#what I wouldn't give for a job where I am just given a task to do and then go home

[monster-noises]

[mists-dark-zone]

Hi!

So.. i read you kinktober stuff and boi.. my mind is running like..

i have some thoughts, like Creator doing 1, 12, 23 to Zhongli, mainly cuz i have a love and hate relationship with him. That is the result of my friend making me hate him that bad, but that is another story.

Though, back to my thoughts on Zhongli being a sub, like ugh, I love me some sub men that are powerful. Zhongli crying and begging for release due to over stim? Beautiful.

Zhongli released a soft whine and yet he doesn't want to disappoint you, not after he was given this plant to take care of by you. Yet, he is so humiliated to be at the mercy of the pathetic plant, not fully realizing that he was pulled into the trap that was set up by you. There are times where it just teases him after a long night of endless rounds, but he won't return the plant cuz of what the creator said before handing him the plant, "Surely someone as strong as you can handle the plant i made just for you." - Kaeya anon

Kinktober day "3"

I know it's technically day 7,but this took awhile to write T-T. Days 4,5,6,and 7 will be posted soon,as well as day 8.

This request was very fun to write,thank you for it!

Zhongli

1: Humiliation

12: Expositionalism

23: Tentacles

Content warning: ⚠️This work has dubious consent⚠️

If this bothers you I ask that you leave,for your own wellbeing!!

If these things make you uncomfortable DO NOT INTERACT!! I am not liable for it if you do!

There was a knock at your door.

"Your grace?" The voice of your most loyal servant came through. "May I come in?" He said before politely waiting outside. 'He was definitely the perfect one for this job',you thought to yourself before speaking.

"Yes,please come in." Zhongli walked in,head held high. He gave a deep bow,almost going to kneel at your feet until you stopped him. "That will not be necessary today." He peered at you,confused. "Zhongli,I have a task for you." He had perked up at the word task,straighting himself back up.

You move gracefully across the room,mentioning for him to follow. You smiled to yourself as you picked up a plant in a pot. Leaves of deep purple,with...tentacle like stems and leaves. It was a type of vine,you supposed. Gingerly picking up the plant,you turned to Zhongli.

"This plant here is one I made specifically for you,my most loyal follower. I ask that you please take care of it." You held it out to him,and Zhongli nodded. His stoic face betrayed the way he was feeling inside,the bubbling pride and excitement making it's way through his body.

Zhongli bowed deeply. "I am honored to have such a privilege,your grace." You nodded,a similar excitement bubbling inside of you,but for reasons very different than what Zhongli could guess. You carefully placed the pot into his waiting hands. You waved a dissmissal, and he bowed deeply once again,turning to leave. Just as he opened the door,you called out to him,making him turn around.

"It's a special plant Zhongli,so make sure to give it extra special care." You said with a wink before going back to your work. Zhongli briskly left the room,scurrying through your giant palace domain. He had his own place,but decided to go to the room assigned to him as an acolyte instead,saving some time. He quickened his pace,wanting to get there as soon as he possibly could. He couldn't understand why,but he felt he needed the space his room gave for something,although he was unsure why this thought came to mind.

He finally made it to his room. It was a barren yet large place. He had his bed pushed to the left side, which at the foot the door to his in room bathroom was. That door was closed however,so after a minute of looking around,Zhongli placed the plant on his desk,which was the direct opposite of his bed.

He stared at the plant for a moment. It looked...odd,but all the colors were absolutely beautiful in a way Zhongli wouldn't have seen before. He was studying the plant so intently that he hardly noticed that it had moved a bit.

He snapped out of it only when he realized that it would be best if he watered the plant. Fresh water would be best,he thought to himself. So,he walked to the door,ready to walk out. That was,until he was grabbed.

Something hard and thick wrapped around his waist,pulling him up into the air in the middle of the room. He let out a yelp,trying desperately to push the thing off of him. He looked down at it,trying to see what exactly was holding him captive. It looked to be a vine of sorts,and he wondered if he could maybe slash it with his polearm...

...That was,until a sweet smell began secreting from the plant,causing him to go limp and his thoughts to cloud up. He continued to fight,squirming around in a pathetic attempt to escape,but there was no strength behind his actions. It was like all the power he had was drained. Or maybe it was just the fact that thinking about escaping was getting harder..

Something hard pushed its way into his mouth,and he desperately tried to spit it out. It was relentless however,so it simply continued to venture deeper into his mouth. Zhongli gagged when it hit the back of his throat,tears springing up in he eyes. The thing didn't care for his discomfort,and soon the former archon felt a cool,thick,slimy substance slide down his throat.

All too quick,his body felt as if it was in searing heat. Sweat formed on his forehead as he panted. He hardly noticed that his cocks had become fully erect,straining his pants. It came to the forefront ot his mind as it became increasingly uncomfortable. Two thin vines came and pulled off his jacket,letting it fall to a heap on the floor below. They then began work on his suit,finishing much quicker than Zhongli anticipated. It joined his jacket on the floor.

The very second his chest was bare and exposed,more thin vines came,rubbing his stomach with light touches that made him shiver. They trailed up his body,tracing his arolea and flicking over his nipples,causing him to let out a quite embarrassing moan. He was trying hard to escape,but the fire hot pleasure he was feeling was making him so weak...

There was a pressure in his backside,and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as a thick vine pushed into his hole. A wanton moan escaped hid lips. The soft,malleable thorns of the vine tickled his walls on a way that made him gyrate his hips and whine with tears in his eyes. When it hit his prostate,he fell limp as he came hard.

The vines continued even after he came,fucking him hard and fast. He moaned and cried,squirming desperately as he desperately tried to get away from the overstimulation.

Another vine came to touch the head of his sensitive cock,and he yelped as tears once again gathered in his eyes. He couldn't decide whether to buck into it or buck away from it as another splash of white hot pleasure-pain rocketed through him,causing him to orgasm once again.

He squeezed around the vine,just as he felt a thick,warm substance empty from the vine into his hole. He whined as it slipped out,and the other vines let him slump gently to the floor. He watched through blearly,half lidded eyes as the plant returned to normal,as if like magic.

When he awoke,the first he thought to do was get rid of the wretched plant. But the words of his God came back to him. "This plant here is one I made specifically for you,my most loyal follower. I ask that you please take care of it." His God had made it for him specifically. It would be blasphemous to throw it away. So he let it stay. Let it have it's way with him every night.

Little did he know,that that was just what you wanted,as you watched from the shadows every night.

[fanficonly]

Wenclair x Reader

What Are You?- Chapter 8

Daaaamn not me posting ... Since when?! This doesn't happen often... Honestly thank you if you're still here reading this fic and I am sorry for how long it's taking but enjoy anyway 😋

You enter your room with a large grunt erupting from your throat as you practically throw your suitcase into the room. You sigh, as it tips over and decide to ignore it and focus on the numb ache in your arms from carrying it up an abnormal amount of stairs. It's moments like these where you actually wish you were a normal outcast, preferably one with super strength, vampire, werewolf, honestly the task would be much way easier.

Now what? You take a moment to scan the room, pursing your lips in contemplation. It is a cute room but you will definitely have to do a little bit of redecorating to give it more of a homey vibe. I mean the school had done a nice job, given you a bed, a nightstand, a closet and even added a full body mirror and swivel desk chair perched under the study desk. But it still screamed wooden storeroom with a bed and that just wouldn't do, you were minimal not a criminal, you deserve a bit of style at the very least.

At last you finally decide to deal with the slow bleeding puncture holes in your back. Switching on the small but fair radio to play some quiet music for background noise, you get to work.

The full body mirror, compliments of the School, comes in handy as you slide your jacket off and turn away from it, twisting your neck behind you to inspect the damage caused to your uniform. This, of course being more irritating than the new scars that would cover the old, that you were used too.

"Fuuuuck" you complain, cursing at the sky, aggravated with the amount of effort this would take. Its way too prominent to make up some "I fell" shit to Wednesday and Enid but right now you couldn't focus on that, instead you needed to make sure the blood was scarring and needed to clean up

As you unbutton the shirt and slightly let it drape down your arm, off-shoulder, you roll your eyes and drop it to examine the bleed. As your shirt hits the ground, you hear it...

What the fuck was that?

A noise, like a breath? a squeak? You didn't know but it was enough for you to whip your head around your room suspiciously. The closet. It definitely came from there.

Don't look in there.

Don't look in there.

Don't look in there.

You chant to yourself relentlessly. This is how people in Horror movies die you know, they investigate and they walk right into the waiting arms (or knife) of the killer and are completely shocked to find out they're about to die. 'Ridiculous' you think to yourself again. But what's even more ridiculous is the steady expression on your face, regardless, as you step slowly towards the doors, noticing it's ajar your eyes fixated on it getting closer

and closer

And closer

Until...

"SQUAEK!" A noise erupts from the mouse that comes scuttling out of the door, running towards you

"Fuck!" Your arms jerk up in defense, knuckles tightening as you jump back quickly ready to attack "Jesus" you shake it off realising that the only danger here is your own stupidity for being scared of a creature the size of a ... well it's a fucking mouse for Christ sake. "Fuck" Now you're gonna have to catch the bloody thing "Okay Damn" Now accepting that this is what you will be doing for the next 10 minutes. The words come out one by one. First it scares you, then the relief you feel finding out it's just a mouse, then the pure annoyance that it is a mouse, then an acceptance of okay now you have to deal with getting the mouse out. Nice little rollercoaster ride your emotions send you on there in no more than 1.3 seconds. Greeeeat.

You then laugh at yourself for being so frightened, feeling lighter as you now embark on the hilarious task of chasing a mouse around your room aimlessly.

Another perk to staying in an attic of a 100 hundred year old building in the middle of a forest full of wildlife.

*Meanwhile*

"You keep live mice in your blazer?" Enid whispers, eyes staring accusingly towards her odd girlfriend

"You don't?" She smirks, a light shrug tugging at her shoulders.

"No if course I don't!" Enid tried to sound baffled but struggles to in her attempts to be quiet. In fact if it wasn't for the noise of Y/N bashing around the room and the light hum of the radio she's sure she could be heard once again.

"Ohh because you are a wolf you would be tempted to eat it I understand Mi amore" Wednesday's still peering through the crack as she speaks and Enid has to hold back a giggle at her soulmate's preposterous deduction.

" Wednesday that's not why I-" she starts but is rudely interrupted by a

"Shhh!" Wednesday smirks watching through a crack in the door and motions for Enid to come closer and have a look.

"Wednesday she doesn't have a shirt on I refuse to look it's creepy" Enid awkwardly crosses her arms in protest, shuffling in the small space they were both crammed into

"That is not what is amusing" Wednesday practically rolls her eyes "In fact I hadn't noticed the missing clothing item until you pointed it out" she looks somewhat accusingly at Enid but of course it's all playful. Then she lightly grips Enid's chin and guides it to the gap to witness what she was currently gazing at.

Among the crashes, bangs and thuds of you flailing around your room is a trail that clearly outlined your chaotic rampage. And finally the mouse is between your hands and you lightly stroke it's forehead in victory

It was amusing at first watching you fling your chair out of the way Jump across the bed yelling come here you little bast-" and falling over your suitcase. But this. This was even more fascinating. The way you coddled the creature, ignoring the carnage of the room and absolutely delighted with yourself, covered in pride for accomplishing your mission.

" Oh course she caught it she's a wolf" Enid whispers shrugging.

" I don't buy it." Wednesday states in a suspicion filled whisper. "If she is a wolf why isn't she healing and why can't she hear us right now and look how she treats the creature" Wednesday lists off her suspicions not taking her eyes of of Y/N for a second.

"I don't know Wens, can we not talk about this right now" She gestures harshly between the two and the space they are still cramped up in.

