#payday fling

[yoditorian]

Lacuna - The Rewrite - Part 2.5

din/gn!reader

the second half of part two's rewrite, my beloved (i say, as if it has not tormented me for the better part of the last three weeks)

original part 2//series masterlist//main masterlist

word count: 3.3k // warnings: some swears, too many italics, non-explicit smut which i know is a turn off but frankly i Don't Care, 18+ no babies

Okay, so it’s not the greatest idea anyone’s ever had - but it’s better than the big fat nothing you had planned before.

Din’s still not impressed. 

“You want to what ?” Even the static crackle of the helmet can’t disguise the fact that he’s clearly not into this plan. At all. And that’s fair enough, you’re not overly keen on it yourself, but time is running out and you’re not sure how much longer this guy is going to stick around planetside. Then you’ll both be back to square one.

“Look,” You sigh heavily, hands landing on your hips, “I need intel, you need the payday. We’re after the information, not the guy, protection was a negotiation tactic.” 

You shrug, kicking a boot in the soil at your feet - ignoring the way he recoils as you explain. In any other situation, this would be risky. Proposing this kind of deal to a bounty hunter, especially one presumably hired by the other side. But this is Din. You know Din, or at least you know him well enough that you’re sure he isn’t going to double cross you. You’ve seen him angry, focused, ruthless, but never once has that side of him been turned on you. He’s trustworthy, which is about all you can hope for in a galaxy where you’re risking your life for every scrap of information you can get your grubby little hands on. 

“That’s harsh.” He says, his tone clipped. Like he’s worried you’ll go back on your word just as easily as you’re prepared to double back on Draven’s promise to his target. Like he doesn’t know you at all. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, that he’d think you’d do that to him, but that’s something to lose sleep over later. You have to stay focused.

“That’s war.” You snap back.

Okay, so maybe it’s a little bit difficult to stay on task knowing that he doesn’t trust you the way you trust him. 

“Once I have the intel, he’s useless to us. I’ll give him the rendezvous point for pick up, and you can grab him on his way.” You press on, ignoring the churning in your stomach. There’s a job to do. You can lament about it to Shara when you get back to base, she’ll rant and rave and call him a stuck up, no good buckethead. Among other things. She’ll tell you that you can do better, that she’s got a whole roster of potential flings for you in her back pocket. You might say yes, it won’t dampen your feelings for Din, but it might take your mind off of him for a night.

“What about your commander?”

You don’t know why he’s suddenly so worried about the repercussions you already know you won’t face when you get back. You don’t know why you feel so apprehensive about telling him that there won’t be any consequences. It’s not all that different from Ran’s station, doing what it takes to get the job done regardless of the collateral damage it causes. That’s what worries you, that he’ll see you differently. Because you haven’t gone on to join the Rebellion and fight the good fight the way you wanted to. You’re still stealing and lying and cheating your way through life, there’s a loss of dignity in there somewhere. You wanted freedom - and yet, you’re still following orders from a man who doesn’t care for the consequences. The orders which only specified getting the drive and any other useful tidbits the informant might have. You’re sure General Draven has no intentions of protecting him, even if you did bring him back to base with you.

“I can handle my commanding officer.” You leave it at that. Shut down, closed off, eyes hard. Maybe you’re not Draven’s best, but you work hard in the job you didn’t ask for, you’ve yet to bring him a bad tip, and he’s got a hell of a soft spot for you. You could probably go back empty handed, only a vague excuse of the deal going bad and not even get a slap on the wrist. From him at least. It wouldn’t shock you if he was the one standing between you and a pilot seat.

His gaze sits heavy on your shoulders as he watches you, Din knows that, but he’s never quite been able to school himself into apparent apathy when it comes to you. He’s not convinced, still. You’re holding something back from him, he’s sure of that, with your tight shoulders and barely furrowed brow. He’s known you long enough to work out your tells. Somewhere along the way he’s fumbled something, steamed that crease of frustration into your forehead. You mistake his silence for another question. It’s not the one he wants to ask.

“They just want the intel. No one will bat an eye if I go back alone, what am I going to do against a Mandalorian bounty hunter anyway? I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

He doesn’t miss the weight of your words. A double meaning, hidden somewhere in your premixed excuse for your commanders. But he says nothing. Leaves them hanging in the air - it’s better than admitting that, between the two of you, the one who doesn’t stand a chance is him.

You’re back at the cantina the next day, at the same table, sipping the same drink. Just waiting. Din didn’t love the idea. He’d wanted to find the guy last night, shake him down for the datastick, and freeze him into carbonite as soon as possible. But you know that the mark would vanish at the vaguest whisper of a bounty hunter in the city, if he hasn’t already. He might be playing both sides of the war, but this guy definitely isn’t stupid. 

The meeting window is closing, and you’re starting to wonder if your informant has already fled the planet, by the time a stranger slides into the cracked leather of the booth across the table from you. He’s unremarkable in every aspect. The perfect spy - you can only hope his fear of the Empire outweighs his fear of the Rebellion. Or maybe the other way around. Whichever option ensures that he hasn’t called for a squad of Stormtroopers to knock the doors down and snatch you. You’d barely managed to slip out of the back doors the last time that happened, you’re not about to risk it again. 

You weren’t given a name, and you’re sure he wasn’t given yours. Only a vague description, a table number, and a brief time window for him to show.

“I hope this seat isn’t taken.” He says lowly, refusing to meet your eyes. His own are skirting around the few fellow patrons, staring into the bottom of their own drinks in the dim light. Hope . That’s your cue.

“I was just leaving, hoping I can catch the last of the light on the ridge. It’s all yours.” You reply coolly. Your corresponding code word is dropped in about as casually as you can manage. Calm, confident, and if he’s not your guy he’ll be none the wiser. But he is. Because he slides a datastick across the table so quickly you almost don’t catch it. You stuff it into your pocket and rise from your seat slowly, making sure he watches as you slip a bit of paper under your mostly empty glass. A docking bay number, a time. That’s all he needs. You don’t stick around any longer, leave him alone in the booth as quietly as you can. All you can do now is pray that this plan works. You trust Din, even if he doesn’t hold you in the same regard - but it’s the informant you’re worried about.

The man’s hood is pushed off of his head by the wind that whips around in the empty corner of the docking bays. Only you and your ship in view, a perfect setting. The less witnesses, the better. You raise your hand to him from where you sit, perched on the loading ramp of your transport ship, to catch his attention and his pace picks up just a little. He doesn’t get far.

Din appears silently, stealthily, behind his mark in the waning sunlight. You’re not even sure where he could have been hiding, but the confidence is rolling off of him in waves. You can feel it even at your distance. This is what he was trained to do, what he was raised for. It’s a glimpse of the man you knew at Ran’s station. The man you, against all your better judgement, fell for. It looks fucking good on him. 

You can’t help but study the hard outline of his arm, tense in his suit as you commit it to memory, when he brings the butt of his blaster down hard on the bounty’s head. Unconscious in one swing, you shouldn’t find it as attractive as you do. Din doesn’t make a sound when he hauls the fully grown man over his shoulder, lifting him apparently effortlessly and carrying him off to wherever he’s stowed his own ship. You let yourself wonder if he still uses the Razor Crest after all these years, or if he sold it on. You wouldn’t blame him for it. No beacon, ample cargo space, quick as all hell - it’s a valuable ship, especially the way times have gone. You concentrate on the maths, calculating exactly how much the rust bucket would be worth nowadays, in a fruitless effort to calm your suddenly thundering pulse. But then he’s rounding the corner again, strides confident, and aimed straight towards you. All hunter, all Mandalorian. It’s hot.

“You get what you needed?” He asks as he steps onto the loading ramp, standing above you in the quickly dying sunlight. It’s a weighted question, but you nod even though only half of the answer is yes. There’s something else screaming for attention, something deep inside of you is pulled taught with need, on the verge of snapping altogether. You wonder if he feels it too. 

“Did you find your people?” You ask in kind as you get to your feet slowly, as he takes another step towards you, backs you further into the belly of the ship. It’s all so familiar, even if it’s only ever played out once before. The memory is vivid and faded at the same time. Worn from the amount of times it’s been relived. He’s taken you a hundred times in your mind since, if you’re speaking for yourself. You wonder if he’s done the same on late nights, sitting for hours in hyperspace, remembering . It’s a dangerous game.

He nods slowly, obviously stalling before he makes his decision. It’s a big one, bigger than before, you’re sure of it. If he’s found his people, you don’t think you can convince him to part with his helmet again. And you really, really , need him to kiss you right now. 

“And the Rebellion?”

“They’ll be satisfied.” Your reply is soft, the datastick secured safely in your jacket pocket. You only realise you’ve hit the panel on the wall when the boarding ramp starts to raise. With the sun already set and the sky quickly darkening, you won’t be able to see an inch in front of your face once it closes.

“Yeah? Good.”

And then the ramp locks up, and he’s on you. Breathlessly, desperately , his helmet hits the floor with a thunderous clang but he doesn’t even break away from you to try and see where it landed. Your ankle knocks against the cool metal of it as Din swallows you whole. Inhaling your every breath, stripping the both of you until there’s no more barriers. No worn leather on your shoulders, no cold Beskar on his chest. Just you and him, skin to skin, pressed so close together that nothing in the galaxy could pull you apart. His lips don’t leave yours once as he manoeuvres you through the small space. 

There’s something in this kiss, something profoundly different to the last time. Your memory is hazy and maybe a little rose tinted, but you’re sure he was softer. This is all tongue and teeth and hands, but you don’t mind. You like it. You like the way he’s taken control and backed you up towards the pull out bunk. It’s not meant for any more than short naps in lightspeed, and somewhere in the back of your mind you wonder if you’ll break it, but then he moves from your lips to your neck and you can’t find it in yourself to care. You hope you do .

You take his lead and let yourself get lost in him completely. Every touch, every kiss, every lick, has you begging him. For what, you’re not sure. You just need more. Of him. Of his skin under your hands and his moans in your ears and his taste on your tongue. You’re not sure you’ve ever needed anything as desperately as you need him to take you. Claim you. Maybe it’s a little primitive, but you can’t stop thinking about the way he took the bounty. One fell swoop of his arm and the man was down. Only Din could do something like that, only a warrior from a league of warriors. Their stories are legend, and you have one panting into your mouth. It’s delicious.

God above, he wants to drown in you. In everything, anything, you’ll give him. Nothing is worth being denied this - denied you. He licks a hot stripe up your throat and revels in your choked gasp, he could give it all up if it meant he would hear that for the rest of time. He won’t though, he knows that, somewhere in his heart of hearts. You have loyalties and he has loyalties and none of them are to each other, not really. Maybe that’s why he holds you a little tighter than before. Because the last time was just that, or at least you’d both been under the impression that it was. A chance meeting, an accident. He’s not foolish enough to believe in accidents and coincidence anymore. 

