#i have a problem with lengthy starters

[whatsinmypen]

Starter Fountain Pens 

(that aren’t the Pilot Metro or Lamy Safari) 

(So you never have to ask me for recs again)

New to fountain pens? Long-time enthusiast? No matter, you’re probably sick of hearing about the Lamy Safari and the Pilot Metropolitan (or Pilot MR in certain markets) and their respective merits as beginner fountain pens. It feels like every other day someone asks for suggestions for their first fountain pen, and inevitably the recommendations for either of those two come flooding in.  

It’s not without reason. I’m guilty too—the Lamy Safari is still one of my favourite pens of all time (and I will still recommend it), and the Metropolitan is just about the safest bet you can make on a fountain pen when you’re just getting started.  

That being said, there are a ton of other pens out there, and I feel like newbies sometimes miss out on pens they might like better. So, to help further our collective horizons, here are 22 OTHER fountain pens for absolute beginners.  With links!

All under $30.  

1. Pilot Varsity ($3.30 or $21.25 for assorted 7-pack)

Afraid of commitment? Looking to dip your toes before diving in? No problem--just try out a disposable fountain pen! For a pen designed to be disposable, the Pilot Varsity writes pretty well and comes in 7 fun colours. Just mind the paper you're using--it can bleed through pretty easily, as it is one-size nib only (and that size is medium).

2. Platinum Preppy ($6.00)

Not quite as "disposable" as the Pilot Varsity, the Preppy has a few advantages: multiple nib sizes (though they're all pretty fine), a wide assortment of colours, and can even take a (proprietary) converter if you so choose. They do crack pretty easily, especially at the cap and grip section, but they're still a solid choice for a fountain pen newbie.

3. Jinhao 993 Shark ($3.95)

Not only are these pens adorable and affordable, their (hooded!) nib is exceptionally good considering the low price, though medium is the only nib size you'll get. Don't feel too bad though, because this pen comes with a converter included! I honestly have zero complaints about this pen, it's an awesome, quirky buy.

4. Jinhao x450 ($9.90) & x750 ($9.99)

Now these look like fountain pens. Pull one of these out at a meeting and you'll definitely get a couple of questions (or perhaps encounter a pen friend out in the wild!). Metal construction, medium (& somewhat gushy nibs), and a converter included? Sign me up! They might be a little heavier than what you're used to, but otherwise make for a great starter pen.

5. Paili 013 Vacuum Filler ($9.95)

Pro: a vacuum filler pen for under $10?? Yep. Forget those cartridges and unleash the power of bottled ink with this surprisingly reliable fountain pen!

Con: If you're a newbie, you're likely unfamiliar with this filling mechanism, so it might be a little daunting. But I promise there's no mystery, and YouTube is your friend!

6. Platinum Prefounte ($11.00)

Another Platinum, this time a little dressed up but still fun! The Prefounte comes in both fine and medium nibs and takes either proprietary Platinum cartridges or converters (sold separately, unfortunately). This pen is also pretty forgiving if you end up forgetting it in your drawer: Platinum's Slip & Seal mechanism can keep the ink from drying for quite a while (allegedly, up to a year). Keep in mind, Platinum pens tend to have a little bit more feedback (read: scratchy feel on paper), so if you don't like the feel of writing with pencil, for instance, maybe opt for a medium nib.

7. Luoshi Labyrinth ($12.95)

If you want something striking and unique, this Luoshi might be right up your alley. The Labyrinth is an all-metal pen with a surprisingly smooth medium-fine nib. It might be a little too weighty for those not accustomed to hefty metal pens, and some people have complained that the cut out labyrinth design adds some discomfort to lengthy writing sessions, so keep that in mind!

8. Pilot Kakuno ($13.50)

If you've heard good things about the nib on the Pilot Metropolitan but wanted something cheaper/quirkier, boy have I got good news for you! Marketed for children in Japan, the Kakuno has the same nib unit as the Metro, making for a superb writing experience at a considerably lower price point. They come in a ton of colors and take proprietary Pilot cartridges or converters. Nibs of different sizes come engraved with different smiley faces for extra fun.

9. HongDian Black Forest Series ($16.95)

This pen is just cool. Matte, all metal finish? Check. Cool colours? Check. Converter included? Check. Matching colour nib? Check (on a couple of them, at least). Though this pen is metal, it is pretty slim and comes with a textured grip, making for a pretty comfortable writing experience (unless, of course, you don't like slim pens!)

10. Kaweco Perkeo ($17.00)

I call this pen Kaweco's Kakuno, because... well, just look at it. Then go back up to #8 and see that I am right. Regardless, this pen is a solid choice for a beginner, with different nib options (all pretty smooth) and a great assortment of colours. It also has a triangular grip, which will help you hold the pen in the correct position--though some people find it uncomfortable, so keep that in mind!

11. Platinum Plaisir ($17.60)

Pros: Aluminum body, several colours to choose from, different nib options (fine & medium), and Platinum's magical sealing cap to prevent your ink from drying.

Cons: Converter (proprietary) sold separately. Boo.

12. TWSBI GO ($18.99)

This little pen (the most affordable TWSBI iirc) has quite a few things going for it. It comes in several colours and has a bunch of different nib sizes (from extra fine all the way to a 1.1mm stub). The filing mechanism (a simple spring loaded piston) is very practical and easy to use, though it may be a little unfamiliar to most beginners and will require bottled ink (so go ahead and add to cart while you're at it!).

13. ONLINE Slope ($19.00) & Switch Plus ($20.50)

Smooth writers with ergonomic grips (i.e., triangular) to keep you in position when writing. Both the Slope and Switch Plus are made of plastic with stainless steel nibs that come in both medium and fine and write pretty smoothly. They're a great choice for a beginner, but maybe skip these two if you're not a fan of the triangular grip or if you like heavier pens.

14. Delike Mojiang Pocket Pen ($19.95)

If you'd like to give pocket pens a try, maybe start with the Mojiang. This little pen is all-metal, which gives it a nice heft despite its small size. It only comes in fine, but writes more like a medium. Though it takes standard international converters and cartridges, watch the size--some converters might be too long to fit! Furthermore, smaller pens usually mean smaller ink capacity, so if you're writing in long sessions you may have to refill more frequently.

15. Moonman M2 Eyedropper ($21.95)

If you want a large ink capacity and want to see it slosh around your pen as you write... well, look no further! Though this pen can take cartridges and converters, it was designed as an eye dropper pen, meaning you fill the body of the pen itself with the ink of your choice with... you guessed it, an eyedropper (included!).

16. Wancai Mini ($21.25)

Same as the above, just. Teeny tiny!

17. Diplomat Magnum ($23.20)

Despite its lofty name, the Diplomat Magnum is pretty slim, not to mention super light. It has a nifty little ink window so you can keep an eye on your ink level and comes Diplomat's soft touch stainless steel nib (in sizes extra-fine to medium) for a super smooth writing experience. This is another pen with a (less pronounced) triangle grip, and comes with a converter included.

18. Pilot Explorer ($23.60)

Pilot at it again with the superb nibs. Like the Kakuno and the Metropolitan, the Explorer also features a frankly incredible stainless steel nib (in both fine and medium). It comes in several colours and Pilot even deigned to include a converter with this one (though it's a squeeze converter that 1. might be a little unfamiliar to some and 2. kind of sucks in general, so maybe stick to the Pilot cartridges with this one).

19. Faber-Castell Grip ($24.00)

This pen is literally designed to be a beginner fountain pen, but it still looks pretty sleek, imo. It does feel a little plasticky/cheap, but that Faber-Castell nib writes super smoothly. It only comes in fine, though it writes more like a medium. No converter included with this one (boo-hoo).

20. Kaweco Sport ($25.00)

Another German pen, and another pocket pen! I love Kaweco nibs (from EF to medium, though you can buy other Kaweco nibs separately), and the Kaweco Sport is a great introduction to pocket pens. They come in a ton of colours and are pretty reliable, though they only take short international cartridges (and a short converter, which, you guessed it, is sold separately). There are several colour and material variations, but the classic has a plastic body and stainless steel nib. Maybe skip if slim writing utensils are not comfortable!

21. Pelikan Twist ($26.00)

OK, this pen may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I had to add it. It's super funky and the nib (medium) is pretty good. All in all, it's a pretty nifty way to try out a Pelikan, and if you're into the design (and the triangular grip) it can be a fun and reliable daily writer. Converter sold separately (askjdbaklsdjb)

22. TWSBI Swipe ($26.99)

This pen may not look like it goes over the top, but let me tell you, it does. The TWSBI Swipe boasts no less than four different ways of filling it. You can use your regular cartridge. You can use the (included!!) traditional converter. You can then swap that converter out for a piston converter (also included! what?!), and if you're not happy, you can just eyedropper the whole dang pen. It might be a little too much, too soon for complete newbies, but the learning curve is not very steep, and it's a great way to try out all of these methods on a single pen. Like the TWSBI GO, nibs (stainless steel) go from an extra-fine all the way up to a 1.1mm stub.

[askmadcomcrew]

Skinner, how're you so good at reviving people? I thought revival was a whole tedious process where you gotta track down the S3LF, anchor it, drag it back outta the Other Place, and shove it into a good enough body; but it didn't seem to be a problem at all for you, at least not with the Player/original hirelings. What's your method, if not that?

Well for starters, I learned from the best! My method is no different from what you're usually used to, and the process was quite lengthy. Of course, with access to a cloner, it becomes much quicker. That is why we still make regular use of the cloning vats, as I already have data on everyone's S3LF in case it needs recovery.

[0dotexe]

Musings-23.exe

This is the second year I've decided to combine everything that has happened to me this year into one big ol' post. I think it goes without saying that this is going to be a long one. Grab your snacks.

What exactly happened this year that was different from the last?

Quite a lot honestly. For starters at the beginning of this year I had a health issue almost reach critical state, which in turn warranted a lot of blood tests and no real answers. As well as a lengthy process of getting dental work done because one of my teeth decided to be a problem child. Which made me be in nerve pain for approximately two months straight. It was hell. I would never recommend this pain to anyone, not even my worst enemies. At the same time, a lot of the issues I was having mentally haven't been nearly as bad as the year prior. Do I still get traumatic flashbacks every once in a while, yes. Do they take hours of my time to crawl out of, not anymore. But I also have come to realize that the memory part of my brain is a bit damaged from everything that's happened, so I'm giving myself more leeway than I used to. I cannot say enough that leaving a bad situation does so much good for oneself, but now with hindsight I can't say that that leaving the bad will initially start off good. There will, as one post so gracefully said it, be a period where you are a caterpillar in its cocoon. You are a soup of emotions and finding yourself. That was me last year. Me this year was surviving a bunch of medical shit, as I predicted.

Anything else?

A lot of this year was me figuring out my place in a lot of people's worlds. Be that reconnecting with old friends, and trying to interact with friends that I had invested my time in thinking that they would treat me the same in kind and getting rejected in the process. A few years ago I stated that my art was worthless on twitter, because I felt because I didn't conform to the trends and standards that everyone in the world and the algorhythms are looking for, that regardless of technical skill, nothing was going to come from the one thing I was good at. It still holds true. In the same vein, I am learning that the same can be applied to my relationship to people who aren't in my immediate circle. It's been very hard to come to that conclusion, and I still hold out hope that maybe people do care about me but they're just too busy to show it, but the reality is I am just a person who people remember by name and how I made them feel, not someone they remember as someone who is and will be their friend. This isn't aimed to the people who are my friends and are probably reading this, this is aimed to the people who won't read this. And I've come to accept that these people will not care about the things I make outside of a passing glance.

Why do I feel this way?

It has been proven not only through interactions through people who I assumed would stay my friends when I moved out, but my family as well. I complain about my family a great deal because the way they should be treating me don't reflect how they actually treat me. The way they treat me is akin to a burden, and in turn that's how I feel my friends see me as well. It's an unhealthy cycle, and maybe someday I'll stop repeating it. But only when I feel like I'm not the only one reaching out to people I care about. I don't want to seem like I'm complaining about what was never guaranteed from the start, but it really does feel like most of the time it's just me, my husband, and my cats against the world. I am more than happy to talk with those who are interested, but I am aware that the way I view friendships may seem a bit different to everyone else's relationship to the subject. I can go into that in a different post.

What now?

