#use me to get your black cat paw badges!!!

[monty-glasses-roxy]

I'm going to bed but you're all welcome to spam the shit out of me with the boops while you still can lmao

[anonauthorsworkshop]

helloo, i stumbled upon ur mha x scp au and AHDSIHDSGISDGJ UR WRITING??? IS SO GOOD?? (also im new here hi, can i be 🎭 anon) more mha x scp au pls /nf tho

hii 🎭 anon :) i get a lot of requests for this au haha, sure!

previous part here

AU where MC is transported into the MHA universe with a SCP-summoning quirk. essentially a MHA and SCP crossover. you can read the rest of the parts under the tag #pp mha au

(note: i have never watched or read mha in my life and all of my knowledge is from fanfics and lazily googled questions! sorry in advance for any mischaracterizations or anything that just... doesn't make any sense? lol)

-

You lean forward, nearly falling off of your chair in the process. Squinting your eyes into narrow lines, you focus on one, crucial objective:

Trying to figure out what the hell is sitting right in front of you.

He looks like a cat, sort of. He reminds you of Josie, or, well, 529, with his feline-esque features and all.

Oh, you really should summon Josie here again sometime. It's been quite a while since you last have. That cat makes a good cuddle buddy. Even if she's missing the entire other half of her body.

You hum in thought, continuing to careen forward from your chair. No! This thing across from you is nothing like Josie. His ears look more like a bear, like 1048. Or could he be a dog? No, no... You've got it! He's definitely a rat!

Leaning back, you return to a proper sitting position and internally applaud yourself for finding the solution to your own ridiculous question. A rat, you think to yourself, face smug. Reminds me of a certain mask that drips black snot.

Wait a minute. The satisfied expression you adorn falters as you inspect the rat closer. What if it's not a rat, but a mouse?!

No, you're getting sidetracked! You take another bite of the banana you have graciously been given by your... captors? Do they count as captors if you willingly went with them?

The clearing of a throat. "Excuse me. If you could please answer the question..."

Oh, right. They're not really your 'captors,' just your interrogators, (that provide you with free food, might you add).

"What was the question again?" you ask, before not-so-elegantly stuffing the rest of the banana down your throat. You couldn't help but cave into your stomach's hunger; you haven't tasted this quality of fresh food in years! No more scavenging for meals or rummaging through garbage bins!

The man in uniform raises an inquiring eyebrow. You examine the badge attached to his right breast pocket: 'Detective Tsukauchi.'

He gestures to his side. "He asked you for your name."

Your eyes follow his hand's movements, and you find yourself gazing at the rat once more. "Oh, I wasn't paying attention." You admit shamelessly, grabbing another banana from the bowl placed before you. "I'm Y/N."

"Pleasure to meet you, Y/N." The rat smiles. You absentmindedly nod in response. "I'm Nezu, the principal of U.A. High. The man beside me is Detective Tsukauchi," you glance at the final stranger, "and this is Aizawa, a teacher at this school. He is also the one who found you. We would like to ask you some questions, as you are already aware."

"Sure," you comply, shoving another banana into your mouth. "I don't mind."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen, I think."

"Who are your parents?"

You shrug, nonchalantly reaching for another banana. "Don't have any."

Nezu's grin widens slightly, and you watch him place a paw below his jaw. "Would you be comfortable telling us about what happened in that alley?"

Cocking your head to the side, you carefully peel off the banana's skin. "Which one?"

The detective speaks up. "The one you were found in."

Chewing another bite of your food, you tap a finger to your chin in thought. "Well, I was asleep until I heard a bunch of noise." Slowly, you turn to Nezu, replicating his ear-to-ear smile as you dramatically retell your experience.

"I looked up from my home, my beloved alleyway cardboard box, and saw two groups of people fighting. I decided to hide in my box until it was all over, but then one of them crashed into my home. They crumpled my box, and my hiding spot was revealed! The two groups started arguing about 'gang territory,' or whatever, and one of them decided to use me as a hostage and pointed a gun to my head."

You sink your teeth into your banana once more, oblivious to the horrified looks from every adult in the room.

"Oh, but it was fine," you casually continue, mouth half-full, "since, you know, I took care of it and all."

"When you say that you 'took care of it,'" the detective asks cautiously, "do you mean that you used your quirk?"

"My... quirk?" You scratch the back of your neck. "I guess it's my quirk? Don't know too much about 'quirks,' to be honest. I've never been to a doctor, or whatever specialist you go to for checking those out."

"Could you describe to us what it was that you exactly did?"

You gulp down the rest of your banana before replying. "You mean, in that alley? I summoned, or, like, conjured up one of those, uh." You pause, replacing 'SCPs' with another word to prevent further confusion. "Creatures? One of those creatures."

Tsukauchi looks you in the eye. "These creatures that you summon." You glance at the detective's hands, and you notice that they're trembling. "What do they do? What do they look like?"

"Usually I summon them to help and protect me." You explain with a shrug, "Oftentimes I encounter people who want to hurt me for some reason. There's a bunch of, er, 'creatures,' that I can summon, and they don't typically look like your perception of what's 'normal.'"

You continue, "There are endless possibilities, really. One looks like a teddy bear, just covered in human ears." Tsukauchi's eyes widen, as if his suspicions have been confirmed. "There's some that are long and bony. Some of them have these gigantic claws and razor-sharp mouths. Some of them are all gooey and acidic-"

"I believe that's enough." You turn to the side, taking a brief glimpse at Aizawa, who is standing beside you. Those were the only words he's spoken this entire time.

Turning back to the other two, you're about to grab another banana when you catch sight of the detective. You stare awkwardly, your hand paused mid-air. He seems to have completely spun on his heel to face away from you, hands clutching the wall as he gags and dry heaves. You scoot back in your chair uncomfortably.

"...And you do not have a home, correct?" Nezu stands up from his seat, approaching yours.

"Well, I did, but like I said, my cardboard box was destroyed because of those two rival gangs, or whoever they were."

"I see." He raises a paw so as to pet the top of your head. You clumsily bend down in your chair, allowing the two-foot-tall principal to reach your height. "We can arrange something for you. You may stay in a personal dorm here for free, if you would like." He smiles, "So long as you attend this school, the police force has also gladly agreed to erase your criminal record!"

You gawk at him. "C-criminal record?" Well, you guess you usually do end up leaving a mess of dead bodies behind, but it's always in self-defense!

"You should know it is illegal to use your quirk unlicensed and in public, Y/N."

Surveying the room, you dart your eyes from person to person. In the corner of the room, the detective, who is on the verge of vomiting up his insides. The man beside you, Aizawa, who refuses to look at you. The one standing in front of you, Nezu, who is blackmailing you, but is also offering you free shelter and free food...

You huff, grabbing Nezu's paw and shaking it wildly. "It's a deal, then."

[cleolinda]

Weekend links, April 7, 2024

My posts

This week feels like it has been a hundred years long (not in a bad way). 

Somehow we joined together to balance the seesaw just right so Ava Gardner and Jean Seberg could both go through in the Hot Vintage Lady polls (percentages rounded). Like, I’m wearing the Ava jersey and even I encouraged people to vote Jean when necessary. Honestly, I just wanted to see if it could be done. And it COULD. 

Round three has begun. It is already horrific. This is the first round that’s really going to hurt because we spent the last one really getting down in the dirt and championing our ladies, or learning about actresses we’d never heard of before and getting attached to them. And now? We are reminded: memento mori. Everyone loses but one. 

(I personally pitched in for Sara Montiel. “BUT JUST LOOK AT--” Yeah, I did, thanks.)

Reblogs of interest

April Fool’s Day: You were here for the Boopening, yes? The whole thing was that you only got badges for giving boops, not receiving them, which is a great way to not reward popularity contests, but also means that every last one of us was out here trying to figure out who to bap with a cat’s paw 1000 times. I said, listen, my notifications are already trash garbage today. I’ll take the bullet. Boop at will.

The Activity graph isn’t too clear on this point, but it looks like I had something like 65,000--hits? engagements? boops?--that day. Listen, I got the black paw badge too. We all did what we had to do in the Boopening. 

A Shakespearean boop of goodly length: “And, Meowntague, come you this afternoon, to know our further pleasure in this case, to old Food-bowl, our common judgment-place.” 

I had to go lie down awhile after a pun like “The Purrge.”

--

I had just gotten up from that pun and then I had to go lie down again.

Account security gothic

The Canada griffin

Dinotopia nostalgia

Two pairs of spectacles, one made from slices of emerald, and the other from slices of diamond

An old favorite: Cerberus as a puppy, guarding the gates to heck

I feel like these two posts have the same energy: Time cops will not let you travel back to the Titanic and bloodthirsty gazebos are currently in a dormancy period.

The birds are still troubled

PSA: The best sunscreens for your face

Video

A collection of various American Indian/indigenous American languages, including Navajo, Tlingit, Lakota, Colville Okanagan Salish, Cherokee, Yucatec Maya, Greenlandic, Mohawk, Yup'ik, and Mi'kmawi'simk. 

A trans health-and-wellness fundraiser (Mercury Stardust, Point of Pride, and friends) kept getting banned off Tiktok due to assholes. Here’s how to donate; I saw a few “here’s how they helped me” notes, so it seems like these programs are both legit and effective. 

You think you’re going to sit staring at this video because Chocolate Guy is weaving chocolate. Then you get into it, and it just keeps going.

“Too Sweet” is doing hilariously well on the charts for a song that didn’t even make the album proper. Hozier’s bees would like to thank you for your support.

I know I said that Stevie Nicks would make you sing backup on your own haunting, but late in this 1997 live performance of “Silver Springs,” she makes Lindsey Buckingham, the man she wrote this song about, look her in the eye while she belts it at him. This specific performance was released as a single (I was there, Gandalf) and nominated for a Grammy. Watch the video and you will see why.

The Women Those ‘Evolution Of Beauty’ Videos Leave Out

I don’t really know how to describe this rubberhose-style cartoon of Cab Calloway as a singing nightmare clown. Betty Boop is also there. “You just described it!” No, I really didn’t. 

How movable type worked 1000 years ago, from scratch.

Unrestrained seasonal yak fun

A snowy raven photoshoot

The sacred texts

I don’t know how to explain this double Sacred Text about ominous dreams that comes with its own comic, except to say that they’re so iconic that I first saw both posts in lo-res Pinterest screencaps.

April Fool’s: The ultimate sacred text.

Personal tag of the week

Wet beast Wednesday, which had both a headshake stickflip and bears on a swan boat.

[swaps55]

WIP Wednesday

A deeper look at Jacob's POV in Mezzo, for @asthewindbehaves

~

Shepard watches his every move before dropping his gaze to the table and tracing a finger through a ring of condensation left by whoever had vacated the seat before they got there. It’s like being a mouse pinned under the paw of a cat that hasn't decided weather to let him go or bring the claws out.

“Don’t hear about many biotics manifesting past puberty. Adult eezo exposure?”

“You could say that,” Jacob replies, trying to rein in the bitterness. “Corsair job gone wrong. Alliance wrote me off as dead, same as you. Cerberus saw things differently.”

“You seem pretty convinced they’re trustworthy.”

“You seem pretty convinced they’re not.”

Shepard raises an eyebrow. “I don’t tend to trust shadow organizations who take out inconvenient Alliance admirals.”

“Is it that much different from the Alliance? Or was Lord Darius special somehow?”

Shepard doesn’t quite flinch, but it’s close. The Alliance had tried to spin the massacre on Nonuel as a negotiation gone bad, but the murder of an ‘ally’ who’d become a thorn in the Alliance’s side was too convenient, and Shepard isn’t the guy you send when plan A is to talk it out. Your hands are as dirty as mine were, Jacob thinks. Jacob just hadn’t had a Spectre badge and a heroic pose to hide behind.

The asari returns with their drinks. Shepard examines his glass before taking a cautious sip. Whether he finds it to his liking or not is for someone else to figure out.  

“So what happened?” Shepard asks, apparently uninterested in further debates on the finer points of military morality. “With the eezo exposure.”  

“Classified black ops mission. Alliance wouldn’t even tell us the name of the planet we got dropped at, which means brass didn’t want anyone to know we were there. Orders were to get into the tunnels of a prothean ruin, dismantle some sensitive equipment and evac it.”

Shepard’s watching him again. Like a hawk. Jacob tries not to squirm.

“No one warned us it was leaking enough eezo to power a drive core. Three members of my team were dead within forty-eight hours, and I wasn’t far behind them. Turns out mass effect fields forming in your blood vessels is a bad thing.”

Shepard takes a slow sip of whiskey. Jacob kind of liked it better when he wasn’t the center of Shepard’s attention.

“And the Alliance couldn’t treat you.”

Jacob shrugs a shoulder. “Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. All the same in the end. The mass effect fields made my blood pressure unstable, which killed my eyesight. Alliance didn’t have an answer, but Cerberus did. You aren’t the only one on the Normandy with synthetic vision.”

The laser gaze doesn’t waver, but Shepard shifts in his seat.

“Look, Shepard. I’m not telling you the Illusive Man is some kind of hero or saint. But do you think the Alliance lifted a finger to rescue you? Hell, they didn’t even look for a body to bury. They got what they needed out of you, and when you became inconvenient? They did to you what you did to Darius. Only the collectors did the work for them, and they still got to put your face on the recruitment posters.”

[ninjadeathblade]

Control (A Hat In Time fanfic)

Summary: Empress has been confined to the metro for five years and she's growing sick of her lack of freedom. Small things slowly nudge her towards taking proper action and making the metro a better place, once and for all.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 7,878

Warnings (there are lots for this chapter oops): Blood, injury, self harm, implied murder, near death experience of a side character, manipulation, swearing, threats, self worth issues, depression, trauma

Author's notes: This ended up way longer than I expected it to be. Anyway, just in case Em didn't have enough trauma (this isn't even the worst thing just you guys wait for the next chapter). Title is the song "Control" by Halsey. Please god read the warnings. Anyway, haha, we're reaching the climax of this story next chapter. Hope you guys have been enjoying this.

Empress wasn't sure how long went by, down in the Metro.

Majesty didn't take any chances, only letting her go to the surface if she had an escort, and never letting her go near the border between the territory that separated the metro.

Most of the time she was stuck running odd jobs around the Angel bases or sorting through paperwork for Majesty.

Maybe it was months. Maybe years. A decade could've gone by, it felt so long.

Contact to the surface was prohibited too, her phone destroyed and every other member of the gang knowing not to allow her to use their devices.

So she waited.

And hoped that Badge and Claw didn't try to do something stupid.

“Apprentice,” Majesty called.

Empress looked up from the book she was reading. “Yes sir?”

The tabby held up a small package. “Delivery to the main crèche. My mate is there, it’s for her.”

Her attention zoned in on him slightly as she put down her book. “You- you have a mate?”

“Yes, now hurry up or I'll take the wasted time from the fur off your back,” Majesty hissed.

Empress scrambled up and took the package, carrying the small box under one arm as she made her way towards the crèche she grew up in.

It was the only one still in use nowadays.

The white and grey cat padded soundlessly into the room, the skills from her training since she was forced to stay down there.

“You must be Majesty's protégé,” a cat called.

Empress spun her head to look at the far corner of the room, a black cat curled on her side and facing the entrance.

“And you must be his mate,” she returned, walking close, placing the package and then stepping back.

The black cat smiled weakly, one paw scooping the object closer. “Please, call me Shadow.”

Empress nodded politely, sitting down beside her. “How far along are you?”

Shadow moved a paw to rest over her swollen stomach. “Any day now.”

Silence passed between them as they both dipped into their thoughts.

Empress knew that these kittens would not have a good life, not growing up down here, despite the advances in more recent years.

“You're his favourite you know,” Shadow eventually said.

Empress fought to keep a scowl from springing onto her face. “I am afraid I have to leave now, ma'am. Good luck with the kittens.”

She paused on the way back to Majesty's office, looking down the paths around her.

Empress dipped down a side tunnel, moving quickly.

If she wanted to try and leave, it would have to be fast.

Two paws, wrenching a vent grate off the wall and then hoisting herself up and into the cramped passage.

She’d only get a few minutes to try and leave.

Not that it would properly work.

Empress ground her jaw as her shoulders and legs painfully scraped against the sides of the narrow vent, crawling as quickly as she could through to get to and exit.

Empress shoved open the grate on the outside of the building, wincing as it hit the floor with a loud clang.

The white and grey cat darted down the street she dropped onto, heading as far from the building as possible.

Empress took a shaky breath in, looking around.

Where even was she?

It must've been some dead-end back path in the Metro.

It was practically empty except for-

A phonebooth.

Empress walked forwards, wondering if it would still work.

If it did, maybe she could talk to Badge! Scarlett! Cl-

Slowly she punched in Scarlett's phone number, breathing heavily as the phone line rang.

A connection chime. “Hello?”

“Scarlett?” Empress choked out.

“Holy fu-” Scarlett sputtered and another voice was faint in the background.

“Darlin’? Who is it?”

“Um, no one Conductor, it's just Trisha,” Scarlett shouted.

The sound of rapid footsteps as the owl moved to a different room.

“Emily? What the hell, where have you been?!”

Empress drew a deep breath. “That's not my name.”

“What?”

“That name. It's not mine,” Empress growled down the line before composing herself. “Anyway, how're you? How's theatre club going?”

“What the fuck?! You can't just disappear for five years and- and then just call like nothing's happened!” Scarlett shrieked over the connection, voice wavering slightly. “Hell Em, we all thought you were dead! Five fucking years and not a word! I haven't seen Badge in years either, or Claw! Where did you all go?! You have no right to run off without a word Em, no right! I don't even do theatre club anymore!”

Tears slipped down Empress' cheeks. “Scarlett I- I wanted to be home, with you, I- I still do!” Empress argued. “Are you still at Matilda's?”

“My mum's…?” Scarlett breathed. “I moved out of there two years ago, Con wanted us to go back to where he grew up so we could raise our kid.”

“What the fuck, you have a kid?!”

“Correction, we have an egg,” Scarlett sniffed. “You would know you had a niece if you were still around!”

“I have a niece…”

Empress' mind worked a mile a minute, trying to process everything.

“Scarlett, I promise you I will-”

A gun firing.

The line ringing empty.

Blood pounding in her ears.

A painful whine as her ears adjusted to hearing again.

“Shit,” Empress swore, looking in the direction the bullet had come from.

Majesty held the smoking muzzle pointed towards her. “Don't make me do this, Empress. Don't make me shoot you.”

Empress' arms shook, her tail moving to curl around one leg. “Majesty, I swear, I wasn't going-”

“Yeah, you weren't going to leave, shut the fuck up,” Majesty cut her off. “We all know that's a lie. Now, you're going to come back to base. And you're not going to pull any more dumb stunts. Okay?”

Her eyes darted around, seeing if there was any other way out the back alley.

If she climbed the large bin over there, she could reach the fire escape stairs up the side of that building and then escape through the buildings.

But Majesty had a gun and she knew he wouldn't have any reservations about using it.

A gun that should have six shots, but down to five seeing as he had cut the line.

Five shots left.

“Empress. Don't be a stupid asshole.”

She dashed over to the bin, gunshots following her as she crouched behind it.

One shot as she left the booth, another when she was halfway between, a third as she ducked into cover.

Two shots left.

She stood up quickly, utilising the adrenaline pumping through her veins, ducking back down as a shot clanged onto the lid of the bin.

One shot.

The sound of another shot ringing out.

No shots.

Pain from the outer side of her right ear.

Red liquid clouding her vision on that side.

The sound of Majesty cursing and fumbling to reload the gun.

Empress heaved herself onto the top of the bin, jumping and reaching for the stairs.

Paws slipping, scrambling for purchase, for some kind of hold.

A wrenching jolt of pain down her left shoulder when she finally gripped onto a pole, her body's weight being suspended from the rusting object.

Empress hissed as she clawed the rest of the way up, dragging herself over the top of the rail of the stairs.

Another shot fired, a bullet hitting the metal beneath her, followed by two more shots.

Her gaze flicked to the side, looking at the window beside her.

A couple steps back, a short sprint forwards, a jump.

Glass shattered around her, spraying outwards and inwards.

Majesty swearing loudly outside as she dragged herself up, sprinting across the room and jumping through another window.

A bullet followed the shattered glass as she fell two stories into the alley.

Juddering pain striking through her leg as she dragged herself up, getting as close to a run as she could as she headed towards Demon territory.

If she could just make it over the border, she'd be safe.

At least for a little while.

Empress panted and flattened herself against a wall, hoping she'd blend into the shadows as a patrol of Fallen Angels ran past.

She was almost there, she just had to cross the open patch in the middle of the Metro.

She could see the Chosen Demon defences from here, all she had to do was get across.

Get across and be safe for at least a little while.

The adrenaline was wearing off, making her movements more sluggish.

Empress reached a paw up to wipe more blood out of her vision, brushing it to the side, fighting to keep her eyes open.

The white and grey cat stuck her head out to look around, only spotting a couple food vendors who had set up in the open area since things were slowly advancing.

She quickly walked, the fastest she could get after landing awkwardly on her leg after jumping out the window and dragging herself across the Metro.

One paw, raised with as much strength as she could muster to bang against one of the doors on the buildings.

A small hatch opened, an eye narrowed suspiciously. “Who is it?”

“I need you to get Radiance,” Empress heaved, slumping against the wall slightly.

“Who's askin’?”

“Tell her that Emp- that Emily is asking for her,” Empress gritted out.

“Sorry, no can do, boss isn't seeing anyone,” the Demon replied.

Empress let out a throaty growl. “Fine. Does Claw still work here?”

“You want me to get him?”

Empress rolled her eyes. “Just fucking do it, I'm getting tired of your yapping.”

The hatch closed and Empress slid down to sit on the floor, chest rattling as she took in deep breaths.

So many things could go wrong in the time it took to get Claw.

A patrol could show up.

Majesty could show up.

She could be injured, killed, even passing out would be bad.

The door flung open beside her, a grey cat quickly moving to crouch in front of her. “Emily…?”

Empress blinked, trying to clear the tired haze at the edge of her vision.

The cat’s head swivelled, barking orders at whoever was standing in the doorway. “Why didn't you come get me?! If she asked for me, you get me! Don't ever turn her away again!”

“But she's an Angel ma'am-”

“And?! She's also the closest thing I have ever had to a child! Get me a medical pack, now!”

A pair of strong arms swept under her, hefting her up and leaning her weight against whoever it was.

