#tw: gambling

[gojos-thot-patrol]

I had a very vivid dream last night that Sukuna and I went to the casino. Not to gamble, but to encourage people who had gambling addictions to "just keep going! Everyone stops now, it's why they haven't won yet. It could be your lucky day, just one more spin" and like...

I kinda can't get over how canon that behavior is

[himuronanart]

“Every gambler has a tell. Modesty was Gambit’s.”

-Kurt “Nightcrawler” Wagner

[feraylocke]

MODERN WEEK.

name: feray locke. nationality: turkish. hometown: istanbul, turkey. current home: new york, usa. occupation: psychology student at columbia. relationship: recently started dating wylliam swann. exes: was in a long-term relationship with mathis rowan for a few years after graduation, and their families desperately wanted them to marry and settle down, but they had an amicable break-up. situationship: more than friends with amir manderly but nothing has happened between them, has had crushes on and off on him since school. archetype in school: the bookworm. reputation: great. only criticism she gets is that she is connected to the oil industry via her family's business. known for: daughter of a rich businessman, she is banned from multiple casinos for counting cards.

𝓅𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 / 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓎𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉

she grew up in a wealthy family with her father connected to the oil industry, the lockes have several properties in turkey, but she has spent most of her time in istanbul. she has three brothers all involved with the family business.

in school, her fashion style was inspired by dark / light academia. she was a member of the debate club, chess club, and student representative of the library board. however, she was not a recluse and was involved in many social activities as well. it was while away at boarding school, she developed the vice of smoking. she spent years kicking the habit, but she still smokes during exam season as a way to combat the stress.

she considers amir her best friend and goes on trips with him a couple of times a year. their favoured destination is corfu, greece. they often bring other friends with them, but they like to go on solo adventures together while travelling. despite having feelings for amir, she tries not to get hung up on him.

feray is not as devout and traditional in modern verse, but her faith is still very important to her.

she began dating wylliam in kenya while participating in a nature documentary about the similarities between human psychology and animal psychology.

feray struggles with gambling addiction but is actively using her degree to try to combat it. due to academic curiosity some years ago, she accidentally developed a talent for counting cards and quickly calculating probabilities.

currently, she has a chess rating of 1900 and actively participates in online chess tournaments.

[fallsekings]

OOC: This is completely random, kind of, but if you like the zombie genre or monster type things, like The Walking Dead, Resident Evil or anything like it, you may from time to time see an advertisement for a game called State of Survival. Never entertain the thought of playing this stupid game because it will take advantage of you and your money.

State of Survival is a zombie game that has had crossovers with the above mentioned fandoms as well as DC. It has characters like The Joker, Daryl Dixon, Eva, Chris, and Leon in it. If these are your favorite characters, don't let them being in this game lure you into playing it.

The game is a scam to squeeze as much money out of you as possible. You have to spend 5,000-10,000 a month on average to be able to stay competitive in this game. Last year, everything they released was 250,000 dollars in total to max everything out.

I used to love this game and even roleplayed a few characters from it. But trust me, it's not worth picking up and playing. It's even broken up marriages because it's addictive and it's habit forming. Once you're hooked, it's hard to break the habit of spending time and money on the game. Just stay away from it.

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

This drawing was inspired by these incorrect quotes I did: https://www.tumblr.com/tomboyjessie13/750440873927540736/sequel-to-this-now-let-the-fun-begin-bar?source=share

The story here is that Medea was giving a day off to see her favorite baseball team; the San Francisco Giants, play professionally in Egypt for the first time, and is taking the Oingo Boingo bros. with her.

Unfortunately the game got cancelled on the day it was supposed to start due to pressures of the Cold War(it's the late 1980s), this caused Medea throw a bit of a hissy fit until Vanilla Ice kicked her out, telling her to do something else with her day off.

Medea tried to find something to do in Cairo, only to find that most places close on Fridays(it's a holy day), leaving her with literally nothing to do in the city except visiting historical monuments.

When she went to the Pyramids, she finds that a Giza cafe is still opened and uses it as an excuse to binge drink, while getting plastered, Medea sees a couple of customers playing poker and decides to join in, believing she had nothing to lose since her exile, only to end up winning a few rounds before returning home with lots of cash, a smile, and a filled void.

