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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 8 months

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A top House Democrat has reintroduced a bill to federally legalize, tax and regulate marijuana, with provisions to expunge prior cannabis convictions.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, refiled the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act on Wednesday. There are 33 initial cosponsors—all Democrats.

The comprehensive legalization legislation has passed the House twice in recent sessions—but this marks the first time it’s being introduced with Republicans in control of the chamber, raising serious questions about whether it will move. The Judiciary Committee, which is the primary panel of jurisdiction, is chaired by anti-cannabis Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Even the prospects of a modest marijuana banking bill that’s set for committee action in the Senate next week are uncertain in the House under the GOP majority. That said, a GOP-led House panel did advance legislation on Wednesday to prevent the denial of federal employment or security clearances based on a candidate’s past cannabis use.

In any case, advocates have long touted the MORE Act as an example of the type of wide-ranging cannabis reform legislation that would not only end prohibition but take steps to right the wrongs of prohibition and promote social equity.

Here are details about the key provisions of the MORE Act:

“Nadler’s MORE Act would deschedule marijuana by removing it from the list of federally banned drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, it would not require states to legalize cannabis and would maintain a level of regulatory discretion up to states.

Marijuana products would be subject to a federal excise tax, starting at 5% for the first two years after enactment and rising to 8% by the fifth year of implementation.

Nobody could be denied federal public benefits based solely on the use or possession of marijuana or past juvenile conviction for a cannabis offense. Federal agencies couldn’t use 'past or present cannabis or marijuana use as criteria for granting, denying, or rescinding a security clearance.'

People could not be penalized under federal immigration laws for any cannabis related activity or conviction, whether it occurred before or after the enactment of the legalization legislation.

The bill creates a process for expungements of non-violent federal marijuana convictions.

Tax revenue from cannabis sales would be placed in a new 'Opportunity Trust Fund.' Half of those tax dollars would support a 'Community Reinvestment Grant Program' under the Justice Department, 10% would support substance misuse treatment programs, 40% would go to the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) to support implementation and a newly created equitable licensing grant program.

The Community Reinvestment Grant Program would 'fund eligible non-profit community organizations to provide a variety of services for individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs…to include job training, reentry services, legal aid for civil and criminal cases (including for expungement of cannabis convictions), among others.'

The program would further support funding for substance misuse treatment for people from communities disproportionately impacted by drug criminalization. Those funds would be available for programs offering services to people with substance misuse disorders for any drug, not just cannabis.

While the bill wouldn’t force states to adopt legalization, it would create incentives to promote equity. For example, SBA would facilitate a program to providing licensing grants to states and localities that have moved to expunge records for people with prior marijuana convictions or 'taken steps to eliminate violations or other penalties for persons still under State or local criminal supervision for a cannabis-related offense or violation for conduct now lawful under State or local law.'

The bill’s proposed Cannabis Restorative Opportunity Program would provide funds 'for loans to assist small business concerns that are owned and controlled by individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs in eligible States and localities.'

The comptroller general, in consultation with the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), would be required to carry out a study on the demographics of people who have faced federal marijuana convictions, 'including information about the age, race, ethnicity, sex, and gender identity.'

The Departments of Treasury, Justice and the SBA would need to 'issue or amend any rules, standard operating procedures, and other legal or policy guidance necessary to carry out implementation of the MORE Act' within one year of its enactment.

Marijuana producers and importers would also need to obtain a federal permit. And they would be subject to a $1,000 per year federal tax as well for each premise they operate.

The bill would impose certain packaging and labeling requirements.

It also prescribes penalties for unlawful conduct such as illegal, unlicensed production or importation of cannabis products.

The Treasury Secretary would be required to carry out a study 'on the characteristics of the cannabis industry, with recommendations to improve the regulation of the industry and related taxes.'

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would be required to 'regularly compile, maintain, and make public data on the demographics' of marijuana business owners and workers.

Workers in 'safety sensitive' positions, such as those regulated by the Department of Transportation, could continue to be drug tested for THC and face penalties for unauthorized use. Federal workers would also continue to be subject to existing drug testing policies.

References to 'marijuana' or 'marihuana' under federal statute would be changed to 'cannabis.' It’s unclear if that would also apply to the title of the bill itself.”

Some advocates say that the MORE Act’s time has passed, however, and that it doesn’t realistically grapple with the need to enact truly justice-focused legalization through a fair and equitable market.

“The MORE Act was never meant to be a bill to address the real needs of federal regulations,” Shaleen Title, founder and director, Parabola Center for Law and Policy, told Marijuana Moment. “It was a historic bill when it was first introduced to address systemic racial disparities and demonstrate that social justice must be addressed in federal reform, but has never fully addressed the economic justice side of the equation.”

“We’re in a period of rapid corporate consolidation, with a real possibility that big pharmaceutical corporations will be entering the industry in the near future,” she said. “Outdated legalization bills like this would quickly allow for monopolization, putting small farmers and mom-and-pop shops out of business and undermining the public health and racial equity goals of most state cannabis programs. They should all be updated with an intentional regulatory structure and a thoughtful plan to transition to a national market.”

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txttletale · 6 months

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how do ml's reconcile with lenin going for a bigbrainhaver hierarchy which just so happened to place him at the tippy top? most of the things he's quoted for writing make a kind of sense in that longwinded academic philosopher way, but, like, russia went from having a revolution against monarchy to having a monarchy, essentially, and what folks do tends to align with their desires, yeah? wouldn't that make everything he said, idk, suspicious?

we reconcile with this because none of this is even remotely true. lenin did not 'happen to be placed at the tippy top' but was in fact elected by the soviets, who worked in a very simple electoral system by which workers and peasants would elect representatives to their local soviet, who as well as administering local services would also elect members to higher bodies. the quote unquote bigbrainhaver hierarchy system in question was as follows:

The sovereign body is in every case the Congress of Soviets. Each county sends its delegates. These are elected indirectly by the town and county Soviets which vote in proportion to population, following the ratio observed throughout, by which the voters in the town have five times the voting strength of the inhabitants of the villages, an advantage which may, as we saw, be in reality three to one. The Congress meets, as a rule, once a year, for about ten days. It is not, in the real sense of the word, the legislative body. It debates policy broadly, and passes resolutions which lay down the general principles to be followed in legislation. The atmosphere of its sittings is that of a great public demonstration. The Union Congress, for example, which has some fifteen hundred members, meets in the Moscow Opera House. The stage is occupied by the leaders and the heads of the administration, and speeches are apt to be big oratorical efforts. The real legislative body is the so-called Central Executive Committee (known as the C. I. K. and pronounced "tseek") . It meets more frequently than the Congress to which it is responsible-in the case of the Union, at least three times in the year-passes the Budget, receives the reports of the Commissars (ministers), and discusses international policy. It, in its turn, elects two standing bodies: (1) The Presidium of twenty-one members, which has the right to legislate in the intervals between the sittings of the superior assemblies, and also transacts some administrative work. (2) The Council of Peoples' Commissars. These correspond roughly to the Ministers or Secretaries of State in democratic countries and are the chiefs of the administration. Meeting as a Council, they have larger powers than any Cabinet, for they may pass emergency legislation and issue decrees which have all the force of legislation. Save in cases of urgency, however, their decrees and drafts of legislation must be ratified by the Executive Committee (C.I.K.). In another respect they differ from the European conception of a Minister. Each Commissar is in reality the chairman of a small board of colleagues, who are his advisers. These advisory boards, or collegia, meet very frequently (it may even be daily) to discuss current business, and any member of a board has the right to appeal to the whole Council of Commissars against a decision of the Commissar.

—H.N. Brailsford, How The Soviets Work (1927)

you might notice that the congresses of soviets were not directly elected -- this is because they were elected by local soviets, who were directly elected, in a process that many people have given first hand accounts of:

I have, while working in the Soviet Union, participated in an election. I, too, had a right to vote, as I was a working member of the community, and nationality and citizenship are no bar to electoral rights. The procedure was extremely simple. A general meeting of all the workers in our organisation was called by the trade union committee, candidates were discussed, and a vote was taken by show of hands. Anybody present had the right to propose a candidate, and the one who was elected was not personally a member of the Party. In considering the claims of the candidates their past activities were discussed, they themselves had to answer questions as to their qualifications, anybody could express an opinion, for or against them, and the basis of all the discussion was: What justification had the candidates to represent their comrades on the local Soviet. As far as the elections in the villages were concerned, these took place at open village meetings, all peasants of voting age, other than those who employed labour, having the right to vote and to stand for election. As in the towns, any organisation or individual could put forward candidates, anyone could ask the candidate questions, and anybody could support or oppose the candidature. It is usual for the Communist Party to put forward a candidate, trade unions and other organisations can also do so, and there is nothing to prevent the Party’s candidate from not being elected, if he has not sufficient prestige among the voters. In the towns the “ electoral district ” has hitherto consisted of a factory, or a group of small factories sufficient to form a constituency. But there was one section of the town population which has always had to vote geographically, since they did not work together in one organisation. This was the housewives. As a result, the housewives met separately in each district, had their own constituencies, and elected their own representatives to the Soviet. Here, too, vital interest has always been shown in the personality of every candidate. Why should this woman be elected ? What right had she to represent her fellow housewives on the local Soviet ? In the district next to my own at the last election the housewife who was elected was well known as an organiser of a communal dining-room in the district. This was the kind of person that the housewives wanted to represent them on the Soviet. Another candidate, a Communist, proposed by the local organisation of the Party, was turned down in her favour.

[...]

The election of delegates to the local Soviet is not the only function of voters in the Soviet Union. It is not a question here of various parties presenting candidates to the electorate, each with his own policy to offer. The Soviet electorate has to select a personality from its midst to represent it, and instruct this person in the policy which is to be followed when elected. At a Soviet election meeting, therefore, as much or more time may be spent on discussion of the instructions to the delegate as is spent on discussing the personality of the candidates. At the last election to the Soviets, in which I personally participated, we must have spent three or four times as much time on the working out of instructions as we did on the selection of our candidate. About three weeks before the election was to take place the trade union secretary in every department of our organisation was told by the committee that it was time to start to prepare our instructions to the delegate. Every worker was asked to make suggestions concerning policy which he felt should be brought to the notice of the new personnel of the Moscow Soviet. As a result, about forty proposals concerning the general government of Moscow were handed in from a group of about twenty people. We then held a meeting in our department at which we discussed the proposals, and adopted some and rejected others. We then handed our list of pro¬ posals to a commission, appointed by the trade union committee, and representing all the workers in our organisation. This Commission co-ordinated the pro¬ posals received, placed them in order according to the various departments of the Soviet, and this co-ordinated list was read at the election meeting itself, again discussed, and adopted in its final form.

