friends with the young ones in your pack. Your parents developed a strong connection with Royal and Cecelia. The rest of your family was warm and welcoming. 

As you became integrated with the Abbotts, you made the decision to live on their property. Before you’d even met, Rhett had been in the process of converting the old barn loft into an apartment. It soon became a project that you worked to complete together. A home built with love, filled with love. 

Through that process, while you waited for the apartment to become livable, you took up residence in Rhett’s childhood bedroom. It was small, but it was comfortable, and it smelled like him, your favorite scent in the whole wide world, so you were content. 

Living in the house allowed you to grow closer to his mother, and especially to his niece Amy. Your heart ached for the little girl and all that she had been through. You longed to be a comfort to her if she needed it. And much to your utter joy, she took well to you. 

“I’m happy you’re mated to Uncle Rhett,” she told you in earnest. “I’ve never seen him smile so much before. I can tell he really loves you.”

Her words made your heart warm in your chest. “I’m happy, too,” you replied. 

The girl’s face fell a little as she looked down at the napkins she was folding for the dinner table. “I wish my mama and daddy had looked at each other like that.”

And in an instant, your heart was breaking in your chest. 

The absence of Rebecca Abbott weighed heavily on the entire family. Cecelia still held out hope that she would return. Royal liked to claim that she’d gone and “shacked up with a good-for-nothin’ lowlife.” Perry liked to insist she was going to come back any day and beg for his forgiveness. 

Rhett believed otherwise. “I don’t think she’d ever come back here in a million years. Either she found another pack, or she’s out there still runnin’ around as an omega,” he told you. 

Rhett’s belief that she wasn’t coming back, and Perry’s insistence that she was, often caused tension between the brothers. They both tried to remain civil for Amy’s sake, but it seemed that Perry was only growing more restless as time went on. 

He would get especially agitated just before the full moon. Which was natural for any wolf, but with him, it seemed to increase tenfold. And when his anger and bitterness reached its breaking point, he would take it out on whoever was in his path. Usually, it was Rhett. 

You would never forget the first time you witnessed him blow up at your husband in front of you. There was one thing you were certain of in that very moment: it was going to be the last time he ever did it. 

A perfectly quiet family dinner in the Abbott kitchen was disrupted when the conversation turned to Rebecca. It was Perry who brought her up, claiming that he was certain she would return soon, that he could feel it. 

It was very common for wolves to be able to feel when their mate was near. You always felt Rhett’s presence when you were apart, and it was that much stronger when you were together. 

However, you and Rhett both knew what utter bullshit it was for Perry to claim he could feel her when they weren’t even mates to begin with. And his comment pushed Rhett to react. 

“Quit sayin’ she’s gonna come back. You and I both know she won’t ever come back here again, Per.” The moment he said it, Rhett wished he could take the words back. Not because of his brother, but because of Amy. 

Her wide eyes flickered up from the plate that she’d been staring at. But instead of looking at Rhett, she looked at her father. 

“Is that true, Dad?” She asked, her voice small. 

Perry clenched his jaw as he glared at his brother. “Now look what you did. Got my daughter all upset.”

Rhett sighed. The child needed to hear the truth. “Look, Ames. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Your mama isn’t coming back.”

Without so much as a warning, Perry shoved his plate away, which bumped his glass of water and sent it spilling across the table. You tensed beside Rhett, afraid of what was coming. 

“Perry!” Cecelia exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at her son’s outburst. 

He stood up from his chair, its wooden legs scraping against the linoleum. “What’d I fuckin’ tell you, Rhett? You’re really gonna upset a little girl like that and rip away the last shred of hope she had left?”

Rhett sighed deeply, shaking his head. “It’s better than you lyin’ to her about it.”

“Fuck you!” He shouted. “Ever since you brought this bitch into our home you’ve been subscribing to her fuckin’ ideals.” He motioned toward you. “She probably put you up to this, didn’t she? Told you to destroy what hope my daughter had left.”

At the derogatory comment directed at you, Rhett shot out of his seat, quick as lightning, his eyes glowing. You followed suit, immediately on the defensive. 

“Alright, enough!” Royal barked. But even his authoritative tone didn’t get the attention of his boys. 

“Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”

“It’s true! She’s fuckin’ changed you, man. Turned you into someone I don’t even recognize.”

“Yeah, she changed me! Into a better man! Which is more than I can say Rebecca ever did for you! Oh wait, that’s because she wasn’t even your mate to begin with!”

“Stop!” Amy cried, already in tears. “Just stop!”

But it was too late. Perry had been pushed over the edge, and before anyone could even register what was happening, he was lunging. Cecelia tried to grab him, but he was too quick, and in seconds, he was crowding Rhett’s space.

But he didn’t get very far. Much to your own surprise, you moved faster than you ever had in your life, placing yourself in front of your husband. Your body burned with the overwhelming desire to protect. Your eyes flashed yellow, and you bared your fangs, growling lowly. 

“Touch him and I’ll drop you right where you stand,” you snarled. 

Perry growled right back at you, his eyes going bright yellow to match your own. You knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he made another move toward Rhett, you would go for his throat. 

“Dad, stop,” Amy spoke up. She got up from the table and ran to stand between you both. She let out a little growl of her own, entirely non-threatening, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to see her family fighting. “Please. Everyone just stop! I don’t want you to fight!”

“Listen to your daughter, Perry,” you spoke out. You could feel Rhett against your back, ready to act if need be. 

A beat passed. You held Perry’s gaze, unwilling to back down. Another beat. Then, finally, he surrendered, stepping back. He knew it wasn’t worth it. It was suicide to go up against another wolf’s mate. When it came to protecting what was yours you would fight to the death. Perry seemed to know he wouldn’t stand a chance. 

He had no idea what it was like. He’d never experienced that deep, primal, territorial need to protect. Not with Rebecca. He had it with Amy, but that was different. She was his child, it was natural to protect her. But he had no idea how deep the bonds of two truly mated wolves went. He couldn’t bond with Rebecca in that way because she’d never been his to begin with. 

Rather than fight a losing fight, Perry stalked away that night, leaving the rest of you in the kitchen to process what had just happened. And Amy, who remained in front of you until her father disappeared from the room, finally turned, and rushed into your arms. 

Your heart broke as she began to cry. “I’m sorry!” She whimpered, apologizing for her father’s behavior. 

It only made you angry, because it wasn’t fair that this 9-year-old little one had to apologize for him. You hated all she had been subjected to in her young age. And that was the moment you pledged to always look out for her. If her mama wasn’t going to do it, then you would. And you would do a damn good job of it, too. 

After that night, Perry steered clear of you. He seemed to realize that if he were to ever challenge you, you would kill him. No hesitation. He didn’t stand a chance. Rhett knew that you had his back, and you would always stand by him, even when faced with adversity brought upon him by his own family. 

That protectiveness was a two-way street. Rhett looked out for you just as fiercely as you did him. And while you were busy defending him against his brother, he was going to bat for you against other things. You would never forget the first time you saw him physically defend you. It was seared into your mind like a brand.

You were out on a hike with Amy. It was blackberry season, and she was desperate to pick them while they were perfectly ripe. Her grandmother was too busy with other gardening endeavors to go out into the woods to help her pick wild ones, so you offered to go instead. 

Before the heat of the day grew too overwhelming, the two of you set off, with you leaving a kiss against Rhett’s lips and a promise that you’d be back in time to join him for lunch later that day. Amy was so excited, babbling excitedly the entire hike up into the woods. 

She was fascinated by all things nature, and she knew the area like the back of her hand, so she was well aware of where the very best berries grew. She led you deeper and deeper into the woods until you came upon an entire gathering of sprawling blackberry bushes, ripe for the picking.

“See? I told ya!” She excitedly said, running on ahead of you, her tin bucket swinging in her hands. 

You couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness, quickening your steps so you could catch up with her. What followed was an hour-long blackberry picking process, and after the fact, that bucket was full to the brim with ripe, juicy berries. 

“Grandma’s gonna be so happy! She can make her blackberry preserves! And blackberry pie! And blackberry syrup for pancakes!” She spoke a mile a minute, informing you of all the ways the berries could be used, and how she couldn’t wait for you to try them all. 

However, you found yourself growing distracted when the wind carried a strange scent in your direction. You paused, lifting your head and breathing in deep. Something didn’t feel right. Amy noticed this, and she eyed you curiously. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I smell something,” you replied. The hair on the back of your neck stood on end. 

