#oil street art space

[ultralowoxygen]

"Oi!"... Oil Street Art Space (iii) by hugo p Via Flickr: Oil Street Art Space, Electric Road, North Point. 2022. Nikon FE2, Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400

[hiddenstashart]

33rd & Broadway

[mehedihasan1293]

Child Swing Lamp Post Night Street Light

[luviestarz]

lee haechan fic recs!

❤︎ I LIKE YOU (I DO) (L.DH) - @domjaehyun (stoner!haechan just wants you to know how much he likes you.)

❤︎ paperclip - @smileysuh (yandere, ex bf! hyuck)

❤︎ My Boy. - @prodbymaui (A series of failed relationships and you were this near of giving up on love. But then here comes little Donghyuck and his persistence. Maybe-- he was the one fated to you, after all.)

❤︎ kiss it better - @yeow6n (haechan gets hurt but you know that with him it’s not going to be as simple as putting a band-aid on it)

❤︎ sugar, butter, & the royal crown - L.DH - @haechwrites (prince donghyuck only has one princess on his mind, but she's not actually a princess. she's just the royal baker's granddaughter.)

❤︎ bus stop - @ooshu (haechan rides the bus. you hop on the same ride. minutes later, you two were a couple. he never questioned why.)

❤︎ strawberries & cigarettes - @hyudior (the art school's play is in two days and you're running out of time to put everything together since your known enemy lee donghyuck decided that the rehearsal day was the perfect day to release a launch party for his new album.)

❤︎ >> take my breath - @hyuckwrlds

❤︎ moles ♡‧₊˚ lee haechan - @sleeping-sirens (you read something on the internet that made you feel jealous of a person you didn’t even know but haechan knows just how to reassure you.)

❤︎ haechan — gold-skinned, eager baby - @hyuckmov (he used to be able to hide it. he used to be fine with glancing at you, habitually flicking his eyes to your chest when you would walk into the room or snuggle up to him. but now he’s totally fucked, because he thinks he’s developed some sort of addiction.)

❤︎ eyes tell - @tonicandjins (donghyuck has been trying to confess his feelings to you. third time's the charm, he thinks.)

❤︎ going below zero | l.dh - @cherryeoniis (Considering how much Haechan makes it his personal mission to antagonize you at work, it seems like a rather cruel twist of fate that the both of you have been side by side since middle school, the only consolation being that his office is a different floor from yours. But if there’s a saying about how distance makes the heart grow fonder, your attitude with him might just be the opposite, and it’ll take a family ski holiday to find out.)

❤︎ take my breath. - @sixzeroes (lee donghyuck did not believe in ‘love at first sight.’ key word: did. he does now, but only because you happened to fall into his arms on the icy road in the narrow streets. you’re going to render him breathless from the countless times your smile takes his breath away.)

❤︎ ice cream thief [ l.dh ] - @tddyhyck (someone has been eating haechan's favorite ice cream so he decides to put a hidden camera in the kitchen and living room thinking it's a shared space it shouldn't invade anyone's privacy... right?)

❤︎ tease | lee haechan - @hyuckiefluff (Playing spin the bottle definitely wasn't what you had envisioned for your first college party. And the last person you expected to see was Lee Haechan. But life has a funny way of throwing surprises at you, and this time it came in the form of the bottle landing on some drunk dude who dared you to kiss Haechan.)

❤︎ 𝟏𝟎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ¹⁸⁺ - @goldyeokki (you and lee donghyuck both get along like oil and water. if it were up to you, you would be going about your days without even breathing in his direction. unfortunately you're in the same friend group and you have to tolerate each other. as handsome or attractive as people claim him to be, you hate his guts. there's so many reasons why you hate him, so why do you get butterflies in your stomach when he's near?)

❤︎ high (with my lover) [m] – l.dh - @yeonghosins (y/n smokes up with donghyuck for the first time)

❤︎ what the puck! - @choerrypuffs (you hit the university’s star hockey player with your car. shenanigans (and maybe even a little romance) ensue.)

❤︎ double take | l.dh - @cherryeoniis (friends to lovers, highschool au, slowburn, fluff, angst)

❤︎ Your Red Lipstick || L.DH - @ihaechans (Kisses, kisses, kisses. That’s all your boyfriend wants. When you refuse to give him the one thing he craves, he won’t leave you alone, begging and begging until you give in.)

[notbecauseofvictories]

Last post, I promise, but I do think it’s good and important to see local art (defining that term as broadly as possible) but in my experience you have to put up with the little kick of embarrassment you feel witnessing something too earnest, a little clumsy, not polished within an inch of its life or in step with prevailing trends.

I’m thinking of the dance performances I saw this weekend, but also last week’s street festival, where I watched short films and walked through local art exhibits; I’m thinking about Chicago’s outsider art museum, and even the elaborately decorated (ostensibly tacky) yards I see in rural Illinois, but South Carolina and Tennessee before that, and Michigan before that. Maybe I should cast an even broader net: my aunt’s cross stitch, my grand-aunt’s horrible poetry; the art they display at the nearby retirement community and the halfway house too, which comes from the residents.

If you’re not used to leaving space for that little kick, you might turn away or scoff at all this small, fumbling art. But I think there’s value in forcing yourself to look beyond that initial stab of secondhand embarrassment---to actually appreciate the art in front of you as an expression of something deeply human. You don’t have to think it’s objectively good, or even subjectively good. You don’t have to pretend that a local woman with a talent for oils is the next [INSERT FAMOUS ARTIST HERE]. But I do think you have to appreciate it, because otherwise there is no entrance into making art yourself.

And that, more than anything, is worth preserving.

[beautyofaphrodite]

Venus Verticordia

As you may know, I’ve been making posts with deep dives into artistic depictions of Lady Aphrodite (or technically Lady Venus). I’ve already covered The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Cabanel, Venus Victrix by Canova and Venus Anadyomene by Titian. Today’s artwork is Venus Verticordia by Rossetti.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter, and translator born on May 12, 1828 in London and died April 9, 1882 in Kent. His work was characterised by its sensuality and its medieval revivalism and was a major precursor of the Aesthetic movement. He tended to create his artwork based off of his poetry.

Description of the Painting + Symbolism

Venus, depicted pale, with dark red hair is shown nude surrounded by roses and honeysuckles. She holds a golden apple (alluding to the judgement of Paris) and a gold-tipped arrow. She has a halo and is surrounded by yellow butterflies.

The roses and honeysuckle represent sexual passion, and the arrow is Venus’ son Cupid’s arrow, and the fact that it’s pointed towards her heart represents “uncontrollable desire”. While partially a reference to Eris’ Apple of Discord in the Judgement of Paris, the golden apple also symbolizes forbidden fruit in the story of Eve in the Garden of Eden, showing temptation. Venus is shown with a halo, which represents holiness and purity. The butterflies may represent Venus’ soul, her attendants, or the involvement of the soul as well as the body in love and desire.

Poem

This poem was written by Rossetti to accompany the painting.

“She hath the apple in her hand for thee,

Yet almost in her heart would hold it back;

She muses, with her eyes upon the track

Of that which in thy spirit they can see.

Haply, ‘Behold, he is at peace,’ saith she;

‘Alas! the apple for his lips,—the dart

That follows its brief sweetness to his heart,—

The wandering of his feet perpetually!’

A little space her glance is still and coy;

But if she give the fruit that works her spell,

Those eyes shall flame as for her Phrygian boy.

Then shall her bird's strained throat the woe foretell,

And her far seas moan as a single shell,

And through her dark grove strike the light of Troy.”

About the Painting

Venus Verticordia was commissioned by Patron John Mitchell of Bradford in 1863, and Rossetti worked on it from 1864 to 1868. The painting moved to the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum collection in 1945 where it is still displayed. The dimensions of this painting are 98.1 cm × 69.9 cm (38.6 in × 27.5 in).

Fun Facts

- The model for this painting was originally “a remarkably handsome cook whom he met in the street” but was later changed to resemble Alexa Wilding, one of his favorite muses.

- Verticordia means Changer of the Heart, referring to “Venus's ability to turn women's hearts towards virtue”

- During the time in which this was created, Flower Language was a big thing, and this is shown in the symbolism of the flowers surrounding Venus

- This is Rossetti’s only nude oil painting

I hope you learned something, I certainly did! As always, if there’s any artistic depictions of Lady Aphrodite or Lady Venus (whether painting, statue, etc) you particularly like or want me to cover, please let me know! Love y’all 🫶

[neesieiumz]

ma bellamour ⇴ ”someone as beautiful… could love someone as me” ⸻ c. kamo

Part I. Part II

synopsis ⇴ "Ooh, love is beautiful, love is wonderful!" ⸻ ma belle evangeline.

warnings ⇴ 18+. sm*t. soft-dom!choso. minors do not interact. fluff. mobster!au. (this shows up more in part ii) inn-owner!reader. takes place similar to new orleans but it's not! has lots of time skips as well. single-mom!reader. yuuji is a little kid in here. choso is the best big brother as well. black!coded reader. afab reader. female anatomy. sukuna ryomen is his own warning. however, he is only in a small part in this part. mentions of torture. there are also ocs in here, the most important one is reader's daughter, who is also named evangeline as well. choso has a huge scar on his chest, it's for the plot. descriptions of torture. no beta readers cause I need to get this out in time. choso art credit — affectbitter on twitter

writer’s notes ⇴ THIS IS SO LATE I KNOW! It was supposed to be a Valentine's Day gift for you all but I was indecisive about how to do it! y'all must know where I got inspired for this work. my favorite Disney princess movie! as you can tell it's pretty long... but I really hope you guys enjoy It!

word count ⇴ 9.9k

The air smelled of old car oil, and the rumbling sounds of the cars going up and down the cracked streets. The sidewalks were filled with people, constantly moving up and down, with all walks of life interacting with each other. He held his brother close to him, feeling his chest move up and down as he slept soundly. They were covered in dirt and grime, exhaustion weighing heavily on his eyes. The train journey was long and tiring, and he could feel his stomach cramp up in hunger and dehydration. His clothes were heavy with sweat and dirt, adding extra weight to his already weary body. However, he still pressed on, the feeling of his little brother’s heartbeat close to him. Choso maneuvered through the crowds, pushing through until he rounded a corner. A hanging sign, deep oak colored with fancy shimmering light green words caught his attention, Marina Inn, Bed and Breakfast. There were floral designs around the sign, in the same light green sparkle color the words were in, a simple but eye-catching design. 

