#anyway Valeria tags and posts are always

[nightlyrequiem]

Be Still My Heart

Chapter 22- Briefing

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New Chapter Every Saturday

You're the best in the meth industry but a new product suddenly pops up. You and your boss, Valeria, must figure out who is making it so you can take back the market. All the while tension is building between the two of you.

A/N: I haven't been posting a lot recently but I swear I have more projects!!! A few oneshots, Canary Cage, DIGEST. There will be more.

Tags/Warnings: Illegal Substances, Boss Employee Relationship, Angst, Some Hurt/Comfort, Violence, Manipulation, Suggestive Themes, Smut (But Only in CH19.), Dual POV

Valeria leans over the splintering, lopsided wooden table in the basement. The singular lightbulb off to the side casting a dim, dull light. Making the shadows on everyone's faces seem denser and malicious.

"I have twelve men coming from Las Almas." She speaks. "I'm assuming Doug will have more but twelve will be sufficient enough for us." She turns to Rick and gestures for him to step forward. He steps in between Valeria and Alain, planting down a piece of looseleaf. There's a crude sketch of what the compound looks like from above. A rough estimate.

There's a rectangular line around the other structures. Labeled as 'the fence.' Dots indicating guards where the front entrance is labeled. Within the perimeter is a house and a barn. Though it's clearly not being used as a barn. As said by Rick. No animals except for dogs, heard by the barking but he's not sure if they're big or not. He assumes so, saying they 'barked big.'

Valeria points to each side of the fence except for the entrance.

"I'll have two men on each side, waiting for the signal to cut their way in." She tells them. "There's two cliffs either side of the compound, yes?" She looks at Rick for confirmation. He nods. "I'll have someone on the higher cliff to be our eyes and sniper. He'll take out the two guards at the front." There's many uncontrolled variables and it makes Valeria feel a little discomforted, but she's not going to back down or risk waiting.

Valeria does her best to avoid looking at you. Instead choosing to pretend you aren't there anyway. You're not even a part of her plans. You have no combat training, she's not even sure if you've even ever held a firearm let alone shot one. Something knocks a box over, startling everyone. A large rat runs out from the dark. It's long pink hairless tail trailing out from behind it. Even the least squeamish among the group take a step away from it with disgust, giving it wide berth. It's either sick or stupid, as it runs towards Valeria. Without thinking she lifts her foot and crushes it. Feeling it pop beneath her feet.

Out of the corner of her eye she notices the somber look of disapproval on your face.

"Hey... what the hell man." Mark says weakly. He's not so appalled by her killing of a rat but by the mess it left behind. Gray and pink insides leaking outside. Valeria kicks the rest of the rat away and scrapes away the residue left behind on her shoe.

"This is kill on sight." She continues pointedly. "Don't just kill who you see, seek out people to kill. I don't want any of them remaining but Doug. I'll deal with him myself."

"When are the others getting here?" Alain pipes up, scratching his stubbly chin. 

"They'll be here in a couple of days." Valeria tells him. "I'll relay the plan to them again when they arrive. You're going to be our sniper." She decides. 

Alain has always had amazing aim. He and Valeria used to serve together in the Special Forces. He was a loyalist who saw Valeria's potential before any others and followed her commands without protest, he was one of the few who helped her in double crossing La Araña. Second to Diego, and formally you, he's one of the few people she could almost consider to be a friend.  She looks at Rick.

"I want you to be with me for the main raiding party." She says to him. He's not as stealthy or as smooth with combat, but he's decently sized and at the very least will make for a very decent meat shield. "Our goal is to capture Doug, destroy the compound, and go home."

Valeria sighs tiredly. Feeling the weariness in her very bones. 

"We'll go over everything again when the others arrive." She says. turning and walking upstairs. Trailing traces of rat around with her.

"So, I'll get a little something extra for housing all these extra people, right?" Mark asks from behind her, following her up the stairs.

"No." Valeria says flatly. annoyed by him. She finds herself excited by the prospect of leaving this place. She's missing the familiar culture of Las Almas.

Mark tries to argue but very quickly gives up. The smart choice, since arguing won't change her mind, only piss her off. Valeria walks into the kitchen, in need of a drink. She digs through the cupboards, sniffing the dubiously smelling glasses. It takes her awhile to find a clean one but she finally does and finally gets her water.

"Did that make you feel tough?" A voice speaks up from behind her. Valeria turns and looks, brows furrowed with confusion.

"Pardon?" 

"Did stomping that rat make you feel tough?" You clarify. "I know you like throwing your weight around. Especially towards things smaller than yourself."

Valeria sets down her glass. Feeling agitated by you.

She leans back against the counter and grips it tightly.

"It's a pest. Spreads disease." Valeria says warningly. Though that's not the reason she killed it. She's not entirely sure why. It was an impulse she had and one she listened to.

"I can think of another thing that spreads disease." You mutter.

"I'm not diseased." She snaps. Are you accusing her of having an STD? Is that what you think of her? The thought upsets her.

"Not what I meant." You shake your head. Shoulders dropping as you lose that combative attitude. "What am I supposed to do? In the plan, you never mentioned me."

The first droplets of rain begin to hit the window. Gentle for only a few seconds before turning into a violent flurry.

"You're going to stay here. I don't need you." Valeria says. 

"You don't need me." You repeat. Sounding surprised and offended. "You dragged me out here just to cast me aside?"

Valeria scoffs. "You're the one who fought me on coming out here."

You look like you're going to say something but think better of it.

Valeria has a point. She didn't originally plan on bringing you, but you wanted to come, and she wanted you with her. And it was good, for a bit. But even before you found out about the lie, you were never included in her plans. Simply because you'd be a liability, and because she wanted to keep you safe.

"I'm not useless." You say quietly.

"I didn't say you are." She replies. Rubbing a hand over her face. That nicotine craving is starting to flare up. She needs a smoke. Needs to get away from you.

"You've said it before." You press, stepping forward. "And I know you still think I'm not as important or impressive because I don't fight, or because I've never killed anyone. But I'm not some meek little wallflower, I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, and I can follow orders." You tell her sternly.

Your words make her uncomfortable. She wants to deny that she thought that way about you... but it's partially true. You mean something to her, but a part of her can't help but look down on you. To her, you're not someone capable of defending herself. 

"You want to help?" Valeria relents. "Fine. I'll get Alain to teach you as much as he can about guns and I'll set you up on the other cliff. You'll be additional support." Valeria doesn't like giving into people who argue with her. And she especially doesn't want to jeopardize you or the mission.

But little harm could come to you or the mission if you're posted up out of the way. You seem appeased at the moment. Content now that you're included. 

"Thank you." You say civilly. Valeria relaxes. Perhaps you're starting to forgive her.

"Hey." She calls out as you turn to leave. You stop and look at her. "When we get back to Las Almas I'll take you out for dinner. As an apology." The words feel awkward and out of place in her mouth. She wishes she just kept quiet. You don't respond right away.

"I'm still upset with you." You say. Then walk off without another word. Leaving Valeria in the company of the rain and your rejection.

[fanfictionsweetheart]

Performance Art

Pairing: Valeria Garza x OC

Summary: Salacia is going to be meeting Valeria’s old friends Alejandro and Rudy when they come over to dinner at her place. But there is more to this night than just having them over for dinner planned.

Trigger/Content Warning(s): smut, voyeurism, drinking, getting drunk, drugged drinks, toxic friendships, mentions of Valeria’s cartel connections and persona, use of a strap on, wlw smut

Word Count: 2290

A/N: Super early in the morning post. I didn’t sleep but oh well. Enjoy. Toxic love is always fun. I don’t think I ever posted this to ao3 even though the other two parts are there. Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Tags: @staley83

Previous Part(s):

Masterlist

“What do you mean your friends are coming for dinner?” Salacia asked in shock, “Here? I thought they didn’t know.”

“The other house.” Valeria said, “Yours.”

Salacia froze, they had kept her old home in case of needing to play the role in front of people. But most of the time it sat unused. Storage for holiday decorations pretty much. She remembered when Valeria told her that she and her old friends would once a year get together for dinner. Like when they were kids. She had even been invited to the dinner the year before...but of course she would have to come down with the flu.

That was when they would have met for the first time. They did meet a week or so later when the sapphic couple ran into the other two outside Salacia’s favorite market. They had been shocked when Valeria confirmed that this was her ‘secret’ girlfriend.

“It’s your year to host, that’s right.” Salacia said, blushing, how could she have forgotten.

She fidgeted with the pendant on her day collar.

“I’m nervous.” She admitted.

“I know.” Valeria said and hugged her tightly and kissed her temple, “But I want to show you off.”

Salacia smiled. The compliments that Valeria lavished on her always made her feel exceedingly shy. She loved her and that was just an amazing feeling. Salacia wrapped her arms around Valeria.

“You’ll do amazing.” She murmured and kissed her girlfriend’s temple, “I promise. Bring a few of your favorite projects to decorate. Wanna show off your art too.”

“Are you serious?” Salacia asked.

She had never been supported by anyone in her life before. It was amazing to be given love and encouragement. She kissed Valeria softly.

“I would love to.” She said.

“You’re perfect.” Valeria murmured.

“So are you.” She breathed.

—

Alejandro and Rudy were late. This always happens. That’s what Valeria had said. She hated it. Felt insulted. She was always on time, but she never said anything. Not wanting to rock the boat.

But tonight it hurt her more. She and her lovely girlfriend (whom she had recently given a necklace ‘collar’ to, to display how much she meant to her and would stay with her forever), had spent the day getting the apartment decorated nicely with all of Valeria’s favorite pieces of Salacia’s art.

Or rather, the art which did not yet have a permanent place in their villa home.

Then they got together and planned what to make and had just finished preparing everything. Valeria checked her messages and neither of them had even said anything about how far away they were...or replied when she asked if they were on their way. Salacia took the food off the table and put it in the oven to stay warm.

She could tell that Valeria was upset. She wanted tonight to be special and she felt disregarded but her best friends. Salacia Justin smiled at her gently and kissed her cheek.

They had put a key under the welcome mat in case the pair were still busy in the kitchen when their guests arrived.

So Salacia grabbed Valeria's arm and led her to the living room. She sat down and pulled her strong willed girlfriend down with her. Wrapping her arms around her and holding her close.

“They’re late.” Valeria grumbled.

“They may be late...but we could use this time to relax.” Salacia murmured, teasing her a bit.

Valeria smiled and leaned in, kissing Salacia. The redhead always knew just how to make her feel better. Her hand moving along Salacia’s soft, thick thigh. She loved how fluffy and soft Salacia was. Her body was divine. It was perfection in her eyes...like the plump women in old paintings that were the epitome of beauty in their time.