Din really thought he was ready, to throw himself back into the covert, to give them everything. And he is. But he doesn’t want to share this part of him with anybody but you. In every crowd he is the exception, he is the stand out. Faceless. Nameless. Mandalorian. But you know his name, you know him. You know how to anticipate his movements in a fight, you know how best to talk him down after a bad job. You know him. Din Djarin has not been known for a very long time. Not until you, not until now. You’re barely coming down, bodies panting, sweating, but still wanting. You find an anchor in his hair as he kisses down your body to disappear between your thighs again to clean up the mess of both of you.

“Just stay until I’m asleep, please?” You whisper afterwards, voice hoarse. Din picks his head up from where he’s buried it into your neck, his body half covering your own, the warm weight of him shielding you from the chill of the night. He pulls the old blanket at the foot of the bed up and around you both. Promises you. And he does, he can give you that much. 

Din wakes just before sunrise, the world outside of the cockpit that kind of grey-blue that only seems to exist right before dawn. You’ve shifted in your sleep curling into his chest almost completely, knees drawn up tight against your body. He slips the pillow he was resting on into your arms in his place when he eases himself from the scratchy sheet. Watching the way you inhale his smell from it, curling around it with a contented sigh, is almost enough to convince him to stay. Almost. But he has bounties and you have a mission and soon enough real life will have to take over. Still, he allows himself this quiet moment to pretend, before he has to turn back into who he really is.

He didn’t dress you this time.

You wake up cold and alone and even though you knew this would happen, it still makes your heart ache somewhere deep in your chest. A hollow nothing sits somewhere just underneath it, as per usual. But the pillow you’ve wrapped yourself around smells like he does. You scrabble around in the sheets until you find the rough crochet of your blanket, lifting the wool to your nose and smelling nothing but Din. You wonder if the flight back to Yavin IV might feel a little lighter now, it doesn’t.

“Where’s the informant?” Draven asks the question before you even get a chance to hand over the stick.

“Got jumped by a bounty hunter.” You reply calmly, fishing around in the pocket of your jacket for the datastick. You’re on time, with the intel. He can’t complain.

“And you couldn’t handle a bounty-”

“A Mandalorian bounty hunter. I wasn’t about to get in the middle of that.”

General Draven regards you carefully from his seat as you hand the drive over, you know he suspects something . But it’s not his place to decide how you do your job, only that it gets done. A responsibility that won’t fall to him come the morning. He stands when the door behind you slides open, gestures to his now empty seat, and makes his way across the command room to glare at a chart. You’re expecting anyone except the man who takes his place in front of you.

“Congratulations Lieutenant.” Bail Organa smiles, and you’re sure there’s protocol buried somewhere in your brain for how you should react. Do you salute? You’re not sure, you’re stuck on Lieutenant still.

“Sir, I don’t - I don’t rank.” You’re pretty certain that it’s against the rules to flat out tell him he’s wrong. Your polite rebuttal should correct him, but it only makes his grin wider.

“The paperwork was submitted before you left,” He pulls a datapad from his pocket and reads, “ ‘A good spy, but shines in the air.’ Lieutenant Bey made a compelling argument, that’s where we need you. You’ll meet with Green Squadron first thing in the morning.” He leans back in the chair to watch you try and reign in the buzzing in your veins. You’re so preoccupied with trying to keep your feet on the ground that you almost miss your squadron assignment. As if they’d put you anywhere else.

“Green?”

“We can always reassign you, I do have that power.”

“No! I -” You’re only a little bit embarrassed about the eyes you draw with your outburst, “Thank you, sir.”

You should absolutely apologise for interrupting, but you’re sure that the only sound you’ll be able to make is an excited squeal. This is it . This is what you’ve worked so hard for, it feels like your whole life has been leading up to the moment Senator Bail Organa slides the Lieutenant badge across the table.

“You remind me of my daughter,” He muses as you stare at it in awe, “Fourteen years old, and already far too big for any room. Make her proud, Lieutenant. You’re dismissed.”

You leave with the new stripes stuck proudly to your flight suit and a blinding grin, desperate to find Shara and tell her the news. Even though she probably already knows, you want to be the one to share it with her. You spot her tucked in the front row of a small crowd around a transport, scruffy and exhausted looking soldiers piling out every which way. Until one man looks up to search the welcoming party, a face you recognise from the fuzzy holo she’d shown you late one night.

Your smile only grows when Shara throws herself into Kes’ arms, their happiness palpable as they cling to each other. And you’re happy. Really, you are. It’s just that watching them revel in one another’s company makes somewhere deep in your chest ache. Like there’s something missing.

i don't have access to my old taglist forms anymore so feel free to message or drop me an ask if you want to be tagged in future :)

[drew-mga2022mi6015]

Clean Up | Shot XX Katu

Katu's animation, compared to the rough animation, actually had to undergo a change to accomodate the difference in the size of the Tuk in my background. As a result, the animation was actually shortened. Where Katu would first get up, crouch down, grab the rail, and jump out of the vehicle, now they simply get up, and the crouching down to get out of the Tuk was combined with the jumping action such that it created one seamless arc. I also feel that this looks more natural, as earlier the motion followed an up-down-up again-down again path, whereas this only contains the former two.

When animating Katu flinging the money at the driver, I took inspiration from an attack in the Pokemon series; Payday, wherein the user flings a set of coins at the foe to deal damage. These visuals, from what I could find, were never put to animated form and stayed within the games themselves, so I had plenty of room to express my own creativity.

On the notes in particular, I made sure to add the icon of a bird on the far side. This is because in Sri Lankan currency, most notes feature pictures of avian life that live in Sri Lanka, and I wanted this aspect of culture to be retained in this version of Colombo that I had created. Ultimately though, these are split frame cameos and no one would really notice unless they rewatched the film, or stopped to look at the animation frame by frame.

In the final palette, I chose to give the notes a blue tinge, similar to our own 50 Rupee note, and the coins a copper-gold colour, like most of our coins (although these days, the country has switched to silver. I felt that using gold however, would allow for more legibility as to what it was Katu was throwing, and how noticeable it is against a darker background). I am quite satisfied with the outcome of this shot, however there are many things that could be improved upon in post in order to give certain elements more priority and clarity.

[sims3legacytypestuff]

As a newly certified B-Lister celebrity, Kenya is really turning up the heat when it comes to propelling her level of fame, small scandals are always good for attention, it may not attract the best kind of attention but you can guarantee that the tabloids will be all over Kenya's new fling with married man Mithun Kahn in roughly 3.5 hours. The pap that captured these shots are in for a BIG payday!

[teacupthesauceror-blog]

Going to start flinging like £10 to an artist on bandcamp every payday I think because I can afford to and even if I don't end up listening to the album that's like 5 pot noodles for a starving artist.

If I end up buying albums twice after I get a CD player then oh well those greedy fat cat independent musicians have swindled me out of TEN pot noodles oh no

[argumate]

But in recent months there has been a vogue for anti-ESG, and whatever you think of its merits it is just an obviously lucrative market to sell into. Right now, if you go around saying “I am going to do a financial business, but I will make a point of not considering environmental, social or governance factors,” or even “I will consider ESG factors, but only to do the opposite of what those ‘woke’ ESG funds do,” people will fling money at you. You can walk into Peter Thiel’s office wearing a clown suit and say “high-frequency trading, but anti-woke,” or “payday lending, but anti-woke,” or “variable annuities, but anti-woke,” or “capped/uncapped variance swaps, but anti-woke,” or whatever, and he will write you a big check. “_ but not ESG” is a business model that can raise money right now, so why aren’t you doing it?

One subtle advantage of this business model is that a way to signal that you are authentically anti-ESG is by having bad governance, since “governance” is right there in the name of the thing you (and your investors) are against. This can work to your advantage: Bad governance tends to be bad for investors but good for entrepreneurs. (Ask Adam Neumann!) You raise a bunch of money and then spend it on yachts for yourself, and your investors say things like “well the governance of this company is pretty bad isn’t it,” and you say “exactly!” Bad governance is what they signed up for!

Matt Levine

[coonhoundcat]

Brief Tribute | Hero x Villain

-Trying to channel the cadence and feel of a barely rehearsed story delivered by a non-professional speaker while still making it an interesting and coherent read-

"I used to walk with them, in the evening. They never slept; I guess they wanted to live up to the saying." A weak smile.

"I remember a time, just after dusk, we were walking together, and there in the alley--I didn't see it at first-- they pulled me aside, to watch: there were a couple of men, threatening a citizen. I couldn't see it that well, but the victim seemed raggedy. Might've been homeless. And I could hear the slurs. I saw one of the aggressors throw a punch, and, not a word spoken, this legend just straight up shoots them. All of them. Everyone but the victim. And then we just kept walking.

"And I thought, okay, that was a pretty intense reaction, maybe they're just having a rough night.

"And I didn't stop thinking about it until two weeks later, when we were out near the park, and it was a little earlier than usual, still kind of light outside. And there's this pond there-- and there was a kid, y'know, probably in their twenties-- sitting on a bench, just throwing handfuls of the whitest bread you've ever seen. Straight up Wonderbread, like something Hero would eat to express their personality. And I didn't think anything of it; just a kid feeding the ducks. But then this motherfucker at my side walks right up behind them and just slaps their hand down on this kid's shoulder, scared the crap out of 'em, and they lean in beside this sap's ear, and I hear them say: 'Don't you ever feed them that shit ever again. Or I'll blow your brains out.' And then this guy, this immaculately well-dressed human being, just reaches into his coat and pulls out a ziplock bag full of birdseed, and drops it in this kid's lap, like it's nothing. And then then we just continued our walk like average, civilized people.

"And by this point I'm thinking: well, that was kind of weird, but I'm starting to really like this maniac-- emergency duck feed and all.

"So we kept this up for a while, and I started getting into more projects with them, and we started doing public work together-- made it all business official. And I found out that they'd get these ideas into their head-- they'd stew and stew, and just couldn't get 'em out until they'd done something about it. So one night they took me by the elbow, just outside a shabby little loan store. And they asked me about that time with the homeless fellow. Wanted to know if I remembered it. I said 'yeah', and they gestured over their shoulder like this, and they said, 'they have unpaid debt here--a payday loan. Half this side of town is wrapped up with this place. The interest is... steep.' And they looked at me, and I don't know why, but I was terrified. And then they smiled at me, and they said- they said, 'We're going to pay it off'. And I said 'okay'.

"We walked into this loan office, and we just paid off hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt; cleared out every account. They were pulling out just wads of cash, all of it stuffed in their jacket, vest, down their pants, in their fucking socks, it was awful, and it was beautiful. And we walked out of that store, knowing we had done something incredible.

