#payday's not for another few days as well

[villainessbian]

Concept: most aliens can get anxious, can get scared, can get fight-or-flight. What most aliens do not get, however, is stress. Stress is a weird thing even by human standards. It can build up over time or be something tied to a very limited situation. It can be caused by a lot of things, and it comes in a lot of different ways. But it's a core human reaction, when a situation is wrong, it causes stress until it is righted. And it even affects different people differently!

Cue Human Cassandra, on a ship with her friend and co-worker Human Pauline. The ship is crewed with a mix of species. It's a cargo ship - load up in a space port, unload in another, get news and supplies during their stops, and live as an ever-shifting family as some of the two dozen crew members, give or take, get replaced. Some leave come payday, and new ones come looking for the thrill of low-level adventure, experiencing warp drives across the safer roads of the known universe.

But getting the supplies you need, or want, in stops is never so easy. Humans are new to the galactic community, and their needs misunderstood. Most broad-edibility food is bland for them, but that's okay. A big enough bag of their condiments can last them years. But ADHD meds... now that's less easy to get, the further from Earth you are. And a contract too big for their captain to pass on came up, much farther than the two humans expected.

Cassandra's mood deteriorated, her work priorities out of order, her sleep schedule in disarray. Little by little, she grew restless, shifting moods and gears unpredictably. A few weeks in and she was a mess, barely able to keep up with the minimum her job doing maintenance and running safety diagnostics for the route charting team required of her. While Pauline could help with the mechanical aspects of keeping the ship running, picking up the "slack", the safety had to be double-checked by the charting and pilot teams. When the curves of asteroid probability reached beyond a certain level, several hundred simulations had to be run, time-consuming processes had to be used, to avoid any collision at speeds beyond speed c. Some truly exotic things happened to ships that experienced those, but none of them contained the words "surviving crew." A safe route avoided any probability of collision over .1% and when going faster than light, any choice of course required thinking in 3 dimensions plus relative time to navigate dangerous probability fields in one piece, finding time-specific corridors and accounting for a dozen variables at once.

After she had a breakdown over a path she would normally have been able to find in under a minute, Pauline spoke to a concerned pilot team member:

"You have to understand her, this is a stressful situation and she's doing her best..."

"What do you mean by 'stressful'?" Gabalt asked. The furry little creature stood on two arched legs, and barely reached up to Pauline's shoulder, opening three wide eyes with curiosity and concern in equal parts.

"Things are... getting difficult for her, and keep getting more difficult because she does not have medication to help her brain be efficient. It makes her tired, and inefficient, and as it goes on, she's less and less able to cope with the situation. The longer this goes on, the worse it gets, and that is stress. Getting more tired because it takes more energy to deal with the situation, and less efficient because she's more tired, and things get harder because she's less efficient, on and on until something can solve the problem and the stress goes away."

"That sounds... hard. Do all humans have to deal with this?"

"Well, everyone has sources of stress, but she's got a disability. Without her meds, she gets stressed all the time. Not a lot all at once, but it always adds up."

"Oh no! So she'll be stuck like that until we get closer to Earth?"

"Most likely, yes."

But the most momentous thing to happen this day was not her breakdown. Not an hour later, alarms blared up. The simulation holograms all displayed blinking red masses - the less-travelled "safe route" was not as well protected! An asteroid range had been detected cutting through the border field, and it was in their way!

Pauline froze up, not knowing what to do. Gabalt was too surprised to act fast. All the courses from the ship's library of regular manoeuvres suggested a crash chance of over 60%, and mere seconds to act before entering the field!

Before anyone could react, Cassandra came in running from her corner to the front of the bridge, slamming the warp drive shutdown button. Most holograms stuttered and collapsed, the exit from FTL essentially dividing one or several of their dimensions by zero.

Looking quickly at the few remaining ones and gazing at the screens showing the current outside situation like a large window would have - plus a few critical extra points of data - she adjusted the angles manually while everyone still shuddered from the gravitational and temporal whiplash of suddenly coming back into normal time. Unblinkingly, she spotted the asteroids on the route while the ship was still going, if not at relativistic speeds, still fast enough for a single pebble they met to vaporise the Whipple shields, the outer hull, the inner hull, the crew members, and the hull again coming out if they but grazed it. Confirming the angles visually, she played with the reaction wheels, the thrusters, the gravity drives, to divert the ship's course just enough to miss a collision while not risking any grave injury on board. There was no time to react - if anything showed up straight ahead on the "unaugmented" outside view screens, it was too late to not get splatted. After half the crew had had the time to get thrown to the side or on the ground due to the rough handling, she'd managed to avoid any crash.

Gabalt was reeling. While it was surely not impossible, these was the kind of moves experienced veterans would never wish to attempt, and the margins for error were ridiculously low! She'd saved the ship and everyone on it, whereas she'd been unable to do a simple safety run so soon before?

Pauline was white as a sheet, but this was nothing compared to Cassandra, shaking violently and breathing unevenly.

"Pauline? What is she doing?"

"That's... probably the adrenaline."

"What's it for?"

"It's from stress. When it comes it overcharges the body. It's like the traditional, 'fight or flight' instinct from survival in prey-predator paradigms, it lets you move fast but paralyses thought... it feels pretty bad after a lot of it is released though. Now she's crashing down, must be harrowing."

"How did she do that? And you said her thoughts were paralysed for precision manoeuvres?"

Cassandra's voice came, nearly a mutter: "I just... had to. do it."

Gabalt needed to understand what happened.

"What do you mean you had to? Someone had to do it, but why you?"

"It- it was very stressful, I saw you freeze, and so."

"But... but HOW did you do all that? That was extremely complicated, few pilots -whose main craft is directly piloting- would want to even try doing that when given a choice!?"

"I had to. do it, so I did. I couldn't. couldn't make a mistake."

"This makes absolutely no sense."

Pauline interrupted. "She just works like that. Lots of stress and when people freeze up, humans with her condition... sometimes, surprisingly, function better in the moment than others can."

"Ah. So it's a human thing. of course, it's a human thing. NOTHING MAKES ANY SENSE WITH YOUR ACCURSED SPECIES" the diminutive pilot pouted.

And so one more story of the humans doing the impossible spread around. Humans of a subtype, more easily harmed, sometimes unstable and needing help for the simplest things... accomplishing odd, unthinkable, borderline heroic feats under duress none could be expected to withstand - but only then. Cursed, blessed? No story-teller seemed too certain. But the "magical" species never stopped surprising all others. And a new proverb developed: "it's not over until the human says it is".

[rrezshifts]

𝓶𝙮 𝙝𝖔𝙗b𝙞𝙚s — ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ

𝓓ay 19. mittens -> What are your hobbies in your dr? How do you usually spend your down time?

despite how this reality sounds… i’m not a hero or a vigilante or even a villain. unfortunately i’m making this post before an introduction so that can be a common misconception. this dr is specifically focused on matt murdock and maya lopez too (literally no one else so far lmao). ALSO this is more based on the marvel comics rather than the mcu !!

anyway… since i’m not fighting or saving people, i have a lot more free time on my hands. i do usually like to use it to hang out with my friends as well as maya and matt. but when they’re busy here’s some of what i do:

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ ᴅᴇꜱɪɢɴ & ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ᴇᴅɪᴛɪɴɢ

while this “hobby” is technically just my job, as i am a freelance graphic designer and short form video editor, i still enjoy using this art form to make things related to my interests or anything not business related.

i can definitely get tired of it though. there’s days where i have so much work to do or the one project i’m working on got a little tough. i’m just too drained to spend too much of my time on this hobby for the next few days. but i love watching the projects come together in any context and so when i have no work for a while sometimes it’s nice to still create something that other people can enjoy as well !!

ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ꜱʜᴏᴘᴘɪɴɢ

my career track isn’t necessarily luxury just yet. and living in a decent sized apartment in new york means i don’t get too much money to spend on non-essentials. that and me going somewhere with a credit or debit card is dangerous !!

so instead i go to a mall or shopping center or any small shop with a friend or two. and we’ll walk around talking about everything we see, shopping with our eyes. talking about “well if i save up” and all that. we don’t buy anything other than like a snack or cheap meal and then the occasional splurge.

if any of us gets an extra large payday though, we take that as a “we have to go to the mall and shop with them”. we enjoy seeing each other be able to get things that makes them happy. so it’s a fun experience !!

ꜱɪɴɢɪɴɢ & ᴅᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ

despite the photos i used i am not professionally singing and dancing. in reality i just sing and dance in my apartment randomly throughout the day. i’m not even professionally trained. and most of the time i hate how i sound and don’t look at myself in the mirror when i dance so the likelihood any of it is good is so slim lmaoo 😹

maya is actually a dancer, she used to be a big performer, and still does occasionally dance. she’s a phenomenal ballet dancer. when she watches me dance she’s very entertained, she’d call it cute and i’d get embarrassed and then not dance in front of her for weeks

matt hears me sing often. the first time he did though he wasn’t meant to. he was in another room as i was singing under my breath. he didn’t tell me about his thoughts when he first heard it until after we started dating. i rarely sing in front of anyone, so the only time he ever does is when he catches it from afar.

ꜱᴡɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ

i love love looove water! being in it is very calming so going to pools or the beach often is a must for me. i’ll just go to those places and swim for a while. not necessarily fast, like in training for the olympics. but more just swimming around at my pace and pretending i’m a merman 🧜‍♂️

i cap swimming off at most 2-3 times a week bc showering with chlorine/grime/salt coated hair is some of the worst things ever and i will not deal it with more than i have to. but i refuse to swim less than three times a month.

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

[smutty-ki113r]

🏜Ticci Toby🏜 || Roundtale rival

NSFW||~ One shot x afab gn!reader, includes- Wild West Toby, mentions of violence, use of a gun, minors—dni (3.5)

Inspired by: Lindsey Stirling

It was a pretty slow day at the saloon, you rested your head on your palm, watching the batwing doors swing open and close like a pendulum. It was just the regulars at this hour, taking lethargic swings of their whiskeys and eyeing your corset-like work attire; which is why your attention drew to the cautious creak of the door, and the tall dark and handsome man you wanted to take a drink out of.

Suddenly your mouth went dry, you almost forgot to get up and serve the customer. Seeing as he sat himself down at a table already, you walked over to him, a bit nervously. He radiated mystery, and perhaps a twinge of danger even. “Afternoon” you introduced, “can I get your order?”

He didn’t look up, and you couldn’t see his face because of that worn out cowboy hat he had angled down. You might have not seen his eyes, but you certainly felt his gaze crawl up your legs and settle at your hips. He didn’t speak for a moment, which gave you one to admire him.

Him and those typical cowboy boots that had spurs, him and that leathery trench coat that almost touched the floor when he sat, him and that chestnut brown hair that came out from the rim of the hat, him and the smell of hickory and gunpowder, and a bit of whiskey.

The suspense made you hold your breath until he responded, “bottle of scotch please mx, and a shot of whiskey”, he said, his voice throaty but light, almost as if he were teasing. He grinned under his bandana, shifting so you could hear the clink of his rounds of ammunition going around his waist.

“I’ll get that right out for you sir” you gulped, going behind the counter to pour up his drink. Coming to him with his order and asking “is there anything else I could get you?”.

Having to suffer the slow pulse in between your legs while he gave your neck a discreetly lustful glance and under his breath muttered, “what I want… I don’t know if you could handle”.

It caught you off guard, but you certainly heard it. In a moment of impulse you responded, “try me”.

He chuckled and looked up at you for the first time, “I might have to take you up on that sometime then” he said huskily, “it’s a date”. You had to hold back the stupid grin on your face as you walked back behind the counter. Catching the occasional glances he threw your way as he filled his flask with the scotch and downed the burning shot of whiskey.

Leaving a few silver dollars on the table and whipping his trench coat out the door. You wondered if you would ever see the stranger again, he certainly wasn’t from around here but you hoped he would stay a while.

That night you went to bed thinking of him and his burning taste, of the way his Adam’s apple bobbed when he drunk that shot and the way he walked so confidently with those boots. Almost forgetting about the next days errands, going to the tailor and the bank after work.

You almost jumped and clicked your heels in joy for payday, heading over to the bank down the street to collect your money. The mountains looked so pretty in between the purple and orange sunset hues, a couple tumbleweeds rolling by, but you weren’t paying attention to how empty the town seemed.

Giving a passing glance to the wanted posters outside of the wooden building, seeing ruffled brown hair and a scowl and the caption “Tobias Rogers: wanted dead or alive” and not even registering it. ‘The man in the picture looked kind of handsome through’ you thought to yourself as you entered.

Getting in line to withdraw some pocket money, humming quietly and trying to make the people at the register go faster. Your body flinching at the sound of a gunshot being fired through the roof. A scream rang out and chaos ensured, but another bullet told everyone to be quiet, well- that and a muffled voice from one of the bandits robbing the bank.

There were three total, your eyes darting nervously between the first two, both masked with white and red bandanas. You felt a familiar shiver run down your spine at the pistol being pointed at your back, it made you arch and freeze. Your lip trembling as you moved forward like the man instructed.

His husky voice muffled as he said “you, move along”, you couldn’t see him, just followed his instructions silently for fear of your life. He led you to the back, to the gold and silver pieces.

Pushing slightly so you could turn and do as he said, but the moment you met his eyes your jaw dropped. There was no way you couldn’t recognize that gaze, and by the looks of it, you surprised him as well. Now he was smiling, fully grinning under his black bandana, which he lowered just for you.

Getting real close to your ear so you could feel his hot breath, “let’s see if you were bluffing about being able to handle it hm?” Toby whispered.

Excitement made its way up your abdomen, a jolt shooting through your core at the way he spoke to you, at his teasing tone and that pretty boy smile, even with the scar on his cheek.

A pistol still pointed at your stomach, telling you to keep going till you were both alone in the most sacred room in that bank. Boxes holding gold pieces and other valuables. His eyes lit up at the prize he was about secure. He shoved you a bag and motioned for you to start filling them to the brim.

