#nikita whats his last name

[rugwurm]

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[riptide-if]

Your dad has always said you swim as if your were born to be in the water; the rest of your family has always said that he is the whole reason you turned out like that.

So, it's not really a surprise when you had used all the money you got for your 7th birthday to buy a surfboard. And even less of a surprise when you started joining small surf competitions by the time you were 10, later followed by bigger competitions.

It seems you are the only one surprised when it turns out you're able to compete in the World Surfer's League's Ultimate Tournament Tour*.

Thrown into a mix of fellow surfing prodigies, rookies, and pros, do you really have what it takes to win?

RIPTIDE is a 18+ slice-of-life interactive fiction that includes optional sexual content, alcohol and drug use, coarse language, mentions of death of a parent, and dysfunctional families.

pinterest intros

customize your character, from gender, (including transgender options) pronouns, personality, physical appearance, clothing style, dynamics, public persona, and more.

decide what your strengths and weaknesses are as a surfer and choose from.

romance one of four romantic options - your best friend's brother, your childhood friend, your ex, or your fellow competitor, along with three polyamorous options and flings.

compete in an international surfing competition and see how you fare against your fellow surfers.

learn how to balance family, romance, and surfing; or don't, and suffer the consequences.

Arlo Song [male, he/him], your best friend’s twin brother.

Reliable and patient, Arlo is the poster child for the 'boy next door' trope. Arlo, despite living in Hawai'i since he was 13, has never been one for beaches or sports, choosing to spend his day in an art studio rather than on the beach, unlike most of the people he knows, including his twin sister; Aria. He's always kept you at arms length for reasons you aren't quite sure about.

Hilo Kalua Mahoe [nonbinary, they/them], your childhood best friend.

Apathetic and reserved, Hilo has been by your side since before you can remember (though your family has many pictures to prove this). Hilo is your exceptionally talented unofficial-official photographer, has been for years, and is accompanying you on the UTT. Ever since you were kids you’ve been hearing comments that Hilo is prickly or mean, but they’re never like that with you.

Elijah/Elaine Lee Ferguson [gender selectable], your rockstar ex.

Impulsive and (seemingly) confident E, more commonly known as ‘Lee Rex’ on stage and just Lee to their friends, is exactly what one would expect out of a rockstar. Your meeting with Lee was purely by coincidence, during their US tour, a show that a couple of your friends dragged you to— though if you knew that know you probably wouldn’t have agreed to go. Whatever Lee was like as your partner is long gone now; evident by all the photos they’ve posted making out with someone on their Instagram story.

Noemia/Nikita Azevedo [gender selectable], your wildcard competitor.

Charismatic and arrogant, N has already made a name for themselves in the surfing community. After placing in the final five in the last UTT, they’ve been chosen as a wildcard this time around. Really, you don’t know all that much about N, considering you’ve never even met them, but from your limited research (e.g: watching interviews on YouTube) you can tell they’re.. a bit of a flirt. It’s hard to tell if a facade or not; but you don’t really want to find out, either.

[multifandomgirl08]

Give Me Eyes To See [Mini Verstappen Series]

Dad!Max Verstappen x Mother!Reader (Established Relationship)

Summary: Nikita's first few days at home. Flashbacks to moments from the reader's pregnancy.

Warning(s): Flashbacks, Mentions of giving birth (Non-graphic)

A/N: All of the Flashbacks are individual things that were written that I condensed into this. The last flashback could have been its own part but I thought it fit better here. Title taken from the song Home by Corey Taylor.

Words: 2.7k

Previous Part → Next Part Mini Verstappen Masterlist

Max had grown to love the backyard. It was a big reason as to why they had chosen this house when he and Y/N had talked about moving.

It was quiet and peaceful here. It made time slow down and made him appreciate the little things in life. Like the little bundle of blankets that he was holding in his arms.

Max had never thought that he would be a father before he retired from racing. It was never in the cards for him. Nico had been a surprise in his life and Nikita had also been unexpected. The first time that Max had held Nico he thought he was small. Nikita was even tinier for just a few days old.

He was eating every three hours and wasn’t letting Y/N get any sleep. Max rocked Nikita as he slightly whimpered in the bundle. He was enamored with him.

Something so small that he helped create that had been in Y/N’s belly was now in his arms.

“I… I know that you are new to the world.” He muttered as Nikita dozed in his arms. “I just want you to know that as your Papa, I’ll do everything that I can to be there for you. I may not be there every day like your Mama, but I love you just as much.”

He laid his hand over Nikita’s chest, feeling the faint rise and fall of his little breaths under his hand.

As Max held Nikita, he couldn’t help but think back to the first time that he got to hold Nico. From the moment that both of his sons had come into his life, he knew he was going to do everything that he could, to do right by them.

August 7th, 2025

“What do you think about Nikita for a name?” You asked Max.

Max had just spent the last few hours trying to figure out the directions to put together the furniture that would be going in the baby’s room. After spending a few hours figuring out how the directions worked, he was now sitting on the couch in the family room with you looking through a book filled with baby names.

Max’s first thought was of Nikita Mazapin. He didn’t want a child of his, named after him.

“No.” He simply said.

“It means victory in Russian.” You offered while stroking your growing bump.

Now Max was even more against the idea. In the last few weeks, you had this idea of the baby having an Ni name like with Nico and you hadn’t let the idea go.

Max had put his gaming controller to the side pausing the current Fifa game that was on the screen.

“What about if it’s a girl?” He asked. He liked the possibility of there finally being a girl in the family. Victoria had two boys and he had Nico. Maybe it would be nice to have a little girl walking around that looked like you.

“Well, we’ll see when the baby finally comes.” You had both agreed that you wanted the gender of the baby to be a secret.

“But if it’s a boy, I know that I want him to have the middle name Daniel.”

Max couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. “Daniel?” He questioned. “My son, named after two F1 drivers. Nikita Mazapin and Daniel,” Max was okay with the baby’s middle name being taken from Daniel, Daniel was a good friend to him, a good uncle to Nico and he had been a great teammate.

You couldn’t help but look at him slightly confused. “Nikita Mazapin? I was thinking Nikita for Niki, like Niki Lauda.”

“Then why not Nikolaas, it’ll still be shortened to Niki.”

“This baby doesn’t really feel like a Nikolaas.”

“How about we make a deal? The baby is a boy, I’ll let you pick the name, anything you want. But it’s a girl I get to pick.”

Even as you agreed with Max, he knew in the end that you would get your way. He could never deny you anything. His second child, if it was a boy, was going to be named after Niki Lauda.

Max had come inside from sitting out on the terrace that led to the backyard. Nikita had been fussing a bit, probably due to the slight cold breeze this morning.

"Papa." Max heard from the hallway.

He looked up to see Nico standing outside of the door to the master bedroom. Nico was still in his pajamas holding the stuffed teddy bear that Charles had gotten him.

Max looked at Nico before moving his head to glance back at the bed where Y/N was still sleeping. He motioned for Nico to walk closer to him.

Since that moment that Nikita had come home with them, Nico had been curious about his little brother. How small he was. What type of food he was allowed to eat. When he could start to play with him.

Nico climbed onto the couch and scooted as close as he could to Max.

"Can I?" Nico asked, putting out his little hands.

Max nodded, placing the baby closer to Nico without putting him in his arms. Nico reached down to give Nikita a kiss on his forehead before the baby shifted in his swaddle.

Over the last few days, Max had noticed that Nikita wasn't a fussy baby. He only started crying when he was hungry or when he needed to be changed, besides that he just liked to sleep.

"He's small," Nico commented.

"Yes, he is. You were once that small too." Although Max had never gotten the chance to hold Nico when he was this small.

"No," Nico said with a shake of his head. Nico thought he was right about everything since Nikita had come home. As if, because he was Nikita's older brother he knew more now.

Max just nodded before Nico started to mumble at his younger brother. "Nikitha, Nikitha, Niki..." It seemed Nico had settled on before dropping his head against Max's arm and closing his eyes, his feet tucked under the blanket that was normally thrown over the couch.

Mother's Day - May 11, 2025

Everyone was coming over for Mother's Day, Max had Sophie, Victoria, her partner Tom, and Max's nephews flown in so they could spend the weekend with all of you.

Nico had already told both you and Max that he wanted to camp out in the living room with Luka and Lio when they came. Max had gone into the laundry room and pulled out extra sheets and pillows to make up the couches for the boys to sleep on. You had talked with Victoria about it and she was fine with it.

When everyone arrived you gave Victoria, Tom, and Sophie a tour of the house. The last time Sophie had been here was a week after you and Max got back from your honeymoon, and everything still wasn't unpacked. Victoria and Tom took in the house with fresh eyes, seeing the way that all of your and Max's things fit together in the new space. Nico, Luka, and Lio had gone into Nico's room to play with his toys.

The reason that you had invited everyone over was because both you and Max had been keeping the pregnancy to yourselves since you found out. You finally wanted to tell everyone since it was almost the end of your first trimester.

You had spent the first half of Sunday cooking before Max insisted that Sophie and Victoria take over for you. Sophie gave you a look that told you she knew that something was up.

When you finally sat down for dinner, food and drinks were going around the table. Tom went to fill the wine glass that was in front of you and you let him, wanting to wait to share your news until everyone had food on their plates.

You had been sitting to the left of Max when he reached for your hand, his thumb drawing little circles with the pad of his finger. You had initially planned to tell Sophie and Victoria that you were pregnant just after you and Max had gone back to the doctor. Eventually, you and Max agreed to wait until you were closer to the end of your first trimester.

About halfway through dinner, you could feel a set of eyes on you before looking up to see Sophie looking at you. She lightly tapped her wine glass with her finger before her eyes moved to yours which was still full from when Tom filled it earlier.

Max had taken the last bite of food off his plate before reaching for his glass to take a sip. His eyes traveled to you knowing that you couldn't drink any of the wine that was in your glass.

"I know that it is Mother's Day and we are all here as a family to celebrate the amazing woman in our lives who do so much for us," Max said lifting his glass. "So, Y/N and I have some news to share with you."

Everyone at the table was silent for a few moments before you spoke, "I'm pregnant."

Sophie and Victoria were quick to get out of their chairs hugging you and giving you their congratulations. Tom walked over to Max giving him a hug.

There was a piercing sound of chair legs scraping against the hardwood floor. Nico was quick to walk out of the room leaving everyone to walk downstairs with heavy steps. Victoria was quick to pull away from you and then Max moved his chair to follow after Nico.

You reached for Max's arm stopping him from following Nico, and then got up from your chair. You followed Nico into his bedroom, your fingers lightly rapping on the hardwood of his bedroom door. He looked up from where he lay in bed.

"Hi Mama," He quietly spoke.

"Hey," You moved to sit on the edge of Nico's bed.

You hadn't told Nico that you were pregnant thinking it better to wait a little.

"Are you sad that you're getting a sibling?" You asked.

Nico shook his head no, then shifted in his blue sheets dropping his head against your arm.

"You're my Mama," He whined. You moved to run your fingers through Nico's hair like you would do for Max. "I don't wanna share."

So Nico was upset that he would have to share you with the baby. "You share me with Papa." You told him.

"No, Papa shares you with me." He argued back. You gave Nico a small smile.

When Max wasn't home Nico had all of your attention, and when Max was home, Nico shared you with Max until Nico had to head to bed.

"Do you mind sharing me with Papa?" You asked him.

Nico shook his head no.

"Do you mind sharing me when Luka and Lio spend time with us?" You asked.

Nico shook his head no again and then moved his head into your lap squishing his chubby cheek into the material of your pants.

You weren't really sure what you could say to Nico about this to make him feel better. You and Max were having a baby and Nico would have to understand that the baby would need attention, a lot of attention for the first few months.

"Nico, you know that just because Papa and I are having a baby doesn't mean that we're not going to have time for you."

It was a little odd trying to reason with a four-year-old, but Nico needed to know that having a baby in the house wasn't going to change how much you loved him.

"You forget me with the baby." he blubbered.

"I'm not going to forget you, and neither is Papa." You pulled him into your lap so he could rest his head on your shoulder. "No one is going to replace you." You kissed Nico's cheek and then his hair. You looked up to see Max leaning against the doorway.

He quickly walked inside and sat on the other side of Nico. Nico looked up at Max before laying his head down again.

"How much did you hear?" You mouthed to Max.

He moved his index finger in a circle as if to say all of it. You nodded.

"Nico," Max started. "Mama and I love you, and there being a baby isn't going to change that."

Nico moved away from you and turned toward Max, "Not true."

This was one of those moments where you could tell that Nico had gotten his stubbornness from Max.

"It's true," Max said. "Mama and I are going to be busier taking care of the baby. But we're not going to love you less."

Nico threw himself into your arms, "Baby can have my toys, not my Mama."

Part of you wanted to laugh, Nico was quick to give up all of his toys before he was willing to give you up. You and Max shared a look before you both smiled at one another.

"Well, what if we told you that the baby was for you to have someone to play with?" You asked Nico.

Nico looked up at you before looking over at Max, he furrowed his brows in confusion. "I play with the baby?"

You nodded at Nico. "Yes, and you can share all of your toys with them, and get to go swimming together, and come to Paps's races."

"It's your job as the oldest to protect your younger sibling like I do with Auntie Vic." Max pointed out.

As you and Max told Nico more about the things that he got to do now that he was going to be an older brother you could tell that he was slowly coming around to the idea.

Later on in the evening after the table was cleared Nico and his cousins ended up all asleep on the living room couches while everyone else went out to the back patio. You ended up curled up against Max, his hand on your growing bump while talking with Sophie and Victoria. It was mostly the same stories that you had heard about Max as he grew up. Tom was talking with Max about the end of PSV's season before you all called it a night.

The sound of light voices woke you up, you were tired from the lack of sleep and turned towards Max's side of the bed to see the clock read one hour until you had to feed Nikita again.

You slowly sat up seeing Max, Nico, and Nikita all on the couch that the bed overlooked.

"When can we play?" Nico asked.

"He's too little to play yet," Max replied.

"But Mama said that I could play with him when he came."

"Nico, he's too young to play right now, but once he's older you can play together."

You shifted in the sheets a bit letting out an uncomfortable groan trying to sit up against the pillows behind you. Your pregnancy had gone as smoothly as possible, and the birth was close to perfect. However, you were still sore in your abdomen. Your OB told you if it didn't go away by the next time she saw you, she would end up prescribing you something mild so you could still breastfeed Nikita.

"Mijn leeuwin, are you okay?" Max asked turning away from Nico towards you.

You silently nodded, "Fine, just sore."

Nico had abandoned Max on the couch climbing into bed with you, scooting close in the king-size bed to lay next to you his feet hanging off the edge of the bed, clutching the little brown bear in his arms.

Max got up from the couch and slowly walked over before getting under the bedsheets again, you helped pull back the sheets while Max moved Nikita in his arms to his other side. Nikita's head lay against Max's shoulder still sleeping with Nico throwing his arm over your middle.

You looked over at Max, he pressed his lips together and you knew that he was trying to hold back a few tears before a wide smile broke out on his face.

"I love you." You mouthed silently.

"I love you too." He said back. He quickly reached up and kissed your hair as you snuggled in closer to his side.

taglist: @karmabyfernando, @barcagirly, @sachaa-ff, @iamahallucinationnn, @musingsbyshreya, @glow-ish, @nonsensical-nonsence, @fanboyluvr, @champomiel, @gothicwidowsworld, @lighttsoutlewis, @itsalwaysgay, @minkyungseokie, @mynameisangeloflife, @ursforever129, @aundercover, @bborra, @mindless-rock, @cixrosie, @barcelonaloverf1life, @taylorslovesswifties13

[praisethegabs]

HOME

Leon Kennedy x F!Reader

synopsis: starting a family right after the incident that ended Raccoon City wasn't in your or Leon's plans, but destiny decided to bless you two with twins. Now married and with two kids to raise, life can't be better. Leon finally seems to be healing and moving on, until his job starts to take a toll on him. Again.

warnings: angst (again) with happy ending, mentions of traumas, nightmares, sub!leon and soft dom!wife, mentions of: ptsd, crying during sex, soft smut, p in v, hand job, praise kink, use of pet names. both oc's named olivia and jake as the twins.

word count: 7k

a/n: istg i needed to write something like this. idk why, but the idea felt so great... i like to imagine what was like for leon if he had kids and a normal life, so this is what i got. enjoy it, fellas

"show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and I will show you how it still shines like gold," nikita gill

Starting a family wasn't something you thought about in your early 20s.