"Of course, we burned the whole building to the ground later that night, and we never looked back." They broke into restrained laugher, which tapered off quickly.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say, is-" Neat rows of sparsely occupied chairs seemed to stare back at them, and they paused. So few had come. It was fitting, somehow, how the grass seemed so dull and lifeless, how the sky above threatened to storm. The rain must have started already; their cheeks were damp. "They were always the best... The greatest Supervillain this city could ever have. I... I never appreciated them as much as I should have. I miss them so much." They finally broke down, flinging themselves into the openly weeping figure beside them, just barely keeping it together enough to whisper sweet condolences.

"... Villain knows that this is our wedding, not your funeral, right?"

Supervillain looked worriedly back at Superhero, gently taking their hand. "... I may have misjudged my choice of 'Best Man'."

Villain and Hero sobbed uncontrollably into each other's arms as the ceremony hesitantly continued on.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Games Collections

There are a few things that my friends know about me:

They know I have fibromyalgia, which leaves me with a lot of chronic pain and occasional focus issues

They know that I almost certainly have undiagnosed ADHD

They know that I have somehow managed to turn a lot of my ADHD stuff into assets, or at least ways to offset everything else that’s wrong with me. I let my impulsivity fight it out with my executive dysfunction, but most of all, when the painkillers aren’t working, I let hyperfocus stand in, focusing past the pain on something fun but not too demanding while the painkillers kick in properly

They know this means I need a lot of Zen games - largely sims of the farming / crafting / colony creation / business-running variety

And finally, they know my Steam account

They know all these things. Because they know all these things, and love me enough to want to be of whatever help they can as I limp my way through life, and most of all because they are generous little buggers, they have a tendency to fling Zen games at my head at random intervals. Thankfully, most Zen games aren’t the most expensive ones, and are generally done by indie companies so I don’t have to side-eye the AAA gaming companies of the day by encouraging more money going to the abusive sons-of-bitches.

Side note: checking over my wish list, there’s, like, four games on there that aren’t indie - Tales of Arise is Bandai; like three or four of them are Square Enix (Nier and a couple of FF games), but mostly indie. I mean, obviously I’m waiting for the Horizon: Forbidden West PC port, but while Sony Interactive is obviously in the AAA space, at least Guerilla hasn’t had the kind of horrible noise made about it that companies like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA, and even CDPR have. Though on the subject of EA, I am still waiting on the next Dragon Age game. The franchise means a lot to me.

Anyway, the point is that I have had a couple of games flung at my head in the last week or so. And at least one of them has proven very helpful in the hyperfocus stakes. I’m a little behind the curve on Spiritfarer - I seem to remember that there was a fair bit of discussion about it when it came out but that was August 2020 and lockdown was in full swing and I was unemployed and on benefits and I had enough new games to power through so I tried very hard not to pay any attention to any new shininess I might like until I had a job, at which point it was no longer in the buzz. However, I was still trawling for demos on Steam and happened to trip over this one and thought, “Oh, this looks cute; I’ll give it a go”. And then the demo was over and I was going, “Wait! No! More game!” Buuuuut I am wary and I wanted to be sure that it belonged in a pride-of-place position on my wish list, so I asked the one person on my Steam friends list who had actually played the thing what they thought. Responses were: 1) “It’s fantastic!”; 2) “I should play that again since the last spirits were added in the last patch”; 3) “Here; HAVE GAME”. (I mean, payday was only a few days away but hell with it; it just means I have a bit more fun money floating around to throw the new Solasta DLC at his head.)

Anyway, yes, I have been loving it, and the balance between story and faffing about doing crafting / gardening / building and exploring the world is perfect for hyperfocus without any particular task getting too dull and taking me out of it. Also, it’s sweet and sad and lovely, as well as being funny and silly. It’s grand in its way; a game that’s both big and small at the same time. The world is big but there doesn’t always seem to be much in it, while your ship is comparatively small but it’s also huge with not just your building efforts, but also the inner lives of everyone aboard. You’re this little nexus of vibrant life floating around a big but somehow empty world, and it balances it so well. I think the only issue I could possibly raise against this game is that some of the crafting-related mini-games are fiddly as hell. However, I did manage to tamp down my perfectionist streak when I realised that even if you mess up, you still get something at the end of it, so the goal isn’t “do all of this perfectly or you lose”; it’s “do this thing the best you can and get as many crafted items as you can in the process”.

The same cannot be said for Potion Craft: Alchemy Simulator. This is so sad because it was given to me because of the personal associations between me and blending things until magic comes out (perfume, cookery, candy making etc). However, its mechanics are fiddly as fuck. It requires the kind of finesse the controls don’t really allow for and the tutorial doesn’t teach right off in any case. If someone wants a strong potion when you’re on day 1 and you’ve had no teaching in exactly what ratio of ground to whole ingredients you need to add or exactly when to stop grinding the grindables and they tell you to experiment but your ingredients are limited so that’s not actually feasible... No. Just ... no. I will probably poke at it a couple of more times just in case, but I have a feeling that one’s being relegated to the NOPE collection.

Yeah, I have a NOPE collection. It’s not for games I don’t like, exactly; it’s for games I literally cannot play for one reason or another but might try again one day. I mean, okay, Disco Elysium was one I didn’t like and didn’t get (mechanically it was very clever! I just found the intro frustrating as hell), and FFXIII is there because after about a half-hour of running down a corridor broken up with “Press X To Perform Combat” mechanics and overlong cutscenes that do not exactly move me to root for the characters or take an interest in their story or motives, I just got fed up. But mostly, it’s literal inability to play. Most of my first-person perspective games are there because migraine issues, particularlly the first two Borderlands games (though Far Cry 3 is also there because I died in the fucking tutorial and don’t know what I did wrong so screw that, and Remember Me was third person but the camera angles came out of Escher and you had limited camera control so I ended up flattened with a week-long migraine after about 20 minutes). The original Saints Row and Beyond Good and Evil got relegated to the NOPE collection because I could not manage their vehicle sections. Basically, most of the games relegated to that collection have some combination of “frustrating controls”, “migraine”, and “...the fuck is this?” Unfortunately, Potion Craft might be relegated to the NOPE collection sooner rather than later.

...I haven’t relegated the Dishonored games to the NOPE collection yet. This because I am assured from multiple sources that the franchise being all about stealth makes the shifts in gaze perspective easier to manage. However, I had to relegate Raising Petals to the NOPE collection and that was a fucking walking simulator because someone decided that they were really going to sell the fuck out of that “jounce because foot hitting ground” thing that most games only really do to any great degree when running. So even with the new medication really helping with the migraines, I’m wary of trying it again. So ... not NOPE. Just ... maybe when I’m feeling brave and have a few days where I can take to bed with a headache. Just in case.

I should have a MIGRAINE collection.

[long-gone-dream]

Starter for @marimelwrites

Often times, when things were quiet and he was alone with his thoughts, Milo could imagine himself in a happier place. That place in his daydreams didn’t have gray skies or past due bills. It was a place with a quiet around him, people who loved him, even a few cars that he could do as he pleased with because nobody could take them away. That was perhaps why he worked the way he did, readily available at all hours of the day and night, his phone never silenced. One text or call and he’d weigh up proportions and find the client, maybe even a few depending on the day of the week. Everyone called him on payday, as if he had first dibs on their hard earned money and really he couldn’t complain for a moment about it. The end of the month was the most difficult, but it was for a good reason and MJ really couldn’t be selfish enough to pressure anyone to pay him instead of paying their bills. His business was all that kept him afloat, but sometimes that business needed a little advertising. Bars mostly, where people loved to drink and buy party favors to keep themselves from remembering their day jobs. What it was about alcohol that mixed so well with ecstasy, he wasn’t sure. Of course, the classic move was to carry gram bags, selling flower to almost every girl with a pretty drink in her hand or every man that wanted to smoke himself into a coma for the night. Bars were his best bet as Milo hated the party scene.

The bar he stepped into for the night was hardly any different. Loud music, muffled voices having their own small conversations, but he couldn’t bare parting with anything until he’d had a drink. That always seemed to loosen up his paranoia in those kinds of public places. Milo settled onto a stool at the bar with hardly more than a sigh, though his fingertips smoothed over the bar top to move a glass of melted ice toward its owner to his left. Nobody could ever convince him to drink anything strong in public but he never frowned upon a beer in a chilled bottle. It was safer that way, he knew all too well what could happen with an open glass. His fingers drummed against the wooden surface, entertaining his nerves. He wasn’t nervous necessarily, more anxious for his night to begin than anything. Once the first sale happened more would come, they usually started flocking closer to the time the bar would close. The bartender caught his attention as she poured a drink for a man further down, seemingly quite busy for a dull weeknight. Maybe he was there for business, but green eyes had a hard time forgetting that women were a distraction. Instinctively, Milo smiled to himself at the idea of what it meant to mix his business with the pleasurable experience of meeting another fling for the night. One hand smoothed the cotton shirt he wore as the other raised just two fingers, signaling his readiness for her to seek out his drink order. It was always in the back of his mind that bartenders kept a pretty disinterested feeling about them, but he’d been successful before.

In the moments where he felt invisible to the people around him were the moments he hated. His mother had hardly looked at him after he was born, maybe that was why. In truth, the woman had abandoned him long before he was born. She’d had him to stop the abuse for a while, it’d be hard to explain for his father to give her bruises when she was having his child. Even as a baby he sat in his crib crying, begging for attention that didn’t come. He cried so heavily that his voice was gone for weeks at a time, but that didn’t make any difference. Milo wasn’t a baby anymore though, he could speak up for himself and be noticed. The bartender seemed to turn in his direction and just like he always did without fail, Milo smiled up at her with a charming sort of smirk. “I think I’ll have a beer, whatever’s in the ice box.” He was hardly more than a few feet away but his interest in the brunette made him feel like even that was too far. “Maybe you could let me buy you a drink too?”

[s-citrus]

also risk of rain. is that the one with jacket? if not do both

Those are different things! This is gonna be a long post

RISK OF RAIN:

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most) - This one is really hard. I'd say Bandit but just barely

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped) - Acrid, big lizard puppy

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) - I would say Commando - only bc everyone likes to hate on my boy but he's genuinely so fun and cool!

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) - THE TAR LORE ISN'T A CHARACTER BUT IT'S SO OBSCURE AND COOL THAT I FEEL LIKE IT COUNTS. WHY HOPOO PUT LORE INTO THE TAR I HAVE NO IDEA BUT I LOVE IT

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) - Engineer. He's not controversial but I think he's pathetic - pathetic fungus collector.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) - Heheheheh Commando

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) - Wandering Vagrants. I hate those fucking jellyfish with an unbridled passion and I will see them eradicated.

PAYDAY 2:

I like payday more than hotline Miami lmao

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most) - Jacket :)

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped) - I don't think any of these characters are inherently scrunkly. I cannot pick any of these fuckers to fit this category

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) - I think Duke is very cool and nobody really talks about him!!! He's just such a neat character that enjoys art! And secrets apparently! Idk I love him lots

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) - Uhhhh, the Butcher. We love a girlboss who picks fights with mob bosses.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) - Everyone in this cast is pathetic. The only one keeping the safehouse together is Aldstone.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) - Hm, I don't really do angst for these characters. Jacket and Sokol by proxy that they are my favorites

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) - I have beef with Dragan. Not for any real reason, just because I feel the need to fling that old fucker into the sun.