—Pat Sloan, Soviet Democracy (1937)

Between the elections of 1931 and 1934, no less than 18 per cent of the city deputies and 37 per cent of village deputies were recalled, of whom only a relatively small number — 4 per cent of the total — were charged with serious abuse of power. The chief reasons for recall were inactivity — 37 per cent — and inefficiency — 21 per cent. If these figures indicate certain lacks in the quality of elected officials, they show considerable activity of the people in improving government. The electorate of the Peasants' Gazette, for example, consisted of some 1,500 employees, entitled to elect one deputy to the Moscow city soviet and two to the ward soviet. For more than a month before the election every department of the newspaper held meetings discussing both candidates and instructions. Forty-three suggested candidates and some 1,400 proposals for the work of the incoming government resulted from these meetings, which also elected committees to boil down and classify the instructions. These committees issued a special four-page newspaper for the 1,500 voters; it contained brief biographies of the forty-three candidates, an analysis of their capacities by the Communist Party organization of the Peasants' Gazette, and the "nakaz," or list of "people's instructions," classified by subject and the branch of government which they concerned. At the final election meeting of the Peasants* Gazette there was literally more than 100 per cent attendance, since some of the staff who for reasons of absence or illness had not been listed as prospective voters returned from sanatoria or from distant assignments to vote. The instructions issued by the electorate in this manner — 1,400 from the Peasants' Gazette and tens of thousands from Moscow citizens — became the first business of the incoming government.

—Anna Louise Strong, The New Soviet Constitution (1937)

does this mean that the soviet project was some utopian perfect system? no. there were flaws in the system like any other. it disenfranchised the rural peasantry (although not, i would like to add, to any extent greater or even equivalent to the extent to which the US electoral system disenfranchises the urban working class) -- the various tiers of indirect selection created a divide between the average worker and the highest tier of the executive -- and various elements of this fledgling system would calcify and bureaucratise over time in ways that obstructed worker's democracy. but saying that it was 'a monarchy' is founded in absolutely nothing except the most hysterical anticommunist propaganda and tedious orwellian liberal truisms.

even brailsford, in an account overall critical of the soviet system, had to admit:

Speaking broadly, the various organs of the system, from the Council of Commissars of the Union down to the sub-committees of a town Soviet, are handling the same problems. Whether one sits in the Kremlin at a meeting of the most august body of the whole Union, the "C.I.K.," or round a table in Vladimir with the working men who constitute its County Executive Committee, one hears exactly the same problems discussed. How, be-fore June arrives, shall we manage to reduce prices by ten percent? What growth can we show in the number of our spindles, or factories, and in the number of workers employed? When and how shall we make our final assault on the last relics of illiteracy? Or when shall we have room in our schools, even in the remotest village, for every child? Was it by good luck or good guidance that the number of typhus cases has dropped in a year by half? And, finally, how can we hasten the raising of clover seed, so that the peasants who, at last, thanks to our propaganda, are clamoring for it, may not be disappointed?

—H.N. Brailsford, How The Soviets Work (1927)

genuinely, i think you should take a moment and think about where you learned about the soviet union. have you read any serious historical work on the topic, even from non-communist or anti-communist sources? because even imperialist propagandists have to make a pretence at engaging with actual facts on the ground, something which you haven't done at all -- and yet you speak with astounding confidence. i recommend you read some serious books instead of animal farm and reflect on why you believe the things you believe and how you know the things you think you know.

#ask #barkmoon

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batboyblog · 2 months

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Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #12

March 29-April 5 2024

President Biden united with Senator Bernie Sanders at the White House to review Democratic efforts to bring down drug prices. President Biden touted his Administration’s capping the price of insulin for seniors at $35 a month and capping the price of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. Biden hopes to expand both to all Americans through legislation next year with a Democratic congress. The President also praised Senator Sanders' efforts as chair of the Senate Health Committee which has lead to major drug manufacturers capping the price of inhalers at $35 a month. “Bernie, you and I have been fighting this for 25 years,” Biden said “Finally, finally we beat Big Pharma. Finally.”

The White House gave an update on its actions around the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster. The federal government working with state and local governments hope to have enough of the remains of the bridge cleared to partially reopen the Port of Baltimore by the end of the month and have the port working normally by May. The Administration has already released $60 million in emergency money toward rebuilding and promises the federal government will cover the cost. The Department of Labor has released $3.5 million for Dislocated Worker Grants and plans up to $25 million to cover lost wages. The Small Business Administration is offering $2 million in emergency loans to affected small businesses. The Administration is working with business and labor unions to keep workers at work and cover lost wages.

Vice-President Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced $20 billion to help finance tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across the country. The kinds of projects that will be financed through this project include distributed clean power generation and storage, net-zero retrofits of homes and small businesses, and zero-emission transportation. 70% of the funds, $14 billion, will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The project is part of a public private partnership so for every 1 dollar of federal money, private companies have promised 7 dollars of investment, bring the total to $150 billion for ongoing financing of climate and clean energy projects for years to come.

The Department of Transportation announced $20.5 billion in investments in public transportation. This represents the largest single investment in public transit by the federal government in history. The money will go to improving and expanding subways, light rail, buses, and ferry systems across America. The DoT hopes to use the funds to in particular expand and improve options for public transport for people with disabilities and seniors.

The Departments of Energy and The Treasury announced $4 billion in tax credits for businesses investing in clean energy, critical materials recycling, and Industrial decarbonization. The credits till go toward 100 projects across 35 states. 67% of the credits ($2.7 billion) will go to clean energy, wind, solar, nuclear, clean hydrogen, as well as updates to grids, better batter storage, and investments in electric vehicles. 20% ($800 million) will go to to recycling things like lithium-ion batteries, and 13% ($500 million) to decarbonization in industries like automotive manufacturing, and iron and steel.

The Department of Agriculture announced $1.5 Billion in investments in climate-smart agriculture. USDA plans to support over 180,000 farms representing 225 million acres in the next 5 years move toward more climate friendly agriculture. 40% of the project is reserved for disadvantaged communities, in line with the Biden Administrations standard for climate investment. $100 million has been reserved for projects in Tribal Communities.

The Department of the Interior approved the New England Wind offshore wind project. To be located off Martha’s Vineyard the New England project represents the 8th such off shore wind project approved by the Biden administration. Taken together these projects will generate 10 gigawatts of totally clean energy that can power 4 million homes. The Administration's climate goals call for 30 gigawatts of off shore wind power by 2030. The New England Wind project itself is expected to generate 2,600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes in the New England area.

The Department of the Interior announced $320 Million for tribal water infrastructure. Interior also announced $244 million to deal with legacy pollution from mining in the State of Pennsylvania, as well as $25 million to protect wetlands in Arizona and $19 million to put solar panels over irrigation canals in California, Oregon and Utah. While the Department of Energy announced $27 million for 40 projects by state, local and tribal governments to combat climate change

#Thanks Biden #Joe Biden #Bernie Sanders #political #american politics #Democrats #health care #climate change #drug prices #clean energy

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zvaigzdelasas · 3 months

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A bipartisan House bill unveiled Tuesday would force ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to divest the shortform video app or face a ban of the platform in the U.S.

Introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the top lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, is the latest effort to ban TikTok over concerned about potential national security threats posed by ByteDance.

The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” specifically defines ByteDance and TikTok as a foreign adversary controlled application. The bill also creates a broader framework that would allow the president to designate other foreign adversary controlled applications. [...]

The bill would give ByteDance more than five months after the law would goes into effect to divest TikTok. If the company does not divest from TikTok, it would become illegal to distribute it through an app store or web hosting platform in the U.S., effectively banning it even among current users.

The bill has more than a dozen bipartisan co-sponsors, with an even split down party lines, according to a committee aide. The aide declined to share the names of specific sponsors.

“This bill is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it. This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek told The Hill.

A Republican-backed bill last year attempted to ban TikTok outright but faced pushback from Democrats, who said the effort was rushed and could impede on free speech rights.

5 Mar 24

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buckybarnesss · 11 months

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stiles helping derek search for erica and boyd during the summer between season 2 and 3a is the only thing that makes sense.

allison was in france the entire summer only having just recently returned.

lydia occupied herself with various fuck 'em and leave 'em boys to get over jackson

scott was doing the be a better scott mccall program.

isaac was looking for erica and boyd

and stiles was doing what?????????? exactly??????????

he and scott don't seem to have spent a lot of time together since scott was doing summer school, working and self improvement.

but stiles? nothing is said.

except after the incident with the deer he immediately searches deer accident reports.

the sheriff seems quite fed up with him given his "oh god please go to school" comment so he's probably been around the house a lot, probably doing research on various topics but he's been behaving himself since stiles says his dad has nothing on him.

he is also the one to remind scott that derek's been busy with looking for erica and boyd when scott wants to go talk to him about the tattoo saying "don't you think derek has his hands full?"

since when is stiles on the defend derek committee? let alone leading it?

when scott and stiles are on the phone together after the bird attack and derek's taking isaac to the hale house scott tells stiles to meet them at derek's house.

stiles expresses both surprise and confusion at this probably in my estimation because stiles knows about and has been to the loft while scott has no idea the loft exists yet.

scott even asks derek after he hangs up with stiles if derek still lives there and derek says no that the county took the house.

and of course there's the new familiarity between stiles and derek during the whole scene when derek blow torches scott's tattoo.

the infamous forever long tracking stare.

they're also casually loitering together waiting for scott to come to. love that for them.

but the most damning thing is how little stiles says when scott finds out about the alpha pack. stiles doesn't complain about derek not telling them because stiles already knew.

derek never says it. he only mentions peter and isaac but he keeps throwing looks in stiles's direction who is folding his arms and fidgeting.

there's a little moment where scott asks "how do you deal with an alpha pack?" and derek responds with "with all the help i can get."

it immediately cuts to stiles and scott raises his eyebrows with realization. he looks at stiles and stiles does a small little guilty head nod but they're interrupted by isaac before he can say anything.

this whole moment is basically derek omitting stiles's involvement but scott figures it out from context clues, derek's terrible poker face and inability to not look at stiles.

he figures out that stiles was not only helping look for boyd and erica but also knew about the alpha pack and that he kept it from him.

those trust issues already be percolating. scott didn't tell stiles about the gerard argent plan. stiles didn't tell scott about helping derek over the summer.

#my blog #teen wolf #thoughts on teen wolf #sterek #otp: you need me to survive

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mydaddywiki · 7 months

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Greg Canfield

Physique: Husky Build Height: 5'7"

John Gregory Canfield (born July 12, 1960) is an American politician from the state of Alabama. He currently serves as the Secretary of Commerce for the State of Alabama. Prior to joining Commerce, Canfield served in the Alabama House of Representatives as chairman of the Commerce & Small Business Committee.

Handsome, husky, thick hairy forearms, big hands, chubby fingers, wears tasseled loafers and has probably the best looking ass in politics. THE BEST. Seriously, almost all the pics I have of him here, you can see it at any angle.

The Birmingham, AL native is married with two children. Personally I think he is fantastically cute and if he wants to experience man on man sex, I am more than willing to help make that dream a reality for him. Charity is in my nature.

#Greg Canfield #mydaddywiki politicians

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blackopals-world · 8 months

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Hiiii I was just curious about Disciplinary Committee Yuu Nothing specific Anything your brain juices think up

Hmm, the ancient one.