But then, Leon Kennedy entered your life. You both met before Raccoon City, and you couldn't help but fall in love with those innocent baby blue eyes. At first, Leon was full of energy, completely eager and enthusiastic about his new job as a cop. You both thought that moving to Raccoon City was a good idea, and you were both happy.

You had just started a new job as an intern journalist, and it was the perfect opportunity for you since you were almost done with college. As for Leon, he graduated from the police academy and was ready to serve. For two individuals in their early 20s, it was the perfect opportunity.

Life can be weird at times.

You both never got the chance to do what you wanted. Raccoon City was in chaos with numerous casualties, and Leon came close to death while battling the Tyrant known as Mr. X. Somehow, amidst all the chaos, you managed to befriend Claire Redfield, a teenager who was searching for her older brother. Together, the three of you managed to survive that night, even rescuing a little girl named Sherry. What happened afterwards were mere consequences.

You knew from the start that Leon was an orphan, and that he was rescued by a cop after his entire family was killed. This is why he helped Claire keep Sherry safe. However, even after that living nightmare ended, the government decided to "ask" Leon to join them. He never told you what happened afterward. He never explained why he had to attend this six-month training camp.

But he was acting differently. Sure, you couldn’t blame him for being distant.

What happened that night traumatized him. He was shot in the shoulder and pursued by Mr. X, narrowly escaping death. You were with Claire most of the time because Leon thought you would be safe with her. He never told you exactly what happened, but you knew him. He changed.

Sometimes, he would wake up screaming, scared, and desperately searching for you, just to ensure your safety and well-being. You would calm him down, talk to him, and help him understand that you are safe and that nothing is real. In the mornings, you would wake him up with breakfast in bed and tend to his wound - which later turned out to be a scar. It was a sorrowful memento of that evening.

Two weeks before Leon left the house, you discovered that you were expecting a baby.

This wasn't exactly what you both wanted, and at first, Leon was mesmerized by the idea of becoming a father, but he was also very scared. Suddenly, he wanted to be at home with you instead of going to this training camp, just like you wanted him to stay. But Leon didn't have a choice. You watched him leave, and something inside your chest told you that this would be the last time you would see this version of Leon, the rookie cop you had fallen in love with.

When he returned home, he was bigger than you had remembered.

His muscles had doubled in size, and he was much stronger, completely different from when he left. His eyes, however, remained the same. It was your Leon, the same man you had met before the apocalypse. When he saw your baby bump and realized it was his child inside, he cried. You had a baby shower, but you didn't know the gender of your baby - you wanted Leon to be a part of everything. So, one week after he returned home, the two of you got married in a beautiful, intimate, and small ceremony. Claire and Chris were in attendance - Chris being Claire's older brother - and you and Leon quickly became friends with him.

Your family lived in another country, and you had no contact with them. You were on your own, and you were glad to have him by your side.

At the end of the year, your twins were born, and Leon was there to witness the childbirth. His eyes were shining just like they did when you both first met. Her name was Olivia. Leon loved that name, and she had her father's eyes and the same blond hair. The other twin was named Jake, and he had your hair and Leon's eyes. Both Olivia and Jake were copies of Leon, and he was proud of them. After the first few weeks, he took care of all the chores around the house and looked after you, Olivia, and Jake. He always said, "You shouldn't worry about that anymore."

But sometimes, he was very scared of someone trying to hurt the three of you. So, he asked to move somewhere else, and suddenly, you didn't have to worry about work or money anymore. He provided everything you needed, and he would move mountains to ensure the security of his loved ones.

The year was now 2002.

He had to leave for a mission with Major Jack Krauser. You stayed at home with your twins and were aided by Claire because they would cause you a lot of trouble. Of course, Leon's job was dangerous, but he always managed to call you and the kids. He never used his ring while on duty and had no pictures of his family with him, afraid that someone would find them and harm the babies. You can be sure that no one at the agency knew he was married and a father of two.

To be honest, you didn't care. You knew that after the incident in Raccoon City, your family meant everything to him, and he would do whatever it took to keep all of you safe. Leon was broken inside, but now he had found a new sense of purpose. He loved all three of you more than anything in the world, and when he returned from the operation, he embraced the twins and showered all of you with affection. Something happened there, but you decided not to ask.

For the twins' 4th birthday, you set a small party for a few friends.

Claire and Chris were there, as always, along with a few of your friends. The barbecue was filled with love and happiness, and yet, you noticed Leon's eyes shining once more. A little reminder that life could be peaceful sometimes, without the horrors of one's job. You would look at him, with all his glorious features kissed by the sun. The way his eyes shine with happiness. He was so beautiful. You felt so lucky.

Olivia was definitely her dad's girl. She loved running into his arms and staying there. She loved it when Leon played with her or bathed her. Jake, however, was more of a momma's boy. Of course, he loved being with his father, but he preferred being with you. They used to sleep together and be each other's best friends until that day arrived.

They were growing up, and now they wanted separate rooms. They would fight sometimes, and Leon was always the reasonable person who would calm them both. He would always talk to them instead of doing something else, and occasionally, on very rare occasions, he would ground the twins.

You knew that your husband was happy with his life. It made him forget about Raccoon City. It helped him heal.

Things couldn't be better for your family. The twins were at school. You finally had time for yourself and Leon. Sex was incredible, and occasionally, you would send the children to Claire's so you could reaffirm your connection with your husband. Leon was very submissive, and you enjoyed being in control, making him beg like the obedient boy he was. You ruined him so deeply that you were certain he would never forget it. Even with two children, you still had the power to touch him and drive him crazy.

Until 2004.

“The president's daughter?" you asked him when he dropped the news about his new assignment. "In Spain?"

"Yes, honey. The president doesn't want anyone to know... that's why I'm going alone," Leon sighed, holding your hands. "But I promise I'll be back before you even have a chance to miss me."

"I already miss you," you muttered, which made him smile. His thumb gently pressed against your lips, while his hand firmly held your chin, compelling you to meet his gaze.

"You know I love you more than anything in this world, right?" Leon asked, his voice smooth, husky, and caring. You nodded in response. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Well, you better tell the twins. Good luck, Liv is not in the mood today," you said, playfully tapping his shoulder, which caused him to furrow his eyebrows.

"Oh, come on, honey... this is unfair!" Leon protested, but then he laughed, following you to the living room. He called the twins, and Olivia was already sitting on his lap. "Okay, Daddy's gotta go for a few days to fight the bad guys. Behave and don't get into trouble with your mom, or I'll be the one in trouble, okay?"

"Fight the bad guys?" Liv asked, facing her dad while clutching her favorite teddy bear.

"Yes, sweetheart. They need Daddy to fight the bad guys again. There's someone who needs help," Leon explained calmly, while cradling Olivia in his lap.

"Will you be safe?" Jake asked, as he went to sit with his sister on Leon's lap, hugging his dad.

"Always, pumpkin. When I get back home, I promise I'll take a few days off so we can all be together, okay?" Leon smiled at his son.

"Please, get back home safely, Daddy," Olivia said, burying her face in his neck. Her words brought a smile to his face as he hugged the twins.

You had your twins in your arms as the three of you watched Leon leave in the black SUV. As soon as you closed the door, you activated the non-negotiable security system. Leon needed to be sure that you would be safe with the kids, and you knew very well that he wouldn't be able to focus on his job if he had to worry about his family's safety.

"Why does Daddy have to go, Mommy?" Olivia asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"It's his job, sweetie." Sometimes, Daddy needs to save people so he can keep us safe too," you tried to explain in the best way you could. After all, they were only six years old.

"But what if we need him, Mommy?" Jake asked. You touched the tip of his nose, smiling.

"Well, mommy can protect both of you from the bad guys... and we also have Uncle Chris and Auntie Claire who can help if I need assistance," you reassured your twins with a soothing tone of voice.

"I miss him already," Olivia cried, and then you hugged her tightly.

“I know, baby. Mommy misses him too”

It was the middle of the night when you heard someone deactivating the security system and unlocking the door. After three distinct knocks, you knew exactly who it was.

Leon was tired, distressed, and angry all at once. His clothes were dirty, and he felt quite miserable. His entire body was aching, and he couldn't wait to fall asleep in your bed, holding you in his arms. You, on the other hand, turned on the lights in your room and went immediately to meet him.

The moment Leon saw you, he immediately embraced you, his face completely buried in your neck, sending shivers down your spine, despite the difference in height. Your fingers ran through his tousled blonde hair, and for minutes, words were unnecessary. The way he was holding you in his arms made you think that something really bad had happened in Spain.

"Shh, it's okay... you're home, baby," you whispered in his ear, providing some comfort.

"I'm so sorry," Leon said, his voice breaking.

The last time you saw him so fragile, on the verge of tears, was after the incident in Raccoon City. Witnessing him in that state once more filled you with fear. Right after he apologized, for reasons unknown, he started sobbing and crying on your shoulder. Something was not right.

It took 40 long minutes until Leon finally calmed down. Meanwhile, you kept hugging him and reassuring him with calm words that everything was fine and he was safe at home with you. You gently stroked his hair and often traced circles on his back with your finger.

"I never told you why I left... or why I am doing this job," Leon said vaguely, his eyes focused on something else.

"I never told you why I left... or why I am doing this job," Leon said vaguely, his eyes focused on something else.

"Why does this matter now, baby?" you raised your eyebrow, sitting next to him on the sofa.

"It was because of Sherry. Remember that when Claire left to find her brother, and we attempted to locate a rescue but ended up in that government facility?" Leon asked, his gaze still fixed on something else.

The memory was still fresh in your mind. They kept you away from Leon, but they never told you why. After six years, you would have the answers to this issue.

"That day, they started questioning me, and because I possessed the skills they were seeking, they expressed their desire for me to join them. I only managed to get us out of there because of that," Leon says, his eyes cast downward as if he were ashamed. "But the thing is... they never asked me to join them."

You raised your eyebrows again, confused by his sudden revelation. You knew from the beginning that something - or someone - was being used to make him stay. He finally looks at you, his eyes shining with tears once more.

"They forced me. They said they would kill us if I didn't say yes... and I had no other choice. I asked them to leave you out of this, and I would work for them... I just wanted to keep you safe," Leon sobs again, burying his face in his hands, his voice cracking. "But this last mission... God... the things I saw and did..."

You decided to let him vent. Whatever happened, there was enough to break the wall that Leon had built over the past six years. He was finally allowing himself to feel his emotions, and you wouldn't interrupt him.

"These villagers, they were insane. Controlled by a parasite called Las Plagas, they transformed into monstrous creatures, their heads exploding and their forms becoming grotesque." Leon continued to sob, as the memories of the events in Spain flooded back into his mind. "The cult leader also infected me. He almost turned me into his pet, using the plaga inside me to torture and control my body and mind."

And then, he sobbed again. Seeing your husband hurt like that breaks your heart. Since Raccoon City, you have always been the tough one. You never showed any signs of sadness or trauma because you knew Leon needed your support. Eventually, what happened there stays in the past. But for him, it was completely different.

Gently, you embraced him once more, his head resting on your neck and his breath caressing your skin gently. You felt his warm tears on your robe, but this wasn't something that you cared about at the moment.

"I can't fall asleep... I keep seeing those things over and over again. I see Saddler, Mendez, Salazar, and Krauser," Leon sobs one more time, holding you tightly in his arms. You raised your eyebrows, surprised to hear that name after all these years. "He didn't die. He kidnapped Ashley. He was working for them. I had to fight him, I had to kill him."

"Sweetheart, none of this is your fault," you whispered, trying to calm him once more. Your words were full of assurance.

"He tried to kill Luis and me. I felt so betrayed. I thought he had died two years ago... but he was working for Saddler. He died because of power, something so stupid," Leon said, his eyes closed as he replayed everything in his head. "I just can't believe it. I thought it could be different..."

"Well, you brought Ashley home safely. You did it, and then you managed to come home for us too," you smiled kindly, using your thumb to wipe the tears from his face. "You're here with us, safe and sound again."

"I'm so tired, baby," Leon whispered to you, his eyes still closed as he started to calm down again. "It is always the same bullshit”

"I know," you said, taking a deep breath. "But I'm here, and nothing will hurt you."

You noticed a slight smirk on his lips, and both of you remained there for a while.

You knew that his missions left him stressed and tired. Sometimes he would be gone for weeks, and it always made you anxious because you were scared he wouldn't come back. But you knew Leon better than anyone else. He would always come home.

"Daddy!" "Daddy!" Olivia jumped into his arms when she saw him in the kitchen in the morning.

"Good morning, princess," Leon chuckled, holding her in his strong embrace. "Someone missed me, huh?"

"Where's Jake?" you asked Olivia, noticing that her brother didn't come downstairs for breakfast.

"He's in his room, Mommy," Olivia said, hugging Leon tightly. "I told him to come down and see Daddy, but he didn't want to."

"Ok, I'll take care of it," Leon sighs, gently placing Olivia on the ground and kissing you on the forehead.

You smiled and nodded your head. As Leon went to Jake's room, your daughter helped you prepare breakfast. Gently, Leon knocked on Jake's door before entering. He saw his little boy lying on his bed, with his eyes closed. His room was filled with blue adhesive posters, scattered bears, and toys.

"Hey, big boy. What happened?” Leon asked, sitting on the edge of Jake's bed, with his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I had a bad dream," Jake whispered, trying to hide under the blankets.

"A bad dream? Wanna talk about it?" Leon asked again, gently holding Jake's hand and stroking his hair.

"I saw a man hurting you, Daddy... I felt it too," his baby blue eyes then shined with tears.

"Well, Daddy's back home safe and sound, you see? There's nothing to be worried about, okay? While I'm here, no one will hurt you," Leon smiled, his voice calm and soft, as always. "Now, let's go eat breakfast, or your mom will definitely ground us."

Jake nodded smiling and Leon lifted him onto his shoulders. They walked downstairs together for breakfast, with Leon carrying his child. He placed Jake in the chair, sitting between the twins. Olivia and Jake enjoyed their pancakes with juice, while you and Leon had your favorite meal. Such a warm way to welcome him home.

"Daddy, I did something for you," Olivia said. Then, she ran to the living room and returned with a piece of paper. "I was waiting for you to come back."

"This is so beautiful, princess. I loved it," Leon smiled, as he observed the drawing she made of the family. "Thank you, baby girl."

"Jake drew too," you said, noticing that Jake was away. He seemed sad. "Right, baby?"

"Yes, I did," he nodded, then he ate another slice of his pancake. Your shared glance with Leon conveyed what words couldn't.

A few hours later, Olivia and Jake were playing in the garden, while Leon and you were casually lying on the sofa, watching the twins from the window. He was between your legs, and your fingers were gently running through his disheveled hair. His breath was calm, and he appeared tired, but at least he managed to sleep for the rest of the night.

"I'm worried about him," you sighed to Leon, your eyes locked on Jake as he played with his sister.

"Do you think we need therapy?" Leon's eyes met yours as he lifted his head to get a better view.

"I think he misses you, Lee. Let's be honest, Olivia is like your baby girl, and I think Jake feels that you give her too much attention," you said, analyzing the two.

"Right, babe. I'll fix that, I promise," Leon smirks, passionately kissing your hand.

"Take him to a boys' day or something. I'm sure he'll love spending some time with his dad," you suggested, smiling and leaning in to kiss his forehead.

"Alright, I promise I'll spend some time with Jake. I don't want to miss anything," Leon smiled again, then he leaned in to kiss you.

"Ew, that's disgusting!" Olivia shouted. Then, you glanced at your daughter and smiled mischievously at Leon. Both of you then ran after Jake and Olivia, giving them each a kiss.

2006 was a terrible year.

You knew that someday you would have to explain to the twins the true nature of Leon's job. You thought you would have time for it. Instead, his job decided to rush things, and now you have to deal with it alone.

Leon had gone to investigate something in China, and for some reason, you felt uncomfortable with the idea. Since his mission to Spain, he has completely changed again. Of course, you loved spending more time with him, and the twins loved the idea as well, but he seemed a little sad. Every time you tried to talk and understand what was going on, he would shut himself off and change the subject.

Just like what happened after the incident in Raccoon City.

You were at home when you heard about a submarine exploding and rumors circulating about the Chinese being behind the attack. The last time you had actually spoken to Leon, he was on his way to catch a submarine. Your heart sank at the possibility of him being killed, but somehow, you decided to remain positive. Leon would never leave you alone; he always finds a way to come back home.

But then, just as you were about to tell the twins, Leon returned.

