#on the walk to the station she told me she was having an affair

[soggypotatoes]

god.. i have this Energy that causes people to open up to me real quick - i'm talking strangers on the street, people i've just met, etc. sometimes they'll be out here confessing their deepest secrets and traumas with no prompting. i dont even do anything, they just do it!!

i dont mind at all tho. i actually like it; i can handle a lot. it's just funny sometimes. i thought it was way more normal than it is. i joked with a coworker about random strangers trauma dumping while i'm surveying them and she was like 'that... has never happened to me, in the 8 years i've been doing this job'

reader... it had happened twice just that day lmao

and today this girl who's extremely peppy in class, speaks up a lot and often says how much she likes everything and how she's happy a lot and gets excited for everything

we've had like 2 interactions and today when we're both early to class she's dropping her pretense (like her face went completely flat) and telling me she hasn't felt an emotion in years and her dad controls every aspect of her life

like... lol??? i'm gonna be a great therapist probably

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Saw - A hot Christmas - Door.24

warning : fluff, kissing, cuddling

The Calendar

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

Mark : Christmas is not without reason the policeman's favorite time of year. Mainly because the criminals and victims who should end up in the traps are afraid to go out on the street. But the only thing that kept him from his feelings, the anger and the complex to judge was his sweetheart, who he knew would be waiting for him as soon as he got to his apartment. Only this year was a little different. When he opened the door and his voice reached for her, he told her he was back. ,,I'm in the bedroom," she said and heard the older man open the door and turn on the light. But as soon as his eyes settled on her, he paused. An amused grin appeared on his lips when he saw the police costume with the Christmas cap. ,,Well, I have to give my officer a treat," she countered with a grin and got up from the bed, taking the plate of cookies from the bedside table and feeling him pull her towards him. He took one of the cookies and pulled her into an even sweeter kiss. ,,My sweet reward," he mumbled to himself before slowly pulling her towards the bed.

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

Strahm : Overtime. Overtime was nothing new, especially on the important days of the year and, of course, at Christmas. It was something he knew was necessary. ,,Necessary as long as I'm always necessary," he muttered angrily and rattled the snack machine until he got the muesli bar. But the smirk on his lips as he thought of her let him know that it was worth staying longer for one thing. He had his pretty wife with him and they were spending Christmas together on the station - there were probably worse things. ,,Sweetheart, tell me, have you-" he wanted to ask her when he came back into the office and his gaze went to her. Instead of the uniform, his wife was suddenly wearing a reddish short dress with a Santa hat and two cups of warm chocolate in her hand, and the grin suggested an activity that would keep them both very warm. ,,Merry Christmas," she murmured and pressed the cocoa into his hand before pulling him towards the small couch that was just big enough for them both. ,,Merry Christmas, darling," he replied and gave her a loving kiss.

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

Gordon: Being in hospital at Christmas without his wife and daughter was something that annoyed and saddened him. Having to look after patients until late at night was his job, but his family was waiting for him at home. The beeping of his messenger snapped him out of his thoughts and a smile came to his lips. He loved his family, but he also loved them. His beautiful affair. He went into the small medical room and dot saw his lover in a skimpy nurse's uniform with reindeer ears on her head. ,,Miss, you do realize that anyone could have come in this Christmas Eve?" he asked playfully, his fingers flicking against the horns. The little bells on the fabric jingled slightly. ,,Oh no, and it's Christmas... well, you're standing under mistletoe," the younger girl replied and the blond looked up. He saw the branch hanging there before he put his fingers on her hip and pulled her towards him. ,,Then I'll have to kiss you," he replied and pulled her into a gentle but heartfelt kiss in the small Christmas room.

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

Adam: Christmas together with his girlfriend, first at his best friend's Christmas concert. ,,It's Christmas!" he wrote to her over the music and saw her smiling at him, but he knew that she was actually imagining something else. For them, Christmas meant being together, presents, wine, good food and watching the Christmas story on TV. Which is why he took her by the hand during the break, ,,Don't worry babe, I know something better, trust me," he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek, seeing how surprised she was that he had fled the concert. But only moments later as they walked through the streets the lights came on above them and they stopped at the little kiosk and bought a candied apple that it had for the season. Before they went back to his apartment, not knowing that he had asked his other friend to decorate it. ,,Adam, that's really pretty," he heard her murmur as she looked at the Christmas tree before jumping into his arms and smiling as he gave her a kiss. ,,I knew I was the best... Merry Christmas," he replied and looked at the shining big object himself before he felt her lips on his again.

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

Eric: Daniel wasn't there this Christmas. He had just fled to his mother's house and wanted to get away from his father. An act that hurt Eric would not lie. He remembered exactly how Daniel had given him an almost obvious hug, the smile almost fading before he got into the cab and it drove off. Eric left alone for Christmas, or so it seemed. If he didn't have his girlfriend Daniel's stepmother, even if the teenager would rather kill himself than admit it. The younger woman was already waiting for her policeman. When he came back from taking it away, he noticed the vanilla-like smell that was in the house. Honey, I'm here! ,,Come here," she chirped and Eric smiled, she always seemed happy and he loved her so much for it. He joined her in the kitchen and the smell of the vanilla cookies was all the stronger but that wasn't the reason why he swallowed. ,,My pretty cookie fairy," he murmured with a grin as he saw her wink at him and he tasted one of the cookies, sighing at the delicious sweetness before pulling her into a gentle hug and giving her a kiss of praise. I guess we have each other," he winked and the two of them each took the cookie bowls before disappearing towards the couch arm and arm.

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

Amanda : Amanda couldn't stand Christmas. She had spent the last few years before she was cured on the cold street. She hated the cold and as soon as the first snowflakes fell from the sky, she wrapped herself in a blanket. A blanket that was empty next to her this year. Her beloved had ventured out into the snow to get a few ingredients for a chicken soup. ,,The family recipe Amanda...don't worry I'll beat them all aside if they want to take my soup vegetables away from me," the black-haired girl remembered the words of the others and smiled slightly, still able to feel the kiss. Before the door opened only seconds later and she heard the victorious voice of her partner. Practically throwing the soup vegetables into the pot, she slipped under the covers to Amadan. ,,Well, there's my snowflake," said the black-haired girl and gave her a kiss on the cold tip of her nose, placing her hands around the younger girl's cold ones. ,,But now I'm getting warmer again," she replied and Amda smiled before she felt the kiss on her lips. Together under the blanket, warming themselves, they would spend Christmas with soup and movies - it could hardly be better for lovers.

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

[unreliablesnake]

Cheaters (David "Deacon" Kay x reader)

Note: Deacon's a cheater, reader's a cheater, his marriage is failing... Yeah, you've been warned. It's short, just a snippet, really. MDNI.

Warnings: afab!reader, fingering

You hated yourself for doing this to your fiancé, to his wife, and even to the team. If your affair ever came to light, there would be a scandal that neither of you wanted. So you took precautions and tried to stay under the radar, meeting every other week in a hotel room you paid for in cash. In the meantime you communicated through a password protected emailing app he suggested.

Because Deacon kept everything under control for the both of you, doing something you would have never assumed he would. A previously loyal and faithful Catholic man was cheating on his wife, and to make things worse, he clearly enjoyed every second of it, sometimes acting like some stupid hormone-driven teenager. It's not like you didn't love the thrill of this. Hell, you sometimes felt like breaking up your engagement for him.

Because every time he looked at you as if you were the only person in his universe, your heart melted, and every time his hands or lips began to roam your body, your brain stopped working. He had you under his spell, making you do things you normally wouldn’t do. After all, you would never look at anyone other than your fiancé, especially not when the other man was married. 

Yet here you were, struggling to bite back a moan in the backseat of his car as his fingers curled to touch that sweet spot inside you. Sometimes he played with fire, like right now in the almost empty parking lot of the station after your shift. Anyone could have walked up to the car to talk to him, but he didn’t seem to mind and you were way too lost in him to care.

He kissed you fiercely to silence you when your body told him you were close to another orgasm, and you could tell he was trying hard not to grin and laugh at the way you struggled to stay quiet. “I love the pretty noises you make,” he had once told you with a smirk before placing a soft kiss on your temple. But times like this he needed you to keep it down, so you did your best to be a good girl for him.

“Let’s get out of LA this weekend. Just you and me,” he suddenly said with his face buried in the crook of your neck, his fingers not stopping as you came for the second time that night. It took your brain a minute or two to clear up, and since you never responded, he repeated the suggestion, this time while looking you in the eye. “What do you say?”

“I wish I could go,” you began with a sigh, “but my future brother-in-law will stay with us for the weekend. And I have no idea how I would explain being away for this long anyway. How could you explain it to Annie?”

Deacon let out a groan, then leaned back against the seat. “We spend most of our time fighting lately anyway, one more thing to yell about wouldn’t really matter.” Your eyes narrowed as you watched him, having absolutely no idea how this man could be this nonchalant about something this important. “She wants me to retire. When I told her I don’t want to do that, she got mad at me. But let’s not talk about that now. How about just one night at the usual place? I need you, baby, I really do,” he tried to convince you with a sweet tone, even flashing a tired smile at you.

It was hard to decide what to think about all this. His marriage was going through a rough phase, yet instead of trying to fix it, he seemed more interested in spending more time with you to get away from his problems. You wanted to say no. You knew you were supposed to say no. But then you looked into his big brown eyes and logic seemed to flee your brain. “Fine, I’ll say I’m staying at Chris’ place,” you gave in. 

[cloudlessly-light]

Prompt!!

So Emily and Aaron have been having an affair for a few months and they’re having sex in his office and Haley either walks in and catches them and makes a scene or just leaves them to it and the team are wondering why she didn’t go in 🫣

A/N: Please stick with these idiots, I promise they won’t be horrible for much longer!

Title: Love like mine (6/11) Chapter title: What you got to offer Summary: He wasn’t a cheater. Until her. Word count: 3,3k Rating: Explicit   Warnings (for this chapter): Smut, cheating, getting caught, feelings, hurt

“Open the God damn door!”

Emily wasn’t surprised at the loud, frantic banging on her front door. She had waited for it for days, ever since Aaron told her that Haley knew. She wasn’t going to make excuses, she knew from the beginning that it was wrong, but had decided that she didn’t care and now the consequences of their actions had caught up to them.

She opens the door and comes face to face with the other woman. Well, technically, she was the other woman she assumes, the thought bitter on her tongue. For a few seconds they just stare at each other, unspoken words loud between the two women.

“Come in.” She finally says and steps to the side to let Haley in.

“You’re something else, you know that?” Her tone is filled with venom, the anger radiating from her body and for a second Emily thinks she’s going to get slapped. But Haley wasn’t violent, she never would be. Instead she looks at the brunette with something close to disgust. “Is this what you do? Do whatever you want and not caring about anything or anybody else? He’s married, he has a child.”

“I know.” She hadn’t felt much guilt during these months, but she realizes that it’s because she doesn’t let herself think about his family too much, doesn’t want to think of herself as a homewrecker.

“And what?” She chuckles sarcastically, her arms crossing over her chest as she does. “You knew so that makes it okay?”

“No.” She sighs and pushes some of her bangs out of her eyes. “But Haley, he the one who’s married. I’m not.” The flash of hurt that flashes in the other woman’s eyes makes her pause for a second before continuing. “I know it’s easy, to blame all of this on me and you probably will, I deserve that, I went after him. But at the end of the day I’m not the one cheating. And we both know that Aaron isn’t the kind of man to cheat, unless something was already missing.”

“Is that really what you believe?” Haley ignores the pang in her chest as the voice inside her head says that Emily’s right, they had been growing apart without realizing for years.

“I am sorry. For hurting you.” She isn’t lying, their actions might have been wrong but she never wanted to hurt Haley, that had never been her intention. “I know how that might sound, but I am.”

“You’re awful. You have no regard for anybody else but yourself.” She forces her voice to steady and the tears down as she walks back to the door. “You wanted him, you can have him.”

Emily doesn’t get the chance to respond before the door slams shut. She deserves the other woman’s anger, she knows that. For the first time she finds herself truly regretting her own choices.

*

“Haley told me she came to see you, are you okay?” He finds her alone in the station they’re in, had been wanting to talk to her for hours but hadn’t had the time.

“I’m fine. I expected it.” She shrugs, not indifferent to the other woman’s feelings but knew that there was nothing she could do about it, what’s done is done. “Besides, she has the right to be angry.”

“She does.” He agrees softly and sighs. “But she hasn’t shown much anger towards me, so I’m guessing that she’s blaming it all on you.”

“Hotch,” Neither of them acknowledges that it’s the first time she’s called him that in weeks. “let her. Let her be angry, let her blame me. We’re both to blame but you have Jack, you need to figure your stuff with her out. So let her be angry at me, for now.”

He’s about to tell her no, is about to reach for her but Derek calls for her before he gets the chance.

“I’m sorry for this, for this mess.” She whispers as she passes him, heading in Derek’s direction.

“I’m not.” He mumbles to himself as he watches her go. Whatever they were, whatever they had been to each other, she had made him see that he wasn’t as happy as he had thought.

*

It’s harder than she thought, working with him but not being with him the way she had gotten used to. Somewhere along the way she had let her guard down, had let him become something more than just a thrill. And she hated it, because it was the opposite to what they had decided. She can see it on him too, the flashes of something more, the way his eyes would linger on her, words he can’t say on the tip of his tongue before whatever sanity was still left between them took charge and he backed away.

For that, she’s thankful. Because she wouldn’t be able to turn him away if he did. Her body and mind still consumed with the want that was nothing short of primal, a desire that seemed nothing could lessen.