She returns to the cafe the next day to play more poker, having to skip work for it, Medea finally got the hang of gambling and the rush of winning, it was all going well until she caught the attention of a certain gambler who owns the bar.

Intrigued by her, he invited her to play a few rounds with him, she was skeptical as to why he looked familiar, but decides to play with him, under the condition that she bet her soul for his money, surprisingly she lost and ends up giving up her money, but was met with refusal.

The man reminds her that she had bet her soul, and now she will pay the price for it with his Stand. In horror, Medea realizes too late that the man in question is T. D'Arby's older brother while his Stand, [Osiris], takes her soul and puts it into his coin collection.

While this was happening, T. D'Arby followed Medea to the cafe after hearing about the money she earned and had the sneaking suspicion about where she got it, that suspicion was confirmed when he sees her empty husk at the table and proceeds to kick his brother's butt until he gave up her soul.

Afterwards, she thanked the younger brother for saving her life, asking why he'd bother doing it, he simply replied: "I don't wanna do your chores."

[mothgodofchaos]

Blackjack

There's always a little bit of a gamble when it comes to love anyways, right?

Illinois x GN!Reader, TW: gambling Words: 453

How does one pass the time while traveling the middle of nowhere with their companion? Card games. Infinite amounts of card games. If it exists, you’ve probably played it. Even if it doesn’t exist, you’ve probably played it. You’ve learned that Illinois keeps a small sack of portable games with him at all times, which holds no less than seven decks of cards. How he keeps that and still somehow look like he’s carrying a lighter load than you are on your expeditions? No idea. 

But this is one of those days. You’re flying first class this time, a luxury afforded to you by the clients who hired you to investigate this next temple. Sitting across from each other, he pulls out his bag of games, setting it on the table with a smirk. Rolling your eyes, you clear off the table of your puzzle books, cracking your knuckles as he pulls out a single deck of cards. “What are we playing this time?”

“Blackjack.” “Isn’t that a gambling game?” “Yes it is. If I win, I get to kiss you~”

You jolt back in your seat, eyes meeting his as he raises his eyebrow at you, hiding a smirk behind his hand. “Scared, treasure~?” “N-no… what if I win?” “You get to kiss me~” You squint at him for a moment, nodding as he deals. He pulls out a small stack of chips, putting one on either yours or his side based on who wins the round. After about an hour of playing blackjack, his stack was considerably taller than yours. You knew a large portion of it was luck, but goddamn was he some lucky son of a bitch. 

“Looks like I’m gonna win, treasure. And might I say, my prize looks delicious~” A haze of red builds on your cheeks, avoiding his gaze as you pat your face, trying to make it go down. “Illinois James-” 

“Yes, that’s my name~” Smug bastard.

He moves in, grabbing your chin as he kisses you as smooth as the words he had been speaking to you. You melt in his hold a little bit, leaning onto him. It’s as he pulls away, looking into his eyes as he smirks down at you, your head on his shoulder, that it clicks.

“Did you just want to kiss me??”

“Maybe, and I was bored. Solved both with one smooth move. And you still fell for it~”

You smack him on the shoulder as he laughs, stealing his hat while he’s distracted. His eyes go wide as you put it on, standing up so you gaze down at him. Hope you’re ready to join the mile high club based off of that look in his eyes.

[ninjastormhawkkat]