You felt his eyes shift from the silver to your ass as you bent down to start collecting the pieces. Your heavy breath and the chink of coins were about the only things you could hear, adrenaline pumped through your veins as you actively helped a vigilante rob the bank.

Thinking back to that wanted poster things just started to come together, this was the guy everybody talked about, the infamous criminal who would steal and then redistribute his wealth to the needy all across the west. You thought he might be nice, but just because he seemed to make a positive impact in his community, didn’t mean he wasn’t ruthless.

As much of a liking he had taken to you, he still got impatient. Bending down to your face and instructing “faster”.

You looked up at him with teary eyes, “I’m going as fast as I can” you whined. He gulped at the sight of you down on your hands and knees like that, it was like a dream come true, and he was supposed to let that opportunity pass up?

His calloused hand reached to your chin, tracing your jaw with his thumb. “I guess you’ll just have to compensate some other way then pretty”. You were stunned, but you didn’t want to resist. This was what you wanted and more, but you were shaking with nervousness.

Getting up and swatting his hand away, “you wish pretty” you retorted. His eyes widened in surprise of your retaliation. “You can’t just prance in here and demand whatever you want from me”

He cocked his head to the side at you shaking your finger in his face, but his lips were upturned in a coy smile. “Oh?”, he noted your trembling demeanor and held your index finger with his own. “Calling the shots now are we?” He asked. “I didn’t know you had it in you”

You retreated, and with each step you took back, he took one forward. He towered, being pretty tall with a dominating composure. Toby sighed, waving a hand dismissively, “I didn’t mean to impose” he played smartly, “just under a lot of stress, the bank and all, ya know”

He spoke as if you were an old lover, a hand now resting on your cheek softly. “And I’m sure you’ll help me out, won’t you?” He threw you a pair of puppy dog eyes, but he was so handsome it made you melt, your thoughts made mush as you nodded mindlessly.

“I just know you’d be a good partner in crime” he breathed, his face now inches from yours. He neared and your shaking ceased, now it was just desire that remained. “You’ll behave for me right?”

You shook your head eagerly, forgetting what the fuck you were arguing about a minute ago. “We can get these bags filled fast” he whispered, his breath trickling on your top lip. “I’ll be quick” he almost panted. Your eyes drawn to his lips, to those beautiful lips that you wanted to taste so badly.

“Mhm” you nodded, so close that he was just teasing you at this point. “Fast” you repeated, “we’ll be quick”, you inhaled. “please-”. You had to beg, because he was having a blast taunting you. He didn’t hesitate to close the distance between you two, pushing gently so you would sit on the open boxes of metallic coins and he could bring your legs to wrap around his.

His lips tasted like honey and barbecue, and you savored him like he was your last meal. There was no time to think about how messed up it was, because the only thing on your mind was him, and how delicious he was.

You furrowed your brows and moaned into the kiss, pleased that he was meeting you with just as much, if not more passion than you. His hand snaking it’s way to your hips to squeeze them.

Toby was impatient, you were like a sweet apple pie and he wanted to bite into every inch. He laid you out over the spilled golden coins and went straight for your neck, leaving marks all around. Recklessly making a mess amongst the treasure because right here right now, you were the biggest prize.

You panted and held the back of his neck, his beating heart so loud against your chest that you could feel his pulse. Helpless noises falling from your lips when he wasn’t kissing them.

He was insatiable, his body pressed to yours, bulge rubbing itself on your cunt shamelessly. Toby didn’t give a fuck, he just needed you, and he was going to get what he wanted.

To feel him press against that sensitive spot so perfectly made you wet with desire, bucking your hips up because you were so desperate to feel him inside you, to satisfy that craving he awoke.

“I can’t fucking get enough of you” he panted, biting your neck gently, just to get a little taste, he groaned against your skin as he felt the tender bit of flesh in between his teeth.

Your eyes lidded as you caught a glimpse of him above you, manhandling your body like he owned it. His own gaze landing on your open chest and how your tits were almost spilling out of that corset.

His hands were quick to pull them out and kiss them needily, he wanted to devour every bit. Those beautiful nipples that he popped in his mouth, swirling them around with his tongue. Those tempting lips he kissed over and over again. That gorgeous neck he just couldn’t get enough of.

He spread apart your legs and kissed his way down your chest and your hips till he reached your cunt, pulling off your panties quickly and watching the show you reacted when he slid his fingers up and down your slit.

“My my, wet already are we?” He asked, edging just the tip of a finger in to feel the dripping slick. You blushed, not even shying away because you were just so needy for him. Throbbing at the epicenter of his touch, just from the heated gaze he put on your body.

“Fuck I’m gonna feel so good inside this cunt” he panted, slipping his fingers in and groaning at just how tight you were, lowering his face to where you could only see the tuffs of his beautiful dark hair coming out from the sides of his hat. He met your eyes for a second, “but first I want to try what I’m buying”

His tongue met your clit softly, but the contact sent a wave of vibration throughout your whole body. He lapped at your juices like a starved man, plunging a finger in and curling it to hit that sweet spot you liked so much. His nose gently pressed against you as he devoured you.

You were coming undone faster than you would have liked, but he was just too addicting, too sweet and saccharine, and waiting felt like a sin. “Oh- Jesus” you whimpered, “don’t stop-“ you pleaded.

It was pure bliss, being treated like an all you can eat buffet, relentless lapping at your pearl; and even though it felt like you were high on ecstasy, it seemed like he was enjoying this more than you. From those noises of delight it was almost as if he was the one who was being pleasured.

He was going so fast, your head was fuzzy and all you could do was whimper and moan. “Fuck- I’m close!” You warned, your head falling back because all you could do was hold on and wait for that wave to hit. At the mention of your approaching orgasm he grinned against your skin and decided to make it extra difficult for you.

Toby latched onto your clit, sucking and groaning at the taste. Having him suck on your most sensitive area sent you into a shock of electricity, cumming so fast you could do nothing but squeal and hold onto the sides of the crate you were laying on. Your legs shaking and wrapping around his head, knocking his cowboy hat off.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve seen all day” he groaned “and I’ve been out riding in the dessert at noon” he joked, kissing your inner thighs. And you had to pry him off because he didn’t want to go. Fuck he would probably spend all day down there if you let him. Now that he had a taste- he wasn’t going to let you off the hook so easily.

“Oh hey now, I was having fun down there” he teased, “but we can have fun doing something else instead…” Your entire body was still vibrating, and he was so hard you thought he might tear a hole in those pants.

“Yes” you said without a second thought, “I need you”. The ends of his lips turned up in a smug smile.

“I have no objections with that then gorgeous” he said, moving in on your neck once again. Placing his hat on your head, watching you accommodate to it strangely, but nothing was more attractive than you wearing his daily piece, with your legs spread, ready to take him.

“You’re so good for me” he whispered, pulling his cock out and giving it a few strokes. “Such a good, pretty little thing for such a bad guy” he bullied, groaning against your ear as he slid his tip against your wet lips. “Not like you had much of a choice, the moment I saw you I knew I had to have you”

“I am a theif after all, I take what I want” your mouth opened in silent squeal when he found your hole and bottomed out. His eyes meeting yours with a burning passion as he got a feel for you, “you feel so fucking amazing” he panted.

Rolling his hips back and snapping them against yours, his head rolling back as he started stroking into you. Your wet cunt squelching in response to his cock filling you up deliciously. He was the biggest you had ever seen, ever taken, and he reached places that would be wrong to mention.

His thrusting was so rough it made the coins overflowing in the crate fall off and chink down to the growing pile on the floor. The jingling sounds of the metal, the creak of the wooden surface and the string of wanton noises were the only things you could hear, but you couldn’t focus on anything other than the man who was fucking you.

It was the most pleasurable feeling you had ever experienced, his girth stretching you out like that, balls slapping against your ass. “Can you feel me inside you?” He asked in a trance of joy.

You gasped every time he bottomed out, crying out “yes!” and lacing your fingers with his as he stroked your walls.

His hands sliding down to your hips to pull you back on him and use you like a toy for his pleasure. It was like a dream to him, and he could think of nothing but the way you squeezed his cock like a vice. He threw his head back and kept pounding, you looked up to see the sight, he was like a god.

Sweat dripped delicately from the tips of his chestnut hair, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down from swallowing saliva cause fuck you were making him salivate. The taste of your pussy still on his lips, the essence of raw flesh on his tongue.

“Fuck I can feel you wrapped around me god, nothing’s ever felt so good” he groaned, pulling out and flipping you over. He wanted to grab a handful of your ass while he pressed into you.

You molted into the new position, giggling at his hand kneading your ass and holding onto your hips. He was so deep inside you, taking you from the back so he could watch your ass bounce every time he thrusted.

Behind you, you could hear his deep exhales every time he filled you completely, his shameless moans at your wetness. Your cheeks tinted at the sounds of clapping, he was so carried away, and you were too the moment his hand reached over to play with your clit.

“Your pussy is gonna milk me” he exhaled, you pulsed at his lewd words. He just had this way about him, maybe the way he moved and handled you so expertly, or his boyish charm that won you over in 2 seconds flat- that had this power over you and your body.


With every little touch and press of his fingers you reacted, arching your back into him. Your face falling because it was just too much to take, he was so big and so gratifying it made you dizzy.

“You’re doing so good sugar” he praised, turning your head so he could see you and kiss your gorgeous lips while he pounded into your pussy. “Just a little longer and I’ll let you cum alright?”

You nodded into his lips, bouncing back eagerly so he would give you what you so craved. “I know how badly you want it babe” he teased, his fingers digging into you so hard they left marks. You sat there, taking his fat cock just like he wanted, each stroke coaxing you to that climax.

His thrusts got faster, deeper, making you see stars as he panted and rambled out praises to you. “So so good for me” he said, his voice coarse. “Jesus” was the last thing he muttered before he pressed his body to yours and spilled inside your hole.

You felt him fill you up and his teasing was still going, not wanting to cum before he said so. It was a relief when he finally said “do it, cum on my fingers”, just the rough tone of command was enough to send you over the edge for the second time. You squealed and throbbed through your orgasm, rolling your eyes back and thankful for him holding you up because you needed it.

Turning back to face him and get dressed, he didn’t even bother taking the hat back. He gave you a joyful smile and told you “it looks better on you”. Holding the bags of money open once again and finishing up the original job.

He put the bags in your hands and walked out with you in a headlock, “sorry in advance for this sugar”, he pressed that silver pistol up to your head and made you walk out with the money. “Nobody move or this one bites the dust” he warned the people.

Motioning for his associates in crime to cover him as he led you outside and made you get on his horse. You watched in awe as he pulled off a sort of flawless bank heist, his friends right behind him as you rode away into the sunset.

He put the pistol away and took charge on the horse, ignoring the questioning glances from his partners and shrugging. “Don’t blame me for taking the pretty things, you said rob the bank and take the valuables” he huffed, sending you a knowing grin and a wink, “and thats just what I did”

[charcoalgrayswriting]

I've seen some people say that Russel Adler is Phillip Graves's father. Interesting, but I think we are missing someone even more obvious

Kate Laswell.

According to a wiki I found she is ~45~ born in 1977. This is 4 years before 1981, the setting of BOCW, when Adler is 44. So it is feasible that he is the father, even if we add another 5+ years to Laswell's age. (Some people speculate her to be in her early 50s, which is still feasible considering Adler's age).

But I hear you! 'Laswell's last name isn't Adler!' Well I have a few explanations for this too. Maybe, he didn't know he had a kid at all, and she has her mothers last name. Maybe when he got divorced, as referenced in n BOCW and Laswell's mother changed their last names back to her maiden name, Adler may have even approved of this to keep them safe, I think it is completely reasonable to assume with his dedication to work that he would be an absent father, if one that still paid child support. Or, her last name WAS Adler, and upon marriage, she took her wife's last name.

OR the other idea, he is both of their fathers, but was a bit of a whore so he doesn't know he has kids lol. Or he only knew about one of them. Maybe there's just has a whole Accidental Adler Army out there.

But I think Laswell fits as his kid better than Graves. At the end of the day, Graves was greedy. He wanted his payday, even at the expense of others. Adler doesn't really exhibit this, and outwardly shows that he does what he does because he loves, if a bit fanatically, his country. I see Laswell fitting this more, as she is also ready to cross the line for her country, and she didn't get to her position in the cia by being some shrinking flower, and would probably brainwash someone too if she had no other options.

Anyway thank you for coming to my TedTalk, please feel free to shout at me if you think I'm wrong lol and also please feel free to add your own ideas I have literally no one irl to talk about this to

[peaches2217]

So this is officially the worst night ever and I will never emotionally recover from this. (I’m perfectly fine, I’m just bummed and intend to be as dramatic about it as possible to make myself feel better. 😆)

I had to wait until payday to get my medications, but I couldn’t pick them up until today. I also had a missions meeting at church today after work, so I figured I’d pick up my meds before the meeting. I was looking forward to both! Then I get an email saying the meeting was canceled. Sad, but oh well, that gives me more time to just chill after picking up my meds.

But then! The pharmacy is closed when I get there, even though they’re not scheduled to close for another hour and a half! There’s no note or anything explaining why they closed early, so I pray everyone and everything is alright, but also I’ve been off my meds for a few days now, which isn’t really helping the pre-existing depressive episode any.

So when I get home, I realize I have one bottle of water left. I have to turn right around and go get some more. While I’m out, I figured I’d treat myself to a massive Dr. Pepper. I’ve earned it! And nothing lifts the spirits quite like my favorite drink.

I get home. I drop my keys closing the car door. I set my Dr. Pepper on the hood so I can quickly grab my keys. I’m sure y’all can tell where this is going. I now have nothing more than an empty cup coated in a mix of Dr. Pepper and dirt with a couple of ice cubes still inside.

