#(if only the fur colors were reversed!)

[hwestalas]

Boop!

Lookie lookie lookie! I found Max receiving affection from an unfamiliar child!

[yumeaoka-chan]

For Science!

Pairing: Hobie Brown x Reader/ Spider-Punk x Vampire! Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Tags: Cursing, blood drinking, blood, lovesick hobie, lovesick reader, cuddling, implied kink(just one mention of it really, it's not even fully there tbh), no physical description of reader, reader is AFAB, (In the Pursuit of Blood reverse au kinda, if you really think about it)

Summary: Your boyfriend has always been curious about your vampiric powers. But there's one question he's been refraining himself from asking.

A/N: Credits for the lovely banners go to @the-shroom-garden !!! Second piece for week 4 of Octobie @the-kr8tor , let's go!!! I'll probably have my third final piece done later this week, idk. I've been on a roll, so there might be a fourth if i can write fast enough💪

“You fuckin’ with me, lovie?”

“No, Hobes. I really can turn into a bat. As well as a swarm of them, but that's besides the point.” You can't help the smile that flits across your face as he gestures to you with open arms and grabby hands. A clear indication that he's waiting for you to do just that, turn into a bat. Hobie knows the sparkle in his eyes is giving away just how excited he is to see you turn and he won't lie about how much he's dying to hold you when you do.

Shaking your head, you let out a playful sigh and place a hand on your forehead, as if you're winded. Turning around, you fall back into your boyfriend's awaiting arms, only for a small cloud of black shimmering mist to appear with a poof when he moves to wrap his arms around you. Hobie's eyes widen in shock as the mist subsides, an excited, lopsided grin on his lips as he peers down at you in his hands. A fuzzy bat about the size of his forearm with fur the same color of your hair. He has to reign in the urge to squish your little cheeks when you peer up at him with big red eyes, so cute and utterly adorable. Not at all good for his heart, he supposes. And when your little bat tongue comes out as you yawn, he goes “Fuck it” and squishes your cheeks between his thumb and index finger.

“Look at you… Too cute, darlin’. I'm gonna have a heart attack, swear”, Hobie coos softly as his other hand comes up to pet at your large ears, dopey smile lighting up his features.

You let out an irritated squeak of protest from the smothering of your cheeks and shake your head free from his fingers. With a small chirp, you open your tiny mouth towards his thumb, tiny fangs making his smile falter as he thinks you're going to bite him for a second. Only for your tiny tongue to gently lick the pad of his thumb, tiny bat body wrapping around his wrist. That was the day Hobie thinks his ‘wanting you to bite and drink from him’ obsession started. He was curious, as one naturally is when their girlfriend is a damn vampire. Days and weeks passed after that and he never uttered a word to you about the subject, not exactly knowing how you'd take being asked to feed from him.

You'd always made sure you were fed before being around him so, he never tried to ask. Although the nagging question and want to know how it felt ate at him day and night. Was it a need? No. Was it want? Perhaps. Was it somehow tied to his…longing of you? Hobie wasn't fully prepared to unpack that yet. Besides, what if the reason you never tried to feed from him was because you cared about him deeply and wished no hurt to come to him? That feeding was a necessity for your survival and you didn't want him to feel like you kept him around for just that? He groans as he thinks about those being the possible reasons, scrubbing a hand over his face with exasperation. It was late in the night with you having gone to feed, leaving Hobie alone in the houseboat with his ever pressing thoughts.

He flopped back on his bed and glared up at the ceiling, trying to will away the questions that flitted around his head a mile a minute. He was genuinely intrigued though. Hobie truly wanted nothing more than to find out just how it felt to be bitten by a vampire, about whether it would hurt or pinch just a bit.

“It's not even like that. She loves me. Plus this is just for…research…”, he mumbles to himself as he flings an arm over his eyes. Would you get mad at him and be offended if he asked you, however? You've always indulged in his curiosity when it came to your abilities but, something like this just had to be… personal. Teeth worrying at his bottom lip and tongue fiddling with his lip piercing, Hobie lays there for a few more moments before sighing and sitting up. He wouldn't ask you. At least, not yet. Too caught up in the long list of cons rather than the short list of pros. Just as he reaches for his guitar, a sudden bang against his window rocks the boat. He holds out both arms to steady himself as the houseboat slowly stops rocking, eyes darting towards the window and ears perked for anything that might spell danger.

His senses don't go haywire, which helps ease the anxiousness beneath his skin. Standing up, Hobie opens the window to peer out of it, only for the fuzzy blur that is you to come hitting him in the face, making him yelp in shock. Your fuzzy body drapes over his head before you slowly slide down into his palms that had quickly come up to catch you. Little chirps leave you, sounding weak and tired. Hobie shakes his head before peering down at you with growing concern as he walks back over to the bed and sits down with you in his arms. With a poof of shimmering black mist, you're back in your human form, albeit bruised and bleeding from multiple cuts. Your body sags weakly against his as you look up at your boyfriend with a shaky smile.

“Evening, Hobie.”

“Oh my days, what the absolute fuck happened to you?” Is what he furiously whispers as his hands tenderly cup your cheeks. You nuzzle into the warmth of his touch as he gently wipes the blood dripping from your forehead, eyes shining with concern and heart aching at your battered form. You can smell the scent of his blood beneath his skin, how it rushes through his veins. With a sigh, you bat tired lashes up at him and softly shrug.

“Not all vampires are as lovely as me. That is to say, I got into a fight with some old shithead and won. ‘M hungry though, didn't get to feed…” You mumble as you bury your face against his chest. Hobie scoffs and shakes his head. Of course you'd find a way to make some joke out of the situation. He's rubbed off on you a bit more than he'd liked to. Pursing his lips and watching as you inhaled the scent of him deeply, that nagging question springs into his mind again. After all, you were battered, tired, and hungry. It couldn't hurt to ask now…

“Hey, um, love? Considering that you need blood to heal and everything… W-What if you were to feed on me…?”

“Oh, finally. I was wondering when you were going to ask this question.” That makes his eyebrows raise in shock, mouth dropping open and eyes blinking repeatedly. You give him a knowing smirk and press a sweet kiss to his chin then his lips.

“Trust me, it's a very common question, baby. You wouldn't be the first to ask it. I am curious what your reason behind it is, though.” Hobie lets out a nervous chuckle, a dopey grin on his face as he avoids your gaze. He shrugs and scratches the back of his head, embarrassment coloring his voice and making it crack a bit.

“U-Uh, well… You know, it's for, um, science! Yeah… Science, lovie.” Not entirely a lie, he was much too flustered to come up with any other excuse. A giggle leaves your lips and Hobie's eyes soften as he gazes at you with fondness. Always so weak whenever you laugh for him, the sound like an arrow straight to his heart. He leans down to kiss you tenderly, hands cupping your face once more and thumb caressing your cheek lovingly. When he pulls back, his heart just about aches at the adoration in your pretty eyes, his heart fluttering in his chest. His thumb tenderly grazes along your bottom lip, gently poking at your fang that sticks out.

“Go ahead then, darlin’. Take what you need, mm?” Slowly nodding your head, you lean up to press your lips against his neck, softly gripping the hair at the back of his nape to gently tilt his head to the side. Your other hand rests on his shoulder. One of his hands is splayed across your back while the other rests on the back of your head.

“I'll be gentle, promise”, you mumble quietly against his skin as your fangs gently graze his flesh. He shivers slightly at the sensation and nods his head, heart pounding in his ears as you pepper his neck in kisses. It's then that he feels your fangs sinking into his flesh, like a shard of ice in his veins. The pain is sharp and quick to come, but goes away just as quickly. He can feel the sensation of his blood being sipped out of his body, a sensation that isn't too unpleasant. Warmth pools beneath his skin and he holds you closer against his body as you drink from him. His mind clears and his body feels lighter, like all of his troubles have been swept away by your touch. Giddiness makes a goofy smile appear on his lips as he presses his neck closer to your lips. You hold onto Hobie gently, tilting his head just a bit more as you lap at the delectable nectar that is his blood. There's something different about it, not like a normal human’s life force. You think that it's probably because your boyfriend is no normal human, after all. There's something energizing about it, something that pumps you up and you feel every wound stitching itself close the longer you drink.

Hobie's little hum and hands growing slightly lax in his grip on you makes you back away, tongue lapping over the bite mark to stop the bleeding. Pressing one final kiss to his neck as thanks, you gaze up at his face with slight concern. Hobie's eyes are half-lidded and glazed with contentment, hands wrapping around you and gently pulling you towards his neck again.

“Finish drinkin’, lovie”, he slurs just a bit, voice deep and soft like he'd been drinking. “Want you to get all better.” His words make you smile and you gently lay him down on the bed. You shush his protests with a soft kiss to his lips before tapping his cheek so that he looks up at you.

“I got just what I needed. Thank you, Hobie.” You coo softly as you drape the blankets over his form. Hobie gives you a lopsided smile, his eyes swimming with such a lovestruck shine to them that you can't help but pepper his face in more kisses. He hums softly as you adorn him with your love, grin widening with every kiss.

“Anythin’ for you, sweetheart”, he mumbles as you turn off the lights and press another kiss on his forehead. Sleep is quickly trying to claim him and he's not one to fight it. “Anythin’ for you.”

[underacalicosky]

I've got Obikin hugs and sharing a bed on my mind today, thanks to @paracosm-draw's Obikin Promptober 2024. So I wrote a quick SFW ficlet (featuring accidental Anakitty).

“Anakin, no! Don’t—”

A blinding white flash and a crackling shockwave sends Obi-Wan and the rest of their expedition team careening backwards. His back collides with the cold stone of the cave ground as the air is punched out of his lungs.

Gasping for breath, Obi-Wan sits up. He grimaces.

“Anakin!” he calls, head pounding.

There’s no answer. Only grunts from the clones around him who have similarly been knocked backward.

When Obi-Wan’s eyes finally refocus, Anakin is nowhere to be found.

“Anakin?”

Obi-Wan scrambles to his feet. Wincing, he grabs his side as he approaches the dark robes, tabards, and tunic that Anakin had been wearing moments ago.

The holocron that Anakin had removed from its pedestal lay on its side next to the pile of clothes, still glowing.

Panic rises in Obi-Wan’s chest. Then he feels a familiar tug on the training bond that he and Anakin should’ve severed, but never did.

“Blrrrt?”

The pile of robes moves and Obi-Wan drops to his knees. Gingerly, he lifts the robe to find a scared, three-legged feline. Its fur is a dark, rusty orange, almost brown—an odd and striking color for a cat, but the exact same shade as—

Leaning in, Obi-Wan studies at the cat and the scar running down its right eye.

“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan mumbles.

~~~~~

“Mrrow.”

“Yes, I’m almost done,” Obi-Wan says.

There are about a dozen or so of Anakin’s vocalizations that Obi-Wan understands. The short, simple meow is his greeting. There’s the high-pitch trill when he’s excited about something, usually when Ahsoka arrives with a new handmade cat toy. A drawn-out growly trill means he’s hungry.

And then there’s the impatient mrrow when he wants Obi-Wan’s attention.

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan taps at the screen of his datapad a couple more times and then shuts it down.

In the three rotations since The Incident, Obi-Wan has combed through every piece of information about the holocron that the librarians at the Jedi Archives could transmit to his device and has found nothing to explain Anakin’s present form or how to restore him to human form.

It would be another two rotations before they arrive back in Coruscant to hand the holocron over to the Council for investigation.

Rumors had spread quickly through the 501st that something had happened to their General during their excursion. To spare him any more embarrassment, and maintain morale on the Resolute, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka decided it was best for Anakin to stay sequestered with Obi-Wan in his quarters onboard the Negotiator after he’d been examined by the medical team.

Obi-Wan shuffles over to his bunk where Anakin had been waiting for the last ten minutes. With an exhausted groan, he lies down and closes his eyes.

Anakin emits a low purr as he positions himself next to Obi-Wan, body stretched along his former Master’s side while his furry head is tucked under his bearded chin.

Immediately, their bond is flooded with Anakin’s feelings.

Comfort. Safety. Warmth.

Both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka noticed right away that Anakin’s shielding had become faulty as a result of the accident. There were moments when Anakin would become overcome with worry and fear. Distraught over what might happen if they wouldn’t be able to reverse whatever spell the holocron had cast.

So when Anakin jumped onto the foot of his bed that first night, appearing lost and sad, Obi-Wan’s heart ached. He patted the space next to him, signaling for Anakin to sleep there.

After all, he’d done the same when Anakin was a lost and sad Padawan. He’d sworn back then that he wouldn’t abandon Anakin, and he sure as hell won’t abandon him now.

Obi-Wan tightens his arm around Anakin and places a kiss on his head, between his ears.

“We’ll figure this out,” Obi-Wan whispers. “I promise.”

And the cat hugs him back.

Obi-Wan falls asleep with a paw pressed against his heartbeat.

In his dreams, he’s inundated with love and devotion. The feelings are so intense and overwhelming that Obi-Wan’s flung back to consciousness.

Glancing down at the sleeping cat in his embrace, Obi-Wan realizes the dreams aren’t his.

He closes his eyes and drifts to sleep again, twining himself around a familiar golden thread that binds Obi-Wan to the one who is most precious to him, and wraps him in a protective blanket of comfort and affection.

~~~~~

More than a week’s passed and only a handful of people who have been sworn to secrecy know exactly why Anakin’s been placed on long-term medical leave.