This Yuu first appeared about a year ago on this blog taking the crown as the first A(Yuu). Their place was quickly taken by Chef!Yuu who gained more popularity through their series.

Disciplinary Committee!Yuu had an entire AU of their own all the while with a small collection of OCs.

Here are a few notes.

Is officially a second year housewarden of Ramshackle. The AU takes place one year after the year of Overblots.

Everyone calls them Officer put their title as warden is Chief.

Manifested magic due to trauma and exposure. Creates magic draining chains to physically contain. Has a magic tool that uses this spell to create an anti-magic field. (Makes Riddle look lax in comparison)

Ironically Ramshackle students specialize in magic beast-taming and have many beasts that roam the area. Most of these beasts are very dangerous and only get more so with training.

Yuu's beast is Grim who is the house mascot.

Yuu his constantly busy and overworked because of how much fighting and chaos takes place.

Is charged with writing the school handbook which contains the rules the Officers enforce religiously.

Yuu hates excessive use of magic even at a magic school. Believes that magic is a tool meant to serve the needs of other not just yourself. Limiting it decreases the chance of blotting.

Naturally the dorm is a refuge for those who seek strength independent of their magic. (Oh hey Rollo)

There is a quite hours ban on magic.

The irony of their dorm being associated with discipline is that Yuu encourages betrayal. At least of your commanding officers. You need to watch your back because the best officers are always vigilant of challengers.

It's like a pack of wolves in a way (not really. It's closer to Meerkats or lemurs) one sits at the top and the others either fight their way to the top or gets on the leader's good side.

But enough about the dorm.

Yuu claimed Sebek as theirs. Thems the rules. He was picked up by the neck.

Maybe it was the devotion he had or maybe it was the lack of discipline. Either way this man had no rizz.

Yuu keeps him on a very short leash either way.

Yuu had to add a rule to hand book that states that if Idia gets kidnapped don't complain just save him. They have to remind the officers of this rule.

If you have a question while the Chief is busy they will just point to the wall where the rules are written.

Yuu will literally walk you like a dog. Hands rated E for everyone.

If they had a dorm uniform card it would be of them locking you in a cell.

Leona gets locked away the most because (acab) and for truancy.

This Yuu is morally grey at best.

#disciplinary committee!yuu #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #sebek zigvolt #sebek x reader #sebek zigvolt x reader #leona kingscholar #idia shroud #riddle rosehearts

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killxz · 4 months

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Lost and Found Pt.2

Pairing: Young Justice!Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

a/n: reader's hero name is 'Nemesis' btw. i just needed a name for reader but i don't want it to be like 'y/n' or 'reader' as i want it to be as immersive as possible also, sorry for like disappearing like that, i'm in japan :D !!! you didn't see me accidentally post this btw.

"You're going where?"

"A covert mission," You lied smoothly, strapping your leg holsters to your thighs.

"Okay, what is it about?" Dick asked, crossing his arms.

"Nothing, really. It's just some unfinished business," You shrugged.

"Okay, then," Dick sighs. "Just be safe and come back as soon as you're done, alright?" You gave him a playful salute. "Yes sir," With a wave, you left M'gann and Conner's shared house through the Zeta tube.

Recognised. Nemesis, B-02.

The Zeta tube brought you to a junkyard in Chicago, where the Zeta tube was inconspicuously hidden in a shed. You pushed open the crumbling door. There was a huge, empty, open space in front of you, surrounded by cars. As you walked closer to the empty space, a green light scanned your body.

Authorised, Nemesis.

A small jet materialised out of nowhere. "Holy shit." You breathed, eyes wide, marvelling at the sight of the red and black jet. You had reached out to Roy, or Arsenal, and he had graciously offered his jet for you to borrow to fly to Infinity Island. The ramp of the jet opened as you walked towards it. Stepping into the jet, you let out a low whistle at the sight of the interior. It had been a while since you had been in such advanced technology. The last time was probably during your covert ops with the Team, a time that now felt like a distant memory.

The jet was sleek, compact, and equipped with all the necessary gadgets and technology you'd need for a covert mission. As you settled into the pilot's seat, the jet's systems came to life, humming with energy. It was evident that Roy had kept the jet in excellent condition.

With practiced ease, you initiated the launch sequence. The jet ascended gracefully, leaving the junkyard behind as you soared into the sky. The familiar feeling of being in control of advanced machinery, the wind rushing past you, and the sense of purpose brought a rush of adrenaline.

You had always been good at keeping secrets, and this mission was no different. It was something deeply personal, a matter that you couldn't share with anyone on the Team, not even Dick. The nature of your 'visit' was confidential, and you intended to keep it that way. You set the plane in autopilot and sagged in the chair, your mind whirling. You still couldn't wrap your head around the fact that Jason is alive. You were devasted when Jason died, and all of a sudden, he's alive?

You were still absorbed in your thoughts when the dashboard beeped, signaling that you are rapidly approaching Infinity Island. You got up and stretched, making your way to the back of the jet to collect your bag with items you brought for Jason. You say back down at the console and slowly lowered the ship onto a empty plot of land. Trees bent slightly from the wind coming from the jet as you landed. The ramp descended and you cautiously stepped down, head peeking out from the corners. You slung the bag over your shoulder as you descended from the ramp, the ramp closing on it'sown and the plane cloaking itself again.

The only warning was crunching of grass before the whistle of an arrow sliced through the air. You ducked, spinning around to face the direction of the attack. "Show yourself!" You demanded, taking a defensive stance. The trees and bushes rustled as 5 assassins emerged from the shadows. "Holy shit," You stumbled back, not expecting that many to show.

"Stand down, stand down," and idle voice emerged. Ra's Al Ghul's presence sent a chill down your spine. "I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee," you remarked, eyeing the assassins cautiously.

Ra's Al Ghul inclined his head slightly. "You tread on sacred ground, Nemesis. I suppose you're here for you're lover?"

Heat crept up your neck. "Lover?! He's not-he's not my lover!" You stammered. Ra's raised an unamused eyebrow. "F-fine!" You relented. "Maybe we used to be lovers! Why-why does that matter?!"

"Oh it doesn't," Ra's waved a hand. "I just wanted you to admit it."

You growl. "You-"

"Now, now, there's no need for that," Ra's said placidly. "You're here to see him, yes? I'll allow it, since he's been asking about you too."

Your eyebrows raise. "He asks about me?" Ra's said nothing and turned his back on you, motioning for you to follow him. With a roll of your eyes, you adjusted the strap of the bag onto your shoulder and trudged after him. Ra's led you through the lush, secretive landscape of Infinity Island. The tension lingered as the assassins maintained a watchful distance. You couldn't shake off the unnerving feeling that every step carried weight in this mysterious encounter.

Finally, you arrived at a concealed entrance. Ra's gestured for you to proceed. As the entrance opened, the dimly lit interior revealed an intricate cavern. The air was thick with an enigmatic energy, and your footsteps echoed as you ventured deeper.

After a few twist and turns, Ra's brought you to a room. He gestured to an adjoining door. You pushed it open and the sight in front of you shocked you.

Jason was on the ground playing with a little toddler.

Ra's must have been able to see the shocked look on your face as he explained. "That is my my grandson, Damian Wayne."

Your eyes widened. Wayne?

"He fucked Talia?!" You screeched, before slapping your hand over your mouth. Jason and the toddler, Damian, turned to look at you.

Jason's eyes, hardened by the scars of a tumultuous past, softened at the sight of you. "Youre..you're back." Damian made curious noises at you. You nodded. "Yes...I am."

Wordlessly, Jason stood up, leaving Damian tottering after him as he approached you. Jason whispered your name, a mix of surprise and something you couldn't quite decipher in his gaze as he pulled you in for a tight hug. Your hands creeped up the back of his ninja uniform and gripped tight, pulling him towards you tighter.

Damian, who was, admittedly, cute, grabbed your leg, clinging to it like a koala. You froze, pulling away from Jason and looking at him for help. Jason bent down to gently pry Damian off you and passed him to Ra's when he offered.

After both Damian and Ra's was gone, you unhooked the bag from your shoulder and passed it to him. "I brought these for you," you admitted, a hint vulnerability creeping into your voice. "It's nothing much, just some of your old favourite books and snacks."

As Jason sifted through the contents, his expressions shifted from curiosity to nostalgia. Moments passed in silence before he spoke, "Thanks." The single word held a depth that transcended the present circumstances.

The atmosphere grew heavier as unspoken sentiments lingered. Jason's eyes met yours, and a shared understanding passed between you, bypassing the need for words. With unsure hands, you lifted them to the hem of Jason's mask and tugged the edges down, revealing his face. He wasn't wearing the eye mask this time, just the face masks at covers the bottom half of his face. Without another word spoken, Jason pulled you in for a kiss, his hands cupping the sides of your face, kissing you deeper.

Someone I terrupted you and Jason with a cough. Ra's, observing the reunion, broke the silence. "Your presence here brings both curiosity and concern, Nemesis. What is your true intent?"

A heavy sigh escaped you, Jason's arms still curled around your waist protectively. "I want to know how and why Jason's alive. I need answers, Ra's."

A cryptic smile played on Ra's lips. "All will be revealed in due time. For now, enjoy your reunion. The League has its own way of orchestrating fate."

With that, Ra's retreated, leaving you and Jason alone in the cavern's embrace. "Are all of them this vague?" You raised an eyebrow at Jason. Jason chuckles and nods. "Most of them are."

Your smile faltered as tears welled up in your eyes. "I'm...sorry, Jason. I'm sorry that you were alone all these years-I-I should tried harder to look for you-" Jason I terrupted you by pulling you in for a hug again. "Shhh," He soothed. "It's okay, it's okay. It's not your fault, okay? I would never blame you for something like that. I love you, and that isn't going to change, okay?"

You sobbed harder. "I-I love you too, Jason. So much," Jason gently wiped away your tears, his touch warm and reassuring. "I know," he whispered, his voice a mixture of gratitude and emotion. The weight of the years apart seemed to lift in that moment as you held each other, the cavern providing a cocoon of solace.

As you embraced, the shadows of the past faded away, replaced by the promise of a shared future. The complexities of Infinity Island and the League's mysteries lingered, but in that quiet space, there was a simple truth – you and Jason were together again.

With a tender smile, you pulled back slightly to meet Jason's gaze. "I missed you," you admitted, your voice filled with sincerity.

Jason's thumb brushed against your cheek, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions. "I missed you too," he replied, his voice carrying the weight of the years spent apart. "But we have now, and that's what matters."

The two of you stood there, immersed in the quiet understanding that words could not fully capture. The journey to this point had been shrouded in secrecy and unexpected twists, but in the heart of Infinity Island, you found a sanctuary in each other.

"After all, I was lost, but you found me."

"I don't know what Ra's has in store or how all of this happened, but I'm here now, and I'm not letting you go," Jason admitted, determination in his eyes. You smiled through the remaining tears, feeling a profound sense of belonging.

