#bonus points if Digger tops

[sunbending101]

If I had a nickel for every time there was a middle-aged, tatted, Australian criminal who looks like he's homeless yet he's jacked as shit, has sideburns, is an alcoholic and has a knack for pissing everywhere; I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice...

The only difference bein' Kano over here has massive muscle bear energy and Digger looks like an old man who never moved on from his twink death.

I fuckin' love this crack ship, I just know they would fuck nasty.

[thepettymachine]

Robert's Profile Card + Generation Goal Description:

I'm doing playing both of these challenges like a lepacy so information of both down below:

All In One Goals:

Have your sim get a career of their choice (must be from the base game)

Have your sim meet the love of their life either from work, or even a pedestrian

You CANNOT get married until you reach level four of your career

You CANNOT have kids until you reach level four of your career

Pick up a hobby and reach at least between level three to five (Gardening, Logic, etc.)

Have a boy and a girl (or as many as you want)

Complete aspiration and/or reach the top of your career

HIX Checklist:

Where Evil Grows [Criminal]

Have the Evil and/or Mean Spirited trait +0.5 point

Join Criminal Career +0.5 point

Have one 'perfect' child, neglect the rest +0.5 point

Befriend Child or have 5 friends +0.5 point

Reach the top of the Criminal Career ⬇

Thief Branch:

Master the Athletic Skill +1 point

Befriend all coworkers +1 point

Become best friends with a co-worker +1 point

Complete the LTW 'Become Master Thief' +1 point

Complete the LTW 'Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law' +1 point

Master Logic +1 point

Complete the LTW 'Perfect Mind, Perfect Body' +1 point

Complete the LTW 'Gold Digger' +1 point

+Bonus:

Woohoo service sim +1 point

Have a child with service sim +1 point

Marry service sim +1 point

Get child with hidden trait +1 point

Resurrect sim (Create Ambrosia) OR create playable ghost +1 point

Have a ghost baby (have many ghost babies even. With all them ghost colors) +1 point

[kokoch4n3l]

DEAD GIRL’S BEACH࿐ྂ KUROKAWA IZANA x f!oc x SANO MANJIRO

BONUS — sugar baby bunny

chapter summary: how Maya's first day on the job would have gone if she had been nosy or, Izana and his sugar baby bunny

chapter warnings: dark content 18+, inaccurate depictions of psychiatric hospitals and medical treatment/conditions, canon typical violence, gang activity, dehumanization, drug addiction(c*caine), drug addiction recovery, drug withdrawals, withdrawal symptoms, abuse of power, murder, non-graphic torture, blood and gore, panic attack, blackmail, alcohol, slight sugar baby-sugar daddy dynamic, suggestive themes, possessiveness, gold digger!oc, guns, vomiting, threats, very fast-paced, making out, kissing, implied smut, suggestive themes, slight bondage, implied virginity loss, collaring(?), open ending, not edited

word count: 20 493

masterlist | previous

Izana stares up and down at his new doctor in charge of the night shift. She's young. Wearing blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat on top and sneakers on her feet. Her long curly black hair is clipped behind her head with a black claw clip. She's got pale skin, delicate features and light freckles and is looking at him with these big blue eyes. How cute. Honestly speaking he was expecting another old lady. "Kaneko... Maya..." He reads off her ID badge clipped onto the breast pocket of her white coat

She's holding a tray of food which is dinner, a few shorter stray curly strands falling in front of her eyes. Cute. "Yes... That's me" She says with a soft smile and places the tray of food in front of him "I'm the new psychiatrist in charge of the night shift"

Izana watches her every move and then smiles at her. "Nice to meet you, Doctor Kaneko, I'm Kurokawa Izana" He scans her up and down again "You're quite... young... how old are you?"

"22" she answers without hesitation

Oh. She was young. "Just out of college, I'm assuming doctor"

Maya nods. She's cute. Izana can't help but think she reminds him of a little bunny. Izana leans forward, his gaze lingering on Maya as he studies her intently. "So, Maya," he says, his voice smooth and curious, "what brings a young, bright thing like you to a place like this?"

Maya's eyes widen in surprise at the question, caught off guard by Izana's sudden interest in her. She fidgets with the edge of her coat, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Oh, um, well," she stammers, unsure of how much to reveal, "student loans... and no one wants to hire a fresh graduate"

Izana can't help but notice the nervousness in Maya's demeanour, her vulnerability only adding to her charm in his eyes. He leans back in his chair, a playful glint dancing in his gaze as he listens to her response. "Ah, the ol' student loans trap," he remarks with a mock sympathetic smile that she catches easily "I've heard that story one too many times."

Most of the sugar babies Ran, Rindo and the other guys had were with them for that exact reason. Student loans. Maya sure seemed like sugar baby material. She was cute and young. Seemed pretty sweet and the clingy type as well. "At least there is no interest" Maya says with a little laugh, clearly trying to appear more welcoming

But Maya didn't need to seem welcoming. Her pretty face was enough for Izana to feel captivated. Izana chuckles softly at Maya's attempt to lighten the mood, her laughter ringing like music to his ears. He watches her closely, his gaze lingering on her delicate features, the way her eyes sparkle with warmth and kindness. "You have a point there, Doctor," he replies, his tone smooth and velvety, "but sometimes, the cost of those loans can be much higher than we anticipate."

Maya's smile falters slightly at his words, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features. She senses something beneath Izana's charming facade, something dark and dangerous, but she pushes the thought aside, unwilling to dwell on it. "Oh well. At least I'm not unemployed" She says

It's cute. She's so cute. Fucking adorable.

Maya leaves not too long later as she needs to collect the trays from the other patients and is called by the hospital director for something. Izana watches her go with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He can't deny the allure of her innocence, the way she carries herself with such naivety. But beneath that veneer of sweetness lies a vulnerability that Izana finds all too enticing. He pictures her as a bunny, a creature of soft fur and wide, innocent eyes, navigating the treacherous terrain of the psychiatric hospital with a naivety that both intrigues and enraptures him. As Izana sits alone in the suffocating silence of the room, shadows swallowing the corners, his fixation on Maya grows into something more sinister. She exists in his mind like a fragile doll, her innocence a tempting facade that belies the darkness lurking beneath. It was funny. He's meeting her for the first time today and he already can't get enough. "shit" he says, laughing a little to himself like he was a schizophrenic

As Izana reflects on his current situation, memories of Mikey's stern words echo in his mind. Mikey, his little brother, had always been the voice of reason, the one who urged Izana to confront his demons head-on. And Kakucho, their trusted ally, had echoed Mikey's sentiments, pushing Izana to seek treatment for his addiction. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, the realization that even someone as powerful as Izana was not immune to the clutches of addiction. But Mikey had been adamant: addictions were a weakness, a stain on their family's honour that could not be tolerated.

So here he was, confined within the walls of Sunshine Grove, stripped of his power and reduced to nothing more than a patient in need of treatment. It was a humbling experience, one that forced Izana to confront the demons that had long haunted him. It had been a total of a month since he was admitted here. It hadn't been bad... It was just the fucking medication that was the problem. He stares down his left arm with the iv in it. Apparently whatever medication was being given to him was essential to his recovery but he really fuckin' hated it. He felt like actual shit. Tired all the time, sleepy as shit. He hated it.

Oh well. At least now he had a pretty doctor to look at. He can't help but smirk at the thought of Maya, her presence a welcome respite from the sterile walls and clinical atmosphere of the hospital. Despite his initial reservations, there's something about her that intrigues him, something that stirs within him a sense of forbidden desire. As Izana waits for Maya to enter the room, he finds himself lost in thoughts of her, his mind conjuring images of her delicate features and gentle demeanour. It's a dangerous game he's playing, allowing himself to be drawn to someone like her. But it's fine. he figures. Sooner or later, Maya comes back for his tray, holding an IV bag in one hand. A replacement for the empty one he's connected to. As she's setting it up it looks like Maya wants to ask him something. "you look like you want to say something" Izana says

Maya pauses in her task, her brows furrowing slightly as if she's debating whether or not to voice her thoughts. Izana watches her closely, the smirk still lingering on his lips as he anticipates her response. Finally, Maya sighs softly, her gaze meeting Izana's with a mixture of uncertainty and determination. "I couldn't help but notice," she begins hesitantly, her voice soft but steady "Your file that they gave had a lot of things blocked off... Is there a reason for it?"

Izana cocks his head. "things like what?"

Maya hesitates, her lips parting as if she's unsure how much to reveal. "Well," she begins cautiously, her gaze drifting to the floor before returning to meet Izana's, "it's just... your medical history, for one. It's heavily redacted, and there are some notes about your background that seem... unusual. And also for the thing you're here for"

Izana's eyebrows raised in mock surprise, though inwardly he was amused by Maya's curiosity. "You don't know what I'm here for? But you're my psychiatrist"

Maya flushes slightly at the implication, her cheeks tinted with a faint blush as she shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, yes," she admits reluctantly, "but... they haven't exactly been forthcoming with the details. It's... unusual, to say the least."

Izana's smile widens at Maya's response, a sense of satisfaction coursing through him. It's clear that Maya is out of her depth, her curiosity piqued by the mystery surrounding his presence in the psychiatric hospital. But as he watches her squirm under his gaze, Izana can't help but feel a pang of guilt tugging at his conscience. Maya may be just a pawn in his game, but she's also a human being with her own fears and vulnerabilities. Pushing aside his misgivings, Izana leans back in his chair, his smile morphing into a more reassuring expression. She won't judge him. She's probably encountered many people like himself here who were probably in worse condition. "cocaine addiction" he tells her

Maya's nerves are palpable, her hands trembling as she struggles to maintain her composure in the face of Izana's questioning gaze. She swallows hard, her throat dry as she searches for the right words to say. "So... You're not a convicted criminal?" she asks tentatively, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izana's eyes narrow slightly at her question, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. He may not be a convicted criminal, but that doesn't mean he's innocent. Still, there's no need for Maya to know that. "No, and why does that relate to this?" he responds, his voice firm and commanding.

Maya's stomach churns at his response, her mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. She knows she's treading on dangerous ground, but she can't help but feel a sense of obligation to uncover the truth. "The second floor is where patients admitted for addiction stay," she explains, her voice trembling slightly, "you're on the fourth floor, where the convicted criminals who claimed insanity are housed."

The realization hits Izana like a ton of bricks, his anger simmering just beneath the surface as Maya's words sink in. He clenches his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides as he struggles to maintain his composure. "Oh," he mutters through gritted teeth, his gaze fixed on Maya's trembling form.

She looks like she might be sick, and Izana's frustration only grows at the sight. Without a word, Maya reaches into her pocket and retrieves a piece of gauze, her hands shaking as she gently places it over the insertion site of Izana's IV. He watches her silently, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sends a shiver down her spine. As Maya begins to remove the IV, applying pressure to the wound as she withdraws the catheter, Izana remains silent, his mind swirling with a mixture of anger and disbelief. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was here for addiction. Not because he got caught. So why was he on the third floor? "Keep pressure on it for a few minutes," Maya mumbles as she finishes dressing the wound, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izana nods curtly, his eyes never leaving Maya's retreating form as she gathers her things and prepares to leave the room. But before she can make her escape, Izana's voice cuts through the silence like a knife. "Doctor... If this is what I think it is..." he begins slowly, his words hanging in the air like a threat.

But Maya shakes her head, her eyes wide with fear as she hurries out of the room, leaving Izana alone with his thoughts. He stares at the closed door for a moment, his mind racing with possibilities, before reaching for his flip phone and dialling Kisaki's number.

As the line rings, Izana can't help but feel himself get angry.

Someone had to pay.

How Maya ended up back in Izana's room after that was beyond her. She's pressed into the side of an older man with slicked-back purple hair and black highlights. He forces her to keep looking ahead as the hospital director and the nurse in charge of this floor are tortured. Maya isn't able to speak or even move. The man holding her isn't doing so in a painful way nor is he being mean. Rather he's being an odd mixture of condescending and sweet. "I'm Haitani Ran by the way" He says as if they met at some coffee shop "I'm Izana's childhood friend. We met in juvie"

Fucking figures.

Maya's blood runs cold at the revelation, her mind racing with the implications of what she's just heard. She swears she's heard his name from Chifuyu before whenever he talked to Kazutora about the recent news of the Tokyo Manji Gang. Had Maya really gotten herself caught up with Japan's most ruthless gang?

No way. No fucking way.

In front of her by the bed, Izana is putting on a new set of clothes, changing out of the hospital uniform like nothing is happening. Ran chuckles as he watches Izana change, his gaze briefly darting towards Maya before returning to his friend. "You know," he says, his tone light but with a hint of mischief, "your little doctor is quite adorable. Think we could keep her around?"

Izana lets out a hearty laugh, a grin spreading across his face as he meets Ran's gaze. "You're kidding, right?" he replies, his amusement evident in his voice but then he hums and looks at Maya up and down as if contemplating something "Well she is pretty..."

Maya shifts uncomfortably under Izana's scrutiny, feeling increasingly like an object rather than a person. The air around them feels charged with tension, and Maya can't shake the feeling that she's become the subject of some kind of twisted game between Izana and his friend. Ran's chuckle breaks the uneasy silence, but Maya can't help but feel a sense of unease lingering in the pit of her stomach. Izana is buttoning up his shirt while a guy with a scar across his face is beating the hospital director's face in and walks over, looking up and down at her. "I have to say, I was contemplating whether or not you should be on the floor with them..." Izana gestures to the hospital director and the nurse on the bloody floor "But today is your first day, yeah doctor?"

Izana cups her cheeks and Ran lets go of her. He's staring down at her with this crazed, almost obsessive look in his eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong after all... You came and told me right away what was wrong" Izana speaks to her the same way one would talk to a child

Izana's fingers linger on Maya's cheek, his touch sending a shiver down her spine as she struggles to maintain her composure. She can feel his gaze tracing every contour of her face, his eyes drinking in every detail with an unsettling intensity. "You have such a pretty face, doctor," Izana murmurs, his voice low and seductive. "It would be a shame to see it tarnished..."

Her breath gets stuck in her throat. Maya thinks she might either throw up, faint or die of cardiac arrest. She's nervous and scared and doesn't know what is going to happen to her. The hospital director was trying to exact revenge on Izana due to something. She wasn't really listening. Maya didn't know. She didn't care. Right now, she was terrified and unable to think about anything else. Unable to tear her gaze away from Izana's intense stare, Maya feels a sense of vulnerability wash over her. His words linger in the air, suffocating her with their weight, and she struggles to find her voice amidst the chaos unfolding around them. The hospital director's screams echo in her ears, a grim reminder of the danger lurking just beyond the walls of Sunshine Grove. Maya knows she's in over her head, caught in the crossfire of a world far darker and more sinister than she ever could have imagined. As Izana's fingers trail down her cheek, Maya flinches involuntarily, her skin prickling with unease. She can sense the power he holds over her, his presence casting a shadow over her every thought and action. "tell you what, hm... You're clearly a good doctor... Honest... Sweet—"

"easy on the eyes" Ran butts in, cutting off Izana

Maya's cheeks flush with embarrassment, her pulse pounding in her ears as she struggles to maintain her composure. She knows she's caught in the middle of something far beyond her control but she needs to keep calm. Izana glares at Ran then looks at Maya again. "How about, in exchange for you being the sweetest doctor ever... You work for me and I spare your life" Izana says

She opens her mouth to speak, to assert herself, but no words come out. Instead, she finds herself gasping for air, her vision blurring as her heart races uncontrollably. It's as if the walls of the room are closing in on her, suffocating her with their oppressive weight. As Maya's panic intensifies, her knees buckle beneath her, threatening to send her crashing to the floor. In a swift motion, Izana reaches out, his strong arms wrapping around her to steady her trembling form. His touch is cold and unwelcome, sending a shiver of fear down Maya's spine. With Izana's support, Maya struggles to remain upright, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she fights to regain control of her body. She feels utterly powerless, trapped in the suffocating grip of her own fear. Izana's grip tightens around her, his touch suffocating and possessive. Izana's arms wrapped around her, his touch cold and unwelcome against her skin. "You're trembling, sweetheart," he murmurs, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Are you afraid of me?"

Maya struggles to form coherent words, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and terror. "I-I..." she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't have to be afraid, sweetheart," Izana coos, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "I'm not going to hurt you... unless you give me a reason to."

Maya's heart races in her chest, her pulse thundering in her ears as she struggles to comprehend the gravity of her predicament. Ran is laughing at the whole scene. Her panic is something amusing to them. "Aniki, I think Kakucho killed the guy" another guy with purple hair styled in a mullet says and Ran looks over

"My bad..." Kakucho mutters "I got carried away"

Izana turns his head to see the mess on the floor but Maya doesn't look. She really doesn't want to but clearly, Izana doesn't share that same sentiment and forces her to look. Izana's gaze locks onto Maya's, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sends shivers down her spine. "Do you want that to be you?" he asks, his voice low and menacing, as if daring her to defy him.

Maya's breath catches in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggles to find the words to respond. Fear grips her tightly, its icy fingers wrapping around her throat and squeezing the air from her lungs. "I-I..." Maya's voice falters, her words barely audible above the chaos surrounding them.

She wants to scream, to beg for mercy, but the words die on her lips, suffocated by the weight of her fear. Izana's grip tightens around her, his touch sending a jolt of terror coursing through her veins. "Answer me, bunny," he growls, his voice laced with menace. "Do you want to end up like them?"

With a frantic shake of her head, Maya manages to whisper, "N-No..."

Everyone in the room is looking at her. She feels panicked. Maya wants to go home. She wants to go back to her bed. Never did she think that her first day on her job would be like this. How the fuck did she end up surrounded by members of the Tokyo Manji Gang? Izana's lips curl into a mocking smile, his eyes gleaming with amusement at Maya's distress. "Oh, bunny, I didn't realize you were so sensitive," he taunts, his voice dripping with condescension. "But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you... as long as you play nice."

There is a short moment of silence before the guy with glasses, Kisaki, is calling someone and Kakucho is cleaning his hands of all the blood. "Tell me you agree and you'll live" Izana murmurs, continuing to force her to look at the dead body of her former boss and the nurse in charge of the 4th floor

Maya's heart pounds in her chest as she struggles to process the surreal situation unfolding around her. The weight of Izana's words hangs heavy in the air, filling her with a sense of dread, unlike anything she's ever experienced before. She feels a surge of panic rising within her, threatening to consume her entirely. All she wants is to escape, to run far away from this nightmare and never look back. But as she looks around the room and sees the hardened expressions of Izana's associates, she knows that there's no way out. With a trembling voice, Maya manages to whisper, "O-Okay"

Izana's smirk widens at her plea, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Good girl" he purrs, his tone laced with malice.

"Keep calm, sweetheart," Ran interjects, his voice surprisingly gentle. "We don't wanna have to knock you out."

With a trembling breath, Maya tries to steady herself, her hands shaking as she clutches onto the edge of the nearby table for support. She can feel the weight of their gazes bearing down on her, each one filled with a different shade of menace and intrigue. Izana's eyes linger on her, his smirk morphing into a predatory grin. "You're doing well, sweetheart," he murmurs, his voice dripping with false praise. "Just remember to play nice, and everything will be fine."

Maya nods weakly, her stomach churning with unease. So she's led out of the hospital and into a car worth just as much as the student loans she has to pay off and they take her home. "I'm sure you know calling the police will be embarrassing," Rindo tells her as they stand in front of her door "so unless you're interested in embarrassing yourself, go ahead"

Maya's heart sank as Rindo's words hit her like a cold splash of water. She knows he's right. "Rindo be a little nicer" Kakucho mutters to him

Rindo shoots Kakucho a glare before turning back to Maya with a forced smile. "Sorry about that, sweetheart," he says, his tone slightly less abrasive "We're just trying to avoid any unnecessary complications. You understand, right?"

Maya is fiddling with the sleeve of her white coat, unable to do anything but nod. "get some rest, we'll be in contact" Kakucho says

The next morning, Maya gets an email that all her loans have been paid in full.

"tiny" Izana says as he barged into her house alongside Kakucho hours later

"Uh, what are you doing here?" Maya manages to stammer out, her voice trembling with nerves.

Izana's grin widens, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "We just wanted to make sure you got our little gift," he says, his tone almost playful. "And to see if you're settling into your new life nicely. Your loans have been paid"

Maya's in loungewear, sweatpants and an oversized shirt. She's trembling. Oh how grateful she was that she showered already. "Y-You paid them?" She asks, watching as Izana looks at the array of picture frames on one of her walls

Izana's grin remained, his eyes still alight with mischief as he turned back to her. "Of course," he replied, his tone almost nonchalant. "Consider it a token of our appreciation for your cooperation... And of course, we're buying your silence too if you couldn't tell"

Maya's heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to process the implications of his words. She knew she was entangled in something far beyond her control, a web of danger and deceit spun by Izana and his associates. "I-I don't know what to say," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izana's grin widened, his demeanour almost mocking. "No need to thank us, bunny," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Just remember who's looking out for you now."

Izana's gaze swept across Maya's living room as if he owned the place, his expression filled with casual entitlement. He wandered around, examining the decor and pictures on the walls with a detached interest, while Maya stood frozen in place, feeling like an intruder in her own home. Kakucho, on the other hand, watched Maya with a hint of remorse in his eyes, his expression tinged with sympathy. He seemed uncomfortable with the intrusion, but powerless to stop it. "Sorry about this, Maya," he muttered softly, his voice barely audible over the silence of the room.

Maya forced a weak smile, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to maintain her composure. "It's okay" she replied, her voice wavering slightly. But inside, she was anything but okay.

