#real mixed bag of emotions in this group

[trans-ruffboi]

you've heard of MotA damsel kink Anders. now get ready for Gamlen's Greatest Treasure damsel kink Anders

[drchucktingle]

THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TELLS CHUCK TINGLE TO STAY HOME BUT WE PROVE LOVE ANYWAY

just when you buckaroos thought 2024 would be a break from book drama, here comes chuck tingle in the mix. recently i was asked to be a featured speaker at the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION annual conference. a few days ago they rescinded my invitation. here is what happened.

(EDITED TO ADD THIS LINK. if you have a hard time reading this on way of tumblr you can also read for free on chucks patreon)

i would like to start off by saying it is not my intent to start a fight, and all those reading this should know that the actions of a few misguided folks do not speak for the whole TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. i am sure there are many involved who will be very upset to learn what others at TLA have done in their name. there are many individuals here, so please do not paint them all as villains in your mind. besides, chuck loves the dang library everyone knows that.

the point of writing this is not to vilify. i am writing this is because MOMENTS OF DARKNESS are the best places to SHINE A LIGHT AND PROVE LOVE IS REAL. this is a perfect time for learning and growing and for us talk on some very important things that queer buckaroos and neurodivergent buckaroos face every day. this is an unfortunate moment that WE can turn around and use to prove love is real.

i am also writing this to understand some of my own personal feelings on the matter. for something that seems very simple on the surface, the trot is complex, and i am still working out my emotions on the whole dang thing. i am learning in this way.

PART ONE: BAG OF LOVE

a few months ago chuck was asked to be a featured speaker at the 2024 TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. i have been asked to do things like the before and it is ALWAYS a fun time to meet bookseller and librarian buds. trotting around face to face and talking about my story of conquering chronic pain and overcoming my mental hurdles is VERY IMPORTANT to me. i say YES to these things whenever i can. (here i am with authors at CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS ALLIANCE conference. they are a WONDERFUL group and they proved love with their OWN invitation to chuck. this was such a moving event with so many amazing authors and stories. got very teared up during this photo)

ANYWAY BUCKAROOS i get the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION invite and say 'YES BUD LETS TROT'. we are then confirmed.

months pass. a few weeks ago i get a call from my manager and agent and publisher saying ‘the TLA have rescinded their invitation.’

turns out some things had been going on behind the scenes

at some point the TLA asked chucks INCREDIBLE HEROIC BAD ASS PUBLISHER if chuck would be okay with not wearing the mask, to which tor/nightfire/macmillan said ‘what the heck are you talking about of course chuck is going to wear his mask. this is how chuck presents himself’ (NOT EXACT QUOTE)

as you all know, my pink bag way is a VERY IMPORTANT SPACE. as an autistic buckaroo it is a boundary that allows me to express myself freely and relieve my chronic pain from neurotypically masking all day. i have talked about this for years, and it is why i consider my private identity a SACRED THING. it is literally a health issue.

fortunately THE PINK BAG is never really a problem when making appearances. i have spent years going on television shows, doing interviews, speaking at other conferences and conventions, hosting book events on tour, and even MEETING WITH LAWYERS in my pink face covering. it is always respected and that is very validating to my way.

when arriving anywhere i always take precautions. i always warn buckaroos ahead of time that there is a masked man coming. i always have someone go in ahead of me JUST IN CASE. again, there has never been an issue. at a big conference where i am a special guest there is ESPECIALLY not an issue because my face and bio are printed IN THE DANG PROGRAM

SOME FUN TIMES AT BIG EVENTS BELOW:

CHUCK ON TV SHOW NAME OF 'AT MIDNIGHT' BACK BEFORE I WROTE LOVE IS REAL ON MY HEAD:

well, there has never been an issue.... UNTIL NOW.

PART TWO: RESCINDED

a few days ago TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION suddenly messaged my publishers and said that chuck tingle is no longer invited. my invitation was rescinded. the reason given was that people could possibly be uncomfortable with my mask

right out of the gate i would like to say this: it is absolutely the right of the texas library association to disinvite someone from their conference. it is their event, after all, and they can ban anyone they would like, for any reason.

of course, that doesnt mean other folks HEARING THIS NEWS wont have their own opinions the TLA choices. if the TLA disinvites someone, their reasoning for doing this can be discussed and analyzed. whether or not they follow their own guidelines can be questioned, and certainly their kindness and tact can be considered

there are a few BIG POINTS to make regarding this choice from the TLA

first and foremost, i just gotta say buckaroos, it is incredibly rude to invite someone to be a guest speaker at your event, have them confirm and mark off their calendar and turn down other offers, then rescind their invitation. this is maybe the simplest of the points, but it is an important one.

second, (DEEP BREATH HERE WE GO BUCKAROOS) i personally do not think of my autism as a disability very often, but i also KNOW that despite these feelings it ABSOLUTELY IS. autism is important to be listed as a recognized disability because of the help some autistic buckaroos need regarding government programs and things like that. ALSO just because my neurodivergence has helped me in some ways (hyperfocus and a unique artistic sensibility for example). i personally need to step back and remember my battle with stress and chronic pain from having to neurotypically mask all the time. for as much as i love being autistic it has made some things very difficult.

in other words, i am perfectly capable of speaking and interacting with folks without this pink bag on my head BUT WHEN I AM IN THE CHUCK TINGLE SPACE I REQUIRE IT. i can ONLY use this space while covering my face. is not a want. it is a need. holding this boundary is more important than i can ever say. i will not, and can not, let these spaces cross.

TLA not letting an autistic author wear the face cover theyve set up to express their neurodivergence in a safe, healthy way is--for lack of a better term--NOT A GOOD LOOK.

i cannot fathom them disinviting another author for using a disability aid. i cannot fathom them saying that a buckaroo who hears better with a hearing device cannot use it during their panel because it would make others 'uncomfortable'.

but here we are.

PART THREE: WHAT DOES A BUCKAROO GOTTA DO TO GET BANNED AROUND HERE?

this is the TLAs official stance on disability issues according to their website:

when poking around on the TLA website i noticed a few other things. i noticed a previous guest speaker wearing a niqab, and i was left wondering if the religious significance is what make that okay but chuck tingle banned. that made sense until i looked deeper and saw mascot buckaroos dressed up on the exhibition floor, and saw some kind of spiderbud in a costume contest. nobody around them seemed to be all that scared. their invitations REMAINED INTACT.

it should be mentioned here that AT ONE POINT during the discussions an email was sent from TLA saying chuck is allowed to come and wear his mask in the exhibition halls and smaller panels, just not at any of the big PAID PANELS i was once supposed to participate on. this was a confusing offer, but their explanation was that people who paid for something should have the option to not see chucks 'scary neurodivergence aid'. i tried to wrap my head around WHY they would make a distinction. maybe the exchange of money (rather than time) causes some kind of philosophical adjustment that i just cant grasp?

i wonder, would the author who wears a niqab ALSO be banned from the paid panels? i hope not

my answers trotted up short until i investigated deeper and found this quick moment from one of the TLA help videos. while some events DO require additional buckaroo cash, it actually appears that THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE IS TICKETED AND COSTS MONEY.

at this point i realized there is clearly no actual official policy about not covering your face (other than one from a few years ago saying that you HAVE to cover your face), and the addition of 'money' is a red herring. these excuses make no sense

PART FOUR: CLOSE THOSE GATES

it appears that my neurodivergence is 'scary' enough to get me uninvited, REGARDLESS what their disability and mask policies may say

BUT WHY? why is chucks preferred physical presentation valued SO little by the TLA that a THEORETICAL complaint is worth more? is my neurodivergent expression so awful? is my own safety as a queer activist such an afterthought?

is a pink bag with the words 'love is real' scrawled across the front REALLY going to frighten someone when the posters and pamphlets on the way into in panel would have a photo of my masked face saying THIS IS LITERALLY WHO IS ABOUT TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU.

if THAT accommodation is too much, would it really be so difficult to have someone trot out beforehand and make an announcement? to say 'there is someone on this upcoming panel who needs a mask to express this part of himself, if this makes you uncomfortable then this panel might not be for you'.

and really, i have to heckin ask, is this physical expression of my raw inner truth really so hideous and frightening that fear of making someone uncomfortable is a REAL problem?

(a terrifying display of autism. apparently)

i cannot imagine what kind of precautions they need to take before a stage play featuring costumes and masks.

you MIGHT think chucks queerness and left leaning politics could be the issue with this organization, but they have had drag queens as past speakers (also featuring some GLORIOUS makeup and hair that covers almost all of their faces. VERY CURIOUS). regardless, the TLA do not seem like a conservative bunch.

if you are bisexual or an autistic person who is good at 'passing' you probably already know where this is headed, your dang spiderbuckaroo senses are tingling at FULL ALERT. i will say i do not KNOW the real reason why i was uninvited, and i do not have enough information to make any concrete statement of the real answer. there is only evidence that masks have been fine at TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION events in the past, but not much else to go on.

so the FACTS part of our discussion ends there, but i think it opens us up to talk about some very important feelings that bisexual and autistic buckaroos know well.

THIS is where we take a unfortunate, hurtful moment and turn it into a discussion. this is where we prove love is real.

as someone who is constantly doubted and put through purity tests because of my unique way, we are pushing up against a subject i know well. thats right buckaroos: we are talking GATEKEEPING

AGAIN, i do not know if this is the answer, but someone in my position might be VERY STRONGLY INCLINED TO THINK that a few well-meaning left leaning buckaroos think i am a joke and that this is a character, and that there is something problematic about my work because i am not really a real person.

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a neurodivergent buckaroo with an unusual visual presentation, an autistic buckaroo who conquered his chronic pain ONLY by creating this important space... but what about a FAKE autistic buckaroo?

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a queer LGBTQ activist standing up for gay and trans rights against a torrent of scoundrels hunting for his legal identity. its a matter of safety... but what about a FAKE queer activist?

let me be very clear for the 100th time: i am a real person. this is not a joke. i am not playing a character. i am really autistic and bisexual. tinglers are sincere and they are not ‘so bad theyre good’. they are just good. camp damascus is not ‘my first serious book’ because my queer erotica is serious. my art is important and real.

when people tell me to unmask they often do not know WHY they want it, and of course one very good reason is innocent curiosity. but there are SOME cases where i start to get THAT feeling--that tingle all of us ‘passing’ buckaroos get when we can sense the real intent behind the poking and prodding. that is the feeling of stumbling into a gatekeepers crosshairs.

if i was to take off my pink bag, what about my face would you analyze to tell if i was REALLY queer. my eye color? my ear shape? if you learned my legal name, would you see if it sounded autistic? is my voice neurodivergent enough?

or is all of that utterly absurd? i am curious what the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION thinks.