It’s only 6 and I’m ready to just go to bed and call it a day. 😭

[mekachu04]

12. Love Language

Kidd - 6! | Killer - 9

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Kidd grew up speaking Gàidhlig

Killer understood som but didn't speak it often

Killer never knew Kidd's name

it's has been forgotten by now

there was coup in the area last summer/fall

Kidd used to have a family

they will come back up later

Kidd turns 6

they've known each other over a year by now

dropping in some Scottish traditions in because I can

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

The charm Killer had as a small child - the one that set adults at ease and gave him sympathy candies or coins - hadn't followed him into the reign of the newest City Boss. The men and woman who'd fed him if he gave them sad looks and batted his eye lashes were rotting in the bottom of the bay, and the ones who did give him a second glance these days had hands that lingered too long. Worse - those men seemed to want him to bring the kid around too and Killer would do a lot for a hot meal, but not at the kid's expense.

Killer had tried to do right by the kid - tried to take him to the adults for care, but no one wanted another little boy - another mouth to feed and still too small to do work in compensation. Killer knew that rejection intimately, tried not to let Eustass' sunshine boy see him crying hot bitter tears at the unfairness of the whole ordeal. The factories would scoop up the little girls, tuck them away in their brick boarding houses... but no one wanted the boys. Not until they were big enough and old enough to fight and bleed for them.

Killer had finally gotten big enough to belong to that, but with his last Boss and his men slaughtered, he had to keep his head down and stay quiet unless someone realized he was missed in the coup. This last turf war had him starting back over a square one again, only this time with the responsibility of someone else. And Killer couldn't bring himself to leave the boy behind; he'd been a part of the wooden port side of the city as long as he could remember. The dock men his only family, the innkeepers for the transients the only parental care he'd known. Eustass had been a hard-ass, but his old lady and the cook had regularly welcomed him in on cold and stormy nights, even when he didn't have a coin to his name. Even before he had a name!

Last winter, 10 days after First-Foot, Eustass himself had cornered Killer at the docks, handed him a soft ball wrapped in shiny paper, and told him under no uncertain terms was he to open it, and instead bring it to the Tavern right at sundown. At that point, Killer had been delivering all sorts of things he wasn't allowed to look at to all sorts of people he wasn't allow to talk to, and had held his free hand out demanding coin for the job. Eustass had smacked him upside the head and told him not to be greedy.

Well - Killer knew where to find the miserable old man if he didn't pay up in the end at least.

10 days into the new year, Killer entered Eustass' Tavern & Inn through the front door for the first time. Payday was 4 nights ago (9 more until the next one) and the Tavern was quiet, a sign posted on the door that he couldn't actually read - he wasn't a strong reader to start with, and it was far too long for him to puzzle out, but he did know that one of the words meant closed - which just confused him further. But Eustass had given him clear instructions, and the door had not been locked, so Killer let himself in.

He was expecting some kind of nefarious Boss meeting - he'd delivered to those quite a few times, Killer just didn't know Eustass was involved in that scene. Instead, he found the lights mostly dimmed, voices chatting away towards the kitchen.

Before he could call out, Mòr Mhàthair, the Matron of the business herself, peaked around the corner. He didn't think he'd ever seen someone brighten so much at seeing him of all people, and he turned to make sure someone else hadn't followed him in. No.. No the woman was smiling at him. She must have been waiting for the delivery.

"Wee barra!" she beckoned him over, and he dutifully held out the package once he reached her side. Instead, she'd gently corralled him in to where the staff and their children set up at a little table in the kitchen, "Chan eil, thoir dha a bhobain e."

Sunshine boy was sat at the place of honour, happily munching on black bun, a small stack of 6 shiny coins next to his plate. Killer looked back to the adults to make sure he was fulfilling the request correctly, surprised to see Eustass smirking at him from the back corner next to the oven. The old man nodded for him to go on, and Killer held out the wrapped package to the boy.

"Là breith sona dhuit!" Everyone chorused as the child tore into the paper, revealing small little stuffed toy of a boar. Killer froze, caught off guard as the words sunk in.

"Did Killer get you a little friend?" the cook asked, and the child held it up for all to see, a smile as bright as the sun across his face.

"Innis do Killer 'tapadh leibh.'" Eustass said, and the birthday boy turned to Killer with that thousand watt smile.

"Thank you Killer!"

Then they'd sat Killer down with the other children at the table of the birthday boy, fed him rich fruit cake and lamb cabbage rolls and when it had gotten late and time for all good boys to be in bed, the cook had tucked him already half asleep into one of the booths closest to the kitchen where the oven kept everything warm. He'd woken the next morning to fresh bread and a few coins for his trouble.

How could he ever abandon the kid after that, the only piece left to any of the good people who had the misfortune of being remembered by him alone.

First-Foot this year was more muted than Killer could ever remember; he'd always spend that night in the Heaps - he knew better than to risk someone's whole year on the likes of him - but there's always been such grandeur leading up to it. Festivals of fire and music and foot. Winter's were harsh, and everyone reveled in a chance to find some warmth and joy. But this last winter had been cold and grey and bitter. And no fanfare to banish the old in favor of new.

Still, dutifully, he counted the days - he'd always been very good at keeping track of things like that, and once the kid was set up on his little corner for begging, Killer slipped away. Usually, he stuck nearby, pilfering pockets. But he had a plan today that involved something else. He'd been skimping on the food he'd been buying for himself, trying to save up a few more coins for today especially.

Fruit might be expensive in the winter, but meat was in steady supply even if a lot was imported these days. Killer also knew for a fact that at least one tavern had gotten in some winter cabbage and he could easily get there and back before the kid missed him.

Days where short this time of year, and Killer got back just as the sun slipped behind the buildings and the temperatures started to drop. Little coin could be made this late - most people rushing to get home while any warmth remained, and Killer and the kid where no different. They picked their way quickly back to the hovel they had built for themselves in the Heaps this winter.

Once Killer - the larger of the two - crawled in, they drug the large scrap of sheet metal over the entrance until there was just enough room for the smaller boy to slip in. There was no one in the Heaps smaller than him and no one knew just how big the shelter was once inside, so they where left unbothered.

Killer moved a second smaller sheet over the gap from the inside as the kid carefully lit the little lamp they had. The piece would block the light and would help block the wind even if it was still quite drafty. "So where's you disappear to today?" the boy asked him, looking a little accusatory.

"Got a surprise for ya, Sunshine!" Killer help up the two packages he'd produced over the day. The first one was set out on their 'table,' freshly made and still hot cabbage rolls, stuffed with beef. More than enough to fill the stomach of any child.

The second was a little bag he tossed at his friend.

"I hate that name," the boy grumbled, even as he opened the little drawstring bag with a crudely stitched skull and crossbones on the outside. Seven coins spilled out on his palm, one for each year and another for luck. Killer had saved the cleanest newest coins he could find, and then buffed them to a brilliant shine - they'd be spent quickly, but in the mean time they shined like new.

"Sorry, Sorry, wont use it again," Regardless, Killer had grinned amiably through his apology, "Happy Birthday, kiddo."

The 6 year old marveled at the coins, before Killer's word caught up to him, "Tch! That's even worse than sunshine!"

[liliumsabyss]

In The Small Moments

Part 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5,

Kaz Brekker x Gn Reader

Summary: Moulin Rouge/Satine Inspired!Reader and Kaz go undercover at a ball only for things to go terribly wrong.

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48845809/chapters/123220936

Word Count: 5.16K

Tw: Angst and Fluff, Swearing, Mentions of Sex, Mentions of Sex Work, No Smut, Mentions of Death, Forced Marriage, Manipulation, PTSD, reader called handsome but could be interrupted as in the old timey gender neutral way, maybe OOC Kaz Brekker, and Pekka Rollins

A/n: This is inspired by Moulin Rouge the musical both adaptations and the place. I imagine the characters to be more like 25 in this.

Early in the morning of Ketterdam fog hung over the streets, while most towns would be asleep, Ketterdam never slept. There was always laughing from a bar, hushed whispers from allies, the drunken shouts of yells, screams of a not so lucky passerbye, honey sweet calls from brothels, that was the barrel, that was the life you knew. You were awake at your desk running through the plans that a certain man had given you. The certain man who was feared by many, he had created numerous enemies yet remained in power, that man being the bastard of the Barrel, Kaz Brekker. And unfortunately for you the man your heart belonged to. You hadn’t quite been a dregger or a crow more like a person of select skills for even selector hire or in other words you sometimes applied these skills but only for Kaz Brekker. Not to say you didn’t get along with the crows, in fact you got along amazingly. They quite enjoyed your “refreshing” presence as they stated, the best term to explain your relation would be friends of some sort.

Otherwise you worked as a bartender and occasional waiter when it got crowded in the Crow Club. It wasn't anything much, however you always noticed a few extra gold coins that appeared in your pocket on payday. Many days after the Crow Club closed for the night or at that point what had been very early morning, it lay empty, Kaz’s companions off somewhere leaving the two of you in amicable silence as he slowly sipped on the strongest liquor on the shelf while you did whatever cleaning up needed to be done, many of times conversations would eventually spur. And then he found out about your particular skill set slowly once on a busy night you were waiting tables when a customer was getting a little too handsy with you after you repeatedly told him to stop Kaz was about to intervene only to see you grab the customers arm twisting it behind his body and smashing his head into the hard wooden edge of the gambling table breaking his nose. Most of the crowd at the table turned stunned, you quickly dropped the stuff off, gave a quick bow in apologies as you left, Kaz stood slightly impressed. Another time you had forgotten your key to open the club before the sun had even come up, you squatted down so you were eye level with the lock, quickly you rummaged through the pockets of your heavy woollen coat finding a random thin hooped earring you picked up on the street and a paperclip you quickly unbent the paperclip and pulled the thin hool straight as well little did you know Kaz was approaching when he spotted you crouched at the door however he saw you pull out the two random objects to his own confusion as you pushed them into the locks fiddling with the tumblers till you heard a click, you stood up and to the others shock opened the door, and then walked in. The third time he was talking to Jesper after the crow club had closed for the night and not bothering to care whether you were there. Jesper was discussing how the Landercrofts, a very wealthy family that were the head of one of the gangs, were having their annual ball in which the crows were planning to rob their vault during the party. Jesper had gotten his hands on false invitations and was stating how the dress code was black and white when you spoke up stating that the dress code this year was red, the black and white dress code was a rumour to set apart who had gotten invited and who was sneaking in. When Kaz and Jesper inquired into where you had gotten that information you explained how your connections made you quite knowledgeable of the barrel and many drunks let things slip. And the fourth time, was when you were carrying a glass from a table once the club was closed when you tripped the glass shattering at your feet Kaz who was by you when you tripped at the same time as you quickly belt down to pick up the glass out of an instinct. You both immediately reached for the largest piece when your hand brushed against his glove and he flinched only he really didn't. It was a slight twinge but less than usual so he tried it out again prying the glass out of your hands and once again he was a little nerved but better than he had with pretty much anyone else. So Kaz could only see one thing to do with your talents and would hire you on the occasion he saw fit which was becoming more and more often. Tonight was the ball that the crows had prepared for months for and the one in which you provided consistent information for, Kaz only saw it fit as you would be one of the ones to directly infiltrate the ball.

Hours passed by as you ran through the plans over and over again before you knew it, it was evening just a few hours before the ball. You frantically got ready scolding yourself for being so careless with watching the time. You grabbed the blood red outfit that laid on your bed for the past day delivered personally by Kaz. The brunette male had also delivered the red mask that was decorated in black markings intricately painted and sculpted; mixed with the outfit there was no way that Kaz paid for it just for you for this one event, someone had to owe him a debt for this. You quickly got yourself ready like you had used to, it had been a long time since you wore anything like this and you were glad for it. A sharp knock came from your door as you scrambled stuffing any possible tools you’d need into various hidden pockets. Opening the old door which let out an unpleasant creak revealed Kaz in a black and red suit to match your outfit.

“ Good your ready we need to go” Kaz let out curtly which was not what he wanted to say yet it was all that he could let out in the cold streets of Ketterdam where anyone could hear anything and take things the wrong way but for what he was going to say they surely would have took it the correct way. You gave a swift nod, looking behind him to see a black horse drawn carriage, Nina and Jesper at the driver's seat waiting impatiently for you two to climb into the back.

“ I thought Inej and Jesper were also supposed to be going in with us?” You questioned, confused at Inej’s lack of presence and Jesper at the reins in a not ball ready outfit.

“ They will be going in just not with, now if we want to be on time we must move.” Kaz responded as he turned walking away climbing into the back of the carriage you followed in tow closing the door as you entered.

Sitting on the plush cushions you ran your hand against the seat and the wooden sill that elegantly framed the window, you breathed in the stale air of the carriage the feeling, the smell had all been so familiar to all those days and nights it was honestly shocking you could forget it for this long. Kaz eyed you silently, watching your face twinge in familiarity however that look was soon gone in your eyes and an eerie tint of hatred flickered. For the rest of the ride you just peered out the window mindlessly. The lights from the mansion shimmered as you approached in your carriage many other carriages also appeared to be dropping guests off. The carriage slowly stopped to a stuttering halt pausing as the carriage rocked slightly giving away that either Jesper or Nina had gotten off their seats. The carriage door swung open, Nina holding it wide open. You put the mask on quickly looking over to Kaz who had done the same, his mask being black decorated with red instead, the inverse of yours. The man swiftly climbed out of the carriage waiting with his hand outreached ready to help you out of it as the carriage hobbled. Nina eyed the two of you in surprise as you took his hand carefully stepping down the wobbling carriage, lights poured carefully out of the manor barley illuminating the pathways that led to the large doors that were cracked and every so often would open letting light flood onto the party goers entering the masquerade. Kaz left his elbow out as you tucked your arm into it carefully so as not to look suspicious to other attendees. The brunette male held the invitations in his opposite hand, grasping them tightly. Stiffly walking up to the doors large men who had large swords sheathed in leather at their sides; ready to be pulled out against any threat to the people of the manor. The guards had displeased faces as they stood tall, intimidating, snatching invitations out of the hands of masked figures. Shortly You and Kaz stood before a guard who stood with her arms crossed and the corner of her lips pulled into a tight frown. Kaz stared at her equal in expression for a long couple of seconds before swiftly putting his arm up the two pale beige invitations decorated in gold swirls with hints of red trickled on them the women to the invitations inspecting them carefully front and back before taking out a wooden plank the split into two three quarters of the way she wedged one of the invitations between the the slit in the plank harshly squeezing it together giving it back to Kaz’s outstretched hand revealing it to have a red seal marking the paper, the guard did the same to the other begrudgingly knocking on the large painted metal and wood doors causing them to slowly open. You and the stiff brunette behind you slipped through into the manor. Laughter and music filled the air swirling around the stuffy air of the large ballroom, gowns splaying out from being turned by their suit and gown clad partners. Standing at the top of the marble stairs looking down upon the people down below, the shoulder that pressed against you that was tensed loosened slightly with a relieved breath. Turning your head to look at Kaz he slanted his head to you in return giving a sharp nod before you both took equally swift steps toward the stairs before descending into the madness of the ballroom. Kaz took a step away from the stairs and away from you his red gloved hand offering his hand with his other arm plastered behind him only then did you noticed the absence of his cane, you gave him a confused look to which he took a step to you whispering below his breath.