"Enid I have seen you catch a squirrel in 2.4 seconds, grasping it between your razor sharp fangs" she pauses to say "incredibly attractive, exquisite technic" then continues " but she can't catch a mouse and she treats it like a stuffed toy." Enid bites her lip, now questioning the idea herself and trying to come up with a valid argument but ultimately decides "It is a bit strange"

"Exactly and we are going to figure out why" her voice drips with unfiltered curiousity and her girlfriend takes a moment to admire this before shaking out of her trance.

"Babe we need to leave" Enid whines through her whisper

"Well what do you suggest?" She asks Enid bluntly "Batholemew was suppose to lead her out of the room not my fault he failed at his task" Wednesday criticises. "Bartholomew? What-" Enid begins but halts at the soft touch of Wednesday fore finger on her lips while the other pointed towards Y/N. "Waiting until she's asleep is a terrible plan" "Well we can't out ourselves now we just watched her chase a mm mouse around her room" "Well we can't just wait for her to fall asleep" "That is exactly what we do mi amore we must not frightened her away" The plan is decided

*Y/N*

You triumphantly smile with glee as you stroke the mouse's fur. Yes, you had destroyed what little possessions you had and made a mess of your room but you won! You caught the little bastard creature that had infiltrated your territory and now you had to figure out what the hell you were meant to do now.

Pets aren't allowed on campus so you can't keep him so the next best thing... Find a teacher or groundskeeper or someone to humanely dispose of him. If you couldn't find anyone I'm sure the mouse wouldn't mind being set free in nevermore woods to roam free. First you empty a box then place the mouse inside. Right now you had a more pressing issue.

You struggle to reach behind you, with nothing more than a pack of tissues to block the holes in your back. Becoming frustrated you finally root around in your upturned suitcase and take out your flip phone, pressing one before then pressing the phone to your ear.

It rings irritatingly too long before a small beeeeep rings in your ears "Hey! Real nice of you to "punish me" but could you send one of your minions over to help me out, your stitching is becoming increasingly more shit, you need to fix this and I can't fucking reach, you psychotic piece of... Beeeeep the voicemail ends and you place the phone on speaker before throwing it on your desk.

"To send this message please press 1 to re-record please press 2" the robotic voice chants, giving you a moment to think about what you were doing. You bring your finger down and hover over the 1 button for a second, rolling your eyes then switching to the no.2 button and then re-recording the voicemail.

"Can you pick up your phone mother, if you're going to be spying on me maybe you might have noticed the very obvious lack of control in your stitching it sucks and you fucking..." Urgh you press 2 again to re-record the message for a third time, thinking more logically about how you might speak to the evil bitch when you are in need of her help.

"To save your message please press 1 to re record please press 2"

you sigh and hit re record

"Hi Krhmm Auntie just calling to ask if could you please send over a medic minion, the stitching has come loose on my back and I can't reach, can you call back when you get the chance, thanks" you send off the message a little angry at yourself for having to fold to her fuckery.

" Urrrgh" you moan again

After a while of waiting and recieving no response you plan to confront her she did the damage she can fix it, and besides you needed to get rid of that mouse anyway.

Two birds one stone so you set off out of your room in search of just that.

As wander down the corridor your eyes flick to your watch to see it's late ... Like really late. When did it become 10:32. Your now happy that you didn't place the mouse in the pocket of your blazer like you originally planned and instead grip the shoe box in your hands and continue on

You barely make it to the stairs before you hear "Miss L/N"

"Oh hi" you greet the random teacher who was now walking towards you

"As much as it is lovely to meet you I will save pleasantries for your morning induction" your smile fades a little noticing her 'you're in trouble' teacher tone.

"It's passed lights out students without a pass are not allowed out of their dorm rooms at this time" she looks at you rather warmly despite her tone of voice before giving you an out "Are you lost?" She seems to be giving you the benefit of the doubt

You open your mouth to speak but the voice that follows is not your own

"We can show her the way" a bubbly voice can be heard from behind you.

And there they are.

Wednesday Addams sporting her usual cold stare, stiff as a board with a fidgeting Enid Sinclair smiling nervously next to her.

You turn and smile somewhat relieved as they both look at you but for a split second your eyes flit behind them. Where did they come from? Behind them was a long corridor with nothing but your room to the left and a window at the end, depicting a beautiful view of the nevermore property.

Wednesday seems to notice this and deliberately cuts in "I'm sure you wouldn't mind Miss Thornhill you know how well I do with lost puppies" she smirks and tilts her head towards the obviously clueless blonde next to her who just continues to smile hopefully.

Unbeknownst to you the girls had crept out of your door and witnessed this altercation and deciding to come to your rescue

You look accusingly at them how did they get there

"Hmmm" she eyes them both suspiciously, taking a little extra time on the darker haired girl.

"Fine I will leave you in the capable hands of ..." The teacher starts but stops her speech as if deliberating in her own head then starts again "I will leave you with Miss Addams and Sinclair" she states before walking down the corridor, turning back a few times to see all 3 of you still and watching silently, then rounds the corner.

You let out the breath you had been holding in and turn back towards the 2 girls.

"we just came to check on you" Enid blurts out during the uncomfortable silence, trying to divert the conversation and you feel slightly flattered that she would even care.

"Thanks but I have to get out of here I need to ..." You're eyes flit to the box and you decide against explaining the hole mouse ordeal to them both and quickly make up a lie "I'm hungry was hoping to find a midnight snack"

"Understandable I always keep extra snacks for my girls here, noone seems to remember you need to eat to stay alive" Enid smiles as she hands you a granola bar.

You bite your lip to hold back a laugh, of course she keeps food on her at all times purely to make sure others are fed, what a caring little wolf.

"Uhhh wow thanks umm but I still have..." As you attempt to try and leave the situation Wednesday eyes Enid who nods in response. Again, doing that creepy thing where they seem to know exactly what the other person was thinking.

Enid grabs your hand before you are able to finish your sentence and a "woah" escapes you lips as she drags you in their room and if you weren't so weak and tired from today's events maybe the spark of emotions that shot through your body would have elicited some kind of supernatural response but luckily for you this time that was not the case.

Enid ahead of you seems to move in slow motion as she kind of violently drags you along behind her, the curls if her hair bouncing and the sparkle of her eyes reflecting off of the ceiling lights. You strip the thoughts from your head a turn back to see Wednesday following behind you, walking at a fast pace somewhat determined and ready, which again puts you on edge.

The room door swing open and the wolf pulls you inside and finally let's go, leaving you a little dishevelled and disorientated before you focus your eyes back on the two, a picture of perfect in front of you thier eyes filled with more suspicion.

"Take off your top" Wednesday demands and you choke on the unspoken words in your throat.

"Excuse me?" You ask, not sure whether this is a nightmare or a really messed up fever dream plucked from your obsession of pretty girls in your subconscious

[synnamonroll666]

The True Happiness Of A Good Boy

Prompt 18: Praise Kink Pairing: Syzoth X Fem!Reader Description: When receiving praise for the first time from his lover, Syzoth discovers what he has been longing for all his life... Warnings: Oral (Female Receiving), Praise, A Little Bit Of Fluff And A Pinch Of Angst... Word Count: 487 Main MasterList: 🖤 Kinktober MasterList: 🖤 Synny's Angels: @lorebite, @mornandil, @queenkhepri, @bihansthot, and @mmeerraa.

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I bury my face between her thighs, inhaling her scent before going in for the kill. My tongue laps up her sensitive little bead, and her lips part with a heavenly moan. It's like music from heaven that comes down to filter through her lips and greet my ears. Smiling up at my goddess with adoration, the two sides of my forked tongue works quickly to bring forth more of those beautiful sounds.

"So good... So good..." She whispers softly as her fists clench the sheets. Her chest rises and falls quickly with each breath she takes.

Those words... They do something to me. I feel—as the warmbloods say—the odd feeling of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I... I actually like it. I can suddenly feel my heart beating in my chest, pounding against my ribcage with great speed. For a moment, I think it's going to explode if it gets any faster.

"You're blushing." She giggles as her eyes study my face. I get the urge to touch my face, just to see if the rumor is true. But I know I wouldn't be able to tell without a mirror, so I leave my hand where it sits on her hip. "Do you like to be praised?"

Her question causes me to freeze as embarrassment fogs my mind. This was so new to me; I wasn't used to this kind of treatment. How do I even answer that? I decide to instead look straight down and continue flickering my tongue at her mound, putting all of my focus on the task ahead to forget about the humiliating question that still lingers in the air.

"Good boy," she whispers in a low and sultry tone, almost making my eyes roll into the back of my head on instinct. I can't help but react to it. It feels so good—so right to be given such a title.

I keen as she runs a hand through my hair, whispering every word of praise that came to her pretty little head. Tears form in my eyes, and it isn't until they fall that I realize just how badly I needed this—I craved the love she is now giving me for so long. By the gods, my whole life!

She continues to pet me as I eat her out, reminding me that I'm doing such a good job for her. When she finally cums, I smile up at her—lips and chin drenched in her slick—and she chuckles fondly as she grabs a tissue from her nightstand to wipe me clean.

I tell her I can do it myself—having a foot-long tongue—but she insists, saying it's the least she can do for her "good boy". That lingers in my mind for awhile after—that I am her good boy. That gives me a feeling that is like no other. And I realize, that for the first time ever, I am truly happy.

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[dirtybitfic]

COMPANY pt 1

Matt Sturniolo x y/n

contains~ business meeting , fight , slight degrading , little bit of flirting.

y/n pov -

Its currently 4 am and the only reason i'm awake is because my boss called me . I try my best not to fall back asleep as he goes on and on about shit I need to do before todays big meeting. Don't get me wrong I like my job but sometimes my boss drives me insane. I didn't sleep well last night which is not helping the current situation .

*phone call*

Matt - Y/n are you even listening right now

Y/n - Sorry yes mr sturniolo I'm just trying my best to stay awake right now

Matt - Well I will let you go back to bed but you better have things ready when I get to the office am I clear

y/n- yes sir I will have it ready

Matt- Good girl ill see you at 12

Y/n - yep see you in the afternoon

*phone call ends*

I woke back up around 8 and made my way to the office .

I always make it a point to look classy and wear business attire especially when we have big meetings like today. I wear an outfit that I know I look good in but comfortable enough I can sit through 3 hours and write notes for my boss.

I finished up my last task Mr. Sturniolo had giving me on the call earlier and sat at my desk waiting for him to arrive. I've been his assistant for about a year and a half. He's a pretty good boss though he can be harsh and assertive with me at times I try not to take it offensively .I know he just likes things a specific way .

I've been sitting for about 40 minutes when I get call from my boss and I immediately pick it up even though I don't exactly want too

*phone call*

y/n-hey mr sturniolo

matt-hi y/n I just called to tell you that the meeting has been pushed back too 1:30 our clients flight got delayed

y/n- Okay sounds good sir I just finished up the final touches on the presentation and the meeting room is set up and ready

Matt- Atta girl! thank you for getting all that done . Im sorry for calling you at 4 am I know it wasn't the best time

Y/n- Its okay I know you like things done perfectly so im not upset

Matt- Good well I'm parked down stairs and was about to go grab some coffee would you like to come with me?

Y/n- Sure why not ill head down now

Matt- Okay I took the blue convertible today so I have one of the claw clips you left in it a couple weeks ago so your hair doesn't get messed up

Y/n- Oh good thank you

Matt- Of course see you in a couple

Y/n- Yep heading down now bye

*Call ends*

One thing about my boss is he notices the little things most don't for example him knowing I wouldn't want to mess up my hair and keeping the clip in the car just incase I needed it. I know its just a small gesture but it makes me feel some type of way , a way I definitely should not be feeling about my boss. We have a slight age gap given he's 27 and i'm 23 which is yet another reason I should not have the thoughts that I do about him quit often.

