#thank you google for supplying me with names

[arttsuka]

Y'know what? I'm just gonna ask a random question. Not entirely random but-

What's your favorite design of a character in south park, if you don't know their name put an image down, (not draw it, like post a Canon image)

I don't know all that much about south park, I'm sure there's a side character who's design I'll love, but from the main cast it's this

[limarkova]

Yandere Batfam x Neglected Reader x Yandere Al Ghuls

Pt 2.

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*Author's note: OMG. Thank you guys so much for all the engagement on the first part. I didn’t think my first post would get that much reaction. Also yes I am spree writing this is! If you notice a mistake let me know. PS, the school named in this chapter is fictional and does not exist in the real world.

Alfred listened to the ringing phone line waiting for Bruce to answer. Seeing Miss (Name) in the hallway had been a surprise. He was fairly certain she was supposed to be away at Miss Rose's Boarding School for Young Woman in STEM. After two years of studying in the UK it was strange to have her appear without any notice. Especially since she hadn't visited or sent word in the past.

"Hello Alfred." The line stopped ringing and Alfred was greeted by Bruce.

"Master Bruce. Have you gotten any word from (Name)'s School about a sudden break in the school year?"

"No, why?" Alfred narrowed his eyes at the phone. Well that didn't make sense. Surely her school would notify them if she left.

Alfred began going through his memories. When was the last time Miss Rose's had called the manor? He couldn't seem to recall, they did have the manor's house number on file. "Well she just arrived at the manor and get into a bit of a scuffle with Master Damian. He thought she was an intruder and because I didn't know about her return I couldn't inform him about her in advance. Thankfully she seems unharmed but that was not a good foot to start their sibling relationship on."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "That’s odd, we should have received some kind of notice. Alfred can you call Miss Rose's to see what's going on. I'll wrap up business here quickly and be on the next flight home."

"I will see to it sir." The phone call ended. As Alfred began looking for the correct number to call next, Dick came into the room.

"Hey Alfred, why didn't you tell me baby bird was coming back?" Dick gestured behind him towards the kitchen.

Alfred shook his head slightly, typing in the school's name on Google. "I was not aware she was returning today."

Dick blinked twice, "Wait, what? Her school is in Australia, how did she get on an international flight with no one being aware of it?"

"Her school isn't in Australia." Alfred's eyebrows scrunched together. Dick's mouth made an 'o' shape before clamping into a thin line. Alfred narrowed his eyes at the look before correcting Dick, "Her school is in Birmingham, UK."

"Right, right. Umm, still though how did she get back here without anyone being notified. Even than it's the middle of October, shouldn't classes still be in session." Dick placed his hand to his chin. His eyes took on the focus look he got when he was working on a case or solving a puzzle. Alfred finally got the number written down. Dick looked up at Alfred. There was this dawning look on his face, "Hey Alfred."

"Yes Master Dick."

"Something is really wrong here, we need to keep an eye on her."

Alfred nodded listening to another phone line ringing in his ear, "I agree."

You had to come up with a plan. Escaping the facilities hadn't happened because of rash promises of passion. No it took a year of observation, planning, and waiting. It took you learning every detail that had been place in front of you. Yes you had emotions and gave yourself little dramatic moments but you can't live there.

You grabbed an abandoned notebook on your desk. It was covered in stickers with the first three pages being scribbled on. You ripped them out before beginning to write out everything you knew about the facilities. One they had access to all kinds of medical equipment but it was older equipment that struggled to work sometimes. Two the gaurds were heavily arm with scratched up weapons. The scratching was probably where the serial numbers would've been. Third they had issues getting supplies from a Sionis. Fourth it was based in Gotham evidenced by you being able to find the manor days after escape.

On the next page you wrote out your family member's names. You also add in the new people, Duke Thomas and Damian Wayne. You had written down Talia but stopped to think for a minute.

Yes, your father had likely cheated on your mom with her. But did that make her guilty of destroying your mom's romance? Did she even know about your mother? Maybe your mom was the reason she left causing that line in your mother's diary. Even than you need to focus on the experiments. You could worry about your mother's betrayal later. You scratched Talia off the list.

When you flipped to the next page, there was a soft knock on your door. It creaked open revealing Duke. He offered you a soft smile as he poked his head into your room. "Hey, are you doing okay?"

You looked him up and down. Duke was new to manor and you still couldn't tell if he was visiting or lived here now. A small part of you questioned if he knew about your kidnapping. Did any of your siblings actually know what happeneded or had Bruce just told them the boarding school lie? Did he plan to do it to them too once you proved a success?

You turned back to your notebook scribbling the questions. You'd need to look into during your investigation, "I'm fine."

"I heard about Damian attacking you in the hallway." Duke inched into your room. You turned back a page and underlined Damian's name. Even if he had nothing to do with your suspicions about your father, you were not going let him act like him towards you. Duke chuckled nervously behind you, prompt you to close the book. Can't have them finding out... yet. "Is there someway I can maybe cheer you up? I mean you're clearly upset about something and I want to help if I possibly can?"

He continued to ramble on. You looked around your room as he talked. Eyes landing on your closet you had a slight realization. In your time at the experiments, you had grown. They may have torture you but they hadn't starved you. After all they need you healthy to ensure 'proper' results. The only clothes you had that fit you were probably the ones you were wearing. "Actually there is something."

"Oh! Yeah, what do you need?" Duke smiled brightly. It was as if his teeth were glowing with inner light. If your siblings and by proxy Duke had been told a lie, playing along with it would be smart. After all planning and observing meant staying unnoticed. You offer an unsure smile hoping it would play into what you were saying, "It's a long story but I left the boarding school in a hurry so I completely forgot to pack clothes."

"Okay." Duke made a weird face. Crap, that's not good.

"Yeah and I had a grow spurt so, most of my clothes here don't fit me anymore." You rubbed the back of your neck. Duke's face shifted into realization at your words. Crisis averted for now. You plowed ahead to keep him from asking about the school, making up a lie was not a good idea right now when you knew nothing about theirs. "I need to go clothes shopping. Can you take me to the mall?"

"Of course. What time did you want to go?" Duke made an awkward finger gun gesture towards. He looked tense. Not the tense you saw from the gaurds when you started pressing the line. It was more like the intern in the experiments who never looked at you directly.

You grabbed your notebook and stood. There's was a small backpack by your desk. You slid the book in before sling the bag over your shoulder, "Can we go now?"

"Yeah, let me just stop by my room to grab my keys and wallet." Duke held the door open for you. The walk to his room was quiet and slightly tense.

When he stopped at a door on the second floor you couldn't stop yourself from blurting, "So, you live here?"

"Oh yeah." He walked into the- his room. There were a few posters and some knick knacks on the few bookcases. More importantly there were moving boxes in the corner. Some of them were disassembled but a few were still intact with clothes scattered around them. In fact most of the room was covered in stary papers, clothes, etc. Duke grimaced, "Haha, I just moved in two months ago. Let's agree to not tell Alfred about the mess."

"He probably already knows and is silently judging you." A nervous laugh bubbled out of your stomach. The information swirled inside of you uneasily. Two months was awhile but not long in the grand scheme of things. Plus if Alfred didn't mention you than Duke probably didn't know anything. That would make him innocent in your kidnapping.

"Ahh here they are!" Duke's voice broke you out of the mixed up thoughts in your head. He was holding a silver chain with a dark brown wallet and several keys hanging from it. In his search he had basically ripped apart his laundry basket. He kicked the mess back towards the now mostly empty basket, "You ready?"

"Yeah. Can we get something to eat well we're out?" You felt ridiculous asking. It was another stark reminder of how normal everything but you felt.

Yet Duke didn't hesitate to smile at you and offer his hand, "Heck yeah. There's this awesome pizza place in the mall the serves the biggest slices I've ever seen."

"I don't remember the last time I had pizza."

"No way! Let's go, we need to get you a slice ASAP. This is a pizza emergency." Maybe you could make a new normal with him. Once you destroyed the experiments. Duke Thomas was officially off your list for now.

Something had shifted in Duke. He remembered asking his parents for a little sibling when he was four maybe five. They had kissed on the forehead and told him that they didn't need another kid when they had a perfect one in front them. It had made feel happy for a little bit but he always held that small hope.

He thought he would get that with Damian. To a degree he did but it didn’t feel right. Damian was too competitive and strong willed. Duke didn't feel like a big brother, he felt a contestant at worst, a good friend at best.

Taking (Name) to the mall today had made him feel like a big brother. Seeing her slowly relax around him and get excited over tiny things. Like the cute dress at Justice, the pizza slice that was as big as her head, and the look on her face when she saw Barnes & Noble. He probably spent his whole allowance for the week but he didn't care. He had made his little sister happy.

They had one last stop to make before going home, Claire's. Duke insisted that she look around well he grabbed something. He went straight to friendship necklaces. There were quite a few to choose from. Crystals, Cats, The Wicked Musical. Than he saw it. Two pastel tie-dye koalas hugging it each, it was perfect. Duke immediately grabbed it before going to find her.

That's when he noticed something was wrong. She staring at something and shaking violently. The look in her eyes told him that she had gone off somewhere else mentally. He looked towards what she was looking at to see the piercing station.

There was an attendant cleaning off a newly open needle. The smell of alcohol wipes and disinfectant clear in air. He placed himself in between her and sight. "What’s wrong, kiddo?"

"I wanna go home." (Name) didn't speak about a tight whisper. Something in Duke began howling. This was wrong, she shouldn't be scared. He was there to protect her.

"Okay, but first I need you to tell me something. Where are you?" Duke tried to remember what they do for Jason when he gets like this. Fuck why was it so hard right now.

"I don't like needles." Her eyes flicked to his. They were wide and blaring with barely contained rage.

"That’s okay, but I need you to tell me where we are." Her eyes narrowed and her mouth tighten. He continued on, "I need to know you're here with me. Mentally."

"The Mall."

"We can go." Duke grabbed her hand gently. They paid and left. Once they were in the car, she relaxed again. Duke palmed the necklace in his hand. He had taken it out of the package. His own necklace was already around his neck.

She was staring out the window. The look in her eyes made Duke pause. She watching the setting sun like it was first time she was seeing it. Mute awe painted her face like a classic painting. Duke pulled the little koala out of his pocket, "Hey, I got you something."

"Is it half the back seat?" She looked behind her to the bags. Barnes & Noble, The Childern's Place, Justice, and Build-a-Bear. Four places that equated to Five separate bags. Duke snorted before bursting out laughing.

"No. Jeez no, it's this." He held out the little koala necklace to her. Her eyes looked towards his own chest, where the other koala already hung. A friendship necklace. She took it into her hands gently. That classic painting look returning, mixes of sentimental joy and some unnamed human emotion that was baffling.

"Thank you, Duke."

"It's no problem." Duke wrapped his arm around her in an weird side hug over the center console. He had always wanted a little sibling and now that he had one he was never to going let her go.

