#radar : uh … no sir

[hawkeyeslaughter]

henry genuinely thinks his office is haunted for like a solid month because hawktrap bribes radar to go in and move the skeleton a little every night

[honeyshiddendesire]

Office Secrets

Chapter One: Wine Spills and Bright Ideas

Summary: You hated office parties but when your boss personally invites you then the fun and long list of secrets begin. 

Characters: CEO! Trafalgar Law x EMPLOYEE! Reader

Warnings: 18+ !! flirting! Law catches reader in undies! Mentions of masturbation and sex! Reader can’t stand her coworkers! FEMALE reader! 

Masterlist

You were the employee who kept to herself, you ate alone, kept the small talk, if any, to a minimum, hell you even skipped out on all the office parties. You tried to stay low on everybody’s radar because despite working in the same office for a number of years you didn’t want these people to be anything more than just coworkers. Friends? In the workplace? Yeah you’d rather smash your own head in then have these people know anything about you. You only needed this place for the big ass checks and you wanted to keep it that way. So for years you avoided every party that went on in your office, that was until your boss personally asked. 

You never spoke to him up close, his assistant Bepo, was always the one that handled things around the office most of the time so it shocked you when on your way out one day that he called your name. 

“Excuse me Y/N.” His deep voice made you freeze, the hair on your neck standing up as you slowly turned around. Your brain racing in different theories of why he would call your name, the fact that he even knew it made you nauseous. “Uh…yes sir. How can I help you?” You reply as you adjust your glasses to look up at him. 

“The party tonight.” He says simply not continuing and you just raise a brow. You watch his tattooed hands go to adjust his black tie and it makes your heart skip a beat, you never seen them so up close before. The word D E A T H  was on his fingers in black ink along with a weird symbol but you didn’t want him to catch you staring for too long or he might notice the drool coming out of your mouth. 

Ugh do men even understand how hot the tie thing is let alone adding some tattoos into the mix or maybe they do it on purpose as a trap. 

“Yes?” Your tone was an obvious question that made him give a small smirk. “I noticed they’re not your cup of tea but…” He pauses to look around, as if he was making sure the both of you were alone before he leaned down a bit toward you, his voice lower as he spoke again. “I would love to see you there.” You really didn’t want to go but with a man as handsome as him leaning down into your personal space with that charming smirk of his, the strong powerful scent of his cologne invading your nose, who were you to refuse. 

That’s how you found yourself currently standing in front of the mirror contemplating your choice in attire, almost regretting never going to one of these parties cause you had no idea what to wear. You wore a long loose blue sweater dress, blacked heeled boots with your hair slicked back into a ponytail. You could’ve cinched your waist with a belt but clothes showing off your curves wasn’t much of your speed, instead you left the sexy for underneath. You had quite the guilty pleasure when it comes to all things lingerie, you always took out some of each check just to splurge on a couple nice sets. No one ever got to see them but whenever you were feeling anxious about going to certain events you gave yourself a nice confidence boost with some pretty pieces underneath. 

So taking a deep breath you said fuck it and grabbed your purse, you were already running late so there was no point in changing now that you were already dressed. It wasn’t long to get to your job, that was always a plus in your eyes. Sighing as you parked into your usual spot, you rolled your eyes at the fact that your smoking hot boss was able to sway your decision so quickly. Why the hell did he even want you there so bad? 

“Fuck my life.” You mumble as you get out of your car and head into your office, glad that you at least were by yourself for a short moment on the elevator ride up. The sound of awful music playing loudly along with chatter among all your coworkers was heard the second the doors opened up making you mentally groan. You walked out with your eyes glancing around to spot a drink or something to wash down your growing nausea that this damn party was causing. You found the table that was full of soft drinks and food but none of it caught your eye like the bottle of moscato that was almost empty. Pouring the rest of the moscato it barely filled your glass which made you frown until you heard that same unmistakable voice speak to you.

“I’m sorry I should’ve brought more, I didn’t realize there was someone else who enjoyed moscato like I do.” Your boss observed with a tone of amusement from behind you that made you look in his direction. “Oh sir, it's not a problem at all.” You smile politely as you stare into those charming stormy grey eyes of his. 

“I’m glad to see you here.” Your boss smirked at your shocked expression and the way you fidgeted with your glass in your hands. “Thank you sir.”  You never had an issue with staring people in the eyes until your boss started speaking to you. One of his slender tattooed hands went up to run his fingers back in his hair, your eyes unable to look away from him, the glint of his gold earrings shining brightly making you wonder how they moved when he was railing someone in bed. Specifically you- but you were way too shy to ever make the first move when it came to that sort of thing. 

“You look beautiful.” He says as you take a sip of your wine nearly making you choke on the beverage. You miss how he licks his lips as you go to reach for a napkin to wipe your face, his mind racing with ravenous thoughts of you. “Sorry- thank you sir.” You mumble out awkwardly as you throw out the napkin in the can beside you. “So I have to ask…What usually happens at these office parties anyways?” 

You smile when you notice his grey eyes roll like beautiful storm clouds as he lets out a sigh, “Nothing besides me dying of boredom.” His voice whispered as he scanned the room and his admittance made your heart race with excitement. “Ah~ so I’m not the only one who hates these things.” You joke and he only nods. 

“The difference between you and me is that I have to attend. My father always said it was good for business if the owner shows a different side of himself to his employees.” Your boss tells you, his tone irritated but still holding amusement which made you laugh. Leaning over a bit to keep the conversation just between the two of you, “Okay so tell me why I had to come here if I’m not the CEO like you.” Your boss only chuckles as he once again gets closer. 

“Because if I had to suffer alone one more time at these stupid parties I’ll end up on the news.” His joke makes you laugh louder than you expect which catches the eyes of some of your female coworkers who instantly give you dirty looks when they notice the hot boss talking with you. “Oh my god seriously? I’m just your insurance policy so you don’t burn the place down huh?” You joke back and he nods his head, a smirk on his face as he looks down at you. “Keep that between us okay? Shh people are coming over.” He says making you frown as you turn your head to spot the office birds flying over. 

“Oh my goodness Y/N I never thought I’d live to see the day you actually attend something.” The woman known as Sharon says, ugh that woman’s god forsaken voice could make paint peel in a second. “So anyways what’s so funny. I love a good joke.” 

“Wasn’t anything worth repeating.” Your boss says making you inwardly cheer at your shared secret. “How are you enjoying yourself Sharon?” He asks and you can’t help but notice how his body tenses up, his voice losing the amusement that he showed you just moments ago. 

“I’m having a great time Mr. Law, I just love~ how you always attend.” She tells him and his mouth goes in a tight line, a vein in his forehead threatening to pop at her comment. “Well it is my office. Can’t leave you all to yourselves now can I.” Sharon must have thought he was trying to be funny because she laughs like a mad woman, her arm going out to slap yours and in the process knocking her glass of wine all over you. Red fucking wine might I add. 

“Fuck!” You say out of pure natural reaction feeling the cold wine soak your whole front. 

“Goodness I’m so sorry I’m such a clutz sometimes. You should really go take care of that, you don’t want to ruin that fun sweater you’re wearing.” Sharon says with a sassy tone, the use of the word fun clearly a jab at your attire. 

Fucking bitch, you found yourself thinking but unfortunately you just had to smile. “Yeah I’ll go do that no problem. You should probably take it easy though or everyone might get the impression that you’re a messy drunk.” You bite out with a fake smile as you head to the ladies room, missing the way your boss has to hold in his laugh at your remark. You instantly flooded Law’s thoughts the second you walked away, the woman yapping away in front of him but he couldn’t care less. From behind him he heard some other females talking about how annoying they thought you were, or how you thought you were too good to ever attend these sorts of things and that you deserved Sharon’s wine all over you.  It was Sharon making a joke about you that had his thoughts stop in their tracks. 

“Excuse me?” Law said, making Sharon halt her words with wide eyes. “Sir I was just joking, it’s just harmless hazing. It was only a little bit of wine.” Law’s breath came out sharp as his eyes lowered into a glare that made her blood run cold. “I didn’t realize I hired someone so disrespectful in my company.” He snaps as his fists ball up in his pockets, his eyes watching you go down the hallway towards the bathrooms in the back. 

Heading into the bathroom you peel off your dress angrily shoving it into the sink and under some cold water. That bitch must’ve just poured herself a full glass since there was so much on the front of your dress. You just bought the damn thing and you highly doubt that it would be fixed, “Dammit.” You used your nails to scrub against the fabric completely stopping when you heard the door, which you thought you locked, suddenly open. 

“Y/N I wanted to ask-oh uh.” Law, your boss immediately paused as he saw you bent over the sink with your dress off trying to get the wine stain out. He knew you would be trying to get it out; he just never expected you to take the whole dress off leaving you in that lacy embroidery you were currently wearing. His eyes were unable to look away at the different color flowers that did nothing to hide your nipples and your pussy, he could tell the lingerie was for sex appeal definitely not for coverage. The garter on your mid section connected to leg rings that squished your soft thighs and suddenly he was never more jealous of a piece of fabric in his life like he was now.  

“Sir!” You shouted his name like three times till your voice had to get louder, his beautiful grays finally looking back up at you in shock. “This is a lawsuit, you know.” You say to him putting a hand on your hip, no point covering up since he already got a good eyeful of all your special bits. “Shit! Shit - I’m sorry, you’re right.” He panics but for some reason his body won’t seem to turn away, his eyes dropping down to look at you over one more time. A curse coming out of his mouth in a raspy breath that made you smirk as you called out to him again. His body finally cooperates as he turns to face the door but doesn’t leave, his face heating as his brain recalls everything over at superspeed. “I had to ask you a question but- are the women here usually so catty with you?” 

