#threads; devlin/piper

[pyrokineticwarrior]

Homecoming Embrace || Devlin & Piper

Devlin pushed open the front door, his steps heavy and weary. The weight of what he had witnessed weighed heavily on his shoulders, leaving him feeling numb and drained. He longed for the comfort and solace of home, knowing that Piper would be there, waiting for him.

As he entered their shared space, he could feel the exhaustion in every fiber of his being. His movements were slow and deliberate as he made his way to the bedroom. Devlin slumped down onto the edge of the bed, his body sinking into the soft mattress.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, carrying the weight of the day's events. The weariness etched deep lines on his face, shadows of the battles he had fought. He closed his eyes, trying to find a moment of respite in the comforting familiarity of their home.

@sharpenurdamnknife

[pyrokineticwarrior]

“Hey,” he said softly, with just enough gravel in his voice to make it real, “you don’t owe me an apology for your history. You’re allowed to have roots... even if they’re tangled in red dirt and old ghosts.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, eyes still scanning the quiet street like he could keep her safe just by looking hard enough. “I’m not afraid of Bon Temps. If it tries to drag you back in, it’s gonna have to deal with me, too.”

He let the tension melt a little as she teased him. “Definitely the Jesus,” he said with a smirk. “Six-pack Jason just wants to wrestle and talk about his truck. Born-again Jason wants to save my soul and hand me pamphlets.”

When she answered his question about cooking, though, it hit him in the chest harder than he expected. His smile gentled, and he looked over at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

“Well,” he murmured, “guess I’ll just have to keep letting you love me like that, then. God help me if it comes with cornbread. I might never leave.”

He paused as they passed another pair of gawking locals, lifting his brows. “You’d think they just saw a ghost. Or a woman who escaped Bon Temps and had the audacity to come back with a fine-ass man in tow.” He glanced at her again. “You okay?”

@sharpenurdamnknife

Piper kept glancing at him as he processed. It made her nervous even though he had always been the most understanding man that she had ever met. Every man had his limits after all.

"Yeah..." She murmured, clearly a little bit timid in answering- not exactly a Piper like reaction. "I know I know. But I am slowly trying yto...untangle." She admitted. Though Bon Temps sometimes felt like a black hole whos pull she just kept getting pulled back into. God forbid it drag Devlin into it with her.

She snorted as his description. "Oh man which would be worse? Jesus or the six pack?" She asked, reaching out when he didn't seem mad and squeezing his hand.

She snorted at that. "You know very well that I dont know how to order anything off Etsy anyway." She teased as she turned off onto the street in town. She bit her lip as a few people walking looked up in surprise to see their car. No doubt that they thought she was coming back to come back.

Luckily Devlins question distracted her. "If I taught you and you did it yourself, how would I show you I love you?" She asked back.

[persephonyed]

hiiiii cuties and happy friday! woohoo !! ♡

okay, it's that time again where i caught up on all of my drafts, and i'm finally allowing myself to get some new threads going. below the cut are muses that i really, really want to write with lately ( as well as a couple test muses ) + little descriptions of each of them. give this post a like if you're interested in writing / plotting / etc. with any of them and i'll come to you! you can even just treat this as a like for a starter even if u wanna. i'm really excited to write some new things and potentially find some new people to write with. ☺️

*** if u like the post, when i message u, i can and will ramble on and on about character descriptions and what everyone is like. i just didn't want to put it here because the post is already so long!

arden henderson — olivia cooke fc. late 20s, bisexual, forensic criminologist.

blair bennett — katie douglas fc. early 20s, bisexual, university student.

camille st. clair — jessica alexander fc. early 20s, bisexual, aspiring actress.

cora devlin — daisy edgar jones fc. mid 20s, bisexual, hair stylist.

darby davies — hailee steinfeld fc. mid 20s, lesbian, film & tv actress.

erin nichols — jessica chastain fc. mid 40s, bisexual, housewife.

eve lawson — willa fitzgerald fc. early 30s, bisexual, historian.

jillian "jill" walsh — alva bratt fc. mid 20s, bisexual, freelance photographer.

laia aguilar — fiona palomo fc. early 20s, bisexual, university student.

malia dixon — greta onieogou fc. early 30s, bisexual, indie film director.

margot jensen — sydney sweeney fc. mid 20s, bisexual, diner waitress and cult escapee / survivor.

maude morgan — ella purnell fc. mid 20s, bisexual, unemployed rich girl and secret drug dealer.

nora giuliani — victoria pedretti fc. late 20s, lesbian, true crime journalist and podcaster.

preston fox — rudy pankow fc. mid 20s, bisexual, university student, fraternity president, and lead singer / guitarist of his band.

palmer mckenzie — erana james fc. mid 20s, lesbian, professional athlete.

piper novak — samara weaving fc. early 30s, pansexual, coffee shop owner.

ramona "romy" park — adeline rudolph fc. late 20s, bisexual, professional concert photographer.

ruby brodsky — gideon adlon fc. late 20s, bisexual, arts grad student.

siena norwood — florence pugh fc. late 20s but is really centuries old, bisexual, vampire.