"We might want to get back to manor before curfew." (Name) pointed to the digital display announcing 6:15pm. Duke cursed, shoving his keys into the ignition. She began to laugh hysterical. The manor was two hours away and 'curfew' aka patrol debrief was at 7pm. Duke flew out of the parking lot with manically laughing ten-year-old.

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Tag list:

@stove-top96 @00hellohello00 @mysticalhills

[officeobject]

Again:

siraj2024s

8h ago

siraj2024s asked:

🚨If you ignore this, you are dooming my family to death

Please donate to save our lives🙏

I apologize for what I'm about to ask. I have a heavy and weary heart. Unfortunately, the situation became difficult after most of my family members fell ill as a result of the worn-out tents drowning in rainwater, and my family now lives without shelter.

We urgently need to buy a new big tent and rent a shelter for the children and elderly people in my family of 24 people.

I lost part of my family, my home, and everything. I don’t know whether I will survive or die in this war, but I know that your help will contribute to saving my family from death

The campaign is documented in Google Docs el-shab-hussin No. 219

Answer

ahmedsd

9h ago

ahmedsd asked:

Hello👋🫀

My family and I are facing incredibly difficult times due to The war of extermination and starvation in Gaza 💔.Our dreams and future have been shattered, leaving us feeling lost and without purpose. My family and I have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help us escape Gaza, continue our education, and support our family.

Making a small donation or sharing the campaign_ would mean the world to us🙏🏻

🤝🏻

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #275 )✅️

Link:https://gofund.me/5eb5fe42

Thank you so much for your humanity and kindness and support ❤️‍🩹❤

With gratitude,

Ahmed

Answer

ayaayman95

11h ago

ayaayman95 asked:

Hello,

My name is Aya. I am reaching out from Gaza to seek your help in saving my family. I am raising funds to evacuate my family from war-torn Gaza. Every passing minute endangers our lives and increases our suffering, especially with the constant bombing and the lack of food and water supply. 😞😞 Please, extend a hand to save our souls and make the world hear our cry. 💔

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is (#217)✅️

Best regards,

Aya

https://gofund.me/4f615392

Answer

dianatalb

18h ago

dianatalb asked:

Hi! 👋 We're reaching out with a heartfelt message of hope. My wife, Diana, our two young daughters, and I live in Gaza, where we face daily struggles in an environment filled with conflict 💔. We've just launched a new GoFundMe campaign to help us escape this danger and find a place where our family can live in peace. Your support, even by simply sharing the link, would mean the world to us. Thank you for reading our story, and for any help you can give ❤️🌸.

Please take a moment to check it out: [https://gofund.me/4f370b48]

Answer

aboodalqedra5 21h agoaboodalqedra5 asked:🙏Please donate a small amount that may save my father's life, only 55€ left to buy my father's treatment, his doctor's appointment is tomorrow, please do not ignore my message and do not hesitate to help me❤️‍🩹Account No. 9 due to repeated deletion😭💔✅My campaign is verified by: @gaza-evacuation-funds🙏The last donation was a while ago😞Answer

aboodalqedra5 21h agoaboodalqedra5 asked:🙏Please donate a small amount that may save my father's life, only 55€ left to buy my father's treatment, his doctor's appointment is tomorrow, please do not ignore my message and do not hesitate to help me❤️‍🩹Account No. 9 due to repeated deletion😭💔✅My campaign is verified by: @gaza-evacuation-funds🙏The last donation was a while ago😞Answer

[kyra45]

i don't know if this is useful to you because it's not a tumblr scam, it's someone allegedly scamming palestinians out of the money they raise through their gofundme's. also maybe you're already aware of this, idk! but if i'm understanding all this correctly (because i don't know any of this firsthand!) ahmed al-nabih (#218 on nabulsi+el-shab-hussein's google doc, also @/ahmedalnabeh on tumblr) had a gofundme made back in february organized by ziad okasha, and ahmed is saying ziad took money from the fundraiser and has now edited the gofundme so it currently has no reference to ahmed or his family, and instead has a different picture and title and family names (shady walloud).

https://www.tumblr.com/ahmedalnabeh/762434985763504128/thank-you-my-dear-friend?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/chuunisoldier/762443288152326144/fundraiser-spotlight-please-help-ahmed-restart

you can see the compare the original gofundme page archived here: https://archive.ph/E3nGS to the current version https://archive.ph/JpRVR

this shady walloud version is still linked under ahmed's name at #218 in the google doc (unable to accept donations because people have begun reporting it) and ahmed says he has started a new gofundme through a new organizer, kaylee wilson, linked here https://gofund.me/227fce4f

i also see that ziad okasha organized karam rafiq al-nabih's gofundme as well, which is also currently unable to accept donations (@/karamrafeek on tumblr and #172 on the google doc). karam mentions having to start a new gofundme here https://www.tumblr.com/karamrafeek/761858311437074432/hi-everyone-i-have-closed-my-old-page-it-reached

another thing to add, this user writes that ziad okasha has his own gofundme for his own family https://www.tumblr.com/apioperdon/754975474835505152/donate-to-help-me-to-evacuate-my-family-from-north

is this information helpful at all?

Very helpful,thanks for supplying links! This also shows a proper amount of research to compile information.

[scam-alerts]

🚨Scammer Alert🚨 + 🔎Scam Exam(ination)🔍

Seen as: 'I'm feeling so inspired by your art/picture!' Scam Type: Muse Scam

1 - Description of this scam:

The muse scam is a variant of the fake check scam in which the scammer will contact the victim over social media and claim to want to use their image for an art project. The scammer will often use a stolen social media account to increase their credibility. They will offer a generous sum of money and offer to pay via check, and the victim is instructed to send money to the scammer for “materials” via an irreversible method. The victim is under the illusion that the funds cleared when the bank makes the money available thanks to current regulations. Usually the fake check deposit will be reversed in a few weeks, but it can also take several months. If you do not have the funds to cover the amount, your balance will go negative. Your bank will usually charge a fee for depositing a bad check, and your account may be closed depending on the severity of the scam. source (reddit)

Additional info about the muse scam. (from malwarebytes)

-----

Example account shown here: @muralmagicsworld (banned)

Accounts also running this scam: @craftpatch, @shadyduckgladiator emilyartlana emilyfanartist

(Note: There are probably a lot of scammers running this scam. This post is mainly talking about the blog that I managed to find or were made aware of.)

2 - What this scam looks like.

Part 1: The request. (on a post made by a bot no less... lol)

A secondary (more recent) example of this request can be seen here:

The source of this is from this post by @blankwisher64 who gave me permission to use it. Thank you!

A third example can be seen here - Given by anonymous:

-----

Part 2: The blog an their posts.

The blog's earliest post was made on November 11th 2024

Using google lense (the photo icon you can use to look up an image on the internet) I was able to find these images linked to a youtube channel and an instagram account made by an artist known as Andreas Liss.

The woman in the first instagram post's name is credited, by the original artist, to be the lovely Anastasia Dmitrieva.

Where as the scammer... well.. They decided to call her... Jennifer.

-----

Final words: The muse scam is quite common and it's recently migrated from instagram to tumblr. If you are someone who posts pictures of yourself or your animals, always remember this: If someone tells you they're feeling 'inspired' and they'll draw you or your pet but you have to 'pay for art supplies' and they're willing to send you a $1000+ 'check/money order' and 'you can keep the rest' because they're feeling 'oh so generous'?

It is and always will be a scam.

Other helpful guides on spotting scams. (by @kyra45)

-----

Disclaimer: This post is only meant to serve as documentation and reference material so that others know: why this person is a scammer, and to provide more information about the scam they are running. I do not, in any way, endorse harassment or mass reporting these users. Only report posts related to asks, comments, or messages if you GET them or ones like them. Thank you.

[djangari]

Ok, I screenshotted this but didn't like it so if you know the original post pls gimme the name TT

But saw this like a minute ago.

Hear me out.

2021.

Papa Vale. Hard launching the fact he is a dad. Kind of. Just posting the photo and giving it a caption with bambino or something. At the beginning of the year, something like that.

And the world just got the news that Marc birthed a healthy baby like three days ago. (Yes, I am using qatar and the injury for this. Let me. It's much angst cause of the crash and the operations.)

The world goes crazy.

Correlation? Yes.

You see that skin? Marc. You see that hair? Vale.

She is the perfect mix.

Nothing official is said tho. Although she appears once in the Honda garage with Marc for one weekend in Catalonia and rumours tell she was seen in yamaha too... (Of course Marc races again, HE IS MARC MARQUEZ)

But the world keeps on turning.

Skip forward to Spielberg.

Rossi declares this is his last year as a motogp rider. Says he retires.

Says he wants to focus on the team, his family, his daughter.

The world is in shambles.

Everyone goes crazy, CRAZY.

(They are very amused btw and their brothers are too busy with spoiling their niece to shake their heads and act disappointed.)

They still haven't confirmed anything. THE WORLD STILL DOESN'T KNOW IF THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER. DON'T KNOW IF THEY EVER FUCKED IN 2013 TO 15. They don't say anything more than that. Marc only says stuff like oh yeah it's sad to see a legend like him leave the track but I'm sure he has thought his through and that he spoke with his partner to make this hard decision. Does his unique :3 face.

Fangirls go crazy. Defend them like their life depends on this. Whole wars on any social media. 60 oages google docs documents. (I shall remind 21, no-one had anything to do) Marquez hater have a life crisis, asking themselves constantly if they hate the man that has brought them a rossi spawn.

Anyways, skip to 22.

The world forgot again. Well, yeah, fans jumped in joy as they get the BMW news. But they don't think too much about that. Only some fans go crazy about pic drops from both Marc and Vale and also Luca and Alex. Christmas pictures were super sweet.

Qatar. Again.

Vale appears in the Honda garage, speaking with Santi, holding their daughter, both in partner look, wearing matching VR46 shorts and a red 93 shirt.

The world explodes. EVERYONE and their grandmother goes crazy.

Especially as Vale loudly declares after the race that he is very proud Marc managed this race so good and that he will do better soon and gives him a fat smooch after the podium. Marc plays plane with their daughter and runs around with her in his arms, up and down the pit lane for everyone to see. Most riders, at least the academy boys and Alex and fabio come out to play with her.

Every fangirl needs a month supply of tissues on his day and some therapy afterwards.

Thank you for listening to this 2 am rant :D

[most-tragic-character-tournament]

So,

What a wild ride, everybody.

This tournament went live on July 13th, 3023, and concluded January 1st, 2024. For a long time before, I’d been wondering if I should try my hand at running one of these tournaments, and then I realized we hadn’t had a general tumblr-wide one for tragic characters. I knew that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I decided to bite the bullet and take the URL. The rest is history.

I didn’t have a set plan, but I figured I could take 128 entries. And then in less than a week and a half, I had ~122. And honestly, I wasn’t happy continuing with just those I’d gotten so far, and thought it’d be unfair if it closed that quickly without warning, so I decided to up it to 256 with a max 2 characters per canon after preliminaries. Only after that did I go on a mad search to find brackets that were big enough for that, and I’d almost given up before I finally found these:

Those are all the characters that made it past prelims and into the competition. Some quite unexpected results came out of these matchups, round after round, and honestly I’d consider the first round to have had the most brutal competitions, because I had tried to do the best I could to match levels of popularity with each other, as far as I could tell. (Yeah, that’s why we had c!Tommy v Jon Sims and Primrose v Jinx.). But even eclipsing all of those, as the weeks went on, we were eventually met with Antigone versus Lloyd Garmadon. Ah, those crazy kids.