Salacia wrapped her arms around Valeria and kissed her passionately. She loved Valeria more than anything. She just wanted to be certain that she was always happy.

Even though they knew that company was expected, Valeria couldn’t resist when her redhead was so willing to help her feel better...especially when a simple squeeze to her thigh made her moan so sweetly. Valeria’s mouth moved away from Salacia’s to plant kisses along her neck. Their lipsticks mixed on each other’s lips.

Salacia murmured her name softly, feeling Valeria’s hand move to rub her inner thigh teasingly. Valeria nibbled her soft spot.

“Val...yes...” she murmured, “I love you…”

“I love you too, querida.” Valeria breathed against her neck, “You do so much for me...I just want to make you happy too.”

“You do.” Salacia breathily assured her, “Every day.”

Valeria slipped her hand under Salacia’s skirt and teased her through her silky panties. She nibbled her soft spot again, before kissing her lips once more murmuring out ‘Mi vida’ before so. She kissed her full of pure passion. If anyone could soothe her from her stresses...it was Salacia.

They kissed and she teased her through her panties under her skirt for what felt like hours when someone cleared their throat from the front entryway in the apartment. The two women sprung apart, Valeria’s hand sliding from under Salacia’s skirt. Salacia’s face was bright red. And she knew her makeup was messy now.

Valeria groaned, irritated at being caught and snapped, “You two show up late and don’t even knock.”

Salacia couldn’t meet their eyes. She was embarrassed being caught like that. All she could do was murmured that she was sure her lipstick was ruined, making Valeria chuckle softly, then pecked her cheek and gold her to go fix herself up.

Thankful for the escape to get herself together, Salacia hopped up and hurried to the bathroom to fix her makeup and calm down. She heard the trip of old friends start to talk in hushed and rushed Spanish. Valeria scolding them for not knocking...as well as teasing them and asking if they “liked what they saw”. Which only served to make Salacia’s blush darken from where she stood in front of the bathroom sink.

She wiped her smudged lipstick away and reapplied. She took a deep breath. She could do this.

—

The meal had been eaten. And the quartet sat around the table enjoying a glass of wine while laughter filled the room.

“I never expected you to fall for an American.” Alejandro admitted.

“Well, I hadn’t met Salacia before.” Valeria chuckled, kissing Salacia’s cheek as she blushed.

“Why did you move to Mexico, anyway?” Rudy asked her.

Salacia sipped her drink, “I lost the job that I had worked my ass off to get. Nepotism won and I was forced out of the company.” She shook her head, “I decided I would just start over, I had enough savings to get a place down here...and I already spoke Spanish...growing up in Texas has its benefits...and I figured I would finally focus on my art. Working your soul out for people that couldn’t give a damn about you really dampens creativity.” She explained happily, “I don’t regret a day of my choice to move here. I found myself...and I found the love of my life...at a fruit stall of all places.”

Valeria laughed, “It’s not my fault you like strawberries as much as me.” She teased.

“Did you make all of the art here?” Alejandro asked.

“I did.” Salacia said proudly.

“Come on, querida, let’s show off your talents.” Valeria chuckled.

Salacia blushed but nodded. She knew that Valeria loved to brag on her...and it really made her feel amazing. The support from someone as amazing as Valeria truly warmed her soul. The moment when Alejandro and Rudy actually agreed to look at her art made her grin.

Did they truly care? She didn’t know.

But Valeria did, and that was what mattered.

Salacia smiled and stood up after another sip of her sangria. They quartet walked around the apartment and Salacia pointed out several of the pieces that she made and even explained what inspired them.

Most of her art was very colorful. It was a painted collage in many ways. When they saw the painting outside of the apartment’s main bedroom Rudy asked who the woman in the painting was.

“It’s Valeria...well, it’s Valeria as Sappho.” Salacia explained.

“Who?” Alejandro asked.

“Sappho was a Greek poet, most of her work is believed to be about other women. She is the reason the word Sapphic is what is used to describe the love between two women.” Salacia explained, smiling at the painting.

It hung in their bedroom at the villa, but Valeria had insisted they bring it with them. It belonged here for this evening.

Valeria kissed her cheek and set a hand on her hip when wrapping her arm around her waist. The two women shared a look when they noticed the two men shifting on their feet.

They continued showing the art in the bedroom, Salacia blushing as she scrambled to hide the harness to the strap-on that Valeria often used on her. Again noticing the way that Alejandro and Rudy shifted. She and Valeria shared another look.

They returned to the den to have some more Sangria and continue the fun of the evening.

As it wore on everyone seemed to be getting drunker and lips looser. Salacia was clinging more to Valeria like usual. Valeria was more laid back and she kept teasing Ale and Rudy every time she caught their eyes on Salacia’s body for a moment too long.

There was an odd sexual tension in the air as the night wore on closer to midnight. Finally Salacia was the one to cause it to pop when she kissed Valeria sloppily right in front of the two men. Which only served to make the two men audibly groan. Salacia followed their groans with a soft moan of her own.

When the kiss parted she said in a very overly drunken giggle that she always got off to the idea of someone watching her. Valeria laughed and suggested in an overly slurring voice that maybe her friends could help with that.

And that was how the four found themselves in the apartment’s bedroom with Salacia stripped almost naked (only her lacy pink bra still on, she and Valeria both had trouble getting it off it seemed) on the bed. Alejandro was sitting on the small bench which sat at the end of the bed Rudy in her vanity chair. Their pants around their pants of knees respectively as they were already jerking off.

Valeria was standing on the side of the bed in just her silky black bra, fixing the harness around her hips and teasingly stroking the bright red dildo which on one end was settled comfortably inside of her and the other would be used to fuck her girlfriend.

Salacia moaned her girlfriend’s name when Valeria joined her on the bed. She was already so wet it was crazy. She loved when Valeria took her like this. And being watched made it all the more taboo.

The dildo was placed at her sopping entrance, “Please...Val...fuck me, please.” Salacia whimpered.

When Valeria slid the dildo inside of her everyone in the room seemed to moan at the same time.

The secret female cartel leader began to thrust her hips, slowly fucking Salcia with the strap-on. She groaned her beloved’s name and cursed in Spanish.

The sounds of groaning from the two men accented Salacia louder moans and whines.

The strap on was perfect. It filled Salacia just right. So deep...just perfectly. Hit all the right spots. And Valeria was perfect with how she used it.

Salacia moaned and whined as Valeria kissed her sloppily.

Alejandro and Rudy couldn’t believe that this was happening but they were certainly enjoying themselves.

Valeria gasped and groaned every time Salacia said her name. The air was thick with lust and filled with the moans, groans, pants of pleasure from four people accented by the sloppy sounds of the two women’s use of the strap on.

“I’m gonna cum!” Salacia whimpered.

“Fucking cum for me.” Valeria ordered her.

The only sounds that followed were higher pitched moans before Salacia just let out a blissful scream as she came hard. And at the same time as Valeria let out a low growling moan of Salacias name, cumming hard. Their juices mixing on the sheets and strap-on.

Alejandro and Rudy were breathing heavily as they both came in their hands from the sight.

—

The next morning the bedroom was filled with the thick scent of sex and there were snores from the guest room where Alejandro and Rudy crashed. Sleeping late from their hangovers. Salacia was busy doing her usual skincare routine, seemingly unbothered by the amount of Sangria she had drunk the night before while Valeria was working on her laptop...also unbothered by the many glasses she enjoyed the night before.

“Did we get it?” Salacia asked.

“Si, Mi Vida.” Valeria said, closing the laptop and walking over to the side table, picking up the alarm clock, “We certainly did.”

“Good, I may kinda like the idea of voyeurism...but it wasn’t as fun in real life.” She said.

Valeria chuckled and popped the small camera out of the radio on the clock. She walked over and kissed Salacia’s lips.

“We’re also lucky those two didn’t realize that you can have virgin Sangria’s that look just the same as theirs which had so much wine...and vodka...i’, shocked they were able to stand after they ruined the rug.” Valeria laughed and kissed Salacia again, “Blackmail is never pretty.”

“But it can be fun.” Salacia laughed and pulled Valeria into another kiss.

[procrastinatingsoicanreadfanfics]

To put a smile on someones face tag 5 people and tell them why you like them.

ouhhhhh this is sm funnnnnn

@levithestripper - ough i love our interactions so so so much and i miss youuuu babe come back home the kids miss you. love love love that we have these intense talking phases that are so much fun and love that we've got so intensely different lives but still relate to each other a lot. eugh can't believe i almost went to college close to you (i think d3 swimming would have wrecked my ego though. also. america. i think i'll keep my distance for now).

@demon-of-the-ancient-world - now if there's one person I KNOW i can talk about athelstan with it's gotta be you. never considered myself an athelstanstan (haha) explicitly, but you made me love him anyway. you always come up with amazing ideas for headcanons that are so genius i'm concerned about the size of your brain.

@ilikeitbetterangsty - gurrrrlllllllll your fanfics i'm on my knees. mwah kisses to you bc you need to have faith in your writing and your looks (both are stunninggg). i'm so glad there's someone else who's pissed at the like/reblog ratio in the hotd fandom (and the influx of people who are toxic and/or do not understand tumblr to any capacity.) mwah mwah mwah anxiously awaiting your next harwin fic (no pressure though) to rip my heart out again.

@leithdragon - strongest pillar of the vikings fandom when it came to writing quality ong. it's currently missing your writing hours, but i'm always happy to see you interact with my posts (read: it makes my day). i hope that you can return to a safer fandom space one day <33

@erosology - okay idt we've ever actually properly interacted but you belonged on this list bc your fics??? when people ask me about cod fics i cautiously point in your direction and then run bc idk if they agree on the whole valeria branding situation (my gosh i do though. valeria come over, i've got the time). i just wanted to give out the biggest of compliments to your writing, your ideas, your stuff that other people would look at me weird for (thank you for expressing yourself here, it's been a safety blanket for me!), your entire account has been my holy grail of waiting at the busstop and pulling out tumblr for some fucking foood.

[holdouthepalmofyourhand]

@notesandsongs your tags 💙💙💙💙

[threehuskiesinatrenchcoat]

Istg each time I read your username, I start associating Graves a bit more with huskies. His fursona is a husky huehehuehehe

On another note, I am here to bring before you another offering, oh great one. Indeed, it is another dead bird! Oh what wonder! Oh what joy this bird shall bring! Can you tell I‘m writing this way too late at night? Also, ohoho?! A college au? I‘m all ears, please do tell once you’re ready. 👀

I kinda wanted to write a first meeting for the "Graves moves to Las Almas when he’s young and meets Alejandro" au, so I did. It took me a bit, but still. Btw just as a question, would it be alright for me to post the dark au drabble on ao3 and put a link to your art in the description? I kinda wanna contribute to the tag over there, but do horribly with any kind of fic longer than 1k words.