[slashersteve]

Some Kind of Disaster

pairing: Steve Harrington/Female Reader, Past!Billy Hargrove/Female Reader

summary: Reader and Steve have been together for a few weeks now, and she runs into a person she had a fling with once. That person was Billy Hargrove, and it’s the first Steve’s hearing of this.

warnings: swearing, Billy being a douche saying douchey things, Steve being cheeky and cute (is that even a warning), sexual themes and mentions

note: my good friend @dearneverlander​ gave me this idea in my time of need and assisted me in figuring out the asshole language, you’re a life saver, really. also if you’re a billy stan im sorry but i am not so he’s bad in this- also this is a no upside down au so the mall is still open

***

(y/n) was leaning against Steve’s car in Starcourt Mall’s parking lot, the window cracked open a little as the car shook. An older couple walked by when the car jerked and someone cursed. They looked at the car, then gave (y/n) an odd look. 

“Hi, how are you all doing tonight?” (y/n) asked, crossing her arms, they didn’t reply and kept walking, she turned and called, “Steve, would you hurry up, we’re going to miss the movie!” 

In the car, Steve was struggling to put on his jeans as he replied, “We can miss the previews, don’t worry!” (y/n) grumbled and leaned back on the car again. 

“I don’t see why you have to change, I don’t mind being seen with you in your scoops uniform,” she stated, Steve scoffed. 

“I mind,” he said, finally getting his pants on and buttoning it. He opened the car door now, she grabbed it and pulled it more open for him, revealing her boyfriend, hair an absolute mess. He leaned downward to put his shoes back on, then looked up at (y/n), who was just staring at him, he smirked and said, “Stop checking me out or we’re going to miss the movie.” (y/n) blinked and rolled her eyes as he got out, and locked and closed the door. He held his hand out for her to take. She took it, their fingers lacing together as they returned to the mall for their movie date.

At this time of night the mall was still quite packed with shoppers, they had to navigate through the crowd while still holding hands to make it to the theater. (y/n) had bought the tickets earlier in the day so they wouldn’t have to wait in the long line and just go in and pick their seats. 

Because it was a late showing, and on a school night for those still in school, she was hoping it wasn’t so packed so they could get their back row seats and kiss a little without someone to her immediate left or something. 

They were a few weeks into their relationship, so it was fairly new and she’d never been in an actual relationship before, hadn’t even thought about it until she started to talk to Steve, someone she liked to avoid in high school, because her closest friend Robin worked and they became friends. Of course, that meant they had to see each other often, and one thing led to another, and here they were, standing in line at the snack bar holding hands while he whispered about how he can’t wait to pretend to watch a movie when they’re actually going to make out. 

God he made her so happy.

“Down boy,” (y/n) said as they approached the cashier, Steve stuck out his bottom lip then chuckled as he pulled out his wallet. 

“It’s payday, get whatever you want, I’m buying,” he said smugly, (y/n) was going to decline and pay for it herself, but then he added, “Also you paid for the tickets so it’s only fair.” 

They got a large drink to share, a medium popcorn, and some licorice. Steve grabbed the peanut M&M’s, setting them down on the counter and said, “I know you’re going to make me go buy you some in the middle of the movie.” 

“You know me so well,” (y/n) said as he winked. They got their snacks, and started to walk towards the theater their movie was being shown in. Steve walked a little ahead in order to open the door for her, (y/n) was about to enter when someone got in her way, leaving the theater. 

“Oh sorry-” she started to apologize but stopped when she saw it was Billy Hargrove. Instantly her face flushed, she hadn’t seen him since she quit her life guard job at the pool when she got the job at the GAP, it meant more hours, more money, and less sitting in the sun. Thinking of the time she spent with him there made her inwardly cringe, and the surprise then smug look in his eyes said he was reminded of it too. 

“Are you going to move Hargrove or are you going to stand there like an idiot?” Steve deadpanned, letting go of the door, not wanting to hold it open for that guy. (y/n) took a step large step back, and Billy pushed the door open, glancing at Steve then at (y/n) incredibly amused.

“Well shit, are you two here together?” he asked, (y/n) put on a straight face and Steve didn’t hide the look of distaste on his features. 

“None of your damn business, get out of the way,” Steve said, Billy licked his lips as he looked at (y/n), making Steve clench the drink in his hand tightly. 

“You know I’m a better time than him, (y/n),” he smirked as her eyes widened, he reached out and almost touched her chin, to which Steve dropped the candy in his other hand, and instantly caught his arm, shoving it aggressively back down. 

“Back off, Hargrove,” Steve growled, Billy chuckled. 

“What are you going to do about it then Harrington?” he taunted, Steve’s face hardened angrily. (y/n) reached out and put her hand on Steve’s shoulder, saying, “Steve, come on, he’s just being an asshole per usual.” She glared at him, Billy clicked his tongue and she sucked in a breath in an attempt to keep her temper as ease. 

Steve eased off when she did so, and nodded, (y/n) didn’t give Billy another look as she walked by him with head up high, Steve shoved Billy in the shoulder when he walked in. 

The previews were still playing, and just as she suspected there was hardly anyone in here, scattered across the theater. They chose to see in one of the side seats in the corner, (y/n) by the wall and Steve by the aisle. 

“I can’t fucking stand him,” Steve grumbled angrily as they sat down, “He doesn’t know when to to shut his damn mouth.” (y/n) chuckled nervously and nodded. 

“I agree,” she replied, still feeling her heart beating out of her chest. Steve looked at her, and tilted his head curiously because he noticed how timid and overly annoyed (y/n) had become, plus she wouldn’t look at him, just staring blankly at the screen. 

“Hey, did he really bother you because I can do something about it you know,” Steve said as he wrapped an arm around her, (y/n) leaned into him and replied, “Oh-no, well yeah- but uh-” She wasn’t sure what to say, not wanting to tell her boyfriend who happens to hate Billy like she did, if not more, that she hooked up with him not once, but twice during her time as a life guard. Once in the showers after hours, another in his car in that same week in front of her house. After that one week, they made out once or twice and she started, much to her dismay, like him. Of course, she found out he was hooking up with another life guard the same time as her, and she stopped seeing him. He said some stuff to her, ones that pissed her off for months. God she hated him, but not more than she hated herself for allowing herself to sleep with him two times.

Steve stared at her, clearly seeing her struggle to the find the words, it took Steve a moment to figure out why, and when he thought he did, he raised a brow and said, “What did he mean when he said that you knew he was better than me, which we know is a lie,” he added, (y/n) half-smiled at that because it was true, “Did you two used to date or something?” He said it in a joking tone.

(y/n)’s smile and eyes fell and so did Steve’s small grin. 

“Oh...oh shit,” Steve said, blinking rapidly and looking down for a moment to take in this new information. (y/n) perked up and looked back at him, “We didn’t date, it was just- it was stupid and- it was before I even met you, well officially anyway! I haven’t talked to him since, oh god you’re gonna think differently of me-” 

Steve shook his head, “No- why would I? I mean, I hate the guy, but I’m not going to judge you on your past uhhh relationships? I mean- it was Billy, which is-” 

“Oh god you are judging me and I don’t blame you,” (y/n) almost cried, Steve shook his head once more. 

“I’m not!” he said, perhaps a little too loudly because the group of teens sitting a few rows in front of them turned around, Steve cringed and turned back to (y/n) who had her hands in her hair, completely embarrassed, “Hey, you’re with me now, I don’t care who you were with in the past, even if it was Hargrove.” 

(y/n) dropped her hands down to her lap, and let out a sigh, “That’s good to hear, just you need to know that it was nothing, and I absolutely can’t stand him too.” 

“Then why did-” 

“It was a dark time okay, it was so hot, I was probably dehydrated or something, I don’t know,” she was rambling now and Steve chuckled, leaning in to kiss her on the lips. 

“I got it, we all make mistakes,” he teased, (y/n) smiled weakly and nodded, “Let’s just forget about it and watch the movie, or whatever scenes we can watch when we take a break from this.” He caught her lips in his again, making her melt in her seat. His kisses always managed to take her breath away. He leaned away slightly, and she nodded dreamily. 

“Okay,” she replied. 

Talking with Steve made her feel better because he was right, it was in the past and it wasn’t like she was talking with him. That was the first interaction she’s had since then with him, and ever since she started dating Steve it was like some kind of bad memory. Throughout the movie, or their make out sessions, she didn’t notice that Billy was sitting in the same row, arm wrapped around another girl who he managed to ignore half the night, glancing over at (y/n) and Steve to roll his eyes. 

After the movie was over, Steve and (y/n) threw their trash away, and as they began to leave, walking past Billy and his date, (y/n) didn’t even look at him, her arm hooked with Steve’s as he suggested they see another movie since he didn’t want the night to be over. 

“Well there’s still the backseat of your car,” (y/n) said suggestively, making Steve smirk and begin to walk faster.

That bothered him, a lot. He left his date, stalking after the both of them. 

(y/n) and Steve didn’t even know, not until he spoke, “You like having my sloppy seconds Harrington?” 

His words hit (y/n) instantly, Steve took a moment to fathom what he just said, and they both turned around, Billy tucked his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and said, “I promise she won’t moan your name like she did mine.” His eyes flickered to (y/n)’s, “Isn’t that right princess? Where was it, the shower, then my car- that was my favorite-” 

“What the fuck do you want Billy?” (y/n) snapped before Steve could, Billy grinned widely. 

“Oh you know what I want-” Billy bit his lip, and (y/n)’s fists clenched, “Come on, you know you want me again. Why are you with pretty boy Harrington when you had me?” 

“Fuck you!” 

“You already did. Twice.” 

At that point, (y/n) was fuming and Steve was about ready to attack Billy in the middle of this hallway in the theater, but to his surprise (y/n) had slapped him. His head turned to the side, the slap echoing down the hall and others standing in the snack line's heads turned to see what just happened.

Billy’s turned his head back to look at her, “Always the feisty one.” 

Steve had enough, going between her and Billy, “Enough Hargrove, she doesn’t fucking like you so how about you go cry about it somewhere else in private.” Billy chuckled. 

“Oh she liked a whole lot of me, Harrington,” he winked, Steve pushed him harshly backwards that he stumbled and grabbed (y/n) by the wrist gently. 

“Come on,” he said, and (y/n) agreed, satisfied with the slap she gave him. It felt like therapy, really. They started to walk away, but then he decided to open his mouth again. 

“When you’re done being disappointed by Harrington, I’ll be here waiting for you princess,” he said it so smugly and at that moment (y/n) just lost her temper, turning around and practically about to run at him, but Steve was fast, wrapping an arm around her waist and saying, “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you, (y/n)!” 

