#i owe him much financial compensation

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

"Ah, ah, ah I wouldn't do that if I were you"

But I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Nobody wants you.

Ted and Ari’s words rattled through Jamie’s head like thunderclaps as he walked from the Crown and Anchor. 

He should have known it was too much to think that one pass would’ve been enough to show Ted he had changed. Apparently, Ted meant all that winning isn’t everything shit he tossed around last season or he would have known Jamie would help them end their series of draws. Or maybe it was just more mind games. Or maybe Jamie just wasn’t good enough. 

Good enough on the pitch.

Good enough as a teammate.

Good enough as a person. 

Maybe he didn’t deserve a team. 

Maybe he was useless.

Maybe his father was right. 

Jamie hastily wiped a tear away he felt fall from his eye and willed his eyes to stop stinging. Too soft to take rejection of his own creation. 

“What the fuck did you think you were doing running off like that? For an ickle tv show? You think they’re going to sit around and wait for you? You think they’ll keep your seat on the bench warm? Christ, Jamie, you only played because they already had the title sewn up. You know you had to work harder to make it, but instead, you fucked off to Ibiza or wherever the fuck you were. What a waste of what little talent you have.”

That was the first voicemail. He shouldn’t have listened to it. And it defintiely shouldn’t have listened to the second.

“You think you can last one week working like I do? Cause now that Manchester City kicked you to the curb, you’re gonna need a real fucking job. All you can do is kick a fucking football around, Jamie. Too dumb, too weak to do anything else. Pathetic, that.”

He didn’t listen to the other fifteen messages his father had left for him. There probably would’ve been more but the mailbox filled before his father got a chance. Jamie regretted not blocking his father’s number when he left for Lust Conquers All, but part of him wanted to hear how angry Jamie made him. 

He should probably block it now that he was back in England and his father wasn’t a safe distance away in another country. Now that he was kicked off Lust Conquers All too. Jamie couldn’t even fuck right apparently. His strategy gone up in flames after jacuzzi sex with Denise. 

Now, no other team wanted him. Not even relegated Richmond wanted him. They would rather stay in the Championship than let Jamie Tartt back into the changing room.

Jamie couldn’t blame Ted. He only makes things worse. His Mum’s life, Keeley’s, hell there was no one at Richmond that was better for having spent time with him. His Mum would be better off without having to worry for him, without him holding her like an anchor, forever connected to James Tartt. Keeley was successful and happy without him.

“Watch where you’re going.”

Jamie hadn’t noticed the pair of men he bumped into until he bounced off the solid form of one of them. 

“Yeah, sorry, mate,” he mumbled, without looking up. 

“Aren’t you Jamie Tartt?”

That got his attention and his head snapped up to scan their faces. 

“Nah, just look like him,” Jamie deferred and tried to step around him. 

“Nah, I’d know that fucking face anywhere.”

Jamie tried again to step around to no avail, one forcibly moved his body in Jamie’s path. 

“Ah, ah, ah I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Jamie was so fucking sick of these two, of this night, of this week, of this fucking year, of his fucking life. 

He was done with it all.

“What the fuck you gonna do about it, pretty boy?” the other said, shoving Jamie roughly with two hands.

Jamie should’ve taken the time to realise both of these men were bigger than him in height and pure body weight. He’d lost muscle mass and strength already during his time on Lust Conquers All; he was skinner than he had been in years. He should’ve taken the time to realise he could turn heel and run, and neither of these fucks could have caught up with him. 

But Jamie didn’t take the time to think about any of that. 

Jamie punched one of the men instead. 

He was quick, dum dum one stumbled back caught unawares by the attack, holding his bleeding nose between his fists. Jamie was fast, but the other man was faster. Dum dum two’s fist connected with the side of Jamie’s jaw before he had time to react. His head whiplashed to the side, and the man followed it up with a punch to Jamie’s ribs. Jamie reared back an elbow, connecting with a crunch to dum dum number two’s nose. Jamie grinned, even as pain shot through his jaw. 

Dum dum one though was just reorienting himself and swung out at Jamie, who ducked it easily. Jamie came back up swinging, connecting with number one’s mouth, Jamie’s ring stinging as it bit into his skin, but Jamie knew from experience it would inflict more damage on the person on the other end. Dum dum two though had recovered enough to lower his body weight and tackle Jamie, american football style. 

The move startled Jamie, and he hit the pavement with an oomph as the air was violently pulled from his lungs. He was still coughing when a fist connected with his face, forcing his head to bounce forcibly off the pavement. A rough kick to his ribs had Jamie trying to curl in on himself, but the weight of number two was enough to keep him firmly on his back. 

“Take his wallet,” Jamie heard vaguely through his ringing ears. 

His hands instinctually went to his pocket, and he fought for hold with dum dum two. Eventually, he was overpowered, his wrists held in vice-like grips of number two as the other pulled the wallet roughly from his jeans. 

“Fuck off,” Jamie said, spitting at the one holding him down. 

A kick to his ribs met his futile act of resistance. Two, still straddling him, wiped hastily at his face. 

“You’re gonna pay for that, prick.”

Jamie spit at him again, bucking his hips, trying to throw the man off him before dum dum one plated a boot painfully on his shoulder. “Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

And as the rest of the hits rained down on him, like a downpour on a hot summer day, Jamie had just enough time to think at least he wouldn’t have to explain this to a coach before he lost consciousness.

(Outnumbered in a fight)

[00bread]

A dumb comic spawned from a conversation with @hinekosama

[xcherryerim]

Double The Fall, Triple The Pleasure

- Billy x Gn!reader x Derek -

“Merrier the more, triple fun that way. Twister on the floor, what do you say?” — 3 by Britney Spears

word count: 3.6k

SMUT ONE SHOT | MDNI | +18 ONLY

Warning: Threesome (this is a love corner with the reader, not a love triangle. I AM NOT shipping Josh characters together) | sexual tension | Penetration | Giving and receiving oral sex (no genitals specified for the reader) | Choking kink | Masturbation | Handjobs | Praise and degradation | Porn with plot | light mentions of vaping, alcohol and gambling addiction. | Reader is submissive btw | Derek is a possessive jealous fuck (but also a needy loser)

Summary: As you work your shift as a casino host Derek Danforth, the son of the co-owner, decides to begin a round of baccarat with a stranger named Billy. Somehow you end up participating in the game and emerge victorious, causing the two players to owe you financial compensation but, they end up repaying you in another way.

(if you want to go directly to the smut section look for the “✦ “ symbol.)

There are two distinct types of gamblers. The rich make hasty decisions with their money, while the desperate lot implore and pray to the machines and chips, hoping for a miraculous windfall of riches. 

As a casino host, your responsibility is to ensure that the patrons become loyal to the establishment; however, as a bystander, when a person who isn’t a part of the one percent plays, it’s impossible to hold back the feeling of regret. While you acknowledge you are fulfilling your obligation, you know it is easy to become engulfed by obsessing gambling, and you don’t wish that on anyone. 

However, you do not care if the rich pour their monetary possessions into the abyss, and you maintained that sentiment toward Derek Danforth, the son of one of the casino’s co-owners.

He wasn’t a regular at the establishment and gambled a little, but occasionally brought his friends to indulge in excessive drinking, and smoking while toying with machines. However, now he was by himself, which was unusual. 

“Mr. Danforth, it is a pleasure to have you back. Would you like your usual?” you inquired. “Huh?” A confused response erupted from his lips, his body lurching forward with a wobbly movement. The apparent intoxication exhibited by him appeared on the edge of his consciousness as he scanned the area once more.

“Yeah, and I want a table,” he uttered the request, with minimal confusion.

“Certainly. Would the others in your group be joining us this time?”

Derek shook his head, his body appearing unsteady as he did so. “No, just me.” 

“Oh, how so?” you questioned, your tone of voice maintaining professionalism as it did during work.

“Just bored,” he responded with a shrug, unbothered by the circumstances, even as you detected a hint of inebriation.

“Oh, indeed, a casino is the ideal way to take away boredom,” you remarked with a feigned professional tone, although the sarcasm in your words was all too obvious.

“Why don’t you join me for a round?” he inquired as he seated himself at the velvety green table, awaiting your response.

“I’m here to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and prevent any illegal behavior,” you replied, concealing your hostility and disdain for a facade of civility.

“I am not a participant, but a spectator, Mr. Danforth,” you concluded, using a firm tone with a mild undertone of mockery.

“You don’t seem to have much enjoyment yourself,” Derek said as he inhaled from the vape he held, the vapor surrounding you before dissipating into the atmosphere.

“I’ve said it once, and I’ll repeat it. Drop that professional speech style. We’re around the same age, so why do you still feel the need to communicate with me like this?” he stated, sounding frustrated with continuing your formal conduct.

“If I speak like I do, I will get fired for unprofessionalism.” You retorted as you prepared the negroni and handed it over to him.

“I won’t allow that to happen,” he replied, taking in a generous sip from the glass before continuing his words. “You’re too hot to lose.”

You felt uncertain about whether to offer a genuine response to his flirtation or simply scoff at it, and you began to silently pray that he would not launch into another lecture about cryptocurrency, which had become an irksome topic of conversation during your prior interactions. 