The Fall of Fair City - Chapter 25

The commissioner tried to compose himself, ignoring the chills he was getting from the mysterious voice. "Look I am in the middle of work right now and wasting valuable time talking to you right now." Watson spoke, sounding annoyed. "If this is an emergency, call one of the operators. If this is some type of stupid prank, hang up or you will be arrested for interfering with police work." "But this is an emergency Commissioner Watson. I have good reason to call." The mysterious caller responded in a tone that if Commissioner Watson hadn't been suspicious of the guy before, he would have believed it to sound like genuine concern. He was about to ask what it was before the caller continued to speak some more. "I mean, your gambling problem would cause anyone to be alarmed, wouldn't it commissioner?" Watson froze in shock, letting out a small gasp, ignoring the caller's snarky change of tone. "How did..I mean..I don't know what you are talking about?" Watson fibbed. The caller, not sounding convinced, proceeded to speak as if giving a scolding lecture. "Oh but I know you know what I am talking about Police Commissioner Watson. Of course there is nothing illegally wrong about someone gambling, unless the law forbids it which it doesn't here. Moral ethics aside, there is nothing to be ashamed of if a person of the law gambles cash in poker games. But I am surprised you have not wracked up any debt from your poker nights. Unless those debts have been paid off with police department funds you have been dipping into from time to time in secret. Unnoticed until now that is. tsk tsk. Now that is definitely illegal here." Commissioner Watson's expression bore one of shock and horror. 'No one was supposed to know about this. How did this person find out? He didn't take too much. He couldn't help it.' As if able to read the commissioner's mind, which Watson would have believed was a strong possibility right now, the caller continued to speak. "Now don't try to deny what I said my dear Commissioner Watson. I have the evidence right in front of me clear as day. Now I am sure you don't want this being revealed to the rest of the department and ultimately the citizens of this fine city if you still want me to call a 911 operator, now would you?" Commissioner Watson gave a defeated sigh. He could hear the caller taunting him even with the disguised voice. "What do you want?" Watson asked with a begrudged tone. "I would like for you and your officers to let Miss Question go. Scamper off on her merry way and forget she was ever there. No reports should mention her even being at the pawn shop. Don't even trying to look for me. I can see you, you can't see me. Just focus on the task I am giving you right now. Keep the line open so I can hear you accomplish your task." The caller commanded. Commissioner Watson stood frozen for what seemed like an eternity. He didn't want to let a criminal walk free, but he had no choice. This mysterious figure knew his darkest secrets. Watson could loose everything if he tried to do the right thing. With a heavy and reluctant sigh, Commissioner Watson sealed his fate, and unknowingly, the fate of the rest of the city. "Let Miss Question go." Police Commissioner Watson commanded the officers as he turned back around to face the others. All the officers, even Miss Question herself, looked shocked at Commissioner Watson's statement. "Um could you repeat that sir?" One officer asked cautiously and with much confusion. Commissioner Watson put on a serious facade as if to say they all heard him correctly and he was making this decision under 'rational' circumstances. "You heard me. Let Miss Question go this time. She hadn't broke any crimes yet. We have no evidence or reason to arrest her right now." Watson put his hands to his hips to emphasize his statement.

@melodythebunny @dualnaturedscientist

[scholarofgloom]

Deep Rain (Southern Gothic)

"Deep Rain"

Chapter I

Clarence Barker lived, so most of the town thought, in an old, miserable hovel, even as the 1920's roared. Of course, it was South Carolina, and segregation held most like Barker back for their skin, but Barker was not most, and had a second life of which only a few knew.

In another part of the city, dressed as finely as his dress as Clarence Barker was shabby, he was "Joe Greenleaf", and had a remarkable fortune derived from taking a percentage from various gambling operations, always in a gray area with the law. It was as Greenleaf that he planned to make himself the wealthiest man, regardless of race, in all of South Carolina.

Weather forecasting was not much, but one of its pioneers was Barker, albeit very much with profit in mind. He sent little unmanned boats out into the Atlantic Ocean, equipped with radios, and if the signals stopped, Barker knew a storm was coming. Over time, Clarence learned the most common routes hurricanes took when they hit South Carolina, and would sail a ship out many miles in order to release more unmanned radio boats, to give himself days and even weeks warning when a hurricane was approaching, and this year, as Joe Greenleaf, he planned to turn a hurricane into a real estate empire.

When his little fleet stopped signaling, he knew a hurricane was approaching, and in return for his prompt warnings to locals, he made them sign contracts agreeing that, using his legal name, Clarence Joseph Barker, he and he alone would rebuild their homes and properties, repairing any damage, for a profit, and rebuilding from scratch if need be.