"I'm not going anywhere. We'll face whatever comes together." Jason smiles softly.

a/n: AHHHH IM SO SORRY THIS WAS LIKE 5 MONTHS LATE it's just that I have MAJOR exams this year and they span from may to November!!! Sorry for my absence in advance!! I hope you enjoyed this! Don't worry, asks will be answered soon!

#killxz #jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #red hood x reader #batman #jason todd #jason todd angst #batboys #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #red hood #young justice #sorry

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somedaylazysomeday · 13 days

Text

Good Intentions Part Twenty-One

You finally have to make good on your promise to Silco.

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5,300

Warnings: Shifting morality, mentions of drugs, spit as lube, unprotected piv sex, double penetration (both kinds), anal fingering, creampie.

Previous | Next | Masterlist

---

The first meeting of the Undercity Innovation Committee took place a little later than expected.

The original meeting had been canceled, and the explanation Jazper had given you was that everyone wanted to wait until the other businesses were completed. The second meeting had been canceled as well. That time, it had been because the businesses that had opened were training their staff and focusing on the early days of their businesses.

You had started to suspect that the Committee was nothing more than a dream, a hypothetical idea that would be pushed further and further off until it eventually faded. It wasn’t ideal, but the Committee itself wasn’t what mattered. You were overjoyed to see commercial businesses and properties move into the Lanes, and you didn’t care whether you got to be a part of their growth beyond watching it happen.

The Undercity was changing; that much was undeniable. It had been well over a year since Silco had pulled Shimmer from the streets around the Haven, and there were noticeable changes. One of the biggest was the steady flow of recovered addicts flowing from the Haven to Stonesea and beyond. You rarely saw patients who relapsed - most of them seemed vehemently anti-Shimmer as soon as they were free of its grip.

It typically took around six weeks for people to fully recover from the effects of Shimmer and examine the forces that had driven them toward the drug in the first place. When caught early enough, the physical effects of a Shimmer addiction were minimal. The psychological effects lasted far longer - feelings of powerlessness and frustrations at the limitations of a human body were common. But with help from the therapists and psychiatrists you kept on retainer, you often saw the average stay end after two months.

The HexTech donations had been put to good use. You received a new check at the start of every month and you sent back summaries of the work you had done with the previous month’s money.

One of the larger changes was that you were able to find a surgeon for the Haven. They didn’t perform surgeries in-house or take funding from the Haven, but they consulted with patients whose Shimmer addictions had left unwanted physical scars. The reminder that their permanent marks could be removed helped your patients’ mental state tremendously.

Silco hadn’t mentioned joining the Undercity Innovation Committee since you had agreed to his terms. Your meetings with him had continued and neither of you brought up the HexTech donations. Silco hadn’t pushed any more donations on you, either.

The slow and steady pattern of improvement had been interrupted when you received a note from Jazper. The first official meeting of the Undercity Innovation Committee was to happen a week from that day, barring any outstanding events. To your surprise, the meeting was not canceled as the previous two had been, and you soon found yourself in a room with the other five members of the Committee.

Ronid was the one responsible for building a second apartment complex. They were building it from the ground up, drawing heavily from Jazper’s plans both for structure and intended operations. Ronid was the only member of the Committee whose business had yet to open, but they were eager to get started. They split their time between observing operations at Stonesea and training their own recently hired staff.

Micah and Nimi were the couple who owned the grocery store. Micah - a round-faced, perpetually smiling man - was an expert cook who delighted in trying new recipes with local ingredients. The grocery store had been a small vacant building before the couple had started the renovations. They had an apartment on the top floor while the second story was taken up by a commercial kitchen. Micah offered cooking lessons for anyone who bought an unfamiliar food item and wanted to learn how to prepare it. He was filled with stories of strange and adventurous foods he had tried, and children delighted in listening to him.

Nimi - a tall but muscular woman - was in charge of ordering new shipments of stock for the store. She had spent much of her early life working with different shipping companies, loading and delivering stock in Upper Piltover, and she had retained those connections. “A lot of them don’t recognize me anymore,” Nimi had explained with a laugh, “but they know I know where to get the best deals!”

Cipanni was the last of the new business owners. She was short and stocky, but her small hands were incredibly skilled with repairs. She owned and operated the newly opened mechanic’s shop. Though the store had been open a relatively short time, she had started hiring employees and training them before the renovations had even started. Her mechanics were hired throughout Upper Piltover and the Undercity, performing the repairs they could and reporting any challenges back to her. Cipanni could often diagnose the problem without seeing it in person, then give advice on how to make the necessary repairs.

They were a delightful group, and you were grateful to Jazper for letting you join the Committee, even though the Haven wasn’t a business. Other than the section about profit margins, you were able to follow along with or participate in the other parts of the meeting.

“Well, that’s everything on the agenda,” Jazper summarized, glancing down at the paper he had been making notes on. “We should have more to discuss when the Rise opens.”

“If the Rise opens,” Nimi muttered, tossing a teasing grin at Ronid.

Ronid gaped theatrically, clasping a hand to their chest. “Well if the electrician would work a little faster…”

Cipanni splayed her hands helplessly. “Hey, I convinced Crow to wire the building and take on a few apprentices. I’m not going to ask him to work faster as well.”

You beamed at that. Crow was a Piltover electrician, one whose work was highly in demand. Cipanni had convinced him to take on three of her shop’s employees who were interested in learning to do electrical work. Electricity was not Cipanni’s specialty, and she had insisted that they would be better off with Crow. For his part, Crow had been so impressed with the apprentices that he had agreed to two of their requests to come back to Upper Piltover to continue their apprenticeships.

The third apprentice hadn’t asked yet, but there were good odds she would. Crow had already told Cipanni that he would accept her as well.

“I’m surprised you’re not worried about anyone leaving your shop to start their own,” Micah said to Cipanni, breaking you out of your thoughts.

Cipanni shrugged. “I wrote a clause into their employment contracts. If they leave my shop, they can’t start another shop in direct competition within a five block radius.”

“I thought we agreed on no non-compete clauses?” Jazper asked with a frown.

“I know,” the mechanic admitted, rubbing guiltily at the space between her brows. “But, if it helps, I didn’t make one just to keep my business running. I did it because I want them to spread what they’ve learned, just not right next door. My hope is that they’ll start their own shops in other parts of the Undercity. Preferably with the same anti-Shimmer rules we all have in place.”

You watched Jazper closely. He had been on-edge lately - he was spending most of his time working on another apartment building in the Undercity. The construction site was near the Haven, but on the opposite side of the rest of the businesses. You loved the idea, and wanted to watch development spread, but it was clearly wearing on Jazper. He had his businesses in Upper Piltover along with Stonesea, and he was trying to help Rovid with the Rise whenever possible. He was spread thin, and it made him a little erratic.

“That makes sense,” you decided, cutting through the tension in the room. Cipanni’s shoulders relaxed. “After all, we’re all here because we want to see the Undercity continue to change for the better. We want those changes to happen in other places than just the Lanes.”

At last, Jazper nodded. “That brings me to our last topic of this meeting: we’ve had a request to join the Committee. It concerns all of us, so I want everyone to have a say. However, there is one person who gets to make the final decision.”

Everyone glanced around curiously, but your stomach sank. You already knew exactly who wanted to join the Committee and why it could be a problem.

“Silco has submitted an official request to join the Undercity Innovation Committee.” You had already known what was coming, but it still sent a pang through your chest. Jazper glanced at you before he continued. “He made the case that he runs a small business in the Undercity, contributes to the local economy, and employs two dozen people. He would be joining based on his ownership of The Last Drop, not because of any rumored ties to Shimmer.”

Loaded glances and murmured conversations filled the room, but Jazper’s gaze stayed firmly fixed on you. “If there are any objections, we will not allow him to join us.”

“If there isn’t any concrete evidence linking him to Shimmer production or distribution…” Micah mused, “it doesn’t seem like we have a choice.”

“It might legitimize us to have a business owner who’s actually from the Undercity,” Ronid interjected.

“And he’s a well-known name down here,” Cipanni agreed, folding her arms.

“I don’t love the things I’ve heard about his business practices,” Nimi said with a foreboding frown. “But maybe we could influence him to treat his employees better if we let him join the Committee. I vote we let him in.”

“And you?” Jazper asked softly. “We hear what we hear and know what we know, having worked in the Lanes as long as we have. And you’ve been here longer than me. What do you think about Silco’s request?”

You sighed, letting the sound dangle in the room for a moment. You had already made a deal with Silco about this very issue, but you longed to refuse, if for no other reason than that these people didn’t know what they were getting into with Silco. They all seemed like practical people - they might listen if you warned them about him.

But you didn’t.

“He has brought jobs to the Undercity. Many jobs,” you added in a sulky mutter. “He probably does have a right to a seat on the Committee.”

Jazper continued to watch you for a long moment. When you didn’t add anything else, he gave a decisive nod. “Then it’s decided: we will allow Silco to join us at next quarter’s meeting.”

It was strange, you reflected as you watched the room. The Undercity had a way of taking a toll on its residents, even when nothing had seemed to change. You and Jazper were the only ones who seemed to understand the momentousness of what had just happened - you held eye contact even as the other began to gather their belongings and leave Stonesea.

Eventually, Ronid caught his attention with something else and Jazper looked away. The spell had been broken, but the implications echoed through your mind. Did Jazper know about you and Silco? Did Silco have some kind of leverage over Jazper? There was no way to know for certain on either count, but you were filled with an inexplicable sense that something had been lost when you failed to argue Silco’s entry into the Committee.

But there was nothing for it.

You rose, leaving Jazper and Ronid to their private chat in the near-empty room. You could feel Jazper watching as you left, but there was nothing to say. Nothing to do. Certainly nothing that could be said or done with Ronid in the room.

The tangle of your thoughts kept you occupied on the short trip back to the Haven, but an odd tension reigned on the street in front of the building. That was enough to pull you back to yourself - the streets of the Lanes were never quiet. Children played and laughed, vendors hawked their wares, and there was usually at least one fight happening at any given time.

A single upward glance told you exactly what was going on: Silco was standing on the street in front of the Haven.

With his calf-length coat on and his hands clasped behind his back, Silco cut a lean and menacing figure. He looked mysterious and sharp, deadly as any blade. His Shimmer eye glowed in the gathering dusk, the orange pinpoint of its light visible from halfway down the block.

There was a swath cut through the crowd, a half-moon of space that was almost comically wide. At least, it would have been comical if you felt the least bit like laughing.

You walked up to the Haven’s doors, watching as Silco straightened at your approach. You didn’t have any way of knowing how he reacted when you moved past him without an acknowledgement.

He called your name, referring to you by your title and last name, as if you were strangers. You would have appreciated the attempt at distancing himself if he hadn’t come to your outreach at the busiest time of day in full view of the entirety of the Lanes.

“What do you need, Mr. Silco?” you responded, turning to face him at last.

Silco’s mouth was set in a displeased line. “I need to speak with you. Privately.”

“Now is not a good time.” You hauled the door open and tried to dart inside, but Silco’s arm barred the entrance at the last possible moment.