This was the first time you had a fight with him. You needed to tell him how distant he was and the fact that he almost died made you freak out. He needed to open his eyes because he had been away from home since Spain, and you were trying everything in your power to make him see what he was losing.

And right after the fight, Leon attempted to reconcile and make amends.

He was more present at home, spending more time with you and the children. He was being more passionate and caring than ever before, treating you in the best way he could. Even so, he still had nightmares. One night, he woke up abruptly, his face and chest drenched in sweat, his breath labored, and his eyes filled with fear and panic.

"Babe, I'm here. It's okay, it wasn't real. It was only a bad dream," you said soothingly, hugging him tightly and stroking his hair to provide comfort.

"Shit... I-I can't sleep," he muttered, trying to catch his breath. He was very scared.

"Take a few deep breaths with me," you said, placing your hand on his chest and feeling his rapid heartbeat. Leon held your hand for support, to confirm that it was indeed real.

He never told you what his nightmare was about. You attempted to engage in conversation with him, but he mentioned something about terror and fear, implying that it would be better to avoid discussing it. Eventually, after a few weeks, he told you about Jason and what had happened in China. If Jason wanted to scare him, he successfully did that.

You hated Jason more than ever.

After the events of the Eastern Slav Civil War in 2011, Leon decided to quit USSTRATCOM for good. He told you what happened there and expressed his disgust towards the current government. He expressed his anger and stress by fucking you forcefully. Thankfully, the twins were at Claire's, so they couldn't hear your pornographic moans.

Now, he was working for DSO, and he seemed happy.

It was a very peculiar routine. Leon was called during a family quality time and was gone for weeks. When he returned, he would be exhausted to the core, stressed, and angry. The only way to relieve his tension was by using your gentle touch.

Jake and Olivia were at an age where they enjoyed spending time with friends. You didn't mind letting Olivia go to her best friend's house for a sleepover while Jake had fun with his own group. And when you had the house all to yourself, Leon would not only find a good massage but also the perfect stress relief.

"Beg to come, my good boy," you teased, slowing down your hands on his erect penis.

"P-please... let me cum, please,” he moaned so loudly that you knew your neighbors would hear him pleading with you. "F-fuck, I can't take it anymore."

"Again," you demanded, smiling teasingly as you continued to move your hand slowly. You watched as he desperately tried to find some friction, lifting his hips into your hand.

"Please, let me cum, babe,” he whined aloud, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gripped the sheets beneath him, burying his head in the pillow and closing his eyes. “Pleasepleaseplease I'll be your good boy.”

"The light is green," you whispered in his ear, biting his earlobe. With the trigger words, Leon released himself into your hands, emitting a loud moan that left you satisfied with your performance. His body jerks with the sudden release of pleasure, and he tries to catch his breath again.

“I love you,” he says. 

It was 2013, and you were at home, focusing on your paperwork for DSO since your children were teenagers, and you had time to work again. Jake was at soccer practice, Olivia was with her friends at the theater extra class, and you were alone with Cookie, the stray black and white cat that Leon adopted a few months ago. 

Suddenly, you heard the news about President Benford being killed. At the same time, someone called you. It was Hunnigan. 

She told you Leon was accused of killing the president while on a mission with Helena Harper from the CIA, and he was apparently MIA. You fell onto the couch, your heart beating faster inside your chest. You knew Leon would never betray his own country like that. Not only that, but you knew him better than anyone else. You knew what was about to happen. Immediately, you went to pick up the twins, driving them home in such a hurry that they didn’t understand what was going on. 

“Mom, is there something wrong with dad?” Jake asked, checking his phone with a worried expression. “The president died? Is all over the news” 

“I’ll explain when we get back home” You sighed heavily, your heart beating faster and your hands shaking completely. 

“Is he okay?” Olivia glanced at you, trying to find any assurance. In response, you just bite your lip. 

You said nothing. When you parked in front of your house, you took the twins inside in such a hurry that they started to get anxious. They could definitely tell something was wrong. You closed the curtains and checked the entire place, and when you found nothing, you finally relaxed. 

“Your dad went on a meeting with the president earlier, but I don’t know what went wrong, but he had to kill the president,” you finally said, after sitting with the twins on the sofa. Olivia gasped in shock as Jake remained with his Stoic expression, just like his father. “And at the moment, he’s missing in action” 

If you could protect your children from the truth and the whole world, you would without hesitation. The look of sadness on their faces, the way they leaned in for your support — it all broke your heart. Olivia was crying quietly, Jake was in shock, and once more, it was your responsibility to be the tough one. 

The three of you remained in the living room as your embrace protected the twins, giving them the comfort they needed. At any time, you knew you would receive secret agents at your door, but you had no patience to deal with them. Deep down, you knew that Leon was alive. He needed to be. 

But eventually, after a few days, you started to question if he really died. The twins were at home with you, as you decided to keep them at home after being dismissed from class due to personal reasons. The house, once full of laughs, jokes, and love, was now silent and cold. You were dead worried, waiting for any sign or call from Leon or Hunnigan. Olivia barely left her room, and Jake tried to stay positive, giving you the support you also needed. 

Until he crossed the door. 

The moment Leon walked inside the house, it was like he brought back the light. It was like the missing piece had finally found its way back. Olivia and Jake jumped on him, and for a very long time, tears and sobs were the only symphony inside the place. You were looking at him like he was your sun, the warmth and kindness that always finds a way to melt your heart. He glances at you, and he smiles.

He opens his arms, and when he embraces you, this is exactly where he needs to be.

“I had no other choice. He got infected,” Leon later said, when the four of you were having a family quality time. “And Simmons tried to blame me to cover up for his crimes”

“But you got him, right?” Jake asked, eating his popcorn and focusing his attention on his father.

“Well, kiddo, if I didn’t, I would be dead by now.” Leon chuckles, stroking your hand as you lay comfortably on his chest, smiling.

“Why do you keep doing this, dad?” Olivia asked, sighing. Leon hesitated for a moment. This was a subject never spoken in your family.

“Back in 1998, right after I met your mom, I had recently graduated from the Police Academy, and your mom was about to start as an intern. We decided to move to Raccoon City so we could start a life together, but one week before, I got a call telling me I shouldn’t go. I don’t know why I ignored that call, but we went anyway.” Leon sighed, his eyes looking somewhere else. He never liked talking about Raccoon City. “When we arrived, the city was drowned in chaos, death, and zombies. It was a living nightmare. But at least we met Claire and Sherry, a little girl who was alone. We managed to survive the night, barely escaping the city. The entire city was wiped away the next morning, and when we tried to find a rescue, we ended up in a government facility. I made a deal that day in exchange for keeping your mom and Sherry safe, I joined their top-secret program. One week before I left, your mom told me she was pregnant"

Both Olivia and Jake were surprised to hear about the incident. Sure, everyone knew, but knowing their parents were there and somehow survived was very different. Now, at least, they knew the true nature of Leon’s job and why he did what he did. But, the most important thing in the world, they knew Leon would do everything in his power to keep his family safe.

One year later, in 2014, however, things turned unexpectedly.

Leon decided to go on a vacation in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado after his entire team was killed by a mole. He drowned himself in alcohol, and he clearly was struggling with depression. After everything he went through, he was losing himself again. It was morning when you woke up alone in the hotel room, his side cold and empty. His blonde hair was now dark, he had a beard growing up, and his eyes weren’t shining like usual.

You found him already drinking his sorrows away.

“Babe, you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” you sighed, sitting on his side, holding his hand and squeezing it softly.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this anymore.” Leon muttered, his eyes focused on his own drink and avoiding your gaze. “I had to watch them die… I had to shoot them in the morgue. I lost them all”

“And do you think drinking heavily will ease the pain, Lee? You can’t bring them back, and I know it hurts, but this wasn’t your fault. You tried, I know you did… but sometimes things don’t happen the way we want them to happen,” you sighed again, still holding his hand.

He was shattered inside. Losing his entire team in front of his eyes made him regret every decision he ever made. He was disgusted by himself and found solace in alcohol, which you hated.

“It's a little bit early to be that deep in the bottle, Leon,” you heard Chris say, getting closer with Rebecca.

You smirk, and Leon sighs. He’s going again on a new mission.

When he came back from this mission with Chris, he seemed different. Although his arm seemed to be hurt, he was acting differently. Whatever happened between him and Chris, it worked to make him open his eyes. He enjoyed the rest of his vacation, cutting out alcohol permanently and spending more time with his family. 

He eventually told you about Arias and what happened in New York. Likewise, he told you about Maria. 

Leon was, again, healing. It was a very slow process, but he had his family to remind him that life could be beautiful and happy. He had you by his side, and even after sixteen years since Raccoon City, he was still alive, and nothing bad really happened to you or the twins. Now, he was making his dad jokes again, laughing and smiling more than ever. His presence at home was more frequent, and he definitely decided to stay more with you. 

On the weekends, he would take you and the twins to some random beach, have a picnic, or go camping outside. The family portraits were happier than the previous ones, and slowly, he was starting to show the first signs of his age hitting him. His body wasn’t the same as before, but you didn’t care. To you, he would always be the Leon you met in his 20s. 

A year later, everything was normal again. 

“Ok, slow down. I know you want to go see this prison, but I’m not Flash!” You shouted at Jake while he was speaking aloud about Alcatraz. “Liv, are you ready?”

“Mom, why do you keep treating me like I’m a baby?” Jake rolled his eyes, finally meeting you in the living room, his phone on his left ear. 

“Well, you might be sixteen, but you’re still my baby.” You teased him by kissing his forehead. 

You drove to get the boat to Alcatraz Island because Jake had been asking you for the entire month. He had this history project, and since you were the cool parent, you decided to take him and Olivia on a small trip to the island because Leon was too busy at work, and you wanted to enjoy San Francisco since their vacation was ending. 

But something went wrong. 

You three were at the cell block when everyone started to scream and run. You grabbed Jake and Olivia by their hands and entered one of the cells, locking it. Whatever was happening, their safety was your priority. You took a gun from your purse, ready to keep your children safe. 

“Mom… I-I don’t feel good,” Jake muttered, sliding against the walls. He was pale and sweating, and his breath was very shallow. 

“What happened, baby? What's wrong?” You asked desperately, trying to find any sign of a bite or any other wound. “Are you hurt? Olivia, help me lay him in bed"

But then the same thing happened to Olivia. You were desperate, and their phones were missing. Now, they were struggling against something you couldn’t know what it was, and there was no way to call for help. You sat with them, stroking their heads and whispering soothing words, fighting to keep tears in your eyes. You saw a blonde woman standing on the other side, half of her face covered by her own hair. She watched you with an awful smirk and disdain.

“Who are you?” you asked, your hand slightly reaching your gun.

“I’m the one who will make your husband pay for killing my father,” the mysterious blonde said angrily. “I’ll make him watch your children rip you apart and see him kill everything he loves. And then I’ll make him suffer”

“You’re stupid to think he’ll fall for that,” you said, smiling, but deep down, you knew you were scared. “He’ll beat the living shit out of you just because you thought you could harm us”

She smirks.

“Yeah, if I were you, I’d be worrying about my own skin by now”

“Well, if you think I’ll leave my children alone, you’re wrong. You better find Leon before I find you, because no one fucks with my family and gets away with it,” you threatened with cold, dead eyes, and she seemed to back off.

“Badass, mom,” Jake smirks, holding your hand tight.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Dad’s coming,” you whispered to the twins softly.

You had no idea how she found out about your family, but this wasn’t important at the moment. You had calmed them both, knowing they were struggling with the infection. Seeing them suffer made you angry, and whoever she was, you would go after her and make her pay for hurting your babies. You had no notion of time, but you heard someone. It was Chris and Claire, they were also infected. You hated being the one spared, but you knew you were running out of time.

“Are you guys okay?” You asked both Chris and Claire, hearing them groan in pain.

“Yeah… how about the kids?” Chris asked you back, followed by a groan.

“They’re infected…” you sighed. “I don’t know, it happened quick”

You heard a loud thud. Two people were walking inside the cell block, and then you heard him scream your name, running immediately to you. Desperation floated in his eyes as he saw his twins.

“Babe, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Leon asked with desperation in his voice. He managed to open the cell, hugging you tight. “What happened to the twins?”

“That little bitch infected them,” you muttered, kneeling next to Olivia.

“Maria? Where is she?” Leon asked again, holding Jake in his lap. “Hold on, big boy. Daddy's here”

“Dad… it hurts,” Jake hissed, closing his eyes. Olivia reached for his hand, trying to squeeze it.

“I know, but I need you to hang on just a little bit. I promise I’ll take you home safe,” Leon said, stroking Jake’s hair and, with his other hand, holding Olivia’s.

As soon as Rebecca arrived, she injected the vaccine into the twins, Chris and Claire. Jill had to leave to face Dylan by herself. It was time to end this. As soon as the twins recovered from the infection, you sat next to them with a serious look on your face.

“I need you two to go with Claire and Rebecca. Jake, you need to protect your sister, okay? I’m counting on you two,” you said to them. “Me and Dad will be back for you when we finish. Go, now!” As they leave with Claire and Rebecca, you take your gear.

“You look so sexy when you’re angry,” Leon teased as you two walked to the armory room.

“Keep teasing me like that, and I’ll have to teach you a lesson” You wink at him, which makes him giggle.

Maria was waiting for both of you in the armory room. After an intense fight, Leon managed to kick her, impaling her into some broken metal pipes. She looked at you, and you leaned closer, pointing your gun into her head.

“I told you. No one fucks with my family,” you hissed angrily, right before she dropped dead on the floor.

Alcatraz was a terrible experience. Leon had his face almost purple after being beaten up by Maria, and the twins were exhausted. At least your family is intact again. You were with Rebecca, Chris, Claire, Jill, and Leon outside. He seemed distressed, so you hugged him tightly, kissing his shoulder gently.

“I almost lost them,” he said, looking at the twins laughing with Chris. “And you”

“We’re here,” you said to him, looking into his blue eyes and placing your cheek peacefully on his shoulder.

“I’ll quit.” Leon looks at you. “I’m coming home, and I’ll never leave you again”

You smiled, holding his hand. No matter what happens, at the end of the day, Leon always comes home.

[violetlichen]

nobody puts my bald baby in a corner

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen / Named Atreides wife A little nsfw but that's not the point. Domestic family life. They have five kids and Feyd desperately wants another. Wifey won't oblige. Don't pay attention to the other characters and Houses I included, I don't know anything about Dune and I just pulled from the fandom wiki or made them up. Their son is not the Kwisatz Haderach either!

****if you're somebody who works at tumblr hq reading this because i accidentally reported my own fic im really sorry****

It has been five years since Feyd-Rautha last saw his wife swell with his child.

It is entirely by her design, and certainly not for lack of trying. He ravages her senseless almost every night, but after five children, the ever infuriating Diana Atreides refuses to give him another. As a Bene Gesserit, it is within her power to do so; the witches are able to bend their own reproduction to their will, and Feyd-Rautha believes she likes his methods of convincing her too much to give him what he wants.

Tonight, he almost has her hooked. He kisses her knee and up her bare thigh, licking and sucking the plush skin there. She barely acknowledges him and lets him fondle her as he pleases, lost in her own thoughts. 

“She’s too old for him. He’s just a boy.”

They are currently hosting several of the Great Houses. Earlier at dinner, he and Diana were approached by the Duke of Ginaz, who suggested they betroth his daughter to their oldest son, Aleksei. Diana had hidden her frown behind her glass of wine, but Feyd-Rautha had seen it and filed it away for later, thanking the Duke for his time.

He hums against her thigh, tongueing over the faint bruise he made. He can use this.

“He will be a man soon,” he reminds her. He pulls her leg over his shoulder as he shifts up the bed, now eye level with her weeping cunt. His mouth waters. “Even if we refuse this proposal, there will be others.”

He knows his wife wants to say more, but the words die in her throat when he shoves his nose against her, inhaling her scent and releasing a shaky breath. He pretends it is for her benefit, but really, this is all for him. With his fingers pulling apart the seam of her, his tongue lolls out, and Feyd-Rautha feasts. 

When he has had his fill of her pleasure, he crawls up the length of her body. She pants underneath him, back arching and eyes squeezing shut like a satisfied cat, her neck exposed and vulnerable. He licks off the sweat there.

“It will not stop with Aleksei,” he says, leaning over her.

Diana scowls. She shoves him, but he does not yield. He grasps her hand, pulling it away from his chest and up to his mouth, where he kisses her fingers.