It's been almost a month since he moved out, a month that’s gone by in a blur. Somewhere between working their cases he finds an apartment, tries to find some kind of middle ground with Haley. To her credit she gives him more than he deserves, she doesn’t do it for him, he knows. She does it for Jack, for their son that needs his dad. Her hurt is still obvious, not that he blames her, but slowly, it gets a little better.

Then there’s Emily, someone he should stay away from, but even if he wanted to he couldn’t, they worked together. It hits him sometimes, the stupidity of what they did, but he doesn’t regret it, even when it’s hard. And it’s hard every day. He thinks about her more than he should, still remembers her taste, her touch, her lazy smile in the morning before she’s fully woken up.

It's madness, but sometimes he thinks that she was the right person for him, the woman he should have been with. But he isn’t sure if that’s his guilt trying to make him feel better.

Then suddenly it’s been another month and it still hasn’t gotten any better, he still thinks about her, and he knows that she’s not unbothered by him. They’re stuck in a constant state of friction and he wonders who would break fist, because staying away from each other seemed like an impossibility.

In hindsight, he should have known it would be him.

They’re in Orlando, it’s hot and she’s taken her jacket off hours ago. The tank top she wore underneath is tight, the soft lining of it riding up just enough for him to catch a glimpse of her lower back when she leans forward, and he can’t think about anything else but her. She notices, he knows she does, and he still doesn’t stop.

It’s a case they solve that same day and as they’re flying home later that night he ends up with her across from him at the two person table. He tries to focus on the paperwork, he really does, but he can feel her eyes on him, senses the smirk before he looks up.

“What?” He asks quietly. The team were all resting, most of them asleep or wearing headphones but there’s no need to get more attention to themselves than necessary.

“You’ve been staring.” She knows she sounds smug when she speaks and he raises an eyebrow in return. “You can’t do that.”

He takes a moment, studies her as he weighs his options. On one hand he could apologize, tell her that he didn’t mean to and they could leave it at that, or, he could meet her challenge and see how she would react.

“Last time I checked you liked when I stared at you.” He decided on option two and when she bit her bottom lip to keep her smirk from becoming a full blown grin he knew he chose right. “Looks like you still like it.”

She glances behind her at the team quickly before leaning forward over the table. When his eyes fall to her cleavage she hums lowly.

“We shouldn’t though.”

“We never should have in the first place.”

But they don’t go beyond that, they land in DC and as all of them finish up their work there’s no way she could sneak into his office without them noticing. Then Penelope suggests going out for a late dinner and she can’t say no. When she turns back she sees him in the window, his dark eyes sending a shiver down her spine.

When she walks into the office the following day it’s like she had no control over her body, her legs carrying her towards his office before she fully even registers it. It’s still early, the bullpen is empty, but he’s there, working at his desk when she closes the door behind her. He looks up just as she closes the blinds and he stands from his chair.

“Emily?” He sees the tension on her face, recognizes that look in her eyes and he immediately feel a tugging low in his belly.

“I know we said that we should stop, but I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I can’t stop thinking about you either.” He admits and he sees the way she relaxes slightly.

“Good.” She smiles before walking towards him quickly and her arms wraps around his neck. His lips on hers causes her to sigh happily, a soft moan leaving her as he pulls her closer. It had been months since he kissed her, but it still felt the same, still felt just as good and she lets herself get lost in him, in the familiarity of him.

He’s barely aware her hands move to get his jacket off, or that they’re moving so she’s sitting on his desk until a few files fall to the floor. But he doesn’t care, consumed by her, by finally being like this with her again. His hands move under her shirt, feels her soft skin against his slightly calloused fingertips and then he pulls her shirt off, not caring where it lands before he’s kissing her again.

“Do we have time for this?” He asks against her lips, voice low and breathless already and she nods, desperation in her frenzied kisses and trembling fingers.

“Not a lot of time, do you want to stop?” Her fingers are already on his pants, getting the belt undone and unzipping his slacks and she hears his soft groan.

“No.” He hisses as her hand sneaks inside his boxers to wrap around him, half hard already. She twists her wrist and his hips buckle against her touch, the pleasure of it momentarily distracting him from getting her undressed. But it’s only for a moment and then he’s unbuttoning her pants and she lifts her hips enough for him to slide them off her legs, dragging her underwear with them as he goes.

“I need you.” She mumbles, hands pulling down his boxers enough to free him while he lets his hand travel up her thighs, watches as goosebumps erupt over her skin as he gets closer to her core. “Do not tease me.” She warns and he can’t help the low snicker.

“Always so impatient.” He steps between her spread legs and pulls her to the edge of the desk. When he slowly drags the tip of him through her folds her head falls back, a breathy moan leaving her parted lips and he’s quick to lick and kiss along the column of her throat. “Good to know some things don’t change.” He mutters against her ear before pushing inside of her with one smooth thrust.

“Fuck!” She hisses at the stretch of him, so familiar but always a lot to take. He gives her a moment to adjust, fingers gripping her hips and lips soft against her neck, a stark contrast that makes her dizzy. “Move, Aaron fuck me.” She grinds against him and he doesn’t need any more prompting.

“Perfect, you’re perfect.” He mumbles as he starts to move with long, forceful thrusts that causes her body to jerk and her legs wrap around his hips. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thinks that it feels right, being with her like this, but he forces the thought away for now and instead focuses on the way she’s biting her bottom lip to keep quiet, focuses on the way her slick walls cling to his shaft.

It's intense, fast and hard and everything she had needed. Her hips would be bruised from his grip, her nails would leave lines on his chest and she realizes that this is the first time she doesn’t have to worry about evidence of her on his body. With that thought in mind she lets her teeth sink into his shoulder, leaves an angry mark that will be hidden under his collar for the rest of the day and she can’t help but to feel powerful. Especially when he groans lowly, the pain of the bite causing his hips to stutter and his eyes to flash with dark arousal.

“Marking me, sweet thing?” He grunts and she nods before pulling him into a sloppy kiss.

“Just this once.” She hums, something wicked hiding in her smirk as she does and he kisses her again. He keeps one hand around the back of her neck, keeps her close as he lets his other hand move between them. When he finds her clit and circles it she breaks their kiss with a soft moan, dark eyes hooded and hazy as she looks up at him.

“Don’t stop, do not stop.” She gasps, pleasure quickly building by every second and he rubs her clit faster. The way he smirks at her breathless words make her flush, his arrogance always something that had attracted her to him.

“Look at that, so close already.” He moves his hand from the back of her neck to her throat, keeps his thumb under her chin to force her to continue to look at him. “You’re so pretty when you come, so pretty for me.”

His words are low, his voice close to a soft growl as he speaks and she feels herself crashing into her orgasm unexpectedly. He keeps his hold on her neck, keeps rubbing her clit and she’s moments away from crying out but he muffles her sounds with his lips.

“Fuck Em, so good.” He grunts, his own pleasure building by every thrust, her tightening center like a vice around him as he keeps rubbing her clit. “Again.” He tells her and he can barely feel the way she nods breathlessly, close to delirious as he forces pleasure from her body.

*

Haley walks into the bullpen slowly, it was strange, being back here. The last time she was Jack was only a few weeks old and she realizes that it’s been almost three years ago. It’s quiet, only a few people having entered the bullpen but she knew Aaron was there. The blinds were closed, so was the door and that was odd to her, he never closed the blinds.

She walks up the stairs and gets ready to knock, but then she hears it, muffled and low but the unmistakable sound of his voice.

“Fuck Em, so good.” Then a few seconds later. “Again.”

She knows what she’s about to walk in on before she opens the door, but for some twisted reason  she feels like she needs to see what she already knows. She opens the door just as Aaron groans his pleasure against Emily’s neck, his whole body jerking as she clings to him, eyes closed and jaw slacked as she too is lost in pleasure. For a moment it’s quiet, nothing but labored breathing and Haley watching them. It’s not until she drops the papers in her hand, the rustling of an envelope loud enough for Aaron to turn and Emily to open her eyes and they jump apart.

“Haley!” Aaron quickly stands in front of Emily to cover her nearly naked body and grabs his pants, somehow forgetting that Haley’s probably seen him naked more than a thousand times. “What are you- fuck I-”

“Don’t.” She hisses, anger she had not shown him yet close to erupting. “Don’t say a word.” She can’t bring herself to look at them any longer, so she turns and the door slams shut behind her. She stalks down the stairs, not caring that she’s drawing attention of the few people in the office.

“Haley what are you doing-” JJ asks as she, Spencer and Penelope walk through the glass doors, the other woman almost knocking them over. She doesn’t get a response, Haley ignoring them as she hurries towards the elevator.

Derek comes out of the elevator and just barely manages to avoid her and he looks at her with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“No. I’m not.” She says just before the doors closes.

“What the hell was that about?” Derek asks as he turns to his friends still standing in the doorway facing him.

“No idea.” Spencer shrugs, all of them confused, all of them wondering what went wrong between Aaron and Haley.

*

Dave knocks softly on the door to his office, he had caught the seconds before Haley stormed out, had his suspicions about what she had just witnessed. Aaron only opens the door slightly, his tie crooked and hair disheveled.

“Are you two decent?” He asks and he can see the look of confusion on the younger man’s face. “You better hurry, the rest of the team is arriving.” He continues and when Aaron steps to the side to let him in, he sees Emily leaning against the desk, eyes wide but overall looking as put together as she usually does.

“How long have you known?” She asks, embarrassment clear in her voice.

“A while.” He shrugs and straightens Aaron’s tie. “You can’t get anything past me, you should know that.” He gives the other man a look and he can see the look of resignation on his face.

“Will you keep this to yourself?” Aaron asks and when Dave nods he breathes a sigh of relief.

“It’s not my secret to share.”

*

Emily walks into his office later that same day. The day had seemed endless, dragging by slowly without a case to focus on. Dave had helped them cover, had come out of the office with them to avoid more questions from the team than necessary, but the older man knew and that changed everything.

It made things real.

He’s looking over papers, pen in hand when she knocks on his open door and he looks up at her. Her eyes land on the papers, noticing that it’s not the documents from any case they’re working on and his head tilts to the side.

“Divorce papers.” He explains. “That’s what Haley was here to give me, what she dropped on the floor.”

“Oh.” She can’t think of anything else to say, the file in her hand forgotten as she watches him sign them with determination. When he looks back up at her she finds herself asking him what she had been wondering for weeks, if not months.

“Were you happy with her?” She doesn’t notice that she’s holding her breath until he speaks, his voice low and soft.

“I was content. But I also know I could be happy with you.”

[djuvlipen]

Romani women were assaulted by a man in front of their children in Czechia

(04/01/2024)

On the afternoon of 31 March in Teplice, Czech Republic, a Romani woman named Natalie was assaulted in the presence of her child by a non-Romani man who was unknown to her. Natalie says she, her sister and their children were aggressively targeted by the man, who started shouting at them in a local park.

Natalie described going to the park with her young daughter and several other young children from her family. Her sister accompanied them.

“The children were playing with pebbles, they weren’t doing anything to anybody, and he started shouting at my daughter, so I asked him what was bothering him,” Natalie described how the incident started to news server Romea.cz. The man started shouting very vulgar abuse and the women objected.

“We told him not to speak so crudely in front of the children and he walked right up to me and got in my face. I pushed him away more than once, but he assaulted me physically. He slapped me and then, when my sister came to my aid, he slapped her and it became a fight. The children were crying and in total shock,” Natalie described the situation.

“We shouted to the other people in the park to call the police. Eventually my sister called the police and the man started to run away. My sister ran after him for a moment, but her little boy began to cry terribly, so she came back,” Natalie described to Romea.cz.

Police arrived at the scene within 10 minutes. “They downloaded videos from people who had filmed it and I gave my statement to the police today,” Natalie said on 1 April.

“If the children had been white he wouldn’t have even noticed them, but he started shouting directly at my daughter,” Natalie told news server Romea.cz. Police spokesperson Kamil Marek confirmed to news server Romea.cz that police are investigating the incident.

“Police officers in Teplice are investigating an incident on suspicion of misdemeanor behavior. The operations officer immediately sent a police patrol to the scene. The officers immediately started searching for a male suspect meeting the women’s description, but he disappeared. They have requested camera footage and are continuing to identify the suspect,” Marek told Romea.cz.

A brief video clip capturing the incident was posted to social media. The footage shows a little girl weeping and a man assaulting her mother.

The video was available on Facebook during the evening of 31 March; while the original post was subsequently deleted, the video continues to be shared in various groups. News server Romea.cz has obtained the video.

Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs is in contact with the assaulted woman

On the afternoon of the assault, the Vice-Chair of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, Marián Dancso, got in touch with the assaulted woman and accompanied her to the police station the next day. “The woman who was attacked gave a statement to the police today, who were maximally helpful and offered both the woman and her young daughter psychological aid,” Dancso told news server Romea.cz, adding that he was told the police have issued a statewide arrest warrant for the suspect.

Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková is also following the case. “I do not have detailed information about this matter yet. After watching the video that is circulating on social media I am outraged by this repulsive violence, especially in the presence of children,” she told Romea.cz, adding that she is in contact with the assaulted woman through Dancso.

“I will keep monitoring the situation,” Fuková said. The ROMEA organization has sent the assaulted woman contact information for the In IUSTITIA organization, which legally aids bias crime victims.

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

If it's cool for us to ask if anyone knows a movie can I take a shot in the dark? I haven't been able to find it since and I really liked it.