Well anyways, enjoy!

The sun beat down onto the dusty streets relentlessly. Alejandro kicked a pebble into the gutter and smirked victoriously at his best friend, who simply rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you had skills like me, Valeria would be interested in you, hermano." He evaded the other’s vicious attack and cackled, not letting up his teasing. "After last week’s mess up in English class, you might want to actually impress her."

Rudy just tried to hit the back of his head again, his face red as a beet. "Cállate, cabrón! You’re the worst- and I wasn’t even trying to impress her!"

By Ale‘s shit eating grin it was clear that he didn’t believe a word his friend said. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Rudy merely looked away, ignoring the other’s laugh.

They soon arrived at school, a few students mingling about in the sparsely shadowed yard, an escape from the heat provided only by the school roof‘s overhang and dry looking trees. Classes would start soon anyways, so they didn’t bother finding a place to sit outside, making their way towards their classroom. It was an old school, the hallways a squeaky linoleum, but some of the rooms themselves still had floorboards just like their‘s did. They creaked when you put too much weight on them or took any kind of step. Alejandro did take a step backwards when he first crossed the threshold. In the back of the room, next to the window, sat someone he‘d never seen in any of his classes before. The stranger had short, sand coloured hair and, most importantly, Alejandro noted, the bluest eyes staring right at him. Instantly, he was aware of his appearance, how his hair just wouldn’t lie right today, his shirt that definitely wasn’t a bad one but also not his nicest, that he probably looked stupid just standing there-

"Huh, I didn’t know we‘d get a new student this year", Rudy noted nonchalantly, as if there wasn’t a cute guy sitting on Alejandro’s assigned seat, and stepped around his frozen form blocking part of the doorway. He made his way over to the guy. "Hey, you’re new, right? I‘m Rudy."

The stranger shook the offered hand and introduced himself. "Phillip, how‘s it going?" His American accent was strong, Alejandro noticed, and sadly very charming. Rudy smiled politely.

"I’m good, thanks, I just wanted to ask if Señora Rivera told you to sit here?" Before Phillip could answer, Alejandro had stridden over and motioned to the seat he was occupying. "That’s mine. You can’t sit here." What a great way to talk to the cute new guy; he wished the ground would just open up and swallow him whole.

Said guy also didn’t like his tone and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. "I got this seat assigned, so fuck off." Before anyone else could be insulted, the teacher stepped into the room, hair pulled back tight and gaze sharp.

"Ah, Vargas, Parra, good to see you‘re already getting acquainted with our newest addition. I was hoping you two would show him around after class; we don’t want him to get lost on the first day, do we? Your new seats are one to the left." Just a quickly as she had entered, she had left, some papers in her hands, probably to go copy them like always, leaving Phillip and Alejandro staring at each other, one smug, the other angry. Rodolfo sighed, sensing a headache from a mile away.

teehee i was thinking more of a husky wolf mix cuz my man is edgy like that but also riddled with adhd. yes i was thinking about it. why and don't worry im answering this at like 5am sipping on my coffee cuz insomnia and i decided might as well pull an all nighter and do some work but im here now instead lol also yes omg of course you can post it!! giggling excitedly. but also like yeah me too damn😭 i barely post anything i write because it's always tiny drabbles i wrote at 3am for a bunch of different ideas stuck forever in my notes and google docs lol

anyway. i fucking adore you i hope you know that.

i love ale and rudy's banter at the beginning it's so sweet i just ughhh this is how i always imagined their friendship and this is absolutely how they would be in their younger days. like are you even friends if you don't bully each other from time to time

also the way ale instanly starts mentally assessing if he looks good and cool enough because he wants this cute new guy to like him and then immediately fails miserably 😭😭 he's so pathetic i love him and the way they start off very wrong and rudy is already so done with it. and the way ale was just bullying rudy for failing to impress val and the next moment he tremendously fucks up trying to impress graves lmao

[concealeddarkness13]

A New Dawn Part 1

So, I recently came up with a thief character named Kai who has memory issues and a snarky attitude (here’s the post for the powerpoint to explain more about her and her world). I thought about how similar Kai and Rat (from @ratracechronicler‘s Rat Race Chronicles) are, so we decided to have a collaboration where Kai comes to Rat’s world. Here’s the first part! (You should totally also check out @ratracechronicler‘s first two books in the series: My Name is Criminal and My Name is Runaway; they’re awesome books: the story is awesome, the characters are fun, and there is so much awesome worldbuilding!) Also, tagging: @nightskywriter, if you’re interested in reading this?

I glanced over the book that was supposed to have info about the apocalypse that happened so long ago. For what seemed to be the millionth time. And it wasn’t like my glare could make the words become understandable. I had stolen so many alien language translation books, but none of them had any similarity to whatever this language was. I was still nowhere closer to learning more about it.

I flopped back on the ground and stared up at the ceiling, with music blasting in my ears. Who was I even kidding? There were too many people on this planet. I would never find my family. And why did I think that my memory loss and their disappearance from my life had anything to do with the fabled apocalypse and its consequences? I should just give up and settle down in some town, so at least I wouldn’t be so alone.

I blinked, and the building and everything around me vanished. I scrambled up on my feet and stared. Pure white buildings all around me, and people brushing past me, like they didn’t even notice me. And all the machines. Machines above me, all around me. Mechanical eyes watching me. I could barely see anything besides the machines. And…there were machines inside people’s brains. Like me. How? Where was I? I couldn’t be on my planet anymore. No one knew how to put machinery inside people.

To take my mind off all the questions, I forced myself to focus and walk against the flow of the crowd, quietly stealing from everyone I brushed past. They seemed exceptionally oblivious, so it was child’s play. But it helped me push aside the jumble of thoughts, at least.

Once I had finally calmed my racing heart, I pushed out of the crowd and down a side street with a lot less people. No one even gave me a second glance as I pulled up my hood and grabbed out the phone Taeo had given me years ago.

I pulled up Taeo’s number and tried to call him, but the stupid machine just said that it couldn’t get through. I frowned and stared at it. Nothing seemed to be wrong, so I really had to be on a different planet. Crap.

I slunk low and hid around the corner of one of the houses when I heard people talking up ahead. Everyone else around me had been eerily quiet, so those people who were talking must be special.

“Don’t worry, Eli, we’ll head out soon enough. I just have a few more things to finish up before we leave. Got to get some more supplies.”

“Fine.” I frowned as something lit up in my vision. The machines were strangely shaped as a human, but it wasn’t completely a robot. There was no way those machines could support a full robot, and anyway, some of those machines were doing things that weren’t needed unless they were supporting a human. What in the world?

Eli kept talking. “I just can’t wait to see more of Tersatellus. And I want to see how everyone’s doing. I know Vastate told the discipline ops to calm down, but I’m worried. You know how the others are…”

The first person laughed. “You mean how we are. Remember, you’re talking to a hardened criminal.”

I held my breath as they started to walk past my flimsy hiding spot. Maybe I could actually tail them and figure out more about where I was. But I couldn’t stop my gasp. Eli was the one who had all the machinery, and I couldn’t even see what he really looked like. All I could see was the machinery lighting up in my vision. However it had happened, the machines were working perfectly. It had been an expert job. Maybe I could even ask him how he had gotten those machines.

Eli turned his head toward me, and I shook my head and tried to dive for extra cover, but I had been too slow. Crap. I shouldn’t have let my curiosity distract me.

But they didn’t stop. I frowned and snuck after them. Either they knew about me or Eli hadn’t seen me, but I had to take the chance. If it meant that I would figure out more about this place…

I only got a little ways before the woman whipped around, and I turned away as quickly as I could, hunched over, hands in my pockets. Crap.

“Hey! Don’t you know it’s not polite to stare?” I turned around, and the woman was walking up to me. I backed up until I hit the wall and pulled out my knife. At least I had that with me still. If I tried to run, they’d just try to give chase, and Eli would most likely be able to catch up with all that machinery. I was trapped.

The woman pulled out a pocket knife of her own with a smile. “Howdy! You’re a little far from Stillstone to be acting like that, aren’t you? Not gonna make any friends waving that around.” She glanced around, eyeing the people around us who weren’t even paying attention. “There’s a strict no-crime policy everywhere else in the city but Stillstone.”

Eli took a step forward. “I don’t think you’re helping too much, Rat. She’s scared, and she also looks confused.” He turned to me. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“How do you have so much machinery?” The words blurted out before I could think much about them.

They exchanged a glance, and Rat turned back to me, her smile turning sharper. “Okay, sister, you just revoked your right to ask questions. Who are you?”

I stood up straighter, even though I stayed crouched a little, instinctively making myself look smaller, less of a threat. It wasn’t like I could run anyway. So, I might as well be truthful. “My name is Kai.” Rat winced a little at the name, and I frowned. “I have no idea where I am. One second, I was in my hideout in Valeria, and the next I’m in this crazy city with all the machines and even ones in people’s brains. How did that even happen? How did you figure it out? No one has been able to.” The words were just babbling out, my thoughts running too fast to stop it. “So, that must mean that this is another planet, where people are more technologically advanced. Are there any aliens on this one? What are those crazy machines above us? Why does everything around here always make me feel like someone’s watching me through a camera? What’s up with all the oblivious people?”

She lightly bumped the top of my head, and I shut up. What was I thinking? They probably thought I was insane. She glanced at Eli. “It’s so simple. Aliens. Rex was right all along.” I frowned, about to ask who Rex was when she turned back to me. “Okay. Let’s start at the beginning. Your name is Kai. And you have no idea what Tersatellus is?” I shook my head. “How about Earth?” I frowned and shook my head. She sighed. “How do you speak Boreas Vox, then?”

What was that? “Bor—what?”

“The language. We can understand each other. Your accent’s weird, but we speak the same language. How do you expect me to believe you’re from a different planet with that kind of evidence?”

Crap. How could I explain that? Before I could say anything, Eli turned to her. “Rat, I have an idea.” Rat glanced over at him, and he probably shifted on his feet. “…How do you know that I have machinery in me?”

That was easy to answer. I pointed at my brain. “I have a machine in my brain, and it points out machines to me. I’m the only one who has a machine inside me where I’m from.”

