#*shrugs* “It is what it is.” *goes back to selling orphans*

[ihonestlycanttellyou]

Worth it???

[outlaw-apologist]

The Price of Cake - Charles x Reader

Charles Smith x Reader - Comfort and fluff

Summary: The grief of being an orphan never really goes away. You struggle with understanding your place in the gang as you search for comfort alone. Charles finds out just how much a small gesture of kindness can mean. (In which reader's mother is dead and Charles doesn't realize he's being a good friend)

TW: Grief, loss of a loved one, mental illness

Author note: I hate self deprecating ANs but I was so in my feelings while writing this I kinda wrote it like complete ass. It’s a cute story but- anyway, this one goes out to all my fellow orphans out there. Love u 

You had been on the road with the gang for awhile now, not even bothering to keep up with the ever-changing world. Time really flies when you're shootin' and robbin' folk. It wasn't until you were snug in your bedroll did you come to the realization that months and days matter. Some dates have more weight than others. It was going to drive you crazy not knowing what day it was today. Leaving your bed in pursuit of knowledge, you asked a few of the gang members who were still awake.

"I think it's a Tuesday." Said Javier as he idly strummed his guitar.

"It ain't a Tuesday! It's Wednesday." Bill swore.

Sean shrugged when you looked to him for help. "I'm not gonna lie to ya, I don't even know what month it is."

You love them, of course, but they're useless sometimes. Frustration began to set in. Did no one know the date? There was something important you needed to do. On a specific day. Though, you tried to swallow your feelings, reminding yourself that you had no one else to blame. It's your responsibility to keep track of important events and you failed.

From the corner of your eye you spot Charles who offered a kind smile. Knowing he was silently beckoning you over, you plopped down beside him.

"Hey Charles!"

"Good evening." He set his handiwork aside. Nowadays when lingering in camp Charles often made arrows and tonight was no different. "It's late, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I was trying to sleep but then I remembered something." Charles leaned forward as if ready to hear your revelation. "Do you know the date?"

He chuckled in amusement, giving you a fond look. "I heard you asking around for it. It's the 13th. Monday, despite whatever Bill believes."

Opening your journal you flipped to the makeshift calendar you had drawn in the very back pages. It's been months since you kept track of the days and so it was rather empty as a result. Now it was decorated with the scratch of your pencil. Biting your lip you count the days of the week then sigh in relief. "Alright, I still have time." These words were only meant for you, uttered beneath your breath.

"What was that? I didn't catch you-"

"It's not important, Charles. Thanks for helping me out." While standing you brush your fingers over his shoulder with familiar affection. "Goodnight."

Smiling up at you, Charles bid you farewell with a little nod. "Sleep well."

That night your dreams were mixed with a faint awareness of plans you needed to make. What did you need to do to make your wish happen? The task you settled on was simple to celebrate this upcoming day was simple. It shouldn’t be stressful but it carried weight in your mind. This was a feeling you held in your chest as you rode into Valentine the next morning looking for a specific baked good.

"Sorry, we don't sell that. Perhaps try in Strawberry, they have folk from all over." The local baker waved you away.

From Valentine it took you two hours to ride into Strawberry. Upon asking around you managed to find a cute bakery hidden away from the main road.

"I'm sorry, we've never carried this. You might have more luck in the South." Was not what you wanted to hear, but it was what you received.

Sighing with frustration you decide to return to camp for the night. After tying off your horse glumly you carry yourself to the butcher's table. After today it probably didn’t hurt to just ask even though you knew it probably wasn’t possible."Mr. Pearson, do you know how to make a carrot cake?"

Pearson glanced up from prepping that evenings dinner with a questioning gaze. "Carrot cake? Yeah, I suppose it's not too complicated. But I don't have any of the right conditions."

"I see."

Watching as you visibly wilt, Pearson offered an apologetic look while you slunk away in defeat. How hard was it to find a damn carrot cake? It was just carrots and cake… right? This whole thing was going to drive you insane. Being an outlaw was hard when you need a specific cake. No home. No roof. Just sweet sweet freedom and a lack of baked goods.

Despite simmering in your heated thoughts, you notice Arthur and Charles had watched the whole interaction. "Watcha need a carrot cake for?"

"Hello to you too, Arthur." You dug into him playfully, causing the outlaw to roll his eyes. "No reason. I just really want one."

Arthur was no fool. He knew you long enough to know you wouldn't needlessly ask for such a thing. "Is that so? You check in town?"

"First thing this morning. They sent me all the way to Strawberry and they didn't have it either."

"To Strawberry!?"

"Yeah..."

"Sounds like quite the trip." Charles spoke up. His arms were crossed and he wore a pensive expression as if deep in thought about the subject. It almost made you laugh a little. He looked rather cute. It seems like you weren’t the only one trying to strategist the potential of purchasing this cake.

Shaking his head, Arthur looked between you and Charles. "That's some craving you got there kid. I'll keep an eye out for you, if it means that much. I don’t really go into bakeries and what not but I can make an exception for you."

"Thank you, Arthur. I genuinely appreciate it."

With that you felt a little bit better about the situation. After eating stew with Arthur and Charles you retired for the evening only to wake up early the next morning ready to saddle up. The great search was not over just yet.

It seemed like a long trip to Rhodes from Horseshoe Overlook. You took your time enjoying bright green trees and the bison roaming The Heartlands. The air was cold and dew collected over each individual blade of grass. Birds chirped wonderful melodies. It was nice. Peaceful.

It reminded you of a spring day long ago when you were only a child. You remember the seasonal chill settling over your skin as you ran towards your mother after playing outside. Memories like these only made you feel a sense of longing now. Longing for a life you'll never have. For your parent you'll never see again.

You still exist there with her in your memories. However, at the same time, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Most of the gang didn't have parents. You knew your situation wasn't special. You never made a fuss about it but it still hurt even at your big age. It was hard to think of what your life might be like if your mother never died. Would it be better? Would you be more comfortable in life? More successful? More loved? How would your mother view your choice to stay with the gang? You didn't know-

Pushing these thoughts aside, you suck in a shaky breath before things got too carried away. You didn't want teary eyes in public. Luckily the peace this morning brought has stayed with you as you entered Rhodes. Not many people were out this early making the town nice and quiet.

Hitching your horse outside, you strolled into the local bakery. "Mornin'. Do y'all happen to sell carrot cake?"

Kneading dough for the day, the baker didn't bother sparing you a glance. "Not in these parts. Most people make it at home."

Well... You didn't have a home. That thought struck your heart then and there. Maybe if your mother was still alive you'd have a home today… Swallowing back your emotions you give a quick 'thank you' before rushing out the door. Rhodes wasn’t the most convenient place to have gut wrenching thoughts.

It all seemed so silly now. Maybe it didn't really matter. It wasn't working out how you wanted. Still, something seemed so wrong about not celebrating her... You loved your mother more than anything. You still do even after all these years without her. A part of you knew she would understand if you didn't acquire the cake. But, that wasn't really the point. Your mother was gone. You're still here. This was for you.

Emotionally things become too complicated. Sorting your wildly brewing thoughts was almost impossible. Layers of hurt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and love clawed their way through your chest. You couldn't bring yourself to return to the gang right now. Couldn't face the new family who took you in. It almost felt like a betrayal to them, to your mother, to yourself...

Grief is a bitch. It was isolating. Devastating. It never truly goes away. Time heals all wounds? What a laugh. The only person who has ever truly loved you was gone. You still remember the last hug you ever received. It was her, your mother, who hugged you. The warmth of her embrace mixed with the faint recollection of her scent was a prized memory. Over the years you've never met a friend or lover who has dared to genuinely care for you without strings attached. Never will you experience that level of love again.

The realization of how alone you always feel was making you spiral. Despite joining the gang and seeing everyone often you still felt a sense of forlornness. You needed time. Distance. Maybe it was counter intuitive when you decide to pitch a tent for the night in a pretty field in Lemoyne. As night fell you stared into the flames of the fire you built, making out dancing pictures of all those you've loved and lost. Staring up at the starry night sky only made you feel small and insignificant. Realizing nothing was going to release the grip this glum mood has on you, you decide to put yourself to bed.

Days passed with no sign of you in camp. You needed breathing room between you and the Van Der Linde gang. Even though this was all conjured up, probably with lying thoughts picking at your insecurities, you didn't feel mentally well enough to return just yet. Instead you spent your days searching around Saint Denis for the elusive carrot cake.

The universe had other plans for you, it seemed. Some bakeries didn't sell it. The one you found that did sell it was sold out and didn't expect to make a new one in time. You lounged outside of your little camp in Lemoyne crossing off another in the back of your journal. Fighting with the beastly thoughts tormenting you. Finding peace among the rabbits that frolicked through the emerald grass every morning.

You missed your friends. You missed the gang. You weren't sure if they missed you or even if they loved you. Everyone claimed you were their family, but what is family to a group of orphans? What does family mean to any of them? What does it mean to you? Well... You hadn't quite figured that out yet. But, you did know your heart ached for them terribly. You wanted nothing more than to eat Pearson's shitty stew while listening to Javier play guitar. To enjoy the day sitting next to Charles as he worked. Fuck with Arthur whenever he would return to camp. Maybe they weren't your family but they were your community and you needed them like flowers need water.



Kicking dirt over the fire, you deconstructed your tent and set off just as the sun began to rise painting the clouds purple and orange. The desire to watch the water glow and the clouds move before the colored light fades was too great. You found yourself stopping your horse on a hill overlooking Flat Iron Lake. Simply taking in the morning. Appreciating life.

That's when the sound of your name floated on the wind which was uplifted by the early morning silence and the sounds of song birds. "There you are!" Explained a deep voice, the owner of whom sounded relieved. Glancing back idly your eyes land on Charles Smith. "You're a hard person to find. I've been tracking you for a whole day." He did look a little haggard, pulling the reigns so Taima would come to a stop beside your horse.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long. Did Dutch send for me?" Tilting your head you noticed the meek smile Charles wore.

"No. I was looking for you because there's something I wanted to give you- Are.. Are you doing okay?"

You probably looked awful judging by the concerned way Charles stared you down, examining your disheveled appearance. You squirmed beneath his gaze and looked away shyly. He quickly realized there was something you didn't want to talk about. Deciding to respect your comfort he dropped the subject and instead pulled out a small package from his satchel. "I remembered you were asking around for a carrot cake."

"No way!" Your head whipped around, eyeing the small paper parcel Charles held out in the palm of his hand. Accepting it with excitement your fingers made quick work of the string binding the baking paper. The paper flopped out revealing a small simple carrot cake. All you could do was stare at it. "How...?"

"I met a woman who needed help repairing her wagon. She asked me how she could replay me and I asked her if she could make a carrot cake for you."

What an incredibly kind gesture, you thought. "Charles... I... You really did that for me?" Your teary eyes locked with Charles' gentle gaze.

"Of course! It seemed like you really wanted one. I thought it would make you happy. Unfortunately it’s a little small, she didn’t have ingredients for a full cake."

Shaking your head you divide the cake into two pieces. "Share it with me."

Charles hesitated, watching the cake crumble in your hand as you offered it to him. "Are you sure? You looked so hard for it and if I eat some you'll only get a few bites." He didn’t want to take this away from you. In camp you had looked so defeated when telling him about it. Charles wanted you to savor your treat.

Shaking your head you insisted, making Charles reluctantly accept half. "It's not really about the cake." You admit, earning a quizzical look. It felt weird divulging information about this aspect of your life... But Charles... The fact that he went out of his way to get you a carrot cake despite not knowing how important this truly was... You realize he cherishes you. And all those sneering thoughts were dispelled from your head. You were loved and Charles was your family.

"My mother's favorite cake growing up was carrot cake. It's her birthday and... I just miss her a lot I guess. I wanted to celebrate her and I thought what’s better than eating her favorite cake? It would make me so happy if you ate some too. Especially since you went out of your way just to get this for me. I can't even express my gratitude, Charles. Thank you."

His face immediately softened. Your name sweetly left his lips when Charles realized you were crying. Fat salty tears glided down your cheeks pulling at his heartstrings. He genuinely had no idea how much this meant to you. Charles felt honored you decided to share this moment with him. "I guess she really wanted you to have this cake." He tried to comfort you. "Thank you for letting me celebrate with you. I never... Considered doing something like this for my mother. I don't know when her birthday is but I think it'd be nice to pick a day to honor her."

Wiping your tears away you silently place a bite of carrot cake on your tongue while watching the sunrise with Charles. "If you want, I'll do it with you. It's lonely doing it by yourself." The two of you exchange knowing smiles. "I'm happy you're here."

"I know I'm not very good with words, but I'll always try to be here for you."

"I know, Charles. Thank you."

The sun rose higher in the sky, bathing the world in yellow light as the hues of pink and fire fade from view. "Tell me about her. Your mother." Charles knew you weren't ready for this moment to dispel and you were grateful for it.

"Well, she was kind. Much kinder than I. I mean, I'm an outlaw." Charles laughed, nodding his head in understanding. That statement applied to his mother too. Naturally drawn to each other, you find yourselves recounting childhood memories for the rest of the day. Eventually setting a blanket out beneath a tree where Charles draped his arm over your shoulder to keep you close. You told stories of your upbringing while he shared things his mother had taught him. You both laughed and a few tears were shed.

Grief is hard. It's personal to everyone. It can make you feel isolated or hopeless. Angry at the world. There was no greater feeling than someone who listens you. Who tries to understand you. No greater feeling than realizing you are in fact deeply loved and cherished. Charles will always be close to your heart. For as long as he lives he too will carry on the memory of your mother with him as you now carry the memory of his. Even though they're gone, they'll never truly die as long as you celebrate them.

[intricatechaosofyou]

Chapter Three: Carrying the Banner

As Laces came down the stairs, she could already hear the chaos. It wasn't a morning in the lodging house if there wasn't chaos. Although it wasn't her favorite thing in the world, Laces had learned to live with it.

"Hey! That's my cigar!"

Race glared at Albert who just shrugged and just replied with a,

"You'll steal another."

That's when Henry came out of the bathroom, shaving what little facial hair he had. Specs tried his best not to laugh.

"Hey, look, it's bath time at the zoo."

Henry shrugged and continued dragging the razor blade across his cheek.

"I thought that I'd surprise my mother."

Albert scoffed and crossed his arms.

"If you can find her..."

Every single newsie in the vicinity of the conversation, including Laces, shouted in retaliation.

"Who asked you?!"

Albert ignored the outraged comment. "Papes ain't selling like they used to. I need a new spot. Ya got any ideas?"

Race thought for a second before offering up his suggestions.

"From Bottle Alley to the harbor,

there's easy pickings guaranteed."

Finch nodded in agreement and added on,

"Try any banker, bum, or barber!

They almost all knows how to read."

Jack was still buttoning up his blue shirt as he came down the stairs from the rooftop.

"It's a crooked game we're playin'

one we'll never lose.

Long as suckers don't mind payin'

just to get bad news"

As they finished getting ready, the newsies all banded together. They threw their arms around each other as they all sang.

"Ain't it a fine life,

carryin' the banner through it all?

A mighty fine life,

carryin' the banner tough and tall.

When the bell rings,

we goes where we wishes.

We's as free as fishes

Sure beats washing dishes!

What a fine life,

carryin' the banner home-free all!"

As the newsies hit the street, Romeo started his usual antics. His victim today was a young woman in a purple dress who was walking with a nervous-looking man.

"Well, hello, hello, hello, beautiful." He smirked as he eyed the very uncomfortable lady.

"Woah, Romeo. Nothing more concerns you here," Jack interjected, shoving the younger boy away. He took Romeo's spot and flashed the woman a charming smile. "Mornin', miss. Might I interest you in the latest news?"

"The paper isn't out yet," the woman argued trying to push past Jack.

"Oh, I'd be delighted to deliver it to you poisonally."

The woman's friend tried to step up to say something, but the woman stopped him and took the matter into her own hands. "I've got a headline for you: Cheeky boy gets nothing for his troubles." With a small, victorious smile at Jack's frown, she and her companion continued on their way.

Laces barely contained her laughter. "Back to the bench slugger!" She shouted. "Ya struck out!"

"I'm crushed!" He laughed, putting a hand over his heart in fake hurt.

"Hey Crutchie, what your leg say? Gonna rain?" Finch asked.

Crutchie shook his leg before arriving at a conclusion. "No rain. Oh-hoh! Partly cloudy, clear by evenin'!"

"They oughta bottle this guy!"

"And the limp sells fifty papes a week, all by itself!" Race smiled and slapped Crutchie's shoulder.

"I don't need the limp to sell papes," Crutchie protested with a playful smile. "I've got poisonality."

"It takes a smile that spreads like butter.

The kind that turns a lady's head."

Race, Finch, Albert, and Elmer, of course made the situation more dramatic.

"It takes an orphan with a stutter,

who's also blind

and mute

and dead!"

Laces and Crutchie laughed at their antics as they followed along with the other newsies towards the circulation gates.

"Summer stinks and winter's freezing

when you works outdoors.

Start out sweating, end up sneezing.

In between it pours!

Still, it's a fine life

carryin' the banner with me chums.

A bunch of big shots

tossin' out a freebie to the bums"

Finch pushed his way to the front of the group, impatient to get his papers.

"Hey! What's the hold up?

Waitin' makes me antsy.

I likes living chancey."

The rest of the group rolled their eyes.

"Harlem to Delancey!

What a fine life

carryin' the banner through the-"

Like every day, the newsies were met with the sight of the nuns from the local church. They offered the group cups of water and stale bread crusts. It wasn't much, but on bad days it was all they got.

"Blessed children,

though you wander lost and depraved

Jesus loves you.

You shall be saved!"

"Thanks for the grub, sista!" Elmer shouted, waving his hat at the nuns.

One of the older nuns glared at the boy. "Elmer, when will we be seeing you inside the church?"

"Ise don't know." Elmer shrugged and smirked. "But it's bound to rain sooner or later!" Before the nun could say anything else, Elmer rushed off.

Continuing towards the circulation gate, the chatter didn't die down between the newsies.

"Curdled-

Just give me half a cup.

-coffee.

Something to wake me up.

Concrete donuts-

I gotta find an angle.

-sprinkled with mold.

It's gettin' bad out there.

Homemade-

Papers is all I got.

It's eighty-eight degrees!

-biscuits-

Jack says to change my spot.

Wish I could catch a breeze.

-just two-

Maybe it's worth a shot.

-years old!

All I can catch is fleas!"

Jack smirked as he led the boys through the streets.

"If I hate the headline,

I'll make up a headline."

Laces and Crutchie stood to his sides, joking and throwing fake punches at each other. Although the trip to the circulation gates was long, they always found ways to entertain themselves on the walk.

"And I'll say anything I hafta.

'Cause at two for a penny,

if I take too many,

Weasel just makes me eat 'em afta."

Romeo and Race joined the trio in their play fighting, shoving each other as they walked down the street.

"Got a feelin' bout the headline.

I smells me a headline

Papes is gonna sell like we was givin' 'em away.

Betcha dinner it's a doozy

'bout a pistol-packing floozey

Who knows how to make a newsie's day.

You wanna move the next edition.

Give us an earthquake or a war."

Elmer pulled off his cap and raised his right hand.

"How 'bout a crooked politician?"

The rest of the newsies rolled their eyes and hit him with their own caps.

"Ya nitwit, that ain't news no more!

Uptown to Grand Central Station

down to City Hall.

We improves our circulation

walking till we fall

But we'll be out there

Carrying the banner man to man!

We're always out there

soakin' every sucker that we can!

See the headline:

Newsies on a mission!

Kill the competition,

sell the next edition.

We'll be out there, carryin' the banner!

See us out there, carryin' the banner!

Always out there, carryin' the banner!"

Finally, the newsies arrived at the circulation gates. They peered through the bars as they waited for the headline.

"I hope it's real bloody with a nice clear picture," Specs commented.

The others shouted their approval when Finch pointed out they were putting up the headline. Everyone held their breath as the man wrote out the words "Trolley Strike Drags on for Third Week."

Everyone groaned at the sight of the headline. Laces ran a hand over her face. She couldn't believe that this was the best story those writers could come up with. As the boys complained, the Delancey brothers made their way over to unlock the gate.

Race smirked and leaned against the rusting metal. "Oh, dear me. What is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewers might have backed up in the middle of the night."

"Nah. Too rotten to be sewers," Crutchie joked as Laces nodded her agreement. "It must be..."

"The Delancey brothers!" The newsies hollered, smirking as the gate finally opened.

"Hey, Oscar. I hear you and ya brother took up jobs beating up strikin' trolley workers," Finch commented, walking into the circulation area.

Oscar glared at the gutsy newsies and shrugged. "So? It's honest work."

"Crackin' the heads of defenseless workers?" Albert asked incredulously.

"I take care of the guy who takes care a' me."

Race sneered and got up in the boy's face. "Ain't ya father one a' the workers?"

"I guess he didn't take care of me!" Oscar growled, shoving Race back.

Suddenly, Morris walked up to Crutchie. "Ya want some of this, too? Ya lousy crip!" Ripping the crutch from the boy's grip, Morris shoved him to the ground.

Laces immediately helped Crutchie up while Jack snatched the crutch back from Morris. "Now, that is not nice, Morris!"

"Five ta one, Jacky and Laces soak 'em! Huh, who's bettin'?" Race shouted.

The rest of the newsies rolled their eyes replying, "Bum odds!"

"Now, one of these days, you might find yourself with a bum gim of ya own. How would you like it if wese picked on ya?" Jack questioned.

"Hey? Why don't we find out?" Laces interjected. At her words, Jack used the crutch to hit both of the brothers in the knees, knocking them to the ground.

"Oh, just wait 'till I get my hands on you two!" Oscar growled, trying to grab for Laces. Luckily, she jumped out his way before he could get ahold of her.

Jack smirked and grabbed Laces' arm. "You gotta catch us first!" The two taunted before running off with the Delanceys close on their tails.

The other newsies cheered them on as they ran around the paper wagons.

Not looking where she was going, Laces collided with someone. Barely managing to stay on her feet, she looked at the person she ran into. He looked about her age—and handsome, too.

"What're you doing?" He questioned, tilting his head.

Laces would have taken her time to appreciate how concerned his tone was if it weren't for the footsteps of the Delancey's behind her. "Runnin'!" She shouted before taking off again, leaving the boy dazed and confused.

She met up again with Jack and the two managed to evade the brothers, taking twists and turns through the familiar alleyways of New York before they landed right back at the circulation gates and returned the crutch to their friend.

"We'll all be out there

carryin' the banner man to man!

We're always out there

soakin' every sucker that we can

Here's the headline:

Newsies on a mission!

Kill the competition,

sell the next edition.

We'll be out there, carryin' the banner!

See us out there, carryin' the banner!

Always out there, carryin' the banner!

Ah, ah, ah, go!"

The newsies laughed and joked at the Delanceys' expense as Jack approached the stand to get his papers. "Weasel! Did'cha miss me?"

Weasel rolled his eyes and grumbled. "I told ya a million times. The name's Weisel."

"Ain't that what I said? I'll take the usual," Jack replied, slamming his coin onto the box.

"Hundred papes for the wise guy," Weasel jeered before turning to Laces who was currently skimming through the paper that sat on the edge of the counter. "You want the usual, too?"

"Don't rush me! I'm perusing the merchandise, Mr. Weseal." She made a show of reading the paper for a few more seconds before adding her fifty cents to the box. "Yup. Usual."

Oscar handed her the bundle of papers and she smirked at him. "Good chase today, Delancey. You was closer to catchin' us today."

The boy flushed scarlet at the taunt and was about to yell before he was interrupted by his uncle. "Well, look at this. A new kid."

Turning on her heel, Laces saw that it was the boy she ran into while running from Oscar. Now that she wasn't running for her life, she took her time to size him up. His dark brown hair was mostly covered by his cap and his nose was slightly crooked. He was at least half a foot taller than Laces and didn't slouch. His shirt was tucked in and free of wrinkles. He looked too proper and educated to be a newsie, but who was Laces to judge?

She was almost too busy scrutinizing the boy to notice the younger boy, presumably his brother, poking his head out from behind him.

"I'm new too!" The younger boy proudly proclaimed.

Race sent a fake smile his way. "Don't worry kid. It rubs right off."

"I'll take twenty newspapers please," the boy said, pushing his brother back behind him.

Weasel stared at the boy expectantly. "Let's see the dime."

Confused, the boy tilted his head. "I'll pay you when I sell them." The rest of the newsies laughed at this statement.

"Funny, kid. Cash up front."

"But whatever I don't sell, you buy back, right?" The boy was obviously new, and Laces pitied him for being so clueless.

"Certainly! And every time you lose a tooth, I put a penny under ya pillow. Now drop the cash and move it along!" The boy held up the dime and put it in the box as Weasel turned to the next boy. "Albert! Let me see your money!"

As Albert continued to mock Weasel, the new kid thumbed through his papers. Laces watched him curiously, wondering what he was doing.