I Made my way down to the private parking garage and walked around until I spotted my favorite car Mr Sturniolo owns. Obviously everyone loves a convertible but his is just perfection.

"Hey!" I greet him as I open the door and slide into my seat.

"Hi Good morning " he he greets me with a small smile.

" New suit?" I ask as I look over him noticing i've never seen him wear this suit.

" Yes actually it is" he says with a sigh .

" You don't like it do you?" I ask as I can tell from the sigh and his facial expressions he doesn't seem very excited about it.

" No I hate wearing colored suits but my brother insisted I wear it for todays meeting" he says with an eye roll making me laugh.

" Well for what its worth I think it looks good ... It brings out your eyes" I say smiling over at him.

he return the smile before asking where I want to go for coffee.

I told him to go to Philz so he heads there.

One thing that we do share is music taste so riding around with him is always good. We were listening to "Everlong by the foo fighters" when my phone started to ring.

I look down to see it is my ex who had recently broken up with me . I sigh as I immediately hit decline . He cheated on me for an entire year with a woman who owns a large art gallery and I only found out because I went with matt to buy art for his new penthouse he moved into and saw my boyfriend walking out of her office with lipstick on his face and an untied tie around his neck. Safe to say my boss saw a side of me I wished he never had.

I yelled at him for an hour outside the gallery when he finally broke up with me telling me " I don't love you anymore ... I actually never really did I just liked your body and living with you in your nice ass apartment " so obviously I punched him in the face and he cried like a bitch when I ended up "accidentally" breaking it .

Matt watched the entire thing and safe to say we did not end up buying anything from HER gallery. When we had gotten back to the car Matt had praised me for the way I handled myself and said he was proud of me for breaking his nose .

I felt bad acting how I did in front of him but i'm glad he didn't judge nor fire me for it.

" Zach again" he asks as he pulls into the parking lot giving me his full attention.

" Yes hes been trying to call me all week and I have been ignoring him " I answer as I throw my head back letting out a deep breath.

" They say you never know what you had until its gone . I have known your for a while now and I don't understand why he would cheat on you " he answers in a tone that shows anger and annoyance.

Im glad I have a boss who cares about me outside of work even though some would deem a conversation like this unprofessional it's very normal in our relationship.

"Yeah I don't know either but i'm over it I just want him to leave me alone" I answer ending it with a long sigh and looking over at him.

" Im sorry he's such an ass but we should go in and get our drinks and head back to the office" he answers as turns the car off and unlocks the doors.

I nod as we get out and make our way into Philz and order our drinks Matt always makes it a point to never let me pay which I appreciate but with the amount he pays me i'm very capable of buying my own coffee. I mean shit I live in a 3 bedroom open floor apartment all by myself , Just goes to show I make more than enough money.

We get our drinks and make our way back to the office to get settled in before the meeting.

As we were getting the projector up and running my phone started ringing again . I turn the ringer off and throw it in my bag rolling my eyes. It doesn't go unnoticed by matt when I catch a small smirk runs cross his lips. He doesn't smile too much , I notice that he only really smiles around his family and sometimes me if i'm lucky . He's intimidating which is one reason I was so scared when I first got the job but the thing that kept me going was one day about a month into working for him his mom came into the office and told me that I must be special because he went through 25 interviews before me and he had met me , He was very specific about how he wanted his assistant to act and behave and shockingly I guess that was me. He may have "liked me" but for the first year and a half he was cold and standoffish with me , he would practically ignore me unless he needed me for something or when he would tell me the things that needed to be done for the week.

He finally started warming up to me sometime last year and i'm really glad he did it makes the job 10 times better and enjoyable when he acknowledges and speaks to me .

I sat in my chair by the large windows as I zoned out looking over the city but was snapped out of it when our front desk guy told us through the intercom our clients were on the way up.

This new client we have is actually very exciting . The company that matt owns is a luxury advertisement production company . We make advertisements and plans on ways to promote products and grow the businesses me work with.

Our new client who is on their way up right now is a wine company . Their vineyards are located in the south of France and they have made a new champagne that is flavored with different fruits. They created a new flavor line which is peach, passion fruit , Pear and guava. At first I was skeptical of how well these flavors would taste and if they would really sell or not but after sampling them all I knew they were going to make amazing profit from the new collection.

I sat through thirty minutes of the meeting when my phone continuously rang and vibrated with calls and texts. I knew it was my ex and I started to get fed up so I stopped taking notes so I could just power off my phone.

I grabbed it from my bag with a roll as I saw 6 missed calls and 15 text messages that he had sent in the span of 30 minuets and started powering off my phone .

" You're assistant seems to be more interested in her phone than the importance of this meeting. I must say this is very unprofessional" I hear as my head snaps up and I make eye contact with one of our clients. He glares at me as he scolds me for being on my phone.

" i'm sorry I was just powering it off beca-" I try and explain myself but he immediately cuts me off before I get the chance.

" I don't want to hear any excuses . You need to learn how to respect the people who want to work with your company " he scoffs with a rude eye roll and I cant help the tears that start to fill my eyes.

I look at matt panicking but find him staring at me with an agreed look .

" i'm sorry would you excuse us for a second" matt says as he comes over pulling me out of my chair by my arm and dragging me out o the room.

"I-im sorry I didn't mean to-" I start to say as the tears stream down my face.

" Y/n you need to understand these are very important clients and if this goes right not only I will make a lot of money but so will you . I don't like the way he spoke to you but I will not compromise this deal by saying something to him. So we will take a few minutes for you to calm down and make him think that I set you straight and we will go back in" he says as he places a soft hand on my back soothing me .

I nod " yes sir" I answer as I calm my breathing and look up at him.

We keep eye contact as his eyes seem to grow darker . Something in me stirs as his hand moves up and down slowly on my back at some points getting so low he could grab my ass if he felt inclined too . I hater to say it but his soothing actions are turning me on. Ive always felt a tension between us but I used it aside just telling myself its his cold personality that makes every situation slightly intense .

He moves his hand to my chin holding it and moving my head up to really look at him . He slightly smiles " You calm down?" he asks in a deep voice that for some reason has me clenching my legs together.

"Yes sir i'm sorry for crying I just -"

"I know you don't like being patronized infant of people i've learned that throughout the years you've worked for me . Just be glad your well behaved or you'd really hate me " he says with what sounds like a small chuckle.

" why would I hate you?" I question as I step slightly closer.

"i'm not one to tolerate people misbehaving or defying me . You should know that by now" he answers in a more gravelly voice that has me clenching around nothing .

" right well umm should we go back in " I say in a wavering voice but clear my throat to try and play it off.

He smirks at me but nods his head .

He leads me back to the conference room with a hand on my lower back .

Im moving to open the door but stop when he start whispering to me.

" make it look like I corrected you okay " he whispers before opening the door .

I walk in as I distort my face to make it look as though I am upset and I move quickly to my seat and choose not to even look up at anyone .

I grab my computer and get to typing as matt starts back on the presentation and the clients make their comments and requests .

After about an hour the meeting comes to and end and they decide to go with us for their campaign.

" Me and my wife would like for you to come down to our vineyard in say 4 weeks and shoot promo videos and get photos for the videography does that time frame work for you Mr. Sturniolo?"

the man who blatantly degraded me asks as matt looks to me.

"y/n is the calendar clear that week?" he asks and I pull up his calendar that I schedule and go over it.

" Yes looks like there is only one meeting that week but its with gloria i'm sure we can reschedule it" I answer as I smile at both of them.

"Amazing well my wife is very excited for this campaign . She can be a bit much but what woman isn't right" he says jokingly to matt .

Matt smiles and nods as he leads him out of the office and to the elevator.

I audibly sigh and roll my eyes at his misogynistic comments , safe to say i'm not exactly thrilled ill have to deal with that man on a normal bases but its worth the money so I guess i'll just have to live with it.

Matt comes back in groaning and running his hands through his hair.

" I really do not like that guy" he says making me laugh.

" Trust me neither do I" I say making him chuckle and shake his head.

" He wants us to stay at his estate but I kindly declined . I told him We have many work calls we take and we wouldn't want to be a disruption " he says with a smirk .

I smile widely nodding my head

" Thank god I wouldn't want to be stuck in a house with that man for a day let alone an entire week" I say making him laugh.

" I'll book the hotel so you won't have to worry about that and we'll take the company jet " he says as he grabs his bag and powers off the projector.

" You sure I don't mind dealing with the hotel bookings" I say as I pack up my things as well.

" Yes I have a favorite hotel i've gone too many time there and I know they will give us amazing rooms and the view is amazing" he says as he walks over to me .

" Oh okay" I say smiling up at him.

His hand goes to my jaw like earlier as he moves his thumb softly back and forth .

I lean into the touch as he looks at me deeply like he's studying my soul.

" You did good today I know you're dealing with calls from that asshole and I appreciate you were powering off your phone " he says as he steps him closer to me .

I sigh as I avert my eyes

" Im sorry for causing our client to think of our company as less then because of my actions though" I say still not looking up at him.

" You did nothing wrong you're always a very good girl he's just an asshole who clearly doesn't respect woman"

I blush as I look up at him . His use of the term "good girl" today has gotten me feeling things I shouldn't.

He looks at me as I look up at him .

" If you ever need anything you call me okay . I know i'm your boss but I want you to consider me a friend too " he says as his hand slides down my neck to my shoulder.

His touch leaves goose bumps in its wake which i'm embarrassed about and I can tell he noticed my body reaction by the smirk that grows across his face.

" Yes sir I just wouldn't want to burden you with my problems you have enough to deal with as it is" I answer honestly .

He shakes his head sighing

" Sweetheart you could never be a burden no matter how hard you tried . You're the first assistant i've had for longer than 4 months which can only mean I like you very much and that is rare" he says making me smile .

" Thank you sir I like this job a lot and I hope to keep it for a very long time" I say as I step slightly closer . Our chest are almost flush against each other , im so close I can feel the heat radiating off of him.

" Trust me i'm not letting you go anytime soon " he says in a deep gravely voice that makes me feel such dirty things a literal whimper escapes me .

My eyes widen as I clear my throat and avert my eyes from his.

He grabs my face and turns it to face him again

" Did you just whimper " he asks with a smirk .

" What n-no I was clearing my throat" I say in a panic .

" Are you lying to me y/n " he asks in a teasing tone that almost has be whimpering again.

" No sir " I answer but avoid eye contact.

" Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth" he says in a demanding tone .

I feel as though i'm shrinking into myself as I look up at him .

" Im not lying to you I promise" I say as convincingly as I can.

" You better hope you're telling the truth" he says in a darker deeper voice that has me gulping .

" A-and why is that" I ask as I try and take a step back but bump into the table behind me.

" I don't like liars . Do know what bad lying little girls get y/n " he asks as he steps even closer and i'm forced to sit on the edge of the table as his body is positioned in-between my legs. If anyone where to walk in right now this would be a very compromising position to be in .

" No sir I-i don't" I say .

His entire demeanor changes his large presence now dark and cold as his hand moves to my neck pulling me closer as I gasp in shock.

"They get punished" he kind of growls more than speaks . My mouth opens but no words come out .

He lets go and steps back and goes back to his normal calm demeanor .

I sit in shock as he grabs his bag and starts walking to the door.

"Goodbye y/n see you Tuesday" he says in a kind of sing song tone that has me scoffing. He obviously finds it funny to leave me wet and speechless.

We've never had a moment like that sure we've had weird moments where a little flirting was involved but nothing like what the fuck that just was.

I hop off and grab my bag before rushing down the hall to the elevator . The second I get into my car I scream .

I don't exactly know why I did but it felt great.

I start up my car and put on my nighttime playlist and pull out of the parking garage and pull onto the bright light city roads.

The second I got home I went through all the messages and voicemails from Zach .

