#i chose the backrooms

[bwobgames]

Working on this part now

[polterpumpkin]

yk one of these days i need to make a base reference sheet for muddy buddy

they get put in every horror related situation i can think of so there's options but like, i need something to color pick off of

and send to people like "hey draw my animal that is a human man with one of their many boyfrands"

[e77y]

The bargaining is starting to get really silly. Like it used to be “I’ll wait until I finish this semester before I schedule a psych appointment” and now it’s “I’ll wait until I get my ears pierced before I schedule a psych appointment” lol

[jgabriel1920]

𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗

𝐒𝐨... 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐛𝐢𝐧/𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐯𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨? 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐈 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬?) 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐒𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐱 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫...

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨, 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨-

KILL BREAK DIE KILL BREAK DIE KILL BREAK DIE KILL BREAK DIE BREAK DIE CRY BREAK DIE CRY BREAK DIE CRY BREAK DIE CRY BREAK DIE CRY CRY CRY CRY.

I gripped my hair, trying to force the scalp out of my head. A nervous laughter came out of my mouth, a laughter with no happiness, an empty laugh.

I didn't even know why I was that way, my pillow and bed sheet thrown on the floor, with bite marks and spit on it. Bite marks also were on my arms like bear traps on the ground, marking where the danger was.

I couldn't follow them, I couldn't know the reason for my distress. It was a joke, a damned joke. To be left alone in my life. I couldn't talk to anyone, because they would say sweet things. Pray to God, but I already did that. I prayed for so many nights and days, and nothing happened. Nothing ever happened.

Tears now fall from my face, and I still sit in a fetal state. Pathetic, laughable really.

Who I was? To be suffering? Suffering from nothing, suffering from being empty.

God, I was so pathetic. To be so edgy, was truly something from a teenager with hormones, but I was that, barely 18, barely an adult.

I just... Want to die...

Die and be left on a wooden box, to be truly useless, like I always was.

A sound came from the corridor, a sound that seemed to be from a dog. I could imagine its paws on the floor. I didn't have a dog of course, because then I would be actually worried. I worried my little pet would see me in such a state.

Probably was a ghost, or a hallucination. If it was one, I would go to the kitchen and finish all. If it was a ghost, then maybe I would convince him to do it for me.

I got up, looking around my room. Such an empty room, because I didn't want to embarrass everyone about the things I loved. A clown usually loves clown things, but I wasn't a funny one.

At least it was green. Green was my favorite color. Probably. I maybe was wrong as I always am.

I opened the door, looking up. Something stared at me. It had a head similar to a canine. Their eyes and mouth were bright white, but only a dot in the darkness around it, like a black hole. Its whole face was a black hole.

Drool came from the corner of its mouth. It was hungry. Hungry for flesh, hungry for meat, whatever that was. Was I up to its tastes?

Maybe if it bites my head, the pain won't be so great. It would be a second to nothing. I would be back to nothing.

So I stared at it.

I stared until it decided that my breathing was annoying. It didn't come.

In fact, it seemed to make it calmer. Its breathing was heavy but it was calculated. It tilted its head, trying to figure me out.

It wasn't hard, do I need to spill it out?

My mouth opened, and a whisper came.

"Kill me."

I made sure to say each syllable, and that all the sounds came correctly. That it would finally understand.

It didn't.

I didn't even notice, but the room became less dark. I could see its body, she was a female- no a woman, why was I saying like that? Maybe because it was so surreal, because she dressed like a slut, no better way to say it. A tight and small tank top, a black panties with a reversed crucifix. fishnet on her legs and arms, her fur and thick body hugging her body impossibly tight her body was incredibly thick, something out of a porn magazine. Piercing on her belly and her nipples, it was clearly visible.

The beast seemed nothing like an actual beast, besides the animalistic body and the unseen face, besides an enigmatic grin and eyes full of Mischief.

I could see from the corner of my eyes I saw all of her 'glory', but I tried to just look at her eyes. Why would lust bring me out of my haze of truth?

"Kill me."

I tried again, my lips trembled slightly. She kept staring at me. Why?

Her expression (if even someone would call it that) rested in a face of pity.

She reached out to me, and my breathing became faster. I didn't know if it would actually touch me. Probably no.

But it happened. She touched my bare shoulder, and I could feel her claw pressing on my skin, without making it bleed. Her other hand touched my other shoulder and brought me to a hug.

My face rested on her collarbone, my face feeling fur on my face, softness all around. It was more like a cat, but I could actually put my weight against it without it running away. My arms went on her back. I cried again.

I cried in the arms of something I didn't know. It was relaxing in a way. She didn't know me, I didn't know her. She couldn't judge me, I couldn't judge her.

I didn't even notice but she brought me to my own bed. She lay down with me on top. She became a huge pillow that my body lay on. She purred.

She purred and it seemed like a melody. Such a sweet melody.

A melody that brought me to sleep. A peaceful sleep that I didn't think I could have in my life.

[sh1-n0bu]

♡︎ 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 ♡︎

characters: sub!gallagher x nb!dom!reader

warnings: usage of aphrodisiacs, exhibitionism, slight dumbification, thigh riding, dry humping, begging, cumming untouched, gallagher being an old man loser, just a mini drabble guys. nothing big (i say as i write down 1,7K words)

notes: @lufenianwol you knew exactly what you were doing when you sent me gallagher’s leaked idle animation didn’t you, you gayyyy🫵🏳️‍🌈 (im gay too😔)

sigh…

another day, another long work of hunting down criminals or outlaws who came to penacony uninvited and detaining them. the most time gallagher could ever get to de-stress were behind the bars, mixing up a drink his customers asked for or when with you. you were a fellow bloodhound, a high ranking one too, so never had enough time to spend some quality time with your tired lover.

but today, you wanted to be a little mischievous. and what was that on your mind? you slipped just a teeny weeny bit of aphrodisiacs into his usual alcohol in his personal flask of course! just a little. maybe a pinch or two. a bit of a sprinkle of magic as a gift.

or maybe even a whole mini bottle. but you won’t say it until your tired lover comes crawling over to you, huffing and puffing, whining whimpering as he begs for your help at “restocking” some of the alcohol at the backrooms.

at the other end of the bar, you watch with a barely hidden smirk whenever your lover takes a sip from his personal flask during his break times. each time he does, getting more and more intoxicated in the taste. you purposely chose one that tasted delicious and soft on the tongue, a way to reward him for his hard work of running after criminals and preparing him for what was about to happen.

he started out strong, as expected of a bloodhound officer. barely felt it, focusing on work, wiping a glass or two, mixing up a drink. but the more he drank from his flask, the more you noticed it. the little stuttering over his words, the slight flush in his cheeks, the jumpy way he reacted whenever you passed by him with a hand on his waist or lower back. that bulge in his pants. that damn delicious bulge that you love to bully.

shaking your head, snapping yourself out of your thoughts, you focus back on work to wipe the bar clean and serve the customers drinks and desserts of their liking. you and gallaher were a good pair to serve amazing cocktails after all.

finally, the rush hour had ended, meaning fewer customers. the fewer there are, the more noticeable gallagher’s show of being affected by the little sprinkle of magic became. at first, he tried to play things off as signs of cold, or just the warm and low lighting of the bar being the reason his cheeks are pink. hell, he even coughed a few times to make his act believable. believable to the nosy customers but never to you.

“[n-name]…” the man barely manages to muffle his whimper when calling out your name, low lidded eyes, hazy vision and slightly shaky hand tugging on your necktie. you hum, turning to him with a raised brow as if you weren’t the reason behind this panting mess in front of you.

“yeah? what’s up?” you ask, putting down the bottle on where it’s supposed to be as your hands come to rest on his waist. the rush hour just ended, the bar still had a few customers but they were either too drunk to care nor engrossed in their own sob life stories to share you two a glance. and gallagher was damn glad for it too.

“w-we, ahem, need to head to the backrooms. we’re running out of some beers and fizzy drinks in the fridge” he quickly clears his throat, hoping that no one had caught onto his little stuttering. you did, of course. you would catch onto anything your lover says or does. even the tiniest things. such as how he was trying to make it seem like an innocent half-hug when you could feel his cock twitch in his pants as he pushes his crotch against yours, hoping to conceal it while also giving you a little heads-up.

as if you needed the heads-up.

“alright. you can go first, i’ll come after you once i wipe my hands” you nod your head, watching as your lover disappears behind the door with a sign that read “staff only”. it was cute how gallagher was so trusting of you, never even thought for a moment how you could have been the one to drug his flask of alcohol. though, judging from his cloudy eyes and stuttering, you could guess that he could barely even think to begin with. how adorable of him.

soon enough, you follow after the steps of your lover, walking into the “staff only” part of the bar and later onto the door with the sign “backrooms”. the pretty decent sized dark room where the bar keeps their ingredients and drinks. the same exact room where your lover pushes you against the wall the moment you entered, shaky hands fumbling with the buttons of your button down shirt as he humps his hardened cock against your crotch.

“woah woah, puppy. easy now. what’s going on? i thought we needed to restock on our drinks?” you ask, feigning innocence as your hands rest over gallagher’s shaky ones, stopping his fumbling and managing to catch his attention for a minute. he looked so dumbfounded. bottom lip on the brink of bleeding due to his chewing, panting, cheeks flushed a pretty red as his dilated eyes try to focus on you. you swore he looked like he was almost on the brink of crying with how damn pathetic he looked.

“c-can’t… [name], please, help me… ‘s so hot, tight. stupid pants mmngh!” gallagher only moans, tripping over his own words in a jumbled mess as he tries to find some sort of relief for his poor aching cock. looking down, you could briefly make out a dark small patch at the front of his pants. he was so drugged that he couldn’t even tell that he was staining his own clothes with his precum. so cute.

you only hum in response, not bothering to do as he pleads as your hands rest on the fat of his ass, massaging them gently. he only whines, slurred words of how he wanted your hands on his cock falling out as he squirms in your hold. lowering yourselves down to the floor of the room, you shift gallagher on top of you to ride your thigh instead. flexing the muscles in them to make it easier for him as he whimpers at the feeling.

immediately, the man started to hump your thigh. salacious mewls falling out of his lips as he doesn’t even try to silence his loud noises, only dumbly trying to relieve himself as he rubs his clothed cock on your thigh. you could see the dark patch in his pants getting bigger, darker the more he rides your thigh. if he had his dick out, he would probably leave a mess all over your clothes.

“shh shh, puppy. the door isn’t locked, remember?” you chuckle, reminding him of where the two of you were getting naughty at. it was so cute to see his eyes perk up at the sound of your voice. more specifically, whenever you called him puppy. he really did lived up to that nickname, looking like a cute pup as he bites down on his lip.

one of your hands travel up to his chest, opting to play with his perky nipple as he let out a loud squeal at that. his chest was always so sensitive, making him let out the most delicious whimpers each time you roll, pinch or tug at the hardened nub. being so mean to not slip your hands under the opening of his button down shirt at the front, playing with his nipples over the harsh fabrics of his clothes instead. he just wanted your touch on him to relieve the ache pooling in his belly, would you be so mean to deny him of his wishes?

apparently, you would. the hand on the soft fat of his ass moving to rest over his hip, helping him hump his cock on your thigh as your other hand continue their brutal assaults on his chest. poor gallagher, can't even form a single word as his pleads fall out of his swollen lips in a jumbled heap of mess. you could barely make out your own name from it. the words sounding so muddled up as if the bloodhound officer couldn't tell the difference between reality and his drug induced feelings.

"[n-naaammmeee]... sniff pleasheee fuunnghh fucck!! p-pleashh pleaash pleeaasshee♡︎!! ungh!! guuunnhg♥︎♥︎! p-pretty pleaaseee♡︎?" gallagher whines helplessly, stuffing his flushed face into the crook of your neck as his movements become more sloppy and frantic. he was so close to cumming already, it was just so cute to see how easily someone who is apparently always in control to crumble over with just a little bit of thigh riding. and some sprinkle of magic added to the mix.

in an attempt to muffle his loud moans and stuttering of his breath, he hastily lowers the collar of your own button down shirt just a little bit more. just enough so he could bite down over the old, healing bite mark of his so he could attempt to muffle his pathetic noises. you only coo out in a mocking tone, calling him by that nickname again as you tug on his nipple through his shirt as debouched cries of your name falls from his lips over and over like a mantra. gallagher sounded like one of those old, broken down radios that only replay a single song that sometimes is in the bar.

with a final thrust and a meek little bounce on your thigh, gallagher releases into his clothes. the magenta red hue of his pants turning a darker shade as his cum pools into the materials of his pants, staining it as some of the translucent liquid drips down onto your pants. you could just wash them out later.

"done with your little show, puppy?" you ask, the hand on his hip squeezing a bit to snap him out of his hazy mind. instead, you got a shake of his head, his stubble lightly tickling the skin of your neck in the process.

"wan' more... wan' you♥︎" he mumbles, delirious and drooling, as he humps his still hard cock against your crotch, indicating what he craved so desperately. maybe next time you should check the dosage you put into his drink if he's gonna be drugged this heavily by such a small amount.

