#should also be illegal to leave the new hire alone for like an hour to make orders without supervision but here we are

[im-still-watching-anime]

first day of food service done and you know what yall were all right customers SHOULD be illegal

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia CH.4

WARNING OF DEPICTION OF A PANIC ATTACK and mentions of drugging. 

////////

The rest of the day went by pretty uneventfully. That is after Nate lectured you about stranger danger and how you couldn't just walk forty miles in two hours. You really have no clue how you messed up the math that bad or how calling Nate for a ride never crossed your mind. Nate made you promise not to get into another stranger's car, especially without knowing their fucking names.

“I mean seriously YN, you just hopped in their car because they had a dog?! That's literally the first thing they tell you not to do when you learn about stranger danger!” he said munching on a boston cream donut. It was a good thing you'd brought donuts because you caused this man to stress eat...or was that a bad thing?

After you agreed to having better stranger danger instincts, Nate told you things would be run a little differently around the shop. Apparently the camera out back had died on Sunday, which although weird could be explained away as a camera that hasn't been updated or switched out since the shop was opened, maybe even before then too. So unfortunately Big Jo and Nate still didn't know who broke into your car or if they had been looking for anything. But Big Jo still wants to take precautions like the two of you leaving together and in the morning one of you waiting in their car with the doors locked for the other to come and then entering the building together.

Nate also mentioned a few other things, shipping and inventory related, that wouldn't really pertain to you or change any of your current tasks. It's really just to limit the amount of people coming through the back room. The back room was the emptiest you've ever seen when you went to check on your deer skull. You wonder if you hadn't been hired who would've gotten this position and how long they'd be able to keep their mouth shut about the obviously illegal activity going on. But you remember the person who had this position before you had been Bambi, a sweet if not oblivious girl. So, had you not come along the Cowells would have probably found someone else who didn't have an ounce of perception for their surroundings.

The week goes by slowly and with no further incidents. The deer skull has been completed and you plan on taking it to Maddie's Workshop next week to get a mount for it. In the time that you were bleaching and polishing the bones Nate took it upon himself to clean around the shop. Even though he's made it clear you just have to do your task list here, which takes about an hour maybe two depending on the tasks, he's always working on something.

Nate's the type of guy who's never content to just chill he needs to keep moving always chasing that high you get from accomplishing a goal, whatever he's made his that day. He's probably just substituting whatever he did daily with these new deep cleans of his.

Even with the lack of incidents following your car's break in the two of you have kept to the new precautions. Nate even going so far as to remind you tonight that on Monday if you arrive before him you'll need to stay in the car. At this point you think it's less about safety and more about the security of the store's extra curricular activities. Either way you don't really mind.

Things seemed to return to normal, you were back to driving yesterday and after you rearranged furniture in your house you felt a little less on edge. And every night this week you'd been able to get a good night's sleep, which although not too strange did stand out to you. Maybe another thing that had kept you on edge this week, because it meant when you saw a shadow pass by you during the day you couldn't write it off as quickly as you normally would.

But tonight it seemed your luck had run out. You sat on your bed with your sketch book in hand just doodling strange squiggles till your eyes were so tired they couldn't focus. Putting the book down to rest your eyes and crack your wrist, you sigh not feeling tired at all. The thought of a hike isn't really appealing right now, plus if you made a run into the mini mart you'd probably see either Ronnie or even Tim working behind the counter, that thought set your ears a flame. While the night life in Kepler was decent especially for a Friday night in summer, you just felt the need to be alone.

A drive was the best answer you had. You'd just choose a random lane on the interstate and take a random exit till you found a diner or something, order a tea and a slice of pie. Like you were a background character in someone else's story longingly staring out the window as your dreams slowly slipped through your fingers in this cold cruel world. Ok, you'd been joking about that because you saw a TikTok saying that, but your melodramatic ass actually thinks that sounds fun.

Throwing on some jeans and a flannel over you muscle tee, you were out the door. When you were checking the lock you'd heard rustling coming from around the house where your bins were. Worse case it's a stalker, best case just some raccoons. Either way you decided to calmly but briskly walk to your car, locking the doors immediately. Once in you drove around the side of your house, luckily, you assume, you spot the chonkiest raccoon you've ever seen digging through the bins. His tiny little person hands drawing an awww from you even though his demonic gleaming eyes should send a chill down your spine.

Hissing at the car Chonk returns to dig through your garbage. Weird how he only comes on your pizza weeks. Probably has a thing for Leo's homemade pizzas. You sure as hell do, as much as you love it you do save a slice for this little guy. You haven't put it out yet though, eh you'll do it tomorrow.

Having solved that mystery you sit in your car and link up your phone so you can have your driving playlist. It's mainly Folk Punk and Sea Shanties and while most might say it's a weird combination you say it's the same genre just different fonts. You could drive hundreds of miles into the middle of no where listening to this playlist and you'd be just fine...maybe have an emotional break down or two but expressing your emotions is suppose to be good for you. Mouthing along to Jim Bogart as it comes through the stereo you set off on your little excursion.

Just like when you have the urge to hike at night the urge to drive is nearly one in the same. Momentum taking you forward and not looking back as you do, needing to just go forward with no real destination in mind. Tonight however would be a little different you'd stop at the first diner you see that's out of Kepler bounds. Or turn right back around at one in case you hadn't found anything. There've been times that you kept driving straight through morning and didn't know where the hell you ended up. Not to mention you rarely remember the ways to get back after going for so long, and gps can only get you so far in some of the towns that also border the Monongahela Forest. You'd just have to rely on dumb luck tonight.

Unlike hiking, which gives you a burst of adrenaline as you push your body to its limits to move as far as you can and as much as you can. Driving gives a much more relaxed feeling, it's a feeling a weightlessness that gets lighter and lighter the further you get from home. Some may describe that feeling as a wanderlust or nomadic calling, but you've never cared for either of those things. You've only ever wanted to stay in one place for as long as you could remember. Moving around so much in your youth really messed you up, and you promised yourself this would be the last time you uprooted your life. And you've really come to love Kepler in these past few months. You can't imagine how you'll feel next year after getting to know the community more, but so far it's been really compassionate and understanding, a few rocky spots here and there but nothing like your hometown.

Without realizing it you've picked up your speed, you're doing 75 in a 55 zone. Even with no other vehicles around you slow down to just above the speed limit. While there might not be any cops around looking for easy tickets you don't want to risk dissociating at 75MPH or more. That could only end horribly. Though dissociating behind the wheel at all would be horrible. In the middle of shaking yourself from these thoughts you catch sight of an exit sign, which holds the logo for Denny's on it, and the exit is coming up in five miles. Switching lanes you cross over and get ready to hop off on the next exit.

You're pretty sure the only pie Denny's has is the dry apple with a scoop of ice cream. That isn't very appetizing to you, but then again you aren't really a fan of pie, a fact you seemed to gloss over when you made the decision to drive out here this late at night. Not too bothered by the fact, you remember Denny's has a salted caramel and banana pancake which should work in place of pie.

Pulling into the parking lot there are only three other cars, peering into the diner you don't really see anyone so the cars must belong to the skeleton night crew. Entering the Denny's you see there actually is one other patron, you only see the back of his head as he makes no move to look at the new arrival.

“Hun, seat yourself, I'll be out in a bit.” is the motherly voice that rings out from the kitchen, truly something you've only experienced in the south. Walking into a diner in the dead of night and  being treated like a daytime regular.

Seating yourself near the TV mounted to the wall you let the sounds of the soap opera playing drown out any buzzing you feel in your head. The waitress is out within minutes and though she startles at your masked face she regains her composure very quickly.

“I'd like the salted caramel pancakes if it's alright.” you say declining the offered menu.

“Just the pancakes?”

“Ah, yes please. And water's fine too.” it really pays to know the menu prior to coming in. Gives you ample time to run scripts over in your head.

Viv, the name on her name tag, nods and gives you a smile as she spins right round to the kitchen. Probably happy she won't have to run out so many times for just one order or maybe to spend time with the cooks in the back. You remember working food service sucked but the line cooks made it so much better at the end of the day. Even if they said you were too quiet and called you 'mouse'.

It might not have been exactly what you set out to do but this little midnight self date was really nice, you should do this more often.

Pancakes finished and mask back on you waited for Viv to bring out your check,  then you notice the other patron also making his moves to leave. You're sat facing the door so when he turns and comes closer dread fills your veins like burning cold dry ice. It's David, a local from Kepler you briefly met when you first moved. He gave you really bad vibes and over all was just a very skeevy dude.

What made you feel worse about him was when he left town to “help his sister” right after Bambi disappeared. Those in your circle told you she always talked about leaving Kepler one day but you trusted your gut in saying she didn't leave by her own choice. It got made for her, and David leaving just furthered your theory. You look away hoping he hadn't noticed you but unfortunately you could hear his footsteps falter and then pick back up by passing the door completely.

“Hey...YN, right?” fuck he remembers you, alarm bells are ringing at this fact. Why would he remember someone he briefly met months ago?

“It really is you, still as quiet as I remember.” what did he mean the two of you only met a handful of times and that had been because of your mutual friendship with Bambi.

Where is Viv with the check? You'd really like if she saved you from this painful situation right now. But you aren't sure what's worse having to sit here and listen to David tell you everything he's been up to these past few months, like you even care. Or the thought of leaving with David having him follow you and maybe doing whatever he did to Bambi to you.

“Yea so my sister's better now, I should be seeing you around soon. We should catch up maybe do Saturday Night Dead. Does the Crypt still do that?” great a fucking rhetorical question, he knows the Cryptonomica still does it's weekly movie nights, it's only been two months he's been gone. Not to mention it's a big hit and a huge source of revenue for the shop.

You haven't said anything this whole time, fuck being polite to a potential killer, and fuck being polite to this creep. He's just been talking nearly nonstop for the last few minutes. He must really love the sound of his own voice or thinks he's the most charming person to ever grace the Earth with his presence. Since he's not really caring that you aren't proving to be a stimulating partner in this conversation. He really does love hearing himself talk. By the time he's said his own goodbyes Viv finally makes it out from the back.

She apologizes for the wait, had to go on her break sometime you supposed. You take your time finding your wallet, it's in your back pocket but you wanted to stall for time since you could still see David's car out there, you were also keeping an eye on your own car. Only relaxing when you saw him pull off from the corner of your eye. Oh look you've “found” your wallet,  handing Viv your credit card you just want to get out of here quickly now.

You pay and leave a nice tip for Viv, while she didn't save you from that creep it's not like she could've known. You sit in your car for a moment or two just breathing in and out in the glow of the diner lights. Almost meditating before you begin your long drive back to Kepler with all these thoughts of David, Bambi's disappearance, and how it can't be coincidence that David is coming back at the same time that you have a break in. Could you be his next target? Were you just over thinking things? Just blaming this poor guy because you didn't like him? But you've always been intuitive and bad vibes aren't something to ignore. David appearing now meant something.

Just that thought alone put you on edge as your skin begins to crawl. With a few calming breaths you go to start the car and sync your radio when you notice the glow of the lights changed from the slight yellow to a sterile blueish white. Looking up where the diner should be you see the mini mart back at Kepler...how on earth did you get here? You didn't drive! You couldn't have dissociated while driving, you never even turned the car on and you can barely take a hike dissociating let alone do something as complex as drive a car.

It happens before you can register it, on shaky legs that move on their own you are passing the threshold of the convenience store and catching the tail end of a conversation.

“ppened to not feeding into delus...” the voice cuts off as the door shuts behind you. You know that voice why is it so hard to focus?

Something warm brushes your hand and you see someone in front of you. Who is that? You can't see their face, they've got a mask covering their face. Like you but that person is not you. You might know them...Tobais?

“Yea? You good there?” confusion, you blink hard and see you are standing in the mini mart now, Connor standing under your hand, Toby hovering close by and both Brian and Tim watch with unease over by the register.

“...I don't know how I...how I got here.” you register movement in the background but not consciously.

It's the shifting of Brian's head as he looks out the front windows and spots your Kia.

“You drove.” shaking your head, “Maybe...I don't...I dissociated?” in your confusion you can register Toby stiffen in front of you.

Fear, fear, uneasy, breath....are you breathing? Your head's so jumbled right now.

You scan the shop trying to look for answers that may help you but you find none. The more confused you get the more worked up you get, chest rising and falling rapidly. You take a step back or try to and end up falling on your butt. It's starting to get hard to breathe with your throat constricting, you bring a hand up to your larynx.

“..re.....have..attack......”

        “could be o...me..”

“.....pressure...”

Is all you can make out with your fuzzy consciousness before a heavy pressure is piling on your chest and knocking you fully on your back. The pressure is actually pretty lifting as contradictory as it may seem. Instead of restricting your breathing more it seems to be kick starting your lungs to exhale and inhale. With oxygen coming back into your body you can feel your toes and the tingle behind them. You can feel your fingers and the fur under them. Fur?

Taking in a big breath you move your head and come face to muzzle with Connor.  You give a nod of recognition to the dog before lying flat again and staring up at the ceiling. After about ten minutes you're thinking more clearly than before, which isn't saying much.

“Thanks.” you aren't sure who it's directed at but you still mean it.

It's silent until Toby breaks it, “I'm taking you home.”

“Car.” it's all you can manage to say but the message though distorted got through.

“I'll drive it, Brian follow behind.” there is no room for arguing, driving under any influence must be a touchy subject for Toby. Or maybe you're really fucked up right now and just can't comprehend how bad.

You use Connor to get up, he seems ready and no one else makes a move to you. Toby pushes past and holds the door open as Connor guides you, still holding onto his vest with one hand, and Brian murmurs something to Tim before following you three.

Outside Toby already has your keys in his hand, when did he get those? Did you give them to him? Your hand is risen, you must of...how on earth did you even drive like this. Had you really driven? There's a lump in your throat again and you're breathing's gone shaky, god you hope you didn't hurt anyone. You must have been zoning out for too long, not only is Connor pushing your legs but Toby has a grasp on your forearm coaxing you forward.

His grip isn't suffocating, honestly even seeing it there you still don't feel it. Maybe it's because you're so numb, or maybe it's because he's genuinely helping you but you can't feel the pain that  usually comes with being touched. The sharp jab that feels like you've been struck with a fire poker where ever someone laid their hands on you. After he's pushed you into the backseat, more like nudged you, even making sure you didn't bump your head, he buckles you in then snaps and Connor jumps into the car and lays across your lap.

You're shaking, actually trembling as you look at Toby. What's going on? Why can't you figure out what's happening? The brunette doesn't say a thing as he gets into the driver's seat and buckles in to drive you home. That's strange you think, how does he know where to go? You told him right, just follow the road...or maybe he guessed from the other day. What happened to you? Why the mini mart? You were at Denny's.

“This town doesn't have a Denny's.” did you say that out loud?

“I...I went for a drive, a town over...up...no.. north I think...” you start blinking barely able to keep your eyes open before your eyes lock shut. It's sending you over the edge even more in your confusion.

“Hey, hey just focus on the Denny's. What'd you do once you got there?” is he trying to distract you? Calm you down? Or is he trying to piece together what happened like you are? You can remember Denny's just fine, the dull yellow glow of the inside the skeleton crew murmuring in the back, the pancakes you had, and the “conversation” with David. Did David do this, had he put something in your water glass? Did you even touch your water glass after he left? Breathe. You need to breathe. Toby's waiting.

“Pancakes...I had pancakes. Then that creep came over...and he started talking. Didn't like. We aren't friends, I don't know him. I don't understand why he'd talk to me. Didn't like. Didn't like.” finger back to pressing down on your larynx and the weight of Connor preventing your legs from striking out at the seat in front of you.

“Wait, were you drugged?” Eyes flash to the rear view to lock with your own teary stare.

“No, maybe...I don't think so.” you barely feel the pain in your throat right now, this is all so overwhelming. “He left, I...I watched him drive off before getting in my car... I had an episode while the car was off then..” then you were at the mini mart. You never touched the ignition.

“I didn't drive, I never started the car. Didn't, didn't, didn't” Your attack is probably stressing even Connor out now, but this is all so confusing.

You're so focused on the fuzzy events you don't notice Toby bristle. Or how he grips the steering wheel tighter until his knuckles grow white despite his already translucent skin. He might not be able to feel or see it in the mirror through his mask but he's probably gnawing off more of his face. He'd deal with it after he dealt with you.

You've made it to your house and he's waiting for the headlights from Brian. When he sees them in the rear view he gets out but not before telling you, or maybe Connor, to stay put.

It's a few long moments before he comes back. But in the silence and darkness of your car, growing colder by the moment, you start to ground yourself. You aren't calm by any means and you're still very unfocused. But you aren't crying as the numbness overtakes you, you don't even jump when the door beside you opens. With a snap Connor is out of the car and soon you're being pulled from the car, that same weightless touch gripping your forearm. Toby guides you into your own home, and walks towards the hallway looking into the bathroom, the only other door, before finding your room.

Seemingly understanding your catatonic state he sits you on the bed and gives some order to Connor before he leaves the room. And you just sit on the bed staring into dead air as a silent guard sits in wait. You aren't sure what he's waiting for or why he's still there but the numbness has taken over too much and you can't find it in you to give a single fuck.

[just-stop]

I was forced to act as a sexualised doll': Ex Honey Birdette staff claim culture of sexual harassment

News that sex store Honey Birdette will be purchased by global porn brand Playboy has inspired former Honey Birdette employees to go public with disturbing allegations of abusive and illegal treatment by the company.

In response to an Instagram post by a former employee, a number of young women shared their own stories of mistreatment, exploitation, sexual harassment and sexual assaults while working at Honey Birdette.