“ We cannot afford to look suspicious.” Kaz said lowly pulling up the leg of his suit revealing a slight gleam of metal which appeared to be a brace only letting it fall quickly before taking a step back to once again offer his hand. People whirled around behind him but you could only see him under the warm chandelier light that illuminated the marble floor and sparkling cloth.

“ Of course” You replied fondly to both the gesture and his comment, gently taking his hand taking several steps out onto the floor before turning toward each other. The song that had been playing had finished partners taking a step back bowing or curtsying to the other. The music picked up again with a medium pace waltz, guests flocking toward each other for the dance.

“ Do you want to lead or shall I?” The brunette in front of you commented fidgeting stiffly once again.

“ Eh doesn’t matter to me, dealer's choice.” You shrugged in response figuring that while Kaz offered he probably only knew one of those options if even considering his aversion toward contact. Kaz took a step closer lifting your hand which still lightly remained in his to his shoulders which he set on his ridged boney shoulder his hand reached for your side placing it gently and you grabbed his other hand raising it up holding it slightly below your shoulder as well as out. Kaz moved his foot toward yours, yours moving back in response to the waltzing causing a game of call and response in your movements. Your partner moved his head closer to the side of yours leaning in his mouth by your ear, you could feel a hot breath tickling your ear making a slight tinge of fluster.

“ We need to distract the Landercrofts, Alinda Landercroft and Jerad Landercoft are over by there by the fourth column from the window,” Kaz whispered carefully stopping midway to turn you a subtle gesture you understood, getting a flash of the pale couple in their 50’s, Alinda Landercoft wore a deep red chiffon and miniver gown that was adorned with ruffles while Jerad Landercroft wore a black suit with a red suit vest that matched the same shade of red of his wife, a large top hat stood on his head causing his short grey hair to sprawl out.

“ Their son Devlin is over there succumbing to his seduction activities.” The brunette gestured with his head to the blonde haired male around your age. He was surrounded by a couple of people of all genders who were fawning over him, him just giving a lazy suggestive smile to each of them. He wore a loose black top that cut low into his chest, a red vest tightened to his figure and black dress pants that were tight around his waist leaving little to the imagination a seemingly common theme with his outfit.

“ Once this song ends we should make discussion with Alinda Landercroft and her husband, their son seems busy enough.” Kaz said vaguely referring to his flirting where now a short haired person in a dress that had a very low bust and corset that pushed their chest up, rubbed said chest against his arm as you groaned in disgust.

And as the song ended the two of you briskly walked toward the older-ish couple who were laughing as you approached. You stopped before the couple you and Kaz bowing your heads slightly as the Landercroft’s looked at you in curiosity.

“ Hello Mr. Landercroft, Mrs. Landercroft,-” Kaz started as you internally sighed at his bluntness that was going to get you guys caught before you decided to interrupt him.

“ Mr Landercroft, Mrs Landercroft! Truly this gala is lovely, every year you never fail to impress me or my husband!” You exclaim in delight to them touching Kaz’s arm affectionately at the term “husband” as the brunette give you a wild slightly disturbed look at your behaviour to which you just gave him a slight unnoticeable jab to the ribs.

“ Oh well thank you my dear! But may I be reminded of who you are? My memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.” Mrs. Landercroft said jokingly as you all(except for Kaz) let out a slight chuckle at her statement.

“ Of course don’t worry I get it, I am (F/n) Casspian and this is my wonderful husband Kazmere Casspian. Between you and me he’s not much of a talker unless it comes down to business.” You tell them fake whispering the last part to Mrs. Landercroft in which she responded with a hearty laugh as Kaz rolled his eyes in response but slightly thankful you’d be handling the small talk especially with how much of a natural you were at this.

“ Same with mine dear!” She laughed out as her husband grumbled beside her as you joined her laughter faking it.

“ Now what did you say you did again?” She “asked” or in the world of the rich she was demanding you explain how you got into the party as people these rich rarely personally invite people more so often leaving it to trusted members of the household to invite people of popularity, opportunity, or influence.

“ The Casspians own that metal company. I believe I recently heard about it from an associate, I hear that it's becoming very influential.” Mr. Landercroft spoke up in a very “knowledgeable” tone which would have been knowledgeable except for the fact that none of it was true nor was it planted information just the older man trying to show off. Both you and and the brunette next to you turned your heads slightly making eye contact with a look of confusion at what bullshit this man was spewing to which you both just shrugged your shoulders slightly turning your attention back to the couple.

“ Yes and we were hoping to establish some sort of arrangement between our company and yours.” The brunette says to the elderly couple to which both looked shocked to see him speaking however you internally smiled smug at the distraction this provided the others who should be close to the vault in the eastern wing of the manor.

“ That would be great, son!” Mr. Landercroft said walking over clapping Kaz on the back was quite hard as Kaz flinched away from the contact, inching closer to you pressing tightly against your arm as you felt his arm trembling slightly against yours. You carefully snaked your hand towards his tightly clenched fist nudging it with your pinky in a silent ask. His hand slacked open in response as your hand slid into his carefully rubbing circles onto the back of his hand as his shaking slowly started to decrease as the older man in front of you ran his mouth off about his company.

“ Well son why don’t we all head to my office to hash out the details.” Mr. Landercroft stated hearty as he laughed, putting out his arm for his wife. You looked as Kaz grimacing when the others were not looking, pointing your head towards Devlin who was still wrapped up “entertaining” the people around him. The brunette nodded in understanding at your subtle gesture.

“ Mr Landercroft I would love to join however I must leave my husband up to this, an old acquaintance of mine appears to be here and I’ve never been good at business.” You speak in fake regret towards the couple furrowing your eyebrows together and letting out a tight lipped smile. The couple nodded in understanding of your statement. You turned to Kaz one of your hands still holding his slightly trembling one, you carefully grabbed his other hand with your free one looking at him for any resistance to which you received none you gently raised both his towards each other raising them to your mouth as you bowed your head maintaining eye contact with him lightly brushing your lips against his gloved hands the thick cotton rough under your lips as you placed a soft kiss on them. Kaz's eyes only widened slightly as the corners of his lips threatened to twitch into a warm small smile so faintly you may not have even realised nothing like his manic and greedy smile but a smile that held whatever pieces of his heart had been left. And so you let him go which caused a faint tug at your own heart as you watched him leave with the couple, your eyes trailing him as much as you could before he completely disappeared through the crowd. You turned back to the people whirling in endless mindless circles in lavish gowns and suits. This is the life they know and for most of them all they’ve known but it was also a life you knew, you knew it in the twisted behind closed doors way. And so you skimmed the crowd following it all the way to the blonde man who leaned in close to one of the people that was crowded around him a inch distance from their face with a smirk on his. You made up your mind and decided you would distract him yourself to avoid suspicion of just standing in the open unmoving, unamused. So you walk up to the male swaying your hips slightly, an innocent smile that holds a slight suggestiveness undertone to it cringing internally. The blonde's eyes turned wide for a second before his entire face turned into a smirk as he stopped leaning against the pillar standing straight up, his arms still crossed.

“ Well hello,” Devlin stated seductively(?), more like an attempt to be seductive to which you internally groaned with disgust. But regardless of how cringe worthy it felt you went along with it looking way in fake flusteredness.

“ Hello,” You replied meekly, crying internally at how awful the situation was. The blonde just continued to smirk as he took a step towards you.

“ Well what caused you to wander over here love.” The man replied teasingly and unfortunately for him horribly unattractive. And so your fake waltz began with your “subtle flirting” and his prowling responses. Many of the people who had been fawning over him had walked away with their noses high in the air, scoffing, at your presence it certainly hadn’t been the first time you experienced this but hopefully would be the last. And so your little dance began with slight touches, suggestive innocent sentences, and so on, all part of your careful scheme of distraction. And oh how you dreaded it weaving a web around the playboy who only expected you to be an innocent party-goer who had been entranced by him not a thief who took the role upon themself to protect the man and friends they had come to adore.

“ Well darling how about we head to somewhere more private.” The blonde said his voice dropping as he pressed his mouth against your ear, you having to clench your fingernails into your palm to resist the urge to push him away. But of course you had a role to play and so you’d play it. Your lips turned into a slight pout as you spoke up.

“ Well could we have one dance…first?” You trailed off hugging his arm, an obnoxious move but one that charmed him and most likely only his lips turned into a gentle smile.

“ Why of course.” He responded lightly as he reached his out for yours ready for you to grasp it. You of course did as the two of you walked out into the centre which had just concluded the previous dance, some couples fled to the side, some stayed and some joined. All on the floor stayed perfectly still as they were in their spots until the musicians started to play. It was a medium paced dance and one you knew well. You sighed in relief at the fact you knew the dance and one that you knew well but not only that the dance was one in which you switched partners for a large portion of it in the middle meaning you could get a break from Devlin, what a relief that would be. Your whirling and steps began him sweeping you through the other couples narrowly missing one another, Devlin holding you to him as tight as he possibly could. You on the other hand were mentally counting down the seconds till you would get to switch partners. Then finally what felt like forever you spun away only to be caught by what you’d hoped was anyone better than him. You were wrong. The man in front of you had his hair gelled matching his thick beard and moustache, his eyes stared coldly into you, a smirk upon his lips. You knew the man, you knew him very well and you hated him, you hated him for yourself, for the people he’s hurt, and for Kaz. But there he was in front of you smirking your dance partner, any sliver of hope you’d had. He didn't recognize you went out the window when you came face to face with him.

“ Rollins.” You spat at him, your face seething with anger.

“ (Y/n)” He responded back with that stupid greedy smirk on his face causing you to roll your eyes.

“ You are looking as great as ever, tell me have you taken a visit back yet since your little runaway stunt.” He commented, the words rolling off his tongue in a fake syrupy sweetness. You gritted your teeth together as you stared at his cold gaze with one equally of coldness, possibly even more.

“ Do not even speak of that to me.” You hissed at him hating how one of his hands rested on your waist and the other touching your hand, but most of all you hated how you had to continue this charade with the man, the man that the person you cared for had despised.

“ Oh you mean the Red Windmill or Ryker Knox because both are missing their shining diamond terribly,” He started your face twisting briefly into horror before going back to being enraged “ You know nobody would have ever thought you would have run away from the man much less to the bastard of the barrel.”

“ What are you talking about?” You state sharply trying to feign ignorance in masking your terror that you might’ve put a larger target on Kaz’s back.

“ Oh you know what I’m talking about, I know you quite fancy that bastard but what would dear old Ryker say about that…” He trailed off getting closer, his voice dropping lowly.

“ If you dare do something-” You began to threaten before he clicked his tongue interrupting you.

“ Well for starters I could order my men to go capture them right now don’t think I don’t know about your little heist,” he interrupted now finally so close he was whispering in your ear as you shuddered in fear at the fact you knew why all the guards looked vaguely familiar they had been Rollins in disguise of course they had, “ or you could listen to me and your dear bastard and his group of misfits will go free unharmed, accomplishing their heist, and you won’t be dragged back to Knox.”

“ What do you want?” You said out of your clenched teeth to him terrified at his threat. You couldn’t let them be caught if you could’ve done something to avoid it and you certainly wouldn't, no you couldn’t allow yourself to be dragged back to that awful awful man. You would allow yourself to take your very last breath before you’d ever go back to him willingly or unwilling. Pekka only smirked in response from the little you had seen of him pulling away from your ear for a slight moment before leaning back.

“ To leave with me. You are to leave with me and work for me,” He started as you raised your eyebrow at why he’d possibly want you, you could offer up a decent set of skills but none he needed unless it had to do with your prior “occupation” in which you’d rather die however if thats what would save your friends and your livelihood so be it. But then the man continued, “ And when you do so, when the bastard comes for you, you will tell him no, you will reject the boy and you will break his heart.”

“ Is there anything else?” You let out monotonous, staring ahead blankly ignoring the man's disgustingly hot breath against your ear before pulling away doing the turn the dance required only to slam back into him. You hadn’t questioned his condition, you knew Kaz wouldn’t come for you, and you couldn’t even blame him for it how could you, it wasn’t going to break his heart that the bartender who had some extra abilities would end up going with Pekka Rollins his enemy sure it would piss him off in terms of loyalty but break his heart no, no it wouldn’t. But of course you couldn’t fathom how much it actually would, how would you when the only time the man would let his heart bleed for you was in the moments you’d blink and for those split milliseconds his gaze would soften when it wandered to you, or when the early hours of the morning when even the crows of Ketterdam slept but he’d be the only person up his mind drifting to you so quietly, or in crowded rooms when he could pick out your voice out , out of the many drinking it in memorising it ever so thoroughly, or maybe it was when he’d watch you clean the club late at night after closing and he‘d get to indulge at letting your name roll off his tongue not having to fear the world hearing, so yes how would you know when he loved you in the quiet moments, moments of time no one in the world could detect in his terror of someone finding out. And yet he failed.

“ All you will need to do is sit there and look handsome, with the possibility of obtaining information.” He responded back his voice slick with victory his words slithering like a snake into your ear but it wasn’t words of temptation he whispered it was venom it was the venom of the life you could not live it was the venom that would kill your livelihood, kill your soul, and ultimately kill you. But it wasn’t a choice it was a sword and a vial of poison it was death for you either way one would be slow and painful, guilt, shame, and hatred would be one or the other where only you would suffer completely it would take a bit of time to kick in but only you would be harmed without having to worry about the others. And so your choice was made you acting as your own executioner.