“Oh, makes sense, I guess…” I flinched at how sad he sounded. He glanced over at Rat. “Like you and Voxel mixed together.”

She snorted. “Our combined bodaciousness would rock the world.” She looked back at me. “And you’re trying to say that you’re from another planet? And we’re supposed to believe that?”

Before I could even try to think up an answer, Eli spoke up again. “But that’s what I’m thinking is maybe—do you remember what you were telling me Vastate told you about the First Order? How they had all that tech hundreds of years ago, and they’re so secretive, there’s no real way to know what else they did with it besides all the stuff to do with Tersatellus? What if they went to another planet? The ultimate isolation from the rest of Earth. They did terraforming, anyway. Maybe they even had pre-mainframes, and that’s…you know…”

Did he think that whoever this First Order was, was the reason I had something in my brain? Well, that could be true. I didn’t remember anything about what happened to get the machine in my brain. “I don’t blame you for not believing it. But I promise I have no idea about this Tersatellus or anything about your world.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Wow. Okay. Know what? All good. You’re from another planet, Kai. Splendid. I’m from a country that totally legalized all crime all the time in an area a few square kilometers, permitted you don’t do any crimes in the rest of the city, i.e. this one, because if you do, then the law comes down on not just you, but the illegal zone, called Stillstone, so let’s put the knives away before people get suspicious and the real bruisers show up.”

I hesitated, but they didn’t seem like a threat right now, so I put my knife away. Rat put her knife away as well with a grin. “Anyway, I got a beautiful idea. You’re gonna love it. Tell you what. Unlike the other Kai I know, you haven’t tried to kill me within five minutes of meeting me, so you’re coming with us. If you are from another planet or timeline or reality, you can learn the area a little. I happened to be giving a tour, anyway. Unless you were looking for something more, y’know, private.” She lowered her voice for the last part and eyed Eli suggestively.

Ugh. I rolled my eyes as Eli stuttered. “Gosh.”

Rat turned back to me, and I tried to hide my exasperation. “And if you are from around here but you’ve got your memory mixed up—and trust me, you wouldn’t be the first—showing you around should maybe help you find something to jog your ol’ brain lobes.” I winced, and she paused, staring at me. She didn’t trust me. “So, what do you say?” She gestured me forward with a grin. I started walking forward, still eyeing her, and as I passed her, she tried to slip her hand into one of my pockets. But I snatched her hand and held it tight.

She pulled her hand back with a smirk. “So, you’re pretty good then. I might actually come to like you. I might even forgive you for what you said about my partner in crime. But did you steal anything?”

I nodded and pulled out the trinkets I had stolen. I had only done it to calm my thoughts anyway. I didn’t actually need them. Rat whistled. “Not bad, kid. But no more. We’re only safe here because we keep the crime to Stillstone. We’re dead if you get caught with that. So, drop them.” As I dropped the trinkets and pulled out the rest I had stolen, she turned to Eli. “Are you sure you’re okay with a tagalong?”

I watched as he nodded. “Yeah. I’d love to have someone else along. It’s just…”

I jumped when Rat turned back to me, watching me with dark eyes. Was I not supposed to be watching? She sighed. “Do you even realize what you said?”

I frowned and thought back. What was she even talking about? I had already said a lot of stupid stuff. I cocked my head. “At what point?”

She rolled her eyes. “Ugh. You literally pointed out his machinery as the first thing you said to him. You don’t think that’s wrong? You hurt him!”

I flinched and looked over at Eli. “I…I’m sorry. It just blurted out. I didn’t mean for that to be the first thing I said. It was wrong.” If only I could even see his expressions. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine—”

Rat nudged him in the chest. “Is it really fine?”

He sighed. “I accept your apology. Thank you.” He paused and continued. “I mean, I understand why you would be curious, if the people on your planet really don’t have any machines in them. Here, it’s a little more normal, but I’m still an anomaly. I was…technically dead for seventeen years, but my brother was able to bring me back to life. That involved a lot of machinery, but all I want is for people to see me as human. That’s why what you said was a little, um, startling.”

I nodded. I was going to try my hardest, even though I couldn’t see any of his human parts. He was a nice person.

Rat nodded with a smile. “Now that that’s all sorted, we just need to get a few more things, and we can head out.” She started walking, and Eli walked beside her, while I trailed behind. I didn’t want to bother them.

But I had some questions. “So, we’ll be travelling around?”

She nodded. “We need to check up on some friends.”

Perfect. I’d love to learn more about this place. “And I’m allowed to go with you?”

She laughed. “Of course. I’ve got to keep my eyes on you.” She sighed and glanced back at Eli. “So, I guess we should start with Zenith.” He nodded. “Zenith…the home of the HQ buildings, where the government is seated. The biggest, most impressive city in Tersatellus. There was an earthquake recently, and a few buildings were knocked down, but they’ve bounced back from that. It helped that we celebrated the New Year recently. Everyone’s spirits are still high from those festivities. Now, there’s a community of criminals who are safe from discipline ops within Zenith’s borders, called Stillstone, so that’s where we live, since we’re totally criminals. Those “crazy machines” up there harness this thing called liquid lightning that powers all our machines. And that dark mass in the distance?” She pointed at a massive shadow looming over all of us. “That’s the Divide. It’s a wall that keeps us isolated from the rest of the world. And that’s about all you need to know about Zenith.”

If she talked to me again, I didn’t even hear her. We were back walking among all the other people, and I had to look around. All those people with machines in their brains. They seemed so oblivious. And some people, the ones who were more aware than the others, had machines in their eyes. Whenever their eyes passed over me, that mechanical gaze pushed down more on me. Those were probably the people looking for crime.

It was just so bright and crowded and huge. Cities back on my planet were impressive, but nothing close to the scale of this city. Buildings loomed over me, higher than I had ever seen. I couldn’t imagine living in a city like this. I felt crowded and completely invisible at the same time.

Rat whistled, and I looked over at her with a grunt. She was holding hands with Eli, and he was looking back at me as well. “I understand that there’s probably a lot to stare at, but I didn’t bring you along to just stare. What’s your planet, or whatever you want to call it, like?”

She didn’t believe me, but all I could tell was the truth. “Not as impressive as this. The city buildings don’t reach nearly as high, and no one knows how to put machinery into people, so I’m an anomaly. Aliens also live there, and I’ve learned about other planets, but not yours. The places I’ve been to have all been part of a desert, so they were dusty and dry, but the sand is all different colors. And the sunsets are beautiful.” A smile tugged at my lips, but I pushed it back. “I want to see the whole world.”

She nodded. “Sounds like nothing I’ve heard of. You could always be from beyond the wall, but it would be way too difficult for you to get here for you to just pretend that you just appeared here.” She frowned. “So, why do you want to see the world? Is it just because you’re curious?”

I shook my head. I had never admitted this to anyone, but there was no reason to not be truthful. “I am curious, but that’s not all of it. I…I lost my memory of before I was sixteen. I have no idea who my family is, and I have no idea what happened to separate me from them. I want to meet them, even though I know I have barely any chance of finding them. I have no clues or anything.”

Multiple emotions passed through her eyes before I could identify them, and she turned back to the front. “Can’t fault a goal like that.” She stopped at a shop and picked up some extra food and held up a thin machine that had multiple functions, such as transferring money. “This is a beacon, by the way. Do you have something like this in your pockets?” I shook my head, and she nodded. We kept walking. “So, you steal for a living?”

I nodded. “And I’m also trying to get enough money to keep moving around. What about you?” She had almost moved too fast for me to stop her when she had tried to steal from me, so she had to be good too.

“I used to, but I’ve been trying to straighten up, at least when I’m in Zenith.” She grinned over at me. “But outside Zenith, we can steal what we want.”

I let the smile come to my lips this time. At least I could do something familiar in this place.

We gathered a few more supplies, like fuel, and Rat and Eli led me to a sleek car that was parked a ways away. I slid in the backseat as Rat and Eli got into the front, and Rat looked back at me with a grin. “Next stop, Pike!”

[alonely-dreamer]

Dangerous Creatures | Chapter 9: The Mystery Chest

Summary: Mackenzie Alemaund is an unlucky 18 year old teenager whose life changes drastically after she gets kidnapped by two vampires and learns, in the same day, that she is not human.

Pairing: Elijah x OC

Words: 1081

A/N: Please note that I am French and that there might be some mistakes here and there - I’m sorry this is so short - I don’t know when I’ll be posting chapter 10 - I have no idea if the tags are working so please let me know if they are as well as if they aren’t - enjoy ~

Masterlist

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

Despite Elijah’s best advice, Mackenzie didn’t sleep that night. She did take a shower however, and he was gone when she stepped out of the bathroom. So was Robert’s body. The blood was still on the kitchen floor and she walked back to her bedroom as she didn’t want to see it. It reminded her of what she did. She was cold in her white shorts and shirt. Her wet hair didn’t help either. She sat on her bed, feeling exhausted, and yet with no desire to sleep. When Elijah came back about two hours later, he found the elemental sitting there, in the dark and in complete silence. He wasn’t surprised. He had expected it.

“Hey,” he said, as gently as he could, but Mackenzie didn’t react. “Get up. You need to pack.”

She frowned as she looked up at him with a confused look on her face.

“You can’t stay here, it’s not safe,” he explained. “Any vampire can enter this place. Pack everything. Robert quit his job and left. He didn’t tell you where he was going. You came back home and all his things were gone. Do you understand?”

It took Mackenzie a minute to respond. “I understand,” she said as she nodded and stood up.

He gave her a minute to get dressed and then helped her pack. By sunrise, all of Robert’s things were gone. Elijah didn’t bother Mackenzie with the details but when he came back, he had a truck with him. He started loading all the boxes and, as he thought they were done, Mackenzie disappeared out of sight.

He returned to the house where he found the teenager in the attic, staring down at a big old dusty chest.

“We also need to empty this room.”

“I know,” she said so low a human wouldn’t have heard her. “It was my mother’s. For a moment I forgot it was there…”

When she stepped into the attic to continue packing, she found herself facing the old chest. It broke her heart. Whatever was inside must be all her mother’s secrets. Everything she kept from her, including who she really was. She had always been curious to know what was inside, but now, she was scared.

“What’s inside?”

“I don’t know.”

“You never opened it?”

“It’s locked. I don’t have the key.”

“I don’t need a key.”

She looked up at him and understood the silent question. She nodded. He squatted down to break the lock. He made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world. And for him, it was.

“Do you want me to open it?” he asked as he turned to see her, unsure as to what her state of mind was. He too had an idea of what might be inside. She nodded again.