Billy looked amused at that, wanting Steve to let her go, but Steve kept a firm grip, even though he wanted to see him get punched in the face this time by his girlfriend, but they were in the middle of a hallway with others looking at them, probably about to get kicked out at any second. 

Billy didn’t say anything, eyes glimmering with excitement for some reason. Now Steve wanted to be the one to punch that look off his face. Fuck that guy, really. (y/n) let out a sigh, and looked at Steve, “Let’s just go.” Steve nodded, shooting Billy a glare before they finally left, this time with Billy not saying anything. 

When they were out of the theater, and mall, still holding hands, Steve couldn’t help but say, “You slept with that guy twice?” (y/n), who was still mad, looked at Steve with wide eyes. 

“You said you wouldn’t judge,” she said, frowning deeply. Steve shook his head. 

“And like I said I’m not! Just god he’s such an asshole, you must’ve been really dehydrated,” he said with a shake of his head. 

“I know, I’m so embarrassed,” she admitted, “Also don’t tell Robin,” she said, realizing what a mess that would be, Steve was being oddly nice and nonchalant about it but she knew Robin would roast her to death and she wasn’t ready for that. 

Steve laughed, “I won’t, I promise!” (y/n) sighed.

“I totally ruined the night.” 

“No you didn’t, he did, nobody told him to say shit like that,” he said as he leaned on the hood of his car, pulling (y/n) against him, her hands resting on his chest, “I’ve dealt with that prick before, you know, and I’ll deal with him more if it means defending you and your honor- even though you clearly don’t need it.” He referred to the slap, and her almost pouncing the guy. (y/n) chuckled. 

“I don’t want to get banned from the theater for punching him,” she said, Steve nodded. 

“That would be rough,” he rested his hands on her waist, leaning in to kiss her. She kissed him back, resting her hands on his shoulders before moving them to meet at the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her to deepen their kiss, “Then again, we can still kiss like this anywhere else.” 

“Clearly,” (y/n) said, pecking him on the lips, she leaned away for a second, looking at Steve very lovingly, “He was a mistake, Steve, from a time in my life I’d rather forget. I...I love you.”

Steve looked pleasantly surprised by her words, cheeks turning slightly red, and he smiled, “I love you too.” 

They kissed once more, deeper than the first time and only stopped because a group of teens whistled. (y/n) felt her cheeks heat up, kissing in the dark in the back of the theater was different than kissing out in the open like this, Steve chuckled and moved forward, saying, “What did you say about the backseat before Hargrove interrupted?”

(y/n) smirked and said, “You know what I said.” 

Very quickly the both of them got into the car, Steve speeding out of the parking lot attempting to park somewhere where they can get a little damn privacy.

[btssmutficslovingfan01]

Seducing Suga - Part 1

⮱ Summary: You were happy to find out that Yoongi likes your rap skills, and your original plan involved him, but then the unexpected happened.

Read 🌼 PART 2 🌼 ⇗

⮱ Words: 3.2k

⮱ Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

⮱ Genre: Smut, Angst

⮱ Warnings: Sexual Themes, Takes place in a no-corona world, Reader is an interviewer, it goes downhill after the first half

Happy Belated Yoongi day!

                                  ________________________

“So can you rap something for us real quick?” With Namjoon’s question taking you by surprise, you look at your producer to make sure it is okay to proceed. You get a thumbs up, smiling at the boys as they watch with eager eyes. You kept your eyes trained on Namjoon, though, as you started the infamous Cypher 4 verse from Yoongi.

“Back back to the basic Microphone check Call me baepsae hogeun ssenkae geurae rap gamee nan daeinbae doege haeihaejyeotdeon Rap mandeureul gaengsaenghaneun ge nae cheot beonjjaeui gyehoek hashtag Sucka betta run geurigo inseuta sok gang gang geugeon gyae insaengigo nae insaengeun mwo maeilmaeil Payday, paycheck sonmok wien rolex,” You decide to stop right there, waiting for the boys to something as they stare at you slack-jawed with their eyes wide open.

“That was…” Namjoon starts clapping, spurring the boys around him.

“Amazing!” Jimin exclaims as you bow, licking your lips as Yoongi blushes and evades your gaze. You’ve never seen him so wound up live before, the only Yoongi you know of is the one that keeps his face expressionless and blank during English interviews.

“I’m glad, thanks.” Your makeup crew rushes towards you afterwards, making sure your face is powdered up before sending you off with the members for pictures. It makes the studio look good, so you were naturally sent to stand in with the living legends.

“Hey, I enjoyed what you did there with Cypher.” He wanted to politely ask you back to his hotel room, but he wanted to do so without being suspicious. You were more than ready to die for Min Yoongi if it meant you would be able to get your name on a billboard somewhere in the world. Sucking his dick would be nothing compared to what you could do once you got into a position of high power.

“Thanks. You know, there’s this really fancy restaurant down the street, how about after this we head there together?” He tucks his hands into his pockets, biting his teeth as he checks his phone that just went off with a text.

“I’d love to, but we’re on a really tight schedule today. How about tomorrow, or the day after? We have a free day so maybe we can plan something then?” You agree and exchange phone numbers before parting ways. You couldn’t believe you were going out on a date with Suga from BTS in exactly two days!

You went a little crazy during your shopping spree and bought a couple of items for your date. You were expecting it to end well so you also bought some lingerie. Yet, you also felt like you were rushing things. You weren’t a sleazy person so you wanted to make him feel comfortable. Thinking about things now, you’ve never actually hooked up with someone on the first date.

Yoongi is no exception, no matter how famous he might be. You made your way to your reserved table, smirking as you see him out of the corner of your eye. He greets you as you lean forward, sipping some water out of a straw in the glass.

“Remember, I’m buying.” You’re willing to invest in him, to see what it is that the world is so obsessed about when it comes to Suga.

“I’ll keep that in mind. How’s the steak here?” You blink quickly, noticing that Yoongi’s english has improved drastically.

“Um, great.” He puts down the menu and you do the same, confused as to why he’s suddenly fluent. He seems to notice your look of bewilderment before speaking again,

“I am fluent in English, you know? Lived in New York for a short time as a kid.” You didn’t know that about him.

“Wow, that’s interesting.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of stuff I keep from ARMY. For example, I am a busy man, so I forget to eat and sleep often. I know it looks like I sleep a lot on bangtan bombs but it’s not true. I’ve gone days without sleeping properly before, you know?” That was another thing you didn’t know about Yoongi. Again, you’re not one of those sketchy reporters that would find whatever dirt they can on someone and reveal it. You know that the boys have their right to privacy, and you just want to do what you can to secure it. Especially if you’re gonna start this fling with Yoongi, or whatever.

“It’s insane that they expect you to even share that. I mean, it’s personal, right?” He chuckles at your enthusiasm about keeping his privacy in check and he appreciates it.

“It is personal. My job is supposed to be sharing my life, hobbies, side-hobbies, and friends with ARMY. My best friends are BTS, obviously, but otherwise if I bought anyone from outside I’d have to ask them to give permission to use their face on camera.”

“That is so interesting. Thanks for telling me about it, Yoongi.”

“I want us to trust each other. You’ve got this spark in your eye that’s different from anything I’ve seen. The rap game is about that passion.” You felt an unbelievable connection to him, not because he took the words out of your mouth, but just because he could relate to you.

“Yoongi, would you like to do this again sometime?” You ask at the end of your meal, dabbing a tissue over your mouth.

“I’d love to.” You were falling, despite having a goal in mind already. You didn’t want to exploit him anymore.

Your second date commenced the next day, while Yoongi was out with BTS you got permission from the manager and staff to be around the boys, and they were excited to meet you officially as the person Yoongi was “dating.” Even though it was only the second date, the boys treated you like family. They even made fun of Yoongi before shutting the whole thing down for a Bangtan bomb. You quietly stood beside Yoongi, as you made your way into the famous art museum.

You and Yoongi break off from the group, branching out in a way that makes things less suspicious. He pulls you close to him, as a camera clicks away at the boys and the last thing he wanted was to be discovered. You look up at him, with those twinkling eyes that he adores, and he’s lost in your lips. You shared your first kiss on the second date, going at your own pace.

When it was time for Yoongi to leave, you exchanged phone numbers and said goodbye. He never invited you to his room in the end because he saw more in you, than just a one night stand. The sudden connection, how you get along so well, it correlates with how much you mean to him. His life suddenly had a new meaning; he wanted to pursue you as well.

As if by magic, you get a job offer in Korea, a studio close to Bighit HQ. You were so excited that you video chatted with Yoongi. When he picked up, you could see that he was in the Rkive, and Namjoon was sitting next to him, staring at a computer screen.

“Hey guys! Guess what? I’m coming to Seoul! I got a job offer and I took it and now I’ll be moving there!” Yoongi springs up on his feet as soon as you tell him, excitedly knocking Namjoon out of his chair making you cover your eyes as the impact looks like it hurts.

“Really?! Wow that’s great!”

“I know, right? Let everyone know that I’m coming and I’m gonna be closer to you.”

“Yep. I’ll let them know. When are you coming here?” You fumble with the phone in your hand as you pull up the schedule on your tablet.

“Two weeks.” You and Yoongi hung up the call after chatting for a bit in private. You were quite happy with how your relationship was going, you haven’t even taken him to bed and you were the least bit bothered about that. Your emotional connection with Yoongi was more important than anything that comes after this point.

That’s why when he asked you if you wanted to go on a date on his company rooftop, you agreed. It was your third date with Yoongi, and you were more than excited to be in the same room as him. You were still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship, happy to be around the man you adore the most. With his gummy smile and chocolate brown eyes, you fell in love with ease.

“It’s cold today.” He takes a swig from the bottle of Coke, making you wonder why he looked particularly down today.

“I suppose it is.” You were wearing a long-sleeved top and a pair of blue jeans. You didn’t dress for the cold weather, in hopes of earning a hoodie for your collection.

“I have to tell you something,” He turns to you with wide eyes, again looking at you sorrowfully as he tells you what was weighing on his mind. “It’s about Jin.” 

After your date with Yoongi, Jin was rushed to the hospital. You caught up with the other members and two managers, who were making calls and pacing around the hall. The BTS members stayed seated in their chairs, waiting for news from a doctor. Hoseok looked worried, Jimin was in tears, Jungkook looked almost angry, Taehyung remained expressionless, and Namjoon was concentrating on his phone.

Yoongi was the most stoic out of everyone, even beating Taehyung for the best “blank” face. You didn’t know what to do, Yoongi just told you about Jin’s condition and now you were suddenly in the hospital, waiting for a proper report from the doctor about this thing.

“You know he’s gonna be okay, right? Jin always bounces back.” From Namjoons’ tone, you could tell this was a regular occurrence. The only problem is, it looks like this is the first time he’s been in a serious condition like this.

