#Men's or Women's Wristband

[smsgift]

Space Travel Wristband - Wristband Depicting Outer Space - Faux Leather Wristband - Men's or Women's Wristband

[imperiuswrecked]

I'm never forgetting the Palestinian babies that were left to starve to death then rot in their beds by the IOF.

I'm never forgetting the Palestinian doctors surrounded by bodies of dead children begging the world to stop the slaughter.

I'm never forgetting the Palestinian children who held a press conference in English to beg the world to stop murdering them because they want to live.

I'm never forgetting the Palestinian Priest who said "We will not accept your apology after the genocide" to the world.

I'm never forgetting the Palestinian Imam who used the speakers of the Mosque, not to call people to prayer but to call out to God while the world around them was burning from American supplied Israeli bombs.

I'm never forgetting the grandfather who held his dead grandchild in his arms. Or the father carrying the remains of his two children in plastic shopping bags. Or the mother holding her dead child in a shroud. Or the father sitting among the rubble after he lost his whole family. Or the girl trapped under a broken building begging for people to save her family first. Or the boy who cried when he saw his brother alive. Or the girl who asked if she was still alive after being pulled from the rubble. Or the boy who carried the remains of his brother in his backpack. Or the old man the IOF used for a photoshoot before they shot him dead after getting pictures. Or the little boy wearing plastic gloves to pick up the remains of his family. Or the graves desecrated. Or the body of that small baby girl left alone in a tent because no one knew who she was or if her family was alive, small and alone and not one person who knew her name to bury her. Or the young boy who was shot in the street while his sister watched from the window. Or the men and boys who were stripped naked in winter. Or those tortured. Or those made to stand in open graves. Or the people who were raped by IOF soldiers. Or Palestinian workers kidnapped by the IOF and then labeled with wristbands, each one reduced to a number, then made to walk back to Gaza to be killed in the world's largest open air concentration camp. Or the people of Gaza starving because Israeli Zionists are blocking aid trucks. Or the Israelis dancing and celebrating the death of Palestinians. Or the lies spread by Zionists and their supporters. Or the people profiting off the oppression and deaths of Palestinians. Or the people of the West Bank being killed or kidnapped by the IOF. Or old woman who was older than the creation of the terror state of "Israel" who was shot by snipers for saying that. Or the Israelis dressed up as Palestinians to enter a hospital and kill three Palestinians in their beds. Or every single Palestinian currently kept in an Israeli prison. Or the journalists, doctors, poets, men, women, children, and the unborn all massacred. Or the fact that WCNSF exists now. Or the woman who refused to wash the blood from her hands. Or the dead, unburied and unmourned.

I'm never forgetting those who chose silence in the face of a genocide.

I may not know all their names but I will not forget the over 30,000 Palestinians dead. Or the over 60, 000 people hurt. Or the unknown number of people missing, still lost under the rubble. Or the 12,000 children slaughtered. An entire generation crippled or murdered.

I will never forget these things when Palestine is free.

[felucians]

*pretends to be shocked that the PR textbook of discredit the most oppressed victim to discredit all the victims is in fact working on twitter dot com's fanbase of mcyt in real time*

[realmanali]

This offer converts like crazy for men and women of any age. The offer works really well for those interested in natural and holistic health options. We have also found it to work really well with any health lists, diet and weight loss lists, and survival

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

a brief list of my favorite people i saw at the local bigfoot convention:

-a bunch of surly older men who were apparently VIPs on the Alaska Bigfoot Cruise and therefore demanded their own seating section

-a 60something year old woman in a sparkly shirt with a thick north carolina accent who described bigfoot as a man with fabio hair and sounded very much like she wanted to fuck him

-a shy little girl who was very brave telling the whole room how she’d seen a huge bigfoot footprint in the snow

-two older women gossiping in the back, one of whom said very emphatically “well you know the government, they wouldn’t even call a snow bunting a snow bunting if it meant more money for washington!”

-my friend ryan (hi ryan!)

-a man with a bigfoot tattoo on his forearm who said the idea had come to him in a dream in the woods and he thinks the dream was planted by bigfoot

-a teenage girl in a t-shirt that had chibi nate mac and cale makar hugging and a wristband that said ‘i want to believe’.

-david paulides and jeffrey meldrum sitting on opposite sides of the panel with their arms folded, insisting through gritted teeth that they really liked and respected one another

-a man from utah whose two biggest problems with mitt romney were that he was rich and out of touch and that he would never disclose any of the bigfoot documentation that “you just KNOW he has”

-the local trapper sitting next to me who kept nodding and muttering stuff like “oh yeah, squatches’ll do that” whenever anyone told a story about an encounter

[desperate-fucktoyy]

Would you ever have sex with a stranger on the beach?

So I have this free use fantasy. It’s an adults only beach, and if you want to be a free use slut for the beach you can grab a green wristband at the entrance and put it on.

I’d obviously grab one, entering the beach wearing my tiniest bikini.

For a while nothing happens, and I’m just lying down on my stomach on a beach towel, my ass on display. Suddenly I feel someone push my legs apart, pull my bikini to the side, spread my cheeks and just push their big cock into my pussy. They’d just start to pound into me from behind, my pussy just taking the unexpected thrusts from a strangers cock. They’d spank my ass and pull me up on all fours, groping my body while fucking me, pulling my bikini top off and groping my tits as I’d start mindlessly throwing my ass back. And then they’d shoot their cum inside me and leave, and by the time I turn around to look they’re already gone, and I have a strangers cum dripping out of my exposed cunt.

Pretty soon other people take notice, and I start getting used in all my holes and passed around like a pathetic free use fucktoy, getting used by men and women 💕

[duhragonball]

What do you think of the Saiyan's overall redesign in the DBS Broly Movie? Personally, I didn't like how they really stuck to that, "All Saiyans have black hair," thing. I thought the original King Vegeta and Saiyans surrounding him looked more interesting in DBZ. They even had a blonde guy when KV blew up those planets lmao (if only they knew)

I know the guy your talking about. He's from the flashback montage right before Vegeta dies.

Of course, his pal over there is rocking an SSJ4 Gingergeta look too, so this shot is pretty wild for a bunch of reasons. And then King Vegeta raises his hand and blows up three planets, including the one they're standing on, so I don't know what to make of that.

Anyway, as far as the hair color goes, the black-hair-only rule came from the scene where Vegeta disputes Trunks' claim to be a Saiyan, so the rule didn't exist back when DBZ Episode 86 was made. We can still interpret this in a few ways.

Vegeta was just stone cold wrong. I say this a lot, but it bears repeating: Most of what we know about Saiyans comes from Vegeta, but he's not an infallible source. There's bound to be things he doesn't know or couldn't know, and he probably still clings to a lot of propaganda fed to him in his youth.

The flashbacks aren't meant to be taken literally, and this could just be a coloring error in an otherwise consistent portrayal of the Saiyans.

The blonde guy could be a half-Saiyan like Trunks.

The blonde guy just likes to bleache his hair.

He's got some kind of medical condition that discolors his hair

Nonetheless, once Toriyama laid down the black hair rule, it appears to have been followed pretty closely, except...

Nion, one of the scientists in the nursery in DBS: Broly, has dark blue hair. Maybe indigo? You get the idea. I don't think this is a trick of the light, either, since King Vegeta's in this scene, and his hair looks black. Nion clearly has a different hair color.

At first, I wondered if this meant she wasn't a Saiyan. Nion doesn't appear to have a tail either, and her uniform is too form-fitting for her to stuff it inside her clothes like her robed co-workers. But by all accounts, she seems to be a Saiyan character, and it makes sense. She speaks rather hopefully of Broly possibly becoming the next Super Saiyan, and one of Frieza's bootlicks wouldn't be nearly so enthusiastic when speaking of such a thing.

So what's up with Nion? Well, it's probably the same story as that blonde guy from DBZ 86. She colors her hair, or she's got some alien ancestry, or maybe there's more to Saiyans than Vegeta knew. My guess is that the movie was trying to show that there's a particular fashion among Saiyan scientists. The men in this scene all had very short, more "conventional haircuts". They also wore long choir robes. Nion has a different look, but there's like nine other women in the nursery with the exact same style, suggesting that they all wear that look to signify their profession. So maybe the blue hair is part of that, or Nion picked it up while she was at space college or something.

So from a hair standpoint, I think they just kind of ended up back where they started. Pure-blooded Saiyans may all start with black hair, and most of them stay that way, but a few Saiyans seem to develop an interest in coloring their hair for cosmetic reasons.

No, the main change I noticed from the Broly movie was that most of the Saiyan uniforms we saw were black and/or blue, which is kind of a shame, because I liked the various colors used in DBZ. Bardock had his green and black armor, Fasha/Seripa had pink, Towa had Carolina Tarheel blue, and so on. The movie also did Paragus dirty, because Paragus looked like the fuckin' man in Movie 8, and his DBS looks were all a downgrade.