"Excuse me? I paid for twenty but I only got nineteen," the new boy piped up, interrupting Weasel and Albert's conversation.

"You see how nice I was to this new kid? And what do I get in return? Ungrounded accusations."

The boy took a step back, pulling his little brother further behind him. "I just want what I paid for."

"He said beat it," Morris growled.

That was the moment Laces went up to the boy, Jack hot on her heels, and snatched the papers from his hand. She counted the papers as the boy anxiously fiddled with the strap of his bag.

"Hold on! New kid's right, Weasel. There's only nineteen. Don't worry though. I'm sure it's an honest mistake seeing as Morris here can't count to twenty with his shoes on," she jested, taking a small step back as Morris attempted to grab her through the metal bars that separated them.

With minimal grumbling Weasel shoved a paper into the new kid's hands. "Here! Now take a hike!"

"Hold it!" Jack interrupted, putting another coin into the box. "Give the new kid fifty new papes."

"I don't want more papes."

Every newsie's head popped up and looked in the direction of the new kid. That was the dumbest thing any of them had ever heard (and they all knew Race). Jack ignored the comment and shoved the papers into the boy's arms.

"What kind a' newsie don't want more papes?" Laces asked with wide eyes.

"I'm no charity case. I don't know either of you," the new kid protested looking between Laces and Jack, trying to give the extra papers back.

"His name's Jack! And that's Laces," The younger boy piped up, staring at the pair in awe.

"Yeah, this here is the famous Jack Kelly. He once escaped jail on the back of Teddy Roosevelt's carriage. Made all the papes," Crutchie explained with a smirk. "And she's Laces. Best newsie 'Hatten has."

"He has to say that. He taught me everything I know. Now how old are you?" Laces asked as she kneeled down to look at the younger boy.

"I'm ten!" He proclaimed proudly before backtracking. "Well, almost."

Jack frowned and rubbed his chin. "If anyone asks, you should say you're seven. You see, younger sells more papers. And if we're gonna be partners we-"

"Who said we wanted partners?" The elder brother interrupted, crossing his arms.

Crutchie scoffed and nudged the boy. "Are you kidding? Selling with Jack and Laces is the chance of a lifetime! If you learn from them, you learn from the best."

Laces looked down at the ground, smiling sheepishly at the comment. Cructhie had been the one to teach her how to be a newsie when she was just six years old. She owed all her skills to him. But she couldn't deny that she and Jack were usually the first ones to finish selling their papes—and with the biggest tips.

"If they're the best, then what do they need with me?"

Jack glared at the boy. "We don't need you, pal. But you have a little brother and we don't. With his puss, we could easily peddle a thousand papes a week. Hey, look sad, kid," Jack ordered, turning his attention to the boy.

He immediately pouted his lips and tilted his head. He looked absolutely miserable.

Laces laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "Oh! We're gonna make millions! Say, what's your name, kid?"

"I'm Les! This is my brother David. He's older."

Laces faked a gasp and looked up at David. "No kidding."

"Nice ta meet ya, Davey! My two bits come off the top. We split the rest seventh-thirty and-"

"Fifty-fifty!" Les demanded, dropping Jack in his tracks. "You wouldn't try to pull a fast one on a little kid!"

Laces tried her best to contain a giggle as Jack turned to Les with wide eyes. It took him a second to regain his composure after the bold comment.

"Sixty-fourty. And that is my final offer."

Les looked to Davey for approval. With a sigh, Davey nodded and Les turned back to Jack with a big smile. "Deal."

Smirking, Jack spit into his palm and held it out to Les who copied Jack's actions before shaking his hand.

"That's disgusting," Davey commented, causing Crutchie and Laces to burst into laughter.

"That's just business. Newsies, hit the streets! The sun is up, the headline stinks, and this kid ain't getting any younger!" Jack proclaimed as the newsies followed his orders.

"We'll all be out there

carryin' the banner man to man!

We're always out there

soakin' every sucker that we can

Here's the headline:

Newsies on a mission!

Kill the competition,

sell the next edition.

We'll be out there, carryin' the banner!

See us out there, carryin' the banner!

Always out there, carryin' the banner!

Ah, ah, ah, go!"

[goddessofroyalty]

*Throws a fic promt from the void*

Vander finding another pup (Mylo) and Silco having to nurse another slightly older pup because of it while Vander wonders if his ever gonna have a turn at that Tiddy.

(Please don't feel obligated to write it if your not feeling it, I just absolutely love your Wet Nurse fic!!!!!)

Like usual there will be a second part of this from Vander’s POV at some point before it goes up on AO3. IDK I just like doing them separate here first (it's because they're ~1k each and can stand alone)

Shout out to the person in the Zaundads discord who basically gave me the entirety of Mylo’s background here.

Tags: omegaverse, breastfeeding a toddler

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

“And what’s this one’s story?” Silco asks as he puts Powder down now they are home, nodding at the pup Vander has on one of the tables as he tries to wipe the dirt off him. The boy pulling faces and leaning away as he does but not getting up to leave like he very much is capable of.

Silco has no doubts there’s a sob story to go along with him.

The way Powder clings at his legs makes him realize he should have already put his foot down if he wanted to stand a chance at preventing Vander from picking up every stray he finds and bringing them back home to pack into Silco’s nest.

And maybe Silco should count himself lucky that this is how Vander has found to fill his want of pups instead of trying to get Silco to whelp them for him. There is still too much to be done to have time for a pregnancy.

Silco ignores the traitorous fear that rises in him that Vander might find he prefers this method of pup acquisition.

“You know those missing people Benzo kept talking about?” Vander asks, as the scrawny pup tries to squirm away from him.

“He turned out to be right?” That was a surprise. Benzo had a habit of not letting up on something no matter how clearly it was just the usual life in Zaun.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Vander says, giving up at trying to clean down the pup.

Silco snorts at it, gesturing for Powder to let go of him. The girl wondering off likely in search of her sister.

“They were nabbing people off the streets,” Vander explains as Silco walks over to him and the boy. “Taking our people in chains to sell in foreign lands.”

“And did you and Benzo take care of them?” Silco would be disappointed if they didn’t but the two had lost their edge of late. The deal with Piltover causing them to forget that their people still needed them to fight for them. Both becoming lazy in their new lifestyles.

“We did,” Vander says, hanging his head as if it is something to be ashamed of.

Silco doesn’t comment on it. He has made his thoughts of the newfound pacifism clear and is working to ensure Zaun’s protection if Vander proves no longer capable.

“He’s a skinny thing.” Silco cups the pup’s face to examine him and the lack of puppy fat a boy his age should have.

There’s skinnier pups in Zaun if you know where to look. But it wouldn’t do for one of theirs to be seen as missing out.

“They’d been starving the lot of them,” Vander says. “And, well, I though…”

“Thought what?” Silco says when Vander lets his statement trail off. He has a good idea of what his alpha is thinking. But there is no way he’s letting him get away with not saying it.

“You’re already feeding Powder,” Vander says with a shrug. Because for him it’s no big deal.

He’s not the one with tits that now leak if he goes too long without letting a pup feed. Any attempts at getting the supply to dry up thwarted by a certain blue-haired girl’s pathetic face whenever he tries to deny her.

“My supply isn’t unlimited you know,” Silco reminds as he works on undoing the clasps to his new vest. Because Vander had better not start getting any ideas about trying to save every orphan in Zaun with Silco’s breasts.

“I’m not asking you to become their sole food source,” Vander says and Silco just rolls his eyes at it.

“Come here,” he says, reaching out to the pup that has been watching him with curious eyes.

The boy lets Silco pick him up, sitting in Silco’s lap after he hooks a chair out from the table to not have to nurse standing up.

“Do you have a name?” Silco asks, holding a finger up when Vander goes to answer for the boy.

He at least deserves it from the pup’s own mouth.

“Mylo,” the pup says, glancing between Silco’s face and chest as Silco undoes his shirt enough to get his fuller feeling breast out. “Are you my new mum?”

“Something like that.”

 When Vander first brought the girls home he had told his mate they were the alpha’s pups to deal with. That Silco would only tolerate but not parent them.

It had taken less than a week for Powder to make him go back on it. The two girls now as much his as they are Vander’s.

He doesn’t see any point in pretending it will be different with this one.

“Are you hungry?” Silco asks, despite seeing the answer clear in how the pup’s eyes off his breast.

Mylo nods quickly.

“Go on then.”

Silco has to guide Mylo’s head into the best position to get a good latch. It makes him wonder when the last time the pup was allowed to nurse was.

Soon enough the boy finds a rhythm, one far more desperate than either of the girls ever have. Thin arms wrap around Silco’s waist as the pup practically clings on as if he is afraid he will be ripped away.

“You are safe now pup,” Silco says. “Nobody will take you away.”

Nobody would dare.

Silco looks up to Vander to see why the alpha hasn’t said anything only to find Vander watching.

“Enjoying the show?” Silco asks with a raised eyebrow.

He knows Vander enjoys the fact he nurses the pups. He would be an idiot to miss the signs. But it isn’t something he can encourage if he ever wants to have his milk supply dry up and not a constant supply of orphans being brought home to him.

“Uh.” Vander coughs. “Do you want dinner?”

“Please.” Silco hadn’t eaten since lunch and his body was apparently going to need enough food to produce milk for two regularly nursing pups.

“I’ll go get you something,” Vander says because Silco clearly isn’t going to be getting up anytime soon.

At least he is grateful for what Silco is doing for the pups he found.

[lumosinlove]

Relic Keel

(warnings in tags)

part iii

PREVIOUSLY ON RELIC KEEL:

Logan Tremblay escaped from Saint Clair Orphanage around one month ago—and he’s torn up with guilt about it and leaving Finn behind.

Dorcas realizes that Logan is getting his stash from the dangerous Carrow twins.

The two go off to Sirius and James’ party at Shack Beach.

Dorcas is surprised by Marlene, and we can see that there is some sort of rift between them about leaving this island and Dorcas selling Crucio.

Once the Gods show up at the party, Sirius is surprised to see Luke Deveaux and Remus Lupin among James’ company—he’s never seen them in The Hollow before. It startles Sirius into a memory of the last time he saw Remus, the last day he was at school.

Luke mistakes Saint and Sirius for Crucio dealers, insults Saint, and him and Sirius fight. We learn Luke’s dad is in jail and that Sirius’ old abusive home life is common knowledge.

As the party breaks up, we go further down to a dark part of the beach where Logan, having taken Crucio, sits with a phantom Finn, asking Finn why he made Logan leaving him behind. Leo finds Logan that way, exhausted and in tears, and takes Logan home with him.

The next morning with James, Remus, and Luke at Remus’ house, we learn that Luke’s dad is in jail for fraud. They go to breakfast at the Hogshead where Thomas works—and won’t sell Luke any Crucio. When James asks where he gets it, Thomas tells him to go talk to Dorcas or Kasey Winter, who is the other supplier and the boyfriend of Lily and Marlene’s friend, Natalie Darcy. James spots Lily out the window. Lily won’t talk to him, but James seems to want to and convinces Lily to meet him at Gryffindor club later.

Logan wakes up in Leo’s warm bed, goes to The Lion where Leo works, and learns that Leo’s father died in a storm—and that Leo won’t say anything more than that.

“Something’s wrong,” Lily said. “I can tell, Marls, come on.”

Marlene sighed, looking at Lily on the bedspread and kicking her door shut behind her. She set the popcorn on the bed between them before carefully climbing on herself to sit across from Lily. 

“Well, what’s wrong with you?” Marlene said, popping a kernel into her mouth.

Lily tilted her head. “Deflecting.”

Marlene put her hands over Lily’s between them. “James is a really good guy, Lils. And you’ve liked each other since we were, what, eleven?”

Lily just shook her head. “I asked you first.”

Marlene just looked at her. “It’s…not big.”

Lily narrowed her eyes. “Really?”

Marlene hesitated, looking down. She took a deep breath. “I got into college.”

Lily blinked. “Not big? Marlene! Congratulations!”

“And…” Marlene sighed again. “I haven’t told Dorcas.”

“Well,” Lily began. “Well—well, why not?”

“Because that’s not how she wants to leave this place,” Marlene said, picking at a stray thread. “Because she wants to just…run free. I don’t really understand what she thinks is going to happen, no matter how much money we have, I just…I know she doesn’t exactly have college in mind.” Marlene looked back at Lily. “What I mean is, I know we haven’t talked about it.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “You should talk about it.”

Marlene raised an eyebrow right back. “Says the girl who’s been avoiding James for an entire month.”

Lily winced. “That’s—different. We’re not together. We just…”

“Had sex.”

Lily slapped a hand over her eyes. “Oh God. It was so good.”

That startled a laugh out of Marlene. “Then what, pray tell, is your issue?”

Lily let her hand fall. Her eyes looked sadder. “Wouldn’t it be easier to be happy about getting into college if you weren’t leaving anything behind?”

“What?”

Lily looked down at the popcorn.

“What, Lily Evans?” Marlene said, louder. “Jesus fucking—Lily.”

Lily sighed and got up. “I know. Look, I need to get to the Club for dinner. My parents—and James, I…” she sighed. “Fuck, we have a lot going on for what was suppose to be a peaceful summer.”

Marlene laughed, half-heartedly. “Yeah, we do.”

~

Leo was pulling the key out of the lock to The Lion when a voice spoke.

“Did your dad really die in a storm?”

He froze for a second, listening to the crickets singing in the falling darkness, then turned, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. Logan was standing a few feet away.

“That’s really just a rude question,” Leo said. “Like, seriously.”

“I’m an orphan, I’m curious about people’s parents,” Logan said, then smiled a little, sarcastically mostly, at Leo’s face. “You don’t have to pretend like you don’t know what I am.”

“Why do you take Crucio?” Leo replied. He walked forward until he was face to face with Logan, looking down at him. “Why do you sell it?”

Logan’s stance shifted. “That’s really just a rude question.”

“Huh, is it?” Leo said. “Well.”

Leo watched Logan’s eyes track his hands as he pulled his backpack off.

“What are you doing?”

Leo pulled out a take-out bag, top rolled closed, and shoved it into Logan’s chest. “Let’s go home. You can eat while we walk, I already did.”

Leo stalked into the dark, not sure why he cared so much, and waiting for Logan to follow.

“What made you come back?” Leo asked and hoped he wasn’t now talking to himself.

“I didn’t know I was suppose to stay,” Logan replied. “I thought you just thought you were doing me a favor.”

“Pretty sure I was,” Leo glanced at him. He could see his necklace resting against his neck, over Leo’s old t-shirt.

“I’m fine.”

Leo shrugged. “Okay, you’re fine.”

They walked in silence, save for Logan crinkling the bag open and pulling out his dinner.

“Fuck,” Logan said, mouth full. “What is this?”

Leo couldn’t help but smile. “My own creation.”

“It’s—The Lion doesn’t have this on the menu.”

“No,” Leo agreed. “I said it was mine.”

“Don’t you want it on the menu?”

“I sort of maybe want to run The Lion one day,” Leo said. “Better to have some secret ammo.”

Logan scoffed. “Seriously?”

“It’s not so strange,” Leo said. “It’s a great place. It helps a lot of people—why are you looking at me like that?”

Logan shrugged. “You’re the only person I’ve ever met who isn’t trying to get off this island.”

Leo took a breath and kept walking. Suddenly, he wanted to tell Logan. He didn’t know why.

“I can’t,” Leo said. “There’s too much here.”

“Like what? Some good food, beaches, and an orphanage? An island full of people who seem to hate each other?”

“My dad’s work was here,” Leo said before he could stop himself.

“Your dad’s work,” Logan repeated.

Leo didn’t look at him when he nodded. “The Voldemort.”

Logan opened his mouth as they climbed the porch steps to Leo’s house, but Leo held a finger to his lips.

“Not in front of my mom,” he whispered, and got out his keys.

~

“What are we doing with ourselves tonight, hot stuff?” Saint said.

Sirius looked over at him from his mattress and held up the bottle of whiskey. “What, we’re not doing something right now?”

“We are,” Saint looked at Sirius in the mirror, face framed by the dozens of golden necklaces hung around the vanity’s frame. They were a sharp contrast to the chipping paint and uneven legs. The mirror itself was a little warped. Saint clipped a third necklace around his neck. “But I was just asking.”

“Why don’t you steal silver?”

“I don’t like silver,” Saint smiled in the mirror, then spun himself around on the stool. “And I look good in gold.”

Sirius smiled, too, taking another sip of the whiskey. “Yes, you do.”

“Well, I’ll keep them on then,” Saint said. “If we’re staying in.”

Sirius snorted. “Why do you steal them if you can’t wear them anywhere?”

“Because,” Saint clasped a fourth. “I look good in gold.”

“Okay, okay,” Sirius laughed. “But we need food.”

Saint raised an eyebrow. “But we have whiskey.”

“I have work in the morning,” Sirius sighed, sitting up. “I can’t go to bed on whiskey.”

Saint looked at him in the mirror again. “Pulled pork from The Lion?”

Sirius nodded slowly, but he was watching as Saint began to take each necklace off. “Do you remember when I came to Grimmauld?”

Saint draped the gold carefully over the mirror. “You mean when you were eleven and scrawny?”

“And you were a dick and scrawny?”

Saint made a tisking sound with his teeth and tongue. “I was never scrawny. But I was a dick.”

“You are a dick,” Sirius laughed. “Sometimes.”

“Why are we reminiscing?”

“I just…” Sirius began. He looked around their room, at the dusk slanting through the cracks in the boards and the summer breeze through the open windows. “Are we going to be doing this when we’re seventy instead of seventeen?”

Saint’s shoulders stiffened. He turned slowly in his chair. His brown eyes were calm and studying.

“Doing what?” Saint asked.

Sirius put the bottle down and sat up, facing him. “Saint.”

“What else do you want to do?” Saint rose, head tilted.

“I think we should leave,” Sirius said, eyes following Saint’s until Saint was standing over him. “You’re in danger here. We both are.”

“The orphanage can’t get me if they can’t catch me,” Saint said. “And your parents don’t look for you.”

“Take your necklace off,” Sirius said.

Saint raised an eyebrow. “Go home.”

“I can’t.”

“Neither can I.”

Sirius shook his head. “We’re—it’s different.”

“Sirius…”

“The only thing stopping us is cash,” Sirius said. “Dorcas can lone something to us—”

“Oh? That’s the only thing stopping us?” Saint said. He dropped on knee on the bed, and then the other, seating himself in Sirius’ lap. “Then tell me something, Black.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows and settled his hands on Saint’s hips. “Anything.”

Saint’s fingers wound themselves through Sirius’ hair, tilting his face up towards him. “What would we know about the rest of the world?”

Sirius leaned up and let Saint kiss him. It was slow and lingering.

“What do you know about anything except what’s right here,” Saint said into their next kiss. “Running around in this tiny little circle of land.”

“Saint…”

Saint pushed Sirius onto his back, pinning his hands above his head.

“I like it here,” Saint said. “We can predict what happens here.”

“And no one can leave?” Sirius said softly.

Saint’s expression flickered. Sirius knew he was prodding gently at a sore spot. They both were. It felt good sometimes, like a bruise or a paper cut. Neither of them wanted to lose anyone else.

Sirius relaxed against the mattress. He looked up at Saint quietly. “I’m not leaving.”

“You just said you should.”

“I said we should.”

Saint narrowed his eyes a little. “We should not talk about this.”

“You never want to talk about it,” Sirius said and closed his eyes when Saint bent to kiss his neck. “Saint, if you do get caught again, you said they don’t let you out. Not even when you age out.”

“Maybe it’s true. Maybe I’m right,” Saint tilted his head and looked back down at Sirius again. “There were kids much older than I was and, well, I haven’t seen them around, have you?”

“Why?” Sirius asked. He sat up, holding Saint closer against him. “Do you know?”

“Maybe it’s all they know. Maybe they don’t want to leave.”

“So, then shouldn’t we—”

“No,” Saint cut him off. “They don’t let you out. Only I can do that. For myself. I want to be free. I do.”

“And are you?” Sirius said softly, pushing Saint’s hair back from his forehead. Saint closed his eyes, leaning into it.

Saint pressed his lips together and kept his eyes closed.

“Saint,” Sirius whispered.

“I don’t want to talk,” Saint whispered back. “I don’t want to.”

“Okay,” Sirius said. “Okay.”

Saint opened his eyes. They flit to Sirius’ mouth, then back to his eyes. “Can we?”

“Of course we can,” Sirius said, dipping his fingers lightly into Saint’s shorts. “We always can.”

Saint nodded softly. “Okay.”

Sirius pulled Saint towards him and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around Saint’s bare back and Saint melted towards him. Their kisses were like they always were, frantic, a little playful. Saint traced Sirius’ lip with his tongue, fingers digging into his hair. Sometimes, this was just how they spoke to each other. Sirius pushed Saint’s thighs so that they straddled him more firmly.

“What do you want to do?” Sirius said, holding him closer.

“You know,” Saint breathed. He dragged his mouth down Sirius’ neck as Sirius pulled him down to the mattress.

Sirius remembered the first time they had done this. He also remembered when it hadn’t been an option, when they’d barely known each other and, besides Saint agreeing that Sirius could have one of Grimmauld’s rooms, hadn’t spoken. It had taken them a few months to so much as eat a meal together.

“I can feel you thinking,” Saint panted out as Sirius kissed his way down his chest. “Stop doing so much of that.”

“Maybe you should do more of it,” Sirius said, scraping his teeth against the muscles around Saint’s hip.

“No, thanks, sweetheart,” Saint sighed out, his head tilted back and his eyes closed.

Sirius couldn’t help but smile a little as he unbuttoned Saint’s shorts. It was such a Saint thing to say that it warmed him, just as the familiar feel of his skin did.

Sirius knew that Saint, for all his acts and plays, felt more than anyone Sirius knew. Saint still grieved for the family that had abandoned him, and sometimes Sirius thought Saint even grieved for the family Sirius had known and lost, just out of proximity to them.

Sirius knew that Saint stole to steal back what had never been his. Sirius knew it didn’t work—and Sirius knew Saint know that, too.

Saint let out a shaky breath when Sirius took him into his mouth. He was filling fast and Sirius relished in it. This…this worked.

“I’d miss you,” Saint panted out. “If you went, I’d miss you.”

Sirius pulled off and sat back on his heels, hand going to rub himself through his shorts before he slipped out of them, tossing them to the floor.

“You seem to have heard something I never said,” Sirius fell back on top of Saint, catching himself at the last minute to hover above him, and pushing their cocks together. “I wouldn’t leave you behind.”

Saint just clutched Sirius closer, his next breath a moan as Sirius rolled his hips, a little sloppily, and slow.

“Stop thinking,” Saint said.

Sirius bent to kiss his neck, sucking blood to the surface of his skin. “You brought it up again.”

It was always the same with Saint. A much needed consistency. Saint’s hips knocked his, they fought each other for the upper hand, usually laughing until the slick slide of their cocks became the only feeling they could think of. Saint never held him as close when he came. He went soft and melted away against the mattress. Saint did, however, chase Sirius’ mouth, knowing that kissing brought Sirius over with him. Sirius pressed his hips down hard against Saint’s oversensitive, spent cock, the way Sirius knew he liked. Saint jolted, teeth biting down onto Sirius’ lip, making Sirius come in thick stripes between them. They dropped beside each other afterwards, shoulders pressed close. It was always the same, but Sirius always felt good after. Safe. Neither of them were leaving, and maybe that was a good thing.

“Fuck, you always make such a mess,” Saint laughed, staring down at his stomach. “At least this is your bed.”

Sirius just closed his eyes. The room smelled of sex now, and of the ocean. He was sweaty and wanted a swim. They had hours and hours until dawn, though. Sometimes the nights felt useless and too long.

“You like it,” Sirius said.

Saint curled onto his side with a sigh and kissed Sirius’ shoulder. “Dinner in an hour.”

~

James looked up from his coke and peanuts the moment Lily and her family entered the Gryffindor dining room.

“She’s here,” he said to Luke.

“Yeah,” Luke drawled, twisting a cherry stem between his fingers. “I can see that, Pots.”

“Shit,” James breathed. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Bet you fifty I can tie this with my tongue.”

James drank the last of his soda, crunching a few ice cubes. “That’s a stupid fucking bet.”

Luke shrugged. “Bet I can.”

“I have to go.”

“Dude,” Luke laughed a little. “She’s gotta have dinner first.”

James stood. “She can have dinner after. She promised we could talk. I need to know.” He looked back at Luke and his blackened eye. “Don’t do anything stupid. Wait for me here.”

Luke rolled his eyes, then looked at the bartender. “Olli, come on, man.” He pushed his own coke forward. “Just a little little bit of rum in this next one.”

Olli shook his head, smiling. “Deveaux. Your mom will kill me.”

“My mom doesn’t give a shit.”

James left the conversation behind, taking a few steps forward.

