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melissacameron4 · 4 months ago

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Revelation S.R.

Summary: based on the Criminal Minds episode Revelation (2x15)

Y/N Hotcher (Little Hotch) x eventual Spencer Reid

Warnings: angst, Spencer being tortured, Tobias Henkel, usual Criminal Minds stuff?, swearing, reader/I being really angry at the world because she loves Spencer but won't admit it, friends to lovers, emotions, idk if I am missing anything

LONG AF AND NOT PROOFED

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

“Where’s Spencer?” I asked, looking around the farm. “And JJ?”

“I don’t know, come check out the barn with me and Prentiss.” Morgan told me. We made our way to the barn and when we opened it, JJ pointed her gun at us, eyes wild.

There was a lot of commotion with trying to get JJ to lower her gun. I noticed the dead dogs. Jezebel. Oh God.

“Tobias Henkel is the unsub.” JJ told us once she realized it was us.

“We know,” I said gently.

“We just thought he was a witness. I had to kill them.” She said referring to the dogs. I glanced at the dead animals again and rubbed my temples. “There’s nothing left.”

“JJ, where’s Spencer?” I asked her but she didn’t answer me.

“JJ, look at me,” Prentiss prompted. JJ focused on her. “Where’s Reid?”

“Oh, uh, we split up. He went around back.”

I ran back outside to tell Dad and Gideon that we found JJ but not Spencer.

"Dad,” I called, running up to him. “Dad, JJ was in the barn, but Spencer’s not.”

“We searched the rest of the property and the house and he’s not there either. Neither is Henkel.”

“So,” I gulped, looking at my dad. “So where’s Spencer?”

“I don’t know. But we will find him.” Dad promised me.

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

I was standing with JJ and Emily by the ambulance while they checked JJ out.

“Hey, any sign of him?” Prentiss asked Morgan and he shook his head.

"You can't find Reid?" JJ asked, confused.

"Not yet," Prentiss told her.

"Prentis, Little Hotch." Derek pulled us away from JJ. "I think Reid followed him into the cornfield, it looks likes somebody got dragged." I rubbed my temple, trying to push away the stress migraine that was impounding.

"Hey, what's going on?" Prentiss asked the officer who just got off the phone.

"The sheriff two towns over. He just gave directions to a man who fit Henkel's description. It's to a motor lodge in Fort Bend."

"Let's get Hotch and Gideon." Morgan said and I went back to JJ.

After hours of not finding Spencer, morning came which brought Penelope too.

"You know they do have hotels in Georgia." She told me and Aaron.

"There's no sense splitting time between here and a field office." He told her, ushering her into the house.

"Right." She agreed warily, looking around the property.

"Think of the house as a witness," He explained to her. "If it could talk, what would it tell us?"

"My guess is it would tell us to get the hell out." She responded.

We made our wait into the main living room and JJ greeted Penelope with, "Welcome to our nightmare."

"His computer is an extension of his brain," Gideon told her. "I need you to dissect it."

"I'll get you set up, come on." Derek told her, taking her to where the computers were at.

"I'll come with," I mumbled, walking past my dad and everybody else, to go with Penelope and Morgan.

The rest of our team filled Dad in on everything, but there was no evidence pointing where Spencer and the unsub could be.

"Okay, right out the gate, the guy is self taught." Penelope told us. "His mainframe is totally idiosyncratic, but it's pretty brilliant."

"Talk to me about what this son of a bitch watches online. What the hell is all of this?" Morgan told her, trying his best to figure out the computers and how we could use it to help us know Henkel better.

"It's tame stuff, video games, software sports. Seriously, if I had to guess whose system this belongs to, I would say a crazy smart high school kid."

"Well clearly it's not Penelope. Can you please find us something that will help us find Spencer?" I snapped before walking out the room and back outside.

I hated this. How could Spencer have gotten so far away so fast? Where the hell was he being held? Please God, I begged, please bring him back to me. Please. I hadn't prayed in years, especially with my mom and dad fighting, but I knew we had a slim chance at getting Spencer back, and God was probably the only person to bring him to me.

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

"Hey guys!" Morgan called to us, I looked up at him from where I was sitting with Gideon on the steps. "I think I got something."

I ran over to where he was and he found a cellar.

I pulled out my gun as Morgan opened the door. "Tobias Henkel, FBI!" Dad and I followed him inside. We got our flashlights out and searched the ice cellar. "Tobias Henkel! Tobias!"

Dad moved closer to the unmoving body. "I think we just found Henkel's father." Well, shit.

We made our way out of the cellar and let CSI do their thing while we went back into the house.

"You need to get some sleep." Gideon told me and I rolled my eyes. "Sometimes it felt like I had two dads between Hotch and Gideon.

"I'm fine."

"When was the last time you slept?" JJ asked me.

"When was the last time for you?" I snapped back, my anger seeping through. I wanted to find Spencer. I wanted him back.

"Y/N, you need to get some sleep." Dad told me and I stomped my foot.

"Is that an order?" I demanded, looking my dad square in the face.

"Yeah, it is." He shot back and I threw my gun on the table, making JJ jump at the noise. I went into the living room and grabbed my blanket and my dad's pillow from the corner and laid on the floor to take a nap. There was no way in hell I was sleeping on any of the furniture here. After a few minutes, I felt JJ come sit by me, resting her back against the couch.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

"I'm sorry too." I muttered back.

"I'm so stressed out that I can't sleep." She admitted after a few minutes.

"I can't either. I just want to find him." I relented.

"I saw you guys, at the club. You danced."

"Liquid courage fixes a lot of the world's problems. Sometimes."

"You guys would be cute together."

"You must be sleep deprived."

"I know what I saw at the club. You both like each other, you're practically dating anyways, why not just make it official?" And with that thought running through my brain, I fell asleep.

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

"Morgan just told me that he thinks the stressor is the father's death, which happened about six months ago." Dad told me and Gideon as we sifted through the papers.

"So basically he has split personality disorder?" I banged my head on the table.

"This journal is filled with religious ramblings." Morgan told us, coming into the room with the journal. "He notates hour by hour. November 15th, 3:17 - if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offering unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will. And it goes on and on. 5:04, 7:41, 10:22, 1:42. But then it goes blank for days."

Morgan handed me the journal and I looked at it, getting a sense of who Henkel was. Dad put a hand on his head, thinking. "Maybe he got sick of writin'," The sheriff suggested.

"I think I got it," Dad said, and I looked at him hopefully.

"What is it?" Gideon asked him.

"Yeah, Dad, what did you figure out?"

"Journal entry - December 6th - father sick, wants me to put him down. I say, "Thou shalt not kill," He says, "Honor thy father." Must pray for guidance." Oh. So he killed his dad...

Before I could finish my thought, Gideon interrupted. "So he kills his father as an act of mercy?"

"Some sick sort of mercy." I muttered, flipping through the journal in my hand before giving it back to Morgan.

"This is two months ago. Tobias Henkel's father had been dead for four months already." Dad told us.

"That's exactly it. Look at the floor," Morgan told us, pulling a chair out for us to see. "These scuff marks are fresh." He was right, they were. "I mean it's like two people were moving the chairs constantly, trying to fight for control."

"So?" The sheriff asked.

"This journal matches Charles Henkel's handwriting, but it was written after he died. Upstairs, Tobias' bedroom - it's got junk puled from the floor to the ceiling, but the other bedroom could pass a military inspection." Morgan explained.

"So are you telling me, one of Tobias' personalities was his father?" The sheriff asked, trying to make sense of this situation.

"Well," Gideon put in, "Tobias was raised with a strict religious code - black and white - right and wrong. When his father asked Tobias to kill him, something had to give."

"And his brain couldn't handle the moral contradiction, so it split into two personalities." Dad said.

"To keep his father alive." I finished.

"So... who is Raphael?" The sheriff asked, confused.

"My guess - he's a mediator between the two. Angels have no human emotions. Live or die, they don't care, as long as it's God's will."

"We need to start profiling Tobias' father. He may be the one who chose where to take Reid."

"I'll get Penelope on it." I said, standing up and walking to the computer room.

"Pen, I need you to log into the system as Tobias' father."

"The system was set up three months ago. The dad was already dead."

"She knows that, smarty pants, but do it for your favorites anyway, alright?" Morgan said, coming in behind me.

"Okay," Penelope said, starting to type.

"Charles Henkel." Derek told her.

Tons of horrifying imagines and videos showed up on the screen. I closed my eyes and cracked my neck. This was going to be bad.

"Woah," Penelope said trying to take it all in.

"He's crazy." I mumbled. "Like crazy crazy. I can't imagine having split personalities, let alone, one of them be insane."

After a few minutes of Penelope trying to do her thing, the computers went blank.

"What happened?" Morgan asked her, confused.

She wasn't much help because she was equally confused. "I don't know?"

"What do you mean, you don't know?" I demanded, scared.

All of a sudden on most of the screens, Spencer showed up. He was bound to a chair beaten and bloodied.

"Oh my god." Penelope said, taking the words straight from my mouth.

"Guys! Guys!" Morgan shouted to the team. "Get in here!"

"He's been beaten." Prentiss said, assessing him.

"Can't you track him?" JJ asked, confused. I put a hand over my mouth, trying to remain composed.

"Henkel's only streaming this to his home computer." Penelope told them.

"This is for us, for Y/N, he knows we're here."

"I'm gonna put this guy's head on a stick." Morgan spat, angry.

"Why can't you locate him?" Dad asked Penelope.

"He's rerouting to a different I.P Address every thirty seconds. I can't track him."

"Can you really see inside men's minds?" Tobias asked Spencer. "See these vermin. Choose one to die. I'll let you choose one to live."

"No," I gasped at Spencer'svoice.

"I thought you wanted to be some kind of savior." Tobias said.

"You're a sadist ina psychotic break. You won't stop killing. Your word's not true." Spencer told him, trying to snap him out of the personality he was in. Tobias was either Raphael or his father at the moment.

"The other heathens are watching. That whore of yours, she's watching. Choose a sinner to die, and I'll say the name and address of the person to be saved."

"I won't choose who gets slaughtered and have you leave their remains behind like poacher." Playing into the fantasy. Good job, Spence, I thought.

"Can you really see into my mind, boy?" Tobias demanded lifting Spencer out of the chair. I gasped audibly, grabbing onto Gideon's arm. "Can you see I'm not a liar?" He yelled. "Choose one to die, and save a life. Otherwise, they're all dead."

"Alright," Spencer gave in, not wanting more people than necessary to die. "I'll choose who lives."

"They're all the same." Tobias spat at him.

"Far right screen." Spencer finally said.

"Marilyn David, 4913 Walnut Creed Road." Tobias said.

"You got that?" Dad asked Penelope.

"Yeah." She said, typing her fastest on the computer.

Gideon typed the phone number on a phone and it dialed.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end said.

"Marilyn David. My name is Jason Gideon. I'm with the FBI."

"What?" She said alarmed, Gideon told her to turn her computer off immediately and she did so.

"You're Raphael." Spencer said. Before anything else could happen, the screen went dark. Morgan walked out of the room, angry, and punched the door. I gripped JJ's hand hard, needing the contact to stay grounded.

"So now what? We wait for a 911 call, and hope we get there in time?" The sheriff asked.

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

When the next victims were killed, Dad, Gideon and I went to the crime scene.

"Slaughtered, same as the others. We've got roadblocks for a fifteen mile radius. Every unit's on the road, but so far nothing." I pushed the stray hairs out of my face and looked at the crime scene.

"I don't know how much longer Reid can hold out," Dad said quietly, giving in to his fear that Spencer might not make it.

"Who were the victims?" Gideon asked, ignoring Dad.

"Pam and Mike Hayes. He was a local defense attorney."

"And what Bible passage was left?" Gideon asked another question. I went and stood next to him.

"Isaiah 59. No one calls for justice, "no one pleads their case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies they conceive trouble and give birth to evil."

Gideon got close to the camera, "Reid, if you're watching, you're not responsible for this. You understand me? He's perverting God to justify murder. You are strong than him. He cannot break you."

"We're not getting any closer." Dad told us.

"Reid's brilliant. He'll figure out how to survive." Gideon said, trying to reassure us, himself included.

"You know, I always take advantage of Reid for his brain, but I never actually teach him how to deal with things emotionally."

"Lead by example." Gideon responded.

"What kind of example is that?" Dad asked.

"He'll make it."

"He has to." I whispered. "He has to make it." God, I prayed. Bring him back to me. Please just bring him back to me.

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

"We can trace their whole family history." Morgan said, looking at the evidence board we made up. "Here we got happy, smiling pictures of Tobias. Report cards all As and Bs, but as an eight year old, we get nothing."

"That's his mother leaving." Prentiss said from her spot next to me. "Six months later, on the other side of the board, we have a form from child services saying they paid a visit."

"Then Charles starts keeping journals about punishing sinners and needing to remove the devil from his son." I added. "Which corresponds to Tobias' drug use. He's trying to escape."

"So wherever Reid is, it was Tobias' choice, not this fathers." Morgan told us.

"How do you figure?" Prentiss asked him.

"Look at these two lives." Morgan pointed out. "They're like inverse graphs. One's getting weaker while the other one's getting angrier. Tobias would run away, his father would have stood and fought."

"Okay, so Tobias uses drugs as an escape. I'll go back through the journals with Y/N and see if we can find anything connecting his drug use to a hiding place."

"Uh, where's Gideon?" JJ asked walking into the room.

"He's upstairs. Why? What's going on?" Morgan asked her. JJ glanced at me before responding.

"Henkel's jut posted the latest murder."

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

We all gathered in the computer room to watch. It was horrific. Absolutely horrific. In everyway imaginable.

"I don't understand, why can't we just shut it down?" Gideon asked, pacing, confused by technology.

"Because I can't pinpoint his IPF." Penelope tried to explain.

"Just remove it once he sends it." Jason told her.

"It doesn't work like that." I said. "It's the internet."

"It's the internet, sir. Like Y/N said. Once something's out there, you can never take it back."

"It must remain. You can't undo anything."

"Right, you can't once it's up. Once it's up, it's up forever."

"I hate technology. Can you please do something? Anything? I do not want him thinking he has a pulpit."