15 missed calls from Zach

37 missed texts

all consisting of " call me back" " Im sorry" " I love you so much please" " Fucking bitch answer me" " God your a cunt this is why I cheated on you" and a lot more .

I hate the fact that after listening to three of his voicemails i'm in full tears curled up on my floor in front of my huge floor to ceiling windows.

Im snapped out of my daze when I hear 5 loud bangs on my door . I jump up as my heart pounds . My apartment is the only one on this floor so its not like whoever it is has the wrong apartment .

I slowly make my way to the door when the bangs happen again this time harder .

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR Y/N" I hear Zach's voice from the other side .

I panic even more as I slowly go to open the door . The second I turn the lock the door barely open and a fuming Zach marches his way in.

He comes at me so fast I have no time to react . One hand is wrapped tightly around my neck as the other is grasping my hair so tightly I feel like my scalp is on fire.

" You think you're so fucking cute ignoring me huh don't you " he practically spits in my face.

" You-- cheated on me a-and broke up with me w-why are you mad" I choke on as I gasp for in in his tight hold.

" Don't you dare fucking speak to me like that . I said I was sorry but you just want to be a spoiled fucking bitch and ignore my calls" he bites out as his grip on my hair tightens and I scream out in pain.

" You think you are so perfect don't you good fucking too shoes but your just a pathetic little bitch who's unlovable " he shouts in my face as tears start to steam down my face and I cough as I try and pry his hand from my throat.

" I tried to love you I did but you are just so insufferable to be around you know that god your always so pleasant you never do anything bad you're fucking boring all you do is work and come home and sit around doing nothing like a pathetic little loser " He spits as he shoves me into the wall making me yelp.

His hand connects to my face as his fist hits my eye .

He has never acted like this before let alone hit me .

He immediately lets go and steps away also in shock of what he just did .

" I c-cant believe you actually j-just p-punch-ed m-ee" I say in a gasping panicked voiced.

"I-im sorry y/n I ... I didn't mean to I " he says as he steps further away with fear across his face.

"GET OUT GETH THE FUCK OUT " I scream as I fall to the floor and cry .

he runs out closing the door on his way.

My head is pounding my eyes isn't opening correctly and I haven't gotten off the floor in 2 hours.

My phone starts ringing making me jump but I turn it over to see "Matt Sturniolo(boss)" calling .

I don't answer because of the state i'm in and the last thing I want is my boss knowing wtf just happened .

I get a text

" y/f/m/l/n you better answer your phone this is very important" it reads. Judging by the fact he literally just used my full name I know I have to choice to answer his second call to me.

*phone call*

"H-hello" I say as I sniffle and try to make it sound like i'm not crying and my voice isn't stringed.

" Hey I know its late but the clients from today actually want us to come down Tommorrow and stay until the following Sunday and I already cancelled all the appointments this week that were a conflict so I need you up and ready at 10 am Tommorrow I will pick you up at 10 and well head to the airport" he rambles . I panic not knowing what to do I cant say i'm sick because he'll know thats a lie .

I stay silent as I continue sniffling trying to mask my situation .

" y/n are you there ? " he asks in a slightly worried tone.

"Y-yes its just that ... I can't leave Tommorrow " I say as my voice breaks with the last word.

" What why you obviously don't work Tommorrow so what is wrong?" he asks in more of an interrogational tone .

" I j-just cant okay " I bite back as tears start to stream down my face again.

" Y/n what's wrong are you crying " he asks his tone now soft.

"n-no " I try and say without giving away that i'm lying but obviously fail.

" I can hear you sniffling and your voice is choked up tell me what's wrong" he says in a sweet voice .

I sigh loudly " Zach came by earlier and he ..." I stop myself from finishing my sentence not wanting to tell my boss about the embarrassing events .

" He what y/n" his voice sounding slightly angry now.

" He yelled at me and said really hurtful things and then he ... he punched me " I answer in a squeaky raspy tone.

" HE HIT YOU" matt yells from the other side of the phone

"Y-yes" I say as more tears stream down my face .

"Thats it I'm coming to you is your door unlocked " he ask as I hear keys rattle in the background.

"Wait what n-no don't come here" I say in a panic . I do not want him seeing me like this its for one embarrassing and two he's my boss he shouldn't be coming to my apartment .

" Don't tell me no i'll be down there in 5 minutes that door better be unlocked"

I go to protest but the line goes dead.

As much as I love my apartment it doesn't help that Matt lives in the penthouse at the top floor of the building meaning he has easy access to come and see me if he really wants to hence why hell be down in 5 minutes .

I sit on my floor as I try and at least stop the crying before he gets here.

As i'm sitting calming myself my door opens and in walks matt.

I turn away from the door so he doesn't see my face.

" y/n where are y- why are you on the floor?" his voice rings as steps approach me .

I shrugged but burry my face in my arms .

I feel him sit next to me as his scent fills my nose . I sigh but still don't bring my head up .

" y/n look at me" he says in a soft sweet tone.

"No " I say as I shake my head .

"Y/n please you're safe with me you know that i'm not going to judge you" he says as his large hand soothe up and down on my back .

Im so embarrassed that at my grown age I'm crying infant of my fucking boos.

I lift my head and look at him as a look of anger and pain washes over his face.

" sweetheart" he whispers as he immediately pulls me into his chest cradling me . I feel as though i'm a little girl girl again being rocked back to sleep after a nightmare . I being sobbing in his arms as I choke out all the horrible things Zach called me and said to me.

" You are non of those things. Don't think for a second that what he says is true , You're are amazing , sweet, hard working and strong . He is a crazy ass motherfucker who didn't deserve you in the first place" he says as he rocks me slightly .

I for some reason feel inclined to crawl into his lap and bury my face in his chest . I know this entire situation should not be happening right now but I cant stop myself from doing it.

The thing is he lets me he pulls me closer as he smooths my hair and holds me to his chest tightly .

After god knows how long i've stopped crying and my breathing has become somewhat controlled.

I unbury my head from his chest and look up at him .

He smiles weakly

" My sweet girl" he says as his hand gently runs across my face wiping some tears away . I wince when his hand grazes my eye area.

" where are your pain meds ?" he asks as he runs his hand through my tossed hair .

" My bedside table" I answer in a whispered and exhausted tone.

" Alright come on lets get you upstairs " he says as he picks me up off his lap setting me on the ground and standing up then extending his hand to me , I take it as he pulls me up then follows me up the stairs to where my room is .

he tells me to get into bed as he runs down to the kitchen getting me water and rushing back up .

" which table right or left?" he asks .

I try and remember which one but cant so I just shrugged and answered that I couldn't remember so he goes to the rightsize on first .

He opens it and his mouth pops open as he looks at me .

"w-what are they in there " I ask in confusion as to why he looks shocked .

he just stares as me and slowly shakes his head .

It dawns on me after a couple seconds that that is the one I keep my "personal items in" . My body flys up in bed as I rush to close the drawer .

" Im so sorry I forgot about keeping those in that one I ... god thats so embarrassing.

" I never thought of you as the type to own things like that" he says with a laugh making me groan and hide my face in a pillow.

"Im only messing around with you , i'm not uncomfortable about seeing that its normal" he says as he walks to the other table finding the Advil and pouring out two in his hand .

" Take these to her with the swelling before it gets worse" he says as he walks over to me .

" were seriously just going to breeze over the fact that you ... my boss just say my ... "

" toys yes now take these" he says shoving his hand in my face . I sigh as I take them out of his hand and toe them into my mouth then take the water he had in his hand and swallow them down.

" Now i'm going to help you pack . Where are your suitcases " he says as he start walking around my room searching .

" You're actually joking right there is no way I can go looking like this" I say in a bratty tone . I didn't mean to use that tone its just the way it came out.

" First of all watch your tone but yes you're still coming and it will get better in a day or two and we don't have to start the campaign shooting until Tuesday so we can just stay in until then or when we go out you can just wear sunglasses. Now suitcases where are they?"

I groan but point to the door "hallway closet " I say as I yawn .

He nods and walks to the door opening it and coming back 5 seconds later with two suitcases in hand.

" Okay what do want to pack first pants, shirt ...? " he ask as he sets them out on the couch I have on the wall opposite my bed.

"Well I usually pack pants first "

" Okay where are your pants" he asks looking at me .

" Bottom three rows in the closet" I answer

" Any specific ones you want ?" he asks

" You know what how about you pick 4 pairs and i'll say yes or no " I say as I getting extra comfy in bed .

" Yes ma'am " he says jokingly as he makes his way to my large walk in closet.

He comes out 2 minutes later with 4 pairs in hand.

He holds up the first pair , I nod and he smiles " I really like these ones" he says as he happily packs them in my bag.

Second pair - I happily nod and he packs them.

Third pair - I dead pan as he laughs actually laughs . " You've gotta be kidding those were all the way at the back " I say as I give him a look. " why do you even own these " "They were part of a halloween costume like 2 years ago" he just shakes his head and sets them aside .

Fourth pair - " Matt this is a business trip" I say as a I shake my head no . " I know that sweetheart but we don't have to be in business attire the whole time" " I guess your right okay yes pack those"

"Okay next skirts pick 3 they are hung on the left side along with the dresses pick tow of those" I instruct him as I try and stay awake .

He comes back out with a big smile which i'm finding slightly unsettling given ive never seen him so cheerful before

dress one - " absolutely not"I say. He sighs and sets it aside

Dress two - I smile and nod yes . He neatly packs it

Skirt one - immediate yes

Skirt two - Yes

After 45 more minutes i'm fully packed except for underwear and socks.

"Okay last things are undergarments " he says as he looks at me waiting for to tell him where they are.

" Don't worry about those ill pack those in the morning " I say as I wave him off.

" I have a feeling if I let you do that you'll forget " he says as he tilts his head . I hate to admit but he probably right.

" fine okay top shelf of the drawers on the right wall" I say as my face flushes red. My boss definitely should not be handling my underwear and bras but at this point i'm to tired to care.

"wow these are organized so nicely" I hear him say from inside my closet.

Their's silence for a second before he comes out with a handful of my sets with a smirk on his face.

He sets them on top as well as socks .

"Okay done now shoes " I tell him where the shoes are and he picks all good options so that was easy.

He packs up my makeup and skincare bag putting them in the suitcase with the shoes .

" Okay fully packed and ready to go" he says as he pushes both cases by the door .

"Thank you Sir you really didn't have to do all of this" I say sincerely

" First of all as much as I love you calling me sir when we are outside the office call me matt you calling me sir makes me feel fucking old" he says with a smile.

I choke on air at his beginning comment with makes him chuckle.

" Im grateful I have you as a boss matt"

" Im great full to have you as my assistant y/n "

We both share smiles before he turns on my ceiling fan and comes and sits on the edge of my bed.

" I want you to know I genuinely do care about you y/n not just because you are my assistant but because your all around a great girl " he says as his pulls his hand on my comforter covered leg giving it small shake.

" Thank you matt really I couldn't ask for a better boss" I smile at him with half open eyes.

" I'll let you get some rest and ill take your extra key so you can sleep as long as you can and ill just come down and grab your bags and make sure your up and awake by 10" he says as he pats my leg and stands up.

" You sure I don't mind setting and alarm " I ask .

" Im sure now get some sleep and ill see you in the morning "

"Okay well see you in the morning and thank you again really "

" Of course . Good night y/n "

" Good night matt"

God what the fuck just happened ...

[partyanimal167]

At Your Service- Crocodile x F!Reader

I'm taking some time off before I start my new job, so I'm going to enjoy the time and write fics. Feel free to give me some ideas or ask questions in the inbox pwease 😗

CW: mdni, smut, canon au, black fem reader in mind, sw positivity, sir kink, service kink, oral (m receiving), praise kink, use of petnames

Crocodile didn't expect much. He wouldn't admit that to be the first mistake. To him, the first mistake was wanting to indulge in his human needs at all.