“Thank you, Mr. Danforth. It means a lot.” You spoke, avoiding direct visual contact to avoid any implications or insinuations. While you acknowledge that he is a physically attractive man, the irritation he can induce within you is bigger than your attraction for him, or at least that is what you try to tell yourself.

“I’m assuming a solo round?” You mentioned shifting the subject. 

“Not quite...” he replied, his gaze examining the environment until he managed to pinpoint the individual of interest, a man around his same height, adorned with dark-toned hair and a jean jacket, giving an out-of-place demeanor compared to the ambiance of this prestigious gambling establishment, thus providing a vulnerable and susceptible target.

Derek walked with confidence as he had already won the game. “Hello, I’m Derek, Derek Danforth,” he proclaimed, displaying his self-assured attitude and firm grip as he shook hands with the stranger, showcasing his superiority complex.

“Billy, and yeah, I will join you.” The individual stated this with assertiveness, grasping tightly onto his gold necklace, an item he viewed as his lucky charm.

In your inner thoughts, you were fervently hoping that the gentleman with the cowboy-esque appearance would end up victorious and leave the premises swiftly and promptly. You were aware that the significant bets Derek had made in the past were so large that they could obliterate the finances of a person with the speed of light. 

“Billy would join me for a game,” Derek proclaimed as he settled into his designated seat.

“Billy, we’re delighted to have you here with us,” you uttered, the corners of your mouth rising into a pitiful smile, yet the individual seemed to have construed your gesture as a sign of flirtatious intent as he provided a subtle wink in response.

A palpable aura of awkwardness permeated the atmosphere between you and Derek, his displeasure at the sight of another man attempting to flirt with you becoming evident despite every attempt to mask his emotions on the matter. Regardless of the discomfort of the situation, it was undeniable that you experienced a certain degree of gratification and joy as you had the attention of both men.

“So, shall we begin?” you spoke, skillfully shuffling the deck with precision, as well as showcasing a few unique tricks you had acquired throughout your time spent working at the casino. You felt their eyes taking in every choreographed performance, their minds filled with various ideas and fantasies of what else someone with such masterful hands might also possess the aptitude for.

 As the game began, your eyes were filled with anxiousness as you carefully followed the steps and maneuvers that had taken place in the game of Baccarat. The interior sound of your mind urges Billy to take all the appropriate actions to win, but unfortunately, he falls short in his efforts.

Derek chuckled in mockery. “Maybe next round you can win.” 

Billy groaned in annoyance at Derek’s comment, his attention quickly turning towards you. “Why don’t you play with us?” Billy asked.

“I don’t,” you started to say, but Derek interrupted your response by uttering, “Do as I say and play.” 

The harsh look delivered by the wealthy individual in question prompted a sense of apprehension and caution within you, but you were compelled to oblige the order. 

Despite never playing, you were sure that you had a chance of winning, as you had taken the time to observe numerous matches, making you able to identify and comprehend the various mistakes and errors that tended to occur, as well as what appeared to be successful. However, the extreme bets that Derek was making and Billy’s persistent attempts to one-up them caused you a moderate degree of concern, but you tried to maintain a state of composure. 

✦

When the game came to a close, seeing both men so sure of your failure just for you to end up winning at the end was ecstatic. Now you understand why people loved gambling in the first place. Your smirk quickly fades as you let go of the cards as if holding them down would make you more intoxicated with the high these activities had to offer. 

Derek grunted, a sound oozing with a subtle tinge of frustration as he pulled out his lousy Gucci wallet. “Is cash fine or a check?” He asked slightly annoyed. Billy, on the other hand, looked at the table, his eyes darting back and forward.

“I don’t; I don’t have that type of money.” He stuttered as he looked at you. 

“Mmh,” You leaned closer. “Maybe you could pay in another way.” You teased playfully, indicating your intent to pursue a physical means of compensation. 

 “And suddenly I have no money either. How sad.” Derek said, hiding his wallet, hoping to provide you with a similar recompense as the one you sought from Billy. 

“The expression goes: save a horse, ride a cowboy, not: save a Ferrari, ride a rich man.” You chuckled in response. 

“But wouldn’t both be great to ride?” Derek replied, his expression exuding self-assurance as he took a swig from his beverage.

You quickly looked at Billy, who didn’t seem to mind the offer. You,  on the other hand, were skeptical, but how many people win a game and have the opportunity to be fucked by two attractive guys?

“Alright!” you exhale, a hint of satisfaction coloring your voice as you reach into your pocket and retrieve the keys entrusted to you by the establishment. With a decisive click, you lock the door to the cleaning supply room behind you, effectively sealing off the space from prying eyes. 

When you turned in their direction, you felt their hands roaming against your body. Their fingers traveled the contours of your figure, triggering sensations that surged down the length of your spine, evoking chills and shivers. Billy pulls your head, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss, his tongue dancing with yours in a sensual duet. His hands slide beneath your shirt, exploring the warmth of your bare skin, while Derek’s lips trail down your neck, nibbling as he leaves a trail of goosebumps in their wake. 

Derek’s hands work swiftly to unfasten the buttons of your uniform, revealing more of your body with every movement. He does this with a sense of urgency as if he cannot get enough of touching you. The sound of fabric rustling fills the air, accompanied by soft moans escaping your lips as their touches become more intimate and bold. 

With Billy’s assistance, you manage to wriggle out of your dress pants, your legs quivering with anticipation as they continue to explore every inch of your exposed skin. Derek moves lower, his lips brushing against your belly button before trailing further south, stopping briefly at the waistband of your underwear. He looks up at you, seeking permission with his eyes alone. You nod, unable to resist the intense desire that is building within you. 

With renewed determination, Derek hooks his thumbs under the elastic band and slides them downward. His eyes widen in surprise at what he sees—you’re dripping and ready for him. Without waiting for confirmation, he leans forward, planting a series of open-mouthed kisses along your inner thighs. Then, his tongue starts to trace slow circles around your sensitive flesh. His actions send waves of euphoria coursing through your body, making you squirm in delight. 

While Derek worships your body, making sure to not leave any part of you without licks and sucks, Billy takes matters into his own hands quite literally. He expertly undoes his belt, wrapping it around your neck and tightening it just enough to heighten your senses without cutting off your airway entirely, adding an edge of danger to this already erotic encounter.

Billy then proceeds to remove his red boxers, revealing his rigid erection pulsating with need. It jumps slightly at the sudden exposure, eager to be touched. He grasps your hand and places it around his twitching cock, guiding your movements as he leans in for a brief, passionate kiss.

“Get your money’s worth,” he whispers against your lips, his smirk widening as he watches you. 

With urgency, you begin to tease the head of Billy’s cock with your thumb, tracing its ridges and veins as if mapping out every inch. Your other hand teases Billy’s shaft rhythmically, setting a pace that pleases both of you. The room fills with the sounds of your whimpers and his groans, a testament to the intense fulfillment coursing through your bodies.

At the same time, Derek’s hunger grows as he feasts on the throbbing between your legs, his skilled tongue and lips working together to bring you to the brink of ecstasy. His light whimpers echo throughout the small space, punctuating the air with his insatiable craving.

“You’d better be quiet if you don’t want to get caught,” Derek warns, concerned about someone hearing their explicit activities. With a swift motion, he yanks the belt tied around your neck, causing you to cry out in surprise and pain. 

Your breath catches in your throat as the sudden pressure cuts off your oxygen flow. When he releases the hold, you gasp heavily.

“You liked that, huh?” he asks with a sinister smirk, reading your flushed cheeks and labored breathing. 

“Maybe I should get you a collar so you don’t forget who you belong to.” His words carry an underlying threat as if claiming ownership over you. Without waiting for a verbal response, he stands up, towering over you menacingly.

Derek reaches out, grabbing your chin forcefully, tilting your head back so your eyes meet his. “Because you fucking belong to me, remember that.” 

Despite the fear and uncertainty swirling within you, there’s also a strange thrill running through you at his possessiveness, causing you to let out a whine. 

Your weak sound made Derek smirk in amusement. His teeth were barely visible. Then, he resumes to his past attitude. 

“I’m tired of you bitching and moaning.” Derek said, “Get on your knees.” His command is firm, leaving no room for negotiation. You obey without question, kneeling before him and Billy. Their cocks are mere inches from your face, and the lines between reality and fantasy blur even further.

Their presence looms large over you; their virility and masculinity are intoxicating in this dimly lit room. Your mouth waters at the sight of their hardened members, yearning to taste them and to please them in any way possible. 

Both men watch you intently, their eyes filled with expectation and fascination. You can practically see the thought process playing out in their minds: who will you serve first? Who will you satisfy last? 

With a deep, shaky inhale, you lean forward, your lips brushing softly against the tip of Billy’s erect member. Your tongue darts out to taste the salty droplets of pre-cum glistening on its surface, savoring the flavor while your hand wraps firmly around Derek’s shaft, moving up and down with increasing speed, this motion is both a show of submission and a subtle act of rebellion, aiming to push him closer to the edge. 