“Don't worry kid, you're safe now. Majesty can't touch you here.”

Empress lurched awake, panicking, flailing around blindly in the dark.

A paw clamped down on her shoulder and she lashed out, hissing, claws connecting with flesh.

If it was Majesty, she'd pay for it later.

If it was any of the Angels, she'd pay for it later.

Empress let out a worried whimper, drawing her paw back as quickly as she'd struck out with it.

“Hey, shhh, it's fine, you're safe now.”

Empress' ears pricked, the right one stinging painfully when she swivelled them towards the voice. “Who is that? Who's there?”

“It's Radiance,” came the reply, a light turning on.

Dim light filtered into the room, coming out of a lamp beside where she was.

Radiance was sat to her left, where she'd lashed out, a small dribble of blood leaking from claw marks across her cheek.

“You're safe now,” Radiance repeated, a frown tugging at the edges of her mouth.

Empress looked down at where there was a threadbare blanket pooled around her lap, bandages across her chest.

“I sewed up your old wounds. You hadn't taken care of them properly,” Radiance explained.

Empress swallowed around the thickness of her voice in her throat. “Majesty wanted them to scar over. Said it'd make me more respectable.”

Radiance sighed, reaching out with one paw. “Oh Emily…”

“That's not my name,” Empress responded, voice cracking. Her tail swept up to curl around her legs as she tucked them towards her chest. “That's not my name.”

Radiance opened her mouth to reply until there was a knock at the door.

The gang boss crossed over to the door, opening it a crack. “Yes?”

“Can I come in?” Someone asked.

“She's healing and resting, I don't think it would be good for her to accept visitors right now,” Radiance hesitantly said. “Especially not if what you told me about when you two last saw each other is true.”

Empress let out a long breath. “It's Claw, isn't it?”

Radiance looked between the doorway and her. “Yeah, it is.”

“I don't want to see him,” Empress responded, moving to get out of the bed.

Her leg twinged with pain again, lancing up towards her hip while her ribs ached painfully.

Empress wobbled as Radiance closed the door and dashed over to try and help her.

“Is there a bathroom?” Empress croaked out.

Radiance nodded, hovering at her side, waiting to catch her if she fell. “Yes, just over here.”

Slowly the two cats crossed the room to a door.

“Let me know if you need any help, alright?”

Empress nodded at Radiance, offering her a small smile. “Thank you. For taking me in.”

Radiance shrugged. “You're family.”

Empress turned and shuffled into the bathroom, hoping the gang boss hadn't seen her eyes well with tears.

One paw fumbled for the light switch, slapping it on.

The lights hummed overhead, illuminating the stalls and wall lined with mirrors.

Empress rested some of her weight on the row of sinks in front of the mirrors, staring at her reflection, wondering when she stopped being able to recognise herself.

Tired eyes stared back at her, dark bags formed underneath them.

There was a chunk missing from her ear where she'd been shot on the way here.

Her fur was matted and patchy, half from poor self-care and half from scarring.

She was wearing some loose black shorts, probably put on by Radiance, the only thing that hid any of the body that felt like it wasn't her's.

One paw slowly reached up to run over hollow cheeks, one claw slowly opening her mouth, surveying teeth who's standard had lowered but at least they were somewhat close to her old self.

She dropped her paw again, leaning her weight on the counter as sobs wracked her body, pain juddering through her with every shaking cry.

Slowly she sank to the floor, tail curling up and around her torso, trying to provide herself what little comfort she could when everything seemed so different.

A knock on the door. “Can I come in?”

“No,” Empress clawed the word out of her throat, trying to will herself to get back up.

Get up, get up, get up.

It wasn't that hard.

She'd had to do harder things.

She'd had to lie to Badge for years.

Break Claw's heart.

Push Scarlett away no matter how much she just wanted to hold her little sister.

Pick up everything after Matilda died and try to keep her family from falling apart.

Join the Fallen Angels in the first place.

One arm slowly gripped the edge of the counter, claws unsheathing and digging into the surface.

Dragged her weight upwards, stared defiantly at the mirror.

A sigh as reality hit fully. “This is who I am now.”

A fist reaching out and smashing the mirror beside her, pain lancing through her paw as the reflective glass fractured.

Cradling the stinging appendage near her chest as she opened the door.

“I'm going to nap,” Empress stated, low, definite, not accepting any challenge from Radiance.

Radiance's face crumpled at the sight of her injured paw, quickly bandaging it before leaving her alone in the room, plunged into the dark again.

Empress sniffed and buried her face in the pillow.

She missed her family.

About a week passed before Empress left the room that Radiance had let her stay in.

The gang leader hadn't asked about the broken mirrors in the bathroom; how only one had been smashed to begin with but as the days passed all of them were ruined.

She got away with a few more days before running into people that she didn't want to talk to.

However, there was only so long that growling and glaring at anyone who tried to sit near her would work for.

“Hey Emily,” Claw said quietly, sitting down across from her.

She blanked him. She wasn't going to respond to that name anymore, wasn't meant to.

Majesty had made sure she wasn't allowed to.

“Please don't ignore me. I haven't seen you in years but-”

Empress lifted her eyes to his face, watching as he shuddered at the icy gaze that levelled with him.

“Don't talk to me.”

“Please, Em, don't shut me out.”

Empress sighed, setting down her fork. “What the fuck do you want, Claw?”

Claw bristled, fur standing on end. “What I want is for my friend to talk to me!”

“And what I want is to be left alone!” Empress hissed, voice rising.

“Yeah well you've had that for five years!” Claw shouted.

By now, other tables’ occupants were turning to look at them.

Empress' tail lashed behind her. “You think I was alone for that time? Well guess what, I wasn't. Not one minute. There were escorts and cameras and punishment if I did want to be alone. The only time I was alone the past five years was for maybe an hour or two before arriving here. That was it, Claw.”

Claw shrank back slightly.

“Don't you dare try and tell me what my life was like. Until you suffer the way I have, you aren't allowed to make comments on my life.”

The lights overhead flickered off, then on, before the power completely died out.

Red lights turned on, flashing bright and then dimming before growing brighter again.

“Raid! Everyone to battle stations!” Someone shouted.

Practically everyone flooded out the room, leaving only Claw and Empress.

Claw's eyes met her's as she looked back at him.

The white and grey cat shoved past him, shoulders bumping as she headed towards the armoury that everyone else had likely headed to.

“Emily! Emily, please, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Emily!”

She spun around, hackles raised, teeth bared. “That is not my name!”

Claw stood stock still, staring silently.

Tears pricked at the corners of Empress' eyes and she turned, ready to walk away from him.

A grip tightened around her wrist and she prepared to lash out again, covering her emotions with a tough exterior.

The coping method she'd apparently used for five years just to try and survive.

“That is your name. To me at least. It always will be.”

Empress swivelled her head to face Claw. “I'm not the same cat you knew five years ago.”

“Maybe not the person I'm talking to right now. But deep down, somewhere behind that rough shell you've made for yourself, there's the Emily that I remember. The Emily I fell in love with.”

Empress yanked back her paw, clutching it to her chest.

He still thought she loved him.

Or at the very least, he still loved her.

“Shit Claw, you really are dumb is you believe that,” Empress said, hoping that the poison of words she'd learnt to wield would be a good deterrent.

Claws face just softened and he smiled at her. “Yeah, I'll get to see you again someday, won't I?”

Empress spun on her heel, walking away quickly before he could say something else.

Unfortunately, he followed her, walking alongside her towards the armoury.

“Persistent fucker,” Empress muttered under her breath, picking up a tommy gun off the rack in the armoury.

Claw snickered, clearly having heard her as he picked up a knife and a pistol. “I didn't know you knew how to handle one of those.”

Empress shrugged. “It's been five years Claw and I'm the right hand cat of Majesty. Of course I had to learn how to use tons of different weapons.”

There was the sound of a brief spatter of gunfire outside, small bullet dents going into the wall beside them.

Empress gritted her teeth. “Let's get a move on.”

Empress surveyed the negotiations between Majesty and Radiance, trying to keep herself from passing out.

She hadn't slept much despite finally being somewhere that could be deemed safe, and her wounds kept reopening.

“So, you gonna give me back my apprentice?”

“Your apprentice? You mean the cat who's barely an adult that you shot at, emotionally and mentally manipulated, and kept away from her family for five years?”

“C'mon, do we have to go into specifics?”

“Hey, at least you aren't murdering our little siblings anymore.”

Empress' blood ran cold.

What did that mean?

And had Radiance said… our?

“Look, Radiance, lemme put this politely. Either you give me Empress or I decimate this pathetic little place, seeing as I've found it now.”

Empress' blood ran cold.

Claw stiffened beside her. “Empress? Who's-” His eyes darted over to her.

Her ears flattened back against her head.

“Oh.”

“Well?”

A bullet fired into still air, the gunshot ringing in the silence.

“You know the smart choice, Radiance.”

Empress stood up. “No, this is wrong.”

“What?”

“I'm not- you guys shouldn't be caught up in my problems with Majesty.”

Empress stormed over to the door, pushing it open, ignoring Claw's protests behind her.

Majesty's gold eyes flicked over to her and dozens of guns spun to be trained on her as she burst out into the argument.

“Ah, there's my girl. Empress, come home,” Majesty said, words honeyed.

Radiance moved quickly over to Empress, blocking her path. “No! You can't! He won't change! You'll just end up beat up all over again!”

Empress handed the tommy gun off to the grey cat in front of her. “Thank you. I know. But this is my battle and I shouldn't drag you into it.”

Radiance’s breath quickened and she dropped the weapons she was holding, grabbing roughly onto Empress' shoulders instead. “You don't understand! What he's done so far - that isn't the end of it! He can do - has done - so much worse. Please, don't do this, I don't want to lose any more of my family.”

Empress flicked her gaze over to Majesty, taking in the tightness of his jaw, the way his finger was itching towards the trigger of the gun he was holding.

“I have to leave,” Empress whispered, slipping out of Radiance's grip and making her way over to Majesty. “I have terms.”

“Oh? Little Empress is making demands now?” Majesty scoffed.

Empress bit down on her tongue for a few seconds before replying. “One term. You can do whatever you want with me so long as you don't hurt my friends.”

“No! Emily!”

“No! Em! Don't do this, don't make a deal with that monster! He isn't good to his word!”

Empress looked back over her shoulder as a couple of Angels restrained Claw and Radiance, both fighting tooth and nail to try and reach her.

She looked back at Majesty.

“You're really that dumb, huh?” Majesty sighed. “Fine, I won't hurt those shitheads. But you're coming back to base right now.”

“Can I say goodbye first?”

“Fucking hell, one week away and you've become such a sap. Fine, hurry it up,” Majesty replied, motioning for the Angels to move away.

They dropped Claw and Radiance, with the leader rushing forwards and embracing her.

One paw cupped the back of her head, the other snaking around her waist. “No, no, you can't go with him, I'm not losing you again.”

Claw hesitantly stood off to one side, eyes glistening with tears. “You can't leave.”

Radiance's hold on her tightened. “I'll fight him. You don't have to go back.”

Something close to hope started to bloom in her chest.

Maybe she could stay.

But no, Majesty would never allow it.

“I'll come back someday,” Empress said, barely audible, just enough for Radiance to pick up on.

“Empress, get a move on!” Majesty snarled and she moved back to fall in step with her own gang’s leader.

She'd come back someday.

Empress spent most of her recovery months in the nursery, raising Majesty's offspring in Shadow’s absence.

The three kittens were mostly healthy, although Empress didn't agree with the kittens’ given names.

Countess, a ginger female with a brown splodge over one eye, had been nicknamed Cookie and had a tendency to boss her siblings around.

Commander, nicknamed Cody, was an inquisitive little black kitten, with enough energy to stay awake far longer than their brother or sister.

Phantom was their brother - a pure white kitten who stared with piercing blue eyes and almost never responded when spoken to.

Empress realised quickly that the snow coloured kitten was deaf, and so established enough of a connection through signalling that maybe Majesty wouldn't realise.

It didn't matter that Phantom was Majesty's son when he had two other heirs who were perfectly healthy.

“Empress, when are we going to begin our training?” Cody asked, beaming up at Empress.

“Um, I'm not sure. That's not really for me to decide.”

Cookie wrinkled her nose. “But you're in charge, aren't you?”

Empress shifted slightly when Phantom trotted over and curled up against her side, chin plonking down on her leg. “No, I'm not in charge. Your father is the one who's in charge.”

“But you're his best friend, right?” Cookie chirped, pupils dilating as she began to bat at her sibling's tail.

Cody hissed and whacked the top of Cookie's head before commenting. “No, they're not best friends. Empress is terrified of father.”

“That's why she freezes up when he visits us,” Phantom croaked, a rare occurrence of input from him.

“I'm not- I'm not afraid of your father,” Empress spluttered.

Although there was a nagging in the back of her mind.

About how her wounds were healed over now and if the kittens were old enough to begin training then she wouldn't have an excuse anymore.

She would be subjected to Majesty's wrath again.

Unless she could do something about this dismal situation she had landed herself in.

“Alright, I think it's time for bed, don't you?” Empress stated with a stilted laugh.

Cody cocked their head to the side and narrowed their green eyes. “It's nowhere near-”

“Growing kits need their rest!” Empress protested, carefully shifting Phantom off her leg before standing. “Come on now, your father won't be pleased if you're all too tired for training!”

The trio of young ones shot her sceptical looks but settled down anyway.

Empress' ears stung as the speakers in the hallway whined with feedback.

“Empress. My office. Now.”

Empress tried to mask the fear on her face. “I'll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”

“What's morning?” Cookie asked.

“Goodnight.”

Empress swore repetitively under her breath on the way to Majesty's office.

This was it, he knew she was feeling better, he was going to make her pay for leaving before, he was going to-

“Empress, just who I asked for!” Majesty purred as she walked into his office.

A trap, a trap, it had to be, it must be, he was never nice, he was never-

“We have a special guest today who I think you might remember! They've finally decided to come back and do their job properly!”

Empress gaze flicked to the figure in the chair in front of Majesty's desk.

Her heart stuttered.

No.

No, no, no, no, no!

Why?!

“Hey Em, long time no explanation as to abandoning your family,” Badge said through gritted teeth.

That explained it.

She wasn't going to be hurt.

Badge was.

She'd endure any punishment, just don't hurt Badge.

Empress turned her frantic gaze to Majesty, chest heaving in lungfuls of air while her mind raced a mile a minute.

Majesty smirked, clearly knowing exactly what she was thinking. “Well, I believe you two have some catching up to do. Empress, after you've escorted Badge to their quarters, please return here so we can discuss business.”

Empress dipped her gaze away from him, darting it around the room before eventually fixing it on the floor. “Yes sir.”

“Good. You're dismissed.”

Empress reached forward, tugging Badge out the seat and out the room, tugged them down hallways and winding paths, down steps, through doors that the other members didn't know existed, only stopping once there was a roar of water to cover their voices.

“Fuck Em, why'd you have to drag me to the sewers so we could-”

“What were you thinking; coming back here?!” Empress shouted, hysteria catching up to her. “You should never have come back! He'll hurt you, I can't let you get hurt!”

Badge took a tentative step forwards, one paw snapping at an old angle before returning to its rightful place. “Em…”

“Don't you understand?! He can kill you! But no, that'd be too easy, he'd lose that extra bit of leverage over me. No, he'd make it slow, painful, it'd be closer to torture than death-”

She paused as Badge's paws reached her shoulders, brushing the jacket she was wearing back and off her body.

Empress' fur pricked in the cold, standing on end.

Her ears flattened back against her head as Badge circled her.

“How many of these scars did he give you?” Badge whispered.

“It doesn't matter.”

“How many?” They repeated, tone low and deadly.

Empress winced, paws coming up to try and rub some warmth into her arms. “They're mostly my fault anyway, if I'd just done my job better then it wouldn't have happened.”

Badge let out a loud sigh, one paw grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at them. “I'm going to go back to Radiance. You're gonna make sure that meeting with Majesty is short then your ass is joining us in the Demon base.”

“I can't, I'm not allowed to leave the building,” Empress responded, trying to ignore the slight break in her voice.

“Take these sewer tunnels. They thread under the whole metro, it's how I got here. If there's anyone else you want to get out of that hellhole, do it then.”

Empress took in a shaky breath. “Badge, I can't. He'll kill me if I slip up anymore.”

Badge gently rested their forehead against her's, pulling her closer. “I'm not losing my sister again. You aren't getting rid of me again, Em.”

Empress tried to mask her limp as she got back to the crèche from Majesty’s office, dragging open the door.

Three pairs of eyes turned to her, tapetum lucidum glowing in the faint light filtering in from the hallway.

“Empress?” Cookie yawned.

“What's going on?” Cody inquired, already up and walking towards her.

“I need you to come with me. Quietly though,” Empress whisper-shouted, signing so that Phantom would understand as well.

The three kittens teetered nervously after her, only just having mastered standing upright.

“Hurry, hurry,” Empress urged, nervously glancing down the hallway.

“Where's your jacket? Why do you have a gun?” Cookie inquired.

Empress moved as fast as she could, warily checking around corners before actually turning them.

It didn't matter how unlikely it was that anyone was awake, there was always a night patrol out somewhere but they ran on different schedules every day.

“Good questions. To be answered later.”

Empress eventually got back to the sewers where she'd taken Badge, ushering the kittens along the path that ran alongside surging water.

Empress scowled when the track ran out, connected to an opposite path by only a thin pole.

“One at a time, go, cross,” she instructed.

Phantom went first, bounding across and sending the thing shaking a bit.

Cody went next, pausing in the middle as water lapped up at their paws.

“Empress, I'm scared,” the black cat whimpered, ears flattening back against their head.

“Hey, it's fine, you're over halfway there, it's just a little further, you can do it,” Empress encouraged, watching as the kitten took another couple of tentative steps forwards.

A large wave surged up as Cody slipped, washing the kitten away.

“Cody!”

Empress dropped her gun and scooped up Cookie, dashing across the pole and placing her with her brother before scanning the waters.

Murky green liquid sloshed but no fur.

Empress let out a curse and dived into the rapids, eyes stinging as she opened them under the surface to try and spot Cody.

Nothing.

Swum back up to the surface for another breath.

A ragged black lump bobbed just out of reach ahead of her.

Empress kicked herself forwards, scooping Cody's limp form closer.

Exhaustion fought against her muscles as she dragged herself back to the path at the side, depositing Cody's unmoving form on the stone before heaving her own body out of the harsh flow of liquid.

Empress coughed up a lungful of water, bent over and heaving when Phantom and Cookie raced up to her.

“What’s wrong with Cody?!” Cookie demanded.

Empress forced herself upright, gently picking up Cody.

The kitten’s head lolled in her hand and she quickly began stroking from their stomach up towards their throat, repeating the motion over and over.

Cody eventually stuttered a breath before heaving up fluids, splattering onto Empress' lap.

Cookie let out a relieved wail, Phantom licking his sister's cheek to try and provide some comfort.

Empress forced herself upright, trying to ignore the fatigue clinging to her bones as she carefully shifted how she was carrying Cody. “Come on. We're almost there.”

Radiance had immediately taken the three of them to the room that Empress had stayed in last time she arrived there.

“Who's are they?” Radiance questioned once Cookie, Cody and Phantom had passed out from exhaustion.

“Majesty's,” Empress breathed. “And some cat I'm pretty sure he killed after these guys were born.”

Empress memory flitted back to the sewers. “One of them nearly died on the way here, Radiance. I could've gotten them killed. They could be dead because I couldn't save them, I could've killed them-”

“No, you did not kill a kitten, stop that right now. Don't you dare talk like that, you have saved these little ones,” Radiance argued.

“And I nearly got one of them killed in the process. I can't do this Radiance, they look up to me like a mother because they never had one and their father is a shit head. I'm the only family they got. Family is meant to protect one another and I couldn't even manage something that simple.”

Empress looked over at where the three of them were curled up, Cody sandwiched between their warmer siblings.

“Radiance, they might as well be my own with how much I care for them. If anything happened to them I'd never forgive myself.”

Radiance slipped a paw round the back of her neck, gently pulling her head closer for their foreheads to bump together.

“And you might as well be my kit,” the leader murmured. “But right now we need to prepare. If you and the three of them are missing, it gives Majesty the perfect excuse to start a proper war. So we need to get them somewhere safe.”

Empress swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat. “Can I make a call? There's somewhere safe I might be able to get them to.”

Radiance slipped her phone out her jacket, handing it off before trotting over to the sleeping siblings.

Empress shakily tapped in the number, praying that her old friend would pick up.

“Who is this?”

“Scarlett, it's Emp- it's Emily,” she sighed.

“You hung up on me before! I hope you're going to apologise!” Scarlett accused.

Empress winced. “Actually my ex-boss decided to shoot through the telephone line. But anyway, I have a big favour to ask.”

“Em, I love but I- I'm so busy right now,” Scarlett responded.

“Please. I- I have some kids that aren't safe where I am,” Empress pleaded. “Just for a week or two I need you to take care of them.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“You have kids…?”

Ah, yes, she could see why her words could be misinterpreted.

But fuck it, they were practically her family weren't they?

“Not by blood but yes. Please Scarlett, I- I can't have them getting hurt.”

Scarlett hesitated before replying. “Okay. But when you come and pick them up you bet your ass that you owe me.”

“I'll help plan your wedding,” Empress offered, chest warming at the easy banter they'd slipped back into.

“Deal. I'll call you back this evening to sort out the details, I'm out with Trisha at the moment. I love you, Em,” Scarlett replied.

Empress blinked away the tears in her eyes. “Love you too. Stay safe.”

Empress hung up before walking over to the bed where the kittens were still resting, Radiance just staring at them.

“I never thought I'd be an aunt,” Radiance said quietly, almost to herself. “Majesty killed almost all our other siblings and I haven't heard from my littlest brother in years.”

Empress silently sat down at the edge of the bed.

“I love them even though I haven't properly met them yet. But at the same time, I want to cry. They don't deserve this, to have been born here and to grow up like this.”

“None of them are standard, you know,” Empress interrupted.

Radiance shot her a questioning look.

“Cody is an insomniac, it's incredible they've been asleep since we got here. Cookie has anxiety even if she doesn't like to show it. Phantom is deaf. None of them would have pleased Majesty as his heir.”