[losing-it-lately]

Eddie Munson x cheerleader reader, she’s popular but likes Eddie please? Saw you asking for requests hope you like it ❤️

Popular Cheerleader takes in interest in Eddie

wc: 0.5k

eddie munson x cheerleader!reader fluff

Dustin felt confused, and honestly, a little outraged as he took in the scene in front of him. You definitely were not meant to be sitting in his spot around Hellfire’s DnD table. Friday afternoons were a sanctuary for kids like Dustin, and you were somehow allowed to wander in just because of your royalty status and good hair.

Dustin began to open his mouth with a complaint or expression of shock, when he heard an even louder voice behind him that was almost yelling his thoughts.

“What are you doing here?” Eddie’s voice filled up the room and woke you out of your daze. If it wasn't for his face flushing and the almost smile on his face, you would have never known that he wanted you here.

Eddie watched you softly laugh, as if this was the only place you would ever be found on Friday afterschool. “I want to learn to play Dnd, that’s the game you guys play right?”

The way Eddie pushed Dustin out of the way and jumped into his seat was unfathomable. Eddie Munson had had a “slight” crush on you since the third grade, and now, an opportunity likely from some higher power was presenting itself in the dungy backroom that Hellfire takes place in? He couldn't miss this for the world.

For him it started when he was new, out of the trailer park with his buzzed hair and big brown eyes; you smiled that same smile that you had now and then led him to your classroom's little library, choosing to read with him for an hour every week. Eddie would sit in silence and watch you as you started some new page turner. He had known then that he was enthralled with you; you had your own menagerie of random friends and yet chose to read every Thursday with him. Eddie wouldn't tell anyone, but Thursdays were still his favourite day of the week.

For you, it kickstarted earlier that week in English. Paired with Gareth and sitting near Eddie, all you could think about is how cute he was. Watching him passionately read over Romeo and Juliet compared to his partner's monotonous mulling over, you couldn't help but imagine yourself as Juliet. Your friends would chalk it up to all the hairspray you use or all the time you spend upside down in a handstand, that this “crush” on Eddie Munson was just a malfunction. You would chalk it up to the start of a possible relationship with someone kind and loving.

As Eddie began to explain the rules to you, the varying Hellfire members filtered in. Each with their own very strong and expected reactions. But, it didn't matter. Not when Eddie was resting on your arm so gently and when his breath was so close to your ear. Friday afternoons were going to become the death of you. And little do you know, they were about to become the death of Eddie too.

[g4yforethan]

rescue

pairing: leon kennedy x gn reader

summary: leon saves reader from escaping raccoon city and falls for them

warnings: cursing, pure fluff, kissing!

a/n: been obsessed with resident evil for a while now so i just wanted to do this for my re fanss ;)) also ik the pics i chose are from re4 just go with it.

you were in your apartment folding laundry in the living room. the tv was turned on as re-runs of tv shows played in the background. all of a sudden, “BREAKING NEWS” displayed over your television screen. as you got closer to the tv, you heard screams and bangs coming from your complex. “we interrupt this broadcast as Raccoon City has fallen victim to a mysterious virus spreading throughout the city. We advise all residents to take shelter and gather resources in case of evacuation.” the broadcast lost signal and the screen was now black.

you were terrified by this news as you lived alone and had little to no knowledge about what to do in a situation like this. then, a bang on your door startled you and almost caused you to have a heart attack. “who’s there??” you shouted out the most cliche horror movie question but there was no response. you got closer to the door, tip-toeing all the way to your peephole. you looked through and saw a man standing there but he didn’t look like a man. his skin was pale as a ghost and he was missing his right arm. you gasped and ran towards your window to escape.

when you got to the front of your apartment complex , you ran left towards a gas station hoping that someone would be able to help. once you got there, it was pitch black and there didn’t seem to be anyone inside. you walked around before hearing screams coming from the backroom. gunshots go off as you run to take cover. all of a sudden, a man runs out and grabs you. "IT'S NOT SAFE HERE LET'S GO!" he screamed as he pushed outside towards his car. you went inside and finally got a good look of him. even in the situation, you noticed how attractive he was but tried not to focus too much on that. "thank you so much. i'm so confused! what is happening?!" you asked him as he drove out of the gas station and onto the road. "i could ask you the same thing! listen it's my first day on the job and this shit happens. i must have great luck i guess."he rolled his eyes and tried to find a safe place for you both.

"the news reporter said something about a virus but i always thought a virus would just mean a cold or something not FUCKING zombies!" you screamed as you still tried to grasp what was happening. the man could tell you were shaking from anxiety and pulled over. "hey hey it's okay. whatever happens i'll make sure we both get out of here safe and sound. it's my job." you smiled at him and felt your heart rate go down. "thanks for that. it was sweet. what's your name?" "Leon. Leon S. Kennedy. yours?" "y/n. you have a cute name leon." you noticed leon started to blush and put his hand on your shoulder. "if we make it out of here alive, can i take you out on a date?"

you were taken back by what he said. one because you two had just met and second you were both in the middle of a life or death situation. "umm yeah sure i would love to." you both smiled at each other as leon turned to the road and found an exit out of raccoon city. after a while, he found a motel that was vacant and the two of you went inside to rest. "how about we just stay here for the night and get some rest?" he asked you as he took off his shirt and pants and went into bed. "i mean yeah sure if that's okay." the two of you laid in bed as leon kissed your forehead and wrapped his arms around you. "i'm so glad i met you tonight. we're gonna be okay i promise. just get some rest y/n." he reassured you with another kiss on your shoulder. you turned and kissed him on the lips. "thank you leon. so after all of this is over, where are we going for our first date?"

[fuctacles]

@steddiesummerexchange for @chaosgremlinmunson | part 1/3 for easier reading on tumblr, but will be posted as a one-shot on Ao3 later | thanks @stevesjockstrap for beta-reading and mental support 💚

T | 10858 | Steddie, Buckingham, platonic Stobin and Hellcheer, Wayne&Eddie | Soulmate AU, unconventional soulmates, misunderstandings, idiot4idiot, fluff | divider by me | Part 2 | Part 3 | Ao3

The shop was never busy. Aside from Valentine’s Day and Christmas, it was a lot of goofing around and packing online orders. And since it was pouring on a Tuesday afternoon, they expected no customers until closing, which was more than okay with them. They didn't choose it because it was popular. They chose it because their younger friends were too embarrassed to bother them here. 

“It’s getting pretty bad,” Steve points out, squinting through the window. “I don’t wanna drive in this weather.”

Robin looks up just in time to catch a flash of lightning splitting the dark clouds outside. 

“Maybe it will let up before we close.”

Thunder crackles above them, and Steve raises his eyebrow skeptically.

“We can wait it out in the pizzeria across the street,” she offers then.

“I like the way you think.”

There’s a loud bang as their doors slam open, letting inside some of the summer storm carnage. Despite the size of the shop, they can feel the cold rain on their faces, and for a second, the sound of the storm is deafening. It cuts off as suddenly as it started but is replaced by loud, displeased sounds of two figures drenched to the bone.

“Holy fucking shit!” a wet rat dripping on their floor curses loudly. He shakes his hands creating a small waterfall down the lapels of his leather jacket. The figure next to him drops down the hood of their jacket with a wet smack.

“Holy shitting fuck,” she agrees.

“They better be selling towels here.”

“Uh...” The unhooded figure, a short blonde, looks around curiously. “I’m afraid not.”

This prompts the guy to peel the wet hair away from his face and look properly around.

“Did we just walk into a fucking sex shop?”

“You did, yeah.”

The two turn to the desk when Steve speaks up. 

Next to him, Robin flinches, and he senses something weird from her, like a brain equivalent of an exclamation mark. But he doesn’t think much of it, assuming it might simply be a reaction to the pretty girl in front of them.

“We have a radiator in the back, I could take your clothes to dry,” he offers the newcomers.

“No, we—”

“Are you seriously going back out in this weather?” The girl looks at her friend with raised eyebrows. He scoffs.

“No,” he admits petulantly.

“I can make you guys some hot tea. It’s not like anything is happening here anyway,” Robin pipes up.

“That would be great, thanks.” The blonde lights up gratefully, and Robin squirms. 

Stave takes it upon himself to gather their wet things, afraid his friend might combust if she comes any closer to the girl. When he’s hanging the clothes, she is uncharacteristically quiet, so he turns to her and cocks his head.

“What’s up?”

She frowns at the mugs she's pulling out.

“Her.”

"Huh? She’s cute, isn’t she?" He grins.

“I think I could hear her,” Robin clarifies. 

Steve straightens up immediately and walks towards his friend. She’s looking back up, worrying her bottom lip under her teeth.

“Do you think they are dating?” He motions to the front of the shop where they can hear the other two talk. She looks at the clothes scattered around the backroom. A denim vest, two black jackets, and a hoodie. Judging by the size and style, they all seemed to belong to one person.

“They could be like us,” he points out, but she doesn’t seem convinced. He isn’t either.

“Or she could not know.”

That would complicate things, wouldn’t it?

After exchanging a few heated looks they trail back to the front and Steve hands the teas to their intruders.

"Thank you." The girl smiles sweetly, though her gaze slides towards Robin.

Steve gives his friend a pointed look but she's too dazed to even flip him off. 

"Thanks." The guy blows on his tea, keeping his gaze mostly on the window and the storm outside. "We'll take a look around and won't bother you guys," he says, giving his companion a pointed look before disappearing into one of the sections. 

Steve knows it’s bad to stereotype but the assortment of strap-ons is not what guys like this usually go for, and his brain gets whiplash with the sudden onslaught of images he's not proud of. The tall guy wearing black and chains getting pegged by his tiny blonde girlfriend? It kind of suits him. He tries not to think about it.

They give them space to roam around the shop and whisper to each other while they finish their duties for the day and start closing up. 

"Guys? We need to close in fifteen minutes!" Steve would feel bad for kicking them out into the storm, but the rain clouds have moved, turning the onslaught into a light drizzle.

It's only after they leave that Steve looks at the tattoo on the palm of his hand. Surprised at what he sees, he shakes it experimentally. The d20 lands back on the same number.

“Hey, look.” He holds it up for Robin to see. “I’ve never rolled a twenty before.”

Three days pass and Steve can't stand it anymore.

He slaps his hand on the counter, making Robin yelp.

“You’re thinking about her again!" 

“I’m sorry!”

Steve shakes his head.

“No. Don't care, no sorries," he says with finality. “We’re finding her.”

"We go to the same school!" she protests. "I think. I mean, I'll run into her eventually!"

But Steve won't take that chance, tired of all the sighing from her brain, and decides to find the girl they've met. He figures the easiest place to find high schoolers is at the mall so that's where he goes.

With all the groups of friends and couples passing by, he feels even more like a loser than usual, being there all alone. But he's on a mission, so he won't let that deter him. 

That is, until one of the faces he sees in the crowd gives him a pause. It takes him an embarrassingly long time to realize what's familiar about one of the three girls coming at him, but when the memory hits, he panics. Letting his flight response take over, he ducks into the nearest open door to avoid his ex. 

After making sure the group has passed him without notice, he lets himself breathe. He's taking in the shop he stepped into, a record store full of tapes, vinyls, and band merch,  when a voice startles his adrenaline levels back up.

"Well, well, well. How the tables have turned. Running from a gaggle of women, are we?"

Steve turns to find the metalhead who ran into his shop a few days ago, smirking at him.

"Just one." He shakes his head, instinctively looking back behind the glass door. "Really don't feel like running into my ex right now."

"Must be happening a lot, huh?" The man leans on the counter that separates them. "My friend told me you're quite the casanova."

Steve spots his opportunity and grabs it.

"The girl from the other day?" he asks.

"Yes?" The guy's eyes narrow. 

“So you guys are friends?” he adds to clarify before he uncrosses his figurative fingers.

“Yes? Why else would we hang out?”

Steve feels his cheeks heat up under the man's suspicious stare.

“Well, you could be dating.”

The guy snorts.

“Yeah, I don't see the local freak bagging the head cheerleader. The fact that she can even stand me is enough.” Then his eyes narrow again. “Why? You interested in Chris?”

Chris.

“No? Well, kinda, but not… exactly.”

Steve has never felt less smooth in his whole life. And judging by the guy's expression, it shows. Whatever he was trying to sell, he wasn’t buying. His brain scrambles to salvage the situation and comes up with a painfully honest solution.

"Look, I just graduated and my friend group has fallen apart." He yells at his brain-to-mouth wires but keeps going anyway. "And you guys seem chill, I thought the four of us could hang out, or something?"

If the 'you suck' board still existed, he'd fill it out with tallies himself. 

The man doesn't seem convinced and he opens his mouth to tear him to shreds probably, but then somebody yells from the back of the store:

"Eddie! A little help, please!"

And the guy, Eddie, gets reminded he's at work.

"Coming!" he yells back, and on his way there, throws Steve a quick string of, "Great seeing you again, we'll think about it, we know where to find you, bye!" before disappearing behind the back door.