"I have a list of everyone from the file-sharing chain. I could send out a mass warning that the video is actually a virus. I'm gonna do that. Okay." Penelope sent it out.

After a few moments, Tobias, as Charles, started streaming live again. "Do you think you can defy me?" Tobias said.

"I don't know what he's talking about." Spencer pleaded with him.

"You're a liar! You're pitiful! Just like my son. This ends now." I gasped when he pulled the gun on Spencer. "Confess your sins. Confess!" He hit Spencer in the face, making me cry out.

"I haven't don anything! Tobias, help me!" Spencer begged. I covered my mouth, tears streaming down my face.

"He can't help you. He's weak." Tobias, as Charles, said to him.

"Tobias!" Spencer cried.

"Confess your sins!" Tobias, as Charles, demanded again.

"Help!"

"Oh my god. He's killing him." Penelope said. I put the other hand over my mouth, trying to stifle my cries as Spencer started choking and the chair toppled over with him in it. He was dying. Actually dying.

Gideon stormed out and Dad, Prentiss, JJ and Morgan raced in. I hugged Dad tightly as Penelope explained what happened. Dad pulled away and went to get Gideon. I continued to silently cry. God, please, please save him. Let him come back to me. Please. I kept praying it over and over in my head, hoping He was listening.

Tobias came back into the room and started performing CPR on Spencer. Eventually after a few rounds, Spencer started coughing and breathing. I let out a strangled cry before clamping my mouth shut.

"Wait, wait a second." Prentiss said. "When was the last video posted?"

"9:23." Penelope responded.

"And - and what was the time of death?" She asked.

"The 911 call came in at 9:04 and the murder must have been moments later." Dad told her.

"That's only a 19 minute difference!" I said, looking over at JJ who nodded.

"How long would it take to post the mpeg?" Morgan asked Penelope.

"Two or three minutes." Penelope mumbled, guessing.

"Let's call it two." Morgan said.

"You figure a maximum of 60 miles an hour in a residential area." I piped up again. "That means Henkel has to be within a seventeen mile radius of the crime scene."

"Garcia, can we see it on a map?" Dad asked her and she did what he asked and pulled it up on the computer.

"Call Farrady." Gideon said. "I want that area locked down like it's martial law." JJ got up to go call him.

"Guys."

"You came back to life." Tobias said as Raphael.

"Raphael." Spencer said.

"There can only be one of two reasons." He declared.

"I was given CPR." Always with the science.

"There are no accidents. How many members are on your team?" Tobias, as Raphael, asked.

"Excluding me, seven."

"The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first sounding followed hail and they were thrown down to earth."

"He thinks it's Revelation. The seven archangels versus the seven angels of death." Dad said, understanding the unsub.

"Tell me who you serve." Tobias, as Raphael, demanded. Pulling Spencer up to sitting.

"I serve you." Spencer croaked.

"Then choose one to die." My eyes widened in fear.

"What?" Spencer asked, confused, trying to stall and come up for time.

"Your team members - choose one to die." He repeated himself.

"Kill me." Spencer pleaded. What?

"You said you weren't one of them." He reminded Spencer.

"I lied."

"Your team has seven other members. Tell me who dies!"

"No!" I grabbed Dad's arm in a panic when he pulled a gun on Spencer. Dear God, please save him. Please save him. Please. Please Please.

He rolled the chamber of the gun. "Choose, and prove you'll do God's will."

"No." He clicked the gun. Dad used his free hand to cover his mouth.

"Choose." Tobias, as Raphael, demanded.

"I won't do it." Spencer told him, looking him square in the face. He shot again, but no bullet came out.

"Life is a choice."

"No." The gun clicked again. No bullet.

"Choose."

"I... I choose Aaron Hotchner." There was a moment of relief before Spencer started talking. "He's a classic narcissist. He think's he's better than everyone else on the team. Genesis 23:4. "Let him not deceive himself and trust in emptiness, vanity, falseness, and futility, for these shall be his recompense. In emptiness, vanity, falseness, and futility, for these shall be his recompense."

Tobias, as Raphael, took the bullet out of the camber. "For God's will." and put it back in and spun it.

We all walked out into the main room. "I'm not a narcissist." Dad said.

I looked at Gideon and then my dad. "Come on. Look. You can't take anything from that. He's not in his right mind, Hotch."

"Dad, he's trying to live." I pointed out.

"No. Stop. Stop." Dad said. "Alright, everybody right now - what's my worst quality?" Nobody said anything. "Okay, I'll start. I have no sense of humor."

"You're a bully." JJ said, referring to how he treats unsubs.

"I'm a bully," He agreed.

"You can be a drill sergeant sometimes." Morgan said.

"Right." Dad agreed.

"You don't trust women as much as men." Prentiss said.

Dad looked at me to say something but I shook my had. I wasn't going to say anything back about my dad.

"Okay, good." He relented. "I'm all of these things, but none of you said that I ever put myself above the team, because I don't ever."

"You don't, Dad." I agreed with him. Not sure where he was going with this, I indulged him nevertheless.

"I don't. Reid and I argued about the definition of classic narcissism, and he knew that I would remember that. And he also quoted Genesis chapter 23 verse 4." He picked up one of the many Bibles around the house and handed it to me. "Read it."

"I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me property, forbear a place among you that I may burry my dead out of my sight." I read from the Bible.

"He wouldn't get it wrong unless it was on purpose." Dad scoffed, knowing that Spencer tricked Tobias/Charles/Raphael.

"He's in a cemetery." Morgan concluded.

"I don't see a cemetery." Prentiss said, looking a the map on Penelope's screen.

"Call up the first time we saw Reid." Gideon thought aloud. Penelope did what he asked. "I won't choose who gets slaughtered and have you leave their remains behind like a poacher."

"Check to see if there's any poaching in the last couple days." I demanded, pacing back and forth in the back of the room.

"Okay, uh." Penelope typed as fast as she could. "A farmer reported two sheep being slaughtered on his property."

"Where are we talking?" Morgan asked. She pulled it up on the map.

"What's that patch of green there?" JJ asked her.

I moved closer to the computer, wedging myself between Dad and Gideon.

"Marshall Parish. I think that it's an old plantation." Dad said.

"Wait." Prentiss said.

"Tobias wrote in his journals about staying clean and keeping away from the Marshall." My brain rapid fired.

"Guy's there's a cemetery on the grounds." Penelope told us.

We all rushed to the vehicles.

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

"Spread out! They have to be on foot! Let's go!"

"Spencer!" I screamed. "Spencer! Spencer!" I screamed when I heard the gun shot. I ran towards the noise, everybody else right with me.

"You alright?" Dad asked Spencer after getting him on his feet. I stared at him blankly. He was here. He was alive. He was here.

"I knew you'd understand." He told Dad, hugging him before moving on to JJ.

"I am so sorry." She told him. I put my hands on my face and tried to remain calm. He was alive. He was alive. Thank you God. Thank you for bringing him back to me. Thank you.

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault."

"Let's get you out of here." Gideon said, reaching for Spencer. Spencer pushed away from him and into my arms. I burst into tears.

"I'm okay, you saved me." He mumbled into my hair. "I'm okay."

I clutched to him, holding onto him tightly. “Please don’t leave me again.” I begged. “Please.” I bagged my hands in his shirt.

“I won’t. I’m okay.” He repeated pulling away after a few minutes.

“Okay, let’s get you to an ambulance.” Gideon said again.

“Please - can I have a minutes alone?” Spencer asked.

“I’m not leaving you again.” I clutched his hand.

“I’ll just be a minute.” He squeezed. “Okay? Just a minute.”

Gideon pulled me away from Spencer, giving him a minute.

When Spencer caught back up to us, I held his hand again.

“Please don’t leave me.” I begged as we got to the ambulance.

“I won’t, I won’t leave you.” He promised me sitting in the back of the bus. I leaned my head on his shoulder, sighing at the nightmare this case was.

Part 2 coming soon!

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galaxygolfergirl · 7 months ago

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Watcher's Expenses

I didn't major in accounting: I took three classes and it grinded my brain to a fine powder. However, after graduating with a business admin degree, being a former eager fan of their videos, and from a cursory glance over their socials, there's a lot to consider in their spending behavior that really could start racking up costs. Some of these things we've already noticed, but there are other things I'd like to highlight, and I'll try to break it down into the different categories of accounting expenses (if I get something wrong, let me know. I was more concentrated in marketing 🤷‍♀️). I'm not going to hypothesize numbers either, as that would take out more time than I'm willing to afford-- you can assume how much everything costs. Anyways, here's my attempt at being a layman forensic accountant:

Note: All of this is assuming they're operating above board and not engaging in any illegal practices such as money laundering, tax evasion, not paying rent, etc.

Operating Expenses

Payroll: 25+ staff salaries and insurance

Overhead Expenses

CEO/founder salaries

Office space leasing or rent (In L.A, one of the most expensive cities in the US)

Utilities (water, electricity, heating, sanitation, etc.)

Insurance

Advertising Costs

Telephone & Internet service

Cloud Storage or mainframe

Office equipment (furniture, computers, printers, etc.)

Office supplies (paper, pens, printer ink, etc.)

Marketing costs (Social media marketing on Instagram, Youtube, SEO for search engines, Twitter, etc. Designing merchandise and posters, art, etc. )

Human Resources (not sure how equipped they are)

Accounting fees

Property taxes

Legal fees

Licensing fees

Website maintenance (For Watchertv.com, Watcherstuff.com, & Watcherentertainment.com)

Expenses regarding merchandising (whoever they contract or outsource for that)

Inventory costs

Potentially maintenance of company vehicles

Subsequent gas mileage for road trips

Depreciation (pertains to tangible assets like buildings and equipment)

Amortization (intangible assets such as patents and trademarks)

Overhead Travel and Entertainment Costs (I think one of the biggest culprits, evident in their videos and posts)

The travel expenses (flights, train trips, rental cars, etc. For main team and scouts)

Hotel expenses for 7-8 people at least, or potentially more

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners with the crew (whether that's fully on their dime or not, I don't know; Ryan stated they like to cover that for the most part)

Recreational activities (vacation destinations, amusement parks, sporting activities etc.)

The location fees

Extraneous Overhead costs (not sure exactly where these fall under, but another culprit, evident in videos and posts)

Paying for guest appearances

Expensive filming & recording equipment (Cameras, sound equipment, editing software subscriptions, etc.)

The overelaborate sets for Ghost files, Mystery Files, Puppet History, Podcasts etc. (Set dressing: Vintage memorabilia, antiquated tech, vintage furniture, props, etc.)

Kitchen & Cooking supplies/equipment

Office food supply; expensive food and drink purchases for videos

Novelty items or miscellaneous purchases (ex. Ghost hunting equipment, outfits, toys, etc.)

Non-Operating Expenses

These are those expenses that cannot be linked back to operating revenue. One of the most common examples of non-operating expenses is interest expense. This is because while interest is the cost of borrowing money from a creditor or a bank, they are not generating any operating income. This makes interest payments a part of non-operating expenses.

Financial Expenses

Potential loan payments, borrowing from creditors or lenders, bank loans, etc.

Variable Expenses

Hiring a large amount of freelancers, overtime expenditure, commissions, etc.

PR consultations (Not sure if they had this before the scandal)

Extraordinary Expenses

Expenses incurred outside your company’s regular business activities and during a large one-time event or transactions. For example, selling land, disposal of a significant asset, laying off of your employees, unexpected machine repairing or replacement, etc.

Accrued Expenses

When your business has incurred an expense but not yet paid for it.

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(If there's anything else I'm missing, please feel free to add or correct things)

To a novice or a young entrepreneur, this can be very intimidating if you don't have the education or the support to manage it properly. I know it intimidates the hell out of me and I'm still having to fill in the gaps (again, if I've mislabeled or gotten anything wrong here, please let me know). For the artistic or creative entrepreneur, it can be even harder to reconcile the extent of your creative passions with your ability to operate and scale your business at a sustainable rate. That can lead to irresponsible, selfish, and impulsive decisions that could irreparably harm your brand, which is a whole other beast of its own.

My guess at this point is that their overhead and operation expenses are woefully mismanaged; they've made way too many extraneous purchases, and that they had too much confidence in their audience of formerly 2.93 million to make up for the expenses they failed to cover.

It almost seems as if their internal logic was, "If we make more money, we can keep living the expensive lifestyle that we want and make whatever we want without anyone telling us we can't, and we want to do it NOW, sooner rather than later because we don't want wait and compromise our vision." But as you can see, the reality of fulfilling those ambitions is already compromised by the responsibility of running a business.

And I wrote this in another post here, but I'll state it again: Running a business means you need to be educated on how a business can successfully and efficiently operate. Accounting, marketing, social media marketing, public relations, production, etc; these resources and internet of things is available and at your disposal. If they had invested more time in educating themselves on those aspects and not made this decision based on artistic passion (and/or greed), they would have not gotten the response they got.

Being a graphic designer, I know the creative/passionate side of things but I also got a degree/got educated in business because I wanted to understand how to start a company and run it successfully. If they’re having trouble handling the responsibility of doing that, managing production costs, managing overhead expenses, and especially with compensating their 25+ employees, then they should hire professionals that are sympathetic to their creative interests, but have the education and experience to reign in bad decisions like these.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. What a shitshow this has been.