At some points it was stressful, in the early rounds when I had dozens of posts, each with edited images and alt text, to prepare for every round, but I never regretted starting this. As of posting, this blog has 2,020 followers and has made over 1,000 posts. This will be the last post on this blog—any future asks I receive I will answer privately back to the asker, or cannot be answered if they are anon—but it will always remain here for posterity. The link below is to the similarly-preserved google sheet compiling every word of every submission this tournament ever received.

I’d like to take this chance to say thank you to everyone who submitted characters, supplied photos, sent in propaganda, reblogged the polls, indoctrinated their teachers into greeklitsweep, and everyone who kept good sportsmanship when their blorbos proved so tragic they couldn’t even win. Thank you to the small group of URLs whom I’ve consistently recognized in my inbox from submissions all the way to finals, thank you for letting me know when a name was messed up, and thank you for your patience in-between rounds. (Shoutout to @elemom as well for having their tiktok on the original antigone/lloyd poll blow up.)

If you’ve stumbled upon this blog weeks, months, or even years after this was posted, I would direct your attention to the tag map in the pinned post to sift through the tumblr history you’ve just uncovered. And I would also be tempted to point at the big sign next to it reciting the nuclear zone warning poem. Lastly, if anyone here or there wishes to talk to me about anything regarding the tournament, you’re welcome to DM @twilight-skies.

There were times when I said to myself this was a one-and-done thing—I was NOT dealing with this again, but….keep a look on the horizon, ya never know.

But until next time, it’s been amazing.

Sayonara you weeaboo shits.

[frozenjokes]

hOtgUy drops by to pick up his visor, and Cub viscerally regrets not googling his name before then (1/2)

Next

Tuesday was a big stocking day for the little shop where Cub worked, and easily his busiest of the week as he managed most of the stock, keeping track of what they had, sorting things, generally doing anything that kept him off the sales floor. The type of people shopping in a place like this tended to have fragile egos, and Cub, despite his previous best efforts, did not have a delicate touch. Self proclaimed superheroes would happily get into fights, suffer massive injuries, and generally engage in borderline suicidal behavior in the pursuit of a thrill, but say they have a big head one time, and you find out who the most sensitive members of society really are. (And she did have a big head, literally and metaphorically, it wasn’t Cub’s fault they didn’t have a helmet that fit.)

You could say he and his manager occasionally butted heads after incidents like these, disagreeing especially on how the aftermath was handled (admittedly, never well on Cub’s part, but he struggled to mask under pressure), but there was nothing either of them could do about it besides stick Cub in the back where no one could see him and pretend to like each other. She couldn’t fire him; a higher up was a family friend, and they knew Cub needed the help, and Cub couldn’t quit, because, again, money was always an issue, so the two of them just had to suck it up and deal. In the end though, it wasn’t a bad gig, not when he didn’t have to speak to people most of the time. It would just be a little nicer if his manager wasn’t always convinced he was doing a shit job.

Cub had been excited this morning for that to change, though in the flurry of handling supplies and dealing with deliveries, and having to micromanage everything, he had forgotten HotGuy was coming. The trucks had been late today, as well as a few other issues Cub had been dealing with, so he was still outside around noon, and coming back in to hear HotGuy’s voice was quite the scare. Mostly because he was so loud.

“-Oh yes! Positively delightful, knew exactly what the problem was and assured me you all would have exactly what I’m looking for. You know, I don’t often take a look around the smaller stores for the things I need; a lot of my equipment is custom made, but this place is just adorable, seriously, adorable. I’m so lucky Cub and I ran into each other! Is he here? Could I speak with him?”

His manager was clearly flustered, reasonable given that bigger names like HotGuy never stopped by smaller shops like this. It was cheaper, sure, but the quality wasn’t always there, and if you can afford the better stuff, you might as well spend the money.

“Thank you-” she finally said, “I’m sure I can get you what you need right here though, just a replacement for the visor screen, right?”

“Oh, that’s alright! Cub said he’d have it ready for me.”

Cub heard the strain in his manager’s voice, and it was quite clear the last thing she wanted was for Cub to say something rude or scare this high value customer away in some other creative way, “Cub’s very busy right now in the back, we get new stock on Tuesdays and he usually handles most of the-”

“I can wait!” HotGuy announced proudly, and Cub cringed from his place in the back. He couldn’t see his manager, but he could practically hear the strain in the silence, probably split 50/50 between bafflement that HotGuy was going to wait to be served and fear that he wanted Cub to be the person to serve him.

Probably fair, because when Cub finally poked his head out from the back, he was not ready for HotGuy to have no legs. The wheelchair itself was a sight; heavily customized to HotGuy’s colors but also full of stickers and even advertisements on the sides. Was- were those kitchen knives duct taped to the handles-? HotGuy himself was dressed in his usual costume, still wearing the cracked visor, but he had plain black sweatpants on as well, almost jarring in comparison to the rest of his intricate costume, though, more jarring was the fact there was nothing in the pant legs.

“Cub!” his manager hissed, not subtle at all, but maybe that was warranted given that his staring was just as conspicuous.

Cub jumped, scrambling to explain himself in a flurry of thoughts and stutters, but he and panic did not mix well, the resulting defensive coming out as, “He had legs yesterday-“ which was definitely one of the worst things that could have come out of his mouth, so he excused himself immediately. If he could escape out the back door fast enough, a stray truck might take pity on his plight and run him over. His manager broke the stunned silence, apologizing profusely, but she was completely drowned out by HotGuy’s laugh, an impossibly loud, barking thing. He said something, but Cub didn’t hear it or his manager’s response, though he did hear their shuffling and then- wheels? Was that the wheelchair?

“Cub?” Whatever Cub was expecting next, it was not HotGuy’s face poking in through the doorway. Probably much worse than his imagined worst case scenario, and Cub had to fight the urge to get up and run.

“Hi,” he managed instead, then, after the voices of literally everyone he knew started yelling in his head, he continued with a meek, “Sorry.” ‘That’s not genuine,’ something sneered, a mangled conglomerate of many voices, school teachers, old friends, parents- ‘Again, and mean it this time.’ “I’m really. Sorry.” Cub tried again, but it still wasn’t right, it still wasn’t human-

“It’s fine, I don’t care,” HotGuy said, far better at sounding like he meant it, “Nothing I haven’t heard before, though, usually that particular comment comes from kids,” Scar laughed, but seemed to realize pretty quickly that Cub did not find it very funny. Cub didn’t even want to know what his face was doing right now.

“I’m sorry.” That sounded better.

But HotGuy only cocked his head, something like concern dancing behind his eyes, though, it was hard to tell behind the visor. Cub didn’t even know what color they were. “Can I come in?” He sounded friendly. Cub’s voice didn’t seem to be working anymore, so he just nodded, miserable. HotGuy wasted no time doing just that, though he struggled a bit with the mess, another entirely mortifying thing to have to watch. Cub should get up. Do something about it. He didn’t, though.

“One of my prosthetics got damaged yesterday after we parted ways. CuteGuy wasn’t happy with me still, and he let me know it. The equipment is sturdy, obviously, it has to be, but there’s a lot of moving parts, and because I’m so active, maintenance has to be performed relatively often. Since one needs fixing up, might as well make sure the other is in tip top shape, yeah?” HotGuy was quiet for a moment, but Cub still couldn’t say anything, so the hero continued, looking curious, “Did you not know? That I’m an amputee?”

Cub opened his mouth to answer, but that just wasn’t going to happen, so he shook his head instead, embarrassment building. HotGuy looked entirely fascinated by that information, and there was some kind of odd open mouthed half-smile on his face, but Cub for the life of him could not tell what HotGuy was thinking. Luckily, the other wasn’t exactly trying to keep it a secret.

“I think I’m impressed. I also think I need to model with my wheelchair more. Goodness.” HotGuy stopped, plucking his phone from his pocket and looking something up, “No, that’s like- when you google me, that’s like the first thing that every website says about me! It’s what I’m known for- how-?” Cub cringed, but HotGuy didn’t seem to notice, shooting up in his chair.. Excited..? “You don’t even know how it happened! I bet you have no idea! Oh, I haven’t gotten to tell that story to anyone who didn’t already know in ages and- well, before when I told people the wounds were a little more raw if you catch my drift. Far more unpleasant- Oh!”

HotGuy was off in his own little world, and very clearly didn’t notice Cub flinch at the sudden noise. Honestly, Cub couldn’t even tell if he was looking at him.

“I’ll tell you at lunch! You’ll come to lunch with me, won’t you?”

Cub struggled to do much more than gape and gesture uselessly, and he wasn’t entirely sure if HotGuy understood what was happening, but he definitely recognized there was a problem, brows furrowed in concentrated thought. Finally, he clicked his tongue.

“I’ll give you the address! I’ll write it down,” HotGuy pulled a small notebook out of his pocket, humming to himself, before lighting back up, “And my number! Just in case you can’t make it. Or don’t want to come. You don’t have to come. But I really want you to! If you don’t come though you should text me. You don’t have to text me. But I’d really like if you texted me. Or call me! You don't have to call me. How does 1:00 sound?”

Cub stared, which apparently HotGuy took as a resounding yes, as he continued writing, just about as happy as can be. He tore the page out of his notepad then set it on Cub’s desk, patting it a couple times before turning right around with an enthusiastic wave, “Byeee!”

Cub scrambled to his feet, opening his mouth to say literally anything, but speech still wasn’t working out for him, and HotGuy was practically already out the front door. His manager was similarly speechless, but more in the normal way rather than the Cub way, so baffled, she wasn’t even wearing her signature customer service smile.

“Are you okay?” she surprised him with that, her tone far more gentle than he had expected, especially after a complete disaster. But she did look worried, and now that he thought a little harder about it, he had to guess he wasn’t looking so great. But Cub couldn’t say as much, so instead he ducked into the back room, returning with the note HotGuy had left for him.

Her eyes widened as she read it, complete disbelief evident in every feature on her face. Cub wasn’t sure why she was so surprised, he had no doubt she heard every word HotGuy said to him, but regardless, she returned the note, near silent.

“You should go.” She must have seen the distaste on Cub’s face before he even knew it was there, shaking her head, “You have to go. This- Cub! That’s HotGuy!” This was not in the least bit convincing, but his manager was a bit too distracted to notice. Honestly, he didn’t mind all that much. It was a little nice to be talked to like a friend. “Go, go on, rest up. Take as much time as you need, but if you don’t make it by 1:00 you’d better text him. Then tell me everything. He likes you, Cub!”

He wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that, so he simply didn’t.