After such a disastrous interaction, the last thing Steve wants to do is go back out into the mall full of people. But staying here to risk Eddie looking at him like that again was the more humiliating option. He turns around, planning to lick his wounds at home before reporting his findings back to Robin. For the hundredth time since finding her, he wishes they couldn't read each other minds. Because all he can think of is making a complete loser idiot of himself in front of a cool metalhead dude, and he knows she won't let him live it down. Maybe the Scoops board will make a comeback after this.

“Chrissyyyyyy!”

“Eddieeeeee!”

The rest of the cheer squad does perfectly synchronized eye rolls when their captain jumps down the human pyramid to greet her friend.

“Hi!” She smiles brightly. “You’re early. We’re not done yet.”

“I got some news.” He taps his fingers on the small partition between them, ignoring the cheer practice in progress. “Bad ones and good ones.”

“Bad first,” she says with a decisive nod.

Eddie opens his mouth but then frowns and closes it.

“It won’t make sense if you don’t hear the good news first.”

“Oh my god! Just spill it!”

“So, they’re almost surely not dating.”

“The sex shop guys?”

He nods.

“Okay, and the bad one?”

“Steve seems to be into you.”

“No!” she gasps, scandalized. Eddie snickers.

“Yeah. Sorry sweetie." His smile turns more apologetic.

Chrissy makes a face. Then she keeps making faces until Eddie can’t help but snort and slap her playfully.

“Stop! What are you thinking about?”

“I mean he’s kinda cute, but gives me repressed gay vibes.”

Eddie chokes but she keeps going.

“And his friend? His friend is just hot.”

“Ehh, I guess.” Eddie shakes his palm, making his friend roll her eyes.

“You’ll never understand the beauty of a woman in suspenders.”

“More women in suspenders for you then.” He grins, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Chris! You going back or what?” one of the cheerleaders behind them yells out, barely containing her annoyance.

“I’m coming!” Chrissy yells back. She turns to her best friend, her soulmate, with a dazzling smile. “You joining in?”

“You know they hate it when I do,” he points out.

“And you love it that they hate it.” She smirks like the evil little gremlin she secretly is.

“Fuck yeah, I do.” Eddie grins, climbing over the partition to join the cheerleading squad. A couple of girls groan, knowing what’s coming next but none of them dare to protest. If their captain’s soulmate wants to perform a perfect cheer routine, putting their months of practice to shame, there’s nothing they can do except blame the fates.

Eddie drops his leather jacket on the bleachers and does a couple of stretches in perfect sync with his friend. They grin at each other while mirroring each other’s movements without a word.

“If only you could read my mind during math exams like that,” Chrissy teases.

“Okay, shut up.” He rolls his eyes with fake annoyance. Yeah, it would be convenient, but he got a cheerleading routine memorized in his muscles instead. He’d be complaining if Chrissy wasn’t so fun to be around.

Despite his involuntary knowledge of the routine, none of the other girls fully trust him, so he usually ends up working mostly with Chris, tossing her in the air and catching her when needed.

“You should join us for the game,” she asks as always, after jumping down from his arms.

“I’ll think about it,” he answers as always, patting her head. She huffs, swatting his hand away and fixing up her ponytail, now loose from practice.

“Wanna go grab pizza?” she asks casually and he immediately goes into suspish mode. Chrissy rarely proposes eating out together. Don’t get him wrong, it’s great that his girlie is starting to eat better again, but… He doesn’t let his suspicion show when he asks:

“Sure. Any place in mind?”

She hums, but it’s a short hum. Very 'i-already-had-a-place-in-mind' like.

“The one with the Ninja Turtles poster?”

“You mean the one across the adult toys store?” He raises his eyebrows.

She blushes a fierce red and he knows it’s not because of the sex shop thing. He grins, wide and teasing.

“You wanna see that girl again.”

“Maybe,” she huffs defensively. “Okay, yes, so what?”

“So nothing.” He shrugs innocently. “Grab your things and we’ll go.”

“Yes!” she pumps her hands in victory, a dorky move Eddie’s proud to have taught her, and runs off to grab her backpack. She snatches his jacket before he can, overly eager to get moving. “Let’s go!”

He can’t help but laugh while trotting after her towards his van. 

The inside of the store is brighter than they remembered, what with the sky being clear this time. It looks surprisingly normal until you take a better look at the contents of the boxes on display. A sex shop during daylight just lacks a certain ambiance.

The preppy-looking guy behind the counter doesn't match the vibe either.

At the sound of customers, the guy looks up.

"Hello! Oh, it's you guys." He visibly relaxes, realizing it's not his usual run-of-the-mill customers. 

"It's us indeed." Eddie smiles, confidently strutting up to the counter. "Has anyone ever told you you look out of place here?"

Steve raises an eyebrow.

"Has anyone ever told you not to judge someone's sex life by their looks?"

Eddie raises his hands placatingly.

"Fair enough, man. I'll back off." However, the comment made him insanely curious about what a guy like that would be into. Behind him, Chrissy gently kicks him in the ankle, prompting him to take a look around. "Alone today?"  he asks with a curious tilt of his head.

"Yeah, Robin is tutoring after school today. Why?" His eyes narrow. 

"No reason, no reason." 

Chrissy kicks him harder and he smiles through the pain.

“What is she tutoring in? I’m having trouble passing the last grade.”

It takes Steve a moment to answer, like he's measuring how much information he can give away.

“Foreign languages.”

The words are barely out of his mouth when Eddie snaps his fingers.

“Perfect! Can I get her number or something?”

The kick is so hard this time it jostles him forward and he glares back at his friend. It also attracts Steve’s attention to Chrissy.

He smiles at her, a bit unsure and shy. It rubs Eddie the wrong way and he can feel his hackles rise. 

“Chris, right?”

“Chrissy,” she corrects, slightly scrunching her nose.

“Oh, sorry. It’s nice to see you again, Chrissy.” He smiles, more genuine this time.

“Uh, you too. Steve.”

Eddie clears his throat, hoping to come off as rude as possible.

Steve looks back at him and his expression shifts immediately. It’s almost a scoff.

“Listen, I don’t just give off my best friend’s number to random guys. But if you give me yours, I’ll pass it on.”

“Works for me,” Eddie says with the tightest approximation of a smile he can manage. “Do you have something I can write on?”

Steve looks around for the pen and notepad that are never in their designated spots and never together. He finds them under the keyboard.

“Here.”

But Eddie isn’t taking the items from him. Steve wiggles them like he would attract a pet or a child, but it doesn’t work. He’s about to make a snarky remark when the guy speaks up first.

“You have a D20 tattoo.”

“Huh?”

Steve is losing his mind.

But then he remembers that he does indeed have one and it’s partially visible when he’s holding out a pen like that.

“Ah, right.” He opens up his fingers and shakes his palm, causing the dice to roll. “It’s my soulmate mark.”

“Dude, that’s so dope.” Eddie’s eyes sparkle with marvel and Steve’s throat tightens. “You rolled a twenty, does that mean anything?”

Steve shrugs.

“I don’t know. One of my friends is a Dungeons and Dragons nerd and he told me it’s a luck thing? He freaked out pretty badly when I kept rolling ones on vacation, but nothing happened.” He smiles, fondly remembering Dustin’s panic. 

Eddie hums.

“Man, having a functional D20 tattoo would be so fucking cool. I’m kinda jealous here.”

Steve snorts.

“Yeah, Dustin told me that too.”

Eddie finally takes the writing utensils from him, eyeing him contemplatively.

“I’m guessing you’re not a DnD nerd yourself? Considering you get your info from a friend?”

Steve chuckles.

"Yeah, no. Though I do get a lot of brain chatter from my soulmate."

"Brain chatter?" Eddie picks on curiously. 

"Uh, yeah. I dream up whole campaigns and know lore I've never really studied. The kids go bonkers over it."

"Kids?"

Eddie's feeling both stupid and entranced by the guy. 

"The DnD nerd? Dustin?" Steve says with annoyance that poorly covers up his fondness. "He comes with a full set of other nerds. A party, if you will. They just started high school and no, it's not weird that I know them. I used to babysit them and they just kind of..." He waved his hand. "Stuck on. Like parasites.

Eddie barks out a laugh. 

"They sound delightful."

"They have their moments," Steve admits. Then they both stare at the number Eddie has scribbled on the piece of paper handed to him. 

"So uh, see you around?"

"Yeah." Steve smiles. It's genuine and pleasant this time. But then, to Eddie's chagrin, he looks to the side. "You too Chrissy. Come over anytime. Maybe you need some tutoring too?"

"Uh, thanks, I'm good. Good luck finding a DnD nerd soulmate," she says, her tone weird. Eddie can't blame her. He wouldn't like being so blatantly hit on either. He could already feel her tugging on his jacket. 

"Thank you," Steve says, smile turning a bit wistful. His eyes turn back to Eddie, away from his poor, sapphic-leaning soulmate. Good. He waves the note with the numbers. "I'll let her know you're interested but no promises. And hey, if you're into DnD too maybe you'd be interested in DMing for a bunch of freshmen?" 

"I'll think about it," Eddie manages, slowly backing away, the force behind Chrissy's pull increasing. "Thanks, man. And, uh, good luck with the soulmate thing too!"

"Thanks."

The doors close in front of him and it feels like a curtain has just separated him from a whimsical spectacle.

"What the fuck was that?" Chrissy and Eddie ask each other in unison, albeit in vastly different tones. 

"Huh?" Eddie frowns at his friend. She had already turned around and was pulling him towards the pizzeria across the street.

"Don't huh me! You forgot I was there!"

"I didn't!" He kind of did. For a teeny tiny second.

"You were clearly flirting with him."

"What? No, I wasn't!" he bristles. He'd know if he was flirting with someone.

She looks back at him sternly when they reach a table of her choosing. She plops down heavier than a tiny cheerleader should be able to and takes on a mocking, high voice.

"Oh man, I'm so jealous of your soulmate. Yes, I will play with your kids. Here's my number."

"I said no such thing," he hisses, sitting down across from her. 

"Might as well." She shrugs. "You were interested in him."

"Well, he's an interesting person!" Eddie defends.

"Yeah, the preppy, vanilla high school heartthrob that is clearly not into the same stuff as you, other than his connection to his soulmate," she deadpans back. "Wouldn't have guessed."

"Shut up," he huffs, crossing his arms.

"Eddie, he asked you to hang out with his kids, himself," she points out.

"These are not his kids."

"You're so focused on the wrong details here. Do I have to wingman for you as well? Because I will. Just say the word."

Eddie closes his eyes and sighs. He knows his friend means well but it's just too much.

"Chrissy, stop. I don't need someone who has a soulmate with a matching, kick-ass D20 tattoo waiting for him somewhere. Probably a busty, nerdy girl, too—"

"Ew."

"Yeah, I know. He just seems interesting, and honestly? Expanding the party would be cool. So I might take him on the DMing thing I guess. But please, for the love of gods." He makes fierce eye contact with his friend. "No matchmaking. No wingmaning. Or wingwomaning. No setting Eddie up with a probably-heterosexual dude, who is probably into you."

A shudder goes down Chrissy's lithe body.

"Please don't remind me."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," she sighs. "I'm really hoping I'm right about his friend." She drums her fingers on the table, biting her lip. "Maybe it's stupid but I feel like it would magically solve everything. He'd get over me, I'd get to bone his friend, and you'd get a new friend with a kick-ass nerd tattoo." She beams at him and he just can't help but laugh at his little ray of sunshine.

"I hope you're right too." 

[webslinger-holland]

The Sergeants's Senator | Prologue

Summary: The Bad Batch has a newly added member of the team who can't seem to stop asking questions.

Warning: none

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 1.1k words

Series Masterlist

Note: In honor of the trailer dropping today, I have decided to release the first part earlier than anticipated! New chapters should come out consistently because the whole story is already written.

(THIS CHAPTER TAKES PLACE AFTER ORDER 66 AND DURING THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 1 OF BAD BATCH FOR THOSE CURIOUS.)

The Marauder was flying silently through hyperspace with a final destination locked into the coordinates. The four remaining members of Clone Force 99 had just narrowly escaped Kamino, leaving behind one of their own. But luckily, they had gained another.

It was a little girl who was named Omega. She had taken an interest in Clone Force 99 upon the return of their mission on Kallar. It was later revealed to them that she was a clone just like them, which inclined them to bring her along with them as they fled Kamino and the newly established Empire.

Now, having just narrowly made an escape, Tech was flying the ship somewhere else. He put in the coordinates for a desolate planet and made sure to hold the wheel steadily as he steered. They'd be heading for Saleucami. Echo sat beside him in the co-pilot seat.

Behind the pilot's seat, Wrecker was sitting beside one of the control panels and Omega sat in the seat across from his. The two of them were talking quietly to themselves, sharing how exciting their escape had just been.

In the background, Hunter silently turned around in his place to exit the cockpit. He wanted to be alone, which meant leaving the others for a short time. Unbeknownst to him, Omega watched him walk away with curious eyes. She wondered if she should follow him.