#watcher #watcher entertainment #ryan bergara #shane madej #steven lim #watcher tv #watchergate #accounting

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nyaagolor · 1 year ago

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The software I use at work is Not Working and I have an hour to kill before I can go home so here’s some HCs about assorted characters’ living situations bc I wanted to make notes for myself for fic purposes:

Phoenix: Used to live in a regular apartment, but moved into the apartment above Wright and Co Law offices with Trucy after his disbarment. Edgeworth paid off the building’s mortgage after Turnabout Goodbyes so Phoenix doesn’t have to worry about rent

Edgeworth: Owns a penthouse in LA. He rents hotel penthouse suites while in Europe but doesn’t have a permanent one anywhere other than LA because he thinks it’s a hassle. There’s a locked room in the LA penthouse filled with Steel Samurai merch

Gumshoe: Rents the shittiest basement studio you have ever seen. Does not own a bed. Genuinely questionable if the building is up to code (it’s prolly not)

Maya: Lived in Kurain Village until Mia’s death, then moved into the apartment above the office. After BttT she moves back to Kurain

Pearl: Lived in Kurain until her mother’s incarceration, then moved in with Maya in the upstairs apartment, then back to Kurain with Maya after BttT

Mia: Lived in Kurain Village until she founded Fey and Co law offices with Diego, at which point they moved into the apartment upstairs together until her death

Diego: Lived in a regular LA apartment until he founded Fey and Co with Mia. They moved into the upstairs apartment together until his coma. When he wakes from the coma he spends about half a year recovering in the hospital, then throughout AA3 just loiters around the courthouse because he refuses to speak to Phoenix. After BttT he goes to prison and moves in with Maya and Pearl in Kurain Village after his release

Franziska: Technically lives in the von Karma estate with her mother and sister, but is so busy traveling that she mostly stays in hotels. She used to spend holidays there, but Edgeworth has taken to inviting her to stay with him because she's not very close with the rest of her family, so now her room is mostly just storage.

Ema: Her and Lana lived in their parents’ house together until Lana’s imprisonment, during which Ema moves to Europe with an exchange family. When Ema returns from Europe, she moves back into the house with Lana joining her when she’s released

Apollo: He lived on the road with Thalassa and Jove until the latter’s death, then with Dhurke in the countryside, then in an American orphanage until he was 18, at which point I imagine he crashes on Clay’s couch for most of law school because he is technically an orphaned illegal immigrant with absolutely no money or credit. The internship with Kristoph and his job with the WAA gets him enough money to actually rent a place, but his lack of documentation and student loans mean he’s in the cheapest possible apartment. He keeps it extremely neat but there's only so much one can do. He and gumshoe can commiserate about it.

Trucy: Lived mostly on the road / in the tourbus + hotels with her dad and the troupe until she was adopted by Phoenix, at which point she moved into the apartment above the WAA

Klavier: Lived in his parents’ mansion with Kristoph until going to Themis. When he moved back he had enough money from gigging / his band to buy a fancy ass house and still lives there. It’s a little lonely by himself but when he let Daryan throw parties there it was POPPIN

Kristoph: Lived in his parents’ mansion his entire life. He got ownership of it when they died and raised Klavier in it, and continued to live there until he got arrested. Now he’s cushy in solitary cell 13

Athena: Lived in the space center then was shipped off to European relatives when her mom died. When she moved back to the states she got a decent apartment bc her WAA income was supplemented by those rich as hell European relatives

Simon: Lived in a small apartment with his sister growing up, which he continued to live in after she moved to the Space Center. It was sold when he was incarcerated. After his release he moved in with Athena briefly (no one thought it was a good idea for him to live alone) then to a small but nice apartment, which Edgeworth paid for until he could get back on his feet financially

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #dick gumshoe #maya fey #mia fey #pearl fey #diego armando #franziska von karma #apollo justice #ema skye #klavier gavin #kristoph gavin #athena cykes #simon blackquill #mod vex #headcanons #sorry for insane tags I need to stay organized and I WILL lose this post otherwise #long post

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paincallingback · 3 months ago

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I Hate Androids

(Not really angst. It's more of a short story to move the driving plot. I'm sorry, Felix, for hurting you like this)

Peeps?: @doakarma @star-tb @oscarsgallery

Tsk, has that brat really returned to my hotel once again? Pathetic. Can't this kid just screw off and go to school instead of wasting my time and bothering me? What does this brat want this time? Trying to persuade me into making a business deal with him so he can take my money?

All the previous times he came here, it's been the same old begging every time. Sorry kid but I'm not giving you any of my money because you want to build more androids. I know what you're up to. His innocent little looks may fool everyone but me. I know that this kid is a sadist at heart. I can see it in his eyes.

I was sitting in my office, doing the same old boring paperwork, checking the time to see when I needed to feed the cats. But the little brat comes in, and I sigh. I noticed he had his little android with him all the time as well. What an emotionless machine.

"What do you want, kid? I thought I banned you from my hotel. You have 10 seconds to explain to me why you're here before I call security to kick you out." I said, obviously bored that this kid has returned.

The kid smirked before clasping his hands behind his back. "Actually, this time I'm not here for a business deal. In fact it's something completely this time." He said in a cheerful voice. My eyes narrowed. "Today I brought you a gift!"

He snapped his fingers, and a second android appeared next to the first android. I stood up and reached for my sword under my desk. What is this kid planning.

"What is the meaning of this?!" I yelled, suspicious of the two androids and the kid. The kid laughed, that sadistic laugh.

"It's a gift silly. A gift of letting my androids beat you up! You'll be the first among many to feel the true power of my creation!" He snapped his fingers again. "Androids after him!" The two and start to move towards me.

I bring out the sword and get in a defense stance. "You are making a foolish mistake here." I uttered which only made the kid laugh more.

"The only fool here is you." He grin, watching one of the androids get hit by my sword, only to do no damage. I back away.

I glance around the room, I wish I had a gun instead on me. Those things can't work as long as I stabbed them through the head.

I raised my sword again, dodging one of them while charging at the other. I jumped to stab it, but it grabbed by the blade with their hand and snapped it in half. My eyes widen. I realized two things. 1) I'm going to need to buy a new one. 2) I'm screwed.

The one android that I dodged earlier grabs me by the arms and swung me to the wall, hitting the fireplace. I could have died if my head hit the wrong spot. I groan and cough before the other android jammed a needle into my neck.

It was probably some sort of chemical because I could barely get up and the room felt dizzy. I was determining to not be beaten by machine's. But my vision was getting blurry, and I collapsed onto the ground.

I blacked out, only soon to wake up in a car with the androids taking me to the Prime Softwares HQ. Tsk, they were taking me hostage and they felt nothing about it. This is why I hate androids.

I didn't even get to feed the cats today either.

#bsd oc #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bungou stray dogs oc #felix iii

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roosterforme · 2 years ago

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The Deployment Diaries Part 16 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley talks to Mav, and it helps him see things a little clearer. And you know exactly how to make Bradley feel special on his birthday.

Warnings: Smut, swearing, fuff

Length: 5300 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots! Check my masterlist for the reading order!

The weekend trip to La Jolla had been one of your best ideas ever, if Bradley's opinion counted for anything. He kept thinking about how much fun the arcade had been and how good you looked playing skee-ball in your bathing suit. Plus, you and he had fucked almost nonstop all weekend long, to the point of exhaustion.

He had woken you up late on Sunday morning and told you it was almost time to check out of the hotel. You'd responded by riding his face until you came and then getting on all fours for him. When you finally checked out of the hotel, looking like two disheveled messes, the woman at the front desk just smirked.

You had both slept most of the afternoon at home on Sunday, only waking up in time to take Tramp for a nice long walk before dinner. Bradley and Tramp were perhaps a little too similar; the way they both looked forward to family walks was a bit ridiculous. Your laugh in response to he and Tramp both running to get the leash lit Bradley up from the inside.

On Monday afternoon, Bradley got flagged at work to test out the software update that your team had patched for the Super Hornet fleet. He got to take notes and attend a meeting which included you and a bunch of other engineers.

He was so good about keeping his hands to himself at work. He'd been a model citizen, really. Except for that one time in your office. And that other time in the storage closet in the tower. But that didn't prevent him from needing to adjust himself a bit when you gave a thirty minute presentation to everyone in attendance.

Bradley was trying his best to pay attention, but there were two problems. First of all, you were way smarter than him when it came to the technical stuff about his aircraft. He was trying his best to follow along, but you lost him a few times when it came to software calculations.

And second, he knew which bra and underwear set you were wearing under your uniform, because you had gotten dressed right next to him this morning. It was a light pink set that he was particularly fond of. He adjusted himself again. He couldn't wait to get home.

But that's when the trouble started. When he parked the Bronco in the driveway and walked up the porch steps, you were coming out the door with two huge shopping bags full of stuff. Your hair and makeup were done up and you were wearing a dress and heels.

"Where are you going, Sweetheart?" he asked, brow scrunched up.

You kissed him hurriedly on his cheek. "I need to go to Oceanside for a few hours. I'll be back in a little bit," you told him, rushing to your car and throwing the bags in the trunk. "You can have leftovers for dinner, or maybe see if Mav is around? Bye, Roo!"

Bradley was still standing on the porch steps as he watched you pull out of the driveway. What the hell was up in Oceanside? And why were you all dressed up?

Bradley found himself bored and lonely after about twenty minutes in the house. He changed and tried to watch a show with Tramp, but he ended up calling Maverick, who was still on base and agreed to swing by with a pizza.

"Where's the missus?" Mav asked when he arrived. "I got the toppings she likes. Assumed she would be here."

Bradley shrugged and made a face. "She ran to Oceanside for some kind of errand or something. I'm not sure." He grabbed two beers from the fridge and opened the pizza box on the island.

"Everything okay?" Maverick asked, accepting a beer.

"Yeah, I think so?" Bradley said before taking a bite of pizza, but it was more of a question than an answer.

Maverick hummed. "I know you said she had an incident with that guy while you were deployed and I was away with Penny. I wish I'd been here, Bradley. I really do."

"Nah, don't say that. You were on vacation! And things have been good since we talked. This past weekend was... it was great, actually," he said, thinking back to pouring champagne all over you and cuddling in bed with you while you giggled. Bradley tossed his half eaten slice of pizza onto his plate. "How do I know if it's too soon to propose?"

Maverick looked at him, completely gobsmacked. "I....well, Bradley, I don't know if you're asking the right person, actually. I've been on and off with Penny for decades."

Bradley ran his fingers through his hair. "But you're serious with Penny now. You have been since Halloween. I just don't know how to do this shit correctly half the time. I never really dated anyone too seriously, I just messed around. And I never intended to fall in love, because it was so distressing to me as a kid, the way my mom was lonely for twelve years. But like how the fuck am I supposed to live like this?" Bradley held his hands up in the air before letting them drop back to his sides. "Part of me is terrified of marrying her and having kids with her, knowing I could burn in one day. Every time I think about that, I convince myself to wait a little longer. But the other part of me, the part that is obsessed with the way she makes me feel.... well, that part thinks we should get married tomorrow."

Maverick studied Bradley, took a sip of beer, and studied him some more. "I wish I could be of more help here, I really do. All I can tell you is that your dad was set on marrying your mom the same day he met her. He said those exact words to me. And they got married after six months together. Six months to the day, actually. And I have no doubt they would still be married now. So no, I don't think it's too soon for you. And if fear is what's holding you back, then you need to decide if you love her enough to trust that she's all in, no matter the outcome."

Bradley felt his eyes stinging. "Fuck. This is so hard, Mav. My mom would have loved her though, I know that much. And I can't run the risk of hesitating and losing her, but that's selfish when she's more likely to lose me. I just wish this was easier."

"Me too," Maverick replied. "It's not fair that Goose isn't here for this conversation. He would have known exactly what to say. But it sounds to me like you're ready, and she is too." Bradley let Maverick pull him in for a quick hug before they returned to the box of pizza.

-------------------------------------------

"Where the fuck is mommy?" Bradley asked Tramp. He kept checking the time on his phone. It was nearing 11 o'clock, and Bradley was getting a little worried. When he had texted to make sure everything was okay, you simply replied with Yep!

He had also been looking up flights from San Diego to Norfolk and eating cold pizza. God, this house was just sad without you in it. Did you feel this way when he was deployed? Shit. If so, he was never going to leave again, because this was awful.

He channel surfed and fed pizza crust to Tramp, and about twenty minutes later, he finally heard your car in the driveway.

"She's home!" Bradley and Tramp both ran to the door to greet you. Your hair was a mess now, and you were wearing different clothes than when you left. "Where did you go, Baby Girl? We missed you."

You hugged him around his waist. "I just needed to take care of something. I'm sorry it took so long. Let's get ready for bed." And that's all you would say about it.

Bradley pushed it from his mind. He focused on work during the day and spending time with you at night. When he brought the mail inside on Friday evening, he opened a thick, cream colored envelope with his name on it. He smiled as he took it over to where you were currently making pancakes for dinner in your tight yoga pants and one of his shirts.

"Feel like buying a fancy dress, Baby Girl?"

"For what?" you asked, turning the music down on your phone.

Bradley held up the invitation to the ceremony and reception at which he would be promoted to lieutenant commander. "It's in four weeks, and I'm allowed to bring a date. Please don't make me take Tramp."

You laughed. "Tramp would look adorable in a little tuxedo! But I'm going. I'm definitely going! It's going to be fancy as hell! Better than a wedding! You lieutenant commanders and captains and admirals get all the good stuff."

Bradley wrapped his arms around you from behind and kissed your cheek. "You could just wear your dress whites like me, if you want to."

"No!" you shouted, scandalized. "Absolutely not, Roo! I'm buying something fancy! I can wear my uniform for my own promotion. Maybe I'll go shopping for a dress when I go back to Oceanside tomorrow morning."

Bradley frowned. "Why do you have to go back to Oceanside? I thought we were going to spend the day together."

"I'll be home in the afternoon," you told him, flipping over the pancakes. "We can do whatever you want. And then Sunday is your birthday!"

Bradley let go of you so you could plate the food. "Can I come with you in the morning? I can help you look at dresses."

You frowned. "I'd rather you didn't. I promise I'll be back right after lunchtime."

-----------------------------------

Trying to get out of the house on Saturday morning was made very difficult by Bradley who was actively trying to keep you in bed. "One orgasm isn't enough for my girl. Let me give you another one," he said in his raspy morning voice from where he had his head between your legs. You were still riding out the first one when he looked up at you with hopeful eyes.

You had told the photographer you would be there at 9:30, but thankfully the photographer was Maria's sister's roommate, and she would probably understand why you were running late if you showed her a photo of your boyfriend without a shirt on.

"Two would be nice," you told him as you tried to catch your breath, and he was immediately grinning and crawling up your body. He was too good at this now. You'd been having sex with him for more than nine months, and he could read you like a book. You wanted him slow and steady right now, and you knew you wouldn't have to tell him that. He would just do it, exactly how you wanted him to.

And that was how he got orgasm number two to come screaming out of you after twenty minutes of slow fucking and a little dirty talk.