Stubbornly, Obi-Wan refuses to accept another mission until they’ve resolved the issue at hand, heatedly threatening to leave the Order altogether, if that’s what it comes down to. He ignores the look that Master Yoda exchanges with Master Windu.

After half a dozen visits to the Halls of Healing, countless meetings with the Council, there still doesn’t seem to be a solution.

“He’s so sad,” Ahsoka comments quietly one afternoon with Anakin cradled in her arms. She rubs her cheek on his head as Obi-Wan putters around his small kitchen preparing dinner for them.

“I know,” Obi-Wan responds.

He can’t bear to tell her about how Anakin’s bedtime purrs have become plaintive cries. How he buries his face into Obi-Wan’s neck as waves of anguish roll off him.

Obi-Wan forces himself to smile at both of them. He reaches over and takes Anakin’s front paw in his hand and squeezes it encouragingly.

“But we mustn’t lose hope,” Obi-Wan says. “We will find a way to fix this.”

~~~~~

By the third week, Anakin grows more despondent with each passing day. He curls himself into a ball and naps by the sunny window in Obi-Wan’s apartment at the Temple, waiting for him to return home from the Archives or meetings with the Council, ears perked up, awaiting good news that doesn’t come.

Anakin’s happiest when he’s sitting on Obi-Wan’s chest, purring contentedly while he’s being pet. Obi-Wan rubs his fingers under Anakin’s chin, over his cheek. He coos at him. Talks to him. Grins when Anakin presses their foreheads together. Obi-Wan stares into blue eyes that are shaped differently, but that he recognizes nonetheless.

Obi-Wan knows that it’s still Anakin in there. He’d know even without Anakin’s Force signature swirling around them.

The emotions that filter through their bond during Anakin’s dreams always start the same way. Golden and warm, brimming with affection. But they morph into yearning and longing. Then frustration. And finally despair and loneliness as Anakin’s front paw twitches in his sleep.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan hugs him closer, and for a fleeting moment, scolds himself for wishing that Anakin’s human body was next to him—lanky and solid and strong—and continues to push comforting thoughts toward Anakin.

But after a few nights, the depth of Anakin’s consuming grief brings Obi-Wan to tears.

“It’s alright, dearest,” Obi-Wan whispers to the sleeping cat. “I’m here. I’ll always be here.” He presses his face into Anakin’s fur and tries to hold back his sobs. “We’ll figure this out. I love you. No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”

He dreams of Anakin that night. The way Anakin used to be. His bright eyes and sweet smile. His long arms enveloping Obi-Wan in a tight hug. His voice, whispering in Obi-Wan’s ear that he loves him.

And a feeling of peace settles over him. Obi-Wan is certain he’ll see that beloved face again.

By the time Obi-Wan wakes again, the furry head tucked under his chin has been replaced by soft, honey brown curls. The paw on his chest is now a hand, with its long, elegant fingers tangled in the fabric of his sleep shirt. The small feline form he’d fallen asleep next to transformed into that of a naked, human man.

“Master?”

In an instant, Obi-Wan’s arms are around him, crushing him to his chest as he breathes in the scent of his hair. Relief and joy vibrate across their bond.

“Anakin,” he breathes. “I’m here, dearest. I’ll always be here.”

[mbruben-stein]

If you still doing request and raise of the guardians how would the guardians react to swapping powers with Halloween s/o like and example of bunny swapping his with his S/I to which there a pooka while he's human?

Rise of the Guardians reaction to swiping holidays/powers with Halloween Fem Guardian S/O.

Jack Frost:

Jack Frost and his Halloween female Guardian s/o found themselves in a bit of a predicament after accidentally swapping powers. It all started when Jack, being his usual curious self, touched something in North's workshop that he shouldn't have. The moment he made contact, a bright light enveloped both him and his s/o, causing them to fall to the ground in a daze.

S/o, now possessing Jack's winter magic, found herself accidentally freezing everything she touched in a panic. Jack, on the other hand, discovered that he could bring spooky Halloween creatures to life with a simple touch. As they both tried to navigate their new powers, s/o couldn't help but freak out upon realizing her hair was now white instead of her usual h/c color.

"Jack, what the hell did you just touch?" s/o exclaimed, her voice filled with both panic and frustration. Jack, always quick on his feet, tried to calm her down and reassure her that they would figure out a way to switch back with North's help.

As they worked together to find a solution, Jack couldn't help but notice his reflection in the mirror. His hair was now brown, the color it had been when he was once human. It was a strange sight for him to see, but he knew that they needed to focus on finding a way to reverse the power swap.

With determination and teamwork, Jack and his s/o set out on a mission to undo the switch and restore their powers to their rightful owners. It would be a challenge, but with their combined strengths and the help of their fellow Guardians, they were confident they could overcome this unexpected hurdle.

Bunnymund:

Bunnymund and his Halloween S/o were in North's workshop when a mishap caused them to swap powers. Bunnymund found himself transformed into a human man with long gray hair, while his S/o became a pooka with fur matching her hair color. Bunnymund tried to reassure his panicking S/o, telling her they would find a way to reverse the transformation.

As they tried to navigate their new abilities, Bunnymund struggled to control his S/o's Halloween powers. It was a challenge for him to handle the unfamiliar abilities, but he remained determined to find a solution. Meanwhile, his S/o was overwhelmed by the sudden change and had a panic attack, unable to accept her new form as a pooka.

"Please calm down, Sheila," Bunnymund said, trying to soothe his distressed S/o. "We will figure this out together. I know it's difficult, but we will find a way to fix this."

Despite the chaos and uncertainty, Bunnymund remained calm and level-headed, determined to help his S/o and return to their original forms. Together, they faced the challenge head-on, relying on each other's strengths to navigate the unexpected situation. And as they worked together to unravel the mystery of the swapped powers, their bond only grew stronger, proving that they could overcome any obstacle as a team.

 (Younger) North:

North was in the middle of working on a new gadget in his workshop when his Halloween female s/o walked in to check on him. As she approached, a mishap occurred, causing electric sparks to fly out of the toy. Both North and his s/o fell to the floor, dazed and confused.

As they tried to gather their bearings, North realized that something had gone terribly wrong. He could feel a strange power coursing through him, one that he couldn't control. Suddenly, he found himself creating little Halloween creatures out of thin air, monsters that his s/o had the power to summon.

His s/o, on the other hand, was shocked to discover that she could now speak to yetis, which was one of North's Abilities that he had. Panic set in as they both tried to figure out what had happened and how to undo it.

"Ow, that hurt! North, love, are you okay?" his s/o exclaimed, rushing over to him. "What just happened? Why am I wearing winter clothes? You're wearing Halloween clothes, and your hair is now black."

North was at a loss for words, trying to come to terms with his newfound abilities and the chaos that had ensued. Together, they scrambled to find a solution, hoping to reverse the accidental swap of powers before it caused any more havoc.

In the midst of the confusion, North and his s/o found themselves relying on each other more than ever, their bond growing stronger as they navigated through the unexpected turn of events. And through it all, North's warrior spirit and heart of gold shone brightly, guiding them towards a resolution and a deeper understanding of each other. In the end, North and s/o were able to figure it out and undo what had happened.

[mubabee]

Yandere Arata’s first meeting with Y/N?

Ty for requesting for an OC! Also no need to put yandere, all my OCs are yanderes 😼

Whenever I make a OCs x reader book, I always like to write Arata and Y/N meeting like this.(Mikio and kuroko are in this so basically a reverse harem. Straightforward writing.)

(I think I used the word ‘it’ too much)

WARNING — GORE, BUT IT IS NOT DETAILED

—When you first encountered Arata, it was actually in his cat form. He was just in an alleyway, staring blankly with his golden eyes. It had given you a little fright at first because it was so dark.

—Once you realized it was only a cat, you calmed down. Despite the lack of light in the alleyway, you could see the peculiar color of his fur — a deep blue you don’t recall ever seeing any breed of cats with.

—You tried to approach him, but he scurried off without a sound. It was quite impressive how he jumped from balcony to balcony with ease. He was already at the rooftop in mere seconds.

—So, you made it your mission to catch this swift cat. Mikio and Kuroko didn’t quite like the idea but in the end, they opted to simply make sure the creature didn’t hurt you. But really, they could catch the animal with ease.

—It was tedious but proved to be easier than you thought it would be.

—The cat would be there everyday, silently sitting with its blank eyes. You’d bring food that it would never eat, toys that it would never play with, milk that it would never drink —anything to lure it out. It would never come towards you, but you noticed that with each attempt, the distance it would let you pass before running off shortened.

—Until one day, it let you calmly pick it up in your arms with no complaints.

—Now let’s just say you lived separately from Mikio and Kuroko for now and had a female roommate.

—So you bring the cat home and she suggests the name ‘Arata’.

—So now that was officially his name!

—Mikio made sure to clip its nails and ensure it had no diseases or complications. (Also found out it was a boy😼)

—On the first day, it was normal — other than the fact Arata would constantly cling to you. Even as you were leaving, he would try and follow you through the door. Your roommate would complain that he had no interest to anything outside of you, even when she tried to entertain him with cat toys.

—On the second day, you left. Your roommate then brought Arata into the bathroom so she could shower and ensure he wouldn’t cause any trouble at the same time.

—But to her confusion, the door was open as soon as she finished bathing. It made her a slight bit wary, but it must’ve been because Arata learned how to open doors already. (trust me they can learn how to do that sht, my old cat did)

—She got dressed and went to the kitchen only to see a grown man in the living room, his back turned to her. The worst part is that he was completely naked.

—He didn’t seem to notice her, so she reached for a knife on the kitchen counter and creeps up behind him. Then wobbly, she stabs his side.

—No screams or yells were made, not even a hint of reaction. All he did was turn around.

(I don’t know how to color blood😔)

—that’s literally all he fucking asked.

—Yea this man literally calls you ‘master’.

—Probably because you basically adopted him.

—When you arrived back, your roommate was sitting outside, scared out of her mind. Just before she could shakily explain what happened, Arata opens the door, still butt naked and it’s just like ??

—you’re wondering who tf this is until you see his ears and tail.

—at this point it’s up to your imagination for how you react.

[adobe-outdesign]

For the shiny reviews: Absol or Meowstic (Both genders)

(I'm just going to do Absol for now so unrelated lines aren't getting jumbled together, but feel free to ask for Meowstic separately if that's something you guys would want to see reviewed.)

Absol: This is a pretty simple color swap on the surface, exchanging Absol's dark slate blue for a coral pink color. However, there were a few additional tweaks made as well—the fur has a slight pink tint to it, and the eyes are now teal instead of red.

For the most part, this is a fine shiny; it's easy to tell apart from the original and the colors chosen look nice. However, I do feel like it looses a little something conceptually? Absol has a black/white morality and ying/yang theme to it, which ties back into it being an omen of bad things but only because it's trying to help people. I feel like it might've made more sense here to reverse the blue (black) and white areas of its body, which would've kept the theme up. However, it's not like the shiny we got was bad or anything, so this isn't a big deal.

Mega Absol: Mega Absol keeps the color swaps consistent (a positive), so there's nothing much to talk about here that I haven't mentioned with regular Absol already. However, I do want to point out that regular Absol has a pink tint to its fur, which Mega Absol lacks. I guess you could argue the pink makes it more unique... but it also lowers the overall contrast and doesn't add much to the palette, so I find myself liking it keeping the regular white base more. Either way, a decent shiny line all around.

[jpitha]

Rescue Party

The war was tough.

But that’s not news. Wars are always tough. 

What is news - at least to me - was how involved the humans were with the war. It wasn’t even their war, yet when they heard about what the Gren were doing, they immediately offered to help. 

Contact had been not one Solar Cycle ago - around two of their ‘years’ - and we didn’t really know what to expect. Other sapient species in the Coalition fought each other, but those wars were a long time ago. 

The Gren were different. They, like the humans were not part of the Colation, but were the humans were interested in community and friendship, the Gren were interested in conquest. Tall, imposing, with reverse articulated legs and a complicated jointed exoskeleton, they were frightening to us. The short, dense humans with their soft skin and fuzzy hair on the tops of their heads were much less outwardly scary.

At least until you saw them angry, or upset.

When I learned that the Gren had captured the Sefigan freighter Hamin on the suspicion that they were “smuggling” my fur lost its luster and I was unable to sleep fully. Parts of my familial line owned that ship and I feared the worst. I tried to make it through my day, completing my tasks, but it was just too difficult. I asked for permission to take a short leave until I heard the final word about my family and it was granted. Without the daily responsibilities of work however, I had surplus time to worry and fret. I would walk around the station, just for something to do. 

One day, not long after their capture, my lower legs carried me to a human bar. I don’t even know why I was there. I couldn’t drink their main intoxicant. Ethanol will kill me. The human bartender was kind and let me sit at the bar, drinking water with some of their more compatible fruit pureed inside. She called it a “fruity pleaser” and said it was popular with humans who also didn’t consume ethanol. She put a small, brightly colored umbrella in the drink.

While I wallowed, two humans walked up to the bar. They were still wearing uniforms, only just having come off their shift. Glancing over, I didn’t recognize what they were a part of, but I knew enough about humans to know that these were two young, fit, above average specimens of their species. They received their drinks and took notice of me and my fruity drink. I met their eyes and tried out their gesture of greeting. I waved.

They waved back and came over. “Do you mind if we sit with you?” One of them asked.

“I do not mind. I must admit though I may be poor company. I received word that much of my familial group was captured by the Gren recently, and I have not heard word of their fate. I sit here and worry and wallow and can do nothing about it.”

“The Gren? When was this?” The other was strangely interested in my family’s fate.

“It was 4 cycles ago or so. The Sefrigan freighter Hamin was carrying them, plus cargo and was captured by the Gren on suspicion of smuggling. The Gren news channels announced it all over this sector of space, and spoke long on how the ‘traitors’ would ‘stand trial for their crimes.’ 

The first human looked at the second. Their faces no longer jovial, the second human sipped their drink thoughtfully. 

“What’s your name, friend?” The first hadn’t touched their drink, instead concentrating on me.

“I’m Cal’ina.”

“Hi Cal’ina, I’m Mary, and my friend here is Jan.” Mary looked at Jan who glanced at me, then back at Mary and shook her head. Mary made a facial expression I didn’t recognize and then Jan scoffed and said “Fine. Ask them.”

“Cal’ina… have you ever been on the Hamin?”

“Sure. My father’s brother was chief engineer. He probably knew those engines more than anyone else. I spent many solar cycles aboard.”

“So, you know your way around.”

I sipped my fruity drink again to buy time to answer. What was going on? “Yes. I can make my way around that ship in my sleep.”

This time Mary made the same face at Jan again, but this time Jan didn’t scoff. Instead, she turned to me. “Cal’ina. Would you be interested in helping to rescue your family?”

I looked up at them, disbelieving. “How could I do that? They’ve been captured by the Gren, they are probably going to be executed in a few cycles!”

“If you could though, would you want to help?”

I drained the rest of my drink. The noise of the air coming through the empty straw sounded loud in the bar. “Yes. If I could help, I would. I would do anything to help.”

Mary stood. “Anything? Good enough for me. Come on Jan, Cal’ina. Let’s go rescue your family.”

I was dumfounded. What they were saying sounded completely without sense. 

And yet.

I couldn’t say no now could I? They said they could help me to see my family again. I would do anything to see them again.

I followed.

Four cycles later, I was fitted with a human made armored pressure suit, given a human chemically operated slug thrower which had been sized down for my smaller hands, and placed onboard a very small and very crowded human vessel. 

I had learned that my family was in fact smuggling - for the humans - and that their cargo was extremely precious. In addition to weapons and technology for the war effort, there were two humans in suspended animation cabinets among the cargo. Mary and Jan had explained that since the Gren hadn’t announced their discovery and capture, they hadn’t gone through the cargo yet. That meant there was probably still time to rescue everyone and the humans in the cabinets. 

