#what the heck is that price as well

[veilody]

Thieves be ridiculous

People just stole an artwork I made as a birthday present for my friend. There's still the watermark and the title gives away everything.

Already reported DMCA and after that the website was down. I will look into this again tomorrow.

To any artist out there, no matter how small: google your artist names sometimes.

I only found this because of that habit and was flabbergasted to see a weird as AI-image popping up with the title of this picture.

[licorishh]

Replayed Modern Warfare 3 2011 on Veteran tonight and goooooooood night. Blood Brothers never gets any easier to watch no matter how many times you've done it and the ending really never misses huh

I apologize for the amount of yapping in the tags I reread it all on mobile and started giggling because it went on for so long but eh. Blessed are those who won't shut the freak up and all that

[fizzingwizard]

it's the end of 2023 and "thief king bakura had a point" isn't a hot take now anymore than it was twenty years ago when we first learned about aknadin's crimes in kul elna

[sysig]

Today: Teeth hurt, batteries are sold exorbitantly but only in person, and I think I have Tamagotchis now

[bluegiragi]

In regards to the monster cast’s orientations. I politely ask, how the heck did Price and Simon’s desires to be tops work in that temporary relationship of theirs? Did they rock paper scissors to see whose turn it is? I am very genuinely curious how they decide. Also find it very cute that Rudy likes to boss Alejandro in the bedroom.

well, in the monster!au specifically, Price and Ghost got together shortly after the incident with Roba. It left them both permanently scarred and they kinda latched onto each other in the direct aftermath. Simon, who had lived his entire life as a human until then and was now grappling with being an unstable smoke monster, was feeling glaringly vulnerable. Price, who was now down one wing and was feeling that impact no matter how much he tried to work past it, recognised Simon as "hoard" and in turn was overcompensating for that.

In summary, Simon needed someone in that moment to take charge and Price needed a way to reassert his dragon-hood to himself. Their relationship was toxic and codependent before the brass recognised what was happening and sent Price out into the field before they wanted to, just so they could separate the two. Their feelings for each other levelled out with time, and they sometimes revive the fling for old time's sake, but it's a lot more understated now.

in regards to non-monster-aus? i fully believe that Price is just Simon's exception. That's his captain, and he's an attack dog. There's a certain dynamic that comes with this (and i eat that shit up every time)

[hahaifolded]

141 x POC!GN Intelligence Operative - Debrief 1 Author's Notes: Does this make sense? I don't know. I'm just started to type and this happened. Warnings: MDNI, Angst

Like usual, the 141 had gotten together for dinner. But tonight was different as tonight you decided to grace them with your presence. 

But instead of sitting in your normal seat with the 141, you were sitting with the new guys. They couldn’t help but stare. Here you are in all your glory but not for them.

“Why are they with them?” asks Ghost as he shoves his fork in his mouth. Gaz and Price shrug as they couldn’t understand why you chose the new guys over them. The three immediately voice their confusion while Soap just remains silence. His silence rang immediate alarms in the other three as John MacTavish is never quiet. 

“Talk,” Price commands. Ghost and Gaz shift their attention to the Scotsman. Johnny drops his fork and begins to talk and talk and talk. He explains to the three what had happened. As he talks, he keeps his gaze on you and Russ. Why couldn’t that be him and you? Heck, at this point, he’ll share you if he has too. 

“And I’ll be honest, I don’t know what Russ did exactly but whatever he did, it got them to eat dinner with him and those fuckers.” And with that, Soap turns back to the three. Ghost and Price just stare at him, lost in thought, while Gaz sits back with his arms crossed. 

“He listened,” Gaz states like it was matter of fact. The three look on confused. With an exasperated breath, Gaz sits straights up and explains it to the three. 

“People like them and I can’t just live. We have to go above and beyond and be perfect just so we can even get an ounce of respect that you guys get. If we don’t, we are immediately labeled as an issue” Johnny tries to interrupt him but Gaz quickly shuts him down. “Look at their resume. Top of their class, scored exceptionally high on all of their exams, trained by Laswell herself for fucks sake and how many offers did they get after the academy?” Kyle takes a pause to look at the three. 

“None,” grunts out Price. 

“And what did it say on their file? What was the supposed reason why so many teams didn’t want them?” continues Kyle. 

Ghost answers him. “Too aggressive. Doesn’t respect authority.” 

“And was that the case?” Kyle stares down at the three. 

Johnny lets out a choked out “no.” From the moment you got here, you were sweet. Any possible acts of defiance were just you doing your job — asking the right questions and making sure your voice was being heard. You were kind to each and every one of them even when they switched up on you. Any recent aggression (if you can even call it that) has been well-deserved as the 141 each began to take the piss out on you. 

“So instead of labeling them as a problem like everyone else, Russ here listened and realized that they’re alone and just needs a team, so,” Kyle turns back to look at you with the new guys, “he gave them one.” Kyle turns back around and returns to his food, picking at it with his fork. 

Soap stares straight at you and realizes his mistake. He labeled you as the bad guy. Fuck. They all did the minute they agreed to put the 141 over you. It wasn’t your fault that they all thought with their dicks. This wasn’t right. You deserved better. 

“So what do we do now?” whines Johnny. He notices the way you laugh with the trio— you used to laugh like that at his jokes. 

“I honestly don’t know,” mumbles out Gaz. The four sit in silence through dinner. 

As Soap finishes his last bite, he catches you and Russ getting up from y’all’s table with Russ actually grabbing your plate for you. Soap felt his eye twitch. As you two walk past the 141, lost in conversation, Johnny speaks up, hoping just a moment of your time. 

He calls out your name. You turn, confused to hear your name. When you made eye contact with Soap, your smile falls. 

“Yes, Sergeant?” you ask. You politely greet the other three. Keegan is right by your side, staring down the 141. 

“Sergeant? Who’s that? It’s your Johnny-boy,” Soap quips.

“Do you need something?” You’re clearly not impressed. 

This isn’t going how Johnny wanted at all. He smacks Price on his back and starts again. “The guys and I have some ice cream bars hidden in Price’s office. Come join us. You know, for team bonding and all that.” 

Johnny sees something flash across your eyes. Was it… joy? However, it disappears as fast as it appeared. 

“I think that’s inappropriate especially since I’m not an official member of the team and I would hate to impose,” you start. You glance at Keegan and shoot him a small smile. “Besides Kea— Sergeant Russ and I are going into town right now for dessert. So maybe another time,” you inform. You begin to turn, leaving the 141 to their ice creams when… 

“Mind a third?” Soap blurts out. You turn around, shock all over your face. You look at him mouth gaping, unsure what to say. Johnny feels his face burn as it’s apparent you do mind a third but don’t know how to say it. Damn him and his big mouth. 

Thankfully Keagan lends a helping hand. “Sorry man. I got shit in the back of my car and only got space for one person. But we’ll bring you something back.” 

And with that Keagan whisks you away from the 141 nor brings the downtrodden Scotsman something back. 

Word Count: 947

More Thoughts - Next Thought

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Private equity rips off its investors, too

I'm coming to DEFCON! TOMORROW (Aug 9), I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On SATURDAY (Aug 10), I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

It's amazing how many of the scams that have devastated our economy and everyday people owe their success to the fact that we assume that rich people know what they're doing, so if they're doing something, it must be real.