At least Gine got pink wristbands and sort of a dark teal outfit. That might be closer to green, but I can't tell. Anyway, I get it, they're uniforms. The whole point is that everyone looks the same. Still, I liked the idea that someone could requisition a hot pink and lime green armor and it was totally cool.

Ultimately, flashback scenes like these don't carry that much weight, since they're always susceptible to another retcon. One of these years, they'll do some "Andor"-style series about the Saiyan/Tuffle War, and we'll see a whole other depiction of Saiyans that will turn all of this on its ear, and I'll probably be coming up with some other rationale to make it all fit together.

Mostly, I'm just glad we got a peek into Saiyan culture beyond the front-line warriors in the DBZ flashbacks. Nion and her colleagues raise more questions than answers, but I'm still grateful for the questions. I think fans have postulated characters like Beetz and Gine for a long time, and the movie confirms that there was definitely more to Saiyan society than fighting.

[caralara]

has something happened, Cara? did i miss something? sofia stunt as in sofia the scandinavian girl everybody forgot about? is she back? what has asia to do with that stunt? totally agree that louis' career would only benefit if there were some women in his team but i'm really confused about what exactly you're talking about now. have a lovely weekend!

Hi!

Oh my comment was set off by the AFHF announcement, and the subsequent detective rabbithole everyone went down trying to figure out where it will be this year, and loads of people saying Mexico bc of the cacti in the picture plus that Mexican promoter account tweeting and deleting AFHF recently. I got riled up about how badly they failed last year for AFHF, how we could tell right from when they announced it (quite late) to then being there and seeing how they only sold 2/3 of tickets and not even everyone showed up. They had to cut back massively on staff (one of the reasons why entry was handled so badly and why they didn’t have enough staff to hand out the wristbands), and how they absolutely need to have a (financial) success with this year‘s AFHF in order to not have the whole festival get jeopardised and maybe cancelled. And that led to me talking about the root problem of the team being just men, and then listing examples of their recent fuck ups that very likely wouldn’t have happened that way if they had a woman on their team they‘d listen to once in a while, like for example the Sofia stunt. I guarantee you that no man on that team even thought about the fact that in 2023, with a majorly queer, feminist female fanbase that huge age gap could be problematic for Louis‘ image with his fans, because men in general don’t think about much younger women being with older men as problematic at all. They dropped her like hot iron *after* the backlash from all sides. Then they didn’t handle communication well when they cancelled Asia at all. Like. At all.

For AFHF, I understand that Mexican fans are super passionate but I already gotten many messages by latam fans saying even though living in Mexico City they wouldn’t be able to afford it. I don’t think it’ll be in Mexico, they really need to be in the black numbers for this year‘s AFHF, so they need it to be accessible to fans with strong financial powers. Europe has the majority of louis‘ fandom with strong financial power, and logistically it would be crazy to fly back and forth about 16-18 hours between European festivals for AFHF, if he could do it in Europe again.

If he keeps it in a similar time frame (august) as the past (although he’s already had the first announcement two months earlier than usually), there’s only the last July or last August weekend (going into September) available.

A friend actually sent me the Ponte de Segura bridge that looks a lot like the viaduct used in the picture, and it’s right at the border of Portugal to Spain. End of July he’s got two festivals in Portugal and Spain, and he could easily oversee the set up during the week between those two.

There’s also huge festival grounds 20 minutes from that bridge, that usually hosts the BOOM festival, but only every other year - meaning that July weekend is free for 2024 and the infrastructure for the festival has been well established (since 1997) with shuttles, vendors, camp sites, stage infrastructures… it looks really great.

The thing that still got me entertaining Mexico as a possibility is the cacti that have been edited in, that mostly only grow in South America, and the Mexican promoter.

Anyways, tell me louis wouldn’t go for this?? The shore, the lake, the rocks, the surroundings, the heat??

Anyways the real clowning begins if you imagine louis launches AFHF to be TWO days by having Niall headline the first day… that would certainly draw the necessary crowds and they’re already doing a bit of the festival run together this summer 🤡🤪

[shouta-edits]

"Can I request some punk, plus sized (women's 2XL) fashion ideas based on Jinx from League of Legends/Arcane? Particularly tops/jackets, bracelets/wristbands, and/or collars if possible. No worries if you can't do this tho!" -anon requested

[keeksybee]

Spock’s Brain Theory:

I’m watching the first ep of season of three and the crew have run into a society of women partially controlled by Spock’s mind, setting aside for what that potentially says about his relationship with his Mother or his sexual politics, my favourite part of this episode is that the main female antagonist has a wristband that produces extreme amounts of pain stemming from belts around the main crew’s waist, as a method of control, particularly in the abdominal region.

Which leads me to believe that the ‘unbearable pain’ McCoy, Kirk and Scotty talk about are actually just really mild period cramps, and being men who’ve never the distinct joy of feeling like they’re being stabbed repeatedly in the stomach with a blunt needle, they’re all having a right bitch fest. Being fair to them they aren’t used to it, but come on lads, if millions of women go through it every month you can bear it for a few moments.

I haven’t stopped laughing about this since.

[2lim3rz]

BLANK SLATE BEGINNINGS (40K FIC THING) (OC X HORUS LUPERCAL)

Tomfoolery in the dms happened so have a Sibley x Horus fic because I yearn for big men and small women

There were no words at the time to describe whatever Sibley was. No words except the most scandalous type; cursed.

Given that religion and beliefs of the sort were more or less outlawed, it was the worst sort of insult.

But Sibley was used to it. She was by no conventional means beautiful, perhaps she had a possibility, but it had long passed. Her face and most of her body was torn asunder with poorly healed burns, her nose was bent from an equally daunting gouge in the middle, and several smaller scars speckled her body like gruesome freckles. Her eyes weren't even similar; one brown and one green. The only thing she bothered with was the bleached stripe of blonde hair in her otherwise half-shaved head.

So it was by raw miracle surely, that she ended up serving as one of the many untold underlings in the gilded halls of the Emperor himself. She never was going to question how she had ever gotten there. Never. Her focus was better placed upon her job. Better placed upon ignoring how people refused to work near her.

She was used to the treatment. For as long as she remembered, none enjoyed her presence. From where she knelt at an open floor panel, she stroked the oddly smooth texture of her quartered face. Smearing some oil from the coolant lines upon it. An absent habit of a absent mind.

Sighing, Sibley replaced her screwdriver and lifted a wrench. She needed to get this done. While it wasn't the most well-travelled of halls, it was certainly enough to warrant some form of rush. If only to avoid the terrifying golden soldiers.

Of course, given Sibley's track record of any form of luck.. her work was interrupted by footsteps. Heavy enough she assumed at first that it was one of the Custodians but.. somehow it wasn't. It didn't have the same drumming rhythm that their great marching steps had. It was measured yet still sith enough of a pause to have her do a doubletake over her shoulder.

It was a massive man treading down the halls. Upon him was a long ornate billowing crimson cloak belted to him with a massive orange eye that seemed ever staring. Under that was a shirt of chainmail softly jingling with each gargantuan step. His belt was the whitest color she had ever seen, corners gilded in gold with another one of those massive eyes. At his side was a sword that no human thing but him could wield, his right hand encased in a white and gold gauntlet. The left bore a simple wristband.

Another jingling noise alerted her to a series of coins upon his belt, he was too far for her to see what was upon them. Yet part of her thought the.. almost loincloth-esque structuring of leather looked absurd with the puffed out dark grey pants and the furred boots. Not that.. she judged it too much. Even if she self-consciously pulled her own sleeves down and hiked the collar of her uniform up.

She forced herself to look away. To bury herself in her work and away from the impressive man. Perhaps feeling it a touch odd that she didn't feel the rumored effects some of the more out-there workers whispered about when dealing with the massive men. Other than it was uncanny how well.. big they were.. and until this moment she hadn't realized how handsome. Even if it was a brief glimpse-

"Pardon me, I nearly stepped on you there." A warm yet deep and sonorous voice spoke. A shiver rushed down her spine just as much as confusion made her tremble. Why was he speaking to her? No one spoke to her unless they were forced to. Even before her scars it had been like that. So when she looked up to see a kindly (if not overly handsome) face, she couldn't figure out if she was blushing or paling.

"Gh- It's fine." Her voice was more tense, more rude than what she meant it to be. Yet it was unheard of for apologies to be directed to her. She felt as if she wanted to knock herself over with the wrench in her hand. She was more than certainty blushing now. Staring up at his face like she was. Seeing their true differences. A jaw lightly coated in dark stubble cracked into a grin. It was hard to decide if she wanted to look away or stare into those dark eyes of his. Was his head really as smooth as it looked from down where she was?