Spoilers for it obviously

If the style and quality is to be believed, the movie is somewhere mid-late 2000s or early to mid 2010s. It's told retrospectively by one of the dinner guests getting interviewed by a detective asking about the crazy nights events. It doesn't have a clear location but it's this dinner party hosted by a couple where they recently lost their daughter when she died after falling down the stairs (in reality, the mom was drunk, holding her and dropped her). The guy in the couple was sinning because he was having an affair with a blonde present and the guy's friend had hit someone with his car late at night and hid the body instead of calling the cops.

They invite in a medium which gets the blonde lady possessed and the "demon" says they have to confess their sins or it will kill them. Then the main lady hears her dead daughter when she's comforted by her friend in the daughters old bedroom, they find another friend bloody and strung up outside and they invite in a priest to help the possessed lady. The main lady hits on him and the blonde says a line about m*sturbating with a crucifix (she doesn't actually) and kills the priest. The main lady is only able to end thing when she carves something into her arm and the blonde is killed.

Then we cut back to the interview where we find out the friend was Satan in human form and she killed the detective once he figured it out. She then goes on this long monologue about how we all meet her once and she's known under many names "Belial, Lord of the flies, the morning star, Lucifer" then she walks out of the police station and disappears as a car passes between the camera and her.

The main lady has long straight brown hair and the devil girl has short brown hair. She looked a lot like the actress who plays the protagonist of truth or dare but idk if they are the same actress. Please if anyone knows about this movie! Tell me! I loved it and the twist alot but can't remember the title for the life of me and id love to buy it.

Help a friend in search!

[leaderpinhead]

Malleus - Mundane Affairs

As the heir to Briar Valley, Malleus admittedly expected a certain level of respect. Sometimes it came in the form of silent (and in Sebek’s case, loud) admiration. In many cases, the respect was tinged with fearful awe. No matter what end of the spectrum they lie, many, if not all, would agree it was below his station to participate in most mundane activities. 

Still, he found himself more amused than offended following the Ramshackle prefect through the Mystery Shop. Her angry little huffs sounded like a small kitten’s sneezes. “I swear, Sam rearranges his shop every week just to mess with me.” 

Malleus’s already small grin widened. They turned up one aisle, startling an Ignihyde student they encountered. Yuu ignored him, focused entirely on her goal, but Malleus offered a polite nod. The boy sputtered when he returned the nod and quickly fled. Malleus absently noted his fear before dismissing him entirely. “I am sure Sam takes immense pleasure singling you out amongst the student body.” 

“Oh, hush.” Malleus chuckled in response to the prefect’s unapologetic disgruntlement. He followed her to the other side of the store. “There’s only one thing I come here to get every week, and without fail, it’s not in the same place twice.” 

Malleus’s eyes flitted across the wall of candy they passed. His eyes lingered on the green dragon candy for a second longer than the others. “Do stores not usually change the location of their inventory?” 

“In my experience, no,” Yuu huffed. She paused and glared at a small bin of items in the back of the store. Malleus leaned over to examine the items. They were an odd group with seemingly no relation except the bright yellow stickers declaring them as Clearance! “It all stays in relatively the same location except seasonal stuff.” 

Malleus hummed. “Is that why the display at the front of the store reflects current holidays?” 

“Yep.” Yuu turned and walked the length of the store’s back wall. Her kitten sneezes started again. “That’s the stuff Sam wants to sell quick.” 

“Interesting,” Malleus muttered. They encountered another student, this one wearing Savanaclaw’s yellow-orange vest. The beastman’s round ears perked, and Malleus grinned in obvious amusement when the boy released an involuntary hiss. “I have seen an inordinate number of students wearing the headband with large round ears lately. Is that in response to a human holiday?” 

“I actually have no idea what that’s about,” the prefect answered. She sidled past the agitated boy and continued on her quest. The boy tried to buck up at Malleus, but he wasn’t able to maintain eye contact long enough for Malleus to feel intimidated. The boy shuffled off with his slender tail tucked around his ankles. “I think it’s something to do with an anniversary? Ace just made fun of me when I asked.” 

“I will apply further research on the topic later,” Malleus assured. He was curious now that he understood the significance of the odd attire. It certainly wasn’t an anniversary celebrated in Briar Valley. “For now, I will point you in the direction of your desired item.” 

Yuu stopped mid-step, twisting on her heel to face him. “Have you known where it was the entire time?” Malleus’s chuckle made her cheeks balloon. “Hornton!” 

“I have been told it builds character to dedicate a certain amount of work towards a desired goal,” Malleus teased. In truth, he had wanted to spend a bit more time with the prefect after she had caught him strolling across the campus alone and invited him on her shopping trip. It was rude not to make the most of an invitation. “Admittedly, I also assumed you would eventually strike upon the right path and find your desired outcome.” 

“Stop being so elusive and show me where the stupid tuna is.” 

Malleus chuckled and led Yuu back to the front of the store where a display of tuna cans sat beside a small mound of anthropomorphic mouse dolls. He patiently waited for her to debate herself on buying the special edition cans, as they were not the usual brand she bought Grim. Once she had a small stack in her arms, he carefully placed one of the mouse ear headbands on her head, smirking at her disgruntled glare when he refused to take it off her head. He slipped Sam a few extra coins for the headband when they checked out. 

Heir or not, participating in mundane, everyday affairs had its perks. Especially when he was rewarded with a small bag of green dragon candy the next time he ran into the prefect. He saw no issue with accepting a similar invitation from her a few weeks later. 

[grumpygreenwitch]

The Witches and Wizards Job 7-8

Around this point I actually read back and asked myself, "Is this moving too fast?" Then I remember the speed at which a Leverage episode actually moves and the kind of beating Harry usually picks up each book, and went, "Nah."

AO3 Link

Buy me a Ko-fi?

Remember: Tumblr has no algorithm. Reblogs give me life.

1-2 + 3-4 + 5-6 + 7-8 + 9-10-11 + 12-13-14 + 15-16 + 17-18-19 + 20-21-22 + 23-24-25 + 26-27-28 + 29-30 + 31-32-33 + 34-35-36 + 37-38 + 39-40-41-42

SEVEN

The divide between magic and technology is a known quantity. Every wizard knows to stay away from most mechanical things; the more complex they are, the more likely they were to break. The more powerful the wizard, the quicker it was gonna happen. Even knowing these things, I hadn't realized how deep that boundary ran until I tried to find out anything about my prospective employers.

If it had been a magical entity, a spell, an artifact, between Bob and I we could have probably found out at least the basics, but Bob couldn't find out anything about the Leverage people. I wasn't crazy enough to try and scry something in Boston, never mind the range.

All I could tell was that Leverage was, apparently, a purely mundane affair. Based in Boston as they were I didn't doubt they'd run themselves into something other that the average human, but as the afternoon dragged on I began to realize I was going to have more luck finding out what, rather than getting any sort of information on whatever Deveraux and Ford actually had going on.

A smart man would have said no on principle. What little I could find out told me that if things had gotten so bad that an entirely non-magical outfit like Leverage had come looking for a wizard, then they were bad enough that walking away unscathed to enjoy that absurdly large paycheck was not guaranteed. Not even 50/50 odds.

But 50/50 was still better than no odds at all.

And I hadn't lied when I told Deveraux that I'm a curious man.

She'd written a number on the back of the card. Not a hotel, so they could have been anywhere. I eyed it while I called Butters and asked him to look after Mister while I was away. Then I called it.

"Harry." Deveraux actually sounded happy to hear me; it was refreshing.

"Train. The older the better," I told her. "That applies to any tech you want near me, too. Mouse comes with me."

"Yes, of course."

"The daily fee is… good." My voice cracked a bit despite my best attempt at sounding like it was not a holy-heck amount of money. I cleared it. "It's good. But I can't go longer than a week. One week and I'm coming back home, even if your problem's not solved."

"That's fine."

"And I need a basement."

"A b… A basement?"

"It's contained in case something bad happens."

"Ah." The fact she didn't ask questions told me containment was a common concern in both her line of work and mine. "Anything else?"

"I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I'm sure something will come up." Something did almost immediately. "A full briefing as soon as I'm there. No secrets, no lies. If I find out you've lied to me, I'll leave."

"We'll tell you as much as we know," she assured me, and I found myself believing her. "Welcome to the team, Harry."

It felt weird to be welcomed, to be made to feel as if I were part of a team that actually wanted me there. "When do you think you'll have everything ready?"

There was laughter in her tone. "When do you think you'll be packed?"

Three hours later I was at Union Station, being escorted off the oldest VW minibus in existence and onto a rail car that apparently I had all to myself, like something out of an Agatha Christie book. I'd packed Bob, my tools, a quick-spell kit, any books I thought might help, and a change of clothes. Mouse looked mournfully at me as the train began to move, and I couldn't blame him; it felt as if I were leaving a piece of myself behind.

I knew Chicago. It was home. I knew the people, the streets. I knew its seasons, its weather. I knew the hangouts of most of the dangerous creatures in it, both human and inhuman. I knew every layer of it, every mood, every current.

I knew very little about Boston except that it was a supernatural melting pot. Most creatures that crossed from the Old World or from Other Places and didn't come through the Nevernever landed in Boston; many stayed there, made lives there. There were inhuman families that were generations old, living side by side with the descendants of human immigrants. The divide between mortal and supernatural was as thin as my willpower in Boston.

Look, Deveraux had handed me a really big number.

The train never stopped. That struck me as weird, but then I'd never traveled first class on a train before, so I had no bar for normal. I tried to sleep, but the novelty of everything wore off a couple of hours into the trip, and panic began to settle in. What the hell was I doing? I was Chicago's wizard, not Boston's!

Well, it was done. The AC broke about halfway through the trip, but with the windows open I never even noticed. I got my books out and read, trying to give myself a crash course on the magical scene in Boston, so to speak. Mouse took over one of the windows and seemed to have forgiven me, head thrust out into the wind of our passage, jowls flapping and the plume of his tail wagging sedately. He scared the crap out of the one person I did see, a young man who brought me breakfast and lunch, somehow still warm.

The sun had just set when the train pulled into the Back Bay. I could feel the air buzzing all around me with an imperceptible, invisible charge, the ambient energy of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of supernatural creatures crackling against my senses. I felt both supercharged and itchy, and Mouse shook himself furiously when we finally made it off the rail car.

There was a man waiting for me on the concourse. He was tremendously solid, the sort of build I used to wish for when I was young, heavy muscle under a worn leather jacket, faded blue jeans and comfortable curb-stomper boots. He had long, very fine brown hair and oddly guileless blue eyes. He had stubble matching mine and he straightened up from his lazy slouch with the ease of someone perfectly at peace with the world around him.

I couldn't see the bulge of a gun anywhere, but I was pretty sure this was Leverage's heavy hitter.

Then he grinned at me, and his whole face lit up, and I thought maybe I was wrong. "Dresden?"

"That's me," I admitted.

He offered his hand without hesitation. "Eliot Spencer. Eliot's fine. Sorry to drag you so far from home."

This man was a walking contradiction. His hands told me I was right. His attitude told me I was wrong. He was the nicest, friendliest man with violence as his main occupation that I'd ever met up to that point in my life. He meant every word of his apology. He was sizing me up for threats.

Belatedly, I realized that Boston was literally supercharging me. My senses, both magical and normal, were trying to run away with me. I had nothing else at the moment; I clung to the hand Eliot Spencer offered, to the strength in it. "Oh, you didn't, not really. Too curious for my own good. Give me a second, would you?"

"You ok, man?"

"Just a little… drunk on the night air," I said, knowing how that had to sound to him.

I was not expecting the change that went over him. It was seamless, instantaneous. One moment Eliot Spencer was welcoming me to his home like a ray of sunshine; the next he was all deadly intent, a sort of quiet, intangible menace radiating from him like the darkest light. "A problem?" he asked mildly.

It told me two things; one, that I was right after all and two, that whatever had brought me to Boston was big enough to have this calm, steady man on a hair-trigger. "No, it's…. Boston's busy. Boston's real busy when it comes to magic. It hangs in the air, makes it thick, and it's giving me a head rush."

"Chicago's not like that?"

"No. The Lake grounds it. Water's good for that."

"I could take you by the Charles if it would help - hey!" And just like that the ray of sunshine was back when Mouse came trotting back from wherever he'd gone to take care of his business. Eliot dropped down to a crouch. "Who's this, Mouse, I think?"

"Yeah. Just watch out, he's not always -" Mouse, tail a blur, charged the Leverage man with a delighted huff and proceeded to lick anything Eliot didn't vigilantly protect, making him chuckle. Well. That was new. And good news for me. "Friendly. He was also a lot smaller when he was a puppy."

Eliot straightened up, rubbing Mouse's head with rough affection. My dog looked blissful, tongue lolling to one side. "Bait-and-switched you, huh."

"It might've been, if he'd given me any choice in the matter."

"He's big for a Tibetan Mastiff," Eliot pointed out. "Wrong color, too."

"He's not. He's a Tibetan Temple Mastiff."

Again that brief pause. Eliot looked down at Mouse. Mouse looked up at him.

The Leverage man grinned again and rubbed Mouse's ears. "Eh, he looks dog enough for me. Anyway. If you're feeling better, let's get you settled. I rented a van."

"Cars get temperamental with me around."

"Dresden, if you can break down a u-Haul, I'll believe you're a wizard no further questions. Where's your luggage?"

EIGHT

Apparently the Leverage people weren't unfamiliar with what happened when you put magic too close to tech. I was put up in their 'temporary' quarters, a small house a lick away from their actual place of business, a loft over a bar by the incredibly Irish name of John McRory's Place.