A toxic culture of sexual harassment

Former employees claim that they were subjected to near constant sexual harassment. They report being pressured to exploit their sexuality to make sales and being “made to feel like a walking, talking sex doll”. The women also reported sexual harassment including male customers making sexual advances, taking photographs, masturbating over the phone or in change rooms, as well as verbal abuse, threats, stalking and being spat on.

The women allege that when sexual harassment and sexual assault were reported to management, their experiences were dismissed. One says she was told sexual harassment is "part of the job”. Another says she was told this treatment could help her make more sales - “make that money”.

One woman claimed that while was working alone in the store, a common practice, a man entered and threatened to rape her. After calling security and later reporting the incident to her area manager, she was told “you just have to be strong.”

Another former staffer alleged that after reporting being corned and assaulted in the store, company founder Eloise Monaghan told her her experience was “laughable.”

One woman claimed she called the area manager for help after her co-employee had been sexually assaulted while alone in the store and was told to make sure it didn’t affect sales for the rest of the day.

Two former staffers alleged that after young woman was sexually assaulted by a man in a WA store, and police requested security camera evidence, head office allegedly told them the cameras were just decoys and not operational. The staffers said this was not the case.

Staff forced to comply with sexist dress code

Employees report being required to wear tight clothing, red lipstick and stiletto heels at all times, facing discipline or even termination for “uniform violations”.

Some staff describe the damage to their feet from being forced to wear stilettos for long hours day after day, including bleeding feet, and being left bedridden and unable to walk after. One woman alleged Eloise Monaghan forced her to wear stilettos even with broken bones in her feet.

Some staff objected to the sexist dress code as it resulted in unwanted attention from men. One claimed she was criticised by Monaghan for not having red lipstick on ten minutes before the store opened, and explained she did not wear it until she arrived to avoid unwanted attention. According to the woman, Monaghan told her she should use it to her advantage to bring more customers in.

Stress, anxiety, mental health harms

Far from being “empowered”, Honey Birdette employees reported significant damage to their mental health as a result. Some claimed they were being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Others described intense anxiety and resulting weight loss. One alleged workers would run to the bathroom mid-shift to vomit from the stress.

A number of employees said that it was common practice to be rostered on alone, unable to leave the store to go to the toilet because they might miss sales. One former employee claimed that when this was raised with a reporting manager, the manager suggested the employee urinate in a bucket out the back. Another employee alleged a co-worker defecated in a plastic bag in the store room because she was unable to leave the store.

One woman posted on Instagram, “Working for them for 2 years was truly both an emotional rollercoaster and a nightmare, it ruined my mental health and warped my sense of sexuality and body confidence and played a big part in my unhealthy sex addiction by not educating us on what healthy sex looked like.”

Another wrote,“It is like being in an abusive relationship with someone who hits you then tells you they love you.”

"Empowering women" nothing more than a marketing strategy

Far from the claims of “empowering women”, former employees and models allege a culture of bullying and fat-shaming, as well as disturbing behaviour from founder Eloise Monaghan.

“This company is NOT a place of female ally ship, it is a performative cess pool that hires young ... girls to work on the floor that are still growing and learning who they are whilst being completely brainwashed and expected to dress up like a Pornhub version of an air hostess in the name of ‘female empowerment’.”

One former employee claimed Monaghan tried to fire her when she wouldn’t get drunk at a work dinner. Another alleged she was subjected to bullying for falling pregnant and throughout her subsequent miscarriage:

I got bullied so hard for falling pregnant and all through my miscarriage. Ms Monaghan herself used to put cigarettes in my mouth and champagne in my hand and say "smoke and drink so I know you're not pregnant".

One former employee claims Monaghan said that the 'MeToo' movement was “a joke” and that women needed to “get over it”.

Another claims she witnessed Monaghan calling a female waitress in LA a “black c***”.

We wonder how long the company can claim to 'empower women' when the weight of evidence to the contrary continues to grow? And how much longer can so-called 'Champions of Change' shopping centre CEOs ignore what is happening in their own centres?

[lavenderslemonade]

Hello! I'd like to make a request if I may! How would Aizawa, Mic and All Might react if they found out their S/O used to be a Villain (a pretty bad one at that) but gave it all up just to be with them. How they find out is totally up to you! Thank you!

Sure thing! Also, my requests are currently open if anyone is interested!

Also! I can’t believe I’ve already reached 200+ followers, close to 300! thank you guys so much for the support! I’ve actually been debating on posting My Hero Academia fanart. What do you think? Should I go for it?

How (Aizawa, Present Mic, and All Might) React to Their S/O Being an Ex-Villian

Aizawa 

- He knew you had come from a pretty tough life, he just didn’t know how tough

- He found out when principal Nezu asked if it was okay for the school to look into your background at the chance of hiring you as a substitute for possible classes

- Aizawa gave them permission, though knew it would be best to talk with you first, though just in case you were down for it, you could already be in the clear to start

- When he brought it up during dinner that evening he noticed you had visibly tensed before running to the bathroom to throw up

- He couldn’t understand why such news would make you upset

- You can’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes, due to what you know he’s now bound to find out

- When Nezu calls him into his office, he’s suspected that you’ve been given the all clear, but Nezu just gives him a sympathetic look before stating that the school doesn’t feel comfortable hiring an ex-villian

- Nezu, feels nothing but pity and shame for having to break the news to the teacher, and slides the file to Aizawa for him to read over

- He finds out that your parents died when you were a child, something he already knew about

- Though he knew you had adopted parents, he didn’t know that before then you have been bounced around from multiple foster homes

- He reads the reports of physical abuse by different families, and once he gets to your high schools years, he see’s where you were first arrested

- It started out as petty theft from stealing food, to cheap jewelry from stores

- It wasn’t till he read up to your late teens that you started doing extreme theft

- Robbing museums of priceless jewels as well as stores, plus helping sell illegal weapons to villians

- Once he got around to you being twenty three he noticed that all the villainous things you used to do just stopped

- He remembers when he met you when you were twenty two at the local cat cafe near his house

- You claimed to be busy mostly due to work, which he now found out what that was, though it clicks in his head that once you turned twenty three was when the two of you had started to date and get serious

- When he gets home, he’s still processing the information

- He was married to an ex-villian, you had been keeping this from him

- He honestly feels betrayed, upset, and currently feeling conflicted about being angry

- He finds you in the bedroom, knees against your chest, staring blankly at the wall

- You just look so sad, and hollow, and something that attracts his attention is the packed up suitcases beside you

- Were you really planning to leave now that he had found out?

- “I’ll go if you want. I’m sorry I never told you.” You stated, still not being able to bring your eyes to meet his

- He just sighs and climbs onto the bed with you, watching once again as your body tenses 

- “Why did you never tell me.” There’s clear evidence of hurt and anger in his voice causing you to roughly swallow 

- “Because I never wanted you to give me that look. All those nasty looks of disgust I could receive from people who would watch as I was arrested, but I can’t handle you looking at me that way.” You’d choke back a sob

- Aizawa would honestly be conflicted

- He doesn’t know if he should pull you into a hug and comfort you, or just let you be

- Though he weighed against the last option feeling you needed some times, he couldn’t bring himself to leave you alone

- He was scared, and knew that if he left you alone you’d take it as him wanting you gone, and no doubt about it if he came to check on you, you’d probably be gone through the window and left down the fire escape of your apartment building never to be seen again

- The thought of you leaving caused his chest to ache. The two of you had spent the past six years happily married

- You weren’t a villian anymore, you have paid your dues, and learned from them, thus he felt he had nothing to judge you on or hate you for

- The past is the past, and he honestly wanted you forever in his future

- He’d wrap you in his arms, hugging you close as you sob into his outfit

- When you finally fall asleep from crying so much, he’d tuck you in and start unpacking your suit cases and putting your clothes back up

- His heart would clench when he finds a copy of your wedding photo in one of your suitcases 

- After that you’re more open to him about your past, and no longer feel afraid to answer questions he has for you about your childhood

Hizashi

- He finds out by accident

- He had come home late from patrol, wanting nothing more than to take a hot shower and cuddle with you, who was most likely already asleep

- He noticed that the mail hadn’t been gotten, and figured your day must’ve been so stressful that you forgot

- Ever since he met you, you’ve been helping with community service, now rolling around to be your fourth year

- He always suspected it was a hobby or something you enjoyed doing

- Oh boy, when he saw one of the letters was from the court house for you he got a bit curious

- He knew he shouldn’t be opening your personal mail, but he was curious as to why the court house would send you a letter

- Suspects that they’re asking you about jury duty, though he’s taken back when he reads that you only have six more months left of community service, and you’ll be able to be a full member of society once again

- He’s confused till it clicks in his head

- If you were forced by law to do community service, you must’ve done something pretty bad

- He sneaks down the hall past your shared bedroom, peeking his head in to see you sleeping soundly

- He goes straight to his office and types your name into the search bar

- He watches as images of you as well as articles of your past crimes pop up

- Turns out you were born into a mafia associated family, thus you practically grew up with a family of villians

- Spends about three hours doing research, noticing that he had met you the year you started your community service, about eight months in if he was correct

- After staring at a computer screen for so long he decides to take a shower to process the information

- He decides that once you wake up the two of you could discuss this and figure out why you wanted to keep this from him

- You grew up in a family of villians, it wasn’t your choice. You didn’t know better until you had been arrested

- Once he’s done showering he notices his office door is cracked open a bit more than he remember leaving it

- He goes to peek in, noticing you at his computer, tears in your eyes and a look of heart break

- He can’t stand you looking so broken, thus he’d push the door open slightly, calling out to you

- You’d shoot your head in his direction, a look of hurt and betrayal playing on your facial features

- He’d reach out to you, but you simply stand and walk past him before he can even touch you

- He chases you down the hall, not being quick enough as you lock yourself in your shared bedroom, and he can hear the closet door opening and the sound of clothes being thrown into a bag

- He’d start to panic begging you to open the door, to talk to him, that he’s not mad you at you for keeping it a secret

- Once he starts to break down crying, you finally open the door

- Instinctively he wraps his arms around your waist hiding his face against your stomach

- He feels your body tense at this action, though it relaxes just as quick

- Can feel you trembling as well as a few sobs escaping you

- Feels you shift to be on the floor with him, holding each other close as the two of you just cry

- After you’ve both settled down, you fixed a pot of tea for the two of you

- Spending most of the night discussing your past, your child hood, and how you had honestly planned to return back to crime until you met him

- The two of you remain quiet the other half of the night, enjoying each others presence, and he can now see a sense of ease on your face 

Toshinori 

- He had actually met you while you were perched on top of a building, watching as a rich family got in their car to go to a social event

- You were preparing to loot their home while they were gone till-

- “I am here!” The loud voice nearly caused you to scream

- You look up at the tall man, realizing who he is, the one and only All Might

- You were pretty sure you had been busted

- “I thought I was patrolling this area by myself this evening? Ah well! It’s always nice to have company!” He’d laugh loudly like usual

- You’d simply chuckle awkwardly before stating you had to go, but he insisted you stay

- After that for some reason, he always appeared where you were, stating he was also there to help you patrol the area

- It started annoying you to no end, thus you tried your best to endure it till you could rob a place in peace

- He followed you around like a lost puppy, talking with you, asking your questions about your life, some which you lied about

- However, having him around became a bit of a breath of fresh air

- Whenever he would appear you’d forget about your goal of robbing a building or home

- It practically got to the point of you waiting for him so you two could talk instead of looking for a place to steal from

- It surprised you when he asked you out to dinner one evening

- You’d never seen the symbol of peace so flustered before

- That was the beginning of your relationship

- The two of you were there for each other, through thick and thin

- He finds out when he’s leaving the police station one evening after turning in a villian

- States he’s in a rush since his girlfriend is preparing dinner that night

- Tsukauchi finally asks Toshinori who he’s seeing since he’s gotten all up and romantic for the past two years

- He gives your name to the officer, and he takes note of his friends worried expression

- “That’s a little risky don’t you think? No, more than risky! Do you know how the public will react when they find out you’re dating an ex-villian?!” He’d scold

- Toshinori is honestly confused

- Was his friend mistaking you for someone else?

- Seeing Toshinori’s confused expression makes Tsukauchi sigh before showing him your file

- Toshinori silently reads through before sighing and closing it

- He arrives home late that even seeing you sitting at the table by yourself

- It hurts him to know he made you wait, but he has to ask you

- Tsukauchi had stated that it had been years since you robbed anything, he All Might was able to trace it back all the way to the week before you met him

- He had come to the conclusion early on that you had most likely been planning to rob the house he met you at

- “(y/n), we need to talk.” He states, and takes note of you visibly tensing

- He asks you about your past as a villian, and requests that you be up front with him

- He can see the look of fear in your eyes, and watches as you quickly try to make a run for it

- He’s faster, caging you against the wall, staring down at you

- He states he’s not mad, and not planning to turn you into the police, all he asks is that you be up front with him

- Thus you tell him everything

- How you were planning to rob the house you two had met at, that no matter where you turned he was there

- He feels his heart swell as you explain just spending time with him caused you to turn away from being a villian anymore

- You two would remain quiet, as you’re honestly scared about what he might do

- You were sure he would never hurt you, but there was still the chance that he would call the police

- You tensed once you felt his hands press against your arms, and slide down to grasp your small hands into his larger ones 

- He randomly apologizes for being late, and gently leads you back into the kitchen so you two can have dinner together

[justforthesakeofitt]

How You Like That (M) Chaelisa (top rosé bot lisa)

Chapter 1

hi. this story contains many mature and adult themes that can be triggering and are just for fictional use. i don't condone any of this in real life, and this is pure fiction. so, therefore, if you can't handle that, please just leave this. but don't report this story. 

enjoy 🤍

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(warning. contains strong language, human trafficing, mentions of degradation, corruption, meansé, topsé, idek but the story in general is dark and mature. so if you can't handle that please don't read!!)

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roseanne smirked and swirled her glass around that was filled with her favorite champagne. the armand de brignac brut gold, which cost a mere two thousand two hundred dollars, had made it into the woman her favorite lists, when she tasted it for the first time when she was in France, at the age of nineteen. it made her feel as if she was drinking creamy silk with a lovely flavor, and she was all for that.

her silver hair, with a blueish undertone, was straightened and hung down

her back and over her perky breasts. the tint of her hair matched perfectly with her lamé velvet jacquard mini dress by one of her favorite brands, saint laurent. the dress was a perfect size, as it had been custom adjusted, and hugged her slim waist yet pretty wide hips quite well.

she was seated alone in her comfortable chair, her three bodyguards surrounding her so that she was protected at all costs. being rich had its many perks, but it also came with lots of downsides, such as constantly being exposed to the cruel world that was playing underneath everyone's feet. normal people usually weren't aware of half of the things that were going on behind the scenes of the portrayed world.

the dim and sensual lights that were present in the room, contradicted quite a lot with the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. it seemed as if a night club had meet merged with a dining hall in an expensive mansion, yet they somehow made this entire look and vibe work.

and it was dangerous to know these secrets. behind all the glimmer and glamour of being rich, a lot of dark poison was hiding. and simply being aware of the poison, and knowing about how everything was really being run, was dangerous.

it was dangerous knowing which big companies, who were known for their customer service, actually had ten thousand upon then thousands of illegal so-called 'contract workers' working for them. people in the normal projected world thought that the people working for the minimum wage were being treated as slaves and inhumane, but they never saw the layer of people that were working even lower up than the minimum wage workers. and those were plenty.

billions upon billions of dollars would go down the drain if someone were to reveal that the biggest vegan chain in the world, also owned one of the biggest meat industries. if the companies that were known to fight climate change and induce eco-friendly ways of making products were owned by the same person that was one of the biggest carbon emitters.

if people know, that you know their secrets, your life is at great risk. and since the richest people in the world, all play the same game, you always had to be on your watch. this was no soccer game, where you had a theme behind you. this was like wrestle mania. only the strongest and smartest could survive. and the people that you would think are your friends, are the ones that wouldn't even hesitate to hire an assistant the moment they find a weak spot in you.

"number 603 thirty thousand dollars! going once. going twice. sold to miss kang!"

roseanne chuckled as the blonde girl got pulled off of the stage by her leash that watched attached to her neck. her head hung low and tears were streaming down her face as you could see them shimmer in the dim lights,  which made it all more amusing for the woman.

all of them looked like pathetic little lost puppies, getting pulled one by one to the stage where their new fate would be laid out for them. it all depended on who they ended up with.

her best friend, jennie, had found her own little pet this way and had suggested it to her. after years of being alone, and watching her best friend with the girl, she decided to finally come and see for herself. maybe she'd find something interesting here tonight. 

jennie's pet, who's name was jisoo, was quite a lucky girl. while jennie was quite a mean and tough person on a daily basis, she had developed a soft spot for her pet. it wasn't that she let the girl get away with shit, but she treated her well. better than these girls usually got treated.

jisoo had behaved so well and served her so graciously, that after one and a half year of her possession, jennie had granted her the privilege of being addressed by her name, which was quite rare for the girls that came from here.

not may of the owners ended up granting their pets the status of being called by their actual birth-given name, and rosé wouldn't be one of them either. while jennie was more of a dominant woman who loved for jisoo to worship her and take care of her, roseanne was the sadistic type. 

where jennie received pleasure by letting jisoo worship her feet and have the girl smothered underneath her wet dripping slit, eating her out until her thighs were trembling and she was panting heavily, roseanne wanted the girl to be laying at her feet, whimpers escaping her cracked lips as bruises and cuts were layered on her skin. 

the twenty-seven-year-old woman's eyes gravitated towards the podium once again, before she slightly shifted when she saw the girl that got pulled by the thick leather leash. 

her black lingerie contrasted beautifully with her pale skin, and her black hair had been put into two sideways ponytails with big red bows attached to them. that could only mean one thing.

she was a virgin.

girls with their hair loose were previous prostitutes or whores that they picked up from the streets, giving them the lowest value in the entire lineup.

girls with ponytails were normal girls that they managed to kidnap but weren't virgins anymore. 

but girls with their hair in this innocent style, and cute bows attached to it to give

them an even more pure look, were virgins.

and they sold for the highest prices.

almost everyone wanted a little virgin pet. it was a thrill knowing that all they would associate sex with was their owners. no previous partners or experiences to draw

comparisons from. 

just them.

when roseanne saw the girl's face, her doll-like features with her big doe eyes, and her plump pink lips, she knew that the girl was going to be hers.