Amy turned, sniffing at the air. Then, suddenly, she gasped. “Cougar,” she said. 

You glanced around. You couldn’t see it, but you could tell the animal was close. You’d never had an encounter with a cougar. While you knew you could hold your own against an animal like that, having Amy in tow only made you nervous that the cougar would try to harm her. Surely it would be able to sense that you were wolves and not normal human beings. But maybe that would only make things worse. 

You wrapped your arm around Amy’s shoulders. “Let’s just go. Maybe it’ll leave us alone.”

But no sooner had you spoken than you heard a bone-chilling growl, and you turned, catching sight of a large cat just ahead of you. Your blood turned to ice in your veins, and on instinct, you pushed Amy behind you, keeping a hand on her as you slowly backed away.

You locked eyes with the cougar, flashing your golden irises, hoping that would be a deterrent. However, the cat only bared its fangs and crouched back on its haunches. Your heart began to hammer in your chest. There was no time to hesitate. 

“The second he jumps, I want you to run,” you told Amy.

“But I don’t wanna leave you!” She exclaimed, trembling with fear. 

“You can’t shift yet. You’re safer running than you are staying here with me,” you emphasized. Amy was just a baby, her wolf hadn’t even made its appearance yet, and even if it had, it would only be a pup. Not strong enough to fight a fully grown cougar. 

“But-” she never had a chance to finish the sentence, because in a flash, the cat was lunging at you. Amy let out a shrill scream that carried through the trees. 

On the Abbott ranch, Rhett’s head snapped up when he heard the scream. He had been hard at work trying to finish up the project of converting the old barn, but at the sound of his niece’s shriek, he dropped the tools he was holding. 

A shock of what felt like electricity rippled through him, and he grunted, realizing that you were in danger. Without a moment’s hesitation, he was running, hyper-focused on the area that the sound had come from. As he ran, his body shifted and transformed, until, moments later, he was no longer a man, but a sleek, black wolf, running fast as the wind. 

In the woods, you were preparing to fight for your life. You physically tossed Amy out of the way so that when the cat landed, it would hit you instead of her. You didn’t even have time to shift into your wolf. Or, rather, white-hot terror blossomed within you when you realized you couldn’t shift. 

Your fangs had elongated and your claws had come out, but your body remained in its human form. And when you realized this, it was too late. 200 pounds of muscle crashed into your chest, sending you back toward the forest floor.

You screamed, growling as threateningly as possible, but it didn’t seem to do much to scare the animal. You thought for certain that this was it, that you were going to die right then and there. But then, in a flash of black fur glinting in the sunlight, an earth-rattling roar ripped through the air, and in a split second, the cat was no longer on top of you.

Gasping sharply, you sat up, eyes wild as you took in the sight before you. There was Rhett in his wolf form, and he had the cougar by the neck. Beside you, Amy let out a sob as she scrambled toward you. You grabbed her, wrapping your arms protectively around her, turning her face away so she wouldn’t have to watch. 

The cat snarled and hissed, clawing at Rhett’s wolf, and it caught him on the side, at which he let out an agonized yelp that made you flinch. But he quickly regained dominance and in seconds, the cat let out an inhuman screech and quickly scrambled away from the wolf, turning to hiss once more before running off, wounded, into the woods, clearly realizing it was not going to win this fight.

Rhett followed after it to make sure it was long gone. In the meantime, Amy was crying against your chest. “Is it gone?!” She whimpered. 

You ran your fingers through her honey-colored hair, soothing her softly, even as your own body still trembled with fear. “Yes, baby. It’s gone.”

She sat upright, glancing around. “Where’s Uncle Rhett?!” Her voice was panicked, terrified.

But you didn’t have to reassure her, for seconds later, the wolf returned. Amy scrambled to her feet and ran to him, falling to her knees as she threw her arms around his neck. The wolf whined lowly as he nuzzled against the girl, sniffing at her to make sure she was unharmed. 

As you approached, he locked eyes with you, and you knelt beside Amy, reaching out to run your hand over his fur. You could tell he was hurt. The slash in his side from the cougar’s claws was bleeding crimson. But he wouldn’t rest until he saw you both to safety.

“Thank you,” you whispered, and he rested his head upon your shoulder before he finally pulled away. He pointed his head toward the trail home, wanting you to follow, and so you did. Amy gathered up her half-spilled bucket of berries, grabbed onto your hand, and followed Rhett’s wolf out of the woods and back toward the house. 

It was only after he made sure that you and Amy were safely returned home that he allowed himself to shift back to his human form. As Cecelia fussed over Amy, Rhett trotted after you into his bedroom upstairs, and as soon as the door was shut, his fur faded away, giving way to pale, smooth skin. Within moments, there was your husband kneeling bare before you, all signs of his animal form gone. 

“Baby,” you breathed, falling to your knees in front of him, reaching your hands up to hold his face. “You’re hurt.” The claw marks along his ribs looked even worse in his human form. 

He shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ll heal,” he replied. Then it was his turn to check you over for any harm. “Did that son’bitch hurt you?”

“I…I don’t think so. Just scared me, is all. I couldn’t shift, and by the time I realized that, it was on top of me.”

Rhett’s brow furrowed as he frowned, large hands coming up to rest against either side of your neck. “It’s ‘cause you were scared,” he whispered. “It’s happened to me before. I froze up, got so fuckin’ into my head that my wolf didn’t wanna come out.”

“Really?” You asked, a little relieved that you weren’t alone.

“Yeah. She’ll come out again, don’t you worry.”

You hummed in understanding, happy that Rhett knew exactly what you were dealing with, and that it was nothing to worry about. Then, the time for realization kicked in. The realization that it all could have been so much worse, and you were lucky that Rhett stepped in when he did. 

“Thank you,” you whispered, after you’d both finally stood, allowing Rhett to gather a clean set of clothes. “I feel so fucking useless, not being able to protect Amy the way I needed to. I hate that I froze up. I’m just so relieved you heard us and got to us in time.”

Rhett shook his head, stepping toward you as he finished pulling on his jeans. String fingers tilted your chin up. “You did your best in a fuckin’ scary situation. Hell, you were ready to sacrifice yourself so Amy would be safe. That’s not you bein’ useless. You protected her just like any mama wolf would protect her pup.”

His words brought unexpected tears to your eyes. When he saw them glimmering along your lash line, he smiled softly, thumb stroking over your cheek. “You did good, little wolf.”

The nickname, which he’d dubbed you after the first few weeks of knowing you, made you smile, despite the tears running down your cheeks. 

After that encounter, it seemed that your bond only deepened. You grew even closer than before, your hearts knit together by an unbreakable invisible force. And as your love blossomed and flourished, you crossed the threshold of new milestones together. 

One of those milestones was finally moving into the old barn that you’d been renovating together. It had gone from a barebones wooden shell to a cozy home with room for your family to grow. It allowed you to still remain near the rest of your combined pack, but also gave you a haven of privacy. Gone were the days of sharing his childhood bedroom and trying to stay quiet while in a house full of wolves with keen hearing. Now you had your own space to do whatever you pleased together. 

Although moving into your own space was a very big milestone for you, it was nothing compared to what was coming your way. 

There was a very special and celebrated time that took place between werewolf couples. Much like regular wolves, werewolves had a mating season. The first season shared between mates was pivotal in their relationship. 

You and Rhett had yet to experience that season yet. On your own, you had endured heats before. It was only a natural occurrence. But you had heard that the heat you experienced on your own was nothing compared to that first one you would experience with your mate. 

Secretly, in your own mind, you had fantasized about what it might be like. You were already insatiable enough as it was during heat. The thought of it being increased tenfold was unimaginable for you. 

You knew the pattern of your cycle. It was easy to follow. You would enter into heat twice a year. Once in the springtime, and once in autumn. Each time it would last around 7 to 14 days. 

Your marriage to Rhett took place in early summertime. Which meant, along with the changing of leaves and the cooling of the air, you would soon be entering into that heat stage. You knew it was coming. It was marked in red on your calendar. 

You were nervous, to say the least. While you were eager to experience it with him, it was all so new. Sex was not a foreign concept between the two of you. You’d had it plenty of times since your marriage. But this was different. This was a primal, instinctual ritual. One that could potentially result in your bloodline being continued. 