Think of how many people lost everything by gambling on junk bonds, exotic mortgage derivatives, cryptocurrency and web3, because they saw that the largest financial institutions in the world were going all-in on these weird, incomprehensible bets.

Then there are the people who are convinced that online advertising is built around a mind-control ray, because tech companies claim that's what they have ("I am an evil dopamine-loop-hacking wizard and I can sell anything to anyone!"), and because huge, sober blue-chip companies hand billions to these soi dissant svengalis. Sure, online ads are a swamp of clickfraud and garbage, but would these super smart captains of industry spend so much on online advertising if it didn't work super-well?

http://pluralistic.net/HowToDestroySurveillanceCapitalism

From our worms'-eye-view here on the ground, it's easy to assume that rich people and the people who sell them stuff are all on the same side. "If you're not paying for the product, you're the product," right? If Facebook is tormenting you with surveillance advertising, it must be doing so on behalf of the surveillance advertisers, for whom Mark Zuckerberg has bottomless reservoirs of honest, forthright impulses.

The reality is simultaneously weirder, and obvious in hindsight. The reason Zuck is tormenting you is that he's a remorseless sociopath who doesn't care who he hurts. He rips off everyone he can rip off, and that includes advertisers, who have seen steady price-hikes and lower-fidelity targeting, even as ad-fraud has skyrocketed while Facebook draws down its anti-fraud spending:

https://www.404media.co/where-facebooks-ai-slop-comes-from/

This is not to say that Facebook advertisers have your best interests at heart, that they aren't engaged in active deception in order to better themselves at your expense. Rather, it's to say that there's no honor among thieves, and Zuck is an equal-opportunity predator. Moreover, both Zuck and his advertisers are credulous dolts, so the mere fact that they are pouring money into something (advertisers: FB ads; Zuck: metaverse) it doesn't follow that these are real or important or the coming thing.

For me, the Ur-example of "rich people are dumb, even when it comes to money" is the private equity sector. I've written a lot about PE, and how destructive it is to the real economy, from Toys R Us to pet grooming:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/05/rugged-individuals/#misleading-by-analogy

How they killed Red Lobster:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/23/spineless/#invertebrates

And how they actually created the death panels that Sarah Palin warned us about (it's OK, though: these death panels are run by the efficient private sector, not government bureaucrats):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS

The devastating effect of private equity on the real economy is increasingly well understood, and a curious side-effect of this is that people assume that if PE is destroying their lives, they must be doing so on behalf of their investors, who are making bank.

But – like Zuck – PE bosses are just as happy to steal from their investors as they are to to steal from the workers and customers of the businesses they acquire on those investors' behalf. They swaddle this theft in performative complexity and specialized jargon, but when you strip all that away, you find more fraud.

All the misery that PE inflicts on workers, communities and customers are just a convincer in a Big Store con, a bid to make the scam seem credible. For a certain kind of investor, any economic activity that destroys communities and workers' livelihoods must be a good bet. This is the dynamic at work in the pitch of AI image-generator companies, who spend tens of billions on technology that there is no substantial market for:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/25/accountability-sinks/#work-harder-not-smarter

AI image generators represent a high-profile, extremely visible example of "a job that AI can do." Nevermind that AI illustration went from a novelty to a tired cliche in less than a year. Even if you think that AI illustrations are a perfect substitute for commercial illustrations, that still won't come anywhere near making AI companies a profit. Add up the entire wage bill for every commercial illustrator in the world, hand it to Open AI, and you're not even gonna cover the kombucha budget for Open AI's staff kitchens.

Hell, all the wages of every commercial illustrator that ever lived won't pay back even a fraction of the money the AI companies spent on image generators. The pauperization of an entire class of creative workers is just a canned demo, a way to fool investors into thinking that there is a whole universe of similarly situated workers whose wages can be diverted to AI companies. This is the logic of small-time spammers, scaled up to the scale of the entire S&P 500. Smalltime spammers looked at AI and thought, "OK, I can generate as much botshit as I want on demand for free. Science fiction magazines pay $0.10/word. So if I generate a billion words, I'll get $100 million." But that's not how any of that works: sf magazines don't buy botshit, and even if they did, the entire market for short fiction adds up to what Sam Altman spends on a single designer t-shirt. The point of destroying these beloved, useful things isn't to make a lot of money by taking their markets – it's to convince dopey, panicked rich people to give you lots of money you can steal, because they think you can do this to every market and they don't want to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week

Take "divi recaps": after a private equity firm acquires a company (by borrowing money against its assets), it typically declares a "special dividend," emptying out the company's cash reserves and pocketing them. A "divi recap" is when PE then takes out another massive loan against the company's (remaining) assets and pockets that:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/17/divi-recaps/#graebers-ghost

All of this happens under an opaque cloud, thanks to the light-to-nonexistent disclosure rules for PE. A public company has to open its books for the SEC, its investors, and the world. PE is private – and so are its finances. It is absolutely routine for PE bosses to put their spouses, kids, and pals on the payroll and hand them millions for doing little to nothing, all at the expense of their investors:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/sec-set-to-lower-massive-boom-on-private-equity-industry.html

PE bosses charge huge fees to their investors – not merely the usual 2-and-20 (2% of the funds under management and 20% of any profits) – but also a wide variety of special one-off fees that pile to the sky. They also dip into their investors' funds to issue themselves massive loans that they use to make side-bets, without telling the investors about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/10/monopoly-begets-monopoly/#gary-gensler

PE investors are chickens ripe for the plucking: take "continuation funds," which allow PE bosses to soak the rich people and pension funds who supply them with billions:

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/matt-levines-money-stuff-buyout-funds-buy-from-themselves

Remember 2-and-20? 2% of all the money you manage, every year, and 20% of all the profits. You'd think that these would be somewhat zero sum, right? If you use some of your investors' cash to buy a company, and then sell off that company for a profit, you get the 20%, but now the pot of money you're managing has gone down by the amount you used to buy the company, and so your 2% carry goes down, too.

But what if you sell your portfolio companies to yourself, using your investors' own money? When you do that, you continue to hold the company on your PE firm's books, meaning you continue to get the 2% carry, and you can pocket 20% of the sale price as a "profit":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/20/continuation-fraud/#buyout-groups

This is straight-up fraud, wrapped up in so much jargon that it can successfully masquerade as "financial engineering" ("financial engineering" is really just a euphemism for "fraud"). PE bosses keep coming up with new, exotic ways to steal from their investors. The latest scam is "tax receivable agreements":

https://archive.ph/RczJ9

On its face, this is a tax scam. When a company goes public, early investors generally hold stock in the original partnership or LLC; this company ends up holding a ton of shares in the new, public company. When they sell those non-public shares in the LLC, this creates a (potentially gigantic) tax credit.

A TRA hustle involves tracking down these LLC shareholders and convincing them to sign off on dumping the LLC's shares, which generates a huge tax credit for the public company. The hustler offers to split these credits with the LLC holders.

All of this is especially attractive to PE bosses, who often take a company private, do a bunch of "financial engineering" and then take it public again, leaving the PE firm as the owner of those LLC shares that can be converted to a TRA and a huge windfall – which the PE bosses pocket, because they (not their investors) are holding those credits.