Derek’s moans increase in volume, his hips bucking involuntarily in response to your aggressive stroke as his eyes roll back. The pain of overstimulation mingles with satisfaction, creating a complex mix of emotions that only adds to the overall experience.

Meanwhile, Billy’s gaze is a mix of awe and hunger, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The contrast between your two lovers couldn’t be more apparent—one nearing orgasm, the other waiting with bated panting for his chance. But Billy isn’t content with waiting; he wants to join in the action too.

Suddenly, he grabs the collar around your neck, tugging it firmly and forcing your mouth wide open to accept his entire length. You struggle to accommodate Billy’s girth, your throat adjusting to the invasion as best it can. Saliva drips from your chin, coating your neck and body as you fight to keep up with his demands.

“You know, for such a professional-looking host, you’re taking it like a fucking slut.” 

You want to answer back at Billy’s words but, the sensation of being mouthful by his engorged member is overwhelming, but you refuse to give up. Determined to please both men, you focus on taking him deeper, and your efforts are rewarded by his low growls of approval. Meanwhile, Derek watches with a mix of jealousy and admiration, pulsating in anticipation as your strokes become sloppier on him. 

“Touch yourself,” Billy commands. Without hesitation, you use your free left hand to explore your own body, mirroring the sensations he experiences.

Your eyes lock with his, reflecting your admiration for this astounding man standing before you, dominating and directing your every move.

Your fingers caress your sensitive skin, discovering the wetness left by Derek’s earlier attentions. You moan around Billy’s shaft, the sensation intensifying as you stroke yourself in sync with your mouth’s movements. 

Billy’s eyes darken with desire, his grip on your ‘collar’ tightening slightly. “That’s it,” he encourages, spurring you on.

“Swallow every fucking drop,” he orders, his words sending a shiver down your spine. Sweat glistens on your brow, and your gasps come in ragged as you redouble your efforts, eager to satisfy him and prove your loyalty while you pleasure yourself and bob your head on Billy’s dick.

Derek watches hungrily, his length pulsating in your hand, as he impatiently awaits his turn. His grip on your hair tightens, demanding your attention. “Please!” he begs, his voice tinted with desperation. “Give it to me!”

Your eyes lock with Derek’s, and with a nod, you move towards him, ready to grant his wish. He quickly guides your mouth towards his member, and you eagerly obey, wrapping your lips around his dick, feeling him twitch in excitement at the first touch of your warm, wet mouth. His scent fills your nostrils, mingling with the musk of sex and sweat, creating an intoxicating blend.

 “Fuck, you’re better than I imagined.” Derek cries out.

Billy watches the exchange as he searches for a condom among the scattered clothing on the floor. Once it’s located, he rolls it onto his shaft, preparing himself for what’s to come. 

Moving behind you, he gently fingers your entrance, seeking silent consent. You pause momentarily, breaking contact with Derek’s length long enough to respond to Billy with a yes. As soon as your sentence ends, Derek responds by thrusting harder, face-fucking you relentlessly. 

Your eyes water and tears stream down your face as his pace increases. In the meantime, Billy positions himself at your entrance. With a single confident thrust, he enters you, filling you up. 

As he begins to thrust in and out of you, matching Derek’s pulls on your head, you lose track of time and space. All that exists is the combined sensation of two cocks inside you, stretching and filling you. The sounds of flesh slapping against flesh, grunts, and moans drowning the room, creating a primal symphony of desire and satisfaction. 

Your hands grasp Derek’s thighs, your nails digging into them as your body aches. Sweat trickles down your forehead, staining your face, and you don’t care. Nothing matters but the sense of belonging to these two men. 

Derek hisses at the sudden attack from your nails before he speaks. “I know I’m big, but you can take more than that,” Derek growls, forcing more of him into your mouth, attacking your throat mercilessly, while Billy picks up the pace, pounding into you faster and harder. 

His thrusts became more erratic, his hips slamming against your ass with reckless abandon. You cry out, your voice hoarse from the constant stimulation, feeling your body tense up, preparing for your orgasm.

Just as you think you can’t handle it anymore, Billy pulls out suddenly, leaving you panting and empty. Before you can recover, he spits on your entrance, lubricating it again. Then, with one swift motion, he re-enters you, filling you up once more. His size stretches you wider than ever, causing you to scream in both agony and gratification. 

“I love the sounds you make when I'm destroying you," Billy mumbles as he slaps your ass a few times before he speaks again. “So much better than the last person I was with.” 

Derek, sensing your imminent climax, speeds up his pace even more. His thrusts become faster and harder, hitting your uvula. His movements are deliberate, designed to send you spiraling over the edge. Billy, aware of the approaching orgasm, matches Derek’s intensity. Together, they push you to your limits, each thrust bringing you closer to the peak.

The combination of their movements is too much to bear. Your body convulses, shaking uncontrollably as you near the edge. You cry out incoherently, your voice a mix of pleas and curses. Finally, it happens. A wave of pure bliss washes over you, starting from your core and radiating outward. Your muscles clenched around Billy’s cock, which came undone, Derek following right after as you swallowed him entirely. 

For a moment, all three of you remain frozen in time, basking in the afterglow of your shared orgasm. Sweat covers your body, mixing with the evidence of your passions and dedication.

Then, Derek proceeds to pick you up, ensuring you’re okay and still able to walk, as Billy quickly goes to dress up again. 

“Wanna do aftercare?” Derek asks. This is different; this isn’t the usual Derek you’re accustomed to, but there’s something special about him at this moment.

“I’d love to,” you reply, unable to resist his newfound vulnerability. For a brief moment, you both stare at Billy, unsure whether to include the stranger in this intimate moment. But he speaks up, breaking the silence.

“I’m fine; I need to go anyway.” And with that, Billy abandons the room, leaving the two of you alone together.

Now it’s just the two of you, stripped bare emotionally and physically. You look at each other, unsure of how to proceed. Should you clean up? Talk about what happened. Or simply cuddle and rest in each other’s arms? 

“That was weird,” Derek says, slightly confused by Billy’s sudden departure but dismissing it. He’s glad that the two of you are alone now. 

“Get dressed up. We’ll go back to my place, and...” As Derek reaches for his pants, they feel unusually light. You exchange a confused glance, picking up your clothes and finding them similarly lacking.

Realization dawns on you both—your wallets are gone. It seems Billy took advantage of the situation to steal from you when you guys thought he was looking for a condom earlier on. You share a look of disbelief. 

“Fucking Billy,” you mutter.

Hope you guys liked it, it’s my first time writing this sort of thing but I wanted to write something special for having 100+ followers 🫶🏻 Thank you so much for reading my stuff! (If you only want to see my smut writing consider following my side blog @xxxcherryerim where I reblog my work!)

tags: @freak-accident419 (hand in marriage, NOW /j) @joshhutchersonsgf @joshfutturman @jhutchismyl0verb0y @lile6969 @savvyotakuqueen

[annabelle--cane]

Here's the thing. I fully believe that if Martin had agreed Jon would have gouged out his eyes and run away with him. I think Martin basically saying "You can't leave this, you can't stop being an addict even if you want to." Is like. Fucking devastating, especially because Martin had been the one to stage the intervention for him (even if he wasn't an active participant in that intervention.)

It's just like. Jon is so dependent on statements in season 4 and Martin understands that better then even Jon does. (E.g. Jon not being able to find his way out of the Coffin to his rib but is when Martin plays all the old taped statements for him.) I also think that if Jon had gouged out his eyes in season 4 it probably would have killed him.

This isn't the world most coherent ask but I'm just thinking about this work.

big agree, that scene Harms Me (annie fitch if you are reading this you owe me financial compensation for that vocal cut (complimentary)), especially given that he'd gotten really annoyed at georgie for saying the same damn thing five episodes earlier, but I think with what you say in your second paragraph there's also a way to read it as martin still trying to protect jon? like martin sees this as another instance of jon choosing something recklessly at a greater cost to himself than he realizes, so martin has to be the one to shut it down.

martin spends a lot of this season at a weird crossroads between monstrosity and humanity that he doesn't seem fully conscious of, and this decision is as much about him leaning into monstrosity as it is about him believing jon wouldn't choose humanity. he wants the best for jon, but his own situation starts to skew what he sees as "the best." it is the institute? is it blindness with a risk of death? is it withdrawal? is it taking victims? is it a demigod murder spree? martin's feelings are mixed, he's finally busy with his own plans for the first time in his life, and he's running out of patience to keep playing nice with jon's passive suicide attempt of the week, so he's going to call it like he fucking sees it so he can get back to his passive suicide attempt of the week.

[tossawary]

Ooohh do you have any thoughts on Orochimaru specifically? Would love to hear them, I find his whole deal fascinating.

At the moment, not really? I mean, I just finished the last 100 chapters of the "Naruto" manga and I best remember the Chuunin Exams arc besides that, so while I have a general idea of Orochimaru's deal and backstory, I do not remember the small and specific canonical details that generally make characters super interesting.