It also meant that the humans needed that cargo back as soon as possible.

We were all strapped into acceleration couches while we boosted before flipping over to the Gren Warfinder. Human ships either had lower quality compensators, or would run theirs at such outlandish power outputs that they simply couldn’t keep up. The price was that we spent much of the trip strapped into special couches that supported our bodies against the punishing weight of acceleration.

“Cal. When we get onboard the Warfinder, we’re going to cut a path to your families ship. Reports indicate that your family has been confined onboard and not separated from it. Ideally, we’ll get in, get the ship out, and flip away before anyone even notices we’re there.”

“So you’ve said. I sincerely hope you’re right, but I still don’t understand how we’re going to get onboard the Warfinder. It’s a massive warship with very strong defenses. Even if we get in, they have at least two battalions of Gren Deathseekers.”

Mary laughed from her chair. “Cal, the Gren can’t throw. They never developed any throwing weapons at all. They fight with swords and knifes and spears. They’re from a world that has three quarters the gravitational pull as Earth. Getting in and getting to the Hamin will be the easy part.”

The navacomputer interrupted our conversation. “Brace for Flip. Brace for Flip. We will Flip in one minute.”

Mary and Jan’s seats sat more upright. I toggled a switch on mine, and was brought to a more upright position as well. “How long after we Flip before we attempt to… get onboard the Warfinder?”

Jan grinned wide, showing two rows of white teeth. It was unsettling. “Seconds. You’ll see. It’ll be fun.”

The ships of the Colation use FlashWarp drives. I don’t really know how they work, just that they’re very old, very stable and tend to take many cycles to go from system to system. The humans don’t use them. They have their own faster-than-light technology, the Flip Drive. I know even less about it than I do FlashWarp. All I can figure out is that their complicated computers finds a navigation solution and they… flip… from this location to their destination in less than an instant.

We Flipped.

As soon as we appeared back in space, my screen showed the Warfinder, terrifyingly close. I squeaked without meaning to, and threw up my forward arms to futilely protect my face. When disintegration didn’t come, I looked out and saw Jan grinning agin, this time with her mouth closed. “Don’t worry Cal, we’re supposed to be this close. We Flipped a few hundred meters away. That gives us enough room to do this.”

I was pressed back into my chair with tremendous weight. We were being subjected to withering acceleration. Watching on the screen, we were close enough that I could make out individual windows on the Warfinder. I could make out maneuvering jets. We were thrusting towards the Warfinder and seemingly making no concessions about stopping. 

With a tremendous bang, we made contact with the Warfinder. It wasn’t the world-ending collision I thought it would be, but rather a strong, but controlled strike.

The pilot came over the intercom. “Contact! We have contact! Boarding Party to the bow. Boarding Party to the bow.”

Quickly and efficiently, Mary and Jan got up from their couches. “Come on Cal, that’s our cue. It’s time for us to go.”

We had practiced this part dozens of times before we even left the station, I was surprised how easily it came to me. I unbuckled my couch, went over to the armory locker, and retried my pressure suit, stepped in and commenced diagnostics while it folded and molded around me. Diagnostics green - that meant everything was fine with human UIs - and I was able to collect my sidearm and rifle. Jan came over in her glossy black armored pressure suit and checked mine while I checked hers. Then, Mary checked both of ours. Jan was carrying a larger version of my rifle while Mary had two smaller submachine guns attached to her hip and she had two countermeasure antenna that came out of the top of her helmet. Jan had told me that they looked like ‘rabbit ears’ but I didn’t know what that was.

Quickly but without running, we made our way to the bow of the ship. In front of us was what looked like a regular airlock door, but peering inside, I could see there was no door on the other side. Just… the hull of the Warfinder. This was not part of the training. 

“Mary, I thought we were going to contact the Warfinder’s hull at a door? There’s no door here.”

I couldn’t see Mary’s face through her darkened helmet, but the suit AR put an overlay on my vision so I could see her. It looked as if her helmed had ceased, but it was a video effect. She was grinning wildly. “Doors? Doors are too predictable Cal. We’re going to make our own door!” And she slapped a button next to the airlock cycle. There was a whirr and the buzzing crackle of electricity.

A few moments later, a large, pressure door slid down from the ceiling behind us and closed with finality. “Just in case.” Jan said, when I looked at her. The door to the Gren ship opened and through the smoke and haze I could see that nearly a perfect circle had been cut into the hull. We had connected in a cargo hold.

Jan and Mary stepped in confidently, and I realized that we hadn’t cut into any cargo hold, we had cut into the cargo hold.. I could see the Hamin not ten meters away, intact, on its landing studs, sitting there. 

The two Gren who were guarding it who were very surprised to learn about our presence. That surprise was short lived, as Jan’s rifle chattered and roared, filling the cargo hold with smoke and noise. The Gren were… gone. Only a stain remained.

Mary’s ‘ears’ were twitching and moving while she worked. “We have incoming hostiles. Two minutes or so. I’m locking doors and sealing the cargo hold. It should buy us time, but we need to move now. Cal! You’re up.”

At Mary’s order, I ran over to the Hamin and plugged a little box into an access port near the door. The encryption broken, I had control over their audio systems. “Hello? Uncle Li?” Are you there?”

The radio crackled to life and relief washed over me when I heard my Uncle. “Cal’ina? Is that you? What are you doing?”

“I’m with some humans. We’re here to rescue you.”

“Rescue? How? The cargo…”

“Yes, I know about the cargo. We’re going to cut another hole in the hull and get the Hamin out. Can you warm up the engines?”

“Another hole? I- er, okay yes. Yes, I will do this Cal. You know the drive output is toxic though, right?”

“It’s all right Uncle. I’m in a human made armored pressure suit. We’ll all be fine. Get the engines warmed up.

While Uncle Li began the process to warm the engines, I ran around the ship attaching the three pods that the mysterious human commander had entrusted to me. They stuck to the ship easily, almost as if they were magnetic. “Field generators Cal. They’re field generators. They’ll make it so that we can get the Hamin out of the cargo hold.” Even then, it felt like he wasn’t telling me the whole truth, but it didn’t matter, not really. I did as I was trained, and attached the ‘field generators’ to the Hamin.

As I finished and stepped away,  the active noise cancelling of my suit reduced the external sounds to less than a whisper, and all I heard was the whirr of the cooling fan of my suit. Glancing back, I saw that the ANC had blocked the noise of a concussion. The Gren had broken through the cargo door and were trying to rush in. 

Trying really was the word for it. Jan stood a fair distance away, firing her rifle until it was empty, reloading, and firing again. The Gren had purchased projectile weapons on the open market when they had learned about them, but they still hadn’t been trained very well in their use. They tended to go rushing in towards battle. Jan used this knowledge - and her species millennia of experience with projectiles - to just cut them down mercilessly. 

“Mary! Jan! I made contact with Uncle Li and attached the field generators. He’s warming the engines now. The exhaust is toxic but…”

“But our suits will be fine, yes. The Gren will have a hard time with it unless they’re suited up too. I’m almost done here as well.” Mary’s ‘ears’ were vibrating with activity so much they were almost a blur. After a moment, her ears stopped. “Data acquired. Jan, it’s time to delta!”

Jan fired into the… pile of Gren one more time and put her rifle down. I could see smoke rising up from the barrel. She trotted over to us, and we made it back onboard the ship.

“What about the Hamin? How are we going to get it out?”

“Oh that? We’ll let our pilots take care of that. Jan touched a spot on her wrist pad, and the pods on the Hamin came to life. I watched, fascinated as they unfolded and unfurled into three complicated looking… things… almost like the branches of a plant. After they finished unfurling, they blurred and…

And almost like it pirouetted in place, it disappeared. For the life of me, it looked like my uncle’s ship spun in place once and before it returned to its original position it was gone.

I turned to Jan and Mary and just pointed silently.

Jan laughed. “That’s what a Flip looks like from the outside Cal. We attached a prototype Flip drive to the Hamin.” She looks down at her pad “Yup, it reappeared at the edge of the system. Come on Cal, let’s get out of here.”

We ran back to the ship, got aboard and backed off the Warfinder. As we disconnected, the hole we left caused all the air in the cargo hold to evacuate, which I’m sure caused a lot of trouble for the Gren.

****

“So.. what? After you just happened to tell some humans that your uncle’s ship was captured you went with those humans - who turned out to be some kind of  secret military group - to a Gren Warfinder, drilled a hole into their ship, and then rescued your Uncle’s cargo ship with a prototype Flip drive?” As the bartender recounted the high points of my story, he counted the points with his long fingers.

“Er, yes. That’s what happened.”

“Okay then, who were the humans in the hibernation cabinets?”

“They never told me.”

"What about the data the one with the ears was collecting?"

"They never told me."

“Did the Warfinder retaliate?”

“No, we Flipped away before they could react”

The stare of the bartender felt like it was boring into my body. My fur fluffed out, indignant. “It really happened.”

“Sure it did, friend. Doesn’t change the fact that you still need to close your tab. Thirty Skys, please.”

[alienoresimagines]

WIP Wednesday/Last Line Tag

Thank you @heretoobsessstuff @nicijones @onyxsboxes @majorbuckyegan @happy-days19 for the tag 🥹❤️

His gaze darts to John’s right eye, the large bruise covering it no longer as dark as it had been a week ago but rather a greenish color surrounding a melted brown. His gut churns. 

He misses the white of the jacket making the red of breathless laughter on John’s cheeks stand out.

The army-issued jacket does not provide as much of a protection against the cold as John’s white sheepskin did, with its thick fur John never bothered to wash the dirt off. 

“It could have kept you warm. Winter’s going to be a cold one.” Those were the wrong words to say, Gale knows it immediately. He sounds like a housewife worrying about her husband going to the pub without his scarf, and his bitten nails sink in the tender skin of his palm in a silent admonition. The words are patronizing in a way that John could have laughed at were they in Texas or Idaho, but in this barren land has him raising his hackles like a dog, shoulders tensing and mouth twisting in a sneer. It twists John’s features into something dark and mean, only heightened by the purplish bags under his eyes, and Gale feels ice form in his gut, contrasting greatly with the warmth burning through his uniform where their shoulders and knees bump together.

“Y’think we’ll still be here come winter?” Bitterness makes John’s words sharp and daring, like setting a trap for Gale to fall into and greet him with bitter accusations of defeatism. It’s only been a few weeks, but Gale knows how it goes and how to feather the twinge of anger in his chest. He won’t rise to the bait. He’s a better man than his father. 

Away from them, in the clearing where the cabins are sparser and the dirt field wide and bare, the rocks are still painted with the blood of that unknown soldier. He’s too tired to play this game of tugging with John. Biting his tongue to keep stinging words back, Gale sighs, and drops his chin to his chest like he has some patience and heartfelt  reassurance left to dig from. He is nothing like his father. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea to plan in case we are,” he says carefully, letting each word weigh on his tongue before breathing life into them. Still, they sound clumsy, more of an avoidance to fight than an actual solution and Gale fears John will press deeper in the wound until even Gale snaps. Lately, things have been setting him on edge more easily. Or more things have been setting him on edge lately, Gale can’t tell the difference.

Np tagging to @amiserableseriesofevents @soliloquy-dawn @wayrad @air-exec and @sleepr-agent420

And uno reverse but also np tagging to @onyxsboxes @nicijones @heretoobsessstuff @happy-days19 and @majorbuckyegan

I know some of you have tagged me today lmao but you can take this as me tagging you for next week's WIP Wednesday, I'm just securing weekly crumbs like a check point in a game 🥰💕

[thehusbandoden]

Question? Remember the story you did called “soft kitty.” Would it be possible to do like a part two for that story? but with the rest of the LOV (separately) like Spinner, Mr. Compress, Shigaraki or even Toga? I bet they would appreciate it.😊

(Poor baby, her parents probably never comforted her because they were scared of the quirk she has🥺 she definitely needs a mother figure to comfort her😭)

A/n: I am SO sorry this took so long! I've been pretty overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted from personal issues haha but I'm thankfully getting back into writing.

I don't write for Toga, but here's the rest! This is my first time writing for Mr. Compress so I hope I did okay haha <3

You Sing "Soft Kitty" to Them When They're Sick -MHA Villains

General info:

Genre: fluff/reverse comfort \\ characters: Shigaraki Tamura, Spinner, Mr. Compress \\ posted: 04/01/24 \\ requested

Part one: Dabi, Hawks, Aizawa, Shoto, Tamaki

Part Two: Shigaraki, Spinner, Mr. Compress

Shigaraki Tomura (381 words):

You frowned when you noticed Shigaraki wasn’t in the crowd to greet you. Your eyes swerve through the LOV as you look for your beloved, only to be met with disappointment gas you fail to spot him.  

“Are you looking for Shigaraki Tomura?” Kurogiri speaks up.  

“Yes, do you know where he is?” You turn towards your beloved’s number one comrade.  

“He is ill, he’s resting in his room. He was frustrated he couldn’t come out to see you himself. “ 

You smile at that, though you’re upset he’s sick. “Thank you, Kurogiri. I’ll go see him now.” You walk towards his bedroom door, ignoring the complaining as you ignore the rest of the league. 

You step into the room, spotting Shigaraki lying in bed. His ruby colored eyes finding yours in an instant. They soften ever so slightly, unnoticeable to the people who weren’t close to him. “Baby?” You smile, walking closer. 

“Took you long enough.” He grumbled, moving the blanket to fit you. You giggle, taking your shoes off before climbing in. He grumbles at the delay but relaxes when you’re finally next to him.  

You expected him to pull you into his arms like usual but was caught by surprise when he clung to you himself, burying his head in your chest. You smile softly, instantly flipping the switch.  

You gently card your fingers through his light strands of hair. He sighs, melting into your touch. “Welcome home, my precious.” He mumbles.  

You giggle, kissing his warm forehead. Kissing it again, you frown at the abnormal temperature. “You okay baby? Are you not feeling good?”  

He simply buries himself further into you. You smile slightly, pulling him closer as you caress his hair. “Shhh it’s alright my love.”  

After a few moments you can tell he’s getting sleepy, his eyes growing heavy as he tries to force himself to be awake. You stiffle a giggle, kissing his forehead and cheeks before beginning to sing.  

“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur~,” you kiss his forehead, your hands in his hair, “-happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr~.”  

You sing the song a few more times before you look down, seeing his sleeping face. You smile softly, kissing in-between his eyebrows before settling down, ready for sleep yourself.  

(Shiggys masterlist)

Spinner (148 words):

You smile up as Spinner enters the room. He’s obviously exhausted from all of the hours he’s put into work, his eyes dark and heavy. He seemed to be unwell too, his nose was stuffy and he looked horrible.  

“Baby? You okay?” You coo, stretching your arms out. He gratefully collaspes in your hold, letting you hold him as he disconnects. You stay silent, knowing that he just needs your support right now.  

After a few moments you decide to sing to him, knowing that it helps when he’s having a really hard time. 

“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur~. Happy kitty, sleep kitty, purr purr purr~.” You sing quietly, caressing his head while you pepper soft kisses to his forehead.  

“Thank you.” He rasps, snuggling even closer as he completely melts into your touch.  

“Don’t even worry about thanking me.” You coo, kissing his nose.  

(Spinners masterlist- sorta)

Mr. Compress (181 words)

C’mon baby, you’re sick.” You frown as Atsuhiro begins to get ready for a mission.  

“I must go darling; I will be back in the evening.” He leans down to kiss your forehead, breathing heavily from getting dressed. 

“No, you don’t have to you want to. Please baby. Stay, for me.”  

“Shigaraki needs me, darling.” He sighs, sitting beside you. His hand finds yours as he gently caresses the top of your hand with his thumb.

“I need you.” You pout, trying to guilt him into staying. His lips purse as he looks down at you skeptically.  

“Fine, but I’m not the one to blame if Shigaraki comes storming in here.”  

You giggle happily, pulling your beloved onto you as you lay down, letting him rest on you as you gently kiss his shoulders and cheeks. He begins to fall asleep in your arms.  

“Sing to me?” He whispered, causing you to giggle, but comply.  

“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur~. Sleepy kitty, happy kitty, purr purr purr~.” You sing to him gently, smiling down at his asleep form.  