Now Hunter walked into the backroom where their bunks were located. He lowered himself to sit on his own bunk, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his legs. He sat in silence even though a million thoughts and voices were filling his head.

In the background, Omega had poked her head into the doorway. She made sure not to be seen, but she wanted to see what he was up to. He thought a moment longer before reaching into his back pocket to retrieve a small device. His thumb brushed against the button, pressing it gently to activate the holo-photo.

From Omega's perspective, she wasn't able to see the face of the person in the hologram. She only saw the back of the person's head and the back of the long dress. Her eyes shifted upwards slightly to see Hunter's reaction.

For some reason, there were tears brimming in the corners of his eyes as he stared down at the hologram. His shoulders hunched over; his head drooping low until his chin rested against his chest. He clutched the device tightly. A broken sob escaped past his lips.

Just then, Omega's shoulders seemed to relax at her sides at the sight. She forced herself to take a single step into the room with the desire of wanting to comfort him. However, at the sound of her approaching footsteps, Hunter clicked the hologram off and stuffed it back into his pocket quickly. He sniffled once to hide the tears that nearly streamed down his face. He avoided eye contact with her.

"Who is she?" Omega inquired innocently. Her eyes shined with sympathy for him.

With some hesitation, Hunter quickly glanced at her through the corner of his eye. The walls he built started to come back up once again. He chose to not say anything and redirected his attention elsewhere. But Omega pressed on.

"She looks pretty," Omega's voice hinted at a small smile. She took another step towards him. She tried to meet his gaze, but he continued to avoid her. "Is she a princess?"

"Look kid," Hunter interrupted her. He released a loud sigh. "I don't really want to talk about her."

"O-Okay," Omega nodded her head understandingly. She wondered if he was just tired since it had been a long day. "Maybe some other time."

"No, I mean...I don't want to talk about her," Hunter reinforced his words. He looked her dead in the eyes. "Not now, not ever."

Although Omega had a million questions circling around her head, she thought it would be better to remain quiet in this particular situation. She gave a single nod of the head understandingly, choosing to drop the subject despite her curiosity. She took a step back to give him space.

Leaving the backroom, Omega went back into the cockpit to join the others silently. The door slid closed behind her. She flopped down into one of the seats, which earned a glance from Wrecker who sat in the seat beside her. She took her time to glance at each of the three clones sitting in the cockpit, wondering how much they knew about the situation with the sergeant.

"Who was she?" Omega inquired one final time.

Upon hearing her question, Omega noticed how Tech's shoulders tensed and his grip on the wheel tightened. She also saw how Echo had looked over to Tech as if expecting him to provide an explanation. Now turning to Wrecker, Omega saw the blank expression on his face and how his eyes stared off into nothing. They pondered her question in silence.

"Listen kid," Echo spoke up first. He looked over his shoulder from his seat. "It's an awfully long story. And I'm not sure if we should be the ones telling it."

"Hunter won't say anything," Omega said rather sadly. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's like he doesn't want to talk about her."

"Well, I don't blame him. It's hard to talk about what happened. He's still processing it," Echo defended.

"He's been processing for a while," Wrecker claimed with a groan. He tried to recall how long it had been since it all happened. "It's been two years already."

"Some wounds never heal," Echo replied to this sorrowfully.

"What did happen?" Omega pressed again. She only received silence from them.

For a moment, Echo thought about answering the question. The wheels were turning in his head, processing what kind of response he could come up with. But it wouldn't have been a simple one.

"Let's just say," Tech interrupted his train of thought. "Clones are not supposed to form attachments. And Hunter did."

"With her?" Omega clarified.

"That would be the only logical explanation as to why he has a hologram of her, isn't it?" Tech replied as his usual self. He received a sharp glare from Echo.

"Did he fall in love with her?" Omega wondered. The three clones felt their breaths catch in the back of their thoughts upon hearing the weighted question.

"It...depends on how you define love," Tech tried to convince her.

"Tech," Echo warned him with a hard look.

"Fine," Tech brushed it off with a roll of the eyes. "He did love her...in his own way."

"So what happened to her?" Omega asked sadly.

"Perhaps it would easier if we did tell you," Tech thought. He contemplated for a moment. "We do have a long journey ahead of us."

With that, Omega sat up in her chair with a beaming smile on her face. She leaned forward with anticipation, lowering her eyebrows onto the tops of her knees. She listened intently as the clones began to tell their rendition of the story that happened so long ago.

CHAPTER ONE HERE

Taglist:

@totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl

[rorywritesjunk]

I can’t tell where the journey will end But I know where to start

Prequel to my Kid Buggy fic, set about 11-ish years before that story.

Buggy meets you by chance when he needs his buttons sewn back onto his jacket. He’s young, up and coming, and he thinks everyone should cower before him wherever he goes, but all you do is smile at him.

Rating: PG-13ish just for some swearing. Warning: Buggy’s in his early 20s. He’s an asshole. He just is because I wanted to write him loud, demanding, everything. There’s 3 new characters thrown in because why not? Future Wife gets a name as well! A/N: I have no idea when Buggy became a Captain, so he’s a fresh faced captain in this. No clue how long this fic will be. I just started on the 4th chapter but I’m excited to write it out! I had fun with the original fic and decided to write the prequel to how they met. Enjoy!

Also I have to go back to chapter 5 of my Kid Buggy fic since they talk most about their relationship beginnings in there, oops. I also wanted to write Buggy as the sort of "I'm a smooth operator until I'm not". And the Future Wife gets named in this chapter because I decided she needed a name.

Title comes from “Wake Me Up” by Avicii.

TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @ane5e @kingofthemfingpirates @the-angriest-angel @tiredemomama @valen-yamyam16 @i-reblog-fics-i-like @plethora-of-fickleness

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 + Chapter 10 + Chapter 11 + Chapter 12 + Chapter 13 + Chapter 14 + Chapter 15 + Chapter 16 + Chapter 17 + Chapter 18 + Epilogue

Chapter 3

You saw him again a month later. He really was popping by for every little thing now, and this time was no different. You were working on a dress for a customer while the girls were ironing and hemming other orders. When Buggy burst into the shop he paused for a brief moment when he saw you before marching up to the counter where your boss waited.

“What now?” She demanded. Buggy glared at her but he held his ground, not backing down from her.

“I… need something fixed.” He said, glancing in your direction briefly before pointing to his shoes. “My socks.” 

“We don’t mend socks.” Your boss told him firmly. “Throw them out and get new ones.”

“You can’t fix them?!” He exclaimed. Miss Pins shook her head. Buggy took a deep breath, looking as though he was trying to think of something else. “Well, can you-”

“I can darn the socks.” You told him as you set your needle and thread down. Your boss glared at you, trying to tell you to sit down and stop helping this guy without speaking a word but you chose to ignore her. You pushed your chair back from the table and smiled at him. “But I’ll only do it if they’re washed. I assume you’re wearing them right now?”

Buggy turned red and looked away from you as he nodded. You chuckled softly and shook your head as you stood up. “Okay, come with me. Let’s get you taken care of.” 

Your boss and coworkers watched as the pirate followed after you to the backroom like a little puppy follows his owner. Miss Pins was going to have words with the both of you about this: he needed to stop coming around and you needed to stop being nice to him. He wasn’t some stray you needed to keep feeding. He was a damn pirate who needed to get back on his ship and sail away. While it wasn’t uncommon for the shop to have repeat customers, he was a thorn in Miss Pins side since he first showed up. She did not like him one bit and she did not like the way he looked at you.

You had Buggy sit down and remove his shoes while you got the washing bin ready. Since one of the services was to clean customers' clothes for them, you saw no reason why you wouldn’t wash his socks before mending them. Buggy said nothing as he removed his socks and held them out to you, but you grabbed a bowl and had him set them in there. He frowned but did as you asked before leaning forward in his seat, watching you as he tried to tuck his feet under the chair.

“I never know when to expect you, Captain.” You told him as you mixed the cleaning solution into the bin. Once it was ready you grabbed the bowl and tossed his socks into the soapy water. “But I enjoy the surprise of you showing up.”

“Well, I have things that need to be mended.” He shot back as he turned red. It wasn’t like he was coming here on purpose to have you fix his things. “And this is the only place that caters to pirates and does a decent job.”

You glanced at him with a smile as you added a small agitator into the bowl, stirring up the water and socks to get them clean. “I’m glad you chose us then, Captain.”

“Buggy.” He mumbled, looking down at his feet. You frowned, not hearing him at first but he cleared his throat and spoke a little louder. “You can call me Buggy.”

“Oh.” You looked back at the water that was getting dirtier with each agitation. Calling him by his first name was a little personal. “Okay.”

“I… never learned your name.” He continued to mumble, looking incredibly uncomfortable and unsure of himself right then. 

“That’s because I never told you.” Was your response as you pulled the socks from the water to wring them out. You set them aside and dumped the dirty water before refilling the tub with fresh water. 

“Well, what’s your name then?” Buggy asked. “What should I call you?”

You winked at him and went back to cleaning the socks. “Whatever you want to call me, Buggy.” 

He felt a small surge of courage right then as he now leaned back in his chair with a smirk. The chair tilted backwards, resting on two legs while the other two were inches off the ground. “Can I call you Babe?”

The courage left as soon as it arrived because you turned to look at him, face unreadable, and he lost his balance and tipped the chair backwards with him in it, his legs flying up and over, his torso separating from his body and landing beside him. 

You just stared at him in shock for a moment before rushing over to grab his legs. This… was weird. Very weird. His body seemed to snap back together and he stared at you in horror. Was this something pirates were able to do, separate their body parts like that? 

“Are you okay?” You managed to ask. “Buggy, your body-”

“I’m fine!” He snapped as he pulled away from you, embarrassed by what you saw. He didn't want you to see that, not yet when he was trying to get to know you. “Don’t to-”

You took his hat off his head and set it aside, ignoring his temper as you touched his head, feeling for any bumps from the fall. His entire body went rigid, eyes wide, almost fearful as you cupped his cheeks, looking into his eyes. You were just checking for injury, maybe a concussion from the tumble, but then you smiled with relief.

“You didn’t hit your head too hard it seems.” You said as you started to pull your hands back, but he grabbed you and your eyes widened when you saw his hands on your wrists but with no arms attached to them. “Buggy, are you okay?”

“What’s all this noise?” Miss Pins demanded as she came into the back, Livia and Edith following behind her. “I swear, if you two are fu-”

She stopped when she saw the two of you: Buggy on the ground with you kneeling over him with disembodied hands on your wrists. At least Buggy had the mind to look embarrassed by the situation while you just smiled at your boss as you explained what happened.

“Chair tipped back and he took a tumble, but he’s okay.” You told her as his hands returned to his arms. “Sorry if we were loud.”

Everything was okay for a moment, but you and Buggy both saw Livia lean over to Edith and not so quietly whisper, I guess his nose is real since it stayed on when he fell.

What if it’s glued on? Edith whispered back. I still think it's fake. No one has a nose like that. 

He has a nose like that. Livia grinned as she glanced in his direction. I bet it honks.

Buggy didn’t even have the chance to react because you were scolding the teenagers for him; even Miss Pins had her arms crossed and was giving the apprentices both a look. 

“Don’t talk about his nose, you two!” You snapped at them, friendly demeanor gone and replaced with a fierce protectiveness, startling the two of them and even Buggy. “Honestly! Apologize for being rude now! I cannot believe you both!”

“But-” Livia started to say but Edith cut her off. 

“You’re not in charge!” The other teen exclaimed, looking up at Miss Pins. “He’s been nothing but rude to us since he first came here! Why do we have to be nice to him?”

“Because he’s a paying customer.” Miss Pins told her. “And he’s never been rude to you two, just me and Sunny, so you two apologize to the Captain now.” 

The two looked at their caretaker before reluctantly looking back at Buggy. With the way you were glaring at them they knew they needed to apologize or else. The look of absolute fury in your eyes terrified them more than Buggy’s behavior had so far. 

“I’m sorry.” They both said before you pointed to the door.

“Go clean the kitchen and start dinner, both of you.” You ordered. “You’ll also clean the kitchen again tonight after dinner.” You shook your head and sighed. “I’m so disappointed in the two of you.”

Livia and Edith’s jaws dropped and they looked at Miss Pins once more. She nodded in agreement with what you were saying. At this point she trusted you (kind of) to make certain decisions, and speaking about a customer like that in front of him was grounds for punishment. Both left the room, grumbling about it being unfair. 

“Fix his socks and then he leaves, understand?” Miss Pins said. “And be quieter in here.”

You nodded, swallowing heavily as you tried to calm yourself down. It wasn’t often you got angry like that, but you were upset for him that they would say that in front of him like that. Your hands were shaking as you stood up, reaching out to pull him to his feet. He reluctantly allowed help, but as soon as he got to his feet he turned to head to the door but you held onto his hand.

“Buggy, wait.”