He knows he is being cruel, rubbing salt in her wound. Her children are growing. At twelve years old, Aleksei is admittedly still too young to seriously consider for marriage, but the coming years will go by in a blink. First it will be Aleksei, then Nikita shortly after, and then Maxim – although their youngest and most unstable son will be difficult to pawn off, Feyd-Rautha thinks. 

His girls are another story. Sasha and Grisha were both gifted their mother’s beauty, but it is Grisha, their youngest, who takes after Feyd-Rautha the most. She is the only one of his children who did not inherit those dark Atreides curls. She is perfect; wholly Harkonnen, like her father. He knows he will feel how Diana does now when it is time for Grisha to leave his side.

It is why he fucks into his wife now, flexing his hips slowly and purposefully, so she feels every inch of his longing. He staves off the urge to empty himself inside of her prematurely, already aching to see her breasts swollen and leaking. 

He stops, trying to catch his breath. He pulls back from Diana to thumb over her pearl, grinding his length into her. “Shall I leave you like this, wife?” he asks her.

“Don’t you dare,” she snaps, her hips chasing his fingers.

“I can give you what you want,” he taunts. “I will pump you full of my children happily. What is one more?”

Diana does not answer, but he sees her breaking, just as he is. He holds her legs open, jutting into the apex of them, growling as he stares her down, willing her to change her mind. She hides her fears behind her pleasure, hides the tear sliding down her cheek by turning her face into the pillow, taking what he gives her.

What is one more child? Certainly not the solution to her problem. It is only a delay of the inevitable, that one day they will all grow up and no longer need her. Feyd-Rautha knows this. But he hopes to delay his wife’s suffering, just as he will delay her gratification if she does not give him what he wants.

When he pumps his load into her, he knows she is not satisfied. He breathes through his own satisfaction, nose flaring like a bull, but she does not complain like he expected her to. She does not roll him over to claim him, or bring her fingers to her cunt to finish what he started, his eyes on her hole, full of his spend.

Instead she buries her face in her hands. Feyd-Rautha leans his weight onto her and pulls her hands away, revealing her face to him. She blinks at him, her lashes wet and clumping together.

He knows what she is feeling. “I feel it, too,” he says. “Let me give you another, my darling.”

Diana nods and looks away, breathing out a held breath. “Alright,” she says. Her eyes soften fondly when they focus on him again. “Alright.”

They lay together for a while, enjoying each other’s company. Feyd-Rautha does not know if tonight will be the night, but he hopes. He hopes she sees it the way he does -- a continuation of their happiness, not the eventual ending of it. He kisses every part of Diana he can reach, and she cuddles into him, their limbs a tangled mess. 

A little later into the night, a knock on the door breaks their comfortable silence. Feyd-Rautha grunts, already irritated, and removes himself from her, slipping on a robe and his pants.

When he opens the door, he finds a wide-eyed servant. “It is the children, Baron Harkonnen.”

Feyd-Rautha frowns and widens the door, panic souring him. “Where are they?”

“They are safe, Baron Harkonnen, but there has been a bit of trouble.”

Diana appears behind him, wrapping her robe around her waist. "What sort of trouble?" she asks, brow furrowed.

“It will be best if you follow me to the drawing room within the guest wing, Baroness.”

Diana whips past Feyd-Rautha and the servant, not waiting for either of them to lead her to the guest wing. Feyd-Rautha follows after her, and he knows to expect his boys. It is not the first time he was awoken by something they have done when they should have been sleeping, but it does concern him that they were found in the guest wing.

Although he is the youngest son, Maxim is the instigator of all things. Not as bright as the others, he is aggressive and impulsive, often letting his hands speak for him. He acts before he thinks, and it frustrates Diana greatly. Many nights Feyd-Rautha has been brought before Maxim in the kitchens, where he sticks his grubby hands into pies and picks at berries meant for the morning’s breakfast. The guards know not to let him out of his room at night without their explicit permission.

But as explosive as Maxim is, it is Aleksei who reminds Feyd-Rautha the most of his own brother, Beast Rabban. His oldest son is proud and quick to anger, easily riled by Maxim and his sisters who poke and prod at him in the ways only younger siblings can. Feyd-Rautha does his best to temper Aleksei, to show him the value in patience, in choosing his battles.

Nikita, self-sufficient boy that he is, waits until the battles are over and won to pick at what remains. He watches. Feyd-Rautha suspects Diana favors him over the others, though she will never admit it. 

All of them dote on their sisters. Sasha has them carry her around on their backs, even when they are tired and sore and agitated from their training. They still treat Grisha like she is their baby, although she is almost six years old now and loathes the comparison. 

Each of them, in their own ways, bring honor to their House. It is not something he had ever imagined for himself when thinking about his future. Feyd-Rautha is proud of his children, and he would not be disinclined to have another.

The chaos they find upon entering the drawing room is enough for him to change his mind.

The lord and lady from Zanbar, whose names Feyd-Rautha has forgotten, fawn over their young daughter, who sits upon an ottoman in front of the fireplace, her face red and streaked with tears. She cries as she pulls at what remains of her blonde hair. It has been crudely chopped off, the ends blunt and jagged like it had been sawed with a knife.

Their boys stand sullenly in front of the governess, disheveled in her bathrobe and still flustered from being awoken in the middle of the night to collect them. Aleksei folds his arms over his chest, his head full of curly dark hair held high. Next to him, Nikita remains calm in the face of their impending scolding. He very likely had done nothing wrong but bear witness to the antics of his rowdy brothers. Meanwhile, Maxim openly glares at the small weeping girl. She deserved what she got, and he is waiting for a reason to give her more to cry over.

“What happened?” Diana asks, dismayed.

“Your sons snuck into my daughter’s bedchamber and cut her hair off while she slept!” the lord’s wife snaps, borderline hysterical. “Where were her guards? How was this allowed to happen?”

She is reaching an unnatural decibel, but withers under the glare Feyd-Rautha shoots her. They were pulled from their bed for this? His darkening expression does not fully quell the lady's anger, and she gawks at her husband, willing him to say something.

"I'm sure there's an explanation," the lord offers unhelpfully, averting his timid gaze.

Diana stills, taking in the sight of the poor girl’s hacked hair. With a deep inhale, she turns to the boys, her hand finding her hip. “Explain yourselves.”

“She was mocking Grisha, mother,” Maxim says, scowling. “We heard her at dinner.”

Aleksei nods, more self-righteous and refined in his anger. “She laughed at Grisha and made her cry because she doesn’t have hair.” He sneers when the lord’s daughter wails a little louder at this, because she, too, does not have hair now. “She called her ugly.”

Diana looks heartbroken over this, but her Bene Gesserit training helps to quickly neutralize her face. She looks to Nikita. “And you? What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I told them not to.”

Feyd-Rautha believes him. Nikita is no less ruthless, but he is also a diplomat by nature, preferring more uninvolved methods of justice or revenge. This boldness is certainly the work of his brothers.

Feyd-Rautha cannot wait to reward them handsomely for it.

Diana believes Nikita as well, for she turns back to the other two. “Apologize to Lady Rosalind.”

“But mother, she–”

“Enough,” Feyd-Rautha rasps, growing tired of the spectacle. “Do as your mother says, so we may all retire to our beds.” He shoots another glare at the lord and lady, who bluster under his attention, too afraid of him to protest again.

Aleksei and Maxim step forward and bow to the young girl. “We’re sorry,” they echo, not meaning it at all.

Knowing that is the best she will get from them, Diana exhales deeply and dismisses them back to their rooms, escorted by their governess to make sure they get there and do not take any more detours. Nikita follows, ever their solemn shadow. 

Diana kneels down beside Lady Rosalind. “Don’t fret. Hair grows back,” she soothes. The girl hiccups, and Diana gently brushes the hair out of her eyes before standing up to face her parents again. “I apologize on behalf of my sons. As you can see, they love their sister very much and do not take kindly to those who upset her.”

The lord and lady of Zanbar try to hide their grimaces. They know their indignancy is unfounded now that they know their daughter had started this. “Baroness, I must apologize–” the lord starts.

“That won’t be necessary,” Diana interrupts, putting a graceful hand up to stop him. “Let’s put this unpleasantness behind us. My husband and I will question our guards to understand how this was allowed to happen. Those responsible will be thoroughly punished.” She looks at Feyd-Rautha. “That includes our sons.”

This seems to satisfy the lord and lady enough to gather up their snot nosed daughter and leave, perhaps vowing to never step foot on Giedi Prime again. Feyd-Rautha will not miss them.

He and Diana walk back to their bedchamber in an agitated silence, until she breaks it.

“Still want another?” she asks him, deadpan.

“Not particularly. Would you still like me to thoroughly punish them?”

“Not particularly.”

Feyd-Rautha hums, and he reaches for her hand. 

The next morning, Feyd-Rautha walks over to Grisha where she sits on the wide stone fence, her little legs dangling over the side. The boys train in the yard, and she watches with her dolls, acting out the sparring techniques she sees with them. He kisses her head, smooth like his. She ignores him, too caught up in supervising the training of her dolls.

Feyd-Rautha smiles. “Who is winning?” he asks.

One of the dolls headbutts the other. Their yarn-like hair swings around violently. It is hard to tell under the light of the black sun, but he thinks one of them is blonde. That one plops to the ground, landing in the sand.

Grisha raises the hand of the victorious doll the way she sees her father raise his in the arena. “This one,” she tells him.

“Well fought,” Feyd-Rautha says proudly. He bends down to pick up the doll and hands it to her. He watches her run her fingers through the doll’s hair, brushing the sand out of it with great care.

One day, his daughter will train alongside her brothers. She will have no need for hair then. It would just get in her way, and make her easier to grab by her opponents. She will see the use in this, and appreciate what makes her Harkonnen.

For now, Feyd-Rautha cups her head and kisses her again. He calls her his beautiful girl, and returns to the yard, picking up where he and the boys left off.

[chussyracing]

what's been happening in the world of motorsports lately?

a summary of all news, updates and rumours we got over the last few days because f1 never sleeps, not even during the summer break

Oliver Oakes becomes the new team principal of Alpine (he is also the boss of Hitech team in F2 and F3)

RBR’s sporting director Jonathan Wheatley leaves Red Bull to become a new team principal of Audi after his gardening leave to partner Binotto who was appointed a few days ago

Andrea Stella extended his McLaren contract

like previously mentioned, Frederic Vasseur said that Ferrari’s new technical structure will be announced after the summer break but we already found out Diego Tondi has been promoted to the head of aerodynamics and different journals speculate about others (namely Mike Elliot from Mercedes who should be free for 2025 after his gardening leave and could come with Lewis and Loic Serra, and Frank Sancez that used to be in Sauber and might work on the aerodynamic team under Tondi)

Prema won the F3 Championship

F1Planet believes that based on the link between Oliver Oakes and Nikita Mazepin’s family, he could join Alpine

did I also say that apparently there are negotiations behind the scenes for Onlyfans to replace BWT as their sponsor (they are a joke, but can these reports please stop????)

Ferrari promised to continue a series of smaller upgrades to fix their new porpoising issues, McLaren will also continue their development to get even faster than Red Bull as their main goal this year is the championship(s)

FIA updated the regulations and added/changed some things, namely (very simplified) part about brakes not able to be asymmetrical to help rotation of the car and a part about stopping a car on the track not being able to continue the session (to avoid situations like when Carlos crashed in quali, caused a red flag and his car got to the boxes so fast they could repair it and he could continue in Q3)

Toto once again said that Kimi Antonelli is their first option for 2025 and there are some reports that he will be announced once he turns 18 (so as soon as Monza)

Charles was the face of newest issue of Gentleman’s Journal, Lewis came to support his bestie at Olympics, Max’s new docu series on Viaplay came out (or a part of it anyway), Sweet Corn was hanging out with daddy Guanyu and both Daniel and Lando dropped their new merch

a few journals claim that Jack Doohan is really close to signing to Alpine, if it’s not just the question of announcing it officially

the options for Audi’s second seat might include Gabriel Bortoleto (who won F3 championship and stepped up into F2)

there are rumours about GP (Max’s engineer) stepping up into Wheatley’s role that will now be vacant, because Red Bull wants to take from their own people instead of hiring the outsider workers

personal note because another episode of Charles’ Peroni campaign came out: Peroni 0.00% Nastro Azzurro lately dropped in Slovakia with Števo Eisele, Ferrari showcar (made of 2021 replica car and current livery with all its sponsors – picture below) and Charles’ race suit and Carlos’ helmet and it was so nice (they had alcohol free beer and tiramisu and pizza and cocktails for free)

Canadian GP promoter stepped down after 30 years

there are reports about Newey signing with AM (as per Autosport Official) as they are aiming to sign max as well in 2026 although there has been speculation that he is going to Ferrari because of a recent post on social media from his partner where he wears red and his manager Eddie Jordan saying not to take Ferrari out of question because he wants a challenge and that leaves mclaren out of the contention as they are already on a positive curve with development (wait whoops forgot to mention: the rumoured contract is 100m)

James Vowles spoke more about Carlos and how signing him was more like “dating” and how the whole factory cheered when he told them Carlos will join them, he also denied any clauses that has been speculated in the media and said that Carlos is in top 4 or maybe the second-best driver on the grid

Paul Aron mentioned that this is probably his only F2 season because he would need more funds for another one or an F1 team’s backing

[ladymdc]

Chapters: 5/15 (~14,750 at present) Updated: 04/28/24 Rating: Explicit Relationships: Astarion/f!Tav Additional Tags: Inspired by Hades & Persephone, Vampire Ascendant Astarion, POV Astarion, Kidnapping, Possessive Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Powerful Persephone, Spirit of Nature Halsin, Developing Relationship, One-sided Hate to Lovers, Falling In Love, Astarion is an asshole but he’s Trying™️, Vampire Turning, Blood Drinking, Protectiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual Voyeurism (once), Explicit Sexual Content, Unreliable Narrator, Manipulation, Minor/background Halsin/f!Tav (not the focus but it is there), Angst with a happy ending

Summary: The moment Astarion saw her, he knew. He could feel the fire in her. See it in her eyes. He decided to take her for himself. To give Asher more than just flowers and trees.

Astarion had always been drawn to the sun. He should have known then that he wouldn’t be able to live without her.

(Excerpt from CH1 under the cut)

CH1: The impatient, burning, dawn.

I asked Persephone, “How could you grow to love him? He took you from flowers to a kingdom where not a single living thing can grow.”

Persephone smiled, “My darling, every flower on your earth withers. What Hades gave me was a crown made for the immortal flowers in my bones.” 

— Nikita Gill

____________________________________________________

He had to have her. 

It was all Astarion could think when she turned to face him. Prior to materializing behind her, he had not decided what his course of action would be. Ask for recommendations on lodgings for the night or drain her dry for the energy and continue on to Baldur’s Gate, but now— 

Astarion wanted. 

She looked as exquisite as she smelled. Her features were delicate and refined, though her beauty was somewhat marred by the scar branching across her right cheek. Or it ought to be, but it only added a brutal sort of grace to her.

The setting sun picked out the strands of gold in her red hair, highlighting the freckles across the bridge of her nose and the crest of each cheek. She stared at him with incredible, dark golden eyes lined heavily with kohl that made them seem to glow in the dying light. 

“You seem lost,” she said. 

The wind picked up from behind him. The golden fields rippled and swayed, seeming to bow before her. 

“I feel like I am right where I’m supposed to be,” Astarion said. 

“In a wheat field just outside of Reithwin?” 

Astarion laughed softly at her wry tone, the sound shocking him. When was the last time he had laughed like that? Something not false and laced through with complete cynicism?

“No, in your presence, darling. It is a fine one.”

“Is that the only reason I’m still alive?” She said it tonelessly, like a casual observation. One surprisingly lacking in concern for someone able and willing to recognize the reality of their situation. 

Instinctively, curiously, Astarion reached out to gently press into her mind. For a moment, he had access to everything. 

Astarion saw a longbow, sunlight drifting through speckled glass into a room and illuminating countless motes around it, a trail of tiny purple flowers. He tasted her wishes, her regrets. Her name.

Her anger. 

“If you could not do that,” her voice was ice. “I would appreciate it.” 

“My apologies,” Astarion lied, inclining his head. “It’s a habit. Though, people do not usually detect I am there.” 

“It appears neither of us are what we seem.” 

Astarion grinned, excessively pleased with that fact, and provided a convenient glimpse of his canines. “Quite,” he said. “Which is why, as delectable as you would undoubtedly be, killing you for a few minutes of bliss would be a waste.” 

“I suppose I should thank you for that.” 

“It would be the polite thing to do,” Astarion agreed.

It was interesting how the very air around her seemed to thaw. 