Law’s question had your brows raise before your face dropped into a frown, your hands going to shut off the water with a sigh. “Yeah but I don’t give a fuck. They try to see who can get under my skin but all this place is to me is a fat ass check.”

“I see.” Law says making you mumble a ‘sorry’ but he only chuckles, “Why be sorry I should be the one to apologize? I can understand now why you hate these things.” You throw on your dress after you ring it out as best as you can but still some of the wine remains. You walk towards the man, the sound of your heels making Law stand up taller at the sound.

 “So Mr. Law you let me in on your little secret of hating office parties so maybe we can add this ordeal onto the growing list huh?” You joke as you go to step in front of him, leaning in close, his tanned cheeks heating up as you smile at him. “Sorry again. It seems like I owe you a raise.” 

“HA! If that’s your way of trying not to get me to sue for sexual harassment then it’s a deal but-I’m still heading home. I enjoyed our banter though  sir. I must say I’m shocked you noticed me despite my skills at trying to stay off the radar.” You say as he opens the bathroom door for you, both walking down the hallway back toward the office. “Actually it’s because you try so hard to remain unnoticed that I noticed you.” He smirks and it makes you fidget a bit as he stares down at you. “Oh I see nothing gets by you then. I’ll see you next week sir.” He just nods and you turn quickly to grab your purse off your desk and head out of this dreadful place, your boss’ eyes staring you down as you walk away. 

The image of you in that beautiful lace was making his body hot, and if he so happened to think about you in it while he fisted his cock between his hands later on then that was his business. It’s not like you needed to know that as he laid in bed that whole weekend that the thoughts of you only grew stronger, or that he pictured what would’ve happened if he bent you over the bathroom sink. The filthy thought of just coming up behind you to push those lacy panties to the side as he shoved his long cock into your dripping pussy made him groan into his elbow. Thinking of one of his tattooed hands having to cover your mouth that would hopefully spill out lustful moans, picturing himself having to look over your shoulder to stare at your fucked out expression in the bathroom mirror. The way you’d moan out for him as he shoves a few fingers into your drooling mouth as he runs kisses along your neck with his hips moving at a rushed pace so neither of you would get caught. 

“Fuck-” Law finally groaned deeply as he came all over his black silk sheets, rolling his eyes at having to change them now but the carnal desires were just to powerful. The whole weekend was tortuous for him and here he was at 5 in the morning on a Monday needing a shower before work. At this rate he’ll be running late to his own business because of you and that only made him want to see you more. Dressing in his nicest all black suit he headed to the office the thought of you still plagued his mind. Now as he drove his fancy sports car he started to picture you riding him in the backseat making the tinted windows all steamy.  

“Fuck my life.” Law grumbles as he heads up the elevator, shock washing over him as he noticed you were the first one there. That was rare, usually you showed right on time so you wouldn’t be spotted. “Y/N I see you’re here early.” 

The sound of your boss making you go still, your cheeks growing warm as your brain replayed all the dirty fantasies that you came up with over the weekend. Turning in your desk chair you looked at him walking over toward you, that same amused smirk on his face just like at the office party. “Sorry sir, I hope that’s alright. I realized after going home that I still had something to add to my pitch for the meeting later.” Your honesty made Law groan as he ran a hand over his face. “Shit I might have to make you my second assistant because I forgot all about that.” He groaned as he leaned against your desk and you couldn’t help but smile at him being so relaxed whenever he was around you. Law always made sure to look so polished and strict around everyone but here he was letting his walls down with you for some reason.

“It must be rough with Bepo on vacation. He seems good at his job.” You say as you cross your legs, sitting back in your chair. You weren’t the most flirtatious woman around but there was no way you could miss the way Law’s eyes immediately dropped to your legs. His stormy eyes following up from your sexy stilettos all the way to the hem of your skirt, swallowing the lump that he suddenly felt in his throat. He couldn’t help but wonder if you had on another lingerie set, hidden from view and man was it getting hard to breath all of a sudden.

 “Mr. Law if you keep staring at me like that then people will think I earned that raise in some unsavory ways.” You smiled as you noticed his eyes snap up to your face. 

“Yes…that would be quite -unfortunate wouldn’t it.” He comes to mess with his tie as he licks his lips before giving you that damn smirk of his. “I guess if those unsavory things were to happen we’ll just have to add it to our list of little secrets don’t you think.” His words had your whole bravado shattered just as you thought you had him where you wanted him, he proved that he was a man always with a plan. Hearing the elevator ding Law stood up from your desk just before the door opened, saving the both of you from prying eyes. 

“Good morning Mr. Law.” The birds squealed out happily making him wave a hand, “Morning ladies.” Giving them a small wave and nod he turned to you giving you a charming wink before heading to his office across from you. You watched the man stroll to his office with his earlier statement in the forefront of your brain. Did he want to fuck me? Your face warm with the thought of him bending you over his desk made you take a deep breath to settle yourself. 

Hours passed before it was time for the meeting where you would be making your first big pitch. The project was a banquet to raise money for children who don’t know what it is to celebrate their birthdays because they don’t have the money that would allow them to do so.  Since it was the company's 30th anniversary coming up you thought it was the perfect time to finally speak your mind and throw in some ideas of your own. Instead of the company getting the gifts you figured it would be nice to give back you just hoped your boss would think so as well. 

Gathering your stuff you head into the meeting room, your anxiety growing and bringing the nauseous you tend to feel with it. This would be the first time you ever stood up in front of these fuckers and you were not happy about it, you wish you could just come up with the idea and tell him privately but nope. Every month there would be this project meeting where everyone would lay out their ideas at that moment. Now knowing that he dislikes these people coming to him all the time though it made sense, one meeting every month was better instead of everyone popping into his office all hours of the day. 

“Okay everyone, who would like to go first.” Law said as he sat at the head of the table leaning back in his chair, his face stern as he scanned the room until his eyes got to you where the corner of his mouth lifted a bit. Before you could raise your hand though Cheryl beat you to the punch, standing quickly before Law could even tell her too. 

“I had this super interesting idea if I may Mr. Law!” She squeals and Law only sighs as he clasps his hands on the table, “Well seeing as you already stood up.” There was an underlying irritation to his voice that she clearly didn’t catch and you only smiled down at the table holding in your laugh that threatened to spill. 

“Animals.” She says and puts her arms out to her side like she just pitched a million dollar idea. You couldn’t hold it in seeing her face with a cheesy grin that quickly dropped hearing you laugh. You tried hiding it with a cough but she just put her hands on her hips and gave you an eye roll. “What’s so funny Y/N? I doubt you have a better idea.” 

“Sorry my bad.” You say not wanting to laugh at her pitch; it was just her mannerisms that had you lose it. Law leaned forward now, his eyes looking at you intensely. “Now Y/N I like to treat my company as a family so I won’t tolerate any rude behavior so please why not share your pitch for the rest of us.” He was trying to sound stern and strict but he couldn’t hide that glint in his concrete eyes. Your eyes widened as you looked at the man giving you a scolding, your body heating up under his intense gaze and as much as you wanted to stay focused you just couldn’t help your mind from wandering. 

“Okay, as great as animals are- we just held a banquet for them a month ago to save animals from deforestation. It was a big hit but I was thinking of the children this time around.” You say standing up and walking over to the projector to insert your usb, your presentation popping up on the screen. “I was thinking with the company’s 30th birthday coming up that we could celebrate by holding a banquet to gather donations to send all kinds of gifts to kids for their birthdays.” 

“How is that better than animals exactly?” Cheryl spat out and you sighed. “I never said either or is better I was just saying that we already did a fundraiser for the animals these past two banquets. The banquet held for saving Koalas and the one for deforestation were both super big hits so I just thought maybe we could try something different.” You further explain and she just rolls her eyes, Amber doing the same when they locked eyes. 

“I just think since you’ve never really done much here that you should just wait and let the rest of us come up with the ideas like we usually do. What do you even do here?” Amber says and you just give her a ‘are you for real’ look that makes her huff. 

“I’ve been working here longer than the both of you and I do the same job you all do. That means I’ve seen endless fundraisers for animals, all of which are great but there’s nothing wrong with some new ideas.” You state back before carrying on, “Anyways- I think we could set up a whole website where you list a child’s name, age and things that they like along with your address and someone anywhere in the world can choose what and how much they want to send. As a company you already have so many people who can donate thousands and that would jump start the whole program. Just think of schools and parents being able to give every child a birthday gift and bringing joy that's immeasurable just over one present to make them feel special. Each gift would be sent out before the child’s birthday to ensure they have at least something to open along with a card with a special note for them to hold onto years to come.”  

You flip through all the slides and mock ups of the website that you came up with along with possible ads that you could put on different platforms to make the whole thing possible. You had thought of everything, there was no loophole, or loose end that you left and it had everyone stunned. You may have kept quiet for years but there was a reason, when an idea was too good you never wanted to spoil it by sharing it too early. After you finished speaking you waited for them all to vote like they usually did but Law just stood up clapping his hands for you. 

“Outstanding! Absolutely incredible. This is life changing. Imagine how one gift could drastically change the hope for a child who never thought someone cared. Think about what they could achieve.” 