"number 209! her price starts at a mere five hundred thousand dollars. who bids higher

than that?"

chaeyoung immediately held up her bidding board that had her slim fingers wrapping around the wooden part, "one million!"

another voice rang through the room, a few seconds later, with an offer of one and a half million dollars. but this girl was going to be hers. no matter the cost.

the bidding went on for a while before her offer rang throughout the room of "twenty-five million dollars." 

the man, that previously was bidding for the same girl, chewed on his bottom lip before shaking his head.

a smirk grazed roseanne her dark blue colored lips, "number 209 twenty-five million dollars! once! going twice! sold to miss park!"

her eyes locked with her newly bought pet, and she mindlessly licked her lips. the girl's eyes were glossy and looked with a terrified gaze at her. 

"yes...--" chaeyoung muttered to herself with s grin, "--be scared, doll. you aren't ready for what I have in store for you."

there were only a few girls left, so she patiently sat through it all, satisfied with her purchase of the evening. non of the girls could top her pet. and for once, she was glad that she had listened to jennie's advice.

after the auction was over, she walked to the back and got handed two briefcases by one of her bodyguards, which she delivered to the woman that was behind all of this.

"you made jessie very happy. i hope the girl will make you happy too."

roseanne hummed and watched as the men were counting the money, before turning her attention back to the woman in front of her, "everything is clean right? no traces. no record and no evidence."

jessie nodded and smacked her bright red lips together, "everything is clean. we tripled checked. the police have already been paid to drop the missing person case, so she has been declared dead. the parents are quite poor too so they won't be able to afford to search for her or take any legal actions. she's dead and has been reborn the moment you bought her."

roseanne smirked and, with a firm handshake, greeted the woman before she made her way into a dark hallway that led to where the girl should be.

she opened the door to a room and saw a black wooden crate, which had been sealed by a lid at the top, sitting on the floor in the middle of the room.

when she saw that it was the correct one, she snapped her fingers, making two of the three men quickly make their way over to the side and lifted up the top.

she once again, almost immediately crossed eyes with her toy, and saw how panicked and vulnerable she seemed. this made her feel only more in control and boosted her ego.

there were soft pleading whimpers coming from the bound girl, but she ignored them completely.

after a few seconds of further inspection, the crate got closed again.

"deliver her in an hour to my address. make sure that she keeps whatever bodily fluid she has inside of her. i don't want her to arrive in filth at my place."

she got helped into her thick fur coat, and flicked her hair back, before putting on a peeked black cap.

the men nodded in understanding and turned their attention on the crate. one of them followed her, also functioning as her driver, while the other two stayed behind.

there were two small holes on the top of the crate in the cover, which made sure that the girl got enough fresh air to stay conscious, but not enough to make her feel great, so the chance of her throwing up or peeing herself was a big possibility.

she just hoped that the girl could hold it in, as she was sure that she wouldn't hesitate to hose the poor thing down immediately. 

she climbed up the stairs before walking outside. 

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it was dark, already around the one at night, so the streets were fairly empty. these illegal legal things, were mostly done at night, just to give extra security and privacy.  "ready miss?" her chauffeur asked making her nod, "yes. take me home."

she stared out of the window, the snow slowly cascading down while the streets of Seoul were already covered in a thick layer of the frozen crystals.

it was only november, yet the heavens had sent them snow already. and to be fair, roseanne wasn't complaining. 

she smiled as she started to move up the hills, knowing that she was approaching her lovely home.  

her and her best friend, jennie, were actually neighbors, which was quite fun. this meant that she could show her new purchase off very soon, as all she had to do was go to the mansion next door. even tho it was a five-minute drive.

the moment the car stopped at the entrance of her house, she got out, hugging her black fur coat tighter around her body, before grabbing her purse and made her way inside.

"the room is ready right?" she asked one of her maids, who nodded and bowed slightly, before helping her out of her coat "yes ma'am. it is exactly like you wanted it to be."

she grinned and stretched herself before yawning a bit and walked inside.

"good. now, all we have to do is wait."

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[snowdice]

Masterpost (Old)

This is an old, slightly broken Masterpost, but I might not remember to change all the links. The new one is here.

If you would just like to see all of my writing, I tag everything with #adriana writes on my blog. Click here for everything in chronological order of my posting. Click here for my AO3 account.

Completed fics are marked complete in their summary. You can click on the universe tags to read fics for that universe in chronological order of my posting.

The Prison You Deserve: (Complete) Virgil should have known better. Trying to help only ever ended badly for him. After a misunderstanding, Virgil gets thrown into the most infamous prison across all of the kingdoms, where the most evil criminals are thrown to get what they deserve at the hands of nightmarish creatures from the void. Luckily (for once) Virgil really didn’t deserve it. Trusting that this isn’t just a cruel trick and he isn’t actually going to be tortured though is going to take a while. (In which Patton is a eldritch horror, telepathic nightmare, and still is the sweetest thing on the planet and off it.)

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Bonus Features

Road Trips and Missing Persons:  Patton was just getting groceries. The next thing he knew, there was a knife at his throat and he was an unwilling uber driver. Virgil’s on the run after the murder of his dad, and it’s not just his paranoia that’s telling him he’s being chased down. He has to get somewhere safe, somewhere he can trust, and all he has is a couple of stories from his dad and a name: “Green Bellow Foods and Dispensary.”

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

Mismatched High Heel Shoes: (One-shot: Complete) The boys are having fun. (This was for the #magpie500 event.)

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Cops and Not Robbers AU

You I’ll Come Back For: (Complete) They’d met in a jail cell, you see, but unlike now Patton had not been anywhere near trapped, not that Virgil had been aware of that fact. He’d just seen his sweet little cell mate who’d clearly not done anything to deserve being on that side of the bars. Virgil had said “What did you do to get stuck in this joint?” and Patton had started crying. It had taken zero lies and five hours for Patton to coax out the information he’d needed. He’d thought when he’d pranced up to the bars and told Roman he was ready to leave that the absolutely astonished expression which was quickly slipping into fury would be the last thing he’d ever see of the man whose crimes numbered enough to keep him in prison for the rest of his life. He’d escaped during his transfer to federal prison. (This was a dice fic. It also appears below!)

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Mistaken Identities: (One-Shot: Complete) Roman was just walking out of an ice-cream shop when an unfamiliar man’s irate voice made him pause mid lick and look up. “Dammit Remus, I told you to meet me two blocks that way and you’re getting ice cream?” | Now as an identical twin, especially one with a brother who had a… certain personality, he wasn’t exactly unused to this sort of thing happening. So, he promptly opened his mouth to say, “Oh no I’m not…” | “Remus, I don’t care right now,” he interrupted. “Get in the car.” | “But-” | The man snapped his fingers and a hand descended on his shoulder. “Get him in the car.” | Roman meets Deceit and later Logan when he is mistaken for his brother who is apparently doing SOMETHING with his life.

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A Bloody Handkerchief:   (One-Shot: Complete) Dee and Roman help Logan move and Dee finds something from their past.

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Cuffed Universe

Tea, Cookies, and Handcuffs: (Complete) Logan finds a strange man on his property and of course invites him in for tea.

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What Remains Universe

What Remains of Us: (Complete) Virgil was young, but smart. “How are we going to do this?” he asked. “You’re 12. You can’t get a job or a house.” | “Remember when dad used to read us The Boxcar Children?” he asked. “It’ll be like that. Well, not exactly; there aren’t many old train tracks around, but we’ll find something. I even found an old copy of the book in the $.10 bin at the bookstore. The ending’s ripped out, but we’ve got the part where they figure out how to live in the woods. It’ll be like a guide.” | Patton and his little brother Virgil go on a “hiking trip” after the aunt they’d been living with hit Virgil.

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Remains of Memories: (Complete) Patton is about to graduate high school. As his life changes, he figures it’s time to confront some memories with the people he loves.

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Touch Me Gently Universe:

Touch Me Gently: (Complete) He had a total of four soulmarks: not an unheard-of thing, but rather rare. There were purple fingerprints on his wrist, looking like a day-old bruise from where someone had grabbed him too hard. What his mother had seen when he’d entered the kitchen was actually two soulmarks that overlapped slightly: a light blue one that darkened his lips and a yellow handprint that covered the lower parts of his cheek and jaw. The ring finger and the tip of the pinkie hit his lip, mixing with the blue to look like a sickly greenish-yellow bruise. What his dad had seen peaking out of the top of his t-shirt was a dark blue mark in the shape of fingers around his neck. Roman had been overjoyed when he realized what the marks were after the initial confusion. His parents had been a little less enthusiastic. (Roman meets his soulmates one-by-one and it’s not at all what everyone assumed when they first saw his soulmarks.)

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Bonus Features

Never a Chance to Hate You: (Complete) Logan picks Dee up for a date early in their relationship. Dee reflects on how his perceptions of his soulmates changed once he met them.

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Is There Anything Left of Patton? (Zombie AU; One-Shot Series)  (Complete)

Logan has a secret in his basement. Three months into living with him, Virgil finds that secret. He almost wishes the secret was a simple as he first thought it was. Almost. AO3 Link

Something Left

Someone You’ll Never Meet

Food You’ll Never Eat

Things You’ll Never Do

There are Things You Have Lost

There Are Things That Are Missing

And There is a Question

Is There Anything Left of Patton?

And There is an Answer

But What Does It Mean?

One More Dance  

One More Chance

When There Is Something Left 

Bonus Features   End Credit Scenes

Dilemmas (One-Shots Series)

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” he yelled.| “Patton,” Remus said evenly.|“It doesn’t!” he screamed turning on him viciously. “There’s a big difference between not being sad someone’s dead and… and… and no! No! I wouldn’t be okay with seeing someone I hated die. I wouldn’t!”| “Yes, you would,” Remus said, standing up himself. He pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You would! And you know you would! Do you think you are the only one who can get a read on another side when functions cross? Those thoughts in your head are my domain and I knew exactly what you were feeling when I asked that question!” Virgil was forcibly summoned immediately, eyes wide. Patton and Remus have a philosophical discussion and then will have to deal with the fall out. (AO3 Link)

Moral Dilemmas

Ethical Reasoning

The Dangers of Stereotypes 

When I Can Say I Love You: (Complete) In a world where their very existences are illegal, let alone their relationship, Patton and Logan share a moment discussing what they wish their world could be.

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The Horror of Stereotypes: (Complete) There had always been a certain stereotype about people like him for as long as anyone could remember. After the Heart War of 1963, those stereotypes had been legalized and places like this had been created to enforce the universal truth: everyone had a soulmate. One soulmate. No more and no less. At least they were supposed to. When Remus’s brother gets arrested because of his two soulmarks, Remus risks everything by infiltrating the facility he legally should be in as well due to his own two soulmates to save him. There he meets Logan and it turns out they have a lot in common: they both got hired this week, they both have two soulmates, and they’re both here for the same reason. Oh. And as it turns out, they’re each other’s soulmates too.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Bonus Features

Labeled Universe (A Superhero AU)

Sometimes Labels Fail: (Complete) Logan was good at labels, at categories. Logan sorted the citizens of his city into 6 different categories in his mind: heroes, villains, vigilantes, criminals, government authorities, and civilians, and knew how to deal with each. But… but what was he supposed to do with him. Virgil was just trying to survive, though he didn’t think the part of him that compelled him to throw himself into fights whenever he saw the superhero Bluebird struggling had gotten the memo. His English teacher was right; he really was stupid. When the villain criminal… when Shadow Caster gets injured while throwing himself into the line of fire for Logan, Logan can’t find it in himself to turn him over to be arrested. Luckily, he knows a doctor very, very well. Virgil is going to get kidnapped adopted by the end of it.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Bonus Features

Sometimes Labels Shift (Post Sometimes Labels Fail Stories)

Here’s a timeline for these fics with some commentary.

Mini Fic Series: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty-One Twenty-Two Twenty-Three

Two Dinner Plates: (Complete) A muscle ticked in Logan’s jaw and Virgil tried not to flinch. “We seem to be coming from fundamentally different philosophies on how food should be distributed in a family structure.” In which we finally actually talk about Virgil’s thing™ with food. It goes about how one would expect it to.

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Back to School: (Complete) It’s Virgil’s first day back to school after everything and he has some adjustments to make.Aka a blatant excuse to enact the hug Virgil initiative.

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Sticky Note Pandemonium: (Complete) There were also sticky notes on the kitchen counter, the refrigerator, Virgil’s backpack, and even the oven, not to mention every wall. There was even one sticky note stuck on Logan’s butt.His husband had gone on a rampage.

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Arguments and other ‘A’ Words: (Complete) Logan and Virgil have a row. Virgil’s new family has a weird way of fighting.

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The Things We Haven’t Talked About: (Complete) Patton and Logan have noticed some concerning behavior from Virgil in their month with him. Beyond the flinching and haunted look in his eyes courtesy of his last foster father, there’s something else of concern for Patton and Logan and they really aren’t equipped to deal with it. They enlist some help from a couple of friends.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2

Wind Symphony: (Complete) Patton and Logan are still trying to figure out how to be parents and are worried about strange behavior coming from their new son as of late. Logan takes measures to figure out what is wrong.

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Coffee and Cinnamon Rolls: (Complete)  Remy meets his best friend/bosses new child and immediately has the must protect at all cost urges.

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Virgil’s Birthday:  (Complete) Virgil has his first birthday with Logan and Patton and he’s going to get everything he ever wanted.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Punishments: (Complete) Virgil gets into a fight at school. At home, everyone has to deal with their individual hang ups when it comes to punishments.

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Family Game Night: (Complete) The boys have a nice family game night. Patton gets to deal with figuring out how to not let them cheat with their superpowers.

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Family Science Night: (Complete) Dumb science nerd father and his curiosity-killed-the-cat idiot child play with electricity and superpowers.

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We Need to Put a Bell on Virgil: (Complete) Patton and Logan lose Virgil.

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Pumpkins, Corn, and Caffeine: (Complete) Remy steals Virgil to take him to a pumpkin patch. (A Labeled Universe Fic)

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Vengeance is Soft: (Complete) Logan sighed. Patton was a wonderful man: kind, gentle, and empathetic. He listened and took into account other’s perspectives and feelings on every issue and always did his best to make people feel at east. Patton while sick was an absolute monster. | Patton’s friends and family deal with him while he’s sick and here’s the thing about Patton. Patton is a hypocrite.

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First Week Fics: A collection of fics about Virgil's first week with Logan and Patton in the Labeled Universe.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2

The Importance of Practice: (Complete) Virgil attempts to perform a simple light manipulation trick during training. He fails. (?)

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Lessons From a Book: (Complete) Virgil cannot get anywhere in his training. He guesses he finally manged to piss Logan off.

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Divestment of Childhood: (Complete) Now, the thing about Virgil was, he knew how to sneak out of a house in the middle of the night. He was very, very good at it. If sneaking out of places was something one could go to college for, Virgil could easily get a PhD. He knew all of the tricks. He did none of these things.Virgil runs away from home.

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Virgil’s Culinary Abilities: (Complete)  Patton’s running late so Virgil cooks dinner.

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Relabeled; Refiled (Prequels to Sometimes Labels Fail)

Coffee Shop Meet Cute: (Complete) Is this what falling in love felt like or was Patton just about to pass out from exhaustion? Patton and Logan’s first meeting in the Sometimes Labels Fail Universe.

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Coffee Shop Incident Report: (Complete) Patton and Logan’s first meeting in the Sometimes Labels Fail Universe, but what Logan put in his files about it afterwards.

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The Things We Never Mentioned: (Complete)  “Believe it or not, academia and relationships are not mutually exclusive.” That was likely true, Logan knew. It was also not the problem. The problem was his ability to move things with his mind, a blue suit he kept in his bag, and the mountains of red files he kept hidden in his apartment. No one knew that Logan was Bluebird, the cities resident superhero. He hadn’t even told his parents and he wasn’t planning on doing so. Sharing such a secret with anyone was a danger to everyone involved. He refused to do so. At the same time, he knew that starting a romantic relationship with anyone who didn’t know the truth, was unfair to that person. Inevitably they would find out and there would be a disastrous fallout, but beyond that, starting a relationship on a foundation of lies was a horribly cruel thing to do to another person. These two conflicting rules Logan followed had never posed an issue for him before recently, but…But he did like Patton.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Logan’s 25 Step Plan to Ask a Boy Out: (Complete) “No! Logan look,” she said. “He likes you and you like him. You don’t need a list or a plan or schematics for this. Just walk up to him and ask him out before you hesitate so much that he thinks you don’t like him anymore.” | Logan’s eyes widened. “Is that something that can happen.” | “Oh god, this is hopeless.” | How is Logan so good at, but simultaneously so bad at this?

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Facts on White Chrysanthemums: (Complete) Logicality first kiss in the Labeled Universe.

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Gaps in His Files: (Complete) Logan Berry has learned many things the last 10 years: a lot of math and physics, a bit of humility, and how to be a hero being just a few. Through his education, his experience teaching, and his exploits as the superhero Bluebird, he’s changed in a lot of small and large ways. He has recorded these changes in well-organized documents and files. He’s even had to create two new file designations: a red one for files about his moonlighting at Bluebird, and a light blue one dedicated to his boyfriend, Patton.When Bluebird is targeted by a memory device and all of those 10 years of progress suddenly disappear, Patton Sanders and Logan’s extensive files are left as his only resource to get those memories back. But what is Patton supposed to do when there are clear gaps in his files? And what does he do when he is one of them?