“Thank you,” she said, that wry tone back again. 

“You’re welcome, my dear, and now that we’ve gotten the formalities out of the way, my name is Astarion.”

A glimmer of amusement lit in her eyes. “Well, Astarion, assuming standard fare will sate your appetites. The Last Light Inn has an excellent cellar, and the main suite should suffice. It’s not Upper City, but it’s better than most places outside the Gate.”

Astarion stepped closer, relishing the slight increase in her pulse. It was not fear, exactly. Nor desire. Anticipation of the unknown, perhaps, because she did not shy away. She just looked up at him as if facing down the prospect of death was nothing new. Astarion had seen enough of her mind to know these fields were not all she had ever known. 

Nor all she wanted to know. 

“Sating my appetites aside, you’re willing to set me loose here?” Astarion asked.

“I doubt you need my permission to go anywhere.”

“I don’t, but we both know that isn’t what I was asking,” Astarion admonished gently. 

Her eyebrows furrowed into a faint v. “There is no need to cause problems for you, no matter how minor,” she said. “You haven’t done anything.”

Astarion almost laughed again. “Oh, darling, I’ve done plenty.”

“As much as I don’t doubt that, I also don’t care as far as it relates to me.” 

“How…” he tilted his head to the side. “Pragmatic of you.” 

“Not everyone has a death wish,” she said simply. 

The wind picked up again, and his fingers itched to tuck a lock of hair that had fallen loose from her bun back behind her ear. 

“You should come with me to Baldur’s Gate, Asher Claill,” Astarion said, permitting her name to touch his tongue alongside the decision. “This place is too insignificant for someone like you.” 

“And die in a week when you get bored? No, thank you.” 

“I believe tiring of you would be impossible.” 

Asher did not say it, but Astarion felt it. How the comment touched on her pride. It was in her smile, slight as it was, and in the whisper of warmth in the air that hadn’t been there a second before.

“Goodbye, Astarion,” she said. Then Asher turned and walked away as if she did not comprehend that she had piqued his interest more than anyone had in his entire existence. 

Or what that meant. 

____________________________________________________

For the time being, the Last Light Inn would suit his appetites precisely as Asher had said. It did have an excellent cellar, and the main suite was, in fact, sufficient. Despite his lack of a retinue, his attire and chain of office marking Astarion as a magistrate opened both to his immediate disposal. Not that Astarion had suspected anything to the contrary. 

Asher had exhibited no telltale signs of deceit. No increase in respiration. No hesitation. However, Astarion dealt in lies and embellishment. Disappointment, it seemed, had somehow become his standard. That he was left feeling satisfied, for once, only added to the appeal. 

It was with thoughts of her filling his head that Astarion selected another grape from the cheese platter. 

“Are these grown here?” he asked the innkeeper. 

The power behind it was barely a push. It was a nudge more than anything. Hardly a compulsion when a charm could make someone believe Astarion’s thoughts were their own or be a force to turn someone’s body and mind against them. 

“They are, my lord,” the innkeeper said. 

Astarion allowed his fang to pierce through the skin and release a burst of flavor onto his tongue. He hummed, pleased. 

“Delicious,” he said, then selected a slice of bread to be the vessel for some goat cheese pressed with chopped almonds. “Cheese from the Dalelands is a pleasant find all the way out here.”

The absent comment struck a chord of unease. Astarion paused for a moment, considering its value. Then he finished smoothing the cheese over the crusty bread. Lesser vampires needed eye contact to maintain compulsions, but Astarion was not lesser. 

“Is its absence going to cause problems for you?” Astarion asked. 

“No, my lord.”

“Then what’s the issue?” 

“There isn’t one. I like to have it in stock for one of the residents, is all.” 

Her voice had been dark and fluid, accented like the honey touched by lavender that Astarion drizzled over his creation. 

“Who?” he asked, seeking confirmation. 

There it was again, that tension tightening as the man tried to tip toward breaking free to protect this individual. Astarion smothered it. Pressed into the innkeeper’s mind, digging into it like a spike. 

What little mental fortifications this half-elf possessed were immediately broken. The man’s life was laid out before Astarion in still frames and fragments of memory, but he only touched on what he was looking for and withdrew.

“The wood elf with red hair,” Astarion prompted. “Tell me about her.” 

“There’s not much to say, my lord. She keeps to herself for the most part.” 

Astarion didn’t speak for the space of two to three bites. “I’m sure she does, though that doesn’t help the rumors, does it?” he asked, at last. 

“It isn’t as bad as it used to be,” the innkeeper said. “Time and memory work in her favor, but it’s believed she’s responsible for the eternal spring here.”

Astarion swirled the wine in his glass, triple-checking his own memory, but no, he could not recall ever hearing the name Reithwin or of a place untouched by winter. Not that the information would necessarily reach him, and if it did, Astarion had centuries working against him. 

So much of the outside world still seemed new as time reshaped the land while his focus remained on the Gate. It was pure circumstance that Astarion’s errand had sent him farther south than planned, putting this pocket of color and warmth in an endless grey landscape directly in his return path to the city.

“Do you believe it?” Astarion wondered. 

“I do, my lord. It’s a rarity now, and it wasn’t always that way, but I remember a time when flowers used to bloom in her footsteps.” 

“Where does she live?” 

Astarion could feel the innkeeper trying to stop himself, but Astarion had control, and he pushed until the man was hemorrhaging secrets.

“I don’t want to harm her,” Astarion soothed, keeping his voice low and persuasive. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

(read the rest on Ao3!)

[mrsreginagold]

Fic: My Appetite You Feed

Fandom: Nikita 

Pairing: Ari Tasarov x Nikita Mears (Nikari)

Rating: R

Spoilers: Canon Divergent AU, set after “The Life We’ve Chosen.” A companion piece to Stay Here In Your Arms Forever.

Summary: Nikita and Ari have been experiencing intense dreams about each other. It’s time to figure out what to do about it. 

Author's Note: Ordinarily I keep all my one shots separate, but this is a direct sequel to a previous work. However: it's not required to read the first story. Like all my Nikari pieces, this can be viewed as a stand-alone. Once again my romantic tendencies got the better of me, but I somehow doubt that the muses minded.

On AO3

My Appetite You Feed

                  She woke with the sharp cry of his name, clutching the bedsheets tightly enough to rip them. 

                  Nikita Mears panted harshly, her entire body tingling with want thanks to the dream she had just experienced.

                  She wished she knew exactly what was causing them, as they had begun not long after her return from the successful mission in South Ossetia. Returning with an alive, grateful Ari Tasarov had resulted in him fully defecting and becoming a member of Division.

  He had also become her partner both professionally and romantically and was the main subject of the intensely erotic imaginings that plagued her. 

                  With an exasperated sigh, the pretty, dark-haired agent flung back the covers and then rapidly removed her sleepwear. After a few steadying breaths, she trailed one hand down along her overly sensitized skin. With some precise touches – she could relieve the tension that had built up. 

                  It never took long. All that was required was to focus on picturing his elegant, handsome features and lean, nicely toned body. She had gotten a decent view of how he looked without his shirt thanks to his determination to take care of a bullet wound that she’d received, as he had removed the garment in order to make bandages. 

                  It was simple enough to create a clear image in her mind, her current dilemma abating with each deliberate ministration. 

                  In her imagination, Ari loomed close, those stunning blue eyes boring into her own while she thought of his hands brushing along her exposed form. It was the finer details that she latched onto – that playful sparkle in the cobalt-colored depths, the way his resonant baritone sounded when he murmured her name, and the dimple that flashed when his soft lips curved into a knowing smile. 

                  She recalled just how good that mouth felt when it was preoccupied with hers. How she wished he would explore the rest of her with such skill. 

                  Not long after she found a much-needed release, the guilt began to swim. 

                  Things were in a really great place with her love, and the last thing they needed as a new couple was this odd complication. 

                  After all: wasn’t it more common to fantasize about the object of one’s affection before they became an item?

                  Initially, she had suspected that the bullet itself had been laced with some kind of toxin. She certainly would not have been surprised if Amanda Collins had done such a thing, however: all the tests on it and her blood had come back entirely normal. 

                  With little in the way of answers, it left her at a loss. The last thing she wanted was to derail her relationship – but she also suspected that while Ari wouldn’t mind if she just jumped him in a Division corridor, he would wonder what the reason was. 

                  She needed to have a talk with her lover. 

                  Another sigh — this one beleaguered – emerged from the lovely former assassin when she rolled out of the confines of her bed and made her way to the bathroom. 

                  After a shower to both clean up and relax, Nikita emerged from the steam and wrapped herself in a fluffy, white towel. 

                  The irony of such a virginal color after what she had engaged in that morning was not lost on her and she shook her head before wandering into the walk-in closet to pick out something to wear. 

                  She pulled on some black lace lingerie first, and then settled on a sweater dress in a shade of cerulean that she knew complimented Ari’s eyes, which she paired with dark grey leggings. 

                  She tied her hair back in a low ponytail, and then applied her makeup, opting for neutral shades for her eyes and a soft pink for her lips. 

                  Satisfied with her appearance, she tugged on her favorite black boots and an overcoat to battle the winter air, and then finally exited her apartment, purse shouldered securely. 

                  As she made her way up the hall, the door to another apartment only a couple of doors down opened. 

                  Ari Tasarov, impeccable in a finely tailored suit, fell into step beside her. “Good morning.”

                  His alluring voice washed over her, immediately causing warmth to pool at her core.

                  She swallowed and did her best to remain steady on her feet. “Morning. Sleep well?”

                  “Quite.” The smile that crossed his lips was mildly secretive, which made her curiosity pique, but she didn’t question him further.

                  They continued towards the elevators at the end of the hallway, chatting quietly. 

                  It was once they were safely inside and descending to the lobby that the mood finally shifted.

                  Without warning, Nikita found herself trapped between the guard rail and her lover’s taller form, his lips seeking hers in a passion-filled kiss to properly greet her. 

                  She melted in Ari’s embrace, curling her arms around his neck and returning the affection as eagerly as he gave it. 

                  One hand swept over the small of her back, tugging her further into him as they nipped and teased at one another. 

                  She parted for air first, certain her features were flushed and that she’d have to redo her lip color before they went into the office. “What was that for?”

                  “For visiting my dreams last night,” he caressed lightly over the curve of her jaw. 

                  She lifted a finely groomed eyebrow. Was it possible that he was experiencing the same strange phenomenon? 

                  “And what was I doing, exactly?”

                  He chuckled, daring a brief nuzzle. “Nothing unpleasant, my love. You just happened to be there.”

                  “Well now I need to know,” she drew him close into the circle of her arms.

                  He grinned then, which was outright criminal. 

                  She was about to prod him further when the doors to the elevator opened. 

                  She narrowed her eyes. “We’re continuing this conversation later.”

                  “Of course,” he drew her hand up to his lips and pressed a feathery kiss to her knuckles, and then escorted her out into the day. 

                  

Unfortunately, various meetings kept Nikita busy well into the afternoon. 

                  When she was finally able to take a break for lunch, she immediately headed for what served as Division’s library, where Ari often spent his free time researching. 

                  The operative hurried along the corridor, utterly consumed with the urge to see the man that she loved. She was so unaware of her surroundings that it nearly caused her to collide with her good friend, Alexandra Udinov.

                  “Whoa, Nikita, where’s the fire?” her former protégé joked, catching her arm with one hand to keep her from stumbling.

                  “Sorry, Alex, I wasn’t really watching where I was going. You haven’t happened to see if Ari’s around?”

                  “I believe he’s finishing up a meeting with Ryan.”

                  “Oh. I guess I’ll go wait.”

                  The dejected look that crossed Nikita’s face caused Alex to tilt her head curiously. “Is everything all right?”

                  “Everything’s fine, I just, you know, need to talk to him.”

                  “About?”

                  “…stuff.”

                  Her friend folded her arms over her chest, arching her eyebrows skeptically. “Job stuff or relationship stuff?”

                  Nikita shuffled from one foot to the other, her features coloring considerably, which gave her companion the answer. 

                  “Nik, I might be crossing a boundary here but, I have to ask. Is everything okay with the two of you?”

                  “Of course everything’s okay. Why wouldn’t it be okay?  It’s not like I’m having sexual dreams about him every night that result in bringing myself to orgasm on my own in the morning instead of going to him instead, I mean that would be ridiculous.” She clamped one hand over her mouth, her face aflame. The words had just come tumbling out before she could stop them. 

                  “That’s both graphic and oddly specific,” Alex bit back a chuckle. “So, dreams?”

                  “Intense, erotic dreams that I don’t want to wake up from,” now that the truth was revealed, Nikita slumped against the nearest surface, which happened to be a wall. 

                  “You should tell him. He’ll be flattered and will probably want to cater to your every whim.”

                  “That’s just it, Alex! I love Ari so much, and I don’t want to wreck the good thing we have going. We’ve been taking it slow, waiting for the right moment to take things to the next level.  The last thing I need is him thinking that I’m some kind of sex maniac because I’m not. But every time I close my eyes, all I see and feel and want is him. And what if…” she trailed off, her expression downcast. “What if after we finally consummate, he’s no longer interested?”

                  “Again, you should be telling him this, but one thing has been painfully clear since the two of you got together. Ari adores you. If all he wanted was something physical, it would have happened already.”

            ��     “You think so?”

                  “I don’t think. I know. Nikita: every time I see you lately, you’re glowing, and it’s because of that man. No one, not even Michael, has gotten this kind of reaction from you. And what’s more, I’m sure Ari’s aware of this too.”

                  “So you’re basically saying I should talk to my boyfriend and then drag him to bed to get all this sorted?”

                  Alex snorted in laughter. “Yes to the first part, but I think that second bit is your own frustration at work.”

                  “Fair point,” Nikita took a gulp of air and then straightened her posture. “Well then; wish me luck.”

                  “Good luck.” Her fellow agent patted her on the arm and then headed down the hall in the opposite direction. 

                  Nikita inhaled once more, this time to steel herself, and took the path that led to her boss’s office. 

                  The object of her affection stepped out into the hallway just as she arrived, which saved her the trouble of having to wait for him.

                  Her heart flipped happily upon seeing him. “Hey. I was looking for you. Alex said you were in a meeting?”

                  “I was just on my way to you, actually. There’s been some news,” Ari linked their arms together and began to escort her down the corridor. 

                  “Good news or bad?”

                  “A mix of both,” he admitted, which explained the partially solemn expression on his attractive features. “Mr. Fletcher is sending me out on a solo assignment. The fact that he’s doing so means that I’ve earned some trust around here, that’s the good part.”

                  “And the bad?” she pressed gently. She knew how hard her partner had been working to become a reliable member of the team, and she was glad for him in that respect.

                  “The bad is that I’ll be leaving next Monday, and I don’t fully know how long I’ll be away,” he confessed, turning so that they were facing each other. “I know it’s not the greatest timing, but I asked for a long weekend for the two of us. I figured there’s some things we need to discuss.”

                  She adjusted his tie. “You figured correctly. How long of a weekend are we talking about?”

                  “We can head out now, actually.” He curled his arms around her waist and touched their foreheads together.

                  “It’s Tuesday afternoon.”

                  “Yes. Almost six whole days where it’ll be just the two of us.” He promised, ducking his head to press a light kiss to her lips. 

                  “Mmm. I can think of plenty of things to keep us occupied. And to be fair: we do deserve a break, don’t you think? It’s been hectic since we returned, and we’ve never really had a chance to…connect properly. There’s something important I need to talk to you about as it is.”

                  “I have something important to tell you too,” he reached around her to twist the knob of the door that was directly behind them and then backed her inside. 

                  “Ari this is a supply closet.”

                  “Well aware,” she could detect a hint of gravel in the already low register of his tone, which sent a pleasant shiver coursing up her spine. “But I couldn’t wait any longer to do this.”

                  Ordinarily, he was careful when he kissed her, preferring to hold her against him as if she was something delicate that could shatter in his grasp. 

                  This time, however, it was as if something primal had been unleashed. 

                  Nikita gasped against Ari’s mouth when he lifted her effortlessly to shove her between the nearest surface and his solid body. 

                  Something dug into her shoulder, but she paid it little mind, circling her legs around his waist to anchor them together and give in to the wild embrace that escalated. 

                  With one arm draped securely over his neck, she daringly moved her free hand slowly down his chest while he bit insistently at her lips, pausing right over his heart to gauge just how rapidly it was beating. 

                  She was certain her own was a hurried staccato that matched and dug her fingers into the soft fabric of his shirt, her head tilting back when his mouth strayed to traverse along her neck. 