Cub sighed through his nose as he turned around, fully intending on taking that break, but not on going to lunch. Lunch with a random famous guy was the last thing he wanted right now- god, and he’d kill for a nap. He frowned, but stopped short when he saw his desk, or rather, the little package on top of his desk. The visor screen- damn it.

It was HotGuy’s fault he had forgotten about it, but maybe it wasn’t, maybe it was Cub’s fault for making a complete fool of himself- HotGuy must have felt obligated to comfort him, surely. Embarrassing. Mortifying, even. If Cub never had to face the world again, it would be too soon.. But it would probably be responsible of him to actually give HotGuy the visor he came for in the first place. A proper apology.

He sat with a huff, eyeing the note with a creased frown. Yup, there was the name and address of the place HotGuy wanted to meet him, his number, and-

Cub dropped the little sheet of paper, then nearly fell out of his chair trying to catch it.

‘And HotGuy is a little much as far as names go, so please, call me Scar.’

[horrorhorizon]

Google play store no thanks

Ios app store no thanks

What is No Thanks?

It is an app that allows you to easily see what is on the boycott list. They have a list of brands to boycott. They have a great feature which allows you to scan a barcode of any product to see if it is on the list. It provides proof as to why an item is on the boycott list. Users can upload products to the app to further improve the boycott list.

Why boycott?

Money speaks in this world. By not giving companies money, us the consumers, take back control. When you spend money on an item on the boycott list it is directly putting money in the pockets of people who will spend it on killing innocent people. By not spending money on these things we cut off a supply of money to this people. Furthermore it gives the people a voice. Money talks and often the only way we get companies to listen is to stop giving companies money.

What if there is something I can't boycott?

In this day and age it is often hard to avoid everything on boycott lists. Some things cannot be boycott. If you cannot boycott an essential, that is okay, just boycott every where you can.

What are examples of essentials?

Internet, baby formula, medications, hospitals, banking. Things that you cannot live without and cannot find an alternative to are exempt from boycotts.

What are examples of non-essentials that are not exempt?

Soft drinks/soda pop, juice, name brand items, movie theaters, chains (domino's, walmart, target, pizza hut), leasure items

How do I personally benefit from boycotting?

You get your voice heard. You get to be a part of a great cause without having to spend any money. You get to try new things (in my country Cuba Cola has gained new popularity as Coca-Cola is boycott). You get to save money. By not spending money on non-essentials you save a lot of money you may not even realise you spent. It gives you more of an opportunity to shop local and learn what you have around you. You can learn a new skill. Instead of going to starbucks you can learn that creating signature drinks is fairly simple and a lot cheaper. You may even get health benefits. By not buying items such as junk food or by making a homemade version of something you will most likely have a positive impact on you health!

You also will not feel shame from supporting a genocide

No Thanks! Also has a store that sells Keffiyehs and more!

If you need help finding alternatives to products on the boycott list send me a message.

[askmagisterzeldaandadherents]

Saludos, Magister Zelda; Aquí Magister Molpe, deseando que esta carta le encuentre con bien. En los viajes que he realizado me he encontrado con diferentes delicias culinarias muy variadas por la zona. Personalmente, los platos muy condimentados han sido una constante en mis favoritos Solo por curiosidad y en búsqueda de referencias, ¿puedo preguntar por sus preferencias alimentarias? Espero que la suerte ilumine tus caminos y el regalo adjunto a esta carta le alegre el día tanto como a mí al comprarlo como souvenir en una pequeña tienda. Hasta una próxima ocasión y espero ansiosa su respuesta. Atte. Magister Merlin Molpe

*Encuentras una flor prensada depositada con cuidado en el doblez de la carta. Un aroma reconfortante y casi delicado se desprende de los pétalos conservados*

Magister Zelda :

' Greetings, Magister Molpe. Thank you for the letter and the lovely gift. The flower is absolutely beautiful.

I see you want to know about my food preferences. I must admit that I'm not a picky eater, but I do remember that long, long ago, I had someone who loved to cook for me and helped me around the kitchen.

From what Hammie and Chippy told me, apparently, that person was my wife. Her name was Su Rong. She was born in China during the Ming Dynasty.

According to my familiars, Su was extremely good at cooking dishes with seafood products. Surprisingly, I often craved tuna fish with rice.

Hammie described to me that me and Su Rong were traveling a lot. Our hobby was exploring the world. Mainly staying on our ship most of the time and stocking up on supplies when we reached a coastal town. That explains why we consumed so often seafood.

My son, Casimir, was taught how to cook by her as well.

Chippy added to the information that Su was actually the one, who introduced me to the mango fruit. No wonder I love it so much.

I don't remember what happened to her, because of my amnesia.

But I guess it's not good news. Chippy, Hammie and Casimir always look... melancholic... sad... and depressed when they talk about her.

I should ask them these days about it. I might probably need to prepare for the news.

Anyways. I should get back to my work. I still have a few more reports to write. Valen isn't the only one with a job like this.

Thank you again for the letter and the gift.

And I wish you luck. '

From : Magister Zelda

P. S. : I have a gift for you in return as well. It's a flower I found on Earth. It looks really pretty. It's called ' Bird of Paradise '. I tried my best to preserve its lively nature with my botanical magic. I hope you like it.

( Author here : I had to use Google translate for your ask and I hope it translated your ask correctly. I apologize, if it didn't and if there are any mistakes. )

[povlvr]

6 • The Sweetest Sin | YLGSE

Pairing: Mob Boss Bucky x Baker Reader

Summary: You get closer with the Mob Boss on two consecutive date nights, will you live to regret sinning so sweetly with him?

Word Count: 6.5k

Warnings: Swearing, NSFW, love bombing, Thigh Riding, Praise Kink, Dom Bucky, Daddy Bucky, Betrayal, Angst

A/N: Once again I will apologise for the length of this post, but it's packed with action & everything will pick up from this point & it will be a wild ride to the finish. Thank you for reading, the engagement atm is shockingly bad but I will continue, working on a few one shots to randomly post in between these chapters.

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

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It was a typical manic start to your morning, you had been running around trying to make sure you had enough stock baked for the day, then ending up organising a supply delivery at peak time plus asshole customers a plenty, but all frustrations were being placated by the excitement of what lay ahead, tonight you had a date with your Mob Boss & nothing was going to taint your mood. 

After you left Bucky’s office the previous night & experienced a highly-strung journey with Peter at the wheel your Pilates class managed to ground you & stopped your head from floating off with thoughts full of your kiss with James, you could still feel his stubble against your delicate skin & the cold signet ring stroking your cheek as he held you close. 

Around midday two very stocky gentlemen entered the bakery, dressed in sharp black suits that somehow managed to accommodate their size, their appearance may have startled you, but you were nothing if not welcoming so gave your usual friendly greeting, your anxiety rose the longer they confined mimicking statues not moving or reacting to your hello. 

On the verge of panic, you were about to reach for your phone to ring James, but you noticed one of them finally muttered something into his suit sleeve, a jingle of the bell sounded & a much smaller gentleman walked through the door. He had a friendlier demeanour, greeting you as he approached dressed in a lavender wool suit, paired with a cream silk tie & pocket square, ‘Morning, I am Phillipe, could you please confirm your name for me dear.’

You were more than hesitant, but his kind eyes & reassuring smile told you you could trust him, after confirming your full name he swiftly turned on his heel to retrieve a briefcase now being held by up one of his associates. This was getting weirder by the second & you could feel the anxiety rising as your mind spat out a hundred different outcomes as to what was in the briefcase, could this be something to do with the Mob? they looked kind of mobbish. Maybe you should ring James, Just in case.

Without a pause a black velvet box & note card were placed on your counter, with a single nod he turned around & left, followed closely by the Blue’s Brothers, you took a moment to contemplate whether you should open it or not, a hand delivered mystery parcel surely warranted some suspicion? 

You drummed your fingers on the cold marble counter trying to coax yourself to reach out for the card, surely that would at least solve some of the endless questions running through your head as to who sent it & what’s in the box? Letting out a deep breath you ran your fingers across the velvet undoing the satin black bow holding the two items together, the slightly wobbly cursive ‘Bunny’ written on the envelope silenced your mind, you couldn’t help the breathless ‘James’ that escaped your mouth or the smile taking over your face. You slipped your finger under the seal & pulled out the thick textured card 

‘According to google Alexandrite is rarer than diamonds, at night in low light they appear dark red but come the day with the sun shining upon them they are blue. I thought it was perfect for you my Bunny, you really do transform me with your light.

Yours,

James.’

You specifically told him not to buy you anything, you were a simple baker with no need for fancy things, but you’d be lying if you said the note didn’t make you squeal, you slipped the note back into the envelope for safe keeping & picked up the box. You guessed it would be a necklace from the size & shape, the hinges were stiff, but with a very satisfying creak you managed to open it & your breath was taken away. 

The crystal blue stones felt as though you were looking into Bucky’s eyes, they were mesmerising, the elaborate necklace was clearly made in another era from the Art Deco design, the chain had sections of pearls, gems & diamonds, but the pendant was like nothing you had ever seen, it connected to the chain in a cluster of diamonds with one huge stone in the middle surrounded by diamonds & even more stones around those. You couldn’t wait to see it under a different light & after ogling the piece of jewellery for a minute you noticed another note sat tucked into the lid,

‘Ok I lied & couldn’t resist some diamonds too.

I’ll pick you up at 6pm, come as you are, flour, cookie dough & sprinkles included.’

xoxo'

It really was too much, you couldn’t image how much it cost just from the sight, let alone the convoy it took to deliver it, you wanted to put it on, of course you did, but something told you to wait & let James do the honours. 

Yelena had watched on silently, concerned that you were getting carried away in a lifestyle you were too soft for, yes, the money, jewels & luxury you deserved but the danger, backstabbing & death were not something you would be able to cope with. Natasha had told her Bucky was a good man, but she also warned her that he was ruthless & terrifying when he needed to be & that he hadn’t ever been in a serious relationship because he was incapable of committing to a woman, under no circumstances did you need a man like that in your life. She reached into her pocket, pulling up the messages exchanged with her sister from the previous night, her fingers moved before she could change her mind & she finally agreed that she would help stop this before you got hurt.

You paced somewhat anxiously feeling completely underdressed for a date, you followed Bucky’s instructions to come as you were, but you allowed yourself a slight makeup touch up & hair refresh before he was due after Yelena had left for the day.  Thankfully your outfit looked cute & effortless, so you were hopeful it would be appropriate to cover a multitude of different date scenarios. 

At 6pm on the dot you spotted the metallic emerald classic convertible pull up on the kerb, James emerged surprisingly dressed down for a change, he had no right to look as hot as he did in a pair of black jeans, a crew neck t-shirt & camo bomber but he was breath-taking to look at, especially the with his fluffed-up hair. He pulled a bouquet of flowers out of the passenger seat & you couldn’t believe he was real let alone that he was interested in you, he could get any woman he wanted so why were you so special? Instead of letting your thoughts spiral down that path you decided not to question it & just go with it.

‘What’s got you so lost in thought Bunny?’