Inside were a lot of things. It was filled with pieces of paper which fell out as soon as Elijah opened it. Mackenzie knelt next to her friend and picked them up.

“Is that Latin?” she asked as she tried to read them.

“Yes.”

They looked very old and had a brownish-yellow color. They looked very fragile and Elijah was careful when he too picked up one from the floor.

“This one is in German,” he said. “Early New High German.”

“Early New High German?”

“Yes, this dates back to the sixteenth century… ah,” he said when he saw the date on the paper, “February 12, 1608. It’s a Royal Pardon.”

“What? For who? And from who?”

“One of your ancestors. From… Margo of Aragon?” he said, as if it didn’t make any sense.

“Like… Catherine of Aragon?”

“Yes…”

“But… who’s Margo?”

“I have no idea.”

That in of itself was strange. Elijah knew his history. Especially because he lived through the last thousand years. He knew of Ferdinand II of Aragon, the King of Spain in the fifteenth century, and of his daughter, Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII and Queen of England. But he had never heard of Margo of Aragon. He was certain she wasn’t a legitimate child of the royal family, and she was never in a position of power. Not in Spain, anyway.

“Margo of Aragon, by the power of Mother Nature and the powers invested in Her Majesty by the creatures of the Holy Forest, grants you, Tobias Julius Alemaund, immunity for all your past deeds, confessed or not confessed, and allows you to remain in the Holy Forest, until Her Majesty decides otherwise.”

“The Holy Forest? What is that?”

“I don’t know… This is an official document,” he said as he looked at the royal wax seal at the bottom of the page. He couldn’t recognize it. It had the form of an oak.

“Well… what about this one?” she asked as she handed him another paper.

“Margo of Aragon, by the power… declares you, Tobias Julius Alemaund, guilty of treason and sentences you to death,” he translated, “this dates back to December 29, 1607.”

“What did he do?”

“It doesn’t say.”

Elijah kept looking at the papers on the floor while Mackenzie took a look inside of the chest. There was an enormous book inside which she tried to take out but couldn’t as it was too heavy. Elijah helped her. She didn’t look at it right away. She put it next to her and kept looking inside the old chest. There were more books inside, none of them in English, though some might be in old English, but most of them were in Latin and in German.

“What is all that?” she wondered aloud.

“More official documents… Tobias was knighted in July 1608. He died in 1612 of old age.”

“Why did my mom have these papers?”

“She probably got them from your father. This is your family history.”

“But… why is it in German? Weren’t the Aragons from Spain?”

“They’re probably not related. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand reigned in the fifteenth century. This was a century later.”

“This is… crazy.”

“You’re getting more and more interesting each day Ms. Alemaund,” he grinned. “But as curious as I am to go through these, we need to go. We don’t want people to see us leave. They’d ask questions.”

“Oh… yeah, of course,” she nodded.

As much as she wanted him to translate everything at that moment, she knew that there would be a better time for it, and she couldn’t wait to discover more about Tobias Julius Alemaund and the Holy Forest.

Tags: @thepoet1975 @nerdysandwichqueen @catchmeupimgettingoutofhere @raegan-hale @captainam-erika-trash @silver424 @silver424 @vaniileiinkeks @valeria-winchester @favimag @colie87@hamiltonmadesomemistakes @s0nh4dorasblog @poemfreak306 @white-chocolate-mocha-fan @thegingerthatwaited @therealwatermelon @dark-night-sky-99 @aubri1313 @aubri1313@gymnastgal1997-blog @thearaviagrace77blog -

[igglemouse]

PUBERTY SURVIVAL CHALLENGE TAG!

RULES: PICK ANY CHARACTER/SIM AND POST A PIC OF THEM WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER, AND NOW! THE YOUNGER VERSION CAN BE FROM YOUR STORY, OR NOT (IF YOU STARTED YOUR STORY WHEN YOUR OC WAS ALREADY AN ADULT, ETC.) THEN TAG SOME FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME! :D

I was tagged by @tabbyrhsims4simblr again! If you have not already then you really should check out her simblr and stories! 

I tag... @foureyedandtall - @pollinationtech - @mysimsloveaffair - @spicedplumbob - @sims4storiesandstuff - @glammoose - @simculiar - @creepwonder - @goldenpixels - @simplrsimblr

As always, no pressure! It’s just for fun!

 I choose Valeria, Dulce’s sister this time! There actually wasn’t a teenage version of Dulce because at the time my game messed up and all the teen plans I had for her and Valeria fell through...

Anyways, in Dulce story Valeria is the one that helps her mom run her ermmm...Porn business! Valeria doesn’t actually do porn though...if you remember, had she won the heir vote then the story would have been about her getting into acting! Since she didn’t, she failed as an actress...also yes, Araceli’s daughters were all given huge boobs, I don’t touch the sliders I swear XD

Teen Valeria below the cut!

[addicted-to-dc]

Red X/Jason Todd X Reader- I’m Supposed To Be Fighting You (Part 5)

Wow!  I actually posted something. Enjoy my dudes!

Warning: Slight angst, descriptions of death and gore

Robin paced around the living room, waiting for his mentor's intel to finish downloading. The way you had quit the Titans had made him curious about your background. He knew all of the Titans were, which is why they were sitting on the couch while he was pacing. Not even Beastboy was chatting about the theories he comes up when something like this happens. Something like this hasn’t occurred since Terra, but Robin had a feeling that Slade had no part in this. As soon as the screen beeped, he looked over to Cyborg and nodded.

“Okay, let’s see who (Y/N) really is,” Cyborg said, typing a command into the console.

The team watched as documents and photos appeared on the screen, providing glimpses of what you had done until the last attachment uploaded, a video. Cyborg moved it aside, quickly reading through the document below it.

“It says here that (Y/N) was recruited into a government team that was meant to deal with metahumans,” he said, scanning over the document, “and she was the top of her class until she was… killed? That can’t be right.”

“(Y/N) is a metahuman, though,” Beastboy inputted, scratching his ear. “This doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“The report says that (Y/N)’s DNA results proved that she had the metahuman gene and that she had to be taken care of before she found out,” Starfire stated sadly. “Does this state if she was recruited voluntarily?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Robin replied, pointing at the screen. “Can you enlarge the photo?”

Cyborg nodded, enlarging the photo in a few seconds. Everyone but Robin gasped, shocked at the horror in the photo. You were on the ground, blood surrounding you on the floor. Men and women with masks covering their faces stood in the background, guns in their hands.

“They don’t know (Y/N) is alive,” Robin said, looking away from the photo. “What else is there?”

“One hundred and ninety-nine confirmed kills,” Cyborg said quietly, “and all of them were metahumans.”

“We let a killer onto our team?” Raven asked, looking over at Robin. “Now we know why (Y/N) left in a hurry.”

“There has to be more to this,” he stated, glancing at the screen again. “(Y/N) didn’t have a choice, it was either kill or be killed in that environment, but how did she survive?”

“Her metahuman abilities saved her,” Cyborg responded, pulling up your DNA test. “(Y/N) has another ability other than teleporting, and that is an advanced healing factor. They knew this, but thought that if they killed her before it was unlocked, she wouldn’t survive.”

“We need to find (Y/N),” Starfire said, standing up.

“But she’s killed people like us,” Beastboy said, looking down. “How could we trust her after this?”

Raven sighed, crossing her arms, “(Y/N) had a lot of chances to deal with us, but we’re still alive. The previous teams she was in are still alive, but I’m guessing her past was also the reason why she left them.”

“Didn’t you just say that she was a murderer?” Beastboy asked Raven.

“Yes, but I agree with Starfire. If we find (Y/N), our questions will be answered and she’ll do less damage when she’s with us.”

------------------------

You yawned, scratching your face as you watched the sun set behind the buildings of Jump City. It always bothered you that the whole world could continue living on whenever something horrible happens to you, but that feeling has been gone for a long time. You found out the hard way that the world owes you nothing, and it’ll take and take from you. Leaning your head against Jason’s shoulder, you watched as the last light from the sun disappeared. Yawning once again, you pushed yourself up and stretched, groaning when you realized that not only did you have no place to stay but all of your belongings were still in the tower.

“I gotta go,” you said, walking to the other edge of the roof and crouching down to grab your mask. “The Titans will be looking for me, I can’t stay here.”

“Hold on a second,” Jason said, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Why do you have to leave?”

You sighed, scrunching the mask in your hand, “If they find me, then they’ll ask questions, and then that gets them involved with my past. I can’t let anyone get hurt because of me again.”

“The Titans can handle themselves,” he stated, “and you don’t have to do this alone. It’s not like I have a life other than bugging them anyway.”

You smiled slightly, “Jason, we only met each other a few days ago, and you’re still willing to love me, but also risk your life for me?”

“Of course I am,” he responded, placing his forehead on yours. “Come on, let’s get out of the open before someone sees us.”

“Where are we going?” you asked, placing your mask on your face.

“My spunky hideout.”

“I’ll punch you.”

If your blog is crossed out, it means stupid Tumblr won’t let me tag you.

Everything Taglist: @batty4dc @lastbeliever @phvckingphandoms @stevette60 @katykyll @panda-duuu @thatoneshortgayemo @carryonmy-assbutt @hyp-oh-critical @iam1wifdaforce @skadi-winterfell @fandomdiver @blacksteel-art

I’m Supposed To Be Fighting You Taglist: @simplysophi 

Jason Todd Taglist: @memento-scribet @thisismedamit @valeria-winchester @drharleyfquinn @sarcasmismyfirstlove @blue-streak-dolan @janybaby @jxckattack @alinasaywhat

DC Comics Taglist: @naicors13

[nightlyrequiem]

The Other Side of Paradise

8) To Bond

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

'What are we?' That's the newest question burning through your mind. You have to stop yourself from blurting it out when she visits you occasionally at work. You have to stop yourself from texting the question whenever you pick up the phone. Lest you come off as needy and desperate. The budding romance between you two is still new and delicate and you'd hate to scare her off by springing a question like that on her. If you pretend to be chill and relaxed and let things progress naturally then everything will happen like it should.

That being said, you take extra care to make yourself look nice. More than usual. You go about your workday with a little more energy. Just the chance that Valeria will come in to visit you is enough to make you feel giddy. To give you a renewed sense of purpose. You wash dishes and pack up baked goods with a small smile. Whether or not anyone notices your slightly more upbeat energy, they don't comment on it. Although you almost wish someone would ask you about it. You'd love to gush about your feelings to another person. To talk endlessly about Valeria. It's all you can think about. She's all you can think about.