Radiance let out a broken sob. “Why? Why does my brother continue to gain things he has no right to? No respect for?”

Empress gently patted her on the back and slowly she realised that she was crying as well.

Maybe it was stress, maybe it was exhaustion, perhaps pain, probably all three.

Her foggy mind extracted one thought before she drifted off into a state between sleeping and awake; she had to get them to safety.

“You're all going to go stay with my friend for a little while,” Empress told them, signing along with her words so Phantom would understand. “It's only a week or so and then I'll come back and get you.”

“Why do we have to go?” Cody croaked, still breathing shakily after what had happened the day before.

“Because it'll be safer for you,” Empress answered, trying to smile reassuringly.

“You- you will come back for us, right?” Cookie asked, voice wavering.

“Of course I will. I’d never willingly leave any of you,” Empress replied. “Now I just need to go talk to another friend who's going to take you to the surface.”

Three sets of eyes blinked before chiming in chorus. “The surface?”

“Yeah.” She turned her head to where Radiance was flipping through papers and jotting things down. “Would you mind telling them about the surface while I go find Claw?”

Radiance immediately set down her things. “No problem. His room is in the north corridor, the twelfth door on the left.”

“Thanks.”

Empress looked down as something brushed against her leg.

Phantom stayed up at her. “I don't want you to go.”

Empress crouched, signing to him. I'll be back before you know it. And I need you to look after your siblings while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?

Phantom hesitated before nodding.

Thank you.

Empress ruffled the fur on top of his head before standing and heading through the Fallen Demon complex.

She paused outside Claw's room, thinking of what to say before knocking.

It took a minute before the door opened. “Mrrm…? Oh, Emily, hey.”

“Empress,” she growled. “Anyway, I need you to take my kids to stay with Scarlett. Also, have you seen Badge? I can't find them anywhere.”

Claw opened the door further and Empress' jaw dropped.

Badge was levitating in the middle of the room, eyes glowing while blue orbs circled them.

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, they asked me to stay up and keep an eye on them but I fell asleep,” Claw said.

Empress whacked him round the back of his head, hissing at him. “You idiot!”

Cautiously she tiptoed closer, reaching out to try and poke at one of the blue orbs.

It drifted away, closer to Badge before fading away to nothing.

The other orbs did the same.

Badge's eyes stopped glowing and they slowly lowered to the floor, blinking a few times.

“Badge…?”

Badge's eyes refocused and they looked between Empress and Claw.

“You dumbass, you fell asleep didn't you?! I told you I needed someone to watch me so I didn't go too far!” Badge shouted before sighing and looking at Empress. “Hey.”

“What was that?” Empress inquired.

Badge shook their head. “Just trying to chat with someone, no big deal. Anyway, Claw, please do take Em's kids to go stay with Scarlett. We need this, they'll be in danger otherwise.”

“How did you know about that?” Empress whispered.

“Let's just say that I'm intuitive,” Badge replied with a shrug. “So, that plan you've come up with. That you haven't yet told Radiance about it.”

Empress' brow knitted, worried about how much Badge seemed to know.

“Badge, I want you to go with Claw and the kids,” she said warily.

“Yeah, I know, we'll pick them up in an hour.”

Empress left the room, trotting down the empty corridors and halls back to her room.

Radiance was asleep, tail curled around Phantom, Cody and Cookie's bodies.

Cody let out a chirp as they spotted Empress, stirring the other three awake.

“Radiance can I- can I have a word?”

The gang leader immediately got up, walking hastily over to her and settling a paw on Empress' elbow. “What's wrong?”

“I- I know how to fix everything going on down here. But it means starting a war.”

Radiance scoffed. “Kiddo, you did that the second you decided to bring Majesty's offspring here. But what's the plan?”

“I need to be injured. Badly. Go back to him, claim a Demon patrol did it then we wait a short amount of time until he launches an attack,” Empress explained.

“No,” Radiance growled, grip tightening on her elbow. “No, I'm not going to hurt you. You've already suffered through too many injuries, I'm not making you go through more.”

Empress sighed, a twinge of guilt striking through her. “Okay.”

Radiance loosened her grip and Empress made her move.

Darted away and across the room, locking herself into the bathroom.

Fists banging against the door.

“No! Empress! Come out right now!”

Empress' chest heaved and pain blossomed under her feet, a shard of glass from where she had ruined the mirrors here before.

This was it.

The tipping point, the fork in the path, the decision that would change everything.

Cody, Phantom and Cookie's voices joined Radiance's pleas.

“Come out!”

“Please!”

“Ma!”

Her breath stuttered.

Ma.

That's right, she was the only mother they ever had.

Would they ever look at her the same way if they found out what she had done?

What she was planning to do?

Empress clenched her jaw and stalked over to the least destroyed mirror.

She raised a claw over her eye, looking at her jagged reflection.

Breaking her figure into so many pieces, fracturing her.

That's what had been happening all these years.

Empress paused with one claw hovering over her left eye, looking at her reflection.

She would never be able to go back after this.

This wound would start a turf war in the metro.

Did she really want to do this?

“Come out!” Radiance yelled from outside the room.

Empress flicked her gaze to the door before returning to her reflection.

Claw.

Badge.

Cookie, Cody, Phantom.

Radiance.

Hell, even Scarlett.

All of them would be so much safer if she did this.

She would get them out of here before the fighting started and then assume power in the chaos.

She plunged her claw down over her eye.

Empress hissed, clamping a paw over her eye.

God why did she choose to do this in the bathroom, the blood was so brightly contrasting against the white tiles.

The cat shuddered and swallowed down nausea, carefully moving her paw away from her eye.

Her remaining right eye seemed fine but the other had a gash across it, blood pouring from the open wounds around it.

Shit.

At least it had worked.

She moved her paw away from her face, right eye darting over her features.

A jagged cut went from her brow down to near her jaw, stark red, while blood spread to stain her fur.

Empress shoved her paw back to cover the offending eye, wary of the new dark spot in her vision.

There was still the right side but then the rest of it just faded to darkness, murky and unwelcoming. Unrelenting. Harsh.

Empress slowly walked back over to the door, one arm stretched in front of her to try and gauge her new depth perception.

“Radiance?” She called out, silencing the four cats on the other side of the door.

“Yes?”

“I need you to get my kits out of the room and leave the medkit out on the table.”

There was the sound of a loud string of colourful curses and clattering, the door opening, weak protests before the door closed again.

“Done.”

Empress felt around with her right paw for the door lock, unwilling to turn her head to see something that she should be able to.

Muscle memory should be good enough, right?

Empress tried to brush last Radiance on the way out but was stopped by an iron grip on her shoulders, forcing her to face the gang boss.

“So, how do I look?” Empress tried.

Radiance let out a strangled sob, shaking as she held onto her.

Empress slowly prised herself from Radiance's grip, making her way over to the table and briefly removing her paw from her eye to snatch up the bandages, making quick work of wrapping up that side of her face.

The tremors in her paws didn't matter.

The blind spot didn't matter.

As long as she could keep those she loved safe, that was all that mattered.

“Be good for Scarlett okay? She's my sister,” Empress said.

The three kittens didn't seem to listen, just staring in silent horror at the side of her head.

“Your face,” Phantom whispered.

“It's nothing, don't worry,” Empress replied breezily, masking her true feelings.

Masking the pain, the sense of helplessness, the new weakness she had that could be exploited.

“Just- just stay safe for me, alright?”

Three heads slowly nodded.

“I love you all. And I'll see you again soon.”

But only with one eye; a small voice in the back of her seemed to chime.

Never again the same way you have before.

Empress tried to shake it off.

She was fine.

Everything was- was fine.

It would all be fine.

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Lost Souls: Story 13

Judging a Book by its Cover

Lost Souls Summary: Merlin awakens early from his  sleep. He decides  that he doesn’t want to leaving anything to chance  and kidnaps the young  James Lake Jr. to began training his Trollhunter  as early as possible.

Barbara  is  determined to hunt down the man who kidnapped her son. In her  efforts  to get her son back she finds a strange old radio that speaks to  her in  a woman’s voice. The radio leads her to an underground society  of  shapeshifters.

Mother and son meet again years later as strangers on opposing sides.

AO3 - Fanfiction

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GDT Arcane Books is a small store on the main street of Arcadia. The space it now occupies has been empty for as long as Toby can remember.

The sunshine is bright and the air warm as he and Darci linger in front of it.

“So ready to enter a world of mystery and magic?” He asks her in a dramatic wavering tone.

He wiggles his fingers and eyebrows for emphasis.

Darci giggles at his theatrics and then holds her arm over her nose as if she’s hiding behind a cape.

“After you, my dark lord,” She says using a terrible Dracula accent.

“Now now!” Toby tries to sound business like. “We’re looking for wizards here not vampires.”

“You’re no fun,” Darci says poking him in the side.

Toby chokes on the laugh he’s been holding in.

“Hey not the sides! You know I’m ticklish.”

Darci smirks.

Sensing danger Toby quickly darts into the relative safety of the store.

He pauses upon entering, eyes struggling to adjust to the dark interior. The store is two stories joined by dark wooden spiral staircase. Not an inch of the walls is visible through the shelves. They overflow with a multitude of books of all kinds. Strange knick-knacks and oddities flicker and peer from any space between the books. The few plants cluster around the window vying for the little natural light.

“Woah.”

Toby is somehow shocked to not see dust covering everything. How did they get all of this in here so quickly?

“Yeah,” Darci agrees in a hushed voice coming in behind him.

“Welcome to GDT Arcane Books.” Says an accented voice from behind them. “We have all your magical and mystical needs. Anything I can help you with?”

Toby jumps a little and turns around.

To the left of the door is a desk and behind that desk is a darkhaired teen who looks like maybe a highschool senior or a college freshman. A black cat with a strange white marking on its chest is perched on his shoulders.

Toby sputters for a moment before Darci takes over.

“Hello...” She pauses and her eyes scan the cashier’s name badge. “Douxie. Do you have anything about Merlin?”

“Hmmm,” Douxie taps his chin and the cat climbs across his back to his other shoulder. It squints at them through eerie gold eyes before settling to washing its face with a paw. Toby realizes with a start that the cashier’s eyes are same color as the cat’s.

“We have quite a few. Are you looking for novels, mythology, legends, theories, or poetry?”

“Mythology, legends and theories would be good,” Darcie says.

“Ah! Are you doing some research?”

She nods.

“In that case you will want to go to the second level, back of the last shelf. Would you like me to show you?”

“No. We’re good,” Toby quickly cuts in.

“Okay, let me know if you change your minds.”

The bookstore has an incredible variety of books from trashy vampire romance novels with oil paintings of shirtless men on the cover to large volumes that look like they were unearthed from the runes of a castle to what appear to be academic textbooks. If someone had told Toby that this shop had literally every book relating to magic he would have believed them.

The two of them make their way upstairs. Toby has to keep himself from drooling of the wicked awesome crystals that were displayed all over. Does he have plenty of amethysts and emeralds? Sure. Would he take more? Heck yeah! Anyway these ones just have a gleam to them that draws him in.

They reach the shelf and by unspoken agreement Darci starts on the right side and Toby on the left. They slowly work their way in pulling out books at random and leafing through them.

Eventually Darci finds a book comparing different narratives of King Arthur and Toby a book about the origins of Merlin. It doesn’t seem like enough so they move to the shelves on the back wall that are labeled “Magic”. If magic is real –and they are certain it was- they need to know what they are up against and how to fight it.

“What about this one?” Darci says finally.

Toby comes over to look at the book she is holding.

“An Introduction to Basic Magic and Wizardry,” The title reads.

Toby snorts.

“Sounds like a textbook,” Toby says.

They open it and peruse the table of contents. There are sections labeled things like:

“The Evolution of Magic”, “The Where and When of Beginning Practicing the Mystic arts”,  and “Who’s Who: the Different Types of People that Use Magic and What Sets Them Apart.”

Toby stares at it for along moment and finally says:

“This really sounds like something Strickler would assign us.”

Darci hums.

“Right?” She tucked it under her arm. “I’m going to buy this one… If I can afford it… There isn’t a price tag. What kind of store doesn’t have price tags?”

Toby shrugs.

“I’m look just a little more.”

“Okay. I’m heading down to see what this costs.”

Toby is left alone in the top floor of the book store. It isn’t too bad as far as bookstores go, he decides. Maybe it’s the timeless feel. New books and old books live here side by side. He feels like if he stays here a thousand years might pass on the outside or maybe just 5 seconds. (Perhaps if he digs deep enough he could even find the things he’s lost.)

Finally, at the bottom of the shelf, a worn leather-bound volume catches his eye. Toby carefully pulls it out and examines it. It’s called “A Treatise on Trollish Geology.” It’s written by someone named Dictatious Galadrigal which is one of the weirdest names ever. And the translator’s name is just as strange. The title sounds super dry and boring but when he opens it the pictures are vibrant and draw him in. Beautiful gems the likes of which he’s never seen before. Even if it’s probably fantasy he wants to read it.

He tucks the book under his arm but rather than making his way down the stairs he hesitates. He peers over the railing and sees that Darci is happily petting the cashier’s cat. He has some time then. He wanders along the shelves peering at strange knick knacks and oddities. He’s half gawking, half looking for something. What he’s looking for he isn’t sure.

“Toby?” Darci’s calling him.

He starts toward the stairs. He pauses and glances back for a moment before making his way down.

“Ah… A Treatise on Trollish Geology,” The cashier says. “Haven’t read that one myself. I do need to let you know that book isn’t for sale. It’s actually a rental. Is that okay?”

Toby blinks but nods.

“How much is it to rent?”

“It will be eleven dollars a month plus a deposit that you will get back after you return the book in good condition. I will also need you to fill out a slip with your name and address.”