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have assumed you weren't good around people." His voice, smooth as gold, was a shattering force to her bewildered mind. Forcing herself to look away, she floundered for a moment at her predicament. She was being disrespectful. She should be in trouble. Not.. having someone speak to her so casually. It was horribly uncanny having someone speak to her as one spoke to a friend.

"'M not." She whispered grumpily to herself. Whipping her head upwards again as he chuckled. How did he hear her?!

"Is that why you're working in this hall?" He mused. That gentle smile still upon his face. It left her more.. just more conflicted. He was certainly shattering a personal record of people willing to be around her asides from whatever thing decided to make sure she lived childhood. Gripping the wrench tightly in one hand, Sibley gave a vague sweeping gesture of her hand.

"...No one likes working this hall. Floor panels get stuck. Not enough malfunctions or priority to justify two man teams." No one appreciated working alone most times. Not in such grandiose halls. Not where one mistake would have the techies breathing on your neck faster than you could say 'frag off'. Not only did you have to work fast, you had to be meticulous.

"Ah, I see. So you are using your job to hide from everyone else?" The man tilted his head down at her before abruptly kneeling down. Bending over to look into the large open panel "You should possibly tighten that bolt on the secondary."

Sibley sputtered for a moment. Suddenly uncomfortable by the proximity of the man. People only got that close when they were crammed in a small room. Her eyebrow twitched as she gawked before huffing and doing as he suggested. Surprisingly, it was actually loose. And it prevented a later malfunction to occur.

"I could say the same about you, you know." Hesitantly, she spoke up. Not daring to eye the man in fear of repercussion. Wincing at the chuckle he gave to her remark. She expected punishment.. not.. this. "How did you have me figured out?" The question was unexpected as she looked up at him once more. Staring up at him even though he had bowed so low. Completely engulfing her entire view.

"..No reasonable person in rich clothes like that walks in the deeper halls. N-Not that they're not allowed to! They just.. don't." she found herself awkwardly sputtering towards the end. Shifting the wrench closer to her so she could hold it in both hands with a frown. Watching the curious expression on the man's face as he hummed low.

"So I've been caught red handed. You're not going to turn me in, are you?" the question confused her as he told it in a lively way. Was he serious? Was this a joke? "..No?" The curious sparkle in his eyes never went away as he rested one arm upon his raised knee. "Don't you know who I am?" the question was out of the blue. Of course she didn't. If she watched the charts for who was entering and who was leaving, she'd be out of work for hours. Never mind wasting precious sleeping (sewing her several-times-mended clothing) time to watch the news. Slowly shrugging, Sibley despised the feeling of being in a spotlight. She just wanted the handsome man to go along on his merry way and so she can waste the rest of her day like usual.

Though those thoughts paused at the genuine surprise that appeared on his face. Tilting his head back in laughter and shaking it. His shoulders trembling before he resumed grinning down at her. "You have to be pulling my leg. You work in the Emperor's castle and yet don't know me?" The incredulous tone made Sibley's skin tingle all over as she stuck out her lips in a pout. Glaring at him with no heart in it as embarrassment chewed at her. Last thing she needed was an uppity noble laughing at her.

"No. Too busy to. I need to get back to work before I get in trouble anyways." Sibley gritted out. She should have known she'd get mocked in the end. If it wasn't from being avoided like she was some plague-pest, it'd be insults because of her face or the subtle (or more than) limp she'd gain on bad days.

"My apologies," she stopped moving at those words as she was stunned to silence "It's just that lately I haven't encountered anyone else on Terra that didn't know me." How was she meant to respond to that? Relaxing the death-grip she had. Sibley realized how tense she was until that moment. Having enough will to resist raising the wrench in the name of self defense as the man extended a hand.

Looking from hand to oddly friendly face; blinking slowly as she did. She waited another awkward moment as he spoke. "Then let me introduce myself, ma'am. I am Horus Lupercal, Lord of the Luna Wolves." vaguely some of it rang a bell in her mind. Though she still stared at his hand.. Ever so reluctantly letting go of the wrench to shake his. Still somehow surprised that he was warmer than the average human was or that his callused hand wrapped hers with complete gentleness. "Sibley.. of nothing." She threw the flair in perhaps a little dramatically. Even if the man.. even if Horus's kindly face shifted the handshake to hold her hand by the fingers. Raising it (and lowering himself further) to lightly brush his lips across her skin. Briefly her thoughts ruefully drifted to horror that he'd even bring himself closer to her ruined flesh.

"It was fun to meet you, Sibley; Lady of the floor panels. I unfortunately have to return to my duties." Horus's voice was lower. Grinning mischievously with a wink and letting go; with clear reluctance, stood. Leaving her to stare in bewilderment and with a hot blush on her face. "..Uh.. I too. I mean- You too!" Why did this Horus fluster her so much? Was it the fact that he was the first man to show just the barest of friendliness to her?

Her wonderings stopped as Horus walked away and looked over his shoulder a final time. "I hope you meet you again. That one wire is about to come loose as well." he called back. Sibley looked down, checked, and noticed he was right again.

Belatedly, she realized he never recoiled from touching her. Nor did he seem to get grumpy at her for any reason. Resuming her work with a sigh, Sibley begrudgingly thought of how she shouldn't had cowed herself so much into distrust.. even if the scars upon her itched and her legs ached. No, perhaps distrust was more of her safety net. After all, it was slim to none that she'd ever encounter him again.

[asylumwise]

And suddenly there were two. Only Friends fanfics written by me, I mean.

—-

"What color of wristband can I get you?” Plug gestured to the different boxes. “If you’re single and open to flirting, there’s green for all genders, white for men and blue for women. Or if you’re single, but not…”

“A red one, please.”

Boston & Nick join their friends at Y.O.L.O. for Bonfire Night. They may or may not yet have told their friends about their updated relationship status.

[andiessoccerblog]

Women’s Soccer Globally: July 2, 2023

Around the world, women's soccer is in flux. There have been an incredible number of advancements in the last four years, but the increased media coverage has revealed a myriad of shortcomings as well. To be fair to the sport, I want to mention both here.

Norway and New Zealand were the only countries with equal pay between men and women in the 2019 World Cup; since then England, Brazil, Australia, and the USA have ratified similar policies. In Europe especially, women’s soccer is drawing sold-out, record breaking crowds. The women’s 2022 UEFA final drew 87,000 fans to Wembley Stadium in London, breaking the record for women’s AND men’s European championship game attendance. As much as western Europe remains a steady powerhouse of women’s soccer, other continents are starting to embrace women’s soccer as well. Morocco qualified for their first World Cup after unveiling a plan in 2020 to make the country a contender in the African Soccer Confederation, and proving that countries who commit resources to their women’s teams can and will see success.

However, equal pay in some countries definitely doesn’t mean equality is the priority in others. France, Canada, and Spain, all exceptionally well-funded and top-ranked teams, faced player strikes in early 2023 due to poor treatment of players by coaches and federations. In preparation for this world cup, Jamaica’s women’s national team has created a GoFundMe page just to cover expenses. 

Other aspects of women’s soccer have struggled to meet minimum standards as well. After FIFA hosted the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar, a country where women aren’t treated equally to men, there was a little backlash. When FIFA tried to make Saudi Arabia Tourism a sponsor of the 2023 World Cup, there was a LOT of backlash, and FIFA eventually had to back off. In a similar vein of racist and sexist policy, 2022 saw the French Football Federation ban hijabs for soccer players at all levels as part of a law intended to keep religion out of public spaces.

FIFA confirmed recently that players will not be allowed to wear rainbow armbands in support of LGBTQIA+ equality. The federation has approved 8 possible wristbands that support various causes, but none that explicitly support LGBTQIA people. In a sport that includes more lesbians than you can count and boasts the first transgender olympic gold-medal winner (Quinn, from team Canada), this is causing a massive controversy. 

Despite the issues, FIFA maintains that they are making strides. In 2022 FIFA published the paper “Setting the Pace”, a report intended to benchmark the progress of women’s soccer globally. TV viewership, in-person attendance, and merchandise sales are up across the board. FIFA has also more than tripled the prize money available for the 2023 World Cup, although the men’s tournament was awarded four times as much. The president of FIFA has indicated that he would like to see an equal payout for the women as soon as 2027, but right now that is just an empty promise. 

In the opener of this World Cup, ticket sales proved that FIFA grossly underestimated the popularity of tickets, and games sold out in the first 24 hours of ticket sales. In response, FIFA moved the opening Australian game to a bigger stadium and has released additional tickets, which have now sold out for the second time. Again and again, fans and athletes alike prove that all over the world, people like women’s soccer.

[conaionaru]

The Drowned girl

Burn the Witch

Synopsis: Rollo and Siggy talk. Bjorn’s men ruturn to Kattegat to witness a fight between a volva and the queen

Warnings: violence, shit parenting (Bjorn), child abandonment, language, canon divergence, murder, blood

Tags:

@pieces-by-me​

I don’t own the gifs.