Crocodile was a busy man. Everyone knew that. He had money; his money made money. He was at a point where he could probably lay off the workload a bit, but he wouldn't do that. Couldn't. He didn't trust people to be as meticulous as him, and he knew that there were people that could be easily bribed--loyalty bought.

So the work didn't really end.

However, other needs arise. And when Crocodile found himself staring a little too much at a woman a ways away on the casino floor, he realized that it had been some time since he last gave someone his company. That was easily arrangeable. He told one of his men to give him something new and easily forgot about it after that.

When Crocodile first met you, you were dressed in simple business attire and held a clipboard in your hand. You introduced yourself quietly with a nod and bow. Crocodile grunted in return and immediately listed off some tasks for you to do. You bowed again and quietly went to work. Crocodile didn't think he had a new assistant joining him, but he didn't question it. It was probably an order from awhile ago, so it took some time to find the right candidate.

You worked well. Crocodile was impressed that you didn't need too much instructions to get things how he liked it. You were quick, quiet, showed up to work on time and stayed late with him without any complaints. You were pleasing to look at too.

Crocodile stopped himself for a moment. It was late, and he looked up from his desk to see you typing away in the dim lighting. He had no issues making his needs known, and after the time spent working together, he figured you wouldn't have issues with any of his requests or questions.

"Miss y/n, I asked one of my associates for a night companion, but that was over a month ago. Can you follow up on that?" he asked as he skimmed through an evening business report.

You pushed your glasses up before typing away. "That won't be necessary, sir. I can assist you with whatever you're looking for." You said it so professionally and naturally that Crocodile had to take a moment to ground himself.

"Excuse me?" He was trying to keep it together--make sure this wasn't some odd prank. That you had actually said that.

"I am that companion that you asked for." Again, you spoke so easily. But what?

"What?" Crocodile so uncharacteristically let out.

You continued to work, but the grin you had on was new. "I was hired to fulfill any tasks given by you, sir. I reported for work, and you said 'Fill these forms out and follow up to schedule these meetings,' and I did."

Crocodile gave you a rather startled yet confused look. "Yes, but I had just assumed you were an office worker. You didn't act or look like a-,"

"A companion? As you say." you stood up from your seat and chuckled. "Well, I was meeting with the Sir Crocodile at his establishment. I couldn't just come looking ready for a date." you got closer to his desk. "And you wanted something different. I didn't throw myself at your feet, sir. I proved to be quite useful, yes?"

There was a confidence and appeal radiating from you. It seemed as if you were ready to finally claim something that you knew you'd be getting for awhile now. You placed your hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Well, is there something you want sir? I can be quite useful. Just give me your orders."

Part of Crocodile wanted this to be some cruel joke. Here he was trying to keep his professionalism around a surprisingly competent employee who was actually just there to satisfy his more carnal needs. Cruel in many ways.

But no matter.

If you wanted to fulfill your duties, then Crocodile was more than glad to give you the tools to succeed.

He grinned at you. "Let me see you on your knees, doll."

And in a blink, there you were.

You sat pretty in front of the man with your hands resting on your thighs and your arms just oh-so casually pressing your breast together--hinting at your bra color. You had that same professional, nearly-innocent look on your face, but Crocodile could see you trying not to eye his pants; he tipped your chin up with his hook.

"Eyes on me."

"Yes, sir." and you held eye-contact. Even as your heart began to pick up. Even as your mouth began to water. Even as you felt your face get warm. There was always a thrill in your line of work. You had good and bad clients of course, but the tension had been building up for awhile. You caught on easily that Crocodile didn't know what you had been hired for, and that was part of the fun too. Each day, you got to dress cute and complete whatever Sir Crocodile needed--always wondering if it would be the day he would finally break down and ask for what he wanted. That day finally came.

"Let's see what you can do."

So you went to work. You slid back against the cool hardwood floor and rested your hands on his strong thighs. You grazed them curiously as you looked up at him with a grin. "How should I perform my duties?"

Crocodile looked down at you seemingly disinterested. He grunted. "You should know what I expect. Hurry up."

So you went right to work. You let your nails rake against the smooth fabric of his slacks before reaching for the man's belt. Your pretty nails clicked lightly on the buckle before slipping the belt open and going for the clasp. You groaned at the hefty erection that greeted you trapped in silk boxers. Your mouth watered more, and you swallowed quietly.

You pulled out that hard girthy member and instantly felt your thighs clench together. You exhaled a shaky breath, and right before going to work, you glanced up curiously at Crocodile.

You nearly whimpered.

Those gold eyes devoured you, owned you. They held both expectation and authority. Despite not moving at all, you knew he was in complete control of the situation, and that made you wetter. You had been dommed before--both personally and professionally. There were people that were naturals, worked up fantastic skills, could get anyone to comfortably submit.

But Crocodile hadn't done anything, but say one order, and you were seriously considering begging this man to hire you for the rest of your life. There was something so satisfying and soothing to be serving him, and it had been driving you crazy.

You moaned as you drew your attention back to the man's cock and dribbled a good amount of spit onto his head. You watched as it joined the vast amount of pre and slid down. That was a good sign; you wanted Crocodile to enjoy this as much as you could ensure.

You surely couldn't swallow it all in one go, so you reached for the base and jerked it a couple of times before licking and swirling your tongue around. You took the tip in--enjoying the musky scent and salty tinge.

Fuck, my mind is getting foggy. You continued to take more before pulling back. I want it all.

Crocodile groaned as he watched you work your way down. Your mouth was hot and wet, and he was starting to realize just how pent up he was. It was one thing to get some satisfaction from a one-time hire, but it was certainly different with how you two had gotten along the last month or so. Watching his pretty dutiful secretary turn into a lustful vixen before his eyes was spectacular.

"Go on doll, let me watch you touch yourself. I know you want to." So you did, and your moans made Crocodile grab onto your hair and huff out. He watched as your hands moved under your skirt and tease. "You're doing so good doll, feel so good." You swallowed him down, and he nearly cussed.

This quickly became more for your own personal fulfillment than a job. You gave yourself a finger and whimpered as you gripped tightly both around your finger and his dick. Tears trailed down your cheeks, and your moans muffled as you held him inside before backing off for air.

"Such a good slut, I'll give it all to you. Keep going. I won't stop you."

So you jerked and sucked faster--chasing what seemed to be pleasure for the both of you. You pumped your cunt faster and shifted more even as your knees pressed into the floor and clothes messed up. Want it. Want it. Want it.

Crocodile barely looked out of place, but he let his approval known. The room filled with slick sounds, groans, pants, muffled whimpers, and more.

You could tell he was almost close, and so were you, but you'd be damned if you didn't get him there first. So you pulled out of yourself and used both hands to wrap around his cock and pull more. You popped off his dick and sandwiched it comfortably between your breast. "Come on sir, I want your cum, sir please. Have I been good? I'm such a good girl, sir. I want it." you pleaded.

Crocodile only let out a short grunt, but he released all over you. You opened your mouth to catch some and moaned as the spurts of white, thick cum continued out onto your face, breasts, and blouse.

When it was finally over, you looked up with a pleased expression as Crocodile panted. His cheeks were tinted red, and he looked both shy yet fulfilled. "Did I do a good job, sir?"