“Okay.” He actually doesn’t mind coming back. He can’t say why but he still can’t shake the feeling there is something here he’s supposed to find.

~~~~

The bell rings as the duo exits the store. Douxie and Archie watch for a moment, waiting to see if they would come back in. They don’t.

Archie hops down from Douxie’s shoulder and puts his glasses on.

“An odd duo, don’t you say?”

“Yeah,” Douxie says with a frown. “Did you notice anything?”

“Well the short one lives with a lot of cats,” Archie says, tail flicking. “Two males and three females. One of them is…”

“Anything magic related. They were able to pick out those books so they must have some ties to the magic world.”

“Mmmm… Yes... but it’s faint. They both have potential but in different areas.”

Douxie nods.

“We’ll keep an eye on them then. We could certainly use more wizards in Arcadia. We’ve barely set up and there’s already more odd stuff than anywhere else we’ve lived.”

“Indeed,” Archie says. “They are a bit young to be helping out, however.”

“I know… perhaps in the future.” Douxie moves out from behind the counter and starts to work on stacking more books. He chuckles. “I’m always tempted to give out some random personal trivia fact about Merlin whenever people look for books on Arthurian Mythology.”

Archie sighs.

“Well for the sake of our continued secrecy I am glad you are showing restraint.”

Douxie eyes him curiously.

“Are you sure there are changelings in Arcadia?”

“There is a Trollmarket,” Archie says matter-of-factly. “Where there is a Trollmarket there is bound to be at least a handful of changelings monitoring it. Trolls are nowhere near as sneaky as they think they are and it is to the benefit of changelings that no one knows about trolls.”

“True.”

Just then the bell rings at the front door. Archie puts his glasses away and shifts to all fours before jumping back up to Douxie’s shoulder.

“Welcome to GDT Arcane Books,” Douxie says as he emerges from behind the shelves to greet the customer. “We have all your magical and mystical needs. What can I help you with?”

The customer who just walked in is a tall red-haired woman. She has a lined and worn face but the sharp blue eyes that watch him from behind a pair of glasses are calculating.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Archie sniff the air and then bristle.

Fortunately spending a few centuries doing customer service does wonders for one’s poker face, so Douxie keeps an easy and relaxed smile on his face.

“I just wanted to come in, since you are new in town,” She says, turning in a slow circle. “This is a very nice store.”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” Douxie asks.

He would really like a clue on her motives.

“Probably nothing that you have,” She evades with a chuckle. “So I’ll wander around a little.”

“Of course! Let me know if you need anything… Mrs..?”

“You may call me Dr. Lake,” She says.

Interesting phrasing there. Archie’s tail tightens around his neck.

“I go by Douxie,” He responds with an easy smile.

Dr. Lake nods and then strolls off into the shelves.

Once she is out of sight Archie and Douxie exchange a glance. The cat hops off his shoulder and then to the floor behind the desk. A moment later, Douxie spots a small black fly buzzing in the direction Dr. Lake had gone.

Douxie debates finding an excuse to work on the shelves in the area Dr. Lake is but decides against it. It’s better to let Archie do the spying.

A half hour passes before the woman leaves the store. She doesn’t purchase anything but she does ask about their rental system so Douxie suspects she might be planning to come back.

As soon as she’s gone, Archie buzzes back to the desk and transforms back into a cat.

“So,” Douxie says. “What’s got your hair up on end? Find out anything interesting.”

“Maybe, but most importantly, I’m sensing traces of Morganna’s magic from her.”

Douxie stills, the book slipping from his suddenly nerveless hand.

“Like possession-type or…”

“I don’t think it’s a possession,” Archie says. “But we should definitely find out all we can.”

“Did you see any themes in the books she was looking at?”

“A lot of stuff about the fair folk, a few books about basic magic, one about theories on the ties between language and the invocation of spells.”

“Hmmm.” Douxie taps his chin. “An interesting set. What do you think she’s up to?”

“Sounds like a deal gone bad to me,” Archie says. “That or she’s learning to use Their magic. Or she’s made a deal with one of Them and is preparing for interactions with others. It’s hard to say with how little we know.”

Douxie sighs.

“Why does Morganna have to crop up again? Can’t we be done with her?”

Archie rubs his head on Douxie’s chest.

“We knew she wasn’t really gone. Those with the Old Blood do not die easily. Even if they are part human.”

“I know,” Douxie says.

Absently he rubs at his wrist. His nails lightly scratch the shiny raised patch of skin peeking out from under his bracer. Archie places his head over the scar and Douxie starts stroking him instead.

“So what do you think we should do?”

“What we have been doing,” Archie says.

“Keep watching and waiting?”

Archie nods.

Douxie sighs. Sometimes being a wizard is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

[teddiesbestestpal]

As the thieves began to explore Kaneshiro’s palace more after rescuing Tiefsee Morgana finds himself huffing his cheeks and sitting on the sidelines.

He was always envious of the equally as short as him creamy yellowish orange skinned elf- eared creature with long flowy yellowish orange tentacle tendril piercing reddish pink eyes with elegant black eyeliner around said eyes as well as a golden mask shaped like the sharp end of a trident, he is wearing a long grey trench coat with golden buttons around it and a skull and crossbones badge on the side as well as a white vest underneath it complete with a light reddish pink frilly necktie around said vest similarly colored to his frilly light reddish pink colored gloves which on the right hand lies a golden ring on his pinky finger, he wears light black pants which are a little hard to see because of his aforementioned long trench coat as well as white boots with black trimmings on it, the lower part of his pants seems to be stuffed into his boots.

Morgana’s jealously extended to Tiefsee when he sees Tiefsee effortlessly killing shadows with his golden colored bladed anchor pendulum combo weapon or magically attacking by using his aforementioned tentacle tendril hair and even when he switched to his stationary weapon the cannonball he was always so calculated coordinated elegant and most importantly graceful and…! Morgana envied him he was always so beautiful handsome pretty and… wait.. he was supposed to keep his eyes on Lady Ann! why was he so attracted to this new man?! just the very thought made him sick but strangely curious and excited.

after Tiefsee finished off the shadows with an water spell from his elegant and beautiful merman-like persona called Blackbeard Morgana approached him.

“ So Squire.. could me and you have a little chat?” Morgana says as Morgana noticed something lighting up in Tiefsee’s eyes almost like code or processing data though Morgana brushed it off as just being in the palace for too long getting to him.

“ In the safe room I presume?” Tiefsee replies seemingly bored as Morgana nods.

Quickly the two men departed from the group back to the safe room Morgana explaining it as the two needed to have a serious conversation.

Once the two got back into the safe room Tiefsee sat down in a chair one leg across the other sitting almost like a king as Morgana stood up to talk, after all he is the peasant in this situation.

“ Why do you think your better then me?!” Morgana says loudly slamming his paw onto the table as Tiefsee unusual for a person seeing this replied calmly opening his cephalopod lips with a knowing smile.

“ Because I am.. plus I have more experience Servant..” Tiefsee smugly smiled sure of himself as Morgana’s cobalt blue eyes gazed upon him irritated.

“ No you do not! for your information I have been around longer! thieving before the phantom thieves were even on the mark!” Morgana yelled back defending himself as once again he noticed Tiefsee hesitating talking for a second as he seemed to be accessing and processing data almost like an algorithm.

“ And don’t think I didn’t notice your suspicious attributes and answer withholding.. just what are your motives?!” Morgana yelled starting to sweat a little because of the amount of energy he was pouring into this and by Tiefsee’s unfazed and stoic expression even by what’s currently unfolding.

Finally knowing the time is right Tiefsee’s mouth opened up.

“ Morgana.. I assure you.. everything that I tell you and the others is the indefinite truth.. now if you’ll excuse me I have to get back to the others who knows what shenanigans they could be getting into without me.. until next time adios~” Tiefsee replies as he gets out of the chair and strokes Morgana’s face gently and lovingly as his piercing bright reddish pink octopus eyes stares at Morgana’s cobalt blue cat eyes with a hint of desire and passion before Tiefsee stops himself and walked off leaving Morgana a blushing mess.

on the other hand Morgana is trying to look out for the phantom thieves of any intruders or traitors but on the other hand even though he has his eyes on Lady Ann/Panther but honestly Tiefsee is already starting to become the more viable and visible option to be his love anyways, what can he says he loves a man that could kick his ass and look good doing it, Morgana’s eyes widened realizing how late he is after his and Tiefsee’s little conference and rushed to get back with the other thieves, though he did remember Tiefsee mumbling under his breath about some sort of grail.. what could he have meant?

[aalissy]

Pokemon AU

Sooo I’ve been obsessed with Pokemon since I was a little girl haha. I lovedddd the anime and adore the games! Legends Arceus was sooo much fun to play recently. Anywho, I hope you like this AU haha.

AO3

“Tikki?!” Marinette shouted out questioningly, feeling almost panicked as she looked over at her Pokemon. She had just left a few moments ago to go pick up some Oran berries for her little Ledian. Now that she came back to the small clearing that she had left her Pokemon in, though, she saw a boy in all black with a dark mask holding a Pokeball in his hand as he crept closer to Tikki. 

Oh god, please tell me he’s not Team Rocket, Marinette pleaded with herself as she raced over. Ledian chirped cheerfully when she saw her, buzzing happily. She slowed her pace down as she stared over at the boy suspiciously. “Excuse me but what exactly are you doing?”

He blinked at her before blinking at Tikki. Almost immediately he gave her a bright grin, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “Oh, I’m sorry is this your Ledian? I didn’t realize she already had an owner.”

Almost immediately, Marinette relaxed. So he wasn’t Team Rocket then. Good. Clearing her throat, she gestured to the mask on his face. “You probably shouldn’t wear that, you know. I thought you were Team Rocket and trying to steal her.”

His gaze widened as he patted the mask. Shaking his head, he murmured, “Sorry, that wasn’t my intention.” 

He kicked at the grass, making no move to either take off the mask or introduce himself. Clearing her throat, she took a step forward and motioned to herself and her Pokemon. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Marinette and this is Tikki, my partner.”

His eyes darted around for a moment, looking almost nervous before he gave her another small grin, saying, “Oh! A-and I’m uh... Chat Noir! Yeah, Chat Noir!”

One of Marinette’s eyebrows rose as an amused smile twitched across her lips. He was a little odd but he also seemed rather sweet. “Chat Noir? That’s your name?” she asked, giggling quietly.

“Mhm,” he hummed, bobbing his head up and down before his eyes brightened. “Do you want to do a little Pokemon battle? My Umbreon versus your Ledian?”

She gaped at him, feeling a little shocked by how quickly he wanted to battle her. Didn’t he understand type advantages? His Dark-type Pokemon would be weak to her Bug-type Pokemon. Feeling slightly hesitant, she asked, “A-are you sure?”

“Yeah!” Chat chirped. “It’ll be my first real Pokemon battle!”

His first Pokemon battle? He didn’t look much younger than her and Marinette had already got three gym badges. Chewing her lip, she decided that she would help teach him a little bit about battles. After all, she had been pretty lost when she first started too.

Nodding her head, she murmured, “Alright, come on then, Tikki! Time to battle.” Her Ledian grinned over at her proudly before getting into position, looking ready. 

Chat looked excited as he threw his Pokeball, shouting, “Come on out, Plagg!”

The Umbreon shook itself off, licking its paw rather lazily. Marinette smiled at the cute black cat, pulling out her Pokedex and logging the new Pokemon. Alright! It was officially time to teach Chat about Pokemon battles. “Tikki use Bug Buzz!”

Ledian vibrated its wings, sending a dangerous sound wave over to the Umbreon. Plagg didn’t make any effort to dodge, still licking his paw before it hit him with full force. He cried out, flying backwards as the super effective move landed on him.

“Plagg!” Chat shouted before he narrowed his eyes at her. “You’ll regret that! Come on, buddy use Double-Edge!”

His Umbreon shook itself off before rushing at her Ledian, slamming into it with full force before she could dodge out of the way. Her Pokemon winced with pain and her heart trembled at the sight. Marinette hated it when her Pokemon got hurt. Plagg stumbled backward, looking out of breath and even more hurt after that reckless tackle.

“Alright now, Tikki show him the power of Bug moves with Bug Bite!” Marinette pointed over to the Umbreon.

Her Ledian immediately dove for the cat, biting it viciously before she came back, buzzing rather smugly. Plagg stumbled back up, his legs shaking as he wobbled back and forth weakly. 

“One more should do it! Plagg use Double-Edge!” Chat yelled once again.

Marinette’s eyes widened in shock. Why would he do that? His Pokemon was barely standing and Double-Edge also damaged the user. Plagg hit Tikki, slamming into her with a rough tackle. They both hit the ground and she felt her heart drop. Was her Pokemon alright? Running over to them, she heard Tikki buzz faintly before floating back upright looking exhausted. Plagg remained on the ground, his eyes firmly closed as he remained fainted.

She blew out a breath of relief, high-fiving her Ledian. “Woohoo! Nice job, Tikki! We did it!”

“Oh no! Plagg!” Chat said, rushing over as he cuddled the fainted Pokemon to his chest. 

Marinette looked over at him and his Pokemon, feeling bad for both of them. Rummaging around in her bag, she pulled out a Revive. She nudged it against him, murmuring, “Here you go. Use this and he should be up again.”

Chat grinned over at her gratefully before using the Revive, watching with relief as his Umbreon slowly woke up again. He clutched Plagg to his chest, murmuring his thanks to the Pokemon. With a small laugh, Marinette again reached into her bag and pulled out the Oran berries she had collected previously. Handing half to Chat, she gave the other half to Tikki, petting and cooing over her Pokemon. Immediately, Tikki buzzed happily, doing a flip in the air as she looked healthy once again. 

Clearing her throat, she turned once again to face Chat who was stroking his now healthy Pokemon. “Do you know about type advantages?” Marinette asked.

“No. What are those?” He tilted his head up at her curiously.

“A type advantage means that a particular Pokemon will have a stronger effect against the other. For example, your Dark-type Umbreon is weak to my Bug-type Ledian. Three other examples are that Grass is weak to Fire but strong against Water. Fire is weak to Water but strong against Grass. And, finally, Water is strong against Fire but weak to Grass,” Marinette explained, “There’s a lot more but those are the three big ones.”

Chat patted his Umbreon with a sheepish grin. “Wow! I didn’t know that at all! Thanks for telling me. That’ll probably be useful if I come up against another Bug-type like your Ledian.”

She giggled before realization hit her. “Oh! And another thing, Double-Edge is really powerful but it also does damage to your own Pokemon! So you should be careful about using that move if your Pokemon already looks weak.”

“Got it!” He nodded his head eagerly. “I wish I had a pen and paper to write this all down.”

“Trust me.” Marinette patted his shoulder. “The more battles you do, the more experience and knowledge you’ll get. And, besides, you already did really well for your first battle. You almost beat Tikki and she had the type advantage and more experience than your Pokemon.”

“Well, thanks a lot, Marinette.” Chat stood up, giving her another smile. “You taught me so much!”

“No problem, Chat Noir,” she teased before taking a few steps forward, planning to head out of the woods. Pausing a few feet away, Marinette eventually called back, “Hey! If you want, you can come with me! Maybe we can learn together!”

Like a flash he was by her side, beaming at her. “Really?”

“Mhm,” Marinette hummed before resuming her pace as she began leading them out of the woods. Maybe she’d find out why he seemed to like wearing his mask. And, besides, it might be nice to have more company for a change. She had a feeling that she and Chat would get along really well.

[soullessmocha]

i think; therefore i am || part one

{ fem! witch reader x poly!the lost boys }

|| part two ||

part rating: teen

word count: 20716 (i am so sorry)

part summary: a nomadic witch running from her dark past (reader) finds her place after travelling the states on the shores of santa carla. in a way to make money she sets up a booth on the bustling boardwalk where she gives a few readings to a couple interesting characters for some loose change. this night she discovers she isn’t the only supernatural being.

warnings: mature language, mind manipulation, violence, use of tobacco, a cute familiar, nightmares, allusions to being burned alive, witch trials, hints to major character death, visions, and the lost boys being violent (mainly david.), this has not been proof read it has merely been skimmed.

“I promise I will be good. Please mother!” You yell towards the cloaked woman who looked at you with a disdained look on features. Features you once found comforting and like home turned on you in an instant. Those soft features are now rigid and gaunt from stress and aging, but the worse link to all the features was the cobalt blue eyes. Eyes that reflected the moon so sharply that it was almost mirrored. Eyes so sharp and focused as your mother shook her in disappointment, “No, you won’t,” her words were forthright showing no emotion behind it. How did someone who you called your mother betray you and not even take a second glance? “No, no! Wait! No, I promise!” You start to trash against the rope that is wrapped around your body, confining you to a large wooden pole. Stretching your body to its breaking point as the only color you could see was red. Then it was hot, burning, seething your skin away as one of your sisters lowers a torch at your feet. Your eyes connect to the moon as your throat lashes a blood-curdling scream into the starry clear night.

Gasping for the air you shoot up from your makeshift bed, sweating coating your skin in a glossy layer. Your lungs rapidly gasp for air as they burn from your fears that have your heart racing so much it punches your ribs. A shift in the bed causes your attention to shift. Your cat, a scruffy black devon rex steals his way up the side of your bed. His head tilting before making his own way into your lap a loud purr radiating off of your pet in his best attempts to calm you. You lift a shaky hand to plop it down on the cat’s back who tenses for a quick second before stretching his paws to your chest, reminding you to breathe. A slight smile comes to your lips, “I’m fine, Finn. Really,” you sigh and rub away the hair sticking on your face from the layer of sweat on your skin. “It’s always the same nightmare.” You admit to your furry friend who makes his way to the tail end of your bed. He stretched and tipped his nose upwards as his spine curled sniffing the air as if he was trying to investigate the surrounding area. With your heart rate slowed just the slightest you pull yourself from your bed and shuffle through the hallway that leads from your bedroom to your living space in the trailer you parked on the cliff overlooking the beach. The sun was setting, casting an orange hue in your trailer, the light catchers reflecting rainbows as they twirl mindlessly from the free breeze coming through the cracked window. Peace. That was a safe haven. However, with the sun setting you realize you have taken a nap when least expected. You must’ve needed it after the first night of working on the boardwalk. Who knew reading tarot, runes, and palms to tourists would take so much energy out of you.

A sigh escapes your lips as you attempt to step around Finn to get to your closet where you pick a black outfit with an ornate shawl to help you stand out. 

“Be good and protect the home,” you kneel down to scratch Finn under his chin after you have gathered your last-minute things and open the trailer door to have it close behind you. A quiet meow echoes from behind the door and your smirk at the small goodbye from your pet. It didn’t take you long to start up your old truck with a few hits and a couple pumps for the clutch to make your way down to the boardwalk parking lot.

The night was the same as before but this time a couple of well rounded security guards started to come up to the booth later on into the evening. The wind was a bit harsher and the waves crashed in rhythm of the music that was being played on the tiny radio next to your ankle. The boardwalk was filled with all strains of life. There were well rounded individuals taking their picture perfect families for a night out to teens dressed in all black with every inch of their face covered in piercing and colored hair. You preferred that crowd. Then again it didn’t help to get money from those picture perfect families who you only give half ass readings for. When the heavy boots of the literal rounded security officers approached your booth were you snapped from your thoughts. Looking them up and down you can instantly get a feel of their energy, they were hostile and annoyed by the night already. Yet the night was still so young. 

“Excuse me, do you have a permit to be setting up your booth here?” The officer with the mustache questions shifting his weight onto one leg jutting out his hip.

“Yeah, you need a vendor permit to even set up here on the boardwalk,” the skinnier one of the couple started before picking at the cloth of your booth, studying it with a devious smirk. “You tell fortunes? Tell me how we are going to kick you off the boardwalk.” The two chuckle at the joke yet in a calm manner you stand with your hands on the ornate cloth. 

“I do tell fortunes, but not those who tend hurt others because they have a flimsy gold badge on their breast,” you start and give a rather deceiving smile as you tilt your head. “I do not have a vendor’s permit to be out here. However, I am sure you know how hard it is to make a living during these times. Surely you can give me a pass.” You suggest and the fatter one with the mustache snickered at your suggestion. The two looked at one another but as they looked back at you they were met with purple hazed eyes and fingers that were pointed at them which radiated purple energy. “Now, I hope you will listen to me,” you begin this time your voice was an octave deeper as you displayed your abilities to them. It wasn’t hard to sink into their minds and be able to control such a feeble psyche, the purple illuminating from their eyes indicated you were in. You didn’t even need to chant a hex to even get them to repeat after you, “I will not approach this vendor anymore.” They repeat and a smirk quivers on the corner of your lips, “I will not terrorize anyone who I deem… different. I will walk away now and forget I ever saw this vendor.” Once they repeat you flick your wrist the two men turn on their heels and quite literally march away to whatever other duties they have. You grumble to yourself as you sit back down pushing the skirt under you so you can sit properly on the chair. 

As you adjust your trinkets and cards on the table you can hear from afar an excited young boy's voice, “Mike! Look! It’s a fortune teller. We have to do this!”

“No Sammy, we said we would go to the concert and meet mom back at the entrance. I am not stopping for some phoney fortune teller who just reads some useless cards to tell me literally nothing.” the older voice replies back with an annoyed tone and quite ready to walk in the opposite direction. You don’t look up to give the hint you are listening, in fact you lean back in your chair starting to shuffle your tarot deck because indeed you know the two will end up before you.

“Well too bad. I came here to have fun and you’re ruining it. Live a little Mike. You’ve been grumpy all day,” pouts the young blonde, “plus I didn’t say you needed to get a reading done. i got my own money.”

“How did you get money?”

“I stole it from your wallet!” The younger one laughs and charges his way over to the booth and you make eye contact with him, his grin was wide and full of innocence. Blue eyes that were striking amongst the moonlight, they glimmered with hope and curiosity. “Dammit Sam!” the older one whom you assumed to be the brother charges behind. “Hi, how can I help you today?” You asks in your kindest customer service voice. The young boy holds out the ten dollar bill, “I would like a reading if I could have one please. Mom always told us about her tarot card readings, but I would like one for myself.” He grins to the side as he looks over his shoulder to his older brother, a brunette with a strong build who seems to already be annoyed just standing next to this booth and his brother. “Why of course, thank you! Take a seat please.” You request and glance over to the older brother, “If you’d like a seat by all means sit.” He didn’t respond, only took a glance at you before looking away. He was skeptical and nervous. Of course he was. “Normally I don’t do readings for such young gentlemen like you, but I like you already, so I will do a general reading. Now before I get started, may I have your name?”

“Sam,”