“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” James smiled, hands in his pockets. “Petunia. Lily.”

“James! Hi, sweetheart,” Mrs. Evans smiled. “Are your parents here?”

“Oh,” James looked behind him, then back at her, smiling and pushing his glasses up. “No. Just me.”

“And Luke,” Lily mumbled, eyes going behind him.

“Uh, yeah, yeah,” James sighed, cursing himself. “And Luke.”

“Mom,” Lily said, glancing at Mrs. Evans and the rest of her family. “We’ll be right back, okay? I’ll meet you at the table.”

Mrs. Evans nodded. “Yeah, all right, honey. It’s buffet style tonight, do you want me to make you a plate?”

“No, I’ll make it,” Lily said, and looked at James, gesturing towards the open patio doors. “James.”

“Coming,” James said. “Cool.” He looked at Petunia, who looked skeptical, to Lily’s parents. “Bye. Thank you—or—bye.”

The night air was warm as Lily let him outside and down the stones towards the cupola and the sea. She didn’t look at him as they walked, and James was afraid to speak. He wanted this to go the way she wanted it to, even if he was desperate to know what was in her head. It had been such a good night. Had she really not felt the way he had?

Lily stopped only when the cupola stopped her tracks. The dark waves were gentle tonight.

“Okay,” Lily said. “Go ahead.”

James blinked. “That’s it?”

Lily turned and looked at him expectantly.

“Lils…” James said, then laughed a little, exasperated. “Lils, we had sex. And—I know it wasn’t just sex to you. I know because it wasn’t just sex for me. I…look, it’s fine if you don’t want to date, I’d never make you do anything, but I just…I don’t understand. I’m an all right guy and… and when I asked you, you seemed…”

“It’s not you,” Lily began then groaned, turning back towards the cupola’s railing. “Or—maybe it is. I…James, you…your family…they are this island.”

James stared at her back, perplexed. “What does that mean? Like—their money? What?”

He watched Lily’s shoulders slump. “It means I need to get out of here. This bubble, these people. These divides, these fucking neighborhoods.” She turned, her green eyes beautiful and determined. “It’s like we live in clockwork and I can’t stand it.”

James looked over her face. “What, so I’m all gears and cranks, and that’s it?”

“You’re one gear,” Lily said softly. “You’re part of it all. I know you go to The Hollow and stuff, you hang out with Sirius Black and…”

“You hang out with Dorcas,” James countered.

“That’s not—”

James took a step forward. “So, we both cross boundaries—”

“What boundaries?” Lily said, voice raised. “They don’t exist! That’s the clock part!”

“They exist here,” James said firmly. “And, Lils, whether you like it or not, we’re here right now, and so why not break something? Sirius is nice. He’s troubled, but he’s nice, and I like Sirius. I went to school with him for seven years and now he works for my parents, I’m not going to pretend he’s not there. I want to be his friend. Saint’s a little weird, but he’s fine. Dorcas and Marlene are great together. This is our island, why not do what we want?”

Lily shook her head. “This isn’t our island. This is an island.” She wrapped her hands around her arms in the night breeze. “And it’s a small one, and there’s an entire world out there.”

“Lily—”

She looked away from his face. “And I’m sorry, James, I—you know I like you, but I need to leave when we go to college and I need to leave with a fresh start. No clockwork.”

With that, she brushed by him. James stood there, frozen, listening to her sandals get softer as she walked down the path, back towards the bright lights of Gryffindor Club. James thought of her parents back that way. And then his own parents, no doubt arriving soon. Their beloved club. Their title of one of the oldest names on the island. He didn’t blame Lily for not wanting to carry that with her. Not really.

“No clockwork,” he said softly to himself, and sat down heavily one of the benches.

~

Saint came out of the Potter’s house with a glass of water for both of them with his eyes firmly telling Sirius to keep it cool. Sirius recognized that look from too many almost run-ins with the cops, or marine patrol.

“What?” Sirius said. He downed half of his glass in one go. The sun was high and hot against his bare back. He handed the glass back to Saint and leaned on the long pool cleaner. “De parler.”

“You’ll never guess who just arri-ived,” Saint sang softly. “Tweedle-hot and tweedle-hotter.”

“Who the fuck are they?”

“Black!” James called, jogging down the steps to the flat stones of the pool ground. “You guys don’t mind if we’re out here, do you? We’re gonna practice some shots on the rebounder.”

“We,” Saint muttered, bending to clear some leaves from the filter.

Remus and Luke came out of the house after him, all three in their swim trunks. Luke stared right at Sirius, eyes hard. Remus looked at him more softly.

“It’s your house, Potter,” Sirius said.

James shrugged. “I’m just asking.”

Sirius watched out of the corner of his eye as the three of them walked over to where the bundle of lacrosse sticks lay, along with a bucket of balls. Luke picked up one first, punching out the net of his stick. Sirius noticed that someone had wrapped his knuckles. Sirius’ own were bare and aching a little in the sun, the split on his lip, too. Luke glanced over at them again.

“How’s the face, Black?” Luke said across the pool, and whipped the lacrosse ball forward. It landed squarely in the center of the trampoline material before bouncing back for him to catch again.

Sirius looked at Luke’s black eye. “Fine.”

“What, had worse?” Luke asked.

“Oh-kay, my turn,” James said and nudged Luke out of the way and looked at him and Remus. “Wagers?”

“Thirty for ten out of twenty,” Remus said. “Each.”

Luke turned away from Sirius and Saint and scoffed. “Just thirty?”

Remus smiled, tilting his head. “For now.” He walked over to a speaker and plugged his phone in.

Sirius kept his head down, focusing on the pool and the music as they cleaned. He watched as they hurled the ball in hard arcs every time. They laughed, and argued over who got to choose the next song. Saint and him raked the pool clean.

“I hate this song,” Saint kept mumbling to him. “And this one. And this one.”

“You don’t know this song,” Sirius murmured back.

“It’s a new hate.”

“I need more water,” Sirius sighed, and handed the pole to Saint before turning towards the house.

“Wow,” he heard Saint call to the boys from behind him, and closed his eyes. “You guys are like hamsters on a wheel with that thing. Love this song, too.”

“Well, thank you, Saint,” James laughed. “That’s nice of you.”

The shade of the house was a relief and Sirius took a moment in the cool kitchen to take a breath. He hated this. He hated the way those guys made him feel. He hated himself for feeling the gnawing self-consciousness at all. He had a job to do. That was all. It didn’t matter that they didn’t, that they were out there tossing a ball and catching it again all day.

Sirius shook his head to himself and went to the cupboard, grabbing a glass and holding it against the water filter on the refrigerator.

He was watching it slowly fill up when a throat cleared from behind him. He looked up to see Remus standing there.

“Hi,” Remus said. He was breathing hard from their workout. He was eyeing Sirius carefully.

“We’re allowed to come in here for water,” Sirius said, and turned back to his almost filled glass. “If that’s what you’re wondering.”

“What? Oh—no, no, I wasn’t.”

Sirius took his glass away and stepped to the side. “It’s all yours.”

Remus was still a little opened mouthed, and he took his own glass to fill.

Sirius didn’t really want to leave the shade of the kitchen, and it seemed neither did Remus. They stood there, on opposite sides of the counter, drinking their water.

The Wolfsbane, Sirius’ mind was chanting. Ask.

“I wasn’t,” Remus said again. He glanced up at Sirius and took another drink.

Sirius nodded. He didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

“Lupin,” came Luke’s voice from outside. “Jesus fuck, hurry, it’s your shot and I’m about to take back my money.”

Remus set down his drained glass in the sink. “See you out there, Sirius.”

Sirius watched him go. The memory was back.

Are you okay? Sirius, right?

The sun felt good against the chill that the words brought.

“What was that?” Saint whispered to him.

Sirius shook his head. “What was what?”

“Are you guys almost done?” Luke said, crossing his arms over his chest. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. “I sort of want to take a swim.”

“Well, what do you know,” Saint said. “There’s an entire ocean out there, Deveaux, and it’s all for you.”

Sirius, not wanting to fight again but recognizing it in Luke, said, “I clean this pool every other day. You can swim while we do it if you want.”

James thwacked Luke hard on the back of the head before cannonballing into the opposite side of the pool. He surfaced again to place his glasses on the side, then pushed off, floating on his back. Luke glared at Saint for another moment before sitting on the side and putting his feet in.

“Come on, Devs,” Remus said, and jumped in after James. He surfaced and floated over to wrap his hands around Luke’s ankles, tugging a little. “I still remember when your mom couldn’t get you out of the water for cake at my sixth birthday party. You know you want to.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed, but then he was smiling, laughing a little. He swatted Remus’ hand and then dove into the water after him.

“Wow, it emotes,” Sirius said softly to Saint.

“Potentially,” Saint countered. “Okay, we’re done.”

They listened to the boys laugh as they put their equipment back into the pool house.

“Hey,” James said, flicking his wet hair out of his eyes. “You guys can come in if you want. That’s hot work.”

“We’re headed to Shack Beach with our boards,” Sirius said, flashing an awkward smile. “But thanks.”

“You surf?” Remus asked.

“No, Lupin,” Saint’s grin was sharper. “We just clean pools.”

Remus shut his mouth. Sirius shoved Saint.

“Yeah, we do,” Sirius said, looking at Remus. “Every morning.”

“Hey, you know what, Lupin,” Saint pointed a finger at him. “We see your boat sometimes—”

“We’ll see you guys later,” Sirius said firmly, giving Saint another push.

“Well,” Saint said over his shoulder. “Sirius sees your boat.”

“Oh,” Remus said, puzzled sounding. “I mean, yeah, I go out in the morning.”

Sirius turned. He couldn’t help it. “You go out?”

Remus nodded, treading water. “Yeah.”

Saint whistled. “Mystery solved.”

Sirius opened and closed his mouth twice before nodding. “Okay. See you guys later.”

He heard Luke snort as they walked away. “That was weird.”

It was Remus.

They pushed through the Potter’s house and back to the driveway where Saint’s Jeep was waiting.

It was Remus out there.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Sirius groaned as they climbed onto the hot leather seats. “Saint, Jesus.”

“Mary,” Saint started the engine. “Joseph. Oh, I thought we were naming—”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“At least now you know. You can lust after a person, instead of a boat.”

“Drive.”

“It could be worse, you could be lusting after Lupin’s father.”

“Drive.”

~

“Tremblay, you’re back. I was wondering when we’d see you again.”

Logan looked down from the shiny crystal chandelier he was staring at, thinking about Finn. He wouldn’t need Felix today. He’d get to the orphanage before two, when they were let out into the courtyard for an hour.

His eyes found Alecto, who was smiling at him, if it could be called that. Every time his name came out of Alecto’s mouth, part of Logan wished that he was like some of the others that had been in the orphanage, like Finn—meaning without one.

“I’m back,” Logan said, standing. “Now, let’s get this over with.”

Alecto laughed. “Oh. He’s confident now.” She jogged down the rest of the grand staircase. “You weren’t like that a month ago.”

Logan slung his backpack off of his back and took out the cash he’d bundled. “Here.”

Alecto held out her palm for it, and Logan sighed but placed it there. She thumbed through the bills.

“This is all of it?” Alecto asked.

“Yes.”

Alecto reached out and gripped Logan’s chin, making him stare at her.

“Are you lying?” she said.

“You can count it,” Logan bit back, and shoved her away. He worked his jaw, sore from her grip.

She nodded, smiling. “All right, all right.”

The door to the left, framed in gold, opened as it always did. Logan caught Snape’s eye for a moment as he handed the bags of pink powder, rubber-banded together. Alecto took it from him, and Snape stepped back. A good soldier, Logan thought.

Alecto tossed it to Logan, who caught it against his chest.

“Sell it all,” Alecto said, watching Logan slip it into his pack. “Or don’t come back.”

“Fine,” Logan turned towards the door.

“I mean it,” Alecto said. “You think we don’t know what you’re doing in your free time?”

Logan froze. He felt his heart speed up, felt Alecto just behind him.

“How much do you think you owe us by now, Tremblay? With all the…free samples you’ve taken. I’m sure it was suppose to be the other way around, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that why you ended up here?”

Logan kept his eyes down.

“Or,” Alecto laughed. “I guess the real question is how badly you want to see that boy of yours again? And I mean really see him.”

“Don’t talk about him,” Logan grit out.

“Then remember that our deal doesn’t include your little freebies,” Alecto growled. “Now get out.”

Logan didn’t look back as he pushed out the door.

He waited until he was well out of sight of the Carrows’ manor before stopping in a narrow alley between houses. He dug his fingers into his hair and closed his eyes.

“Fuck,” he gasped aloud. His throat felt tight. Everything felt heavy. Logan scrubbed his fingers over his face before looking at his watch. It was 1:56. He needed to get to the orphanage.

Sometimes this island felt like a jungle, and sometimes it reminded Logan of the halls in Saint Clair. Salazar’s alleys were those hallways, only caked with grime. Saint Clair was the jungle in a rare clearing. Or maybe a clearing in a jungle. It made no sense, but there it was.

Logan looked from his crouch in the hedges of a nearby house as the door of the courtyard opened. Two o’clock on the nose. Two nuns came out, and then the first kid. They let the little ones out before the others, always. Logan watched the children grow taller, accompanied by some of the wards—not part of the Church, but older kids who were still there. Logan still didn’t know why. No one had ever said.

And then there he was.

“Finn,” Logan breathed, as if Finn could hear him. Even if he couldn’t hear him, Logan knew Finn would look for him. Already, Logan could see Finn glancing around outside the fence. He was holding a book. One of his tricks, Logan had learned. Logan had been too scared to come even close to the orphanage for the first week and a half, but then he had discovered that he could watch.

And then he had discovered Felix. Two Finns, one far, and one farther.

Finally, Finn found him.

“Finn,” Logan said again aloud. “Finn, Finn…”

Finn smiled, just a little, not too noticeable. He took his book and sat down against one of the benches. Opening it between two fingers, he held it on his lap, bowing his head a little to feign reading. Instead, he stared at Logan.

Logan's crouch dropped to his knees heavily. “Finn.”

Even from a distance, Logan could see Finn’s mouth move around silent words.

Hi, baby.

And then Finn’s eyes turned sad. He jerked his chin forward a little.

Go, he mouthed. Go.

“I miss you,” Logan said aloud. “I’ll get you out.”

Finn shook his head. Logan… he trailed off.

“I’m going to get you out,” Logan said, and turned before he had to watch Finn disappear inside again.

[rosietaeyongswife]

black orphan |l.ty

genre: angst, smut mafia!taeyong, taeyonxreader, mafia au

tw: mentions of dead, murders, bad language, sex, mafia, mafia stuff

summary: being daugther of people who are hierarchy..well known around south korea isn’t very nice especially when they’re mafia and you killed them. u know what also isn’t easy? taking care of your younger sister.

authors note: pls if you have time it would be nice if you could read this it’s about lately thing with chinese idols. i explain there why some people should stop spreading hate on them and that it’s not really their fault.

when you were child you didn’t understand what were your parents doing. you only knew you were rich. private schools. everything you want. most expensive clothes. everything. trip to hot country in middle of the winter? no problem. you and your sister minhee had everything. but your father and mother didn’t forget to teach you that you need to work for what you have.

  you were always amazed by your parents untill you were 16 years old and started to understand what they are doing for living. your parents were killers and drug sellers. you couldn’t belive it at first but with time you understood. that’s how your family is living. that’s how kim’s family is living. with time you learned about mafia life and your parents business. your father made sure that his daughter is going to take care of their business one day.. exactly - one day. one night your mother was standing in front of you with smile.

“y/n you are getting married.” she smiled wider. “he is son of rich man who can be needed.”

“what?”

 they wanted you to marry some 40 years old man and sell your younger sister because they would had only benefits. it was this time when it hits you.

 you are just 24 years old, are you really going to kill your parents? answer is yes. few weeks ago you poisoned your parents and made sure that everyone would think that their heart stopped. because of this you were now the owner of kim hierarchy. now you are boss. 

  you were sitting at conference room with jackson when someone called you.

“yes honey?” you smiled. “how much do you need? okay. take my credit card. yes it’s fine.”

 you hung up. it was minhee. she needed some money so you gave it to her.

“it was minhee right?”

“how do you know?”

“you always smile this way when you are talking with minhee.”

“damn jackson. you know me too well.” jackson chuckled. “so now. how is the deal with sagurako family?”

“i think they don’t want to pay us.”

 you could only smile.

“they really don’t take me seriously.” you sighed. “kill his son.”

“ok, how and when?”

“whatever. tell jaebum that it’s job for him.”

“yes sir.”

 you really weren’t in mood to games. you just want money and nothing else. is this that hard? pay what they own you? your parets exactly but they are dead so you should take money, right? they don’t matter same as their children. they have five kids so one less isn’t big deal. 

 when you were sitting by your desk you heard someone. it was yugyeom. you sighed and walked to the coridor.

“why the fuck are you so loud?”

“because bambam is stupid idiot.”

“what? no!” he shout. “he almost kill me.”

“whatever. be quiter.”

“y/n wait!” yugyeom looked in to your eyes. “someoe was following minhee when she was at school and then with her friends.”

 hearing this made you upset. you know that you have much more enemies than friends but you had hope that minhee isn’t going to be part of their hit list. 

“bambam take me home i need to talk with her.”

“what are you going to do?” yugyeom was looking at you confused. he knows very well that you don’t play games. “are you going to kill somebody again?”

“ew no. she is going to have home school. ask youngjae or mark to hire someone ok?”

“yes.”

 your sister safety is your priority. she didn’t do anything wrong and she is innocnt teen. you couldn’t let someone to hurt her or even worse. of course minhee knew that yours family works in dirty business but she doesn’t know much. and it should stay like this. minhee isn’t going to take your company one day. you can’t do it. if you won’t be dead to your 60s you would give company to your child or something but at this moment it isn’t time to think about this.

 the whole house was clean. junmyeon was here for sure. you smiled softly. take off your coat and boots. first thing you did was to drink some watter. drinking watter is important especially for your brain’s work. when you were done you went to find your sister.

“minhee!” you looked around your house but you didn’t hear her back. sighing you went to check her and you could hear she was talking with someone. “minhee!”

 you walked in and first thing you saw was her with phone.

“i’m sorry. didn’t hear you.”

“yeah, it’s okay. are you fine?”

“yes. everything is fine. something happend?”

“you not gonna attend school anymore. you will have home lessons. you know teacher will be here with you.” you shrugged.

“what? no way!”

“you can’t do anything about this.”

“you can’t lock me there! the fuck y/n! i have friends there.”

“they can come to house.”

“but no..wtf. i don’t want to.”

“it’s for your safety.” you tried to hug her. “i know it’s not cool and all but i don’t have any other choice.”

 minhee was looking at you with only hate in her eyes.

“are you trying to lock me down? just like parents did to you?”

“no, of course no! it’s not it.” you took package of ciggs. “i don’t want to see that you are dead. someone is following you. if you still be arguing you’ll be dead soon.”

“w-who is following me?”

“i don’t know. jackson hire some teacher and some bodyguards so i hope you’ll be safe here if no then i have to send you to china.”

“china?”

“yes to our uncle.”

“why the fuck i can’t live normal live.”

“listen. you can’t choose family but you should be grateful for us. for what you have. i work hard for everyting we achhived.”

“how? by killing people? it’s a job for you?” she smirked. “you are exactly like parents. what else do you do? drugs? murders? are you selling people?”

“done! i’m fuckin done. you can’t leave the house for next week. better accept how things are going because i’m not gonna let you talk to me like that.” you were pissed of. “you didn’t even know them well, what can you know? you acting like i don’t care about you even tho it’s not true.” 

 minhee didn’t feel bad about what she said. she was mad at you because she didn’t want to be in home. she wants to explore. you exactly know that she doesn’t want to live the way the whole your family is living. and you also don’t want her to live the same just like you. so sending her to china is the best option. uncle isn’t in mafia and all dirty stuff the rest of the family members do so minhee can be safe there.

  your sister didn’t talk with you by the whole week. you didn’t really care because you have so much work to do. kinda proud because you made japanese family to pay you the money they owned to your parents so you were satisfied. everything went fine. things are nice so are you. no worries by the whole time. only thing you are upset about is that your family want to meet. family meeting sounds nice? no. there is going to be other mafia because remember guys - if there is family meeting that means there is going to be make big deals.

 jackson with the rest of the boys were standing next to you. 

“you look pretty.” mark said looking at you with a smile. “but where is minhee?”

“told her that she has 5 minutes untill i go there.”

“yes sir.”

 you smiled. nothing can make your day worse. you are clever person so it turns out that you made a lot of big deals so now you are just swimming in the money to be honest. everything is so fine like never and nothing can upset you. not even this damn dinner with your family and others because you’ll be there with your people.

“minhee please we don’t have time. grandma will be mad.”

“i don’t care. i don’t want to.”

 you could only sighed. walking in her bedroom made you feel like teenager again. she was kind of similiar to you but at the same time she was so different. you took her hairbrush and started brushing her hair while looking in to her eyes in the mirror.

“you are so beautiful minhee. can you see it?” she nod. “everyones eyes are going to be on us. especially you because you are younger. behave there honey ok? they won’t like acting up or something. also be ready for all the compliments.” you smiled softly. “plus.. i can’t have eyes on you whole night so be careful. if someone is bothering you..” you lean to her ear “you know what to do.”

 she nodded and stand up. ready to go and show off. you are y/n and minhee kim. you are prestige family and nobody can tell otherwise. 

 the place was huge and expensive. you knew your family like things like that but not that much. without thinking your people with you at the front walked in welcomed by some people who were smilling at you.

“mrs.kim?”

“it’s me.”

“welcome madam. have fun.”

 slight smile goes on your lips and disaper quickly. and here you are. all eyes on you and your crew. smile and confident walk by you was really indimidiating. you knew your presence here was cherry on top. your parents died in mysterious conditions and here you are leading kim’s company. isn’t it suss? it is and you know it well but it’s only made you proud. your parents were problematic and were problem not only for you but for the family and co-workers. jelous eyes of wifes and girls were on you. to be honest, you are one of the prettiest and hottest woman there and that’s why you are just eye-catching. 

 the long table was place where you and minhee should stay. your people found place to themselfs, and when they were gone you noticed that by the table was sitting bosses of others organizations.

“good evening grandma.” you goes to hug her and asked minhee to do so. “i missed you so much.”

“is this my little y/n? sunshine i missed you. how are you?” she was worried. this woman was someone who you wish were your mother. she was the only one who cares about you. your mother or father never told you “i love you” it was your precious grandma who always was making sure to say “i love you” no matter what. “is everything fine?”

“i’m fine. everything is the best. business is going really well. you know.. zeros on bank account are only growing.” you smiled. “what about you? health?”

“i feel like i’m in my 30s.” she was only 70 years old but she felt way younger. “you know even tho your grandpa is pain in ass i’m fine. i’m so happy that now you are leading business.” she smirked. “my son and his -be sorry god- wife were failure. they have never made this much money like you do.”

“grandma thank you. it’s not such a big deal.”

“it is. i’m proud of you. i’m proud that you are leading something to be even bigger.” tear came down my cheek. “and you minhee. what about you?”

“everything is okay i guess.”

“is something bothering you?” everyone were looking at your sister and you knew what she is going to say.

“i feel kinda grounded but it’s okay.”

“what?”

“y/n made me stop attend private school and have home schooling.”

“it’s against your wish?”

“yes.”

 you were now kinda mad at your sister. you know well that she said that because she still doesn’t agree with idea of home schooling and china.

“let me make things clear grandma. someone was following her and i love her too much to let someone hurt her. it’s the safest in our home.”

 your grandma sighed like everyone else in family.

“minhee you are still too immature and too young to understand things. let your sister work and decide. she is doing everything for your best.” your grandpa said while he was drinking his wine.

“but i have friends there. i have thing i’m interested in school and now i’m going to be grounded.”

 you couldn’t listen her anymore what notice your another uncle.

“minhee just let things happen. can we talk about something else? as you can see we have guests by these table.” he looked around.

 and that was the time when minhee must leave. you looked at her and she disaper. anothers girls and boys who were teens also disaper leaving the elders and bosses.

“okay so let’s talk.” your grandpa said. “my son is such a dumbass and made debts. also. police was suspecting you to be the one who killed your parents my dear y/n.”

 boss of nct, bts and monstax looked at you. you just smiled at them.

“there is no proof. i made sure to done work.” you took your glass of wine. “i’m more pro than my parents was, right? i don’t think someone is crying because of their loss.”

 you interested taeyong. he has never seen a person who openly talk about murder. about parents murder. you were that cofident that it makes him like you. he could see clearly that you don’t fuck with others. 

“mother will you let her get away with this? he still was your son.”

“will you talk like that if you knew that he signed documents about taking over your wealth? and everyone else?” you took a sip.”seokhyun you are so fuckin dumb. i hope you know why i don’t have respect for you right?” you smirked “you are pain in as..you remind me of some boy who was bothering minhee. you know what did i do with him?” he shook his head no “i shot him in front of his parents eyes. be careful.”