( the ones below this are all test muses ! )

bellamy caldeira — alba baptista fc. mid 20s, bisexual, will take any job that pays the bills.

katia garcia — camila mendes fc. late 20s, bisexual, competitive cheerleading coach.

penelope "penny" sosa — camila morrone fc. mid 20s, bisexual, team usa professional soccer player and secret onlyfans / cam girl.

valeria "val" quintero — rachel zegler fc. early 20s, bisexual, musical theatre university student.

[hoodedhalcandran-archive]

Your new nickname is magazine. Your hat looks like burnt maccoroni. Can I eat your crown???

“The Little Engine That Could is an illustrated children’s book that became widely known in the United States after publication in 1930 by Platt & Munk. The story is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children”

BACKGROUND

The story’s signature phrases such as “I think I can” first occurred in print in a 1902 article in a Swedish journal. An early published version of the story, “Story of the Engine That Thought It Could”, appeared in the New-York Tribune on April 8, 1906, as part of a sermon by the Rev. Charles S. Wing.

A brief version of the tale appeared under the title Thinking One Can in 1906, in Wellspring for Young People, a Sunday school publication. This version reappeared in a 1910 book, Foundation Stones of Success.

Another version was published under the name “The Pony Engine” in the Kindergarten Review in 1910, written by Mary C. Jacobs. A different version with the same title appeared in a magazine for children in 1916 under the name of Mabel C. Bragg, a teacher, but she “took no credit for originating the story”.

The story first appeared in print with the title The Little Engine That Could in 1920, collected in one volume of My Book House, a set of books sold in the U.S. by door-to-door salespersons. The Book House version began, “Once there was a Train-of-Cars; she was flying across the country with a load of Christmas toys for the children who lived on the other side of the mountain.” The story was labeled  “As told by Olive Beaupré Miller”; the first edition gave credit to Bragg, but subsequent editions did not as Miller subsequently concluded that “the story belonged to the realm of folk literature”. Miller was the founding editor and publisher of The Book House for Children, a company based in Chicago.

The best known incarnation of the story The Little Engine That Could was written by “Watty Piper”, a pen name of Arnold Munk, who was the owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk. Arnold Munk was born in Hungary, and as a child, moved with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago. Later he moved to New York. Platt & Munk’s offices were at 200 Fifth Avenue until 1957 when Arnold Munk died. Arnold Munk used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children’s books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published. He personally hired Lois Lenski to illustrate the book. This retelling of the tale The Pony Engine appeared in 1930, with a title page that stated: “Retold by Watty Piper from The Pony Engine by Mabel C. Bragg’s copyrighted by George H. Doran and Co.”

In 1954, Platt & Munk published another version of The Little Engine That Could, with slightly revised language and new, more colorful illustrations by George and Doris Hauman. Although there had been many previous editions of this classic story, “It was the work of George and Doris Hauman that earned The Little Engine the title of being worthy to sit on the same shelf as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” A 1976 rework featured art by Ruth Sanderson received a lot of attention at the time of its release, in part because the art reflected “the stereotypes of masculine strength and feminine weakness in vogue when it was written”.

PLOT

In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain. Larger engines, treated anthropomorphically, are asked to pull the train; for various reasons they refuse. The request is sent to a small engine, who agrees to try. The engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating its motto: “I-think-I-can”.

The story of the little engine has been told and retold many times. The underlying theme is the same — a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try and, while repeating the mantra “I think I can, I think I can”, overcomes a seemingly impossible task.

An early version goes as follows:

A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill. “I can’t; that is too much a pull for me”, said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. “I think I can”, puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, “I—think—I—can, I—think—I—can.” It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”

VERSIONS

Later versions would revamp the story to have a more specific appeal for children – the stranded train is recast as a train of good food and anthropomorphic toys for the children across the mountain, thus in saving the train the little engine seems to be working for the benefit of the child reader, making the successful deed all the more triumphant.