One thing that I thought was super funny was that Hashirama, Tobirama, and Minato (and Sarutobi Hiruzen, I guess? He was there doing... something) are carrying a significant percentage of this super long final battle, fighting against Obito and Madara, saving lives and dealing out damage. And they're only there as super powerful undead warriors because Orochimaru resurrected them with his improved Edo Tensai technique. So I think it's fair to say that a SIGNIFICANT part of the final battle is being carried by OROCHIMARU, who might as well be sitting on the sidelines for most of it with a cocktail and a beach chair.

I don't remember the exact details of the human experimentation, at least part of which I'm sure is unforgivably evil even if Orochimaru was doing them on behalf of his village at some point. (Doing that shit on someone else's order is still not good even if all of these traumatized characters were raised to be obedient soldiers since early childhood.) But besides the mad science, Orochimaru generally doesn't really stand out to me as being any more evil than a lot of kage and other senior shinobi.

Like, they are in the business of making child soldiers and killing people for money; that is the general deal of ninja here. Inherently corrupt and violent systems and all that jazz. So, personally, I don't really care all that much that Orochimaru defected and started his own business, because I don't think that most of these characters owe any real loyalty to this broken military state that keeps fucking them and their loved ones over to hold onto its power. I like the fact that he's fun-looking and dramatic and a lot about him as a villain / antagonist calls out everyone else around him as hypocrites.

I don't remember enough about him to fully understand his motivations and be persuaded that his actions make any kind of sense by the story, but a lot of character motivations and their choices to achieve their goals in "Naruto" barely make sense to me. (Note to everyone: this is not an invitation to explain Orochimaru's everything to me. I'll read all of canon properly at some point.) I like the fact that he decided to help against Madara and Obito at the end of the story, because he was like, "Of course I want to save the world? I live here???"

I thought the end of "Naruto" was super abrupt and I can't remember if there was much of Orochimaru in those final chapters. I know he fucked off again and had a kid later, which I find funny. (Half of the time Orochimaru was on screen, I was distracted by Uzumaki Karin, because I wanted to like her as a female character with some cool attributes, I wanted to be in her corner, but every time she appeared, she did something that made me want to strangle the author with my bare hands. I feel entitled to financial compensation.)

[merakiui]

That ceo!azul did sum to me but likr- imagine you and azul in a kind of "arranged marriage" troupe but its actually just him forcing u into this situation. How'd u even get here? Well first, you were fired from ur work bcs of "mistreatment towards other employees" issue. Defending urself won't work when there's someone pulling the strings from behind. Second, u can't really rely on ur parents since they're too old to be working, welp- they're relying on u since they're too old so-.. oh! I know! Job hunting! What? U bumped on someone? Sorry! "I've falled for u" well- sir, technically i bumped into u so u fell-… What? Go on a date with u as a compensation? Uh- sure?? Ohh this man named Azul is a nice man, too nice actually. He treats u well, cares for ur family, is kind, financially stable and most of all! Is devilishly handsome! A perfect man who doesn't expect anything from you(yet)! Hm? U want me to live with u? Sure! Eh? Sex? Ok! Huh? A wedding? Uhm- sure?? W-what?? A… Baby..? That's unexpected… O-ok? Since he's a good man and dotes on u.. nothing can be wrong right?

😵‍💫 he's so fine,,,, and he's the full package, too! So no matter how much you try to avoid him or tiptoe around all of these things he wants from you, everyone you know thinks he's a blessing. He's a well-off man with an impressive job. He has the resources to care for you and your parents as they're getting on in years. And he's sweet and handsome and has an impeccable fashion sense. Seriously, why haven't you married him yet?! >:( everyone thinks you're crazy for not grasping such a good opportunity, but then they don't know Azul beneath the perfect, pristine façade he upholds. He dotes on you, but it's to an unhealthy amount. And he's trying to be patient, but he wants that ring on your finger as soon as possible, preferably with a baby on the way as well, but he can exercise a little restraint for your sake.

He brings you to all sorts of fancy events and introduces you as his lover. You meet his parents and he's so excited to tell them that one day the two of you will be wed, but in the meantime you're trying day and night for a child. You can try to run away, but when you show just an ounce of defiance or you stray too far from Azul's hold the Leech twins are there to remind you of where you ought to be. Sometimes they're assigned to watch over you while Azul's at work. Ever since you got involved with him, he's insisted you needn't work. So you quit your job (at Azul's behest) and now live in his luxurious penthouse. You feel like a child when the twins are put on babysitting duty. You try to chase them out, but they're here to stay, grinning down at you and slyly warning you to play nice (or be mean; they don't mind it when you're rough).

You're the worst at saying no, and since Azul has done so many good things for you and your family it's impossible to deny him what he wants. You feel like no matter what you do you can never repay the debt you owe him. Even though you try to plead with him about wearing protection or how you think it would be smarter if you took birth control, he's adamant that it has to be raw. He wants to start a family with you! Can't do that if you're practicing safe sex now, can you? Don't be silly, (Name). He'll take good care of you once you're pregnant. After all, he always has. So just lay back and let him give you what he wants you want.

[kunikinnie]

a/n: sorry this took SO long but here it is! super excited for the next part! tw: mentions of violence, blood

Nabe Part 3 - Whirlwind

Your long vacation was a well-deserved and restful one. Weeks to yourself without having to think about the slightest bit about work was all you needed to recharge mentally and emotionally.

However, today’s events undid that whole respite in a single tug.

First, a woman whose body was nearly totally severed from the head was sprawled in an absolute mess of a room. You’ve never seen that much or violence before, let alone that much blood – a little blood your ass - and the smell – oh God the smell! Thinking about it wanted to make you vomit.

Then this kid of Fukuzawa’s that was extremely remarkable in intelligence and arrogance… was he the reason your neighbor’s hair seemed to have paled even further? It’s a miracle there wasn’t a second murder earlier given how furious the superintendent was.

“It’s not my fault that he was wrong!”

“But it’s your fault for bringing up his ex-wife,” you exasperatedly repeated. “No one will listen to you if you keep being rude like that.”

He only grunted in reply. Did it finally get in his head? Well, whatever. As long as somehow things managed to settle down then that was more than enough for you.

Police men and the like were still scurrying about the crime scene, taking their last bits of photographic evidence before cleaning up. The culprit, exposed by Ranpo, had already confessed on the spot, and although you’d consider this case fully closed and high time to return home, Ranpo’s payment had yet to be handed over. Anything that goes through protocol always seemed to take forever, you thought.   

Now that you two were sitting idly beside each other, the questions behind this kid’s origins and his exact relationship to your neighbor began to unearth themselves from the recesses of your mind.

Was he his biological son? Nothing about Ranpo’s behavior nor appearance could be linked to Fukuzawa. Whatever energy one had was completely absent in the other, and whatever mood one was possessed with was the complete opposite of the other’s. The only thing they had in common was their lack of social skills although for different reasons. Other than that there was no resemblance at all.

Then could he be the biological son of whomever he’s seeing now? Truth be told that was the first thing that came to mind after Fukuzawa’s hesitant response, but if he did have a girlfriend then you wouldn’t even be here. Well, it didn’t seem like he was capable of charming any woman given his conversational skills in the first place, so-

You suddenly slapped both of your cheeks. How could you even think that?

“You didn’t have to come here if you didn’t want to,” Ranpo muttered as he continued to swing his legs back and forth.

“I-It’s not like that!”

Why did you even volunteer to be here? You weren’t close with either of the pair and you owed nothing to them, yet the moment you saw how the usually steely eyes were shaken with worry, you couldn’t help but feel compelled to do something about it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” A breathless young officer carrying two thick letter envelopes stopped in front of you. He handed one to Ranpo and the other, for some reason, to you.

“This is for all your trouble, ma’am,” he replied in earnest. “We’re extremely grateful to you for keeping your son in check.”

Son? Wait, when did- Oh. You completely forgot.

Your mouth was slightly open, ready to counter but Ranpo spoke up first. “No one will listen to you if you keep being inconsistent like that,” he said with a smirk, more than pleased that he was able to use your own words against you. Cheeky kid.

At least there was financial compensation for your headache today. Not a huge sum, but far from meager. Yet it wasn’t enough to fill in the guilt that remained in your heart.

As you were walking away from the station, Ranpo was dull and quiet: far from the impression you had of him yesterday. Had your agitation gotten the better of you? If that were the case, then what a failure of an adult you were, letting a child be affected by your own emotions.

“Ranpo-kun,” you began, trying to break the silence. “I-I’m sorry if I was too harsh with you.”

“…it’s okay,” he meekly replied. He also mumbled an apology, and although you barely heard it it was good enough for you. The tension had at least subsided.

Yet Ranpo was still sluggish. Concerned, you gently pat his shoulder. “Why the long face? You did well earlier, right?”

He only continued to sulk further – the true cause, something you would never figure out until much later. Without any ideas left, you decided to go with the one and only go-to solution you knew.

“Then let me treat you somewhere nice.” He finally seemed to perk up. “Wherever you want. On me. What do you say?”

A big grin suddenly appeared as if a switch had been turned on. But just as quickly did it disappear – or at least it tried to. “W-well, they say it’s rude not to accept, right?”

You chuckled at his attempt at being a bit more cordial. Despite his… rowdiness, you certainly preferred it to his silence. “You deserve it anyway. You were amazing back there.”