“What?!” He snapped as he turned to face you, cheeks burning from embarrassment. You were just a tailor, a shopgirl, you had no business being nice to him apart from getting paid for it. He didn’t need you coming to his defense when people made comments about his appearance, it happened enough that he always handled it with yelling and violence. No one ever apologized, and yet you had the two do it. 

“I’m sorry.” You told him, giving his hand a squeeze. “They shouldn’t have said those things.”

Buggy stared at you for a moment. His brain was going a million miles a minute as he processed your words, the way you were looking at him with those kind eyes that minutes before were full of absolute fury. He felt your warmth through his gloved hand and he wondered if he should take it off so he could feel how soft your skin was. There was a brief flicker of familiarity of your words, but he couldn’t recall ever hearing someone say that before to him. It must have happened in a dream.

He finally jerked out of your grasp and grabbed his boots and hat before storming out of the backroom. Miss Pins looked up as he walked through the shop, eyebrow raised as she saw him carrying his boots, but she said nothing. Maybe he would finally stop coming around and being a nuisance after all this. 

Except he would need to come back for his socks.

[gunilslaugh]

Black & White Pt.2

Kim Jungsu  Summary: Jungsu used to be a part of light then he switched over to the darkness. (non-idol au) WC:~1.7k Warning:(maybe kinda angst towards the end)

part 1 part 3 epilogue!

photo not mine credits to owner.

When every baby is born they are handed an energy pearl. If the pearl turns white it means the baby’s heart is pure and they will be sent to live in White Clouds. However if the pearl turns black that means that the baby heart is immoral and they’re sent to live in the Black Shadows. What if a baby’s pearl was gray?

Well no baby’s pearl had ever turned gray before. They were always black or white, good or bad. That was until Jungsu that is. The pearl placed in his infant hand turned gray. Not black or white. Not clearly good or bad. It caused quite an uproar amongst officials. What should they do with him? In the end it was decided that he would go to White Clouds with the hopes that his pearl would eventually turn white by being surrounded by goodness. 

Jungsu wasn’t allowed to show others his gray pearl so as to not cause any suspicions. They provided him with a fake one to use until his real one turned white. Maybe it was because of his gray pearl that Jungsu didn’t want to get close to others. Maybe that’s why his personality was standoffish and cold. 

“Jungsu!” you called him. Jungsu turns back to see you approaching him. Your white pearl shining especially bright around your neck. It was known to everyone in White Clouds that you were born with the purest heart. Your pearl shined the brightest out of everyones, so did your eyes and smile. 

“What is it?” he asked. 

“Be my partner for combat training,” you tell him. 

“Don’t you have people lining up to be your partner? Why me?” he asked. 

“I don’t actually. Everyone else has a partner already, so it’s just us left,” you explained. Jungsu found it hard to believe that no one would want to be partners with you. You were so sweet and kind. You were always there for everyone. You truly were the epitome of goodness.

“I’ll see you in class then. Don’t expect me to go easy on you though,” he told you. 

“Why would I want that?” you say. Jungsu can’t fight off his smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oww I know you said you wouldn’t go easy on me, but did you have to flip me that hard?” you groaned from where you lay on the ground. Something stirs in Jungsu’s heart as he sees you lying on the ground in pain.

“Sorry. Are you hurt?” Jungsu helped you up from the ground. 

“I’m fine. Let’s go again,” you say. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What if someone was born with a gray pearl?” Jungsu asked you one night. The two of you were out at the spring. Watching how the moon reflected against the gently flowing water.

“Gray? Like both good and evil?” you checked. Jungsu nodded his head in confirmation. 

“I guess it depends if they leaned into the light or darkness,” you say. 

“If they chose light?” Jungsu prompted. 

“Then they’re good,” you state. 

“That simple? You wouldn’t think they’re some type of abomination or impure?” he questioned. 

“No.” You shook your head. “If you’re good, you’re good. If you’re bad, you’re bad. That’s how our world is: Black and White,” you say. 

“You really are naive,” Jungsu chuckles. 

“Well I was kinda born that way.” You chuckle as well, looking down at your pearl pendant on your neck that emitted a subtle glow in the darkness of night.

“That’s right you have the purest heart of them all.” Jungsu leaned over to hold your pearl between his fingers for a moment before letting it go. 

“You know hearts can change?” you asked. 

“What are you talking about?” Jungsu followed. 

“I don’t know why they don’t teach about it anymore, but I found some old history books in the backroom of the library. There was once a war between White Clouds and Black Shadows. I don’t know all of the details because some pages were missing, but it talked about people's hearts changing. Some went from light to dark and others went from dark to light,” you explained. “So if someone’s dark heart can transform into light and someone’s light heart can be consumed by darkness there’s no reason why someone with a gray heart can’t be light too,” you say.

For the first time Jungsu could say that he felt something that felt like hope. Later when he pulled out his gray pearl he found that it was a few shades lighter. 

It wouldn’t remain lighter for long though. Your talk about people’s hearts changing got Jungsu curious,so one night he crept inside the backroom of the library to find the history books you were talking about, but while he was in the backroom somebody else came in. Jungsu quickly hid behind some old dust covered shelves. 

“Are you sure they’re the one?” Jungsu hears a voice say. 

“I’m positive sir. They’re pearl glows like the moon and everyone here knows they’re the one with the purest heart. The officials say it’s the purest heart since the Discord War.” 

“How soon can you bring them to me for sacrifice?” That feeling shows up in Jungsu’s heart again. The same one he felt when he saw you laying on the ground during your combat training.

“They’re scheduled for isolation training in two weeks. It’ll be all too easy to take them then.”

“Ok, don’t mess this up.” 

“I won’t sir.” Jungsu hears the person who entered the room leave. He comes out from where he was hiding behind the shelf. Now he knows what the feeling in his heart is. He wants to protect you.

Discord War? That had to be the war you were telling him about. Jungsu made quick work of finding the books. The cause of the war is conveniently the pages that are missing. Jungsu gets a bad feeling about it. He has to find those pages. He had to know what he was dealing with so that he could stop you from being sacrificed. He was ready to save you at all costs.

He scoured the entire backroom, practically flipping it upside down. That’s when he came across a box with a lock on it. He doesn’t even bother looking for the key; he simply breaks the lock. Low and behold inside are the missing pages. 

Jungsu knows what he has to do after reading them. His pearl that was once a light gray now darkens to a black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jungsu! Jungsu!” You frantically called after him, fighting away from the officials trying to hold you back. You had just gotten out of isolation when you heard the news.

“You didn’t really do it right? I’ll believe you if you say you didn’t do it. You didn’t kill Master Jason right?” Jungsu turns to look at you from over his shoulder. 

“I did.” He looked at you with dark eyes. 

“No, no you wouldn’t.” Tears pricked your eyes.

“Actions don’t always speak the truth, maybe you should understand that if you don’t want to get hurt next time.” he tells you, turning back around. 

“Jungsu!” you called out again. He didn’t look back at you. He just let himself get dragged away. “Jungsu,” you say his name again, collapsing onto the ground. 

“I’m sorry y/n,” your master comes over to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“He wouldn’t do this,” you say. A sigh escapes from your master. 

“Y/n you heard him. He did. He wasn’t who we thought he was. His pearl turned black,” he tells you. 

“What? No, that can��t be,” you refused. 

“It is. Let me tell you something. Jungsu’s pearl turned gray when he was born. We thought that if he was surrounded by goodness that his pearl would become white, but it looks like the opposite happened. We don’t know how long it’s been black, but it seems like he had been plotting this a while,” your master informs. 

“A -a gray pearl?” you asked, recalling the night Jungsu asked you about what if someone was born with a gray pearl. “You really are naive,” you recalled his words. No, he didn’t mean it like that. He didn’t mean it in a bad way. He wanted to be good. You know he did. You could feel it. 

“Mhm, don’t tell the others about it. It’s causing enough trouble amongst the officials.” 

“They’re taking him to Black Shadows aren’t they?” you asked. 

“Y/n no. You have to stay away from him. He just killed someone.” But you had to know why Jungsu would do this. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You arrived at Gray Bridge, the spot where White Clouds crosses over to Black Shadows. You took a deep breath before stepping onto the bridge. You had to find Jungsu. 

“You’re really stupid aren’t you? How could you come here?” It was Jungsu's voice. You turned towards his voice and there he was. His once white cloak is now black. 

“You didn’t do it right?” you say. Jungsu scoffs. 

“I did it y/n. What will it take to get that through your skull?” He’s never spoken to you with such a cold tone before.

“You were born with a gray pearl. That’s why you asked me about it that night. You wanted to turn your gray pearl white didnt you? I know you did,” you state. 

“No, I didn’t. I was just fooling you. You were just entertainment to me,” he tells you. His words yank harshly on your heartstrings. 

“No.” You shake your head. “That’s not true, I know it’s not. I trust you Jungsu, so please tell me what this is all about,” you pleaded. 

“You shouldn’t have put your trust in me so much.” His cold words stab your heart. “But trust me when I say this, there are more important things in my life to worry about. You’re definitely not one of them.” Jungsu disappeared right after saying that. 

With that your heart broke. Your sparkling tears cascaded down your face as you clutched your aching heart. You still didn’t want to believe that Jungsu could do this.

part 1 part 3 epilogue!

taglist: @purplelady85 @gingerjunhan @chewednails @ezlynkisses @mon2sunjinsuver @mxlly143

comment or message me to be added!

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Background Events: Persona Experimentation

Unethical experimentation on Persona Users has been happening since the beginning. But how has it evolved until now?

Warning: Some speculation will be involved.

TW: Human Experimentation

The Beginning

We don't have an exact date for when experiments related to Personas and the Collective Unconscious began. Phil and Nyarly's bet had been going for some time by the time IF took place. However, if we had to place a true beginning to the experiments, we would have to go with Stephen and the Demon Summoning Program. Along with Kyouji Kuzunoha, he's the only SMT character who's also canon to Persona. Makes sense, considering his weird transcendent nature. The tale may vary between franchises, but the Persona version goes like this:

By unknown means, Stephen managed to create the Terminal System to travel through computer networks. Since he's in a wheelchair in IF, then this Stephen also managed to connect to the Expanse (located in the Collective Unconscious) with the Terminal System. Since he didn't have a way to communicate with the demon who crossed and no Persona to defend himself, Stephen was was attacked and subsequentaly crippled. All of this had to have happened before 1996 for the timeline to make sense (Side Note: This also tells a lot about Stephen, since the incident had the perfect conditions for an Awakening).

The incident led Stephen to create the Demon Summoning Program, probably for personal use, since there was no upcoming war to prepare to (that Stephen could have known of). For some unknown reason, Stephen chose to upload the only copies of the program in the computers of Karukozaka High School. Was he an alumni? Did Stephen realize teens had more probability of connecting with the Expanse? Were Karu High's computers just that good? Who knows. Only Hazama and Tamaki took the program serious enough to use it, even if it was against each other. But that's a story for another time.

Like St. Hermelin would in a few months, Karu High briefly made the news before the entire incident was forgotten. That is highly suspicious on itself. My assumption is that there truly were some experimentation going on before this, amd they made sure to silence the press and make sure the students didn't snitch. Since Tamaki managed to hide among the student population as another victim (probably with Stephen's help), they never questioned her on her abilities nor disappeared her.

But who are they? Well...

SEBEC

The first formal organization seeking to gain a foothold in the Collective Unconscious was the Japanese branch of SEBEC, leadered by Takahisa Kandori. Their story goes like this:

When Kandori took over as head branch of SEBEC, they began to undertake the creation of a device capable of transporting matter from one place to another. Kind of like a portal. This had the main objective of helping to lower freight costs of imports and exports. Maybe even erasing them entirely. Key contributors were Setsuko Sonomura (an engineering specialist) and Dr. Nicholai (a scientist). Kandori kept the project so under wraps that those involved basically lived in the installations. Together they created the Dimension Variable Accelerator System, or DEVA System. However, they also pulled a Backrooms and accidentally connected to the Collective Unconscious.

It is probably at this point that Kandori awoke to his Persona, which was hijacked by the real Nyarlathotep. And thus, Kandori became a puppet in The Great Bet while believing he was achieving world domination or something like that. "But, Kati," I can hear you saying, "all of that was about the Collective Unconscious. Aside from Kandori, there were no Persona Users working with SEBEC".

Oh? OH? So quickly you forget about him?

Takeda. The man, the myth, the barely remembered NPC. All we know about him is that he is Kandori's right-hand man, the head of security at SEBEC and a Persona User. We don't even know what his Persona is, only that its couldn't handle the combined forces of the St. Hermelin students. His existence does imply something deeper: SEBEC is already employing Persona Users to their cause. They probably didn't know much about the phenomena (understandable, since they had just finished the DEVA System) and didn't have a definitive way of figuring out who could be a User and who couldn't. For all they knew this could be random. And so, a not-so-stellar security guard rose to become the second-hand man of the main antagonist. Just because he had the same power as him.

As we know, Kandori and SEBEC failed. But what was the fate of the staff that worked on the DEVA System? What about the little knowledge of the Collective Unconscious they had?