You wipe down the tables and keep an ear out for the sound of the door opening. At one point, it did, and you turned with a smile only to see some guy. Your disappointment was immeasurable, and you were glad he already knew what he wanted so he'd leave faster. The door opens again, and you look, trying not to be too excited in case it isn't who you're hoping for. It is, and you smile. Resisting the urge to drop the rag and bound over to her like a puppy. Instead, Valeria walks over to you and leans against the wall. Immediately you can tell she's had a rough week. There are slight dark circles under her eyes and just a general aura of exhaustion radiating off of her.

You set the rag down and turn to face her fully.

"I'm glad to see you." You say softly. Hoping to provide at least the smallest amount of comfort. Valeria runs a hand through her shiny black hair.

"Yeah." She replies. "It's nice to be here." You plant your palms on the table and hoist yourself up so you're sitting on it. You'll have to wipe it down again later, but you don't mind.

"Especially near closing." You reply.

"Mhm, it's always so quiet." She murmurs. Her hand reaches out for yours and she casually interlaces your fingers with hers. Your heart acts like it's the most exciting thing to have happened to you.

"I know, I used to come here after school to do homework." You reminisce. You did more eating and reading than actual work, but the details aren't important. You still passed after all.

"I'd seen you a few times, actually." Valeria says quietly. Turning her head to look at you. "My friends used to make fun of you for being by yourself.

You blink. Not entirely sure how to respond to that information.

"Oh. Well... did you ever... participate in that?" You ask awkwardly. Valeria stares at you silently for a few seconds before replying.

"No." You aren't sure how true that is but that was back in high school. She's clearly changed if she's willing to be here with you right now. You're holding hands. Why let that ruin a good thing? Forgive and forget, right?

"How has your day been?" You ask. Switching topics. You're starting to really like the casual small talk with her. It feels domestic.

"Long." She sighs.

You give her hand a slight squeeze.

"How about we go for a walk after I finish cleaning up?" You suggest.

"Doesn't your shift end at ten?" She asks. Furrowing her brows. You just shrug after getting off the table.

"It's only an hour, I'm sure Mateo won't be too mad." You remark. Grabbing the rag to re-wipe the table. Valeria watches you work. You can feel her gaze on the side of your face. It makes you feel a little self-conscious.

"A walk would be nice." She finally says. "We should go down to the creek." Valeria doesn't have to specify which creek. Everyone who grew up in Las Almas knows which creek. It's where children held mock wars and swam. It's where teenagers made it to fourth base and partied. Well, some teenagers anyway. You didn't know enough people to get invited to parties.

You finish up with closing duties and lock down the bakery. You and Valeria decide to walk towards the stretch of woods housing the creek instead of driving. The bakery isn't that far and the whole point of this outing is to walk. To your surprise, your hands stay connected while you two traverse the nearly empty streets. It helps reassure you that your feelings aren't just one sided, as if making out and heavy petting didn't make it clear enough. You make it to the woods and walk along the path in comfortable silence. You forgot about the bug population and have to keep slapping at your own limbs to fend off against hungry mosquitos.

You and Valeria arrive at the creek and sit down in the soft grass beneath a large oak tree. It's dark and a little cool out so you lean against Valeria for warmth. She wraps an arm around your shoulder and holds you. You feel content. You feel happy.

"I used to come down to catch frogs and salamanders." You murmur. You weren't ever successful. Not even with a net.

"I used to play hide and seek; I had this big group of friends when I was ten." Valeria replies. She turns her head to look at you. "I was an excellent hider, always the last to be caught."

"But you were caught eventually, or did you have to come out once everyone gave up looking for you?" Valeria smiles. You catch the glint of her white teeth as she speaks.

"The kids I played with didn't know how to give up." She says. "I was always good at hiding but I couldn't stay hidden forever."

You smile, amused.

"I used to love playing hide and seek, I didn't have many people to play with though and that number dropped significantly once I reached high school."

"I would've played with you." Valeria murmurs. You rest you head on her shoulder.

"No, you wouldn't have." She scoffs but doesn't rebuke your comment. You both know you're right.

"If I were less afraid over what people would've thought of me then I would have." You pause. A little caught off guard by the admission. Valeria never struck you as the type of woman to care what others thought. She was always confident, an a little mean if you're being honest.

You stare off at the glittering water.

"You worried over what people thought of you?" You ask.

"I was a teenage girl, of course I cared." She replies quietly. "I always cared. I always worried I wasn't good enough, not pretty enough, not feminine enough." She admits. She sounds uncomfortable. Valeria straightens up a bit. Her tone hardening. "I'm more than enough now though." You're still surprised over her revelation. Hearing that the woman you've always been a little envious of was probably just as insecure as you had come as a shock.

She doesn't speak again, and you don't ask. You just enjoy her company while you two look out at a shared childhood hotspot. After a while she removes her arm from your shoulder and stands up.

"We should go." She says. You wouldn't mind staying for a little while longer but if she's not staying you don't want to. Being out in the dark woods on your own isn't ideal. You stand up and follow her back to the path. She doesn't hold your hand this time.

[nightlyrequiem]

The Other Side of Paradise

6) Bad Things, Worse Things, Better Things

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

Valeria watches her subordinate with narrowed eyes as he delivers a verbal report. There are British soldiers in town.

"...I saw them myself." He continues. "Riding an armored truck with that colonel." Valeria's lips automatically twitch down. Alejandro. She could kill all of his little vaqueros and he still wouldn't cease being a thorn in her side. She has no doubt that he brought them here to try and take her down. Well, he can try all he wants. It's hard to catch someone without a name or face.

"Do you know their names?" She asks. "Descriptions?" The man shakes his head.

"I only saw them; I don't know their names." He says uncomfortably. "I came to tell you about them straight away. One was a white guy with a dumb haircut but the other one..." He trails off. Valeria clenches her jaw impatiently. The other one what? He needs to finish his sentences faster before she just decides he's more useful without a tongue. "He was wearing some kind of mask... a skull, he had a skull on his face."

Valeria frowns. A skull mask? Her nose wrinkles with annoyance. He sounds like an edgy pre-teen boy. Surely Alejandro has higher standards?

'Are you sure they're soldiers?" She asks. The man hesitates before nodding.

"I'm pretty sure they were. They were dressed like soldiers." She sighs, feeling a headache coming on. This is just what she needs. It's always one problem after another.

"Keep an eye out." Valeria orders. She turns and leaves the room. Walking outside to have a smoke.

She lights one and takes a satisfying hit while she thinks. She's going to have to deal with the soldiers. They can't just waltz into her town, her territory. Soldiers are no trouble for her. Nothing but mere pests, really. Valeria's mind drifts to more pleasant thoughts. It's been a few weeks since you and her had gone out to that bar. Since then, you've been speaking almost daily and she's discovering just how easy to read you are. You practically project your thoughts with every look you give her. She can see how much you want her, and who is she to deny you? She just needs to take care of a few things, free up her schedule. Valeria stubs out her cigarette and walks off to her car. Everything will be fine.

Everything just keeps going wrong. Valeria can feel herself trembling with rage. Not only was Hassan and his escorts attacked, but one of her warehouses was raided, the one holding the missiles she only just managed to obtain. Not all of them, at least. Valeria knows better than to keep all her chickens in the same coop. Still, this is a sizable loss for her. Her men were killed, and some of the missiles were repossessed. Hassan made it out at least. The only issue is, she doesn't know who attacked them. The bodies left over were not wearing British uniforms. Valeria didn't recognize them at all.

She takes a deep breath to calm herself down. She'll have to pay the corporal a visit. He's supposed to be a defense against this kind of thing. It's what she's paying him for. Unless someone offered him more money to betray her. An offence she won't take likely, if that's the case. First and foremost, she needs a break. She decides to pay you a visit. You're the only person not actively irritating her. Like always, you're standing at the counter, just waiting for your shift to be over. You look up from the book you're reading when you hear her come in. The easy smile you flash her calms her down a little.

Maybe she can understand why some people in her line of work get married. Going home to someone completely unconnected to the violence and stress must be nice. A buffer, perhaps. Not that Valeria wants to marry you. Not yet anyway. If you prove yourself to be good enough stress relief, she might consider snatching you off the market for good.

"You look stressed." You remark. She is stressed. How kind of you to notice.

"There's been a few... unexpected surprises at work but I'm dealing." She replies smoothly. That's all she's going to say because that's all you need to know. It would be such a shame if you got too curious and stuck your nose someplace it didn't belong. You seem like a good girl though. Good at minding your business.

You lean down and dig around somewhere before setting down a soft round shape. It's a concha.

"I saved the last one for you, just in case you came in today." You beam at her. "I actually took it out of the display case this morning because if I waited, they would've all been bought." You add on quietly. It's not money, or a solution to all of her problems. The last thing on her mind is baked goods. You did something nice for her though, as small as it is, and she appreciates it.

"Thank you." Valeria says, reaching and grabbing the bread roll. Yes, she thinks, she can definitely see the appeal of having someone to return home to after a long day. She sets her free hand down on the counter. As close to yours as she can get without physically touching.

"It's your weekend tomorrow, yes?" Valeria inquires. You shift your hand subtly and it presses against hers.

"It is." You nod. Looking at her expectantly. Valeria has a lot to do and work out, but she's been doing nothing but work lately. No harm could possibly come from spending one night away from the stress. In fact, the one night away might actually add a few years onto her lifespan.

"We should do something then." She hums. Brushing her thumb against your pinky.

"I'm down for whatever." You murmur.

"I know a good club, I'd love to take you there." Valeria lost the desire to go out clubbing as she entered her thirties, but the club she's thinking of is one she frequented often in her younger years. She's feeling rather nostalgic. That, and it's a good atmosphere to for... physical contact.

You smile.

"Sure, that sounds good." You say. Valeria smiles back. She can't rely on work going her way but at least she can rely on you being so agreeable.

"Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight." She hopes it finally goes somewhere. There's an itch she needs scratching. She could probably find someone else to scratch it in the meantime but even though she doesn't care much for relationships she still prefers to have only one person sharing her bed at a time. A night out with you is exactly what she needs to take her mind off of all her current problems.

[nightlyrequiem]

The Other Side of Paradise

5) To Budding Friendships. (And More.)

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

You stare up at the two disemboweled corpses crucified against a building. They're both wearing cheap looking cowboy hats. Memento Mori is spray painted above them. You turn away from the gruesome sight, at risk of puking. You stand on the sidewalk for a few more minutes. Trying to process what you saw before you head into work. El Sin Nombre made a habit of displaying bodies, but all the other ones were kept on street corners wrapped under sheets. You force yourself to move on. There's nothing you can do for them now.