This scam is really doing big numbers. KKR – the monsters who killed Toys R Us – just diverted $650 million in TRA loot, prompting a lawsuit from Steamfitters union pension fund, which had handed these jerks millions of its members' money to gamble with:

https://archive.ph/kqQvI

This highlights another very weird aspect of the PE scam: they are absolutely dependent on pension funds. To add insult to injury, PE funds are notorious union-busters – they use union money to buy companies and destroy their unions:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/05/mr-gotcha/#no-ethical-consumption-under-capitalism

People who try to understand the PE business model often give up, because it seems to make no sense, leading many to assume that they're too unsophisticated to grasp the complex financials here. For example, PE is absolutely dependent on massive loans as a way of looting its businesses, but it also often defaults on those loans. Why do banks and investors keep making huge loans to PE deadbeats? Because – like the PE fund investors – they are credulous dolts.

The reason PE seems like a scam is that it is a scam. It is a fractal scam – every part of it is a scam. You might have heard about the "carried interest" tax loophole that allows PE bosses to avoid billions in taxes on the money they steal from their investors, creditors, workers and customers. Most people assume "carried interest" has something to do with "interest" on a loan. Nope: "carried interest" is a 16th century nautical tax rule designed for mercantalist sea-captains who had an "interest" in the cargo they "carried":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/29/writers-must-be-paid/#carried-interest

But rich people and other "sophisticated investors" (like pension fund investment managers) are no smarter than the rest of us. They are herd animals. When they see other rich people piling into some scheme or asset class, they rush to join them, which makes the asset price go up, which makes them think they're smart (until the inevitable rug-pull). When one plute jumps off the Empire State Building, the rest of them jump, too.

Which is why there's more money flooding into PE than at any time in history, $2.62T in "dry powder," handed over to greedy, thieving PE bosses in a poker game where everyone is the sucker at the table:

https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2di1vzgjcmzovkcea8f0g/portfolio/private-equitys-dry-powder-mountain-reaches-record-height

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/08/sucker-at-the-table/#clucks-definance

[mysticlael]

Here. More Inco Quotes With The Bats. Have Fun

Jason, after watching Dick get shot by someone: You’re dead. You are very dead. When you are a corpse I will hack away at your flesh and eat you raw. Dick: Wha- Jay, I’m not dead yet! Jason: Let me have my moment of rage to avenge you. Dick: I’d prefer it if you didn’t let me die.

Tim: How do tall people possibly sleep at night when the blanket can't possibly cover you? Jason: Bitch, it's four o'clock in the morning. Tim: So, you can't sleep, huh? Is it because of the blanket?

Dick: “I miss you” is the nicest text you can receive. Duke: “I bought a monster truck.” Jason: You’re both wrong, it’s “I have too much money, you can have some.” Tim: “I got you pizza.” Steph: Fools! I present to you this: “Cass is driving to your house right now.” Duke: “Cass had too much money so she's driving to your house in a monster truck with a pizza that she got for you.” Dick: “…Because she missed you.”

Steph: Did you bring Jason? Dick, gesturing to Tim: No, but I brought the next best thing. Steph: Tim? The next best thing would be Cass. Tim: I would be offended, but Cass is freakishly talented.

Cass: Everything will be ok. You can not stop it. Cass: Everything will be fine. You have no choice. Steph: What the fuck kind of pep talk is that? Cass: Ominous positivity.

Bruce: Why is there blood everywhere? Jason: I may have aggressively poked someone with a knife. Bruce: You stabbed someone? Jason: No, no. I aggressively poked someone with a knife.

Duke: How would you guys deal with a toxic friend? Barbara: Tell them how you really feel. Dick: Slowly distance yourself from them. Damian: Engage in a 1v1 sword battle and if they lose, they have to stop being toxic or pay the price. Duke, being handed a sword: …well heck.

Jason, at the slightest provocation: I came into this earth screaming and covered in someone else's blood and I'm not afraid to leave the same way.

Bruce: So, you lied to me? Jason: That depends on how you define lying. Bruce: Well, I define it as not telling the truth. How do you define it? Jason: Um, reclining your body in a horizontal position?

Steph: So, what’s Cass' type? Tim: Brown eyes, kind, oblivious, good sense of humor, purple lover. Steph: Sounds kind of like me. Too bad we’re just friends. Tim: Did I mention oblivious? Steph: Yeah, why? Tim: Okay, just making sure.

Jason: Is there a cactus where your heart should be? 'Cause you're a real fucking prick. Tim: What’s up your ass this morning! Roy: *walks in* ...Hey. Tim: Hmm… nevermind. Jason: WAIT NO!

Dick: So you’re dating Roy? Jason: What? No! I’m just buying him an accessory since he has terrible fashion sense. Dick: That’s literally a wedding ring.

Selina: Bruce is playing hard to get. Selina: Little does he know, I'm a master at playing hard to get rid of.

Bruce: The first time I saw you, you stole my heart. Selina: But I'm a kleptomaniac, so that doesn't mean anything.

Dick: If I fall… Kori: I’ll be there to catch you. Tim: *looks at Bernard* What if I fall? Bernard: Then I’ll fall with you, never leaving your side. Roy: *watches these two interactions* Roy, to Jason: And if I fall? Jason: I’ll be the one who pushed you.

Roy: Since we're in a relationship now, your clothes are my clothes too. Don't ask me why I have your shirt on, this is our shirt. Jason: Fine, but when I come strutting in with your fuzzy socks, I don't want to hear shit.

[faith369]

Hear me out dbf!sugardaddy!price

Pairing: Captain John Price x fem!reader

Warnings: age gap (reader is in their early 20s) suggestive, mdni, nsfw in the future

"John, you really don't need to do this.“ You looked at your hands while he parked the car. “That's the least I can do while your dad is on deployment." Going birthday shopping was a tradition that had been established between you and your dad when you were young. Normally, he'd let you pick out one toy, which turned into a pair of shoes or jewelry as you got older. This time your dad was on deployment, though, so he sent Price. The last time you saw him, you were maybe ten or eleven. You mustered him while you got out of the car. You didn't remember him being this attractive. Nervousness creeped up your throat when one of his big hands came to rest on your lower back to guide you to the door. The array of luxury shops that you were presented with made you turn your head. “This is way too luxurious.” A small laugh left John, the deep rumble of it made you clench your thighs together. “Don't worry, love, you know I have a higher rank than your dad and my salary is more than enough. Let's go get you something pretty.“ The warmth of his hand didn't leave you while he pushed you into a high-end store. You didn't mean to, but a pretty summer dress got caught in your view. Of course Price, being as observant as he is, didn't miss the way your eyes shifted and convinced you to try it on while he waited in front of one of the changing cabinets. His mind wandered to your pretty face, he didn't expect that you'd turn out to be this pretty, especially not in the way that made him think about how you'd feel underneath him. He snapped out of his thoughts as soon as the curtains opened and you stepped out with a blush decorating your cheeks. “C..could you um, close it? I want to see if it fits well.” John got up before slowly pulling up the zipper. His blood rushed downward at the feeling of your soft skin underneath his fingertips. “D‘you think it looks good?” You turned to face him. Price held back a groan when his eyes wandered down, his boxers suddenly feeling tight. “Yeah, it does.” You wanted to tell him that it was way too expensive, but he just chimed in as soon as you opened your mouth. “Told you not to worry about it, love. Go get changed, and then I'll  pay." Price found himself guilty. Why the heck would he get hard because of his best friend's daughter? He decides it's nothing, but his dick still twitched when he saw the slight blush that covered your face as he pulled out his credit card to pay. Fuck, what is up with him.