In these versions another character appeared and remained a key part of the story hereafter – the clown ringleader of the toys who attempts to find help with several locomotives but is rebuffed. The number of engines in the story also eventually became standard across the tellings: The happy locomotive on the toy train who breaks down and cannot go on, the pompous passenger engine who considers himself too grand for the task, the powerful freight engine who views himself as too important, and the elderly engine who lacks either the strength or determination to help the toys. The little blue engine always appears last and, although perhaps reluctant (some editions have the engine clarify her role as a switcher not suited for road-work), always rises to the occasion and saves the day for the children over the mountain.

Each engine is defined by its appearance or function and is not given a name or personality beyond its role on the railroad. It is only in the 1991 film adaption that the engines’ personalities are expanded on, including the granting of names: Farnsworth (the express engine), Pete (the freight engine), Georgia (the friendly engine of the toy train), Jebediah (the elderly engine) and Tillie, the titular “little engine that could”. The clown was also named “Rollo” and a sixth engine character, Doc, appeared briefly to recover the broken-down Georgia and thus tie up the hanging story-thread of what happened to the failed engine of the toy train, which all other versions leave unaddressed.

FILMS

The tale with its easy-to-grasp moral has become a classic children’s story and was adapted in November 1991 as a 30-minute animated film produced in Wales and co-financed in Wales and the United States. The film named the famous little engine Tillie and expanded the narrative into a larger story of self-discovery.

In March 2011, the story was adapted as a 3-D film named The Little Engine That Could, produced by Universal Studios and featuring the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alyson Stoner, and Corbin Bleu.

“LITTLE ENGINE” TOYS AND RAIL TOURS

A full-size replica of the Little Engine That Could makes an annual circuit around the United States. Arranged through Rail Events, Inc., a number of tourist and museum railroad operations host the “I Think I Can” Rail Tour. The replica was constructed in 2005 by the Strasburg Rail Road in southeast Pennsylvania. Strasburg also constructed the Thomas The Tank Engine replicas that tour the United States.

American toy company Whittle Shortline produces wooden toy trains of The Little Engine That Could as a domestic alternative to Thomas the Tank Engine. Maxim Enterprise held the license prior to 2006.

IN POPULAR CULTURE

In the 1941 Disney movie Dumbo, when Casey Jr. the circus train puffs up a hill, he chants, “I think I can!” and “I thought I could!” when going down the hill.

International champion vintage motorcycle racer Todd Henning’s motto was “I think I can!” and he named his racing team I Think I Can Racing after the book.

This book was chosen by “Jumpstart Read for the Record” to be read worldwide to tens of thousands of children on August 24, 2006.[7]

Shel Silverstein wrote the poem “The Little Blue Engine”, which referenced this story.

West End and Broadway musical Starlight Express was loosely based on the book.

The original logo for Elton John’s record label The Rocket Record Company was based on the book.

One of the Vagina Monologues is called “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could”.

The chorus of C'mon ‘N’ Ride It by the Quad City DJ’s repeats “I think I can!” as a rhythmic part to sound like a train.

A song on The Pillows Fool on the Planet album is called “I think I can”, and the chorus is a repeat of “I think I can!”.

NBA player Kyle Lowry is nicknamed “The Little Engine That Could” by Toronto Raptors play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin.

In episode 1 of season 3 of the TV series Married… with Children titled “He Thought He Could”, Al Bundy has to return a copy of the book that he borrowed in 1957.

A Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson, published October 18, 1993, shows the little engine sitting broken on the sidewalk, panhandling with a sign reading “I thought I could, I thought I could …”.

SEE ALSO

Thomas the Tank Engine

….Vi didn’t know how to answer this one so I, here loving boyfriend @Ravioko, did so for her.

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEWS - PROGRESS WRESTLING CHAPTER 78 '24 HOUR PROGRESS PEOPLE'

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Graps and Claps, this time taking me on a short journey to Manchester for PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 78 '24 Hour Progress People' from the Ritz in the first time since a banging show in February at the same venue and the first time since the big Victoria Warehouse show in May so for the people in attendance the anticipation of seeing something that they hadn't seen live for a few months was high.

Having spent the last days at Southside Wrestling which if you want to check anything out from there weekend of 3 shows make sure you check out the all-womens show on the Friday night which nearly everyone stood out on the evening especially Kris Wolf, Millie McKenzie, Kanji and Shanna with the latter winning the Queen of the Ring title and duly defended it the next evening against former NXT wrestler Kimber Lee on the Saturday evening show. 