“Nice to meet you Sam, I am Y/N. Thank you once again,” you grant a thanks and start to shuffle your cards. Normally with normal individuals the cards don’t have this much energy. You give a breathy chuckle and shuffle fiercely before a card flies from the deck. You plant it face down before looking young Sam in the eyes giving him a playful smirk at his eagerness. “You two have a lot of energy for you, that’s a good thing.” You compliment but the older brother just snickers and crosses his arm before another card flies out. It didn’t take long for the third to fly out. You align the cards, “Alright let’s see here, this card represents you. The page of cups,” You smile gingerly at the card before flipping it to show the boy. “You are filled with wonder, you love your family and have a curious nature to you.” You can see the boy is looking at the card with curious eyes. Take in the fancy man holding a golden chalice balance on one foot and his heel. He is dressed in quite jarring clothes like the boy sitting in front of you. “You also love to express yourself in ways that are creative, like your fashion, or music.” You not before hovering your hand over the next card. “This card represents the path you are on," you flip over the card to see the emperor standing sitting on his throne high and mighty, “the emperor. Now this card is quite powerful, one of my favorites. You are on the path of seeking how to defend yourself and those you love. How to become more powerful in the sense of trying to find structure and to grow in your sense of logic and practicality.” At this point you didn’t even notice the older brother has now sat down. Full attention on you and the cards. You give him a wink before turning your attention back to his younger brother, “It seems like you’re trying to find a father figure role within yourself or by others.” The boys' features soften from a grin to a saddened look, that must’ve struck a bit too close for home. “Let’s continue, shall we?” You ask and he slowly nods glancing over at his brother. You carefully flip over the last card, “This card represents your potential,” your eyes glance down at the justice card. The figure holds a sword and a scale in each hand, sitting on a chair with authority as a scarlet drape is behind them. “Justice. You know what it’s like to be wronged, treated unfairly, you will have to face the truth soon. Whatever that truth is, you have to see everything from each point of view. Going back to the Emperor, you need to be logical and work on that skill in order to find your Justice. You will generate peace and harmony to those who surround you.”

“Wow, thank you, that’s- that’s awesome,” Sam thanks you leaning back in the folded chair carefully eyeing his brother who was staring diligently at the card, studying them and seeming astounded. You lean forward and tap the table under his nose. “I can do a reading for you as well, free of charge. I like your little brother. However, I would like your name.”

The blue eyed brunette looked up at you with wide eyes, filled with wonder and trying to read your own eyes. “Michael. My name is Michael,” you smile at his name and gather the cards back into your pile. You shuffle in the bustling white noise of the  busy boardwalk. A card flies out and lands face down on the table. You shuffle until two more fall from the pile. “Alright Michael, let’s see who the cards say you are.” Your black painted fingers flip over the first card to be greeted by the figure of archangel Michael blowing on his trumpet as the words read ‘judgement’. “You are going through a new journey, a new beginning. You are starting anew. You also find comfort in sharing your struggles with others who relate and you want freedom from your own troubles. Then we have,” You start flipping over the second card, “the ten of swords.” You whisper and you glance up to see his worried eyes look at the pictured body stabbed by ten swords pinned to the ground. “Don’t overthink it.” You whisper ducking your head to make eye contact with him, trying your nest to make him feel safe. “You're going to be betrayed by someone you begin to trust. The pain inflicted runs deep not because what they have done is hurtful, but because you know deep down that this marks the end of your relationship as you know it with them. You will grieve the loss of the relationship. This card is about letting go and accepting your circumstances.” There was silence between the two, you could hear a pin drop if one was to.

“It’s a warning,” you say and clear your throat to ease the tension a bit. You flip over the last card to show the lovers card. “The lovers,” you smile longingly at the card, “you will be ready to establish your own beliefs and follow your heart in the end. You will find love for yourself but love will also find you. In every choice you make on your path, there is an equal amount of advantage and disadvantage, opportunity and challenge, positive and negative. I am excited for you to find your other half.” A warm smile comes to your lips but there was wary to the middle card, that card showed the journey he was going to begin was going to something dark. The clapping of a hand on someone’s back causes you to jump out of your trance. “Well gentlemen, I hope you got the answers you two were looking for. Thank you for stopping by, if you have any more questions or any more services, I will be here.”

The two respond with weary smiles and slowly get up from their chairs with soft thanks as they continue to make their way down the boardwalk. A twinkle of a smile was left on your lips as you watched them walk away. 

Hours later you find yourself with a tip jar that is half full and a bag that contained crumpled bills that were stale and some damp. A sigh leaves your lips as you clean up the station, cleaning up the scrying orb in its case and the tip jar in the bag full of bills. Just before you started to take down your sign you saw four shadows cascade from behind you. A low hum left your lips and you turned on your heel to see four men standing in front of you. Quite young looking, dressed in all black, a couple more than the others. A small smile peaked your lips. “How can I help you gentlemen?” You ask the stoic figures as they stare down at you, purely interested and emitting a strange energy. They’re energy was really strange but you couldn’t put your finger on it. 

“Well we were seeing if it wasn’t too late to get a couple of readings,” the one with the spiked platinum blonde hair responds. His head tilts as he looks into your eyes. For a second you had to look away from the piercing blue eyes because you felt your head go dizzy. 

“Of course, what are you looking for? I do tarot, palms, and even runes.” You inform as your make your way to your side of the booth. Your folding chair creaking as you sit on it, your posture upright and alert. 

“Well, Marko? Which one do you want? You begged to come over here before they closed.” The platinum spoke up again, you tried to get a read on him, by his upright body language he seemed to be the leader of the little posse. Though you were new to the boardwalk you never really saw them around. How did you miss them? Granted you were new to town, but only by a few weeks.

“I’ll go with a palm reading if it means the cutie gets to hold my hand.” The one name Marko pipes with a chuckle from his peers. You can only roll your eyes playfully to play along, “Well sit down, palm readings start at $10 for that comment.” You tease the curly haired man who skipped to your hair and held out his hands with a snicker following. The fingerless gloves covered most of his palm so you nod your head towards his hands, “May I?” You ask before he responds with a nod and cheesy grin. As you started to slip off his hands your eyes peered over his head to watch his friends behind him. You take in their appearances. The platinum blonde was starting to light a cigarette. The other wild haired blonde was walking forward to admire the trinkets on your booth. While the tall brunette was giving you a cold stare as he watched you take off his friends gloves. Each of them donned a single earring and a jacket that was different to their individuality. You clear your throat and look at Marko, “It is nice to meet you Marko. I hope you find this reading useful and beneficial to you for the future.” You start as you take his cool hand into yours. Overlapping his hand with yours you didn’t mind the cold hands, or think much about it, the night was quite chilly.

You roll your shoulders back and roll your neck to relax. As you did a shock was sent through your nerves and you gasped sharply. As did Marko who received the same energy suddenly, causing a pained groan to leave his throat. The energy surges up to your neck causing you to close your eyes tightly. A vision. Pain. Darkness. Betrayal. You can see through Marko’s eyes. He was in pain and bleeding everywhere. There were inhuman screeches all around him; his friends jolted around in him in disturbance and rage. Then you realized they were hanging upside down. Their faces looked like nothing that they did now. Features were contorted, eyes were bloodshot and yellow, and teeth sharp. Just as your vision ended you felt a stabbing in your chest just like the object in Marko’s chest. A pained yell left your throat. There was an echo of Marko yelling out in pain and incoherent yells of the boys behind him. 

You shot Marko away from you with shadows of purple energy following him. The chair shot about six feet from under him and Marko rolled to a stop with the wild blonde following after him in concern. 

“What the hell was that?!” The leader booms rushing to your table, his hands grasping the table with a crushing grip. You could hear it crack as you try to catch your breath. The pain was unbearable. “What the hell are you?!” He interrogates again with a sharp tone. This time he threw the table to the side effortlessly. You gasp and stand in response. Your hands fly up in a contorted shape with purple shadows lingers around your fingers. The leader was stuck in his palace, grunting and struggling against your will. Pants leave your parted lips, brows furrowed and pained as you hold back the leader. Exposing your power.

The three other men kneel around their curly haired friend. Your eyes flicker to them, “There is one thing I can’t stand about vampires,” you croak, holding the leader in his place bringing him as you walk closer to the boys. The look on their faces when you announce your knowledge of their supernatural being, now that look was priceless. “They don’t know how to control their temper.” You choke out as purple energy hazed over your eyes. Their eyes widened at the energy around their leader and the shine from your eyes. All of them scramble to their feet. 

The brunette was first to act and you were faster to stop him mid run. He was now frozen under your spell. Energy outlining his shape as he looked around frantically. You wipe your hand causing him to fly straight through the railing and far out into the ocean with a purple orb pushing straight into his chest. Then with another flick of your wrist the leader went flying right after the brunette with another orb following to make him go further. Your purple eyes scanned towards the two blondes who looked hostile yet intimidated. Before they could even take a step you waved your arms and contorted hands in front of you, to each of their bodies, with a cross of your arms the two slam into one another with a crushing thud. You push the energy out with your arms and hands and the two blondes went flying far out into the ocean following their peers with purple orbs pushing into their chests. 

You were left there on the dark boardwalk, cascaded under orange street lamps, panting with purple shadows flowing around your eyes and glowing in your eyes. Your adrenaline pumping through your veins caused your breathing to become ragged. It took a beat for your breathing to return to normal. You slid your stance back to normal to show your calming nature. Your hands return to your sides no longer casting purple energy and your eyes are their normal color but still widened in fear. Behind you was your booth table broken in half, your items thrown all about wildly from the wind, and your scrying orb shattered near your feet. Dollar bills flying wildly wherever the ocean breeze takes them. 

Taking one last deep breath you tilt your head out towards the crashing onyx waves. The humid breeze thrashing your clothing all about. You press a clammy palm to your forehead as you curse quietly to yourself, “Shit.”

a/n: this is the first part of a series that i have been writing on and off for the past month. i’ve always wanted to incorporate a witch into the lost boys because it would be so interesting! this will be sort of slow burn poly!the lost boys kind of vibe. please let me know if you’d like more of this series. thank you so much for reading!! 🖤🖤🖤

[sh1tbird-shantytown]

wild west au

because @disdaidal mentioned it and i was already thinking of writing one (and yes, i know, indiana wasn’t one of the wild west states. we’re ignoring that though).

Steve flung a knitted scarf at Robin’s head and turned away just as it wrapped around her forehead, “Why don’t I have any clean Long Johns?” he shouted. He continued to dig in the hamper sized wicker basket uselessly all the while Robin laughed.

“It’s your job to do the laundry, Steve. You know how the wrinkles in my fingers freak me out,” she mused. She didn’t have to mention the additional reason being how she lost half their wardrobe in the well the last time he trusted her to complete the task.

He stood up and finger combed his hair back again, “Lend me a pair of your bloomers would you?” he shoved his basket away and returned to trying to crawl under his cot to retrieve his boot from Walter instead. Said cat, Walter, pawed a clawed out hand at his knuckles playfully. He hissed between his teeth the same moment Robin’s laughter grew hysterical.

“Your resort is to wear my undergarments?” she slapped a thigh as she bent to obey the request. “A real brute, you are, Steve Harrington. Wearing ladies bloomers!” After catching a grip on the lip of leather and narrowly missing the bar holding his makeshift mattress up with his head, Steve stood on his feet with red cheeks.

“If you were really a lady, you could’ve helped get laundry done,” Steve muttered to himself. He disregarded her ‘phhs’ sounding scoff and snatched the white fabric from Robin’s clenched grasp and turned around to change. “Remind me why I let you live with me.”

She scoffed through her teeth and he heard her tossing things around in a form of tidying up. “It’s just until I settle down.”

Steve pulled the bloomers up and then his pants, squinting past the almost unnoticeable bumps near the cuffs due to the lacing at the bottom underneath. “Right, because the local ladies are going to look at us and immediately catch on.”

“It’ll happen one day!” Robin’s arms were stretched out to Walter, the black haired cat darning grey streaks of age that they’d found in the library long ago. He sat on the bed with a cocked head just out of reach of her. She sighed at his slowness and let her hands drop back to her hips. Her skirts swayed and the amateurly embroidered flowers at the hem caught Walter’s attention enough for him to leap off of her pillows and down to the uneven wooden floor. Steve buttoned up his shirt and wondered over to the shutters, opening them up before readjusting the cuffs.

As he was about to turn and grab his tie, he caught a glance of a man walking out of the local hardware shop with a familiar redhead as caboose. He stared like a bird, partially leaning out of the window. He flew back wildly when the man looked up suspiciously and nearly caught his eye.

Robin made a shocked noise as he steadied himself roughly against the post of her bed and quickly began gathering his hat, boots, and red bandana. The bandana went securely under his chin and he stumbled for balance on his early morning legs as he pulled his black boots on. The vest hanging on a more hanger by a nail was fought on as he jogged to the drawer he kept his badge and gun in. He got as far as pinning the sheriff badge before he figured his lack of belt.

He looked over his shoulder and glared at Robin, she rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, “Are you going to help with my temperance speech today?”

Steve groaned and looked towards the sky as though he was pained, “I can’t, Robs. You know how my dad gets.”

She ‘humph’ed, “Grow a pair, Harrington.”

Steve pushed his hat down tighter against his head and shoved his gun through the tight waistband of his dark brown trousers. He ignored her and held his head high until he was three feet out the door of their bought out bunkhouse. It’s where Robin stayed and looked over while he was out. She held herself well, gave rooms to strangers, greeted them politely enough, and wasn’t afraid to pull a gun out and ring the bell for Steve’s service if a bandit came along. She was his best friend and all the older women and men in town loved to think they were a couple.

He marched his way over to the stables behind their house room. Coins jingled in the pouch he always had tied to one of the loops around his pants as he opened the side door. He clicked his tongue for his mustang mare, Sparky’s, attention. Her burgundy neck and chestnut mane flew up and back as she noisily made herself known.

“Good morning,” he chuckled at her antics and grabbed the saddle hanging up. He tossed it over the lip of the fence between them, and then jumped over so he could fasten it to her securely. He sat back, a little out of breath, as she eyed him from one side, thinking. “You ready for the morning patrol, Spar?” he scratched gently down her neck fondly. “Remind me to stop and get you some apples,” he hopped down. She neighed diligently while he whistled and opened the gate so she could make her way out on her own.

He heard distant footsteps as he grabbed hold of the reins of Sparky’s bridle. He stayed looking forward and used his other hand to rest against the handle of his pistol sticking out of his pants. When there was a slow squeak of the hinges of the barn door, he was drawn up and aiming right at…Dustin Henderson. He sighed, relived, and shoved his gun back.

Dustin looked unimpressed, “Buck steal your belt again?”

Steve tugged lightly on Sparky and walked her out, “Yes, Henderson, yes she did,” he shook his head as the boy laughed at him.

“Well, lucky for you,” the boy adjusted his cap from the city and looked towards the sun, “There’s no robberies so far.” Steve used the sleeve of his shirt to remove the sweat from his brow after he’d made it on top of Sparky.

He looked down at Dustin, “What’s up with your tone?”

“Hm?” he didn’t miss Dustin press his lips together to hide his amused grin.

Steve kicked his shoulder, “What are you hiding?”

Dustin frowned and rubbed his arm, grumbling, “You’re a green bellied gator, you know that?”

“Who you calling green, Henderson?” Dustin walked along side Sparky as Steve guided her out around the property and to the slow streets of town.

“Oh,” Dustin sang like a crow, “I don’t know. How about the fact that just yesterday Mrs. Wheeler was eyeing up and gettin’ touchy with Mr. Billy Hargrove and she’s all of a sudden being dreadfully ignored by the post office and Mr. Bobby in the saloon.” Steve didn’t look back down from his sights on the carriage of people with their laundry hampers to go wash in the stream a mile out. He caught Billy and his sister, Max, amidst them. Dustin paused shortly to follow his gaze. “They’re sayin’ that she must have done somethin’ real bad to get on your bad side.”

Steve snorted and tipped his hat down in a respectable greeting towards the carriage as they passed it, “Mrs. Wheeler was out of line towards Mr. Billy Hargrove yesterday. The man was only trying to sell barley while that…well, I won’t use such discriminatory words. But she was disrespectful in the day time hours. She’s twenty years his senior and a married woman.” Steve let the reins be loose and began making thin braids in Sparky’s hair. He flushed when he looked up and caught Billy Hargrove watching him and smirking with a green grass blade sticking out of his mouth. He shuddered and returned his attention to Dustin, “But, anyway, who said I had anything to do with Mrs. Wheeler’s fate at this given time?”

Dustin laughed with his head thrown back, “You’re not fooling no one, Sheriff!”

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine:

The reader having an office fling with Erik/Work Hubby

Warnings: SMUT

It’s gonna be two parts because it’s really long and detailed to start. LIKE & REBLOG

You wake up on a Monday morning after enjoying your short weekend to start another 9-5 workweek. Even though a part of you wished that you could work from home another part of you wanted to go into the office so you could see Erik. Your work boyfriend. On Saturday you got your hair done in some knotless box braids, went to the spa, and did a little bit of shopping for some new office attire. Today you decided to wear some of that office attire. Nude wrap skirt, a mauve colored wrap top with bell sleeves and some So Kate pumps in a nude color. Your boyfriend and Erik shared the same name but instead, your boyfriend’s name was spelled with a “C”, not a “K”. That boyfriend in question was a personal trainer and vlogger who traveled to try different restaurants mainly in Cali and NYC. He took a two week trip to NYC with a group of his guy friends. You were used to it and grew not to care so much about it. He was living his life to the fullest.

But were you living your life?

Working as a Secretary for an Environmental Technology company that makes billions of dollars gave excellent pay. The money is good but the only thing to look forward to is your gossiping friend Regina who sat in a cubicle directly next to you and Erik, the Lead Environmental Engineer who was also a Biomedical Engineer. He’s charming, witty, mesmerizing, attractive, hardworking, can be very headstrong at times, loves ramen, and has a cat named Paws. Erik with the “K” has you blushing whenever he locked eyes with you, stuttering while you both have random conversations during tea and coffee breaks, texted you funny memes during meetings when you were supposed to be taking notes, instant messages you from his cubicle computer to bug you saying things like:

-Wyd big head?

-Did Eric with the “C” see you leave the house today in that short ass skirt?

-Connie keeps talking to me with her funky ass breath. Help me 🥺.

-So, when are you going to boss up and get an office? I wanna be next to my work bae.

-You wanna get lunch together? My treat. It’s a surprise.

-I know you and Regina are gossiping about me 😌.

-I missed you after work yesterday. 

He’s also the reason why you stayed later on Wednesday and Thursday nights. You would help him brainstorm ideas about improving pollution and what he should say in his speech about global issues such as climate change. He even asked you if you wanted to come with him to Alaska to test the water there but you hadn’t given him an answer yet. You really really wanted to but being alone with Erik wasn’t such a good idea. You were afraid to be in another location besides LA with him for reasons you’d rather not admit to.

After making Erik and yourself an egg white and veggie omelet with a Belgian waffle you headed out the door and to your Prius. Arriving at the office on time, you badge in and take the lobby elevators up to the fifth floor. Stepping off of the crowded elevator, you walk towards the newly decorated staff lounge to put away the food. It was 8:25 am and Erik wouldn’t be in for another ten to fifteen minutes. The lounge had Dunkin Donuts laid out and freshly brewed coffee. You fought the temptation of grabbing a chocolate glazed donut to go to your cubicle and boot your Mac desktop computer so you could check your company email. You said Goodmorning as you walked by. Regina was playing Candy Crush on her cell when you arrived.

“Goodmorning, Gina.” You placed your Chanel bag behind the desktop computer in your cubicle.

“Morning, sis,” Regina tapped away on her phone, “Did you sleep okay?”

“Better this time around, yes,” You flipped your box braids over your shoulder while leaning back in your office chair to talk to Regina, “I haven’t heard from Eric all weekend.”

“Which one?”

You pursed your lips, “You know which one.”

She laughs, “Erik with the C. What’s up with that?”

You shrug, “Don’t know and don’t care. He acts like he can’t answer my calls or texts so I can check up on him so I’ll act like he doesn’t exist.”

Regina gave you a knowing look, “I’m sure you and Erik with the K, aka Captain Planet, texted his work bae, Miss Y/N, all weekend long.”

You bite your bottom lip to fight a goofy smile.

“See,” Regina crosses her dark chocolate legs, “he’s not just your work bae. He’s Daddy.”

“Stop!” You throw a pen at her chest, before lowering your voice, “Erik and I are not having sex, Gina. We may flirt and text outside of work-“

“And during work hours,” Regina interjected.

“Like I said, we are not having sex-“

“Who’s not having sex?”

Regina and your head turned to stare up at Erik Stevens. He had his briefcase in one hand and a black coffee with extra brown sugar in his other hand. Tailored suit colored navy blue with gold cuff links. Burberry dress shoes on his feet. Vintage gold-plated oval eyeglasses over his onyx eyes. He gave Regina and you a teasing smile. The smile where he raised one corner of his mouth to reveal a single deep dimple.

“Y/N,” Regina answered with wide playful eyes.

“Oh?” Erik gave Y/N a mournful look, “Damn, ma. That’s too bad.”

You glare at them both, “I will ignore both of y’all the rest of the day if you keep fucking with me.”

You got up from your seat, pushing in your chair, and tried your best to ignore the snickering from them both. Walking away, Erik was right on your tail, his hand reaching out to grab your shoulder to stop you.

“Calm down, it’s all jokes,” he licks his full lips, “But seriously...no sex between you and your man?”

Groaning, you walk into the lounge to grab the food.

“Why are we having this conversation?”

“Because I’m concerned,” Erik turned his back to lean against the counter with his arms folded over his chest, “You know you can talk to me, right?”

You place his food inside the microwave to heat, “I know. It’s just embarrassing, Erik.”

Erik grabs your chin to make you stare at him instead of the microwave, “Don’t even give me that excuse. Remember, we shared a lot of embarrassing stories in this office after hours.”

How could you forget?

“Yeah...it’s boring, Erik. I’m sure you’re having the best sex of your life in your fancy penthouse. Probably having orgies with models and actresses. They love a sweet and caring guy,” Y/N said sarcastically.

Erik’s tongue grazes the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling, “Why orgies specifically?”

“Is that all you focused on?!!” You shove him before taking his food out, “gosh, I hate you.”

Erik takes a swig of his coffee, “which is girl code for gosh, I love you,”

You shook your head with a grin, “leave me alone.”

“Which means, give me attention,” Erik grabs both of your shoulders, before bringing his head around to plant a kiss on your cheek, “I know y’all female dictionary like the back of my hand.”

Your head turned to face him after his lips caressed your cheek. Now, that area was warm and ticklish. Erik grabs his food and walks over to one of the tables. That gave you some time to breathe and heat your food as a distraction. Why did he have to kiss you? It’s not like he’s never done it before but every time he did it, Erik made you melt and wish it were your lips instead.