You were entirely unprepared for just how intense it would be. As the season turned, your body prepared itself for another cycle. It started subtly at first, but soon grew into so much more. 

Possessiveness and protectiveness over your mate was the first thing you noticed, increased even more so than usual. That possessive streak reared its ugly head when an unsuspecting human girl tried to flirt with Rhett. You found yourself pulling him against your side and quite literally growling at her. It was not your proudest moment, but you could not control the wolf inside you. She did what she wanted. 

The protectiveness came when anyone disrespected him. It didn’t matter who. Although Perry generally tried to steer clear of running his mouth at Rhett in your presence, there were times when he slipped up. And this time around, you found yourself with your claws at his throat when he made a comment under his breath. 

���Say it again,” you hissed, baring your sharp canines. “Go on, say it!”

It took both Rhett and Royal to pull you off of him. That instance, however, you were not sorry for. You would never be ashamed of defending your husband. 

Soon, the irritability and possessiveness melted away into something else. Your every sense was heightened. Your already keen wolf senses were increased to the point where you could hardly even bear it. 

And then came the desire. 

Nothing in the world could have prepared you for how all-consuming it would be. It hit you like a freight train, slamming into your body and sending you into orbit. It started as a dull ache that very quickly began to spread throughout your body. 

The first day you woke up with it, you were animalistic. It drove you out of your slumber and sent you shooting upright in bed, growling as you pressed your hands against your lower abdomen, where the ache had settled. 

Much to your utter dismay, Rhett was not in bed beside you. He was more than aware about your approaching heat, and he tried to spend as much time with you as he could. But that morning, his father had called him out of bed at an ungodly hour to handle an issue with an injured calf. That took him away from you, and when you discovered he was gone, you let out a pained yowl, curling into a ball. 

“Rhett!” You desperately cried out, hoping he was still nearby. But you were met with no answer. 

Groaning, you dragged yourself out of bed, and you gasped sharply, placing a hand over your mouth when you realized that your need had soaked straight through the panties you’d worn to bed. They weren’t just damp. They were drenched. 

When you stood, your knees almost buckled, and your hand shot out to steady yourself against the bedpost. “Holy fuck,” you whimpered. You had never in your life felt such a sensation. 

It was an ache so strong that there were no words to describe it. An agony that was not quite painful, but maddening nonetheless. And there was only one way to soothe it. Rhett was the only one capable of easing the burning fire. The only one who could act as a soothing salve. But he was nowhere to be found. 

How could he just leave? In your agitated state it only served to upset you all the more. He knew you were coming up on your heat. He knew you needed him. How could he leave you all alone to deal with it?

Of course, he hadn’t done it on purpose. That morning when he’d woken before the sun, he could smell you. Your scent had increased, its spicy sweetness making his head spin. But he knew how Royal would get if he refused to help his father with the issue at hand, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the man’s contrariness. 

Leaving you in bed that morning had been incredibly difficult. But he left with the hope that this project wouldn’t take long, and he’d be back with you before you ever woke up. 

But that was four hours ago, and he was still dealing with an injured calf, a distressed mama cow, and one irritated Royal Abbott. The situation had given Rhett a distraction, but back at home, you had none. 

You swiped your phone off of your nightstand with the intent of calling him to see where he was. However, when you dialed, you were alerted to the sound of ringing coming from his own nightstand. He’d left his phone at home. 

You growled in frustration, tossing your phone onto the bed, just as another surge of molten need vibrated through you, sending you to your knees. Your body trembled, and the intensity was so great that you could feel yourself beginning to shift. 

Your claws lengthened from your fingers, ripping shreds into the side of the duvet as you held onto the mattress for support. You felt out of control, and it was a scary feeling. You hadn’t felt this way since your first full moon, and even that wasn’t comparable to how intense it was now. 

The full moon didn’t leave an agonizing ache in your cunt like this. No, this was solely the result of your body’s natural drive to mate. But how on earth were you meant to do that if the one you were mated to wasn’t even here?

Tears welled in your eyes, and you forced yourself to rage deep, ragged breaths. Maybe if you could just get to the bathroom, you could put yourself under a cold shower and hopefully snap yourself out of this feverish state. 

You stood on unsteady legs and stumbled toward the steps, which you rushed down until you made it to the main floor area below the loft. You burst into the bathroom and immediately turned on the shower to a cold spray, stripping out of your shirt and panties and jumping in. 

You hissed as the chilly water enveloped you, cascading down your heated skin. It provided a small amount of relief, but it didn’t take the discomfort away completely. 

You knew that you couldn’t relieve the ache yourself, but that didn’t stop you from trying. You reached a trembling hand between your thighs, running your fingers over your center, your legs nearly giving out as you brushed against your swollen, thrumming clit. 

You let out a sharp whimper and jolted forward. You tried to soothe your need to be filled by using your fingers, but they were nothing compared to Rhett. His fingers, his cock. They didn’t reach that spot inside you that made you see stars. You were left feeling unsatisfied and even needier than before. 

In frustration, you leaned back against the shower walls squeezing your eyes shut and trying to steady your breathing. You imagined this was how wolves felt in the wild. You hardly felt like you could exercise your human control anymore. You’d heard of werewolves shifting permanently into their wolf bodies and giving in to their wild nature. It didn’t seem that far-fetched that it could happen to you. 

In the midst of your plight, Rhett had just looked at the sky and realized that the sun’s placement must mean it was nearly 10 o’clock in the morning. His eyes widened. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed since he’d left early that morning, but it had been almost five hours. He knew you were awake by now, and probably desperate as all get out. 

He patted his jeans for his phone, but found his pockets empty. And then he remembered, he’d accidentally left it behind that morning. “Shit,” he cursed. He snatched up his Carhartt jacket that he had draped over one of the stall doors. “Dad, I gotta go,” he called out to his father.

“Hang on,” Royal replied, but Rhett shook his head, already halfway out the barn door.

“M’ wife needs me, I gotta get back. Ask Per for help if you need it.” And then he was gone, scrambling out into the cool October morning. His mind was spinning as he pictured you home alone. You were likely at your wit's end. 

Sure enough, when he finally made it to the house, it was your scent that nearly knocked him flat on his ass as he walked through the door. He grunted as if he’d been kicked in the gut, stumbling back against the wooden door. 

His every sense was overwhelmed by you. Deep, spicy, sweet. Irresistible and divine, all at once. His heart rate began to quicken in his chest, and he gasped as he straightened, hastily kicking his boots off by the door. “Little wolf?!” He called out.

At the sound of his voice, a sob of relief tore from you. You had just climbed out of your cold shower, towel wrapped around your body. “Rhett!” You wailed, your voice coming out as a desperate, animalistic yowl. 

He knew exactly where you were, he could hear the pounding of your heart, the shallowness of your breath. He was drawn straight to you like a moth to flame, and within seconds, he was at the bathroom door, just as you flung it open.

“Rhett!” You wailed again, throwing yourself into his arms as sobs wracked your body. “Wh-where were yo-you?! I needed you and you were gone! Why did you leave me?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry baby. Dad needed help and I didn’t think I’d be gone that long, but that was five fuckin’ hours ago. I’m sorry.”

You clutched at his shirt, and he gasped when he heard a rip, only to find that your claws had torn through the fabric of his flannel. “Shit, okay, hold on,” he told you, pulling you back to look fully into your face. Your skin was damp, but it wasn’t from the shower you’d just taken. You were sweaty but also hot to the touch, as if you had a high fever. 

Your eyes were glowing gold, and through your parted lips he could see your fangs. And oh, how you trembled. So much so that he had to hold you steady so you didn’t fall. “Please,” you whimpered, “it hurts so bad, please, I-I can’t take it anymore! I feel like I’m on fucking fire!”

Rhett was overwhelmed. You smelled so good, like the natural scent that had drawn him to you when you first became mates. But there was something else, something that could only be described as sex. It felt like it was altering his very brain chemistry.

Then he growled, deep and low in his throat, and pressed his nose to your neck, breathing in deep before he began trailing lower, in search of the source. He ripped your towel away from your body and nuzzled at you until he finally stopped between your thighs, pressing his nose against your cunt and inhaling. 

You gazed down at him, and his own eyes flashed yellow to match yours. Possessively, he nipped at your inner thigh. “I’m here now, little wolf,” he assured you, “I’ll take care of you.”