The house was nice. It had a fenced yard that Mouse promptly claimed as his own and a finished basement that I promptly claimed as my own. The bedroom looked suspiciously like someone had ordered it directly from a catalog, sheets and all. The only other rooms that were accessible were one bathroom and the living room, which had been set up as a meeting area of sorts. The kitchen was empty. The other rooms were full of crates.

There was dinner from the pub waiting for me that night, and a phone in a manila envelope. I offered to share my beer with Eliot; the phone died with a sad little squawk before we finished it.

"That's gonna make things hard," he admitted wryly, examining the dead screen of the phone. "I take it a bluetooth's out of the question?"

"The more parts to it, the quicker it goes."

I saw him get very thoughtful. "What about size? The bigger it is?"

"How big are we talking about?" I asked mildly, sensing a chance to finally get some information as to what had brought me to Boston.

"TV screen," Eliot answered without hesitation, then spread his arms. "Yay big."

"What were you doing at the time?"

"Trying to get a composite from a bunch of blurry pictures."

"What happened?"

"It cracked." He grinned wryly. "Top to bottom. We took that thing out to the recycling in two halves." His jovial mood faded. "I don't like the look on your face right now, Dresden."

"You shouldn't." I was trying to think of creatures that could shatter a screen like that, with just their image, without actually being there. It was a short list; it was also a very scary list. "It wasn't anything else, it had to be the picture?"

"The man who works our tech is the best, hands-down. His equipment doesn't blow up like that without a good reason," Eliot said calmly, then put his hands up. "Wait, no, I'm supposed to let you rest tonight. You're gonna hear all this tomorrow morning anyway."

"I did nothing but sleep on the train ride," I told him. I won't lie, it felt nice to know the Leverage outfit, whatever their business might be, gave enough of a damn to give me the night to myself. Most people who hire me for that kind of money expected 24-7 service, never mind what kind of shape I might be in at the end of the day. "Tell me what you can."

He gave me one of the few measuring looks I've ever gotten that didn't have my harm at heart before he made a decision and tipped his head toward the pub. "Come on."

"Mouse, watch the place." Mouse flopped in front of the door and settled down with a yawn.

The front of the pub was roaring, but we came in from the back. Eliot knocked softly on a door, poked his head in and murmured something to someone in there. I caught a faint whiff of something sweet, almost like licorice - probably a storage room, and a bottle of liquor had broken and been cleaned up. Eliot got his answer; he closed the door and we moved on. He peeked out into the main floor and called out something I couldn't hear over the noise of the crowd before heading to a pair of elevator doors.

I stopped walking. "Uh…"

He paused, turned, and led me to the stairs, grinning. "You know, I don't even think about most of this stuff. Tech's embedded so deep into our lives."

"I just wish for a hot water heater that didn't break in under a week," I told him.

"Yikes."

"Yup."

"Just keep your distance from Hardison's tech," Eliot warned me as he led me into a vast, elegant little loft. The bare brick walls had paintings on them that looked… modern. Expensive. I didn't know enough about art back then to appreciate what they were. A spiral staircase led up to what was probably a bedroom, and behind it was a typical modern kitchen. Most of the open space was taken up by a very modern, very sleek meeting room sort of setup, a wall full of screens and a small curve of desks before it. "He's still sore about those screens."

"Screens? More than one?"

"Yeah, a second one a day after -"

A young woman came flying into the loft. "Where is he? Where's the wizard?"

"Parker, don't -"

She whirled and faced me, and immediately made a face. "Aren't you supposed to have a white bushy beard?"

"Not for another couple hundred years."

I hadn't expected my quip to bring her up short, but it did. She seemed to really think about it, and it gave me a chance to examine her. She was young, wiry, blonde, pretty. She had the same kind of intensity Karrin had, but her focus seemed to change from minute to minute.

"Oh. I didn't think about that. There have to be young wizards to get old wizards."

"Parker." Eliot sighed.

"No robes?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Fancy spell books?"

"I do have one of those."

"Can I see it?"

"Parker, let the man catch his breath." Sophie Deveraux looked cozy and elegant and beautiful in a flowing blue blouse and a shimmering gray skirt. She beamed at me and I felt warm and fuzzy. Look, I'm man enough to admit it, I'm a sucker for a pretty lady, particularly one that doesn't want me dead. "Harry."

"Miss Deveraux."

"Just Sophie, Harry, please. Are you sure you wouldn't rather wait?"

"I'm good. I got all my rest in the train ride. Boston's full of energy, and it's making me buzzed, I rather put some of it to work, get it out of my system -"

"Why do you carry a stick?"

I whipped around. Parker had my wand in her hands.

Hell's Bells, I'd never even felt the theft. My wand, and I would have never known she'd gone for it if she hadn't said something.

Something in my face clued Sophie and Eliot that things had gone very badly, very quickly. "Parker!" Sophie cried out.

With all the care of someone handling live explosives, Eliot closed a hand over the 'stick'. "We are trying," he told her, sticking to his calm demeanor like tar, "to make a good impression, Parker."

"Oh, fine. Should I give everything else back?"

I took the quickest stock of my person I'd ever taken in my life. Immediately I found another thing missing that I would have never thought could be taken from me without my notice. How in the hell -!

"Yes!" Sophie told her firmly.

"Well, he didn't have anything interesting anyways," Parker put out her hand with my wallet on it.

And my shield bracelet.

Eliot offered me my wand back, looking sheepish. "Sorry, man."

"I just - how?" Seriously. Never mind the theft, everything was coming back to me, nothing was broken, no one was hurt, I just wanted to know how she'd done it.

"Parker is the best in the world," Sophie said, somehow managing to convey warm pride and icy disapproval all in one. Parker squirmed uncertainly. "She should also bear in mind that as of now you're part of our team, and we don't pickpocket teammates."

Parker held strong under the tone of disapproval longer than I would have. "Sorry," she muttered with ill grace.

"No harm no foul if you teach me how to do it."

She grinned, just a little. "Deal."

"Also, where should I stand so I'm as far away from anything tech-y as possible?"

"Right there." Nathan Ford had arrived, and the mask was off. He still looked vaguely friendly, a little rumpled, somewhat distracted. But there was nothing hiding the ruthless ice in his eyes anymore, or the deep mistrust in the gaze he leveled at me. I was in his world, in his domain, I was his employee. The carrot had done her job, the stick didn't have to mind his manners anymore. "Right there's fine, mister Dresden."

Ford passed everyone by and moved to the kitchen to find himself, apparently, some coffee. "Where's Hardison?"

"He said he wanted to take a few more pictures of the cylinder we found at the museum," Eliot told him. "He's in the storage room."

"What cylinder?" Something was bugging me. It wasn't big, at least not big enough to pin it down, but it was there, nagging at the back of my mind like a toothache after too much sugar.

"There was an issue at the Isabella Gardner Museum," Sophie told me. "Someone tampered with the fire suppression system. They attached some kind of homemade cylinder to the system and it started pumping something out in the air, some sort of perfume." She shrugged lightly. "We don't know why, there was no need for it."

"Perfume?"

"Yes. Fernflower."

I was running the next moment, going on a guess and a prayer. The guess was that the closed door was the storage room. The prayer was that I wouldn't be too late.

The moment I hit the bottom floor a faint reek of sweet, rotten candy and burning flowers made me reel back, coughing, my lungs burning. I could definitely smell the fernflower; worse, I could also smell night's breath. This was some deep, deep magic. Deep and old. Someone had cooked up a Burning Witchwell, and Leverage had blundered right into it. Only luck had kept any of them from being magically inclined, but that luck had run out with the fernflower.

Eliot was right behind me, and he threw a hand over his face. He snatched a bunch of cloth napkins from a nearby shelf and shoved them at me. "What is that?!"

I ran on and shoved the door open to the storage room. There was a man kneeling on the floor before a table, wheezing. The fernflower fumes burned my eyes and I actually heard my skin hiss on contact with the night's breath, but I was running on Boston air. I was so charged up I barely registered any pain.

"Venti, ventum!" I shouted. Wind poured into the storage room. Everything went flying off the shelves. I felt my magic careen out of control, as supercharged as I was, and fought to bring it back under control. I didn't want to wreck the room, I just wanted to get the man to safety, away from the fumes.

"Hardison!" Eliot had already dashed past me, catching the man. He was lanky, lean, deceptively muscled, possibly an inch or so taller than me. His skin was very dark and it had gone blotchy where the night's breath had had time to settle down and sink in. He slurred something unintelligible and squinted intently at me; I couldn't even begin to imagine what he was seeing.

"Dresden?!" Eliot asked, spitting his own hair out of his mouth.

"Go, get him out!"

He didn't question me. I could have danced a happy jig at that show of trust. I backed out of the room; I was one step past the doorway when helpful hands slammed the door shut. "Does the ventilation system here connect to the pub?"

"No, it goes straight out," Ford replied.

"Then just put some…" The borrowed energy from the Boston ambiance ran out. I felt pain creep up over any part of me not covered by fabric. "Put some…"

"Sophie, put some towels at the bottom," Ford's voice was full of calm, focused competency. "Parker, go tell the front of house no one is to come into this room until one of us says otherwise. Eliot." There was a pause. "Dresden, is a hospital going to help either of you?"

"He's fine." Oh, that was Ford's shoulder under my arm, holding me up. When had that happened? "Unless he's got magic, he's just drunk. Sort of."

"And you?"

"I'm a little blistered." I was a little more than blistered, but I had the advantage of knowing the damage wasn't real. "No hospital. A bath."

"Alright. Let's get you and Hardison up to the loft, then."

I wasn't in any shape to argue. I got shoved under a spray of miraculously hot water. Someone peeled my clothes off. At some point I realized I trusted only two people in the loft, and one of them was helping undress me. "Wash your hands," I told Eliot. "Wash the clothes."

"Can we burn them?"

"Don't burn my clothes, I didn't bring any more." I stared at him suspiciously; well, there was only one person I trusted anymore. "Tell Parker to watch my things."

Eliot offered a sound of deeply amused disbelief. Somewhere nearby a man's voice was tunelessly singing what sounded like a church song. "Drunk?"

"Intox… Intec… Sort of. Fernflower gives you magic. See things. Talk to animals. Sorta thing. But it's eph… emph…. It fades quick. You gotta lace it with… other stuff. It It wasn't the weapon, the night's breath was."

"Night's breath?"

"Old plant. Burns up magic. Night's breath was fire. Fernflower was gasoline. 's called a… a Burning Witchwell."

"You aren't breathing right, man."

"Fake. I'll be fine when my…. when my magic comes back. Easy, in this place."

"Fake damage." At that Eliot did look disbelieving. "Hurt's hurt."

"Particularly if you believe in it," I shot back, then put my head up to the spray of hot water. "Oh, that feels good."

I heard Eliot snort in amusement. "Well, enjoy it while you can. Haven't blown up this heater."

"Give me a chance, I just got here."

[angelasscribbles]

A Fervid Fixation Chapter 3: Controlled Burn

Series: A Fervid Fixation

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Drake

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: Language

Word Count: 2,542

A/N: So it's not a three-shot, lol. I know, you're all shocked! Mini Series then. Four maybe five chapters. We'll just see how it goes.

My other stuff: Master List.

The SUV tires crunched on the gravel as it pulled into a small parking lot in front of a darkened restaurant. A metal sign that read “Mama Rita’s” swung from a chain above the front door.

The SUV pulled around back and stopped next to a deep maroon Devore GT with a black racing stripe down the center.

“What are we doing here?” Riley asked nervously, “Where are we?”

“We’re just switching cars,” Drake explained as he opened the door and hopped out. He pointed a key fob at the Devore and the trunk popped open.

The driver exited the vehicle and started pulling her luggage out of the back and transferring it to the trunk of the other car. She recognized him, “Marco, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned at her as he pushed the trunk closed, “and for what it’s worth, I was there that night the shit went down with that duke…I know you weren’t having an affair with him or whatever that reporter is claiming.”

“Thanks, Marco.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with everything,” he waved at her as he headed back to the SUV.

“Wait…you’re leaving?”

“Yes, I have to get back to my duty station before my next shift.” He told her as he climbed back into the driver’s seat and closed the door.

“Aren’t you on duty right now?”

“Technically no,” he responded, “Just doing a favor for a friend.”

“Thanks for that, by the way,” Drake called as he pulled the passenger door of the Devore open.

“Anytime, Walker,” Marco gave him a wave as he backed out of the parking spot.

Riley watched the taillights as they disappeared around the building, leaving her alone with Drake. A prospect that both frightened and excited her.

“Come on Brooks, let’s go.”

She turned slowly toward him ignoring the frisson of desire that sparked through her at the sight of him, “No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I mean no, Drake! I’m not getting in the car with you!” She turned and started walking across the parking lot.

“Riley! Get in the car!” He roared.

“No!” She said over her shoulder.

“Riley!...Shit! Fuck!” He kicked the car and then ran after her, trying for his most pleading tone, “Riley….Riley, please, please, please get in the car!”

She stopped and turned to face him, “I said no, Drake!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“I’m not sure I should get in a car with you without knowing where we’re going and why!”

Shock spilled across his features, “I’m trying to help you!”

“Help me, Drake? Help me? Did I ask for your help? I don’t even know what the hell is going on! I was drug out of the coronation by one set of guards, intercepted by another set and now I’m just supposed to get into this car with you and go God knows where with you? And literally, no one knows where I am?” She was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Okay, okay…” he held both hands up in front of him in the universal sign for surrender, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t realize…” he trailed off as confusion then surprise darted across his face, “Riley…are you afraid of me?”