“You make some bomb food, girl. I think I’m jealous of Eric with a C.”

“Says the guy who makes the best shrimp and grits I have ever tasted besides my grandma,” you take a seat in front of him. While you ate you watched him cut into his waffle covered in syrup. His long lashes curled each time he blinked and his lips were so pouty and kissable whenever he concentrates the way he does. You felt like a schoolgirl watching him eat.

“So,” Erik chews his food some more before talking, “Alaska.”

“What about it?” You play it off by cutting your omelet up.

“Y/N,” Erik raised his brow at you, “You know about Alaska this is my fourth time bringing it up.”

“When is it?”

“In a month,” Erik takes a swig of his coffee to wash down his food before leaning forward on his elbows to make you look at him, “it’s gonna be for a week, all paid for, a mini-vacay with skiing, Matanuska Glacier walk, and lunch, helicopter tour, cozy cabin...”

Erik tilted his head at you and smiled. You looked down at your food bashfully. It all sounded so tempting. You would love to go...

“I don’t know, Erik,” you shake your head, “Eric will be home and-“

“How many trips does he take leaving you home?”

“More than I can count,” you reply shamefully.

“Exactly. I ain’t tryna overstep but...” Erik left it at that and went back to his food. You slouch in your chair deep in thought. Erik has a point. Your boyfriend traveled whenever he pleased and didn’t even ask how you felt about it once. You respected that he wanted to drop his career as a teacher to travel, eat, and vlog. Not once did he suggest taking you on one of his food journeys. You honestly felt left out.

You deserve some fun too.

Moving your food around with your fork, you finally come to a decision.

“I’ll go.” You spoke softly as if you couldn’t believe you’d just agreed to it.

“Seriously?” Erik asked with his eyes unblinking and on yours.

“Yes,” you let out a breath, “I’ll go to Alaska and have some fun for once. I haven’t been out of town in so long it’ll feel good to go.”

Alaska with Erik Stevens. For an entire week. Just you and him. Your knees shook under the table.

“See,” he smirked while stabbing a piece of omelet with his fork, “It’s crazy how I had to ask your ass four times total to come with me.”

“Why is that crazy?” You asked with a laugh.

“Because it never takes a woman this long to say yes to me,” he says in a very boastful manner.

“I’m not your woman though,” you say before you could even stop yourself.

“You are my woman,” Erik rested his tongue on his upper lip before grinning, “just at work and without the sex, kissing, taking showers together-“

“Okay, you made your point, boyfriend.” You stop him before he continued.

“Does Eric know about me?”

“A little,” you look towards the ceiling, “ he’d probably cancel all his travel plans if he knew how you looked.”

Erik bit into his bottom lip, “how do I look, Y/N?”

“Fine as hell,” you giggle as if you were drunk, “He already thinks he’s the finest thing walking.”

“That’s your man though,” Erik chuckles, “You think he’s fine, right?”

“I mean, yeah, of course.”

Both of you laugh.

“I swear,” you wave him away, “you play too much.”

“Don’t make me steal you away from him.” Erik laughed. His laugh made your stomach do summer salts.

“Okay, Erik,” you speak in a dismissive tone.

“I mean, I could though.”

“Why do you insist on playing?! If I was single-“

“You would be mine,” Erik finished.

“You can have any woman you want. Why me?”

Erik scanned your body at that table, “Really? What you mean? Have you seen yourself, ma?”

“Stop,” you giggle. He can’t be serious. Erik is a flirt but why on earth would he play like this?

“You always think a nigga playing when I say that shit.” He sounded offended. You didn’t have a reply for that. Avoiding his intense eyes you finished your food while Erik closed his empty container and placed it on the counter next to the thermal lunch bag you brought the food in.

“Aight let me get to my desk,” he grabs his coffee and walked up towards you. Erik moves your box braids from your shoulder before grabbing the back of your neck gently. The feel of his smooth fingertips on your skin made the hairs on the back of your neck and arms rise.

“I’ll see you later, babe.”

You blush with a mouth full of food, “Okay, I’ll see you later too, baby.”

His fingers left your neck and combed through your box braids before he walked away and out of the lounge. You were so preoccupied with his fingers on the back of your neck and in your hair that you lost your appetite.

——

You stood at Regina’s cubicle halfway listening to her speak and the other half focusing on Erik in his office. He looked bored as hell. Your eyes watched him ball up random printer paper from his fax machine to shoot into his document waste basketball hoop that he had in the corner near the door. He made it perfectly every time. Erik had the coolest office out of all the other Environmental Engineers. Besides the typical Newton’s Cradle pendulum balls that’s a famous desk accessory, he had a tropical tabletop fountain, stress relief visual illusion toys, stainless steel pin art hand mold, darts, a Rubik’s cube, Nintendo switch, and many other cool and fun shit.

“Girl,” Regina said chewing on a granola bar, “You’re not even paying attention to me.”

“I am,” You allow your eyes to fall on her accusatory ones, “I’m just...looking around.”

“No,” Regina puts up a hand to stop you, “You’re looking at Erik.”

Both Regina and yourself look over at him, spotting Erik walking back and forth now with his suit jacket removed and the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up. He was finger juggling a pen with his right hand while speaking into a Bluetooth in his ear.

“You might as well let him ruin you, Y/N,” Regina says with a whisper.

“Oh my God, Gina,” you stomp across the carpeted floor in your pumps before taking your seat again to finish organizing in Microsoft Excel.

“He could flirt with any other woman in here. Connie, Demetria, Anita, Nicole, any of those chicks, but he chooses you. Why is that, Y/N?”

“I don’t know, Gina, enlighten me,” You roll your eyes.

“No need. You already know. Erik is feeling you, heavy baby. Heavy like that ass in that skirt that we both know you purposefully wore today to make him look.”

“OKAY.” You stop her with an abrupt tone, “Fine. Yes, Gina. Yes, I know Erik is feeling me. But I am in a relationship and I can’t just-“

“Heffa, please,” Regina laughs, “don’t even try that shit with me. You are feeling him just the same. You and Eric with the C don’t even exist when you walk in here. It’s obvious you don’t want to be with that man anymore and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is fucking some chick in NYC and secretly taking her on his little food quests. You can look at me like that all you want but deep down you know I’m speaking facts.”

“Gina,” you speak with a warning, “I will throw this stapler at your head next.”

“Won’t. Change. The. Truth,” Regina flips her long ponytail.

A part of you did believe that Eric was cheating on you. It was so obvious at times but you didn’t want it to come to that. You and Eric have been together for about five years. But then again, that shit doesn’t matter. If it did, he would be worried about fixing the relationship instead of traveling for views.

Ping Ping

-Here comes Connie. Let me take a big gulp of air before she walks in here.

Erik instant messaged you. You snicker like a child doing some sneaky shit. He was so damn goofy.

-Damn. Why don’t you just offer her some gum?

-If I do that she’ll know I think her breath stink.

-Just play it cool. Have some sitting out, grab a piece, and offer her a stick. It’s that simple.

-she talks too damn much. Just talk to me about the Alaska job so I can be prepared. That’s why I’m glad you’re coming with me.

You looked up over your cubicle to watch Connie talking animatedly while Erik swivels in his chair from side to side.

Catch my eye.

Onyx met chestnut.

Erik covered his mouth with his fist to hold in his laughter before placing his hand up at Connie, from what it looked like, to reassure her that he wasn’t laughing at what she’d said.

-want me to drag her out of there by that takky blouse?

-Why are you such a gangsta, girl? LOL aight, come handle my light work, ma

-not before I get a hospital mask so I don’t breathe in her toxic fumes. Llab

-😂😂😂😂😂 straight stupid.

You snicker again.

“What is so damn funny?” Regina peered over at you with curious eyes.

“Just IM with Erik,” you bite the gel acrylic on your thumb nail to smother your giggles, “He can’t stand Connie.”

“Mhm,” Regina smiles, “y’all so damn cute just get married already.”

-she’s gone 😁

-let's celebrate lol.

Erik sends fireworks through the IM. You send balloons.

-enough about her. I see you 👀

-what’s that?

-you showing off. That attire is hella tight. What you doing with all of that?

-nothing. Lol, why do I have to be doing something?

-I know you wore that for my eyes only. I feel special.

Your fingers hovered over the keyboard. He was going down that lane. You weren’t prepared but still, you typed away.

-I figured you would appreciate it since my man wasn’t home to admire it before I left.

-Yo’ nigga got some screws loose because I wouldn’t be away letting my girl walk out the house like that.

-like what?

-with all that ass sitting in that skirt.

-can’t help that I have a lot to work with.

-ain’t no problem for me. If you were fucking with me Y/N I’d make you forget your name. Real talk.

You crossed your legs under the desk and rubbed the back of your neck. If he fucking bitches to make them forget their identities then that means his dick really ain’t nothing to play with.

-nothing to say huh?

-I’m just thinking.

-about what? Talk to me.

-why you really want me to come to Alaska with you.

-😌

-well? You’re gonna tell me why?

-Because I want you to myself.

-So I can show you something you’ve been missing.

-Eric ain’t putting it down on my work bae like he should be.

You were so damn nervous. Day by day Erik would grow more frustrated with Eric and your situation. Like Regina said, just let Erik ruin you. It’s a shame to say that you haven’t had sex in about a month. It was just you, your fingers, and your favorite vibrator. It could be Erik, his fingers, his dick, his mouth, and multiple orgasms.

-He’s not. It’s been too long. ☹️

-You ain’t gotta tell me how long. I can see it in your body language.

You twirl a braid in your hand. Looking away from your computer, you try to be discreet, bringing your eyes to peer over the top of your cubicle into Erik’s office. He was drinking a bottle of water while his eyes concentrated on the computer screen with knitted brows. He placed his bottle on the desk and leaned in, typing again.

Ping ping

-Don’t ignore me before I walk over there.

-ooooo I’m scared.

-Aight, bet. I’m coming.

-I want you to think long and hard about that, Stevens.

You were flustered, wet, shaken up that he wanted to “show you” what you’ve been missing, and willing to risk it all if he left his office space to come to talk to you.

-that’s what she said. 😈

You chuckle. He could turn any topic into sex.

“Hey, Erik,”

You look up to find him standing next to your cubicle while Regina looked at the both of you with interest. You stand from your seat, ready to get yourself some water but Erik has your shoulders.

“Where you going?” His husky voice tickled your ear.

“For some water.”

Erik starts massaging your shoulders lightly.

“Can I come with you? I need to stretch my legs.”

“Whatever, I don’t care.” You lead the way.

But you did care. You wondered what he was up to. Now that you walked ahead of him with that very tight wrap skirt on you felt exposed like he has x-ray vision and can see your phat dimpled cheeks bounce and sway. Thank God for an empty lounge. You walk over to the fountain, grabbing a cup, and Erik was right on your side, holding the tap down for you. Your cheeks poke out to hide your blush.

“Thank you,” you speak softly. His eyes were intent on you. Not once did you give in and look his way while drinking that ice-cold water. Suddenly unable to breathe you back up a little to make some space between you two. Erik followed with his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“Don’t you have a ton of work to do?” You ask to try and divert the attention away from you. Too late. Erik was determined to make you weak in front of him.

“I do but we have a long day, ma. I’ll get it done. I just couldn’t stand being away from my work bae.”

You rub your fingers along the wet cup, “I’m convinced now that you only come to work to be near me.”

“I’m cool with that,” He shrugs, “I could be a whole lot of things if it wasn’t for your man who’s supposed to be home with you.”

“He’ll be back-“

“And then he’ll be gone again,” Erik let’s out a sigh, “We’re playing too many games, Y/N. I’m tired of the flirting back and forth when I know you really want me. Stop coming in here to impress me with these bomb-ass outfits. I’ve been impressed for over a year now.”

Erik closed the space between you both, pressing his chest against your fuller one. You look over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming and when the coast was clear you focused your heated gaze on him.

“I’m tryna undress you with my fucking hands, not my eyes.” Erik takes his fingers to play with the bow of your wrap skirt, “You feel what I’m saying?”

You couldn’t speak. Your eyes were to busy admiring this gorgeous man who wanted to fuck you. His inviting eyes saw exactly what you wanted. A long, hard, fuck. Taking his fingers, Erik grabs your chin delicately to stroke. He made you feel so precious and desired.

“So, can I do that?” Erik asked with his lips kissing along your jawline. Your eyes landed on the door to check it and still, no one was there.

“Can I take care of you, ma?”

Yes.

You had this look in your eyes, this look that said, please, Daddy, come fuck me. He smelled so damn good. So invigorating and moisturizing. You could make out a hint of exotic arabica coffee and coconut oil on the skin of his neck.

“No,” you lick your upper lip, “No, you can’t.”

His lips found yours. He swallowed that no with his full lips and tongue. Both of you knew that your answer was disbelieving when your hands came up to wrap around his neck. That was a green light for Erik. His hands came around your waist, and then down to cup your ass. He would alternate between rubbing your spine and making your cheeks bounce in his hands. Erik rests his chin on your shoulder so he could peer behind you to watch his hands squeezing all that ass on you. He would let it go and watch it bounce before slapping it lightly so he wouldn’t make a lot of noise. You felt your heart in your throat. Now, his crotch was pressed into yours. Long and hard indeed. Let’s not forget thick.

“You free tonight?” He whispered in your ear.

“Yeah,” you could feel him lifting you from the floor to sit your bottom on the counter. He was between your legs while your hands reach for his tie to tug on. It distracted you from being so nervous. His hands rested on your exposed upper thighs rubbing your warm skin in slow circles to sooth you. All he was doing was killing you. His touch was so soft and gentle but under all of that was a rough dominating grasp that you yearned for

You weren’t sure which throbbing you wanted to quiet more—the throbbing between your legs or the throbbing from your heartbeat against your chest. All those daydreams about rubbing your swollen pussy lips all over Erik’s face until you came. Now that the both of you crossed yet another line——the touching and kissing line, there was no telling what would happen next. Sex after hours in the office on his desk? Walks to the parking lot only to fuck in the back seat of his car? Happy hour on Friday evenings only to get drunk and have sex at his penthouse? 

“Can I come over to keep you company?” 

“I don’t know, E. This office fling situation can fuck with both of our jobs.” You nibble on your bottom lip the second his lips came into contact with your throat. 

“Nobody gotta know,” his plush lips sought out yours again, “It can be our little secret, baby.” 

“But what if someone does find out?”

“It won’t happen like that, trust me,” Erik grabs your hand to rest against his crotch. Erik was swelled to cum-inspiring proportions, making you want to finger-fuck yourself with mounting enthusiasm. 

“Damn, Erik.” Now you were thinking about this office fling as a carnal delight after hours. 

“I know, right? Imagine me walking around all day, watching you with these big titties...shapely legs...and round ass…”

You had the body, beauty, and brains. That meant that you seldom went unnoticed; especially not by Erik, your work bae. Your slant eyes and supple body reminded him of a jungle cat that, when tamed, purred like a kitten. He wanted to hear you mewl and whimper in his ear while his dick that was currently twisted and curved in his briefs bounced off the walls of your pussy. He could see the lust in your feline eyes how quickly you noticed his arched appendage. You were probably fantasizing about what wonderful things it could do for your G-spot. 

“Keep looking at me like that and watch I finger-fuck this pussy right here,” Erik’s eyes went down to look at the Apple watch on his wrist, “It’s almost that time to eat. I’m tryna eat something else though…”

“Eat me?” You couldn’t control that slipping from your mouth. 

“Slob on this yummy pussy,” his hand was between your legs now, caressing the outside of your saturated panties, “You gonna feed me?”

“Where?” You whisper.

“Shit, we can go to my car for lunch. I got tinted windows.” Erik was desperate to slide his tongue inside you. 

“Erik, this is crazy.” You laugh faintly before he took your face into his hands, gazed into your eyes, and kissed you so urgently it felt as if you were floating away. You could think of nothing else but how good he made you feel. Erik explores your mouth with his tongue, not wanting you to miss an inch of how skilled he was using his mouth. 

“You’ll be begging me to make this pussy feel good in a minute.”

You were relentless with your hands squeezing the weight of Erik’s curved erection in his black slacks. You really wanted to untuck his dress shirt, get down on your knees, and suck him with a wide-open mouth. Keep your mouth as wide-open as was physically possible—anxiously awaiting your reward. 

“Don’t worry babe,” Erik gently pulls your hand away from his crotch, “wait for lunch and you can have me all to yourself, okay?”

———

You waited and waited. As soon as Erik left that lounge to go back to his desk a last-minute meeting was called and of course, you had to attend as well. Everyone got up from their designated spots to head to the conference room. You squeezed into the same elevator cart as Erik, moving to the back so you could be near him. On purpose, you settle in front of him. Erik’s hand reached out to play with your thick ass while you focused on your phone. That only lasted for about ten seconds because now you were on the 6th floor. Hungry for his touch again you allow everyone else to leave so he could slap your ass. 

During the hour-long meeting, both of your eyes would meet and knowing smiles would appear on both of your faces. You didn’t like the fact that Demetria was seated next to him with her cleavage hanging out from her black blazer. She tried her best to make Erik notice her but he didn’t give a fuck about her thirsty actions. 

It was well past lunchtime and most of the office had gone to either the food court in the building or outside to find something different to eat for a change. Your stomach was rumbling waiting for Erik. Groaning, you put your computer to sleep before grabbing your Chanel bag to leave for lunch by yourself. It wasn’t Erik’s fault, you knew that, but you couldn’t help being upset and sexually frustrated. No pussy eating or dick sucking in his G Wagon 550 SUV in a desert silver metallic color. 

Eating alone was boring and lonely. You played with your Caesar salad and hardly even toughed the veggie lasagna. How were you supposed to feed your appetite when it was salivating for dick? You were so excited to finally hook up with Erik. Checking the time on your phone, you had about two hours left in your shift. You pack away the food and decide to save it for dinner tonight. Standing up, you push in the silver chair at the food court table, walking away with a click-clack of your So Kate pumps. You thumb the elevator button before slipping a piece of gum into your mouth. The doors open up and you enter, turning to watch them shut as your reflection appeared. 

Ping ping

Erik -where did you go?

-To lunch. I was hungry.

Erik- Really? Why didn’t you wait for me?

-Because I was STARVING. Plus, you were busy.

Erik- I’m not busy anymore. Where are you now?

-Heading back upstairs.

Erik- I’ll wait for you.

-Erik, I have to go back to work!

Erik- fuck that you know what I want.

DING. Fifth Floor.

“Told you I’ll wait for you,” He smiles at you dangerously. 

You almost swallow your gum the way he approached you. You and him, alone in that elevator. Erik kisses your lips, savoring the minty taste from the gum. He pulled back, taking his thumb to wipe the spit from his bottom lip. He turns around to press the 4th-floor button since that’s were the garage entrance was. Suddenly you were shaking in your pumps. It was really going to happen. Finally, your pussy wouldn’t feel painfully neglected. Finally, you could have the touch of a man on your body after an entire month. 

“Are you okay?” Erik asked while looking down at you. 

“Yeah, I’m cool,” you give him a reassuring smile.

DING. Fourth Floor.

Down a hallway and through the garage door you both went with your hand in Erik’s. You walk along the concrete ground as your ears took in the sounds of sirens and car horns honking in the middle of traffic. His G-Wagon was parked in a private spot. Erik took his keys out of his suit jacket and unlocked it with a click of a button, even started it up as well. You could hear the engine rumble. The large SUV vibrates as the sound of his radio playing blasted through the speakers. Erik opened the back door, reclining the backseats to lay flat like a bed. He takes off his suit jacket, tossing it in the passenger seat before turning to you, lifting you up, and sitting you in the back. 

Once there, you take off your heels and place them far enough away so Erik and you could have plenty of space. Erik sat down, leaning forward to remove his shoes. After that, he unbuttoned his dress shirt before pulling it off and balling it up to toss at the front with his suit jacket. He finally turns, crawling his large chiseled body towards you with playful eyes.

“Is that pussy still as wet as it was earlier today? Can I taste that kitty?”

Erik pulled your legs, laying you down on your back. He was on his knees between your legs, opening them wide causing your skirt to lift and bunch around your waist. He came face to face with that phat puss covered in wet fabric. Your voice was stuck in your throat. Erik takes both of his masculine hands to pull down your already saturated panties, spreading open your legs further, and staring at that pink pussy coated with cream. He could smell your scent. His car smelling like your wet pussy. 

“Yeah, this pussy still sloppy,” Erik listened to you purr as he flicked your clit with his thumb. Erik continues to do this while slapping your pussy with his fingers. Each time he slapped your pussy, your juices would build and build to the point of making puddles beneath your ass in his car. 

“Can I stuff this pussy with my fingers now,” Erik licked his thick fingers clean, “I wanna squeeze in there deep, baby girl.” 

“Yes,” Your cunt was starving.

“Good, girl.” 

He plunged first one, then two, then three fingers deep inside your pussy, flickering at your clit at the same time. He was directly over your G spot with the pads of his fingers repeatedly rubbing you there. Your legs went wider and wider. The sound of your succulent pussy increased in such severity that it was almost deafening. Your moans mixed with the sound of The palm of Erik’s hand slapping your cunt each time he finger-fucked you had him grunting and groaning.

“Faster, faster,” You called out while gyrating your hips to fuck his fingers. 

“There you go, fuck my fingers, just like that, get it, baby,” Erik bites his lip, “look at you ready to bust a nut on my hand, mmm, get that shit, baby.”

A rush of juices flooded the back seat. Erik’s eyes grew wide as your fingers tightened around him. That liquid poured each time he moved his fingers inside of you. All you could do was moan and shake beneath him. Your ass was glued to that surface. 

“Damn, Y/N.” Erik takes his fingers out slowly before licking them clean. He got up on his knees to reach into his trunk, bringing a Puma gym bag over towards him. He opened it with his wet hands, pulling out a thick black towel that was wrapped in a body wash. Erik places that towel beneath your ass to soak up your mess. 

“Making a mess in my fucking car.” 

“I’m sorry,” You cover your face with embarrassment, “I do that a lot.”

“Don’t apologize about that, ma, I don’t give a fuck. Keep doing it like that on these fingers. Better yet...do it like that on my tongue,” Erik laid flat on his stomach, “You can squirt in Daddy’s mouth too.” 

Erik began lapping away at your pussy with such zeal that you were squirming and squealing within minutes. With the flat of his tongue, Erik assaulted your pussy with such a lashing that your legs turned to jello. Erik then probed ever so deeply inside your dripping wet pussy with his pointed tongue, tongue-fucking your slot until your eyes rolled up into your head. He found your throbbing, erect clit and tortured you sweetly with licks and nibbles that sent electric charges throughout your entire body. Grabbing your thighs to squeeze, feasting on that syrupy pussy, Erik’s dick dripped pre-cum in anticipation of your walls capturing his dick and holding tight, while he thrust himself deeper and deeper inside of you. 

“Damn, ma, I’m literally drinking this pussy dry.” 

“You make me feel so good! Make me feel good, Erik.”

Erik’s tongue circled around your pussy. Each time he did that your hips would jerk. He was fighting that pussy back with his lips and tongue each time you pumped your hips. You gazed into his dark, sexy eyes and increased the movement of your hips. 

“Oh, fuck!” Erik wrapped his whole mouth around your pussy and started slurping. All Erik could think about was how good you tasted and the heat radiating from your pussy. 

“Shit tastes so good, girl,” He licked his plate clean, “fuck, look at my dick.”

His shit was twisted and curved to the right in those pants. Erik got on his knees to undo his pants. He let out a long sigh of relief the minute his pants and briefs made it down his thighs, resting at his knees. He sat down and pulled the rest of his clothes off, now he was naked from the waist down. You watch his thick dick jerk in his hand. That dick looked like it could bench press a barbell with how hard he was as Erik slid his hand up and down his burgeoning erection. His dick skyrocketed to its highest capacity causing your mouth to drool. Erik pointed out that dick at your mouth. Doing that caused his slit to open and show you his pre-cum waiting to be sucked out. 