“You may find endless trips across the entirety of Zaun to be ceaselessly entertaining,” Silco said loftily, “but I do not. Now may not be particularly convenient for either of us, but we will meet regardless.”

He dropped his arm, you stepped inside, and he followed you in.

“What is all of this-?”

“Your office,” Silco interrupted. That seemed to be all of the explanation he was willing to offer, so you clenched your jaw and started for the privacy of your office.

You rounded on him as soon as you finished closing the door behind you both. There was an ugly admonishment bubbling on the very tip of your tongue, but it disappeared in a cloud of confusion as Silco seized you by the shoulders.

Instinctively, your muscles went taut as you braced for an attack of some kind. The proud smile on Silco’s lips was your first hint that things were not going quite as you had expected.

“You did it, my clever little darling,” Silco congratulated warmly. “I received word that I am to join the Undercity Innovation Committee, and no one is the wiser about any connection between the two of us. You could not have accomplished the task in a more effective manner.”

“How-?”

“And your manner outside of the Haven?” Silco continued, the lavish praise sounding simultaneously natural and utterly alien coming from him. “Perfection itself. The protesting philanthropist dreading a meeting from the chem baron she cannot stand, but agreeing anyway for sake of keeping the peace.”

“What are-?”

“I must confess that I am impressed,” Silco interrupted again. “And because of that, I have a special offer for you.”

You watched him sharply. Not just because of his newfound generosity, but to see if he was going to interrupt you a third time. He seemed to be waiting impatiently for your response, but you decided to keep things short just in case he was determined to drive you up the wall. “An offer.”

“Yes, pet,” he confirmed. “We can have our meeting today. I know you enjoy being together in your office when possible, and I enjoy the confidence it gives you.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Your offer is to let me have sex with you now that you’ve pushed your way into my office?”

“Precisely.”

The scoff you gave held more laughter than you wanted it to, but it was only because of his daring. “And if I decide to pass?”

Silco shrugged. “Then we will postpone our meeting until the original date. And, of course, you will have to come to the Last Drop and risk being seen.”

You fought back a snarl. The Committee meeting had been a wonderful breath of fresh air until the reminder that you were connected with Silco. And now he was here, pushing for you to fulfill your payment early. Perhaps worst of all, his arguments made sense.

“What do you get out of this?” you demanded. “Why move up the date?”

Silco watched you steadily. “I believe in rewarding good behavior as soon as it happens. And your increased comfort here was a factor I considered.”

Before you could answer, his brows furrowed and he took a slow step toward you. “If I didn't know better, pet, I would believe you don’t want to see me.”

Was there actual hurt in his eyes? Surely not… You shook your head slowly, letting yourself look somewhere other than Silco. “It’s been a long day. It’s not that I don’t want to see you. It’s just… a surprise.”

“I understand that much,” Silco told you. “But I would think moving up our meeting could provide an excellent distraction.”

“Sometimes, sex can’t distract you,” you countered with a shrug.

Instantly, you knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Silco’s face took on a relishing sort of expression, like you had offered him an irresistible dare. And you may as well have. You were fully expecting the motion when he moved closer, especially since it left your bodies brushing each other’s.

“Is that so, pet?” he murmured, close enough that you could feel the slight rumble of his velvety voice.

“Silco,” you warned. At least, you had meant it to be a warning. It came out breathy, more an anticipatory exhalation than a stern reminder that he needed to behave.

He leaned closer, delight filling his expression. “My original aim was to reward you, but perhaps you would be best rewarded by urging your thoughts away from your difficult day. Does that sound like a fair reward?”

You nodded, mouth dry. Yes, you were still discomfited by the way Silco had managed to worm his way onto the Undercity Innovation Committee - not to mention the role you had played in his place on the Committee - but your body was crying out for a distraction. In your own defense, you rarely had him so close to you unless you were making a payment. It made sense that you had conditioned your libido to be ready for him.

“Apologies, darling,” Silco said, sounding utterly unapologetic. “I couldn’t hear you.”

When you tried to speak, a rasping croak was the only thing you could force out.

Silco managed to force his expression into one of regretful confusion, but you could see the amusement glittering in his mismatched eyes. “I don’t understand.”

You scowled, but Silco ducked and pressed his mouth to yours in a deep, searing kiss. When he pulled back, he was smirking openly. “I believe I now understand your opinion on my proposal. If you-”

You interrupted him, grabbing fistfuls of his elegant jacket and towing him back down until you could kiss him again. Silco’s noise of surprise was muffled against your lips, but he responded eagerly.

As desperate as your kiss got, Silco never walked you anywhere specific. You were just standing in the middle of your office, lost in each other’s kiss. It was an enjoyable way to pass the time, but you were confused when you finally pulled away and found him watching you expectantly.

“Do you want to move this somewhere more… horizontal?” you asked.

“Wherever you want, pet,” Silco agreed, eyes darkening. “So long as I get to decide what we do when we get there.”

The prospect - along with the lethal promise in his voice - made you shiver and you led the way to the chaise lounge you kept in one corner.

You would die rather than admit it to him, but you had been influenced by Silco’s couch when you had chosen the chair. Not necessarily because you expected to spend time with him on it, but because it was convenient to have a comfortable place to sit or catch a quick nap if you were working long hours.

And you especially wouldn’t tell Silco how the sturdiness of the chair’s frame had played a large part in your decision to purchase it.

There was no point in subtlety, not when you had been ready for him for so long. You undressed quickly, spreading a dark throw blanket over the material. It was soft and plush, and you only hoped it would protect the lounge as well it kept you warm during your occasional office naps. In any case, a blanket was infinitely more washable than a chaise lounge, so you were willing to take the risk.

By the time you tucked the ends of the blanket around the cushion of the lounge, Silco had undressed as well. He was fully bare, something that had been happening more and more often as your deal stretched on. The sight of his lean body was still enough to take your breath away, and you bit your lip to keep from making an embarrassing noise.

“Lovely blanket,” Silco complimented. “Perhaps you should take a seat on it.”

You did as he suggested, lowering yourself down until your hips and ass were cradled against the softness of the blanket. From that newly intensified angle, Silco looked even more imposing… all of him did.

When you managed to pry your eyes from his hardening cock, Silco was smirking openly. You made a face at him, but you couldn’t be too irritated. He was just as stunned by your body and you knew how great that admiration was for your ego. How could you fault him for feeling the same way about your reaction?

Silco joined you on the lounge, crawling onto the seat with a dangerous grace that made your body tighten. Your reaction didn’t have a chance to ebb before he leaned up to capture your lips again.

At the same time, he let his lower body drape across yours. Silco’s slender form was still heavy, certainly heavy enough to push your knees apart. In an instant, the hard length of him was pressed between your legs and you were lifting your hips to grind up against that pressure.

“Distracted enough already?” Silco asked, releasing your lips with a savoring lick across the full curve of your bottom lip.

You pretended to think about that. “Not yet. Maybe with a little more…”

“Your wish is my command,” Silco assured you. When he leaned down again, he ducked toward your neck, fastening his lips against a particularly tender place. His hand crept between your hips, fingers finding their way unerringly toward your clit.

In only a moment of that combination, your hips had jumped toward Silco so violently that he had to use his free hand to hold you against the chaise lounge. He stroked everything not currently pressed against his cock, and you were writhing as much as you could manage while being pinned down in so many places.

“Silco,” you gasped at last, hands locking around his wrists.

“Close, darling?” he asked, fingers slowing minutely.

“Need you,” you panted, trying not to let out a desperate sob. “Inside.”

Silco’s expression softened for a moment before he gave a determined nod. “Very well.”

You weren’t entirely sure of the mechanics of what happened next. One moment, you were on your back with Silco on top of you. The next, he had wrapped both hands around your thighs, holding you against him. A moment later, you were on top of him, staring down with wild eyes as he held you poised on your knees. The very tip of him was pressed against your entrance, but he wasn’t letting you sink down yet.

The whine that was ripped out of you didn’t hold a single word, but your point came across clearly enough.

Silco’s hands loosened, releasing you instead of forcing you down onto him, but you seized the opportunity. The moment you could move, you sank onto his length, letting him fill you almost to the root in one decisive stroke.

He arched beneath you, shoulders lifting from the surface of the bed in a combination of shock and pleasure. Your head fell back, leaving you staring at the ceiling of your office with a sense of overwhelming fullness wreaking havoc on your muscle control. It was only by happy accident that the twitching of your leg muscles left you sinking down more firmly onto Silco.

When you managed to look down at him, Silco’s lips were parted, revealing flashes of chipped teeth behind them. His natural eye was heavy-lidded and his chest rose and fell quickly with the speed of his breathing. The expression on his face held too much to be easily deciphered, especially when you were distracted by other things, but it seemed to be made of mingled pride, possession, and adoration.

If you had been thinking more clearly, that combination would have worried you. But with your focus on how good he felt inside of you, all you could think about was how good that expression looked on him. Instead of concern, you felt only need.

It was enough to spur you onto your trembling muscles. You planted your knees more firmly to either side of Silco’s hips and lifted yourself slowly up from your seat. Your hands were splayed on his chest, helping you balance your weight as you experimented with finding the right angle.

Silco shuddered with the feeling of his body leaving yours. You could relate, but your focus was firmly set on controlling your movements.

You surged up and forward, lifting yourself almost free of him before slamming your hips back down. The drive of him up into you was breathtaking, and the impact left your fingers trembling against Silco’s chest.

He clutched at your hips, a garbled word bursting from his parted lips, but the motion was its own reward. You started a steady, driving rhythm, thrusting Silco’s length into and out of you as quickly as you could manage without losing your balance.

Silco’s hands were steadying your hips, but you noticed that one was creeping steadily around the back of you. The stroke against the top of one buttock could be normal, but when he started to work his way toward your rear entrance, you gave him a look.

“If you’re going to do anything ass-related, you’ll have to figure out lubrication yourself,” you warned him. If you weren’t so distracted, you would have been embarrassed by your matter-of-fact tone when discussing such delicate matters. “I don’t keep lube in my office.”

“You have quite a store nearby,” Silco wheedled, thrusting his hips upward slightly so you would be sure to know what he meant. “I only need you to pause for a moment.”

You slammed yourself down, gasping even as you watched the way Silco’s lashes fluttered. “Do you really want me to stop? Because I don’t want to. Figure it out.”

Silco’s natural eye narrowed. As you kept moving on top of him, he brought his hand to his mouth, sucking one finger between his lips. You watched his jaw muscles work, and the sight made your own mouth go dry.

When his hand disappeared around your body once more, you tensed with the expectation of being pierced with a finger that was only slick with spit, but Silco’s finger didn’t press against your rear. Instead, he waited until you were at the top of your stroke, then placed it alongside his own shaft.

You didn’t realize what was happening until you had sank halfway down his length. The extra stretch provided by his finger made you cry out as the muscles in your body frantically worked to figure out whether the intrusion was a punishment or a reward.

Pulling up and off of him was a longer process than usual. The way your core muscles were squeezing around him, you were almost shocked that you had managed to lift off of Silco at all.