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Epilogue

Remy’s Follow Up Questions: (Complete)  Remy sees Patton for the first time after the closet freak out.

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First Anniversary: Logan and Patton go on a trip for their first anniversary.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Board Games: (Complete) “You’re really going to seduce me to win a monopoly game?” he asked.  | “Is it working?” Logan likes to cheat at board games. Especially at Monopoly.

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The Origin Story of a Yapping Mop: (Complete) Virgil was not the first living creature Logan carried in his arms to Patton. This is how they ended up with a dog.

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Illusory Records (Janus’ story (with a lot of Remus))

A Life That is Yours: (Complete) Decades before he was known the well-known and semi-respected vigilante Deceit, Janus makes a choice. He hopes it is good for the both of them.

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Deceit’s Follow Up Questions: (Complete) So what, if his actions could possibly be construed to look like they were in some way related to helping Bluebird. Maybe an outside might think he was in some way angry about what had happened to the superhero, but that wasn’t what was happening. It just… hit a nerve; it wasn’t a big deal. It did not mean he liked the man. It barely meant he respected him. Ugh. When had he started respecting a superhero?

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Illusions of Grandeur… Or Perhaps Just Illusions: Remus is training to be an undercover super-agent, but training is boring. So, being Remus he… finds some “fun” (read trouble) with the city’s resident vigilante.

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Other

Party Time Boredom: (Complete) Emile is bored at a party, but Bluebird suggests he go talk to a boy.

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Roll the Dice Event

1. Buckets of Roses: (Complete) As far as anyone knew, Logan was supposed to be in class right now. Which begs the question of why and how Roman is now in his room with him. (“And now that I have explained why I am currently in my own dorm room, would you care to explain why you are here?” “Not, um, not particularly.”)

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2. Touch Me Gently: (Complete) He had a total of four soulmarks: not an unheard-of thing, but rather rare. There were purple fingerprints on his wrist, looking like a day-old bruise from where someone had grabbed him too hard. What his mother had seen when he’d entered the kitchen was actually two soulmarks that overlapped slightly: a light blue one that darkened his lips and a yellow handprint that covered the lower parts of his cheek and jaw. The ring finger and the tip of the pinkie hit his lip, mixing with the blue to look like a sickly greenish-yellow bruise. What his dad had seen peaking out of the top of his t-shirt was a dark blue mark in the shape of fingers around his neck. Roman had been overjoyed when he realized what the marks were after the initial confusion. His parents had been a little less enthusiastic. (Roman meets his soulmates one-by-one and it’s not at all what everyone assumed when they first saw his soulmarks.)

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Bonus Features

3. Markups: (Complete) Roman leered down at him, clearly incredibly pleased with himself. “You,” he said as Logan did his best to swallow down the rest of his laughter, “have been criticizing my work all day. Which is basically like you’ve been criticizing me. So…why don’t I return the favor?” He wiggled the uncapped pen in front of Logan’s nose. “You wouldn’t dare,” Logan said lowly. (Logan and Roman do some editing.)

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4. Moral Dilemmas: (Complete) “But that doesn’t make any sense!” he yelled.| “Patton,” Remus said evenly.|“It doesn’t!” he screamed turning on him viciously. “There’s a big difference between not being sad someone’s dead and… and… and no! No! I wouldn’t be okay with seeing someone I hated die. I wouldn’t!”| “Yes, you would,” Remus said, standing up himself. He pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You would! And you know you would! Do you think you are the only one who can get a read on another side when functions cross? Those thoughts in your head are my domain and I knew exactly what you were feeling when I asked that question!” Virgil was forcibly summoned immediately, eyes wide. Patton and Remus have a philosophical discussion and then will have to deal with the fall out.

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5. You I’ll Come Back For: (Complete) They’d met in a jail cell, you see, but unlike now Patton had not been anywhere near trapped, not that Virgil had been aware of that fact. He’d just seen his sweet little cell mate who’d clearly not done anything to deserve being on that side of the bars. Virgil had said “What did you do to get stuck in this joint?” and Patton had started crying. It had taken zero lies and five hours for Patton to coax out the information he’d needed. He’d thought when he’d pranced up to the bars and told Roman he was ready to leave that the absolutely astonished expression which was quickly slipping into fury would be the last thing he’d ever see of the man whose crimes numbered enough to keep him in prison for the rest of his life. He’d escaped during his transfer to federal prison.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

6. The Horror of Stereotypes: (Complete) There had always been a certain stereotype about people like him for as long as anyone could remember. After the Heart War of 1963, those stereotypes had been legalized and places like this had been created to enforce the universal truth: everyone had a soulmate. One soulmate. No more and no less. At least they were supposed to. When Remus’s brother gets arrested because of his two soulmarks, Remus risks everything by infiltrating the facility he legally should be in as well due to his own two soulmates to save him. There he meets Logan and it turns out they have a lot in common: they both got hired this week, they both have two soulmates, and they’re both here for the same reason. Oh. And as it turns out, they’re each other’s soulmates too.

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Bonus Features

7. Remains of Memories: (Complete) Patton is about to graduate high school. As his life changes, he figures it’s time to confront some memories with the people he loves.

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8. Tea, Cookies, and Handcuffs: (Complete) Logan finds a strange man on his property and of course invites him in for tea.

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9. A Mystery in a Mask (but Not Out of It): (Complete) Roman accidentally sleeps with a co-worker, but since his job is being a superhero and they all wear mask, he’s not sure which co-worker. Also Patton got kidnapped.

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10. Pumpkins, Corn, and Caffeine: (Complete) Remy steals Virgil to take him to a pumpkin patch. (A Labeled Universe Fic)

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11. Where Ghosts Live: (Complete) Logan meets three ghosts on the way to his destination. All of them have different things to say.

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12. The Death of Benji (Complete) A crime has been committed in the mindscape. Patton and Janus investigate. Virgil semi-reluctantly helps.

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[boymeetsweevil]

SS3 - MYG, Fluff, 1791w

You’re not even supposed to be on the pay roll anymore because you’re supposed to be phasing yourself out of work entirely. There’s a new intern that you’ve been training a few days a week to take over for you until he’s competent enough to let you fully withdraw from your position as secretary to the CEO of Min Corp.

Said intern has just called you with what sounds like tears thickening his voice to inform you that Min Yoongi, said CEO, is terrorizing the employees.

“Jungkook,” you use the same tone you might use to calm down a lost toddler in a grocery store. “Take a deep breath for me please.”

A shaky breath crackles through your phone speaker.

“Good. Now tell me what Yoongi’s doing. What do you mean he’s terrorizing people?”

“Yoongi—I mean, Mr. Min has made three separate IT workers cry because of jammed printer and he sent the head accountant into a panic attack with a request for a two week advance on the quarter reports.”

You sigh and lift a hand that was submerged in the fragrant bath you’d drawn to pinch at the bridge of your nose.

“Did you read the 3rd section of the binder I gave you? There should be stuff in there for when we need to increase speed in specific departments. There’s outside agents we can enlist—”

“I called them, and they’ve agreed to come help out and I’ve gotten the paperwork for their payments ready.”

“Okay. What about the printer?”

“I unjammed it myself. It s-seems to be working fine.”

“Good! So just tell him and I’m sure that’ll solve things.”

“I don’t—I don’t feel super comfortable talking to him right now.”

“Jungkook, I told you that Yoongi is normally very rational. If you tell him the problem’s solved, there’s nothing to be scared of.”

“Sorry, you’re right.”

He’s quiet then. The sound of paper small clinks in the background grab your attention.

“What’s that sound?”

“It’s nothing!”

“Jungkook.”

“It’s not a big deal. I just...he also,” Jungkook sniffs a meek little sound, “knocked over my lego replica of the office. It was an accident though—”

“I’ll leave in 5 minutes. Don’t let him leave his office, barricade the door if you have to.”

It’s defeated tone of voice that makes you get out of the tub you were soaking in. Water gets everywhere and the calming atmosphere you had painstakingly set up so you could have a lazy morning and afternoon is long gone.

Jungkook barely has any time to protest or beg you not to mention him calling you before you hang up.

Normally Yoongi is all bark and no bite. There’s no need to bite when his reputation as a former gangbanger preceded him so well. Too well, in some cases. Yoongi came from almost nothing and turned to illegal activities as a child in an act of desperation to care for his ailing mother. He’d learned about (legal) business after one of his elderly bosses took a liking to him and showed him some of the ropes.

Even after he started getting out of the gang and getting interested in business, it took years to get past the fearful glances and rejections that so many people in the industry sent his way. It was only after a lucky investment that he was able to start building his business from scratch.

Now, he’s able to care for his family and provide means for his employees to do the same while running a successful head hunting firm. When you were fresh out of college and looking for work anywhere, he was the only one that took a chance on your meager application. He was ruthless back then, but so were you.

So in 9 years of acting as his right hand, it was inevitable that you would learn about his past. No one else at the company knew that it nearly cost him his life to start this new chapter. He has the scar on his shoulder to prove it. Sometimes when it gets close to a certain time of year the memory of what he almost lost creeps over him.

When you finally arrive you find Jungkook gnawing on his thumb as he eyes the door to Yoongi’s office unblinkingly. The walls of the office are soundproofed to protect the confidentiality of his clients when he has important meetings and phonecalls, but you can still hear the way he snarls into the phone.

“How long has he been like that,” you ask as you hang up your coat behind Jungkook’s desk. The lego office lies in a heap of probably more than a thousand pieces in a pilfered custodian’s bucket. You can’t help but frown.

“About 20 minutes on the phone. Maybe a few hours today in general.”

“Alright. I'll go in.”

“Is that safe,” he eyes you with poorly hidden awe as you move towards the door.

“Is a zookeeper safe when they enter a tiger’s cage?”

“No?”

“That’s your answer, I guess.”

“Seokjin, I don’t give a flying fuck about the new cases. I gave those to your team weeks ago. Bring me an update on the Simmons case, or I swear I’ll come down there and pull it out your ass myself.”

The sound of the door to the office closing has him rushing to end the call so he can redirect the yelling. He tosses his phone back onto the glass surface of his desk with a harsh crack and turns to face the skyline in the window, his back facing you.

“I thought I told you I don’t want any more of that shit you call tea. It’s doing fuck all to calm me down so why don’t you—”

“Mr. Min, please take a seat.”

The line of his shoulders, already grimly hunched, shoots up further. He clearly wasn’t expecting you. It’s your day off. Technically.

“What are you doing here?” His voice is still low and tense, but the volume is significantly softer.

“Please take a seat, Mr. Min.”

There’s no need for pretenses when the two of you are alone. You could curse him with the foulest language you have for being an ass to the people who keep his company functioning like the well oiled machine that it is. But you know that your message is that much louder by using your professional voice with him.

He turns then, dark brows set heavy over stormy eyes. It would be incredibly intimidating if it weren’t for the slight turn in his lower lip giving him a subtle petulant expression. Someone’s having a bad day.

Grumbling the entire time, Yoongi takes himself to the long leather sofa that rests off to the side of the office. You make your way over to the couch as well after peering at his desk. It’s covered in papers as if he dumped onto the table one of the folders that he normally organizes with great care. The collection of expensive fountain pens that he’s received as gifts from various successful deals lay strewn about as well. And there’s a hairline crack running through the surface of the ornate globe he received as a birthday gift from one of his old bosses.

When you finally come to stand behind him, the grumbling has been replaced with silent fuming. His arms are crossed and his silk tie hangs like a dead snake around his neck after being roughly undone.

With no words, you reach forward and slide the shoulders of his jacket down  his arms. 

“You don’t have to,” he sighs a moment later. If you listen closely you can already hear the embarrassment from letting his emotions get the best of him.

Ignoring him, you dig your fingers into the meat of his shoulders. He jumps and lets out a hiss as you drag the pads of your fingers over the raised skin of his scar beneath the fine cotton of his button down. A low curse leaves his lips but nothing more comes out as you continue to untangle the muscles that had somehow knotted up impressively during the few hours of the day that had passed. You can only imagine how painful the actual injury is despite it having healed a little more than a decade ago. 

It takes a while and your hands cramp up with the amount of force you’re using to massage the pain away. When there’s merely a phantom ache, he raises a hand to grasp one of yours. The action has you freezing up this time. He turns his head so the soft skin of his cheek brushes against your wrist. His cheeks are damp from a few pained tears he shed. His lips press dryly against the back of your palm and he turns more so he can pull your hand forward. It’s awkward but he doesn’t care. So long as he can pepper small kisses against your hands.

“Come back to work,” he says finally. 

“No.”

“Marry me, then.” There’s no flair, no drama. He says it like he’s asking you to run an errand with him.

“No. And stop always asking me that.”

“I’ll stop asking when you stop saying no.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Well, you’ve never given a reason. I deserve that at least.”

He turns to face you then with eyes that are just a tad bit shiny. All of the sharp, feline essence gone when replaced by frustration that’s still plenty fond.

“Because I don’t feel like it yet. And it’s fun to tell you no.”

From this angle, you can see the very top of the tiger tattoo he got when he was not yet a man. It peaks out of from underneath his collar. You pick up his tie and loop it back around his neck while he’s distracted.

“Have pity on me” he lays his cheek back on your wrist as you finish up a simple Windsor knot. “I’m just a simple man who wants to settle down with the love of his life.”

“How about you go apologize to everyone for your outburst,” he winces but looks properly ashamed. “And then maybe I’ll think about it.”

“Fine.”

“And make sure you give a special apology to Jungkook for ruining his replica.”

“To the temp, are you kidding me? The kid put it on the edge where it was begging to get broken. I’m pretty sure the tail of my jacket did it.”

“Just do it, Yoongi.”

He leans in then, nose brushing against yours. “Say yes and I’ll even hire someone to rebuild it for him.”

“Go apologize already.”

He huffs but strides to the door with purpose.

“Promise you’ll think about it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

[dawniebb]

You thought this was over but it isn’t lol

Y’all thought @healing-winston-pratt and I were over but no :) and this is my turn to take the wheel again so hello :3

@novadreamer95438 Yo wanted to be tagged so here you go, we’re thrilled to have you here <3

And also @novas-tunnel-of-anxiety you also asked me to be tagged in my stuff so there you go, hon <3

Before you read this new list, you might want to check our previous content about this canon divergence:

Winston and Dawnie’s guide to ignore the canon (Tumblr hates me and won’t show the link so here we go https://dawniebb.tumblr.com/post/624197118868013056/canon-is-an-illusion)

Nova trying to find Callum while refusing to acknowledge she’s in pain

Winston is alive but life sucks (Fic edition)

Same as above but it’s a comic so it hurts more

Callum wakes up from a very violent c-section (Comic)

Thing is 

We have a whole AU (well, it’s more likely just canon divergence)  so let’s see how things turn out for Narcissa and Leroy uwu 

You thought we forgot Leroy but we didn’t lmao and Danna needs a wife so here we goooo

So, as we already know, Narcissa is the one who put The Rejects together, and she promised them a new life.

She basically doomed herself 

yikes :) 

So, obviously, she now has to help them leave Gatlon. And we figured that, then, that would mean Leroy and her would travel together. 

The Rejects leave through the catacombs; they probably stole  some cars once they were outside the dome in order to leave the city.

Cut to Narcissa taking the passenger’s seat in Leroy’s yellow car because we say so.

The Rejects drive together until they feel the wave that drains their powers, and they have to stop to panic because they have no damn clue on what is happening.

Then the Supernova happens and they have their powers back so… They go back to their runaway before anything else happens.

They arrive to the nearest city in around four hours and stop to get supplies, but Narcissa keeps staring back at where Gatlon is supposed to be.

And Leroy tells her that, if there’s a chance Nova outsmarted Ace (and he knows his daughter her so he has faith), he’s taking the risk to going back to Gatlon.

He subtly suggests she can come too, but she says she’s still in debt with the Rejects.

But is she, though?

She has already taken them out of Gatlon and honestly, we don’t think they’ll stick together as a new gang or something.

They’re probably going to split out and take their own ways and Millie tells her so, and that’s how the two of them find themselves driving back to Gatlon like champions.

So then they enter back into Gatlon, empowered, like Dawnie when she failed Math and still went to watch Moana. 

And Narcissa, bc she’s a good person and has common sense, asks Leroy if there’s anything she can do for him bc he’s a war criminal who can’t go outside that much hee hee and the one thing Leroy asks is for her to tell him where he can find Nova. 

Narcissa does it, as it’s easier for her to move through the city without getting arrested af. She tells Leroy Nova is at the hospital with Winston, so Leroy waits until they’re both released to find a way to see Nova. 

And he finds it. We don’t know if any of you have watched Kipo :’) (YOU SHOULD BTW BC IT’S THE BOMB) but Leroy basically pulls a Lio and leaves traces/hints for Nova to find him. Like, very specific things only she could understand bc, even if she didn’t have powers, she would still be considered a prodigy child lmao kiddo was playing with syringes without getting them in her eyes when she was 6. 

Leroy waits….very patiently, btw, for a couple of days (3-4 days?) until one night he sees a tiny af silhouette  walking around the place like a cat and he just knows is her. 

And she is, indeed. 

So when she gets closer, she hugs him. It’s a very uncomfortable hug bc Leroy is not used to touch people, and Nova isn’t either. But yeah, they have a moment :) 

They talk for a while, and when Leroy asks her how she’s doing, as in where she’s living, where she’s getting money from and stuff like that, she answers that she recently rented an apartment where she’s living with Winston because he’s recovering and it’s not like Nova will be willing to leave him alone knowing he was one of the people that raised her and showed her actual love :v 

Leroy starts reconsidering his plan to remain hidden once he’s made sure Nova has it together lmao. 

ofc he doesn’t tell her this, and after promising (indirectly) everything will be alright and that this might not be the last time they talk, they just go into their separates ways. 