“what else you know?” grandpa took another bottle of wine.

“i know so much that i could easily take over business of everyone here.” you smiled. “father hide money in japan. i guess no one knows why there but it doesn’t matter. i have deal for mr. lee taeyong.”

 taeyong smiled over you. he was glad that he is going to make deal with big mrs. kim y/n. 

“i listen to you lady.”

“i know your handsome and eye-catching member named yuta nakamoto is japanese and he runs your business there. let’s say i need him. i want your help with finding money in japan.”

“i want 40% from this.”

“you want too much. it’s almost half of the money i would get. it’s not worth it. you are only finding money that are basically belonging to me.”

 you weren’t dumb. you knew that it’s way too much.

“what is your proposition?”

“i can give you 20%.”

“deal. i’m glad i’m going to work with you mr. kim.”

“same here mrs.lee i hope you not gonna fail.” he smiled. “i want to also say something. time is ticking mr. seo. and you know what happend.”

 lee taeyong stod up and leave to his members table. you looked confused at wife of your cousin jongdae.

“what happend?”

“it’s matter between me and him. please don’t ask questions.”

“okay so i can begin now.” namjoon said slightly annoyed. “what with our collaboration mrs.kim.” he was looking annoyed at your grandma

“i said i don’t know.”

“please.. my boys were working for you. i think we would be giant.”

 you were looking at them and thinking. what the fuck. you knew that bts are doing good but you also heard about their debts.

“no. if my lovely grandma said no then it’s no.” you didn’t look at him but at your glass full of wine.”don’t you want collaboration with my grandma and granpa just to pay off your debts and bills?”

 everyone was looking at your table because everyone heard it. whole nct were looking at you with shock same with bts and bosses of other mafies were spechless same with shownu.

“aren’t you too mean? it’s none of your business y/n. it’s thing between me and your grandparents.”

“exactly. and i’m not going to look how you want to take their whole wealth. how much money do you need? we can borrow you but you know.” you stand up like namjoon did few seconds ago just to come closer. “deadline is short period of time. and consequences are really big.” you smiled. “ask chan what happend when he was late with money.”

 namjoon was standing there embarrased and paralaized. you come at him and he didn’t like it. but you weren’t afraid. you are at too strong position to be moved by little kim namjoon.

“okay. borrow me a three milion dollars and i’m going to return them back.”

“sure. jackson!” you said. “make collab with my grandma but remember that i have eyes all around and i will notice if there is less money than it should be. you have month to pay me back.” jackson give you both piece of paper when you signed it. “sign it.”

“thank you and yes. month and you will have your money back.”

 after this everything went smooth. no fights. just paceful event. by the time it was time to dance and you were asked by your cousin jongdae to dance but soon enough you were dancing with lee taeyong.

“i didn’t know you were that mean and that strong.” he said while his hands were on your waist and yours around his neck.

“i don’t like playing games with someone who isn’t worht it.”

“and i like it.” he smirked. “you seem to be good player aren’t you?”

“maybe i am. mr.taeyong why are you even here?” he was confused. “i clearly see that you and your men don’t want to be there.”

“are you watching us?”

“shouldn’t i?”

“i guess you should. it scary talking with girl who killed own parents.”

 you could only smile. you aren’t afraid of anything and no one will make you feel regret. your parents deserved this and if you wouldn’t kill them they would ruin your life and your family lifes. and y’all don’t deserve this at all. your parents were selfish since you’ve been child. when there was no minhee your only friend was maid and chef. they were talking with you and play with you and your toys just to not feel alone. beside of them you had your grandparents. your grandma loved you like you were her daughter. she always made sure to say “i love you” and to check on you. and your grandpa? he would be proud and happy to walk you to your kindergarten and take care of you along with your grandma. and your parents? they didn’t care. they just thougth about money. more money and even more money. your mother was mean if she had to stay with you. she would just left you in your bedroom with toys and goes to her friend or to watch tv. and father? he didn’t even talk with you. he started to talk when he wanted you to be part of mafia. 

he taught you everything you need to know. and because of their lack of love and your knowledge of things you shouldn’t know about you are like this today. cold and emotionless. no one really show your love (not including your grandparents). kids at shool were afraid of you becasue they knew who you were and their parents didn’t allow them to play with you. in high school they didn’t want to be in touch with girl whose family is gangsters and who could kill anyone they want. you even hadn’t any best friend. no one. 

“it’s not scary. they deserved this.” you were closer. “sometimes you need to get rid of your enemies and i’m sure they were one.”

“am i your enemy?”

“if you will help me you’ll be my friend.”

since then you haven’t talked with family members. you didn’t need to. also minhee was more distant than usually. you even noticed that she is leaving and coming back late at night. you just had hope that she isn’t causing any problems. but when she was gone for two days and came back like nothing happend it makes you feel mad. mark and youngjae were nice enough to follow her around and found out that she is dating someone. minhee was dating and you didn’t even know. also, it seems like they know each other really well and are together since the very long time. 

 you were fine with it. she is 18. she can date anyone. you didn’t even care about this that she doesn’t tell you but it’s okay. it’s hers life after all. but when she were gone for a week and she doesn’t contact with you.. boy, you were really mad. minhee just disapear and have no signs of live. 

“y/n you need to calm down. she for sure is fine.” mark said “she is teenager, something like this happens.”

“but i do so much for her, why she is like this?” bambam was looking at you with sad eyes. he knew he shouldn’t feel this way but he hates your sister and seeing you hurt was really.. bad feeling. he knew how much effort you put to raise her well and take good care of. “i don’t understand. she just could told me that she want to go somewhere or something. i’m sick of it.”

“y/n.. we got it. i think she could leave with her boyfriend. yugyeom is checking him.” jackson hugged you tightly. “she is fine. minhee is strong.”

“and naive. she doesn’t even know how to defend herself what if he is going to hurt her?”

“maybe no? we don’t know.”

 when you were sitting in your office you didn’t know back then that person who is lover of your sister is who he is. reading his info was really surprising to you. it was unbeliveble. member of nct. 

 sound of your heels could be hear in headquarter of nct. your usually outfit on you - dark coat and black boots above your knees. people called you black orphan because of the fact that you are orphan basically and because you only dressed in black.

 members of nct who noticced you were whispering something about black orphan being here. you were walking slowly don’t even bother to look at them. you had goal - find minhee. jackson and rest of the boys were behind you and were in the line. like always.

“excuse me, what are you doing here?” man named mark was in front of you. “i don’t remember that you were invited.”

“i don’t need invitation.” you growled. “better find kim minhee and park jisung.”

 face of mark knew that is going to happen and why are you here. taeyong and rest of the members of nct couldn’t belive that jisung is letting his girlfriend stay in their place. taeyong was against and mad because he found out by accident when he was checking bathroom and minhee was going to bathroom. he almost killed her.

 when mark was about to go your sister and her s/o were near. minhee was looking at you surprised. she knew you could find her but didn’t think that you would come to nct. 

“i count to 10 and we coming home.”

“i’m not leaving.” she hissed. “i’m sick of being under your control.”

“what is this noise here?” taeyong appeard in his hallway. the crowd of his people were looking around whole argument.

“you living with my money that i worked for. i pay your bills and all. i’m doing everything for you to have amazing life. why don’t you understand that you will never be normal girl? you will never. you will always be “daughter of mafia” or “sister who hate her parents”. you should accept this.”

“that’s why i fuckin hate you!” she scream. “i don’t want your help. you think you did everything well. i want to throw up everytime i reminds to myself what you are doing. i don’t want to be part of this also i don’t want to live in china. i want to decide.”

you laughed like freak. you were looking at your little sister and couldn’t think of anything but how stupid she actually is. 

“i’m not asking you.” you hissed. “you are ungretful, spoiled brat who thinks that owns the world and is main charcater, don’t you? if you want to be that independent okay. i’m going to block all back acounts from you. from now on you will work your ass off for money. i’m starting counting and you better come here.” you looked in to her eyes. “1..2..3..”

“you aren’t my mother. my mother is dead! understand this!”

 jaehyun was about to say something but taeyong stopped him. he was enjoying the show in front of him. he really loves how crazy you actually are.

“i’m staying with jisung. i won’t come back to home.”

“you are making disrace for our surname. don’t act like fool and come to home. i’m at 7.”

minhee didn’t even flinch.

“i’m not scared of you. after all i’m your family.”

“are you sure honey?” you touched her cheek. “do you know how killed your lovely parents?” she denied. “i did. funni isn’t it? everyone know but not their own daughter. i think you should be scared of me at that point.”

 minhee couldn’t belive her ears. you killed your parents. she was living with you not knowing about everything.

“you are crazy bitch! i hate you! i hate this family! one day i’ll make sure that police or media destroy you.”

“good luck.” you winked and slapped her. “you are no longer part of kims family. i don’t need you. you were the one that needed me.” you said harshly stepping closer and touched her chest to push her. “you are no one know. there is no coming back. you are done in my eyes. dead. and if i see you in my way i’m going to kill your love and then you. and guess what? nothing will bother to help find justice.” you shrugged and smiled one last time “you are free. make sure to change surname and to make it like we have never been family.”

 minhee was holidng her cheek and crying. at this point she knew that she doesn’t really know her own family. that there is secrets that are creepy and scary just like them. and she was sure she doesn’t want to involved. but now she was feeling bad because of what she said. jisung had tried hundred times explain her who you are. that she is doing it for her safety because thousands of people wants her head and she still didn’t listen.

 taeyong was following you.

“are you going to stop going after me or you want me to beat you up?”

“don’t need to be so harsh. i just want to ask you something.” he smiled. “have you ever been in love?”

“the fuck mr. lee? i only met you few times and i talk with you for the second time.”

“just answer me y/n.” his eyes was shining and you liked this view. you liked him to be honest. he did awesome work by finding your fathers money. he was loyal to you and you liked it. also he was handsome. why don’t like him?

“no. i have never been in love. having crush in daughter of mafia doesn’t sound nice right?”

“i don’t belive. you are way too pretty and too smart to be alone the whole time.” you smiled. he was cheesy but you liked it. “i think this can change.”

“do you want to seduce me?” you asked with little smile. “make me feel like i’m special and leave next day?”

“who said i would leave?” he smirked. “you are really something y/n.”

“i think we could talk about it.”

 and here you are. taeyong brings happines to your live. you have never experinced things like the one you do with taeyong. you are no longer alone. you wake up usually in his bed with his eyse piercing in to your soul. jackson and boys were happy that someone is interested in you and you are intrested in someone. they have never seen you having crush in male. but here you are. all over heels over lee taeyong. you didn’t like the idea of him having you wrapped around his finger but who cares? you like it.

“y/n what are you thinking about?”

“taeyong would you kill for me?”

“isn’t it obvious? i know you can do it by yourself but i would always kill anyone who is messing with my girl.”

“since when i’m your girl?”

“since the first time i’ve heard of you y/n.” he kissed you. “why you asking?”

“i feel like i spend way too much time with you so i need to make sure that you are worth it.”

“are you doubting me?” he touch your cheeks. “look at us. we are in my apartment in japan with beautiful view on sea. we are here alone having the best sex of our lives. having each other and telling silly secrets.” he hugged you and you lay your head on his chest. “we don’t need to stress about business. we have each other now. it’s feels like heaven.” 

“we are in japan. we are looking at the sea.” you smiled softly. “it’s almost like dream.”

“i know you have never thing like this. i want to show you life colors you know?” he smiled. “i want you to be happy. i want to see that you enjoy your time and let someone like you more than friend.”

“you just saying that.” you sighed. “you are going to leave soon like everyone in my life. but it’s okay.”

“you will never get rid of me.” he looked deadly in to your eyes. “past six months was like arcadia with you by my side. i feel like i can love you and i know that no one ever loved you the way i do.” he smiled. “but i’m here. i love you.”

“what?”

“you heard me and i’m not going to say this again.”

“lee taeyong you make me feel needed.”

 he was messing so much with your head and you didn’t even mind. he was there. he was with you and makes you forget about any problems. about stress. about work. time with him is smooth. and you love it.

“can we make love this time? not fuck? i want to feel your love even if it’s temporary.” you said with eyes closed while you kissed him

 taeyong smiled wide. he loved the idea of making love and not just fuck.

“my girl is soft.” he teased. “i want to do it. love.”

“i hate you so much sometimes.” you rolled your eyes. “i’m not going to ask anymore. it’s just this once.”

“alright. i got it.”

 you were sure that taeyong will disapear. you can’t show feeling but taeyong.. he show you love. he was there. you didn’t even know when you started to finding yourself making breakfasts for him. hugging him for every 5 minutes. telling him your dreams. listen to him and advice him. making him happy. it comes to you naturally just by watching his moves to you. it was so soft and so new to you. proudness. it what’s you feel. you could love taeyong. you didn’t even love your parents nor sister. it was more like obligation. but with taeyong? you realized your feeling when you were missing him and your mind just focus on him.

 you wanted to be best girlfriend to him. one time he even just put gun in your mouth and say to suck it if you love him just to then have you moaning “love yous”. and you did. not thinking twice. at this moment you both knew that it’s simply love between dificult people.

 taeyong was deep in you. you could feel him hitting right spots.

“how’s my kitten feeling?”

“good. good sir.” you moaned. “i feel like i’m close.” you whines

“i love view of you. you are perfect for me even your pussy is made for me.” he moeaned. “look at you under me. lovely.”

“stop talking and just make me cum.”

“marry me.”

 you were that confused. you were at edge of orgasm and he is telling you this.

“taeyong why are you saying this when we fuck?”

“why not? will you marry me?” he punted deeper and faster. “i would love to see you with my surname. lee y/n.” he smiled giving you hickeys “all by myself. my wife.”

“you got to be kidding me.” you laughed “we are having sex and you asking me about mar-”

 you couldn’t end your sentence because taeyong circled your clit and suddenly wave of pleasure hit you like ddu du and you cum. moaning his name and curling.

“answer kitten.”

“yes. i want to fuckin marry you lee dumbass taeyong.”

[rwby-oscar-blog]

Mistral, the land of prosperity, and known to have the highest amount of minerals in the soil for farming, known to have the best crops of food throughout all of remment. But unfortunately two orphans were now homeless, lien-less and with nothing to their names, except for the clothes on their back, a hunting rifle from their father and two hand guns from their mother and whatever they got after the fire happened. Destroying their home and the field that they had a good number of crops growing, but now it's just a burnt field and the charred skeletal remains of a home left. 

This wasn't a home anymore, so Ocsar and his twin sister Olivia both left the homestead, to look for another place to live and to call home. 

Throughout their travels, they were able to stay in a tent that they also had among their stuff after the fire, which consumed their home and killed their parents. Nobody in either villages or small town's would take them in at all. The only way they kept themselves alive was through sheer determination and practice of hunting animals for food. This wasn't what they wanted to do, but it was a better way to get some food and a bit of lien, after selling the fur or anything of the origin to medical doctors in the towns or villages. Olivia was starting to develop into a beautiful woman, but Oscar didn't want her to start selling herself like a cheap prostitute or even being a prostitute at all. So hunting was the only thing to do, or find small easy jobs that they could do.

But for sleeping, it was only in the tent off of the main route in a field or among the bushes, near the main road or path towards the towns and villages. It was something at least. Until they made it to the forest.

It was a mighty thick and luscious forest, that had many of remment's tallest trees in the entire world. "This is a perfect place" Olivia looked at her twin confused of what he ment "wait what, what do you mean this is perfect?" "I'm saying Olivia is that, this place will be our new home" looking around the entire forest, there was barely any room for a tent, let alone a cabin to build. So Olivia crossed her arms above her breasts, looking at Oscar "okay Mr survivalist, where in the hell are we going to build a home, in the middle of a thick forest, there is barely any room on the ground" course Oscar pointed up at the sky or among the tree's.

She looked up at the top of one of the tallest trees, then shook her head "noo way, no i don't like, yo..you do know i hate highests, right?.. Oscar, why?" He shrugged at her "why not?, it's perfect, we will be off the ground. The animals will not be able to step on us, or hunt us down, anyways it's perfect" sighing again at the childest idea from her own twin, shaking her head again. "Okay Mr.toughman how are you, let alone us going to get up the tree and make a treehouse, or a base for the tree house?" Oscar just lifted up both arms, took one big 360 turn around the forest, pointing at the wood that was surrounding them.

Olivia smacked her forehead, she was being sarcastic, she knew about the huge numerous trees around the entire place. Placing her hands on her tight short shorts, sighed "you do know i was being sarcastic right?" He just nodded to her "oh yeah, i know" facepalming herself, he placed his bag on the ground getting some tools out, like axe he took from home "well, no time like the present now, let's get started already and finish the base before sunset" Olivia sigh once again and just went with it, for now.

Oscar got to chop down some trees that looked like they could be useful, checking a tree to see if it was coming down or sick, he chopped it down. It was a slow process, but with Olivia's help, it made the journey of building a home easier, but building steps were first. The temporary wooden stairs were constructed without hassle, they got to a height where it was enough to be invisible but visible to them. They got started on the platform.

Time flew past them as they worked throughout the rest of the day into early to late evening, once it got dark out they stopped working. Luckily they just finished working on the main base, or platform to build their home. But left it bare, with a lamp lighting the area above the tree, they set up their tent and had their dinner. As they ate, Olivia would take a glance at her brother's shirtless chest, he was getting chiseled slowly. Seeing those muscles, she turned red looking away 'damn it he is getting hot, wait' she shook her head 'no he is my brother, i'm not falling for him no way' she sighed once again, Oscar heard that sigh " is everything okay Olivia?" Asking his sister about it, she turned even more red, blankly looking at him.

"No no no I'm fine just my mind went off somewhere" laughing it off, she continued to eat her dinner, shrugging it off was the only thing he could've done for now.

Sleeping was even more of a hellish task, still awake Olivia's heart was beating fast and her breathing was irregularly picking up fast, when she saw Oscar. A few times she caught herself, with her hand on her unzipped short shorts, lightly touching her crotch, softly rubbing herself, she also felt her nipples get hard in her small top, at this point it could be called a tank top. Olivia stops dead in her tracks giving herself a good smack across the face, painful, but effective. So she got up grabbing a towel, headed to the pound that they found just a little ways from the forest. She removed her clothing and jumped into the very cold water, letting out a yell, she shivered and shaked. Quickly she got out of the pound and gave herself a quick dry off and put her warmish clothes back on. 

Olivia felt better, for the most part. But who said her mind wouldn't run wild, in her dreams. Getting back to the platform was easy enough, just reaching the last step. She heard a click, knowing that sound, she again stopped in her tracks. It was dark still, but she saw a small little spark of a light coming from Oscar, she gave a sigh. "Who goes there?" He demanded an answer "it's just me Oscar, Olivia your sister" lighting up the lamp, he pointed it at Olivia seeing her there, letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the brothers you are safe" then it hit him "wait where in the hell were you" "i was using the little girls room Osc really" he sighed again, putting the pistol back into the holdster, he just looked at her. "Well next time just say something" "how can i? When you are still sleeping ?" "Just give me a shake and tell me" this was going over his head.

Saying that she was using the "bathroom" was her own business, not Oscars business at all, even if he did the same, he wouldn't even tell anyone about that either. Still she shook her head "let's get back to sleep and talk about this in the morning" laying back down, in their tent. Oscar was already asleep, but Olivia was still awake, for a bit. Though she did cool down with a drip in the cold pond, she still felt a little itch deep in her core, so getting to sleep wasn't much of a problem. 

The morning came within about 7 hours later, Oscar didn't waste any time at all and continued to build up their new home in the tree. Olivia woke up later after Oscar and joined in with the help to finish or start on the wall of the tree house. 

After 6 hours of work on the treehouse, they managed to get the main house built with a half of the roof already built, but also managed to get three additional rooms made, one was a bathroom completed, the last two were full bedrooms for Oscar and Olivia to use. So with it being lunchtime and a nice break for the both of them, Olivia had caught a good number of fishes to eat for lunch. Sitting around the campfire, eating their lunch Oscar was proud of his and Olivia's hard work on the new home they were building together, being shirtless was very hard on Olivia again, the sweat coming off of his forehead and all over his chest was driving Olivia crazy and awakening her hormones in her again. She was blushing like crazy, giving her head a real good shake to get her mind out of the gutter. "So very close, we are nearly done with this home of ours, but what are we going to put in it?" Olivia heard her twin asking that, but her mind was stripping Oscar down to nothing, yet she doesn't know how big he was or if had a small member.

Oscar looked at Olivia, seeing that her mind was not here, it was just elsewhere. Waving his hand around in front of her face, he called her name " hey Olivia, hello are you there, remnant to Olivia, it's your twin brother Oscar calling want to answer" finally coming back to reality and seeing him standing there, waving his hand around "oh hey Oscar" "finally, welcome back to remnant space cadet, enjoy your trip" she blushed red "oh sh..shut up you" Oscar laughed at her when she told him to shut up like that "take it easy sis, i was only kidding" again he laughed and Olivia just blushed again even more red "so what were you asking me?" Sighing "I was asking what we would need for the house, we don't have any electricity running through this place, as of yet. But we will soon or not" sitting back down by the campfire, finishing up his lunch fish. 

Olivia rubbed her arm thinking a bit, but her mind was still processing if her brother was packing or not, shaking her head from the indecent idea of not knowing her brother's Anatomy. " Well we do need a decent kitchen set up and windows, a fireplace can be good, if we can find clay or something" Oscar nods to those ideas that would make it more of a home and a place they can be truly happy. Nodding to that, he finished his lunch and he went back to work to finish the roof. 

After a couple of hours of working on the roof it was at least now finished, both standing back and checking out their handy work. "Well i do believe we are done now" Olivia smiled at her brother "yep we did, do you think mom and dad would like this" that hit him hard as well as her, when she heard herself repeated to herself in her head, just looking at him with an apologetic eyes as she just looked at him "I'm im.." She felt his hand touch her head and gave her hair and head a rub "Don't worry about it Olivia, mom and dad would be very proud of our hard work on the house we made" he just smiled as Olivia looked sad.

It was hard on them both since their parents had died, and it was hard on both to realize that they were now gone. 

As Olivia was making some improvements in the new house, Oscar looked at the sun. Seeing it was getting dark and it was nearly time for dinner. "Hey Olivia i will head out to hunt for some food" she looked at her brother, as he went to get the weapons. "Wait, what is wrong with fish?" "Fish is okay, but I do want something more than just fish." Olivia nodded in agreement to that statement "and I can see if anyone had left anything we can use outside of town" that would be another idea. The village sometimes throws away anything that they are not using or can't be fixed at all. Oscar took his father's 70 lever action rifle and is taking the matching pistol's ivory, leaving Ebony with Olivia. 

Handing her ebony, she took the pistol and held it "keep this with you, only use this if it's really necessary okay." Olivia nods to her brother "i will be back soon" "be careful Oscar you're the only family i have left" giving her a smile he rubbed her head "i know same with you dear sister, but i do promise i will be back" both smiling at each other, Oscar left the treehouse to hunt for food, as he got off the last step, he lifted up the stairs up concealing the stairs from anyone or anything, that might come their way. Getting his gun ready he walked towards an empty field to find food. Olivia sits there in the silent room, no tv, no radio, nothing but just the pure silence of the evening.

She laid on the bench that Oscar made from the remaining wood, to give at least a bit of furniture in the house. She laid there looking up at the ceiling, slowly closing her eyes, she remembered him being shirtless and getting sweaty from the hard work he did, to build this new home for the both of them. Olivia's hands went from her sides upwards towards the hem of her tight short shorts, unbuttoning the single button, she slowly unzipped her zipper. Exposing her white panties, she slipped off the shorts, moving her right hand up her stomach, moving underneath her shirt and bra, groping herself. She imagined again, how Oscar looked so built and his muscles were developing, so well. She breathed in a sharp breath, as her left hand moved above her panties and between her legs, she started to move her fingers between her pussy lips. 

Moving her finger slowly between her pussy lips,she still imagine him shirtless, but instead, he pinned her to the ground, kissing her neck and groping her d cup breasts in both hand's of his, she softly moaned, while her right hand grope her breast, rubbing it and her nipple in a circle, while her left hand and trigger finger, moved a bit fast up and down, making a wet spot appear. Olivia softly moaned, rubbing her pussy bit more, picking up the pace, in her imagination, oscar was sucking on her neck, rubbing her breast and moving his two fingers around her pussy, she moaned a bit loud, moving her panties to the side, she rub her clit in a circle slowly at first, but picked up pace and speed, then she inserted her fingers into her pussy, moving them in and out of herself.