“It’s just a dumb birthday gift.” Amber mumbles, pissed since she’s usually the one that makes the winning pitch in these meetings. 

Law held out a hand to silence her, “Enough. It’s more than a gift, it’s a symbol that people care, that despite the circumstances you live in there’s still something for you in this world. I love it. We need to work on this as soon as possible. I’ll call my investors, we need vendors and caterers, I’ll leave those to you Y/N. Anything she needs, all of you help her, it’s her idea so she’s the lead on this. No more nonsense fights and childish behaviour. Break for lunch first everyone. Great work Y/N. I’d like to have a word alone with you in my office, please.” As everyone leaves you unplug your usb and put it in your pocket to fix your papers before following your boss to his office.

Once in his modern designed office, you gasp as you notice the view of the brightly lit city shining like something out of a movie. “I must say you’ve been holding out on me Y/N.” Your boss leans down to whisper in your ear making you shiver as he catches you off guard. “I’m glad to see that your brain matches that beautiful face of yours.” His voice drips with seduction that threatens you to partake upon but all you do is turn your face to his with a sly smile. 

“I’m glad you think so sir.” His eyes glanced down to your lips before he backed away to lean against the front of his desk. “Y/N I have a secret I’d like to add to our list if that’s alright with you.” Smiling you give a nod making him continue, his tattooed hand going to fidget with his tie, not missing how your eyes watched with lustful intensity. “Are you sure you want to hear it? I might have to give you another big raise so you don’t sue.” Taking a step forward you tell him it’s okay and he only smirks as his eyes scan your body. 

“I really can’t stop thinking of you. Have dinner with me tonight.” It wasn’t a question and you both knew it, he knew you’d say yes, hell- even you knew you’d say yes. But you both had a good banter between the two of you so it was only right for you to walk toward him. You let your hand grab onto his tie gently pulling until he leaned closer, “Hmm you’re right sir. I think I will need that raise but- if you can show me a good time after dinner then I think we can settle a good deal.” 

“Son of a bitch.” Law breaths out shakily and it makes you smile at him, winking as you release him before heading to the door. “If you’ll excuse me sir I’ll be heading out for lunch. You can pick me up at 7, I’m sure you can look up my address.” 

You never felt as sexy as you did in that moment walking away, even your secret stash of lingerie couldn’t rival the way that Law made you feel. Your body was buzzing, you thought your heart would beat out of your chest and the grin that was plastered on your face just looked like excitement for the pitch that he praised you on. If only they knew the chemistry between the boss and you they would have a fucking field day but you could give two shits about these fucking snakes. That man was yours and when you have your sights on something you’ll break as many necks as you have to in order to get it.

[statisticalcats2]

It was just supposed to be a fairly simple time travel mission (or as simple as time travel can be anyway) for Peter. He'd be in close range of pre-Iron Man Mr. Stark at some high end party but he honestly didn't think anything of it. Peter wasn't someone who had to go out of his way to be under the radar, he wasn't noteworthy. He was beneath notice. But Mr. Stark did notice him. Peter didn't know how he had inadvertently caught the eye of his not-a-hero-yet mentor but suddenly his mission became sidetracked as he found himself unable to escape Mr. Stark's attentions. "And who are you?" "Uh, Peter P... Reilly. Peter Reilly, Mr. Stark, sir." "I'd say to call me Tony but I gotta admit, I like the way you say my name. Come dance with me?" "Oh... no, I couldn't, I wouldn't want to keep you from anything important..." "You're important right now." "I-" "Just say yes." "....Yes, Mr. Stark."

@pparkerbingo - B2: time travel

@tstarksbingospectacular - O4: "Just say yes"

[lostheaventales]

Breaking Boundaries

Description: Tommy and Paulie have to lay low after the robbery to stay off Salieri’s radar. The Vevoda Hotel only had one room available. A small room with a single bed.

Relationship: Tommy Angelo x Paulie Lombardo

Prompt: There was only one bed (Day 20)

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

Tommy parked in front of the Vevoda hotel. They had to lay low for a while as they had just carried out a bank robbery. The best place to do that was far out from the bustling city of Lost Heaven. Paulie stuffed the bags of money underneath the seat to hide it from the view of anyone who might get a glimpse of the inside of their car. Tommy made sure to lock the car securely. It would be a shame to go through all that trouble only for the money to get stolen.

They approached the clerk standing behind the desk. He had a scared look on his face. It was the middle of the night and two tall, shaken-up men wearing trenchcoats came storming in. Tommy would be scared if he was in his place as well.

“How can I help you two gentlemen?” The man asked, fixing his round glasses.

“We need two rooms,” Tommy ordered, throwing a roll of money on the counter.

The clerk shook his head. “Uhh, sorry, sir. We’re pretty booked tonight. There’s only one unoccupied room.”

Tommy and Paulie glanced at each other.

“Are you serious?” Tommy inquired.

“As a heart attack,” he replied.

Tommy sighed and rolled his eyes. It was either that, go to jail, or be caught by the don. They agreed to take the room. The clerk handed them the keys. Paulie gave him a cold glare as they turned away, causing the man to swallow deeply.

Paulie unlocked the door and opened it.

“What the fuck is this shit?” Paulie cursed.

The room only consisted of one twin-sized bed, a nightstand, and a dresser with a dirty mirror hanging above it. It barely fit the both of them standing up.

“Looks like we’re going to have to share a bed,” Tommy stated, taking off his trench coat.

“Uh uh, not a chance.” Paulie rejected.

Tommy sat on the bed and began removing his shoes. “Well, I bet the wooden floor would make a pretty uncomfortable mattress.”

Paulie frowned, confused on what he wanted to do. Tommy stripped down until he was just in his undershirt and underwear. He stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, preparing for sleep. He opened his eyes when he felt the edge of the small mattress dip.

“Scoot over.” Paulie demanded, kicking off his shoes.

Tommy listened. Paulie managed to fit himself on the edge of the mattress. His hair brushing against Tommy’s cheek.

“How about you rest your head on me so you don’t fall?” Tommy suggested.

Paulie hesitated, but followed through with the suggestion.

“You know, I kinda like this,” Tommy commented.

“Yeah? Well, don’t get used to it., Tommy Angelo.”

[serpercival]

Kiss meme prompts!

sidhawk + a kiss along the jawline for @mxmorel

When Radar came into the Swamp during poker night, it was less with the look of a kid who was going to scam them out of their paychecks and more the look of someone who didn’t want to let what was in his mouth out into the world.

Trapper was the first to bother acknowledging him. “Trouble?”

“Uh, not for any of youse guys,” Radar said, fiddling with the memo in his hands. “Major Freedman, sir?”

Sidney folded. He’d been bluffing, anyway, Hawkeye was sure of it. Ninety percent sure. Maybe seventy-five. The respectable pair of threes in Hawkeye’s hand would have beaten whatever he had, probably. “Emergency?”

“Yes, sir,” Radar said, handing over the note.

Sidney read it, sighed, and collected his cap as he stood. “Don’t wait up.”

Hawkeye, seeing an opportunity to get out of the miserable deal he’d been dealt, scrambled after him. “What kind of emergency?” he asked, bumping their shoulders together.

“A patient of mine in Tokyo,” Sidney said, folding the memo and tucking it in his breast pocket. “The one I came to poker night to get away from, actually.”

“Mmm, thinks you resemble his mother?”

“Close, but no cigar.”

“I hear those are phallic symbolism, these days.”

“Is that why McIntyre’s always playing with one?”

Hawkeye snorted. “You should see some of the things he does with his tongue.”

Sidney shot him a look, then waved him into the VIP tent when he opened the door. “I suppose you expect me not to read into that remark.”

“I’m hoping you do, actually.”

“Planning a new group activity?”

Hawkeye shrugged, put on his best innocent face, and fluttered his eyelashes. “Only if the boredom becomes unbearable.”

Sidney rolled his eyes, but a smile creased the corners of his mouth. He tapped Hawkeye on the arm with his peaked cap before he put it on, then grabbed the briefcase he hadn’t had the chance to unpack from the desk. “Poker again, next week?”

“Same time, same station.”

“I’ll be sure to read all about it in the papers.”

As Sidney turned to leave, Hawkeye caught his arm. He couldn’t let him leave without… “Good luck,” Hawkeye murmured. He leaned down to press a kiss to the underside of his jaw, nuzzling into the soft flesh for a moment before he pulled away.

He never expected to see Sidney blush, but maybe it would have been nice, on occasion. He could make everyone else in camp blush with a few well-placed words. Sidney Freedman was practically unphasable.

“I’m going to Tokyo, not the front,” Sidney said lightly.

“Yeah, well, you’re going to Tokyo,” Hawkeye said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “And I’m here, at the front.”

“The front, here? We’re��� half a mile away, at least.”

Hawkeye snickered, but he didn’t think it made the mood any lighter.

Sidney cupped his cheek, kissed him just below his eye, and did his best to smile. “Good luck, Hawkeye.”

[sashaisready]

Chapter 5 - Done

Nick Fowler x Shy CIA Employee Reader

Under the Radar Masterlist

Chapter Four - The Ghost

Warnings: references to sex trafficking

Wordcount: 2333

Despite your best efforts to forget it, Nick’s warning about Joe was niggling away at you. What did he mean exactly? Had something happened between the two of them? Did Nick know something you didn’t? Or was he just basing it all on a hunch he had - or worse - deliberately trying to mess with you to throw you off your game, sabotage you to prove he was right about you?

Would he really do that?