Siggy sat at the edge of the ship and watched the nearing shores of Frankia. Usually she would sit with Helga, but she had her hands full with her little orphan girl. Tanaruz was hostile and scared, no wonder there. And Siggy was in no mood to play babysitter.

Heavy boots hit the deck in front of her. Her eyes trailed from the wooden floors to the owner of the dirty shoes. "Rollo."

"We are nearing the shores of Frankia. I wished to talk to you one more time."

"I am in no mood to talk to traitors."

Rollo chuckled and sat down next to her. "You only wish to speak to me, cause I'm named after your dead lover. Is this your attempt to share a bond with me or repair the one you lost."

"Siggy is gone." Rollo sighed and looked down at the blonde. She looked so much like Ragnar and Rollo. Oh but the fury was all Porunn. "Floki and Helga did a good job raising you."

"I know." Siggy spat annoyed.

"But the Ragnar's and Lagertha's blood flows through your veins. It will bring hardships. Bastard born or not. Just... Don't let the jealousy and revenge win."

"Like you did?" Siggy mocked only to see the former viking nod. "I don't need advice from a traitor. Or a christian."

Rollo nodded and stood to leave but stopped again. "The wristband I gave you." Siggy looked down at the solid golden bangle and frowned. She forgot that he gave it to her. "Keep it. Women don't get armbands. Keep it close. It's your proof of battle."

"You stole it not me."

"I am not viking. You are. They can all be proud of you." The blonde stuck her tongue out to watch him go. Yet when he turned his back, she reveled in the praise. It was strange to get it from someone she heard so much bad of. In Floki's tales Rollo was the traitor that betrayed Ragnar. But Ragnar wasn't anything like he was in Floki's tales. So maybe there was more to Rollo than a betrayal. No matter how dire.

"I want to make you all an offer." Rollo called out to the people making everyone stare him down. "Anyone from our homelands who wants good, rich lands to farm can come and live in my kingdom. There will always be a part of Frankia which is a part of us."

"Us?" Floki grimaced at the Frankish lord. "You are no longer a part of "us," Rollo."

"But what is "us," Floki, is changing. Only you won't accept it." Floki chuckled at the riddiculous remark." And so I say the same to you." He looked at Bjorn. "And you, Hvitserk."

"Too much bad blood, Rollo." Bjorn spat not even looking at his uncle that he once loved so much.

"Once a betrayer, always a betrayer." Answered Hvitserk.

Rollo nodded and looked at Siggy, standing behind everyone like an outcast. "And what of you?"

Everyone turned their heads to look at the young Völva. "I am not a farmer, am I?"

"You could fight in an army. I could provide you with a nice place, men to fight alongside with. You would be treated with respect." Not like you are here. That's what he meant.

Bjorn looked at her from the corner of his eye. Waiting like everyone else. It sickened Siggy that he might care about her depiction. Fuck him. "I won't abandon the gods. I am a Völva. I pray to Odin and Eir. Not to your false God."

"Then pray to them."

He was growing desperate, but the smile never left his face. "There is a place in Frankia for you if you ever change your mind." With that Rollo said goodbye to Helga and left to reunite with his son. Siggy watched the interaction with bitterness.

He looked back one more time and looked at her. "She would have been proud if she stayed."

Bjorn scoffed and Siggy took that as a sign not to answer. Stayed. That meant it must have been her mother. The woman that left her to Aslaugs care and run off to find herself. No matter the bitterness it left behind. She understood the decision. She would have chosen the same if the choice laid between Bjorn or freedom.

"You could have left." Hvitserk whispered in her ear, yet Siggy ignored him.

"My place is here." She answered loudly so both Rollo and Bjorn could hear. "No matter what anyone might think." Siggy turned on her heel and walked to the other side of the boat to climb back up the mast.

When they returned to Kattegat, it looked different. Ditches and walls were being built. Apparently Lagertha was making a few changes. She watched Hvitserk wander off. But she had a mission to complete.

"If you kill her, my brothers, you'll have to kill me too."

"Maybe we should." Ivar spat back.

"Shut up." Ubbe ordered looking Bjorn up and down. "She killed our mother."

"I know. You want revenge. So would I. But more importantly, we have to avenge our father. That is why I came back. And that is what we are going to do."

Siggy chuckled and walked around the Ragnarsson. "All hail Queen Lagertha. The one that killed the witch."

Ivar glared Siggy down while Ubbe tried to stop her before she made a scene. Too late. "I see you have returned safely."

"You care. How touching." Siggy mocked looking the new queen up and down. "But you made the wrong choice. What you did will destroy all of us!"

"Aslaug paid for what she did."

Siggy laughed out out and wiped away a fake tear. "What? Fullfilling a prophecy? Giving Ragnar sons you could not? Better ones? Or any at all? Don't you need two for that? He was married. That's what everything is about isn't it? Jealousy. He lost interest and you..."

"That is enough!" Legartha ordered and glared Siggy down. "I understand that Aslaug raised you, but my revenge ended with her. So let there be peace."

"Too late, Lagertha." Ivar roared angrily.

"Aslaug was no witch!" Siggy only chuckled and spread her arms. "Me on the other hand."

Mad giggles spread through the hall. Lagertha's shieldmaidens stepped closer the their queen. Bjorn also took a stand next to his mother. The two stared Siggy down with hate in their eyes. How fitting.

"You are a Völva like Aslaug. Because you have the gift of sigh. Visions?" Lagertha boasted her new knowledge. The Ragnarssons stiffened and Floki moved to drag the angry blonde away.

"Yes. If that made her a witch, then so am I. Will you kill me to?"

"You are no witch."

"You sure, Legetha?" She pushed Floki off and run to Bjorn's side. She ripped his dagger from the holster and cut her palm. "I swear on Odin and his missing eye that until the sun goes up tomorrow, five of your shieldmaidens will drop dead!"

"Stop it!" Bjorn ordered only for Ubbe to stand in his way.

"If she is no witch then there is nothing to fear." Ivar mocked looking at Lagertha.

Siggy licked the blood off her palm and showed her bloody tongue to Lagertha. "Till the morrow." She turned on her heel and left the great hall. The air outside was thick and made her want to shout. She saved that part for when she returns home.

A chuckle escapes instead. Rollo said her mother would be proud if she stayed. It makes her wonder. What would mommy say now?

During the sacrifice. Siggy watched the flames of the torches rise. The dying mans words lost in the gasps of the crowd. The drops of blood hit her face. Yet none of them were as strong as the gasps of the shieldmaidens on the back of the crowd. Blood dripped from their eyes as they tried to make anyone notice. Thought the gaps of the people, Siggy looked back on them.

She gave them a wicked smile and put her palm up, the cut open for all to see. When the drops of blood her the side of her face, Siggy turned to look at Lagertha and smiled. "You chose wrong."

[originalnovelist]

More Life

INVOLVED: Samuel Evans, Mercedes Jones, & Co.  LOCATION: 4Play Gentlemens Club; Los Angeles, California.  TIME FRAME: Saturday, July, 2nd NOTES: A party is thrown for Samuel.

Samuel sat in the back of the sprinter, his fingers tapping against his personal phone’s screen. He ignored the rowdiness of the other men surrounding him as they passed around solo cups of dark liquor. He looked up as CJ poured codeine into a bottle of sprite, watching him reach for some jolly ranchers thereafter. He looked back down at his phone. He didn’t ask for CJ to plan this, he also couldn’t tell the men no. They refused to listen, so here he was on his way to a strip club that he was sure would be jammed packed with bodies. All wanting to kick it with him unknowing that his best friend's idea of sending him off was ass shaking and lean drinking. Blinking, he sent his text and grabbed the blunt as it was passed his way, he hit it and passed it to the next body. Sighing to himself before he released a cloud of smoke. 

The huge hookah pipe sat in the middle of the table, arms spidering out all around. Mercedes smirked, at the sea of women, men -shit bodies that moved around her. One thick thigh crossed over the other, she briefly wondered if she should even be here.  

“Here.” Ronda said, passing the pipe to Mercedes. 

Mercedes took the pipe and changed out the tip for her own. 

“I am so happy you brought me along.” Ronda told Mercedes, “I don’t even mind being a glorified bodyguard.” Ronda said, eyeing the singer lustfully. 

Mercedes rolled her eyes, “Girl boo and bye.” She used the tip of the hookah, to point to the guy standing near the table, arms folded at his waste.  “I think tiny has me covered. Besides, I am not entirely sure I wouldn’t need guarding from your ass.”  Mercedes laughed.  

Pouting Ronda’s eyes moved down towards Mercedes’ wristband.  

Mercedes caught the look as she took a drag off the hookah, ‘watermelon,’ She thought approvingly. Exhaling into her friend's face, nodding towards a big butt blond girl, moving past them.  “I think she is your type.” 