“ I will do it, but only if you agree that they will go successfully with the heist and you will not do anything to them directly or indirectly.” You said firmly making your final stand refusing to let any loopholes get through for your effort.

“ Fine, I agree. Let us go.” he said, grabbing your wrist harshly, twisting it a little bit as he dragged you to the door as you attempted to keep looking back a few times desperately as a final last hope that one of the crows may be there but of course this was reality they were not. And so you were dragged out into the dark night by the monster who was to cage you once again. The stars and sky of Ketterdam had never looked as cold and dull as they did tonight but you attempted to ignored them as you got into the dark carriage not caring to look around just staring blankly into the void of the night, the lights of the manor disappearing behind you and the weight of what you had just agreed to started consuming you into the void of the night.

[stereax]

Can you explain the erik-canes drama please 😚

Yeah, no problem, anon! Meet me under the read more for the details :)

So last night we found Haulzy wearing a "Canes Suck" bracelet -

(let the record show I posted this FIRST before the Canes fans found it because I am speedier than them and also much better in every single way 😉)

Now, you may be asking yourself, "why is a grown, 32-year-old hockey player of a man wearing a bracelet that says Canes Suck on it?" That is a WONDERFUL question. First, let's look at Haula's career.

Erik Haula was drafted in the seventh round by Minnesota. He played for the Wild for a few years before, well, the Wild essentially sold him to the Golden Knights in the expansion draft - they basically sent Vegas Alex Tuch (one of their better prospects) for a third and "expansion draft considerations", meaning the Knights would choose Haula in the draft and not a player like Matt Dumba or Marco Scandella, who were more vital to the Wild's core.

Haula plays for the Knights for two years - he's part of the team that wills itself into the Cup finals in 2017-18. In 2018-19, Haula goes down early, getting injured in a game against Toronto that keeps him out the rest of the season.

Vegas trades him to Carolina three days before his wedding. It's a Kelly McCrimmon move - and if you know the Knights, you know what that means (trading fan favorites for better returns). By all accounts, Haula loved Vegas, so he's going into this Carolina thing with some apprehension, especially because this is the last year on his contract. If he puts up good numbers, he's going to get a payday. If not, well, probably not. Remember, he had a career year in 2017-18. He wants to prove he's got what it takes.

Alright. He gets there, gets hurt for a few games with an LBI, comes back, gets hurt again and is out for a few weeks. At the time he gets his second injury, he's got 11 points in 16 games, with 8 goals, one less than team leaders Svechnikov, Aho, and Hamilton (all of whom played more games). So the dude's playing stellar, but then gets banged up. He slots back into the lineup just before Christmas.

And here's where things go south. You see, Haula and his wife, Kristen, were planning to start a family. Kristen got pregnant probably around August, given that when Haula posted the baby announcement on his Instagram he noted a May due date.

The baby is found without a heartbeat 12/30/19.

Erik Haula plays the next day and pots a goal and an assist.

It's a second-trimester miscarriage, which means it's likely Kristen had to deliver a stillborn baby.

He points to the sky after the goal, honoring his lost daughter.

It's around this time that relations between Haula and the Canes begin to take a nosedive.

(Fun fact, contrary to what Canes fans will tell you, Haula's play only suffered significantly after the miscarriage. In the four games in December he played before the miscarriage, he got 2 goals and 2 assists, so in 20 games he had 15 points which is nothing to scoff at for a middle-sixer. Despite being tossed around a bit in the lineup, he was still producing very well.)

Reports of exactly what was going on are incredibly difficult to find and are generally tainted by the biases of whoever writes them. It's stated that Haula was, in some way or another, "forced" to play the day after the miscarriage and never given time to emotionally recover from it. He gets scratched a few times (and again, it's a contract year for him, so ice time is exceedingly valuable). There are rumors of a "shouting match" between Haula and head coach Rod Brind'Amour. Supposedly, he's not participating in after-game workouts that Brind'Amour makes the team do (for recovery) and thus "doesn't fit the culture of the team", "has no respect", and "is a jerk". (Which... we'd prefer him do work on the ice, thanks???) Other rumors say he's "bullying" the rookies on the Canes (which have never been corroborated by a reliable source nor been backed up by similar actions anywhere else). Kristen makes vague posts on Instagram that Canes fans interpret as being derogatory towards the team - Reddit widely quotes one as "Don't allow your loyalty to become slavery. If they aren't appreciating what you bring to the table, let them eat alone."

So Haula gets dealt at the deadline to the Panthers as part of a deal for Vincent Trocheck, after playing only 41 games for the Canes. And he journeys around the NHL for a few years after that before finding his home in New Jersey.

Ever since then, the Canes have absolutely haunted Haula. The "1-14" thing Canes fans put on pictures of him? It's because, since leaving the Canes, he's won once at their home rink (PNC)... and lost 14 times. In three consecutive years, his teams have lost to the Canes each time in the playoffs (Predators, Bruins, then Devils, respectively). He's the first player that happened to, where he played for three different teams and each year lost to the same team.

Canes fans boo him every time he touches the ice - for them, he's a traitor that shit-talked Raleigh and the team and backs it up by playing like a goon when he's against them.

So if there's one person on the whole Devils roster who deserves to wear a Canes Suck bracelet, it's Uncle Haula.

Go off, king.

📿👑

~ [ Addendum 1: Pasta ] ~

David Pastrnak, much like Erik Haula, also lost a child - his son died only six days old. I'm sure, when Pasta accidentally ran into Antti Raanta on the ice during the 2022 playoffs, they didn't go on his socials and make disgusting comments about his child's death...

Oh? They did? Well then.

Canes fans will tell you they only had the utmost of respect for Haula during his miscarriage and never used it against him, both during and after his Canes tenure. Somehow, I doubt that.

But maybe that's just me.

~ [ Addendum 2: Signs ] ~

When Canes fans make signs like this about you, it's understandable why you get upset.

The sign reads "It's me. Haula. I'm the problem. It's me. Hi everybody agrees", with cutouts of Haula's former teams' logos pasted on top.

What's so strange is that no Panthers, Bruins, Knights, Predators, or Wild fans seem to have a problem with Haula. It's only the Canes fans calling him "locker room cancer". Jack Hughes disagrees with this assessment.

Coincidentally, the "locker room cancer" charge was also famously said about Dougie Hamilton...

Oh, hey, look, some Canes fans behind the Devils' bench, just behind Jack, made a sign! I'm sure it's nice and respectful :)

Wait, is that Ellen Weinberg-Hughes next to a man whose face is photoshopped to be Sebastian Aho?

The sign says "Jack Your Mom's A Ho", by the way.

And several Canes players signed it.

"Bunch of jerks" is right.

So if you wonder why Jack Hughes beat the shit out of Sebastian Aho... look no further.

~ [ Addendum 3: Culture ] ~

Once again, I point you to this post by eugeniosuarez -

1 is about Jordan Staal, 2 and 3 are about Tony DeAngelo, if you're unsure.

Yeah, I think I see the culture problem here. Just to be clear, this one, right?

Glad we're on the same page 👍

[andopandor]

Rebound/Be Round

A gay gainer story

---

"He's fucking shallow. Fuck him," Emmett mutters to himself as he downs yet another beer.

The bartender watches the dejected university student sympathetically from behind the counter. With his job, you learn to recognize the characteristic signs of heartbreak. Emmett is a young man of average height, with brown eyes and a bit of a beer belly. Handsome, if a bit disheveled at the moment. At Emmett's request, the bartender dutifully brings another pint.

Emmett gratefully accepts the drink and glances around the bar, hoping that nobody he knows will see him like this. He sees a tall, broad-shouldered man around his age sitting in the corner, messy brown hair and a day's worth of stubble on his jawline. Emmett tries to figure out why the man looks so familiar...

---

Across the room, Jack is drinking after a long day on the construction site. It's Friday, and payday, and he's taken the opportunity to get a little drunk. He looks up and notices a man staring at him from the barstools. Jack also needs a moment before realizing it's Emmett, his best friend from high school. He'd grown some facial hair and a bit chubbier, but he had the same warm eyes and cute face.

Jack stands and finds his way through the crowded bar. When he finally reaches the counter, he smiles widely. "Hey buddy! It's been way too long," he says. "How's life treating you these days? Still studying engineering?"

They had gone separate ways after high school, when Emmett left town for university while Jack continued into trades. They'd kept in touch on social media, but only barely.

Emmett sighs, a sadness in his eyes that's unfamiliar to Jack. "Oh, you know, same old, same old," he says, half-heartedly returning Jack's smile. "Just been buried in textbooks and papers lately." He gestures vaguely at the bar and the beer in front of him. "Needed a break, I guess."

Jack leans in, looking concerned. "Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? I mean, I know it's been a while since we've chatted, but you're still my oldest friend. What's really going on?"

Emmett glances around the bar before finally meeting Jack's eyes. "It's just... things with Mark. He broke up with me."

"Oh," Jack says, surprised. "I'm so sorry to hear that, man. When did that happen?"

Emmett shrugs, looking down at his beer. "A couple of days ago. I thought things were going well, but yeah, no. He was seeing someone else behind my back."

Jack winces. "No way man. You're smart, attractive, funny... He's seriously giving up on the perfect man."

"It's just... he said..." Emmett hesitates, but Jack encourages him to continue. "It's just he said I was gaining too much weight." He takes a long sip of beer, trying to push the emotions back down. "I mean, I know I've put on a few pounds since first year, but come on. I've always been a bigger guy. It's not like I've changed as a person."

Jack's face darkens. "What a piece of shit. You deserve so much better." He puts a hand on Emmett's shoulder. "You know I've got your back, buddy, right?" He looks at his friend thoughtfully, trying to find the right words to comfort him. "Besides, the weight... looks good on you," he finally says, blurting out the words without quite meaning to. "You've always been bigger than the average guy, and it's, uh, it's attractive." He flushes. "I mean, not that I'm into, you know... just... never mind."

Emmett looks up at Jack, slightly confused. He searches Jack's face for any sign of insincerity, but there is none. "Thanks Jack, I appreciate it," he says, eager to move past the awkward moment. "It's just been tough lately, you know?" He takes another sip of beer. "But it's nice to have someone to talk to about it."

Jack nods, thinking. "Hey, I know it's late, but do you maybe wanna grab dinner? We have a lot to catch up on. Besides, you shouldn't be drinking alone at a time like this." He gives Emmett a reassuring smile. "My treat."

"Sure, dinner sounds great... I am getting hungry. Thanks, Jack."

"Great! There's an amazing Italian restaurant just down the block."

They both finish their beers and head out into the cool evening. As they walk to the restaurant, Emmett already begins to look a bit more cheerful. Jack steals sidelong glances at his old friend. He would never say it out loud, but Emmett does seem a lot thicker than he was at their graduation.

---

The Italian restaurant is bustling with activity, the scent of olive oil and garlic filling the air. The men find their way to a cozy booth in the back and glance over the menu, considering what to order. Emmett's stomach rumbles as he reads. Jack pretends not to notice, but assures Emmett that he can order whatever he wants - it's payday after all.

But when the waiter arrives, Emmett only orders a side salad. Finding this strange, Jack orders the Chef's Special, which includes three different kinds of pasta and nearly half a loaf of garlic bread.

Emmett seems shocked by the size of the order. "You sure you can handle all that, Jack?" he asks with a chuckle.

Jack only grins. "Oh, I've got a big appetite tonight, Emmett. And I figure if I don't finish, I can ask a friend for help."

As they wait for their food, they continue to talk and catch up, laughing and teasing each other like old times. For both of them, it had been a long time since they felt this comfortable around someone. Jack hadn't realized how much he had missed Emmett.

Halfway through his meal, Jack pushes his plate away, unable to eat another bite. Emmett had finished his salad long ago. He looks longingly at Jack's plate, still piled with food.

Jack laughs. "Please, help yourself! I'm finished."

Emmett gratefully pull's Jack's plate over, beginning to dig into the delicious pasta. "Thanks Jack," he says between bites. "I haven't been eating much since... well, the breakup. But this food is really good."

Jack leans back in the booth, watching Emmett eat with a satisfied smile. "No worries, buddy. You don't want to waste away just because of that jerk. You deserve to have a proper meal and to feel good about yourself again."

Emmett shrugs, but continues devouring the pasta.

"You know," Jack says, then hesitates. He never would say this sober. But he's not. "I think you're perfect just the way you are. And I'm not just saying that because of what Mark said. One of these days you'll meet someone who appreciates you for you."

Emmett looks up from his food, giving Jack a skeptical look. "Maybe," he admits, "but I doubt it." He sighs. "I mean you're like the only one who thinks that. Too bad you're straight..."

Jack looks into Emmett's eyes, considering. The noise of the restaurant around him fades away.

"Actually," he says, taking a deep breath. "I'm bisexual."

Emmett pauses mid-chew. "Really??"

Jack nods, swallowing hard. "I've never really told anyone. But... you've been honest with me and I wanted to be honest with you." He gently touching Emmett's hand. "I know you're still getting over Mark, and if you're not interested, that's okay. But I just wanted to tell you."

Emmett stares at their joined hands for a long moment, then up at Jack eyes. "I mean..." he trails off, trying to process this information. "I mean I've kind of always had a crush on you , you know."

Jack smiles shyly. He leans in closer. "And I mean it when I say you've gotten so much hotter since we graduated," he says, glancing down at Emmett's belly. "It's really fucking sexy actually."

Emmett feels a blush creep up his neck. He searches Jack's eyes, finding only honesty and desire. He takes a shuddering breath. "You really mean that?" he whispers.

"I really do," Jack says, his voice low and husky. "You're so gorgeous, Emmett. And I've kind of been fantasizing about something." He leans in even closer, whispering. "I wanna feed you."

Emmett nods slowly, strangely excited by Jack's desires. He had always been concerned with keeping thin, but now... a thrill runs through him. "You'd... you'd want to do that? You'd like me.. that way?"

