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jaceyneedsabetterusername · 3 years

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Hayloft (p.1)

Pairing: Arvin Russell x F!Reader

Summary: Your dad brings home his new coworker, Arvin Russell, telling you that he’ll be living with the two of you for a while. While attempting to keep Arvin from seeing the disfunction of your relationship with your father, the two of you grow closer than you thought. (Inspired by “Hayloft” by Mother Mother, though that’ll really only be one chapter later on so I don’t know if it really counts...)

Warnings: Abuse, mentions of drinking, misogyny, reader’s mother is dead

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: My first slow(er) burn fic! Let me know what you think!

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When your car finally pulled up the old dirt driveway to your family's farm house, the sun was already setting, casting an orange hue over the acres of land that your father had inherited from his father. It was beautiful, really. The sun was behind your old two story home made of wood planks that were covered in chipping white paint. The door’s paint was also chipping, only this time it was old navy blue paint - at least that’s the color it was supposed to be when it was painted who knows how many decades ago - that peeled back to reveal the wood beneath.

Your father’s truck wasn’t in the driveway yet when you pulled up and you sighed in relief because it gave you the opportunity to get dinner started before he got home. You headed straight for the kitchen. The only moment taken for yourself was the moment of silence when you leaned against the counter top and stretched out your back from the long day's work at the diner. The refrigerator was mostly empty and you made a mental note to run to the store after work tomorrow before your father could notice the lack of food. Thankfully, there was still enough scraps to piece something together for tonight between the fridge and the cupboards.

The house was swimming with the delicious scent of herbs, onions, potatoes, and stock as you boiled a stew on the stove when you heard the front door open. “Hi, Daddy! How was work?” You asked over your shoulder before you even heard his steps enter the kitchen, not actually caring but knowing he’d be upset if you didn’t ask.

He came around the corner but you could hear from the moment the door opened that there were the footsteps of more than one person entering your home. With a frown, you turned from the stove and took a few steps so you could see around the wall that blocked your view of the front door but your father and new mystery person stepped around that corner and into the kitchen before you could get that far. You stopped in your tracks, startled by their sudden appearance, and your hand flew to your chest as your eyes widened in surprise. “Sorry!” You chuckled awkwardly, apologizing for your jumpiness, “Didn’t think you’d be comin’ in here.”

It was a man about your age that stood just behind your father, a navy baseball cap twisted in his hands and his footsteps light so as to not knock dirt off onto the floor from his work boots, both welcomed displays of manners that you appreciated, unlike your father who left a trail of chunks of dried mud and grease everywhere he walked. This new boy, though, he was cute. Short curly hair that was messy, either from work or wearing the hat, big expressive brown eyes that reminded you of a puppy in the best possible way, a tight lipped expression that showed he was a little nervous and uncomfortable to be here, they were all a welcome, albeit unexpected, surprise.

"Work was good. This here is Arvin Russel. He'll be staying with us, at least for the night." Your eyes flicked back to the boy you now knew as Arvin when your dad introduced him and your heart skipped a beat at the eye contact.

He nodded his head slightly, a small cordial smile flashing on his face for just a moment, "Pleasure to meet you,..."

"Y/N. It's nice to meet you as well. If you're staying the night, let me add some water to the soup and then I'll go make up the spare bed." You pointed your thumb over your shoulder towards the pot of stew that was nearly done.

"That's very kind of you. Thank you."

Before you could notice him moving, your dad was already beside the fridge and you reached out to try to stop him before he could open it. "Let me get you something! What about you, Arvin? You want a beer or some water?" You scurried to try and beat your dad to the fridge that you knew would earn you a reprimanding that you didn’t deserve.

You were too late though and your dad already swung the door open wide. You stepped back nervously, rubbing the sharp edge of your nails against your thumb. "It's damn near empty." He noted, voice stiff and dissatisfied. He stood, managing to produce the last two beers from the refrigerator before slamming it shut.

You flinched at the loud sound, hearing the few glass jars of preserves and jams clanging against each other inside from the force. Your eyes rolled beneath closed lids at his overdramatic reaction, even though it was one you expected. "I'm gonna hit the market after work tomorrow but I checked that we have enough for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow." Your voice was sweet and placating, careful to respond in a way that would keep his temper in check.

"It's that damn job of yours. I told you women shouldn't be working. They belong in the house where you should be. Now look. You went and let the kitchen run out." He passed Arvin a beer, which he reluctantly accepted, watching the way your father pointed his finger at you accusingly. “Ain’t no man gonna want a wife who can’t even keep the kitchen stocked up.”

Your tongue was raw inside from biting down on it so hard in order to keep yourself in line, as he called it. You didn't need a blow out tonight, not with Arvin here. "I manage to work and keep up with the house just fine, Daddy. We just got a little low on groceries but I'll be heading to the market tomorrow to fix it. Don’t you worry." Even you were surprised with how even and sweet your voice came out, that ever present fire of anger towards your father having been fanned into a decent blaze.

He popped the tab on his beer and sighed, dropping the topic for the time being, "Fine. But make sure to pick up some fixin's for that chicken roast you make. Patty is lookin' nice and fat in the coop so why don't you cook her up tomorrow."

You grimaced at the thought. Patty was one of the chickens in your coop out back that had been pretty slow when it came to laying eggs but you’d grown attached to her nonetheless. Ever since you were a young girl, your daddy warned you not to become attached to the animals out back but you never listened. Back then, you’d had your mother to step in and convince him not to kill the animals for whatever reason she could come with and opt for buying meat from the market instead. You hadn’t been able to convince him like that since she’d passed. Everything had been different since she passed.

“I don’t know, Daddy. Patty’s been layin’ a lot of eggs lately and we’ve been gettin’ extra money from sellin’ all those eggs. Why don’t I just pick up a chicken in town tomorrow at the store.” You insisted, walking back over to the stove to stir the stew.

“Don’t go wastin’ money on things we already got! We got some chickens out back. Just cook one of ‘em up tomorrow!” Your father’s voice was hard and stern now, enough to fill the air with tension in Arvin’s presence. You turned slowly, making eye contact with Arvin briefly before quickly avoiding it. You didn’t like the way he stood awkwardly, silently watching the interaction he clearly didn’t think highly of. Your father was already getting worked up and it would only get worse the longer the night went on.

Biting your cheek, you nodded, “Yes, sir. Now why don’t you boys go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in just a minute.”

Dinner went relatively well, despite your father’s occasional grumblings about there not being any beer. Once you finished, you stood up and picked up yours and your father’s bowls before noticing Arvin’s was empty as well. “Did you want some more? There’s just enough for one more if you’d like it.” You offered Arvin that last bit of stew but he just shook his head and stood up.

“Oh, no thank you miss. Dinner was delicious though. Let me help with that.” He grabbed his own bowl before your hand could reach it and then took the bowls from your hands as well before setting them down at the sink.

You chased after him, “Thank you but you don’t have to do that! Please, sit. I’ll make your bed up when I’m finished cleaning up dinner.”

“She’s right, son. Kitchen ain’t no place for a man. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you the room you’ll be stayin’ in.” You father’s chair screeched against the beat up wooden floor as he stood, beckoning Arvin to him.

Arvin was standing right beside you, his arm only a few inches from yours as he lowered the stack of bowls into the sink. He looked over at you with deep soulful eyes that seemed to look right through your calm facade in a way that made you feel seen like never before. It was highly uncomfortable, almost violating after all these years of hiding away what you felt for the sake of keeping the peace, and you forced a smile, “Please, you’re our guest. It wouldn’t be right to make you do the dishes. You go with him.”

He gave you a drawn out hesitant look but turned away nonetheless and walked towards your dad. “Thank you again for letting me stay here till I get things figured out. It’s mighty kind of you.” Arvin thanked you and your father for your hospitality, shooting you one last glance over his shoulder before following your father down up the stairs towards the spare room.

You made quick work of the dishes, having cleaned most of them as you were cooking earlier anyways and scurried to the closet that held your extra sheets. As you passed the bathroom, you heard the shower running and knew it was your father bathing after his long day of work, like he always did right after dinner. The man was a creature of habit.

With your arms full of neatly folded faded steel blue linens and the thicker burnt sienna colored wool blanket, you made your way towards the guest room Arvin was staying in to find the door wide open and the man looking through his bag that was set on the bed. “Knock knock,” you announced your presence, waiting at the entryway for Arvin to notice you before entering.

He spun around, dropping something that you didn’t see quickly into his bag and pressing it down while flashing you a small polite smile, “Hello, ma’am.”

You walked into the room, raising the linens in your hands, “I brought some sheets so I could make up your bed.” You walked over to the wooden chair and set the top sheet down before making your way back over to the bed, unfolding the bottom sheet as you did, waving it up and down in the air to straighten it out before laying it flat on the bed.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, miss,” He moved his bag to the ground and jumped to lift the corner of the mattress and tuck the sheet beneath it.

You blushed at his kindness, not used to such help from your father, but shook your head, tucking the sheet beneath the mattress on the opposite side of the bed “If my daddy came in and saw you fixin’ the bed yourself, he’d kill me,” you chuckled to make it sound like a joke but you knew better than that. He wouldn’t actually kill you but you would certainly get some less than kind words thrown your way, maybe even a few beer cans thrown your way depending on how drunk he was.

Arvin shook his head, his hands falling on his hips, “Looks like you do most the housework ‘round here.” What he was insinuating was clear even though his tone didn’t change but you didn’t want to acknowledge it. He didn’t need to concern himself with the difficulties between you and your father.

“So how’d you and my dad meet?” You changed the topic, going to grab the top sheet and unfolding it. You laid it over the bed and tucked your side in, Arvin reaching down to tuck his side in as well in a silent act of defiance against your insistence that he didn’t need to help. It occurred to you suddenly after the question left your lips that you didn’t actually know anything about this boy but, for some reason, you still didn’t feel uneasy around him.

Arvin pulled the top corner of the sheet up to the head of the bed as he answered, “I just started workin’ at the garage with ‘im.”

“You like cars?” You questioned, spreading out the final layer on the bed, the wool blanket.

Arvin shrugged, “Never been really into ‘em but I can fix ‘em alright enough. Just needed the work and happened to see the wanted sign when I was passin’ through town.”

Your brow raised in curiosity, “You were just passin’ through and stopped in this old town cause of a help wanted sign?” The little town you lived in wasn’t terrible but it was far from a destination that people really moved to for work unless you a doctor desperate for a place to practice or something like that. “You must really be desperate,” you joked but immediately felt a slight pang of regret when a shred of truth could be seen in his eyes.

“Just tryna figure out where I’m goin’ ‘n what I wanna do. Figure I’ll find somewhere I like eventually.” Arvin picked up his bag and set it off to the side where it was a little more out of the way.

You stared at the man standing before you, taking every bit of him from the grease stains on his white t-shirt to his scuffed up brown work boots to his messy hair, dirty from dried sweat. It wasn’t until you locked eyes with him that you realized that you’d been staring in a settled yet weirdly comfortable silence. You stood up straight and smiled to diffuse the awkwardness you’d unintentionally fostered, “You’re more than welcome to take a shower. My daddy should be finished any second. I’ll set some extra towels in there for you.”

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” He nodded in appreciation but offered no further conversation. You could tell from the moment of silence that it was time for you to make your exit.

“Well, uh, I better head to bed. You need anything before I go?” You asked, backing towards the door and swinging slightly with it once your hand hit the old bronze knob.

Arvin shook his head, “No, thank you. ‘M all set.”

“Alrighty, then. You have a good night.” You chewed your lip as you opened the door to make your exit.

“G’night, miss Y/N.”

Butterflies flew wildly in your belly as you walked to your bedroom. It had been a long while since you’d seen somebody worth looking twice at in this old town but now a mysterious handsome man rolls into town and stays with you. In your house. It probably wasn’t the safest of situations but Arvin genuinely looked like a nice man. From your very brief interactions with him, you couldn’t really imagine him trying to hurt you or your father for no reason. Even if he did, you knew where your daddy kept his shotgun and you had no problem defending yourself. But like I said, you had an unearned sense of peace with Arvin that you hoped wasn’t a misjudgement.

“What’re you smilin’ ‘bout?” Your father’s gruff but thankfully not entirely drunk voice made you stop in your tracks and turn towards his room with a suppressed groan. He stood in the doorway of his bedroom in nothing but an undershirt and long johns with his suspenders hanging loosely at his sides.

You shook the smile off your face. “Just thought of somethin’ funny that happened at work,'' you lied. “You need somethin’?”

“I watched you come out o’ that boy’s room with a big ol’ grin on your face. Better not let me catch you ‘n him. Ain’t no daughter o’ mine gonna be whorin’ around with some boy blowin’ through town, y’hear?” He threatened, his hands reaching down to pull up his worn out long johns.

Your blood boiled at the accusation and despite your best efforts to keep peace while Arvin was here, you spat words with venom, “I wasn’t doin’ nothin’ with Arvin. God forbid I have a damn smile on my face.” Your voice was low enough so that you hoped your guest hadn’t heard your outburst but when your father’s face darkened and he began taking slow, heavy steps towards you, you weren’t sure if your charade of normalcy would last much longer.

Your father hovered over you, exaggerating the size difference between the two of you, “I put a roof over your head. I put food on the table. You play make believe with that little diner job but I'm the head of this house. I'm your father. You watch that fuckin’ tone with me girl."

Your jaw was clenched tightly, matching your fists, as you glared up at him with indignantly furious eyes. Father your ass. He once had been your father, an imperfect but loving man who used to try. Now he was merely a selfish broken sperm donor. He inherited this house from his father, didn’t pay a darn cent, and you couldn't remember the last time he pitched in a dime for anything but alcohol and the occasional dinner he made when he was in a good mood. He did do that- have these strange out of character nights where he pretended to be kind and loving. They were far and few between though and, while you enjoyed the change of pace, it felt like walking on eggshells in some fantasy world.

A heavy silence settled between the two of you that crackled with a tension that could snap at any moment and turn into a full blown fight. Your eyes were narrowed on his as you refused to let him think he intimidated you anymore. Nevertheless, you turned on your heel, nails digging into your palm, and walked down the hall towards your room, leaving him alone.

“He wouldn’t want you anyways, fuckin’ attitude like that.” Your father grumbled to your back, hoping for one last reaction out of you that you refused to give.

It took all the control in the world to not slam the door in his face but you knew there was no way it would escape Arvin’s attention. You’d have to resort to the therapy of muffling your furious tear-soaked screams into your pillow until you finally fell asleep, like you did many nights.

#arvin russel imagine #arvin russell x reader #Arvin Russell #arvin x reader #arvin russell x you #arvin russel x you #arvin russel x reader #tom holland #tom holland one shot #tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x you #The Devil All The Time #tdatt #tdatt imagine #tdatt fics

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irradiatedsnakes · 3 years

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Hey dude! Someone in a discord server found a bird skull and foot (they think it's an eider duck), and was wondering how to go about cleaning them. Do you have any tips?

ohhh, very cool!! absolutely i do, here's a copypaste of a writeup i did over discord messages a billion years ago for a friend:

firstly: the book vulture culture 101 is spectacular and a comprehensive resource on like, all of this stuff. the ebook's like $10usd. however heres how i go from whole animal or raw skull to bright n shiny clean skulls:

-if your specimen is whole/still has skin and fur, skinning them will save you a lot of time and hassle. takes less time to decompose, and you won't have huge globs of fur in the way (keratin takes much longer to decompose than flesh!)

-if your specimen is now skinned but has all of its meats, you can speed up the process somewhat by.. i cant remeber the word, but basically cutting the big chunks of flesh (like the cheek area) away from the bone. this i totally optional though i almost never do it myself, it just lower the volume of meat that needs to decompose

-now ok. youve got your bones with flesh on them, or maybe you found some nature-cleaned bones that still have some bits and bobs on em. if it's the latter, you might just be able to soak it for a day or two and then pull off any remaining dried bits with tweezers or your fingers (or needlenose pliers. much stronger) and then go onto whitening, but if there's still a substantial amount of flesh:

-find a container with a lid that is big enough to comfortably hold your specimen. i use a storage bin, but depending on how small your specimen is you can use, like, a tupperware container.

-find a space outside where a smell isn't gonna be a big deal. even with a closed lid, there'll usually be a few feet radius that radiate some death rot smell. also, might wanna see if you can keep it protected in some way, especially if you have turkey vultures or other smell-hunting vultures (or other scent-hunting carrion eaters) around. ive had vultures try to break into my bins multiple times! a good sturdy closing lid keeps em out though

-place your specimen into the container, and fill it up with water. you can fill it up enough to cover the specimen entirely, but also, if you have a particularly fleshy specimen you can make the water go up almost all the way to the top, and then leave the lid off your bin for a couple hours (if you know nothing will snatch your specimen! might wanna like, babysit it) to allow flies to lay eggs. maggots will speed up the process a bunch! but either way, place the lid on your container and put it in the safe place. oh! and preferably, you want it somewhere warm, like in the sun.

-now you just wait! this method, maceration, takes a long time! but it produces the best quality bones. now, this step will vary on time based on how much you have to decompose and how hot it is (and whether you have maggot help or not), but heat's the biggest deciding factor. this process works by decomposer bacteria eating up all the flesh, and they work best in the heat! if you're doing this in late fall or winter, prepare to wait til summer arrives for any process. if you're in the height of summer, it might only take two weeks! but either way, youre gonna leave this out for weeks.