All I can do is live. All I can do is create. All I can do is hope that the people who do care continue to do so and that I don't drive them away. That's all. Thanks for reading. ⬖.Exe

[liutheri]

🔥

send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion. ** author's note: none of these are aimed at anyone in particular ; it's just shit that's grinded my gears throughout my years in the rpc.

 hoo lordy. let's talk about starter calls. more specifically, let's talk about people who post them constantly and never actually do beyond 1-2, especially if they're always for the same people. like... i get it. i know getting 15+ notes on a starter call can be overwhelming. but you determine how much effort / length is going to go into each one, and if you get burned out after writing one or two lengthy ones and conveniently "lose" your starter call after that... maybe write shorter starters. idk.

 speaking of losing starter calls, how frequently do you have to post in order to accomplish that? if it's a consistent problem, write the urls down. save them in a draft or something. whatever you do, just know that kind of behavior is disheartening to all the people who want to write with you.

 on the other hand : people who ask for a starter and then never answer them. i understand if you're not feeling a particular thread that day. i get that; it happens to me quite often. but if you constantly decide to clear out all the drafts you owe, including the ones you never initially replied to? eventually they're gonna stop trying to interact with you, because they're not receiving the same energy or effort they're putting forth. if you're not sure where to go with a starter someone's written, just approach them and say so instead of pointedly ignoring it. i guarantee they'd rather work out a rewrite than think you don't want to write with them.

[scknight05]

Today has been and still continues to be one of those days where it isn’t what you’ve planned at all.

Long personal venting post after the cut… just need to let some frustrations out..

For starters, my grandfather calls my mom last night and wants me and her to come to my aunt’s house (where both of my grandparents are staying) so we can go grocery shopping for them. This kinda really bothered me because my first question was “where is my aunt and her husband?” Mom says that they were apparently gone. And this kinda made me mad. Because both of my grandparents are recently out of the hospital for different reasons but you’re just gonna up and leave them there by themselves? That doesn’t make sense… don’t get me wrong I love my aunt and she’s helped us out at times but that just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. But more on that in a minute.

Fast forward to this morning. Mom and I are getting ready to leave… and my damn car won’t start. Had to use my dad’s truck to boost the battery to get it started. Make it to my aunts house and I sit while mom goes and gets what she needs from my grandparents and I just sit in the car and leave it running because I’m scared to turn it off. Also at this point I notice my aunts car is in the driveway as well so I’m just like.. WTF? Well come to find out… my aunt knew NOTHING about the call for us to come over to do shopping and was quite mad about it. Not at us and it made me mentally take back the comment I said last night. She was mad at my grandfather because she was in the same house as him but he called us (who live about 30 minutes away) to come do something she had no problem doing herself.

So mom and I are walking around Walmart, getting two separate orders basically. Get back to the car and sure enough had to ask someone near us to boost us off again so I could get back to my aunts house and then back home.

We get back home and are super annoyed by my father because today it was a “I’m not feeling good” day, which is BS for a number of reasons but that’s another lengthy post for another day.. (I’ll say this: if he was in fact feeling unwell it’s because he doesn’t listen to the doctors in regards to his medications and mixes them when he’s not supposed to) basically he was in the bed when we left, we got home he was asleep on the couch, got up to annoy my mom and then went BACK to bed. We finished up dinner and he got up, ate and then BACK to bed saying later he’ll see if the battery in another vehicle that we have which is currently not working properly (again thanks to him) but I kinda knew it wouldn’t. Then he gets mad at me because I take the initiative to check myself. He acts like I have no clue how to do simple things…

So anyway now he’s gone to get another battery for my car, which are not cheap… and of course I didn’t ASK for him to go get it. But it’ll be another one of those things that he’ll lord over me to try and guilt trip me into doing something against my wishes in the future… just like he ALWAYS does.

[rijallaw]

A CSPA Lawyer Who Can Help

Are you concerned that you or someone you love will turn 21 before the USCIS/DOS approves the appropriate green card applications? Have you heard about a “CSPA age” and want to know whether or not you or someone you love is eligible? A CSPA lawyer from the Rijal Law Firm can help with all of that and more. We have helped many over the years to use the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to be able to immigrate to the country. We can now put that experience to work for you.

What Is CSPA? Essentially, it’s a way to help those who would “age out” of applying for their green card as a child due to lengthy delays. With the processing times at the USCIS and State Department being as long as they are, many applicants grow older than 21 before they ever get their application approved. The CSPA is a way to rectify that.

The CSPA has its own method to calculate a person’s age, the “CSPA” age. With this, some are able to be classified technically as “children” even if they are older than 21.

If you believe this may be right for you or someone you know, we encourage you to reach out to us for help.

Am I Eligible For CSPA? You can be eligible for the CSPA if you’re unmarried (as there’s a mandatory requirement to stay unmarried to maintain “child” classification). Derivative applicants can include those with an employment-based preference, Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV), VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) self-petitioners/applicants, family-sponsored preference principal applicants, and others.

Essentially, if you believe that you may be eligible for this, it’s worth it to talk to an attorney with experience to find the truth about whether or not this is definitively right for you.

What Documentation Does CSPA Require? There are certain forms that, if you have filled them out in the year of 2002 or after, you’re eligible. These include Form I-730 (Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition), Form I-590 (Registration for Classification as a Refugee), Form I-589 (Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal), Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker), Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Resident) and others.

How Can A CSPA Lawyer Help Me? For starters, look at the above paragraph. There are a lot of forms. Moreover, there are a lot of complicated forms. Any error or mistake on those, even small ones, could cause problems. We can help you to better navigate those forms, so that you don’t have to worry about those being filled out correctly as well as on time.

Additionally, we can help you to calculate the correct CSPA age. So many factors go into it and the process can be described as “tricky” at best. With so many complications, you give yourself the best possible chance at a successful outcome by working with a CSPA Lawyer who has done this many, many times in the past.

What The Rijal Law Firm Is All About If you go to our site, you’ll find that there’s a page about CSPA, how we can help, and so forth. The main goal to us, always, as you’ll find at the bottom of the page, is that we will do anything we can to keep your family together. That’s what matters to us.

See, our firm was founded and run by immigrants. We know what it means to immigrate to the United States and we know what it means to do so with your family intact.

To schedule a free case evaluation to see how we can help, message us through our site or call.

[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

Pokémon Pocket Monsters Ruby - Sapphire Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Red and his Pokémon compete against Professor Birch for the Hoenn starter Pokémon.

This was a PAIN to work on. When I wasn't struggling with new Japanese terms, I was dealing with physical issues and near-death experiences. What's worse is that my laptop can't use programs like Photoshop Elements. Making translation work (or any work) take a lengthy breather.

But now, I have a new laptop that can use all the programs I use on the house computer and more. Now I won't have to wait hours upon hours to return to my work. With this new laptop of mine, my efficiency problems are finally over.

Back to the comic, that line from page 4 didn't come out of nowhere. Red really did meet Professor Birch in an earlier story. The story is from the GS saga, though. So, if you want any chance of a proper introduction to the Advanced series of Pokémon Pocket Monsters, you should go check it out for yourself.

[segment--uta]

So info thing hsls

Tis a roleplay blog for a segment, specifically Uta. Or also like one of Dottore's segments. Around probably mid 20s or so ?? I don't really have a specific timeframe in mind so there's that but yeah. Kinda think young(/ish) and can kind of be chaos often? That's the best way I can describe it I think—

・❥ That established, they use they/he. Alternative, doesn't care which is specifically used, so long as it's those. Or it. They also vibe with it so that can work

・❥ They are very much with the Fatui. Apart from that, he isn't really affiliated with really any other group. Does not seek it out. Feels no need to. Could probably get him to join something though tbh, but Fatui will always be the main group

・❥ OCs or Canon characters, either or. They might have some relation to some canons though already in mind, so keep that in mind probably? The other segments and Dottore/Prime himself for example. If it comes across a certain way (ie rivalry/dislike, cough cough Diluc n others who do not like the Fatui particularly) that's probably the reason! Might not be on purpose rip

・❥ Uta is demiromantic demi-graysexual. Please keep that in mind if you are trying to be romantic rp wise. It will take a while and intimate type activities are not priority. Unless it's a pre-decided relationship, which in that case you get to deal with Uta being lovey-ish. Kind of

・❥ Specific 'build' would likely be the Eta build.

~Specific tags time~

✧ behind the scenes —— the OOC. For announcements and really everything that isn't roleplay. Like this lol

✧ uta is nearby . . —— Starter sort of. Can be used to start RPs/interactions and stuff ! And just generally there. Locations will probably be specific in the message so tis just that (or if you want a specific location, specify n will go with that)

✧ uta answers questions . . —— The askbox! If it's an IC ask, say for RP n all, this'll be used. Otherwise its the ooc one for asks :3

⧎ Interactive chats . . —— Like the IC ask, but for general purposes in roleplay instead. Ie when someone is responded to / rbed and is during RP

Askbox rules.

✧ Keep in mind that there is a person behind this screen. If you want to hate or dislike this / genshin, that's more than alright, but please don't bring this in my inbox. Block and move on. If you really have a problem please just message me instead. Hate will be deleted. IC dislike and hate is one thing and is fine, it's more alright considering different relations + characters, but if you are genuinely trying to be rude, don't. It will just get deleted.

✧ No straight up NSFW and such things. Suggestive might be fine depending on the character and the relation. If you're actually looking for that, you'd probably want to be on good terms with Uta. Otherwise it will probably not be received well. It really depends for suggestive stuff. Joking wise it might be fine + OOC.

✧ Please be patient. Depending on how many asks, esp if there's many rps going on, it may take a while to get to yours. I promise I'm not ignoring you. I might not have seen it either if Tumblr decides to eat it.

✧ Roleplay in asks is fine. All I ask is that you specify who you are/who character is (unless you want to be an anon instead n stuff) and sign off so I can note that properly n keep track of who it is + relation to Uta.

Other things to note

🂱 Responses will probablyyyy be lengthy or detailed. Might also last a while rip—

-->> "" used for talking, actions and such (ie expressions) will just be words/wrote. Thoughts will probably be smaller text. Like that

🂱 Uta is the same segment as @uta-official . Same segment that's used there :3

🂱 As for specific user or character tags, dunno yet actually! Might be like ' ✧ ⊹⊱[User/Chara]⊰⊹ interactions ' ? I think it'll be that. Anons will be specific anon n probably that also!

I think that's about it,,,askbox is open, feel free to interact if wanted.

Dunno what else to put but hemlo there ppl :3

[kerlonsource]

Cam newton team

#Cam newton team series#

#Cam newton team free#

#Cam newton team mac#

“But if Washington doesn’t, if he doesn’t get that job, what are we to think about the rest of Cam Newton’s career moving forward? Let’s think about that. I want to see that brother play again,” Smith said. Super Bowl Runners-Up: XXXVIII, 50 Franchise Leaders: Single-game passing yardage: Cam Newton, 432 yards Single-game rushing yardage: DeAngelo Williams. “I hope and pray Ron Rivera reaches out to Cam Newton, I do. A team with a more established starter - or able to provide a starting opportunity right away - might not have such a problem, though, and therefore it’ll be fascinating to see whether Washington or another organization reaches out in the coming weeks. Newton acknowledged last week in a wide-ranging interview that his “aura” would have made him a “distraction” behind Jones in New England. But what if he doesn’t? What if Rivera doesn’t make the call? What if Ron Rivera doesn’t make the call? What other team will - especially knowing that the guy who coached Cam for nine years, and needs a quarterback, still doesn’t bring him in?” Cam Newton: 5 Teams Who Are Interested in Drafting the Heisman Trophy Winner. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton spent several years with the Carolina Panthers.

#Cam newton team free#

Ron Rivera should be calling him yesterday, to be quite honest with you. Cam Newton is once again a free agent this offseason. “Ron Rivera should be calling Cam Newton. Cam could use the extra time to continue to get healthy, stay in shape, and when the time comes and a team is in need, get ready for immediate, high level football.Cam Newton's NFL Career Over? Stephen A.

#Cam newton team series#

The best example of this would be Nick Foles (albeit already on the roster) stepping in to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. The Undefeated 'Another Act': NFL star Cam Newton talks about his digital BET series 'Sip 'N Smoke' 11:15 Stephen A. Hes the rare early cut that might draw interest from other teams, as he. The quarterback was a topic of much discussion. It looks like 2022 sixth-rounder Samuel Womacks two-pick game sealed Dennards fate. Regrettably, there seems to be a contending team each year that has an injury to a starting quarterback that requires emergency help. Cam Newton was a surprise release for the New England Patriots during the final cuts to the 53-man roster back in August. Joshua Dobbs is another possible option in Cleveland, but if the Browns are looking to put together a winning season, Cam could provide much needed assistance. Despite rumors connecting the Seattle Seahawks to free agent quarterback Cam Newton, the team does not appear poised to add the former.