                  Molten heat gathered right below her stomach as his tongue darted out and laved at the hollow of her throat, a strangled cry emerging when he veered to the left and sunk his teeth into her shoulder hard enough to leave a mark. 

                  “Did you just –

                  He didn’t let her finish the sentence, his mouth seeking and practically devouring hers this time. 

                  The embrace continued to grow in passion while they pressed close together, causing absolutely delicious friction in spite of being fully clothed. 

                  She could tell how affected he was by her, which made her grateful for the privacy because she was seconds away from bypassing layers and having her way with him right there. 

                  He seemed to sense this, and abruptly pinned both of her hands over her head, tugging away reluctantly from the kiss. “Don’t get upset, but we’re going to have to wait a little longer. I know I instigated it, but I want to take my time somewhere more comfortable.”

                  “Why did you think I’d be upset?” she stared up at him, breathing heavily.

                  Ari eyed her seriously and let go of her hands. “Why wouldn’t you be when we got so worked up?”

                  “That’s true, but in this instance I happen to agree with you,” she traced a pattern over the slope of his shoulder. “And this isn’t exactly the most romantic spot in the world.”

                  He chuckled. “It isn’t. But I simply couldn’t wait to kiss you. In fact: I’ve been craving it since this morning.”

                  “You too?” she joked, nuzzling against him. 

                  “Can you blame me? It was a great kiss in that elevator.” He laughed earnestly and nuzzled back, content to hold her as they both caught their breath properly. 

                  “So was the one we just had,” she murmured, touching her lips to the freckle on his nose. She wanted to spend hours exploring him and revel in the simple intimacy that quiet moments alone gave the two of them. 

                  He sighed, his eyes fluttering shut, and allowed her to express her devotion for a few seconds more. “We should get going. I don’t want any of our free time wasted.”

                  “Then take me home,” she whispered, daring a nibble at his earlobe. 

He caught her mouth in a relatively chaste kiss so that they could finally make their exit mere moments after. 

                  As Nikita didn’t specify what she had meant by “home,” it was a toss of a coin to decide which apartment they would begin their mini vacation at.

                  Ari won, so the couple headed to his place, and she was quick to notice that he was in very bright spirits. “Why do I get the feeling that you have something planned?”

                  “Whatever gave you that idea?” He smirked, startling her further when he scooped her up so he could bridal carry her. 

                  Though she yelped in surprise, she didn’t hesitate to hook her arms around his neck. “You didn’t answer the question.”

                  “I don’t have to. See for yourself,” he gave the front door a kick once it was unlocked and carted her inside. 

                  She stared, entirely in awe of the scene in front of her. 

                  Somehow, he had created the perfect romantic space for the two of them. 

                  Plentiful rose petals in shades of crimson, pale pink, and white formed a path towards the bedroom. Sheer curtains covered the large windows, allowing the natural light that poured in to generate a warm glow. The couch that took up a corner now had several comfortable-looking throw pillows of various sizes, and a huge plush blanket was draped over the back. 

                  There was a vase containing more roses set upon the coffee table across from the television, and an open record player, already prepped with a vinyl. 

                  “Ari…when did you have time to do this?”

                  “I’ve been working on it here and there,” he admitted, setting her on her feet and then removing her overcoat. He took that and her purse to hang up while she removed her boots. 

                  Cautiously, Nikita stepped forward, not wanting to disrupt all his handiwork. She bypassed the rose petal trail and instead tip-toed to inspect what record they would be listening to. 

                  Soft footfalls alerted her to Ari’s presence right before his arms passed around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled at her shoulder. “Does it meet your expectations?”

                  “It exceeds them,” she sighed quietly and turned her head so they could share a sweet kiss, her hand sliding up his neck to toy with his hair. In the time since he had joined Division he had begun to grow it out, and she enjoyed messing with the longer strands at the base of his nape. 

                  Like clockwork, when her fingers brushed over the sensitive skin there, a low moan emerged from her beloved. Ever since the removal of his kill chip, that area was especially reactive, and she grinned when he automatically dragged her closer. 

                  They continued their embrace for a few more moments, until Nikita twisted around so that she was facing Ari, and he could draw her flush against him, the pair teasing at each other’s mouths until they had to part for air. 

                  “You’re making it quite difficult to have a discussion,” he muttered. 

                  “Sorry,” she grinned, not remotely meaning it. “Am I a distraction?”

                  “You know exactly what you are doing, Nikita,” he punctuated the syllables of her name lightheartedly, dropping a kiss to her forehead before moving away briefly so he could start up the record. 

                  A romantic ballad began, and he offered her a bow. “Will you join me in a dance, my love?”

                  “You know you never have to ask,” she gladly accepted his hand when he held it out. 

                  They swayed with the music. While she had been trained in the basics of dance, he was more accomplished and naturally graceful. Yet – he never once had made her feel inferior about it. As a result, she loved it when he would twirl her around, whether it was at a fancy gathering or merely through her kitchen. 

                  With a content sound, she rested her head on his chest while they created a winding path through the rose petals on the floor. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

                  “My dreams, actually. Specifically: the ones I’ve been having about you.”

                  Her eyes flew open, color blossoming on her cheeks. “In the interest of transparency, I need to tell you that I’ve also been dreaming about you. Constantly.”

                  He cupped her chin and tipped it up, so they were gazing into each other’s eyes. “I have a feeling these dreams may be connected.”

                  “I’m not sure about that, unless yours have been as sexual as mine.” She mumbled.

                  “Darling, I’m pretty sure we’re projecting.”

                  “What do you mean?”

                  He sighed, his shoulders dropping. “When you traded me for Alex, Amanda had me rendered unconscious for a short time. After we came back to Division and I had that kill chip removed, I had them draw my blood to check for anything that she might have had me injected with.”

                  “I had my blood checked too, because of that bullet. It all came back clean.”

                  “As did mine, but there was an elevation in pheromones. I wasn’t even aware she’d been experimenting with them.”

                  “I wouldn’t put anything past that woman, but that doesn’t explain why either of us would start having those kind of dreams.”

                  “I’m fairly sure that it’s my fault.”

                  “What? Why?”

                  “Because I couldn’t resist kissing you that night in the truck. Once I had a taste it was like I wanted to drown in you,” The guilt on his attractive face made her heart drop. “Nikita, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to rush you –”

                  She shushed him by placing her hand over his mouth. “Ari, what makes you think you have anything to be sorry for? You didn’t know what she had done, and you sure as hell had no idea what it would result in.”

                  He twined their fingers together, his eyes flashing defiantly. “If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s my feelings for you. Nothing about that was a result of what she did to me, and they began long before things changed between us, but it’s also why I’ve delayed us being intimate. I keep on worrying that once we give in…”

                  “That we’ll grow tired of each other?” she finished.

                  He nodded. 

                  “It’s crossed my mind too,” she squeezed at his hands reassuringly. “But Alex reminded me of something today.”

                  His brow furrowed in confusion. “You talked to Alex about this?”

                  “More like blurted it out. It wasn’t on purpose,” she shook her head. “Anyway – it reminded me that we needed to face this together, and keeping the dreams a secret wasn’t going to accomplish a thing. So: maybe we just jump in, see where this leads, and stop overthinking.”

                  “Is that what you want? Truly?” 

                  She grasped at his sleeves and yanked him towards her, so they could nuzzle each other. “Yes. Make love to me.”

                  No further coaxing was needed. He gathered her against him, captured her mouth in a fervent kiss, and then steered her towards his bedroom. 

                  Her dress and leggings formed a quick pile on the floor, followed by his suit coat, button-down shirt, and slacks. 

                  She pulled away to catch her breath and toy with the hem to thin tee he still had on, prompting him to raise his arms so she could peel it over his head. 

                  She raked her gaze slowly across his exposed torso, appreciating the lean, yet perfectly sculpted tone now bared to her. 

                  It certainly didn’t hurt matters that his broad chest was rising and falling steadily with each breath that he took, painting a sensual picture that she tucked away in the back of her mind. 

                  She took a step forward, dragging her nails tantalizingly through the hair that dusted his skin, before drifting her hand down to trace around the waistline to his boxers.

                  Their gazes met, her eyes begging permission that he willingly gave and within seconds she had him completely naked. 

                  Before she could even the odds, however, he stopped her. “Wait.”

                  “Why?”

She merely received a mysterious smile. 

                  Without another word, Ari dipped his head and kissed her chest through the lace still covering her, her heart racing when his attentions turned zealous. 

                  Nikita hissed sharply, her body arcing directly into his touch as searing warmth flooded her core.

                  Reaching back, she blindly unhooked her bra and hastily freed herself so she could guide him back to her uncovered breasts. 

                  He took his time, devoting attention first to one, then the other, with what became almost agonizing pleasure. 

                  Another provocative bite was bestowed which caused her knees to buckle, though he caught her immediately after.

                  She was fully nude before they crashed back on the bed and his hungry kisses moved down along her body, only increasing the liquid heat that had rushed to her center.

                  He peered up at her, his eyes glinting dangerously with a promise of what was about to occur. 

                  “I swear Ari if you don’t –

                  Her head fell back when her words were cut off and a strangled gasp emerged instead. She was entirely at his mercy while he worked utter magic with his hands and tongue. 

                  The dreams had nothing on the real thing. She became lost to sensation, her vision swimming while he continued in his task, his name falling from her lips as a repeated mantra. 

                  She had never imagined that he would be quite so attentive, and if his goal was to ruin her for all others – he had accomplished that in spades. 

                  Only after she had reached completion twice over did he let up. She fell back against the nest of blankets, breathing heavily and flinging her arms up over her head. 

She watched him as he crawled back over her, a content smile crossing her lips when he started pressing firefly kisses all over her skin. He paused in his trek to devote particular attention to the bite mark he’d made earlier that day, and then settled comfortably against her. 

                  Silently, she traced a pattern over his shoulder, grateful for a chance to regain some of her composure and bask in the familiarity of them simply lying together. 

                  His mouth grazed lightly along hers before he stole her breath yet again. 

Nikita draped her arms around Ari’s neck and returned the embrace, sliding one long leg against his and hooking it over his waist. With a deft movement, she turned the tides so she could be the one on top. 

There was a low, rumbling chuckle from her bed mate. “Eager, are we?”

                  “Hey, you started this,” she reminded him, taking a moment to admire what lay before her properly. 

                  And what a work of art he was, all elegant lines and chiseled tone in just the right places. 

                  The truth was: she had never wanted another as much as she did currently. Letting him know this was her next course of action. 

Determined, she leaned in to kiss him lovingly before setting to task. 

                  She bit suggestively at his earlobe, tracking nonsensical patterns wherever she could reach, which elicited a low, almost inhuman growl from the man in her grasp when she lingered at his abdomen.

                  She smirked, satisfied at the reaction, and resumed the journey with her mouth, drifting along his clavicle before coasting lower. 

                   His hands threaded into her hair to keep her steady while she explored, uttering partially coherent phrases in his native tongue the more avid her attentions grew.

                  Nikita grinned, enjoying the rush of power.

Ari gripped tightly at the pillow, his head tipping back to expose the elegant column of his throat and his pulse turning erratic the further she wore on – until he eventually let go entirely. 

It was understandable that he needed a short break to recover, and she didn’t mind in the slightest as it resulted in them cuddling together under the sheets. 

Nikita curled as close as possible, drawing a heart right over Ari’s before stroking absentmindedly at his skin. 

She felt her lover shift, the motion languid and belying his exhaustion, his lips ghosting over her temple right before he murmured: “Just a few more minutes, I promise.”

                  “Take your time,” she insisted, kissing his throat, and going back to trailing patterns through his chest hair. 

                  One hand moved up to clasp around hers, halting the motion. “I will, but only if you stop that.”

                  She blinked as a realization hit. Of all the possibilities she had entertained about him, being ticklish had not been on the list. 

                  His expression turned alarmed when he saw a very mischievous smirk cross her face. “Oh no. Nikita–

                  She pounced, not allowing him a chance to protest further, attacking right under his ribs. 

                  The rich, warm laughter that emerged was worth making him squirm, and she rewarded him not long after with an affectionate embrace to make up for it. 

                  “I hope you realize that there’s going to be payback for that later,” he turned, trapping her under him and surging forward for another kiss, which she happily gave. 

                  “I expect no less,” she caressed along his shoulder blades and hooked one leg over his, sufficiently tangling the blankets around them further in the process. 

                  Truthfully, she didn’t think it was possible for him to look more alluring than at that moment – with his hair tousled to perfection and the vast sea of his gaze glittering with tender emotions that were directly solely at her.

                  It certainly didn’t hurt that he was naked and in her arms either, but that was beside the point. What mattered was the fact that, for all intent and purpose: this gorgeous man was hers and hers alone.

                  It was clear that the feeling was very much mutual when his mouth became preoccupied with hers and limbs entwined naturally. Finally – their time had arrived. 

                  Still, she could feel him hesitate, and it caused her to part with him long enough to ask if all was well. 

                  “Everything’s fine. It’s just that after this, there’s no going back.” He sighed, rubbing at her arms soothingly in reassurance, though whether that was more for him or for her was the question. 

                  “If it helps, I’m a little scared too,” she admitted. “I mean, I’ve dreamt of this exact moment for a while now.”

                  He rested his forehead against hers. “I only hope I can meet whatever expectations you’ve set.”

                  “I think you’ve done a pretty great job so far,” she knew she needed to give him that extra push, so she rotated her hips invitingly. 

                  The effect was instantaneous, those stunning eyes meeting her own in silent question, which was answered by him joining them moments later. 

                  She gasped, her grip on his back tightening a fraction. It felt so right to be one with him, their bodies molding together as though they’d been made for such a thing. 

                  He started them off with an even pace, allowing her time to adjust to the sensation of being connected. 

                  Touched by his consideration, she reached up to sweep loose strands of hair away from his eyes, murmuring encouragement so he would go faster. 

                  Their lovemaking transformed into an intricate dance – Nikita meeting Ari’s precise movements with her own, the pair meeting repeatedly in feverish kisses that mirrored the tangle of their bodies. 

                  She cried out when he shifted and changed his angle, their motions losing grace and giving way to raw, unadulterated passion. Her nails dug into his skin hard enough to leave marks, and the next thing either one of them knew: they reached their pinnacle in unison. After that, all that was left was to fall. 

                  “What I really want to know is: what the hell was Amanda trying to do?” Nikita muttered, thoroughly wiped out, hours later after she and Ari had engaged in multiple rounds. “Clearly if she was attempting to pull us apart, she failed spectacularly.”

                  “I don’t think she anticipated that my feelings for you would be reciprocated,” he trailed one hand gradually across her hip, content for the moment to just lie there and exist. 

                  She peered up at him from where her head was pillowed comfortably on his chest. “It still doesn’t explain it.”

                  “Nikita…”

                  “What? Like you don’t want answers?”

                  “Of course I do, but not right this second,” he chuckled, continuing to stroke lazily at her skin. “Besides, that’s part of why I’m going on this mission. To find answers about what kind of experiments she was doing.”

                  She exhaled quietly and let her fingers dance along his torso. “I should be going with you. What if you run into her? You really think she wouldn’t take the chance to finish the job and kill you properly?”

                  The despair in her tone was enough for him to twist and pin her beneath him, his mouth coaxing at hers and his hands creating paths that she hoped he would discover with his lips later. “You’d just distract me from getting any work done, and you know it. That’s why we’re taking this weekend – to get all of this out of our systems. But if it stops you worrying, I’m not planning on going alone. Mr. Elliot is accompanying me.”

                  “Owen is? When did the two of you stop wanting to kill each other?”

                  “Turns out that we share a fondness for the same woman.”

                  “Oh.”

                  He simply smiled and kissed her lovingly. “In the meantime, I think we could do with some food.”

                  “Ari Tasarov, if you dare leave this bed –

                  “I’ll order take-out.”

                  “…that’s fine.” 

The End

[andordean]

Embarrassing Personal Ask Game

@tigerlyla-of-metinna has a tag game going (sorry friend for not doing the other games you tagged me in, I literally played three videogames in the last decade 🙈😂) about embarrassing crushes, only I personally don't think any of mine are embarrassing. They're all quality. Anyway.

"We are going to talk about obsessions CRUSHES! Name 3 (celebrity crush, fictional/ cartoon/ videogame crush, and your current crush (may be real or not). And please give a brief (or lengthy) explanation or backstory."