He chuckled as he reached for his cravat and pulled it off. He leaned down and cleaned your face gently. You looked pure and innocent again, but Crocodile couldn't be fooled any longer. He grinned meanly. "Fantastic job, princess. Seems I have a lot more work you now."

~~~

(blushes if I could) Jeez...that was hot.

Crocodile!!! If only!

There's something hot about catching that smart, cocky man off guard. There's always surprises somewhere.

Thanks so much for reading!

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Meryl, Luida, and Bridging the Gap

This is just a quick little side-note I wanted to make about the similarities between Meryl and Luida that I noticed as I was reading, and how they end up occupying similar, yet complementing roles in the story.

***Disclaimer: I was sick when I wrote this and my head is full of fog lmao. If I have completely left out a word or something... don't even worry about it it's fine.

First off, on a surface level, they both are characterized as capable, intelligent, level-headed women, who are suddenly thrust into leadership positions, with Meryl being assigned the task of tracking down and mitigating the damage caused by Vash the Stampede plus looking out for her new protégé, Milly, and Luida stepping up to take charge of Ship 3 and its residents after Doc's death.

While the demand placed on them both is immense, nonetheless, they are shown to be quite capable of shouldering this kind of responsibility - however, given their intense focus and objective-driven personalities, they actually both get scenes where they are somewhat horrified by their own temporary prioritization of objectives over morality. We see this with Meryl in Trigun Volume 1 when she doesn't react in righteous anger to Badwick threatening his parents and had shut herself off from writing to her own in pursuit of her job, and with Luida when she briefly considers the idea of another July incident to stop Knives. Both think negatively of themselves for this - of course, I'm of the mind that since they are upset with themselves on reflection, this proves the exact opposite, really. I think they both have hearts of gold, they're just under a lot of stress, especially as time goes on. The two of them are human beings who falter, but whose morals ultimately align closely with what Vash wants to see in the world. Really, what the two of them hate most here is the idea of their own inaction or taking the easy way in the face of wrongdoing - a concept that drives them into action going forward.

[ID: Two images from Trigun and Trigun Maximum. The first is from Trigun Volume 1. Over images of trees and Badwick's father, Meryl says "But I... I just stood there and took it all in without even budging. I am such a cold person. I chose this path of blood and tears without thinking about the rest of my life. All I can see is what's right in front of me." Meryl starts to cry as she continues, "Why could I not see... that when I closed myself off to him, something was wrong? I..." She then slaps her cheeks and says "No... never mind!" The second image is from Trigun Maximum Volume 8. A single tear runs down Luida's cheek. Meryl says "Miss Luida...?" Her back turned to Meryl, Luida says "I'm sorry. I... was thinking for a moment. If something like July would happen again... it could stop Knives, but... ... I'm a terrible woman. End ID.]

Both of them also have a connection to Vash's past that gives them a different perspective on him as a person, instead of just an ally - Meryl, of course, gets brain-blasted in Volume 5 with Vash's memories (poor thing), but Luida is also more familiar with him than even a lot of the people on Ship 3, it seems - enough that she calls him out for blaming himself after the attack, clearly used to hearing this from him. She also is the one to clear up at least some of Wolfwood's confusion and uncertainty.

We also get this interesting parallel of them both watching Vash walk away to face Knives, him having rejected their offers of help. It's something that clearly saddens them both, as they watch him fight alone again and again, and wish he wouldn't. Both of them have moments where they feel they can't offer much in the way of assistance, or that their best efforts aren't enough.

[ID: Two images from Trigun and Trigun Maximum. The first is from Trigun Volume 2. Vash, his back turned, runs off into the chaos, a Plant seen above him and the city ahead, as he yells back "Get as far away from here as you can! Get to safety!" Meryl watches him from the door. In the second image, from Trigun Maximum Volume 8, a grainy flashback shows Vash's turned back as he walks away from a young Luida, who is reaching out to him. End ID.]

Of course, we the readers know this isn't true at all! Meryl and Luida do so much over the course of the story.

Interestingly, they don't start off as the ones completely in charge - Meryl works for Bernadelli even if she is in charge of her assignment, and Luida is presumably part of the Council, but the one in charge is initially Doc. But once they do take over - Luida after Doc's death, and Meryl once the world is thrown into ruins and Bernadelli no longer exists - there is a striking difference in the way they act from their predecessors.

Meryl goes from simply following Vash around to taking a self-directed and active role in assisting him however she can - looking for his old belongings and anything else of potential use, asking Marlon to repair his gun, creating a distraction with Milly, and helping the Earth Federation in the final hour with no hesitation.

Luida takes a much more active role in rallying Ship 3 to assist Vash as well. While some of this may simply have been because the stakes were raised much higher after Volume 3, Ship 3, while already a base of support for Vash, was a distant safe haven, kept largely separate from the rest of the world. Up until that point, they had provided Vash with aid, but not fought alongside him, something that clearly bothers Luida on multiple occasions. She decides to change this. She's the one who sets out to help as many of the towns ravaged by the Ark as possible. She rallies the Ship 3 residents for a rescue mission to help Vash. She's the one to step forward and attempt to bring all the leaders around to standing with Vash.

Which brings me to my last comparison point. They're both staunchly supportive of Vash, quick to come to his aid, and quick to defend his character from those who doubt his intent - Luida even sharply calls out her own people for their moment of mistrust after hearing about July. These two know and care about Vash on a more personal level than most - and as we all know, due to his avoidant tendencies, this is not an easy thing to do. Vash is frequently misinterpreted, and these two are often the ones to set the record straight.

[ID: A panel from Trigun Maximum Volume 3. Luida, sternly, says "That's a foolish question. You would know the answer just by looking at the scars on his body. If he had used his true immortality, those scars would not be there. End ID.]

In this way, much like Vash is a bridge between humans and Plants, Meryl and Luida are something of a bridge between humans and Vash.

And they're able to do this because deep down, their ideals align closely with his - they're not just supporting someone they care about; they have a similar desire to see the kind of world he fights for, and they choose to fight for it too.

But while Luida is something of a spokesperson for Vash, reaching out to humanity, it is almost as if Meryl becomes the voice of humanity reaching back, responding to him, and agreeing that not everything in the world is awful; that it is worth believing in the best in others. They need to stand together.

[ID: A panel from Trigun Maximum Volume 14. Meryl, in a spacesuit, with frank determination, says, "Because we decided to stand together. We stand with Vash the Stampede." End ID.]

Meryl is the voice of proof that some people believe in the love and peace he speaks of, and are willing to say it back to him in turn.

Updated on my masterpost - my other book club stuff can be found here!

[sonia-kate]

People are tools...

I've wanted to make benevolent interpretation of Racules' iconic words a long time ago but I couldn't get myself to it. The recent (23) episode was the push I needed

In the episode, Gira made a statement that without a single gear, the castle wouldn't move, so all the people are necessary. But without tools, you are left with just your bare hands and you can't do much with them either

After all, king only has as much power as he is given by his subordinates. He could give orders all he'd want but that wouldn't achieve anything if people just refused to listen to him

After all, what's a tool? Oxford definition goes by "a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function"

People are, in a way, tools that serve their country by carrying out their specific tasks. It's worth to note, how in episode 19, Douga called himself "a sword" in a service of his king. Of course, Racules is just one person with just two hands, but with each soldier he has one more sword at the disposal and he can send them to defend the people in many places at once, which he wouldn't be able to do if he was just by himself

People carrying out their respective tasks are essencial to functioning of the country and thus are like gears in the machine. Them doing their jobs, allows for the whole machinery to function

...I am the country

Now that we know that the first part is perfectly fine, let's take a look at the second part

Yes, people are the gears necessary to move the country, or a giant robot in the case of the episode, but it's still Gira who steers the robot. Or the country

You can't have everyone trying to control the robot or we'll end up with a situation from episode 5, where Ohgers where fighting over the control and were just causing more trouble for themselves

It's worth to note that Gira spent the recent episode in the castle, avoiding the battle until the very end. It is, of course, because he was the only one who could move the castle. But even if, he still is the king. He is in charge. If he died, the vacuum of power would have been created and we can't afford a havoc that would have created in such a dire situation

If Gira was a ship's captain, navigating the ship through the storm, and one of his crewmates fell off the board, he wouldn't be able to leave the steering wheel and jump to save them. The wheel would be left unoccupied or it would create a commotion among the remaining crewmates on who should take the wheel

In a dire situation, captain can't leave the wheel just like that. He has to steer the ship and command his crewmates to control the ship and make sure it'll be alright. And the crewmates are in no possition to question the captain. The orders must be executed quickly and precisely or the whole crew might be in danger

Crewmates are captain's extentions, fullfilling his commands, because he, being just a single person, wouldn't be able to do that himself. In a way, that makes the whole crew part of the captain and as such, captain is the whole crew. He makes decisions for the whole crew, that's for sure. But saying so is not saying that the captain is the only important part of the crew, after all he can't control the ship all by himself. Saying so means what kind of responsibility lies on captain's shoulders but also what kind of trust does the crew show to its captain, to trust him so much to execute his orders without a question

After all, the ship moves in a direction the captain decides, it does maneuvers when captain decides and so on. Captain needs to remain collected at all times, because the fate of the whole ship and the whole crew is in his hands. He can't lose his cool when his best friend falls into the ocean, because he still has a whole ship under him to take care off. He can't allow a mutiny to happen, especially during a storm. And the person who started it is a danger to the whole ship, even if it's captain's younger brother

When Racules said he was a country, he meant how much responsibility lies on him and he can't be just another sword out there, risking his life, because he still has a whole kingdom to rule, that relies on him. When he said that people are tools it wasn't meant as dehumanising or demeaning. When he said that tools must fullfill the king's will without a question and then they're the most happy... it's because much like a mechanism or a ship, when all elements cooperate in unison, the whole thing works in the best way, reaching the goal set by the control unit or a captain or a king

Tools are necessary, but someone like king can't get too attached. The king must look at the bigger picture, make sure that the whole country functions properly. He can't drop everything to save one person he cares about, because he has a whole country full of people that need him. Especially, that after all, he as a one person, can't help every single person in a distress. King has to remain at the steering wheel, taking care of the whole country, but individual problems must be solved by the individual people, that are closer to the issue

Much like Racules' original idea, that the king protects everyone so then people can protect those around them. But, sadly, for that to take place, the king can't just drop his duties to tend to everyone in person. For the individual people to help each other, first, the king needs to make sure that the machine, the ship or the kingdom is on the right track

And I feel like Gira will learn all of that soon

Man who will later be known as the Evillest King of Shugoddom

Well, we know that Racules was never as bad as he appeared to be. Similar thing can be said about Gira, who puts on his Evil king persona. Despite being a benevolent ruler now and not a rebel, he still claims to be an Evil King

Since he already starts to see how "people are like a mechanism" or "the king is a too important piece to lose" or " people must follow intructions without question or we're doomed", I think he'll soon understand the way Racules ruled and why did he rule in this way

Ironically, Gira will end up being just like Racules, but also understanding that this way of ruling isn't bad, but is sometimes necessary. And if Evil King Gira, becomes a brilliant ruler, taking after Racules' way of ruling and his ideals, then who would be even more brilliant, and even more terrifying and considered more evil than the person it all originated from - Racules?

Who also just happens to act more powerful and evil than he actually is, to make himself more intimidating in the eyes of the opponent (but with whom it actually works because unlike Gira he can pull it off and convince people)?

I'm a little worried though, that I put too much expectations on the show, due to my theories and analysis, but then again, it all seems to fit in the more the show uncovers regarding Racules, so I hope we're on the right track, especially that he still is in the opening

[firelord-frowny]

sooo i got hired again?

i mentioned like way back in fucking OCTOBER that i'd been hired to teach private violin lessons at a lil music school franchise. signed the paperwork and everything. attended an orientation meeting with other new hires. set up my account with their scheduling/payroll software. sent a headshot and a bio for use on the website. all that was left for me to do was wait for them to sign students up and add them to my schedule.

i have been given 0 students and earned 0 dollars since then. for a while, i had been religiously checking my email so i wouldn't miss any emails notifying me about new students. but i don't even bother anymore. as far as i know, i'm still technically an ~employee~ and i still receive the mass emails reminding all faculty to send in their invoices 🙃 which i find laughably insulting to me.

anyway, i finally started applying for other shit and just got hired with another business, also teaching private violin. they even had me come in and do a ~trial lesson~ where i basically give the manager a violin lesson as if he was a brand new beginner.

y'all.

i have taught with like 5 or 6 different organizations over the years, and until now, ZERO of them ever did shit all to make sure i or any other teachers actually knew how to teach or play the instrument at all. this is the ONLY TIME i was ever asked to demonstrate my abilities, and it gave me sooooooooooo much confidence in the possibility that maybe this business is gonna be different from the other one's i've worked for, and maybe they'll actually value my expertise, and give me the freedom to do what i know how to do in the best way that i know how to do it, and they'll trust my judgment, and most of all, that they'll GIVE ME STUDENTS AND FUCKING PAY ME TO TEACH THEM OH MY GODDDDDDD WHY GO THROUGH A WHOLE FUCKING INTERVIEWING AND ONBOARDING PROCESS JUST TO FUCKING IGNORE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE FOR THE REST OF ETERNITYYYYYYY I AM SO UPSET!!!!