-basically depending on the heat, check it when you think its done. you'll know its done by the lack of flesh. the bone might still look dirty- they often become stained weird colors in this part. it's no big deal, it'll go away in the next step. also, teeth will fall out now, because theres little no no soft tissue keeping them in place. thats fine, just keep track of them! pay very close attention to when you pour out the water. incisors are so easy to lose. (also the rotwater is great fertilizer!)

-ok! so it's a couple months later and you have a fleshless skull (or whatever other bones) but it's very stinky and not clean. firstly youre gonna wanna give it a rinse (outside. don't bring this into your home yet. it smells like rot) very carefully, as not to lose any teeth.

-you want another container big enough for your specimen, now. can be the same container if you clean it out very well, but i prefer to have dedicated rot buckets. you may need to degrease your specimen, or you can move straight to whitening.

-how do you know if you need to degrease? fatty substances in the flesh can be present in the bone, as grease. this will discolor certain parts of the bone (or rarely, all of it) and make those areas look yellowed and sort of oily. if it's just a spot or two and the discoloration doesn't bother you, you don't have to remove it. but if it's a substantial amount it's gonna make the bone look dirty, and in high amounts can also stink. not a rot stink, it's not nearly that bad, but a sort of musty smell.

-grease in the bone is most common in especially fatty animals. anything domestic is likely to have grease, as are very fatty animals like raccoons (raccoons have SO much fat. i skinned one once and its like, ridiculously big layer of fat under their skin.). ive personally had grease problems with coyotes and felines.

-to degrease, you need that container again, and some dish soap! preferably the clear stuff, you don't want to end up staining the specimen. put your specimen in the container and fill it up with water so its covered, and pour some dish soap in there. swish it round so its all mixed in, and put the container back in the warm spot. this process is also heat dependent!

-now you wait again. every two or so weeks, check, and maybe change out the water and soap. your judgement as to when its done. basically you just want those greasy spots gone when the specimens dry!

-next up is WHITENING! this is where you START if you have an already fleshless specimen! all you need for this one is hydrogen peroxide, the 3% stuff you can get cheap at any drug or grocery store. ive found that due to pandemic reasons the peroxide supply at a lot of places has been depleted, but it's mmmostly better by now. you still might have some trouble finding it.

-put your specimen in the container and fill with peroxide enough to cover it. it'll probably start fizzing! the peroxide reacts with organic bits like microscopic amounts of grease in the bone and like, cleans it out. leave it in for a few days to a week, then check.

-if it's still too yellow for your tastes, change out the peroxide and leave it in for another few days. (note, the bone will be more yellow when it's wet- it gets whiter as it dries) if it's white to your liking, take it out, and leave it on a paper towel to dry.

-once dry, you can glue your teeth back in. i use hot glue most of the time, because its very forgiving and easy to undo, but note that if you ever plan on putting the specimen into water again like to degrease it in the future, you might wanna use something like superglue instead. just be...very cautious of mistakes. once i put in my otter's canine tooth backwards. like, tip in the socket, root facing outwards. always do a test fit right before you put the glue on, so you know youve got the angle right so you can put it in right, before the glue dries. also, you only need a TINY bit of glue per tooth.

plus bird feet, depending on how fatty/fleshy they are, can also be dried by posing them and burying them in borax for a while! i do that to preserve chicken feet without skeletonizing them.

i would also ask them to make sure that their collection of this bird is legal- im pretty sure in places where the migratory bird treaty act applies (usa, canada, mexico, japan, and russia) eiders are protected, and as such owning their parts is illegal and can carry a very hefty fine. should be fine in europe, though, to my knowledge. eiders have a huuuge range :P

#vulture culture #save #long post #ALSO HI EZRA NICE TO SEE YOU AGAINNN

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incorrectenhypenquotes · 4 years

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You are one of the producers of i-land and your mutuals are the applicants. The time has come for the concept centered performances and it's your role to assign your mutuals their teams. Which mutuals will you send to the Flame On team and which will be sent to the Chamber 5 team? Yours Truly - Curious Eggie

asdfghjk what omg im going to be really bad at this but okay

chamber 5:

1. @sunghoonseyebrowcult ok ren is just a cutie and she fully knows it, like straight up sunoo doing aegyo vibes, so naturally she is the first choice

2. @iland-enthusiast okay so she’d totally hate doing the cute concept, like sunghoon levels of cringe, but she’d kill it cos she’s smol and cute (and probably taller than me but semantics)

3. @artzyyangel artzy’s a whole cutie and i know she’d like actually kill a cute concept, she’d deny she’s cute because that’s how she is, but that is a LIE

4. @incorrect-jakehoon dave also goes into chamber 5, cos she is also smol and cute, and i didn’t wanna seperate artzy and dabae cos im p sure they’re supposed to be our jakehoon

5. @soft-black-teabag i put all the babies on this team so she’d need to be there to keep em in check, and also going by baby pics giulia’s a cutie

flame one:

1. @heeseungsteeth ik she’s chaotic and annoying jk ily but ik for sure that beanie would kill a cool, fiery concept, also what’s a good team without some chaos ammi right?

2. @prikicarat is a confident queen and i just cant help but feel like she would totally totally totally kill the flame on concept, at least what it’s looking like so far

3. @mmagicshop is one of the older ones out of the eggie family so i feel like she’d assimilate really well into the more mature flashy flame on concept

4. @svnghoonie wasn’t totally sure where to put her, but because we’re pretty similar, and because i feel like i’d personally fit better in flame on, she’s here

5. And finally @celestial-lasagna idrk why but lasagna has wholeass cool, confident leader vibes and i just know she’s got the vibes to match flame on.

and yes, that is all ig

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ninjakasuga · 4 years

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Sonsal Celebration Year 2, Day 8

The final day is here; and this one took me a bit to figure it out but here we go! I’ve enjoyed the celebration hosted by @boundforfreedomsonsal this year and look forward to more events to come. I honestly haven’t felt a drive for my solo writing like this in awhile. Sure I’ve had some projects cooking in the wings but they’re slo-mo going for various reasons. Maybe I just needed an injection of my favorite furry couple to light the fires? XD In any case, enjoy and can’t wait to hear what’cha all think.

PROTECT:

Flipping her book to a new page, Sally’s eyes began to read over the new lines of the beginning paragraph. The curl of a smile began to form more as she read on with the book. Said book was actually was not the full release novel. Wanting to encourage her friends’ new hobby, Sally had offered to be a beta-reader and thus the manuscript was in her hand; a manuscript that Nicole had already bound as a book to ‘sell the experience’, a rather cute gesture Sally appreciated since she did enjoy the ‘feel’ of a book in her hands. As she moved to the next page, she softly chuckled. “I think Nicole is channeling you into the male love interest, he reminds me so much of you Sonic.” The book was actually a thriller but there was a romance subplot, and Sally couldn’t help but notice two of the lead characters channeled Sonic and herself. There was another female character who seemed to be trying to romance both, and this made Sally raise an eyebrow as that character felt like a fusion of Nicole and Bunnie. Was Nicole just being creative or was she projecting something into her hobby?

With the book obscuring her view, she didn’t see Sonic but could hear him walking back into their bedroom from the adjacent bathroom, having finished brushing his teeth. “Oh? So how does this fictional guy remind you of moi?” He playfully inquired, his footsteps softened as the bed shook, indicative of him crawling onto it from the bottom edge.

After she finished scanning the current paragraph, the skin under her fur began to blush as a ‘love scene’ started, and again she had to wonder if Nicole was somehow psychic or if she could ‘see’ things through the nanites regardless of her wishes; or in a worst-case, ‘Sally-did-not-want-to-believe-it�� scenario, a voyeur. Especially since the scene described the two characters slipping into a utility closet for a ‘quickie’; which invoked a memory or two Sally had of Sonic and her doing similar things. Shaking her head, she dismissed such a crazy notion; it wasn’t an uncommon romantic story set-up, so that was probably the case, making her feel silly for even considering Nicole would have peeped on Sonic and her.

“Long and short of it sweetie, he’s got your flair for ‘smooth style’ as you put it.” She answered her husband, moving to the next page. Suddenly she felt her nightgown being pulled up past her thighs and belly, making her lower the manuscript and stare at her husband with a slight frown and raised an eyebrow. “Sonic, what are you doing? I’m not in the mood.” She flatly told him; and she wasn’t despite the slight spicy turn in the novel she was prereading.

Looking at his wife, Sonic put a hand to his chest fur as if wounded by her accusation. “You think I would start being frisky without checking with my wife? For shame Sal!’ He ‘tsked’ and wagged a finger in the air. “Much as I enjoy lovin’ on you, my goal is to do this.” With that statement said, Sonic then laid his head on Sally’s four and a half month pregnant belly. His ears began to twitch as he nuzzled and listened for any sounds or signs of movement within. A hand rested along her belly where his head was not resting, slowly, softly stroking in tender circular motions. The expression on his face was a mixture of pride, love, happiness, and something, Sally could not put a word to it; but it made her heart melt seeing her beloved husband so, in-love with the lives growing inside of her.

Smiling Sally put a bookmark between the pages of the manuscript and set it on the nightstand, content to just watch her husband rest on her belly. “You can’t get enough of that can you?”

Flashing his own smile her way, he made a sound that was just joyful as his cheek nuzzled her swollen-with-child belly. “They need to hurry and come on out.”

“Three and a half months at the least Sonic, you can wait a little longer. Not that I don’t wish they could hurry from time to time myself.” Sally couldn’t help but giggle some at his impatience but ultimately she also sympathized. She wanted her little bundles in her arms as well. So far she was enjoying her pregnancy; the highs and lows together even if the lows were sometimes unbearable. Sally was someone who liked to be in control of her faculties, and her hormones making her irrational at the drop of a hat was not entirely her idea of fun.

Still, the upside outweighed that, but she would be happy to not have her bladder kicked every half hour! After a moment’s debate, Sally gripped her nightgown bunched up just under her chest and pulled the article off and cast it aside.

Craning his head, Sonic sent her a playful smile. “I thought you weren’t in the mood?” Laughing she playfully smacked his arm. “I’m not, I just got a hot flash, and well- these!” She gestured to her chest which had gained some growth. “They felt too confined, and urgh heavy! How much milk does my body think I need to produce?!”

Unable to help himself, Sonic laughed as his lovely wife hefted her breasts while looking out of sorts with the recent hormonal developments. As she pouted at him, he waved a hand apologetically in the air. “S-sorry Sal, just watching you juggle them around is too damn funny! P-plus if I may be frank it’s kinda probably a thing since you’re having twins. Remember how much my Mom got bigger in the chest when she was pregnant with Sonia and Manik? Plus if our kids have my metabolism they’ll be hungry suckers.”

Pouting she quickly if carefully stops hefting her chest and crossed her arms. “The next time ‘YOU’ have our child. I am making it a royal decree. Let’s see how much you laugh with the back-pain, bladder control issues, cravings, and hyper mood-swings.”

Snorting Sonic sat upon his knees, a hand still on her belly. “I kinda lack the equipment Sal, so decree all you want.”

As Sally opened her mouth to make a retort, she slowly closed her mouth, then opened it again but yet as before closed it as she could not think of a solid argument. Pouting in frustration she threw her hands up in the air. “Fine you win this one.”

Having dealt with her mood swings enough, Sonic could see she was one-foot in the midst of one; hence her insistence he carry the next kid despite being a biological impossibility. Moving his hand from her belly he scooted down the bed toward her upper half and gently slid his hand around one of hers and squeezed. “Hey don’t frazzle yourself hun, I just got one over ya’ this time. No big.”

“I know, it’s just mildly annoying when my hormones make my mind or mouth run away without a clear thought.” She murmured, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Looking his way, she smiled warmly. “I appreciate you putting up with me when I get out of sorts.”

“Hey fair’s fair, you put up with me.” He winked, which as he hoped got her to laugh. “There we go, have a chuckle hun, let the bad vibes out of your system. Plus heck if you really don’t wanna do this again we don’t have to have anymore kids.”

She nodded, looking thoughtful as she pondered this. “Suppose we do?” “We can adopt.” He pointed out.

Sally couldn’t help but consider all angles; “Suppose I lose my mind and want to be pregnant again?”

Sonic shrugged, “Stuff to consider when we come to that bridge Sal. Right now, just focus on these two. I have a feeling they’ll keep us busy and on our toes well enough. Whatever we decide we decide together.”

Unable to not smile, she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. “I love you, and thank you for putting me at ease about those future thoughts.”

“S’what husbands are for right?” He chuckled kissing her back before moving back towards her belly. Once back in place, Sonic resumed resting against his wife’s belly, planting a warm kiss against the lump housing their children. “Mama and Daddy kicked all the bad guys butts for you before you were born, but we’re gonna protect you still when you come into the world.” He coo’d, as he continued to massage his wife’s abdomen which had a soothing effect on Sally as she relaxed against her pillows.

“Damn right we did, and mmmm, don’t stop.” A low moan of contentment left Sally as she found her eyes fluttering. She guessed it was time for bed after all. “...I want… I want to give them the best lives we can Sonic. That’s all I want for them.”

Glancing her way, Sonic slid a hand up to wrap around hers, squeezing as he then moved up the bed, now laying beside Sally and kissed her softly. “We will, that’s always gonna be the plan Sal, they ain’t ever gonna go through the crap we did, nor will they question if we love em’.”

Nodding softly as her eyes fluttered, Sally squeezed his hand, then moved her arms around him to pull him against her side like he was a cuddle toy. “I hope we’re ready, I want this but I worry I might not be good enough-.”

“I worry too Sal.” He gently interrupted, kissing her tired eyes as her sleepy expression grew across her face. “I worry too, but I know we’ll figure stuff we go together. Like we always have.” Nuzzling her cheeks, he reached down to pull the covers over her so she wouldn’t catch a cold. “Sleep sweetie, I love you.”

“Mmm love you too my sweet Hog’.” Sally murmured before sleep fully and utterly claimed her. Leaving Sonic to kill the light by the nightstand before he curled back against her, watching her sleep as he lets his own body relax. Sleep would come for him eventually, until then, he wanted to keep watch on his wife and unborn children.

Even in peace, he would keep protecting. It’s just how Sonic was, and always would be.

#Sonsal #Sonally #boundingforfreedom #Sonsal Celebration Day 8 #prompt #protect #Sally Acorn #Sonic the Hedgehog #Archie comics #Archie Sonic #romance #pregnancy #babies incoming

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ghost--houses · 4 years

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Untamed Spring Fest 2020 Day 1: April Fools

So I’m a month late here, I am a perfectionist and most of these spent a ton of time in beta. I think I should be done by end of May so I thought I’d try posting them daily staring now

read this one on AO3

read all currently finished prompts on AO3

April Fools (WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff, 1k words)

Wei Wuxian wakes when his husband does, at the horrifying time of five in the morning, because he wants to be aware of Lan Zhan kissing him good morning. He then immediately goes back to sleep.

He wakes for good some hours later, when he hears a servant has brought him breakfast. Lan Zhan had warned him the night before that he would not be able to come home to sit with him while he ate, which is fine. Wei Wuxian is beginning to trust that the days will be long and the happiness he has found, for once, is not fleeting.

After dressing, he sits down to his congee and dumps in his usual amount of chili oil. But when he eats it, it's... bland. He adds more. It doesn't help. He's about to add even more when the thought strikes him to put a pinky into the chili oil and taste that, first.

"Ah." He says to himself. He has no idea how this happened, it's still the right color but perhaps someone made it with the wrong sort of pepper? It just tastes like oil, though maybe with a little sweetness.

And then he almost spits when he starts laughing. He's struck by the image of some poor cook trying to make Hanguang-jun's loud husband some chili oil, only to use the wrong pepper. And they don't taste it, because they're Lan. The only reason there's even chili oil for him anyway is because he had (accidentally! He was just trying to tease Lan Zhan!) made a joke about the blandness of Lan food one too many times and then his husband had started instructing the kitchens to adjust for him. It's ridiculous, as if having a safe home, a loving husband and a devoted son wasn't more than he deserved.

So he's not going to say anything, because Lan Zhan will probably try to fix it and it's too funny like this. Besides, it's not bad, just different.

After breakfast, he steps out into the warm, late morning and stretches into the sunlight. He stops by the library pavilion to make his daily attempt to see how much he can mess up Lan Zhan's robes in public before getting scolded, then goes into the back hills for a walk.

When Wei Wuxian reaches the area where the rabbits usually are, he's puzzled to find that none are present. He pauses, looks around for clues and over on the other side of the river he sees some familiar white shapes shuffling around. Then he checks the sun, confirms where north is -- well, he wasn't wrong. They've moved.

Do bunnies migrate? He'll have to ask Lan Zhan about it later. For now, he amuses himself with the idea of the rabbits running -- no, flying, with their boundless spiritual energy -- en masse across the river. He's still giggling a little by the time he reaches them, buries himself in twitching noses and soft white fur. He’s half-convinced they really did move on purpose -- there's more sun on this side, and the breeze is bringing in a delightful smell of flowers from nearby.

About an hour after he told himself he was just going to close his eyes for a moment, Wei Wuxian wakes up, well-rested and pleased but hungry. Luckily, it's lunch time and he bids farewell to the rabbits in their decidedly improved spot and heads back to the Jingshi.

He eats on the porch but half-way through his meal he thinks something is missing. It's just... such a nice day and... he goes back inside to pull out the Emperor's Smile from the secret compartment under the floorboards. The first sip is perfect, refreshing, the second is... wrong. The third sip is not Emperor's Smile, it's from home -- Yunmeng home, not here home. It's a completely different liquor.