She was terrified, trapped in a nightmare from which there seemed to be no escape. "As cute as this place is..." Izana says sarcastically from inside her room "It's tiny as fuck"

Maya's smile faltered at Izana's comment, her anxiety rising with each passing moment. She felt exposed, vulnerable, as if Izana's mere presence had stripped away any sense of safety she had left. "Yeah, well, it's home," Maya replied, her voice tinged with defensiveness.

She wished she could muster the courage to stand up to Izana, to demand that he leave her alone, but fear held her tongue captive. After what she saw last night, what happened to the hospital director and the nurse, Maya knows better than to say anything against Izana. He emerged from her room, his smirk still firmly in place. "Well, lucky for you, bunny, you won't be spending much time here anymore," Izana remarked, his tone dripping with mockery. "We've got plans for you."

Izana takes a seat on the couch and says "Get me a drink"

At the same time, both Maya and Kakucho say "no"

Maya's heart raced as she and Kakucho spoke in unison, their voices firm and resolute despite their trembling nerves. She knew that giving Izana alcohol while he was still recovering from addiction was not only irresponsible but dangerous. Izana's smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a flash of irritation. "What did you say?" he demanded, his tone sharp and demanding.

Maya swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she struggled to maintain her composure. "I said no," she repeated, her voice trembling but firm. "It's not a good idea for you to drink right now, Mr. Kurokawa."

Kakucho nodded in agreement, his expression apologetic as he glanced between Maya and Izana. "She's right, Izana," he interjected, his voice calm but firm. "You're still recovering, remember?"

Izana's gaze hardened, his jaw tensing as he stared down at Maya with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You're playing a dangerous game, bunny," he warned, his voice low and menacing. "But fine, I'll indulge you... for now."

It was dumb for Maya to be like this especially when these guys were literal killers, gangsters and whatnot. She knew she was playing a dangerous game by standing up to Izana, but she couldn't ignore the voice of reason within her. Despite her fear, Maya remained steadfast in her decision, her resolve unwavering even in the face of Izana's menacing glare. She couldn't afford to compromise her principles, not when the stakes were so high. Kakucho's gaze softened as he regarded Maya with a mixture of admiration and concern. "You're brave, doctor," he murmured, his voice tinged with genuine respect. "But you should be careful. Izana doesn't take kindly to being challenged."

Maya nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as she braced herself for whatever consequences her defiance might bring. Izana is holding a picture frame he picked off one of the tables, looking at it with amusement. "Tell me, how long have you known Matsuno Chifuyu?" Izana asks

She feels sick. "H-He doesn't have anything to do—"

"—to do with this, yeah I know," Izana says and chuckles "Why would I do anything to him? He's a former member after all"

Maya furrows her brows at Izana's words. Her mind raced with confusion and disbelief. Chifuyu, a member of the Tokyo Manji Gang? It was a revelation she couldn't fathom, a stark contrast to the kind and gentle demeanour he always displayed. She didn't think he was a gang member. How the fuck would a gang member pass high school and then run a pet store and listen to fucking girls generation? How was the boy she fell in love with in middle school affiliated with the gang whose scrutiny she's currently under? "I-I don't understand," she stammered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "Chifuyu wouldn't—"

Izana's laughter cut through her protests, his amusement evident as he tossed the picture frame aside. "Oh, he's not with us anymore, sweetheart," he explained casually as if discussing the weather. "But he used to run with the best of us. We go way back. He was... First Divison Vice Captain, huge position until he left after he finished high school"

Maya's mind reeled at the implications of Izana's words. She had known Chifuyu for years and had trusted him implicitly. But now, faced with the harsh reality of his past, she couldn't help but question everything she thought she knew about him. "I-I had no idea," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Chifuyu never mentioned anything..."

Izana's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, now you know," he replied, his tone laced with amusement. "And now you're one of us, doc. Welcome to the family."

Maya thinks she's going to be sick. "I don't... I..."

No words are coming out. "What Izana means is that we would like you to work exclusively with us..." Kakucho says noticing Maya's panic, quickly jumping to do damage control "Izana is sick recovering and we can no longer trust anyone with continuing his treatment... You have proven to be... innocent and the best choice"

Maya felt trapped, her options shrinking as Izana and his associates painted her into a corner. The weight of their expectations bore down on her, suffocating her with the realization that she had little say in the matter. "I-I guess I don't have much of a choice," she murmured, her voice trembling with resignation.

Izana's grin widened, his eyes alight with triumph. "Smart girl," he remarked, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "You won't regret this, bunny. Welcome to the family."

"Financial control" Maya mutters as she looks around the new apartment

There are large floor-to-ceiling windows lining an entire wall and the place is already furnished. On the coffee table are shopping bags with logos of expensive brands on each. "hm?" Kakucho says curiously

Maya looks around in awe as she mindlessly says "Where someone takes charge of all finances to foster dependency, is a form of abuse aimed at gaining power over the victim's financial resources and independence"

Kakucho's brow furrows in confusion as Maya's words hang in the air, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and apprehension. "What do you mean?" he asks, his tone cautious.

Maya shakes her head, trying to compose herself as she struggles to articulate her thoughts. "I-I mean, it's just... this," she gestures around the lavish apartment, the extravagant furnishings, and the branded shopping bags. "It's all so... overwhelming."

Kakucho's expression softens with understanding as he takes in Maya's apprehensive demeanour. "I know it's a lot to take in," he says gently, "but we want you to feel comfortable here. Consider it a gesture of appreciation for everything you're... doing for us."

Maya nods, though her mind still churns with uncertainty. As she gazes out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the bustling city below, she can't shake the feeling that she's stepped into a world far beyond her control. "Financial control, huh?" Izana says as he's lounging back on the couch "That's not what I was aiming for but now that you said it, I might take it into consideration"

Maya's heart sinks as Izana's casual response confirms her worst fears. She realizes now that she's truly trapped in a web of manipulation and coercion, her every move scrutinized and controlled by those around her. "I-I didn't mean..." she starts, her voice faltering as she struggles to find the right words.

Izana chuckles, a cold edge to his laughter that sends a shiver down Maya's spine. "Relax, bunny," he says, his tone deceptively light. "I was just teasing... for now."

Maya forces a weak smile, though inside, her anxiety continues to gnaw at her. "Izana..." Kakucho says with a frown "You said you'd stop scaring her"

Izana's grin falters slightly at Kakucho's reprimand, though the mischief in his eyes remains. "I'm just having a little fun, Kakucho," he replies, his tone dismissive. "No harm done."

Kakucho's frown deepens, but he doesn't press the matter further. Instead, he turns his attention to Maya, his expression softening with genuine concern. "Sorry about him," he says, offering her a reassuring smile. "He's... not always like this."

Maya doesn't really believe Kakucho but she nods anyway. She knows better than to trust the assurances of those entangled in the murky world of the Tokyo Manji Gang. As she watches Kakucho's friendly demeanour and Izana's playful banter, Maya can't help but wonder what ulterior motives lurk beneath their facade of friendliness. She forces herself to push aside her apprehensions, knowing that she has little choice but to play along for now. After all, she's seen firsthand the consequences of defying Izana and his associates. "Now c'mon, take a look at what I got you" Izana gestures to the bags on the coffee table

Izana directs her attention to the bags on the coffee table. She approaches cautiously, her suspicion mounting with each step. With a hesitant hand, she reaches out and grabs one of the bags, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulls it closer. As she peeks inside, her eyes widen in surprise. The bag is filled with designer clothing, each item more expensive than anything she's ever owned. Maya's mind races with conflicting emotions. On one hand, she's grateful for the gesture. On the other hand, she can't shake the feeling of unease that accompanies such extravagant displays of wealth. "Wow, thank you," Maya murmurs, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I-I don't know what to say."

Izana chuckles, his grin widening at her reaction. "Consider it a welcome gift," he says, his tone almost jovial

Maya picks up a small Vivienne Westwood bag, unwraps the box and all the other packaging and sees a... A lighter? "I uh... I don't smoke" Maya says slowly, holding up the small silver heart-shaped lighter

She had seen it a bunch of times online. It was cute but no reason for anyone to spend a whole bunch of money on it when the contents inside were the same as any other lighter. "Oh yeah I know," Izana says dismissively "But I saw it and thought you'd look so cute on my lap while I'm in a meeting and lighting a cigarette for me with it—"

"You also can't smoke" Maya shuts it down immediately, her cheeks flushing pink from Izana voicing out his daydream

Izana's laughter only grows louder, echoing in the room as Kakucho shakes his head in bemusement. "Well, there goes that fantasy" Izana quips, his grin widening mischievously

Maya exhales a nervous laugh, relieved that the tension seems to dissipate, at least for the moment. "I suppose we'll have to find another way to make use of it" she says, trying to inject some lightness into the situation.

Izana's eyes gleam with amusement as he considers her suggestion. "Indeed," he agrees, his tone suggestive, making her cheeks flush an even darker shade of red

Kakucho clears his throat, interjecting with a hint of impatience. "Let's not get carried away, Izana." he says, shooting a warning glance at his friend.

Izana's grin widens, but he relents, setting aside the lighter with a playful shrug. "Fine, fine" he concedes, though the mischievous glint in his eyes suggests he's only biding his time

Then, with a flourish, he produces a Cartier jewelry box from his pocket, revealing a delicate bracelet nestled inside. Her eyes widen a bit at the sight of the bracelet. She recognizes it from her online browsing—a love bracelet, renowned for its distinctive locking mechanism. It was pretty popular but also pretty fucking expensive. "And this is also for you. From me, personally," Izana declares, taking Maya's wrist and fastening the gold bracelet "I noticed you wear gold jewellery so I got you gold"

Maya watches in silence as Izana locks the bracelet around her wrist. "Y-You really didn't have to" she murmurs, her gaze fixed on the shimmering gold bangle, unaware of Izana discreetly pocketing the golden screwdriver-like key.

As Izana steps back, admiring his handiwork, Maya tentatively flexes her wrist, feeling the weight of the bracelet. "It's beautiful" she concedes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Despite her reservations about Izana's intentions, she can't deny the allure of the elegant accessory. Izana's grin widens at her response, a glint of satisfaction dancing in his eyes. "Glad you like it," he says, his voice laced with amusement. "Consider it a token of appreciation for being such a good sport."

Maya's smile falters slightly at the reminder of her precarious position. She knows accepting gifts from Izana only further entangles her in his web of influence. But for now, she chooses to focus on the fleeting sense of gratitude that accompanies the gesture. Kakucho watches the exchange with a knowing look, his expression unreadable. "Well, now that we've got that sorted," he interjects, breaking the momentary silence, "shall we eat?"

"Yes, let's eat" she agrees, relieved by the distraction.

As the sun begins its descent beyond the towering skyline of the city, casting hues of orange and pink across the horizon, Maya finds herself drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the apartment. She stands by the glass, her gaze fixed on the mesmerizing spectacle unfolding before her. The vibrant colours of the sunset paint the sky with an ethereal glow, bathing the city in a soft, golden light. For a fleeting moment, Maya allows herself to be captivated by the beauty of the scene, the worries and uncertainties of her new reality momentarily forgotten. But as the last rays of sunlight fade into the twilight, casting shadows across the room, Maya's thoughts return to the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She knows she can't afford to let her guard down, not with Izana's watchful eyes constantly monitoring her every move. "If you ever need anything we're in the penthouse. You can just come up" Kakucho tells her

Kakucho's casual mention of their residence in the penthouse suite above jolted Maya out of her reverie. "Wait, you guys live here too?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief, her eyes widening in surprise.

Kakucho nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, we're just a floor above," he confirmed, his tone calm and collected. "If you ever need anything, we're right there."

Maya's heart skipped a beat as she processed the implications of their proximity. She hadn't realized that they had secured her an apartment in the same building they resided in. The realization sent a shiver down her spine, the boundaries between her personal and professional life blurring in a way she hadn't anticipated. Before she could fully digest this new piece of information, Izana interjected with his trademark nonchalance. "We own several buildings in the city," he explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "This one just happens to be one of our properties."

The weight of Izana's words settled heavily upon Maya, their implications sinking in with each passing moment. She felt a growing sense of unease, a nagging suspicion that she was more deeply entangled in Izana's world than she had initially realized. "Thank you, Kakucho," Maya murmured, her voice tinged with gratitude, though a knot of anxiety still tightened in her chest

Kakucho's phone rings and he steps away for a moment. Izana takes that moment to walk over to her, standing next to her as he stares out the large window. As Kakucho stepped away to take the call, Izana seized the opportunity to approach Maya. He stood beside her, his presence imposing yet strangely captivating against the backdrop of the city lights. "Quite the view, isn't it?" Izana remarked, his tone casual as he leaned against the couch by the window, his gaze fixed on the sprawling cityscape below.

Maya nodded, though her attention remained divided between the breathtaking scenery and the enigmatic figure at her side. Despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, she couldn't shake off the unease that settled over her like a heavy cloak in Izana's presence. "Yeah, it's... impressive," Maya replied, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty as she stole a sideways glance at Izana.

Izana chuckles. "If you don't like it I can get you another." He says it like it was nothing "new apartment, house, bungalow, mansion, beach house..."

Maya's heart skipped a beat at Izana's nonchalant offer. The idea of being handed another luxurious residence as if it were a mere trinket left her feeling unsettled. "Uh, no, that's not necessary" she replied, her voice tinged with unease.

Izana's grin widened at her response, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Suit yourself," he said, his tone laced with a hint of mischief. "But just know that the offer stands. Anything you want, just say the word."

Maya forced a tight smile, though inside, her mind churned with apprehension. The notion of having access to such extravagant wealth at her fingertips was both exhilarating and terrifying. She couldn't help but wonder what strings were attached to Izana's seemingly generous offer, and what price she would ultimately be expected to pay. "Oh..." Izana murmured seeing something he hadn't noticed earlier

He walks over, closer to her, taking hold of the two pendant necklaces she was wearing. Both were gold. One was a coin pendant with a flower in the center and the other was a butterfly. "these are cute" he hummed, examining both

Maya's breath caught in her throat as Izana approached, his proximity sending a shiver down her spine. She watched in silence as he delicately inspected the two pendant necklaces adorning her neck, his fingers tracing the intricate designs with a casual familiarity. "Yeah, they're just something I picked up..." Maya replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her cheeks flushing pink under Izana's scrutiny.

Izana's lips curled into a faint smirk as he continued to examine the pendants. "Interesting choice," he murmured, his tone contemplative. "They suit you."

Maya offered a tentative smile, though inside, her heart raced with apprehension. She couldn't shake the feeling that Izana's interest in her accessories went beyond simple admiration. There was something calculating in his gaze, a hunger that made her skin prickle with unease. Izana lets go of the coin pendant and holds the butterfly one, admiring it for a moment. "real gold, yeah?"

Maya nodded nervously, her eyes fixed on Izana's hands as he examined the delicate butterfly pendant. "Y-Yes, it's real gold," she confirmed, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Izana's grin widened, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Nice," he remarked, his tone almost playful. "I like someone who appreciates the finer things in life."

Maya forced a weak smile. Izana tugs lightly at it. "take it off"

Maya's breath catches in her throat at Izana's command, her fingers instinctively clutching the butterfly pendant as if it were her lifeline, her thin fingers wrapping around Izana's tanned ones. "W-Why?" she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes darting nervously between Izana and the necklace.

Izana's expression remains unreadable as he meets her gaze with an intensity that sends shivers down her spine. "Just because" he replies smoothly, his tone laced with an underlying threat, easily prying his hand out of hers

Maya's breath catches in her throat as she surrenders the necklace to Izana, her fingers trembling slightly as she releases her grip. Without a word, he takes the pendant from her hand and deftly fastens it around his own neck. She watches in silence, unable to tear her gaze away as Izana adjusts the pendant, his expression unreadable. Maya's eyes widen in surprise as Izana removes the gold chain from around his own neck. She watches in astonishment as he delicately places it around her neck, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through her veins. "A trade, yeah" He murmurs as he fastens the chain around her neck

Maya's heart races at Izana's words, her mind struggling to process the implications of his actions. "But why?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper

Izana's smirk returns, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Consider it a symbol of our... partnership..." he replies cryptically, his tone laced with intrigue. "A reminder that we're in this together now."

With a final adjustment, he secures the chain in place, his touch lingering against her throat for a moment longer than necessary. As Izana steps back, his grin widening, Maya's mind races with conflicting emotions. She feels the weight of the gold chain around her neck, a tangible reminder of the bond forged between them. But beneath the surface, a sense of unease gnaws at her, a whisper of doubt that refuses to be silenced. "Izana, I..." Maya begins, her voice faltering as she searches for the right words.

But before she can articulate her thoughts, Kakucho returns, his expression unreadable as he takes in the scene before him. "Everything okay here?" he asks, his gaze flickering between Maya and Izana.

Izana's grin remains firmly in place as he nods, his tone casual. "Just making a trade" he replies, his eyes never leaving Maya's.

Kakucho's eyebrows furrow slightly, but he doesn't press further. Instead, he offers Maya a reassuring smile before turning his attention to Izana. "We should get going," he says, his tone indicating that the conversation is over.

Maya nods, her mind still reeling from the exchange. As they prepare to leave, she can't shake the feeling that she's entered into a pact with the devil himself

There are certain things Maya never thought she'd experience and waking up in a huge apartment was one of them. She was never able to sleep in new places very well so she watches the sunrise through the floor-to-ceiling windows of her new bedroom, still lying in bed. As the first rays of dawn pierce through the glass, casting a warm glow across the room, Maya lies in bed, her thoughts drifting as she watches the sunrise. The vast expanse of the cityscape stretches out before her, its towering skyscrapers bathed in the soft light of morning. It's a breathtaking sight, one that fills her with a sense of awe and wonder, even amidst the turmoil of her current circumstances. But beneath the surface, a knot of anxiety tightens in Maya's chest. She can't shake the feeling of unease that has plagued her ever since she first stepped foot into this opulent apartment. It's a stark reminder of just how far removed she is from her old life, a life that now feels like a distant memory. As she lies there, lost in thought, Maya can't help but wonder what the future holds. She knows that she's entered into a world fraught with danger and uncertainty, one where the stakes are higher than ever before. Her new phone buzzes. Along with the designer clothes and jewelry, Izana also bought her a new phone.

[5:34 am] hey bunny you up?

Maya can't help but turn a little red. It sounded like a typical booty call text and that probably wasn't even what he was texting her for. She knows she shouldn't read too much into it, but the playful tone of Izana's text sends a wave of mixed emotions coursing through her. Despite her reservations, Maya can't deny the pull of curiosity. With trembling fingers, she types out a response.

[5:36 am] Yeah. What's up?

As she hits send, Maya can't help but wonder what Izana has in store for her. She knows better than to let her guard down around him, but there's a part of her that can't resist the thrill of the unknown. Almost immediately, her phone buzzes with a reply from Izana.

[5:36 am] I'm hungry come make me food you're a good cook and I'm tired of kakucho's cooking i need variety

Maya's cheeks flush a deeper shade of red as she reads Izana's message. Despite the casual tone, she can't help but feel a sense of unease at his request. The idea of cooking for Izana in the early hours of the morning feels both surreal and oddly intimate. Nevertheless, Maya knows better than to refuse him outright. With a resigned sigh, she begins to type out a response.

[5:38 am] Sure, I can make you something What do you feel like eating?

As she sends the message, Maya braces herself for Izana's reply, her mind already racing with ideas for what she could whip up in the kitchen. Despite her misgivings, there's a small part of her that can't deny the satisfaction of being able to provide for him, even if it's just through a simple meal. Maya waits anxiously for Izana's response, her heart pounding in her chest as she anticipates his reply. A few moments later, her phone buzzes with a new message from him.

[5:40 am] Surprise me

Maya's brow furrows in frustration at the vague response, but she knows she has no choice but to comply. With a resigned sigh, she throws off the covers and swings her legs out of bed, steeling herself for the task ahead. As she makes her way to the kitchen, Maya's mind races with possibilities. She sifts through the ingredients in the pantry and refrigerator, her thoughts spinning as she considers what she could prepare for Izana. Despite the early hour, Maya finds herself strangely energized by the challenge, a sense of determination driving her forward. With practiced efficiency, Maya begins to gather the necessary ingredients, her hands moving deftly as she sets about preparing a meal fit for a gangster. As the aroma of pancakes and brewing coffee fills the air, Maya can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction wash over her. Despite the unusual circumstances, there's something comforting about the act of cooking, a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos of her new life. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Maya puts the finishing touches on Izana's breakfast, arranging the food neatly on a plate before carrying it over to the table. As she sets the plate down in front of him, Izana looks up at her with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he says, his tone teasing as he surveys the meal before him. "I must say, you've outdone yourself, bunny."

Maya can't help but smile at his words, a sense of pride swelling within her chest. Despite her initial apprehension, she's relieved to see that Izana seems satisfied with her efforts. As he digs into the food with gusto, Maya watches him with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, wondering what other surprises her new life has in store for her. Maya isn't too surprised he has a key to her new place. After all, he lived just above in the penthouse and owned the building itself. "um... where's Kakucho?" she asks curiously, watching Izana eat

It's about 6-something now. Izana looks up from his meal, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Oh, Kakucho had some business to attend to," he replies casually, his tone betraying nothing. "Left bright and early, just like him."