New World Order

Due to Nyarly's meddling, the NWO was founded in 1979 after they found Kiyotada Sumaru's head. They might have had supernatural advice from an ancient head and the backup of one of the most powerful beings in the Persona Universe, but no real Persona Users. Not one of those people had their shit together. The closest thing they had was Chizuru Ishigami, who was a sorcerer (most probable given true power by the Rumor Curse). When the time was right, we can assume Nyarly guided them to the remnants of Kandori's fuck up. The NWO revived Kandori and began their recruitment of the now-lost scientists and inventors. The NWO gave more freedom to their researchers than SEBEC did, which eventually led to the beginning of true human experimentation.

We don't see the worst of it unless you play Tatsuya's Scenario, where the hints they leave us are enough to call for a second Doctors' Trial.

Yikes. And this was only one known experiment.

Like SEBEC before them, the NWO also fell. But they weren't the only ones running supernatural and unethical experiments in 1999.

Kirijo Group

With the creation of the Dark Hour, demons shadows weren't only a danger of the Collective Unconscious anymore, at least, as far as the Kirijo Group knew. Now those in the know had to watch themselves every night to avoid being attacked by them. They couldn't always rely on the perfected version of the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons. That must have been the moment when they began to hear rumors of supernatural events in Sumaru City, which led them to the crumbling NWO.

As it turns out, the entire Death Incident a couple of months ago left a huge vacancy for their supernatural research division. And these guys seem like they have fresh ideas that might just solve their self-created problem! A secret scramble must have taken place where the Nanjo and Kirijo Groups tried to covet all the info and personnel that had anything to do with the NWO. Those who weren't important enough to know the truth behind Kiyotada Sumaru's head and their self-proclaimed high-class greatness could have become the precursors of the Conspiracy.

And so, the Kirijo Group now had better scientists, inventors and researchers than before, and more willing to dab on unethical territory. With the need for defense, the former NWO scientists must have suggested they try to create their own Persona Users, like the ones who kept barging into their labs back in Sumaru. Thing is, no one there knew how a Persona User came to be. They did seem to have the power to control a shadow to do their bidding... maybe all they had to do was link (whatever that meant) a human with a shadow. The survivors of these experiments would become bodyguards for the Kirijo Group's excursions to Tartarus. No one would last long, though.

Skip a couple of years and the unexpected happened:

A natural Persona Awakening.

Note was taken of the factors that had to do with the event: the User was a child and she had been in a highly stressful situation. This is how the Kirijo Group rounded up the 100 children they would experiment on to create Artificial Persona Users. All of them dying except for three: Takaya Sakaki, Jin Shirato and Chidori Yoshino (and Sho Minazuki). This violation to the Nuremberg Code probably fell to the side when Mitsuru found and recruited two natural Persona Users on her own. Nothing like flushing dozens of children's lives down the toilet.

We must remember that the Kirijo Group didn't know everything about Personas, and so believed that the stressful situation with a dash of fear of death was necessary every time the User wanted fo summon their Persona. And so Evokers were created. Better not think of the trial and error that led to those inventions. Nor the one that helped create Persona Suppressants.

Who cares if three failed lab rats ran away? Now the Kirijo Group had true Persona Users with them.

A lot happened after that, but that is a story for another day. What about the hypothetical precursors to the Conspiracy formed from the high-profile members of the NWO? The ones that fell through the cracks during the power vacuum?

The Antisocial Force

For once, this wasn't Nyarly's fault. The basic rich bitches would have remained basic rich bitches if it wasn't for Yaldabaoth. The creation of the Shadow Operatives and the less restrictive hold on Kirijo Group employees probably made all that Persona and Collective Unconscious experimentation more of an open secret in the science community. And like hypnosis, this is one secret that most didn't believe until they witnessed it themselves. Not all were skepticals, and those interested were recruited by Masayoshi Shido for the creation of the Antisocial Force.

They would be the new oppressive entity in this area, suppressing information and giving stitches to snitches. This wouldn't stop "Cognitice Psience" from becoming an increasingly popular field. Who knows what kind of experiments happened in and out of the Antisocial Force. They couldn't have been the only ones.

If there is one thing the new Kirijo Group managed to contain, was the knowledge of the creation of Persona Users. The Antisocial Force didn't even have the research from the original NWO scientists that would help them create Artificial Users. Yaldy had to put an already-Awakened Goro Akechi in Shido's path for them to have a User. And even with an actual User, they couldn't replicate the circumstances that could have helped create more. I doubt Akechi was very helpful with that, though. Can't have any potential substitutes for his job.

Nah, the Antisocial Force's forte would never be Persona Users, but rather humanity's cognition.

So, what was the order of events?

Stephen created the Terminal System and began working on the Demon Summoning Program.

SEBEC began working on the DEVA System.

Stephen completed the Demon Summoning Program.

SEBEC finished the DEVA System and, after Kandori's Awakening, began to recruit Persona Users (at least one other than Kandori).

After SEBEC's fall, the New World Order recruited the staff that worked in the DEVA System.

The NWO began to experiment with demons and humans.

The Kirijo Group hired all the scientists and inventors from the NWO.

The Kirijo Group began to create Artificial Persona Users.

After Mitsuru's Awakening, the Kirijo Group focused on children experimentation.

The Antisocial Force began to recruit experts in cognitive psience for personal experiments.

[mushies-stories]

My floral love- The invitation

Tommy Shelby X FReader

(part 1) part 2

Summary: Reader is one of Tommy's collogues daughters and after the ball Tommy came to ask the reader to be his date to an event he is hosting. (also there's an old dude getting flowers for his wife, and it was cute to me so i wrote it and let me have my adorable old dude getting flowers for his wife.)

Warning: none, fluff?

word count: 1799

Two days had passed since the ball and since your unexpected interaction with Tommy Shelby. You focused on your work, creating vases of beautiful arrangements for a wedding being held at the church down the street. You had a whole load of work to get done and the wedding was tomorrow. You worked all morning, only stopping to eat a sandwich and when someone would come in looking for a small arrangement for their girlfriends or wives. 

You always thought it interesting seeing what man looked happy and in love while looking for the perfect flowers while others looked ashamed and guilty and let you do whatever you thought best. You preferred to deal with the men in love, the care they showed in color and even types of flowers to use was heartwarming and always gave you a little hope in men.

It was a little past three when you heard the bell ring as the front door slowly creaked open. An old man leaning heavily to one side on a cane made his way into the shop, a small smile on his wrinkled cheeks as he looked around at the decor and hanging flower garlands you had been working on for the wedding. 

Coming out from the backroom you smiled at the man as you came to approach him. “Welcome in, what can I do for you sir?”

He stood about your height with a hunch in his back and his smile was sweet. “Something for my wife, today is our 50th anniversary. I can't make it too far but lucky for me there is a jeweler a block away and your shop looked so nice I thought someone here could make something to go with this necklace.” he said, holding out a box and pulling back the top. 

You gasped at the sight of the pearls and beautiful beautiful blue gem surrounded by a stunning gold and diamond rim. “It's gorgeous sir, she will love it.” you beamed at him with an excited smile. “And blue isn't something I get to work with too often so I'm happy you chose to stop by my shop.” you stood back and stretched your hand out for him to then grab and shake as you introduced yourself. “I am Y/N Y/L/N and this is my shop. I would be glad if you let me help you make something for your wife today.” 

The man nodded with excitement. “Wonderful! Blue watches her eyes and she's always loved pearls.” he said as you ushered to the couch you had by the window.

“Now I'll get you some tea and then we can see what I can do, alright?” you said cheerfully.

You showed him a few options of flowers that matched well and different kinds of fillers and soon you were in the back putting it all together. Just as you were about to wrap it all up you heard the bell to the front chim again. You stepped to the side to look around the corner to see who it was. 

Tommy Shelby stood in the middle of the room. He was looking around and when his eyes met yours he smiled and nodded at you. “Afternoon miss Y/N.” he greeted. 

You smiled shyly. “Afternoon Mr.Shelby. I’ll be done in just a moment, could you wait?” you asked. He nodded again and strode over to the chair across from the old man who had been reading from an old book on the couch, contently waiting.

You decided to bind the wrapping with a golden ribbon and looked at your creation. Blue was such a beautiful flower choice. You smiled to yourself and brought it to the man. “How does this look?” you asked, holding the bouquet out for him to inspect. 

Instantly a wide smile spread across his face, gold tooth shining in the sunlight. “Wonderful dear, thank you so much!” he praised and stood, taking the bundle from you. He brought the flowers and the necklace up to hold against the light. “Perfect.”

The man paid you and thanked you again on his way out, promising to come back and tell you what she thought of the gift. You smile and wave goodbye, wishing him luck and watching as he disappears into the bustling street.

“That was beautiful work.” Tommy said, coming up behind you.

You turn and smile softly. “Thank you, it was for his 50th anniversary with his wife.” you said, not really sure why you felt like telling him. Maybe because you thought old men in love and still going out of their way for their loved one is the cutest thing in the world and you just had to gush over it. “Anyway, may I get you some tea Mr.Shelby?” you asked.

“Call my Tommy, love.” he said then nodded to the couch, asking you to sit. You follow behind him and take the spot next to him on the couch. “Only got a bit, just came here to ask you something.” he said.

You tilted your head to the side. “What is it?”

“Would you accompany me to a charity event I am hosting this weekend?” he asked. 

You were surprised by the invitation, thinking you hadn’t given the best first impression and figured he had only been so gentlemanly because of his brother's mistake. “A charity event?” you looked at him skeptically. “I'm really not one for events Mr.S- Tommy.” you corrected yourself. “My father basically has to drag me to them, and I've never been very graceful when I am at such events, even trying to keep to myself.” you both chuckled at the last part, if the events of your first encounter didn't further that truth nothing could.

Tommy’s eyes scanned your face a moment before speaking. “It won't be like the big balls and parties, really much smaller and it's for an orphanage.” Tommy noted. “You’ll be with me so you won't have to worry about your father.” he added with a small grin.

You looked down at your hands that rested in your lap and thought it all over. You were easily flustered by Tommy and knew it would be easy to fall for him completely but… why you? You who made a fool of herself in front of so many people and who stumbles over words and gets so shy she can't maintain eye contact. “Why ask me?” you muttered. 

“Because you caught my attention.” he spoke simply. You turned to look back at him skeptically, not understanding what exactly that ment. He smiled gently and brought one arm to rest along the back of the couch. “At first you just so happen to be the most stunning woman in the room, but I realized while I was driving you home that I wanted to know who you were.” He confessed, his eyes never breaking from your own. 

“Oh it has nothing to do with making a fool of myself and you feel bad?” you joked. 

He chuckled and shook his head. “Not at all, that was all Arthur. Ruined a fine dress in the process too.” he looked at you, his eyes looked sincere. “I want to take you because I want to know more, and seeing you in another lovely dress is even better.” he admitted. 

You nodded slowly after a moment, processing his words. “Okay.” you spoke softly. 

Tommy’s smile widened a fraction. “yeah?” he asked.

You nodded again and smiled. “Yes, I'll go.” you confirmed.

“Fantastic.” he said, standing and you followed his movement. “I’ll pick you up at seven, it's not far.” he said. 

“Seven, got it.” you confirmed. 

“Well then, have a wonderful night love.” he said, taking your hand and pressing his lips to your knuckles, your face heated at the action.

You smiled shyly. “You as well Tommy.” you said softly.

He was gone a moment later, leaving you standing in the middle of your shop in amazement. He was interested in you, even after you deliberately avoided him. All because the fate of his drunken brother no less. 

—

You looked at yourself in the mirror, adding the final touches to your makeup. Smiling when you felt you added enough rosy blush to your cheeks. 

The doorbell chimed and your head snapped to the clock  that hung on the wall by your bedroom door , 6:40pm. Standing from your vanity you walked through the small living space to the door. You opened the door to find Tommy. He looked as well put together as the night of the ball, only a little more casual for the smaller event. “Evening love.” he greeted with a smile. 

You returned the gesture and opened the door wider for him to step inside. “Evening, would you like to come inside?” you offered. “I'll be ready in just a moment.” you added. 

Nodding, he stepped inside and smiled to himself when he looked around the space. Flowers in vases and hanging out to dry on the ceiling and some decorating your walls. You closed the door and turned to face him as he was turning back to look at you with a warm smile. “You look wonderful.” He said, looking you up and down slowly before meeting your eyes again. 

The way his eyes raked over your body like that sent a tingle up your spine. “Thank you.” you said, trying to sound as calm as possible while butterflies start to flutter in your belly. “Just need to grab my bag then I’ll be ready.” You said, walking past him and into your bedroom.

“Take your time, I didn't mean to be so early.” he said, acknowledging the extra fifteen minutes you would have had.

You took a moment to take a deep breath. You hadn’t been on a date in a while, let alone one with someone so like Thomas Shelby at an event he was hosting. It was a little nerve racking to say the least really. 

When you emerged from your room you saw Tommy leaned over the small coffee table in front of the couch. He was flipping through the water color paintings you had done on paper recently. “Quit the artist.” He said. 