PART FIVE: GENDERED

this will be the shortest of parts, but it has to be said. i have a very complex relationship with gender, as written about at length here and here. i understand these things can be difficult to parse for some, but i ask that you trust me when i say that the ONLY reason i have been able to talk about my gender and sexuality and learn these things about myself is because of this pink bag. this outward appearance is a direct expression and reflection of my gender journey.

if the texas library association does not care about my appearance as an expression of my autism, then i cant imagine them giving a dang about it as an expression of my gender and queerness. that being said, it is personally very important to me and i think it should be mentioned

PART SIX: SO YOU WANT TO REMOVE AN AUTISTIC QUEER AUTHOR FROM YOUR EVENT BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT FIND THEIR DIFFERENCES SCARY

there is a question to be asked here: how could the TLA have done this correctly?

i have one very big piece of advice i would like to shout from the rooftops. please, for the love of sweet barbara, DO ENOUGH RESEARCH to know if this appearance will be a problem and, IF SO, dont extend an invitation in the first place. unique buckaroos with different presentations are constantly left in this place of limbo because we are bombarded with careless actions like those of the TLA. before you consider extending a branch to an artist who might need more accommodations than usual, think to yourself 'CAN WE MAKE THESE ACCOMMODATIONS?'

putting all of this on the shoulders of a single 'buckaroo with a difference' is exhausting. as the TLA has shown, we currently live on a timeline where a buckaroo like myself never really knows if an invite is SOLID without doing a deep dive history lesson on how often a group discriminates and against who.

i did not want to spend my whole family holiday worrying whether or not i should say something publicly or just lie down and shut my dang mouth. i had to consider HOW i should say it. i had to worry whether or not its worth standing up for myself in the face of the largest state library association in the country. i think buckaroos with differences are with me when i say: WE ARE SICK OF HAVING TO DO THIS WORK TO COVER FOR THE POOR BEHAVIOR OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WHO TREAT US BADLY

another option would just be to use kindness and common sense and happily accommodate artists with unique presentations to your conventions

PART SEVEN: LOVE IS STILL REAL

i would like to close by saying THANK YOU to my publisher nightfire and editor kelly for standing up for me. they immediately stood firm and had my back. they are the real dang deal. THANK YOU to my management and agent buds dongwon and gino for trotting along beside me. THANK YOU to the folks at the texas library association who initially invited chuck with goodness in their heart and then likely got bowled over by someone else, and maybe even got knocked to the side by a big closing gate.

i hope there are librarians in texas who are still interested in carrying BURY YOUR GAYS when it comes out (which is ironically about someone who creates a space through art to express their queerness where they cant otherwise). libraries prove love is real and what they do IS SO IMPORTANT. it was SO IMPORTANT TO ME as a young buckaroo and i cannot thank you enough. i am not sure if me writing all of this will hurt my sales in some way, but this opportunity to speak about the reality of disability awareness and queer gatekeeping is too important to stay silent. (if you have not already preordered BURY YOUR GAYS then give it a preorder to make up for some texas library losses i guess.)

which leads me to my final thank you. THANK YOU to the buckaroos reading this. yes YOU. i am in the position to stand up and speak my mind against scoundrel forces ONLY because i have the might of you buckaroos by my side. the buckaroo trot is ALL OF OUR TROT and we are ALL HERE TO PROVE LOVE. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate the way you have created a space for me to express these important parts of myself. you have seen this pink mask over my face and saying YES, I ACCEPT YOU, you have literally saved my life. for that i am so thankful.

if you are UPSET by what youve read here, then turn it into something positive. you can support autistic creators, or make a donation to the AUTISTIC SELF ADVOCACY NETWORK

and besides WHO IS REALLY MISSING OUT? this is what it looks like when you invite the worlds greatest author chuck tingle to your event and treat their identity as valid. WE HAVE A DANG GOOD TIME

KEEP TROTTING INTO THE FUTURE. KEEP KICKING DOWN GATES WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. KEEP PROVING LOVE IS REAL AND PROVING IT TOGETHER. lets go buckaroos - chuck

UPDATE AN HOUR AFTER POSTING:

true buckaroo TJ KLUNE was set to be another author on panel chuck was removed from and has informed me he has now chosen to decline his invitation in support and solidarity with chuck. i am so deeply moved by this. thank you from bottom of heart buckaroo

to be very clear TJ has a huge platform and DOES NOT NEED TO DO THIS. these conferences are great for book sales and he is taking a hit out of pure solidarity. this is queer buckaroos standing up for eachother. i am floored by this kindness and love

please consider checking out his books if they are not already covering your dang bookshelf. chuck blurbed IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS and i was blown away i heckin loved it

MOST RECENT UPDATE:

here is more

[021894s]

hihi, this is ur 🎀 anon. how are you holding upp? hope you're all well by now considering your crazy schedule with school and work🫶

i just wanted to ask if you still take written oneshot requests? if you do can you write some angst with any member. a short one is fine too. it's perfectly fine if you don't want to do it tho

all the best for twisted ties. ilysm always🫶

hi anon!! i’m doing well, the semester is almost over so i’m just pushing through!! tysm for your request! hope you enjoy🫶🏻🎀

situationship w/ heeseung (1.4k words)

it’s been five years since your friend group last came together. tonight was the rare chance to relived shared experiences and create new memories.

You remember college with a fondness tinged with the bittersweet. Back then, Heeseung was a constant in your life, a presence both comforting and exhilarating. Your relationship was an intricate dance of deep conversations under the starry night sky and laughter echoing through the dorm halls. Yet, it was never defined, always hovering on the edge of 'more'. Classes and coffee runs blurred into a montage of moments where the possibility of 'us' was a silent whisper in your every interaction. Now, as you get ready for the gathering, those memories weave through your thoughts, a tapestry of 'what-ifs' that still make your heart skip a beat.

The day Heeseung announced he was leaving for the States, the world seemed to stand still. The job offer was too good to pass up—an opportunity of a lifetime. But what did that make of the time you had spent together? You couldn't help but wonder if your heart was just another stopover on his journey to success. The laughter and shared dreams suddenly felt like echoes of a reality that was never meant to last. He packed his bags, and with every item he tucked away, a piece of your shared story was folded up with it. You were left with a hollow feeling and questions that had no answers. Was it all real? Or were you just a chapter in his life that he had closed as easily as his suitcase? The doubt crept in, a shadow over your self-worth. Was it something about you, or was it just the way of the world, pulling people in and out of your orbit, with no regard for the gravity of your heart?

As you walked into the restaurant, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursed through your veins. The chatter of your friends filled the air, but your gaze immediately locked onto Heeseung, standing at a distance. Time seemed to slow down as you took in his matured appearance, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. Making your way over, you greeted everyone with a warm hello, feeling Heeseung's lingering gaze on you a little longer than the rest. As he greeted you, a hint of nostalgia danced in his eyes, and you couldn't help but wonder how much had changed since you last saw each other.

As you settle into the lively conversation at the table, your friends mingle and share stories, their laughter filling the air. But amidst the cheerful chatter, you can't help but feel a sense of fluster. Every time you steal a glance across the table, you catch Heeseung's eyes fixed on you, his gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and something more. It's like a magnetic pull, drawing your attention back to him, making your heart race a little faster. The way he looks at you, it's as if he's trying to decipher the unspoken words between you, the emotions that still linger from your shared history. It's both thrilling and nerve-wracking, leaving you with a delightful sense of anticipation and a touch of uncertainty.

The group's laughter spills out into the cool night air as you all decide to make a quick jaunt to the nearby convenience store. The city lights cast a gentle glow on the streets, creating a cozy atmosphere for the post-dinner stroll.

Heeseung falls into step beside you, naturally creating a space away from the others, a quiet bubble amidst the friendly commotion. You can feel the warmth radiating from him, his presence both comforting and unsettling in its familiarity.

He breaks the silence first, his voice casual but with an undercurrent of genuine interest, "So, how have you been? What's new with you?"

You glance over, meeting his eyes, and there's a moment where the world seems to pause. "I've been good, busy with work and all," you start, your voice a mix of excitement and calm. "I picked up some new hobbies, got into gardening. There's something about watching things grow... It's fulfilling, you know?" You chuckle softly, turning the conversation back to him, "What about you? How are things going at your job?”

Heeseung's eyes light up as he begins to share about his marketing job. His voice is filled with enthusiasm and a sense of fulfillment as he explains how rewarding it is to be back home.

"You won't believe how amazing it feels to be back here in Korea," he says with a wide smile. "Working in marketing has been such a journey. I get to be a part of creating campaigns that connect with people, that make a difference. It's incredible to see the impact we can have on the market and the lives of our customers. Plus, being surrounded by the vibrant energy of Seoul every day... it's truly inspiring."

Heeseung's passion shines through his words, and you can't help but feel a sense of admiration for his dedication and love for his work. It's clear that he has found his calling, and his excitement is contagious. As you listen, you can't help but feel a renewed sense of motivation and curiosity about your own path.

“it’s nice seeing you so passionate about something. you were always such a hard worker. i’d knew it pay off eventually” you tell him.You can't help but smile as memories of your shared past resurface. The late-night study sessions, the determination in Heeseung's eyes as he pursued his goals—it all feels like it was just yesterday. It's heartwarming to see how far he's come and how his dedication has paid off.

Heeseung begins speaking after a moment of silence, his voice carries a mix of vulnerability and sincerity. "Listen," he starts, his tone gentle yet filled with regret. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I wanted to talk about our situation. I want to apologize for not ending things properly between us."

You can sense the weight of his words, and a rush of emotions floods your thoughts. Memories of the past resurface, moments shared and left unresolved. It's a bittersweet realization that he's acknowledging the unfinished chapter between you. Heeseung continues, his voice filled with sincerity, "I should have been more honest and communicative about my feelings. I never wanted to hurt you, and I'm truly sorry if I did. You deserve closure, and I want to make things right."

His admission takes you by surprise, but you appreciate his willingness to address the past. It opens up an opportunity for healing and understanding, a chance to move forward with a sense of closure.You take a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions, and respond, "Don't be sorry, it's not like we were a couple or anything," you say, trying to keep the mood light, but there's a sharp edge to your words that you didn't intend.

Heeseung's expression changes, a look of hurt flashing across his face. He quickly gathers himself and says, "I know we never put a label on it, but my feelings for you were real. I might have been terrible at expressing them, but that doesn't mean they weren't there. I cared about you a lot, and I still do." You can tell by the earnestness in his voice that he's being genuine, and it makes you reconsider the complexity of your past relationship. It's a lot to take in, and you find yourself at a loss for words, realizing that things were more serious for him than you thought.

", it was hard when you left so abruptly ," you admit, your voice filled with a mix of vulnerability and honesty. "I felt confused and hurt, and it took me a while to process everything."

Heeseung's eyes soften as he listens to your words, and he takes a deep breath before responding, "I'm truly sorry for the pain I caused you. I never wanted to hurt you, and Ive spend everyday for the past five years regretting how i treated you. if you’ll let me i want make it up to you. His sincere apology touches your heart, and you can see the genuine remorse in his eyes. It's clear that he genuinely wants to make amends and rebuild the trust that was lost.

You take a moment to gather your thoughts, appreciating his willingness to make things right. With a soft smile, you respond, "i appreciate your apology heeseung.” he gives you that perfect smile that you’ve been longing for all this time. “let’s start over” he offers you his hand “i’m lee heeseung”. you let out a chuckle at his antics “y/n l/n, nice to meet you heeseung”.

[izzabela]

In The Mafia's Eyes (pt.2) - Lin Kuei Trio x fem!reader

in which the deadliest mafia group's leader and two brothers have you in their grasps

a/n: commenter, you ask so you shall receive

ship[s]: tomas, bi han, kuai liang x fem!reader

warning(s): MDNI, smut, threesome, DP, f!reader = f!genitalia, dirty talk, praise, cuckery!, breeding kink..., unprotected sex

It's in the eyes, little barista

The note that Raiden handed you stayed in your apron pocket until the end of your shift. You were... afraid? Excited? Nervous? Mixed emotions bubbled and brewed like ready hot-pot, and you weren't sure if opening the lid would be worth it.

Once your shift was over, you changed out of your uniform into a thrifted tweed skirt and a button-up. All thrifted during an outing with some friends. You changed out of your work shoes and into some black loafers, and finally hung the apron on the wall. You made sure to take the note out, but another piece fell. You were confused to say the least.

"But Raiden said that this was the only note..." you muttered to yourself.

You nervously opened the folded paper and were greeted with an address. It wasn't yours, thankfully, but the address line was somewhere in the area, where the rich folk live. Taking out your phone, you punched it into maps and found the address leading to a luxurious apartment complex a couple of blocks away from the teahouse.

Is this where they lived? Why would they give you their address? Isn't this how women die in true crime shows? You were drawn out from your thoughts when Kung Lao knocked on the wall.

"You still in here?" he called. He smiled and sighed when he found you, "There you are! Do you recognize this glove? It was left on seat of the chair where I found the tip."

When he showed you the glove, you wanted to strangle someone.