~~~~~

Part One, Dabi, Hawka, Aizawa, Shoto, Tamaki | Main masterlist | Navigation

Reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated <33

A/n 2: I prefer how I did the first one, but I don't have the energy to rewrite it. I hope this doesn't suck:(

~~~~~

Do not copy, repost, nor plagiarize my work. Ask before you translate or use my work in any way, minus reblogging.

[jayfrost-designs]

You can find the reverse side of her design here.

Got a bunch of new ref sheets done, so here we go! We'll see how many I post before I get too tired and have to continue tomorrow. ^^ I wanted to finally get the last of the currently-alive cats designed, and the only ones left were Featherpelt and Havenpelt's new litters (and Smoky's kits, but shhh, we'll get to them another day), so up first is Leafkit!

Leafkit has no physical description given other than her pattern so I came up with my own for her. I made her more of a small, lithe normal cat build like her father, with a hint of thicker/longer fur as a nod to her RiverClan ancestry. Is this family line now so far removed from that bit of RiverClan blood introduced by Beechfur that it is now assuredly overwhelmed by WindClan blood being bred back into the line? Yes. Does that mean I'm going to stop adding longer RiverClan fur to this family any time soon? Absolutely not. XD

For her pattern, Leafkit is described as a white she-cat with dark gray spots on her flank and one ear. I initially read this as one fully dark gray ear, but realized the wording moreso implies dark gray spots on the ear, so I went with that. The dark gray spots are only described as being on a flank, not flanks, so I ony added them to one side. She has no canon eye color, so I gave her her mom's dark amber eyes, the color of leaves in the autumn, suits her name well. ^^

Overall, I'm really happy with how she turned out.

[bumblesimagines]

Imagine:

Leah imprinting on you, a vampire

Request: Yes or No

Sorry for the delay in Fire Meets Fate! I was hoping to hop on and get it out early today but I got hit with shark week so it'll most likely be coming out later in the day or tomorrow at most!

~~~

One of the things you loved about being a vampire had to be super hearing. You could hear the sound of sticks breaking, their heavy breathing, and their footsteps from a mile away. The wolves, or shapeshifters as they preferred to be called, were anything but discreet.

"You'll get used to it." Edward muttered, an amused smile toying at his lips.

"Why do they smell like that?" You asked, nose scrunching up. They smelled like wet dogs.

"I think it's cause they like going cliff diving." Edward's human girlfriend piped up from beside him, eyes flickering to Edward as she toyed with the sleeves of her shirt, an awkward and shy smile appearing on her face when she met your questioning gaze. "So, they like... smell wet all the time because of it."

"Definitely a possibility." Edward nodded, fondly gazing down at her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"They're here!" Emmett called, moving away from the treeline, hand in hand with Rosalie. A black wolf emerged from over the small hill first, lip curling to display his sharp canines.

"How many are there in total?" You asked, looking back at Bella and Edward.

"More and more have been shifting in recent months. It's easy to lose count." Edward responded. You grunted softly and turned back toward the wolves. They were majestic, that was for sure, but they reeked.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Sam. This is (Y/N), one of our friends from the Denali coven." Carlisle introduced, smiling at the black wolf. Sam's amber eyes studied you for a moment.

"He wants to know how long (Y/N) will be staying with us." Edward said, nudging you forward. You shot him a look over your shoulder, huffing softly and addressing Sam.

"Just a month, maybe two. I don't plan on causing trouble for the Cullens so you can rest easy." You explained but your words did little to relax Sam. His eyes narrowed and he looked back toward his pack members.

Taking another look at the rest of them, only two truly seemed at ease. A large brown one who you assumed was Jacoh from the way he kept his eyes trained on Bella and a smaller sandy-colored wolf. However, your view of the smaller wolf became blocked by light gray fur. You lifted your gaze to meet the eyes of the rather irritated looking wolf, brows furrowing when the wolf suddenly froze. The other wolves snapped their heads in your direction, looking between you and the gray wolf.

"Did I already offend them?" You asked, looking back at Edward only to find him grinning widely. The mind reader laughed and reached forward, patting your shoulder.

"(Y/N) meet Leah Clearwater. She just imprinted on you."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Edward."

"Does that mean you'll be moving in? We have a spare room back home! Oh, we need to go shopping decorate it." Alice beamed, clapping her hands together and giggling.

"I have a home already in Alaska with my sisters and the others." You reminded her, looking toward Carlisle. "Irina will be furious when she finds out. Can it be reversed?" A loud whine cut through the air from Leah and even she looked surprised at the noise.

"It's... complicated. You can reject Miss Clearwater but it'll cause her a great deal of pain." Carlisle explained. You frowned, arms crossing as you looked back at her. Her brown eyes watched you, a mix of sadness and hope swirling in them.

"You can also accept her, (Y/N). You can remain friends, however over time, she will develop feelings for you and only you." Edward added, his amusement over the whole ordeal having died down.

Scoffing softly, you shook your head. "This is some fucked up Romeo and Juliet shit." The choice was yours and everyone's attention turned to you as they awaited your decision.

Gifs aren't mine.

[c0rvusx2]

Wolf-ji 🤡

Toji x fem!reader

18+: Toji being a perv, swearing, described nudity I think. Somewhat creepy ig, he likes watching you do stuff. No smut, but it’s kinda spicy. Use of 2nd POV (you, your) rather than 3rd (she,her).

Notes: Keep in mind that he has the mind of a human, so don’t take it wrong 🤝 This man is my brain rot 🤤 lmk if I need to raise the age warning

Genre: Fluff/Crack, spicy idk

Toji had no fucking clue where he was. He expected hell to be… a lot less looking like a city alleyway. He tried to lift himself, rather than feeling like his legs they were bent at an uncomfortable looking angle. Pain flared in his left arm, he bent his head to see a bullet wound, a nasty one that kept on bleeding.

“The fuck?” He stretched as best he could, looking around for some sort of item that would give him his reflection. Luckily, there was a abandoned mirror, cracked and without purpose. Toji began to limp over to the reflector, his legs stiff rather than it’s normal nimble movements.

“Oh fuckin’ hell-“

Okay, so maybe going grocery shopping late at night might be a bad idea—especially since there’ll be all sorts of creeps walking around. Not to mention it’s freezing out there, but it’s too late. You’ve already stepped out of the store and onto the empty sidewalk, and if this was the Wild West there’d be tumble weeds rolling from view. You shiver, beginning your journey back to the safe confines of your home.

The store you frequented was your favorite, and the farthest… so to save time you’d take shortcuts through alleyways. Today would be the first time you were doing it late at night.

You stare into the darkness of the passageway in front of you, anxiety bubbling in your stomach. “Quick… nice and quick…” you hype yourself up before storming ahead, using a quick pace to get you to the other side. The deeper you went, the darker it became and soon the only thing illuminating the alley was the clouded moonlight from above.

From ahead of you, you suddenly see a pair of eyes, gazing right back at you with a stern emerald green color.

You screamed as the eyes began to rapidly get closer, accompanied by the sounds of claws hitting against the ground. You dodged, reversing yourself and pressing your back to the alleyway’s wall. A harsh tug came from your grocery bag, which almost ripped your arm right off your torso. Muffled growling came from the creature that was trying to steal your food. Luckily, you recognized the creature that was attacking you, it was some dumb dog.

This made you enraged and frustrated, this shit costed you a good chunk of the money saved from the leftovers after you payed bills—and the bills around here ain’t cheap.

“Bitch!-“

🌌

Toji is one lucky bastard. Perhaps this was god giving him a 2nd chance at life- their weird way of dishing out redemption.

Somehow, he was able to worm his way into the chick-he-was-about-to-rob’s heart. Life’s good for the man-turned-wolf, he’s got free food, a roof to live under, and no rent to pay. A bargain in his mind. The only downside being he won’t be able to fuck around anymore, and he sure as hell is NOT gonna fuck a dog.

You felt bad for the dog, the moment you saw it’s form when you scrambled out the alleyway. It wasn’t scrawny, but it wasn’t very lean either. It had a scar present on the right side of it’s mouth, sharp green eyes and dirty matte black fur. It sustained a limp arm, a recent wound most likely the reason why it didn’t go all out on you.