Wei Wuxian blinks down at his cup. And then he begins to laugh. Three is no coincidence. And he knows just who to thank.

"Very good, boys!" Wei Wuxian says when he's reached the training yard, startling Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi out of their sparring. They scramble to bow to him. "You were taking your lives into your hands by sneaking into the Jingshi, I'm impressed."

"Wei-qianbei, what are you talking about?" Sizhui asks.

"Ha! Playing dumb is like lying, right? I mean, playing pranks is probably also forbidden --"

"What pranks?" Jingyi asks.

Nothing changes the confusion on their faces as he mentions each of his surprises in turn.

"Forgive me, Wei-qianbei, but where would we even get Yunmeng liquor?" Sizhui says. It’s a good point.

Jingyi snorts. "Those sound lame, anyway. If it was me, I'd do something better. One time, Ouyang Zizhen and I snuck into Jin Ling's room in Carp Tower and used a talisman to stick all his furniture to the ceiling."

"Jingyi!" Sizhui hisses at him.

"Oh, that is good." Wei Wuxian nods. "But if it wasn't either of you..." Oh. He laughs, quite sure he's grinning like a fool. Of course.

He says his goodbyes to the juniors, but turns back briefly to make a show of correcting Jingyi's posture so he can surreptitiously request instructions to the talisman he mentioned.

Wei Wuxian finds Lan Zhan back in the library pavilion, innocently reading.

"It was you!" He proclaims, theatrically.

"Mm."

Wei Wuxian was really going to try to milk this, to act wounded to see what he could get out of it, but he's so delighted he can't do it. He laughs and laughs and slides himself onto Lan Zhan's lap to kiss him.

"What gave you the idea?"

"I wanted Wei Ying to laugh."

"You don't get enough of that every day?"

"No."

Wei Wuxian changes the subject before he melts. "It's too bad that it came at the cost of some perfectly good liquor."

Lan Zhan produces a bottle from somewhere in his robes.

"Oh, of course you saved it." Wei Wuxian slides his arms around Lan Zhan's neck and whispers sweetly in his ear. "But you do realize this means war, right?"

#untamed spring fest #mdzs #cql #the untamed #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan sizhui #lan jingyi #my writing #fanfiction

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airadam · 3 years

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Episode 142 : ...If You Hear Me

"We all need...some fresh air."

- Tobe

This month has been pretty exhausting, but I did have some good ideas for this episode, and once I hit stride with the recording I decided to try and keep the pace up and get it released on a weekend day! The selection has turned out to be heavy on artists who are no longer with us, but left us some great music to remember them by. Get yourself comfortable and press "play"...

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Evidence ft. Raekwon and Ras Kass : The Red Carpet

How is this track ten years old already? Time has flown since the 2011 release of "Cats & Dogs", the second solo Evidence album after four LPs as part of Dilated Peoples. While Evidence is an excellent producer in his own right, the reins here are taken by his future partner in The Step Brothers, The Alchemist. He further shows his confidence by bringing in California's Ras Kass and Raekwon from the Wu to guest, both legendary MCs, and holds his own next to both. A great collection of talent to kick off the show!

[DJ Premier] Gang Starr : What's Real? (Instrumental)

I just had to go back to "One Of The Best Yet" for another Preemo beat! Definitely get the instrumental release if you can, especially as you get the previously-unreleased "Glowing Mic" as a bonus cut.

The Notorious B.I.G ft. DMC : My Downfall

As I say on the voiceover, it feels weird playing a good chunk of Biggie's catalogue given how he ultimately died. This track from "Life After Death" is a perfect example, and feels like a mix of the creative writing he was famed for and maybe a realisation of exactly how much negativity swirled around him even after he had made the transition from the streets to the music industry. The legendary DMC of RUN DMC guests, only on the hook - but he does it well.

Agallah : Slaughter

Just a few bars, just a taste, as I needed something to bridge a track with no instrumental outro and the other with no open bars on the intro! Big respect to Agallah though, who has been putting in work since the mid-90s and will probably have yet another new project out by the time I finish typing this sentence. Find this beat on "Propain Campain Presents Agalllah - The Instrumental Vol. 1".

Sean Price and Small Professor (ft. Rock and DJ Revolution) : Refrigerator P

Heavy business! Ruck (Sean Price) and Rock, formerly the duo Heltah Skeltah, reunite on this killer from the "86 Witness" LP. Small Professor makes the beat dramatic, and DJ Revolution seasons the mix with his trademark super-sharp cuts.

Fred The Godson : Presidents

The Bronx-born-and-bred MC Fred The Godson sadly passed away last April at just 35 - one of the relatively early US casualties of COVID-19. During his lifetime, his catalogue consisted of some highly-rated mixtapes, but only after his death do we finally hear his debut album, "Ascension". This track of course is built (by Hesami) around the same sample as Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" as Fred expounds on the drug game.

Broke 'n' English : Tryin' (Calibre Mix)

"Tryin'" was one of the standouts on the 2007 debut LP "Subject 2 Status" from this respected Manchester crew. Both Strategy and DRS have a long-standing history in the drum & bass scene, and so it made sense that the remix of this track would be handled by someone like Calibre. Sharp, crisp drum action and a smooth bassline drive this one along, with DRS' vocals being woven in as a refrain. You can hear in this one track how DRS then went on to make several excellent D&B albums - his vocal versatility allows him to shine on any production.

Marco Polo : Cindy

The "MP On The MP" (see what he did there?) beat tape is inspired by a Youtube series he was doing, and features a host of new and unreleased beats. Marco Polo is one keeping this style of production alive, which I'm thankful for. I still think of him as a "new" producer, but he's a veteran with over fifteen years in the industry!

Le$ : Out To Cali

Le$ is a great MC to go to if you want lyrics about just living life and having fun - almost like a Curren$y, but without the extreme high-end references. Right here, he's going to Cali, buying some weed, riding around, and enjoying the view - sometimes it doesn't need to be more lofty than that. Mr.Rogers goes to a familiar sample as a basis for the beat, and if you want more, the whole "Summer Madness" will give you these vibes - and exercise your speakers in the process.

O.C. : What I Need (Keelay Remix)

The "Smoke & Mirrors" LP is a bit of a forgotten one for many, but I really enjoyed it, and when acapellas became available, it was expertly remixed by the Sole Vibe crew out of San Francisco. The classic soul sample (which you may recognise from tracks like "Deeper" by Bo$$) is the foundation, with a heavy kick and skipping hi-hats providing the rhythm. O.C. never lost a step from his first LP, and he's never afraid to put his feelings out there on wax.

Sadat X : Stages & Lights

This is one of those tracks I was stunned to realised I hadn't already played on the podcast, so here it is at last! This Showbiz-produced cut from the 1996 "Wild Cowboys" LP, Sadat's solo debut, was also a B-side on the "Hang 'Em High" single - but definitely stole the show. If you ever find the original sample, you'll be amazed at how Show plucked that one small piece for this beat!

Phife Dawg : Thought U Wuz Nice

Killer B-side action from Phife Dawg, on the flip of the Superrappin "Bend Ova" 12", with J Dilla on the bouncy production. Still can't quite believe that both of these icons are no longer with us.

Saib : Beyond Clouds

The Chillhop label seems to put out endless amounts of beats from producers specialising in sounds inspired by greats like J Dilla and Nujabes, but with their own spin. This one comes from the "Chillhop Essentials Fall 2020" compilation, one of any number that are perfect for soundtracking study, work, or just a lazy day!

213 : Run On Up

That beat by Tha Chill and the delivery of "Shut the f********ck up and ruuuu-uuu-uuuun" by the late great Nate Dogg is enough to make this an absolute classic in my ears, but the full picture is even better. Way before "Doggystyle", "The Chronic", or even "Deep Cover", 213 was the group formed in Long Beach by Nate Dogg, Warren G, and Snoop, before any of them had got their big breaks. Years later, after all of them had become stars in their own rights, it was heart-warming to see them reform for the "The Hard Way" LP, from which this is taken.

Sporty Thievz : Angel

The Sporty Thievz deserve to be remembered for more than "No Pigeons", as much as we enjoyed the whole thing at the time. The "Street Cinema" album may not have quite lived up to the name, but there were some solid cuts on there, and this was one. Produced by King Kirk of the group alongside Ski, this track has all the foreboding, and while the singing on the hook may not be Marvin Gaye level, it absolutely works here.

Jean Grae : My Crew

One of the great underrated MCs - not because her skills are in question, but simply because not enough people know her! She's in fine early 2000s form on this cut from the "Bootleg of the Bootleg EP", produced by China Black. Straight boom-bap, and she cuts through with clarity and dexterity. Jean Grae raps, sings, produces, acts...one of the true talent of the culture.

Bronx Slang : Just Say No

New single from Jerry Beeks and Ollie Miggs, who have really been on a hot streak the last couple of years. It's nice to hear some protest music in an era that really calls for it, and if this is a marker of how good the upcoming second album is going to be, then you need to reserve a space in your crates right now! Jadell on production brings an appropriate heaviness to the track, no lightness on the beat!

[Ron Browz] Big L : The Heist (Instrumental)

All these years and I'd never looked to see who produced this beat from Big L's posthumously-released LP "The Big Picture" - come to find out it's one of Ron Browz' first credits. He's much better known for "Ether" by Nas, which came in 2001. The vocal version of this track is what the name suggests, a robbery tale, and you can hear the sound effects that punctuate the narrative still here in the instrumental.

Tobe Nwigwe : Fresh Air

Tobe Nwigwe and his collective (including his wife Fat and his producer Nell) have been quietly on the rise for a while, but in very recent times their profile has elevated noticeably. "The Pandemic Project" is a short six-track album from last year, and another quality addition to the catalogue. This man is an amazing MC, and Nell's often-unconventional beats are the perfect canvas. Don't sleep!

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

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artnerd1123 · 4 years

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Nettles’ Character Sheet

it’s been 500 years since i did one of these, but! undercut it goes~

Character Chart Character’s full name: Nettles Nimue Willoweep Reason or meaning of name: Nettles comes from the plant! Since nettles sting, I was originally planning on having her be a lot more prickly. She still is kinda pokey now, tbh. “Willoweep” is just “weeping willow” but smashed together. It’s for the Aesthetic™. Nimue refers to the “lady of the lake” in the legend of king arthur, and because I thought it sounded cool. important to note is that she made up her current name herself, for story reasons Character’s nickname: none (aiden calls her various pet names later), though some people might attempt to call her captain willow. it doesn’t end well. Reason for nickname: she just doesn’t care for nicknames much, (Aiden’s the exception because they’re overly sappy/joke around a lot with each other later) and she used to be a pirate captain- but isn’t anymore Birth date: March 28th Sexuality: queer Gender/pronouns: genderfluid, she/her (occasionally they/them)

Physical appearance Age: 37 How old do they appear: probably around that. Maybe a smidge older. Weight: still have no clue how weight works! She’s got plenty of muscle mass tho :V Height: 5’11” Body build: thinner frame but with plenty of muscle. She’s strong as frick, and more like a steel rod than a stick. plenty buff :3 Shape of face: i still don’t know how to answer this question lsdkjfs, but she’s got a longer face w/ a sharpish chin Eye color: pale green! Glasses or contacts: neither Skin tone: light brown (african american?) + seafarer’s tan on top of it Distinguishing marks: she’s got so many scars. So many. The most notable ones being “ligature” marks on her right wrist, and a burn on her neck/left shoulder. Predominant features: her hair is p eyecatching for sure Hair color: emerald/leafy green Type of hair: curly coils Hairstyle: currently has it in dreadlocks (they look a lil vinelike!), parted to the right Voice: Jess Glynne - Thursday (but can also sound piratey) Overall attractiveness: strong ex-pirate plant lady,,, pretty in a rugged kind of way,,, ough,,, Physical disabilities: none Usual fashion of dress: pirate, but make it shades of brown/green and a bit less flashy Favorite outfit: dark brown “vest” (actually a dress top she tore the skirt off of) with green accent around front laces, cream off-the-shoulder shirt w/ green accent trim and flowy sleeves, dark brown pants, tan boots w/ straps and gold buckles, large belt w/ gold buckle Jewelry or accessories: black hoop earrings, an emerald leaf shaped cloak clasp, and a staff made of woven grass (which can turn into a sword)

Personality Good personality traits: generally levelheaded, unafraid to tell people things when needed, determined, patient, ‘do no harm but take no shiz’ mentality, not usually quick to judge, generally easygoing, v dedicated to those she considers family, thinks well under pressure, gives good advice (most of the time), can be p charismatic Bad personality traits: tends not to have much foresight, can come across as aloof, really bad about opening up, keeps too much to herself despite tryna get better abt it, can sometimes overlook traits in favor of just being allies/friends, a lil too willing to get into a fight sometimes, can be too headstrong, lies easily to get out of things Mood character is most often in: contemplative Sense of humor: very dark, likes to playfully tease those she cares about, loves really long jokes, can get a bit crass on occasion Character’s greatest joy in life: currently her forest (teaching journal comes close second some days) Character’s greatest fear: her past coming back to bite her Why? She’s not so much scared of people finding out who she used to be, more uneasy about people using it against her. She doesn’t want people to walk out of her life, but like, if they do, she wouldn’t blame em. She just doesn’t wanna get thrown under the bus for what she did back during pirate days, and accused of being something she isn’t (at least, not anymore.) What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? Losing journal, tbh. She already lost everything- including family- once. She’s not willing to walk down that road again. Character is most at ease when: out among her plants, or chillin in a tavern Most ill at ease when: near the ocean in any capacity Enraged when: people threaten her loved ones/home/etc, people hurt others due to prejudice, people cause destruction in her forest Depressed or sad when: thinking of her old crew, ruminating in her memories for too long, near the ocean, an old tree dies Priorities: keeping the forest safe, producing enough lucrative plants/herbs so she has on hand pocket money, making sure journal’s alright/settling in/has the help he needs if she’s not around to give it Life philosophy: everyone gets their comeuppance eventually, but that doesn’t mean you sit back and wait. Go knock some sense into em if they need it. Take care of people worse off than you, too. A bit of help gets people a long way. If granted one wish, it would be: to have turned back in that storm instead of charging on. Why? Half her crew wouldn’t be dead. She could’ve actually retired instead of stepping down due to catastrophic failure. Her familiar would be alive. Y’know, normal reasons. Character’s soft spot: plants, gold, shiny things, kids Is this soft spot obvious to others? Plants, definitely. The other things you’ll notice if you’re around her long enough Greatest strength: making a decision and seeing it through Greatest vulnerability or weakness: absolutely hates/has a really hard time opening up to other people Biggest regret: rushing headlong into a storm she had no hope of conquering Minor regret: not travelling inland more when she was a pirate (not a huge deal to her, but it woulda been nice) Biggest accomplishment: either successfully maintaining a ship/captain’s title for ten years, or nurturing her forest from a wildfire charred landscape into a thriving woodsy landscape. Minor accomplishment: finding out how to return gold (if she stole it on accident) without being too weird about it Past failures they would be embarrassed to have people know about: she likely has a ton from her early pirating days. Learning to be a pirate wasn’t super easy all the time Why? She likes to think she’s a competent pirate now, don’t bring that stuff up, thank u v much Character’s darkest secret: dark magic has tempted her many, many times. It still does sometimes. And she almost gave in on a few of those occasions. Does anyone else know? No. they won’t, if she has anything to say about it.

Goals Drives and motivations: moving on aka shoving her past in a closet, being able to keep her forest/new loved ones safe, gold Immediate goals: keep up with her trade partners and her “cash gardens,” check the forest for abnormalities, make sure journ doesn’t need anything that day (and help if he do) Long term goals: keep the forest healthy, keep journal on the right track, continue expanding her budding network of plant trading, hopefully make some more actual progress with her issues How the character plans to accomplish these goals: keep up the “forest guardian” role, send letters to journ/visit him, meet more people, and learn to properly open up. And. y’know. Maybe steal some gold here n there as needed. How other characters will be affected: positively for her loved ones/partners! And maybe possibly probably negatively for those she doesn’t like. Perhaps.

Past Hometown: didn’t have a “town.” lived on ships/ports for her whole life till pirating Type of childhood: unstable, tbh. She was the kid of some merchant questors. Thus, she was always travelling around. Not much time to make/maintain friendships, bond with her parents, or do much besides help out. Any goofing off probably got her yelled at. Her headstrong nature meant she didn’t take kindly to that, so she ran away at 15. Pets: none First memory: the sound of waves. It’s something she’ll never forget, no matter what. Most important childhood memory: seeing pirates in the distance during a trade route! Scary, but she was also in awe of em Why: those pirates inspired her runaway swashbuckling plans when she was a teen! They also showed her an alternative to the dull merchant’s way of fulfilling questor urges. Childhood hero: probably some super well known pirate from a legend a book she smuggled onboard Dream job: anything that wasn’t being a merchant (turned into pirate tho) Education: really good at math, reading, keeping records, and reading the ocean. All thanks to her parents/seabound life! She taught herself plant magic rlly early on, and also learned a lot more things pirating (swordfighting, how to manage a crew, which quests are the most profitable, etc) Religion: Finances: parents took care of childhood finances. She was treasure/stolen loot funded until pirating crashed and burned in her late teen/early adult years~

Present Current location: forest outside Journal’s town. It spans many miles. Currently living with: herself :V Pets: none Religion: Occupation: forest guardian, plant merchant, magic mentor Finances: merchant life pays well enough when she needs it. And, like, she still goes and loots places from time to time. Just keep it quiet, m’kay?