It was Bi Han's, a black and blue colored one with white accents on the side. You took the glove and looked at the note again, realizing what you had to do.

You sighed out loud, pinching your nose bridge, "I know whose this is... I'll be clocking out now. See you guys tomorrow!"

You took shoved your uniform in your work bag and bid quick farewells to your coworkers. Opening your phone, you followed the maps route to the apartment. You looked up and saw the clouds roll over, gray beginning to shroud the blue sky. Your mood soured further with this.

Hopefully, the unprecedented storm would wait until after this visit.

=====================

The rain didn't even bother with your consent, pouring immediately as you were halfway to the apartment. When you got to the door, you were soaked through and through, practically shivering as the doorbell rang through the apartment. Actually, you couldn't even say it was an apartment.

Your handsome regulars lived on the top floor of the complex, the penthouse suite, the complex building was owned by Empress Real Estate. With a quick Google search, you learned they were a company with huge connections to New York's founding. The "King" Jerrod, "Empress" Sindel (who it was named after), and their daughters Mileena and Kitana. Still, the fact couldn't take away how cruel the weather was to you.

The entire day you worked, the sun shone apologetically, why did it have to change so quickly?

The door opens and Tomas's face twists into shock and pity. You offer a smile, but it's hard to deny the state of yourself when your teeth chatter aggressively. He immediately takes you in, leading you to a plush chair in the (rather humble-looking) living room. He reaches for a throw blanket and unfolds it, wrapping it around you. You sink into the warmth, nuzzling into the plush material.

He's crouched to your level, "Warmer? I apologize for not being able to answer sooner," he said with a frown.

You smile, "It's quite alright, Tomas, I didn't know it would rain."

He smiles, and you can see him lift his arm, about to pet your head. However, he stops and stands up quickly. He covers his mouth to hide the pink that creeps his cheeks.

"I'll, uh, go get my brother. Kuai Liang will be here soon, though, please feel comfortable."

He disappears into a hallway next to the kitchen, and on cue Kuai Liang comes out of the kitchen with tea and a warm towel on a tray, and an equally soft smile on his face. You nod to greet him.

"You look as if you expected me," you tease, "You even have a warmed towel!"

He chuckles, "Who's to say this wasn't?"

You blush, looking away shyly as you fiddle with your hands. Kuai Liang chuckles, setting the tray on a side table and taking your hands into his, rubbing the towel over them to get you warmed up quicker. The warmth, and his touch, is making you squirm a bit. He chuckles at your innocence.

"You seem nervous," he states obviously, but he leans close to your ear to whisper, "Are you nervous, dear?"

You sharply inhale, a hazy feeling of lust beginning to fog your brain. You shake your head, muttering a small "no" before he parts from you. Just before he can say anything, you turn your head to the shuffle of feet coming from the hallway Tomas disappeared into. He comes out behind Bi Han, a slightly agitated face on him.

"Why do you wear such clothes, woman? Did you not see the forecast for the day?" he huffs out.

Your arousal dissipated like smoke, eyes rolling as you crossed your arms over your chest. Your shirt was still decently wet despite the blanket offered to you, and your colored bra pressed against the wet fabric ever so slightly. Bi Han glanced briefly before looking to the window, where the downpour grew into a raging storm.

You sigh, "This was not how I wanted my afternoon to go..."

Kuai Liang moved to your side, "It doesn't look like it will let up, best if you stayed here until it stops."

Tomas nods, "I agree, brother," he turns to you, "Whenever you're ready, I can show you to your room for the evening."

You nod, keeping the blanket around you as you followed him. Looking behind you just for a moment, Kuai Liang and Bi Han seem to just be staring at you.

You knew better, though, especially after the note.

Reaching the room, you thank Tomas for escorting you and enter.

"There should be some extra clothes in there, for the guests we have on occasion," his hand grips the door knob, "We'll have dinner ready for you soon, so feel free to roam around our home if you're ready beforehand."

You nod, "Thank you again, Tomas."

Tomas begins to shut the door, but not before he could see you undress just a little bit. Like a Roman statue, you looked carved by the hands of God, plush and round and well-taken care of. Your arms looked toned and soft as well, but he shuts the door before his imagination jumps out of its cage.

You felt the room shake with the slamming of the door, and you look back at it left wondering what went through his head.

=====================

You left the room after getting changed into a sweatshirt and spandex that you wore under your skirt. You also had knitted socks, warming the coldest part of your body. You decide to check on the men who were seeing to your care and saw them cooking, all three of them working together to create dinner.

They were all in more relaxed loungewear than earlier, each one of them in a colored tank top that had similar colors to their suits. They also wore grey-black sweats, all of them at varying heights of their waist. Bi Han had his the lowest, his v-line very much on show as his tank hugged his chest. Kuai Liang's was in the middle and Tomas was tied up.

Your mind began to overload you with disgustingly detailed images of you on your knees in front of them, so to get away from it you decided to wander the penthouse. Passing the kitchen, you were greeting with the rest of the living room.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, an interesting light piece that emitted a soft, orange-yellow hue, and a huge wrap-around couch that faced an even larger T.V. You noted numerous video game consoles at the foot of the T.V. system, and the scattered controllers belonging to them.

You sighed and walked past everything to stare at the window, the gloomy scenery of the rain and occasional thunder plaguing the city. You look to the direction of your own flat, and sigh again with worry. Surprised, Kuai Liang was by your side as he noted your expression.

"You seem worried, did you leave something at home?" he asked.

You nodded, "I have a Balinese a Border Collie. The Balinese doesn't like thunder, so she cuddles with my Border Collie, but I worry he won't be able to control her when the thunder strikes harder."

He nods, "I can send someone over if you'd like?"

You turn with hopeful eyes and a relieved smile, "Could you? That would be so great! Their names are..."

You mention their names, gave your address, and watched Kuai Liang send a couple of messages on his phone before he turned it off, paying attention to you once again.

You stretch your neck, a weird tension in your muscle you can't seem to stretch. Kuai Liang takes notice and is behind you.

"May I?" he asks politely.

You agree and feel his magic work. His fingers smoothly glide across your shoulders, pressing every spot and using his thumb to massage it in circles. You feel immediate relief and lean into him more, a moan escaping your lips at the pure pleasure. He moves up to your neck and uses his thumbs to rub the back of it, and it's clear he found the spot.

You moan even louder and lean back to him, flinching as you realize what your bottom pressed against. His cock, barred only with two pieces of clothes, was firm and hard against your plush ass. You gulped nervously and looked behind you, his eyes meeting yours.

For some reason, you two are in sync and you both lean into each other, his hand on your chin as he forces you to stay looking at him. He kisses you hard and deep, his other hand on your waist to grind into his hard dick. You moan into his kiss and you're led away from the window, falling into his lap while he falls into the couch.

His grip on your face remains, but his other hand moves to go up and behind your sweatshirt, his hands roaming over your bralette and finding its way to your actual tit. He squeezes gently and you moan out loud, eyes wide open and pushed away from him in embarrassment.

"Kuai Liang! Your brothers will hear us!" you hissed, but he simply smirks and nods ahead of you.

You're met with the hazy and up-turned faces of Tomas and Bi Han, whose hands palm their clothed erections gently. You turn from the kitchen and back to the lust-hooded eyes that clouded the men's vision. You sputter fragmented sentences but are immediately shut up with Tomas's finger, and he smirks playfully as his fingers gently pass your plump lips.

Your train of thought had derailed from it's planned route, and it was headed to fuck-a-ton station.

Kuai Liang removes his hands from you and brings it to your own hands, guiding them to his brother's clothed erections. You turn back to him and gasp, Tomas's fingers leaving your mouth, but you couldn't say a word due to Bi Han grabbing your chin and forcing you to look into his eyes. There's a devilish, playful glint in his eyes, and he lets a devious smile grace his face.

"Look at me, woman. What did I tell you about eyes, hm?"

You gulp again, but you can see that he wants this as much as you. Feeling a bit confident, you palmed their covered hard-ons and watched their faces morph into relief and lust. Kuai Liang was an adventurer, his hands exploring every part of your body before settling on your tit and underneath your underwear. You moaned as you felt him circling your clit, fidgeting in his lap as he bucks into your behind to release some friction.

Impatient, you motioned to the sweat the standing men wore and asked them to take it off. Obliging, they do so and include their boxers in the clothes they're stripping. Finally free of their fabric prison, their cocks spring free and are in front of your mouth. You nervously wrap one hand around Bi Han's and press your lips on Tomas's, teasing it a bit before putting it in your mouth.

Your body was in overdrive: hand and wrist pumping Bi Han's girthy length, tongue swirling around Tomas's curved cock, and your pussy stimmed and wet with Kuai Liang's talented fingers. You moved your hips to try and get some sort of pleasure, but Bi Han's hand gripped your throat.

"Don't be so hasty now," he gently pulled you off Tomas's dick, "We're only getting started."

Your mouth was on Bi Han's cock now as hand worked on Tomas's length, pumping it up and down with a steady pace. Bi Han's hand moved from your throat and into your hair, holding it like a leash to control the speed at which you bobbed up and down. You gagged, bits of drool coming out the side of your mouth, but you were high in ecstasy and pleasure. It felt even better when Kuai Liang's fingers slipped into your pussy.

You melted immediately, his fingers curling to hit all your good spots. Kuai Liang, kept you grounded with generous kisses on your back and constant reassurance and praise. Little "good job"'s and "such a good girl" filled your ears with pride, and it made your arousal shoot through the roof. You bucked your hips on his fingers, hoping to mimic the feeling of his dick in you (though, your imagination was the only frame of reference you had).

Bi Han's pace quickens as his grip tightened in your hair. You look up briefly and see him breathing a little harder, and Tomas is doing the same as he runs his hand through his hair. You quicken your pumps and bobbing, hoping to get a release. Your hips buck even more and grind into Kuai Liang's (still clothed) cock, and you whimper for more.

Tomas chuckles darkly, mocking you with condescension in his tone, "What, you want more? You're such a lowly woman wanting three men at once."

It was a stark 360 to Tomas' usual tone and cadence. Still, you nodded and answered, humming on Bi Han's cock. Tomas looks to Kuai Liang for approval, and he nods. Kuai Liang's fingers left your cunt, not without a slap on it though, watching you jolt in shock. You pouted at Kuai Liang, who simply kisses your forehead.

"I only joke, dear," he stands up along with his brothers, "Do you want to head to the bed?"

You nod shyly, and Tomas scoops you up into his arms, bridal style as he lead the way to the bedroom of Bi Han. Your face was warm with embarrassment, and over Tomas' shoulder you see the brother's look at you with a warmth on their face. Kuai splits from the group, however, and into the bathroom on the side, leaving you at the others' mercy. Once you three made it to the door, Bi Han goes to open it and for you two.

Tomas tosses you onto the bed and crawls between your legs, mouth immediately attacking your wet cunt. You don't pull away, in fact, your hands find their way to his ash hair and want more from his talented tongue, and you moan aloud at the pleasure. You're briefly drawn out from your lust as a pair of rough hands find their way onto your tit and chin. Bi Han turned your face to him and presses your forehead against his.

"Dirty woman," he teases, "You're enjoying this more than your eyes let on when you looked at us."

You hum into his mouth as he begins to make out with you. His tongue dips into your mouth while his hand plays your nipple and tit. Gentle and playful pinches that vastly differ from the way he attacks your mouth with distress and ownership, like you belong to him. You part from him quickly as you see Kuai Liang enter the room, a towel, lotion, and some wipes in hand.

You tease him playfully hand on Bi Han's face, "What's all this for? You're cumming already?"

There's a fire in his eyes as he immediately rushes to your side, his mouth on yours to shut you up. You moan and he groans, one of your hands reaching to his cock while your other is on Bi Han's. Bi Han guides your hand to stroke his dick properly, while you pump away at his Kuai Liang's. Finally, he lets go from you and positions himself to where his cock was in front of your mouth, and you lavished in the musky taste of it. Warmth filled your mouth as you took every inch of him, another "good girl" floating into your ears.

