#you got served 2004

[cyarsk5230]

OMARION & JENNIFER FREEMAN You Got Served (2004), dir. Chris Stokes

[lollobarcollomanonmollo]

women artists that you should know about!!

-Judith Leyster (Dutch, 1609-1660)

During her life her works were highly recognized, but she got forgotten after her death and rediscovered in the 19th century. In her paintings could be identified the acronym "JL", asually followed by a star, she was the first woman to be inserted in the Guild of St. Luke, the guild Haarlem's artists.

-Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian, 1593-1656)

"... Si è talmente appraticata che posso osar de dire che hoggi non ci sia pare a lei, havendo fatto opere che forse i principali maestri di questa professione non arrivano al suo sapere". This is how the father Orazio talked about his nineteen year old daughter to the Medici's court in Florence.

In 1611, Artemisia got raped, and she had to Undergo a humiliating trial, just to marry so that she could "Restore one's reputation" , according to the morality of the time. Only after a few years Artemisia managed to regain her value, in Florence, in Rome, in Naples and even in England, her oldest surviving work is "Susanna and the elders".

-Elisabeth Louise Vigèe Le Brun (French, 1755-1842)

She was a potrait artists who created herself a name during the Ancien Règime, serving as the potrait painting of the Queen of France Marie Antoinette, she painted 600 portraits and 200 landscapes in the course of her life.

-Augusta Savage (Afro-American, 1892-1962)

Augusta started making figures when she was a child, which most of them were small animals made out of red clay of her hometown, she kept model claying, and during 1919, at the Palm Beach County Fair, she won $25 prize and ribbon for most original exhibit. After completing her studies, Savage worked in Manhattan steam laundries to support her family along with herself. After a violent stalking made by Joe Gould that lasted for two decades, the stalker died in 1957 after getting lobotomized. In 2004, a public high school, Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts, in Baltimore, opened.

-Marie Ellenrieder (German,1791-1863)

She was known for her portraits and religious paintings. During a two years long stay in Rome, she met some Nazarenes (group of early 19th century German romantic painters who wanted to revive spirituality in art),after becoming a student of Friedrich Overbeck and after being heavily influenced by a friend, she began painting religious image, getting heavily inspired by the Italian renaissance, more specifically by the artist Raphael. In 1829, she became a court painter to Grand Duchess Sophie of Baden.

-Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (French,1841-1893)

Morisot studied at the Louvre, where she met Edouard Manet, which became her friend and professor. During 1874 she participated at her first Impressionist exhibition, and in 1892 sets up her own solo exhibition.

-Edmonia Lewis or also called "wildfire" (mixed African-American and Native American 1844-1907)

Edmonia was born in Upstate New York but she worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. She was the first ever African American and Native American sculptor to achieve national and international fame, she began to gain prominence in the USA during the Civil Ware. She was the first black woman artist who has participated and has been recognized to any extent by the American artistic mainstream. She Also in on Molefi Kete Asante's list of 100 Greatest African Americans.

-Marie Gulliemine Benoist (French, 1768-1826)

Daughter of a civil servant, Marie was A pupil of Jaques-Louis David, whose she shared the revolutionary ideas with, painting innovative works that have caused whose revolutionary ideals he shared, painting innovative works that caused discussion. She opened a school for young girl artists, but the marriage with the banker Benoist and the political career Of the husband had slowly had effect on her artistic career, forcing her to stop painting. Her most famous work is Potrait of Madeline, which six years before slavery was abolished, so that painting became a simbol for women's emancipation and black people's rights.

-Lavinia Fontana (Italian, 1552-1614)

She is remembered for being the first woman artist to paint an altarpiece and for painting the first female nude by a woman (Minerva in the act of dressing), commissioned by Scipione Borghese.

-Elisabetta Sirani. (Italian, 1698-1665)

Her admirable artistic skills, that would vary from painting, drawing and engraving, permitted her, in 1660, to enter in the National Academy of S. Luca, making her work as s professor. After two years she replaced her father in his work of his Artistic workshop, turning it into an art schools for girls, becoming the first woman in Europe to have a girls' school of painting, like Artemisia Gentileschi, she represent female characters as strong and proud, mainly drawn from Greek and Roman stories. (ex. Timoclea Kills The Captain of Alexander the Great, 1659).

[ramp-it-up]

II Most Wanted Pt.I: And I don't know what you're doin' tonight…

Pairing: Syverson x OFC Reader "Buttercup"

Summary: The feeling and flashbacks you get when you saw your high school boyfriend Jake Syverson at your 20 year reunion was quite the unexpected twist in your orderly life.

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. RPF. S MUT, Angst, pining, body image issues, flashbacks, horny teenagers doing horny things (over 18 tho) heavy petting, fingering, mentions of teen pregnancy, mentions of breakups, teenage mean girl behavior, the Powerpuff Girls, old automobiles, mentions of drug abuse and difficult childhoods, 20 year high school reunion, drinking, swearing. Explicit description of sex acts. Read at your own risk.  Not Beta’d. All errors my own.

A/N: This is the first installment of II Most Wanted. This is also my first fic in nearly half a year. If you like it, please reblog and comment.

I don't have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

-------

June 2024

The visceral reactions started as soon as you entered the parking lot. There it was, Sy’s 1978 white Ford Bronco. Not thinking, you pulled into the space right in front of it, wanting to look inside. You almost lost it when you saw the old charm hanging from the rear view mirror. You couldn’t believe he still had that.

Especially with everything that happened since you put it there.

April 2004

“I claim this ancient truck as my throne!”

You were lit and in love, parked with Sy at the lookout. You were also silly and giggly from smoke and hormones.

“Mmmmm, careful Buttercup.” 

Your boyfriend growled in your ear, making you shiver against him. His attempt at menace was thwarted by the smile you felt against your neck, where he was busy marking you up, a sure sign later for everyone to know who you belonged to.

Sy was known for making bloody the face of those who expressed hate for his beloved Betty Bronco. But you had him whipped.

“It’s a classic, but I’ll let that slide...” 

He wished that you would let him slide, but you were adamant that you weren’t ready to be a parent. He was adamant that that didn’t have to be the outcome, but beneath the red blooded country boy was a gentleman. Sy would never do anything you didn’t want to, not that it stopped him from trying to convince you to admit that you in fact, wanted it as much as he did.

He wasn’t wrong.

You sighed as you placed the Powerpuff Girl necklace you got from Hot Topic on Sy’s rearview as you sat on his lap, giving him a treat. He had you in his grip by the hips and he was subtly moving you against his boner. The attraction between you two was heady, and he almost got what he wanted plenty of times. But you were a romantic and wanted it to be special. You promised him prom night, and Sy couldn’t wait.

“..Driving me crazy, Baby. You can put anything on my rear view as long as you let me get your rear view in the back seat….”

You giggled.

“You’re so corny, Sy.”

You whispered as you turned your head and kissed him over your shoulder. 

“Hmmmm. And you’re so sweet.”

Sy’s sea blue eyes gazed at you as he licked his lips.

He was crazy for you. And you were for him. You felt it. And you just knew you’d be together forever. You grinned as you climbed over him into the back seat. Didn’t hurt to fool around a little, even if you weren’t gonna give him the p that night.

——————

You shook out of the memory as a warm June breeze whipped your short skirt around your thighs. You pulled on the yellow and white designer dress as you contemplated driving back to your hotel and changing. This dress was not a good idea. The triumphant feeling of serving looks when you appraised yourself in the mirror was replaced with anxiety. The dress was too short and you were not the same size you were in high school. Thighs you considered pretty and thick in the mirror just an hour ago seemed massive and you tugged at the deep plunge of the neckline without a bra.

You sighed as you tried to center yourself. You told yourself that you were growing out of negative self talk, especially in the last seven years since your divorce. You were reminded of your promise to never care about the, male gaze again. It just wasn’t worth it.

But you hadn’t been under Jacob Syverson’s gaze in 20 years.

——

Sy posted up at the bar, blue eyes taking in the scene of his former classmates reuniting. He downed his two fingers of Maker’s Mark and asked for another. His heart rate was up as he scanned the room, eyes going back to the door again and again. He was waiting for you. No use in denying it to himself. He wanted to see you again, and more. It was his one objective. An objective he was unsure of attaining.

He was more nervous about being in a hotel ballroom tonight than in Afghanistan. 

Christ, he felt like that 17 year old kid again who first laid eyes on you.

——-

August, 2003

Sy knew what he wanted the moment he saw your face. 

You stopped the world when you first stepped into his British Literature class the first day of senior year. He was seated and talking with his best friend and wide receiver, Jeremy Atkins, when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He let the conversation about which route they should run at the scrimmage that afternoon slip as his eyes lighted on your face. You were anxious, but trying not to let it show. Those eyes held fire, and your lips…

…well your lips besides being everything he dreamt of, he just knew the words that came out of your lips would light someone up as well. He could tell you had spirit by the way you carried yourself.

Your hair was wild and shoulder length, bangs swept aside for vision, and you couldn’t hide that body under your baggy clothes. He lasered in on the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra underneath your graphic tee, and power that  the strip of skin between your shirt and your baggy jeans was not lost on him. He was a 17 year old male, after all.

Sy shifted in his seat as he leaned back and grinned to himself when you scanned the room, glaring at anyone who looked askance. He tapped his pencil on the desk to try to get your attention but you just ignored him as the group of seatless students surrounding you dwindled. You were left alone under the scrutiny of soulless cretins, otherwise known as teenagers. 

You gave each one brazen enough to stare at you a side eye, but you stopped when you finally noticed Sy smirking at you. You stuck your tongue out at him, causing him to choke on a chuckle.

Becca Ferguson, Sy’s girlfriend, kicked him in the leg after noticing that not only Sy, but Jeremy were openly staring at you. Shit, he’d forgotten about her. He caught the way her eyes cut over to you, and he knew what came next. He tried to distract her with a flip of the shelf of his blown out curls and a smile, something that had worked many times before. 

But you were a threat to Becca now; she had to do something about you.

You raised your head high as you walked to the seat that Mrs.Beatty pointed out. You passed down the aisle between Sy and Becca, who scrunched up her face as if she smelled something bad. Sy got a whiff of you and you smelled divine, like that Sweet Pea bath gel stuff that he played off sniffing when he went to the mall with Becca. 

His head turned.

Becca glared at him and he turned toward the front of the room, where the teacher had started to pass out the syllabus. 

—--

June 2024

Just like lunch on the first day of school at Central High all those years ago, Carla and Tiffani engulfed you and took you under their wings when you walked into the Marriott, the venue for your reunion. They crowed over you; your hair, your dress, your glow. You forgot any anxiety that you were feeling about how you looked. These were your best friends. Your Bubbles and Blossom.

These women filled the gaping place in your heart torn open from attending 10 different schools from K-12, following your mother’s loves and whims when she didn’t take her meds, or when she self-medicated. They were your soul sisters. And you still kept in touch even though distance separated you.

Carla had that grin on her face while Tiffani expressed her excitement that you were in town.

“Girl! I am so glad that you made it!” 

Tiffani was the gentle one.

“Yeah, I owe Tiff a c-note, because I was sure you’d chicken out.”

Carla laughed at you while you scowled at her.

Tiffani tskd at her bestie, and took your arm while Carla took the other and they ushered you through the doors of the ballroom.

“Well, she has a new job in town and everything, she had to come.”

“Yeah, she had to come to town, but coming tonight is a wholeeee different story.”

You laughed.

“I don’t have the job yet, Tiff. Interview is Monday. And why wouldn’t I come tonight?”

The familiar banter was back, as if 20 years was no matter at all between you and your girls.

You heard someone clear their throat behind you and Carla peered over her shoulder and then smirked at you. She jerked her head back.

“Because of that.”

You looked over your shoulder, smiling right before your stomach dropped.

There was Jake Syverson, all grown up, and staring at you as if all this time hadn’t happened.

—-

Sy saw you enter the ballroom and he almost wanted to run away. Being in country on a dangerous mission was nothing compared to the thought of actually facing you again.

At least he was trained for war. 

Love was another thing entirely.

He took a deep breath as he focused on you. You had always been beautiful, but now, as a grown woman, you were absolutely gorgeous. Your hair was sleek and your face was perfectly beat with makeup that accentuated your natural beauty. You were glowing and that smile was…everything.

As he leaned on the bar and scanned the rest of your body in that dress, he took another drink. Sy indeed felt 18 again, because his body was reacting as if he were a randy teenager. Your body was everything he remembered, and more. More of everything he remembered loving and lusting over 20 years ago. 

“Damn.”

He said it out loud and the bartender replied.

“Agreed, Brother.”

Sy looked at the young man admiring you who couldn’t be over 25, and threw down some money.

“Watch it, kid.”

That little bit of jealousy fueled Sy’s bravado, and he found the courage to step to you. 

—--

You froze like a deer in headlights. 

Over the years, you imagined seeing him again, in all different kinds of scenario, and you thought you could handle it, but the reality of the situation just about knocked you on your ass. Time stopped as you stared at him. 

Sy was more handsome with age, if that was possible. His eyes, his shoulders, his hair! His gorgeous curls were short and a shock of hair was growing from his chin. Your body reacted as your traitorous brain instantly thought of how his beard would feel on certain parts of your body. He looked good in a suit, but he was massive. You had on heels, but Sy seemed bigger than you remembered. He wasn’t the lithe high school quarterback you remembered.

You unconsciously walked closer. 

He was taller. 

But he was also huge: bigger muscles, thicker limbs; his body seemed more powerful all the way around.

Heaven help you.