Ronda followed the woman with her eyes, before turning back to Mercedes. “Only from the back. You know I like chocolate.” the woman said, with a wink.

“You know motherhood has changed you..  Do you think you can hang?  Or is this just you keeping an eye on your ex?”  Ronda added, bluntly.  

Mercedes took another pull off the hookah.  Smirking, she blew a smoke ring in the air. “Tonight is about having fun.” 

Samuel looked at his watch before he looked at CJ, he shook his head no to the cup he was offering him. If it wasn’t solely liquor he didn’t want it. Licking his lips he gestured for the blunt to be passed back and he hit it again as he leaned back. His head rested against the back of the seat and he stared up at the ceiling. 

“Just take a small sip” CJ said and he crashed into the seat next to Samuel. 

“Hell nawl” Samuel replied back looking at the bottle, “you know that shit gone kill you one day right” he replied as he hit the blunt again. 

“I’m cool with that,” CJ replied as he kicked his feet up. “You good?” he asked the big guy. 

Shaking his head Samuel looked at him exhaling a cloud of smoke “I’m cool” he replied back to him placing the blunt between his lips. He drew from it again before he handed it off. “You ain’t have to do all this shit” he told him again. 

CJ nodded his head “I know, but if you plan on leaving you might as well leave with a bang” he said chuckling as he gulped down some lean. 

Samuel looked at him rolling his eyes “you a dick” he replied with a chuckle as the sprinter slowed to a stop. 

“This shit is packed” CJ announced happily and he hopped up, moving for the doors “ass galore” he breathed with a smile on his face. 

“Your wife is definitely in the building my guy” Samuel replied as he stood up. 

CJ looked back at Samuel and chuckled, a few guys joining in “fuck that mean?” he asked him as he climbed out first. “Get them duffles, he trippin’” CJ continued to chuckle as he moved for the building. 

Mercedes watched the smoke ring dissipate into the thick air. 

“You’re full of shit.” Ronda said, drawing Mercedes attention.  

Mercedes shrugged her shoulders., “Believe as you will. But I promise you I’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade.  Not even,” She placed air quotes around the words, “My ex.” 

Ronda shook her head, “Whatever.  You know how I feel about YO baby daddy…  I see he’s expecting again. From the looks of you tonight.” Ronda glanced over Mercedes' bare midriff,  “I’d venture to say, you ain’t the mom?” 

Ronda’s comment shook Mercedes, almost rattling her perfect calm cage.  “Fuck you. Why must you alway be slick at the motherfucking mouth..  If you don’t want to be here then fucking leave.” Mercedes told the woman took  another puff off the hookah, before getting up from the table and slipped into the crowd, Tiny rushing after her as she moved. 

Samuel shook his head watching the men gather the duffles filled with cash for the strippers, he climbed out of the sprinter brushing the silk shirt off. He nodded his head and waved at the few outside of the club as they screamed for him. He put his hand up blocking the camera flashes as he was escorted in, he slapped hands with the club promoter as he met them at the entrance. He heard the DJ announce him being the building and he looked up finally. Body on top of body, women danced, men drunk, there were clouds of smoke, titties, ass, the list went on. He saw CJ with the DJ and he stuck one hand in his jean pocket as he was moved towards VIP. His eyes scanned the room as if you could really take all the commotion in. 

Mercedes hadn’t gone four steps before the room erupted.’ Samuel.’ She smirked as she pressed through the bodies, making  her way to the bar.  

Ronda rushed after her friend, grabbing her by the arm. 

Mercedes whipped around, wondering why Tiny wasn’t doing his job.  

“What?” Mercedes barked over the crowd, snatching her arm away from Ronda.

“I am sorry,” Ronda whispered, loudly into Mercedes' ear.  “You know how my mouth is. Don’t be like that.” She said, locking arms with Mercedes. The roars got louder in the building and Ronda could no longer resist the urge, she went up on tiptoes, looking towards the entrance. Turning back to Mercedes she rolled her neck. “Bitch….” She said, eyeing Mercedes from head to toe.  “You trifling. -Mrs. Carbon copy.  No wonder you’re being so coy. They are headed to the VIP.” She said, eagerly.  ”You need to go handle this… I need VIP access. You should go fix that.” 

Mercedes shook her head, “I’ll think about it. Why doesn’t my ‘assistant’ go get me a drink?  Something strong.” Mercedes said, turning back towards her table. 

Samuel slid past people and he stopped short seeing Natasha, damn, thought to himself. He didn’t know the woman was coming. 

“You lookin’ good papi” Natasha said. 

He nodded his head. “You too, turn up” he added, patting her on the shoulder gently before he walked off. This bitch. He moved towards the raised area, centered with the dancers in the middle of the stage. He stepped up and stood against the rails looking around. “Mr. Most Hated” he heard and turned around with a smirk “shut yo ass up, and get me a bottle” Samuel chuckled. “Motherfuckers love me” he said slyly as he looked to CJ from across the room, he was already grinning in big booty bitches faces. And somewhere his wife was watching. “What type bottles do we need?” was asked and Samuel shrugged “some good shit, Patron, Dusse, Ace - I don’t know, surprise me” he said watching the crowd. 

Tiny parted a way for Mercedes as she moved back towards her table. She’d opted to start the night on the ground floor instead of VIP.    She felt the soft  hand at her waist and spun expecting to see Ronda again. “What!” She snapped before realizing it was one the club’s featured dancers, smirking.  “You seem uptight.  I think you need a dance..”   Mercedes smiled, “Maybe later.”  The dancer gave Mercedes a sidelong glance. “I’m going to hold you to that.”  Mercedes pursed her lips, then pointed to the VIP.  “The guests of honor, the big guy with the braid.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small stack of bills. “Give him a dance on me.” She slapped the girl on her ass “and make it a good one.” She told the woman sending her off.   

Ronda appeared carrying two glasses.  Her eyes widened.  “What the hell was that about?”  

Mercedes took her glass from the woman and slid back into her seat.  “I thought you wanted to get into the VIP?” She said, sipping from the glass.  

“Dusse” CJ said moving into VIP as he handed Samuel a bottle.

“Thanks” Samuel replied back to him over the loud music. He opened it, pouring some into his mouth and placing the cork back in. “Yo wife gone beat yo ass man” Samuel smirked.

 CJ plopped down on the couch taking some ACE to the head. “She’ll be alright,” CJ replied, pulling the gold bottle from his mouth. 

The DJ played the first song dedicated to Samuel and he smirked, he took another sip from the bottle, his head bobbing. “Shawty with the long text, I don't talk, ayy. Shawty with the long legs, she don't walk, ayy. Yeah, last year, I kept it on the tuck, ayy. 2020, I came to fuck it up, yeah. I want a long life, a legendary one” he rapped along with Drake. “I want a quick death, and an easy one. I want a pretty girl and an honest one. I want this drink, and another one, yeah. And I'm troublesome, yeah” he said, saluting the DJ with his bottle. As the girl approached him, he looked at CJ, and then back at the dancer. He smirked his attention moving back to the song “Ariana, Selena, my Visa. It can take as many charges as it needs to, my girl. That shit platinum just like all of my releases, my girl. -  come for me, I tear them all to pieces, my girl. I'ma show your sexy ass what relief is, my girl” he rapped as he looked down at the crowd “here open your mouth” he said pouring shots into the mouths of the women beneath him. 

Mercedes snorted as the crowd swayed, a sea of people rapping the lyrics in time with the song. She finished one drink, before the club promoter approached, with a bottle of Ace of Spades ARMAND DE BRIGNAC. “For one special lady.  Amiyah, you honor me with your presence here tonight.”  Mercdes inclined her head, and whispered a soft, “Thank you.” to the owner. “If you need anything.  Anything at all, please let me know.” The man bowed himself away with a bob of his head and disappeared into the crowd.  

Ronda rushed over to Mercedes itching to tell her who was in the building. “You will never guess who I just saw your ex speaking to.” 

Mercedes sang her reply, “I don’t care.”  

Ronda blinked, eyes going wide.  “So,  you don’t want to know?”  

 Mercedes poured the clear champagne into her glass, “Nope… I told you to have fun.”  She reminded, getting annoyed.  “Shit, why don’t you go dance or something.”  Mercedes said, sipping her drink.  

Ronda shifted on her feet, the hot news she had, withering on her tongue. “Okay, but only if you come dance with me.” 

Mercedes sipped her drink, then conceded  “Anything to shut you the fuck up.” Mercedes finished her drink and grabbed her friend's hand. Telling Tiny to stay, she bounced her ass as she moved onto the dance floor.     