Your eyes were about to shut close when you suddenly heard a little wrapper rip, and your eyes shot to the direction of Tomas, who was opening a condom. No wonder it felt a little empty down there. Regardless, you take Kuai's cock out of your mouth to speak to him.

Tomas looks at you with concern, "I'm opening this to simply be ready. I was actually about to ask if you were okay with me being your first? If not, I can go back to what I was doing."

Bi Han nods in agreement, "He is correct, it is your choice. We will listen to your requests."

They all look at you with anticipation, and you mutter something quietly.

"My dear, would you speak up for us?" Kuai Liang coaxes.

You stutter, but compose yourself, "I'm actually, uh, um.. I'm on birth control. You may do as you please..."

Your face was buried in your hands and your eyes peek through to see Tomas's, which have become dark with lust. He doesn't even bother with the condom and grips onto your hips, lining your opening up with his even harder dick. He taps it, and he stares at you one more time and asks for your consent.

"I trust you, Tomas," you said, "I trust all of you, so don't be afraid."

Bi Han growls, "You are going to regret that, little woman..."

Tomas pushes himself into your cunt, and you gasp at how big he truly felt inside. He gets used to your tightness, sighing in relief after he gets used to it. He slowly pumps into your pussy, and you moan into the air of the room. Bi Han takes your throat and turns you to his cock, keeping you occupied while Kuai Liang operates your body once more, hands playing your tits and nipples. Your eyes begin to roll, and the mist of lust had turned into a thick fog, making your thoughts hazy.

You let go of Bi Han's mouth and turn back to Tomas, who's still driving himself into you. Like a wolf in heat, he fucks you ruthlessly and grips onto your hips to feel more of you. He looks at you with pathetic eyes, panting and almost begging.

"Good God... I might cum soon..." he said as he closed his eyes.

Kuai Liang tapped his shoulder and whispered something to him, and they switched. You felt the emptiness begin to creep into your entrance, but after flipping you to your belly and hiking your ass up, he filled your hole again. You let out another loud moan, but Bi Han puts your mouth to better use and has you take his cock like before.

You notice Tomas just on the side of the bed, stroking himself quietly as he watches the scene unfold. The woman he loved since he laid eyes on you at the teahouse, getting spit-roasted and dirtied up, was a sight to behold.

Definitely taking note on how he might be a cuck.

Still, you loved the attention on you, and you preened in it even more as Kuai Liang praised you.

"Such a good girl," he praises, "Taking us so well... you're so tight for me, stay like this for brother, hm? Okay?"

You can only nod and Kuai Liang spanks you, watching the recoil on your body. He chuckles and grips onto the mark that was forming on your ass. He leaned down and whispered into your ear.

"Only you could take us like this. Taking me so well, you'll do the same for Bi Han right? Be a good girl for all of us."

His elder brother scoffs, "Are you done with useless chatter? If I recall, it is my turn with her, as a reward for setting her up to meet us."

Oh, it was totally a trap and you fell for it. Honestly, you'd do it again if it meant having more of them.

You whine as Kuai Liang left your cunt high and dry, not without slapping it once more. He shuffles to the side of the bed and strokes his cock at his own pace, hopefully not cumming before he had the chance on cumming on you. You look at Bi Han who was standing up, and he takes you from the bed and into his arms. You face him and realize he's planning on fucking you upright, with nowhere else to look, you watch as you sink onto his cock.

You groan and you're even wetter than before, the sound of your cunt slapping onto his skin. He turns to his brothers.

"You did not tell me she squeezed so tightly," he grips onto your ass, "You two did not lie to me, did you?"

Tomas chuckles, "If you're feeling it, are we lying?"

You chuckle at his quip, but he glares at you, slamming you down harder. Your breathing hitched and are immediately put into a state of bliss. The rhythmic patter of his balls slapping your body, the squelching of his cock in your pussy and the strokes of his brothers watching, and the moans that escaped you, it was putting Bi Han in a frenzy and he fucked into you harder. For a second, you thought you felt him go past your cervix.

"Oh God..." you whine, "I think I'm cumming... Bi Han! Tomas... Kuai Liang!"

His thrusts become more erratic, and you can hear the others shuffle to meet you where you are. Tomas's hands roam your body while Kuai Liang keeps stroking his cock while locking lips with you. Your eyes squeeze shut as you can feel yourself climax from everything happening around you.

"Oh my, leaving us out to dry?" Kuai Liang teases as he let go from your lips.

You breath heavily, Bi Han not stopping as you spoke, "Please... on my body... all of you."

Tomas chuckles, "No need to ask us twice."

Bi Han stops briefly to move you to the bed, his brothers surrounding you by your shoulders. Their groans are a harmony to your ears, and you wait patiently for them to mark you as theirs. Bi Han is the first to let go, a groan from you and him as his seed fills you up. His brothers follow suit as streaks of white cover bits of your belly, breast, and neck (surprisingly not your face). You can hear them sigh as well, the pressure of their needs finally met.

The entire ordeal left you exhausted, and you begin feeling your lids close due to the weight of said exhaustion. As you floated between sleep and cognition, you hear fragmented sentences.

"No, you clean her out like this," from Tomas.

"Did someone bring the candles?" Perhaps from Kuai Liang.

A grunt of disgust, probably from Bi Han, "You bastards, getting her all messed up like this."

You felt the coolness of a wet wipe, the rustling of sheets and clothes, and your body being gently lifted up and put into some clothes. You couldn't care due to the fact you were: a. too tired to care, and b. sleepy and already sleeping.

=====================

When you awoke, you were surrounded by each man sleeping at every side of you: Tomas using your thighs as a pillow/sleeping companion, Kuai Liang's head on your shoulder, and Bi Han's arm around your shoulder as his head touched the side of yours.

While you loved the sentiment, you noted the surroundings, especially the window. The evening sky was no longer cloudy, and the stars were clearly visible against the darkness. You looked for any sign of a clock, moving too much and waking each man.

"Is something wrong?" Tomas yawns, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes!" you exclaim, "The rain has stopped and it's late. I really should be going, thank you all for an, uh, eventful day, but I must be going and-"

Bi Han just takes you into his chest, interrupting you again.

"You talk too much," he complained, "Sleep."

Kuai Liang strokes your hair, petting your head in between to coax you to sleep. Tomas draws circles on your legs to draw you into their siren's song of slumber. You try to fight them, but it's no use as you begin to fall asleep once more.

Oh fuck it, why not get some actual sleep this time.

=====================

OMG THAT WAS SO LONG

I'm a stickler for continuity, so I do my best to introduce some sort of background before anything else. Besides, I also like world-building, so I add tidbits of stuff i make into these fics

please enjoy this lengthy ahh story, and i'll see yall in the next fic!

[mindyco]

Bakugou x F!Reader 🩷 [Store Bought]

Warnings: Reader gets called crude remarks by a group of men

Artwork credit: @Reharux035

You little rats get two updates in a row. Lucky you. But the fact that this happens in real life to some people makes me disgusted. Not sure how hot women deal with it. (ᇂ_ᇂ |||) They're just Bad Bitches ig I tried so hard to not make the dialogue cringe, but it's too late to apologize...

As you stood outside the convenience store, the warm evening breeze gently caressed your cheeks, rustling the fabric of your beautiful dress. The delicate puffy sleeves framed your arms, adding a touch of elegance to your appearance. The bodice, wrapped flawlessly around your petite, pale body, accentuated your graceful figure. You glanced down at the ground, feeling a mix of anticipation and discomfort as you waited for Bakugou to emerge with a bag full of snacks.

However, amidst the bustling sounds of the city, you couldn't help but overhear a group of grown men nearby engaged in an indecent conversation. Their voices carried on the wind, their lewd remarks about your body and their desires to take you home cutting through the air like shards of glass. The crude words invaded your ears, making you feel exposed and vulnerable. You clenched your fists, anger simmering beneath the surface, but you knew engaging with them would only escalate the situation.

With trembling fingers, you twiddled nervously, desperately trying to ignore the repulsive remarks that stained your ears. You averted your gaze, casting your eyes downward, their gazes stripping away your sense of security, leaving you feeling bare and defenseless. But no amount of distraction could fully shield us from the onslaught of their indecency.

"You see that girl over there? Damn, she's something else," ugly ass bitch #1 said with a low chuckle.

"Yeah, look at those curves. I wouldn't mind taking her home," ugly ass bitch #2 chimed in, his voice thick with lust.

The third ugly ass bitch let out a lecherous whistle. "She's got legs for days. Bet she knows how to use them."

Their words sent shivers down your spine, a chill running through your veins. You felt your face flush with anger and embarrassment, a storm of emotions swirling within you. How dare they objectify you, reduce you to nothing more than an object of desire?

But then, they uttered something that struck a nerve, a comment so degrading that it shattered the fragile walls of your composure. "I bet she's easy. A girl like that, she's just asking for it."

Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision as you struggled to hold back your emotions. The men, alarmed by your sudden outburst, quickly dispersed, leaving you standing there, tears streaming down your cheeks, feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and humiliation.

You couldn't control the flood of emotions that overwhelmed you, and you bent down, lowering your head, seeking solace in the veil of your own vulnerability. The world around you seemed distant and muffled, as if it was just you and your pain. The ground beneath you felt cold and unforgiving, the sensation seeping through the fabric of your dress, intensifying the ache in your heart.

Amidst your tears, a gruff voice suddenly pierced through the haze. "The hell you on the floor for?" Startled, you quickly wiped your tears away, pushing yourself up and putting on a cheerful smile, desperately trying to hide the pain that lingered in your eyes. It was Bakugou, emerging from the convenience store, his hands laden with bags of snacks. He had obviously noticed your distress, and his normally stern expression softened with concern.

His hands clenched, a fiery rage burning within him as he tilted your head up, his intense gaze searching your tear-stained face. "Who the fuck did this to you?" His voice was laced with a mixture of protectiveness and anger, ready to unleash his explosive temper on anyone who had caused you harm.

"N...No one!" you stammered, denying anything happened as you attempted to divert his attention. "What snacks did you get, Bakugou?"

His eyes narrowed, seeing through your feeble attempt to change the subject. "What the hell happened while I was away? Tell me." He scanned the surroundings, his gaze sharp as he searched for any suspicious figures lurking nearby. Like a little hunting dog, he paced in small circles, his senses on high alert, determined to find the culprits.

When his scrutiny yielded no results, he finally bent down, his voice gentle and coaxing. "Babe, are you worried about me getting into fights? If I promise not to kill anyone, will you tell me?" His words held a mix of tenderness and underlying frustration, a testament to his fierce protectiveness over you.

You sniffled, a mixture of sadness and gratitude swirling within you as you managed to conjure up an excuse. "Just... just some dirt got into my eyes."

"Dirt my ass," he interrupted harshly, his patience wearing thin. With a tender touch, he wiped away the remaining tears that clung to your cheeks, his thumb grazing your skin as if to erase the pain inflicted upon you. His gaze softened, his fiery demeanor giving way to a vulnerable concern that only you could elicit from him.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," he whispered, his voice like a gentle breeze cutting through the storm. "No matter who they are, they'll have to go through me first." His words were a vow, an unyielding promise to shield you from the cruelties of the world.

You stared up at him, your tear-stained face reflecting a mix of gratitude, relief, and overwhelming emotion. The surge of warmth that enveloped you caused your tears to flow uncontrollably once again, turning the scene into a comical sight. You bawled your eyes out while Bakugou stood awkwardly, his arm hovering uncertainly over your back, unsure of how to provide comfort in this situation.

"Ah? W..Why the fuck are ya cryin' more?!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with both confusion and concern. He struggled to coax you, his attempts resulting in a humorous exchange where you were a mess of tears and he was at a loss for how to console you. Despite his rough exterior, his genuine concern shone through, and it only made you cry harder.