Family Mother: Danielle Chamelea Teritip Relationship with her: though she was v busy, her mother always did her best to keep her daugher on track. She’s the one who pushed nettles really hard to learn, and to focus on becoming a better merchant than entertaining other fantasies. Their relationship wasn’t terrible, but nettles never felt her mom’s approval of her personal goals- just the future her mom wanted. Father: Albus Troise Teritip Relationship with him: he was also very busy, but always took the time to teach her little tricks and tips of the trade. He was also sorta pushy about her becoming a merchant. He never even seemed to notice her pulling away to other fantasies. Why would she? After all, your kid’s gotta carry on the family business. What else would she be doing? Siblings: Relationship with them: Spouse: Relationship with them: Children: Relationship with them: Other important family members: if found family counts, which it does, that’ll be journal! Later in the plot, it expands to fit aiden/roo/seraph/ruffy. In her past, her crew would all have been here

Favorites Color: green. Any shade. Surprising, i know Least favorite color: beige. Boring color, no thank u >:V Music: sea shanties!!! Also likes metal, some pop, and has a fondness for violin/flute music Food: a p p l e s. Also fond of any produce she can eat raw. And crabs. Lov the cronch. Literature: prefers oral stories to reading. But like, history is super interesting to her. Form of entertainment: oral storytelling, showing off (or watching someone show off) magic, stupid tavern karaoke Expressions: loves that devilish smirk of “oh no, they’re up to something bad, hold onto your valuables.” also enjoyable is that eyebrow raise of “did you really just do that? Really? That?” with a deadpan face. Peak expressions. Mode of transportation: swinging/parkouring around through the trees via plant magic and vines, like tarzan, except the vines yeet him instead of swinging sometimes Most prized possession: her staff. She’s had it for years, through good and bad, and it’s not going anywhere. May or may not also have a feather in her cloak clasp for… reasons.

Habits Hobbies: gardening, swordfighting, people and/or birdwatching, storytelling, being extra as all frick every so often so people don’t forget u can and will take them the frick out, applepicking Plays a musical instrument? nope! Plays a sport? Does swordfighting count? How they would spend a rainy day: either inside a town building, tavern, or little canopy of leaves in the forest. Depending on the setting, she’ll just have casual conversations or peoplewatch. Or, if she’s in the forest, she’ll entertain herself with vivid storytelling. Sometimes she’ll jus watch whatever crawled into her dry canopy with her. Or bug journal with excessive letters. Anything chill slkdfjs Spending habits: if she can grow/make/wash it herself, she’s not buying. Spends more gold on trips to town restaurants/taverns than anything else, but it’s chill. ‘S not like she has rent to pay :V Smokes: nope Drinks: rum, of course. What kinda pirate do u take her for??? Also wouldn’t mind whiskey. Drinks a lot less now than she used to. Other drugs: nope What do they do too much of? Being a local cryptid What do they do too little of? Opening up to other human beings instead of plants Extremely skilled at: reading a room, cutting to the chase, sword-and-regular-fighting, plant magic, teaching, stealing/pickpocketing, thinking on her feet Extremely unskilled at: planning ahead, knowing when she should really let things be instead of starting smth, letting her loved ones fight their own fights (she’ll try and step in at least once) Nervous tics: going silent, putting a hand over her mouth, staring really hard at nothing, holding her staff close, squeezing anything in hand (usually her staff end) Usual body posture: holds herself loosely but confidently. Has the air of someone who knows what’s going on, and is at ease wherever. Mannerisms: usually blunt, teases those she cares about (unless told not to), makes hand motions when explaining things, speaks in a more “normal” voice most of the time but can occasionally slip into a piratey accent when angry/upset, tends to unconsciously mimic the accents of those around her if she’s in a new setting, likes to sit back and watch until she judges herself to be “familiar” enough with what’s up Peculiarities: the smell of a lotta salt can sometimes upset her, she’s an extrovert but spends most of her time in the woods/outskirts of towns, she’s still very superstitious from her pirate days

Traits Optimist or pessimist? Tends to err on the side of pessimism nowadays Introvert or extrovert? Big extrovert! She’ll spend time just hanging around places people are if she feels too drained, and really loves spending time with those she cares about Daredevil or cautious? Daredevil with an air of caution about her Logical or emotional? Likes to think she’s more logic based, and acts it, but she’s very emotional driven when it comes down to it Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? Very neat, actually! You wouldn’t know it unless u got her to live inside tho ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Prefers working or relaxing? Mix of both. Enough work so she’s not bored, but enough relaxing so she’s not stressed :V Confident or unsure of themself? Confident for the vast majority of the time. Animal lover? She’s definitely fond of em!!! :D

Self-perception How they feel about themself: eh, she’s alright. It fluctuates some days, but tends to rest firmly in the “I’m fine, and if I’m not, I’ll fix it for tomorrow” realm. If it does fluctuate, she either feels like a traitor/liar, or a cunning bada$$ One word the character would use to describe self: survivor One paragraph description of how the character would describe self: “I’m Nettles, Nettles Willoweep. I’m a thirty seven year old sorceress who likes plants more than people. Well, that’s a lie. But it is easier to deal with foliage sometimes. I used to be a pirate a long time ago. Not so much nowadays, but that’s not to say I won’t bend a few rules in a pinch. I do what I need. After all, who’s gonna miss a few coins here and there? Certainly not the other families I slip em to. But uh, hey, don’t go spreading that around. I’ve got a reputation to upkeep.” “I guess I’m a bit of a benevolent local cryptid? Whatever that means. Journal tells me it’s a good thing, and I’ll believe him for now. I’m certainly doing what I can to take care of people who need it, and I’d give my right arm to help those I’m close to. Yeah, my blood runs a little hot sometimes, but that hasn’t changed my whole life. I just wanna see my plants and people prosper, and maybe get some gold on the side.” “... ah, right, hobbies. Gardening, forest guarding, fighting with swords, birdwatching… lots of stuff. As long as I’m not spending all my time slogging through old wounds, i’ll call it a good day.” What does the character consider their best personality trait? Her dedication What does the character consider their worst personality trait? How easily she brushes off concern What does the character consider their best physical characteristic? Not sure! She likes her body, and has no complaints abt it. Maybe her hair or how limber she still is :V What does the character consider their worst physical characteristic? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ How does the character think others perceive them: she thinks the general public perceives her as shady but mostly benevolent. She thinks her loved ones perceive her as blunt, but caring. Both of these are fair analyses, by her thought. What would the character most like to change about themself: make it so she could forgive herself easier, and admit to others that she needs a hand

Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: people are easily tricked and dumb. Individuals can be p nice tho. Does the character hide their true opinions and emotions from others? She’s one of those people where, in certain situations, you’re never gonna be sure if she’s being sarcastic/truthful or not. She does it more regularly than she would like, but less so with close friends Person character most hates: i could put some old rival of hers here. Unfortunately, ‘herself’ works better :( Best friend(s): she’s very good friends with several bartenders, but especially the one in journ’s town. She’s hit it off quite nicely with a nomad who passes through every couple weeks or so, too. Journal is also a “best friend,” but like, in a mentee/kid kind of way Love interest(s): aiden, later ;3 Person character goes to for advice: bartender bffs Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: journal journal journal journal jo- Person character feels shy or awkward around: nobody :V Person character openly admires: *insert several pirates/legendary sorcerers/questors/casual hard workers in towns here* Person character secretly admires: eh. Probably aiden for a bit. Wink wonk lskjdfs Most important person in character’s life before story starts: technically journ counts here? But if not, just herself. After story starts: journal for sure

#nettles willoweep #afw #a familiar world #pirate nettles #character description sheet #this took me all evening; but!!!#worth it :D #and now i've got all this in one spot~#easier to keep track of characterization this way lsdkjfs #anyways; she's a fun gal; even if she's sad sometimes...#nettles i love uuuuuuu #arty writes

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a-coda · 4 years

Text

Time to Go

"When in doubt, use brute force" -- Ken Thompson

Rich Hickey recently published "A History of Clojure". I'd blogged about it before:

"Getting some Clojure"

"The Road to Clojure"

"Bravely Truthy"

"Too Lazy"

I was inspired by this history lesson to get back to the last of those: my XML munging project.

The current Python version of this process takes a few liberties in order to be fast. It doesn't fully parse the XML and instead crudely slices it up as text blocks. It can do this because it knows the way the files are printed and only needs to transform the data, not interpret it.

I wondered if I could get similar performance in Clojure by processing the XML more naturally. Gettting started was easy. Slurping an XML file into memory is embarressingly easy in Clojure. The parser turns the XML into standard Clojure collections.

Unfortunately, it then became frustrating. I was trying to stream the transformation via the lazy data structures, but I ended up spending way too much time looking at runtime errors in obscure backtraces. Clojure benefits, but also suffers, from being a hosted language. The downside is the errors are in terms of the supporting Java innards. (To be fair, users of Java's own functional streaming support can also suffer from this.)

I suppose I should have used the REPL more for experimenting with smaller units, but the performance also sucked and caused the GC to thrash (until I increased the JVM size a lot). In despair at my clumsy attempts to stream the data elegantly I switched to an asynchronous style with channels.

Unfortunately, I hit other problems with that approach. At one point the compiler and runtime made opposing complaints about the type of a data structure. Eventually I figured out I was using "take" instead of "async/take". After running into another 'impossible' problem with the channel approach I gave up.

The Clojure history paper said Clojure's async support was inspired by the Go programming language. So, I reasoned, why not program the goddam thing in Go instead?! I crammed a tutorial and started converting the not-working-very-well Clojure application.

The Go tutorial is nice. It has some interactive parts where you get to test your understanding. It doesn't cover everything but was enough for my needs.

While writing the Go version I actually spent most of the time Googling for the right XML library. Many Go XML processors assume you want to unmarshal the XML into application-specific structs, but I just wanted to splurp the XML into something vanilla. In the end I found "etree" which mimics Python's Element Tree.

First I coded it in a very linear way, and then again with channels (producer-consumer). The performance was much better than my (virtually non-terminating) Clojure app and only slightly slower than the Python original. This is good considering I'm really parsing the XML into a DOM in the Go version and the Python version is mostly only chopping up strings. The Python code is also invoking C library code for the heavy lifting while the Go code is all in Go. (You can wrap Go around C for XML if you want).

Overall the development experience with Go was very different from working with Clojure:

old fashioned imperative programming

compile-time type checking

fast compile times and much faster execution (on this code)

good level of compilation and runtime error reporting

Go itself felt like a halfway house between Java and C. It has a GC but also has pointers (watch out for copying). It doesn't have classes or inheritance but it does have interfaces and a form of dynamic dispatch. It doesn't have resizable vectors but does have a smart "append" function on slices which does the same job. Go does not have exceptions (and so no try-blocks) but does have a mechanism for accumulating deferred cleanup work in a function. It doesn't have a "public" declaration but does have capital letters!

Go has been described, in a postive way, as a "boring language". I certainly found it simple to learn. I think it might be easy to return to and use in a casual way. Perhaps further evidence (if it were needed) that "worse is better".

If you want other recent musings there are some here:

"Early Impressions of Go from a Rust Programmer"

"Why Go and not Rust?"

In the end:

"Sometimes, the elegant implementation is just a function. Not a method. Not a class. Not a framework. Just a function." -- John Carmack

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leisurelypanda · 5 years

Note

(packedgarage) h-hewwo?? may I pwease request that hard dom Bucky you offered?? Him bein mean... steppin on the reader... smackin em around... that good shit...

@packedgarage https://archiveofourown.org/works/19437235

It was quiet afternoon at farmhouse Y/N shared with Bucky Barnes. He was away on some type of Avengers business. He tended not to say what exactly it was because he didn’t want to worry you. Y/N could help but worry, though. It didn’t matter that Bucky was the strongest person Y/N knew, it didn’t matter that he had a metal arm or that he was one of the best snipers and covert agents in the world. Y/N always worried when his Sir left to help protect the world.

Sometimes Y/N wished that he would retire like he sometimes talked about, that he would just stay home and enjoy the farm, the goats, the crops, and Y/N. Y/N knew that he did enjoy those things, and that the times when he was called upon to help protect the world were relatively rare, but it didn’t help to assuage the gnawing fear that settled in Y/N’s stomach when someone did ask for his help.

He had been gone for most of the day as it was, the sun growing close to the horizon. Y/N had worked hard to tend to the farmstead in his absence. Y/N had fed the goats, milked the females, and checked on the pregnant ones. Y/N had also weeded the garden and collected the produce that looked ripe enough to be eaten. It was starting to pile up. It was okay, Bucky’s appetite was substantial. Sometimes he would invite Steve and his boy from the farmstead down the way and between the two of them, they could put away enough food to feed an entire family.

Days like this, when Bucky was away, weren’t necessarily easier than when he was around. When he was around, he liked to play with Y/N, toy with him. When he was away, he still liked to mess with Y/N, but it was different. Y/N had been wearing a plug all day, a special one from Wakanda. Bucky could activate the vibration from anywhere in the world because the device and the remote that controlled it were made of vibranium.

The cage that held Y/N’s cock underneath his clothes was also made of vibranium. Where Bucky got these things, Y/N had no idea. Bucky had never told him, just grinned knowingly and said that Wakanda was a place of many marvels. The collar was just a normal leather collar that Y/N wore when he was working. Bucky had given him another one, with diamonds glittering against the black band, but that was for when they weren’t playing their usual games.

Y/N was just starting to think about what to make for dinner when he heard the steady hum of a quinjet arriving nearby. Y/N’s heart skipped a beat and he forgot about dinner as he rushed to kneel by the front door to wait for Sir to walk in. Sir was always in a mood when he returned from these missions. Not a bad mood, he just needed to vent some frustrations with the world that was so different from what he’d known in his earlier years.

Y/N heard voices, but nothing that could be understood amid the hum of the quinjet. He could hear Bucky’s voice, nearing closer to the house. He took a deep breath to calm the excitement in him. He had to be good for Bucky. If Bucky had to punish him after a mission, it would be worse than it normally was. Y/N forced himself to be still, stay in his kneeling position with his arms behind his back.

He heard heavy boots thud against the wooden steps as Bucky approached the door. When the key turned in the lock, Bucky entered the house and sighed with relief. The sound of the quinjet faded into the distance and Bucky sighed again. He looked down at Y/N and smiled.

“Hello, baby,” he purred. “Come here.”

Y/N crawled forward. As soon as he was close enough, Bucky slapped him across the face. Y/N gasped as hot, stinging pain bloomed on his face. Bucky’s metal hand reached out and seized a fistful of hair. He was still smiling as he spat in Y/N’s face before slapping it again.

“Did you miss me, baby boy?” Bucky asked with a smile. He smacked Y/N again. “Daddy missed you, sweet thing. It was a hard mission today.”

“Yes,” Y/N gasped. Bucky tugged a bit on Y/N’s hair at that.

“Yes, what, baby boy,” Bucky asked. “Yes it was a hard mission? How would you know? You were right here all day, silly boy.”

“N-No, Daddy,” Y/N said.

“No?” Bucky replied. His grin was practically glowing with amusement, like Y/N was a funny thing he came across. “No, what? Why don’t you use a full sentence, sweet thing?”

He slapped Y/N again and Y/N whimpered a bit at the blow. Bucky cooed down at him.

“Maybe you’re just a silly little boy today,” he said. “Don’t worry. You don’t need to be smart to be fun, do you?”

“No, Daddy,” Y/N replied. Bucky laughed and stood up. He didn’t let go of Y/N’s hair, though as he walked to one side of the front door. He stripped Y/N out of his clothes quickly and handed them to Y/N. Y/N folded them just like it was expected of him and set them aside. Bucky nodded in approval before he turned around and got a leash, attaching it to Y/N’s collar.

“Well, if you’re gonna be silly, you can be a puppy,” Bucky said with a grin. He stepped back and planted his foot on Y/N’s back and pushed until Y/N was on his hands and knees. Then he came around and put his boot on Y/N’s back and pushed again, almost effortlessly, until Y/N had his face on the floor and his ass in the air. “My boots need cleaning puppy.”

Y/N blushed and looked at the boot planted firmly in front of his face. It was heavy, black leather, perfectly suited for combat. Y/N licked his lips before inching forward beneath the firm strength holding him down and licked a stripe over the boots. Bucky made no sound of approval or disapproval, so Y/N just kept at it, licking over the toe of the boot until the black leather was wet and glossy.

“That’s it,” Bucky growled softly above him. He pulled on the leash a bit and the action restricted Y/N’s airway just enough to make him moan. Y/N moved to lick the sides and moaned as his tongue tasted the dust and grime of where Bucky had been. It was gross. It made Y/N’s already aching cock twitch with need.

“This is where you belong, isn’t it baby?” Bucky said. “At my feet, licking my boots like a silly little puppy.”

“Yes, Sir,” Y/N murmured. Bucky moved the boot away and stepped towards the kitchen, pushing Y/N’s body into the floor as he did so. He didn’t pause to let Y/N adjust, so Y/N had to scramble to right himself so he could crawl after Bucky. Bucky just whistled a tune like he was minding his own business as he walked towards the kitchen and looked in the fridge.

“What do you wanna for dinner, puppy?” Bucky asked.