And the way he was looking at you as if he still owned you, as if all everything that happened hadn’t happened. As if all these years…

Your arms went out to Carla and Tiff beside you for some support, but they were gone, and you stumbled a bit. Sy grabbed your arm quickly as you laughed to play it off.

“Hey Buttercup. You good?”

Goodness, his voice!

How could that damn drawl be deeper and sexier than you remembered? And his touch on your skin felt familiar, yet strange, like a touch from a dream. What was happening to you?

“I need a drink.”

Sy was silent for a bit as you got your drink and had a sip. The way you licked your lips made him want to fall to his knees and beg.

—--

May 2004

“Please, please, please Buttercup. Just let me put the tip in. I promise I won’t move. It wouldn’t really be doing it…”

Sy was whispering in your ear and you were mute, waiting to hear more as your pussy pulsed in your jeans, the grind against his crotch delicious torture.

“I dream about it, Buttercup. I feel you, Baby. So fucking wet for me. I just know that it would feel so, so so good. I’d slip right in.”

It was midnight on your 18th birthday and you were in the Bronco, letting Sy feel you up under your panties for the first time. Your head was thrown back and your eyes rolled at how good it felt. You didn’t know how you would hold out. But it was just three weeks until Prom.

You were sat on his lap and he had one hand down your jeans and one up your shirt.

He pistoned his hips up, causing your back to arch against his chest. You could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.. Sy’s voice lowered to a whisper.

“‘M Gonna taste my fingers, Buttercup. Watch.”

You opened your eyes as Sy pulled his fingers out and brought them to his mouth. You whined when he closed his eyes and moaned. You throbbed. It had never been like this before.

“You are so delicious… Need more…”

Sy pushed his hand back down into your pants to get you to do that arch again. It sent him feral to see that for some reason.

His fingers found the source and circled it, causing your body to tense up and your fingers to grab his arms.

“Oh my god! Sy!”

You’d come close to this feeling before just grinding with him on the back seat, but this was incomparable.

Your fingernails sunk into his forearms, creating marks for sure. This fueled him even more as he continued his ministrations at your core. He toyed beneath your bra and your mouth opened to seek oxygen as the feeling in your belly continued to tune you to a fever pitch.

“Yes…. Baby….. fuck… You gonna cum on my lap?”

“Hunnnh, hunnh, hunnnh!”

“You’re so fucking hot… I’m about to jizz in my pants… cum for me, Baby…”

Sy grinded against your bottom, and you stiffened while the world’s most wonderful feeling washed over you. You cried out as Sy pinched your nipple and you came, feeling as if the Bronco was caught up in the Wizard of Oz Twister. The world was certainly now in color when you could open your eyes.

Sy held you, watching your beautiful face as you pouted and came back to earth. When you did, your smile was worth all the gold in the world to him. He kissed your temple and slipped his hand out of your pants, sucking your juices off of them again.

You were about to jump him, but Sy interrupted your thought.

“Now that you’ve got a preview of Prom night, let’s get you home, Buttercup. Gotta get your beauty sleep for the festivities later on tonight.”

—-

Sy cleared his throat after staring at you silently for a solid three minutes. The way you licked your lips clean and focused on him was some powerful magic.

“So. How have you been, Sy? How is the family?”

You tried to keep any bitterness out of your voice. The fact that Becca Spurgeon ruined your prom (and your relationship with Sy) by announcing that she was pregnant with Sy’s baby after she was crowned Prom Queen and he Prom King was something you’d tried to get over for 20 years. 

Sy straightened up and looked over your shoulder. You glanced in that direction to see Carla and Tiffani hovering protectively. 

“Well, now Buttercup, that’s a long story. I know you want to hang with your friends. And I don’t know what you’re doin’ later tonight, but I would like to go somewhere quiet and talk about it.”

——

If you like it, hit Reblog!

Next part here.

[dev-solovey]

Reading up on the history of American Idiot (album) and realizing exactly how revolutionary it was and I just have to yell about it for a hot second

So, before they started working on American Idiot, the band was having problems and they were thinking they were going to break up. But for a couple of reasons, they switched directions, most notably because they all felt strongly about the Iraq War and how it was manufactured by greed and warmongering from the Bush administration, which was amplified by the news media. I read a quote from Billie Joe Armstrong where he talked about how the news media was becoming "more of a reality show" than it was news, and he couldn't have been more right. In fact, that problem got worse, and now we're living in an era of rampant misinformation where everything is politicized to a point where just supporting human rights for marginalized people is considered controversial. The song American Idiot came out in 2004, and when Donald Trump first visited the UK at the beginning of his presidency, it was the top played song on every UK radio station, 12 years after it was released. Most things would be culturally irrelevant at that point.

When creating the album American Idiot, a lot of thought went into it - they had a very specific message in mind, and their goal was to send that message to youth. This is because they realized at some point that their fanbase was a bunch of teenagers, and even though they hadn't necessarily intended it that way, they suddenly had a platform with the youth of America and they decided they ought to do something good with it. The drummer, Tré Cool, said something along the lines of "I've never really liked the idea of preaching to kids, but I realized we don't really have a choice at this point." And I love that so much because like, so many people who get rich and famous just become completely out of touch, and when they get a platform, it's very easy to exploit that platform, influence them with terrible ideas, or encourage them to act in terrible ways for self-serving reasons (ex: JK Rowling, Andrew Tate, Dream, Logan Paul, Onision, etc etc). Green Day refused to allow themselves to get to that point. They know the platform they had gave them power and they made an active choice early on to be responsible with it. And a lot of that moral code comes from the fact that they came up in the DIY punk scene in Oakland, which held its members to a very high standard of ethics, a code that they still follow even after they were disowned by that scene when they signed on with a major record label in 1994.

The song American Idiot has a message of "this mass media hysteria is manufactured bullshit, don't fall for it," and it is not subtle about that message. It punches you right in the face. I remember being 12 years old and listening to it and thinking, "yeah, I don't want to be an American idiot." And now, at the age of 28, I am a staunch leftist who is firmly against the atrocities the US government commits, and I feel strongly about stopping misinformation. So I can say with absolute certainty that they succeeded.

I also get like, really upset when people say that American Idiot is the album where they sold out, because that's objectively not true, both for the reasons I've provided above, and also because of the song Wake Me Up When September Ends. Not a lot of people know the story behind this song, but it's actually a song that Billie Joe wrote about the experience of his dad dying of cancer when he was 10 years old. The story, as he tells it, is that when he came home from school, his mom gave him the news, and being (understandably!) upset, started crying, ran to his room and slammed the door. When she knocked on the door to try and talk to him, he shouted "wake me up when September ends!!" in response. It took him decades to be able to write this song, and it shows because it's the perfect grief song, having been played at benefits for 9/11, hurricane Katrina, and so on. The first time I heard that song it reduced me to tears, because you can hear the intense sadness in it. A "sellout" would never write a song like that!! (Side note: maybe stop tweeting at Green Day to wake up every October 1st, it's super tone deaf given the subject matter,,,)

Anyway, I think I'm done being autistic about Green Day (that's a lie, they'll forever be my special interest), so TL;DR:

Thank you, Green Day, for creating a generation of leftists who aren't about the bullshit

[turtletaubwrites]

One Shots & Requests Masterlist

18+ ONLY. MDNI. SOME FICS CONTAIN DARK CONTENT. Currently writing for One Piece. All of these fics are NSFW and Fem!Reader unless marked otherwise. Content warnings and Ao3 links can be found on each post. This post updates frequently! Check out the main masterlist for completed and ongoing series, as well as WIP updates and announcements! One shots related to the poly fic We've All Got Needs can be read on their own, and are marked with a 💜

Ace 

The Only One I Want ~ (1657) ~ You have a delicious dream about a certain swordsman. Your boyfriend, Ace, is not pleased when you wake up. (Brief Zoro x Fem!Reader in a dream.)

My Pretty Little Thief ~ (2004) ~ Ace knows where he left his hat. But when it's not there, he hunts it down, only to discover the culprit. How can he convince the thief to return his precious hat?

Buggy 

You’d Do Anything For Me, Wouldn’t Ya, Doll? ~ (2104) ~ You are Captain Buggy’s Vicious Dagger, his blade tossing beauty that recently became his lover. You’d do anything for him, and tonight you prove it.

Crocodile

Wrong Side of the Bars ~ (3990) ~ Your promotion landed you in hell, otherwise known as Level 6 of Impel Down. All you wanted to do was work this shit job so you could move on up, but there's one prisoner that won't leave you alone. It turns out those long nights go by faster with a bit of company.

Cross Guild 

Numbers Game ~ Masterlist ~ (Oops. Turned into a series.) ~ You left your stable/boring life as an investment banker to have some adventure. Unfortunately, that sweet Warlord of the Sea didn't follow your financial advice, and now you and your clown are at the mercy of his biggest lender and his new business partner.

Katakuri

Sweet Abduction ~ (4084) ~ Part 2 ~ (2175) ~ Part 3 (End) ~ (3781) ~ Times are tough, and you're afraid you'll have to give up the family business, until you find people who cherish your work. Who knew making doughnuts would gain you the attention of an Emperor of the Sea, and her second son? Will your new life be as sweet as it seemed?

More fics below the cut 🖤

Law 

See How You Like It ~ (1927) ~ Law is back from another fiasco with the Straw Hats. You think he's cute when he's grumpy. He thinks you should have some more respect for your captain.

Bend Until You Break ~ Masterlist ~ (Oops. Turned into a series. Completed) ~ !! YANDERE!Law x Fem!Reader !! DARK CONTENT !! ~ You have struggled with mystery pains and injuries for most of your life, and had resigned yourself to suffer after every doctor told you there was nothing wrong. But when a world renowned doctor/pirate comes to town to offer aid in exchange for supplies, you decide to give hope one more chance. Maybe you'll finally find a doctor you can trust.

Misty Eyes ~ Masterlist ~ (Oops. Turned into a series. Ongoing) ~ (Includes Doflamingo x Fem!Reader in the past & flashbacks) !! DARK CONTENT !! ~ You were the weakest member of the Donquixote Family, so Doflamingo found another way you could serve him. Until your childhood crush found you, freeing you from those chains. What will Law expect in return?

Such a Softie ~ (461 ~ Drabble) (SFW) (GN!Reader) ~ Law is struggling to help you with your pain, until he has an idea. This is the coziest treatment you've ever received.

Luffy

My Favorite Kinds of Nights 💜 ~ (2375) ~ Part 2 ~ (3625) ~ You are enjoying a quiet moment away from the feast while the crew celebrates another victory. Your three partners, Robin, Sanji, and Zoro are occupied for the evening, so you take time to relax. Until you receive an unexpected request from your captain.

Multi and/or Character x Character

Same Time ~ (1123) ~ Zoro x Fem!Reader x Sanji ~ Your boyfriends are always arguing, but sometimes you're the one that wins the fight. Tonight the battle is for who gets to go first.

So What? ~ (SFW) ~ (1096) ~ Zoro x Sanji ~ An enemy catches Zoro eying Sanji in the middle of a fight. Zoro doesn't care, until they make the mistake of threatening the cook.

One Piece x Introverted!Reader (SFW) ~ Headcanons & Drabbles ~ Zoro, Sanji, and Robin

The Sounds You Made 💜 ~ (1422) ~ Sanji x Fem!Reader, Zoro x Fem!Reader ~ Sanji overhears you discussing and enjoying your casual arrangement with Zoro. He doesn't like the way Zoro talks to you, so he listens in to make sure you're okay.

Lucky Boy 💜 ~ (2561) ~ Sanji x Robin ~ Robin and Sanji have been dating you for a while, but tonight is their first date together. How will the cook and the archaeologist get along?

In Control ~ 💜 (2599) ~ Zoro x Robin ~ Robin and Zoro have been dating you for a while, but tonight is their first date together. How will the swordsman and the archaeologist get along?

You Never Shut Up, Do You? 💜 ~ (1323) ~ Zoro x Nami ~ Nami has watched you enjoy your poly relationships with Zoro and Sanji for a while. She's got an itch that needs scratching, and she decides to see if Zoro can help her out.

I Saw You First 💜 ~ (1451) ~ Part 2 ~ (1309) ~ Zoro x Fem!Reader, Sanji x Fem!Reader ~ You have a casual arrangement with Zoro, but he isn't happy that you'll be seeing Sanji tonight. He tries to get his mind off of things, but overhears you enjoying your time with the cook. Can he control his anger?

Touching What's Yours 💜 ~ (815) ~ Part 2 ~ (2344) ~ Part 3 ~ (6048) ~ Zoro x Sanji, Zoro x Fem!Reader x Sanji ~ You have a casual arrangement with Zoro, but he isn't happy that you had your first night with Sanji tonight. Zoro overheard some of your time together, and his rage kept him from sleeping. Instead, Zoro has gone to confront the cook for taking what's his.

Sanji 

Sleeping Beauty 💜 ~ (2646) ~ Your boyfriend has yet another kink he'd like to explore with you. You tell Sanji that you trust him to take care of you, even while you're sleeping.

Filthy Little Angel 💜 ~ (1323) ~ Sanji requests to try a new way to worship your body. You know your boyfriend will take good care of you.

Parted Lips (SFW) ~ (1734) ~ Sanji has made another meal just for you, but it's still too painful to eat. You open up to Sanji about your jaw pain, and he offers to help you work through it.

Sanji's Super Birthday Present 💜 ~ (988) ~ Part 2 (End) ~ (1105) ~ You work up the nerve to ask Franky for help with a gift for Sanji. You hope your birthday boy will like his new toy.