You berated yourself for letting him worm his way back in your headspace. You’d moved on. You’d barely thought about him. You’d been making progress at work. You were on the boss’ radar. You were enjoying Joe’s company. Don’t let him ruin it!

You wouldn’t.

*

The next day you were back in the makeshift Project Cotton office with Joe reading some correspondence from the FBI team. Walsh suddenly strolled into the conference room, surprising you both.

“Sir” Joe nodded. “Sorry - I thought our meeting wasn’t until this afternoon?”

“Morning both” said Walsh as he ran a finger over the letter opener left on the desk. “No, you’re right Palmer. I’ve actually come to see her” he nodded over to you.

You felt a jolt of anxiety. “Me? Uh…How can I help, Sir?”

“We’ve had an unexpected tip off from an informant in relation to Project Cotton” he explained. “We have reason to believe that this vehicle has been attending several of the key sites”.

He slid a grainy photograph of a sleek truck over to you. You could just about make out the license plate.

“Our informant has managed to get his hands on some CCTV footage which he says catches this truck attending one of the suspected sites on multiple occasions”.

“That could be a big breakthrough” you breathed excitedly. “If we can trace the owner…we might finally have a name for someone at the top of this thing.”

Walsh nodded. “Indeed. The vehicle is registered to a Mr. Ray Colebrook. He has several priors for assault…racketeering…pandering. The problem is we need more evidence in order to obtain a warrant to seize the truck and take Colebrook in for questioning”.

You looked at him pensively. “So you need…proof that he has been spotted at the site? Which could be on the CCTV?”

“Precisely” Walsh nodded. “The difficulty is…the footage is 12 hours long with hundreds of vehicles coming and going. We need someone to review the footage with a fine tooth comb and see if the truck really appears, and how many times if so - with time stamps”.

“So…that would be me” you replied, now understanding what he was asking of you.

“Correct. I know you have a lot of experience in this area. You’re patient, thorough. If the truck is on there you’ll find it. But…we do need it done by the morning, I’m sorry to say. We need to move fast, Colebrook might get spooked now he’s been using the same truck, we need that warrant ASAP before he switches it up again”.

Your eyes widened. “Review 12 hours of footage…By t-tomorrow??”

“Sir…” Joe said, concern lacing his tone.

“I know it’s a big ask. But we’re counting on you” Walsh continued. 

Your nerves gave way to determination. This was your chance to prove your value. To show everyone you were capable. To impress Walsh. To help the traffic victims. 

Not nothing. Not beige.

You nodded. 

“Alright…you can count on me” you told Walsh boldly. “I’ll work through the night it I have to”. 

“Great, thank-you…I knew you’d come through” Walsh smiled. 

“Sir…this is a big task. Do you think maybe I should step in?” Joe tentatively asked. “I don’t mind pulling an all nighter-”

He looked at you anxiously. Typical Joe, always trying to help. You felt grateful for his support. He was just trying to protect you. But he didn’t need to worry.

“Very valiant - but we need you fresh for tomorrow, Palmer” Walsh responded, his tone making it clear there was no room for further discussion. 

He was right. Joe was meant to be out in the morning scoping out one of the sites. The two of you had been planning it for weeks now. He couldn’t go out in the field exhausted from a night of watching CCTV. 

“It’s okay Agent Palmer, I’ve got this” you smiled at him reassuringly.

He looked back at you, but he didn’t look wholly convinced.

“You can have tomorrow off in lieu” Walsh added. “So you can rest up afterwards and come back fresh on Thursday where Palmer will debrief you on how his reconnaissance went.”

You nodded. “Got it. Thanks”.

You smiled at Joe again, hoping to show that you were fine to take this on. He smiled back, but you didn’t miss the slight hint of unease on his face.

*

You had actually done it. 

You couldn’t believe it. It had taken hours, you were still stuck at your desk long after everyone else was tucked up in their beds back home, but you’d done it. You blearily stared at the screen in front of you, then at the notepad where you’d scribbled the truck’s time stamps (which you’d treble checked). Done. You’d reviewed all of the footage. The source was right, the truck had visited the site several times during that 12 hour period. Now they’d have the evidence needed to get the warrant for Colebrook. 

You were utterly exhausted, but the sheer satisfaction and pride you felt buoyed you.  You’d done it! You’d made a meaningful contribution to the project. This work, although tedious, might lead to a major breakthrough in the case - all because of you. 

Not so beige after all.

You yawned, your eyelids felt like they had weights attached as you adjusted your back and wriggled your legs to get your blood pumping. You looked around, the clock was approaching 2am. Time to go. It was weird seeing the office like this. Empty. Dark. Quite eerie really.

You fired off an email to Walsh and Joe with the time stamps and camera screenshots of the truck for good measure, smiling to yourself for a job well done. 

You got up to leave - then smirked as you noticed the letter opener sitting on the corner of your desk. Might as well take this golden opportunity to continue the game with Joe. You dropped it on his keyboard as you passed by. 

You bid good night to Grant the security guard who was shocked to see you so late. He insisted on walking you to your car which was very sweet. You chatted as you walked. Grant was always easy to talk to. You didn’t have to work too hard like you did with the others.

You would text Joe in the morning to see how the mission was going. Until then…sleep. Much sleep. 

*

It was lunchtime by the time you woke up. Seems you really needed that rest. You said a silent thank-you to Walsh for giving you the day off. 

Speaking of, he’d emailed you back with a congratulatory message on all your hard work. You took a screen shot of it on your phone so you could refer to it next time you had a crisis of confidence. 

You sent a text to Joe wishing him well today and asking him to let you know how it went once he was safe to do so. You felt a pang of anxiety despite your good mood, you hoped all your planning had paid off and he would be safe today.

After that you ordered your favourite takeout for lunch (you deserved it) and jumped in the shower to finally start your day.

After you had stepped out of the shower and the second you’d finished wrapping your towel around you - the doorbell rang. You cursed, not expecting the delivery to be that quick. You glanced down nervously at your scantily clad figure. 

Fuck it. The door would only be open a few seconds. Just do it. Delivery drivers must see all kinds…

Emboldened by your new found confidence, you padded to your door and flung the door open. 

Your face fell.

“…Nick?”

He was standing in your doorway grinning like the cat who got the cream as he surveyed your figure. 

“Afternoon, princess…”

“What are you doing here?” You asked shrilly, hiding your towelled torso behind the front door.

“You don’t look sick to me”.

“What??”

“You didn’t turn up to work so I assumed you were sick. Thought I’d come check on you, but looks like you were just playing hooky”.

You rolled your eyes. 

“Actually I’m off today. Walsh let me take the time as I worked late last night. What do you want, Nick?” You barked at him. 

“That’s not a very nice way to speak to someone who came out on his break to bring you chicken soup…”

He held up a brown paper bag with the local deli design on it.

Your stomach gurgled, and you flattened any stirrings of feelings that threatened to emerge after realising Nick had brought you soup when he thought you were sick. 

“Not hungry. Well…I am. But I have takeout on its way. And I’m not sick. So…” You dismissed it with a wave of the hand.

He smiled, shrugging impassively. “Take it anyway. Heat it up later for dinner.”

He placed the bag on the doorstep. Then he took a step back and his eyes roamed up and down your body. You felt your heart pounding. How had this happened?? You were only meant to be at the door for a few seconds.

“Tryna’ give the delivery driver a heart attack, huh?” He asked, his voice low as his eyes dropped.

You felt yourself blushing as you covered yourself with your arms. “No…I-“

His smile grew wider.

“I’ve missed you, princess”.

You froze, not able to meet his gaze.

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot. Especially when I was out on the op. Your soft skin…your body….but also just…being with you”.

You couldn’t look up.

He sighed. “Look…what I said..”

“Don’t…” you hushed, feeling tears prick the back of your eyes.

“I was outta line” he continued, awkwardly clearing his throat. “I…I don’t know why I said those things. They aren’t true…I was being an asshole and you didn’t deserve any of that”.

You focus your eyes on the soup’s brown paper bag at your feet.

“…you meant it though” you responded. In your head you sounded strong but it left your mouth barely a whisper.

He shook his head. “No….no I didn’t”.

You bit your lip. He did. You remember the venom with which he said it. The mocking half smile. It was emblazoned in your memory, always there no in the background matter how hard you tried to ignore it. He had dug deep into your insecurities and yanked them up to the surface, leaving you raw and exposed.

“You’re a little quiet…sure. But you’re not beige…you’re not nothing” he said gently. “Never beige”.

You didn’t respond.

“You caught me off guard” he explained, clearly not concerned that this was a one sided conversation. “Maybe…maybe there was some truth to what you said. Maybe I was…feelingsomething. And I panicked, I went on the offensive”.

You still couldn’t look. You felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of your neck. You shuffled your feet. 

“…and I blew it. And I’m sorry. Really sorry. And I swear - nothing is going on with Mace. We went on a date once but it didn’t work out. That’s all”.

Your heart was pounding. You had longed to hear those word from him for so long. It all felt like a strange dream.

But it was too late. It felt tainted now. You didn’t even know if he was telling the truth. 

Your shock transformed into something else. You felt stronger than you had in a long time. Maybe ever. 

“You’re right, I’m not beige” you sneered, finally meeting his eye. 

He nodded.

“Yes…I’m quiet. Yes…I’ve been stuck in my job for a little too long. And yes…maybe I do blend in more than I stick out…”

He opened his mouth to speak but you continued. 