Until Simon calls Nova later that night telling her Leroy is at the HQs, surrendering lmao.

And so she goes there to ask him wtf is he doing, and Leroy might not directly tell her this, but he has nothing left to lose. And if he leaves, the only thing he’ll do is separate himself from Nova, who is like...the only family he has left.

So he wants to surrender because, that way, at least, he has a chance to get a sentence that might allow him get out of jail before he dies. 

Might.

The thing is that, well, we know the Renegades caused Nova to go through a lot of awful stuff. And we suppose they know that too :v so, what they do while both Nova and Leroy are in the room, is that they get to an agreement. 

Like, they don’t tell them the sentence in that VERY moment, but they do talk about how Leroy was always a very...neutral entity and barely anything he did was illegal :V ...besides being an accomplice ofc 

Even so, Nova is hesitant about this whole thing, but Leroy is an adult and she can’t tell him what to do, so he agrees to go into trial :v 

Given the fact that he didn’t have that many aggravating crimes and, in the end, he DID switch sides in the Second Battle for Gatlon, he’s sentenced to one year in prison and community service.

What we’re trying to say is that the Council basically pulled a Cinder and spared Leroy bc he helped win the battle. 

Before going to prison, Leroy reveals to Nova that, in the end, he did keep a little Agent N as a last resource (just in case, y’ know), and gives it to her. Not to use it on herself, but to use it on Winston, who is evidently miserable with his powers back :’). 

So Nova does, WHICH MEANS IN THIS CANON WINSTON HAS NO POWERS. EVERYTHING GOOD. OK? 

And that was the last sample of Agent N, since the rest (whatever back up the Renegades could have had in labs) was destroyed when Ace lifted the city and there is no way to replicate it without Max’s gifted blood.

Perhaps the formula and data were also destroyed.

During the year Leroy is locked, the Council (mostly Simon and Hugh) provide Winston and Nova with stuff they need to live lmao. Like, a small house :) bc they can :) 

Once Leroy is out, he starts living with them. Like a family. Bc we say so :) 

As for Narcissa, once she’s back at Gatlon, she stays with Danna for a while (omg there was only one bed) before getting a job in a library, y’know :) and moving to an apartment. 

Now, Nova DOES forgive the Renegades. Because, honestly, guys, a big part of the hatred she showed towards them was bc they promised they would come and then they didn’t. 

But turns out they did lmao.

During the Battle, Nova learned that Georgia Rawles died on her way to save her family. 

AND IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS, DYING WASN’T GEORGIA’S FAULT :’) 

But anyway, this leads Nova to kinda… consider getting along with the Renegades, because in the end they DID try. Like, she forgives all of the “Bc you promised you would save me” stuff, but she remains firm on the fact that their system can suck it bc it’s horrible 

So said system changes for good, and Nova herself helps the Council establish more laws in order to make this less of a dictatorship lol. 

She even pressures them into making the recruitment process more moderated; now, before attending the trials, aspirants must go through an interview that is, basically, like a job interview to make sure they’re qualified to have a position as important as a Renegade (y’know, Nova wants the Council to s t o p hiring people like Team Frostbitch) and if they don’t pass that interview, they can’t go to the trials; they also have to go through a training process even AFTER they’ve been chosen by a team.

We could talk about all the legal reforms we like to think they made more in depth, but for now, our job here is done :)

*Insert happy ending*

[honeypiehotchner]

Deception (John Watson x OFC) -- part seventeen

I think I’ve made you guys wait long enough, so I won’t be hesitating to post these last few parts. The epilogue is all that’s left. This one is pretty sad, I won’t lie :( 

Small mention/warning for pregnancy/abortion.

“These are yours, I do believe,” Sherlock says, nudging my arm.

           I turn and look to see he has my heels from the restaurant we’re leaving behind. “Thanks.” I take them from him angrily. He pauses walking, allowing me to use his arm to help me stay balanced while I slip back into them. Ahead of us, John continues walking, clenching and unclenching his hand, a habit I thought he had kicked a few months ago. The sight of his sunken shoulders and loud footsteps has my heart aching, and I know it’s all my doing.

           I know it’s only going to get worse.

           Inside the small restaurant – the name I didn’t bother to even catch – John sits across from Sherlock and I at a table for four. When I tried sitting next to John, he silently glared at the chair. That was enough for me to move next to Sherlock.

           Unbeknownst to the idiot private detective next to me, I would also like to slam his head into a wall right now. But I won’t. If I kick his ass, it’ll be done privately.

           John is silent, giving me the time to lay into Sherlock.

           “You couldn’t have talked to me about this?” I nearly yell at him. “You could’ve come to my house, not crashed our fucking dinner reservation and gotten yourself thrown out of the place!”

           “If I remember correctly it was John who punched me.”

           “Because you’re a giant idiot with no concern for anyone’s feelings!”

           “I could say the same about you,” Sherlock replies testily, narrowing his eyes. “When were you going to tell him?”

           I glare at the man before me. “Faking your death is not a good look on you, Sherlock. It changed you.”

           Sherlock merely tilts his head, firing up his next witty remark, but John speaks before he can. “Answer him.”

           I turn my head to my boyfriend – can I still call him that? “What?”

           “You heard me,” John replies, all affection gone from his tone. “I want to know. When were you going to tell me you knew him? And anything else I’m sure you’ve been lying to me about. Surely knowing him isn’t the only thing.”

           “John…”

           “Don’t,” he snaps, shaking his head. “Don’t. Just tell me.”

           So I do. “My real name is Nicole Jane Stewart,” I say. “You knew me—”

           “I don’t know you at all. Keep going.”

           The blow stings when it hits me, but I nod, continuing. “I’m a retired federal agent. Or I was. About a year and a half ago, Mycroft came to me asking for my help. I wasn’t going to agree because I’ve been out of work for a long time, but Sherlock and I were friends, and Mycroft knew I could never say no to helping out a friend.”

           John scoffs. I blink the tears out of my eyes, catching one before it has the chance to fall.

           “My job was simple, to be your therapist and to keep you sane. I have a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling Services, so it wasn’t illegal at all. I was to report to…Mycroft about your wellbeing every month. It was for your safety, John.”

           “Great,” John shakes his head, nodding to Sherlock. “So while you were dead, your brother kept tabs on me through an undercover government spy right under my nose.”

           “I’m not a spy—”

           “You might as well be,” John interrupts me, his gaze falling on me, and I flinch when it does. “So all this time, you knew?”

           I nod slowly.

           “You knew he was alive and you let me grieve and you—We went to his bloody fucking gravesite—!”

           “I know!” I cry, wanting nothing more than to hold him as I tell him all this. That was the plan I had in mind, as silly as it sounds now. To be at home, my house, on the couch, holding him close, confessing it all. “I know, and I’m sorry, but you have to understand, falling in love wasn’t part of the plan. I was only supposed to be your therapist, but then you asked me out—”

           “So this is all my fault then, is it?”

           “No, John, it’s not, that’s not what I’m—”

           “Then don’t say it like it is,” he bites through every word, his eyes showing a hatred toward me that I never thought I’d see. It’s chilling. “Don’t. Pretend. That you care about me, when you let this happen. If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have done this to me.”

           There is no point in arguing with him. None at all. I nod.

           “That’s it?” John continues. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”

           “Nothing I say will make this better or change what happened,” I reply slowly, catching another tear on my finger. “I love you, John. My feelings for you have and always will be real. You have to know that.”

           He looks down, saying nothing.

           That’s that, then.

           I stand from the table, wincing as the chair squeaks against the tile. “I’m going to go,” I announce. “So you two can talk the rest of this out. Goodbye, John.”

           He barely moves.

           I look down at Sherlock. “Goodbye. I hope faking your death was worth it.”

           I brush past him and the table, not looking back. There’s no point in it. I was foolish and let myself believe John wouldn’t care. I was foolish and in love and it’ll never happen again.

           Never.

+++

Mycroft stares at me almost solemnly from his desk. I came here to see if he can fire up the private jet tonight and get me the hell out of England as soon as possible. Apparently, since he’s Mycroft, he can. The pilot said he should be ready in an hour.

           I return all of the documents and devices, including Jane’s iPhone. I’ll get a new one when I get back to America, or maybe I won’t. Who knows.

           I requested that Mycroft have some clothes for me to change into, and thankfully he supplied me with sweatpants and a hoodie. It’s exactly the kind of comfort I need right now.

           When I emerge from the bathroom in my new clothes, I muster up a weak smile. “Thank you for getting the jet and all. You can take it out of my funds for the pilot. I imagine he’s not happy to be flying at nine at night.”

           “That won’t be necessary,” Mycroft waves my offer away. “And the pilot is a night owl. It’s why I hired him for moments like these.”

           I nod, not in the mood for anymore arguments.

           “Thank you,” Mycroft says suddenly. “For coming out of retirement.”

           “No problem.”

           “I know it wasn’t easy,” Mycroft continues, and by the look in his eyes, I know exactly what he’s alluding to. “But John Watson would not have survived if it weren’t for you.”

           “If you say so,” I mutter. “I think he would’ve been better off without ever meeting me.”

           “I don’t think so,” Mycroft shakes his head. He eyes me for a moment, up and down, before settling back on my face. “You’re pregnant.”

           “I know,” I murmur. “Or I had my suspicions.” I only had half a glass of wine last night because with every sip, something felt off. And I opted for water tonight at dinner because of it. “I haven’t taken a test yet, but I will once I’m home.”

           Mycroft furrows his eyebrows. “You aren’t going to tell John?”

           “What’s the point?” I shrug, looking up through my tear-soaked lashes. “He wants nothing to do with me. I doubt a child will change that. It’s better if I just go.” I don’t even know if I’ll keep it.

           Mycroft must have read my mind just from my expression. He doesn’t mention it, though, and for that I’m grateful. All he says instead is, “I’m sorry, Nicole.”

           “Yeah,” I chuckle sadly. “Me too, Mycroft.”

           He nods, sensing the nearing end. “Well. I’ll call a car to take you to the airport. The pilot should be ready by the time you arrive.” He pauses. “You’ll let me know when you’re home safe?”

           “Sure,” I smile. Despite our differences, Mycroft has always seen and protected me as a sister. Even if sometimes his actions seemed twisted. “I’ll send an email.”

           “Alright,” he murmurs.

           I take a seat in the cushioned chair against the wall. I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall. Mycroft talks on the phone briefly before hanging up.

           “The car is outside, whenever you’re ready.”

           “Okay,” I whisper, opening my eyes. “You know, Mycroft, I get it now.”

           He raises his eyebrows. “Get what?”

           I keep my gaze on the picture opposite of me. “Why you’re alone. It’s easier.”

           “I don’t know about it being easier,” he admits, folding his hands. “But it’s hard to find love in this line of work.”

           “Caring is not an advantage, I think you said once.” I scoff, shaking my head. “How right you were.”

           I push myself up from the chair, surprised to find Mycroft is walking around his desk toward me.

           “I’ll walk you up,” he says. “I’ll never ask another favor from you, Agent Stewart. I swear.”

           “Please,” I try not to cry. “Just call me Nicole. I’m a shit agent.”

           “You’re not,” Mycroft protests lightly, pulling the door open for me. “But as you wish, Nicole.”

           We walk up the stairs and out front to the car in silence. Mycroft stands on the sidewalk as the car door is opened for me. At the last minute, I wrap my arms around him in brief hug. I’m not sure if I just needed one, if he looked like he needed one, or if I thought he deserved it after our conversation. But regardless, he hugs me back, swearing to me once more that he won’t ask another favor of me.

+++

The private jet touches down in America around ten at night. I’m at my home by eleven.

           Everything is the same as I left it.

           I grab my laptop and search for the charger. Once I find it, I plug the computer in and wait for it to come up. As soon as it does, I send an email to Mycroft, letting him know I have arrived and am back home now.

           He replies quickly (the notification nearly scares me half to death) and tells me thank you. And that John called him looking for me.

           I read it, but I don’t reply.

[wordywarriorwrites]

Chapter 16: Exsanguinate

Masterlist: The Boss of Brooklyn  A03 Story Link Author: @wordywarriorwrites​ Summary: When it comes to being The Boss, James Buchanan “JB” Barnes rules with an iron fist. For him, there’s no room for sentiment, and certainly no time for distraction, even if it is in the form of an old flame. Steve Rogers had bowed out of the life a long time ago, but a twist of fate brings him right back into the fold, and face-to-face with a man he once loved. When a game of cat and mouse turns into a matter of life and death, both will be forced to decide whether they’ll be loyal to the business, or faithful to each other. A/N: Bucky Barnes Mob Boss AU. Stucky. For: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan Star’s Multi-Fandom Follower Celebration with the prompt, “Why did you do it?” & @sherrybaby14 Sherry’s Fall Into You Challenge with the prompt, “Show me. Prove that you can handle me.” Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, alcohol, smoking, explicit sexual content, illegal activities. *Re-blogs are welcome. Plagiarism isn’t. *

It had been five months since the sit down in Bermuda.

Twenty-three uneventful weeks since Fury said his goodbyes. 155 days since the leadership restructure was cemented. 3,720 profitable, peaceful hours, and Steve hadn’t been required to do anything more than provide status updates to Natasha.  

But the respite ended via a hand-delivered missive he’d hoped -- in vain -- not to receive.

An envelope made from heavy paper stock; his name etched in calligraphy across the front; a wax seal with a bygone coat of arms for the Families on the back; and inside, a hand-carved announcement that displayed birthday celebration details for James Buchanan “JB” Barnes. As a standing member of the Families, Steve was required to make an appearance and pay homage. He couldn’t ignore or decline it, because if he did, it would be an insult, and he had no desire to deal with the fallout or consequences of issuing a mere -- albeit well-deserved -- snub.

All arrangements had been made in advance, and the only thing Steve had to do was arrive on time, and comport himself appropriately. Seventy-two hours later, he was off to New York, and during the five-hour flight, he meticulously planned and timed everything. Get there at nine; shake hands and make nice with the appropriate people; appear in a few photos to prove he’d been in attendance; duck out before they cut the cake; and be back in the West Indies before anyone noticed he’d left.

It should’ve been that simple, but as with all things concerning the Families, it wasn’t.

Thor hemmed-and-hawed and attempted to push one of his less-than-stellar newbies off on him. Tony wanted his opinion about the cops they had on their payroll and whether or not they should be compensated even more because of the additional heat the expansion brought on. Clint needed to know if there was a more expedient and cost-efficient route for shipments, and if he had a preferred contact at the Port Authority out his way. Wanda insisted on going over the quarterly financials, and wanted to introduce him to a man she guaranteed would be a perfect match for him professionally and personally.  

By the time he’d extracted himself from the Families and their nonsense, Rhodey, Carol, and Scott had arrived. They weren’t obligated to make an appearance, but they’d surprisingly showed up, which meant his escape timeline got thrown off even more. It was his duty to make appropriate introductions on their behalf, and those presentations had to be finessed and unhurried. Sam had also tracked him down, and though Steve enjoyed catching up with him, he really just wanted to leave.

“He wants to see you,” Natasha informed as they posed for the photographer. “Privately.”

“Not going to happen,” Steve bit out through his faux-smile.

As soon as the camera stopped flashing, Steve dropped his arm from around Natasha’s waist, and placed his untouched champagne flute on a nearby table. He eyeballed the nearest exit and checked the time on his phone; it was fifteen-minutes to midnight, which meant the guest of honor would arrive soon, and he needed to get gone.

“Don’t even think about it,” Natasha warned.

Her veiled threat was easily ignored, but he wasn’t able to disregard the arrival of two, fully-armed security guards. Whether Steve liked it or not, they would fulfill their orders, and he knew they had no qualms about using force. Since it was neither the time nor the place to cause a scene, Steve chose to go quietly, and followed them to the elevator. The three of them flanked him all the way up to the penthouse suite and announced their arrival by two-way radio. Another bodyguard opened the door and patted him down before they were ushered inside.  

The entryway opened up to an expansive room with tasteful artwork, expensive furnishings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. A flat-screen television was mounted above the fireplace with a built-in wet bar on one side and a chaise lounge on the other. A glass-top desk was situated to the left of the sofa. To the right was a set of stairs, tucked behind a half-wall that separated the bedroom from the rest of the space.

A muffled rush of water; a turn of a doorknob; a heavy footfall. Bucky was heard before he was seen, and when he stepped out of the bathroom, Steve pointedly kept his eyes focused on the skyline view.  

“Anything else you need, Boss?” one of the guards asked.

The dismissal must’ve been a silent one, because a few moments later, all three hired guns left the room. Natasha stayed behind only long enough to remark that she’d left the paperwork on the desk, and then, promptly departed. As soon as the door was closed and they were alone, Bucky poured himself a drink, took a seat, and picked up the folder.  

“I want you to take a look at this,” he ordered.  

Steve sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, “What is it?”

Bucky’s clipped response of, “Take a seat and see for yourself,” set off all sorts of warning bells in his head. The glare he received when he impolitely snatched the file out of Bucky’s hands didn’t bode well, either, and Steve barely got through the first two pages of the dossier before his knocking knees forced him to sit down hard in a chair on the opposite side of the desk.

With the death of the betrayers and Fury’s departure, the entire matter should’ve been put to rest, but Bucky apparently had an axe to grind, and hadn’t let it go. Based on what Steve had reviewed, he knew the additional skeletons in the closet had been uncovered on Bucky’s order, and as he continued to read, he learned the Families had been exceptionally and dangerously thorough.