A/N: this is going to be part of a sugar daddy AU

-Requests are open loves <333

[mrinafria]

[contains spoilers]

I'm an eternal digger of good narrative techniques. A decent story becomes great in my eyes if the narrative is done right. And it's one of the hardest things to do really, since there's no one-size-fits-all rule for what technique works well with a particular story and what doesn't. One of the primary reasons I keep obsessing over Lovely Runner is its' narrative technique. In all honesty, if it had a linear, singular narrative, I would not be hyperventilating over it on a constant basis (I still would just a certain amount, because both Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon deserve awards for what they are doing). One reason it has managed to knock it out off the park and take the top spot in my forever-favorite list is how wonderfully well the narrative is done.

The primary perspective used in this show is Im Sol's. It's through her we're introduced to the story. Her perspective gives shape to the plot, the characters, because we learn things through her. Her perspective is absolutely critical for exposition. Without her thoughts and way of viewing things, you would never realize why saving Seon Jae means so much to her, or why she would bend the rules and bulldoze ahead when it comes to his safety (exhibit A, her leaving home on the day of the accident, despite knowing about her fate). She'd rather have him alive than have him in her life. Without her narrative, you'd think it's really all about a fan saving her idol (thanks to everyone who'd rejected the script listening to that pitch by the way, I'm grateful we have BWS and KHY as the leads because of that, I would not change it for anyone else). With Im Sol's perspective, you realize, she is not just a fan: she's an ardent admirer, a cheerleader, a well-wisher, a protector, an invisible friend trying to support her friend any way she can, someone who respects Seon Jae, sees him as an idol but also as a human, someone who wants to give back to him the same kindness, empathy and love she had once received from him over a radio call. To her, Seon Jae is first a guardian angel and then an idol, the angel who changed her view of life, made her appreciate things even amidst all that could be wrong with the world and her life. He saved her. Not just on that day at the hospital but every time she struggled and faltered since then, he was there, as invisible as it may have been. So this time, she wants to save him, no matter the price.

Then comes Seon Jae. Oof. If Im Sol's perspective gives the story its beautiful, beautiful shape, Seon Jae's perspective breathes literal life in to the body of the story. The show wouldn't be what it is today if not for his perspective. Without his view into things, Im Sol appears as a fangirl going to extreme measures to save her idol, clinging onto him like a monkey (yes I mean the poster) embarrassing the heck out of herself, making you cringe (in a good, enjoyable way) throughout. Then you reach the end of episode 2 and it knocks the breath out of you because WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN. It all clicks.

All this while we kept thinking Seon Jae was caught off guard and just kind enough to tolerate her antics, and maybe he'd slowly fall for her now, only to realize we were completely oblivious to a whole different side of the story. If Im Sol's narrative draws you in and keeps you hooked, making you root for her to succeed, it's Seon Jae's narrative that makes you irredeemably fall in love with them and sincerely, genuinely, desperately hope they get their happy ending together after all the storm.

And the motifs. Walking/running, for instance. I'll focus on just one scene here. I recall seeing a bts where KHY is discussing the OG 2008 accident scene, and it explains how she has to slow down, while running away, for just a moment, only to be hit by the taxi driver. Have you ever been in a situation of absolute panic, desperation and stress, then suddenly found a familiar face or a name or a thing you could connect to, and felt a wave of relief rush through you? She sees Seon Jae, a person who is calling out her name. Even if she didn't know him back then, the fact that he knew her (and that he had his uniform on), gives her a sense of safety she badly needed that moment. That momentary relief, so visible in her features, then overtakes the crippling fear she felt running in the middle of nowhere with no one in sight in the dead of the night. Her body, already exhausted beyond anything, responds to the relief she feels for those few seconds, slowing down her steps.

And that is when she is caught off-guard and hit. That also might have added to Im Sol's anger at the hospital when she is screaming at Seon Jae, her internal anguish that if only she had not paused seeing Seon Jae, and kept on running, then maybe she wouldn't be hit, wouldn't fall, wouldn't lose her ability to walk. It's one thing to have tropes and symbolic things, but it's a very different thing to know how to use them effectively so they elicit very specific types of emotions/reactions out of people. Lovely Runner excels in that. All kdramas more or less have 'things' that take on different meanings for the couples/viewers. It's the way motifs are used to narrate the story in this one that has me going back over and over again to all the episodes aired so far. These are not just their 'things', these are 'things' that drive the plot forward, tell you about their characters, their personal motivations, what they mean to each other and so much more.

This is getting longer that I intended it to be so will end with this. I feel valued when watching Lovely Runner. And I've seen people saying the same thing. It feels like they respect your critical thinking skills, and your ability to infer, so they don't spoon-feed you everything from the get-go, and you can't predict much despite it being primarily a rom-com. You'd be pulling your hair out (again, in a good way) trying to figure out what they will show next, and you will be somewhat or very far from the truth, which will compel you to think further about the story, the characters, long after an episode has aired...I can't remember the last time it happened with a drama. I love this storytelling.

[strawbellyx3]

Some thoughts on JinMao in The Apothecary Diaries LN (spoilers)

I love how Maomao's love for Jinshi is written in the Light Novel. She's an unreliable narrator and can't put a name on what she feels for a long time and heck, for the most time she doesn't even want to. The beginning of volume 6 showing this perfectly when she didn't want to leave Jinshi's hair stick behind, carried it with her and when she slept, she kept it near her chest because she didn't want to have it anywhere where she could see it. The symbolism *chef kiss* (she doesn't want to face her feelings but also still carries them close to her chest)

She purposely chooses to avoid thinking about any potential feelings for Jinshi and at the end of the same volume it's also stated that she does have some kind of affection for him that she can't yet put into words.

For readers, it's easy to view Maomao's avoidant attitude as disinterest. Even more so paired with how she doesn't seem to ever be nervous around Jinshi. But really, we don't need blushy nervous Maomao to understand what she's feeling. Her feelings come to show everytime she worries about Jinshi's well being and goes out of her way to get him to eat and rest, takes time of her own day to make sure that he's well.

When at the beginning, she always considered him bringing all these tasks to her as bothersome. Maomao just wanted to experiment with poison and make medicine, she didn't want to spend time on anything else, really.

Then, in volume 9 she's even willing to give up her agency if it meant helping ease his burdens.

Maomao, miss "I don't want to have anything to do with this, this is bothersome" tells him to use all of her. Use her until she falls apart. (while kabedoning him, love Maomao being an absolute girlboss even when she tells him to use her)

She's worried by his selflessness. How he's unable to use other people to reach his goals and shoulders everything on his own, wanting to save everyone. Maomao gets upset by it and worries he'd never get anything in return and become as luckless in life as her adoptive father. Who carries the same selflessness and kindness.

I don't think we talk enough about how much it means for Maomao to get to a point where she would rather get used by Jinshi than to see him exhaust himself.

This whole scene afterwards is just..generally really heartwarming honestly.