You laughed softly, nervously. “Just nature really, nothing special.” you stated, waving off the compliment. 

Tommy stood straight and turned to face you with a kind smile. “They're amazingly done.” He said firmly. In a moment he was striding over to you, stopping a foot away as he looked into your eyes. “Now, are you ready?” he held his hand out with the same gentle smile. 

You nod and slide your hand into his, letting him lead you out the door and down the steps to his shiny black Bentley.

Tags! @globetrotter28

[yuurei20]

Jack Info Compilation part 21: Unique Magic and the Main Story

Jack’s unique magic is revealed in Book 2 when he uses it to save Ruggie from Leona, with the rule-skirting Leona calling the rule-abiding Jack out for using a forbidden transformation potion, though he isn't.

When asked what it is like to turn into a wolf Jack says his mind stays the same (he is still capable of human speech) and some of his senses get heightened, with the biggest change being to his sense of smell, which becomes much sharper.

Jack says that he has to be careful when he transforms, as he can get dizzy when he is near a strong scent and “Synthetic fragrances like cologne really mess me up.”

Jack says that running feels a lot better when he is in his wolf form, he can run 60 to 70 kilometers per hour and “pull off jumps over 10 meters high.” Jack days that being in wolf form is a constant drain on his magic reserves, so he has to be careful when transformed.

Jack’s wish in the Wish Upon a Star event is “to run faster than a sleigh pulled by a reindeer,” and he talks about challenging a reindeer in his hometown to a race, which he lost.

This combined with a reference to snowy mountains that have “sleds falling down ‘em” is probably the reasoning behind the theory that Jack was based on the wolves in the first Frozen movie.

Book 2 begins with Deuce, Ace and the others offering to protect Jack from recent attacks on Spelldrive players.

On EN Jack says “Go on” during their explanation, but his original dialogue was closer to “What does that have to do with me?"

(Jack will sometimes have his dialogue made nicer for EN, like a line where he says “I don’t recall ever making friends with you” that was removed. But this seems to be inconsistent, as his line about not wanting to be friends and only looking out for himself was unchanged.)

Jack refuses an invitation to help catch the perpetrator of the attacks and that night we see him eavesdropping on Leona and Ruggie’s conversation about who Ruggie’s next target should be.

Leona outlines the motivation behind the attacks, and in a line that was changed for EN he asks Jack if he is trying to ruin his upperclassman’s futures (the EN line was made into Leona accusing Jack of having “some moral superiority complex.”)

Though Leona’s line was rewritten for EN, Ace’s line making the same connection (“…the Spelldrive tournament could make or break their careers”) was left unchanged.

Jack joins forces with Deuce, Ace, the prefect, Grim, Cater and Riddle to catch Ruggie in the act, disapproving of Ace’s attitude when he says he cannot imagine anyone winning against Malleus.

Jack announces that he intends to take Diasomnia down “by givin’ it everything I got.”

Jack is a reluctant participant in Book 3, not wanting to “side with the slime ball offering shady backroom deals OR the guys who chose to let others do their work for them,” and the prefect does not follow his advice when Azul offers contract with them.

[horizon-verizon]

I never cared about Alicent and her children in the slightest but Larys Strong has always been an enigma to me. You never really know who he’s actually working for, what backroom deals he might have going, what he really knows and what he really wants. His belief in the cause or lack thereof is never entirely clear. He also was likely one who leaked major information about the Greens’ operations to the Blacks, or if he wasn’t then he certainly had the skills and resources to find out who it was and put a stop to it but chose not to.

Larys did what Varys didn’t. That is to say, Larys successfully smuggled not one but two Targaryen children out of King’s Landing while the city was under imminent attack from outside forces, in this case Rhaenyra and her dragons. The excuses about Varys not being “able” to save Rhaenys, just Aegon, kind of go into the crapper when you read that Larys smuggled out both Jaehaera and Maelor, not even having to bother with swaps/doubles. This historical anecdote did a lot to solidify my suspicion that there was no baby swap at all and Aegon is really dead, because if Larys could get Jaehaera and Maelor out, Varys, if he’s all he’s cracked up to be, should have been able to do the same with both Aegon and Rhaenys. So either Varys didn’t do it, or he was unable to do it, and if he was unable to do it, then Larys wins that round.

Larys also smuggled out Aegon II and hid him on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s own seat. Rhaenyra had no idea he was there until she went back to Dragonstone and found he’d taken it over. That’s no mean feat either, and Larys’ risk paid off. He became the only sane man left by the end of the Dance, frequently having to remind Aegon II and Alicent that they needed Corlys Velaryon and his House on their side, and they couldn’t afford to petulantly execute Corlys every time he criticised them when the Greens needed every ally they could get against enemies they couldn’t negotiate with like Cregan Stark. He later helped Corlys Velaryon poison Aegon II when he wouldn’t surrender, either that or stood by while it happened, but had the stones to accept execution over exile to the Night’s Watch, merely asking that Cregan Stark cut off his clubfoot after his execution, so it wouldn’t impede him in the afterlife, and taking all his secrets with him. Despite how Aegon II and his family turned out, I think it’s realistic to say that without Larys, the Greens would have lost the war.

HOTD turning such an opaque and inscrutable character into “creepy pervert with a clubfoot jerks off to the queen’s feet” is a massive downgrade. There is no obvious rationale to include it on the show other than ableism, shock value and degradation. There’s no justification for it on canonical grounds. They had already overplayed the creepiness earlier on with Larys randomly and inappropriately leering at Alicent; the foot thing shot the “what the fuck?” aspect to the moon. One of the annoying things about Littlefinger on GOT was that he was so obviously creepy in a way he’d never get away with in the books. Larys is like that, on steroids.

HOTD turning such an opaque and inscrutable character into “creepy pervert with a clubfoot jerks off to the queen’s feet” is a massive downgrade. There is no obvious rationale to include it on the show other than ableism, shock value and degradation.

Agreed. I personally think that he leaned green but was open to going black if it seemed to serve him.

As for the Varys comparison, that's interesting and I haven't pondered over this before. I have to see if Varys ever gave a real reason for why he somehow couldn't get Rhaenys out. When I 1st read it, I remember feeling that he wasn't being totally honest and that she wasn't taken bc she was a girl.

[fablesrose]

Ch 14 - The Bottle Job

Series Rewrite Masterlist 

Pairing: Eliot Spencer x Ford!Reader

Description: A quick job on a time limit to save McRory's pub from an Irish loan shark.

Words: 4256

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat at the bar at McRory’s, watching the crowd celebrate and honor the pub’s former owner, Mr. McRory himself. His passing would spark sorrow and mourning, but many in this neighborhood chose to line that sorrow with joy, remembering his life, with a drink, of course. Nate invited the rest of the crew over to share in the solemn festivities, and I watched as Nate walked them through the pub, explaining some of the history and context surrounding the celebration and the pub itself. 

He finally meandered over to where I was sitting, “This was my father’s office, right here.” He gestured to the spot next to me, “He held court there, on that stool, and… I grew up in this place.”

“It must have been an interesting education,” Hardison commented. 

I recalled some of the stories Nate told me about Grandad Jimmy, they were morally questionable at times, but interesting for sure. 

“Yup, better than prep school,” Nate said. 

Eliot turned his attention to me, “Did you grow up here too?”

I shrugged, “I mean, everyone here was certainly family, but it was nothing like Nate. And, you know, times change.”

Eliot nodded. 

“What kind of crook was your dad?” Parker asked bluntly. 

I laughed before I could stop myself while Hardison tried to correct her on social etiquette. 

But that didn’t stop Nate from answering, “He… ran numbers.”

“Let me get this straight,” Eliot said. “You stopped stealing, you stopped drinking, and you moved upstairs from a thief bar?”

“He did,” Parker answered, “I get that. You don’t get that? Why does nobody get that?”

“The thing about it is that, now, it’s just a neighborhood bar,” Nate said, ignoring Parker, “but I mean, back in the day, you never knew who you were drinking next to. You know, the mob on one side, the law on the other.”

“Times have changed,” Hardison said, mirroring my earlier statement. 

“Well, you know, not that much,” Nate commented, and pointed towards a girl behind the bar,  “Cora, I remember the day she was born, she grew up here too. She turned out alright, huh Cora?”

She seemed stressed and nearly distraught as she grabbed money from the register and dashed towards the backrooms, not answering Nate. 

“Ooh,” Eliot commented, a little excited, “Redheads burn the hottest, don’t they?”

Nate gave him a subtle glare, “Easy, she’s like my niece.”

“It’s not like your daughter though,” he replied cautiously. “Besides, you already have a niece.”

I looked at him, slightly annoyed, “You really don’t know how families work, do you Eliot?”

“The point is, she’s like my niece,” Nate repeated, “and I don’t want you to like my niece.”

“Yeah, you’ve made that abundantly clear.”

They continued to argue a bit, but I watched Cora as she confronted a man, shoving the bundle of money she had into his chest. 

“Guys,” I said softly from between them, nodding to what was going on in the back of the pub. They quieted down and watched as one of the men counted the money and Cora dashed out of the pub, clearly crying and without a coat despite the snow outside. I looked at Nate and he gave me a nod. I stood to go after her when he stopped me for a moment. 

“Bring her up to your place, okay?”

“Yeah, meet you there. If you don’t have the key, Parker can get you in.”

Cora has always been a straight shooter, standing up for what was right, but not afraid of getting her hands dirty. Something must be seriously wrong for her to be this upset. It’s understandable since both her parents have passed, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so distressed. Luckily, she didn’t run too far, just standing at the front corner of the building as she cried, trying to compose herself. I instantly saw her shivering in the cold, so I went up and hugged her, both for comfort and warmth. 

“Hey,” I soothed, “I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s head up to my apartment, me and Nate are going to try and fix it okay?”

I felt her nod into my shoulder, so I guided her towards the stairs. Cora would sometimes come up to my apartment if either of us were stressed, or just needed some girl time. I tried to keep her out of the con stuff as much as possible, because though she knew the lay of the land, especially growing up in the pub, she didn’t want to be too involved with it. Still, we had some fun evenings on my living room couch which is why I think Nate wanted me to bring her there. Somewhere comfortable for her. 

Once we got up to my apartment, I sat her down and she explained the situation to me and Nate. The others stood back, but listened. She explained that the man she was giving money to was an Irish guy named Mark Doyle. He told her that her dad took out a loan from him about a year ago. She didn’t think it was true, but with her mom diagnosed with cancer at the time, he needed help with bills, though her dad told her he had it under control.

“I could have stopped this!” She cried. 

“No, no, no, listen,” Nate comforted, “This guy, Doyle, he’s a loan shark. I don’t think you could have helped, but maybe we can.” 

“No, he wants fifteen thousand in the next two hours, Nate, or he’s taking the bar” she emphasized. “I can’t get that kind of money. In two hours!?”

“It's okay,” Nate assured, “Why don’t you go back downstairs and tend to the guests and everything. We’ll try to figure something out here.”

She agreed and thanked us. She gave me one last hug before leaving. 

“We are going to figure this out, okay? Maybe I’ll be able to come down and help at the bar too. We’ve got you,” I reassured before letting go. 

Once she was out of my apartment Parker asked, “Why don’t we just send her to the police? I mean, I don’t use them, but this is what they're for, right?”

“No, if Cora says to the police that she owes Doyle money,” Nate explained, “Doyle denies it, six months later he comes and burns down the bar. And that’s assuming that he doesn’t have a couple of local police on the arm.”

“That’s what sucks about the credit crunch,” Hardison said. “Honest people can’t get loans, sharks move in. Twelve points on the interest every month, there’s no way to get out from under that.” 

“I don’t care,” Eliot said. “You don’t collect debts at a wake. You just don’t do it.” He paused, “Want me to go downstairs? Break this guy's knees?”

“Kinda,” I commented. Anyone who messes with family, with someone like Cora, didn’t deserve to walk with a pep in their step, in my book at least. Or in this case, walk at all. 

Eliot stood at my word, ready to follow through, but Nate stopped him. 

“No, we need some reconnaissance. Like, you know, why is this Irish loan shark here, and what is this two hour time table?” He asked thoughtfully. “Why don’t you call Tara, tell her we have a job.”

Eliot groaned as Parker went to do so. 

I put my hair up and out of the way, ready to work, “I’m going to go help Cora out at the bar while we wait for her.” I grabbed my earbud and slid it into place, “Let me know if you need anything, or any updates.” 

The others put in their own earbuds as I walked out the door. 

“You know how to work at a bar?” Hardison asked me through comms as I made my way down the stairs. 

“Yeah, I went to school out here and worked here in the pub. I would occasionally pick up shifts for Cora and her dad while I was freelancing too,” I responded. I got down to the bar and I started pouring and running drinks once I told Cora I was there to help out. 

I noticed Tara arrived, and Nate gave her some quick instructions on who the target was and that she needed to get information from him. She quickly adjusted her outfit and came over to order a drink. I poured it for her and she instantly got Doyles attention. 

So the game begins. 