You were slightly startled at how silent he had moved, one second he was at the car, the next he was in front of you holding the flowers out for you to take, pulling you against his lips for a chaste kiss, sending you to the clouds & back yet again with those lips.

‘Hi’

‘Hi.’

‘So what’s on your mind Sugar?’

‘You were gorgeous, just thinkin’ you make me smile too much & I’m gonna have to get some botox injections or something to deal with all the lines you’re gonna cause.’

He chuckled doing his scrunchy face laugh that you adored, ‘Firstly, no such thing as too much smiling.’ He punctuated his point with a peck on the lips making you giggle right back at him. ‘& second, if you actually got lines on your face because of me making you smile then I’ve done my job right.’

Yet again you were smiling like a fool at him as you accepted the bouquet, ‘Thank you for these, they’re beautiful.’

‘You’re beautiful, there’s more in the car for your place.’

You reached out & ran your fingers through his hair, he practically preened under your touch, ‘Well don’t you think of everything?’, you were on your tip toes as you spoke into each other’s mouths, as though they needed to be constantly in contact with each other.

‘I’ve been raised as a flower giver, my Ma loves em’ so my Dad used to bring them home at least twice a week or whenever he worked too late.’

‘That’s sweet. Let me put these in my office then you can help me lock up.’

He followed you through the bakery noticing the lack of jewellery around your neck, he knew you had received his gift from the text you had sent thanking him, so why weren’t you wearing it? Did you not like it?

‘Bunny, where’s your necklace?’

You turned around noticing the worried look on his face, ‘Oh, well it’s far too fancy to be wearing in the bakery, but I wanted you to be the first one to see me in it. I locked it in my desk, you wanna put it on me?’

‘You’re too god damn sweet darlin’, you know that?’ taking the necklace out of the box you were holding open for him, he couldn’t resist placing a kiss behind your ear as he gently secured it around your neck, you stood in front of the mirror hung in your office & your breath was truly taken away admiring the dark hue the gems were now reflecting, it looked completely different in the low light of your office, ‘It’s mesmerising James.’

Bucky held you tight, his arms wrapped around you as he ran his mouth along the column of your neck, not once breaking the eye contact he held with you in the mirror, ‘mmm Sugar you really are.’ His words & the feeling of his soft lips contrasting with the sting of rough stubble had your breath hitching & your eyes fluttering shut.

Enjoying you being completely at his mercy he traced one hand up your body, over the jewels to your neck, grasping you with absolute authority but with such gentle pressure to turn your lips to his as he dove in full throttle devouring you exactly the way he had been craving. 

After your very heated make out session in the back you both decided you needed to behave, so like a gentleman James took care of closing up, having a strong set of hands helped immeasurably when it came to rolling the shutters down & twisting the awkward lock securely, you indulgently watched him at work not missing the way his t-shirt rode up to reveal the very defined stomach & happy trail you’d be more than happy to follow.

You had been chatting about your day surrounded by some smooth jazz playing on the radio as James drove out of Brooklyn, it felt like you were transported into a different time the way the car sounded & the leather smelt, the way the sun’s haze warmed you & sent shards of light across your face. Then there was the gentleman you were with, who seemed like he was taken right out of an old Hollywood film, you were feeling some major main character vibes, like you were both the only people in the world. 

You hadn’t even registered the outside world until you passed the sign for Marine Park. ‘Where are you taking me anyway? Thought I’d have to get all fancy for you to take me to an exclusive restaurant or something’

He tensed up from suddenly realising that you might have wanted to get dressed up to be wined & dined, to be shown off, but knowing who he was, his reputation, he thought you would want it to be private. ‘Is that what you wanted Bunny?’

You shook your head hoping you hadn’t offended his efforts, even if the date ended now, it would go down as your best one, the bar was ridiculously low at this point, ‘Absolutely not, I want whatever you planned James.’

He visibly relaxed at your words, it was so refreshing seeing the undone version of the James you had come to know, casual James was relaxed & almost seemed younger, without his suit he was lighter, the weight on his shoulders eased & you were convinced this was who he was under all those suits & scowls.

‘Well we’re here Bunny.’ As if perfectly timed he pulled into an empty parking lot, confused you glanced around for a building or any clue, once you set eyes on the big screen it clicked.

‘A drive in?’

‘Yep, the whole place is ours for the night. We can pick our movie & I’ve brought some food to have before it starts, then popcorn, blankets & a back seat for us to get settled into for the show.’

Your smile was as wide as the sunset as you scooted over to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, no one had ever gone to such efforts for you before & it meant the world to you. ‘Are you actually real?’, you playfully poked his arm, he looked so shy & bashful at your question adding even more scepticism that he was really sat in front of you.

‘You know Bunny, I’ve asked myself the same about you. Is this ok though? I could take you to a restaurant if you would prefer.’

You shook your head, ‘This sounds perfect James. Honestly, it’s above & beyond anything I expected.’

Everything from the food & drink to the company & conversation made you feel cherished & valued, you couldn’t begin to convey to James how much it meant to you, once you had both had your fill it was time to set up for the movie.

After gathering the final supplies from the trunk, Bucky pressed a button on the dash & the hood of the car began moving to cover the back seats, you could just picture two lovers driving to a lookout point in the hills of California, getting a little privacy with the hood & making out with a view to die for. You had Breakfast at Tiffany’s & a very handsome man to admire rather than a scenic view & you were more than happy with that; he draped a blanket across the seat before taking your hand & helping you into the back.

It felt surreal how naturally you fit into his side once he had joined you, his arm draped over your shoulder & you wrapped yourself around him letting out a very relaxed breath.

‘You enjoying yourself Bunny?’

You tried hiding into his chest at his question, were you enjoying yourself? Of course, but you were also overwhelmed by everything this man brought to the table & questioned more & more why he was interested in you. There was no doubt you were enjoying yourself, so you nodded against him, ‘I’ve never had anyone do so much for me on a date.’

You dodged the question & you were practically buried in his side, his brow furrowed at the realisation, ‘Is this making you uncomfortable Bunny?’ 

His ability to read you took you by surprise, ‘A little, it’s not you, this is a total me thing, you couldn’t be more perfect, just not used to it I guess, to have someone take the lead & plan, I’m usually the one that plans & pays so it might take a bit of an adjustment for something so elaborate, to believe that I’m worth all this to you.’

That confession broke his heart a little, you deserved to be worshipped & spoiled, he was sure he could find out the names of all the pricks you wasted your time with before you met him, line them all up & then put a bullet between their eyes for making you think this was elaborate. This was dinner & a movie, the bare minimum, if that, Sam stopped him from going with his original plan, saying it might freak you out. It pained him to know that he was right.

‘Oh Sugar, you are worth the entire solar system to me, this isn’t elaborate. God you should have seen what I wanted to do before Sam talked me down.’

You giggled wondering what could have been more elaborate than renting out a whole drive in movie theatre, ‘Now I’m curious, tell me?’

‘It involved an Italian restaurant.’

‘Well that’s not that grand.’

‘In a little town called Settignano just outside Florence’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah’, now that he had said it out loud it might have been a little much, for a first date anyway.

You laughed, a full belly laugh that he couldn’t help getting caught up in, it sounded like the finest melody he had heard & he wanted nothing more than to have it playing on repeat.

‘We are from two very different world’s James.’ You reached out to his chin, you couldn’t help but pinch it with your thumb & finger before connecting your lips for a short sweet kiss.

He wanted to know how you would have reacted if he had been so bold as to fly you across the world for a date, ‘What would you have done?’ 

‘Freaked, mainly because I couldn’t leave the bakery’, you shrugged it off, but knowing the weight it held on you at all times didn’t make you feel great to admit out loud. 

He raised his brow, ‘Not even for a day?’ 

You reluctantly shook your head, ‘At the moment, no. Maybe someday.’ You loved your business, you really did, but the man you were pressed against was showing you exactly what you had been missing out on.

He pulled you to his lips adding another soft kiss, his hands gently holding your face, ‘You work too much.’

‘Takes one to know one.’

‘Touché,’ connected by your foreheads he looked deep into your eyes, ‘You promise someday actually means someday soon, so I can fly you around the world?’

You leaned in nodding against his mouth, ‘Yeah, I promise.’

‘Good girl.’ His patience for sweetness was broken the second you shifted your hips & moaned into his mouth, he pulled you into his lap deepening the kiss as his hands explored your soft skin.

You eventually got to watching the film, but it really didn’t compare to the feeling of being kissed senseless by Bucky, he had been on his best behaviour, keeping his wandering hands from any major bases & even when you felt how aroused he was he completely ignored it & eventually insisted on you both actually watching the movie.

Yelena was right, there definitely would be another date & you couldn’t wait for it.

With the previous night feeling like a dream you were slightly perturbed with your morning routine, you loved your bakery, you really did but it was exhausting at times, allowing yourself an extra 5 minutes of daydreaming a romantic trip to Florence with James was a good use of your time, even if it meant you were running late.

Another day & another mystery parcel it would seem, this time a different man with the delivery, thankfully without the intimidating convoy, asked you to sign for a gift, the lack of muscle you hoped meant he didn’t buy you the crown jewels or something equally ridiculous but with James you really couldn’t predict what would be in the box, but reading the note card had you both smiling & rolling your eyes.

‘Message received about going OTT, you’re completely right, yesterday’s necklace is too much for work, this one is much more work appropriate, Pick you up at 6?’

Another black velvet box revealed a less intimidating piece of jewellery sure, but you could still tell it was vastly more expensive than anything you owned, a paperclip necklace scattered with diamonds with a jaw dropping emerald & diamond pendant hung from it.

You pulled out your phone from your back pocket, unlike yesterday you couldn’t wait for Bucky to put it on for you, you managed to take a picture showing it off plus a hint of cleavage for good measure, making sure to arch your back to put your best foot forward as it were.

You noticed his insistence on early dates, whenever you weren’t with him he would remind you to look over CVs to employ some help, he really was trying to reduce your hours stuck in the bakery & even if he was the one reaping most of the benefits of you having more free time, you appreciated his concern.

His usual blacked out Range Rover was outside the bakery at 6pm sharp, this time you were ready for him all locked up bounding up the car climbing in the passenger seat before he even had time to open the door for you, ‘Where we heading tonight gorgeous?’

He leaned over the centre console to place a soft kiss on your cheek, ‘Well sugar we’re heading to my house where there’s a little lady dying to meet you.’

You curiously eyed him with a squint before it clicked, ‘Alpine?’

Chuckling at the total 180 facial expression change & the wide-eyed excitement simmering from you at the revelation he couldn’t be more enamoured by you, ‘Yes, she’s been washed & preened ready for some cuddles.’

Clapping your hands in glee you wiggled in the seat, ‘yesssss’  

‘Thought I would cook you some dinner too’ 

‘That sounds like my kinda night.’

‘I thought it might be less intense?’

The sceptical look returned to you face, ‘Hmm let me see, no elaborate chef?’

He shook his head looking completely innocent, ‘Nope, just me.’

You raised a brow, ‘No Jewels or cars on offer?’