"Yeah," Jack says, touching Emmett's thigh under the table. "I want to see you eat, to see you grow."

Emmett swallows hard, feeling heat pooling in his groin. "Okay," he breathes. "Okay, let's do it." He takes in the surroundings, trying to compose himself. "But c'mon Jack, not now. We're in public."

Jack laughs. "Fine," he says, leaning back. "My place is just a few blocks from here."

---

After Jack settles the bill, Emmett follows Jack back to his apartment. The warmth inside him abates the cold night air. The pasta settles comfortably in his belly, and, for the first time, he isn't worried that he's eaten too much. As they step into Jack's living room, he can't help but notice how it's much cozier than Mark's bleak minimalist apartment.

Jack turns to face Emmett. "So," he says, noticeably excited, "are you ready to eat?"

Jack has never really cooked for another man before, but he's eager to show off his culinary skills. He fries up some bacon and creamy chicken with mashed potatoes. He also throws a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the oven, for good measure. The aromas fill the air, making Emmett's mouth water in anticipation.

"There you go," Jack says, placing a plate in front of Emmett and sitting down across from him.

"Uh... can I get a fork?" Emmett asks.

Jack smirks. "No. That's my job." He uses his own fork to scoop up some food from the plate. "Open wide."

Emmett dutifully opens his mouth and takes a bite of bacon, savoring the taste. It's very tasty, and he can't help but feel pleased knowing that Jack prepared this meal just for him. "This is amazing," he manages to mumble between mouthfuls.

Jack beams. "I'm glad you're enjoying it." He continues to feed Emmett as the chubby man rubs his belly contentedly.

Many bites later, Emmett moans. "Okay, I'm stuffed. I really couldn't eat anymore."

Jack coaxes another scoop of mashed potato in Emmett's mouth. "Are you sure?"

"Seriously," Emmett groans with his mouth full. He pats his bloated stomach. "I'm packed ."

Jack nods. "Okay, fine," he says reluctantly. "You can go lie down on the couch to digest. I'll join you in a minute."

Emmett stumbles into the living room, feeling rounder and heavier than he's ever been. He collapses into the soft couch, stomach aching but satisfied. He releases a belch and massages his belly, unbuttoning his jeans to give it some more room.

Several minutes pass, and Emmett begins to wonder where Jack is. Soon enough, the brawny man comes into the room with a tray of fresh cookies. "I hope you have room for dessert," he smirks.

Emmett knows he shouldn't but... they look and smell so good. "Ughhh," he groans. "Just one, okay?"

Jack settles beside Emmett. God, he looks big, sprawled out on the couch like this. Jack massages the man's hairy belly where it peeks out from above his jeans. With his other hand, Jack gently touches a cookie against Emmett's lips.

Emmett savours the warm soft dough on his tongue. "Alright, this is fucking delicious," he sighs.

"Thanks," Jack smiles. "You know, I just... like taking care of you." He glances up at Emmett and brushes a crumb out of his beard. "I never want to stop caring for you."

Emmett's heart skips a beat. "I don't want you to, Jack," he whispers. He reaches out, tracing a finger along Jack's jawline.

Jack closes his eyes, leaning into Emmett's touch. "Good," he breathes, his voice low and husky. "Because I want to do so much more than just feed you."

Jack moves his hand down the trail of hair leading towards Emmett's crotch, feeling Emmett's dick grow hard against his belly. They lean closer to each other, their lips mere inches apart.

"Show me." Emmett whispers.

The men's lips lock in a heated kiss, desperate from years of pent-up desire. Their bodies press against each other, Jack's sculpted by manual labour and Emmett's swollen with beer and high-calorie food. Jack's hands roam up and down Emmett's shirt, grabbing his lovehandles and playing with his bellybutton.

Emmett moans against Jack's lips, feeling new sensitivity in his engorged gut. Every inch of him tingles with pleasure as Jack's hands explore his figure.

Jack pulls away from the kiss for a moment, panting heavily as he gazes at Emmett's enlarged stomach. He undoes the buttons of Emmett's shirt and tosses it aside. His fingers are cool against heated skin as they trace circles around his navel. And then lower, down the curve of his belly.

"God, you're so hot," Jack murmurs, continuing to tease and touch. His fingers venture lower still, wrapping around Emmett's aching erection. Emmett moans deeply as Jack begins to stroke.

"That's it," Jack whispers. "Let me take care of you." Emmett feels Jack's breath hot against his chest as the man begins to kiss his neck, his nipples, his belly button. All the while continuing to stroke Emmett's cock. He feels about to explode.

Just when Emmett thinks he can't take it anymore, Jack lips are back on his lips, Jack's eyes staring deep into his.

"Cum for me," Jack whispers. Emmett reaches orgasm and shoots over his bloated belly.

Emmett collapses back against the couch, spent and satisfied. He sighs. "That was... amazing."

Jack kisses Emmett again. "We're not done yet."

"We're not?"

Jack laughs. "There are still eleven cookies left."

[strbymacaroon]

✿ S1 E1: Your New Normal! ✿

✿ Roomie Series!: Eren Yeager x Reader!

❥ S1 E1. 13:00 mins remaining, 4360 words.

❥ Previous Episode: S1: Pilot!

❥ Y/n now forced to adapt to her new life, tried to understand who she was before. With… a few inconveniences in the way.

.•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

You soon came to realize that the whole house layout changed. Actually, you were in a completely different house! You don’t even know how, it just happened. You blinked and– poof! Different. Well, that’s not exactly what happened, but that’s what it felt like. You just went to bed and woke up to a completely different room. 

The ceiling was incredibly tall, a small chandelier decorated with crystals hanging above you. Your bed was huge, a King to be exactly. A white and pink canopy tied to the post, some cute fairy lights strung along the top railing. 

Your floor was hardwoods, a massive white fluffy rug covering it. A few candles were lit, the scent of vanilla in the air. Jesus, alternate you had money to burn. 

In-fact, even your clothing were different. A short, silk, white, thin, gown resting over your frame. Knee high black socks, and some matching black lingerie.  You nodded at yourself. At-least alternate version of yourself had style. 

Sexy style. 

So, that’s where you were. 

In your room. 

Your dream room. 

You always told yourself, once you had the money you were going to decorate your room. And, in this world, where you do have the money, you did exactly that. Your room was luxurious and big. 

Decorated in whites and decor, your bed soft with some silk bedding, flowing curtains covering your floor to ceiling window, and that was the simple things. That didn’t include the balcony, restroom, and closet.

Yeah, balcony. Restroom. And the closet. 

You glanced at the time, which was a clock conveniently on your vanity. 7:30. You should have class in a few hours. Resting not too far from the clock was a planner. 

“That should be helpful.” You grabbed the pink book, opening it to this week. 

— Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday —

Payday!: Monday! (Send Dad a thanks, also dinner Sunday!) 

Classes: 12-3 on Mon. Tues. Thurs. (Easy classes.)

Free Days!: Wed. Fri. “Party Days! ❤︎︎”

Arts stuff— Wednesday. Sometimes Sunday. 

Check on Roger, Wednesday. ⇝ Important!!

Roger? Who the hell was Roger? 

You felt your stomach drop. 

..a sugar daddy?..

You shook your head, slapping your cheeks. Chill, Y/n. You glanced back at the calendar. Your schedule was so much more— free. Apparently you didn’t work a job anymore, and didn’t have as many classes. What do I major in? Is it the same thing? Hopefully. You worked your ass off becoming a nurse. 

You sighed, sitting in the chair. Glancing at the lavish mirror in-front of you. Seeing as the strap to your sleeping gown fell off your shoulder. 

Was I always that pretty? Or did I swap bodies with..

Your phone rang, making you jolt. You reached for it, reading the caller I.D. 

‘Daddy <3’ 

You blinked, smiling to yourself. Yeah, that’s who you needed to talk to right now, your Dad. I wonder what he’s like in this world? Generous, obviously. You slid your finger over the phone, holding it to your ear. Smiling, “Hey, Dad! What’s up?” 

You walked to your balcony, pulling it open. Feeling awed by the view. To add to that growing list, you also lived in a two story house across an ocean. A fucking ocean. What the fuck..

“Jean,” the person corrected, and you felt your stomach drop. “But, I'm not opposed to that when I come over.” 

You could feel your face burn. “Oh, that’s.. I thought you were someone..” You thickly swallowed, running your hand over the couch. Another silk thing in your growing collection. You sat on the couch, enjoying the view. “But, why did you call? Are you good?” You had no idea how to talk to Jean. You didn’t know how you acted here. 

“I’m good.” He told you, “Eren just said you were acting weird at practice, so I wanted to check up on you.” You couldn’t miss the strain in his voice. “Since when did you start talking to him?” 

Man, I must really hate Eren. “Uhm, since yesterday?” you were unsure how to respond. “I mean, he is my roommate. Wouldn’t it be weird if I didn’t talk to him?..” 

“I don’t know, you’ve done it your whole freshman and sophomore year. What’s different now?” He asked, shuffling a little. 

“I feel different.” You laid back on the couch, in slight disbelief. You were talking to your boyfriend– Jean. A fictional man from Attack on Titan. “I–I feel different.” You repeated. 

“How different?” He pressed, almost like he was confused. 

“Different enough.” You told him, feeling your eyebrows mush together. What was with that question? You pressed yourself off the couch, your mouth moving before you could think. “Eren was talking about me?” A part of you wanted to change the topic anyways. 

Jean laughed, “No.” There was a slight moment of silence, “And yes. He always talks about you.” You could tell from Jean’s tone that wasn’t a good thing. “He talked about you differently.” 

You blinked a few times, “Oh.” He shit talks you. 

Jean laughed again, “Oh indeed.” 

Your jaw dropped, peeking off the balcony. Is that a pool?! I have a pool?! You smiled, lifting your foot to the railing. “Hey babe, I think I need to call you back.” You told him. Confused on where the pet name came from, but forgetting about it quickly. Glancing at the built-in slide. 

“You think?!”

“Yup!” You ended the call and tossed your phone back on the couch. Lifting yourself over the railing and smiling. Jumping into the pool. 

You lifted your head up, running your fingers through your hair. Letting out a loud laugh, “This place is awesome!” 

You turned to the slide door being frantically opened. 

Eren was glaring at you, blinking in utter confusion. “Y/n, what the hell are you doing?!” 

You giggled, smiling at him. “Swimming?!” You shouted, “We have a goddamn pool, why in the world wouldn’t I swim in it?” You said, dipping under the water and popping back up across the whole pool. 

Eren smiled, remembering your sudden attitude change. He quickly gripped the bottom of his shirt, toying with it and walking to the pool. “Is it cold?” 

You tilted your head, looking at him with long lashes. Quickly looking at his outfit, some plaid pj pants, a tight black shirt. “Why don’t you come in and find out?” You played, pushing a wave of water in his direction. Watching as he dipped his bare foot into the water, his skin littering in goosebumps. 

“Jesus, you jumped into this shit?” He looked up, glancing at your balcony. “From there?” He pointed up. 

You giggled, nodding your head. “You’re telling me you don’t want to jump off my balcony?” 

He shook his head, “You never let me play with the idea when I throw pool parties.” He pulled his foot back out, “You always say your room is off limits.” His eyes moved to the water, trying to glance at what you were wearing. It didn’t look like swimming clothes to say the least. 

In-fact, Eren’s never seen you in swimming clothes. “What are you wearing?” He asked, tilting his head. 

You shrugged, “What I slept in.” You shook your head quickly, “But, that doesn't matter. Come join me in the pool.” You outstretched your arms, almost like you were waiting for a hug. “Let’s have fun!” You gave him a kind smile. 

Eren shivered, “Let me go change.” He turned on his heel, his back turned to you. 

You booed at him, swimming to the edge of the pool. Placing your arms on the edge and resting your chin on them. “Don’t be boring ‘Ren, just get in with your sleepwear.” You tilted yourself back, lifting one of your legs into the air. Revealing the sheer black stocking, “That’s what I did.” 

Eren blinked at you, his eyes dipping up and down your leg. Watching as you lowered your leg into the water again. He smiled, thickly swallowing. “‘Ren? Is that a nickname?” He didn’t know if he liked it. 

You rolled your eyes, pulling yourself out of the water. “Way to change the subject.” You pulled your hair over your shoulder, ringing it out. 

Eren glanced at the way your white dress clung to your skin, sheer from the water. He turned away, clearing his throat. “I said I’ll get in, just let me change!” He shouted, starting to rush into his house. Like hell he was going to miss his chance to slam you into the pool. He didn’t know if it was to mess with you, or get back at you. 

“I’ll probably already be out by then.” You yelled over your shoulder, standing up and looking for a towel. Quickly removing your socks and ringing them out. 

You threw your hair back over your shoulder. 

“Y/n!” 

You turned to the sound, utterly confused. Before you loudly laughed, “I thought you said you were going to change?!” You shouted up, smiling as you sat back down. Dipping your legs into the water. 

Eren ignored you, just grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it over his head. You felt your eyes widen, your jaw dropping. Holy shit, Jesus take the wheel.

Eren laughed at your reaction, “I know.” Cocky bitch. He tossed it to the side, “Should I take the pants off too?” 

You rolled your eyes. Absolutely. “Gross, like I'd want to see your shriveled dick.” I’ve dreamed about it, actually. You leaned back on your palms, enjoying the show. 

Eren shook his head and jumped off you balcony, and it felt like he was flying. Something euphoric he hadn’t felt in awhile. Well, without the help of... 

He popped back up from the water, right in-front of you. 

You smiled, “It’s fun right?!” You teased, tossing your socks to the side.

Eren smiled back, “Mhm, a lot of fun.” He grabbed your ankles, making you look at his hands. His hands. They wrapped around your whole ankle. God. “I don’t know why you’re letting me do this now.” 

“Because,” I’m making the most of this, you thought. “We only have two more years. Let’s enjoy the time we have.” You responded. 

Eren nodded, “I agree.” And, he pulled you into the pool, dunking your head under the water unexpectedly. 