They’d found Steve’s connection to Phil and paid both him and Bruce to go down the rabbit hole. The two of them had pulled on every, single thread until the entire web unraveled. Every misdeed and act of duplicity had been unearthed, and it showed that at one time or another, each member of his own crew had either sold out, overthrown, or was somehow indirectly or even outright directly responsible for the death of their previous Bosses.

The only person Rhodey, Carol, and Scott hadn’t betrayed was Fury, but that didn’t matter, because their past transgressions were being seen as a preview of things to come. They’d been in the game awhile, but didn’t have generations upon generations of history and convention and blood keeping them loyal. And the Families – well, they believed one bad apple could spoil the whole bunch, and given what Maria had done, they weren’t going to allow anyone else the chance to stab one of their own in the back again.

It was the reason for the pre-arranged travel. It explained why Thor, Tony, Clint, Wanda, and Sam had monopolized him from the moment he’d arrived. It clarified why everyone Steve had introduced his people to had been curt or downright indifferent. Natasha had purposefully extracted him so he couldn’t save them, and under the guise of protecting the Families interests, Bucky had them wiped out.

People had been informed. Funds had been re-distributed. Contracts had been drawn up. Sam, Bruce, and Natasha would be sent to the West Indies as replacements. The only thing left to do was ensure Steve signed off on the already-completed execution orders.

He couldn’t say he was surprised by the turn of events, but the last few pages did shock him, and the formal verbiage in the declaration was clear. Should Steve wish it, he could vacate his seat without penalty, keep what he’d amassed, and receive an even better retirement package than what Fury had been given. If he didn’t fight it – if he kept his mouth shut and put ink to paper – he would be free.

“You’re going to let me go?” Steve wondered incredulously.  

Bucky retrieved a pen from his pocket and placed it on the desk, “Don’t mistake this for anything other than what it is.”

“Then, why?” Steve demanded lowly. “Why did you do it?”

“Because you’re mine,” Bucky asserted as he polished off his drink. “And I don’t let people fuck with what’s mine.”

Steve closed his eyes and shook his head. Those words would have made him drop to his knees five years ago, but now? Now, those words didn’t mean shit to him, because they didn’t come from a place where statements like that should come from. It wasn’t primal instinct, passion, or hell, even affection that made him say it.

The man sitting across from him wasn’t Bucky anymore – he was JB – Boss of bosses.

And this was just business.

He nodded his head toward the contract, “You said you were ready. So, show me. Prove that you can handle me.”

“No,” Steve bit out as he tossed the paperwork down on the desk and got to his feet. “Not this way. Not like this – not now, not ever.”

Bucky stood up, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he retorted. “And on top of that – go fuck yourself.”

When the gun was unholstered, Steve didn’t even flinch; instead, he made himself an easy target, extended his arms, and tauntingly jutted his chin.

“We’re not friends and I sure as hell do not belong to you. So, come on, JB, do it – pull the trigger.”

Bucky’s three-piece suit, Steve’s faded jeans, and two pairs of unflinching, narrowed blue eyes. An opus of bitterness; a symphony of raging regret; a sonata of past sorrows; a melody of carnality atop silk sheets. The tick, tick, tick of the miniature grandfather clock on the desk and a hiss as the air conditioner kicked on. The faint scent of cigars from a previous sit down mixed with a hint of bourbon.

“I think you should reconsider the offer,” Bucky equivocated. “And how you speak to me. I’m not a man to be trifled with.”

“If you were any kind of man at all, you wouldn’t have even put that piece of shit contract in front of me,” he fumed. “It’s an insult and you know it.”

“You never could separate business from pleasure.”

Steve pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. It was a sucker punch and he refused to react to it. With nothing more to say, he headed for the door, but before he left, he paused at the threshold. If he walked out, there would be no turning back, but before he resigned himself to that cold fate, Steve looked over his shoulder at Bucky one, final time.

“You’re right, I never could separate it,” he acknowledged quietly. “But at least I would’ve put you first.”

What the slack-jawed, wide-eyed expression on Bucky’s face meant, Steve would never know, because with those parting words, he opened the door, and walked out.

Chapter 17: Deliverance 

Everything: @jennmurawski13​​​ @nerdy-bookworm-1998​

Steve Rogers: @patzammit @hearttoearth​ The Boss of Brooklyn: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​ @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety​ @captain-rogers-beard​ @lilliannaansalla @captain-s-rogers​

[vadersmom1]

What is a Honeybear?

Read on ao3

When Steve and Bucky move into the house on Vine St., they were greeted by their neighbor that lived two houses down. He was a short brunette that definitely worked with his hands, Steve notes.

“Welcome to the neighborhood!” The man greets. “I’m Tony. I live two houses down. Do you need any help unpacking?”

Steve isn’t sure why, but his voice has stopped working. Bucky steps in, holding out a hand to shake. “Hi, I’m Bucky Barnes and this is my brother, Steve Rogers. We would appreciate the help.”

Tony helps them carry their last truckload of boxes into the house. By the time the last box has been set down, the three of them are laughing and talking aa if they were all old friends. Tony orders pizza from “the best pizza place in town.” When they’re finished, he tells them he has to go.

“He’s kind of cute,” Steve remarks as he and Bucky watch Tony leave.

“He is,” Bucky agrees. “Go for it.”

“I dunno. I would have to make sure he is interested. I don’t want to make our first welcoming neighbor uncomfortable with us.” Steve nudges Bucky’s shoulder. “When is Sam going to be here?”

Sam arrives about twenty minutes later, and the three of them unpack until Bucky decides he is done for the night and drags Sam to bed. Steve checks his phone and sends a quick text off to Sharon about their neighbor before he decides to follow Bucky’s example. It was a long day, and he is exhausted.

Steve keeps Sharon updated on Tony. She had broken up with him two years ago when she realized that she just wasn’t into men. Steve had had a self-realization not too long after that he liked men just as much as he liked women. Six months later, Sharon was dating their friend Maria, and she and Steve had remained friendly. Now he texts her about any new options he’s found. She’s on a long business trip at the moment and is unable to visit.

Tony hangs around a lot. Even though he owns three cars, he lives alone with a few robots, which he has named oddly. He has a DUM-E, a BUTTERFINGERS, and a U. Steve thinks he has another one, or else he names his cars because he knows he’s heard “Platypus” and “honeybear” a few times. It’s a little odd, but Steve finds it endearing. The man drinks more than his healthy share of coffee and somehow manages to injure himself on the dumbest things. If Tony lived with someone, Steve would be afraid that he’s covering up abuse. Tony is a genius – you should see (or hear) the AI that he coded and installed in his home – but he is also so dumb sometimes. He can work out long division in his head, but he has no idea why drinking orange juice right after brushing his teeth is a bad idea. Steve knows he’s smitten, and it has only been a month since they’ve moved in. Sam and Bucky think it’s hilarious and that he should just ask Tony out, but Steve is unsure.

They have had other neighbors welcome them to the neighborhood. Most of them have something to say about Tony, mostly disapproving.

Old Mrs. Oakley tells them that he gets big deliveries and floods the air with exhaust from “those big trucks.” She often wonders why he doesn’t just get them delivered to a warehouse. Steve does wonder if he works from home. He doesn’t know if he’s ever seen Tony leave to go to work.

Janice Teller brings them an apple pie that is a “secret family recipe.” She openly flirts with Steve even though he knows she has a husband and four kids. She tells Steve and Bucky that Tony is a sex addict. There are always people going in and out of his house. Steve has noticed that two read-headed women visit him a lot. Maybe he’s in a polyamorous relationship and really digs redheads.

Mr. Everton, who lives next door to Tony, complains about the noise. Apparently, Tony keeps late hours and blares classic rock and 80’s metal. Bucky just smirks and says he likes Tony’s style.

Karen Packer stops past weekly to catch them up on the latest gossip. When Bucky – to Steve’s mortification – asks if Tony is single, she leans in and tells them, “I hear he’s pansexual or something like that. What is that – attracted to skillets?” And she laughs at own very annoying joke. “Any way, whatever that means. But honestly?” Somehow, she leans in even further. “I don’t know. I think he’s more of a playboy. There have been several people who keep coming back. He did have a black – I mean, African American, I’m sorry – man living with him for a while, but he’s never around anymore. Man probably drove him away what with all his oddities. He must be a lot to deal with.” Steve wants to strangle this woman, so he lets Bucky handle her.

Jessica is a recluse who lives next door to Steve and Bucky. She’s a PI who has a home office. She’s obnoxious and mean to any who approach her, save Tony. To be honest, she is mean and obnoxious to him as well, but it’s a different tone. He returns it, and she gives a hint of a smile. Tony tells Steve and Bucky that they are drinking buddies.

Most people seem to leave Tony alone, and he does likewise. Steve wonders why, then, does Tony seem to knock on their door at 3am because he can’t sleep and needs someone to whom he can talk? They learn that Tony has nightmares from a traumatic experience, and he hates fire, the cold, and closed, dark spaces.

+++++++++++++++

Somewhere around the two-month mark of their new home, Bucky hears a knock on the back door. This is odd because their back door opens to a fenced-in yard. He opens it to find Tony in sweatpants and a flannel that he is quickly trying to button. Bucky catches some scar tissue across his chest.

“Can I help you?” He asks amusedly.

“Yes. I need you to hide me.” Tony pants. “I have someone at my house who is violating a restraining order.”

“Do you want me to call the cops?”

“No. No cops. I’m trying to stay out of the spotlight, not because of anything illegal, but because I used to be famous and I don’t want to be anymore. And she’s a stalker. She didn’t see me, so I don’t know if it’s just a lead she got, or if she really knows I’m here. Do you mind if I stay here until she leaves?” Tony asks.

“Sure. No problem. Want me to get rid of her?” Bucky asks. He knows his glare and prosthetic arm scare a lot of people.

Tony shrugs. “You can try, but she’s pretty persistent.”

Bucky and Steve look out the window blinds. There is a gorgeous woman standing at Tony’s door. After she knocks and rings the doorbell a few times, she stands on the walk, waiting. Bucky opens his door and walks over to Tony’s. “Hi! Can I help you? I don’t think they’re home at the moment.”

“Oh, hi.” The woman says her voice like a syrup. “I’m just looking for Tony. Does he live here?”

Bucky stares at her quizzically. “Tony? I don’t know any Tony’s. You have the wrong house.”

“Are you sure? I was told he lives here.” She starts to get a little pissy.

“Nope. The people who live here are Adam and Julia Batcher. I believe they are both at work.”

“Then who’s car is that?” The lady points at the old Toyota Corolla out front of the house.

Bucky shrugs. “Car broke down about a year ago. Adam bought a new one, but this was his first car, so he doesn’t want to get rid of it.”

“If you’re lying to me,” She threatens, eyes narrowed, “I can make your life miserable.”

“What reason do I have to lie to you?” Bucky makes himself look upset. “I just wanted to help you. But if you want to threaten me, I will have to ask you to leave. We all stick together here, and no one will be happy that you just threatened an ex-soldier who lost his arm on a tour.” He knows his death glare is showing now.

The woman gulps. “I am so sorry. I will be on my way. Thank you for your service.” She hops in her car and drives away.

Bucky scrubs a hand over his face and mutters, “Bitch.”

Tony is awestruck when Bucky returns. “You got her to leave in five minutes. Can I hire you as my bodyguard?” He gushes. “Sunset Bain didn’t know what hit her.” He stays at their house the rest of the day and has one of his redhead friends go home with him in case Sunset is watching.

Tony introduces his friend as Natasha, the second-scariest person he knows. She shakes their hands but looks at them suspiciously. When he leaves, he hugs both Steve and Bucky and thanks them profusely.

Tony starts to hang out with Steve, Bucky, and Sam most days now. He’ll buy expensive steaks and just take them to their house and say he’s providing dinner. They have a weekly movie night, and Tony is a James Bond and Star Wars junkie, so he fits right in. He indulges and feeds Bucky’s conspiracy-fueled brain. Many a night is spent arguing about the moon landing or whether aliens are real, etc. Steve feels that Tony is fitting in so well to his friend group. He can’t wait for Sharon to meet him because he knows they will hit off well.

Steve still hasn’t made his move for two reasons. One, Tony has never seemed too interested in Steve. He flirts with Steve, but he also flirts with Bucky and Sam. Two, he thinks Tony is dating Natasha. They seem awfully close.

Tony seems to be getting happier and happier. He keeps referencing something about “one more month" or “three weeks" and so on. It has something to do with “Honeybear" the car being home to stay. Steve guesses he’s finally made the last payment on his car or something.

+++++++

The day finally comes that Tony has been referring to. Steve is curious to see why today is so special. But Tony just goes about his day like normal.

Steve complains to Bucky when he sees him out working on the Corolla in short shorts and a black wife beater. “It’s like he wants me to see him. The grease stains are so hot. Ugh. I just want to ask him out.”

“Ask who out?” Maria asks, walking in the door with Sharon.

“Tony. Look at him. Isn’t he hot?” Steve sighs.

Sharon looks out the window, and her eyes get big. “No, you better not ask him out!” She growls.

Natasha's car pulls up. Tony rolls out from under the car immediately, and his face brightens. Steve sighs dejectedly. Of course, they’re dating. He looks away.

“Keep watching,” Sharon advises.

An African American man in an army uniform jumps out of the car, and Tony’s face beams. He embraces the man tightly and pulls him into a filthy kiss. Steve’s face forms an ‘O', and Sharon laughs, “Yes, that is why you shouldn’t ask him out.”

“You-you know him?” Bucky asks.

“Yes, he’s my ‘cousin' Tony. My aunt Peggy and his dad were friends. Rhodes is his husband.”

“Why did he never bring up his husband?” Steve questions.

Maria snorts, “Has he mentioned Sugarbear, Honeybear, Sourpatch, Cabbagepatch, Platypus, or anything like that? Tony uses nicknames for those he loves.”

“Yea, I have gotten a lot of Cyborg names,” Bucky says thoughtfully. “And he calls Sam ‘Birdie’ a lot. Steve, doesn’t he call you the ‘great wall of justice’ or ‘Cap'?”

“…And here are Steve and Bucky,” Tony walks up with Rhodes. “Steve, Bucky, I would like you to meet my husband, my honeybear, my sour patch, my lover, and my Rhodey, James Rhodes. Rhodey, this is Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.”

“Call me Rhodey or Jim,” Rhodey sticks out his hand. “This one thinks James is a stupid name. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard tons about you guys.”

“Nice to meet you as well.” Steve replies.

Tony claps his hands. “Ok great! Introductions are made. I hate to kiss and run, but Rhodey just got back from a long deployment. I hope you understand we will need a lot of alone time.” He grins as Steve blushes. “Please excuse us.” Tony all but drags Rhodey out of the house. Seeing Sharon, he pauses, “Hey cuz. Wait you guys know each other?”

Rhodey rolls his eyes and proceeds to pull Tony out of the house, “I thought we needed alone time.”

Steve heaves a sigh of relief once the couple makes it to their door.

“That’s why,” Sharon says. “However, have you met Nat? She might be a good choice for you.”

Steve groans.

[potestessemagishomosexualitatis]

Tangled In Your Heartstrings: Bonus Material

I came up with a whole load of headcanons writing my witch/vampire Secret Santa fic that didn’t make the final cut, so here they are:

The World & Fae

Many different kinds of magic and magical creatures exist in this world, and have been known about by humans for all of human history.

As a rule of thumb, anything that would be illegal to do by non-magical means and/or is obviously immoral is illegal under human law. How much non-humans feel bound by this law varies.

Some magical creatures (”the undead”) were once human. This includes vampires, weres (as in werewolves, werecoyotes, etc.), ghouls and more. Others, including the fae, are distinct species.

Witches are not a separate species, but is a term for humans or undead who have been trained in the use of magic. Every person has some innate magical potential, but how much varies; nearly all humans (or former humans) need training to be able to consciously tap into their power.

Patton, Emile and Deceit are all trained witches with different specialities. Patton and Emile, as professional witches, have formal qualifications to prove they have completed their apprenticeships to a satisfactory level; Deceit has been a witch since before such qualifications existed, but did complete a similar kind of training when he first learned magic. (The apprenticeship tradition of witchcraft dates back hundreds of years.)

There are also higher qualifications for witchcraft that are equivalent to Masters degrees and doctorates. Emile is currently writing his doctoral dissertation on the uses of aura-reading in a therapeutic context.

Fae, on the other hand, are born with magical abilities, which they master during childhood. However, fae magical powers are different from what a witch can do, and are primarily nature-based. They also have a natural talent for enchanting people.

In case it wasn’t clear: Roman, like all fae in this world, is human-sized and has butterfly-type wings on his back, albeit much less fragile than a butterfly’s would be. Finding clothing that fits can be a challenge.

Most fae live in a parallel universe (called “fairyland” in common parlance) and only infrequently travel to the human world, normally preferring nature and outdoor spaces. Fae are big fans of music, art and poetry and have a bad reputation for kidnapping humans they find pretty or who have artistic talent.

Most fae don’t feel beholden to mortal law as they can usually return to fairyland to escape justice, but the rare few who choose to integrate with human society (like Roman) have to obey it.

Fae age slowly, reaching young adulthood at around 150 years old. At this point they stop ageing physically, and they cannot die of old age. However they are still vulnerable to injury, particularly by silver and iron.

Fae are strictly herbivorous, and often eat flowers.

Vampire Lore

Vampires in this universe feed off of “life energy” with blood acting as a conduit. Fresh blood retains more life energy than old blood, and human has more than animal, synthetic blood substitutes (created by magic) barely have any.

A typical healthy vampire feeding schedule is one portion of animal blood daily, supplemented by live human feeds on a weekly-to-monthly basis.