Bradley looked pretty smug as he strode into the bathroom behind you on your wobbly legs. He kissed your neck while you brushed your teeth, and then you pulled your hair up as neatly as you could. "You definitely made me late," you informed his reflection in the mirror as you put on some lip gloss and mascara.

"Well, since you won't tell me where you're going, I don't feel bad about it. I also gave you a nice hickey right here, so I hope that's not going to be a problem," he said, running one beautiful finger along the side of your neck.

You turned your face to the side to check out the pink mark he had given you. "Naughty. Don't make me withhold birthday sex."

Bradley's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't."

You just smirked and walked back into the bedroom.

"Sweetheart! I'll be good the rest of the day!"

You ran your fingers along his abs and nodded. "I know you will be."

-----------------------------------------

An hour later you were apologizing to the photographer, Flora, as she handed you Bradley's birthday present. You opened the calendar up to January and almost dropped it as you slammed it shut again.

"Oh, my God. I can't give this to him! I just... oh, my God!"

Flora just laughed softly and gently took the calendar from your hands as you shook your head. "I get that a lot with this kind of photoshoot. But I can guarantee your boyfriend is going to go bananas over this," she promised, tapping the calendar with one finger. "Here, start with September. You've got a good amount of clothing on in that one, and it's taken from behind."

You took a deep breath and looked at the glossy photo of yourself. In it, you were turning back to look over your shoulder. You were wearing a tiny black skirt and black stockings with seams up the backs of your legs. You had on red heels and one of Bradley's white dress shirts, pushed down to reveal your bare shoulders and upper back.

"Oh, that looks pretty good," you agreed. Then Flora flipped to April, and it was the photo of you wearing cutoff jean shorts with Bradley's aviators. You were covering your breasts with your hands.

"This one is great, because your smile is so genuine," she told you.

"I was almost laughing in it, because he had no idea I took his sunglasses with me."

Flora flipped through the entire pin-up calendar with you. You saw the photo of you wearing the red bustier and matching thong that Bradley favored. There was also one of you on your knees with your hands on your thighs, pulling up the hem of your white nightie. One of you in your own flight suit had made it in there, and so had one with garters, stocking and lots of lace.

Then there was one of you laying on the bed with your back arched. It looked a lot like the photo you had sent to him that one time you and he were out to dinner with the other aviators. That evening had resulted in back seat Bronco sex, so perhaps you didn't have anything to be scared about.

The photo for next June was perhaps the most intimate one. Your hair was purposefully messy, and you were completely nude, tangled up in a sheet with your left breast just peaking out. And your golden necklace charms were visible in almost all of the shots.

"Okay, I think you're right. I think he'll like it." Flora just laughed as you added, "You did a great job, honestly. You can barely see the cellulite!"

"Oh stop, I hardly had to do any touch ups. Some of them just needed a little color saturation. I'll tell you what, if your man doesn't lose his mind, come back and I'll give you a refund."

So with that, you took the calendar to your car and went to find a formal gown.

------------------------------------

As soon as you got home, Bradley was snooping in the garment bag. "What does your dress look like? Are you going to try it on for me?"

"Maybe," you replied with a wink. But you did try it on for him, and he stood in front of you speechless, rubbing his chin.

"Shit," he rasped.

You looked down at yourself and back up at him. The form fitting, dark blue satin dress was insanely formal for most things, but it seemed perfect for his big day. Plus you figured he would appreciate the slit up your left leg and the low cut front. "Do you like it?"

He nodded his head vigorously. "You look amazing. I can't believe I get to have you there with me." He started reaching for you, but you backed away.

"This dress is delicate, Bradshaw! Delicate!"

"I can be delicate," he whispered, running his fingers along the enticing fabric as you started to undress.

You rolled your eyes good naturedly. "I'm saying your birthday weekend starts right now. So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

He helped you out of your dress as he told you, "Have sex with my girlfriend, walk our adorable dog to the ice cream place that gives out doggie treats, eat dinner, and have sex with my girlfriend again."

"You're going to give me more orgasms today? Is it your birthday or mine?"

------------------------------------

Bradley couldn't believe he deserved you in his life. That perfect weekend away with you in La Jolla had been enough for him. More than enough, really. But here you were, on his actual birthday, waking him up with a blowjob. He felt your wet, hot mouth on his length, and he opened his eyes to the most glorious sight.

"Oh, hey," he rasped, smiling at you as he propped himself up on his elbows.

You popped him out of your mouth, kissed his tip and said, "Happy birthday, Roo," in your sweet voice before sliding him between your pretty lips again. He watched your tits swaying, just getting harder and harder for you. He was aching in your hands and mouth as you sucked and licked him so well.

When he was almost there, you opened your mouth wide and set him down on your plush tongue. He watched himself paint your mouth with his cum while you gently squeezed his balls in your soft hand.

"Shit, sweetheart. You look so pretty like that," he told you, caressing your cheek. He really wanted to take a picture of you with his dick in your mouth and his cum everywhere, but he didn't know how to ask you for that.

Bradley watched you swallow him down and lick your lips. Then you crawled up his body and kissed him. "I'm going to make you breakfast, birthday boy."

Bradley followed you into the kitchen and watched you put on your I Love Meat apron over your naked body. He stood behind you as you cut up vegetables and cracked eggs into a bowl, squeezing your bare ass and kissing your shoulders.

"This is already the best birthday I have ever had," he mumbled against your skin. He so badly wanted to be selfish. Marry you and be with you forever. The deployments sucked, but if that was the worst thing you had to deal with, you'd both manage. He couldn't control anything beyond that.

"I love you, Roo," you told him, turning your head to kiss him briefly while you made him an omelet. That was it, he would buy a ticket to Norfolk tomorrow.

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You took Bradley on a lunchtime hike and picnic that ended at the cliffside beach where you and he had played dogfight football so many months before. You ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and laid out on your beach towel, and Bradley tried to convince you to take a week off this year and take a vacation with him. In theory that sounded great, but work was going so well for you right now, it would be hard to take any time off.

After baking in the sun for a while, Bradley said, "It's fucking hot out now. Feel like jumping in the water to cool off?"

"In our clothes?" you asked, but he was already taking his tee shirt off and pulling his shorts down.

"In our underwear, Baby Girl."

You glanced around the beach, which wasn't crowded at all. You bit your lip before unbuttoning your jean shorts and sliding them down over your hips. The smile on your boyfriend's face was instantaneous. You glanced around again before pulling your tank top off and leaving it on the towel. You hoped your blue sports bra and green underwear were providing enough coverage for that old guy walking his dog to refrain from yelling at you.

Bradley pulled you to your feet and you ran into the water with him. "It's cold!" you complained, but he had already scooped you up into his arms. You clung on to the front of him, legs around his waist and arms around his neck. "Oh my God, don't go out any further! It's freezing!" But Bradley walked out until the waves were crashing against your back. "Bradley!"

He just chuckled and kissed you. "We'll get used to it."

You threaded your fingers through his hair and kissed him back. His hands splayed along your back, keeping you warm against the onslaught of the Pacific Ocean. You thought about how many millions of times you must have kissed him since that first time in this beach parking lot. Thought about everything that had happened since that day. Falling in love, and almost losing him, and Tramp, and Josh, and how much you loved Bradley.

"I love you," you whispered against his mouth as he devoured you. "I love you so much."

--------------------------------

It took a bit of coaxing, but you finally agreed to let Bradley carry you up the rocks for old time's sake, even though you were wearing perfectly sensible shoes this time. Bradley listened to your laughter as he climbed with you on his back. Your wet underwear had soaked through your clothing, and so had his. You were both a sandy, sweaty mess by the time you got home.

Wordlessly, you led him to the master bathroom and turned on the shower. Tramp came to investigate what was going on as you peeled Bradley's damp shirt off and let it fall to the floor. The fabric was replaced by your hands and lips on his chest and abs, and Bradley's head tipped back. Your hands were gritty with sand as they worked down to his shorts, and the sensation had him panting for you. Soon he was naked and you were stroking him.

"Baby Girl," he whispered, and you looked up at him expectantly. He kissed you hard, both of his hands in your messy hair, his front pressed to yours. He lived for these moments. Everything with you was so pure, it was almost painful. "You're mine, Baby Girl," he told you, and you moaned.

Bradley ripped your clothing off, tossing it across the room and scaring Tramp back into the bedroom. You both stumbled into the steamy shower, hands and mouths everywhere. He had you pinned against the tile wall, one hand wrapped around your neck, the other thrusting two fingers into your pussy until you were soaking wet for him. The steam swirled around your bodies, and the little noises you made were echoing inside the glass shower.

Then he thrust his cock into you, running his thumb up and down along the side of your neck. He could feel your shallow breaths and gasps as he sped up. When you wrapped your leg up around his hip and whispered his name, he was too close to the edge. He pulled out of your pussy and sprayed your belly and hips with his cum before dropping to his knees in front of you.

"Mmm," you moaned when his mouth met your clit and you started grinding against his face. He worked his tongue, steadily getting you there as his cum mixed with the water from the shower and trailed down your body. You were his birthday present. He wanted the same present every year for the rest of his life.

You were still leaning against the wall catching your breath when Bradley got the soap and started to wash your body. You let him do your hair too, because now you were exhausted from all of the day's activities, and you still had to make his dinner.

A few hours later, you were perched on Bradley's lap eating Marry Me Rooster and listening to some music. "Thank you," he whispered, and it struck you once again that probably nobody ever did anything special, just for him, from the time his mom died until he met you. It made you want to keep doing it and doing it.

You checked the time on your phone as Bradley happily twirled his second serving of chicken and pasta into his fork. "I hope you're almost ready for dessert," you told him and he just grinned at you.

"Oh, I know what that means." But then he jumped a bit when someone started pounding on the front door.

The smile on your face gave you away. "What did you do?" he asked, but you just laughed and told him to go open the front door.

"Holy shit," Bradley said, as Phoenix thrust a dozen balloons into his hands and made her way inside. She was followed by Fanboy, Payback, Bob, Hangman, Maverick and Penny. Coyote was missing, as he was currently deployed, but everyone else greeted Bradley while you put a pie and a chocolate chip cookie tower on the dining room table. Penny popped a few bottles of champagne, and everyone started eating dessert.

When you stuck a glittery pink candle into the top cookie and everyone sang happy birthday to him, Bradley pulled you against his side. And when Fanboy told him to make a wish, Bradley grinned at you before blowing the candle out.

-----------------------------------------

After everyone finally left, it was pretty late. Tramp was already in his bed, exhausted from all of the attention he got. Bradley had watched Nat feed him four treats in a row, and when he said something about it, she told him, "Mind your own business, birthday boy. This is between me and my god-pup."

So by the time Bradley noticed you shifting nervously around the kitchen, cleaning up after everyone, he had already had an epically wonderful day.

"Leave it, Sweetheart. I'll clean in the morning before work," he told you, gently taking your hands in his. "Now tell me why you're being weird."

You sighed. "I got you a birthday present. It's in my dresser drawer." you said, staring at his chest.

"That was nice of you. Can I have it?"

"Yeah...." you trailed off, heading for the bedroom and rooting around in your drawer. "But I'm really nervous to give this to you, so please be kind." You thrust a wrapped box into his hand and backed away a few steps, chewing on your lip.

Bradley started to unwrap and open the box, brow furrowed about what could be making you apprehensive. But then he dropped the wrapping paper and box to the floor as he read the front of the calendar in his hands.

Rooster's Calendar starring Baby Girl

"No fucking way," he whispered, meeting your guarded eyes before flipping it open to January. He almost fell over. "Oh my God," he almost yelled, briefly waking up Tramp.

There was a high quality photo of you wearing a sheer champagne colored lingerie set, and you were laying on your back with your legs up in the air. You had on your bright red high heels with your ankles crossed and you looked like a fucking dream, your tits practically spilling out of the sheer top.

Bradley's jaw was hanging open as he flipped to February. He didn't know how things could have possibly improved, but somehow they did. You were wearing his favorite color, the red bustier and thong. "Shit, Baby Girl," he whined. His dick was plainly hard in his jeans, and he was gasping for air, but you looked nervous as hell now.

"Do you like it?" you asked softly, eyes wide, chewing on your thumbnail.

He just stared at you with his mouth open, blinking, trying to formulate words. He glanced down briefly at March to see you in a black string bikini he had no idea you owned. You looked sinfully good, and now Bradley was throbbing.

"Don't look at that one. You can see my love handles," you told him, reaching for the calendar, but he held it up high, out of your reach. Then he tossed it softly onto the dresser and grabbed you.

"Don't talk about my future wife that way," he growled, baking you up to the bed. "She's perfect." He reached down and yanked your shirt off and then your bra. "That calendar is the fucking hottest thing in the world, and I only saw three months," he groaned, grinding against you. "It's safe to say, yes, I like it."

You moaned as he touched you. "You said you wanted it."

"Yeah, I did. Thank you, Sweetheart," he whispered against your neck, placing kiss after kiss there as he worked his hand down to the front of your shorts. "Best gift ever."

"How are you going to thank me for this wonderful idea?" you asked, running your fingertips along his scarred cheek.

Bradley pushed you down on the bed, and you rolled over onto your belly to make room for him. He eased himself onto the bed and straddled your ass, rubbing his hands down the smooth planes of your naked back, making you arch your spine. You moaned and ground your ass up into his dick and balls. He was picturing your nipples straining against lacy fabric, and he was so hard he thought he might explode. And here you were writhing and moaning under him after a few touches.

"I'm going to thank you like this," he told you, grabbing you by both hips and popping your rear end up into the air. He pulled your jean shorts down your legs and tossed them aside, and he ran his finger over your thong before removing that as well. He kissed along your ass cheeks and listened to you moan as he palmed you with his hands. He eased his face down to your pussy and gave you a nice long lick, collecting your sweetness on his tongue.

"I love it when you do that," you huffed between groaning and whining his name, face buried in a pillow.

He teased your clit and ran his fingers through your soaking wet slit, pumping them into your pussy a few times until you were thrusting back again. Then he let his fingers trail up a bit further until he was gently caressing your other hole.

"Oh!" you gasped and froze.