“Uh…” Y/N replied. Before he could say anything else, Bucky reached down with his metal hand and wrapped it around Y/N’s throat. Y/N gasped for breath and Bucky looked at him expectantly, as if he wasn’t aware that Y/N couldn’t talk. He also tapped a bead on his wrist and the plug in Y/N’s ass started to vibrate hard against Y/N’s prostate.

“Well, if it’s all the same to you,” Bucky said. “I’m gonna order pizza. Don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

Y/N nodded frantically and Bucky released him. Y/N doubled over and gasped for breath before coughing.

“What? You don’t want pizza?” Bucky asked. “Guess we can get something else if you really want.”

“No, Daddy,” Y/N said.

“So you do want pizza?” Bucky asked. “Make up your mind, silly boy. Daddy can decide for you if you keep being silly.”

Y/N flushed and looked down. “Pizza is fine, Daddy.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Bucky asked. He picked up the phone. “Think you can be serious enough for a minute to tell Daddy what you want?”

Y/N nodded. “Pineapple and chicken, please, Daddy.”

“There, maybe you can be trained after all,” Bucky said. He called and ordered half a dozen pizzas before he sighed and started walking towards the living room. He walked to the supply closet and took out a cane. Y/N released an involuntary whimper. Bucky looked down at him and laughed.

“You don’t want to play with Daddy, baby boy?” Bucky asked. He tapped on the beads and the vibration grew. “Are you back to being a silly boy?”

“N-No, Daddy,” Y/N replied.

“Good,” Bucky said. “Because I’m really not in the mood to deal with silly boys tonight.”

He set the cane against the wall and took out a spreader bar. He grinned wickedly down at Y/N as he bent to secure each end around Y/N’s ankles.

“Just so you don’t get any silly ideas,” he said. Without any warning, he brought the cane down on Y/N’s ass. It landed with a sharp, stinging pain and Y/N shouted in pain. “That’s it, sweetheart,” Bucky cooed. “Sing for Daddy.”

He brought the cane down on Y/N’s ass again and Y/N shouted again. If there was one thing Bucky wasn’t when he was like this, it was gentle. He held himself in check so his super soldier strength didn’t do any serious damage, but he still loved to hurt Y/N. The next strike landed on Y/N’s thighs and Y/N squirmed, or tried to, at any rate. The spreader bar kept any movement from effective.

“Come on, sweetheart, thought I told you not to be silly,” Bucky laughed. He brought the cane down again and it landed squarely on Y/N’s ass. “You gonna be a silly puppy all night, now?”

“N-No, Sir,” Y/N whimpered. “P-Please…”

Bucky just brought the cane down on Y/N’s thighs again. He left several strikes in steady, even strokes. On the 10th strike, Y/N gasped and sobbed as tears began to fall down his face. Bucky kept going. Y/N shook and sobbed with every strike until Bucky set the cane aside and took the spreader bar off. He didn’t remove the leash, though. He walked over to the couch and spread his legs. Y/N crawled between them and looked up at him through blurry eyes, blinking away the tears. Bucky took Y/N’s face in his hands and smiled.

“You look so pretty like this,” he said softly. “Love it when you cry for me, puppy.”

Y/N sniffed as Bucky reached down to unbutton his pants. His long, thick cock sprang free and he slapped Y/N’s face with it.

“Be quick, now,” he said. “Pizza man will be here soon and I’d hate to keep him waiting because you took your sweet time bein’ silly, little puppy.”

Y/N wrapped his lips around the head of Bucky and swallowed it down to the root. Bucky moaned above him and Y/N got to work, eager to please his Daddy. He bobbed along the length of Bucky’s shaft with practiced ease. Bucky reached down and held his head on the base of his cock, choking Y/N on it for a moment before he released. Y/N came up and gasped for air.

“Come on, silly puppy,” Bucky said with a grin. He held up his phone. “Pizza guy’s gonna be here in 10 minutes. Gotta work fast.”

He stood up and Y/N shifted into a kneeling position before Bucky thrust his cock back in Y/N’s mouth. He groaned as he fucked it in quick, deep thrusts. Y/N groaned around the length as it filled his mouth. His cock was hard and leaking and aching from being ignored so long. He didn’t dare touch without Bucky’s permission, though. He just hoped that Bucky was feeling generous tonight.

Bucky moaned above him right as the doorbell rang. His cock pulsed and spilled his load down Y/N’s waiting throat. Bucky kept fucking Y/N’s mouth until he was spent. As soon as he was done, he slipped out of Y/N’s mouth and tucked his cock back into his pants. As he moved to get to the door, he gave a light slap to Y/N’s face.

“Stay,” he said.

He marched to the door and Y/N stayed where he was, kneeling on the floor. He listened to what Bucky said to the delivery person. From his tone and words, one would never guess the sort of things he’d gotten up to mere moments ago. All the while, the plug vibrated against Y/N’s prostate. It was a challenge to not cry out, to moan loudly in pleasure as the vibrating once again intensified. He returned carrying half a dozen boxes of pizza and a bag with hot wings and bread rolls.

He walked to the kitchen and dropped the food off before he returned. He sat back down in front of Y/N with a piece of pizza in one hand. He ate it silently until there was nothing left but the crust. He waved it in front of Y/N’s face.

“You want the pizza crust, puppy?” he asked, as though e was talking to an actual puppy. “You want the crust?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Y/N said. Bucky reached down and slapped his face again.

“Silly puppy,” he said. “What do you say when you want something, silly thing?”

Y/N flushed in embarrassment. “Please, can I have the pizza crust, Daddy?”

“Course,” Bucky said. He put it in front of Y/N’s mouth and Y/N took a bite. Bucky fed it to him, piece by piece until there was nothing left and Y/N licked Bucky’s fingers clean. When he was done, Bucky got up and fetched a box. He ate three more pieces and after each one, he fed the crust to Y/N. Y/N knelt patiently between his legs.

After the fourth piece, Bucky shifted and planted one of his legs between Y/N’s thighs. He leaned down and unlocked Y/N’s cock from the cage. Y/N sighed with relief as it was freed and immediately grew until it was fully hard. Bucky leaned back and rested his face on his metal hand.

“Go on,” he said. “Hump my leg, silly puppy.”

Y/N blushed as he obeyed, dragging his cock along the fabric of Bucky’s pants. The material was heavy and coarse, not at all suited for rubbing his cock against. Y/N obeyed nonetheless, gazing up at Bucky, who looked down at him with a look of amusement and arousal.

“You’re so cute when you’re silly, aren’t you, puppy?” he purred. He put two flesh fingers against Y/N’s lips and thrust into his mouth going all the way to the back. Y/N could taste the grease and salt and garlic on Bucky’s fingers and moaned around them as he quickened his pace. “That’s it, puppy, you like being silly for Daddy, don’t you?”

Y/N moaned something close to an affirmative reply. His head was dizzy, floaty. It was hard to think straight. His body thrummed with pain and pleasure. Bucky pushed another finger into his mouth.

“You gonna come from humping Daddy’s leg, puppy?” Bucky asked. “Better clean it up if you do. You’ll lick up every last drop.”

Y/N moaned again. He was close, so close, his orgasm was building in the pit of his stomach. He needed it, needed to come. The vibrator hadn’t weakened at all since he’d been caned, it felt too good, too amazing. He whimpered around Bucky’s fingers.

“Come,” Bucky ordered. Y/N whined around Bucky’s fingers as he came, his climax bursting out as he came on Bucky’s pants. Bucky slowly withdrew his fingers from Y/N’s mouth and Y/N collapsed against Bucky’s leg, gasping for breath.

“Don’t you have something to do, silly boy?” Bucky asked.

“Yes, Daddy,” Y/N said. He pushed himself off and knelt down. Several bits of come could be seen on Bucky’s pants and he licked up each one that he could find.

“There now, good boy,” Bucky said. “You wanna stop or keep going?”

Y/N thought for a moment before his stomach rumbled, unsatisfied by the paltry amount of food it had had today. Between the farm and the usual chores, Y/N hadn’t had a lot of time to eat today. Bucky chuckled and stood up.

“I’ll take that to mean that you’re done,” he said. Y/N whined at that. “Baby, you need to eat. What have you had today, hm?”

“Not much,” Y/N admitted. Bucky smiled and detached the leash.

“Gotta eat, baby boy,” he said.

“But I wanna get fucked,” Y/N whined. “I was good today, did everything you normally do and the stuff I had to do, too.”

Bucky looked surprised by that and smiled. “You want a treat from your Daddy, huh?” he said. He stroked Y/N’s cheek with a hand. “You wanna treat for being a good boy.”

“Please,” Y/N whined.

“Okay, baby,” Bucky said. He pushed Y/N down on the couch with his ass in the air. “Been thinkin’ about this all day, baby.”

He reached into Y/N’s ass and pulled the vibrator out. Y/N sighed in relief before he felt Bucky’s hard cock against his ass. Bucky took a moment to lube up his shaft before he thrust into Y/N with one, long thrust. Y/N moaned loudly as Bucky growled and began to fuck into him with hard, slow thrusts.

“This what you wanted, puppy?” Bucky murmured. “You wanted Daddy to fill you up, take what’s his?”

“Y-Yes, Daddy,” Y/N moaned. With that, Bucky pulled out until just the head of his cock was inside Y/N’s hole and slammed back in. Y/N threw his head back and moaned loudly. Bucky gripped his hips roughly, his fingers digging into Y/N’s soft flesh. He bent down and sucked a mark onto Y/N’s neck as he pounded into him.

“Mine,” he growled before he moved to suck another mark onto him. He used his metal hand to squeeze the inflamed skin of Y/N’s ass and Y/N gasped and whined desperately. “You belong to me, little boy. Daddy’s gonna wreck you, sweet thing.”

“Please,” Y/N begged. Bucky growled and his thrusts grew faster. Y/N was limp in his arms. Y/N lost himself to the blissful, floaty feeling as Bucky fucked into him, his ass and thighs smarting every time their hips smacked together.

“Daddy’s close baby,” Bucky growled. “Daddy’s gonna come in you. You want that? You want Daddy to breed you puppy?”

“Yes, Daddy!” Y/N whimpered.

Bucky sank his teeth into Y/N’s shoulder and grunted as he buried himself into Y/N’s ass and came. Y/N whimpered as he felt Bucky’s cock pulse and warm come shoot into his ass. Slowly, Bucky pulled out and let go of Y/N’s shoulder. He laid Y/N out on the couch beneath him and grabbed a throw to wrap him up in.

“Good boy,” he murmured before he leaned down to kiss Y/N. It was sweet and soft and Y/N hummed through the pleasant floaty feeling his head swam in. “How you feeling?”

Y/N just hummed again and Bucky chuckled before he pulled him into his lap. He pet Y/N’s hair gently until his head stopped feeling floaty.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Y/N murmured. Bucky kissed him again.

“Anything for you, doll,” he said. “Still hungry?”

Y/N groaned in protest. “Don’t leave,” he whined.

“Who do you think you’re married to?” Bucky teased. He stood up and carried Y/N to the kitchen. It took several trips, but soon enough, All the pizza and the rest of the food was in the living room and Y/N was nestled contentedly in Bucky’s lap. “Love you, Y/N.”

Y/N smiled and laid his head on Bucky’s shoulder. “Love you, too, Bucky.”

#lemons #bucky x reader #bucky x male reader #marvel #avengers #fanfic #my work

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porkchop-ao3 · 5 years

Text

A Thrill I’ve Never Known (Chapter 23)

Flimflammery

In this chapter, John and reader run a con together :) This part was inspired a lot by Better Call Saul and some of the scams that Jimmy and Marco would pull in season 1! I love writing this kind of thing :P you’ll notice this story focuses on the jobs reader does as well as the romance plot, I just cant help myself!

(All chapters tagged with #ATINK and also posted on Ao3, username PorkChop)

I was up first. I brewed the coffee, poured myself a cup, yawned and stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Draping my blanket around my shoulders and shuffling across the camp towards the horses with my journal tucked under my arm, I glanced towards Arthur's bed. He was curled up on his side, cheek smushed into his pillow, arm hanging off the edge, fast asleep. I smiled, his appearance endearing. I figured he must've gotten back late with Sean after causing whatever mayhem he had at the Gray's, so I left him alone. I couldn't help but think of the Pinkertons, Leviticus Cornwall, the countless people who wanted him dead or locked up, and seeing him looking so peaceful and harmless curled up asleep like that… none of it seemed possible.

Who on Earth could be mad at a face like that?

I took a drink of coffee as I sat down by the hitching posts. Some of the horses were still sleeping, including Rayna, bless her. But Jet was awake, chewing his way through a bale of hay, tale flicking, ears twitching. He looked up at me once, decided I wasn't enough of a distraction, and carried on eating. I put my coffee down beside me, pressing the tin cup into the grass until it felt stable enough to leave, then opened up my journal, ready to draw Arthur's gift. I did a couple of warm up sketches; I'd never really drawn horses before, so this would be interesting. I did a couple of little doodles of Rayna first, considering she was asleep and I figured I'd do better without a moving target.

I approached it the same way I would a portrait, blocking in her basic shape, putting down a few guidelines to plan where her eyes would go, then her ears, her nose, the curve of her neck and the scruff of her mane. I made a mental note to give her a thorough brush later, then sketched away. I produced a few little drawings. Some of just her head, some of her full body. I was certainly doing better with the close ups of her face; proof that I shouldn't run before I could walk. I filled up two pages, remembering to drink my coffee before it went cold.

Once I felt comfortable with the subject matter, I turned to a fresh page and studied Jet for a while, noting the markings on his face; a white splodge right between his eyes. In the early morning light his coat looked very close to black, but as the sun moved further up in the sky, it hit him and picked out plummy tones on all his high points. I started drawing him, just his head, where he was swooping down to the water trough, noisily slurping away. I took my time just like Arthur advised, keeping my eyes on him as my hand moved slowly across the page to capture the roundness of his jawbone, all the way along the straight plain towards his muzzle. Fully warmed up to the action, I found myself able to look at him more than my page, just like Arthur did that day in Scarlett Meadows. He was rubbing off on me.

I put a lot into the drawing, very tempted to start again on numerous occasions. I forced myself to keep at it rather than wasting paper, knowing that nothing was set in stone and I could tweak as I needed, rework areas until they satisfied. Jet began to emerge from the page, not just any horse, but him, and I was pleased with my tenacity as I created something I was genuinely proud of. I hoped that Arthur would be proud too, once I gave it to him.

Pleased with my efforts, I leaned back against the hitching post and settled down to finish my coffee, chewing through a biscuit from the almost empty tin I'd snagged from Pearson's wagon. I enjoyed the early morning solitude, but I could hear movement across the camp as Pearson started his work for the day, butchering up that bear meat, ready to cook slowly throughout the day to keep it tender. I leaned my head back against the post and closed my eyes, taking a deep, still breath and listening to the wind in the trees. Just taking a moment of peace before the day truly began. Susan would be up and about soon, and she'd find something for me to do.

She was a lovely lady, but I'd soon learned that she didn't take kindly to layabouts. You had to earn your right to sit down and relax, with her sniffing about, so every day it was a challenge to have her catch you doing something worthy of some downtime in the evening. Otherwise, there was hell to pay.

"Morning, sunshine," the voice caught me by surprise and my eyes snapped open, settling on Arthur's dominating figure blocking the cloudless sky behind him.

"Arthur. Good morning," I smiled at him, patting the space beside me.

"Keepin' the horses company?" He mused as he sat down cross-legged next to me. He blew across the top of his coffee before taking a tentative sip. I hummed my affirmation, nodding and glancing out at the animals.

"Well, my coffee buddy was sleeping, so," I told him, and he chuckled. "Exciting night?"

"One way of saying it," he tutted, huffing in mild amusement. "If committing arson is your idea of excitement."

"Well, depends what I'm setting fire to," I joked. "Boxes full'a dynamite are always a good time. Just gotta remember to stand well back."

"Yeah? What do you reckon to fields of tobacco?"

"Hmm, I'd say that's at least a little exciting."

"Well, you should've been there last night," he laughed. I smiled, eyes lingering on him even when he looked away. I tapped on the tin of biscuits and he took one, crumbs catching in the stubble that he was yet to shave.

I thought about Isaac, his son, and tried to imagine Arthur as a father. I'd never seen him in that light before, but I could imagine him being good at it. Not that I had any desire to test the theory, I thought, blushing at the very idea.

It was as if he was reading my mind, with his next words. "I was thinking, last night, laying in bed. I'm glad I told you about Isaac. I don't speak about him much – at all, really – don't wanna bother folk with it. None o' these ever met him," he made a vague gesture to the camp. "They never mourned him, so I felt like a nuisance bringing it up, dragging people into my suffering. But telling you…"

He looked at me, really looked at me, in the eye. It always pulled me out of something when he met my eyes so intensely, as if I forgot the world was real until those moments.

"I figured, if we're doing this. If we're starting something together, then, you ought to know me. My pain, and all," he continued. "I hope that I can do the same for you, listen to your hardships. You're just like me; lost just about everyone. You put on a brave face, but you don't have to. Not with me, at least."

"Thank you," I told him under my breath, reaching to squeeze his knee. I took his words to heart, and after a moment I sighed softly and spoke. "I miss my father a lot more than I let on."

"Your father?" He repeated. I hummed and nodded.