“But I’m also kind. I’m smart. I give everything my all. I may not always know what to say, or how to play the game in the same way you do…but I’m doing my best” you exhaled.

“And now I’m working on this big mission and I’m actually making a difference. Me! An Assistant!! Walsh is happy with my work and he trusts me. For the first time in my career, I’m actually being acknowledged and valued for what I have to offer”.

Nick smiled softly.

“….So, I have to thank-you Nick…”

He frowned, clearly not sure where you were going. 

“If you hadn’t been such a colossal asshole then I wouldn’t have pursued this. I wouldn’t have spoken to Walsh and pushed myself to discover what I’m truly capable of. So thank-you, Nick. Thank-you for breaking my heart. Because in your own twisted way, you helped me. But…I’m done with you. I don’t want to speak to you unless I have to. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want you turning up at my front door anymore”.

He blanched, his jaw tightening.

“…so take your soup…” you picked up the bag and shoved it into his chest. “And your apologies. And leave me the fuck alone”. 

You blew out a puff of air, hardly believing you’d just said what you’d said. 

Nick wore his poker face as his eyes found yours. He just stared back at you for a few moments, until he finally nodded and began to retreat.

You watched him walk down the path until he stopped for a second, turning to look at you one last time. 

“You were never beige” he said softly. “You’re actually….vibrant. All the colours at once”.

And then he was gone.

*

Chapter 6 - File

[raineandsky]

#22

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

“How on earth did you get in?”

There is a teenager standing on the other side of the villain’s desk, seemingly uncaring to the fact that he’s somehow broken into his private office without issue. He just gives the villain an innocent smile.

“The windows aren’t really�� guarded,” is all he says, and the villain makes note to double to security. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Clearly,” he snaps back, hoping his sharp tone will hide his concern. How did a kid get in – and if he can, have goddamn heroes gotten in under his radar?

“I wanna apply. Here,” the teenager tries, practically radiating nerves when the villain’s gaze turns incredulous. “To work.”

“To wo–” He huffs a disbelieving laugh. “Are you old enough to work?”

“I’m sixteen.”

The villain barely believes that. He doesn’t look a day over twelve. “Sorry, why would I hire a teenager?”

“I have two good reasons. I can show you the first one.” The child raises his hands, aiming just past the villain’s head, and a moment later a shot of lightning shoots from his palms. The volts sting against the side of the villain’s head as it passes to crumple just behind him with remarkable violence. He spins in his chair to stare at the wide dinge now decorating his once pristine white wall with poorly contained shock.

“The second thing. I, uh…” the teenager’s confidence falters, his gaze dropping nervously to his feet as the villain twists back to look at him. “I was in the agency.”

The villain raises his eyebrows amusedly. “And you think that makes me… want to hire you?”

“I hate them,” he blurts, as if the words needed to come out. “I used to be [Hero]’s sidekick, but she treated me like shit and everyone else acted like I was stupid.” He finally raises his head again to meet the other’s eye. “I want to get them back. I have inside information.”

“That’s one hell of an offer,” the villain says slowly, and the kid nods enthusiastically. “You sure you want to throw your lot with the bad guys?”

“I wanted to throw my lot in with the bad guys when [Hero] almost drowned me in an agency toilet for a joke,” he says sourly, and the villain pulls a face of pure disgust. “And… I heard you guys have social nights sometimes.”

“You’re sixteen. You don’t get alcohol,” he reminds him, before clearing his throat to put on his business voice. “Okay, well, you could be valuable. I don’t trust you–”

“That’s fair.”

“– so you’ll stay in this building under close watch until I decide you’re not going to stab me in the back. In the meantime, I’ll make sure no one tries to drown you in a toilet. It’ll at least be in a sanitised bucket. Okay?”

The kid smiles brightly, and the villain can’t help but wonder what kind of future he would’ve had with the agency. “Thank you so much, sir. I won’t let you down.”

The villain waves him off nonchalantly, dipping his head back to the work on his desk to mask his own victorious smirk. “Don’t thank me yet. Save it for when we both get what we want.”

(Part 2)

[thissortofsorcery]

Just To Keep The World at Bay - Chapter 5

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Relationship: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, First Time, Closeted Character, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Enemies to Lovers, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Neil Hargrove is His Own Warning Summary:

"You shouldn’t speed when it’s this dark out,” He warns, then pauses, scowling at Billy. “You especially, shouldn’t speed, ever.”

“I’m a very good driver, sir.”

“Uh huh, pull the other one,” Hopper frowns. “Don't think I don’t got an eye on you.”

Billy blinks, confused, and that’s the first crack the Chief spots on his mask.

“Yeah, kid. You’ve been on my radar for a while now,” Hopper says. “I'm the one that drove Steve Harrington to the hospital that night.”

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Ruby Rose: Girl Genius

IT Guy: UH, Sir? You may want to take a look at this!

Ironwood: (watching blip on a Radar) ... Commercial flight?

IT Guy: Too fast.

Ironwood: One of our own?

IT Guy: ... Air force has nothing Scheduled.

Ironwood: (Dramatic Turn) ... We've got ourselves a Bogey. (Alarm Blares)

(Jets Take off)

Pilot: This is Air-Leader 2, we are anticipating visual contact ... Now.

Zwei: (Wearing Tool pouches) BARK BARK!

Pilot: HOLY COW PIE

Ruby and Zwei sit in the front seat of a Homemade Rocket, Jaune hanging on for dear life in the back seat

Ruby: Oh! Hey! Nice antiques! (Presses a bottom) Gotta (Petal) Burst!

Ruby: Dust Mix Stable! Engine cycling at One million Gigajoules! cool. we didn't blow up

Jaune: Uuuhh Great! Ruby? I think they want us to pull over!

Ruby: No time Jaune! Get Ready with the Satellite!

Jaune: Ooookay ... Uh, what do I do again?

Ruby: You're the deployment system Jaune! As soon as we clear the atmosphere, you just ... Throw it!

Jaune: ... Right.

Ruby: Prepare to leave the Atmosphere!

Ruby: Engaging Pulse Rockets!

Ruby: Now!

(Popping noises, followed by smoke pouring from the engine)

Ruby: No!

Jaune: Now? (He throws the 'Satellite', only for it to fly back and hit Ruby in the head.)

(engine continues failing)

Jaune: Is this supposed to happen?!?

Ruby: C'mon! think! Think!

Ruby: I'VE GOT IT! Give me your lunch!

Jaune: uh, Here?

Ruby: (Takes his soda AS Zwei offers her Duct Tape) Thanks Zwei!

Zwei: BARK!

Ruby: I need that! (Pulls a thread on Jaune's Hoodie)

Jaune: eh- HEY!

Ruby Shakes the soda before taping it to the 'Satellite', and ties the thread to the Can's Tab. She Throws it ahead of them, ripping on the thread, causing the Soda to rain down on them, launching the Satellite into orbit

Ruby: YES!

(Engines Cut Out)

Ruby: Uh Oh.

R+J: AAAAHHH!

Ruby: Must! Engage! Stabilizers! (Beep)

Ruby: Okay! NOw, we just need to make a quick stop at my house!

Jaune: I dunno ruby! I gotta get to school on time b-Besides-

Ruby: Great! Gotcha!

Jaune: W-W-W-WAIT! (Gets Ejected) RUBYYYYyyyyyyyyy!

Ruby: See you at Home Room Jaune!

Jaune: okay!

Ruby: fasten your seat-belt Zwei! It's gonna be a bumpy Ride!

Ruby: (Hits Building, loses wings)

Ruby: Crap! (Deploys Landing gear)

Ruby: (Clips Power line, loses landing gear)

Ruby: Double Crap! (Engages Parachute)

Ruby: (Parachute rips off - along with most of the Rocket)

Ruby: CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!

Ruby: (Bounces off several roofs, causing thousands of dollars in damages, before finally landing on her house.)

Ruby: Well ... other than the unscheduled rapid disassembly, and the lithobraking maneuver, I'd say that this mission was a complete success!

Tai: (Inside the house) Well, what d'you know? The chimney fell off again.

[quinloki]

Blorbo Ranking Top 20 for April—this one runs really long.

Once again, I've managed to butcher my rankings every single month. As always, top two spots go to my favorite men. Those are the only stable rankings I will ever have.

People who fell off the list: Ace, Zoro, Buggy, and Pell. I am shocked that both Zoro & Buggy fell off my list. They've both been staples and they somehow got replaced.

People who are new this month: Laboon, Killer, Rayleigh, and Penguin. I know I've had Penguin and Laboon on previous lists, but they might have been on January's top 10.

Folks who didn't change spots at all: Sir Crocodile, Wyper, Marco, & Mihawk.

Those who moved UP since March: Alvida has moved 1 spot into 3rd, Sabo moved 1 spot into 15th, and Bepo also moved 1 spot into 17th, Shanks moved 2 spots into 4th, and lastly Sakazuki moved 6 spots into 9th.

Those who dropped DOWN since March: Vivi dropped 2 spots into 19th, Borsi Baby dropped 3 spots into 6th, Kid dropped 3 spots into 10th, Smoker dropped 3 spots into 13th, and lastly Trafalgar dropped 5 spots into 14th.

Ace's spot went to Smoker and Zoro's spot went to Trafalgar. Vivi took Buggy's spot and Laboon took Pell's.

Sakazuki jumped ranks the most out of anyone who was already on the list but Rayleigh jumped the most for new blokes. Both older men made it into the top 10 of this list. Trafalgar dropped the most out of anyone already on the list and of the people who fell off, Ace fell the most.