#Cam newton team mac#

However, bringing in Cam on a relatively cheap deal doesn’t hurt and a second quarterback would be needed. Getty The Seahawks do not appear to be pursuing Cam Newton. The Patriots shocked the NFL when they released Cam Newton on cut-down day, handing rookie Mac Jones the starting job.Many thought the former NFL MVP was the clubhouse leader to start for New. Cam Newton is once again a free agent this offseason. So, this would not be uncharted territory for Brissett. Cam Newton Carolina Panthers (20112019) New England Patriots (2020) Carolina Panthers (2021) Quarterback 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 Carolina Panthers (. Cam Newton has received some NFL interest. Jacoby has won games in New England, Indianapolis, and Miami, all in backup roles after a Tom Brady suspension, Andrew Luck surprise retirement, and a Tua Tagovailoa injury respectively. Currently, the Browns only other quarterback is journeyman Jacoby Brissett. Cam Newton was candid while reflecting on his humanistic mistake when he fathered a child outside his previous relationship with ex-girlfriend Shakia Proctor. In a de facto “Baker for Cam” swap, the Browns could use a veteran quarterback on the roster in the likely event of a lengthy Deshaun Watson suspension. Plus, if the corpse of Ben Roethlisberger was able to get this team to a 9-7-1 record, then certainly Newtonwho dragged a barren 2020 New England Patriots roster to seven wins in his last.

[will-caruso]

@sdclore

It's not like it had been Will's intention to get utterly shit faced tonight. It'd started out as a typical evening which- if we're being completely honest- almost always involves liquor to some extent. But. He'd been a bit of a habitual drinker. It took more than a rum and coke or two to get him utterly sloshed, and if anyone had asked, that was now his intention. The wind picked up fast, as did the rain, and getting a cab had become almost impossible. Fuck if he'd call up one of the only two people he'd trusted to drive his ass in this city, and not just because he's unwilling to bother them and (or) refuses to admit that maybe he should get his license renewed... But anyway. He does his best to pretend it took more than twenty minutes to straight-up purchase the entire bottle of some off-brand silver tequila from a center shelf. Will snatches two shot glasses from the edge of the bar, leaning over the bar top with a broad grin meant specifically for the bartender. She laughs at him, shooing him off, because, really? Who'd ever felt threatened by Will Caruso? No one in this life. He'd certainly made sure of that. With his bottle and his shot glasses, Will's moseying his way around. Looking for a stranger. Someone new. Unfamiliar. Very important, less he need to divulge an acquaintance with any bullshit about his life or how he's doing. Utter fuckery. He's not interested. Truly, the man wants nothing more than to get drunk enough to give zero shits about flagging down a cab at 2 o'clock in the morning from some soggy side street. "Before you start to protest, uh, don't." He slides the glasses across the table and makes himself comfy against a padded wooden chair. "Name's Will." Spoken pointedly as he pops the cork from the bottle and starts to pour the liquor into the shot glasses. "I didn’t come over to hit on you, and I couldn't care less about what you do for a living." Glancing up, he'd offer a sly grin before pressing the shot forward. "I trust you can handle tequila?"

[proceduralpassion]

I Don't Wanna Be Unfair | 02

Pairing: Jax Teller x OC (McKenzie Gilbert)

Summary/synopsis: Fresh off a broken engagement, McKenzie Gilbert has a one night stand with a random guy she never plans to see again. Soon after, their paths cross, which complicates several situations at hand.

Chapter warning(s): language

WC: ~9.3K

McKenzie studied the mason jar that contained her smoothie, avoiding her sister’s occasional glances through the space between the dining table and kitchen. Sairah had made her the smoothie after McKenzie declined the eggs and toast she was making for herself.

It had only been twenty minutes since she got here and bouts of silence were intercalated with bundles of questions. McKenzie explained the bare, skeletal minimum but she could tell that Sairah wanted more.

When she first came into the door, she told her that her engagement was off and her little sister’s first question was “what happened?”

McKenzie had given the short and concise response, “He just broke up with me. He didn’t want to be with me anymore, that’s it.”

“That’s it?” Sairah had responded. “A four year relationship and that’s it? That’s all he said, that he didn’t want to be with you anymore? Have you two been having problems?”

McKenzie simply shrugged her shoulders as she sat down. “It's fine,” she thought to say after a second.

And even though Sairah had more to say and more to ask, she pursed her lips and kept quiet.

And now here they were.

McKenzie, sitting at the breakfast area while Sairah was moving around in the kitchen, still waking up for the day.

They both knew that the conversation would be picked up again, later tonight when they were both in for the night. So they lounged in the comfortable silence, both deep in their own thoughts.

Sairah sat to eat and McKenzie continued sipping on her smoothie. McKenzie looked around at the breakfast area and took note of the recent changes to the house. Sairah was an architect, so when she looked into buying her first starter home, she searched for a fixer upper that she could start several projects within. Gone was the wall that divided the kitchen and dining room and in its place, was a lengthy counter top with seats for people to sit at the bar. She also now had a sleek glass door that connected to the backyard instead of the flimsy, outdated screen door that originally came with the house. Impressed, she nodded to herself at the improvements made.

Sairah peeked at her and ruminated, “You sure you wanna go to the clubhouse today? It’s not like you’re a member. Dad would understand.”

McKenzie blew out a contemplative breath, “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s family.”

She spoke as if she was more so convincing herself as she spoke to Sairah. Her little sister wasn’t convinced.

“Well, yeah, it’s a big day, but no one would blame you for skipping. Hell, I’m not going, I got work.”

“It’s fine.” McKenzie said, resolutely.

Sairah rolled her eyes, “It’s really not, but whatever.” She sighed and tried again, “You’re allowed to be upset, you know.” She looked on at her big sis, bothered by the indifference coloring her features. She wasn’t even showing her annoyance at her constant prying. Just disinterest, unbotheredness. Her sister wasn’t a super emotional person, but she’d much prefer some bawling or anger right about now. The neutrality was alarming.

Still, McKenzie just shrugged and finished the rest of her smoothie. “He made his decision. It’s over. I don’t see the point in harping on it. I’m not about to waste any more time than I already have.”

Sairah gave a rough sigh but said nothing more. She’d follow her lead for now, even though she wanted nothing more than to just shake some sense into her sister. Pressing on and on wouldn’t do any good and she had to get ready for work anyway. She resumed eating her breakfast and allowed silence to permeate the space once again.

After she finished eating, she spoke again.

“I may not be there today, but you can always call or text if you need to talk.”

McKenzie nodded her head in appreciation and rose from her seat.

“You sure you don’t want any breakfast? There’s still some eggs over there,” Sairah pointed towards the stove.

“Nah, I think I’m just gonna go upstairs, take a quick power nap.”

Her sister scoffed, “Fuck a power nap, take a few hours.” She looked up at the clock on the wall, “They asses not gonna be up until at least 11. Use my weighted blanket.” Sairah winked and stood up to take her plate and her sister’s smoothie cup to the dishwasher.

McKenzie grinned and set on her path to the nearest bed. She knew Sairah was preparing to get ready for her day at work and so she left her to do just that.

**************

Jax stepped out of the shower and used one towel to dry his hair and another to wrap around his waist. He continued his basic hygiene routine: brushing his teeth, applying deodorant & cologne, and gelling his hair back. As he got dressed, he caught glimpses of the marks McKenzie left on his body. Scratch marks on his back. A few hickeys a little below his neck. Teeth marks on his shoulder. Damn, she’d done some damage. His blue plaid shirt would cover them, but even if they hadn’t, he’d wear those marks with pride. He smirked in the mirror as he surveyed his skin, reminiscing on the memorable night.

Reveling for only a moment, he got back to getting ready for the eventful day ahead. The last thing he needed were distractions. As president of SAMCRO, today marked an inaugural event for his charter. One might say this was the beginning of a new era. It was definitely taking the club into a different direction within several contexts. Going legit used to be only a dream on paper in his dad’s manuscript. Now he was in the initial steps of making that dream come true.

He was tired of all of the chaos, spilled blood, jail time, and betrayal. That wasn’t the core of what this club was supposed to be. SAMCRO was founded on brotherhood and camaraderie. A safe haven. A commitment to having someone’s back, knowing that those same people had yours.

And over the past few years, the club had disintegrated into everything JT stood against. Treachery. Backstabbing. A soul-sucking misery.

There was no beginning, middle, or end where you could pinpoint a moment in time that the club had went to shit. More like several disastrous events that just kept rolling onto one another as time went on. There were the Nords selling meth, the DEA sniffing around, and a couple of jail stents- Opie’s mainly. To be honest though, the prison time was actually child’s play. An occupational hazard, really. It was the fallout afterwards that put dents into the dynasty that his father had built. The recreant mistrust Clay and Tig had in Opie, which ultimately led to Donna being collateral damage, was a major player.

And maybe that wasn’t the one event that led SAMCRO to where it was now, but it was absolutely a big domino. Their deceit was made known to the entire club pretty soon after and yet they were somehow able to pick up the pieces and move forward. It was anything but easy, and yet it still happened. Clay and Tig were stripped of their officer titles and Jax, Opie, and Happy were named president, vice-president, and sergeant-at-arms, respectively. That should have been the end of it.

But then, Stahl, a dog with a bone, came roving around again. As if her actions hadn’t led to an innocent woman being murdered. Clay and Tig were supposed to see through her game. They were supposed to trust their brothers and allow themselves to be trusted. But when Stahl started slithering around with tampered evidence and laced threats, the duo, once again, sought to cover themselves over the benefit of their club. She had a paper-thin built case with no hard proof or court-admissible affidavits. But she had cleverness, strategy and a poker face in her arsenal. She had them convinced that she had found the young teenager who was the sole witness of Tig killing Donna. She preyed on their vulnerability, their irresolution, their animosity towards Jax for not having the girl ultimately silenced. She had them wrapped around her finger, bent at her will. And so when she put lighter sentences and guaranteed security on the table, without hesitation, they shook on a deal for selling out the club.

Only Stahl was a glutton for destruction.

As fast as she could, she gallivanted to Jax, playing her recorded conversation with them, a gleaming smile on her face.

And when Jax later played that same recording to the club, sans Tig and Clay, he knew changes needed to be made. An overhaul was needed. He needed to bring this club up into a new and hopeful era instead of letting it plummet to the ground.

And that’s where the Street Wolves came in.

The adept and seasoned MC based out of Highwater, California.

They had been around for just as long as SAMCRO, founded in the late 60’s, under the guise of one of the oldest bars in its township. And sure, they really did run a successful, family-owned bar that did well for itself, but arms trafficking and selling had also been heavy in rotation since the club’s inception.

Their and SAMCRO’s relationship had always been impartial. Never truly allies, but very rarely adversaries. Their stomping grounds were only 15 miles apart and for the most part, they kept out of the other’s hair.

But SAMCRO needed a Patsy.

When the club had sat down together to deliberate on what they needed to do and how to do it, they developed an elaborate plan for turning the tables. Jax got back to Stahl and approached her with an even juicier proposition: cut SAMCRO a deal and we’ll give you Clay and Tig AND we’ll give you everything you need to bust the Irish gunrunners she'd also had a hard-on for.

It would be the stone that killed all of their lingering crows.

It’d get Stahl off their backs once and for all; she’d be too busy basking in all of the glory from busting IRA gun runners, to be worried about little ol’ SAMCRO. Clay and Tig would obviously be off their plate and exiled to fend for themselves in gen pop. And of course, they’d finally be rid of Jimmy O and the rest of the larcenous Irish dissidents who had brought nothing but strife and woes ever since they came into the picture.

The only snag was that they needed to come out of this clean.

There were too many ways in which this could go sideways and bring forth even more calamity.

Even if Clay and Tig hadn’t attempted to rat first, it still would look bad on SAMCRO if it got out that they left their ex-members out to dry like that. Ex-communication was one thing, but to rat on not only them but also another separate syndicate?

Blood would rain down until every river was red.

And so, this was where the Street Wolves entered the picture.

They also had the unfortunate position of dealing with the IRA. The Street Wolves had several chapters covering the South and East Coast. So while SAMCRO did a lot of dealings and buying for the IRA on the West Coast and up north, the Street Wolves were their main go-to customer in the other regional markets.

They, too, were looking to pull out of guns, a fact that Gil, the Street Wolves MC president, made clear when Jax had approached him with the business proposition of potentially picking up the slack in IRA arms dealing.

“I don't know what to tell you, man. I appreciate the offer, but the Street Wolves are trying to pull back, not fall further in. We’ve got five different charters working on getting out of the game, and they ain’t been making it easy.”