There were also a couple of killer Mike Bailey matches on the Saturday shows vs Senza Volto in the afternoon and in the evening as part of a mixed tag team match where he teamed with his real life partner Veda Scott taking on another couple in the form of Xia Brookside & Sean Kustom that exceeded expectations by far, plus there was the continuation of my long running feud with Nottingham's No.1 Soy Boy Gabriel Kidd who offered me out to the car park for a word or two which never materialised. Truthfully though the Southside Sheffield Double Header's are usually great fun but tiring on the legs and your liver if you are drinking many £3 cans of Hooch!

With that said, let's get into my trip to PROGRESS on Sunday which started at 11am from Rochdale Train Station arriving into the first meeting spot of the Brewdog next to the Albert Hall concert venue due to Oxford Road being very busy due to the Manchester Derby between Manchester City and Manchester United and also the Remembrance Sunday commemorations. Only the one drink in here for me which was a Mad Hatter Brewery Choco Choc Choc (£4.80 2/3rds) that had a burnt orange after taste to it but it was spot on as a palate cleanser to commence the drinking for the day.

After a phone call from Athers of his whereabouts, we moved on to The Courtyard which is located not too far away from the Ritz and is widely known as more of a student drinking den with prices as low as £2.85 for pints of Pravha of which I had 3 pints of, take into account as well the half price 10 inch pizzas on a Sunday (£4) and you have a relatively cheap afternoon out before the graps. The only downfall about this place are the urine stained piss gutters and as Athers found out - no locks of note on the disabled toilet doors, meaning me and our Geoff had to play guardsmen to make sure the door was shut whilst Athers was doing his business.

Arriving at the Ritz for 230pm, we were supposed to be sat in 4th row seating but due to the sheer amount of people I know standing up for the afternoon we took our position in front of the merch desk which provided an excellent view for the afternoon's action, so without further ado let's get into what went down!

After the usual pleasantries from compere Jim, we got into the first match with Eddie Dennis receiving quite the ovation from the Manchester audience but was soon turned to jeers once the match got going against his opponent, the aforementioned 'Speedball' Mike Bailey who was looking to continue his blinding form from the weekend into this match. Early stages and Eddie used his considerable height advantage on Bailey as he he hit a sweet Cravat Neckbreaker for a two count, Bailey fired back though with a boot to the face following up with a twirling Shooting Star Press for a two count. It has to be noted that Bailey is very accustomed to using his body as a dangerous weapon using many variations of double knee stomps and splashes to wound his opponents, but on one occasion during this match, Bailey tried to his the double knees to Eddie on the Apron but missed leaving him with very sore shins - OUCH!

Back in the ring, Eddie hit a big powerbomb for 2 count but Bailey came back once again to hit a tornado roundhouse kick to Dennis whilst he was in the ring corner to floor Eddie, leaving Bailey to hit the Moonsault double knees from the top rope for a close two fall. Bailey though once again tried for the Moonsault knees but he missed leading to Eddie hitting a Next Stop Driver which got an amazing 2 count that brought a huge reaction from the crowd in attendance. Sadly though Eddie didn't rest on his laurels and duly put Bailey away with a Super Style Next Stop Driver for the win to end an amazing opener that set the tone for what would be one of the best PROGRESS show certainly in the last couple of years. Both lads deserved the round of applause from the Manchester faithful - fan-dabbie-dozzie!!!

Next up brought the usual Women being on 2nd spot, but this one brought the debut of local favourite Lana Austin who has been touted for ages for a spot on a PROGRESS chapter show as she has consistently been one of the most improved wrestler on the circuit and without one of the best women wrestlers out there in the UK and Europe. Knowing Lana very well through the North West over the years brought a sense of happiness seeing someone who has worked hard to get to this spot be very satisfying. Lana's opponent for the afternoon was Isla Dawn who had a fine match against Millie McKenzie at the last Camden show till The Spice Girls & All Saints came in and interfered,

The early feeling out process in this match was very much a 50/50 split from an offence side of things, but from a crowd side of things it was 99% in Lana's favour. Lana managed to stun Isla with the 'Peach Punch' arse smash to get a two count but it was when Lana missed a dive from the top rope that she was duly punished by Dawn who had Lana up in the electric chair position to be transitioned into a bridging  suplex pin to get the unpopular 3 count in a fairly decent contest - better luck next time Lana!

Third up, it was like looking at a mirror image as 'Smashmouth' Chris Ridgeway took on the 'Killer Import' Jordan Devlin in what looked on paper to be a hard hitting contest and one that turned out to be just that. Devlin who has been tearing up the Irish scene by store had the upper hand as he hit a Spanish Fly at one stage to get a two count on Ridgeway. Devlin followed up with hard boots and then a brainbuster which was then reversed by Ridgeway into a choke to send Devlin sprawling for the ropes. Devlin though shook this off when reversing another choke into a Piper/Hart pin for a 2 count, Devlin once again went up top trying to hit a Moonsault but was caught once again by Ridgeway who locked in a triangle choke. 