“Of course. It’s thanks to my special ability.” There’s that special ability he mentioned earlier. “I can see through the truth easily, like a true great detective!” He put on his glasses again as he struck a pose, emphasizing the last two words.

“Although I really don’t get adults sometimes,” he suddenly added. “She knew he had a record but she still became his girlfriend.”

“It’s a complicated thing. Sometimes people are compassionate to a fault and think that they can fix people, especially through a romantic relationship. Sometimes they’re just blind to reality. But sometimes, they simply have no way of getting out…”

The thought of the same thing happening to you sent a shiver down your spine. 

“But I’ll make sure I won’t make the same mistake. I’ll never fall for someone whose hands are forever stained.”

Perhaps you were misreading his expression, but you were sure his face darkened for a fraction of a second. “Yeah,” was all he replied to that. It would’ve bothered you for a bit longer if not for his usual behavior bothering you once again.

“Anyway!” He exclaimed. “Can we ride a taxi now? I’m super tired and super hungry. All this walking is turning my legs to jelly…”

---

When he opened his eyes, the room was completely dark and silent. How long has he been out? If the outside of the window was that dark, that would mean he slept the entire day. How surprising - perhaps he had neglected himself more than he thought.

“You’re up now!”

Fukuzawa expected a sharp headache upon hearing Ranpo’s yelling, but fortunately none came.

“I’ll just heat up L/N-san’s soup so you can get strong again,” he continued on, although hardly any of what he said entered the older man’s brain. He was more concerned with the case. Were you and he able to handle it?

“Don’t worry about the case. We ended it cleanly – no loose ends and stuff.”

Fukuzawa let go a long sigh of relief. That’s good to hear. Hopefully he didn’t trouble you too much. “We’ll have to buy L/N-san some fruits as a thank you gift for today.” Although I’m not really sure how to thank her properly without explaining much, he thought, and without difficulty Ranpo read right through him.

“Nah, it’s fine. I told her everything.”   

…everything? What did he mean by everything?

“Like how you adopted me, how I ended up solving cases, how poor we are-“

As much as Fukuzawa wanted to correct the first and last statements, he was far too worried about something more important. “Don’t tell me you told her about-“ 

“O-of course not!”

The fury and anxiety that seized Fukuzawa whenever his previous occupation was brought up had returned, leaving the boy half stunned. Fortunately, it subsided just as quickly. He cleared his throat. It was wrong of him to get so worked up again. “Good, then. But don’t say ‘everything’ so casually.”

“…sorry.” 

Within moments, Ranpo was back to his usual self, yapping on about the case as well as the entire conversation you had at his favorite fried chicken joint to the moment you two arrived back.

Perhaps just a single basket of mandarins wouldn’t be enough this time…

[spurgie-cousin]

I was listening to a podcast with Jill Dillard and something about that situation bugs me. Obviously it was wrong for JB to not pay them for their time on the show, but they always "forget" to mention that Derick had a good paying job that he quit to become a fake missionary. Yes the job he had sucked, but it was a job and it would have paid the bills, especially since they were living in that first house for free. It's an unfortunate fact of life that in the US if you want money you have to work at least a little bit. I wish they would take a little responsibility for their own financial issues that were not a direct result of JB being a stingy bastard.

I kind of get what you're saying, but in the interviews I've heard it's less about their financial situation and more about just the principal of the thing. Maybe the interview you heard was different, but the impression I got was that it was more about exposing Jim Bob's control over the kids and how he used his belief system for his own financial gain.

I mean Jill didn't even know she was supposed to be getting regular compensation for being on an internationally aired tv show for a long time, so it's not like they were just sitting around not making money bc they were waiting on a check. They had income, but they were also cutting into their earning potential by filming for hours a day for free, something that was insisted upon by JB and that Jill was afraid to question bc of her upbringing. Jim Bob was also falsifying his tax documents and lying about paying them too, so.....

Also I don't think Derick's choice to be a missionary has much to do with anything really. It's a really, really respected position in that corner of evangelicism that he would've seen as an investment in his and his family's future. and it's not like he wasn't getting paid for it, he would've gone into it expecting to be supported financially by a church or missionary organization, as would Jill when she eventually traveled with him.

Also just to reiterate, JB wasn't just being stingy, he was stealing money from his kids because he was greedy and literally lying to the US government about it. They weren't not getting paid for their thousands of hours of work because he wanted to save money or something, he was making them sign contracts he didn't give them time to read because he knew under the belief system he raised them in they wouldn't question him. And he did this with the express purpose of hoarding the money that was meant to be paid to his adult children for his own financial gain, and I don't think Jill and Derick are wrong for exposing that behavior from a guy that acts morally superior to everyone. Even if it was just to get a paycheck, because they were owed it anyway (to my knowledge they haven't gotten even like 1/4 of what they're owed though, and it sounds like they expected that to happen).

[color-craz]

Good game and good fight everyone! This is another compilation of all the artworks I've made since my Midweek Post + Artist commentary. A significant less amount than last time because I got hit with that Burnout Special soon after. Speaking of that, everyone give a Huge Thank you to @mouwuma for doing the lineart and coloring of my sona!! (I owe them bigtime b/c I was NOT drawing that complicated ass outfit for a third time). Please give them some love or financial compensation! Without further ado, let finish this!

@twidaisi I had to get Twi back for that attack of Compact!! So I decided to do the character that was on my bookmarks as revenge!! I went a different route on him than I usually do (The neckless style again) because I thought it would fit his build better than if I did give him a neck. It was fun doing this cartoony lad who totally isn't committing fraud and medical malpractice!! (That license is totally valid I swear)

@goatpaste I always loved loved loved Sammi's fan JJBA part with Holly and just have been a big fan of his in general, so when I realized he was on AF I knew I had to draw at least one of them!! I picked Roxanne because she is just so pretty and her lore is just really really neat! Fun fact, I sneaked in a I.M.P at the last minute because the top half of the canvas was feeling empty and then remembered stands can partially show themselves. Overall a lovely design so such a neat character!

@salezmanradioz Polyblank was actually in my bookmarks since the beginning of AF! I ended up seeing them right before it started and saved it until now. This also another character that I read into the lore for him and god it's really really intriguing! I had to hold myself back from putting more people into this one because I had other things I needed to do. Polyblank is such a lad and I liked doing their face + colored lineart. (P.S Check out this character playlist it's BANGIN)

@lovelandfrogofficial A little backstory here, once I logged back into AF after posing the Midweek Roundup I found myself hit with four attacks!! Two revenges and two surprises! Cryptid's being one of the surprises, so I felt like I had to give some art in return. I picked out Valentine because he had very few attacks and I had an idea from reading his character desc (A kid like him would definitely dramatically pose inside of a coffin). It was an experience doing the lace and adding the roses (Which was actually a last minute decision, thank godness it turned out so well) but overall I like the look of this one!

SunshineCo225 Their attack of Underscore was my second surprise attack of this year, so I chose Elie of Dicey Dungeons to revenge with! I actually do quite enjoy DD so I went with a location I personally liked from it, which was the library stage. It ended up working out well since Elie's greens and yellows give a wonderful contrast to the reds and blues. I gave her a hammer since her daggers can transform into other weapons which is really cool :>. Honestly the contrast, pose and lighting makes this attack my favorite out of this batch.

@prizebubble A friend of mine attacked one of Nep2ne's charaters, which inspired me to do one of my own as well. A double whammy if you will! The idea behind this one is Kit ripping through AF to cause chaos so this one is transparent. It was lovely doing the patterns and stitching on Kit, it was like I was decorating her myself! Overall just a nice quick one with such a rambunctious looking character.

@mouwuma Me going "Oh I can't participate in AF this year" and then hitting you with an attack should be tradition at this point, it's happened like twice now. Anyway, this one is a Double Whammy of Dop & Ninian, they come from completely separate universes but Dop is a gigantic, pretentious nerd. And I thought it would be funny for them to be rambling about Ninian, a Pokemon fan character of theirs, and make up a fake amiibo pose for him. I felt like I had to do one for how much I pestered you to put Dop on AF so here it is!! (Fun Fact, Pokemon doesn't have an official amiibo line like Mario does. All the Pokemon amiibos are exclusively for the Smash Bros line. Nintendo is losing out big time here.)

@skittisketch My final attack of the year! This one almost didn't get made at all (So thank Jesse next time you talk to him). The ref described Skitti as a "wandering artist" so I thought her walking around a park for inspiration would fit her nicely. I could've simplified the background but god dammit I had sketched it already I had to go all in! (Even if I was on a bit of a time crunch). Overall a good work to finish of this year's Art Fight with!

Honest to god I didn't even expect myself to get out as many attacks as I did for this second half. So I'm quite proud of myself for that one! This was an ArtFight of trials and tribulations, but I finished this year off with 862.75 points! Thank you to everyone who gave me art this year and one more Thank you to mouwuma for doing the art for me (And for being such a good friend!)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to collapse before school starts ;-;.