Jax had walked away from that meeting pissed and stressed, frustrated with having made no further progress in ridding SAMCRO of its leeches. But he kept that tidbit of information in his pocket for the day that he’d possibly need it.

That day came when the club decided, once and for all, to punish Clay and Tig for their transgressions. To rid this brotherhood of all its demons and finally fulfill his father’s legacy. The vision that JT saw for what he created.

A new allyship had been formed between SAMCRO and the Street Wolves. A quid pro quo where both needed each other to get to their destination. SAMCRO were reliant upon the Street Wolves to help pull off their cunning scheme, while the Street Wolves needed SAMCRO to get the IRA off their backs. And so when both clubs voted and agreed on the well thought-out strategy, they immediately set their plans in motion. SAMCRO immediately stepped back and stood down while the Street Wolves laid down the groundwork: covertly gathering and compiling contacts, names, and evidence from previous and present meets with the IRA to get to Stahl by way of the hands of their fall guy, Cameron Hayes. Of course, Hayes wouldn’t have purposely snitched on his IRA brethren, but if he were to go behind their back and go into business with the League of American Nationalists, why wouldn’t they believe that he would also rat and sell them out? He’d be dead before he could even defend himself.

Meanwhile, SAMCRO continued business as usual. They needed to lay low and be as far back from the Street Wolves and IRA mess as possible, for appearances and plausible deniability’s sake. They went to their usual meets, put up with Tig and Clay, and played their role as oblivious sitting ducks. Only up until Jax could arrange for Stahl to have been handed everything she needed. He shook on their off-the-books deal, keeping the Street Wolves’ name out of it for both clubs’ safety. That sealed agreement was everything the clubs needed to eliminate all of their enemies.

Of course, there was still some blowback. The entire SAMCRO charter still had to serve 14 months of prison for watered down weapons charges, but it was a welcome overture compared to the life sentences and possible death penalties that would have been handed out on Clay and Tig’s words.

It had been over a year now since their release and their charter hadn’t suffered much due to the Street Wolves stepping in to finish the remainder of theirs and SAMCRO’s less than legal business endeavors. Things were still done mostly in the dark, clandestinely, to avoid suspicion or inquiries into the two clubs’ sudden closeness, the members of the two charters never having been in the same room together at all. But the loose threads of them separately were beginning to form a tightly formed knot. The Street Wolves amassed something of a bigger cut from the clubs’ profits, something mutually agreed upon due to the instrumental groundwork laid by them in getting everything they needed to cripple their adversaries. And SAMCRO was allowed first pick at their first joint business venture now that the two clubs were officially legit.

That’s what today was for.

The start of a new beginning.

A celebration and coming together for something that once seemed so far away out of reach.

The founding of a new partnership. A new brotherhood.

The Street Wolves and SAMCRO would still remain their own entities. There was too much history and meaning in the genesis of their clubs for either to patch over to the other. The foundations and chronicles of their charters were the very reasons they were so desperate to preserve it in the first place. So no, neither club would lose their essence. But they had brokered an alliance together as they stepped foot into the bright, shiny, and lawful world together.

And today was the first day of that alliance. A joint entity, united, as they began to explore the business expanse.

Although excited, Jax could admit he also felt some nerves. Everything was so surreal. He’d done it. He got the club out. Everyone was safe. He’d fulfilled his father’s wishes. And he couldn’t believe it. There were moments that the disbelief weighed heavy on him, to the point where he slipped into a momentary trance. And then he’d slip out because he couldn’t lose focus. Getting to the mountaintop wasn’t the end, you had to maintain being on top. And as the SAMCRO president, the responsibility laid heavily on his shoulders to do just that. So he couldn’t lose track just because he’d won. There were still mouths to feed and lives to live. Their final moves during and briefly after their stay in Stockton would keep everyone comfortable for the time being, but they needed ways to remain sustainable. Revenues that allowed SAMCRO to continue to prosper.

He couldn’t lose sight of what was important. He refused to.

**************

McKenzie strolled into the bar that doubled as the Street Wolves clubhouse. There was an exclusive area upstairs that was specifically delegated to the club members, but everyone was out in the open, getting ready to start their day. She ignored the chatter of voices around her and willed herself to be invisible as she headed towards the bar.

She knew she would soon be forced out of the solitude of her mind, but she’d prolong it for as long as possible.

Stepping closer to the bar, her fight or flight instincts began to flow through. She hadn’t looked up yet, but she could hear him. He was at the bar, laughing without a care in the world. As if he hadn’t just dismantled her world less than 24 hours ago. There was no indication of hurt or affliction in his tone, and something about that stabbed at her.

He obviously hadn’t told anybody. Otherwise, her father and stepmother wouldn’t be laughing it up with him right now, amused at whatever charming joke he cracked.

The only thing she could hope for for today was that she wouldn’t be here when the news broke. She didn’t need to see their reactions or feel any of their pity.

If there was even any pity to deliver...

McKenzie may have been one of the club “princesses,” but, barring her stepmom, she was almost sure they’d all have his back, be on his side. Not that they didn’t love her or wouldn’t take a bullet for her, but there had been a shift in her relationships with the members of the Street Wolves throughout their engagement and this wouldn’t make things better.

She couldn’t lay all of the blame on them. Some of it was on her. She’d been distant. Not as present. She may not have been a member, but she was family and thus an indispensable figure for everyone here. Missing family dinners or club outings wasn’t intentional, but it was just harder and more uncomfortable once their relationship issues became known to everyone. It got to the point where she felt it was better for everyone involved if she stopped coming around so often.

She came today because she knew how important it was to her dad and to the club, but her pattern of inconsistency would probably continue after today.

Lisa, her stepmother, could tell that something had been off with McKenzie lately, but she was careful in her prodding, not wanting to poke her stubborn stepdaughter too far. She could even see it on her face right now, but kept her lips zipped and allowed McKenzie to come to them.

Gil was the first to greet her.

“Hey baby.” He pulled his oldest daughter into a side hug, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Lisa flashed her a small smile and waved, with McKenzie reciprocating right after.

“Morning,” she softly said.

He had yet to say anything, but she could see his neck clench out of the side of her eye. He didn’t even look at her, pretending to suddenly be engrossed in his coffee cup.

She walked around the bar to grab some water, with the conversation resuming as she moved around. The humorous tone in his voice was gone now that she was here, but he continued his previous conversation with her parents.

“Alright, SAMCRO should be here any minute, let’s go rally everyone up.," Gil spoke. The two Street Wolves left the bar together to gather the rest of the charter up.

McKenzie kept focus on her water bottle label and remained quiet. Lisa had watched the interaction, or rather the lack there of one. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity as she pondered on what it all was about. Gil had had a bit of confusion on his face before he gestured his, unbeknownst to him, ex-future son-in-law to the rest of the members. He also peeped the curious look on his wife’s face and he learned a long time ago to not meddle with her meddling.

Lisa glanced once again at McKenzie, “You doing alright, honey?”

McKenzie still didn’t look up but responded, “I’m fine.”

“...Are you sure? You need a little girltalk? Even if it’s just to bitch just a little bit.” Lisa quipped with a smirk. Sometimes her stepdaughter was a panicked horse and needed to be dealt with delicacy. She figured lightness was the way to go instead of badgering.

McKenzie finally looked up and hoped it wasn’t visible on her face that she was trying to come up with an excuse. Before she could conjure one up though, Lisa spoke again.

“Oh, well, never mind! Seems like you two had a good night.” Lisa teased. McKenzie wasn’t following, however.

The confusion must have been evident because Lisa leaned closer and adjusted McKenzie’s top.

“He left a mark. You may be a grown woman, but your daddy gets all awkward with any notion of you and sex in the same vicinity, so keep that covered.”

Lisa had briefly exposed the tender patch of skin before covering it up once more. McKenzie forced a tight smile in order to mirror Lisa’s teasing one, but only just barely. Internally, she was annoyed and alarmed at her carelessness. She’d seen them when she looked at herself in the mirror after raiding Sairah’s closet. She thought the white tie-front shirt she picked out would effectively blanket the purple blemishes that embellished her skin, but obviously not.

She opened up the camera app on her phone and did a once-over of her appearance to confirm that the hickeys would be completely covered. Like Lisa said, she was a grown woman, but even if she hadn’t gotten them from a random one night stand, she didn’t want anyone in her business like that.

And she also knew that if he saw them, all hell would break loose. He’d demand answers. And he more than likely wouldn’t even bother to do so in private.

“So things are getting better. That’s good to know.” Lisa remarked.

This was McKenzie’s chance to come clean. To tell her that the engagement was off. To release that unknown truth to at least one person. But she couldn’t. She could feel the words at the back of her throat but couldn’t muster up the will to actually say them.

“Hmm, sounds like they’re here. Let’s get ready to say hey.” Lisa said. The guys were already outside waiting for SAMCRO. The sounds of arriving motorcycles could be heard from inside, which was soon followed by cheers and roars as the men all greeted each other.

Only a few minutes later, the noise could be heard permeating through these four walls as everyone poured in together. McKenzie smoothed her hands on her pants and walked alongside Lisa from behind the bar.

Her eyes bounced around at all the faces, the ones she’d known her whole life intermixed with the new ones. When they found her ex, she saw happiness and glee before his eyes locked with hers. And then, they had hardened into a glare as if the very sight of her aggravated him.

She moved her eyes away and took in some of the new faces. A short and plump man with long graying hair and a lengthy beard to match. A tall and slender gray haired man with Glasgow scarring on his face. A young, Hispanic man with a distinct mohawk in between two tribal head tattoos. A hardened, quiet figure with the subdued demeanor of a grim reaper. A towering giant with soft eyes and a dark beanie.

And then…

It took her a few seconds to register the man with his arms around her father. But the second she did, her heart felt like it had fallen through her stomach and down onto the floor. Her eyes flitted and blinked, but it was no use. She knew exactly who that man was. He was looking around, taking in his surroundings and McKenzie’s breath hitched each time that he thought his gaze may fall upon her. Before it could though, Gil’s voice had gathered the attention of the whole room.

“Ay yo, we already got food lined up over here! If y’all got as drunk as we did last night to celebrate, you’re gonna want some of everything to soak up the hangover.”

McKenzie frowned. Celebrating? He was supposed to be off celebrating with his club and he was in some random bar on the Charming border all alone?

“Nah. Can’t really celebrate without a clubhouse, y’know? Still working on that.” The round, bearded man spoke.

“And that’s one of the reasons we’re all here today.” Gil pointed and said.

“Yeah, yeah, after though! I’m ready for some grub.” Jax spoke, rubbing his hands together. When his eyes peeled away from the waiting food on the table next to the bar, his eyes swung up. Like stumbling upon a car accident and unable to look away, McKenzie couldn’t force herself to turn away when he locked eyes with her. He stopped short and the functions of his mind all but ceased at the sight of her. Once he registered just who he was looking at, the makings of a smirk almost painted his face before he realized the circumstances of where he was right now. The “oh shit” look that followed only a second after was one for the books, but it’s not like she herself could find any of this amusing right now.

He swiftly moved his attention back towards the food that Lisa cooked for today and grabbed a plate. Everyone else was doing the same, too engrossed in brunch to have paid attention to the peculiar interaction between them.

Well, everyone except Lisa. She had already eaten before everyone got here, not wanting to compete for food with a bunch of grown, greedy men. She was a silent spectator as she took in all of the new faces entering the clubhouse. She stood to the side and simply introduced herself to the SAMCRO members as they passed by her to grab a plate.

Jax was only barely immersed in the merry conversation around him. He, too, wanted to join in on the cheerful excitement from everyone in celebration of this hopeful direction for the clubs, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off McKenzie.

She was the last person he expected to see here. He hadn’t gotten the chance to previously get to know all of the Street Wolves affiliates’, much less all of the Street Wolves themselves. It was intentional, sure, so as not to expose the clubs’ relationship to anyone outside their circle, but still. Today was the first day he had personally met most of the charter. And yeah sure, he didn’t exactly inquire about her background before they jumped into bed together, but he had no inclination they would ever cross paths again.

“Baby girl, you don’t wanna anything to eat?”

“No thanks, dad. I ate at Sairah’s,” he heard McKenzie respond to Gil.

Jax blinked a few times as he registered the exchange he just heard. Every question in Jax’s head just became answered. And the weight of his current predicament became all too clear. He worked to regain his focus yet again as he sat down at one of the round tables with his food. He absolutely couldn’t get swept up in her. His previous thoughts from yesterday about making their hookup into an ongoing thing were now completely zapped out his periphery. There’d be no way anything could ever happen between them. He’d might as well pull out his gun and shoot himself in the foot. This partnership needed to work. To thrive. To be everything that his father couldn’t accomplish. He couldn’t fuck that up by messing around with the Street Wolves president’s daughter.