“I...I’m not sure…maybe…”

“Why? I mean, I know we’ve had some dustups, but what have I ever done to make you think I’d hurt you in any way?”

His facial expression was so bewildered and so hurt that her heart rate dropped back to normal as she replied, “Nothing to me, specifically…”

His face cleared as understanding dawned on him, “You’re talking about Nick and Tariq.”

“Well, yeah…”

“All right, let’s talk about it then, okay?” he waited for her to nod before continuing, “First of all, I need you to understand that I don’t usually just go around hitting people, I would never hit a woman and I have never punched a man that didn’t deserve it!”

“So, when you came into my room that night-“

“I heard you scream, Riley! I would have never just walked into your room otherwise! When I saw Tariq with his hands on you…” he paused as he struggled to get his emotions under control. His fists clenched at his sides and his lips pressed tightly together. His entire body was thrumming with tension as he replayed the events in his head.

“Hey,” Riley reached out tentatively and touched his arm, “It’s okay, I’m not really mad about you kicking that idiot’s ass.”

“You’re not?” He blinked at her in surprise.

“No,” she shook her head, “He kind of had it coming if you ask me.”

Drake barked out a disbelieving laugh, “But Liam made it sound like you were upset by the...how did he put it….oh yeah, all the violence you’d witnessed.”

“I mean, it was a lot, Drake. I just don’t understand why you did it.”

He looked taken aback as he said, “I did it for you, Riley! He hurt you! He was touching you without your permission!”

Her eyes widened, “That’s it?”

“That’s it? What do you mean, that’s it? Isn’t that enough? He had no right to put his hands on you!”

She smiled at his agitation, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” The truth was she had liked the feeling it gave her watching Drake swoop in and come to her defense. Like a flock of butterflies were trying to burst out of her chest.

Her smile drew one of his own, as he asked, “Why are you smiling?”

“No reason...just…if you got that worked up over the idea of someone else hurting me, I guess you’re not likely to do it yourself.”

His smile disappeared, as his hand brushed her cheek, “I would never do anything to hurt you, Riley!”

She looked down at the ground and then back up at his face, “Okay, I believe you, but…”

“But?” He dropped his hand and stepped back.

“But Nick wasn’t hurting me, Drake.”

He raked a hand through his hair with a sigh, “No, no, he wasn’t.”

“So, what was that about?”

He tipped his head back to stare up at the moon as he collected his thoughts, “I saw him as a threat. He was a stranger, with no security clearance to enter the area he was trying to enter, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

It was at least part of the truth.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I’ll get in the car with you, but you have to promise to tell me what the hell is going on!”

Relief rushed over him like a river crashing over the edge of a cliff face, “I promise!”

He talked as he drove, “I guess you know by now that pictures of you and Tariq somehow made it into the papers.”

“Yeah, I saw that, briefly. About two seconds after everyone got the notification I was being drug out of the ballroom!”

“Right. Didn’t that seem strange to you?”

“Yes! It was an extreme overreaction and I don’t understand-“

“No, not that part! The part where it only took the guard two seconds to react to something that was allegedly a surprise to everyone?”

“Oh…I…now that you mention it, I guess that is strange…”

“Because it wasn’t a surprise to everyone.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there were guards on standby waiting for the signal to take you into custody. The limo to take you to the airport was waiting outside before that story dropped and the plane ticket was purchased a week ago.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Not important. What’s important is that these arrangements were made by someone with the authority to issue orders to not just the regular palace guards, but the King’s Guard! Which means that someone high up and close to Liam is responsible for it. And it also means the thing with Tariq was a setup. Who took those pictures, Riley? Someone knew he was going to be there!”

She sat back in her seat in shock, “Why would anyone want to do this to me?”

“Because you’re a threat.”

“To who?”

“To anyone that doesn’t want the monarchy to change! Liam is too enamored of you and there are those that see that as a threat.”

“But I’m not a threat to anyone!”

Drake laughed, “Tell that to all those noblewomen drowning in jealousy and resentment at having spent their entire lives training to marry a king only to have a foreign interloper, a waitress no less, swoop in at the last minute and steal him right out from under them.”

“I…never thought about it like that…so, you think it’s one of the other suitors?”

“Maybe, but probably not. Trust me, there are factions that would go to great lengths to keep the monarchy from what they see as corruption.”

“Corruption?”

“Yes, corruption from any ideas that are too modern, too liberal, too…American…”

“Shit…”

“Exactly.”

They pulled off the pavement onto a dusty backroad before turning down a long, twisting private drive. At the end of the drive was an unassuming two-story cabin nestled in a clearing next to a small lake.

“Sorry, it’s not a palace or the Beaumont estate,” he said as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside, “but you’ll be safe here.”

“I’m actually a little sick of the inside of the palace,” she admitted.

“I thought you liked the glitz and glamour, being catered to like a spoiled rich girl.”

“Do you always have to insult me?”

“Sorry, habit.”

“But why is it a habit?”

“I do it for the same reason I call you by your last name.”

“Which is?”

“None of your business. Now come on and I’ll show you to the bedroom.”

They were halfway up the stairs when she stopped, “Wait, did you say the bedroom? As in, there’s only one?”

Drake’s face flushed red as he pushed past her, “Yeah, but don’t worry. I was planning to sleep on the couch.”

“Oh! I…” she hurried up the steps after him, “I don’t want to put you out of your own bedroom! Wait…is it your bedroom? Whose cabin are we in?”

“It’s my cabin, Brooks,” he told her as he pushed open the only door on the left-hand side of the small upstairs hallway.

“What are those? They aren’t bedrooms?” She gestured to the three doors on the other side of the hall.

“Technically, yes, but they don’t have beds in them. The one at the end has a pool table in it, the one in the middle is a bathroom and the other is full of boxes of my dad’s old stuff,” he told her.

“I guess you don’t get much company, huh?” She smirked at him as she entered the master bedroom.

“I know that’s a crack about me not having any friends, but the answer is no I don’t because I actively don’t want any.”

Very few people knew it even existed.

He had never brought a woman to it before.

“Wow,” she breathed as she looked around the room. It took up most of the second floor, a fireplace graced the center of the room, and the bed was huge.

Her appreciation for it caught him off guard. “You like it?”

“Yes, I love it! It’s amazing! Why are you surprised?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “It’s not a palace and there are no servants.”

Annoyance pulled through her, “You know I lived in a two hundred square foot apartment in New York, right?”

“Yeah, well, I figure you’ve gotten used to a different lifestyle by this point.” He muttered.

“Do you really think I’m that fucking shallow?” she snapped.

“I don’t know. Are you?” And just like that, the attitude was back in his tone.

“Why did you even bother to bring me here and try to help me if you have such a low opinion of me, Drake? Huh? Why? I don’t get it. I don’t get you!”

“Me? I’m an open book! You’re the one that-“

“Open book? How the hell do you figure that? You’re the most inscrutable, closed-off, judgmental, hostile, cynical person I’ve ever met and you have a fucking outrageous temper with a hair trigger! Frankly, I don’t see how you’ve survived at court all these years!”

His jaw set, “Tell me how you really feel, Brooks, don’t hold back.”

“I’m just saying-“

“I know what you’re saying, and you’re the one judging me right now! Maybe being at court all those years made me this way! Did you ever consider that?”

“Maybe your problems at court were caused by your bad attitude! Did you ever consider that?”

“Says the woman who was fucking nice to everyone and still got set up, slandered, and drug out of the coronation by armed guards!”

“Oh, fuck you! How do I know you’re even telling me the truth about any of that?”

“Why the fuck would I lie about any of that?” He asked in astonishment.

“I don’t know, Drake, you tell me! Maybe Liam was right, maybe you are obsessed with me! Maybe this wasn’t a rescue, maybe this was a kidnapping!”

“Are you fucking serious right now? Turn on the fucking news! You’re all over it and no one is defending you!”

“Oh, and how am I supposed to do that, Drake? Huh? You took my phone!”

“You know what? I’m going down to bring in the rest of your luggage and check the propane tank. Give you time to calm the fuck down.”

“Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down, Drake? Get me a fucking phone!” She pulled her shoes off and flung one at him.

“You’re welcome for the save by the way!” He yelled as he stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind him. The shoe thudded into the closed door and bounced onto the floor.

“Fuck!” She threw the other shoe at the door for good measure.

She needed to get a message to Liam. She needed contact with the outside world. She needed to see what the news was saying. She needed Hana.

But first, she needed a long, hot bath to wash this day off her.

She locked the bedroom door and made her way to the master bath. There was a cast iron claw-footed oval-shaped bathtub, long enough for her to stretch out in and be completely underwater. 

There was amazingly enough hot water to fill it. That fact that there was women’s body wash, shampoo, and conditioner gave her pause, but then Drake’s little rescue/kidnapping scheme had to have also been planned in advance, which meant that the King’s Guards weren’t the only ones that had known that story was going to break ahead of time.

How long had Drake known and why hadn’t he warned her?

She had questions and she needed answers, but as she soaked in the steaming bath, she found herself fighting to keep her eyes open, so she climbed out, dried herself off, and climbed into the bed.

The mattress was soft, and the bed was piled high with fur-lined blankets and a goose-down comforter. She was asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Answers would have to wait until morning.

[thehummingbirdpost]

Jewish Voice for Peace Advocates for Palestinian Rights

Dale Colleen Hamilton

edendale24@gmail.com

April 2024

My friend Esther Farmer has lived in Brooklyn her whole life. Her parents, Palestinian Jews, immigrated there in the 1920s. Her father, a politically progressive activist, was labelled a communist and black-listed, making it difficult for him to find work. Her mother was way ahead of her times and her support for the Palestinian cause was loud and often fierce and she battled sexism fearlessly.

Esther calls herself culturally Jewish, religiously atheist, politically non-Zionist and passionately pro-Palestinian. She’s been involved with Palestinian rights organizations for decades and is on the leadership committee of Jewish Voice for Peace, whose membership has exploded since the war on Palestine began. Their protests have attracted thousands of people and have included shutting down Grand Central Station and the Manhattan Bridge.

On my recent visit to New York City, I went with Esther to several pro-Palestinian anti-war demonstrations. She says there’s some form of pro-Palestinian protest almost every day, so there were plenty of choices. While I was there, she did a reading from a book she co-edited, A Land with People as well as several zoom presentations. She lives and breathes Palestinian rights these days. One of the most moving things I’ve heard her say is that her grandmother told her that Palestinians, Jews and Arabs used to live just fine together in Palestine, until in 1917 the British decided, in their imperial “wisdom,” to "declare" that Palestine should be a Jewish state through the Balfour Declaration.

The first protest we went to was intended to take place in front of the Brooklyn home of Chuck Schumer (Democratic Senate Majority Leader) but police in riot gear blocked his street. Schumer is being targeted, in part, because he was given over $100,000 in campaign contributions by pro-Zionist AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee). In response to the police blockade, the effigies of dead swaddled children being carried by the protesters were laid at the feet of the police. And the protesters read aloud a list of 64 names of dead Palestinian children. These names represented one tenth of one percent of the children killed since Oct 7th. It would have taken 24/7 for 2 days to have read all the names. As the names were spoken, I found myself watching the faces of the police officers for any glimmer of support or remorse, but they were well-trained to show no emotion. However, as the procession wound through the Saturday farmers’ market, many people stopped and quietened respectfully.

Another protest we attended was staged in front of the United Nations in Manhattan. Again, riot police were in full force. Although no arrests were made, Jewish Voice for Peace always has a lawyer present and a team of members ready to support anyone who does get arrested, as was the case during the Grand Central Station action, where over 300 people were arrested. To me as a Canadian gentile outsider, the most striking element of this protest was the range of participants, including Armenian and Kurdish rights activists, an Iranian Feminist group and about a dozen Orthodox Hasidic Jews, who have been demonstrating for Palestinian rights and denouncing Zionism and the Jewish state for years. It was the Sabbath so they aren’t allowed to take public transit or drive, so they had walked from Williamsburg, over 6 kms each way. Although Hasidic Jews are sometimes criticized for sexist practises, I couldn’t help but admire their dedication to the Palestinian cause.

In between demonstrations, we had the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever experienced at a Palestinian restaurant called Ayat on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn. Their menu includes a call for an end to the occupation and asks diners to “pray for peace for all”. The meal we had there felt sombre, but it also felt like a celebration of the swell of awareness and support for Palestinians and a rethinking of what it means to be Jewish and Israeli and the role US-made armaments play in the genocide.

By a stroke of dumb luck, I got the last rush ticket to see a sold-out play called The Ally, at the Public Theatre in Greenwich Village. In keeping with the apparent theme of my trip, it was a play about the Palestinian Israeli conflict. It presented all sides of the issue, which left my head spinning. In the lobby after the performance, a man who sounded like he knew what he was talking about said he thinks it will be remounted, which makes sense, seeing as it’s such a timely and important topic.

And oh yes, by way of contrast, while in New York I also experienced cherry trees in bloom (eerily early), an earthquake (4.8 magnitude centered in New Jersey) and the solar eclipse, which we watched grow to 90% totality in Prospect Park. And after the intensity of the protests, back at Esther’s each evening, we’d sit on the couch and watch Democracy Now and Aljazeera, trying to make sense of a world apparently on a collision course with itself.