Donors can safely feed a vampire once every 4-6 weeks (it takes less than a typical blood donation) but should be monitored for signs of anaemia. Because Patton is Virgil’s thrall, Virgil can draw on his life energy more efficiently and takes less blood to be satiated, so he can feed from Patton more often (every 3 weeks).

Fae and (most) other magical creatures can be donors too. However, their magical nature can interfere with the energy transfer, making them a less predictable food source. In an emergency, a vampire could feed off another vampire, but because the energy transfer is not 100% efficient there are diminishing returns for this.

Most vampire covens will develop a network of donors that they work with, normally 2-3 per vampire member. Some donors work exclusively with one vampire, others are happy to donate to whoever is in need in a coven.

Feeding normally feels very intimate for the vampire in question, so vamps are often picky about who they will feed from and are reluctant to risk losing a donor to another vampire. In the past, vampires getting “territorial” over donors has been the starting point of several major conflicts between covens.

There are also professional services that will let vampires hire a donor. However, these have a somewhat shady reputation for pushing people to donate more often than is healthy and skimping on disease screening.

Vampires can catch and spread bloodbourne diseases! This is an area Logan is researching (see below) but the need for costly screening is why most vamps feed primarily from animal blood and donors they know well. There are clinics which offer blood screening for live donors.

Beyond feeding: a vampire at full strength can heal almost any injury in a matter of minutes, although doing so will rapidly drain their energy reserves. Traditional vampire weaknesses (e.g. stake through the heart, sunlight) can weaken them, slow healing, or cause them to temporarily discorporate but will not kill them outright.

Vampires typically live in covens of around 5-8 members who share a territory and often (but not always) a living space. Newer members are more likely to live with the coven leader while they are learning, while older ones might move out to live independently or leave to live alone/start their own coven.

Vampire homes typically have numerous adaptations to protect them from sunlight during daytime hours - minimal windows, black-out curtains and shutters, etc. These technologies have allowed beds to overtake coffins as the preferred sleeping space. (Patton’s spare room, primarily used by Logan and Deceit, has blackout curtains and shutters installed before Virgil’s arrival.)

Vampires are naturally nocturnal, but as with humans, they may awake during daylight hours for a number of reasons. Human business hours are a source of some consternation; vampire-friendly shops, libraries etc. will offer opening hours in the early evening through to around midnight or 1am to allow for nocturnal customers.

For the same reason, many vampires are self-employed or work in professions where they can set their own hours. Many covens are wealthy enough that their members do not have to find work, although many vampires enjoy having some kind of occupation to fill their time.

A larger coven also typically has at least one human living with them to help with whatever tasks vampires cannot do (e.g. answering the door during the daytime). These are often donors, for convenience reasons, but the majority of donors won’t live with a coven. Seth is a human donor who splits his time between Logan & Deceit’s coven and his own place.

Vampires are considered to have a solemn responsibility to their fledges (vampires they have turned), acting as mentors and protectors as they adjust to their new lifestyle. Turning a vampire is considered a major committent and normally involves discussion with the whole coven; life-or-death situations are the main exception to this, but even in these cases it is considered generous to intervene, not a requirement.

Backstory

Logan was a haematologist before he was a vampire. He was a grad student studying bloodbourne illnesses and ways of screening donor blood more efficiently when he attracted the attention of Deceit.

Deceit, normally wearing his “acceptable-to-mortals” disguise (the unremarkable face he shows Virgil) is a prominent and wealthy coven leader who was considering making a donation to Logan’s university. He got intrigued by Logan and wound up offering to collaborate on a project with him.

By the end of the project the two had fallen for one another. They dated for a few years while Logan was still human, and then Deceit briefly did the “how can I curse him to share my horrible undead existence?” thing before Logan basically told him to hurry up and make with the eternal youth already.

Deceit was turned in the 1920s, although he often pretends to be much older. At around 120 years old he’s unusually young to be leading his own coven already, but is by all accounts very good at it. He has not yet told me how he got his scars.

Deceit was the first witch Patton ever got to know and by exposing him to the magical world this piqued his curiosity. He began dabbling with witchcraft, trained under Emile for part of his apprenticeship, and after they became good friends Patton asked if he could stay on at the shop after qualifying.

Patton and Roman met and fell in love several years ago while Roman was visiting the mortal world, and he decided to stay for Patton. Roman was already a musician/actor in the fae world and was delighted to learn that this could count as the pesky “job” mortals insist on him having.

Virgil’s parents were anti-undead bigots; he let himself be dragged along to protests etc. because he had been raised that way and didn’t really know better. The night he died, he was unwillingly at a protest outside a pro-vampire rights speech Deceit was making.

Virgil woke up alone in a hospital to learn that his family had already disinherited him. Deceit stopped by to offer him a place in the coven but he didn’t want to hear it; however, he barely had any savings and wound up on the streets almost immediately.

Because of how traumatised he was by his turning, Virgil never properly learned how often he needed to feed or what the danger signs were. He began skipping feeds due to a combination of lack of funds and his disgust at his own vampirism, leading to him becoming dangerously malnourished by the start of the fic.

The reason that Patton’s spell accidentally replicated the thrall binding ritual is because he used life magic on a vampire, an undead creature that inherently feeds on that energy. It worked a little too well at mimicking the effects of feeding and instead magically tied a part of Patton’s life essence to Virgil’s hunger-for-life-essence.

The thrall spell was “designed” to create well-controlled servants/donors for vampires (and would therefore be considered seriously illegal to perform intentionally, since there are laws about magically controlling people), but there are variants (mentioned in chapter 5) that are intended to be more like a soul bond/magical marriage. Virgil rejected these initially because they make the bond unbreakable (even if Patton became undead) but the couple might consider them in future.

Possible Future

I reserve the right to change my mind about any/all of this if I choose to write more in this AU (and the same goes for everything else here, actually).

Roman and Virgil start dating not too long after the final chapter.

Virgil completes his witch apprenticeship with flying colours. He has a particular affinity for divination and for drawing wards.

As predicted in the fic, Patton will eventually choose to become immortal in order to stay with his family for the rest of their lives. There are ways to do this using fae magic or witchcraft but both are risky; he is far more likely to ask Virgil to turn him into a vampire.

(If I write a follow-up fic, it will probably be about this.)

Patton and Virgil will eventually open up a witchcraft shop together! It definitely has a groan-worthy pun as a name but I haven’t worked out what yet.

Patton, Virgil and Roman initially have a three-way wedding in the fae tradition, since it isn’t legal for humans to marry multiple people. They have a human one too when that is eventually legalised.

[lyricfulloflight]

Cherik Bodyguard AU

I have no idea what this fic will be title, but I wanted to share the prologue because...because I’ve been working on the start of three different cherik fics and I just wanted to share at least one of them.

This is a modern, AU, non-powered fic.  Erik is a former military man turned bodyguard, Charles is an actor.  This is the prologue to the main fic.  

Let me know what you think!

Story below the cut.

Prologue

It took Erik less than five minutes to decide he hated Los Angeles. More specifically he hated rich, entitled, juvenile model/actresses who hosted parties in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles in the middle of the summer when Erik had to stand outside in 100 degree heat in a suit.  This particular rich, entitled model/actress probably hated him right back, which was fine with Erik.

He had arrived at the sprawling one story, mid-century modern house at the time assigned to him by the Frost Protection Agency: 1pm.  The host of the party, one Raven Darkholme, had answered the door with nothing more than skimpy lingerie and a scowl.  Erik had, according to her, woken her up.  Since she was supposed to be hosting a party that started at 2pm, Erik figured he’d done her a favour.

After muttering a completely insincere ‘Sorry’, Erik brushed passed the half-asleep young woman and started a perimeter check of the property.

It was another forty five minutes before his colleagues showed up.

“You’re late.” Erik said when they entered the backyard.

“Good morning to you too, you grumpy German asshole.” Alex Summers replied with a smirk.

“It’s almost fourteen hundred hours.”  Erik answered flatly. “The party is supposed to start in fifteen minutes.”

“This is Hollywood, Lenhsherr.  No one is going to be here on time, they’ll be at least an hour or two late.  That’s how things work around here.” Alex explained. “You can relax – if that’s even possible for you.”

Erik stared at Alex in silence for a minute and then went back to scanning the completely inadequate fencing around the backyard.

“Have you met my brother, Scott?”  Alex’s voice interrupted.

“No.”

“This is where you turn around and say hello, Lehnsherr.  They do teach basic social skills in Germany, right?”

Erik scowled and turned around to face the brothers.

“Hello.”  He ground out, extending his hand toward the unfamiliar brother who had darker hair and sunglasses. “Erik Lehnsherr.”

“Scott Summers. Nice to meet you Erik.”  Scott replied with a tense smile. “Haven’t been in California long have you?”

“No.”  

And given the ridiculousness of this day so far, he didn’t plan to stay long either. The basic concept of schedules and timeliness was something Erik was not willing to live without.  He’d only been with the agency for a couple weeks, but fortunately they had offices in several large American cities and even a few in Europe.  Erik had been looking to get as far away from his former life as possible and California had seemed like a worthy prospect for escape.  Clearly it was not.  Luckily he remembered that Ms. Frost had mentioned during his interview they were also looking for new bodyguards in Dallas and New York.  Surely one of those cities had to be better than this.

“The inadequate fencing appears to be the most likely point of entry.”  He stated.

“Have you ever been to one of these parties man?”  Alex asked.

“I’m not at the party, I’m providing security for the party.”  Erik replied stonily.

“Listen, not that you shouldn’t check the perimeter and do all the regular security ‘stuff’”  Alex said sarcastically, making making quotes as he spoke, “but seriously, these parties, they hired us cause they like how it looks.  Tall, strong guys in suits standing around looking dangerous, we’re like...arm candy or something.  You’ll probably spend more time trying to get drunk party goers to leave you alone than you will chasing away threats.  They like the paps, man.  They want their pictures taken.”

“That’s not what the contract said.”

“Screw what the contract said.  A bunch of young almost celebrities who are trading on their good looks and charm?  They want their pictures splashed across magazines and all over the internet.  It’ll help them get their next job.”

“I hate this place.”  Erik muttered, but not quietly enough not to be overheard.

“Yeah, doesn’t seem like your scene.”  Scott nodded. “You should ask Emma if they have openings in Washington or New York.  More politicians and businessmen on contract out there.  Might be a bit more your speed.”

Erik grunted in acknowledgement, clearly Scott was the smarter of the two Summer’s brothers.

The next hour or two passed without issue.  As Alex had predicted, the first guest arrived at the late and complete imprecise time of 3:17pm.  As guests began to trickle in, wearing odd and unusual clothes, Erik had a sinking feeling.  When the hostess, dressed in a green and blue flowy gown that somehow managed to have plenty of fabric and yet cover nothing but the essential bits strutted out to welcome the guests to the party, his fears were confirmed.

“Welcome to my 21st birthday, costume pool party bitches!  Let’s all get plastered!”

Erik winced at the high pitched announcement and the roar of cheers that followed it. Wonderful.  A costume party full of twenty-somethings who wanted to get shit faced and also swim in a pool.  Genius idea.

The following hours were some of the worst of his life, which was saying something as Erik’s life had never been a something to brag about.  He was accosted by no less than a dozen bikini clad girls (he couldn’t call them women since they all looked about fifteen and he was tempted to ask them when their parents were coming to pick them up), had a woman dressed as Cher pinch his ass, and was propositioned by two men, one dressed as a sailor and the other wearing both too much leather and yet not enough clothing in general.

Erik hated this job. He hated California, with its hot, sticky weather.  Most of all he hated these people.  People with nothing in their heads and botox in their faces (even though no one looked a day over thirty) and silicone in their chests. People who thought nothing of invading the personal space of someone who was working, and clearly not attending the party.

At this moment he particularly hated the young man dressed as Tom Cruise from Risky Business, wearing nothing but a button down shirt, sunglasses, tube socks and white briefs, who was currently serenading everyone with a truly terrible rendition of ‘Copacabana’.  Firstly, Erik thought, the man obviously should have been singing ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’, given his costume. Secondly, the man might have been better off singing when he was less drunk. Erik could only hope his voice would have been better and more in tune if he wasn’t quite so sloshed.  And thirdly, it should have been illegal for someone’s ass to look that good in plain white briefs.  Plain white briefs were not sexy, they were practical and unassuming.  But these briefs, with that ass, they assumed a lot, including far too much of Erik’s attention.  Erik found himself thinking quite a bit about how likely it was that someone would push the young man into the pool.  Erik tried to justify his thoughts as concern, concern that the young man, being more than a little drunk might be at risk of drowning if he was unexpectedly pushed into the pool.  Obviously his thoughts had nothing to do with how transparent his entire outfit would be once he emerged from the pool, certainly not.  Erik was a professional and professionals did not think about random party guests in that way.

No one pushed the man into the pool.

For while, Erik lost sight of the man and was able to give the full force of his concentration to patrolling the perimeter of the yard and looking for unwanted, uninvited intruders.  Thank goodness he was looking, because within half and hour of starting his route, he found one nosy paparazzo hiding behind the bushes, gleefully snapping away.  His line of sight the perfect angle to get shots into the flimsy tent where guests were changing into swimming attire.  ‘What a horrible excuse for a human being’  Erik though vaguely before kicking the man’s camera out of his hands and hauling his upwards by the scruff of his shirt.

“Hey man!  Lay off!  I was just doing my job!”  The man scrambled frantically for his camera as Erik dragged him along.

“Your job is to take pictures of unsuspecting women taking their clothes off?”  He bit out through clenched teeth.

“Hey, they’re asking for it man!  They want to be famous!”  He man whined as Erik pushed him toward a mostly discrete side exit.

“I’m quite certain they were not asking for it.”  A crisp cultured voice interrupted before Erik could punch the man in the nose. “There’s no need for violence, my friend.”  The voice spoke again and Erik felt a hand touch his arm, causing him to frown, but relax his arm back down to his side.

Erik turned to find himself face to face with the Tom Cruise costumed man, who sounded considerably less drunk than Erik would have thought based on his earlier behaviour.

“Your film, please.”  The young man said, holding a hand out toward the paparazzo Erik had caught.

“It’s all digital man.”  The man replied smugly.

Erik grabbed the offending camera out of the man’s hands and passed it over to Tom Cruise, or whoever he was.

“Here.”

“Thank you.” Tom (as Erik had decided to think of him for lack of a better option) smiled a brilliant smile up at Erik and happily took the camera.

“Digital they may be,”  Tom said, deleting pictures and removing the memory card, “but they are now gone.  If I ever see you back on my sister’s property again, I will call the police and have you charged for trespassing.”  He turned back to Erik,  his voice now much lighter, friendlier even. “If you would be so kind as to escort this man off the property Mr. …?”

“Lehnsherr.  Mr. Lehnsherr.”  Erik managed to answer.

“Mr. Lehnsherr.  I would be most grateful to never see him again.”

“My pleasure.” Erik smiled, lifting the offensive man high enough that his feet didn’t touch the ground, he started forward moving quickly to haul the man by the house and down the driveway, depositing him on the road outside the front gate.

Erik returned to the party and somehow made it through the last couple of hours of debauchery.  No other intruders were spotted.  Guests continued to drink and a great many people were pushed into the pool.  ‘Tom’ was no where in sight, however.

Erik took to smiling his biggest, most aggressively toothy grin at everyone who came near him, which effectively scared everyone away from his general vicinity.

“Jesus, that’s terrifying.”  Alex commented after a pair of young women had turned and run away from Erik’s latest smile.  “You should never smile, man.  I’ve gotten six phone numbers from these chicks – stop scaring them away.  If you don’t want the phone numbers, I’ll take them.”

Erik scowled, disgusted at Alex’s complete lack of professionalism.  Of course he was scaring them away.  He didn’t want their phone numbers.  The only thing he would admit to wanting, was a name (okay, he likely would have taken a phone number too).  Unfortunately, as the party died down and guests stumbled home, Erik didn’t catch sight of ‘Tom’ once.

The next day he was back at Frost Protection Agency headquarters asking for a transfer. Within the week he was flying to New York.  He had no regrets, he and California were clearly not meant for each other. ‘Tom’ whoever he was would remain a mystery.  Which was fine by Erik.  Mystery Tom was intriguing: a man with some principles, a horrible singing voice, and a fantastic ass.  ‘Tom’ is real life would no doubt have been a disappointment, as people almost always were.

So Erik did what he did best: he compartmentalized and pushed ‘Tom’ into a nice little box and stored him away in the recesses of his mind.  Now, was the time for New York.  He sat on the plane, in a cramped economy seat and pulled out the file on his next assignment.

[vcat55]

The Jester queen (part 1)

Arthur stared down at the ad that seemed to stare back at him

“Clown for hire for the clown queen herself”

The ad  seemed to stare at him in defiance and also seemed to beckon him with the full time position which he desperately needed for his mother, but on the other hand it would be dangerous  she was one of the biggest mob bosses in the city but he assumed that ...well it had to be safer than being one of her thugs ,some protection, and it's not like he’d actually be doing anything illegal…. Just telling jokes right? 

He remembered everything but he felt his nerves rip through his throat and he tried to calm himself. 

It wasn't working because he had already seen the queen on her way into the club.

 Her beauty struck him to his core and his delusions took over his brain and a new feeling took over him as he watched the other clowns in line in front of him starting to be accepted into the club.

A pure discontent and jealousy waved over him and he hoped that she wouldn't just kick him out.

Soon it was his turn and arthur didn't know how to proceed, didn't know how to introduce himself and soon his laughter was tearing through his throat and he could taste the blood but there were only three other clowns in front of him (looking at him currently).

But then there was a gunshot 

Loud and disruptive and he saw every other clown freeze and then they slowly started to leave soon enough he was alone wondering if he too should leave but soon the same goon appeared and grabbed him.