“Please,” you sobbed, “I can’t…I don’t know if I can…” but the words died in your throat. 

He straightened back up, leaning in to kiss you deeply as he quickly shrugged out of his shirt, tossing it aside before you reached for his belt, trying to unbuckle it, but quickly growing tearful and frustrated. He shushed you with another kiss and unbuckled the belt himself, shoving his jeans and underwear down his legs all at once, freeing his already hardening cock. 

As soon as you saw it, you mewled, dropping to your knees and rubbing your face against the velvety skin. Rhett grunted, his head spinning at the sight of you nuzzling your cheek against his dick. You were so far gone, and it was dizzying to him. 

“Need it so bad,” you whined, kitten licking the tip as the shaft hardened. “Need it so deep inside me.”

“I’m gonna give it to you, promise,” he rasped. Then he hauled you to your feet, with the intention of pulling you up to your bedroom in the loft, but you never made it. You couldn’t wait another second, and in a flurry of desperation, you grabbed onto him, tugging him hard and sending you both to the floor. 

He landed on his back as you climbed on top of him, but in true wolf fashion, he snarled, wrestling you until you were the one lying on your back on the floor. In this way, he showed his dominance over you, securing his right to be your mate.

“Gettin’ big for your britches, little wolf,” he muttered as he ran his nose over your flesh, inhaling you. You had very quickly turned to putty in his hands, especially when you felt his cock against your inner thigh.

“Need it! I need it, please! Please, please, please!” You wept, entirely forgetting your little fight for dominance that had taken place moments earlier. The ache between your legs had increased all the more. A throbbing, burning, crushing ache that made you feel like you were suffocating, as if you’d die if you didn’t become one with him in the next few seconds. 

Rhett looked down and he saw why you were so desperate. Your cunt was puffy, and with the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows, he could see how wet it was. You’d only been on the floor for a few moments but your arousal had already dripped down onto the hardwood. “Oh my god,” he whispered in amazement. 

He couldn’t contain himself if he tried. He placed his hands on the floor, at either side of your head, and nudged his hips forward. When you felt the blunt head of his cock against you, you whimpered. It burned, it burned, it burned. Until, suddenly…

“Oh!” He was inside you in one fluid motion. Every last inch of him, filling you to the brim, fitting inside you like he was created to. Because he was. You were two unique souls made perfectly for each other. 

“I’ve got ya, sweet baby. I’ve got ya,” he assured you as you whimpered and whined at the fullness. 

And suddenly, all at once, that terrible, gnawing ache began to fade. It felt like a healing salve to a grave wound. You gasped, your eyes widening as you gazed up at your husband. “Rhett,” you squeaked.

“I know.”

Tears filled your eyes as you finally felt relief for the first time that day. Those same tears began to track down the sides of your face, and you couldn’t help but let out a breathless sob. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and clung to him as he began to slowly move. 

With each push and pull of his cock within you, your body reacted accordingly, providing you with even more lubricant until he was moaning, gasping at the feeling. “Shit, darlin’, you’re dribblin’ all over me.”

“S-sorry,” you peeped, squeezing your eyes shut. “Ca-can’t help it. Feels too good. Feels…oh, feels so fucking…good…”

You threw your head back as he built a rhythm, slow at first, but the pace soon quickened. Back and forth, faster and faster, until it could only be described as rutting. You felt so fucking full, and he kept you that way, barely pulling his hips back, instead fucking you in a pulsing motion. It was too much and not enough. You started to grow desperate again. The ache was gone, but it had been replaced with molten heat, as if your insides were melting. 

“Harder, harder, harder!” You cried out.

He obliged, grunting laboriously as he drove into you harder. You wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him close as he plunged his cock into you repeatedly. The sounds escaping both of you were animalistic. Growls and snarls and hisses, the wild animals caged within you trying to claw their way to the surface. 

He was so deep inside you, every ridge and vein of his cock creating such divine friction within you that it felt like you were being burned alive in the most wonderful, indescribable way. 

Your claws dug into the tender flesh of his back, and he gnarled, snapping his teeth at you, but not in a threatening way. He nuzzled into your neck, the sharp tips of those fangs pressing against your pulse point, and you whined, leaning into the pleasurable pain. 

His teeth drew blood, and as soon as the crimson blossomed against your skin, he used his tongue to soothe over it, licking up your lifeblood. The bite mark healed quickly, as injuries normally did, but you could still feel the sting even after it was gone. 

And then, something else happened. It was common for werewolves to shift partially, where their eyes, fangs, and claws became visible. But it was also common for them to grow a little in stature, too. 

You could feel it. His muscles rippled beneath your touch, expanding. His shoulders grew broader. And something else, grew, too. When you felt it, you let out a wolfish yip, jolting against him as his cock swelled within your cunt.

“R-Rhett,” you squeaked, and he shushed you, kissing you languidly.

“You’re okay, little wolf. Feels good, don’t it?”

You managed to nod despite yourself. Your tears kept falling and they wouldn’t stop. But they weren’t tears of pain. Quite the contrary. It didn’t matter that he was growing inside you. Your body was designed to accommodate it. The feeling was incredibly pleasurable, and it sent an intense shudder through your body.

You screwed your eyes shut and mewled as he kept rutting into you, stretching you, filling you, completing you. This felt right. This felt good. This felt like the most natural thing in the world. And it was. Your bodies were joined as one. One force, one soul, one heart. 

“You feel so good,” you repeated yourself, unashamed of the tears still streaming down your cheeks. “So good, so good, so good.”

His hips quickened within you. His hands remained at either side of your head, and you could hear his claws gouging into the hardwood. He’d be pissed about that mark later, but right now, he couldn’t be bothered to care. Nothing else mattered but this. Fulfilling this natural, primal, raw desire to claim, and be claimed. 

The intensity mounted, like a kettle beginning to boil. You held onto him so tightly, encouraging him to go deeper, faster, harder. And he did, until it felt like he was fucking you into the floor. 

He leaned back to watch you, admiring the way your eyes rolled back in your head, the way you shuddered so powerfully, as if you’d just been struck with a bolt of lightning. It felt like you had, because each nudge of his cock in your slick walls sent sparks surging through your core. 

His eyes flickered further down, to the place where your bodies met. Where your cunt clasped him in a vice grip. “Takin’ me so well,” he gruffed, at which you whimpered. Then, you felt his big, warm hand splaying against your lower abdomen. “Gon’ fill you up, little wolf.”

“Please,” you squeaked. 

“Yeah?” He leaned in close, and you opened your eyes, finding golden irises gazing back at you. “Yeah? Want me to get you full of me? Take all my seed like you were made to?”

You cried out, jolting against you when he thrust forward particularly hard, sending your body vibrating with ecstasy. “Need it so bad!” You practically shrieked.

“I’ll give it all to you. Get this pretty tummy nice an’ round. Full of my pups.”

At his words, your entire world tilted on its axis. Your brain went blank with white-hot pleasure. All you knew was “yes, yes, yes!” That was what you wanted. That was what your body was begging for. To mate. To be bred. 

Rhett kissed you again, swallowing your babbled pleas. You felt as if you were not of your body. Like you were floating over yourself, watching your husband fuck you. It was unlike anything you’d ever felt before.

Your body shook and shivered. Your eyes rolled back in your skull. You couldn’t speak. You could hardly breathe. It was immeasurable. Indescribable. You were certain you were going to pass out from the ecstasy. It surged through you from head to toe, sizzling and sparking, illuminating the very edges of your soul, sending you into orbit.

You swore you did black out for a moment. How was it possible that something could feel this good? You had experienced all-consuming pleasure before, multiple times. Rhett was a generous lover who always made you see stars when he fucked you. But this was different. This was mind-bending, soul-shattering, earth-shaking.

You didn’t realize you were repeatedly chanting his name. It left your lips like a prayer, breathlessly whispered up to the heavens. He spoke to you, but you couldn’t hear him. You were deafened by searing pleasure, ringing in your ears, rattling your very bones to their marrow. 

You barely registered his mouth at your neck again, teeth nipping into tender flesh. All you knew was that you were existing on an otherworldly plane. And then you felt it. That flame that had been burning inside you was growing. Hotter, bigger, more intense.

Rhett could feel it. You were trembling uncontrollably, body convulsing as if you’d been struck by raw electricity. Your cunt kept pulsing around him, tightening so intensely that he almost struggled to move within you. 