[didasgomas]

Don't walk around at night in here

Day 24 of @augusnippets

Prompts: Animal attack/Bear trap/Land mine

Content warnings : Brief descriptions of murdered cadavers, consanguineous relationship, referenced infidelity, unearthly animal attack

Small part of "In Mortality", an au of Cut Down The Altar (creator will be in the tags)

Author's note: Sander's Vale -> imagined city in Diane County

April 18th, 1998

Matthew Hall and his little brother Devon had gone to the edge of the woods to pick up flowers to gift to their step-sister Jasmine, who had fallen ill just a few days ago.

Normally they wouldn't dare delve deeper into the forest, no still sane person in Nox did, for everyone knew all too well that the violent, unprovoked beast attacks were far more frequent in such isolated and wild areas.

But something caught Devon's attention just as they were about to leave, and he urged Matthew to take a look. It was a woman's dead body, so horrendously disembowelled that it couldn't have been the doing of another human being.

Devon was handling the sight better than Matthew imagined, not looking like he'd throw up despite still visibly scared and shaking. Matthew noticed that there was something else, someone else in the nearby clearing. A man, possibly the woman's husband, with his body mangled beyond recognition, and with so many exposed innards that he needed to cover his little brother's eyes before he could land an eye on the mutilated corpse.

They rushed back home and informed their step-father, and fortunately the police officer on the other hand believed their story. They didn't know what the authorities did with the cadavers, but they could only hope those two had been given a proper burial.

---- April 17th, 1998

It was 10 P.M when an old and clearly overused jeep made an abrupt stop on the road near a woodland.

Cousins Tabitha and Virgil McKeon had once again stolen their now gone grandfather's car to escape from their family all the way back in the farmlands of Diane, just far away enough that they could carry on their secret affair.

They had escaped to Hemera for the first few months, but as people began to recognize them, the fear that the truth would reach their family struck and they had to change plans.

They would have never stopped around Nox, save for if a gas station was needed, instead, they simply intended to use the county's empty roads to have an easier access to Muscatine. But luck hadn't been on their side this night. The car died in the middle of the road, and Virgil couldn't find the reason for it, already setting off Tabitha's bad mood.

Against better judgement, Virgil decided that a small romantic escapade inside the woods wouldn't hurt.

"Let's just enjoy the romantic moment, Tabby, the forest isn't so bad"

"Sure, very romantic. We're as good as lost in this dead county, while your poor sweet Jessica is fast asleep all the way back in Sander's Vale, completely unaware that her handsome Gigi is cheating on her"

"Oh come on, honey, I already told you: my parents set us up and she never meant anything to me. You're so much more beautiful than-"

A sudden loud noise cut Virgil off. It sounded like a twig being crushed, but also like bones fracturing outside of a person's body.

The secret couple stayed silent and still for many seconds that felt like hours, preparing for if they needed to run for their lives. Nothing happened after that.

Finally, Tabitha found her voice again. "Do you think it's a bear?" She whispered, terrified and pale as snow.

Virgil didn't answer and instead started slowly approaching the spot he believed had been where the noise had come from. Shaking slightly, he looked down behind the tall bushes.

Just a pigeon skeleton. 'It must have fallen down a tree or something', he thought to himself.

With his fear now gone, he turned around back to Tabitha with his usual confidence back, like nothing had happened at all.

"Don't worry, baby, it's nothing to worry about-"

Something jumped on top of him, something that almost looked like a wolf, but so large it couldn't have been one. Its growls sounded like three car motors all at the same time, being only drowned out by Virgil's pained and horrified screams as the creature tried to bite into him.

Tabitha couldn't help but let a large scream escape her throat at the sight, and she ran as fast as her legs could handle, but she didn't get very far after the creature realized it didn't actually want any witnesses.

The police contacted their family, who in shame, didn't even bother to pay for gravestones, leaving the two to rot in shallow graves inside the cemetery.

[jihyocentric]

hi lumi happy holidays! ☺️ I would like to propose an idea after watching the 2nd season of TTT crime scene between g!p boss myoui, chief park and g!p detective yoo

detective yoo comes back from vacation and catches up on the latest events, overhearing about chief park’s past relationship with boss myoui and becomes jealous due to their secret relationship behind closed doors and probs bc she has a big ass crush on park. the detective glares at the mafia boss every time they pay a visit to see their young prodigal and stares daggers into their head when she sees her leader and the boss chitchatting.

she can’t help it. when she’s get together with the chief for a quickie, she becomes possessive and marks her so she can show that damn bastard who she belonged to, as a declaration of power. now boss myoui becomes competitive and plays along with this little game.

tis a proposal, the ball is in your court! :)

- 🐯

anonie, i'm totally writing this bc you haven't been here in a long time and absolutely NOT because i'm eager to write jeonghyo...

this rq reminds me of this fanart! hope it's good enough, i literally don't remember anything of TTT crime scene 1 & 2

-

when jeongyeon arrived at work after enjoying her vacation, the first thing she heard wasn't a welcome back or a good morning from her workmates. instead, she was greeted by momo and dahyun's voices, both of them gossiping about their chief's love life. jeongyeon was mortified for a minute, she thought no one suspected about her and jihyo's affair. that's until she notices they're not talking about her, but about myoui mina, a mafia boss that was constantly visiting their station in order to see her culprit.

"i saw them talking inside the office the other day and chief park seemed really... flustered. it was weird to see." dahyun tells momo, without knowing jeongyeon was near enough to hear it, keeping her voice low. "and myoui kissed her hand before leaving, too. i believe the rumors we heard were true, they were most likely in a relationship."

jeongyeon doesn't want to hear any more of that. she makes noise as she approaches them, on purpose, for them to notice she's there. jeongyeon places two cups of coffee, gladly still warm as she bought them before heading to work. she doesn't greet them as nicely as she would, her head filled with anger because jihyo hadn't told her about having a relationship with myoui mina.

"what time does myoui usually arrive?" jeongyeon asks, placing both of her hands on top of the table, scaring momo and dahyun who were supposed to be working and not chit chatting.

"a-around nine." momo gulps. jeongyeon looks at the watch on her wrist. it's 8:30, and jeongyeon smiles at the mischievous thought that goes into her head. "we missed you jeong... yeon."

momo doesn't have the chance to finish her sentence as jeongyeon walks away quickly, leaving both her and dahyun speechless. she doesn't knock on jihyo's door, instead makes her way into her office abruptly, placing the coffee she'd brought to jihyo over the desk.

"why didn't you tell me you used to date myoui mina?" jeongyeon asks, after two weeks without seeing jihyo. the chief's face light up as soon as she sees jeongyeon, but what her girlfriend (not exactly, but something like that) says makes her freeze in spot.

jihyo gets up from her seat, not quite meeting jeongyeon's height as the detective was almost a head taller than her. "how did you find out?"

"so it's true?" jeongyeon huffs out, feeling stupid for not noticing it. the glances myoui would give towards jihyo should've been enough for her to realize there was something going on between them. "did you even miss me? because from what i heard, you were too busy getting acquainted with myoui here in this very office while i wasn't around."

"who even told you that... of course i missed you, jeong!" jihyo is quick to defend herself, reaching jeongyeon's hands and interlocking their fingers. "i like you a lot. mina and i have history but we're done. i'm with you, not her."

jeongyeon holds jihyo's hands and make the chief walk around the desk in order to face her. "prove it."

jihyo frowns, confused. "how?"

jeongyeon inches closer, bringing her face down so that their noses were touching. "take off your clothes and i'll show you."

jihyo wants to say no. they were still at work, after all, and jihyo would never have sex with jeongyeon at work. they always did it outside, mostly in one of their cars or their houses. as the chief, jihyo brings a 'no' to her lips that she can't quite voice, because soon jeongyeon does it for her and removes the first piece of clothing off her body. jihyo sighs when she feels a wet kiss on her neck and a hand sneakily gripping her breast over the shirt.

"c-close the curtains." jihyo says, finally reminding that if anybody looked towards her office, they'd see them. unless the curtains were closed.

jeongyeon does just so, and jihyo shamefully uses the time to take off her shirt. she would be lying if she said she didn't miss being with jeongyeon. after weeks without the detective, having to rely on a couple of toys that would never compare to jeongyeon, jihyo was aching for jeongyeon to take her. her brain told her that that was wrong, that she shouldn't be fulfilling her needs inside the office, let alone when she had just about minutes before mina knocked on the door to have a small talk — something that had become customary by now. even then, jihyo still wanted jeongyeon.

while jihyo had many worries, all jeongyeon could think about was jihyo talking to myoui mina later on, with her load stuffed in her, hair messy unlike the neat way jihyo liked to have it, and hickeys all over her neck. the main reason why jeongyeon was so eager to have jihyo was to make a mess of her chief and leave her uneasy right before her now sworn rival, myoui mina, arrived to pay a visit to jihyo. jeongyeon might not know everything that went on while she was gone, but she certainly wouldn't stay behind.

the detective watched as jihyo took off her clothes and folded them neatly, worried they might get crumpled. jeongyeon doesn't worry about her own clothes that much, all she does is open the zipper of her pants, not even minding to open the belt, and slip her cock out, already half hard from seeing jihyo naked. it's been a long time since she got the chance to have some quality time with her favorite workmate, so jeongyeon was longing for this.

the detective passes her hands behind jihyo's thighs, lifting the smaller woman so that she could sit on the desk. it was spacious enough to fit her, but jeongyeon still pushed some things to the side, giving them enough space.

"so wet for me already, chief park." jeongyeon says, fingers brushing against jihyo's folds, full of slick.

jihyo blushes. detective yoo has always been quite the tease, but she felt more sensitive than the usual, much due to the lack of touch and attention she'd received from jeongyeon for the last few days. jeongyeon's kisses, her fingers squeezing her nipples and the heavy shaft resting on top of her core weren't helping at all, only making her more desperate to be filled, forgetting her position as the chief of the station as jeongyeon breaks her, little by little.

"don't call me that when we're- ah!" jihyo moans, almost too loud, when jeongyeon slips her tip inside, only to pull away next. "don't tease me!"

"i won't." jeongyeon licks her lips. "turn around for me, ass up and hands on the table."

"we've got to be quick." jihyo says before she does what she was told.

jeongyeon's hand fall hard against her ass, making jihyo whimper quietly. "i know."

jeongyeon finally sinks into her and jihyo almost cries tears of relief. jeongyeon might be trying to push mina's buttons with that and show her how much jihyo was already hers, but jihyo, innocently enough, just wanted jeongyeon inside her — all over her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear while she filled her deeper than her fingers and any of her toys could reach. the detective leaves her traces over jihyo's skin, she makes sure jihyo's neck is bruised enough for people to notice that those marks couldn't be an allergy or anything of that kind, but a stain that could only be left there by a person.

jihyo is so taken by her pleasure that jeongyeon resorts to silencing her with her hand over her mouth, muffling the pretty sounds coming out from her mouth, her hips moving so fast that the chief was being squished between the desk and jeongyeon's weight. the detective pounds hard and fast into her, making jihyo cry out, blessedly so, and when jeongyeon's free hand squeezes her chest and pinches her nipple, her walls tightening hard around jeongyeon's girth. jihyo meekly holds onto the desk, jeongyeon unfazed by the tears that escape from the corner of the chief's eyes. those were a consequence of how good jihyo felt with jeongyeon was lodged up in her.

"that's what i like to see." jeongyeon mutters under her breath. "aren't you such a good little slut for my cock, chief park?"

"jeongyeon," jihyo whines, her breathing ragged. she hopes nobody was near her office, or else they'd certainly hear the sounds of jeongyeon's thrusts and grunts, and her own moans, despite them being contained by jeongyeon's hands. "i'm coming!"

and she does, coming so hard that it brings jeongyeon to her own peak, feeling jihyo clench and grip her cock harshly, dripping to her thighs with her own slick. jeongyeon feels weak while she comes, but she still humps jihyo's ass until she's sure none of her load would leak out. at least not before myoui mina passed by, because she wanted jihyo to remind of her and how well her cock filled her earlier when she looked at mina later. not only that, but jeongyeon also wanted mina to notice the freshly made hickeys decorating the silky skin of jihyo's neck, smiling at the thought of myoui knowing that she made chief park her personal toy.

as both of them get dressed, jeongyeon looks at her watch. if momo was right, mina was going to arrive in no time. she helps jihyo get dressed and leaves a button of her shirt opened on purpose, her hair not nearly as neat as jihyo would've liked, and the best part was that there was no way to hide the hickeys on the chief's neck without makeup.

jeongyeon kisses jihyo's forehead and leaves her office then, with a convinced smirk on her face that myoui mina catches when she's making her way into chief park's office. much to her surprise, jihyo looks disheveled, flushed and her neck is red. it doesn't take her much thinking to realize what was going on. mina doesn't close the door. she stands there and looks at chief park, then at detective yoo, and something sparks inside her. she was about to have a lot of fun.

game on, it's what she thinks.

[lostwithoutyouherewriter]

Casino Nights (Part 1)

The stars were sparkling like diamonds, just waiting for someone to make a wish.

As she watched the couples walk hand in hand through Station Square, she knew plenty of wishes were being made tonight. All of the gamblers and all of the lovers were hedging their bets, desperate for Lady Luck to smile down upon their casino adventure.

“Never fear, my darlings,” declared Rouge the Bat, her elegant figure perched atop the hotel balcony. “I see you and raise you all the treasures your little hearts desire.”

Truth be told, she longed to be in their midst. The thought of golden rings and glittering gems just waiting inside that casino certainly made her heart flutter. She was even dressed for the occasion, her hands fitted in satin opera gloves, her sensuous curves outlined in a sapphire evening gown. All of those handsome fellows would probably trip over themselves, eager to please the batwoman even as Rouge swept all of their treasures away. Oh, what sweet simpletons men could be.