“For how long, Joon?” Yoongi snaps, making everyone in the hall turn around in surprise. “I mean, the doctors always say that he can go home and with a little rest he’ll be fine. He had about a month off counting all of the breaks the company granted him, and after he got back to work it just worsened. What should we say about that, huh?” He lowers his voice as he speaks to everyone, not just Namjoon.

“You’re right, Yoongz. We have to stop saying he’ll be okay. There are always gonna be trips to the hospital, especially now since we’re working harder than ever to make sure our next tour is better than anything our fans have ever seen.” Jimin wipes his tears on his sleeve, smiling at Yoongi as you clench your fist in your lap. You felt so helpless and it hurt even worse that you couldn’t do anything to make it better.

Jin’s condition is incurable, a disease that destroys him from the inside. He wasn’t dying yet, but it is a disease, so there is always a possibility of death. His immune system is weak so he gets sick easily. Even though he has the voice of an angel, he often loses his voice due to sore throats or other physical handicaps that prevent him from displaying his full potential.

He is only a few months older than him, but Yoongi looks up to him as if he was a grandfather or father figure, even. There’s no way to explain their closeness apart from the fact that he goes fishing with him because Jin likes to fish. Yoongi wants to spend as much time with him as possible not because he’s afraid of losing him, but more that he wants to remember the good times.

The members of BTS didn’t think it was possible that they would lose one of their own but they had to address it, especially since there was a photo leak of the boys sitting in the waiting room.

Jin only takes “long” to learn choreography because of his weak feet. He can dance well but he can’t move as nimbly as Jimin or Hoseok. Right off the bat, when it comes to learning new choreography he has to slowly break down the steps or else he’d get anxious and pass out. He wasn’t a weakling because of the disease, it was because of his mind.

The kind of criticism Jin got from the media online was harsh. It was enough to push anyone over the edge. That’s why when you saw him go into the practice room alone while you were on your way over to Yoongi’s studio, you took a moment to follow him and talk to him face to face.

“Jin?”

You make your way over to the practice room only to find him passed out on the floor. You call various employees, managers, and even get ahold of 112 at some point. Jin’s condition worsened, he was hooked to an IV tube because of his lack of appetite. 

He’s looking more sickly these days, although it’s been only four days of him being hospitalized with an IV tube attached to his arm. Yoongi has been drowning himself in work, producing songs left and right, creating mashups, remixes, and working on songs for the other members. You barely got to see him with it being close to christmas season and your company preparing a big launch involving a new group of artists to be released to the world. You were part of the planning team for this project, so you had your hands full with work for a while.

You and Yoongi never took an official break, per say, you just didn’t make time for each other for a short period of time.

When you saw him again, it was at an awards ceremony. BTS was coming off the stage and you got a better look at him from the side stand, as he was very close to your section. The crowd for this stage was much smaller than any you’ve seen for BTS. There were about 10 people in your section, so it wasn’t hard for Yoongi to spot you and flash his best smile at you without searching.

He performed with swagger in his movements, his body mesmerizing you as he teased you again with a playful smile and a jolt in his hips. He looked like he was trying to hide something, but at the same time it was so obvious that he was trying to get through to you.

When he came over to your section particularly, and gave a finger heart to the audience, you knew you were screwed. After the performance, you made sure to give him a stern talking to. You were allowed to visit backstage just to check on the MC and make sure he had the right information about your group, but no one minded that you came back regardless just to visit Yoongi. 

He had snuck away, meeting you in a dark and creepy hallway. You both look sketchy as hell, with him in a colorful suit and you wearing a pencil skirt with a baby blue top. Your hair was undone, messy with the way Yoongi had tangled his fingers in your luscious locks, kissing you passionately before you break the kiss to give him a piece of your mind.

“You’re in a lot of trouble, young man.” You grit your teeth as he growls in a low voice, a baritone moan escaping his quivering lips as you bring your knee up to his bulge. 

“Maybe you should rethink who is the one that needs saving.” He squints after you grope his hard length through his pants, making his cock turn red from the rush of blood as you pull out his shaft from the seat of his pants (after pulling down the zipper of course)

“This is a very dangerous game you’re playing at, darling.” As soon as you flick your pencil skirt up and slide your panties all the way down to your knees before removing them completely, Yoongi is hooked. He doesn’t mind having sex fully clothed, as long as you don’t soil his outfit. He still has to meet other people after this, the least he could do is look presentable.

“When will I see you again?” You ask as he languidly strokes his cock, making sure to test your moist clit first with his fingers before sinking his cock into you.

“I don’t know, maybe 3 days? I have a lot of prep work to do and with the little free time I have I need to rest up. It’s not a good idea for you to hang around or I might not get much sleep.” He winks at you before you feel the hardened cock twitch inside of you, feeling the discomfort from his size turning into something more pleasurable.

“Fuck, you’re so big.” He grunts with the first few thrusts before processing what you just said.

“Ah, so you forgot already? Looks like I’m going to have to punish you.” He flips you over so that his lips are on your neck, and your body is cradled against him as you arch your back at the sudden feeling of emptiness from him pulling out so unexpectedly.

“Put it in again, please.” You beg him as he clicks his tongue before placing a hand on your back, and whispering,

“Bend over.” 

You didn’t hesitate to listen that time, only gasping as he spanks your exposed clit and moves up to your ass. And then, he fingers you for the first time today.

You take in the feeling, soaking it up for your memories. There’s not a moment that passes when you don’t fantasize about your dreamy boyfriend. He’s always busy nowadays, and the same could be said for you. You’re pretty sure Yoongi doesn’t think about you as much as you think about him, as he seems very passive about the sex now especially.

You feel like he is doing a task rather than pleasuring you for the sake of satisfying you both. Even with the way his digits glide across your vulva and delicately penetrate your pinkish hole, you feel that he is just doing it so that you remember what he feels like. As silly as your speculations are, you’d like to think that the reason Yoongi was being so passive with you was because he is cheating on you. 

As you get absorbed in your own thoughts, Yoongi takes notice of how you aren’t responding to his touches, abruptly stopping his finger-fucking as you snap out of your daze. 

“Huh?” You blink down at him as he stays at chest-level with you, his palm resting on your thigh.

“You’re zoning out. What’s wrong?” You shake your head, flashing him your best smile before grabbing his cock and stroking him gently between your fingers.

“Just thinking about us. Sorry, it’s hard to focus on just sex when there’s a hundred other things in my mind. I’m glad we’re still making time for each other.” Yoongi gives you a small smile, grabbing your hand and sucking your fingers, individually.

“Yeah, but for how long?” The dreaded question you’d been meaning to ask comes out of Yoongi’s mouth.

“Are we gonna be okay?” You meant your relationship, but you had a slight feeling that he knew as well.

“I don’t know.”

🌼 PART 2 🌼 ⇗

[sarah-yyy]

In wb verse does wwx at any point realize that the company is actually *not* in financial ruin?

(tl;dr - lmao no, it’s wei “mental acrobatics olympic gold medalist” wuxian we’re talking about, ofc he doesn’t figure it out until after the reveal. that was what i set out to write, but it...got out of hand, so have a short ficlet ft. pre-marriage dumbs instead)

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says, shooting up from where he’s sprawl across the couch, scrolling through his phone, “why did I just receive a bonus from the company?” 

Lan Wangji doesn’t look up from where he’s meticulously plating up their dinner. “It’s the last payday of the year,” he says simply. “That’s your annual bonus.”

“Annual bonus?” Wei Wuxian echoes. How can they be receiving an annual bonus if the company is in such financial difficulty that its vice president is homeless? Did they solve the issue with the cash flow? Surely Lan Wangji would tell him, if they had. Surely the first thing that Lan Wangji would do once everything has been sorted out with the company would be to move out of Wei Wuxian’s apartment. “Lan Zhan, did you receive a bonus?” 

Lan Wangji does look up briefly at that. “No,” he says. “Xiongzhang and I have an agreement not to.” 

Not for the first time, Wei Wuxian really admires both the Lan brothers. How can people be so good? It’s clear that they take good care of the company, and of their employees. They must feel so bad about the company’s finances that they’ve made every effort to provide an annual bonus to their staff. 

Wei Wuxian flings his phone aside carelessly, and makes his way to Lan Wangji. He plasters himself to Lan Wangji’s back, and wraps his arms around Lan Wangji’s waist tightly. “Lan Zhan, you’re so good,” he says, with feeling. 

Lan Wangji pats Wei Wuxian’s hand. “You haven’t even tried the food yet,” he murmurs. 

“Not talking about that,” Wei Wuxian says. “Talking about how you are. In general.” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji murmurs. He sounds...fond. 

Wei Wuxian smiles. “Lan Zhan, I don’t want my bonus too,” he decides. 

Lan Wangji shifts, and Wei Wuxian reluctantly lets go of him so that he can turn to face Wei Wuxian. “Why?” he asks, frowning. “You earned it. You’ve worked hard this year.” 

“So have you,” Wei Wuxian points out, “but you’re not taking a bonus.”

“That’s different,” Lan Wangji says. “Wei Ying, take the bonus. Treat yourself to something nice.” 

“What would I buy?” Wei Wuxian asks. “I have all the nice things I need!” He grins at Lan Wangji, and then runs the back of a hooked finger down Lan Wangji’s nose. “I’ve got you, haven’t I?”

The tips of Lan Wangji’s ears flush. “Wei Ying.” 

“Am I wrong, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian pouts. “Do you mean to say that I haven’t got you? That you aren’t going to treat me nicely, or dote on me, or make me all my favourite foods?” 

“No,” Lan Wangji says, a little helplessly. 

Wei Wuxian grins at that. “Then that’s settled!” A thought comes to him. He could keep some of the money, he thinks? He could keep some of it, and find a way to let Lan Wangji use it! “Gege, what would you do with the bonus, assuming that you got one?” 

“Buy something for Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says without hesitation. 

And what else is Wei Wuxian supposed to do with that except to wrap his arms around Lan Wangji? He really is too good to Wei Wuxian, and too adorable by far. 

Wei Wuxian likes him so much! 

He’s so glad they’re friends!

(buy me a kofi // more wilful blindness)

[etherealluminescence]

Hi! I've been reading your work and really enjoy it and I was wondering if you could take in my request, I've been watching Rent a Girlfriend recently and the idea got into my head, how would the brothers react to an MC who's in the Rent a Girlfriend business, thank you for taking your time in reading my request!

Hey anon! Thanks for asking. This was a pretty fun request since I’ve seen a lot of videos on people renting moms, so naturally I watched part of the first episode of the anime to just get the general idea of renting girlfriends, so this was pretty fun!

Edit : the tags are being whack so I redid them sorry if it’s spam but it won’t pop up for me under the tags.

Brothers react to a rent-a-girlfriend MC!