but not as upset anymore lmfao since now i hopefully have a job that's actually gonna, ya know, pay me for doing tasks.

and??????? the wage is hella fucking decent. $40/hr. If I was managing my own studio and doing all my own marketing and bookkeeping and scheduling and all that, the minimum i charge is $50. so $40 is a very very decent deal for a scenario where all i have to do is teach, and not worry about any of the businessy stuff.

but i do intend to eventually prove that i'm worth eeeven more than that. 😊 cop myself a lil raise in the future.

[trickstarbrave]

Hello! I am here to inform you that I would happily read a 10 page essay about Alduin's Bane. Spoilers are a highlight. Your Elder Scrolls lore is incredible and I am frothing at the mouth for more.

oh man now i have decision paralysis i have so much to talk about given the fic is over 150k (somehow. i cant believe i wrote that much) uhhhhhh im just gonna give some bullet points of what i can think of

>originally was going to just be a oneshot centered around the past that would have been the first 3-ish chapters but i liked it so much i had continued it

>hell i had debated actually naming eyja or not for a while lol

>originally fengr wasn't going to be in the story, but i actually liked him the more i thought about him. he is supposed to be the archtypical box art "dragonborn" bethesda markets (except two handed weapons instead of dual wielding). i thought he made a good foil and could help drive some of the character development and give eyja more to connect her to the world and also because i wanted to use him as a foil for another character

>i did intend for sheogorath to be the champion of cyrodiil. not everyone agrees with this theory but i liked it. i also hope i did a better job making the quest more interesting. i was really proud of connecting the weird, seemingly disjointed dream world quests to our main character's psyche and problems rather than being just a cheap joke

>i also LOVE sanguine if you couldn't tell. writing him was some of my favorite stuff. genuine chaos and debauchery. he technically had the right idea

>i had a big plan in mind for a side plot where The Gang currently (fengr, serana, eyja, alduin) run into cicero and the listener who were tasked with assassinating the dragonborn and instead ask for their help to take down astrid who they know is planning on turning on them. this was going to lead to a full blown assassination of the current emperor, but for the life of me i couldn't think of a satisfactory way to connect the plot to the rest of the story without feeling like i was forcing a block through a circular hole so it has been indefinitely tabled. if it makes it back in the story then it does but so far i'm not planning on it. but if you're wondering what happened to our dear little jester he is off helping rebuild the dark brotherhood with his wood elf listener

>in my fic to be mentioned later alduin actually got so angry he ripped off solstheim as a provide from mainland skyrim and flung it off into the ocean during a big ass battle

>i remember some ppl saying alduin could be akin to shiva. whether or not you like this idea or think it is credible i was a lil inspired by the myths of sati and parvati in the loosest of ways

>im still very proud that i made bleakfalls barrow originally designed and built to be eyja's tomb. in functions VERY much as a tutorial dungeon in many aspects with like blatant plot hooks in the form of the dragon stone and word wall that we just dont see in other tombs. not to mention it is very large and in your face, something you expect to be of bigger importance, and delphine wanted the dragon stone for some unexplained reason, so. head dragon priest's tomb it is. but alduin wouldn't actually let her be buried there, which only lead to credence to the mainstream belief that konahrik had defected or betrayed alduin and he had killed her in a rage.

>how she got the mask i just realized i never explained. basically my bullshit reason was she owns the mask. the mask was sealed off to wait for a new owner if one ever came, and then was lost to time. dragon priests arent really supposed to "die" in my telling of events so she got the mask by wandering in and it opened up for her assuming she was the original owner here to claim it. it does not do this for literally anyone else

>alduin kind of fucking sucked at sex. i hint at this in several ways but in their first lifetime he just fucking sucked at it. i cannot fully stress how just bad and clumsy he was. this immortal dragon god of the end of time was a complete virgin and it showed. if it wasn't for the fact he was a god she adored i dont think eyja would have put up with it. but luckily she taught him better.

>they were together i estimate in the ballpark of 60 years prior to her being killed. a very fun time for the people of skyrim given alduin wasnt randomly flying overhead to munch on them

>i wanna work more on serana and alduin's dynamic bc i think it is very funny. she's gotten over her panic into just normal rational fear and questioning her sanity of "wait the actual dragon god??? thats who im traveling with????"

>as far as dragon priests knew it was an open secret eyja and alduin were fucking. the general public didnt know but most of the priests knew. and most of the dragons but they were more confused by the concept of actually having sex which seemed weird in general

actual big spoilers under the cut for people who dont wanna see:

>fengr is, in the next little mini arc we're about to do with curing lycanthrope, about to be revealed as also a dragonborn. i like to imagine that was akatosh's back up plan or something. i wont reveal all of what the revelation entails to keep that fun and exciting

>also to be mentioned: molag bal has beef with alduin and eyja because her mask is actually made of daedric ivory. alduin went "i need a cooler material for her mask to be made out of" and went all the way to a realm of oblivion to kill one of molag bal's big ass daedra. this has lead to much of molag bal's beef with dragons

>several members of the thalmor were investigating the masks (this is canon) and took a particular interest in both eyja's and the time traveling unnamed mask. this wooden mask alduin had made in hopes it could bring eyja back (it failed)

>back to the sati and parvati myths uhhhh part of that has translated to miraak and his motivations. i hope you didn't have "miraak is past life eyja's ex" on your bingo card because you will not be able to check that off. miraak was her father.

>in that regard i had to think a lot about how having kids would be handled by dragon priests. i dont see miraak actually raising any children he had, and he probably had a variety of concubines and wives to sleep with as i imagine most of the other dragon priests did, but no time to actually get attached. so she probably only had some status and little interactions with him prior to this, but boy was miraak mad he couldnt just use her influence for his own gain. idk if i will get to mention all this part in my fic lol

>finding out one of his kids actually inherited his abilities led him down the path to trying to understand what dragonborn were. he thought he was a strange, special existence, but finding out there were more people like him made him wanna find out how they worked. this also invariably led to him experimenting on several of eyja's multitude of half siblings that died prior to him getting his hands on her. also prob wont get to mention all this in the fic

>in this vein i had the idea to make vahlok eyja's other parent but i didn't think it did much for the story so. i might go in the way of "helpful mentor" or just that he didnt fucking suck

[twistedisciple]

Today was Gregory's birthday which meant it was Griss' too right? A question to herself but the answer would be given by the man she was rushing to meet. Zelestia sometimes forgot to eat meals for days or messed up with little tasks but one thing she always tried keeping a note on was other's birthdays, because who disliked being remembered on their special day?

"Griss!" The dragon chirped the correct name and this time the sight of his face didn't lead to a saddened reaction but rather a warm smile. "It's your birthday right? If so, i wanted to wish you a very happy one."

In her hands rested a piece of fabric just like the ones that decorated her horns. "I wasn't too sure on what would make a great gift so i decided to give you one of my ribbons." Or rather a replacement one in case the ones she wore broke, clothing does get worn out in the end! "I don't believe you will find much use for it but you could use it for decoration?"

As if dancing in place she thought hard on whether to give him a warm embrace or not. Many people weren't comfortable with being hugged so refrained from doing so.

Get mom'd Griss

Where Zephia had crept like a snake in the grass, Zelestia flew like a whirlwind. Everything around her seemed to be in motion: her long hair, her dress, even the grass and trees bent and swayed with a breeze that seemed of her own making. By now, Griss had gotten used to her many idiosyncrasies, and the face she shared with the woman he had consigned to the grave had begun to take on details that set them apart. He'd come to see her as 'just Zelestia,' and today, without any other job to speak of, he welcomed the sight of her.

"What's up?" With a languid smile, he planted a hand on his hip and expected from her rush some sort of last-minute job that Lady Nel needed to be done. Surprise widened his eyes though. His birthday?

"Huh? Is it?"

The day had never really meant anything to him, because it had never really meant anything to anyone. The monastery where he'd grown up hadn't been in the habit of celebrating its humans, reserving its resources instead for its many rites and ceremonies. There was nothing about Fódlan that would have changed that either, and no reason for Griss to care if it did. Frankly, he hardly even looked at the calendar.

With the gold ribbon now stretched out between both of his hands, he stared at it, bewildered and speechless.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he blurted out once he found the words, and glanced up at Zelestia with furrowed brow. She was right in that he probably wouldn't get much use out of it, but the very act of exchanging gifts - especially for one's birthday - had pushed him onto his back foot. He began to wind the ribbon around his hand thoughtfully. Maybe he could strangle someone with it. Maybe he could strangle himself with it. Whatever this was supposed to mean, Zelestia looked ready to dance right out of her skin with happiness.

"... I'll figure out a good use for it," he conceded after a beat. That was probably the point, right? A challenge. "Never gotten anything for my birthday before. Feels kinda weird."

[daydreamerdrew]

so, I watched the first episode of season 4 of Superman & Lois, and Lex's daughter's name is Elizabeth, which is a bummer. but I knew it was a possibility they wouldn't use Lena since there was another recent show with a prominent character named Lena Luthor, who was Lex's sister, and that might have been thought of as too confusing for viewers. at least Liza is in there and that sounds kinda of like Lena. but it seems that Lex's ex-wife's name is Amanda?? they really bait-and-switched me by giving her the same last name as Erica, or at least referring to her with that last name last season before changing their minds.

that being said, Amanda told Lex that Liza had been in London but left when he was released. and when he was asked by his henchwoman later if there was any news about his daughter, Lex said, “Just more lies.” that's interesting. it’s the only indication in the episode that they don’t have a normal relationship and that Amanda doesn’t genuinely care about Lex. she doesn’t seem to realize he’s onto her. her being oblivious is a little boring but there are other things in the show to be interested in.

also, that Liza was living in London may just be because her actress is British. I've only seen her before in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I don't know if she can do an American accent. I know she was cast in the show because she directed episodes for earlier seasons and they wanted to give some behind-the-scenes people on-screen parts for the final season. I do remember her being a good actress.

some more spoilery specifics:

Lex refers to dropping his daughter off at school, so he was an involved parent in that he didn't give that task to an underling.

Lex says, while looking fondly at her picture, “She meant everything to me. Elizabeth was the only person in my life that loved me. Not my mother, not my ex-wife... Just her.” this is what I wanted to heard, I think it is definitely pulling from Lena’s comics. and he looks fondly at her picture again later in the episode.

also, I was glad that Lex harassed Lois and Clark's kids in this episode since, given his motivation, it stood out that he didn't do or say anything to them last season. he intensely told them that his motivation was, “Your mother took her from me. Everything that's coming is justified.” this is actually emphasizing his motivation more narrowly than last season, where losing his relationship with Liza wasn’t necessarily presented as the reason above all others that he was upset.

I also loved Lois' dad negging Lex that at least his daughter still talks to him when he was about to die.

Lois says part of Lex's plan is “to turn the boys against me like his daughter turned on him.” all he’s done so far is threaten her and pressure her to quit her job and, because they were the ones protecting Lois, seemingly killed Superman and nearly killed her father. I understand how this is putting pressure on their family, but I don’t really see that it’s turning her kids against her. maybe she’s assuming that that’s something he’ll try in the future, since it seems he’s not going right for trying to kill Lois and her children. which I think is really just to drag out the story for a season of TV and not because that’s what makes the most sense for him. he’s already killed the judge who sentenced him.

also, that Lex would have been fine if Lois had only just quit her job is a bit unbelievable to me, and I don’t expect that anything this season will make that work better.

I am looking forward to seeing the way Lex and Liza interact once they finally reunite paralleled with how Clark and Lois interact with their children.

also, Lex has an employee named Milton, who is referred to at one point as “that brainiac,” which is obviously meant to be Milton Fine, a human that was at one point possessed by the alien Brainiac. I honestly think it would be really strange to have Brainiac in the show and have Lex’s daughter not involved in that at all. I actually wouldn’t be really bothered if there was a Liza-and-Brainiac plot, because that would be obviously inspired by Lena’s comics, and it would mean screen time for Liza. it’s ambiguous now how prominent of a character she’ll be when she does finally show up. but, really, we don’t even know how prominent Brainiac himself will be yet.

also, Lex’s henchwoman notably doesn’t have a name, as she says that the name she’s been going by isn’t her real name but then doesn’t say what her real name is. it seems she dislikes working for Lex but feels obligated, that he has something on her and she doesn’t believe there would be anyplace safe if she left. I don’t have any idea where that’s going. she asked Lex about Liza, but that could very, very easily be just to give him a reason to say his line “Just more lies” and not that she has any particular reason to care about Liza.

[rodechi]

Living Anxiety

It is 4am and I am unable to sleep, and so I find myself writing the rough draft of this in the hopes that writing it down will tire me out. To all of you who have noticed me withdrawing more and more lately, I am pulling back the curtain a bit to share a bit of what I have been wrestling with privately.