While I did vote for more women this go around (Dr. Kureha, Makino, Nojiko, Perona, Bell-Mere, Laki) I still only have two women holding down the fort (my girl Alvida and Vivi). Alvida is still out here taking names and I love that for her, but that's as far as she can go on the list.

Still don't know why Mihawk is hanging out on the list, he is not a blorbo and neither is Killer. And I completely blame you for putting both Sabo and Rayleigh in my brain. At one point I had both Sakazuki and Rayleigh matched up and my solution for figuring out who to choose was to say "which old man would I rather screw me into the wall?" Rayleigh apparently. HE WAS NEVER ON MY RADAR. Why, why, WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME QUIN?!?!?!?!?

Added bonus, the horrible decision I had to make:

Obviously, the votes went: Arlong, Shanks, Crocodile, Marco, Rayleigh, Kid.

Generally speaking, if a woman goes against one my blrobos she'll lose because the blorbos I would let do unspeakable things to me whereas the women I want as gal pals. If the women are against any other dude however, she'll win, and when it's woman v. woman, I just vote for my girls (Alvida, Vivi, Dr. Kureha, Laki, Nojiko, Bell-Mere, Makino, Perona—in this order).

Buggy isn't a blorbo either but I ship him hard with Alvida which is why I vote for him and I'm devastated he's off the list. I owe Alvida an apology. Kinda bummed Thatch didn't make the list again. And someday the people who run that site will add Aramaki because I accidentally added him into my brain.

I'm a sucker for plant powers plus he has the shirt allergy, so I didn't really have a prayer. Plus he has a sword and apparently my "type" is "carries at least one sword". Other proven types are: red-haired, white-haired, facial scar(s), missing a body part, and any combination of these.

"Why, why, WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME QUIN?!?!?!?!?"

I'm good at like two things. Doing ^that^ to people, and uh... being me, I guess. XD

I never know what to say for your breakdowns, but I do want to be clear that I LOVE them - please continue to do so. It's always a pleasure to read even if my distracted ass brain is struggling about what to say.

gonna have to try harder to drag Sabo and Marco into the top ten though >.> ❤️😎

[unovampire]

Grimsley’s Gender Adventure

Being queer and immortal is a goal we all wish we could attain. Grimsley has had the privilege of experiencing it. Here is a timeline of his gender and sexuality adventure:

1880’s: Grimsley, AFAB, still calling himself a woman. He’s pretty sure he is a typical lady who is only attracted to men— oh, well, except for that one beautiful, mysterious Galarian archeologist he met on a train in Nimbasa. They absolutely had a lesbian encounter.

Surprise! The same woman who he had an encounter with turns out to be a vampire, and in the heat of being in love, allows her to bite and turn him. Thus begins an eternity of being able to sort his shit.

1920’s: Roaring 20’s fashion becomes the ‘it’ thing, he puts on a suit, and it absolutely does something for him; Grimsley begins to identify as man, and requests to be addressed as ‘sir’. (Connecting this to American history, since we’re talking about Unova here: Women who ‘masqueraded’ as men were generally admired in the press for their boldness and success in holding down masculine jobs. Some passed for long periods of time, and had wives or girlfriends. They were rarely condemned for being socially and sexually deviant until after the Second World War.)

1930’s: Uh-oh, prohibition time. Suddenly the wine business that was super successful is super NOT allowed. He’s also been immortal for some time now, and a few people are getting suspicious of his identity— it’s time to disappear, get comfortable in dresses again for booze smuggling purposes, and identify as a woman again so that people don’t wisen up on him being a suave beast of the night. He looks good in dresses anyway, so he isn’t complaining.

1950’s: By now, Grimsley has already lived a typical, full life— WAY beyond the expectations of the average human, thanks to his vampirism. At this point, he decides to present male and call himself a man again.

1980’s: Grimsley gets top surgery, good for him.

Present day, Grimsley still identifies as a man! His pronouns are he/him. He wears plenty of masculine and feminine clothing, and everything in between. As long as he is comfortable and looks good, the “gender” of the clothing he wears does not matter. And, yes, he is still in touch with his sapphic lover from the 1880’s, they are very good friends, despite not being in a monogamous relationship. Sexuality wise, Grimsley’s preferences have fluctuated throughout the years. Casual sex isn’t his thing anymore; he currently is somewhere on the demisexual radar, and prefers for there to be some sort of bond before engaging in sex— either platonic or romantic!

No, he is not going to get bottom surgery.

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Operation Containment

After his tango with Shalian in More than One Universe, OMT!Tails was warped into a factory-life environment where Shalian and CR!Corrupt banged on glass chambers, wanting out.

OMT!Tails: Alright, you two! Calm down!

He yelped as OMT!Robotnik touched his shoulder, not at all chuffed.

OMT!Robotnik: Be careful what you wish for, Tails.

Shalian: Let me out of here!

OMT!Tails: Can you please explain to me what's going on?

OMT!Robotnik: That little device you botched where you wanted to open gateways to every known sadistic evil, well, it started pulling every sadistic evil that had conflicts to anyone related to Mobius, from EVERY universe, into this one.

OMT!Tails: From every universe? (offended) Also, how is the whole evil thing MY fault?!

Shalian: What's the idea, omelette-breath?! Where are we?!

OMT!Robotnik: I think it's better not to engage with them because frankly, the multiverse, NOT just other Mobiuses, is a concept of the world in which we know FRIGHTENINGLY little of... This shouldn't even be possible...

OMT!Tails: I thought you turned off your device before it blew up.

OMT!Robotnik: I didn't turn it off. I contained what's inside it, but apparently, a few of them squeaked through. After you left, my radar detected an otherworldly presence, so I got myself into a cave where I found (pointing to CR!Corrupt) THAT... dark hedgehog looking son of an egg...

Shalian: Device? Like, a portal-creator? What is this, a birthday party for bad guys? What is this madness?!

OMT!Robotnik: Watch this. (to Shalian) Do you know an Eggman from your universe?

Shalian: Yes.

OMT!Robotnik: Did he look like this?

Shalian: Er, no.

OMT!Robotnik: See?

Tails scratched his head, trying to figure this out.

OMT!Robotnik: Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. I don’t know how many of these… visitors we’ve got-.

OMT!Tails: I saw another one back at the bridge. He was like a... like a flying green haired man.

OMT!Robotnik: Well, he sounds jolly! Why don't we start with him? Now, I need you to capture them while I figure out how to send them back, before they destroy the fabric of the multiverse, or worse, someone else finds out...

OMT!Tails: Uhh... Doctor Robotnik?

OMT!Robotnik: What?

OMT!Tails: Me and Cream just got a second shot at getting into a science graduation, but if Bumper High School sees me fighting these... crazy monsters-!

Shalian: Hey, watch it, kiddo!

OMT!Tails: Sorry.

OMT!Robotnik: Seriously? Still thinking about the science class?

He charged up a device on his wrist.

OMT!Tails: Hey, what did you just do?

OMT!Robotnik: This!

He warped Tails into one of the chambers as a demonstration.

Shalian: How did you do that?

OMT!Robotnik: Lots of birthday parties...

He opened Tails's chamber before passing him the device.

OMT!Robotnik: One shot, send them here, move on, you’re welcome, now get to work…

OMT!Tails: Uh... sir?

OMT!Robotnik (slightly annoyed): Urgh... NOW what?

OMT!Tails: I know I have part of the responsibility in this mess, and I swear to you I'll get it fixed, but I'm gonna need a good amount of help to get it done! And not just from my friends here... you know what I mean, right?

A few minutes later, OMT!Mina and Mini Sonic came through, each wearing multidimensional watches now.

Mini Sonic: Woah! I can’t believe we’re at your Dr. Robotnik’s Gimme Shelter!

OMT!Robotnik: Me neither...

OMT!Mina: Tails! Hey!

She and Tails shared a hug.

OMT!Tails: It's so good to see you! I'm sorry for dragging you in this. You just gotta help me track down these guys...

Mini Sonic: So how did these guys you talked about get here?

OMT!Robotnik: Your little friend screwed up my device whilst trying to get himself and his sister into science class-.

OMT!Tails: No, that was afterwards. Let's just focus on the good news, okay?

OMT!Robotnik: No, let's just focus on the bad news! So far, you have detected ZERO multiversal trespassers, so... pack up your phones, scour on the internet and... Scooby-Doo this crap!

OMT!Mina: Hehe, you know, you're telling us what to do even though it was your device that got screwed up, so all of this is kinda your mess. I know a couple of magic words myself starting with the word, please~.

OMT!Robotnik: ... Please... Scooby-Doo this crap.

OMT!Tails: That's better. (Gosh, he's no fun...)

OMT!Robotnik: You can work inside my abandoned Wing Fortress.

OMT!Tails: You guys go ahead. I'll contact Knuckles and the others to get there, and I've got something else to get too.

Mini Sonic: Let’s catch some multiverse men!

Inside the fortress, the lights went on. Shalian and CR!Corrupt were also stuck there. Tails soon arrived with the others, holding something behind his back.

OMT!Tails: Guys, listen. About the whole device thing-.

OMT!Mina: No, it’s fine.

OMT!Tails: Wait, really?

OMT!Mina: Yeah, since you've gotten badly sick and other problematic stuff, you were just trying to fix things. But maybe just… run it by us next time, whenever you're gonna do something that could… break the universe, you know.