However, what really had his attention was the words under it, an obvious sliding sign, for those who wished to change the words under them, now said capacity: Vacancy. He could almost collapse in relief, everywhere he had gone was full. According to conversations he overheard, a huge fair was in town, attracting all kinds of people worldwide. So to see somewhere with some kind of space where they could rest their heads. He approached the door, slowly bending down to place the suitcase in his hand on the concrete ground, careful not to wake Yuuji. He then opened the door, using his foot to prop it open before bending down, and picking up his luggage back up. He stepped inside the hotel, the door slowly closing behind him. 

It was cozy, the lobby as Choso glanced around, a fireplace roaring with a flame in front of him. Dark-colored wood, matching the color and material of hanging signs outside surrounded him. The banister of the stairs led up to the upper levels of the inn. A brim-brick fireplace, roared with an orange-red flame, the heat engulfing the area. He took a deep breath, his shoulders unintentionally relaxed, this aura, this palace had a familiar sense to it. One he had not felt in a very long time. He glanced down at his sleeping brother, the tufts of his pink hair moving up as he softly snored. Beside the fireplace, was a desk, the check-in desk. It was empty currently, and his eyes landed on the sign standing on the desk, next to a bell. 

Ring for assistance!

He placed his bag down once again, shuffling Yuuji in his arms to give himself some reprieve, before pressing the bell two times. He waited for a moment, taking in his surroundings just a bit more before a sweet voice called out from the back:

“I’ll be right with you!”

He didn’t know what to say, so he just waited, resting his now free hand on the one holding his brother. Choso soon heard footsteps approaching him, getting closer and closer before the sound of heavy breathing got closer as well. 

“Sorry bout the wait, there was a grease clog in one of the stoves and my fixer ain’t coming until tomorrow,” your voice was much clearer as you came out from the back, approaching the desk. 

You had yet to look at him, but Choso had seen you. Your hair was wrapped in a white scarf, now obviously stained with dirty black-yellow grease. Tied around your neck and clothes was once a pure white apron, stained with the same color grease stains. You also wore a simple creme blouse, along with a yellow-and-white checkered skirt, flowing all around you. They were both covered in grease stains as well. Choso slowly shook his head, slightly mesmerized by your very form, despite the grease and grunge.

“It’s fine,” he finally pushed out, “I’m not in any kind of rush anyways.”

You nodded your head, and that’s when you finally looked up to see who was in front of you. Your eyes widened in concern at his state of being. 

“Oh my, you must have come a very long way, I’m assuming you’ll be needing two rooms?” You said, pulling out a book. 

Immediately, he shook his head, “just one please.”

You glanced between the two of them, “are you sure, sir?”

He took a deep breath nodding his head, “yes, one is just fine, preferably with two beds if you have it?”

You hummed,, before flipping through the large book, “we have available rooms with two beds, if that’s what you prefer.”

“Will that cost extra…?” he could help but tentatively asked.

He left with only so much money, enough for the train tickets to get all the way here and some food for Yuuji. You look at him, before peering down at Yuuji sleeping soundly in his arms. Smiling softly, you shook your head. 

“No, it won’t be extra, depending on how long you can stay of course?”

Dropping his clunky rectangular suitcase, he trudged through his pocket, before pulling out both his wallet along with a folded napkin. He tried to reach over, but with Yuuji still in his arms, he couldn’t fully open up the wallet and napkin. He grumbled, reaching over and over again but he still couldn't reach. He whispered a curse to himself, before jumping as he felt a hand gently tap him on the shoulders. He looked over and it was you, no longer standing behind the counter desk. You held your hands out, glancing down at Yuuji before looking at Choso.

“I can hold him, if you wish to get settled first?” You asked him.

Immediately, he shook his head, “oh no, I couldn’t bother—”

You shook your own head back at him, “nonsense, it is no bother to me at all. Plus, he reminds me of my daughter.”

Choso doesn’t know why that singular piece of information dampened his heart, is it the idea that you were married? He had no time to focus on that, he thought to himself as he leaned down, allowing you to slowly scoop Yuuji from his arms. The small pink-haired boy whined for a moment taking a deep breath, and with no extra beat, he relaxed in your hold, snuggling against your form and unconsciously making himself comfortable. Your sweet smile slightly reverberated in his heart as you slightly rocked him, walking back to your post behind the desk. With his newly-freed hand, he was able to open up his wallet, pulling out the last few bills in it. He placed that on the desk, before reaching towards the folded napkin, revealing the secret stack of bills. His heart slightly dropped at what he had to do to get them, the life that he had to leave behind for something better. 

He looked up at you, “how… how much would a week stay be?”

You hummed, looking away from Yuuji to look at him, “one week…?” you questioned.

You told him the amount, and he could feel himself almost fall to the floor with relief. He had enough for that, luckily, unfortunately, he’ll have to dip into the blood money he took, currently wrapped up in the dirty napkin. He pulled out a few extra bills, before putting his now empty wallet and the folded napkin back in his pocket. He then handed you the money, which you thanked him for before placing it in a drawer you must have unlocked while he was distracted. With your free hand, you handed him the log-in book, telling him where to sign his name and date. 

He handed you back the book, allowing you to look at his name, “Choso Kamo,” you tested on your tongue, elongating the “o” in his last name.

He straightened up, unconsciously as spoke his name. He watched you turn back around, picking up the key that dangled around your neck. With no warning, you pulled the key right off your neck, before sticking the keyhole in the wall. Twisting and turning the key, Choso heard something unlock before the wall split into two sides, before opening up, revealing the rows of keys. They were all the same color, rustic brown with a dangling tag hanging off the end of each of them. Maneuvering your pointed hand, you ‘tsked multiple times to yourself, figuring out which key to give them. You soon picked a key in the top right corner, the very key in the top corner. You dropped the key in your pocket before closing the hidden wall, hearing the familiar click before twisting your key, and pulling it out. 

Turning around, you stepped from behind your post once again, smiling over at Choso. 

“Follow me, and don’t forget your bag!”

With that, he was hot on your trail as you led him up the stairs, the sounds of your more dainty steps combined with his more heavy ones. The wood squeaked under him, and he almost thought he was too dense for these stairs. However, you paid the sounds no mind, continuing up the stairs, passing the second floor, the hall split into two directions, making some kind of ‘L’ shape, with the stairs being right at the corner. You continued to lead them up the stairs, heading up to the more quiet, more private third floor. It only had one hallway, looking straight ahead. The low ambiance eased the pounding headache he constantly ignored. You lead them down the hallway, passing by a few doors, before stopping two doors away from the end of the hall, in which another door stood.

You pulled the key out of your pocket, before sticking it into the keyhole in the doorknob and twisting it open, the door clicking open. An indescribable feeling ran through Choso as he looked upon the new room, where he would be laying his head for an indescribable future. It was spacious and looked as if a family was supposed to live there instead of two brothers. He said nothing as the two of you walked into the room, there was a living room and a bit towards the back, seeing the opened door leading to a bedroom with a large, readily made bed. He looked over to the right where you were heading, seeing another opened door and finding a much smaller bedroom in there. You pushed the door open further, revealing a simple room, with a bit more color than the environment in the makeshift living room. It was obviously a children’s room, which made it perfect as you slowly reached down, pulling the sheets back before placing the small child on the bed, before pulling the soft blankets over him. 

You soon turned back to Choso, pressing your index finger against your lips, he nodded slowly before the two of you tip-toeing out of the room. Once out of the room, you reached out, slowly closing the door behind you with a soft click. 

“This room is definitely more than the amount I paid, with all due respect ma’am…” he trailed off, soon realizing he didn’t know your name. 

You giggled a bit, before giving him your name, “and I don’t know what you mean Mr. Kamo, last I checked this was my inn, so I made the prices.”

The sound of your name rang through his head, as you hummed, before turning to the right, heading toward the much bigger bedroom. He couldn't help but shake his head, before following right behind you. He entered the room, and the size of it surprised him. 

“Here is your bedroom of course, please make yourself comfortable as much as possible, lunch was already served one hour ago but dinner will be at 7:30!”

You turned towards him, before dropping the key in his hands. He was still in slight shock at your amount of generosity, and how well you have treated him in so little time. 

You reached up, placing your hand on his shoulder, “get some sleep, Mr. Kamo, please.”

You waited a moment, only beginning to leave the moment he nodded his head. He heard your heels clicking against the wooden floors, before hearing the door squeak open. The door soon closed shut, and now Choso was left alone, nothing but his thoughts supposedly running rampant. However, he couldn't find the amount of worry and fear he had been so used to the moment he left his old life. Dropping the suitcase, the loud bang echoed through the room affecting him. He was like a zombie, slowly taking heavy steps reaching and going to his destination. The moment he reached the bed, he fell over, eyes closing shut and the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out. Gone to the world around him. 

Choso awoke with a sharp breath, fear striking his heart as sweat bullets appeared on his face. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. For a moment, he thought he was back at that place, shrouded in a certain darkness he wished to never experience again. Pushing himself up, he glanced around at the cozy, rustic brown-colored room before his memories slowly slipped back to him like the rushing waves in a mirror.

He escaped. He escaped, he escaped with Yuuji. 

Yuuji!