"I take after him a lot. I loved my mother, of course, but she drank a lot. I didn't notice as a child but as I grew up, I reckon that drove a wedge between us. She never remembered anything I told her, was like having the same conversations every day, stopped me from really knowing her, and her me, I think," I shrugged, then smiled. "But my pa, he used to take me out riding, put me up front on his horse, and we'd sing songs together on the road."

Arthur smiled too, eyes still fixed on me.

"I miss that. More than anything, I do. But I try to miss it in a way that makes me happy to remember it, instead of sad that it's been and gone, you know?" I looked up in time to see his brows raise thoughtfully.

"That's a pleasant way of thinking, you got there. Something I'll try and keep in mind myself," he nodded. He chuckled and looked up to the sky absentmindedly. "I remember the time I went to see Isaac and Eliza, after he'd started walking. Kid came stumbling out the house when I showed up and you know what I did?"

"What?"

"I burst into tears. I weren't sad. I don't know what came over me, just seeing him growing up, doing stuff for himself, it made me so proud, ain’t ever felt anything like it. Eliza laughed at me, not being malicious or nothin', I just don't think she expected it. Anyway, that's one'a my most treasured memories."

"It's an honour that you shared it with me, then," I told him, stroking my hand across the top of his thigh. He put his hand over mine, stilling it and squeezing my fingers. “I’m glad that you have those memories.”

“Me too. If memories is all I have, I’m grateful for ‘em,” he told me. I glanced over towards Pearson, checking his view of us was obscured before I leaned across and kissed Arthur’s cheek.

He caught me before I moved back, capturing my lips in a true kiss, one that was quick and risky but just as sweet as they always were. When it ended, we remained close, sharing breath between us and enjoying the moment, despite pushing our luck.

“Been thinkin’ about the other night, a lot,” he whispered. Tone timid, yet there was a look in his eyes that smouldered and dared. I pressed my lips together, letting my eyes drop to his mouth. “Can barely believe my luck.”

“Luck’s got nothing to do with it,” I exhaled a laugh, a sharp shake of my head. Arthur smiled, licking his lips, tongue just barely ghosting over mine and making my breath stutter. “I ain’t quite sure what you mean by that.”

“Lady like you? And it's me who gets to see her like that?”

“Shhh,” I said softly, shaking my head. “You don't need to flatter me, Arthur, you’ve already got me.”

“I’m doin’ no such thing. I mean it, I sure ain’t done anything deserving of this good fortune, you know my life,” he told me through a breathy laugh. I leaned away from him, shaking my head again with a tut.

“Well, you better wrap your head around it, or get used to it, or something. I don't plan on that being a one off.”

“Oh?” the sound was playful, musical even.

“Mhm,” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the ground in front of me, fire igniting in my belly and, of course, my face. Arthur hummed softly, fingers reaching to brush some of my hair back. He came close and hovered there, mouth inches from my neck.

Footsteps, light but graceless, scuffing to a stop just a little way away. Arthur’s head snapped up to their owner, and I gingerly took a peek to my left. It was the feller Mary-Beth had been mingling with a fair bit, Kieran. My conversations with him had been few and far between, mostly small talk when we were both tending to the horses; but he seemed like a nice enough guy. Always really timid, though, especially then. His eyes were locked on Arthur’s and he looked ready to wet himself.

“Mind your goddamn business, O’Driscoll. And keep your mouth shut,” Arthur’s voice was dark, gruff and downright chilling. I hadn’t heard anything close to it since the first time I’d seen him at Horseshoe Overlook, and he’d been yelling at Strauss. It rose goosebumps on my arms and made me feel something in the pit of my gut that would’ve been fear if it was directed at me, instead it was a sort of exhilaration.

Kieran visibly gulped before giving a jerky nod and carrying on his way. I had no idea what the issue between the two men – well, between Kieran and most of the camp – was. It wasn't the best time to ask, however.

Arthur sighed loudly and leaned away from me. I couldn't help but let a small giggle escape, prompting a quizzical look from him.

“We’re not doing well with the whole ‘keeping this to ourselves’ thing, are we?” I said. Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face, releasing a tenuous groan. “Which reminds me. Abigail knows,” I added through another laugh.

“I don’t mind you telling your friends,” he shrugged.

“It wasn't me,” I gave him a look and his expression soured when the penny dropped.

“Dumb as rocks, no good, little bastard–”

“Hey, come on. Don't be like that.”

“Sticking his oar in–”

“Arthur,” I said sharply, capturing his attention. “Just remember he saved my life.”

“‘Bout the only useful thing he’s done since he dragged his scrawny ass back to us.”

“You don't hate him that bad,” I cocked my head and Arthur shrugged indifferently.

“Anyway,” I said suddenly, changing the subject. I presented my sketchbook to him, dropping it in his lap. “Couple pages in, I drew your boy.”

“You did?” he seemed surprised, opening up the sketchbook and flicking through to the drawing in question. He beamed when he saw it, face breaking into an unrestrained smile. It made my heart thump “Look at that,” he chuckled.

“You like it?”

“You did a fine job on this, of course I like it. Y’ should be proud of yourself,” he patted me on the thigh, began rubbing up and down. “Thank you, princess.”

“You’re most welcome,” I said, preening under his praise just a little.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his name met my ears from across camp. His hand froze its subtle movement and he looked over his shoulder. A newly risen Dutch was shouting him. He let out a little breath then looked back down at the drawing.

“I better go see what he wants,” he told me, eyes still roaming over the drawing of Jet, thumb kneading the edge of my thigh. “You going out with the girls tonight, that thing John was on about?”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I reckon so,” I nodded. “Are you coming?”

“Ahh, no. I think it's best I avoid that place, last time I was there, Hosea and I caused a little trouble,” he admitted sheepishly, and I didn't ask. “Anyway, you be careful,” he said, giving my thigh one last squeeze.

“I will,” I smiled, seeing him mirror it before he was heading off to see Dutch.

Rhodes Parlour House was as pleasant as I remembered it being from the few times I’d been there before. The place was clean and nicely decorated, crisp white table cloths and ornate furniture, a lovely curved staircase dominating the room, a polished bar at the back. Anyone would think we were somewhere like Saint Denis. The place was busy, the piano being played to grace the patrons with a lively tune, men were packed around the bar, others were taking up the tables. Women roamed the place too, but it seemed as though they were looking to make a dollar rather than spend one.

Mary-Beth, Karen and Tilly mingled with the patrons in their own ways; Karen was going solo while the others teamed up together. I was still sat with John, observing as the two of us sat opposite one another in a booth by the entrance. He'd been approached by three different prostitutes, now, prowling like kittens to try and coax him upstairs, and for once I found myself reveling in a perk of being female. Though, I didn't get off completely scot-free, the third of the women eyed me in a way that turned my face cherry pink and made John burst into fits of laughter. Perhaps it was something in my decision to wear pants that evening, despite the other womens' confusion at the choice.

I'd told them that desirability wouldn't benefit my plan.

The plan I'd told John all about, explaining that it'd require his assistance. He'd been more than happy to oblige, and now all we needed to do was wait for the right time and the right mark. Lucky for us, a man walked through the doors, dressed to the nines, a lady at least half his age hanging off his arm; fat guy with a perfectly curled moustache, cream coloured suit and a top hat. He looked like money, walked with his gut puffed out a mile ahead of him, and he was sliding into the booth behind us. I shot John a look and he nodded, and I pulled out what was hiding in my satchel. A piece of cloth wrapped around a tiny rock.

"Alright," I said, not keeping my voice down. "I think I've waited long enough. Do you have my money?"

"Show me the goods, first, then we'll talk money," he replied, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest. I saw the man, who was sitting in the space behind John, turn his head at the mention of the word.

"I showed you. My money, sir," I pressed through gritted teeth, and John sighed heavily.

"I want another look. Gotta make sure I'm getting the real deal, here," he countered and with a tense sigh I pushed the cloth bundle towards him.

"Alright, one more look, but we agreed a price last week. Remember that," I warned. John unfurled the cloth carefully. He stared down at the small, sandy chip of rock I'd picked up from the edge of Flat Iron Lake, carefully selected, even had little polished parts that shined in the light. It wasn't great, but it'd be good enough for someone with an untrained eye and under the bar's dim light.

John picked it up and held it up to the light, arm stretching out of the booth as he made a show of inspecting it. All the while I could see the guy in the seat behind him taking curious peeks over his shoulder. John made a humming sound, and sucked on his bottom lip for a while, making me wait for some kind of response.

"A hundred," he finally muttered.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed. "We agreed on two. And I know damn well even that's generous."

"I'm sorry? Who's the expert?" John snorted, putting the stone back down on the cloth and cocking a brow at me.

"I don't care to listen about your education again, sir. Two hundred," I smacked a hand on the table, and the mark finally made his move, slinking out of the booth.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I can't help but overhear your conversation. This feller trying to go back on a done deal?" He questioned, leaning his palm on the table, back to John, effectively cutting him out.

"Damn right he is," I hissed, jabbing a finger in John's direction in disgust.

"Maybe I can be of assistance? I'm somewhat of a businessman myself," he said proudly.

"I don't know. I doubt you'll know much about it, unless you're a gemstone expert," I shrugged, shifting in my seat and reaching under the triangle created by his arm and his body to fetch back the rock.

"I ain't an expert in gemstones, but I don't need to be to help you two figure out a good deal. For a cut, of course," he smirked, straightening up again. "What'chu got here?"

I paused for a while, not wanting to appear too eager. I sighed, finally answering; "Australian opal. Mined it myself, this is the last of my lot. Trouble is, I come back to the US for a family matter and I've got every man and his dog trying to swindle me out of a fair deal. This feller's the third."

"Opal? Huh. That dull thing?"

"It's unpolished, of course. They don't come out the ground wrapped in gold ready to go on a lady's finger, you know," I narrowed my eyes at him and he nodded thoughtfully. He picked it up, and I flinched for show. He eyed up my reaction, then put it back down.

"Two hundred, you settled on? What's the issue?" He turned to John.

"No issue, friend. Just doing business. I'm sure you understand, being a businessman yourself," John shrugged. The man looked him up and down.

"You don't look like the type to be walking around with two hundred dollars in your back pocket," he sneered and John snorted, shaking his head.

"How'd you think I manage to keep it there? Feller like you, flaunting it, surprised someone ain't tried robbing you yet," John retaliated, and I very nearly laughed. The man hummed, considering his point. "Anyway, no one asked you. Get out of here. Best I can do is one-fifty, ma'am. Take it or leave it."

"I sold chips half this size in Saint Denis for three hundred. I ain't taking no less than two hundred," I wrapped up the stone and pocketed it.

"Thought you needed fast money," John said, leaning his elbows on the table. The man stayed put, watching the exchange.

"Not that fast, I ain't willing to get totally ripped off. Two hundred."

"You keep saying that, ain't gonna make the money appear," he laughed, shaking his head at me. I narrowed my eyes.

"I've got fifty dollars on me, should be buying my wife a fancy new frock from Saint Denis tomorrow, but she can wait. Also got a pocket watch worth a hundred or more depending on who you sell it to. Can give you the name of a feller, a collector, he'll pay top dollar," the man suddenly butted in. My belly squeezed in excitement.

"Didn't I tell you to get out of here? This ain't your deal," John stood up, meeting the guy at eye level.

"Hang on, that don't sound too bad," I pondered aloud, staring ahead and pursing my lips.

"We shook hands," John spun towards me, brow mashing down angrily. I laughed maliciously.

"Yeah, we did. At two hundred," I purred, enjoying the way the man glanced between us, eating up every word. John gnawed on his bottom lip for a while, leaning down to my level.

"I ain't got that much on me right now. I can do one-seventy," he told me under his breath, but loud enough for the man to hear it.

"I'll throw in my wife's necklace. Gold. Gotta be worth something, right?" Came his bid.

"Hey, like hell you will!" His wife yelled from the other booth.

"I'll buy you a new one, sweetheart," he called back.

"Stay the hell out of it!" John spat in his face, but the man was ignoring him, his eyes set on me. I hummed, pursing my lips and looking up to the ceiling.

"Seventy-five, the watch, plus my wife's necklace. You could get, what, at least three hundred out of all that?" He offered, forehead shiny, hands fidgety. I levelled my gaze to his, kept him on his toes for a few long seconds, then offered my hand to him. He grinned and shook it.

"Fuck you!" John yelled, storming out of the booth, his shoulder smacking into the guy as he stomped towards the bar. He only laughed, glanced at his wife in time to have a necklace thrown at him, then gathered together my items.

We made the exchange, tucked away our goods, and bid each other a pleasant evening. I sat back in the booth, draining my bottle of beer and smiling to myself, pleased as Punch.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #fanfiction #arthur morgan x female reader #rdr2 fanfic #John Marston #atink #reader insert

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yamamuragaku · 4 years

Photo

Tamaki Yotsuba [Monster] RabbitChat

“Give me candy or I’ll play a prank on you–”

Part 1-5

Part 1: Trick or Treat!

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, good work!

It’ll be October soon. What comes to mind when you think of October?

Tamaki: Hey

Tamaki: That of course

Tsumugi: That!

Tamaki: Halloween!

Tsumugi: Halloween!

Tamaki:

Tsumugi:

Tsumugi: I wanted to tell you, you received a job related to Halloween!

It’s a “Halloween Parade” where idols dressed in monster-ish costumes hijack a prepared venue!

Tamaki: It sounds really fun

Tamaki: Is there candy?

Tsumugi: Of course. Like during Valentine’s, everyone will produce Halloween sweets according to their specifications!

Tamaki: Yay! I will make pumpkin-flavored Ousama Pudding

Tsumugi: T-Tamaki-san, isn’t that now being sold at convenience stores >< lol

Tsumugi: It’s fine if you freely think about it freely.

Tamaki: Eh——

Tamaki: Mm——

Tamaki: I should think about it

Tsumugi: Yes! It’s okay because there’s still time.

Tsumugi: A lot of idols are participating in the Halloween Parade, but among them, Re:vale and TRIGGER are there too!

The main personalities will be Re:vale.

Tsumugi: Everyone will be wearing matching monster-ish costumes, so please look forward to it!

Tamaki: You seem like you’re looking forward to it too, manager

Tsumugi: I am! Halloween is somehow really exciting!

Tamaki: Hey

Tamaki: Won’t it be hard for Yama-san to wear a monster-ish costume lolol

Tsumugi: In the end, he decided to wear it which was a relief lol

Tamaki: That’s because manager threatened Yama-san lol

You said you had to ask the boss to calculate the budget lol

Tsumugi: T-that’s true but I wasn’t really trying to threaten him ><

Tamaki: Not funny

Tamaki: Then I’ll threaten manager too-

Tsumugi: Eh?!

Tamaki: Trick or Treat

Tamaki: Give me candy or I’ll play a prank on you–

Tamaki:

Tsumugi: How about 2 pumpkin flavor Ousama Puddings?!

Tamaki: Okay, let’s shake hands

Tsumugi: Please eat it together with Sougo-san!

Tamaki:

Part 2: Tamaki’s Halloween

Tamaki: Manager

Tamaki: Are you there?

Tsumugi: Good work, Tamaki-san.

I’m here! What happened?

Tamaki: Are we having a Halloween party at the agency?

Tsumugi: I want to! Last year was a kerfuffle so we couldn’t particularly do anything..

Tamaki: Hey-. Let’s cosplay and eat sweets

Tsumugi: Sounds good! I’ll check everyone’s schedules for a day we can meet later.

Tamaki: Yay

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, you sure treasure events!

Tamaki: That’s because the facility had such a policy

Tsumugi: Is that so….

Tamaki: How about you, manager?

Tsumugi: I don’t particularly recall what I did for Halloween….

It was fun since a lot of shops sold various candies! or that was my impression ><

Tamaki: Really, what a waste—-

Tsumugi: Indeed… ><

So I can prepare for the party, there are various things I’d like to ask you..

Option 1

Tsumugi: Besides candy, is there anything else you’d like to eat for Halloween?

Tamaki: Halloween limited Ousama Pudding.

Because Ousama Pudding isn’t candy, it’s Ousama Pudding

Option 2

Tsumugi: Are there any costumes you’d like to try, Tamaki-san?

Tamaki: A guy in my class told me I’d look good as a werewolf

Besides, isn’t walking around town in a costume a pain in the ass? What’s so fun about it

Option 3

Tsumugi: Do you have any memorable moments of Halloween, Tamaki-san?

Tamaki: I got a small set of sweets at the facility every year

Iorin probably liked it so he went there too

Tamaki: Let’s have the party early Before the parade

Tsumugi: That’s quite early…! I thought you’d certainly want to do it on the 31st.

Tamaki: Because the day of the parade is Ryuu-aniki’s birthday

Tamaki: Isn’t it better to finish it before that, and afterwards go all out on TNS Strengthening Month

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san…! You’re right. Let’s hold the Halloween party early, and focus on TNS Strengthening Month!

We are always indebted to TRIGGER after all.

Tamaki: What does Ryuu-aniki like?

Tamaki: Even if I ask Yama-san and Mikkii who’re around his age, I probably can’t depend on them

Tsumugi: You can’t depend on them…? lol

Tamaki: Because they’re not erotic

Tsumugi: Because of that?!

Tamaki: Yama-san isn’t erotic, but perverted

Tamaki: But Mikkii is not like that

Tsumugi: D-difficult, isn’t it….

Tamaki: We have to think of something Ryuu-aniki would like

Earlier when I massaged Yama-san’s shoulder, he cried, so it’d be good if massaging his shoulders makes him happy-

Tsumugi: A shoulder massage coupon seems just like your thing, Tamaki-san!