But there was another longing in her heart, and it made her impatient as the night wore on.

“Where are you, ya big lug? You promised this gal one dynamite evening.”

As if on cue, a shadow passed over the moon. A little smile touched her lips. He was looking good tonight, sleek and strong and passionate red. It had been a while since she'd seen Knuckles decked out in his traveling gear, but that fedora and leather vest combo were really turning her on.

The studly echidna dropped out of his glide, landing on the balcony beside her. Daydreams would have to wait. It was time they settled their affairs.

“What kept ya, handsome?” she asked, draping her arms over his broad shoulders. “Afraid you're gonna lose our bet?”

“Give me a break,” huffed Knuckles, gruff as can be, but even solid rock will crack from time to time. This one cracked a rare smile, holding a leather pouch in one hand. “You can’t rush perfection, and that’s what I’ve got right here.”

“Oh, is that so? Then hand it over, big boy. Let mama check out the goods.”

It was clear they knew one another all too well. Knuckles was one step ahead of Rouge, dropping the pouch into his other hand before the master thief could snatch it away. He shook his head. “You first.”

Rouge pouted, but it was clear he wouldn’t budge. “Very well,” she said, slipping her fingers between her breasts. When the satin glove emerged from such ample cleavage, she held a small, silver emerald. “Unlike you, I find perfection quite easy to come by. This little beauty was just begging to be stolen from the Casinopolis vaults.”

“You didn’t.”

“Oh please, if they didn’t want me to have it, they would have invested in better security. Besides, how could I ignore such a tempting aura? Dreams and luxurious games, the drama of winning and losing—this baby’s got it all.”

Even under a full moon, the silver gem was radiant. Rouge was well aware of the fact that this man was captivated by the light reflected in her eyes. He was under her spell, and so she rotated the casino emerald from side to side, relishing such undivided attention. 

“And I bet it’s packing more vigor than anything you dug up,” she said, leaning forward and brushing her lips against his cheek. “Prove me wrong, Red.”

Knuckles wrapped one arm around her. Rouge inhaled sharply. She could feel her body move against him. The wide brim of his fedora covered their faces in shadow, and a mystical green glimmered in his eyes.

He opened the leather pouch behind her back, letting the emerald fall into his other hand in all its radiant glory. “Yeah, it took some digging, but nothing stays hidden in those ruins forever, not when the world’s greatest treasure hunter is on the case.”

She hated to admit it, but there truly was something magnificent about this gem. Every facet of the precious stone evoked a sense of danger, of the hidden desire to return to the natural ways. Oh, how she longed to give in to her instincts now, but Rouge was never one to give in so easily. “Do my ears deceive me? Seems to me like the jungle played tricks with your mind. If you think that tiny little thing gives you the right to steal my title, then we’ve got a problem on our hands, don’t we?”

Knuckles lifted his emerald, gently raising her chin with the smooth crown of the jewel and making her shiver. He smiled, twice on the same night. “Only one way to settle this.”

Rouge batted her eyelashes for this daring echidna. “True enough,” she said, raising her silver emerald next to the green. “Remember our deal. The emerald with the greatest chaos energy wins, and the loser has to follow my every command.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Always,” whispered Rouge, letting their emeralds join in the middle.

The couple released their gems, letting the silver and green emeralds float in the air, and for a moment, there was only the glowing light. And then the light grew stronger, accompanied by an otherworldly music the likes of which she had never heard.

Rouge stepped closer to her beloved, dazzled by this brilliant display of magic, and then she gasped as the world blipped out of existence, blinding them with light.

Continue reading Casino Nights on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46768135/

Warning: The unabridged story contains explicit sexual content.

[kxlinthesky]

EPISODE 4 LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 3-6 English Translation

When Owl next opened his eyes, he was in Tristan’s arms. He didn’t even take a second to get his bearings before he leaped to his feet. “Did the soul restoration work?!”

Tristan caught him by the shoulders when he inevitably stumbled. “Don’t worry,” he told his son. “It was a close thing, but everyone is all right.”

Some of the tension bled from Owl’s face, but he still struggled out of his father’s arms to stand on his own two feet. “There’s no time to waste, we need to go after Ellie....”

“Calm down. Or are you going to go running off without a plan?”

Owl’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. Tristan was right, unfortunately.

The gentleman patted his son’s shoulder. “Exactly. So stay calm for now.”

“... How long was I out?”

“Only a minute or two.”

“I see....” Owl turned his gaze to the skylight. Above them, the moon had fully regained its usual silver brilliance. The eclipse was over.

 It wasn’t long before Owl’s attention was drawn elsewhere, to the voice choked with tears echoing through the chamber from somewhere nearby. Eliza was once again petting Jack’s head, tears glistening on her face under the moonlight, but this time, her cries were relieved instead of despairing. “Jack! Oh, Jack! Thank goodness, my Jack...!”

Eliza herself was caught in the warm embraces of two separate people as she wept for joy. One set of arms belonged to her sister Anastasia, and the other... belonged to Jack. With his soul returned to its proper place, the man had regained consciousness. “I’m sorry, Eliza,” he murmured as he stroked her hair, a gentle smile on his face. “I’m so, so sorry for worrying you.” There was no sign of any damage or alterations of any kind to his soul – he was the same kind, honest Jack from before.

Owl relaxed at the sight, then glanced around the chapel, taking stock of everyone else. The master of the house Arby noticed and came to meet him, servants trailing after him dutifully. “Owl. Let me start by giving you my utmost thanks,” he said.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go back to sleep?” Tristan fretted. “You’re still looking rather pale.”

Arby shook his head, turning to face Owl. “Once I figure out what was in that poison of Cain’s, I can create an antidote. More importantly, I don’t have the words to properly apologize for getting you wrapped up in this ridiculous family affair....”

“... Mr. Arby –” Owl started.

The older man raised a hand to forestall him. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you from Tristan – he takes such pride in his son and his strong sense of justice. It was that very sense that saved us all. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.”

Owl didn’t respond. How could he? Even heartfelt thanks couldn’t clear away the storm clouds in his heart. His gaze fell to his feet.

Arby’s face fell in sadness at the young detective’s obvious distress. “You saved my daughter and her husband,” he said gently. “I would like to repay that debt. Let us go over everything we know.”

  Arby gathered everyone together and ushered the group out of the bergfried and into the main building. It was on the way there, as they were all leaving, that Owl noticed someone walking up toward the mansion from the front gates. By their robes, they were the priest meant to oversee the wedding tomorrow. The second Owl realized who the priest was, though, he halted dead in his tracks, his voice raised in a shocked yelp.

 “Clemens?!”

 Because it just so happened to be the very priest he had just parted ways with at the station the other day.

“Hey, Owl.” Clemens waved with a cheerful smile, perfectly unruffled.

Owl rushed up to Clemens. “Why are you here?”

“Every wedding needs a priest or a pastor, right?” Clemens replied, gesturing to himself. By his tone and his single raised eyebrow, he clearly didn’t think it was a question that needed answering. “And McCreech weddings are a little special. Lord Tristan was the one who invited me here, given that I’m the type of priest who doesn’t mind if the bride and groom swear their eternal love outside of the presence of God.”

“You could’ve told me about that when we left,” Owl said dubiously. “We didn’t need to split up at the station.”

“My apologies. There was somewhere I wanted to go beforehand. Besides, I’d thought Lord Tristan had explained all this to you.”

Owl silently turned to Tristan, one eyebrow raised. Tristan gave a wide-eyed blink, his lips pressed together. He didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to – it was obvious that it had completely slipped his mind. Owl scowled at his father.

Clemens clapped the detective on the shoulder, his tone slipping into something a little more serious. “But now I rather wish I hadn’t. From the looks of the chapel, this hasn’t been the auspicious day it was supposed to be.” He gestured to the bergfried, or more specifically, the destroyed roof. “What on Earth happened, Owl? And why are you so pale?”

If one weren’t looking closely, one might have missed the minute tremble of Owl’s shoulders. He took a deep breath, then plunged in. “Well, it started with....”

  “Mastema took Ellie...?!”

When Owl finished giving Clemens a summary of the day’s events, the priest’s face screwed up in solemn dismay, a deep sigh bubbling out of him.

The detective’s eyes fell to the ground, frustration coating his tone. “... I know. I think I’m pathetic, too. It’s my fault I couldn’t protect Ellie.”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant.” Clemens hastily shook his head. “I’m not blaming you in the slightest. You may be an alchemist, yes, but you’re also human. And the relationship between humans and angels has always been one of faith and divine protection. It’s only natural that you couldn’t quite resist him.”

“What...?”

“I’m not saying I could have saved Ellie if I’d been there, nor would I even dream of it, but the situation might have been different, given that I’m ‘Possessed.’ Besides, I’ve heard all manner of information on angels....” Clemens pinched his brows, bitterness momentarily overtaking his features. “No, rather, I felt a certain sensation from that man on the train the other day – a trace of divinity. I knew that, yet I said nothing. I was careless. The fault for Ellie’s abduction lies with me.”

Owl frowned, puzzled. “Clemens, what do you mean you ‘knew about the trace of divinity’ –”

“I’ll explain later.” Clemens pressed a hand to Owl’s back, steering him forward. “More importantly, we ought to hear what Lord Arby has to say.”

 Thus, with Clemens now in tow, the group proceeded toward a library tucked in the basement of the mansion. A number of alchemical locks on the door formed an impressively secure barrier barring their entry – understandable, given that the area could be considered the innermost sanctum of the McCreech household. No one outside the family had ever been allowed inside its walls until now.

When the group stepped inside once the locks were undone, Arby began, “You should be familiar with the name ‘Teos,’ yes? It is the island where the ancestors of the first alchemists were born.”

His question was posed specifically to Owl and Tristan as he pointed to some documents spread out over the desk, yellowed and beaten up. There was something written on them in an old script, not dissimilar to the ancient language they’d seen earlier.

“The people who lived on that island were the ancestors of we McCreeches and Frosts,” Arby continued. “In these documents is an account that has been passed down through our family for generations. One that details the appearance of the Black Rose Disease....”

“What?” Owl’s eyes fell to the first letter Arby’s finger was directed at. “So you’re saying… the island where your ancestors once lived was the birthplace of the Black Rose Disease?”

“So the story goes,” Arby affirmed. “It is a small volcanic isle surrounded on all sides by vast open seas. The records left behind state that the entire population was almost completely decimated in a single night.... We, the McCreech and Frost families, are descendants of those who contracted the Black Rose Disease and survived.”

Owl’s eyes widened, then darted to the documents on the desk. He couldn’t read them, but... this is what he had been looking for all this time. The origin of the dreaded disease, sitting here before his eyes!

Next to him, Clemens scanned the documents carefully. He suddenly piped up, “The Black Rose Disease was born on an island where angels descended upon the Earth…. How grim.”

Everyone’s eyes swiveled to him at the unexpected contribution. “‘Angels’...” murmured Arby, eyes widening. “Mr. Clemens, could it be that you can actually read these documents?!”

Clemens traced a finger over the closest page as he replied, “I had a lot of time on my hands, so yes, I am comparatively well-versed in the language.”

Arby was struck dumb from the sheer surprise. Thankfully, he recovered quickly, clearing his throat and continuing, “– You are correct. Teos Island was once known as ‘the island connecting Heaven and Earth.’ It is said that angels taught the surviving inhabitants miraculous skills, the closed-off island birthed a unique brand of sorcery, and that was the beginning of alchemy as a practice.” The master of the house pulled a curtain on the wall aside, revealing to the rest of the group a map spread out on the other side. The word “Teos” was scrawled on it.

“A map of Teos Island?” Owl asked, mildly confused. “I thought no one knew where it was?”

“It goes by a different name now, and no one lives on it anymore.,” Arby explained. “The records state that the island’s volcano, known as ‘God’s Furnace,’ was a place where angels gave out their divine revelations.”

“Pardon?”

“I will give this map to you,” Arby declared. “I would recommend you start by heading to the island.”

“And Mastema will be there? You believe that’s where he took Ellie?”

“I could not say for certain, but the documents state that God’s implements were made there. The girl who was taken... she is a flask, is she not? Then it could be said that Teos Island is ‘where she is meant to be.’” Arby’s fingers rose to grasp at his chin. “The one who took her is likely an angel who has been ordered to return to Heaven. If he managed to worm his way into a position of power in the government and has been observing humans for a long time, I doubt he will be able to return to Heaven immediately.”

Clemens listened to Arby’s explanations before continuing himself, documents in hand. “Teos is the island were angels descended on the Earth. If we’re to get Ellie back, we ought to head there first, Owl. I agree with Lord Arby.”

But Owl’s eyes swam with confliction as he stared at the map. To go? Or not to go? Angels... they were supernatural beings, beyond anything he’d ever really dealt with. Hesitation, or perhaps even fear of this new unknown, was keeping him trapped in place.

Arby saw the young detective’s doubt and spoke up. “Owl, from the very start, the McCreech household was largely comprised of families of Teos survivors beholden to ‘angelic faith,’ as they had survived the Black Rose Disease and had been chosen by angels to receive tremendous magical power. In exchange for this power, the angels decreed their desire for azoth, and women who became Demons gave rise to azoth of exceptional quality... you can imagine the tragedies that followed. And what’s more, generations of exclusion, of keeping the family within the family, has left our bloodline stagnant. Every so often one is born into our ranks with cruelty in their heart, like my brother. I wanted desperately to free my daughters from such a fate, and so for decades I have devoted myself to researching the intricacies and mysteries of the strange material known as azoth, and yet....”