Quickly, he shot up from the bed, feet banging against the wooden floor before stomping out of the room. Scurrying across the room, he swung Yuuji’s door open, expecting to see his little pink-haired brother laying across his bed. Instead, he found an empty-made bed, with a piece of paper sitting neatly on top of it. His heart skipped several beats, feeling it drop as he basically jumped towards the bed, snatching up the piece of paper. 

The handwriting of the first line was too neat to be Yuuji’s. However, the second line looked more like the way he writes. 

Yuuji will be downstairs with me -- Y/n

P.S., you still snore too loudly when you sleep. :( 

Usually, he would have chuckled at that, but his racing heart and brain gave him no time. Crumpling the paper, holding it tight as he left the room, stumping away towards the stairs. Choso got to the stairs, a sudden burst of energy fueling him as he quickly scaled down the stairs. As he got closer to the first floor, he began to call out his name.

“Yuuji! Yuuji, are you here?!”

The moment his eyes landed on the inn lobby on the first floor, the back door flew open, revealing the bright-eyed young child. Choso's heart sighed in relief, the heavy beats immediately relaxed as he made it to the bottom floor. At the same time, Yuuji ran up to him, arms wide. Choso scooped him the moment he was close, holding him close to his heart. After holding him for a bit, he shuffled him around to look at his face, quickly checking over for marks on his face, bruises, and cuts that were not there before. 

“You’re not hurt, are you?” he couldn't help but ask, slowly sliding to the floor. 

The little one shook his head, “no, the nice lady helped me out!” He turned around slightly, pointing towards the back.

He looked up, only to see you standing there, but not only you. Gripping at your long skirt, was a little girl, just around Yuuji’s age as well. She had a blue dress on with pink patterns, and her hair was in little braids, with black and blue beads at the end, held in two ponytails. Her eyes were unwavering as they looked at Choso, continuing to hold on to her mother’s skirt. Looking back up at you, you still wore the same outfit as earlier, only wearing a new apron with no grease stains but rather stains of blue, and floury-chalky white. 

“My apologies if we caused you any distress,” your sweet voice rang out, “Yuuji couldn’t wake you up, so I wrote a note saying where he’ll be.”

You stepped forward, holding the little girl’s hands as you did so. Choso took a short breath before standing up fully, shaking his head. 

“No need to apologize, it’s just… it’s been a while since Yuuji left my side like that.”

You nodded your head, “of course, I understand completely.”

He nodded his head, before looking at Yuuji once again, fully taking in his state of being, “Yuuji, why are you covered in wet flour and…” he took a moment to lift up his coat jacket, sniffing it, “is that blueberries?”

He smiled widely, his white teeth shining against the light, “we were making blueberry muffins!!”

Choso’s eyes quirked up for a moment, “oh really?” He looked back up at you, seeing you nodding your head to confirm.

“We had just put them in the oven when you arrived, they’ll be done by the time people finish their food.”

He nodded his head, glancing around for some kind of clock to see the time.

6:34 pm.

Luckily, he still hadn’t missed dinner yet, he thought to himself as he could feel his stomach squeezing and turning from the lack of food from the past week. 

“Mr. Kamo, I’d recommend you freshen up, those clothes look dirty and old from your journey.”

He nodded his head again, yeah, a shower would do him wonders right now. He then turned to face Yuuji, “you’ll be okay without me, at least for a little more?”

He nodded his head, giving his older brother a thumbs up, “I’ll be fine!”

Choso glanced at you, before looking back at you, “stay with Mrs. Y/n, okay? Listen to her, alright?”

He nodded his head once again, “I will!”

He let out one final breath, before looking up at you, “can you continue to watch him for me, until I come back?”

You nodded your head swiftly, “of course, go get cleaned up!”

You basically shooed him as Yuuji walked back to you, standing right beside your daughter before whispering in her ear. The two of them smiled at each other, before basically running back into the kitchen and back room. Choso turned around, beginning to walk up the stairs, before taking a moment to look back, seeing your figure turned around, following behind the two rascals whose giggles could be heard throughout the lobby. Choso couldn’t help but smile at the sounds of Yuuji’s happiness, something he hadn’t heard in a long time. 

He scaled up the stairs once again, arriving back on the third floor before heading to his room. Choso went back to his room, pulling out another outfit to wear before heading to the bathroom. The bathroom still felt a bit humid from its last use, but he paid it no mind. He shrugged off his old, dirty clothes, placing them in a trash bag he found. He turned on the tub, putting it on the hot water as he waited for it to fill. As steam began to willow through the bathroom, he took a moment to glance at the mirror, his naked body staring right back at him. His scarred hands ran across his scared body, old bruises that hadn’t healed properly, and gnarly scars, scattered across his torso and waist. The most prominent one was the huge reddish-brown scar stretching from his right shoulder, all the way to his lower left hip. As his fingers slowly traced the gash, memories invaded his mind.

He writhed in pain, blood gushing, seeping into his off-white shirt. Above him, he can hear pained sobs, high pitched screams as Yuuji is pulled away from him. Choso cursed, the pain immobilizing him as he could hear his brother’s voice fade further away from him, but he could still hear him screaming his name. 

“...LET GO OF ME! CHOSO! PLEASE DON’T DIE!”

“Quiet, brat!” A stern voice called out.

For a moment, Yuuji’s tears and sobs hushed out of fear. The strong voice turned towards Choso’s writhing body. 

“This is his punishment, be quiet unless you want the same fate.”

He was sniffling, and his brother was sniffing but he didn’t cry out again. All Choso wanted to do was get up, hold him, and tell him everything was gonna be alright. To take him and run as far as he could. Yuuji, his little brother… 

Heavy footsteps soon began to fade, and he could hear something squeak, a door beginning to close. 

“Let’s just see if you can survive this, Choso?”

Darkness surrounds him once again, silence loudly ringing in his ear. His heavy arms pressed against his wound, hoping to somehow, someway, stop the bleeding. The metallic smell of blood hit his nose. He can’t die, and he won’t die, not when Yuuji still needed him. He needed him, they needed to get out, out of this place, out of this life. 

Choso Kamo will not die here. 

With a sharp breath, he forced himself out of the flashback. He glanced back, seeing the tub nearly filling up. He turned around, turning off the faucet before grabbing a clean rag, and slowly stepping into the hot water. He shuddered, taking another step into the heated water. He dipped his rag into the water, before scrubbing the soap along the rag before beginning to wash his body. White suds soon turned brown, evidence of just how dirty he was. 

He sighed, relaxing in the tub. 

To new beginnings, and a new life. 

He felt… renewed, that was the best thing he could describe himself. He thought as he jogged down the stairs. Once he made it down, there were a few more people in the lobby, congregating and talking amongst themselves. He trudged through them, using a simple head nod to greet those who would look at him. He knew what they were staring at, the thick bandage-like mark on his nose, obscuring some of his faces. Most people would just stare, too intimidated by his size to even ask about it. He paid them no mind, hearing Yuuji’s voice come from the open doorway towards the right of the lobby. There were more people in there, all sitting at different tables, with plates of food in front of them as well. He looked around the room, making eye contact with a row of long tables, with trays of hot food steaming from them. The smell wafted through the hair, the savory smell of roasted, seasoned chicken, pasta, and other foods. The sounds of Yuuji speaking got louder and he turned around, only to find him and your daughter sitting at a table in the corner. They both had half-eaten plates of food in front of them, as well as two coloring books in front of them with crayons scattered in front of them. 

He headed towards them, smiling as he headed towards them. As he got closer, his figure must have moved in their peripheral vision because they both looked up, looking straight at him. Yuuji smiled, shouting his name, pushing himself out of the chair before running up to him. Choso scooped him again, holding him close once again. The stains from before were cleaned up, and he now smelled of chicken and pasta. 

“Was the food good?” Choso asked him, his heart warming at his enthusiastic nod. 

“Miss Y/n is an amazing cook! Better than you!”

He tried to ignore the pang in his heart as he said that, smiling in his face. Yuuji gasped, before squirming in his arms. Choso bent down slightly, letting him go as he slid down to the floor before going back to the table. 

“Choso! This is Evageline!” Yuuji held her hand, bringing her closer to you. 

Your daughter, Evangeline, shuffled around, looking everywhere but at him. Just like how his appearance sometimes was off-putting to adults, children can find it unappealing as well. These types of interactions hurt his heart a bit more than with adults. Even so, he took a breath, before holding out his hand. 

“Hi there, Evangeline, my name is Choso. I’m Yuuji’s big brother.”

She glanced down at his hand, before looking back up at him. She was still a bit apprehensive, even taking a point to take a step back a little bit. However, before Choso could say anything, he could feel a figure approaching them from behind, standing right behind him.

“Now that’s not how we greet guests and people, is it Evangeline?” 

He stood up, turning around to face you, this time without any apron on your body. You walked around Choso, taking your daughter softly by her hand and turning her towards you. 

“Hey love,” you spoke softly towards her, “what’s going on?”

Evangeline whispered in your ears as Choso rose back, Yuuji came around the two of you, wrapping his tiny arms around Choso’s legs as the two of you looked at him. You whispered back into her ears as well, Evangeline nodding along with your words. Once the two of you finished speaking with each other, you rose up, holding her in your arms before turning around to the two of them. 

Evangeline looked at Choso before holding out her hand, “sorry, Mr. Kamo. My name is Evangeline.”

Choso couldn't help but smile, reaching out his own hand to gently shake hers, “it’s nice to meet you Evangeline.”

You placed her back down as Yuuji went back to the table with Evangeline, not before telling Choso that he saved a seat for him. You sat with them as Choso walked over to the food table, picking up a plate before stacking it high with food. He grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the pitcher before walking back to the table with you and the children. He placed his plate down, sitting down right beside his brother, picking up his spoon and fork. As he ate, the feeling of hot warm food, not bland as well, was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Choso, look!”

He must have been too focused on his food, looking up at all three of you staring at him. He could feel bits of food scattered around his mouth, which must have set off the little giggles from their mouth. 