Gag Order ~ (3268) ~ You catch your boyfriend flirting with another woman, and you can't stop your worries. Until you decide to use your talents as a hypnotist to make sure you're the only one Sanji flirts with. He told you he only wants to be with you, so what's the harm in helping him keep that promise?

Shanks

A Good Catch ~ (4367) ~ Part 2 ~ (5030) ~ Part 3 ~ (4613) ~ Part 4 (End) ~ (4275) ~ You are an unlucky fisherwoman having a bad day, until a red haired pirate captain offers to help you out. You're pretty sure he only makes it worse.

Zeff

My Lovely Patron ~ (1300) ~ Part 2 ~ (1922) ~ You are a journalist following a story about fishmen attacking a floating restaurant. You try to ply the head chef with wine for some details, but end up getting something else instead.

Zoro

Just a Dream ~ (1288) ~ You have a delicious dream about your captain's brother. Your boyfriend, the first mate, is not pleased when you wake up. (Brief Ace x Fem!Reader in a dream)

Hogging the Blankets 💜 ~ (1210) ~ Zoro hogged the blankets, so you try to wake him. He tells you what you need to do now that you've woken him up.

Fighting Dirty 💜 ~ (2341) ~ You can’t help it when you get distracted by Zoro during training sessions, so he brings the sparring mats to the bedroom to teach you a lesson.

Mama Bear ~ (2606) ~ (Modern AU) ~ You're a gogo dancer, and you bring Zoro to a rave on your night off, wanting to show your boyfriend what that part of your life is like. Zoro can't help but notice how much you like to take care of people, and he has some thoughts on the matter.

Zoro x GN!Swordsman!Reader (with a powerful/unique sword) (SFW) ~ Headcanons & Drabble

A Swordsman's Shame ~ (SFW) (GN!Reader) ~ (1530) ~ You and Zoro have the same dream, and it's built a passion between you. But something has been holding you back, keeping you from opening yourself up to your crewmate, your rival, your fellow swordsman.

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 | ko-fi |

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen’s Club series)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 017: Something’s Brewing

Mornings are for coffee, contemplation, and work visitations. And before you know it, things go from 0 to ‘Eleven’.

author's note: the layout of this chapter is heavily inspired by the writing style of one of my inspirations, @pinkrelish 💘 love you alyson!!

CW: fluff, boyfriend eddie, angst, drinking, smoking, profanities, physical altercations, arguing, aggressive eddie, GENERATIONAL CURSES, eddie misogynistic/ableist one-liner (our fave is also a man at the end of the day), therapist!eleven rise up 🤩🤩, divider from @attxnt

word count: 4.8k words

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014** , 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

* = somewhat smutty chapters ** = smut chapters

You’ll NEVER. GET. AWAY. from the sound of a woman that loves you.

♡

WEEK-IS-LONG-WEDNESDAY

Eddie doesn't sleep well when you’re not with him. Like a fish out of water, your boyfriend flops and flails around in bed, rolling over his bumpy sheets that still linger with your scent. But before he can even get comfy, it’s already time to start the day.

Son of a bitch.

“Alexa,” Eddie pleads. “Please postpone my cries until tomorrow.”

“Sorry — Eddie… I don’t understand what you meant by please postpone my life until tomorrow.”

“That too I guess.”

———

It’s awfully quiet at Hellfire.

Your friends seem to be protesting your unjust departure, keeping the essence of you alive by paying the Hellfire Girls no mind.

Meanwhile the witches who made you quit are celebrating your absence, laughing and leaning against the wall, entertaining themselves with their week-old gossip that was centered around you. Because without talking about ‘Shy Girl’, they wouldn’t be as interesting. To anyone.

"Yeah and she didn't even have the decency to give her two weeks," Kassidy scoffs. "Just up and left. How immature."

They got what they wanted. You were gone. Controlled, altered, deleted. 86’d, baby. But at what cost?

“Classic Baby Stripper. Can’t handle Hellfire’s heat.”

Now it's their turn to have the spotlight again. Just like old times. Although this time around, that attention is all negative.

But it’s attention, nonetheless.

Emmy and the other Hellfire Girls are seen squirming around, struggling to to reach for a prop that was placed high up on a shelf.

"Mike, I can't reach this thing, can you come get it for me?"

"Sorry, busy," Mike scoffs, shuffling angrily past them.

A couple of raised eyebrows. Okay then…

"Dustin, do you think you can-"

"No. Do it yourself," Dustin snaps.

Every appetizer they ordered from Argyle came out dry or burnt. Any toiletries needed from Nancy were handed over with minimal eye contact and assistance. Jonathan stopped serving them alcohol three peach schnapps ago, but of course those bitches were too busy faking their intoxication to even notice.

And despite everything, they were still appalled. Surely EDDIE wouldn’t approve of this blatant favoritism.

After putting out his cigarette, Eddie makes his way inside with the paperwork needed for your severance check, along with more checks for the club (and Wayne) that he didn’t even want to think about.

"OH EM GEE, HI EDDIE BEAR!" the girls squeal at him. It's their one last attempt to be smothered with love and affection from your boyfriend.

SLAM. The door to Ed's office swings shut.

Chrissy and Nina erupt in laughter, because even despite getting rid of you, Eddie still doesn’t give those girls the time of day.

“Eat shit, you cunts,” Nina chuckles, shaking her head in satisfaction.

While it was obvious whose side The Party is on, the Hellfire Girls are STILL left distraught and confused.

"Do you guys...” Kassidy says. “…kinda get the vibe that everyone seems a bit pissed off today?"

THANKFUL-THURSDAY

"Thank you, come again!"

You had just finished making your 20th peppermint mocha of the morning. And to think you’re going to be here ‘til close…

Being a waitress and barista are two completely different ball parks, something you wish you knew before Steve got you the job at Newby’s not too long ago.

Syrups. Sauces. Coffee beans from robusta to arabica. The just-as-caffeinated juices that would taste a lot better with alcohol in them...

And the damn milks. God forbid you use soy milk instead of almond, otherwise Susan Swayne from the Hawkins Neighborhood Watch Committee will throw a hissy fit for everyone with a satellite dish to see. And you’d much rather not want to end up going viral on Reddit — again.

Sigh.

You’re whisking away at a matcha when you realize that a group of corporate Chads were looking at you for way too long. Your paranoid eyes scan the scene, heart nearly dropping to your stomach as you lean your body into Steve’s for comfort.

"People are staring at me," you report to him at a low whisper.

Harrington is right beside you, wiping the counter down with a wet cloth after spilling some half and half on it. Your new colleague glances over at them before giving you an earnest look of reassurance.

“They probably just have a staring problem,” he says. “New pretty face at a local coffee shop? Of course they’re gonna look at you.”

“I’m almost certain I gave one of them a dance.”

“You’re also making them a coffee,” he points out. “How many people can say that about their dancers? They should be grateful.”

It makes you less stressed knowing you have a male coworker by your side, and that your job predominantly takes place in broad daylight. Your stress is further alleviated when you see Max shuffle back in through the side door after her 15-minute juul break in the parking lot. She gives you a tense nod hello after exhaling a small cloud of 'Wild Raspberry Bubblegum' into the room.

“Back from your break?” you mumble rhetorically, avoiding direct eye contact with her.

“Yeah. I am.”

You and Max got into a fight earlier this morning. It was over something stupid, your first real fight since she found out you were stripping on the low. You’re stunned when she wraps her arms around your shoulders from behind, causing you to hum in endearment. Dearest Maxine…your baby sister.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Max apologizes. "I'm not me when I go without smoking for too long."

"I forgive you," you hug her back. "Thank you for communicating your feelings. Wanna help me with this in-house order?”

“Of course.”

Since your whole lives were spent constantly losing people on such short notice, you, Max, and Billy have made it a goal to never go to bed angry. You all follow through with it 90-percent of the time, which is huge considering your dynamic. You never want to end the day on bad terms with anyone. With how the world operates nowadays, you just never know.

“You guys make coffee for non-heroes?”

And you weren’t going to start the day mad either. To your surprise, your gaze is met with Eddie’s when you turn around. Your boyfriend beams over at you with eager eyes, hands tucked neatly into his pockets as he waits to order.

“EDDIE!” you exclaim.

Mister-Leather-and-Denim greets you with his signature dimpled smile. "Hi, sweetie."

You practically leap over the counter to give your man a tight squeeze. He chuckles into you, his cool rings lightly pressing against your back during your embrace.

“Eddie...” you coo. “You came to see me!”

“I sure did,” your man sings as he goes to put you down. “Ohh my goodness… Look at you with your little barista apron! Do a little spin for me.”

You spin. Eddie hoots in adoration.

“Now do a little pose.”

You pose.

“One more turn for me, baby…all the way, all the way, all the way…” he instructs. Suddenly, his palm issues you a rough smack across the ass. “BOOM! There we go. Now we’re talkin’!”

“Hey hey hey, let’s keep it PG,” Harrington scolds him. “Bob watches the cameras when he’s not here.”

“Then Bob should know Eddie’s hands are rated E for everybody,” Eddie tuts, slyly clicking his tongue at Steve. “Didn’t think I’d miss YOU now did you, Big Boy? C’MERE!”

Eddie scurries towards Steve to give him his as well. Smack. Almost like it’s muscle memory.

Max shakes her head in amusement as watches their tomfoolery unfold in front of her. She always used to think you were exaggerating their 'bromance', but now her doubts have been debunked.

“Need some caffeine to kickstart your heart today?” she asks your boyfriend.

“Not particularly, since your sister’s in front of me,” Eddie replies, chuckling at his own cheesy joke. But then he hands her a 20. “I’ll take a cold brew though. Change is yours to keep.”

“My hero, my hero,” Max hums. You watch as she opens the register to acquire the difference.

Your sister starts on Eddie’s drink while you two spend some time together. Out of habit, you fiddle with his hair and then lovingly stroke his face, all while Eddie scans the room around him, his curious fingers dancing over to the plastic tip jar next to the pastries behind you.

“How much for the trail mix?” he comments.

“Ha-ha,” you respond to him dryly.

“Baby you could make this much in tips in a second at Hellfire.”

“I’m not going back,” you respond with certainty.

Eddie’s face drops when he realizes how serious you sound. Tucking his hands back into the pockets, Mr. Tough guy elicits a rather child-like pout.

“But everybody misses you.”

“Not everybody.”

“Everybody who matters,” he corrects himself.

“That’s sweet,” you admit. “But we’ll all still hang out, y’know? I just...really wanna keep our work-life shit separate.”

“I understand, baby,” Eddie frowns. “I just miss your face is all.”

It was a shitty situation those girls put you and Eddie in. But now that you’ve had time to think about it, you don’t need Hellfire anymore. Stripping has rocket-launched you out of debt; and now that you’re comfortably on your feet, with everything you could possibly want and more, you see no need in having a hustle mentality anymore. And besides, everyone and Eddie knew that to you, Hellfire was only temporary.

“I miss you too,” you assure Eddie. “But I'm out of that cacoon now and spreading my wings. Thanks to you. We can celebrate off the clock."

“Now I like the sound of that," Eddie smirks as he pulls you into him again. He gives you another, rather tight, squeeze followed by a delicate forehead kiss. "So amazing to hear, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you.”

FACE-THE-TRUTH FRIDAY

“You’re upset.”

It’s an assumption that irritates the shit out of Eddie. Jane watches your boyfriend as he frantically ushers himself around, stress-cleaning everything at POTIONS while Jonathan takes his lunch. For as long as she's been here, it's been observed that the only thing Eddie seems to be running on today is a hot chip, and yet another cold brew from Newby’s that you had made for him.

“I’m not upset, Eleven.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m NOT,” Eddie insists. “Shy Girl and I are doing great, thank you very much.”

But the psych major doesn’t believe it one bit. Setting the pencil she was twiddling down onto her notebook, Jane narrows her eyes.

“Wanna know how I know you’re lying?”

“Hit me.”

“I never once mentioned Hargrove’s name.”

Caught. Red-handed. A sucker-punch to the ego. Eddie’s cheeks flush an exposed shade of pink, having been read to filth by the girl he and Steve used take turns babysitting when she was a little kid.

“And boys always lie,” ‘Eleven’ tuts. Jane starts to dismantle her waffle fries as if they were pieces of pull-apart bread. She then shoves the Eggo-shaped taters into her mouth. “‘s like it’s in their blood.”

“Girls lie too,” Eddie scoffs.

“But they lie better.”

Eddie pretends to dismiss it, waving Jim and Joyce’s daughter off so she could go with Mike who has probably forgotten to take inventory yet again. But when she doesn’t, and insists on playing therapist, Eddie can’t help but wonder what Jane and Wheeler could possibly be fighting about now.

“Don’t start your relationship off with a lie,” Eleven forewarns. “I can tell you really like Shy Girl. And if that’s the case, I assume you trust her enough to be honest with her.”

"I am honest with her."

“Bullshit.”

He peers back over at Jane.

Eddie’s assets — at this point — have now become a liability. And it was YOU who had to pay the price.

But he knew he still had to be realistic. There was no way in hell that he could spoil you, take you out, buy you nice things, and introduce you to new experiences if his business is in shambles. He needed his dancers.

"If you can’t get rid of those girls, you at least owe Shy Girl the truth,” Jane points out. She finds herself leaning across the bar. "And the truth is... you’re upset about her quitting.”

Eddie shrugs, choosing to gloss over how he really feels in hopes of getting a second opinion. “But I don’t know why I’d be upset. She’s doing what’s best for her.”

But Eleven clears him immediately.