You enter the bakery and greet your coworker. Your thoughts are caught up on the vile display and you mess up four orders. Your coworker can tell something is wrong, but he doesn't bother asking. People are buzzing with conversation. You weren't the only one who saw it. They're smart enough to talk quietly but a few words are still loud enough to reach your ears. You slip off to the back, so you don't have to listen. You live in a cartel run town and you've lived long enough to see your fair share of gore but for whatever reason this is what's really sticking with you.

You should be working, or at least trying to but all you can do is stare at the soapy sink. You really wish you kept Valeria's number. You could really use someone to talk to. You should really keep your thoughts to yourself but you're sure you can talk to Valeria. She told you she liked how honest you were after all. You force yourself to start washing the dishes. The warm water burns a hidden cut you didn't notice. You gasp in surprise when someone puts a hand on your shoulder. You whip your head to the side and see Mateo. His thick brows are furrowed.

He says your name and looks at you.

"You've been washing the same plate for five minutes." You stare at him blankly. Have you? You're really out of it today. The corpses must be throwing you off.

"I'm sorry." You say haltingly. For once the look Mateo is giving you isn't one of thinly veiled irritation. He looks a little concerned.

"Do you need to take this shift off? Are you feeling sick?" You do in fact, feel a little sick. You don't really want to go home yet though.

"I'm fine," You're always fine. "I just had a bit of trouble getting to sleep last night, the AC is broken again." Mateo looks at you like he doesn't believe you but chooses not to press you on the matter.

"Okay...well...if you do just let me know." He says awkwardly, like he's not used to showing basic kindness. He walks off and leaves you to your work.

Valeria doesn't come to visit you during your shift, and you feel a little disappointed. You go home and keep your eyes averted when you have to pass by that building. You get back to your apartment and go inside. The chill from the AC makes gooseflesh rise on your bare arms. Your apartment is relatively small and empty. Maybe you should get a pet or something. Even a fish would make things look less lonely. You set down the treat basket and head off into the bathroom to wash the day away.

You exit the bathroom freshly clean and check your phone. You rarely get important notifications, but you still always check after being away for more than ten minutes. Just in case. To your surprise you have a few texts from an unsaved number. You know who it is without checking.

"It's Valeria. I was wondering if you were busy tonight?" You are not busy tonight. You're never busy after your shifts. You Sit on the couch and curl your feet up under you.

"No, I'm not busy." You set your phone down and wait for a response. You turn on the tv and watch impatiently. Dulce Obsesión is playing but you aren't really paying attention. The only thing that catches your attention is that one of the main characters looks a little like Valeria.

Twenty minutes later your phone dings and you check it immediately.

"Good. I want to take you out for drinks." She wants to go drinking with you. Aren't you special. You have work tomorrow and you're quite tired, but you won't turn down an opportunity. You try to wait a bit before replying immediately lest you come off as desperate. You are desperate though and decide that mindset is too juvenile at your big age.

"Sure, what bar were you thinking?"

Valeria replies quickly, easing your worries.

"Greenrose." Greenrose? You pick through your memories to see if you know the place. You aren't too familiar with bars. You gave up years ago because you felt lonely sitting in a crowded place where no one wanted to approach you. You don't have very much time to try and work out where it is before Valeria sends you another text.

"I'll pick you up, what's your address?" This almost feels like a date. You send her your address and rush back into the bathroom. You fix yourself up a little bit. You need to buy some new concealer though; you're running dangerously low.

You put on a cute outfit and wait on the couch. Despite the AC you still find yourself sweating and feeling a little too warm. Finally, a knock on your door ushers you to your feet. You wait a few seconds before opening the door. Valeria's eyes dart over you and her lips lift in a friendly smile.

"You look nice, let's go." She says. Turning and walking down the narrow stairs. you follow behind her. Valeria leads you to a clean looking car. She even opens the door for you. You feel a little excited. Your unpleasant feelings over the distressing sight from earlier are long forgotten.

You usually aren't out this late. There's no reason to be and it's generally not very safe. You feel safe with Valeria though.

"You have a nice car." You say. Admiring the clean interior. It looks new but smells used. There's a rosary tied to the rearview mirror. Valeria shoots you a smile before pulling away from the curb.

"Thank you." She sounds proud. You'd be proud too if you could afford a car like this. It looks like a high-end SUV. "It's pretty expensive but it's definingly worth the investment."

"Wow, what do you do for work?" You ask. Genuinely curious. Valeria pauses.

"Something in the pharmaceutical field." She replies vaguely. You tilt your head at her.

"You own a business?"

"Something like that, although I'm more of a... distributer."

You arrive at an admittedly nice-looking bar. The surrounding area looks a little sketchy though.

"I haven't been over here before." You say nervously. Valeria turns off the ignition and looks at you. Her eyes glinting in the low-level light.

"We'll be fine. I come here often." She says calmly. getting out. You do the same and shut the door. Following her into the bar. She confidently weaves her way through the small crowd. There aren't that many people inside but most of them match the area. There's a corner of boisterous men playing cards. A flock of women surrounding them. A few stragglers sit alone drinking. You try not to judge them too harshly. That was you at one point.

You look back to Valeria as she takes a seat at an empty booth. You sit down across from her. You aren't drinking alone this time.

"What do you want?" Valeria asks. "My treat." And she's buying you a drink? You're struggling to tell if this platonic or if she has ulterior motives. You hope it's the latter.

"Vodka lime." You say. Your go-to affordable drink. Valeria nods and gets up.

"I'll be right back."

While she's gone you take the chance to look around again. The men in the corner are still in the middle of their game, the loners are still alone. That makes you think of Valeria. You wonder why she picked you of all people to spend tonight with. Not that you're complaining. Having drinks with a pretty woman is more ideal than wasting your time watching telenovels.

Valeria comes back and sets down a tray of five shots and your Vodka lime. she wastes no time in downing one of them.

"Today was long, it feels nice to just unwind with good company." She says lowly. Locking her fingers together and resting her chin on them. "I haven't had the time to just be."

"Tonight's a good night to simply exist and relax." You remark. Taking a sip of your drink.

'I agree, I'm glad I could find the time to take a break." She hums. "It's nice to spend some time around another woman." She pauses. "Around you. outside the bakery I mean."

You smile and take another sip. You should slow down a little bit. It would be a shame if you got yourself too drunk and embarrassed yourself.

"Speaking of the bakery, I was a little disappointed to not see you today." You reply. Leaning back in your seat.

"Oh, well, my apologies I hate to disappoint," she says with faux seriousness. "I hope this little night out makes up for my transgression."

You forget to take it slow. You finish your Vodka lime and three shots. Valeria goes from a clear outline to slightly blurry. Sometime during the night, you moved from across her to beside her. Your shoulders and thighs brushing against hers. The topics of your conversations shift from work to hobbies to memories.

"I was dating this guy," Valeria murmurs. Your heads close together. "It was a long time ago, just after we graduated and-" She takes a sip from the whiskey she ordered a few minutes ago. "-And we were making out, and he threw up in my mouth." You gape at her then erupt into a flurry of quiet laughter.

"Was he at least a good kisser?"

Valeria snorts in amusement and shakes her head. You grin like a fool, having the most fun you've had in a while. Valeria leans in close enough for her breath to ghost over your face.

"No, he wasn't a very good kisser." She murmurs. The proximity is enough to cause your heart to go into a frenzy. You don't pull away though.

"No?" You reply quietly. "What about you? Are you a good kisser?" Valeria stares you in the eyes intently.

"I'm not sure, perhaps some feedback would help." She whispers.

Valeria begins to lean in when the phone in her back pocket starts to buzz. She pulls away, looking absolutely murderous. She pulls out the little flip phone and sighs. She gets up and runs a hand through her hair.

"I have to take this, it's work related." She walks off towards the exit and steps outside, leaving you by yourself. You wish she would've ignored it but what do you know? You don't run a pharmaceutical business. Or distribution. Or whatever else it was that she does for a living that you can't recall.

[nightlyrequiem]

The Other Side of Paradise

3) Happy Nation

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1,, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

Valeria sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. Trying to ward off the impending headache that always comes with doing paperwork. Tax filing and wages. Boring work that makes her want to tear her hair out. She never knew you needed a license to own a salmon farm but apparently, you do. It's not like money laundering is particularly difficult, it's just the upkeep of the facade is mind numbingly boring.

Her fingers twitch. Itching to hold a cigarette. Sometimes this really doesn't feel like it's worth all the effort. But then she sees her bank account and how strong her city is getting and realizes it definingly is. She's doing a good thing here. Even if some people don't see it that way. So what if she's also reaping the rewards?

Before she knows it, she's already lighting a smoke and taking a much-needed inhale. Savoring the bitter taste. Not for the first time, Valeria considers hiring an assistant. She just can't trust anyone else to do this right. Diego maybe. Only issue being that he's a little dim.

Her thoughts shift to you and your last conversation. Contrary to what she said to you, she doesn't think you should be so honest about your opinions. At least, not right off the bat like that. Your responses definitely left a lot to be desired, but Valeria trusts she'll train the awkwardness out of you. There are certainly a few other things she'd like to train you to do.

Her phone starts buzzing and she takes it out only to realize it's her other phone. She rolls her eyes and checks it. It's Deigo. She doesn't really want to talk to him right now. He didn't do anything wrong, but his voice just gets on her nerves.

She answers anyway. "What?" She barks.

"We have a new client." He replies. He sounds pleased. Valeria rolls her eyes. Her temper flares.

"Okay?" She says impatiently. Waiting for him to elaborate.

"He's different to our usual clients," Diego continues. "It's not drugs he's looking to buy." Valeria props her legs up on her desk. "He wants missiles." Valeria quirks a brow. He wouldn't be the first to request weapons, but it's an uncommon enough of an ask to catch her attention.

"Who is he?"

"Hassan Zyani."

Valeria hums. The name strikes a chord with her. She's sure she's heard of him somewhere.

"His name sounds familiar." She remarks.

"He has ties to Al-Qatala."

Of course. That's where she knows him from. Back when she was still a part of the Mexican Special Forces. She can only guess what he'd want missiles for. She doesn't really care. Terror is good for business after all.

"When does he want them?" She asks. Getting something as dangerous as a missile will be a little more difficult than something like a gun. Valeria can do it though.

"November first." A month. Give or take. Valeria nods to herself. "He wants them smuggled into Chicago; he also wants an escort."

"For the missiles?" She frowns. Does he think they'd just send them over unguarded?

"No, for him." Diego corrects.

Oh. That makes more sense. Valeria removes her legs from her desk and stands up, her knees pop and she frowns. She stubs out her cigarette and responds.