“Let go,” he rasped, knowing that he, too, was nearing his end. He could feel it, crackling to life at the base of his spine, thrumming within his heavy, aching balls. He was driven by his need to fill you with his very essence. 

“I-I’m c-co-” but you couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come. They were impossible. So you simply cried and wailed beneath him, so certain you were about to burst into flames, reduced to nothing but ash.

But you didn’t burst into a fiery inferno. Instead, every nerve, every neuron, every atom of your body was consumed with something you could never, ever describe with mere mortal words. 

Your eyes went wide as you locked your gaze with Rhett’s. Mouth open, chest pressing into his as you jerked forward. And then it hit you. Hard, deep, stretching over every inch of your body. You let out a carnal howl, which surely echoed for miles outside of your home. 

You fell apart around your husband’s cock, keening, sobbing, consumed by blazing euphoria. You felt as if you were part of the universe, an explosion of blazing stars, scattered brilliantly across the universe in a blinding, breathtaking array.

You thought it would end, but it didn’t. Your eyes flew open when you realized you were still coming. “Rhett!” You shrieked. “I-I c-ca-can’t stop!”

His mouth fell open as he gasped sharply, grunting as your body continued to undulate beneath him. But he couldn’t reply, for suddenly, he was overcome. His own release rushed through him in an overwhelming surge, and his grunt turned into a yowl. The heat of his release flooded the very core of your being, filling you until it spilled out around the edges of his cock, dripping down to the floor beneath you.

It took what felt like an eternity for you both to come back to yourselves. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but once Rhett regained feeling in his extremities, he gingerly lifted himself from where his body had fallen against your own.

His eyes were back to their familiar human blue, so brilliant and comforting all at once. His face was soft with concern, and he lifted his hand to gently stroke your tear-dampened cheek. “Y’ okay, little wolf?” He asked. 

You couldn’t find your voice, so you simply nodded, sniffling softly. He soothed you, leaning in close to kiss you deeply. “That was…fuck, that was a lot,” he continued on. 

“I-I know,” you whispered, barely audible. 

Gently, he eased his cock out of you, and you let out a heartbreaking cry at the emptiness. One that he soothed with another kiss. He brought his hand down between your legs, cupping your dripping cunt, soothing any pain he might’ve caused. But you weren’t in pain. Far from it. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. Got a call from Dad this mornin’ about a calf that got hurt, had to go deal with that and it took all fuckin’ mornin’, and by the time I realized what time it was, it was too late. I know I shouldn't ‘ve left you all alone like that, and I’m sorry.”

You shook your head, reaching up to cup his cheek. “It’s okay. When I was crying at you about it I…I don’t think I was in my right mind. I’ve never felt like that in my entire life. Felt like I could crawl out of my own skin. Hurt so bad, I needed you somethin’ fierce. I’ve had heats before but nothing could ever compare to this.”

Rhett hummed, lifting his own hand to place over the one you’d rested on his cheek. “From now on, I ain’t leavin’ you. Don’t want you goin’ through that alone again. I’ll stay with you until it’s over.”

You nodded. “I’d like that.”

You spent a few more moments on the floor, catching your breath and processing what had just taken place. Rhett glanced at the claw marks he’d left in the hardwood and groaned in annoyance. “Next time you wanna fuck like animals, let’s do it in bed, where I can’t mess up the woodwork I broke my back tryin’ to get perfect,” he grumbled.

You couldn’t help but giggle. “Noted,” you said. 

You allowed him to help you up off the floor, and he pulled you to him, naked bodies pressed together. His gaze grew serious. “I love you, little wolf. I’m gonna take good care of you while you go through this, alright? Don’t want my darlin’ sufferin’ on my watch.”

You beamed at him and bumped your nose against his. “I know you will. You always do.”

Again, he kissed you, and then he guided you back to the bathroom from whence you’d come. There, you showered together, cleansing yourselves of your previous activities. For the time being, you were sated, and that terrible, gnawing ache was gone. What followed was this strange sort of floating feeling. Your bodies were producing special pheromones which intensified the bonding process immediately following sex. 

You felt so connected to Rhett, even more so than you ever had before. It was a little overwhelming. After your shower, you refused to part from one another. You stayed close, curling up in bed for a little rest after such an exhausting morning. Rhett lovingly wrapped you in his embrace, your still bare bodies intertwined. 

He traced patterns on your skin with his fingertips and told you all the things he loved about you. He confessed how grateful he was that you were his mate, and how he’d been lost before he met you. You spoke of your future together and what it might entail. Including the little ones you might add to your family if the Fates smiled down upon you.

You connected on an entirely new level, and it only served to knit your hearts closer together. And then, you drifted off into a peaceful slumber, cuddled in each other’s embrace.

But your body would soon wake you again, and you would be reacquainted with that all too familiar ache. This time, however, Rhett was with you. You found yourself whimpering, crying for him as you shook him awake. 

He remained perfectly calm as he soothed you, kissing you so lovingly as he arranged your body into position. Slowly, steadily, he eased himself into you again, joining your bodies as one. 

“You’re okay, little wolf. I’m right here. I’ll always be right here.”

And you knew he would.

-

tagging (a mix of those already on my taglist/those who might be interested):

@cdauni @gothamrots @happyrebelruins @bobfloydsbabe @myfandomchangesalot @mikpieboo @petersunderoos96 @eighthwvnder @yanna-banana @bradshawsbaby @bradshawsbitch @sebsxphia @basiccortez @thesluttyarchivist @rhettabbotts @milesmillergf @briseisgone @laluneveillesureux @gohnspants @bobfloyds @wkndwlff @damrlova @withahappyrefrain @michaego

[laurellynnleake]

🚨 June 6th 2024: USA COVID Alert 🚨

SARS-CoV-2 rates are rising across the USA, especially in the West - mask up to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Remember, the US government is now actively hiding COVID data across Turtle Island, hospitals are rarely testing or masking, and death certificates do NOT list COVID-related complications like heart attacks and strokes. That means we have to rely on public wastewater data (measuring viruses in sewer water), and even that's being suppressed, and everything's on a 2 week delay. So when the numbers we CAN see go up (like the current official 430,000 infections per day), that's just the tip of the iceberg...Right now wastewater numbers are about TWICE AS HIGH AS THEY WERE LAST JUNE, before the US declared the pandemic over.

These graphs are from wastewaterscan.org and Iowacovid19tracker.org. They collect a lot of local and national data too - look up your own area!

SARS-COV-2 aerosols hang in the air like smoke, and can infect you hours after the contagious person's gone. Keep yourself safe by wearing a well-fitting respirator mask (like N95s or KN95s) whenever you're in CROWDED and COVERED areas, and when CLOSE to people (that includes outside pride events, protest rallies, backyard cookouts, etc). Whenever possible, keep indoors air moving by opening windows, and improve air quality with HEPA air filters (ex. DIY Corsi-Rosenthal box fans).

If you're sick: https://tinyurl.com/currentlysick

Mask database: https://tinyurl.com/maskdb

Air filtration resources: https://cleanaircrew.org/

How To Talk To Your Loved Ones About COVID: COVID.tips

You do NOT want to get COVID-19 if you can avoid it - the initial infection can be nasty, and the long-term effects brutally disabling. Wearing a mask is the quickest and easiest way to break the chain of transmission, and to stand in solidarity with marginalized people fighting to survive across the globe.

Spread the word and take care of each other out there!

[ID 1: Screenshot of IowaCovid19Tracker on June 7th, showing a map of SARS-CoV-2 viral activity in the USA for the last week of May 2024. Hawai'i is blue with the highest "Excessive cases", followed by Wyoming and Utah (red, "Substantial"). New Mexico, Nevada, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, Missouri, Maryland, California, Washington, and Texas are all orange, meaning "Moderate" cases. Most of the Northeast and Alaska are yellow, or "Low", with the remaining states green, or "Minimal." ID 2: Screenshot of WasteWaterScan.org tracker showing data for all sites averaged together as a single line graph. The line starts at late March 2024 to early June, at around 275 parts per million (SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids found in wastewater samples). It slowly decreases to about 125 per mill by April 21st, then slopes upward jaggedly until it spikes to around 375 at the end of May. ID 3: A screenshot of the WasteWaterScan.org tracker showing data for all sites stacked on top of each other in a line graph, with the lower end of the spectrum having so many blue lines so as to appear almost as a solid color. The graph shows late April to early June, and has the most lines around 200 parts per million, but a good handful of lines extend up to 2400 parts per million. Below the line chart, a historical chart shows a longer view, with peaks in the winter of 2023 and 2024. Looking at the last month or two on that scale, there appears to be an uptick starting in mid May that is about twice as high as the same time in 2023.