“You look funny,” Yuuji laughed, covering his mouth as well.

Evangeline copied him as well, the two of them giggling away at Choso’s countenance. He looked over at you to see an amused smile on your face as well. Choso could feel his cheeks redden as he reached out, grabbing a napkin to wipe away his mouth. 

“My apologies,” he mumbled, reaching over to tickle Yuuji’s laughter only got louder. 

You shook your head, “no problem, I’m glad you're enjoying the food.”

The conversation flowed between the four of you, mostly between Choso and you as the kids were mainly focused on who can make the best drawing of Choso. He asked you about how you became the owner of this inn, and you delved into a great story about your life here. How this has always been a family business, originally founded by your great-grandmother. You had grown up here, as did your mother and your grandmother as well. Families grew here, before going out the world and making their own marks in the world. You told him the story of how your father saved your business, from a group of thieves with dangerous weapons as well. Unfortunately, he had lost his life in the attack but drove them away enough for the police to get there. You pointed over to the back wall where his face was memorialized on the wall of the dining hall, which was always his favorite place in the inn. You let off a bittersweet chuckle once you had told him that. Choso couldn't help but place a hand on your shoulder, trying his best to provide some comfort to you. 

“Thank you,” you sighed, placing your own hand on top of his, “I just hope he likes the way I run the inn now?”

He smiled, “I’m sure he’s very proud of his daughter.”

You thanked him once again, before feeling a tug on your arm. You looked over at your daughter, who gestured for you to come closer. You nodded along to her words before slowly rising to your feet, taking her hand before leading her away from the table. 

“We have to go do something, but it was great having a conversation with Choso. I hope to see you around the inn as well.”

You waved bye to the two of them, Evangeline did so as well, but more so Yuuji than Choso. That’s fine, he thought to himself, as the two of you headed out of the dining hall. As the two of you walked away, the people all around the dining hall greeted you, smiling in your faces as they complimented your food. The two of you soon disappeared through the open doorway, leaving just the two of you. He glanced over at Yuuji, who stuck his tongue out as he put the finishing touches on his portrait of him. He simply smiled, and ruffled his hair for a bit, before continuing to eat his food. 

Three days had passed, and no luck in finding a new job. 

Choso was at his wit's end, and he didn’t know what to do. He had constantly relied on your help with Yuuji, watching him as he went out into the world, giving his name to anyone who would hear him. No luck. No one would hire him, no callbacks to the inn, no nothing. He refused to want to dip into the folded money, which he had now placed into the bottom left drawer in his nightstand. Blood money, as he’s called it multiple times. However, the week was soon ending, and he needed to find another way to pay for another week in the inn. 

His head hung low as he trudged back into the inn lobby, hearing your voice talking to the new guests in the front. As he turned to the left, he looked over at you as you were instructing the new people on what to sign. For a moment, he looked up, and the two of you locked eyes. You smiled, waving at him, and him immediately waving back. One of the guests caught your attention and you turned back to her, speaking in that high-pitched people-pleaser voice he had heard you use so many times. With his heart lifted up just a bit, he continued up the stairs, soon making it to his room. It was empty, as Yuuji was still downstairs, most likely hanging out with Evangeline in an obscure corner of the inn. He soon made it over to his bed, laying across, letting out a deep, heavy sigh. He was tired, so tired of the constant job hunt, however, they couldn’t stay at an inn forever. He needs to do this, to provide a better life for Yuuji. 

A sudden knock came on the door, and his body sprang up in reaction. 

“Choso…? Can I come in?”

It was you, as you laid another knock on the door. Immediately he shot off the bed, shrugging off the suit jacket you allowed him to borrow. 

“Y…yeah!” he stuttered, walking slowly towards the door. 

He stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath before slowly opening the door. You stood on the other side, a small smile on your face as he looked at you. You wore long baggy, flare-out pants, and a simple black shirt tucked in with a belt as well. You weren’t wearing a scarf that time, your long braids hanging loose, falling to right around your waist. 

“How was the job hunt?” You asked him as you took a couple of steps into the room. 

He blinked, watching as you entered the room, unable to do anything but close the door and watch you for a moment. He soon snaps himself out of it, following after you as you take a seat on one of the seats. 

“I haven’t heard back from anywhere, so… not great.”

You hummed, nodding your head for a moment, squinting your eyes for a moment, before looking up at him. 

“On a scale of one to ten… how good are you at handy-man stuff? Like fixing stuff, etcetera, etcetera.”

He was confused, “if I had to guess… a good six maybe? Why?”

You blinked, “that’s all I need. My last handyman quit on me, so I need someone else.”

He distinctly remembered your meeting, you covered in grease as you complained of the same stove which gives you problems once again. 

“Wouldn’t your husband do things like that?”

Your face dropped for a moment, “husband?” you asked. 

His eyes widened for a moment, “...you’re not married?”

You couldn't help the snickers that came out of your mouth, covering it up immediately with your hand, “Choso, I’m not married. You’d think I’d have a handy-man if I was married?”

You couldn't help the wide-pressed smile at the sight of his cute face slowly turning red from embarrassment. 

“I… apologize, for assuming you were married.”

You shook your head, now showing off your smile, “no no it's fine, trust me. I’ve heard the worst assumptions. So about the handyman job…? You’ll no longer have to pay to stay here!”

He perked up a bit, as it hit him, you were offering him a job right here. Which would be even better for him, being close to Yuuji and watching over him much better. He can’t always rely on you to keep watching him. However, that also means they don’t have to leave the area, and with Yuuji and Eva attached by the hip. It was a win all around.

He nodded his head, “I’ll accept it.”

You smiled immediately standing up, “great! Because the grease stove is broken again and I am not fixing it!”

He stuttered, as you suddenly pulled him up from his seat, “wait I didn’t think we were starting right now!”

He could hear your laughter sound a little mischievous, much like when he would see Eva and Yuuji play a game and she would win multiple times. 

He now sees where she gets it from, he thought as he pulled out of the room. However, he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as you dragged him downstairs.

He now wore the apron you wore when the grease stove broke the last time as you stood behind him, peering in on him as he got the new clog out. Yuuji and Eva stood behind you, watching Choso battle against the gas-grease stove. 

Once he finished, covered head to toe in black-yellow grease, you easily rewarded him with a glass of lemonade, which you enjoyed with the kids as well. As you stood there, wiping away his face that was stained with dirty oil, the smile the children shared was unseen to the both of you. 

The sun glared down as you sat outside in the back of the inn, your fan in hand. Today was a lazy day for you, not much traction as many of your guests enjoyed the city. The back table you sat at was surrounded by your friends, girls you had known since high school, and other places. On the table, a pitch of ice-cold lemonade sat along with smaller finger snacks you had made for their visit. Your hair, now in distressed long locs, wrapped up high in a scarf, matching the color of your multi-layered sundress. Your eyes were covered with sunshades as chatter flowed among the five of you. As you spoke, you could hear the sounds of laughter from the large yard not too far from you all. In the freshly cut grass, there stood Choso a wide smile on his face as he entertained the two little ones. He wore a sleeveless tank top, covered in grass stains and sweat. His hair was up in two spiky-like buns, a few strands of jet black framing his face. 

It had been five months since Choso and Yuuji became permanent fixtures in your lives, and since then you couldn’t imagine how you lived with them. Eva, having a constant friend around, has done wonders all around for her happiness. You also helped Choso with enrolling Yuuji into Eva’s school and were even put down as a guardian for him as well. Things that would constantly break would be magically fixed by him, and sometimes he would even help you with cooking dinner for the guests who would enjoy it. It was like the four of you had your own little family.

“Wow…” the sudden high-pitched tone of adoration broke you out of your trance.

The conversation spoon stopped as you noticed the rest of your friends looking the same way you were. 

The kids have gone back inside at this point, probably to cool down from the sweltering sun while Choso remained on the large lawn, using a rag to wipe away the sweat on his face, he began to walk towards them. 

“Girl,” one of them called out to you, “where did you find this man?”

You rolled your eyes at them, picking up your glass before taking another long sip. As you did so, Choso was within range of your table, and you could collectively hear sharp inhales all around you. Some of your friends even took out some of the fans to cover and cool their faces down. All this while a deep gnarly intensity was building inside of you, all while you sat there as Choso approached you all. 

“Ladies,” he nodded, giving off a shorter smile as your friends waved daintily at him. 

His eyes then wandered down to you as you placed your own drink down, looking up at him as well. His minute smile expanded as he stood right near he bent over, grabbing the only untouched glass of lemonade you had poured out for him. He stood straight up as he downed the whole thing in just a few gulps. The sweat on his body and the drink mixed together as he drank the sweet-sour beverage, your eyes followed along the clear-like liquid as it trailed down his neck soon reaching the valley between his pecs. 

The sound of coughing broke you out of your trance as you turned away from Choso, glancing at the rest of your friends who looked upon him as well. A couple of them glanced between the two of you, eyebrows quirked. However, before you could do something, the loud thud brought your attention back to him. 

“I’ll head back inside, you leave those two alone for a while and they’ll end up in chaos all over again. Thank you for the lemonade, Darling.”

With no other words, he walked back inside the opened door, following behind the muffled voices of chaos inside the inn. You let out an almost silent breathy sigh as you turned around the moment he was out of view from you. You could feel heat all over you, looking up and seeing four pairs of eyes right on you. 

“What…?” you asked, although you couldn't suppress that smile on your face. 

The friend to your left spoke first, “you acting like we didn’t see that. Girl… we are not stupid.”

You let off a tense chuckle, “what? What are yall talking about?”

That same friend rolled her eyes, “she’s really acting like we don’t have eyes.”

You reached over, filling up your almost empty glass to the top, before taking another sip of it, “how about we enjoy this lemonade and this beautiful day. It’s rare that we all can spend time like this with our busy schedules!”