His mind was somewhat comforted by the fact that she didn’t particularly like him. She may have had a good time last night, but she couldn’t get out of his house quick enough. She had used him just as much as he had used her and he didn’t see anything coming out from that. Therefore, he didn’t see it becoming much of a problem with them not interacting. He knew they probably still needed to clear the air, though. Aside from that initial time their eyes locked, McKenzie had refused to return his glances any time he looked over at her. It’s like she had a sensor that alerted her to turn her head each time he raised his eyes. The tense way in which she held onto the bar counter and directed her eyes everywhere but him, told him everything he needed to know: she deplored this situation just as much as he did.

But then she surprised him when she finally did look towards him once again. There was uncertainty in her gaze, along with incredulity. And he was sure he could also pick up a little bit of fear, too. Which he didn’t really know how to translate. Maybe Gil was the overprotective type? But even then, he had absolutely no reason to think anything had happened between his daughter and Jax. And Jax sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything. So as far as he was concerned, she had nothing to be scared about. They were two grown ups who had a nice night of enjoying each other’s naked company and that was it. It was nobody else's business. He would be sure to voice that to her the moment that he could get her alone. She had nothing to worry about.

When McKenzie forced herself to look away from him, she turned to walk back behind the bar. Every thought was screaming at her to run the hell out of this clubhouse, but she fought to keep a sound mind. She felt so stupid. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Her one night stand wasn’t supposed to be eating brunch next to her father right now. He wasn’t supposed to be the person who was now going to spend day in, day out with her ex-fiancé. He wasn’t supposed to be the fucking president of SAMCRO.

McKenzie reflected about all of last night and wondered just how in the hell she didn’t notice she had slept with someone in SAMCRO, much less how she had managed to sleep with its president. The bike should’ve been a dead giveaway, but she was too far gone by that point, too twisted in her head trying to decide whether she was really going to sleep with him or not. Maybe it should’ve occurred to her when she declined getting on the back of his Dyna, especially because her reasoning was that it reminded her too much of the person she was trying to wash her mind from. And yeah, he came into the bar with only a black hoodie, with not even muted SAMCRO colors on it, but still. And yeah, the house was too dark for her to make out any of his tattoos- some of which were surely SAMCRO affiliated, but still. She should have had the sound mind to notice. But she didn’t because she was too wrapped up in finding a distraction to ease her pain.

“Do you two know each other?” Lisa, all of a sudden, asked.

The words snapped McKenzie out of her panicked thoughts but somehow brought forth even more of a frenzy in her head.

“What?”

“Teller,” Lisa pointed at Jax, “You know him? He keeps looking over here at you.”

McKenzie swallowed thickly before quickly shaking her head with a frown. “Mm mm no.” She shrugged her shoulders and gave her best unbothered expression.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at her, wondering why her stepdaughter had been so tense since she got in. Her odd demeanor had only escalated once the SAMCRO crew arrived. She spared another glance at Jax, whose attention immediately returned to Gil when his eyes met Lisa’s prodding ones. The action only further perplexed her and questions filled her head. Maybe McKenzie didn’t know him, but he absolutely knew her.

Meanwhile, everyone else was getting to know each other and basking in the new alliance. They’d get down to business later on today and then party even harder tonight at the official party. This brunch was mainly members only while the bar was still closed to the public. Tonight would surely be one for the books with all of the chaotic festivities prepped with affiliates from both clubs joining in.

For now, they were just enjoying their first time all being in the same space together. The Street Wolves got to know SAMCRO and SAMCRO got to know the Street Wolves. Jax’s main previous interactions had only been with Gil and his VP, “Rev.” Rev was around the same age as Jax, with a laid back and even-minded temper. He was a thoughtful person who acted on logic rather than emotion, a trait that would serve him well, if and when the time came for him to be Gil’s successor. Jax was never given an explanation for Rev’s epithet, but he surmised that it derived from the man’s off the cuff philosophical ideations and abstract ethos of a mind.

And then there was their sergeant-at-arms, “Sweets.” From getting to know each other, Jax would soon find that the man had a duality to him. There was the no-nonsense, humorless side to him when it came to club business. Outside of that though, he was a fun, smooth character who loved to dance and indulge every person of the female sex he encountered. En masse, whether it was with a gun or a bed companion, his moves were like honey as he executed the job.

The other treasured members of the Street Wolves were: Flu, an older man who took pleasure in busting the others’ balls and was one of the original Street Wolves founding members along with Gil’s older, now deceased brother, then Ace, who was the human version of a dedicated golden retriever wanting to do everything and please everyone now that he was no longer a prospect, and finally Brandon aka just “B,” who had a charismatic, larger than life personality that sometimes masked his unpredictable and turbulent emotional streaks.

McKenzie continued to stay planted in her spot behind the bar, ignoring all of the movement around her. She knew she needed to stick around, no longer necessarily for moral support but rather to talk to Jax. She’d wait until she could steal a moment alone with him somehow and then flee the clubhouse like the scaredy-cat she was not. She’d carouse in the cowardice for now though, not caring how out of character it was for her.

She was alone as she stood and waited, Lisa having gone to introduce herself to the others she hadn’t already. Jax was one of them. She did her best to keep names and faces straight as she went around entertaining everyone: Opie, Happy, Chibs, Juice, Kozik, and Half-Sack. Jax, she had already known of, from her husband, but had never met him in person either.

“Ah, my queen blessing us with her presence!” Gil exclaimed as he held out a hand for her to come closer. She leaned up against him and stuck out a hand towards Jax. Gil did the introducing.

“Jax, this is my wife, my life, my love, Lisa. Lise, this is Jax-”

“President of SAMCRO, your name precedes you.” Lisa finished with a grin.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Jax spoke with an amorous smile, noting the curiosity in her eyes. She only engaged in a few minutes of small talk before telling them all to clean up after they finished and grabbing a large trash bag for them.

By the end of brunch, Jax had now personally met all but one of the Street Wolves members.

Brandon had grabbed the trash bag from Lisa, putting his plastic plate and fork into it, before giving it to the nearest table, the one where Jax and Gil sat. He nodded when his eyes met Jax’s and stuck out a hand, “‘Ey, I’m B. Good to meet ya, man.”

They dapped each other up as they greeted one another.

“Likewise, bro. Look forward to getting to know you all.” Jax responded.

From her position at the bar, she had a clear view of Jax and Brandon interacting and it made her sick. Palpably sick. She felt like she could vomit at any minute. And not even wanting to risk the possibility of doing so in front of everyone, she traipsed off to the bathrooms. In her haste, she hadn’t realized her bumping into the counter or the noise it made that attracted the attention of the nearby table.

Lisa watched with concerned eyes and released a silent sigh.

“Everything alright? Did she eat anything?” Gil inquired to the group, peering between Lisa and Brandon. Jax simply looked on quietly, going back and forth between the doors that McKenzie just jogged to and the interaction between the trio in front of him.

“Yeah, that’s probably it.” Brandon huffed.

Gil ruffled, “Well, what are you doing standing here, then? Go check on her.”

B took his time walking to the bathrooms, not much urgency in his steps.

“She alright, Lise?” Gil asked his wife, while stroking her arm.

“I don’t know, she’s been off all this morning since she got here. I don’t know if they’re having problems again or what, but she seems jittery.”

Jax, without much subtlety, listened in on their conversation, his mind working to put together what exactly they were talking about.

“I hope to hell he hasn’t gotten her pregnant. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d like to walk my daughter down the aisle without a baby bump.”

Jax choked on air, his harsh breaths turning into coughs as he tried to control his astonishment.

“You alright, man?” Gil patted on his back, with confusion coloring his features.

“Yeah, drink went down the wrong pipe.” He pointed to his cup after finally recovering and reclaiming his composure.

“Sorry about that. I don’t think you met my oldest daughter, McKenzie.” Gil spoke.

“Yeah, her and B are engaged, actually.” Lisa chimed in.

“Oh,” Jax simply said.

Internally however, he clenched at this discovery of new information while nodding to them. Anger and indignance filled him as it set in just how much more complicated this situation was. The situation she put him in.

“Yeah, I wasn’t kidding when I said this MC is truly like a family.” Gil cracked.

“Mmm.” Lisa hummed, with something peculiar in her voice. She said nothing more as she settled into the seat next to Gil.

“It’s never a dull moment around here, Teller. But hey, you’d know something about that. I’m sure your crew keeps things interesting too, huh?” Gil quipped.

Jax somehow found the strength to tear his mind away from all the new information that was still working through his mind. He nodded in agreement and kept the conversation going between him. In his head though, he was still wrapping himself around the idea that McKenzie was engaged. The woman he had slept with last night was not only the daughter of the Street Wolves MC president, but she was also getting hitched to one of its members. He couldn’t help but wonder just what in the hell was wrong with her. What had been going through her mind when she kissed him. When she propositioned him. When she pushed him on the bed and let him have his way with her. All while she was engaged. It was the worst kind of betrayal to go behind your significant other’s back like that. Jax was trying to pull himself back from jumping to conclusions, but it was hard not to, especially with all the resentment boiling underneath him from the position he found himself in.

He really needed to talk to her.

“Okay, ladies, what do you say we take this upstairs? The bar’s about to open and we’ve got business to discuss.”

Gil commandeered. Jax agreed, and everyone finished disposing of their trash and allowed Gil to lead the way up the stairs.

Jax would have to have his talk with McKenzie later.

**************

McKenzie ran her hands through her twists as she paced the bathroom floor. The good news is that that nauseous sensation went away and she ended up not having to vomit. The bad news is that she had still slept with the SAMCRO president. She kept her eyes closed and she continued pacing around, taking several deep breaths. The unsettling feeling in her stomach was still there, but it was lessening with every calming respiration she took.

She turned her head when the bathroom door opened. Her eyes met Brandon’s as he ventured in. He crossed his arms and gave her a crotchety look. Those orbs that she once found so mesmerizing were nothing more than pools of vexation whenever she looked into them.

He blew a deep breath before speaking as if trying to calm himself.

And then he spoke, “How are you doing?”

McKenzie looked at him for a moment before scoffing. She matched his crossed arm stance and steeled her resolve. “Let’s not, Brandon. …What do you want?”

Sighing for a moment, his stare left her. He took a minute before speaking, “You obviously haven’t told anyone about the engagement…”

She gave out a dry chuckle, which she could tell spiked his nerves as he clicked his tongue in irritation, “No, I haven’t. Figured I’d let you do the honors since you’re the one that ended things.”

“Jesus Christ, do you ever fucking stop?” He bit back and stepped closer. “We were both miserable and you know it. You should be thanking me, I did us a favor.”

“A favor?? Dragging me along for almost five years is a fucking favor?”

“That’s not what I meant. You’re always turning shit around. You’ve always got to be so damn difficult.” The volume of his voice carried some and she recoiled as a reflex, both at the prospect of someone hearing them and also just how it was so easy for him to blow a conversation up, unnecessarily. He held up his hands and said “I didn’t come here to pick a fight, I just wanted to know if you were gonna tell them, but if it’s that big of a deal, then fine, I’ll do it.”

She hated the way he bounced that back on her, a common tactic of his. She thought about how it was no longer her problem to deal with and that was enough to calm her nerves from firing back and causing an even more raucous argument.

The contempt in his voice was potent and his turned up frown only drove further how low he thought of her.

When she didn't answer, he continued.

“I don’t wanna make it a big deal, so I’ll tell them later. Before I forget though… when’s the fastest you’re gonna be able to get your stuff out?”

McKenzie’s scowl returned on her face at his words, “Uh- I haven’t really had time to think about it.” She said and glowered at the resulting annoyance on his face. “I’m staying at Sairah’s. Me and her will work on getting stuff out tomorrow, she’s at work right now.”

“Good, no need to prolong this.” Her answer had satisfied him and she just barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

And with that, the conversation was over and so he turned back with his last words, “We’re over, business as usual, alright? Don’t make this weird for everyone.”

“I wasn’t planning to.” She said sharply and stared him down.

He left without another word, leaving her to join the group upstairs. It was only then that she lowered the walls she built around herself and allowed the tears in her eyes to descend down her cheeks.

***********

Jax lounged on the sofa upstairs as his gaze focused on the ceiling above. The group had just finished up their casual meeting to discuss future business prospects. With SAMCRO being afforded the opportunity to take the lead with exploring future endeavors, Gil gave them the floor to introduce some options.