"Tell him we can have it done." She hangs up and sets her burner down. She's done enough work for today. She deserves a treat.

It's late again when she enters the bakery. Late enough for there to be no one else. She feels a spike of satisfaction when she sees you behind the counter alone. You look up from your phone and straighten. Nodding in acknowledgement. She sees that you haven't put away everything yet. Though there's still not much to pick from. No conchas either.

She stops in front of the counter. She can tell by the furrow of your brows that you're feeling nervous. She makes sure to keep up eye contact. "Closing shift again?" Valeria says. "Did you piss off Mateo?" She remembers her first job. She hated the closing shift.

"You know Mateo?" You ask. Eyeing her with what Valeria thinks may be suspicion. Valeria smiles a little. Mildly entertained like a child lifting up a rock to see what exoskeletal creatures hide under it.

"It's a small town, I know most people here."

"Oh." Your fingers tap against the counter. "Well, I actually asked for the closing shift." You say, answering her question. "I like how quiet it gets and I get to take home any leftovers."

Makes enough sense. "You must get lonely though," Valeria says sympathetically. "I know I would." She can't actually sympathize though. She can't recall a time she ever felt lonely.

"I'm used to it." You shrug nonchalantly. Like a bloodhound sniffing for weakness, she picks up on the hint of longing in your voice. Valeria feels that little tingle at the base of her neck. One she gets whenever something is going the way she wants it to.

She watches you lean against the counter. She knows you're trying to come off as casual but the stiffness in your shoulders gives you away.

"What do you do when no one is here?" Valeria continues her inquiry. You strike her as someone who would go dormant. Just stand there silently like a stone carving.

"Well...I clean." You reply.

"No, I mean-" She sighs. "Okay, when you aren't cleaning or tending to customers what do you do?" You pause. Thinking, Valeria hopes.

"I read." You finally say. She watches you check your phone before you meander out from behind the counter. You begin to sweep and cast her a look every couple of seconds. You probably think you're being subtle too.

Valeria calls your name, beckoning you over. Once you're within arm's reach she reaches into her back pocket and takes out a black pen, she doesn't ask before grabbing your hand. For your sake, she pretends to not notice the slight tremor. She writes her number. Going slow to make sure its legible, and to hold onto you for just a little longer.

She finishes and looks at you. You look at your hand, then look at her.

"What's this for?"

"I don't want to come down here every time I want to talk to you." Valeria answers. Pleased by the little smile you try to stifle.

She turns and leaves without a farewell or a baked treat.

She returns to her home and dutifully ignores her office. There's neglected paperwork still waiting for her on her desk. She makes a quick, protein filled meal before heading downstairs to work out for an hour. She feels like going to bed but forces herself forward.

She finally finishes. She's sweaty and sore, and incredibly thirsty. She downs a cup of water and then two more when the first isn't enough. Her feet carry her to her bedroom but just before she reaches salvation she turns left into the bathroom. Just one more thing before she gets to sleep. Her soft bedding waits for her like lover, and it would be rude to show up in this state.

Finally, finally, Valeria gets to crawl into bed. The cool sheets feel like heaven against her skin. She lays down and closes her eyes. The moment would be perfect if her phone didn't start ringing shrilly. She audibly growls like an animal and tries to ignore it.

It's her work phone though. Her hand flashes out and grips the stupid, cheap, almost-out-of-minutes device and answers.

"What?" She asks sharply. She didn't bother checking to see who it was that was calling but she really hopes it's not Diego.

"There was a problem." Deigo says. Valeria seethes quietly.

"What problem? What happened?" She demands. Of course there was a problem. For everything that goes right something must go wrong.

"The Arizona shipment was interrupted by a civilian," Deigo drones on about the details. It was resolved and the witness was taken care of, but Valeria feels lightheaded with anxiety. He described the person, and it sounds a lot like you.

[nightlyrequiem]

The Other Side of Paradise

2) Sing My Praises and I Will Bow to You

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

You took the day off. You actually took a few days off. You feel cowardly hiding up in your apartment, but you were just too afraid of that guy coming back. You should really learn to think before you speak. Trying to be a hero only works out in books and movies. In Las Almas, it gets you shot.

Unfortunately, no matter how afraid you may be, the bills won't pay themselves. You get ready for work. Neck uncomfortably moist with sweat. The AC must be broken again. You can do nothing but hope it will be fixed before you get back. Otherwise, you'll have bust out the old fan to keep you at a reasonable temperature while you sleep.

You grab your keys, phone, and wallet and walk towards the front door. It's so quiet in your apartment that you're glad to be getting out, even if it is just for work. Staying holed up in your apartment for three days did nothing but remind you of how lonely you are. It doesn't help that the only notifications you received were full storage warnings.

You leave and start your short walk to work. Greeting the elderly man that owns the small corner store below your apartment. It's a nice day today. A little too warm but the sky is blue, and the trees are green. There are children running around. It would be perfect and picturesque if it weren't for the 'soldiers' skulking around.

You've spent most of your life living in Las Almas. Such a shame it is to watch it fall into the wrong hands. It's not like the cartel sprouted up overnight like an invasive plant. It belonged to La Araña, then sometime over the last ten years power shifted to El Sin Nombre. Whoever that may be.

The cartel has always been around. It just wasn't as big of a presence when you were a child. Whoever ran it back then had the decency to keep things lowkey. You spot a murial. Splashes of colour put together by someone who clearly takes pride in their work. Too bad the person used their talents to support El Sin Nombre.

You reach the bakery and walk inside. Eyes automatically scanning the crowded room for the man from last week. You almost feel sick with relief when you don't see him. You quickly go behind the counter and grab an apron. You're not entirely sure why they make you wear it. It's not like you are the one making the treats. More often than not you're on dish duty. Which is your first task today. Lucky you.

You go around back and begin to fill the sinks. While you're letting the dishes soak, your manager, Mateo appears behind you. Silent as a cat and scaring you out of your skin.

"Christ!" You exclaim quietly.

"Mateo." He corrects. Judging by his serious expression he's not here to have a friendly chat. "I heard about what happened on Thursday." He says. "I get what you were trying to do, but we have a good thing here." He continues. "Don't go bringing trouble."

He leaves before you can respond and you feel annoyed. People only ever talk to you to tell you what to do or tell you what you're doing wrong. You pick up a rag and scrub at a plate angrily. Although, you do see some sense in what Mateo said. You will be more careful in the future. That's what you tell yourself.

Your shift goes by pretty quickly. Afternoon turns to dusk. You go from dishes to working the counter, to cleaning. You're the only one closing tonight. You still have forty minutes left but you haven't seen a single customer in the last hour. You decide to start your closing tasks early, Mateo doesn't care. There are only five things left in the display case. Not one for wasting you decide to just put them in a basket to take home later.

You start sweeping. Pushing dust and crumbs and whatever else to the center of the room. The bell above the door chimes and you look up. It's Valeria. You straighten, feeling a little flustered because you weren't expecting customers. She sees the lack of other people and you sweeping.

"Are you closed?" She asks. Her voice is pleasant. Smooth and feminine.

"No." You reply. "What would you like?" Valeria turns to look at the display case and you follow her gaze. Feeling like an idiot when you remember you already took everything out. "Uh, there's still some stuff left in the back, I'll go and get it." You say quietly.

You set the broom against the wall and hurry off behind the counter, clipping your hip on the edge. You hope she didn't see that. You bring over the little basket containing leftover treats and take out a couple of mini cheesecakes and three cookies. Meager pickings but if she wanted better, she should've come in earlier.

Valeria looks over her options. She looks back up at you with a lazy expression. "Do you have any conchas left?"

"Sorry, this is all that we have." You say apologetically. She looks a little disappointed but doesn't comment. Instead, she just looks at you. It starts to border on rude when she finally speaks again.

"We went to the same school." She remarks. You already knew that. You're a little surprised that she recognized you. You didn't exactly run in the same crowd. You nod in response. "I don't quite remember your name...?"

You tell her and she nods. She doesn't share hers. Probably assuming that you already know it. Another uncomfortable silence settles over you two like a too-warm blanket. You're trying to think of something to say to ease the awkward tension when she speaks again.

"Do you make the pastries?" She asks, tilting her head slightly. You shake your own in response. Starting to pick up the food from off the counter. Putting the items back into the basket. "What do you do here then?" You look at her and study her expression. Wondering if she's being hostile. Her expression looks relaxed.

You move the basket to the side. "I help out." You reply. She can probably guess what you do. It's not like a service worker's tasks are top secret knowledge.

"Cleaning, selling treats, and security." She murmurs. "You're quite the package." So that's why she's talking to you. You were wondering why. She was here last week; she witnessed the events that transpired. You had seen her in her corner. Why should she care though?

You shrug. She continues. "That man is in the cartel." She states obviously. Because clearly you couldn't tell. "I've seen him patrolling."

"Yes." You reply. Suddenly a little less eager to talk to her. She's wearing jeans and a tank top that shows off toned arms and tattoos. Is she a part of the cartel? You feel a little judgmental for thinking that way. Don't judge a book by the cover and all that. Even though that's the whole point of the cover.

Leaning against the counter in a way you hope comes off as nonchalant, you try to do some damage control. Just in case she is in the cartel. "He can be whatever he wants to be," you say. "But he doesn't have the right to come in here and throw his weight around." Actually, that might not be the best thing to say to someone you suspect of being in a dangerous organization.

Valeria smiles. "You're right." She says. You feel like a child being told 'good job' by a teacher. "Some people seem to think that just because they have a gun, they're invincible."

You like what she's saying. Your feelings do a one-eighty, and you decide you do like talking to her.

"It's refreshing to hear someone be more honest with their opinions." Valeria praises. "I can respect that." You feel flattered. You know a few people who are pretty honest about their opinions but clearly, she doesn't. That's fine with you. As long as she keeps complimenting you.

Valeria's phone buzzes and she takes it out from her back pocket to check. You're caught off guard by how outdated it looks. Not everyone can afford or wants the newest phone on the market, but seeing a flip phone catches you off guard. Her easy-going expression falters only for a few seconds before she relaxes her facial muscles again.

"I have to get going," she says. "I enjoyed talking to you though. I'll be seeing you tomorrow." She gives no room for response or protest. She just smiles once then turns and walks out. You finish cleaning. Feeling slightly giddy. You also feel nervous, going over your conversation in your head.

You go home after closing and bound across the sidewalks. Feeling as light as a feather and bright as the sun. Your pleased mood sours slightly when you enter your apartment. It's sweltering and humid. The AC is still broken.