(Volume 9 Chapter 20)

Her hands went to Jinshi’s cheek. “You’re only human, Master Jinshi. You’re not some mythical immortal who can save everyone.” She held his face in her hands, the fingers of her left hand brushing his scar. “You can be wounded, scarred, brought low. Only human.”

Who was she talking to? She knew Jinshi was standing in front of her, but for some reason she kept seeing Luomen’s face.

No wonder I’m so upset. The principle that drove Jinshi’s behavior seemed very similar to Luomen’s. She was afraid that if he went on like this, he would end up just as luckless in life as her old man. Just like Pops... He’d spent himself trying to rescue everyone and everything. Like a fool. He should have wanted more, been greedier, but instead he’d suffered his fate patiently. Suffered and suffered, and for what? To become an old man resigned to his empty hands. This was, it was fair to say, Maomao’s one criticism of her father. She’d felt it keenly in the affair with the Shaonese shrine maiden. She respected Luomen immensely. A man who never lost his kindness no matter what unhappiness he encountered was like a miracle. The price, though, was that his body and his heart were both battered. In time he became so that everything he did, he did in the expectation of defeat. Would Jinshi end up like him one day? Or— “Please, please don’t go doing anything else like burning a brand into your skin,” Maomao said. “I heard you...the first several times,” Jinshi replied. “Are you sure?” A smile flitted across Maomao’s face, and she slowly pulled her hands away.

[lemonandlime22]

Randomly generated incorrect quotes pt 40 Obey me! (a few changed) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diavolo: Yesterday, I overheard Mammon saying “Are you sure this is a good idea?” and Mc replying “Trust me,” and I have never moved from one room to another so quickly in my life.

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

Thirteen: The next time I open up to someone, it'll be my autopsy.

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

Mc: Do you want some tea? Solomon: What are the options? Mc: Yes or no.

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

Satan: I wish I could control wasps and bees to sting my enemies. Asmo: You’re too young to have enemies. Satan: You don’t even know.

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

*Squad is playing Among Us* Levi: I believe Mephisto is innocent, I was with them the whole time. Beel, what were you doing? Beel: Oh, I was just murdering… I mean, nothing!

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

Diavolo: How would you guys deal with a toxic friend? Barbatos: Tell them how you really feel. Satan: Slowly distance yourself from them. Levi: Engage in a 1v1 sword battle and if they lose they have to stop being toxic or pay the price. Diavolo, being handed a sword: …well heck.

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

Mammon: Reverse tooth fairy where you leave money under your pillow and the tooth fairy comes and leaves you a bunch of teeth. Solomon: Why? Mammon, shaking a bag of teeth: Just because.

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

[thegnomelord]

Shark

- 🦈

(Brainrot time! Blame dougielovelove for their new work. Had a bit of a bad day and i usually dont write spicy things

This one can be set in monster au. Readers a captain of a whole different task force meant for oceanic endevours. Im talkin the readers a shark hybird (biased) their lieutenant a whale hybird, sergent an orca or a pufferfish, their newest recurits a fuckin salmon, the works.

They're close knit, heck even poly if you want. Price and the Reader meet through connections with Laswell. They find out they hav the same target, price is stubborn and wont drop the mission, despite how most of his team is not suited for water.

Reader respects it and they work really well together. A bit too well, even to the point theyre considering merging the teams.

Completely honest, Price is starting to fall for their fellow captain. I mean how can you not, they've swooped in and saved them countless times, preventing the oceans waters from completely swallowing them in the dark abyss.

Not to mention his sergents and lieutenant are just the cutest, so eager to do well and work together with his own. Just protective instincts, hit him to the point hes pickin everyone up and scentin them. They're his hoard now.

Reader and Price are settleing paper work in his office. Readers busy writing down important information and signing off reports, but price cant help but stare. How swift his hands move as each words is made and written, how tight his claws grip the pen with every small minisucle flick of the pen.

He hiccups a small flame when their fellow captain decided to extravagantly spin his pen when he trys to recall the missing info. How smooth it moves between his blackened fingers, swirling and turning flipping all between nimble and flexible rough- and hes hard.

Reader realizes Price is distracted, before he can call out their name, he glances down just to see whats got him so wrapped up in his mind.

Now all i can think about is Reader forcing Price to focus and finish his paperwork while hes got both his assets shoved up his ass. Price is just a mess, making his paperwork a completely unusable. Yet, the reader still wants him to finish, becuase if he dosent Price definitely wont.

Or they decide to have some fun, release the pent up desire the poor dragons been keeping buried. A soilder be it 141 or be from the readers own team, walks in. Can't help but love how the stoic draconic captain looks so small and pathetic under his co-leader. Joining in on the fun just to see how wrecked this great leader can get.)

Okay, this is cool and my horny is up but I made a few changes as I like characters to be more mythological and just animal hybrids, though those are cool too

CW:NSFW, quick and rough, subbot Price, Gaz, Oc sergeant, domtop reader

Price loves you. But you are one cruel bastard.

Those big rough hands of yours trace his taught belly, webbed fingers making a shiver crawl up his spine and stealing what little thoughts are left in his head as one of your hands trails down the smooth scales of his tail. "Come on dear captain, just a few more pages to go." You purr, chest rumbling against his back like the thrum of an engine, your lips tickling his pointy earlobe.

Price swears he's going to die; pants around his ankles and legs spread, stretched so wide on both of your shafts he can feel your heartbeat by the way your cocks twitch against his walls, each labored breath making his hole clench down desperately, his own hard cocks left hard and unattended.

It would be one thing if you claimed him like he wants you to, pushed him flat on the desk and fucked into him like he's nothing but a bitch to pump full of your cum.

But you don't. You just sitting inside him, hard and throbbing and still despite how much he tries to tempt you by clenching down. Price finds himself cursing the amount of patience you have.

"Sweetheart," He groans, voice too light and whiny for his own ears, head thrown back to give you a heatless glare. "C'mon, don't tease me." Price tries to grind his hips down but you hold him firm.

"Not until you finish those reports." You grunt, authoritative, and Price is stuck between wanting to bite you in revenge and trying to stifle a pathetic whine. "Go on, you only have a few pages left."

Those damn reports. Price can barely read his own handwriting, a light tremor in his fingers from the way your cocks press against his prostate. "Cruel bastard." He growls, sucking in a breath and clenching around you.

His chest flares with pride the second your claws dig into his body, not even your mind able to hold back the animalistic need to buck into the tight willing heat surrounding you. But it's a double edged sword — a hiccup of flame sparks from his mouth, your cockheads bumping his prostate and making a bead of precum spurt from his cocks.

"As if you're any better." You growl in his ear, your hair tickling his skin as you roughly nip at his though hide, pleasure and pain loosing their borders in his mind.

He doesn't notice the nicking on the door, but Price is ready for hell to swallow up when he finally registers the door open, his blue eyes rising to meet Sullivan — your hippocampus sergeant — who looks just as mortified to walk in on you like that as Price.

Sullivan's dark horse ears flicker back, the iridescent scales along his cheeks turning from ocean green to a vibrant embarrassed pink, "I- is this, this a- I can leave if, if, if- this looks like a-" The poor man stumbles over his words, eyes bouncing between Price's debauched form and your amused face.

It gets worse when Gaz pokes his head in behind Sullivan, "Hey captains are you-" His jaw falls, pupils dilating like he's a crow that just saw a shinny penny. "-oh."