Chapter II

Van Violle, known to most simply as "Vulture", took full financial advantage of hurricanes as well, but not only hurricanes. He burgled, robbed, stole and cheated anyone vulnerable, the elderly and the ill, people in wheelchairs, even street urchins on the rare occasions the kids got their hands on any money.

Vulture got the biggest haul from storms, though, and this time, with Clarence Barker giving advance warning, Van "Vulture" Violle thought that every abandoned home was ripe for the picking, and began to burgle them, even as the rains began. However, Barker, considering Violle both a professional rival and beneath him, gave Vulture one warning, clearly expressed with a shotgun, to leave the area or die, and off Vulture slinked.

With this hated fellow out of the way, Barker/Greenleaf had everything his way: He rebuilt the city's residences at an enormous personal profit, but in so doing, the homes he built, repaired and resold became targets of someone vengeful, someone burglarizing them, after the storm ended, and knifing more than one resident when interrupted.

At first, Barker thought it was Vulture wanting revenge, but instead, it was Barker's own brother.

Chapter III

Three years before the storm, Clarence Barker and his brother, Egan Barker, had parted ways most bitterly. Egan Barker had, in the 1910's, traveled to New York City, and there become badly addicted to opium. As a result, he would steal, even from Clarence, and when Clarence caught him, Egan received an unwanted boxing lesson, for which he never forgave Clarence.

Now, he was back, and while he wanted the money for his opium habit, it was obvious to Clarence, once he realized that Vulture was still not daring to show his face, after Clarence's threats, that his real estate was being targeted, by Egan, to ruin him, such was the nature of "Cain", as Clarence "Joe Greenleaf" Barker called his brother.

Greenleaf (Clarence Barker) went to the Sheriff, Sleepy Harris, but as Harris's moniker suggested, he put in minimal effort, and that included the hiring process. If you wanted to be a deputy of his, so long as the county had a budget for your salary, Harris would hire you on the spot, simply to have someone else to do his work for him. Thus, the deputies Sheriff Harris sent to protect Greenleaf's real estate were cartoonishly inept, one wounding his own foot while trying to take a shot at Egan Barker.

Clarence realized that he would have to deal with Egan once and for all, and without any help from the Sheriff. It came down to Egan, in the act of burglary, armed, and on his trail, Clarence, with his shotgun. Both fired, but only Clarence hit his target. Legally in the right, Clarence nevertheless drew the disapproval of Judy Collier, an eccentric local mystic, a woman who believed that she was a prophet of the Apocalypse, who began to refer to Clarence, in turn, as "Cain".

Chapter IV

The next year, when, in another part of South Carolina, Clarence Barker attempted to expand his real estate holding via the same means, monitoring hurricanes and the rest, Judy Collier followed him and told the locals that Barker was a "fraud", and not to buy any housing from him.

Collier, who preached her own version of the Gospel, had a considerable following, and Barker, apart from losing money, was also concerned that, since Judy was calling him a liar, residents would not heed his truthful warnings about oncoming hurricanes, and would lose their lives as a result. Confronting Collier with the fact that she might be costing lives, her response was predictable to those who heard her preach, "The Almighty sent the storm, and He chooses whom it plucks, and whom it spares, Cain."

Collier was not the only one trying to sabotage Greenleaf's plans, however. A small group locally, known as the "Radical Boys", anarchists who hated law and capitalism, saw Greenleaf as a "capitalist bloodsucker", as their literature described him, and took to sinking Barker's unmanned ships before he could use them to detect storms.

The rains were coming and Barker knew it was already too late. Even without hope of profit, Barker tried to warn locals to leave, but nearly half of them were followers, in this area, of Judy Collier, and refused, and those who did flee the impending storm had their homes burgled by the Radical Boys, who funded themselves and others in such ways, giving much of the money they gained to fellow revolutionaries, mainly in larger cities such as Baltimore and even New York City.

Collier, though, considered the Radical Boys scoundrels as well, as they were "godless thieves", so she brought a Tommy gun to confront them, even as winds became dangerously high. The Radical Boys themselves were well armed, and Clarence Barker, of course, had his shotgun.