Moaning loudly now, in her micro dream, Oscar removed all of her clothing and was licking her pussy and sucking on her clit, Olivia naked and on her knees, bending over was plunging her fingers deeper into her pussy and rubbing her clit faster, moaning Oscars name "ohh...Oscar...oh.Oscar". In her micro dream, he plunged his cock into her pussy fucking her like a dog, she plunged her fingers faster, hard and deeper into her pussy, rubbing her G-spot manytimes over and over again. Moaning loudly, Olivia was reaching her limits. With the last few pumps of her fingers in her pussy, she screamed as she squirted all over the bench and half of the floor too. Panting like crazy just after she had an Orgasm for the first time really drained, she looked at her fingers, seeing how sticky they were. Olivia blushed very red, but she heard the stairs being brought down.

With her ears picking up the sound, she quickly got dressed again and cleaned up the mess before he or someone else came up the stairs. So she grabbed the gun ready to shoot the gun, cocking the hammer back till it locked in place, she waited and watched. Then the figure got to the door, opening it she saw it was Oscar, she let out a good sigh of relief. "Welcome back Oscar" "Thanks Olivia, got dinner" showing her the kills he had gotten, she took them from him "okay let me get them cleaned and skinned, then we can eat" "sounds good sister, i will get the fire started" Olivia nods, watching her brother leave the house again.

After a delicious dinner, they had planned to stay outside to enjoy a late night campfire, just sitting around remembering the good old days with their parents. But a sudden spit of rain started to come down upon them both, rushing into the house getting soaked with each step they took, trying to get into the house. Getting in, Olivia started to shiver a bit, so Oscar held her close for a bit keeping her warm for a bit. "Let's get you out of those clothes and into something warm" Olivia blushed like a tomato, being close to her brother like this. They split to their own room, she started to strip down to her underwear, as she got to take off her bra, Olivia felt her heart beat fast. She can still feel his warmth against her body, finishing stripping down, and giving herself a good dry off with a towel. 

Still raining outside and shivering a bit, she couldn't handle it, she needed the warmth of another to keep warm. She walked over to her brother's room, giving a knock she waited for a bit. The door opened, Oscar still awake looking at his sister. "Hey Olivia, you need something?" She nods to her brother, when he asked that "can we cuddle for a bit, im feeling cold" Oscar nods a bit " might as well sleep here since we don't have blankets as of yet" Olivia like the idea, she walked into his room, closing his door as she walked in, would be the last time, they see each other as siblings.

Laying on the ground together, they spooned together. Holding each other close, Olivia was able to close her eyes to sleep, but something hard was poking between her ass cheeks, she then looked behind her, seeing her brother blushed a bit "Olivia its not" she didn't let him finish his sentence, she grinded her ass up against his cock underneath his pants, she blushed as well, but she had a sly of a smile on her face as she grinded more "Olivia" he moaned a bit, looking at him "you like this huh your twin sister's ass grinding you huh" getting turned on more, she was egging her brother on. Hesitant at first, yet feeling this ass grinding up against his cock, he gave in, unleashing his cock from his boxers, he grabbed her ass and really went to town on her ass. Both moaned softly, while she lifted up her shirt, giving her breasts both a rub. She smiled at him 

"Sit on the floor back to the wall" stopping midway through grinding his cock between her ass, he nods. Both getting up from laying on the floor, Oscar crawled up to the wall, putting his back up against it, Olivia crawled as well, seeing how big his cock was, she licked her lips, taking it into her hands, she stroked his cock in her hand. She heard her brother moaning as she stroked his cock more. Then she took the whole thing into her mouth, sucking and licking the shaft, she bobbed her head up and down, taking it all into her mouth. Oscar wanted to grab something, so he put his hand on her cheek watching her suck on his cock, Olivia felt his cock throbbed feeling like it was going to explode. "I'm cumming" he said but too late, he held her head as he shot all of his cum from his cock and balls, drained everything into her mouth and down her throat. Pulling Away Olivia coughed after tasting his cum "im sorry sis" he apologized right away "its okay Osc" she stood up seeing his cock rise back up from the dead, hard girthy, but very thick. Already wet she removed her panties, throwing it at Oscar.

Catching it in his hand, he looked up seeing her wet pussy dripping, she put her hands on his shoulders, Olivia slowly squatted down towards his cock, teasing the head of his cock, she slipped it into her pussy. Finding it hard to get it in, he grabbed her hips and slammed it in, she yelled in pain as he broke her hymen, making her bleed all over his cock "Olivia you were" giving her a nod, she slowly moved her hips up and down on his cock, the pain was slowly going away, being replaced with pleasure, she and Oscar moaned together. Kissing each other and he grabbed her hips still plunging deeper into her pussy more, so she moved up a bit with just the tip inside, she shoved her breasts on to his face, motorboating his sister. But he sucks on them both, sending his whole cock back into her pussy again. 

Both moaning still, Oscar felt his cock throbbing again as he slowly tried to remove his cock from her pussy, but she slammed hard and kept bouncing a little bit of a time " Olivia i'm about….to...cum..let me pull out" " no cum in me give me your seed plow my field" Oscar got harder hearing her say that, both hugged each other, he finally shots his hot, sticky, thick cum into her pussy and womb. Panting and heaving, both laid on the ground together, kissing each other and holding each other in their own embrace, falling a sleep together

THE END

[mxgicthot]

Second Chances | Erden & Muriel

After getting promoted as Lucio's righthand, Erden goes to confront The Scourge to resolve things. They needed to talk things over, and it's not going to be pleasant.

Cw: Language, Violence, mentions of blood

Word count : 1.5 k

He was going to confront him. It's been years since they saw each other, face to face. Of course Muriel wasn't ready to be friends again, not so soon after everything that had happened. Erden sought to resolve things, to find some way to make himself and Muriel close again, or at the very least allies. They had to talk things over, and that wasn't going to be pleasant. 

A door opens on the right side of the gate, and a guard steps out, " Be careful with this one, he's in a bad mood tonight" he warned 

"I know what I'm doing," Erden replied, and continued to walk into the gloomy hallway. 

The windowless dark and damp place, with iron bars that closed the only way out. There was no source of light other than the torch lit outside of the bars, and so was the key slot. He peeked from outside the metal bars of the cell The Scourge was in as he pushed his torch inside the bars to get a better look at its occupant. The hulking shadowy figure in the far corner of the cell. He was laying on his bed, back turned, his hands were stretched out behind him and he was looking upwards, whether his eyes were closed or opened, Erden could not tell.

He took a step back and squinted as he stared at the door's keyhole. Plucking the key ring from his belt, he looked at his keys one by one until he found the right key and pushed it in, turning it with a slight flick of his hand.

"Muriel" he swallowed 

The man before him wasn't the boy he remembered. Muriel's once silky hair hung lank and unkempt around his face. His green eyes were tired and expressionless. He knew Muriel had always been big, even when they were boys. This man, however, seemed even larger. 

He heard a low grumble come from the  corner of the sell "You finally decided to show your face"

"I tried before, but they wouldn’t let me" Erden sighed 

"Why are you here Erden?" 

"I needed to see you Muri... I wanted to say that -" 

"Then speak" he snapped 

"I never intended to hurt you Muriel, I did what I did to survive. It seemed like the only choice …" Erden paused for a moment trying to think of the right words to say. "I am truly sorry." 

"You're sorry?! You abandoned me when we were kids and I never even knew you were alive until I heard you joined the coliseum! And now you tell me you're sorry?!  I pitied you at first, but the more I think about everything, the more I resent you!" 

Erden didn't try to hide the hurt that he currently felt. Just as he'd thought, nothing was resolved. Muriel hated him. This was going to be a long conversation. 

"Would you like to know what happened after I left? "

"I don't care what your reasons were, but tell me if you must." he grumbled 

Erden closed his eyes sorrowfully, preparing to tell the story. He looked at his friend intensely.

" I stayed with the orphans for a while, things were good for us. We always had plenty of food, eventually the gang split up. I was on my own for a while, hustling, trying to find new ways to make fast money and then well… let's just say things didn't work out as I planned, so here I am."

"And now you live in the palace, alive and well. Playing Lucio's guard dog"  Muriel said dryly 

"It comes with its perks" he shrugged "When you find an opportunity you take it… you don't run and hide like a coward" 

Erden turned to face Muriel, who punched him square in the face. Erden stumbled back, and gave him a lopsided grin. 

"I thought you might do that. I suppose I deserved it - "

Muriel kicked him in the stomach before throwing a second punch. "You were like my brother! And you abandoned me" 

A trickle of blood escaped his nose, and Erden doubled over; he wiped it with his hand, smearing it on his cheek rather than wiping it away. 

"I never abandoned you! I asked you to come with me, and you made your choice," Erden said quietly. The Scourge neatly moved away from Erden's sloppy attempt at a hit back. 

"Fuck you. Those kids were complete assholes to me. " he said, and smashed his elbow over Erden's head as he tried to get back up. 

"I did what I did to survive" Erden said, picking his head up to look at Muriel  "and so did you! " 

"You choose to be with them over ME!" Muriel spat. He knocked him off balance, Erden fell and landed flat on the ground. The Scourge stopped and let him get up.

When Erden charged at him, Muriel simply stepped to the side, and twisted around in time to grab his fist before he could deliver a blow onto his face, and twisted his hand, Erden's grunted in pain. 

He released Erden's hand only after using his knee to jab him in the stomach. Erden staggered backwards, and Muriel kicked him in the shins, and he fell again. 

"Get up and fight me, you fucking coward" The Scourge said, in a dangerously icy tone.

"Oh I'm a coward? You chose to run away with your new little friend" 'Erden threw a punch in Muriel's direction, hitting him on the jaw. Muriel managed to punch him back, cracking Erden's nose. Muriel hit him again, this time in the chest, he staggered backwards, and Muriel lent over to punch him in the jaw, twice.

Erden fell again, this time his cry was in pain. The Scourge drove his foot into his ribs twice, before stopping.

"Get up." he growled at Erden, who groaned on the floor.

"I didn't come here to fight you'' He said, as Muriel stared menacingly at him.

"I told you to get up."

Erden looked at the Scourge with desperate eyes. Muriel stared back at him, then drove his foot into Erden's stomach. "What part of 'get up' don't you understand?" He shouted, grabbing Erden by the back of the shirt and dragging him up to look him in the face. "You are still the same selfish bastard. You'll never change!" He shouted, before throwing him aside 

Erden, by some miracle managed to get to his feet, only for the Scourge to punch him in the face and send him sprawling back to the ground, grazing his cheek on the cold stone. Muriel rubbed his fist with his other hand. 

"Get up." He said

Erden groans "I told you I don't want to fight you." 

Muriel stomps on Erden's hand, and Erden hears his fingers cracking. "Get up!" he  yelled, as Erden struggled to his feet. He doesn't even try to stop The  Scourge knocking him to the ground with a knee to the genitals. After waiting almost a whole minute, The Scourge started again.

He grabbed Erden by the shirt front and punched him in the face, one more time. He threw him to the ground and stood up. "Get up." He said, again. Erden physically couldn't and Muriel knew this. 

The Scourge grabbed him by the shirt front and pulled him up so they were face to face. "Did you care about me? About my feelings?'' he shouted 

"If I didn't care then I wouldn't be here, idiot!" Erden spat 

"I swear if I ever see you again, I will ruin you. Do you understand me?" Muriel said, clenching his fists as a few tears formed in his eyes.

"You could never hate me, even if you wanted to… and you know that"  Erden said quietly 

Muriel dropped him on the ground with a thud. Erden was right, he could neve hate him, no matter how much he wanted to. They came from the same place, or at least that's what he was told. Whether he liked it or not Erden was the closest thing he had to home. Both men stood there in silence, trying to catch their breath. It seemed like ages until Muriel finally spoke. 

"I still don't understand why. You were a kind, decent kid who always had my back. And somehow... you took to the cruelty of that gang so easily while I couldn't stand it, then you became so different. So different that you were willing to leave me. I'll never know why you welcomed that change." 

I'll tell you why..." Erden whispered standing up slowly, dusting himself off and spitting out the blood that collected in his mouth.  "I did it so I could SAVE us!" 

Muriel was taken aback by the burst of emotion.

"You may not agree with my beliefs," Erden said softly. "But I hope you realise that everything I did was for a very good reason. Do you believe me now, when I say I'm sorry?" Erden hesitated 

"Yes..." Muriel replied plainly " I know what you mean… "

Erden gave him a small nod. This was certainly a start. "I'll be back later, to check on you...I won't give up on you that easily… not again" 

Erden turned away, slowly shutting the Scourge's cell door closed. 

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

Please now I am desperate for a Baba breakdown from you. Favorite part of him? Least favorite? What would you change? What do you think is unchangeable? *pleading face*

Oh, I see I’ve sparked an interest ^^; Of course I’ll talk about the best little whore in all of Japan, Baba Shigeki xp 

I joke, but like... have you seen Y5? He’s not leaving much up to interpretation, tbh : | And I love that! Baba is a really fantastic and well-executed RGG character and it’s a shame so much of fandom is sleeping on him. (I know mostly it’s that it takes people awhile to get to Y5 ^^; )

Baba occupies a really important space in the Yakuza universe, the assassin. He’s an important reminder that not Everyone in this universe is a moralistic do-gooder. People like Majima and Kiryu are in fact in the minority. Most of the yakuza are thugs, people ready and willing to hurt others and even kill. And we’ve had assassins before in Kazama and Sera, but they’re mostly out of our hand. We don’t know them too well personally. and that makes sense, they’re the previous generation, their values and choices are reflective of a different time. Our time is largely shaped by Kiryu, he is the yakuza messiah. But just because he’s king god of the criminal underworld doesn’t mean that the underworld isn’t still... y’know, dark and harsh. Especially since Kiryu renounced his throne. 

And Baba is the stark reminder of that. I had been waiting for a long time for us to come into contact with a yakuza member who didn’t fall in line when we finally got to Baba. Because, as we all like to point out, Kiryu’s version of this job is pretty rose-colored and naive. HE might be able to only fight bad people and to use his power to help others, but so few of us are in that position. Kiryu is king god, there are no challenges for him, there’s nothing stopping him, literally. So he CAN just do whatever he wants, up to and including being a good person. Most of us aren’t that lucky, just look at Majima. But even Majima, after a time, gets to be a good person and amasses enough power that he can be nice without it being a death threat. But they’re gods, legends. Your average yakuza member is some punk kid who grew up to being a punk adult who has a shitty boss to answer to and dues to pay. Sometimes there isn’t a convenient bad person to pick on. Sometimes, to save your own neck, you gotta take money from people smaller than you. Sometimes you gotta intimidate and scare people. Sometimes you gotta do unpleasant things to please the boss, to make ends meet, to hold up your end. Not all of us have the luxury of making moral choices. 

And Baba is in a worse position than most. Baba isn’t big and tough. He doesn’t have the physical might to be a brawler, so he can’t be some street thug. His options in life likely weren’t great. Probably an orphan, probably had no one to look after him. So he grew teeth fast and figured out quick that ain’t nobody gonna take care of him, he was gonna have to take care of himself. With a body and face like his, he could easily enter sex work of some kind but that job is punishing for a whole other list of reasons. And Baba’s no dummy, he’s canny, he’s strategic. No, he’s smart enough to use his body to dupe others. He knows people trust his angel face. And there’s more money and more security to be had in a job of violence than selling himself to the highest bidder and forever being at someone else’s beck and call. My bet is Baba’s plan was to make enough money as an assassin that he could retire and live out his life in peace where no one would bother him. And his training as n assassin would keep people off his back. Baba decided a long time ago it is MUCH better to be feared than loved. Can’t rely on love, can’t trust it. But fear, people listen to fear. 

So I LOVE that we finally get the perspective of someone who didn’t get any breaks in life, who wasn’t blessed with divine strength, or lucked into a special position. Baba had to struggle for everything and it made him sharp and it made him paranoid. He doesn’t like killing people, it’s not fun, but he’s so scared of what will become of himself, he can’t bear to stop. He can’t afford to make moral choices. He has to survive, above all things, he has to survive. So another assignment in a prison? Sure, why not. Get close to a guy he has to take out later? Sure, he’s done it before. He’s a great spy, a great flirt. And it makes him feel better to sneer over people too stupid to see through him. They get what they deserve if they believe his honeyed lies. He doesn’t have to mourn his actions if they deserved it. Wash his hands, move on to the next mark. 

Saejima should have been no different. And for awhile, it’s easy. Saejima’s a big dumb hunk of meat. All Baba has to do is bat his pretty eyes and look like he needs help. Piece of cake. But Saejima... is different. Oh, he’s duped, sure enough, he’s gentle and sympathetic and protective, all the things Baba needs, but... One of the reasons Baba hated his past marks so much and felt no remorse killing them, is they all wanted something from him. Every last one of them thought they could get something from him, usually his body, but sometimes not. Every one of them was a selfish piece of shit who would have used him just as surely as Baba is using them right back. But Saejima... Saejima doesn’t want anything. He doesn’t try anything. Even when Baba flirts, even when Baba offers, Saejima acts like he doesn’t understand. The fuck??? It starts to anger Baba, the way Saejima just looks at him blankly and shrugs off invitations. Who does this guy think he is, think he’s better than him? Baba will make him understand, make him want him. Still Saejima is stunned and still he seems to only respond because Baba is asking him to, not because deep down Saejima was trying to use him to. 

Baba can’t... he can’t accept that. That can’t be real. If Saejima really was just helping him because... because he likes him or something, because he’s nice... no, that’s wrong. No one’s good and no one’s nice. Everyone’s out for themselves. No one goes out of their way for each other. Because if they did... then why did no one ever help Baba before? He wraps himself in sureness that Saejima’s just stupid and his selfish instincts are really in there, they’re just slow to appear. He’s just like all the others, he’d kick Baba to the curb the same as anyone else and then... Baba doesn’t have to feel bad about killing him. Then Baba can pull the trigger and all of this will be done. 

He’s sure, without a doubt in his mind, when he feels his hands slip off Saejima on that snowmobile and he’s sent flying, his last conscious thought is that he’ll die here. He’s almost happy. Because then he’d be right. Saejima will have left him and he’d be right. And, maybe just a little, he’s happy that he won’t have to kill Saejima either. Maybe this is best. 

It is the shock of his life when Baba wakes up. He wakes up and he’s warm and indoors and there’s a fire going and weak broth and Saejima hovering over him with a spoon going “You’re awake!" Baba starts crying and Saejima assumes it’s the shock and holds him, actually fucking holds him and... Baba doesn’t think he can do this anymore. How is he supposed to kill the one person who’s ever been nice to him? How is he supposed to look Saejima in the eye and shoot him? Oh god, Saejima should have left him there to die, he should have, he should have... why is Saejima so fucking stupid, why doesn’t Saejima suspect? 

The next couple of weeks are some of the worst Baba’s ever spent. Saejima’s nicer than ever, cuddly and affectionate and warm, and Baba feels sick with guilt. See, this is why he only kills stupid people. This is why he only killed people who deserved it. He can’t... bear this. Pointing the gun at Saejima is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. But he has to, his whole life has been about this, his life above anyone else’s. If he can’t kill Saejima then... what was it all for? What had it all been about? He’s crying. He’s actually fucking crying like a little bitch and he can’t stop. It’s weak, it’s pathetic, but he just wants Saejima to take the gun out of his hand, to tell him it’s going to be okay, to take him home. Saejima screams at him and Baba falls apart. Saejima swoops in on him, holds him close, takes the gun and tells him it’s all going to be okay. It won’t... in the back of his mind, Baba knows even if he fails here, he still has half a job to do. But the fact that... everything out in the open, true colors showing, Saejima is still hugging him and refusing to let go... Baba sinks into that for a minute and believes that maybe there is something else he could do with his life. 

Oh... I have feelings about Baba Shigeki ^^; I love him to death I wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing I want is for Saejima to take Baba home and bring him into the Tojo and then we’re all a weird dysfunctional family together ^^; That’s my dream. Friends and family for Baba X3

[planetsam]

Love your Walt adopts Michael fic!! Any chance we might see more of it beyond the 2nd chapter? Maybe some more if the early days where Michael is learning to trust Walt? 

The silence is so thick Walt thinks he can hear his own hair grow.

“Well what’d you do before?” He asks, “when you went to those other schools?”

Michael looks down and pushes around his cereal. Walt gets the feeling that he isn’t going to like the answer. Not that he has a whole lot of faith in the system, but Michael seems determined to show him how god awful it really is. The kid has medical records, he’s seen them. But he doesn’t believe for a second they’re accurate.

“Sometimes my foster’s would forge them,” he says, “I’d usually just piss the doctor off enough that they’d sign them so I would go away,” he shrugs, “or I’d forge them.”

“You’re forging documents?” Walt repeats incredulously.

Michael bristles and puffs up. Walt takes another drink of his coffee. Dealing with an alien is hard, dealing with an orphan is hard. Dealing with Michael’s prepubescent hormones makes him want to throw himself out of the window. Walt doesn’t think he could have gotten him at a worse time if he’d actively been trying for it. He can’t quite figure out if there’s a specific thing that sets him off or if it’s just everything. It seems to be the later.

“My species matures faster,” Michael says.

“I didn’t realize you were such an expert,” he says.

Michael’s glare almost makes him regret saying it. But he’s done stupider things to scarier people. Michael might be telekinetic and he may owe the boy something he can never repay, but Michael’s still a punk kid. Walt’s read enough parenting books to know you can’t just give kids whatever they want. You gotta discipline them. But not like the disciplining his old man used to do. Walt refuses to be that kind of person. The disciplining was kind where you said you were disappointed in them and they shaped up because that was supposed to be worse than being mad. Walt doesn’t believe it works on anything except tv but he’s got a preteen alien sitting at his kitchen counter so he’s going to try.

“So you’ve never been to a doctor?” He says. Michael shakes his head, “dentist? Any medical professional?”

“Of course not, I’d be in a lab somewhere if I did.”

“How do you know that?”

Michael stares at him. Walt knows he’s full of shit, that he’s the farthest thing from an expert on aliens despite being one. The old guilt churns through him. He got time with Miss Nora, time that Michael needed more than him. He ran away as a kid but he was able to find out about his own body. What he could and couldn’t do. Aside from being able to move things with his mind, he’s not sure Michael knows anything. Michael pushes his cereal around as Walt waits for his answer.

“May I be excused?” Michael asks in a weird impression of an obedient child. Walt chokes on his coffee.

“What? No,” he sputters, “where’d you learn manners?”

“Two families ago,” Michael says. Fucking smartass.

“And how do you know you can’t go to the doctor?” Walt asks.

Michael says nothing.

Walt can see where this is going a mile away. More than a mile if he’s being honest. He doesn’t need two eyes to see that Michael looks like a scared kid with a secret. God knows he used to see the look on his own face enough to recognize it, even if it’s been a damn long time since he saw it. Dropping it isn’t going to help either, he’s a bad sell on a good day in the parenthood department. He’s surprised he got approved at all after the way the social worker looked at the junkyard.

“Did one of the others tell you that?” He ventures.

Michael freezes and the look on his face shifts to horror. How the hell this kid is going to keep being an alien a secret is beyond Walt. They’re going to need a lot of rules. He’d say that he’s surprised Michael has kept it a secret this long, but the exorcism would say otherwise. Before Michael can sputter another lie or choke on his cereal or something, Walt decides to put him out of his misery.

“Your mom led me to the eggs,” he says, “I know there were three of you.”

“We were found by the side of the road,” Michael says, shifting from horrified to angry.

“I was younger than you when I found the eggs,” Walt says, “you ready to take care of three kids?”

Michael has the grace to look down, shake his head and mutter an apology. It doesn’t make Walt feel much better but right now he’s the adult. He doesn’t need anyone to hold his hand of absolve him of his sins. Especially not when it comes to the aliens. Michael shifts his weight and licks his bottom lip before looking up at him carefully. Walt can’t imagine the war going on in Michael’s head. Or, actually, he can. He doesn’t know where he comes out in all of this or why the hell Michael should trust him.

“Max can heal,” he says, “humans and us. He knows we’re different.”

Walt nods, he guesses it was too much to hope that something in this would be easy. He sighs and picks up the paper. The idea of Michael having to forge documents is not one he wants to entertain. He almost signs the damn thing himself. But Michael is a kid, if for some reason they get caught he can blame any number of things. If Walt gets caught, Michael goes to someone else. When he looks up at Michael, the boy is watching him intently. Walt slides the paper over to him. Michael goes for it eagerly and Walt puts his hand over it.

“You tell me when you do this kind of thing,” he says, “you shouldn’t be doing it at all but we don’t have a choice. The way I see it, here’s the safest place for you right now. But there’s gonna be a lot of lying involved so we gotta be honest with each other. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah,” Michael says and Walt believes him. He watches as Michael hunches over and gets to work, “I gotta do this for Max and Iz too,” he says and glances upwards.

Belatedly Walt realizes he’s asking for permission.

“Whatever you gotta do,” he says.