OMT!Tails: Heh, deal.

Mina noticed Tails’s position.

OMT!Mina: What’s up with your arm, Tails?

OMT!Tails: Oh, I…

He held out the bouquet he wanted to give her.

OMT!Tails: I, well... got these for you for when you happened to return.

OMT!Mina (happy): Aww, thanks! I'll gladly keep them with me! S-So, anyway, you zap them, Dr. Robotnik will send them back, and we will be having more fun together! Eating donuts, making devices... my treat!

OMT!Tails: A-Also. Y-Yeah, I developed a bit of a crush on you since we met.

Tails blushed shyly, and Mina did the same after hearing his confession.

OMT!Mina: G-Gosh, Tails… I, uh-

Mini Sonic: I said it once, I’ll say it again! Let’s catch some multiverse men!

The two captured villains were nearby.

Shalian: Hey! Who are those two with you?!

OMT!Tails: Oh, these are my other-worldly friends, Mina and Mini Sonic.

Mini Sonic: Hello.

OMT!Tails: I’m sorry, what was your name again?

Shalian: Name's Toxinfect, kid.

The three couldn't help but giggle in amusement at the name.

OMT!Tails: T-Toxiwhat?!

Mini Sonic: T-That's just d-dumb! Hahaha!

Shalian: Excuse me?

OMT!Tails: No seriously, what's your actual name?

Mini Sonic: Hey! What’s that black hedgehog-looking guy?

CR!Corrupt looked at them but didn’t respond, looking unamused. Some scenes play out with the gang getting ready to go find the rogue evils. While Tails is washing a top, he’s also on the phone with Sally at the same time.

OMT!Sally (on the other end): If the paint won’t come off, bring it to the shelter and I’ll get it out.

OMT!Tails: No, no, not yet, Sally. We’ve still gotta round up those otherworldly evils.

He lifted the shirt out, still covered in paint handprints.

OMT!Sally: Well, finish what you need to with the others and then come on by.

Mini Sonic: Guys, look!

OMT!Tails: Oh, sorry! Gotta go!

OMT!Sally: Okay! Love you, little bro! Bye!

Mina and Tails went to Mini Sonic, who had news to share.

OMT!Tails: What did you find?

Mini Sonic: The press had found reports of a few school deaths, most of which were school bullies, but a few were innocents… A survivor claims she saw a monster flying around the scene.

OMT!Tails: That's gotta be the guy I saw back at the bridge, right?

Shalian: That’s impossible.

Tails went closer to Shalian’s chamber.

OMT!Tails: You know him, don't you? On the bridge, you said his name.

Shalian: Richard Ambersilve. Brilliant young kid, well known for having the highest PHD, vengeful spirit after death. But the bullies that killed him weren't enough. He even killed innocents… even his own girlfriend. He was too hateful… blind… misguided…

OMT!Tails: What happened to him?

Shalian: I TIRE OF YOUR QUESTIONS, FOX!!

OMT!Tails: O-Okay… Alright, where do we go?

Shalian: It can't be him…

The group looked at him.

OMT!Tails: W-Why…?

Shalian: Because Richard truly died years ago. So either we saw someone else, or you're flying out into the darkness, to fight a ghost…

NEXT POST

[remyfire]

“Untitled” for the WIP game!

WIP Game! This is my entry for the @mashficolympics for July 7th's prompt, Injury. It's another hunnihawk, and I've been teasing it as "platonic spanking to nonplatonic spanking pipeline," but it's thus far the most angst-ridden thing I've written for this fandom, and the 'injury' aspect is already deeply upsetting me even though it's at least a few thousand words away.

(tw below for canon-typical terrible OR shift)

"Uh, sirs?" Radar pops into the OR with a mask held over his mouth, his eyes wide but resigned behind his glasses. "We've got a whole new bus that just pulled up out there, full to the brim. It looks real bad."

Potter doesn't glance up from his work. He barely even allows Kellye to mop his brow. "What's the situation, Radar?"

The words flow out of Radar so fast, there's no pause for full stops. "There's a bomber went down near a village a few miles down the road, and, uh, it sounds like they weren't exactly empty of their cargo when they hit the ground—"

"What?" Hawk can feel the acid gathering on the back of his tongue, something that sears his tone, that he wants to spit like a cobra.

BJ looks up over the edge of his mask, grim. "Must've been what we heard a minute ago."

Hawk grits his teeth as he carefully eases what he thought was the last piece of shrapnel out of his current patient's gut, but the moment he lifts it out, he catches the gleam of another. He forces his hands to stay steady, tries to work through his bubbling anger and the necessity of being thorough before he closes. "What the hell happened out there? Is it all civilians?"

"Yes sir, Captain Pierce," Radar says softly. "Driver says they'd lost contact with the pilot way before he ever hit the ground."

"He wasn't even shot down?" Hawk demands. "He just—" Every word feeds the flames. He clinks another piece of metal into the tray with far more force than is necessary.

"Easy, Pierce. We've got a long night ahead of us." The firm but smooth tone from Colonel Potter does nothing to soothe him.

It does, however, remind him of the constant battle to harness his frustration into pulling as many of those innocent lives away from the jaws of death as he can—not letting the bastards win.

But the trouble with learning how to cheat death is that eventually, those lives he's saved have to catch up somewhere.

[soul-music-is-life]

Aight, TLOU really got me this week

TAG YOUR SPOILERS AS NEEDED:

I say this every week. But I was insanely uncomfortable the moment the Preacher-man came on talking ‘bout God’s will. He just gave me creepy vibes and I followed that instinct cuz I knew....I KNEW.

I was like “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you’re doing. But I do know...I fucking hate you.”

My radar is rarely wrong about people (irl and in fiction). And the second that man showed his ass I was like, “Run far far away from this psycho...”

Ellie should have shot that bitch the second she saw him. Ditto for “buddy boy” too.

Don’t even get me started on how Ellie fought so hard to save Joel’s life.

They have my goddamn heart.

Ellie risked her life for Joel. That is her dad. And you can’t tell me otherwise.

I hate the man who shot the horse, but at least he’s an honest asshole about his intentions. All them crazy assholes deserved to die imo.

I spent the entire episode in a maternal panic screaming at Ellie “UH UH GIRL...that is a CRAZY ass YT man!! You better run the other way! He got them Dahmer eyes. We don’t mess with them! Get out, girl! YOU IN DANGER!!”

And then that man turned out to be a fucking sociopath AND A pedophile on top of that talking about he and Ellie could rule together?

Sir...THAT IS A 14 YEAR OLD CHILD!

Ellie fought valiantly, but I know she’s coming away from that with scars.

That child was traumatized. The way she looked at Joel broke my heart.

And as if I wasn’t an emotional wreck already, Joel said this:

No one talk to me. I’m not okay.

[serpercival]

Fake fic meme!! Title: Headfirst and No Regrets

Ooh, this initially screams radarhawk to me, but given my Terminal Diseases I'm inevitably spinning it as radartraphawk.

"Radar's been pining something fierce after Hawkeye ever since they first got to this dump. Who wouldn't? He's smart, he's funny, he's sweet on the people he cares about... and he's almost definitely not interested in Radar, because why would he be when he's got plenty of nurses and Trapper John to choose from?

"One day, everything comes to a head when Radar shows up with the mail to find Hawkeye and Trapper together, and Radar gets the feeling that maybe he's not so unwelcome after all."

Tagging @bbjkrss-blog with the assumption he'll want to see this - about 450 words of what would be the beginning of this fic under the cut <3

Radar wasn’t really paying attention when he started heading for the Swamp with the mail for Hawkeye and Trapper. He never paid all that much attention to the Swamp except for if Major Burns was going to be there, given that Hawkeye and Trapper were almost always happy to see him because they were so bored all the time they weren’t in surgery. So when he walked in, shuffling through the little pile of mail in his hands so he could separate what was for Ben Pierce with what was for John McIntyre, he didn’t notice that the tent flaps were down, he didn’t notice the electric charge in the air, and he didn’t notice that Hawkeye and Trapper were in the same cot and didn’t actually have any clothes on until the sickly bolt of someone else’s panic shot through him.

He looked up. Trapper had put himself directly between Hawkeye and Radar, covering himself with only a pillow and nothing else, which made Radar have an awful lot of thoughts that he didn’t really like to admit to having, and Hawkeye was half under a blanket and squished against the tent wall behind him.

“Radar,” Trapper said, and it still managed to be threatening even though he was really awful naked and his mouth was wet and swollen in a way that gave Radar a spark of the image of exactly what they’d been doing before he wandered in. “You didn’t see nothin’ here, did you?”

Radar shook his head slowly, carefully. Little movements. Like not scaring off a wild animal. “No, sir.”

Hawkeye tried to kick Trapper to get him to stop squishing him. Trapper just whacked him on the shin and narrowed his eyes at Radar. “Scram.”

“Alright, sir,” Radar said. His feet didn’t want to move. He could practically hear the noises Hawkeye would have been making, with Trapper’s lips on the place he thought they probably had been. It was exciting and terrifying and all sorts of things that Radar knew a good Christian boy wasn’t supposed to think about, but then again neither Trapper or Hawkeye seemed to think that He was paying an awful lot of attention to Korea.

“Radar,” Hawkeye said. “Vamoose. Go away. Abscond, skedaddle, scuttle off–”

“You ever thought about doing that with me?” something with Radar’s mouth asked.