“Because your abandonment issues tell you she gave up too easily,” She shoves another waffle fry into her mouth. “therefore she didn’t fight hard enough for your relationship.”

Man.

“Otherwise, you two would’ve found a compromise by now,” Eleven keeps going. “Meaning she would’ve stayed. Could’ve stayed.”

She pauses for the dramatics while Eddie uncomfortably clears his throat.

“Should’ve stayed," she finishes.

Bingo. It’s like Eleven found a way to invade Eddie’s mind somehow. Disgusted with himself, it also dawns on him that although the kids are much older now, they’re still sponges. That means they can still read into him and everyone else, even more than they could’ve when they were only 12. And this time around, there’s no filter when it happens. It’s a scary thought.

“I liked you better homeschooled.”

SHRUG-IT-OFF SATURDAY

It’s D&D night at Jeff’s house and you’re in charge of food prep. But you really don't see the point in it anymore, considering bank heist campaigns are way more interesting than the messy charcuterie board in front of you.

"I can't believe tonight will go down as the Craigslist Campaign," Max remarks. "That's where Eddie found these guys, right?"

"It's where Gareth found them," you correct her. "I hope they all get along, though. Campaigns are huge for Eddie."

You watch your boyfriend from the kitchen as he does his thing, kneeling on the wooden table as he prefaces the campaign with an introductory monologue. It all makes you swoon. Eddie is just so animated. It's in the dramatic changes in his voice depending on who he's imitating. His theatrical jazz hands. His extremely detailed, and lucid story-telling that slips so naturally off his tongue.

Eddie Munson knows how to put on a show. As a performer yourself, you can appreciate watching his universes come to life. This is a look into Eddie's mind. His world. His safe space. And he appears to be having a lot of fun with it.

Your lip curls involuntarily. A little too much fun, you think to yourself…shamefully, spitefully.

“You’re not mad at Eddie, are you?”

You look at your sister like she's crazy. Max knows you and your micro-expressions like the back of her hand. Wasn't really a hobby she picked up per se, but more of a survival tactic. It makes you second guess yourself. Surely you didn't make yourself that obvious, did you? But even then, you're not even that bitter about it. So why are you physically reluctant in giving an answer that your brain is so sure of?

“No,” you shake your head. “Why would I be mad?”

“He barely did anything to defend you from those girls,” Max points out. “You’re his girlfriend and what do they get? A slap on the wrist for all of the shit they've done? It’s unfair!”

You silently return to your edible arrangement, putting the grapes next to the cheeses and away from the deli meats so that Gareth doesn't get 'the ick'. Then you grab a wine glass to make a rose shape out of said deli meats. Max doesn't back down.

"It's okay if you're upset," she tries again.

"I'm not upset, Max."

"You're lying."

"Am not!" You quickly jump to defend Eddie. "I genuinely think, and know, that Eddie's a keep-the-peace kind of guy. Besides, Hellfire would've been in jeopardy if he fired those girls."

"Hellfire would've been in jeopardy if Billy pressed those charges."

You think about the fight more often than you would like. It was the only time you've truly seen Eddie out of character.

"But that's different. Billy pushed all the right buttons. I know Eddie. He's not as manic as people paint him out to be."

And as if it were a joke, the Universe uses this impeccable timing to launch you into a panic. Soon the sound of shattered glass and moving chairs fill the room, and when you whip your head over to the sound of the commotion, you're stunned to see your man lunging at one of the strangers that were sat at Jeff's dinner table.

"EDDIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" someone yelps.

"You wanna say that shit again?" Eddie demands. "Huh, do you?"

"What the actual fuck," Max breathes out with her hand clutched to her chest. "That came out of nowhere."

"Disrespecting my fucking friend in his own fucking house?!" he gives the guy another violent rattle. "Huh?!"

You're unsure whether to intervene or not, but the guys seem to have it managed so you just stay put in the kitchen. From what you gathered, the guy said something rude to Jeff, making fun of his class and level and using his character skin as a reason for being inferior to him. But clearly, he was still no match for the Dungeon Master.

Eddie shakes his head in pity.

"Classic fucking bard," Eddie spits. "All that talk and all that charisma, but you're still FUCKING WEAK in battle."

"Hurtful..." Dustin, whose also a bard, whimpers.

"Wasn't talking about you, Henderson," Eddie huffs.

Then who was Eddie talking about? Because according to the look on everyone's faces, his rage didn't align with the severity of the issue at hand. The guy did seem condescending and patronizing when you met him, but all he did was poke fun at Jeff. Something the Hellfire boys already do with one another.

Eddie's outburst is enough to end the campaign early, and the guys who allegedly violated Jeff that badly left without a cue. As everyone cleans up after themselves, Gareth locates all the drinks that Eddie has downed tonight and confiscates them. You remember the time Eddie told you drinking makes him feel gross. Makes him act gross too, apparently.

"Eddie, what the fuck, man? Where did that rage even come from?"

"Dude was cocky as hell," Eddie shakes his head at Gareth. "They can act stupid about it, but I see all the underlying shit. They knew what they were doing."

Suddenly your ears perk up. If you had been the one to say that, you could easily appoint those very sentences to the situation with the Hellfire Girls. The burning in your chest is undeniable now. Of course that's how shit starts to feel when it gets personal.

"No one bullies my boys and gets away with it," Eddie says. "They can get out and stay out."

Max looks back over at you, just as distraught. Then she says exactly what you were thinking but were far too afraid to admit. "Where was that energy when you were at Hellfire?"

You and Eddie go to different bathrooms to collect yourselves, both for entirely different reasons. Seeing Eddie that distressed over something so small really had you wondering if he was upset about something else as well. But then you start getting upset at yourself for not putting your concerns first. And this concern was a huge one. He can do that with his boys but not with you?

“Oh my god,” it dawns on you. “I guess I am disappointed in Eddie.”

And then, from the other side of the house, in Jeff's bathroom, it dawns on Eddie too as he sobers up.

“Oh my god. I guess I am upset with Hargrove.”

SUCKER-PUNCH SUNDAY

“You’re early, babe,” you remark.

Little did you know Eddie would’ve been at your door even earlier, had he not been rehearsing what to say in his van...and doom-scrolling the internet for the past hour.

“Just didn’t wanna be late!” is what he comes up with.

You greet him with a kiss shortly before allowing him into the home. Max is working today while Robin and Vicky were out running errands. This left you both plenty of time to hash things out if needed, both in the living room and the bedroom (if it applies).

C'mon, Hargrove, you urge yourself. Just say it.

"Listen..." you both say at once.

You both pause, glancing over at one another in surprise.

"What are you about to say?" you ask him.

"What are YOU..." he counters. "about to say?"

"You go."

"No no," he deflects. "Ladies first, I insist."

You hate that he's a gentleman sometimes. Out of the many situations where you had to rip the band-aid off, somehow this was the hardest one. After swallowing hard one last time, you finally come out and say it.

"I'm..." you begin. "I've been thinking all week. And... I guess am upset with how shit ended with Hellfire."

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god, you too?"

Suddenly, the air seems breathable again. You and Eddie both sigh in relief which then extorts a chuckle out of the two of you. At last, you two seem to be on the same page about this minor discrepancy.

"I've been losing sleep over it all week."

"I've been stress-cleaning trying to think of how to come to you about it!"

"Oh my god..." Eddie laughs.

"This is crazy!" you exclaim.

"I forgive you," the two of you say simultaneously.

Your eyes widen simultaneously as well.

"Wait, what?" you echo one another again.

"What do you mean you forgive me?" you hiss. "I should be the one forgiving you, not the other way around."

"Well... you kinda left me in a crummy spot... leaving Hellfire so soon?" Eddie argues. "And you were almost everybody's favorite dancer too. Outside of Chrissy."

"You left me in a crummy spot!" you place your hands on your hips. "By refusing to fire the dancers who made my life a living hell. The bullying wouldn't stop until I quit and you just let that happen."

"Okay first of all, you chose to quit," Eddie snaps. Anger starts to simmer within you. "After I begged you time and time again not to. And you were the one who told me not to get rid of the dancers because it would've been easier to just get rid of you, the one."

"I still expected you to give them some harsh ass consequences!" you exclaim. "And what do you mean I didn't fight hard enough for you? You shouldn't have to make me fight in the first place."

"You know what I mean," Eddie huffs. "And expected? I can't read your mind, Hargrove! How was I supposed to know what to do?"

How was he supposed to know? How was he supposed to know? Not reassuring at all coming from a business owner and manager. And the gag is Eddie sure knew what to do last night, when something similar happened to his homeboys.

"You literally kicked those dudes out last night for bullying Jeff. At the drop of a hat. But you couldn't do with the girls the same way?"

"Those Craigslist dudes don't pay the BILLS, sweetheart," Eddie emphasizes. "Had they been responsible for my paycheck, I may have approached it differently."

"I don't care anymore!" you exclaim. "Paycheck this, paycheck that. It's the principle of it, Eddie! The girls bullied me and all you did was slap them on the wrist. I expected you to do more."

"There it is again, 'expected'! I'm a simple guy, babe. I can't read you like a puzzle! Say what's on your mind. Why do you have so much trouble speaking up?"

"I shouldn't have to hold your hand through something so simple though. Forget that I'm your girlfriend for just a minute. You should've fired them when you realized they were sabotaging another dancer. And whose to say this was their first time doing it? What if they did it with Isabelle too?"

"Don't talk about Isabelle!" Eddie snaps at you. "You don't know anything that happened with her."

"Oh so now you're defending your ex wife too? OVER ME? Your actual, current girlfriend?! It's just anyone but me at this point. WHY AM I THE LAST PRIORITY? IT'S MY RELATIONSHIP."

"IT'S MY RELATIONSHIP TOO!"

"You don't seem to be fighting for it!"

"You're one to talk! You're the one who left when it got hard."

"I don't leave when shit gets hard," you argue. "I leave when shit doesn't change. When shit becomes toxic."

You did it with your last relationship. You did it when you and Max left Billy. You did it with Hellfire when the torment wouldn't stop. And you might as well do it again with Eddie, if nothing changes.

"You know what apologies without change is?" you grumble. "It's manipulation."

"Oh, so I'm a manipulator now?!" Eddie questions. "I did EVERYTHING you told me to do, but now I'm still a manipulator?!"

"Birds of a feather," you huff angrily. "Living up to the Munson name, huh?"

"That's not fair, baby."

"It is."

"NO, IT'S NOT!" Eddie booms. "How would you feel if I told you that you were living up to the Hargrove name? By blowing shit out of proportion when it doesn't even need to be like that?"

"DOESN'T NEED TO BE LIKE THAT?" you shout. "DOESN'T NEED TO BE LIKE THAT? THOSE BITCHES RUINED ME, PUT SUGAR IN MY GAS TANK, AND YOU'RE ACCUSING ME OF READING TOO MUCH INTO IT?"

"Now you're just putting words in my mouth."

"I'd like to put something in your mouth, that's for sure."

"Kinky," Eddie says smartly.

"That's all your mind travels to, is sex isn't it?! No wonder you keep those sluts around."

You and Eddie continue to argue back and forth, the volume of your voices gradually getting louder. Eventually, you grow overwhelmed, and the only thing that will calm you down is a good ol' scream.

Just like a banshee, a high-pitched scream rips through the house.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

You throw a nearby plastic cup at the wall, you're so angry and overstimulated.

"The hell was that?" Eddie questions. A laugh tugs at the corner of his mouth. For a minute, he looks like Billy when he gets a reaction out of you. That really sets you off.

Now you're out for blood. Out for the very thing, every Hargrove wants: the last word. He's right. You are living up to the Hargrove name. But why does it feel so good?

Unable to control yourself, your palms land across Eddie's chest and you shove him into the wall, causing Eddie to short circuit in shock. His face drains to a pale white. Now suddenly, you're Billy. And Eddie is you, looking at you the way you would look at your brother whenever he screamed or punched a wall.

Now Eddie's angry too. As much as he wants to get you back, it's still natural for him to physically refrain himself from doing so. Eddie Munson does not hit women. Wayne raised him better than that.

So instead, he settles for a verbal jab.

“You’re crazy. What is wrong with you, Hargrove?"

It's the damned C word that no enraged woman wants to hear. But now that you've heard it, there's no turning back. You're done with him.

"Get out," you order him.

"Fine," Eddie mutters. "Fine, I'm off to Wayne's anyway!" You stomp after Eddie as he starts making his way towards your door. "He's the only fucking person who seems to understand me."

The two of you share one final look before he heads out.

You hate that it has to end this way, because the devastated demeanor in his beady, brown eyes share that same sentiment. The sorrow is unspoken, but universal. Just as the love and yearning is, even when your words display a lack thereof.

"So you're gonna leave me?" Eddie gulps. "You're gonna leave me, huh? Just like everyone else does?"

You shake your head bitterly. If there's anything about you that you love/hate, it's that you always stand on your business. "Don't worry. Plenty of other bitches in the sea for you."

The final blow to Eddie's chest. Normally Eddie would've been able to recover from that... would've been able to leave the argument untouched after hearing those words... had it not been for you, the only person he truly sees himself with. The only person he would look for in a sea of people.

"I really thought you were different, Shy Girl," Eddie shakes his head. "That's what I get for hiring someone who doesn't understand what the industry can be like."

That's what he hits you with? Just then, the sadness is replaced by resentment entirely.

"I HATE YOU, Eddie Munson," you grimace. "I never want to see your face again."