Samuel stood upright as the song changed and the crowd got louder, he chuckled as his head continued to bob. “She said she got a man, I act deaf, I don't hear her. Come here, girl, stop playin', let me put in your liver. Eat what's in my pants, bae, don't gotta go to dinner” Samuel said as before he poured some more liquor into his mouth. He handed the bottle over, looking back watching CJ get a lap dance. “I stole her heart, thou shall not steal, I'm sorry, I'm a sinner. Let her put my chains on, now she think she me or somethin'. Got a special ringtone, when it beep, I know she comin'. She just put her hair on, she just think she flee or somethin'. Nardo hit that G spot, when she scream, I know she cummin'” he repeated spotting Mercedes on the dance floor. And he tilted his head. He turned to CJ “bro go get Mercedes” he said with a headshake “don’t bring the other bitch though” he told him grabbing the Ace as he plopped down next to CJ. 

CJ smacked the woman on her ass, nodding his head he pushed her with him out of VIP. Moving past bodies he found Mercedes in the wave. “MJ” he said with a slight chuckle “he sending for you girl” he breathed and he looked at the other woman with her. “Not you though,” he added “but it’s okay, you got me” he said with a smirk as he winked at her. 

There was a nice press of bodies gyrating together. The strippers that crowded around Mercedes seemed to want to dance with and challenge the singer at the same time.  Mercedes indulged them a bit, making her ample ass jump and jiggle mindful to control the wave less all her ass be put on display.  Mercedes  laughed, as Ronda went full thot. Giving over to professionals,  Mercedes reached into her purse and pulled a stack of bills,  raining them over Ronda’s back. Mercedes remained in time with Ronda. Mercedes heard the man’s insistent voice and knew who it was immediately.  Only one person called her MJ. “Hello CJ.” She hummed as she glanced up to the VIP.  “Is he now?” She danced around CJ turning a circle as she moved. Coming face to face with Ronda, she raised her  eyebrow, “I’ll be right back” Mercedes said.  Translation to mean, watch your ass with this dude.” 

Ronda, only spun and licked her lips at the site of the tattooed man.  

Mercedes shook her head and set off across the club.  It took her a moment to wiggled through the crowd, politely, pulling her hand out of the grasp of three men and two women. Finally Tiny arrived to escort her the rest of the way.  Moving up the steps, she raised her arm at the hulking man guarding the section.  The man looked from Tiny to the short woman and grunted as he unclasped  the velvet rope. She winked at the bodyguard, “Thank you. Tiny I’m fine you can wait here.”  She said, adjusting her skirt before swaying over to Samuel. “You rang?” She asked, smirking down at the man. 

Samuel drunk behind CJ, his lips twisting in disgust he hated ACE. However, he liked the turn up more, he took another sip and sat the bottle down against the table before him. “Know I keep a bankroll, baby, count my bankroll. Put it in your purse, she say, "It's too much, bae, it won't go

Too much, bae, it won't fold, too much, bae, I'm gon' tote". I know I got a lot of y'all, but, baby, you my favorite hoe” he rapped as Mercedes approached. “I did” he said pulling her down in his lap “you look good” he smirked at her. “You smell good too….”

Mercedes raised an eyebrow, yelping as Samuel pulled her into his lap.  She chuckled, repositioning herself a bit.  Hand running over his shirt, “You don’t look half bad yourself.” She said taking the man in, “Do I?” She smiled at the man sweetly,  “Thank you. May I ask what you need?” She glanced at the cup, in his hand a moment before taking it from him and tasting the constant,  wrinkling her nose.  

Samuel tilted his head at her, eyebrow raising “you supposed to be in VIP why you down there?” He asked, pointing towards the dance floor. 

Michelle moved into the building, there were too many people here. The smell of smoke, many kinds of it filled her sensitive nose. She was here to be supportive is what she told herself, it wasn’t a lie. Partially she wanted to watch Samuel’s moves. Moving in her heels she walked towards the DJ navigating her way around. 

“I guess I’m bothering you huh?” Samuel asked Mercedes as he grabbed his bottle of Dusse. 

Mercedes shrugged, setting the cup to the side.  “I like partying with the common folk.” She chuckled, “Seriously, I thought I’d let you guys have full reign for a bit.  Did you enjoy your lap dance?” Mercedes turned in Samuel’s lap crossing her legs. Licking her full lip, she tapped her fingers on her purse for a moment. “Maybe? Let me think about it.” she chuckled, playful rocking back and forth in his lap. 

At her words he looked at her, his eyes watching her mouth move. He wrapped his hand around her waist, his large hand gripping her ass. The other took a sip from his bottle before he lowered it. “Nah, you're where you supposed to be” he told her. His lips turned downward and he nodded his head at her playful banter. Taking a sip he said “I don’t wanna do that”. 

Michelle looked around licking her lips she moved to snag a seat, looking cute was what she was here to do. And with her matching Versace fit people would know who she was her with, well for. She looked up and saw Samuel. She blinked watching him talking to Mercedes’, who matched him to the T. Parting her lips she looked off with an eye roll. Of course. 

Mercedes smirked, turning as she draped her legs over his, one arm going around his neck. “I suppose.” She reached for his bottle D'usse.  There was a hint of devilment in her as she swallowed  just a little of D'usse down.  She leaned in,  kissing Samuel softly on lips. “Only if you think I should stay.”

“I do,” Samuel said as he wrapped her plush body up in his arms. He kissed her back hungrily, drinking her down. In this moment he knew, he’d be fucking her after he was ready to leave. He smacked her on her round ass pulling away from their kiss. Looking in her eyes “CJ got that lap dance so you know what that means” he finally answered as he reached down for a stack popping the band. 

Mercedes body melted into him, the taste of him and dusse together overpowering.  She rubbed her thumb over his lips as he pulled away, removing lip gloss from his lips.  “I should have guessed.”  She said, rolling her eyes.  ‘This motherfucker.’  Mercedes thought, eyes narrowing playfully. She twisted in his lap, planting both her feet on the ground.  She pulled her purse over her hand, laying it on the couch beside them. Getting to her feet, she spun, smiling evilly at the man seated in front of her. She caressed his thighs. Taking her time, she  slid her hands painfully close to his manhood.  She arched her back as she rose, hands moving over his stomach. Teasing him she held his eyes with her own, moving up his body, pecking his lips as her fingertips , moved up the back of his neck. “I only take hundreds.”   

Samuel watched Mercedes, he fanned himself with some of the ones. “Mm mm mm” he said, finally taking in her whole outfit. He caught eyes with one of CJ friends, hall nawl, he thought to himself. “Oh you expensive” he joked as he pulled her back to him. His hands gliding down her butt and skirt. Her skirt was too short; it was going to get someone killed. “We are going to have to revisit this when I get my paper up” he said with a grin pulling her back down in his lap hiding her from the vultures. The DJ announced that she was in the building and in the VIP section. Bottle girls making way thereafter with more bottles and light signs with his and her name on it. And another that said more life. 

 Mercedes’  hand covered her chest quickly as she landed back in Sameul’s lap.  She would gladly strip for him, but maybe not the rest of the club. She tossed her head back giggling  at his antics. “You can’t afford me, huh?”  As her name was announced, she shook her head. “Your boy is wild.” Exhaling a twinge of worry out  at the words illuminated for all ‘more life’.  She shook off the thought, it was not going to do either of them any good at the moment.  Getting to her feet she moved to the rail picking up the gold gun stamped rainmaker.  Lifting the gun, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.  Try as she might, she would never like that bitch, Natasha  However, at the moment there were more important things to consider.. Chuckling, she amid the gun in the woman's direction  and pulled the trigger with both hands, spraying dollars out over the crowd.  

Natasha looked up at the announcement of Mercedes’, she squinted her eyes gently. There was the woman who stood in the way of millionaire baby daddy and his big dick. Sigh. She hadn’t seen the woman since their day in court. She looked good, she guessed. 

Michelle looked up at Mercedes’, she raised a single brow at the woman. Looking away from her she looked towards the crowd seeing his other child’s mother. She froze. This motherfucker. Her blood was boiling slightly however she ignored it, swallowing it down. She knew him better than anyone else. And everybody loved his ass. She looked back up towards the man and stood on her feet, pulling the blue gift box out of her bag. Funny. She was never told about the red wrist bands, or the VIP section. 

Samuel chuckled, “I can afford you,” he said, nodding his head. “All of them are” he told her as the women sat the bottles down, he said “thank you” to them as they left the section. He drank from his bottle once more before he sat it down on the table. Smirking at Mercedes’ he pulled his eyes away from her and looked to see a woman in pink shining from head to toe. It was Michelle and he shot you from his seat as she headed towards him. She wasn’t supposed to be there, well she never said she was attending, it was a small conversation they had at her home nothing more. But here she was, at the worst possible moment. 