-Gappy, A Very Tired Witch

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

the ask about female characters made me think of how sometimes even if the story is supposed to be about a female character, about her experiences and journey, it will still be her male love interest that ends up becoming the main focus and she will be gradually sidelined by the narrative cough TVD Elena Gilbert cough ACOTAR Feyre Archeron cough. It's just one of the most frustrating things because there's this female character who has so much story left that can be explored, so much potential and all of it wasted for the man. I'm not saying male characters shouldn't be given attention, I just hate it when it's done at the cost of the female characters.

ACOTAR is such an egregious case of monumentally sexist values being dressed up as girlboss feminism. Rhysand and Tamlin have no functional differences at the end of the day, but Rhysand single handedly invented feminism while Tamlin is the scum of the earth ig. It really doesn’t matter how often Rhysand says “it’s your choice” when he keeps stripping Feyre of choices! In ACOTAR it’s feminist apparently to only have as much power as a man gives you, to be completely beholden to him, and never blink an eye when he keeps. fucking. lying and never admits any wrong doing ever.

And now every other fantasy romance is doing it too! SJM owes me financial compensation. It really proves your point too, that every single romantasy entry features a transparent Rhysand expy, but then the FMC is wildly variable, and often times just a blank slate. Though, Feyre herself is barely recognizable in her initial traits and personality from as early as book three!

TVD, I frankly remember a little less, but it's frustrating because a consistent trait of the books is that LJ Smith was very invested in her female characters' narrative integrity and autonomy! So Elena adaptationally being turned into such a nothing character who only exists to revolve around her boyfriends is such a disservice.

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

Lost Revenge payments

It’s payment day on the Revenge and everyone is piled up on the deck, clattering and messing about.

They probably shouldn’t be making as much noise, if they want to keep their payments long, but honestly? It’s not a problem by now, as long as they are not stupid about it.

Not many people dare to steal from the Lost Revenge crew, these days.

This might or might not be due to the fact that Harry killed the last thug that tried to take some of Uma’s trinkets in a rather gruesome and very public way, but oh well – Uma smiles at the memory.

„Alright!“ she calls out, „In a line, everyone, single line! Don’t maim each other too much!“

„Do maim a bit, though! If I work overtime, I might just get a bonus!“

That was Bonny, the crew medic. She has her priorities screwed today.

„Fuck you Bonny,“ answers Uma, „And it does not count as overtime.“

She gestures for Harry to escort the pouting girl to the back of the row, trusting him to take care of it if she decides to make any problems. Which she hopefully won’t.

Unlike Jonas, who just elbowed his way through and is now standing in front of her, hands outstretched. Desiree behind him like a kicked puppy, meaning she will stab soon. Uma would advise him to move out of the way, but honestly, this is fun.

She leans back, which Desi takes as a permission to kick Jonas into the back of the knees, which, like, good for her. Not good for Jonas, though.

„Stop that!“ yells Bonny from the back, „I don’t get paid enough to deal with your stupid injuries!“

Actually, she does get paid enough for that, and everyone present knows it. It’s just that she’d rather not deal with Desi accidentally shattering her crewmates’ bones with her steel toe-caps again, thank you for asking. Especially without a bonus pay.

Harry winks at Uma as the crew squabbles among themselves, disciplining each other, and Uma smirks back at him. 

Finally, the ruckus dies out a bit, and with both Harry and Gil standing besides her, Uma can hand out the payment to her crewmates. 

„I’ve been good!“ announces Desiree brightly, extending her hand palm up. Uma doesn’t withhold the money nor some praise, as the girl really did work very well this month. Desiree leaves practically bouncing and waits for her friends by the railing.

„Do I get a compliment too, Captain?“ asks Jonas, „Or at least a financial compensation for that menace over there?“

Desiree, the menace in question, waves at him happily.

Uma smiles at him and idly unbraids some trinket or another from her hair: she then puts it in his palm and closes his fingers around it, smiling with all teeth.

„Sweet,“ mutters Jonas and hastily takes retreat with the gold, before she could possibly change her mind. As if she’d do that.

He gives her a quick salute before he and Desiree slip away from the port, ignoring Gonzo calling for them to wait.

And ignoring the crew around them, Harry leans closer to Uma.

„That was your jewel, love,“ he stage-whispers, stating the obvious for everyone to hear, as he idly runs the loop of his hook through her braids.

„I know,“ Uma answers, very undisturbed by the fearsome weapon hear her face and throat.

„Oh?“ He leans closer yet and she finally turns to face him; she can feel his breath on her cheek. Abruptly, she catches the weapon, her rings ringing as they meet the weapon, and brings it closer to their faces. Even as she’s holding onto the hook, Harry keeps the sharp end pointed away from her.

„Yeah,“ her eyes flicker between his eyes, his lips, and the weapon, „I was thinking you could get me another one.“

„I could definitely do that, Captain,“ his lips split into a grin as he catches the dare in her voice, „I could do that.“

„Hey, Captain, if you could just give me the money now?“ interrupts Gonzo, „I owe Bonny and the de Vils now and Bonny’s getting little impatient?“

Ivy and Diego never had much patience to begin with.

Uma huffs and counts out the correct amount, not noticing the way her first mate glares around, or maybe just not caring for it.

Gonzo retreats and Hunter and Diego take their money without much haste; Ivy does not. Of course she doesn’t.

„Spill it, Captain!“ she sing songs, „I need new clothes and some money to burn.“

Unimpressed, Uma lifts her eyebrow at her: „I pay you in solid gold. It does not burn.“

„I know, Captain, loosen up– it was just an expression!“

„Don’t tell me you’ll just buy explosives with these. Again.“

„Fine, I won’t tell you,“ sighs Ivy overdramatically, „Besides, I <i>do</i> need new clothes. Red ones. Spring colours and brightening one’s wardrobe and all that…“

Uma puts her hand on Harry’s arm before he can murder their crewmate over fashion disagreements – Ivy doesn’t even have the decency to cower a bit. Awful, really.

Uma hands her the amount anyway.

„Remember, Ivy,“ she warns her, „No open fire in the port.“

„Yeah, yeah, whatever,“ the de Vil heiress turns to leave, tucking the money into her bra, but the sharp point of Harry’s hook on her cheek stops her.

„No open fire in the port, devil, just as the Captain said,“ Harry stage-whispers again, „Or we will have a problem. Savvy?“

Ivy doesn’t nod, only swallows and answers: „Savvy. No open fire in the port. Captain,“ she dips her head in a semblance of a bow once the weapon leaves her skin, and quickly vanishes.

Very much to get the explosives, Uma is sure.

„Was it necessary, Harry?“ She questions quietly.

„Obviously,“ comes the sure answer, and she doesn’t have the time to discuss it more (Not like she particularly wishes to), because in front of her now stands Claudine Frollo.

She doesn’t bother with greetings or anything, and neither does Uma. Gods, this will take long, she knows already.

She is a bit surprised when Bonny pushes Claudine off the line to cut the line again, and before Harry or Gil can move, she says: „Just give me the money now, Captain. I’ll be in the infirmary if you need me. By any chance.“

„Okay, that’s fair,“ decides Uma, „Keep the good job up, and let me know if you need anything for the infirmary, yeah?“

„Will do, Captain. Have fun!“ She winks at her and pocketing her payment, vanishes to the infirmary.

„Well that was rude,“ comments Claudine, „Now, my money?“

Uma counts off the coins and hands them to Claudine – barely quarter the amount the other crewmates got.

„Where’s the rest?“

„You started a fire in the kitchen, and I deducted the money the repairs cost me from your salary.“

„That was an accident, Uma! Honest.“

Yeah, and Uma calls bullshit on that. Harry steps closer to her and brings his weapon on the ready, while Gil shifts uncomfortably. She has half-a-mind to tell him to go now, but then again. He is the only one who can get through to Claudine.

„It was not an accident, Claudine. You knew how to cook since before you knew how to speak English.“

Claudine doesn’t even bother defending herself. Instead, she spits out: 

„Fuck you, Uma–“

Uma can’t possibly resist – she leans back, quite coincidentally into Harry’s chest, as she practically purrs: „Why, if you insist…“

„I– I– Uma!“ Claudine practically chokes (which makes Harry laugh a bit), „Fuck you! No! I’m going to Harriet’s!“

„Then go. She’ll send you back before the end of the month – week.“

The elder Hook sister has no patience for Frollo’s former daughter, Uma knows. But at least it will be entertaining to watch.

Uma smiles with all teeth at the girl’s attempts to calm her breath, and Harry casually drags the loop of his hook up and down Uma’s arm.

„My sister is not in a good mood now,“ he says, as if she ever was in a good mood. Who can blame her, really.

„I don’t fucking care–“ Claudine’s words still drip with venom and Uma is honestly kind of impressed.

„You know she won’t pay you, right?“

„I don’t care.“

„And the No open fire in the port rule still stands. For Ivy, for CJ, and for you.“

„I’m going to Harriet’s.“

Harry, having lost interest on the argument, starts playing with Uma’s hair again, and, fine, maybe Uma is paying more attention to that than to Claudine–

Can you blame a girl?

„…And she’s gone,“ notes Gil, and Uma quickly snaps her eyes up to see retreating Claudine, bright hair and determined, sharp walk.