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @mediocredreams @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay @xblueriddlex @maskofmirrors @babyloutattoo89 @queenofhawkins

[positivelybeastly]

Love reading through your analyses and I was wondering if you had insight on something I noticed with Hank/Beast and Kurt/Nightcrawler: writers often use both of them in the visible mutation metaphor and emotional cores, but Kurt's approach is more from faith and Hank's is more from curiosity. Often when one or either are gone/dead/changed, things seem to get worse for the Team overall.

Do you think those two would benefit each other's characters? Even just to have spirited philosophical discussion?

So, this actually touches on a funny thing that I've noticed with Beast and Nightcrawler over time - which is that they're almost never on the same team together, probably precisely because they serve an extremely similar function in a team composition, for the reasons you've kind of touched on here.

They are, after all, both heavily visibly mutated individuals who were, or are, considered figures of great integrity and morality, with a strong code of ethics and a depth of feeling that expresses itself in a deeply vivacious personality - romantic, friendly, charming, and erudite.

Therefore, having them both on a team is, unfortunately, somewhat redundant.

That being said! They do still interact, and they're shown to be sources of great comfort and friendship for one another. Their first meetings were - somewhat inauspicious . . .

See, this is the funny thing about old comics - storylines just flow and flow and flow. Comics didn't stop after ten issues and get restarted with a new #1 every few months, they just ran and ran and ran, and the pacing reflected that.

There aren't usually month long gaps where you can assume nothing happened and people just got to hang out, they're working hard! Hank has been working with the Avengers so much that he literally hasn't even had time to meet the new X-Men properly! Wild.

But, eventually, things did slow down, and they got a chance to properly socialise, and, as expected, they got along like a house on fire.

Like, these two are just born to be friends. They have so much in common. Where Hank leans more to the obscure, the erudite, and the scientific, Kurt leans more to the dashing, the swashbuckling, and, of course, the religious, but they're still both fundamentally cut from the same cloth - acrobatic, charming, philosophical, heroic, fun.

But, that same alike quality means you don't get a ton of interaction between them, so I cling to what they do have. One of my favourite interactions between them is in Nightcrawler's 2004 solo series.

First off, absolutely adore Hank in this art style. The fact that the artist decided to include the detail of his fur poking out of the shirt like that is just. It transfixes me. I really want to go over and just. Run my fingers through his side fur. But mostly, I just like their chemistry? Hank's a great supporting character because he's so emotionally intelligent and reflective, and he's great at giving people perspective, usually with a healthy dose of sarcasm and teasing.

That being said, this scene is always the one I point to whenever I say that the X-Men really have no idea what's going on in Hank's head a lot of the time, because this took place after Hank had been psychically brutalised, nearly beaten to death, and one of his best friends had just been murdered - and he's doing a really very good job of hiding that trauma.

So much so that Kurt thinks he's just fine. He's just fine. There's nothing to worry about. But it's not Kurt's fault, and it's nowhere near unique to him, either. He had no way to know, he had his own stuff going on (the subject matter of this solo series, as it happens), and Hank is doing well enough that it isn't interfering with things, so, let him deal with it in peace, I suppose.

At least on this occasion.

Kurt is, after all, an emotionally intelligent and caring individual. You can't stop Nightcrawler from trying to help where he can. And I think that even just the reaching out, just the show of support, can be enough for a character like Hank.

Moments like these matter, in my opinion. It's important to show that teammates and friends care about each other, in the moment to moment stories, otherwise it can all feel very impersonal and like no-one cares about one another. This is how you establish dynamics over years, even between characters who have, technically speaking, never really been on a team together before.

The next big milestone I can think of comes after the X-Men's move to Utopia, where, again, Hank and Kurt don't share a ton of panel time together, but . . .

This is one of the few times you'll ever hear anyone say that Hank was right. And it's not really a surprise that it comes from Kurt, because, again, these men are cut from the same cloth. They come at it from different angles, but they believe in much the same things.

And . . . that's why it hits so hard when Kurt dies.

I don't necessarily agree with the decision to have Hank break from the literal funeral procession to call Scott out for Kurt's death. Some fans of Nightcrawler really appreciate that moment, because it shows how much Kurt's death affected Hank, but I personally just. Don't think it tracks, for Hank to be quite that disrespectful.

After the funeral, or even before, but during it? Nah. Matt Fraction made a good few Hank characterisation choices I don't agree with, and this was one of them.

This felt a bit more apropos.

Remember what I said about how little moments build to dynamics between characters who have never been on teams together? I buy this moment so much more with the context of that moment from Endangered Species, where Kurt is literally positioned as the light trying to pull Hank out of the dark path he's following with obsessive fervour. The fact that he was trying went a long way. Hank felt it, even if he didn't take him up on it at the time. That moment mattered.

And that's why I absolutely buy Hank's reaction when Kurt came back to life.

Hank believes in Kurt. He believes the very best of him. On teams where Hank can often feel alone or isolated, someone like Kurt will reach out, and make him feel connected, and welcome, and pull him back. Temper his scientific pessimism and realism with optimism and belief. Restore his fervour, and remind him of simpler, happier times.

A lot of the best scientists, who have contributed the most to scientific inquiry, were religious, because for a lot of them, there's no real conflict between science and religion, they're both two sides of the same coin, in a way - a belief in a higher power. It's just how they react to that higher power that changes.

And while Hank was explicitly religious for a while, I always interpreted him as losing that faith over the years, becoming bogged down in the real over the sublime as what he went through wore him down. Someone like Kurt was able to spark that in him again. Maybe not his faith, per se, but at the very least belief in the human spirit.

It's important. As you say, massive benefit to each other's characters. Underrated dynamic, these two. Absolutely love 'em.

[dangermousie]

A love letter to late 00s/early10s kdramas? More likely than you may think

I have watched the first two eps (30m each) of the just premiered My Military Valentine with Nam Guyri and Kim Min Seok and I have discovered the most glorious time machine to 2008-2012.

A disclaimer - if you came to kdramas relatively recently, this really isn't a drama for you. But for those of us who used to watch and adore kdramas of mid-to-late 00s/very early 10s (I got into kdramas around 06), this is a very deliberate and knowing tribute and is designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia for back then dramas which it does brilliantly.

I feel as if I somehow time traveled to 15 years back or perhaps stumbled on a kdrama from that period I have not seen yet. It is such a delicious homage.

The premise is pretty straightforward - in an AU where South Korea and North Korea are close to reunification, a popular South Korean superstar and a North Korean commando cross paths and then he ends up having to serve in her unit. She's a consummate military officer, he's boyish and even immature but genuinely good-hearted. If you are screaming into your hands "this is off-brand King2Hearts with Spy MyungWol thrown in OMGGGGGGGG!" then you are the target audience.

EVERYTHING about this drama is old-school, deliberately so. The plot (even the idea of reunion was much more popular in dramas back then than it is now when I think it's much more fraught and distant), the setting (it is not set in 2024 but something like 2010), the characters (the ML is the immature protag romcoms in 00s used to love, FL is a good-hearted stern naive NK lady), the look (the way it's filmed is 100% from back then, with news montages, ML's frosted hair, the side part of the NK agent dude, the shots down from buildings, FL's whole vibe and look, the camera work, the lack of certain filters. Even the fact that neither of protags looks super polished and ML has a certain soft-faced and not starving look is reminiscent of early 00s dramas.)

Shot from the drama:

For comparison, here is Eric Mun in 2011 Spy Myung Wol as a top star in a drama about a North Korean Agent x SK celeb:

And with NK agent OTP:

Here is the OTP of 2012 King 2 Hearts, about a South Korean prince and NK commando:

Lee Byung Hun and his bleach blond hair in Beautiful Days from 2003:

Kim Rae Won and his soft face and light hair in Say You Love Me (2004):

And now, look at this song number from My Military Valentine. If it doesn't scream "Obama just got elected for his first term," I don't know what to tell you:

And the kiss as means of air transfer, old school style JUST I CAN'TTTTT:

[rreskk]

Things to consider about Trevor and his character:

Everything is draining me but I got some energy for some “consider” factors :)

-We all know Trevor is maths smart and very intelligent. He is no idiot. He has some serious gut intuition and, despite being so undermined, his intelligence is extremely high through knowledge and street-smarts. However, I’ve noticed low literacy development from his text messages and subtle handwritten notes around his safe houses and liquor store. Although he speaks in metaphors and riddles, I can only imagine he may suffer from slight dyslexia. Whether or not that’s him being lazy (most likely), but it would make sense considering his broken education and temperaments. It’s something to consider and suits his character!

-Also consider the fact that maybe, due to his drug and substance use, his height shortened from over the years. He may be 6’1 now but before he fell into the addiction loop, he could have been possibly taller. Like 6’2, maybe a bit taller? Shit like that happens when you grow older with such addictions.

-Trevor mentioned to Michael before that he’s “in the best shape” of his life. This makes me all giggly because — as a North Yankton slut — this basically implies that he was a bigger boy before Los Santos. Man had some fat on him, and his ID from 2004 (cos of his old picture) says his weight initially was 206. A BIG boy. Need to serve him on a golden platter.

-The biggest question in my mind: who introduced him to helicopters and planes. Trevor joined the military with talent of flying. He had his cargo-plane side-job before meeting Mikey in the Midwest, where they met. This brings to think about how exactly he managed to get hands on a plane in the first place…

-Think about his life-style, and think about how flexible his sexuality would’ve been before the professional criminality happened — or just after it started. His ability without the drugs washing the chances of impregnating. His likeness of sex and intimacy. Expect him to have unknown children roaming the states with his genes and DNA.

-He mentioned doing only “petty” crimes before Michael, meaning that he probably hadn’t of killed a human person. (Unless I’m wrong). Petty crimes, for those who don’t know, includes offences like shoplifting, disorderly conduct, common assaults (usually drunk). Real petty crimes without purpose or intent. This meant that Trevor was weirdly innocent, if we are comparing him to present Trevor. With his anger issues as well. Without Michael, he would’ve had a relatively different life with a CHANCE to reparate himself and become something more.

-Following this, consider that it’s not all Michael’s fault that his criminality and incline in mental health was partially responsible for his discharge of the airforce. We all know how Trevor felt about it, I shouldn’t have to explain how distraught he was about it.

-Also consider Trevor and Michael fucking :)

[shefightslikeagirl]

hi there! I have another weirdly special question for you....... if memory serves, EA had her super cherry red hair for at least a little while before Opheliac came out.... (I know she occasionally had red hair now and then during the Enchant era, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks of the hair color changes as a big dividing line between eras, and there was obviously a long period of time where her hair was ONLY red). do we know when exactly EA debuted the super red hair for the first time?

I love questions like this! I also hate that I have so much info in my little archive...

You're right about the Enchant Era. EA went back and forth from brown to reddish to redder and pinker throughout the era. Her natural hair color is a slightly-reddish brown. Enjoy some old potato photos she's posted throughout the years:

EA was sporting bright pink hair through most of 2004. Some examples:

Journal Entry: A Night with ServX

BTP Listing: Vintage Gothic Beret

Journal Entry: Fifties Dresses & Chains

Journal Entry: Pics with the Dresden Dolls

Then, in November of 2004, we got this:

The "Opheliac Single cover" from this journal entry.

Is that a wig? Not sure. Is it edited? Most definitely so. But even with all the editing, that hair is red!

Then, a few days later:

From "Last Call on Secret Garden Crowns!"

This was followed by EA posting about her "Crafters Coast 2 Coast" filming, which you can read about here (and here and here and here). Turns out the red hair is actually a result of production not liking the pink!

EA stuck with this red-and-pink vibe for a looong, long time. The shade range varied as time went on. Some examples, circa 2005:

So, TL;DR? It debuted online on November 11, 2004 and came into being because HGTV producers thought bright pink was too sexy.

[gemsofgreece]

https://x.com/archeohistories/status/1803838446672449797

Αρχίσανε επιτέλους να μιλάνε για αυτά; Καιρός ήτανε.

- REPLY / COMMENTARY TO THE SUBMISSION -

Adding commentary in English because the tweet in the link is also in English. So, I searched a bit about the author, it turns out the study is not even as new as the tweeter account states (yeah I will probably never start calling it x, old habits die hard, let alone that it was a horrible name change to begin with, anyway!). The link refers to a book actually written in 2004 by historian Robert C. Davis,  “Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500–1800″. The book is legit and was well received  amongst readers and peer review alike. I had to search all that up in order to be sure what I am posting here, obviously.

Of course, when you’re from any place in the North Mediterranean and have the most basic knowledge of history, you don’t need this book to tell you first that there were massive practices of slavery commited by Asian and African muslims against Southern and Eastern Europeans, ever since the Late Middle Ages, especially and usually through piracy, but not only. It’s a well known fact. I was dumbfounded when I read in the tweet that the previous estimations in the American academic circles were on the tens of thousands. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. By studying the Modern Greek history alone, literally just early 19th century Greek history - a span of 30 years tops - there were hundreds of thousands of Greeks sold as slaves by the Ottomans. Now calculate this happening in all the north Mediterranean coast - spanning from Greece to Spain - for over 4 centuries. Obviously the reasons or the perpetrators weren’t always the same - it could be Ottomans, Arabs, Barbery pirates, mixed, it could be a market, it could be a war tactic, it could be retaliation, it could be a lot of things. Byzantine and Ottoman Greece was regularly mauled by pirates. In fact, there were also Ottoman Greek pirates, i.e in Mani. My point anyway is that estimating that number to the tens of thousands is ridiculous when that was even too little for a span of 30 years in Greece alone. Then again, I see that this book didn’t examine at all slavery in Greece and the Ottoman Empire. It is more about southwestern Europe. But still the old American estimations seemed - uhm - “diplomatically discreet”. The new book raises the number close to a million in the southwest alone.