Chapter V

Judy Collier, muttering to herself as she trudged through ankle deep water and higher and higher winds, had the element of surprise on the Radical Boys, and would have mowed them down, but Barker, though he had no love for her targets, considered this murder, and so shot Collier, whose death resulted in her being seen by her following as a "latter-day martyr".

The Radical Boys knew no gratitude to a capitalist, however, and what though Barker had just saved them from death, fired shots at Clarence, while others of them tried to wade towards Barker/Greenleaf, knives in hand. The numbers were with the Boys, but the winds were against them, and off the rain and wind swept most of them away, these seen as political martyrs by East Coast anarchists, while a few survived and fled.

One pistol shot hit Clarence Barker in the hip, giving him a limp for the rest of his days. In the thirties, this entire story, as spelled out to the reader, was recounted, on a quiet Summer day, by Barker to Sheriff Elliott "Sleepy" Harris, though as they were seated, Harris nodded off before hearing how it all ended.

The end.

[vipermirage]

send STRAINED for a scene from my muse's past in which they interact with someone they have a difficult relationship with

GLIMPSES OF THE PAST: a headcanon / prompt collection: accepting

tw: verbal abuse, mentions of gambling

"are you sure you counted this right?" the gruff voice of their father echoed in the tiny room they lived in. them, their family of three in a room so tiny you could barely consider it one. ▓▓▓▓▓ doesn't think much of it, they just knew that they will be okay if they kept quiet and let the words happen. it'll be okay soon enough. this isn't new.

they watched as their mother nodded, before their father slammed the pile of cash down, counting it note by note, his mouth murmuring every newly added value, the frown on his face never going away, only intensifying with every new sum. they felt a shiver run down their spine when the final value matched what their mother said earlier on. it was below expectations. this wasn't good.

"you." he pointed at them, his voice laced with accusation while their mother stood at the back, looking at them with barely any love, just disappointment. "you are the reason why we live in such miserable states." he continued, leaving them wondering if it was right for them to hear this. if it was okay to say these things to someone who had just turned eight, "should have believed that almost-sham of a fortune teller when they said that you were bad luck, shouldn't have let you been born."

they could mouth his exact words, having memorised all of it by heart at this point. but they also knew more than anything, that the only good idea now was to keep silent.

"you are the reason why we're dirt poor, you are the reason why we all suffer." he was angry, and she was sad. they could tell, they could tell it all. and now mother was wondering if the months were worth it if they were going to end up pathetic and penniless because she give birth to a curse. and they held bad luck. they were the reason why the wins never cover the losses. why the jackpot never hit sevens. why the roulette never hit the right number.

▓▓▓▓▓ didn't want to imagine the worse to come if they said anything, if they as much as reacted in anyway. they just had to keep quiet, then it'll be just words today. just words this time.

[sortofanobsession]

Intrusive Thoughts and Gambling (911 "Mixed Feelings" Episode Coda Buddie focused) Spoilers!

Author's Note: Intrusive thoughts are usually mental health related. And Eddie is a PTSD mess. I can't recall if they explicitly say it in the show, but he is. And Intrusive thoughts are a PTSD (and OCD) symptom. So if you guys get them, you are not alone. Please note I do not have PTSD or OCD. I have ADHD, anxiety, depression, and aphantasia. So I have a lot of self-doubt and some intrusive thoughts, but not the same way someone like Eddie might. So this is me basically guessing for the sake of storytelling. But hopefully, it is enjoyable. Unbeta'd.

Edit: Eddie's intrusive thoughts in this are more anxiety and in the moment based than actual PTSD thoughts. The PTSD mention is him trying to explain away what is happening, even if it isn't accurate. Just stubborn Eddie being stubborn.

Content warning: Intrusive thoughts (I mean, it's in the title), PTSD, anxiety, doubt, self-esteem issues, gambling, relationship uncertainty, swearing, pining, gay thoughts (not a bad thing but could still be triggering so I'm tagging it)

Buddie centric events from 6x13 "Mixed Feelings"

Eddie's intrusive thoughts are in quoted italics.