Bobby and Juice talked about expanding Red Woody productions, which was remotely accepted around the room. Ace, the youngest Street Wolf member, had even chimed in, suggesting the addition of subscription boxes with sex toys and exclusive content. It may have earned him some jokes cracked at his expense, but mostly everyone agreed with and approved of the possibility. There was also talk of delving into the construction business by Opie, having had his fair share of exposure in his previous days of working at the local construction plant in Charming. Initially, it earned some groans, mostly from the idea of manual labor, but Opie intervened, “Relax, ya lazy asses, we would hire workers to do the work for us.”

“That’s not a bad idea, Sairah could probably help us with giving some contacts.” Flu suggested as he looked on to Gil. He clarified for everyone, stating that Gil’s youngest daughter was an architect.

Gil nodded approvingly at the voiced opinion and added, “Hell, she could probably help us with getting a new spot.”

Before they had even had their meet up today, Jax and Gil had been communicating about finding a new spot. Keeping their clubs from patching over, they also decided that, of course, they wouldn’t just up and abandon their own club houses. Granted, SAMCRO didn’t really have theirs anymore; they’d been using the second floor space of Red Woody Productions as the de facto clubhouse after theirs became collateral damage with all that mess with the Irish. But still, they wanted to have a joint space that was for everyone. Of course, they were now welcome into each other’s clubhouses but with starting off a new venture together, they also wanted to have a regular meet ‘n hang spot that was common ground. Something that belonged to both clubs’ together.

And with that, came Jax’s consequent thought. Last night wasn’t only for looking for a woman to sink himself into. He was also scouting various areas around Charming and Highwater. He’d been doing this for a couple of weeks now whenever he couldn’t sleep or just needed to get out of the house. He’d get on his bike and ride around for hours, venturing to different places around the neighboring towns. It was how he found the bar last night, Disora. It was nestled in a practically deserted ghost town. The bar was the most popular business in the area and there were several dusty, abandoned buildings in the general vicinity. While cruising down the streets, Jax likened the area to the kind of old town you’d see in western movies, complete with saloons and an aged railroad track system. Besides the people who patronized the hole in the wall bar, the locality was essentially empty.

While most people might see the space as a lost cause, Jax saw the potential and opportunity in it. It was basically a clean slate. A blank canvas that the clubs could paint their brushes on. A new area that they could build up from the grounds themselves And so, he brought it up in the meeting. He talked about the various empty buildings that they could use for potential businesses, Opie’s construction firm idea included. They talked about building the township up and being able to see it bustle and grow. There was even talk of potentially building their joint spot in the area. Sometime soon, Jax would lead the charge in taking everyone to the space and allowing them to see the potential with their own eyes.

In the meantime, Jax was lying on the couch, stuck in his own mind about his recent excursion to the abandoned boom town. How it led him to the predicament he was in now. How he might have ruined this new movement between the clubs before it had even started. Without even knowing, his actions last night, if they became known to anyone here, could potentially snatch away the victory he had just earned. Because if this didn’t work out, if they couldn’t find the means to sustain themselves soon enough, what other option would they have other than to delve back into arms?

The door opening and soft footsteps roused him out of his mind. His head snapped to his right to find McKenzie looking back at him. Her eyes were wide, as if she still couldn’t believe he was here, in the Street Wolves club house. Her face portrayed worry, the kind of worry that made sense to him, considering she cheated on her fiancé with him.

He didn’t say anything, attempting to contain his impatience with her. She walked closer into the lounge room where the clubs had just had their meeting and looked around to make sure they were alone. Several of the members had gone out for a drive, some had either gone home or rested in the spare back rooms to garner some energy for tonight’s festivities, the others were downstairs engaging with each other.

She closed the door behind her and fiddled her hand nervously against her jeans.

“Hey,” she simply spoke. Neither cheerful nor antagonistic.

He nodded, but still didn’t speak. He did, however, sit up some to give her her full attention. He was curious to know what explanation she was going to give. He refrained from flaring his nostrils or expressing his frustration, but the hardened look in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.

“We need to talk…” She started. It was obvious she’d rather be anywhere but here right now. She subtly shuffled her feet, hinting at her nervousness.

“So talk,” he said, not wanting this to drag on. He couldn’t help at least one snide remark though, “Did I miss the ring last night?”

Taking a breath, not knowing but somehow expecting the blow, McKenzie spoke, “No… you didn’t.” She paused as he saw a number of expressions color his face over the next second or so. As a reflex, she rolled her eyes and immediately got defensive, “Look, I don’t need you judging me.”

Jax scoffed, “You didn’t say shit last night about being engaged. You came on to me. And normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but you realize the situation this puts me in, right?” His voice was firm as he spoke to her.

“Right, as if this situation only affects you. I’m not a fucking psychic. I couldn’t have predicted that this would happen any more than you could, so spare me. I wasn’t obligated to tell you anything about my personal life to begin with.”

Her eyes challenged his as she moved closer to him, not wanting her voice to travel outside these four walls.

“Nah, but did you ever think you might be obligated to tell your fiancé that you’re sleeping around behind his back?,” he chuckled but the sound was anything but humorous. “Nah, I take that back. You sleeping around behind his back has nothing to do with me. Until now, at least. Now, I’m supposed to not only make friends and be buddies with the guy you’re cheating on, but your dad on top of it.”

“You don’t even have any idea what you’re talking about.” She rumbled.

Jax huffed in response.

“I have no idea?! You fucked a man that’s not your fiancé. It’s not exactly rocket science.” He snapped. “And you know what? I don’t even particularly care, God knows I can’t really judge, but this could ruin everything not just for me, but for everyone.”

“Well, sorry that I’m not a fucking clairvoyant.” She said, exasperatedly. “And yeah, you really don’t have any ground to stand on when it comes to judging, considering you were there just to get yours. Don’t even pretend like you wouldn’t have still slept with me if I said I was engaged. I don’t remember you wearing that kutte or any kind of MC colors at all last night. You and I both had no idea who the other was, so give it a rest!”

“I’m not the one who was engaged, I'm not the one who cheated, so you’re damn right I still would have-”

“I didn’t cheat on him!” Her frustration won out as she yelled back at him. Jax paused at the volume and force of her words. Her voice was more muted now, “I didn’t cheat. He broke up with me. That’s why I was there ‘drowning my sorrows.’ He broke up with me last night and no one knows. Are you happy?” Her eyes pierced him as she continued, “I didn’t go there last night looking for trouble, you were just there. If I had known who you were, I wouldn't have gone through with it.” She thinks back to her going back and forth in her mind and wishes she would have just flaked.

Jax nodded with remorse. Logically, he knew there was no way for either of them to know who each other were. And she was right, he wasn’t wearing club colors, not wanting to wear anything representing SAMCRO while thinking about them. And that was really the reason why he was there last night. To find an escape just like she was.

It was both of their faults, but also no one’s at all.

Instead of continuing to use her as a punching bag, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Lisa said you two were engaged and I panicked because that just added way more complications to an already dicey situation here.” He pointed between the two of them as he voiced his penance.

“Like I said, no one knows.” She mumbled, dejectedly.

“I know. And you’re right. There’s no way either of us could have predicted where we are now. I’m sorry.”

McKenzie nodded. “I’m sorry, too. I never meant to put you in this position.” She cleared her throat, “I know this puts you in a bad spot. Hell, it puts me in one, too.”

Jax stood and grabbed her hand in reassurance. “It’s gonna be fine.” He put his index finger below her chin to lift her face back up from their joined hands. “We did… what we did. I’m just gonna follow your lead on this because you’d kinda know better, the direct fallout that would happen if this ever got out.”

McKenzie chuckled, “Right.” They looked at each other for the first time with humor in their temperaments, “I say we should just forget about it. We can’t change it or just pretend like it never happened, but no one else has to know, right? So, we just move on and …forget about it.”

“Okay,” was his response and the one word agreement lifted the nerves off of her frame. She gave him a relieved smile as their hands separated.

“Thank you, Jax.” She said as turned to exit the room.

He nodded but stopped her before she could fully leave the room.

“Hey McKenzie?” He paused when she looked back, “I’m sorry about what happened between you and him.”

McKenzie returned his apologetic words with a weak smile before slipping out the room. He watched the door for several minutes after she left, feeling a weight off his chest.

A/N: Wheww, so this was a lot! We met the Street Wolves, including McKenzie’s ex-fiance. SAMCRO is headed in a new, legal direction. And Jax and McKenzie have a secret that they’re just… not gonna acknowledge anymore.

There’s still so much to learn which is really fun and exciting to think about, but I didn’t want to just lay everything out in the first couple of chapters: 1) because that can be overwhelming and 2) because it’s gonna be way more fun hearing ppl’s input and theories on where things go from here and what things have happened in the past.

I really want to thank y’all for the positive reception to the first chapter! Please don’t hesitate to leave reviews and/or hop into my inbox to chat about the story. I hope y’all enjoyed Ch. 02. Thanks so much for reading! Please like, reblog and share!

P.S. Y’all notice there’s a SOA character I haven’t mentioned yet? 👀

Taglist: @drabbles-mc @ocfairygodmother @youlovetkay @est1887

[biggest-stupidhead]

Never Ready

Summary: “It’s not like I’m ready to take her in.”

“And I was ready for you? Kid, nobody is ever ready for things like this. That doesn’t mean they don’t happen.” Levi is faced with the difficult decision of taking in his newly orphaned cousin. But he can't do it alone.You're a newly graduated college student looking to make some extra cash, but get more than you originally bargained for...

Word Count: 2.3K 

--

The day had started just like any other day. He woke up early and worked out before making himself a small breakfast of tea and an English muffin with some jam. Then he got dressed for work in one of his perfectly tailored suits. His routine was flawless, perfected over many years to allow him to seamlessly slip from one task into the next. He arrived one full hour before work actually began so that he could organize his desk and get a jump on the day’s cleaning. He liked working in a clean environment, if this step was missed (or really any of them for that matter), his entire day was thrown off. 

And today was one of those days. About four minutes before the office officially opened, Levi got a phone call. He had the phone wedged between his ear and his shoulder as he finished wiping down his desk with a clorox wipe. 

“We regretfully inform you that your cousin and his wife were involved in an armed robbery.” 

He froze at this, his eyes narrowing as the woman waited for his response. 

“What was stolen?” He asked before continuing to wipe down the surface. 

“Sir…” The woman spoke slowly and Levi began to lose his patience. 

“Listen, I appreciate the phone call but quite honestly I don’t have time for this.” He said bitterly as he disposed of the wipe. 

“This is very important sir, your cousin, and his wife were both murdered in the process.” The woman informed him and his blood ran cold. Although he had never been close with his extended family, the news was still tragic. 

“I see,” Levi grumbled as a boulder seemed to settle in the pit of his stomach. 

“I’m calling regarding their daughter, Mikasa. Seeing that Mr. Ackerman was an only child, as was Mrs. Ackerman, and their parents have passed, you and your uncle are her next of kin.” The woman continued as Levi sank into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What do we need to do?” Levi sighed as he closed his eyes, waiting patiently for her response. 

“You have a few options, either of you could gain full parental rights to her, or she will become a ward of the state.” Some shuffling could be heard on her end of the line and Levi felt his heart rate spike. For a time in his own life, he had been thrown into the system, that was until his own uncle had gained custody after sobering up. 

“I understand,” Levi grumbled, watching as his coworkers set about their daily business as he was dealing with this unforeseen issue. 

“The decision doesn’t need to be made immediately of course. I strongly encourage that the two of you discuss this at length. The funeral is this Thursday, Mikasa and myself will be there and we can talk in greater depth then.” The sound of a keyboard clacking filled the short silence as he considered what an appropriate response would be. 

“I’ll...get back to you.” He leaned forward in his seat and clicked on his calendar, crossing out the lengthy list of tasks and replacing it with, FUNERAL. 

“Thank you, and sorry for your loss.” He hung up the phone and reclined back into his seat. This was quite possibly the biggest disruption he would ever face in his life. He hated that his cousin and his shitty wife had left this burden to rest on his shoulders. But upon further thought, his own mother had done the same thing to his uncle. You know what they say: history repeats itself. 

It seemed that as soon as he had set the phone down, it rang. His uncle’s contact lit up his screen and he let it ring three times before picking it up. 

“Did ya hear?” Kenny’s deep voice crackled over his speaker and Levi grunted. 

“Yeah, just got off of the phone with the social worker,” Levi informed him and Kenny hummed deeply. 

“What do you think?” He pressed and Levi felt his annoyance increase by tenfold. 

“I think that it’s a load of shit. And you?” Levi asked as he crossed his legs under his desk. 

“Same here.” Kenny agreed. 