“Come suck me, baby,” His grip was so tight on his dick.

You obeyed every word and sucked him up into your mouth. Damn, Erik was a big boy. So girthy and veiny. Intimidating for sure. His tip blossomed so thickly your lips had a hard time wrapping around it to suck. Erik with a C ain’t have nothing on this dick. A beautiful slab of tasty meat gliding across your tongue and poking the back of your throat. 

“Damn, this is how you do it, ma? You should have warned a nigga first.”

He held the back of your head to guide your mouth lower. Each time he did that, he would grunt and whisper oh, my God, which made you super wet. All you wanted him to do was splatter your mouth with his cum. He was already so close to detonation so you opened up as wide as you could stretch to fill him all the way in. 

“DAYUM!!!” Erik bellowed, “Good girl, don’t waste a fucking drop when I bust in this pretty mouth. Never.”

You graduated from plain old hungry to ravenous. That cum of his sputtering and spurting forth was your reward. The suctioning noise of your hand jerking him empty into your throat mixed with Erik’s deep moans made your pussy convulse around nothing even though you could feel it dripping. You slapped his ever-expanding dick against your tongue. 

“Shit,” Erik looked from his wet dick to your face, “Baby girl, I ain’t cum this hard in a minute from getting head.” 

You plant kisses all over his dick, working yourself up to more sucking, “I can give you more, Daddy.”

“Give me more of that mouth,” Erik played with your braids, “Swallow my shit and lick my balls.”

“Mmm, okay, Daddy.”

Erik’s eyes rolled back when your lips would suck and then pop off his sack. He had to control himself from cumming in your hair. 

“Shit doesn’t make no sense,” Erik looked at you with disbelief before a strangled look filled with passion overtook his features. 

“Fffuckkk!!!” He groaned as he blasted inside your mouth with his sweet, sticky offering. You ran your index finger over your bottom lip to retrieve a dollop of cum. That only left you more famished than before causing you to enthusiastically slurp on his rigid pipe again until it was damn near raw and your pussy was sopping wet. 

“Y/N,” Erik’s fingers were tight in your hair. You tasted a bit of leftover cum from his slit with your hungry tongue. 

Ring Ring 

Erik’s cell was going off. 

“Shit,” He reached into his pants pockets while you jerked his dick. He answered his phone with an annoyed expression. 

“What’s going on, Greg,” Greg was a fellow Environmental Engineer, “What? Right now?” Erik closed his eyes before tossing his head back, “Okay, give me ten minutes.” 

Erik hung up his phone. 

“We gotta go, ma,” You could hear the disappointment in his voice, “Supposedly it’s something urgent about Alaska.” 

You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, “Should I be worried about the trip?”

Erik gave you a soft smile, “Nah, Alaska is happening regardless. Don’t worry, bae, we good.” 

You pulled your skirt down and placed your wet panties in your bag. You watched Erik fasten his belt in place before he opened the back door to let some air in. You rose from the car, Erik helping you put on your pumps before placing you on your feet. Digging into your bag you sprayed yourself with a little of your Chanel No.5, hoping to camouflage the lingering scent of sex. 

Looking in Erik’s rearview mirror, you fix your lipgloss and clothes, everything else good to go. Erik was currently spraying himself down with some Gucci cologne from his Puma gym bag and buttoning his suit jacket. He looked just as crisp as he did when he came in this morning. 

“You still ain’t answer my question, beautiful.” 

“What question,” Erik grabs your hand while the both of you walked back inside.

“Can I keep you company later?” 

You chew on your bottom lip in thought. Eric with the C, your actual boyfriend, might call you later and you didn’t want Erik with the K to be around to raise suspicion. Still, no word from Eric and the longer that happened the more you didn’t give a fuck. 

“Am I pressing too much?” Erik asks with soft eyes.

“No, no,” you reassured him, “I just think it would be better to come to your place instead. That’s all.”

“We can do that,” Erik walked towards you with his body pressed into yours, “Bring an overnight bag. You’re not going back home.”

His lips attacked your throat again, sucking and licking you there.

“I ain’t give my work bae some dick yet so you know I gotta take care of you,” His hands found their way back between your legs and on your sensitive pussy, “You gonna let me do that for you?” He asked huskily.

“Oh, Daddy, please do,” you responded.

————

You got home around 6:30 PM. You showered, finished the rest of your lunch since your appetite for dick was satisfied and drank a little bit of red wine. 

Surprised, shocked, nervous, you decided to wear a black velour tracksuit with your Fenty slides to Erik’s place and packed away everything else you needed on a faux fur tote bag. Phone sitting on the charger, you go to check it since you received a few notifications since coming home.

Eric with the C.

Eric- I’m alright. Sorry for the lack of communication. Really busy.

-that’s okay. Be safe.

He didn’t respond back. 

No I love you, I miss you, I’m thinking about you, nothing. 

Luckily the picture Erik sent to you made up for that. It was a shower picture. From his broad shoulders down to his well-knit waist with that v cut covered in soap and water. You had the urge to satisfy the cries leaking from your pussy at the moment. You had half the mind to pull your pants down and finger-fuck your pussy into multiple orgasms leaving your slit covered in sticky cum for him to find. How dare he tease you like that? Since you were spending the night you can look forward to shower with him. This entire fling had your skin tingling. Your fingers scrolled down to read the texts he left you. You really wished you hadn’t because now you were whimpering. 

Erik- Can’t wait for you to put that work in for Daddy.

Erik- where you at? I’m tryna put this thang in your gut.

Erik- want me to come to get you?

He was blowing you up. Eric with the C never did this.

-Hey, sorry, I was getting my things together. You don’t have to pick me up.

HONK HONK. 

Erik- too late. 

You walk to your living room to find Erik parked outside. He was typing away on his phone. 

Ping Ping 

Erik- Stop making me wait, girl. 

You grab your bag, phone, and keys before locking up and leaving. Walking down your cobblestone trail, Erik hops out of his car, walking around to meet you. He was wearing a black Burberry ribbed beanie with a Pyer Moss color block Reebok windbreaker tracksuit on and the same brand of shoes on his feet. He tongued you down before taking your bag to place in the back seat that was now cleaned and placed normally. Erik opened your door to help you up inside before shutting it to return to the driver's side. You watched him walk all the way around and get inside with sultry eyes. With his hand on your upper thigh, he drove off and towards his Penthouse.

@tgigoldie​ @soufcakmistress​ @chefjessypooh​ @chaneajoyyy​ @pananegra​ @thehomierobbstark​ @thee-germanpeach​ @theblulife​ @becincere​ @blaqwidow91​ @fish-outta-watah​ @eyeknowmywrites​ @crowngold​ @hearteyes-for-killmonger​ @goddessofthundathighs​ @njadakillthiscookie​ @blktinkerbell​ @luvanxi​ @sheisexcellent1​ @chocolatedippedinhoney​ @brandithecrystalgem​ @dababydababydababydababy​ @soulfulbeauty19​ @btitannaaa​ @blowmymbackout​ @sunkissedebony97​ @youngblackndgifted​ @harleycativy​ @rbhp​ @thadelightfulone​ @bugngiz​ @palmstreesallday​ @skylahb​ @bakaris-shorty​ @nizzle-mo​ @truglori​ @queenflaws​ @ljstraightnochaser​ @nickidub718​ @vikkidc​ @rent-emspoons​ @abluesforlyssa​ @abeautifulmindexposed​ 

[pheita]

Flash Fiction Friday: Child of the Wild

So we have little snippet of my WIP. It is the first time Liz is alone with her half sister Ella, to get to know her better after learning about her only months ago.  @flashfictionfridayofficial​

The time between the holidays of Christmas and New Year's Eve was usually the time for Liz to lie at home lazy and full of food like a cat, especially after the visit to Rodrigo's grandparents she would have felt like it, but this time there was no mercy. She regretted a little that she had agreed to meet her half-sister, especially after Ella had even more energy than she did. She had sent Rodrigo out especially to get snacks so that Ella would at least be a little quiet from time to time, and she could use the time to think about what all was in store for her. It was still strange having a little sister who was also so much younger. The sound of the key told Liz that he was already coming back, but she heard Ella right after that. "Here we are!" she still called from the apartment door. Smiling, Liz went to meet them and found Ella in ripped jeans, a thick black winter coat and a hooded scarf with a tiger pattern. "Now that's a mix," she laughed off. "I'm a child of the wild, baby!" Ella pretended her hands were paws. "Well, come on in you child of the wild. Do you need something warm? It's freezing outside." "Well, I never object to hot chocolate." "I'll get it," Rodrigo rolled his eyes and was about to disappear into the kitchen with the bags, but Ella stopped him and dove into one of the bags. "Ha, there I go." Triumphantly she pulled out a bag, right after that she threw her messenger bag together with the bag on the sofa and took off her jacket first. "You want to move in?", Liz teased her. Her eyes fell on the shoulder bag, which was decorated with badges and pins. Especially the rainbow pin and the flag pin in the colors for bisexuality caught her eye. "No, but I thought I'd bring cookies. Kind of like a hospitality gift, you know." "Then we have two things in common already." "Huh?" Ella plopped into the sofa next to her. The oversized sweater fell off one of her shoulders. "Your pins, penchant for sweets ...." "And our style of dress," Ella added with a grin, "So you're...?" "Pansexuel, but who wants to split hairs," Liz narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "You're sixteen, right?" "I'll be seventeen in February." Liz leaned to the side. "Rodrigo, mark your calendars for February." "Why?" he peered around the corner. "Ella's birthday." "So?" "We're going out. I know the appropriate club where she can go with a mommy bill." "Count me in," he just laughed out and disappeared again. "What's on your mind?" asked Ella. She was already jumping up and down around the seat with curiosity. "The oldest club for our kind in town. Then the child of the wilderness is released into the wild." "Very funny." “I know.”

[is-it-madness]

My Glorious Purpose | Loki x OC Chapter 10

A/N: New characters, some more hints. As always, thank you to my amazing friend and beta @wowjeena​, I honestly don’t know what I would do without you babe 💜😘

Pairing: Loki x OC  (Tera Digitalis)

Word Count: 1.7k+

Warnings: Maaaybe mentions of abuse if you squint hard enough... like, SQUINT, squint 

Chapter 10: A Pet

(Tera’s POV)

 I wake the next morning in my bed wondering why I have such a bad headache. Then I remember my little episode in the bathroom after training. I push my thoughts back down before my emotions can resurface and quickly shower and dress. Before I open my room door, I hear a scratching sound coming from outside. Curious, I open my door, but no one is there. I’m about to head down to the kitchen, when I feel something brush up on my leg. I nearly jump out of my skin, but when I look down, all I see is a cat. I frown. I didn’t know Tony had a cat. I’ve been living here for months and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a cat—or any animal for that matter. I crouch down to pet it. It has beautiful black, silky fur. It looks up at me and I gasp. It has the most startling green eyes I have ever seen. Bright and intelligent. I scratch behind its ears and it purrs in response. 

“Ah! Lady Tera! I see you have awoken from-”

I look up to see Thor, he’s walking towards me with a smile that is quickly slipping away. He’s looking at the cat in front of me.

“Hey Thor! Did you know Tony had a cat?”

He looks at me. “I don’t believe he belongs to Stark.”

“Oh.” I pause. “Wait. How did you know it’s a ‘he’? Have you seen him in the tower before.”

“Well, actually, I- um. I have the ability to determine an animal's gender simply by being near them,” he responded, not quite meeting my eyes.

“Really? I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Yes, well, I am not one to boast my powers.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Now, let us go break our fast. I have discovered the most brilliant invention Midgard has to offer!”

“Oh?” I ask, raising a brow. “And what’s that?” 

Thor punches his fist in the air. “Pop Tarts!” He runs down the hall, to the kitchen, fist still raised.

I shake my head, laughing.

I turn my attention back to the cat.

I open my arms, inviting him to jump in, but he turns his nose up.

“Okay, fine. Suit yourself.” I stand and follow Thor to the kitchen. I’m halfway down the hall when I see the cat walk next to me, nose and tail proudly in the air. I enter the kitchen to find the whole team already eating. I grab the cereal from in front of Clint and pour myself a bowl. The cat gracefully leaps onto the counter and starts eating from my cereal.

Clint almost falls out of his seat, but I just sigh and put myself another bowl.

“When’d you let the kid get a cat, Tony?” Steve asks.

Tony spins around, holding a coffee pot.

“Oh um, hmm I don’t remember,” he says in mock contemplation. “Oh wait yes I do. Never!”

“So how’d you sneak it in here?” Nat asks me.

“Okay first of all, he’s not my cat,” I tell her. “Second of all, I found him outside my door this morning.”

Bruce reaches out to pet him, but the cat tenses and starts hissing at the doctor.

“I believe the feline does not like you Banner.”

“Yeah I got that Thor.”

Tony walks around the counter and tries to move the cat, but before Tony can grab him, he pounces on Tony and shreds his shirt.

“Okay so we have a cat that doesn't like any of us.” Nat says.

“Not true,” I tell her. “Look.”

The cat jumps back on the counter and starts rubbing his cheek on my hand, purring contentedly.

“Can I keep him Tony?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“Kid look at what he did to my shirt!”

“Oh c'mon on Tony! You're the one who said I'm still a kid and that I should enjoy life right? Well I want to enjoy life by having a cat.”

“No.”

I frown. “Okay fine, but I just want you to know, if I can't have the cat, we won't be on speaking terms. You won’t be of any importance to me.” At my words, the cat jumps in my arms.

“You wouldn't do that kid.”

“Try me.” I glare, holding the cat.

“She totally would,” Clint chimed in. “She refused to talk to me for a month when I put the brownies on the top shelf.”

I narrowed my eyes at Clint. “You knew you shouldn’t mess with my brownies. It’s what you deserved.”

Nat laughs and Tony throws his hands up in defeat. “Fine, my tower is already being used as a daycare, why not add zoo to the list.”

“Yes! Thanks, Tony!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” he says rolling his eyes.

I continue petting the fluff ball in my arms.

“We're gonna need a name for you.”

“Bear?” Nat suggests.

He hisses at her.

“Okay, not Bear,” she surrenders.

“What about Bandit?” Clint offers.

The cat hops out of my arms and swats Clint’s face.

“I don't think so,” I laugh. 

We’re quiet for a few minutes.

“How about Tom?” I ask tentatively.

The cat sits in front of me, head cocked as if debating on my name choice. Seeming as though he reached a conclusion, he comes back in my arms and licks my hand.

“Tom it is,” I say scratching behind his ear.

“Hey, where's Loki?” Steve asks suddenly. We all look up, realizing the God of Mischief is not with us.

“Perhaps he is still in his room? I shall check!” Thor says eagerly, running out of the kitchen, holding his third box of Pop Tarts.

As soon as he leaves, the elevator doors open with a ding. A man with dark hair, wearing a suit, and carrying a briefcase, walks out.

I tense, my hands stopping dead on Tom’s fur. He looks up at me, probably sensing my fear. I don’t know this man, so my alarm bells immediately go off. 

“Ah, there he is,” Tony says, pouring himself a second cup of coffee. “I’ve been wondering when our Forehead of Security would show up.”

Clint chokes on his cereal.

“Your what?” Steve asks, baffled. 

Tony claps the man’s shoulder. “Everyone, say hello to our Forehead of Security, Happy Hogan.” 

Everyone waves or says hello except for Nat and I. She just rolls her eyes at Tony and Happy. Tom, who is still in my lap, stands up, placing his paws on my chest. He cocks his head, staring at me with his intense green eyes. He paws my face, trying to get my attention, since I’m watching Happy warily. Tom lets out a soft purr and nuzzles my cheek with his nose.

I take a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. He won’t hurt you. He’s Tony’s friend. He’s not like… Him. Just relax.

I resume petting Tom, taking deep breaths. 

Happy walks towards Tony, complaining about people not wearing their badges. Tony pokes fun at him and I slowly start to relax. Happy seems like a good natured guy. I turn my attention back to Tom, who has begun to incessantly meow.

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

I spend the rest of the day playing with Tom. Well, not playing exactly. I try to play with him, but he turns his nose up at me at every turn. I decide that he prefers being alone, so I go down to the library to continue reading my book.

I’m only a few pages in when I notice Tom has come to sit next to me on the couch. I open up my arm, allowing him entrance and he hesitantly lays next to me, his head on my stomach. We stay that way for hours. I could have sworn he’s trying to read my book with me, but I know that is impossible, so I just push the thought away.

I wake up hours later, having fallen asleep on the couch, the book still in my hands. The clock on the wall reads one in the morning. I decide to head to my own room when I notice Tom is gone.

He’s probably found somewhere else to sleep, I think to myself.

I walk out of the library, only to crash into something, hard.

 I fall backward.

“Ow.”

“I believe you have eyes for a reason, do you not?” 

“Shut up, Loki,” I grumble.

He offers me his hand and I take it. He hauls my back on my feet.

“And besides, why are you walking around the tower at this time of night?”

“I should ask you the same thing.”

“I’m going to my room actually. I fell asleep in the library. Now what were you doing?” I ask him accusingly.

“Exploring,” he says in an off hand manner.

“Okay, whatever. I’m going to bed, and next time, don’t explore in the middle of the night.” I turn and head off to my room. 

(Loki’s POV)

That was close. I was leaving the library when she had woken up and I didn't have any time to hide myself, so I acted as if I was walking towards the library. I am uncertain I made a good decision disguising myself as a common feline. I was not sure how she would react, but she welcomed me with open arms. Literally. Not that she knew it was me, of course. I’m sure if she knew, she would change her perspective about me. As soon as she had fallen asleep, I let myself out of her arms. I did not want to lose her trust—or what trust she had for me, if any. And besides, no self respecting man would transform himself into something a lady likes and then take advantage of her. I just want to find out why she had locked herself up yesterday. I want to learn what had caused her eyes to hide so much hurt behind them. She’s been through more than she lets on. I head back to my room, still questioning my decision.

I begin contemplating my brother’s actions earlier today. The moment he saw me, he knew it to be me. And yet, not only did he not expose me, but he also covered for me as well, pretending I was in my room, and acting as if he can determine the gender of an animal. Why on Odin’s beard would he do that?

Part 11

[regencyresource]

( * &. ━ list of slang words from the 1920′s

presenting a long list of slang terms from the “roaring twenties" ! the age of mobsters and jazz ! the time of longing after married women and staring into green-lights to include in your literary ventures ! i claim no ownership for this list, it was sourced HERE.

A

Alderman: A man's pot-belly

Ameche: Telephone 

Ankle: (n) Woman; (v) To walk 

Ab-so-lute-ly: Affirmative, yes 

Absent treatment: Dancing with a timid partner 

Air tight: Very attractive 

Airedale: An unattractive man 

Alarm clock: A chaperone 

All wet: Incorrect 

And how!: I strongly agree! 

Applesauce: Flattery, nonsense, i.e.. "Aw, applesauce!" 

Attaboy!: Well done!; also, Attagirl! 

B

Babe: Woman 

Baby: A person, can be said to either a man or a woman 

Bangtails: Racehorses 

Barber: Talk 

Be on the nut: To be broke 

Bean-shooter: Gun 

Beef: Problem 

Bee's Knees: An extraordinary person, thing or idea

Beezer: Nose 

Behind the eight ball: In a difficult position, in a tight spot 

Bent Cars: Stolen cars 

Big Cheese, Big Shot: The boss, someone of importance and influence 

Big House: Jail 

Big One: Death 

Big Sleep: Death 

Bim: Woman 

Bindle: The bundle in which a hobo carries all his worldly possessions 

Bindle punk or bindle stiff: Chronic wanderers, migratory harvest workers, and lumber jacks

Bing: Jailhouse talk for solitary confinement 

Bird: Man 

Bit: Prison sentence 

Blip off: To kill 

Blow: Leave 

Blow one down: Kill someone 

Blower: Telephone 

Bluenose: A prude

Bo: Pal, buster, fellow 

Boiler: Car 

Boob: Dumb guy 

Boozehound: Drunkard 

Bop: To kill 

Box: A safe or a bar 

Box job: A safecracking 

Brace (somebody): Grab, shake up 

Bracelets: Handcuffs 

Break it up: Stop that, quit the nonsense 

Breeze: To leave, breeze off: get lost 

Broad: Woman 

Bruno: Tough guy, enforcer 

Bucket: Car 

Bulge, The: The advantage 

Bulls: Plainclothes railroad cops; uniformed police; prison guards 

Bum's rush, To get the: To be kicked out 

Bump: Kill 

Bump Gums: To talk about nothing worthwhile 

Bump off: Kill; also, bump-off: a killing 

Burn powder: Fire a gun 

Bus: Big car 

Butter-and-egg-man: The money man, the man with the bankroll, a yokel who comes to town to blow a big wad in nightclubs 

Button: Face, nose, end of jaw 

Button man: Professional killer 

Buttons: Police 

Butts: Cigarettes 

Buzz: Looks person up, comes to persons door 

Buzzer: Policeman's badge 

C

C: $100, a pair of Cs = $200 

Cabbage: Money 

Caboose: Jail 

Call copper: Inform the police 

Can: Jail, Car 

Can house: Bordello 

Can-opener: Safecracker who opens cheap safes 

Canary: Woman singer 

Carry a Torch: Suffering from an unrequited love

Case dough: Nest egg 

Cat: Man 

Cat's Meow: Something splendid or stylish 

Cat's Pajamas: Term of endearment as in "I think you are really really cool"

Century: $100 

Cheaters: Sunglasses 

Cheese it: Put things away, hide 

Chew: Eat 

Chicago lightning: Gunfire 

Chicago overcoat: Coffin 

Chick: Woman 

Chilled off: Killed 

Chin: Conversation; chinning: talking 

Chin music: Punch on the jaw 

Chinese squeeze: Grafting by skimming profits off the top 

Chippy: Woman of easy virtue 

Chisel: To swindle or cheat 

Chiv: Knife, "a stabbing or cutting weapon" 

Chopper squad: Men with machine guns 

Chump: Person marked for a con or a gullible person

Clammed: Close-mouthed (clammed up) 

Clean sneak: An escape with no clues left behind 

Clip joint: In some cases, a nightclub where the prices are high and the patrons are fleeced 

Clipped: Shot 

Close your head: Shut up 

Clout: Shoplifter 

Clubhouse: Police station 

Con: Confidence game, swindle 

Conk: Head 

Cool: To knock out 

Cooler: Jail 

Cop: Detective, even a private one 

Copped, to be: Grabbed by the cops 

Copper: Policeman 

Corn: Bourbon ("corn liquor") 

Crab: Figure out 

Crate: Car 

Croak: To kill 

Croaker: Doctor 

Crush: An infatuation 

Crushed out: Escaped (from jail) 

Cut down: Killed 

D

Daisy: None too masculine 

Dame: Woman 

Dance: To be hanged 

Dangle: Leave, get lost 

Daylight, as in "fill him with daylight": Put a hole in, by shooting or stabbing 

Deck, as in "deck of Luckies": Pack of cigarettes 

Derrick: Shoplifter 

Dib: Share (of the proceeds) 

Dick: Detective (usually qualified with "private" if not a policeman) 

Dingus: Thing 

Dip: Pickpocket 

Dip the bill: Have a drink 

Dish: Pretty woman 

Dive: A low-down, cheap sort of place 

Dizzy with a dame, To be: To be deeply in love with a woman 

Do the dance: To be hanged 

Dogs: Feet 

Dope fiend: Drug addict 

Dope peddler: Drug dealer 

Dough: Money 

Drift: Go, leave 

Drill: Shoot 

Drop a dime: Make a phone call, sometimes meaning to the police to inform on someone 

Droppers: Hired killers 

Drum: Speakeasy 

Dry-gulch: Knock out, hit on head after ambushing 

Duck soup: Easy, a piece of cake 

Dummerer: Someone who pretends to be deaf and/or dumb to appear a more deserving beggar 

Dump: Roadhouse, club; or, more generally, any place 

Dust out: Leave, depart 

E

Egg: Man 

Electric cure: Electrocution 

Elephant ears: Police 

F

Fade: Go away, get lost 

Fakeloo artist: Con man 

Fella: A man 

Fin: $5 bill 

Finder: Finger man 

Finger, Put the finger on: Identify 

Flaming Youth: Male counterpart to a flapper

Flapper: A stylish, brash young woman with short skirts and shorter hair

Flat Tire: A dull-witted or disappointing date

Flattie: Flatfoot, cop 

Flimflam: Swindle 

Flippers: Hands 

Flivver: A Ford automobile 

Flogger: Overcoat 

Flop: Go to bed or fallen through, not worked out 

Flophouse: A cheap transient hotel where a lot of men sleep in large rooms 

Fog: To shoot 

Frail: Woman 

Frau: Wife 

Fry: To be electrocuted 

Fuzz: Police 

G

Gal: Woman 

Gams: A Woman’s Legs 

Gasper: Cigarette 

Gat: Gun 

Get Sore: Get mad 

Getaway sticks: Legs 

Giggle juice: Liquor 

Giggle Water: Liquor 

Gin mill: Bar 

Glad rags: Fancy clothes 

Glaum: Steal 

Goofy: Crazy 

Goog: Black eye 

Goon: Thug 

Gooseberry lay: Stealing clothes from a clothesline 

Gowed-up: On dope, high 

Grab (a little) air: Put your hands up 

Graft: Con jobs or cut of the take 

Grand: $1000 

Grift: Confidence game, swindle 

Grifter: Con man 

Grilled: Questioned 

Gumshoe: Detective 

Gumshoeing: Detective work 

Gun for: Look for, be after 

Guns: Pickpockets, Hoodlums 

Guy: A man 

H

Hack: Taxi 

Half, a: 50 cents 

Hard: Tough 

Harlem Sunset: Some sort fatal injury caused by knife 

Hash House: A cheap restaurant 

Hatchet men: Killers, gunmen 

Have the Bees: To be rich 

Head doctors: Psychiatrists 

Heap: Car 

Heat: Police 

Heater: Gun 

Heebie-Jeebies: The jitters

Heeled: Carrying a gun 

High-Hat: To snub 

High Pillow: Person at the top, in charge 

Highbinders: Corrupt politician or functionary 

Hinky: Suspicious 