Your other friend spoke up next, “so what we’re hearing is that Choso is single”

Your friends jumped as they heard your glass slammed back against the table, the drink spilling all over the table, your hands, and the outer glass. Heart racing as your friends glanced amongst each other, letting off small smiles and smirks amongst each other. You sat back once again, sipping your cold drink and fanning your fan in your face to cool yourself from the added heat of bashfulness that struck you like a bolt of lightning. Luckily, another one of your friends pulled the conversation into a different topic, relating to drama between people you used to go to high school with. 

The get-along went on until the sun began to set and they all soon had to return to their own homes. You told them not to bother with the clean up, as you had some responsibilities around the inn to get to. There you stood in the kitchen washing dishes and beginning to put them away as you heard heavy footsteps enter the kitchen. 

“I’ve put them to bed, if you don’t mind, they wouldn’t be separated from each other so they’re having a sleepover in Evangeline’s room.”

You smiled at the thought of the two cuties snoring away underneath Evageline’s bright pink covers, like peas in a pod those two were. 

“Thank you for that,” you said, continuing to wipe the water away from the dishes. 

He began to step closer toward you, his footsteps becoming louder and louder, “do you need any help with anything?”

You immediately shook your head, ignoring the pounding of your heart rattling between your ears, “mh mmmhh, no I’m fine. I can handle it all. You should head to bed, you’ve done a lot of fixing around this place.”

By the time you finished speaking, he was behind you. His bodily heat was radiating off of him, causing you to shudder silently, inhaling sharply. He let off a low hum, the sound reverberating through you as you hunched over slightly, catching yourself as your knees wobbling. Your hands were soapy, causing you to stagger and teeter, squealing as you felt yourself begin to fall. Large, rough hands wrapped themselves around you as they held you steady, slowly pulling you back up with ease. You glanced back, seeing Choso’s face right near your own. 

“You alright, darling?”

You nodded your head, unable to say anything at that moment. He smiled, his hands still on you as he shifted his body to your left side. He stood right beside you as his hands slid down from your shoulders, before landing right on top of your wet hands. With ease, and due to your slight trance, he was able to pry your hands away from the sink before slowly guiding you away. 

“Let me finish off the plates, go sit down by the fireplace, darling.”

“Wait—” before you could protest, he grabbed a rag before wiping your hands clean.

You let out a short gasp, mouth wide as he basically took over the last of your chores. You glanced between him and the opened door, revealing the inn where the fireplace was still blazing. Smiling, you turned around, your footsteps sounding off as you left the kitchen. The low dulcet sounds of jazz sounded off from your record player as you entered the small, comfortable lobby. You sat on the loveseat right next to the fireplace, sighing at the radiating heat, relaxing into the softness of the couch. Along with the music, you could hear the clink of glass against the metal sink, and the sounds of suds being pressed out of the sponge, washing away at the dishes.

You thought about the past, how your life has changed once again. How, despite you not showing it, your life was slowly becoming bleak. An everyday cycle for both you and Evangeline, of waking up, walking her to her bus, walking back, making breakfast for the guests, cleaning up rooms, organizing everything, Evangeline coming home, making dinner for the guests, cleaning up again. Not to mention, hospitality for new guests as well as dealing with rowdy guests as well. 

Choso and Yuuji have been a light in an increasing vignette of darkness within your life. 

“Darling,” a soft voice, shook you out of your trance.

Slowly opening your eyes, which you had no idea you even closed, you looked up only to lock eyes with Choso’s dark, concerned-filled ones. 

“You alright?”

You nodded your head, sitting up fully to look at him. His arms were covered up once again, wearing a thin jacket as he held his hand out towards you. Smiling, you placed your own in his much larger one, before he pulled you, squealing at the sudden force. You stumbled upon your steps, before feeling his other hand slide around your waist, stabilizing you once again. 

“I’m sorry, it seems I still don't know my strength,” you heard him say, feeling his fingers rub circles on your side. 

You shook your head, ignoring the heat that ran through your body, “it’s fine, perfectly fine.”

He hummed, before glancing around, and looking at the record player not too far from you. For a moment, he let go of you, before stepping towards the player. Slowly increase the volume, just loud enough to take up the lobby, but not too loud as to wake up the few guests you had. You couldn’t help the smile as he stuck his hand out towards you, bowing slightly. He honestly looked a little silly, but your heart clenched as he asked you, 

“May I have this dance?”

You shifted your head, eyebrows curling up, “what’s the occasion?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “no reason. Just because, darling.”

Every time he called you darling, you could swoon into the moon. However, instead of flying away, you accepted, placing your hand in his once again before being swirled away into a world of sweet jazz and melodious waves of motion. Your hand in his, sticking out while the other rested upon his broad shoulders, while you felt his other hand resting right on your waist. As you two danced away, looking at each other for a quick moment before looking away, still holding each other close. 

“I just wanted to thank you, darling,” he mumbled lowly in your ear. 

You blinked, “thank me… for what?”

“Changing my life, saving me.”

You hummed, curled your eyebrows up, and looked up at him, “how did I do that?”

He looked around the inn lobby before looking back down at you, “giving me a chance, helping me with Yuuji… I’d never thought my life could end up like this.”

The hand resting on his shoulders slowly slid up. Reaching and caressing the side of his face, heart-melting as he nestled up against it. 

“I should really be saying this about you, my life has been so much brighter since you two arrived here.”

He shook his head but you wouldn’t have it, “I mean it Choso, this was a blessing to me, you are a blessing to me.”

He said nothing, as your steps began to slow down, as you bored into each other’s eyes. Nothing could interrupt your silent conversation, as you felt his hand that once rested on your waist slide down to your hips, dangerously close to your bottom. You took a step closer towards him, as the hand you placed on his face slid back, intertwining with his dark hair. There was barely any space between the two of you, and nothing holding the two of you back as Choso leaned down, hastily pressing his lips against yours.

You gasped out his name, before being overwhelmed by him. You found balance in gipping his hair, and his shoulder, feeling his overwhelming stature pushing up against you. His free hand copied his other hand, resting right at your hips before gripping them, bringing them close. For a moment he let go of your lips before whispering,

“Jump.”

With no other words, you jumped right into him, his arms holding you up as you wrapped your legs around him as best as you could. Your dress rode up, mint-green fabric bunching at your waist as the two of your locked lips once again. Choso stumbled backward a bit before feeling him sit down right on the couch where you just sat at you. You rested yourself comfortably on him as your fingers unravel the two messy buns in his hair. Your hips moved along against him, and you could feel his hard-on pressing against you through the thick fabric of his jeans. 

“Choso,” you gasped, releasing the kiss to take in a deep breath.

However, you couldn’t do anything but let out breathy moans as Choso began to lay kisses all along your neck. 

“We should, fuck, we sh… should probably go upstars, Choso before a guest comes down here…”

He hummed against you, feeling his hands massage your ass before gripping it tightly, suddenly standing up. You squealed, a smile appearing on your face as he basically took you towards the stairs, carrying you up the stairs. He was careful not to make too much, as he took you past the second floor of the much more inclusive third floor, where only the four of you were staying. Approaching his door, he kept you up with one hand as he fished out his key, unlocking it with ease before hauling you inside. The room was dark, as it was empty due to the sleepover the kids were having in Evangeline’s room, which was connected to your own. 

You shrieked a little as you were suddenly thrown onto soft blankets and pillows. Pushing yourself up, your eyes landed on Choso's form, his silhouette illuminated by the low lantern light from the makeshift living room, as he slowly peeled away his jacket, once again revealing the arms you previously drooled over. Licking your lips as he soon reached down, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants before throwing them into an indescribable corner. He then kicked off his boots, and slid the door close, completely enshrouding you in darkness before climbing right on top of you. Your hands rested on each side of his face before pulling him down for another deep kiss. His hair, no longer contained in its buns, tickled your hands as your fingers dug right back into it. His hands dug under your dress, pressing up against the back of your knee before slowly pushing your leg back, your dress scrunching up further and further. Moving your hands from his face, before nimbly slipping your fingers through the thin straps of your dress before beginning to slowly pull them down, right along with your dress as well. 

Choso helped you out, pulling the rest of the fabric down, and exposing yourself to him. You hadn’t worn a bra, leaving you in nothing but the cotton panties you wore underneath your dress. He threw the dress on the floor before beginning to slide down the bed, letting go of your kiss. Stomach twisting in anticipation as he laid ghostly kisses against your abdomen, fingers strumming at the hem of your panties. They then hook underneath the thin fabric, before slowly pulling them down, the sudden cool air causing you to shiver and gasp in the dark room. You lifted your legs, fully exposing yourself to him. Gasping, back arching against the bed as you felt a thick finger pressing against your cunt, your seeping arousal dripping against them. Sweat began to drip down your body as heat arose within you, toes curling as you felt his finger slowly sinking within you. 

“So beautiful,” he mumbled against you as you jolted, moaning out into the air.

You couldn’t say anything as he continued to finger-fuck you against the bed, his body sliding up back to you. It was bliss upon earth, and it only increased further and further as he acted upon you. He towered over you, taking in your every expression, every twitch and quiver you made. You were so wet for you, your slick drenching his finger and parts of his hands, you were ready, perfect for him. Slowly he pulled his finger out, taking a moment to lick and suck away at your arousal.

“God I can’t wait,” you heard him whisper before feeling his hands pressed up against the back of your knees, bedding you further and further into the bed, until your body couldn't take any more stretch.

His one hand easily pressed you back, and his other one soon left your body. A few moments passed before you were suddenly gasping, the feeling of his tip, the thickness of it pressing up against your hole. For a few moments, he swiped up between your soaked labia, his actions pulling out short, breath-like moans out of you. 

“Choso, fuck, Choso please,”  you moaned out, begging for him to press into you, take you in any way he wished. 