A coy little smile caught the side of his mouth, he loved that you have him all figured out, ‘Not unless you want them Sugar.’

You knew you’d catch him out with this one, ‘Flowers?’

The most pained look took over his face, ‘Oh Sweetheart, there will always be flowers, can’t change this leopards’ spots on that I’m afraid.’

You laughed nodding, ‘Well that’s a good compromise I guess.’

‘You drive a hard bargain Bunny.’

You knew he was rich, but you didn’t know he was Richie rich rich, you didn’t pull up to a house, it was an estate complete with the absurdly long driveway, perfectly preened bushes & turning circle at the top. It was the kind of home that looked like it needed an intercom in every room, there was no way you could shout loud enough to tell everyone when dinner was ready. 

For a moment you imagined how lonely it must be for him to have all this to himself, surely, he didn’t need all the rooms, you’d take a lucky guess that the most he actually used was a bedroom, bathroom, office & kitchen so why did he feel the need to have all this space, to be so isolated?

As if reading your mind, he cleared his throat ‘it was my childhood home & I inherited it when my dad passed, my mom couldn’t face coming back.’

You reached out for the hand holding your knee to give him a reassuring squeeze.

‘Probably a bit silly to hold on to it for just me but I always pictured raising my kids here & making memories like I got to.’ He shrugged his shoulders dismissing the idea of it being something he could have. In truth, he had given up on that fantasy the minute he took control, he always thought he would have enough time to settle down before the burden of the family business was bestowed upon him. Tragically he was wrong.

You brushed your thumb against his hand, grateful he felt comfortable enough to open up, you got the impression he didn’t do it often & yet with you he was like an open book at times, ‘That’s a lovely sentiment & I’m sure your father would have loved that idea, suppose it’s a bit ridiculous to leave a place like this empty & you live in the city.’

‘Yeah, I just rattle around if I’m honest, alpine loves catching butterflies & field mice in the gardens though, can’t do that in the city.’

You smiled at the warmth he was radiating just talking about his little lady, ‘Well there you go, I might have to borrow her to get the mice out my apartment.’

‘You best be joking Bunny, I’ll have you a new place ready by tomorrow if you have an infestation.’ He looked so earnest, brow fully furrowed, like he was waiting for you to agree so he could jump into action.

You giggled at how ridiculously over the top he was, ‘If you can’t buy me jewels & cars there’s no way I’m accepting a house, I’d settle for an exterminator but there’s really no need, I don’t mind the odd mouse, they’re probably trying to get to nicer apartment next door & using mine as a shortcut through.’

‘You tell me if that changes bunny, you could always stay at my place anytime you need ok?’

You held his hand tight, ‘I promise there’s no need. You’re too sweet, you know that?’

‘Only for you sweet girl’

You heard the little bell before you saw her, but she strutted across the marble entrance to greet you both & you couldn’t help fawn at the sight of a tough mobster with a fluffy white cat, calling her a pretty girl & introducing her to you.

‘Now you be nice Alpine, Bunny will be stopping by a lot if I have my way, so I need you to get on.’

You were giggling at how ridiculous he was crouched on the floor giving strict instructions to a cat, that would be ignored completely most likely, a cats gonna cat, still, you sat down on the cold hard floor crossed legged & held your hand out for her to give a sniff. Thankfully it took 0.7 seconds for her to jump into your arms, Bucky looked like all his Christmases had come at once, you were here & his best girls were bonding.

You were busy loving on the adorable fluffy angel as Bucky was watching in awe ‘Bet you loved your bath, didn’t you pretty girl.’ You turned to the mobster giggling at the expression he was sporting, ‘I’m guessing whoever drew the short end of the straw was clawed alive.’

He shook his head laughing, ‘I did it Bunny, she put up a fuss but resisted clawing her daddy.’

Ooof, daddy he extruded it & you probably should have stopped thinking of it right there, but it was clear he registered it in the exact way you did from the way your eyes shot up meeting his quickly darkening gaze, the practically imperceptible twitch of his eyebrow for a millisecond told you he was very into that idea & you would be lying if you said you weren’t either.

You were sat on the kitchen island as Bucky stood at the stove cooking the pasta, having been lifted & placed there when you offered to help, the aromas wafting through the air smelt delicious & the way the mobster turned to speak to you or kiss you between stirring & adding ingredients was setting you alight.

He was so attentive & engaging as your conversation flowed, Sinatra playing in the background, he was interested in every story you had to tell, asking you questions that challenged you & the spark you were feeling only igniting further. Somehow, he was even hotter relaxed in his home, sleeves turned up to the elbows of his navy shirt showing the intricate artwork on his left arm & the slacks he wore clung to his thick thighs, maybe it was the way he walked over to you, spoon under a cupped hand as he stood between your legs dangled over the island letting you try the delicious sauce he had prepared.

The noise you made trying it had him needing to adjust his trousers, it was so sinfully sweet & he knew you had no clue the affect it had on him, he’d already calmed one boner down when he playfully patted your behind with a spatula after you insisted on helping out with dinner, the way you bit your lip on contact went straight to his cock. 

Whilst the water for the pasta was heating up he turned back to where you were sat watching, ‘Dance with me Bunny.’

You scooted to the edge of the island to jump down but before you could, Bucky was lifting you off as if you weighed nothing, lowering you to the ground he made sure to catch your lips with his for a cheeky kiss making you giggle like a school girl.

Alpine sat on the counter observing the scene as Bucky held you close & swayed with his forehead touching yours, it felt like a picture-perfect moment in his life & one he had dreamt of for so long, being able to dance just like his parents did in the kitchen with the one woman that he had cared about like no other, he didn’t care that he felt like he was falling uncontrollably for you. He welcomed it. 

"Days may be cloudy or sunny We're in or we're out of the money I'm with you, baby I'm with you rain or shine."

You settled down in the snug after the delicious food, the cosy den was exactly as described & you couldn’t help imagining how amazing it would be to enjoy a slow Sunday morning in winter watching the snow fall snuggled up with a fire, the dark mahogany walls lined with books would feed your soul with words & the man at your side warming your heart every second spent with him.

He passed you a glass of wine before pulling you onto the chair on his lap, ‘How about next weekend you prep ahead & make enough stock & leave Yelena in charge? I could lend you Peter to help out, then you & me can go to my house upstate for a couple of days?’

You thought about it, trying to do some mental gymnastics to see if it could work, Bucky could see you at least attempting to think about it & it meant the world to him that you were trying to fit him into your life.  

‘If I could have Friday with Peter to train him & you let me bring some paperwork & my laptop to do at least a little bit of work then you have a deal.’

‘Bunny you can have full use of my office at your disposal … for set limited times.’

You playfully batted his arm, ‘That’s not full use then.’

‘Ok smarty pants, I didn’t realise this was a negotiation.’

You nestled further into him, making yourself completely comfortable on his thighs, ‘Well look at it this way, if you keep me busy enough I won’t have time to do the work will I?’

He shook his head repeating his words from earlier, you didn’t miss the way his tongue poked his cheek, ‘You drive a hard bargain, but I think I know a few things that could occupy us.’ Without wasting a second, you were flipped facing him, straddling his thigh.

‘Then you have yourself a deal.’ His lips were on yours, his hands holding your face & you were cursing the seam of your jeans pressing on your clit as you unsuccessfully tried to stifle a moan from the way he was rubbing himself against you.

‘That feel good sweet girl.’

You nodded letting out another moan, not even trying to stop it.

‘Christ you make the most beautiful sounds, you want me to stop?’

‘God no.’ That’s all it took for Bucky to increase the pace of pressing his thigh against your clit, he latched his mouth to your throat peppering kisses down the column of your neck until he reached the base where he found that sweet spot that sent you wild.

Your hips bucked against him & he smiled knowing the pleasure he was delivering ‘grind that pussy on me Sugar, show me how you like it.’

‘Fuck James, feels good.’

‘I bet you taste amazing right now, that pretty pussy all wet for me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yes what?’

‘Yes daddy, soaking for you.’

‘Good girl, you look so fucking gorgeous riding daddy’s thigh.’

You let out a seismic moan as the pleasure was building, the pressure rising & Bucky knew he had you right on the edge, he slowed down slightly trying to prolong the show he was getting, your hands cupping your tits, fingers pinching your nipples as you were thrusting your hips making sure your clit grazed his leg with each ministration.

He took one of your hands, lowering it to rub it on his hard cock ‘Feel what you do to me Bunny. God you’re fucking gorgeous & all mine.’

You nodded looking down at where you were connected moaning at the sight of his hard on, it looked huge & your mouth watered at the thought of him cumming down your throat, that sinful idea paired with Bucky picking up the pace was all it took for you to tumble over the edge, moving to grip the mobster by his shoulder, you moaned his name into his ear as you reached your climax in his arms. He was gentle at slowing down his movements & a hand caressed your spine as you came down from the high that was riding James’ thigh.

Without wasting a second you placed your hand back over the bulge, his eyes fluttered shut at the contact, but before you could go any further, he rested his palm over your hand. ‘No need sweetheart, this was all about you.’

‘Do…do you not.’

He didn’t even let you finish that sentence, there was no way in any universe that he didn’t want you right at this second, ‘believe me Sugar, I’m practically bursting for ya, but I’m trying to be good, treat you right. So I wanna wait til I have all the time in the world with ya pretty girl, it’s getting late, I know you’re tired so I just wanted to do something for you.’

You nodded your head, astounded by him & yet again questioned if this selfless, gorgeous, generous soul was really real, if only people knew what the real James Buchanan Barnes was like, his reputation would be ruined.

Yelena had insisted on another girl’s night, she wanted the gossip from the two dates with James & you wanted to discuss the potential of her running the bakery so you could have a weekend away with him. You might see her every day, but with customers constantly keeping you busy it wasn’t really the most appropriate topic to have in their presence. You were sure detailing how you rode a mob boss’ thigh & the tipping point of the best orgasm you had in years was how his cock looking so deliciously big in his trousers most people didn’t want to hear grabbing their morning coffee.

You had suggested Vibranium knowing you would both be safe plus free drinks, but she insisted on somewhere else uptown that was quieter, she seemed to have an eye for upmarket joints all of a sudden because this place was fancy, a definite club but your feet didn’t stick to the floor, there wasn’t a fog machine in sight & there wasn’t a sea of people dancing coked up in the corner.

With Wanda on night shift, it was just the two of you, as usual Yelena was being Yelena swooping in for a table that had a reserved sign clearly placed on the top, she simply threw it over her shoulder with a ‘whoops’ & you hoped it didn’t cause any damage on impact. Before you could get on to the topic of the night you needed a bit of Dutch courage & Yelena seemed stiff even for her, some loosening up was in order, the bar was busy but eventually you were served, you figured it made more sense to double up, so you weren’t spending the night with the bar instead of your friend. When you glanced over your shoulder you noticed she was keeping herself occupied on the phone, looking tense exchanging some messages, you made a note to ask her what it was about after you had polished off a drink or two, she wasn’t the most open when it came to feelings or things playing on her mind, most of the time you had to force it out of her & alcohol usually assisted your efforts.