You couldn’t really just walk away from a hurt animal, the guilt would eat you up the moment you turned your back. You were also studying to be a vet, moments like this were what you meant for. So you left some food, ran home to fetch a med kit, and returned with your car.

Here you were now, caring for one big ass dog who kept stealing your food—even though you bought him his own food.

You named him Toji, mainly because that scar on the dogs mouth was hella familiar to the Toji you fawned over in Jujutsu Kaisen. He looked at you weirdly when you said that, but snorted a moment later and stalked off to your TV set.

The strange thing about him was that he apparently knew how to operate cable TV, which amazed you yet weirded you out at the same time.

You noticed Toji naps a lot, and wakes up whenever you turn on Netflix. He’ll eagerly sit next to you, sometimes snacking (read stealing) popcorn whenever you make some.

For some reason he likes tuning in whenever you play any anime episodes, especially Jujutsu Kaisen. Whenever Fushiguro comes onto screen Toji’s fluffy tail begins to wag a bit, which you giggle at. He’ll catch you looking and snap at you, which causes you to furthermore laugh at. In the end he’ll end up tackling you onto the couch.

🌌

Toji often feels bored in your household. Nothing really for him to do since he’s apparently a dog now. Nothing to do other than follow you into the bathroom whenever you’re going to shower, keeping a keen eye on every curve of your body. Nothing to do other than watch the fat of your ass lower into his view when you have to bend over to clean up a mess you of him might’ve made.

Nothing to do other than create smutty fantasies of you in his head from when he was human, imagining what your cute little moans would sound like with you under him. Nothing to do other than watch your tits bounce whenever you two go out for a jog in the early morning. Nothing to do other than take a nap between your legs, resting his head on your stomach or between your breast whenever he can. Nothing to do but wish your pretty lips were wrapped around his cock instead of that popsicle you were sucking on a hot summer day.

Toji was a lucky bastard. And lucky bastards get what they want.

🌌

“Toji? Toooojiiii, breakfast! Where’d the hell you go?” You called out, turning the house upside down as you looked for him.

“Toji?” The only place you haven’t looked was the guest bathroom, and currently the door was closed shut. You could hear shuffling from inside, which made you wonder how the dog could’ve closed the door. Without warning, you swiftly pulled open the door.

“What’s going on in her-“ You stopped mid sentence, mouth agape at the figure who stood in front of your bathroom’s vanity. You both stared each other down, your eyes blown wide open while his were glued to yours without emotion. It was a stare down for what seemed like ages, until the familiar man broke the silence.

“What?”

You screamed, and you wished it was without the s because it was embarrassing. He flinched at your volume and seemed to disappear for millisecond, only to return right in front of you, hand on your mouth.

“Jesus Christ- I know you’re a loud mouthed brat but now’s not the time to scream yer’ lungs out,” He huffed, “You can do that later,” The man smirked, you could feel your face flush a bit. After a sec, he hesitantly let go of your mouth. Your mouth was left agape again as Hulu blinked wildly in disbelief at the hulking man in front of you.

“I- wait a fucking second… where’s my dog!?” The man just deadpanned at you, you took this time to eye him up and down. His skin tight shirt had a massive part of it missing on it’s left side, dark splotches of blood surrounding it. The familiar man, however, seemed completely fine.

“C’mon, is it not obvious!?”

“No!? It’s not possible for some anime character to come to life!?” At this you dashed out the room, running into the kitchen to nab your phone to call 911. Before you could even pick it up from the counter, the phone was snatched at lightning speed.

“Hey-!” You whipped around, immediately meeting a stone hard chest.

You were trapped.

“What do I gotta do to prove ‘m real, huh?”

💫

Omfg this is so ooc 💀 writing in character is hard.

If anyone’s confused Toji died and reincarnated into a dead dog’s body that looks exactly like him. During the night get went back to the jjk dimension, shibuya happens, and he returns back human.

Not proofread 🤡

[lazyneonrabbitt]

MarchWeres NSFW prompt

Predator/Prey

Dwight x reader

Running up and down the stairs of the Sanctuary was not how you had planned to spend your afternoon.

It had been two weeks since Negan had successfully gotten your boyfriend bitten by the beast he captured and the effects were getting painfully clear now.

Dwight never snapped at you before, now he got agitated by even a loud breath and today it got so bad you walked out of the late night emergency meeting.

Which is why he was chasing you now, up the staircase and stumbling over his feet in rage. You heard him closing in on you, his growling breaths and heavy boots getting closer to the corner you stood behind to catch your breath. You had to get away from him, he scared you now. Whatever he was it wasn't your sweet lover who'd use his high rank to bring you food.

"Now, now. You're not making this much fun, getting caught so easily." This Dwight scared you. He always loved you sweet and delicately and now in those last few days all you saw in his bright glowing eyes was hunger.

"Ahw come on, honey. I'll make it fair and let you run some more. Go!" He wouldn't round the corner, his entire body felt like it was burning, his skin crawling and his mind howling at him to catch you. His girlfriend. His mate.

You sprinted at his "Go!" and took sharp turns up the emergency stairs in the hopes of losing him and ended up on the roof. The door wouldn't lock from the outside so your best shot was to round the small bit of walls surrounding the entry and stay still.

He didn't lose you, he had your scent and easily sniffed you out.

Each step he took after getting onto the roof took a toll on his humanity. You heard his growling breaths and deep, animalistic sniffs to find you, and when he did he wasn't Dwight. Scraps of fabric hung on his frame, remnants of your favorite shirt of his and strips of his jeans dangled as his tail swayed from side to side. He stood taller than before and the only way you could even still recognize the creature as Dwight was the fur color and the burned half of his face.

So even the all healing curse couldn't reverse Negan's torture. He missed an ear in this form, too.

His low growls had you frozen in place, unable to run because he's catch you anyways. He was already skinny as a human, but in this form it was even worse. The long legs and pointed claws, long thin snout it was all so lanky.

You were too scared to take your eyes off him as he approached, leaning down and sniffing at you before grabbing at you and tossing you aside. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to bruise later.

The beast had space now, able to easily move around and pull at your limbs to get you where he wanted. He might have not been your Dwight in your eyes, but the beast still had his emotions. It became clear when you looked him over.

"Man, it sucks dates ate barely a thing anymore in this world.." You two sat next to each other on the staircase, enjoying a sandwich in peace. It was one of the few moments you had together. Lunch. Your shifts barely ever lined up and all the time you shared in your room was spent sleeping. "Yeah. I'm sorry, honey. I should get us a day off to just do nothing."

He always apologized, even when he didn't need to. "Hey, I'll even take a rooftop picknick. Maybe late night snacks and then fuck on the roof?" It was mostly a joke, no way of having any privacy anywhere in or around the building except for in your room. But still he laughed and agreed joking. "Yeah, sounds good to me."

The creature sat hunched over you with its muzzle barely an inch from your cheek. You felt its sniffing breaths on your skin but were too distracted by other things to mind it. The memory of your shared stairway lunch flashed by as you stared down his body and your eyes landed on his erect cock.

"Dee?" He growled and pressed his wet nose to your skin and pawed at your clothes.

"Okay, it is still you, right honey?" Your hands still hadn't moved as you watched him nod. The panic in your system started to fade slowly as you followed his movements and understanding you had no other way out than to give him his treat for capturing his prey. He won his game so he expects a prize.

He was still your Dwight, so you saw no real problem as long as he stayed calm like this.

"Okay, okay. Calm down with the claws, I'll help." He pauzed immediately, following your hands as they did the delicate work of unbuttoning your pants and unlooping the elastic from the button to pull down your zip. But as soon as that was done he was back to pulling at the fabric to get you naked.

He didn't lose his eagerness. His movements even mimiced those of his human self so you knew what was happening and when, so you knew you had to toe off your shoes before he yanked your pants down and went to push up your shirt and lap at your stomach and chest. He loved the softness and went to grab at your hips to pull you against him. It gave you a moment to unclasp your bra and within a second his tongue found your now uncovered tits.

You were so dustracted that the prod of his tip against your entrance caught you off guard and you you yelped a bit. His rumbling laugh relaxed you immediately after as he started working his way inside of you less careful than you were used to.

Little groans of pain left you but Dwight disn't seem to hear you, too lost in how good you felt. His tongue hanging out of his parted maw as he thrust into you lazily now that he was fully in.

The roll of his hips quickly turned pleasurable and your groans turned into whines and moans while your hands found his fur to hold onto and your legs wrappes around his hips.

Dwight started to grt sloppy, thrusts uneven and grumbling incoherently as he worked you both to your highs. His clawed hamd grabbed yours to lead it down bwtween the two of you, not wanting to accidentally scratch you with his claws, so you went to rub at your clit for him, just the way he'd always do for you.

With your walls clamping around him so deliciously he didn't need long before he shovee himself inside down to the base and spilling deep within you, the stretch of his knot pressing at all the right spots and pulling you over the edge with him.

When you both came back down you gave each other a look and couldn't help but laugh.

He might have lost his ability to speak in thia form, but the soft nuzzling against your cheek said enough.

[the-broken-truth]

Shattered Fragments [3] - [Papa Crewel] [Big Brother Sam] [Enma Yuuken/Male Yuu]

Summary: It's Yuuken's First Day back to class after his accident, his friends are eager to see him but are they prepared to see him once again?

[History of Magic Class]

Mozus Trein spoke in his nonchalant voice as he wrote along the board with chalk as he taught his class; the sounds of pens against paper as the students took their notes for future assignments or upcoming tests. Lucius purred as his master held him close to his chest while watching the students with uninterested golden eyes; uninterested but focused eyes that scanned the classroom to make sure there wasn't anyone sleeping, he did oh so love swatting the heads of students who weren't paying attention or sleeping in class. When he didn't see any slackers, he lowered his eyes to take a small cap nap, that was when a certain rule-breaker of Heartslabyul exhaled and ran a hand through his ginger hair before looking at his blue-haired cohort.

"I never knew class would be this boring with Yuuken and Grim around." Ace groaned as he looked over to Deuce.

"Considering that Yuuken holds all the brain cells between the 4 of us, Grim included, it's kinda understandable why you want him around. I miss him too; class is not the same without him and Grim around." Deuce said as he looked over at the empty seat beside him that Yuuken normally occupied.

"He's supposed to come back today, isn't he? I overheard Professor Crewel telling Professor Trein that Yuuken was going to be attending class...but then he started talking about Trein's Grandson..." Ace said, causing Deuce to look at him with confusion dancing in his eyes.

"Professor Trein has a Grandson? I didn't know that." Deuce said

"Yeah, Professor Crewel was telling him to forgive his grandson for being late. I wonder what he was talking about." Ace said with a raised eyebrow while scratching the side of his head with the end of his Magic Pen. Deuce opened his mouth to speak when the door opened and a familiar voice rang out.

"Forgive me for being late! I got slightly lost in the halls after being discharged and dismissed."

Yuuken! He had returned!

Ace and Deuce turned their heads to see their friend's face for the first time in a week but their eyes widened upon falling upon Yuuken's Visage, something was very wrong; starting with his clothes.

Yuuken wasn't wearing the school uniform he arrived at Night Raven College with, nor was he even wearing a Night Raven Uniform. The Prefect of Ramshackle was dressed in a custom-made designer suit that mirrored that of Divus Crewel; from the black and white vest, the black dress shirt underneath, and the red tie around his neck and tucked away under his collar. He wore black dress pants with a black belt and black shoes; he was even wearing red gloves! All he was missing was the massive fur coat and pointer stick with a collar attached to the end.

Yuuken started walking down the stairs to reach Trein's Desk when Ace and Deuce made another shocking discovery: Yuuken's once coal hair was now tainted with white - The Traditional Crewel Family Trademark, the only difference to Divus' was that the color positions were reversed. Yuuken's top was black while his sides and back were dyed white. He looked like a spawn of Crewel!

"I hope you have a decent reason for being late to my class on your first day back since your accident, Yuuken." Professor Trein said in a stern voice while looking at Yuuken with a stoic face; however...why did he call Yuuken so casually? Yuuken looked like a scolded puppy before reaching to the satchel around his shoulder and pulling out a piece of paper, handing it to the professor.

"Please, forgive me, Grandfather; I didn't mean to be late but Father wanted to make sure I remembered critical things for the upcoming tests." Yuuken said, causing everyone's jaws to drop at what Yuuken just said. Trein looked at the paper before exhaling and handing it back to Yuuken before stroking Lucius' fur.

"I shall forgive you this time since you are recovering from serious injury and your Father asked me to be lenient with you upon returning, however, do not make a habit of this, Grandson. Am I clear?" Trein asked.

"Your words are clear s crystal, Grandfather. Once again, I am sorry." Yuuken said as he bowed his head in respect to Trein, causing the older man to exhale and pet the top of Yuuken's Head.

"You are forgiven, Grandson; now, take your seat and start taking notes. They are critical for the upcoming exams." Trein said. The Prefect of Ramshackle nodded before petting Lucius between his ears, causing the cat to purr before Yuuken withdrew his hand and walked up the stairs to his usual seat; he didn't even say hello to Ace and Deuce, just pulled out his notebook and started copying the notes on the board and new notes that Trein started writing again. The shock of the class slowly wore off and everyone started taking notes once again, except for Deuce and Ace, who just stared at the Prefect for the remainder of the class.

When the bell rang, Yuuken gathered his notebook and placed it in his satchel before walking away before being stopped by someone calling his name; he turned to see Ace and Deuce standing behind him.

"Yes? Is there something I can help you with?" Yuuken asked.