He almost came right then and there, and could no longer hold himself back as he slowly pushed himself inside of you. Choking on your spit, your head was thrown back in complete ecstasy as he pushed himself deeper and deeper inside your pussy. For a moment he slowed down, stopping all of his movements. Just as you were about to complain, he darted, suddenly thrusting himself. Your body convulsed, a scream leaving your wet lips. 

“Fuck fuck, you okay, Love?” He groaned, his deep voice causing you to shake underneath him. 

Euphoric, cloud nine was within your reach as he began to slowly rock his hips into you. Both hands pressed up against your knees, allowing him the balance to reach deep within you. Your words came out garbled, jumbled for the mind-numbing pleasure with a few twinges of pain that accompanied this overwhelming feeling. Your hands now freed, they dragged themselves against his naked back, nails digging into his skin. As he continued to fuck you slowly, he leaned down, pressing soft kisses against your cheeks and neck. 

As you let out another choked sob, Choso whispered in your ear, pressing sweet words into you. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry love, bare with me.”

Your face twisted, gasping as another sharp thrust took the breath straight out of you. He could feel himself reveling in the way your face and body convulsed under him, your reactions so delicious to him as he continued fucking you slowly. He ached for more of it, he wanted to make you feel like this all the time. cHoso could feel it taking over his every being, his every sense. Sweat dripped down his face as he began to pick up the pace, his moans intensifying with every slam. The sounds of your arousal dripped all over him, mixing with the sweat that was building on your body, the warm air and stench that was permeating through the air. 

“So, so so deep,” you slurred, your nails digging into his skin, breaking through. 

“Yeah baby?” he mumbled in your ear, as he pounded into you. 

The nickname caused you to thrash against the bed, a loud moan echoing through the room. Immediately he shushed you, a hand leaving the back of your knee, going to your lips, pressing his thumb against them. 

“Shhhh, don’t wanna be too loud and wake up the kids?”

You shook your head, the taste of his slightly salty thumb pressing up against your tongue. He steadily removed the pads of his fingers as he leaned down, whispering “good girl,” right beside your ear before suddenly pulling you up, his hand now around your waist as he sat up. Squealing, you asked Choso what he was doing, but he shushed you as he stood up on his knees for a quick moment, before flipping the two of you onto the bed. You now sit right on top of him, shuddering as his dick reaches new depths in the new position. You then sat back against your ankles, feeling his hands slide upright to your hips, gripping into the fat and muscle underneath. Stabilizing himself, propping his legs up causing you to gasp, hands flying down and grabbing at his broad shoulders. With no hesitation, he began slamming back up as if nothing interrupted him in the first place. The sounds of wet skin slapping against wet skin echoed through the room once again. 

Choso couldn't help but be transfixed by your blissed-out look, tongue lolling out, lips wet with spit, and head thrown back in ecstasy. Every whisper and whimper you made went unnoticed in his presence. From the moment he met you, he knew just how much you would change his life. 

You suddenly let out a shrilled moan, nails breaking skin once again, “Choso, god I’m gonna come.”

A familiar feeling of urgency zapped through him, feeling heavy heat building up within, similar to you as well. Hair sprawled out on the pillow under him as his grip on your hips became bruise worthy as he didn’t let up, surrendering to the aching of the building climax within him. All he could do was focus on your moans, your words driving him further and further. 

“Coming, fuckfuckfuckfuck, I’m coming!”

With one final squeal, you throbbed and tightened around him, Choso’s throwing his head back at the sudden soaked tightness around. Hips lifted high into the sky as you shook and trembled above him. Your own overflow caused him to reach his climax, his orgasm spilling right into you, filling you right up. Deep heavy breaths echoed through the room from the both of you as your body felt heavy, slumped with sudden tiredness. You could feel Choso lift you off of his cock, feeling your body slump over as he carefully laid you across the bed. Eyes heavy, you whined as you could feel his body heat move away from you. He quietly shushed you for a moment, placing a soft kiss on your cheek. You could hear his steps walking away from you, before hearing the faint sound of water rushing, and the squeaky sounds of a sink. He soon came back, hearing his steps get closer to you. You forced your heavy eyes open to see better, only to jolt as the feeling of something cold and wet slid all across your thighs. CHoso wiped away the mixture of cum that was seeping from you, as what dripped all along your inner thighs as well. 

Once you and he cleaned up, he put the rag away in a place where he’ll take it tomorrow before climbing right back into the bed with you. A smile instantaneously took over your face as you snuggled into his broad build, his arms wrapping around you and pulling you close. There were no words exchanged between the two of you soon after that, the sounds of your breathing lulling each other to sleep, and the added safety of you being in his arms. 

Though as you fell asleep, Choso couldn't help but worry as he gazed upon your relaxed, tranquil countenance. His mind ravaged him with fear, memories of a time before, is this all too good to be true? To be here? With someone, who he loved ever so dearly? He thought of the family he created, of how much Yuuji enjoyed it here. He gazed down at you once again, before placing a kiss on your temple. He snuggled into the bed, making himself comfortable.

No. He will be happy. 

Choso Kamo will be happy. 

taglist --

@homewithnobodies @mimi-sanisanidiot @swinginprunegothcop @foxthroats

[broken-heart-raven-queen]

Someone made me think today about the Foxes (+ some others) as forms of art, so here is a list.

Neil: oil painting

Andrew: watercolor painting

Kevin: rock sculptures

Aaron: street art (grafitti)

Nicky: music, but that kind of music you dance a long yo bcs the rithm is a bang and when you read the lyrics the story is soul crushing

Dan: macrame

Matt: crochet (previously he was street art)

Allison: photography

Renee: dance, but specially ballet

Seth: I don't really know if it has a name, but, did you ever see a wall in a public space that was full of posters, stickers, gum, drawings, etc and sometimes is written all over?? Well that is Seth coded.

Jean: glass blowing/ glass sculptures

Jeremy: book annotating

Ichirou: metal welding like to do knifes, swords, daggers, etc

Riko: ice sculptures

Wymack: tattoos

Abby: cooking (salty)

Bee: cooking (sweet)

I have really good explanations for all of these too.

[zoesblogsposts]

o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

[nestedneons]

By Sandu

Prompt:

Around a emotional military construction massive robot gorgeous Aliens movie mecha, astoning pulp art chromatic balance frank frazetta translucent UFO engine, mechanical complexity, miner with giant astro robot front view examining the strange rocket engines, close up, helmet and gloves off on the side, tattoos on hands and face, punk style, happy, habitat in space, medical space station giant module, engine toroidal, massive, close up street view going to the sky, impressionism oil painting, armored spaceship, eerie Sandu Baciu style, mid day god rays, steven holl, detail textured, rectangular fields, extreme angle, pastel volumetric light at dawn, octane render, packed with hidden details

[ultralowoxygen]

"Oi!"... Oil Street Art Space (ii) by hugo p Via Flickr: A warm winter day... Oil Street Art Space, Oil Street, North Point. 2022. Nikon FE2, Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400

[hiddenstashart]

NE 19th Ave & NE Alberta St

• this oil pastel drawing is based off of a photo I took when the lot on the corner between Trade Up Music and The Hilt was still under construction several years ago

• it’s also the 18th piece in this series of drawings, and all of them will be available for viewing and purchase at Potland through the month of August

[jellypawss]

idea for sims 4 pack

The Sims 4: Let's Drive Game Pack

Get Ready to Hit the Road with The Sims 4: Let's Drive!

Are your Sims ready to roll? The Sims 4: Let's Drive Game Pack brings the thrill of the open road to your Sims' lives. From cruising in style to mastering car maintenance, this pack is packed with all things automotive!

Features:

1. Drive and Customize Your Ride:

Cars Galore: Choose from a variety of cars ranging from sleek sports cars to rugged SUVs. Each car comes with unique customization options.

Car Customization: Upgrade your car's performance and appearance with new paint jobs, rims, spoilers, and more.

Personalized Plates: Give your Sim's car a unique touch with custom license plates.

2. Hit the Road:

Driving Skills: Your Sims can now learn to drive and improve their driving skills. Start with learner's permits and work up to advanced driving techniques.

Road Trips: Plan exciting road trips with friends and family. Discover new locations, scenic routes, and roadside attractions.

Commute in Style: Choose your car as the preferred mode of transport. Say goodbye to carpooling and hello to personalized commutes.

3. Car Maintenance and Repairs:

Mechanic Skills: Sims can now learn mechanic skills to maintain and repair their cars. Change the oil, fix engines, and upgrade parts.

Car Troubles: Experience realistic car problems like flat tires and engine breakdowns. Keep your car in top shape to avoid these issues.

4. Car-Related Activities:

Car Shows: Enter your customized car in car shows and compete for the title of Best in Show.

Races: Participate in street races and track events. Win trophies and bragging rights!

Date Nights: Take your Sim's romance to the next level with special date night car activities like drive-in movies and scenic drives.

5. New Lots and Venues:

Mechanic Shops: Visit mechanic shops for repairs, upgrades, and car-related activities.

Drive-In Theaters: Enjoy classic movies under the stars at new drive-in theater lots.

Race Tracks: Test your Sim's driving skills at the new race track venues.

New Build/Buy Items:

Garages and Workshops: Build the perfect space for your Sim's car collection and mechanic hobbies.

Driveways and Carports: Add functional driveways and carports to your Sim's home.

Car-Themed Decor: Decorate your Sim's space with car-themed furniture, wall art, and more.

[solar-sunnyside-up]

hey, something i've been struggling with recently is i've been struggling with "finding my people" because i'm a minority in my hometown, and a lot of people... aren't. they don't understand me, and often when i try to get them to understand they seem like they fall back into the old systems they were traumatized with (elitism, classism ect.,). 1/2 -solidarity anon

Im gunna say this at the top, this is so rough and im so sorry you gotta go through this sweetie. We are so isolated and filtered into categories within our current system in order to keep that isolation and to fight solidarity and unity. Now I cannot know for 100% sure what your going through or the extend your suffering. But will say I am from and currently still live in a oil loving, god fearing, anti-LGBT, and very racist city while i was raised wiccan by a poly core family and all my gay aunts/uncles and have been dreaming of an earthship my whole life plus every summer id be stuck in an even more harsh farming community that was so small they gotntheir first street light when i was 9 and the chruch is also town hall (mayor works in a wing off of the building). So there is at least some overlap in the experiences your having.