Trapper and Hawkeye looked at each other. “Uh,” Hawkeye said. They gave each other one of those glances that sometimes made Radar feel like he wasn’t the only one with the kind of head he had, before they both turned back. Hawkeye shrugged. “Maybe a little?”

[auxiliarydetective]

Iris: Vivamus atque amemus

Name: Winchester, Euphemia I. Rank: Captain (0-3), US Army Nurse Corps Unit: MASH 4077

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When Charles entered the CO‘s office, he found the Colonel – Colonel Potter, was his name? - and two doctors drinking. One of them had black hair, the other’s was a sandy brown.

“Uh, sir,” O’Reilly said behind him, still carrying his various boxes, “this is Major Charles Emerson… uh…”

“Winchester,” Charles threw in annoyedly. This place was already at least twice as awful as he had imagined it, which was a high feat.

Potter got up from his chair, as did the two doctors.

“Radar, don’t talk with your hands full,” the black-haired one quipped.

To this, Charles paid only very little mind, instead shaking the Colonel’s hand.

“Welcome to MASH 4077, Doctor,” Potter said, which Charles accepted with a minor “yup”. “Doctors Pierce…” – the black-haired one – “and Hunnicut.” – the brown-haired one.

As a purely formal gesture, gloves still on, Charles shook their hands as well.

“Hawkeye,” Pierce introduced himself.

“Doctor,” Charles threw back.

“B.J.,” Hunnicut gave his name.

“Doctor.”

Once again, Charles paid no mind to the less than formal behavior of the two.

“Major, you have no idea how glad we are to see you,” Potter stated. “This is our first break in 36 hours.” He gestured to the glasses and alcohol. “Have a snort.”

What Charles did pay mind to, however, was that the eyes in the room flicked behind him and that an amused smirk went through Pierce and Hunnicut’s eyes.

“Thank you, no,” he said irritably. He was about to take off his gloves when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Doctor?”

A shiver ran down his spine at that voice, memories rushing into him. But it was impossible, was it? Quicklier than he intended to, he turned around. And really, there she stood, still looking barely a day over sixteen. His little girl, though with a few more marks on her skin. She looked… tired. Still, very lively, yes, but her eyes were lined with dark circles. He also spotted a dark mark on her neck, but decided to ignore it, for their family’s dignity.

“Euphemia?!” he gasped, almost dropping his file.

The moment he said her name, her smile turned into a grin, her eyes practically glowing with joy. She threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. A little overwhelmed by the situation, he gave her a few pats on the back.

“Euphemia?!” Pierce and Hunnicut echoed in utter disbelief, staring at her with widened eyes.

“Yeah?” she replied. “That’s my name.”

“Iris, you never told us you had a middle name!” Pierce scoffed. “All this time, I could’ve been teasing you with it.”

“Euphemia is my first name,” she corrected as she let Charles go. “Iris is my middle name.”

“What was that you told us in the OR,” Hunnicut reminisced, “not all Winchesters know each other?”

“And that is true, but I know this one. He’s my cousin.”

What a cruel understatement that Charles nonetheless made no comment about. This was the girl he had practically helped raise, at least in his eyes. His father’s words crawled into his brain and, sadly, it seemed like seeing her now would prove him right. First, breaking off her musical training (that he had always envied her for) to become a nurse. Not even a doctor, no, just a nurse. Then, joining the military voluntarily. At least she had gotten some promotions, making it to Captain, according to her pins, but that hadn’t helped much. Women in the military had their reputation, at least in the Winchester family. The Nurse Corps less so than the Women’s Army Corps, but still, the rumour that they were sexually and otherwise immoral stood. With the way she threw flirty banter at Pierce and Hunnicut and had barely made any effort of covering up her love bites – yes, multiple, he had spotted another now – his father would see them proven right. Then again, she had always been known for playing a little fast and loose – mostly loose – with the rules set on her dating pool. By all accounts, she was headed towards becoming the family disappointment, or perhaps even working actively towards it, what with her love for obscene Roman poetry that she had shown from the day she was able to read it. But, still, Charles couldn’t find a way to dislike her.

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Welcome to the family jewels Coal to diamond, sold to fools Welcome to the family jewels Simmerin' sapphire can't keep his cool

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TW for the next fic portion: Mentions of past dr*g ab*se, overd*se and allusions to s*ic*de as well as the usual topics of blood and injuries present in M*A*S*h - Skip to the next break if that makes you uncomfortable!

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After the shots had died down, the aid station was in wild chaos. Wounded soldiers came pouring through the door, some with more or less minor wounds, some requiring immediate surgery. Charles wished he had five heads and eight arms with how much he was shouting, pointing, and directing. Father Mulcahy was almost stumbling over his prayers, switching between different faiths like a three-dimensional metronome. Under great efforts, Iris maneuvered a soldier onto a free bed. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for her cousin. Finally, there he was. He was being swarmed by people, but he’d listen to her. He always did. Especially now, he had to. She made her way through the crowd, eventually reaching her goal.

“Charles,” she said a little weaklier than she had intended to.

“Yes?” he asked absently as he looked around the room, trying to assess the situation.

“Not to alarm you, but, uh… I’ve been shot.”

Immediately, a jolt went through his body. He whirled around, eyes widened in horror as he looked her up and down. There were two large, red stains in her uniform, one in the hip area, the other encasing her collarbone and shoulder.

“Come on,” he blurted out, “you need surgery right now.”

“No,” Iris cut in, dodging the hand that tried to grab her. “No, I don’t. I’m stable. There are people here that had to be carried in with open chest wounds and bullets lodged in their stomachs and torniquets around their limbs. They need you more than I do. The only reason I told you I was hurt at all was because I knew you’d get mad if I didn’t. But you can’t just prioritize me just because we’re family. You’re a doctor, for Christ’s sake!” Her chest heaved slightly with the effort of shouting.

Charles scrunched his face and the knuckles of his fists turned white. “Father!” he yelled over the crowd, his voice almost breaking. “Are there exit wounds?” he asked Iris as he waited for Mulcahy to come over.

“Yes,” she assured him. “I’ve checked. The bullets are out.”

Father Mulcahy appeared, breath getting stuck in his throat the moment he realized the situation. “Iris!”

“Father,” Charles said sharply, shoving bandages, gauze, and a blanket into the chaplain’s arms. “You’ll take her away from this chaos, lie her down and bandage her up. Apply lots of pressure to the wound and use that blanket to cover her so she doesn’t get cold. Don’t ever leave her side and keep talking to her. And whatever medication she asks for, don’t give it to her.”

“Charles!” Iris gasped indignantly.

“Do you understand, Father?”

“Yes, sir, fully,” Mulcahy said jerkily.

Charles chased one of the largely healed soldiers out of his bed and carried it to a more hidden yet not remote area of the aid station before having to hurry off and treat his other patients.

“Do you know how to apply a hip bandage, Father?” Iris asked, sounding like she always did while working in Post-OP – calm, almost cheerful.

“No,” Father Mulcahy lied. He had some idea of how to do it, but if he could keep her talking by stretching the truth, it was worth it.

So, he had her explain it to him. Explain she did, calmly, step by step.

“Thank God it hit as low as it did,” he murmured as he pinned the bandage in place. “Otherwise, it would’ve hit your vital organs, right?”

To this, Iris smiled ironically. “I don’t care about my organs. Thank God it didn’t hit lower, or it would’ve hit my tattoo.”

“You have a tattoo?”

“Yeah,” Iris sighed wistfully. “Da mi basia mille, dein mille altera. Beginning of verses seven and eight of carmen 5 by Gaius Valerius Catullus. Do you know how the poem starts?”

“No, please, tell me.”

“Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus.”

“Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love.”

“My parents would disown me on the spot if they knew I had a tattoo, but I just had to put that reminder under my skin. A reminder of…” She took a deep breath. “Of the day that Charles saved my life.”

Father Mulcahy didn’t have to ask what she meant by that. It shook him deeply, even the implication of it. Iris came off as such a cheerful person. To think that she could have fallen that low in the past… All he could do was hope and pray that those times were over. Now, Charles’s last orders made sense too, why he didn’t trust her, a nurse, with medicine in this state.

“Which drug was it?” he asked. “Morphine?”

“Goodness, no,” Iris chuckled, her hand rushing towards her wounded abdomen as she winced in pain at its movement. “Cough syrup.”

“Cough syrup?”

“I have a low metabolism when it comes to medicine. Just can’t break it down as well. The thing is, I didn’t know. I was 15 and… God, I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

“I’m a priest,” Father Mulcahy insisted as he started bandaging her shoulder. “Part of my job is to listen. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, but if you do, I’ll listen. And I won’t tell anyone else.”

“Alright…” Iris murmured. “Well… I was 15, I was depressed – which would’ve been a disgrace to the family to admit, so everyone except Charles just ignored it – and I was just about done with the world. That didn’t mean I wanted to die, but I wanted to just… leave for a while. I wanted to forget about reality for a few hours, just get high as a kite and not come back down for a while. One day, I was home alone, and I snuck into the medicine cabinet. I took out the cough syrup and smuggled it into my room. I can’t remember how much I drank, but it was far too much. In fact, I don’t remember much at all. All I know is what the doctors told me. That I was really lucky that Charles found me, that I should never do it again. While I was in the hospital, Charles gifted me a book of Roman poetry.” She smiled. “That’s how the obsession started. So, if I ever annoy anyone again by quoting a long-dead poet to them, they’ve gotta blame him, not me.”

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Tagging @starlit-epiphany