Maya nods, though she can't shake the feeling of unease that settles in the pit of her stomach. She's become accustomed to Kakucho's presence, his calm demeanour serving as a reassuring presence in the midst of Izana's unpredictable behaviour. Without him around, Maya can't help but feel a sense of vulnerability, a nagging suspicion that she's once again at Izana's mercy. As she watches Izana finish his meal, Maya can't help but wonder what other secrets he's hiding, what other schemes he has up his sleeve. Despite her lingering doubts, Maya knows she has no choice but to play along, to navigate the treacherous waters of Izana's world with caution and cunning. With a heavy sigh, she pushes aside her concerns and focuses on the task at hand, steeling herself for whatever challenges lie ahead. "You haven't showered, yeah?" Izana asks as he sips his coffee

Maru shakes her head no. She's in sweatpants and an oversized shirt which was a huge contrast to Izana's silk pyjamas which probably cost more than her. "shower, be ready by 10. I have work and I wanna take you out for lunch"

Maya's heart skips a beat at Izana's directive. It didn't sound like a casual invitation; it felt more like a command. Despite the faint flicker of apprehension that flares within her, Maya nods obediently, her mind already racing with thoughts of what Izana might have planned. "Okay" she replies, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes darting nervously

She knows better than to defy him, especially after she watched him and his friends kill her boss and co-workers last night. Izana flashes her a satisfied grin before returning his attention to his coffee. "Good," he says, his tone dismissive. "I'll see you then."

Izana leaves her apartment to go back to his own. Maya heads toward the bathroom to prepare for her unexpected lunch date, she can't shake the feeling of unease that gnaws at her insides. Despite Izana's outward charm, there's a darkness lurking beneath the surface, a reminder of the dangers that lurk in his world. But for now, Maya pushes aside her doubts, focusing instead on the task at hand. With a mix of apprehension and curiosity swirling within her, Maya steps into the shower, allowing the warm water to cascade over her, washing away the remnants of sleep and uncertainty. As she lathers soap over her skin, her mind races with questions about Izana's intentions and what this lunch outing might entail.

After hastily drying off Maya tries to figure out what to wear. It takes her a long time to decide what to wear. Izana hadn't exactly told her where they were going for lunch but he did say he had something to do first since it was still pretty early which meant he would be wearing a suit. So, she should probably wear something somewhat formal as well. She wears a light blue satin ankle-length skirt and a white off-the-shoulder blouse. Maya does her makeup and stares for a moment at her neck. There sits the gold chain Izana put on her in exchange for her necklace with the butterfly necklace. It was honestly a bit odd that he had given it to her but oh well. Maya wasn't exactly in a position to argue with him. She looks down at her wrist where the gold love bracelet is. Maya had tried to take it off last night but couldn't find the screwdriver for it anywhere. She didn't want to force it off and hurt herself so she just kept it on. Perhaps she'll ask Izana about it later.

Maya glances at the clock to find it's already 9:45. Checking her appearance one last time in the mirror, she grabs her bag, which was another one of the unnecessarily expensive gifts from Izana, and heads out the door. The elevator ride down to the ground floor feels like an eternity, each passing second amplifying Maya's nerves. As the elevator doors slide open, Maya steps out into the lobby, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of Izana. Sure enough, he's waiting for her, leaning casually against the wall with an air of confidence that sends a shiver down Maya's spine. "Right on time," Izana remarks, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he straightens up to greet her, wearing a suit just like she predicted "Shall we?"

Maya forces a tight-lipped smile, her heart pounding in her chest as she falls into step beside him. With each passing moment, she can't help but wonder what lies in store for her on this unexpected lunch date with Izana. As they stepped out of the building, right in front of the door was a black Lexus and one of the men from the night at the hospital. Shion, if she remembered correctly. He's standing with with his arms crossed over and a scowl on his face. "boss" Shion greets as he opens the back door of the car for Izana

Izana simply nods at him and Maya greets him with a weak smile. "huh, didn't know you'd still be alive" Shion says raising his brow

Maya's stomach churns at Shion's comment, a wave of nausea washing over her. She fights to maintain her composure, forcing herself to keep a neutral expression despite the discomfort gnawing at her insides. "Just lucky, I guess," she manages to reply, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shion's eyes linger on her for a moment longer, his gaze sharp and assessing, before he turns his attention back to Izana. "Where to, boss?" he asks, his tone curt and businesslike.

Izana settles into the backseat of the car, motioning for Maya to join him. "You know the place," he says casually, his tone betraying nothing of his intentions.

Maya slides into the car beside Izana, her nerves on edge as they pull away from the curb. After a few minutes of driving, she speaks up "uh, where are we going?" she fiddles with the bracelet he gifted her

"I have a meeting to go to then we'll go for lunch," Izana says as he undoes the button on his suit jacket "You can just stay in the car with Shion"

She can only nod as her unease grows with each passing moment. She nods silently, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. The car glides through the bustling streets of the city, the rhythmic hum of the engine the only sound breaking the silence. "uh..." she decides to speak again, fiddling with the gold Cartier love bracelet "I couldn't find the screwdriver for the bracelet in the box last night while I was trying to take it off. Do you have it?"

Izana who is on his phone doesn't even look up as he says "hm? No actually. I left it in the box after I put it on you. Maybe it fell somewhere"

"Oh..." she murmurs, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the bracelet. "I-I'll have to look for it later then."

But even as she speaks, a sense of resignation washes over her. Deep down, she knows that finding the key is just another impossibility in a world where she's already lost control.

But of course, Maya doesn't know Izana still has the screwdriver.

"So... You guys fucking?" Shion starts a poor attempt at conversation while they sit in the car outside a large warehouse for Izana's 'meeting' to end

He's looking at her through the rear-view mirror. Maya's cheeks flush crimson at Shion's blunt question, her eyes widening in shock at his audacity. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, her gaze darting nervously around the car before settling on Shion's reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Uh, excuse me?" she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart pounding in her chest.

Shion merely shrugs, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Just making conversation," he replies casually, his tone laced with amusement. "You and the boss seem pretty cozy, that's all."

Maya's cheeks burn hotter with embarrassment, her mind racing as she searches for a suitable response. "uh... no we're not..."

Shion shrugs again. "yeah that was a stupid question. I just didn't know what else to say"

Maya lets out a nervous chuckle, grateful for Shion's change of topic. "It's okay," she replies, her voice tinged with relief. "I get it. It's just... I'm still getting used to everything."

Shion nods in understanding, his smirk softening into a more sympathetic expression. "Yeah, I can imagine," he says, his tone surprisingly gentle. "It's a lot to take in, especially with someone like Izana."

Maya's shoulders relax slightly at Shion's empathetic response. Despite his initial brashness, she senses a genuine sincerity in his words. "Yeah," she agrees with a small nod. "It definitely is."

Before Shion can respond, Izana reaches the car, his presence filling the space with an air of authority. Maya's heart quickens at his approach, her thoughts momentarily distracted from the awkward conversation with Shion. As Izana slides into the car beside her, Maya steals a glance at him. She furrows her brows seeing he isn't wearing his tie or suit jacket anymore, instead, they're hanging off his arm, the sleeves of his black dress shirt are rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons are undone. Oh wow. Wow. Wow. He looks good. Maya's breath catches in her throat as she takes in Izana's appearance. Despite the casual attire, there's an undeniable aura of power and confidence emanating from him, drawing her in like a moth to a flame. She feels a flush rise to her cheeks as she realizes just how striking he looks, his rugged charm only adding to his magnetic presence. "Everything alright?" Izana's voice interrupts her reverie, pulling her back to reality. His piercing gaze meets hers, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

Maya clears her throat, forcing herself to focus. "Uh, yeah, everything's fine," she replies, her voice slightly breathless. "Just... thinking."

Izana quirks an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "About what, exactly?" he asks, his tone teasing.

Maya's cheeks flush a deeper shade of red at the implication of his question. "N-Nothing important," she stammers, averting her gaze to hide her embarrassment.

Izana chuckles softly, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. "Well, if you say so," he replies, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before turning back to Shion.

"Everything go well?" Shion asks

"yup" Izana answers simply "Now, let's get going. I'm starving." With that, he turns his attention to Shion, giving him a nod to start the car.

As the car pulls away from the warehouse, Maya can't shake the fluttering sensation in her chest. Kurokawa Izana is unfairly hot. How is it that older guys are always so hot? Maya's phone buzzes and her eyes widen realizing she forgot about Chifuyu. "answer it" Izana says

Matsuno Chifuyu, the guy who is the reason she is quite literally still alive because of and her first love. One sided love actually. Maya has been in love with Chifuyu since middle school. He was a good 5 years older than her and he didn't like her back. Due to all the things going on, she hadn't contacted him and of course, he was worried(she texted him maybe 100 times a day, obviously he'd notice if she stopped). Maya is about to decline the call but Izana takes the phone and answers it, putting it on speaker. She can't help but glare at him. "hello?" Chifuyu says

Maya is about to snatch the phone from Izana but he pulls back and just smiles teasingly. Chifuyu keeps talking on the phone while Izana mutes it and Maya keeps trying to take it back. "Give it back" She hisses as Izana moves to the other side of the car, his back pressing against the door

Izana just grabs her waist with one hand and then unmutes the phone. Immediately Maya stops trying to pull it out of his grasp and goes quiet, the only sound in the car being the hum of the engine. "Maya? Hello~?" Chifuyu says and Izana gestures for her to talk

Maya's eye twitches in annoyance. "hello" she answers back

"fucking finally. where have you been? You haven't texted me in two days!"

Izana's arm around her waist tightens. "I-I've been busy... I quit the hospital and—"

"After the first day?!" He cuts her off and Izana looks like he wants to laugh

Maya just glares even harder at him. "I got a better job. It uh... pays a lot better" She wasn't about to tell Chifuyu the truth

Kakucho had explained to her pretty vaguely that Chifuyu and Kazutora had left Tokyo Manji Gang years ago and probably just didn't want her to be afraid of them. They had retired and were good people, only a part of the gang before it became as big as it is today. Maya had no reason to feel betrayed. Chifuyu and Kazutora's past had nothing to do with her. "Better job? One that got you out of your tiny ass house? I even went to your apartment today to check on you but your landlady said you moved out"

Maya laughs nervously. "My new job pays me to be... closer" It wasn't exactly a lie

"c-close? Oh my god Maya don't tell me you actually took Kazutora's joke of becoming a sugar baby seriously?!"

Maya turns red at his words as she makes eye contact with Izana who has a mischievous smile on his face, very clearly enjoying this conversation. Chifuyu wasn't too far off though. She might as well be Izana's sugar baby. The only thing left was sleeping with him. "What the fuck? NO!" She replies quickly "I'm not sleeping with old men... A-And I have to go Chifuyu... I'll call you later"

Before Chifuyu can say anything, Maya grabs the phone out of Izana's hand and ends the call. Izana looks like he wants to laugh and Maya just glares at him. "You can't just do that" She says

"hm? and why not?" He asks with a smile

It's right then that Maya realizes while she was trying to get the phone from Izana she ended up in his lap and his arms were now around her body. Her face turns bright red. Shion whistles teasingly from the driver's seat and Maya pulls herself out of Izana's grasp, landing back on the leather seat. "You're so..." Maya pauses and then groans in annoyance, clutching her phone tightly

Izana just shrugs and starts fixing his shirt as Shion pulls into the parking lot of some high-end-looking restaurant. "Use your words, I don't know what that sound means" Izana says teasingly as he loops his tie around his neck

Maya rolls her eyes and then decides to not be so cautious about her words for a moment. "You're really annoying and childish"

What she said wasn't even that bad but Izana seemed like the person to get angry at any form of criticism, even sarcastic like the one she just said. Maya expects Izana to get angry but he doesn't. Instead, he laughs and says "hm, you think so?"

And so, Maya decides she should try and see how far she can push before Izana pulls out a gun on her.

It lasts for months. Maya trying to get under Izana's skin and he just responds back in an equally teasing manner. At this point, his system has been completely detoxified of the drugs and he's doing much much better. At this point, Maya is very much a damn freeloader too. Izana just keeps giving her things and she's always attempting to be mean. Izana must think she's flirting or something.

Well... She kinda is. But then again, with a wallet like that, who wouldn't? Sure he tortured her previous employer right in front of her but what's bygones is bygones right? Maybe that made her a little morally grey but when you're fresh out of uni with no money and suddenly given a whole bunch all at once and your loans have been paid off, maybe living with a murderer and using his money isn't that bad. Right?

Maya is their therapist of some sort. Izana is paying her a lot to stick around and in this economy, she'd be stupid not to. Her rent is paid, and she never has to worry about food or money. Things are scarily comfortable so she hasn't let her guard down. Who knows when Izana will pull the carpet out from beneath her feet? He is very sweet though sometimes— Izana. Kakucho as well. Out of everyone though, Maya got along with Shion the most. They bonded over Izana being an asshole. "And so I told him, I'm not an escort. I won't go to your stupid fancy party just to make you look good" Maya says making wild hand gestures

She and Shion were in the car, both in casual clothes rather than the formal wear Maya had gotten accustomed to. Shion looks like a back street drug dealer in his all-black outfit with cargo pants and a hoodie and Maya looks like a high school with her basketball shorts and hoodie. There is fast food resting on the armrest between the driver and passenger seat and two drinks in both cup holders. "shut up you did not say that" Shion says as he picks up his drink "Am I talking to a ghost right now? Did Big Boss kill you?"

He reaches over and tries to make his hand go through her face in case he is talking to a ghost. Maya smacks his hand away and kicks off her sneakers so she can get more comfortable and shoves a bunch of fries in her mouth. "fuck off dude" she says then looks away "I didn't exactly say that but y'know... something along the lines"

Shion narrows his eyes. "pussy"

Maya gasps about to throw the entire pack of fries at him. "Take that back!"

"No"

"motherfucker—"

It's about 12:30 am. Dark outside and not a person was in sight in the parking lot of the fast-food place. Shion apparently loved the place and she could understand why. They often took late-night runs and Shion being her 'driver' took her where she wanted. He at first did say it was boring but he figured that shopping and doing groceries was a lot less stressful than meeting with foreign mafia. After all, Tokyo Manji Gang was getting a lot bigger. "Anyways, Izana is fine now. Why does he keep you around?" Shion asks as he takes a bite of his burger

Maya shrugs. "Beats me. Overpaid escort I guess"

"Or maybe..." Shion says slowly with a suggestive tone raising his brows

"No" Maya shuts him down immediately, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment "I dunno why he keeps me around"

Shion just grins. "he likes you~"

"fuck off, what are you? 12?" Maya grumbles in annoyance "That scary man doesn't seem like he's capable of love"

"oh he is—" Shion is cut off when there is a knock on the driver-side window

They both screech at the same time. There stands Izana in a suit, his gun pressed against the glass. "OH MY GOD!" Shion screams louder than Maya

"DRIVE!" Maya screams

"FUCK NO! HE'LL KILL ME!"

The mood in the car shifts from playful to terrified in an instant. Izana's expression is a mix of annoyance and amusement as he watches their panic through the glass. "Calm down, you fucking idiots," he says, his voice muffled but clear through the closed window. "Open the door."

Shion, still pale and shaking, fumbles with the lock and opens the door. Izana slides into the backseat, his presence dominating the small space. He puts his gun away, but the tension remains thick in the air. "What the hell are you two doing out here?" he asks, his tone deceptively calm.

Maya, heart still racing, struggles to regain her composure. "W-We were just getting some food," she stammers, holding up the pack of fries as evidence. "It's late, and we were hungry."

Izana raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You know it's not safe for you to be out here like this without extra security," he says, his gaze shifting between Shion and Maya. "Especially you, Maya."

For some reason Izana using her name rather than the nickname she had gotten used to coming from him made her feel odd. "Yeah, boss, sorry. I didn't think—" Shion gulps, nodding fervently

"That's right, you didn't think," Izana interrupts, his voice sharp. "You're supposed to be her protector, not her playmate."

Maya looks outside the window to see multiple cars with multiple people standing outside in suits. Was something going on? She feels nervous and Izana's words about Shion being her protector made her wonder what he meant. "I-Izana is something going on—"

"Not right now, Maya" Izana cuts her off and looks at Shion "You should have known better. Do you not remember what was happening tonight?"

Maya feels nervous and a little frightened. Shion's face goes pale as the gravity of the situation dawns on him. "Boss, I—"

Izana cuts him off with a dismissive wave. "Save it, Shion. Get her back to the apartment. Now."

Maya feels her stomach churn with anxiety as she glances at the men outside, their serious expressions and ready stances indicating that something significant is unfolding tonight. She turns to Izana, her voice trembling. "Izana, what's happening?"

Izana meets her gaze, his eyes cold and unyielding. "Business," he says simply, his tone leaving no room for further questions. "Go back to the apartment."

Maya nods, swallowing her fear. Shion starts the car, his hands still trembling, and they drive off, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words. As they make their way back, Shion's grip on the steering wheel tightens. "Maya, I'm sorry," he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. "I messed up."

Maya shakes her head, trying to offer some comfort. "It's okay, Shion. We didn't know."

"No, it's not okay," he insists, his voice strained. "Izana doesn't take mistakes lightly. I put you in danger, and that's not something I can easily forgive myself for."

They reach the apartment, and Shion parks the car, turning to face her. "Stay inside and lock the doors. I'll be downstairs, keeping an eye out."

Maya nods, stepping out of the car and heading into the building. As she rides the elevator up to her floor, her mind races with thoughts of what could be happening and what kind of trouble Izana might be dealing with. She tries to shake off the worry, reminding herself that Izana is capable and resourceful. Once inside her apartment, she locks the door and leans against it, taking a deep breath. The opulence of her surroundings feels starkly at odds with the tension and fear coursing through her. She walks over to the large windows, looking out at the city below, the lights twinkling in the night. A sense of isolation washes over her as she realizes just how entangled she has become in Izana's world. The luxury and security come with a price, and tonight she had glimpsed a piece of that cost. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing for a moment of normalcy, a life where she didn't have to worry about the dangerous games played by men like Izana.

The night had been going well. Or well at least she thought it was. Oh god, Maya hoped Shion wasn't in trouble. It was just a harmless outing after all. They were just getting food. Maya's fingers tremble as she reaches for her phone and texts Izana.

[12:54 am] don't be mad at Shion I was the one that insisted

Izana just leaves her on read and it makes Maya even more anxious. She isn't sure if she or Shion are in trouble. She hopes they aren't. But at the same time, Maya isn't sure when she got so used to this violent life. It was bad. The minutes stretched into an eternity as Maya anxiously waited for a response from Izana, her eyes flickering to her phone every few seconds. The silence from him was deafening, and her mind raced with worst-case scenarios. She paced the length of her living room, her nerves frayed and her thoughts jumbled. Finally, unable to bear the tension any longer, she sank onto the plush couch, trying to calm her racing heart. The city's lights glittered outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but they provided little comfort. Maya's thoughts were consumed by worry for Shion and the potential consequences of their late-night outing. Her phone buzzed, breaking the silence, and she snatched it up with trembling hands, hoping for a message from Izana. Instead, it was Shion.

[1:05 am] Don't worry about me Just stay inside

Maya sighed in relief, but it was short-lived. The uncertainty of the situation still loomed over her. She typed out a quick response.

[1:06 am] I will I'm sorry

She set her phone down and leaned back, closing her eyes in an attempt to steady her breathing. The night's events replayed in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in her chest. Despite her growing familiarity with this dangerous world, she couldn't ignore the fear that gnawed at her. Hours passed in restless silence. Maya couldn't bring herself to sleep, so she decided to distract herself with a book. She picked up a novel from the coffee table and tried to lose herself in the story, but her mind kept drifting back to Izana and Shion. The unease wouldn't leave her, and every noise from the city outside made her jump. As dawn approached, the first light of morning filtering through the windows, Maya's phone buzzed again. She grabbed it, her heart leaping with hope and fear. It was a message from Izana.

[5:47 am] Shion's fine. Don't do that again. No more late night outings Not anytime soon.

Maya let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. It wasn't exactly comforting, but at least it meant Shion wasn't in immediate danger. She quickly typed a response.

[5:48 am] I won't I'm sorry

She set her phone down and rubbed her eyes, exhaustion finally catching up with her. The adrenaline that had kept her awake all night was wearing off, leaving her feeling drained. She decided to take a quick shower, hoping the warm water would help clear her mind. As she stood under the stream, she couldn't help but reflect on how much her life had changed in such a short time. The luxury and security of her new lifestyle came with strings attached, and she was constantly navigating the fine line between safety and danger. Izana's world was one of power and control, and Maya was acutely aware of her precarious position within it.

Dressed in fresh clothes, Maya returned to the living room, feeling slightly more composed. The city outside was beginning to wake up, and she could hear the distant sounds of traffic and activity. She made herself a cup of coffee and settled on the couch, determined to stay alert and ready for whatever the day might bring. As she sipped her coffee, she glanced at her phone again, hoping for more communication from Izana. She knew better than to push him, but the silence was maddening. She decided to text him again, keeping it light and non-confrontational.

[6:15 am] Good morning Do you need anything today?

She waited, her heart pounding with anticipation. The minutes ticked by slowly, and just when she was about to give up hope for a response, her phone buzzed.

[6:22 am] Be ready by 9 We're going out.

Maya's heart skipped a beat. She had no idea what Izana had planned, but she knew better than to question him. She set her coffee down and began to prepare for the day, her mind racing with possibilities. Maya took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She glanced at the clock and realized she had just under three hours to get ready. She decided to take her time, knowing that projecting confidence and control was essential in Izana's world.

After another quick shower to freshen up, Maya meticulously selected her outfit. She opted for a mid-length black dress with a sweetheart neckline and white trim, paired with comfortable yet stylish heels. She knew that appearances mattered greatly to Izana, and she wanted to make sure she looked the part. Her hair was styled neatly, and she applied just enough makeup to highlight her features without overdoing it. By the time she finished getting ready, it was 8:45 am. Maya took a moment to collect herself, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She grabbed her phone, keys, and a small handbag before heading out of her apartment. As she stepped into the hallway, she found Shion waiting for her, leaning casually against the wall. His usual smirk was in place, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "Morning," he greeted her, straightening up.