A few days later when Michael asks to go on a camping trip with them, Walt agrees and ignores the stupid feeling in his gut. He makes sure Michael has the phone number to the cell he’s got on him, then he makes sure he can recite it from memory. It’s just supposed to be one night and Walt tells himself that they are human enough that nothing terrible is going to happen. But when the damn phone shows a number he doesn’t recognize, he realizes how stupid the reassurances have been.

“You okay?” He asks instantly. There’s silence, in the background he thinks he can hear someone crying, “Michael,” he says, “remember what we talked about?”

“I need you to come pick us up,” Michael says finally, “I—“ he hesitates.

“Am sorry to wake me up?” Walt says, already pulling on his boots, “don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks,” Michael says.

He gives where they are and Walt hauls ass to the location. Michael is standing near the road looking anxiously out. A ways back Walt can see Max and Isobel huddled together. It’s odd to see them all together. He hasn’t since the group home. Michael is skittish but stubborn as he gets out. Walt looks him up and down.

“You hurt?” Michael shakes his head and Walt exhales, “you need my help?”

“We took care of it,” Michael says, “we just need a ride,” he licks his bottom lip, “please.”

Walt wants to demand answers to what it is and what they took care of, but he can see the desperation on Michael’s face. It’s almost as heartbreaking as him asking for help with a please or the look on the twins behind him. Walt reasons that what was done here is done, there’s no fixing it. So he motions them into the car. The three of them nearly collapse with relief and Walt wonders if this is the first time that they’ve gotten help from an adult. He helps them pile their stuff into his truck and watches as Max helps Isobel in and scrambles after her.

“Are they hurt?” He asks Michael when they close the door.

“Not physically,” Michael says.

“I guess that’s the important part right now,” Walt says, “get in.”

Michael scrambles in and he gets in after him. No-one speaks, the only sound is Isobel’s heavy breathing which echoes loudly in the car. Michael reaches over and turns on the radio, finding something that covers up the sound. Walt watches the three of them move seamlessly, taking care of one another in little ways that seem almost instinctual. Hell, maybe they are. What the hell does he know about families and how they take care of each other? No-one says anything as they drive. Walt gets off the main way and drives to a quieter place and pulls over, killing the engine.

“I know you all want to go home,” he says, “but your parents are going to want to know why.”

“Don’t you?” Max asks. There’s a quiet authority in his voice that’s damn unnerving.

“Course I do,” Walt says, “but I want you all safe more than that.”

“I killed someone.”

Walt whips around. Max meets his eyes but there’s no defiance in his. It’s that same authority. He killed someone and he knows why he did it. That’s damn powerful stuff. Walt feels sick at the sight of it. That’s not an expression anyone should wear, but especially not a kid. Isobel lets out a shuddering breath that gives away exactly why Max feels so justified. He’s almost afraid to look at Michael but he forces himself to do it anyway. Michael’s head hangs and the guilt rolls off him in almost palpable waves. When he raises his eyes to Walt’s, they’re bright. But he swallows and forces the emotions back.

“I buried him,” Michael says.

Walt hates the relief he feels.

“Deep?” He asks, “shallow graves—“

“He’s buried deeply,” Michael cuts in.

Walt almost tells him to not interrupt and then stops. That isn’t something important right now. He looks between the three of them and sighs. It’s not important but he’s getting the feeling that this is their life. He’d better get used to it.

“Don’t interrupt,” Walt says. Michael raises his eyebrows, “I’m not putting your manners on hold until weird shit stops happening, I’ll be old and grey if we wait that long.”

“You’re already grey,” Michael points out.

“Grey-er,” Walt corrects, “the way I see it I can take you all home or I can take you all nearby and give you a night to sort out your feelings. It’s not a lot but—“

“Nearby,” Isobel croaks.

Both the boys nod and the decision is made. Walt puts the car in gear and takes them nearby where he found them. When he goes to get their tent and gear out, none of them look thrilled at the prospect. He doesn’t blame them.

“Get your sleeping bags out,” he says, “you can camp out in the back,” Max and Isobel trade looks.

“What?” Michael says, “he knows what we are, I don’t think Max wetting the bed is gonna upset him.”

Max lets out an indignant squawk and suddenly they’re teenagers again. Or two of them are. Isobel still smiles though which is a lot better than the look she was wearing a few minutes ago. The three of them clamber into the back. It’s not the first night that Walt’s spent in his car, but it definitely wasn’t on his plans for the night. Still it’s kind of nice to hear the three of them talking in the back of the truck. The world’s going to be a mess in the daylight, but he hopes that one night of feeling safe will mean something. Somehow. He closes his eyes and opens them and it’s somehow daylight and the three of them are standing there.

“Here,” Michael says, handing him a paper cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” he takes it, looks at the time and swears, “lets get you back before your parents freak out,” they all climb in, “happy birthday,” he adds.

He drops them off and drives him and Michael home.

“Come here,” he says before Michael can get in the house. He leads him to another part of the junkyard and opens up the hatch, “I found this when I bought the place,” he says. Michael looks nervous and Walt rolls his eyes, “you think if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn’t have done it last night?”

That makes sense to Michael and he shrugs, following Walt down the ladder. Walt’s done his best to clean out the dust and get some damn lights going, but it hasn’t been the easiest job to finish Michael’s back. He supposes that the work’ll go faster if it’s the two of them. Michael looks around the space slowly, taking in the white board and couch Walt has down there.

“I figured you might need your own space, when things get crazy. Or you need to do your alien thing,” Walt says, “it’s deep enough you shouldn’t disturb anything up there.”

“This is mine?” Michael repeats.

“I know it’s not much but I figured—“

He’s not expecting Michael to throw himself at him or squeeze the daylights out of him. It’s an objectively awful hug. Awful enough to make Walt’s good eye tear up and his throat tighten. But only because it’s a damn shame no-one taught the boy to hug properly, not because the kid’s hugging him at all. He claps him back on the shoulder which is what you’re supposed to do. He thinks. Hell do either of them have any business hugging?

“Happy Birthday,” he says.

“Thank you.”

[engagemachine]

I accidentally answered this ask by @chuckhansen​ privately and submitted it BEFORE I COULD FINISH TYPING EVERYTHING OUT... sigh... so she was gracious enough to screenshot everything for me and send it back... so here we go again. 

TAYTAY. :’) Okay here we go.

25. What does it take for your OC to trust someone?

UNFORTUNATELY, NOT MUCH. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with what I was saying in a previous ask. She’s entirely too trusting/gullible for her own good, wanting so hard to believe that others always have her best interests at heart, even despite some of the Joker’s repeated teachings and rhetoric towards her about how Gotham will eat her up/spit her back out/how men will only ever want one thing from her… he’s evil, but so far she’s managed to refrain from buying into the lies he’s selling, at least some of them.

26 has been done!

27. Do they like to be the center or attention or do they prefer to be in the background?

I love this question for her. She’s embarrassed very easily/is a very blushy girl. Gets uncomfortable when all eyes are on her and is prone to bouts of intense self-consciousness if forced to be the center of attention. Definitely the type to mumble through any sort of assignment that requires her getting up in front of the class and delivering a speech, or writing out an answer on the chalkboard in front of everyone.

28. Do people think they’re pretentious?

Probably not. I don’t think people (chiefly, her former school peers) would have thought much of her at all, and certainly not that she was pretentious.

I think in regards to adult Taylor (in Blackout) I would say that people probably do find her a little pretentious—but those people are usually jerks and probably very disingenuous. Those types of people find it hard to comprehend how someone can be so genuine, so they just often end up thinking she’s very “fake”.

29. Is your OC detail oriented or do they focus more on the big picture?

Because of Taylor’s life circumstances (and her current living arrangement with a mass murderer) she is somewhat incapable of looking beyond the here and now. The future is scary and uncertain, and Taylor wouldn’t like to spend a lot of time dwelling there for that reason. All that matters is her and Mr. J. As she starts to mature, you will definitely start to see her look beyond the scope of what’s right in front of her, but, doing so will have some pretty devastating consequences.

On another vein, when I think about this question in the context of Taylor’s art and how she perceives the world as a whole, she’s very detail oriented, often honing in on the very small parts that make up the pieces of the whole. She’s very curious and inquisitive. She has to break things down into their baser components to really understand how they work. And she likes to take in the small details that others might not have taken the time to notice.

30. Which high school movie stereotype would they fit best?

Also tagging @charliestokers​ here since she wanted an ESSAY on this very same question… ma’am… the short of it is this: she’s not a jock, she’s not athletic, she’s not popular or exceptionally pretty. She’s not particularly talented with music, nor has she ever tried to run with the art crowd (even though she draws!), she’s not emo/punk, she’s not particularly academic or into social justice, and she’s not even particularly nerdy in the sense that she’s really into movies/video games/music… I would have to classify her as a loner. She’s the skinny orphan kid with the ill-fitting clothes who always stares at everyone else and people think she’s weird. She doesn’t mean to stare, but she just wants so badly to belong. :( 

31. Are they good at giving advice? 

Oh gosh, as much as I want to say yes... probably not. But she would absolutely mean well if she were to give advice. I think she’d have a tendency to think about what she would do in any given situation, and then her advice would consist of what she would do and not necessarily what’s actually best for the other person. But she has a big heart and she’d want to help. 

32. Which one of the 7 deadly sins fit your OC more? Do they see it as a flaw?

This question is so weird to me and yet I always see it on these OC prompt lists. I always end up having to Google the choices because I don’t know them off the top of my head. It’s one of those things so clearly steeped in Catholicism, and I wasn’t raised that way, so I’m always like *shrug emoji* 

:p

Anyway. Taylor is either greed or lust. I lean more towards lust just because, while she can be a little greedy, most of that kind of behavior has been born out of deprivation of basic needs (shelter, food, love) rather than her just being greedy for no reason at all. She was raised in the kind of environment where you had to take what was offered before somebody else took it for themselves, kind of a “survival of the fittest” -- so now when offered these basic necessities like food and clothes, I think she’d almost have a tendency to want to hoard these things just because she is so scared of having them taken away. She is, like, a little feral orphan girl in that sense. Ugh. My babie. 

And finally, 33 has been answered! 

Thank you so much for all of your Q’s!

[dad-victoriam]

I have one official character each for Fallout 3 and New Vegas, but In Fallout 4, I have like, three. Two Minutemen Generals and a Railroad Agent. Can you tell which play-through I started while bored and stuck in quarantine?

Lupe Campbell

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Eye Color: Pale Blue

Sexuality: Bisexual

Nicknames: General, Madam President, Ma, Lulu

Preferred Weapon: Custom Laser Rifle

Faction: Commonwealth Minutemen

Best Friend: Nick Valentine

Love Interest: Preston Garvey

Has never done anything wrong in her life ever.

Preston knows this, and he loves her.

They have Team Mom and Team Dad Energy.

Sturges says they’re gross about it, but one time they got in a fight and he nearly cried because he though they were going to break up.

Is freakishly strong and constantly concerns and astounds people watching her carry and lift things.

Once physically lifted Hancock up over her head and carried him to the time-out corner when he was antagonizing Danse.

He lives in constant fear of being manhandled again.

Her karma is so pristine it’s practically blinding.

Loves helping Nick on cases, always looks for an excuse to wear the trench coat and fedora.

Has unique sense of fashion, thinks the Minutemen General Cosplay is high couture, only wears high-waist Mom Jeans.

Had joined up with the Brotherhood for a little bit, but after Danse got kicked out she left.

Actually, what happened was she stormed into Maxon’s office, lectured him in a way only a mom could, told him she wasn’t mad, just disappointed and then left the Prydwen and hasn’t returned since.

Maxon locked himself in his quarters afterwards to brood, not to cry, he definitely didn’t cry.

(He cried a little bit)

Danse joined the Minutemen after that. It was like the Brotherhood, but they were as loyal to him as he was to them. It really helped him cope and renewed his sense of purpose.

Lupe and Preston are proud of him.

Everyone jokes that he’s like their son behind their backs. Hancock got caught once (see above mentioned physical lifitng).

Her Mom Energy is so potent that legit most of the companions and even some of the Minutemen and Sanctuary settelers gave her the nickname ‘Ma’

Does not drink, does not smoke, what does she do?

She delivers Justice.

Fox Hawthorne

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/ Her

Hair Color: Ginger

Eye Color: Green

Sexuality: Lesbian

Nicknames: Whisper (Deacon) Renarde (Curie)

Preferred Weapon: Silenced Sniper Rifle

Faction: The Railroad

Best Friend: MacCready

Love Interest: Curie

Closeted Pre-War, had a family to please her mother, actually pretty sad, doesn’t like talking about it except where Shaun is concerned.

“Fox” is not her real name but she refuses to tell anyone what it really is and there’s no way for them to ever find out for sure.

Deacon once snuck down to the vault to see if it was on record somewhere only to find out she was one step ahead of him.

She hacked the records and wherever her true name had been was replaced with a string of emojis.

🦊🍑👅🖕🏻

Codsworth is programmed to call her “Miss Fox” and does not understand the fact that she has another name so he’s no help either.

She can NOT stand staying in Sanctuary (too many memories) and renovated the Red Rocket station nearby to keep her stuff in.

A settlement formed around it and they’re pretty friendly with their Minutemen neighbors even though Preston is constantly trying to get Fox to join the cause.

She will not, she thinks the outfits are tacky, but secretly still goes out of her way to help settlements.

Curie loves it when she does that.

Her relationship with MacCready is summed up by ‘Pure of Heart, Dumb of Ass / Lesbian’.

Do Not Separate Them.

They platonically raise Shaun and Duncan together.

“This is our dad, and this is our mom, and this is our mom’s girlfriend, Curie.”

Two Snipers Out In The Commonwealth Doing Sniper Things.

He literally pouts every time Fox leaves him at Red Rocket to do Railroad Missions with Deacon.

Curie keeps him company, they get along stupendously.

Other than Railroad Missions, or Settlement Rescue Mission Dates with Curie, Fox and MacCready are joined at the hip and are off doing dumb shit.

Always return to Red Rocket with broken noses, dislocated shoulders, cuts, bumps, and bruises and Curie has to patch them up.

Fox claims her kisses have healing properties.

She’s flirting, but Curie thinks she’s serious and has offered to kiss MacCready’s wounds as well.

He had to politely decline multiple times for fear of facing certain death via sandman kill.

The weirdest trio in the Commonwealth.

No one understands their dynamic.

It works because all three of them are the awkward third wheel of the friendship.

Bo

Gender: ???

Pronouns: They/Them

Hair Color: ???

Eye Color: ???

Sexuality: Pansexual

Nicknames: Commonwealth Cryptid

Preferred Weapon: Molotov Cocktail

Faction: Commonwealth Minutemen

Best Friend: Dogmeat

Love Interest: Hancock

Has good intentions, but bad methods.

Takes their title as General of the Minutemen very seriously.

Makes sure every settlement has enough food, water, and defense.

Spends hours decorating and making them look nice.

Could have a promising future (or past?) in architecture and interior design.

Intelligence stat is either 1 or 10, no one knows.

All their strategies are chaotic and crackpot but like; they work???

Chooses the Sarcastic response 100% of the time.

Low-Key devout member of the Children of Atom.

Wears assault gas mask and only ever takes off the mask when they’re furious and deadly serious, or you know, when they’re going to sleep.

Legitimately no one, not even the companions, knows what they look like, or even if they’re human or not.

Hancock knows, because he’s seen them naked, but refuses to tell anyone because he lives for the chaos and will constantly make up fake shit just to fuck with the rest of the group.

Hancock is the only living individual who knows what their face looks like.

Piper tried to see if Shaun knew anything and was like, “are you not even a little curious?”

The kid just shrugged, and like, messed around with a Laser Sniper Rifle he was making and was like “they’re my parent. That’s just how they are. I like them the way they are”.

MacCready swears up and down that he saw them turn their head 180 degrees like an owl one time.

Hancock backed him up, but he was huffing jet and laughing his ass off the whole time so no one knows if he was serious.

Gives “let’s get this freak show on the road” a whole new connotation.

Can only shop at Diamond City Surplus at night because Crazy Myrna refuses to sell to them.

She thinks they’re a synth and will not take “No, I’m Jangles the Moon Monkey” as an answer.

Definitely did blow up the Prydwen.

Stole Maxon’s jacket.

Has the Cannibalism perk.

It’s just practical, there are lots of dead bodies everywhere and food is scarce. If they eat a raider, then somehow, somewhere, there’s a Fancy Lad Snack Cake left for a starving orphan to eat.

No one else seems to see it this way.

Loves Brahmin.

I mean, really loves them.

 Will stop whatever they’re doing to pet one if they see one.

If they’re working as part of a caravan, they’ll call them Ma’am and apologize for disrupting their work, but will still pet them.

Caravan Guards who see this behavior: ?????

Maxed Stealth and Pickpocket perks

Is a Little Sneak Thief

All their armor has Chameleon Legendary effects.

This stresses everyone out because that means they can be anywhere at any time and oh my God, where are they? I know they’re in here with me, where are they???

Once snuck up on MacCready (accidentally) and pulled an actual full swear word out of the guy. It was loud.

And it was the Fuck word.

It’s Bo’s proudest achievement.

Was totally on board with being the Overboss of Nukaworld until Gage suggested raiding Commonwealth Settlements.

They take their title as General of the Minutemen very very seriously.

They took off the mask, and all of Nukaworld saw their face that day. T’was brutal.

I’m talking “Rip and tear until it is done”.

I’m talking heavy metal theme music and everything.

It’s a nice and peaceful little trader settlement now. Bo planted flowers everywhere.

So, did you guess which one I started cuz I was bored in quarantine, yet? Did you guess all three? You would be correct.

[rangoatemybabynsfw]

Kinktober (2019) Day 8: Prostitution/Sex Work

Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender Pairing: Shiro/Keith Tags: Bottom Keith, Top Shiro, Prostitution, handjob, blowjob, facefucking, anal sex, safe sex, cowgirl position, missionary position, 

Author’s notes: I don’t list an actual age for Keith in this prompt but assume he’s whatever the age of consent is. I don’t want any bullshit coming into my inbox from Sheith haters talking about how Keith is a wee babe not capable of making decisions and Shiro is a predator taking advantage of him. 

ISTG, if you send me that shit I will just immediately block you. IDGF. 

It’s been two weeks and Shiro has to finally accept it. Adam’s not moving back in. 

Their little spat in the workroom about him going to Kerberos really did break them. Adam filed for new officer quarters and took only the things he cared about with him. Sometimes they guest lecture together, but Adam won’t voluntarily speak to him. It stings but part of him still feels justified in his decision to go on the mission.

If Adam doesn’t want to support his dreams...then he’ll accomplish them without him.

Normally, on Fridays, he would go out to dinner with Adam. Just the two of them. And the past two Fridays, he sat in his quarters reading and working out. But now he’s finally getting stir crazy. Not to mention he hasn’t gotten any in weeks which means he’s on edge a little more than usual.

Maybe it’s finally time to drown his sexual frustrations in a stranger.

He knows exactly where to look. There’s a city near the Garrison and on the far side of that city is a place called Rainbow Row. A little on the nose, but it’s a place known for its gay nightlife. Dance clubs and bars and more. He knows for certain that there are more than a few prostitutes in the area too.

It’s far enough from the Garrison that no one will recognize him if he picks up a hooker. Not that it’s against the rules but it is frowned upon since it doesn’t exactly paint the officer in a good moral light. He goes in civilian clothes with the hope that if someone does recognize him, they’ll at least know he’s off duty and maybe mind their own business. 

He cruises the street a little in his car, looking at the common gathering grounds. No one catches his eye until he tries the other side of the street. From behind he sees a tiny skirt, fishnets, and a crop top. All of it black, just like the dark hair pulled up into a tail and exposing his neck. His eyes scan up from the high heel boots to his neck, checking out everything in between. 

Looks more than satisfactory. So Shiro pulls up and flickers his lights to get their attention.

The hooker heads his way, swaying a little seductively to show off his hips. He taps Shiro’s window and he rolls it down so he can lean his face in and tell Shiro his prices.

“It’s thirty for a blow, ten extra to swallow. Sixty if you want---”

“Keith?” Shiro interrupts with disbelief.

There’s a moment of stunned silence as they both stare wide-eyed at each other. It’s impossible to tell who’s more shocked to see who but Shiro is the first to actually speak.

“What...What are you doing here?” Shiro asks.

“Uh, I...n-nothing,” Keith tries.

“You’re...selling yourself,” Shiro realizes and Keith frowns and averts his eyes. “Why?”

“Why do people usually sell themselves?” Keith huffs while crossing his arms and squeezing. “I need money. It’s not like Garrison tuition is free.”

Shiro is aghast. This can’t be real. The kid he took under his wing is out here selling his body to pay his way through school. This is not what he wanted for Keith when he helped him get into the Garrison. And now that he knows, he can’t let this continue.

“Get in, right now, Keith,” Shiro says and unlocks the doors.

“Shiro, it’s---”

“Right now,” Shiro repeats sternly, brokering no arguments. 

Keith frowns, grabs his bag, and slides into the passenger seat. He clicks his seatbelt and Shiro drives off. There’s a few minutes of silence before Keith clears his throat.

“So...where are we going? Parking garage?” Keith asks.

“I’m taking you where you should be,” Shiro reveals, his tone agitated. “The Garrison.”

“What? No!”

“Do you know how lucky you are that I caught you?” Shiro asks, his anger barely restrained. “If someone else caught you they’d have expelled you!”

“You’re not the first officer to catch me,” Keith huffs and sinks into his seat while hugging his arms close. 

The underlying message being...he wasn’t expelled. He’s still out here selling himself. Which means, Keith bought their complicity somehow and Shiro has a feeling it wasn’t money that Keith paid them off with. 

Shiro pulls into a gas station to fill up his tank and gather his thoughts. 

He has to get Keith back to the Garrison and he’s got to convince him to stop doing this. All it takes is the wrong person seeing him, the kind of person who can’t be bought, and they’ll kick Keith from the Garrison. He’s a bright student, but he’s also an orphan, which means if they kick him out, he’s got nowhere else to go.

There’s got to be something more Shiro can do. He can’t let Keith flush his potential down the drain like this. Maybe he can get a loan to pay the rest of Keith’s tuition. He could co-sign it. Then when Keith becomes a legitimate pilot he can pay it all back without having to risk slumming it on the street.

Shiro takes a seat back inside and puts his key in the ignition. He doesn’t turn it yet. Instead, he sighs and turns to his passenger who is gazing out the window. 

“You can’t do this anymore,” Shiro tells him, trying to keep his tone soft and sympathetic.

“I’m a legal adult, Shiro. You can’t stop me,” Keith says back without moving. 

“Someone will report you, Keith. It’s just a matter of time,” Shiro explains. “Hell, I should do it but I don’t want you to lose out on this great opportunity you have with the Garrison. We’ll find another way to pay---”

“What were you doing on Rainbow Row, Shiro?” Keith interrupts to change the subject. 

“I…” Shiro falters but then shakes his head. “That doesn’t matter.”

“You weren’t there to go dancing,” Keith says, his eyes darting to Shiro finally. “Were you looking to buy someone’s services?” he asks, finally sitting up from the window and fully looking at Shiro. “Were you going to buy me for the night?”

“Yes. I mean--no!”  Shiro stumbles a little over his words. “No, I… of course not,” he finally says.

“But you drove right up to me,” Keith points out and leans a little closer. “You must have seen something you liked before you saw my face and had an attack of conscience. What was it?”

Keith places a hand on Shiro’s and grasps it gently in his warm fingers. He guides the hand up to his face and turns his head.

“My hair?” he asks and brushes Shiro’s fingers through the soft strands of his ponytail. “Or maybe my neck?” he guesses and slides Shiro’s knuckles against his fluttering pulse.

“Keith, I…” Shiro barely utters.

“My chest?” Keith asks and presses Shiro’s palm to his sternum. “Was it my legs?” he continues his query and slides that palm down his fishnet thigh making Shiro hold his breath. “Or maybe...you wanted what’s under the clothes?”

When Keith slides his hand up inner thigh right between his legs, Shiro bites back a noise and finally pulls his hand out of Keith’s. He swallows nervously and wills himself not to get hard.

“You’re not a Garrison officer here and I’m not your student. You’re just a man. And tonight I’m just a whore. Means if you pay, you can have it just like anyone else,” Keith tells him. “If not, I’m getting out and hitching a ride back to Rainbow Row. So unless you’re going to pay to scold me, we’re done.”

Keith pops open the door and swings a leg out to leave but Shiro grabs hold of his arm.

“How much...would you make a night?” Shiro asks, his eyes closed like he’s trying to focus.

“Not much. $150 on average,” Keith shrugs. “And I’ve already made sixty from two---”

“I don’t...need to know the details,” Shiro interrupts and pauses as he takes a deep breath. “If I give you the rest...will you quit for the night? Please?”

 “Yeah, sure,” Keith nods and closes the car door.

Shiro lets go of Keith’s arm and pulls out his wallet. A fifty dollar bill and two twenties. If that’s what it takes to get Keith to stop tonight then it’s worth it. He passes them into Keith’s hand and Keith stuffs the bills into his skirt pocket.