Bakugou's intense gaze softened as he reached out to wipe away your tears, his touch gentle yet firm. "Hey," he murmured, his voice filled with concern. "What happened out there? Please. Tell me."

You took a deep breath, gathering your thoughts before speaking. "There were these guys… They started making disgusting comments about me, how they wanted to take me home. I tried to ignore them, but then they said something that..."

Bakugou's jaw clenched, anger flickering in his eyes. "What the hell did they say?" he asked, his voice edged with a mix of concern and fury.

"They… they said something that just… hurt," you replied, your voice shaking slightly. "I couldn't take it, and I started crying."

A myriad of emotions crossed Bakugou's face—anger, frustration, and a hint of self-reproach. He let out a sharp exhale through his nose, trying to contain his anger. "They better hope I never find out who they are," he muttered under his breath.

You reached out and touched his arm gently. "Bakugou, it's okay. I don't want you to get into any fights because of this. I just… needed you to comfort me."

He turned to look at you, his eyes softening once again. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice sincere. "I hate that you had to go through that, and I hate even more that I wasn't there to protect you. But from now on, I promise, I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

You nodded, a mix of gratitude and relief flooding your heart. Bakugou's words brought you comfort, reassuring you that he was by your side, ready to shield you from any harm. The weight of the incident still lingered, but knowing that you had someone like Bakugou to rely on made it easier to bear.

Bakugou's intense gaze softened as he reached out to wipe away your tears, his touch gentle yet firm. "Hey," he murmured, his voice filled with both concern and determination. "Don't beat yourself up over this. I'm here now, and I won't let anyone hurt you."

You nodded, taking comfort in his presence and the warmth of his hand in yours. Slowly, you began to regain your composure, the raw emotions gradually subsiding as Bakugou's unwavering support enveloped you. His protective instincts kicked in, and he knew that he needed to make you feel safe, to distract you from the pain that still lingered.

"Come on," he said, his voice carrying a subtle hint of reassurance. "Let's head home. I bought all those snacks, and I'll be damned if we let those assholes ruin our evening."

A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips, grateful for Bakugou's unwavering strength. Together, you walked side by side, his grip on your hand providing a sense of security amidst the bustling city streets. The weight of the encounter still hung in the air, but Bakugou was determined to shield you from any further harm.

As you walked, he chattered animatedly, his words laced with playful banter and attempts to make you laugh. He recounted the ridiculous things that had happened during his trip to the convenience store, exaggerating certain details and mimicking the voices of other customers. It was his way of distracting you, of reminding you that the world was filled with more than just those disgusting individuals.

You found yourself slowly getting lost in his words, the tension easing from your shoulders as a genuine smile graced your face. Bakugou's efforts to lighten the mood didn't go unnoticed, and you couldn't help but be grateful for his presence in your life.

Despite his own burning desire to track down those men and deliver justice, Bakugou knew that it wasn't what you needed right now. He understood that you needed time to heal, to regain your strength, and he was willing to set aside his own anger for the sake of your well-being.

You walked on, the sounds of the city blending with the comfort of Bakugou's voice. And with each step, the memories of the encounter began to fade into the background, replaced by a newfound sense of resilience and trust.

Afterward: Bakugou's relentless search led him to the men responsible. In a swift and explosive display of his power, he confronted them, teaching them a brutal lesson they would never forget.

～𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[chevelleneech]

This has nothing to do with nothing, but I was scrolling by an old Chanlix tweet, where the person pointed out how Chan put Felix on his phone as “A. Felix” so that his contact is the first one on his contact list.

A cute little fact, and shows how close he regards Felix in his life blah blah blah. Nothing over the top. Chan even explained it a while back that he did it with Felix specifically. So why did I see replies from this year, to the tweet, talking about, “He probably does this with all seven of his members!” and “He’s such a dad! My dad does this with me too!”

WHAT!?! I know Chan referred to the Kids as his kids, but this deep seated need people have to rip any and all affection he has for Felix away from him, is so strange! Whether fans want to accept it or not, in the past (which again, is when this tweet is from) Chan made it pretty damn clear he was attracted to Felix. He made it pretty damn clear Felix was held to a different level than the other members, to the point where Chan himself said that even just meeting Felix and getting to know him a little bit as they trained, he was harder on him because he felt greedy over him. Greedy.

Not possessive. A word that would explain Chan’s behavior as something negative and odd. Not controlling. A word more commonly used in the context of being in charge of someone. He said greedy, because it was his affection for Felix fueling his actions. He wanted to keep Felix around because it satiated something in him he didn’t understand at the time, but looking back he gets why it came across as him being too hard on him.

That is NOT paternal, familial, nor equal across the board affection. Especially when he hasn’t said the same thing about the others. And I say this as someone who ships them, yet don’t. I genuinely think Chan has/had complicated feelings for Felix, and Felix was likely dealing with his own mixed bag emotions as well. But the way people in their fandom treat Chan like he’s an idiot who doesn’t understand the implications behind his own words, but only when it comes to him talking about Felix, has gone on long enough.

Just accept he said these things, and accept that although people ship damn near everybody in kpop in some way, and m/m ships are almost exclusively created no matter what the two members involved do, the members being shipped are still real. So among the tens of thousands of ships within kpop, there are bound to be some that edge along the line of real. It’s an inevitability, but also, even if the ship itself isn’t real, that does not mean a member in a group isn’t queer or coming to terms with differing emotions.

Chan has been nothing but consistent when it comes to how he speaks/spoke on Felix and his affection for him, so what’s so difficult about letting him have that? We know how old they were when they met as well, so again… complicated feelings for a reason, if that’s what’s going on. But shipping them is not a requirement to at minimum, accept that Felix holds a special place in Chan’s head and heart above the other members. It doesn’t mean he cares for them any less. It’s just different.

[lockandkeyhyena]

ok. ruth and titans relationship

i’ve got it all planned out. here goes

so. ruth goes to take her daughter to a support group when she’s around 8 years old. she hasn’t officially worked as a detective in years but still wants to solve the goliath case on record. it’s general consensus in the police force now that titan did actually murder her husband given she’s the leader of his enterprise but no-one’s doing anything about it since the case was closed ages ago preemptively and the force is massively corrupt. a bit of a mixed bag of emotions for ruth.

regardless. she drops heather off at this group. and who else does she see there. titan. with her own kid. oh my god. now she knows all of this information about titan intellectually because she’s been keeping tabs on the case for years but to actually meet her face to face is something else. she wants nothing to do with her at first, but when their kids hit it off they have no choice but to hang out because the only things they put above everything else are their children. at the beginning they have this really passive aggressive friendship where titan is having fun and ruth really doesn’t want to be there, but over the years it develops into a real genuine friendship. despite them knowing each others’ jobs theres sort of an unspoken agreement to not talk about their work with each other. and they’re sorta developing feelings for each other.

then titan goes to prison. and ruth realises she was love with her. and she’s gone for the next twelve years. twelve years of getting to know this person she loves, only to not see her face-to-face for another twelve.

[thenoisethatkeepsmeawake]

Hi there! It seems like you watch a wide variety of horror movies. Could you recommend some interesting or unique vampire films that have caught your attention?

Hi there anon,

I'd sure like to help. Since you say "interesting or unique" I'll skip over the widely praised usual things. Vampire basics like Bram Stoker's Dracula (looks gorgeous, great cast, perfect soundtrack), The Lost Boys (peak 80s style) or Blade (great vampire action).

Only Lovers Left Alive - vampires are somewhat immortal and living long enough brings its own bag of emotions. Dread, depression, nihilism. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play longtime married vampires living mostly apart and drifting back into each other's life for a bit. Also blood sucking isn't all that fun with todays diseases. (IMDB)

Near Dark - this is a classic, but sometimes it gets overlooked. Director/writer Kathryn Bigelow tells a sorta western story, but there are vampires in it, except we don't even call them that. It starts with young dude means a beautiful woman, and oops she bites him and then he falls in with the crowd she hangs out with. Lots of violence in this one. (IMDB)

Stake Land - I really enjoy the film "Daybreakers" about a world with vampires being the dominant species and the problems it causes, that is a wider known film of that variety. "Stake Land" is like the discarded sibling, focusing on a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. A vampire hunter finds a survivor who just saw his family being slaughtered and they drive cross-country to hopefully find a safe place. If you like typical zombie-apocalypse genre conventions, then this is a nice vampire version. (IMDB)

Shadow of the Vampire - really not a hidden gem, but I have to mention it. This film tells the story of the filming of Murnau's 1922 "Nosferatu", but in this the lead actor Max Schreck is actually a vampire. Willem Dafoe gives a wonderful performance and it's just film history wrapped into vampire drama. (IMDB)

What We Do in the Shadows - this was definitely unique when it came out and hey, it spawned a whole tv show. A mockumentary about vampires just living in the real world. Just fun to watch. (IMDB)

Cronos - this is Guillermo del Toro's first feature film and tbh it's been forever since I've seen it. There is a device that grants immortality, but the side effects are pretty much turning into a vampire (the hunger for blood, not going out in the sun). An old man finds the device and a not so noble businessman desperately wants it. Fun to see early del Toro and his use of monsters vs human evil. (IMDB)

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night - an Iranian black-and-white film, about a female vampire who is drawn into some family drama about addiction. Not an easy watch, very stylistic (influenced highly by spaghetti western), but also really interesting with the themes of desire and danger. Unique for sure. (IMDB)

We Are the Night - if I'm really honest, I'm not sure I would even call this a good film. There is so much I'd like to change. BUT I also absolutely adore it for being unapologetic about a group of women doing what the fuck they want - as vampires. And there is a reason they don't turn men. This is something that can be build on. (IMDB)

Byzantium - full disclosure, I saw this once and didn't enjoy it much, but I want to give it another shot, because I think I was in the wrong mood back then. Director Neil Jordan is good with visuals and being weird like in "Interview with the Vampire", "The Butcher Boy" ot"Breakfast on Pluto". And here he tells a long interwoven life story of a mother and daughter vampire duo. In a world where vampires have a strict code and used to be mostly noble men. So there is class and gender in the mix, lots of sexuality (there is rape and prostitution) etc etc. Maybe this could be for you, idk. (IMDB)

Let the Right on in - always to be found on a list like this. There is the Swedish film (based on the book) and an US remake that made a few choice changes, but is overall still worth watching. Kinda a bummer to put it out as a vampire film right away. When I read the book I thought it was just a serial killer story and the twists and turns of who is who was a wild ride. There is a young boy who gets bullied at school, but befriends the new kid in the neighborhood who seems to live a weird life. Heavy themes about grooming and the true horror only sets in at the end. (IMDB)

As for simple vampire action, I do love the "Underworld" series. This year's "Abigail" shouldn't have revealed it was a vampire film at all, but it's very bloody and funny, so a quick watch. Also a bloody good time is "30 Days of Night", and I stand by my belief that red blood looks fantastic on white snow. If you like animated films, the anime "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust" is a great gothic vampire love story. There's lots to find.

[natasha-in-space]

Random Mystic Messenger headcanons that live in my head rent-free

Some are angsty, some are cute - it's a mixed bag

- Zen enjoys doing skincare with you. It's a shared process. He lets you put sheet masks on him and, more than anything, he adores the feeling of being pampered by you. You two have a separate case just for your skincare products. His job makes it difficult sometimes to spend time with you, so knowing that, at the end of the day, he'll undoubtedly get to enjoy your company keeps him motivated throughout his practice. It's his favourite time of the day.