Bradley placed a soft kiss on your thigh and then one on your lower back. "Is this okay?" he asked, and he stopped moving his hand until he heard you gasp out an answer.

"Yes, I think so."

Bradley groaned as he let his fingers trail along once more, the moisture from your pussy making everything look slick and even prettier. "Can I lick you here?"

"Okay," you whispered, and Bradley ran his tongue back and forth across your asshole a few times, fisting his cock in his hand. He'd never done this before, and it sounded like you hadn't either.

"Do you like this, Baby Girl?" he asked before pressing a little harder with his tongue, licking up all of your essence that he had brought there with his fingers. You were wiggling your ass a little bit for him as he placed another kiss there.

"I don't hate it. God, your mustache feels good everywhere. I think it made my pussy even wetter for you, Roo," you gasped, and Bradley was immediately in position, thrusting his dick into your warm pussy. He could feel your walls gripping him almost immediately. Everything felt too good. You turned him on beyond belief.

And when you were both ready for bed, and you had yourself draped across his body, you whispered, "I love you, birthday boy."

You yawned as he wrapped his arms around you. "Can I have this same day every year for my birthday? Just like this, me and you?"

"Absolutely, Roo," you muttered, snuggling against him and dozing off to sleep.

-----------------------------

Happy birthday, Roo! SO MANY OF YOU ASKED FOR BUTT STUFF, SO HERE IS A BIT OF THAT FOR YOU! Thanks for reading!

PART 17

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

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#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster x you #rooster fanfic #rooster x reader #rooster x female reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster x reader #top gun fanfiction #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #rooster bradshaw x female reader

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not-quite-normal · 1 year ago

Note

How much would you say COVID affected the production of ATSV (at least on the animation side of things)

little to hardly at all! sony used remote teradici pcoip desktops before covid, so switching to working from home was fairly seamless. we made the switch while we were finishing up mitchells vs the machines (and then i worked on vivo and hotel transylvania 4 before starting on atsv as well), so we had all the wfh wrinkles ironed out before going full force into atsv. we do all our meetings through google meet and use proprietary software to look at/draw on animation playblasts so that lots of other users can see it at the same time on their own screens. it also opened up the opportunity for people to work from further away; we had animators working from various places in the US and eastern canada. i'd say the only way covid affected the production was when somebody actually got sick and had to take time off to recover

unlike a lot of other studios, sony hasn't been enforcing mandatory days we need to be in the office per week, which is awesome because i loved napping too much during my lunch breaks to go into work lol. my job also required me to be in two meetings at the same time all day every day and it was easier on my brain to have one meeting's audio play thru my speakers with the other in one headphone. having to pay attention to two separate meetings in both headphones when i did have to work in the office made me feel like i was having a stroke

#asks #anonymous #spiderverse

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wosomarvel · 1 year ago

Text

communication - 02

warnings: light angst (idk if this counts as angst or not)

also, i'm so happy vilda is finally out, even if it is disappointing that it took so long. next, rubiales.

contigo jenni

-----

in the few months since sim had started at her new job, she was surprised at how well she'd been able to settle in. she'd gotten her new office set up with the necessary computers and camera equipment. she'd spent a lot of her down time roaming the facility when the girls weren't around. the young girl had filmed enough content to put up several posts on the lionesses' official social media accounts.

so far, the engagement was increasing compared to the content published before her arrival. sim knew better than to take her foot off the pedal, though. her drive to be good enough, to succeed, to be wanted would never let her rest.

that's how she found herself hunched over her laptop in her flat, empty coffee cups littering the desk. the sound of cars passing by outside the flat served as a tempting lullaby. sim's eyes stayed shut a little longer each time she blinked.

she was working on a short video for the lionesses' youtube page, clipping together pictures, short segments of video, and interview-like questions she'd asked the team during the most recent camp.

sim had had a great deal of fun at camp. she'd stayed in the same hotel as the team, which allowed her to catch some golden moments off the pitch that otherwise wouldn't be made public.

over the course of the week and a half she'd spent with the girls, she'd also found herself falling into an easy banter with most of them. she'd become fast friends with ella and alessia, the girls doing their best to bring sim out of her shell. leah had taken more of a watchful role, ensuring the young girl was finding everything okay.

as for the rest of the team, sim found a comfortable balance between friends and coworkers. she was alright with the more professional role she inhabited with them, content to observe and capture their interactions and movements through a lens.

even though it had only been a couple of months at the new job, it made sim uneasy how easy it was to fall into a rhythm with the team. she didn't want to be too much for anyone. she was constantly worrying about overstepping boundaries, or being too annoying. despite the multiple invites to go grab coffee with alessia and some of the other arsenal players since the end of camp, sim found it hard to believe that the girls really enjoyed her company that much.

the sound of her phone buzzing snapped sim out of her trance. she rubbed her eyes, reading over the text she had just received from alessia.

leah, beth and i are grabbing coffee after training later. want to join?

sim sighed, running a hand through the mess of curls on her head. she was reluctant to agree. she wanted to finish her current project and have the video published by wednesday morning. sim's back straightened when she realized that was now tomorrow morning.

another buzz from her phone.

leah says you don't have a choice. we'll pick you up at 3:30 (:

sim's eyebrows furrowed at the small smiley face tacked on to the end of the message, her grip on her phone slackening. she was reluctant to agree to the girl's demands, the self-imposed deadline looming dark.

she scratched at the skin just behind her ear, a nervous habit she'd picked up who knows when. she shot off a simple 'ok' to alessia, knowing her friend was too stubborn to relent. sim set the device down, turning her attention back to the editing software open on her laptop.

4:39 am. sim considered grabbing an energy drink and powering through the assignment in front of her, in the end, deciding against it. if she pushed herself any further, she'd be dead on her feet when she met less and the girls for coffee later.

sim set her computer down beside the bed, finally allowing herself to surrender to sleep for the first time in almost 48 hours.

-----

they were late. very late.

sim was leaning against the cold concrete pillar outside her building, the surface reminding her of the sides of a swimming pool. she might as well be in one, with how hard it was raining.

she glanced at the time blinking on her watch. 4:09 pm. she sighed. she'd only ended up sleeping for 5 hours. she'd woken up to thoughts of the stupid youtube video she was supposed to have uploaded. it seemed as though her brain would not let her catch a break. she couldn't escape her anxiety, even in her sleep.

"oh my gosh, i'm so sorry we're late. we were reviewing film after training and breaking down the next match-"

"less, it's okay." sim cut off the rambling of the forward, allowing herself to be guided into the backseat of the sedan that had just pulled up, with leah driving and beth occupying the front passenger seat.

sim sank into the black leather seats, grateful for the warmth the car provided., setting her crutch sideways on her lap. she watched the city move by through the window, running her fingers over the stitching on the seats. she was still new to the city, not quite acquainted with the packed streets of london. she'd moved down here for her new job with the lionesses.

sim was secretly grateful for the number of women's football teams based in london. despite the size of the city, it was nice that so many of the lionesses played here. it made the weight of the loneliness she felt ease a bit.

"what's your order, then?" asked leah as they stepped into the small coffee shop.

"oh, i'll just order mine separately."

"that's nonsense. i invited you out, i pay," leah asserted. sim let out a long exhale, knowing she wasn't going to be allowed to pay for her own.

"i'll just do an iced coffee with two creams and two sugars. but i've got next," sim replied.

accepting money from others had always made sim feel uncomfortable. it was something that had been drilled into her head growing up, a fundamental piece of punjabi culture. never accept money from others, and always offer to pay. sim decided to forgo the last part. the move to london had almost bankrupted her and while her new wages were certainly a nice increase from the waitressing job she'd worked previously, her bank account wasn't exactly thriving.

"what were you doing up so early this morning?" alessia asked as they settled into a corner booth.

sim raised an eyebrow at the question. "i could ask you the same thing."

"i had an early night and got up early for a run with the team. you still haven't answered my question."

"yeah, at least we know less is sleeping. you on the other hand... you've looked better, i'll leave it at that," beth added with a chuckle.

"thanks, beth, you really know how to make a girl smile," sim said, a smile taking over her face.

"alright, seriously, answer the question now. enough stalling." sim could see the gentle concern behind the smile on leah's face.

she didn't know why leah was so worried. she knew that maybe her sleeping habits were less than healthy, but she couldn't understand why leah cared. they'd known each other for barely three months. that hadn't stopped the defender from taking on a sibling type role in sim's life, though.

she shrugged, sipping on the coffee before setting it back down on the table. "just working on this new video for the youtube. i've gotta have it up by tomorrow morning." sim kept her focus on the surface of the table, and the way the condensation from her cup was pooling around the edge.

eye contact had never been something that came easy to sim.

alessia's eyebrows furrowed. "so you decided you'd pull another all-nighter to get it done?"

"technically, it wasn't an all-nighter because after i got your text, i went to bed," sim mumbled, swirling the ice around her cup. she used the sleeve of her sweater to wipe at the pool of water on the table.

leah frowned. "what do you mean, another all-nighter?"

sim groaned. leah was like an annoying, overbearing parent. she was only 5 years older than sim, which only frustrated the girl even more.

"sim, i know you're worried about keeping the job, but running yourself into the ground won't do you any favors. i've heard some of the higher-ups talking, and they're already impressed. it sounds like we've already got some new sponsorships coming through. take care of yourself, alright? ease up."

sim looked up to meet leah's eyes. she saw the worry reflected in the tightness of leah's eyebrows, the way her eyes roved over her own face, taking in the bags under sim's eyes and then down to the hunch of her shoulders.

"we've got tomorrow off as a rest day. why don't you come by my place? i'm having some of the girls come around for a movie marathon," alessia offered.

a smile graced sim's face. she ignored the way her heart leaped at the chance to spend time with alessia, labelling it as friendly excitement.

"i'll be there."

"you're a good kid, sim. you work hard, but remember to rest sometimes too," beth said softly, putting an arm around sim's shoulder and squeezing gently.

sim allowed herself to lean into the comfort. she was exhausted. and technically, she reminded herself, the video didn't actually have to be up until saturday. as much as she wanted it up early to impress her superiors, she knew the girls were right.

sim let herself enjoy the rest of the afternoon with her friends, joining in on the laughter and jokes, letting herself get carried away in conversation. it didn't hurt that at some point, alessia had reached across the table and taken sim's hands in her own, playing with her fingers as the day progressed.

sim missed the knowing looks leah and beth exchanged after glancing down at hers and alessia's hands.

-----

"are you going to introduce us to your girl or what?" the voice of one kim little rang out as everyone got settled onto the sofas in alessia's living room.

a red flush took over sim's face. sim had been ignoring the way alessia made her feel when they were inhabiting the same space.

she found herself naturally drawn to alessia's blonde hair and blue eyes, to the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, to her eyelashes and her smile and the soft skin of her hands and the warm embrace of her body. she made sim feel safe and free from judgement.

sim ignored the feeling of warmth she experienced at even the slightest touch from the footballer. she ignored the feeling of satisfaction whenever she managed to make alessia laugh. she brushed all those feelings aside, pushed them down until they were nothing more than a quiet voice at the back of her mind. after all, they'd only known each other a few months and there was no way alessia russo would reciprocate. she was way out of sim's league.

"she's not my girl, but fine. guys, this is sim, she works in media for the national team. she's also a dear friend, so be nice." sim knew her blush would only have gotten worse with the arm alessia had slung over her shoulder. she was grateful that the lights were already dimmed in preparation for the movie marathon, or she would have to deal with relentless teasing from leah and beth. knowing them, they would've roped in lotte as well.

sim waved shyly to the room. most of the team, she'd never met. she'd met lina in passing once at london colney when alessia had asked for a ride after training. the short-haired girl had simply waved at the two before getting into her own car and driving away.

"well, sim, don't just stand there. come make yourself comfortable," leah teased. "and don't worry," she addressed the rest of the team, "once she gets comfortable she's not nearly as quiet."

sim moved to take the open spot next to leah on the ground, leaning against the couch, alessia settling in on her other side.

by the end of the first movie, sim was trying and failing to keep from falling asleep. even worse, every time she nodded off, her head ended up resting on alessia's shoulder.

the 6th time it happened, alessia had had enough. she wrapped her arm around sim's body and pulled her closer, tugging the blanket they were sharing up to cover their shoulders.

sim relaxed slightly, appreciating the warmth surrounding her. if she'd been more alert, she would've had the sense to feel embarrassed. instead, the next time she nodded off, she stayed sleeping.

alessia stilled, not daring to move a muscle in case it woke the younger girl up.

"let her sleep," leah whispered softly. "she's earned it."

alessia nodded in agreement. she brought a hand up to sim's curly hair, carding her hands through in an attempt to keep her sleeping.

while the two shared this peaceful moment, beth leaned off of the couch above them, stretching to grab a photo before sending it to the lioness's group chat.

alessia glanced at the notification on her phone but couldn't bring herself to care for the remarks the rest of her national teammates had already starting making. not with sim's warm body curled up against hers under the blanket. she only hoped the teasing wouldn't scare her away.

alessia was determined to bring sim out of her shell, to find out why the younger girl was trying so hard to keep the team at such a distance.

the team had taken a liking to sim, immediately accepting her as a part of the family. they'd never done so with a member of staff before, but they couldn't help enjoying the time sim spent with them. she did her job with such care and respect for their privacy that they'd wanted to look out for her even without their coach's request.

sim made sure to get their approval before posting something online, wanting to make sure she wasn't crossing boundaries or sharing information that the girls weren't comfortable with having public. she reminded them to rest and recover properly. she never asked questions that made the team uncomfortable. she was so easy to work with and the team had taken her in without hesitation, wanting to return the kindness she was so intent on showing to them.

they would let sim fall asleep on their shoulders any time, anywhere, if it meant the girl got some rest.

leah smiled softly as she watched alessia press a gentle kiss to sim's hair before quietly asking the rest of the team what movie they should play next. the gunners took care to make sure they wouldn't wake anyone up.

sim didn't know it, but she'd found herself a family.

#alessia russo #ella toone #engwnt #leah williamson #lionesses #woso #beth mead #lotte wubben moy #arsenal wfc

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symphonic-scream · 11 months ago

Text

It's me the fool back again with another au this time it's

Actual Criminals Au for P5

Where. They're real criminals.