But that being said, how I got weirdly connected to people and involved in so many projects and stuff might not work for you.

Personally? I just yelled and yelled about the injustice of the system at work, about cool forestry projects and people buying ghost towns to start up Co-loving villages. Sharing discworld and different philosophers with coworkers backed up by their fave hobby. About how terrible the conservative politics are. About how cool transit could be if we funded it. About community art projects and how cool solar glass would make things look. About drags shows and events and did you know there is A SOUP FESTIVAL? I'm autistic and have only really interacted my whole childhood with friends with ADHD so my brain is weird and won't shut up once it starts going.

As a result of my ramblings, I have gotten a lot of responses mostly ones that are positive since if they didn't agree with my absurdist philosophy ramblings or solar project ideas they'd just leave the coffee shop. If they enjoyed it, say they want to join a community garden/event or if someone was as stoked as I was about again UNLIMITED TASTINGS SOUP FESTIVAL than we'd chat about that. The thing is a lot of these things have overlap. Someone who wants to convert their lawn into a pollinators habitate prob also likes little libraries and as a result prob also likes the idea of dark sky street lights. And down the rabbit hole you go.

That being said... my best actual advice is 2 pronged.

RESEARCH and REACH OUT

I personally have done years worth of research on my city. What local events and politics are happening? Even in rural places there is at least garderns, there's engineers, there's usually a LGBT focused club. And from these spaces, you can build a network. Doing research I found out about 5 different organizations in my city (most of which was founded 40 yrs ago??) That where sustainability focused. Doing research made me realize how cool community associations could be and how I could help mine out. It also gives you all those ideas for convos.

Second, I reached out to those groups about weird ideas I had, about if I could hang up posters for them in my local area, if I could buy groups worth of tickets in advance, and than also reaching out to the ppl I already talked to and had these ppl interact. My fave example of this is T. T is an engineer who built a fully functioning solar car during his degree program but specializes in hydroponics (how we ended up talking was over plants) he than gets shown my fave farm near by and now he's building the farms hydro system and Seedling house. Writing in to newsletter ppl and showing off weird layout design. This is ultimately very anxiety indusing. What if I'm bothering them? Why should I be spamming them like this? But the secret here is-

No one will ever be mad about you showing interest in their interest once you find those ppl. They want the interaction just as much as you do.

[ciaotoska]

Anyway, following up on my previous post about noir Bret and the aggravating blond man getting in his way:

(also on AO3)

a/n: This turned out longer than I expected lol so splitting into two parts

Bret got a lot of calls to catch cheating spouses — he always saw himself doing more noble work once he set up as a private investigator — but this one struck him as a little different. For one thing, the alleged divorce lawyer hadn’t given him a name and, truthfully, Bret didn’t care so much when the check slid through his mail slot from the “Greenwich Trust” cleared. All he said was that the spouse, something of a wildcat, had been blackmailed before and the attorney figured that was worth following up on.

They’d never met, but Bret knew plenty about the guy he was supposed to be following. Shawn Michaels, the younger son of a Texas oil family who’d used his family’s name to get engaged to another billionaire and move off the oil fields and into a Mission-revival mansion and make trouble.

He was an easy enough kind of guy to take pictures of, and not just because he seemed like he didn’t have anything to hide. Bret spent most of the couple of days he’d been following him watching the man in stores Bret couldn’t even stand near without getting a sideways look.

On the second day — the last of his contracted nothing burger of an assignment — Bret was about to call it a day when he followed the man to his house and parked a little ways down the street. The night before all he’d done was watch him make several animated phone calls by his bedroom window. He was too far back for Bret to hear him even with the window open, but he had a close call when he was sure the blond was looking right at him.

The second night, however, was far different. He ended up at home much earlier than the day before, after a hard day of a late breakfast and browsing the farmer’s market. The mansion was fully staffed, so Bret was surprised to see the housekeeper and butler sent away in the early afternoon on a Thursday.

Then he saw the reason.

Not long after the two left, a Mercedes entered the driveway driven by a man Bret recognized; he knew him as one of Hunter’s business associates, the one that Bret guessed was put in charge of bribes specifically, considering how often he’d seen him around during his time at LAPD.

A huge man — he must’ve been near seven feet tall, from Bret’s vantage point in the bushes — was met at the door by his target, who greeted him in a silk robe with a lingering kiss. Maybe the divorce lawyer had been onto something.

Bret snapped a photo and then followed them through the wall with his camera lens, waiting for them to reappear in the upstairs bedroom. Without bothering to shut the window — maybe he hadn’t expected an audience, or didn’t mind one — he made quick work of the larger man’s clothes and was tossed onto the bed. The blond quickly changed their positions to straddle the other man, and Bret snapped several photos of the blond in the throes of passion. Just doing a thorough job for the client of course.

Bret returned to his office the next morning, developing what he had in the makeshift red room he’d made from the space a secretary would normally occupy. He had a large office, mostly because no one wanted to be in this part of town, spreading out in the top floor of a pre-war art deco building that had seen better days — and worse ones — than a B-movie starlet.

Photos developed, Bret went back to work on his usual batch of background investigations, tailings, and surveillance, with radio silence from the divorce lawyer who’d hired him as he waited in his office.

Bret could hear someone opening the door in his front office developing room. The creak from a door off its hinges thanks to more slammed fists and hurried exits than Bret could remember added a layer of security.

He saw a shadow sidle up to the door and watched it click open before he had time to reach the handle of the gun he kept on the underside of his desk — just in case.

The person who opened the door wasn’t a gangster or wronged client out for blood. It was someone altogether more dangerous, Bret could already tell: the good-looking blond he’d been hired to photograph.

Before stepping fully inside, the man ran a finger over the Hart & Associates label on the door and made a show of glancing around the office.

“And where are your associates?”

Bret hadn’t talked to him, just taken pictures of him, so he wasn’t expecting the low, raspy voice that came out of the blond — not the type of voice for a society boy to have. In fact, it was one that spoke more to long days of hard work, Bret decided.

“Out in the world when I choose to associate with them, Mister…” Bret said, offering an opening for an introduction.

Not finding a seat, the blond perched himself on the corner of Bret’s desk, where he immediately noticed the stack of photos Bret had developed.

He lifted his sunglasses to look at them and then back at Bret. “I know you know who I am.”

There was a flash of something dangerous there; a challenge.

“Right. Anyway, I prefer a solo operation.” Bret leaned back in his chair.

“Do you prefer it, or does your bank account?”

Bret cleared his throat, watching the other man push through the stack of photos for a moment before reaching out a hand to stop him. Bret had gotten rid of the more personal ones. Well, he’d locked them away in his desk drawer.

The man paused on the one of himself in his bedroom, talking on the phone.

”This is a good picture of me, don’t you think, detective?” He showed it to Bret. “Did you forget your job was to make me look bad?”

He pocketed the photo and put the stack back down. “And since you know who I am, I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

Bret wasn’t sure why, not entirely. He’d been sure he’d be served or had at the very least expected a second lawyer in tow with a legal threat, but instead the blond had shown up here alone in a long black coat and sunglasses, looking exactly like the dangerous type of character the detective always ruins his life for in a Marlowe story.

“Well, I heard about the blackmail. If you’re here to sue, I wasn’t going to publish these.” Bret gathered up the rest of the photos and put them in his desk drawer — a different one.

“It’s not to sue; it’s about my missing husband,” the blond said. “Although, my lawyer is the one who suggested I contact you.”

“Oh?” Bret hoped he sounded less surprised than he was.

“I’m not sure which part of that you were surprised by, but I don’t think it was the last part.” He turned his head to look at the Times in the bin by his desk, then gave Bret a pointed look. “Don’t you read these papers before you throw them in the garbage?”

“Well,” Bret bent to pick up the paper. “Maybe I need a refresher.” And there it was on the front page: Billionaire Helmsley Missing — Tycoon Last Seen Tuesday.

Good riddance, Bret thought. He’d never cared much for Helmsley anyway.

The blond watched him read and must’ve been twigged by the face Bret’d made.

“His parents called to talk to him and he wasn’t home, so they get the reporters involved.”

He reached inside his coat pocket for a pearl cigarette case and put a Marlboro to his lips. Bret was used to clients reaching for a smoke, but it was normally with shaky hands and fingers that couldn’t quite get the flint to light. This man was all ease.

He pointed back at the story’s placement on the front page, some of the ash burning a hole through the photo of his husband. “Slow news day.”

He held out the case in Bret’s direction and put it away when Bret declined.

Something about the other man set Bret off course; not quite making him uneasy — he was still interested in the case. Even moral men had bills to pay, after all.

“So what can I do for you?” Bret asked.

“The LAPD have been in Hunter’s pocket since we lived here — you know that better than anyone,” he met Bret’s eyes meaningfully, “so of course they suspected me as soon as they got a chance to.”

“You want me to help clear your name?” It was less a question than one of the services on Bret’s menu board.

The blond was already pulling out a checkbook. “I’ll pay you double whatever that idiot was paying you to follow me.”

Bret huffed out a laugh. “’That idiot?’ Your missing husband?”

It was the other man’s turn to laugh. “My husband is not the one who contacted you.”

And Bret knew that was true. While the “lawyer” on the phone hadn’t left a name, Bret had had to speak to Helmsley enough to decide he didn’t like him, after all. He’d certainly recognize his voice.

“Mr. Michaels —”

“My husband’s missing, not dead.”

“Mr. Helmsley?”