- More than anything else, Yoosung wants to feel content. All the days spent in front of his computer or cooped up listening to a boring lecture he doesn't care about eat away at him slowly but surely. His back aches from spending hours in a sitting position and he often collapses into his bed, feeling utterly useless and drained. Deep down, he knows that he's just burned out, but these ugly thoughts are just too loud to overcome with common sense. He feels like he goes through life blindly like he's in a thick fog clouding his vision and slowing down his movement. He fears disappointing his family if he speaks up about the way he feels and the crushing expectations put on him for being a star student in his school years are just the cherry on top of the cake. More than anything, he wants to breathe freely, without feeling like he's slowly being crushed under the heavy weight of his grief.

- Jaehee has shockingly good leadership skills! If push comes to shove, she can somehow manage to make even the oddest group of people come together to complete a task. When she gets in the zone, she has this natural charisma emanating from her, and you can't help but feel deep respect for her abilities. She just believes she's in no position to take the leading role most of the time, and it's only when you share your amazement for her skills with her does she first starts to reassess her own image of herself.

- Jumin's kisses are the gentlest touch you have ever felt in your entire life. Most of the time, he's so afraid that he's dreaming when he gets to kiss you like this. He's so terrified that he'll wake up in his bed all alone the next morning, only to realize that you were not real. He's incredibly tender when he presses his lips to yours, his thumb caressing the soft skin of your cheek to reassure himself that you're indeed right here, next to him. It's like he's wordlessly begging you to stay by his side, too afraid to speak those vulnerable words out loud.

- Saeyoung adores it when you let him rest his head on your lap. The feeling of your fingers lazily combing through his hair, as the warmth of your soft thighs beneath his cheek lulls him to sleep is heavenly to him. He feels so loved and safe pressed up against you like this that he actually cried the first time you did this for him. Whenever he gets nightmares, you offer him to rest his head on your lap as you hum soft lullabies to ease his worries.

- Jihyun is a huge fan of classical music. It's to the point where he barely listens to anything else. You'll have to introduce him to other genres of music yourself cause he's so stuck in his ways. This man is an old soul through and through. Though, it's not so bad when he sweeps you into a sweet waltz in the middle of a kitchen. He can create a fairytale like setting with such ease that it takes your breath away.

- Ray is a highly empathetic person without even realizing it. That's why he tries to avoid big crowds whenever he can. He feels so incredibly overwhelmed with all these different emotions clouding his mind and he has no idea where they're even coming from. It scares him and he feels like there's something inherently wrong with him. Still, that's why he can just know when you're feeling unwell. He comes into your room and instantly reads your mood without even having to ask. He can also tell whenever Rika's feeling disheartened, but she brushes him off whenever he offers to comfort her most of the time.

- Deep down, what Suit Saeran longs for the most is to be accepted even if he's not the strongest. He's not at all as confident as he presents himself to be. He can't get a single night of restful sleep without nightmares of his past haunting him. If you, somehow, get him to sleep next to you, he'll bury his face into your hair or back, crushing you in his arms. He'll never let you see his face. His mother is something he fears and hates the most, he despises the fact that she keeps torturing him even now when he tries so incredibly hard to be stronger. He feels so insecure whenever he berates you, tries everything that comes to mind to put you down, and you just look him straight in the eye and refuse to break. He wants you to cry, to get angry, to do something. Prove to him that you're that weakling he wants you to be, prove to him that you're not a good person. Because if you are a genuinely good person that just wants to help him from the bottom of their heart... what in the world is he doing? And what does it mean for him? He's desperately trying to keep his facade of animosity together, but you can see the terrified boy begging to be acknowledged underneath. He realizes he can never let you go when you see this weak side of him and still refuse to give up on him. That's the moment he realizes that he'll do whatever it takes to ensure your safety.

- GE Saeran's kisses convey all of his feelings for you. He doesn't hide anything from you, and you can perfectly feel it through his touch. He tends to break away from you to whisper soft 'I love you's onto your skin over and over again. There's no more darkness clouding his mind. Everything feels perfect, like this is where he was always meant to be. He pulls away, breathless, and smiles. He loves you. He loves you so much.

- VAE Ray's favorite time of the day is around 2-3 pm when everything is still warm under the sun and all you want is to curl up in your room for an afternoon nap. Especially in late Spring or early Autumn, when it's not too hot or too cold. His scars are still quite sensitive to harsh weather, so he has to spend a lot of time indoors whenever the temperatures get too high or low for his comfort. He finds respite in short naps he can enjoy tucked in next to you on those days. Nightmares rarely bother him during the day, so he enjoys this peaceful slumber he gets to experience, while feeling your scent surrounding him in a cocoon of safety more than anything else.

- Unknown actually loves emoticons. That is, once you taught him how to use them properly. He has a bunch of them saved up in his notes so he does not need to go searching for the ones he needs. It's surprisingly hilarious cause he loves using them whenever you get on his nerves and he just does not want to waste his precious energy on typing out his responses. You just get a single: '(⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠)', and that's how you know you're in trouble. Uses happy ones as a threat. You never knew seeing a notification of '◉⁠‿⁠◉' on your phone could make shivers crawl up your spine, but Unknown somehow manages to do exactly that.

- SE Saeran loves going out shopping with you. He rarely ventures outside for something like this alone, but with you, it's different. He can focus on your company next to him, and the world around him does not feel as overwhelmingly suffocating as it usually does. He still has a lot to learn about the modern world and that's what these trips to the convenience stores are meant for. You never once judged him for not knowing something basic or feeling confused by mundane details of day-to-day life. He's free to ask away and learn about the world around him, and that's exactly what he does. It's nothing big, and he does not want to do anything super exciting that will exhaust him at the end of the day. Simply taking a walk hand in hand through the local stores in your own pace is more than enough for him.

- Rika has incredible reflexes. Something could fall off the balcony while she's taking a walk through the garden with you, and she'll catch it without even taking her eyes off you for a second. It's practically impossible to catch her by surprise. She's so used to paying attention to every little detail in the environment around her that it became an autopilot for her. While it amazes you at first, you can't help but wonder what kind of life she must have lived to develop such high awareness of possible dangers both to herself and those around her. Your heart clenches in your chest at the thought.

- Vanderwood listens to a ton of rock and heavy metal. Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Aerosmith... Those are their go-to. They're very protective of their interests, so if they're willing to share their earbuds with you? Consider that one of the highest signs of their trust in you. It's so cute how they're glancing your way from time to time, as if to check whether or not you're enjoying the music. They'll gladly listen to your favorites as well. Music is something that helps them a lot whenever everything gets too hard to bear, so it's way more personal than it may seem at first glance.

Bonus round for my oc's!

- Natasha took a very long time to talk as a child. Her mother even considered taking her to the hospital cause she was getting highly concerned for her daughter, but, thankfully, things never turned for the worst in that regard. She was two years old when she spoke her first words and it was 'gobble gobble', cause she was watching a programme about turkeys at the time. She was running around gobbling like a tiny turkey for a good week or so after that.

- Chaewon's favorite fruit is pomegranate because she thought that the top part looked like a beautiful crown as a child. She even tried wearing it on her head once only to fail miserably. Rika's the only one who knows about this childhood story of hers and ever since learning it, she started brewing pomegranate tea whenever they have their meetings in her quarters.

[legofanguy1999]

LGBT Pride wisdom

A LGBT story featuring a intersex high school girl, which is a tough challenge for me as a writer as I have never write a intersex character before, for a entry of @thepromptfoundry Pride and Promptudice prompt wisdom.

As a Sophomore in her high school, Katherine is reading a science book for her homework in her bedroom when the doorbell rings and Katherine wonder how could be at her place around 5 before she realized whose it could be just before her mother called, "Kate, Helena is here." Katherine groans as she got up and step out of her room to see Helena Griffex, one of the popular girls in their high school, whose is under a study session with Katherine as her tutor to improve Helena's grades. The fact that their home room choose her was something that Katherine didn't like because Helena and her group of friends would bully her when no staff was around since Katherine is a intersex girl, which means Katherine is a mix of a girl and a boy. This was something that these bullies discover because one of those girls was in the girls' bathroom at high school and take a picture of Katherine's private parts from the other stall while Katherine was just to peeing like a man. Katherine's lead Helena to her bedroom and said to the girls, "Have fun studying, girls. Dinner is at 7." and leave the girls in the bedroom which Helena said to Katherine once the door is closed, "Don't get any idea, freak." and a anger Katherine begins her studying with Helena.

About a hour has passed during Katherine and Helena study session and both girls was not making easy for each other in their redo of Helena's failed math test, which the brown hair Helena said, "Alright. We are going nowhere. I can't handle this. I know that the other girls are going to have great jobs while I will getting a poor job, all thanks to you, freak." and that cause Katherine to finally explore as she yell at Helena, "Enough of this! You and the other girls has always mock me for the past weeks! I don't get why you bully me, because I was born different. Why don't you pick on someone else for a change, or better yet do some studying instead of hanging out with those girls so you can even get good grades?" and this made a anger Helena to yell back, "That is because I don't want to be a target for my sexuality!" and froze as Katherine's face to surprised over what Helena just said as her mind run over what she hear, 'Helena... is a queer?' The queer bully whose out herself step back and start to explains, "I guess it started when I was seven years old and I begin to realized that I like both goys and girls the moment that I watched Aladdin and I saw how hot that Jasmine and Aladdin were as they were not covering up their skin. However, my parents show their disapprove of me liking girls and I have been keeping that hidden since then, holding them in in my elementary and middle schools years. I even joined Pamela's Mean Girls group to fit in and to keep myself safe. Things start to changed when one of the girls show me that picture of your manhood and I realized how awesome you are. You were like this real life version of this cool intersex character in this manga I read this one, but Pamela didn't like your difference and emotion forced us on bullying you and we have to fall in line, or else we become Pamela's next target. You have to be the punching bag of the girls' jokes so I wouldn't suffered. You were right that I didn't have time to study because I scare of what would happen if Pamela find out who I'm in the inside. I'm so sorry, Kate. I miss you will forgive me for what I did." Katherine realized that her hate for Helena was wrong and said to her, "I'm sorry too, Helena." and the two girls kiss each other.

The next day, Katherine and Helena reveal the bullying to their homeroom teacher and the transgender woman said, "I understand, girls. I knew from experience what it was like, so I pair you girls up in hope that you would find a way to formed a friendship with each other. It is important to be wisdom about what others must feel." After that, Pamela and the other bullies get Detention and Pamela start to lose her control over the other girls once they see that Helena is not afraid of showing who she is since she start dating Katherine, and those girls become Katherine's friends, with more joining their friends' group. Katherine and Helena life in high school and grades improved, as well their love life, ever since they take each other virginity, but that is a story for other time.

[republicsecurity]

The Militarization of Youth: From Junior Firefighters to Paramedic Corps Cadets in the Republic

By Luke Sandell, The New York Times

June 24, 2064

In a sweeping transformation, the Republic’s once-civilian youth groups, such as the Junior Firefighters, have been absorbed into the paramilitary Paramedic Corps. This shift mirrors broader changes in the nation, where traditional fire and ambulance services have been integrated into a single, militarized entity. The implications for the country’s youth, who now don full body armor supplied by defense contractors, are profound.

For decades, groups like the Junior Firefighters provided a valuable community service while fostering civic responsibility among the young. Donning simple, practical uniforms, these youths met once a week to learn firefighting skills, basic first aid, and emergency preparedness. It was an after-school activity that offered camaraderie and the thrill of helping the community.

However, the Republic’s government has systematically integrated these civilian services into the Paramedic Corps, a highly organized and militarized branch responsible for all emergency services. This restructuring has extended to the youth programs, transforming them from casual, community-oriented groups into rigorous, quasi-military organizations.

Today’s youth cadets wear body armor nearly indistinguishable from that of active-duty Paramedics. The transition was rapid and far-reaching. Traditional uniforms have been replaced by full-body suits designed by top defense contractors, resembling those worn by soldiers rather than civilian service providers.

"It's a significant change," says F8K22, who oversees the youth program. "The new structure and equipment ensure that our cadets are better prepared for real-life emergencies. They're not just learning; they're training for actual deployment."