Parker swiped his passport and Hardison ran it to find that Doyle was completely off-grid financial-wise. His dad, however, was found to run the family loan shark business and used to kill people for the IRA, aka the terrorist organization, the Irish Republican Army. Overall, a scary family. 

Tara found out that Doyle convinced his dad to expand the business to Boston. After Hardison found that he was leaving town that night, which explained the deadline, Tara pulled out of him that he had a so-called performance review, which explained why he needed the cash. He needed to repay his dad for the investment and prove that his branch was profitable. 

Tara slipped away to talk strategy with everyone else and I poured Doyle a couple drinks upon his request. I listened to the others discuss what to do. We couldn’t just steal the note that held the McRory contract, that could cause more problems. The question was, could we con him in two hours. 

Nate asked everyone for cash, Tara to set the hook, and Eliot to check what sports games were on. Well, it seemed like he already had a plan. Parker caught on to the con Nate wanted to run, she called it ‘the wire.’ The others argued that it wasn’t possible to pull off in the time we had, but Nate was insistent that it would work. 

I glanced at Doyle who was tapping his hand against the bar absentmindedly as he kept looking back at where the bathrooms were. “Whatever you guys decide to do, make it quick please, Doyle is getting a little antsy. At least send Tara back down.”

Everyone finally agreed, though not confidently, and Tara came down to entertain Doyle some more. Nate gave me a quick rundown of the plan, Hardison would delay the sports feed in the bar and give Nate live updates on what was going on. Nate would make a betting game with Doyle, and hopefully con him into giving us the bar. In order for this to work though, Nate needed some cash to bet with. 

“Look man,” Hardison said, “it is nine pm on a Friday night. All the banks are closed.”

“ATMs,” Parker suggested. 

“Daily withdrawal limit,” Hardison rebuffed. 

“Oh my gosh, how much cash do you need?” I asked. I’ve only reached that limit a couple of times, but it's usually a decent chunk of change to get there.

Nobody answered me. Hardison rattled off what he could do with electronic financials, but that physical cash was a whole different story. Hardison eventually said that they needed to use their emergency fund. I heard scrambling around until they said they had it. I didn’t know where Parker or Eliot’s stash was, but apparently Hardison’s was inside the ‘Old Nate’ painting that he brought all the way from LA.

Eliot came downstairs with bundles of cash and handed it to Nate. 

“That’s a little over nine grand. Is that enough?” He asked.

I tried not to show it in my face my reaction to just handing over that much cash as I served another customer. 

“I don’t need enough to win, just enough to lose. It's perfect,” Nate replied. 

I scoffed as I turned away from the guests to grab a bottle of liquor, “My mindset about money has clearly not shifted yet to cope with how much money is involved in this job.”

Nate scared Tara off by playing a slimy ex boyfriend, catching Doyle’s attention. He then established himself as a local bookie, taking on the role Grandad Jimmy had, sitting in his spot no less. Doyle suggested betting on the basketball game, and Nate made sure to lose the first few bets. It continued like this for a while until Doyle noticed that Nate hadn't been drinking with him.

“What, you too good to drink with me?” Doyle asked in his thick Irish accent.

Nate tried to deny it, but he wouldn’t have it. 

“I’m not bettin’ again if you have the advantage over me, Jimmy boy.”

At that moment, it seemed that everything in the pub slowed down. I made eye contact with Eliot before turning my gaze to Nate. He had been doing so well since coming out to Boston; hadn’t had a drop. But as he lifted his gaze, giving Doyle and himself excuses as to why he should drink, he looked at me and then shifted over to Cora. I knew that he felt he had to do it. As much as he loved me and the team, he couldn’t give up on a con once he’s started, let alone one so personal.

I looked away before he took that first sip, but we all knew that he took it. 

“So this is…” Tara said after a significant length of the silence. 

“Not good,” Hardison finished. 

I distracted myself from Nate’s breaking of sobriety with what Hardison and Tara were working on. Hardison seemed to think that he could triangulate the location of Doyle’s office with the help of his goons’ phones which Parker swiped along with Doyle’s ledger. Tara was decoding that, determining just how big of a problem this guy was. 

“You know how to read that?” Parker asked her.

“Yeah, I trained in cryptog–” she stopped, “nevermind.”

“Cryptography?” I asked, “You might have to teach me something, that sounds interesting.”

“Look at you, busy bee,” she commented, clearly still focused on the ledger. 

“Well, you know,” I said as I picked up some empty glasses from tables, “I like to learn. I’m trying to pick stuff up from everybody so I’m not too much of a burden. I think all that’s left now is for Eliot to teach me how to knock out Hardison.”

“That can be arranged,” Eliot replied, humorously making eye contact with me behind the goons’ back as he entertained them with darts. 

“Hey now,” Hardison cut in, clearly offended, between giving Nate cues. 

It was coming to the end of the basketball game when Hardison told us that Doyle was much more ingrained into the neighborhood than we thought. He also gave Nate the final bet of the game. 

Nate had won back all and more of the cash, strategically to the point where the two of them did an all in bet for the last few seconds of the game. Nate had his ten thousand and baited Doyle to offer up the note for the bar. Nate waited long enough to place the bet that the rest of us were sweating. 

Finally, he placed it and won back the pub.

We all heaved a sigh of relief, with Hardison cheering in my ear. I watched as Doyle and Nate shook hands, and the former stood to go join his goons. I looked at Cora and smiled, which she caught. I nodded at her, trying to show her that we had it figured out, that we fixed it. Cora smiled back at me, seemingly more relaxed as she continued to serve drinks. 

“We got lucky on that one,” Eliot said, meeting up with Nate and Parker as he walked towards the back of the bar. 

“We’re not letting him go,” Nate said. 

“But we saved the bar,” Parker reminded him. 

“We’re not letting him go,” he repeated, “the night’s just getting started.” 

I set down the dirty glasses I was gathering and followed them. Nate explained to us how if Doyle goes back to his dad with all that cash, they were going to expand with more money and muscle to the point where the Doyle’s were going to be on every corner with no way to remove them. 

“How can you be sure?” Eliot asked. 

“Because that’s what my father did,” Nate said simply. “I know this guy, know what he’s about. Right now, right here, this is the time to put a spike in him, for good. It’s our only shot.”

“Nate? Do you have another con up your sleeve?” Hardison asked. 

He stuttered around yeses and nos, “This one’s maybe a little bit more, well, impossible.”

“Lovely,” I said.

He told Tara to stall Doyle and I went to help if I could. Nate pulled Eliot and Parker into the storage room to explain the rough gameplan. We were going to pull Doyle into a high stakes poker game, hopefully be able to snag Doyle’s money and have him leave with all his money on the table. That was, if Hardison could find Doyle’s office and grab all of his other cash, and we somehow make a high stakes poker game when we neither had high stakes or a poker game. 

I cleaned up the bar before Tara came walking in again, immediately catching Doyle’s attention. She made an excuse about him not being able to leave due to the weather, and he suggested they check the weather on the news. 

I heard Hardison scramble to put together something to spoof the weather channel before they could get the TV up and running. Tara asked me for the remote since I had taken it from off the bar when I was cleaning. I made a show of looking around, stalling to give Hardison some time, before I ‘found’ it and handed it to Tara. She then was able to extend the time even further by having the remote ‘not work’ and ‘need batteries.’ 

I had walked off by then so they couldn’t ask me for some more. When Doyle finally fiddled with it enough before trying it again, I was pleasantly surprised to see Hardison on the screen giving a bogus weather forecast, grounding any flights that Doyle planned to catch. 

“The next time y’all call me,” Hardison said once the TV was turned off, “it better be for something easy, like faking a moon landing!”

I laughed while Nate walked past me with Cora to the backroom where a much smaller staked poker game than what we needed was going on. Nate explained what the plan was to Cora so she could introduce him to the poker game. Nate, with the help of Cora, was able to convince the men to play along in his little act and let him and Doyle join. 

Meanwhile, Tara was using some sort of reverse psychology on Doyle to get him to want into the game and cheat Nate out of his money. Though, I don’t think that last desire was all that hard to instill. 

Once they began playing, there wasn’t much for me to pay attention to since Nate’s plan was similar to the first betting game he had with Doyle. Lose slowly, then, once Eliot and Parker were able to grab Doyle’s cash from their warehouse, play with Doyle’s own money until Doyle left every penny on the table, running home to daddy with nothing. Since we hadn’t gotten to that point yet, I focused on the bar, serving drinks, and cleaning up. It brought me back to my college days a little bit. I still worried, but the topic of that worry was much different, and seemed so small now. 

I tuned out all the commotion that was going on between the poker game and Parker and Eliot breaking into a safe until Parker walked into the pub with the cash. It didn’t take long at all for Doyle to notice that it was his money that Nate was trying to play with. I heard a click that suspiciously sounded like a gun being cocked.

“Hey, Doyle, what are you getting so upset for, we’re just playing a little game here,” Nate said quickly. 

“I know exactly what game you’re playing,” Doyle said, “You’re all playing it together, with my money. This is my mark. I’ve just spent the last year running the only bank that would lend to any plank and neddy in this hole. And I mark every damn dollar I collected like so.”

“Did we know he did that?” I asked the group. 

I got a few noncommittal muttered responses that I concluded was a no. 

“So you’re a loan shark,” one of the other poker players said, Micky I think. 

“Aye, I’m a loan shark. And these are my teeth, no one cheats a Doyle.”

“Do you need someone in there Nate?” I asked, it sounded like it was getting nasty in there. I’m sure Eliot could go in there and kick his ass, but I also knew that Cora and her dad kept at least a shotgun behind the bar, just in case. 

“Woah woah woah,” Nate said, “I’d put that thing down unless you wanna get killed. You don’t know who these guys are.” 

I took the response as he had it under control, but I didn’t go back to serving, I tucked myself in a corner, closer to the back so I could pay better attention. 

“I know exactly who they are,” Doyle yelled, “a bunch of local thicks you recruited for this little game of yours! Well, game’s over boys. Start handing over your money.”

“I’d put that gun down, if I were you,” Mickey said.

“What? This another prop for your wee game?”

“Yeah, and this is a prop I got from the Boston Police Department,” he responded with a gun cocking click of his own. “Point that gun at me again, and I’ll be calling my friend at the coroner’s office.”

“Yeah, sounds like you have it under control,” I said with a slightly amused huff. 

The other poker players were introduced as other high ranking members of the force and recalled the crimes Doyle confessed to when he thought they were local crime bosses. He gave them a couple breaks in some organized crime cases. 

“Fair enough,” he said. “How’s about I walk away with what’s mine, you walk away with what’s yours. And for your understanding, I’ll make a little contribution to your retirement funds?”

Before the cops could respond, I heard a shuffle that sounded like someone being slammed onto the table. If I had a guess, it was Doyle hitting the table. 

“Alright, now listen to me, this is what you’re gonna do,” Nate said in a scarily steady and determined voice, but it had a quality to it that only really came out when he was drunk and upset. “You’re gonna leave this bar, you’re gonna get out of town, and you’re going to go home to daddy and tell him that your business went bust. Or I will call him and tell him that you gambled away all his profits to a room full of cops. You will never step foot in this town again or they will throw your ass in jail. Understood?” There was a pause where Doyle didn’t object. “Yeah, and one more thing.”

There was a sickening crack and Doyle screaming in pain. A moment later Doyle was rushing out of the room and out of the bar in a way I could only describe as his tail between his legs. His goons weren’t very far behind him, trying to catch up. 

I peeked my head into the room right as Mickey told Nate, “You’re exactly like your father.”

“Everything okay in here?” I asked, feigning naivety as to what happened before. 

Nate sighed, “Yes, we’re all fine, birdie.”

Tara started gathering all the cash that sat on the table, “So I guess this is all evidence, huh? It’ll never make it back to the people it belongs to.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mickey said deliberately after a thoughtful moment. “I’ve been at the movies all night long.”

“Me and Johnny had tickets to the game today,” the one to the right of Mickey said as they all gathered their coats. 

“Great game,” Johnny said with a joyful thumbs up as he followed the other two out the back door. 

Tara handed Nate the ledger so we could sort out who and how much. It took another couple of hours to get all of that sorted out, but we were able to get everyone’s money returned to them. 

“I can’t believe you actually pulled this off in two hours,” Tara said as I approached the table where she, Eliot, and Nate were sitting. 

“Hour and a half,” Nate corrected and said to Eliot, “Softening.”

“Definitely softening,” he replied. 

“Everything squared away,” Nate asked Hardison, Parker, and I. 

“Yup,” Hardison confirmed, “Every last dollar.”

“Every last one,” Parker repeated, much more reluctantly. 

Cora came over with a tray of shots on the house as a thank you. Nate declined, saying that he wanted to go to bed. Hardison quickly vetoed that idea, insisting that Nate stayed there while he went to clean up his apartment. He asked for our help to clean up but everyone declined, leaving the pub quickly to avoid it. 

I decided to have pity on him and yawned, “Fine, Hardison, I’ll help, but you’ve only got me for half an hour and then I’m gonna crash.”

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