I did well to look it up because I read that this book got almost exploited by far right groups who tried to create the rhetoric of an “eye for an eye”, suggesting the West Europeans and Americans were responding with slavery to the Barbery and Ottoman and other muslim slave traders (no, West Europeans and Americans would not go to such lengths for the sake of South Europeans, let’s put it like that, so the whole “white vengeance” argument is beyond stupid, let alone that it remains problematic). I must thus add that: the writer rejected such arguments openly, saying  "Two such enormous wrongs don’t make anything right.“

This is what I hate the most. People end up behaving the exact same way. Abusing history and the objectivity with which it must always be studied in order to serve their political rhetorics and ideologies. We will never learn from past mistakes, it seems as if we are incapable of doing it. You will NEVER see the topics of European / White / Christian people getting sold in multiple hundreds of thousands as slaves by non-Christian - POC (as Americans like to call them) being big in America. Or at least ackowledged and examined beyond academic circles. But this is exactly also what the far right groups attempted; to minimize the horrific, well studied Atlantic slave trade or “excuse” it! The level of bias and all these groups accusing each other of the very things they themselves commit…!

At some point, in one of my posts about Ottoman Greek history where I added some of the living conditions for a Christian far from the cosmopolitan areas of the Ottoman Empire (AKA lowkey almost any place besides Constantinople) - historically fact checked - at some point I got an impressively vile reply from a self-identifying “activist” who cursed at me and long story short they said I was a despicable liar. Of course, by “activist” we mean a muslim person who said their family history was affected by the western colonization, which I respect, but they could not equally respect that people of the same faith as them (not even the same nation!) could be capable of vile acts as well and their activism was limited only to people who had the exact same experience as they did. Everyone else was a despicable liar.  Anyway, needless to say, I wasn’t lying.

And before someone says “oH YoU taLK abOUt BIas buT ALExandER-”. Of course. We have said this a thousand times over. Ancient Greece practiced slavery, not even just to foreigners or POC but also Greeks enslaving other Greeks, like, top THAT. But so did the Sumerians, the Hebrews, the Hittites, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Romans and the Persians at least after the Achaemenid dynasty. You know?

But this is exactly the point and this is ultimately the reason I am personally publishing and commenting to this submission; to make a point that who is an oppressor, a slave trader, a wrongdoer of any sort has NOTHING to do with skin, religion, geography and I can’t believe there are people living in 2024 in advanced societies truly believing this. It is not some genetical trait of white people to be slave traders. The only thing it takes is power imbalance and a little touch of convenient propaganda for any human to commit and normalize the most horrendous deed. If they are morally weak, of course, which is also not a genetical trait and unfortunately it is not rare at all, anywhere in the world.

[sonicboomseason3]

this is really fucked up, but one of the reasons why actors tend to not speak out on big political topics is because on some contracts, production companies will include clauses such as not being able to publicly contradict their political beliefs. this is enforced through either monetary penalties and non disparagement agreements, but they both serve the same purpose of having a legal precedent to publicly punish actors who do it

i was originally just gonna respond to this with an "ok" and nothing else but then i caught a good handful of people in my notes dickriding an actor who doesn't even know that they exist (and really only him because i haven't seen anyone doing the same for marsden or pally) so ykw how about i just take this opportunity to bring up a couple of other sketch things that keanu has done that show that he isn't nearly as cool as everyone wants to believe:

the party with netanyahu isn't actually the only time he's rubbed elbows with a prominent israeli - he actually trained with IOF special ops vet aaron cohen in order to play john wick (and on the off chance that anyone wants to dismiss cohen as some guy who was just in the IOF decades ago and left that shit behind, just take a look at his history here). cohen on his own is just an absolute piece of work and a cursory glance at his social media should tell you everything in case the past couple of sentences didn't

and since people want to play the fucking "keanu attended that party a decade ago!!1!" card with me (interestingly enough nobody's doing the same for marsden even though the thing with him was way back in like 2004) i'll go for something relatively recent: he's friends with killer cop toni mcbride. in 2020 mcbride shot and killed daniel hernandez and subsequently got sued by his family for it (guess whose movies they've requested that people boycott?). around the 0:10 mark of this video of the two of them meeting up, they make jokes about "shootin' newton," which is a chant lapd newton division cops came up with to reference the high amount of police shootings that happen there. also in case none of this is enough for you mcbride's a proud trump supporter so yeah she's just a full-on white supremacist and keanu not only decided to hang out with her for a day but also evidently knew enough about the lapd to know about "shootin' newton"

but back to anon's original point, am i supposed to care that he could potentially get fined for saying shit? this past week, hundreds of college students and faculty, most if not all of whom are significantly worse off than an a-list celebrity like keanu, have been brutalized and arrested for protesting the genocide on campuses. and somehow an actor with a net worth of $380 million can't say or do anything lest he run the risk of being fined or fired or whatever

[raytorosaurus]

I hope it’s okay to ask you but you seem to know everything about MCR so you might know. But I read recently that they were the designated bbq band on their first Warped in 2004 so they had to cook for everyone. Have you ever heard of that being the case? It just feels like a weird thing, with Ray apparently being a hermit in the bus and Frank being vegetarian and Gerard being blackout the whole time. I can’t imagine Mikey or Matt Pelissier holding down the fort.

haha yeah apparently so! warped tour was designed to be as efficient to run as possible because its primary purpose was to book up-and-coming bands and put them out there. it had a lot of weird components as a result - e.g. the sheer number of bands and locations, cheap tickets and free tickets for parents, and a constantly changing lineup schedule so attendees couldn't plan their day in advance around specific artists (so the artists were on a more ~equal footing and to encourage ppl to show up when the gates opened and stay all day). it was also notoriously gruelling and uncomfortable for the bands - really demanding schedule, no showers, etc etc.

so one of the things it did (along with showcasing local acts at each location) was invite a "bbq band" to join the tour for free and play every day if they helped run the nightly bbq that fed all the musicians. according to this podcast (around 17 mins in, but the whole episode is a short and really interesting listen, i recommend it!), mcr were that band in 2004 (they were only on the first half of the tour tho, june 25-july 18,24). i'm not sure exactly what his source is but he seems to know his stuff, and i'm almost positive i've heard gerard refer to it in an interview at some stage, though i can't remember when 😭. anyway, that doesn't mean they fully ran the bbq and were the only staff - they were just helpers! warped had a catering company and served a truly enormous amount of food every day, and apparently the artist's bbq was something like 300 hot dogs, 300 burgers, and 100 veggie burgers a night (all from that podcast). mcr definitely wouldn't have been doing that on their own, they were probably just helping out hahaha.

anyway, this was all in 2004, when the lineup included thursday, the used, tbs, coheed and cambria, the bouncing souls, etc. so revenge had only been out for like a month and they didn't have their own bus yet - i'm like 80% sure they stayed on senses fail's bus that tour, but i can't remember which one of them said that or where haha (they definitely shared a bus directly afterwards as they toured back towards nj).

after that is when they went to japan, came back, fired otter, and filmed inok, and went back on tour with bob and face to face all in the space of 2 weeks. that tour is when their van finally broke down for good and they got on their first own tour bus at the end of it.

the more ~famous mcr warped tour is 2005, which is the one with fob etc. i haven't seen lotms in a while but i actually assumed the bit where ray said he'd been a total hermit in the back of the bus was from that 05 tour, because that's the one they had the bus studio where he spent a lot of time writing parade demos. either way, he might not have been partying and socialising a whole lot, but i'm sure he would've sown up to bbq duty anyway! it was their free ticket, after all.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Stephen Robinson at Public Notice:

Donald Trump is down so bad that his campaign is bringing back Republican dirty tricks from 20 years ago. Kamala Harris is packing arenas and rising in the polls while Trump whines about crowd sizes during incoherent press conferences and in insane Truth Social posts. Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, is a breakout star — a sharp contrast to Trump’s pick, JD Vance, who can’t shake the notion that he’s a creepy weirdo. Put it together and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Trump team is targeting Walz with a sleazy smear campaign that recalls the infamous “swiftboating” attacks against John Kerry. The approach isn’t a coincidence, either: Chris LaCivita, Trump’s senior campaign adviser, coordinated the “swiftboating” smears back in 2004.

Last week, Vance claimed that Walz abandoned his National Guard unit just before it was deployed to Iraq in 2005. “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him,” Vance said during a speech. He’s also accused Walz of exaggerating his record of service. Although the New York Times describes these charges as merely “provocative,” they’re actually repulsive lies. Walz retired from the National Guard after 24 of years of service. He put in his request months prior to the unit’s deployment, but Vance suggests Walz was asked to go to Iraq and he quit in response. Meanwhile, other equally shameless Republicans, including former Army officer Tom Cotton, pushed the false narrative that Walz callously ditched his unit to pursue a political career. “JDVance is right,” Cotton posted on X. “Tim Walz’s unit got orders to Iraq. He could’ve gone with them, but didn’t. He let his troops go to war without him instead.”

Here are the facts: Walz joined the Nebraska National Guard in 1981, two days after his 17th birthday. He was eligible for retirement after 20 years of service in 2001 but re-enlisted after 9/11, according to an interview he did for a Library of Congress oral history project. Walz officially launched his congressional campaign in February 2005, more than a month before the National Guard announced the possible partial mobilization of 2,000 troops. His last day with the Guard was May 16, 2005, and his unit received its official deployment orders on July 14.

Yes, Walz has stated in an interview that he “decided to retire to focus full time on running,” but he was 41 years old with a 4-year-old daughter. During an appearance on The Bulwark podcast, former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Iraq War vet, pointed out that Walz already did what 99 percent of Americans don’t — willingly volunteer for service — and there’s nothing dishonorable about retiring. If Walz’s retirement would’ve compromised the unit, the military could have issued a stop-loss blocking his request. That didn’t happen. In addition to the swiftboat-style smears, Republicans have accused Walz of “stolen valor” for past remarks that suggested he served in active combat.

[...]

The origins of “swiftboating”

Unlike President George W. Bush, Kerry served in Vietnam and spent several months commanding a patrol craft called a “swift boat.” He was injured three times in the line of duty, including getting hit by a piece of shrapnel that remained in his thigh when he was on the campaign trail in 2004. Despite Kerry’s decorated service, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) was a right-wing political organization that formed in direct opposition to his presidential candidacy. The group financed the book “Unfit for Command” and released a series of ads that attacked Kerry’s service and questioned his military honors, including his three Purple Hearts. Delegates at the 2004 Republican National Convention sunk so low as to mockingly wear adhesive bandages with small purple hearts on their chins, cheeks, and backs of their hands — suggesting that the injuries Kerry received during the war were a joke.

Backed with money from Clarence Thomas’s billionaire buddy Harlan Crow, LaCivita rounded up right-wing veterans willing to trash Kerry’s service, often in direct contradiction to statements made prior to his presidential run. George Elliott, Kerry's former commanding officer, had previously praised Kerry’s combat performance and stated in June 2003 that his Silver Star medal was “well-deserved.” But after Kerry formally announced his candidacy, Elliott — now a member of SBVT — released an affidavit in June 2004 claiming that Kerry “lied about what occurred in Vietnam,” which he later retracted, as well as another affidavit in September 2004 claiming “had I known the facts, I would not have recommended Kerry for the Silver Star.”

[...]

Why it won’t work this time

With Iraq being a major political liability for Bush, Kerry centered his campaign around his military service. He began his DNC acceptance speech with the line, “I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty.” A decorated veteran as the Democratic nominee was intended to challenge the perception that the party was “soft” on defense, particularly during a time of war. The “swiftboating” smear leveled the foundation of Kerry’s pitch to voters. He’d supported the disastrous Iraq War, so the rationale for his candidacy was that he’d make a superior commander in chief to Bush. But with his service record in question, he was less able to draw the intended contrast. Kerry enjoyed a narrow lead in the polls for most of the summer, but it evaporated shortly after the swift boat smears began and he went on to narrowly lose to Bush in November. (It’s still the last time a Democratic presidential candidate lost the popular vote.)

Walz, however, is not at the top of the ticket, and his appeal extends far beyond his military service. Arizona voters may still describe Sen. Mark Kelly as a “former astronaut,” but Walz is seen as a former high school football coach and longtime congressman. Harris/Walz supporters hold up signs at rallies that state simply “COACH,” and Harris promotes that image by regularly using the term to refer to her running mate. Walz even concludes his stump speech with what feels like a motivational locker room pep talk. These attacks on Walz’s military record aren’t new, either. When Walz ran for governor in 2018, two retired command sergeant majors in the Minnesota National Guard, Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, submitted a paid letter to the editor at the West Central Tribune that accused Walz of “conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq.” But these allegations don’t hold water for anyone who has bothered to look into the timeline of his service. The Kerry campaign avoided a direct response to the attacks for far too long, which is rightly considered a mistake. Democrats learned a hard lesson from “swiftboating” — don’t assume that voters will see through the GOP’s transparent lies. So this time around, the Harris campaign and its surrogates moved swiftly to counter the charges.

The Trumpists are launching desperate smears against Kamala Harris VP pick Tim Walz’s military service record to pull a Swift Boat 2.0.

[streets-in-paradise]

A Man of Honor -Odysseus x Trojan Princess!Reader Part 2

Troy (2004) Oneshot

Requested by @alysinwonderland-at-tea

Warnings: war captive x enemy king, age gap ( incluiding a young girl attempting to seduce a man significantly older than her).