The metaverse isn't real, and all of them grew up with qualms about how some people get away with everything. And, eventually, they all get the push they need to stop being a bystander and become Phantom Thieves

They all live in the same building, and have a secret lair under it. They pose as normal people with jobs and lives and then at night they're plastering evidence of assaulters all over Shibuya, or leaking videos of insider trading or what's on someone's hardrive

Sometimes they do normal crime like stealing from the rich to fund their bigger operations. Just for fun

Okay let's go down the list

Akira works as a bartender in a fancy hotel bar, and goes home to his "wife", Haru, each night. That's how it appears, at least. As a fresh graduate from secondary school, he ended up coming together with some friends to expose a shitty pervert for who he was, and thus began their lives as the Phantom Thieves. Joker is the ringleader, and known publicly to always be listening from the shadows

Then there's Ryuji, a middle school phys Ed teacher, married to Makoto. It's perceived to be a functioning marriage. He was a founding Thief, and is their Rough'em'up guy. Between Skull and Queen, they get their answers when they want them

Ann is next, wed to Yusuke, working as a model. Mysteriously, the guest room at their place seems to always be occupied by former top athlete Shiho. Ann's love for her best friend was one of the main flames behind the beginning of the Thieves, and Panther is key at tricking their enemies into drinking a spiked drink or spilling secrets for a moment with the attractive blonde

Okay now, Yusuke, he came later. Yeah married to Ann blah blah. He's an artist, paints in a studio all day. His former mentor drove him to the brink, but luckily the Thieves found him there, and gave him the power to drag himself back to his feet. Fox is very feared, as his harsh words and quick moves remind his enemies of an old samurai

Makoto was once looking like she would be another young officer on the streets, doomed to being beat down by the system. Now, she owns a gym a block from where she lives with her husband Ryuji, and moonlights as the fast driving, hard hitting Thief Queen. The only thing that burns brighter than her rage at the failing society around her is her homosexuality.

Software engineer Futaba lives alone, and she likes it that way, supposedly. She's gotten her act together, again, supposedly, and is no longer hacking. Yeah right. After taking down the false shepherd Medjed, Oracle does the computer work for the Thieves, keeping them in the know during missions

The final standard member of the Thieves, Haru, didn't exist until recently. Well, under the name Haru. She used to live as the sole son of the CEO of Okumura Foods, and has found a life that suits her much better. As Haru, she runs a bakery just outside the entrance of her apartment building, and lives with her husband, Akira. As Noir, she's more than willing to show that actions have consequences, though she's often aware enough to keep her act to just frightening rather than deadly

Then it's the half members, Goro and Sumire. They're legally married. One is a top tier detective, the other teaches youth gymnastics. Crow and Violet appear maybe once every other month at most, filling the roles the teams those nights need

Okay so this is a Polythieves au, so the married couples above are mostly for cover. Below is a simplified web of the poly workings of the group

Akira -> Goro, Sumire, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Shiho, Haru

Ryuji -> Akira, Ann, Yusuke, Haru

Ann -> Shiho, Akira, Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru

Yusuke -> Akira, Goro, Ryuji, Ann

Makoto -> Haru, Ann, Shiho

Futaba -> Sumire

Haru -> Makoto, Akira, Ryuji, Ann, Shiho

Goro -> Akira, Yusuke, Sumire

Sumire -> Akira, Futaba, Goro

I have lots more for this but this is just the like outline post. SEND ME ASKS IF YOU WANNA KNOW ANYTHINF OR HAVE QUESTIONS

#makoto niijima #haru okumura #persona 5 #yusuke kitagawa #ryuji sakamoto #ann takamaki #actual criminals au #goro akechi #sumire yoshizawa #akira kurusu #futaba sakura

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pratturl · 10 days ago

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The dark side of the American entertainment industry reflects American democracy

On September 16, world-class superstar and American hip-hop legend "Sean Diddy Combs" was arrested in the lobby of the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, New York, on multiple charges including sexual assault and sex trafficking.

As early as March this year, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raided Didi's homes in Los Angeles and Miami, they found a large number of guns, bullet clips, ropes and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil.

According to federal prosecutors, Diddy was charged with sex trafficking, extortion, drug abuse, prostitution, kidnapping, bribery, arson, etc. He was suspected of controlling a criminal group that lasted for several years and used violence and other means to intimidate and harm women. , forcing them to take drugs for sex trade, and even involving the sexual abuse of minors. So far, 120 victims have come forward to identify Diddy.

According to recent news, there is a secret passage underneath Puff Diddy's mansion, with six secret rooms hidden in the middle, leading directly to the homes of many Hollywood celebrities.

The power and sex trading empire that Diddy built using music is like the tip of the iceberg, revealing the dark side of the European and American music circles.

1. The darkness of American society. Rich and powerful people can play tricks on others.

I don’t know if you still remember Jeffrey Epstein's Paedophile Island.In a lawsuit, filed by Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George, she accuses Epstein of bringing girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to his 577-million-dollar estate by boat, helicopter and plane between 2001 and 2019. The air traffic controllers in Virgin Islands said they saw Epstein leave his private plane with girls who looked 11 years old in 2018, the lawsuit claimed.

The registered sex offender has also refused investigators from entering his island and instead met them at his office. The lawsuit also claims that a 15-year-old girl, who was raped and forced to perform sex acts on others by Epstein, once tried to run away from the island but was caught and held captive.

2. Loopholes in American law. If you have money and power, you can avoid sanctions.

As early as 1999, Diddy was arrested for assaulting music producer Steve Stoute because Steve used footage of Diddy in a music video without permission. He recalled that the scene was "full of blood." In the end, Diddy paid $500,000 to reach an out-of-court settlement. He was originally sentenced to seven years in prison but only attended one day of "anger management classes."

In December of the same year, a gunman opened fire in a car at a Manhattan nightclub, injuring three people after an altercation between Diddy and them. The shooter was Diddy's singer Shyne, and Diddy's girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, was also in the vehicle involved. Shyne was later sentenced to 10 years in prison, but Diddy was acquitted.

Even in response to the Paedophile Island incident, the Internet is full of speculation about the cause of Epstein's death, which is believed to be related to the fact that some famous people are suspected of being involved in the case and may be disclosed. For example, former US President Bill Clinton and British royal family member Prince Andrew.

3. The guise of American politics. Those with money and power can control the political arena.

Among the incidents that were exposed, there was no shortage of well-known figures in American politics.They participate in promiscuous parties for a long time, and are controlled by others, so they obey the orders of people outside politics. How can such an American political arena be called democratic?For example, not long ago, the United States requested a ban on the use of TIKTOK. The software that every American likes was forcibly banned by the government. Does this mean that TIKTOK has affected the interests of people in the entertainment industry? That's why politicians make policies that have no regard for people.So everyone, please wake up. Today’s U.S. government may be a puppet government controlled by rich and powerful people. They use the guise of democracy but are actually engaged in profit-seeking activities. When have they ever thought about the American people? ? What role can such a government play?

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secularbakedgoods · 2 years ago

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Runners

(science fiction, 1100 words)

It’s the end of the fiscal year. Hunting season has begun.

Ultimately, it all kicked off with the invention of the “workplace transparency plan.” As ad revenue stagnated, social platforms instead offered corporate clients access to their employees’ private messages. For a small subscription fee, employers could learn who their workers were communicating with and retaliate as they saw fit.

Within months, an entire industry of talent recruiters found themselves stonewalled by a terrified workforce. With electronic communication lost to them, the recruiters — far behind on their quotas — resorted to more drastic methods.

Strive Solutions is a midsize software company on the third floor of a converted building in the old warehouse district. Its two vintage elevators are too old to support ID card readers, so a pair of security doors flanking the reception area are all that stand between potential intruders and Strive’s inner sanctum.

A few minutes past 3:00 in the afternoon, both elevators open and the mob piles out.

Runners always raid in force, the better to overwhelm any on-site security. Where once the typical recruiter was a bland, nonthreatening thirtysomething in business-casual pastels, now they trend toward linebackers’ builds and stab vests. Those who aren’t the general size and shape of a refrigerator are the most dangerous of all — quick, clever, and vicious.

Not one of them is over the age of 30. Running is a youngster’s game.

The security doors are RFID-locked, but made of glass. Somebody puts a boot through one of them, and the runners barely slow as they stampede through.

The bulk of Strive’s employees work in an open-plan area referred to as “the Pit” whenever management isn’t around. The runners swarm through it with ease, unhindered by hallways or doors, vaulting over desks and chairs when they need to.

Certain pieces of equipment are standard. Every runner carries a tablet, ruggedized to withstand all sorts of abuse and equipped with a fingerprint scanner. A simple swipe of a new recruit’s thumb and the contract is sealed, filed instantly with their new employer. Signatures were once the preferred endorsement, before someone realized a fingerprint was valid even if the owner of said finger was unconscious.

Most of the runners also carry weapons, usually truncheons or collapsible batons. Those who don’t are about to learn that Strive’s CEO has a blacksmithing hobby and an office full of medieval weapons.

The rest of a runner’s arsenal varies with personal preference.

Barry Duboc, like most of his colleagues, goes for the easy money: junior employees who are easily seduced by playground offices and extravagant launch parties, and are easily intimidated into signing anything put in front of them. Clients don’t pay much for cannon fodder like this, but Barry makes up the difference in volume.

Inside a military surplus document holder, its metal edges filed razor sharp, Barry carries photos of his client’s break lounge — stuffed wall-to-wall with vintage arcade games — and a laminated copy of their dense recreational calendar. Before long he’s herded a sizable number of impressionable young programmers away from the safety of their fellows.

A few yards away, a 6’7” runner with tattooed sclera and brass knuckles on both hands sinks his teeth into the earlobe of a production intern.

Seasoned runners like Tom Saunders know where the real money is: senior developers, not so easily swayed by treats, parties, or threats.

Tom never goes on a run without a copy of his client’s benefits package, a breakdown of their flexible working policy, and a stun gun. This time, though, Tom’s got a secret weapon: his client operates out of a refurbished boutique hotel and offers private offices to its senior employees. The promise of working behind a door that can close attracts two senior web developers, one production manager, and an automation engineer.

Shelly Fleming is a virtuoso; she glides through the bedlam of the Pit like a shark through a school of fish. Painstaking research, careful maneuvering, and perfect timing have brought her here, today, for one target alone.

Over the weekend, Strive’s lead software architect posted anonymously online about her struggles at work since transitioning. Unfortunately, the post went viral and a characteristic turn of phrase gave her away. She was summoned to Strive’s HR department ten minutes ago for a lecture on “undermining the company’s public image.”

Shelly bursts into the room with a six-figure contract and her client’s novel-length Diversity & Inclusion policy. If the architect took the time to actually read the policy, she’d quickly realize it was crafted with great care to serve as a flawless legal and political shield while entitling the company’s employees to no actual protection or recourse from discrimination. But time isn’t a luxury she has anymore.

She winds up at the center of a tug of war between Shelly and the HR manager, whose brightly painted nails carve deep lines into the architect’s arm as Shelly drags her from the room.

Of course, Strive has invested in countermeasures. An expensive renovation over the holidays transformed the entire office into a Faraday cage, ensuring no wireless signals can go in or out. The runners’ contracts are all hosted on a remote web service; they must get their prizes out of the building.

Barry ushers his pack of recruits back through reception, but the elevators take precious seconds to arrive and more to depart. Strive’s two security guards beat several of the defecting juniors unconscious before they can escape, and a particularly zealous manager drags another from the elevator as the doors close.

Tom knows better, and heads for the stairs; unfortunately, the route to the stairwell leads past Strive’s executive suite. He loses one of his recruits to a flying tackle from the COO, who adorns his desk with high school football trophies.

Shelly cased the office in advance. She leads the architect to an old fire escape at the far end of the floor, near the server room. The windows are locked, but a quick blow from Shelly’s collapsible baton and they’re both home free, clambering down the side of the building.

As quickly as it started, it’s all over.

Of the dozens of workstations arrayed throughout the Pit, almost half now sit empty. Broken glass and loose papers lie scattered across the floor, alongside a few office chairs knocked over in the chaos. Strive’s remaining workers peer uncertainly from beneath their desks.

A light breeze wafts through the shattered window.

Strive’s CEO storms and rages for an hour, cursing the disloyalty of his former employees. Then, shutting himself in his office, he places a call to his own recruiter.

(my ko-fi)

#original fiction #flash fiction

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mrsreginagold · 5 months ago

Text

Fic: So Tempt My Trouble

Fandom: Nikita

Pairing: Ari Tasarov x Nikita Mears (Nikari)

Rating: R

Spoilers: Canon divergent AU, set near the end of season one. She and Michael did not get together.

Summary: Nikita decides to take a risk and finds herself face to face with the temptation that is Ari Tasarov.

Author's Note: Within there are lots of OTP shenanigans and brief references to Pride & Prejudice. Loosely based on the song Tempt My Trouble.

On AO3

So Tempt My Trouble

In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the wisest use of her intel.

Nikita Mears typically could tell if something was too good to be true, but her desire to pull one over on Gogol after the rough year she had experienced was far greater than reason.

Sneaking into the company’s yearly Masquerade Ball – and really, who held such a thing in a glorified office building – was the easy part. The tricky element was getting past the security posted at the elevators so she could head to the lower levels. She knew that was where the vault that housed their tech was located, thanks to some intel via her protégé, Alexandra Udinov. The issue was causing a distraction that would be enough to lure the guards away.

The former assassin had some smoke pellets in her purse, but those were usually employed for quick getaways. Additionally, the crowd of people that took up the lobby was substantial. She wasn’t certain how many were even employees for the organization that rivaled Division.

She adjusted the mask that hid her lovely, yet recognizable features from view, hitched up her cerulean-colored gown, and made her way towards the stairs that led to the upper floors. Some distance from the party goers would allow her a chance to think her plans through, and she suspected that there would be a balcony somewhere to offer her some fresh air.

Nikita entered a deserted office when she arrived at the fifth floor, uncertain of whose it happened to be but grateful that it was unlocked. If she could hack into a computer: pulling up schematics of the building would be child’s play.