The man himself was smirking at you, clearly proud of himself. “Thank you, pet.”

Then with a slight sense of pressure and a twist, his finger speared into you just as you lowered back down onto him.

The stretch of being impaled in two places at once was intense. When you were finally fully settled on Silco’s lap, you squirmed as you tried to get used to the feeling.

Silco gave a half-muffled groan. “The way you feel around me, darling… I could live here forever.”

You couldn’t think clearly enough to do anything as ambitious as speak, but you were surprised at just how strongly you agreed with that. Whether you were determined to show him what you were feeling through ways other than speech or because your body demanded not to balance on that precipice any longer, you started to move.

You worked up and down on Silco’s length, your inner muscles working over him as you went. Silco’s hand - minus a single finger - gripped your ass as you rose and fell, feeling the muscle bunch and release with your movements. His finger stayed buried inside of you as you went, an ever-present reminder that you had been fully claimed by him.

With everything going on, you couldn’t be surprised when you felt your orgasm approaching quickly. Your hands clenched against Silco’s chest and your rhythm started to falter. In only moments, you had slowed to the point that you were hardly moving.

“Up, pet,” Silco ordered, hissing the command through bared teeth.

You stared blearily down at him and his free hand anchored on your hip, pushing you up to full extension on your knees. The tip of him was barely inside of you, but your orgasm was so close that it was nearly inevitable.

Silco started thrusting up from under you. His cock drove in and out of you, your breath stuttering with every harsh punctuation of his hips. Your head tipped back again, but your view of the ceiling was interrupted when Silco grabbed your chin, pulling your gaze down to meet his.

With your eyes locked, you both came.

Simultaneous orgasms were rare, so much so that you had largely considered them to be a myth, or used to show the perfection of a couple in a romance novel. But this one felt almost like a death knell. Coming at the same time with your eyes staring into each other’s soul? It felt like you were binding yourself to Silco, in a way somehow more permanent than your deal or your slow softening toward him had done.

The pulsing of him matched the throbbing of you… or perhaps vice versa. By the time your orgasm drew to a close, you weren’t entirely sure where you ended and he began. Your elbows trembled and Silco welcomed your gentle collapse onto his chest with a pleased hum.

The slide of his finger from your ass made you squirm, as did the pull of his cock from the depths of your core. His cum followed in a thick rush, but neither of you moved.

There would be time enough to face reality later. Just then, you wanted to live in that moment a little longer.

---

Author's Note - I'm so excited! I'm working a few chapters ahead and things are really starting to wrap up. I think this story will end up around 30 chapters long and I love how things are turning out. I hope you'll feel the same way.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next month!

#good intentions #good intentions fic #arcane netflix #arcane silco #silco #reader insert #reader insert fanfiction #reader insert fic #silco x reader #silco x fem!reader #silco x you #spicy #lemon #not suitable for minors #minors dni

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pinkestlittlebutterfly · 4 months

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Servamp hospital AU with no plot only vibes but I do the rest of the cast too so everyone can suffer:

Iduna – Clinical engineer. Though her responsibilities are mostly limited to testing, maintaining and occasionally doing small repairs on the medical equipment, she always looks at the machines in her care like she’s itching to do more. She’s vastly overqualified for her position, but left what would be any other engineer’s dream job at a well-known medical manufacturer to take it, for unknown reasons.

Freya – The resident pharmacist. She wouldn’t usually have much contact with patients, but sometimes exasperated nurses will ask her to explain how some patient’s medication works to them, counting on her fierce glare to hammer the message home. She’s precise in her work but not opposed to chaos, as evident by how much time she spends watching Iduna come up with creative ways to test the surgery robots.

Licht – Paramedic, stoic in even the most stressful situations. Though one wouldn’t think of him as good with people, the confidence he has in everything he does is a pillar of comfort to those he treats as well as his team. Some people think he developed a bit of a complex, saving people’s lives on a daily basis, but Hyde assures them he’s always been like that. He rarely starts fights (with those who aren't Hyde) but will end them.

Hyde – Paramedic. Whether he’s well-suited for his profession is up for debate, as stress makes him act out easily when in the wrong mood. He put himself on a team with Licht, and for a long time any emergency doctor made to work with them would groan at the thought of their squabbling. Recently they have gotten along better, and Hyde’s stress tolerance seems to have improved.

Niccolo – Emergency doctor, originally an internist. Though he spends most of his time looking like he’ll fall apart at even the suggestion of stress, he changes completely once in an actual life-or-death situation and will easily take charge of his team. He’s happy in his job, and it’s a step up from working in the hospital itself, which was the actual cause of his stress.

Ildio – ER nurse. Though he seems to be a perfect fit for his job – fiercely caring but looking rough enough to nip any problematic behaviour in the bud – it’s actually just what he first fell into when completing his training. Recently the emergency doctor he spends his breaks with has encouraged him to find something he actually enjoys doing, and he has been looking to become a NICU nurse.

Krantz – Professional translator, working wherever a bridge between the staff and one of their patients needs to be built, and is thus always busy. No one knows how many languages he actually speaks. His most impressive achievement in bridge-building is getting paramedics Licht and Hyde to form a somewhat cohesive unit, to a point where their long-suffering ambulance driver has him on speed dial.

Johannes – Haematologist. He is obsessed with his work and spends a decidedly unhealthy amount of hours in the lab, living off strange concoctions presumably containing lots of caffeine and lots of sugar. Though he's not supposed to collect his samples himself, he does so with great joy. Few of the studies he proposes make it past the ethics committee.

Gear – Lab tech. The quiet world of the lab suits him, and he’s well adapted to the traditions and mindsets of those who live within it, though they tend to come off as bizarre to others. He spends his downtime scouring catalogues for the latest lab equipment, and sometimes brings some of it home to decorate the house with. His husband Youtarou seems strangely okay with this.

Youtarou – Social media manager. Most people think of his job as useless, but he thinks it's important for patients and even more so potential recruits to have a friendly face to associate the hospital with. His favourite part of the job is working with Iduna, who in turn loves the opportunity to make the surgery robots do something funny for a cute video.

#servamp #so many characters again #originally johannes was supposed to be a pharmacist #but tumblr user fraiifraii reminded me phlebotomists exist #and i thus wanted someone to work with blood because it’s fun #but i also don't think anyone would hire johannes to do the blood taking #he's not qualified for that #maybe i'll change youtarou to some kind of doctor or social worker #but i loved the thought of him and iduna getting up to silly things #like peeling a blueberry with the surgery robot #112 servamp

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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The first item listed on this week’s House legislative schedule following the historically chaotic selection of a House Speaker and seating of members—including the scandal-plagued and apparently unpopular freshman George Santos (R-N.Y.)—is consideration of the ill-named Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act.

This Republican bill is ill-named because what it actually does is protect tax cheaters by repealing most of the new IRS funding set forth in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act.

If any of you political junkies feel a touch of déjà vu, that’s understandable. Neutering the IRS was also a top priority for Republicans the last time they took over the House from the Democrats, in January 2011. And neuter the taxman they did. As I wrote previously:

“From 2010 to 2018, even as the IRS received 9% more tax returns, its annual budget was slashed by $2.9 billion—a 20% reduction that cost the agency more than one-fifth of its workforce. Investigations of non-filers plummeted and the amount of outstanding tax debt the IRS formally wrote off (based on the 10-year statute of limitations for collections) more than doubled—from less than $15 billion in 2010 to more than $34 billion in 2019.

Virtually no partnerships were audited in 2018. By then, with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, the kneecapped IRS was scrutinizing the individual returns of just 0.03% of those $10 million–plus taxpayers, down from a peak of 23 percent in 2010. Audits of the $5 million–to–$10 million filers fell from just under 15% to a scant 0.04%.

A fair subset of superwealthy Americans doesn’t even bother filing. The Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration reported in 2020 that nearly 880,000 ‘high income’ non-filers from 2014 through 2016 still owed $46 billion, and the IRS was in no condition, resource-wise, to collect. The 300 biggest delinquents owed about $33 million per head, on average. 15% of their cases had been closed without examination by IRS staffers, and another one-third weren’t even in line to be ‘worked.’”

The recently enacted IRS funding—$80 billion over 10 years—was meant to remedy this shameful state of affairs. The Congressional Research Service said the money would be used to modernize the tax agency’s decrepit systems, provide operations support, improve taxpayer services, and “monitor and enforce taxes on digital assets such as cryptocurrency.” Perhaps most importantly, it would bolster the agency’s ability to hire specialized enforcement agents—tax professionals with the expertise needed to decode the opaque and voluminous returns of sophisticated tax-avoiders like the Trumps, who have armies of tax lawyers and accountants on the payroll.

The projected return on investment, just from collecting taxes owed, is substantial. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that new enforcement measures alone would reap $204 billion over 10 years—about $4.50 per dollar spent on that aspect.

No matter. As the Inflation Reduction Act moved toward passage last August, Republican officials and Trump minions unleashed a barrage of lies on social media, falsely claiming the IRS would use the money to hire 87,000 new agents who would then come after ordinary taxpayers—people like you!

The House GOP seems inclined to double down on that fear-mongering. The nonprofit group Americans for Tax Fairness points out in a press release that the repeal legislation would rescind nearly $72 billion of the promised funding—90% of the total—including:

• $45.6 billion for tax enforcement activities to catch wealthy and corporate tax cheats

• $25.3 billion in operations support for tax enforcement programs and taxpayer services [including customer helplines and correspondence] critical for ensuring taxpayers get refunds on time and phone calls answered

• $403 million for the Inspector General for Tax Administration, which promotes the integrity, economy, and efficiency of the federal tax system

• $153 million to beef up the US Tax Court to resolve taxpayer and IRS disputes

• $15 million for the IRS to prepare a report on what it would take to create a free, government-run tax e-filing system that would make it much easier for taxpayers to file their tax returns without paying a private service to help them

“The richest 1% avoid paying $160 billion a year that they owe in taxes due to inadequate tax enforcement. Republicans are voting to let them keep on cheating the rest of us,” Frank Clemente, ATF’s founder, lamented in the release.

With the Democrats in control of the Senate, this particular vote may be largely performative. But Steve Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center and former staff lawyer for Congress’ nonpartisan Joint Taxation Committee, told me he suspects that IRS funding will be an ongoing issue in Senate battles and future congressional budget debates—including the upcoming debt ceiling fight.

Republican lawmakers, in any case, seem to have a fetish for performative votes on anti-tax bills written to benefit America’s wealthiest. As I pointed out in my book last year, after a Who’s Who of dynastic families spent millions lobbying for the repeal of inheritance taxes, congressional Republicans introduced no fewer than 44 bills in a decade aiming to do precisely that.

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mariacallous · 2 months

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Congress may be closer than ever to passing a comprehensive data privacy framework after key House and Senate committee leaders released a new proposal on Sunday.

The bipartisan proposal, titled the American Privacy Rights Act, or APRA, would limit the types of consumer data that companies can collect, retain, and use, allowing solely what they’d need to operate their services. Users would also be allowed to opt out of targeted advertising, and have the ability to view, correct, delete, and download their data from online services. The proposal would also create a national registry of data brokers, and force those companies to allow users to opt out of having their data sold.