 He only saw the last bit of the last guy as he entered the club but none of that mattered as awe struck him as he gazed at the dacore of the club.

Everything was the queen's signature gold, red, and black,

And there she was with her purple, pink, and blue hair

She was  facing away from him in her golden dress covered in blood.

It was all too soon that she turned to him and the goon

“ so mr clown welcome to this new recruitment…. It seems I need a few moments, Frost get him something to eat and drink”

“ oh ms I-I don't want to im-impose” arthur gasped out still trying to control himself

Her walk resembled a predator stalking her prey as she walked closer and grabbed the back of his neck

“Oh darling I wasn't asking I need you to be relaxed and comfortable while I rid myself of this pretty red darling… Frosty also explain the details of whats expext and what id dont give a fuck about” 

Then she walked off and he saw a staircase hidden behind a wall

“What do you want?” asked frost 

“Just some water please”

“No she said food and a drink believe me she won't let it go”

“ Oh Um”

Think about it while I explain, You'll be given a start of $30 an hour and depending on how long your here a day 3 meals a day and one to take home for your family along with a ride home” frost said

Good god $30 an hour and technically 4 meals a day all because he just happened to be the last clown in line after the gunshot.

“ she needs company that's why your here and the longer your here the more perks there will be and I would keep your schedule loose but she's understanding of family matters and other personal matters but she needs full honesty and” 

Frost seemed to hesitate his next words because she walked back into the room hair damp but still perfect , makeup slightly smudged, and almost naked…. Well arthurs description of almost naked

She had changed into a skirt and  blazer which showed that she wasn't wearing a bra  but the blazer was tight enough that it pushed  her breasts up  but they stayed in place.

“Frosty where's his food?”

He said he needed to think about it.”

“Did he know? And did you think about it?”

“I-I Think the Spaghetti looks good……”

“And a Drink?” Harley and Frost said at the same time

“ umm….. A shirley temple?”

Harley burst out laughing and said “ ohhhhh I like you.. Frost”

‘Right on it harl”

“ well darling you start in 2 days i expect you to be here at 1:30 pm not before not after. Will you need a ride?”

‘Yes ma’am”

“Perfect, frost will pick you up tomorrow to get a suit tailored and I  expect you to pick 2 different colors  the third suit will be completely black with our signature red black and gold pocket square, I'll see you tomorrow.”

And with that she walked out of the room and frost walked in with his food and drink to go…..

2 Days later

Harleys P.O.V.

Frustration coursed through my veins as frost explained falcones  demands of my shipment of alcohol as I busied myself thinking about my polite little clown 

A giggle escaped my body I looked at the clock and Frost fell quiet

“Has he been picked up yet? I'm bored with business talk ...”

“Yes ma’am but are you sure you even think this is a good idea..”he quickly added” Im not doubting you i just want to make sure you know that if he comes back there will be consequences and god knows you don't do well in actual punishments”

“He's not coming back….. Especially not for me and i just want to laugh for a while is that so bad? Huh?”

“ No harley it's not”

Arthurs P.O.V.

The cab ride was quiet, too quiet  and he felt his nerves increase and he felt his leg bouncing and couldn't decide  decide what he should do with his hands which were switching d=from holding his bag, fixing the fitted suit, patting down his hair, anything but looking at his driver or thinking about his job with the queen of gotham.

Next thing he knew the queen was beside him or more in his lap and laughter was ripping through him too quickly for him to even try to stop as he dug through his pockets for his card but when he presented it to her she only glanced at it and threw it vaguely toward his bag she pushed  aside

Harley leaned into his ear to whisper “don't ever apologize for laughing ….especially not the clown queen  puddin….. And besides you're adorable when you laugh”

His laugh turned from down right painful to somewhat happy and relieved for the first time in his life.

Like a weight being lifted off his chest which both relieved him and seemed to make a new emotion coarse through him.

 But it was over all too soon as she got off of him and out of the car again

“ stay here baby i'll be back” she giggled

His nerves automatically returned and he realized that his obsessive tendencies were already starting.

She was beautiful and she was also basically sitting on his lap. His brain was in overdrive and he was thinking about how badly he would want to do anything with her, how he wanted to protect her and make her laugh.

Then his thoughts soon got more…. Naughty and soon all he could think about was harleys outfit yesterday and how if she just moved slightly he would see more of a woman than he had ever seen… the first time he ever meet her… but soon the driver  got a knock on his window and he started to drive to which he was thankful because of how tight his pants get and wondered where they were going until they pulled up to her club once again.

“Wait for her in room 9 up the stairs should be on the right.”

It wasn't hard to find the room..

No, not at all and thankfully there was a bathroom and some chairs to wait in but hours later with no sign of the queen and he was worried..

What if something had happened to her and he not only lost the job …..but also her 

 “What if she was with someone else” he thought bitterly” NO! Don't do that she's not with you she's your boss” he thought

Soon Frost walked through the door with a stack of cash that signified that days pay which confused him because not only was the day not over but he hadn't done anything.

“Boss is tied up for the rest of the day but she said to get your orders for the rest of the day and also ask if you needed anything before henry drove you home”

“I haven't done anything yet?”

“She thinks your cute she's been watching you for at least 2 hours….. look up see how you only see one reflection of the stripper pole… that means its a two way mirror…”

“ Oh God…… how long did you say she was watching?’

“Yes she saw you touching yourself and yes she's going to tease you”

“I-I……. Oh M-My G-God”

“ don't worry like i said she thinks your cute and that's saying something”

Laughter ripped through him and very quickly did he find his card to hand to frost who never looked at the card just said

“She's already threatened everyone that if they don't like it, not to say anything”

And with that arthur way lead to the kitchen and then home for the day with instructions…….

[fortunesrevolver]

Life Update

So, just an update on the shitstorm that is my life.

When I was finally, finally scheduled to return to work (after being cleared to return on the 23rd of January) I was finally scheduled for three days at the end of February. 

In my Medical Leave paperwork, it said that, upon my return, I was to be given a position of the same hours/pay/value of the one I had before leaving. Upon returning, I was essentially told they’d hired someone else and they no longer had the hours for me and that they MIGHT have them over Spring Break.

This was, of course, incredibly frustrating and insulting. Especially because I do not have the financial means to take legal action against the company. While talking on the phone with the manager, I told them that, seeing as it was so difficult to get me on the schedule, my hours could be coverd by the other two employees because I was looking for work elsewhere.

(It should be noted that I was told by the AM at the time that they were going to try and move the New Girl to the daytime shift. When the new girl was asked about this, no one had even told her it was even a possability or a thing that might happen.)

When I told AM that I had been looking elsewhere for work, she got upset and told me that I had never told her I was looking for work elsewhere and was clearly angry at me for it, based on her lecture on how I should have told her if I was looking for work. She had also assumed I wouldn’t be returning after my medical leave, despite the fact that I had called in three times before my medical leave was even OVER to give updates on what was going on and when I’d be able to return.

So... I quit over the phone. Which was, admittedly, petty, but seeing as they both replaced me and screwed me over in hours for a new girl they hired permanently full time before I had even been gone for two weeks (on legal and approved medical leave), I guess I just can’t find it in myself to feel sorry for them. Especially because I went out of my way to make sure the 3 pity days I’d been given were covered before I quit and told her I’d have them covered on the off chance that something went wrong.

But I guess the new rules now are that you have to tell your employer when you’re looking for new work (you’re not required, obligated, nor needed to.) I’d have given them two weeks if I’d gotten even a fraction of respect from the AM, but since she replaced me almost as soon as I was on leave, I guess that shows just how much she cared.

So... I’m applying all over.

I’ve gotten three interviews so far, four if you count a working interview, but... no luck so far. Other candidates are always better than me. At this point, I’m trying even for temporary and part time positions.

I’ll just... keep at it and try selling crafts again. Depression is making it difficult to write, but making something is pretty mindless and keeps me from crying. so there’s that. Depression is also making my mounting bills fill me even more anxiety and dread and I feel like every time I get anywhere in life, it throws me back twelve more steps when I’ve only managed to take two forward. I kinda want to stop existing and just disappear into the void. Maybe I’ll try putting out my GoFundMe again, but honestly, I feel like I don’t deserve anything, let alone help.

Thankfully, I get to keep my Medicaid, at the very least. The 80 hours of work a month requirement was ruled illegal. So I get to keep taking my medicine!!

But... really that’s the only good news I feel like I’ve had recently.

[prorevenge]

Shop owner ends in hot water for being a crook

Cast: Me - yours truly, F - friend and coworker, B - boss, or bastard, you choose.

Some backstory (sorry for the long one, but there are things I need to make clear):

This happened 10 years ago. I was 18 and this was during the spring period of my junior year. I wanted to get money for a new mobile phone and a school trip to Austria, in order to practice on my German (my major was Math and German). My dad didn't want to give me the necessary 350 Euros for them, even though I was a 4.0 GPA student, calling me spoiled and selfish and asking me to get a job, just like all other normal teens at that time (actually none of my classmates were working, all were given the world by their parents for being in one of the most elite high schools in the city, but hey, you can't choose your family). So I got me a job at a local tobacco shop. It was right across my block of flats, so it was taking me 2 minutes to run from my flat to the shop, no big deal.

The owner of the shop (B) was a short man in his 40s, a man with good demeanor, or so I thought. He owned 4 other shops and needed workforce. We initially agreed for a payment of 15 Euros/day, I would work 4PM to 1AM, 4 days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays, so I would not miss on my schooling. He would pay me once every 2 weeks and even stated he would give me a raise after the first month.

The tobacco shop was selling not only tobacco products, but also alcohol, coffee, nuts, candy, chips, coke and its products etc. It allowed customers to get a cup of coffee which was freshly ground, as well as freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.

So I started in the beginning of March. I was working with two other people, a 45-ish-year-old fat woman with a whining character, who would usually take the morning shifts from 6AM to 4PM and a 19-year-old beautiful girl (F). Also, I need to mention that, at that time, the store would share a toilet with a Courier service office, this is important for later.

There is one more thing I need to add - my country's labour codex states that employees must get a double payment during official holidays and also have at least 12 hours of rest between shifts. This is also important for later.

So initially I was doing fine - I did a couple of days of training, I learnt how to operate and clean the coffee machines, the juice machine, the cashier, the receipts (I needed to press Enter 3 times to enter the products in the system and take a receipt), this is important for later as well). It was quite easy, because I operated fast with money and calculations, and overall was quite trustworthy. I had some small incidents with minors who came asking for beer and cigarettes, but I would not sell the items to them, as it is illegal (my colleagues didn't care about that, but I was taught to uphold the law). Some of the frequent customers, who lived in the hood, would also initially be annoyed with me as well, because they were expecting from me to know the brand of cigarettes they smoke. Yes, there would be conversations like "two packs of my cigarettes - which brand? - Marlboro, you are supposed to know that - sorry, I only work here since recently - well, I come here every day, you should have remembered by now...". Eventually, this stopped, but I got the stink eye from some of them from time to time, because I am a sworn non-smoker, for me all cigarettes are poison, no matter the brand and the strength, and they didn't like that.

Overall, the job was not hard, and I had free Wi-Fi, so I would often bring my laptop to watch Youtube videos or listen to music online (at that time smartphones were expensive as hell and I had a regular mobile phone)

My first two fortnightly salaries were okay. I was supposed to get 120 Euros each, I got something like 110, but this was because I would get a random snack from the shop when I got hungry, and B would deduct all from my payment, which was okay. Also, B initially wanted me to add the tip to the cashier (the tip was the change (5, 10, 20 cents), which the customers would often not take and in the end it would add up to a few Euros), but we agreed for it to remain for me, as the other employees would also take it with them.

A month has passed. It was April, the days started to get warmer and B had permission to set a couple of coffee tables with chairs in front of the shop, so customers could drink their coffee and have a chat with a friend. I was instructed to take the tables and chairs back in the shop around 20:00, and a sign was posted on its front door.

So here started the problems.

After my first month I approached B for a raise, he said I was still a bit rusty and to wait at least 2 more weeks. He also gave me the contract to sign. I never got a copy, but, since this was my first job, I didn't know I needed one. I never got a raise as well, because I was "losing his customers". Bastard.

I had good relations with our colleagues at the courier office, but once I had a problem with them, because I took out the trash, but forgot to clean the juice machine. I threw the orange remains in the toilet, but one tiny piece of orange seemed to remain on the edge, so I was yelled by B and was fined 10 Euros.

There were two other times I was fined 10 Euros, for forgetting to turn the outside lights off and for forgetting to put the daily report in the shop log, but this was my fault. My second coworker would also report me for missing a trash bag or failing to put the items in the fridges in order, but she never took out the trash and never tidied up, so this actually went against her. I never had problems with F.

I had problems with some of the local customers, though. I live in a considerably poor neighbourhood and there are different types of scumbags who live there. There is this group of 10 people, in their late 40s and 50s, who are alcoholics and were sitting at the coffee tables until dark, as if this was the local pub. When I asked them to leave, because it went past 20:00 and I had to take the tables to the shop. I was yelled by them drunks and later by B as well, because I was "losing frequent customers for being rude and disrespectful to them", even though I almost ended up in a knife fight with one disgusting animal.

The cherry on the cake was the incident with an entitled mother, because she had sent her child to buy her beer and cigarettes and I refused to sell the items to him, because it is against the law. I then got a fine of 30 Euros by B and was pretty pissed.

In the last week of my work, in the beginning of June, B asked me to go and work in other shops, stating there was a sick employee and he needed me there. It was Friday, I ended up working from 15:00 to 22:00 in the local shop, then he took me to one of the other shops, where I worked from 23:00 to 08:00 on Saturday. Then he asked me to work from 23:00 to 11:00 on Sunday and wanted me to be at 16:00 in my local shop, but I refused, because I was exhausted. He threatened to not pay me extra, and we agreed to go to the shop at 19:00, after I got some sleep (I was supposed to get at least 12 hours between the shifts, as I mentioned above, but he didn't care).

After this exhausting time B wanted to change me to another shop, but I refused due to my schooling and also because I wanted to remain in the same shop. But he got some new workers and said I would not be working until the end of the week. Eventually I understood he had terminated my contract and also refused to pay me for the last 2 weeks, nearly 200 Euros in total with the extra shifts.

There are a few more things, which are important:

Some of my free days I spent with F. She was at work and I was in the shop with her, having a chat and being together, because she had some mild form of anxiety and didn't want to remain alone. During this time I noticed she used a different combination to enter the products in the system - enter, enter, 1, enter. I understood that this would enter the items in the system, but would not send the information to the receipt machine, and this would not get a receipt and thus the boss would not have to pay VAT for the items. I also understood later that he asked for everyone else to do it, everyone but me, because I wanted everything to be legal.

There was a new coworker, whom B liked and tried to seduce. He was overtly sexist and wanted to hire attractive girls, whom to pay more and to be more clingy towards them. I didn't like that at all. So the new coworker ended up being very crooked and actually stole around 400 Euros, which B blamed me for, and said he had camera recordings, but this was all bullshit.

So after all of this I was angry and wanted revenge. Initially I spoke to a friend, who advised me to report him to the local Labour Inspection office, which I did. It almost ended with a lawsuit and I was threatened by my boss this would cost me dearly, so I backed my claim, because I needed a clean legal certificate, because I was going to the Bulgarian Naval Academy in a year and didn't want to jeopardize my future. My dad got softer on me and paid for my phone and the trip, saying I earned them, because it wasn't my fault for why I didn't have the money, it was the moron of a boss.

Years have passed. I got discharged due to medical reasons and came back to my hometown. I got a new job and was living with my father, until I get better. The shop was still owned by this prick and he was going around town in a very expensive car, and I even saw him once to smoke Cohiba cigars, which usually go 15-20 Euros a piece. In the mean time he was still paying 15-20 Euros a day to the shop assistants, and I understood he was desperate for workforce.

So I decided to turn all of this against him. I knew some of the workers, as we grew up together, and they complained how much of a crook B was. I hated him for being so cheap on his employees and so large in personal spending. We started a rumour about how bad of a boss he was and to stay away from him. Word got out and he not only started losing assistants, but no one would want to ask him for a job.

One time police was nearby. Someone had broken one of the shop's large windows with a stone and stolen a large amount of cigarettes. The losses were for about a thousand euros, from what I understood. B also had to pay for a new window, and that would cost him more. Apparently, he had pissed off a lot of people.

I also suggested to some of his former employees, whom I knew vaguely, to file individual reports against B in the local Labour inspection office, like I did all those years ago. I explained they would definitely rattle his cage. A lot of reports went in, and I understood there was a major inspection of all shops. They could also use my information, but I asked them to take me off the case, I didn't want any recompense, only to watch him burn.

Eventually, B disappeared. What I understood, is that he ended up with a lot of problems, because he was charged with mistreatment of his personnel, violation of the Labour codex, felony tax evasion and a number of other charges.

So far I know that he is somewhere in the UK, while the business is handled by his brother and wife. His shops were cut in half due to the lack of workers, and I understood they were about to close another one as well. His business is not as successful as before, and I also understood it is frequently inspected.

Now, I know B didn't end up in jail, or at least I don't know about it. But I don't care. Sooner or later everyone gets what they deserve. I will not be the person to put him behind bars, but most of those people still greet me with smiles and give me updates on the case. They also thank me for giving them the idea of filing reports and using their rights. I guess I am the mastermind behind all of this, and, to be honest, I will be extremely happy, when he gets what he deserves from being a crook and a piece of trash. And the best part is - I don't have to do anything about it.

TLDR - I had a disgusting crook for a boss during my first job. He exploited me and other employees, I suggested to them to file reports against him, and he got into a lot of trouble for this.

(source) story by (/u/zerberos666)