This shift is not just sartorial. What was once a weekly activity has now expanded to consume entire weekends and holidays. Cadets typically spend two full days each week, plus additional time during school vacations, engaged in intensive training. The curriculum includes advanced first aid, firefighting techniques, and even search and rescue operations.

For many young participants, the program’s militarization has brought a mixed bag of emotions. "It's intense," admits Cadet 9JX54, a 16-year-old who joined the Junior Firefighters at 12. "We used to have fun and learn at a slower pace. Now, it's like boot camp. But I feel more capable and ready to help in emergencies."

Parents and educators have voiced concerns about the program's direction. Some worry that the increased demands and militaristic environment might be too stressful for young minds. "It’s a lot for kids to handle," says Dr. Ellen Radcliffe, a child psychologist. "The militarization of these programs could have long-term psychological impacts, fostering a sense of constant vigilance and stress."

Despite these concerns, the Republic’s government touts the program’s success. Officials argue that the intense training prepares youth not only for emergency situations but also instills discipline and a sense of duty. "Our young cadets are learning valuable life skills," insists Z2R87 of the Paramedic Corps. "They're the future of our nation’s emergency response."

This militarization trend extends beyond the Junior Firefighters. Other youth groups, such as the Scouts, have also been absorbed into government structures. The Scouts, once known for their outdoor skills and community service, are now Enforcer Cadets, a youth wing of the Enforcers. These cadets, too, wear body armor and undergo rigorous training, preparing them for potential future roles in law enforcement.

Cadet A3N21, a former Scout, spoke to us about his transformation. Once a pony-tailed high schooler, he now sports a buzz cut and fully embraces his new lifestyle. "At first, it was a shock," he admits. "The structure, the discipline, it was all new. But now, I feel a sense of purpose. It's better to work within the system than to fight it."

Critics, however, point to a broader trend of militarization within civilian sectors, worrying that the lines between civil service and military action are becoming dangerously blurred. "This is about more than just efficiency," says political analyst Marc White. "It reflects a growing culture of militarism in the Republic, one that sees every aspect of life through the lens of defense and control."

The changes have deeply impacted family life as well. One mother shared her experience of having her son check into the Paramedic Corps camp every Friday and return home every Saturday. "We've had to adjust our family life around his schedule," she explains. "Even schools have adjusted to accommodate this new routine, ensuring that cadets receive tutoring on school subjects they miss during their training days."

Cadets can earn points through their training that are transferable for their high school graduation, creating an incentive for both parents and children to embrace the program. A defense contractor explained the adaptation of the armor suits for teenage bodies, noting, "We designed these suits to be both protective and comfortable for younger cadets, ensuring their safety and efficiency."

The introduction to these suits usually occurs during a summer camp, where children stay from two to five weeks. This period allows them to acclimate to the suits gradually before integrating into the regular weekend training schedule. A youth group leader, a conscript himself, marveled at the integration of the youngsters into the suits, proudly noting that there had been zero accidents not only during training but also in real-life situations.

"If cadets train well, they can earn a certificate of limited service ability, allowing them to participate in missions," the youth group leader added. Parts of the training time can even be counted towards fulfilling the conscript obligation, effectively shortening the mandatory service period.

Parents have noticed positive changes in their children. "My son has become more disciplined since starting the program," one mother said. "He's more responsible and focused, qualities that will benefit him in all areas of life."

As the Republic continues down this path, the transformation of youth groups like the Junior Firefighters and Scouts into heavily armed cadets stands as a symbol of the nation's shifting priorities. It remains to be seen whether this new approach will indeed better prepare the youth for emergencies or if it will create unforeseen challenges for the next generation.

[darkconsumed]

@scatcrccio gets a plotted thing of fuckin' angst.

They had always been a tight lipped group. Not a single one of them ever budged when a reporter or news agency reached out looking for the real story. Didn't matter how much money was offered up to them for their first hand recount of the groups time in the wilderness. No one broke the pact. And if not for Shauna's journals, he never would have known what had happened out there, even just a fraction of the truth. This time, however, there were no journals to read, no way to sneak his way into knowing what really happened.

Drug overdose, that's what was listed as her cause of death. It was believable to any and all that knew Natalie Scatorccio except for Jeff. And once again, twenty-five years later, the remaining Yellowjackets did not budge on what happened out in those upper New York woods that evening before the snow began to really fall. He can remember seeing the lights, hearing the murmured words of those that had been staying at Camp Green Pine, and most of all he remembered his wife's words. "It's Nat," she had said, his head turning to look over his shoulder to see the black body bag atop a stretcher.

The events of that night replayed in his mind over and over again for the next six months. Her funeral, that was a blur that he was thankful he didn't remember much of. Except there was one thing that had caught his attention and that was Misty Quigley and how she looked like the rest of them ( distraught over the loss of a friend...and more ) but not really. The others, including his wife...ex-wife...had been questioned and asked the same question over and over again; what really happened out there. But Misty, she had been one that he continued to hound for an answer and it took six months to finally get her to break and tell him the truth.

Jeff didn't believe or really understand what It was and never had. He never asked about it either, but Misty had told him that in order to appease It, the reason for them all being at Charlotte Matthews' compound, they had to fake Natalie's death. Hearing that, he wanted to laugh, break down and cry, laugh some more, and cry even more. She was alive, she wasn't laying in a hole in the cemetery next to her father; she was alive. It took some more convincing to get the blonde nurse to reveal where her best friend and the woman he loved was and had been for the last six months, but she finally relented and disclosed that information.

He wasn't sure what he was going to say or do when he found Nat, but he was certain that he needed to see her. So he made arrangements and made his way to where she had been living her new life. By the time he reached her new home, it was well after midnight and he hadn't slept in almost a full day, but it didn't matter. He had to see her, had to know for certain that she was alive ( he believed Misty, but seeing was believing after all. ) Given the time of night or morning, however one wanted to view the hour, he should have given more caution to how he approached and knocked upon the door.

Fist pounded on the door hard enough to make him wince, but he didn't care. The pain that had filled every inch of him for the last six months made the pain in his hand in that moment seem like a bee sting. Once he was sure that whoever ( was she alone, had she found someone else, was she even home ) was on the other side of the door heard him, Jeff took a step back and waited. He was thankful that he hadn't needed to wait any longer than a minute or two before the door swung open and there she stood; breathing, warm, alive. And it was in that moment that he didn't know what to say and maybe he should have planned for this because what he did settle on was far from a greeting.

"I hate you..." fell from parted lips as eyes stared at Natalie with a mix of emotions. Sadness, anger, relief, more anger.

[theashemarie]

Can you please post the scene from Aftershocks where Casey and Mikey go grocery shopping like you did the drawing scene? It's one of my favorites

Yeah, I got you bud.

[Context: Post-invasion, the fam is low on food and Mikey and Casey head up to the surface to get some. The only open place is a crowded Trader Joes; Casey, who has suffered some emotional missteps when it comes to talking to the boys, wants to have a heart-to-heart with Mikey, but Mikey is focused on getting in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible.]

Read Aftershocks on ao3.

Also the aforementioned drawing scene.

--

Over an hour later, Mikey stood in the line for checkout with his hands wrapped around the push bar of the cart. The sleeves of his hoodie were long enough to cover his fingers, and he kept his head down to avoid any wandering eyes. Casey stood a little in front of him, fingers wrapped around the side of the cart like a child, staring ahead with steadfast determination. Around them, people peered at Casey, recognizing him from the photos that were cycling around social media, and then at Mikey, trying to discern if the small orange blob was anyone of note. Mikey stayed the course, head bowed, and ignored the whispers that flared up anytime someone got a good look at him.

Usually, large, crowded places like this were friendly territory. It was a lot easier to blend into a crowd, especially in the middle of New York City, where a group of teen boys in strange turtle outfits weren’t worth commenting on or were overlooked entirely as everyone on the street went selectively face-blind, but, today, everyone was on high alert, looking for aliens or turtle-boys. It was a testament to Casey’s hard expression and Mikey’s long stare at his feet that no one had approached yet.

The grocery run had been a large success otherwise. Despite the overcrowded state of the place, the necessities that Mikey was after were all available. Normally, he went to the farmer’s market in Union Square every Friday for perishables and ordered delivery for the rest (or bribed April into picking it up), so he found himself as lost as Casey as he stared at the stacks of bright yellow and blue Styrofoam egg cartons and the sweaty milk jugs, slid forward on their tilted tracks. Casey, for his part, was handling all the newness around him like a champ, and he listened intently as Mikey explained things to him: how to locate expiration dates, the difference between sell by and use by, how to check eggs for cracks, the different uses for canola and olive oils, how to identify if cheese was real or not, how to select the best bunch of grapes. By the end, Mikey was confident enough in his newfound knowledge to let him order cold cuts and cheese from the deli counter—turkey, ham, prosciutto, pastrami, salami, provolone, pepper jack, a half-pound of American cheese because that was what Leo preferred—and watched him accept the small, wrapped bundles with his five-fingered hands.

In the end, their cart was stacked to bursting, and Mikey was satisfied that they would survive for a week or two without issue. He’d mentally prepared himself to make small, versatile meals—omelets, paninis, quesadillas, soups, tacos, fried rice, pasta—and their haul was a perfect picture of this plan. Seven dozen eggs, four boxes of pancake mix, three gallons of milk, eight pounds of cold cuts, five boxes of Raph’s favorite cereal (or the closest Trader Joes approximation), four loaves of bread, three baguettes (to be frozen), a large jar of peanut butter, three packages of chicken breasts, two things of chicken thighs, eight pounds of hamburger meat, five pounds of pasta, six big cans of tomato sauce, three bags of spinach, seven heads of romaine, three large containers of pre-cut pineapple (for their anti-inflammatory properties), and two bags of grapes (because Donnie liked to snack on them frozen while he worked in the lab). Plus the snacks that his brothers had been requesting over text throughout the trip, causing multiple backtracks through the store—Leo really wanted sour gummy worms—and other fruits and vegetables that he had vague plans for.

Casey mouthed the names of the foods to himself as Mikey handed them to him to place in the cart, glancing over the text on the packaging with wide eyes. He stacked everything prudently, taking extra care to keep the cold stuff together after Mikey asked him to, with militant exactness. It all fit, despite the overabundance of food, and Mikey felt something small and sad twang in his chest at the sight of Casey shifting everything around. He was so careful, as if every item had infinite value, and he kept everything in order. It made Mikey wonder about the future he’d come from, where everything was so chaotic that Casey had probably had to find order wherever he could, had to value objects in ways Mikey couldn’t fathom, even living as he did below the city, where supplies could be sparse and precious.

Eventually, after walking every aisle, Mikey declared that they’d gotten everything worth getting, and paced to the front, where the check-out line snaked long. He paused, trepidatious, and steeled himself. They would have to stand there, stuck in one place, vulnerable, with their full cart and familiar faces, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And that was how the world found Casey Jones (Junior? The second? Still a little foggy on that one.) and Michelangelo Hamato waiting to check out in a Trader Joes. The line moved quickly, despite its length, which meant they went shuffling forward every couple seconds, and Casey kept glancing at Mikey, wired tight like a charged lightning rod. He had a look on his face that said that he was thinking about something dangerous, something he wanted to talk about, and Mikey felt his hands tighten around the push bar.

“Mikey,” Casey began, mouth forming strange around the word, as if it was unfamiliar to him. “I’m sor—”

“Casey, I need you to do something for me,” Mikey cut in. This wasn’t the time to be having a heart to heart. “When we get up there, you need to step forward and start loading everything onto the conveyor belt. Take this.” Mikey pulled the credit card out of the pocket of his jeans and forced it into Casey’s hand. “When everything is scanned and they tell you to the total, stick the card into the little slot on the bottom of the machine. See that little silver square on the front?” He waited for Casey to identify the chip on the card and nod. “That side goes in first. Got it?”