Part 3: Food Samples Battle

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, good work.

Thank you for the Halloween Parade sample & food tasting meeting earlier!

Tsumugi: It’s good that you happily participated, Tamaki-san!

Tamaki: Manager, ty ty

Tamaki: It was so— fun I’ve never seen so much people making sweets outside class

Tsumugi: It looked like you were having fun with Nagi-san!

What happened?

Tamaki: I decided on pumpkin pudding

Tsumugi: So you did!

Tamaki: But-

Tsumugi: Yes!

Tamaki: Nagicchi smugly said, “Why don’t you try giving up pudding occasionally?”

Tsumugi: A passionate battle between men…!

Tamaki: Even though I tried making a snack that looked like monster

Tsumugi: C-certainly scattering pumpkin seeds on top of a muffin makes it look like a monster….

Tamaki: Also it was so scary how the muffin over-expanded and cracked…

Tsumugi: I think the professionals will make it cute for the finished product! ><

Tamaki: Oh-

Tamaki: Because if Nagicchi’s fans see that they’ll be surprised lol

Tsumugi: I think that way, the taste will match and it’ll be really good though…!

Option 1

Tsumugi: Whose sweets were delicious?

Tamaki: Hm——-

Rikkun’s donuts. It was good that there was cream inside and that they were shaped like a cat

Option 2

Tsumugi: The sweets Tamaki-san made were also wonderful!

Tamaki: They lose to Ousama Pudding but nothing can win against it-

Option 3

Tsumugi: I want the fans to eat them deliciously!

Tamaki: Oh-

It’d be good if they feel like I did when I first met Ousama Pudding

Tamaki: By the way, aren't the sales from the sweets we produced being donated

Tsumugi: Yes.

It’d be good if I could help the children around the world even a little….

Tamaki: You can do it

Tamaki: Someone like me lived this far

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san….

Tamaki: That’s why I don’t give up Everyone will get worried

Tsumugi: Yeah…. Thank you! I shouldn’t give up!

Tamaki:

Tamaki: We’re naming the snacks we made today

Tsumugi: Yes, please let me know when you decide!

Tamaki: I decided

Tsumugi: So quick…!

Tamaki: I decided on

Tamaki: Happy-Making Pumpkin-sama Pudding

Tamaki: No good?

Tsumugi: How wonderful, it’s just like you, Tamaki-san. I’m happy…!

Tamaki: Yay

Tamaki:

Tsumugi:

Part 4: Noisy Party

Tamaki: Good work manager

Tamaki: Let’s have another party Tomorrow is fine

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, good work!

The Halloween party today was fun!

Tamaki: Are we doing it tomorrow?

Tamaki:

Tsumugi: U-unfortunately tomorrow might be difficult..

But we’ll have a Christmas party in 2 months!

Tamaki: Too long———-

Tsumugi: L-long? I think it’s scary that a year passes by in a flash..

Tamaki: Soo-chan said that too Why do only Yama-san and Mikkii understand!

Tamaki: It’s so far away— I want to grow up soon

Tsumugi: You want to become an adult?

Tamaki: Yeah-

Tamaki: Because I think I wasn’t able to protect Aya because I’m a child

Tsumugi: That’s….

Tamaki: Ah, Rikkun and the others have decided to defeat that old man so you don’t have to worry, manager

Tamaki: I put on a costume to defeat that old man

Tsumugi: You dressed as Dracula to defeat him…?

Tamaki: Soo-chan said I looked cool

Tsumugi: Of course, you look cool!

Tamaki: Hmhmph

Option 1

Tsumugi: Were there any other good costumes?

Tamaki: Soo-chan’s jiangshi wasn’t good… (1)

Because his white face was scary, and the costume from Nagicchi’s acquaintance was really all-out

Option 2

Tsumugi: What was your funniest memory from today?

Tamaki: It was funny when Rikkun who was wearing a bloody lab coat chased around Iorin in a devilish costume, saying, “Let me give you an injection—” lol

And Iorin got mad at Rikkun for running around lol

Option 3

Tsumugi: Let’s have a Halloween party again next year!

Tamaki: I’m looking forward to that old man, Nagicchi’s acquaintance’s costumes again

Also all-you-can-eat pudding

Tamaki: The parade is soon

Tsumugi: Yes, and Tsunashi-san’s birthday too!

Tamaki: Have you decided what to do for Ryuu-aniki?

Tsumugi: I heard they are going to celebrate before the weekend, so I plan to make some sweets, and give them to Anesagi-san!

Tamaki: Oh-

Tamaki: Ryuu-aniki also eats sweets

Tsumugi: Doesn’t he look like he doesn’t eat them? It seems like he’s into making sweets lately.

Tamaki: He somehow looks like he only eats expensive fish and meat

Tamaki: When I went to his house before, he made some really tasty things for me so he’s good at cooking

Tsumugi: Certainly he might have such an image!

Tamaki: Soo-chan was also worried about what to do. He looked after us during the Shuffle Unit so he doesn’t want to give him anything rude yadda yadda

Tsumugi: It seems like Sougo-san spends his time being worried lol

Tamaki: Soo-chan blew his top when Yama-san said he’ll send red boxers

Tsumugi: I think I’d be angry too…lol

Tamaki: Is a coupon for upgrading a shoulder massage no good?

Tamaki: Or a coupon for muscle training together

Tsumugi: Did you consult with Sougo-san?

Tamaki: I asked He mumbled, “Is Tsunashi-san your father or something…? Well I think he’d be pleased though…”

Tsumugi: Umm,,

Tsumugi: I imagine Tsunashi-san would be happy with anything we gave him heartfeltly….

Tamaki: How about a coupon for a public bathhouse?

Tsumugi: I think Tsunashi-san will be pleased…!

Tamaki: Yay it’s decided-

Tsumugi: But, where did you get the coupons?

Tamaki: Rikkun won them in a lottery Rikkun’s lack of desire sensor is the best

Tsumugi: A lottery…! Please think of something beside a coupon!

Tamaki: Tch

Part 5: Halloween Parade

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, good work on today’s parade as well as Tsunashi-san’s surprise celebration!

Tamaki: Good work-

Tamaki: Did I look good?

Tsumugi: Of course! Everyone looked good.

You were so fluffy and cute!

Tamaki: Gakkun looked embarrassed

Tsumugi: TRIGGER doesn’t usually wear these costumes, don’t they…. All the groups had a unifying concept, so it couldn’t be changed ><

Tamaki: Tenten got so mad at Gakkun for looking embarrassed

Tamaki: Ryuu-aniki was happy to wear it

Tsumugi: It must’ve been curious! lol

Tamaki: It’s good that Ryuu-aniki is easy to understand. Tenten is an iron mask Gakkun still has a grudge towards me over udon and soba

Tsumugi: Udon…how nostalgic ><

Tamaki: However Gakkun as the MC was hot

Tsumugi: Yeah! He showed a lot of member love.

Tamaki: It’s not easy to say, I love you, that is

Tamaki: As expected of Gakkun

Tsumugi: That’s because Gaku-san is a passionate person…!

Option 1

Tsumugi: It was a wonderful surprise!

Tamaki: Ryuu-aniki cried, so while Gakkun and Tenten were hugging him

I remember what Yama-san did during the celebration. Yama-san cried a little lol

Option 2

Tsumugi: Did you give him the present?

Tamaki: I handed it over in the dressing room. Bath house coupons and a massage coupon

I said let’s go to the bath house again

Option 3

Tsumugi: How was the parade?

Tamaki: The fans had a lot of fun at my robot dance

That’s not the only thing I can do

Tamaki: Also Yukirin’s costume today looked so good

Tsumugi: Momo-san and Yuki-san were very cute walking in the front while holding hands….

As expected of Re:vale, they look good in any costume!

Tamaki: Those 2 sure get along

Tsumugi: During stand-by, those two shouted at you to come over…!

Tamaki: Earlier they also made me play a board game, but I like those kinds of games

Tamaki: When I mentioned smart phone games, Yukirin said he doesn’t really play them

Tsumugi: It’s probably more popular among teens, smart phone game culture!

Tamaki: Really?

Tamaki: Momorin plays them. Like competing for score

Tsumugi: You became gaming friends?

Tamaki: Since you can know when scores are updated on the timeline. We’re not supposed to do it together though

Tsumugi: As expected of Tamaki-san, your communication skill is high.

Tamaki: I don’t really get it but does that mean I’m strong?

Tsumugi: Yes! lol

Tamaki:

Tamaki: Later we took pictures with an app that swapped everyone’s faces

Tsumugi: !?!?

Tsumugi: You can do such a thing?!

Tamaki: You didn’t know, manager? So slow

Tsumugi: Interesting! lol

Tamaki: Iorin and Rikkun also swapped faces

Tsumugi: Ah cute!

Tamaki: Manager, try it with boss

Tamaki: It’ll be funny lol

Tsumugi: Ehh?! Then you try it with Sougo-san!

Tamaki: I did but it was normal somehow…felt like that guy was here

Tsumugi: R-really?

Tamaki: I wanted to do it with Mikkii, Nagicchi and Yama-san but Yama-san hated it and ran away so we’ll definitely do it next time

Tsumugi: I’m looking forward to it! lol

Tamaki:

Screenshots courtesy of rabbit-library.

(1) A jiangshi is a Chinese zombie.

#idolish7 #tamaki yotsuba #rabbitchat #translation

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club40audio · 4 years

Text

The Olde Towen Buffet

I will be posting, Chapter by chapter, my #Lovecraftian #CosmicHorror #Horror Novel “The Olde Towen Buffet” If you enjoy what you are reading, I encourage you to get ahead of the curve and buy the complete book for $5 (Kindle, $15 in print), or read it #Free on #KindleUnlimited. Also this novel is written, edited, and corrected by me alone, I would be grateful to you #GrammarNazis if you would point out my missteps, and how to correct them in the comments. So that I can improve the #Kindle book. Respectful Criticism, is welcome. I am interested to know your thoughts Chapter by Chapter! (I will not be correcting the bad "returns" and such that seem to be happening as I copy and paste. If this is a problem for you, again, please read the book off of the Kindle book, where these problems do not exist.:) )

Prologue:

He stood there in the darkness. The sound of chanting voices filling the chamber. He could feel the power pulsing through him, the same power that held him in place and made him unable to move, like a painless, paralyzing, electricity. This was it. This was what he had longed for all his life. He wanted this. When the time came he would do anything for it. The changes had already begun to take place in him, and oh how wonderful they were. There had been no resistance. When the work was begun in him he hardly knew anything was happening at all… But soon it had been undeniable. Now he stood in the darkness as the flames danced before him casting his shadow on the wall. From somewhere off to his left, he heard the distant wailing cries of the woman he had once thought of as his wife; the woman who he once thought the most important thing in his puny existence. But now he understood so much more. Now he was part of something bigger. Something... cosmic. She was nothing. Her sobbing would soon be silenced and no longer of any account. She cried his name over and over; pleading with him to break free, to come away with her, but freedom was an illusion, and it meant nothing without power. And this was power. Her face was beaten and bloody, and seeing that might have once elicited some emotion from him, but now he was beyond such things. Let it happen. Let it come now. No more waiting. He wanted it to be over. He wanted it to begin. He wanted the power; the strength. All the might which had been conveyed upon him this night was but a taste of what was to come. When he had fully given himself over, when the darkness was embraced, then he would know this strength a thousand-fold. He would do anything, give anything; be anything that was required of him, so long as he could have this. He had always thought that if somehow this boon was bestowed upon him, that his first goal would be vengeance. He had been sure that he would hunt down all those who had wounded him every day of his life; his father first and foremost of all. He remembered the plans he had for the boss at the job he had so recently been fired from; Mr. Williams. The man for whom he had worked for nearly fifteen years and who now had ruined him. His life and career were over, not only at his law office, but for all legal work. He thought of hunting down the girls who had rejected him in High School and even the bullies of the playground. Yes! How they would have all paid for what they had done. Anyone who had ever laughed at him, or made him feel small. He would grind their bones to meal. He remembered when he was a child how nearly every day, they had circled him chanting, “Stubby Stanley! Stubby Stanley!” and “Fatty fatty, two by four, can’t fit through the kitchen door.” and the perennial favorite, “U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi!”How they had guffawed when he couldn’t reach the monkey bars from the highest of the supports, let alone hold himself up as he tried to make his way from one bar to the next. Every time he would flop down in the hard-packed dirt below like a sack of moldy potatoes. Then his memories swirled round to the girls who had rejected him because he was shorter than they, and the slow agony he would have extracted from them. Even now when he was becoming something beyond any of their understanding, their words echoed and raced through his mind, solidifying his choice: _“What girl wants a guy they have to get down on one knee to kiss? Tony, now there’s a real man! Six-foot, two and he might get even taller!” __“Maybe I’ll let you take me out when the school has a “Date a Hobbit Dance!” “Do I look like my name is Esmeralda? ‘Cause I sure ain’t walking around on the arm of no Quasimodo!” _“Hey, short stuff! Get that ball from off the wall rack!” The coach had shouted at him, knowing he would have to climb up the rack to reach the only ball that was left at the very top. And when the rack had tipped over, as he knew it would, smashing him to the floor bruising his ribs, the coach had called out as the other boys laughed, “If you can’t get hold of a ball when it's sitting on a rack, how do you ever expect to play on my team? Get off the field, and don’t come back Short Stuff!” Then there had been his father: _“Look at him Natalie, he’s sixteen and he barely comes up to my chest! He’ll never bee any good at sports! He’s too small and weak for football. He’s far too short for basketball and he’s got zero hand-eye coordination! My only son is a runt! He’s not even good at academics! And here you are, mollycoddling him! He’s never going to amount to anything!”_ All this and more swirled about in his head, but now he had no thought for revenge, it was all behind him. So small and petty. Now he had worlds to conquer, soon all would bow before the might that was flowing into him. He could feel it coiling through him like a plant; like a vine, it was wrapping around his limbs and sinking into them, imbuing them with a virility he had never known, never could have known, but for the events of this strange night. The sound of chanting in the darkness had ceased. Had it only stopped now, or was it some time ago? Trapped in a delicious trance of power and haze of remembrance he couldn’t be sure. But now the shadows on the wall were changing, were different, undulating with a light far stranger than any fire could produce. He knew, at last, the time had come. He was about to gaze upon his new master for the first time. He would joyfully submit. He would accept any contract, make any deal. This was all he had ever wanted. He felt the restraining power lift from him, and he could move once again. He lifted his eyes to see a sight that might have driven others mad. But to him it was beautiful. It was this one who had made a new life possible, and from somewhere deep inside himself, he heard his master’s voice speak his name for the first time.

1 “Doggone it!” Ally cursed, straining, stretching as high as she could, “Who built this place! Andre the Giant?” “No, it just wasn’t built for Gnomes.” Said her husband, effortlessly reaching up and taking down the suitcase, he had placed on the rack the night before, the handle of which had just evaded his wife’s grasp. He handed it over to her as she huffed a begrudging, “Thanks.” And then mumbled, _“For nothing.” _Under her breath. Mark laughed, “Hey don’t hold it against me, I didn’t write your genetic code.” He flopped on to the bed, making the suitcase wobble, as his wife was reloaded it with all of her do-dads and whatnots that seemed so necessary for the care of her appearance. The trip was only going to last a week, but she seemed to have brought enough clothes for three. Then there were the two extra, small suitcases, full of nothing but beauty care. The total of 4 suitcases had taken up all the space that was leftover in the trunk of Marks Chevy Malibu, once the small toolbox, jack, and four-way lug wrench were pushed to the side. Mark had to put his one small suitcase in the back seat. Now, three days later, they were on their way back from California to Chicago. They had spent the night in Aurora, about 35 miles south of Boulder. They were now only 17 hours from home. It would have been 15 hours, but a major road construction project had begun just after they had passed through on Route 76, on the way to California. Already at 9 am, traffic was backed up. According to the Mapping app on their phones, going back that way would have added nearly five hours to their trip. Mark had asked his wife to remind him to take route 70, in the morning so they could avoid that nightmare. It came to her mind as she fit her curling iron and hairdryer back into the already cramped suitcase. “I wish we didn’t have to go around the construction, I hate Kansas.” “What’s the matter with Kansas?” asked Mark, “I love all that farmland, especially this time of year, just before the harvest. All those fields of green. It's beautiful.” “It's boring. Flat straight and goes on for what feels like forever! Did you know there are more single-vehicle accidents in Kansas per-capita than any other state? People get hypnotized out there driving on the roads alone, and when the road turns, they don’t. They go flying off into a ditch somewhere, and drown in a creek bed.” “Where did you read that?” Mark asked laughing to himself. “Oh on the internet somewhere…. Which reminds me I better check my phone while we still have service, I just know we’re going to get out there and lose signal.” “Our service plan covers 95% of the landmass of the continental US, according to the commercials.” “Yeah, and we are going to be driving right through that remaining 5%.” She said snapping the clasps on the suitcase into place, “I guess that’s everything.” “Don’t forget your make-up kit, Shawty,” Mark said, affecting an accent. Ally looked up and groaned. There, on top of the rack was her black plastic make up kit, with all her various blushes and brushes. “I’m never going to reach that. Why did you put it up there?” “Why did you even unpack it?” Mark replied, not moving from the bed, “When we were in LA, that made sense, you were getting all gussied up for the dinner. That made sense.” He repeated. “But last night you were getting ready for bed, and you took it out of your suitcase. There’s nobody here but me, and you know you shouldn't wear makeup to bed. And then, you didn’t even use it.” “I was setting it out for the morning, I was planning to put my face on before we left, but I couldn’t find it. I figured it had gotten buried in the clothes and I didn’t want to dig it out.” Ally said, annoyed. “Put your face on? For what? The drive home? You and me and miles and miles of corn?” He got up off the bed and moved toward her. “Besides I think my wittle munchkin looks so much better without her make-up.” He said affecting a “baby-talk” voice. She punched him in the bicep, hard enough to sting but not to truly hurt. “Ouch!” he said, playing it up. “Stop picking on my height. You know I’m sensitive about it.” “But you are just so cude!” He said, still in baby-talk, wrapping her in his arms, which from fingertip to fingertip of the opposite hand, were exactly 5 feet, 11 inches, perfectly proportionate to his height, “I wuv my Widdle Baby Wifey!” He picked her up and spun her around. “Stop that!” She said half laughing, “Put me down!” she said, even though he already had. “I may be only 5 feet tall but I’ll kick your butt anyway.” He laughed and reached up for the make-up kit, handing it to her. “Here you go Smurfette.” She ignored the jibe and reopened her make up suitcase, “Why’d you put it up so high?” “Because you had it on the sink and I needed to shave. I didn’t want to ruin anything, with drops of water flying everywhere…. And I did that so you’d need me to get it down for you later… I have to remind you how much you need me every once in a while… Just in case you get complacent, or think you can do better.” Ally laughed, snapping the suitcase closed again, “I know I can do better, I’ve just grown accustomed to you.” “You know, that’s right.” Mark said with a toothy grin.