You popped back up, clinging onto him as you tried to breathe. Choking on the water, “Fuck! You bitch!” You coughed, secretly watching as Eren slowly freaked out. 

“Shit, I didn’t mean to–” 

You dunked him under the water, laughing loudly. He popped back up, jaw dropped. “You little– faker!” 

You giggled, “Get used to it, ‘Ren. This is how it’s going to be like everyday.”

Eren suppressed a smile, he didn’t mind that. Not one bit.

•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

You wrapped the towel around your body, walking out of your restroom into your room. Enjoying the way all the expensive lotions, perfumes, and conditioners felt on your body. Money did buy happiness. 

You opened your closet and your jaw dropped. It was practically another room. Littered in shoes, dresses, clothes, jewelry, and— “Lingerie?” You blinked, letting your hand grab the fabric. Soft. So this is the shit you sleep in. 

You walked back, glancing at your designer— everything. Practically everything had a expensive logo decorating its already expensive design. 

How much money does my Dad send me?!

You turned on your heel, peering at the table in the middle of the room. They were backpacks. “Which bag do I take?” You ran your fingers over a simple black backpack, looking at the logo. Gucci. 

Jesus fuck, you could be carring someones semester tuition right now. You turned your attention to the jewelry, grabbing some earrings and a matching necklace. Holding it to your skin. Were your ears pierced?.. 

You placed them back down on your vanity, looking at yourself. In fact, you looked different. Not entirely, your face was the same, it was just your body. In fact, it was your dream body. You wrapped your hands around your boobs, giving them a small squeeze. 

“Hell yeah.” You giggled to yourself. You could get used to this.

You grabbed a dress, trying to glance at the design. You didn’t like it. It was beautiful, just showed way too much skin. You weren’t used to that. You weren’t used to any of this. 

Or Eren Yeager. 

Fuck. Eren Yeager. 

You felt your stomach fly, a sappy smile coming over your lips. You were in the same house as Eren Yeager. Hell, you lived with him! Who else could say that? 

No one, but you. 

You wiggled, quickly spinning as your eyes landed on another vanity. You smiled, skipping over to it and looking at everything. 

You had a small speaker there, if you were correct— it was an Alexa. 

“Alexa?” 

The top of her lit up blue, while she replied— “Mhm!” 

You smiled, “Play some music for me, please.”

“Of course!”

You nodded your head, moving your hips to the Doja Cat song playing. Then, moving back to your closet. Skimming your fingers through your racks of clothing. It felt like you were in a mall! 

You grabbed a lacy black bra, slipping it over your body. Along with some matching panties. Enjoying the way it complemented your body, before grabbing a light gray zip-up jacket. You kept the jacket over your shoulder, revealing your shoulders. 

Some sweats would look nice with this. You looked around, only to come to a small realization. 

“I don't have sweats!” You sighed, pouting slightly. 

You paused, looking at what was in your closet. Nothing. This style was completely out of your comfort zone. You grabbed a skirt, holding it to your hips. Discarding the jacket you were wearing. 

“Miss L/n?” You turned over your shoulder, peering at who called your name. A random old lady?..

You blinked a few times, “Yes?..” 

“Are you picking out your outfit today?” She asked kindly, her gloved hands cupping each other. 

“Uhm..” you looked around yourself, “Am I allowed too?”

She giggled, “Of course you are dear, but if you don’t mind me asking— why today? Anything planned?” 

You blinked, eyes skipping up and down her attire. A simple black dress, a small white handkerchief wrapped around her head, and some white gloves to match. If you didn’t know any better —which you didn’t— she looked like a maid. 

“None at all, just— uhm.” You looked around the room, “Looking around.” You cringed. Such a bad lie. 

She blinked at you, “You seem to be in a pleasant mood.” She walked into the closet, “How about this, you go down stairs and eat with Mr. Yeager.” She giggled, “Don’t tell him I told you this but, he requested for me to send you down.”

You felt a smile on you face. Placing your hands to your face and looking to the side, “Did he?” 

She turned back, seeing how you were smiling. “Oh, don’t tell me Miss. L/n.” She teased, placing a gloved hand above her growing smile. “You and Mr. Yeager—” 

“You don’t need to say that.” You cut her off, trying to change the subject. You could feel your heart beating quickly. The fact that you and Eren could be something was—

She grabbed the jacket on the floor, folding it into her hand. “And, I’ll pick out the outfit. Like always.” She gave you a kind smile. 

You nodded, taking a step back. She turned her back to you, searching through your clothing. “There’s another gown on your bed, if you wish to wear it.” 

You looked down, seeing you were just in your underwear. Your face burned in embarrassment, “Yes, thank you.” 

She paused, her head turning to the side. Peering over her shoulder. “Uhm, you’re welcome, dear.”

.•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

You turned around, doing a small spin. “I don’t know about this, it feels.. weird.” I feel weird. 

Your legs exposed with a short skirt, and your top a simple long sleeved crop top. Your shoes were some pink Nike’s that matched with your white shirt. 

Eren laughed, shaking his head. Keeping his position on the couch. “It’s what you always wear.” He told you, pulling out his phone and searching for something. 

You pouted, sitting down next to him. “Ugh, I’m going to go out and buy some sweats.” You complained, grabbing your phone and opening Amazon. Hopefully you wishlist traveled with you.

“You know what sweats are!?” He said, and by his tone you knew he wasn’t joking.  

God, alternate me sucks.

“Shut up.” You plainly said, seeing that it did. You smiled to yourself, doing something you never thought you would. 

Proceeding to checkout. 

Eren leaned on you, his head resting on your shoulder. Does he not know what personal space is?

“Is that a cosplay?” He asked, pointing to your phone. Completely oblivious to what he just laid out for you. 

You smiled, “It’s a Halloween costume..” you turned to him, “How do you know what cosplay is, ‘Ren?” 

He backed up, blinking a few times. “My ex used to do it.” You hated how fast he answered that. You didn’t know if he was lying. But, something was telling you he was. 

 I wonder what he cosplays? 

You felt your phone buzz, making you glance at it again. 

‘Daddy <;3’ 

Ugh. 

“Jean’s calling you.” Eren voiced, looking at you. “He always calls you.” 

“It’s because I’m his sugar mommy.” You said with a serious tone, not taking your eyes off your phone. 

Eren was silent. “Everything make so much more sense now.” 

You shoved him playfully, throwing your phone on the couch beside you. “Gross! I can’t believe you’d think that!” 

Eren fell to his back, resting on his forearms. “What?! You’re loaded, Y/n, you can’t blame me.” He replied, “Shit. I’d do anything to be your sugar baby.” 

You laughed loudly, “Really?” You said sarcastically, “What about?…” you looked around trying to think of something. Fucking me until I cry. “Answering any questions I have.” 

“Really? That’s it?” Eren thought you were going to make him your slave for a day. 

“What? Do you want to be my slave for a day, or something?” You tried to sound as monotone as possible. But, you could admit the idea was very exciting. 

Your anime crush, doing anything you want. 

Money does buy happiness. 

Eren smiled, “Anything for you, Y/n.” 

You shivered. 

Eren noticed. 

You turned away, hiding your burning face. Your heart was beating like crazy. I seriously need to wife Eren up. 

You sighed, blowing a piece of hair out of your face. “You’re so boring ‘Ren..” you stood up and started to walk away. Eren quickly grabbed your wrist, yanking you back into him. You hit his chest. 

“Don’t even think about it, it’s about damn time I actually talk to my roommate.” He smiled, placing his chin on your shoulder. Peering at you, “It gets so lonely here.” You never noticed how much bigger he was than you. 

In fact, was he always this touchy in the anime?

You mumbled, turning away. Trying not to show how utterly embarrassed you were by the situation the two of you were in. “Ew, get your dirty hands off me.” Keep touching me. 

“No.” Eren laughed and you could feel his chest vibrate against your back. “I don’t think I will.” 

You relaxed, giving up. “Fine.” Curse this man’s attractiveness and strength. “But, now you're not going to be my sugar baby.” 

Eren whined dramatically, “Boo, you whore.” You could feel him jolt. “Oh, are you still coming to practice with me?” Eren asked, his lips close to your neck. You shivered. He noticed again. 

“That was the plan.” You tried pushing yourself off him, but he didn’t let go. Is this how he is with everyone? 

He smiled, his teeth biting his lip for a second. Like he was excited, “I think you’re going to love it.” Eren sure did.

Actually, what the hell was ‘it?’ You don’t even know what sport Eren plays. What if he didn’t play a sport at all. What if he was in a cult? And you were just blindly saying yes?!

Actually, if Eren told me to kill myself, I’d do it.

“Will I?” 

“Nope!” He replied, finally standing up and walking to the door. Grabbing his keys and smiling at you. “Anyways, I’ll swing by the house and drive you at—“ he clicked his tongue a few times, “—3:30, that’s fine right?” 

You blinked a few times, isn’t today my free day?

Eren noticed your confused expression. “Today’s your party day,” it was almost like he was informing you something you didn’t know. Which, you didn’t. Eren was also giving you a weird look. You recognized that face, it was the one he gave you when you acted differently from your alternate self. “So, don’t go to one tonight.” 

You smiled, nodding your head. “I knew that I was just—“ you paused for a second, “—testing if you knew that.” You internally cringed. 

Eren pressed his lips together, suppressing a laugh. You’re so awkward now, he thought. “Of course.” 

You heard him leave, the door clicking shut behind him. Jesus, it was either you marry this man, or kill yourself trying to do it. 

.•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

You never knew driving with Eren could be a surreal experience. I mean, there was that one time you got into a car with a guy you considered— just a friend. Only to come out with your face hot and heart beating like crazy. 

Your heart decided at that moment, you didn’t see him as— just a friend. As Adrien Agreste likes to say with Marinette. 

But this, this was on another fucking level. You could feel your whole body burning. Your heart was beating out of your chest, you could hear it in your ears. 

Jesus, you couldn’t even hear the radio blasting. 

“Do you wanna’ get food after this?” He asked, seeing how tense your shoulders were. “I can pay.”

You blinked a few times, “Huh?” You thickly swallowed, “Uhm, yeah. Food sounds nice.” You simply said. 

“What do you feel like having?” Eren looked at you for a second, seeing as your eyes were trained outside the window.

“Chick-fil-A.” You responded, before quickly snapping your head to Eren. “No! I take it back.” You smiled, “I’ll buy, I know this amazing ramen place.” Eren was about to speak when you cut him off, “Think of it as my first duty as your sugar-mommy.” 

Eren laughed, eyes moving back to the road. Trying not to get too distracted by the conversation. “Can’t wait.” 

You giggled, bright eyes slowly moving away from him. Looking back outside. Counting the cars that passed by. 

Eren however, still wanted to talk. 

“Are you excited?” Eren asked, his hand moving over the wheel as he parked the car into an empty space. 

“Maybe?..” you slowly responded, trying to see where you were. The college's football stadium. Did Eren play football? Wait, how was it going to work? You couldn’t play football.. Maybe, he was going to set you up as a manager?..

Eren opened his door, and shut it behind him. You were going to do the same, when he quickly locked the car. Walking to your side, unlocking the car, and opening the door for you. 

You laughed, “Idiot.” Before stepping out, “Thank you, Eren.” You placed your hand on his shoulder, before fixing your hair. 

Eren watched as you started to walk forward, the place you touched burning. He thickly swallowed, “Uh, I—I already talked to my director about you joining, and he said it should be fine.” Eren said, trying to catch up to you. His hand placed on your waists, and leading the way. His head turned to you, “But, I’m so excited! It’s gonna’ be nice having you at practice with me.” 

You smiled, grabbing his arm and squeezing it. “It sounds nice.” You softly replied, pulling yourself away and looking back at the field. 

You could feel your heart drop. 

Oh no, not this again..

You promised to leave this very ‘sport’ back in high school. Hell, it wasn’t even a sport! It was goddamn torture, and child labor. You looked at Eren, seeing the way he was smiling at everyone. “Eren, you do?..” 

“Marching band!” Eren smiled, grabbing your hand and pulling you close. “I’m in the drumline.” He whispered, pointing at the percussionist. 

That’s actually so sexy, what the hell?

You looked at him, mouth agape. “You do marching band?!” You blinked at him. 

Wait, does that mean you get to see him in the uniform?! 

There really is a god. 

You could feel Eren’s hand squeeze around your waist for a moment, before speaking. “I’m so happy, now we can spend more time together.” He whispered. 

You could feel your lips part, your hand moving over his. Your face burning with embarrassment. “Eren?” You softly said, hand tightening around his. 

His eyes dipped down to your lip, before looking back into you. “Y/n?” He said with a slight laugh. 

Your lips parted, before closing. Tell him you like him! “Eren, I—I really li—“ 

“Y/n?” 

You flinched hearing your name. You could see Eren turn pale. His hand pulling away from you so fast, you couldn’t register it. 

You turned your head over your shoulder, confused by what— or who, would’ve caused such a reaction from Eren. 

You could feel your blood run cold. 

In front of the two of you, stood someone taller than both of you. Hands stuffed into his pockets, hair slicked back with gel, and a tight black long sleeved shirt, with gray sweatpants. His lips brought into a slight scowl. 

“What the hell are you doing here at my practice.” His eyes danced to Eren, “With him?” 

You couldn’t even register his question. The words leaving your mouth without thought. 

“Jean?” 

Your boyfriend. 

.•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

[trensu]

an excerpt of the newest chapter of the halfway house fic based on this past post. Enjoy :)

“Steve, come get your furry little menace! He’s chewing up my laces again,” Robin grumbled.

“Maybe if your laces are ruined, you’ll finally buy a new pair of shoes,” Steve snarked. Steve walked to the living room to find Robin attempting to tie her old Converse only to snatch back her hands every time the kitten took a swipe at the laces in question. “He’s just a baby. He wants to play.”

“He can get his own laces to play with, then. And there’s nothing wrong with my shoes. I’m not going to go buy new shoes when these are perfectly functional. And my favorite color.”

Steve scooped the kitten up even as he kept reaching for the laces and cuddled him to his chest. Steve rubbed gently behind the kitten’s ears until the kitten relaxed into tiny purrs.