“I— I guess? I’ve never—”

“I know.” Mikey gave him a small, patient smile. “But you’re human, so I need you to do all the human stuff. I’ll be right behind you, okay?”

Casey swallowed once, heavy, and it was the first time Mikey had seen him this nervous. Even when facing down the end of the world, he’d been terrified, angry, determined, but never nervous—not like this. “Okay.”

“Good.” Mikey winked at him. “Today, you’re the face-man. Wait until we tell Leo.”

Casey stiffened a little at the wink, but Mikey didn’t get a chance to ask because a checker opened up and motioned them over. Casey shook himself, squared his shoulders, and marched forward.

Mikey helped Casey line everything up and watched the screen as the middle-aged man ran their purchases over the scanner. Casey fidgeted next to him, and Mikey directed him to load the bagged groceries back into the cart, which he jumped on. He followed directions promptly—another oddity that Mikey filed away to deal with later.

Eventually, the man mumbled the total toward them, barely glancing up from the screen, and Casey fumbled the card. The reader beeped angrily at him, giving a chip read error, and the checker took the card from him with a sigh, turning the reader toward himself.

He paused as he read the name on the card and glanced up at Casey, trying to draw a line between the Japanese name and the young man standing in front of him, and Mikey felt his heart sink when he asked, “Whose card is this?”

Mikey stepped in front of Casey. He wanted to avoid a scene, but Casey was already sputtering, trying to put together a sentence involving the words Splinter, Master, aliens. “My dad’s,” Mikey muttered, peering up from under his hood.

The man started, almost dropped the card, as he took in the greenness of Mikey’s face, the curve of his jaw, the shape of his eyes. Mikey saw the exact moment when he connected the green mutant in an orange hoodie standing in front of him with the green mutant in an orange mask flying through the air above Metro Tower from the photos.

He nodded once and carefully slid the card through the machine. It beeped angrily at him again and he turned to the main computer and pressed a few buttons.

“Have a nice day,” he said, with genuine care, as he handed Mikey the receipt.

“Thanks,” Mikey said, and guided Casey away. When he glanced down at the short piece of paper in his hands, he was shocked to see that the man had only charged one dollar to the card. “Whoa…”

Casey didn’t hear. Instead, he pushed the cart toward the doors, and Mikey had to rush to catch up. “How are we getting all this back?” Casey looked at him. “Can we take this cart?”

Mikey shook his head and directed Casey to the side. Together, they gathered the bags, slinging them on their arms up to their elbows, and they staggered out the doors. “Normally, we’d have to carry it,” Mikey said, listing to the right because he had two gallons of milk on that side, “but Donnie gave me something to help.”

They found a secluded alley, and Mikey let the bags hit the ground so he could fish around in the front pocket of his hoodie. The compact, cell phone-sized gadget that Donnie had slid into his hands while they waited for Casey to change into something a little less conspicuous was still there, and Mikey pressed firmly on the small, turtle shell-shaped symbol that was embossed on the front.

It had been a short, technobabble infused conversation, but Donnie had explained that he had a new prototype of the escape pods ready for testing and requested that Mikey take it with him and give it a whirl. He’d even said please. It was a new version that could be activated and then would wait for input from the user before it took off to the lair, a small modification that would ensure that Leo’s situation never happened again.

The one that he’d passed Mikey was red, and, when it formed, there in front of Mikey and Casey, it was Raph-sized. Big enough for the two of them, but Mikey wasn’t very keen on getting back into one of these just yet, so instead he began stowing the groceries inside. Donnie had promised him that the ride would be smooth and even eggs would survive the trip, but Mikey wasn’t taking any chances. He kept the bags of eggs, all seven dozen of them, and let Casey help him organize the rest in the foot of the pod. When it was loaded, he reached inside, located the red button that Donnie had promised would be there, clicked it, and jerked free as the pod snapped shut with a solid hiss. Then, it was gone.

They watched it speed away, shading their eyes against the sun, before Mikey sighed, grabbed the eggs, and pointed himself back toward the subway. Next to him, Casey watched with a faraway look on his face, and Mikey forged ahead of him, trying to avoid the conversation that was brewing between them for as long as possible.

[swampythesweetsketch]

Out of the three couples: Matt and Emily, Mike and Jess, and Ashley and Chris- which one do you think would break up after seeing the barbie movie?

You FOOLS.

Everyone would be filing out of the theater, Matt and Mike would be neck deep in discussion, wondering if their approaches and/or internalization of masculinity is truly a healthy habit. Emily and Jess are after them pissed cause they didn't understand the message at first, but when their boyfriends wouldn't shut the fuck about Ken's confusion of the real world, so they had to talk and now they're having their own wrestle with internalized toxic feminism and the damage their friendship has taken due to their mixed emotions sullied by outside forces that made them shield so much of their true emotions- Ashley is walking out of the show not even taking part of Emily and Jess' conversation cause she's been sobbing non-stop since the impactful moment of Barbie seeing the true meaning of womanhood. She is holding onto leftover popcorn and a half-melted drink Matt gave her to stay hydrated, and Chris would be bouncing out wearing the pinkest shirt and jeans to the show singing I'M A BARBIE GIRL IN A BARBIE WOOORRRRLLD LIFE IN PLASTIC IT'S FANTISTIC- COME ON ASH SING WITH ME! They would be in the public area being the most chaotic group after a 9:45pm showing, scaring off almost everyone.

And where is Sam? She went into Oppenheimer with a empty, smuggled bag of pure dark chocolate raisinettes and ready to go home. She has watched maybe the worst movie of her life and seeing the rest of the group so soon after gives her the will to live for another week. Chris pulls her in and gets her to start singing Barbie Girl while Ashley is calming down from her eye-opening experience. She drops the popcorn bag and staff kick them out.

Matt and Mike ask their girlfriends if they'll paint their nails for them.

It's a great night.

[kithtaehyung]

okay wait though I’m back! ive read so much more it’s too damn good: i have so match to say please don’t hate me!

friends: I. Will. Lay. Down. My. Life. For. Kim. Taehyung. i swear. also as vague as yoongi is he’s so supportive and sweet on oc. like tae is extra right. he is down bbaaaaddd. the choking? i suffered. i really suffered. and if it’s even possible this smut just keeps getting more and more deadly. i literally couldn’t breathe the entire time. like i need several years to recover from this never mind a day.

but i powered through like the 3tan whore i am. So DALO!! I CRIED. god whatever happened to yoongi im not ready. dom is amazing and badass for looking out for her girl. But this whole chapter is a lot. i feel for oc big time. jimin and yoongi are real ones for what they did. the way he treats her afterward is just so beautiful and he stays. CRIED! and now im definitely taking a break! i’ll be back when i read more. but first i have opinions:

okay ive been paying attention to theories on here and after reading stay-dalo idk. oc mentions joji which since jk mentioned it in the same chapter could be what their connection is but could also be like a misdirect y’know? then she mentions a guy from uni so that could be jk too. BUT! yoongi asks oc if she remembers jk… if he was just a rando from a club or an old uni ex then how would yoongi know he knew her!? so im going with what was said by idk who… i think jk and oc hooked up before 3tan og and he’s the reason she sought out yoongi. Maybe it was before jk was a ladies man and he’s changed since (less evil) but yeah. (also i may have accidentally sent this without signing it so just ignore it if i did lmao)

-🎻

HOLY SHIT‼️ violin oh my god you read through so much more🥹 how’s the basketball 👉 interlude pipeline going for you? LOL you totally don’t have to apologize for any feedback messages, no matter how big or small. I cherish them all😭

Friends: HELL YEAH TAE😤 he’s an actual ride or die.. such a good ass friend that we all need, really. And Yoongi?? Being so subtle in his actions but still very loud with intentions. It’s all in what he does. And the spice in this chapter…. The chains…. Don’t even get me started because I WILL cry again.

Dalo: Holy fck let me tell you how creating this chapter took me out. The amount of times I just cried because of what was going on was just so !!! much bc there is a mix of strong, powerful emotions in there. Definitely had to take a long rest after that one and tbh I needed a support group after that🤕 Yoongi was so fcking attentive after Dalo and of course Jimin is another real one.

And you even have theories?! Oh my god I’m so tickled that you’re weighing in🥳 Putting all of them in the bag and you brought up some really good points! We’ll see what ends up happening🫣 I’m just so happy you’re reading and taking your time. It’s fun!!

[anitabyars]

Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel

Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: June 6, 2023

Synopsis:

Hendrix Bateman is one of The Lucky Three, a trio of players who were not on the Titan’s team plane the night it crashed. Feeling as if he’s been given a second chance, Hendrix is determined to make the most out of his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s not suffering from scars that can’t be seen.

When I lost my Titan brothers in the crash, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was devastated and grief stricken, but I was also grateful to be alive. Yeah, that might cause a little—okay, a lot of—guilt, but now I’m determined to live each day as if it’s my last.

A night out with friends puts me in the crosshairs of Stevie Kisner—the devastatingly beautiful bar owner with a sharp tongue and a fire in her eyes that lets me know she has zero tolerance for guys like me. I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge, so I’m not dissuaded by Stevie’s tough as nails attitude or her big biker dad who looks like he wants to kill me. Fueled by too many shots and the raucous urging of my teammates, I set out to show Stevie I’ve got game both on and off the ice.

While I shouldn’t be looking for anything more than a good time, I can’t help but be captivated by Stevie. She’s cool as hell and we burn hot together. But the more I get to know her, the more I can tell she’s holding something in reserve, and let’s just say I’ve got some trust issues after my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. Now I need to decide if I’m going to let my past dictate my future or if I am willing to put my heart on the line to find out if Stevie is exactly what I think she is—my everything.

Get Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel in digital, signed paperback and audio (narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom) direct from Sawyer: https://bit.ly/HendrixPO

Download Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel at the following retailers:

➜ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P6s9BU

➜ Nook: https://bit.ly/3Q7fqAl

➜ Apple: https://apple.co/3BRfrnX

➜ Google: https://bit.ly/3P4OKig

➜ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3d85x6U

PLEASE NOTE:

Ebooks purchased from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore will be delivered via BookFunnel and can be sent to the e-reader of your choice.

Audio will be available exclusively on the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore for approximately 90 days before releasing at all retailers and libraries (excluding Audible). Hendrix is narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom. Audio purchase from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore must be enjoyed within the BookFunnel app (which is VERY user friendly and FREE!).

About the Author:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Connect with Sawyer:

✦ Facebook: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_FB

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My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is book seven in the Pittsburgh Titan Series and the players and their relationships just keep getting hotter and hotter. This is Hendrix Bateman and bar owner Stevie Kisser’s journey to their HEA and boy oh boy what an incredibly entertaining and emotional journey it was. I have become a huge hockey romance fan and this author always manages to make the books in this series, so realistic, with so much love and emotion that I just can’t get enough.

Hendrix is one of the Lucky 3 of the original members of the Pittsburgh Titans Hockey team, but due to an injury he wasn’t on the plane that crashed and killed all his teammates. He deals constantly with his survivors guilt while also working hard at a relationship that has become increasingly difficult with his girlfriend Tracy. He finally realizes while at a toy drive that she was ruining with constant complaints, that it was time to move on without her. And he already has his sights set on the utterly unique, hot, bartender.

Stevie is the owner of Jerry’s Lounge, which is named after her grandpap who originally opened the bar. Every year since the bar has been open there has been a toy drive and with the help of her best friend since her freshman year in high school, Harlow Alston, who is now the girlfriend of Scott Dumelin, Pittsburgh Titans first line left winger, they have enlisted some of the players to come out to help with the event to increase the amount of donations.

Stevie has had a tough life with her mom leaving when she was young, to only calling now when she wants or needs money. Her days are too busy with her bar and her life, to be looking for love or a relationship until Hendrix walks into her bar and the sparks fly between them!

“I want Hendrix Bateman more than I think I’ve ever wanted a man in my life. “

This is one that you NEED TO READ! Why? One word…YUM!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.