Hitting the pipe: Smoking opium 

Hitting on all eight: In good shape, going well 

Hock shop: Pawnshop 

Hogs: Engines 

Hombre: Man, fellow 

Hooch: Liquor 

Hood: Criminal 

Hoofer: Dancer

Hoosegow: Jail 

Horn: Telephone 

Hot: Stolen 

Hotsy-Totsy: Pleasing

House dick: House/hotel detective 

House peeper: House/hotel detective 

Hype: Shortchange artist 

I

Ice : Diamonds 

Ing-bing, as in to throw an: A fit 

Iron: A car 

J

Jack: Money 

Jalopy: An old car

Jam: Trouble, a tight spot 

Jane: A woman 

Java: Coffee 

Jaw: Talk 

Jerking a nod: Nodding 

Jingle-brained: Addled 

Jobbie: Man 

Joe: Coffee, as in "a cup of joe" 

Johns: Police 

Johnson brother: Criminal 

Joint: Place, as in "my joint" 

Juice: Interest on a loanshark's loan 

Jug: Jail 

Jump, The: A hanging 

K

Kale: Money 

Keen: Attractive or appealing

Kick off: Die 

Kiss: To punch 

Kisser: Mouth 

Kitten: Woman 

Knock off: Kill 

L

Lammed off: Ran away, escaped 

Large: $1,000; twenty large would be $20,000 

Law, the: The police 

Lead, "fill ya full of lead": the term used for bullets 

Lead poisoning: To be shot 

Lettuce: Folding money 

Lid: Hat 

Line: Insincere flattery

Lip: (Criminal) lawyer 

Looker: Pretty woman 

Look-out: Outside man 

Lousy with: To have lots of 

M

Mac: A man 

Made: Recognized 

Map: Face 

Marbles: Pearls 

Mark: Sucker, victim of swindle or fixed game 

Maroon: Person marked for a con or a gullible person

Meat wagon: Ambulance 

Mickey Finn: A drink drugged with knock-out drops 

Mill: Typewriter 

Mitt: Hand 

Mob: Gang (not necessarily Mafia) 

Mohaska: Gun 

Moll: Girlfriend 

Monicker: Name 

Mouthpiece: Lawyer 

Mugs: Men (especially refers to dumb ones) 

N

Nailed: Caught by the police 

Nevada gas: Cyanide 

Newshawk: Reporter 

Newsie: Newspaper vendor 

Nibble one: To have a drink 

Nicked: Stole 

Nippers: Handcuffs 

Noodle: Head 

Number: A person 

O

Off the track: Said about a person who becomes insanely violent 

Op: Detective 

Orphan paper: Bad checks 

Out on the roof: To drink a lot, to be drunk 

Oyster fruit: Pearls 

P

Packing Heat: Carrying a gun 

Pal: A man 

Palooka: Man, probably not very smart 

Pan: Face 

Paste: Punch 

Patsy: Person who is set up; fool, chump 

Paw: Hand 

Peaching: Informing 

Peeper: Detective 

Peepers: Eyes 

Pen: Penitentiary, jail 

Peterman: Safecracker who uses nitroglycerin 

Piece: Gun 

Pigeon: Stool-pigeon 

Pinch: An arrest, capture 

Pins: Legs 

Pipe: See or notice 

Pipes: Throat 

Plant: Someone on the scene but in hiding, Bury 

Plug: Shoot 

Plugs: People 

Poke: Bankroll, stake 

Pooped: Killed 

Pop: Kill 

Pro skirt: Prostitute 

Puffing: Mugging 

Pug: Pugilist, boxer 

Pump: Heart 

Pump metal: Shoot bullets 

Punk: Hood, thug 

Pushover: A person easily convinced of something

Puss: Face 

Put down: Drink 

Put the screws on: Question, get tough with 

R

Rags: Clothes 

Ranked: Observed, watched, given the once-over 

Rap: Criminal charge 

Rappers: Fakes, set-ups 

Rat: Inform 

Rate: To be good, to count for something 

Rats and mice: Dice, i.e. craps 

Rattler: Train 

Red-light: To eject from a car or train 

Redhot: Some sort of criminal 

Reefers: Marijuana cigarettes 

Rhino: Money 

Right: Adjective indicating quality 

Ringers: Fakes 

Ritzy: Elegant 

Rod: Gun 

Roscoe: Gun 

Rub-out: A killing 

Rube: Bumpkin, easy mark 

Rumble, the: The news 

S

Sap: A dumb guy 

Sap poison: Getting hit with a sap 

Savvy: Get me? Understand? 

Sawbuck: $10 bill (a double sawbuck is a $20 bill) 

Schnozzle: Nose 

Scram out: Leave 

Scratch: Money 

Scratcher: Forger 

Send over: Send to jail 

Shamus: (Private) detective 

Sharper: A swindler or sneaky person 

Sheba: A woman with sex appeal 

Sheik: A man with sex appeal 

Shells: Bullets 

Shiv: Knife 

Shylock: Loanshark 

Shyster: Lawyer 

Sing: Make a confession 

Sister: Woman 

Skate around: To be of easy virtue 

Skid rogue: A bum who can't be trusted 

Skirt: Woman 

Slant, Get a: Take a look 

Sleuth: Detective 

Slug: A bullet or to knock unconscious 

Smoked: Drunk 

Snap a cap: Shout 

Snatch: Kidnap 

Sneeze: Take 

Snitch: An informer, or to inform 

Snooper: Detective 

Speakeasy: An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor 

Spiffy: Looking elegant 

Soak: To pawn 

Sock: Punch 

Soup: Nitroglycerine 

Soup job: To crack a safe using nitroglycerine 

Spill: Talk, inform 

Spinach: Money 

Spitting: Talking 

Square: Honest 

Squeeze: A female companion or girlfriend

Squirt metal: Shoot bullets 

Step off: To be hanged 

Stiff: A corpse 

Sting: Culmination of a con game 

Stool-pigeon: Informer 

Stoolie: Stool-pigeon 

Stuck On: Having a crush on 

Sucker: Someone ripe for a grifter's scam 

Sugar: Money 

Swanky: Ritzy 

Swell: Wonderful 

T

Tail: Shadow or follow 

Take a powder: Leave 

Take on: Eat 

Take for a Ride: Drive off with someone in order to bump them off 

Take the air: Leave 

Take the bounce: To get kicked out 

Take the fall for: Accept punishment for 

That's the crop: That's all of it 

Three-spot: Three-year jail term 

Throw lead: Shoot bullets 

Ticket: P.I. license 

Tiger milk: Some sort of liquor 

Tighten the screws: Put pressure on somebody 

Tin: Badge 

Tip a few: To have a few drinks 

Tomato: Pretty woman 

Tooting the wrong ringer: Asking the wrong person 

Torpedoes: Gunmen 

Trap: Mouth 

Trigger man: Man whose job is to use a gun 

Trouble boys: Gangsters 

Twist: Woman 

Two bits: $25, or 25 cents 

U

Under glass: In jail 

W

Weak sister: A push-over 

Wear iron: Carry a gun 

Wise head: A smart person 

Wooden kimono: A coffin 

Wop: derogatory term for an Italian 

Worker, as in "She sizes up as a worker": A woman who takes a guy for his money 

Wrong gee: Not a good fellow 

Wrong number: Not a good fellow 

Y

Ya Follow: do you understand? 

Yap: Mouth 

Yard: $100 

Yegg: Safecracker who can only open cheap and easy safes 

Z

Zotzed: Killed

Zozzled: Drunk

[tcrmommabear]

For headphonescinderella, the lost ladies prompt

A/N: This is my Secret Santa entry for 2018. I originally had plans to do all of my victim's prompts, but because December is the last month I have the time to do a bunch of writing for obvious reasons, she will have to be satisfied with this for now.

9. Lost

Perdita was awakened by the smell of a hot breakfast, something that involved a lot of gravy.

Her fair mouth grimaced as she pretended to be asleep for a little longer. Her heart was still burning from dinner the night before, but she dared not complain. Regardless of what type of gravy it was, her royal husband would love it.

Which in turn meant that she loved it, even if her heart and stomach constantly felt like an inferno as a result.

"Hmm, that smells good," his familiar voice purred as the whole bed shifted with his movements until he was sitting up in their gigantic canopied bed. His familiar paw nudged her shoulder insistently once he was settled. "Wake up, babe. You know I can't start without you."

She managed to hide her groan of disdain as part of a low growl that sounded like she was sorry about being woken up.

Childhood training made her actions to move into a seated position much more smooth and graceful than her husband's. When she forced herself to open her eyes, she could see the three ladies in waiting smiling brightly at her, Amethyst indeed bearing her a large tray heavy with quail eggs, turkey sausage and hot biscuits, all smothered in rich gravy that nearly disguised her breakfast completely.

"Dear Amethyst, you know my appetite isn't all that large," she cooed tolerably, wishing her husband would let her order a fruit bowl instead for just one meal.

Her husband wrapped a surprisingly scrawny arm around her waist and dragged her a little closer to his side of the bed. "Eat it anyway, love. You're getting thinner again, and that's not healthy."

An order from her husband. There was no choice but obedience now. Perdita nodded assent and politely tucked into her breakfast with her mate.

As her hand reluctantly brought mouthful after mouthful to her lips, the neat little black cat couldn't help reflecting on where she might be if the king hadn't been widowed for the second time when she came of age.

Duchess Sai always smelled of strawberries and peaches at early morning court, as did her husband. Did she secretly yearn for a heavy breakfast such as this? It would be terribly improper to ask, of course, but it wasn't hard to see that the way the duke doted on his young wife. There just seemed to be something more… thoughtful about how he interacted with her, always so tender.

Her heart seemed to burn more hotly in response, but she didn't dare let it show as she kept swallowing gravy and sugar as she was ordered.

After breakfast was the ritual of Lapis and Rose combing through her luxurious fur, which the current court poet loved comparing to sapphires. Amethyst busied herself with changing the bedsheets as the king left for his morning duties, using one of the last biscuits to eat a bit more gravy with a lazy smile.

Queen Perdita of the Cat Kingdom closed her blue eyes lingeringly, letting the specially-treated brushes run through her fur with all the gentleness of a summer's breeze. 'Clean your fur, clean the bed clothes… clean the memories of what will never be…'

She knew she didn't have much to complain about. Phoebus has his list of faults, certainly, but at least he was doting. It didn't matter how high the function, if he felt like a kiss or embrace, he was completely willing to let the court say what they will about his lack of decorum. Even when she would have rather not have an audience to such affection.

She was presented with only the finest clothes, the finest foods, but most importantly, the finest son she could have ever hoped for.

Her fixed smile turned genuine at the thought of her fine little boy, who was almost ready to have his twelfth birthday. It was probably uncharitable to think it, but she was grateful that her sweet prince hadn't seemed to inherit much more from his father than the famous red eye of the royal family and an occasional bout of absent-mindedness.

As a result, he was mild-mannered, thoughtful, and a delight to be around.

If not for the childhood training of hiding her true emotions, Perdita would have surely flinched in guilt as Lapis helped to guide her into an expensive gown of silver brocade.

The blue hair had been trained from the cradle to be the perfect wife. It troubled her much more growing up, but she had more or less resigned herself to the fact that in order to be the perfect wife, she could never at any time form an opinion without consulting her husband to ensure they were perfectly synced in all things.

She took in a deep breath, wishing she could at the very most only tie a satin ribbon around her neck and be done with it, but her husband was obsessed with human fashion, at least on queens. He himself only wore golden armbands and the royal eye that was the badge of his office because his long fur would make him overheat if he wore additional clothes.

Perdita had to fight back a rebellious smile that although her husband adored human fashions, he wasn't about to go shaving himself for it any time soon. For now, he was content in dressing up his wife like an oversized doll.

"There you are, your majesty! You're a vision to behold," Rose gushed as she and Lapis stepped back enough so that their queen could inspect her reflection in the large mirror in a corner of the royal suite.

The only way she could have appeared even more human was if her husband had resurrected the practice of stealing human brides for the royal line. Legends had it that even after the change was complete, some bit of their human selves would always remain the same.

Perdita fixed her usual smile into place, even though her heart still burning within her chest at the uncomfortable truth.

An oversized, heir-making doll.

ooOoo

Even lunch that day was unnecessarily heavy. Perdita tried to remember what she had been doing between getting dressed and sitting here beside her husband again, but for the life of her, she could barely focus her attention on anything around her.

She had always been fond of watercolor paintings, but now she almost felt like she was in the middle of one as it was being painted. Colors seemed to swirl and dance together in her vision, and everyone around her seemed noisier than usual. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she managed to look around her husband devouring a whole tuna casserole by himself at her dear son.

Lune seemed worried, trying to disguise the fact that he was keeping one eye on her at all times. He was barely touching the gravy mess in front of him, though she couldn't tell if it was distaste or concern that was keeping him from eating.

Perdita could feel her heart swell with love once more. Why couldn't her husband have been more like their son? All it would take it ten seconds of Phoebus to show this kind of concern over her, and perhaps she'd be enjoying a grass salad right now.

Or perhaps a nap. Why was she so tired? Not even her heart burn and raging stomach had managed to wake her up last night, and as the queen, about the only exercise she got was from a beaded fan or cutlery.

Her paw was shaking from the excursion of lifting caviar to her lips. Caviar, that weighed practically nothing, was making her arm ache like she was attempting to flip over the table!

Her stomach and jaw screamed in agony, making her put down the spoon for good. It was simply too much.

Almost on cue, the little sound was enough to make her husband turn enough to look at her with a warning glare.

"Shouldn't you be using that?" he asked bluntly.

Perdita made a breathy sigh. "I'm sorry, dear, but I just can't right now. I'll eat more at supper, I promise." 'If I were to wear a purse, would I be able to slip the food into it instead of my mouth? No. As long as I am queen, my every move will always be watched.'

The thought only made her feel worse. What was she, some creature locked up in a zoo? Meant only to be gawked at between the bars? Her heart pounded worse at what was feeling like an increasingly accurate analogy.

The Cat King's glare got more dangerous. "Your fur isn't as glossy as it was when we got married. Your eyes are getting duller, and you don't laugh as much as you used to. If you would just eat a full meal every time, these things would get better."

All true, at least the first half of his statement, but why did he say that out loud in front of the entire court? Everything had turned dead quiet in order to catch his majesty's every word, right down to the musicians that should have been providing atmosphere.

Her son's angry look made it clear that he would have at least waited for some privacy.

'Maybe if you would let me pick what I eat, I would eat everything!' Perdita had been thinking it for years, but now her thoughts were threatening to bubble to the surface. "I can't-" she tried to explain again, but he was already unloading half a partridge pie onto her almost full plate, pushing some anchovies off it and staining the cream-colored tablecloth.

"Eat it. All of it!" he commanded with the same volume he would have used addressing the entire kingdom.

Perdita looked down at her plate, seeing the fat and gravy literally turn the tablecloth into a disgusting misshapen ring of greys and browns around the dish. Her stomach threatened a second appearance of what she had already managed to choke down that day.

Taking in a deep breath, she pushed the plate away while uttering something she usually only dreamed of saying to her husband.

"No."

Phoebus seemed to swell in his rage. "I am the KING!"

"And I am the queen who's trying to keep her food down. It's turning into a losing battle," she managed to say, holding one paw to her midriff, praying that she wouldn't actually throw up with the entire court watching.

Sure, the king did it on an almost nightly basis, but that was thanks to how much strong drink he consumed at supper. The queen couldn't afford to do it, she had to be the embodiment of perfection! Who cared if the king made a fool of himself, but the queen would have caused a real scandal if she did the same!

It was all so unfair! It was always unfair, but the fact seemed to matter more in this moment.

"Simple enough, I order you to keep your food down, and to add this to it!" He shoved the plate back at her a little more harshly than he meant to.

Or so Perdita hoped. Instead of coming to rest in front of her, the plate collided with the front of her silver dress, sending hot gravy and more down her chest and ruining the expensive gown.

She knew she needed to be ladylike in expressing her pain, but it was the final straw. The dark blue cat tried to get out of her throne-like chair with a pained yelp.

But somewhere in the middle of that yelp, it felt like one of the guards had successfully skewered her with a spear, the pain was so intense. Her yelp cut itself off in surprise and sudden breathlessness.

She began falling, first painfully over the armrest, and then onto the marble floor next to the royal table.

The last thing she heard her husband say was, "I know that trick, Perdita! Sylvia used to use it on me all the time!"

The last thing she saw was her young prince hurrying to her side with a cry of "Mother!"

But what Perdita would never know, was how her final look of relief would be something that would haunt her precious Lune for the rest of his days.

[officialleehadan]

Barroom Brawl

Callen Tor was a tall man, but not a big one. His frame was more wiry than bulky, although Cora would bet he punched well above his weight and would probably cheat given the slightest opportunity. Tattoos crawled down his forearms, an abstract collection of elemental fractals and tunes, with the marks of supernatural beings mixed in here and there.

It wa possibly the beat combination of magic and ink that Cora had seen since she first learned about tattoo magic from a wizened old yakuza lady in Japan. At a thought, any of those tattoos would wake, and Callen could unleash the devastating magic they channeled.

Far faster than actual spell-casting, although there was a good chance he could do that too.

“You’re a hard man to find,” Cora told him, as she slid into his favorite booth, cunningly chosen for its’ magnificent view of the whole bar. Months of tracking him, and she had finally pieced it together.

After a heist, he disappeared for six months to a year. After he came back to the city, he began putting together a crew fo his next big heist. It was clever. Made it hard to pin anything on him, since he wasn’t around for questioning.

Not that it mattered. His heists were always shiny clean. Professional. Everything they had on him was questionable at the very best, and completely unfounded except that he was the only one who could have pulled it off, so it had to be him.

Frankly, Cora was surprised he was still in town, considering his father’s murder.

Oddly, that made her wonder if he had actually done it. It broke his pattern, and generally the best of the best kept to their patterns religiously.

“You’re a brave cop, to walk into this bar,” Tor noted. He had a heavy slums accent going, but something about it sounded like an affectation. If she had to guess, it was to make people think he was stupid. “There are men from all three Families having a poker game in the back. Jackknife is three tables over, and pretty much no one here likes anyone with a badge.”

“Except firefighters. We like them.”

Cora bit off a curse.

Rao Byrn. Callen Tor’s best friend, half demon, and probable demon-pactmate. Even without the demonic aspect, he was a huge man with immense bulging muscles and a fondness for fighting that wouldn’t be out of place in the MMA ring.

Cora didn’t think she could take them both on in a fight. One or the other maybe, but together they were a serious problem, and that was assuming she was quick enough to kill Tor’s magic before he leveled the building.

Fortunately, neither of them seemed to be inclined to fight. At least not yet.

Byrn had two fresh beers and passed his partner one before he sat down, a wary eye on the rest of the bar.

“We do like the firefighters,” Tor agreed, and slid his nachos over so Byrn could get at them. “But they barely count as badges. You, on the other hand...”

“Technically I’m not a cop either,” Cora said, and saw a flicker of interest cross Tor’s eyes. “I’m here about the murder of Breton Tor.”

Callen Tor immediately, and rudely, spat on the floor, which summed up his feelings on his father rather well.

“Wasn’t me, but I wish it was,” he said with a venomous smile. “And before you get any bright ideas, Lisette has been in France all month, and it wasn’t her ether.”

That part Cora knew already. Lisette Tor was much easier to pin down than her brother. Born a natural beauty, she spent a great deal of her time modeling. Presently she was the favorite muse of a particularly renowned painter who kept her in high style.

Cora wondered what her painter friend though of Lisette’s criminal brother. Probably not much, since Tor was pretty much in a class of his own as a thief, and the only thing on his record was aggravated assault from years earlier.

“I’m looking for the person who did it,” Cora told him casually, and took an easy swing of her own beer. “You might not mind that Breton was murdered-“

“Properly pleased, really,” Byrn corrected her. He had an accent, but for the life of her, Cora couldn’t place it. Somewhere between Irish and Russian, but distinctly neither. “Wouldn’t mind buying them a drink if we found out who it was.”

“So no idea who would want him dead badly enough to beat him, torture him, and cut his throat to the bone?”

Cora kept her voice light, but they all knew the question for the trap it was.

Byrn roared with laughter as Tor chuckled into his beer.

“Genuinely no idea,” he told her when he managed to stop laughing. And had elbowed his huge friend to quiet the games of laughter to some decidedly undignified snickering. “The shorter list would be people who didn’t want him dead. It’s not like my asshole sire made himself well-liked.”

“Anyone besides you at the top of that list?”

“Lisette,” Tor grinned and took a sip of his beer, flashing more deep tattoos spiraling up under his sleeves, “Rao, here. Any of the Family Men he screwed over in the last lifetime or so. He was popular. Take your pick.”

“Name names for me, Tor,” Cora said, although she really wasn’t surprised it was going this way. No one ever took Tor for an idiot. At least, not more than once. “The faster we do this, the sooner I go away.”

“But we were just starting to like you,” Byrn said cheerfully, still chuckling. “Askin’ Cal would want Breton Tor dead. Funny, you are.”

“I don’t see the joke,” Cora said. She was fishing for information and they knew it, but it might pay off. A sorcerer and a demon were always worth watching, and like it or not, blood called to blood. “And I could use a name or three.”

“Last time I saw him, he was blackmailing me into a heist,” Tor finally coughed up some real information and Cora hurried to write it down. “We had words, and I didn’t see him again after that. About a week later he turned up dead.”

“By words...?” Cora was still hoping for just a little more, and something told her this would be important. “WhT do you mean by that?”

“He beat the shit out of me,” Tor said bitterly, and hiked up his shirt to show more tattoos and a set of deep, half-heeled bruises. “I put him through a wall, pretty polite no considering, and left.”

“Sounds like motive.”

“If you had grounds, I would already be in cuffs.”

Before Cora could reply, the door blasted open and sent shards of wood across the dirty floor.

A dozen men rushed in, clad in unmarked body armor. Each carried a heavy semiautomatic rifle, and they moved like trained professionals.

Byrn and Tor shot to their feet even as Cora kicked over the metal table and took a knee behind it, scant but vital cover.

The new arrivals raised their rifles even as the bar dissolved into chaos. Bullets went everywhere, and Cora was deeply grateful for the thick metal blocking the worst of the fire.

“Friends of yours?” Tor ducked into her cover, closely followed by Byrn. With a snap of his fingers, a shield appeared around them, blocking the rain of bullets. “Lot of firepower for a conversation!”

“They’re not with me!” Cora snapped and pulled her gun. Body armor or no, a good shot would drop a man just fine, and did when she methodically began targeting kneecaps. “You think the cops would storm a place with one of their own inside?”

“Thought you weren’t a cop,” Byrn rumbled and began flinging hands of almost-black fire at the men across the room. Screams announced his aim was good. “Are they badges?”

Cora stole a quick glance and spotted another man, with expensive-looking bodyguards beside him, behind the strike team.

“Callen Tor!” The man yelled when the gunfire slowed, and was only punctuated by groans of pain from the injured. “Come out now or we burn you out!”

“They really don’t know us,” Tor said to Byrn, a sardonic smile on his face. “Thinking fire will bother us one bit. Just sloppy, really.”

“Want me to-“

“Probably best if you don’t.”

“Right-o. Tell me if you change your mind.”

Cora really wished they would use human words, and not the language of two old friends who mostly communicated in shrugs and incomprehensible jokes. “Go live me a minute. I’ll get backup on the way, if hey aren’t already from the gunfire.”

“Don’t bother,” Tor said tightly, and jerked a thumb upwards. “This is the slums. Gunfire is as common as rain here and cops aren’t welcome. Rao, the sprinklers.”

“On it,” Byrn agreed, and blasted the piles above the strike team. Water poured down and soaked the men thoroughly. “Enough?”

“More than enough.” Tor yanked up his sleeves to display cat paw-prints shaped from lightning bolts. They blazed to life and sent electricity crackling over his hands. “Get down Badge. Don’t want to cook you in those cute boots of yours.”

With that he sent a cat made of lightning prowling out around their shelter.

“Try not to kill them,” Cora said, even as the gunfire slowed, and then ceased as men went down, twitching as the cat stalked them, electric paws deep in the growing puddle beneath them. “Irma hard to convince cops to protect a guy who killed twelve guys by himself.”

“They’re not dead,” Tor drawled, and peered over the table and through his shield. “Hey mister! You coming in to talk? I’m not dead!”

There was no answer. When Cora peeked out herself, the man was gone.

His lackeys were already being zip tied, no doubt by Family soldiers, called when the gunfire started.

“Congratulations, Callen Tor,” she said as got to her feet and tucked her gun back under her coat. “Someone has an axe to grind against you.”

“They aren’t the first, and they won’t be the last,” Tor said, but all trace of joking drawl was gone, and only icy seriousness remained in its place. “And they’re going to have to be much, much better than this to take me alive.”

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Secondhand Souls:

Partnership of Flames

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