"Yuuken, what the heck is going on with you?!" Ace asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Yuuken asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What Ace means to say is that you are acting rather strange. You are dressed like Professor Crewel, you called Professor Trein Grandfather, and...where is Grim?" Deuce asked.

"Grim is currently with my father, he needed some help with getting things in order for Ramshackle to have repairs done to it and Grim wanted to go with him. I'm not used to not having him with me but I can understand he needs a break sometimes too." Yuuken smiled.

"Your Father? Who is your father?" Ace asked.

"What are you talking about, Ace? You know that my Father is Divus Crewel. You've been one of my closest friends along with Deuce since I arrived here and you don't even remember my father's name?" Yuuken said but just caused Ace and Deuce to shout in unison.

"WHAT?!"

"Please, do not yell. You will cause me to get a headache." Yuuken said.

[END]

[blooming-violets]

CREATURE LIKE ME || CHAPTER EIGHT: PYRRIHIC VICTORY

[TASM Peter Parker!Werewolf AU]

Story Summary: Kraven and his guild of hunters have been tracking and quelling the werewolf population for centuries. The time has come for Aylin to complete her first solo hunt to prove herself to the guild. It was supposed to be simple. One wolf, one death, one victory. She never expected to end up with a secret hostage on her hands.

[link to chapter index]

A woodchipper. 

That’s what her body felt like it had been shoved through. 

She had been wrapped up and pushed through the spinning blades until she was nothing more than bloody pulp. 

“Fuck me,” she groaned. 

Aylin forced her stiff, heavy lids to open. A layer of sleep crusted over her lashes, making it difficult to see. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand to clear them. When they finally came into focus, she was nose to nose with wide, golden eyes staring expectantly back at her. Black, sleek fur rubbed against her forehead as her cat, Kedi, rammed face first into her head with a long, drawn out whine. 

“Yes, good morning to you, too,” she grumbled. 

“It’s actually evening. You slept almost 16 hours. Thought you might not ever wake up.” 

A familiar voice popped up from behind her. 

Aylin rolled over, wincing from the shooting pains electrifying her body, to find Peter sitting on the edge of her bed. Except this wasn’t her bed. She glanced around the small room and recognized it as the same motel she brought Peter on the night they met. She could tell because of how cheap and ugly the decor was; like it had been redecorated once in the early 70’s then never touched again. It had the same musty smell of mold and stale cigarette smoke that she remembered so well. The thick, avocado green curtains were drawn closed so the only source of light was the flashing colors from the television. He had kept it on silent, probably so as not to disturb her sleep, and he was sitting as far off the edge of the bed as he could without being on the floor. She noticed the only chair in the room was propped up under the door knob as an added line of defense to keep anyone out. 

Peter was wearing one of her brother’s old, navy blue sweatshirts and gray joggers she had brought him to try on a few days ago. A pair of run down work boots lay tossed against the back wall as if he had nonchalantly kicked them off his feet after he got settled. Her brother’s borrowed clothes seemed to fit well enough. It was strange seeing him wear Emir’s things. It had been over five years since anyone had donned them. It was about time they got put to use instead of collecting dust in his bedroom tomb. It was also strange to see Peter wearing a shirt, regardless of who it once belonged to. Since she met him, he had always been shirtless.  

She sort of missed the view. 

Aylin glanced down at her own self to see what sort of disheveled state she was in. She had been respectfully covered with the hideously floral bedspread but, underneath, she was still in the same attire she’d fled in. Underwear to cover her lower half and tightly wrapped bandages to cover her top half. Nearly naked and covered in blood, dirt, and sweat. Funny how their roles had been reversed since the last time they had taken refuge in this motel. 

“Why is Kedi here?” She croaked through dry lips. She was in desperate need of water. 

Peter looked between her and the cat perched at her shoulder, “I’m guessing that's Kedi?”

She nodded. 

“Before you passed out, you were really upset about not being able to find your mother. You didn’t want to leave anyone behind when we ran,” he gave a sheepish shrug. “I assumed that meant taking the cat, too.” 

She raised her brows in surprise, “He let you pick him up and put him in the car?” 

Peter gave a weary glance back at Kedi and shook his head, “It didn’t go as smoothly as you’re making it sound…” He raised his arms to show off a myriad of red scratches clawing down his skin and pointed bite marks sunk into his hand. The cat had put up a good fight but it seemed Peter came out victorious. 

Aylin gave a soft chuckle of amusement, “Yeah. That sounds more like it.”

She looked over her shoulder to smile fondly at her cat, happy that he was safe with them, then turned back to Peter. “How’d you pay for this room?”

He shrugged again, chewing on the hard bit of calloused skin next to his thumb nail, “You had your wallet in the car. You also had a bunch of stuff packed into the trunk. I brought some of it in after I got you settled in bed.” 

She struggled to prop herself up onto her elbows to get into a sitting position but the pain was too much. She collapsed back onto the stiff mattress with a muffled whine. 

Peter scooted closer over to her and held out his arm for her to take, “Here. Let me help you.” 

He heaved her up with ease and held her steady until she was sitting on her own. His eyes raked over the red stained bandages wrapped around her chest and covering her back. She could tell it wasn’t the first time he had taken in the sight of her injuries but it still made him uncomfortable. He quickly averted his eyes when he noticed her watching him. 

“I knew something was wrong,” he whispered, avoiding her gaze. “I don’t know how I knew it but I did. I kept telling myself to give you time to come back. You said it might take a while. But then it got to be past midnight. It’s almost a full moon, you know. In two nights. Everything feels stronger when it gets closer to a full moon. Maybe that’s how I knew. I felt some kind of intuition. It was like I was being pulled to find you. I still waited, though. I told myself it was just in my head. That I promised to wait for you at the camper.” He swallowed, sounding as culpable as she felt. “I should have looked for you sooner. I shouldn’t have let you go back there at all. I knew how dangerous Kraven was. I should have kept you safe. What happened when you went back? What did he do to you?”

Guilt rained down on her as the memories opened from the dark cloud above her head. Murderer. She had killed the Lycan girl. Stabbed her straight through the heart. Ripped her life from her without ever knowing her name. She was a murderous Silver Colt, born and raised, destined to be nothing more than an oven for her leader to stick his seed into. A plaything, perfectly groomed to his liking. Was any part of her real? Or was she entirely constructed to be the person he wanted her to be? 

She could feel Kraven’s hands all over her body. They lingered and clung to her skin like an unshakable memory. It made her feel sick. Dirty. She would have gladly taken Calypso with the whip over ever having to be in the same room with that man again. Calypso may have broken her body but Kraven had shattered her soul. Whatever dreamlike bliss she’d felt upon waking in the safety of this motel beside Peter had sizzled out faster than she could blink. He had become a beacon of hope for her to cling onto and a pleasant memory for her to dissociate to. 

But he wasn’t real. The Peter she dreamed of in that basement lived only in her labyrinth. The one sitting beside her was someone else. He was his own person. Not a perfect figment of her imagination. He felt liable for her safety only because she had saved him his captive fate. He was in her debt.  

She felt a vacant, numbness settle into the depths of her blackened mind as shadows crept around her sharp edges. Her escape from the basement was a pyrrhic victory. 

“Nothing happened,” she mumbled, her words sounding mechanical in her ears. “I’m fine.”

Aylin felt constricted in her every move. The dried blood, splattered over her, pinched at her skin. The wraps Calypso had done felt too tight. Her underwear was crusty and hard from the blood that dripped from her back and soaked through the fabric. Her hair was stiff and sticking to everything. She felt suffocated inside her own body. Not even the tall walls of her labyrinth were a safe place to linger for long. It had become polluted with the toxic chemicals Kraven had spilled over every part of her. She didn’t know who she was anymore. 

She needed to crawl out of her own skin. 

“I need a shower,” she stated. 

Peter’s eyes darted between her and the bed spread at his legs like he was afraid to keep her in his gaze for too long but equally afraid to have her out of it. She knew he didn’t believe a word she had said. She obviously wasn’t fine but he was either too shy, or too smart, to confront her on her claims. 

He nodded slowly as if every move he made was calculated to keep the peace between them, “What, uhm, what’s under the bandages?” He quickly added, trying to play it off like it was nothing more than a nonchalant question, “Just because it might hurt to put any wounds under running water. Are you sure you don’t want me to check on them first? Just to be safe?” 

Aylin ignored him and shoved herself to her unsteady feet with a grunt. Peter stood in sync with her, keeping a hand out to catch her should she fall, but not actually closing the gap to physically touch her. He kept his sights on his bare feet. He looked terrified to disrespect her by staring at her in just her underwear. He still didn’t know where he stood in her allegiance. The last time they spoke she had vacillated between being his friend and cursing him out with little warning. He wasn’t sure what wrong move he could make that would get him in trouble this time. 

She gave him a sad smile in the hopes to ease his concern. He didn’t need to be frightened of her. He had saved her life. He had done everything to erase his debt. She no longer considered herself a true Silver Colt. She would never be able to return to her home again which meant that she had no more use for him. No information he could give her would ever erase her knowledge that her entire life was a lie. He was free to leave whenever he wanted. 

“You don’t have to stay anymore, Peter,” she muttered under her breath, stopping halfway to the bathroom with him still hovering at her side. “I think we’re even now. I saved you. You saved me. You’re a free man. You’re not a prisoner. I don’t need you for information anymore. I’m not going to kill you. I refuse to. Our deal is over. Nothing matters, anyway. It was all for nothing. You can go.” 

Aylin leaned down to collect her duffle bag from the floor beside the television stand. It was sitting next to a case of water bottles and some camping food, her bucket of first aid supplies, and her crossbow. He had brought in everything that she could need for when she awoke, including a weapon to protect herself with if she felt the need too. When she tugged the strap of the bag over her sore shoulder, she straightened up to stare back, forcing herself to make eye contact with him.

Peter had a look that was hard for her to read. Apprehension. Dismay. Melancholy. Rejection. Confusion. They all flashed across his warm, brown eyes while he processed what she was saying. It hurt to see him like that but he deserved to be free. He didn’t need her. She was useless to him. 

“No,” his assertion was evident in his tone. “I’m staying.” 

Her heart sank with sorrow and an anger rose in her chest. She didn’t want him here. She didn’t want him to look at her with those pity filled eyes. She didn’t want to be responsible for another unnecessary death. Kraven would hunt her down and find her. He would slaughter anyone she was with. She would never be safe from his hold. People don’t get to leave the guild without consequences. She knew that now. Peter was better off on his own. 

“No, you aren’t. You’re leaving. Go,” she shot back. “I don’t want you here anymore. Thank you for getting me out and bringing me here but I no longer need you. You repaid your debt. You balanced the scales. You can go.”

He shook his head in defiance, “I don’t care. I’m not going anywhere.” His arms crossed over his chest and he planted his feet firmly against the worn out, red carpet as if daring her to try and move him.

Aylin stomped her foot with annoyance, “There’s no point in you sticking around! You’re only going to get hurt. I bring death wherever I go! I’m the reason they’re all dead.” Her voice cracked but she kept her chin held high. “My father, my brother, probably my mother and Leah and her family, Sierra…that wolf girl…I’m…cursed. I’m not a good person. I’m a murderer. A fraud. I’m not anything you should be around. I only bring pain. It’s not worth it. Just go. You’ll be better off. ‘M gonna go wash up and when I come out, I hope you’re far, far away from here.” 

She turned on her heels, refusing to look any longer at his perturbed face stinging with rejection, and slammed the bathroom door behind her. The bag fell from her shoulder to the tiles under foot. Aylin nearly collapsed onto the edge of the sink, holding herself up with the palms of her hands, and hanging her head. 

She didn’t want Peter to leave her. Not really. He was the only friend she had in this world. He was the only one who could ever even attempt to understand her but she still felt the need to push him away. She was toxic. Every bit of her was shriveled up and soured. When she lifted her head to stare back at her reflection in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the woman on the other end. A stranger. Dark bags encircled her barren eyes. Red stained up her cheeks and over her lips. She pulled back the corner of her mouth and tilted her head to see the gap in her teeth. The top, second molar from the back on her left side was now nothing more than a bloody hole. She poked her tongue up into the gap, feeling the smoothness of her gums, and pressed it in harder to feel the jolt of pain. 

Pain was starting to become the only feeling she could accurately recognize. Everything else couldn’t be trusted. 

Aylin pushed away from the sink to strip herself from her soiled underwear. She kicked them into the trash before turning on the shower to heat up and taking a tender seat on the toilet. With the sound of the water pounding against the tub, she could no longer hear Peter standing outside the door. He had been pacing back and forth only moments ago but now there was nothing but silence. 

A pang of anxiety settled into her stomach at the thought of him actually leaving. There would be a chance that when she left this bathroom, she would be alone. Truly alone. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do then. Try to find her mother? Make sure she was safe? She couldn’t live in a motel forever. If she did end up finding her mom, they’d be homeless. It’s not like either of them had any work experience or life outside of the guild. She didn’t even think she had a social security number or was on any government records. Aylin didn’t exist outside of the Silver Colts. 

After she finished up on the toilet, she washed her hands the best she could. Her pinky and ring finger on her right hand were still tightly bound together and held straight by the splint. She was missing three finger nails on the same hand. The soft nail beds stung as she applied soap to them in an attempt to clean the blood. With her hands still dripping with water, she dug her toothbrush and toothpaste out from her bag to brush her teeth, careful to avoid the few in the back that ached with pain whenever the bristles got too close to the missing tooth. She desperately needed to rid the taste of Kraven from her mouth. She gulped down the water flowing from the sink to satiate her thirst and finally turned to the shower. 