With both wrestlers at a standing base though, Devlin headbutted Ridgeway in a duel of two rutting stags to get a two count to elicit a standing ovation from those in attendance. Ridgeway fought back from this and hit a Cradle Piledriver not seen since the days of Jerry Lynn in ECW but Devlin managed somehow to roll through from this and hit a huge Package Piledriver to get the 3 count to win an excellent battle - this show ruled! One thing I didn't quite get was the appearance of Paul Robinson who challenged the defeated Chris Ridgeway saying 'Your supposed to be Hard as Fuck, but I am Harder than you' setting up a match possibly for the next Manchester show in December - surely the bloke who is Hard as Fuck shouldn't have been the one who was just defeated? Probably this was one of two minor gripes on this afternoon.

Your half time main event next with David Starr who has had a beard trim taking on Ilja Draganov who thankfully didn't come out to them Wembley jungle drums this time. To follow up what had already been an amazing first half, this delivered despite as we would find out a bit of a duff finish in one sense (I'm a clean finish man). This match had lariat battles galore between both me with sweat and souls escaping both wrestlers bodies eventually flooring both men on a couple of occasions, dives by both Starr and Ilja were hit to leave people running from there seats to move out of the way. 

Back in the ring with the match ready to go off the scale, Ilja hit a huge Torpedo Moscow headbutt to Starr to leave him laying but as he was ready to win the match out came 'The Kiwi Buzzsaw' Travis Banks wearing some newly acquired threads to attack both Ilja and Starr to cause the No Contest much to the disgust of the crowd and firmly positioning Banks in the position of bad guy for the future as he possibly goes into two mouth watering clashes against both Ilja and Dave which makes sense as we close out 2018, but just the clean finish man in me though they could have left this as an after match angle but hey ho - it is what it is!

Back from half time now with the crowd firmly settled from a scorching first half we returned with Tag Team title action as Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) made the second defence of their titles against #CTK (Timothy Thatcher & Chris Brookes). The CTK tag team dominated early one with both Thatcher and Brookes getting the better of the Aussies but Davis and Fletcher came back with for instance Fletcher hitting a dive to the outside on both Timo and Brookes.

Back in the ring Brookes tried many variations of trying to roll up the Aussies and got multiple 2 counts from Referee Joel, but it Brookes who got a taste of his own medicine as Kyle Fletcher used a roll up of his own to pin Brookes in around 15 minutes to end a really good back and forth match.

Inspired but failed chant credit goes to my mate Davey who tried to get me to chant 'Brooksey & Tim' to the tune of 90s Children's TV show Rosie & Jim - sadly it fell flat on its arse but I enjoyed it.

Second to last match now with the Atlas Open Challenge with the Champion Trent Seven facing a mystery opponent with many names mentioned around the RItz on the afternoon but ending up with a great option in the form of Liverpool's No.1 Zack Gibson accompanied with his tag partner James Drake for whom he had a few miscommunication's with in the last few weeks. What followed was to be one of the most funniest mic battles with some reet cutting barbs against each other - the one about Trent Seven being the cheap option if Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate weren't available left me in stitches and literally leaving Trent lying on the floor. 

It was one comment though that would come back to bite Gibson on the arse as he said that all Trent was famous for was getting beat in 6 seconds by Matt Riddle at SSS16 two years ago. As the bell sounded though as per Gibson's request he was caught unawares by Trent who rolled up the Scouse Mouth in 5 seconds to send the crowd in rapture and roars of laughter as Gibson's expense - this was great booking and just what was needed after all the action before it (Thumbs up and a ten from Len)! After the match, disgusted at his defeat Gibson had a pushing match with Drake who he left alone in the ring as it looks like the Grizzled Young Veterans will be searching out divorce proceedings as a tag team.

Now is the time for the Main Event with No.1 Contender Mark Haskins trying to do the impossible as he looked to beat the unstoppable Austrian Monster WALTER. Now I admit and like a few others didn't have high expectations that Haskins would pull off the victory on this evening in Manchester but as we would find out the impossible nearly came possible! In this match Haskins played the underdog in peril perfectly here getting the Manchester crowd who had once booed him against Zack Gibson in his first title run, fully behind the man from Malvern.