Arby had to pause to cough. Once the fit subsided, he took a deep breath, straightened up, and very carefully tilted his head to the side.

“And yet, even knowing all of that, Eliza decided to carry on my will. As long as she had Jack, she could bear the weight. In exchange, Anastasia alone was to know nothing of our family’s dark history, so that she could free herself from the shackles placed upon her by her blood... but it seems that was never in the stars. I will never be able to thank you enough for saving my daughters, Owl.”

“Ah – no, I....”

“You may be feeling hopeless, tormented by your own weakness. If you are berating yourself, then I would save you, just as you have saved my daughter from the depths of her own despair.” Arby took Owl’s hand. “I know it may be difficult to take that first step after drowning in such misery.”

Owl’s eyes were still dark. He gave no response.

Hannah stepped closer to him. “Master Owl, your attitude is unbecoming,” she said, and that was all the warning she gave before she raised her hand high and pounded on Owl’s back with as much strength as she could muster. The slap nearly reverberated through the room. His back arched from the force.

“O – OWW!” Owl yelped.

He whirled around only to find Hannah pinning him down with a deep glare. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop hunching like that?” she said pointedly.

“You don’t have to hit me, though!”

“You didn’t seem to be getting the message with just my words, so....” She raised her chin defiantly at Owl, accentuating the strip of gauze along her cheek as she did. Mastema’s blow had left her injured. The detective averted his gaze, guilt flooding his chest.

Hannah’s’ eyebrows raised at his demeanor. “This isn’t like you,” she told him bluntly. “You’ve bulldozed walls, burned curtains, blown holes in the roof, scribbled formulas over priceless paintings, shattered windows, ruined the lawn with explosions....” She seemed to be working herself into a furious frenzy, but she somehow reined herself in and continued, “But you were always so calm and composed. Where is that boy now, Master Owl?”

“... I don’t think I was that bad,” Owl mumbled, tilting his head with a puzzled frown. He didn’t remember any of that. He quickly straightened up again, though, when he saw her hands clenching by her side.

Hannah took a deep, calming breath. Her eyes lowered slightly, one hand rising almost unconsciously to rest against the gauze on her cheek, a crack in her usually icy demeanor. For the first time in Owl’s life, he caught a hint of regret on the woman’s face. “Please hurry to Lady Ellie. If you don’t, then I will have failed to protect her... and I will be forced to resign as a maid.”

The detective glanced around to Tristan and Ralph, noting the injuries they had also sustained from the incident. It hit him – he wasn’t the only one who’d been physically and emotionally knocked down. He turned once more to Hannah, a note of entreaty in his voice as he murmured, “... You shouldn’t quit. Tristan’s house needs you and Ralph. It’s out of control without you.”

Hannah raised her chin again. “Then hurry up and go. If you keep dilly-dallying around here, I’ll gladly toss you into the bath again.” Despite her words, her mouth was slightly curved in a trace of a rare smile. Some of the stiffness in Owl’s expression relaxed at the sight. She continued, “I’ll bake some scones for when you return.”

“... Got it.” Owl nodded, then raised his head. “You know, it might be a good idea to believe in fortunes every once in a while.”

“Fortunes?”

“This week’s fortune for Aries was ‘if you face what’s in front of you, the fog around you will clear up,’ apparently.” It was the very fortune Anastasia had put so much faith in. “You’re right, it’s not like me to sit still.”

 He took a single step forward.

 “Let’s get ready to go, Tristan.”

As Owl brushed by Tristan, the gentleman got a good look at his son’s face and chuckled. “Magnificent. You don’t have to go to such lengths, my son.” He followed after Owl, Clemens and Ralph trailing behind.

Somewhere nearby, bells began to clang.

Wedding bells, to be precise.

Owl continued ahead, the high-pitched ringing pushing him onward.

  Were the bells ringing in a period of festivity and joy, or were they a death knoll for the group?

  -- The wheel of fate turned toward a new stage beyond the sea, to the cursed island known as Teos.

■■■■■■■■■■

Rrring! Rrring!

The bell chimed.

Byron reached up with one hand to silence it, the other flipping through a notebook. When the ringing didn’t stop, he paused and glanced up to the window, brows furrowed. It was Big Ben’s bell outside that was making the noise. He must’ve heard it chime thousands of times by now... but for some reason, he sensed something was off. His gaze remained locked on the window as his expression slowly but surely fell into a grim frown.

 “Byrooon? What’cha doing?” Nick poked his head out from behind Byron. “Hey, you aren’t gonna make me do all the prep work all by myself, are you?” When he got no response, Nick raised his voice a little. “Byron, you listening?~” Why was the owner zoning out like that? Nick tossed the half-written menu at Byron, who stood still and unmoving, still staring outside.

“... Nick,” he finally said.

“Hm?”

Byron began to pull his apron off. “Can you look after things here for a bit?”

“Huh? Look after – are you going somewhere? Shopping?”

“Ah, yeah, I guess. I... might be gone for a while.”

“You heading out now?”

“Yeah.”

Nick hummed to himself. “... Huh. Okay, leave it to me. I can leave the key where it usually is, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Nick didn’t ask any more questions. The boy had a knack for reading the room, just like a cat, and Byron had never been more thankful for it. He turned back to Nick and asked, “Hey, you took that request to look for the missing noblewoman, right?”

“Hm? Yeah, I did.”

“Then can I ask you to gather some information for me while you’re out doing that?”

“Information? Sure, I can. What do you need?”

Byron’s expression turned even more severe. “... Changes in the city,” he answered. “If anything weird is spreading, I want to know – even if it’s just a rumor. Can you do it?”

Nick gave a single blink.

 “You got it,” he replied. His eyes narrowed like a particularly delighted cat. “I’ve been dying to put my talents to some good use again, anyway.”

original written by Nagaya Kawaji here

[ghostofavictorianbastard]

i'm going to lose my actual fucking mind. last week i get my work schedule for the next month and there's a shift name on there for monday and thursday that i haven't seen before, so like a diligent little student i go into the nurses' station and pull the little printout of a legend for the shift names off the wall and look up what in under god "D3" means and would you look at that, it's an early shift, but instead of the standard 6:30 - 14:00 it's 6:00 - 13:15. it also doesn't appear to be a shift of actual nursing, it's designated "organisation", whatever that means, but it's a shift i'm doing with my preceptor so presumably he'll be showing me the duties that come with this new shift, nothing wrong with that, he warned me as it's my final year i would be taking on things just like that. like an even more diligent little student i write all that down on my note for the day and check it again later in the day to make sure i've copied everything down correctly and go home to get my affairs in order for this new shift the coming monday. the day of i get up 20 minutes earlier than i usually do to catch the earlier bus to make sure i have plenty of time to get changed and be ready in time. i turn up at 5:40, i get changed, i'm washing my hands thinking about what i will spend the day doing, when, imagine my surprise, my unit manager walks into the changing rooms, asking me what the fuck i'm doing here, don't i know i have a late shift today. i say but swetlana, i have D3 today, which is an early shift starting at 6:00 and ending at 13:15, i looked it up and wrote it down. twice. no, she says, D3 is a late shift, from 13:30 to 20:45, i specifically asked the nursing manager to change two of your shifts to that before i went on holiday, so you could have late shifts with your preceptor.

now, i knew the document i referred to to figure out the elusive D3 was out of date, but i was led to believe the issue was that it was incomplete, and that perhaps some of the times deviated by something trivial 15 minutes this way or that. certainly, i might have asked one of my colleagues what D3 would mean for me, but was discouraged from doing that when, as i was looking through the document, a colleague who has been working there for two years looked up and asked me what shift i was looking up, then stated she had no idea what it was when i told her it was the accursed D3.

i did not insist on going upstairs to check the document beyond what pride demanded, seeing as i was already near tears for no reason in particular, but the very first fucking thing i do when i walk in this afternoon will be to look up the fiendish D3 again, and see whether the blasted printout led me astray, or if indeed i fucked up reading a line of text twice.

[riverstardis]

fall on me:

holby had an episode on the aftermath of the crash right?

dylan’s complaining about the noise from the building work saying his eardrums are about to explode😭

ethan’s patient immediately asking him if he’s single bc he has no wedding ring on and going “well it’s just that she says there are no handsome single doctors around here, and that’s why she still hasn’t met anybody, but i think she’s just making an excuse” and ethan’s like “sorry who are we talking about?” as alicia notices the board in the background and comes over, revealing that the patient is her mum😭 though alicia’s only been back working there for a week at most and her mum’s already expecting her to be in a relationship??

alicia’s dad calling her scoobie and ethan’s like “scoobie?” and she’s like “don’t ask”🥺

alicia’s parents the og scibbles shippers

alicia and her dad talking “i’m sorry if we embarrassed you in front of your colleague, scoobie” “yeah yeah” “he does seem like a nice lad. ethan” “mm” “ohh the heart is aflutter! so why you dancing round each other?” “i dunno. he’s smart” “hey, no one’s too smart for you” “no i know i- it’s not that, i dunno” “well do something about it then” “right but don’t tell mam okay cause she’ll be booking wedding venues before i can blink” 🥺🥺🥺

elle telling the team she’s organised a peri-arrest simulation in the ambulance station after their shift and they are not happy😭

aw louise

lmaoo alicia’s mum going “just ask him out! you can’t be scared, darling!” and then ethan comes in with her results and she’s like “what do you think of my little girl, dr ethan hardy? she’s a cracker isn’t she!” and alicia’s like “just ignore her ethan”😭😭😭 then ethan has to tell her that her urine test results suggest gonorrhoea😭😭

alicia already thought her mum had had an affair so that just confirmed it for her and she gets angry :(

ethan finding alicia on the roof looking at the building work at the entrance and she smiles at him then asks “if you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?” and he goes “ooh… falmouth” sjkfkfjggk

and she’s like “of all the places??” “i don’t really like flying” “alaska” “yes, the aurora borealis. although you wouldn’t need to go that far. iceland? norway? scotland!”

“since we nearly… yknow like how close we came to… in the crash it’s made me think of all the places i haven’t been. hey we could go!” “alaska sounds a bit cold for me. my lips get chapped.” sjdkfkgk he’s so😭 “falmouth. one day. little road trip.” “yeah, i’d like that. on one condition though, you have to tell me why your dad calls you scoobie.” “no chance” “oh come on! quid pro quo, i told you about nibbles.” “well more fool you” I LOVEEE THEMMM🥺🥺🥺🥺 i feel like they probably never got to go on their little road trip to falmouth though :(

they both laugh and then stop to just stare at each other in silence for like a good 10 seconds at least and then ethan breaks it to tell her that her mum’s blood tests confirm gonorrhoea😭😭

robyn’s sad because glen only has 2 years :(

alicia going and having a go at her dad for letting her mum walk all over him and taking her back after cheating but he reveals that it was him who cheated

alicia asks her mum why she let him back when she knew and she says “do you wanna be alone?” and alicia goes “well it’s better than relying on a man to make you happy” so true!!

her mum says she lied for him because alicia worshipped him and she didn’t want her to be heartbroken as well. and she says maybe alicia’s better off the way she is, single, successful, and happy

jez and max are complaining about their cleaning rota and cal’s like “have you boys never heard of cleaners?” and jez says they’re barely making the rent right now and ethan’s asks why don’t they rent out their box room and max goes “who’d want to live in that?” but alicia was complaining about still living with her parents to ethan earlier so he knows just the person!

aww ethan meets alicia in the pub before the training thing but she’s doing tequila shots and already pretty drunk and she talks about how her mum’s basically given up on life because of a man but that won’t be her she’s just going to have fun. she says he should have fun as well because they both nearly died. he tells her he negotiated a good rent with jez and max and gives her the keys and she’s like “awwww that’s so nice” and then some random man comes up and she leaves with him😭

he just says jez and max but did robyn not live there too?? she must be spending a lot of time at glen’s, but she can’t have actually moved out or they could’ve rented out her room rather than the box room?

so basically if alicia’s dad wasn’t cheating on her mum, or just if alicia hadn’t found out at this point in time, it wouldn’t have taken nearly as long for her and ethan to get together😭😭

cal comes in while alicia’s going out and he’s like “she’s a player? trust me mate you’ve dodged a bullet with that one” so again, cal thinks that either alicia likes ethan back or she’s a player, but doesn’t expect to be cheated on? tbf he does get distrustful of her, but that’s only after he’s found the cuff link

cal tries to cheer ethan up in his own special way “right come on, how about we get this training thing out the way and then we’ll go and get you a curry, okay? and the fast and the furious box set” “i hate the fast and the furious” “i know, come on” bless😭😭

why are iain and jez walking over to the ambulance station with the rest of them for the training thing, surely they should be there already?? wait actually nvm jez was talking to max wasn’t he, so i guess iain must have been over there with him

elle reveals the training thing is actually basketball🥺 dylan goes “there’s about a million things i’d rather do than this, and one of them would’ve been a peri-arrest simulation exercise” SKDKKSDKK

it’s doctors vs nurses but isn’t that a bit unfair?? dylan’s just standing there not playing and ethan’s still limping from his dislocated knee so that leaves basically just cal and elle (with a small contribution from ethan) vs ALL the nurses plus noel, max, and jez

also isn’t is a bit odd that noel and max were even there in the first place?? were they expecting to participate in the training?? iain and jez too tbh bc they’re not even part of the emergency department?? maybe elle just told them to come anyway