Summary: The greek enemies of Agamemnon gather arround the task of protecting you. While your original captors show you their most friendly side, Odysseus has to admit he had grown too close with you.

Struggling with the contradictions between his needs of king and man, the time comes for him to take a definitve choice.

Note: I couldn't finish the story completely in this one, so it's most likely I will release a third part that will serve as end for it.

Tags: @yerevasunclair @daintyhippie

After being submitted to the worst of the greeks, you found a chance to discover there were still good people among them to be discovered in the most unexpected of places. Your presence, although welcomed, brought Odysseus a problem of practical order.

During most of the day, he had to be away to lead his army. With him would go his most trusted men, possibly leaving you to an uncertain fate. He didn't want to keep you tied to a headpost of his tent like a slave, but allowing you to roam free through the camp was a risk for your safety if no one of his trust could be watching over you. By any means necesary, he had to prevent another brutal attack to happen while he would be too far to help you.

As precaution, he started sending you to the tents of the myrmidons. Not like their prize, but as a favor that their leader was doing to his friend on his time of inaction on the war. Odysseus trusted Achilles and, despite knowing you hated him, he begged you to behave for your own good.

So you did, only because he said it and you trusted his word. It could have been a recipe for disaster, but you ended greatly surprised. The man who received you didn't act at all like the arrogant brute you once meet. Alongside him, there was always a young lad you didn't got to meet before. His presence seemed to soften the warrior, who treated him like his little brother.

Patroclus, younger cousin of the myrmidon leader, couldn't trust any of his senses when you told him you were a Princess of Troy. He had never meet a princess before, so his harmless curiosity became a bonding point for you. Spending time with him was quite fun. As he gained your trust, you became less wary of his countrymen thanks to his interventions.

When your defensive attitude stopped being a problem, Achilles finally asked you about the significant spectacle you gave to his soldiers fighting for your freedoom back in the temple. He made you explain yourself as if he knew that his cousin was going to love your answer, yet incapable of predicting the chaos he had unleashed through that interrogation. As you admitted to have been learning from your eldest brother, Patroclus' excitement knew no limits. He practically begged you to duel against him with his teacher as witness.

You, being the only known student of Hector, were his perfect match for a combat training session. His sweet insistence managed to flatter you, since he seemed very convinced to have found in you the best rival available. Finding yourself dragged by his entusiasm, you accepted as if was an autentical challenge. Instants later, Achilles watched you get into it like if you were two children playing with wooden swords.

Most likely, that was the image he had of you.

Back in the moment he saw you entering the tent of Agamemnon, he was grossed by the situation and intended to protect you. The reaction was strange and you didn't got to understand it on time. Getting to know him a bit better showed you that being of a similar age to Patroclus meant he saw you as a little girl and felt inclined to treat you as such.

It could sometimes be a bit frustrating, specially arround Odysseus.

In that oportunity he had came back earlier than expected, when the sun wasn't yet going down. The happy noises of your playfull battle let him know you were having a good time and that was a comfort for his heavy heart carrying the burden of yet another defeat.

" Enough swordplay! " Achilles was instructing, childishly invested. " Come on, Patroclus! The family honor is at risk! "

You raised your arm with the wooden sword in hand, heroic gesture of your charge into battle.

" FOR TROY!! "

By the instant Odysseus got a clear sight of the scene, the clash had turned out in your favor. The lad was on the ground and you had threw yourself over him to proceed the fight weaponless. Mutual laughter on the start of your friendly wrestling, but the fight ended when he stopped moving because you were straddling his lap.

" Turns out you do quite good when the fight is fair, little one. " Odysseus commented, making you aware of his presence. " Now, where are your manners? "

You smiled and quickly raised up to rush on his encounter.

" Don't ruin their fun, Odysseus. " Achilles mocked him, noticing you had tossed your victory aside for the newcomer. " Let them discover their bodies the way I did. "

Patroclus avoided to raise fast just to hide the shame as you did hidding on the embrace of the ithacan king.

" How was the fighting? " You asked him, trying to ignore what had just happened. " Did you saw my brother? How is he? "

He could still see excitement in your eyes and tried to respond accordingly.

" Bleeding out the open wound he inflicted in the heart of Greece ... We ended sooner today because he decided he had enough. Honorable man, he could have just destroyed us all. "

For drastically different reasons, you were one with Achilles in the celebration.

" YES!! " You exclaimed, releasing Odysseus to make a gesture of victory with your arms up, only to later remember he was on the loosing side. " I mean, I'm sorry. "

Achilles raised from the comfortable sitting spot from where he had been watching your fights.

" Don't be, princess. That old drunk is getting what he deserves for attacking our honor. Agamemnon insulted my pride and didn't stop there. If of me depended, I would have marked every single one of the pigs he sent to do his dirty work for him just so it would be easier for Hector to find them. "

Angry allways escalated, slowly and insidiously, everytime he spoke of the mycenaean king.

" Thank you for your insight, my friend. " Odysseus tried to calm him, then gave him a pat on the shoulder. " ... but I could use your arm over your advice. "

Achilles chuckled, then mercielessly teased him.

" I'm having fun looking after the children ... In fact, I haven't finish my lesson. "

He paced arround Patroclus and dragged him up in a playfull way.

" Can you tell me what went wrong? "

The young man incorporated and attempted to perform a serious reply.

" I tried to play her untill she would get too tired, but underestimated her resistance. "

Achilles correctly placed the shoulder coverage of his messy tunic.

" Winning the first one got you too cocky, so you started bragging. She fought to defeat you, but you fought to impress her. We know the princess is pretty, but you have to keep the head cold because my child can't be beated by Hector's. "

The outspoken assumption brought some awakwardness between you that Patroclus attempted to bury inmediately.

" Forgive him, your highness. He is clearly out of his mind. "

You smiled for him and, despite the shyness, that worked as enough encouragement for him to approach you.

" You are a fierce opponent and fighting you has been my honor. "

He extended his hand and you took it for a handshake.

" As is mine, Patroclus. Awareness of your respectfull admiration won't make me misunderstand you like your cousin believes. "

Reassurance made him feel more comfident, so he finished the gesture shyly kissing the dorse of your hand.

Things were calm again, but his cousin won't stop messing with you.

" The grown ups want to have a conversation ... Why don't you go somewhere else and finish what you started? "

" ACHILLES! STOP BEING DISGUSTING!! " Patroclus complained, then returned his attention at you. " Your majesty, I believe you told me once that trojans are famous horse breeders ... Would you like to see the best horses of the greeks? "

The offer was great, but you reconsidered for an instant.

" ... Only if that would be fine for Odysseus. "

The king didn't expected you would care to ask, happy as you were going everywhere with the young man.

" Go ahead, princess. Have fun, I trust the strong arm of Patroclus to defend you in case of need. "

He made you smile and before leaving, you saluted him with one sweet peck on the cheek.

" Don't miss me, I'll be right back! "

Once you dissapeared from their sight, Achilles poured wine for two and invited his friend to sit with him.

" Even since you brought back that girl my cousin has postponed his resentment towards me. I get to keep my good spot to watch Agamemnon's downfall without having to deal with his concience … I don't understand why you choose to keep her, but i appreciate. "

Odysseus smirked and joined him on a silent toast. If he had to be honest, the answer he had to give wasn't as clear as usual.

" I think I didn't mean to, but it happened. " Was all he could admit. " Even my men adore her. Can you believe she made Eurylochus giggle ? I can't imagine the amount of suitors she must have in Troy. "

The myrmidon raised an eyebrow.

" Better you not be thinking on making her your little princess bride, I think Patroclus has a crush on her. "

Odysseus felt annoyed of being exposed to the obvious.

" You call that a crush? He practically worships the ground she stands … And I don't blame him. Sometimes she makes me wish I could be a lad again with her sweet ways towards me. "

Achilles took one more sip of his drink before frankly presenting him his opinion.

" A troop was making line to get their turns with her, it's normal she will feel a bit impressed after you saved her from that. She may insist that she is woman, but to me she is still a kid. And I can tell she respects me only because I am your friend, she is so thankfull of you that is almost like a devotion. "

He made a brief pause, unsure of his words, ríght before his conclussion.

" … If she was just a couple of years older, I wouldn't mind her retributions. "

Odysseus laughed with him, not wishing to unveil the undertones of that claim.

" Are you coming to the council tonight? " He abruptly changed the topic. " The fate of the war is uncertain, Hector's push could end up reaching the camp and some claim he threatens with burning down the ships. "

Achilles looked at the sea as if he searched for divine inspiration.

" I'll calm my wrath the day you release her. Do you think my absence from the battlefield is the only encouragement of Hector? The man I once meet in the ruins of that temple was a warrior of duty protecting his country, but we turned him into an angry brother in search for his taken sister. "

The unflatering comparison turned the king a bit defensive.

" So you won't do nothing because you simpatize with his reasons. "

Achilles carelessly threw the rest of his wine on the sand, gesture of self restrain against a criticism he judged hipocrite.

" You are as selfish as me, just can't admit it because you are a king. "

In very sporadical ocassions, the myrmidon warlord was capable of showing true wisdown through his brutal honesty.

On his role of King, Odysseus pretended to be a ruler granting you a kind of protection that wasn't supposed to be different from what Priam did for Helen. As a man, he allowed himself to enjoy the comfort of his blooming flower in a sort of way that was drastically different from them. Never considering to do any advances, he still liked the care perhaps too íntimate of your attentions. Your intempestive hugs, the moments you would spend in confident talks away from everybody, your sweet glances in public and those lovely welcomes from the battle.

The fire in your eyes became for him like the warm flame of home. Calid, but not threatening to consume the surroundings anymore. Ironically, the threat of fire was coming from a fairly concerned Hector seeking for justice.

Keeping you for himself was selfish, no different from what Paris did or perhaps even worse. Helen had a chance of choosing to leave willingly, but you never asked to be taken away from your family.

It was going to be a matter of time untill Agamemnon would use that argument against him on the war council. The deliberation space have become the center of increasing tensions because his act of saving the captive was taken as an insolence that started to affect his credibility.

" Hector wants the girl back and his demmand is currently stronger than ours. " Nestor was pointing out for both. " After the death of her ríghtfull husband, Helen belongs to Paris already, but the daughter of Priam still belongs to her father's home. "

He looked suspiciously at Agamemnon, aware of his ways.

" I haven't touch her! " The mycenaean king defended himself, comedically showing off his hands to emphasize his innocence. " I can't assure the same about Odysseus, he has probably charmed his way into her little hole already. "

His despicable accusations were away from any tolerance measuring. Used as he was to put up with him, Odysseus simply couldn't stand it.

" You gave her away to the soldiers like a common whore, YOU COULD HAVE DOOMED US ALL!!! "

He cleared his throat, self calming his wrath, before proceeding.

" In my tent she has remained untouched, I keep her under strict surveilance and have warned all my men. She ocassionally fools arround with the cousin of Achilles, but that lad won't lay a finger on her. He keeps distance and treats her like the unattainable royal she should be for him. If I would be asked to do it, I would swear that she remains virgin. "

Agamemnon chuckled loudly and disgustingly, but Nestor stopped him with a reprehensive look.

" That solves it all: under our own laws, she still belongs to her home in Troy if no man has claimed her his. "

" Odysseus will not return her: he wanted her from the moment that he saw her. " Agamemnon interrupted, provoking him in an accusatory tone. " He waited for his proper moment to steal her, he won't mind to get us all killed to keep her. "

The Ithacan king raised from his seat.

" You don't know what you are talking about. "

The mycenaean smirked with satisfaction.

" Prove it, prove that you are still loyal to me. Take that girl back to Troy by yourself, and once you are there, offer a sacrifice to Apollo for the crimes of the temple. That should be enough to calm the animosity of Hector. "

For as much as he hated it, Odysseus understood he spoke on point. It was clear that he intended to punish him, but in practical terms that worked as wise advice.

He had to prove all the commanders he was still thinking as a king and not as a man.

" If that's the will of the council, I'm gladly accepting the mission … Protecting Greece remains my priority, and I do can leave my pride aside. "

The walk back to his tents was the longest ever wondering how would you react to the news. He knew that going back to your family would make you happy, but he couldn't help dreaming you would show even a tiny bit of sadness about leaving him. At his arrival he found out you have fallen asleep waiting for him and doubted about waking you up to talk. He needed some time to think, so he just laid beside you. Distant enough to not touch you, facing up so he won't be looking at you.

He had to get used, he needed to be ready.

Ríght after he managed to fall asleep, something other than his thoughts woke him up.

Like some sort of divine vision, he opened his eyes to find your sweet face. Your eyes focused on him with a singular curiosity and the sound of your giggling as you noticed he was waking up made him wary. Clarity of mind made him realize that the reason for your mischievous demeanour was the weigth of your body being pushed against his.

You were straddling his lap, in the exact same position you have discovered while fighting Patroclus that afternoon.

" What do you think you are doing? Is this funny to you? "

You smiled innocently, creating contrast with the act itself.

" I'm not trying to be funny … I'm just trying something else. "

It was an authentical torture for him, precisely because of how good it felt.

" You have no excuse for this, young lady. " He called you out in a hesitant tone. " You are already aware of the effect you have in men and I have proven I'm not a threat for you … Why submitting me to such cruel test? "

The slightest movement you made was only making things worse.

" Patroclus stopped fighting because I made him. I didn't mean to, but I think I made him … feel things. He got shy, surprise made him stay still under me. "

Odysseus closed his fist strongly to avoid the temptation of grabbing your hips.

" That's a matter of you and him. If you want to tell him that you like him, I can think of plenty of safer scenarios I can help you practice … Why are you doing this to me?"