You didn’t specify gender even if it’s a rent-a-girlfriend so I just stated the MC takes in both male and female clients. I also think succubusses or incubusses would cover the renting business so this is sort of a new idea in devildom for people to be rented and just talk or go on a date.

Lucifer

Lucifer had already known this, as he was the one to pick you to come to devildom.

He was not particularly fond of the idea, just selling yourself for a few quick bucks. Sounds like something Mammon would do.

Before you tell him about your idea of wanting to start the business here in devildom, he tells you no.

You defiantly tell him it’s your income, and he snaps back with Diavolo will pay for everything you could ever need. You yell back at him that you don’t want to use other people’s money, and you want to use what you’ve earned.

Your responses causes him to pause for a second. Those are good morals to have, but he will not faulter.

“The devildom is filled with demons, what do you mean you want to go on a date with one? Even if it makes you money you could die.”

If somehow you convince him to let you, your dates will be watched by him or one of the brothers, have to make sure the human doesn’t die or the exchange will be ruined.

If you aren’t able to convince him he will keep you under watch still to make sure you don’t try anything rash, and gives you money anytime you need it.

After you get close to him he tells you to hold yourself to higher standards, as you’re better than all these lesser demons. He cares for you and wants you to know you’re worth more than just 6,000 an hour.

Mammon

When you first came to devildom, you were worried about your income. Sure they could provide you money, but would it even be enough??

Since Mammon was your guide, you consulted him about it. He was pleased to hear you both have the same mindset, wanting to make money and spend it.

Talking about jobs, you brought up what you did in the human world, which was letting people rent yourself.

At first he was like how did that work? Was it an easy way to make money? Zero judgement from him, because if you can make money, you’re doing pretty good.

You told him how you set up an online profile and charged people around 6,000 from an hour for being on a date. They can hold your hand and make conversation with you, and curtesy of them pay for your lunch or trip. You take both male and female clients, it brought in a lot of money.

Sign him up. You mean the Great Mammon could make 6,000 grimm, get free food, and it’s just an hour of his time? Even he couldn’t screw up looking pretty and using a few manners.

He told you not to worry about money anymore and told you to change your devilgram profile to one of those online dating ones you told him about. You’re both about to get payday.

When he gets attached to you he’s just somewhat pissed, because you’re his human!! But he supports your choices because it’s your income and something you’ve always done, plus he’s in the same industry now, so you’re closer to him than anyone else.

Leviathan

This man has probably dreamed of renting a girlfriend/boyfriend, lets be honest.

People like Levi were easily some of your most frequent clients. People who don’t know how to socially interact and want experience, whether it be talking to another person who puts up with them for an hour, or to get experience in dating.

Naturally, you approached him. He had a ton of figures, so of course he would have money.

It was a whole process you were NOT expecting. This man had room passwords, curses, and even refused to look you in the eye?? How did you think it was a smart idea to approach him for money. But you were determined.

After the whole process, you finally managed to talk to him about your job. You told him you would even let him rent you if he wanted as subtly as you could.

He understands pretty fast that you want cash, and that his inexperience led you to come find him. He’s very upset, not at your job, but at your way of finding clients.

Of course you would approach yucky otakus who can’t speak to other people or do anything other than use a controller... and are desperate.

But before he can throw a tantrum, he lets his desire get the best of him. He’s always wanted to do something like this, but was he really going to pay a human 6,000 grimm an hour for some company? That’s expensive!

The answer was yes. Yes he was.

He genuinely enjoys it, you two spend time playing games in his room, he calls you a normie and teaches you how to get better, secrets in the games, and talks to you about anime since you’re listening and even providing feedback.

He has returned to heaven.

He asks if you two could do it again, and you happily agree. Overtime, however, you charge less and less for Levi to almost no cost at all. You tell him it’s a regulars discount.

In reality you’ve just grown really attached to him and love how adorable he is, and don’t want him to suddenly go broke and tell you that you two can’t hang out anymore.

After you two are close you can bet that you can enter his room whenever and just play games with him, curtesy of extended service.

Satan

You approached Satan as he was leaving the dorms to go out and buy groceries, and told him you wanted to go with him to find people to rent you.

He was perplexed.

Did he hear that right? You want demons to rent you? Like pay for you? Are you a masochist?

You explained to him that it’s just your job to sell yourself for dates for near 6,000 grimm an hour, and he thought that was peculiar.

He has read plenty of books about humans, but he had never heard of anything like this in human culture. Is it something they developed recently?

You explained to him in more detail all about the business and he’s listening intently. So much so he forgets to buy groceries that night, just listening to you happily explain your job.

He finds it interesting and learns a lot about human emotions, what they think, and even a lot about you. He proposes and idea to you that even you think is funny.

“How about we piss off Lucifer? You can get a date and I’ll watch over you to see that nothing bad happens. When it’s over you hide by the door and I’ll come in alone with groceries and say that you are on a date while I was grocery shopping.”

The thought of angry and concerned Lucifer brought his sadistic side out and he laughed. The pleasure he would get from watching Lucifer frantically search outside for the human while he sneaks you in is amazing.

This is actually what leads you and Satan to become closer, and he respects your job. It makes you money and you get to learn about people, and afterwards you can tell him the little habits people had or what they were thinking, things he was interested in.

Asmodeous

Bold of you to assume Asmo is not already a type of rent-a-boyfriend.

He has a new fling every week, the payment is their body, and he has a lot of people in line for him.

Joking aside when you asked Asmodeous about clubbing with him, he was ecstatic. Of course the little human would want to be with him, and of course they would choose clubbing over staying at the dorms.

What he didn’t expect was you to follow up with “How rich are the demons there? I want to charge them 6,000 per hour they spend with me.”

You sounded like Mammon, and that left him confused for a few seconds before you continued.

“I’m in the rent-a-date business. I charge 6,000 for an hour of my time, male or female, people in clubs are desperate.”

After that, Asmo started to understand and fully supported it. Although you don’t get sex out of it, you’re gaining money by accompanying someone, what a smart idea.

He helps you in the club to find desperate people and get you your cash. “Get it girl!” Asmo claps to you and winks as you approach people who might be interested in your service.

Asmo feels very proud of you after you get a lot of responses of people who are interested. Even though you did all the work.

Even after Asmo gets attached to you, he respects your choices, but likes going out in public or doing double dates with you. Like a fun mixer but you’re being paid to be there.

Beelzebub

You approached Beel because you wanted a bodyguard.

He was big, tall, and a friendly baby from what you could see. And he seems to be easily bought over by food.

You knew you wanted to make money, so why not continue your human world business? The one problem was these were demons and not humans. They could easily kill you.

You asked Beel to accompany you from afar for one-three hours on certain days, for a third of your profits and lunch each time.

You explained your job to him, although he may be gentle and kind from what you’ve seen, what if he doesn’t understand?

He’s generally a very understanding person, and tells you it’s okay with him and he does not mind.

He would of accopanied you without your offer because he’s worried for you, but he takes the food anyways. He’s happy you came to him and thought about your safety above money first, because he wouldn’t want to see you hurt.

Beel is completely nonjudgmental no matter what happens. He’s seen you put on a smile and lie through your teeth about having a good time of being on dates, but he supports your choices.

He overtime loves spending time with you and is really happy to protect you, because you’re like a little sibling to him. You always rely on him and he will protect you.

Please give this man extra dessert for lunch, thanks.

Belphegor

You were coming home late after one of your regular clients booked you for around twelve hours.

Counting... 6k,...24k....60k...

Before you could finish Belphie was in the kitchen for a late night snack, and scared you when he suddenly spoke.

“MC what are you doing? It’s four am right now and I couldn’t find you earlier.”

That’s right, he didn’t know of your job yet because he was in the attic for so long, and this is the longest you’ve been rented since you first came.

You explained to him what you did as a part time job, and he was sort of pissed. How could you just sell your body?

You explained that it’s nothing like that, and that you sell your time. You make conversation and go on dates.

He is still extremely pissed. What date takes twelve hours? And why wouldn’t you spend that time napping with him??

He’s very jealous that other people get to spend time with you, people that don’t matter. Compared to all his brothers he’s spent little time with you and then he has to compete with strangers?

Stupid concept, if someone approached him and told him they’d date him for 6’000 and hour he’d look at them like they’re missing brain cells.

Even stupider concept that they let MC go on dates!! With demons!! Literally his first real encounter with them was him trying to kill them. Demons are no different.

Tells MC they need to stop or else he will join them. This is a threat.

MC laughs it off and tells him they can’t suddenly stop their business, and Belphie can’t come on their dates.

Belphie proposes the idea that he rents MC 24/7 but he pays them in cuddles and naps.

First time MC was ever offered such a long job and a cute way of payment. Accepted.

[mxpseudonym]

Your Last Good Pair

Pairing: Tommy x Reader (femme, first person POV)

Summary: Tommy’s wants to make sure his replacement gift fits

Length: 1242 words (allegedly)

Warnings: It’s a spicy PG, like a PG+. A slight hint, a whisper really, of Dom Tommy.

A/N: It feels like a Saturday here, so I felt like writing. I’ll be writing some Sherlock stuff today too. I hope everyone is staying as safe as they can. ❤️ 

I told Esme to go home early. She had a little one on the way, her ankles were swollen, and she was fucking cranky. I all but threw her out of the betting shop, and into the muddy streets of Birmingham.

Not that I minded closing up shop on this Tuesday anyway. It was a bit of work and could take me an hour longer than usual, but I liked it. I wasn't a Shelby, but I'd just finished school the year before and was more than qualified to be the best secretary or bookkeeper in the city. On top of that, I knew numbers, and I knew loyalty. That's what mattered most. 

It was a quarter past 9 pm when I began putting the money in the safe, and when Thomas Shelby scared me bad enough to nearly drop every coin in the bag. He slammed the back door shut and breezed in, clearly with work on his mind, but stopped when he saw me steady myself on the table with a hand on my chest. 

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking me over, then looking around, noticing the open safe. 

"Just closing the shop, Tommy," I told him, quickly recovering. 

"You shouldn't be here on your own," he looked me over again, lingering on my bare calves, then started towards his office. "Finish that up and come see me."

"Sure thing."

Tommy and I had been flirting since I started working there. It was a fun little distraction for both of us. I didn't think either of us was going to do much beyond that. He probably hadn't either. But two months ago he'd offered me a drink after hours, which I wasn't going to decline. He had the best whiskey in town. We talked about horses and school but then spoke about the future. 

"You're going to have a legacy, Thomas Shelby. I'm just glad to be a small part of it while I'm here," I told him. 

Someone having faith in you can be utterly attractive apparently because were kissing against his office door before the night was over. Our in-office flirting became more real and was, quite honestly, sent me into a pent up desire induced state of restlessness in the beginning. Whenever we were alone, we were all over each other. Before graduating, Rachel Wheeler from my old typing class once called me a prude because I wouldn't wear a tacky tin anklet. She'd be surprised to know that I may not have an affinity for anklets, but getting fucked in a safe full of money was all the rage where I was concerned. 