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rivetgoth · 4 years

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Lol yes specific recs are good idk where to start

You either came to the wrong or right person. This is a lot. HONESTLY, one of the cool things about Skinny Puppy is literally all of their albums are very very different and they have a huge range of styles and a million ways you can get into them from all sorts of directions. They have a very long history and extensive discography and endless connections and collaborations and associations so you can come at them from a million angles.

Here’s a list of the main albums chronologically. The band’s lineup has changed a little due to band members leaving or dying but Ogre and cEvin have always been members. For more specific recommendations I’m also including their arguably most popular song from each album (veteran fans might wanna dispute me on some of ‘em cuz I think there are a few toss ups but I tried my best to pick the most iconic) if you just want that basic of an overview, although I definitely recommend delving deeper.

Remission (1984) - Their very first album on a label. Sounds like synthpop with baby Ogre vocals (Ogre doesn’t learn to sing until the 90s and just sings in a way where he screams and tears his vocal chords up). Kind of simpler music, sounds a lot like Cabaret Voltaire. Not as uniquely experimental yet maybe. Really dancey and fun a lot of the time. Ogre, cEvin, and Bill Leeb as musicians. Song suggestion: Smothered Hope

Bites (1985) - Their first full length album. Kinda an evolved version of Remission’s goth synth electronic stuff but still definitely experimental and cool new sounds being thrown around. Ogre, cEvin, and Bill Leeb as musicians again. Tom Ellard from Severed Heads and Edward Ka-Spel from Legendary Pink Dots (who forms The Tear Garden with cEvin) contribute. Song suggestion: Assimilate

Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse (1986) - Their first full length album after the lineup changes and Dwayne Goettel replaces Bill Leeb, who goes off to form Front Line Assembly. Dwayne adds another layer of complex experimental sound and noise to the band. More experimental and abrasive in sound. A little less dancey maybe. Song suggestion: Dig It

Cleanse Fold and Manipulate (1987) - Their second album with the Ogre/cEvin/Duck lineup. Evolution of the M:TPI sound. I definitely group these two together in my mind, they overlap a lot with the directions of the experimental electronic noises they’re going in. Song suggestion: Deep Down Trauma Hounds

VIVIsectVI (1988) - Slight change in direction, this album sounds much more chaotic, abrasive, and experimental imo. Darker album for sure with more ambient tracks and harsher sounds. Same lineup as before. Heavy focus on any vivisection, war, and other social inequality. Song suggestion: Testure

Rabies (1989) - Industrial metal. Al Jourgensen from Ministry joined the lineup because Ogre wanted to male bond with him. It has a ton of electric guitar and screaming. Way angrier and more aggressive music. Song suggestion: Warlock

Too Dark Park (1990) - Really intense, noise-heavy, complex experimental stuff. Al Jourgensen is gone and we revert back to something along the VIVIsectVI trajectory but way more intense with a ton of layers to the sound. Lots of themes of environmental degradation. Ogre/cEv/Dwayne lineup. Song suggestion: Spasmolytic

Last Rights (1992) - Too Dark Park x2. Even more experimental and abrasive and harsh; really dark content, really sad, lots of personal themes surrounding Ogre’s battle with drug addiction. Song suggestion: Killing Game

The Process (1996) - 90s industrial rock-y. Simpler in sound than the complex noise layers in TDP/LR era, with less chaotic experimental sound and more rock noise like guitars. Ogre is doing some early singing and more untreated vocals. This is the last album with Ogre/cEv/Dwayne as the lineup, and Dwayne passes before the album is even released. Song suggestion: Death

Greater Wrong of the Right (2004) - First album with the new (current) lineup where Dwayne Goettel is replaced by Mark Walk. Ogre has learned to sing in a way that doesn’t damage his voice; the music is more electronic and dancey than before, has obvious overlap in sound from the band ohGr that formed between The Process and GWOTR, less heavy noise and more focus on slightly cleaner electronic sound. Song suggestion: Pro-Test

Mythmaker (2007) - Same lineup as before; very fast paced album, with a lot of vocal distortion and treatment to Ogre’s new singing vocals. Very electronic, very dancey. Song suggestion: politikiL

HanDover (2011) - A little more noise based, with interesting recurring sounds and some more experimental noises. Very melodic electronic music. This album always feels very dreamlike to me. Song suggestion: Cullorblind

Weapon (2013) - Some people consider this sort of a throwback album, the music is a little more abrasive and “messy” than the last few albums while still retaining a lot of the more recent cleaner electronic sounds and staples from the previous few albums. They actually cover a song off of Bites and give it a new revamped version. Song suggestion: illisiT

I don’t think I could ever order these from most to least favorite or anything, but I will say that Greater Wrong of the Right tends to stand out as my top favorite... I really truly absolutely love it all though.

Aside from these albums, there’s three live albums (Ain’t It Dead Yet? in ‘87, Doomsday in 2000, andBootlegged, Broke, and In Solvent Seas from 2010), there’s Back & Forth which was their original debut demo EP from 1984, and there’s the subsequent Back & Forth series which includes lots of demos and outtakes and stuff. There’s also Puppy Gristle, which was a collaboration Skinny Puppy did with Genesis P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle, and it’s just a really long experimental jam session. There’s also Remix Dystemper which is a remix album from 1998. These are all also really good, but I would probably recommend their main albums first :]

As you can see, the industrial community is super close knit and every band has a ton of overlap and if you just start with one band it’s really easy to get swept up in all the others!!

Cabaret Voltaire is a great band to check out if you wanna hear one of Skinny Puppy’s big inspirations.

Throbbing Gristle is an inevitable inspiration since they straight up invented industrial music and they ended up collaborating like I just mentioned too

Severed Heads is also great to hear their inspiration and the music from one of their collaborators

Legendary Pink Dots as well, and you can listen to Tear Garden to hear Ka-Spel’s collaborations with cEvin Key.

cEvin also has solo music, as well as music with Hilt, PlatEAU, and Download. Phil Western collaborated with him in these a lot, and Dwayne Geottel, before both of their deaths.

Dwayne also has a few solo songs released as aDuck.

Ogre is the frontman of ohGr alongside Mark Walk, which has five albums out since 2001 and is fucking fantastic. They just released a new album last year in June and it’s so good.

He also collaborated with Al Jourgensen from Ministry and helped write some of their music for the album Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, and he does the vocals on “Get Down” from the Revolting Cocks and “Show Me Your Spine” for PTP (two of Al’s other projects).

AND he collaborated with Martin Atkins and does a few songs for the band Pigface and together they released the album Bedside Toxicology as RX.

Ogre and Bill Leeb were in a short-lived project together called Muteual Mortuary. Also, Bill Leeb’s band Front Line Assembly is really good.

Ogre has done a lot of one-off collaborations and projects, like writing “Ode to Groovie” for the In Defense of Animals compilation album, a Madonna cover for a Madonna compilation album, working with KMFDM on their albums Symbols and Adios, Paul Barker on his Fix This!!! album, and with Bill Rieflin as The Petty Tyrants.

He’s also done music for the Descent II OST, remixes for John Carpenter, and since he’s been in some musicals he’s also featured on the Repo! the Genetic Opera, Devil’s Carnival, and Alleluia: The Devil’s Carnival soundtracks.

Dave Rave Ogilvie (their sound engineer/producer until 2004) mixed Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

Yeah :) Good luck :)

#ythaenagor

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jawbreakers2015 · 5 years

Text

Player Profile: Hang

avid modder, occasional TO and montage video producer from Germany top 12 in the Jawbreakers Stunfest Qualifier (artwork of Drop by Kagu)

What names do you go by?

I used to go by Troke for the entirety of April. Which was based on a dumb coincidence where I talked to Neer and had one of my usual mobile spelling errors and I wrote "I'm having ha troke" instead of "having a stroke".

I wanted to go away from "Hang Boy" since quite some time as I specifically wanted to get rid of the "Boy" and just "Hang" felt wrong and was still associated to Hang Boy anyway. But I guess I'm back to that now.

Reason to why I wanted to rid myself of "Boy" was as simple as me linking my online persona to my OC (By choosing her for profile pictures on basically any platform) which then of course lead people to believe she is a male based on the thought "Hey this is Hang Boy. So the profile picture must also be Hang Boy".

The name Hang Boy btw occurred just as I started my first step into the internet, when I was a big fan of the Binding of Isaac. So i needed an online name and I ventured through Isaac related things. Which was when I came across the Tarot card "Hanged Man". So I just took that and adjusted a bit.

How do you feel about your performance in this tournament?

Was pretty okay. I didn't expect to get far into it. Although I'm a bit sad I didn't make the Top 8 picture. Only needed one win more as well.

However I would have been disappointed in everyone else, if they allowed for me to reach Top 3. So good that didn't happen.

What was your strategy preparing for and competing in the tournament?

I haven't played Blaze in weeks. The only times I played recently was to get some recordings for a Toxic montage. Right before the tournament I was more worried to finish my Isaac run. Which I did win!

And during the tournament was pretty much just "Turn some nice music on, jam to it, play some Nitro, do some silly cuff shenanigans, do dumb parry grab down throws so the viewers can laugh over something".

I did "fly" with Nitro in one match but sadly it wasn't streamed so only Hellraiser was able to see the glory of Flying Cuff™.

youtube

Which was your hardest match of the tournament?

Hellraiser I suppose. He did kick me out of it. I never really played him or saw him play and he didn't fall for my aggressive playstyle, so it was a tough time.

What surprised you most about the tournament?

Cherry's second place finish. I know he's good, I think he's underrated even.

But second place is a really good finish. Even more so beating JawDrop since, in my opinion, he has some of the craziest tech and can be really really confusing to play against.

(Yea he also has weird lag even tho he lives in France but whatever :p)

Is there anyone you didn’t face that you wish you did?

I would have wanted to play Defur if possible. To some degree I see his entrance as a sort of meme entry. But jokes aside and game aside, I can only take my hat off to this man and his effort for the tournament scene.

Sadly didn't get to play Daio. It feels like a tradition to face off against him in FellowsTV hosted tournaments. Which always goes the same way tbf. He counters my playstyle hard, I'm annoyed to play against him, don't bother changing my playstyle in order to win, get demolished. But the tradition counts!

I'd put Neer in the same boat. Hate playing against him but it just kinda has to be.

How did you get into Lethal League?

A friend bought it for me. We played a couple of games, he had to leave. I went into QM, found Garu, got absolutely demolished, he friended me and pulled me into it.

I specifically remember seeing his Latch corpse juggles and thinking "Man this is so cool, I want to be able to do this too". So right of the bat I started to play for the style, which is what I still go by.

Style > Efficiency

It feels bad not having paid for LL nor Blaze but I bought LL for a bunch of friends so guess that checks out.

What's your current Lethal League experience?

450+ hours in LL 340 hours in Blaze (As of now. 26.4.2019) And a giant bunch of hours of community interaction and modding.

I was very excited when asked to be beta testing and it fulfilled a childhood dream of being in video game credits.

Despite only getting into Beta a month before release, I stacked up 90 hours before the game came out. Lots of 9 hour playtime days. It was massive fun.

I bought almost all of the merch...got most signed by Tim & Dion too. I went to the Netherlands twice to meet TR. It was fun, they are cool people. Watching Dion doing a live dance off was pretty rad ngl.

I brought self made cheesecake the second time, but Tim had to get it into the building since they check your bags for normal visitors and it wasn't allowed to bring food.

I'll never forget the sight of Tim with his big bag looking like he's smuggling a bomb into a convention.

Who are your main/side/counter character picks?

Everything. So yes random, it's random.

However I most enjoy playing Nitro because of all the dumb things he can do. Especially flying, cuff storage (specifically for down angle on the ground, to just pull a little bit forward) and half pull.

Doombox is also very fun. Special>bunt>smash>parry>special>repeat can chain pretty often on some opponents and is hilarious.

The only characters I "despise" playing are Toxic and Sonata. But only because I'm really bad with them.

What are your favourite character outfits?

Dust and Ashes. Just their whole design.

For real tho. There's not really skins that stick out to me since I use my own modded ones.

Can you share your favourite/most used custom outfit?

Hm I missed that that's not "outfits"...well take a load of skins! In order

Mothyman Jeviman Spacetor Golden Switch Drop Palette Sonata Supercharged Latch PaDice-a the Rapper Skull Grunt Supercharged Grid Supercharged Doombox Dropbox FYouBox Nitro with a blue, white and mint color scheme I made for every character and lastly my Toxic skin with that same color scheme

What are your stage preferences?

Idc. I play random so who really cares. I guess insert the usual "Paradise field eclipse succs!!!"

What input method do you use?

PS4 Controller Dpad for movement L1 Bunt R1 Swing R2 Grab

I used to play LL on a cheap SNES controller using only face buttons. When I was over at Dutch Comic Con with Serchiot I played a couple games of Blaze with his PS4 controller and really liked his layout and the feel of the controller. So I just sneakily stole his layout and got myself a PS4 controller.

Coming from all face buttons, I needed some time to get used to it. But in my opinion it's just superior this way.

How do you make your character montage videos?

I have two ways of recording clips. Just consciously recording with OBS or putting Shadowplay on and saving every time something cool happens. I usually just boot up Blaze and jump into ranked to get some games in. With the Toxic montage it was a bit different since I now have a 4K monitor but 4K can hardly be recorded at 60fps and setting the output resolution in OBS to 1080p got me weird screen effects. So every time I went to record, I put the resolution of my monitor to 1080p in order to at least get that in good quality. Then I just cut all the good clips out of the recordings and mix ‘n’ match ‘em. What's usually the hardest decision is what music to use. There's been a couple of songs that I'd like to use, but they either don't fit over Blaze gameplay, don't fit my playstyle or were just the wrong length.

My two favourite Montages are definitely for Candyman and Nitro. Candyman took a long way to develop, because I just wanted to show off so much. It's one of the few montages where I actually asked higher skill players for games instead of jumping into ranked. Picking the song was really hard, I was only sure I wanted a Klaus Veen track, but OD V2 was too mainstream and most others were too short. So in the end I opted for two songs with a break in between the montage. Splitting the clips into two sets, each song one. With the second part containing what I considered the more hype bursts.

And for Nitro I actually had the montage pretty much done, but I wasn't too happy with it. Still planned to just upload it like that tho. However when I saw the Nitro voice actor interact with a community member in a way that could only be described as "incredibly wholesome", I was inspired to redo most, if not all, of the clips and do the best I could. For the first time actually going into training mode to lab some combos (mostly corpse juggles tbf) and eventually learning Flying Cuff™ too. Watching JawDrops Blazin' Combo video and taking a slice off the Nitro plays there. Which resulted in a montage I am very happy with.

youtube

What other games do you play?

It differs from time to time.

The only games I always come back to are retro games like SMW, CTR or something like Mario Kart 8D. Which I always enjoy playing at local tournaments and pretty successfully so even. People just can't handle it when someone plays with one hand.

Atm I also like playing TBoI Rebirth.

Will you come to Stunfest?

Probably not. Driving/Flying over to France is just very expensive. I would love to meet all my Baguettes (Lusked, Jawdrop, Aru and Lalou, who stated he can't make it due to exams, yes I know). But exams and the neer-ing end of my apprenticeship is leaving a lot of work to be done.

So it probably won't fit into my schedule. However never say no! Trips to Blaze events aren't uncommon for me.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to the community?

Play the game for fun, not for glory.

Stop rubbing yourself for an imaginary title that doesn't mean anything as there's not even any competition for it.

I can't stress enough how great Soda City Funk by Tim Legend is. Go listen to it right now.

And for my last words. Be more like Kota. And remember, We love Ramkat <3

#Jawbreakers #Lethal League Blaze #Player Profile #Hang Boy #Hang #Europe #Jaw Breakers #Lethal League #Team Reptile

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