[abchavenforanon]

List of wttt headcanons I think the fandom shoudl really think about

Transfem Butch Colorado

Middle Eastern Michigan

Transmasc Wyoming

Transfem Illinois

Transfem WV (Ben actually implied this on his patreon, fun fact)

Lavender / Coverup Marriage Illithiya and Utah

Intersex Minnesota (its literally her color palette guys /j)

Transfem MISSissppi and MISSouri

-🪼

oooh this is incredible. at first I read middle east as northeast and got very confused- but middle east michigan is so fun. ben implied transfem west virginia on his patreon?? what else have I been missing over there? (/lh) and intersex minnesota is wonderful. I would love to see more of all of these :D

[yippeeometer]

Idk if these are considered rare pairs, but here are some of my fav rare pair ships :D

FlouiSconsin (FL/LA/WI)

FloYork

TexYork

Texas/Wyoming/Montana

*you don't have to answer any of these, please do not feel forced to :D*

gonna answer all of them try that on for size

FLOUISCONSIN:

u just know theyre the ones throwing the new years party and its literally insane. typa guys to craft a massive stone boulder so they can actually say the ball dropped on the new year. typa guys to be researching haunted things on ebay to make halloween parties realistic.

their nights out should be classed as an olympic sport. Yeah you may have won a gold medal for sprinting but 1000% 3 drunk guys being chased by a zoo animal they accidentally let escape are faster than you.

something tells me they'd be the scariest people to sit near. theyre always giggling. always watching. what can they possibly be talking about.

they own like 2 pairs of real shoes between all of them and then just various non matching crocs

since sconsin has to be soooo far from the other two they just constantly have him on facetime. all day. theyre joining in on midwest arguments they know nothing about. theyre tattling to the south as soon as any drama goes down.

FLOYORK:

they serve couple-that-isnt-divorced-but-should-be vibes. theyre SICKENING omg two of the most insane people youve ever met.

we dont play around enough w the true extent of flo's madness he'd probably fill york's room w rats bc he heard that he likes them and york, matching his freak perfectly, would find it romantic. everyone else looks on in horror.

flo turns up at northeast meetings like an in-law at family gatherings to watch the drama. he definitely has a twitter account called 'weird shit my husband's family has fought over'

two strange guys with strange passions for animals. theres a collection of gator-sized sweaters in their closet that york gives flo whenever they argue (frequently)

'youre a snowbird' 'youre a leaf peeper' have you considered youre insufferable.

TEXYORK:

i acc love this ship youre never alone when yippeeometer is at the shipyard

theyre gonna be a slow-burn but in the sense that york's natural way of speaking is in one-word sentences and texas (daddy issues galore) would instantly be freaked out. local northeast man now befuddled how his flirting is not being picked up on.

oh god theyre sooooo awkward around each other. southern hospitality vs 'i can f*cking do it myself' northeast. match made in hell. hate them. no one knows how to communicate but also its sooo not casual when he begged u to come down to his ranch so he could teach u horseback riding. was it casual when he stopped the whole 'more than a city' shtick bc he wanted to show ONLY u around.

abnormal behaviour galore.... daddy issues galore..... typa guys where theres two wolves inside them (must protect him) (ab to get soooo vulnerable around him)

TX/WY/MT

cowboys!

typa guys where their only way of flirting is through the medium of horses. this is my horse shes called angel. yeah she fast. want to ride my horse? no seriously you have to ride my horse. u can even wear my hat when u do it but its totally chill or whatever....

its actually not chill they all compete at rodeos against each other and they WILL make it ur problem when it ruins the relationship.

farmer men..... farmer men..... grrrrrr what a yeild of crops..... just got some cows...... u can see them if u want...... u can stay in my bed.....

montana would have such fun with mr. 'pay attention to me or i die' texas and mr. 'no one look at me or ill kill myself' wy. sat at the table trying to maintain eye contact constantly with one whilst completely ignoring the other to not make the whole relationship obvious (its the most obvious thing in the world.)

[trainmaniac]

Ups and downs by Dean Sauvola Via Flickr: Another coal empty loops down off a ridge east of Osage, WY. Even though the Black Hills Sub only traces the edge of that namesake feature it doesn't mean the route CB&Q blazed to the northwest is flat. Much of the Black Hills Sub could be described as "rolling" alternately crossing ridges and steams that originate in the Black Hills just to the northeast. At the bottom of this particular dip the mainline crosses Skull Creek, a mere 530 miles west of Lincoln, NE. I like how the rounded bottoms of the coal gondolas echo the fuel tanks on the power. September 9, 2023.

[fandomgeeknerd]

ok i'm done i did it here it is ( i got done with this last night but i knew it wouldn't get any traction if i posted it last night)

and now i will list off every book on this list so you guys can know

list under cut cus listing 50 books is long af

the west: the night before christmas in nevada by sue carabine, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oregon by Susan Blackaby, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Washington illustrated by Jo Parry, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona by Jennifer J. Stewart, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in New Mexico illustrated by Jo Parry, 12 little elves visit colorado by trish madson, santa's sleigh is on it's way to wyoming by eric james, 12 Little Elves Visit Montana by trish madson, The Night Before Christmas in Idaho by sue carabine, Santa Is Coming to Utah by Steve Smallman, santa's sleigh is on it's way to alaska by eric james, Hawaiian Christmas Day by Beth Greenway and you already know cali's book.

the south: Santa Is Coming to Tulsa by Steve Smallman, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Arkansas illustrated by Jo Parry, Christmas Stories from Mississippi by Wyatt Waters,I Saw Santa in Alabama by JD Green, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia by Susan Rosson Spain, the Charleston 12 Days of Christmas by Vickie Trippe, The North Carolina Night Before Christmas by E. J. Sullivan, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Tennessee by Alice Faye Duncan, An Old Kentucky Christmas by pat lucas, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in West Virginia illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa's Visit to Maryland by Lynn Roxy Gambrill, I Saw Santa in Virginia by JD Green, Santa's Sleigh Is on Its Way to Delaware by Eric James, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C. by Candice Ransom, you guys already know what tex, loui and flo's books are.

the midwest: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in North Dakota illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa Is Coming to South Dakota by Steve Smallman, 12 Little Elves Visit Nebraska by trish madson, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Kansas City illustrated by Jo Parry, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Missouri by Ann Ingalls, Santa Is Coming to Iowa by Steve Smallman, A Minnesota Christmas by Ryan Jacobson, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Wisconsin by Erin Eitter Kono, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Illinois by Gina Bellisario, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Indiana by Donna Griffin, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Ohio illustrated by Jo Parry, A Michigan Night Before Christmas by Norma Lewis.

the northeast: Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas by Chet Williamson, The Twelve Days of Christmas in New Jersey by Margaret Woollatt, Santa Is Coming to Connecticut by Steve Smallman, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Rhode Island illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa Is Coming to Massachusetts by Steve Smallman, now maine has two books one is The Lobsters' Night Before Christmas by Christina Laurie and the second one is One Maine Christmas Eve by Douglas Coffin, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Vermont illustrated by Jo Parry, and lastly Santa's Sleigh Is on Its Way to New Hampshire by Eric James and you guys already know ny's book.

ok now enjoy this post bye

[moobloom-mention]

On the Road Again

Summary: Wukong's come to enjoy his life as a small town sheriff. It's quiet, the townsfolk are kind (for the most part), and he's got a fresh cup of coffee every morning.

That doesn't mean he'd turn down an opportunity to deliver cattle to a town a week's ride south, especially not when MK's excitement is so contagious over it.

Content Warning(s): Cursing

Word Count: 1828

What do you mean it's November already.

----------

Of all the things he could've grown into, Wukong never thought it'd be the shoes of a small town's sheriff.

His youth had long shaped his life to follow the guidelines of a nomad of the eastern countries, forever drawn to the calling of the wind and the grass stomped beneath the hoof of a rust-colored horse. After all, he had little but the soft hiss of sand within his hourglass of life to worry about- a force that'd kindled his rising desire to experience the world.