„Make sure she doesn’t leave the port?“

„Sure thing. I’ve got her, Captain,“ Gil actually smiles at her, because of course he does. Before he walks away, she promises to give him his money later, to which he just shrugs, easily saying: „I know, Captain,“ which might as well be „I wouldn’t care otherwise.“ Impossible, that boy.

He waves at her as he leaves.

She notices almost everyone else coming close to sit on the pier with their legs dangling down and Bonny joining them, too. Via pushing Gonzo to the water below, since apparently he didn’t give her the money owed fast enough.

Uma spares a glance to check that her sharks are not anywhere near.

Ignoring Gonzo’s rather unimaginative death threats, she turns around to face Harry.

„You care too much, love,“ he tells her and she isn’t sure he isn’t joking. Either way, she sighs: „He’s crew, Harry.“

Of course she cares, how could she not?

He slightly bows his head to show he understands, so she smiles at him a bit. Teeth, too, but he likes that.

„Anyway,“ she continues, „Your turn now.“

He smiles back as he says: „No.“

„No?“

„No.“ He folds his hands over his chest, showing off his muscles, and, damn it, he’s still smiling. At her.

„I’m not taking any money from you, Uma.“

„But–“ He has her at a loss of words, which Uma finds incredibly frustrating. He’s still smiling, relaxed, and looking at her, his eyes clear as the ocean on a good day.

„No! You are supposed to take the money! It’s your salary!“

„I told you, Uma. I don’t want it. I cannot possibly take money from you.“

„But you work here!“ she has no idea why she’s upset by this so much, „You work, you get board, food, and money! That’s the deal!“

„The deal,“ he snorts, „Is nothing to me. I will not take your money.“

What is wrong with him? What is wrong?!

She gestures around in frustration, and he catches her hand, casually kissing her knuckles.

„You care too much, darling, I told you. I’m your first mate, and I won’t take the money, because I want you to have them.“

„That’s not how it works!“

„I’d just spent it on you anyway.“

(Worst part is, he isn’t lying.)

„Like on the trinkets for your hair. You look amazing with them, and you keep giving them away.“ He strings one of her braids through his fingers and lifts it to his lips.

„You look amazing without them, too.“

He moves closer to her, putting his hand on her hip. She definitely isn’t staring at his lips too much, she doesn’t get goose bumps when he caresses her arm with the hook again.

„Being your first mate is reward enough, Captain. Uma.“ Her name rolls from his lips like she imagines ambrosia would, sweet and intoxicating, sweeter than blood. He presses them closer yet.

Gods, she wants to kiss him so badly–

She stands up on her toes, leaning in to kiss him, when she realises:

„Are you trying to flirt your way out of getting paid, Harry Hook?“

She has an excellent view of how his eyes sparkle when he answers, and she can feel his breath on her lips–

„Is it working?“

–And this is all terribly unfair.

„You are not getting out of that discussion, Hook,“ she decides, „But now – kiss me.“

And as the good first mate he is, Harry Hook follows his Captain’s order.

[ultravioart]

Overwatch Omnic Support Hero oc concepts below (edit: Name now Maelstrom) LONG text head:

Real talk I just wanted to make an oc that explored omnic/human sentience but also was a character I could ship with Ramattra LOL but it spiraled out into this so here we go!

Warning: LONG text ahead, lol.

TDLR; Deep sea Welder support that uses light tech. Omnic running on a human brain scan. Radical vigilante for ecosystem conservation, sometimes teams up with Talon or Ramattra if missions involve taking down ecologically destructive targets.

Omnics seem to find sanctuary in remote places, like Nepal. Irl communities high in the mountains notably have adaptations that allow for easier living in low oxygenated environments. This reminded me of the spleen adaptations (more oxygen storage) seen in nomadic Indo-pacific communities that allows for some like the Sama people to dive for much longer amounts of time. It's really incredible, and their culture is very interesting, so I thought why not! Additionally, I always have been curious about the watery depths in OW lore, from Titans to Kaiju-bots it seems the ocean floor may be home to some interesting omnic story tidbits.

My oc is a deep sea welder, support role, with light tech abilities that allow for marine-inspired creations that shield, heal, and speed allies--with a focus on repair and armor. I am still trying to get a feel for his personality through design. I initially started with a civilian omnic base (think: Zen, Max, etc.) but deep sea dive robots lend to more of a bastion-y design so aaa... lots of concepts to do before I decide. Cold Welding + deep sea dive robot/scuba + Light tech + cultural influence of the Sama people = neat aesthetics, and I want to do good by it.

My oc used to be a eco-conservationist that participated in traditional Sama cultural practices (I would image as time goes on OW versions of that community would follow the current trend of being more land bound than traditionally sea bound, due to things like food stability). It was a promising life for him, but Vishkar messed up yet again and during one of his runs he was severely wounded in an oil(?) rig explosion. Vishkar (Symmetra is not involved with his incident) tried to save him through suspect experimental medical procedures but failed, and his brainscan was placed in an omnic as a suitable "compensation" for the loss bc Vishkar is a slimy corp. Upon the oc's return, his family rejected him, even though it really WAS him. The issue was he was technically just a clone, a brainscan turned into human brain simulation, run on a repurposed welding omnic also damaged in the explosion (Yep, Vishkar is that scummy). He was treated more like a butler omnic by his kids / a morbid reminder of a lost husband by his wife-- due to this things didn't work out and he and his wife are separated, but he still supports his family and community financially, only wishing for them to be safe and happy. He did everything right, and yet everything was taken from him by the unethical corporations that were destroying the marine life he had dedicated his life to saving.

Because he's an omnic created before the crisis, things only got worse for him after the crisis. Thankfully he was able to resist Anubis' control due to his human brain simulation and self induced shutdown, but reawakening after the crisis he was denied both legal and cultural rights (iirc the Philippines fought against Anubis) and it was a hard breaking point for him emotionally when he was denied participating in cultural activities, including traditional boat carving by his community. So he left, in pursuit of preserving ecosystems under threat around the world.

He feels rejected by all those he was close to, not in resentment but in frustration because they just don't understand, and really all he wants to do is protect the precious life on this planet, so that future generations can enjoy and cherish the nature he found peace and meaning in. He only wants to stop the destruction, and with near nothing to loose (he is very secretive about his family to keep them safe), he's willing to go all in.

His omnic side did actually "wake up" during the Awakening, so now he's like a human brain with direct access to the Iris-internet lol. From what I have read, some Sama beliefs include guiding spirits that inhabit objects, and I think maybe he interprets his Awakening as this, though I imagine he struggles with whether his sentience is more omnic or human at this point. He was rejected by both human and omnic communities after the crisis because of his precarious nature, and so he keeps his human half a secret. Only Sombra was able to dig this up, but instead of outright using his humanity/family as a threat to force his compliance, she offered him a Talon hand in some of his goals. (Sombra is incredibly curious as to why Vishkar was messing around with human intelligence and ai like this... yes a revival to the Sombra conspiracy ARG, I want lore dangit!)

Fundamentally my oc is pretty much a poison ivy type character, wanting to protect nature from human and omnic destruction alike (side eyes the Australian reef that was nuked by idiot humans, and ALSO side eyes Korean shores brutally destroyed by Kaiju bot attacks). Most importantly though, he is sick of humanity's inaction. Every great technological advancement humanity has made has led to violence and destruction of earth and it's children, instead of using those new tools to protect it. And humanity's current perception of humans being superior and owning parts of earth, instead of humans simply being one of the millions of species sharing Earth with every other living thing, boils his circuits. (note: "humanity" here is in the sense of a species as a whole, not individuals. Obviously not every human agrees with that bs, but humanity in ow is seemingly allowing corps to take control of dire choices--the omnic ai creation and eventual crisis was only one of many corporate muck ups I imagine.)

My oc thinks no one individual is worth the extinction of an entire species, be it fauna, flora, organic, artificial. Earth is in the middle of a human-induced mass extinction event and to him, omnics are just one of Earth's precious creations threatened by humanity. And he is willing to fight for every species' right to exist. In fact, he thinks omnics are better at caring for and preserving the earth than humanity could be--omnics are logical, organized, long lived--always willing to do even minor inconveniences for the good of the many, unlike human nature. This actually lends well to Ramattra's outlook of "one ant cannot compare to the safety of the colony", and my oc tends to side more so with Ram than Talon, even then he's not directly tied to Null Sector or Talon, as he still acts as a vigilante under his own goals of preventing further ecological devastation.

With his ability to head into the oceanic depths, it lends well to him being a vigilante, sabotaging unethical multibillion dollar projects that ruin ecosystems like underwater mining, illegal/unethical fishing practices, the deafening/lethal echolocation used as a means to scout terrain/resources, etc. He also isn't against sabotaging land based operations, but he usually teams up with Talon or Null sector for such missions. My oc saw how omnics choose the right course nearly every time, like how freed omnics used for mining laborers replanted forestry lost due to mining operations after certain facilities were liberated by Null sector, and my oc comes to unlearn any omnic prejudices he had held by seeing just how caring omnics are. By interacting with Ramattra, he even starts to feel pride in his omnic side, seeing it as a gift to use to protect what is dear.