"Morning, Shion," Maya replied, offering a small smile. She felt a mixture of relief and nervousness at seeing him again after the previous night's events. "Izana said we have plans today."

Shion nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah, he's waiting downstairs. Let's go."

They walked to the elevator in silence, the tension from the previous night still lingering between them. As the elevator descended, Maya glanced at Shion, searching for any signs of what might be in store for them. He met her gaze and gave a reassuring nod, though it did little to ease her apprehension. When they reached the lobby, Maya spotted Izana standing near the entrance, his presence commanding as always. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, his expression unreadable. As they approached, he turned to face them, his eyes briefly scanning Maya's outfit before nodding in approval. "You're ready," Izana stated, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Yes," Maya replied, her voice steady. "Where are we going?"

"Brunch," Izana said with a cryptic smile, motioning for them to follow him "We're getting Kakucho first"

They stepped outside, where the usual sleek black Lexus awaited them. Izana opened the back door for Maya, a rare gesture of chivalry that didn't go unnoticed. She slid into the car, followed by Izana and Shion, who took the driver's seat as usual. The drive was quiet, the only sound being the hum of the engine and the occasional soft clicks from Izana's phone as he checked messages. Maya's mind raced with possibilities of what this brunch might entail, especially after what happened last night. They stop at another large apartment building and a few minutes later Kakucho steps out and gets into the passenger seat at the front and Shion starts driving again. Maya hasn't seen Kakucho as much lately. He was busy according to Shion and Maya doesn't think she wants to know the details.

Evil doesn't rest is something Maya remembers reading some time ago. It seems it's true because even gang members can't have much time to rest. Maya can't help but wonder if she is their only connection to normalcy. Maybe that's why Shion lets her talk to him all informally even though he's 9 years older; Maybe that's why Kakucho lets her mess around with him; Maybe that's why Izana lets her spit out smart comments.

As they drove through the city, Maya reflected on the question Shion had asked her last night: why does Izana keep you around?

Izana kept Maya around for normalcy.

To feel a little less like a bad person.

Izana had long recovered from his addiction and didn't even smoke anymore, only drinking for leisure. Maya was a reminder of what it felt like to be a regular person, a tether to a world he could never fully inhabit but still wanted to touch.

When they arrived at their destination, an upscale brunch spot tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, Izana led the way inside. The restaurant was elegant, with soft jazz playing in the background and sunlight streaming through large windows. They were seated at a private table in the back, away from prying eyes. As they settled in, the waiter came to take their orders. Maya glanced at the menu, her mind still buzzing with thoughts. She ordered a simple meal, trying to gauge the atmosphere. The place was empty. "Do you own this place too?" She asks as Izana pours himself water

Izana hums. "Of course, bunny" Ah, he was back to calling her that "How else do you think I booked the place out? Is this the first time I've brought you here?"

As usual, it was only her and Izana together in the restaurant. Shion never joined them as he'd go do whatever errands Izana assigned him and Kakucho was never in the mood to 'third wheel'. Maya's thoughts were interrupted as the waiter returned with their drinks. She took a sip of her orange juice, the tartness a welcome distraction from her swirling thoughts. "I guess it is the first time," she responded, her voice carrying a hint of awe as she looked around the empty, elegant space. "It's beautiful."

Izana smiled, clearly pleased by her reaction. "I thought you might like it. It's one of my favorite spots. Quiet, private."

"Must be nice to have so many places you can call your own," Maya said, trying to keep the conversation light. "Do you ever get tired of it?"

Izana leaned back in his chair, studying her. "Sometimes. But it's necessary. In my line of work, privacy and control are everything."

She nodded, understanding the underlying message. In Izana's world, trust was a luxury few could afford. As their food arrived, Maya glanced at the beautifully presented dishes. Despite the tension and the ever-present undercurrent of danger, moments like these almost felt normal. Almost. "How's your breakfast?" Izana asked, cutting into his food.

"It's delicious," Maya replied, taking a bite. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Izana waved off her thanks. They ate in silence for a while till she spoke up again "Uh... What was last night about?"

Izana puts his utensils down and Maya immediately regrets touching the topic. "Maya..." Oh there he was using her name again

Maya had gotten so used to being called bunny by Izana that now it just felt wrong when he called her by her name. May puts down her utensils as well, looking at him nervously. "There is something I didn't account for when bringing you along places with me even if you were just in the car most of the time and the only places we went were restaurants..." Izana says cautiously

What did he have to be cautious about? Maya's pulse quickened as Izana's tone turned serious. She swallowed hard, waiting for him to continue, her mind racing with all the possible directions this conversation could go. The elegant surroundings and the quiet, empty restaurant suddenly felt like a pressure cooker, the weight of Izana's words bearing down on her. Izana sighed, leaning forward slightly, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "Maya, being around me, being part of my life, it's dangerous. Last night, we had a close call. I underestimated the risks involved in keeping you close, even if it's just for something as simple as getting food."

Maya frowned, confusion and concern swirling in her mind. "What do you mean? What kind of close call?"

"There are always people watching, always enemies waiting for a moment of weakness," Izana explained, his voice low and measured. "Last night, we had a situation that could have escalated. You and Shion were vulnerable, and it was a mistake for me and Shion to let our guards down, even for a moment."

Maya's stomach churned. She hadn't realized the full extent of the danger she was in, or how her presence might complicate things for Izana and his operations. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to put anyone at risk."

Izana shook his head, a rare, almost tender expression softening his features. "It's not your fault, bunny. It's mine. I should have been more careful."

She shifts in place. "What exactly does this mean for me?"

"Someone put a bounty on your head, sweetheart... That's what it means"

Maya felt a cold chill run down her spine at Izana's words. The world around her seemed to narrow, the elegant restaurant fading into the background as the weight of the revelation settled in. Her mouth went dry, and she had to swallow hard before she could speak again. "A bounty?" she echoed, her voice barely audible.

Izana nodded, his expression grim. "Yes. It seems my enemies believe that getting to you might be a way to get to me. I underestimated how visible our connection had become."

Maya's mind raced. She had known that being around Izana came with risks, but she had never imagined something like this. "What... what are we going to do?"

Izana reached across the table, taking her hand in his. His touch was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to the deadly world he inhabited and to the teasing and patronizing way he usually treated her. "I'm going to keep you safe," he said firmly. "You'll stay closer to me from now on. I'll increase your security. We need to make sure you're protected at all times."

Maya looked into his eyes, seeing a flicker of something she hadn't expected: genuine concern. Despite his ruthless exterior, it seemed Izana did care about her well-being. "Okay," she said, squeezing his hand. "I'll do whatever you think is best."

Izana nodded, releasing her hand and leaning back in his chair. "Good. For now, just enjoy your breakfast. We'll discuss the details later."

But even as Maya eats she can't help but feel sick. As they leave the restaurant, Shion and Kakucho are already back from whatever they had to do. It's as they're driving, Maya's phone buzzes with a text.

[10:54 am] watch your back, doctor

Maya stares at the text in confusion and then comes another.

[10:54 am] Izana won't be able to keep you safe forever

Instantly she feels her stomach churn and her mouth fill with saliva. "Shion..." she says weakly "Pull over"

He looks at her through the rearview mirror, Kakucho and Izana turning to her as well. "Maya are you okay?" Kakucho asks, furrowing his brow

Maya just grips her phone tight. "I'm gonna throw up, pull over"

The car comes to a screeching halt on the fairly empty road and she stumbles out of the car. She barely made it to the side before doubling over, retching violently again. Izana was beside her in an instant, holding her steady with an arm around her waist and hand holding her hair back. "Maya, what happened?" he asked, his voice a mix of concern and anger.

She handed him her phone, still trembling and hunched over. He read the messages, his expression darkening with each word. "Who sent these?" he demanded, his grip tightening on her phone.

"I don't know," Maya managed to say between breaths. "It was a blocked number."

Shion and Kakucho are standing right by them, water bottle in hand. Izana trades Maya's phone for the water bottle and makes her drink. Maya took a few sips of the water, her hands shaking. Izana's presence was both reassuring and terrifying. She could see the fury simmering just beneath the surface of his calm exterior. "We need to get you back to the apartment," he said firmly, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any immediate threats.

Shion nodded and quickly moved to open the car door for Maya. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe," he urged.

As they got back into the car, the atmosphere was tense. Izana was on his phone, barking orders to his security team, ensuring every possible measure was taken to protect Maya. Kakucho sat in the front, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, while Shion kept checking the rearview mirror, alert for any sign of trouble. Maya leaned back in her seat, trying to steady her breathing. She felt a mixture of fear and guilt—fear for her safety and guilt for causing such a commotion. She glanced at Izana, who was now off the phone and staring out the window, his jaw clenched. "Sorry" she whispered, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

Izana turned to her, his expression softening slightly. "It's not your fault, bunny" he said, using the nickname that now felt oddly comforting

Izana pulls Maya over into his arms so she's pressed into his side. Maru looks up at him, sad-scared puppy eyes melting his cold heart. "shh~, c'mere" he murmurs, pulling her up so she's sitting across his lap

It felt nice being comforted by a man that was cruel to everyone else. Maya nestled into Izana's embrace, her anxiety slowly ebbing away as his steady presence enveloped her. She could feel the tension in his body, a coiled spring ready to unleash fury on anyone who dared threaten her. For a moment, she allowed herself to find solace in his strength, pushing away the fear and uncertainty that had gripped her earlier. The drive back to the apartment was tense, the atmosphere thick with unspoken fears and simmering anger. Maya stayed curled up in Izana's lap, her head resting against his chest. Izana's grip on her tightened slightly, a protective gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Shion and Kakucho. They exchanged glances, both aware of the gravity of the situation "shhh..." Izana hushes gently every time he felt her shiver

He holds the back of her head, pressing her face to the crook of her neck. Maru wraps. her arms around Izana's neck, clinging to him for comfort and security. Maya never thought she'd go to Izana for something other than money, especially after knowing everything he'd done, especially after watching him order his men to torture her former employers to death.

It was all because it was so nice being comforted by a man who was cruel to everyone else.

Izana pulls her impossibly closer to his chest. The tension in the car was palpable, each mile stretching the silence as they made their way back to the apartment. Izana held Maya securely, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her bare knee while his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Despite the chaotic swirl of emotions, she found herself relaxing into his embrace, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear acting as a grounding anchor.

When they finally reached the apartment, Shion and Kakucho quickly exited the car to ensure the area was secure. Izana gently shifted Maya, preparing to carry her inside. "It's okay," she murmured, trying to stand on her own, but her legs were shaky, and she had to lean on Izana for support.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, bunny," Izana said softly, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. "Let me take care of you."

Maya didn't protest further, resting her head against his shoulder as he carried her into the building. Once inside, they were greeted by a heightened security presence. Izana's men were everywhere, scanning the surroundings with keen eyes, their postures alert and ready for any potential threat. The usual quiet luxury of the apartment now felt like a fortress under siege.

Even in the elevator, he doesn't put her down, carrying Maya bridal style, no longer caring who sees. Izana carried her to the living room and gently placed her on the couch in his penthouse. "Listen to me, Maya," he said, his voice firm yet gentle as he kneeled in front of her "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. But you need to stay vigilant. Don't go anywhere without Shion or Kakucho or any of my top men. Shion, Kakucho, Ran, Rindo, Mochi— only them. Understand?"

Maya nodded, her heart pounding. "I understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Izana stood up and turned to Kakucho and Shion, who had just entered the room. "I want a full sweep of the building. No one gets in or out without my explicit permission," he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

Shion nodded, his expression serious. "Got it, boss."

Maya watched as he moved with a sense of purpose, directing his men and checking the locks. Shion and Kakucho were by his side, their expressions mirroring his seriousness. She felt a pang of guilt for being the cause of such turmoil but reminded herself that Izana's world had always been dangerous. She was just more aware of it now.

Izana directs more of his men to her apartment as well to do a sweep of her place too. Maya just watches, fingers curled into her dress. Once it seems like Izana has given his men enough orders, he crouches down in front of her again down on one knee. It's an odd sight to see a man so powerful kneeling, let alone being kind. "How about you stay up here tonight..." Izana murmurs as he begins to unstrap her heels from her feet

He isn't asking but Maya tires to protest anyway. "You don't have to—"

As expected, he doesn't let her protest either. 

A week passes like that. Maya stays in Kakucho's room and Izana refuses to let her leave the penthouse without any of them. Now, had she been your typical dark romance novel female lead, Maya would be begging to leave and get out. But no. Maya grew up all alone, having to provide for herself. Here, in this huge penthouse owned by scary gangsters with the country under their boot, she didn't have to lift a single finger. It was honestly amazing if you ignore the current threat to her life. 

During that week, Maya settled into an unexpected routine of luxury and security, a stark contrast to her previous life. She had her meals prepared, her every need attended to, and she could actually relax, albeit under constant surveillance. Despite the danger, she found herself growing more comfortable with Izana and his men, even if the circumstances were far from normal.

One evening, as she sat on the balcony of the penthouse, watching the sunset over the city, Izana joined her. He handed her a glass of wine, and they sat in companionable silence for a few moments. The orange and pink hues of the sky reflected off the glass buildings, casting a warm glow over everything. "You seem more at ease," Izana observed, taking a sip of his drink.

Maya glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I guess I am. It's strange, isn't it? Feeling safe in a place surrounded by danger."

Izana nodded, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Danger is relative. In my world, safety is a luxury we create, not something we find."

Maya pondered his words, understanding the depth behind them. She had seen firsthand the lengths Izana went to ensure her protection, and she couldn't deny the sense of security that came with his presence. "Thank you, Izana," she said softly, turning to look at him. "For everything."

Izana's gaze met hers, a rare, genuine warmth in his eyes. "You're welcome, bunny. But I must say this is my fault. I should have known the consequences of bringing a civilian along with me everywhere. Of course someone was going to put a hit on you"

Maya just shakes her. Of course, Izana was right but she wouldn't outright say that to him. "Also" Izana continues "There is a party on Friday. I'd like you to come with me"

And Maya agrees. What's the worst that could happen?

Later that night, as Maya prepared for bed, there was a soft knock on her door. She opened it to find Kakucho standing there, his usual stoic expression softened by concern. "Just wanted to check on you," he said simply.

Maya smiled, touched by his gesture. "I'm okay, Kakucho. Thanks for asking."

He nodded, lingering for a moment as if unsure whether to say more. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me," he finally said, his voice gentle.

"I will," Maya replied, appreciating the support from him and the others. She watched as Kakucho left, feeling a strange mix of emotions. This life of danger and luxury was a far cry from the one she had known, but she was adapting in ways she hadn't expected.

As she lay in bed, thoughts swirling in her mind, Maya couldn't help but reflect on how much her life had changed in such a short time. She had gone from a struggling therapist to a woman under the protection of one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the city. And yet, amidst the chaos, she had found a semblance of peace, even if it was fragile and fleeting.

The days continued in a similar fashion, with Maya growing more accustomed to her new reality. She found herself laughing more with Shion and Kakucho, enjoying their company despite the circumstances. Izana remained a constant, his presence both commanding and comforting. 

Soon comes Friday, the day of the party Izana was talking about.

Maya stood in front of the full-length mirror in Kakucho's room, adjusting the strap of the elegant dress Izana had chosen for her. It was a deep blue in the same shade as her eyes, accentuating her figure without being too revealing. The fabric felt luxurious against her skin, a stark reminder of the opulence she had been thrust into. "Are you ready?" Izana's voice came from the doorway. 

She turned to see him leaning against the frame, looking impeccable in a tailored suit. His eyes held a mix of pride and something deeper that she couldn't quite place. "Almost," she replied, taking a deep breath. "How do I look?"

"Perfect," Izana said, stepping forward and offering his arm. "Shall we?"

Maya took his arm, feeling a rush of nerves and excitement. She was stepping into a world that was both fascinating and terrifying, but with Izana by her side, she felt an unexpected surge of confidence. As they descended to the lobby, Shion and Kakucho were already waiting, dressed sharply in suits. They both gave her approving nods, a silent reassurance that she was part of their inner circle tonight.

The drive to the party was relatively quiet, the tension in the air more anticipatory than fearful. Maya couldn't help but wonder what kind of people attended these events and what role she was expected to play. When they arrived, the venue was a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of the city, its grandeur illuminated by an array of lights. The driveway was lined with expensive cars, and elegantly dressed guests milled about, sipping champagne and exchanging pleasantries. Izana led Maya inside, his hand resting possessively on her lower back. As they entered the grand hall, Maya was struck by the sheer opulence of the place. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the room. Tables were adorned with lavish floral arrangements, and a string quartet played softly in the background. "Stay close to me," Izana whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "And remember, you're here as my guest. No one will dare harm you while you're with me."

Maya nodded, her heart pounding. She clung to Izana's side, observing the room and its occupants. There were people of all ages, mingling and chatting, but she could sense the underlying tension. This was not just a social event; it was a gathering of power players, each with their own agendas. As they made their way through the crowd, several people approached Izana, exchanging polite greetings and respectful nods. He introduced Maya as his companion, and she noticed the curious glances and whispers that followed them. "Izana, my friend," a smooth voice interrupted their progress. Maya turned to see a tall, impeccably dressed man with a predatory smile. "It's been too long."

"Takeda," Izana replied, his tone polite but guarded. "Good to see you."

Takeda's gaze shifted to Maya, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"This is Kaneko Maya," Izana said, his grip on her tightening slightly. "She's with me."

Takeda nodded, his smile never wavering. "A pleasure to meet you, Maya. I hope you're enjoying the evening."

"I am, thank you," Maya replied, her voice steady despite the unease she felt.

As Takeda moved on, Izana leaned in close. "Be careful around him. He's not to be trusted."

Maya nodded, grateful for the warning. The evening continued, a whirlwind of introductions and conversations. Maya did her best to remember names and faces, but it was overwhelming. Izana never left her side, his presence a constant source of reassurance. At one point, they stepped out onto a terrace overlooking the gardens. The cool night air was a welcome relief from the crowded room, and Maya took a moment to breathe deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. "Are you holding up okay?" Izana asked, his eyes searching hers.

Maya nodded. "It's a lot to take in, but I'm managing."

Izana smiled, his expression softening. "You're doing great. Just a little longer, and then we can leave."

Before she could respond, the sound of raised voices drew their attention back to the ballroom. Izana's body tensed, and he quickly led her inside, his demeanour shifting to one of alertness. As they entered, they saw a group of men gathered near the center of the room, their argument growing more heated. Izana motioned for Shion and Kakucho, who immediately moved to flank him, ready for whatever might happen. Maya stood close to Izana, her heart pounding as the situation escalated. She could feel the tension in the room, the eyes of the guests watching intently. Izana stepped forward, his presence commanding attention. "Gentlemen," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Is there a problem?"

The men turned to face him, their expressions wary. One of them, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, spoke up. "Just a disagreement, Kurokawa-san. Nothing to worry about."

Izana's eyes narrowed slightly. "Make sure it stays that way. This is not the place for conflicts."

The man nodded, backing down. The tension in the room eased slightly, and the guests began to return to their conversations, though the air was still charged with an undercurrent of unease. Izana turned back to Maya, his expression softening. "Let's get out of here. We've had enough excitement for one night."

Maya nodded, grateful for the escape. As they made their way to the exit, she couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and exhaustion. The night had been a glimpse into a world she was only beginning to understand, and she knew it was just the beginning. It's as they reach the car parked outside the venue someone shouts for them to stop. It all happens too fast. You see a man in a trench coat pull something shiny. Her body moves almost on instinct as she pushes Izana out of the line of fire. The next thing she knows she's on the ground on her knees. 

Maya kneels on the cold pavement, the searing pain in her arm confirming what her mind struggled to process: she had been shot. Chaos erupted around her as Izana's men sprang into action, surrounding her and Izana with drawn weapons. She could hear Shion shouting orders, his voice a distant roar in the growing haze of her consciousness. She touches her arm and sees blood on her hands. She looks up and sees Izana staring down at her in shock. Maya thinks Izana is about to say something but before he can, she passes out. 

The smell of antiseptic is something Maya got used to after staying in the hospital for a week. The sterile environment of the hospital room was a stark contrast to the chaos of the events that had landed Maya there. She lay in the hospital bed, her arm bandaged and elevated, the pain dulled by medication but still present. Izana sat beside her, his expression unreadable as he watched over her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Maya shifted slightly, wincing at the movement. "Sore," she admitted, her voice hoarse from disuse. "But I'll survive."

Izana's gaze softened, a rare vulnerability in his eyes. "You saved my life," he said softly, his tone tinged with something akin to awe.

Maya shook her head, dismissing his praise. "I just reacted. Anyone would have done the same."

Izana reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Not anyone," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're special, Maya. You have a courage and strength that few possess."

Maya felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words, a sense of validation she hadn't expected. She had always seen herself as ordinary, unremarkable even, but hearing Izana's praise made her feel seen in a way she hadn't before. "Thank you," she murmured, her eyes meeting his. "For everything."

Izana nodded, his hand lingering on her cheek. "I should be the one thanking you," he said, his thumb tracing a gentle circle on her skin. "You've changed everything for me."

Maya felt a surge of emotion welling up inside her, a mix of gratitude and something deeper that she couldn't quite name. She reached out, taking Izana's hand in hers, their fingers intertwining. She's about to say something but then Izana pulls his hand out of her grasp. "Just before I forget"

In the blink of an eye, the gold Cartier love bracelet is locked back on her wrist. She hadn't even realized it was taken off. Maya raises her brow in amusement. "That's a priority for you?" She asks as he pockets the screwdriver

Izana just grins. "Of course it is bunny"

Maya laughs softly. "Keep the screwdriver safe, I couldn't find it last time and had it on for months"

Izana simply nods.