More of your sweet giggling confused him, but the explanation you had for him actually shocked him.

" I don't like Patroclus, I like you. And i wanted to see if it would be easier to show you like this."

Before you could reach down to kiss him, he flipped you arround so you would be back to your original position.

Your hurted expression was breaking his heart.

" This isn't fair for you, I need you to understand. " He attempted to explain himself. " Any other man would be taking advantage on a girl going through her first infatuation, specially one as beautifull as you. I'll not be that man, I can't be that man. "

" So is it normal for other men to want me, but not for you? " You inquirred, fighting tears. " Odysseus, you are nothing like those bastards. Accepting my affections won't turn you into one of them."

" It won't be a noble act either, not when you deserve so much better than an old king ruler of a small greek Island where you can't even raise horses. In my Ithaca you would feel small, daughter of greater kings, and you could regret your youthfull impulse for the rest of your life. "

He stared deeply into your eyes to deliver his conclussion.

" When you are a king, very few choices are simple. For your own good, and the good of my people, we can't have this. "

Unable to speak, you close your then tearfull eyes and he gave one peck to each as he held you in his arms.

" It's alright, little one. You will feel better tomorrow. It's your great day, the council has opted for your liberation. You will see how once you will start living again you won't get chances to remember me. "

You nodded negatively.

" You don't know what you are saying … "

" Think of the good things, of everything you will be getting back. " He cutted you off. " Of your father, your brothers and your beloved cousin. Soon you will be back with them and I will go with you. "

The remembrance of your family made you smile, but his clarification made it even better.

" Will you? "

" Agamemnon wants me to be the one returning you as a loyalty gesture to him. "

The answer was an inminent dissapointment.

" Why are you still obbeying that horrible man ? "

Odysseus kissed your forehead, as he had done the first time you stayed with him.

" Because I am the King of Ithaca and I am aware the King of Mycenae is a pridefull man who doesn't forget offenses easily. My Island can't afford an enemy like him, we aren't powerfull like your Troy. "

You managed to understand at least the political aspect of his choice. Still, the mixed feelings weren't doing the situation any favors. In some extent, his rejectment was his way of making things easier for you.

Despite you were aware of it, you were resistant to giving up.

The morning after you insisted on taking your time saluting the bunch of men you recalled were nice to you. When it got to the turn of Patroclus, you gave him a strong hug and admitted you considered him like a friend. The statement made him feel good anyways and he was happy about you, only regretted you wouldn't be able to see each other again while the war would still be on going.

Once you got in the charriot of Odysseus and the journey back home started, you realized you weren't feeling like a captive returning from a life scarring experience to your grieveing family. The situation made you feel more like a soon to be betrothed maiden presenting them to her favorite suitor.

A herald was sent to arrange a previous truce with the city to fascilitate the exchange. Your relatives were aware you were coming, but the conditions of your arrival surprised them.

No visible scars, wearing a beautifull new dress and smiling for them as if you would have been absent in a diplomatical trip.

From all of them, Paris rushed towards you first despite his leg was still dealing with side consequences of his first fíght.

" Beloved sister, I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you. " He welcomed you, full of sorrow for thinking he had failed you, as he held you thight. " I can't imagine what you must have endured. "

You giggled lightly and caressed his cheek.

" Don't worry, Achilles is not as bad as he wants the rest of the world to see him … Agamemnon, in the other hand? Most evil man I have ever meet. And his brother was a pig, I'm proud of Helen for escaping him. "

She got to hear that you still supported her and it made her smile. She was observing the scene at a prudential distance, ríght next to Andromache, and you smiled back for both of them.

" What does that exactly mean? " Hector interrupted, concern raising in his voice. " Is there anything he did to you that should make me regret the fast, mercifull death I gave him? "

Odysseus found his reaction very relatable and attempted to calm him down.

" Her virtue remains unspoiled. The sons of Atreus were against the idea, but I took some liberties from the for the sake of the wisest proceeding. That's why Agamemnon has finally made me the man in charge of returning your sister and answering your doubts. "

Freshly released by Paris, you faced your eldest brother with a pridefull smile.

" It's all thanks to you! They realized they have gone too far without walls that could protect them from you. "

Your usual admiration was the only intervention trully managing to soften him. Hector smiled back and you inmediately clinged to him in comforting embarace.

It didn't last long, since a sweet calling of your name interrupted you and you saw Briseis arriving with your father.

" Cousin!!!! " You cheered back. " I'm back, dear cousin!!! I'm back!!! "

Odysseus avoided any commentary as he observed your reunion with her, but he couldn't help thinking of just one thing.

Achilles claiming he would have found interest on a slightly older version of yourself, which was precisely what could be found in the woman that was saluting you.

The fleeting thought abandoned him quickly, when witnessing the warm welcome of your father made it all worthy.

" My dear child! " Priam cheered, open arms already inviting you to hug him, as you inmediately did. " No proper words can describe my pride over your brave sacrifice, or the sorrow it brought to me. "

He kissed your forehead and you smiled before replying.

" Father! I don't need your praise, all I wanted was for Briseis to be safe. "

Your modesty still moved him.

" The city is aware of what happened, i'm not the onlyone honoring your courage … Although I am the most insistent. "

You laughed together for a brief instant, untill you seemed to have remembered of something important you needed to expose.

" I want you to meet someone. "

Giving a few steps back, you directed towards your solitary greek escolt and took his hand.

" This is my savior, King Odysseus of Ithaca. Without him, I would have found a fate worst than death in that camp. "

Priam took a moment to observe him, then mischievously glanced at you.

" Savior, you say? From what Helen has commented me, the son of Laertes would never save someone without a previously calculated benefict in sight. "

Odysseus released from your grip and proceeded to explain himself, aware of how rational those doubts were.

" I risked an argument with my commander in chief because looking after her was what my honor demmanded me. My infamous trickery worked only on the service of returning your daughter without compromising my loyalties. "

The speech seemed to have pleased the trojan king.

" I'm glad to see there are still leaders of the greeks willing to do the ríght thing. "

Helen and Hector were sharing furtive glances of disdain, giving each other the push to present an objection. Following one imperceptible nod from her, he took the iniciative separating you from the greek.

" Father, you can't trust his word. This man is famous among his kind for being a wolf in sheep's clothing. "

The happiness of having you back mattered more to your father than any wise seeming warning.

" If your sister trusts him, he deserves my doubt."

Hector had a precise reason to be skeptical and he didn't hide it.

" Men like him know how to trick innocent girls into trusting them."

" He couldn't have tricked Agamemnon into doing something nice for us. " Helen corrected, supporting him. " My old brother in law would never allow such thing, … unless he would believe to be punishing him. "

That idea never crossed your mind, but it gave you hope.

If Odysseus felt having to leave you as a personal punishment, maybe you could still convince him. You could make him feel fond of your country so he wouldn't want it to be destroyed, tempting him into staying with you.

[theqtinkblot]

Helluva Wonderland AU: Sinners

With the Overlords/Housewardens’ backstories finished, let’s see how the others got to Hell. This will only talk about their short time on Earth and what they did in Hell before joining the cult. Also their will be a tiny bit of info for future characters, which I hope you’ll like.

Again, some warnings (18+): mentions of drugs, mentions of guns, underage drinking, unhealthy relationships, demonic practice, implied suicide, angst, violence, death, etc.. You get it, onto the post!

Ace Trappola:

Ace was born on September 23, 1988, in Camden, London, with his mom, his dad and his older brother. He lived a very modest life, but the only bad stuff he’s done was ghosting his girlfriend in middle school, gambling in small pubs for quick cash, and stealing only necessary items. But still, he did manage to go to college in America at the age of 21, before dying in a hit and run on March 5, 2010.

The moment he woke up in Hell with back pain, he immediately saw the red sky and freaked out seeing the creepy monsters around him. He ran towards the nearest store he could find to ask where he was only to be greeted by his new demonic reflection. He looked pretty much the same as he did before, with the only difference being his new reddish skin tone, pointed ears, sharp teeth, and his left eye having a black sclera with a red iris in the shape of a heart.

Ace’s first day in hell was just spent playing card tricks for crowds, gambling for quick cash, and stealing food just to survive. Things get a little messy when he ends up in the Heartslabyul district, Ace has just finished playing some tricks when he spots some tarts left alone. Little did he know, those were for the Crimson Tyrant, who found him eating one of his tarts and was about to behead him. But Ace begged him to spare him, so Riddle made him sell his soul to serve him whenever he demands it, making it very clear Ace must follow the rules Riddle made.

Deuce Spade:

Deuce was born to a single mother on June 3, 1994, in a small city in England. Growing up, he was nothing more than a total punk, ditching school, hanging with thugs, smoking and drinking, getting into fights, all the works. But one day, coming home late at night at the age of 21, he hears his mom crying about how awful a mother she must’ve been. After running away in tears, Deuce vowed to become a better person, but he didn't get that far when he got shot in the head on May 27, 2016.

After waking up from a splitting headache, the man immediately freaked out after seeing a demon get run over by a car. Deuce backs up into a glass wall and spots his demonic reflection. Not much about his appearance changed like his bleached hair, but his skin was now a bluish skin tone, pointed ears, sharp teeth, and his right eye having a black sclera with a blue iris in the shape of a spade.

In Hell, Deuce tried to change himself for the better, doing some good deeds and changing his bleached hair blue, but many sinners just see him as a thug. When he experienced Hell’s annual purge, Deuce was trying to find a place to hide but saw Riddle trying to escape an exorcist. Deuce knocked the angel out from behind, allowing him and Riddle to run back to the Heartslabyul district. The Overlord, thankful for his help, offers Deuce sanctuary in his domain, in exchange for his service as his guard.

Ruggie Bucchi:

Ruggie was born on April 18, 1981 in a very poor part of New York city. His childhood wasn't the best, his mom dying when he was born and his dad just abandoning him, only to be raised by his grandma, so Ruggie did whatever it takes for them to survive. He kept up stealing and selling drugs to earn enough to support her until her passing, afterwards, he dies from a laughing gas leak on February 10, 2004, at the age of 22.

Ruggie violently woke up, coughing up a storm, only to find himself in somewhere that looked like a lion's den, before noticing a humanoid lion staring down at him. The lion man, or Leona, the King of the Hellbeasts, asked him, “How did you manage to trespass and enter my territory, hyena?” Ruggie didn’t understand what he meant until he discovered that he had indeed become an anthropomorphic spotted hyena demon.

With his laid-back, yet cunning personality, Ruggie became Leona’s right hand man, deceiving others to gain their secrets, stealing important and or valuable items, and currying out favors for Leona. Due to his versatility and street smarts from his poor upbringing, although very loyal to his Overlord master, he does find Leona's laziness or privileged behavior a bit annoying. But still, he doesn't go against Leona's orders and makes it his duty to make sure to remind Leona of his duties and that the Hellbeast sinners contribute to the Savanaclaw territory.

Jamil Viper:

Jamil was born on September 12, 1970, in the Middle East. For generations, his family has been servants for the Asim household, he was only born to serve, guard and be a companion to Kalim. But all his life, Jamil secretly hated being overshadowed by Kalim and giving up everything for him, which made him ultimately try to sabotage Kalim’s image while still acting as the servant the family expects of him. At the age of 22, Kalim got really into American pop culture, heard of a movie based on the 1001 Arabian Nights stories and wanted to go there, much to Jamil’s protests, only for him to be killed by a servant on November 25, 1992, from a venomous snake.

Jamil groaned in pain before realizing the venom suddenly subsiding, but when he tried to stand up, he felt his legs were unresponsive. Instead, he was shocked to find his legs had merged into a long snake tail and his hair now acted like a cobra’s hood. In the midst of his confusion, he notices someone fall next to him and sees a white otter with a water-like lava lamp chest wearing a turban, only to immediately groan, knowing exactly who he was.

Their first week of Hell was difficult as they tried to survive, but when Kalim got in contact with a group of demons who wanted to start a merchant business, Jamil was skeptical before they agreed to help. This led to business growing and many sinners willingly offered their services to Kalim, making him an Overlord, and Jamil low key hated it. Seeing that Kalim is succeeding and gaining power, just like he had before when they were alive, and even if Jamil is no longer bound to the rules and traditions his family was restricted to at birth, he’s still just second rate.

Sebek Zigvolt:

Sebek was born in Paris, France on March 17, 1993, living with his mom, dad, his siblings, and grandfather, who was actually a descendant from the Draconian cult. Sebek would spend time with his grandpa, learning about their family’s demonic bloodline, how he was part of the war between Heaven and Hell, and founder of their cult. With this knowledge of his heritage, Sebek proudly devoted his life to the Draconian cult, even slaughtering any traitors, until his “sacrifice” on May 28, 2014, at the age of 21.

The first thing Sebek noticed when he awoke was a humongous chandelier lit with green flames, along with two men with demon horns staring back at him. His eyes lit up when the much taller demon introduced themselves as Malleus and Lilia before Sebek straightened himself and bowed at their presence. Later on, he would examine himself, only to see that he looked very much like his pathetic human form, except for the pointy fangs and his eyes having a black scleras with yellow-green eyes and vertical-slit pupils.

Once he is properly a part of the cult and settled down in Malleus’s castle, Sebek asked Lilia to train him to become a knight for Malleus. Sebek then began his combat training and magic lessons along with Lilia’s adopted son, Silver, who although didn’t seem to be demonic in nature and in appearance, still considers him as an equal, even if they argue at times. However, due to his dedication to Malleus and the cult, he almost looks down at every sinner around him and rarely has any friends to talk to.