“Shawn.” Shawn gave him a wry smile. Now he was just being difficult.

“Shawn, I’m not sure —”

“Whatever you’re about to say, scrap it, and say you’ll take the case.”

Even if Bret had on objection, he wouldn’t have had time to voice it before Shawn was off his desk and at the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, detective.” Shawn held up the photo of himself in his room he’d swiped from Bret’s desk. “I know you know the place.”

When Bret pulled up, the driveway was full of more LAPD cars than the lot at the station during shift change.

It was the maid who answered, but Shawn was right behind her, a catlike smile as soon as the door swung open to reveal him. Not that he needed much more revealing, considering the shoddy job he’d done closing his robe — the same one he’d been wearing the other day.

“Detective.”

Bret paused to wipe his shoes at the doormat.

“Don’t bother, I was hoping to add a few more muddy boot prints to my collection,” Shawn said, loud enough for the patrolmen passing them from outside to hear.

Bret followed Shawn into the sitting room, where he noticed that Shawn had already had the surveillance photo of himself framed. He sank down next to it in an overstuffed armchair.

Shawn produced another cigarette from the case in his pocket.

“They’ve been in and out of here all day.” Shawn tracked the boys in blue with his cigarette before putting it up to his mouth. He searched for his light, but Bret beat him to it, offering it to his mouth.

He looked surprised. “I thought you didn’t smoke.”

“Never know when you need a light.” Bret pocketed the lighter and pulled out his notebook. “Makes sense they’re being so thorough. They thought of your husband like one of their own, right?” It came out more bitterly than Bret had meant it to, but the sentiment was there.

“If that’s the case, I wish they’d treat that rug the same way. They’ve been tracking mud all over it all day.” Shawn rolled his eyes. “It only got here last week. Christmas gift from Hunter or something, I guess. He never let me buy this one.”

Bret looked around while Shawn reached down to pick at an imaginary stain on the white fur. He was loved, clearly. Plenty of pictures of him and Helmsley from expensive-looking vacations and some just of Shawn.

“What’d you do before this, if you don’t mind my asking?” Bret was going to guess model, the past time of rich younger children who weren’t born ugly.

“Nothing. Now I do nothing with more jewelry.” Bret looked at the ring on his finger. Yes, he was loved.

Bret glanced around and met eyes with a group of cops the next room over. It’d been an uncharacteristically rainy day in LA, and Bret knew he’d need to move quickly if there was anything to find. The cops must have known the same thing and sent out half the force.

Bret recognized most of them, still working for the LAPD even after everything that had happened — it seemed not many other cops had had the same distaste for bribery that Bret did. But, true to Shawn’s word, they did seem to have a distaste for him — something Bret and Shawn had in common — and talked loudly in every room they occupied.

Bret leaned toward Shawn, elbows on knees. “Do you have somewhere quieter we could talk?”

Shawn laughed a little, bitter. “A bar.” Then he grinned. It was decided. “I’ll get ready.”

He shimmied out of the room, clearly expecting Bret to watch him leave — and he did, but only for a second.

Bret dropped his eyes to Shawn’s black book next to the phone as soon as the other man was out of view. He glanced around for his potential audience and moved to Shawn’s unoccupied chair to look at the open pages. Normal enough — certainly not quite as many numbers as Bret had expected a society swan to have — but there was one without a name attached.

The line picked up on the first ring.

“Shawn?” A drowsy voice answered, and Bret could hear an accent even on just one word.

It sounded familiar to Bret, but he couldn’t quite place it. He stayed silent on the line, hoping the man would continue.

“Shawnie, if you’re calling back about Hunter, like I said, I’d let you know when —”

Bret rubbed his thumb along the receiver, hoping it sounded like a bad connection, and placed the receiver down. He definitely recognized the voice, but he still wasn’t entirely sure from where. But the accent and the local area code certainly narrowed it down.

The outfit Shawn Michaels wore to a bar before noon on a Sunday wasn’t much more conservative than the robe he’d been wearing at home.

Instead of one of the dives Bret was used to — or one of the high-end places he expected society people to go — Shawn had dragged him to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint.

Shawn gave up on translating the menu to him — “there’s nothing to translate, detective, all of the drinks are what they say they are” — and ordered him the same thing he was having — and continued speaking to the bartender in Spanish for longer than Bret thought necessary, both looking over at Bret a few different times.

They took their drinks to the small patio in the courtyard of the complex, string lanterns offering a little light from the rain still drizzling around their table umbrella. Bret wiped down his chair with a discarded table cloth; Shawn stood to the side, expecting Bret to do the same for him and rolling his eyes when he didn’t, pulling his coat off to drape over the seat instead.

Bret was used to the relative cold outside, but maybe Shawn had already had something that was warming him up.

Bret inspected both of his drinks, one a shot of something clear and the other what Bret guessed was a margarita. Dark liquors and beers were more his speed. He opted for the shot first and had to wince back when it burned his throat. He coughed.

“I have to say, Shawn, not many of my clients looking for a missing person wait until the next day to start looking.”

Shawn threw back his own shot and met Bret’s eyes dead on. No wincing. “I’m not looking. I’m sure I know where he is.”

Bret couldn’t help the head shake and little smile he could feel forming on his face. So far, nothing about this case had been typical.

“And where is that?” He asked.

“I think,” Shawn started, turning the margarita tumbler in his hands with a smile of his own. “He decided he was having a little too much after-Christmas fun with his little friends and I’ll see him next week. Probably went down to Mexico.”

Bret reached for his notebook, thinking more of taking notes on his client than on the missing husband. “An after-Christmas cruise? Do you not normally tag along?”

“And watch my husband flirt with some whore on a boat? I don’t care for it. Unless I get to be the whore, that is.” There was that smile again.

Bret flipped to a new page in his notebook. “He much of a partier?”

“No, that’s me.” To illustrate, Shawn toasted his near-empty margarita to him. “He doesn’t like the drinks, but he likes the ladies who bring them.”

“You don’t seem terribly concerned.”

“About what?”

“About… anything.”

“I’m not concerned — and I just told you why I wasn’t. But I’m sure you know how it would look for me to be unconcerned.”

Bret knew how people like Shawn came off. Bret had been thinking of him the same way. The clothes, the jewelry, the flirty touches, and the easy smile that didn’t reach his cloudy eyes. Of course a guy like that would make his husband disappear, and of course everyone would think that.

“Well, if you say he’s on boat to Mexico, then what should we be working on?”

“He normally leaves out of Long Beach.” He leaned forward to finger Bret’s sleeve. “I guess you could poke around there if you’re already sick of me.”

Bret pocketed his notebook and stood from the table. “I’m starting to think you hired me to be your friend.”

“I have friends.”

“Not in LA.”

On a good day, you could be in Long Beach in under two hours. On a day like this one, where the port was blocked off by yet another set of cops and what felt like miles of crime scene tape, it took longer.

Bret was less than pleased when he pulled off the side of the road and was greeted by a familiar face strolling up to his car. Jannetty, a late night partier playing dress up in a trench coat and badge, leaned his arm on the roof of the driver’s side as Bret made to open his door.

“Doing an investigation, Hart.”

“Explains all the tape.” Bret moved his eyes away from the scene in front of him to meet Jannetty’s. “Doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“Case I’ve been working on. New developments, so I followed them down to Long Beach.”

Bret made to open his door again but was blocked by Jannetty’s knee nudging it closed.

“What I meant was I don’t normally see you around the scenes of investigations — doesn’t matter where they are.”

Bret would have written this off as a bust. Talking to Jannetty was never much use to him — but it did give him some important information this time: the identity of the man on the phone. Shawn had been calling Jannetty’s number and seemed to have a direct line.

Since it didn’t seem like he’d be doing much here — not with Jannetty breathing down his neck, anyhow — he’d do some other investigating. Shawn was covering the gas.

They’d worked together for a few years back when Bret was a detective and Jannetty was wearing a detective’s uniform, but Bret had never known much about the other man other than that he clearly wasn’t an LA native. Not too strange: LA was always a city of new residents. Bret had moved there himself after the war.

They’d started off on the wrong foot — Bret turning down Jannetty’s offer to go to a club after work one day — and ended on another wrong foot — Jannetty’s mysterious lack of punishment for a flub that saw an innocent officer punished instead. Well, it had served as a wrong foot for both Jannetty and Helmsley, in Bret’s book. The two had always been buddy-buddy and it didn’t take genius to figure out how Jannetty got off scot-free. Bret left the force soon after.

He wanted to know just what Shawn would’ve been calling a man like Jannetty about. Knowing he wouldn’t get access to Jannetty’s files, Bret decided to try his luck with a newspaper search. Jannetty was an uncommon enough last name, and if he’d done anything noteworthy, he’d show up. The library staff was used to Bret enough by this point that he had his own login to the microfiche and records. Doing a word search of Jannetty’s name proved easy enough, and he was able to find a few records in Georgia and Texas. Finding nothing in Georgia other than a few reports about Jannetty’s apparent amateur wrestling skill, he moved onto the results in Texas.

They weren’t long afterward, and Bret had guessed Marty moved west looking for work and wound up in central Texas. Not interesting on its own, but what was was the engagement announcement from several years back: one Martin Jannetty and a Shawn Michaels. Bret didn’t think he had a very common name either — certainly not common enough to overlook this coincidence.

Bret couldn’t find a photo of either of them in this paper, but he did find a photo of someone else in another newspaper for another town in Texas, near Dallas. A tragic accident — a young heir falling off a boat. A young heir who happened to be named Shawn Michaels. There was a photo of the family in the newspaper, taken in some opulent living room on some sprawling estate, Bret was sure. It was helpfully labeled for his convenience.

He turned the dial to look closer at the picture. The young man in the photo didn’t look a thing like the Shawn he knew — even in the grainy newsprint, he could tell he had dark hair. More importantly, he was dead — and had been for about five years.