He doesn't give it to her. 

A few days after Maya is discharged, Izana quite literally carries her to his room. While she insisted she could walk, Izana also insisted on carrying her. "Wait, why your room?" Maya asks as he sets her down on his bed

"hm, I thought it was time to give Kakucho his room back" Izana says simply as he removes his suit jacket

"Could've just left me in my apartment too" She tells him "it's literally right under this one"

Izana's eyes flashed with a mix of amusement and something more possessive as he hung his suit jacket on the back of a chair. "I want you close, Maya. You know that."

Maya sighed, knowing any further argument would be futile. Izana was nothing if not stubborn, especially when it came to her safety. She looked around his room, noting the minimalistic yet luxurious decor, a stark contrast to her own apartment. "Fine," she conceded, leaning back against the plush pillows. "But you're making a habit of this."

Izana's lips curved into a small smile as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs. "Perhaps I am," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. "But it’s a habit I have no intention of breaking."

Maya watched him, feeling a mixture of exasperation and affection. The week in the hospital had been an emotional rollercoaster, and now, back in the penthouse, she felt a sense of surreal calm. Despite the danger, despite the chaos, she had found a strange comfort in Izana's presence. Maya sighed, knowing better than to argue with him. Despite the lingering pain in her arm, she felt a strange sense of security in his room. It was luxurious, just like the rest of the penthouse, but it also had a personal touch that reflected Izana’s taste—minimalist, with dark tones and high-end finishes. As Izana busied himself with something on his desk, Maya settled into the plush bed, sinking into the soft comforter. She felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, the events of the past weeks catching up. Izana returned to her side, a glass of water in hand. "Here, take these," he said, handing her a couple of painkillers.

Maya took the pills, grateful for the relief they promised. She downed them with a sip of water, then handed the glass back to Izana. "Thank you," she murmured, leaning back against the pillows.

Izana sat on the edge of the bed, watching her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. His hand comes up, slow and careful to cup her cheek and before she knows it, their lips have locked together. Maya's mind swirled with the mixture of sensations—Izana’s firm yet gentle touch, the warmth of his lips, and the undeniable chemistry that had been building between them. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the kiss, a momentary escape from the chaos that had become her life. When they finally pulled apart, both were slightly breathless. Izana’s thumb brushed against her cheek, his gaze unwavering. “You’re incredible, you know that?” he murmured, his voice filled with a rare softness.

Maya smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. “I don’t know about that,” she replied, her voice shaky yet filled with sincerity. 

Izana leans in and kisses her again, this time more eager and a little more aggressive. Maya's pulse quickened as Izana's kiss deepened, his lips demanding and passionate. She responded in kind, her hands moving up to tangle in his hair. The intensity of the moment was electrifying, every touch sending shivers down her spine. Izana's hand slid from her cheek to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Maya felt herself melting into him, her worries and fears momentarily forgotten in the heat of the kiss. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily, their foreheads resting against each other.

“Izana,” Maya whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “What are we doing?”

Izana's eyes bore into hers, a mix of desire and determination. “What feels right,” he replied, his thumb brushing over her lips before he kisses her again

Maya's head swam with a whirlwind of emotions as Izana's lips met hers once more. The intensity of his kiss, the possessiveness in his touch, made her feel more alive than she had ever felt before. Every sensation was heightened, every touch electrifying, as they surrendered to the moment. As their kiss deepened, Maya's hands roamed over Izana's back, feeling the taut muscles beneath his shirt. His hands were no less explorative, tracing the contours of her body with a mix of tenderness and fervour. The world outside his room faded away, leaving just the two of them, entwined in a passionate embrace. It's right then that as they kiss, Izana takes her hands and starts wrapping something around her wrists. She pulls away. "I-Izana?"

"You're so pretty" He murmurs, a look of excitement in his eyes

Maya's gaze shifted between him and her wrists which he was currently tying together with his necktie, the ache in her shoulder now turned to numbness. When did he take his tie off? "Izana..." She tries saying as he loops the silk around her wrists once more

"Shhh..." He coos and presses a kiss to her forehead "It's gon' be fine. Won't be too rough with you, I know your shoulder hurts"

But it wasn't about the damn bullet wound and Maya wasn't sure how to explain it to him. "N-No wait Izana—" He finishes tying her wrists together and lowers her back onto the bed

Izana stops when he sees her panicked state. His fingers clench around the silk that binds her wrists together. "hm?"

Maya looks up at him, wide watery eyes. His heart melts. "I'm a virgin"

In an instant, the necktie is slid off her wrists but Izana makes no move to get off her. "Do you trust me?" he whispers, lips meet her cheek

With those four words, the months she has spent with Izana play through her head like a movie being played on fast forward. From the day they first met till now, Maya knows how absolutely scary most of the situations she was put into. Hell, she almost died too. Maya's heart raced as she looked into Izana's eyes, searching for any hint of deceit or malice. But all she found was sincerity, a genuine concern that made her want to believe him. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside her. "Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible

And Izana smiles, his lips meeting her's in another kiss.

It's about 8 am when Maya wakes up. The night before had been... Eventful. Of course, that was one way to describe it. After Izana had taken her virginity they showered together. She's wearing her own pyjama pants but one of Izana's shirts that he didn’t bother helping her button up. Maya stares up and the ceiling, lying on her back as Izana lays next to her with an arm around her waist, still asleep. 

Maya couldn't help but feel a swirl of conflicting emotions as she lay there in the early morning light, wrapped in Izana's shirt and tangled up with him in his bed. She felt a strange mix of vulnerability and comfort, a sense of intimacy she had never experienced before. Part of her wanted to stay there forever, cocooned in this moment of peace and connection. But another part of her was filled with uncertainty, unsure of what this newfound closeness with Izana meant for their relationship.

As she gazed at him sleeping beside her, she couldn't help but marvel at the contrast between the man she had come to know and the one she had feared when they first met. Izana seemed almost... vulnerable in his sleep, his usual guarded facade softened by the peaceful expression on his face. Maya reached out, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertips, memorizing every contour and angle.

Maya pulls her hand back and slips out of bed without waking him. Her arm was aching again and there was no more water in the glass on the bedside table. She cradles her injured arm to her chest as she walks through the empty penthouse toward the kitchen. Maya fills herself a glass of water and leans against the kitchen island as she drinks. The events of the past weeks replayed in Maya's mind like a movie, each scene more surreal than the last. She couldn't quite believe how much her life had changed since she first met Izana. From being a struggling psychiatrist to now being entangled in a world of danger and luxury, it was a journey she never could have imagined. As she stood there in the quiet of the kitchen, Maya couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty that gnawed at her. Her relationship with Izana had taken a sudden and unexpected turn, and she wasn't sure where they stood now. Did last night change everything, or was it just a momentary lapse in judgment? "Oh well" she thinks 

Just as she's about the head back to Izana's room, something on the counter catches her eye. Oh. It was the screwdriver for the bracelet Izana gave her. Maya picks it up. She couldn't find hers for months after Izana put the bracelet on her. She stares down at the bracelet and then puts the screwdriver in place which then unlocks it. Just as she's about to pull it off, someone speaks up. "Kaneko... Maya...?" a voice says startling her

She turned around fast, the bracelet slipping off her wrist easily now that it was unlocked. Standing a little too close for comfort is a man with pale skin, black bottomless pits as eyes and black messy long hair. He stares at her for a moment and Maya attempts to take a step back only for her back to hit the counter. "huh..." he mutters, looking at her up and down, watching Maya cradle her injured arm to her chest

He crouches down and picks up the Cartier Bracelet off the floor. "Didn't think aniki would let you walk around the place so freely like this" he murmurs as he examines the bracelet

Aniki? Oh. "You're.... Sano Manjiro"

This was Izana's younger brother. The leader of Tokyo Manji Gang. "In the flesh" Manjiro says and looks at her "But I prefer Mikey"

She just nods, keeping her arm cradled to her chest and also trying to cover up her bralette which was exposed since she hadn't buttoned up her shirt before leaving Izana's room. "Nice to finally meet the girl that's got my brother's attention" Manjiro— Mikey— says

Maya lets out a shaky exhale. "Nice to meet you too, Mikey," Maya replied, trying to keep her voice steady despite the nerves churning in her stomach. 

She couldn't shake the feeling of being under scrutiny, especially from someone as formidable as Izana's brother. He exudes power in the same way as Izana. Although she can't help but notice they don't look alike at all. "Um can—"

"you know," Mikey starts, cutting her off as he fiddles with the bracelet "owners usually don't give their pets the key to their collar"

Maru furrows her brows at his words. "um... Excuse me?"

Mikey looks up at her with a smirk, his gaze piercing. "You heard me," he says, his tone casual yet filled with underlying tension. "You're wearing Izana's collar, aren't you?"

Maya's heart skips a beat, her mind racing as she tries to process his words. She glances down at the bracelet in his hand, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable. "It's just a bracelet," she replies, her voice defensive.

Mikey raises an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Is it now?" he says, his smirk widening

He turns the gold love bracelet over and shows her the inside of it. Maya felt her stomach churn uncomfortably at the sight of what was engraved onto the inside. It was a common thing. Cartier offered a service that allowed you to get what you wanted engraved on the inside of certain rings and bracelets. But this certainly wasn't what she expected. 

Engraved on the inside of the bracelet is 

property of Kurokawa Izana

notes: ngl, I'm not super satisfied with this chapter but oh well, it's a bonus anyway. It's super fast pace, I know but it's a bonus for a reason and I kinda lost interest in writing the smut so I just left it off. Have I ever mentioned I hate writing smut which is why none of my one-shots have smut. but anyways, I hope you enjoyed :)

This is a wrap to Dead Girl's Beach and thank you so much for reading <3

special thanks to: @mysouleaten @yaya4thawin @piroporopo @reiners-milkbiddies @bontensbabygirl @tenjikusstuff4 @fairey555 @haikyuusboringassmanager @firstdivisiongirl @bakuhoethotski @xoxowhateveroxox @maraya-007 @dolfiins-art @short-cxke @milky-aeons @asirensrage @blueblazecrusade @brisssaaa009 @m-ilkiee

[toomuchracket]

D word Matty bouncing up and down like. Golden retriever puppy trying to wait so he doesn't come across as desperate but just blurts it out in the end because he's too excited is so fucking cute to imagine

yeah like say your rental agreement on your flat is a few months from its end and you kind of absent-mindedly say to matty that you're not sure if you'll renew it or look for somewhere else - you're not hinting at him, though, despite the fact you've been together for over a year at this point. but as soon as he hears you mention it, matty's mind cannot stop wandering to what it would be like to officially live with you - he loves it when you stay over and he gets to wake up next to you all warm and cuddly, loves seeing your current read on the coffee table next to his, loves the way your perfume lingers around the house for hours after you put it on... yeah, he wants you to live with him (and to marry him, but it's definitely still too soon to say that). but matty's so aware that you're still young and ambitious and successful, and as much as he wants the domestic life with you and knows you love him, he's so wary of the fact that you might not be as ready to settle down as he is. so he keeps quiet at first, even when you decide you're going to look for another place - matty even offers to come and view potentials with you, on the grounds that he's lived in london longer than you have and he knows a bit more about the property market/where's a decent place to stay etc. than you do. and you're grateful for his help, and you love matty coming to viewings with you because you can daydream that it's actually the two of you picking a home to live in together - you're just as desperate to move in with matty as he is, but you don't want to come across as a gold-digger trying to get wifed up for his money or anything like that, so you don't mention it to him.

this mutual "i want this but i don't want to freak you out" thing continues for a few weeks, and only ends when you and matty are about to leave his for another viewing, only for matty to be like "...this is two streets from here". and you're like "well, that's the appeal", and matty goes "oh, because it's a nice area?" and you smile shyly and say "i mean, yes, but also the close proximity to you is definitely an added bonus. such a bonus that it's put this place to the top of my list, even before i've actually seen it in person. wanna be near you all the time, honestly". and matty's SO EXCITED by this - he beams and immediately says "you know, we could just save ourselves the walk and you could move in here with me, if you'd like that. i know i would", and your eyes go wide and you're like "you want us to live together too?" and matty's literally jumping up and down all hyper like "TOO?! you're actually up for living with me? why didn't you say anything? i've been daydreaming about us doing dishes together for weeks". you laugh and kiss matty's nose before you say "you know, babe, you're so weird sometimes. but i love it. i love you. and i'd love to move in with you, if you'll have me", and matty scoops you up and kisses you deeply and says "i'll have you in that sense anytime. can we work out the logistics after i've had you in another sense, though?" - you smile into another deep kiss and say "take me to our bedroom, then" and matty's like "fuck yeah, OUR bedroom" and does as you ask lol. and yeah, you move in officially a couple of weeks later and it's just the best <3

[numetaljackdog]

what i’m listening to 8/5/2022 (song notes under the cut)

spot link//yt link

Laura Les - Haunted: haunted. by laura les

Radiohead - Idioteque: i listened to kid a for the first time not too long ago and this track made me gasp when it came on. something about it just absolutely touches the base of my skull

Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl: my fav of the singles so far from the upcoming record. rly like the kinda uk garage sound, plus the lyrics + video hit hard. stan rina, etc

Pharrell Williams - Cash In Cash Out (ft. 21 Savage and Tyler, the Creator): took a bit of warming up to but i came around. tyler’s verse is the standout here for me, and i like 21′s contributions too. tbh i think the weak link here was, surprisingly, pharrell’s beat, but hey. still gets points for being weird ig

ANGEL_TECH - Keysmash {RE:smashed}: new banger from melodus and metagirl! def my favorite angel_tech song so far. the remix in particular is super energetic

Limp Bizkit - Back Porch: bonus track on my least favorite bizkit album but good GOD is that riff cool as fuck. literally that alone makes it worth it

Steve Lacy - Bad Habit: delightfully quirky and refreshingly summery. i’m glad to see steve lacy continue to have bigger hits bc i don’t think anyone else is doing it quite like him

Radiohead - Everything In It’s Right Place: unlike idioteque, this one took a few relistens to click. i lovvve vocal chopping/mixing and this is that good shit. catchy AND scary! one of the most songs ever

10 Years - Wasteland: have i ever mentioned that i love post-grunge

Kanye West - Gold Digger (ft. Jamie Foxx): like 80% of the appeal here for me is really just the masterful ray charles sample. maybe i should just listen to more ray charles actually

Foo Fighters - Everlong: so touching to me... reaching out for the hand of your love and holding them tight and saying this life is hard and cold and cruel very often but we are here together and i will never falter from you and we will make this worth it. we have to. i feel confident saying this is one of the greatest songs ever

Dove Cameron - Boyfriend: yeah babey let’s see some wlw rep in the top 40!!!!!! this song’s sound is kinda derivative of the billie eilish ripoff sound that has become popular since 2019 but it adds a bit of a jazz kinda thing which is fun, and also more importantly is very hot

Coal Chamber - Loco: MI LOCO. MI LOCO. MI LOCO. MI LOCO.

DJ Rozwell - F1 Tiger Road: soumds

Sugar Ray - Fly: in a surprising twist, i prefer sugar ray’s pop material VASTLY to their early nu metal shit

Limp Bizkit - Head For The Barricade: STICK EM. STICK EM.

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz - Get Low (ft. Ying Yang Twins): do i have to say anything here? this is a total classic banger

Maroon 5 - This Love: OKAY! FINE! i’ll admit there is ONE! ONE singular maroon 5 song that i like....

Thousand Foot Krutch - Move: this song fucking sucks!!!! but it’s very funny to me. bc mr. krutch wants so badly to be like a tough nu metal guy but his voice is so thin and nothing that he just can’t 😭 i did steal this talking point from a crash thompson video btw

[longitudinalwaveme]

Random Flash Rogues Observations

On today’s edition of things that randomly pop into my head: so, what crimes, if any, were the (Silver and Bronze Age) Flash Rogues convicted of before they put on the costumes? 

Captain Cold: In Showcase #8 (1957), the narration box describes Len Snart as a, quote, “ambitious crook” indicating that he was committing crimes well before he became Captain Cold. We also know that he was definitely guilty of breaking and entering (he breaks into a magazine office to steal a magazine and then breaks into the cyclotron lab) and burglary (since he, you know, steals the magazine). All of these events happened before he put on the costume. Since his first crime after donning the costume was an armed bank robbery, one could hypothesize that perhaps he had robbed banks before, but it’s also entirely possible that he had never committed such a large-scale crime before acquiring a super weapon simply out of practicality (this is, after all, Len Snart we’re talking about).

Mr. Element/ Dr. Alchemy: In Showcase #13, while explaining his origin, Albert Desmond vaguely explains that he “became involved in crime”. This is remarkably unhelpful in terms of figuring out any sort of specifics, but the first thing we see him do as Mr. Element is armed robbery of a jewelry store. Make of that what you will. 

Mirror Master I: Flash #105 specifically notes that Sam Scudder was “in jail for robbery”, so we know that, prior to becoming Mirror Master, he had committed some kind of robbery-though interestingly, the first crime we see him commit as Mirror Master actually seems to be a form of identity theft (using mirror duplicates of bank tellers to take money from a bank). 

Pied Piper: In Flash #106, Pied Piper just kind of....shows up....and announces to a bunch of criminals that he’s taking over their gang. He also explains that he has mastery of sound, but he gives them (and us) literally no further explanation as to who he is or what he’d done prior to this point. The first crime we see him actually commit is a burglary (the cover calls it a robbery, but since there doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the store, he’s actually committing a burglary, not a robbery), and I wouldn’t be surprised, given what we later learn about him, that this is the first blue-collar crime the Piper has ever committed. (When Piper’s backstory was finally revealed in Flash #308, we saw that Hartley used hypnotism to convince his boss to give him an unearned bonus check, which would be a form of white-collar crime.) 

Weather Wizard: In Flash #110, we learned that Mark has been arrested at least three times (though it’s not clear if he was also convicted all three times). At least two of the arrests were for burglary. His first crime as the Weather Wizard was also something of a burglary, as apparently he just distracted everyone with colored snow before stealing money from a bank. He doesn’t seem to threaten anyone during that crime; so it’s not really a proper robbery. However, Mardon quickly moves on to commit destruction of property on a massive scale, destroying an entire police building! Given that he can control the weather, the escalation in crime severity actually makes a good deal of sense in his case. 

Trickster I: I think we can say confidently that James Jesse had not committed any major crimes before becoming the Trickster, considering both the fact that he seems to be rather young upon his debut and the fact that he had an actual job as a circus performer. His first crime upon becoming the Trickster is to....hijack a plane!  Kind of! Actually, at no point does he attempt to steal or take control of the plane itself, so it’s really less of a hijacking and more of an armed robbery that just happens to be on a plane. He then spends the entire rest of the issue just screwing with Barry; not really committing any major additional crimes. That’s JJ for you. 

Captain Boomerang: We know that Digger was a criminal before he put on the costume, as he states that he was “just prepared to launch myself on a new stage of my criminal career” and also states that he spent years “hiding from the law in the Australian bush”. (The way this is phrased does kind of make it sound like the character wasn’t originally intended to be Australian, but it’s not conclusive by any means.) We also aren’t given any specifics as to what his crimes were, but I somehow get the feeling that they were extensive. The first crime we see him commit on-panel is stealing some jewelry via a boomerang (he’s not actually there in person). I’m not really sure what that would be called, to be honest. 

The Top: In Flash #121, Roscoe states that he “drifted into crime” (interestingly, this choice of words is more than a little reminiscent of the way that Dr. Alchemy described his entry into crime), and a flashback has him state that he’s been arrested at least twice. He doesn’t explain what his crimes were, though. He also looks very young in this panel; it’s possible that one or both of the crimes for which he was arrested were committed while he was still underage. We see him commit two robberies in succession (he’s using force, so the term is appropriate)....and then watch as he rapidly escalates to terrorism as he threatens to use a top-shaped atomic bomb to blow up half the world if he isn’t made leader of the planet. Considering that he goes back to robberies and burglaries after this insane scheme (at least until he finds out that he’s dying and throws a “If I can’t have it, nobody can” fit), I think it’s safe to say that Roscoe was probably not in the most sound mental state when he came up with this plan. 

Abra Kadabra: In the Silver Age, there’s no evidence that Abra Kadabra was a criminal before he made the decision to steal the time machine. As such, his first crime(s) appears to be breaking and entering and burglary (specifically, he breaks into “a building dedicated to science” and steals the time machine). 

Reverse-Flash: Eobard Thawne describes himself as “an ordinary thief”, but also notes that both his fellow criminals and the police have nicknamed him “the Professor” because of his scientific aptitude. This implies that he’s probably been arrested several times (since law enforcement is so familiar with him). However, we don’t know exactly what crimes he committed (though since he specifically calls himself a thief, burglary or robbery are the most likely). That being said, we do get to see him steal the atomic clock and the Flash uniform from the time capsule on-panel. The first crime we see him commit as Reverse-Flash is burglary (he breaks into a mansion to steal a Cribi statue). 

Heat Wave: Mick Rory does not seem to have committed any crimes prior to becoming Heat Wave; in the Silver and Bronze Ages he was not a pyromaniac. He also had a job as a circus fire-eater. The first crime we actually see him commit is assault and aiding and abetting: he shoots the Flash in the back with his heat gun and helps Captain Cold escape with the money he stole from some foreign dignitaries. 

Golden Glider: As far as we can tell, Lisa did not commit any major crimes prior to becoming the Golden Glider. There’s no definite evidence that she ever helped Roscoe or Len in their crimes, and it also seems likely that they would have wanted to avoid any risk of her being arrested, so I doubt that she was actively involved in any of their early crimes. However, since she was motivated by revenge, the first crime we actually get to see her commit on panel is basically attempted murder! She definitely entered the criminal life with a bang. 