Celebrity crush:

The one and only Pedro Pascal. The most adorable Muppet, by all accounts a wholesome human being, I want to see him slay in everything he touches and live his best life. Obsessed with him ever since Oberyn Martell sluttily sauntered through the room. (The Curse of the Beard, exhibit A.)

Videogame crush:

Surprise surprise: Ciri in TW3. The chokehold she's had on me since 2015 has loosened a bit (sniffle), but hasn't disappeared.

Disliked her in the books, her game version rewired my brain. If said brain, inspiration and energy allows, will write her snogging hot people of the continent till she lets go of me fully (hope it never happens).

Current crush:

Someone said in thirsty tags that once Asian men embrace beards it's over for the white guys, and between the recent examples of Dev Patel and Justin Chien, that person cannot be more right.

What can I say. The Curse of the Beard, exhibit B. Presenting: Justin Chien in "The Brothers Sun":

Honourable mentions: the prickly baby, the golden retriever wife, and the Curse of the Beard, exhibit C.

Tagging (no pressure, this is me waving hi): @jikanet-tanaka @starlight-and-thunder @kuwdora @keyrousse @poetikat @witch-and-her-witcher @nibi-nix @nikita-not-nikola @just-a-dot @justanotherdmdammit @lemurianstarship @otemporaetmores @alynnl

[tkachuktkaching]

No EA Cover, but Stock of Matthew Tkachuk Keeps Rising

Matthew Tkachuk will not be on the cover of the popular EA Sports NHL 24 — that honor is going to Colorado defenseman Cale Makar — but that does not mean the stock of the star Florida Panthers forward does not continue to rise.

Funny what a starring turn in the Stanley Cup playoffs do for a reputation, eh?

Although Tkachuk was looked at as one of the premier wingers in the NHL during his time with Calgary, his first season with the Panthers put him in another stratosphere as far as stardom goes.

Tkachuk has quickly become one of the most recognizable players in the league, his playing style and performance in big moments helping that along.

His emotional celebrations — and the ever-present hanging mouthguard — have not hurt.

On the day it was released that Makar would be on the cover of the popular video game, NHL Network released its top wings currently playing in the NHL.

Tkachuk was ranked No. 2 on what is, of course, a very subjective list. It is also a list made for just these times: The dead of summer.

At this time last year, Tkachuk was ranked No. 12 — with former Florida forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who was traded to Calgary as part of the Tkachuk deal ranked No. 5.

Huberdeau, after scoring just 55 points in his Calgary debut, is not among the NHL Network Top 20 this summer.

When it comes to this summer’s rankings, it is hard to quarrel with NHL Network’s Top 5 although these kind of lists, being as subjective as they are, can lead to some arguments about the actual rankings.

As it stands, Boston’s David Pastrnak is ranked No. 1 with Tkachuk right behind. Rounding out the Top 5 are Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson of Dallas.

Mitch Marner, Kirill Kaprizov, Alex Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin and Brad Marchand make up the rest of the Top 10.

That is a pretty good neighborhood Tkachuk now occupies in the eyes of the rest of the NHL — and his house is right on the corner.

It is hard not to see how high Tkachuk’s stock has risen in the top year and it is certainly deserved.

Not only was he named the All-Star MVP here in Sunrise, but he finished third in Hart Trophy voting after recording his second consecutive 100-point season with 40 goals and 109 points which has five better than his previous career-high point total with the Flames prior to the trade.

Tkachuk certainly took a big step forward on the national stage during the postseason, making a bold statement after Game 5 in Boston that the Panthers would return for Game 7 despite having been down 3-1 in the series — and scoring twice in that Game 6 to ensure his team would indeed return to the Garden.

In 20 playoff games, Tkachuk scored 11 goals with 24 points — scoring four game-winning goals along the way including three in the Eastern Conference finals sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes.

His four-overtime winner against the Hurricanes in Game 1 was followed up with the game-winner in Game 2.

Those kind of big-time goals will get you noticed.

And, had it not been for a fractured sternum which he played through for a bit, who knows what Tkachuk’s numbers in the Stanley Cup Final would have looked like.

[hopetorun]

Weird writer ask game - 🐺💣👑🔔🏛️

🐺 Build a NHL starting line up (3F, 2D, 1G) based on a really weird criteria for comedic effect (e.g. guys with names that sound like Dylan).

please be glad i didn't choose a starting lineup of guys with names that could or do lead to sex-related nicknames. anyway here's guys with two first names.

nick paul - robert thomas - jack quinn

matt roy - dennis gilbert

devon levi

💣 Blow it up: pick one NHL team. Change its name, mascot, logo/colors. Tell me why you chose the new elements.

okay chicago is the obvious choice here but i don't feel like being obvious. the chicago nhl team should rebrand in real life. actually they should probably be folded in real life. but that's not a fun meme answer. my second thought was the flames, because they didn't rebrand when they relocated and now have a team name that has nothing to do with their location, but it's been decades and has led to local and affiliated spinoff names (the heat, the inferno, rip to them both).

all this to say: im rebranding the jets. i don't like the military so they get a new theme. i think they could really lean into the north thing, since they do it in a lot of their marketing anyway. i know fuckall about winnipeg but idc. i think a cool tundra animal would be the move here. it's a bummer the moose are already their ahl team or obviously i'd pick that but maybe the grizzlies. yes that's already an nba team but it's fine, the jets are also an nfl team so it's a wash. mascot is a grizzly bear obviously. named northy or something to lean into the far north of it all. they can call the arena the den.

colorswise ... ooh the jets colors suck. imho. they're way too muted! brighten up that maroon, maybe go all the way into purple. a kind of reddish purple maybe, and then brighten up the blue. yellow as an accent? i am NOT a color theory gal, we're hoping this is something. please do not tell me if it isn't

👑 If you could add an award to the NHL awards, what would it be and who would be its inaugural recipient?

there are lots of good and serious awards that should be added but EYE think that we should add another really arbitrary poorly defined one like the lady byng. what does it mean to be gentlemanly? we won't be defining that.

so in that vein: i think there should be a reverse lady byng. a grittiness award. a sandpaper award. i think the arguments about it would be really funny. brady tkachuk is a strong contender, sure, but maybe he takes too many penalties. sandpaper, yes, but is he leaving his team shorthanded too much? can you be gritty without getting penalized? who's a good example of that? i am simply here for the endless trivial discourse. anyway i think brady is the inaugural recipient despite the objections. i am taking name suggestions for this award.

🔔 Who is an NHL player you are convinced you can best in a physical altercation?

i think i could take johnny gaudreau. i'm taller than him and i weigh more than him and he gives me more would not hit a girl vibes than some of the other little guys. and i do think i would need the edge of him being reluctant to hit a girl because they are all extremely fit.

🏛️ Here, have a soap box. What is one thing you feel really strongly about that you think everyone should know?

ooh i've got awards on the mind so! i think people should be more thoughtful about the distinctions between most valuable player and most outstanding player! if you don't have both awards then sure i can understand the conflation but the nhl does have separate awards for those things and i think letting them be meaningfully different would be a lot of fun. give the ted lindsay to cmcd every year except for like once every four years when auston matthews or nikita kucherov gets it, but an actual debate every year about which player was the biggest individual difference maker on their team would be compelling. setting my own biases about last season's awards aside, i think that opens the door for more acknowledgement of season-changing goaltending performances (shesterkin in 21-22 perhaps). the hart and the lindsay don't need to be so closely tied! let them be different things!

oh also while we're on the topic it is beyond stupid that it's basically impossible to win the hart unless your team makes the playoffs. "oh the team didn't make the playoffs how valuable can that player really be" idk chucklehead, there are math people who can approximate a player's value in standings points, probably. do i trust their math? not entirely. but i trust it enough to know that argument is bunkum.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Tuesday,

may 15_may 28

THE SLAIN CROWN PRINCE DEMETRIUS OF MOSCOW (1591)

Born October 19, 1582 and was the son of Ivan IV Vasilyevich, more commonly known as Ivan Grozny or Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan was succeeded by his much less capable son, Feodor, upon his death in 1584. According to some, the new Tsar Feodor was not only feeble in body, but also in mind. This meant that Feodor was a ruler only in name, and that real power was in the regency council that was established to guide the Tsar. One of the most prominent figures of the council was Boris Godunov, the Tsar’s brother-in-law.

Feodor and his wife, Irina, did not produce an heir, and, according to one popular account, BorisGodunov was hoping to occupy the Russian throne once Feodor died. In order to achieve this, Boris Godunov would have to have to get rid of the last of Ivan’s sons, Dmitri.

In the year that Ivan died, Dmitri, his mother, and his uncles were exiled to Uglich, the Tsarevich’s appanage city.

Wanting to get rid of the rightful heir to the Russian throne, Boris Godunov began to act against the prince as against a personal enemy. At first he tried to slander the young heir to the throne, spreading false rumors about his alleged illegitimate birth. Then he issued a new invention that if Demetrius had inherited his father's harshness Sovereign. As these actions have not brought the desired, the insidious Boris decided to destroy the prince.

An attempt to poison Demetrius was not a success: the deadly potion did not harm the child. Then the villains decided to hide the crime. In Saturday May 15, 1591, the young prince Demetrius walked in the yard with his nurse. The killers, Osip Magi, Danilo Bitiagovsky and Nikita Katchalov, brutally stabbed prince.

Prince Dimitri was buried in Uglich, in the palace church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Many miracles and healings began to be made at his tomb, especially often healed the sick eyes. A July 3, 1606 the holy relics of martyr Tsarevich Dimitri were found incorrupt.

Source:

After numerous miracles of healing from the holy relics, three feastdays for the Tsarevich Demetrius were established during this same year of 1606, his birthday (October 19), his murder (May 15), and the transfer of his relics to Moscow (June 3).

Source: Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist

SAINT ACHILLES, BISHOP OF LARISSA (330)

Saint Achilles, Bishop of Larissa, lived during the fourth century, during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great. Glorified for his holiness of life and erudition, he was made Bishop of Larissa in Thessaly.

Saint Achilles participated in the First Ecumenical Council, where he boldly denounced the heretic Arius. In his city he strove to promote Christianity, destroyed idolatrous pagan temples, and he built and adorned churches.

Saint Achilles had the gift of healing sickness, especially demonic possession, and he worked many miracles. The saint died peacefully in about the year 330. His relics have remained in Prespa, in today's Republic of Macedonia, since 978.

ACTS 10:21-33

21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?" 22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you." 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me? 30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.' 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.

JOHN 7:1-13

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. 10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?" 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people." 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

[carpehistoryandthepens]

Legacy (what is a legacy?) Part 5

It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me

Hamilton, the world was wide enough. LMM.

one, two, three, four

Summary: Mike is 13. Born May 2009. Sid didn’t know he had a son. All Mike had was hope and a prayer for his and his half-sister’s safety.

(Sid is a dad of a teen he didn’t know about AU) Sidgeno.

Warnings: (for the total story) post-child abuse (all off-screen but it affects things and is spoken about often), learning how to parent, panic attacks, anxiety, based on last season, OCs?, realization about sexuality. Post breakups. Desperate lack of in-depth research for CPS in both PA/CA, melodrama?, kidfic, angst, slowburn, playing fast and loose with the law for drama/storytelling purposes.

Zhenya exchanged a quick look with Tanger over the top of Sid's head as they helped Sid into the chair. Both were thinking the same things: This kid was Sid's, and Sid had no idea this kid existed.

And more importantly, this kid was so fucking scared. 

Tanger quirked an eyebrow up in question, and Zhenya shook his head. He didn't know why the kid was so terrified, either. But then again, he had never met his father for the first time after thirteen years - that sounded terrifying on its own. 

The kid started talking when Sid looked less like he would keel over and get some color into his face. His name is Michael. He's 13. Born just before their first cup win in 2009. His birthday is May 30. His sister is three. Her name is Marisol. They are half-siblings. They are from Anaheim, California. He had a faint Spanish accent. There, but not prominent, like Nikita's accent when he spoke English. The kid spoke two languages. 

Zhenya thought about what Michael was saying. Thirteen years… or really. Fourteen years, given how long a pregnancy lasts. It might have been before Sid and Kathy got serious, but only just before. 

Sid and Kathy had refused to put a name on their relationship for years and were always going back and forth, whether they were on or off. It had been worse than him and Oksana, to be honest. But so much funnier. The team had spent many roadies chirping Sid about it. Sid had turned the same pink he always did. 

It was in December of 2008 that Kathy finally came to a holiday skate after a fraught on again off again summer, and together they announced they were officially dating. Of course, that year, they won the cup, and until the start of last season, Sid and Kathy had been the "it" couple when it came to the Pens. But this kid. He was conceived just before all of that. 

By Sid's sharp intake of breath, he was doing the same math. "You're…. from where?" Sid croaked out. 

"Anaheim," Michael muttered, eyes glued on the floor. "In Orange County, California."  

When Sid only nodded and said nothing else, still staring at Michael, the kid continued, voice quiet. "Mama always said she had no idea who my dad was. Just that he was kind and had a smile that made his eyes crinkle." The kid - and oh god, he was only a kid, wasn't he? - paused momentarily, glancing at Sidney before looking down at his feet again. "She thought... I sounded like him when I laughed."

Zhenya got a flash of 21-year-old Sid and that bright, broad grin he got when he was happy and laughing. Zhenya hadn't thought about how much work he would do to keep that smile going for years. After that cup win and before the concussions, Sid just smiled more. 

"We watched a Ducks game on TV a few years ago, just before COVID, when I was 10. And she said you looked like my bio dad." Michael said in a rush to fill up the silence in the room. "She also said she thought his name started with an S. Something short." 

That got a stifled snort from Tanger. Geno and Jen glared at Tanger because his laugh caused the kid to shrink down in the trainer's room single chair. His sister watched as everyone talked, clinging close. She hadn't said a word, and Zhenya was a little worried she didn't know how to talk - dispute being three. 

"But before you guys could come out to play again, the pandemic happened and… yeah." Michael trailed off, watching the group of adults wearily. 

Sid kept staring at the kid, apparently unable to do anything else. Sid opened his mouth several times, trying to form some form of speech. It was sporadic that Sid wasn't able to talk. His many years in front of the press ensured he always had something to say, even if it was just empty bullshit.

"What makes you think Sid is Papa?" Zhenya asked when it became clear that Sid wanted to ask something but couldn't. There had to be more of a reason than 'his mom thought Sid looked like his dad.' Even the most hopeful kid wouldn't just run away, travel across the country, and throw himself and his sister on a whim or a hope. Michael had to have another reason.

"I have a picture," Michael said, rushed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny iPhone. The phone was far from the newest version; it looked like a used phone even before the kid had gotten his hands on it. Zhenya hadn't seen a model that old in years. 

Jen leaned over Michael's shoulder to watch as he found whatever he sought. Michael opened the phone to the photos app and quickly scrolled past some pictures that made Jen's face cloud over with anger and concern as she leaned over his shoulder. 

"Can I ask about those photos?" Jen asked as evenly as Zhenya had ever heard her. Including, of course, that time when he had a Twitter mishap that had Anya laughing at him for months.  

Michael froze. He didn't move for a heartbeat at all, and Zhenya was worried he would also shut down. Then Michael took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Let me find this picture first." He didn't move much; he just resumed flipping through pictures. 

Jen stepped back and took a deep breath. "That's fine. When you're ready." She said eventually. Then she glanced at the care worker, saying something with her expression alone that Zhenya couldn't read. It was a little too complicated. 

It's a boundary, Zhenya realized, as Michael's back relaxed slightly at Jen's acceptance of his words. The kid was drawing a boundary. How much he trusted everyone in this room depended on how they reacted to his attempt. 

The care worker looked like she approved of Jen's reaction. But then again, from where she was leaning on the wall, she could also see what was on the phone over the kid's shoulder. She had also gone red with anger when he was scrolling. 

Whatever the kid was scrolling past had to be bad. Tanger and Zhenya exchanged another look over Sid's head. Zhenya was glad that the core knew each other so well. A kid learning to draw boundaries like a scared and burnt rookie? That wasn't a good sign at all. 

Sid didn't seem to notice the look exchanged over his head, too focused on the kid before him. He did seem to register the boundary drawn, but Zhenya wasn't sure - Sid could be observant. 

The sister, Marisol, Zhenya did his best to remember, squirmed from under his jacket, and pulled herself up to see his phone. He had a feeling that he would know these kids very well. 

"Mama!" she said with a smile when Michael stopped swiping. Zhenya felt some of the worries leave his gut. She could speak; her voice was even more accented than Michael's.

Michal stared at the phone for one long moment before flipping it around to show Sid. 