You just chuckle, rough voice putting Sullivan at ease. "At ease boys," You snort, don't even attempt to hide anything, one hand sliding down to stroke his cock, so slick with his precum that his shaft slides through your hand just from you squeezing it. "Need something boys?"

Even from here Price can see the way Sullivan's eyes darken as well at the deep moan that tumbles out of Price's throat and Price has to bite his lip to keep the noises in check.

"I-" Sullivan sucks in a breath, scales slowly turning to the shade of an overcooked lobster. "I. . . I forgot."

"Can we join?" Gaz asks, chuckling at Sullivan's wide-eyed look. "What? As you weren't thinking it." He shrugs and places a kiss on his cheek when Sully nods meekly.

"I don't know." You hum, letting go of Price's cock to tilt his head to you, meeting his eyes. "Do you want your boys to help you keep focused?"

Price swallows, knows that all that awaits him should he accept would be pleasurable torture, but his bones burn with the need to have his hoard close to him, taking care of him for a change. "Yeah," He growls, less whiny and more demanding.

You hum and roll the chair back to create space for the two men beneath the table, "On your knees." You don't miss the way the authority in your voice makes both men shiver.

"You heard him," Gaz grins and pulls Sullivan towards you two by the hand, reminding you more of a puppy than any harpy as he happily gets on his knees.

Your gaze skirts to Sullivan as he tentatively settles on Gaz's right, pitch black eyes hidden behind that fringe you keep telling him to cut. "You alright with this Sully?" You ask, knowing the man's sexual experience is limited to one girlfriend and your team, and even then he's shy about many acts. "You don't need to do something you're unsure about. No one is going to be mad."

"I, yes. I want this." He swallows, looking back at you. "I, uh. . . I got some pointers." He says shily.

Gaz just snickers and throws his arm over Sullivan's shoulder. "I helped," He says proudly, wing spreading out to wrap around Sully's back.

"Rubbing off on my sergeant already huh?" You snort, your attention turning to Price when he growls, capturing his lips in a kiss to placate his demanding draconic side while your hand lets go of his cocks — an open offering to the two sergeants.

"Only in a good way." Gaz grins and leans in, opening his mouth and pink little tongue lolling out to lick at one leaking cock like he knows Price likes, lips wrapping around the tapered head and sucking on it, amusement bubbling in his chest when you hold Price's hips firm so he can't buck up.

Sullivan follows suit, less confident but still willing, holding the other cock in his smooth scalled hand and tentatively giving the crown a kiss, dark eyes watching both of your reactions as he slowly trails kisses around the cumhole, growing bolder with every small whimper until he's gently suckling on the tip like Gaz had done.

"You're doing good Sully," You praise, even your voice is hoarse from the way Price squeezes down on you now that the two sergeants are servicing his cocks. "You too Gaz." You reach down to gently pet his hair so Kyle doesn't feel left out, "Both of you, so good for me and Price."

Price, for his sake, may as well be a mindless animal from the way his brain is steadily melting out of his cocks like a lit candle, moaning low in his throat, his eyes closed to just feel the pleasure that's assaulting him on both ends. He can tell the difference between Gaz's and Sullivan's mouths, the duality of firm swipes of the tongue across his shaft and the kitten licks on his most sensitive parts making his head swim, hips trying uselessly to fuck into the hot mouths and your own cocks.

He whines when you grip his hips firmly. "No," You snort, both arms keeping his hips still so he can do nothing but endure. "You're not getting off until the job's finished."

Price shivers, "Bastard." He growls weakly, his eyesight blurry as he tries to focus on the document.

"Pot, kettle." You grin against his skin, helping guide his arm towards the documents where he left off. "C'mon, it's just a few pages, then your sergeants will be able to reward you fully."

[aew-kun-age-regression]

How you cope..

Pairings: Caregiver!Captain John Price + Caregiver!Simon 'Ghost' Riley + Caregiver!John 'Soap' McTavish + Caregiver!Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick.

Summary: The team finds out you're a Regressor. Heck. You find out you're a Regressor. You had never known there was a name for it...

Warnings: Subtle hint that Ghost regresses (Soap as a CG), Regressor!Gaz mentioned, they're in a helicopter for this one so honoury Nikolai mention :D, Not really knowing what regression is, slipping after a mission, nicknames (Soldier, little one, kiddo, sweetheart), Ghost calls Soap Johnny.

(Gender Neutral Reader)

A/N - I do fully intend to write a part 2 to this!!!

‼️THIS IS NOT NSFW‼️

.

.

.

NOT Proofread

.

.

.

The military was an interesting place, with this came different coping mechanisms be it working out till you drop or something else it was easy to dismiss what you'd see as long as the individual was coping.

As the Captain of the taskforce Price was acutely aware of how his team coped. (Mainly so he could help if needed and in some other cases so he knew that his family team were actually coping and not just ignoring their issues. Simon trained. He trained until he couldn't anymore which was when Soap would step in and comfort him. A lot of Soaps coping came from being able to comfort Simon, he thrived at being able to help his friends. And Gaz, well Gaz regressed and Price looked after him as his Caregiver.

That was probably why after a particularly hard mission on the helicopter ride back Price instantly noticed something was wrong. You had been awufully reserved, normally you'd be chatting with the team but that wasn't the case today. Originally everyone brushed it off as you just being tired, it wasn't unbelievable. The mission had been difficult, exhausting.

After a while of your had clumsily lolling to the side, bumping the wall of the hellicopter Price decides to speak up.

"Are you feeling okay Soldier..?"

"Fine Cap'tin..." You mumbled.

That had got everyone's attention. Even when tired you never slurred your words like that. It's then that it hits Price. You were regressing. Well actually more like you were regressed. He was used to this in his team, it was a coping mechanism that he had learnt briefly about before joining the military however upon Gaz struggling Price had learnt more so he would be able to help.

Price's tone turned fatherly (as though he didn't permanently sound like a dad)

"Are you feeling small..?"

You normally always shut down when you felt like this, it was easier to just sleep it off. Although you were well aware that it didn't really work.. You shrug wordlessly.

The others had been watching this interaction take place. Soap moved from where he had been sitting with Ghost, kneeling down infront of you. There was a gentle smile plastered on his face.

"Well what do we 'ave here? Jus' a wee little one?"

"Think that might be the case Johnny" Ghost replies, his voice somewhat softer than usual, although if you had been an outsider watching you'd never have noticed the slight change in tone.

Price got up and headed to the front of the helicopter, quickly conversing with Nikolai. When he came back he addressed everyone letting them know that it wouldn't be too much longer before you'd all be back at base.

It was now Gaz's turn to speak.

"Has this happened to you before kiddo?"

You nod but don't speak.

"Okayyy, do you have any items back at base?"

You give a confused head tilt, confused on what he meant by items"

"..things like plushies, paci's, colouring books.. things like that?"

This time you gently shake your head. Ghost sighs, he understands that...

Price then speaks up again.

"Well then we'll just have to change that, now won't we Sweetheart?"

[deliciousangelfestival]

Let's Play Pretend - 2 | bodyguard!Bucky

Character: Bucky Barnes x singer! Female reader

Summary: You just wanted to hide here and find peace from the mess that wasn’t caused by you. But then, your hot neighbor bothered you. As if that wasn’t enough, the enemies you hated found you too.

PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , -

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

Bucky's eyes widened in shock as he stared at you. “What the heck?” he muttered, clearly taken aback. His gaze darted to the imaginary horn you might as well have grown on your head for the absurdity of your request.

You leaned closer, pinched his back lightly, and whispered, “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for a bit to make them leave me.”

He shot you a deadpan look, shaking his head. “You brought them here. It’s your problem, not mine.”

“Just for a bit. Protect me, for God’s sake. Make them scared like you did before—ruining the camera.” Your voice was desperate now. The rude neighbor had become your reluctant hero of the night. In a last-ditch effort, you added, “I’ll give you money.”

That got his attention. His expression shifted, the scowl replaced with a calculating smirk. “Now we’re talking. I better see the money when I’m done with them.”

“What…” You blinked, starting to ask, What are you going to do? But before the words left your lips, he was already walking toward a nearby discarded block of wood.

The paparazzo, sensing trouble, began to step back, his bravado fading fast as Bucky’s tall frame loomed closer under the dim glow of the streetlight. The shadows swallowed the paparazzo, and Bucky’s intense glare made him feel like prey.

“Leave, or I’ll crush you like that camera,” Bucky growled, pointing at the shattered remains of the paparazzo’s camera with the wood block in hand.

The man’s face drained of color. He laughed nervously, bowing his head repeatedly. “Ahaha… that’s my mistake. I shouldn’t have bothered either of you.” Without another word, he hurriedly started his car, the engine roaring to life, and sped off into the night.

The moment the car disappeared down the street, you let out a shaky sigh of relief. “Thank you,” you said, your voice tinged with gratitude.

Bucky shrugged, already back to his usual gruff demeanor. “Yeah, yeah, just send me the money.”

You blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in attitude. “I’ll send it once I get back home.”

Bucky raised a hand, holding up a few fingers. “Oh, and this is the number.”

Your brows furrowed. “Hundreds?”

“No. Thousands,” he said with a smirk.

“What?!” you exclaimed, your jaw practically hitting the ground.

“I’m being generous. My price range never starts this low,” Bucky said with a sly grin, crossing his arms over his chest.

You wanted to argue, to negotiate, but you knew it would be pointless. Besides, he did help you out. Letting out a resigned sigh, you muttered, “Fine. Just give me your account number.”

“Use crypto instead,” he replied, his grin widening like this was all a game to him.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, feeling your irritation bubble over. I really hate this guy. “I’ll give you cash instead,” you snapped, your voice tinged with frustration.

“Now we’re speaking the same language. Thank you, girlfriend,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he smiled at you, all charm and mockery.

You shot him a sarcastic smile in return, shaking your head in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” you muttered under your breath. Of all the people to save you, it had to be this greedy, insufferable neighbor.

📷📷📷📷

The next morning, Mrs. Walls stood before you and Bucky in the living room, her arms crossed. Her expression wasn’t angry but deeply concerned, her lips pressed into a thin line as she glanced between the two of you. You felt like a kid caught sneaking cookies from the jar, and judging by Bucky’s sheepish look, he wasn’t faring much better.

“I don’t know where to begin,” Mrs. Walls said, her voice soft but laced with worry. “Walking alone in the middle of the night, being chased by paparazzi? What were you thinking?” She directed her gaze at you, and you shifted uncomfortably, staring at the floor.

Before you could muster an excuse, she turned her attention to Bucky. Her tone hardened, tinged with disappointment. “And you, demanding payment from her after helping? Really, Bucky? What kind of gentleman does that?”

Bucky scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her piercing stare. “Well… I mean, it wasn’t like I offered for free…” he muttered, his voice trailing off when she raised a brow.

Both of you mumbled, “Sorry,” at the same time, like scolded children. You avoided each other’s eyes, and Mrs. Walls shook her head with a sigh, her expression softening slightly.

“Good,” she said, her hands now resting on her hips. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s try to make better decisions from now on, shall we?”

"RING!"

Before you could respond, the shrill ring of the telephone interrupted the moment. Mrs. Walls glanced at the phone, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face as she walked to pick it up. “Hello?” she answered, her tone polite. She listened in silence, her expression shifting from mild curiosity to shock. Her eyes widened as she turned to you.

“It’s Mr. Vert,” she said, holding out the phone.

You froze, your blood running cold at the name. Mr. Vert? The owner of the record label you worked for? You’d barely interacted with him, even as one of the company’s top-selling artists. What could he possibly want?

“Me?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, pointing at yourself as if she’d gotten it wrong.

Mrs. Walls nodded and extended the phone further toward you. “He asked for you.”

You hesitated, then took the phone with trembling hands. Pressing it to your ear, you stammered, “H-Hello?”

The voice on the other end was serious, and your heart sank further as you listened. Something about the weight of the call felt ominous. Why would they call here of all places? You’d turned off your phone the day you arrived and cut ties with your manager. The record label must have gone through extraordinary lengths to track you down.

You swallowed hard, clutching the receiver tighter. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good.

Why was Mr. Vert reaching out to you directly? Was he furious about your sudden departure and planning to fire you? It wouldn’t be surprising; you had left without a word. A whirlwind of questions raced through your mind, each more pressing than the last.

As you spoke into the phone, Mrs. Walls turned to Bucky, her frown deepening. “Demanding money after helping her? Really, Bucky? That’s not a very nice thing to do.”

Bucky shrugged, leaning lazily against the wall with his arms crossed. “I’m just being practical, Mrs. Walls,” he said, though his eyes were fixed on you. He noticed the subtle change in your posture—how your shoulders stiffened, your hand clutched the phone tighter, and your expression grew pale.

After what felt like an eternity, you put the phone down, your face drained of color.

Mrs. Walls immediately stepped closer, her voice soft and concerned. “What’s wrong, dear?”

You swallowed hard, your voice trembling as you replied, “My manager… was found dead.”

Mrs. Walls gasped, her hand flying to her mouth before she pulled you into a comforting hug. “Oh my goodness,” she murmured, rubbing your back gently.

You stood rigid, the reality of the situation sinking in. “The CEO wants me to come back… to attend the funeral,” you added, your voice flat. “He said it’s important to show there’s no bad blood between me and my manager now that she’s… gone. Let the past stay in the past, he said.”

“It’s devastating news. Are you alright, dear?” Mrs. Walls asked, her worried gaze searching your face.

You exhaled sharply, surprising them both with your next words. “Honestly? I’m glad she’s dead. She stole my money.”

Mrs. Walls gasped in shock, her eyes wide.

“Pfft… Hahaha!” Bucky burst into laughter, doubling over as he slapped his knee. “I didn’t see that one coming!”

You turned to glare at him, but his laughter only grew louder. “It’s not funny, Bucky.”

He wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. “Oh, it’s very funny. You’re supposed to be devastated, not throwing out zingers like that.”

Ignoring him, you took a steadying breath and continued, “The CEO also advised me to come back with protection.”

Bucky straightened up at that, his amusement fading as he raised a brow. “Protection?”

You nodded, meeting his gaze. “This time, you’ll get paid. Can I hire you?”

Bucky tilted his head, a slow smirk spreading across his face as he crossed his arms. “Now we’re talking. But you’re going to need to pay a premium for this kind of service.”

You rolled your eyes, exasperated. “Of course, you’d say that.”