“It’s not ideal, but we can’t let her go into foster care,” Kenny grumbled and Levi hummed his agreement. Kenny was right, even if she was distantly related, Mikasa was still a part of their family. 

“So are you going to take custody then?” Levi scoffed, knowing damn well that Kenny was pushing fifty and had a chronic case of bad arthritis. 

“Hell no, I’ve done my part by raising you.” Kenny laughed bitterly and Levi’s expression soured. 

“It’s not like I’m ready to take her in.” Levi countered and Kenny let out another bark of laughter. 

“And I was ready for you? Kid, nobody is ever ready for things like this. That doesn’t mean they don’t happen.” Kenny chuckled mirthfully as Levi shifted in his seat. He knew that Kenny was right, and he knew from the moment that the social worker had said that Mikasa needed someone, that it would be him taking her. 

“I’ll need to get a bigger place then.” Levi sighed his fingers rubbing tight circles over his temple as he thought of his bachelor-sized apartment. 

“Damn straight.” Kenny chuckled as Levi shot a look at the clock, it was nearly twenty minutes into the workday already. 

“Look, I’m at work. I’ll talk to you on Thursday at the funeral.” 

“See you then.” Kenny hung up and Levi let out a long exhale. His week was off to a terrible start. 

--

In movies, funerals are usually held in dreary weather. But today was almost too beautiful for a funeral. It was late January and the ground was covered in a thick blanket of sparkling snow. As the coffins were lowered into the two holes the social worker held Mikasa on her hip. She was only four, and there was no way that she could fully grasp what had happened. Levi stood with his hands shoved deep inside of his pockets. 

Kenny stood off to his left, a large distance between the two of them. There couldn’t have been more than seven people here, Levi assumed that they were friends of the family. The other attendees came up to him before and gave their condolences to Levi and Kenny, who both said nothing in return. The service was quick, Levi and Kenny had opted out of paying more than what the state offered. In Kenny’s own words, “Dead is dead, no fancy funeral is going to help them now.” 

To some, it may seem heartless, but it was the way that the family coped with death. Once the funeral was over, Kenny and Levi joined the service worker to get a cup of coffee in a nearby cafe. She had passed Mikasa off to a brunette woman before leaving the cemetery. Levi assumed that she was the foster woman that they had placed her with, or possibly a family friend. 

“So, I understand that you wish to gain custody?” Michelle was a middle-aged woman with graying hair and prominent wrinkles on her forehead. As she flipped through files that were spread across the table Levi nodded as he sipped his tea. 

“That’s correct,” Levi affirmed and she nodded before spinning the paperwork so that he could read the form. 

“I’m sure that you understand that this is no small commitment.” She spoke as she passed him a pen. He scoffed and began initialing and signing where necessary. 

“Of course,” Levi grunted before flipping the page. 

“Before you can gain full custody, the state will need to see some changes in your lifestyle, for starters, you’ll need to move within her current school district and continue to hold a steady job.” 

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Levi mumbled, pausing to read the paper before signing. 

“Excellent, once these needs are met, she can be placed under your care,” Michelle informed as Levi skimmed over the page. 

“Anything else?” Levi asked as he signed the last form presented to him. 

“Not at this time, I’m sure that you’re well versed in most of our policies, seeing that the two of you went through a similar process.” Michelle continued as she neatly returned the papers to their folder. 

“Yes.” Levi agreed as he brought his cup back to his lips. Kenny had been silent for most of the exchange. If Levi was being honest, he was relieved to have him there, even if he wasn’t contributing. 

“Great, we’ll be in touch then.” Michelle smiled tensely before excusing herself, leaving Kenny and Levi alone at the table. Kenny finished his coffee and stood up, stretching with a loud groan. 

“Well, I’m off to the office,” Kenny said with a short wave behind his shoulder. Levi watched him go, feeling a strange sense of dread settle into his gut. It all felt so surreal, even if he was thirty and most of his peers were already parents themselves, he still felt unprepared. It was just like Kenny had said, nothing could prepare him to take on this role. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t his to take, and he would be damned if he let Mikasa get thrown into the foster care system. 

Levi set to work on finding a house in the district that the social worker had given him. He had never been a fan of suburbs, but at this time it was all that he could afford. So he found a decent house with four bedrooms, one for himself, one for Mikasa one for guests, and a final for a study. He was lucky enough to have a decent job, and a respectable grasp on his finances, it took him a week to finalize the buy, but in the end, he was glad that he did. 

He had been meaning to get out of his stuffy apartment anyway, (or so he reasoned with himself), he moved his belongings out of his downtown apartment in less than a week. Once the house was effectively moved into, he then began the tedious process of preparing Mikasa’s things. He started by doing research on what four-year-olds needed and then set about buying the necessities. He felt out of place as he shopped through Target in the little girl’s section, buying bedding and such. But he got the job done, he knew that she had to have some clothes, and decided that he’d cross that bridge when he got there. 

It was the night before Michelle was scheduled to visit, and Levi had invited Hange over for a drink. Hange had nosed around for about an hour, acquainting herself with Levi’s new space and gushing when she saw the modest room that he had prepared for Mikasa. 

“I can’t believe that you’re actually going through with this!” Hange cooed as she sat on the small bed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked defensively as he propped himself on the doorframe. Honestly, he had been avoiding this room, it felt that if he acknowledged the space, the heavier the weight of the situation crushed his chest. 

“I just...never thought that you liked kids. But I’m really proud of you.” Hange beamed as she smoothed out the pink comforter as she stood. 

“What made you think that I didn’t like kids?” He scoffed as the pair left the room, he closed the door quietly behind them as they made their way into the kitchen. 

“Oh I don’t know, maybe I just made the assumption based on your obsession with cleanliness.” Hange waved her hand dismissively and Levi clicked his tongue as he poured two glasses of wine. 

“They are filthy.” Levi agreed as he brought the glass of red wine to his lips. 

“What’s she like?” Hange asked, wrapping her own fingers around her glass as she eagerly awaited his response. 

“....I haven’t met her.” Levi felt a wave of panic crash over his chest as Hange’s eyes widened. 

“Never?” Hange couldn’t hide her astonishment. 

“Never,” Levi said with a roll of his eyes. 

“You’re serious?” Hange pressed and Levi glared at her. 

“Do I ever joke about these things?” Levi snapped and she held her hands up in defeat. 

“I’m just surprised is all,” Hange mumbled before taking a long sip of her wine. 

“I wasn’t close with her parents,” Levi explained as he put the cork back on the bottle. 

“Well...maybe you should take some extra time off of work,” Hange suggested and Levi sighed deeply. 

“I can’t, I’ve already taken off more than I planned.” Levi sat on the barstool next to Hange and she swiveled to face him, their knees knocking against each other. 

“But this is not something that you take lightly Levi. She’s a four-year-old girl who lost both of her parents. She’s going to need a lot of attention.” Hange looked concerned and Levi’s expression soured. 

“I understand that, but my job is-” 

“Is not your priority anymore. Have you thought about what you’re going to do for childcare yet? She’s too young for school. Or at least not full days.” Hange interrupted. 

“So I’ll put her in daycare, or preschool.” Levi shrugged and Hange pursed her lips. 

“That could work, but don’t you usually stay late at the office?” Hange pressed and Levi chewed on the inside of his cheek guiltily. 

“Maybe you should consider getting a nanny. Plenty of my student’s nanny, I could give you some good recommendations.” She offered before lifting her glass to her lips. 

“Maybe…” Levi suddenly felt way in over his head, if all went well in the morning, then Mikasa would be sent his way in nearly a week. 

“I’ll ask around on Monday,” Hange said, reaching out to pat his shoulder. For once, he didn’t shy away. 

[i-need-air]

I just read your nsfw Hybrid with Bakugou and it's SOOO PERFECT. So, I was thinking, imagine this: Relationships between hybrids and humans are still frowned upon and one of your co-workers begins to disturb you about dating Katsuki. You are annoyed, but you don't tell Bakugou until one day your co-worker tries to harass you (kiss you, pull your clothes off) saying "you shouldn't be with that damn DOG". You run away and come home crying and sobbing over and over. Giiirl, Bakugou will go FERAL. ❤

I'm so glad you liked it 💗💗💗💗💗 Yes, god, Bakugou would indeed be F E R A L indeed; ok, i started writing it and I somehow progressed this story further. MORE LORE TO HYBRID!BAKU. I also went with the flow, got very carried away and gave it a different ending to what you suggested, so I really hope you don't mind. 😅 It just happened, maybe made it darker than it should've been, oop—, BUT everything works out.

Warnings: mentions of attempted sexual assault;

Word count: 1.8k or so, I just keep adding stuff 💀;

[ Masterlist ] [ Part 1 and Part 2 of General Hybrid!Bakugou HCs. ]

× you weren't really hiding it because it was legal, yet some [ many ] were judgemental about it

× you also weren't publicly proclaiming it but whatever, that didn't stop you from putting a picture of Katsuki playfully biting your cheek as wallpaper on your phone

× one of your co-workers, Albert, was somewhat pushy

× while you got along with everyone and had an okay relationship with them, he wasn't part of your friends group

× yet you always found him near you everywhere, to which you paid no mind

× it was once he looked over your shoulder when you unlocked your phone to see that picture, and Katsuki's sandy ears could be seen

× again, you didn't hide it so when he asked who was that you just said your boyfriend

× "Uhm, your boyfriend is a... hybrid?" he asked making a face; that's when you knew Albert had to stay away for real

× you just smiled and minded your own business

× but throughout the days he kept dropping comments about, his attitude even pushier than before and you realized talking to him about it wouldn't help

× "is he any better than a normal man?"

× "like... I don't get it, [Y/N], he's a dog..." he'd whisper at you while on lunch break, baffled expression on his face

× you gave him a look of disgust, getting up from the table and going somewhere else; why the hell was he following you around?

× "seriously, tell me, is it the sex?" Albert asked hours later, following you to the exit, unaware of your absolutely uncomfortable responses as you quickened your steps, but he grabbed you by the arm, surprising you with his strength

× "if it's just the sex you better know there are some men, real men out there that can take good care of you, [Y/N]."

× you had to raise your voice for him to let go of you since heads started to turn towards both of you

× "Just drop it, Albert, it's none of your business!" you said before turning to leave

× when you walked through your apartment door you were rattled

× Katsuki walked through the door just as you prepared yourself a tea, shaking slightly, frown on your face

× "Hey, what's up?" he eyed you and sniffed the air, feeling you nervous, cup of tea almost spilling everywhere; "Hey, hey, hey, give me that. [Y/N], seriously, are you ok?"

× "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." you lied and he knew, it was obvious even if you pretended everything was dandy

× on the other side you didn't want to make him worry or anything, Albert was just annoying and hopefully he now understood where he was standing

× but Bakugou Katsuki ain't having it, babe, nuh-huh

× he didn't say anything else about it that day though, just acted as normal but prepared your favorite dinner and a warm bath for you

× the next day he decided to pick you up from work by just arriving there half an hour earlier and see if something is really up, to make sure you're fine and the issue is from there

× he'd have to walk there from his job and then you'd both drive home and it wasn't a problem as he'd do overtime some other day;;

× what he did not expect was to hear your scream of help from the wooden area behind the parking lot in your office building

× let's go back in time for context;

× you walked out of work in a rush, finishing earlier than anyone else, car as your destination just ready to bolt home; Albert was eyeing you funny the whole day but stayed behind, so you didn't know if to feel worried or relieved

× as you walked to your car and pulled your keys, someone smashed you against the door

× "ungrateful bitch" you recognized the voice instantly and froze

× before you could open your mouth he put his palm on it and dragged you somewhere

× you dropped everything on the cement, bag, keys, phone...

× of course you were putting a fight but he was strong

× "I tried to be nice, sweeheart—" he mumbled while struggling to drag you into the wooden area

× "I told you, yeah? You shouldn't be with that damned mutt!" he pushed you unto a tree, making his first and last mistake, because he freed your mouth

× "HELP!" you screamed while he started grabbing your clothes, ripping sounds could be heard

× "I'm gonna have to show you what a real man can give you—"

× and as if planets aligned, in a blurr, Bakugou Katsuki appeared, jumping straight on him and knocking him out instantly, a loud crack deafening your ears

× Katsuki was shaking in anger

× he barely could control his body, his eyes were bloodshot and he had the most feral scowl you'd ever seen on him

× you just trembled in place, grabbing your clothes to cover yourself as you could

× Albert groaned on the floor, twisting his body to turn around and see what attacked him and in a broken speech, blood coming out of his mouth, he attempted to swear, but Bakugou's growl made him freeze in realization

× he was about to pounce again, any self-control leaving his mind when you hugged him tight

× in your arms you could feel his ragged breath, a deep continuous growl still coming from within his chest

× at this point some other people heard your cries too and called the police

× meanwhile you tried to calm him down because you felt he wanted to murder that son of a bitch

× intention was clear in his eyes, even Albert stood there terrified, broken jaw forgotten as he tattered on the floor like a weak animal

× "If you ever fucking dare to look in [Y/N]'s direction again I will find you—" he said and you shivered, holding him even more tightly "—I will kill you." he tried to take a step further but you wouldn't let him "And I'll make sure your body is never found."