[yellowocaballero]

Bonus from Human Relations (Jello Salad, NASA, and Epic Jon Bitchery)

Short little thing thumped out in an hour last night. I was challenged to write a genuine argument and Elias eating Jello Salad. I succeeded in one of those things. 

TW for discussions of, as you can probably expect, 1950s racism and maladaptive relationships

“Reservation for…”

The host stared at Jon blankly. Jon silently struggled.

“Reservation for Jo - uh...John? No…”

“Perhaps you are in the wrong restaurant,” the host hinted, somewhat forcefully.

“No, I’m quite confident I’m at the right place. Hold on.” Jon struggled with his briefcase, withdrawing an invitation scribbled on stationary paper. A large, embossed header at the top read in sprawling letters US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, and the host blanched. Jon quickly scanned the paper, taking a minute to translate his own shorthand before brightening. “Ah! Yes, Salle du Bois, at seven pm, March 2nd. With...yes, a Sir James Wright.” Jon folded the paper one-handedly and stuck it into his jacket pocket. He smiled brightly at the flummoxed host. “Well? Will no one take my coat?”

“Reservation for…”

The host stared at Jon blankly. Jon silently struggled. 

“Reservation for Jo - uh...John? No…”

“Perhaps you are in the wrong restaurant,” the host hinted, somewhat forcefully. 

“No, I’m quite confident I’m at the right place. Hold on.” Jon struggled with his briefcase, withdrawing an invitation scribbled on stationary paper. A large, embossed header at the top read in sprawling letters US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, and the host blanched. Jon quickly scanned the paper, taking a minute to translate his own shorthand before brightening. “Ah! Yes, Salle du Bois, at seven pm, March 2nd. With...yes, a Sir James Wright.” Jon folded the paper one-handedly and stuck it into his jacket pocket. He smiled brightly at the flummoxed host. “Well? Will no one take my coat?”

The name must have been familiar, carrying its own power - honestly, a peerage, man was annoying every time - because a waiter appeared from nowhere very quickly to take Jon’s hat, coat, and briefcase. Jon took the opportunity to straighten his fine suit and tie, and glance around the room. 

Part of him couldn’t help but be proud: barely four years ago, it would have been impossible to step foot inside the finest restaurant in Washington, DC. Senators dined on these tables, creating backroom deals and manufacturing methods of state and politics, and Jon had been forced to rely on some creative means to work himself into those deals. These days, it was as simple as walking in through the front door. Of course, the entire room was staring at him extremely pointedly, but that was what the peerage, money, and reputation was for. Jon never much cared if people disliked him - he tended to only concern himself with people who could do something about it.

Everyone of import in Congress knew Jonathan Sims. A whisper on the wind, a knife in the dark: that had been Jon, always. It still was. But now, people looked at him with respect. Everyone did. 

Everyone except, of course, the young man sitting at the pristinely white table that the waiter lead him to. Utterly unrecognized, but dimly familiar in the way that the endless parade of Jonah’s bodies always was: a thin, emancipated type of look, in his early twenties, with a thin but healthy comb of blonde hair and light muscle that would soon go unattended under Jonah’s careful attention. Hilariously, he was still short - would that man ever find a body over five feet seven?

Jonah smiled as Jon and the waiter approached, waving aside the waiter’s silent question of if it was really Jon that he had been waiting for. Honestly, the more things changed. 

“Jonathan,” Jonah said warmly, “how long has it been?”

“Too long to say in polite company,” Jon said lightly, shaking his hand tightly. He was waiting for public hugs between men to go back in style. He missed it, slightly. “You look...different.”

Of course, Jonah noticeably preened. “I think this one has a nice, strong jaw, don’t you?”

“It’s...the jaw that the English peerage is famous for,” Jon said tactfully, sitting down on a delicate and fine chair. “What brings you to DC, Jonah? Normally you can’t be pried away from London with a crowbar.”

Jonah gleamed a bright white smile at him. “Can’t a man miss his close business partner after so long apart?”

“That would imply you’re capable of human emotion.”

“True, my mistake.” 

The waiter appeared, and Jonah ordered something carelessly expensive and good wine as Jonathan carefully ordered a very refined and dignified cut of filet mignon. The wait on the food was short, of course, and Jon and Jonah wasted time by chatting about their business ventures. Jon’s was going extremely well, obviously. Jonah’s was extremely boring and slow, obviously. 

“This industry boom is incredible. The technological innovation, the jump forward in progress, the persistent fear that it will all be taken away the minute we step out of the conformist line…” Jon picked up his fork as the plates of steaming and small portions were slid onto their table. “Mark my words, Jonah. 1953 will be our year.”

“My good man,” Jonah said sympathetically, “it’s well into 1957.”

“Years should be longer. Simon agrees with me.” Jon frowned, picking up a fork and cutting into his meat . “We’re investing in Simon and his projects, by the way.”

Jonah smiled over the rim of his wine glass, raising a delicate blonde eyebrow at Jon. “Wonderful of you to make these decisions for us.”

“When you insist on spending all of your time in the crude and backward England, I shall do as I please,” Jon said haughtily, only to see Jonah snicker into his glass. “I’ve been working with him to push his little initiative through Congress.” 

“How quickly the prodigal son shuns his motherland.” Jonah ate slowly, never once looking away from Jon. He had never forgotten that tendency of Jonah - to keep his eyes always, always on Jon, as if keeping an eye on a dangerous predator. But in that hooded, dark gaze, a half-smile always tugged at his lips. In his better moments it seemed like fond indulgence; in his worse it appeared closer to a child watching his kitten chase a dangling piece of string. “A decade or two in the land of tomorrow and you’ve adopted a new home country?”

“It is a land of progress,” Jon hissed, jabbing at Jonah with his fork. “England is stagnant, putting on airs of civility and progress when it does little more than languish in its former greatness. Look what happened with the mess in India. What do we have left? A few impoverished African territories? Yemen? We have lost all ambition. The English still fancy themselves the greatest population in the world, when they’re little more than a bombed out shell. At least America had the decency to profit off war.” 

“War is fairly pointless if there’s no profit in it,” Jonah agreed mildly. He sipped his wine again delicately. “So you figure that space is the next frontier, then?”

“The pursuit of knowledge is always in our best interest,” Jon said primly. “I was skeptical too, Jonah. But I met this lovely young engineer, a Ms. Johnson, and she’s opened my eyes. NASA is the future, and NASA is here. Only habit keeps you in England, now.”

For the first time, Jonah’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A respect for history is far from a habit, Jonathan. Have some respect.”

“Your history, not mine. And you’re ancient history too,” Jon pointed out. He calmly ate his filet as Jonah sputtered. “Admit it. You’d walk around in the cravat you were buried in if you could.”

“The cravat is dignified. It’s hardly my fault if young men these days flaunt themselves in those dirty blue jeans.” Jonah sneered the word with marked disdain. “I can see their calves.”

Despite himself, Jon smiled into his filet. “Did it give you a case of the vapors?”

Jonah reversed his grip on his fork and held it casually within stabbing distance of Jon’s hand. “Do not get us kicked out of this establishment.”

“Were you forced to recline on your fainting couch with your smelling salts?”

“I have propiety,” Jonah hissed. Hilariously, his new body had the tendency to flush a little, and his ears were noticeably red. For the first time, Jon wished that he owned one of those camera things. “At least I don’t while away my hours with your harlot of a girl.”

Almost immediately, Jonah seemed to recognize that he had gone too far, and Jon was distantly aware that his neon green eyes had taken on a dangerous tint. Jonah leaned back a little from where they both had been unconsciously leaning in, and Jon carefully readied his grip on his steak knife. “Watch how you speak of my wife.”

“Wife?” Jonah crossed his arms, tone dripping with condescension. “When did you marry that gold digger?”

“Thirty years ago,” Jon ground out, and Jonah blanched. “You were there.”

“Ah.” Jonah paused a beat. “Well, you know how time gets away from us.”

“You were my best man.”

“Maybe we can Christmas together!” Jonah said, faux-brightly. “Christmas has become quite popular lately. I can buy her one of those dishwasher things suburban women are always losing their minds in Macy’s about.”

“We have people for that,” Jon said condescendingly. “And we don’t live together, anyway. She’s experiencing the beatnik lifestyle with that little gang she runs around with. I think they write novels.”

Jonah stared at him blankly. “What is a beatnik?”

“I believe they’re similar to bohemians? I don’t understand either.” Jon wiped his mouth with the napkin again, having cleared his plate. He replaced his napkin, carefully keeping the grip on his knife. On the other end of the table, Jonah’s grip on his fork was just as tight. “She expressed no desire to be a politician’s wife, and I have no expectation of her being so.” Jonah snorted - quietly, subtly, but visibly. Jon narrowed his eyes. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re always a gas, Jon.” Jonah’s own plate cleared, he flagged a waiter to take their plates away and refill their wine. “A politician’s wife.”

“I am a politician,” Jon said testily. 

“Mm-hm.” 

“I pushed a large bill limiting freedom of speech just last month.”

“Of course.”

“I’m close, personal friends with Senator McCarthy.” Jon’s grip tightened on his knife until the wood bore into his palm. “Even if it’s in no - no official capacity, I’m making a real impact here. My service to ou - God has been extraordinary. Unlike you.”

There it was - a hit scored, a gauntlet thrown. Jonah narrowed his eyes. “Yes, because doing your job and collecting records for the Institute is a waste of time that has no relevance to God. As opposed to what, Jonathan? Wearing fine suits and putting on your own airs?”

Bright, sparking irritation flashed through Jon’s chest, but it was laced with something more. A hard defensiveness, bared teeth, curling up to prevent a weak belly. “I’m allowed the fine suits, Jonah! I am allowed to have this!”

“They’re just suits, Jon,” Jonah said condescendingly, eyes a mirror of false pity. Always pity, always false, always pretending he was weak, or - or -

“I have fought for everything, and -”

“Oh, not this drivel again.” Jonah wiped his hands on a linen napkin and balled it up, throwing it on the table and leaning back. “Yes, yes, you suffered, whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“You’re so boring. Maybe it’s the nature of Archivists to be incredibly dull. My new man, Angus...whatever, he’s unbearably bland.” A glint of humor shone through his casual airs. “We’d benefit from you.”

“Oh, here it is again,” Jon said, perhaps a bit too loudly. He threw his hands up. “Every time, you harangue me, tell me my work is meaningless, and try to drag me back to your boring and tepid old library -”

“Who are you fooling, Jonathan?” Jonah retorted, also perhaps a bit too loudly. “Nobody but yourself, and you know it!  You aren’t a politician. You aren’t anything.” At Jon’s deranged look, Jonah quickly backtracked. “You aren’t anything without God. Everything you have is because of it.” It was something that couldn’t be argued, and Jon huffed out a breath as he untensed. Jonah smiled faintly, lowering his hands as if he was placating Jon. “Not to say that you aren’t doing any good. I’m sure you’re doing the best you can. But aren’t you more interested in being where you can do the most good? In being in the place of your highest productivity, your most effective worship? I understand America is...new, but it’s a dalliance. An infatuation. Which is more meaningful, Jonathan? A summer fling with an attractive woman, or a faithful wife who maintains your home and heart?”

Jon squinted at Jonah. “Georgie doesn’t like maintaining homes.”

“I do not understand your relationship with that woman. She hasn’t even given you any children, for lord’s sake.”

They were both incapable - how could an Avatar of the End give life? - but it was another tasteless thing to say, so Jon glared Jonah into submission over it again. For all Jon constantly heard praise over how impressive and charismatic and charming Jonah was, he was insufferably rude and tactless in reality. “Neither of us are very much in the business of allowing society to tell us how to live our lives. Society will pass, age, and die before we do. Why bow to it?” Jon smiled coyly. “Why bow to anything that ages?”

“You’re lucky you’re useful, you slimy little -”

But Jon just laughed, because he had won: Jonah had raised his voice in righteous anger that echoed across the suddenly deathly quiet restaurant, and the maitre’d was walking towards them very quickly. Jon laughed even longer as the waiter spoke in smooth, ubiquitous, but firm tones to Jonah: do try not to cause a disturbance with your companion, sir, this is a respectable establishment -

“As respectable as you when you cheated on your wife with the housekeeper?” Jonah snarled, and the maitre’d blanched. “Get out of my sight. Don’t come back unless you’re bringing us a plate of Jello salad.”

Jon laughed harder as Jonah sat back down, huffy and embarrassed. His ears were red again - how quaint. Jon had the feeling he’d grow to enjoy this James Wright body - as much as anybody could enjoy Jonah, of course. “Jello salad? Is that the nasty preserved food you people are all eating?”

“It’s modern cuisine,” Jonah said stiffly. “It’s quite good. Aren’t you the one who’s so fervent in preaching the gospel of modernism?”

“Not if it comes in Cool Whip and bologna, I don’t.” Jon pulled a mock sympathetic face. “You ought to be more careful, Jonah. It’s worth keeping an eye on your health. I heard that bologna helps promote aging.”

“I will spear you with this fork and cook you over a fire,” Jonah said pleasantly. 

“My, are you balding so soon -”

In the end, they were thrown out anyway. It was for the best, anyway: Jon had no intention of eating that suburban trash. 

That day was the last he ever saw of James Wright. It was the last he saw of Jonah Magnus, too - at least, until he received a phone call in 2015 saying that Gertrude Robinson was dead, and that he was required home to select a new Head Archivist. 

It stood to reason that Jon wasn’t really necessary for the process. He had no part in choosing that woman Archivist - why would he be necessary for the next one?

“I am beginning to think,” Jonah said over the phone, voice strange and uncanny with Jonah’s familiar cadence in a reedy and light voice, “that I am incapable of appointing controllable Archivists. Every one you’ve picked has been blissfully, wonderfully boring, and the ones that I pick defy me, ruin my plans, and try to kill me. Get back here and choose one yourself.”

“But Jonah,” Jon had said, delighted, “you choose me as your Archivist.”

“I said what I said. Get back here, now. Please.”

And that, in the end, was what brought Jon home: the fact that Jonah hadn’t cajoled, manipulated, or tricked. It was the fact that he had asked. Had said please. 

He had never said please to Jon before. 

But maybe it was pointless anyway: Sasha James was no more malleable than her predecessor had been. 

[youngboy-oldmind]

ALBUM REVIEW: Late Registration


“So they asked me…Why you call it Late Registration Ye?/Cause we taking these motherf***ers back to school!”

Hip-hop trail blazer and Chicago legend Mr. Kanye West follows up his status-establishing album The College Dropout with a sophomore project that proves he’s far from a one hit wonder, relishing in his own league of musical production, lyricism, and soul touching artistry.

Overall Thoughts

I mentioned in an earlier post that Late Registration is my favorite album by Kanye, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I can endlessly rave about it. In 70 minutes, Late Registration(LR) utilizes the perfect number of skits, Grade-A featured verses from Jay-Z, Nas, Lupe, Common, Paul Wall, Cam’Ron, and Consequence, and a stellar instrumentation that combines old-school soul samples and flawless string orchestration. It also doesn’t hurt that film score composer and record producer Jon Brion helped produce some of the best tracks (Gold Digger, Roses, We Major).

Kanye elevated his pen game on this 2005 classic record. Before he made albums, he was already a solid writer and could definitely put together a verse. On LR, he exceeded to a new level, talking about himself, success, survival, while matching the prophetic vibe of “Jesus Walks” on tracks like “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”, “Roses”, and “Crack Music”. On top of these commentary tracks, he produced the tear-jerking track “Hey Mama”, my favorite dedication-to-mother songs in hip hop period.

I should also acknowledge the skits in LR. Through 4 clips, a story unfolds in a fraternity: Broke Phi Broke. In the four skits, they chant their various financial difficulties and struggles with a sense of pride. And in the final skit, we see Kanye get kicked out of the fraternity for being caught having new shoes in his closet. This is not only hilarious, but a clever commentary on his progress/success, and separation from the common plight and status of black men. Also, the topic of the skits excellently transition to the next song. Skit #1 talks about not having gas money, and the next song is “Drive Slow”; Skit #2 just repeats “broke, broke, broke, broke”, and the next two songs are “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” and “We Major”, both thematically about money and success. Skit #3 ends with a joke about not affording Christmas trees and the mother pretending to be one, and the next song is “Hey Mama”. And Skit #4 ends with Kanye being removed from the frat, and the next track is “Gone”. Expert skit placing on his part.

LR is a near perfect album; The “Empire Strikes Back” of hip hop sequels. This project has a song for any mood and definitely makes my top 10 favorite albums.

Album Breakdown

LR can be broken down into five section, each with their own distinct topics and tones, and separated by the four skits. These sections are:

Section 1: The Hits (Wake Up Mr. West) - Heard ‘Em Say, Touch The Sky, Gold Digger Section 2: Introspection (Skit #1) - Drive Slow, My Way Home, Crack Music, Roses, Bring Me Down, Addiction Section 3: Claim to Success (Skit #2) - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix), We Major Section 4: Family Business (Skit #3) - Hey Mama, Celebration Section 5: Late Departure (Skit #4) - Gone, Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Bonus), Late

Section 1- The Hits

This section kicks off the album with bang after bang after bang. West and Adam Levine team up on the opening track “Heard Em Say” to lay down two themes of the album: Everything happens for a reason and nothing in life is guaranteed. He says several times “Nothing’s ever promised tomorrow today” accompanied by Levine’s harmonies that echo simultaneous sadness and hope. West also talks about some of the plagues African Americans, including low wages, AIDS, police harassment, admiration of drug dealers, and the pursuit of money and success. While talking about these inherently depressing topics, there’s a twang of hope and faith; there’s an energy of overcoming those obstacles and maintaining the belief that things will turn out alright. 

In a 180 degree flip, the next track “Touch The Sky” completely contrasts the mellow mood of “Heard ‘Em Say”. With exhilarating trumpets sampled from Curtis Mayfield, West and Lupe bring an energy of celebrating success; reminiscing on the where they were before they got to the height they are now. A year before his debut classic Food and Liquor, Lupe spits one of the best verses on the album; matching Kanye’s energy while outshining him with his lyricism.

“Gold Digger”, possibly his most famous song, needs no introduction. This iconic track sampling Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman” is known by deep cut hip hop fans and mainstream fans alike. Jamie Foxx’s vocals on the chorus yelling “I Gotta Leave!” and Kanye’s verses about this girl who only wants him for his money makes an entertaining story but also indicates his new found status. He went from songs about not having money, to songs about dealing with a woman who only want him for his money. Talk about a bragging.

Section 2- Introspection

After two bop tracks we get “Drive Slow”, a track more mellow and laid back than the intro. Through a multitude of car metaphors, Kanye and Paul Wall talk about taking things slow, not to rush things, whether its spending money or sleeping with girls. Generally a middle of the road song for me. Nothing mind blowing but definitely easy to listen to.

In “My Way Home” we get a short, 16-line verse from Chicago all-time great Common, who talks about the struggles of the hood being home. This contrasts the hopeful tone on “Heard Em Say”, introducing a tone of relief he’s out that situation and he’s not going back. Fun fact: this is actually Common’s song that he decided not to add to his album Go!, which is why it just sounds like Common’s song instead of a Kanye song featuring Common. The slowed down samples vocals create a groove that almost makes you forget this is a sad song.

“Crack Music”, one of my favorites, paints an analogy to crack addiction and hip hop, hence the title. The Game brings a unique aggressiveness to the hook, which pairs well with the choir on chorus. However, the final leg of the song introduces an unsettledness: shakiness in the vocals, music freezes, and Malik Yusef delivers a poem that still gives me goosebumps to this day. The voice of legendary Charlie Wilson harmonizes perfectly with the chorus as well.

Next up we hear “Roses”, another instrumental masterpiece with Patti Labelle’s vocals and a Bill Wither’s sample on the chorus. West talks about the hospitalization of his Grandmother and the tightness/unity of his family. I love the quietness that plays during the verses and then the kick of the drums in the chorus. That excellently helps emphasize the intimacy of the situation.

Unfortunately, this leads into “Bring Me Down”, which is my least favorite track. Brandy’s vocals and Jon Brion’s instrumental are perfect, but it seems wasted on West’s verse. It’s disappointing to hear the epic strings and orchestration accompanied by Kanye saying weak lines like “There’ll always be haters, that’s the way it is/Hater n*****s marry hater b**ches and have hater kids” and “Yo girl don’t like me, how long has she been gay/Spanish girls say ‘Yo, no hablo ingles’”. The track honestly would’ve been better as an interlude with just Bandy’s singing, similar to “My Way Home” with just Common. But, the addition of West’s lyrics actually makes the song weaker. 

Luckily, the project picks up with “Addiction”. However, I’ll admit I’m not a fan of lyrically. This isn’t a track where West is trying to demonstrate any lyrical expertise, so I’m not expecting a load of double entendres and layered meanings and mind-blowing messages. However, even for a surface level track, hearing him fake-stutter became a little annoying. But I like the topic of the song; him being addicted to all three “money, girls, and weed”. Although the topic and lyricism isn’t unique, it was at least entertaining.