Join the taglist 💖💖💖

@thezombieprostitute

@scott-loki-barnes

@mostlymarvelgirl

@dexter99

@missvelvetsstuff

@kjah97

@barnesxstan

@jeremyrennermakesmesmile

@mrs-maximoff-kenner

@lostinspace33

@read-just-cant

@hzdhrtss

@globetrotter28

@bubblegumbeautyqueen

@mrsnikstan

@maryssong23

@pklol

If you enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my masterlist. I’ve also written some original works that you might find interesting.

They are available on Kindle:

Arrogant Ex-Husband: A novella.

Link:

https://a.co/d/fT0r6z5

Dad, I Can’t Let You Go: A short poetry collection.

Link:

https://a.co/d/9i8lFJ6

I’m sorry, but I can’t provide a direct link to Amazon on Tumblr, as it might cause a "not found" error.

I hope you enjoy these as well.

Thank you for your support!

[hahaifolded]

141 x POC!GN Intelligence Operative - The Beginning of the End (Long Drabble) Author's Notes: I got so many thoughts on this so bear with me. I didn't have the brain power to write this as a full fic so accept the various drabbles that will come out of this concept. Also If anyone has done this before, please let me know! I would love to read that! Warnings: MDNI, Sexual Themes, Slight Violence, Angst

You're currently on a probationary period to be the permanent Intelligence Operative for Task Force 141. Despite being trained and recommended by Kate Laswell herself, Laswell found a hard time finding a team that would treat you with the level of respect you were warranted as many saw you as a glorified assistant.

Frustrated by the blatant disrespect, Laswell calls Price, despite knowing that he doesn't like to work with strangers. After singing your praises and promising him that he would not be disappointed, Price concedes and decides to give you a chance. If after a year you managed to prove your worth, you would earn yourself a permanent position on his team.

But by the 3-month mark, Price and the rest of the team knew you were here to stay. They honestly couldn't believe that no one wanted to work with you. You were exactly everything that Laswell promised... heck, even more if you asked any of the 141.

You were always on top of your work as well as the boys', even jumping in when it got too much. Your attention to detail was impeccable as you managed to save the team both time and resources from faulty intel or bad leads. But, what really cemented your place on the team was the way you managed to worm yourself in each of their hearts. 

Before Soap even had a chance to pursue you, you sought him out first. Whenever you had a problem, instead of calling the Captain, or the Lieutenant, or even the older Sergeant, you always called him first, the Sergeant that still feels like he has a lot to prove. And when Johnny asks why, you say that he's already proven himself, which makes his heart soar. So of course, the Scotsman thinks of you when he's thinking of strategies to suggest or jokes to pull out during the next meeting. 

And when Kyle asked for your attention, you gave it without hesitation. While everyone else on base focuses on Soap's jokes, Price's wisdom, or Ghost's commands, you eagerly wait for Gaz' input, conscious of what it feels like to be talking while no one listens. You are enamored by everything he has to say, giving him your utmost attention, a rare thing for the Sergeant. Even when he pushes back on orders, you're the first one to listen and ask the rest of the team to just consider. So of course, Kyle looks for you whenever his mind begins to race.

And when Price falters, you're there to pick him up, never with an ounce of judgement. You're the first in his office, with a coffee or snack in hand (since you know he's probably forgotten to eat), and the last to leave it, putting as much time and heart in strategizing as he does. You remind him that he deserves to rest as much as his boys and that you'll never see him as less when his Captain persona cracks. So of course, when John finally has a chance to unwind, he thinks of you and your warm smile.

And finally, when Ghost tries to intimidate you, you stand your ground. You were aware of his reputation, but it didn't really phase you. He wasn't the first person that's tried to unnerve you. But instead of scaring you off, you managed to intimidate him after he catches you chewing out two rookies for bad-mouthing him. When he confronts you and asks why the passionate defense, you just shrug, reasoning that that's what teammates do. He has your back and you have his. So of course, Ghost becomes your shadow, jumping for the chance to protect you.

That's why when you're all at a bar, celebrating your 4 months with the team, the guys are loving by the fact that you drank more than usual. You've become much more bold in your affection for each of them. And they won't lie and say that they didn't like the heavy-handed compliments or even the intimate touches. However, it's when you start talking about a future with them that their patience nearly snaps.

"You know I'd gladly marry any of you." You admit as you finish your 7th beer. With your laughter in the background, they all still as they imagine what that would be like. Dressing up and waiting for you at the altar, his breath held in anticipation for you to bless the place and his life with your presence. Going to your now-shared home and taking you over, and over, and over, and over again until your body is leaking with his spent. Willingly giving you his mind, body, and soul for as long as the world allows him as a sign of gratitude for choosing him when you could have picked anyone else. They all stare at you as they all realize how badly they wanted to snatch you up and make this a reality.

You're so drunk, you fail to notice your teammates' hungry stares. But, they don't. Jealousy seeps in their bones as they realize that their captain, their lieutenant, their sergeant, and their fellow sergeant were all thinking the same thing.

So obviously, infighting starts. They still manage to get their work done but now it's a competition to see who can earn your praise. Now, the Captain's orders become suggestions. The Lieutenant's bark is just that. The sergeants' playful snips turn into snarls. The growing need to put the other in their place festers in each and every one of them. It's not great, but it's manageable... until it's not.

While Price and Ghost are arguing over the plans for the next mission, they get called into the gym. On entrance, they find Soap and Kyle lunging at the other's throat. Price grabs Kyle and Ghost grabs Johnny, pulling the two SAS soldiers off from one another. The damage isn't serious, but it's there: Kyle's lip is torn and the corner of Soap's eyes is bleeding. It's clear they're not done yet as Kyle snarls at the Scotsman, telling him that you would never go for a fool like him. Soap retaliates and barks that you wouldn't go for a wimp like Gaz.

Realizing what's happening to his team, Price calls an emergency meeting in his office. With all men inside, the room is tense. No one speaks.

"We need to put a stop to this," admits Price with a heavy weight in his heart. As captain, he knows that for the sake of the task force, tough decisions have to be made. They were soldiers first before men. The men shrink under his gaze, realizing what has to be done.

"So from here on out, they're off limits. Whatever relationship you have with them, end it." Kyle and Soap open their mouths to argue, but Price quickly silences them.

"And if you can't control yourself, I'll have them transferred. Understood?" John felt his stomach lurch with his statement. He couldn't imagine kicking you off the team, but he had to push that feeling aside right now. If him and his men didn't get their shit together, innocent people would suffer.

"Yes sir," grunts out Ghost. He slowly makes his way to the door.

Soap nods his head, eyes sharp and jaw tense. He's right behind the Lieutenant.

Gaz waits a bit and stares Price down. "You sure about this?" he spits at his captain.

Returning the stare, Price stands firm on his decision. "Positive. It's what best for the team." Gaz just nods and walks out, slamming the door behind him.

You're not entirely sure what happened in that emergency meeting, but with the way the guys walked out of Price's office, you knew it wasn't good. Ghost walks past you, completely ignoring you. Soap looks at you but quickly turns his head when your eyes meet his. And Gaz shoots you a grimace, but doesn't say a word.

Despite not knowing what happened that day, you quickly feel its consequences.

Word Count: 1310

More Thoughts - Next Thought