To give some insight into my home life: it is a house, but not my home. I have lived here in this small podunk town in Tennessee all my life. Opportunities were always few and far between unless you work a dead-end job for pennies on the dollar (TN has no state minimum wage, so a lot of jobs will start you at the federal $7.25/hr -- or less if you work a job that gets tips!) or really enjoy dealing in antique furniture. It's also a terrible place to live as someone queer. My nephew got run off the road just last year because an older man saw him with makeup on, veering toward him and forcing him off the road, calling him slurs in the process. Hell, I STILL have neighbors who are die-hard Trump supporters. Which brings me to my mother. Mercifully, she's very anti-Trump, but in many ways still very conservative. She worked as a nurse nearly 40 years and is set in beliefs from that long ago as well. To her, gender is immutable -- although I have been on HRT for over 2 years now, she doesn't make even the barest effort to acknowledge it. To her, I will always be Daniel, not Wren. Always her little boy. Always "him". I'm not even respected enough to have my own bank account; she has access to view my statements at any time and will frequently question me about purchases I make, money I send to friends and partners, anything. "I want to make sure it's you spending your money, not anyone else." No trust, no boundaries. Hell, she told me once "My boundaries mean that I can ignore yours." In addition, she's developed a victim complex, always blaming me for perceived slights against her that she has imagined. She uses that as fuel to make "jokes" about how she wants to tie me up so I'd miss a flight away or how she'll get me arrested for something just so I wouldn't be able to leave.

With all of that in mind, you can surely see why I would be eager to move away. However, there are a few extenuating factors that make it difficult for me, especially lately. Notably, my lack of income, lack of living history (since I've lived here my whole life), and just sheer logistics.

First off, at the moment, I have no income. I had a job, from April 2018 until January 2022. I worked as a veterinary assistant at a local clinic, since I wanted a job that served a purpose and I love animals. I initially wanted to go to college for it (after failing at another college under a different major), but quickly learned that while I was okay with doing it as a job, I didn't want it to be my career. I was overworked, underpaid, taken advantage of, and regularly given tasks outside my job description and above my paygrade. I was part-time, despite being scheduled for 30 hour workweeks (and frequently having to stay an average of 4 to 6 hours late over the week). As such, no benefits! Woooo! I was also given the job of about 3 to 4 other people, including being the person expected to teach the newer hires, perform tech support, and more roles beyond that. It was a soul-crushing line of work that chewed me up and spit me out. I even had to write up one of my bosses (and got her forced into retirement) because she would punch and kick some dogs, and one of the doctors that replaced her… I still relive a moment where I had to assist him with a euthanasia on a puppy that he botched and did improperly (and illegally!) So while I only worked there just shy of 4 years, it left me with the worst burnout, depression, anxiety, and compassion fatigue I have ever experienced in my life. When I found myself getting impatient and mad at the animals regularly, I knew that was my sign to quit while I could. I should have gotten another job since then, but I was content to live off my savings while I recovered my mental health.

In addition to these issues, I also have been living with a phobia of driving a car. Not just a fear, mind you. An honest-to-God "diagnosed by a psychiatrist" phobia. Not just me being worried I'll get into an accident or anything… Even thinking about being behind the steering wheel of a car is enough to send me into panic attacks. Mom forced me to take Driver's Education in high school, and I forced myself to drive in the hope that I could condition myself to get past it. Instead I had a hellish semester, with the teacher literally telling me "The only reason I'm not failing you is that you didn't crash the car." and criticizing me because "You will do something right 10 times and then screw it up so bad the next it's like you've never done it." It's definitely given me a complex on top of the existing phobia. And so, living in this town where a car is basically mandatory, my options for getting out are very limited.

And so, when one of my partners invited me to move to the West Coast to be with them, I was eager to get out. So we have been spending the past few weeks looking at apartments online, trying to find a place that would take us, even with me being dead weight as I am now with no job, no living history, and mediocre credit. It's been incredibly stressful, and we are still searching. But god if it ain't soulcrushing. Most places require us to have a cosigner, and most places in the area require them to have the frankly-absurd requirement of the cosigner making 4 times the rent. My parents refuse, not wanting to be responsible for "someone you don't know." At this point our options are getting slimmer and slimmer, with the deadline baring down on us.

And so here I am, in a house where I am regularly emotionally abused, in a state that hates me for being pansexual and transgender, trying to move to a state where no apartment will take me because I'm expected to have an income from a job that I can't get until I'm over there. It hurts and it stresses me the fuck out.

I could write so much more, but I'm exhausted and upset. I'm going to nap.

[engagement-challenge-casebook]

Employment Philosophies: Initial Response/Thoughts

As part of my engagement challenge, I was tasked with reading through a pDF on employment philosophies. going thorugh each point and giving my own inittial response and thoughts.

A culture of making

I have come from a culture of making, I know how to finish a project. I don’t go around in cycles for weeks. A can deliver. I am a finisher. We have spent the last 3 years making product and I love it. ‘You have an understanding that nothing is ever perfect, and you have reached a point where you can deliver to a professional standard, you understand what warrants a professional standard.

I understand what warrants a professional standard; I usually set myself to high standards anyway. However, I’m afraid about my ability to complete certain pieces of the project on time. While I have been able to complete every project I’ve done so far to the deadline and I work hard, I have needed extra time, and I can be rather slow. I am Proud of the work I produce, but it often takes me a while to get into focus with my projects.

Engaged in industry standard practice and methods

During the last 3 years we have engaged in standard industry practice. Engaged creative methodologies using industry standard planning, communication and pipeline tools. I have a good understanding of what is expected of me in my chosen role and I can fit into your process and way of working. I stopped just watching animation and started making them and I love the process, seeing things come together, it’s amazing. I’m addicted, give me more.

I agree that I have learned industry standard practices from these past few years and am good at them, such as planning, communication, experimentation, etc. I do not like the tone of this paragraph, though. While admirable, I think the enthusiasm displayed for the creative project process is rather exaggerated and, frankly, unnecessary. It comes off as forced and somewhat fake like whoever is writing is trying too hard to impress a potential employer. This goes for many instances of overenthusiasm in the EP letter. The last sentence made me deeply uncomfortable.

Seamless integration into industry

We didn’t do 9 hr’s a week teaching at University and the rest of the week on the couch and sleeping in bed. We adopted a 9-5 working culture in a fully equipped studio environment. Our projects were seen as commercial and there was commercial work around me. It was designed to make my step into the industry as seamless as possible. I can get up for work in the morning.

While I wouldn't say my university schedule is as demanding as that of a 9-5 job, the curriculum and workflow of my course have given me discipline and a better idea of what my typical work week in a creative industry job might be like. I didn’t find the opening joke all that funny.

A broad understanding of the digitial industry I’m not simply obsessed with working in a major studio, it would be great but I know there are multitudes of other opportunities out there that can draw on my broad skill set. ‘You want to communicate that in your mind this opportunity is not second best, you are very interested in the full spread of digital disciplines, you are happy to turn your hand to anything and you are hungry to learn.

This part deeply resonated with me as a creator. Though I am more comfortable working in traditional mediums such as stop-motion, I am open to working in various mediums and fields such as digital 2d, animatic, character design, digital drawing on Photoshop, etc. I do not want to be pigeonholed into one medium. So, I can get behind the sentiment of a broad skill set being a valuable asset as an artist and to a company.

Team working has taught me to be a professional

I have worked in teams, experienced the ups and downs, the politics and the egos. I have a professional persona that will work with anybody to deliver on a project. I am a team player; I enjoy working with like-minded people. I’m diplomatic, I defuse tension, and I deal well with stress and support others under pressure.

I have so far only worked with one team on my own project, and it was a somewhat difficult experience for me at first. I wasn’t used to working with others on a project and we clashed somewhat when it came to our styles of writing, art, and storytelling. But we eventually learned to communicate well and produced a good final product. It was a good learning experience for me to prepare me for a similar work environment where I'll likely have to work with others collaboratively.

I take pride in my work and I have Honour, Integrity

If I start a job I finish it, I always work to the highest standard. I do a job first and foremost for myself, to satisfy my own high standards, I have integrity, and I don’t let myself down and in turn, don’t let other people down. I take pride in my work.

For me Personally, I have trouble registering when I’ve done well on my projects. I know I have completed the brief and produced a high quality product, yet I never seem to feel the sense of overwhelming pride others seem to do when they complete a project. Maybe its my burn out from the work itself, or the fact I can see more of the imperfections in the final product than most can. But I am working on my self-esteem and allowing myself to take pride in my accomplishments.

I’m not a dreamer, I am aware of what it means to be a professional.

I am here to work, I am grounded, I want a career as a digital creative, and I left the dream and the glamour of the animation industry behind many years ago. I want to progress myself, I know I have a lot to learn, that I will never stop learning. I understand that this is not a nine to five job, this is vocational, this is my life, and I want a chapter of that journey and that development to be within your company.

While I wouldn't describe setting my expectations realistically as leaving my dream, I do have a grounded sense of the industry and a great desire to learn in a more hands-on way. Especially if it's from my peers or a potential client.

[shiroi---kumo]

The swordsman wasn't given a name, just a general description and honestly the man was right in saying it was pretty unmistakable. The Snow White Swordsman himself was the only Misterican in the whole of Wonderland and he was the only Misterican to ever be born of the color White. So really how could one manage to give a poor description of him? It was difficult, honestly. 

Still, it makes sense to him that they wouldn't have given this poor fool his mark's name. Who in their right mind would accept a job to hunt down Lord Makenshi?! Only an idiot would volunteer to hunt down the Demon Swordsman himself. Anyone with any sense of self-preservation would know that taking on such a task was only for the foolhardy with a death wish. 

Only the boldest of Wonderland ever dared to approach him, worse yet if he was in the presence of his counterpart. The swordsman was frightening by reputation but the man of Black Winds was terrifying simply on sight alone. As a pair? No one dared get near them. 

Where was that man anyway? How does he manage to lose someone the height of a tree? Black Wind knew how to find him, he'll show up sooner or later. 

So apparently he's caught the eye of power people, the swordsman explains and really that's not news. The real quest was it Chaos, Gaudium or someone else this time?  

The man of snow folds his hands down neatly on the table before him. A neat little café he'd found nestled in the back of his town. A quaint little place he could have a spot of tea. Jade eyes watch and keen ears listen. None of this sounds like anything he wants to deal with. 

"Well then I suppose it is nice to meet you Zack." He stops to pause, mask still covering the lower half of his face despite the small cup of tea placed out before him. 

"And what did these people tell you to do when you found me then, hmm? I go by many names but they differ depending on if I am talking to friend or foe. So then tell me, Zack, are you my friend or my foe?"

"A name. Hm." His eyes shifted to glance toward the swaying treetops, appreciating the beauty of the place in spite of what could potentially transpire now that the trail honed in on the moment of truth. Bloodshed was the trademark of his days, yet Zack never lost the ability to see the world with a dreamlike quality. He could pause a moment to reflect even with danger lurking.

"Dunno." He finally responded, that fleeting moment of admiration gone with the shrug of his shoulders. "Wasn't given a name. Just a general description. It's pretty unmistakable if you ask me." He tapped at the side of his head. Whether he silently referred to his unique coloring, or the odd arrangement of horns along his brow [in what might be described as a crown of sorts] wasn't made terribly clear. But one or the other would be enough to identify the mark.

Although his intentions weren't entirely made clear [outside of the idea that he had been given a task to hunt him down], his words weren't filled with the usual foreboding of impending doom that might be expected in such a situation. There wasn't really anything there at all to determine what he planned to do next.

"You caught the eye of some powerful people. You know how that goes, right. Powerful people don't like the unusual. Or things they can't explain." Only THEY were allowed to sprinkle mystery in the world.

It was kind of a sad irony that said powerful people produced those like HIM, the sort the general populace didn't really favor either. They were forever caught in a perpetual cycle of hate and distrust.

"I have to say, this isn't quite what I expected." He pursed his lips in thought, perking up soon after. "Any way, I'm Zack."

[fuck-customers]

I hate that my stupid boss just straight up doesn't train people.

She just gives the absolute bare minimum instructions (ex. scan item, print receipt, bag item) but doesn't show anyone what to do when problems arise/slightly more complicated tasks need to be done.

I've had new hires stop me and I had to show them how to:

-change the receipt paper

-adjust prices when something rings up incorrectly

-enter competitor coupons

-how to manually type in an item number if barcode is damaged/missing

-how to turn on/off the store radio

-where to throw away the garbage at the end of the night + where to find garbage bags

-where to find toilet paper/paper towels/etc to refill in bathrooms

-where to find the mop (in same place as t.p.)

-when looking for a product, look above shelves in overstock boxes

-everything at the cut counter: how to cut fabric, where to put away which fabrics, how to label and roll remnants, how to log damages, etc.

-simply just WHERE STUFF IS. Now I obviously don't expect every new hire to immediately show up and have every single thing memorized, that's ridiculous. But there's a lot of new hires who have been here for months and no one's given them a store tour and shown them where each department is.

Also, most of these people have been here for 6+ months and should've been trained on that stuff already. I don't want to fuck them over by just not helping them when they ask, because it is truly not their fault that they were not trained, but it is also not my job to train new hires.

I want to be VERY clear: I am NOT BLAMING THE NEW HIRES, NOR AM I MAD AT THEM, THE BLAME FALLS ENTIRELY WITH THE INCOMPETENT STORE MANAGER FOR NOT TRAINING CORRECTLY. Tbh I wouldn't mind training new hires, but since that's not in my job description, I either need a raise or promotion before that happens, then I'd be happy to train new people. (Apparently I'm a good teacher, I've been told)

This was on my mind since I came into work today and once AGAIN someone left a radio on when they put it back on the charger. Which prevents the radio from charging. A simple mistake, but it happens every single day.