With Walter looking dominant early on, Haskins managed to at least get in some offence as he floored the Austrian to hit a double stomp for a two count, Haskins followed up with the bounce back dive to the outside, back in the ring Haskins managed of all things to wrap Walter in a Sharpshooter to get him close to tapping, but Walter reached around with his huge arms (it has to be said that Walter is looking more and more in solid shape to add to his menacing demeanor) to reverse the submission into a choke of his own which Haskins managed to get out of.

Haskins on a couple of occasions tried to roll through to lift Walter but on the second time of trying he was caught in a choke sleeper but rolled through over Walter to get a 2 count. Walter did hit a powerbomb which has put away opponents in the past for a 2 count, but when at a standing base Walter put away a valiant Haskins with the Steiner Screwdriver for the 3 count to end a breathless main event and what a fitting end to an almost perfect 3 and half hour show and for me made me believe in Mark Haskins as a threat once again for the future despite losing.

Show finished, it was time for the debrief and a bit of a tea in Wetherspoons to chat with the usual folks about what a great evening of action it was. By the time 8pm, I left to catch my train thinking of what a great day and weekend I have had at the wrestling with some top people and in no way feeling burn out from it, but glad of the rest now until Sunday 18th November and Tidal Wrestling in Leeds.

In closing though, I fully recommend you check out this show on PROGRESS On Demand when it arrives as it could easily be in my top 10 shows of the year and touching the top 5 from a live experience side of things. So I hope you have enjoyed reading this review, please leave any feeback give it a share, like or retweet and I will see you next time for Tidal Wrestling at the weekend.

#grapsandclaps

@oggypart3

[pyrokineticwarrior]

@sharpenurdamnknife got a starter from {X}

Feeling Piper shiver in his embrace as a chill crept into the room, Devlin remembered this weather was all new to her. He went to wrap his arms around her from behind where she stood. "It's called snow," Devlin told her gently.

A tender kiss on her neck had been placed by Devlin then as he said in a low voice, "Let me warm you up." Piper had been swept off her feet as Devlin carried her in his strong arms to the sofa.

There, Piper had been sat and positioned in Devlin's lap, her back leaning cozily against his chest. Wrapped snugly in a soft blanket, she then relaxed against Devlin as he wound his arms around her middle, pulling her close. Carefully and nimbly he took off one layer off her after another. He can feel that Piper's trembling slowly had subsided m hoping she can absorb his radiating body heat.

As they gazed out at the snow falling past the window, joy swelled in Devlin's heart to feel Piper's shape mold so perfectly against his own in that moment.

[pyrokineticwarrior]

Cajun Mac n Cheese Piper Makes Deev after a hunt cause....carbs hi.

"Shut up, Piper! You made this!?" He exclaimed out of pure joy. Leave it to Piper to know just how voracious Devlin would become after a long, strenuous activity. Hunting left him with an adrenaline rush unlike any other, and combined with mouth-watering food that his entrancing chef prepared just out of love, was everything he could ever want in that moment. How did she know this was one of his favorite comfort foods?

Out of heightened passion for Piper, he nuzzled close to her, thanking her with what he knew best- through little pecks around her adorable face.

"Thank you baby. I love you so, so much!"

@sharpenurdamnknife

[pyrokineticwarrior]

"Oh my god." Piper's hand came to cover her mouth. "You have such a baby face without your beard!" She was trying not to laugh but she definitely sounded way too surprised.

"Just trying a new look. You like it, Pipes?"

@sharpenurdamnknife

[pyrokineticwarrior]

"I can't keep my worries from you Piper. I don't stick around a place often, and when I do battle with others, I protect them with my life. And now- you can imagine... it's not that I feel like I can't do it. I just have anxiety about the dangers I bring."

"But if I can look after you and Cassie, thus far, I can strive to continue what I'm doing. I must."

@sharpenurdamnknife

"What are you terrifed of babe?" She couldn't help but ask, both confused and curious.

[pyrokineticwarrior]

👍 👍

👍 👍 👍

🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑

His baby mama says that’s a top notch booty

Send me a 👍 if you think my muse has a nice booty.

Devlin's cheeks flushed slightly as Piper walked in on him changing and complimented his "booty." He quickly tried to regain his composure, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"Well, well, seems like someone's got an eye for fine demigod craftsmanship," he replied, his tone teasing and lighthearted. "But let's not forget that your compliments might go straight to my head, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

He playfully flexed his muscles and struck a mock heroic pose, feigning arrogance. "Be careful, Miss Piper Beau. If my ego grows any bigger, I might start demanding offerings of ambrosia and nectar every morning. After all, it takes a demigod's workout routine to maintain such a divine derriere."