Before stepping in, she wanted to remove her bandages. Everything needed to be cleaned. It wasn’t like Calypso washed her back before she threw the salve on it and bandaged her. Her body needed to be completely sanitized for her to feel human again. From looking behind her shoulder in the mirror, she could see where the end of the wrap was tucked into the middle of her back. She tried again and again to manipulate her arm around her back to grab at the end piece but it evaded her reach every time. Her shoulders were too sore from holding her body upright for hours. They ached with sharp stabs of pain each time she tried to reach the end of the bandage until tears pricked up in the corners of her eyes. 

All she wanted was to be clean. 

Aylin let out a frustrated yell and threw herself to the floor with the dramatics of a toddler throwing a tantrum. The tiles were dirty and cold under her bare bottom as she draped herself over the edge of the tub with her head cradled in her arms. She couldn’t do it. Everything she knew, her home, her people, her entire history, was ripped away from her. She had nowhere to go. Her mother was missing. She had no way of knowing if she got her note and escaped. There was no way to contact her. They didn’t have cell phones in the guild. They were cut off from society. Her mother could be anywhere. She could be in trouble and Aylin would never know. There was nothing left. 

She was an outcast. Banished from her people. A traitor. A pariah. 

She wasn’t part of the Silver Colts. She wasn’t part of the Lycans. She wasn’t part of the normal, human institution. She was no one. 

Loud, heavy sobs shook through her chest and blubbered out her mouth. Hot, fat tears poured down her cheeks and splashed to the floor. She had never cried like this before. She had never felt so vulnerable and lost. Even when her father and brother died, she had never been this broken. 

Adrift in the void of stray souls with no one to turn to. 

The bathroom door creaked open. Peter padded up softly behind her. She couldn’t move to look at him. His presence only made her cry harder. He should be gone. He should have run. His loyalty was misplaced. He was confused. 

She felt him quietly kneel down behind her and gently untuck the bandage from its hold. He carefully and silently unwrapped it around her until it lay in a bloody pile at her side. The tips of his warm fingers ghosted over the slashes from the whip as he took in the sight for the first time. She tried to gain back control of her sobs but it was useless. The flood gates had been released. 

Her wet eyes squeezed closed at his touch. So soft. So careful. He had no right to be this gentle with her. He should hate her for who she had been associated with. 

Peter’s hand landed on her shoulder, giving it a delicate squeeze. 

“Get up,” he whispered. “Let’s get you clean. You’ll feel more like yourself then. Trust me.”

Trust him. 

Aylin did. She trusted him more than anyone. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and allowed him to grip under her arms to help her stand. He guided her into the tub, keeping his eyes politely averted from her naked form, and waited until he felt she was stable enough before pulling his hands away. Slowly, he pushed the shower curtain closed to give her privacy. 

“You okay?” He asked. 

A fresh wave of tears hit her and she doubled over with more sobs under the weak stream of water, “Y-yeah.” When she heard him start to leave the bathroom, she called back out, letting the panic take over, “Wait! Peter…can you…can you stay with me? Don’t go…don’t leave me. I-I need you.” 

She could practically hear the smile in his voice.

“I was never going to leave. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

He flipped the toilet seat closed and settled down on top of it. His long legs extended out to perch his feet on the edge of the tub. She could see the shower curtain pull tighter where they rested and felt a sense of calm settle in her mind now that she knew he was with her. 

Maybe she didn’t have to be alone. Peter was alone. They could be alone together. 

The water cascaded down her chest. She placed her face into the stream to scrub at her cheeks with her hands. Brown, dark blood washed from her body and circled around the drain. She was afraid to turn her back to the shower, knowing how badly it would hurt when the water hit her wounds, but she needed to wash the blood from her hair. 

“Are you alright?” Peter asked when he heard her muffled wince of pain as she turned around. 

Aylin smiled woefully to herself, lathering her scalp with the cheap motel shampoo, “It just hurts. I’ll be okay.” A few more lingering tears slipped down her face to mix in with the steaming water. The water pressure was weak but at least it was hot. Her guilt clung to her tighter than the steam clouding around her face. “Peter?” 

“Hmm?” 

Her eyes gazed down at the sun seared into her thigh. It was blistering with angry, red lines outlining the rays of the sun. The mark of a Silver Colt, the mark of Kraven, festering with a growing infection. “I’m sorry. For everything. I’m sorry I was a bitch to you. I’m sorry I was a part of the group of people who hurt you. I’m sorry I kept you when I should have let you go the day I found you. I’m sorry for promising to kill you and refusing to go through with it. I’m sorry for being a Silver Colt.” 

He was silent for a long time. She tenderly washed her body with the soap provided to her as she waited for his response, grazing over her wounds the best she could, and letting the water carry away her filth. With each passing moment under the stream, she cleansed herself further from Kraven. 

“I don’t blame you,” Peter finally whispered. She could hardly hear him over the shower. “You acted within the parameters you knew. You saved my life. You showed me that things could be different. I didn’t have to live the way I was. There was still something more out there. Everything was hopeless until I met you.” 

Was it no longer hopeless? 

She felt hopeless. Directionless. She couldn’t see the same vision he did. They were moving in opposite directions. 

“I don’t want to die anymore,” he stated with finality to his tone. 

She did. 

Aylin turned the knob of the shower to shut it off. The water sputtered to a halt, leaving her wet, dripping, and quickly chilling as the warm droplets cooled on her skin. 

Peter shuffled behind the curtain and soon a white towel poked through the side. She gladly took it, gently wiping herself dry. 

“I’ll be in the other room,” he said. “I’m going to set up the first aid kit for when you come out. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just be on the other side of this door.”

She listened for the light click to indicate the closing door before she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out. Condensation clung to the mirror. She whipped it away with the palm of her hand. She looked rough but there was a glimmer of Aylin staring back at her. Underneath all that blood and sweat, she was still human. Her red trimmed, puffy eyes stayed locked onto herself as she scrunched the water out of her long hair with the towel. 

There was still softness in the world despite what she had gone through. Peter was proof of that. He had stayed. He didn’t run the first chance he got. He wasn’t helping her because he felt like he was forced to. His compassion was able to extend further than his trauma. 

He didn’t want to die anymore. 

She wondered what caused that change.

Aylin knelt down to dig through her bag. She grabbed a pair of clean underwear and some loose fitting workout shorts. Anything else would rub against her brand. She was worried about the infection that was beginning to form around the edges and guessed her back was probably looking the same. After quickly getting into the clean bottoms, she held the towel against her bare chest to keep herself somewhat decent before stepping out of the bathroom. Putting on a shirt before she wrapped her back wounds would be pointless. 

Peter was standing at the edge of the bed with the bucket of first aid open in front of him. He had laid out some gauze and bandages on the bed spread and was reading the back label of a yellow tube. He casually glanced in her direction with raised brows, “Is Neosporin what you need? It says antibiotic ointment. That’s probably good, right?” 

She gave him a quiet nod. He was beautiful. Forgiving. Tender. She had the urge to be held by him, cradled in the safety of his arms, with her face nuzzled into the crook of his neck. There was a newly found desperation growing where all she wanted to was to feel loved by another person. By him. Anything to make the pain go away. 

His eyes wandered back over to her, slowly toying down her body then back up to her face. She didn’t mind and found herself blushing under his obvious ogling. He gave her a lopsided grin, “Who knew there was an actual person under all that grime?”  

A smile broke out across her face, cracking through her hardened exterior. Her first real smile since she left him at camp. Those were the same words she had spoken to him the night he shuffled out of the shower the last time they were here. Their roles had been completely reversed. 

For a fleeting second, they held onto each other’s eyes, finding a common place between them. An appreciation. A care. A yearning.

A love. 

He was the first one to break the moment, hoisting the bucket off the bed and patting his hand on the mattress, “Come lay down. Let me look at your back.” 

Aylin did as she was told, happy to let someone else, someone she trusted, take control for a little a while. Once she was face first on top of the bed, she pulled the towel out from under her chest and rolled it up to use as a pillow. It was wet and cooling on her cheek as she closed her eyes. Her hair was tossed over her shoulder, away from her back. She could feel Kedi pawing at the dripping ends before he flopped over and dozed off. 

She wasn’t alone. 

There was life in this room besides her own. Life that she cared about. Life that she wanted to protect. 

Peter leaned over to examine the damage then looked back to the small tube of ointment, “I don’t think this will be enough.” 

Aylin cracked her eyes open to stare at him through half closed slits, “Does my back look infected? If not then I’ll use it on my thigh instead. That definitely needs it more.” 

She watched him glance down to the back of her thighs which were parted in a wider stance to keep her skin from touching. He chewed on the inside of his cheek. 

“Yeah, about that,” he spoke with a timid inflection. “What exactly am I looking at? When I brought you in from the car, I could kind of see it. It was all blistered but it looked a bit like it was spider shape or something. I didn’t want to push your legs apart too much to get a better look, not that you’re not nice to look at or anything, you were just sleeping…and I was…I was just…trying to…see…and make sure you were okay…” 

Aylin rolled her eyes and cut off his anxious rambling, “It’s a sun. Half of one. Kraven burned it into me to prove I was still a Silver Colt. That I was still one of them. That I was his.” 

Peter took a delicate seat on the edge of the bed beside her. He raised one brow with a look of mild intrigue, “Kraven?”

She huffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Yes? You remember him? The guy who ruined your life?”

“I know who you’re talking about.” A smile danced across his lips. “It’s just, well, you’ve always called him Sergei. The last time I brought up Kraven the Hunter you got all pissed off and had a look of death on your face like you’d kill me for disrespecting him by calling him that. Suddenly, he’s no longer Sergei. He’s Kraven. That’s what all the Lycan call him. You flipped sides.” 

Aylin let out a long breath, her eyes stared emotionless at the bare wall across from her, not finding the same amusement he clearly did, “That’s me. The traitor.”

Peter flopped down on his stomach next to her. His arms curled up to form a place for his head to rest as he stared, nose to nose, at her. He was becoming more comfortable around her by the second. She enjoyed the change. 

“I like Aylin the Traitor better than Aylin the Cult Member,” he muttered with a grin.

He was so close. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel something besides guilt and shame. He was so delicately handsome. 

And he was still here despite everything. 

“My entire life was a lie,” she whispered back to him, needing to share the burden of her life with someone she trusted. “Everything. He wanted me before I was even born. He wanted me to be his perfect…” She didn’t know what. Wife? Baby mother? Side piece? “He wanted me to have his children.” 

Peter’s brow furrowed, his joy fading, “What do you mean?” 

“Him and his wife. They couldn’t have children. He wanted an heir. They decided that the best way to do that was to create the perfect person from scratch. Someone loyal and obedient. Someone they could manipulate. Someone who would do whatever they asked,” she felt the tears pressing back up. “Someone as pathetic and naive as me.”’ 

She let out a dark, humorless laugh, “And the crazy thing is, if I had never met you, I would have done it. Without a second thought. I would have willingly agreed to it because I trusted him. He would have known best. If that’s what he said I needed to do to help our people, then I would have done it. It’s only because of you, I knew better. I’m so fucking stupid.” 

Peter’s hand reached up to capture a stray tear rolling down her cheek with his thumb. He gently wiped it away, letting his fingers push back through her hair, and lacing them against her skull. 

“You’re not stupid,” he murmured. “You were manipulated by a very bad man. If your life is full of isolation, then how could you ever know anything else? You did what you had to do to survive in the environment you were given. It’s not your fault you were born into a life like that. It’s what you do once you find out the truths that show what kind of person you really are. Look at you, Aylin. You’re not dead. You’re still here. You escaped. There is still more life out there. Don’t be like me. Don’t give up yet. You have no idea what kind of person you’re capable of becoming. Your life is just beginning. Mine is, too. We can still start fresh. They don’t deserve you, anyway.” 

“I killed her,” Aylin breathed. If he wanted to start fresh with her then he needed to know the truth. There were already too many lies in her life for her to keep anymore. “Remember that night I came to the camper and you had heard a girl screaming? They had wheeled out a young girl, a Lycan girl, inside a cage. They wanted me to kill her. I couldn’t do it. I ran back to you. I thought…” She swallowed at the lump forming in her throat. “I thought they would have killed her themselves after I ran.”

She buried her face into the towel, breathing in the scent of the motel shampoo, and closing her eyes to block out the memories as she spoke, “When I went back, when Kraven found me, he locked me in his basement. A torture chamber. It was hidden underground behind a secret bookcase. I wasn’t alone. That Lycan girl was there. She was still alive. He-” She took a deep breath. “He made me kill her this time. She was so weak. They had tortured her so badly. It was horrible. Her body was already shutting down. I think she would have died on her own had I just held off a few more hours. But I did it. I killed her. I didn’t even know her name. She wouldn’t tell me. She was young. Couldn’t be any older than 19. It was me who killed her. No one else. Just me.”

He entangled his hand from her wet hair, much to her heartbreak, and went silent. She could feel him breathing softly next to her as he mulled over what she had said. He still had the choice to leave and walk out if he judged her to be too irredeemable. 