“Great,” Shiro sighs with relief.  “Now that that’s done, we can---”

Shiro doesn’t get the rest of the sentence out of his mouth because a hand grabs and turns his face into receiving a kiss. A soft, wet, hungry series of kisses, with a tongue licking its way into his mouth. Shiro’s too shocked to fully grasp what’s happening or what to do, that is, until a palm goes to his crotch and gives it a firm squeeze. That’s when Shiro gets control of his senses back and grabs Keith by the shoulders to push him back.

“What are you doing, Keith?” Shiro asks him, a little breathless.

“Completing our transaction,” Keith answers as if it were obvious. “You paid for me for the rest of the night, right?”

“No. I mean, yes, in a way. What I mean is…” Shiro collects himself then tries again. “You don’t have to do that. I paid you so you wouldn’t have to do that.”

“I don’t take handouts,” Keith says with a petulant frown and rummages into his skirt pocket. “If that’s what your money is...then you can have it back.”

Keith extends the folded bills back out to Shiro with a serious look on his face.  Shiro stares at the money, uncertain what to do. If he takes it back, Keith’s just going to go back to the Row regardless of what Shiro has to say about it. If he gives the money to Keith, Keith’s going to insist he earns it.

Shiro’s lips on Keith’s, his fingers entwined in dark hair, pulling gasps and sighs out of him with each thrust. Would Keith call out his name? Would he beg for more speed? Plead for Shiro to fuck him deeper?

He was going to buy someone’s company tonight anyway, right? Why not...Keith?

Shiro reaches out and folds Keith’s fingers around the money, pushing it back to Keith with a flush on his cheeks.

“I uh...I have a room I rented for the night,” Shiro reveals and coughs to clear his throat. “We can...do it there.”

Keith nods his understanding and sits. They both click their seatbelts and Shiro pulls out of the gas station to drive them to the motel.

The whole drive is silent but the air is full of Shiro’s nervous energy. Keith seems indifferent to it. Like he’s used to it and that slightly horrifies Shiro even more. When they arrive, Keith hops out of the car with his bag and follows Shiro into the room without a word. 

It’s cheap but it’s clean. Shiro tells him to go ahead and use the shower. To clean up and relax if he wants. Keith just shrugs and takes his bag into the bathroom, the water starting up once he’s closed the door. Shiro takes a seat on the mattress of the twin bed and rests his chin on his folded hands.

What is he doing? What is he doing? What is he doing?

Why is he so nervous about this? Keith’s of legal age. Prostitution is legal here too, though it's still frowned upon for moral reasons. He’s not coercing Keith into doing this. By all accounts, he’s not doing anything illegal, and yet he’s nervous.

Maybe it’s because of Adam, he thinks somberly. He only just got out of a long term thing. Maybe it’s still too soon. 

Or maybe it’s just that Keith is...well, he’s Keith. 

Shiro’s never looked at him like an adult because he’s only ever been ‘that kid that Shiro is mentoring’. But it’s been almost eight years since he first met him. Keith’s not a little kid anymore. He’s capable of making his own decisions and has been for a while and Shiro simply hadn’t noticed the change in him.

“Or I’ve been in denial,” Shiro sighs and shakes his head. 

The bathroom door opens with a squeak and steam pours out. Shiro sits up straight as Keith exits. 

He’s in boxers briefs and tousling his wild hair dry with a towel. Shiro hadn’t realized Keith had been wearing makeup before. With it gone he no longer has a babyface, he looks a little older and less feminine. He looks a hundred times better this way.

And while Keith is smaller than him, he’s still very fit. Well-sculpted muscles with a couple scars on his legs and side. Childhood injuries from the lightness of them. Nothing recent for which Shiro is relieved. No bruises either. Means that despite all the risk Keith’s been taking, no one’s physically harmed him.

Keith steps over to the bed and stands before Shiro, looking down on him while holding the towel ends around his neck. He looks...so self-assured. Confident. It’s like he’s seeing the real Keith for the first time. 

“Ready?” Keith asks him and Shiro gives him a nervous smile.

“As I’ll ever be,” he answers.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite unless you ask me to,” Keith smirks.

Keith crawls into Shiro’s lap, looping the towel around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. Shiro meets the kiss, stiffly at first but relaxing more and more with each subsequent kiss. He thought he’d feel strange kissing Keith back but it doesn’t. In fact, it feels so natural that Shiro’s hand is already curling around Keith’s neck and pulling him in for deeper kisses.

“See? It’s nice, right?” Keith asks and Shiro just barely nods his head before kissing Keith more.

Keith tosses the towel aside and his hands travel down Shiro’s chest. He reaches the hem and pulls it up, inch by inch until he’s peeled it off Shiro’s body. Those glide down again, this time on skin, making Shiro shiver. 

He goes for Shiro’s fly next, unbuttoning it and slipping his hand inside to palm Shiro’s hardon trapped within his boxers. Shiro moans in his mouth, his fingers squeezing Keith’s sides as his cock twitches.

“K-Keith…”

“You’re so big,” Keith whispers and squeezes again. “I want to see it.”

Keith rubs and slowly works Shiro’s cock out of his pants, stroking as he kisses Shiro. He rolls his wrist and brushes a thumb over the sticky pre-come dripping out of his slit. Shiro exhales another weak moan, his face pressing into Keith’s shoulder as he takes heavy breaths. 

Shiro doesn’t realize that Keith’s slipping out of his lap until he suddenly finds that his hands are empty. 

He opens his eyes to find Keith on the floor, up high on his knees. He’s pulling his hair back with a tie and when done he returns to stroking Shiro’s weeping cock. The other hand takes Shiro’s hand and guides it into his ponytail, encouraging Shiro’s fingers to hold there. And then he takes his hand away.

Shiro sees what’s going on here. It’s written all over Keith’s face. Face flushed and eyes deferring downwards. He wants Shiro to take control now. To treat him like the whore he paid for.

Shiro tightens his hold and pulls Keith forward, nice and close to his cock. Keith’s lips part and his tongue darts out, licking a hot line from base to tip and catching that stream of precome in his path. He licks his lips and swallows, his eyes telling him he’s ready for more.

Keith’s face is tugged further by his ponytail and pushed into sinking onto Shiro’s cock. His lips spreading and mouth sucking in his thick girth with a moan. Shiro bites back the initial gasp but can’t restrain the next few when Keith starts to bob over his cock, sloppy with spit dripping down his chin. 

At first, Shiro just lets Keith set the pace but then he gets the urge to rock his hips. He braces his feet on the floor, holds tight to Keith’s hair to keep him from moving, and then snaps his hips forward. Keith lets out an aborted whine, like he was caught off guard, his eyes flying open and then lidding as he looks up at Shiro.

It’s all the permission he needs to fuck Keith’s face. Shiro keeps going, panting as he thrusts and reveling in that desperate look on Keith’s face. 

It’s only a few minutes later that he sees Keith’s wriggled his hand into his underwear. There’s another squelching wet noise in the room and it’s Keith fingering himself. He must have lubed up ahead of time so they wouldn’t have to stop in the event that Shiro wanted to fuck him.

And now he really wants to.

Shiro pulls Keith off his cock, to which Keith coughs a couple times and pants to catch his breath.

“Can I...fuck you?” Shiro asks, his voice raspy with need. 

“Y-Yes, yes,” Keith nods. “Th-There’s condoms...in my bag.”

“I have some in the drawer,” Shiro says, pulling Keith off the floor and onto the bed.

Shiro pulls off the rest of his clothes and quickly puts on the condom. Keith’s already kicked off his boxers. He continues to finger and stretch himself as he waits for Shiro to tell him how he wants him. 

Shiro doesn’t have the stamina most have thanks to his disease, so the only position he can do that won’t be short-lived is riding. He props up a few pillows and lays out before gesturing Keith to get on top of him. Keith clambers over and Shiro takes him by the hips to line him up. Once there, he thinks Keith will go slow, that he’ll ease into pushing that cock inside him. 

He doesn’t.

Keith drops like a rock, that cock spearing into his ass and punching a great moan out of both of them. Without a moment to waste, Keith’s already rocking onto that cock. He braces his hands on Shiro’s stomach, raising and rolling his hips before dropping again. 

With his hands on his hips, Shiro adjusts Keith into a better position and then starts meeting Keith’s drops with thrusts upward. He’s hitting places that Keith didn’t know existed, making the man over him exhale several moans. They keep getting higher pitched until Keith’s biting back whines. He sees that Keith’s own cock is starting to drip uncontrollably and guesses it won’t be long before he erupts.

“Sh-Shiro...I...ahH! I...I’m…”

“Go ahead,” Shiro nods his understanding. “Do it…”

Keith shakes his head with a whine, biting his lip as he rocks and hits the sweet spot again.

“What’s---”

“Not… supposed to… I… ahH! I’ve never… not while working…” Keith tries to explain.

Keith’s never come while doing his sex work before. He’s given several blowjobs, fucked and been fucked a dozen times but he’s never gotten off. No one ever did anything that made him feel this desperate for release. But seeing Shiro under him, flushed, sweaty, and moaning Keith’s name...

This was just a means to get money. He never thought he’d ever actually enjoy himself.

Not until Shiro.

“Never?” Shiro asks again.

“N-Never,” Keith stammers. “O-Only...on my own…”

If that’s the case, then Shiro’s going to be the first. 

He rolls them and puts Keith’s legs over his shoulders. He can’t do this for long so he makes every thrust count. With slow deep rolls of his hips, he’s got Keith fisting the sheets and almost sobbing. Shiro kisses and licks at his neck as he rocks. Then he wraps his hand around Keith’s cock and starts pumping it.

Keith practically screams, his body arching and spasming.  His face nearly disappears into the pillows as his stomach is splattered with come. Shiro buries his face into Keith’s neck with a groan, reaching his own release within moments.

He pulls out and rolls off of Keith, putting his legs down carefully. The towel is grabbed from the side of the bed and Shiro uses it to wipe up the ungodly amount of come on Keith’s body. Keith doesn’t even react, if Shiro didn’t know any better he’d think Keith had passed out. 

But Keith is taking measured breaths, the sound raspy as if his throat were sore. Shiro wouldn’t be surprised if it were after that ecstatic scream.

“Is that...what good sex is supposed to feel like?” Keith finally asks.

“I suppose,” Shiro shrugs with a half-smile. 

“Great,” Keith groans and rolls over to hide his face under a pillow. “Now I’m never gonna be able to pimp myself out again.”

“Are you serious?” Shiro blinks with disbelief. “You won’t go back to Rainbow Row?”

“No,” Keith resignedly sighs. “The only sex whores get is mediocre and now that I’ve been spoiled with the good shit, I won’t accept anything less. So, thanks a lot,” he says, trying to sound annoyed. 

“Keith,” Shiro says sympathetically, placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder. He snorts out a small laugh when he sees that Keith’s blushing despite his frown.

“Now I’m going to have to find another way to pay my tuition.”

“I can help,” Shiro offers. “And I promise it won’t be a handout. I’ll look into some work-study grants for you.”

“Thanks,” Keith says as he sits up, still maintaining his frown and blush. “Uh, Shiro?”

“What is it, Keith?” Shiro asks and hands Keith his underwear. 

“Is this a one-time thing?”

God, he hopes not...but that’s really up to Keith, isn’t it?

“Do you want it to be?” Shiro inquires.

There’s a long pause as Keith thinks. He stands and sits back down next to Shiro. He lifts his head to look into Shiro’s eyes before his gaze darts down to his hand. He tentatively takes it his own.

“No, I don’t,” he finally answers. 

Shiro dips his head and rests it against Keith’s as his fingers close around Keith’s.

“Neither do I.”

[newx-menfan]

Wolverine #1

 *Spoilers*

 The first story starts somewhere in Alaska, where Wolverine seemingly has killed Jean, QQ, and Domino. He starts tracking foot prints in the snow. 

 Five days before Logan is playing 'hide and seek' with some mutant child, when Jean rats out his hiding spot out...(Not cool, Jean...five year olds everywhere are shaking their heads...) 

Logan meets up with Kitty and she talks about how he seems happy; Logan shrugs it off and asks what is the real reason she is here. We find out a shipment of Krakoa medicine is regularly going missing. 

 In Baltimore, a shabby CIA agent stumbles upon an possible 'suicide' case (in the LEAST looking suicide method possible!) and finds drugs that are clearly the missing Krakoa drugs. 

 Remember how during the 'X-Force' review I said a cult worshipping mutants sounded like a cooler villain than what we got ? I may be getting that wish fulfilled in this book... 

 We find out the petals may have ended up in Russia; Logan sends X-Force down there. (with a non- plant-y Domino, I might add!)

We find out the Baltimore C. I. A. Agent has a sick daughter waiting on those petals for her treatment. 

 Logan's blood is compared to a vampire...(🙄) 

 They track down the cult in Russia, where QQ runs head first to meet his 'followers'...( you would think telepathy would CAUSE HIM see how terrible an idea this is...) ...

Before almost getting eaten by the cult! 

 As the fight ensues, suddenly the cult drops dead- poisoned by the flower they had ingested minutes before. 

 Logan tracks down the dealers that sold the cult the petal laced drugs, in a bar in Moscow; it turns out they are hiding from a pale girl. (I'm going to laugh my ass off if Maxime is the new 'Walter White'! 😂😂) 

 Sadly as we cut forward, we see the 'Pale Girl' as an apparition in the snow (And sadly not Maxime...), just as Logan is surrounded. 

 The second story starts with Omega Red wanting amnesty. (Ugh 😕- I'm going to be upfront- for every GREAT X-Men villain like Magneto, Shadow King, Mystique, Sinister...there's Omega Red, Nanny and Orphan maker, and Sugar Man... Omega Red is one of those villains I just...really cringe and dread reading about every time he pops up in a book. I actually prefer Arcade to him...because at least vintage Claremont Arcade...was entertaining. I've just NEVER really gotten why X-writers use him because he's just such a one note boring villain.)

Logan is about to attack him, when Magneto tells him to essentially knock it off...(Because it totally isn't reasonable to question if he's working for the Russians after the attack on Colossus...) 

 Magneto drops Logan off through a portal to Paris, where Logan finds a trunk full of corpses who were seemingly Omega Red's prey... 

 Back on Krakoa Magneto reiterates the rules of amnesty for all, (There is something HEAVILY wrong with a Jewish character citing Nazi scientists as an example) and tells Logan to investigate it while Red is kept in a cell. 

Logan investigates a bar, (Aka goes to get a drink...) and is sedated. 

We find out that vampires are the culprit, (If the vampire/healing factor drop earlier in the first story wasn't a clue...) and Logan is saved by the mysterious woman/Tyger knockoff selling flowers earlier... 

Back at Krakoa, Omega tells Logan the story of Saint Julien...(How you mistake two old people for your wife sleeping with another man, I will never know 😂😂...Just in CASE anyone reading this review had a prophecy foretold about you murdering someone....the MORAL of this is just DON'T murder people! Don't be to stab happy and it probably WON'T even happen...) 

 At St. Julien le Pauvre, we see the mysterious woman/Tyger knockoff and discover her name is Louise. We find out vampires are using the distraction of Krakoa to rise up...(You got to hand it to vampires...they are at the very least industrious!)

Logan and Louise fall in a pit and get surrounded by vampires...and they all bite Logan. 

 The issue ends with Dracula able to go out in the sun because of Logan’s blood, and using Omega's desire to no longer kill to survive, to have him spy on Krakoa... 

 Opinions:

 Honestly- I found myself regularly putting this issue down and doing other things (Although part of that was Coronavirus/work related!). 

 I found myself also debating about doing a two part review...but honestly, I don't really think I need to. 

 It's just rather mediocre Wolverine stories and frankly I kind of question why Marvel even DID this book when the current X-Men line is already SO BLOATED; other than it's Logan and Logan sells.

 It's sad, because I ACTUALLY DO like Logan when it's good storytelling; but this is a story we've heard from better writers before.

 I'm kind of surprised they did vampires again...since the LAST time the X-Men mixed with vampires we got vampire Jubilee/Cyclops telling Dracula to 'Follow his heart'.... So far...the writing seems to be on the same rather shitty level...but without the, 'So bad, it's great!' moments.... 

 Theories:

 Honestly... I'm probably not even picking up issue #2... This last one was just SO long...and really BORING...

[zen3to5]

J/H 3-23: Backstage Pass

This was a tricky one to re-write; the changes to "Trials of Michael Kelso" really start to factor in here, and that will lead into the season finale, but those changes meant that Hyde - a very guarded character - had to express certain things without saying them. It was a fun needle to thread, and I hope it worked out.

FF.Net AO3

---

SHOW TITLE   INT. RADIO STATION - DAY   WFPP control room, early afternoon. The ON AIR light over the booth door is on. DONNA is in the booth, unable to stop grinning like a dork as she reads off the FARM REPORT.   DONNA: And in pork belly news, prices have risen to nearly 54 cents per pound. Mmm-hmm, bacon!   ERIC enters the control room, waving when he sees Donna. She waves back.   DONNA (cont’d): And I’ll be back at 3, 4, and 5 o’ clock with more updates. Until then, keep on farmin’!   The ON AIR light shuts off. Donna exits the booth and crosses to a frowning Eric.   DONNA (cont’d): Hey.   ERIC: Donna, you’re doing the rest of the farm reports? I thought we were going to the movies.   DONNA: Well, Janice called in sick, so...   She shrugs as she trails off and goes to work sorting records. Eric’s frown deepens.   ERIC: Okay, Donna, look. I think we need to talk. I think this job is really cutting into your Eric time.   Donna stops and looks at Eric, half-amused, half-annoyed.   DONNA: My “Eric time?”   ERIC: And I’m very concerned about your diminishing Eric time, because it directly affects me, you know. (beat) Um, I’m Eric.   The door opens, and MAX enters, tickets in hand. He crosses to Donna.   MAX: Hey, thanks for staying late again, Donna. You know, you might just turn this into a full-time gig.   ERIC: Hey, I’m her full-time gig.   Max gives him an appraising look.   MAX: Yeah. (to Donna) Here’s those tickets. Enjoy the show.   He hands Donna the tickets and exits.   ERIC: Tickets?   DONNA: Yeah. I know I’ve been working a lot lately and I wanted to make it up to you, so I got Max to hook us up with Ted Nugent tickets for everybody.   ERIC: The Motor City Madman? No way!   Donna presents him with the tickets, and he takes them in awe.   ERIC (cont’d): Oh, my disappointment is melting into a mixture of excitement and guilt.   DONNA: Great. That’s what I was going for.   She gives him a quick kiss, then gets back to work.