She dug into her bag and located her flash drive, which she quietly plugged into the side of the laptop set on the large desk.

She sat in the surprisingly comfortable chair, pulled off her mask so her vision wouldn’t be obscured, and flipped the top of the computer open. A pale blue glow washed over her face as she began to type rapidly.

Thanks to the decryption software on her drive she was able to log in, only to go pale when she discovered just who the computer happened to belong to.

Fuck. It would be his, wouldn’t it?

Her history with Ari Tasarov was, in a word, complicated. While the attempts at inviting her to work with Gogol had fallen through, it led to a different kind of courtship entirely. Their last encounter had resulted in desire finally erupting, a tryst in his hotel room, and then her sneaking out at dawn.

“Well now…this is a surprise,” a familiar, amused baritone jolted Nikita from her thoughts, and she stood abruptly with a startled sound.

“I don’t know if I would call it a pleasant one, however. Perhaps ironic?” Ari stepped out from the shadows, crossing his arms over his chest before stating. “Hello Nikita.”

Despite her best intentions not to be affected, her features flushed at the sight of him. The man was incredibly handsome, and this was not helped by the fact that he was currently clad in a tuxedo that seemed to accentuate the solid lines of his tall, lean form.

“Hello Ari,” she managed, willing her heart to calm down as she moved around the mahogany desk. “Why aren’t you at the party? I mean, it is held by your organization.”

“These things are always spectacularly boring…and is it? I mean, yes, I work here. But contrary to whatever belief you’ve harbored, I don’t actually run things.”

“Ah, now it all makes sense.”

“What does?” he tilted his head when she moved closer.

“Why you tried to recruit me. It was a power move.”

“Is that what you think? That I only desired you for power?”

“Why else?”

His perceptive gaze locked into her own, the sea of blue and gray that was so easy to become lost in reflecting emotions she wasn’t quite prepared to see. “Is it really that difficult to imagine that I truly care for you? Even after everything?”

She took a step back, guilt rising. “But…you can’t.”

“I assure you that I can. That I do,” he reached out, grabbing her before the instinct to bolt took hold, as if he were anticipating exactly what she was planning.

“Ari, please, just let me go and forget you ever saw me,” she pleaded, tears springing to her eyes that she couldn’t hold at bay. “We had one night. One amazing night and I left. I had to. It’s what I do. Forming attachments is just disappointment waiting to happen.”

Elegant fingers crossed over her mouth, those eyes of his boring into her own. “I’m not looking for an apology here, Nikita. I simply wanted to be clear with you. The truth is: I’ve fallen in love with you. And I think somewhere along the line, I wasn’t the only one.”

“I panicked. I woke up in your arms and I panicked because it felt right. Leaving you that morning was the only option, because if I stayed…Ari, if I stayed I wouldn’t have left.” She shook her head, trying to fathom why the truth was pouring so easily from her.

His arms curled around her waist to pull her flush against his chest. “And, if I asked you to stay now, would you?”

“Yes.” She replied, slightly breathless, but meaning it. Then the reminder of what she was there for came crashing back and she winced at the awkward timing. “Although; that’s kind of difficult when I was plotting on stealing from the company.”

Instead of looking displeased, Ari appeared thoughtful. “Really? What were you planning on taking?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. You found me before I could do any research.”

“In that case,” he guided her back over to his desk, taking a seat before pulling her onto his lap and then opening a folder full of documents. “Let me help.”

She blinked, incredibly confused. “I’m sorry? Let you help?! Why the hell would you steal from your own workplace?!?”

“Making your way up the rungs of Gogol’s ladder is difficult. I know because I’ve been climbing for years, and obstacles keep on hindering my progress. Not to mention that the man I work for is a complete asshole,” he grumbled the last bit and hit the computer keys more forcefully, belying his anger at the entire situation.

Her expression softened and she draped an arm over his broad shoulders. “That’s Sergei Semak, right? Wasn’t he close to the Udinov family?”

“The very same,” Ari confirmed, smirking triumphantly when he finally located the inventory list he was hunting for. “He’s the whole reason Gogol’s become a glorified weapons dealer. We used to be more like Division, but Semak has a lot of ties to crime syndicates. He used them to buy his way to the top, more or less, and once he took over Zetrov: operations changed.”

Nikita processed the information as carefully as she was able. “That’s why you wanted to work together from the start, wasn’t it? To knock Semak off the throne, take Gogol over yourself and restore it to its former glory.”

It fell silent for a moment before he responded. “At the beginning? Yes. But this past year has brought a lot to light. There’s too much to fix at this point, and frankly – I want to be free of Gogol as much as you wish to be free of Division. This life changes you, so much so that I barely recognize who I used to be. Then, I met you,” he trailed off, bringing a hand up to stroke along the side of her face. “And somehow, the idea of what I actually wanted was much clearer.”

“What is it that you really want, Ari?”

“Besides you? A life. A choice,” he leaned in, his forehead touching hers lightly. “A future.”

His honest answer made her think back on their story. They’d met under dire circumstances, but the attraction they both felt had been crystal clear from the start. Their first kiss happened after he took her aside during a mission that had gone awry and cleansed her wounds. That initial embrace had been one of tentative compassion, and yet it resulted in mixed emotions on her part. When they saw each other again after that: the slow, simmering passion finally boiled over. They’d made love recklessly, giving in to their all-consuming hunger for one another. And then – she left, ashamed, and afraid of what her heart had been trying to tell her.

Nikita chose to listen to herself this time and gave herself over to the temptation for another kiss. Her lips sought his out, initiating a tender, romantic one that expressed just how much she cared for him.

Ari returned the affection just as sweetly, his hands sweeping across the curve of her jaw and tucking a stray lock of hair over her ear. He nipped lightly at her mouth as they parted, smiling before he whispered. “I take it that was the right thing to say?”

She laughed and nodded. “Yes, it was. So: what’re we stealing?”

His smile stretched into a playful grin. “Something that can bring down both Gogol and Division in mere seconds, if used properly. Think of it as a master key, of sorts. And best of all, we can sneak it out in that handbag you brought with you.”

“That sounds promising. It also sounds like there will be guards and multiple security measures to get through.”

“Luckily, I can handle that,” he gestured for her to stand. “But we’re going to have to adjust our appearances.”

She was about to ask him what that entailed when he undid his bow tie and discarded it on the desk in front of him. Then, he took a few moments to muss his own hair, and popped open the top few buttons to his collar for good measure.

After getting a clear picture of what was required, Nikita took her hair down from the intricate French twist, fluffed it out over her shoulders and then slipped one strap of her gown down her arm. She pinched at her cheeks to add some color, and finally settled her mask back over her face so no one but her companion knew who she was. “It’s amazing how often the “drunk and can’t keep our hands off each other” routine works.”

“Mmm, though, there is one thing that could sell the whole charade even further.”

“And what’s that –

Ari cut her off with a fervent embrace, backing her up so that she was pinned between the desk and his body.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as it deepened, the pair biting and teasing at each other’s lips until forced to separate for air.

His mouth strayed, darting fiery kisses along the swan-like column of her throat before he reached the junction between her neck and shoulder.

She wasn’t quite expecting it when he bit down, hard enough to break the skin, and cried out sharply.

He nuzzled apologetically at the area. “Sorry.”

She snorted derisively. “Oh, I am definitely getting you back for that later.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” he looked into her eyes reassuringly. “Ready?”

“Ready.” She linked their arms together and they exited his office.

All it took to get onto the elevator was a little bit of play acting, which was easy enough for Nikita as she didn’t have to pretend to be attracted to Ari. If anything – it was difficult to keep her hands to herself in the process, though he didn’t seem to mind one bit.

Once they arrived at the correct level, he assumed the lead and guided her through the labyrinthian vaults where Gogol’s tech was housed.

“I’d suggest setting this whole place on fire, but I’m guessing there’s a system that will go off?” she peered up at the ceiling curiously.

“This entire floor is rigged to suck out the oxygen if it’s breached,” he admitted, squeezing more tightly at her hand. “Luckily, I know the work arounds.”

“Good, because I probably would have tripped something,” she shuddered at the thought of such a painful end and inched closer to her companion.

Wordlessly, he circled one arm around her waist. Eventually: they stopped in front of a safe. “It’s in here. Now comes the tricky part.” He knelt down and keyed in the pass code.

When the door opened immediately, she was about to request a clarification on what the “tricky” element was – but when she saw just how tiny the device was, she could only respond with a quiet: “Oh. You weren’t kidding about it being small.”

“We live in the spy world, sweetheart, remember? Small and sleek equals sexy.”

“It’ll be easy enough to sneak out, so what’s the problem?”

“Replacing it with something of equal weight so the sensors won’t know any better.” He fished around in his pockets. “You don’t happen to have any small change on you, do you?”

“No but,” she unhooked the delicate necklace that she wore and presented it to him. “Maybe this? It’s nothing valuable, but I thought it tied the outfit together.”

Ari weighed the bauble in his hand, and then smiled. “Yes. This should do nicely.”

She admired the skill of his sleight of hand as he switched the items, managing not to set off a single alarm in the process. “You do realize that, sometime, you’re going to have to clue me in as to what, exactly, the KGB had you doing back in the day.” She accepted the miniscule flash drive from him and carefully placed it in her clutch.

“Eventually, yes,” he grabbed her hand and began to hurry out of the area. “Though perhaps when we aren’t carrying something worth billions?”

“Good point,” she linked her arm around his and held up her skirt so they could run a little faster.

They reached the corridor where the elevators were located, but Ari veered towards the stairwell instead. “The parking garage is only a few floors up and there aren’t any guards to deal with.”

“Wait a second,” she paused to remove her high heels.

Once Nikita was ready, Ari once again took her hand, and they rushed up the flights of stairs as quickly as was possible.

A relieved sigh escaped the former Division operative once she and her Gogol counterpart were in his car. She settled into the comfortable leather seat and glanced in his direction while he started the ignition. “Where are we heading now?”

“I have a property a ways out. It’s admittedly more of a safe house than anything else,” he explained, putting the vehicle in gear. “We can stay there for a few days and plan things.”

“Will you have to check in while we’re making our move?” she found that she liked referring to the future being faced as theirs.

“I’ll put in for a short vacation. I haven’t used any of my time in years anyway,” he admitted, his attractive features relaxing once they were properly on the road and heading away from the organization he had just betrayed.

“A vacation sounds amazing, honestly,” she stretched and finally removed her mask, tossing it onto the backseat before fiddling with the radio.

“We should take a proper one once we’ve dealt with everything.”

The suggestion made her smile, and when she found a station that played familiar sounding pop music, she left it there.

The drive was spent mostly catching up on everything that had been going on in their lives, though they made a quick stop to grab some clothing, food, and supplies from a store not far from their eventual destination.

Grogginess had taken hold of Nikita by the time they arrived at the property that Ari had mentioned earlier, but when she saw exactly what lay before them: her jaw dropped.

“You said it was a safe house. This is more like a safe estate.”

Her companion chuckled as he parked the car and shut off the engine. “I think it was actually a boarding house at one point. It took me a few years to get it fully renovated.”

“The fact that you say something like that so casually only emphasizes my point,” she exited the vehicle and followed him around to the trunk to gather their belongings. “This place is huge.”

“Which gives us plenty of room to relax for a few days while we sort ourselves,” he placed a hand gently along the small of her back and began to usher her forward.

“Is there running water? Heat? Electricity? Or did I just wander onto the set of Pride and Prejudice?”

“Yes. Yes, and yes. And I’d venture a guess that the Darcy estate was larger.” Ari shook his head, amusement clear on his handsome face as he unlocked the door. “Now: if you’ll indulge me,”

She let out a squeak when he abruptly swept her into his arms and carted her, bridal-style, inside.

“Well then Mister Darcy, just what are you planning for me?” she coiled her arms around his neck, touched by the romantic gesture.

“Nothing untoward, Miss Bennett, I assure you,” he played along, ducking a sweet kiss to her temple before setting her on her feet. “Let me put a few things away, and then I’ll take you on a tour.”

Nikita wandered into the vast space that served as an entertaining room while she waited for her paramour. The centerpiece was a fireplace that was arguably the largest she had ever seen, and she refrained from drawing closer thanks to how intimidating it appeared. Instead – she inspected an ornate table which functioned as a focal point for the room.

She knelt down to look at the intricately carved mahogany more closely, appreciating the attention to detail in the roses that decorated it.

“A family heirloom,” Ari’s tone was warm, prompting her to glance up and find him observing her with a fond expression.

She stood and dusted off her skirt. “It’s lovely. And probably worth a small fortune.”

“Many things here are,” he confessed, crossing over to her. “Though I haven’t had the time to take a proper inventory.”

She tilted her head while she draped her arms over the breadth of his shoulders to draw him near to her. “I could help with that if you like, after all: we’ll have lots of time to kill. Unless your plans are for us to make love on every possible surface in this place, in which case we may be here a lot longer.”

He laughed, which brought a brightness to his features that made her pulse thrum with affection. “I’m not adverse to that idea, obviously. However, I thought that I might put together a late-night dinner for us after I give you that tour I promised first. It’s been an adventure of an evening, and I don’t know about you but I’m rather famished.”

“You cook too?” she grinned. “I really did hit the jackpot.”

He merely smiled, kissed her, and then proceeded to show her around the estate.

After exploring for a considerable time, Ari led Nikita to a room where she could freshen up and change.

Part of her considered asking him to join her in the shower, but she had noticed a subtle hesitance in his countenance whenever the subject of physical intimacy was broached, even after all their previous flirtation. She would question him on it at another time, as the desire to get out of her constricting evening gown was a higher priority.

She emerged from the bath a short while later, dressed in a simple black tank top and yoga pants. She pulled her naturally long, dark hair into a low ponytail and then ventured to the wardrobe to look for something to stave off the chill in the air. She settled on a dark green sweater that she immediately knew was his thanks to how roomy it was on her.

Smiling, she pulled on the slippers she had purchased during the trip up, and then braved her way through the corridors in hopes that she wouldn’t get lost.

Luckily – a sweet aroma guided her, making her stomach growl in anticipation for whatever he happened to be concocting.