Er, at least the "world" that was western America.

But Wukong had never taken much interest in the eastern states anyway. He'd long heard tales of the culture there, one that frowned upon the thrills of what life could offer to those willing to risk their young life. He'd much preferred the west's strong ties with nights full of gambling and drinking, of the days he could wake just shy of noon and only concern himself with packing up camp before finding a new road to travel down.

He swears he still has a handful of maps he'd constructed that detailed the best towns to visit from California's southern coast to Wyoming's new northeast border and everything in-between. The more northern-oriented maps hadn't been used often even back then; the risk of winter's fury became far too unpredictable further up the country.

Not that he'd ever need an excuse not to visit a town. Life had given him the mercy of freedom to do as he pleased. If avoiding the north and eastern areas of the country was what he wished to do, so be it.

Yet decades of living life without roots began to chip away at its charm. No longer was it a thrill to ride atop a horse's back for long periods of time- not with the way his saddle would burn at his thighs or how the natural sway of his ride would twist his stomach into knots.

Instinct's call for stability sang its tune sweeter and sweeter, an oasis in a land that had only ever known of sand and heat. It became only a matter of time before he'd surrender to such a saccharine song.

And so now, at the ripe age of forty, he sits in a chair tipped back just enough to allow his boots to settle on a desk made of pine and a mug of fresh coffee in his hands. It's hardly a relaxing morning despite the peaceful picture it paints, only a thinly veiled mask of calmness beneath the foamed rivers of anxiety.

Wukong lets himself bask beneath the office's air of restlessness, the atmosphere mostly stirred in the occasional pacing his deputy takes up between his readings of mail. It's certainly a reaction he can't blame Azure for.

A town down south- Tucson, the mailing address had read -was inbound for an emergency cattle trade. Apparently, autumn's beginnings hadn't been too kind to the livestock of the town and spurred frantic letters requesting cattle at any cost.

While a damn shame for a town Wukong is fond of for his own reasons, the news had been taken quite well when delivered to a cattle ranch only a five-minute ride from his office.

"We wouldn't mind helping at all!" the wife there had chirped, pleasant as ever. "Don's been meanin' to get rid of some of the cattle anyway."

The corners of his mouth twitch downward, his frown hidden behind the lip of his mug. The couple had asked far too many questions about Tucson's desperation for their livestock and even more follow-up questions about the price the town was willing to pay.

As if a town's livelihood meant nothing if it didn't make them a pretty penny. Such a sentiment had left a taste as bitter as the coffee he now sips on.

He presses two fingers between his eyebrows, squeezing the skin tightly as if it'd do away with the memory. He has better things to concern himself with anyway.

Like making sure he hadn't missed anything for the trip today.

The horses had already been tacked up, their saddlebags chalk full of rations and an array of gun ammunition. He'd even packed an extra rifle, one whose rattle had spooked the other horses in the barn.

The only thing Wukong couldn't account for was a toolkit for cattle hooves. Only the gods knew how frequently those creatures managed to dig a rock too far into their hoof or turn the nail terribly crooked at the most inopportune moments.

Still, it isn't like he'd had normal access to such a kit anyway. He'd left that job to-

"Kid's here."

Wukong's barely able to lift his mug from the table before the office's door swings open, its wood slamming against the doorframe with a force grand enough to rattle the old building. Just as expected it jostles the table beneath his feet in a true testament to MK's excitement.

With his mug back in hand Wukong manages one last swig of his drink, its liquid thick and warm against his tongue. Gods he'll miss it.

"Sheriff!"

"Kid," Wukong greets with a tip of his head. "Ya' ready to head out for the cattle?"

"Yep! Already talked to the Cullens and everything. They've got the herd in a pen just outside of town. We just need to unlatch the gate."

Wukong's eyebrow lifts. "They didn't hold you up, did they?"

"No, but-"

MK pauses, gaze turning curious. Wukong knows the question before it leaves his throat.

Thankfully the sheriff beats the kid to his next words. The last thing he needs is town gossip that he's grown a distaste for the family before he leaves for a month.

"I'm glad," Wukong grins, raising a hand to ruffle MK's hair. The kid only makes an indignant huff amidst his attempts to fix what Wukong had ruined. He can't find himself to feel too guilty about it- a hat will hide whatever MK isn't able to correct on his own.

Speaking of, Wukong snags his own hat from his desk before he stands, gesturing MK towards the door. He doesn't want to linger in town any longer than necessary, especially with such a long ride ahead of them.

"I saddled up Bessy this morning," he tells MK. "I know you don't like her, but she'll be better for you during the trip."

Wukong watches the way MK's face pinches into a grimace despite his attempt to look thankful. Not everyone is born with a poker face, he supposes, though it's something MK will have to learn eventually.

For now, Wukong only clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Don't give me that look," he chides, no true heat beneath his words. "You'll thank me later."

"Maybe when I'm sixty like you," the kid grins. A small attempt at rebellion so reminiscent of Wukong's youth.

"Sixty, huh?" Wukong echoes, pitching his voice high in faux offense. "If I was sixty I would be in a rocking chair, not taking you outta town."

MK shrugs. It's his smile that gives away his facade of nonchalance.

Behind them the office's door swings open and Wukong can't help but glance from MK to see why.

Azure steps onto the porch, arms crossed as he leans against one of the balcony's poles in a manner that makes his presence blaringly obvious.

The edges of Wukong's patience wane. He's not sure why he'd ever thought today would go completely smooth- gods know this town isn't the type to let people leave without the burden to guilt. Especially not the town sheriff.

"Sheriff?"

Wukong lends himself a thin smile, tipping his hat back toward MK. “Say, kid, why don’t ya’ go grab Bessy and Whiskey from the barn? I forgot to give Azure something.” 

Much to his own surprise MK doesn’t question being sent off, the kid’s expression one of understanding before he nods and wonders off toward the town’s main barn. There’s a piece of Wukong that feels both relief and the thin rounding of sadness, certain MK had a similar conversation with his father this morning. 

With a sigh Wukong lets himself turn back toward Azure, slipping his hands coolly into his pockets. When the deputy offers no words, he forces himself guide the conversation. “Fine morning to be setting off at.” 

Azure nods, though his jaw sets itself tight. “A brisk one.” 

Now that sends Wukong’s eyes rolling. Calling today’s morning cold would be like saying he’d never run into a scorpion before. Nothing but a shameless lie. 

The sun will only lift itself higher and cast harsher rays- ones that’d already begun to warm the edges of his jacket. Any reprieve in the form of a gust of wind is still as sparring as ever and tinged with the dry heat of the desert. 

“Winter isn’t for another month or two,” he dismisses with ease. “The trip should take three weeks at its best, maybe four at its worst.” 

“Still cutting it close.” 

“Listen, I hate setting off this late too. But those cattle aren’t gonna move themselves and those folk in Tucson aren’t going to wait past winter for them.” 

They couldn’t, not from the letters Wukong had been looking over. 

“There’s just...” Azure’s brows furrow and Wukong gets the sense he’s not quite sure how to voice his opinion. “A lot of things could go awry.” 

He keeps his grin firm, even as he tucks the sentiment away for reflection. Sure, cattle were unpredictable at times, but he doubts there’ll be much trouble with two extremely qualified people herding them. 

As such, he snorts. “It’s just a herd of cattle,” he echoes, and then for good measure tacks on, “The kid’s a natural with them too, you should see his work on his old mans’ ranch.” 

Yet Azure’s stare remains pinning, shadows casting his expression into one of graveness. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” 

Wukong barely manages to keep himself from frowning. Azure can’t be too worried about it if he waited until the morning of the trip to bring his concerns to light. 

“You’ll be fine,” he decides after a moment. He even offers a pat to the other’s shoulder, a movement that sends the blue tassels at the deputy’s shoulders into motion. “You know just as well as I do that this town doesn’t get much trouble. ‘Sides, what can happen in the three weeks we’re gone?” 

“You getting stuck in the snow till spring?” 

Wukong lets himself laugh as he beckons MK to finally approach with the horses. Getting stuck in the snow definitely sounded like an adventure reminiscent of his younger years but he supposes that wasn’t here nor there. 

He wouldn’t pull such a stunt with the kid at his side anyway. Especially not on MK’s first trip outside of town. 