As you set the drinks down on the table your eye caught a group in the back, they were the loudest in the place, boisterously taking shots then cheering each one in turn, the longer you watched laughing at their collective camaraderie the more familiar a few of the faces registered. First it was the side profile of Steve you spotted, you faintly heard Sam’s voice & then it was as though all sound muted in your ear & replaced with a faint buzzing noise, your pulse quickened, yet time somehow seemed to slow down & you felt the exact moment your heart dropped, maybe even break. 

Sat amongst his friends with two gorgeous women flanking his side, nuzzling against his neck & propped up on each outstretched thigh was James, your James. It was a bizarre concoction of feelings taking root within your gut; guilt that you were still watching, feeling as though you were prying having been completely blindsided seeing him like that, anger that he would do this having pursued you like he had & then there was that familiar feeling of disappointment that seemed to be the norm when it came to men these days, you really thought he was different. 

You let out a long sigh trying to accept the reality of what you were witnessing, you weren’t going to let any of the tears gathering in your waterline fall, you needed to go home & think. It could have only been a matter of seconds stood watching every ‘I told you so’ play out in front of you, you were going to look away to tell Yelena you needed to leave, but Bucky looked up & across the crowded room his eyes connected with yours. 

----

[Next Chapter]

A/N: sorry!!! He will redeem himself eventually but it will be a rough ride!

TAG List:

@matchat3a @hallecarey1 @oliverqueen66-blog@broadwaybabe18 @meowmeowyoongles @abaker325 @glows-n-the-dark @barnesml @getofffmydick @omegaevans @cjand10 @pono-pura-vida @stoneyggirl2 @winters1917 @rowaelin4ever12 @theecharlotteyork

[ettawritesnstudies]

Hi Etta! Sorry if you already mentioned this, but where/how did you find your editors? (If you don't mind sharing)

Don't mind at all!

I know there are companies like Reedsy and the Writers Digest which have databases of editors, but that seemed really overwhelming. At the end of the day, the best way to get resources is to network (make friends, and hope their mutuals like you too).

Last year, I did an interview for Amanda Auler on Instagram and she boosted my account, so months later I ended up doing an interview for Addison Horner. He does editing for indie authors, so I asked him for a sample edit and liked it, but I wanted to get other points of comparison first, so I asked around and came up with a short list of editors. I contacted them, and when I had enough to compare, I ended up deciding I liked Addison best and drew up a contract with him. God moment that I found him so quickly.

But if I had to give this advice to someone else I'd recommend following these steps:

Read books in your genre. Read INDIE AUTHORS in your genre. Review their books. Follow them on social media. Be a friendly fan but don't make it weird.

Indie authors are one person publishing teams desperate for engagement and positive attention. They will thank you for your help and be willing to pay it forward when the time comes.

Once you have a handful of books you like that have similar vibes to your book, flip to the acknowledgements and find the editors name.

Google the editor, find their site, submit your inquiry, email works better than a form.

If you can't find the editor online, DM the indie author and ask "hey I really liked your book and it's a good comp title for my WIP. Who's your editor and what was your experience with them like? Do you mind pointing me their way?" Follow the author's advice. Repeat as needed.

(I've only ever received nice responses to this, don't be anxious. If they don't reply they're probably just busy, not annoyed).

When you contact editors, ask about their availability, rates, and be specific about what type of editing you need. Ask for a free sample edit. Mine were 250-2500 words.

Supply details about your WIP. Mine looked like this:

Title: Runaways

Genre: Middle Grade Portal Fantasy. I'm not labeling it as "Christian Fiction" as religion isn't a focus point of the story, but there are significant underlying Catholic themes.

Premise: When Cecelia goes missing one stormy Halloween night, her older sister, Hannah, must venture into the faerie courts to learn the truth about their past and bring her home. (Linked WIP Page with additional information)

Length: About 86,000 words, 180 pages (Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced, standard 1in margins formatting). 21 chapters with an epilogue

Style: 3rd person limited, present tense. 3 POV characters: primarily Hannah at first, and then Cecelia and the third added later, alternating.

Status/Timeline/Availability: Currently with a 2nd round of beta readers, and I'll be getting feedback by March 31st. After editing the draft to reflect their feedback and doing my own line edits, I'll be looking for a line/copy edit around April/May or early summer.

Types of edits needed: As I understand, every editor uses "line" and "copy" edit slightly differently, but I'm looking for a combination of both styles if possible: checking for internal consistency, logical choreography, adequate descriptions, minor plot or worldbuilding errors, as well as language concerns like cutting crutch words, making sentence structure more dynamic, choosing the right verbs, etc. Developmental editing not needed. Waiting to do proofreading at the moment

When perusing at the editors site, look for credentials/certifications, their backlog of works, and testimonials

If you don't have enough options following this method, join some discord servers! I'm in a local NaNoWriMo group and a Catholic Writers Guild called Inkwells and Anvils which were both useful. I think there might be some writeblr ones as well. Find the critiques channel and send the same information there^^

Compare sample edits. Who respects your voice? Who supplied the most insightful comments? Do you vibe over email? Are they willing to do a stylesheet? Do they like your book? Can you set up a 15 minute zoom call to see if you vibe and discuss details?

Look at prices. My rate is $.015 a word but that's pretty cheap for the industry. Most of the rates I saw publicly were between $.02-.03/word for line editing.

Pray/sleep on it

Once you pick your best option, set a date to send them the manuscript, sign contracts, and make payment.

Send a polite email to the other editors and say "I regret to say you're not quite the right fit for this book, but I appreciate all your time, help, and advice! I hope to work with you in the future" or something along those lines. Don't burn your bridges.

Celebrate!

This whole process took me a couple weeks, everyone was very punctual and professional and friendly. I ended up going with Addison not only because he was the cheapest but also because he made 3X the number of comments as any other writer, and his comments were specific and useful. He understood my characters immediately, I think in part because his writing style is similar to mine, based on his debut novel, Marrow and Soul. We're both Christians who like YA dark fantasy. It's a good match. He's still taking clients for later in the year if that's your vibes. I also worked with Amber Burdett and Sariah Solomon, who were both lovely.

I wish you the best of luck finding an editor who fits your story! I hope this was helpful and not overly long.

[landwriter]

Hi, hello,

I'd like to hear something about the skin wip

Hi, hello! Skin is my actual Lighthouse AU after someone sent me this super funny ask registering their displeasure with my choice of fandom for the Seventies SF AU, named Lighthouses. I'm very easily encouraged. Even when being discouraged for something I'm not actually doing. I laughed about doing one and then went and wrote in Untitled 1:

Lighthouse Keeper AU - Hob is lighthouse keeper, Dream is human or else eldritch sea creature - or SEEMS human but is a selkie/changeling who will return? Either star-crossed romance or like, gothic romance - lots of gay sex and desire and the sea, old-timey language, lanterns, etc, wailing wind, Forbidden Acts Isolation, alienation from other men, being Slightly Off, loneliness, exploring where you shouldn’t Hob fucks selkie who is also Dream?? Why would Dream be lighthouse keeper? Maybe he murders them but like, Hob found his skin or something and he has to pretend to be a human lighthouse keeper Hob finding journal entries suggesting imminent and terrifying demise of former keepers, can link them to Dream in some way

I also wrote 'all dialogue should be in iambic pentameter' but we'll pretend I didn't.

What can I say about it? I think it can be best described by the fact I scrolled through the WIP as it is now, a collection of scraps and research curios and a couple half-written scenes, and came across:

Beware the shore on haar and hoolan night, beware the sea of star-lost whalers’ plight

Which I have no, and I mean NO recollection of writing, but has no results when I google it. That's sort of the energy I want for the whole thing. Gothic horror fever dream. Claustrophobia and a locked-room mystery. Men driven to terror and mad loneliness and violence. Letters that arrive too late. Thievery and suspicion and revenge. Greed and possession. Becoming/loving the monstrous.

Some of the notes I evidently left myself that don't read as unhinged at allllll under the cut, if you want to read more about it still:

Smalls lighthouse - great oak stilts slime!!! rocks!! smoking! salt water wind, stabbing kind of rain, the way wind buffets first and moisture on it secondary, white waves, seabirds hanging in the air like mobile above a crib, carving with a knife, bleeding - nicking finger, dream looking over as he sucks it - is whittling the selkie/monster form alcohol maybe something weird where dream refuses alcohol and hob finds out something wrong with their water supply - dream is just drinking saltwater hob giving season of the mists style toast sailors have used tobacco pouches made from sealskin ‘where did you put my skin? where did you put my skin?’ bonding over lost sons hob sends pigeon or message otherwise thanking for relief, noting supply shortage, or smthn. days later gets message back being like, no relief sent. protean forms - changing easily - from god proteus - a protean selkie?? Fiddler's Green is an after-life where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing, and dancers who never tire. In 19th-century English maritime folklore, it was a kind of after-life for sailors who had served at least fifty years at sea. important that lighthouse is decaying, used to be nice, now is not gothic theme of ascent/descent with ladder images of death etc claustrophobic, sunless environment, action at night or in fog - no sun imagination over reason

I've never done gothic before and I'm super excited to explore it with this story! I'm going for something like, old and musty smelling, sort of The Terror, lighthouse-edition, except with less death and more monster-fucking. A sluttier The Lighthouse (2019).

[arickaandherfictionalothers]

Aricka and Simon: the grief conversation

(WARNING: heavy mentions of grief, loss; crying, hurt/comfort/fluff)

( @heehawkins I found this on Google but wanted to give you the credit! Thank you-!)

——-

“Go talk to him.” Aricka blinks twice at Jesus’ words. “You know just how he feels right now. I do as well- but right now he needs someone else. Someone who isn’t Me. I know the right words will come to you- you have such a talent with them.”

“Only because You gave me the ability to,” she says, eliciting a warm smile from her Rabbi. “I will, but You will make sure I say it right-?”

“I’ll always be with you,” he says. The words comfort her; and she snags a hug before she goes about her task. Jesus willingly gave her one, one of his arms around her back, the other cradling her head against his shoulder. It was warm, safe. Everything she’d hoped a hug from Him would be.

Aricka watches Simon as they get off the boat. Simon Z helped her; wrapping an arm under hers and his other under her legs and swiftly lifting her up and over the side onto dry land. She smiled at him gratefully, and he ruffled her hair playfully as he moves to see to the rest of the supplies.

She made her way to the other Simon- the one who would one day earn the name of Peter- and clears her throat. “Hey, Simon,” she said a bit awkwardly. “I’m- I’m just gonna get this out of the way- I’m so sorry for your loss. I know- it’s an empty platitude- I hated hearing that phrase with my own loss- but-,”

“Your own loss?” She froze at the statement. Then she sighs slowly. Simon stares at her, an unreadable expression on his face. She walks a little closer to him, and when he doesn’t step back she starts her story.