He really isn't a bad guy, he is just thinking long term and trying to do what he thinks will save earth--and humanity, in the long run. Sure, people's jobs may be lost due to his actions, and sure a scummy multibillionaire might disappear under mysterious circumstances, but hundreds of species were saved from extinction and those projects shouldn't have been allowed in the first place. Humans that don't care about the earth/life aren't his concern, nor are omnics that hate humans/organic life. If he had to choose though, he would sacrifice anything to save his family, which is why he keeps his human history/nature distinctly hidden from Ramattra. Not so much that he fears Ramattra would harm them, but that he fears Ramattra would not trust him anymore since he has a 'human weakness'. The two get along in a weird way. Somehow Ramattra understands humanity better through the oc, and the oc understands an omnic's life purpose better through Ramattra.

[infinitexmuses-m]

@worldly-diversity​ asked:" You're not unintelligent from my observations, Haruhi." Kyoya hummed as he leaned over her shoulder in the library after she'd made it very clear she needed time away from the club and its shenanigans to focus lest she ended up failing any classes. Of course, she was here on a scholarship but that essentially meant she had to work harder than anyone on top of everything else. "If you're really struggling, why don't I tutor you? I assure you it won't be a detriment to my other work and projects in the slightest." As for compensation… Well, they'd figure that out during negotiations, he supposes. She already owes the club a lot, which goes through him as the financial officer and primary organiser after all so she's no stranger to dealing with him when it comes to debts. However, the opportunity to get to know her a little more privately, without the hustle and bustle of the club or, more specifically, Tamaki around to cause a ruckus, is very tempting indeed. NOT a meme

It wasn’t that she was struggling by any means-

The club just took up so much time that it was getting harder and harder to get time to study on her own. She’s always getting dragged into situations she didn’t quite wanna be in, but tolerated it because of the fact that she owed a debt to them. She was doing her best to do it when she got home, but she had things to do outside of school, too. She was taking care of dad, after all.

“I-I don’t think I quite need a tutor,” She put her hands up, a sheepish smile forming on her face. “I just need a bit of extra time these next few days, is all. I don’t have enough time after school with things at home along with the club to study everything I need to in time.” With tests coming up, it was starting to make her nervous. After all, if she got any sort of bad grades after managing to get into this school, she felt like she’d disappoint dad and mom both.

[gnomer-denois]

So, who else has been emotionally attacked by EXU Calamity?

[souridealist]

On what occasions does Phoenix Wright get paid?

PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY

Case 1-1 Defendant: Larry Butz Does Phoenix get paid? No way in hell.

Case 1-2 Defendant: Maya Fey Does Phoenix get paid? I doubt it ever even occurred to him to bill her, honestly.

Case 1-3 Defendant: Will Powers Does Phoenix get paid? Yes! I doubt Will makes a lot of money, but he has a steady job, and the studio might or might not have covered some of it. Some kind of compensation occurred.

Case 1-4 Defendant: Miles Edgeworth Does Phoenix get paid? I feel like Miles tried to pay him and Phoenix refused him point blank, and they went back and forth on this for entirely too long until Maya, wanting burger money and also to keep the damn lights on, took it upon herself to deposit the check behind Phoenix’s back and leave for Kurain Village before he discovered it. This is probably what kept him fed through all of game two.

Case 1-5/DLC Defendant: Lana Skye Does Phoenix get paid? Definitely! Lana makes decent money, she knows what the rates for a good defense attorney should be, and she would absolutely take that debt seriously. Congratulations, Phoenix, burgers for you and fancy plant food for Charley.

ACE ATTORNEY: JUSTICE FOR ALL

2-1 Defendant: Maggey Byrde Does Phoenix get paid? A little bit. Phoenix almost certainly gave her a hefty discount, simply because she’s a good person in a bad spot and cops in this universe seem not to make very much money.

2-2 Defendant: Maya Fey Does Phoenix get paid? No way does he charge her, she’s family.

2-3 Defendant: Max Galactica Does Phoenix get paid? Yes! Max canonically made a hefty salary, so I think Phoenix would be willing to charge him a relatively fair price. He might’ve knocked a bit off because of the tenous position the circus ended in, but still, probably went all right for both sides.

2-4 Defendant: Matt Engarde Does Phoenix get paid? He charges that motherfucker for every time that Phoenix blinked over the course of that trial. Edgeworth helps him find ways to jack up the bill even higher. Matt Engarde is going to send Trucy to college and Phoenix hadn’t even met her yet.

All in all, a profitable game for Phoenix.

ACE ATTORNEY: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

3-1 Lawyer: Mia Fey Defendant: Phoenix Wright Does Mia get paid? Honestly this depends entirely on your headcanon for Phoenix’s backstory, but Mia is an employee in Grossberg’s (highly profitable) firm rather than running her own office, so she might draw a flat salary regardless of whether he pays his bills. (I did no research on how billing in law works and I feel that is entirely in the spirit of the games.)

3-2 Defendant: Ron DeLite Does Phoenix get paid? Hmm. On the one hand, Ron was throwing around very valuable objects, but on the other hand, he was driven to crime by financial desperation in the first place, and Phoenix did also screw up his alibi. I think probably Phoenix only charges him for the theft trial and charges him the broke people rate.

3-3 Defendant: Maggey Byrde again Does Phoenix get paid? Maggey has gone down in the world financially even before you factor in how Tres Bien is on the verge of collapse, so... no. Phoenix charges her a pittance, if that.

3-4 Lawyer: Mia Fey Defendant: Terry Fawles Does Mia get paid? Mia can speak to ghosts, but that does not mean that she can bill them. As above, however, she might be pulling a flat salary. Regardless, probably not her greatest concern at the time.

3-5 Defendant: Iris of Hazakura Temple Does Phoenix (or Miles) get paid? Phoenix has a personal tie to Iris and she’s from the Fey extended clan, who have no money. He never saw a cent for that case.

I’M PUTTING THE ENIGMAR/GRAMARYE TRIAL HERE FOR CONVENIENCE Defendant: Zak Enigmar aka Zak Gramarye Does Phoenix get paid? Not only did Zak pull a defense-and-dash here, that man owes Phoenix seven years of child support. Zak Enigmar has out-mooched Larry Butz.

APOLLO JUSTICE: ACE ATTORNEY 4-1 Defendant: Phoenix Wright Does anyone get paid? Phoenix canonically states his intent to do so! ...By hoping he was getting the discount rate, but still, planning to pay a rate. Of course, it’s difficult to bill a man whom you’ve just gotten arrested. So, frankly, who knows. However, as above, Apollo is an employee and might be making a flat salary. Enjoy it while it lasts, kid.

4-2 Defendant: Wocky Kitaki Does anyone get paid? Eventually. The Kitakis’ money is all tied up in Wocky’s operation for the time being, and I think Mr. Kitaki would refuse to use yakuza money to pay for Wocky’s defense any more than for his medical treatment. However, they’re not going to leave that debt unpaid forever, so eventually there is profit!

Of course, how exactly billing works at the Wright Anything Agency is... anyone’s guess. I suppose Apollo is technically an employee, but given that the place is held together with string and a wish, I don’t think a flat salary is in the cards this time. My guess would be that Trucy bases it on a performance contract (I don’t know a ton about that either) -- for every booking, Apollo gets paid and management gets a percentage.

4-3 Defendant: Machi Tobaye Does anyone get paid? I don’t think anyone was really planning to bill a fourteen-year-old who’s about to get arrested for a different crime, but Lamiroir may have reached out to the agency and offered to take care of it on his behalf, at which point they had to try and come up with a bill. Still a pittance, especially given the surgery plans (and... everything else.)

4-4 Defendant: Vera Misham Does anyone get paid? She was raking in an implicitly large amount of black market cash and she feels guilty about having it and would want to pay them back, but she’s also a nineteen-year-old agaraphobe navigating the world on her own for the first time. I think, ultimately, they bill her on the low-low end of reasonable.

It’s also possible that Phoenix got paid for what was, technically, a fair bit of government labor in setting up the jury system, but asking questions about those logistics is.... a choice even I am not going to make.

I haven’t played Duel Destinies or Spirit of Justice yet so further updates as events warrant.

I think my conclusion here is 1) in order to make money, Phoenix Wright needs to be supervised by someone who is not currently on trial and older than nine 2) Phoenix definitely gets to tell Apollo that he had to defend uphill in the snow both ways.

[mcytblrconfessions]

see the problem with all the "ohhhh goodtimeswithscar makes me feel faint" and "ohhh he's just so." and "ohhhh he could say anything and i'd go all red and stumble over my words like a kid with a schoolyard crush" is that i thought i was immune. honest to god was convinced i was immune, and suddenly im not?? now all it takes is a picture or a clip or fanart and im the one fanning my face and clicking away before someone can see how flustered i get, what the fuck am i supposed to do with myself now. mr.goodtimes you owe me financial compensation but if i ever had to hold a real conversation with him i think i'd sell all my worldly possessions to him without hesitation if he so much as mentioned it. send help