And yet Azure’s composure slips to reveal something unimpressed. Wukong almost takes enjoyment in the doubt his deputy has over his sheriff’s timely return.

“Three weeks,” Wukong reaffirms as he casts a leg over the saddle of a rust-colored horse. It isn’t until MK settles himself in his own horse that the sheriff pulls at his reigns. “Not a day later.”

[ameliafuckinjones]

I was thinking about @genesisclub idea for America's children, where instead of having 50 state children, America has regions instead, and I've been playing around with the idea. I looked at the US regions wiki page, and it sort of gave me a clue on how many children there would be exactly and which region a child would represent. The regions are broken up into two or three divisions, so some regions will have two or three children representing it:

Region 1 - Northeast:

New England (Division 1): Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

Middle Atlantic (Division 2): New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Region 2 - Midwest:

East North Central (Division 3): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

West North Central (Division 4): Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota

Region 3 - South:

South Atlantic (Division 5): Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia

East South Central (Division 6): Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee

West South Central (Division 7): Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

Region 4 - West:

Mountain (Division 8): Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming

Pacific (Division 9): Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington

That's 9 subregions in total, which I believe @genesisclub was referencing in the op. I don't think they were born in this exact order, I just think it would probably be a neat way for America (and the government) to determine who represents what, and I think America and the regions intuitively know who they're supposed to represent. As to when exactly they were born? I'm still figuring that out, but I do enjoy the thought of them being born after the Revolution!!

Edit: Thinking maybe the regions are born when the last state from that region finally enters the Union or becomes a US territory. Or maybe when the first state from that region becomes a state or a US territory. For example, New England was probably born in 1788 when Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire became states.

[evolutiononthebrain]

do y’all think the states hung out before gov started inviting them all to meetings in 2020 cuz of covid?

like im 100% sure california only ever had contact w/ florida regularly, and that was only bcuz florida liked to bother/annoy him

the midwest and northeast frankly seem to not like each other very much, exceptions being like, Indiana or Vermont ig who are never explicitly shown to dislike another state? tho even that is shaky at BEST

the south i could see getting together for barbecue or going to the bar, but w/ the tension between the carolinas and oklahoma & texas i doubt very frequently

the west probably hung out the most? like yeah most of the west are all pretty solitary but ?? i can see it, exceptions being california and probably wyoming, based off the fact that nobody seems to remember he exists

idk i’d love to imagine theyre all besties and hang out and that theyre rivalries are all jokingly but, based on canon evidence i doubt half the states have seen each other in decades and now gov decides they all need to start attending meetings so theyre forced to interact? crazyyy

[atomicwinnerdreamland]

Heyyyyyy I saw you were taking requests :)

Can we please have some NY and Louisiana hc’s?

Hii! Yes of course :D

New York:

-He likes to paint and read. His favorite things to paint are sunsets/sunrises, architecture (CA's Golden Gate, FL's Disney World, his own buildings, etc), and plants. His favorite types of books to read are psychological thriller, fantasy, and coming of age classics (occasionally romance as well, though he'd never admit it)

-He and California have little arguments where they talk about how similar they are to each other. "I have the Brooklyn Bridge!" "Well I have the Golden Gate!" "I have the New York Times, you copycat!" "No you're the copycat, I have the Los Angeles Times!" They're not really arguments though since these conversations usually end in laughter.

-Speaking of the NYT, he likes to journal. Whenever he can't resort to violence to let out emotions, he writes his feelings out on the nearest piece of paper he can find. Sometimes he burns them, other times he keeps them in a special drawer to read for later. He also likes to write little moments that occur in his life that he finds interesting; like eating good food, making a snowman, discovering a new song he knows he'll hyperfixate on for months, etc. He also likes to write books, though most of the time they're just little picture books you could read to kids because that's all he has time for

-I've mentioned this before, but New York plays board games with California. He wins against Cal in Monopoly but loses against him in Uno. New York also plays games (board games and party games) against his northeastern besties and he's very competitive when doing so.

-He's a fashion icon. The other states ask him for fashion advice and he delivers since fashion is a passion for him 💅 He's been told he could be a model, but he never actively pursued a modeling career bc of his statehouse responsibilities

-I feel like he'd be a huge fan of Taylor Swift, especially 1989 TV. Evermore's another one of her albums that he vibes with since a song called coney island's on it and bc it's a calming album for him :)

-He's friendly to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. All three states are kind and don't annoy him, and New York appreciates that. They also all play in the snow at times. He also has a soft spot for Indiana, Wyoming, and Alaska.

-This one's a popular one, but my baby over here has insomnia. The only way he can get a true night's rest is if somebody's there to cuddle him ane calm his mind down, like *coughs* California. This fic by @alaskashigh is a great example of this if you want to read one :)

-Him and Illinois get along well. They buy each other coats for the winter and argue a lot about pizza and sports teams. Through this, New York managed to get along with Indiana and Minnesota, and now all three of them like to grocery shop together lol

-When that whole fiasco of the skies turning orange occured in the Northeast, the first person New York turned to was California, and rightfully so. California helped patch New York up and gave him advice on how to deal with stuff like that. New York told the rest of the NE what Cal told him so that they also know what to do.

-He shows he cares through gifts and actions. He doesn't say "I love you" very often, but he'd hurt anyone who hurts his loved ones, give you his coat when you're cold, make you some food, or plants specific flowers when he finds out what flowers you like. New Jersey usually helps New York with the planting part, and that's one of the rare times those 2 get along.

Louisiana:

-Louisiana hangs out in the woods with Florida and Texas just to get away from the Statehouse and to gossip.

-One of his favorite songs ever is House of the Rising Sun, and he never misses an opportunity to sing it. You can hear him sing it while he cooks, cleans, or when he does really anything. The states aren't annoyed about it though because his voice is captivating.

-He's a very comforting person. The states go to him whenever they need somebody to talk to because Loui can do it all: he can listen, cook, and make jokes.. whatever you need to feel better.

-He enjoys learning about old folk tales, urban legends, and superstitions in the US and around the world. The states often catch him watching paranormal true crime documentaries with a grin on his face, and the only state that's not unsettled by this is Florida.

-Speaking of Florida, he and Florida go on dates by doing the most dangerous stuff. Skydiving without parachutes, doing hit and runs, armed robbery in important government buildings just to make Gov mad, whatever crazy things these goons can think of. But on other times where they're feeling relaxed, their dates are just them cuddling or eating. They enjoy both bc they have each other :)

-(TW: suicide, death) If he was a normal person, he'd be dead a long time ago. He's been stabbed, shot at, beat up, hanged, basically killed, but since he's a personification he just sustained the injuries and went on about his day. When he found out he was a personification, he killed himself just to see what'd happen. Would he clearly see the paranormal stuff he likes so much? Would he see an afterlife? Imagine his surprise when nothing happened to him.

-He can read, but he just doesn't want to. He just likes to read his Mama's recipes and children's books. When New York makes a new children's book, Loui usually asks him if he can read it, and New York lets him.

-He was a nice kid in high school. Respectful to his Mama, probably indulged in some sports, escaped to the woods once in a while, and had a decent group of friends that were just as wild as him. He's the type of guy to not make any enemies, and he was one of those rare ones who were good looking in high school (I wish that were me lmao)

-He and Texas are buddies and cook together a lot. When Louisiana needs help with anything, especially natural disasters, Texas is the first one to make sure he's okay and vice versa. When Florida's off doing... something that definitely is a threat to his life and/or someone else's (aka being himself), Loui and Texas go to parties together. Loui gets drunk and usually almost blacks out whereas Texas only takes a couple drinks to make sure he and Loui get back home safe. They got each other's backs, basically.

-He and South Dakota get along most of the time, and the only time they don't is when SD talks about Pierre and pronounces it "peer". Loui doesn't take it too seriously, but they like to jokingly argue about it.

-He has a big heart and it's obvious. He likes to show love through his words and his actions. Like New York, he wouldn't hesitate to throw a punch to someone who has hurt you, but he also would stop whatever he's doing to make sure you feel loved and taken care of. He's almost burned the statehouse down once because he was comforting his buddy Arkansas, but California was around to stop this potential fire. He also likes to say he cares about you, you can occasionally hear him say je t'aime mon amour/mon ami(e) & tu es magnifique. (I love you, my love/my friend & you are beautiful).

That's all I have for now, thank you for the ask :D