Once the rainmaker was spent, Mercedes turned around laughing, only to find an empty seat.  Her eyes moved across the space to find a slightly tense Samuel  headed off towards the ropes of the VIP section.  Following his gaze she spotted a woman, pretty in hot pink Versace.  The bump gave her identity away, almost immediately.  A spike of pure anger, annoyance and hurt, gnawed at her chest. She tore her eyes away, gulping down air. She used to ride high, arrogant, dismissive and petty.  It was a high she liked or maybe it was the false confidence that came with it she fed on. ‘No,’ she thought, tomorrow she’d find something to honestly repair the shit she’d like become broken inside of her.  But tonight she’d have just accept this wasn’t her fight, her mess, or her worry.  She’d mourned her relationship a million times, cried over years of wasted time, fought with the possibility, he may not see their children grow up and that no matter what happened, they were in many respects dead.  That was all she had the strength to deal with at the moment. She hummed the lyrics of the song blasting in the club, “Drop your location, she think she me or sum' Put on my chains, now she think she me or sum'” She sang, hips dipping as the down beat struck. CJ’s friend, bottles in hand,  got up to fill the space around Mercedes, as the song swelled. 

Michelle looked to Samuel “I wanted to give you a gift before I go” she said over the music. Samuel leaned against the railing “thank you” he said to her with a head nod. Michelle's eyes moved to Mercedes’ and then back to him. “Enjoy yourself” she said with a smile as she moved to walk away. Samuel nodded his head again, he didn’t really know what to say her in the moment. He held the box in his hand watching her walk away, before he moved back towards Mercedes’. Looking at the guy beside her, he didn’t say anything. Instead he sat the gift down on the table and grabbed his bottle drinking from it again. 

Mercedes smirked as the music continued, laughing with the fellas as they pointed out girls.  The stripper on the center stage, hung from the top of the pole, using her legs to swing down. Called a bottle girl over, leaning over the rail,  pointed to the stage and handed a stack to the bottle girl, “Take the money to the stage for me.”  She stood back up, adjusting her skirt and  went back to swaying along with the fellas.

Samuel watched Mercedes’ and the men from afar. He looked at the blue box before he picked his stack up. He wouldn’t say anything to the man now, he’d beat his ass on the way out though. He looked for CJ in the crowd when the DJ switched up the song. He started tossing the money towards the stage, dollar bills flying. “I'm like, "Oh, nah, she gotta go",  Ask me her name, I swear I don't even fuckin' know” he smirked as he tossed some more dollars. “They wanna know why di gyal dem deh pon me? Dem eye green, dem mind just set pon mi? They wanna know why dem love him off so much? Like, what is the reason?” He song along with the song, he grabbed a mother stack tossing the ones up. “mmm, it's just the vibe, I'm that guy. She put her legs in the sky whenever I. Pull up, she got her clothes off from the walk in. She won't waste no time, She don't want nobody else, I know” he grabbed another stack of twenties tossing those too. The DJ announced for all the dancers to get on stage as Samuel made it ran and he pointed at CJ telling him to come here. 

One of CJ’s friends tapped Mercedes on the shoulder offering her a pour from one of the bottles. She shook her head, “no thank you.” as more money rained in the room. She sighed, finding Ronda. Shaking her head, Mercedes noted, the way her dress was half way up her ass. For all her talk, Ronda couldn’t tell a motherfucker from a hole in the head. Mercedes filed that little tidbit of information away for later. Attention back on the guys,  the boys had started a little two step, one hand resting on the nearest man for keep her balance, she giggled trying to keep up. 

CJ moved for the vibe section pulling stacks out of the duffle and he tossed money up into the air. Turning around behind him he tilted his head and he looked back at Samuel. Hm. Licking his lips he picked up a new bottle of ACE pouring some into his mouth. 

“I want she and she and she. And they love them some me” Samuel song as sent a peck towards one of his favorite strippers as she dance looking up at him. “I can't even speak to all of 'em. So I call her on the FaceTime. She gon' pick up on the first ring, Oo, I got her wrapped around my damn finger” he said as he popped the band to another stack and he began to toss more money. They had half a million to throw tonight. 

“You just gone let him” CJ said, gesturing behind them. Samuel lifted his finger silencing the man “she grown, she single” he said as he picked up another stack of 20’s. “Couldn’t be me my boy” CJ replied. 

“Duh yo wife over there getting a fucking dance” Samuel said looking towards the woman in the corner. 

CJ looked over at the blonde smirking, “yeah, I got her number earlier, we both probably gonna fuck” he grinned as he tossed some more money. 

“Have fun” Samuel replied. 

“So you ain’t leaving with nine of these bitches?” CJ asked him, lips pursed. 

“Nah, I’m good” Samuel said looking at the man. 

Mercedes back out of the throng, stumbling a bit. The guys parted around her, letting her leave, with only slight moans of protest.  It was hot being surrounded on all sides… Mercedes ran her finger through her hair, fluffing up the curls as she sat down on the leather couch.  She found her purse and  pulled out her phone, checking her messages. Ignoring every new message as she scanned for and update from her nanny. Signing, she lowered the phone deciding, no news must be good news.  “See you need a lap dance.” Came the slurred, gruff voice of a man.  Mercedes looked up, shaking her head, “I am good.” She laughed as he twirled, dropping it low in front of her. Searching around quickly for support she spotted CJ  “CJ, come get yo boy!” She said over the music laughing. 

CJ smacked his teeth at Samuel, nonchalantly tossing money up into the air. He looked at Mercedes’ words and shook his head “aye bruh” he called out before he gestured for him to stop before he got hurt. 

Samuel looked back at Mercedes’ and then to CJ, he licked his lips and tossed some more money. “Go sit your ass down” Samuel commanded as he gazed at the door. “Don’t disrespect me in my section, get yo bitch ass outta VIP” he told him gesturing to the exit. He looked at Mercedes’ contemplating kicking her ass out too before he turned back to the dancers. 

Mercedes laughed, pushing the man off, “boy move.” She giggled, making the man grind in her face even harder. Samuel’s  voice cut through the scenes and Mercedes' head snapped to the man, frowning as he barked at his friend. She met his eyes briefly noting the shift.  ‘Now what in the world?’  She thought eyebrow raised.  CJ’s friend held his hands up, straightening as he moved away from  Mercedes , face turning deep crimson, “My bad… bro.”  Mercedes pushed her phone into her purse, then sat the bag next to a blue box on the table. Sitting back she crossed legs and watched the money rain down to the floor.

CJ raised a brow at Samuel smirking to himself, he looked back at Mercedes’ before he turned back to the women. “Mm mm mm” he said aloud. 

Samuel looked at CJ and said “shut up” as he pushed off the railing and moved to sit back down on the couch. “You ready to ditch this party?” He asked Mercedes’ pulling her closer to him. 

Mercedes pursed her lips, crossing her legs, she gave  CJ a look that clearly said boy please.  She scooted over a bit, making room for Samuel on the couch.  “This party?” She smirked, crossing and recrossing her legs angling more towards the man. “Depends?  Where are we going?” 

“I don’t know,” Samuel said as he leaned his head back, closing his eyes. “Wherever you want to go” he said, large hands gripping her thigh as he held her.  He bobbed his head lightly to the song change “You pray for my demons, girl, I got you. Every time I sip on codeine, I get vulnerable. Ignoring the sounds of the storm when it come” he said, rapping along with Future. “She understand I can't take her everywhere a - going. I been in the field like the children of the corn. I can hear your tears when they drop over the phone. Get mad at yourself 'cause you can't leave me alone. Gossip, bein' messy, that ain't what we doing…” 

Mercedes leaned in to Samuel humming along with the music.   She glanced back, to see the large man mellowing into vibe mode.  She uncrossed her legs and stood taking her purse from the table. “We can leave.” She said, reaching for his hand. She had a sneaky suspicion Samuel was tired. 

Samuel opened his eyes and looked at the woman, “okay” he said eagerly. He had been ready to go when he came. He’d rather be with his kids or Mercedes. He stood up, pulling her up with him. He grabbed the blue fox sticking it in his pocket and moved towards CJ “imma hit the streets” he told the man. “Y’all party the night away though bro, thank you” he said to him. 

“Ah come on,” CJ protested. He hugged the man still however “I love you bro, more life fam” he told him. 

Samuel chuckled, hugging the man back “more life brother” he replied back. “Alright” he said as he offered Mercedes’ his hand. 

Mercedes quickened her pace to stay in step with Sameul as he pulled her along.  Samuel stopped to say good night to CJ and Mercedes looked out over the crowd craning to find Ronda.  Sighing  she turned back and smiled at the men’s outward showing of affection.  She smiled down at CJ’s hand and slipped her hand into his. “Try  not to get into too much trouble.” She smiled, “Thank you… This was fun.”   

“Trouble is my middle name,” CJ smirked at the woman. “Good seeing MJ, thanks for coming,'' he said respectfully. “If your girls stay, I’ll keep a watchful eye out” he said pouring more ACE into his mouth. 