Jen and the Care Worker had both gone from angry to surprised. Jen recovered first, pulled out her phone, and typed some things into it. Then, she showed the care worker, who looked between Michael and Sid, the phone in Michael's hand and nodded.   

Zhenya turned his attention back to the phone in Michael's hand. 

The image on the screen was a scanned photo of a Polaroid. In the Polaroid, Sid leaned against a bar table, talking to a dark-haired woman. He gestured with his hands, a smile and a minor flush on his face. In front of them was a glass with a dark drink in it. Zhenya assumed it was rum. He was dressed in a tight t-shirt, tight pants, and a ball cap that hid his face slightly. 

Sid looked happy. He also looked like he was on the prowl. Zhenya remembered that look fondly. When Zhenya had a passing crush on Sid (and most of the team had one at some point or another), Zhenya loved that look on Sid. 

The dark-haired woman sitting across from Sid smiled back, just as entertained as Sid was. She was holding a beer and taking in whatever Sid said with interest. She was dressed up, looking very much like she wanted a good time. She looked faintly like both children in front of Zhenya. Clearly, their mother. 

"Mama said her friend at the time was always bringing a Polaroid camera around, and this was the only picture she had of my bio dad." The kid said, his hands trembling slightly around the phone. 

Sid hadn't taken his eyes off the phone. Instead, he reached out to touch the screen, then jerked his hands back before contacting the phone. "Can I see?" he asked instead.

Michael nodded slowly, still nervous. "You can't delete it." He blurted out when Sid took the phone from the kid's shaking hands. "It's pass locked." 

Sid blinked at the kid; clearly, he didn't even think about that option. "I wasn't going to." he said, then took a deep breath, "But thank you for protecting it." 

Pass-locking a photo was something Zhenya had seen many teammates do to prevent embarrassing images from being erased. However, this was a little more important. 

"Are all of the photos pass-locked?" Jen asked gently. 

"Yes," Michael said, looking around. Then, he met the gaze of Charlie, the equipment guy, "He showed me how." 

Zhenya took in Charlie and Anthony for the first time since they entered the room and their upset but determined faces. He had nearly forgotten they were there. Both men looked grim, flanking the doorway. Zhenya realized they had already seen the other pictures on the kid's phone. They had been the ones to pull in Jen and the care worker. 

"Good," Jen said approvingly to Michael.

Michael relaxed a tiny bit at the praise.

Tanger leaned over to look at the phone with Sid. "That looks just like you." He told Sid. "Stupid with that haircut." He chirped as if by rote.

"It is me," Sid laughed, sounding far away, responding out of habit. "I remember that bar." He made a complicated expression that Zhenya chose to mean that Sid remembered her too. Finally, Sid turned his attention back to Michael. "When did you realize that was me?" 

"I hoped, after, well, Covid. But….” Michael trailed off, looking away. "I played hockey for a long time. And before… Before my parents died, I was on one of the traveling teams, the Anaheim Eagles. One of my coaches worked at a camp you were at. He had photos. You looked the same." 

Sid reached out with a hand before returning it to his side, unsure if his reassurance would be wanted. 

Michael took a deep, shaky breath, some of the composure that got him to Pittsburgh from Anaheim unraveling. "Mama only said you looked like him. She didn't know. I don't know. But… after… they hit Marisol, we had to leave. I took Marisol with me, packed my largest bag, and left. I had to." He was nearly crying, eyes liquid and red-rimmed. "They could hit me. I'm a hockey player. I'm tough. We play through pain." He said desperately, looking around at the players, nearly desperate for them to believe him. 

"Of course," Zhenya said, reassuring the kid. "Hockey players strong." 

Sid nodded firmly to back Zhenya up. Tanger made a noise of pain. 

This wasn't something a kid should have dealt with. Of course, Zhenya hated it, but that was in the past, and the best they could do was help the kid. 

Michael looked so relieved at being believed. "But Marisol is so small. So we had to go." Michael said as if he was still explaining himself. 

"Protect family," Sid said, sounding a little distant as he slid the photos over to see the rest of the files. They were all pass-locked, too; a person could see them but couldn't delete them. 

The slide show played was one of the hardest Zhenya had ever seen. The photos showed Michael and the little girl's bruises and marks on their limbs. They were clearly taken in a train station or bus stop bathroom. 

Sid went further and further back. The photos weren't recent; some dated nearly six months ago. There wasn't anyone else in the pictures other than the kids. It was mainly of Michael; the few photos of Marisol were only at the start of the horrifying slide show. 

Sid refocused back on Michael as he approached the photo scroll's end. "Protecting your family is a good thing." 

Michael sat back in his chair, and Marisol hugged him. "We had to go. There was nowhere else to go." He said simply. 

Zhenya believed him.

"What happened to your parents?" the care worker asked, voice kind. It was firm and practiced kindness. Zhenya had heard that tone before in parents who were controlling their emotions when something happened, and it wasn't (probably) the kid's fault.

Michael let a few tears fall then, despite doing his best to keep his voice even, "Car accident, over half a year ago. We're living with our aunt and her husband now." His voice was reedy and thin. Marisol flinched and tucked into her brother's side at the mention of their relatives. 

He was sacred. So was she. None of the adults in the room doubted their fear. 

"You did well. In getting her out. Gotta protect, eh?" Sid said. He met Michael's gaze evenly as he spoke, and like so many others, Michael was clearly entranced, his tear-swollen brown eyes meeting Sid's. They had the same eyes. 

"I had to put her first," Michael muttered, breaking the contact. "I had to defend her." 

They looked just like each other. While Zhenya would have missed it at first glance, he remembered the young Sid from all the tapes he used to watch. This kid looked just like Sid did at his age. The haircut was different, there was less confidence in Michael's frame, and the kid was definitely tanner than Sid had ever been, but the cheekbones were there. 

The eyes were totally the same. 

"Do you think your sister would like some food?" Tanger asked suddenly, breaking some of the tension. "We can walk to the player's lounge, talk to the chefs, and see if they have something for her." 

Zhenya noticed how Michael's grip on Marisol tightened at Tanger's mention of taking Marisol somewhere without him. And Marisol hid further in Michael's jacket. By Tanger's grimace, he saw too. 

"How about I text our chef what she would like, and we can get it and bring it back?" the trainer, Anthony, said. "You guys won't have to leave the room." Half the adults in the room, including Tanger and Sid, gave him a grateful look at the suggestion.

Michael hesitated, but Marisol leaned into his side, hiding her face; she was a little shy but caught the conversation. "Food? Like fries?" She asked into Michael's side, barely looking at Anthony out of the corner of her eyes. 

"Do you like sweet potatoes?" Anthony asked. The Pens facilities might have fries in the concession stands, but what was available to the players was always a little healthier. 

She hesitated, making a face like she didn't understand. Then, she pulled in closer to Michael. 

“La Batata,” Michael murmured into her hair. “Te gustan mucho las batatas, Marisol.” 

Her face cleared at the Spanish. "Si! I do!" she smiled brightly, all shyness and uncertainty forgotten. 

Tanger said, "Let's go over to Anthony and talk to him about food for you, Marisol. Maybe we can pick something for your brother, too." He pointed at the phone that Anthony held up. "We'll be right over here on this bench." Tanger walked away from Sid's side and patted the trainer's bench on the other side of the room. Just far away from all for another conversation to occur, but still close. Still within eyesight. Anthony made sure there was a space between him and Tanger for Marisol so Michael's view would not be blocked. 

Michael hesitated but put Marisol down on the floor when she squirmed. "I want something with rice and beans, Mari," he said, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. 

Marisol nodded. “Que tal una quesadilla? Como el de Mamá?”

“Por supuesto. Si tienen alguno. ” Michael said. 

Marisol, Tanger, and Anthony all started talking in low voices. Tanger suggested items, and Anthony looked them up so Marisol could see them. 

Zhenya turned his attention to the kid in front of him and Sid. 

"What made you take pictures?" the care worker asked, still flipping through the phone.

"I dunno." Michael shrugged, tucking himself into the chair in another attempt to make himself smaller. "I was worried about proof. So it's not my word versus hers." He said, then muttered even lower so Zhenya wasn't entirely sure he heard right what he said next. "Or his." 

The care worker frowned even more at the phone, catching Michael's worries.  

"Can you promise she'll be safe if you're not my dad? Like, she can't go back to my aunt." Michael asked, voice small, focused on Marisol. "She's, like, not good for us." 

Sid flinched. "....I don't know, Michael," he said slowly, like it pained him to not agree instantly. He sat back in the chair he had been placed into.

Zhenya's heart reached out to him. Michael clearly only wanted his sister to be safe. And clearly, he thought where they came from wasn't safe at all. 

The care worker stepped forward before Sid could finish. "Mr. Crosby can't promise that, Michael. We can only do our best." 

"I did my research!" Michael turned and stared at her kind of angrily. The first emotion that Zhenya saw from him wasn't worry or sadness. "Pennsylvania won't send us back. Not really. California will allow "Interstate placements if the child has family or is under four years old." Michael said that as if he was quoting something. "And Marisol is three. And my family. We're good if he - Sid - he is my dad." Michael tripped over Sid's name a little, but he glared at the woman, daring her to say otherwise. 

The care worker took it in stride. "But what happens if he's not your father, Michael?" The care worker asked, her voice even. "What did your research say?"

"Pennsylvania won't send us back. Not without good proof, we'll be safe where we're sent. I looked it up! I promise. I got the librarian to help me and everything." Michael pleaded. "We'll be safe. We might not get to stay together, but we'll be safe."

"Ok, Michael…" The care worker sighed. "But it's more complicated than that. Honestly, the system would take a long time to get you both back to California." 

Michael's shoulders relaxed at the care worker's words. Zhenya wondered how much of Michael's stress was based on whether he could save his sister. 

God, Zhenya could remember what that type of stress and desperation what that felt like. It felt like being pushed into a corner, and there was no other way out. Zhenya took an enormous risk when he fled Russia, and Michael took one just as large. And Michael even took his sister along. But, Jesus, he's so young. Even younger than Zhenya was when he made his own flight. 

"But, Michael, we can't promise you can stay together," the care worker said, sounding apologetic. "We can try, but no promises." 

"I know that!" Michael said quickly. "I know it doesn't always work out the way people want. Of course, I wanna stay with her, but…." Michael shrugged. "As long as she's safe. I'm ok with that. But we can't go back." 

"I don't care. I will take them if need be," Sid muttered suddenly. "I can't let them go back." 

Zhenya was surprised to find out if anyone else heard him in the room, as quiet as Sid was. "Sidney," Zhenya said warningly. Of course, he didn't really know what he was warning against, but there was no way that Sid had thought this entirely through. 

Sid frowned up at him. "Geno, I would want to help even if we weren't connected." 

Zhenya sighed. Sid would want to help. That was who Sid was. Zhenya wanted to help; they had to do something. 

"Please. I didn't know what else to do," Michael said, looking at his feet again. He twisted his hands in his lap. "I just need her to be safe." 

"You did a good thing getting her out of there," The care worker said; Geno would have to learn her name at some point. "But let's see what happens next. You don't have to face it alone." 

[ssj2hindudude]

The Potatoes reacting to what their last names mean:

Aru and Kara:

So, we're either Kings, Merchants, or honest. Neat!

Well, we can definitely rule out the last one for Aru

Shut up, Wifey.

Literally, why are you like this, Shah? It goes against your name.

Mini:

My last name means "Camphor Market-Wolf"???

That's hot, literally. I love shopping! And I bet wolves and snakes go well together.

...Rudy, whatever you do, don't look it up.

What, it's not like wolves eat snakes, right? Mini? Why are you walking away? Mini!

Brynne:

Ok, so Lakshmi and Balamuralikrishna are pretty straightforward. But apparently I'm also a fast king?

Babe, that means you can run like the wind!

*gasp* You're right, Hira! Call me, Sanic!

Bee that meme died years ago-

GOTTA GO FAST

Nikita and Sheela:

Everything? Everything.

It also happens to be a boy's nam-

Shut up and worship us, mortal. Yeah, worship us.

Aiden:

*remembers his dad*

...so that was a f***ing lie...

[isleofdarkness]

Isle Kids You Don't Mess With

Harriet Hook is at the top of the list, the first one anyone will name. If there's one person who can and had united all three islands, it's Harriet Hook. If you hurt her, you're dead.

Ginny Gothel is in a similar vein. She's pretty much the only fast source of mobile medical care (the others tend to take a few minutes more because Ginny just runs that fast) and this presents two problems- one, if you hurt her, you aren't getting help from the Silver Cross, and two, if you hurt her, she's saved most of the Isle from death and suffering.

Maverick Mim is terrifying without the people who back her. Yeah, her network and inner circle are pretty terrifying, but Maverick is the one who leads them. Maverick is reason the Horned King is vanished- yeah, that was her. No one knows what this girl can do and no one wants to find out.

Any of the Rasputin kids. The Rasputin kids are a different breed, man. They won't die. No one wants to mess with whatever the Rasputin Curse is. Plus, one runs the risk of pissing off Nikita Rasputin and oh boy. That's a big no-no.

Justice Olympian. If her name being this far down on the list doesn't say something about the previous ones, I don't know what to tell you, because Justice Olympian is a problem, but not as much as the previous ones. Justice is a goddess of war and victory and even if she wasn't, have you seen that girl? Seven-and-a-half feet tall, over three hundred pounds of pure muscle- her arms are bigger than most peoples' legs and her shoulders are so broad she usually has to duck through doorways. She's a tank and the Isle lives in fear of her.

Lydia Snoops is the only OB/GYN on the Isle and the only practicing midwife, on top of being a cut-throat genius, a master hand-to-hand fighter, a ruthless killer and torturer, and a girl who hasn't had a good night of sleep since she was six years old. Lydia will kill you. She has punched Maleficent in the face. She has flipped Chernabog the bird. She told the Horned King to "go suck a dick." This girl does not fear death. Her fear of death was replaced by her need to have the last word and that makes her even more dangerous.

Agony. The name says it all.

Chaos will rip you apart with his eyes and that is a promise.

Sammy Smee is the only warning against hurricanes and the most powerful cecaelia under the barrier. They are going to snap one day, don't make that day come any sooner than it needs to.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Post from Donetsk today, about the killing of children in the U.S.-Ukraine war on Donbass. We protested for justice for Vladik and other child victims here in New York and around the world:

Remember the boy, whose name was Vladik Dmitriev. He was four years old when a grenade dropped from a Ukrainian drone tore him apart [in early 2021 -- one year before Russia's military intervention]. Then I had to "persuade" the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission for a long time to go to the place where the child died. They arrived a week later (I have kept all the correspondence). 

The reason was that the Ukrainian media and some "actors" of the humanitarian persuasion assured them that the boy was not there. Then they assured that since the boy had died, that was certainly because his grandparents kept grenades in the yard. Therefore, I had to send a birth certificate of the child, then a certificate of death and the causes of death. Then photographs of a small funnel with fragments spreading 360 degrees. Then I had to write that his grandfather had to "bury" a fragment of his grandson's hand, which he found in the firewood after the funeral.

It was only after that that they arrived. Then they wrote for a long time ... I even had to explain to them that Vlad's parents had an audio recording of a conversation with the OSCE mission staff.

This boy's death was not convenient. They tried to ignore it. But, fortunately, there were those in the institutions of European power that did not allow this.

Back then I met Vladik's parents, Katya and Sergey. They are very bright guys. Sergei was a metallurgist, and Katya was a kindergarten teacher. I know that she could not work there after the death of her son: the children reminded her of her son.

Today it was Katya who responded to the death of eight-year-old Nikita [killed by a Ukrainian strike on Donetsk on March 11, 2023]. She wrote, "I would really like to give his mother strength and patience. I would like to show her how close her pain is and that there are people for whom this is not just a roundup of news, but a part of life. Anyone who once faced the loss of a child knows that it will no longer be the same as before, that life is just a physical state. Mentally and in this comment, I send her strength, stamina and faith in myself and in God. Faith that we will meet with them, and this separation is not eternal. "To live in the name of the memory of my child was once the only clue for me in this life. Dear girl (I'm sorry I don't know your name), I'm with you with all my heart and soul and our children are always with us, no matter what happens.

"I keep photos of Vladik. Today I received a photo of Nikita. He is happy on it, next to the pool. It turns out that he was taken out for several weeks on vacation last fall. The woman who received Nikita was crying when she spoke to me. Today she has other children next to her, "the same as Nikita.”

Thanks to Katia Osminogova for sharing the link.

Translation by Melinda Butterfield