× sirens could be heard in the distance and after that everything passed fastly

× they took Albert away, who was muttering scrawled stuff, and took both of your statements

× much to everyone's surprise they didn't cuff Bakugou [ 💖because we live in a society💖 ] so that was a good thing;

× although you did have to go to the station; they found security camera footage of the attempted assault, which Katsuki had to watch and almost erupted in rage yet again

× but it all came to an end when you got home, both absolutely silent

× he was huffing and walking around the place, shoulders tense and hands fisted into balls

× just to distract himself he started cleaning around the house and not looking at you, while you still stood there with his jacket on staring at him

× it wasn't until he finally looked at you when he really took in your state

× until now you behaved exemplary, calming him down, giving a statement, just acting strong

× yet once you reached the comfort of your own home you just couldn't take it any longer

× tears were falling on your face, you were shaking in place at the entrance, hugging his jacket close to your body as if it were your salvation and you just watched him

× it dawned on him how his rage took over him so hard that he couldn't focus on anything else, not even your heartbeat, your scent, your breath

× in an instant he was all over you, hugging you tight and lifting you up

× "I got you, baby, you're safe now." He'd whisper in your ear as you'd pull him closer

× he'd prepare you a warm bath and never leave your side while whispering sweet nothings to you

× "I'm never leaving out of my sight again, do you understand?"

× "I'll kill him if he ever comes close to you."

× "You're safe." he'd say as pulled you into him

× you spent the following days at home as you were granted emergency leave from work and found out the bastard was, of course, fired and prosecuted

× it would've been a lengthy process but from there on some things changed between you

× he'd walk to your job from his, even changed his work hours to fit yours, and you'd go home together, for starters

× his behaviour changed and even if he still gave you the Special Bakugou Attitude, he was gentler and sometimes you'd catch him looking at you like you're the most precious thing ever

× he wouldn't really word it at first but seeing you like that and finding out it was basically because of him really fucked him up

× it would take you to remind him that it's not his fault he's a hybrid, you always want to be with him, you don't care what he is really and the only one to blame was Albert

× [ he'd growl whenever his name would be mentioned ]

× anyway, remember, he needs to be held just as much as you do and that guilt will take some time to wash away; you got each other's back and that's what mattered at the end of the day

× but the weirdest thing was, as you went to the police station some more times, Bakugou somehow impressed the Captain, Tsunadu Hakamada:

× "That dude reeks of cocaine." he'd scowl and point with a sharp glare at this cuffed man sitting in a corner, making you look at him in wonder

× "How do you—"

× "Excuse me, did I hear that correctly?" someone said behind you, making you turn towards a tall blond man in uniform watching your boyfriend curiously

× "Hah?"

× low and behold, he's the captain of the precinct and asked Bakugou to come by any other day noting it would be a pretty great opportunity that would benefit both

× [ and after some attitude and snide comments from Katsuki, he agreed ]

× you went through a lot in a few weeks, like the trauma you'd both have to work through together but one good thing that came out of this situation apart from putting a piece of shit in jail was that Bakugou was offered a position as a special officer in the precinct as long as he went through the academy as anyone else would

× people were starting to see the value of hybrids and the Captain wasn't one to let go of such an opportunity

× things were progressing little by little and it gave you hope for a better tomorrow with Katsuki by your side.

Notes: For those that don't know, Tsunadu Hakamada is Best Jeanist.

[howisavedtheworld]

enough | hanamaki takahiro

genre: heavy angst to fluff, a *lil* bittersweet lmao, timeskip!hanamaki takahiro x fem!reader/gn!reader, established relationship

warnings pls pls read: money problems, cursing littered in a lot of places, mentions of feelings like depression, exhaustion, loneliness, crying, etc., blood mentioned *once* (it’s from a callus, it is nothing extreme but i want to state it explicitly anyways) if there’s anything else brought to my attention ill fix accordingly

a/n: hi!!!! it’s been like two weeks since i’ve posted, i’ve been in a slump, but i’m going to genuinely try to be more consistent and kind to myself abt wat i create! also every thing i’ve ever written on here is ib my personal experiences

heads up tho, i havent read the manga and this is just my dramatized take on his life post-time skip and certain things may be inaccurate 

enjoy!

also proofread at 4 am lol

wc: 1385

PLS GIVE THIS FIC A CHANCE ITS NOT ALL SAD I PROMISE

                                               -

if hanamaki takahiro were to say he’s “tired,” one would deem it a grave understatement.

he’s not just tired.

he’s drained.

for starters, he’s worked three back to back shifts and it was barely reaching wednesday. monday at the deli was tough, considering he spent twelve straight hours packaging and stocking prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches and arranging bags of kettle-cooked chips by flavor across the aisles of the store.

tuesday was even harder, the double shift at the restaurant hitting his already fatigued body like a brick. it was tiring enough to run around speedily clearing dishes and wiping down tables for six hours but it was absolute overkill to then spend the entire night cleaning the restaurant and prepping it for the morning crew.

6:39 am.

that was when takahiro finally left the restaurant, forcing his sluggish sore limbs to make the trek to the train station for the long ride back home.

in truth, the word “tired” barely even scratched the surface.

but he needed the money.

he needed it badly.

bills were always lingering on the brim of takahiro’s mind: the rent, the light bill, the water, the electricity. it left with him the constant urge to move, to work, to always be on the lookout for his next paycheck.

and of course, this wasn’t the best arrangement nor was it the life he’d hoped for.

of course, regret encompassed him, bound itself to his very being.

he wished he went pro after his glory days at aoba johsai, that he’d tried a little harder to be something. maybe then he’d have the opportunity to play in argentina, to travel the world, or to get signed by a sports brand just for the sake of it.

of course, he always felt a pang of jealousy for the ones that made it big.

even the ones who didn’t.

the ones with stable incomes, who could sustain themselves with only one job, who owned compact sized cars, who could actually save a single dime with hopes of eventually going on vacation.

deep down, he was jealous of them, too.

and he wondered, as he finally stepped foot on the train heading north, feeling the ache in his heels settle, if this would ever feel like enough.

if working two jobs back to back would ever amount to any feeling of satisfaction, if it was okay that he would only ever be remembered as the guy who didn’t go pro, who never got his degree, who was barely getting by.

he really didn’t think so.

because how could it be enough?

how could he have nothing to show for the life he lived?

sometimes, takahiro felt almost as if he was cursed. that life had dealt him the worst of cards just to see him crack underneath the pressure.

a lot of times, he did.

he had his fair share of low moments: the time he found himself shedding tears in the back of the deli, hiding behind loaves of rye bread and cold cuts hoping nobody would catch him.

or the time he bandaged his own bleeding foot by himself at the restaurant because his calluses broke open and everyone else was simply too busy to help.

in these moments, hanamaki felt so alone.

as if the world had forgotten him, had continued to spin on its axis, leaving him alone to figure out its rotation.

in these moments, he really just wanted to run away from it all.

to quit his jobs and just disappear for some time.

but he couldn’t.

because hanamaki takahiro had also learned that in every shitty day or moment, there was a flip side.

there had to be a sliver of hope in the midst of darkness.

7:32 am. 

that was when hanamaki got home.

he stood for a moment, fumbling with various receipts and trinkets in his pocket before he finding his keys and opening the door.

it was quiet. 

he could only hear the whirr of the shaky air conditioner and the hum of morning birds outside the bay windows of the living room. he took one step inside, wincing at the ache in his legs and sharp jab of pain up his spine.

locking the door behind him, he slipped off his shoes before the silence was broken.

“baby?” your soft sleepy voice rang through the apartment, making his body jump.

he was sure you’d be sleeping by now.

“hey, babe.” he let out a exhale of relief that you were the source of noise. “sorry if i woke you.” 

you sat up from your position laying on the couch, shaking your head incessantly while wiping the grog from your eyes.

“no,” you quickly spoke. “i was waiting for you.”

his heart skipped a beat looking at you, your eyes half-lidded from exhaustion with dark circles underneath them, your hair completely disheveled from your awkward sleeping position on the couch, and you wore his old seijoh jersey that was too large and slipped down your shoulders, the hem falling just above your knees.

you looked at him, offering a soft smile before beckoning him over to you. “work must’ve fucking sucked, c’mere.”

and you were so right.

it was awful.

he took lengthy strides over to you before dropping onto the couch, his head finding its way to your lap.

your fingers instinctively reached to stroke his soft locks and he sighed, leaning into your touch.

“are you hungry?” you murmured. “i made udon earlier. it’s cold now so you’ll have to warm it up.”

he was hungry, desperately so after not having a moment to get even a small snack in at work, but he wanted to stay here for just a little longer, pressed into you, feeling the pads of your fingers against his scalp, smelling your conditioner and listening to the softness of your voice.

he shook his head, and you laughed, knowingly nodding. “okay, you can eat it later.”

“how was work for you?” he questioned, eyes fluttering closed at serenity of the moment.

you hummed, fingers still locked into his hair. “shitty. you know, usual bullshit with customers. but i think with my next paycheck, we’ll make the rent.”

his eyes snapped open to look up at you, and you were staring down at him, an excited smile on your face when you locked eyes.

and takahiro knew you had hopes and dreams, that you wanted to go back to school and get your degree and have a normal job, and eventually buy a house and car, and maybe have kids, but you always said that part wearily, claiming you both should start off the family off with a pet first.

he knew you wanted something different. you’d told him.

but even now, in this moment as he stared up at you, saddened by the fact that the future you hoped for was nowhere in sight, there was no inkling of disappointment in your eyes, no what-if, no questioning of if it was enough.

you looked at him like the life you had was all you’d ever asked for.

as if of course it was enough.

before he knew it, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

your eyes widened and you moved a hand to his cheek, wiping the tear away.

“i love you.” he stated, a few more lone tears sliding down his face.

your face softened before you squeezed his cheek with your hand.

“hey.” you beckoned him to sit up.

he followed, sitting up to face your frame on the couch. “don’t cry ‘cus we made the rent. there’s always other bills you can pay. if that’s what you’re worried about.”

and he laughed, nodding while tears spilled over his irises and he watched you through bleary eyes, wipe each one away and pull him into an embrace.

“i love you. you know that, right? i’ll always love you.”

hanamaki takahiro realized that in this lifetime, he doesn’t need a sports deal, or a compact car, or trips to argentina. even if life were to always be this hard, if he was always teetering on the in-between, if this was all the universe had to offer him, that was okay.

because it had granted him you.

and you, alone, were more than enough.

[supefcrged]

I think that I’ve pinpointed one of the problems I’ve had with my writing the last few years and that there’s a lot of vagueness in threads and set ups / starters - it probably stems from a fear of godmoding or being acused of godmoding but the lack of details for set up, location, wardrobe, just, all the things that help set the scene for me make it really hard for me to picture the scene and my character’s role in it.  I think it also stems from a lot of times when people prefer shorter things so I kept trimming and trimming until my writing just felt very flat to me and everything seemed the same regardless of what thread it was or what character it was, like, just recycling the same twenty words over and over.  I’m going to try and start incorporating in more of the things that help set scenes for me in my head and hope that it helps relight my creative spark and passion for the characters I love.  That being said, if my posts do get lengthy and you aren’t comfortable with long things, or don’t have the time or brain to match that’s okay.  I know it is possible to give a good reply in shorter bursts that still have the meat and potatoes necessary so as long as there’s enough for me to reply to I’m all good.  

That being said, partner has to be up several hours early for overtime before their normal shift for the next two weeks which will either be great or terrible for my writing brain.  I’m going to try and head to bed early, sorry I didn’t get anything done writing wise I’ve just had a really hard time lately and I was mulling it over this weekend and looking over some old replies, hence the ramble above.  I hope you guys are doing well, please feel free to come poke me anytime if you want to chat or plot.  I do love plot intensive threads I’m just terrible at reaching out to people and don’t always have a starting point so please if you’ve got one lmk.  I have a bit of uni work tomorrow but should be around to do some writing before/after (I don’t think it’ll take long)