Samuel gestured to the other men with a hand toss before he walked out of the VIP section stepping down, he held Mercedes’ hand helping her down as well. He gestured to the DJ who announced his departure “thank you” he said over the loud music to the man. The bodyguards moved people out of the way, letting the man and woman through the crowd. He tugged his shirt fanning himself as money continued to rain and ass continued to shake left and right. “Good looking out man” he said the promoter as he dapped the man up. 

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” Mercedes said, glancing up at Samuel. At CJ’s comment about Ronda, Mercedes chuckled. “MHM, I’m sure you will.” She said, as she was being led away by Samuel. Ronda was a big girl.  She hoped the woman knew what she was doing. Mercedes mused as they made their way out of the club.  

Moving for the exit Samuel pulled Mercedes’ to his side as she walked out the door towards a car. He opened the truck door and allowed Mercedes’ to climb into the backseat of the truck before him. He climbed in behind her and closed the door behind himself. “Your place?” He asked her. 

Mercedes scooted across the seat.  Exhaling she leaned back against the leather.  She watched as Samuel climbed through the door.. There was no hesitation when she was asked where she wanted to go.  She nodded her head, “yeah.  That is fine.”  

Nodding his head Samuel gave the driver the directions of where to go. He sat back shifting in his seat, stretching his legs and leaned his head back against the seat. He adjusted the gun on his hip. “I think I’m all partied out” he told her “shit is so…” he shrugged “pointless to me now” he told her leaning against the door as he looked out the window. 

Mercedes rubbed her hand over her thighs with a sigh,  “Yeah.  Shit hits differently when the highlight of your night is waiting on a text update from the babysitter.”  She turned to the man reaching a hand out to run her fingers over his braid. “I don’t think it is a bad thing. “ She wondered if this was him growing up or the looming operation. 

Samuel smirked at her comment, he did miss the kids himself but that was nothing new. “Yeah” he breathed heavily “it just doesn’t” he shrugged “I don’t know… bring any satisfaction” he admitted. “Anyway” he said as he leaned upright “it was good that you got out” he told her “mothers are allowed to have fun too right” he said turning his head to look at her.

Mercedes chuckled, letting her hand fall away from Samuel.  “It was… though your  boys are something else.” She told him, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not sure the world would agree but I’m starting to believe we should.” She smiled lightly, “I hope you had at least a little fun tonight.” She asked, pinching her fingers together.  

“Yeah, they are,” Samuel said, nodding his head. He chuckled at her words “you are an amazing mother, you should be able to enjoy yourself from time to time” he told her. “Yeah, it felt good being in a room full of people who actually give a shot about me, even if it is a little bit” he told her. “However, I miss the kids. And I’m tired” he smirked to himself. 

Mercedes chuckled. I'll try to remember that.  It’s good advice.” Mercedes listened wondering if Samuel really understood his impact on the people around him.  “You are well loved Samuel, in whatever room you enter.” Mercedes told the man knowingly. Women, men -everyone loved Samuel.   Adjusted herself on the seat and unbuckled her shoes. Looking at Samuel, “I know.” She smiled, “I am sure they are feeling the exact same way right about now.” She laughed, reaching for her purse. “The boys may also be hungry too though.” 

Samuel tilted his head at her squinting, she was just trying to make him feel better he guessed. The truth was nobody gave a shit about him, just about who he was. He looked out the window again, “well, here you are Miss Jones” he said as the large house came to view. “Your stop” he breathed. 

Mercedes looked at Samuel laughing, “Don’t look at me like that.”  She could almost guess what he was thinking. The only people who actually loved  her were her mother, sister and the three kids waiting for her at home. No one knew her, not really. With a groan Mercedes reached down and quickly refastened her shoes as they pulled into her driveway. There was absolutely no need to ruin her tights.  

Samuel raised his hands defensively, “I’m not looking at you like anything” he chuckled. As the car rolled to a stop he watched her put her shoes on he said “would you mind if I came in to kids the kids goodnight?”

“Lies” Mercedes chuckled, struggling a bit to  fasten the clasp of her shoe. Finally, getting the shoe on, she sat up and placed her bag on her shoulder.  She shook her head, “Samuel you know I don’t mind, but thank you for asking.”  She told the man respectfully. As the door opened, she slid across to Samuel’s side waiting for him to get out of the car first. 

Samuel nodded his head at her and moved to climb out of the car before Mercedes’, he stood off to the side to let her climb out. Licking his lips, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side, hugging her gently. 

Mercedes swung her legs out of the truck behind Samuel, fishing  her keys out of her purse.  She gripped them in her fist as she climbed the rest of the way out of the truck. Caught off guard by Samuel pulling her into his side, she rubbed his back and he hugged her.  Still holding his hand, she wiggled out of the hug and pulled him towards the house. “Come on” She said, facing him as she walked backwards, she turned and unlocked the door, moving into the house's foyer. The house was dim and quiet, “humm this nanny might just make it.” 

Samuel raised both brows at Mercedes’, moving alo bc with her as she tugged him towards the door. He walked in the house and chuckled. “Her hands were full, if she managed she’s a keeper” he said. 

Mercedes closed the front door behind Samuel, chuckling. “Your children are particular.” She smiled moving away from the man, she placed her keys and purse on the foyer table, before reaching down to remove her shoes.  She stepped out of the platforms, shrinking almost 3 inches instantly.  She really didn’t need to lead Samuel through the house, the man definitely knew the way.  But,  she chuckled, taking his hand again, starting  up the steps towards the twins’ room.  

“Are you trying to say my children are just like me?” He asked her with a playful squint. He held her hand walking with her as they moved to the twins room. In the moment he wondered to himself for the first time, would the four actually be make do without him? He knew she was more than capable, but would she want to? Any respectable person would say no he guessed. 

Mercedes shook her head, side eyeing Samuel.  “You're kidding me with this question right now?” She asked, rolling her eyes.  It was still too early to tell with the boys, but Mack was Samuel’s through and through. Twisting the door to the nursery open, she walked in and found Ms. Roxy asleep in the boy's glider, wisps for white hair, sticking out along the front of her head. Mercedes knew just from the sound of the boys breathing, they were resting comfortably. She placed a finger over her lips and looked to Samuel before entering the room fully. She nodded  towards the boy’s circle crib signing to Sam, while she moved over to wake the nanny. She touched the old nurse, softly and the older lady jumped.  “Thank you. Why don’t head to bed.  I’ve got the kids. We’ll discuss things in the morning.” Ms. Roxy pursed her lip, “I was just resting my eyes.” she whispered to the girl. She looked around Mercedes, to the huge fellow over with the boys.  This was her first time seeing the man up close. The older woman sat up. “Well, I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.” Roxy told Mercedes before leaving the room.   

“Uh..” Samuel said with an eyebrow raised “I think Mackenna has a little bit of you in there too” he said slyly. Samuel moved over towards the crib, taking the two children sleeping form in before he bent down and kissed the both lovingly. He stood upright again looking back at the older woman, he offered her a polite smile. 

Mercedes grinned at his response, but reserved her comment.  Ms. Roxy inclined  her head towards the towering man.  If she was 20  years younger, she thought, smiling good naturally towards the boy, before closing the door behind her.  Mercedes moved over to the crib, looking down on the boys. She grinned and brushed her hand over their heads lightly.   “I think Ms. Roxy is good for them.” she said, staring down for a moment longer, holding the side of the crib.  With one last once over, “I’m going to check on Mack.” She said turning to leave. 

He wanted to hold them both but he knew he couldn’t, he shouldn’t at least. They were sleeping peacefully and he knew how long nights could be with newer babies. He watched Mercedes leave and he took in their nursery around him before he looked at the children again and moved to leave. Samuel followed behind Mercedes’ slowly towards their oldest child room. 

Mercedes wasn’t quite as careful opening her daughter's door.  Mackenna had always been a heavy sleeper.  She opened the door wide and stood in the doorway shaking her head. Mack was sprawled out over the entire bed, stuffed animals and dolls all around her.  Mercedes walked in the room, scooping up toys as she moved. Depositing the first set into the toy box, she went over to the bed and took up another armful of stuffed animals and moved back to the box once more. 

Entering the room he looked towards the little girl as Mercedes cleaned her room. Samuel smiled to himself walking over to Mackenna. He bent down and offered her a small sweet kiss too, pulling her covers over her and tucking her in gently. 

Mercedes snatched the last bear up by the ear from the bed watching Samuel with a smirk.  Sighing softly, she looked down into the bears face then decided, taking all her little friends would be cruel.  Placing the bear under the covers with the little girl, she tucked the covers around them both  tighter. Standing she looked over at Samuel, then back  down at the sleeping child. Stepping around the bed, she took Samuel’s hand and sandwiched it between her own squeezing it softly.  

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