“What I’m about to tell you-? Only Jesus knows. Or- knew, since I’m telling you now.” He nods, and motions to a nearby place they could sit. “When I was- 12-?- it’s been so long I can’t remember how old I was- my great grandmother died. She was really sick, and she got better for a while- but she died eventually. It was my first experience with death.” She sighs, emotion beginning to weigh her down. “I had just professed Jesus as my Savior and got baptized. So I leaned really hard on Him.” She rubs her hands together, a nervous habit she had developed. “Then, when I was 16, my great grandma on my dad’s side died. Suddenly. I didn’t have time to prepare. So I was a bit numb to it- I didn’t want to believe she was gone.” The next story had a single tear drip down her cheek. “Then when I was seventeen, my grandpa- my best friend- got sick too. He got better for a while, but like my great grandmother he died almost right after he got better.” She wipes her face off. “And then- two years ago, my mom’s grandma died. She had a sickness that made it difficult to remember things- and she eventually died not long after being admitted to a house that would care for her.” She hugs herself, now a bit afraid to look at Simon, but when she did- she didn’t see judgment. She saw- compassion. “You wanna know something?”

“If you want to share,” he said. She smiles.

“When my grandpa died-? I got angry. Real angry. With God. I yelled at him during my prayers. I cried and screamed and railed against Him and blames Him for taking my grandpa away.” She laughs, a wet sounding thing. “And then I got embarrassed for yelling at the One Person Who could take my anger. Who could bear my yelling and screaming and crying. So I tried to hide from Him.” This time they both laughed. “Didn’t turn out well, if you can imagine.”

“Oh, I think I know a story about this sort of thing,” he says.

“Thank GOODNESS He didn’t send a big fish to swallow me,” she replies. The silence settles over them both.

“So- why are you telling me all this-?” Simon asks. Aricka grows serious again, and Simon can see the emotion in her usually laughing blue eyes.

“Because I know what you’re going through right now. I know how you’re feeling. Jesus had His turn, now it’s mine.” She pauses. “I was told when I was little

I couldn’t cry for my grandma. I had to be strong for my mother and two little brothers.”

She meets his gaze straight on, and sees the instant he connects the dots. “It was wrong- I didn’t deserve to be told that. I deserved to grieve. To cry. To feel whatever it is I had to feel. As long as it didn’t hurt me or anyone else.”

She reached out, puts her hand next to Simon’s. “It’s okay if you feel sad. Or angry. Or hurt or confused or even scared, cause I was a bit scared when my loved ones died. The most important thing is, you’re not alone. You never were alone, and you never will be alone in your sadness. We’ve got the Ultimate Comforter on our side. He won’t let us drown in the ocean of grief. I had to learn it the hard way- you don’t.”

She slides a bit closer to the disciple she’d always felt closest to. “It’s okay to cry.” Another tear slides down her own cheek, and Simon carefully wipes it off. “See? I’m crying right now- it’s okay.”

Simon looks at her for a moment, and she can see the slick shine of tears gathering in the corners of his dark, piercing brown eyes. His jaw and hands clench, then unclench, his knee shakes restlessly. “Simon…” she whispered. “Jesus saw you cry. He thinks our tears are precious. It’s okay. Let it go.”

And just like that, a blockage- a dam- burst and she found herself with an armful of tearful Simon. Her arms instantly wrap around him, unable to truly believe this was happening and she was allowed to be in this moment.

They sit in silence, aside from Peter feeling his emotions, when something made her look up- and she sees Jesus standing there, with an assuring expression on His face. She sighs, relaxes, then continues talking.

“You know, I always thought that you and I were really similar,” she says. “When I’d read about you- I felt so close to you- like I knew you.” She pauses. “You had the “messy” human emotions it felt like the others didn’t have sometimes, and it made me feel better for having my own anger issues. Knowing that you had them too. It helped. And I guess that’s why I’ve been avoiding you-? Cause you’re Simon. And I feel like if I talk to you I’m gonna say dumb things and mess up our potential friendship. And that would make me feel really sad cause you’re so- you. And I like you. As a friend-slash-older brother figure.”

The arms around her tighten slightly, and she reciprocates, matching strength for strength. “I know how it feels to feel like you’re the only one who feels this unbearable weight of sadness- but it’s not true. You’re not alone. We’ve all got you; we want to be there for you.”

Simon sighs, a heavy sounding thing, and released her; and she gave him a moment to collect himself. “Thank you.” His voice was hoarse, and it wasn’t any wonder.

“You’re welcome,”she says. “I meant it. All of it. I look up to you- kinda like a hero. Not in an idol/worship way but a “wow, he’s so cool I want to be just like him someday,” kind of way.”

That earned her a famous Simon smile, and he drew her closer, so she was leaning against him. “I always wanted a little sister,” he said. “I guess you could fit the description.” Her eyes widen,

“Really-?” He shrugs, trying to be nonchalant, but she could see the sparkle in his eyes,

“Yeah. I’m sure.” She grins, and can’t help but throw her arms back around him, and he actually laughs, enveloping her in another warm hug.

“It was pretty cool seeing you walk on water-reading it is one thing- but seeing it-?”

“Yeah?” He was used to her not being from “his time,”’as she’d explained it.

“Yeah. I wish I was as brave as you.”

“I think you already are, kid,” he said, and together, they made their way back to Jesus and the other disciples.

———

@yeehawselfshipping

[sleepyjim2]

5 for ask game 👀 i love listening to you angrily yap

5. Do you have any irl enemies? Describe them. Tell us how they’ve wronged you.

RAAAUGH I HAVE SO MANY ENEMIES . i feel like phucking pider man . under the cut even tho im sure nobody will read it

besides 2/3 of the entire student body at my school (half joking but i am constantly verbally and physically bullied bc im disabled and visibly queer) . theres this one piece of shit Mr Timothy "Timmy" B******* whos the band director at our school who wont let me join ANY music class bc im disabled. as soon as i signed up for band he suddenly spontaneously instated a new rule that everyone signing up for any band class had to first take a full year of marching band . i physically cant do that on account of my disability so we were like Hey i cant do that on account of my disability can we perhaps negotiate some accommodations. nasty ableist grown ass bald ass string bean of a man timmy whips out his phone at this meeting and types in the name of my condition and reads for a couple seconds while we just fucking stare at him and he says back "welll it says here on google that less than 200 people in the World are diagnosed so i dont believe you :/ !." we were gonna get the school board involved and/or file an ocr complaint abt it bc he just would Not even allow any accomodation for me but my mom decided it wasnt worth the trouble </3 pretty sure hes entirely forgot about me at this point but every time i see him in the hallway or one of his students i briefly consider ripping his bald head off. what who said that

theres also this girl summer who used to steal things from my backpack including but not limited to art supplies , ibuprofen , and Literal Seizure/Muscle Spasm Suppressants . i did not know her i was not friends with her she in fact hated me and probably did this shit to mess with me but i never told my mom she was stealing my medication and i did eventually have seizures at school (in that same classroom even !) bc i was missing doses #lol. thank googness i never saw again after that year

one time a guy almost hit me in a parking lot with his big ass truck .literally stopped inches away from me . and as i got up he honked his horn and called me a faggot . i remember he had a million maga stickers on the truck and i still see it out and about sometimes in our town and i get mad again everytime

in fourth grade this kid malachi threw a desk a chair and then a chromebook at me ♥️ i probably should have broken something tbh but somehow nothing was too hurt just got massive bruises on my legs and chest . nothing was ever done about it n he never got in trouble as far as i know

there is also ****** and ******* who ****** *** ***** me . considering their track record they probably dont even remember me specifically either 🧍‍♂️ i see them both in the hallways a lot and i almost had a class with Both of them this semester but my counselor was thankfully able to pull some strings so that i could take the class online instead hweuagh

[queeniecook]

Mid Summer of last year

Ever since the warlock James had paid Inna a surprise visit, thoughts had been swirling around in her mind. She doesn't have any intentions of being a part of his plan, but to say she got curious would be correct. She spent hours searching the internet on this Vera Grant. Of course she found things like a simbook profile and a profile on the new big thing - the social bunny media app. Inna has to have them all due to her career. Smartly, Vera seems to have all her personal stuff hidden to where only her friends can see it. But the more she stared at the profile picture of Vera on simbook, the more she reminded her of someone, she just couldn't put her manicured finger on it until she went on a stroll down on the Del Sol Valley walk of fame. She was casually reading the stars, like she usually does - vowing one day her name will be there too - when she saw it. Right beneath her feet, the star that reads "Evie Grant." It all clicked together. Armed with the new information, she spent even more hours googling Vera Grant and her family. She finally had to stop when the information ran out after Evie married a man named Paka'a Uha and became pregnant with her first child. It seems Evie wanted to drop out of the spotlight for the most part after that. Only a few appearances happened for charity up until her death.

It changed nothing. She just found it interesting, that was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Who is the girl in my kitchen, Vlad?" Inna questions. She had asked him here for information, not to play hostess to someone she doesn't know. Not that she minds playing hostess but she prefers to have a heads up first. 

"Do not mind the child, she is simply cooking." One of her mentors tells her. The other half, Elle DeVampiro, is currently over in Italy at one of the pairs' many Villas. 

"You don't usually travel with witches..."Inna trails off, something isn't right about the situation. 

"Very smart of you to keep food in your kitchen, dear one. Just in case you need to entertain those who require mortal food." Vlad continues in his usual tone. Not bothered by the young vampires' proding. "You wanted information, yes?"

Inna just looks at him and bites her tongue not to make a snarky comment, both Vlad and Elle did a lot for her over the years. She pretty much made it impossible for Lilith to help her after Caleb turned her and Lilith had no choice but to hand her over to Vlad and Elle. They helped her tame her blood lust, which she would always be grateful for. She has never killed anyone, something she feels happy about. Her mentors also taught her about the finer things in life and etiquette, while also opening doors for her in the field she loves - acting. "I would be much obliged."

"Vera Grant-Uha is her legal name and she is indeed the child of Evie Grant. She also has a brother, Apollo, who lives in Sulani with his wife, Naya and son Apollo Grant Junior. Miss Grant currently resides in the village town of Henford-on-Bagley. Miss Grant and Caleb Vatore are set to wed on September 20th of this year in Windenburg." Vlad supplies, it wasn't hard for him to get someone to gather the information. Money is a great tool at his disposal.

Inna nods and glances at the witch in her kitchen briefly, who was still cooking, before looking back at the vampire in front of her. "Thank you, Vlad. You always come through for me."

This earns a smile from the elder vampire. He's not quite as old as Count Straud himself but close. "I have to ask, out of concern. You know that even though I did not turn you I am quite fond of you, dear one." Vlad pauses before asking"Are you planning to see Caleb Vatore again?"

Inna looks at him and shakes her head. "No. I won't lie and say I'm not curious about who has finally stole his cold undead heart. I'm also a bit worried, does she know what she's getting herself into?"

"If you are concerned he may turn her against her wishes as he did you, you need not." Vlad assures her before speaking again because he can tell Inna is confused. "He can't turn her. Vera comes from a long line of merfolk. "

Inna blinks, truly stunned. She kind of wishes her mentor had lead with that bit of information to start with.