Section 3- Claim to Success

Following the second skit, we get “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” with hall of fame rapper Jay-Z. This track is interesting because Kanye and Jay don’t discuss the same topic. Kanye talks about his conflict with buying diamonds, knowing they’re Blood Diamonds and his purchase of them could result in the killing of Africans, of whom he’s a descendant. On the flip side, Jay talks about his label and his success. Although Kanye’s verse has more substance, I think Jay’s verse was better. There’s one particular set of lines I’ve always loved

“This ain’t no tall order, this is nothing to me/ Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week/I could do this in my sleep/ I sold kilos of coke, I’m guessing I can sell CDs/ I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man /Let me handle my business, damn”

Then we get the top tier track “We Major”, which is the album’s best collaboration up to this point. Jon Brion shines again with the instrumental, creating this epic atmosphere of accomplishments. Really Doe and Tony Williams illuminate the chorus with the vocals, while Kanye comes through with poeticism he hadn’t reached since “Heard ‘Em Say”. I want to add a quote of my favorite part of his verse, but it would be half the verse. And to top that, Nas comes through with an even STRONGER verse, a contender for the best verse on the album, competing with Lupe on “Touch the Sky” and Common on “My Way Home”. And to top THAT off, the last few minutes are basically Jon Brion, Warryn Campbell, and Tony Williams showing off their expertise while Kanye shouts them out, along with The Roc and his label, G.O.O.D. Music. His vocals during this part are echoed so it feels like the listener is at a concert. You could have headphones on in a quiet room and feel like you’re soaring. Easily a top 10 song in West’s career.

Section 4- Family Business

After the height of Diamonds From Sierra Leone and We Major, the record dies down and returns to mellowness, continuing with the heart-string-pulling “Hey Mama”. Here, we get West’s lyricism reminiscent of the College Dropout style. This definitely was a poem or song he’d written prior to this project. As I said earlier, one of my favorite mother-dedicating songs in all of hip hop.

The next song, “Celebration”, is one of my favorites on the album. The lyrics aren’t impressive; West goofily slant rhymes “wild” and “endowed” at one point. He just discusses drinking, girls, and the accidental birth of his kid through a busted condom. However, I believe it’s the placement of the song on the record that makes me love it so much. After hearing the epic-ness of songs like “Touch The Sky”, “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”, and “We Major”, this song feels like an after party. An intimate gathering that allows West and the listener to reflect a little, over another brilliant composition by Jon Brion. And while the verses are nothing to look twice at, the chorus is serene. West’s harmonization with himself improves his voice. And at barely past 3 minutes, the song is short enough where the sub-par lyrics aren’t too distracting.

Section 5- Late Departure

When I first began writing back in middle school, I used to rap to the instrumental for “Gone”. This song is foundational to my hip hop appreciation and extremely underrated. To start, the Otis Redding sample is perfect. Jon Brion again combines his expertise with West to create a beat that evolves as it progresses, increasing in complexity and instrumentation. The verses improve with song as well, Kanye delivering the first and last, while Cam’ron and Consequence deliver excellent verses in the middle. Between Consequence’s verse and Kanye’s final verse, we hear the beat breakdown and evolve even more, building up to a final verse that leaves the listener speechless. West reflects about a multitude topics: being so innovative that his labels won’t approve his ideas, wanting to leave public light, his come up from being broke just wanting to upgrade from his “cheap ass sofa”, leaving his hometown that had nothing to offer him, inspiring new artists, never selling out, and ultimately showing he’s no longer on-call for anybody to use him. He’s established enough to choose his company and produce as he pleases. This is a perfect culmination of the themes throughout the album, and is the perfect closer.

Now, I say that with hesitation because technically there are two more songs on the record: The original “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” without Jay-Z, and “Late”. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” is an excellent track. Instead of talking about Blood Diamonds or guilt, West talks about his writing process, feeling snubbed from awards, and ultimately himself. Definitely some of his strongest pen game on the album.

“Late” contrasts the previous song with a very calm feeling, possessing a lullaby quality. Here, he drives home the point that he’s going to be late with things he does, tying together the album title and the context of the album’s release, which was released months late. However, the lateness definitely worth the wait. It’s a toss-up between Gone and Late for which I prefer as the better closer. Gone is an epic reflection on the album’s theme and messages, and displays some of the best lyricism on the album. However, Late is a surreal, warm ending that feels like more of a winding-down end. If I HAD to choose, I’d say “Gone”. Because while both are great, I can’t imagine the project without “Gone”, whereas I could see it without “Late”.

Top 3 Songs:

1) Gone 2) We Major 3) Hey Mama

Overall Grade: A

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

top 5 unpopular gilmore girls opinions, top 5 favourite fruits/veggies

Unpopular Gilmore Girls Opinions:

I kind of like Dean. Like, he’s unbelievably awful and extremely Worrying In His Behavior at a lot of points, but I also find myself feeling really sorry for him a lot of the time, especially since he has a lot put on him by adults that he really should not! He’s just a boy!! (At least in the early days.) I also feel similarly about Christopher.

I super cannot abide Rory/Jess. I just can’t handle it!!! I do not like it!!! Its intense and lasting popularity in the Gilmore Girls fandom has been perhaps one of the great online agonies of my life.

I used to hate Jason “Digger” Stiles in my youth, but I find him so completely hilarious and great in my old age. That dude’s power for banter is extraordinary, and yes, he is married to Christopher in my head, and they’re very happy and snarky together.

I am So. HAPPY. that Luke and Lorelai didn’t have babies together. They have enough babies! They have a dog-shaped son named Paul Anka! They’re good.

Perhaps the most unpopular of all: I LOVE LORELAI “RORY” LEIGH GILMORE W/ ALL MY HEART. S1 Rory and Revival Rory and all the Rorys in between!!

These next two lists are very hard to me, as someone who is very into produce, but I will attempt it!

Top 5 Favorite Fruits:

Cherries

Fuji apples

Raspberries

Golden kiwis

Tangerines

Top 5 Favorite Vegetables:

Onions

Iceberg lettuce (I know it has no nutritional value, but it’s so crunchy! Really, I am very happy w/ any lettuce.)

Zucchini

Bell peppers

Spinach

Bonus shoutout to freshly grown carrots, which are so much better than old grocery store carrots that it’s extraordinary.

[honestmysteries]

A rant, regarding Lucy Boynton, Rami Malek, & the PR relationship accusations.

We all know some Rami fans believe his relationship is fake. If so, why are they fans? I’d have a hard time being a fan of someone who espouses living an authentic, truthful life yet does that. He’d be a hypocrite & a liar. How do they reconcile that?

Also they act like Rami is an idiot or being taken advantage of like he’s some milquetoast instead of an intelligent, grown adult who can make his own decisions. His handlers don’t own him. Neither does Lucy. Neither do you.

Plus, with every male celeb I’ve ever paid any attention to (actors, singers, etc.) it’s the same old song & dance. Fan hates choice of partner, therefore partner is fake. Bonus points for “I’m in the industry & lots of people fake relationships”.

While that may be true in some cases, it’s not always true. But it’s a convenient excuse to explain how your fave could possibly love someone you find to be unacceptable.

And then there’s the why. Why? BoRhap has come & gone. Perhaps they did do PR appearances together for promotion of that film & developed a true relationship out of that. Is that so far-fetched? Both Lucy & Rami have been acting for years. Neither are new to the business.

Assuming that the female in the relationship is a gold-digger or riding the coattails of her more famous partner is misogynistic. Assuming she gets parts by sleeping with men is straight-up disgusting on top of being misogynistic.

“I’ve heard... read...” Gossip may or may not be true. If it’s not from a reliable source, if any joe on the internet hiding behind a fake or anonymous profile can post it, or there is no actual proof, it’s most likely not true, or highly modified.

Also, spreading malicious gossip on the internet is a form of bullying. And no, celebrities are not exempt from this. They are human beings. Have some empathy as a fellow human being and put yourself in their place. How would it feel if someone did that to you?

There is enough hatred in the world. Why add to it? If you don’t like someone, don’t pay attention to them. You’re not doing yourself any good by stressing over someone you can’t control. You’ll be happier focusing on things that make you happy. - end rant

[loveforpreserumsteve]

Home for the Holidays: Bonus “CIWYW” Story (Trans!Steve and Pan!Bucky Modern AU)

Nine:

"Beginners luck," is what Sam good-naturedly grumbled, throwing his last Hanukkah gelt in the pot. Regaining some of his lovable arrogance, Sam instructed, "Spin the damn thing!"

"Hey," Darlene reprimanded over her glass of kosher white Riesling wine.

Typically, Sam wouldn't have worried about a swear word so low on the pyramid, but because his mothers raised him right, he apologized, "Sorry, Sarah."

Buzzed on the kosher wine, Sarah giggled and reassured, "It's okay, sweetie."

Rubbing the festive pastel blue dreidel between his hands, putting on a show, Steve kept his gaze locked on Sam's. Even going so far in his production and stalling as to open his hands, holding it towards Bucky. As though it was dice and Bucky was lucky, Bucky played along and teasingly blew on the dreidel and leaned in to kiss Steve's cheek. Wickedly, Steve grinned at Sam before setting the four sided top on the coffee table and spun it.

Steve tried not to get too caught up in the game, but he's always been a little more on the competitive side. Not in a cruel way. Just enough to keep him interested in the game and give it his all.

Once the dreidel stopped spinning, it revealed a sparkly, silver, Gimel. Good-humoredly outraged, Sam bellowed, "You've got to be figgy pudding!"

All the while, Steve giggled manically as he used both hands to scrape the large amount of chocolate coins over to himself. Attempting to create a neat pile, but failing as the pieces fell over the side of the table and spilled out in an unsightly mess. Which prompted Steve to start stacking the pieces, making him feel like a real Scrooge.

Sweetly, Bucky kissed Steve's cheek and reached forward to grab a gelt for himself. Pausing, Bucky hovered his hand over the pieces and asked, "May I have one?"

"Don't let him, Steve," Becca jokingly advised.

"Yeah," Mandy nodded, teasingly agreeing, "He's a gelt digger."

Bucky's mouth dropped as he feigned offense, "Rude."

"That's okay," Steve exaggerated. Playfully condescendingly, Steve patted Bucky's hand and slid two foil wrapped chocolate gelt over to him as he mocked, "You can be my Sugar Baby."

"Nice!" Bucky excitedly agreed as he accepted the chocolate and unwrapped a piece. Popping it in his mouth, he asked, "Can I quit school now?"

Steve popped a chocolate gelt into his own mouth and winked at Bucky instead of replying. He smiled noting the blush forming on Bucky's cheeks, knowing that he was the reason behind it. When a grin started slowly stretching across Bucky's face, Steve's heart stuttered.

There it was again, that nagging feeling. The one that urged to Steve to kiss Bucky silly. The one that urged him to tell Bucky that he loved him. The one that begged Steve to let Bucky stay forever. As if he had any say in the matter.

Tamping down that nagging sensation, Steve directed his attention towards the parents and questioned, "Didn't you mention presents?"

"I think I remember that too," Sam agreed, smugly smirking at his moms.

"Yes, there are presents," Winifred assented, finishing off her own glass of kosher white wine.

Excitedly, Tibby squirmed in her spot on the floor, "Can we open them?!"

Eyebrows raised high on her forehead, Darlene looked over at Winifred for the confirmation. Theatrically, Winifred sighed and said, "Sure. Why not?"

Hopping up from her seat on the sofa, Darlene giddily hurried over to the office/guest room. All the while, Joseph poured himself another glass of wine and cozied up on the loveseat next to Sarah. On the floor, the teens remained around the coffee table and only moved once Darlene returned with the gifts.

Wrapped in shiny, glittery pastel blue paper, Darlene handed them out to their correct recipients. As she handed Eddie his, Eddie adoringly gazed up at her and complimented, "You're the prettiest Santa Claus."

Touched by that, Darlene paused, tucked her rose pink hair behind her ear, and let it fall so she held her hand to her chest as she said, "Thank you, sweetie."

Eddie grinned up at her the way that he would to his own mother, and held the wrapped present close to himself. While Sarah leaned over in her seat to kiss Eddie's floppy auburn hair, Darlene made her way back over to her seat on the couch. Once everyone had their gifts, Winifred clapped her hands and said, "Okay. Open 'em!"

So, that's what everyone did. Tibby tore into hers, causing small pieces of paper flying off that the kittens rolled around in, while Eddie carefully removed his, probably saving it for his collection of other wrapping paper he liked.

Revealing a soft baby blue long sleeve tee, Steve lifted the garment to get a better look at it. In cute graphics, tiny silver, sparkly dreidels dotted around a beautifully scrawled, Let the Good Times Roll. And although the shirt would've been nice enough on its own, Steve found that it was the top to a pajama set. The navy blue pants matched the font while a sparkly silver and sparkly baby blue dreidel pattern caught Steve's eye.

All around him, Steve noticed that they had all been gifted the same pajamas, causing Steve's heart to swell as big as the Grinch's. It must've gotten to Sarah too because she got teary eyed and thanked Darlene and Winifred with hugs. Sure, the Rogers' were used to wearing matching pajamas for the holidays -- and might've had the same idea as the Barnes' this year, but for Christmas -- Steve felt like this solidified it.

They were a family.

Even if Mandy did question, "Didn't we get these in gray last year?"

"No, we got the dark green, 'Menorahsaurous Rex,' ones last year," Becca corrected.

Feigning offense, Steve complained, "Menorahsaurous Rex?! That's it! I need to exchange these!"

Joseph playfully rolled his eyes at Steve's dramatics while Sarah gave him a pointed look. Turning around to look at his dream in-laws, Steve genuinely said, "Thank you."

"Of course," Winifred winked while Darlene affectionately mussed Steve's floppy blond hair.

Soon enough, the chatter in the room started up again, but Steve kept his gaze on the pajama set. Knowing that he'd sleep in them every night that he spent away from Bucky. Hoping that they wouldn't be away for too long. After all, Steve did apply to UALR…

"Maybe next Hanukkah," Bucky leaned closer and whispered "You can borrow my Menorahsaurous Rex pajamas."

Cementing that this was something real in Steve's heart, he smiled at Bucky. And although he knew that he wanted nothing more than to spend all his Hanukkah's with Bucky, Steve held back and simply said, "Maybe."

[gideongrace]

13. Favorite fic from another author? 2. Is there any specific ritual you go through while/before/after your writing? 15. Your guilty writing pleasure? 20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of

13. I managed to narrow it down to top six.

One, "Return to Neverland" by you because it's how we met and it has the most disabled characters in any single fic I've ever seen.

Two, @granpappy-winchester 's "falling for you in hawkins, indi-fucking-ana" series because it's one of my fave of all time and it's 100% her fault I'm as obsessed with harringrove as I am.

Three, @billyhargrovens "long&lost 'verse" because that shit is HIGH ART. It's POETRY, okay?

Four, "The Art of Running" by pprfaith, which is a fast and furious genderswap fic. I'm not even IN that fandom, never was, just, that podfic, for some reason. I've listened to it like five times all the way through.

Five, "Ain't Saying He's A Gold Digger"/"Don't Cry at the Wedding" by taylor_potato. This is probably one of my favorite teen wolf fics of all time. I love text-based fics and this is just the best one. Bonus points for the trans character in the heartbreakingly beautiful sequel.

Six, "The Pull of the Tide" by miss_apphelion, it's been like five years and I STILL think about this teen wolf mystery fic sometimes.

2. I try to switch it up a lot, write to different playlists, write in different places, try to write to movies, to asmr videos, just anything different I can think of, but I guess the closest thing I have to a ritual as such right now is that I always read my fics out loud and treat writing as re-writing, like just let myself go over a thing a million times 'cause that's my process right now.

15. Hospital scenes and hurt/comfort. I live for that, I really do.

20. Four lines I'm really proud of...

From my not posted yet st x it fusion fic:

Billy rises from sleep like a wave cresting in the sea, with a swell and then a crash. He reaches a hand out, the image of soft brown hair and dark brown eyes so real in his mind, so vivid that he almost half-expects there to be someone there, to reach out and touch warm, pale skin dotted with moles and a few soft, scattered freckles, but there's nothing, there's no one, only his empty, cold bed; his dream man is, of course, only a dream.

From ch. 11 of "as certain dark things are to be loved":

She sniffles and decides fuck it, if she's gonna cry, she's gonna cry and yeah, it's over him and his stupid fucking boyfriend and this stupid fucking day and their shitty fucking parents and her shattered fucking worldview. 

From the upcoming chapter of "Wildflowers, Roses, Honeysuckle":

"Okay, but this is not, in actual fact, a meeting of the sad asexuals club," Dustin says. They've been talking about this for almost an hour now and this is what it's come to.

(I swear, that fic I just write chapters when I come up with funny lines for intros.)

From something else I haven't posted yet:

Steve is there for both parts, Billy's death and his rebirth and he isn't sure which sight is worse - watching Billy get stabbed again and again and again by that thing, that monster made from parts of townspeople, people he knew, watching as the monster slams its big, horrifying, pointed tentacle-like arm straight through flesh, through blood, through bone, hearing that bone crack, hearing Billy's bones crack, practically feeling it in his own chest as the thing spears straight through Billy's ribs, straight through, Steve's sure, his heart and there's so much blood, so much - 

[kickdownthewalls]

TOP 20 ROCK/METAL ALBUMS OF 2018

This has been a year of surprises and disappointments in pretty equal measure. Judas Priest blew me away with their latest record (and tour) and Immortal made one of the most triumphant comebacks in metal history. On the other hand, Voivod’s new one felt strangely by-the-numbers, as did the latest from Riot V and Monster Magnet. Still, the sheer amount of releases out there, just in the traditional metal and thrash scenes, is somewhat mind-boggling, and there were plenty of excellent albums to be found.

(Countries represented this year: Italy, UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Portugal, and Denmark).

20. BURNING WITCHES - Hexenhammer

Switzerland is a tiny nation, but they have given the world some of the most creative and diverse bands over the years, from Krokus to Celtic Frost to Samael and beyond. Burning Witches combine elements of melodic thrash and classic heavy metal for a sound that works quite well and is perfectly suited to Seraina Telli’s powerful vocal delivery. The album has its ups and downs but the title track and “Open Your Mind” are both flat-out brilliant.

19. PERPETRATÖR - Altered Beast

This is how I like my thrash metal: fast, evil, dirty, but still well-played and composed. Perpetratör hail from Portugal and this is only their second full album, but it is a scorcher. Songs like “Extreme Barbarity” and “Terminal Possession” are brutally fast in the vein of the early Germans, but the band explore some more mid-tempo riffs here and there as well. Like all my favorite thrash bands, these guys sound like they are playing just on the edge of what they can get away with and the effect is electric.

18. ARTILLERY - The Face of Fear

These Danish thrashers are one of those bands that has always had consistently quality releases but, for whatever reason, never really made the impact others in the genre have over the years. While the line-up has changed over time, the current incarnation has done three albums together now and sounds quite comfortable here. The drum sound is a bit ‘bonky’ for my tastes, but the quality of the tunes rises above it. Bonus points for the variety of songs on offer, too, from speedy, complex thrash, to power ballads to straight-ahead heavy metal.

17. LUCIFER - II

Lucifer’s brand of retro doom rock is both obvious in its influences and original in its assembly of said influences. The jazzier side of early Sabbath is the most prevalent element at work here, with riffs that range from heavy and evil to mournful and atmospheric. Despite some line-up changes, the sound is pretty consistent with the excellent debut from 2015, with perhaps a bit more clarity in the production (though nowhere near polished-sounding, fear not).

16. WITCHING HOUR - ...And Silent Grief Shadows the Passing Moon

The number of excellent bands with ‘witch’ in their name is strangely high this year and Germany’s Witching Hour are another to add to that list. This is their third full-length and displays a great deal of maturity and talent for writing complex yet compelling songs. Elements of black and thrash metal abound, but there is a lot of other stuff going on here, too, and lots of melody. The bass playing is particularly impressive and really adds a whole extra dimension to the music, while the vocals are a potent mix of plaintive and grim and complement the dark, intricate songs beautifully. This was a late-year release and, given some more spins, it will likely rise on this list.

15. SATAN - Cruel Magic

It is rare that a band can pull together their classic line-up the way that Satan did in 2013, let alone one that can then proceed to release three albums back-to-back that fall right in line with their old material. Cruel Magic is the latest of these and has all the hallmarks that made Satan great: finely-crafted heavy metal that is speedy and complex, organic production, and an overall sound that is truly their own. They may have only caught the tail-end of the NWOBHM but damn if they weren’t one of the scene’s best and it is heart-warming to see and hear them continuing the legacy 35 years later.

14. ABYSMAL GRIEF - Blasphema Secta

Abysmal Grief are Italian doom masters that create a sound that is heavy, gothic, creepy, and relentless all at once. Most songs are in the 8-9 minute range and are usually centered around a few core riffs, but the way the band build them up and vary them throughout really pulls the listener in. Keyboards are used quite a bit and to great effect, while the vocals range from mournful to menacing. The band has kept a very consistent style since day one, with only the production getting a little better with each release, and Blasphema Secta sounds both heavier and cleaner than anything prior.

13. STRIKER - Play to Win

Been following these stalwart Canucks since their debut EP a decade ago and I’m glad to see that they have continued to evolve and refine their sound with each new album. Play to Win is probably the most ‘commercial’ release to date, with tons of melody and big choruses, but there is still plenty of heaviness on tracks like “Heart of Lies” and “Summoner” to keep a nice balance. Striker has gotten really good at writing distinctive songs that aren’t just a collection of riffs but actual, well-constructed tunes.

12. BULLET - Dust to Gold

This Swedish quintet has been bashing it out for 15+ years and still manages to release an invigorating collection of hard rockin’ metal tunes. Stylistically, Dust to Gold covers a fair amount of ground, from heavy metal in the vein of Accept and Grave Digger to more upbeat rockers ala Krokus and AC/DC. The common denominator throughout is a sense of fun that is missing from entirely too many albums these days.

11. LEATHER - II

Leather’s powerful voice was always the thing that raised Chastain from a good band to a great one and I’m pleased to report that she sounds just as good in 2018 as she did in 1988. The opening track “Juggernaut” is one of the best speed metal songs I have heard in a while and the rest of the album is consistently good, too. Shades of Dio and Priest color the wide range of tunes here and the band turn in some excellent, spirited performances. Glad to see Leather back on the scene and, as much as I enjoyed the Chastain reunion records, I think this one is even better.