“What do you think, Dustin? Should Robin get new shoes? Raise your paw if you agree with me,” Steve said. He lifted the kitten’s right paw and waved it a bit, making the kitten squirm. “See, he agrees with me.”

Robin snorted and rolled her eyes at his teasing smile. “I still can’t believe you named him Dustin.”

The kitten chose that moment to start climbing up Steve’s shirt to reach his shoulder. His tiny claws pricked at Steve’s skin through the thin fabric but they were so small, they barely hurt at all. Steve laughed as the kitten settled on his shoulder and began to mew at the top of his lungs.

“It’s not my fault he looks like a Dustin,” Steve insisted. When he brought the kitten home two days ago, Robin tried to name him something else but Steve put his foot down about it. He found the kitten, and he thought the kitten was a Dustin, so no other name was allowed. 

Dustin let out another mew so loud he nearly toppled over. Steve pulled him off his shoulder with an amused huff. Dustin wriggled incessantly in his hands. Steve lost his grip on him but thankfully he had gotten him close enough to the ground by then that the fall was negligible to a cat.

“Okay, okay, we’ll play for a little while, you needy baby.”

He and Robin were waiting for payday to run to the pet store for more supplies. They were lucky that their neighbor across the hall had an old litter box that her cat had outgrown, and a couple of spare food bowls. She had even given them a few cans of wet food, cooing over the kitten all the while. Dustin, apparently, was a charming little guy. He obviously took after Steve. Robin had punched him on the arm when he said as much.

In the meantime, they were using old bits of string and a little orange ball Robin had stolen back when they worked at a mini-golf place. The kitten seemed to enjoy them well enough but Steve planned on getting him fancier playthings and some catnip. He rolled the ball across the floor and the kitten chased after it. He pounced on it, wobbly, which sent the ball rolling again for another chase. Steve laughed. Robin giggled along with him.

“He’s lucky he’s adorable. Otherwise we’d be having problems, him and I,” Robin said with a grin. Her mischievous demeanor softened slightly. “I’m glad you found him, you big old softie. Now you can stop moping so much.”

Steve ducked away when she reached to ruffle his hair. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve said, lightheartedly. “Maybe if I do a good job with him, someone will finally let me have a kid.” 

The kitten had apparently gotten bored of the ball and was attempting to climb up the back of the couch. Steve quickly grabbed him so he would damage the upholstery. He booped the kitten’s nose.

“What do you think, baby? Will I be a good dad? Be honest.”

Dustin grabbed his finger and gnawed at it while making the most precious sounds. A purring mew.  Steve’s heart melted; though from what he had read, he really shouldn’t let Dustin get accustomed to using his hands as playthings.

Steve resigned himself to losing half his paycheck to cat toys.

Continue on Ao3

ps: i do not do reader tag lists or whatever those things are called. i tag all my writing with 'trensu tells stories' so please just follow that tag if you wanna keep up with my stuff, thank you

[mylittleredgirl]

m*a*s*h update: rest of season three!!

i watched "aid station" and transcended to another realm

i watched it three times and will watch it many more i am SURE

the adventure! the war up close! hardship-earned respect and affection!!!!!

"never let it be said that i didn't do the least i could do" i need that in live laugh love font on my wall

this episode reminded me a few times that oh right, hot lips is the only one of the main cast who signed up and trained for the army on purpose

(and father mulcahey i suppose?)

anyway. long story short. if they had actually shown hot lips changing that tire i would never recover

"love and marriage" - hooray for kwang getting a personality and backstory, and hawkeye and trapper trying to make amends for frank

absolutely bananas that the officers hear a fight happening outside with a shot fired and collectively ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and keep playing. henry you are in charge. someone could be dead

"big mac" - i loved the opening in the o.r.! sometimes it gets a little mean-spirited in there, but this is a light-hearted day at the office where everyone in the room gets to laugh out loud as frank walks right in the teeth of it for literally no reason

i am enjoying the ongoing bit of hawkeye or trapper saying hello to frank and him responding to an insult they haven't said

hot lips's little "frank, they'll kill you." she's not even trying to defend him. she has given up against the overwhelming tide

the casual revelation in "payday" that henry has an open question in his mind about whether or not he's radar's father is a late-breaking reveal i'm gonna think about for a while

colonel flagg. hmm. his first episode was pretty funny because of the spy vs spy thing, but spy vs self was a dud

and then! "abyssinia, henry"!!!! 😢

my gratitude to the anonymous benefactor who hooked me up with a digital copy of this episode, since the dvd cut out before the last scene. which as it turns out!!! was important.

for television in general i assume

not to reveal myself too much as an uncultured hack... but i will confess my first reaction was "well, that was unnecessary"

in my defense!! i'm watching it in 2024, when a character death happening in an off-screen coda would really seem like a showrunner slamming the door behind a departing actor to make sure they couldn't come back no matter what change.org petition the fans cooked up on twitter, you know?

BUT. placing myself back in time. where this is happening partly as a commentary on another war, i get it!! unnecessary death is the point!! it's a tragedy people will have to sit with for months while the show is on hiatus!

HE NEVER MET HIS BABYYYYY (who they clearly forgot about, or they probably would have reminded us in the episode itself just to drive that punch home)

anyway, i have really never seen such a lovingly crafted goodbye episode for a character 💕

somebody PLEASE give radar a hug!!!!!! once per episode for the rest of the show!!!!

i mean sure henry DIED which obviously sucks for him and his variable number of children, but here radar loses his surrogate dad and gets frank in exchange. i mean tell me who suffered more

anyway!!!! in conclusion, season three was so good and funny and will be a tough act to follow!

my final awards for season three 🏆 best drama: aid station; best comedy: alcoholics unanimous; one i could most do without: the general flipped at dawn.

[sesshy380]

Well, it was a nice 5 days off. Back to the grindstone. Kinda. Sorta. This time of year my hours get literally cut in half (which really sucks come payday).

I managed to churn out a small ref for Kat in those 5 days (which you already saw the small preview of). I think it's safe to say that I am much better at drawing anthro beings than people lol

On the left you have Kat in her human form, on the right is her demigod from (this is what Bakhure saw in 'Our Scars remind Us that the Past was Real')

I originally envisioned the demigod form as having hair on the head as well, but when I added it I didn't like it. Honestly, it's an aesthetic I've never had hard-set in stone, and I like how this came out.

I know her hair/fur is supposed to be 'midnight' in color, but it's kind of hard to do that without everything looking so bland and monotone. Technically her wings and spots are supposed to have that little rainbow sheen like you seen on raven wings when the light hits it just right, but I'm not that good yet to be able to show off those details lol

A few other aesthetic changes I've made is that she's not dressed in all black in either form. This is another way of avoiding monotony. I might do a longfic accurate version of both forms at some point, but for now, you get this.

[crispy-bonnie]

Hi! May I please request a scenario when members of the Payday Gang met their s/o?

Here's how it goes: Business as usual one day, robbing and etc. They point a gun at s/o, but s/o is not phased one bit. Then, they tell s/o to open their bank account and give up all their money.

S/o does what they say, but then they see that s/o's balance is in literal negative numbers. Like -10,000+ s/o is broke as f***

Then s/o starts crying because they're so broke. How does the gang react?

okay i'm gonna add a few changes to the prompt but like hELLO I LOVE THE IDEA JAJDJSB

and also , these hc's will be written for the main four + bain rather than individual heisters , so apologies if it's not what you're looking for

oh and another thing , these are VERY poorly written bc i'm just now getting back into writing again lmao

You're broke as hell - The PAYDAY gang

I'm gonna tell you right now

The gang has absolutely no fucking clue what's comin'

All they know is that you have ties to someone/something important and they need to get the point across to whoever or whatever they're targeting

Bain figures that robbing you while you're at the bank would be the best bet. Plus, it could get them some extra moolah if they go after the vault too

What they don't know is that your ties to the fuckers their after only have to do with financial things

More particularly, money loaning

You couldn't seem to keep up with their demands for payment with your minimum wage job as well as your need for basic necessities, your bank account never having money because of it

As the place is being shot up, you're escorted to another room by Dallas where you're held at gunpoint to open up your bank account

And I tell you what, everyone, including the heisters, when they saw your bank account's numbers in the negative

And you're not even phased either

You just go 'Damn, sucks to be you'

You can hear faint sounds of Bain and the others speaking through Dallas's earpiece despite the gunshots and screams echoing through the rest of the bank

"The FUCK do you mean their account has no money!?"

"I don't know gang! I didn't see this coming at all! But we're not leaving empty handed! That vault still has a mountain of cash for you to take, so get to it gang!"

With one final look from Dallas through his American flag mask, he runs off and leaves you there, where law enforcement swoops in to get you outta there

Days later, you're scrolling through your email (which mostly consisted of threats from your loan sharks) and find an encrypted message from someone

Having nothing to lose, you click on it

It contains a cryptic ass message, saying that if you provide info about the loan sharks, they'll get rid of your debts and get you some sweet cash in your bank account

You knew damn well that this was that gang that robbed you days earlier, as your lack of money was only known between you and the loan sharks

Again, having nothing to lose, you accept the offer and give as much information has possible

Another couple days go by, and you find yourself finally freed from your debts, those threats coming to a sudden halt and your bank account suddenly having enough money to sustain yourself for a while

Even after the whole thing, when you're pretty much set for life, more surprises keep coming your way

You get raises in your paycheck, packages containing stuff on your wishlist end up at your apartment door, stuff that you typically considered a miracle

And you knew just who to thank for it all

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Why Are Fast Cash Loans Online So Popular In The USA?

It is believed that fast cash loans online are the ideal option if you need rapid cash to cover unwelcome bills. Once a lender accepts your application, as stated in the title, the funds will be transferred as quickly as feasible that same day into your active checking account. Fast cash loans online, sometimes referred to as payday loans or cash advances, are a type of financial assistance with a brief repayment period. The borrower is expected to repay the entire amount in a single installment approximately fifteen days after the loan is made available, or shortly after receiving their next monthly paycheck.

Using our loan request form at Nueva Cash will allow you to access a network of more than 100 direct lenders in the United States that provide this credit in a quick and simple manner. Generally speaking, the amounts you wish to borrow from lenders in our network range from $100 to $1000, and you will only be charged once as long as you can repay by the assignment date. This is a result of fast cash loans online being well-liked by Americans who need immediate cash.

What Makes Online Fast Cash Loans Beneficial? Nobody knows if online fast cash loans are the right option for you. In addition, below are a few explanations for your choice of credit: Borrowers with less than ideal credit scores can still get fast cash loans online. Even if they don't have a savings account, they can still benefit from the excellent fast cash loan. The immediate monetary requirement is completed on schedule. Here, we make sure the loan is 99.99% authorized if customers are unable to secure one from a bank. If they submit an application to us, they don't look for other sources of funding.

For people with bad credit, such as defaults, arrears, foreclosure, late or missed payments, CCJs, IVA, or bankruptcy. They don't have to worry about these credit problems, though. When granting payday loans online same day to customers with bad credit, lenders do not check the borrowers' credit history to reveal their situation. However, in order to earn the lender's trust when you apply for another loan, you must repay the money within a specified time frame. The interest rates are a little higher than those of payday loans, but if you compare loan quotations from lenders in a competitive market, you can find the finest cash deal with low interest rates.

Same-Day Payday Loans: Get Your $1500 Loan Now

When you need a same day payday loans right now, it's critical to know where to go, especially from a company that will work with individual consumers to meet their demands. Go to Nueva Cash if you need quick financial help from a reliable source.

We provide an effective, quick fix for pressing financial issues. Same day payday loans can assist in easing the burden of unplanned expenses, whether they are last-minute or unexpected bills. Our goal is to help citizens of the Lone Star state obtain the finances they require as quickly as possible by offering them a simplified application process. During difficult times, we are your go-to lender because of our simple eligibility standards, quick loan approvals, and 100% online application process.

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How to Apply for Short Term Loans Online and Get Money Straight into Your Account in Minutes

One of the main functions of short term cash is to enable borrowers to get money directly into their bank account in a matter of minutes. They offer short term loans online so that you can get money without having to wait for the following business day, even if you're one of those people whose applications for additional credits are frequently denied for same-day loan approval.

However, same day payday loans are frequently promoted by credit agencies as an easy way to get cash quickly when unexpected expenses arise. In comparison to standard loans in the US lending market, this kind of credit may have an interest rate that is a little higher. Instead, compare personal loan options to choose one with better interest rates and faster cash availability. Direct deposits of personal funds into a customer's bank account are another option.

You can check your prequalified loan rates in just a few minutes from many lenders who specialize in these kinds of loans. To compare your prices, you must go online, which is completely free. Which lender would be best for you to apply for a short term loans online with simply a few minutes of online application completion? Cash will be deposited into your account as soon as feasible on the same day that the short term cash loans application materials are submitted and validated.

Keep in mind that while the conditions for these loans differ from one lender to the next, they often meet the following standards: You are 18 or older. Maintain a bank account that is open in your name. You ought to be employed and make at least $800 a month. Possessing an SSL certificate as well. You are an American citizen by virtue of naturalization.

Fearing You Won't Be Able to Repay Your $1500 Online Installment Loans?

If you're not familiar with how interest rates impact your payments, applying for an online installment loans can be scary. Fortunately, we have produced an easily interpreted chart. Our sample numbers can help you better understand the costs associated with your payroll schedule. It's important to keep in mind that early repayment of your loan does not result in any fines or fees. With personal installment loans online, there are never any early payment penalties.

Another option for online personal loans to Americans is a direct deposit loan, which is available to those who would want to enjoy getting cash in the range of $100 to $5,000 in a hassle-free manner. These personal loans deliver the funds to you for a repayment period that might last anywhere from three to twelve months. Because these credits are short-term in nature, you are not required to provide the lender with any form of collateral as security. You are never restricted in how you utilize the money because short term loans online are only granted for immediate financial needs. You can pay off debts such as credit card debt, medical bills, household expenses, auto or washing machine repairs, and so on with the money you borrow.

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