@sharpenurdamnknife

[pyrokineticwarrior]

@sharpenurdamnknife from (X)

"No. I mean yes, you're right, of course you're right," Devlin stammered, utterly in shock because this was the first time it happened. Any time he engaged in intimate hookups he was utterly careful because of how detail oriented he can be. But imagine his horror when he found out that there was a tear and it brought up chances of an unwanted outcome.

Still, he desired to be as levelheaded as ever, lest he inadvertently upset or cause even more distress to Piper. Taking deep breaths, he managed to calm down once more and it helped when she was calm too. Not a shred of clothes were on them as they returned to one another's embrace, his forehead resting on hers and attempted to reassure.

"Hey, it's just one time. I don't think anything is going to happen, nor should you worry," he spoke between kisses, and pulled her back down on top of him and smoothed his hand over the curve of her spine as a satisfied, familiar drowsiness weighed on him. "You were so sexy when you got on top. I think I am still seeing stars."

[pyrokineticwarrior]

@sharpenurdamnknife

Everyday life began to feel like normalcy, and that honestly was a significant blessing for the warrior who had not realized how much he desired this very moment until now. Taking care of Piper and Cassie gave him a sense of purpose and newfound pride. They were kind, expressive and made him feel like he belonged. He poured them some freshly squeezed lemonade and sat next to them in the front porch. Devlin took a deep breath, savoring the tall glass of tart sweetness. He waited for Cassie to leave briefly, before leaning over and expressing his feelings.

"Piper, being with you has opened my eyes to a world beyond the battles I've fought. You've shown me that there's beauty in the everyday moments, in the laughter and the calm conversations on front porches. It's a stark contrast to the chaos I've grown accustomed to, and I find myself drawn to this new kind of peace."

He reached for Piper's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I've spent so much of my life focused on protecting others, often at the expense of my own happiness. But with you, it feels different. It feels like I can protect and be protected, that we can face the challenges together and find solace in each other's presence."

"I want to admit something, and it took me some bravery to do so but, I think you can already tell, I'm growing feelings for you. You are all I think about, Piper."

[pyrokineticwarrior]

Devlin observed the scene before him, taking in the tense atmosphere and the weariness in Piper's eyes. He could sense the weight of the situation weighing heavily on her shoulders. He wanted to provide support and comfort, to be there for her and Cassie.

As Cassie nestled into Piper's arms, Devlin couldn't help but feel a surge of love and protectiveness towards both of them. He walked over and stood beside them, placing a hand on Piper's back in a gentle gesture of solidarity. He wanted her to know he was there for her, that he had her back.

"I love you too," Devlin whispered, knowing he cannot erase the pain and challenges, but he was still there for them.

Later that night, as the tension settled and the three of them found themselves in the kitchen, Devlin took the initiative to prepare dinner. He saw it as an opportunity to contribute in a practical way, ensuring that Piper and Cassie were well-fed and nourished. He knew that sometimes a comforting meal could help ease the burdens of the day.

Devlin moved around the kitchen, chopping vegetables and stirring pots, his mind still processing the events of the day. He stayed close to Piper, offering a helping hand whenever she needed it, but also giving her space if she desired it. He understood that she might need time to process and gather her thoughts.

As they sat down to eat, Devlin kept a watchful eye on Piper and Cassie, ready to offer support or engage in conversation if they wished. He wanted them to know that they were not alone, that he was there for them through thick and thin.

@sharpenurdamnknife

Piper knew that she was going to have to explain everything to Devlin. She knew she would have to tell him what when she walked in and saw him and Isabella standing there and her mother clearly starting to flirt within five minutes of meeting him, she would have to tell him what had happened before. She didn't want to and she didn't know how she was going to do it, but she knew she couldn't do it in a text.

God she wanted a drink. After telling Isebella to leave Devlin alone and her mother smirking all challengingly at her, the older women went up to put her clothing in the master and a shower after showering. Piper sat down with a sigh and rubbed her face in her hands, letting the silence of the living room wash over her.

Hearing the door open she looked up to see Devlin come in with Cassie, both of them looking concerned and Cassie looking around to see if their mother was still there, a nervousness there. Piper shook her head and held her arms open for the little girl to run into them. She hugged her tight while looking over her little head at Devlin.

l love you, she mouthed to him again, hoping that he hadn't taken the text the wrong way but knowing how it sounded without any context.

She focused on her sister though, pulling away enough to brush some hair out of the little girls face. "Listen. I love you. Devlin loves you. No matter what she says or does, you will never ever be alone again. Okay?" The words were blunt and left no question. She wanted her to understand that. "I'll never ever leave you again."