“You brought this on yourself, Eddie.” Eddie’s brain tells him. “Buck looks fucking fantastic in that outfit, and that’s because you told him to dress nice. And Buck understood the assignment this time.  A+. Gold Star. Job well done by him. That button-down that looks stupid good on him.” And Buck just had to pick a jacket Eddie just wanted to touch. His fingers itched to just reach out and run down Buck’s arm, or side, or anywhere. “Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon.” Eddie knows it. He needs to get a grip on himself. His brain betrays him and really leans into that idea and the idea of it not just being him to grip his… “Nope, stupid brain, not like that. Focus. This is supposed to be about utilizing Buck’s newfound trauma-gifted math prowess.“

He gets why Buck is uneasy about all this. But why did Eddie feel so nervous? Why had he taken so damn long to actually pick a suit? He thinks about the last time he had so much trouble picking out a suit with Ana, and that had landed him in the ER with a panic attack. But this…this was different. His heart was pounding for a very different reason. Excitement. This was him and Buck doing something sketchy. And it feels right. Like that little adrenaline rush, he gets when they work on a dangerous call. But more not really. That’s not exactly what he feels. He feels…yeah, okay. He feels like he’s going on a first date. He thinks about his own first dates. Then he thinks about what he knows about Buck’s first dates. He thinks about what Carla and Bobby, hell even Buck, have told him about the disastrous first date he had with Abby. He literally choked. Buck nearly died. But this isn’t- No, this is him and Buck. They’re best friends, and they hang out all the time. With and without Christopher. Then why does this feel so different? Is it because he wishes it was a first date? Eddie has to quit thinking about that. Buck is talking to him. He has to focus. Buck needs to relax. And for Buck to relax, Eddie needs to help him. “Oh, I know what would make him relax. Oh, so many ideas. No, brain…no. Don’t even. The suit stays clean. So keep it clean, brain. Focus.”  

Eddie won't lie. He loves knowing things that Buck doesn’t, but mostly he likes how happy surprises, the good kind, make his best friend. Sure, Buck might have had his doubts about where Eddie was taking him, but he didn’t resist. He trusts Eddie as Eddie trusts him. 

Eddie looks at the people around them. They know these people, at least a number of them. Yeah, this is a date night situation. And by the knowing looks he getting from a few of them, they see what Eddie wishes was true. But Eddie is selfish. He wants Buck. The whole lightning strike had made that very clear. It had been like his heart was ripped out of his chest when Buck was in the coma. He also doesn’t want to lose what they have. He doesn’t want to put himself on the line and risk losing Buck. He just got him back. 

At the table, when Buck looks at him, somewhat unsure, Eddie knows what to do. Encouraging him. “Buck thrives on assurance and praise.” Eddie always has a hard time nailing down how he feels when Buck looks at him like that. Part of him is overjoyed that Buck looks at him for assurance. That Eddie’s praise is something that Buck looks for. Or, more important, right now, he trusts Eddie to know what to do. He knows Eddie isn’t going to intentionally steer him wrong more often than not. But part of it tugs at Eddie’s heart differently. He knows Buck isn’t always the most confident man he sometimes presents. He knows that Buck has self-esteem issues. Buck so often doubts himself and his decisions. “He deserves better, and you have to make sure he gets it. With or without you.” Yeah, Buck needed that. Buck doesn’t think Buck deserves good things or to be happy. He’s gotten better about it. The coma, oddly enough, had helped a bit with that. But the way he is looking to Eddie now, this is more of Buck being unsure about what Eddie has gotten them into. Eddie doesn’t have those doubts. He knows Buck can do this. The easiest way to assure his partner is a smile and nod. And it seemed to work because Buck becomes more of his usual self as the night goes on. Probably aided by the fact they do know the people around them. So Eddie lets himself enjoy the evening. The drinks and nonchalance were more than just a cover for doing something potentially sketchy with people who are technically their superior. He was content, happy. Buck was there, seemingly having a good time, embracing this new aspect of his life. They were socializing outside their tight-knit team, as people tell them they often should. These are still people they trust. They literally trust these people with their lives, especially Chief Williams and Captain Mehta. Buck trusted them. Eddie did, without a doubt. Mehta had kept them both alive when Eddie was shot. “He did what you couldn’t.” He had kept Buck from getting shot. And that meant more to Eddie than anyone could possibly know. Buck’s survival was increasingly essential for Eddie’s sanity. “Proved that during the lawsuit. Just ask Frank.” Eddie shakes himself. “Shut up, stupid thoughts. Frank says you’re just PTSD. ” Yeah, PTSD. He was working on that. Getting out and doing something safe, something grown-up with people he trusts. He was doing that. Frank would say that was a good thing, right? Maybe not the manipulating the game part, but it wasn’t illegal. So that’s better than his previous choices. “Focus.”   