“This landmark legislation gives Americans the right to control where their information goes and who can sell it,” Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Energy and Commerce Committee chair, said in a statement on Sunday. “It reins in Big Tech by prohibiting them from tracking, predicting, and manipulating people’s behaviors for profit without their knowledge and consent. Americans overwhelmingly want these rights, and they are looking to us, their elected representatives, to act.”

Congress has tried to put together a comprehensive federal law protecting user data for decades. Lawmakers have remained divided, though, on whether that legislation should prevent states from issuing tougher rules, and whether to allow a “private right of action” that would enable people to sue companies in response to privacy violations.

In an interview with The Spokesman Review on Sunday, McMorris Rodgers claimed that the draft’s language is stronger than any active laws, seemingly as an attempt to assuage the concerns of Democrats who have long fought attempts to preempt preexisting state-level protections. APRA does allow states to pass their own privacy laws related to civil rights and consumer protections, among other exceptions.

In the previous session of Congress, the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committees brokered a deal with Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, on a bill that would preempt state laws with the exception of the California Consumer Privacy Act and the Biometric Information Privacy Act of Illinois. That measure, titled the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, also created a weaker private right of action than most Democrats were willing to support. Maria Cantwell, Senate Commerce Committee chair, refused to support the measure, instead circulating her own draft legislation. The ADPPA hasn’t been reintroduced, but APRA was designed as a compromise.

“I think we have threaded a very important needle here,” Cantwell told The Spokesman Review. “We are preserving those standards that California and Illinois and Washington have.”

APRA includes language from California’s landmark privacy law allowing people to sue companies when they are harmed by a data breach. It also provides the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and private citizens the authority to sue companies when they violate the law.

The categories of data that would be impacted by APRA include certain categories of “information that identifies or is linked or reasonably linkable to an individual or device,” according to a Senate Commerce Committee summary of the legislation. Small businesses—those with $40 million or less in annual revenue and limited data collection—would be exempt under APRA, with enforcement focused on businesses with $250 million or more in yearly revenue. Governments and “entities working on behalf of governments” are excluded under the bill, as are the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and, apart from certain cybersecurity provisions, “fraud-fighting” nonprofits.

Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the draft “very strong” in a Sunday statement, but said he wanted to “strengthen” it with tighter child safety provisions.

Still, it remains unclear whether APRA will receive the necessary support for approval. On Sunday, committee aids said that conversations on other lawmakers signing onto the legislation are ongoing. The current proposal is a “discussion draft”; while there’s no official date for introducing a bill, Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers will likely shop around the text to colleagues for feedback over the coming weeks, and plan to send it to committees this month.

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malthemagnifisent · 5 months

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Pairing: Aerin x Male!elf Mc (Cyrus)

Summary: The Elves of Undermount and King Arlan of White Tower form an agreement, to be sealed by the marriage of the King’s youngest son and Cyrus of House Nightbloom. A political alliance between the two was long in the making and important to uphold, so despite the heavy burden, Cyrus knew he could not shirk his duty and could only hope that his husband would be good to him.

Notes: There will be another part to this story soon enough, I wanted to make it multiple chapters cause why not? I think there’s a lot of material to work with

Tags: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd @baldwinboy5ive @lilyoffandoms @guinevre @vicissavior @lancelotsimp

“Why me?” Cyrus demanded, suddenly and loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing in their ears as they flew toward the palace of the white tower.

“Because you’re unimportant to Undermount,” Tyril said back, which Cyrus had known was the answer, but he still wanted to hear it out loud.

The tensions between Undermount and White Tower had been rising, and in an attempt to smooth over that tension, a simple deal had been made. A marriage was an easy alliance that was not so easily broken, and Cyrus had been chosen as the most obvious choice to be given away.

Because, like Tyril said, he was not important. Sure, he had mobility, but his family was dead, his contributions to elven woxiety would not be a great loss, and marrying some human prince would be a better use of his time.

Or so everyone thought.

So he’d been packed up, given a Drake, and Tyril Starfury as an escort before taking off to White Tower to meet his new fiancé, a man named Aerin.

They’d never interacted before as Cyrus had never gotten to stray far from Undermount, and he wasn’t the most pleased with the arrangement, but it was considered his duty, and shirking his duty would get him nowhere.

Besides, there was a small part of him that was interested in seeing the world. He’d never been given duties that brought him far, but he had a curious mind and was hoping to see the best in the situation. The best part was that he would get to see something new.

The peaks of the white tower came into view, shimmering softly in the setting sun. It made the white stone shine orange and yellow, which would have been a beautiful sight if Cyrus wasn’t so absorbed into his own head.

As they drew closer, it became clear that there were people waiting for their arrival. At first, they appeared as little more than tiny specks, but soon it became clear they were people. Not close enough to make out any features yet, but Cyrus still felt a tightening in his chest and forced himself to look away from the looming castle with its many white spires.

“What if he’s cruel?” Cyrus blurted out, his fear finally slipping out, but it was far too late for any real assurance. He didn’t know the man he was to marry; he didn’t know his humor or temperament; he didn’t know if he would even like the man.

He liked to believe that no deal would have been made that would put him in harm's way, but he didn’t truly trust that all the elves in Undermount would care more for his well-being than whatever alliance stood between the elves and humans.

They would gladly give Cyrus to a cruel man if it meant they kept their power and peace.

Suddenly, the drake dropped steeply, and Cyrus was forced to tighten his grip on Tyril’s waist. The wind flew wildly through his hair and made his eyes water as they came into a steep landing, and the dragon's feet alighted gracefully onto the stone floors.

He heard the chatter of the people around them, but was too busy getting his bearings to really pay attention to what anyone was saying. Tyril, of course, did not have the same problem; he slid off the drake with ease and the same refined grace he always possessed.

“King Arlan, this is quite the reception committee,” Tyril said, and as Cyrus finally got his wits about him, he realized it was true. There were nobility, guards, and servants gathered for their arrival, all of which seemed overboard to Cyrus, but who was he to say how the humans did things?

With a quiet sigh, Cyrus slid from the back of the drake, landing behind Tyril, his head held high and his back painfully straight. He’d been quite trussed up for his first meeting with his betrothed; his hair had been braided back and swept to the side, thin gold wire was running through the dark strands, and intricate clips had been secured at the base of the braise.

And while he looked a little windswept, it didn’t detract from the obvious effort put into his appearance.

“We are happy to welcome you to our home; the alliance between Undermount and White Tower is a long one; it must be maintained,” King Arlan was saying, to which Tyril dutifully nodded along, though out of the corner of his eyes he glanced back at Cyrus, silently checking in, making sure he still stood strong.

Tyril was not very clear with his care, but Cyrus always managed to pick up on it, and right now he appreciates it far more than he usually does.

With a deep breath, Cyrus schooled his expression and put on an easy smile before stepping forward and lowering his head in a respectful greeting. “It’s a pleasure to be here, King Arlan. I am Cyrus of House Nightbloom. I hope this arrangement between our families will help further solidify the relations between our people,” he said, his voice steady, never wavering for a second as he stood up straight again and met the king's eyes.

Two men stood beside the king, and Cyrus knew one of them was his betrothed, but they were both dressed in fine clothes, both Prince's; one was the older son whom he had no interest in, but he couldn’t tell which was which, at least not until King Arlan smiled and gestured at the slightly shorter of his two sons.

“This is my son, Aerin. I trust that the two of you will have much to discuss together,” he said, allowing Aerin to step forward.

The prince looked nervous, not as well put together as Cyrus was, but he didn’t look all that intimidating, and Cyrus was glad it was him and not the other brother he was being married to. He didn’t want to sound rude, but the king's older son had a rather unsettling air about him.

“It’s good to meet you; I know this has been in discussion for a while, so it’s nice to put a face to your name, Cyrus,” Aerin said, bowing his head much the same way Cyrus did before he reached out and gently took Cyrus’ hand and placed a kiss on his knuckles, which were flushed a slightly darker blue, irritated by the cold air from their flight.

His cheeks, however, turned darker for a very different reason. The kiss on his hand was a very human greeting, but it was sweet nonetheless, and Cyrus found the tension in his shoulders melting away.

It looked like things could be worse. Aerin seemed sweet, and he wasn’t unattractive. Which Cyrus noted with some relief. He would have been fine if his spouse did not physically appeal to him, but he thought it would make things far easier if he did find them attractive.

Luckily, it seemed he had come out on top with Aerin.

“I hope the two of us will get to know each other well,” Cyrus finally responded, and he was glad to see Aerin smile, seeming happy with the exchange between the two of them. Perhaps he’d been just as unsure of the arrangement as Cyrus was.

Clearing his throat, King Arlan brought attention back to him. “The ceremony will take place tomorrow, for tonight we thought it best we leave my son and Cyrus alone and allow them to become acquainted,” he nodded at them both, the perfect picture of grace as a king. “You will be given a private meal together, if that is acceptable to you, of course." He explained, addressing Cyrus directly at the end.

“I have no objection; it will be good to speak with Aerin,” he responded, though he felt he didn’t have much of an option but to say yes. This was expected of him, and he would do his duty.

Both he and Tyril were garnering stares from their surrounding audience, and it was starting to set Cyrus on edge. He didn’t like being watched; he stared at it like some sort of spectacle. The people of White Tower were most likely not used to seeing elves, but Cyrus wasn’t exactly used to being around humans. At least he had the decency to not stare.

The king said something that Cyrus didn’t catch, and suddenly they were all walking inside. Tyril walked beside the king, but Curis stuck by Prince Aerin, who seemed almost surprised that Cyrus hadn’t left. He didn’t see any reason to stand by anyone else; after the wedding, Tyril would be gone, so he needed to get used to being without the man.

“Have you ever been to White Tower?” Aerin asked, speaking up so suddenly that Cyrus caught him off guard, and he wasn’t sure what to say, despite the obvious answer being a resounding no.

He raised his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, trying to think of something more to say that would actually be an engaging response. “No, I’ve spent my life in Undermount, and there was rarely any reason to leave,” he explained, getting a little distracted as they walked further into the palace and the beautiful architecture became more apparent.

The ceilings were high and carved with intricate details, and above them on the walls were windows of stained glass that reflected multicolored light into the ground, all of which rippled and shimmered as the sunlight shifted through clouds and the leaves of tall trees. “I am glad to be here now; it’s beautiful,” he said, turning his head ever so slightly so he could meet Aerin’s eyes.

The prince had nice eyes, soft and brown, with long feathery lashes that cast shadows on his cheeks when the light hit him at the right angle.

“I am happy you like it; I'll show you around after we’ve eaten,” Aerin said, brightening up at the prospect of showing Cyrus his home. It was obvious the prince held a fondness for it, and Cyrus envied that a little. He liked Undermount, but sometimes the way things were done was so exhausting, so confining, and so strict.

Things seemed freer here.