Nikita finally discovered Ari, completely immersed in his work, once she entered a kitchen that she immediately deemed as large enough to serve the entirety of Division’s staff – and perhaps Gogol’s as well.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of the man she loved. She could tell that he had also showered, as his hair was still slightly damp, making it even darker brown in color. He was dressed casually in a black tee shirt that clung nicely to his toned build, and indigo jeans. She watched him for a few minutes, warmth easing up her spine as she noted just how content he appeared. There was a natural elegance to him that made even the simplest actions seem sophisticated, but it was remarkable how at home he was doing something so domestic at the same time.

Eventually, she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

He looked over his shoulder to acknowledge her arrival. “I hope you don’t mind breakfast for dinner.”

“I love breakfast,” she confessed, striding forward to inspect what he was making. “And French Toast happens to be of my favorites.”

“It’s one of mine as well,” he admitted, leaning back slightly when she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled close. “It’s also deceptively easy to make. Would you like to try?”

“I think I’ll leave the culinary arts to you,” she winced despite herself. “I’ve burnt eggs too many times to count at this point.”

Rich laughter emerged from her more skilled companion, but there wasn’t a hint of unkindness to it. “Then I’ll have to teach you some tricks when you feel more confident. No rush.”

“I do make a mean smoothie though, so maybe in the morning, I’ll handle things,” she stood on her tiptoes so she could press her lips more easily to his cheek.

He twisted slightly to capture her mouth with his, initiating a tender yet brief embrace. “I look forward to it.”

They fell into a quiet routine as he finished preparing their meal, with Nikita assisting by cleaning and cutting up some strawberries to adorn the toast, as well as making sure the maple syrup was at hand.

�� Since the dining room was too formal, they ate at the homier wooden table in the kitchen, talking quietly between bites and enjoying, for once, being as normal a couple as they could be.

When they were full, Nikita insisted on taking care of the clean-up since Ari had cooked. She shooed him off, instructing him to wait for her in the living room, and saying that she wouldn’t be long.

She was true to her word and found him standing a safe distance away from the fire now blazing in the hearth. He had pulled a dark blue, warm-looking cardigan over his shirt, and there was a contemplative, somewhat melancholy expression on his striking face as he gazed at the flames.

Tentatively, she approached, not wishing to startle him too much. “Ari? Is everything all right?”

He glanced in her direction, attempting to mask the swirl of emotions. “It’s nothing.”

She arched a skeptical brow. “Uh-huh. No, if it were nothing, we would have been tearing each other’s clothes off the second we walked in here. What’s really going on?”

He shook his head, trying to shrug off whatever was bothering him. “I’m fine. I swear it.”

“Babe,” her tone softened, and she reached out: taking his hand within hers and coaxing him away from the fireplace. “Talk to me. It’s okay.”

He looked deeply into her eyes, took a steadying breath, and then nodded, allowing her to guide him over to the couch.

They sat close together, pushing pillows aside so there was little space between them.

Ari inhaled again, his grip on Nikita’s hand tightening, before he began to elaborate. “The last time we were together, it was frantic, probably due to the heat of the moment.” His gaze locked with hers. “And while it was completely amazing, I think we both had it in our minds that it was a one-time thing. Usually – right after, I’m out, but that night I just couldn’t stop watching you. You looked so peaceful, so right, there next to me.” He swept his fingers through her hair. “I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you, Nikita, but I’m pretty certain it was then that I fell in love with you. And now you’re here, and you want to be, but there’s this tiny voice in the back of my head that worries you’ll run off again.”

She swore that her heart dropped at his revelation. “God, I was a complete idiot that morning, wasn’t I?”

“No, it was my own fault for expecting you to feel exactly the same way,” he interjected. “And it’s not like it made me love you any less.”

She looked down and chewed at her lower lip, wondering how to reassure him of the depth of her feelings. “Still, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d hated me.”

“I could never hate you, Nikita,” he murmured, tilting her chin so their eyes met again. “You mean everything to me.”

“And you mean the world to me,” it dawned on her then, with nearly perfect clarity. “Ari, I love you.”

Evidently, that was what needed to be said, because his next act was to tug her into his arms.

She immediately crawled onto his lap, their mouths meeting in an ardent kiss while she shoved persistently at his sweater.

He pulled back to breathe but stopped her before anything could be removed. “Patience. That’s what we lacked last time, remember?”

She flushed at her own haste. “Sorry. Habit.”

Ari chuckled softly and caressed at her cheek. “I just don’t want this to be some frenzied tryst, that’s all. We should try to make it special.”

He made an excellent point. Nikita glanced around the room, her mind mulling over possibilities. “Do we have more blankets?”

“In the linen cupboard. Why?” he inquired curiosity overtaking his face.

She responded with a blinding, open smile. “I have an idea.”

The next few minutes were spent with the pair of them locating as many blankets, quilts, and pillows as possible.

An outright girlish giggle escaped the rogue operative as she began to spread them out on the living room floor, safely away from the fire but still close enough so that they could appreciate the natural heat that it offered.

“What exactly are we making here?” her partner couldn’t help his own laughter, caught up in the playfulness of the moment.

“Well, if we wanted to pilfer the curtains we could build a tent but, for now a nest will do,” she threw a few final pillows onto the pile that they had formed and inspected her work.

He moved to stand beside her, reaching out and twining their fingers together.

They stood for a few moments, silent, until Ari whispered. “It’s perfect.”

Nikita swiveled on one foot to face him, her heart cartwheeling upon seeing the raw emotion directed at her. She murmured his name and pulled him forward by the sleeve of his cardigan, the mood effectively shifting.

When they kissed this time, it was unhurried and filled with care, perhaps as a testament to his wish that they proceed more carefully than they had their first time.

She sighed quietly against his mouth and coiled her arms around him, pressing close but not asking for too much, too soon.

He parted from her first, those eyes she could so easily drown in sparkling with gratitude at her understanding. He leaned back in to nuzzle his nose to hers, and then gradually slid his hands down her back so he could glide his fingers under the pullover she had borrowed.

Pleasant heat bloomed at her center when he bypassed her tank-top and touched her bare skin instead, indicating that, although they were going slowly, it was still his intent to seduce her.

To even things, she pushed his cardigan off his shoulders, smiling when he yanked his arms free and allowed the garment to fall to the floor.

They embraced again, more heatedly than before, Ari steering Nikita towards the comfortable looking pile of blankets.

When they broke apart, it was both for air and so he could lift the sweater over her head before they tumbled back together.

Their legs tangled while they kissed, reclining back on the plush surface, hands delving under fabric to begin caressing over flesh.

She mewled softly when clever, elegant fingers trailed along the tone of her abdomen, goosebumps erupting upon contact. For reasons she could never fully fathom, she was more sensitive to touch there.

She felt him smirk, alerting her to the fact that he had quickly figured this out. In retaliation, she scratched long marks over his chest beneath his tee.

He hissed, but continued in his ministrations, tracing up along her ribcage and then deliberately pausing before he pulled away to gaze down at her.

“Why’d you stop?” she mumbled.

“Because I want to see you,” he replied, peeling her tank up over her stomach.

She arched her back to assist him in the removal, glad to be free of the confines of restrictive fabric, but before he could fully appreciate the image of her: she plucked at the shirt he was still wearing and gave him a significant look. “It’s only fair that I get to see you too.”

Luckily, there was no hesitation on his part when he settled back long enough for her to whisk the tee off.

Nikita took advantage of the shift in balance to pin Ari against the blankets, straddling his hips and taking a long, proper admiration at what lay before her.

The fire’s light flickered patterns over his pale skin, his chest rising and falling evenly with each breath. Her gaze drew slowly over the perfect, athletic tone of his frame, prompting a molten warmth to gather right at her core.

He was doing his fair share of appreciation as well, that stare of his lingering and making her feel entirely exposed even though they weren’t fully naked just yet.

That was why she wasn’t fully prepared for him lunging, their lips colliding in a feverish kiss as he turned and trapped her under him.

She could tell that the tightly wound threads of his control had snapped when he pulled the rest of her clothing off in one swift move, and then hurriedly rid himself of his own.

“What was that you were saying about patience?” she teased, carding her fingers through his hair while drawing him down on top of her.

“Never listen to me when I’m trying to be logical,” he muttered, inching one hand up along her thigh tantalizingly while dipping his head to taste at her clavicle. “Besides, I’m sure we can reach a compromise here.”

They did, in fact, discover a happy medium in spite of the burst of urgency.

Nikita quickly became lost to sensation while Ari took his time to explore – his lips traveling across her shoulder, pausing to dart his tongue over the mark that he’d made earlier before coasting further down.

The reminder that she still needed to get some proper payback was pushed to the recesses of her mind when he cupped her breast, thumb dancing along sensitized flesh for several moments until it was replaced with his mouth.

She cried out at the contact, weaving her hands further into his hair to keep him steady as he bestowed attention first upon one and then the other.

Simultaneously, his free hand drifted lower and lower, his touch light and feathery as it skimmed over her stomach right before ducking down between her legs.

Her hips bucked instinctively, a much louder moan emerging as he eventually drove her over the edge, her mind whirling from the pleasure of it all.

This was what they hadn’t involved in their previous encounter – it had been hasty and impetuous, a collision of their bodies but not of their hearts, and it was clear that Ari intended to make up for that in spades.

Not to be outdone, Nikita turned so that she was in control for a while, initiating another passion-filled embrace as her hands skimmed down his torso, her nails purposely dragging through the hair that dusted his chest. She then leaned in to nibble provocatively at the junction between his neck and shoulder before sinking her teeth down hard enough to break the skin: marking him the way he had her.

She grinned when he groaned and arced upwards, revealing that he was equally sensitive in certain respects.

In a deft motion, she straddled his hips again, staring down at the enticing picture that he made – his breathing erratic and his hair mussed hopelessly by her own doing. The gorgeous color of his eyes was practically invisible thanks to his pupils being dilated with arousal and a deliciously wicked thought crossed her mind.

It wasn’t her intent to join with him this way, but now she simply couldn’t help herself, reaching between them to align properly before sinking down.

His rasped out her name and grasped at her tightly right as they started off in a rocking motion, his head tilting back to expose the elegant column of his throat.

There was a definite thrill to being the one in charge, her desire for him overwhelming any other thought that could be had. She kept them going at a mainly even pace, shifting her angle subtly and anchoring them together.

His hands eased up her back, pulling her forward when their motions began to grow erratic, waiting until exactly the right moment to turn the tides and bear her back into the blankets.

They met once more in a searing kiss that mirrored their entangled bodies, her legs locking around his waist, fingers clawing at his spine as they finally reached that precipice, until – at last, they fell.

Nikita was fairly certain that moving was going to be impossible for the considerable future, her form still hopelessly entwined with Ari’s while they attempted to calm down from the aftermath of their passions.

For his part, he seemed as exhausted as she was, his head resting in the crook of her shoulder and his pulse a rapid staccato that she could feel against her own.

She traced a lazy pattern across his back, lingering over a mark of her creation, before finding her voice. “Did I go a little overboard?”

“Judging by the fact that you could draw a map on me through the scratches, yes.”

“…I did say I’d pay you back for the love mark from earlier.”

He chuckled – a deep, gravelly, and oh-so-sexy sound, and if only she wasn’t so damn tired.

As if reading her mind, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then murmured. “Rest.”

She didn’t need to be told twice, wrapping her arms around his torso, and letting her eyes flutter shut.

The clacking sound of computer keys was what eventually stirred Nikita from a sound slumber.

Groggily, she opened her eyes, her vision swimming blurrily at first till the image of Ari next to her came properly into focus.

He had re-situated some of the pillows so he could sit comfortably with his back against them. One of the many blankets surrounding them was pooled around his waist, and he had a computer placed on his lap, hence the sound she had heard.

What really made her heart flip around erratically in her chest, however, was the sight of her lover wearing glasses. Silver, thin rectangular frames were perched on the bridge of his aquiline nose, giving him an extra bit of allure that certainly wasn’t necessary, but she would be lying if several different fantasies didn’t immediately flood her mind.

She gazed at him contentedly, stretching lazily against the plush surface she was lying on. “Can’t whatever that is wait till morning?”

“It never hurts to get a head start on decryption,” Ari turned to smile at her and patted the space next to him invitingly. “But you were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to wake you.”

Nikita stood up and gathered a stray blanket around her like a dress before moving to sit next to him, shoulder-to-shoulder so she could take a look at what he was working on.

“Oreo? I felt peckish after I woke up,” he reached blindly to the side so he could grab a few.

“Yes please,” she gladly accepted the treat and didn’t hesitate in devouring it.

He laughed and handed her the entire package. “Here.”

She thanked him around a mouthful of cookie before swallowing and taking another out of the plastic tray. She twisted the top layer off and set about licking the filling, then joked, “Congrats; now you know my two biggest weaknesses: mind-blowing sex and chocolate.”

Another amused chuckle escaped him. “Duly noted.”

With a fond expression, she curled close, resting her head upon his shoulder and watching him continue his task. “What exactly is on this thing anyway? You never fully explained.”

“The black boxes that your former boss has stored around the world can’t be opened without his DNA. This is something Gogol was working on to bypass that. If used wisely, it can open every single one at the same time and unleash all the information on them to wherever we choose.”

Her pulse leapt excitedly at the prospect. “I’m assuming there’s a catch.”

“Two specifically: we can only use it once, as there’s a self-destruct built into the coding, and we have to be close to all of the boxes.”

“Which means we have to find them.” She surmised, plucking another couple of Oreos out from the packaging.

“Yes, it does. That being said – it’s nothing we can’t handle if we work as a team.”

She had never been one to imagine picket fences, and there was certainly rough terrain ahead, but for the first time, Nikita felt secure about the future she had.

She could picture a life with the man next to her, even if it took time to get there. The idea of an actual home and perhaps a child of their own someday was something she assumed would never happen, but now all she could think of was how much she craved such a thing. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

Ari eventually set the computer aside, concern in his gaze as he turned his attention to her. “Nikita…did I lose you somewhere there?”

She shook her head and tilted her chin up to kiss him languidly. “No, I think it’s the opposite. You have me for the long haul.”

Judging by the way he embraced her after that confession, it was obvious that the feeling was entirely mutual.

The End

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