I walked into his office, and he had me close the door. He just looked at me for a moment, leaning back in his chair with a cigarette in hand. He nodded to the table behind me, and I turned to see a box.

"Is this for me?" I asked, not at all hiding my surprise. 

"Open it," he nodded. I did as I was told. Inside was a beautifully wrapped set of stockings in three colors. Two were silk, and one was everyday cotton. 

"Tommy,"

"I'm the one who ruined your last good pair, and I'm the one who needs to fix it," he said. 

This was where many women would tell him he didn't have to go out of his way. But he really did ruin last good stockings when he wanted to be more adventurous during our impromptu trip to his Uncle Charlie's yard on Saturday. When you're kneeling outdoors in a scrapyard, ladies, always check for things that snag like loose nails. They'll do a number on even the finest cotton, and you'll have irreparable runs in the material. Replacing them was only right. 

"These are so lovely," I picked up a pearl-colored stocking. 

"Come," he said, motioning me forward. I stepped closer, but he moved back and made space between him and the desk. That was my cue to fill it, and cautiously I did. With a gentle push against my hip, Tommy made me sit on the desk. "Let's see about trying them on, eh?"

"Sure," I nodded. Tommy moved closer, easily parting my knees. His hand reached down and gently grasped my bare ankle. When he'd discarded my shoe, he asked,

"Is this alright?" 

"Yes, I think so," I nodded. His fingertips skimmed their way to my knee but stopped at the sound of my question-like response.

"You think, or you know?"

"Yes, this is alright, Tommy," I cleaned up my answer to his approval. He always asked if it was alright, and he wanted me to mean it if I said yes. I didn't believe him until I had to say no once. That's another story. But in conclusion, I thought he'd be mad. Instead, he responded then like he was responding today. 

"Good girl," He praised me. He damn well knew what those words did to me. I was top of my class in school and wanted to keep that excellence in everything. The first time he'd said them to me was before we even began our fling. I broke the teacup I was holding out of surprise. Not at his words, but how quickly they made me stir inside. 

"Are you wearing a garter?"

"Yes,"

"Show me," he ordered like he ordered everything in life. And as with the other orders, I obeyed. My skirt was pushed up to pool around the tops of my thighs. My tan garter belt with nothing to hold up was revealed to my boss. I was charged with holding the cigarette while Tommy quite gently removed my heel. He stroked my calf, and I could feel the heat crawling onto my face. The feeling of silk was new to me, and I quickly decided I liked it best when Tommy was sliding it on. My soft gasp, when he grazed the inside of my thigh, made him smirk. He hooked the stocking in place before admiring his handy work. "How does that feel?"

"So nice," I sighed. I felt the material, running my hand over it myself. 

"I'm glad. I try to be a man of my word," he said. It wasn't the exact truth, but neither of us needed to argue that. He stood then, letting my legs be widened by his hips. "Am I forgiven?"

"I wasn't even that upset."

"You've been brooding."

"Brooding?" I tilted my head back with a hum as I thought back to the past three days while my hand idly ran down his chest.

"I've never heard more about the temperature of someone's exposed legs than I have from you in the last two days," he pointed out.

"How was I supposed to withstand the chill until payday?" 

"It's summer," he noted. I rolled my eyes but leaned up to kiss him anyway.

"Thank you." Leaning back, I reached up to toy with the buttons on my blouse. My silk cover foot crept up to brush the front of his tenting trousers. "So much."

"It's my pleasure, love," Tommy said with a knowing smirk. He used it when he'd let me dance around having the upper hand before he took it for himself. I used the word that made him as weak as being a good girl made me. 

"Sir, now that we know what it's like on, maybe we should try taking it off?"

"My thoughts exactly."

[victoriousscarf]

You mentioned some time ago that you have moved a lot to find job after you graduated. I find it inspiring considering where I am now in my life. I sometimes think about moving to a new place and seek a new start but have never found the courage to actually do so. How do you make friend in a complete strange city/state? How do you move your furniture (mattress, books, etc) across the country?

Well...

First of all, wherever you are and what your plans end up being, good luck!

I have done some absolutely crazy moves over the past few years and I (so far) have managed to land okay every time despite the absolute hell of stress moving is. My last move I plopped down the entire deposit and cat fee and first months rent sight unseen while still halfway across the country and it's turned out remarkably okay for me (tho I don't recommend that as a rule). One time I moved with four days warning (like I knew I was moving but I got the "go" to actually start Tuesday morning ... Friday afternoon and booked my flight to get down there for Saturday morning, bought a car Monday, and was at work on Tuesday).

I'm saying this to prove that a) I'm insane so this may or may not work for folks but also b) despite stories like this it's always worked out so far. So while moving is scary and stressful as long as you're careful and do some research... You can do it. Seriously I've done things I never ever imagined I would and once you do it the first time I think you can prove to yourself you can keep doing it.

Also I've found most of the time if you're moving for work, somebody is gonna have some good ideas for housing or whatever, and I've always found my soon to be co workers helpful if I have questions about like where in town I should move and other services like that, so reach out and see what you get back. (I asked one supervisor about housing and got, I swear to God, an excel spreadsheet back of places other people have lived and pros and cons of each place. Really obvious that was a workplace of type a personalities).

But! You asked specifically about moving and friends.

The bad news is... My books are to this day still at my parents house. My dad is using them as his zoom background and getting many compliments. I also admit I have ditched more furniture than I care to mention at this point. Like I have my great grandma's dresser and that's also still at the parents house, because I'm lucky enough they're letting me store stuff there. Not everyone will have this. I have several friends who've either put things into storage (one friend just condensed her storage she had across three states into storage in one state ... Across the country from where we're working right now) and some who have simply ... Gotten rid of things. One friend got rid of 98% of her stuff at one point, including ditching her childhood teddy bear and I admit I couldn't live like that. I'm way too sentimental.

But the bad news is moving is expensive. There's things like pods now where you can pack up your pod and someone else takes care of trucking it across country and I'm a big fan of that, but it is not cheap. Or of course there's renting a u-haul truck yourself and going for it.

The other thing is, I've slept on air mattresses for like a month at a time. Ikea is your friend for cheap but will last more than 4 months furniture when you first move. Thrift stores, buy sell and swap pages, and co workers cleaning out their houses are all excellent resources for when you've landed in a new place What you try and take with you is gonna depend on your priorities.

As for making friends ... I've been lucky that I don't usually work at for-profit businesses. I usually work for a government or non-profit and while that may be a weird statement to make, it means most of my co workers have generally been passionate, interesting people, and no one goes into public service for a payday. I saw a post recently saying you shouldn't be friends with co workers because you don't know what they'll tell your bosses and maybe but... I have found many great and amazing and lasting friendships that started at work. It's not always gonna be the case, but it can be the case and I think you should leave yourself (carefully) open to it. Don't trust easily by any means, but take the time to get to know people.

It helps to leave yourself open to friendships with people outside of your age group/class group/whatever group, if you don't naturally do that. Some of my favorite people are the badass older women I know. And it helps to not judge people (which may be getting too philosophical). One friend was this older woman who had just gone through a terrible divorce and was partially disabled and could not, for the life of her, figure out computers. A lot of people sorta rolled their eyes at her or didn't help her, but I would sit with her and walk her through what seemed like really basic computer stuff, but it was a big deal to her. She sent me a care package when I moved. Being nice to people can go a huge way.

So I guess some basic advice is:

By open to friendships in weird places or from people you wouldn't expect.

Consider joining a hobby group because there are probably other people who want to find friends who maybe moved too.

Consider if you can, volunteering somewhere. Volunteering can help you find people who care about the same stuff you do, and it can help you meet other people sometimes in the course of whatever you're doing.

Real, deep friendships take time and it isn't easy. Personally I have a high threshold for being lonely (it takes me a long time to feel lonely) and my dad once described me as "self contained." So I don't mind waiting, and I have all my friends in different places I stay in contact with. Moving by yourself can be big and scary and yeah, lonely, but the reality is a lot of other people are doing it too. They're gonna want friends too. Or even people who have never once moved but are looking around for friends and companionship. Not everyone has settled down and gotten married and had kids, so take the time to put yourself out there. It of course also depends on where you go, because there are definitely some insular little towns out there who don't take kindly to outsiders, but I don't think that's the norm.

Like you've already taken a truly bonkers, huge risk just by moving, so making friends is just taking some other, smaller risks to put yourself out there and see who else is just looking around.

Like seriously one of my friends now is my car neighbor in our parking lot (because we have assigned spaces). She's older, divorced, has moved around a lot too, and keeps trying to feed me while watching Jane Austen movies. She's smart, funny, and we never would have met if we weren't assigned next door parking spaces.

So yeah this got ramblely about like... Moving in general. Friends are hard no matter where you are, so moving is just about making a new start and seeing what happens. And it's expensive to move stuff, but it's not cheap to replace it either, so it depends on what you can do, and how willing you are to let go of some things.

But mostly it just takes some courage to fling yourself into the unknown. Once that step is down, I think at some point the rest just had to follow.

[sunsetsandspilledpoetry]

Budha outcast killer

it's a party every payday like we might die in two weeks and some of us might. were starting and breaking up fights. while flipping you off screaming dont step on our rights. none of you shoveling that sysco food know our plight.

I wanna die old with her at my right. She's just what I want for the rest of my life. so I'm spewing into this rusty old mic. force me out of my shell and I just might take that line

left and right from the Wisconsin blizzards to the Colorado heights. slide right into your heart flinging fesh powder left and right. then blow on down the road to that next life. dont matter where I'm going living with these knives in my left and right. swaying along high as a fucking kite.

dont give a shit if you think its wrong or right. I've been standing two up on you my whole life. come up here and watch you wheze and try to fight. not even bury you just leave you to freeze in the snowy twilight.

been dreaming of seeing you locked up every night while I pick up the pieces of you sleeping alone at night. while my frisbee fucks with you in the daylight. beyond the stretch of your stupid little gangster life.

you've know idea where to start the shit in my life. I've been living on the edge since age five. let me see how much you can imbibe. I'll fucking see you under the table before midnight.

I've got veterans of addiction permeating my whole life and unlike you my heads still screwed on right. Blow that pill up your nose you fucking asswipe. Try taking 5 every night still laying lines in the moonlight. Sleeping 6 hours then taking 4 more just to feel right. Welcome to a chemically regulated life.

Spinning creativity you can only dream of while sleeping exhausted by your stupid life choices. I'm listening to my fans voices laying shit down harder than your darkest nightmare. You'll never know the part of my life filled with despair. your pussy ass wasn't even capable of getting your mind there.

Drag yourself out of the darkest corner of a life that steps on you from everywhere. You'll still be three steps behind, while I'm in a relationship you've never even thought of trying to compare. She is there for me and it's time your fucking aware.