After a quiet minute ticked by, Peter finally spoke, “I killed Kateri Deseronto’s son. He was only little. Five years old. That’s why she had me locked up when you found me. I’m responsible for his death. She wanted me to give her a new child. It was some sick, fucked up power play fueled by her grief and resentment. She lost herself the night he died. It’s hard for me to hate her, despite everything she did to me, because I felt like I deserved it. Her child is dead because of me. You said earlier that you bring death wherever you go. That you were cursed. That everyone was dead because of you.” He shook his head in disagreement. “I thought that, too, about myself. But it’s not us. I didn’t murder Kat’s son with my own hands. It was Kraven’s men who killed him. They were there because they were hunting me but I didn’t kill her son. If you look close enough, every string of blame leads straight back to Kraven the Hunter. He’s the source of everything.” 

Aylin peaked a curious eye out from the safety of her cave. Peter had propped his head up onto his hand, leaning on his side, as he looked down at her with a quiet contemplation. Suddenly, another puzzle piece fell into place. 

“Wait,” she said with a realization. She had heard that story before. She quickly sat up, forgetting she was topless, then hastily threw the towel to her chest when she saw Peter’s eyes widen. “When was that? When did the thing with Kat’s son happen?”

Peter thought for a second, his ears reddening from embarrassment, not quite understanding the gravity of what he was about to say, “I don’t know. Five years ago-ish?” He could tell by the paling look of horror on her face that something wasn’t right. “Why?”

Aylin filled her lungs with a gulp of air to try and settle her nerves, “The night my father and brother died, the night Kraven left them to die, the three of them were hunting you. Kraven told me in the basement that they had found you along with a woman and a little boy. He said that you were trying to regrow your pack after he slaughtered your last one.” 

Peter’s jaw clenched at that statement but he remained quiet. 

“He told me that they found you, he said…oh god…he said Emir ran after the woman and her son while he fought with you. He said that after he stabbed you, he fought with my father. Then he shot Emir. Then he left them both to be killed by a wolf.” Her voice lingered down to nothing but a mere whisper. “By you.”

Peter sat in a stunned silence. His eyes slipped closed and he brought his hands up to massage at his temples. With one hand keeping the towel in place, Aylin reached out with the other to gently caress his knee and drag his attention back to her. 

“I don’t blame you, Peter. It’s not your fault,” she muttered. “They were Silver Colts. They attacked you first. Like you said, everything leads back to Kraven.” 

He frantically shook his head, “No. That’s not how it happened. I told you. I never killed your family. I didn’t know…I didn’t know that was them…but I didn’t kill them. It wasn’t me. I was bleeding out after Kraven attacked me. I could barely move. Kat killed them.” 

Aylin’s eyes widened as ice froze her veins. The memory of running from the pack of wolves with Peter bursts behind her vision. A large, towering black wolf. Hunched over in the middle of the dark, slick wet, rain covered road. Heavy, smokey breaths puffing from her saliva coated jaws. She didn’t chase the car speeding away with her captive. She only stood and watched. Waiting. Plotting. 

Kat was the wolf that had killed her family. 

“Because Emir killed her son,” Aylin stated. 

He gave a solemn nod. 

Her stomach sank. She loved her family. She thought the world of them but, in their death and her grief, she had memorialized them as saints. She had stopped seeing them as people with flaws. They were people who could do no wrong. Frozen forever in her mind as the perfect father and big brother. 

But, like everything else in her life, that wasn’t always the truth. 

The world wasn’t black and white. People were all shades of gray. The people she loved and admired were capable of doing bad things. They were capable of doing wonderful, nobel things, too. They were complex, layered people. Emir could stand up for his little sister and protect her honor down to his last breath and he could also murder someone else’s child because they were associated with a Lycan. He had grown up in the same cult as she did. Generation after generation, the cycle of violence and hate would continue. 

It stopped with her. 

“Why were you with Kat and her son?” She asked. 

Peter gave a small shrug, keeping his sights set to study her face, trying to read her emotions through each little detail he could find, “She found me. She was running from her husband. He was Lycan and had turned her when they got together before she even really knew what that meant. She was young and in love with him so she ignored all the warning signs of him being an abuser. After their son was born, he got worse. Finally she decided to run but she didn’t have the experience of being a Lycan around normal people. She didn’t know how to care for her son as he started going through changes. Her husband had kept them sheltered for years. She didn’t have friends or anyone to go to. I guess she heard that my people-” He cleared his throat, struggling to speak about his pack. “She heard that I was alone. She wanted help. I told her I could help her. I told her I would try to keep them safe. I shouldn’t have done that. I knew Kraven was hunting me. I shouldn’t have had them so close but…I suppose lonely people do stupid things.” 

“Were you in love with her?” She wasn’t sure why that was the first question she asked. A strange sting of jealousy poked at her heart at the thought of him loving someone like Kat. 

A small, sad smile tugged at his lips, “No. The woman I loved is dead. Her name was Gwen. She would have wanted me to help a lost mother and her child, though. Maybe that’s why I did it. Her voice was in my head begging me to do the right thing.” He gave another shrug. “It only served to get a kid killed and look where I ended up because of it.”

Aylin licked her drying lips, “I think the person I loved is dead, too. I think Kraven killed her and her family. I thought they just left in the middle of the night but…I don’t think anyone leaves the Silver Colts without consequences. I think Kraven did it to punish me. Her name was Leah and she was beautiful. She would have liked you. She was always a bit of a rebel while I was always straight laced. She’d be amazed to know I, of all people, befriended a Lycan.” 

Peter smiled at the thought, “We are two very fucked up people with freakishly similar backgrounds.” 

Her sweet chimes of laughter filled the space between them. It felt good to laugh. Healing. 

“I think I was meant to meet you,” she breathed. “I think-” 

She stopped herself from saying what she really wanted to and shook her head to brush away the thought. 

I think you were meant to be mine. 

She rolled back onto her stomach and balled up the towel into a pillow once more, “I think you should help me put as much Neosporin as you can onto my back and then wrap it back up.”

Peter stood up to stand at the foot of the bed and clapped his hands together, “I have a better idea! I know exactly what can heal you in no time. Forget about ointments and creams. I’ve got all the cure you need right here in these veins.” 

Aylin shook her head and grimaced, “Absolutely not. I’ve drunk enough Lycan blood for one lifetime, thank you very much.”

Peter’s head jerked over to stare at her with an incredulous look, “Drank? Why are you drinking blood?”

She frowned, “That’s how Kraven is getting his superior strength. He’s drinking Lycan blood. I got only a few drops in my mouth when I killed the Lycan girl and it almost gave me a heart attack. I’m not doing that again.” 

His nose scrunched up in disgust, “Nasty. You don’t need to drink it. It’s much more effective to go blood to blood. Like, I cut my wrist and let it drip directly into your wounds. Straight to the source. It heals so much faster. I assume drinking it would take more time for it to get absorbed and lose some of its potency. Not to mention, it’s also disgusting and wrong on so many levels.” 

A tiny smile crept onto her face.

“So you’re telling me that Kraven and Calypso are gulping down blood when they could actually just be injecting it straight into their veins for better and faster results?” 

He shrugged and nodded. 

Somehow the thought of their stupidity made it more humorous. The Silver Colts really didn’t know the first thing about Lycans. All that hatred for a species they never cared to research further. 

“I still don’t want your blood. I almost died last time and then I slept for 16 hours. It was horrible,” she said. The sleeping part wasn’t actually horrible. She needed it. It was all the other stuff before that, that she’d rather never experience again. 

“That’s because you were panicking.” He said this like it should have been obvious to her. When he saw no light bulb go off over her head, he explained further. “When a human is given Lycan blood, it enhances everything. Physically, it makes you heal faster, you’re stronger, you have better eyesight and hearing and smell, your endurance and agility heighten, faster reflexes…you get it. But it also enhances your emotions. Whatever you’re feeling when it’s in your system gets enhanced. Seeing as you were running for your life through the woods, half naked, and covered in blood, your heart was racing. It would have been racing without the blood and then, suddenly, it’s going twice as fast as it ever should. You were scared and panicked. Thus, the blood made those emotions worse, which made your heart beat faster, which made it almost explode.” 

Interesting. 

She remembered how frantic Kraven’s hands had felt as he lusted after her like he could scarcely control his desires for her. She remembered how each whip from Calypso was harder and more violent than the last, like she was feeding off her own hatred towards Aylin. She remembered how scared she felt when she tumbled into her mother’s bedroom to find her missing and how the panic had felt like it consuming her every pore. 

It would make perfect sense that Lycan blood was heighting more than just their physical abilities. 

Then she remembered something else. 

“Kraven said something strange when we were in the basement. When you were fighting all those years ago, he cut your throat, and your blood landed in his mouth. Once that happened, he felt like he could no longer kill you. He walked away from the fight and left you there. Then, when he was drinking the girl in the basement's blood, he told me that he nor Calypso were able to kill her themselves. They had to wait for me to do it. He said it was like a mental block that happened.” 

The Lycan had already been dead once Aylin got a taste of her blood so she hadn’t experienced anything Kraven had described. 

Peter nodded, “I’ve heard of that happening. Figured that’s why Kraven walked away that night. I don’t know how or why it happens. It’s not like there are books that study our anatomy. I think it’s probably a last line of defense. If someone is using our blood, we become a part of them while it’s in their system. Killing the wolf that’s living temperarely inside of you would be like suicide, I imagine. I doubt it would literally kill the person but that’s how it would probably feel. You have an instinctive need for self preservation, which now includes the wolf inside of you, so you can’t bring yourself to kill them.” 

Peter’s blood is what saved him the night Kraven attacked. 

She wouldn’t mind having a part of him flowing inside her veins for a little while. 

“Promise it won’t be as bad as last time?” She asked. 

He smiled, “We’re in a motel room. You have your cat. It’s just me and you here. There is no danger. No one knows we are here. We can put on the tv and watch something chill while it works its magic. You have no need to be scared or panicked. You’ll feel heightened senses but as long as you keep your emotions calm, you’ll be okay.” 

Aylin thought it over then gave a final nod, “Fine. Do it. Whatever can heal me faster, I'll take. You and I have a lot of planning to do.”

[CHAPTER NINE]

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[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Fossil Novembirb 6: Tropical Denmark

Septencoracias by @quetzalpali-art

We have a whole host of early Eocene ecosystems filled to the brim with birds - such a reversal from the Cretaceous and the Paleocene! - that we had to keep highlighting these ecosystems. So, next on our list is the Fur Formation of Denmark - another very early Eocene ecosystem, right after the PETM, that shows how Neoavians diversified so rapidly in the wake of the K-Pg extinction.

Associated with volcanoes, this ecosystem was periodically buried in ash, leading to the exceptional preservation of its fossils. It was a tropical forest, like most of the world at that time, near the coast; allowing the fossils to preserve a variety of marine as well as arboreal species. So, good news for us bird lovers!

In fact, there are so many different birds in this ecosystem, I can't possibly list or talk about them all. So, I'm just going to have to do my best to summarize!

Eocypselus by @saint-nevermore

This formation shows the oldest known members of many bird groups still found today, which is an important piece of the puzzle of Neoavian evolution. The earliest Rollers, Trogons, Swifts, and Ibises are all known from this ecosystem - as well as a wide variety of other birds that have older representatives, such as the Lithornithids.

In fact, for all the absence of Palaeognaths in the Cretaceous and earliest Paleocene, around the PETM the Lithornithids really took off - pun intended! They were found all over North America and Europe, which may have given them a prime position from which to radiate to the rest of the world... and evolve into the Palaeognaths we have today? Maybe. More work on that question is, of course, necessary.

Other interesting birds include Morsoravis, the early Parrot-Passerine relative with flexibly zygodactyl feet and kinetic skulls, allowing them to manipulate food and climb around on trees - common in its ecosystem. What's wild is this was very similar to the foot of living mousebirds - which are nowhere closely related to Parrots or Passerines - showcasing this as a case of convergent evolution in avian feet! That happens a lot, actually...

Rhynchaeites by Diego Ortega

Septencoracias was another fantastic bird of this ecosystem, being the oldest known roller. Previously, it was thought that rollers only appeared in the Miocene, so this pushes back their origin by tens of millions of years and also indicates that modern-type rollers appeared very early on in avian evolution. Furthermore, Septencoracias was found with fish in its gut, indicating that rollers at the time had a wide variety of food sources!

Eocypselus was another fascinating fossil of an early swift-hummingbird, ie, a relative of both groups but not more closely related to either. This showcases that these birds evolved their small size first, before specializing into the niches they hold today. It was black in color, and was probably an insectivore, like its living relatives!

The first ibises showed the long beak distinctive of the group, as seen in Rhynchaeites/Mopsitta, and had long legs for wading just like in living members. And relatives of modern rails, Messelornithids in the form of Pellornis, were wading along the shoreline right with them.

Eoglaucidium (a Sandcoleid), photograph by Ghedoghedo

In fact, one thing that's becoming clear about birds is that they tend to repeat the same ideas - locked in to certain developmental constraints, such as not re-evolving arms, they try out different ecologies that work well and continuously convergently evolve those adaptations over and over again. Wading, flexible feet, climbing and perching, the list goes on!

We'll see that continue throughout this series, but of course, unique adaptations will continue to come up in spades! These are birds we're talking about here.

Sources:

Mayr, G. M., A. C. Kitchener. 2023. A new fossil from the London Clay documents the convergent origin of a “mousebird-like” tarsometatarsus in an early Eocene near-passerine bird. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 68 (1): 1-11.

Mayr, 2022. Paleogene Fossil Birds, 2nd Edition. Springer Cham.

Mayr, 2017. Avian Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance (TOPA Topics in Paleobiology). Wiley Blackwell.