“We have beautiful gardens here, and the library is wonderful; it’s one of the most extensive collections in the kingdom if you're interested in that sort of thing,” Aerin added, stepping a bit closer to Cyrus and looking happy to share. It was rather endearing.

A snort of condescending laughter sounded to the side of them, and Cyrus looked over to see Aerin’s brother walking at a pace behind them. He’d forgotten that the others were still there, and Baldur’s interruption wasn’t appreciated.

“You’ll bore him to death before the two of you even reach the altar,” Baldur said, laughing far louder than was necessary. If his tone had been different, then Cyrus could have brushed it off as a rather tactless joke, but the crown prince sounded like he meant every word as an insult.

The way he laughed was clearly meant to mock, and the ensuing look on Aerin’s face was something that told Cyrus that this was a regular occurrence.

Clearing his throat, Cyrus cast Baldur a withering look and very pointedly looped his arm through Aerin’s own, which seemed to shock the prince so much that he actually stumbled over his own feet. “I’ll be happy to see the library actually; I expect you’ll have interesting Tomes on magic,” he said, directing his words at Aerin but making sure Baldur heard them as well.

It didn’t sit well with him to have a brother-in-law who acted cruelly, so he didn’t intend to take any shit from Baldur, no matter how much he expected to get his own way.

It turns out he expected it a lot, because he sputtered and glared for a moment, looking ready to start a fight, before suddenly the king was speaking up and announcing the party was to split. Cyrus and Aerin would be given a private meal together, while Tyril, Baldur, and King Arlan would dine more publicly. Hosting various lords and ladies at a dinner.

Cyrus was glad he’d get something more private; he didn’t think he could take being a spectacle at the moment.

He understood people’s interest in the arrangement being made, but he’d only just arrived and didn’t feel like being bombarded. He wanted to get to know his fiancé without prying eyes all around them.

They said a brief goodbye, and Cyrus locked eyes with Tyril as they went their separate ways. Aerin and Cyrus were then led by a servant down a short flight of stairs and into a moderately sized dining room, where a table had already been laid with a meal. The room smelled of fresh, cooked meat and fragrant tea. It was nice.

“You were very nice earlier, about the library,” Aerin said, slipping his arm from around Cyrus’ as he stepped forward and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Cyrus to take a seat. “If you’re really interested, then I will be happy to show you, but you needn’t pretend; I know it may seem like a dull pastime,” he added, looking sheepish and unsure of himself.

He stepped away then and took his own seat, across the table from Cyrus, who smiled reassuringly as he picked up the cup beside his plate and took a small sip of the floral-smelling drink inside. “I wasn’t pretending; I would be glad to see the library; even if I wasn’t interested in books, I would still be happy to go with you; we’re going to be married, and I want to know what you enjoy,” he explained, which once again seemed to shock the prince.

Cyrus had a feeling that Aerin didn’t often have people who showed interest in his interests.

“Besides, I feel your brother needed to be put in his place,” Cyrus added, turning his gaze down to his plate, which was beautifully put together. A small bird of some type had been roasted and was topped with a sauce that smelled vaguely like something he ate back home in Undermount.

He would miss the food back home, but perhaps he could find new favorites—things he enjoyed even more.

“It’s better not to get on Baldur’s bad side; he can be rather-“ Aerin broke off and clenched his jaw, looking angry for the barest of moments before his shoulders slumped and he just began to cut up his own food. “He is not used to being told off,” he finally finished, noting a fact that Cyrus had already picked up on quite easily on his own.

“Well, perhaps it’s time someone stood up to him; I’m not one to back down from a challenge, and if we’re going to be married, then I will take that seriously,” Cyrus said, taking a small, practiced bite of the food, which coated his tongue with a salty taste. “What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t stand up for you?” He asked, wondering if anyone had taken the time to stand up for Aerin before.

Cyrus could understand not having people on his side; as the last member of House Nightbloom, he was often pushed to the side, shunned, and regarded as lesser in some way, so yes, he understood, and perhaps it meant the two of them could have a marriage built on that understanding, that they were the same and would be on each other's sides.

The sound of a bird singing outside drifted in, but Cyrus was more enraptured by the look on Aerin’s face, the open surprise at being treated kindly.

Cyrus hoped he could make kindness the norm for the prince so that he wouldn’t be shocked by it again.

“I want this marriage to work. I do not expect anything more than friendship from you, of course, but I would like us to be friends at least,” he said, watching as Aerin’s expression continued to twist with surprise.

Eventually, however, the prince’s lips curled up in a smile, and he nodded. “I’ll gladly be your friend; I have not had many of those in my life,” Aerin responded, and Cyrus got the impression that he really would treasure a friendship just as much, if not more, than a lover.

#choices #playchoices #mine #play choices #pb #bolas #blades of light and shadow 2 #blades of light and shadow #aerin valleros #mc x aerin #choices aerin #bolas aerin #prince aerin #aerin x mc #choices fanfic #my writing

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mickimomo · 11 months

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The ‘I Worship My Wife’ Committee (Part 6)

Amends and Surprises

Link to Part 5

Months had passed since their last meeting and everyone was counting down the days until their next meeting. Life had gotten unnecessarily busy with missions and unprecedented incidents, and now life was finally slowing down.

Each committee member missed the small wife worshipping community they had managed to make.

To make up for the large time, they decided to have a small celebration where everyone would bring something for everyone to enjoy. When the day arrived, they all slowly made their way into the meeting room, eager to spill updates on how things had been going as proud members of the ‘I Worship My Wife Committee’.

Aneka grinned as she helped set up the serving table while three fluffy white ducks followed her around. Quaking and fluttering their feathers when someone got to close to them.

Namor: I’m surprised you still have those ducks, Aneka.

Aneka: They were gifts from my beloved. Who am I to get rid of something I begged for?

Oni: I guess we’re all impressed that they’re thriving and that Ayo didn’t grow irritated enough to roast them.

Namor set down a platter of roasted fish before nodding in agreement.

Aneka, rolling her eyes: Ayo would never.

She ignored everyone’s glance as she set down a chocolate cake adorned with strawberries.

Oni: Right. I guess Ayo is just exceptionally patient with you.

Aneka kissed her teeth playfully before stepping away from her cake a with playful glare.

Aneka: She is.

Oni: Anyways, Attuma.

Attuma: Hm?

Oni: How is Okoye? Did she go into labor yet?

Attuma smiled as he set down a bowl of fruit salad and a bowl of grilled squash and corn.

Attuma: She’s doing well. She's not due for another month or so.

Oni: I swear Okoye has been pregnant for forever and a day.

Attuma: Imagine how she feels.

Namor: Perhaps you should keep your hands off of her after this child.

Attuma: I will try, but Okoye is quite seductive when she-

Namor raised a hand, motioning for his general to stop talking.

Attuma: What? I thought we could be explicit here.

Namor: Yes, but not before I have to eat.

Oni: Yeah. I personally don't want to know in great detail how my nieces or nephews get made.

Attuma couldn't help but chuckle at the group.

Attuma: I apologize. I will explain afterwards.

They both grimaced, earning a chuckle out of Aneka.

Aneka: Well, I'm sure things have been exciting preparing for a new baby.

Attuma: Yes. I’ve been helping K’iin prepare the house. We've done a lot of nesting and shopping.

Namor arched a brow as he watched his general let out a soft sigh of exhaustion.

Namor: That bad?

Attuma: No. It’s never bad. I just need to get better at doing everything after patroling. I need to get better at not falling asleep after work.

Oni: Hey. If you ever need someone to cover a patrol shift or mission for you, you can ask one of us for help. Namora and I would be honored to help.

They all watched her set down a bowl of plum punch before she continued.

Oni: These next few weeks, Udade is going to call on you a lot. You can’t keep stretching yourself thin. She needs you at your best, which means she's your number one priority.

Aneka: She’s right.

Attuma: I will keep your offer in mind.

Oni: Good and you better take it. Having a baby is a lot of work.

Namor: Actually... I have a bit of news.

They all looked at the god king skeptically as they began to dish themselves up.

Oni: What kind of news?

Aneka took a sip of punch before speaking up.

Aneka: Yeah? What kind of news?

Namor: Well... Shuri and I are expecting a baby.

Aneka choked on her punch, Attuma grinned, and Oni cackled before punching the air.

Oni: I KNEW IT.

Aneka: Shut up! What!? When!?!

Oni grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows: Remember when he made amends with Shuri after that argument they had?

Namor: Oni please-

Attuma: It is unexpectedly soon, but I am happy for you. How is she taking the news?

Namor: She tried to kill me when she first found out.

Attuma winced and Oni cackled again.

Aneka: Honestly, I’m not surprised.

Oni took a bite of the fish on her plate: Is she happy about it now?

Namor: Yes. We talked about it and I guess we both knew it would happen eventually. It makes sense when we both reflect on the day we made amends.

Attuma: The power of love.

Oni and Aneka nodded in agreement.

Aneka: I’m sure the council will be overjoyed whenever you two choose to announce this to the public.

Namor: She wants to wait until she’s unable to hide that she is pregnant.

Attuma: Okoye did that as well. She was happier getting to keep things to herself without worrying about what everyone thought or felt about her being pregnant with my child.

Oni: It’s less stress. The council isn’t exactly happy about the treaty, despite signing it, you know.

Aneka: Yeah. The public can be overwhelming too. The former general of Wakanda having a kid? The Queen of Wakanda having a kid? The priestess of Wakanda in kahoots with a warrior of Talokan.

Aneka listed each thing while raising a finger.

Aneka: The amount of gossip they would have to endure would put them at risk for health complications.

Oni nodded in agreement: It is wise to hide these things until you cannot to minimize stress.

Namor: I won’t let anyone stress Shuri out.

Attuma: Some things are hard to protect one from.

Namor: Are you saying I'm incapable?

Attuma: No. I am only saying that the only way you could escape every single rumor from reaching Shuri’s ear, is if you went somewhere without either of our nations present.

Oni: Knowing Shuri, she won’t be happy about leaving.

Aneka: Yeah. She'd want to be around family and loved ones.

Namor: What if I took her back to Haiti for a bit to stay near Nakia?

Attuma: Would the people of Wakanda let their Queen flee again?

Oni: It could work, but you'd have to have a legitimate reason. Maybe some international ambassador work?

Aneka: That could work. It would keep her busy and she would only have to make a few public appearances.

Namor: I don't want her working too hard.

Attuma: If the queen is like Okoye, it is inevitable to slow them down until they choose to do so. Okoye was extremely stubborn in the beginning.

Oni: That's Udade, for you.

Aneka: Hey. You wanted an idea. I think this could work for your stress-free pregnancy. You can leave just before it's hard to hide her pregnancy and then boom. No stress.

They all nodded in agreement before taking a few minutes to eat some of their food.

Namor: Alright. I'll present this idea to Shuri and see what she thinks.

Aneka: Great. Good luck.

Namor: Thank you.

#the i worship my wife committee #oni daughter of zuri #onimora #attoye #attuma x okoye #Attuma #namor #namora #nashuri #namor x shuri #Okoye #aneka #Aneka x Ayo #ayo #mickimomo

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