10. HAUNT - Burst Into Flame

Although I enjoyed the first Haunt EP, the full-length debut really takes it up a notch. This is classic, old-school heavy metal that reminds me a bit of the first couple of Cauldron albums, with some wonderful dual-guitar work thrown in for good measure. The vocals are clean but remarkably restrained compared to some of the screamers out there, making for a nice change of pace. Songs “Reflectors” and “Burst Into Flame” have a haunting (ahem) timelessness to them and the album flows really well from start to finish.

9. THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - Sometimes the World Ain't Enough

Despite featuring members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy, this is a long, long way from death metal, melodic or otherwise. Although the band’s first effort had a distinctly late-70s hard rock vibe to it, each record since has taken the listener deeper into the world of 80s AOR. Unlike a lot of the sterile, radio-friendly acts from that actual era, NFO bring a warmth and heartfelt approach that really brings the music alive. This is the band’s fourth album and probably their weakest, but it still stands well above the average album of 2018. Songs like “Turn To Miami” and “Pretty Thing Closing In” are immediate, timeless classics.

8. THE CROWN - Cobra Speed Venom

Although Deathrace King is still one of my top 5 death metal records of all time, The Crown never really were able to duplicate its genius. Cobra Speed Venom, however, comes damn close. It has all the brutality that the band is known for but brings back a lot of the punky/thrash energy and memorable riffs that have been missing for a while. The first three songs might be the best start to any album this year; just relentless, mayhemic brilliance. Top it off with one of the coolest and most original album covers I’ve seen in a while, along with three bonus tracks that are actually worth adding, and you have one hell of a return to form.

7. SAXON - Thunderbolt

Saxon certainly made some missteps in the late 80s, but I can’t think of another band that has remained as true to form over the years, while also consistently putting out quality albums and touring relentlessly. Thunderbolt is no Wheels of Steel or even Call To Arms, but it is still a solid record that is as good or better than the last couple. From the melodic timelessness of “The Secret of Flight” to the moody “Nosferatu (The Vampire’s Waltz)” to the raging “They Played Rock and Roll,” there is also a diversity rivaled only by Priest on this list.

6. BLACK OATH - Behold the Abyss

When it comes to true, epic, soul-crushing doom metal, Black Oath have become true masters. I have been following this band since the Portrait of the Dead single back in 2010 and am pleased to say they just keep going from strength to strength. Behold the Abyss balances a lush production, clean vocals, and plenty of melody, with dreadnought riffage and blissfully dark, esoteric lyrics. A rich, dynamic work of black art.

5. SIGN OF THE JACKAL - Breaking the Spell

This amazing Italian band has created a style that is equal parts early 80s Warlock and late 80s Judas Priest. Great, driving metal tunes that sometimes border on speed metal with plenty of screaming solos and hooky choruses. The recording, the mix, the energy, everything about this record is incredibly old-school and authentic, right down to the 32-minute running time.

4. AUDREY HORNE - Blackout

Ever since these Norwegian rockers abandoned all pretense and went full-on retro with their Youngblood album, I have been hooked. They compose hard-hitting rock tunes with tons of hooks and Lizzy-esque harmonies that give a nod to metal and punk without really being either. The first three songs - “This is War,” “Audrevolution,” and “Blackout” - are all perfectly built and give a great cross-section of the band’s diverse sound. Toschie’s vocals are as unique as his fashion sense and, as much as I loved the last two records, I think this one may be their best yet.

3. BRAINSTORM - Midnight Ghost

Brainstorm has long since perfected their style (as far back as Soul Temptation, some fifteen years ago), and each new release is really just varying levels of execution. As good as Scary Creatures was a couple years back, Midnight Ghost is truly brilliant and may possibly take the title as my favorite Brainstorm outing. All of the usual plusses are in place - great production, top-notch musicianship, catchy tunes - but the songs themselves are just a tad bit more finely honed and memorable. “Ravenous Minds” and “When Pain Becomes Real” in particular are killer and there is nary a dull moment here.

2. IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods

My first Immortal record was At the Heart of Winter and it is still my favorite black metal album, hands down. The combination of raw, icy riffs with the mind-blowing drumming and just enough melody to keep it all together was/is intoxicating. Immortal has never done a bad album, but some are definitely better than others and Northern Chaos Gods is one of the best ones. The ferocity is up there with Pure Holocaust and Demonaz’s vocals, while not quite as distinctive as Abbath’s, fit the music perfectly. The band wisely took their time to put this record together and the results speak for themselves.

1. JUDAS PRIEST - Firepower

Priest has been one of my favorite metal bands since I first got into them back in ’82 and they are still right up there with Sabbath, Accept, and Mercyful Fate, with a catalog that is as diverse as it is brilliant. After the disappointing Nostradamus and good-but-not-great Redeemer of Souls, it was a real pleasure to hear Firepower, a true, all-guns-blazing Priest record. The production is 1000% better than anything they have released in the last two decades and the material is both diverse and top-notch. Songs like “Firepower,” “Never the Heroes,” “Children of the Sun,” and “No Surrender” have such a classic sound to them and Rob has not sounded this good since Painkiller. Even the weakest tracks (“Lone Wolf” and “Sea of Red”) have grown on me a bit, so I am confident that Firepower will go down in history as one of the band’s crowning achievements.

I must also mention some very impressive EPs, demos, and singles that were released this year, namely those from CIRITH UNGOL, ROUGH SPELLS, ÜLTRA RAPTÖR, PULVER, SIGNIFICANT POINT, TENTATION, ANCIENT SÉANCE, SABÏRE, and OCCULT BURIAL. If you aren’t familiar with any of these bands or haven’t heard their latest, I highly recommend getting acquainted immediately.

As usual, my list could have gone on much longer, but here are the bands that just missed the top 20: AMORPHIS, AURA NOIR, BEHEMOTH, BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, BLACK VIPER, BLADE KILLER, CAULDRON, DIMMU BORGIR, DREAM CHILD, GOAT WORSHIP, GRAHAM BONNETT BAND, IRON ANGEL, KHEMMIS, KRISIUN, NIGHT VIPER, PRIMAL FEAR, PROFESSOR BLACK, RIOT V, SABOTER, SKULL FIST, SUBSTRATUM, TAD MOROSE, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, VULCAIN, WHITE WIZZARD, WITCHFYRE, and WYTCH HAZEL.

What is on the horizon for 2019? Well, I am already psyched about the new ones from CANDLEMASS, DELAIN, ROCK GODDESS, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, CHAINBREAKER, SOILWORK, WITHIN TEMPTATION, MORTAL SCEPTER, HAMMERFALL, and TYTUS, plus possible releases from SACRED REICH, DEATH ANGEL, and EXCITER all have me really looking forward to the coming twelve months. The world is crumbling around us, but at least the metal scene is stronger than ever!

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Mega Man Legends

Move over Sahelanthropus, I got all the walking mechs I need right here.

This game is great!

I BEAT IT!

I think it took about 8 hours (not counting a few reload/restarts here an there). While a few of the games I’ve played recently also took around the same amount of time, I kept feeling...frustrated about my progress. Mega Man Legends, on the other-hand, was a constant joy to play! I’m so blown away by how great this 1997 game is. I could gush over it all day, but Imma try to be focused...

The Story

This is where the game started off light and unimpressive, but ultimately turned out quite well. The story felt very basic: “The world needs crystal energy (refracters), and I play a ‘Digger’ that looks for them be exploring ancient ruins. But while I’m a well-meaning digger, there are ill-meaning pirates to worry about.” While the story wasn’t much, it did present the story very cinematically. The cutscenes told the story the gameplay couldn’t, but they didn’t overwhelm the player like Metal Gear Solid. 

The player eventually crash-lands on an island with a city and lots of people. The player may speak with these people, even performing sidequests and developing relationships. The characters aren’t super deep, but they all have some personality and story. It helps build the charm of this world. I really appreciated it.

The antagonists are a family of pirate siblings. Tron Bonne is interesting in that she’s a bit of a brat, but has affections for Mega Man. She’s also moved by his heroism and genuineness. She finds herself emotionally conflicted between her older brother who insists on being “bad” and her feelings for Mega Man that shows there’s a better way to live. Though this is mostly used for comedic effect, it also makes her the most interesting and well-rounded character. At one point, Mega Man thinks he may have killed the pirates (including Tron) in a major battle. The heroes treat this as an unintended tragedy, and do not rejoice in their victory (I love it!), then later, Mega Man finds Tron alive is over-the-moon. She’s put off by it, but conflicted. After Mega Man defeats the trio again, the eldest brother, Tiesel, offers his honorable recognition of Mega Man’s superiority and offers to leave in peace. Tron is surprised and touched, but then it turns out to be a ploy.

It’s all pretty silly but still engaging character development.

The game’s story contains quite a bit of mystery. Why are Reaverbots activating? What’s hidden beneath the island? What’s the connection? It’s revealed that these ancient ruins (which are from a more advanced civilization) actually contain a weapon. This weapon feels that humans are over-populating and that it should  purge the island as a population control effort. Mega Man finds this cruel and stops it. In the process, it’s revealed that Mega Man has a deep connection to system that wanted to purge the island. It’s hinted that he may serve some deeper purpose: maybe to act as the moral compass of unfeeling, ant-human protocol? The message I got was that humans destroyed the earth, causing a great flood and societal/technological collapse. So then machines were created to limit human influence, but their purpose is so old and outdated, it’s become an artifact itself.

There’s a fun twist here where Mega Man is captured. But the pirates realize that it’s more important to save the island than defeat Mega Man, so they release him and support his victory against the boss.

It’s still not super deep, but much deeper than I realized. And with all the various characters and personalities, it’s one of the best story experiences I’ve had in a game (though a bit goofy).

The Graphics

Are great! There’s a few issues. I think PS1 games pre-1998 had a different look and feel than post 1998 (and then again, post 2000). It feels like early game artists were still trying to figure out 3D modeling with limited hardware. So a lot of the best known tricks hadn’t been discovered yet. So MML definitely has a few Pre-1997 qualities, but it also has plenty of areas where it really looks great.

The savior is the cartoon-styled graphics. Most characters have solid-color clothes and accessories with few details. Because the art is consistent throughout, it just feels right. And then the facial animations are great. Games like Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid had in-game cutscenes, but the characters’ faces were unanimated. Sometimes they’d bob their heads to imply speaking--but it was all kinda goofy. MML, on the other hand, included moving mouths and changing face expressions during cutscenes. It really sold the cinematic vibe and is quite impressive for  PS1 game.

So even though technical limitations really prevent this game from looking great, the art-direction and advanced facial animations keep this game looking great!

The Gameplay

1. Controls

Unfortunately, the controls kind of suck. Mega Man controls somewhat like a tank. A tank that can move side ways. While games like Mario 64 had free 3D movement with a camera that tried to keep up--MML has a camera that stays firmly facing forward that only rotates when the player rotates MM.

It’s a little off-putting. If I push “down”, MM runs toward the screen: completely facing the opposite direction of the camera. In most 3D platformers, the camera would try to rotate behind the character. Not MM. It keeps facing the same direction. When I stop moving, MM turns back to face the same direction as the camera.

I think they were trying to make shooting and combat easier. And I think their head was in the right place. But it makes the game hard to learn. Still, once you get used to it, it works ok. This is the worst part of the game, but the difficulty is well balanced that I don’t feel punished by the controls.

2. Combat

The combat isn’t super deep, but that also means it’s not overbearing. The combat feels more like Crash Bandicoot, with each enemy having an attack pattern that must be learned and subverted. But mostly, you just got to know when to shoot it. So it keeps the combat accessible while also interesting and mentally challenging. This is better than a lot of American Shooters that just have you fight a variety of projectile based enemies--run, dodge, shoot...

Adding depth to the combat is a cool customizable Buster (gun). You can collect a variety of parts that boost Attack, Range, Attack Speed, and “Reload”. Some parts affect more than 1 stat, allowing the player to try a variety of combinations to boost their effectiveness and compliment their play-style. You may also change configurations based on the boss or enemy type. It’s a simple, and fun system that adds plenty of depth to what could have been a straightforward action title.

What’s also neat about these parts: they’re often rewards for side-quests. Such quests might be rebuilding a clubhouse, participating in game shows, or finding a lost loved-one. It’s great because it provides a lot of bonus quests for the player that meaningful and rewarding both as an experience and on a material level.

The boss fights are also pretty interesting, assuming you’re properly equipped. They can be a bit challenging or confusing, but they’re quite diverse. Maybe you’re defending the town from bull-dozer bots, or engaged in air-to-air battles, there’s plenty of unique experiences. I was especially impressed with the walking-mech battle. I think there’s another boss just as tall, but this involved a very destructible city block. It reminded me of the Sahelanthropus battle of Metal Gear Solid V...or does that battle remind me of this? Either way--it was just more icing on top of a great experience.

3. Adventure/Pacing

I like to differentiate between action and action-adventure. Action, to me, is very linearity and to the point. Action adventure often asks the player to do more than fight their way to the exit, but to discover the path to the exit. Even better, they allow the player to discover much of the game--allowing for maximized freedom in progress.

Zelda Games are often the best examples of letting the player set their own pace and find their own way. Ocarina of Time is a true stand-out here. The game doesn’t tell you want to do, but pushes you in the right directions. Still, you’re not often limited to one set order of events to proceed and can do some quests in any order. Mega Man Legends does this as well.

Once you get past the first hour or so, the game really opens up. There’s people to talk to, secrets to find, and there’s rarely a rush to complete the next objective. You’re free to grind for resources and buy that gun upgrade, or just push through--relying purely on your skill to overcome challenges. But what really makes the game like this work is the “down time”.

Dark Forces 2, Mysteries of the Sith, and Jedi Outcast are fun action games--but there’s only one thing to do: fight your way to the end. Even if there’s sub-objectives to the over-all level, there’s no freedom. While several Mega Man battles take place in the town, the city is usually a place of no combat. But there’s plenty to do, secrets to find, and characters to interact with. And once a dungeon has been defeated, it’s nice to go back and look for secrets or grind. It makes the game way more diverse and I feel more in control as a player.

This is really important. Because the Star Wars games (and even Thief) are sooo straightforward and 1-dimensional, I get fatigued very quickly. And seeing as I like to beat a game before moving on, I get frustrated. I feel like these games are in the way of me finding happiness. Not a good reason to play games. But MML made me happy to play it. Even if I didn’t feel like taking on the next dungeon, I could do side quests or grind on an easier dungeon and not feel like I’ve wasted time. It all helps me succeed in the future. And that gives me joy.

Mega Man Legends is joy!

I started this game way back in 1997 or 1998, and I restarted it many times since. This was the first time I beat it, and I love it--absolutely. Likely a top 10 game for me. I hope to add this to my rotation of games to replay till the end of my days--but then again, I’m curious if Mega Man Legends 2 will outshine it??

[kingstonjael]

“The Trout Must Be Thrown Back Into The Sea: A Glimpse Of What Some Single Men Think About The Single Women’s Market” Now before I get into the quality of the “trout” I want to be completely honest with you. This is one topic I am bias in (I just think most women are amazing and these men are tripping) but because I have some pretty nice male friends and associates...I am willing to explore my bias. I always think that EVERYTHING (including dating) is easier for men! I mean come on! There is always some woman ready to sacrifice her soul for a man! 🤦🏽‍♀️ Men are typically the first to move on from a break up and have a new chick on arm.😩🔪 So when I hear single professional “seemingly sane” men complaining that they are having a hard time meeting great women I just roll my eyes. 🙄 I generally think they are probably selfish narcissists who have put many women through hell in their present AND past lives! 😳🙄😩✌🏾 But I digress. Because I do have many amazing male friends, like my BFF, Zack, who is happily married...I’m willing to cross over into the jungle of single men and try to see some things from their point of view. The few conversations I was able to have in detail last week were intense! Yo! I forgot men have feelings! Shout out to my numb boo! Love you Ex Factor! 😘🙄 There are some dudes who are eager to care about some woman out there! 😳 Here are some of complaints that I continuously heard from single men: (1) too many women live their lives like they are reality stars, (2) women do not want to work 😳 (3) unfaithful women (I’m well aware that more women cheat than society thinks), (4) dishonest women, (5) financially irresponsible women (no smart man wants a woman who can only blow his money and not build on it), (6) women only want men that make a certain amount of money, and (7) women really do not want what they say they want (mainly chasing the wrong kind of dudes). Okay, I am willing to admit that the men have some points here but I just don’t know...maybe because I am a woman I think that the women they are describing are rare and that these men may be only going after the same types of women. Here is my top 5 recommendations to single successful responsible men ready to commit to a good woman: 5. YOU ALWAYS FALL FOR THE SAME TYPE: my men have some similarities but in general besides their birth sign (damn Sagittarius🙄😩) they are quite different. Meaning each of the relationships failed for unique reasons. Guys, if you always seem to meet a hot gold digger....perhaps that is who you truly want? I’m not gonna lie...I love my men hot (though not prettier than me 🤣 cause then they would be straight trouble lol), tall, athletic, black or brown, and educated! Over the years though, I have definitely dated outside of some of my preferences minus the black or brown thing. That seems to be one of my dealbreakers. LOVE MY BROTHERS! 😘 I have dated leprechauns, unattractive men, non Sagittarius men (which turns out to be an even bigger mistake lol), and guys without a formal education. Shout out to my good with their hands guys (pun intended)! 😉 But I digress. Guys, are you going after the same type? If so...switch it up. 4. THE PLACES YOU MEET WOMEN! If you are always meeting your women in a bar or club you may want to go elsewhere. 🙌🏽 Nothing wrong with these places as I know many couples who got married after meeting in such a setting but if you are looking for a religious woman...and that is a dealbreaker for you...the club isn’t going to be the place to find her unless you like looking for a needle in a haystack! 🙌🏽 While there is no perfect place to meet someone that will guarantee forever bliss...it’s good to keep your eyes open everywhere. Don’t overlook the sexy librarian! Lol. That brings me to... 3. PAY ATTENTION! Single men, there are probably so many women trying to get your attention but because they may not be your “type” you are missing out or you are all the way slipping by not paying attention to their cues. Now I’m a direct woman. I do not flirt...ever!!! When I want a man...I flat out say it. Eight years ago, I slide into the Ex Factor’s DM and told him...I WANT YOU! 🙌🏽 No mix signals there. Some women are hunters but most aren’t! 98% of women won’t be this direct because they think it’s chasing a man! But it’s not. I give the GREEN light that I am interested and it’s up to the man to close the deal. And that’s just what the Ex Factor did! My pussy is NEVER included in the hunt. No judgement here. Just the way I roll. Fellas, most women will flirt (if interested) and the flirting may not be in a sexual manner. She may be your neighbor who is constantly asking you to fix stuff even though your Landlord is responsible for that stuff! When in doubt....just ask her! Pay attention and the universe may just bless you with a good woman! 2. SINGLE MOMS! Lately, there has been a lot of discussions on social media about how single dads feel they are entitled to swim in the young single woman with no children pool but single moms are highly discriminated against and are considered damaged! 😳🔪🔪🔪 A man with children is a dealbreaker for me! ✌🏾 Everyone is entitled to their personal preferences. However, some of the good women that you guys seem to be missing may be single moms pond! If you are a good single man with a big heart that wants a family someday...please do not ignore the single moms pool! These types of women most likely know how to commit and raise a child. Single moms are typically serious about dating. They have no time for senseless and pointless bed hopping for they have children to raise! 🙌🏽 I know this is not the ideal situation and that it may not be your preference but you can tell a lot about a woman by how she raises her child! I would say the same about single dads but most women ignore the fact of whether the single dad is a good dad to a child he has with another woman. For example, Ciara and Future! Everything she needed to know about Future was written in his past with his numerous baby mamas! And everything her current husband, Russell, saw in Ciara was probably written in the present of how she raised her child! They are now a happily married blended family! Of course there are exceptions to the rule but parenting can tell a lot about a person. 1. ARE YOU REALLY READY FOR A GOOD WOMAN? I am the queen of asking for stuff I am not truly ready for just because they are not currently being offered to me! 🤦🏽‍♀️ So no judgement on this one. Just more of a mental exercise. Do you really want a good woman or are you still chasing the bag girls? Is physical attraction the number one trait that you look for in a woman? Does she need to be runway model size? Let’s get even deeper. Are you healed from your past hurts...childhood and romantic relationships? If not, are you working on your stuff? In counseling? Are you hell bent on making all women pay for one woman’s mistakes? I have to ask these questions because society is highly critical of women and not men! A man can walk around with a huge pot belly and five kids and still think he is entitled to every single non child having successful beautiful woman! 🔪🤦🏽‍♀️😩 Society does not allow women to be this delusional! Women, for the most part, are very careful and strategic about where we “shoot our shot!” 🙌🏽 Men, however, are taught to aim their sperm anywhere towards any woman. They are always encouraged to “shoot their shot” even if they are not mentally, financially, physically or emotionally ready. 😳😩🙄🤦🏽‍♀️ It is still a man’s world (don’t know why 🤷🏽‍♀️) but that shit still ain’t nothing without a woman! 🙌🏽 That is...if you are a straight man but I digress. Lol. BONUS: if none of these things apply to you...maybe it is just not your time yet. Society tells that to women all the time! Ugh...it’s frustrating for sure. Just keep being the great guy you are and stay open to unexpected blessings! 💜 ~KJM on Temptation Tuesday. We all need to be in fucking therapy! Lol.

[erabtt]

Intrigued To operate within the crypto business?

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