But then Buck is smiling and looking over at Eddie as the chief asks him how he wants his winnings. And Eddie’s pretty sure his heart melts. Those stupid blue eyes shine with excitement and always has that warm feeling spreading in Eddie’s chest. Eddie smiles back without thinking because that’s just how he is around Buck. He genuinely doesn’t care how Buck answers the question. Eddie is just beyond happy at how well Buck had done. How well Buck handled the entire situation. And how happy Buck seemed to be. That smile on Buck’s face made Eddie’s heart soar every damn time. 

“I guess you were right, Eddie,” Buck grins. “Low steaks.”

“His humor was unaffected by the lightning,” Eddie says. Internally his brain adds, “You want to smile. You want to laugh. And you know it. You love his dumb humor.” How such a ridiculous man could have a stranglehold on Eddie’s heart is something he will never fully understand. Buck could be so frustrating and so ridiculous, but damn it, he adored him. Buck could be almost insufferable at times. Almost. Eddie would gladly suffer for Buck’s attention. Buck’s dumb puns, tangental rants on the most random topics, and an inability to know when he should probably shut that beautiful mouth of his were just part of what made Buck…Buck. And Eddie loved every second of it. If that meant Eddie had to be on his toes to wrangle Buck in every now and again, both on and off duty, Eddie would do it in a heartbeat as long as Christopher was taken care of. And Eddie didn’t have to worry about Christopher when Buck was around. He was always Buck’s number-one priority. And that, that had been what had started Eddie down this path. Buck and Christopher. The only people Eddie truly needed in his life. He loved his family and his team, but at the end of the day, nothing and no one mattered as much to him as those two. His job was near the top of his priorities. If only because keeping his job meant he had everything he needed for Christopher, but also that he could keep Buck safe. Keep him alive. He’d almost lost him too many times to risk not being there now. “And now we’re back to not wanting to jeopardize how things are. It always comes back to that.” He knew he loved his best friend. “But do the others know? You have never been subtle when it comes to him.” He’s pretty sure even Chief Williams and Captain Mehta know now. If they don’t, they probably have their suspicions. 

“Do you think she knows?” Buck asks him. And Eddie doesn’t know how to answer that because his mind had asked the same question, and it took him a minute to realize that Buck was asking about the card games. She might not know, but this would not be something they make a regular thing. The cards with the chief, that is. Eddie would love to take Buck out for another night like this. One where they could just have fun, win a few games, and just be the two of them, surrounded by strangers that Eddie didn’t care about. That would be amazing. More like an actual date than…there his brain goes again. “A date.” This wasn’t actually a date. It may have felt like the perfect opportunity, but it still wasn’t one. It was just another opportunity for Eddie to show off how amazing a guy Buck is. To show off how proud he is of his best friend. To bask in how lucky he is that Buck is in his life. That he is his best friend. Does he wish he was more than just his best friend? Of course. Was he willing to risk their friendship by asking for more? Hell no. Not yet. He just got Buck back. This…this was enough. Just bumping shoulders with him as they leave the building was more than enough. For now.   

[rosiedoestumblr]

It is deeply fucking sickening that @staff are allowing ads on this site, frequented by young women, which manipulate them and encourage them to gamble. I've seen at least three video ads of what appear to be teenagers shrieking at winnings and that is a serious fucking problem.

They are knowingly encouraging young people to develop habits that could result in addiction. I hope they go fucking bankrupt.

[coockie8]

You've mentioned you're a drug addict. If it's not too personal, could I know what you're addicted to?