Cassie nodded, said 'I love you' bac and seemed to look like she relaxed a little and it broke Pipers heart that a six year old needed to be reassured of that. She kissed her forehead hard before looking back at Devlin with a soft wariness in her eyes that she'd never actually showed him before.

[pyrokineticwarrior]

Devlin listened to Piper's laughter and felt a warmth in his chest, grateful that he could bring a smile to her face.

"Piper, my love, let me tell you something about myself," he began, his voice filled with sincerity. "I might be a fearsome warrior on the outside, but deep inside, I have always been a romantic at heart. You know-I carry my emotions on my sleeve because that's just who I am."

He paused for a moment, watching her, wanting her to truly understand. "You are not too much for me, Piper. In fact, you are everything I never knew I needed. Your sharpness, your laughter, and yes, even you open up and you're all soft—it all draws me closer to you. It makes me appreciate you even more because it shows me different facets of the amazing woman you are."

He brought her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I understand that sometimes my expressiveness can be surprising or overwhelming, but please know that it comes from a place of deep affection and admiration for you. I'm like, your biggest fan, Piper. I'll be cheering you in for the rest of our lives. My sweetness and tenderness found its perfect home... in you."

@sharpenurdamnknife

"How could you possibly see?" She half laughed. It was clearly a self depricating one. Because how could someone as sweet and kind as Devlin, someone who had that smile and those eyes, that sweetness that just radiating out of him, understand? She knew he was a warrior; on some level understood vunrability but damn. Emotionally he was so open and perfect. At least he was perfect to her, even if he shocked her with his sweetness sometimes. "I'm just lucky that you met be first before one of the sweet southern girls."

She actually laughed at the next part. "Please. Before you I never even had a scare. And I was having alot of casual sex." She snorted. "We can pick fate and super sperm. They aren't mutually exclusive." She nudged him before he got serious again.

She flushed. "I dont want you to stop. Sometimes it just scares me that being romantic could be....well wrong or too much for you to deal with."

[pyrokineticwarrior]

Devlin couldn't believe what he was hearing. She really thought he would get grossed out by her, or even sick of her? Maybe he did not do a good job in reassuring her before, but he was willing to do so as many times as it took. She was always there for him, whether to protect him, to fight alongside, or teaching him how to butcher some fresh meat. In truth, she did not need him- the girl was an island. But she chose him anyway and he loved her for it.

"Piper, I'm not going anywhere. Your body might be going through changes, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, and I'm here to support you through it all, even the messy and unpredictable parts. Nothing could ever gross me out or make me lose interest in you. You're carrying our child, and that makes you just as beautiful and amazing to me as before."

He brought her close, the touch alone sending shivers throughout his body. It beckoned to just how reactive he was to her intimate touches. Kissing her over his lips, he grinned, "yeah we can do healthy alternatives for cravings, and it's something we can just work on together, you know? And maybe... instead of going to the gym, I can just make one in our basement? How do these ideas sound to you, babe?"

@sharpenurdamnknife

Her eyes closed as his warm lips pressed against her clammy forehead, a sure sign that before he had come in the morning sickness had been taking alot out of her. More then she had been willing to admit. Still a little content smile came to her lips at his suggestion. She knew that it was a compromise. She got the distict feeling that if Devlin had his way she would be tucked safely into bed at 8:30 at night and be woken up with breakfast and some good old fashioned morning sex. One of the million books she was reading said it was good for the baby after all!

"I guess thats what I'll have to do eventually anyway isn't it?" She sighed, knowing he was right. She still had that content look on her face though, fingers trailing along his jaw. "I think you're the one person in the world I could never get sick of." She assured him and it was true. If it wasn't she would have run by now instead of sitting here, touching each other so tenderly.

Her eyed moved down to where he played with the locket he'd given her, his large fingers taking up the whole thing. "I know...and I love you and you shouldn't drive yourself into the ground either." She reminded him, knowing that if she let him he might do just that. She sighed at the question, trying to pin point it. "Right now? My body. I've always been in control of it and right now it's not doing anything that I want. I constantly want trash food which I never usually eat. Sometimes I feel tired but at the same time restless. I want to go running but everything feels sore..." She admitted, shaking her head. "I mean we can't even go to the gym together like we like and what if you get bored or annoyed or even grossed out?"

[pyrokineticwarrior]

"What's in that drawer, babe?"

@sharpenurdamnknife

"Well then...." She opens the drawer of her nightstand. "Just kidding! .... Or am I?"