MAIN CREDITS   BUMPER   INT. FORMAN BASEMENT - DAY   The next day. Eric and Donna sit on the couch, Eric’s arm around Donna’s shoulders. “Cat Scratch Fever” by TED NUGENT plays on the radio.   HYDE comes down the stairs and takes a seat in his chair.   HYDE: Hey.   DONNA: Hey. Ready for the Nuge tonight?   HYDE: Oh, yeah. A night of business and pleasure.   He cackles as he opens up a magazine.   DONNA: What’s the business?   HYDE: Check it out: me and Fez, we’re gonna sell counterfeit T-shirts after the show. I figure with the original concert T’s going for 15 dollars, we sell ours for ten and turn a 50-dollar investment into 250 bucks.   DONNA: How entrepreneurial of you.   ERIC: You and Fez, huh? So you’re taking a break from corrupting cheerleaders to revisit the old standby of exploiting foreign exchange students?   HYDE: Hey, I get Jackie mixed up in anything that involves clothing, next thing you know I’m out my last cent smuggling discount Jordache in from Madison.   He turns slightly away, overly interested in his magazine. Eric and Donna share a look.   ERIC: (to Hyde) Seriously, man. What’s going on with you and Jackie?   HYDE: (warning) I keep telling everyone, nothing.   ERIC: And yet you keep doing not-nothing. (adopts stern, “fatherly” voice) “Come, come, my wayward orphan – confess your feelings.”   Hyde flips his magazine down in frustration.   HYDE: Fine. You wanna know what’s going on? (beat) You know that episode of Wild Kingdom where the pilot fish hangs around the school of sharks? We can’t get rid of the pilot fish, so someone’s gotta show her how to be badass.   Eric scoffs and Donna chuckles.   DONNA: Well, if the shark had any other ideas, he might want to make a move, or else the pilot fish might just go back to the big, dumb Kelso fish.   HYDE: (scoffs) Yeah, right.   He goes back to his magazine.   DONNA: Really, Hyde, I think he and Jackie are gonna get back together.   HYDE: Trust me, that door’s closed. There’s no way Jackie’s going out with Kelso again.   CUT TO:   INT. CAR - DAY   The inside of a Lincoln, parked in a random lot. KELSO sits in the driver’s seat, and JACKIE in the passenger’s seat. “Fins” by Jimmy Buffett plays on the car radio.   KELSO: I want you to go out with me again.   JACKIE: What?   KELSO: Look, I know we were gonna stick to being just friends, but it’s been going so well that I think we should give us another try as a couple.   Jackie looks skeptical. Undeterred, Kelso leans a little closer.   KELSO (cont’d): We can start slow. Try one date, see how it goes. And it’ll be full of all the romantic magic you love. And I know magic.   He waves his hands around, turning the flailing into the thumb removal magic trick.   JACKIE: (giggling) Michael, I don’t know.   KELSO: Come on, Jackie. Just one date. Please?   He gives her a big puppy-dog face.   JACKIE: (laughs) All right, Michael. You win. So, where are we going on our second first date?   KELSO: The Ted Nugent concert.   JACKIE: Michael, we’re all going to the Ted Nugent concert.   KELSO: Hey, a date with all our friends there! Now how’s that for magic?   He beams at Jackie, who shakes her head and smiles.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN KITCHEN - EVENING   Later that day. With the kids out at the show, it’s poker night with the Pinciottis. RED, MIDGE, KITTY, and BOB all sit around the kitchen table with cards and drinks.   BOB: You know – (points to Midge) Our anniversary’s coming up. Eighteen years. I can still remember the first time I saw Midgie. She was the tallest girl in chemistry class.   MIDGE: And Bob was the shortest boy. But what he lacked in height, he made up for in shortness.   The Pinciottis beam at each other. Red turns away to hide his eye roll.   KITTY: Red, do you remember when we first met?   RED: Like it was yesterday.   He leans back, and we cut to:   INT. DANCE HALL – NIGHT   FLASHBACK. A USO dance is underway, with great swing music and plenty of punch. A YOUNG RED stands near the punch bowl with a few army officers and navy sailors, spiking the punch with rum.   RED (v.o.): It was 1952 at a USO dance. Me and my buddies were blowing off steam. And suddenly, I saw her.   Red looks up from the punch and sees a YOUNG KITTY, bathed in flattering light, across the dance floor.   RED (v.o.): She was the most beautiful girl in the joint.   A MARINE gets between them as he leers over Kitty.   MARINE: Hiya, dame. Wanna shake a leg?   KITTY: No, thanks.   She turns away, but the marine spins her back around by the arm.   MARINE: It wasn’t a question.   KITTY: I think it was, mister.   Red come up behind them and taps the marine on the shoulder.   RED: (to army man) Mind if I cut in?   MARINE: It’s none of your business, bell-bottom.   He shoves Red back.   RED: I think you could use a little punch, leatherneck.   He slugs the marine good, taking him to the floor. Red stands tall and proud. His teeth actually shine in his smile.   Kitty scowls at him, and when she talks, it’s the voice of PRESENT-DAY KITTY coming out.   KITTY: Oh, you’re in big trouble, Red Forman.   RED: Huh?   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN KITCHEN – EVENING   The flashback’s come crashing down. Kitty glares at Red across the table.   KITTY: I said, you’re in big trouble, Red Forman. You’re thinking of some other girl. That’s not how we met at all!   Red frowns in thought.   RED: Oh. (beat) Oh!   He looks over at his wife. She is one unhappy lady.   RED (cont’d): Uh-oh.   They continue to lock eyes across the table, while the Pinciottis try to be inconspicuous.   CUT TO:   INT. AUDITORIUM – NIGHT   Minutes before the concert, a packed house. The gang take up an entire row of seats in the balcony: Hyde, FEZ, Donna, Eric, Jackie, and Kelso. Fez has a large cardboard box balanced in his lap.   FEZ: (to Donna and Eric) Hey, you guys want to see our counterfeit T-shirts?   He reaches into the box and lifts up a black T-shirt with “Tad Nugent” written across the top. Fez smiles, but Hyde stirs; it’s the first time he’s seen the shirts.   HYDE:  Fez, it’s Ted Nugent.   FEZ:  Uh-huh. Tad Nugent.   HYDE: No, man. I’m saying “Ted.”   FEZ: I’m saying “Tad” too.   HYDE: No, you’re not. It says “Tad.”   FEZ: I know it says “Tad.” I’m the one who put it on there. I don’t know why we’re fighting. What’s the problem here?   HYDE: Because the shirt says “Tad!”   FEZ: Exactly!   HYDE: But the “A” should be an “E.”   FEZ: Well, that’s not how you spell “Tad.”   HYDE:  No. That’s how you spell “Ted.”   It finally clicks. Fez gains a million-mile stare as he slowly replaces the shirt in the box.   FEZ: Oh...   But there’s no time to dwell on that. The lights dim and the crowd – including the gang – rise to their feet and erupt into cheers as the concert begins.   BUMPER   INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM - NIGHT   Red sits on the couch, deep in thought. Unfortunately, Bob and Midge are sat right next to him, staring and interrupting those thoughts.   RED: You know, it’s hard enough trying to remember this without you two staring at me.   BOB: Hey, I could hypnotize you.   MIDGE: I know! You could retrace your steps. What did you have for breakfast?   Red is spared having to answer that by Kitty’s march through the living room, an empty wine glass in hand. Red stands.   RED: Oh, hi, Kitty. Uh... you know, (laughs) I was just thinking about how much I love you -   KITTY: So you remember yet?   RED: Yes! (beat) No.   Kitty sets he glass down and puts her hands on her hips.   KITTY: It was November 17, 1953, at a USO dance. I remember because it was the most important moment of my life!   RED: (beat) Really, Kitty? Because in November 1953, I was in Korea. (sits) So I’m pretty sure that you were talking to someone else.   Kitty tries gamely to maintain surety.   KITTY: Are you sure? Maybe – maybe you came home for the weekend.   Red fixes her with a hard stare.   RED: Not from Korea.   KITTY: Oh, great. Now, neither one of us knows how we met. Well, you better get your thinking cap on, mister!   She retrieves her wine glass and disappears into the kitchen as Red lets out a long sigh.   BUMPER   INT. AUDITORIUM – NIGHT   We rejoin the concert just as it ends and spares the accountants any licensing concerns. Everyone is still on their feet, making noise.   EMCEE (v.o.) Thank you, Wisconsin! Good night!   In a long pan, the gang all applaud and (ad-lib) remark on the incredible show they’ve just seen. We end on Jackie and Kelso turning in toward each other.   JACKIE: God, Michael, this was the most magical night!   KELSO: You know, during the concert, I rewrote some of Ted Nugent’s songs with your name in it. Okay, which one do you like better: “Cat Scratch Jackie” or “Jackie Scratch Fever?”   JACKIE: I love them both!   They both laugh with joy and hurry up the aisle, hand in hand. Hyde looks after them. His shades can’t hide his shock.   Fez waves a hand in front of Hyde’s eyes.   FEZ: Hyde? Hello? We have crap to sell?   He elbows his way past Hyde and heads up on the other end of the row. Hyde follows slowly, as if in a trance.   Donna and Eric remain by the seats, taking in the ambience.   ERIC: What do you wanna do now?   DONNA: Uh... oh! We can go around back and watch the tour buses from behind the chain-link fence.   ERIC: Great idea!   They start to exit, but Max comes down the aisle and joins them in their row. He has a backstage pass around his neck.   MAX: Hiya, kids. Enjoy the show?   ERIC: Are you kidding? I’m deaf!   Max smiles and nods.   ERIC: You can say that again, Max!   Max sits down.   MAX: Well, you know, I’m starting to come down... I mean, I’m getting tired. (to Donna) Uh, why don’t you take this?   He removes his backstage pass and hands it to Donna. She and Eric look at it as if it were the Holy Grail (or something.)   DONNA: Oh, my God... a backstage pass...   ERIC: Oh, yeah! (beat) Oh, too bad there’s only one, huh?   DONNA: I’ll be back in five minutes, I swear.   ERIC: You’re going?   DONNA: Well, don’t you want me to?   ERIC: (beat) Of course I do! That’s why I said, “oh, you’re going! Yay!”   DONNA: You’re the best!   She gives him a kiss and rushes off.   ERIC: (to Donna’s wake) Yeah, that’s... (to Max) Yeah, that’s good. That’s nice for her.   MAX: You’ll never see her again. That’s how I lost my first wife. Damn you, Donny Osmond!   He shakes his head violently as Eric looks down at the stage, troubled.   FADE TO BLACK   COMMERCIAL   BUMPER   EXT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT   Just outside the exit. The concert may be over, but people aren’t in a hurry to leave. At the base of the stairs, Hyde and Fez try to hawk their counterfeit merchandise. Shockingly, no one’s going for the “Tad” T’s.   Fez is at least giving it the ol’ college try; Hyde seems distracted.   FEZ: T-shirts! Get your crappy, misspelled T-shirts! Can’t enjoy the after-party without your crappy, misspelled T-shirts!   HYDE: (to Fez) I rue the day I took you under my wing, my foreign friend. I should’ve gone with Jackie on this.   Fez looks over at Hyde and pouts.   FEZ: Oh, yes... Jackie, who kicked Fort Anderson’s ass. Jackie, so good at graffiti. Jackie, with the bobby pins for picking locks. Well, I am not your perfect student Jackie, Hyde! She is getting back together with Kelso, so you will have to settle for me!   He stomps his foot and turns away. Behind his shades, Hyde rolls his eyes.   HYDE: They’re not back together, all right? Jackie’s learned enough now that she’s not gonna go back to a buffoon like Kelso.   Speak of the devil: Kelso and Jackie come up behind Hyde, happy as clams. At least, they are until Jackie notices a puddle of vomit in front of them.   JACKIE: Eww! Michael, someone blew chunks.   Without missing a beat, Kelso takes the Tad T from Fez, spreads it out over the vomit, and offers his arm to Jackie.   KELSO: May I escort you across the vomit, my lady?   Jackie smiles and links arms with him.   JACKIE: Why thank you, good sir.   Heads held high, they walk across the T-shirt and proceed on their way.   Hyde glares after them. Fez turns to Hyde, rather smug.   FEZ: So... the buffoon makes his move. And she will go back to him. And then who will you have? No one – but Fez.   He retrieves another T-shirt from the box and holds it up for passersby to see.   FEZ: Todd Nugent! Get your Todd Nugent T-shirts!   HYDE: Fez?   He beckons Fez closer, and Fez leans in.   HYDE (cont’d): IT’S TED!   TWO POLICEMEN appear behind Fez.   POLICEMAN: Is there a problem here?   Hyde and Fez look at the cops, look at each other, and break for it, leaving the T-shirts behind. The cops take off after them.   CUT TO:   INT. BACKSTAGE – NIGHT   The life of a rock star. TED NUGENT and his band kick back after their show, a bevy of beautiful women hanging on each of them. Amps and guitars rest against the walls and furniture.   Into this den of cool steps Donna, jaw hanging open. Ted notices her first.   TED: Hey, who ordered the redhead?   Two of the band raise their hands.   DONNA: (to Ted) Oh, my God, you’re looking at me. (to the band) Ted Nugent is looking at me. (to Ted) Stop looking at me! I’m Donna. I am, like, your biggest fan.   She offers her hand, and Ted takes it.   TED: Hi, Donna. Meet the other groupies. (pointing each one out) This is Blonde Girl, the other Blonde Girl, Tall Girl, and the Tall Blonde Girl.   DONNA: Well, actually, I’m not a groupie. I mean, I love you, but I work at a rock radio station – WFPP, “The Sound!” I do the farm report. It’s like, a huge day for pork bellies. (beat) You don’t care. Sorry.   Ted stands and crosses to Donna.   TED: Oh, you work for a radio station? You wanna do an interview or somethin’?   DONNA: Oh, my God. An interview would be amazing. Do you have, um, a piece of paper and one of those, uh...   TED: Pens.   DONNA: Pens. Exactly!   One of the band hands Donna a notepad and pen.   DONNA: You are the best. (to Ted) Okay, first question... um... uh... oh, my God, why are you so great?   BUMPER   INT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT   Eric and Max are still up in the balcony, both sitting, Max still coming down. A JANITOR stands impatiently to their left with a mop and bucket.   ERIC: It’s not just tonight, you know. Yeah, she’s been blowing me off more and more. And she thinks I’ll take it, but I won’t. Uh-uh.   MAX: Yeah, that’s how it starts. You say you won’t take it; you say you’ll be firm. And then the Mormon smoothie comes to town...   A haunted look comes to Max’s eye, enough to give Eric a chill. The janitor, on the other hand, is unfazed.   JANITOR: Can you two lift your feet please?   Somewhat grudgingly, Eric lifts his feet. Max doesn’t; he’s so lost in memories and his trip, he probably didn’t hear. Eric manages, awkwardly, to pull Max’s legs up as the janitor passes through.   CUT TO:   INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT   Some time later. Donna has taken Ted’s chair, while the Nuge plays a section of “Strangehold” on his guitar. As he finishes, Donna leaps up, applauding. When she realizes she’s the only one reacting, she’s flummoxed.   DONNA: What is wrong with you people? Come on! That was great! What, are you on dope?   They all stare back her with glazed expressions.   DONNA: Oh. (to Ted) Well, I better go. My boyfriend’s waiting. Thank you so much for the interview, Ted.   They shake hands again.   TED: You’re very welcome. You wanna stick around? I’ll let you touch the guitar.   DONNA: Really? All right! (beat) Wait, you mean your guitar guitar, right?   TED: Yeah.   DONNA: All right!   She reaches out and strokes his guitar.   CUT TO:   EXT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT   Far down the auditorium wall, with restroom doors. Hyde, coming down from a full run, ducks behind a tree and leans back against the wall to catch his breath.   Jackie and Kelso stroll up the sidewalk, their arms still linked. Jackie has a small bag of popcorn. They don’t see Hyde, but he sees them.   JACKIE: Michael, I have to say, this really has been a magically romantic day.   They look at each other and smile. As they reach the restroom doors, Kelso stops. He takes his arm back, holds up a finger for “one sec,” and steps inside. Jackie sighs contentedly and looks out at the night.   Hyde steps out from behind the tree. Jackie yelps and jumps back, her popcorn flying everywhere. She sees it’s Hyde and relaxes, though she still clutches at her chest.   JACKIE: Steven, you scared me.   HYDE: (points to restroom) What’s going on with you and Kelso?   JACKIE: Oh. Well...   She giggles. Coyly, she steps in toward Steven.   JACKIE (cont’d): Steven, should I give Michael a second chance? I mean, Donna says “no,” and I didn’t think I wanted to be more than friends, but he really has changed. He’s so different. And we’re different together. I felt that tonight.   She chuckles to herself and kicks at the sidewalk.   JACKIE (cont’d): I dunno. What do you think?   Hyde regards her coolly.   HYDE: If that’s your call, make the play.   Jackie beams and starts to pace with joy.   HYDE (cont’d): Yeah, I mean, you made the same call after he burned your house, and that worked out, right?   Jackie stops pacing, looks to Hyde, confused.   HYDE (cont’d): Oh, and when he first got his van, and you thought that was a step toward maturity, then he used it for nailin’ Laurie. Real good call there.   JACKIE: What are you saying?   HYDE: Oh, are you not getting it? Maybe it’d help if I waved around some pom-poms and used a cheer with all one-syllable words.   Jackie takes a step back; it’s been a long time since she’s seen Hyde like this.   JACKIE: Steven, you’re being rude.   HYDE: Sorry. It’s my nature to be rude to stupid crap.   JACKIE: (hurt) Steven!   HYDE: What, I’m wrong? When Kelso burns you over and over, tells you he’s changed, and because he kisses your ass and buys you crap, you fall for it every time?   He gives her a chance to retort; she can’t.   HYDE (cont’d): I had you figured right in the first place, but I thought maybe you weren’t that square and shallow, so I gave you a shot. Turns out you haven’t learned a thing from me.   He starts to walk away.   JACKIE: Steven, what are you talking about? What was I supposed to learn?   Hyde stops and whirls around.   HYDE: To think! Maybe then you’d see life ain’t one of your Nancy Drew, Disney World, unicorn fantasies. That second chances are for losers who can’t figure out that people don’t change, and if they screw you once, they screw you every time.   He advances on her as he raves. Jackie doesn’t back up.   JACKIE: That’s not true! People do change! You’ve changed! At least, I thought you had, from when you were such a jerk when we first met. But I know Michael has, because I have thought about this, a lot, and I didn’t just believe that things were different this time. And by the way, Steven? I’m the one who was “screwed” and hurt and betrayed. What would a scruffy orphan know about that?   Hyde’s face doesn’t change, but Jackie knows immediately she’s gone too far. Finally, she takes a step back, her hands over her mouth.   JACKIE (cont’d): Steven, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean -   HYDE: (cold) You wanna know what I think? I think you can marry that moron for all I care. Next time you get burned, find someone else to cry to.   He walks away. Jackie doesn’t follow him, not even with her eyes. She just stares ahead at the ground, trying not to cry.   Kelso comes out of the bathroom, all smiles. He moseys up behind Jackie and puts a hand on her shoulder.   KELSO: Hey there. So, the concession stand’s still open, and I think they were selling cherry slurpees.   Jackie looks up at him, eyes shining with tears. She pulls away from his hold and stomps off. Kelso’s jaw drops.   KELSO (cont’d): Okay, we’ll get watermelon!   That doesn’t bring her back. Kelso throws up his hands and runs after her.   Further up the sidewalk, Hyde stands alone. He rips his sunglasses off, clenching them tight in his fist as he kicks at the auditorium wall.   The policemen come up the way Jackie and Kelso left, each of them holding Fez by an arm between them. Fez is handcuffed.   FEZ: (to Hyde) “Sell some T-shirts,” you said. “No risk,” you said. I’m going to jail, you son of a bitch!   They all pass by. Hyde looks after Jackie and Kelso briefly, then pops his shades back on and goes after Fez.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT   The Pinciottis have gone. Kitty sits on the couch, flipping through an old photo album. Red enters from the kitchen with two small drinks.   KITTY: (not looking up) Oh, Red, it’s killing me that I can’t remember.   RED: Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, me too. (sits next to her) But I’ll tell you one thing I remember: I remember that you loved Manhattans.   He hands her one of the drinks.   KITTY: Oh, that’s right. That’s what I used to drink. (laughs) Oh, I haven’t had a Manhattan in twenty years.   She and Red clink glasses and have a sip. It’s a GOOD Manhattan.   KITTY (cont’d): Oh, boy, that takes me back. Oh. Oh...   The lightbulb goes off in her head. We cut to:   INT. DANCE HALL – NIGHT   FLASHBACK. Young Kitty is sat at a table with A FRIEND, a row of glasses in front of her. She downs one Manhattan and accepts another from the WAITER.   KITTY: (to waiter) Keep ‘em coming. (to friend) Oh, my. I’m as loose as a goose. (laughs)   Back by the punch bowl, young Red and HIS FRIEND stand with shot glasses in hand.   RED: Okay, let’s do it.   They clink glasses, down their shots, set the glasses down, and drop their pants. On their boxers are written the words “HELLO LADIES.”   Kitty, her back to them, doesn’t see the mooning. She stands up as well as she can, all giggles.   KITTY: Upsy-daisy. I need to use the ladies’ -   She turns to head for the restroom but collides with Red’s ass and falls down on hers. It doesn’t damper her mood any; she falls into a fresh round of laughter. Red turns to look at her, hiking his pants back up as he does so.   RED: You all right?   KITTY: I bumped into your butt and fell down! (laughs)   RED: Sorry. My pants were...   He helps her to her feet, and they look at each other – really look at each other. Red’s grip turns into a handshake.   RED (cont’d): I’m Red Forman.   KITTY: How do you do, Red Forman? I’m Kitty Sigurdson.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT   The present. Neither Red nor Kitty can believe it.   RED: You bumped into my butt and fell down? And that’s how we met?   KITTY: I’m afraid so.   RED: (beat) Well, what do you say, if the kids ever ask, we go with the “I punched out a marine” story.   KITTY: And I wasn’t drinking, I was reading to the blind.   RED: Sounds good.   They clink glasses, take a sip, and look at the album.   CUT TO:   EXT. PARKING LOT – NIGHT   The auditorium lot. The concert crowds have finally dispersed; the Vista Cruiser is alone in the lot. Eric sits on the front of the car, listening to the radio through the cracked windows.   Donna comes around the corner. She races to Eric when she sees him, and he slides off the car.   DONNA: Oh, my God, Eric, I have so much to tell you! I actually met Ted Nugent, and I got an interview, and I know I said I’d be right back, but – it was so exciting!   ERIC: Oh, yeah. My night too. I met the janitor, and I got to hear your boss talk about the sexual magnetism of Donny Osmond. Rock n’ roll!   His tone isn’t lost on Donna.   DONNA: Eric, you’re mad at me for going backstage to meet Ted Nugent?   ERIC: No, no. I’m mad at you because you ditched me.   DONNA: I didn’t ditch you. This was Ted Nugent! This was a huge opportunity for me. So, come Monday, I don’t have to just talk about the farm report. I can talk about the interview, like an interviewer.   ERIC: Well, you know what, Donna? All I can say is that my mom never would have bailed on my dad like that.   DONNA: Yeah, I know. But they’re married.   ERIC: (beat) Okay. Okay, forget it. Let’s just forget it. You’re sorry – everything’s fine.   DONNA: I never said I was sorry.   ERIC: But... you are, right?   DONNA: I shouldn’t have to be.   Eric has no reply.   He’s spared having to make one by Hyde and Fez coming around the corner, Hyde’s arm around Fez’s shoulders.   FEZ: I am free! At last, I am free! They were going to charge me with selling counterfeit merchandise, but Hyde convinced them that since Ted Nugent was misspelled, it wasn’t really counterfeit, it was just stupid. My ignorance of American youth culture finally pays off.   Hyde notices Donna’s pass.   HYDE: Donna, man, did you get to meet the Nuge?   DONNA: Yeah, it was awesome! I was right there with him! The Nuge!   The flash of excitement vanishes when Donna turns back to Eric.   DONNA (cont’d): So can we go now?   Jackie and Kelso come up from the other direction. Jackie has her arms folded and her head down, and Kelso is completely lost.   KELSO: Well, damn, Jackie, just tell me where the magic went!   They stop when they see the rest of the gang. Jackie glares at Hyde, who glares back. Eric and Donna stare each other down. Fez and Kelso shift uncomfortably.   The driver’s side back door opens on the Vista Cruiser. Max sticks his head out. He’s still not fully down.   MAX: Hey, kids? I can’t find my car.   He looks up at them pleadingly. They all start to look in different directions for his car.   FADE TO BLACK   CREDITS   EXT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT   Just outside the exit. The box of Tad Nugent T-shirts is right where Hyde and Fez left it.   Ted Nugent himself walks up the sidewalk, dressed down from the show. He spies the box and takes a look inside. He holds one of the shirts up to his chest; it seems like a good fit. Ted shrugs, tosses the shirt over his shoulder, picks up the box, and carries on.   END.

[maddie-grove]

The Top Five (and Only) Ancient Romance Novels I’ve Ever Read

For a while, I’ve been planning to do a series of top-five lists for romance novels I’ve read in every major historical category (ancient, medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, twentieth-century, and contemporary, very roughly speaking, don’t @ me). I’ve read enough romance novels in each category that the top five consist of books that are, at minimum, quite good...with the notable exception of romances set before the fall of the Roman Empire. I’ve read exactly five of those, and not all of them were good. Still, out of a desire for completism and doing things in chronological order, I have ranked all five of these novels.

1. In Thrall to the Enemy Commander by Greta Gilbert (2018)

Exact Setting: Ancient Egypt and Rome, 48 BCE

Premise: Wen-Nefer, an enslaved Egyptian woman with a mysterious past, has given up on everything but basic survival. Then an enigmatic man shows up at the tavern where she’s forced to work, offering her a new life as Cleopatra’s translator and spy. In a time of civil war between Cleopatra and her brother/husband, this is dangerous work, but Wen-Nefer is willing to take the risk for her freedom. While working for Cleopatra, she makes the acquaintance of Titus Tillius Fortis, an advisor to Julius Caesar who’s beginning to have doubts about his boss.

Why I Like It: Wen-Nefer is an endearing protagonist, whose slow recovery from her withdrawn, depressed state forms the heart of the novel. The hero…improves, and his actions are never terrible. Gilbert also does a great job of portraying the bustling, cosmopolitan atmosphere of ancient Alexandria.

Why I Don’t Like It: As in many romance novels involving famous historical figures, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar take up a little too much space. The hero holds sexist beliefs, which is perhaps inevitable in an ancient Roman dude, but his particular views are too boneheaded for me to respect him fully even after he realizes that women can be smart.

2. Enslaved by the Desert Trader by Greta Gilbert (2016)

Exact Setting: Ancient Egypt, circa 2560 BCE

Premise: Orphaned Kiya disguises herself as a boy so she can make a living helping to build the Great Pyramids, only to be captured in a raid by Tahar, a nomadic desert trader. Tahar wants to sell her to a rich guy so he can buy a boat and sail back to his homeland in the steppes, but Kiya has this weird thing about wanting to be free. Just when he starts to develop feelings, things get real weird.

Why I Like It: This novel probably has the most unique setting I’ve ever seen in the genre, and Gilbert does a good job bringing it to life without getting too bogged down in the details. She’s not afraid to make things delightfully bizarre; at one point, Kiya pretends to be the goddess Hathor to impress King Khufu, who may or may not be her dad but definitely wants to marry her. Kiya’s rediscovery of her family is also moving.

Why I Don’t Like It: Look, 2560 BCE was a long time ago, and I’m not sure I can make a lot of moral judgments about what people did back then, but Tahar is straight-up trafficking a human. This is an uncomfortable basis for a romance, to say the least. He does eventually realize that it’s bad to sell people, though?

3. The Lion and the Lark by Doreen Owens Malek (1996)

Exact Setting: Ancient Britain, 44 BCE

Premise: The Romans have invaded Britain, and tribune Claudius Leonatus is set to marry Celtic princess Bronwen in an attempt at unification. He’s taciturn and still sad about his late wife, and she’s understandably resentful at being invaded, but they find themselves getting along. Meanwhile, Lucia Drucilla Scipio, a headstrong general’s daughter, finds herself falling for Bronwen’s fiery brother Brettix.

Why I Like It: Malek depicts the fascinating world of the British Celts with well-chosen details and relatively little didacticism. Both romances are pleasant enough, and the Lucia/Brettix plot even has a nice spark to it. Also, I kept misreading Brettix as “Brexit,” which I thought was funny.

Why I Don’t Like It: It is a little didactic, like a sexy Latin textbook, and neither romance is exactly enthralling.

4. The Raven and the Rose by Doreen Owens Malek (1994)

Exact Setting: Ancient Rome, 44 BCE

Premise: At a religious festival, Julia Rosalba Casca, a Vestal Virgin, falls in love at first sight with Marcus Corvus Demeter, a centurion. Although their love can never be without her getting walled up, Julia persuades her widowed sister Larthia to give her and Marcus a place to tryst. Meanwhile, Larthia finds herself drawn to Verrix, a handsome Gallic slave. 

Why I Like It: This is a quick, easy read that includes some interesting facts about Ancient Rome. Julia and Marcus are basically inoffensive, while Larthia and Verrix are pretty interesting. I liked Marcus’s friend, a Roman patrician who hates his dad.

Why I Don’t Like It: Malek goes full sexy Latin textbook here, with often clunky results. Julia and Marcus are incredibly boring and kind of stupid—at least pull out when you’re banging a Vestal Virgin, doofus—while Larthia’s more-interesting character is ruined by the fact that she’s having sex with a slave. (He initiates their sexual relationship, but she did not have to pick up what he was putting down.) The plot is also rather oddly resolved by Mark Antony pulling some strings.

5. Lady of Conquest by Teresa Medeiros (1989)

Exact Setting: Ancient Ireland, circa 100 CE.

Premise: Conn of the Hundred Battles, king of half of Ireland, takes in Gelina O Monaghan, the sixteen-year-old orphan of a slain enemy. As years pass, her hatred softens into fondness, which blossoms into love. Yet Conn isn’t so quick to see his ward in a romantic light. Heartbroken at his obliviousness, Gelina runs away to murder people with her deranged brother, kicking off a series of stupid misunderstandings where they both act like assholes.

Why I Like It: Medeiros has a lovely, lyrical writing style and is great at creating a fairy-tale-like atmosphere that fits in well with the ancient Irish setting. I liked Nimbus, Gelina’s BFF who is a dwarf, and there are a couple of nice moments between the protagonists.

Why I Didn’t Like It: This novel features one of the most relentlessly unpleasant couples to haunt the genre; in fact, he made my Ten Worst Heroes list, and she made my Ten Worst Heroines list, a distinction only shared by one other h/h. He’s a cruel, unreasonably suspicious rapist who shrugs off his men’s war crimes, and she turns into Grendel the second a dude doesn’t pick up on her secret crush. Although I liked Nimbus, I didn’t like how he was reduced to pining for Gelina and then viciously killed off.