Ah, yes. I do have a drug problem. And no, I don't mind talking about it.

I've developed a dependency on Cannabis in the last few years. It doesn't really negatively impact my life beyond being out $68 every two weeks, so you don't have to worry too much. And as far as drugs go, I could be addicted to a lot worse.

I take it mostly to help with my anxiety and depression, and it does do that, but I've also developed the bad habit of relying on it to cope with stress.

My gambling problem, however, does negatively impact my life, as that's a much more consistent stream of financial loss. My poison is gatcha games, which is why it's something I struggle with; I have a phone, and I get bored, this shit's hard to avoid.

These are things that I am actively working on. I've managed to get myself down from getting high every day, to on average about twice a week. My goal is to get it to I only get high on Saturdays with my sister and hopefully I can get there. It's a day-by-day thing, and a slow process, but I'm getting there.

[100yearoldcomics]

July 28, 1922 Our Boarding House by Gene Ahern

Caption: The "rail-birds." [ID: Buster, Clyde and Mack lean on the railing separating a horse racing track from the greens surrounding it. They gaze off to the right at the starting line as racehorses whizz past to the left. Mack has a pair of binoculars. /end] Buster: See anything of "Whiskbroom" yet? I got th' tip he'd clean up today and I laid a bet on that hay burner to win. Farewell, five bucks. Th' jockey ought to get off an' run in himself! Clyde: Ah, I see my plug. Somebody set a couple of milk bottles on th' fence-rail an' he stopped alongside 'em. That hoofer used to work a dairy route! Mack: Heck! What do they want to play music during a race for? There's my horse running in a circle. He thinks he's on a merry-go-round! [INFLATION GUIDE: In 2022 dollars, Buster bet and lost about $88 on "Whiskbroom." /end]

[irigy]

closed . @elysiium location: avarice

Ambrose was... curious, above all, as he was being dragged out of the premises by two demons twice their size in height and four times in width. Curious, because they truly, for the love of them could not understand why those games were supposed to be difficult to win. They were rather easy, given that there were only a finite number of outcomes. He looked at Kal then, the world swimming and rotating around, except for the devil himself who stood in one place, serving as an anchor. Or making things even more nauseating. Ambrose couldn't possibly know unless he waited. So he did, silently waving at the other with a smile, feet dragging on the ground. "Gentlemen, perhaps it would be easier if one of you hoisted me over their shoulder. This position ruins the leather on my boots..."

[charmingnotsincere]

♦ main ♦ bio ♦ face ♦ muse ♦ wishlist ♦

about:

This is a sideblog, and I follow back from my main @grimmusings. Please direct IMs there, since it's easier for me to keep all my messages on one blog. It's also easier to start interactions with me there, where I regularly post open starters and meme prompts. For a full list of rules, see my main. Honesty hour questions will largely be answered IC and treated as anonymous unless signed by a muse.

Carter is a canon character from Gossip Girl. All details vary based on verse, and I'm happy to write him into AUs and fandom crossovers. There may be triggering themes present such as sex work, gambling, and drug addiction.

OTPs: Serena van der Woodsen, Nate Archibald Possible Ships: Blair Waldorf, most GG muses Other: Any Gossip Girl muses, crossovers with other fandoms like Riverdale or Mean Girls

default verses:

canon (+/-): Any events that take place during or after the Gossip Girl timeline. May or may not be canon compliant.

verses by request only:

I'm happy to write these, but since they're more specific AUs, I don't default on them for asks/memes. Please feel free to request them.

almost famous: To cover his debts, Carter becomes a sugar baby to a wealthy benefactor.

what’s your favorite scary movie?: A Scream AU where Carter grows up in Woodsboro and may or may not be part of the Ghostface duo.

you jump, i jump: A Titanic AU set in 1912, where Carter is being forced to marry Beth Buckley to preserve his family's name and fortune, but he meets someone aboard the ship who has him dare to imagine a different life.

[your-daily-snl]

Cajun Man: March Madness Picks, starring Cajun Man (Adam Sandler) as he gives his insight on college basketball games.

Original Air Date: 1992